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Full-Text Articles in Physical Sciences and Mathematics

Stable Hydrogen Isotopes Of Aquatic-Emergent Versus Terrestrial Insects In Southern Ontario, Celina Y. Tang Aug 2021

Stable Hydrogen Isotopes Of Aquatic-Emergent Versus Terrestrial Insects In Southern Ontario, Celina Y. Tang

Undergraduate Student Research Internships Conference

Aquatic-emergent insects are vectors of both contaminants and nutrients, linking the aquatic system to the terrestrial system. Aquatic-emergent insects are high in omega-3 fatty acids that benefit terrestrial aerial insectivores, such as bats and birds. With aerial insectivores on a decline, a contributing factor could be a decrease in the quality of insects. We collected insects from lakeshore and inland locations in Southern Ontario. Insects sampled included bees, wasps, ants, beetles, caddisflies, craneflies, dragonflies, marchflies, mayflies, midges, other flies, and true bugs. Insects’ wings and powdered bodies were then analyzed for stable hydrogen isotopes (d2H) in order …


Mosquito Distribution And Stoichiometric Analysis Between Open And Closed Canopies In New Orleans Cemeteries, Rachel Rogers May 2021

Mosquito Distribution And Stoichiometric Analysis Between Open And Closed Canopies In New Orleans Cemeteries, Rachel Rogers

LSU Master's Theses

Cemetery vases represent an important container habitat for mosquito larvae. Some species, like, Aedes albopictus and Aedes aegypti, prefer container habitats, whereas others, like Culex quinquefasciatus, will opportunistically use containers. In New Orleans, these three medically important vector species (Ae. albopictus Ae. aegypti, and Cx. quinquefasciatus) co-occur, despite a demonstrated competitive advantage of Ae. albopictus to the other two. Here we test the hypothesis that canopy cover from trees could be a mediating factor in driving mosquito assemblages in New Orleans, by influencing food sources, and the microclimate experienced by mosquito larvae. Samples from seven …


Identifying Nitrogen Source And Seasonal Variation In A Black Mangrove (Avicennia Germinans) Communityof The South Texas Coast, Ashley Elizabeth Murphy, Carlos E. Cintra-Buenrostro, Alejandro Fierro-Cabo Feb 2021

Identifying Nitrogen Source And Seasonal Variation In A Black Mangrove (Avicennia Germinans) Communityof The South Texas Coast, Ashley Elizabeth Murphy, Carlos E. Cintra-Buenrostro, Alejandro Fierro-Cabo

School of Earth, Environmental, and Marine Sciences Faculty Publications and Presentations

Black mangrove (Avicennia germinans) stands in south Texas grow in association with other autotrophic organisms including herbaceous halophytes and cyanobacterial mats. Despite the relevant ecosystem services provided by this coastal plant community, limited information exists on its functioning, in particular as it pertains to nutrient dynamics, namely nitrogen (N). Nitrogen stable isotopes were used to assess potential N sources for plant growth in this community. Plant tissue (leaves), cyanobacteria, and sediment were sampled once every season for one year. Total N in A. germinans (2.6 %) and associated saltwort (Batis maritima) (2.1 %) was higher than in cyanobacteria (0.6 %), …


Diversity And Function Of Algal Biofilms In The Laurentian Great Lakes, Leon R. Katona Jan 2021

Diversity And Function Of Algal Biofilms In The Laurentian Great Lakes, Leon R. Katona

Browse all Theses and Dissertations

Attached algae are ubiquitous components of lake benthic habitats wherever sufficient light reaches submerged surfaces. Attached algae interact with heterotrophic bacteria and fungi to form complex biofilms (“periphyton”) that provide a nutritious food source for consumers and influence biogeochemical cycling by regulating redox potential at the sediment-water interface. Despite their ecological importance, there are limited data on the role of periphyton in the Laurentian Great Lakes. I quantified wave exposure and light availability in rocky nearshore habitats in Lake Erie and Lake Huron. Periphyton biomass and productivity in nearshore Lake Erie was very high while algal biomass and productivity in …


Factors Determining Seagrass Blue Carbon Across Bioregions And Geomorphologies, Ines Mazarrasa, Paul Lavery, Carlos M. Duarte, Anna Lafratta, Catherine E. Lovelock, Peter I. Macreadie, Jimena Samper-Villarreal, Cristian Salinas, Christian J. Sanders, Stacey Trevathan-Tackett, Mary Young, Andy Steven, Oscar Serrano Jan 2021

Factors Determining Seagrass Blue Carbon Across Bioregions And Geomorphologies, Ines Mazarrasa, Paul Lavery, Carlos M. Duarte, Anna Lafratta, Catherine E. Lovelock, Peter I. Macreadie, Jimena Samper-Villarreal, Cristian Salinas, Christian J. Sanders, Stacey Trevathan-Tackett, Mary Young, Andy Steven, Oscar Serrano

Research outputs 2014 to 2021

Seagrass meadows rank among the most significant organic carbon (Corg) sinks on earth. We examined the variability in seagrass soil Corg stocks and composition across Australia and identified the main drivers of variability, applying a spatially hierarchical approach that incorporates bioregions and geomorphic settings. Top 30 cm soil Corg stocks were similar across bioregions and geomorphic settings (min-max: 20–26 Mg Corg ha−1), but meadows formed by large species (i.e., Amphibolis spp. and Posidonia spp.) showed higher stocks (24–29 Mg Corg ha−1) than those formed by smaller species (e.g., Halodule, Halophila, …


Triple Oxygen Isotope Measurements (Δ'17O) Of Body Water Reflect Water Intake, Metabolism, And Δ18O Of Ingested Water In Passerines, Pablo Sabat, Seth D. Newsome, Stephanie Pinochet, Roberto Nespolo, Juan Carlos Sanchez-Hernandez, Karen Maldonado, Alexander R. Gerson, Zachary D. Sharp, John P. Whiteman Jan 2021

Triple Oxygen Isotope Measurements (Δ'17O) Of Body Water Reflect Water Intake, Metabolism, And Δ18O Of Ingested Water In Passerines, Pablo Sabat, Seth D. Newsome, Stephanie Pinochet, Roberto Nespolo, Juan Carlos Sanchez-Hernandez, Karen Maldonado, Alexander R. Gerson, Zachary D. Sharp, John P. Whiteman

Biological Sciences Faculty Publications

Understanding physiological traits and ecological conditions that influence a species reliance on metabolic water is critical to creating accurate physiological models that can assess their ability to adapt to environmental perturbations (e.g., drought) that impact water availability. However, relatively few studies have examined variation in the sources of water animals use to maintain water balance, and even fewer have focused on the role of metabolic water. A key reason is methodological limitations. Here, we applied a new method that measures the triple oxygen isotopic composition of a single blood sample to estimate the contribution of metabolic water to the body …