Digital Commons Network^™

Rocky Mountain Forests Are Poised To Recover Following Bark Beetle Outbreaks But With Altered Composition, Kyle C. Rodman, Robert A. Andrus, Amanda R. Carlson, Trevor A. Carter, Teresa B. Chapman, Jonathan D. Coop, Paula J. Fornwalt, Nathan S. Gill, Brian J. Harvey, Ashley E. Hoffman, Katharine C. Kelsey, Dominik Kulakowski, Daniel C. Laughlin, Jenna E. Morris, José F. Negrón, Katherine M. Nigro, Gregory S. Pappas, Miranda D. Redmond, Charles C. Rhoades, Monique E. Rocca, Zoe H. Schapira, Jason S. Sibold, Camille S. Stevens-Rumann, Thomas T. Veblen, Jianmin Wang, Xiaoyang Zhang, Sarah J. Hart

Geography

Amplified by warming temperatures and drought, recent outbreaks of native bark beetles (Curculionidae: Scolytinae) have caused extensive tree mortality throughout Europe and North America. Despite their ubiquitous nature and important effects on ecosystems, forest recovery following such disturbances is poorly understood, particularly across regions with varying abiotic conditions and outbreak effects. To better understand post-outbreak recovery across a topographically complex region, we synthesized data from 16 field studies spanning subalpine forests in the Southern Rocky Mountains, USA. From 1997 to 2019, these forests were heavily affected by outbreaks of three native bark beetle species (Dendroctonus ponderosae, Dendroctonus rufipennis and Dryocoetes …

Land Reversion And Zoonotic Spillover Risk, John E. Vinson, Nicole L. Gottdenker, Luis Fernando Chaves, Rajreni B. Kaul, Andrew M. Kramer, John M. Drake, Richard J. Hall

Integrative Biology Faculty and Staff Publications

Deforestation alters wildlife communities and modifies human–wildlife interactions, often increasing zoonotic spillover potential. When deforested land reverts to forest, species composition differences between primary and regenerating (secondary) forest could alter spillover risk trajectory. We develop a mathematical model of land-use change, where habitats differ in their relative spillover risk, to understand how land reversion influences spillover risk. We apply this framework to scenarios where spillover risk is higher in deforested land than mature forest, reflecting higher relative abundance of highly competent species and/or increased human–wildlife encounters, and where regenerating forest has either very low or high spillover risk. We find …

Using Deep Neural Networks To Analyze Precision Agriculture Data, Stephanie Liebl

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

As the population of the Earth increases, there is a growing need for food to feed the inhabitants. Precision agriculture offers techniques and tools that can be used to help accommodate the growing population. One specific precision agriculture tool is remote sensing data, which can be used to image fields as an effort to better predict or understand the crops. In this thesis, deep neural networks are used to evaluate various spatial, spectral, and temporal resolutions of three different satellite images to determine which best predicts corn yield. The main metrics we used to evaluate the models were R-squared (R2), …

The Naming Of Homo Bodoensis By Roksandic And Colleagues Does Not Resolve Issues Surrounding Middle Pleistocene Human Evolution, Eric Delson, Chris Stringer

Publications and Research

Roksandic et al. (2022) proposed the new species name Homo bodoensis as a replacement name for Homo rhodesiensis Woodward, 1921, because they felt it was poorly and variably defined and was linked to sociopolitical baggage. However, the International Code of Zoological Nomenclature includes regulations on how and when such name changes are allowed, and Roksandic et al.'s arguments meet none of these requirements. It is not permitted to change a name solely because of variable (or erroneous) later use once it has been originally defined correctly, nor can a name be modified because it is offensive to one or more …

Fruits Of Our Labor: Exploring The Impacts Of A Nonprofit Seed Bank On Indigenous Communities In The Southwestern United States, Rachel Mary Davis

Graduate Research Theses & Dissertations

This thesis explores the ways that the nonprofit Native Seeds/SEARCH, of Tucson, Arizona interfaces with Indigenous communities and the local seed and food systems in the Southwest United States. The thesis argues that Native seed and food sovereignty have different meanings for different Indigenous people, and that nonprofits working with Indigenous communities need to consider input from them when deciding how to catalogue, regenerate and sustain healthy grow outs for the future, especially in the light of climate change and drought.

Spatial Geochemical Changes In Central And East Texas Soils Over Time Resulting From Human Decomposition, Isabela Marisol Overturf

CMC Senior Theses

Human decomposition is studied to aid forensic investigations and better understand the impact of cemeteries on urban resources like soil and groundwater. The purpose of this study was to identify changes in soil geochemistry at and around a human grave to search for lateral nutrient movement and possibly identify new patterns in elemental concentrations that could be used in estimating post-mortem intervals (PMIs). At the Forensic Anthropology Research Facility (FARF) at Texas State San Marcos, soil samples were collected from a shallow grave over the course of 54 days to conduct analysis for organic matter content, texture, pH, and bulk …

Looking To The Future Of Wildlife Conservation: Durable Wildlife Policy For The 21st Century, Charlie R. Booher

Graduate Student Theses, Dissertations, & Professional Papers

Wildlife conservation in the United States was built by the dollars of consumptive users. Monies from the sale of hunting licenses, as well as excise taxes on firearms, ammunition, and archery tackle through the Pittman-Robertson Federal Aid in Wildlife Restoration Act (PR), currently fuel a complex system of wildlife conservation via multiple levels of government. However, the number of hunters in this country is rapidly declining, the sale of firearms and ammunition is increasingly unrelated to hunting, and contemporary consumers tend to express different values than traditional hunters. These changes pose significant challenges of relevancy and funding to state and …

The Ecology And Evolution Of Human Reproductive Behavior, Kaylynne Glover

Theses and Dissertations--Biology

The complexity of human reproductive behavior has necessitated its examination through a variety of scientific disciplines, each focusing on specific elements of our biology, behavior, and society. However, this complexity also necessitates that we reintegrate the information learned from each discipline into a single framework, one rooted in the evolutionary principles that have shaped the development of all life on earth. In this dissertation, I use this framework to explore human reproductive behavior, with a particular focus on sexual coercion and fertility-mediated sexual behavior.

In Chapter 1, I introduce the approach taken in this document, identify several key limitations, and …

Fairly Predicting Graft Failure In Liver Transplant For Organ Assigning, Sirui Ding, Ruixiang Tang, Daochen Zha, Na Zou, Kai Zhang, Xiaoqian Jiang, Xia Hu

Faculty, Staff and Student Publications

Liver transplant is an essential therapy performed for severe liver diseases. The fact of scarce liver resources makes the organ assigning crucial. Model for End-stage Liver Disease (MELD) score is a widely adopted criterion when making organ distribution decisions. However, it ignores post-transplant outcomes and organ/donor features. These limitations motivate the emergence of machine learning (ML) models. Unfortunately, ML models could be unfair and trigger bias against certain groups of people. To tackle this problem, this work proposes a fair machine learning framework targeting graft failure prediction in liver transplant. Specifically, knowledge distillation is employed to handle dense and sparse …

A Comparison Of Chimpanzee Wound Rates Before And During Covid-19 Zoo Closures, Robin Elana Salak

All Master's Theses

Visitor effect studies have had inconsistent impacts on animals, due in part to the inability to control for all confounding variables such as time of day, seasonal weather patterns, and so forth. This study represents the first instance where chimpanzee (Pan troglodytes) wounding frequencies were investigated across extensive time periods in the presence and complete absence of visitors, thus eliminating many visitor-related variables. Additional variables were eliminated through the zoo selection process, based on institutional responses to a 29-question survey, providing a novel approach to the question of visitor effects. The aim of this study was to determine …

Factors Influencing Intestinal Parasite In Black-And-White Ruffed Lemurs (Varecia Variegata), Eliette Noromalala

All Master's Theses

Ecological factors, such as feeding behavior and climatic seasonality, might influence intestinal parasite infection and patterns in non-human primates. Here, we examined if frugivory levels and climate (i.e., temperature and rainfall) were associated with parasite patterns in black-and-white ruffed lemurs (Varecia variegata). Feeding data using 5-min focal sampling, climate data, and fecal samples from V. variegata (n = 23) at the “Mangevo” site were collected from February through May 2019. Microscopic examinations of fecal flotation and sedimentation were done to identify and count parasites. Nematoda (Callistoura vauceli, and Strongyloides sp.) Ciliophora (Balantidium sp.), Coccidia ( …

Wilderness And The Geotag: Exploring The Claim That "Geotagging Ruins Nature" In The Alpine Lakes Wilderness, Wa, Mara Gans

All Master's Theses

This research explores the claim that “geotagging ruins nature” by quantifying and qualifying patterns in geotag use and visitors’ experiences in the Alpine Lakes Wilderness, in Washington, United States. Many have raised concerns that geotags increase recreational visitation to public lands, which subsequently contributes to negative resource impacts. Others, however, claim that geotagging has made the outdoors more accessible to less privileged communities and raise concerns that condemning geotags will perpetuate the exclusion of certain groups from outdoor recreation. This debate is studied within federally designated Wilderness, which is legally defined as “untrammeled by man,” a definition rooted in problematic …

Stakeholder Knowledge And Perceptions Of Free-Roaming Equids And Their Management At A Western U.S. Land-Grant University, Hollee S. Wood, S. Nicole Frey, Terry A. Messmer

Human–Wildlife Interactions

The horse (Equus ferus caballus), originally native to North America, became extinct on the continent approximately 10,000 years ago. Horses that migrated from North America to Eurasia across the Bering Strait continued to evolve and were domesticated along with burros (E. asinus). Both species were then transported to the Americas where they were intentionally released or escaped into the wild, forming feral herds. The Wild Free-Roaming Horses and Burros Act of 1971 (WFRHBA) provided federal oversight and protection for feral horses and burros (hereafter, free-roaming equids) that inhabited designated areas on public lands in the western …

Phenomic And Genetic Controls Of The Drought Stress Response In Sorghum, Melissa A. Lehrer

Graduate Theses, Dissertations, and Problem Reports (ETD)

Drought, one of the most common abiotic stressors, is a result of the precipitation and temperature fluctuations influenced by climate change. As consistent weather patterns are crucial for the maintenance of crop yield, drought threatens food security through its impact on plant growth and development. It is essential to ensure the quality, availability, and affordability of grain-based products in the face of climate change due to expectations of population growth. Therefore, shedding light on the mechanisms associated with drought tolerance is integral to maintaining agricultural production under water-limited conditions. My dissertation work aimed to uncover the morphological, physiological, and genetic …

Coupled Structure-Function Responses To Disturbance: High Structural Complexity Resistance Supports Primary Production Resistance, Kerstin M. Niedermaier

Theses and Dissertations

The capacity of forests to resist structural change and retain material legacies–the biotic and abiotic resources that persist through disturbance–is crucial to sustaining ecosystem functioning after disturbance. However, the role of forest structure as both a material legacy and feature supporting carbon (C) cycling stability following disturbance has not been widely investigated. We used a large-scale disturbance manipulation to ask whether LiDAR-derived canopy structures as material legacies drive 3-year responses of NPP to a range of disturbance severity levels. As part of the Forest Resilience Threshold Experiment (FoRTE) in northern Michigan, USA we simulated phloem-disrupting disturbances at a range of …

Transformation Of Farmer Resistance In Conservation Areas: Land Occupation By Farmers In Mount Halimun-Salak National Park, West Java, Sulastri Sardjo, Arya Hadi Dharmawan, Dudung Darusman, Ekawati Sri Wahyuni

Masyarakat: Jurnal Sosiologi

A number of studies have shown various agrarian conflicts as a response by local farmers against the policy of national parks that prohibits them from accessing conservation forest areas. However, previous studies had not explained the dynamics of power relations between park authorities and farmers who stand in opposition to these policies. This study employs a qualitative research approach complemented by secondary data to explain the transformation of farmer resistance in the Mount Halimun-Salak National Park (TNGHS) area, namely from their repertoire of everyday resistance to practices of land occupation. Specifically, this study uses the “powercube” analytical framework to explain …

Death Scene Insect Succession In Nebraska: A Guidebook, Erin Bauer, Larry Barksdale, Emma Sidel, Justine Laviolette

Department of Entomology: Faculty Publications

Insect behavior can be helpful to law enforcement in determining time of death, manner of death, location, and environment related to human or other animal victims found at a death scene. They may also provide clues about other aspects associated with an investigation (i.e., fly specks, suspect DNA). The study of how insects and related arthropods can aid in legal investigations is known as forensic entomology. Although this includes both civil applications, such as urban (i.e., maggots in mortuaries or insect structural damage) or stored product (i.e., illness from food contamination) entomology, this manual focuses on criminal applications, such as …

The Evolution Of Quantitative Sensitivity, Margaret A H Bryer, Sarah E. Koopman, Jessica F. Cantlon, Steven T. Piantadosi, Evan L. Maclean, Joseph M. Baker, Michael J. Beran, Sarah M. Jones, Kerry E. Jordan, Salif Mahamane, Andreas Nieder, Bonnie M. Perdue, Friederike Range, Jeffrey R. Stevens, Masaki Tomonaga, Dorottya Ujfalussy, Jennifer Vonk

Jeffrey Stevens Publications

The ability to represent approximate quantities appears to be phylogenetically widespread, but the selective pressures and proximate mechanisms favouring this ability remain unknown. We analysed quantity discrimination data from 672 subjects across 33 bird and mammal species, using a novel Bayesian model that combined phylogenetic regression with a model of number psychophysics and random effect components. This allowed us to combine data from 49 studies and calculate the Weber fraction (a measure of quantity representation precision) for each species. We then examined which cognitive, socioecological and biological factors were related to variance in Weber fraction. We found contributions of phylogeny …

The Ecology Of Wealth Inequality In Animal Societies, Eli D. Strauss, Daizaburo Shizuka

School of Biological Sciences: Faculty Publications

Individuals vary in their access to resources, social connections and phenotypic traits, and a central goal of evolutionary biology is to understand how this variation arises and influences fitness. Parallel research on humans has focused on the causes and consequences of variation in material possessions, opportunity and health. Central to both fields of study is that unequal distribution of wealth is an important component of social structure that drives variation in relevant outcomes. Here, we advance a research framework and agenda for studying wealth inequality within an ecological and evolutionary context. This ecology of inequality approach presents the opportunity to …

Late Pleistocene Megafauna Extinction Leads To Missing Pieces Of Ecological Space In A North American Mammal Community, Felisa A. Smith, Emma A. Elliott Smith, Amelia Villaseñor, Catalina P. Tomé, S. Kathleen Lyons, Seth D. Newsome

School of Biological Sciences: Faculty Publications

The conservation status of large-bodied mammals is dire. Their decline has serious consequences because they have unique ecological roles not replicated by smaller-bodied animals. Here, we use the fossil record of the megafauna extinction at the terminal Pleistocene to explore the consequences of past biodiversity loss. We characterize the isotopic and body-size niche of a mammal community in Texas before and after the event to assess the influence on the ecology and ecological interactions of surviving species (>1 kg). Preextinction, a variety of C₄ grazers, C₃ browsers, and mixed feeders existed, similar to modern African savannas, with …

Predicting Consistent Foraging Ecologies Of Migrating Waterbirds: Using Stable Isotope And Parasite Measurements As Indicators Of Landscape Use, Kate L. Sheehan, Brian S. Dorr, Stephen A. Clements, Terrel W. Christie, Katie Hanson-Dorr, Scott A. Rush, J. Brian Davis

United States Department of Agriculture Wildlife Services: Staff Publications

The emergence of novel human pathogens is frequently linked with zoonotic events and human-wildlife interactions that promote disease transmission. Consequently, surveillance of wildlife populations for candidate diseases that could spread to humans is beneficial, but requires widespread collections of numerous samples. A legitimate means to acquire large sample sizes of waterfowl is through cooperation between researchers and hunters, who also work in concert with natural resource managers, landowners, and agricultural entities -e.g., aquaculture facilities. In addition to understanding the occurrence and spread of parasites and pathogens by birds, these samples can be used to answer questions about the ecology of …

Exploring The Value Of A Global Gene Drive Project Registry, Riley I. Taitingfong, Antoinette J. Piaggio, Cinnamon S. Bloss, Et Al.

United States Department of Agriculture Wildlife Services: Staff Publications

Recent calls to establish a global project registry before releasing any gene-drive-modified organisms (GDOs) have suggested a registry could be valuable to coordinate research, collect data to monitor and evaluate potential ecological impacts, and facilitate transparent communication with community stakeholders and the general public. Here, we report the results of a multidisciplinary expert workshop on GDO registries convened on 8–9 December 2020 involving 70 participants from 14 countries. Participants had expertise in gene drive design, conservation and population modeling, social science, stakeholder engagement, governance and regulation, international policy, and vector control; they represented 45 organizations, spanning national and local governmental …

Succession Of Carrion Insects On Pig Carcasses Relocated From Indoor To Outdoor Conditions, Sudarat Fueangmeekun

Chulalongkorn University Theses and Dissertations (Chula ETD)

Forensic entomological evidence can be used to solve relocations cases. However, forensic entomological studies on corpse relocation in Thailand is limited, therefore, this research aimed to study insect succession on pig carcasses relocated from indoor to outdoor conditions and pig carcasses refrigerated for 3 days before relocated to the outdoor condition. Nong Hin District in Loei Province was chosen to be the study site. The study was conducted in three seasons: winter, summer and monsoon. There were three experiments in each season: 1) non-relocation (control), 2) relocation from an indoor to an outdoor condition, and 3) refrigeration before relocation. There …

Impact Of Prairie Restoration On Geochemistry And Microbial Communities In Groundwater, Kayla Koenig

Graduate Research Theses & Dissertations

Prairie restoration is important for reversing the loss of biodiversity and repairing ecosystem functions humanity is dependent on diverse ecosystems. This study looks at the impact of the beginning phases of prairie restoration on groundwater geochemistry and microbial communities the relationship between them. This research project studied the geochemistry and microbial communities in five wells before, during, and after the beginning phases of the first year of a prairie restoration on the Northern Illinois University campus. Water samples were collected bimonthly for a year and analyzed on an Ion Chromatograph. Microbial samples were collected monthly and underwent DNA extraction, amplification, …

Revisiting Participatory Rural Appraisal (Pra) Related Studies And Exploring Pra's Success Determinants: A Content Analysis, Raquel Garcia-Agustin

Journal of Public Affairs and Development

Participatory Rural Appraisal (PRA) has shown that participation in development programs in poor communities can be empowering not only for the community members but also for the development workers. However, not all PRAs have seen successes especially in fulfilling their mission to encourage real participation. Hence, it is imperative to understand whether PRA has led to adequate understanding of indigenous perspective to call for action and the interest PRA serves. This analysis aims to provide critical insights and reflections from the experiences of previously conducted PRAs. It further aims to reveal whether PRAs were used effectively and successfully according to …

Dental Morphometric Investigation On The Chinchilla (Chinchilla Lanigera) Using A Threedimensionalreconstruction Model, Sema Özkadi̇f, Emrullah Eken, Ayşe Haligür

Turkish Journal of Veterinary & Animal Sciences

The aim of this study was to reveal the morphometric characteristics of the teeth of the chinchilla (Chinchilla lanigera), which are both kept as pet animals and raised for the economic value of their fur, using three-dimensional (3D) reconstructions created from two-dimensional (2D) multidetector computed tomography (MDCT) images and to investigate whether there was a difference between the sexes. A total of 12 chinchillas of both sexes (six males and six females) were used. The teeth reconstructions of the animals were performed with Mimics. 14.1 3D modeling software on the 2D images was taken in the prone position. According to …

Computed Tomography And Osteological Examination Of The Nuchal Perforations In Byzantine Cattle Skulls, Vedat Onar, Aleksander Chroszcz, Dominik Poradowski, Nazan Gezer İnce, Mehmet Ali̇ Polat, Rahmi̇ Asal

Turkish Journal of Veterinary & Animal Sciences

This study presents computed tomography (CT) and osteological observations of nuchal perforations in the Middle-Late Byzantine cattle skulls, unearthed from Yenikapı Metro and Marmaray excavations (ancient Theodosius harbour), İstanbul, Türkiye. A total of 17 skulls with perforations of various size, ranging from elliptical to triangular, located in the nuchal (posterior) region of protuberantia intercornualis were examined. Rounded edges and smooth inner walls of these perforations indicated that they were formed when the animals were alive (ante mortem). The CT helped to understand the details of the caudal and dorsal part of head as well as the relationships between these perforations …

Modification Of Culture Medium And Identification Of Microbial Contaminants For Improved In Vitro Propagation Of Freshwater Mussels, Raquel M. Wetzell

Theses and Dissertations

In vitro propagation efforts play an essential role in conserving and restoring threatened freshwater mussel populations by circumventing the need for a fish host. Across a broad range of taxa, transformation is induced with an artificial M199 medium and rabbit serum. However, such formulation may not be sufficient in culturing critical species with more specific physiological requirements. In this study, multiple serum mixtures were tested to improve in vitro transformation of two freshwater mussel species: yellow lampmussel (Lampsilis cariosa) and tidewater mucket (Atlantaconcha ochracea). These species were selected because they parasitize similar fish host species but …

Unleaded: Montana’S Silent Epidemic, Erica Zurek

Graduate Student Theses, Dissertations, & Professional Papers

Lead is a cumulative toxin that can affect multiple systems in the human body. Exposure occurs through various sources, such as outdated and deteriorating infrastructure, paint, soil and drinking water. This project, a three-part audio series on lead exposure in Montana highlights various paths of exposure and how young children under age six years of age are particularly vulnerable. Part one is a story about a new state requirement to test all k-12 schools for lead in water fixtures. Part two: A house remodel exposes a family’s children to lead. Getting a diagnosis wasn’t easy. Part three: A look at …

Integrating Interpersonal Neurobiology In Healthcare Leadership And Organizations, Lynn Redenbach

Antioch University Dissertations & Theses

Interpersonal Neurobiology (IPNB) is an interdisciplinary, science-based field that seeks to understand human reality including the nature of mind, brain, and relationships. IPNB has been used extensively by mental health practitioners as well as child development and parenting experts. While practitioners and scholars have described ways that IPNB can be used in leadership and organizations, there has been no systematic inquiry into the practical and phenomenological experience of this application. IPNB offers an alternative to dominant models of care and leading in healthcare settings and fields, which are characterized by disconnection, objectification, and separation. It offers a relationally centered approach …