Digital Commons Network^™

A Global Analysis Of The Impacts Of Urbanization On Bird And Plant Diversity Reveals Key Anthropogenic Drivers, Myla F.J. Aronson, Frank A. La Sorte, Charles H. Nilon, Madhusudan Katti, Mark A. Goddard, Christopher A. Lepczyk, Paige S. Warren, Nicholas S.G. Williams, Sarel Cilliers, Bruce Clarkson, Cynnamon Dobbs, Rebecca W. Dolan, Marcus Hedblom, Stefan Klotz, Jip Louwe Kooijmans, Ingolf Kühn, Ian Macgregor-Fors, Mark Mcdonnell, Ulla Mörtberg, Petr Pyšek, Stefan Siebert, Jessica Sushinsky, Peter Werner, Marten Winter

Scholarship and Professional Work - LAS

Urbanization contributes to the loss of the world's biodiversity and the homogenization of its biota. However, comparative studies of urban biodiversity leading to robust generalities of the status and drivers of biodiversity in cities at the global scale are lacking. Here, we compiled the largest global dataset to date of two diverse taxa in cities: birds (54 cities) and plants (110 cities). We found that the majority of urban bird and plant species are native in the world's cities. Few plants and birds are cosmopolitan, the most common beingColumba livia and Poa annua. The density of bird and …

Effects Of Cryptogamic Crusts On Water Infiltration And Evapora· Lion Rates On Desert Soils, Eric Edgley

Journal of Undergraduate Research

The purpose of this study is to evaluate the impact of microbiotic (also called cryptogamic) crusts on soil surfaces on water infiltration and evaporative rates on a soil developed from fine textural lake sediments in Utah County, Utah. Twenty study plots (10 with cryptogamic cover and 10 without) are adjacent to the Camp Floyd Cemetery near Cedar Fort, Utah. They were established to evaluate the effect of cryptogamic cover on rates of water infiltration. Two aliquots of 150 ml of water were applied sequentially to each plot through standing water infiltration rings. The infiltration time of each aliquot was recorded. …

Zonation Of Porifera: Analysis Of Bathymetric Distribution For The Central California Region, Allison Louise Stockman

Journal of Undergraduate Research

During the seven weeks which I spent researching at Hopkins Marine Station in Monterey, California, my focus was to delve into the many aspects of Poriferan biology. I am curious as to how sponges function and to what does the Phylum owe its long success in occupying such a specialized niche in the ecosystem. The core of my project was to discover and chart zonation patterns of the various species of Porifera along designated shores along the Monterey Peninsula, and then use this information to integrate sponges into preestablished zonation patterns of the marine environment. Through my efforts I am …

Hydrologic And Erosion Responses To Wildfire Along The Rangeland-Xeric Forest Continuum In The Western Us: A Review And Model Of Hydrologic Vulnerability, Christopher Jason Williams, Frederick B. Pierson, Peter R. Robichaud, Jan Boll

Articles

The recent increase in wildfire activity across the rangeland–xeric forest continuum in the western United States has landscape-scale consequences in terms of runoff and erosion. Concomitant cheatgrass (Bromus tectorum L.) invasions, plant community transitions and a warming climate in recent decades along grassland–shrubland–woodland–xeric forest transitions have promoted frequent and large wildfires, and continuance of the trend appears likely if warming climate conditions prevail. These changes potentially increase overall hydrologic vulnerability by spatially and temporally increasing soil exposure to runoff and erosion processes. Plot and hillslope-scale studies demonstrate burning may increase event runoff or erosion by factors of 2–40 over …

Stem Cutting Propagation In Whole Pine Tree Substrates, Anthony L. Witcher, Eugene K. Blythe, Glenn B. Fain, Kenneth J. Curry

Agricultural and Environmental Sciences Faculty Research

Wood-based substrates have been extensively evaluated for greenhouse and nursery crop production, yet these substrates have not been evaluated for propagation. The objective of this study was to evaluate processed whole loblolly pine trees (WPT) (Pinus taeda) as a rooting substrate for stem cutting propagation of a range of ornamental crops. Substrates included processed WPT, pine (Pinus sp.) bark (PB), and each mixed with equal parts (by volume) peatmoss (PM) (WPT:PM and PB:PM, respectively). Substrate physical (air space, container capacity, total porosity, bulk density, and particle size distribution) and chemical [pH and electrical conductivity (EC)] properties were determined for all …

Does The Conversion Of Grasslands To Row Crop Production In Semi-Aridareas Threaten Global Food Supplies, David E. Clay, Sharon A. Clay, Kurtis D. Reitsma, Barry H. Dunn, Alexander J. Smart, Gregg G. Carlson, David Horvath, James J. Stone

Agronomy, Horticulture and Plant Science Faculty Publications

In the world's semi-arid regions, high crop demands have produced short term economic incentives to convert food production on native grasslands to dryland row crop food production, while genetic enhancements and equipment have reduced the risk of crop failure. The objectives of this paper were to discuss (1) the importance of considering the long-term sustainability of changing land use in semi-arid regions; (2) the impact of extreme climatic events on ecosystem functioning; and (3) factors contributing to higher crop yields in semi-arid regions. Semi-arid regions contain fragile areas where extreme climate events may be a tipping point that converts an …

Biogeomorphology Of A Mojave Desert Landscape — Configurations And Feedbacks Of Abiotic And Biotic Land Surfaces During Landform Evolution, Rebecca E. Drenovsky, N. Pietrasiak, L. S. Santiago, R. C. Graham

Biology

Terrestrial ecosystems can be more holistically understood by investigating the morphology of landscape mosaics, the assemblage of their ecological communities, and the linkages and feedbacks between the mosaics and communities. The overarching objectives of this study were to: (1) study the abiotic and biotic configurations of landform units as mosaics within a Mojave Desert chronosequence; and (2) elucidate their potential feedbacks, interactions, and dynamics during landform evolution. Seven landform units distributed over three geomorphic ages were identified, including: young bars and swales; intermediate-aged flattened bars, flattened swales, and bioturbation units; and old desert pavements and shrub zones. These landform units …

The C-Terminus Of Wheat Streak Mosaic Virus Coat Protein Is Involved In Differential Infection Of Wheat And Maize Through Host-Specific Long-Distance Transport, Satyanarayana Tatineni, Roy French

Department of Plant Pathology: Faculty Publications

Viral determinants and mechanisms involved in extension of host range of monocot-infecting viruses are poorly understood. Viral coat proteins (CP) serve many functions in almost every aspect of the virus life cycle. The role of the Cterminal region of Wheat streak mosaic virus (WSMV) CP in virus biology was examined by mutating six negatively charged aspartic acid residues at positions 216, 289, 290, 326, 333, and 334. All of these amino acid residues are dispensable for virion assembly, and aspartic acid residues at positions 216, 333, and 334 are expendable for normal infection of wheat and maize. However, mutants D …

Comparison Of Food-Based Attractants For Bactrocera Invadens (Diptera: Tephritidae) And Evaluation Of Mazoferm - Spinosad Bait Spray For Field Suppression In Mango, Sunday Ekesi, Samira Mohamed, Chrysantus M. Tanga

All Peer-Reviewed Publications

Catches of Bactrocera invadens Drew, Tsuruta, & White (Diptera: Tephritidae) in Multi-lure traps baited with six commercial food-based attractants, Mazoferm E802, Torula yeast, GF-120, Hymlure, Biolure, and Nulure were compared in mango orchards in Kenya. In 2007, Mazoferm E802 and Torula yeast were the most effective attractants and captured 2.4-2.6 times more females and 3.4-4.0 times more males than the standard Nulure. All attractants captured more females than males (ranging from 63 to 74%). In 2008, Mazoferm E802 was the most effective bait capturing 5.6 and 9.1 times more females and males, respectively, than the standard Nulure. Among all the …

A New Perspective On Trait Differences Between Native And Invasive Exotic Plants, A. Joshua Leffler, Jeremy J. James, Thomas A. Monaco, Roger L. Sheley

Natural Resource Management Faculty Publications

Functional differences between native and exotic species potentially constitute one factor responsible for plant invasion. Differences in trait values between native and exotic invasive species, however, should not be considered fixed and may depend on the context of the comparison. Furthermore, the magnitude of difference between native and exotic species necessary to trigger invasion is unknown. We propose a criterion that differences in trait values between a native and exotic invasive species must be greater than differences between co-occurring natives for this difference to be ecologically meaningful and a contributing factor to plant invasion. We used a meta-analysis to quantify …

First Report Of Curvularia Inaequalis And Bipolaris Spicifera Causing Leaf Blight Of Buffalograss In Nebraska, B. S. Amaradasa, K. Amundsen

Department of Agronomy and Horticulture: Faculty Publications

During the summer of 2011, foliar blight was observed on buffalograss (Buchloë dactyloides (Nutt.) Engelm.) lawns in Lincoln and Waverly, Nebraska. Disease symptoms were common when buffalograss was growing above 30°C and in drought conditions. Disease symptoms began as dark brown oblong leaf spots, followed by leaf tip dieback and eventual blighting of entire tillers. Leaf infections would progress into patches of thinning turf. Diseased leaf pieces were rinsed in distilled water and placed on 1.5% water agar. Two mitosporic fungal species having conidial morphology of Curvularia and Bipolaris were isolated. Colonies of Curvularia isolates grown on ¼× PDA …

Two Honeysuckles: A Tale Of Dr. Jekyll And Mr. Hyde, W. John Hayden

Biology Faculty Publications

There are about 180 species of Lonicera (honeysuckles) widely distributed in the north temperate zone. These are mostly shrubby plants, but in Virginia, we have two species that are woody vines (lianas). These two lianous honeysuckles should be familiar to all Virginia Native Plant Society members. One is this year’s VNPS Wildflower of the Year, Lonicera sempervirens (coral honeysuckle), and the other is Lonicera japonica (Japanese honeysuckle), widely and deservedly reviled as one of our most aggressive invasive exotic species. Together, these two plants make an odd pair, a sort of botanical Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde. What is it, …

An Ethnobotanical, Ecological And Lc-Ms-Based Chemometric Investigation Of Phaleria Nisidai, A Traditional Adaptogen Containing Diterpene Esters From Palau, Micronesia, Daniel Kulakowski

Dissertations, Theses, and Capstone Projects

An ethnobotanical, ecological and LC-MS-based chemometric investigation of Phaleria nisidai, a traditional adaptogen containing diterpene esters from Palau, Micronesia

Palau is a country with a rich heritage of traditional medicine still being practiced. One of the most popular and respected remedies in Palau is a tea made from fresh leaves of Phaleria nisidai Kaneh. (Thymelaeaceae). Interviews conducted to determine the use of this plant revealed that it is employed non-specifically to treat a variety of general health concerns. Its use as a prophylactic to keep away sickness, as a 'system cleaner', as well as for strength and energy indicate …

Phylogeny And Population Genetics Of The Endangered Dwarf Bear-Poppy, Arctomecon Humilis Coville (Papaveraceae) Using Microsatellite Markers, Joshua Simpson

Dissertations, Theses, and Capstone Projects

The genus Arctomecon (Papaveraceae) is comprised of three narrowly endemic rare species that are largely restricted to gypsum soils of the eastern Mojave Desert. The small, remaining populations of these species have become increasingly isolated by urban development and habitat fragmentation. Arctomecon humilis is federally listed as endangered due to its limited distribution within a ~15 km radius of an actively expanding city. Organizations involved with land management and conservation have called for greater insight into the genetic variation and population structure of the remaining subpopulations as they make important decisions regarding where to focus their efforts and resources.

The …

Systematics Of The Crayfish Group Cambarus Jugicambarus, Don Wyatt, Dr. Keith A. Crandall

Journal of Undergraduate Research

The ecology, morphology, behavior, and geographical distribution of freshwater crayfish are extremely diverse. The genus Cambarus is the second largest in species richness, containing over 25% of the crayfish diversity in North America. The subgenus jugicambarus contains 21 species. Relationships among the taxa within this group are not well understood. The objectives of this research were to:

Amplified Fragment Length Polymorphism (Aflp) Analysis Of Head Smut Population Diversity, Jennifer Waters, Dr. Mikel R. Stevens

Journal of Undergraduate Research

Bromus tectorum (cheatgrass), an invasive winter annual weed, displaces native vegetation, invades crops, and fuels rangeland fires across approximately 40 million hectares of the Intermountain West. Most attempts to control the weed have been unsuccessful, leading to a search for a biological control agent. Ustilago bullata, head smut, is a natural species-specific, fungal pathogen of cheatgrass. Despite apparent phenotypic (physical) uniformity in cheatgrass and head smut, susceptibility and virulence, respectively, are variable. These findings led to the hypothesis that genetic variability for susceptibility/pathogenicity exists in the host and pathogen.

Arabidopsis Accelerated Cell Death 11, Acd11, Is A Ceramide-1-Phosphate Transfer Protein And Intermediary Regulator Of Phytoceramide Levels, Dhirendra K. Simanshu, Xiuhong Zhai, David Munch, Daniel Hofius, Jennifer E. Markham, Jacek Bielawski, Alicja Bielawska, Lucy Malinina, Julian G. Molotkovsky, John W. Mundy, Dinshaw J. Patel, Rhoderick E. Brown

Department of Biochemistry: Faculty Publications

The accelerated cell death 11 (acd11) mutant of Arabidopsis provides a genetic model for studying immune response activation and localized cellular suicide that halt pathogen spread during infection in plants. Here, we elucidate ACD11 structure and function and show that acd11 disruption dramatically alters the in vivo balance of sphingolipid mediators that regulate eukaryotic-programmed cell death. In acd11 mutants, normally low ceramide-1- phosphate (C1P) levels become elevated, but the relatively abundant cell death inducer phytoceramide rises acutely. ACD11 exhibits selective intermembrane transfer of C1P and phyto-C1P. Crystal structures establish C1P binding via a surface-localized, phosphate headgroup recognition center …

Regulation Of Growth And Stress Tolerance In Tomato Plants By Expression Of A Dominant-Negative Version Of Erecta Gene From Arabidopsis Thaliana, Hector Ernesto Villagarcia

Theses and Dissertations

Receptor kinases are the main group of signal recognition structures in plants. The large number and diversity of these receptors suggest that they perform major roles in a complex regulatory network of growth, development, and physiological responses. The ERECTA gene is a leucine-rich, receptor-like kinase that affects plant growth rates, stomatal patterning, transpiration efficiency, bacterial pathogen resistance, inflorescence and floral organ morphology, and leaf polarity. The ability to manipulate the ERECTA pathway in members of the Solanaceae family can reveal fundamental mechanisms including regulation of fruit and tuber development. This knowledge may enable changes in plant architecture and growth rates …

Red Meat And Our Health: Separating Scientific Fact From Politics, Emotion And Misinformation, Peter Ballerstedt

Forage Symposium at the Kentucky Cattlemen’s Convention

The 2010 Dietary Guidelines for Americans recommends restricting our intake of saturated fat to less than 7 percent of calories, and our cholesterol intake to less than 300 mg per day (less than two eggs). They promote the use of low-fat milk and lean meat, and the use of “meat substitutes” in school lunches. These recommendations are consistent with the official dietary policy that began in 1977 with the release of the first Dietary Goals for the United States by the United States Senate Select Committee on Nutrition and Human Needs. These guidelines were not justified by the then-available science. …

Animal Welfare--Animal Rights: "Protecting Animals Or A Threat To U.S. Food Production And Our Way Of Life?", W. Roy Burris

Forage Symposium at the Kentucky Cattlemen’s Convention

Cattle producers are accustomed to dealing with many forms of adversity. Adversity generally comes in the form of blizzards, droughts, floods and economic conditions but now we must deal with animal activists who have their own opinions of what we can and cannot do as it relates to animal welfare and animal rights.

Ectopic Expression Of The Phosphomimic Mutant Version Of Arabidopsis Response Regulator 1 Promotes A Constitutive Cytokinin Response Phenotype, Jasmina Kurepa, Yan Li, Sharyn E. Perry, Jan A. Smalle

Plant and Soil Sciences Faculty Publications

Background

Cytokinins control numerous plant developmental processes, including meristem formation and activity, nutrient distribution, senescence timing and responses to both the abiotic and biotic environments. Cytokinin signaling leads to the activation of type-B response regulators (RRBs), Myb-like transcription factors that are activated by the phosphorylation of a conserved aspartate residue in their response receiver domain. Consistent with this, overexpression of RRBs does not substantially alter plant development, but instead leads to cytokinin hypersensitivity.

Results

Here we present comparative analysis of plants overexpressing Arabidopsis RRB 1 (ARR1) or a phosphomimic ARR1^D94E mutant in which the conserved aspartate-94 (D94) is replaced …

Phages Of Non-Diary Lactococci: Isolation And Characterization Of Phi L47, A Phage Infecting The Grass Isolate Lactococcus Lactis Ssp Cremoris Dpc6860, Daniel Cavanagh, Caitríona M. Guinane, Horst Neve, Aidan Coffey, R. Paul Ross, Gerald F. Fitzgerald, Olivia Mcauliffe

Department of Biological Sciences Publications

Lactococci isolated from non-dairy sources have been found to possess enhanced metabolic activity when compared to dairy strains. These capabilities may be harnessed through the use of these strains as starter or adjunct cultures to produce more diverse flavor profiles in cheese and other dairy products. To understand the interactions between these organisms and the phages that infect them, a number of phages were isolated against lactococcal strains of non-dairy origin. One such phage, ΦL47, was isolated from a sewage sample using the grass isolate L. lactis ssp. cremoris DPC6860 as a host. Visualization of phage virions by transmission electron …

Warming, Soil Moisture, And Loss Of Snow Increase Bromus Tectorum’S Population Growth Rate, Aldo Compagnoni, Peter B. Adler

Green Canyon Environmental Research Area, Logan Utah

Climate change threatens to exacerbate the impacts of invasive species. In temperate ecosystems, direct effects of warming may be compounded by dramatic reductions in winter snow cover. Cheatgrass (Bromus tectorum) is arguably the most destructive biological invader in basins of the North American Intermountain West, and warming could increase its performance through direct effects on demographic rates or through indirect effects mediated by loss of snow. We conducted a two-year experimental manipulation of temperature and snow pack to test whether 1) warming increases cheatgrass population growth rate and 2) reduced snow cover contributes to cheatgrass’ positive response to …

2matrix: A Utility For Indel Coding And Phylogenetic Matrix Concatenation, Nelson R. Salinas, Damon P. Little

Publications and Research

Premise of the study: Phylogenetic analysis of DNA and amino acid sequences requires the creation of files formatted specifically for each analysis package. Programs currently available cannot simultaneously code inferred insertion/deletion (indel) events in sequence alignments and concatenate data sets.

Methods and Results: A novel Perl script, 2matrix, was created to concatenate matrices of non-molecular characters and/or aligned sequences and to code indels. 2matrix outputs a variety of formats compatible with popular phylogenetic programs.

Conclusions: 2matrix efficiently codes indels and concatenates matrices of sequences and non-molecular data. It is available for free download under a GPL (General Public License) open …

Traversing Swanton Road, 14th Ed., James A. West

Academic, Government & Associated Organizational Research Resources

Situated at the northwest end of Santa Cruz County and occupying circa 30 square miles of sharply contrasted terrain, the Scott Creek Watershed concentrates within its geomorphological boundaries, at least 10-12% of California's flora, both native and introduced. Paradoxically, the use/abuse that the watershed has sustained over the past 140+ years, has not necessarily diminished the biodiversity and perhaps parallels the naturally disruptive but biologically energizing processes (fire, flooding, landslides and erosion), which have also been historically documented for the area for +60 years. This is an early edition of an extensive document by James A. West. Please visit the …

Volume 1, Chapter 3-3: Sexuality: Size And Sex Differences, Janice M. Glime, Irene Bisang

Bryophyte Ecology Subchapters

No abstract provided.

Volume 2, Chapter 1: The Fauna: A Place To Call Home, Janice M. Glime

Bryophyte Ecology Subchapters

No abstract provided.

Volume 2, Chapter 5-3: Tardigrade Habitats, Janice M. Glime

Bryophyte Ecology Subchapters

No abstract provided.

Volume 2, Chapter 10-1: Arthropods: Crustacea - Copepoda And Cladocera, Janice M. Glime

Bryophyte Ecology Subchapters

No abstract provided.

Volume 2, Chapter 10-2: Arthropods: Crustacea - Ostracoda And Amphpoda, Janice M. Glime

Bryophyte Ecology Subchapters

No abstract provided.