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Using The Past To Restore The Future: Quantifying Historical Vegetation To Assist In Tidal Freshwater Wetland Restoration, Christopher D. Gatens, Richard Ward, Edward R. Crawford

Rice Rivers Center Research Symposium

Wetlands have been providing humans with critical natural ecosystem services throughout our time on Earth. Nevertheless, these invaluable ecosystems have been habitually altered as a cost of human progression. Two of the most common alterations to wetlands are hydrologic, in the form of damming, and filling. Both occurred along Kimages Creek in Charles City County, VA during the 19th and 20th centuries. In 2010 the Lake Charles dam was partially removed, restoring the creek's tidal communication with the James River and beginning tidal forested freshwater wetland restoration. Upon the recession of the body of water, numerous woody stumps were revealed.

Greenhouse Gas Emissions Over A Tidal Cycle In A Freshwater Wetland, Joseph C. Morina, Rima B. Franklin

Rice Rivers Center Research Symposium

Tidal freshwater wetlands are located at the interface of non-tidal freshwater riverine systems and estuarine tidal systems. These habitats experience freshwater tides, creating unique redoximorphic soil characteristics while simultaneously presenting an opportunity for hydrologic nutrient transport into the system. Because of this periodic flooding and draining, tidal freshwater wetlands are systems of intense biogeochemical transformations, which are microbially mediated. Several microbial transformations (e.g., methanogenesis, incomplete denitrification, and nitrification) result in the production of greenhouse gases (CO2, CH4, and N2O) at globally-significant levels. For example, wetlands are one of the greatest sources of methane on Earth, accounting for 20-33% of the …

Chapter 5 - Ecophysiology Of Development, Janice M. Glime

Bryophyte Ecology Volume 1: Physiological Ecology

Explore the contents of Bryophyte Ecology, Volume 1, Chapter 5 - Ecophysiology of Development by clicking the links above. For the Contents section of this ebook, as well as Volumes 1 through 5, please visit the Bryophyte Ecology Main Page.

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Ebook sponsored by Michigan Technological University and the International Association of Bryologists.

Impact Of Light Pollution On Species Interactions, Kylee Grenis

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

Over half of the world's population lives in urban areas leading to night skies that are substantially degraded by artificial lights. Yet, we know little about how light pollution affects the surrounding natural communities. What we do know focuses on the impact of light pollution on individual species. Therefore, I investigated the impact of light pollution on species interactions. I determined whether light pollution is a mechanism of community change, evaluated whether there were changes in species interactions between predators and prey, and indirect and direct interactions between insect herbivores and their host plants by examining the entire life cycle …

Altitudinal Shifts Of The Native And Introduced Flora Of California In The Context Of 20th-Century Warming, A. Wolf, Naupaka B. Zimmerman, W. R. Anderegg, P. E. Busby, J. Christensen

Biology Faculty Publications

Aim: The differential responses of plant species to climate change are of great interest and grave concern for scientists and conservationists. One underexploited resource for better understanding these changes are the records held by herbaria. Using these records to assess the responses of different groups of species across the entire flora of California, we sought to quantify the magnitude of species elevational shifts, to measure differences in shifts among functional groups and between native and introduced species, and to evaluate whether these shifts were related to the conservation of thermal niches.

Location: California.

Methods: To characterize these shifts in California, …

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

Biology Faculty Publications

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

Long-Term, High Frequency In Situ Measurements Of Intertidal Mussel Bed Temperatures Using Biomimetic Sensors, Brian Helmuth, Francis Choi, Allison Matzelle, Jessica Torossian, Scott Morello, K.A.S. Mislan, Lauren Yamane, Denise Strickland, P. Szathmary, Sarah Gilman, Alyson Tockstein, Thomas Hilbish, Michael Burrows, Anne Marie Power, Elizabeth Gosling, Nova Mieszkowska, Christopher Harley, Michael Nishizaki, Emily Carrington, Bruce Menge, Laura Petes, Melissa Foley, Angela Johnson, Megan Poole, Mae Noble, Erin Richmond, Matt Robart, Jonathan Robinson, Jerod Sapp, Jackie Sones, Bernardo Broitman, Mark Denny, Katharine Mach, Luke P. Miller, Michael O'Donnell, Philip Ross, Gretchen Hofmann, Mackenzie Zippay, Carol Blanchette, J. Macfarlan, Eugenio Carpizo-Ituarte, Benjamin Ruttenberg, Carlos Peña Mejía, Christopher Mcquaid, Justin Lathlean, Cristián Monaco, Katy Nicastro, Gerardo Zardi

Faculty Publications, Biological Sciences

At a proximal level, the physiological impacts of global climate change on ectothermic organisms are manifest as changes in body temperatures. Especially for plants and animals exposed to direct solar radiation, body temperatures can be substantially different from air temperatures. We deployed biomimetic sensors that approximate the thermal characteristics of intertidal mussels at 71 sites worldwide, from 1998-present. Loggers recorded temperatures at 10–30 min intervals nearly continuously at multiple intertidal elevations. Comparisons against direct measurements of mussel tissue temperature indicated errors of ~2.0–2.5 °C, during daily fluctuations that often exceeded 15°–20 °C. Geographic patterns in thermal stress based on biomimetic …

The Ecology And Evolution Of Rare, Soil Specialist Astragalus Plants In The Arid Western U.S., Joseph M. Statwick

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

Organisms that specialize in uncommon habitats are, by their very nature, inherently uncommon. Specialization has its advantages, namely reduced competition and predation, but it also incurs costs. Specialists often have small population sizes, narrow ranges, and fragmented habitat, all of which engender negative consequences on an evolutionary timescale. Herein, I examine benefits and costs of specialization in selenium-hyperaccumulating plants in the genus Astragalus (Fabaceae). These plants are disproportionately likely to be rare and of conservation concern. Thus, I optimized germination pretreatments for Astragalus species such that seed loss can be minimized during ex situ cultivation, and found that physical scarification …

Use Of Qualitative Behaviour Assessment As An Indicator Of Welfare In Donkeys, Michela Minero, Emanuela Dalla Costa, Francesca Dai, Leigh Anne Margaret Murray, Elisabetta Canali, Françoise Wemelsfelder

Animal Welfare Collection

One of the objectives of the Animal Welfare Indicators project was to develop animal-based indicators to assess donkey welfare, including their emotional state. This study aimed to develop a fixed rating scale of Qualitative Behaviour Assessment (QBA) for donkeys, to evaluate the inter-observer reliability when applied on-farm, and to assess whether the QBA outcomes correlate to other welfare measures.

A fixed list of 16 descriptors was designed on the basis of a consultation in a focus group. The fixed list was then used by four trained observers to score nine 2 min videos of groups of donkeys owned by six …

Mating Games Squid Play: Reproductive Behaviour And Sexual Skin Displays In Caribbean Reef Squid Sepioteuthis Sepioidea, Jennifer Mather

Reproductive Behavior Collection

Observation of the sexual interactions of Sepioteuthis sepioidea squid during the short reproductive stage of their lives showed a scramble competition system, with both male and female polygyny. Mature females were faithful to a specific location in the daytime, whereas males moved from group to group and formed short-term consortships with females. Males defended females from other males, particularly with an agonistic Zebra display. Male–female pairs exchanged Saddle-Stripe displays, after which males might display an on–off Flicker. There was considerable female choice. Only if a female responded to this display with a parallel Rocking action would she pair and would …

Hpi Reactivity Does Not Reflect Changes In Personality Among Trout Introduced To Bold Or Shy Social Groups, Jack S. Thomson, Phillip C. Watts, Tom G. Pottinger, Lynne U. Sneddon

Social Behavior Collection

Physiological stress responses often correlate with personalities (e.g., boldness). However, this relationship can become decoupled, although the mechanisms underlying changes in this relationship are poorly understood. Here we quantify (1) how an individual’s boldness (response to novel objects) in rainbow trout, Oncorhynchus mykiss, changes in response to interactions with a population of either bold or shy conspecifics and we (2) measured associated post-stress cortisol levels. Initially-bold trout became shyer regardless of group composition, whereas shy trout remained shy demonstrating that bold individuals are more plastic. Stress-induced plasma cortisol reflected the original personality of fish but not the personality induced …

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

Habitat and Trophic Ecology Collection

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

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

Journal of the Arkansas Academy of Science

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

Occurrence Of Shoal Chub, Macrhybopsis Hyostoma (Cypriniformes: Cyprinidae) In Unusual Habitat In The Arkansas River System Of Arkansas: Could Direct Tributaries Be Refugia Allowing Persistence Despite Fragmentation Of Instream Habitat?, J. A. Brown, H. W. Robison, C. T. Mcallister

Journal of the Arkansas Academy of Science

No abstract provided.

Indicators Of Climate Change And Social Vulnerability In Fishing Dependent Communities Along The Eastern And Gulf Coasts Of The U.S. Marine Policy, Lisa Colburn, Michael Jepson, Changhua Weng, Tarsila Seara, Jeremy Weiss

Biology and Environmental Science Faculty Publications

Changing climatic conditions are affecting the relationship between fishing communities and the marine resources they depend on. This shift will require an adaptive response on the part of policy makers and fishery managers. In the U.S., the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) established, in its fisheries agency (NOAA Fisheries), a set of social indicators of fishing community vulnerability and resilience to evaluate the impacts of changes in fishery management regimes. These indicators enhance the analytical capabilities within NOAA Fisheries for conducting fisheries social impact assessments and informing ecosystem-based fishery management. Building on the existing Community Social Vulnerability Indicators (CSVIs), …

Tower-Based Greenhouse Gas Fluxes In A Restored Tidal Freshwater Wetland: A Shared Resource For Research And Teaching., Ellen J. Stuart-Haëntjens, Scott C. Neubauer, Christopher M. Gough

Rice Rivers Center Research Symposium

The goals of this study are: 1) to use an eddy-covariance system to continuously measure wetland-atmosphere CO2 and CH4 exchange in a restored forested wetland, 2) to quantity C sequestration in plant biomass and soils in restored (Kimages Creek watershed) and old-growth (Harris Creek watershed) forested wetlands, and 3) to establish a shared long-term, shared research and teaching platform centered on eddy-covariance tower measurements. Since the old-growth forest wetland has had longer to accumulate C, the current C stocks are likely much larger than those of the restored wetland; however, the rate of C accumulation (i.e., C sequestration or net …

Wood Frog And Spotted Salamander Abundance Across Pool Types And Wetland Networks At Fort A.P. Hill, Va, Logan Mcdonald, Will Fields, Katelyn Horn, James R. Vonesh, Kristine Grayson

Rice Rivers Center Research Symposium

Effective management of pond breeding amphibians requires identifying suitable breeding habitat and its use by different species. Suitable breeding habitat is largely characterized by pool type, physical habitat, and position within the landscape. Parameters such as vegetative cover, hydrology, and water chemistry are known to influence amphibian occupancy of vernal pools. While seasonal vernal pools have been the focus of conservation efforts, pools that are an artifact of anthropogenic disturbance, such as road ruts, may be an important component of the landscape for amphibians. The role of wetland isolation within a landscape has been well studied, but less consideration has …

Exposing Artemia Salina To Chattonella Subsalsa: A General Toxicity Test, Nicholas Picha

Bridges: A Journal of Student Research

The raphidophyte Chattonella subsalsa has been reported to cause harmful algal blooms in every major ocean. In South Carolina, C. subsalsa blooms have been observed in brackish stormwater detention ponds as well as estuarine waters neighboring urbanized areas. Blooms frequently cause fish kills although the fish kill mechanism of C. subsalsa is currently unknown. In many harmful species, the lethality of algal cells is thought to correspond with algal growth phase. Algal growth is known to progress through five distinct phases; lag, early exponential, late exponential, stationary, and decline. In nature, harmful algal blooms commonly occur in the late exponential …

The Spatial Distribution Of Terrestrial Stable Carbon Isotopes In North America, And The Impacts Of Spatial And Temporal Resolution On Static Ecological Models, Sydney M. Firmin

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

Due to the unique spatial and temporal characteristics of ecological phenomena, the extent and grain size of spatial data sets essentially filter the observations. This thesis examines the impacts of temporal and spatial resolution on the modeling of terrestrial stable carbon isotopic landscapes (isoscapes). I model the distribution of leaf stable carbon isotope composition (delta¹³C) for the continent of North America at multiple temporal and spatial resolutions. I generate each delta¹³C isoscape variation by first predicting the relative abundance of C3/C4 vegetation cover using monthly climate grids, crop distribution/type grids, and remote sensing data of plant …

Assortative Mating But No Evidence Of Genetic Divergence In A Species Characterized By A Trophic Polymorphism, Scott F. Coborne, S R. Garner, Fred Longstaffe, Bryan D. Neff

Earth Sciences Publications

Disruptive selection is a process that can result in multiple sub-groups within a population, referred to as diversification. Foraging related divergence has been described in many taxa, but many questions remain about the contribution of such divergence to reproductive isolation and potentially sympatric speciation. Here we use stable isotope analysis of diet and morphological analysis of body shape to examine phenotypic divergence between littoral and pelagic foraging ecomorphs in a population of pumpkinseed sunfish (Lepomis gibbosus). We then examine reproductive isolation between ecomorphs by comparing the isotopic compositions of nesting males to eggs from their nests (a proxy for maternal …

Dentine Oxygn Isotopes (Δ18o) As A Proxy For Odontocete Distributions And Movements., Cory J.D. Matthews, Fred J. Longstaffe, Steven H. Fergispm

Earth Sciences Publications

Spatial variation in marine oxygen isotope ratios ( δ¹⁸O) resulting from differential evaporation rates and precipitation inputs is potentially useful for characterizing marine mammal distributions and tracking movements across δ¹⁸O gradients. Dentine hydroxyapatite contains carbonate and phosphate that precipitate in oxygen isotopic equilibrium with body water, which in odontocetes closely tracks the isotopic composition of ambient water. To test whether dentine oxygen isotope composition reliably records that of ambient water and can therefore serve as a proxy for odontocete distribution and movement patterns, we measured δ¹⁸O values of dentine structural carbonate (δ^{18 …}

Status Of The U.S. Long-Term Ecological Research Network, Robert B. Wade, Long Term Ecological Research Network

Long Term Ecological Research Network

Contains a brief history and overview of the Long Term Ecological Research Network from 1983-2016.

An Update On Mortality Of Fledged Whooping Cranes In The Aransas/Wood Buffalo Population, Thomas V. Stehn, Carey L. Haralson-Strobel

Proceedings of the North American Crane Workshop

From winter 1950 through spring 2011, 6,364 whooping cranes (Grus americana) overwintered at Aransas National Wildlife Refuge, or rarely, elsewhere. Documented winter losses amounted to 105 birds dead or disappeared. About 20% of total losses occurred in the wintering area, where birds spend 5 to 6 months of the year including a few birds that over-summer. Losses of white-plumaged whooping cranes on the summering area in Canada appear to be low with only 3 instances documented. The most significant losses seem to occur in migration and may comprise over 80% of the annual mortality. Migration involves only 17-20% of the …

Use Of Freshwater Ponds By Whooping Cranes During A Drought Period, Karis Ritenour, Elizabeth Smith, Barry K. Hartup

Proceedings of the North American Crane Workshop

Whooping cranes (Grus americana) spend nearly half their annual cycle in coastal habitats within and around the Aransas National Wildlife Refuge Complex (ANWRC) located in the central portion of the Texas Coast. When drought conditions prevail in their winter range and salinities in the local bays exceed 23 parts per thousand (ppt), whooping cranes must seek alternate sources of dietary drinking water (Stehn 2008, Chavez- Ramirez and Wehtje 2012). They begin frequent (often daily) trips to freshwater sources in upland areas. These trips may result in extra energy expenditures that can impact their overall health and ability to …

Proceedings Of The Thirteenth North American Crane Workshop, Abstracts, David A. Aborn, Richard P. Urbanek

Proceedings of the North American Crane Workshop

AGE-SPECIFIC SURVIVAL OF GREATER SANDHILL CRANE COLTS IN NEVADA. Chad August, Jim Sedinger, and Chris Nicolai 111

WHOOPING CRANE DISTRIBUTION AND HABITAT USE: PAST, PRESENT, AND FUTURE? Jane Austin, Matthew Hayes, and Jeb Barzen 111

BEHAVIORAL MOVEMENTS OF ARANSAS-WOOD BUFFALO WHOOPING CRANES: ANOMALIES OR INDICATIONS OF WAYS TO FURTHER ENHANCE SPECIES RECOVERY. David Baasch, Mark Bidwell, Wade Harrell, Kris Metzger, Aaron Pearse, and Mary Harner 112

INFLUENCES ON NEST SUCCESS IN A REINTRODUCED POPULATION OF WHOOPING CRANES. Jeb Barzen, Sarah Converse, Peter Adler, Elmer Gray, Anne Lacy, Eva Szyszkoski, and Andrew Gossens 113

DETERMINING DIET COMPOSITION AND INGESTION RATE OF …

Size Difference In Whooping Cranes Reared For Two Reintroduction Methods, Richard P. Urbanek, Marianne M. Wellington, Sabrina Servanty

Proceedings of the North American Crane Workshop

We investigated a possible size difference in whooping cranes (Grus americana) captive-reared for 2 reintroduction methods to establish a migratory population in eastern North America. Cranes reared for ultralight aircraft-led migration (UL) to Florida were significantly larger than cranes reared for direct autumn release (DAR) on the natal area in central Wisconsin. Mean tarsal length was 315.5 ± 0.98 (1 SE) and 308.1 ± 1.87 mm, respectively, for UL and DAR males and 296.9 ± 1.03 and 290.8 ± 2.60 mm, respectively, for UL and DAR females. Because of the different rearing schedules, eggs for the DAR method …

Effects Of Wind Farms On Sand Hill Crane Play An Occupancy On The Texas High Plains, Laura Navarrete, Kerry L. Griffis-Kyle

Proceedings of the North American Crane Workshop

Wind energy is essential for a shift to carbon-emission free energy, however there has been very little research investigating the disturbance caused by wind farms on the landscape. Texas is a leading state in wind power capacity, and the High Plains of Texas support over 80% of the midcontinent population of sandhill cranes (Grus canadensis) every winter. Historically, cranes used saline lakes for fresh water and predator protection, but recent hydrological changes due to agricultural practices have reduced the availability of the lakes for wintering birds. Playa wetlands currently represent the main source of water and roosting habitat in the …

High Nest Density Of Sandhill Cranes In Central Wisconsin, Jeb A. Barzen, Liying Su, Anne E. Lacy, Andrew P. Gossens, Dorn M. Moore

Proceedings of the North American Crane Workshop

We conducted aerial surveys to determine nest locations of greater sandhill cranes (Grus canadensis tabida) in central Wisconsin, 2001-2003. Helicopter flights covered 8.90 km2 of wetlands in each year, and we found 41 nests in 2001, 50 nests in 2002, and 48 nests in 2003 from 11 wetlands. Our best estimate of nest density (n = 14) included wetlands containing 5 or more nests and averaged 5.25 ± 0.36 (1 SE) nests/km² of wetland. Maximum nest density of larger wetlands in any 1 year was 7.80 nests/km². As some nests had likely failed by …

Evaluation Of A Nutraceutical Joint Supplement In Cranes, Kendra L. Bauer, Ellen S. Dierenfeld, Barry K. Hartup

Proceedings of the North American Crane Workshop

Osteoarthritis is a problem that threatens the reproductive capabilities of captive populations of endangered cranes. In our pilot study, we used 5 cranes with a history of unilateral, chronic tarsal pathology in a cross-over design to gauge the effects of the primary ingredient (NEM®, ESM Technologies LLC, Carthage, MO) of the nutraceutical Steadfast® (Novus Nutrition Brands, LLC, St. Charles, MO). We evaluated the ingredient for acceptance, safety, and short-term efficacy. To evaluate efficacy, we collected goniometric measures to determine range of motion in each tarsal joint before and after a 5-week experimental period where NEM® was offered in pelleted feed. …

Hematology Results From Experimental Exposure Of Sandhill Cranes To West Nile Virus, Glenn H. Olsen

Proceedings of the North American Crane Workshop

West Nile virus (WNV), a Flavivirus, was introduced into New York City in 1999 (Centers for Disease Control 1999, Enserink 1999). In the past decade the virus has spread across the continental United States and southern Canada, resulting in large numbers of deaths among native bird species (Anderson et al. 1999, Calle et al. 2000). The U.S. Geological Survey (USGS) Patuxent Wildlife Research Center in Laurel, Maryland, is home to the world’s largest collection of cranes. These cranes are used for research and for reintroduction programs. As of 20 October 2016, this collection included 77 of the highly endangered whooping …