Digital Commons Network^™

Insights On Reticulate Evolution In Ferns, With Special Emphasis On The Genus Ceratopteris, Sylvia P. Kinosian

All Graduate Theses and Dissertations, Spring 1920 to Summer 2023

The history of life is often viewed as a evenly branching tree; however, in reality it is more like a tangled hedgerow. Many groups of organisms are known to have such a net-like or reticulate evolutionary history, but it is particularly common in ferns and lycophytes (also known as pteridophytes). This dissertation investigates how net-like evolution affects different groups of ferns, with a special emphasis on the model species C-fern (Ceratopteris richardii, also called the antler or water sprite fern). Genomic data are utilized to under-stand hybridization, cryptic species and reticulate evolution in two groups of ferns. The …

Predator Defense And Host Selection Behavior Of Billbugs (Coleoptera: Dryophthoridae), Desireè M. Wickwar

All Graduate Theses and Dissertations, Spring 1920 to Summer 2023

Billbugs are a complex of weevils that feed on the roots of turfgrass, causing severe damage to the plants. These pests are traditionally managed with applications of insecticides. However, there is a need for non-chemical management tools. Here I investigate billbug behavior in relation to two potential avenues for more sustainable management: using resident predators to suppress billbugs (Chapter II) and selecting specific turfgrasses that resist billbug damage (Chapter III). In Chapter II, I investigate the effects of predator presence and cues associated with their presence on billbug behavior. Though resident predators contribute very little to billbug suppression through directly …

Transplanting Mature Mountain Big Sagebrush Plants Yields High First-Year Survival In Dryland Pasture Restoration, Elizabeth C. Bailey

All Graduate Theses and Dissertations, Spring 1920 to Summer 2023

Approximately 10-20% of global dryland ecosystems are severely degraded, an amount that is expected to increase, threatening the environment and ecosystem services that 38% of the global population relies upon. Human activities such as agriculture, livestock grazing, mining and urban development have contributed to the degradation and loss of rangelands worldwide. A need for reestablishing sagebrush in disturbed landscapes across the Western United States, including dryland pastures, has been identified but traditional, primarily seeding-based, restoration methods have largely been unsuccessful. To improve restoration outcomes, there has been increased interest in the planting of containerized greenhouse “tubelings”, but transplanting of mature …

Analyzing Genetic Variation Of The Tussock Cottongrass Among Ecotypes Along A Latitudinal Gradient Through Transcriptomics, Carmen Webster

Open Access Theses & Dissertations

The Arctic is seeing some of the most extreme effects of climate change that induce environmental pressures, including warmer temperatures and longer growing seasons. Due to this, taxa may need to adapt or migrate in order to survive. The long-lived tussock cottongrass, Eriophorum vaginatum, is a foundation species in the Arctic, and little is currently known about the genetic constraints that could be playing a role in how this species will respond to the changing climate. Specific gene families that play an important role in signaling genetic pathways related to plant phenology and response to environmental stress are likely to …

Using Bioenergetics To Model The Effects Of Climate Change On Bluntnose Minnows Pimephales Notatus In A Western Kentucky Stream, Christian Slone, Christian Slone

Student Scholarship & Creative Works

Bioenergetics considers a variety of factors like consumption, excretion, and metabolism to quantify the energy use of an organism. A common use of bioenergetics modeling is to help solve fish stock problems. This project looks to develop a bioenergetics model for Bluntnose Minnows Pimephales notatus to help predict effects of climate change on the biodiversity of western Kentucky streams. We used R and NetLogo to create an agent-based bioenergetics model to simulate the size distribution of Bluntnose Minnows under various temperature regimes. Bluntnose Minnow metabolism increases, and consumption decreases with an increase in water temperature. Fish growth seems to be …

Empowering Hope-Based Climate Change Communication Techniques For The Gulf Of Maine, Aimee Bonanno, Megan Ennes, Jennifer A. Hoey, Emily Moberg, Sarah-Mae Nelson, Nette Pletcher, Richelle L. Tanner

Biology, Chemistry, and Environmental Sciences Faculty Articles and Research

The Gulf of Maine is one of the fastest warming marine areas on the planet: The industries and creatures that call it home face an unprecedented shift in their interactions and existence. Scientists, policy makers, and practitioners often want to communicate to the public about the seriousness of the situation to encourage mitigation and adaptation. Many standard communication strategies that rely on fear and scientific authority alone—rather than comprehensive explanations that include solutions—can leave audiences feeling overwhelmed and disengaged, instead of hopeful and motivated to act. In this practice bridge, we showcase a social science research-based climate change communication “tool-kit” …

Nocturnal Multi-Species Roosts Of Cicindelidae (Coleoptera) In A Neotropical Lowland Rainforest, Susan Kirmse, Jürgen Wiesner

Insecta Mundi

Tiger beetles (Coleoptera: Cicindelidae) are frequent predators on the forest floor of the Amazon rainforest. We report on five diurnal sympatric tiger beetle species belonging to the genera Odontocheila Laporte de Castelnau and Poecilochila Rivalier in a terra firme rainforest in South Venezuela. We observed adult beetles for a full year and monitored their nocturnal roosts along two forest paths during the rainy season in 1998. We found up to four species communally roosting on low vegetation along the paths during the night. Multi-species roosts were more often observed than conspecific communal roosts. Although the individual composition of the nocturnal …

A New Species Of Coomanius Fleutiaux, 1924 (Coleoptera: Eucnemidae: Macraulacinae: Nematodini) From Southeast Asia, Robert L. Otto

Insecta Mundi

A new species of false click beetle, Coomanius badius Otto (Coleoptera: Eucnemidae), is described from Sarawak, Malaysia. An identification key is provided for species of Coomanius Fleutiaux distributed in the Southeast Asian region. Images for each species are provided.

During the spring and summer of 2020, many new species were discovered during identifications of beetles loaned from BMNH and other collections. One is described here in the first of many planned papers covering these new discoveries. Additional insights within Eucnemidae from around the world are still bound to continue as new information comes to light during the course of ongoing …

Taxonomic Revision Of Cosmodela Duponti (Dejean), Cosmodela Barmanica (Gestro), New Status, And Cosmodela Indica (Fleutiaux), New Status (Coleoptera: Cicindelidae), Miroslav Klícha, Jürgen Wiesner

Insecta Mundi

Two subspecies of Cosmodela duponti (Dejean) (Coleoptera: Cicindelidae) are elevated to species rank: Cosmodela barmanica (Gestro) and C. indica (Fleutiaux). The lectotypes of all the above-mentioned species are designated as well. Short redescriptions of the three species are provided together with a key, and illustrations of their habitus.

Cicindela duponti was described by Dejean (1826: 419) from specimens collected at the type locality, a former colony of French Indochina (Cochin China), now southern Vietnam. Gestro (1893: 360) described Cicindela barmanica as a variety of C. duponti based on different (purpurescent) shades of the elytral lateral and sutural bands …

Phragmites Australis Dieback In The Mississippi River Delta: Chemical Profiles Of Soil Types And Restoration Potential, Herie Lee

LSU Master's Theses

Since 2016, there has been widespread dieback of P. australis in the Lower Mississippi River Delta (hereafter referred to as Lower MRD, which is defined as the Birds Foot Delta) with relatively little to no signs of recovery. The cause of the current dieback is not fully understood. This thesis explores P. australis with emphasis on chemical profile characterization of different soil types and its effects on plant growth and the potential for restoration in the Lower MRD.

In chapter 2, I characterized the chemical profiles of soils collected from healthy and dieback stands of Phragmites, and from newly …

Neurotranscriptomic Changes Associated With Chick-Directed Parental Care In Adult Non-Reproductive Japanese Quail, Patricia C. Lopes, Robert De Brujin

Biology, Chemistry, and Environmental Sciences Faculty Articles and Research

For many species, parental care critically affects offspring survival. But what drives animals to display parental behaviours towards young? In mammals, pregnancy-induced physiological transformations seem key in preparing the neural circuits that lead towards attraction (and reduced-aggression) to young. Beyond mammalian maternal behaviour, knowledge of the neural mechanisms that underlie young-directed parental care is severely lacking. We took advantage of a domesticated bird species, the Japanese quail, for which parental behaviour towards chicks can be induced in virgin non-reproductive adults through a sensitization procedure, a process that is not effective in all animals. We used the variation in parental responses …

Exploring Linkages Between Landscape Patterns And Freshwater And Estuarine Bivalves In The Coast Range Of Oregon, Kaegan Michael Scully-Engelmeyer

Dissertations and Theses

Spatial configurations of landscape variables (biotic, abiotic, and socio-ecological) affect and are affected by ecological processes and species in watersheds. This dissertation explores relationships among landscape patterns, ecosystem processes and bivalve species dynamics in coastal watersheds in Oregon, USA. I approached this broad topic through two primary avenues of research: investigating cross-ecosystem threats from pesticide use in forestland management to downstream aquatic environments, and the landscape ecology of an at-risk freshwater mussel species.

Terrestrial land use activities present cross-ecosystem threats to riverine and marine species and processes. Specifically, pesticide runoff can disrupt hormonal, reproductive, and developmental processes in aquatic organisms, …

From Bloom To Bust: Harmful Algae Blooms And Their Impacts On The Waterfront Economy, Sergio Alvarez

Rosen Research Review

The true costs of harmful algae blooms (HABs) and the mechanics that determine their socio-economic impacts are for the most part unknown. Florida’s 2017–2019 red tide (Karenia brevis) bloom is a historical case study of the ever-growing threats to coastal welfare posed by HABs. A new research project at Rosen College of Hospitality Management has this at its heart. The central objective of the project is the identification of direct, indirect, and induced socioeconomic impacts caused by the 2017–2019 K. brevis bloom in Florida.

Valuing The Negative Impacts Of Harmful Algae Blooms, Sergio Alvarez

Rosen Research Review

Ecological disturbances can impact several ecosystem services, including cultural services such as outdoor recreation opportunities. In Florida, one ecological disturbance that is negatively impacting recreation is the occurrence of harmful algae blooms. In recent work, Dr. Sergio Alvarez at UCF Rosen College of Hospitality Management has assessed the impact that harmful algae blooms have on human wellbeing by using random utility models to estimate changes in the value of recreation in coastal ecosystems resulting from these blooms. The results indicate that harmful algae blooms, which reduced boating access between June and September 2018, may have resulted in losses of up …

Бадхызские Архивы. Том 1, Р. И. Горелова, В. Фет

Open Access Books

Gorelova, RI, Fet V, editors. The Badkhyz Archives, Vol. 1. Huntington, WV: Marshall University Libraries; 2021. 444 p.

This volume compiles memoirs and research information about the unique Badkhyz Natural Reserve, now in Turkmenistan, formerly at the southernmost point of the USSR. Established in 1941, the Reserve—nicknamed a Serengeti of Central Asia— housed many unique and endangered species, with an iconic wild ass, or kulan, preserved only there. The book is dedicated to the 80th anniversary of the Reserve and the 90th birthday of Yuri Gorelov (1931—2018), an extraordinary naturalist who worked in Badkhyz in 1956—1978. His own documentary stories, …

Intensive Hunting Pressure Changes Local Distribution Of Wild Boar, Jakub Drimaj, Jiří Kamler, Radim Plhal, Přemysl Janata, Zdeněk Adamec, Miloslav Homolka

Human–Wildlife Interactions

Wild boar (Sus scrofa) is now an important species of wild ungulates in Central Europe. Next to conflicts of wild boar with agriculture, the main threat of wild boar presence lies in the expansion of African swine fever across Europe. The regulation of the wild boar population is complicated by the high reproduction rate and intelligent behavior of the species, which limits hunting effectiveness. We analyzed the spatial behavior of wild boar in an environment with a lack of natural food resources. The study area consisted of a forest complex (1,283 ha) with 2 areas. In the “risk” …

A Novel Method For Detecting Wild Boar Presence, Giovanna Massei, Dave P. Cowan, Julia Coats

Human–Wildlife Interactions

Populations of wild boar and feral pigs (Sus scrofa) are increasing in numbers and distribution worldwide, in parallel with their significant environmental and economic impact. Reliable methods to detect the presence of this species are needed for monitoring its natural range expansion and its occurrence in areas where animals have been deliberately or accidentally introduced. The main aim of this study, carried out in English woodlands recently colonized by wild boar, was to assess the effectiveness of a birch wood tar-based compound, to detect the presence of this species in presence/absence surveys. A pilot trial in woodlands where …

Book Review: The Wildlife Techniques Manual, Eighth Edition, Justin Small

Human–Wildlife Interactions

Wildlife researchers and managers are consistently tackling ecological and conservation issues that are increasing in complexity and scope. Wildlife issues often span beyond singular research frameworks and management jurisdictions, preventing modern wildlife conservation from operating in mutually exclusive arenas (i.e., research or management). As a wildlife researcher whose research is conducted on both public and private rangelands, and across multiple stakeholder groups, techniques to answer difficult questions and offer time-sensitive solutions must pull from both research and management arenas. Historically, book or journal resources that wildlife professionals could readily access for necessary scientific guidance were contained in many documents, making …

Utility Of Visual Counts For Determining Efficacy Of Management Tools For California Ground Squirrels, Roger A. Baldwin, Theresa A. Becchetti, Niamh Quinn, Ryan Meinerz

Human–Wildlife Interactions

Visual counts are frequently used to assess efficacy of management tools for ground squirrels (Marmotini), but the effectiveness of this approach has not been assessed for many ground squirrel species including California ground squirrels (Otospermophilus spp.). As such, we used visual counts of California ground squirrels to determine the efficacy of diphacinone-treated oat groat applications in rangelands in central California, USA, and compared those results to efficacy values derived from the use of radio-collared ground squirrels in the same plots. We also used location data of radio-collared ground squirrels to explore the size of buffer zone needed around census …

Investigating Local Adaptation To Hypoxia Stress In The Eastern Oyster Through Comparative Transcriptomics, Heather Nichole Smith

LSU Master's Theses

Climate change represents one of the most important challenges to biodiversity, therefore it is important to understand the mechanisms that allow species to respond to rapid environmental change. Here, we compared two populations of eastern oysters, Crassostrea virginica, from the Gulf of Mexico to study the mechanisms underlying hypoxia tolerance. Using a common garden experiment and comparative transcriptomics, we identified sets of genes involved in the hypoxia response and found differences in both the timing and baseline expression of hypoxia-responsive genes between tolerant and sensitive populations, consistent with a scenario of local adaptation. These genes include the signaling transcription factor …

Spatial Turnover Of Multiple Ecosystem Functions Is More Associated With Plant Than Soil Microbial Β-Diversity, Xin Jing, Case M. Prager, Elizabeth T. Borer, Nicholas J. Gotelli, Daniel S. Gruner, Jin-Sheng He, Kevin Kirkman, Andrew S. Macdougall, Rebecca L. Mcculley, Suzanne M. Prober, Eric W. Seabloom, Carly J. Stevens, Aimée T. Classen, Nathan J. Sanders

Plant and Soil Sciences Faculty Publications

Biodiversity—both above- and belowground—influences multiple functions in terrestrial ecosystems. Yet, it is unclear whether differences in above- and belowground species composition (β-diversity) are associated with differences in multiple ecosystem functions (e.g., spatial turnover in ecosystem function). Here, we partitioned the contributions of above- and belowground β-diversity and abiotic factors (geographic distance, differences in environments) on the spatial turnover of multiple grassland ecosystem functions. We compiled a dataset of plant and soil microbial communities and six indicators of grassland ecosystem functions (i.e., plant aboveground live biomass, plant nitrogen [N], plant phosphorus [P], root biomass, soil total N, and soil extractable P) …

The Evolution Of Dietary Adaptations In Small Mammals: From Muscles To Microbes, Mark Thomas Swanson

LSU Doctoral Dissertations

My dissertation provides critical insights on the pattern and process of evolution in front-end and back-end dietary adaptations of mammals. I found that the position of the rodent masseter muscle, a complex front-end adaptation that improves the efficiency of mechanical digestion, has convergently evolved numerous times, suggesting that selective pressure for this adaptation has been strong. For back-end adaptations, I found gut bacterial taxa that likely aid in chemical digestion of food have predictable associations with host diet across host species in natural environments. To detect patterns in gut microbial community structure that are related to host factors such as …

Collaborative Research: Ecological Legacy Effects Of Megacarcasses In African Savanna Ecosystems, Johan Du Toit

Funded Research Records

No abstract provided.

Effects Of Wetland Management And Associated Abiotic Factors On Rare Plant Communities Of Spring-Fed Arid Wetlands, Antonio Cantu De Leija

LSU Master's Theses

Spring-fed arid wetlands support high biological productivity and are hotspots for endemism and distribution of rare plants, making them areas of high conservation value. These systems are driven by complex interactions among groundwater discharge and the geomorphic and climatic features of the setting, which provide gradients of edaphic conditions, particularly soil moisture and salinity that influence the presence and abundance of rare plant communities. However, spring-fed arid wetlands are at particular risk of increases in salinity and drier hydrological regimes due to anthropogenic activities. Such alterations to abiotic conditions may jeopardize the distribution and abundance of rare plants by exceeding …

Developing Pandemic Comics For Youth Audiences, Judy Diamond, Amy Spiegel, Patricia Wonch Hill, Elizabeth Vanwormer, Judi M. Gaiashkibos, Bob Hall, Aaron Sutherlen, Julia Mcquillan

University of Nebraska State Museum: Staff and Affiliates, Publications

In spring 2020 our team received funding from the Rapid Response Research program of the National Science Foundation to develop comics that would help youth understand the COVID-19 pandemic. Our project built on a decade of expertise creating comics about the biology of viruses. In collaboration with virologists and artists, we developed three comic stories about COVID-19 during the pandemic and posted them on-line during the last half of 2020. The fictional narratives address fundamental issues in biology, virology, and network science, in order to help readers understand the complexities of living through a viral pandemic. The stories focus on …

Highly Contiguous Assemblies Of 101 Drosophilid Genomes, Bernard Y. Kim, Jeremy R. Wang, Danny E. Miller, Olga Barmina, Emily Delaney, Ammon Thompson, Aaron A. Comeault, David Peede, Emmanuel R. R. D'Agostino, Julianne Pelaez, Jessica M. Aguilar, Diler Haji, Teruyuki Matsunaga, Ellie E. Armstrong, Molly Zych, Yoshitaka Ogawa, Marina Stamenković-Radak, Mihailo Jelić, Marija Savić Veselinović, Marija Tanasković, Jeremy S. Davis

Biology Faculty Publications

Over 100 years of studies in Drosophila melanogaster and related species in the genus Drosophila have facilitated key discoveries in genetics, genomics, and evolution. While high-quality genome assemblies exist for several species in this group, they only encompass a small fraction of the genus. Recent advances in long-read sequencing allow high-quality genome assemblies for tens or even hundreds of species to be efficiently generated. Here, we utilize Oxford Nanopore sequencing to build an open community resource of genome assemblies for 101 lines of 93 drosophilid species encompassing 14 species groups and 35 sub-groups. The genomes are highly contiguous and complete, …

The Biodiversity Of Freshwater Crustaceans Revealed By Taxonomy And Mitochondrial Dna Barcodes, Adrian Amelio Vasquez, Brittany L. Bonnici, Donna R. Kashian, Jorge Trejo-Martinez, Carol J. Miller, Jeffrey L. Ram

Physiology Faculty Research Publications

Cytochrome oxidase subunit I (COI) barcode sequences in this file were obtained from specimens collected by plankton net in western Lake Erie in 2012 & 2013, along with later specimens collected at various locations and times, including some collected in Belize in 2015. Methods and other details about these sequences are described in a paper by the same authors in a submitted publication (2021: URL to be given here when published). The right columns below contain additional notes on lengths of sequences, GenBank accession ID (when obtained), and annotation as to whether the sequence represents a new barcode for its …

Seasonal Variation In The Feeding Ecology Of Yellowfin Tuna (Thunnus Albacares) From The Northern Gulf Of Mexico, Mitchell Shay Lovell

LSU Master's Theses

Highly migratory fishes (e.g., tunas, billfishes, and sharks) play a significant role in the structure and function of open-ocean ecosystems and a better understanding of the food web dynamics that support their populations is essential to improve management and conservation. Here, I use complementary approaches (stomach contents, DNA barcoding, & stable isotopes) to examine seasonal variability in the feeding ecology of sub-adult (70 – 100 cm; n = 371) and adult (100 – 160 cm; n = 206) yellowfin tuna (Thunnus albacares) from the northern Gulf of Mexico over a one-year period (April 2019 – March 2020). Stomach …

Do Different Relevance Attributes Indicate The Same Conservation Priorities? A Case Study In Caves Of Southeastern Brazil, Maysa F.V.R. Souza, Denizar A. Alvarenga, Marconi Souza-Silva, Rodrigo L. Ferreira

International Journal of Speleology

In the last decade, the scientific community brought to the debate gaps that slow down the advance of knowledge regarding global biodiversity. More recently, this discussion has reached subterranean environments, where these gaps are even more dramatic due to the relict and vulnerable nature of their species. In this context, we tested ecological metrics related to some of these gaps, checking if the biological relevance of the caves would change depending on ecological attributes related to each metric. The study was carried out in caves from southeastern Brazil, located in a region presenting a high richness of troglobitic species restricted …

Comparative Genomics Methods And Applications, Emily N. Alden

Biomedical Sciences ETDs

Virtually all fields of biology have benefited from the advancements in comparative genomics technologies, specifically in the study of evolution. In this dissertation I develop and use comparative genomic technologies to investigate the novel SARS-CoV-2 virus, assembly the first genome of the black lace domestic angelfish and identify germline genetic variants associated with altered breast cancer-specific survival. Our genome tiling array for the novel coronavirus presents a rapid and cost-effective method to sequence the entire viral genome and can be used to track the rapid evolution of viral variants in the population. The domestic angelfish is a member of the …