Digital Commons Network^™

Temperate Eurasian Origins Of Hawaiian Chenopodium (Amaranthaceae) Plus Description Of A New Species Endemic To Moloka‘I, Jason T. Cantley, Angela J. Mcdonnell, J Branson, S R. Long, W Garnett, Christopher T. Martine

Faculty Journal Articles

Chenopodium taxa of Hawai‘i are tetraploids distinguished from other members of the circumglobally distributed genus by minute morphological characters. Because of these reasons, the geographic origin of Hawaiian Chenopodium has remained unclear. Across the Hawaiian Archipelago, Chenopodium taxa are morphologically variable and grow in highly disparate xeric habitats, especially in terms of precipitation, temperature, wind, salt spray, and solar irradiation. Habitats include dry subalpine shrublands, sandy beach strand of atolls in the Northwest Hawaiian Islands, dry forests, and precipitously tall sea cliffs of northwestern Moloka‘i. From the Moloka‘i sea cliffs, which are battered by high energy winds, salt spray, and …

Urban Soil Carbon And Nitrogen Converge At A Continental Scale, Tara Trammell, Diane E. Pataki, Richard Pouyat, Peter M. Groffman, Carl Rosier, Neil D. Bettez, Jeannine Cavender-Bares, Morgan J. Grove, Sharon J. Hall, James B. Heffernan, Sarah E. Hobbie, Jennifer L. Morse, Christopher Neill, Meredith Steele

Environmental Science and Management Faculty Publications and Presentations

In urban areas, anthropogenic drivers of ecosystem structure and function are thought to predominate over larger‐scale biophysical drivers. Residential yards are influenced by individual homeowner preferences and actions, and these factors are hypothesized to converge yard structure across broad scales. We examined soil total C and total δ13C, organic C and organic δ13C, total N, and δ15N in residential yards and corresponding reference ecosystems in six cities across the United States that span major climates and ecological biomes (Baltimore, Maryland; Boston, Massachusetts; Los Angeles, California; Miami, Florida; Minneapolis‐St. Paul, Minnesota; and Phoenix, Arizona). Across the cities, we found soil C …

Landscape Ecology And Population Genomics Of Two Sympatric Pitviper Species Across A Fragmented Appalachian Landscape, Thomas Maigret

Theses and Dissertations--Biology

Understanding the link between landscape patterns and ecological and evolutionary processes is an important prerequisite for informed wildlife conservation and management, especially in rapidly changing landscapes. Until recently, the inaccessibility of spatial and genomic data sets of sufficient resolution limited our ability to incorporate the impacts of landscape patterns into predictions of ecological and environmental outcomes. In this dissertation, I utilized several high-resolution spatial and genomic data sets to address ecological questions in a rapidly fragmenting landscape in southeastern Kentucky. Overall, my results indicate that large-scale surface coal mining is causing widespread homogenization of landforms, resulting in a uniquely permanent …

Predicting Patterns Of Gene Family Evolution In Taxa With Similar Ecological Niches, Kim Vertacnik

Theses and Dissertations--Biology

To fully understand the genetic basis of adaptation, we need to know its predictability—the extent to which specific selective pressures and contexts can yield corresponding genetic changes. In particular, the repeated colonization of similar, specialized environments by different taxa is ideal for assessing the frequency of reoccurring changes in the same genes or functions. But compared to a growing body of literature on the convergent evolution of individual genes, far less is known about the repeatability of gene family evolution, where families (defined here as groups of genes that share sequence and functional similarity from common ancestry) can expand (gain …

Limb Development In Salamanders: An Evolutionary Perspective To The Tetrapod Limb, Sruthi Purushothaman

Theses and Dissertations--Biology

Vertebrate limb is an ideal model to study growth, patterning and morphogenesis and the interplay between these processes. The developing limb bud is a three-dimensional structure and its outgrowth depends on the interaction between 2 important signaling centers: the Apical Ectodermal Ridge (AER) at the junction of the dorsal and ventral halves of the limb bud and the Zone of Polarizing activity (ZPA) in the posterior mesenchyme. These centers produce their respective key molecules and the close interplay between them specifies structures along the anterior-posterior (thumb to pinky), proximal-distal (shoulder to fingertips) and dorsal-ventral (knuckle to palm) axes.

Developmental biologists …

Diet Of A Recently Reintroduced River Otter (Lontra Canadensis) Population In Taos County, New Mexico, Gabriela Alexandra Wolf-Gonzalez

Theses and Dissertations--Forestry and Natural Resources

North American river otters (Lontra canadensis), native to every U.S. state and Canada, experienced extensive population decreases and range reduction until the mid-20th century as a result of overexploitation and habitat loss during European colonization. The last known river otter in New Mexico was killed on the Gila River in 1953, although unverified reports continued thru 2008. After a nearly 60-year absence from New Mexico, 33 adult river otters were reintroduced to the Rio Pueblo de Taos in the northern part of the state between 2008-2010; however, they were not subsequently monitored or studied. I characterized diet of …

Food Abundance Modulates Juvenile Mussel (Unionidae) Growth Responses To The Asian Clam (Corbicula Fluminea), Drew Edward Jerry White

Theses and Dissertations--Forestry and Natural Resources

Interactions between the Asian Clam (Corbicula fluminea) and freshwater mussels (Unionidae) have been documented, but the effect of food abundance on these interactions is not well understood. I examined the role of food abundance in modulating the growth and survival responses of juvenile Cumberland Bean (Venustaconcha troostensis) to Corbicula. I ran a series of controlled experiments in which I tested the effect of Corbicula on growth and survival of juvenile freshwater mussels in multiple environmentally relevant conditions of food abundance. Corbicula had no effect on juvenile mussel survival, regardless of food abundance. However, juvenile mussel …

Evaluation Of Created Wetlands As Amphibian Habitat On A Reforested Surface Mine, Michaela M. Lambert

Theses and Dissertations--Forestry and Natural Resources

Reclaimed mines often lack pre-mining habitat due to soil compaction and lack of natural features. If soils are de-compacted and natural features restored, new habitats can be created, such as wetlands for amphibians. It is important to understand which factors affect amphibian use of wetlands to estimate the efficacy of created wetlands as habitat. I sampled 40 wetlands among 4 ages (2, 4, 6, and 8 years) on a reforested surface mine to: 1) characterize differences in wetland habitat across age classes, 2) estimate amphibian occupancy, 3) investigate estimated abundance of 4 amphibian species (Lithobates sylvaticus, L. clamitans, Notophthalmus …

Effects Of Shelterwood And Patch Cut Harvests On A Post White-Nose Syndrome Bat Community In The Cumberland Plateau In Eastern Kentucky, Phillip Lee Arant

Theses and Dissertations--Forestry and Natural Resources

The impact of shelterwood and patch cuts harvests on bat communities was tested at three sites in Eastern Kentucky. Shelterwood harvests had 50% of the basal area and understory removed to create a uniform spacing of residual trees. Patch cuts had 1-hectare circular openings created to remove 50% of the basal area creating an aggregated spacing of residual trees. Acoustic detectors were deployed to assess activity levels pre-harvest. Sites were then sampled from 1 – 2 years post-harvest to determine differences. Pre-harvest data revealed little acoustic activity for the Myotis spp. at two sites. The remaining site had high activity …

The Ecological Function Of Intertidal Seagrass For Sediment Entrapment On Middle Bank Shoal, Penang, Awang Nur Asilah

Student Works (2020-2029)

Application of seagrass in eco-engineering for sustainable coastal protection requires a deeper understanding of seagrass functions for sediment entrapment. Knowledge gaps on the influence of intertidal seagrass in trapping sediments raised two main questions in this study; (1) what is the relationship between intertidal seagrass meadow structure and trapped sediment? and (2) which part of the intertidal seagrass meadow structure best explains the variability of trapped sediment? To answer these questions, seagrass shoot density, Leaf Area Index (LAI), and total aboveground biomass were used as predictors for sediments deposition rate on Middle Bank Shoal. Three seagrass species were found; Enhalus …

Influence Of Diet And Abiotic Factors On The Survival And Reproduction Of Calanoid Copepod Pseudodiaptomus Annandalei, Abd Aziz Fatin Fatihah

Student Works (2020-2029)

The calanoid copepod, Pseudodiaptomus annandalei, due to its good nutritional value and significance as a natural diet of many tropical fish, is a superior live feed for marine fish larvae. Fish larvae needs a sustainable supply of good quality live feed for optimal growth and survival. Aims of this study were to investigate the effects of (1) marine mircroheterotrophs grown in palm oil mill effluent (POME) as copepod diet and (2) abiotic factors i.e. salinity (ppt), temperature (˚C), pH, photoperiod and light intensity on the survival and nauplii production of P. annandalei. Both biotic and abiotic experiments were conducted with …

Bottom-Up Herbivore-Plant Feedbacks Trump Trophic Cascades In A Wolf-Elk-Grassland System, Trevor C. Weeks

Undergraduate Theses, Professional Papers, and Capstone Artifacts

Top-down predator-prey effects that alter the abundance, biomass, or productivity of a population community across more than one link in a food web are referred to as trophic cascades. While these effects have been extensively studied in aquatic environments, fewer studies have examined trophic cascades in terrestrial ecosystems. And fewer still terrestrial studies have tested for trophic cascades between vertebrates and grassland vegetation. Across the globe, grassland plant biomass is driven by both precipitation and non-linear positive feedbacks between grazing and plant productivity, as predicted by the Intermediate Grazing Hypothesis. Yet little is known about the role that apex carnivores …

Current Dog Breeding Practices Impacts On Health And Preservation Of Purebred Dogs, Bridget E. Baker

Honors Theses and Capstones

No abstract provided.

Drought Effects On Germination Rate Of Two Sagebrush Species, Artemisia Cana And Artemisia Arbusula, And Comparison Of Seed Counts Using A Photography App And Weighing, Sam S. Kelly, Cessair E. Mckinney

Environmental Science & Management Senior Capstones

Sagebrush steppe ecosystems have been impacted by climate change, grazing, and invasive plants. While some widespread sagebrush species have been well-studied, including big sagebrush (Artemisia tridentata), others like silver sagebrush (Artemisia cana) and low sagebrush (Artemisia arbuscula) are understudied. To learn more about how to restore these important ecosystems, we conducted a germination study of two sagebrush species. We germinated seeds from A. cana in petri plates and in soil to compare the rates of germination in both methods, while A. arbuscula seeds were germinated only in petri plates. We also tested the efficiency …

Monitoring Mammal Community Shifts Across Silvicultural Treatments Utilizing Camera Traps And The Development Of Invertebrate- Derived Dna In Hardwood Forests Of North America, Shallen Gurtler

Dissertations, Master's Theses and Master's Reports

Mammal distribution and diversity is quickly changing as humans modify the landscape. In particular, silviculture, which is the practice of controlling the growth, structure, and quality of forests to meet the needs of society and the landowner, influences the habitat usage of mammals. Utilizing camera traps, I monitored shifts in mammal communities across different silviculture treatments in the northern hardwood forests of the Great Lakes region in North America. I assessed the community composition across six canopy treatments and three understory treatments with a total of 2,018 active camera trap nights with 3,321 detections over the course of 147 days. …

Livestock-Wildlife Dynamics And Subsequent Human Responses In Marginalized Communities Within Mexico’S Nationally Protected Areas, Deanna Seil

Dissertations, Master's Theses and Master's Reports

Entering the planet’s sixth mass-extinction, monitoring biodiversity and the factors which affect it is of the utmost importance. This study on the interaction of humans and their livestock with wildlife, and the impact of this interaction on wildlife conservation, took place in Santiago Coatepec, located within the Tehuacán-Cuicatlán Biosphere Reserve in Mexico. Wildlife interactions with livestock may depend upon species, season, ecological characteristics of the area, and livestock management practices. Using camera traps, field data, and interview data, I quantified livestock impact on wildlife behavior and community beliefs. Over two years, camera traps at 18 stations recorded 709 wildlife videos …

Gis-Based Trending Analysis Of Cropland Associated With Riparian From 2008 To 2018 In Wisconsin, Yanyun Li

Dissertations, Master's Theses and Master's Reports

One of important characteristics of riparian area is to protect surface and underground water from nutrient contaminated runoff from nearby farmland. Comparing with the traditional fixed-width riparian buffer delineation, the Riparian Buffer Delineation Model (RBDM) to be used in this study, is a GIS-based tool designed to map variable-width riparian buffers by taking into consideration the watercourse and its associated floodplain. As the use of biofuels increases especially derived from corn, riparian areas are often converted to agricultural fields due to the nutrient rich soils and flat topography commonly found in these locations. Meanwhile, it also gives rise to nonpoint …

Temporal Changes In Unisexual And Sexual Ambystoma Salamander Populations In Southeast Michigan, Kelsey B. Mitchell

Master's Theses and Doctoral Dissertations

Climate change drives changes in organisms’ geographic ranges that can lead to shifts in population structure. Unisexual (all female) Ambystoma salamanders reproduce via kleptogenesis, resulting in ploidy-variable offspring. I analyzed genetic data of historic and modern-day unisexual and A. laterale samples from the University of Michigan’s E. S. George Reserve using epidermal cell nuclei measurements and microsatellite loci. I found that population composition has shifted away from the more northern-distributed A. laterale and toward populations dominated by unisexuals in five out of six ponds. There was a significant relationship between the proportion of A. laterale to unisexuals and pond size …

Species Conservation & Recovery Through Adequate Regulatory Mechanisms, Sandra B. Zellmer, Sam J. Panarella, Oliver Finn Wood

Faculty Journal Articles & Other Writings

The world is experiencing its sixth episode of mass extinction of life. In rhetoric typically used by bloggers rather than scientists, the National Academy of Sciences reports that this "biological annihilation" is more dire than previously believed,' and that the decimation of biodiversity and of the ecosystem services resulting from it is nothing less than a "frightening assault on the foundations of human civilization."2

Unlike previous episodes of mass extinction, this one is caused by human overpopulation, overconsumption, and anthropogenic climate change. The United States has been a world conservation leader for over a century, but its commitment to supporting …

Black Bear, Jimmy D. Taylor, James P. Phillips

Wildlife Damage Management Technical Series

The American black bear (Ursus americanus, Figure 1) is a challenging species for wildlife agencies to manage due to its size, intelligence, extensive range, food habits, and adaptability, as well as societal views. In North America alone, agencies receive more than 40,000 complaints about black bear annually. Black bears are known as ‘food-driven’ animals, meaning most conflicts result from a bear’s drive to meet its nutritional needs. Not surprisingly, an overwhelming proportion of conflicts are related to their use of anthropogenic (human) food sources, such as garbage, bird food, and crops. Understanding what drives human-bear conflict is the first part …

Using Unmanned Aircraft Systems To Identify Invasive Species, Tithe Ahmed

Mahurin Honors College Capstone Experience/Thesis Projects

Invasive species serve as a threat to native biodiversity and ecosystem sustainability. Combatting the spread of invasive species requires long-term physical and monetary commitments. In Balule Nature Reserve of Greater Kruger National Park, South Africa, Opuntia ficus-inidica (the common prickly pear) has been a relentless invader, displacing the local flora and fauna. The goal of this project is to battle invasive species such as prickly pear using efficient and inexpensive technology: unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs or drones) and multispectral sensors.

Using a 4-bandwidth Parrot Sequoia multispectral sensor in tandem with the DJI Phantom Pro 3^TM UAV, images of land …

Wildlife Health Systems, Lee Skerratt

Animal Sentience

Wildlife health systems aim to ensure that all animal life is healthy and resilient. They protect biodiversity and ecosystem services and ensure that the risk of spillover of pathogens is mitigated. These systems are flexible, multidisciplinary and cross-sectorial. They can manage a variety of threats to life that arise in different communities and cultures. Very small investments are required to ensure that wildlife health systems function effectively.

Asian Elephant Rescue, Rehabilitation And Rewilding, Liv Baker, Rebecca Winkler

Animal Sentience

Thailand has fewer than 10,000 elephants left. More of them are living in captivity to serve the tourist industry under grim conditions than are living free in what is left of their wild habitat. Conservation efforts need to be focused on all surviving members of the species, captive and free, but they need to take into account the inextricable entanglement of human and nonhuman animal lives in Thailand today. There is an opportunity for rescuing, rehabilitating and reintroducing captive elephants to the wild with the help of the traditional expertise of a mahout culture that has been elephant-keeping for centuries. …

A “Halfway House” For Improving Captive Welfare, Phyllis C. Lee, W. Keith Lindsay

Animal Sentience

It is certainly time to aim for higher quality management strategies for Thailand’s captive elephants, and to engage with sustainable livelihoods for traditional mahouts. Baker & Winkler’s proposal to rewild Thai elephants by placing them under the guardianship of Karen mahouts is recognized as not “wild” since it remains a form of management requiring elephants to live under the control of human caregivers. We applaud the positive welfare aims of this proposal; however, we caution that few of the long-term consequences for elephants or habitats can be known, and further considerations of elephant population dynamics and forest ecosystems are required …

Exploring Eight-Armed Intelligence Through Film, Tierney M. Thys

Animal Sentience

Mather (2019) provides a rich overview of the elements underlying octopus cognition and behavioral flexibility. Recently, two remarkable natural history films, My Octopus Teacher and The Octopus in My House have explored intimate human-octopus relationships with a wild (Octopus vulgaris) and a captive octopus (Octopus cyanea) respectively. Both films show rare behaviors that offer observations to test new hypotheses as well as a novel perspective on our own human relationships and place within the natural world. An interview with filmmaker Craig Foster from My Octopus Teacher reveals the profound and transformative power of forming a trusting …

Invertebrate Welfare In The Wild, Asher Soryl

Animal Sentience

Mikhalevich & Powell argue that certain cognitive-affective biases might distort people’s consideration of invertebrate minds and that the moral risks of false negatives in sentience research deserve greater consideration under precautionary frameworks. In this commentary, I draw comparisons between biases that concern wild animals and conditions in nature, arguing that the moral risks of disregarding the possible mental welfare of invertebrates are compounded by facts about their lives in the wild.

Sentience In Evolutionary Context, Jon Mallatt, Todd E. Feinberg

Animal Sentience

We appreciate the goals of Mikhalevich & Powell (M&P) and largely agree with their conclusions but we differ on some of their definitions and terms. Affects (emotional feelings) should be part of sentience. Although the evidence presented for insect sentience is strong, we list some of the counterevidence that should be considered. Our own research supports M&P’s choice of arthropods, cephalopods, and vertebrates as the only sentient organisms with moral status.

Bridging The Empathy Gap For Invertebrates, John M. Marzluff

Animal Sentience

The actions of sentient vertebrates command our attention and inform our morality. Mikhalevich & Powell (2020) (M&P) argue that similar activities in a wide range of invertebrates with central nervous systems should do likewise. However, humans most readily empathize with creatures we recognize as similar in behavior, physiology, or appearance to ourselves. Helping humanity overcome this bias is a significant challenge for those who study invertebrates. Until this empathy gap is bridged, I believe few people and the policies they craft will afford invertebrates the moral standing that M&P argue they deserve. Therefore, I suggest those interested in raising appreciation …

Inhibition Of Pain Or Response To Injury In Invertebrates And Vertebrates, Matilda Gibbons, Sajedeh Sarlak

Animal Sentience

In certain situations, insects appear to lack a response to noxious stimuli that would cause pain in humans. For example, from the fact that male mantids continue to mate while being eaten by their partner it does not follow that insects do not feel pain; it could be the result of modulation of nociceptive inputs or behavioural outputs. When we try to infer the underlying mental state of an insect from its behaviour, it is important to consider the behavioural effects of the associated physiological and neurobiological mechanisms.

Game Theory And Artificial Intelligence In Just Preservation, David L. Dowe, Nader Chmait

Animal Sentience

We humans can show presumption, arrogance and many dubious traits. By virtue of being land-dwelling, dexterous, relatively intelligent, and having good communication hardware and (good) fortune, we have for recent millennia largely had dominion of our planet. Yet humans often do not treat themselves (let alone other species) particularly well. Treves et al.’s idea of a multispecies justice system — not “prioritizing humans” but “finding practical ways to work within human systems” — invites consideration.