Digital Commons Network^™

Corn Rootworm Areawide Pest Management In The Midwestern Usa, Laurence D. Chandler, James R. Coppedge, C. Richard Edwards, Jon J. Tollefson, Gerald R. Wilde, Robert M. Faust

United States Department of Agriculture-Agricultural Research Service / University of Nebraska-Lincoln: Faculty Publications

For many maize (Zea mays) producers across the Midwestern USA, as well as in parts of the northern and southern plains, the corn rootworm complex (Diabrotica spp.; Coleoptera: Chrysomelidae) has represented one of the greatest challenges to efficient, quality maize-grain production over the past 50-60 years. Three species of corn rootworm are particularly troublesome: the western corn rootworm, Diabrotica virgifera virgifera, the northern corn rootworm, D. barberi and the Mexican corn rootworm, D. virgifera zeae; all have consistently been important economic pests of maize (Metcalf, 1986b). Prior to the introduction of transgenic maize varieties designed …

Quantitative-Genetic Variation In Morphological And Physiological Traits Within A Quaking Aspen (Populus Tremuloides) Population, Megan K. Kanaga, Ronald J. Ryel, Karen E. Mock, Michael E. Pfrender

Wildland Resources Faculty Publications

Genetic diversity within populations is an important component of adaptive evolution, and recent research has demonstrated that genetic variation within plant populations can have important ecological effects. In this study, we investigate quantitative-genetic variation in several traits within a quaking aspen (Populus tremuloides Michx.) population. A common garden experiment was planted with replicates of 13 aspen genotypes collected from wet and dry sites within a population in southern Utah, USA. Ten growth, leaf, physiological, and structural traits were measured. There were significant, heritable phenotypic differences among genotypes in every measured trait and differences in 4 of the 10 traits among …

Pushing The Green Envelope: Education & Research Center For Sustainability, Emma Fischer

Architecture Theses and Projects

I propose to design a Center for Sustainability that serves as a place to educate students and the public, as well as provide a place to research and experiment, in an effort to further the developing technologies of this ecological study. While living in a perpetually changing world, I believe a place is needed to teach about these changes as well as adapt to them. I propose to build a center that both educates people about the background of the subject as well as teaching them the present, practical aspects of sustainability. Classes and exhibits will give visitors the education …

Wolf Body Mass Cline Across Minnesota Related To Taxonomy?, L. David Mech, William J. Paul

United States Geological Survey, Northern Prairie Wildlife Research Center: Publications

Recent genetic studies suggest that in northern Minnesota two species of wolves (Canis lupus L., 1758 or western wolf and Canis lycaon Schreber, 1775 (= Canis rufus Audubon and Bachman, 1851) or eastern wolf) meet and hybridize. However, little morphological information is available about these two types of wolves in Minnesota. We analyzed the mass of 950 female wolves and 1006 males older than 1 year from across northern Minnesota and found that it increased from 26.30 ± 0.56 kg (mean ± SE) for females and 30.60 ± 0.72 kg for males in northeastern Minnesota to 30.01 ± 0.43 …

A Two-Part Measure Of Degree Of Invasion For Cross-Community Comparisons, Qinfeng Guo, Amy Symstad

United States Geological Survey, Northern Prairie Wildlife Research Center: Publications

Invasibility is a critical feature of ecological communities, especially for management decisions. To date, invasibility has been measured in numerous ways. Although most researchers have used the richness (or number) of exotic species as a direct or indirect measure of community invasibility, others have used alternative measures such as the survival, density, or biomass of either a single or all exotic species. These different measures, even when obtained from the same communities, have produced inconsistent results and have made comparisons among communities difficult. Here, we propose a measure of the degree of invasion (DI) of a community as a surrogate …

A Dgge-Cloning Method To Characterize Arbuscular Mycorrhizal Community Structure In Soil, Zhanbei Liang, Rhae A. Drijber, Donald J. Lee, Ismail M. Dwiekat, Steven D. Harris, David A. Wedin

Department of Plant Pathology: Faculty Publications

Although arbuscular mycorrhizal fungi (AMF) are crucial for ecosystem functioning, characterizing AMF community structure in soil is challenging. In this study, nested polymerase chain reaction (PCR) and denaturing gradient gel electrophoresis (DGGE) were combined with cloning of fungal 18S ribosomal gene fragments for the rapid comparison of AMF community structure in soil. Reference AMF isolates, representing four major genera of AMF, were used to develop the method. Sequential amplification of 18S rDNA fragments by nested PCR using primer pairs AM1-NS31 and Glo1-NS31GC followed by DGGE analysis yielded a high-resolution band profile. In parallel, 18S rDNA fragment clone libraries were constructed …

Interspecific Demographic Trade-Offs And Soil-Related Habitat Associations Of Tree Species Along Resource Gradients, Sabrina E. Russo, Patrick Brown, Sylvester Tan, Stuart J. Davies

School of Biological Sciences: Faculty Publications

Summary

1. Interspecific relationships between fundamental demographic rates, often called demographic trade-offs, emerge from constraints within individuals related to morphology, physiology and resource allocation. Plant species that grow fast in high light usually have high mortality in shade, and this well-established relationship in part defines a species’ successional niche. More generally, this relationship represents a trade-off between a species’ ability to grow quickly to exploit abundant resources vs. avoiding mortality when resources are less plentiful, but few studies have described this demographic trade-off with respect to environmental factors other than light.

2. Using demographic data from 960 tree species in …

Ecological Genomics: Understanding Gene And Genome Function In The Natural Environment, M. C. Ungerer, L. C. Johnson, M. A. Herman

School of Biological Sciences: Faculty Publications

The field of ecological genomics seeks to understand the genetic mechanisms underlying responses of organisms to their natural environments. This is being achieved through the application of functional genomic approaches to identify and characterize genes with ecological and evolutionary relevance. By its very nature, ecological genomics is an interdisciplinary field. In this review, we consider the significance of this new area of study from both an ecological and genomic perspective using examples from the recent literature. We submit that by considering more fully an ecological context, researchers may gain additional insights into the underlying genetic basis of ecologically relevant phenotypic …

Parasite Pathoecology Of Salmon Pueblo And Other Chacoan Great Houses: The Healthiest And Wormiest Ancestral Puebloans, Karl Reinhard

Karl Reinhard Publications

Two fields of paleopathological investigation originated in the Southwest. Archaeoparasitology is the study of ancient parasite infection (Reinhard 1990, 1992b). It includes comparisons between time periods of single societies as well as comparisons of parasitism between different, contemporaneous cultures. For example, Fry (1980) compared Fremont and Anasazi parasitism, and also Archaic hunter-gatherer and ancestral Pueblo parasitism. All of these studies fall into the definition of archaeoparasitology.

By contrast, pathoecology is the reconstruction of relationships among behavior, environment, and disease organisms in the development of illness (Martinson et al. 2003; ReinhardandBuikstra2003; Reinhardet al. 2003; Santoro et al. 2003).1his field developed from …

Geographic Patterns Of At-Risk Species, Curtis H. Flather, Michael S. Knowles, Jason Mcnees

United States Department of Agriculture, Forest Service / University of Nebraska-Lincoln: Faculty Publications

This technical document supports the Forest Service’s requirement to assess the status of renewable natural resources as mandated by the Forest and Rangeland Renewable Resources Planning Act of 1974. It updates past reports on the trends and geographic patterns of species formally listed as threatened or endangered under the Endangered Species Act of 1973. We compare the geographic occupancy of threatened and endangered species at the county-level against the geographic occupancy of a broader set of species thought to be at risk of extinction. This is done to determine if new areas where species rarity may be concentrated emerge. Here …

A Landscape Perspective In Managing Vegetation For Beneficial Plant-Pestnatural Enemy Interactions: A Foundation For Areawide Pest Management, Michael J. Brewer, Takuji Noma, Norman C. Elliott

United States Department of Agriculture-Agricultural Research Service / University of Nebraska-Lincoln: Faculty Publications

In the USA, Europe and increasingly in other regions, cropping systems designed for high production output are significant features of the landscape. Deployment of mechanized and high-input cropping systems over the last 50 years has resulted in substantial transformation and fragmentation of major grassland, shrubland and woodland systems throughout the world. These cropping systems are typically less diverse in species composition, structure and ecological functioning than those found in the original plant community (Altieri, 2004). Decreases in plant diversity of agroecosystems (i.e. the crops themselves and surrounding remnants of the original plant system) have negatively affected ecosystem functions (Freemark, 2005). …

Chapter 15. Proven Practices And Innovative Technologies For On-Farm Crop Nitrogen Management, N. R. Kitchen, K. W. T. Goulding, J.F. Shanahan

United States Department of Agriculture-Agricultural Research Service / University of Nebraska-Lincoln: Faculty Publications

Nitrogen (N) from soil, fertilizer, and manure sources is generally inefficiently used (30-60%) in most crop production systems. As a consequence, unused inorganic N can move off crop fields and contaminate surface and groundwater resources. Local and national governments have responded with guidelines, standards, regulations, and in some cases fines when off-field losses of N have not been reduced. Along with these environmental pressures, soaring energy costs have resulted in commensurate increased costs for N fertilizers. These factors are real for crop producers and are compelling them to scrutinize their crop N management more closely than in previous decades. Numerous …

Evaluating Forest Harvesting To Reduce Its Hydrologic Impact With A Spatial Decision Support System, Yanli Zhang, P. K. Barten, Ramanathan Sugumaran

Faculty Publications

Timber harvesting changes the condition of forest ecosystems, which are a major influence on the characteristics of headwater streams. Such characteristics include the quantity and timing of base flow and storm flow, concentrations of sediment and dissolved nutrients, water temperature, and the stability of the stream channels. This paper explores previous studies dealing with the relationship between timber harvesting and its hydrologic effects, especially long term water yield increase. The watershed disturbance threshold theory is raised and investigated in detail. The development and evaluation of a spatial decision support system, the Harvest Schedule Review System (HSRS), is then described. The …

Finicky Fish Finish... Last! On-Site Programming -- Support Materials (Grade 5), Discover Mojave: Forever Earth

Curriculum materials (FE)

In “Finicky Fish Finish…Last!” students explore what has happened to the Colorado River and the reasons why it is so difficult for the razorback sucker to thrive in a changed environment. Working as ichthyologists (fish biologists) at Lake Mead, students collect water quality data such as temperature, pH, and clarity to determine whether current habitat conditions are sufficient for survival of young razorback suckers. Students observe and identify non-native fish in Lake Mead as they learn how the razorback sucker interacts with these neighbors. Students assess whether Lake Mead is still a good habitat for razorback suckers. Using the knowledge …

Finicky Fish Finish... Last! On-Site Programming -- Post-Visit Lessons -- Support Materials (Grade 5), Forever Earth

Curriculum materials (FE)

In “Finicky Fish Finish…Last!” students explore what has happened to the Colorado River and the reasons why it is so difficult for the razorback sucker to thrive in a changed environment. Working as ichthyologists (fish biologists) at Lake Mead, students collect water quality data such as temperature, pH, and clarity -- to determine whether current habitat conditions are sufficient for survival of young razorback suckers. Students observe and identify non-native fish in Lake Mead as they learn how the razorback sucker interacts with these neighbors. Students assess whether Lake Mead is still a good habitat for razorback suckers. Using the …

Finicky Fish Finish... Last! Post-Visit -- Getting The Word Out: Visually Getting The Word Out: Interviews And Podcasts Lessons (Grade 5), Discover Mojave: Forever Earth

Curriculum materials (FE)

In “Finicky Fish Finish…Last!” students use the Forever Earth vessel to explore what has happened to the Colorado River and the reasons why it is so difficult for the razorback sucker to thrive in a changed environment. Working as ichthyologists (fish biologists) at Lake Mead, students collect water quality data such as temperature, pH, and clarity -- to determine whether current habitat conditions are sufficient for survival of young razorback suckers. Students observe and identify non-native fish in Lake Mead as they learn how the razorback sucker interacts with these neighbors. Students assess whether Lake Mead is still a good …

Finicky Fish Finish... Last! Pre-Visit Lessons (Grade 5), Discover Mojave: Forever Earth

Curriculum materials (FE)

In “Finicky Fish Finish…Last!” students use the Forever Earth vessel to explore what has happened to the Colorado River and the reasons why it is so difficult for the razorback sucker to thrive in a changed environment. Working as ichthyologists (fish biologists) at Lake Mead, students collect water quality data such as temperature, pH, and clarity -- to determine whether current habitat conditions are sufficient for survival of young razorback suckers. Students observe and identify non-native fish in Lake Mead as they learn how the razorback sucker interacts with these neighbors. Students assess whether Lake Mead is still a good …

Alien Invaders! On-Site Programming -- Support Materials (Grade 6), Discover Mojave: Forever Earth

Curriculum materials (FE)

In the “Alien Invaders!” program, students investigate how quagga mussels might affect Lake Mead. Students collect water quality data such as clarity, pH, and temperature to determine current habitat conditions that have allowed quagga mussels to thrive in Lake Mead. Students learn about the consequences that quagga mussels could have on the lake and its living and non-living resources. Using the knowledge they’ve gained, students create their own management plans to prevent the spread of quagga mussels to other waterways.

Assessment Of Forever Earth Curriculum 2007/2008: Final Report, Lori Olafson, Gregory Schraw, Michelle L. Weibel

Reports (FE)

Forever Earth is a floating environmental laboratory and learning center at Lake Mead National Recreation Area that provides hands-on science experiences for students in the Clark County School District. The Forever Earth program was brought about through the efforts of numerous partners including Forever Resorts, a division of Forever Learning LLC, the National Park Service, Lake Mead National Recreation Area; Outside Las Vegas Foundation; and UNLV’s Public Lands Institute. In 2005, a formal written agreement was reached between Fun Country Marine Industries and UNLV’s Public Lands Institute to operate and manage the Forever Earth houseboat for the purpose of enhancing …

A Unique Old-Growth Ponderosa Pine Forest In Northern Arizona, Scott R. Abella

Public Policy and Leadership Faculty Research

Old-growth ponderosa pine (Pinus ponderosa) forests are uncommon in the Southwest, and only one oldgrowth forest (the Gus Pearson Natural Area [GPNA]) has been researched in the ponderosa pine belt surrounding the city of Flagstaff in northern Arizona. The purpose of this study was to measure soil characteristics, current and pre-Euro-American settlement (1885) tree structure, and understory plant composition in a 6-ha remnant old-growth forest on volcanic, red cinder soils. Soil bulk density was extremely low (0.21 Mg/m3) in this forest because of high volumetric contents of cinders >2 mm diameter. As a result, volumetric soil moisture, organic C, and …

Open And Accessible: The Relationship Between Closures And Circulation In School Library Media Centers, Gail Dickinson, Karen Gavigan, Shana Pribesh

Teaching & Learning Faculty Publications

A hallmark of school library media best practice is for the library media center to be open and accessible to patron use before, during, and after the school day and throughout the entire school year. Anecdotal evidence and informal discussion among school library media specialists indicate that library media facilities are sometimes used for activities unrelated to the mission of the school library media program in the school. These activities may close the library media center to regular patron use for all or part of the school day. This study surveyed school library media specialists in two states and examined …

Free -Knot Splines And Bootstrapping For Nonlinear Modeling In Complex Samples, Scott W. Keith

All ETDs from UAB

Studies on body mass index (BMI) as it relates to headache or mortality have noted considerable nonlinearity. Approaches to rigorously analyzing these relationships have been limited to generalized linear models and survival models using either categorizations or polynomials of BMI. I have designed, evaluated, and implemented a piecewise linear logistic regression framework for modeling nonlinearity between a binary outcome and a continuous predictor, such as BMI, adjusted for covariates in complex samples. Least squares and maximum likelihood estimation methods were used to numerically optimize free-knot splines. Inference methods utilized both parametric and nonparametric bootstrapping. Parameter estimates were structured for interpretability …

On Estimating The Exponent Of Power-Law Frequency Distributions, Ethan P. White, B. J. Enquist, J. L. Green

Biology Faculty Publications

Power-law frequency distributions characterize a wide array of natural phenomena. In ecology, biology, and many physical and social sciences, the exponents of these power-laws are estimated to draw inference about the processes underlying the phenomenon, to test theoretical models, and to scale up from local observations to global patterns. Therefore, it is essential that these exponents be estimated accurately. Unfortunately, the binning-based methods traditionally utilized in ecology and other disciplines perform quite poorly. Here we discuss more sophisticated methods for fitting these exponents based on cumulative distribution functions and maximum likelihood estimation. We illustrate their superior performance at estimating known …

Perspectives In Ornithology: Application Of Tracking And Data-Logging Technology In Research And Conservation Of Seabirds, A E. Burger, Scott A. Shaffer

Faculty Publications, Biological Sciences

No abstract provided.

Diet Of Western Slimy Salamander, Plethodon Albagula (Caudata: Plethodontidae), From Two Mountain Ranges In Arkansas, Joseph Milanovich, Stanley E. Trauth, Tanja Mckay

Biology: Faculty Publications and Other Works

We identified stomach contents of 80 Plethodon albagula (Western Slimy Salamander) from two mountain ranges in Arkansas (Ozark and Ouachita) to examine if regional differences in diet occur. Museum specimens from 1985 to 2005 were used from locations throughout each mountain range. Although a wide variety of prey were found in stomachs, Hymenoptera: Formicidae and Coleoptera: Carabidae were found to be the most important food items in the diet of P. albagula. Ants and beetles constituted 85% abundance of their total diet (79.6% Ozark and 90.1% Ouachita) and 52.2% of their total biomass (42.6% Ozark and 64.1% Ouachita). Seventy-eight and …

Towards A More Deeply Child-Centered Approach To Child Poverty, Katherine Tyson Mccrea

Social Work: School of Social Work Faculty Publications and Other Works

No abstract provided.

Predation By Crabs On Rocky Shores In North-East Atlantic, Ana Catarina Ferreira Da Silva

Other Faculty of Science and Engineering Theses

Highly mobile predators are known to have an important influence on shallow-water habitats. There is, however, little information about the role of crabs on the ecology of rocky shores. Here I examine the extent and consequences of predation by crabs on shores in the North-East Atlantic. The specific aims of this thesis are to: investigate spatial variation in use of the intertidal by crabs along a horizontal gradient of exposure to wave action and a vertical gradient of tidal elevation; assess their use of the intertidal as a feeding area by examining stomach content composition; examine the extent of connectivity …

Predation By Crabs On Rocky Shores In North-East Atlantic, Ana Catarina Ferreirada Silva

School of Biological and Marine Sciences Theses

Highly mobile predators are known to have an important influence on shallow-water habitats. There is, however, little information about the role of crabs on the ecology of rocky shores. Here I examine the extent and consequences of predation by crabs on shores in the North-East Atlantic. The specific aims of this thesis are to: investigate spatial variation in use of the intertidal by crabs along a horizontal gradient of exposure to wave action and a vertical gradient of tidal elevation; assess their use of the intertidal as a feeding area by examining stomach content composition; examine the extent of connectivity …

Folder: Mascots - Ospreys, Thomas G. Carpenter Library, Special Collections

Mascots

Compilation of articles, pamphlets, emails and examples of items regarding images of ospreys, the University of North Florida mascot.

Photosynthetic Capacity Of Deciduous Tree Species Growing In The Duke Face Experiment With Elevated Carbon Dioxide And Nitrogen Fertilization., Christopher R. Buyarski

Graduate Theses, Dissertations, and Problem Reports (ETD)

Forested ecosystems are the largest terrestrial sinks for carbon dioxide (CO2) on earth and are important in mitigating the negative effects of human induced increases of atmospheric CO2. Trees fix CO2 into sugars by using the nitrogen demanding processes of photosynthesis. Modeling and empirical studies have shown stimulations in photosynthesis under elevated CO2 conditions but the response decreases as plant demand for N increases. I examined the interaction of CO2 and N on photosynthetic capacity of Liquidambar styraciflua trees growing in the overstory and four deciduous hardwood species, including Acer rubrum, Carya glabra, Ulmus alata, and Liquidambar styraciflua, in the …