Digital Commons Network^™

The Emerging Conflict Of Common Ravens Roosting On Electric Power Transmission Line Towers In Montana, Usa, Marco Restani, James S. Lueck

Human–Wildlife Interactions

Bird interactions with electric power lines can cause faults (e.g., disruption of electrical service). Faults on 500kV transmission lines in Montana, USA, which are integral to the Northwest USA power grid, became concerning during winter 2016–2017. In 2017 we found insulators contaminated with bird droppings and discovered a large nocturnal roost of common ravens (Corvus corax). To assess the potential magnitude of the impact of raven roosts on electric power transmission, we summarized fault data obtained from the Energy Management System and raven abundance data obtained from the Christmas Bird Count in central Montana from 2005 to 2020. …

Tolerance Of Bearded Vultures To Human Activities: Response To Comor Et Al. (2019), Olivier Duriez, Antoni Margalida, Luc Albert, Beatriz Arroyo, Virginie Couanon, Hélène Loustau, Martine Razin, Jean-Baptiste Mihoub

Human–Wildlife Interactions

The bearded vulture (Gypaetus barbatus) is listed as vulnerable in Europe on the International Union for Conservation of Nature Red List because of population declines over multiple generations. Vulture population declines have been attributed to shooting, use of toxicants, and changes in land use, which have resulted in habitat degradation and increased anthropogenic disturbances. Concomitantly, conservation authorities have restricted practices deemed harmful to the species and have established protection buffers around occupied vulture breeding sites to mitigate the impacts of anthropogenic disturbances on breeding success. Comor et al. (2019) compared bearded vulture breeding success over 6 years within …

Modeling Migratory Nongame Birds: A Plea For Data, George M. Linz

Human–Wildlife Interactions

The Bird Damage Management Conference held February 10–13, 2020 in Salt Lake City, Utah, USA provided a forum for professionals from across the United States to discuss and share management approaches, research strategies, policy, and messaging regarding the management of blackbirds (Icteridae), starlings (Sturnus vulgaris), corvids (Corvidae), and vultures (Cathartidae). Mathematical models were presented at the conference and subsequently discussed in a special issue of Human–Wildlife Interactions. Rapidly changing landscape variables point to the need for detailed systematic population monitoring programs with specific objectives. Nationwide periodic monitoring would provide data about changes not only in bird populations …

Imagining The Internal Reproductive Environment: Function And Evolution Of The Drosophila Melanogaster Female Reproductive Tract, Caitlin Elizabeth Mcdonough-Goldstein

Dissertations - ALL

Sexual reproduction involves complex coordination, and potentially competition, among the reproductive cells, fluids, and structures of all individuals involved. For internally fertilizing species, these interactions occur within the body of one sex, predominantly the female, or ovary-associated, reproductive tract. Thus, characterizing the dynamics of the female reproductive tract is critical to understanding the interactions that mediate reproductive success. Although there has been increasing movement toward revealing the active role of the female reproductive tract in shaping and influencing reproductive outcomes, our knowledge of this environment remains limited as a result of both historical biases and technical constraints. My dissertation advances …

Influence Of Testosterone On Male-Male Competition In The Red-Sided Garter Snake, Thamnophis Sirtalis Parietalis, Isabella M. G. Bukovich

Senior Honors Projects, 2020-current

Female mimicry in the red-sided garter snake, Thamnophis sirtalis parietalis, is described in several well-studied evolutionary advantages, but an aspect that remains elusive is how reproductive traits are linked to the 3-fold higher circulating androgens in males with this phenotype. In this study, we implanted male garter snakes (n=15 per group) with either a blank implant (SHAM; control) or a T implant, the latter simulating the female mimic phenotype. Following simulated low-temperature dormancy, males were scored for courtship intensity over three days of behavioral trials with females housed in the same facility. Males were sacrificed, and sperm were collected …

A New Cryptic Species Of Scorpiops Peters, 1861 (Scorpiones: Scorpiopidae) From The Northern Western Ghats, India, Shauri Sulakhe, Shubhankar Deshpande, Nikhil Dandekar, Makarand Ketkar, Anand Padhye, Deshabhushan Bastawade

Euscorpius

A new cryptic species of Scorpiops (Scorpiopidae) is described from northern Western Ghats of India with integrated taxonomic approach. Scorpiops telbaila sp. n. is closely related to S. tenuicauda and differs from all species of Scorpiops in morphological features and raw genetic divergence of 5.4-14.1 %.

Core Commitments For Field Trials Of Gene Drive Organisms, Kanya C. Long, Luke Alphey, George J. Annas, Cinnamon S. Bloss, Karl J. Campbell, Jackson Champer, Chun-Hong Chen, Amit Choudhary, George M. Church, James P. Collins, Kimberly L. Cooper, Jason A. Delborne, Owain R. Edwards, Claudia I. Emerson, Kevin Esvelt, Sam Weiss Evans, Robert M. Friedman, Valentino M. Gantz, Fred Gould, Sarah Hartley, Elizabeth Heitman, Janet Hemingway, Hirotaka Kanuka, Jennifer Kuzma, James V. Lavery, Yoosook Lee, Marce Lorenzen, Jeantine E. Lunshof, John M. Marshall, Philipp W. Messer, Craig Montell, Kenneth A. Oye, Megan J. Palmer, Philippos Aris Papathanos, Prasad N. Paradkar, Antoinette J. Piaggio, Jason L. Rasgon, Gordana Rašić, Larisa Rudenko, J. Royden Saah, Maxwell J. Scott, Jolene T. Sutton, Adam E, Vorsino, Omar S. Akbari

United States Department of Agriculture Wildlife Services: Staff Publications

We must ensure that trials are scientifically, politically, and socially robust, publicly accountable, and widely transparent.

Gene drive organisms (GDOs), whose genomes have been genetically engineered to spread a desired allele through a population, have the potential to transform the way societies address a wide range of daunting public health and environmental challenges. The development, testing, and release of GDOs, however, are complex and often controversial. A key challenge is to clarify the appropriate roles of developers and others actively engaged in work with GDOs in decision-making processes, and, in particular, how to establish partnerships with relevant authorities and other …

Primer Registro Del Pequeño Escarabajo De La Colmena Aethina Tumida Murray (Coleoptera: Nitidulidae) En Colmenas De Abejas Africanizadas En Guatemala, José Francisco García Ochaeta

Insecta Mundi

Se registra por primera vez la presencia del pequeño escarabajo de la colmena (PEC), Aethina tumida Murray (Coleoptera: Nitidulidae), en colmenas de abejas africanizadas en el departamento de Petén, Guatemala, alimentándose de miel y polen. Se presenta información básica sobre la especie, su distribución conocida actual e ilustraciones para ayudar en su identificación.

The presence of the small hive beetle (SHB), Aethina tumida Murray (Coleoptera: Nitidulidae), is recorded for the first time in Africanized beehives from Petén department, Guatemala, feeding on honey and pollen. Basic information about the species, including its currently known distribution, and illustrations, are presented to aid …

Sobre El Estatus Taxonómico De Ectinogonia Darwini Waterhouse, 1913 Y Ectinogonia Angulicollis (Fairmaire Y Germain, 1858) (Coleoptera: Buprestidae): Fijación Del Holotipo Por Monotipia, Designación De Lectotipo Y Descripción De Dos Nuevas De Ectinogonia (Ectinogonia) Spinola Del Norte De Chile, Cristian Pineda, José Mondaca

Insecta Mundi

Los ejemplares tipos de Ectinogonia darwini Waterhouse, 1913 y Psiloptera angulicollis Fairmaire y Germain, 1858 (Coleoptera: Buprestidae), fueron localizados, estudiados y establecidos como holotipo por monotipia y lectotipo, respectivamente. Como las descripciones originales son ambiguas e incompletas, ambas especies son redescritas e ilustradas. Basados en estas nominaciones, y en el examen de ejemplares de Ectinogonia Spinola recolectados en el litoral de las provincias de Chañaral (Región de Atacama) y Antofagasta (Región de Antofagasta), y en la zona andina de la Provincia del Tamarugal (Región de Tarapacá), se describen dos nuevas especies del norte de Chile: E. superba Pineda y Mondaca, …

A Remarkable New Species Of Nothochodaeus Nikolajev From Sumatra (Coleoptera: Scarabaeoidea: Ochodaeidae), M. J. Paulsen

Insecta Mundi

Nothochodaeus marsupialis Paulsen, new species (Coleoptera: Ochodaeidae), is described from Aceh Province, Indonesia, on the island of Sumatra. The species possesses deep abdominal cavities behind a shield-like central process, as well as rows of conical tubercles laterally on the second and third ventrites. These structures have not been found in any other members of the genus or family.

Two New Species Of Phyllophaga Of The Schizorhina Species Group From Cloud Forests Of Chiapas, México And Guatemala (Coleoptera: Scarabaeidae: Melolonthinae), Enio B. Cano

Insecta Mundi

Phyllophaga (Phyllophaga) badbunnyi Cano new species, and Phyllophaga (Phyllophaga) sechi Cano new species, of the Schizorhina species group (Coleoptera: Scarabaeidae: Melolonthinae), are described and illustrated from specimens collected at cloud forests between 1300-1750 m elevation of southeastern Chiapas, México and western Guatemala. A key to the Guatemalan and Chiapanecan species of Phyllophaga Harris, group Schizorhina, with dorsal finger-like projections of genital capsule, is provided.

Con base en especímenes colectados en bosques nubosos entre 1300 y 1750 m de altitud del sureste de Chiapas, México y del oeste de Guatemala, se describe y se ilustra a Phyllophaga (Phyllophaga) badbunnyi Cano …

Morphological Assessment And Mitochondrial Dna Analysis Of Roadside-Skippers (Genus Amblyscirtes, Family Hesperiidae) Occurring In Arkansas, Sachith Srikanth

Theses and Dissertations

Amblyscirtes linda is a candidate for federal listing under the Endangered Species Act (1973). The present study, funded by the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service and the Arkansas Game and Fish Commission, aims to gather data that will enable a decision regarding federal listing to be made. It is understood that the conservation status of Amblyscirtes linda cannot be accurately assessed without examining other congeneric species with which it cooccurs and can be easily confused. This confusion is due to morphological characteristics being very similar in the genus. We therefore studied morphological and molecular means of identification, as well as …

Diagnosis And Distribution Of Florida Sand Darter, Ammocrypta Bifascia (Teleostei; Percidae), In The Flint River, Georgia, Camm C. Swift, Gregory R. Moyer, Christine E. Fallon, Brett Albanese

Southeastern Fishes Council Proceedings

Abstract: In 2013, we observed the presence of an undocumented Ammocrypta species in the lower Flint River, Georgia. The occurrence represents the first record of the genus in Georgia. Subsequent surveys at 24 sites, using seining or snorkeling, documented additional specimens from mainstem sites (n = 3) between Albany and Bainbridge and from Ichawaynochaway Creek (n = 5 sites), a large tributary to the Flint River. We used morphological and genetic data to identify specimens to species. Morphological examination included 23 morphometric and 8 meristic characters from fifteen specimens that were compared to specimens from Williams (1975). For genetic analyses, …

Species Distribution Modeling For Arid Adapted Habitat Specialists In Zion National Park, Sam Driver, Daniel R. Unger, David L. Kulhavy, Chris M. Schalk

Student Publications

The Arizona toad (Anaxyrus microscaphus) and Jones’ waxy dogbane (Cycladenia humilis var. jonesii) are habitat specialists with historical ranges in the desert southwest and specifically, Zion National Park (ZION). The machine learning method, MaxEnt, constructed species distribution models (SDMs) in ZION for the two study species at 30 m and 900 m spatial resolutions using climate, topographic, and remotely sensed data. Additionally, 900 m forecasting models were constructed to observe the shifts in suitable habitat for the years 2050 and 2070, based off two representative concentration pathway scenarios. Results indicate promising predictive power for both high …

Species Distribution Modeling For Arid Adapted Habitat Specialists In Zion National Park, Sam Driver, Chris M. Schalk, Daniel Unger, David Kulhavy

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

The Arizona toad (Anaxyrus microscaphus) and Jones’ waxy dogbane (Cycladenia humilis var. jonesii) are habitat specialists with historical ranges in the desert southwest and specifically, Zion National Park (ZION). The machine learning method, MaxEnt, constructed species distribution models (SDMs) in ZION for the two study species at 30 m and 900 m spatial resolutions using climate, topographic, and remotely sensed data. Additionally, 900 m forecasting models were constructed to observe the shifts in suitable habitat for the years 2050 and 2070, based off two representative concentration pathway scenarios. Results indicate promising predictive power for both high …

An Invasive Species As A Threat To Native Biodiversity: Larval Competition Between Native Anurans And An Invasive Treefrog, Mckenzie Wasley

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

Cuban Treefrogs (Osteopilus septentrionalis) are established in Florida and Louisiana and have invasive potential further westward, possibly impacting native anurans at multiple life stages. In anurans, competition at the larval stage can decrease adult fitness through slower development and smaller size at metamorphosis, ultimately decreasing recruitment rates. To examine the potential impacts of O. septentrionalis at the larval life-history stage, I quantified activity levels and growth of their tadpoles and those of two anurans native to eastern Texas: Green Treefrogs (Hyla cinerea) and Gulf Coast Toads (Incilius nebulifer). Tadpoles of the three species were …

Characterizing Patterns In Texas Gulf Coast Beach Dune Plant Species Composition, Cody Foster

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

Regional vegetation patterns of Texas beach plant communities were analyzed using cluster analysis, ANOSIM, SIMPER, NMDS, and ISA for fives zones representing the foredune complex of twenty Gulf Coast beaches. ANOVA revealed that zones differ in terms of percent bare sand, percent vegetative cover, and species richness. Cluster Analysis, ANOSIM, and SIMPER results indicate that Texas beaches can be divided into northern and southern regions based on differences in species composition of plant communities. Indicator Species Analysis (ISA) indicates that northern beaches are characterized by the presence of Rayjacksonia phyllocephala, Ambrosia Strophostyles, Ambrosia psilostachya, and Panicum amarum …

Exposing Lettuce Plants To Cyanobacteria In A Closed Hydroponics System To Reduce Cyanobacterial Growth And Production, Emily Eberly

Honors Projects

Sandusky Bay is largely populated by cyanobacterial algal blooms, mainly formed by Planktothrix. Fertilizers containing nitrogen and phosphorus run from agricultural lands into the bay, building up excess nutrients forming eutrophic waters. The Planktothrix feed off these nutrients and grow into algal blooms. To determine a potential solution to the growth of these blooms, I implemented a hydroponics system involving Lactuca Sativa for analysis of Planktothrix growth and productivity. Four different nutrient conditions were added to a Planktothrix-only solution and a solution growing Planktothrix with the lettuce in the hydroponics system. The four conditions consisted of no nutrient …

Taxonomic Review Of South American Butter Frogs: Phylogeny, Geographic Patterns, And Species Delimitation In The Leptodactylus Latrans Species Group (Anura: Leptodactylidae), Felipe De M. Magalhães, Mariana L. Lyra, Thiago R. De Carvalho, Diego Baldo, Francisco Brusquetti, Pamela Burella, Guarino R. Colli, Marcelo C. Gehara, Rafael O. De Sá, Et Al.

Biology Faculty Publications

The Leptodactylus latrans species group currently comprises eight medium- to large-sized frog species with a convoluted taxonomic history, particularly related to the specific limits of the L. latrans complex, and the species pair Leptodactylus chaquensis–Leptodactylus macrosternum. Their homogeneous external morphology and continental geographic distribution in South America have posed severe limitations to a comprehensive review, such that taxonomic consensus and species limits remain uncertain. This is further worsened by the presence of chromatic polymorphism among coexisting species that can hardly be distinguished by external morphology. Based on a large-scale geographic sampling including multilocus DNA analyses, and acoustic …

Criollo Cattle As A Strategy To Maintain Output Of Ecosystem Services Under A Changing Climate, Kari E. Veblen

Funded Research Records

No abstract provided.

Impact Of Endangered Animal Protection Rights, Policies, And Practices On Zoonotic Disease Spread, Daniella Fedak-Lengel

Honors Projects

Building on field research in Costa Rica and Belize, this honors project analyzes environmental and endangered animal protection policies, rights, and practices in Central America and the Caribbean, and assesses the impact of veterinary science and biological research and practice, particularly conservation biology, on animal welfare concerns. Informed by the recent surge in awareness regarding zoonoses and zoonotic disease transmission, prevention and control, resulting from the current global pandemic of SARS-CoV-2, the project assesses the need for new and innovative types of collaboration, particularly involving conservation biologists, environmental scientists, public health experts, law and policy makers, and global trade and …

Blenny Territoriality At Oyster Landing, North Inlet Estuary, South Carolina: Seasonal Patterns And Ecological Factors, Sydney Davis, Juliana Harding

Honors Theses

Temperate oyster reef blennies use oyster shells that are still articulated as habitat year round. During the breeding season when water temperatures are > 18-20°C, many species of blenny males use the oyster valves as nesting sites. Male blennies exhibit territorial behavior when guarding their nesting sites and can interact differently with conspecific and transient species. Striped blenny (Chasmodes bosquianus) and freckled blenny (Hypsoblennius ionthas) behavior was described from April 2020 to August 2020 at Oyster Landing, North Inlet estuary, South Carolina to quantify typical blenny behavior, general presence or absence of residents, and potential environmental parameters …

Infaunal Bivalve Density And Richness In North Inlet Estuary, South Carolina: Seasonal Patterns And Ecological Factors, Valerie M. Knowles, Juliana Harding

Honors Theses

Estuarine bivalves recruit to benthic habitats after the larvae are in the planktonic stage. The observed infaunal bivalve density relates to larval supply from adult reproduction during warmer months as well as larval and juvenile mortality post-recruitment. The purpose of this research was to examine annual and seasonal patterns of infaunal bivalve density and richness in the context of habitat water temperature and salinity. Cores were collected biweekly from Bly Creek in North Inlet estuary between January 2019 and February 2020. Temperatures ranged from 9-30 ºC and salinity ranged from ~17-36 psu. Bivalves were sieved out of the cores, counted, …

Residency, Diel Movement, And Tidal Patterns Of Large Juvenile Bull Sharks (Carcharhinus Leucas) In Winyah Bay, Sc, Jeremy Lee Arnt

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

No abstract provided.

Aspen Soils Retain More Dissolved Organic Carbon Than Conifer Soils In A Sorption Experiment, Antra Boča, Astrid R. Jacobson, Helga Van Miegroet

Aspen Bibliography

The effect tree species have on soil organic carbon (SOC) has been hotly debated but, so far, few clear patterns have emerged. One example of a differing tree species effect on SOC are aspen forests in North America, which have been found to have more stable SOC than adjacent conifer forest stands. An important source for the formation of stable organo-mineral complexes in soil is dissolved organic carbon (DOC). DOC concentrations in mineral soil are often higher under the thick O-horizons of conifer forests than under aspen forests, but this does not correspond to more stable mineral SOC. This suggests …

Spectral Properties Of A Non-Compact Operator In Ecology, Matthew Reichenbach

Department of Mathematics: Dissertations, Theses, and Student Research

Ecologists have used integral projection models (IPMs) to study fish and other animals which continue to grow throughout their lives. Such animals cannot shrink, since they have bony skeletons; a mathematical consequence of this is that the kernel of the integral projection operator T is unbounded, and the operator is not compact. A priori, it is unclear whether these IPMs have an asymptotic growth rate λ, or a stable-stage distribution ψ. In the case of a compact operator, these quantities are its spectral radius and the associated eigenvector, respectively. Under biologically reasonable assumptions, we prove that the non-compact operators in …

Birds Ruffled By Big-City Lights, Lauren E. Nadler

Marine & Environmental Sciences Faculty Articles

No abstract provided.

Synergies Among Environmental Science Research And Monitoring Networks: A Research Agenda, J. A. Jones, Peter M. Groffman, J. Blair, F. W. Davis, H. Dugan, E. E. Euskirchen, S. D. Frey, T. K. Harms, E. Hinckley, M. Kosmala, S. Loberg, S. Malone, K. Novick, S. Record, A. V. Rocha, B. L. Ruddell, E. H. Stanley, C. Sturtevant, A. Thorpe, T. White, W. R. Wieder, L. Zhai, K. Zhu

Advanced Science Research Center

Many research and monitoring networks in recent decades have provided publicly available data documenting environmental and ecological change, but little is known about the status of efforts to synthesize this information across networks. We convened a working group to assess ongoing and potential cross-network synthesis research and outline opportunities and challenges for the future, focusing on the US-based research network (the US Long-Term Ecological Research network, LTER) and monitoring network (the National Ecological Observatory Network, NEON). LTER-NEON cross-network research synergies arise from the potentials for LTER measurements, experiments, models, and observational studies to provide context and mechanisms for interpreting NEON …

Floral Variation Across Three Varieties Of The Landscape-Dominant Tree Metrosideros Polymorpha (Myrtaceae): Insights From A Hawaii Island Common Garden, Elizabeth A. Stacy, Melissa A. Johnson

Life Sciences Faculty Research

Premise of research: Metrosideros polymorpha is a landscape-dominant tree species endemic to the Hawaiian Islands. Although the group is famous for its ecological amplitude and variation in vegetative characters, little attention has been paid to variation in its “shaving brush” flowers, which occur in inflorescences of diverse sizes and colors. We aimed to determine whether the floral variation observed in natural populations is heritable and how this variation is distributed across environments and varieties of the species. Methodology: We measured seven floral traits in 93 adult trees representing three varieties of M. polymorpha in a common garden on the island …

Climate Warming’S Alteration Of Host-Parasite Dynamics, Ting-Hsuan Wu

Binghamton University Undergraduate Journal

Parasites and pathogens have significant roles in host population control, and thus host-parasite interactions affect biodiversity. The important question reviewed in this paper is how changes in temperature due to climate change affect host-parasite interactions. There is mounting evidence that elevated temperatures have both beneficial and detrimental effects on parasites and independently on hosts. These independent changes result in altered host-parasite dynamics through various mechanisms. If elevated temperatures enhance parasite survival, risk of disease transmission among hosts is enhanced as well. This enhancement is dependent on temperature-induced shifts in the host lifecycle, as asynchrony in host and parasite development can …