Digital Commons Network^™

The Influence Of Wind Energy Development On Occupancy Of Medium And Large-Sized Mammals In South Texas, Elwynn Sherman

Theses and Dissertations

Conservation paradigms have shifted from single to multi-species approaches for assessing and conserving mammalian populations and the habitats that they occupy. The effect of wind turbine development is an important anthropogenic change to study due to the increasing demand for wind energy in Texas. In this study, I gathered remote camera trap data on medium and large-sized mammal populations in south Texas Tamaulipan thornscrub habitat. The objectives were to determine species presence, the effect of habitat characteristics and anthropogenic disturbances on species occupancy, and the effect of temperature on species detection. The results showed that distance from wind turbines did …

Comparing Metabolism And Hypoxia Tolerance Of Native And Non-Native Florida Freshwater Fishes In Climate Change Scenarios, Benjamin A. Share

All HCAS Student Capstones, Theses, and Dissertations

As climate change brings rising water temperatures and lower dissolved oxygen (DO) concentrations to freshwater bodies, it has become increasingly important to understand how this will affect ecosystems with established non-native or invasive species. Fishes of the family Cichlidae are the most pervasive non-native fishes in the Everglades and may increase their range further north under a changing climate. To better understand potential invasibility and competition with native fishes, the metabolism and hypoxia tolerance of non-native Blue Tilapia Oreochromis aureus was compared to native Bluegill Lepomis macrochirus when acclimated across a range of seasonal and projected temperatures. Intermittent-flow respirometry was …

High-Severity Wildfires Alter Ant (Hymenoptera: Formicidae) Foraging Assemblage Structure In Montane Coniferous Forests And Grasslands In The Jemez Mountains, New Mexico, Usa, Jonathan Knudsen, Robert Parmenter, Theodore Sumnicht, Robin M. Verble

Biological Sciences Faculty Research & Creative Works

High-severity wildfires create heterogeneous patterns of vegetation across burned landscapes. While these spatial patterns are well-documented, less is known about the short- and long-term effects of large-scale high-severity wildfires on insect community assemblages and dynamics. Ants are bottom-up indicators of ecosystem health and function that are sensitive to disturbance and fill a variety of roles in their ecosystems, including altering soil chemistry, dispersing seeds, and serving as a key food resource for many species, including the federally endangered Jemez Mountain salamander (Plethodon neomexicanus). We examined the post-fire effects of the 2011 Las Conchas Wildfire on ant communities in the Valles …

Northern Great Plains Native Seed Strategy, Lora Perkins, Amy Symstad, Jennifer Zavaleta-Cheek, Emily Rohrer, Krista Ehlert

Native Plant Initiative Newsletters and Reports

Developed by the Northern Great Plains Native Seed Partnership

Donald Griffin: A Visionary In Science And Consciousness, Brock Fenton

Animal Sentience

I share some reflections on a sabbatical with Donald Griffin a half-century ago, with fieldwork on bats and echolocating swiftlets in Australia and our discussions of animal behavior and consciousness. Griffin's influence has been vast, from recent advances in bat research, including learning, navigation, and longevity, to his enduring legacy as a pioneer in animal cognition.

Bioindicators Of Mercury In Riverine Systems, Kathryn Mudica

All-Inclusive List of Electronic Theses and Dissertations

This study focuses on the bioaccumulation and biomagnification of mercury in freshwater food webs, with emphasis on bioindicators, such as macroinvertebrates, crayfish, and river otters. Despite regulatory efforts and advancements in monitoring, significant gaps remain in understanding mercury dynamics in freshwater systems—especially regarding its transport, methylation, and bioavailability across different ecosystems. To address these knowledge gaps, this study adopts a biocentric approach, emphasizing the role of living organisms in their environment. By utilizing macroinvertebrates, crayfish, and river otters as bioindicators, we aim to assess mercury bioavailability and distribution. These organisms provide varying temporal and spatial scales of mercury accumulation, offering …

Minimizing Take Of Threatened Rattlesnakes And Optimizing Project Review In Se Nebraska, Shaun Dunn, Dan Fogell, Colleen Rothe-Groleau

Nebraska Department of Transportation: Research Reports

The western massasauga (Sistrurus tergeminus) and the timber rattlesnake (Crotalus horridus) are protected under Nebraska Statute 37-801-811 and listed as threatened species. These species occur in the right-of-way (ROW) along several roads in Jefferson, Gage, Pawnee, and Richardson Counties which necessitates the need for added Environmental Review (ER) from Nebraska Department of Transportation (NDOT) staff and onsite surveys prior and during maintenance and construction to roadways. This project sought to minimize ER time, staff time, and increase the knowledge of these species in southeast Nebraska by:

1. Identifying precise locations of western massasauga brumation sites;
2. Mapping travel …

Investigating The Acute Physiological Effects Of Effluent Crystal Violet On The Freshwater Bioindicator Daphnia Pulex, Hoang K. Ho

2024 Fall Honors Capstone Projects - Archive

This study examines the effects of acute exposure to crystal violet (CV) on the freshwater zooplankton Daphnia pulex in response to growing concerns over synthetic dyes from industrial runoff in aquatic ecosystems. The primary objective is to assess CV's impact on D. pulex's heart rate, mobility, morphology, and lethality via a series of acute exposure tests. 48-h acute toxicity (0-2000 μg/L), 48-h immobilization (0-180 μg/L), and 9-h heart rate (0-2,000 μg/L) tests were conducted using third-generation daphnids, followed by stereomicroscopic examination and statistical analysis. Results showed increasing mortality and decreasing mobility and heart rate with increasing CV concentration; the …

Analyzing Head Morphology Trends With Increasing Population Density In A Jamaican Lizard Species, Lillian Durand

2024 Fall Honors Capstone Projects - Archive

Anolis lizards are model organisms for studying natural selection and evolutionary processes. One trait that is hypothesized to be advantageous for males is head size, as larger heads lead to stronger bite forces and increased likelihood in outcompeting other males for mates. To better understand how linked head size and intraspecific competition are, the head morphology of male A. lineatopus was analyzed among Jamaican populations with varying levels of population density. Population densities were determined using standardized plot surveys and mark resight models. Head dimensions and body condition for individual lizards were measured at each site. My study found that …

First Breeding Confirmation For Red-Breasted Nuthatch (Sitta Canadensis) Along The Big Bend Reach Of The Platte River, Jacob C. Cooper, Cody Mcgregor, Letitia M. Reichart, Janet Steele

Nebraska Bird Review

The Red-breasted Nuthatch (Sitta canadensis) is a highly nomadic species of North American nuthatch prone to large movements across the entire continent (Ghalambor and Martin 2020). This behavior has resulted in both a lack of geographic variation across the continent and propensity to colonize isolated patches of suitable habitat (Ghalambor and Martin 2020). In the Bessey District of the Nebraska National Forest (NNF), Red-breasted Nuthatches were one of the first coniferous-forest bird species to colonize and begin breeding in the isolated planted stands of pine (Zimmer 1913, Bray 1994). Despite the increasing number of records for the species …

Index To Volume 92

Nebraska Bird Review

Able, K. A. 131
Adams, H. 88
Alexander, Jan 33
Allard, Savannah 33
Allen: C.R. 167; Edward 58
Allison, Betty 34
Altman, Dakota 33
Ames, Cheryl 68
Amy, Peter 68
Anderson: Ann 157; Brett 32, 34; Logan 61; Rachel 33; Will 125
Andersson, Justin 34
Ani, Groove-billed 134
Archer, Kellen 33
Arends, Jim 34
Audubon, John J. 18, 19, 20
Austgen, Jane 34
Avocet, American 58, 92, 111, 148, 169

. . .

Zach, Joel 34
Zicafoose, Kirby 32
Zimmer, J.T. 167
Zimmerman, Kelsey 63
Zoller, Lawrence 61
Zonotrichia leucophrys: leucophrys 16, 72; oriantha 16, 72

Mccook Fall Field Days, Sept. 20–22, 2024, Gary Roberts

Nebraska Bird Review

The 2024 NOU Fall Field Days were held in McCook on September 20–22, with approximately fifty-one people in attendance. The programs were held at McCook Community College Student Union. A special thanks to Boni Edwards and Jan Johnson for planning the meeting.

Field trips were led by Bill Flack—Medicine Creek Reservoir and Cambridge Park, Robin Harding—Red Willow Reservoir and Culbertson Trail, Joel Jorgenson—Swanson Reservoir and Hitchcock County, and T.J. Walker—Rock Creek Recreation Area and Dundy County. Counties included were Chase, Dundy, Frontier, Furnas, Hayes, Hitchcock, Lincoln, Perkins, and Red Willow.

A total of 139 species were observed with notable sightings …

Fall Field Report, August–November 2024, W. Ross Silcock

Nebraska Bird Review

First off, I should reiterate that records are only mentioned in this Introduction and in the text when they add to or fine-tune data included in BONO (Birds of Nebraska – Online (outdoornebraska.gov). It was my expectation that as the number of birders and in particular those reporting to eBird continue to increase, gaps in the database will be filled and my job will become simpler. However, this expectation is yet to be realized, likely due to increasing movements and activity among birds that appears to be due to increasing severity of weather events, such as heat, cold, and drought, …

The Nebraska Bird Review (December 2024) 92(4), Whole Issue

Nebraska Bird Review

Fall Field Report, August–November 2024, by W. Ross Silcock

First Breeding Confirmation for Red-breasted Nuthatch (Sitta canadensis) along the Big Bend Reach of the Platte River, by Jacob C. Cooper, Cody McGregor, Letitia M. Reichart, and Janet Steele

McCook Fall Field Days, Sept. 20–22, 2024, by Gary Roberts

Index to Volume 92

Subscription and Organization Information

On Humans, Hogs, And Habitat: How Landscape Features And Vegetation Influence Wild Hog (Sus Scrofa) Detection On Private Lands And Using Existing Wild Hog Outreach Websites To Create An Effective Website For South Carolina, Andrew Jamison

All Theses

Invasive species are a source of human conflict with wildlife on a global scale and exist to the detriment of native wildlife species. Invasive species often possess the ability to respond rapidly to change and they often exist alongside humans. Wild hogs (Sus scrofa) are perhaps one of the most infamous examples of an invasive species. The spread of wild hogs necessitates effective communication with the public being impacted by them, as well as a continuation of research to learn more about wild hog behavior to promote effective management. Chapter 1 focuses on how we created a website …

Evaluating The Success Of A Relocated Mussel Community In The Lower Sulphur River, Texas, Rachel M. Leicher

Biology Theses

Conservation efforts to preserve freshwater mussel communities have become more common as these animals become increasingly threatened by their changing habitats. As humans continue to shape and change the world around them, aquatic species living in modified and disturbed water systems can be negatively impacted leading to decline of the ecosystem. During disturbance events involving a stream, river, or pond, the relocation of affected mussel beds is becoming more widespread. Although there are few of these studies, many of those that have been conducted are seen as successful in relocating and conserving their mussel communities. This study focuses on detection …

Condition And Management Futures In A Quaking Aspen Recreation Area. Final Report To Snyderville Basin Special Recreation District, Paul C. Rogers, Georgie Corkery, Anna B. Miller

Aspen Bibliography

In partnership with Snyderville Basin Special Recreation District (SBSRD), we undertook a study of ecological conditions and user preferences within a quaking aspen recreational destination forest. The location, in two sections know as Run-A-Muk and Right Turn Sage (RAM/RTS), has experienced some forest die-off in the principally aspen dominated forest dissected by ski, bike, and hiking trails. Graduate student Georgie Corkery led the study and successfully completed a Master's degree, in addition to providing needed information to SBSRD regarding the status, uses, and preferred actions at this facility. Key outcomes regarding aspen conditions include assigning causal factors—ungulate browsing and elevated …

Lateral Dispersal Of Adult Trichoptera: Flight Distance And Traveling Pattern, Peilin Tan

All Theses

Trichoptera species (caddisfly) are usually used as bio-indictors for surface water quality due to their sensitivity to environmental changes, and if assessing water quality with light-trapped adults, knowing their travelling patterns will improve the accuracy of such assessments. To investigate how far a caddisfly will migrate from their emerging stream, three streams in South Carolina with different widths (Wildcat Creek 1.2 m, Brasstown Creek 11.2 m and Chattooga River 26.95 m) were selected for this study with light traps placed at three distances (0 m, 50 m, 100 m) from the streams. How long and when? Both species richness and …

Biosense: An Automated Sensing Node For Organismal And Environmental Biology, Andrea Contina, Eric Abelson, Brendan Allison, Brian Stokes, Kenedy F. Sanchez, Henry M. Hernandez, Anna M. Kepple, Quynhmai Tran, Isabella Kazen

School of Integrative Biological & Chemical Sciences Faculty Publications

Automated remote sensing has revolutionized the fields of wildlife ecology and environmental science. Yet, a cost-effective and flexible approach for large scale monitoring has not been fully developed, resulting in a limited collection of high-resolution data. Here, we describe BioSense, a low-cost and fully programmable automated sensing platform for applications in bioacoustics and environmental studies. Our design offers customization and flexibility to address a broad array of research goals and field conditions. Each BioSense is programmed through an integrated Raspberry Pi computer board and designed to collect and analyze avian vocalizations while simultaneously collecting temperature, humidity, and soil moisture data. …

Frogs On A Plain: Spatial Ecology Of Crawfish Frogs In Arkansas’ Remnant Prairies, Elliot T. Lassiter

Graduate Theses and Dissertations

The prairie peninsula was an expansive and important habitat that covered much of midwestern North America, from Canada to Arkansas, USA. But the prairie peninsula has shrunk by as much as 99% since 1830, and therefore, land acquisition and public/private partnerships are critical for the preservation of prairies and their associated species. In Arkansas, one species that benefits from protected prairies is the Crawfish Frog (Lithobates areolatus), which is currently declining precipitously throughout its range. Adult Crawfish Frogs spend most of their lives in terrestrial refugia (crayfish burrows), making them highly vulnerable to habitat loss and fragmentation, thereby …

Influence Of Hydrologic And Anthropogenic Disturbance On Stream Populations And Communities, Sarah Frances Sorensen

Graduate Theses and Dissertations

Disturbances occur when an external force modifies a habitat, destroying living space, removing food resources, or altering or destroying habitat structure. In lotic systems, a primary source of disturbance is hydrologic disturbance, including drought and flood. Hydrologic disturbances lead to increased mortality rates and dispersal out of disturbed habitats, causing population sizes to decrease and changes to community structures. More research is needed on how disturbances impact stream species and communities, as disturbances are predicted to become more intense with climate change. This dissertation aims to understand how disturbance influences streams at both the population and community level, through a …

Soil Data From Spring Run Conservation Area, Dayton, Ohio, Madelaine Gregory, Valerie N. Thurston, Michaela J. Woods, Ryan W. Mcewan

Data Files: Ecosystem Restoration Following Industrial Agriculture

This spreadsheet contains soil data from an experiment in the Spring Run Conservation Area in Dayton, Ohio, USA (39° 46 '42.2"N, 84° 20' 52.5"W). Details of the data collection can be found in the master's thesis "The State of Soil Streamlines Secondary Succession: Remediating Degraded Soils in a Post-Agricultural Field."

Investigating Nekton Response To Changing Salinities In The Mississippi Sound: An Experimental And Statistical Approach, Adam Murray

Master's Theses

The Mississippi Sound provides nursery habitats for many coastal species and is recognized for its commercial fisheries. Previous freshening events linked to the Bonnet Carré Spillway, a Mississippi River flood diversion structure, proved catastrophic for oyster populations in the Mississippi Sound, but effects on mobile fish and shellfish species are not well-defined. The planned Mid-Breton Sediment Diversion (MBSD), an initiative to combat wetland loss, is also forecasted to lower salinities in the region, increasing the need to better understand responses of commercially and ecologically important species to freshening events. The objective of this study was to characterize effects of salinity …

Geomorphic Assessment And Flow Modeling Of Pearl Darter (Percina Aurora) Habitat In The Pascagoula River Watershed, Malia Davidson

Master's Theses

Freshwater ecosystems are complex ecosystems driven by hydrologic, geomorphic, and biological processes. Considering both abiotic and biotic factors is important to understanding resident species habitat. Geomorphology is a known, but often neglected factor in habitat assessment for freshwater fishes. A crucial feature commonly seen in alluvial stream systems are sandbars, which are dynamic and variable sediment structures that are known to have many associated species. One such species is the Pearl Darter, Percina aurora, a federally threatened species that only resides in the Pascagoula River watershed. Despite its status, habitat preference remains unclear. To fill this knowledge gap, I …

Spatial Ecology Of American Bison On Vermejo Park Ranch, New Mexico, Kate Ann Asmus

School of Natural Resources: Dissertations, Theses, and Student Research

American bison (Bison bison) are a keystone species that impact grassland productivity, plant diversity, and landscape heterogeneity. We used GPS telemetry and a replicate herbivore grazing experiment on Vermejo Park Ranch in northeastern New Mexico to advance understanding of bison spatial ecology and grazing dynamics. First, we evaluated the potentially disparate influences of forage productivity and site fidelity on the size and selection of home ranges of bison. Home range size was strongly negatively influenced by forage productivity. However, home range selection was influenced more strongly by site fidelity than spatial variation in forage, as bison selected home …

Alfred Russel Wallace Notes 33. The Story In Evolution., Charles H. Smith

Faculty/Staff Personal Papers

Alfred Russel Wallace (1823-1913) is best known for his independent formulation of the principle of natural selection. In this work I first review my understanding of Wallace’s intellectual development on this subject, including the notion that he had no model for the evolution of higher consciousness as of his first treatment of natural selection in 1858. This leads to some conclusions about his approach to the subject, and links to parallel ideas inherent in the philosophy of Baruch de Spinoza (1632-1677).

Environmental Change As A Driver Of The Evolution Of Migratory Behavior In Suboscine Birds, Emily Johns

Open Access Theses & Dissertations

Avian migration, particularly long-distance seasonal migratory movement, has long captured the attention of researchers and the public alike. However, the evolutionary origins of migratory behavior are poorly understood, in part due to limited understanding of the full range of migratory strategies including short-distance and intra-tropical movements. We examine the climatic drivers of migration across suboscine birds, a group of roughly 1,300 primarily Neotropical species with a complex array of migratory strategies. Our reconstructions of the evolutionary history of suboscine migration reveal that migratory behavior is labile and is lost approximately twice as often as it is gained. We find that …

Seasonal Abundances Of Aedes Aegypti And Culex Quinquefasciatus In An Urban Community In The Texas/Mexico Border, Kevyn Amezcua

Open Access Theses & Dissertations

AAedes aegypti and Culex quinquefasciatus are two medically relevant species of mosquitoes that can transmit several arboviruses that affect human health. Ae. aegypti is a vector for viral diseases such as Dengue, Yellow Fever, Chikungunya, and Zika, while Cx. quinquefasciatus is a vector for West Nile and Saint Louis Encephalitis. Both species are mostly found in urban environments and are affected by several anthropogenic factors such as the presence of artificial containers and overall changes to the native landscape. Little research is done on the ecology of these two species in the Chihuahuan desert, which has some areas that are …

Redefining Approaches For Measuring Landscape Subsidence And Permafrost Degradation In Arctic Tundra Environments, Tabatha Lynn Fuson

Open Access Theses & Dissertations

As climate change accelerates in the Arctic, the degradation of permafrost is leading to significant landscape transformation in tundra landscapes. This dissertation investigates the multifaceted responses of permafrost systems to warming, focusing on the dynamics of surface elevation changes and active layer thickness (ALT) across the North Slope of Alaska. In this study, I explore the capacity of repeat Terrestrial Laser Scanning (TLS) technology for modeling tundra features and detecting surface subsidence, specifically how different climate and landscape conditions during scanning impact TLS model precision. We also compare TLS model precision estimates to TLS model accuracy by comparing elevation values …

Heat Acclimated Algae Improves Heat Tolerance And Longevity In Daphnia, Ashit Dutta

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

Xenohormesis suggests that consuming stressed food provides physiological adaptation to the consumer for similar stresses. To evaluate this, Daphnia magna was provided with heat-stressed Nannochloropsis limnetica grown at 25℃ whereas the control group was provided Nannochloropsis limnetica grown at 12℃. In the heat tolerance experiment, Daphnia kept at 28℃ and 20℃ while consuming 25℃ algae had significantly higher heat tolerance compared to the control. Additionally, in stressed conditions, Daphnia consuming 25℃-grown food had significantly higher lifespan compared to the control. Next, Daphnia consuming 25℃-grown algae had significantly higher levels of antioxidants which could explain the lifespan extension. Finally, in fatty …