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Geographical Variation In Male Courtship Behavior And Sexual Isolation In Wolf Spiders Of The Genus Schizocosa, Gary L. Miller, Gary L. Stratton, Patricia R. Miller, Eileen Hebets

Eileen Hebets Publications

We surveyed 12 populations of the wolf spider Schizocosa crassipes (Walckenaer) and S. nr. crassipes in Tennessee, Mississippi, Louisiana, and Florida, in the United States, to determine the extent of variation in male courtship behavior when observed in standard laboratory conditions. We observed variation in both the frequency of occurrence and the sequence of the four principal male courtship behaviors and, when compared statistically, most of these behaviors differed between populations. Although there was no clinal pattern in the frequency of courtship behavior, we observed geographically consistent patterns in the sequence in which male courtship behaviors are displayed. We conducted …

Highland Pond Utilization By Bats In The Ozark National Forest, Arkansas, J. D. Wilhide, Michael J. Harvey, V. Rick Mcdaniel, Vernon E. Hoffman

Journal of the Arkansas Academy of Science

During May through August 1996, wildlife ponds (man-made and/or naturally occurring) and road ruts on the Sylamore Ranger District, Ozark National Forest, Arkansas, were mist netted to determine extent of utilization by bats. Thirty-nine ponds and road ruts were netted one or more times during 53 nights. These water sources were originally constructed to support wildlife species such as deer, turkey, etc.. This study demonstrates that taxonomically and numerically diverse bat populations use these water sources. Seven hundred and seventy bats of nine species, including two endangered species, were netted. Bats were identified, and sex, reproductive status, forearm length, and …

Quantifying Community Separation And Increase In Number Of Avian Species With Corresponding Increase In Habitat Complexity, An African Example, Douglas A. James

Journal of the Arkansas Academy of Science

The relationship between increase in faunal diversity and corresponding increase in habitat complexity was quantified using shrubland bird communities in western Africa. Vegetational characteristics were measured in circular plots around bird positions. Bird species were then arranged from grassy open habitats to dense shrubland and found to be separated into three distinct communities when subjected to Duncan's multiple range procedure in conjunction with discriminant functions analysis. Random samples classified with respect to bird species showed there were few species in the more abundant open habitats and a disproportionate number of species were packed into the less common but complex shrubby …

The Role Of Bowfin, Amia Calva, In Multiple Species Management Plans, Benjamin Jacob Hausmann

Masters Theses

The major challenge to fisheries managers of the 21st century will be to maintain the diversity, not only of fishing opportunity, but also of traditionally non-game and economically unimportant species. With the relatively recent understanding of the importance of ecosystem level management, attention is being focused on native species that were often ignored or eradicated under past management practices. One such fish that has been largely ignored is the bowfin, Amia calva. Ecological data pertaining to bowfin natural history are limited and to date no attempt has been made to integrate bowfin into fisheries management decisions within the species native …

The Relationship Between Burrowing Behavior Of Native Unionid Bivalves And Infestation By Zebra Mussels, Amy Gries

Masters Theses

Burrowing behavior of unionids was examined as a variable in colonization of unionids by juvenile zebra mussels searching for substrate. For each unionid species represented, zebra mussel densities were compared between a free-living experimental unionid and an immobilized control during each replicate. Of the four species used (Amblema plicata, Quadrula quadrula, Leptodea fragilis and Obliquaria reflexa), only Q. quadrula had a statistically significant difference between zebra mussel densities on the experimental mussels as compared with the controls. When zebra mussel densities on the experimental mussels were compared between species, only the comparison of Q. quadrula and O. reflexa was …

Fall 1998, Nsu Oceanographic Center

Currents

No abstract provided.

Mesozooplankton Distribution And Abundance In The Pagan River: A Nutrient Enriched Subestuary Of The James River, Virginia, Lillian N. Davis, Harold G. Marshall

Biological Sciences Faculty Publications

The mesozooplankton in the Pagan River was dominated by calanoid copepods, with abundance peaks occurring during late winter-early spring and from late summer into early fall. This included spring, summer, and fall abundance maxima. The total mean abundance of the mesozooplankton was 3,008/m³.

Declines In Benthic Macroinvertebrate Populations In Southern Lake Michigan, 1980–1993, Thomas F. Nalepa, David J. Hartson, David L. Fanslow, Gregory A. Lang, Stephen J. Lozano

United States Department of Commerce: Staff Publications

Densities of the major benthic macroinvertebrate groups declined dramatically at sites shallower than 50 m in southern Lake Michigan between 1980 and 1993. Declines in Diporeia, Oligochaeta, and Sphaeriidae ranged from 40 to 75% at these depths. Total densities declined from 16 800·m^–2 in 1980–1981 to 4,800·m^–2 in 1992–1993 at sites in the 16–30 m depth interval and from 21,300 to 11,300·m^–2 at sites in the 31–50 m depth interval. Changes at sites deeper than 50 m were minimal; only sphaeriids declined to any extent. Declines in oligochaetes and sphaeriids occurred uniformly throughout the nearshore region …

Environmental Stress Effects On Vigor, Mortality, And Growth In Northern Hardwood Forests Along A Pollution-Climate Gradient, Neil W. Macdonald, John A. Witter, David R. Reed, Andrew J. Burton, Kurt S. Pregitzer, Hal O. Liechty

Peer Reviewed Publications

Concern exists over the effects of interacting environmental stresses on the ecological integrity of temperate forests. Coincidence of sensitivity to drought, increasing occurrence of defoliation, and elevated pollutant deposition has produced speculation that northern hardwood forests may be susceptible to the increased climatic stresses projected for the Great Lakes region. The objective of our study was to examine relationships among environmental stress factors, vigor, mortality, and growth in northern hardwood forests located along a pollution-climate gradient in the Great Lakes region. Between 1987 and 1993, we quantified climatic variables, pollutant deposition, insect defoliation, and tree vigor and growth at five …

Ecology Of The Eastern Cottonmouth (Agkistrodon P. Piscivorus) At Back Bay National Wildlife Refuge: A Comparative Study Of Natural And Anthropogenic Marsh Habitats, Chad Lee Cross

Biological Sciences Theses & Dissertations

Mark-recapture sampling and radiotelemetry were used to investigate populations of the eastern cottonmouth, Agkistrodon p. piscivorus, in both natural and anthropogenic marsh habitats at Back Bay National Wildlife Refuge (BBNWR), Virginia Beach, Virginia from autumn 1995 to late spring 1998. Mark-recapture subjects were captured, marked by ventral scale-clipping, and released back into the population. A modified Schnabel Census estimator was used to estimate population sizes and corresponding densities in both marsh systems based on a total of 244 captures of 222 individuals. Most snakes were found >0.05 in from water, but it was apparent that proximity to water played …

Non-Volatile Dissolved Organic Iodine In Marine Water, Xianhao Cheng

OES Theses and Dissertations

An analytical scheme for the determination of marine DOI has been established. The concentration of DOI is estimated as total iodine (TI) minus total inorganic iodine (TII). The concentration of total iodine is determined as [special characters omitted] after DOI has been oxidized to inorganic iodine quantitatively by intensive UV-irradiation and all the inorganic iodine in the samples had been converted to [special characters omitted] by the addition of NaClO.

Production of DOI in seawater can be via both non-phytoplankton and phytoplankton related processes. In the former, iodide is converted to DOI. In the latter, most likely, iodate is converted …

Wood Frog (Rana Sylvatica) Use Of Wildlife Ponds In Northcentral Arkansas, Michael E. Cartwright, Stanley E. Trauth, J. D. Wilhide

Journal of the Arkansas Academy of Science

Forty-one wildlife ponds were monitored between 1988 and 1992 for breeding use by wood frogs (Rana sylvatica). Data were collected on egg deposition and pond characteristics. Breeding activity and characteristics were similar to that reported in other portions of the range of the wood frog. We also monitored 15 newly-constructed ponds to determine chronological breeding patterns. Data collected for each site indicated a significant increase (P< 0.05) in the number of egg masses deposited in ponds as they age from 1-3 years during our study period. Increased chronological use of newly-constructed ponds may be due to localized population increase resulting from greater availability of breeding habitat

In-Stream Monitoring Of Sediments And Water In The Lower Ouachita River For Site Impact To Aquatic Biota, Jerry L. Farris, J. T. Knight, C. D. Milam, F. Buzen, J. F. Nix

Journal of the Arkansas Academy of Science

Reported reduced sportfish densities in the main channel of the Ouachita River prompted an investigation, beginning in 1990, into potential causes of ongoing impairment to aquatic biota. In-stream monitoring that incorporated toxicity testing of sediments and water was conducted to discern potential sources of contaminants that might be related to the suboptimal fishery populations. Organisms selected to evaluate chronic impairment included larval fish, clams, midges and water fleas. The fathead minnow {Pimephales promelas) and cladoceran (Ceriodaphnia dubid) were used to estimate patterns of toxicity associated with water from seven designated reaches and selected tributaries of the Ouachita River. Larval survival …

Telemetric Observations Of Foraging Ozark Big-Eared Bats In Arkansas, J. D. Wilhide, V. Rick Mcdaniel, Michael J. Harvey, Daniel R. White

Journal of the Arkansas Academy of Science

Ozark big-eared bat (Corynorhinus townsendii ingens) foraging activities were studied during 1995 in Marion County, Arkansas. Adult bats were equipped with radiotransmitters and tracked during June and July. Foraging activities were generally within 1 kilometer (km) of the roost cave. Male bats ranged farther than females with the exception of one female that flew 2.5 km into a different watershed. Male big-eared bats and northern long-eared bats (Myotis septentrionalis) were also found within the maternity colony.

Caudal Courtship Glands In The Cave Salamander, Eurycea Lucifuga (Caudata: Plethodontidae), Butch E. Hamlett, Andy G. Strecker, Stanley E. Trauth

Journal of the Arkansas Academy of Science

No abstract provided.

Arkansas Range Extension Of The Seminole Bat (Lasiurus Seminolus), J. D. Wilhide, Brady Baker, David A. Saugey

Journal of the Arkansas Academy of Science

No abstract provided.

Nutritional Condition And Reproduction Of Deer At Fort Chaffee, Arkansas, Thomas A. Nelson, Donald A. Phillips

Journal of the Arkansas Academy of Science

No abstract provided.

Chondrocranial Morphology Of Leptodactylus Larvae (Leptodactylidae: Leptodactylinae): Its Utility In Phylogenetic Reconstruction, Peter M. Larson, Rafael O. De Sá

Biology Faculty Publications

Chondrocranial morphology of leptodactylid frogs is scarcely known and has not been completely described for any species of Leptodactylus. We describe the diversity of chondrocranial morphology in the genus Leptodactylus based on the analysis of 22 species, representing the four species groups: the fuscus Group, ocellatus Group, melanonotus Group, and pentadactylus Group. Furthermore, 26 characters are identified and used in a phylogenetic analysis. The phylogenetic analysis using Physalaemus, Crossodactylus, and Hylodes as outgroups suggests two monophyletic clades within Leptodactylus: the melanonotus-ocellatus clade and the pentadactylusfuscus clade. However, it does not support the monophyly of the species groups as currently recognized …

Seasonal Patterns Of Nitrogen Fixation In Termites, A. D. Curtis, D. A. Waller

Biological Sciences Faculty Publications

Summary

1. Termite nitrogenase activity was highest in autumn and spring (≈ 3 µg N₂ fixed termite fresh mass (g)^–1 day^–1) and lowest in winter and summer (≈ 0·8 µg N₂ fixed termite fresh mass (g)^–1 day^–1).

2. The nitrogenase activity of worker termites was significantly higher than all other castes (1·58 ± 0·27 µg N₂ fixed termite fresh mass (g)^–1 day^–1).

3. Worker termites constituted the largest proportion of all the castes throughout the study period (≈ 90%).

4. The localized input of fixed nitrogen by termites …

An Ecology Problem Book, Marc Mangel, Paul Switzer, Sarah M. Eppley

Biology Faculty Publications and Presentations

This problem book has many objectives:

• To get you to think about the course each night: do not wait until the last minute to begin working on the problems.
• To get you to deal with data. Statistics courses that you take in the future will be more meaningful once you understand the kinds of data that arise in ecological studies.
• To get you to be more comfortable with theoretical and quantitative methods. Not every ecologist uses those methods, but one should not be put off by them.
• To familiarize you with material as it appears in the professional literature.

Thermodynamic Constraints On Nitrogen Transformations And Other Biogeochemical Processes At Soil-Stream Interfaces, Lars O. Hedin, Joseph C. Von Fischer, Nathaniel E. Ostrom, Brian P. Kennedy, Michael G. Brown, G. Philip Robertson

Dartmouth Scholarship

There is much interest in biogeochemical processes that occur at the interface between soils and streams since, at the scale of landscapes, these habitats may function as control points for fluxes of nitrogen (N) and other nutrients from terrestrial to aquatic ecosystems. Here we examine whether a thermodynamic perspective can enhance our mechanistic and predictive understanding of the biogeochemical function of soil-stream interfaces, by considering how microbial communities interact with variations in supplies of electron donors and acceptors. Over a two-year period we analyzed >1400 individual samples of subsurface waters from networks of sample wells in riparian wetlands along Smith …

1080 Operational Procedures Manual - Second Edition, Agriculture Western Australia

Biosecurity published reports

Sodium fluoroacetate (1080) is an extremely toxic substance which can be a danger to humans if handled incorrectly. At the same time 1080 is the most effective and efficient poison for the control of Western Australia's main vertebrate pest species including rabbits, wild dogs and foxes. One of the main reasons for its usefulness in Western Australia is that many native animals have a high tolerance to it and so may not be affected by baiting.

Industry Resource Protection Program (IRPP) This program, part of Agriculture Western Australia, supports feral animal control carried out by its staff and community groups. …

The Ecology And Evolution Of Spatial Memory In Corvids Of The Southwestern Usa: The Perplexing Pinyon Jay, Russell P. Balda, Alan Kamil

Papers in Behavior in Biological Sciences

The corvids of the southwest possess many adaptations for the harvest, transport, caching and recovery of pine seeds. However, there is a large degree of between-species variation in the distribution of these traits. These corvids have a well-accepted phylogeny (Hope, 1989), live within close proximity to one another and have relatively well-known natural histories. They therefore present an excellent opportunity to apply the comparative method (Kamil, 1988) to the study of these species differences (Balda et al., 1997). The comparative method for the study of adaptation and evolution of behavioral traits begins with a careful study of the natural histories …

On The Proper Definition Of Cognitive Ethology, Alan Kamil

Papers in Behavior in Biological Sciences

The last 20-30 years have seen two “scientific revolutions” in the study of animal behavior: the cognitive revolution that originated in psychology, and the Darwinian, behavioral ecology revolution that originated in biology. Among psychologists, the cognitive revolution has had enormous impact. Similarly, among biologists, the Darwinian revolution has had enormous impact. The major theme of this chapter is that these two scientific research programs need to be combined into a single approach, simultaneously cognitive and Darwinian, and that this single approach is most appropriately called cognitive ethology.

Preface: Animal Cognition In Nature, Russell P. Balda, Irene M. Pepperberg, Alan Kamil

Papers in Behavior in Biological Sciences

This volume, Animal Cognition in Nature, is the result of an ongoing synthesis of several ideas that were considered revolutionary, if not heretical, in the 1960s. At that time, animal behavior, whether studied in field or laboratory, by ethologists or psychologists, was generally interpreted as the result of simple processes relating specific stimuli to specific behaviors. Examples from that time include S–R models, sign stimuli, IRMs, etc. Theoretical constructs such as mental representations, memory or attention were avoided. Today, students of animal behavior work in an entirely different atmosphere. This is the result of several developments.

One of these developments …

Population Biology Of Intraspecific Polyploidy In Grasses, Kathleen H. Keeler

School of Biological Sciences: Faculty Publications

Polyploidy is the duplication of an entire nuclear genome, whether diploid or higher level (Stebbins, 1971; Thompson and Lumaret, 1992) and a frequent occurrence in plants. Stebbins (1971) estimated that 30-35% of flowering plant species are polyploid, and that many more had a polyploid event in their evolutionary history, including all members of such important families as the Magnoliaceae, Salicaceae, and Ericaceae. Goldblatt (1980) estimated 55%, but probably up to 75%, of monocotyledons had at least one polyploid event in their history, using the criterion that if the species has a base number higher than n = 13 it is …

Population Growth Of Rhinocyllus Conicus (Coleoptera: Curculionidae) On Two Species Of Native Thistles In Prairie, Svata M. Louda

Svata M. Louda Publications

The insect Rhinocyllus conicus Froehlich is a flowerhead weevil deliberately introduced into the United States for the biological control of invasive exotic thistles in the genus Carduus. This study documents the course and magnitude of the weevil population expansion onto nontarget host plants. No weevils were reared from either Platte thistle, Cirsium canescens Nuttall, or wavyleaf thistle, C. undulatum (Nuttall) Sprengel, from 1977 to 1993 at 2 Sandhills prairie preserves: Arapaho Prairie and Niobrara Valley. For Platte thistle, the number of both R. conicus adults on plants and the number of larvae developing in flowerheads increased significantly from 1993 …

Exercise Capacity Of House Wren Nestlings: Chicks Are Not Working As Hard As They Can, Mark A. Chappell, Gwendolyn C. Bachman

Papers in Behavior in Biological Sciences

We measured the aerobic capacity for exercise in house wren (Troglodytes aedon) nestlings from 3 to 10 days of age. Exercise data were compared with previous measurements of the energy cost of begging (E_beg) to determine if begging chicks are working at maximal exercise capacity. We also compared exercise with the peak metabolic rate during digestion and, in older chicks, with thermogenic heat production. Rates of oxygen consumption (VO₂) during exercise increased rapidly with age, but the factorial aerobic scope for exercise (exercise VO₂/resting VO₂) averaged only 1.4 (at three …

The Effect Of Background Cuing On Prey Detection, Henry Kono, Pamela J. Reid, Alan Kamil

Papers in Behavior in Biological Sciences

Studies of prey detection have typically focused on how search image affects the capture of cryptic items. This study also considers how background vegetation influences cryptic prey detection. Blue jays, Cyanocitta cristata, searched digitized images for two Catocala moths: C. ilia, which is cryptic on oak, and C. relicta, which is cryptic on birch. Some images contained moths while others did not. The ability of blue jays to detect prey during repeated presentations of one prey type within a session was compared with their performance during randomly alternating presentations of both prey types within a session to …

Metazoan Parasites And Other Symbionts Of Cetaceans In The Caribbean, Antonio A. Mignucci-Giannoni, Eric P. Hoberg, Doug Siegel-Causey, Ernest H. Williams Jr.

Harold W. Manter Laboratory of Parasitology: Faculty Publications

The parasite fauna in cetaceans from Puerto Rico, the Virgin Islands, and the larger Caribbean region is poorly known. We provide the first records for parasite biodiversity among a diverse assemblage of cetaceans from the Caribbean Sea. Internal and external parasites and commensals were collected from stranded whales and dolphins salvaged in Puerto Rico, the United States and British Virgin Islands, Jamaica, and Venezuela between 1989 and 1997. A total of 47 individuals of 16 species of whales and dolphins (15 odontocetes and one mysticete) were examined. Overall, parasites and commensals were found in 34 (72.3%) animals, representing 13 species …