Biodiversity Commons^™

Tree Canopy Cover Influences Habitat Use Of Breeding Birds At Jack Mountain Wildlife Management Area, Kaleigh Thomas

Scholars Day Conference

Across the United States, bird populations have declined due to habitat loss. To better understand habitat use by birds, researchers observed populations at Jack Mountain Wildlife Management Area in southwest Arkansas. Students at Ouachita Baptist University surveyed 94 point count locations to estimate species diversity (total number of species observed) and species abundance (total number of individuals observed). At each point, students recorded the percentage of tree canopy cover, ground cover, midstory cover, and shrub cover. These variables were used as explanatory variables in multiple regression analyses to determine which variables were influential in explaining variation in species diversity and …

Developing Cryopreservation Methods Of Wheat Roots, Ramanpreet Singh, Nguyen Khoi Nguyen, Taylor S. Matteucci

2023 Symposium

In the midst of record breaking rates of plant species extinction due to climate change and fungal diseases, a universal cryopreservation method would provide a means for preservation of these many different species. The concept of plant root cryopreservation first emerged in the late 1960’s, and with it came new avenues of preserving tissue for the purposes of agriculture and research. Frozen tissues can be transported and stored more reliably than other more conventional means. When thawed, they have the potential to be cultured and grown. Several different methods of cryopreservation exist. This experiment used the Fast (3°C/minute) and Slow …

A Baseline Assessment Of Migratory And Resident Bird Use Of A Prairie Restoration Site In Eastern Washington, Madilyn J. Odiorne, Brynn A. Richey, Ruby L. Hammond

2023 Symposium

Prairies, and other types of grassland ecosystems, have suffered some of the most profound losses worldwide, due to anthropogenic factors such as fossil fuel extraction, agriculture, and climate change. Likewise, organisms inhabiting grassland ecosystems have become extirpated across much of their historical range, not the least of which has been a 50% decline in grassland birds since the 1960s. In response to losses of intact prairie in eastern Washington, a 120-ac site has been established on the EWU campus to regenerate native prairie and monitor changes in the ecosystem as native plants recolonize and replace non-natives. Because birds are an …

Eradicating Zebra Mussels: What Works?, Elijah Davies

Symposium of Student Scholars

The invasion of U.S lakes and rivers by the invasive species of zebra mussels called Dreissena polymorpha has caused catastrophic harm to the local ecosystem by reproducing and outcompeting native mussel species as well as harm to pipes leading into water sources by binding to surfaces and reproducing to the point that the mussels clog pipes. In addition, recreation areas must be closed due to the sharp shells making areas unusable. In the past, research has focused on individual molluscicides and their eradication of zebra mussels, as well as their effect on native flora and fauna. My research will contrast …

A Reevaluation Of The Phylogeography Of The Chattahoochee Slimy Salamander (Plethodon Chattahoochee) Using Next-Generation Genomic Data, Jadin Cross

Symposium of Student Scholars

The Plethodon glutinosus species complex is a group of large-bodied, lungless salamanders that are widespread across the eastern United States. Species in this group are morphologically cryptic and were originally delimited using allozyme data, but in most cases, the extent of contemporary gene flow between named taxa has not be rigorously evaluated. The Appalachian Mountains of northern Georgia are home to several members of this group—including P. glutinosus, P. teyahalee, P. chlorobryonis, and P. chattahoochee. P. chattahoochee has been found to be especially cryptic both morphologically and genetically as both intraspecific genetic variation and species boundaries within …

208— Describing Genetic Diversity In A Non-Native Ant-Mimicking Spider, Cassidy Mills, Jennifer L. Apple

GREAT Day Posters

The ant-mimicking spider Myrmarachne formicaria (Salticidae) is a species native to Eurasia and was first identified in North America in 2001. It has since been found in many locations in the Northeast including western New York, western Pennsylvania, northeastern Ohio, and southern Ontario. Little is known about its introduction to North America and how it has dispersed since. By characterizing the mitochondrial genetic diversity of this species, we can learn about its introduction history and dispersal patterns in North America. Sequencing of a 600-bp mitochondrial DNA gene region spanning the 16s rRNA, leucine tRNA, and part of the ND1 gene …

194— Plant Diversity & Allergies, Catherine Kilada

GREAT Day Posters

The impact of industrialization and its resulting decline in biodiversity may be a contributing factor to the rapidly increasing prevalence of allergies across the United States. This decline in biodiversity reduces the contact between people and various tree species, causing an increase in the number of individuals who experience moderate to severe allergies. I predict there may be a correlation between myriad allergies and geographic location within New York State. Using an online survey distributed to the Geneseo Student Body, I will determine if there are certain areas of New York State that have higher reports of certain allergy types. …

The Future Of Biodiversity Assessment: Using Environmental Dna And Next-Generation Sequencing To Characterize Biological Communities In The Central Highlands Of Arizona, Courtney Turner-Rathbone

Undergraduate Research Symposium - Prescott

Historically ecological surveys require significant man hours in the field, utilizing methods which can stress species being observed. In using environmental DNA (eDNA) gathered from air, soil, and water, traditional methods may be supplemented or reduced in order to more efficiently utilize funding and reduce or eliminate stress on surveyed species. Water was collected in replicates using aseptic technique from two different sites, 60 miles apart, along the Verde River. Samples were vacuum filtered within 24 hours through 0.45 μm cellulose nitrate (CN) filters to collect eDNA. DNA extraction from the filters was performed. The polymerase chain reaction (PCR) was …

A Quantitative Analysis Of The Effects Of Urbanization, Mesophication And Prescribed Burns On Oak Woodlands In The Chicago Metropolitan Area, Chad Populorum

Celebration of Learning

Urban expansion has had devastating impacts on forest ecosystems, especially within the past century. Human attempts to dominate nature have diminished natural disturbance regimes, which have maintained the biodiversity and historic composition of these ecosystems. Fires have been a prominent force in maintaining the structure of oak, hickory and other heliophytic (sun loving and fire-adapted) forest systems. Human induced fire suppression has led to mesophication across North America. Mesophication is the transition from drier conditions with open canopies to wetter conditions with closed canopies. These new conditions decrease the survival rates of these important species and begin to favor mesophytic …

Expanding Access To Biodiversity Literature, Patrick Randall

Digital Initiatives Symposium

Expanding Access to Biodiversity Literature (EABL) is an IMLS-funded grant designed to enhance the collection of the Biodiversity Heritage Library (BHL), a digital library providing open access to over 50 million pages of legacy biodiversity literature.

BHL's collection is built on the digitized holdings of its member libraries, typically large research universities, natural history museums, and other well-funded organizations. EABL, however, solicits content outside the BHL consortium; small organizations that often lack the resources for cataloging and digitization nevertheless have valuable and unique literature to contribute. This has created new challenges for BHL workflows, as well as opportunities for novel …

P08. Unravelling Organelle Genome Evolution Architecture Using Rna-Sequencing Data, Matheus Sanita Lima, David Roy Smith

Western Research Forum

Background: Mitochondria genomes vary from 11 Mb to 6 kb, while plastids can vary from 1 Mb to 30 kb. Non-coding DNA accounts for most of this size variation, but the mechanistic and evolutionary reasons for that are still unknown. Next generation sequencing has generated unprecedented amounts of genomic and transcriptomic data that can be used for organelle genome evolution studies. However, most of these data is used only for the study of cell nucleus. Therefore, I decided to use these untapped data source to investigate the transcription of organelle genomes in plastid-bearing protists.

Methods: I mapped the transcriptomes over …