Digital Commons Network^™

Soil Nematodes And Their Prokaryotic Prey Along An Elevation Gradient In The Mojave Desert (Death Valley National Park, California, Usa), Amy M. Treonis, Kelsey Sutton, Brendan Kavanaugh, Archana Narla, Timothy Mcllarky, Jasmine Felder, Cecilia O'Leary, Megan Riley, Alyxandr Pikus, Sarah Thomas

Biology Faculty Publications

We characterized soil communities in the Mojave Desert across an elevation gradient. Our goal was to test the hypothesis that as soil quality improved with increasing elevation (due to increased productivity), the diversity of soil prokaryotes and nematodes would also increase. Soil organic matter and soil moisture content increased with elevation as predicted. Soil salinity did not correlate to elevation, but was highest at a mid-gradient, alluvial site. Soil nematode density, community trophic structure, and diversity did not show patterns related to elevation. Similar results were obtained for diversity of bacteria and archaea. Relationships between soil properties, nematode communities, and …

Genetic Diversity Of Neotropical Myotis (Chiroptera: Vespertilionidae) With An Emphasis On South American Species, Roxanne J. Larsen, Michelle C. Knapp, Hugh H. Genoways, Faisal Ali Anwarali Khan, Peter A. Larsen, Don E. Wilson, Robert J. Baker

University of Nebraska State Museum: Mammalogy Papers

Background: Cryptic morphological variation in the Chiropteran genus Myotis limits the understanding of species boundaries and species richness within the genus. Several authors have suggested that it is likely there are unrecognized species-level lineages of Myotis in the Neotropics. This study provides an assessment of the diversity in New World Myotis by analyzing cytochrome-b gene variation from an expansive sample ranging throughout North, Central, and South America. We provide baseline genetic data for researchers investigating phylogeographic and phylogenetic patterns of Myotis in these regions, with an emphasis on South America.

Methodology and Principal Findings: Cytochrome-b sequences were generated and …

Of Gardens, Microorganisms, And Long Island Sound, Judy Preston

Wrack Lines

How healthy soil can make an environmental difference.

"I happened to turn over a large rounded stone in my garden to find a mesmerizing world of organisms that had, just moments earlier, been going about their business before being exposed to the sunlit world, and me."

Swimways: Protecting Paddlefish Through Movement-Centered Management, Brenda M. Pracheil, Mark A. Pegg, Larkin A. Powell, Gerald Mestl

School of Natural Resources: Faculty Publications

Attempts to mitigate lack of formal interjurisdictional paddlefish management have been made in the United States through the Mississippi River Interstate Cooperative Resource Association (MICRA). We used 1988–2009 data from the MICRA paddlefish (Polyodon spathula) stock assessment database—a database containing mark–recapture and biometric information on more than 30,000 individually marked wild paddlefish and more than 2 million hatchery-origin paddlefish—to estimate survival and movement across large and potentially biologically relevant spatial scales. Paddlefish frequently moved between political jurisdictions with differing conservation strategies and harvest regulations and showed differences in survival parameter estimates throughout their range. We argue that the degree of …

Interactions Between Short-Beaked Common Dolphin (Delphinus Delphis) And The Winter Pelagic Pair-Trawl Fishery Ff Southwest England (Uk), Marijke N. De Boer, James T. Saulino, Mardik F. Leopold, Peter J.H. Reijnders, Mark P. Simmonds

Aquaculture Collection

During offshore and onshore studies (2004 to 2009), the interactions between pair-trawls and short-beaked common dolphins (Delphinus delphis) were studied to better understand the impact of bycatch. A ‘hotspot’ area where pair-trawls overlapped with high dolphin abundance was identified. We made comparisons between boat-based data collected in absence and presence of pair-trawlers. The relative abundance and group-size of dolphins was significantly higher in the presence of pair-trawlers. Dolphins were observed associating with towing and hauling procedures. Significantly, more carcasses occurred in areas with hauling-activity than those without. Body-temperatures obtained from carcasses found near operating pair-trawlers indicated that bycatch mostly occurred …

A Review Of The Management Arrangements And Licensing Framework For The Aquatic Tour Industry In Western Australia. Discussion Paper On Management And Licensing Options For The Aquatic Tour Industry., Department Of Fisheries Western Australia

Fisheries Management Papers

The Department of Fisheries (Department) is proposing a new simplified management approach which focuses on fishing as the core criteria in the new licensing framework. Given the low level of impact of aquatic eco-tours and shore-based fishing, consideration is being given to removing the need for these activities to be formally licensed. The Department is of the view that these activities can be adequately managed by regulations that have broader application across the community.

The current management, licensing and fee structures are complex and provide limited business flexibility. A simplified management approach will also improve the Department’s capacity to monitor …

Phylogenetics Links Monster Larva To Deep-Sea Shrimp., Heather D Bracken-Grissom, Darryl L Felder, Nicole L Vollmer, Joel W Martin, Keith A Crandall

Computational Biology Institute

Mid-water plankton collections commonly include bizarre and mysterious developmental stages that differ conspicuously from their adult counterparts in morphology and habitat. Unaware of the existence of planktonic larval stages, early zoologists often misidentified these unique morphologies as independent adult lineages. Many such mistakes have since been corrected by collecting larvae, raising them in the lab, and identifying the adult forms. However, challenges arise when the larva is remarkably rare in nature and relatively inaccessible due to its changing habitats over the course of ontogeny. The mid-water marine species Cerataspis monstrosa (Gray 1828) is an armored crustacean larva whose adult identity …

Review Of Conspecific Attraction And Area Sensitivity Of Grassland Birds, David R.W. Bruinsma, Nicola Koper

Great Plains Research: A Journal of Natural and Social Sciences (through 2013)

Many species of grassland birds are area sensitive, which may exacerbate the ecological effects of the extensive loss and fragmentation of grasslands that has taken place across the northern Great Plains. However, the reasons for this area sensitivity are unclear, as vegetation structure, matrix composition, and restriction of movements among patches do not seem to provide viable explanations for species native to grasslands. Con specific attraction, whereby species are behaviorally stimulated to select habitat or establish territories near individuals of the same species, may help explain this area sensitivity. We review and discuss theoretical and empirical research on avian conspecific …

Camera Trap Success Among Carnivores And Prey Animals In Tazewell County, Virginia, David L. Chambers, James A. Vance

Virginia Journal of Science

Obtaining basic ecological information on occurrence and activity levels in cryptic and elusive species is often difficult. Camera trapping provides a relatively inexpensive opportunity to acquire such data. We used infrared-triggered cameras to assess trap success and activity levels of several species across four consecutive seasons, including: Ursus americanus (black bear), Lynx rufus (bobcat), Canis latrans (coyote), Vulpes vulpes (red fox), Urocyon cinereoargenteus (gray fox), Procyon lotor (raccoon), Odocoileus virginianus (white-tailed deer), Didelphis virginiana (opossum), Sciurus carolinensis (gray squirrel), and Meleagris gallopavo (wild turkey). With a total of 396 trap nights (TN) at one station over the span of four …

Who Else Would Plant The Trees? A Status Update On The Pemba Flying Fox, Hannah “Hawa” Grose, Catherine Grace “Rahma” Clemmens

Independent Study Project (ISP) Collection

This study assesses the current population of Pemba Flying Fox, Pteropusvoeltzkowi, at four key locations on Pemba Island off the coast of Tanzania previously noted as highly populated roost sites: Ngezi National Forest, Wete, Kidike, and MsituwaMbiji. We evaluate local knowledge, perceptions, and practices of communities surrounding the Pemba Flying Fox. This study also documents roosting and migratory patterns of the bats. We hypothesize a growth in bat population, an overall positive community perception of the bats, and a greater amount of conflict between fruit farmers and Pteropusvoeltzkowi. Results showed a decrease in estimated population. Additionally, reverse correlation was found …

Role Of Provisions And Season On Foraging And Female Dominance Behavior In Ring-Tailed Lemurs (Lemur Catta) On St. Catherine's Island, Timothy Moore

College of Graduate Studies: Theses & Dissertations

Madagascar is undergoing habitat destruction and degradation that is threatening its unique species, including ring-tailed lemurs. Ring-tailed lemurs (Lemur catta) live in matriarchal groups composed of a dominant female, adult males, subadult males and females, and young. Due to their dominance, it has been suggested that female ringtailed lemurs have access to the highest quality resources and can monopolize food patches. Lemurs on St. Catherine's are free ranging and have unlimited access to natural food sources, but they are also provisioned with supplementary food to ensure a balanced diet. My study aimed to determine the impact of provisions on female …

Novelty Interactions Between Herbivorous Fish And Sargassum: Insight Into Macroalgal Phase Shifts, Christopher Pickens

Independent Study Project (ISP) Collection

Herbivores play a key role in the maintenance of algal and coral communities. A reduction in herbivory has been shown to result in a shift to a macroalgae dominated system, which can have significant effects on the biodiversity and restorative capabilities of coral reefs. Several studies have been done to better understand how herbivorous communities respond to macroalgae. These have shown that only certain herbivorous taxa are capable of removing macroalgae and there are several factors (depth, density, etc.) that affect the susceptibility of macroalgae to herbivory. However, few studies have yet to determine if the novelty of the resource …

The Effects Of Locomotor Posture On Kinematics, Performance And Behavior During Obstacle Negotiation In Lizards, Jessica Self

College of Graduate Studies: Theses & Dissertations

The ability to efficiently move over uneven terrain is critical for most terrestrial animals. Bipedal running is common in lizard species, however the biological advantage of a bipedal running posture remains uncertain. I examined the hypothesis that a bipedal posture is advantageous when crossing obstacles. Particularly, I determined whether kinematic adjustments differ among four focal species with contrasting body forms and ecology. I also examined how sprint speed changed when crossing obstacles with a quadrupedal versus a bipedal posture. I quantified kinematics from high-speed video (300 frames/second) of lizards running down a 3m runway both with and without the presence …

Bird Use Of Cumberland Island's Freshwater Wetlands, Lisa Dlugolecki

College of Graduate Studies: Theses & Dissertations

Cumberland Island is the southernmost barrier island off the coast of Georgia. Its freshwater wetlands are an important, rare habitat to have on a barrier island surrounded by saltmarsh and ocean. Many species of birds require freshwater wetlands as feeding, roosting and nesting grounds. However, the freshwater wetlands on Cumberland Island have been impacted by humans for centuries causing birds to abandon their historic nesting ground. Known land use histories of Cumberland Island's freshwater wetlands were gathered to try and determine how the wetlands changed over time Wetlands were analyzed for presence of wetland-dependent birds and recorded. Thirty-six species of …

Spatial And Oceanographic Factors Affecting Black-Legged Kittiwake And Thick-Billed Murre Distributions In The Southeastern Bering Sea, Brian Hoover

Capstone Projects and Master's Theses

The distribution patterns of Thick-billed Murres (Uria lomvia) and Black-legged Kittiwakes (Rissa tridactyla) in the southeastern Bering Sea were documented at sea during vessel-based surveys in July-August of 2008 and 2009. The relationships of murre and kittiwake densities with environmental variables were investigated using binomial generalized additive models (GAMs) to model the presence or absence of birds, and Gamma-error distribution GAMs to model the positive densities of birds. Environmental variables included oceanographic factors (Chlorophyll, Chlorophyll anomalies, Daily SST, Monthly SST), spatial factors (Distance to nearest colony, Distance to 300m shelf break, Depth), and a temporal factor (Year). Nocturnal surveys were …

Predation Risk And Colony Structure In The Pea Aphid, Acyrthosiphon Pisum, Carl Nicolas Keiser

College of Graduate Studies: Theses & Dissertations

Many organisms live in transient or permanent aggregations to reduce individual predation risk. Hamilton's "Selfish Herd" theory states that an individual should assume a central position within a group to decrease individual predation risk relative to that of its neighbors (i.e., individuals should be selfish). This theory, however, cannot predict the spatial distribution of individuals within clonal aggregations, that is, when individuals are genetically identical (the "evolutionary self"). As aphids (small, herbivorous insects) are parthenogenetic, emit alarm signals, and have high levels of phenotypic plasticity to cope with environmental stressors like predation risk, they are a model organism for investigating …

The Determinants Of Helminth Infection In Baboons, Rita Monfort

Publications and Research

THE DETERMINANTS OF HELMINTH INFECTION IN BABOONS

Summary Paragraph:

Intestinal parasitic helminths are common in wild primate populations [1, 2] and can impose a significant burden on their host’s fitness. Numerous factors can affect the prevalence and diversity of intestinal parasites in natural populations including environmental factors [3, 4], the host’s behavior and genetics [5, 6]. How these different factors interact in natural populations remains unclear. This is in all probability due to the fact that previous studies have seldom looked at the prevalence and diversity of parasitic helminths in the same species but in different habitats over periods longer …

Life History Of Stranded Bottlenose Dolphins (Tursiops Truncatus) In Virginia, Margaret Cook Lynott

Biological Sciences Theses & Dissertations

Little is known about the life history and overall ecology of bottlenose dolphins that strand in Virginia. In this study, I examined archived life history samples and stranding data from bottlenose dolphins found in Virginia waters to (1) develop growth curves based on ages from sectioned teeth, (2) document characteristics of male and female reproductive organs, and (3) define the relationship between age/length and presence of neonatal characteristics during the first year of life. The Gompertz growth model provided the best fit of growth data for stranded T. truncatus in Virginia. Length at birth and asymptotic length for males were …

Naturalization Of Sequoiadendron Giganteum (Cupressaceae) In Montane Southern California, Rudolf Schmid, Mena Schmid

Aliso: A Journal of Systematic and Floristic Botany

After the August 1974 fire in the upper Hall Canyon area on the southwestern flank of Black Mountain in the northwestern San Jacinto Mountains, Riverside County, California, the United States Forest Service revegetated the burn in the mixed-conifer forest with the Sierra Nevada endemic Sequoiadendron giganteum (Cupressaceae). On 1 May 2009 a GPS census starting at the head of Hall Canyon revealed both in the canyon and upslope beyond it at least 157 individuals in the vicinity of the Black Mountain Trail, plus an outlier 450 m distant near the summit. This species alien to southern California is regenerating prolifically …

The Role Of Olfactory Cues In The Sequential Radiation Of A Gall-Boring Beetle, Mordellistena Convicta, Bradley Rhodes, Catherine Blair, Mizuki Takahashi, Warren G. Abrahamson Ii

Faculty Journal Articles

1. Herbivorous insects often have close associations with specific host plants, and their preferences for mating and ovipositing on a specific host-plant species can reproductively isolate populations, facilitating ecological speciation. Volatile emissions from host plants can play a major role in assisting herbivores to locate their natal host plants and thus facilitate assortative mating and host-specific oviposition.

2. The present study investigated the role of host-plant volatiles in host fidelity and oviposition preference of the gall-boring, inquiline beetle, Mordellistena convicta LeConte (Coleoptera: Mordellidae), using Y-tube olfactometers. Previous studies suggest that the gall-boring beetle is undergoing sequential host-associated divergence by utilising …

Aspm And The Evolution Of Cerebral Cortical Size In A Community Of New World Monkeys, Fernando A. Villanea, George H. Perry, Gustavo A. Gutiérrez-Espeleta, Nathaniel J. Dominy

Dartmouth Scholarship

The ASPM (abnormal spindle-like microcephaly associated) gene has been proposed as a major determinant of cerebral cortical size among primates, including humans. Yet the specific functions of ASPM and its connection to human intelligence remain controversial. This debate is limited in part by a taxonomic focus on Old World monkeys and apes. Here we expand the comparative context of ASPM sequence analyses with a study of New World monkeys, a radiation of primates in which enlarged brain size has evolved in parallel in spider monkeys (genus Ateles) and capuchins (genus Cebus). The primate community of Costa Rica is perhaps a …

Behavioral And Physiological Female Responses To Male Sex Ratio Bias In A Pond-Breeding Amphibian, Kristine L. Grayson, Stephen P. De Lisle, Jerrah E. Jackson, Samuel J. Black, Erica J. Crespi

Biology Faculty Publications

Introduction: The phenomenon of sexual conflict has been well documented, and in populations with biased operational sex ratios the consequences for the rarer sex can be severe. Females are typically a limited resource and males often evolve aggressive mating behaviors, which can improve individual fitness for the male while negatively impacting female condition and fitness. In response, females can adjust their behavior to minimize exposure to aggressive mating tactics or minimize the costs of mating harassment. While male-male competition is common in amphibian mating systems, little is known about the consequences or responses of females. The red-spotted newt (Notophthalmus …

What Is The Predictive Power Of The Colobine Protein-To-Fiber Model And Its Conservation Value?, Jan F. Gogarten, Melissa Guzman, Colin A. Chapman, Aerin L. Jacob, Patrick A. Omeja, Jessica Rothman

Publications and Research

Predicting variation in animal abundance across time and space has proven very difficult; however, a model exists to predict the biomass of small folivorous primates that has considerable correlative support. This model suggests that the protein-to-fiber ratio of leaves in a habitat can predict folivore biomass. Here we present an experimental test of this protein-to-fiber model to assess if the number of infant monkeys per female and group size can be predicted based on the leaf chemistry of a habitat. We expected regenerating forest in Kibale National Park, Uganda to have leaves with higher concentrations of crude protein and lower …

Phylotranscriptomics To Bring The Understudied Into The Fold: Monophyletic Ostracoda, Fossil Placement, And Pancrustacean Phylogeny, Todd H. Oakley, Joanna M. Wolfe, Annie R. Lindgren, Alexander K. Zaharoff

Biology Faculty Publications and Presentations

An ambitious, yet fundamental goal for comparative biology is to understand the evolutionary relationships for all of life. However, many important taxonomic groups have remained recalcitrant to inclusion into broader scale studies. Here, we focus on collection of 9 new 454 transcriptome data sets from Ostracoda, an ancient and diverse group with a dense fossil record, which is often undersampled in broader studies. We combine the new transcriptomes with a new morphological matrix (including fossils) and existing expressed sequence tag, mitochondrial genome, nuclear genome, and ribosomal DNA data. Our analyses lead to new insights into ostracod and pancrustacean phylogeny. We …

Heavy Metal Chemistry Of Sediments In Caves Of The Springfield Plateau, Missouri-Arkansas-Oklahoma: A Link To Subterranean Biodiversity, Travis M. Doughty, Aaron W. Johnson

The Compass: Earth Science Journal of Sigma Gamma Epsilon

We used X-ray fluorescence (XRF) to compare the heavy metal chemistry of sediments in caves in rural and urban areas to the chemistry of sediments from a control cave in a relatively undisturbed watershed in the Springfield (MO) Plateau. Sediment from Smallin Cave near Ozark, MO, the control cave, has the smallest peak sizes for Zn and Mn and a moderately-sized Pb peak. Sediment from the rural cave exhibited larger peaks of Zn and Mn and a smaller Pb peak. Sediment from the urban cave had the largest Zn, Mn and Pb peaks. Interestingly, smaller peak sizes appear to correlate …

Reinterpreting Bateman Gradients: Multiple Mating And Selection In Both Sexes Of A Songbird Species, N.M. Gerlach, J.W Mcglothlin, P.G Parker, E.D Ketterson

Biology Department Faculty Works

Bateman’s principle, which states that male reproductive success should increase with multiple mating, whereas female reproductive success should not, has long been used to explain sex differences in behavior. The statistical relationship between mating success and reproductive success, or Bateman gradient, has been proposed as a way to quantify sex differences in sexual selection. We used a long-term data set on the distribution of paternity in the socially monogamous dark-eyed junco to examine the effect of multiple mating on lifetime reproductive success and to determine the relative contributions of within-pair and extra-pair mating. Both sexes exhibited a strong positive Bateman …

Euscorpius Sicanus (Scorpiones: Euscorpiidae) From Tunisia: Dna Barcoding Confirms Ancient Disjunctions Across The Mediterranean Sea, Matthew R. Graham, Pavel Stoev, Nesrine Akkari, Gergin Blagoev, Victor Fet

Biological Sciences Faculty Research

We used a DNA barcoding marker (mitochondrial cox1) to investigate the controversial natural occurrence of Euscorpius sicanus (C.L. Koch) in North Africa. We tested this hypothesis by comparing a sample collected from a mountain in Tunisia to disjunct populations in Sardinia, Malta, and Greece. Using these samples, and a few additional Euscorpius spp. from southern Europe as outgroups, we reconstructed the maternal phylogeny. We then used a molecular clock to place the phylogeny in a temporal context. The Tunisian sample grouped closest to a specimen from Sardinia, with both being more distantly related to E. sicanus from Malta, which is …

Plains Harvest Mouse (Reithrodontomys Montanus Griseus): Species Conservation Assessment, Melissa J. Panella

Nebraska Game and Parks Commission: Publications

The primary goal in development of at-risk species conservation assessments is to compile biological and ecological information that may assist conservation practitioners in making decisions regarding species of interest. The Nebraska Natural Legacy Project recognizes the plains harvest mouse (Reithrodontomys montanus griseus) as a Tier I at-risk species of high conservation need. Some general management recommendations are made here regarding the plains harvest mouse; however, conservation practitioners will need to use professional judgment to make specific management decisions based on objectives, location, and a multitude of variables. This resource was designed to share available knowledge of the plains harvest mouse …

Topeka Shiner (Notropis Topeka): Species Conservation Assessment, Melissa J. Panella

Nebraska Game and Parks Commission: Publications

The primary goal in development of at-risk species conservation assessments is to compile biological and ecological information that may assist conservation practitioners in making decisions regarding the conservation of species of interest. The Nebraska Natural Legacy Project recognizes the Topeka shiner (Notropis topeka) as a Tier I at-risk species of high priority for conservation. Some general management recommendations are made here regarding Topeka shiners; however, conservation practitioners will need to use professional judgment to make specific management decisions based on objectives, location, and a multitude of variables. This resource was designed to share available knowledge of the Topeka shiner that …

Foraging Ecology Of Fall-Migrating Shorebirds In The Illinois River Valley, Randolph V. Smith, Joshua Stafford, Aaron P. Yetter, Michelle M. Horath, Christopher S. Hine, Jeffery P. Hover

Natural Resource Management Faculty Publications

Populations of many shorebird species appear to be declining in North America, and food resources at stopover habitats may limit migratory bird populations. We investigated body condition of, and foraging habitat and diet selection by 4 species of shorebirds in the central Illinois River valley during fall migrations 2007 and 2008 (Killdeer [Charadrius vociferus], Least Sandpiper [Calidris minutilla], Pectoral Sandpiper [Calidris melanotos], and Lesser Yellowlegs [Tringa flavipes]). All species except Killdeer were in good to excellent condition, based on size-corrected body mass and fat scores. Shorebird diets were dominated by invertebrate taxa from Orders Diptera and Coleoptera. Additionally, Isopoda, Hemiptera, …