Digital Commons Network^™

Effects Of Agroecosystems On Insect And Insectivorous Bat Activity: A Preliminary Finding Based On Light Trap And Mist Net Captures, Eric Adjei Lawer, Esther Love Darkoh

Turkish Journal of Zoology

This study investigated the effects of agroecosystems on predator-prey activities. Therefore, bats and insects were sampled from various agroecosystems using mist netting and light trapping techniques. A generalized linear model was then employed to analyze some biotic and abiotic factors' effects on insect and insectivorous bat activities. The results indicate that agroecosystems and lunar cycles have significant effects on insect activity (Lepidopteran, Dipteran, and total insect activity) and insectivorous bat activity (Hipposideros jonesi, Hipposideros aff. Ruber, and overall insectivorous bat activity). Generally, inorganic farms recorded the least insect and insectivorous bat activity, while fallow lands and teak plantations obtained higher …

Interesting Rotifers (Rotifera: Eurotatoria) From A Subtropical Wetland Of Meghalaya, Northeast India: New Records, Bhushan Kumar Sharma

Turkish Journal of Zoology

The plankton and semiplankton samples examined from a subtropical wetland of Shillong, Meghalaya, Northeast India (NEI), revealed seven new records of rotifers belonging to six genera and six families. These include five species new to the Indian Rotifera and two species new to the rotifer fauna of NEI, thus meriting interest in terms of biodiversity and distribution. All the species are illustrated to warrant validation. While a detailed account of the rich rotifer diversity of the wetland is continuing, this interim report raises the total tally of Rotifera known from Meghalaya to 141 species belonging to 41 genera and 20 …

Faunistic Survey On The Agathidinae (Hymenoptera: Braconidae) In The Central Anatolia Region With A New Record For The Turkish Fauna: Bassus Tegularis (Thomson, 1895), Özlem Çeti̇n Erdoğan, Ahmet Beyarslan

Turkish Journal of Zoology

This study is based upon material of the subfamily Agathidinae collected from different localities in the Central Anatolia Region of Turkey from 1988 to 2008. The study resulted in the recording for the Turkish fauna of 14 species belonging to 3 genera (Agathis Latreille, 1804; Bassus Fabricius, 1804; and Disophrys Förster, 1862) within the subfamily Agathidinae. Agathis fischeri Zettel and Beyarslan, Agathis fulmeki Fischer, Agathis fuscipennis (Zetterstedt), Agathis glaucoptera Nees, Agathis lugubris (Förster), Agathis malvacearum Latreille, Agathis nigra Nees, Agathis varipes Thomson, Bassus linguarius (Nees), Bassus tumidulus (Nees), and Disophrys caesa (Klug) are recorded for the first time in the …

First Record Of The Genus Dactylothrombium Feider, 1952 (Acari: Microtrombidiidae) From Turkey, Sezai̇ Adi̇l, Sevgi̇ Sevsay, Sali̇h Doğan, Si̇bel Di̇lkaraoğlu

Turkish Journal of Zoology

In this study, diagnoses and original drawings of Dactylothrombium pulcherrimum (Haller, 1882) are given for postlarval forms. Morphometric data for adults and deutonymphs are given. Information about habitat and distribution for the species is also provided. The genus Dactylothrombium is recorded for the first time from Turkey.

The Effect Of Mast Availability On Ambush Site Selection In Eastern Diamondback Rattlesnakes (Crotalus Adamanteus), Berlynna May Heres

Theses, Dissertations and Capstones

I examined ambush site selection in eastern diamondback rattlesnakes (Crotalus adamanteus). The eastern diamondback rattlesnake (EDB) is an imperiled, ambush predator endemic to southeastern pine savannas and woodlands of the United States. Eastern diamondbacks prey on small mammals that feed on hard and soft mast (e.g., nuts and fruits). In this study, I hypothesized that intra-seasonal shifts in masting vegetation would cause intra-season shifts in ambush site selection in EDBs as the result of a bottom-up trophic effect. I quantified EDB ambush site selection using radio telemetry data and vegetation analysis within a naturalized study site. When EDBs were encountered …

A Comparative Analysis Of The Metabolism And Energetics Of Darters (Percidae), Emma Kirsten Kist

Theses, Dissertations and Capstones

Ecological niche theory suggests two species cannot live in the same ecological niche and differences should exist among species that appear to cohabitate. Variations in physiology and behavior that potentially enable species coexistence can be reflected in metabolism. This study investigated coexisting darter fishes by measuring the metabolism of greenside (Etheostoma blennioides) and variegate (E. variatum) darters over 48 h using intermittent-flow respirometry. Activity was analyzed using time-lapse videos. E. blennioides mean metabolic rate (154.64 ± SE 52.54 mg O2·kg-1 ·hr-1 ; n=14; p=0.0006) was significantly greater than and varied more than E. variatum’s mean rate (92.51 ± SE 32.70 …

Hibernacula Site Selection Of The Eastern Box Turtle, Terrapene C. Carolina, In A West Virginia Population, Benjamin Owen Koester

Theses, Dissertations and Capstones

Eastern Box Turtles (Terrapene c. carolina) are a terrestrially hibernating reptile found throughout the eastern United States. Despite their prevalence, little, outside of anecdotal observations, is known about their hibernacula selection. This study examines if they preferentially select hibernacula locations, and if so, what characteristics they select in a West Virginia population. Over the course of two years, radio-tagged turtles (n=12) were followed into hibernation in Wayne County, WV. Upon entering hibernation, ~36 data point were collected in a grid-like fashion around the hibernacula, with an additional point collected at the hibernacula. At each point, seven variables were recorded: soil …

Analyzing Pterosaur Ontogeny And Sexual Dimorphism With Multivariate Allometry, Erick Charles Anderson

Theses, Dissertations and Capstones

The relationships of pterosaurs have been previously inferred from observed traits, depositional environments, and phylogenetic associations. A great deal of research has begun to analyze pterosaur ontogeny, mass estimates, wing dynamics, and sexual dimorphism in the last two decades. The latter has received the least attention because of the large data set required for statistical analyses. Analyzing pterosaurs using osteological measurements will reveal different aspects of size and shape variation in Pterosauria (in place of character states) and sexual dimorphism when present. Some of these variations, not easily recognized visually, will be observed using multivariate allometry methods including Principle Component …

Testing The Efficacy Of Anuran Callback Surveys, Matthew S. Grisnik

Theses, Dissertations and Capstones

Monitoring programs often suffer from imperfect detection resulting in skewed population estimates, biased estimates of changes in occupancy over time, and can result in an underestimated proportion of area occupied (PAO) by a species. To increase the detection probability, researchers must increase sampling both spatially and temporally. Callback surveys are an active form of sampling that have been used to monitor many avian and mammal species. During callback surveys, the call of a conspecific male is projected with the intention of increasing probability of detection by eliciting a response from territorial males. These methods work for organisms that establish breeding …

A Coprological Survey Of Golden Mantled Howler Monkeys (Alouatta Palliata Palliata) In The Osa Peninsula, Costa Rica, Jess M. Conatser

Theses, Dissertations and Capstones

Interactions between free-ranging primates and their associated parasitic forms continue to be a point of interest in ecology for several reasons. External and internal parasitism is not atypical for wild populations of primates, and the repercussions of these relationships can range from benign to life-threatening and capable of altering the structure of naturally occurring groups. The ecological relationship between the golden mantled howler monkey (Alouatta palliata palliata) and its host-specific ectoparasite, the howler monkey bot fly (Alouattamyia baeri) poses significant potential detriment to the overall body quality and success of the host primate. A. p. palliata has also been recorded …

Genome-Wide Association Study For Identifying Loci That Affect Fillet Yield, Carcass, And Body Weight Traits In Rainbow Trout (Oncorhynchus Mykiss), Dianelys Gonzalez-Pena, Guangtu Gao, Matthew Baranski, Thomas Moen, Beth M. Cleveland, P. Brett Kenney, Roger L. Vallejo, Yniv Palti, Timothy D. Leeds

Faculty & Staff Scholarship

Fillet yield (FY, %) is an economically-important trait in rainbow trout aquaculture that affects production efficiency. Despite that, FY has received little attention in breeding programs because it is difficult to measure on a large number of fish and cannot be directly measured on breeding candidates. The recent development of a high-density SNP array for rainbow trout has provided the needed tool for studying the underlying genetic architecture of this trait. A genome-wide association study (GWAS) was conducted for FY, body weight at 10 (BW10) and 13 (BW13) months post-hatching, head-off carcass weight (CAR), and fillet weight (FW) in a …

Bovine Lhx8, A Germ Cell-Specificnuclear Factor, Interacts With Figla, Liyuan Fu, Mingxiang Zhang, Kristen Mastrantoni, Mark Perfetto, Shuo Wei, Jianbo Yao

Faculty & Staff Scholarship

LIM homeobox 8 (Lhx8) is a germ cell-specific transcription factor essential for the development of oocytes during early oogenesis. In mice, Lhx8 deficiency causes postnatal oocyte loss and affects the expression of many oocyte-specific genes. The aims of this study were to characterize the bovine Lhx8 gene, determine its mRNA expression during oocyte development and early embryogenesis, and evaluate its interactions with other oocyte-specific transcription factors. The bovine Lhx8 gene encodes a protein of 377 amino acids. A splice variant of Lhx8 (Lhx8_v1) was also identified. The predicted bovine Lhx8 protein contains two LIM domains and one homeobox domain. However, …

Costs Of European Wolf And Human Coexistence, L. David Mech

United States Geological Survey, Northern Prairie Wildlife Research Center: Publications

In “Recovery of large carnivores in Europe’s modern human-dominated landscapes” (19 December 2014, p. 1517), G. Chapron and 75 other authors documented that large carnivores (LC), including gray wolves (Canis lupus) can “share the same landscape,” with humans. The authors distinguish between North America’s separation model of LC conservation and the European coexistence model and suggest that the latter is applicable to “other areas of the world.” The authors mention LC-caused social conflict, but the article implies a level of compatibility between humans and wolves that is debatable. Wolves have only begun to recolonize most of western Europe and are …

White-Tailed Deer (Odocoileus Virginianus) Subsidize Gray Wolves (Canis Lupus) During A Moose (Alces Americanus) Decline: A Case Of Apparent Competition?, Shannon M. Barber-Meyer, L. David Mech

United States Geological Survey, Northern Prairie Wildlife Research Center: Publications

Moose (Alces americanus) in northeastern Minnesota have declined by 55% since 2006. Although the cause is unresolved, some studies have suggested that Gray Wolves (Canis lupus) contributed to the decline. After the Moose decline, wolves could either decline or switch prey. To determine which occurred in our study area, we compared winter wolf counts and summer diet before and after the Moose decline. While wolf numbers in our study area nearly doubled from 23 in winter 2002 to an average of 41 during winters 2011–2013, calf:cow ratios (the number of calves per cow observed during winter …

Patuxent’S Long-Term Research On Wolves, L. David Mech

United States Geological Survey, Northern Prairie Wildlife Research Center: Publications

The gray wolf (Canis lupus) was one of the first species placed on the Endangered Species List in 1967. The Endangered Species Act of 1973 legally protected the wolf along with other listed species.

Patuxent Wildlife Research Center (Patuxent) in Laurel, MD, began its Endangered Wildlife Program in 1966, and U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service (USFWS) biologist Ray Erickson was assigned to lead it. In 1973, I was transferred to the program from Region 3 of the USFWS, having been employed there since 1969 to study wolves in Minnesota.

Endangered Species Act protection of the wolf fostered its quick …

First Record Of The Genus Lucoppia (Acari: Oribatida) From Turkey, Tunahan Bezci̇, Şule Baran

Turkish Journal of Zoology

Redescription and SEM images of Lucoppia burrowsi (Michael, 1890) are given. The genus Lucoppia is recorded for the first time in Turkey.

Foraging And Song Rate Of Prothonotary Warblers In High And Low Density Breeding Sites, Denney Turner, Amanda Mcghee, Lesley Bulluck

Rice Rivers Center Research Symposium

Foraging observations can be used as an indicator of habitat quality and food availability. Previous studies with song rate have had conflicting results. Song rate increases with abundance (male-­‐male interac=ons) (Warren et. al 2013) and with high quality habitats (Stehelin and Lein 2013). Unmated males sing twice as often as mated males (Robins et. al 2009), expected in poor quality habitats. Few studies have assessed foraging and song rate behaviors in high and low density systems. Prothonotary Warblers (PROW) are excellent study species because they nest in boxes and we can manipulate density. The objective of this study was to …

A Re-Assessment Of The Distribution Of Virginia's Warbler In The Black Hills Of South Dakota, David L. Swanson, Mark D. Dixon, Jeffrey S. Palmer

Research & Publications

Virginia’s Warbler (Oreothlypis virginiae) reaches the northeastern limit of its breeding range in the southern Black Hills of South Dakota, where it is considered a species of conservation concern. This population occurs in pine–juniper–shrub habitat in several canyons in extreme western Custer County. Additional such habitat occurs in the southern Black Hills south and east of the documented breeding populations, but these areas have received few systematic surveys, and whether Virginia’s Warbler occupies them was uncertain. Therefore, to define the species’ distribution in the South Dakota Black Hills more precisely, we surveyed with the aid of broadcast song and reviewed …

Research Of The Effects Of Autologous Cancellous Bone Graft And Hyaluronic Acidon The Healing Of Bone Defects Experimentally Induced In Rabbits, Aydin Sağliyan, Mehmet Cengi̇z Han, Eni̇s Karabulut, Mustafa Özkaraca

Turkish Journal of Veterinary & Animal Sciences

The present study investigated the effect of autograft and hyaluronic acid (HA) in terms of clinical, radiological, and histopathological aspects on the healing of experimentally induced bone defects. The animals (n = 42) were assorted into 3 groups. After general anesthesia, a 3-mm standard defect was formed from the tibia of the experimental animals. The defects in Group I (n = 14) were left blank. Cancellous grafts in the proximal tibia were collected using a small curette to fill the defects in Group II (n = 14). The defects in Group III (n = 14) were filled by mixing with …

High Throughput Genomic Sequencing Of Bioaerosols In Broiler Chicken Production Facilities, Kate M. O’Brien, Michael S. Chimenti, Morgan Farnell, Tom Tabler, Thomas Bair, Joey Lynn Bray, Matthew W. Nonnenmann

Faculty Publications

Chronic inhalation exposure to agricultural dust promotes the development of chronic respiratory diseases among poultry workers. Poultry dust is composed of dander, chicken feed, litter bedding and microbes. However, the microbial composition and abundance has not been fully elucidated. Genomic DNA was extracted from settled dust and personal inhalable dust collected while performing litter sampling or mortality collection tasks. DNA libraries were sequenced using a paired-end sequencing-by-synthesis approach on an Illumina HiSeq 2500. Sequencing data showed that poultry dust is predominantly composed of bacteria (64–67%) with a small quantity of avian, human and feed DNA (< 2% of total reads). Staphylococcus sp. AL1, Salinicoccus carnicancri and Lactobacillus crispatus were the most abundant bacterial species in personal exposure samples of inhalable dust. Settled dust had a moderate relative abundance of these species as well as Staphylococcus lentus and Lactobacillus salivarius. There was a statistical difference between the microbial composition of aerosolized and settled dust. Unlike settled dust composition, aerosolized dust composition had little variance between samples. These data provide an extensive analysis of the microbial composition and relative abundance in personal inhalable poultry dust and settled poultry dust.

The Jackrabbit Dairy Review, Vikram V. Mistry

The Jackrabbit Dairy & Food Review

No abstract provided.

Wire Netting Reduces African Elephant (Loxodonta Africana) Impact To Selected Trees In South Africa, Kelly Derham, Michelle Henley, Bruce A. Schulte

Biology Faculty Publications

African elephants (Loxodonta africana) are ecosystem engineers in that they substantially alter the environment through their unique foraging and feeding habits. At high densities, elephants potentially have negative impacts on the environment, specifically for large trees. Because of this, recent increases of elephants in the Associated Private Nature Reserves (APNR) on the western boundary of the Kruger National Park (KNP), South Africa, have caused concern regarding the survival of several tree species. Our objective was to assess the effectiveness of wrapping protective wire netting around the trunk of the tree for preventing and reducing bark stripping, branch breaking, …

Evaluating The Efficacy Of Brood Flush Counts: A Case Study In Two Quail Species, Jeremy P. Orange, Craig A. Davis, R. Dwayne Elmore, Evan P. Turner, Smauel D. Fuhlendorf, Eric T. Thacker

Wildland Resources Faculty Publications

Taking brood flush counts is a common sampling method that has been used for decades to estimate brood and chick survival in many gallinaceous bird species. However, brood survival estimates based upon flush counts may be biased because of low detection probabilities, occurrence of brood amalgamations, brood abandonment, and brooding adult mortality. Given that brood flush counts are still commonly used to estimate brood survival, and in some cases extrapolated to provide an estimate of chick survival, it is important to evaluate biases associated with this method. Therefore, we evaluated the use of brood flush counts to estimate brood survival …

Ua24 Mcicsl Newsletter - January 2016, Shannon R. Trimboli Education Coordinator

MCICSL Newsletter

This issue includes the following:

Information about the upcoming 11th Research Symposium

New Stonefly species

Winter Bat Monitoring

as well as research highlights and education highlights

Habitat Use And Avoidance By Foraging Red-Cockaded Woodpeckers In East Texas, John N. Macey, Brent Burt, Daniel Saenz, Richard N. Conner

Faculty Publications

Picoides borealis (Red-cockaded Woodpecker) is an endangered bird endemic to the Pinus (pine) ecosystems of the southeastern US. Mature pine savannahs with a minimal midstory and lush herbaceous groundcover represent high-quality habitat. This study examines the foraging-habitat patterns of Red-cockaded Woodpeckers in East Texas. We present a logistic regression model that best differentiates between foraged and non-foraged habitat. Increases in hardwood-midstory basal area have the greatest negative impact on the probability of Red-cockaded Woodpeckers selecting a habitat patch for foraging. Five additional variables negatively impact foraging probability: shrub height, diameter at breast height (DBH) of pine midstory, canopy closure, density …

Individual Personality Differences In Goats Predict Their Performance In Visual Learning And Non-Associative Cognitive Tasks, Christian Nawroth, Pamela M. Prentice, Alan G. Mcelligott

Learning Ability Collection

Variation in common personality traits, such as boldness or exploration, is often associated with risk–reward trade–offs and behavioural flexibility. To date, only a few studies have examined the effects of consistent behavioural traits on both learning and cognition. We investigated whether certain personality traits (‘exploration’ and ‘sociability’) of individuals were related to cognitive performance, learning flexibility and learning style in a social ungulate species, the goat (Capra hircus). We also investigated whether a preference for feature cues rather than impaired learning abilities can explain performance variation in a visual discrimination task. We found that personality scores were consistent …

Dry Period Plane Of Energy: Effects On Glucose Tolerance In Transition Dairy Cows, S. Mann, F. A. Leal Yepes, M. Duplessis, J. J. Wakshlag, T. R. Overton, B. P. Cummings, D. V. Nydam

Physiology Collection

Overfeeding energy in the dry period can affect glucose metabolism and the energy balance of transition dairy cows with potential detrimental effects on the ability to successfully adapt to early lactation. The objectives of this study were to investigate the effect of different dry cow feeding strategies on glucose tolerance and on resting concentrations of blood glucose, glucagon, insulin, nonesterified fatty acids (NEFA), and β-hydroxybutyrate (BHB) in the peripartum period. Cows entering second or greater lactation were enrolled at dry-off (57 d before expected parturition) into 1 of 3 treatment groups following a randomized block design: cows …

Body Condition Score And Plane Of Nutrition Prepartum Affect Adipose Tissue Transcriptome Regulators Of Metabolism And Inflammation In Grazing Dairy Cows During The Transition Period, M. Vailati-Riboni, M. Kanwal, O. Bulgari, S. Meier, N. V. Priest, C. R. Burke, J. K. Kay, S. Mcdougall, M. D. Mitchell, C. G. Walker, M. Crookenden, A. Heiser, J. R. Roche, J. J. Loor

Physiology Collection

Recent studies demonstrating a higher incidence of metabolic disorders after calving have challenged the management practice of increasing dietary energy density during the last ~3 wk prepartum. Despite our knowledge at the whole-animal level, the tissue-level mechanisms that are altered in response to feeding management prepartum remain unclear. Our hypothesis was that prepartum body condition score (BCS), in combination with feeding management, plays a central role in the peripartum changes associated with energy balance and inflammatory state. Twenty-eight mid-lactation grazing dairy cows of mixed age and breed were randomly allocated to 1 of 4 treatment groups in a 2 × …

Geographic Variability Of Octopus Insularis Diet: From Oceanic Island To Continental Populations, Tatiana S. Leite, Allan T. Batista, Françoise D. Lima, Jaciana C. Barbosa, Jennifer A. Mather

Habitat and Trophic Ecology Collection

A predator’s choice of prey can be affected by many factors. We evaluated various influences on population dietary composition, individual specialization and size of prey in Octopus insularis populations from 2 continental and 4 insular locations. We expected that habitat diversity would lead to diet heterogeneity. Furthermore, in keeping with MacArthur & Wilson’s (1967) theory of island biogeography, we expected that diet diversity would be lower around islands than on the coast of the mainland. Both predictions were confirmed when prey remains from octopus middens were examined. The 2 continental areas exhibited a richer habitat diversity and a wider variety …

Impacts Of Man-Made Structures On Avian Community Metrics In 4 State Parks In Northwestern Arkansas, R. D. Keith, B. Grooms, R. E. Urbanek

Journal of the Arkansas Academy of Science

Avian community metrics often differ between areas with no human disturbance and areas with high levels of human disturbance. However, the relationships between avian community metrics and smaller-scale disturbances are not as clear. Our goal was to investigate if avian abundance, richness, evenness, and diversity differed in areas with and without small-scale human developments. We used fixed-radius 50-m avian point counts to compare points which contained a man-made structure (n = 47), such as a picnic area, road, or campsite to those that did not contain a man-made structure (n = 181) at 4 state parks in Arkansas during 18 …