Biodiversity Commons^™

2015 Final Report: Status Of The Arizona Toad (Anaxyrus Microscaphus) In New Mexico, Mason J. Ryan, Ian M. Latella, Jacek Tomasz Giermakowski, Howard L. Snell

Biology Faculty & Staff Publications

In 2013, we initiated a field study to assess the status of the Arizona Toad (Anaxyrus microscaphus) in New Mexico. Herein we provide the results of three years (2013-2015) of range-wide population monitoring, a review of threat assessments, and several contributions to the basic ecology of the Arizona Toad in New Mexico. This work highlights the sensitivity of the species to abiotic factors and emphasizes the nature of annual population fluctuations in a variable environment. We provide analyses of environmental factors that influence toad reproductive behaviors, employ occupancy and detection modeling at breeding sites, and provide analyses of tadpole habitat …

From Lab To Pharmacy Shelves: The Story Of A Plant Derived Anticancer Drug, "Paclitaxel", Maira Junjua, Sana Jafar, Fazeelat Karamat, Faheem Ahmed

Journal of Bioresource Management

Paclitaxel (Taxol®) is a highly praised anticancer drug, known for its efficiency in treating different cancers. It belongs to a class of compounds called taxanes that are derived from the plants of the genus Taxus. This drug is now FDA approved, but there was a time when the name Taxol was less known to the scientific world. Taxol, being a unique molecule in its structure, properties and mechanism of action, has undergone more than 30 years of trials, and faced a lot of hurdles to leave the bench of a laboratory and reach the shelves of a pharmacy. This review …

Status And Future Management Of Grey Goral (Naemorhedus Goral Bedfordi) In Pakistan, Fakhar -I- Abbas, Afsar Mian, Tanveer Akhtar, Thomas P. Rooney

Journal of Bioresource Management

Himalayan grey goral (HGG: Naemorhedus goral bedfordi) is endemic to Himalyas and regarded as Endangered/ Threatened. Study was designed to collect information on population biology, habitat, food and behaviour of population of HGG distributed in Pakistan, trying to understand its present status and conservational potentials. Our data suggest that the population, habitat and the species has sufficient potentials for its survival in the area, if protection from human predation is afforded to the species. HGG population is isolated into 7-8 subpopulations and is facing male-biased mortality, therefore is likely to face bottleneck effects and subsequent population crash ascribed to …

Dna Protective Activity Of Peels Of Some Vegetables Wastes, Aisha Ishaq, Kainaat William

Journal of Bioresource Management

The present study was conducted by using kitchen wastes like peels of different vegetables e.g. cucumber, potato, carrot, chickpea, cauliflower and pea, to evaluate the phytochemical constituents, DNA protection ability and free radicals scavenging activity. Phytochemicals tests showed the presence of carbohydrates, amino acids, glycosides, alkaloids, tannins and steroids in all samples while phlobatannins, anthraquonines and saponins were absent. The DNA protection of samples was checked by DNA protection assay using plasmid pBR322. Cauliflower and cucumber showed best protection at each dilution. DPPH free radicals scavenging assay was used to evaluate the antioxidant activity of peel extract of vegetables. Carrot …

Differential Expression Of Cyb5a In Chinese And European Pig Breeds Due To Genetic Variations In The Promoter Region..Pdf, Ying Bai, Jibin Zhang, Y Xue, Yl Peng, Gang Chen, Meiying Fang

Jibin Zhang

Deeply Rooted: The Story Of Congaree National Park, Taylor Karlin

Senior Theses

This photo-essay book was written to fulfill requirements for completion of a senior thesis project to graduate with honors from the South Carolina Honors College. Its purpose is to promote the enjoyment and preservation of the Congaree National Park by educating the public on the historical and ecological significance of the land and the many activities it has to offer. Despite its proximity to downtown Columbia, there remains a lack of public awareness about the park and the amazing activities and opportunities it has to offer. I have compiled information and pictures that will best depict the unique qualities of …

Discovery & Born-Digital Archiving: Open Source Systems For Preservation And Access, L. Bryan Cooper, Margarita Perez-Martinez

Works of the FIU Libraries

The Everglades Explorer (EE) portal at http://ee.fiu.edu continues to evolve with the addition of the Internet Archive's Archive-It, and future planned alignment with the Digital Public Library of America (DPLA). The reasons for the development of the portal continue to exist, as originally perceived four years ago. Adaptations to ongoing change and system testing continues, and the use of Archive-It has broad institutional potential beyond EE. Cross-walking skills continue to grown, and will benefit future syndication and discovery system integration. The metadata normalization and harmonization will help save time for the end-user. Preservation and access to learning and research …

Anthropogenic Influences On The Tolipir Landscape, Lesser Himalayas, Pakistan, Abu Ul Hassan Faiz, Fakhar-I- Abbas, Lariab Zahra

Journal of Bioresource Management

The present study describes anthropogenic pressure in Tolipir landscape of lesser Himalayas. The GIS tools, questionnaire and field sampling surveys were used to estimate threats in landscape. The study was conducted from January 2013 to January 2014. The five model villages (Ali Sojal, Kanchi Kot, Khori Chana, Kahoo Kot and Noor Kot) of Tolipir landscape were selected to determine anthropogenic pressure. The study documents that Tolipir landscape has average number of house (350 ± 82.4), with number of individual per house (10.8 ± 1.1) and fuel consumption per day (43.72±3.30) kg. The preferred fuel wood plant species among inhabitants of …

Regional Evolutionary Distinctiveness And Endangerment As A Means Of Prioritizing Protection Of Endangered Species, Emily K. Brantner

FIU Electronic Theses and Dissertations

Conservation is costly, and choices must be made about where to best allocate limited resources. I propose a regional evolutionary diversity and endangerment (RED-E) approach to prioritization of endangered species. It builds off of the evolutionary diversity and global endangerment (EDGE) approach, but will allow conservation agencies to focus their efforts on species in specific regions. I used the RED-E approach to prioritize mammal and bird species listed under the U.S. Endangered Species Act (ESA), as well as to make a ranking of species without ESA critical habitat (CH), as a practical application. Regional conservation approaches differ significantly from global …

Predicting Toucan Locations In Panama Using Arcgis, Daniel J. Herrera

Geography: Student Scholarship & Creative Works

Toucans are omnivorous birds native to southern Latin America and South America. They are non-migratory, and their range is disputed among experts. In an attempt to develop a better understanding of the range and behavior of toucans, correlations between toucan presence and geographic features of the area were analyzed to create a location probability map.

Research, Monitoring, Assessment And Development Plan 2015 – 2020, Department Of Fisheries

Fisheries occasional publications

No abstract provided.

Short Report: Description And Distribution Of Wagtails "Family Motacillidae" With Reference To Pakistan, Nadia Yousuf, Kainaat William, Madeeha Manzoor, Balqees Khanum

Journal of Bioresource Management

In the current study, Wagtails of the Family Motacillidae were studied in Pakistan. Thirteen species and sub-species were found in different regions. Their characteristics were observed, photographs were taken, previous distributions of these species were analyzed, and a new distribution of each species was reported in this study. During study, the scavenging role of these birds was identified, and it was hoped that wagtails may play an important role in the absence of the vultures after recent downfalls in major scavengers. However, these important effects were not observed in the wagtails, and probably will not occur until their populations increase …

In Vitro Culturing And Harvesting Of Human Plucked Hair Follicles, Iram Rehman, Attika Rehman, Samina Jalali

Journal of Bioresource Management

Human hair follicles are miniature hair growing organs. A common human hair disorder is androgenetic alopecia (AGA), which becomes a medical problem only when the hair loss is subjectively seen as excessive, premature, and distressing on the scalp. The objectives of the present study were to culture the hair stem cells in vitro and to study the morphology of the cultured cells for the treatment of AGA. The present study proposes that plucked human hairs are a cheap source to treat male baldness and in vitro culturing of hair follicle cells is the potential method to apply the cultured cells …

Distribution And Habitat Analysis For Freshwater Turtles Of River Indus And Some Of Its Tributaries In Khyber Pakhtunkhwa And Punjab, Pakistan, Malik Ghulam Sarwar, Fakhar -I- Abbas, Inayat Ali Shahjehan

Journal of Bioresource Management

This study was conducted to investigate the relative abundance and habitat analysis of freshwater turtles of Pakistan. Eighty two individuals of seven species of turtles at sixteen different sites in River Indus and some of its tributaries in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa (KP) and Punjab were recorded; these include both soft and hard shell freshwater turtles. The species documented were, Kachuga smithii, Kachuga tecta, Geoclemys hamiltonii, Aspideretes gangeticus, Aspideretes hurrum, Chitra indica and Lissemys punctata. The L. punctata was the most common, with relative frequency (RF) of 24.4%, followed by A. gangeticus (18.3%), A. hurum (17.1%), C. indica (17.1%), K. smithii (12.2%), …

A Study Of Dna Protective Ability Of Peels Of Different Citrus Species, Nehrish Nisar, Kainaat William, Azra Khanum

Journal of Bioresource Management

The aim of the present study was to assess the DNA protection ability, free radicals scavenging activity, and phytochemical constituents of peel extracts of various species of citrus. Results showed the presence of carbohydrates, amino acids, glycosides, tannins, steroids and alkaloids. DNA protection assay showed maximum protection with methanolic extracts of peels of C. limon, C. reticulata, C. aurantium and C. sinensis as compared to C. limetta which showed less protection. DPPH assay used to assess the antioxidants showed the highest activity in the methanolic extract of peels of C. reticulata and C. aurantium with 75% and 86% respectively at …

The Distribution, Population Status, And Wildlife Product Trade Of Himalayan Musk Deer In Gilgit-Baltistan, Pakistan, Fakhar -I- Abbas, Thomas P. Rooney, Afsar Mian, Zahid Iqbal Bhatti, Jibran Haider

Journal of Bioresource Management

Himalayan musk deer (Moschus chrysogaste leucogaster) is an IUCN Red List Endangered species that reaches its western range limit in Pakistan, although its distribution or population size is unknown. Here, we mapped its distribution, described habitat preferences, estimated population sizes, recruitment and mortality, and reported the market values of musk deer wildlife products. We used two approaches: analyzing local wisdom (traditional ecological knowledge) through the use of questionnaires, and conducting confirmatory field surveys of selected areas. Questionnaire respondents indicated musk deer sightings in 28 of 84 localities; mainly in Himalayan dry temperate forests with >20% forest cover. There …

Naphthalene Acetic Acid And Benzylaminopurine Enhance Growth And Improve Quality Of Organic Spinach In Kitchen Gardens, Duad Ahmed Awan, Faheem Ahmad, Sharmin Ashraf

Journal of Bioresource Management

The present study was conducted at the Kitchen Gardening Training Centre, Faisalabad, Pakistan to evaluate the effect of the plant growth regulators Naphthalene Acetic Acid (NAA) and Benzylaminopurine (BAP), on the growth and yield of organic spinach (Spinacia oleracea L.) in kitchen gardening. Different combinations and concentrations of NAA and BAP were tested to evaluate different vegetative parameters. The data were recorded at 40 and 60 days after sowing (DAS). Maximum plant height at 40 DAS was recorded for the combined effect of NAA and BAP at a concentration of 1000 μM (each), while BAP alone at 100 μM concentration …

Susceptibility Of Nppa And Il6 With Type 2 Diabetes And Hypertension In Punjab, Pakistan, Andleeb Batool, Riffat Iqbal, Maryam Mukhtar, Hong Xue

Journal of Bioresource Management

Type 2 Diabetes (T2D) and Hypertension are the major health issues affecting quality of life of young ages throughout the world, especially the third world countries facing more complications with diabetes due to poor disease management. The present study was conducted to explore the association of genetic polymorphism with T2D and hypertension in the Punjabi population. The case control study was conducted comprising of 288 patients (118 male, 170 female) and 170 controls (104 male, 66 female). The selected genes along SNPs were NPPA (rs5064 G>A, rs5063 C>T) and IL6 (rs1800796 C>G). DNA was amplified by Nested …

Species Diversity, Distribution And Seasonal Abundance In Mangrove Associated Molluscs Along The Karachi Coast, Pakistan, Zia Ullah, Itrat Zehra, Muhammad Asif Gondal

Journal of Bioresource Management

Mangrove or Mangal vegetation are typical wetland ecosystems found in coastal deposits of mud and silt throughout the tropics and some distance into the sub-tropical latitude. Species diversity, distribution, seasonal abundance in population and behavioral responses of mangrove associated molluscs (gastropods and bivalves) were investigated in two mangal areas: Sandspit and Korangi, along the Karachi coast of Pakistan. For sampling, a fixed route was followed throughout the study period and the samples were collected and observations were made from HTZ to LTZ. Fourteen species of molluscs (5 Prosobranchia; 6 Pulmonata; 1 Opisthobranchia and 2 Lamellibranchia) belonging to ten families were …

Performance Of Exotic Tulip Cultivars Under Agro-Climatic Conditions Of Peshawar, Muhammad Ali, Abdul Mateen Khattak, Kalim Ullah, Muhammad Ibrahim

Journal of Bioresource Management

The performance of ten exotic tulip cultivars under agro-climatic conditions of Peshawar was studied at Ornamental Nursery, Department of Horticulture, The University of Agriculture Peshawar, Pakistan during the year 2013-14. The experiment was laid out in Randomized Complete Block (RCB) Design with three replications. Ten cultivars of tulips viz., Bastogne, Don Quichotte, China Town, White Dream, Red Riding Hood, Mascotte, Orange Angelique, Strong Gold, Rajka and Romantic Sunset were tested for their performance. Significant differences (P≤0.05) were observed among the cultivars regarding various parameters. The cultivar “Don Quichotte” produced the maximum number of leaves per plant (8.1), bulbs per plant …

Traversing Swanton Road, 21st Ed., James A. West

Academic, Government & Associated Organizational Research Resources

Situated at the northwest end of Santa Cruz County and occupying circa 30 square miles of sharply contrasted terrain, the Scott Creek Watershed concentrates within its geomorphological boundaries, at least 10-12% of California's flora, both native and introduced. Paradoxically, the use/abuse that the watershed has sustained over the past 140+ years, has not necessarily diminished the biodiversity and perhaps parallels the naturally disruptive but biologically energizing processes (fire, flooding, landslides and erosion), which have also been historically documented for the area for +60 years. This is an early edition of an extensive document by James A. West. Please visit the …

The Rediscovery And Precarious Status Of Chihuahuan Dwarf Crayfish Cambarellus Chihuahuae, Evan W. Carson, Carlos Pedraza-Lara, María De Lourdes Lozano-Vilano, Gabino A. Rodríguez-Almaráz, Iris Banda-Villanueva, Lissette A. Sepúlveda-Hernández, Lilia Vela-Valladares, Andrea Cantú-Garza, Mauricio De La Maza-Benignos

Occasional Papers

We report rediscovery of the Chihuahuan Dwarf Crayfish Cambarellus chihuahuae at the desert spring Ojo Solo in Ejido Rancho Nuevo in Chihuahua, México. This species was reported to be extinct. Morphological evaluation of 12 voucher specimens confirmed the population as C. chihuahuae. Crayfish were abundant upon rediscovery in September 2012 and remained so throughout bimonthly monitoring from February 2014 to April 2015. Despite abundance at Ojo Solo, the species is critically imperiled, with four of its five native habitats dry and the remaining one in decline; however, a population was established at Ojo Caliente, a nearby natural refuge habitat we …

Radiocarbon Isotopic Classification Of Deep Tropical Forest Soils, Brooke Butler, Karis J. Mcfarlane, Jennifer Pett-Ridge, Katherine A. Heckman

STAR Program Research Presentations

Tropical forest soils have an important role in global carbon (C) stocks. Small changes in the cycling of C could drastically affect atmospheric carbon dioxide (CO2) concentrations and active cycling of carbon in a forest community. Currently, little is understood of how tropical forest soils will respond to the increasing global temperatures. To examine the effects of warming/ drought on losses of older versus younger soil C pools, we implemented radiocarbon (14C) isotopic characterization of various soil plot samples and depths from the Luquillo Experimental Forest, Puerto Rico. 14C was measured using Accelerated Mass Spectrometry (AMS) from catalytically condensed carbon …

Medicinal Plants Of Turmic Valley (Central Karakoram National Park), Gilgit-Baltistan, Pakistan, Sher Wali Khan, Qamar Abbas, Syed Najmul Hassan, Hawas Khan, Azhar Hussain

Journal of Bioresource Management

This study was undertaken to enumerate the medicinal plants of the area, find out the conservation status, and record the folk knowledge from the inhabitants of Turmic Valley during 2011-2013. The valley is located in the Rondo division of the District Skardu on the Northeastern side of the Indus River. The detailed information about the local flora regarding medicinal uses was collected from the local herbal healers (Hakeems) and other knowledgeable people. Locally used herbs of the area prevent and cure the people from various diseases such as joint pains, bronchitis, flu and fever, lowering blood pressure, constipation, …

Physico-Chemical Variables And Fish Parasites Of River Neelum Azad Jammu And Kashmir, Pakistan, Nuzhat Shafi, Javed Ayub, Tasleem Akhtar

Journal of Bioresource Management

The physico-chemical parameters and the fish parasites of the River Neelum were studied at three sampling sites, i.e., Pattika, Tali Mandi, and Domail. Water temperature and rate of flow of water were significantly higher at Domail than Pattika and Tali Mandi. ANOVA showed that dissolved oxygen, total suspended solids, inorganic suspended solids, and organic matter of the bottom mud kept on fluctuating and showed a significant difference between three selected sites. Although, these variables showed variations, they remained within tolerable limits set by WHO. Three species of potentially harmful parasites, i.e., Dactylogyrus vastator, Procamallanus laevionchus, and Argulus foliaceus were …

Assessment Of Fusariotoxins And Toxigenic Potential Of Fusarium Spp. In Maize Grains Collected From Pakistan, Nafeesa Qudsia Hanif, Iffat Tahira, Salma Khatoon, Kishwar Sultana

Journal of Bioresource Management

A total of 65 maize grain samples (Zea Mays L.) collected from cold and hot climatic zones of Pakistan lead to isolation of 10 Fusarium supposing deep freezing method. Occurrence of fusarium spp. was high (75%) in cold climatic zones as compared to hot zones (25%). Fumonisins were recorded in both climatic zones, though their incidence was higher in hot climatic zone (range 4,379-9,990 μg/kg). Incidence of A and B trichothecenes was higher in cool climatic zone. Zearalenone (ZON) with mean level 500 μg/kg was positive in only 10% samples of hot climatic zone. Furthermore, co-contamination of fusariotoxins …

Assessment Of Antimicrobial And Antioxidant Activity Of Justicia Californica, Nabeela Shafique, Rizwana Aleem Qureshi

Journal of Bioresource Management

The present study focused on the exotic plant species Justicia californica, which is a native species of California. Phytochemicalanalysis was performed, which showed the presence of alkaloids, aminoacids, carbohydrates, glycosides, phlobatannins, and tannins in the root extract of J.californica, whereas amino acids, carbohydrates, and tannins were present in leaf and stems extract. In roots, 9.46%, and in leaf and stem, 13.35% flavonoids were found. Phenolics were found to be key phytochemicals, playing a role in antioxidant activity, which are about 8% in the sample of roots and 11.4% in the extract of leaf and stems. The DPPH assay, …

Mesquite (Prosopis Juliflora): Livestock Grazing, Its Toxicity And Management, Kainaat William, Laila Jafri

Journal of Bioresource Management

Prospis juliflora is an invasive tree native to Northern South America, Central America, and the Caribbean. It has been used as a folk remedy for catarrh, cold, diarrhea, dysentery, excrescences, flu, hoarseness, inflammation, measles, sore throat, and in the healing of wounds. Its antibacterial, antioxidant, antifungal, antitumor, and anthelminitic activities are also reported and it contain phytochemicals such as flavonols, alkaloids, tannins, ellagic acid, glycosides, steroids, and various phenolic compounds. It is reported to be used as feed for cattle worldwide. Low intake of this plant doesn’t affect the health of cattle but excessive intake is harmful and can cause …

Growth Inhibiting Effects Of Three Different Plant Extracts On Tribolium Castaneum (Herbst) (Tenebrionidae: Coleoptera), Javed Iqbal Dr, Ghulam Jilani, Muhammad Aslam

Journal of Bioresource Management

Petroleum ether, acetone and ethanol extracts of neem, sweet flag, and turmeric were evaluated for their growth inhibiting effects on the Tribolium castaneum at the application rate of 1000, 500, 250 and 125 μg/g food media. Petroleum ether extracts showed the lowest number of larvae produced (34.00) in 1000 μg/g neem extract. Acetone extract of sweet flag showed minimum and significantly lower number of larvae produced (8.00) at 1000 μg/g, whereas ethanol extracts of turmeric showed minimum numbers of larvae (106.30) at 1000 μg/g application rate. Maximum inhibition ratio of pupation was found as 81.18 % at 1000 μg/g dosage …

Review: Contribution Of Biotic Agents Of Pakistan In World Agriculture, Mohammad Irshad

Journal of Bioresource Management

Biological control has attained immense significance. Biological control is not unknown. It has a past history of successes. Natural control consists of two major components: environmental factors (abiotic) and natural enemies (biotic). Integrated Pest Management or Crop Management is considered a valuable tool in food security. It has not only been used in Pakistan but also Pakistani biotic agents have been used elsewhere in the world giving substantial economic control. These have been mainly used in the USA. With World Trade Organization protocols in operation, biological control will be of much significance. Import and export of natural enemies will be …