Digital Commons Network^™

Social Organization Of Neotoma Micropus, The Southern Plains Woodrat, Sarah A. Conditt, David O. Ribble

Biology Faculty Research

This study described the social organization of Neotoma micropus, the southern plains woodrat, using radiotelemetry. We studied woodrats from September 1994 through April 1995 at the Urban Wilderness Reserve in S Bexar County, Texas. Sixteen individuals (three adult males, 11 adult females, and two subadult males) were radiocollared and located in the evening or early morning during January and February. Seventy-four percent of female radiolocations and 57% of male radiolocations were from their respective nests. No more than one adult individual was observed at any nest at the same time. Males had significantly larger (x = 1899 m^{2 …}

The Biological Flora Of Coastal Dunes And Wetlands. Sesuvium Portulacastrum (L.) L., Robert I. Lonard, Frank W. Judd

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

Sesuvium portulacastrum (L.) L. (sea purslane, cenicilla) is a pantropical, perennial, trailing herb (Aizoaceae) with pink-purple or occasionally white flowers that grows on coastal beaches of five continents and many islands. Herein we present a review of the biology of S. portulacastrum. It is an important pioneer species on sandy beaches in the subtropics and tropics, where its stoloniferous, mat-forming growth habit promotes embryonic dune formation in belts parallel to the shoreline. Colonies act as barriers to intercept and hold water and wind transported sand. Sesuvium portulacastrum's success as a colonizing species is related, in large part, to its …

Problems With The Interpretation Of Mark-Release-Recapture Data In Subterranean Termites (Isoptera: Rhinotermitidae), Anthony D. Curtis, Deborah A. Waller

Biological Sciences Faculty Publications

The Lincoln index (Peterson method) is frequently used to estimate animal population size in mark-release-recapture studies. We tested the accuracy of this method to estimate termite colony size using logs infested with termites that were maintained in the laboratory. Termites were fed paper towels dyed either with 0.05% or 0.1% (w/w) of the dye marker Nile blue and released into their host logs in the laboratory. Following recapture a week later, estimates of termite population size for termites dyed with 0.05% Nile blue, and were approximately 3 times greater for termites dyed with 0.1% Nile blue. Concentrations of 0.1% Nile …

Acute And Chronic Exposure To Lead: Cellular And Behavioral Effects On The Pond Snail Helisoma Trivolvis, Virginia T. Bennett

College of Graduate Studies: Theses & Dissertations (1964–2006)

The focus of this study is on the effects of lead on Helisoma trivolvis, a pulmonate pond snail. Many species of molluscs are being used as bioindicators of environmental toxins. To provide a background for the reader, a brief history and description of the Phylum Mollusca (at the class level) is presented in Chapter 1. A second chapter (Ch. 2) is concerned with lead and its effects. A synopsis of past and present studies that show the interaction between lead and molluscs is given in Chapter 3, then two experimental chapters follow. The first experimental chapter (Ch. 4) is …

The Flora And Ecology Of Seidman Park, Kent County, Michigan, Pamela J. Laureto

Masters Theses

A floristic study of Seidman Park, Kent County, Michigan was performed. The study identified 521 vascular plants belonging to 96 families and 284 genera. The plant communities of Seidman Park were delimited by identification of dominant species and observation of the physical environment. It was believed that communities existed within the upland forest that could not be identified by observation alone. The use of Non-Metric Multidimensional Scaling (NMS) ordination techniques identified three communities within the upland forest. These were a xeric community, a dry-mesic community and a nutrient-rich community. Three sub-communities of the dry-mesic community were also identified.

Impact Of A Parasitic Plant On The Structure And Dynamics Of Salt Marsh Vegetation, Steven C. Pennings, Ragan M. Callaway

Biological Sciences Faculty Publications

We investigated the effect of a native parasitic plant, Cuscuta salina, on the structure and dynamics of the plant community in a California salt marsh. Cuscuta was common in the middle marsh zones. The abundance of Cuscuta was positively correlated with the abundance of Limonium californicum at two sampling scales (0.25— and ≈\approx40—m² quadrats). Sampling at the scale of individual plants indicated that the dominant plant in the marsh, Salicornia virginica, was preferred by Cuscuta as a host over Arthrocnemum subterminale, Limonium californicum, and Frankenia salina. This result was confirmed with host—choice experiments in the field. Based on spatial …

Temperature-Driven Variation In Substrate Oxygenation And The Balance Of Competition And Facilitation, Ragan M. Callaway, Leah King

Biological Sciences Faculty Publications

Emergent wetland plants often alleviate the effects of anaerobic soils on root respiration by passively transporting oxygen belowground through continuous air spaces (aerenchyma) in leaves and roots. Oxygen leaked from the roots into the rhizosphere may oxidize minerals in the soil or become available to other plants. Some spatial patterns in marsh plant communities suggest interspecific facilitative interactions, but there is little experimental evidence for interplant facilitation via soil oxygenation. We investigated the capability of the widespread, highly aerenchymous wetland plant, Typa latifolia, to aerate sediments and affect the growth of two non—aerenchymous neighbors, Salix exigua and Myosotis laxa, both …

The Mayfly Newsletter, Peter M. Grant

The Mayfly Newsletter

The Mayfly Newsletter is the official newsletter of the Permanent Committee of the International Conferences on Ephemeroptera.

Top-Down Cascade From A Bitrophic Predator In An Old-Field Community, Matthew D. Moran, Thomas P. Rooney, L. E. Hurd

Biological Sciences Faculty Publications

We tested the hypothesis that a bitrophic (third and fourth level) arthropod predator can exert a cascading, top-down influence on other arthropods and plants in an early successional old field. First-stadium mantids, Tenodera sinensis, were added to replicated open-field plots in numbers corresponding to naturally occurring egg hatch density and allowed to remain for ≈ 2 mo. Sticky-trap dispersal barriers around both control and mantid-addition plots allowed us to monitor emigration of arthropods continuously during the experiment. Biomass of herbivores, carnivores, and plants, and abundances of arthropod taxa within plots were determined at the beginning, middle, and end of …

Low Temperature Scanning Electron Microscopy Of Clay And Organic Constituents And Their Relevance To Soil Microstructures, C. Chenu, D. Tessier

Scanning Microscopy

Low temperature scanning electron microscopy (LTSEM) is essential for studying the microstructure of small-sized soil constituents such as clays and organic matter. These hydrated and swelling materials naturally undergo drastic changes in water potential and water content in soils. The cryofixation of clays and organic macromolecules by immersion in cryogens and their LTSEM observation are evaluated. The microstructures of clay minerals, polysaccharide macromolecules and their associations, as revealed by LTSEM, contribute to a better understanding of the water retention properties and physical stabilities of these major soil constituents.

Phytoplankton In Mt. St. Helens Lakes, Washington, Cynthia Fay Baker

Dissertations and Theses

Phytoplankton communities in fifteen lakes in the Mt. St. Helens area were surveyed to assess the abundance and species present. Eleven of the lakes were inside the blast zone of the 1980 eruption and four were located outside the blast zone as a comparison. The hypothesis is that lakes will cluster together based on the algal species present and that some algae will be correlated with certain environmental conditions. A cluster analysis was performed to determine if the lakes would group together based on algal abundance. There did not appear to be any distinct clustering among the study lakes, but …

The Physiological, Enzymatic, And Genetic Characterization Of Staphylococcus Sp. Chromium (Vi) Reductase Function, Matthew J. Trudeau

Senior Scholar Papers

A strain of Staphylococcus isolated by Dr. Fekete at the Sandia National Laboratory toxic metal dumping site in Sandia, New Mexico. has been found to reduce toxic Cr(VI) to the less toxic Cr(IlI) state. We have ascertained the environmental parameters for optimal bacterial growth and Cr(VI) reduction. This knowledge may be employed in a comprehensive bioremediation scheme designed to accelerate natural reparation of that Sandia ecosystem. In addition we have investigated the genetic and enzymatic basis for this Cr(VI) reducing ability. This information may allow us to create more effective bioremediation schemes based on the comprehensive knowledge of enzyme and …

Use Of Gene Probes To Aid In Recovery And Identification Of Functionally Dominant 2,4-Dichlorophenoxyacetic Acid-Degrading Populations In Soil, J. O. Ka, William E. Holben, James M. Tiedje

Biological Sciences Faculty Publications

The herbicide 2,4-dichlorophenoxyacetic acid (2,4-D) was applied to soils in microcosms, and degradation was monitored after each of five repeated additions. Total DNAs were isolated from soil bacterial communities after each 2,4-D treatment. The DNA samples were analyzed on slot blots and Southern blots by using a tfdA gene probe subcloned from plasmid pJP4 and a Spa probe derived from a different 2,4-D-degrading isolate, a Sphingomonas paucimobilis strain. 2,4-D applied to soil was quickly degraded by indigenous microbial populations. As determined by slot blot analyses of DNA from a Michigan soil, the increase in hybridization signal in response to 2,4-D …

Reproductive Biology And Early Life History Of Fishes In The Ohio River Drainage, Vol. 2, Larry K. Kay, Robert Wallus, Bruce L. Yeager

Ohio River Fish

No abstract provided.

Temperature, Activity And Lizard Life Histories, Stephen C. Adolph, Warren P. Porter

All HMC Faculty Publications and Research

Lizard life-history characteristics vary widely among species and populations. Most authors seek adaptive or phylogenetic explanations for life-history patterns, which are usually presumed to reflect genetic differences. However, lizard life histories are often phenotypically plastic, varying in response to temperature, food availability, and other environmental factors. Despite the importance of temperature to lizard ecology and physiology, its effects on life histories have received relatively little attention. We present a theoretical model predicting the proximate consequences of the thermal environment for lizard life histories. Temperature, by affecting activity times, can cause variation in annual survival rate and fecundity, leading to a …

Determinants Of Success In Experimental Introductions Of The Rodent (Mus Musculus) Onto Habitat Islands, Mark W. Krissinger

College of Graduate Studies: Theses & Dissertations (1964–2006)

I conducted an experimental test of the influence of supplemental food on persistence time of intentionally introduced (i.e. translocated) mice (Mus musculus) on four habitat islands. I determined the species composition of small mammals in the four insular patches of habitat (i.e. habitat islands) formed by Interstate Highway 16 and associated access roads at the US Hwy 301 interchange using standard live-trapping methods. Two of the habitat islands supported three resident rodent species, whereas the other two each supported one species.

After determining the initial species composition of the four habitat islands I released 14 uniquely marked individuals …

Nitrogen And Carbon Isotope Studies Of A Bat Guano Core From Eagle Creek Cave, Arizona, Usa, Hiroshi Mizutani, Donald A. Mcfarlane, Yuko Kabaya

WM Keck Science Faculty Papers

Nitrogen and carbon isotope ratios were studied in a stratified deposit of guano of Mexican Free-tailed bats in Eagle Creek Cave, Arizona, U.S.A. Little diagenetic change was observed over the 25-year time span of the guano deposit. High aridity and reduced circulation of air in the cave are hypothesized to have slowed the normally rapid decomposition of the excreta and the subsequent escape of resultant ammonia. The results suggest the high dependency of the speed of diagenetic change on specific physical and other conditions of the caves and indicate that great care need be exercised in the interpretation of the …

Carbon And Nitrogen Isotopic Signatures Of Bat Guanos As A Record Of Past Environments, Hiroshi Mizutani, Donald A. Mcfarlane, Yuko Kabaya

WM Keck Science Faculty Papers

Carbon and nitrogen isotope ratios were measured for various ecogeochemical samples relevant to bat guano ecosystems. In particular, ca. 800-year-old subfossil guano from Jackson's Bay Cave Compex, Jamaica, yielded ratios similar to the modern guano from other Jamaican bat caves but quite different from modern guano of the same area. Diagenetic change and differences in bat food habits were unlikely explanations for the observation. Instead, insects that feed on C4 and CAM plants were the main prey for the bats in present Jackson's Bay area, while the ultimate source of organic matter for bats in other Jamaican caves and for …

Effect Of Temperature And Humidity On Evaporative Water Loss In Anna's Hummingbird (Calypte Anna), Donald R. Powers

Faculty Publications - Department of Biological & Molecular Science

Evaporative water loss (EWL), oxygen concumption (V0 ), and body temperature (Tb) of Anna's 2 Hummingbirds (Calypte anna; ca. 4.5 g) were measured at combinations of ambient temperature (T J and water vapor density (Qva) ranging from 20 to 37 °C and 2 to 27 g · m-3 , respectively. The EWL decreased linearly with increasing eva at all temperatures. The slopes ofleast squares regression lines relating EWL to Qva at different temperatures were not significantly different and averaged -0.50mg H20·m-3 ·g-2 ·h-1 (range: -0.39 to -0.61). Increased Qva restricted EWL in C. anna more than has been reported for …

Variation In A Host-Epiphyte Relationship Along A Wave Exposure Gradient, Phillip S. Levin, Arthur C. Mathieson

New Hampshire Agricultural Experiment Station Publications

The red alga Polysiphonia lanosa (L ) Tandy is an obligate epiphyte that primarily occurs on the fucoid brown algal basiphyte Ascophyllum nodosum (L) Le Jolis In the present study we examine how epiphytic interactions between P lanosa and A nodosum vary along a wave exposure gradient within the southern Gulf of Maine, USA P lanosa was most dense on protected shores, however because the stature of P lanosa was greater on exposed than on sheltered shores, greater biomass occurred In exposed habitats Epiphytlc P lanosa pnmanly attached to inlured vegetative bssue at exposed sites, while ~ t osc currence …

Atrial Natriuretic Factor In Meriones Unguiculatus, The Mongolian Gerbil, Kyriakos Tarasidis

Master's Theses

The basis for the great osmoregulatory ability in Meriones unguiculatus, the Mongolian gerbil, has been studied previously, but as yet no clear mechanism has been determined. The present study investigated the level of cardiac atrial natriuretic factor (ANF) under high and low sodium stress. In addition, cardiac ANF values for the Mongolian gerbil were compared with another desert mammal (Mesocricetus auratus, the Syrian golden hamster) and a non-desert mammal, (Rattus norvegicus, the white rat). ANF was found to exist in the hear atria of the Mongolian gerbil at a level of 388±66 µg ANF/g tissue. High and low sodium stress …

Natural And Disturbance-Induced Demographic Variation In An Infaunal Polychaete, Nephtys Incisa, Roman Zajac, Robert B. Whitlatch

Biology and Environmental Science Faculty Publications

Demography of the infaunal polychaete Nephtys incisa was investigated for periods of 1 yr prior to and following disturbance (dredge material disposal) at a site in central Long Island Sound, USA. Infaunal grab samples were taken at 5 stations 200 m to 3 km apart. The demography of populations at each station was based on age-classes spanning juveniles to adults 4 + yr of age. Age-specific survivorship and fecundity were based on changes in mean density of each cohort and a positive correlation between female size and egg production, respectively. Analyses of population matrix models indicated pre-disposal populations had positive …

The Remipedia (Crustacea): A Study Of Their Reproduction And Ecology, Jill Yager

Biological Sciences Theses & Dissertations

Remipedes are an unusual group of troglobitic crustaceans that live exclusively in anchialine caves. Since their discovery in 1979, nine species have been described, seven of which are found in caves in the West Indies, one from the Yucatan peninsula of Mexico and one from the Canary Islands. Most of what is known about these animals has come mainly from taxonomic descriptions. Little has been published about their reproductive biology or ecology. The objectives of this dissertation were to investigate the reproductive biology and ecology of the remipedes inhabiting Sagittarius Cave on Grand Bahama Island, Bahamas.

Sagittarius Cave was chosen …

Residual Influence Of Macronutrient Enrichment On The Aquatic Food Web Of An Okefenokee Swamp Abandoned Bird Rookery, J. Douglas Oliver, Steven A. Schoenberg

Faculty Publications and Presentations

We present evidence for residual nutrient enrichment of diverse components of a blackwater marsh, by a biotic component of the ecosystem itself. Thousands of nesting white ibis (Eudocimus albus) that foraged over a 20-km radius fertilized a rookery with guano within Okefenokee Swamp. Georgia. USA. One to two yr after the birds abandoned it. this marsh showed continued enrichment effects. Elevated available phosphorus in sediments, as measured by equilibrium phosphate concentration, contributed to enhanced biomass of phytoplankton in the overlying water column. Planktivorous fish were greater in biomass than at reference sites. Experimental phosphorus and nitrogen fertilization of enclosures at …

Sulfur Accumulation In Xylem Tissue Of Forest Trees From Kentucky & Tennessee & Its Relation To Yearly Growth, Jennifer Sharp

Masters Theses & Specialist Projects

The levels of sulfur present in xylem tissue of Quercus alba (white oak) show a statistically significant increase from 1970 to 1983. This increase was found in trees from three different sites in Kentucky and Tennessee. The levels of sulfur present in Tsuga canadensis (hemlock) show a statistically significant increase from 1955 to 1970. Sensitivity, growth response to the tree's environment, decreased in oaks from 1933 to 1968 but increased slightly in hemlocks during the same time period. The data tend to support a direct relationship between increasing sulfur levels and a reduction in growth. Physiological and ecological studies of …

Dna Probe Method For The Detection Of Specific Microorganisms In The Soil Bacterial Community, William Holben, Janet K. Jansson, Barry K. Chelm, James M. Tiedje

Biological Sciences Faculty Publications

We developed a protocol which yields purified bacterial DNA from the soil bacterial community. The bacteria were first dispersed and separated from soil particles in the presence of polyvinylpolypyrrolidone, which removes humic acid contaminants by adsorption to this insoluble polymer. The soil bacteria were then collected by centrifugation and lysed by using a comprehensive protocol designed to maximize disruption of the various types of bacteria present. Total bacterial DNA was purified from the cell lysate and remaining soil contaminants by using equilibrium density gradients. The isolated DNA was essentially pure as determined by UV spectral analysis, was at least 48 …

Depth Profiles And Soil Textures Of The Vernal Pools Of The Santa Rosa Plateau Preserve, Riverside County, California, Ralph Charles Workman Jr.

Loma Linda University Electronic Theses, Dissertations & Projects

The purpose of this project was to study the edaphic and topographic characteristics of the 13 vernal pools on the Santa Rosa Plateau Preserve, thus documenting the role soil texture plays in vernal pool formation.

Several field and laboratory procedures were used to demonstrate that there is a higher percentage of clay present within vernal pools than in soils outside the margin of the pools, for 11 out of the 13 pools. Statistical tests showed that the percentage of clay was highly significant within the center soil of the pool as compared to the soil outside the margin of the …

Leafcutting Ant Diet Selection: The Role Of Nutrients, Water, And Secondary Chemistry, Jerome J. Howard

Biological Sciences Faculty Publications

The relationship of plant secondary chemistry, water content, and nutrient content to the palatability of leaves to the leafcutting ant Atta cephalotes was determined in a study of individuals from 50 woody plant species in tropical dry forest of Costa Rica. The study took place during the yearly period of maximum leaf harvest, in the early rainy season. The palatability of plants was determined by presenting leaf disks to ants on active foraging trails of three ant colonies. The distribution of several classes of polar secondary compounds in leaf samples was determined using chemical spot tests, and that of ant- …

Behavioral Feeding Specialization In Pinaroloxias Inornata, The “Darwin's Finch” Of Cocos Island, Costa Rica, Tracey K. Werner, Thomas W. Sherry

Dartmouth Scholarship

As a population, Cocos Finches exhibit a broad range of feeding behaviors spanning those of several families of birds on the mainland, while individuals feed as specialists year-round. Although this extreme intraspecific variability occurs as predicted in a tropical oceanic island environment, these specializations challenge contemporary ecological theory in that they are not attributable to individual differences in age, sex, gross morphology, or opportunistic exploitation of patchy resources. Instead, they appear to originate and be maintained behaviorally, possibly via observational learning. This phenomenon adds another direction to the evolutionary radiation of the Darwin's Finches and underscores the necessity for detailed …

Limnological Aspects Of Upland Island: A Wilderness Area In East Texas, J. A. Sidnell, C W. Reed, J. D. Mccullough

Faculty Publications

No abstract provided.