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Redescription Of The Frog Bladder Fluke Gorgoderina Attenuata From The Northern Leopard Frog, Rana Pipiens, Matthew G. Bolek, Scott D. Snyder, John J. Janovy Jr.

Biology Faculty Publications

Morphological characters used to differentiate North American bladder flukes, Gorgoderina spp., are problematic and different authors use different morphological characteristics for distinguishing species. More importantly, no type specimens exist for four of the 12 North American species infecting anuran and caudatan hosts. A redescription of Gorgoderina attenuata (Stafford, 1902) Stafford, 1905 is based on new collections from 6 species of anurans from Arkansas, Nebraska, New York, and Wisconsin. Morphological comparisons between gravid G. attenuata recovered from bullfrogs and northern leopard frogs indicated statistically significant differences in 11 of 28 morphological characters examined. However, there was overlap among all of these …

The Taming Of The Cat, Carlos A. Driscoll, Juliet Clutton-Brock, Andrew C. Kitchener, Stephen J. O'Brien

Biology Faculty Articles

This article discusses research into the evolution of domesticated cats, which is complicated by the fact that they do not appear to serve humans. Although several species are morphologically similar, genetic research focusing on mitochondrial DNA and genetic microsatellites found that domesticated cats descended from F. sylvestris lybica. Archaeological research indicating cats came to live with humans as the prevalence of house mice in agricultural settlements increased is noted. Insets: The House Cat's Ancestor; Early Domestication; From Wild to Mild; The Truth about Cats and Dogs

Phylogeographic And Phylogenetic Exploration Of Plethodon (Plethodontidae, Caudata) Salamanders In The Pacific Northwest, Tara Anne Pelletier

Dissertations and Theses

Genetic studies of amphibians often reveal substantial population structure due to either historical demographics from changing climate and geographic features over varying timeframes. Eight species of terrestrial salamanders (Family: Plethodontidae, Genus: Plethodon) reside in forests of the Pacific Northwest (PNW). Plethodon vehiculum is the most widespread and abundant terrestrial salamander in the PNW yet evolutionary studies are lacking. Using mitochondrial DNA (mtDNA) sequence data (D-loop and cytb) questions regarding the phylogeography of P. vehiculum and phylogenetics of western Plethodons are explored. Two major clades were defined in P. vehiculum, a southern clade in the Klamath-Siskiyou region and a …

Redescription Of The Frog Bladder Fluke Gorgoderina Attenuata From The Northern Leopard Frog, Rana Pipiens, Matthew G. Bolek, Scott D. Snyder, John J. Janovy Jr.

John J. Janovy, Jr. Publications

Morphological characters used to differentiate North American bladder flukes, Gorgoderina spp., are problematic and different authors use different morphological characteristics for distinguishing species. More importantly, no type specimens exist for four of the 12 North American species infecting anuran and caudatan hosts. A redescription of Gorgoderina attenuata (Stafford, 1902) Stafford, 1905 is based on new collections from 6 species of anurans from Arkansas, Nebraska, New York, and Wisconsin. Morphological comparisons between gravid G. attenuata recovered from bullfrogs and northern leopard frogs indicated statistically significant differences in 11 of 28 morphological characters examined. However, there was overlap among all of these …

Robustostrongylus Aferensis Gen. Nov. Et Sp. Nov. (Nematoda: Trichostrongyloidea) In Kob (Kobus Kob) And Hartebeest (Alcelaphus Buselaphus Jacksoni) (Artiodactyla) From Sub-Saharan Africa, With Further Ruminations On The Ostertagiinae, Eric P. Hoberg, Arthur Abrams, Patricia A. Pilitt

Harold W. Manter Laboratory of Parasitology: Faculty Publications

Abomasal nematodes (Ostertagiinae: Trichostrongyloidea), representing a previously unrecognized genus and species, were discovered in kob (Kobus kob) and kongoni (hartebeest) (Alcelaphus buselaphus jacksoni) from Uganda during surveys of ungulate parasites in the 1960s. Robustostrongylus aferensis gen. nov. et sp. nov. is characterized by a ventriculus-like, bilobed valve at the junction of the esophagus and intestine, a synlophe with unusually robust ridges, cervical papillae and excretory pore situated posterior to the mid-length of the esophagus, a unique body form and large diameter in males and females, a relatively anterior position for the vulva, and strongly convoluted and …

Diversity, Distribution And Role Of Wild Crucifers In Major Cabbage And Kale Growing Areas Of Kenya, R. Kahuthia-Gathu, B. Löhr, H. M. Poehling, P. K. Mbugua

All Peer-Reviewed Publications

An investigation of the diversity and distribution of wild crucifer species and their importance for cultivated crucifers was conducted during 2005 and 2006 in the highland and mid-altitude semi-arid areas of Kenya. Thirteen species of wild crucifers in nine genera were recorded: Raphanus raphanistrum, Erucastrum arabicum, Sisymbrium officinale, Crambe kilimandscharica, Capsella bursa-pastoris, Rorippa nudiuscula, Ro. micrantha, Ro. microphylla, Lepidium bonariense, Coronopus didymus, Brassica rapa, B. juncea and an unidentified Brassica species. Highland areas had significantly higher species diversity and species richness than mid-altitude semi-arid areas. Species richness, diversity and evenness varied with season and location. Raphanus raphanistrum was the dominant …

Epiparasitism In Phoradendron Durangense And P. Falcatum (Viscaceae), Clyde L. Calvin, Carol A. Wilson

Aliso: A Journal of Systematic and Floristic Botany

Phoradendron, the largest mistletoe genus in the New World, extends from temperate North America to temperate South America. Most species are parasitic on terrestrial hosts, but a few occur only, or primarily, on other species of Phoradendron. We examined relationships among two obligate epiparasites, P. durangense and P. falcatum, and their parasitic hosts. Fruit and seed of both epiparasites were small compared to those of their parasitic hosts. Seed of epiparasites was established on parasitic-host stems, leaves, and inflorescences. Shoots developed from the plumular region or from buds on the holdfast or subjacent tissue. The developing endophytic …

An Overview Of Historical Beaver Management In Arizona, Christopher D. Carrillo, David L. Bergman, Jimmy Taylor, Dale Nolte, Patrick Viehoever, Mike Disney

Wildlife Damage Management Conference

In the mid-1820s, Anglo-American fur trappers, known as "mountain men," entered Arizona and began trapping beaver (Castor canadensis). In Arizona there have been a number of famous mountain men such as Sylvester and James Pattie, Ewing Young, Jededia Smith, and Bill Williams who trapped along the waterways in northern and southern Arizona. Although the heyday of mountain men lasted only a few decades due to a population decline of beaver, management of these animals continues to this day. The purpose of managing beavers shifted from monetary gain to controlling wildlife damage. During the late 1900s, beaver were still …

Social Acceptability Of Conifer Control And Sagebrush Restoration In The Northern Rocky Mountain Region, Cameron G. Nay

All Graduate Theses and Dissertations, Spring 1920 to Summer 2023

In the past two centuries, woody plant species have increased in density and extent throughout the rangelands of North America. This encroachment generally has undesirable effects on hydrological function, forest resources, and plant community composition. Encroachment of Douglas-fir (Pseudotsuga menziesii) and ponderosa pine (Pinus ponderosa) into sagebrush communities is occurring in the Northern Rocky Mountain region. Removal and restoration treatments are often proposed to manage this issue, mainly prescribed fire, mechanical destruction, and/or herbicide use. Several contextual factors may affect public level of acceptability for such treatments. The issue frames used to present this problem to …

River Network Structure: A Template For Understanding Predator-Prey Dynamics And Potential Anthropogenic Impacts, Catherine L. Hein

All Graduate Theses and Dissertations, Spring 1920 to Summer 2023

A landscape perspective is critically important for understanding community structure, particularly in systems dominated by migratory fauna. I aimed to understand how the structure of riverscapes in Puerto Rico mediates potential anthropogenic impacts, predator-prey interactions, and the migratory behavior of a diadromous species. I surveyed fishes and shrimps at sites throughout two watersheds, designed transplant experiments that investigated the role of natural barriers on predator-prey interactions, and developed models of shrimp migration specific to a particular river network. I did not detect an effect of anthropogenic changes to the landscape on fish and shrimp species distributions in two watersheds that …

Modeling Potential Native Plant Species Distributions In Rich County, Utah, Kathryn A. Peterson

All Graduate Theses and Dissertations, Spring 1920 to Summer 2023

Georeferenced field data were used to develop logistic regression models of the geographic distribution of 38 frequently common plant species throughout Rich County, Utah, to assist in the future correlation of Natural Resources Conservation Service Ecological Site Descriptions to soil map units. Field data were collected primarily during the summer of 2007, and augmented with previously existing data collected in 2001 and 2006. Several abiotic parameters and Landsat Thematic Mapper imagery were used to stratify the study area into sampling units prior to the 2007 field season.

Models were initially evaluated using an independent dataset extracted from data collected by …

Semsos: Semantic Sensor Observation Service, Cory Andrew Henson, Josh Pschorr, Amit P. Sheth, Krishnaprasad Thirunarayan

Kno.e.sis Publications

Sensor observation service (SOS) is a Web service specification defined by the Open Geospatial Consortium (OGC) Sensor Web Enablement (SWE) group in order to standardize the way sensors and sensor data are discovered and accessed on the Web. This standard goes a long way in providing interoperability between repositories of heterogeneous sensor data and applications that use this data. Many of these applications, however, are ill equipped at handling raw sensor data as provided by SOS and require actionable knowledge of the environment in order to be practically useful. There are two approaches to deal with this obstacle, make the …

The Reestablishment Of American Ginseng (Panax Quinquefolius), Mary Snow, Richard Snow

Publications

Conservation biology and restoration ecology are concerned not only with protecting fragile ecosystems but also with intervening in an attempt to repair what has been damaged largely through anthropogenic activities. As a result of high demand as a medicinal herb and the failure of harvesters to conserve, the federal government has placed American ginseng (Panax quinquefolius) on the list of plants that may be in danger of extinction. Ginseng favors a habitat ranging from 30 to 50 degrees north latitude and minimum cold cycles of 45 days with temperatures below 2 degrees Celsius. Other specific criteria include 20 inches of …

Behavioral Interactions Of Breeding Bald Eagles (Haliaeetus Luecocephalus) At Lake Cascade, Idaho, Scott Allen Kimball

Boise State University Theses and Dissertations

During the 2000 and 2001 breeding seasons I studied the behavioral inter- and intra-specific interactions of Bald Eagles (Haliaeetus leucocephalus) breeding at Lake Cascade, Idaho. In the first chapter, I describe the relationships between an increase in population density and home range and foraging habitat use by Bald eagles. In the second chapter, I describe the relationship between aggressive interactions and reproductive success, as measured by number of nestlings fledged and nestling weight.

Because home range and foraging habitat use show temporal variability, I compared breeding home ranges and foraging habitat use of Bald Eagles at Lake Cascade, Idaho in …

The Ants Of South Carolina, Timothy Davis

All Dissertations

The ants of South Carolina were surveyed in the literature, museum, and field collections using pitfall traps. M. R. Smith was the last to survey ants in South Carolina on a statewide basis and published his list in 1934. VanPelt and Gentry conducted a survey of ants at the Savanna River Plant in the 1970's. This is the first update on the ants of South Carolina since that time.
A preliminary list of ants known to occur in South Carolina has been compiled. Ants were recently sampled on a statewide basis using pitfall traps. Two hundred and forty-three (243) transects …

Potential For Introduced-Range Expansion Of Chinese Tallow Tree (Triadica Sebifera) In The Southeastern United States, Isaac Park

All Theses

The potential for populations of invasive plants to differ in their response to stressful environmental conditions or in their invasiveness is an underexplored issue in determining introduced species' range limits. Introduced genotypes might differ in their response to freezing temperatures, soil type, or differing biotic factors within their introduced range. We examined the potential of Chinese tallow tree seeds (Triadica sebifera (L.) Small) collected from two genetically distinct areas of its introduced range in the United States (North Carolina and South Carolina) as well as from the northern and southern portions of its native range in China to germinate and …

Controls On Microbial Community Structure In Thermal Environments: Exploring Bacterial Diversity And The Relative Influence Of Geochemistry And Geography, Kendra Renee Mitchell

Biology ETDs

Community wide molecular surveys have revealed incredible hidden phylogenetic and metabolic diversity in microbial habitats. We have conducted the first microbial survey of Yellowstone National Park thermal environments, sampling 103 communities from across the park and across the range of conditions found. Yellowstone is particularly suited for this type of research because of the large number and wide variety of thermal springs, which are naturally occurring chemostats enabling examination of the factors that control microbes and drive community structure. In addition to samples for molecular microbial analysis, we collected water for extensive geochemical analysis in order to begin to deduce …

Molecular Systematics Of Spiny Pocket Mice (Subfamily Heteromyinae) Inferred From Mitochondrial And Nuclear Sequence Data, Melina Crystal Williamson

Theses and Dissertations

This study aims to determine species-level relationships within the genus Heteromys, as well as generic-level relationships among members of the subfamily Heteromyinae using a phylogenetic framework. Molecular sequence data were generated from two mitochondrial genes (cytochrome b and cytochrome oxidase I) and three nuclear gene segments (β-fibrinogen, engrailed protein II, and myosin heavy chain II), and analyzed under maximum parsimony, maximum likelihood, and Bayesian optimality criteria to infer relationships. Chapter 1 focuses on the phylogenetic and taxonomic implications for Heteromys from the analyses of sequence data. Phylogenies also provided a framework for delimiting species boundaries within the wide-ranging Heteromys desmarestianus …

2009 - The Fourteenth Annual Symposium Of Student Scholars

Symposium of Student Scholars Program Books

The full program book from the Fourteenth Annual Symposium of Student Scholars, held on April 13, 2009. Includes abstracts from the presentations and posters.

The Beetles Of Barbados, West Indies (Insecta: Coleoptera): Diversity, Distribution And Faunal Structure, Stewart Peck

Insecta Mundi

The beetle fauna of the island of Barbados is summarized. It is now known to contain 202 genera, and 254 species (in 40 families), of which 232 are named at the species level. Undoubtedly, the actual numbers of species on Barbados are much higher than now known. Nine species are possibly endemic to the island, 15 have been intentionally introduced, and 51 have probably been accidentally introduced through human activity. The remaining 157 named species may occur naturally as a result of natural over-water dispersal processes. These species mostly have a wide distribution in the Antilles and Latin America. The …

Wku Scholar, Office Of Sponsored Programs, Western Kentucky University

WKU Scholar

No abstract provided.

Fisheries Research Report No. 189 - Results Of A 2007 Survey Of The Swan River Region For Four Introduced Marine Species, Justin I. Mcdonald, Fred E. Wells

Fisheries Research Reports

A survey of the Swan River region for four non-indigenous marine species was conducted in 2007: the European shore crab Carcinus maenas, the Asian bag mussel Musculista senhousia, the European fan worm Sabella spallanzanii, and the scallop Scaeochlamys livida. The first three of these species are global in their distribution and on the ‘top-ten world’s worst invaders listing; the last species is introduced from the eastern states of Australia.

In this survey divers on SCUBA examined 43 sites for each of the listed species. Despite previous records of Carcinus maenas and Musculista senhousia in this region …

Review Of The Natural History Of The Handsome Fungus Beetles (Coleoptera: Cucujoidea: Endomychidae), F. W. Shockley, K. W. Tomaszewska, J. V. Mchugh

Insecta Mundi

The literature pertaining to natural history of Endomychidae (Coleoptera: Cucujoidea) is reviewed. One hundred fungal host records are provided for 32 endomychid species. Twenty-three records of endomychid yeast endosymbionts are compiled. Summaries are also presented for feeding preferences, interactions with natural enemies, non-lethal symbiotic relationships, and pest activity within the family. Unusual endomychid behaviors and habitats are reviewed, with particular attention to gregariousness and defensive strategies within Endomychidae.

Endangered Species Bulletin – Spring 2009, Volume 34, No. 1

Endangered Species Bulletin

In this issue:
Thirty-five Years of the Endangered Species Act
A Recovery Plan Begins to Flower
Silvery Minnows Return to Texas
Recovering a Strange, Elusive Gravedigger
Reintroducing Rare Beetles to Ohio
The Cemetery and the Clover
Groundbreaking Research for the Nihoa Millerbird
Climbing the Learning Curve of Short-tailed Albatross Recovery
Cross-border Conservation in Sonora and Arizona
The Razorback Sucker: Back from the Brink
Stepping Up Recovery for the Houston Toad
Hungry Goats Restore Bog Turtle Habitat
A Challenging Future for the Black-footed Ferret
Black-footed Ferrets Return to Kansas
Two California Butterflies Wing Toward Recovery
The Newell’s Shearwaters of Kilauea Point …

Using Gis To Locate Areas For Growing Quality Coffee In Honduras, Ellen Mickle

Department of Environmental Studies: Undergraduate Student Theses

Abstract Small-scale coffee producers worldwide remain vulnerable to price fluctuations after the 1999-2003 coffee crisis. One way to increase small-scale farmer economic resilience is to produce a more expensive product, such as quality coffee. There is growing demand in coffee-producing and coffee-importing countries for user-friendly tools that facilitate the marketing of quality coffee. The purpose of this study is to develop a prototypical quality coffee marketing tool in the form of a GIS model that identifies regions for producing quality coffee in a country not usually associated with quality coffee, Honduras. Maps of areas for growing quality coffee were produced …

A Survey Of Western United States Instream Flow Programs And The Policies That Protect A River's Ecosystem, Kyle Jackson

Department of Environmental Studies: Undergraduate Student Theses

The Western United States can best be described as a vast, varying land, with the high plains to the east and the jagged horizons of Rockies to the west. However there is one common trait shared by these states: the lack of water resources. With the continued development of this land, the fact that water is scarce is becoming more real. This issue became more difficult to handle as the public became more aware that many competing uses existed for the finite resource, and those different uses were degrading the natural environments of the surface waters. With this realization instream …

Area Sensitivity In North American Grassland Birds: Patterns And Processes, Christine A. Ribic, Rolf R. Koford, James R. Herkert, Douglas H. Johnson, Neal D. Niemuth, David E. Naugle, Kristel K. Bakker, David W. Sample, Rosalind B. Renfrew

Wildlife Biology Faculty Publications

No abstract provided.

Characterization Of Antibiotic Resistance In Vibrio Cholerae Isolated From Ships' Ballast And Other Environmental Sources, Frank Kornegay Thomson Iii

OES Theses and Dissertations

Ships' ballast has been implicated as a vector in the dispersal of invasive species into new environments. Numerous cases have been documented for the introduction of macroorganisms via ballasting operations, but what is less known is the role of ballast water and residuals in the spread of potentially harmful microbes, especially with reference to novel genotypes. Of particular interest are the genes encoding for various forms of antibiotic resistance, many of which are carried on mobile genetic elements. A four-year sampling effort has yielded over 300 putative isolates of Vibrio cholerae from ships' ballast tanks and various environmental sources, of …

Why Museums Matter: A Tale Of Pinworms (Oxyuroidea: Heteroxynematidae) Among Pikas (Ochotona Princeps And O. Collaris) In The American West [Critical Comment], Eric P. Hoberg, Patricia A. Pilitt, Kurt Galbreath

Harold W. Manter Laboratory of Parasitology: Faculty Publications

Permanent and well-supported museum or natural history collections provide a solid foundation for the process of systematics research through creation of an empirical record which validates our understanding of the biosphere. We explore the role of museums in ongoing studies of the complex helminth fauna characteristic of pikas (Ochotona spp.) in the American west. These studies address the taxonomy for pinworms of the Labiostomatinae and the problems associated with the absence of adequate type series and vouchers and with misidentifications in original descriptions. We demonstrate that the types for Labiostomum (Labiostomum) coloradensis are identical to some specimens …

A Bio-Optical Model For Syringodium Filiforme Canopies, Margaret A. Stoughton

OES Theses and Dissertations

Seagrasses are significant ecological and biogeochemical agents in shallow water ecosystems throughout the world. In many regions, seagrass meadows occupy a sufficient fraction of the coastal zone, and generate optical signatures that can be observed from space. Bio-optical models of light absorption and scattering by submerged plant canopies for certain species such as Thalassia testudinum and Zostera marina have successfully modeled the plane irradiance distribution and photosynthesis within the submerged canopies. Syringodium filiforme differs &om T. testudinttm and Z marina, in leaf morphology and canopy architecture. The objective of this study was to develop a radiative transfer model that …