Digital Commons Network^™

Host-Parasite Interactions Within Food Webs, Adam Zvanut Hasik

Graduate Theses and Dissertations

Parasitism is one of the most common life history strategies employed in nature, yet the effects of parasites are often thought to be minimal, and the vast majority of studies fail to consider parasites and their effects on host organisms. This is likely a problem, as the magnitude of parasite-mediated effects on their hosts can be quite large. Additionally, the effects of parasites are known to extend beyond the host to affect other species interactions. I used a series of approaches to gain a more integral understanding of host-parasite interactions by studying (1) the effects of parasites on biotic interactions …

A Review Of Marine Turtle Orientation And Artificial Lighting Impacts With Novel Results From Florida’S Gulf Coast, Andrea M. Fisher

USF Tampa Graduate Theses and Dissertations

Artificial light (i.e. unnatural light emitting from a human-made source) is one of the most extensively distributed, and least managed, type of anthropogenic pollution. Due to the disproportionally high rates of urbanization in critical coastal ecosystems, species, like marine turtles that use beach habitat for nesting activities, are especially vulnerable. Marine turtles employ the use of multiple visual cues (e.g. wavelength, intensity, background illumination, and dark silhouettes) to conduct sea-finding behavior and different variations in cue usage exist across species and geographic location. During nesting and emergence activities, orientation can be interrupted and manipulated by artificial lighting resulting in lower …

Cetacean Maternal Investment: Importance In Conservation Across Species And Drivers For Interspecific Altruism, Christopher Klein

USF Tampa Graduate Theses and Dissertations

Cetacean maternal investments can be useful for conservation management as well as examining behaviors such as interspecific altruism in the humpback whale, Megaptera novaeangliae. Cetaceans are among the most threatened group of marine mammals. In the second chapter, maternal investments across ~90 species/subspecies of Cetacea were analyzed to aid in the understanding of recovery/replacement for conservation and management. Using Principal Components Analysis (PCA), a relative maternal-investment index for 41 cetacean species was built. The maternal-investment index was a composite of four maternal-investment variables, the duration of gestation, lactation, calving intervals, and the number of reproduction years per female per species. …

Identification And Management Of Scotch Thistle (Onopordum Acanthium L.) In Pastures, Rangelands, And Non-Crop Settings, Cody Zesiger, Jacob Hadfield, Kalen Taylor, Corey Ransom

All Current Publications

Scotch thistle (Onopordum acanthium) is an invasive species native to Eurasia. It was likely introduced into North America during the late 19th century (Young & Evans, 1969). Due to the plant’s size and prickles, a stand can damage pasture productivity, ruin campsites, or make trails nearly impassable. The thistle also outcompetes desirable plants and greatly reduces forage use by large animals. Since not all thistles are related or alike, it is essential to correctly identify Scotch thistle before making management decisions. This fact sheet provides information about identification, lifecycle and distribution, and management.

Our Peer The Pigeon: Impacts Of The Covid-19 "Anthropause" On Psu Campus Urban Foragers, Audrey Douglass

University Honors Theses

The 2020 COVID Pandemic presented a paradigm shift dubbed, by some scholars, the 'Anthropause', an ecological epoch in which humans faded from the public sphere. As was the case for many urban species that depend on the foraging of food waste, this meant a fundamental disruption to their food systems and to the entire urban eco-web. The PSU Campus Park Blocks presents a unique opportunity to observe animal behavior, while also a succinct microcosm to study food waste flow changes, and compare species layout to other urban parks in the METRO area. Decreased food waste output from proximal …

Fruits, Frugivores, And The Evolution Of Phytochemical Diversity, Susan R. Whitehead, Gerald F. Schneider, Ray Dybzinski, Annika S. Nelson, Mariana Gelambi, Elsa Jos, Noelle G. Beckman

Biology Faculty Publications

Plants produce an enormous diversity of secondary metabolites, but the evolutionary mechanisms that maintain this diversity are still unclear. The interaction diversity hypothesis suggests that complex chemical phenotypes are maintained because different metabolites benefit plants in different pairwise interactions with a diversity of other organisms. In this synthesis, we extend the interaction diversity hypothesis to consider that fruits, as potential hotspots of interactions with both antagonists and mutualists, are likely important incubators of phytochemical diversity. We provide a case study focused on the Neotropical shrub Piper reticulatum that demonstrates: 1) secondary metabolites in fruits have complex and cascading effects for …

Effect Of Salinity Stress On Seed Germination In Hordeum Vulgare, A. Tavili, M. Beniaz, E. Shahriary, H. Khedri Gharvibvand

IGC Proceedings (1977-2023)

No abstract provided.

Contemporary Challenges And Opportunities For The Management Of Bird Damage At Field Crop Establishment, Christophe Sausse, Alice Baux, Michel Bertrand, Elsa Bonnaud, Sonia Canavelli, Alexandra Destrez, Page E. Klug, Lourdes Olivera, Ethel Rodriguez, Guilllermo Tellechea, Sebastian Zuil

United States Department of Agriculture Wildlife Services: Staff Publications

Bird damage, from sowing to crop establishment, is an important issue for farmers in many parts of the world. However, reliable and cost-effective solutions remain elusive because management tools and research on the subject are limited. The spatial variability of damage across landscapes and the adaptative behaviour of birds create further challenges. Additionally, the issue must be tackled at the landscape scale and involve a variety of stakeholders with conflicting interests and objectives. We summarize some of the challenges and opportunities identified to face these difficulties and address four major research directions for operational solutions including 1) crop damage assessment, …

Invasive Grassland‐Rangeland Plants Of China And The United States Of America, John H. Brock, Jinguo Wu

IGC Proceedings (1977-2023)

No abstract provided.

Environmental Factors Associated With Nitrogen Fixation Prediction In Soybean, Andre Froes Borja Reis, Luiz Moror Rosso, Larry C. Purcell, Seth Naeve, Shaun N. Casteel, Peter Kovacs, Sotirios Archontoulis, Dan Davidson, Ignacio A. Ciampitti

Agronomy, Horticulture and Plant Science Faculty Publications

No abstract provided.

Spatial Distribution Patterns Of The Populations Of Two Subterranean Termites (Blattodea: Termitidae) In Eucalyptus (Myrtales: Myrtaceae) Plantations, Olaniyi T Alamu, Francis K Ewete, Ayangbade E Ayandokun, John A Ete

Tanzania Journal of Science

The study was conducted in Afaka, Northern Guinea Savanna of Nigeria to determine the spatial distribution patterns of the populations of Ancistrotermes sp. and Microtermes sp. in Eucalyptus camaldulensis Dehnh, Eucalyptus citriodora Hook, Eucalyptus cloeziana F. and Eucalyptus tereticornis Muell plantations. Spatial distributions patterns of the two termite species populations were determined using indices such as ratios of population variance to mean, Lloyd’s index, Green coefficient, Taylor power and Iwao’s regression models. The values of variance to mean ratios, Lloyd’s index and Green coefficient showed that the populations of both termite species had aggregated distribution pattern in all the Eucalyptus …

Applications Of And Algorithms For Genome Assembly And Genomic Analyses With An Emphasis On Marine Teleosts, Brandon D. Pickett

Theses and Dissertations

The burgeoning frequency of genome sequencing in recent years is a testament to both the improvements in sequencing technologies and the utility of genomic analyses for biological discovery. The rapid proliferation in technological advancements and availability of complementary data types and techniques has obfuscated the optimal process of genome assembly and raised the barrier to entry to unprecedented levels. In this dissertation, we describe the genome assemblies performed for several marine teleosts and discuss the algorithms and applications required for genome assembly, including some of our specific contributions to the genome assembly and annotation space. In Chapter 1 and Chapter …

Development Of A Biomass Assessment Method Using Fisheries Echo Sounder For Monitoring Whitebait Fishery In Shizuoka Prefecture, Japan, Kenichi Kobayashi, Yanhui Zhu, Daichi Oshiyama, Kenji Minami, Hokuto Shirakawa, Kazushi Miyashita

Journal of Marine Science and Technology–Taiwan

Coastal fisheries constitute the second most important sector in fishery production in Japan, following offshore fisheries. Thus, spatial evaluation of coastal fishing grounds and understanding of the changes in biomass are important for the sustainable use of fishing resources. For the assessment of spatial fish biomass, a quantitative echo sounder is used, but such a device is not mass produced and involves a high cost. In the present study, we examined the feasibility of biomass assessment using typical commercial fisheries echo sounders that are widely used and cheaper than quantitative echo sounders. Therefore, we aimed to verify the validity of …

The Vascular Flora Of Cleburne County, Alabama, Melanie T. Spaulding

Theses

Cleburne County is located in Northeast Alabama and measures 145,298 hectares. Approximately one-third of the county lies within the Talladega National Forest, more than any other county covered by the Talladega National Forest. The county has two physiographic regions: Piedmont and Ridge and Valley. A floristic survey of Cleburne County, Alabama, was conducted on public and private lands from 2014– 2020. Sporadic field collections took place from March 2014 – April 2019, with extensive fieldwork conducted from May 2019 – October 2020. A total of 1,302 vascular plant taxa are reported, including 266 taxa not previously documented for the county. …

Lesson Plan - Assessing The Garden Site And Initial Biodiversity Inventory, Center For Urban Resilience

Module 10: Garden Ecology

The purpose of this lesson is to outline how to conduct a site assessment and biodiversity inventory before planting a garden. It is important to assess what is already at the planting site, especially the existing plants, soil composition, amount of sun and shade exposure, the available space, and the water resources available. These elements are limiting factors that will determine the outcome of the garden. Also vital is a biodiversity inventory of the organisms at the site and those that visit the site by soil, land, and air.

As part of the site assessment, students will create a two-dimension …

Can Plant Functional Traits Explain Shifts In Community Composition In A Changing Arctic?, Katlyn Betway, Robert D. Hollister, Jeremy May, Jacob A. Harris, William Gould, Steve Oberbauer

Open Access Publishing Support Funded Articles

The Arctic is warming more than twice the global average. Graminoids, deciduous shrubs, and evergreen shrubs have been shown to increase in cover in some regions, but not others. To better understand why plant response varies across regions, we compared change in cover over time with nine functional traits of twelve dominant species at three regions in northern Alaska (Utqiaġvik, Atqasuk, and Toolik Lake). Cover was measured three times from 2008 to 2018. Repeated measures ANOVA found one species showed a significant change in cover over time; Carex aquatilis increased at Atqasuk by 12.7%. Canonical correspondence analysis suggested a relationship …

Identifying The Cardiovascular Effects Of Multiple Pollutants., Katlyn Elizabeth Mcgraw

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

Cardiovascular disease (CVD) is the leading cause of death from environmental exposures. Although exposure to PM_2.5 is an established risk factor for CVD, the contribution of other hazardous pollutant exposure to CVD is less clear. Overall, this work aimed to examine the effect of pollutants with lesser documented effects on cardiovascular disease using a multi-pronged approach to exposure assessment. The three aims were to examine the relationship between county-level toxic chemical releases and CVD mortality in the contiguous United States between 2002 and 2012, to assess the relationship between individual-level VOC metabolites and vascular function, and to build multipollutant …

Addressing Challenges In Aggregating And Analyzing Agroecological Data, Sarah E. Mccord

Open Access Theses & Dissertations

Agroecosystems face multiple threats including land degradation and climate change, changing and competing land uses, invasive species and disease spread, and biodiversity loss. While scientists seek to understand rapidly changing ecosystems, land managers are struggling to maintain ecosystem services amid transitions to novel ecosystem states. Understanding agroecosystem drivers and ensuing responses requires quality information about ecosystems that span biomes, trophic scales, ecological processes, spatiotemporal scales, land use, and land ownership. Yet, using multi-scale agroecosystem information can be frustrating for both scientific researchers and land managers as it is difficult to locate data that are trustworthy, easily accessible, standardized, and connected …

Comparable Response Of Wild Rodent Gut Microbiome To Anthropogenic Habitat Contamination, Anton Lavrinienko, Ann Hämäläinen, Rasmus Hindstrom, Eugene Tukalenko, Zbyszek Boratynski, Kati Kivisaari, Timothy Mousseau, Phillip C. Watts, Tapio Mappes

Faculty Publications

Species identity is thought to dominate over environment in shaping wild rodent gut microbiota, but it remains unknown whether the responses of host gut microbiota to shared anthropogenic habitat impacts are species-specific or if the general gut microbiota response is similar across host species. Here, we compare the influence of exposure to radionuclide contamination on the gut microbiota of four wild mouse species: Apodemus flavicollis, A. sylvaticus, A. speciosus and A. argenteus. Building on the evidence that radiation impacts bank vole (Myodes glareolus) gut microbiota, we hypothesized that radiation exposure has a general impact on rodent gut microbiota. Because we …

Breeding Ecology And Nest- Site Selection Of Turtle Doves (Streptopelia Turtur) In Three New Orchard Habitats, Thilelli Aitouakli, Ettayib Bensaci

Journal of Bioresource Management

The main aim of our work was to investigate the breeding parameters in three orchard types in Algeria (apple, cherry and nectarine) for better conservation of existing species. A total of 149 active Turtle dove nests were monitored in these man–made agro-systems. Egg laying occurred from early May and continued until mid-August. Egg laying started later in cherry trees and stopped earlier in nectarines. Nest density was higher in apple orchards. Nests were located higher in nectarine. Clutch size was similar among orchard types. Northeast was the dominant orientation in all orchards. Breeding success was higher than that recorded in …

The Agronomic Characteristics Of Agropyron Spp. Germplasm In Semi‐Steppe Region Of Iran, Mansour Mesdaghi, Masoume Amirkhani

IGC Proceedings (1977-2023)

No abstract provided.

Trophic Ecology And Functional Morphology Of The Scaleless Black Dragonfishes (Family Stomiidae; Subfamily Melanostomiinae), Ryan P. Mcgonagle

All HCAS Student Capstones, Theses, and Dissertations

Dragonfishes (Family Stomiidae) are considered the most numerically important and diverse taxon of higher-level meso- and bathypelagic predators in oceanic food webs, with the subfamily Melanostomiinae contributing 220 of the 317 species. The Stomiidae is also the most speciose fish family in the Gulf of Mexico. The relationship between diversity (both systematic and morphological) and feeding of the Melanostomiinae has not been previously examined due to sample size limitation. Here the diet and morphology of 16 species of dragonfishes in the Gulf of Mexico was examined to address the question, “Does the extraordinary speciation in this most-diverse deep-pelagic fish clade …

Novel Approach For Sex Identification In Equine Forensic Samples Using Pcr Amplification, Jessica Felts

Student Research Symposium

DDX3 is a ubiquitous gene in mammals that codes for a protein in the DEAD-box protein family. This protein is an ATP-dependent RNA helicase, which denotes its involvement in altering the structure of RNA1, functions as a transcriptional regulator1, and is proposed to be involved in the nuclear export of retroviral RNA1. The DDX3 gene is located on the X-chromosome between base pair 34,831,836 and base pair 34,847,409 (15,573 total base pairs). In addition, there is a homologous gene located on the Y-chromosome between base pair 6,194,312 to bp 6,199,142 (4,917 total base pairs). The Y-chromosome homolog, however, contains unique …

Using Enclosed Y-Mazes To Assess Chemosensory Behavior In Reptiles, M. Rockwell Parker, Andrea F. Currylow, Eric A. Tillman, Charlotte J. Robinson, Jilian M. Josimovich, Isabella M.G. Bukovich, Lauren A. Nazarian, Melia G. Nafus, Bryan M. Kluever, Amy A. Yackel Adams

United States Department of Agriculture Wildlife Services: Staff Publications

Reptiles utilize a variety of environmental cues to inform and drive animal behavior such as chemical scent trails produced by food or conspecifics. Decrypting the scent-trailing behavior of vertebrates, particularly invasive species, enables the discovery of cues that induce exploratory behavior and can aid in the development of valuable basic and applied biological tools. However, pinpointing behaviors dominantly driven by chemical cues versus other competing environmental cues can be challenging. Y-mazes are common tools used in animal behavior research that allow quantification of vertebrate chemosensory behavior across a range of taxa. By reducing external stimuli, Y-mazes remove confounding factors and …

A Comparison Of The Effects Of Ionizing Radiation On Wild Boar Populations In The Chernobyl Exclusion Zone And The Fukushima Exclusion Zone, Victoria Bosch

Senior Theses

Humans are usually evacuated following a nuclear power plant (NPP) accident; however, the wildlife remains in the surrounding area that is blanketed in radionuclides. Despite the known effects of exposure to ionizing radiation on an individual’s health, the effects on wildlife remain unclear. The exclusion zones surrounding the Chernobyl NPP and Fukushima NPP accident sites provide an ideal study system to examine how mammal populations are influenced by chronic, low-dose radiation exposure. The present study examines wild boar abundance and reproductive success in both locations to determine how not only radiation exposure but also the sudden changes in human disturbance …

Baculovirus Translocation Through Maize: Examining A Novel Route For Insect Herbivore Infection, Peter Pierre Issa

Honors Capstones

No abstract provided.

Fecal Findings: Investigating Eastern Massasauga Rattlesnake Diet Using Dna Metabarcoding, Alyssa Swinehart

Masters Theses

Characterizing the diet of imperiled species using minimally invasive methods is crucial to understanding their conservation requirements. DNA metabarcoding methods have been used to characterize the diet primarily in mammalian systems, while reptiles are heavily underrepresented in this literature. Here, we apply a DNA metabarcoding approach to study the diet of the eastern massasauga rattlesnake (Sistrurus catenatus); a Federally Threatened snake found throughout the Great Lakes Region. Eighty-three fecal samples collected across 10 different massasauga populations located in Michigan were sequenced. We use universal metazoan primers and develop a host-specific oligonucleotide blocker to uncover the full potential diet …

Unprecedented Migratory Bird Die-Off: A Citizen-Based Analysis On The Spatiotemporal Patterns Of Mass Mortality Events In The Western United States, Di Yang, Anni Yang, Jue Yang, Rongting Xu, Han Qiu

United States Department of Agriculture Wildlife Services: Staff Publications

Extensive, severe wildfires, and wildfire-induced smoke occurred across the western and central United States since August 2020. Wildfires resulting in the loss of habitats and emission of particulate matter and volatile organic compounds pose serious threatens to wildlife and human populations, especially for avian species, the respiratory system of which are sensitive to air pollutions. At the same time, the extreme weather (e.g., snowstorms) in late summer may also impact bird migration by cutting off their food supply and promoting their migration before they were physiologically ready. In this study, we investigated the environmental drivers of massive bird die-offs by …

Designing And Evaluating The Utility Of Novel Primers For The Detection Of An Emerging Fungal Disease Of Soybean, Brooklyn Squiers

Honors Capstones

No abstract provided.

A Test Of Rad Capture Sequencing On Ethanol-Preserved Centennial And Contemporary Specimens Of Philippine Fishes, Madeleine I. Kenton

Biological Sciences Theses & Dissertations

Understanding the relationship between ecological characteristics and genetic change in natural populations in different time scales can reveal how anthropogenic stressors affect natural populations and can improve the success of conservation strategies. The purpose of the Philippines Partnerships for International Research and Education (PIRE) project is to examine levels of genetic change between historical fish samples collected by the USS Albatross expedition in the early 1900s in the Philippines and contemporary populations collected at the same localities. This study tests genetic protocols to process historical and contemporary DNA for simultaneous comparison. Two DNA library preparation methods, single digest RADseq (“un-baited” …