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Figure Set Update: An Inquiry-Based Module Aligned With The 4dee Framework For Teaching About Functional Responses And Biological Control, Rosny Jean, Linda Auker, Suann Yang, Jeremy Hsu

Open Educational Resources

THE ISSUE

Biological control agents are used in a wide range of contexts to limit damage from pests. However, the broader ecological consequences of such agents often are unclear before ecological risk assessments are performed. This Figure Set guides students to think through potential consequences of using biological control agents, and then uses a specific study to challenge students to interpret results from laboratory and caged field experiments. This Figure Set also introduces the concept of functional responses to students.

FOUR DIMENSIONAL ECOLOGY EDUCATION (4DEE) FRAMEWORK

• Core Ecological Concepts:
• Organisms
• Resources and regulators
• Communities
• Predation
• Ecology Practices:
• Quantitative reasoning and …

Insect Biodiversity Of Select Areas In The Western Suburbs Of Chicago, Bradley Dawson

Department of Entomology: Distance Master of Science Projects

Introduction

Insects make up an integral part of the landscape in North America and across the world. They occupy a myriad of niches in food webs, function as predators and prey, and provide environmental services like pollination of flowering plants and decomposition of dead animal carcasses and fecal matter. They take part in ecosystems that are often delicately balanced, and so conservation is often a worthwhile effort in areas that would otherwise be trampled by human activity. In the western suburbs of Chicago, Illinois where I reside, there is a mix of both heavily developed areas as well as some …

Interspecific Oral Rabies Vaccine Bait Competition In The Southeast United States, Wesley C. Dixon, Jacob E. Hill, Richard Chipman, Amy J. Davis, Amy Gilbert, James C. Beasley, Olin E. Rhodes Jr., Guha Dharmarajan

United States Department of Agriculture Wildlife Services: Staff Publications

The United States Department of Agriculture’s National Rabies Management Program (NRMP) has coordinated the use of oral rabies vaccination (ORV) to control the spread of raccoon rabies virus variant west of the Appalachian Mountains since 1997. Working with state and local partners, the NRMP deploys ORV baits containing a rabies vaccine, primarily targeting raccoon populations (Procyon lotor). Bait competition between raccoons and non-target species may limit the effectiveness of ORV programs, but the extent of bait competition remains poorly quantified, particularly in the southeastern United States. We placed placebo ORV baits in bottomland hardwood (n = 637 baits) and upland …

Linking Previous Experiences To Behavior And Health In The Honey Bee (Apis Mellifera), Rebecca R. Westwick

Theses and Dissertations--Entomology

An organism’s ability to respond to changing conditions can be vital to its success. Indeed, plasticity is a common feature of living organisms. Much of the research in this area, though, has focused on effects caused by environmental conditions. What has received relatively less attention is how social experiences and broader features of an organism’s social environment can lead to long-lasting changes in health and behavior. This knowledge gap exists despite the well-documented existence of health and behavioral effects after social interactions in certain taxa such as humans.

Social insects such as honey bees provide an excellent opportunity to better …

Have Rusty Crayfish Affected The Diets Of Yellow Perch?, Matthew D. Kvam

Journal of Earth and Life Science

Freshwater ecosystems are some of the most susceptible to invasive species. It is one of the reasons they face the highest levels of species endangerment. Rusty crayfish Faxonius rusticus are one such invasive species, they fragment food webs and negatively affect native species. However, it seems as though native species are beginning to rely on them as a source of food. Yellow perch Perca flavescens, an important forage and game species, is one such species that is highly affected by these invasions. At smaller sizes yellow perch primarily feed on invertebrates whose populations are degraded by rusty crayfish. Therefore, the …

Quantifying Insect Emergence In Tidal Freshwaters And The Importance Of Aquatic Prey In Wetland-Dependent Songbird Diet, Samantha L. Rogers

Theses and Dissertations

Insectivorous birds and their arthropod prey are experiencing widespread population declines, driven largely by anthropogenic disturbance and climate change. For wetland-dependent insectivores that consume a mixture of terrestrial and aquatic insects, understanding the availability, consumption, and nutritional qualities of aquatic diet subsidies is important for conservation. I use prothonotary warblers (Protonotaria citrea) as a model species throughout this work, because their breeding season aligns with aquatic insect emergence and they include aquatic insects when provisioning nestlings. In the first chapter, I estimate aquatic insect emergence from tidal freshwaters, which are understudied compared to nontidal systems. Using continuous field …

Restoring An Iconic Joshua Tree Forest: Natural Recovery, Restoration Success, And Soil Microhabitats On A Desert Burn Area, Riley Scaff

Pitzer Senior Theses

Wildfires are a novel disturbance type in the Mojave Desert, but have been increasing in size and frequency since the 1970s due to the proliferation of invasive grasses. Burned areas are more susceptible to invasion, which can lead to the establishment of a grass-fire cycle. For this reason, restoration is often necessary to facilitate natural plant community recovery, but the extreme desert climate makes returning native vegetation to burn areas challenging. Planting in nutrient-rich soil microhabitats could be a helpful tool to improve revegetation success, but has yet to be tested. This study surveyed natural postfire recruitment across two seasons …

The Effect Of Blue Mussel (Mytilus Edulis) Extinction On Ecosystem Function In The Gulf Of Maine Rocky Intertidal, Sophia K. Montague

Honors Theses

Stressors associated with climate change including thermal stress and ocean acidification inhibit the growth and reproduction of many species, including the ecologically and economically important blue mussel species in the Gulf of Maine (GOM). Established scaling relationships between mussel size, abundance, and water filtration suggests that the decline of mussels will stunt GOM water filtration. This change in the rate of water filtration could have large effects on the abundance of phytoplankton, abundance of invertebrate larvae, abundance of nutrients and organic material, food web stability, and biodiversity. Overall, this thesis explores the effect of blue mussel (Mytilus edulis) …

Biomechanics Of Mantis Prey Capture, Danielle S. Taylor

Honors Theses

Mantis species have a variety of different morphologies, so do the extreme forms of mantis limbs trade prey catching capability for camouflage? We hypothesize that some extreme forms of mantis limbs that are associated with cryptic species may be associated with a tradeoff of the capability of those limbs. Previous research has developed 2D morphologies of several hundred species of mantises. We are creating a 3D morphology by using micro dissection, micro CT imaging to construct our 3D biomechanical model. We found the attachment points of the ligaments and muscles from a Tenodera forearm and have constructed a 2D biomechanical …

Relating Predator Community Ecology And Duck Nest Survival In Eastern South Dakota, Samantha R. Fino

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

As conversion of native grasslands and wetlands to croplands continues in the Prairie Pothole Region (PPR), managers are tasked with maintaining sustainable waterfowl populations. Mesopredator community dynamics is a hypothesized mechanism driving spatiotemporal variation of waterfowl nest survival in the PPR, yet studies often lack detailed information on mesopredator species occurrence and abundance. Therefore, understanding spatial and temporal variation in behaviors of mesopredators provides valuable insights for understanding predator-prey interactions between mesopredators and upland duck nests. Further, differences in a predator community resulting from lethal removal of dominant species may influence composition and space use patterns of subordinate and non-target …

Big Meadows Mountain Meadow & Aspen Restoration Project 2017 – 2023 Summary Report, Scott River Watershed Council

Aspen Bibliography

Big Meadows Mountain Meadow and Aspen Restoration Project is designed to enhance aspen and mountain meadow habitats at Big Meadows, a property that is privately owned by Ecotrust Forest Management (EFM). EFM owns approximately 40,000 acres in the Klamath Mountains of Siskiyou County, known as the Scott River Headwaters Property. The Scott River Headwaters Property Management Plan, developed by EFM, specifically identifies and prioritizes the restoration of aspen woodlands. As such, EFM and Scott River Watershed Council (SRWC) partnered with the goal of improving these critical habitats. The Big Meadows complex is one of the largest mountain meadow systems within …

Analyzing The Effects Of Winter-Patch Grazing And Wildfire On Insect Order Hymenoptera In The Northern Great Plains, Kaitlin Schieuer

Schultz-Werth Award Papers

Pollinators are declining globally, threatening global crop production and the biological integrity of many ecosystems. Hymenoptera (the order containing ants, bees, and wasps) is one of the most important insect orders for pollination of a variety of plants, including many crops, and is important as biocontrol for crop pests, and other herbivorous insects. Land management practices affect plant community composition, which influences vegetation-dependent insects, and consequently affects their ecosystem services. Fire and grazing are common practices on working landscapes in the Great Plains. However, how these management techniques impact insect diversity, particularly Hymenopterans, in a mixed-grass prairie ecosystem, is poorly …

Impacts Of Eastern Redcedar Juniperus Virginiana L. On Avian Communities In Eastern South Dakota, Jay Holm

Schultz-Werth Award Papers

Eastern redcedar (ERC) (Juniperus virginiana L.) is the most rapidly spreading woody species in the Northern Great Plains due to fire suppression, planting in windbreaks, and overgrazing. Its encroachment has converted already fragmented and/or degraded grassland into woodland, and there is concern that it may negatively impact grassland-obligate/dependent avian species. In this study, I evaluated avian community composition between ERC-encroached and non-encroached grasslands in eastern South Dakota. Six sites each of encroached grassland and non-encroached grassland were selected. Bird surveys were conducted by performing point counts placed equidistantly along a transect for two years. Presence and abundance of each species …

New Frontiers In The Application Of Stable Isotopes To Ecological And Ecophysiological Research, Keith Alan Hobson (Editor), John P. Whiteman (Editor), Seth Newsome (Editor)

Biological Sciences Faculty Books

This Research Topic aims to present cutting-edge applications of stable isotope methods to animal and plant ecology and ecophysiology.

Understanding The Drivers Of Body Condition In Female Elk: Implications For Nutritional Ecology On Changing Landscapes, Nicole P. Bealer

Undergraduate Theses, Professional Papers, and Capstone Artifacts

Ungulate body condition is often understood to reflect the nutritional resources on the landscape but is ultimately influenced by more than forage because body condition integrates both energetic costs and benefits. Factors driving variation in female body condition can be classified in both individual vs. environmental and bottom-up vs. top-down frameworks. My research evaluates how individual vs. environmental and bottom-up vs. top-down frameworks explain variation in ingesta-free body fat (IFBF) in female elk (Cervus canadensis). I used seven years (2015-2021) of IFBF data from monitored and recaptured female elk (n = 139) in the Ya Ha Tinda (YHT) population in …

Variation In Soil-Mediated Drought Response Traits Between Sympatric Species Of Mimulus, Anna Reitman

Scripps Senior Theses

The ‘time limitation hypothesis’ is an evolutionary theory regarding evolution in angiosperms. The theory attributes ephemeral drought stress to transitions from a perennial to annual life history and an animal- to self-pollinating mating style. The most influential edaphic parameter on water availability is soil texture (i.e. grain size) due to its controls on porosity. Adhesion weakens with coarseness allowing for expedited rates of water loss via evaporation and percolation. The potential implications of coarse soil textures on major transitions in angiosperms due to drought mediation as the ‘time-limitation hypothesis’ proposes has yet to be thoroughly examined. Here, we grew two …

Stage-Structured Predator-Prey Interactions In A Warming World: A Case Study In Riverine Rock Pools, Andrew T. Davidson

Theses and Dissertations

Warming can impact predator-prey interactions through a variety of mechanisms. For example, warming can both alter the rate at which predators consume prey and the rate prey develop through vulnerable life stages. Thus, the overall effect of warming on consumer-resource interactions will depend upon the strength and asymmetry of warming effects on predator and prey performance. Here, we describe the consequences of these asymmetrical responses to temperature by first developing a simple stage-structured modeling framework, then applying that framework to predation of American rock pool mosquito larvae, Aedes atropalpus, by several common predators in riverine rock pools. We then …

Hibernation Behavior And Winter Feeding Of Northern Myotis In Coastal Populations After White-Nose Syndrome Invasion, Casey Jo Pendergast

Legacy Theses & Dissertations (2009 - 2024)

The northern myotis (Myotis septentrionalis) is a bat species suffering massive population declines due to the effects of white nose syndrome, a severe and pervasive disease threatening extinction across the species range. A remnant population of northern myotis capable of persisting despite infection with the disease has been identified across three coastal islands: Long Island, NY; Martha’s Vineyard, MA; and Nantucket, MA. This study looked to uncover the mechanisms for survival by characterizing activity of northern myotis and potential prey species throughout the hibernation season. Bat activity was monitored during the 2017/18, 2018/19, and 2019/20 winter seasons at known foraging …

Refugia From White-Nose Syndrome: Ecology And Behavior Of Northern Myotis Coastal Populations, Samantha Hoff

Legacy Theses & Dissertations (2009 - 2024)

Recent increases in anthropogenic environmental change have been directly linked to the global loss of biodiversity and are a primary driver of disease emergence in wildlife populations. Infectious diseases interact with other threats to cause population declines and changes in community composition, potentially resulting in local or global extinctions. Yet, outcomes are variable across the landscape, leading some host populations to persist at low numbers. One of the biggest challenges in conserving species threatened by disease is determining whether persisting populations can remain viable into the future once they have been driven to low abundance. White-nose syndrome (WNS) is one …

Foraging Behavior In The Eastern Subterranean Termite, Reticulitermes Flavipes (Kollar) (Isoptera: Rhinotermitidae), Anugerah Fajar

Theses and Dissertations--Entomology

Foraging is essential for survival, but it can be unpredictably dangerous due to organismal interactions like competition and predation to various environmental factors. Animals have come up with strategies to safeguard foraging. Social insects, with their elaborate division of labor, have developed sophisticated systems of foraging task allocation that allow them to capitalize resources beyond their competitors. In this thesis, I delve into the subjects of foraging behavior, allocation strategies, and the genetic basis of foraging in the eastern subterranean termite, Reticulitermes flavipes, the most widely distributed termite species in North America and one of the most economically important …

Moving Beyond The Panarchy Heuristic, David G. Angeler, Craig R. Allen

School of Natural Resources: Documents and Reviews

No abstract provided.

Evolution Of The Southwest Drought Learning Network: Collective Response To Exceptional Drought, E. Elias, B. Fuchs, J. Lisonbee, T. Bernadt, V. Martinez, T. Haigh

School of Natural Resources: Documents and Reviews

No abstract provided.

Comparing Fish Species Assemblage Between Impacted And Restored Estuarine Salt Marshes Within The Eel River Estuary, Humboldt Co. Ca, Adam Aguilar, Isaac Basham-Clair, Tristan F. Parkinson, Larkin C. Wells

Undergraduate Scholarship

This report details a study assessing the fish assemblages of a recently restored estuarine salt marsh site, and a similar unrestored and impacted site along the Eel River estuary. These two sites are located within the Eel River (Wiya’t) estuary, roughly 10 miles west of the city of Fortuna, CA. This study was conducted during the months of September through October 2023. Data collection was done through seine net dragging at randomly selected sample points across both sites. Seine net hauls were recorded by species and species count, which were later computed using a diversity index to provide values representative …

A Preliminary Assessment Of The Spawning Potential Ratio Of Five Target Species Of The Coastal Gillnet Fishery In Guyana And Suriname, Tomas Willems, Elford Liverpool, Michael Hiwat

Gulf and Caribbean Research

Data—limited stock assessment methods have the potential to positively impact livelihoods of fishermen around the world by providing management recommendations that aim to optimize sustainable yields from fisheries. Some years ago, a novel length— based (LB) method was developed for the assessment of spawning potential ratio (SPR), a measure of the reproductive capacity of fish stocks. We applied the LB—SPR method to 5 important target species of the coastal gillnet fishery in Guyana and Suriname. Nebris microps (Smalleye Croaker; 32% SPR) and Macrodon ancylodon (King Weakfish; 34% SPR) had the highest spawning potential, but remained below the 40% target level …

Effects Of Aging On The Reproductive Success Of Female Saltmarsh Sparrows (Ammospiza Caudacutus) In Maine And New Hampshire, Isabella Rose Collamati

Honors Theses and Capstones

The saltmarsh sparrow (Ammospiza caudacutus) is a ground-nesting specialist in coastal salt marshes of the Northeast. Rising sea-levels increase the loss of offspring due to tidal flooding, reducing nest success and resulting in a sharp population decline. In other avian species, age has been shown to affect nest success through altering fertility, behavior, and the number of young produced, favoring older individuals. I investigated age effects on nest success of female saltmarsh sparrows using nest monitoring data collected at four sites of a long-term demographic monitoring project: Chapman's Landing (Stratham, NH), Eldridge Marsh (Wells, ME), Popham Beach (Phippsburg, …

Combatting The Marine Litter Crisis In The Windward Islands : Examining Source-To-Sea Pathways And Fostering Multi-Scale Solutions, Roxanne Elizabeth Donna Graham

World Maritime University Ph.D. Dissertations

This research investigates the intricate and all-pervasive challenge of combatting marine litter in small island developing states (SIDS), specifically in the Wider Caribbean Region (WCR) with a focus on the understudied Windward Islands located in the south-east of the Caribbean. Notably, this research is a ground- breaking and innovative effort in several respects, marking the first time a study of such magnitude and depth has been conducted and published for the WCR and the Windward Islands in particular. This pioneering work thus not only fills a significant gap in the existing literature but also sets a benchmark for future studies …

Dataset For Controllable Factors Affecting Accuracy And Precision Of Human Identification Of Animals From Drone Imagery, Landon R. Jones, Jared A. Elmore, B. S. Krishnan, Sathishkumar Samiappan, Kristine O. Evans, Morgan B. Pfeiffer, Bradley F. Blackwell, Raymond B. Iglay

CFR Publications

Dataset from the results of an experiment to determine how three controllable factors, flight altitude, camera angle, and time of day, affect human identification and counts of animals from drone images to inform best practices to survey animal communities with drones. We used a drone (unoccupied aircraft system, or UAS) to survey known numbers of eight animal decoy species, representing a range of body sizes and colors, at four GSD (ground sampling distance) values (0.35, 0.70, 1.06, 1.41 cm/pixel) representing equivalent flight altitudes (15.2, 30.5, 45.7, 61.0 m) at two camera angles (45° and 90°) and across a range of …

Mechanical Devices For Census And Detection Of Off-Host Larval Ticks (Acari: Ixodidae), Donald B. Thomas, Holly D. Gaff, Brenda Leal-Galvan

Biological Sciences Faculty Publications

Standard off-host tick census techniques are generally inefficient for larval stages. Also, such techniques expose the investigator to environmental hazards including tick bites. Mechanical devices are an option which were tested under field conditions for proof of concept and in side-by-side comparison to the standard techniques. The tick-vac collected more ticks than the legging technique, but with lower frequency of positive detections. It may have utility for sampling small areas, such as weedy corrals suspected of harboring ticks. Different configurations of tick-bots, robotic vehicles with flags, depended on intensive operator control to avoid obstacles, limiting operation to line of sight. …

Climate, Physiology, And Distributions: The Role Of Thermal Physiology In Biological Invasions, Sean D. Powers

Theses and Dissertations

Climate is a primary factor influencing species range dynamics, particularly for ectotherms whose body temperature is closely tied to the surrounding conditions. While range shifts of ectotherms are attributed to climate warming, the mechanism driving these shifts are not well understood. Studies in macrophysiology demonstrate that the interaction of climate with thermal physiology plays a key role in determining large-scale spatial and temporal patterns for many temperature-sensitive physiological traits. This work has revealed a clear relationship between thermal tolerance breadth and range size. However, more recent analyses of this relationship demonstrate that thermal tolerance breadth only provides a partial explanation …

Examining The Connectivity Of Antarctic Krill On The West Antarctic Peninsula: Implications For Pygoscelis Penguin Biogeography And Population Dynamics, Katherine L. Gallagher, Michael S. Dinniman, Heather J. Lynch

CCPO Publications

Antarctic krill (Euphausia superba) are considered a keystone species for higher trophic level predators along the West Antarctic Peninsula (WAP) during the austral summer. The connectivity of these populations may play a critical role in predator biogeography, especially for central-place foragers such as the Pygoscelis penguins that breed along the WAP during the austral summer. Here, we used a physical ocean model to examine adult krill connectivity in this region using simulated krill with realistic diel vertical migration behaviors across four austral summers. Specifically, we examined krill connectivity around the Adélie gap, a 400 km long region along …