Terrestrial and Aquatic Ecology Commons^™

Monitoring Fine-Scale Forest Health Using Unmanned Aerial Systems (Uas) Multispectral Models, Benjamin T. Fraser, Russell G. Congalton

Faculty Publications

Forest disturbances—driven by pests, pathogens, and discrete events—have led to billions of dollars in lost ecosystem services and management costs. To understand the patterns and severity of these stressors across complex landscapes, there must be an increase in reliable data at scales compatible with management actions. Unmanned aerial systems (UAS or UAV) offer a capable platform for collecting local scale (e.g., individual tree) forestry data. In this study, we evaluate the capability of UAS multispectral imagery and freely available National Agricultural Imagery Program (NAIP) imagery for differentiating coniferous healthy, coniferous stressed, deciduous healthy, deciduous stressed, and degraded individual trees throughout …

The Aboveground And Belowground Growth Characteristics Of Juvenile Conifers In The Southwestern United States, N. L. Pirtel, R. M. Hubbard, J. B. Bradford, T. E. Kolb, M. E. Litvak, Scott Abella, S. L. Porter, Matthew Petrie

Life Sciences Faculty Research

Juvenile tree survival will play an important role in the persistence of coniferous forests and woodlands in the southwestern United States (SWUS). Vulnerability to climatic and environmental stress declines as trees grow, such that larger, more deeply rooted juveniles are less likely to experience mortality. It is unclear how juvenile conifers partition the aboveground and belowground components of early growth, if growth differs between species and ecosystem types, and what environmental factors influence juvenile carbon allocation above- or belowground. We developed a novel data set for four juvenile conifer groups (junipers, piñon pines, ponderosa pines, firs; 1121 juveniles sampled, 221 …

Effects Of Freshwater Input On Nutrient Loading, Toxic Cyanobacteria Bloom Development And Cyanotoxin Production In Lake Pontchartrain Estuary, Louisiana, Callie L. Snow

LSU Master's Theses

Estuaries in the northern Gulf of Mexico (GoM) are undergoing profound alterations due to changes in climate and implementation of coastal restoration activities and these may lead to the increasing frequency of harmful algal blooms (HABs). The introduction of large volumes of nutrient-rich, fresh Mississippi River water into nutrient-poor Lake Pontchartrain Estuary is known to substantially change the chemistry and ecology of the estuary, and warm temperatures paired with the persistent nutrient loading into the estuary supports the proliferation of potentially toxic cyanobacteria blooms (CyanoHABs). Throughout 2019, a long-term opening of the Bonnet Carré Spillway (BCS), initially from February to …

Diversity And Drivers Of Oribatid Mites (Acari: Oribatida) In Boreal Peatlands, Carlos Rafael De Araujo Barreto

Electronic Thesis and Dissertation Repository

Boreal peatlands are important ecosystems for carbon cycling, storing 1/3 of the world’s terrestrial carbon in only ~3% of the globe, making them a key component of potential mitigation strategies in response to global climate warming. Experiments have shown that warming can affect plant and microbial communities in ways that potentially shift peatlands from carbon sinks to sources. Soil food webs, including the microarthropod community, are key in carbon cycling but are relatively understudied both in peatlands and under experimental warming. My research capitalized on a large-scale experimental field manipulation of warming in two contrasting peatland sites in Northern Ontario, …

Evaluating Changes In Visible To Short-Wave Infrared Spectral Reflectance Of Arctic Mosses In Response To Experimental Drying To Find The Best Predictors Of Moisture Content, Steven L. Unger

FIU Electronic Theses and Dissertations

Mosses are a dominant understory component in the Arctic and because of sparse canopy cover, contribute to spectral signals used in remote sensing estimates of various ecologically important characteristics such as productivity, phenology, and vegetation mapping. However, little is known about their contributions to community level spectra or how moisture content influences those spectral signals. Unlike vascular plants, mosses cannot actively regulate moisture content and are highly susceptible to desiccation. Previous research has shown that moss reflectance is sensitive to tissue moisture content. Here, a lab-controlled drying experiment was conducted to identify the best spectral predictors of moisture content of …

Who Are We? Highlighting Nuances In Asian American Experiences In Ecology And Evolutionary Biology, K. H. Nguyen, A. K. Akiona, C. C. Chang, V. B. Chaudhary, S. J. Cheng, S. M. Johnson, S. S. Kahanamoku, A. Lee, E. E. Deleon Sanchez, L. M. Segui, Richelle L. Tanner

Biology, Chemistry, and Environmental Sciences Faculty Articles and Research

"As ecologists and evolutionary biologists, it is important to recognize that issues surrounding AAPI do not exist in a vacuum and that these issues affect some of our students and colleagues in and outside of the classroom and lab. Recently, anti-Asian racism has been brought to the forefront of US society. Though media attention has primarily focused on how COVID-19 fears motivated both violent and nonviolent racist incidents against East Asians in 2020 (e.g., Chinese and Taiwanese Americans) (Tessler et al. 2020), attacks on other AAPI groups, such as South and Southeast Asians (e.g., Filipino, Pakistani, and Vietnamese Americans) (Truong …

Drivers Of Extracellular Polysaccharide Production By A Mat-Forming Diatom, Kaitlin A. Stansbury

FIU Electronic Theses and Dissertations

Microbial biofilms are held together by extracellular polymeric substances (EPS), which can be secreted by many organisms. EPS production can facilitate intercellular communication and inter-guild microbial mutualisms, intraspecific gamete exchange, nutrient sequestration, and desiccation resistance. Benthic microbial mats (periphyton) of the Florida Everglades and other karstic wetlands contain abundant EPS generated by mat-producing filamentous blue-green algae and many other species of mat-dwelling algae, cyanobacteria, and bacteria, including the most abundant Everglades diatom, Mastagloia calcarea. The benthic diatom genus Mastogloia is characterized by several morphological and physiological features that foster production of a ‘halo’ of EPS around the frustule, but the …

Reconstructing Cyclical Browning In A Subtropical Lake From Diatoms, Meredith Emery

FIU Electronic Theses and Dissertations

Lakes are browning globally from increased inputs of colored dissolved organic carbon (cDOC) driven by climate and land-use change. Browning changes lake ecosystems, especially through reductions in water transparency. I used long-term limnological and plankton records and upper surface sediment diatom assemblages to infer a ~1600-year history of browning from diatom assemblages in a 166 cm core from a subtropical, oligotrophic lake known to experience cyclical browning related to climate oscillations. Diatom assemblages were strongly regulated by cDOC-driven transparency fluctuations in a 14-year plankton dataset (modern model, R² = 0.62) and in the upper 35 cm of sediments corresponding …

Center For Grassland Studies, November 2021

Center for Grassland Studies: Newsletters

Contents

Ranchers’ Preferences for Payment for Ecosystem Services Programs in Nebraska by Kyle Martens

Center for Grassland Studies Policy Advisory Committee

Director's Column by Walt Schacht (Interim Director)

Fall Army Worms Reared Their Ugly Heads and Wings in Nebraska in 2021by Roch Gaussoin

Dalbey-Halleck Open House by Margo McKendree

Internships – Let’s Get More Students on the Land! by Shelly Kelly

Jim Gerrish Insightful and Relatable for Grazing Livestock (GLS) Club Members

Subspecific Designation Of The U.S.A. Interior Highlands Population Of Argynnis (Speyeria) Diana (Cramer, 1777) (Nymphalidae: Heliconiinae: Argynnini: Argynnina), Harry Pavulaan

The Taxonomic Report of the International Lepidoptera Survey

Subspecific designation is designated for the North American Interior Highlands population of Argynnis diana, based on four factors: mtDNA haplotype differences from nominotypical A. diana of the Appalachian Mountains; wing shape difference in the males between both regions; wing size of the adults; and tendency for females of the Interior Highlands to show tan coloration in the submarginal row of rectangular spots of the subapical region of the dorsal forewings.

Type Locality Of Polyommatus Lucia (W. Kirby, 1837) (Lycaenidae: Polyomatinae) With An Inspection Of The Species' Phenotypic Expression, Norbert G. Kondla, Harry Pavulaan, David M. Wright

The Taxonomic Report of the International Lepidoptera Survey

The type locality of Polyommatus lucia was not clearly defined by W. Kirby (1837) and been improperly interpreted as Cumberland House, Saskatchewan, Canada by several authors. The present paper examines the circumstances surrounding the collection of the specimen described and illustrated by William Kirby, and determines the type locality is Fort Carlton Provincial Park, Saskatchewan. The habitat, flora, and phenotypic expression of Celestrina lucia (W. Kirby) near the type locality are presented.

Rooting Out Genetic Structure Of Invasive Wild Pigs In Texas, Anna M. Mangan, Antoinette J. Piaggio, Michael J. Bodenchuk, Courtney F. Pierce, Timothy J. Smyser

United States Department of Agriculture Wildlife Services: Staff Publications

Invasive wild pigs (Sus scrofa), also called feral swine or wild hogs, are recognized as among the most destructive invasive species in the world. Throughout the United States, invasive wild pigs have expanded rapidly over the past 40 years with populations now established in 38 states. Of the estimated 6.9 million wild pigs distributed throughout the United States, Texas supports approximately 40% of the population and similarly bears disproportionate ecological and economic costs. Genetic analyses are an effective tool for understanding invasion pathways and tracking dispersal of invasive species such as wild pigs and have been used recently …

Wildlife Responses To Livestock Guard Dogs And Domestic Sheep On Open Range, Daniel Kinka, Jeffrey T. Schultz, Julie K. Young

United States Department of Agriculture Wildlife Services: Staff Publications

Domestic sheep (Ovis aries) are an attractant to carnivores; however, sheep are often accompanied by humans and livestock guardian dogs (LGDs; Canis familiaris), which defend sheep from depredation. Sheep also compete directly with wildlife for grazing resources. Although practiced for millennia in much of the world outside North America, the effect that transhumance has on wildlife is poorly understood. To test the effect of sheep bands (sheep, humans, and LGDs) on wildlife, we modeled the detection probability of wild mammals relative to the presence of sheep bands in the Northwestern United States. Sheep band presence was associated …

Mongooses (Urva Auropunctata) As Reservoir Hosts Of Leptospira Species In The United States Virgin Islands, 2019–2020, Hannah M. Cranford, A. Springer Browne, Karen Lecount, Tammy Anderson, Camila Hamond, Linda Schlater, Tod Stuber, Valicia J. Burke-France, Marissa Taylor, Cosme J. Harrison, Katia Y. Matias, Alexandra Medley, John Rossow, Nicholas Wiese, Leanne Jankelunas, Leah De Wilde, Michelle Mehalick, Gerard L. Blanchard, Keith R. Garcia, Alan S. Mckinley, Claudia D. Lombard, Nicole F. Angeli, David Horner, Thomas Kelley, David J. Worthington, Jennifer Valiulis, Bethany Bradford, Are Berentsen, Johanna S. Salzer, Renee Galloway, Ilana J. Schafer, Kristine Bisgard, Joseph Roth, Brett R. Ellis, Esther M. Ellis, Jarlath E. Nally

United States Department of Agriculture Wildlife Services: Staff Publications

During 2019–2020, the Virgin Islands Department of Health investigated potential animal reservoirs of Leptospira spp., the bacteria that cause leptospirosis. In this cross-sectional study, we investigated Leptospira spp. exposure and carriage in the small Indian mongoose (Urva auropunctata, syn: Herpestes auropunctatus), an invasive animal species. This study was conducted across the three main islands of the U.S. Virgin Islands (USVI), which are St. Croix, St. Thomas, and St. John. We used the microscopic agglutination test (MAT), fluorescent antibody test (FAT), real-time polymerase chain reaction (lipl32 rt-PCR), and bacterial culture to evaluate serum and kidney specimens and compared the …

Wrack Lines Volume 21, Number 2, Fall/Winter 2021-22, Nancy C. Balcom, Judy Benson, Syma A. Ebbin, Kira Goldenberg, Judy Preston, Howard "Mickey" Weiss

Wrack Lines

"Discovery, Rediscovery and Rebirth: new eyes, new understanding of familiar places" is the theme for the Fall-Winter 2021-22 issue. The main article package consists of five stories about the lands and waters that will comprise the Connecticut National Estuarine Research Reserve (CT NERR). These are: overview and introduction; Great Island; lower Thames River; Bluff Point State Park; and Haley Farm State Park. Other articles include one on research into the cause of invasive Cladophora seaweed dominating Little Narragansett Bay; and another on the transformation of the Yale Peabody Museum of Natural History.

Informing Wetland Management With Waterfowl Movement And Sanctuary Use Responses To Human-Induced Disturbance, Fiona Mcduie, Austen A. Lorenz, Robert C. Klinger, Cory T. Overton, Cliff L. Feldheim, Joshua T. Ackerman, Michael L. Casazza

Faculty Research, Scholarly, and Creative Activity

Long-term environmental management to prevent waterfowl population declines is informed by ecology, movement behavior and habitat use patterns. Extrinsic factors, such as human-induced disturbance, can cause behavioral changes which may influence movement and resource needs, driving variation that affects management efficacy. To better understand the relationship between human-based disturbance and animal movement and habitat use, and their potential effects on management, we GPS tracked 15 dabbling ducks in California over ~4-weeks before, during and after the start of a recreational hunting season in October/November 2018. We recorded locations at 2-min intervals across three separate 24-h tracking phases: Phase 1) two …

Two New Species Of Hermeuptychia From North America And Three Neotype Designations (Nymphalidae: Satyrinae), Qian Cong, Eduardo P. Barbosa, Mario A. Marín, André V. L. Freitas, Gerardo Lamas, Nick V. Grishin

The Taxonomic Report of the International Lepidoptera Survey

Abstract

Two new species of Hermeuptychia Forster, 1964 are described. Hermeuptychia sinuosa Grishin, sp. n. (type locality Guatemala: El Progreso, Morazán) is an isolated member of the genus that does not readily fit into known species groups, as suggested by its distinct male and female genitalia and COI DNA barcode sequences. It is distinguished from its congeners by prominently wavy submarginal lines, rounder wings and distinctive genitalia, and can typically be identified by a white dot, instead of an eyespot, near the ventral hindwing apex. Hermeuptychia occidentalis Grishin, sp. n. (type locality Mexico: Guerrero, Acapulco) belongs to the Hermeuptychia sosybius …

Characterization Of Cdom In The Elkhorn Slough Estuary Using Eem Spectroscopy And Its Potential For Macrophyte Monitoring, María Vila Duplá

Faculty Research, Scholarly, and Creative Activity

The Elkhorn Slough estuary is an upwelling-influenced system located in Monterey Bay, California. It is of great ecological importance, as it provides essential habitat to over 750 species, and is one of the largest estuaries in California. The sources and distribution of chromophoric dissolved organic matter (cDOM) in Elkhorn Slough are strongly influenced by geochemical processes linked to the transition between sea and continent, and to anthropogenic activity from adjacent lands. In 2016, water samples were collected from across the Elkhorn Slough estuary to assess the sources and spatial dynamics of cDOM and its components throughout the system. Using EEM …

Quantifying How Coastal Flooding And Stormwater Runoff Drive Spatiotemporal Variability In Carbon And Nutrient Processing In Urban Aquatic Ecosystems, Matthew A. Smith

FIU Electronic Theses and Dissertations

Coastal river networks alter the transport and transformation of dissolved organic carbon (DOC) and dissolved organic matter (DOM), which can vary in concentration and composition across spatiotemporal scales. Given climate-induced shifts in rainfall and tidal variation in low-lying coastal regions, there is an increasing need to quantify effects of flooding on biogeochemical cycling. Specifically, urban flooding is becoming increasingly common due to biophysical alterations to hydrology from urbanization and climate change. Urban ecosystems have been characterized as having a distinct biogeochemistry compared to other systems, largely due to increased frequency and magnitude of riverine and coastal flooding. Consequently, the role …

Thirty Critical Research Needs For Managing An Ecologically And Culturally Unique Remote Marine Environment: The Kimberley Region Of Western Australia, C. Cvitanovic, M. Mackay, R. Kelly, S. K. Wilson, K. Waples, K. L. Nash, E. I. Van Putten, S. Field, T. Botterill-James, B. J. Austin, L. E. Beckley, F. Boschetti, M. Depczynski, R. J. Dobbs, R. D. Evans, M. Feng, R. K. Goater, A. R. Halford, A. Kendrick, G. A. Kendrick, G. D. B. Lincoln, L. J. Ludgerus, R. J. Lowe, Kathryn Mcmahon, J. K. Munro, S. J. Newman, C. Nutt, L. Pearson, M. J. O'Leary, Z. T. Richards, W. D. Robbins, D. I. Rogers, Chandra P. Salgado Kent, V. Schoepf, M. J. Travers, M. Thums, A. D. Tucker, J. N. Underwood, S. Whiting, D. Matthews, Dambimangari Aboriginal Corporation

Research outputs 2014 to 2021

The Kimberley marine environment in Western Australia is widely recognised for its outstanding natural features, vast and remote sea and landscapes, and Indigenous cultural significance. To ensure that adequate baseline information is available to understand, monitor and manage this remote and relatively understudied region, scientific exploration was undertaken between 2012 and 2018 as part of the Kimberley Marine Research Program (KMRP). Whilst this program generated significant amounts of new knowledge about the region, important research gaps remain, that if answered, should improve the capacity of managers to conserve the region's values more effectively. Here, we apply established participatory horizon scanning …

The Sandhill Crane State: A Naturalist’S Guide To Nebraska, Paul Johnsgard

Zea E-Books Collection

This book includes the locations, descriptions, and points of biological, historical, geological, or paleontological interest of nearly 350 sites in Nebraska, most of which are free to access. Its 53,000 words include accounts of 9 state historical parks, 8 state parks, 2 national forests, 2 national monuments, and 7 national wildlife refuges as well as 181 wildlife management areas, 56 waterfowl production areas, and 54 state recreation areas. It also includes 48 state and county maps, 18 drawings, 33 photographs, and nearly 200 literature citations.

doi: 10.32873/unl.dc.zea.1305

Egg Plastron Of The Bog Copper Butterfly Tharsalea (Epidemia) Epixanthe (Bsd. & Le C. [1835]) (Lycaenidae: Lycaeninae), David M. Wright

The Taxonomic Report of the International Lepidoptera Survey

The egg of the Bog Copper butterfly, Tharsalea (Epidemia) epixanthe, has a prominent highly-sculptured chorionic surface. Trapped within the chorion is a labyrinth of air spaces which has been proposed as a plastron for gas exchange while the egg is submerged in water. Data derived from scanning electron microscopy (SEM) confirms the plastron should function as predicted. Furthermore, the insulating air spaces should prevent water loss of the diapausing first instar larvae while overwintering.

Remote Detection Of Disturbance From Motorized Vehicle Use In Appalachian Wetlands, Walter Smith

Virginia Journal of Science

Wetland disturbance from motorized vehicle use is a growing concern across the Appalachian coalfields of southwestern Virginia and portions of adjacent states, particularly as both extractive industries and outdoor recreation development expand in regional communities. However, few attempts have been made in this region or elsewhere to adapt approaches that can assist researchers and land managers in remotely identifying and monitoring wetland habitats disturbed by motorized vehicle use. A comparative analysis of wetlands impacted and unimpacted by off-road vehicle activity at a public recreation area in Tazewell County, Virginia was conducted to determine if and how a common, satellite-derived index …

Free-Ranging And Feral Cats, Alex Dutcher, Kyle Pias, Grant Sizemore, Stephen M. Vantassel

Wildlife Damage Management Technical Series

Domestic cats (Felis catus) are a common household pet in the United States, with an estimated 25.4% of households owning cats (American Veterinary Medical Association 2018). While an increasing number of cat owners keep their pet cats exclusively indoors, a portion of society maintains that domestic cats are entitled to a free-ranging lifestyle and may even consider unowned domestic cats to be wildlife. Although wildlife managers recognize the beliefs of many concerned stakeholders, including advocates who use strong emotional appeals on behalf of cats, it remains that free-ranging and feral domestic cats are an invasive species spread by humans (Lowe …

Ecological Risk Assessment For The Temperate Demersal Elasmobranch Resource, Department Of Primary Industries And Regional Development, Western Australia

Fisheries research reports

No abstract provided.

An Opportunistic Survey Reveals An Unexpected Coronavirus Diversity Hotspot In North America, Hon S. Ip, Kathryn M. Griffin, Jeffrey D. Messer, Megan E. Winzeler, Susan A. Shriner, Mary Lea Killian, Mia Kim Torchetti, Thomas J. Deliberto, Brian R. Amman, Caitlin M. Cossaboom, R. Reid Harvey, Natalie M. Wendling, Hannah Rettler, Dean Taylor, Jonathan S. Towner, Casey Barton Behravesh, David S. Blehert

United States Department of Agriculture Wildlife Services: Staff Publications

In summer 2020, Severe Acute Respiratory Syndrome Coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) was detected on mink farms in Utah. An interagency One Health response was initiated to assess the extent of the outbreak and included sampling animals from on or near affected mink farms and testing them for SARS-CoV-2 and non-SARS coronaviruses. Among the 365 animals sampled, including domestic cats, mink, rodents, raccoons, and skunks, 261 (72%) of the animals harbored at least one coronavirus. Among the samples that could be further characterized, 127 alphacoronaviruses and 88 betacoronaviruses (including 74 detections of SARS-CoV-2 in mink) were identified. Moreover, at least 10% (n …

Variations, Validations, Degradations, And Noninvasive Determination Of Pregnancy Using Fecal Steroid Metabolites In Free-Ranging Pronghorn, Cole A. Bleke, Eric M. Gese, Susannah S. French

United States Department of Agriculture Wildlife Services: Staff Publications

Pregnancy status is a key parameter used to assess reproductive performance of a species as it represents a starting point for measuring vital rates. Vital rates allow managers to determine trends in populations such as neonate survival and recruitment; two important factors in ungulate population growth rates. Techniques to determine pregnancy have generally involved capture and restraint of the animal to obtain blood samples for determining serum hormone levels. Non-invasive pregnancy assessment, via feces, eliminates any hazards between handler and animal, as well as removes handling-induced physiological biases. Using noninvasive fecal sampling, we conducted hormone validations, investigated pregnancy rates, and …

Satellite-Detected Ammonia Changes In The United States: Natural Or Anthropogenic Impacts, Yaqian He, Rongting Xu, Stephen A. Prior, Di Yang, Anni Yang, Jian Chen

United States Department of Agriculture Wildlife Services: Staff Publications

Ammonia (NH3) is the most abundant alkaline component and can react with atmospheric acidic species to form aerosols that can lead to numerous environmental and health issues. Increasing atmospheric NH3 over agricultural regions in the US has been documented. However, spatiotemporal changes of NH3 concentrations over the entire US are still not thoroughly understood, and the factors that drive these changes remain unknown. Herein, we applied the Atmospheric Infrared Sounder (AIRS) monthly NH3 dataset to explore spatiotemporal changes in atmospheric NH3 and the empirical relationships with synthetic N fertilizer application, livestock manure production, and climate factors across the entire US …

Adaptation Of An Artificial Bait To An Automated Aerial Delivery System For Landscape-Scale Brown Treesnake Suppression, Rafael A. Garcia, Thomas W. Mcauliffe, Lorelie P. Bumanlag, Shane R. Siers, Bruce A. Kimball

United States Department of Agriculture Wildlife Services: Staff Publications

Dead neonatal mice are currently used as bait for delivery of toxin to invasive brown treesnakes (Boiga irregularis) on Guam; once deployed in the field the mice are highly attractive to the snakes but only for about four days. An artificial bait containing a mixture of fats mimicking those in skin of the mice is also highly attractive to the snakes and remains attractive 2–3 times longer. The artificial bait, however, costs more than the mice, and is more difficult to attach to the capsules of a novel aerial bait delivery system. This paper describes a reformulation of the bait …

Cytoarchitectural Characteristics Associated With Cognitive Flexibility In Raccoons, Joanna Jacob, Molly Kent, Sarah Benson-Amram, Suzana Herculano-Houzel, Mary Ann Raghanti, Emily Ploppert, Jack Drake, Bilal Hindi, Nick R. Natale, Sarah Daniels, Rachel Fanelli, Anderson Miller, Tim Landis, Amy Gilbert, Shylo Johnson, Annie Lai, Molly Hyer, Amanda Rzucidlo, Chris Anchor, Stan Gehrt, Kelly Lambert

United States Department of Agriculture Wildlife Services: Staff Publications

With rates of psychiatric illnesses such as depression continuing to rise, additional preclinical models are needed to facilitate translational neuroscience research. In the current study, the raccoon (Procyon lotor) was investigated due to its similarities with primate brains, including comparable proportional neuronal densities, cortical magnification of the forepaw area, and cortical gyrification. Specifically, we report on the cytoarchitectural characteristics of raccoons profiled as high, intermediate, or low solvers in a multiaccess problem-solving task. Isotropic fractionation indicated that high-solvers had significantly more cells in the hippocampus (HC) than the other solving groups; further, a nonsignificant trend suggested that this …