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Volume 2, Chapter 4-2: Invertebrates: Sponges, Gastrotrichs, Nemerteans, And Flatworms, Janice M. Glime

Bryophyte Ecology Subchapters

No abstract provided.

Volume 2, Chapter 4-5: Invertebrates: Rotifers, Janice M. Glime

Bryophyte Ecology Subchapters

No abstract provided.

Volume 2, Chapter 5-5: Tardigrade Densities And Richness, Janice M. Glime

Bryophyte Ecology Subchapters

No abstract provided.

Volume 2, Chapter 13: Fish, Janice M. Glime

Bryophyte Ecology Subchapters

No abstract provided.

Volume 3, Chapter 1-1: Field Taxonomy And Collection Methods, Janice M. Glime

Bryophyte Ecology Subchapters

No abstract provided.

Volume 3, Chapter 3-1: Herbarium Methods And Exchanges, Janice M. Glime, D. H. Wagner

Bryophyte Ecology Subchapters

No abstract provided.

Factors Influencing The Current And Historical Invasion Trends In The Connecticut College Arboretum, Lillian Fayerweather

Botany Honors Papers

Invasive species present a growing risk to native ecosystems. It would be impossible to eliminate them, but by learning where they are more likely to occur it may be possible to concentrate resources on removal and management in the most at risk areas. A number of site characteristics may influence invasive species presence and invasion trends. In order to determine what factors affect species presence and historical invasion trends, I utilized data from decennial surveys conducted in the Bolleswood Natural Area of the Connecticut College Arboretum in New London, Connecticut. In 1952, 4 transects were established across the area, composed …

Atrazine And Nitrate In Public Drinking Water Supplies And Non-Hodgkin Lymphoma In Nebraska, Usa, Martha G. Rhoades, Jane L. Meza, Cheryl L. Beseler, Patrick J. Shea, Andy Kahle, Julie M. Vose, Kent M. Eskridge, Roy F. Spalding

School of Natural Resources: Faculty Publications

A secondary analysis of 1999–2002 Nebraska case-control data was conducted to assess the risk of non-Hodgkin lymphoma (NHL) associated with exposure to nitrate- and atrazine-contaminated drinking water. Water chemistry data were collected and weighted by well contribution and proximity of residence to water supply, followed by logistic regression to determine odds ratios (OR) and 95% confidence intervals (CI). We found no association between NHL risk and exposure to drinking water containing atrazine or nitrate alone. Risk associated with the interaction of nitrate and atrazine in drinking water was elevated (OR, 2.5; CI, 1.0–6.2). Risk of indolent B-cell lymphoma was higher …

Nondetection Sampling Bias In Marked Presence-Only Data, Trevor Hefley, Andrew J. Tyre, David M. Baasch, Erin E. Blankenship

School of Natural Resources: Faculty Publications

1 Species distribution models (SDM) are tools used to determine environmental features that influence the geographic distribution of species’ abundance and have been used to analyze presence-only records. Analysis of presenceonly records may require correction for nondetection sampling bias to yield reliable conclusions. In addition, individuals of some species of animals may be highly aggregated and standard SDMs ignore environmental features that may influence aggregation behavior.

2 We contend that nondetection sampling bias can be treated as missing data. Statistical theory and corrective methods are well developed for missing data, but have been ignored in the literature on SDMs. We …

Prevalence Of Antibiotic-Resistant E. Coli In Retail Chicken: Comparing Conventional, Organic, Kosher, And Raised Without Antibiotics, Jack M. Millman, Kara Waits, Heidi Grande, Ann R. Marks, Jane C. Marks, Lance B. Price, Bruce A. Hungate

Environmental and Occupational Health Faculty Publications

Retail poultry products are known sources of antibiotic-resistant Escherichia coli, a major human health concern. Consumers have a range of choices for poultry, including conventional, organic, kosher, and raised without antibiotics (RWA) – designations that are perceived to indicate differences in quality and safety. However, whether these categories vary in the frequency of contamination with antibiotic-resistant E. coli is unknown. We examined the occurrence of antibiotic-resistant E. coli on raw chicken marketed as conventional, organic, kosher and RWA. From April – June 2012, we purchased 213 samples of raw chicken from 15 locations in the New York City metropolitan …

Filling In The Gaps In Phenology And Life History Of The Cumberland Plateau Salamander (Plethodon Kentucki), Robert C. Bowers

Theses, Dissertations and Capstones

The Cumberland Plateau Salamander, Plethodon kentucki, is a member of the Plethodon glutinosus complex comprising 16 sibling species, which are best differentiated by range. Few studies have been conducted to gain information on the natural history of P. kentucki. To alleviate this, two sites at Beech Fork State Park in Wayne County, West Virginia were used to study the salamander’s general life history with emphasis on reproduction, phenology, and population size. At each site, three 20m x 20m sample plots were arranged based on viability of the habitat for P. kentucki. Ground searches of all cover objects …

Hitting The Right Target: Taxonomic Challenges For, And Of, Plant Invasions, Peter Pyšek, Philip E. Hulme, Laura A. Meyerson, Gideon F. Smith, James S. Boatwright, Neil R. Crouch, Estrela Figueiredo, Llewellyn C. Foxcroft, Vojtěch Jarošik, David M. Richardson, Jan Suda, John R. U. Wilson

Natural Resources Science Faculty Publications

This paper explores how a lack of taxonomic expertise, and by implication a dearth of taxonomic products such as identification tools, has hindered progress in understanding and managing biological invasions. It also explores how the taxonomic endeavour could benefit from studies of invasive species. We review the literature on the current situation in taxonomy with a focus on the challenges of identifying alien plant species and explore how this has affected the study of biological invasions. Biosecurity strategies, legislation dealing with invasive species, quarantine, weed surveillance and monitoring all depend on accurate and rapid identification of non-native taxa. However, such …

Early Alzheimer's And Parkinson's Disease Pathology In Urban Children: Friend Versus Foe Responses—It Is Time To Face The Evidence, Lilian Calderón-Garcidueñas, Maricela Franco-Lira, Antonieta Mora-Tiscareño, Humberto Medina-Cortina, Ricardo Torres-Jardon, Michael Kavanaugh

Biomedical and Pharmaceutical Sciences Faculty Publications

Chronic exposure to particulate matter air pollution is known to cause inflammation leading to respiratory- and cardiovascularrelated sickness and death. Mexico City Metropolitan Area children exhibit an early brain imbalance in genes involved in oxidative stress, inflammation, and innate and adaptive immune responses. Early dysregulated neuroinflammation, brain microvascular damage, production of potent vasoconstrictors, and perturbations in the integrity of the neurovascular unit likely contribute to progressive neurodegenerative processes. The accumulation of misfolded proteins coincides with the anatomical distribution observed in the early stages of both Alzheimer's and Parkinson's diseases. We contend misfolding of hyperphosphorylated tau (HPrc), alpha-synuclein, and beta-amyloid could …

Assessing Multiple Endpoints Of Atrazine Ingestion On Gravid Northern Watersnakes (Nerodia Sipedon) And Their Offspring, Lorin A. Neuman-Lee, Karen F. Gaines, Kyle A. Baumgartner, Jayme R. Voorhees, James M. Novak, Stephen J. Mullin

Faculty Research & Creative Activity

Ecotoxicological studies that focus on a single endpoint might not accurately and completely represent the true ecological effects of a contaminant. Exposure to atrazine, a widely used herbicide, disrupts endocrine function and sexual development in amphibians, but studies involving live-bearing reptiles are lacking. This study tracks several effects of atrazine ingestion from female Northern Watersnakes (Nerodia sipedon) to their offspring exposed in utero. Twenty-five gravid N. sipedon were fed fish dosed with one of the four levels of atrazine (0, 2, 20, or 200 ppb) twice weekly for the entirety of their gestation period. Endpoints for the mothers included blood …

The Role Of Elevation And Soil Chemistry In The Distribution And Ion Accumulation Of Floral Morphs Of Streptanthus Polygaloides Gray (Brassicaceae), A Californian Nickel Hyperaccumulator, N Pope, M Fong, R Boyd, N Rajakaruna

Faculty Publications, Biological Sciences

Background: The flora of serpentine/ultramafic soils provides an excellent model system for the study of natural selection in plant populations. Streptanthus polygaloides is a nickel hyperaccumulator that is endemic to serpentine soils in the Sierra Nevada of California, and has four floral morphs (yellow, purple, yellow-to-purple and undulate). Aims: We investigate three hypotheses: (1) the purple morph occurs in colder, wetter climates than the yellow morph; (2) tissue–soil ionic relationships differ among morphs; and (3) morphs occur on soils with differing elemental concentrations. Methods: We queried herbarium records to investigate patterns of occurrence among the yellow and purple floral morphs, …

Parks In The Sky: How Urban Rejuvenation Is Re-Writing Wilderness, Sarah Anne Mercurio

Theses Digitization Project

This thesis will examine the implications of urban wilderness, what representations of urban wilderness will look like, and whether we have, or can, move away from the archaic notion of wilderness that has prevailed since being defined in the Wilderness Act. While ecocritical theorists have not yet fully engaged in urban ecocritical analysis, the emerging trend to consider the city as a wild place is a direct result of a shift in cultural perspective, as is evidence through the development of natural and artificial place-making, such as the High Line Park in New York City.

Phytoplankton In Virginia Lakes And Reservoirs, Harold G. Marshall

Virginia Journal of Science

This study involves a phytoplankton summer/autumn survey in 46 Virginia lakes and reservoirs during 2010-2012. A total of 307 taxa were identified which included several filamentous and colonial cyanabacteria in bloom concentrations. With the exception of one natural lake, the other sites sampled represent impoundments created decades ago, with the majority presently classified as meso- or eutrophic. Among the cyanobacteria were 6 known toxin producers (Anabaena circinalis, Anabaena spiroides, Aphanizomenon flos-aquae, Cylindrospermopsis raciborskii, Limnothrix redekei, and Microcystis aeruginosa). The study characterizes phytoplankton populations in these aging freshwater habitats taken from a large number …

Dietary Preference Of The Queensnake (Regina Septemvittata), Timothy J. Brust

Theses, Dissertations and Capstones

The Queensnake (Regina septemvittata) is a small secretive water snake found throughout the eastern United States. Once common, their numbers have declined to the extent that they are now threatened throughout most of their range, largely the result of pollutant-based reduction in prey species. These snakes are assumed to eat molted crayfish exclusively. For some common crayfish species, molting happens only twice a summer during a two- week period. It has not been documented if Queensnakes eat anything besides crayfish on a regular basis. The purpose of this study was to determine the prey preference of Queensnakes with particular focus …

Factors Determining Mortality Of Adult Chaparral Shrubs In An Extreme Drought Year In California, William A. S. Paddock Iii, Stephen D. Davis, R. Brandon Pratt, Anna L. Jacobsen, Michael F. Tobin, Jorge López-Portillo, Frank W. Ewers

Aliso: A Journal of Systematic and Floristic Botany

We measured dieback and mortality in a chaparral shrub community at a chaparral/desert ecotone following four years of below-average rainfall. Ecotones are important systems in which to examine plant and community responses to extreme and prolonged drought conditions and the potential impact of global change on plant distributions and community composition. Following a particularly severe drought year, dieback and mortality were documented for seven co-dominant shrub species. We examined whether mortality was related to species ecology, leaf traits, or water relations. Dieback and mortality were greatest in two non-sprouting species. These species also had high xylem cavitation resistance and low …

Eastern Equine Encephalitis: An Assessment Of Vermont’S Treatment Plan And The Lack Of Preventative Treatment, Lauren E. Bierman

Writing Across the Curriculum

When an avian host and the Culiseta melanura mosquito meet in fresh water hardwood swamps, the Eastern Equine Encephalitis virus (EEE) is spread to the bird community. When that same bird is bitten by a mosquito that feeds on humans, such as the Aedes, Coquillettidia, and Culex species, the EEE virus has found its bridge vector. EEE is a rare disease in humans; the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) reported in 2010 that the virus affects an average of 6 people per year (Epidemiology & Geographic Distribution section, para 2). In 2010, blood collected from deer …

Insights Into Forest Soil Carbon Dynamics From Nuclear Magnetic Resonance Spectroscopy, Chris E. Johnson

Civil and Environmental Engineering - All Scholarship

No abstract provided.

Trophic Ecology Of A Freshwater Sponge (Spongilla Lacustris) Revealed By Stable Isotope Analysis, J Skelton, Mac Strand

Faculty Works

No abstract provided.

Temporal Variation And Scale In Movement-Based Resource Selection Functions, M. B. Hooten, E. M. Hanks, D. S. Johnson, M. W. Alldredge

United States Department of Commerce: Staff Publications

A common population characteristic of interest in animal ecology studies pertains to the selection of resources. That is, given the resources available to animals, what do they ultimately choose to use? A variety of statistical approaches have been employed to examine this question and each has advantages and disadvantages with respect to the form of available data and the properties of estimators given model assumptions. A wealth of high resolution telemetry data are now being collected to study animal population movement and space use and these data present both challenges and opportunities for statistical inference. We summarize traditional methods for …

Antimicrobial Resistance To 14 Antimicrobials In Marine Coastal Waters Around Northern Ireland: Use Of The Novel Relative Resistance Index As A Marker Of Ecological Status, Peter J. A. Moore, Juluri R. Rao, B. Cherie Millar, Colin E. Goldsmith, Wilson A. Coulter, John E. Moore

Journal of Marine Research

Relatively little work has been published on the incidence of antibiotic resistance (ABR) in the marine microbiological environment, which is of importance to animal (fish, mammals, birds) health, zoonotic transmission, distribution of ABR bacteria with oceanic drift, and ultimately human health. A study was performed to determine the diversity of total ABR (intrinsic and acquired resistance) in marine bacteria in shallow coastal waters surrounding Northern Ireland through the use of a novel Relative Resistance Index (RRI) as a surrogate marker for ecological change, particularly in comparing marine water in commercial versus non-commercial sites. Total antibiotic resistance was observed to varying …

Individual, Environmental, And Meteorological Predictors Of Daily Personal Ultraviolet Radiation Exposure Measurements In A United States Cohort Study, Elizabeth K. Cahoon, David C. Wheeler, Michael G. Kimlin, Richard K. Kwok, Bruce H. Alexander, Mark P. Little, Martha S. Linet, Daryl M. Freedman

Biostatistics Publications

Background

Individual exposure to ultraviolet radiation (UVR) is challenging to measure, particularly for diseases with substantial latency periods between first exposure and diagnosis of outcome, such as cancer. To guide the choice of surrogates for long-term UVR exposure in epidemiologic studies, we assessed how well stable sun-related individual characteristics and environmental/meteorological factors predicted daily personal UVR exposure measurements.

Methods

We evaluated 123 United States Radiologic Technologists subjects who wore personal UVR dosimeters for 8 hours daily for up to 7 days (N = 837 days). Potential predictors of personal UVR derived from a self-administered questionnaire, and public databases that provided …

Modelling Dendritic Ecological Networks In Space: An Integrated Network Perspective, Erin E. Peterson, Jay M. Ver Hoef, Dan J. Isaak, Jeffrey A. Falke, Marie-Josée Fortin, Chris E. Jordan, Kristina Mcnyset, Pascal Monestiez, Aaron S. Ruesch, Aritra Sengupta, Nicholas Som, E. Ashley Steel, David M. Theobald, Christian E. Torgersen, Seth J. Wenger

United States Department of Commerce: Staff Publications

Dendritic ecological networks (DENs) are a unique form of ecological networks that exhibit a dendritic network topology (e.g. stream and cave networks or plant architecture). DENs have a dual spatial representation; as points within the network and as points in geographical space. Consequently, some analytical methods used to quantify relationships in other types of ecological networks, or in 2-D space, may be inadequate for studying the influence of structure and connectivity on ecological processes within DENs. We propose a conceptual taxonomy of network analysis methods that account for DEN characteristics to varying degrees and provide a synthesis of the different …

Deciphering Serology To Understand The Ecology Of Infectious Diseases In Wildlife, Amy T. Gilbert, A. R. Fooks, D. T. S. Hayman, D. L. Horton, T. Muller, R. Plowright, A. J. Peel, R. Bowen, J. L. Wood, J. Miils, A. A. Cunningham, C. E. Rupprecht

United States Department of Agriculture Wildlife Services: Staff Publications

The ecology of infectious disease in wildlife has become a pivotal theme in animal and public health. Studies of infectious disease ecology rely on robust surveillance of pathogens in reservoir hosts, often based on serology, which is the detection of specific antibodies in the blood and is used to infer infection history. However, serological data can be inaccurate for inference to infection history for a variety of reasons. Two major aspects in any serological test can substantially impact results and interpretation of antibody prevalence data: cross-reactivity and cut-off thresholds used to discriminate positive and negative reactions. Given the ubiquitous use …

Fire And Fish Dynamics In A Changing Climate: Broad- And Local-Scale Effects Of Fire-Induced Water Temperature Changes On Native And Nonnative Fish Communities, Michael K. Young, Lisa Eby, Lisa Holsinger, Daniel J. Isaak, Robert E. Keane

Joint Fire Science Program Research Project Reports

Fire is a key natural disturbance that affects the distribution and abundance of native fishes in the Rocky Mountain West. In the absence of migratory individuals from undisturbed portions of a watershed, persistence of native fish populations depends on the conditions of the post-fire stream environment. Stream temperatures typically warm after fire, and remain elevated until riparian vegetation recovers. An additional threat to native species is that nonnative fishes have invaded many waters, and these species tolerate or prefer warmer water temperatures. Thus, forecasting the long-term effects of fire on native fish populations requires an understanding of fire dynamics (size, …

The Need To Address Black-Backed Jackal And Caracal Predation In South Africa, David L. Bergman, Ho De Waal, Nico L. Avenant, Michael J. Bodenchuk, Michael C. Marlow, Dale L. Nolte

Wildlife Damage Management Conference Proceedings

Prior to 1990, the four provincial governments of South Africa had a variety of programs in place to manage predation by black-backed jackals and caracals through lethal and nonlethal manage-ment in close cooperation with livestock farmers. During the 1990s the official programmes were phased out due to a multitude of factors including lower predation rates. Today, thousands of livestock (primari-ly sheep and goats, but also cattle and wildlife) are lost each day in South Africa due to black-backed jackal and caracal predation. The actual numbers are not known because not all losses are accounted or reported. It also does not …

Mercury Concentrations In Tropical Resident And Migrant Songbirds On Hispaniola, Jason M. Townsend, Christopher C. Rimmer, Charles T. Driscoll, Kent P. Mcfarland, Eduardo E. Inigo-Elias

Civil and Environmental Engineering - All Scholarship

Despite growing concerns over mercury (Hg) exposure to humans and wildlife on a global scale, little is known about Hg bioaccumulation in the New World tropics. From 2005 to 2011, we monitored Hg concentrations in blood of nine avian species occupying a geographic range of tropical wet broadleaf sites on the island of Hispaniola, including eight passerines (two Nearctic- Neotropical migrant and six resident species) and one top order predatory accipiter. Invertivorous songbirds were further differentiated by foraging guild, with six species of groundforagers and two species of foliage-gleaners. Blood Hg concentrations were orders of magnitude higher in birds sampled …