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Long-Term Changes In Avian Capture Rates During Twelve Years Of Active Grassland And Savannah Restoration, Katie Stumpf, Charles Muise

Georgia Journal of Science

The decline of grassland ecosystems throughout the United States has caused population declines of many bird species, especially grassland specialists, which has led to greater interest in restoring these dwindling habitats with a combination of natural fire regimes and the replanting of native vegetation. In the southeastern United States, several species of birds use grassland habitats at critical points throughout the annual cycle, as breeding or wintering grounds or as migration stopover sites. Since April 2007, we have operated 9–11 mist nets at Panola Mountain State Park, in Rockdale County, Georgia, in an area that is being actively restored to …

Eelgrass Health Survey And Results, Nicholas B. Anderson, Catherine M. Ashcraft, Dante D. Torio, Frederick T. Short

Natural Resources & the Environment

Researchers at the University of New Hampshire designed, tested, and conducted an eelgrass health survey. The primary goal of the survey was to collect health ratings from respondents who had viewed pre-selected images of eelgrass representing a wide range of health conditions. Survey results were used as a calibration and validation to a novel eelgrass health index developed using video-monitoring. Two secondary goals of this this survey were the identification of plant-specific and environmental characteristics important to respondents and the introduction of the new eelgrass health index. This published dataset includes de-identified survey respondent background and demographic data, the survey …

A New Ectotherm 3d Tracking And Behavior Analytics System Using A Depth-Based Approach With Color Validation, With Preliminary Data On Kihansi Spray Toad (Nectophrynoides Asperginis) Activity, Philip Bal, Damian Lyons, Avishai Shuter

Faculty Publications

The Kihansi spray toad (Nectophrynoides asperginis), classified as Extinct in the Wild by the IUCN, is being bred at the Wildlife Conservation Society’s (WCS) Bronx Zoo as part of an effort to successfully reintroduce the species into the wild. Thousands of toads live at the Bronx Zoo presenting an opportunity to learn more about their behaviors for the first time, at scale. It is impractical to perform manual observations for long periods of time. This paper reports on the development of a RGB-D tracking and analytics approach that allows researchers to accurately and efficiently gather information about the toads’ behavior. …

The Nebraska Bird Review, 2020 Annual Color Section

Nebraska Bird Review

Our theme this year is Odd Couples: two or more different species captured in the same photo frame. Examples appear on the first three pages of photos.

Blue Jay with Great Horned Owl in Plum Creek SRA, Dawson Co., 23 Dec. 2019. Photo by Elizabeth Winter.

Green Heron with Baltimore Oriole on Dark Island Trail, Merrick Co., June 2020. Photo by Colleen Childers.

Wilson’s Phalarope surrounded by Longbilled Dowitchers and Stilt Sandpipers along highway 30 east of North Platte, Lincoln Co., 12 May 2020. Photo by Boni Edwards.

Downy Woodpecker with Carolina Wren on suet feeder in photographer’s yard, La …

Winter Field Report, December 2019-February 2020, W. Ross Silcock

Nebraska Bird Review

As with any of these Seasonal Reports, there was plenty to entertain us and to contemplate this winter. The most obvious feature of this winter’s reports was the taxonomically widespread incidence of midwinter occurrences of species normally absent at that time. Snow, Ross’s, and Greater White-fronted Geese occurred in good numbers, and Jan to early Feb reports of dabbling and diving ducks often far from expected winter occurrence locations were notable. Among passerines, notable midwinter reports were of Gray Catbird, Brown Thrasher, and Northern Mockingbird, Nebraska’s first record for Feb of American Pipit, and 6th winter record of Lesser Goldfinch. …

2019-2020 Christmas Bird Counts, Don Paseka

Nebraska Bird Review

Mergansers reached a new high of 104 counted in nine circles, which topped the count of 97 from 2017. A single Surf Scoter was found in the Lower Platte circle, which was only the fourth time that this species has been found on a Nebraska CBC. Lone birds were also found at Lake McConaughy in 1999, 2010 and 2015. A good North Platte find were two Barrow’s Goldeneye. Several species, however, were counted in numbers much below the norm. The lone Wood Duck found at Branched Oak was the lowest count for that species since 2004, when they were missed …

Rockhounding, Seafaring, And Other Material Tales For The End Of The World, Noemie Fortin

The Goose

In the face of accelerated environmental degradation and climate instability, the future of the Earth and of all life on earth is difficult to visualize. Therefore, the different mediums through which we consider environmental issues are just as important as the actions we take to address them. Focusing on three projects combining art, science, and activism, this article suggests a compilation of material tales. They tell stories of plastic rocks and aluminum nuggets where the protagonists are partly finely crafted objects, partly waste materials, and sometimes both at once. Artists Kelly Jazvac, Yesenia Thibeault-Picazo, and the collective Studio Swine collaborate …

Do Foliar Endophytes Matter In Litter Decomposition?, Emily R. Wolfe, Daniel J. Ballhorn

Biology Faculty Publications and Presentations

Litter decomposition rates are affected by a variety of abiotic and biotic factors, including the presence of fungal endophytes in host plant tissues. This review broadly analyzes the findings of 67 studies on the roles of foliar endophytes in litter decomposition, and their effects on decomposition rates. From 29 studies and 1 review, we compiled a comprehensive table of 710 leaf-associated fungal taxa, including the type of tissue these taxa were associated with and isolated from, whether they were reported as endo- or epiphytic, and whether they had reported saprophytic abilities. Aquatic (i.e., in-stream) decomposition studies of endophyte-affected litter were …

The Gut Microbiota Of A Wild American Black Bear (Ursus Americanus) Population, Sierra Gillman

All NMU Master's Theses

The gut microbiome (GMB), the mutualistic microbial communities located in the gastrointestinal tract (GIT), has co-evolved in vertebrates to perform micro-ecosystem services to facilitate physiological functions. Despite the key role of the GMB in host health, wildlife managers have been slow to consider the ramifications of anthropogenic pressures to wildlife-GMB diversity. For example, although diet is one of the most influential determinants of a host’s GMB, many wildlife agencies allow baiting with human-provisioned foods to facilitate the harvest of wildlife such as American black bear (Ursus americanus). Additionally, much of our knowledge of wildlife-GMB relationships is based on …

Effects Of Inactivated Mycobacterium Bovis Vaccination On Molokai-Origin Wild Pigs Experimentally Infected With Virulent M. Bovis, Pauline Nol, Morgan Wehte, Richard A. Bowen, Suelee Robbe-Austerman, Tyler Thacker, Kristina Lantz, Jack Rhyan, Laurie A. Baeten, Ramón A. Juste, Iker A. Sevilla, Christian Gortazar, Joaquín Vicente

United States Department of Agriculture Wildlife Services: Staff Publications

The wild pig population on Molokai, Hawaii, USA is a possible reservoir for bovine tuberculosis, caused by Mycobacterium bovis, and has been implicated in decades past as the source of disease for the island’s domestic cattle. Heat-inactivated vaccines have been effective for reducing disease prevalence in wild boar in Spain and could prove useful for managing M. bovis in Molokai wild pigs. We designed an experiment to test this vaccine in wild pigs of Molokai genetics. Fifteen 3–4-month-old pigs were orally administered 10⁶–10⁷ colony forming units (cfu) of heat-inactivated M. bovis (Vaccinates; n = 8; 0.2 …

A Global View Of Aspen: Conservation Science For Widespread Keystone Systems, Paul C. Rogers, Bradley D. Pinno, Jan Šebesta, Benedicte R. Albrectsen, Guoqing Li, Natalya Ivanova, Antonín Kusbach, Timo Kuuluvainen, Simon M. Landhäusser, Hongyan Liu, Tor Myking, Pertti Pulkkinen, Zhongming Wen, Dominik Kulakowski

Geography

Across the northern hemisphere, six species of aspen (Populus spp.) play a disproportionately important role in promoting biodiversity, sequestering carbon, limiting forest disturbances, and providing other ecosystem services. These species are illustrative of efforts to move beyond single-species conservation because they facilitate hundreds of plants and animals worldwide. This review is intended to place aspen in a global conservation context by focusing on the many scientific advances taking place in such biologically diverse systems. In this manner, aspen may serve as a model for other widespread keystone systems where science-based practice may have world implications for biodiversity conservation. In many …

Geographic Life History Differences Predict Genomic Divergence Better Than Mitochondrial Barcodes Or Phenotype, Daniel P. Duran, Robert A. Laroche, Harlan M. Gough, Rodger A. Gwiazdowski, Charles B. Knisley, David P. Herrmann, Stephen J. Roman, Scott P. Egan

School of Earth & Environment Departmental Research

Species diversity can be inferred using multiple data types, however, results based on genetic data can be at odds with patterns of phenotypic variation. Tiger beetles of the Cicindelidia politula (LeConte, 1875) species complex have been taxonomically problematic due to extreme phenotypic variation within and between populations. To better understand the biology and taxonomy of this group, we used mtDNA genealogies and multilocus nuclear analyses of 34,921 SNPs to elucidate its evolutionary history and evaluate the validity of phenotypically circumscribed species and subspecies. Genetic analyses recovered two divergent species that are also ecologically distinct, based on adult life history. These …

What's The Buzz?, Christine L. Moskalik

Professional Learning Day

A fun, interdisciplinary, hands-on activity with circuits, engineering, and bees Teachers will learn how to implement an activity with their students to explore circuit basics, energy transfer, and pollination through a hands-on toothbrush-bot activity that is coupled with a fun storyline involving honey bee communication and behavior.

New Genera, Species, And Records Of Acanthocinini (Coleoptera: Cerambycidae: Lamiinae) From Hispaniola, Steven W. Lingafelter

Insecta Mundi

Two new genera of Acanthocinini (Coleoptera: Cerambycidae), Luctithonus Lingafelter and Duocris­tala Lingafelter, are described from Hispaniola. Two new species of Luctithonus are described: Luctithonus aski Lingafelter and L. duartensis Lingafelter. A third species, L. pantherinus (Zayas), is newly recorded from Hispan­iola and the Dominican Republic (new country record), and transferred from Sternidius Haldeman as a new combination. Additional new species of Lamiinae are described from Hispaniola: Eugamandus albipumilus Lingafelter; Leptostylopsis opuntiae Lingafelter; and Lethes turnbowi Lingafelter. Keys to tribes of Lamiinae, genera of Acanthocinini, and species of Luctithonus in Hispaniola are included.

The Mangroves Of Costa Rica, Kylie Stewart

Honors Projects

Mangroves are a type of coastal vegetation present in the intertidal zone of tropical and subtropical climates. This paper explores the mangroves of Costa Rica, their significance, and various strategies the country utilizes in order to protect mangrove forests. Several books and articles about mangroves and conservationism are examined to explain why mangrove forests are vital to a coastline’s health and growth. The scholarly topic pertains to mangroves located in the United States and Costa Rica along with methods used to maintain the wildlife that live within them. The concept of ecotourism will be explored and how mangrove forests are …

Mitochondrial Dna Diversity And Evolutionary History Of Native Human Populations Of Northwest Patagonia (Argentina), María Bárbara Postillone, Virginia Agustina Cobos, Celmira Urrutia, Cristina Beatriz Dejean, Paula N. Gonzalez, Sergio Ivan Perez, Valeria Bernal

Human Biology Open Access Pre-Prints

The genetic composition of Amerindian descendants from Patagonia has long been a focus of interest, although the information available is still scarce for many geographic areas. Here, we report the first analysis of the variation in the mtDNA control region for an area of northwestern Patagonia, the North of Neuquén, with the aim of studying the processes and historical events that modeled the evolutionary history of these human groups. We analyzed 113 individuals from two localities of northern Neuquén, along with 6 from southern Neuquén and 223 mtDNA sequences previously published from neighboring areas from Argentina and Chile. We estimated …

Role Of Coastal Environmental Conditions During Austral Winter On Plankton Community Dynamics And The Occurrence Of Pseudo-Nitzschia Spp. And Domoic Acid In Inhambane Province, Mozambique, Holly Kelchner

LSU Master's Theses

Harmful algal blooms (HABs) are increasing globally in frequency, persistence, and geographic extent. HABs pose a threat to economic stability, and ecosystem and human health. To date no incidences of marine toxins produced by phytoplankton have been recorded in Mozambique, which may be due to the absence of a monitoring program and general awareness of the potential threat. This study is the first documentation of the occurrence of a neurotoxin, domoic acid (DA), produced by the diatom genus Pseudo-nitzschia spp. along the east coast of Africa. The coast of Inhambane Province is a biodiversity hotspot where year-round Rhincodon typus (whale …

Sequential Analysis Of Livestock Herding Dog And Sheep Interactions, Jonathan Early, Jessica Alders, Elizabeth R. Arnott, Claire M. Wade, Paul Mcgreevy

Interactive Behavior Collection

Livestock herding dogs are crucial contributors to Australian agriculture. However, there is a dearth of empirical studies of the behavioural interactions between dog and livestock during herding. A statistical approach that may reveal cause and effect in such interactions is lag sequential analysis. Using 48 video recordings of livestock herding dogs and sheep in a yard trial competition, event-based (time between behaviours is irrelevant) and time-based (time between behaviours is defined) lag sequential analyses identified several significant behavioural interactions (adjusted residuals greater than 2.58; the maximum likelihood-ratio chi-squared statistic for all eight contingency tables identified all sequences as highly significant …

Plant–Soil Feedback Effects Altered By Aboveground Herbivory Explain Plant Species Abundance In The Landscape, Johannes Heinze, Alexander Wacker, Andrew Kulmatiski

Ecology Center Publications

Relatively little is known about how plant–soil feedbacks (PSFs) may affect plant growth in field conditions where factors such as herbivory may be important. Using a potted experiment in a grassland, we measured PSFs with and without aboveground insect herbivory for 20 plant species. We then compared PSF values to plant landscape abundance. Aboveground herbivory had a large negative effect on PSF values. For 15 of 20 species, PSFs were more negative with herbivory than without. This occurred because plant biomass on “home” soils was smaller with herbivory than without. PSF values with herbivory were correlated with plant landscape abundance, …

Invasive Vegetation Affects Amphibian Skin Microbiota And Body Condition, Obed Hernandez-Gomez, Allison Q. Byrne, Alex R. Gunderson, Thomas S. Jenkinson, Clay F. Noss, Andrew P. Rothstein, Molly C. Womack, Erica B. Rosenblum

Natural Sciences and Mathematics | Faculty Scholarship

Invasive plants are major drivers of habitat modification and the scale of their impact is increasing globally as anthropogenic activities facilitate their spread. In California, an invasive plant genus of great concern is Eucalyptus. Eucalyptus leaves can alter soil chemistry and negatively affect underground macro- and microbial communities. Amphibians serve as excellent models to evaluate the effect of Eucalyptus invasion on ground-dwelling species as they predate on soil arthropods and incorporate soil microbes into their microbiotas. The skin microbiota is particularly important to amphibian health, suggesting that invasive plant species could ultimately affect amphibian populations. To investigate the potential for …

Isotope-Based Methods For Evaluating Fish Trophic Geographies, Julie L. Vecchio

USF Tampa Graduate Theses and Dissertations

Data on the movement and diets of fish during a variety of life stages are important inputs to fisheries stock assessments and marine ecosystem models. Stable isotopes may provide previously inaccessible information on movement and diet of a variety of managed and forage fish species. Here I used several novel means of interpretation for stable isotope data to infer diets and movements of several important fisheries species over both short (weeks to months) and long (lifetime) timescales. To calculate a constant partitioning offset (CPO) between the δ¹⁵N of muscle and of liver tissue, I conducted a literature search …

Assessment Of Soil Protein And Refractory Soil Organic Matter Across Two Chronosequences Of Newly Developing Marshes In Coastal Louisiana, Usa, Stuart Alexander Mcclellan

LSU Doctoral Dissertations

The impacts of sea-level rise and hydrologic manipulation are threatening the stability of coastal marshes throughout the world, thereby increasing the potential for re-mineralization of soil organic matter (SOM) in these systems. Such threats have prompted marsh restoration efforts, particularly in coastal Louisiana, yet it is unclear how the slowly decomposing (refractory) and quickly decomposing (labile) fractions of SOM may be differentially affected by different approaches to marsh restoration. Additionally, otherwise labile compounds may accumulate in the soil via a range of protective mechanisms, including rapid burial and association with organic compounds that are thought to enhance soil aggregation, such …

Open Science Principles For Accelerating Trait-Based Science Across The Tree Of Life, Rachael V. Gallagher, Daniel S. Falster, Brian S. Maitner, Roberto Salguero-Gómez, Vigdis Vandvik, William D. Pearse, Florian D. Schneider, Jens Kattge, Jorrit H. Poelen, Joshua S. Madin, Markus J. Ankenbrand, Caterina Penone, Xiao Feng, Vanessa M. Adams, John Alroy, Et Al.

Ecology Center Publications

Synthesizing trait observations and knowledge across the Tree of Life remains a grand challenge for biodiversity science. Species traits are widely used in ecological and evolutionary science, and new data and methods have proliferated rapidly. Yet accessing and integrating disparate data sources remains a considerable challenge, slowing progress toward a global synthesis to integrate trait data across organisms. Trait science needs a vision for achieving global integration across all organisms. Here, we outline how the adoption of key Open Science principles—open data, open source and open methods—is transforming trait science, increasing transparency, democratizing access and accelerating global synthesis. To enhance …

Assessing Population Genetic Structure Of Eastern Phoebes At A Migratory Stopover Site, Daniel Jones

Biology Theses

Migration is an energetically costly and stressful event and migratory stopover sites are important areas along the migratory route that birds stop at to rest and refuel. Migration timing and routes vary across and even within species, including differences between sexes, ages and populations. Most genetic studies of migratory birds occur on breeding grounds, but when breeding locations are not known, it is likely that genetic patterns can be assessed accurately at migratory stopover sites if certain conditions exist. First, if a species is philopatric – where individuals return to the same sites every year, gene flow across geographically separated …

Rabies Management Implications Based On Raccoon Population Density Indexes, Dennis Slate, Brandi D. Saidy, Ashlee Simmons, Kathleen M. Nelson, Amy Davis, Timothy P. Algeo, Stacey A. Elmore, Richard B. Chipman

United States Department of Agriculture Wildlife Services: Staff Publications

An estimate or index of target species density is important in determining oral rabies vaccination (ORV) bait densities to control and eliminate specific rabies variants. From 1997–2011, we indexed raccoon (Procyon lotor) densities 253 times based on cumulative captures on 163 sites from Maine to Alabama, USA, near ORV zones created to prevent raccoon rabies from spreading to new areas. We conducted indexing under a common cage trapping protocol near the time of annual ORV to aid in bait density decisions. Unique raccoons (n = 8,415) accounted for 68.0% of captures (n = 12,367). We recaptured raccoons 2,669 times. We …

Economic Estimates Of Invasive Wild Pig Damage To Crops In 12 Us States, Sophie Mckee, Aaron Anderson, Keith Carlisle, Stephanie A. Shwiff

United States Department of Agriculture Wildlife Services: Staff Publications

We report the results of a survey on invasive wild pig (Sus scrofa L.) damage and control in 12 US states (Alabama, Arkansas, California, Florida, Georgia, Louisiana, Mississippi, Missouri, North Carolina, Oklahoma, South Carolina, and Texas). The crops chosen for this study represent the “second-tier” in terms of economic importance after the six crops that were the subject of Anderson et al. (2016). The survey was distributed by the USDA National Agricultural Statistical Service (NASS) in the summer of 2019 to a sample of producers in each of the states (except California) of the following six crops: hay, pecans (Carya …

Stoichiometric And Stable Isotope Ratios Of Wild Lizards In An Urban Landscape Vary With Reproduction, Physiology, Space And Time, Andrew M. Durso, Geoffrey David Smith, Spencer B. Hudson, Susannah S. French

Ecology Center Publications

Spatial and temporal variation in stoichiometric and stable isotope ratios of animals contains ecological information that we are just beginning to understand. In both field and lab studies, stoichiometric or isotopic ratios are related to physiological mechanisms underlying nutrition or stress. Conservation and ecosystem ecology may be informed by isotopic data that can be rapidly and non-lethally collected from wild animals, especially where human activity leaves an isotopic signature (e.g. via introduction of chemical fertilizers, ornamental or other non-native plants or organic detritus). We examined spatial and temporal variation in stoichiometric and stable isotope ratios of the toes of Uta …

The Role Of Dislodgement In The Territorial Ecology Of The Owl Limpet, Lottia Gigantea, Ryan T. Kabala, Natalie Swinford, Maria J. Mason, William G. Wright

Biology, Chemistry, and Environmental Sciences Faculty Articles and Research

Ascertaining the risks and benefits of different behaviors is a central goal of research on territoriality. Although most territorial behavior is ritualized, with concomitant reduced risks for both residents and intruders, this ritualization is generally found to be underpinned by rare, highly consequential, interactions. The agonistic behavior of the intertidal owl limpet, Lottia gigantea, involves defense of a feeding territory, and includes a relatively explosive thrusting response by territory holders against intruding conspecifics. We here ask whether this thrusting behavior is capable of entirely dislodging intruders from their rocky wave-swept substratum, thereby ridding the resident of future challenges by …

Reduction Of Taxonomic Bias In Diatom Species Data, Meredith A. Tyree, Ian W. Bishop, Charles P. Hawkins, Richard Mitchell, Sarah A. Spaulding

Ecology Center Publications

Inconsistency in taxonomic identification and analyst bias impede the effective use of diatom data in regional and national stream and lake surveys. In this study, we evaluated the effect of existing protocols and a revised protocol on the precision of diatom species counts. The revised protocol adjusts four elements of sample preparation, taxon identification and enumeration, and quality control (QC). We used six independent data sets to assess the effect of the adjustments on analytical outcomes. The first data set was produced by three laboratories with a total of five analysts following established protocols (Charles et al., Protocols for the …

Analysis Of An Agent-Based Model For Predicting The Behavior Of Bighead Carp (Hypophthalmichthys Nobilis) Under The Influence Of Acoustic Deterrence, Craig Garzella, Joseph Gaudy, Karl R. B. Schmitt, Arezu Mansuri

Spora: A Journal of Biomathematics

Bighead carp (Hypophthalmichthys nobilis) are an invasive, voracious, highly fecund species threatening the ecological integrity of the Great Lakes. This agent-based model and analysis explore bighead carp behavior in response to acoustic deterrence in an effort to discover properties that increase likelihood of deterrence system failure. Results indicate the most significant (p < 0.05) influences on barrier failure are the quantity of detritus and plankton behind the barrier, total number of bighead carp successfully deterred by the barrier, and number of native fishes freely moving throughout the simulation. Quantity of resources behind the barrier influence bighead carp to penetrate when populations are resource deprived. When native fish populations are low, an accumulation of phytoplankton can occur, increasing the likelihood of an algal bloom occurrence. Findings of this simulation suggest successful implementation with proper maintenance of an acoustic deterrence system has potential of abating the threat of bighead carp on ecological integrity of the Great Lakes.