Digital Commons Network^™

Determination Of Metal Concentrations In Sediments Of Big Walnut Creek, Hayley Quinn, Joan M. Esson, Kierra M. Lathrop, Michael A. Hoggarth, Kevin Svitana, Nathan Hess

Undergraduate Distinction Papers

The freshwater mussel populations in the lower stretch of Big Walnut Creek in central Ohio have been found to vary along the run of the creek with the lowest population of mussels in the middle stretch. One possible cause for the decline is the presence of contaminants in the sediments of the creek. In this study, nine Sites along the creek were examined. At each Site, sediment samples from a pool region and two quadrants from where mussels were also studied (the area of interest) were collected, along with pseudo feces, which is the waste mussels produce as they filter …

Scorpions Of The Horn Of Africa (Arachnida: Scorpiones). Part Xi. Pandinurus Kmoniceki Sp. N. Somaliland., František Kovařík, Graeme Lowe, Tomáš Mazuch, Jana Plíškova, František Šťáhlavský

Euscorpius

Pandinurus kmoniceki sp. n. from Somaliland is described and fully complemented with color photos of live and preserved specimens, as well as its habitat. Hemispermatophore of P. kmoniceki sp. n. is illustrated and described. In addition to the analyses of external morphology and hemispermatophores, we also describe the karyotypes of P. kmoniceki sp. n. (2n=120).

Avian And Mammalian Facilitative Glucose Transporters, Mary Shannon Byers, Christianna Howard, Xiaofei Wang

Biology Faculty Research

The GLUT members belong to a family of glucose transporter proteins that facilitate glucose transport across the cell membrane. The mammalian GLUT family consists of thirteen members (GLUTs 1–12 and H+-myo-inositol transporter (HMIT)). Humans have a recently duplicated GLUT member, GLUT14. Avians express the majority of GLUT members. The arrangement of multiple GLUTs across all somatic tissues signifies the important role of glucose across all organisms. Defects in glucose transport have been linked to metabolic disorders, insulin resistance and diabetes. Despite the essential importance of these transporters, our knowledge regarding GLUT members in avians is fragmented. It is clear that …

Social Interactions Among Giant Panda Cubs (Ailuropoda Melanoleuca): An Investigation Into The Role Of Kin Recognition, Kelly M. Jackson

Undergraduate Distinction Papers

Although giant pandas (Ailuropoda melanoleuca) are known to be solitary in the wild, cubs engage in frequent bouts of affiliative behavior in captive settings. The goal of the project was to investigate whether kinship or familiarity based on housing influenced the frequency of social interactions within one-year old giant panda cubs. Data were collected from June through mid-July 2016 at the Chengdu Research Base of Giant Panda Breeding, Sichuan, China. Over 113 hours of behavioral observations were recorded on four sets of twins and one singleton, focusing specifically on affiliative behaviors. Time housed together was a significant predictor of the …

Ecosystem-Based Fisheries Management (Ebfm) Risk Assessment Of The Western Australian Abalone Managed Industry, F J. Webster, B Wise, Anthony M. Hart

WA Marine Stewardship Council report series

This report provides a comprehensive overview of the Western Australian (WA) Abalone Managed Fishery (AMF) and the outcomes from the 2015 ecological risk assessment of this fishery. The AMF targets three species of abalone greenlip (Haliotis laevigata), brownlip (H. conicopora) and Roe’s abalone (H. roei). Greenlip and brownlip abalone are primarily targeted on the south coast of WA, while Roe’s abalone is primarily targeted on the West Coast. Commercial fishing for abalone in WA has been undertaken since 1964.

Dairy Digest 2017, South Dakota State University Dairy Club

Dairy Digest

No abstract provided.

Wpa News 102 (2017), World Pheasant Association

Galliformes Specialist Group and Affiliated Societies: Newsletters

WPA News (Spring 2017), number 102

Published by the World Pheasant Association

Body Shape Diversification Of Pecos Pupfish (Cyprinodon Pecosensis) On Varying Habitats As Evaluated By Geometric Morphometrics, Qianna Xu

Masters Theses & Specialist Projects

During the 19th and 20th centuries, alterations to the Pecos River in New Mexico and Texas, USA due to anthropogenic activities, including damning and river channelization, vast water extraction for irrigation, as well as pollution of associated habitats, have greatly impacted the fish fauna within the drainage. One of the endemic fish species, the Pecos pupfish (Cyprinodon pecosensis), might be the most affected. Historically abundant and widespread large populations have been disrupted and became a series of small isolated subpopulations that persist at a few highly fragmented habitats restricted to a small area in southern New Mexico. The connectivity among …

Avian Species And Family Composition Along Elevational And Disturbance Gradients In Santa Fe National Park, Veraguas Province, Panamá, Benjamin Shipley

Independent Study Project (ISP) Collection

Elevational gradients are some of the most well-known and researched biological trends. However, how species diversity varies with elevation differs by taxa and location. One hypothesis suggests that bird diversity decreases with increasing elevation in the tropics. In addition, bird diversity may decrease along the forest edge and in areas of increasing disturbance. Therefore, in this study I surveyed avian diversity along an elevational gradient in Santa Fe National Park, Veraguas, Panamá using point-count observations. Thirty-six point-count locations in 3 elevation zones were surveyed between 19 Apr and 29 Apr 2017. Shannon diversity, richness, and evenness were calculated for both …

Fish Community Assessment Of The Bonyic And Teribe Rivers Within The Naso-Teribe Territory Bocas Del Toro, Panama: Possible Implications Of Bonyic Dam., Shaylyn Austin

Independent Study Project (ISP) Collection

In the Changuinola/Teribe watershed of Bocas Del Toro, Panama, changes to the fluvial system due to the recently constructed Bonyic Dam have implications connected to the biodiversity of a UNESCO Biosphere Reserve and the livelihoods of thousands of people of the Naso-Teribe indigenous group. This study investigated the composition of fish communities in 6 study sites in 3 different areas in relation to the Bonyic Dam. A total of 318 individual fish were captured, representing 5 families and 10 species, using the cast net sampling method. The biodiversity was analyzed using Simpson’s Diversity Index, Evenness Index, species richness, and species …

Development Of A Wild Infant Woolly Monkey Social Interactions, Time Allocation And Behavior Of A Wild Lagothrix Lagotricha Poeppigii Infant And Her Mother, Saba Zewdie

Independent Study Project (ISP) Collection

The lowland woolly monkey (Lagothrix lagotricha poeppigii), like all species of woolly monkey, is extremely threatened due to anthropologic activities such as deforestation, petroleum drilling and commercial hunting across their habitat. Due to their low reproductive rate and low reproductive success in captivity, the captive population is decreasing every year as habitat loss increases. In late February of 2017 an infant female was born on the island of Sumak Allpa, a monkey rehabilitation organization and reserve in the western Ecuadorian Amazon. The woolly monkeys are completely independent on the reserve; and as such her birth marks the first …

Effects Of Transitioning From A Free Choice Tall Fescue (Lolium Arundinaceum) Hay Diet In Late Winter To A Free Choice Spring Tall Fescue Pasture Diet On Plasma Fructosamine Concentrations, Body Weight, And Body Condition Scores Of Stock Horse Mares, Paige A. Smith

Masters Theses & Specialist Projects

Approximately half of all reported laminitis cases are the result of “grass founder” (laminitis associated with long-term over consumption of lush, early spring pastures). Elevated body weights (BW), body condition scores (BCS), and blood glucose concentrations have all been associated with the onset of grass founder. Plasma fructosamine concentrations (PFC) have recently been used as an indicator of long-term (14–21 d), mean blood glucose concentrations in horses and numerous authors have reported that elevated PFC were observed in laminitic horses (Murphy et al., 1997; Keen et al., 2004; Knowles et al., 2012). This study was conducted to evaluate the long-term …

Small-Scale Farming Of Sandfish (Holothuria Scabra) At Unguja Ukuu, Zanzibar, Claire Hacker

Independent Study Project (ISP) Collection

The biological and social components of sandfish farming were studied at Unguja Ukuu, Zanzibar. Measurement of temperature and depth, along with quadrat sampling of substrate and sea cucumbers, led to recommendations for future management of depth, biomass per area, disease and crabs, and substrate. Interviews revealed the role and potential benefits of sea cucumber farming for communities. Several barriers to, and complications with, the expansion of sea cucumber farming were also identified. This study provided information for improvement of this farm and hoped to spread knowledge of sandfish farming to Zanzibaris, who may benefit economically from the practice.

What, Where, Why: A Survey Of Felidae Populations At Enashiva Nature Refuge, Tanzania, Lucrecia Aguilar

Independent Study Project (ISP) Collection

As felid populations worldwide continue to deteriorate due to human activities, understanding how felid species utilize various landscapes, along with what factors affect such use or disuse, becomes essential to the preservation of these species. While previous research has examined felid populations around the world, many species and locations remain understudied. This study surveyed felid species at Enashiva Nature Refuge (ENR) in the Serengeti-Mara ecosystem to determine (1) what felid species are present at ENR, (2) where these species generally occur, and (3) why felids reside at ENR in low or high numbers. Through the use of opportunistic camera trapping, …

Monitoring Anuran Populations In Bosque Protector Candelaria: A Multi-Year Comparison Of Frog Populations In An Ecuadorian Cloud Forest, Mindee Goodrum

Independent Study Project (ISP) Collection

For many years, amphibian populations around the world have been declining due to climate change, habitat loss or change, and diseases such as Ranavirus or the Chytrid fungus. However, there is still a great lack of information regarding the diversity of frogs, especially in the cloud forests of Ecuador where this study was conducted. This study was conducted in April and May of 2017 in the Ecominga Reserve of Cerro Candelaria in El Placer, Ecuador. The objective was to conduct visual-encounter surveys of several sites in the reserve and compare the results to studies that have been conducted in the …

Abalone Aquaculture In Western Australia, Department Of Fisheries

Fisheries Occasional Publications

Principles and considerations relating to management of abalone aquaculture in Western Australia

Management Strategy Evaluation For The Atlantic Surfclam (Spisula Solidissima) Using A Spatially Explicit, Vessel-Based Fisheries Model, Kelsey M. Kuykendall, Eric N. Powell, John M. Klink, Paula T. Moreno, Robert T. Leaf

CCPO Publications

The commercially valuable Atlantic surfclam (Spisula solidissima) is harvested along the northeastern continental shelf of the United States. Its range has contracted and shifted north, driven by warmer bottom water temperatures. Declining landings per unit of effort (LPUE) in the Mid-Atlantic Bight (MAB) is one result. Declining stock abundance and LPUE suggest that overfishing may be occurring off New Jersey. A management strategy evaluation (MSE) for the Atlantic surfclam is implemented to evaluate rotating closures to enhance Atlantic surfclam productivity and increase fishery viability in the MAB. Active agents of the MSE model are individual fishing vessels with …

Population Dynamics Of The Cotton Rat In Southeastern Virginia, Robert K. Rose, Heather Green Salamone

Virginia Journal of Science

We used monthly live trapping for 2.5 years to evaluate the life-history features of the most common small mammal, Sigmodon hispidus (hispid cotton rat), in an old field at its northern limit of distribution on the Atlantic Coast. Peak densities, achieved in late autumn or early winter, were among the highest recorded for the species and were more typical of geographically marginal populations rather than of central ones. Unlike some other marginal populations, hispid cotton rats in southeastern Virginia did not lose significant body mass over the winter (when few juveniles were present) and survival in winter was not significantly …

Zebrafish As A Model For Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder (Ptsd), Bernadette Johnson

Honors Theses

Post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) is a psychological disorder with limited treatment options. Molecular mechanisms that cause PTSD remain unclear due to a lack of viable animal models. Considering the behavioral similarities between zebrafish (Danio rerio) and humans, their social nature, and functional parallels between select brain regions, we hypothesized that zebrafish can demonstrate PTSD and that antioxidant treatment will prevent PTSD induction. To test this hypothesis, adult zebrafish were exposed to a traumatic event then were tested immediately and three weeks after the event. Traumatized fish exhibited non-social behavior, spending 7000 fold less time interacting with tank mates then their …

Changes In The Breeding Range Of The Broad-Winged Hawk (Buteo Platypterus) Due To Habitat Fragmentation In The Northern Appalachian Region, Rachael M. Pruitt

Student Publications

The Broad-winged Hawk (BWHA), Buteo platypterus, a small, secretive hawk with distinguishing broad black tail bands, breeds in northeastern North America. The hawks nest in deciduous or mixed forest, often near water, and close to clearings or forest edges. Land conversion and fragmentation alters the landscape and reduces the area of contiguous forest used by BWHA. This study seeks to determine the habitat metrics that may be influencing the apparent breeding range declines of the BWHA at the landscape scale. Landscape characteristics and BWHA presence data from 18,684 Breeding Bird Atlas blocks (each about 25km2) from Ohio, West Virginia, Maryland, …

An Erythristic Morph Of Red-Backed Salamander (Plethodon Cinereus) Collected In Virginia, Trevor L. Chapman, Brian G. Gall, Kari L. Spivey

Virginia Journal of Science

Eight different color polymorphisms of the Red-backed Salamander (Plethodon cinereus) have been described throughout its range. Among them, the erythristic phenotype is a mimetic morph with coloration patterns similar to that of toxic Eastern Newt efts (Notophthalmus viridescens). We describe an erythristic morph of P. cinereus collected at Mountain Lake Biological Station, Virginia. To our knowledge, there are no prior published records of this morph in Virginia.

An Attempt To Update A Checklist And Some Other Aspects Of Murree Hills’ Avifauna, Abulhasan Faiz, Fakhar -I- Abbas, Adila Nazli, Fakhra Nazir

Journal of Bioresource Management

Birds are vital component of biodiversity as they are playing a significant role in an ecosystem. Increasing human interference might have affected previously reported diversity of birds. This study was designed to collect information about birds check list data of Murree hills. Area was surveyed at different times of day and different months of season. During visits, pictures of birds were taken and identification as well as preparation of list was carried out. Comparison of new checklist with previous literature was done in order to get revised checklist of existing species.

A Revision And Pectoral Guide To The Checklist Of Birds Of Salt Range, Zahid Iqbal Khan, Adila Nazli, Fakhra Nazir, Madeeha Manzoor

Journal of Bioresource Management

Birds as major important component of biodiversity provide a vital aspect of nature’s beauty and completes important ecological role in ecosystem. Current study was designed to gather baseline information about birds of salt range which tends to be modifying with the passage of time. The area was surveyed, pictures of birds were taken and after identification a checklist was formulated and changes in biodiversity was notified.

Herpetoplogical Survey Across Three Distinct Habitats In Ankarana National Park: Long-Term Effects Of Past Land Use On Species Composition In And Around The Park, Julia Park

Independent Study Project (ISP) Collection

Ankarana National Park is home to a diverse population of herpetofauna. In this study, three distinct habitats in and around Ankarana National Park were surveyed for herpetological diversity. These habitats were defined as the deciduous forest located within the “tsingy” limestone karst canyons, the dry deciduous forest outside of the canyons, within the borders of the park, and the anthropogenically affected forest outside of the park’s borders, which is subject to logging and fruit tree harvesting. A total of 27 species of herpetofauna – six amphibian and 21 reptile species were found over the course of twelve days of surveying …

Growing South Dakota (Spring 2017), College Of Agriculture &. Biological Sciences

Growing South Dakota (Publication of the College of Agriculture, Food and Environmental Sciences)

This issue contains the 2016 South Dakota Agricultural Experiment Station Annual Report.

[Page] 3 Opportunities With Oats SDSU Researchers Strive to Improve Varieties [Page] 6 Stopping Stem Canker Plant Pathologists Making Progress To Keep This Disease At Bay
[Page] 7 Disease Detectives Vet Scientists Researching Another Emerging Virus [Page] 8 Community Support Devastating West River Fire Brings Ag Industry Together
[Page] 10 Research In Progress Dakota Lakes Research Farm Investigates Three Big Ideas
[Page] 14 Water Quality Quest Understanding E. Coli Behavior Aims To Aid Water Quality In Rivers & Streams
[Page] 15 Verifying Ag Land Valuation Researchers Assist In …

Dollars From The Sea: Jacksonville And The Ocean Business, Committee Of 100 Jacksonville Area Chamber Of Commerce

City and Regional Planning -- Florida

Book details Jacksonville's oceanographic history 1967-1974

A Reexamination The Freshwater Mussels (Family Unionidae) In Lower Big Walnut Creek, Kierra M. Lathrop

Undergraduate Distinction Papers

Freshwater mussels (family Unionidae) have become increasingly rare as the threats to water quality, habitat quality, and other aquatic animals, which the mussels depend on, have increased. The absence of mussels can provide evidence that one of these factors is insufficient. Lower Big Walnut Creek (BWC) is known to support a diverse community of mussels but they are unevenly distributed throughout the creek with abundance, density, and richness being high in the upper section, very low in the midsection, and intermediate in the lower section. It has been suggested water quality nor symbiotic fish host communities are responsible for this …

The Phenology Of Sand Crabs, Lepidopa Benedicti (Decapoda: Albuneidae), Zen Faulkes

School of Integrative Biological & Chemical Sciences (Formerly Dept. of Biology)

Albuneid sand crabs are widespread on sandy beaches around the world, but because they conceal themselves by digging in sand and are often found at low densities, little is known about their basic biology. Lepidopa species were collected from the beaches of South Padre Island, Texas, on the western coast of Gulf of Mexico, a location that had previously been suggested to act as a population sink. The site contained Lepidopa benedicti and L. websteri, although the latter was extremely rare (collected three times in 5 years). There was significant variation in abundance across the year, with higher densities …

A Critical Analysis Of The Direct Effects Of Dredging On Fish, Amelia S. Wenger, Euan S. Harvey, Shaun K. Wilson, Christopher A. Rawson, Stephen J. Newman, Douglas Clarke, Benjamin J. Saunders, Nicola Browne, Michael J. Travers, Jennifer L. Mcilwain, Paul L A Erftemeijer, Jean-Paul A. Hobbs, Dianne L. Mclean, Martial Depczynski, Richard D. Evans

Fisheries Research Articles

Dredging can have significant impacts on aquatic environments, but the direct effects on fish have not been critically evaluated. Here, a meta-analysis following a conservative approach is used to understand how dredging-related stressors, including suspended sediment, contaminated sediment, hydraulic entrainment and underwater noise, directly influence the effect size and the response elicited in fish across all aquatic ecosystems and all life-history stages. This is followed by an in-depth review summarizing the effects of each dredging-related stressor on fish. Across all dredging-related stressors, studies that reported fish mortality had significantly higher effect sizes than those that describe physiological responses, although indicators …

The Effect Of Water Levels On Crayfish Aggression, Emory B. Johnson, Sarah E. Blase

Seaver College Research And Scholarly Achievement Symposium

Crayfish are a very prevalent invasive species that affect many different environments all over the world. Crayfish, specifically Procambarus clarkii, are an invasive species that have currently taken a foothold in the Santa Monica mountains and are threatening native stream species. There is currently a severe drought occurring in the Santa Monica mountains. The drought has been reshaping many aquatic environments by limiting space and resources such as food and shelter. Crayfish are a very aggressive species and adversely affect the habitat they inhabit by rapidly colonizing, burrowing, and their voracious diets. Due to the adverse effects crayfish can have …