Biology Commons^™

Ecological Effects And Ethics Of A Species Range Shift To High Elevation Ponds, Ava Ardito

Honors College

As temperatures warm, the climate crisis is having a significant influence on species across the world and altering their distributions. Colorado's high elevation ponds have recently observed a species range shift, traveling to higher altitudes than they have previously inhabited. The Mexican Cut Nature Preserve near the Rocky Mountain Biological Laboratory (RMBL) in Gothic, CO, is home to a prominent caddisfly Limnephilus externus, but recently a new range-shifting species, Nemotaulius hostilis, has appeared. Caddisflies play an essential role in nutrient cycling and putting energy back into the food web. The range-shifting species is known to excrete high rates of phosphorus …

Deconstructing The Mangrove Carbon Cycle: Gains, Transformation, And Losses, M. F. Adame, N. Cormier, P. Taillardat, N. Iram, A. Rovai, T. M. Sloey, E. S. Yando, J. F. Blanco-Libreros, M. Arnaud, T. Jennerjahn, C. E. Lovelock, D. Friess, G. M. S. Reithmaier, C. A. Buelow, S. M. Muhammad-Nor, R. R. Twilley, R. A. Ribeiro

Biological Sciences Faculty Publications

Mangroves are one of the most carbon-dense forests on the Earth and have been highlighted as key ecosystems for climate change mitigation and adaptation. Hundreds of studies have investigated how mangroves fix, transform, store, and export carbon. Here, we review and synthesize the previously known and emerging carbon pathways in mangroves, including gains (woody biomass accumulation, deadwood accumulation, soil carbon sequestration, root and litterfall production), transformations (food web transfer through herbivory, decomposition), and losses (respiration as CO₂ and CH₄, litterfall export, particulate and dissolved carbon export). We then review the technologies available to measure carbon fluxes in …

An Integrative Salt Marsh Conceptual Framework For Global Comparisons, Erik S. Yando, Scott F. Jones, W. Ryan James, Denise D. Colombano, Diana I. Montemayor, Stefanie Nolte, Jacqueline L. Raw, Shelby L. Ziegler, Luzhen Chen, Daniele Daffonchio, Marco Fusi, Kerrylee Rogers, Liudmila Sergienko

Biological Sciences Faculty Publications

Salt marshes occur globally across climatic and coastal settings, providing key linkages between terrestrial and marine ecosystems. However, salt marsh science lacks a unifying conceptual framework; consequently, historically well-studied locations have been used as normative benchmarks. To allow for more effective comparisons across the diversity of salt marshes, we developed an integrative salt marsh conceptual framework. We review ecosystem-relevant drivers from global to local spatial scales, integrate these multi-scale settings into a framework, and provide guidance on applying the framework using specific variables on 11 global examples. Overall, this framework allows for appropriate comparison of study sites by accounting for …

Age, Growth, Foraging, And Trophic Ecology Of Bigeye (Thunnus Obesus) And Yellowfin (Thunnus Albacares) Tuna In Continental Shelf And Slope Regions Of The Northeast U.S., Riley S. Austin

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

Traditional stock assessments require, in part, accurate knowledge of growth relationships to estimate a variety of aspects involved in population conservation management of exploited species. In addition, the local distribution and condition of top pelagic predators is driven by detection of abundant forage aggregations and along with traditional stock assessments, should be considered for effective management of marine populations. Empirical analyses of these data are severely lacking for bigeye (Thunnus obesus) and yellowfin (Thunnus albacares) tuna in the Atlantic Ocean, especially for the former. Given historical studies’ observations of these two top predators use as biological samplers due to their …

Cryptic Cryptophytes: The Plasticity In How Cryptophytes Respond To Changes In Resource Availability, Rachel Ann-Marie Schomaker

Theses and Dissertations

Resource variability and availability often drives competition within ecosystems, which can lead to the diversification of organismal niches and physiological capabilities. In aquatic systems, common resources that photosynthetic organisms, such as algae, compete for are light and carbon. Both the spectral characteristics (color) and carbon concentrations of an aquatic system vary with time and space, which means that algae need to be able to respond to changes in resource availability to survive. Using a group of ubiquitous unicellular eukaryotes known as cryptophytes, we investigated both how cryptophytes respond to changes in the available light spectrum at a physiological and genetic …

Salty Sensors, Fresh Ideas: The Use Of Molecular And Imaging Sensors In Understanding Plankton Dynamics Across Marine And Freshwater Ecosystems, Trisha Lyn Spanbauer, Christian Briseno-Avena, Kathleen Johnson Pitz, Elizabeth A. Suter

Faculty Works: Biology, Chemistry, and Environmental Studies

Understanding plankton dynamics in marine ecosystems has been advanced using in situ molecular and imaging instrumentation. A range of research objectives have been addressed through high‐resolution autonomous sampling, from food web characterization to harmful algal bloom dynamics. When used together, molecular and imaging sensors can cover the full‐size range, genetic identity, and life stages of plankton. Here, we briefly review a selection of in situ instrumentation developed for the collection of molecular and imaging information on plankton communities in marine ecosystems. In addition, we interviewed a selection of instrumentation developers to determine if the transfer of sensor technology from marine …

Does A Carbonatite Deposit Influence Its Surrounding Ecosystem?, James M.C. Jones, Elizabeth A. Webb, Michael D.J. Lynch, Trevor C. Charles, Pedro M. Antunes, Frédérique C. Guinel

Biology Faculty Publications

Carbonatites are unusual alkaline rocks with diverse compositions. Although previous work has characterized the effects these rocks have on soils and plants, little is known about their impacts on local ecosystems. Using a deposit within the Great Lakes–St. Lawrence forest in northern Ontario, Canada, we investigated the effect of a carbonatite on soil chemistry and on the structure of plant and soil microbial communities. This was done using a vegetation survey conducted above and around the deposit, with corresponding soil samples collected for determining soil nutrient composition and for assessing microbial community structure using 16S/ITS Illumina Mi-Seq sequencing. In some …

A Comparison Of Drone Imagery And Groundbased Methods For Estimating The Extent Of Habitat Destruction By Lesser Snow Geese (Anser Caerulescens Caerulescens) In La Pérouse Bay, Andrew F. Barnas, Brian J. Darby, Gregory S. Vandeberg, Robert F. Rockwell, Susan N. Ellis-Felege

Biology Faculty Publications

Lesser snow goose (Anser caerulescens caerulescens) populations have dramatically altered vegetation communities through increased foraging pressure. In remote regions, regular habitat assessments are logistically challenging and time consuming. Drones are increasingly being used by ecologists to conduct habitat assessments, but reliance on georeferenced data as ground truth may not always be feasible. We estimated goose habitat degradation using photointerpretation of drone imagery and compared estimates to those made with ground-based linear transects. In July 2016, we surveyed five study plots in La Pérouse Bay, Manitoba, to evaluate the effectiveness of a fixed-wing drone with simple Red Green Blue …

Mapping Status And Conservation Of Global At-Risk Marine Biodiversity, Casey C. O'Hara, Juan Carlos Villaseñor-Derbez, Gina M. Ralph, Benjamin S. Halpern

Biological Sciences Faculty Publications

To conserve marine biodiversity, we must first understand the spatial distribution and status of at‐risk biodiversity. We combined range maps and conservation status for 5,291 marine species to map the global distribution of extinction risk of marine biodiversity. We find that for 83% of the ocean, >25% of assessed species are considered threatened, and 15% of the ocean shows >50% of assessed species threatened when weighting for range‐limited species. By comparing mean extinction risk of marine biodiversity to no‐take marine reserve placement, we identify regions where reserves preferentially afford proactive protection (i.e., preserving low‐risk areas) or reactive protection (i.e., mitigating …

Cuban Land Use And Conservation, From Rainforests To Coral Reefs, Gillian L. Galford, Margarita Fernandez, Joe Roman, Irene Monasterolo, Sonya Ahamed, Greg Fiske, Patricia Gonzalez-Diaz, Les Kaufman

Rubenstein School of Environment and Natural Resources Faculty Publications

Cuba is an ecological rarity in Latin America and the Caribbean. Its complex political and economic history shows limited disturbances, extinctions, pollution, and resource depletion by legal or de facto measures. Vast mangroves, wetlands, and forests play key roles in protecting biodiversity and reducing risks of hazards caused or aggravated by climate change. Cuba boasts coral reefs with some of the region’s greatest fish biomass and coral cover. Although Cuba has set aside major protected areas that safeguard a host of endemic species, its environment is by no means pristine. Its early history is one of deforestation and agricultural production …

The Relationship Between Site Contamination And Native Plant Success In Butte, Mt: Implications For Future Restoration, Jared Trilling

Graduate Theses & Non-Theses

Interest in ecological restoration of mining impacted areas, as opposed to traditional reclamation practices, has been increasing in recent years. Holistic ecological restoration is preferable to traditional reclamation practices as it provides better ecological function, biodiversity, and human enjoyment. However, legacy effects of mining, such as metals contamination and poor growing substrates, has hampered restoration efforts and further, there is little research on primary succession of these novel ecosystems. There is also scant information on many native plant species responses to contamination.

This study focuses on developing plant-contaminant relationships to guide restoration planting decisions. We look at Butte, MT, an …

Comparison Of African And North American Velvet Ant Mimicry Complexes: Another Example Of Africa As The 'Odd Man Out', Joseph S. Wilson, Aaron D. Pan, Erica S. Limb, Kevin A. Williams

Biology Faculty Publications

Africa has the most tropical and subtropical land of any continent, yet has relatively low species richness in several taxa. This depauperate nature of the African tropical fauna and flora has led some to call Africa the “odd man out.” One exception to this pattern is velvet ants (Hymenoptera: Mutillidae), wingless wasps that are known for Müllerian mimicry. While North American velvet ants form one of the world’s largest mimicry complexes, mimicry in African species has not been investigated. Here we ask do African velvet ant Müllerian mimicry rings exist, and how do they compare to the North American complex. …

The Effect Of Beaver Dams On Macroinvertebrate Communities, Anna Shampain

Summer Research

Impacts of habitat alterations caused by beaver presence on the composition and disturbance tolerance of local macroinvertebrate communities were studied. Beavers act as ecosystem engineers by altering water flow, temperature, nutrient, organic carbon and groundwater storage, and by increasing the overall geomorphic complexity of river systems through dam construction. Macroinvertebrates are widespread across freshwater habitats, they act as primary processers of organic materials serve as a food source for various freshwater species. Samples of macroinvertebrate communities were collected in the streams within the Methow River Watershed in North-Central Washington. Streams with known beaver presence (n= 4) and without beaver activity …

The Pros And Cons Of Ecological Risk Assessment Based On Data From Different Levels Of Biological Organization, Jason R. Rohr, Christopher J. Salice, Roger M. Nisbet

Integrative Biology Faculty and Staff Publications

Ecological risk assessment (ERA) is the process used to evaluate the safety of manufactured chemicals to the environment. Here we review the pros and cons of ERA across levels of biological organization, including suborganismal (e.g., biomarkers), individual, population, community, ecosystem and landscapes levels. Our review revealed that level of biological organization is often related negatively with ease at assessing cause-effect relationships, ease of high-throughput screening of large numbers of chemicals (it is especially easier for suborganismal endpoints), and uncertainty of the ERA because low levels of biological organization tend to have a large distance between their measurement (what is quantified) …

Groundwater Thresholds For Root Decomposition And The Relation To Barrier Island Ecological State Changes, Matthew Lee Smith

Biological Sciences Theses & Dissertations

Barrier islands off the eastern shore of Virginia exhibit distinct habitats that abruptly transition between periodically brackish/freshwater marshes, wooded swales, and sparsely vegetated dunes. There is strong evidence that the plant communities and ecosystem processes occurring in each habitat are primarily influenced by nutrient availability and the distance between two of the three free surfaces: land and freshwater. At the Virginia Coast Reserve-Long Term Ecological Research Site in Virginia, USA, thresholds to belowground decomposition rates were identified by measuring decay of native roots and rhizomes at 32 elevations in relation to mean annual groundwater levels (-0.356 – 1.937 m). Negative …

Preservation Effects On Common Macroinvertebrates Of The Intermountain West, Megan Paxton

Undergraduate Honors Capstone Projects

Dry mass/wet mass ratios are essential for estimating energy flow through ecosystems, determining energy budgets, and studying energy allocation in organisms. Preserving specimens by freezing or storing them in ethanol has known effects on the wet mass measurements. These storage methods are used regardless of their effects - altering the wet mass and thereby changing the mass ratio for the organism. We evaluated the effects of ethanol storage and freezing on six different taxa from the Interrnountain West: Hesperoperla, lsoperla, Rhithrogena, Drunella, Arctopsyche, and Rhyacophila. All the taxa studied except Hesperoperla and Rhyacophila showed a significant loss in …

Diversity And Dynamics Of Bacterial Communities In Early Life Stages Of The Caribbean Coral Porites Astreoides, Koty H. Sharp, Dan Distel, Valerie J. Paul

Arts & Sciences Faculty Publications

In this study, we examine microbial communities of early developmental stages of the coral Porites astreoides by sequence analysis of cloned 16S rRNA genes, terminal restriction fragment length polymorphism (TRFLP), and fluorescence in situ hybridization (FISH) imaging. Bacteria are associated with the ectoderm layer in newly released planula larvae, in 4-day-old planulae, and on the newly forming mesenteries surrounding developing septa in juvenile polyps after settlement. Roseobacter clade-associated (RCA) bacteria and Marinobacter sp. are consistently detected in specimens of P. astreoides spanning three early developmental stages, two locations in the Caribbean and 3 years of collection. Multi-response permutation procedures analysis …

Age, Reproduction, Growth, Condition And Diet Of The Introduced Yellow Bass, Morone Mississippiensis, In Barren River Lake, Kentucky, Peter G. Zervas

Masters Theses & Specialist Projects

Introduction of fish species to North American drainages has occurred for over 100 years. Introduced fish species have been documented to have adverse effects on both the environment and native species of the drainage into which they have been introduced. To better understand the effects that introduced species may have on a particular drainage, it is essential to understand aspects of the introduced species’ life history. The objectives of the current study is to quantify the age, reproduction, growth, condition and diet of the yellow bass, Morone mississippiensis, in Barren River Lake, Kentucky. Monthly collections from three areas on …

How Our Health Depends On Biodiversity, Eric Chivian M.D., Aaron Bernstein M.D., M.P.H.

Ecosystem Disruption & Climate Change

The eminent Harvard biology Professor Edward O.Wilson once said about ants, “We need them to survive, but they don’t need us at all.” The same, in fact, could be said about countless other insects, bacteria, fungi, plankton, plants, and other organisms. This fundamental truth, however, is largely lost to many of us. Rather, we humans often act as if we are totally independent of Nature, as if our driving thousands of other species to extinction and disrupting the life-giving services they provide will have no effect on us whatsoever.

This summary, using concrete examples from our award-winning Oxford University Press …

Invertebrate Diversity In Taylor Valley Soils And Sediments, Amy M. Treonis, Diana H. Wall, Ross A. Virginia

Biology Faculty Publications

Explaining how ecosystems function across variable landscapes will require knowledge of biodiversity patterns. In particular, biodiversity studies of soils and sediments will help in understanding the linkages between ecosystem processes in both of these habitats (Freckman et al. 1997). Soils and sediments are domains for ecosystem processes such as decomposition and trace gas exchange. There are few studies, however, that have compared abundance and diversity of organisms in adjacent soils and sediments (Freckman et al. 1997). The goal of this study was to increase understanding of how the biotic communities involved in ecosystem processes are organized within an important feature …

Botanical And Ecological Aspects Of Coastal Raised Peatlands In Maine : And Their Relevance To The Critical Areas Program Of The State Planning Office, Ian A. Worley

Maine Collection

Botanical and Ecological Aspects of Coastal Raised Peatlands in Maine : and Their Relevance to the Critical Areas Program of the State Planning Office.

by Ian A. Worley

A Report Prepared for the Maine Critical Areas Program, State Planning Office, 184 State Street, Augusta, Maine 04333.

Planning Report No. 69 (January 1980)

Contents: Foreword / Abstract / Table of Contents / List of Figures / List of Tables / Acknowledgements / Introduction / Natural History and Ecology of the Coastal Raised Peatlands / Selection of Coastal Peatlands Recommended for Evaluation by the Critical Areas Program / General Evaluation of Coastal …