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Usm Biology Trail Guide, Biological Sciences Learning Center

Teacher Resource Documents

No abstract provided.

A Watershed Analysis Of Threemile Pond: Implications For Water Quality And Land Use Management, Colby Environmental Assessment Team, Colby College, Problems In Environmental Science Course (Biology 493), Colby College

Colby College Watershed Study: Threemile Pond (2003)

The 2003 Colby Environmental Assessment Team chose to study the Threemile Pond watershed. The Threemile Pond watershed is located in Vassalboro, China., Windsor, and Augusta, Maine. Threemile Pond is a popular site for recreation and is home to a wide range of flora and fauna. Like all other lakes in Maine, it is a young lake. However, intensive human activity in the watershed contributes a substantial amount of nutrients and the lake has algal blooms annually in the summer months. The purpose of this study was to assess the impact of land use and development on the water quality of …

The Effects Of Zebra Mussels (Dreissena Polymorpha) On The Downstream Transport Of Primary Production, Angelica M. Fuentes

McNair Scholars Journal

Zebra mussels established populations in Croton Pond, an impoundment on the Muskegon River in Michigan, between 1999 and 2000. Subsequently, declines in the filter feeding invertebrate communities downstream of the impoundment have occurred. Because of these changes, I investigated the impacts of zebra mussels on the production and downstream transport of phytoplankton in Croton Pond and the Muskegon River. Chlorophyll a concentrations were determined at multiple sites upstream, in the pond, and downstream. In addition, simulations were set up to predict algal biomass had zebra mussels not been introduced into the reservoir. Chlorophyll data indicates that the algal biomass in …

Genes, Parents And Assisted Reproductive Technologies: Mistakes, Race, Sex, And Law, Leslie Bender

College of Law - Faculty Scholarship

In December 1998 a woman gave birth to twins, one of whom was European-American and one of whom was African-American, as a result of an embryo mix-up that occurred at an infertility clinic where she was receiving treatments. The genetic progenitors of the mistakenly implanted embryo challenged the birth mother's rights to one of the twins. They won their New York state court lawsuit, ultimately preventing the birth mother from even having visitation with her son. This essay examines the impact of assisted reproductive technologies (ARTs) mistakes on the legal analysis of parenthood (in particular maternity), offers a systematic critique …

Ec03-176 Noxious Weeds Of Nebraska: Musk Thistle, Fred Roeth, Steven R. Melvin, Irvin L. Schleufer

University of Nebraska-Lincoln Extension: Historical Materials

Musk Thistle is an introduced invasive broadleaf weed native to Europe, North Africa, and Asia. In these areas it is a minor weed because natural enemies keep its population low. When the plant was introduced into North America, its natural enemies were left behind. Without these natural checks, the thistle is able to thrive and compete with native vegetation. This Extension Circular discusses the history, biology, identification, distribution and control of the musk thistle.

Annual Report (January 1 - December 31, 2002): City Of Austin’S Captive Breeding Program For The Barton Springs And Austin Blind Salamanders, Dee Ann Chamberlain, Lisa O'Donnell

KIP Data Sets and Technical Reports

Submitted to the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service in compliance with Permit #PRT-839031, this report summarizes the activities of the City of Austin, Texas captive breeding program for the Barton Springs (Eurycea sosorum) and Austin Blind (Eurycea waterlooensis) salamanders. Open Access See Extended description for more information.

From Presumed Fathers To Lesbian Mothers: Sex Discrimination And The Legal Construction Of Parenthood, Susan E. Dalton

Michigan Journal of Gender & Law

In Part I of this article, Dalton briefly reviews the way legal scholars commonly define sex-based discrimination, particularly as it pertains to issues of reproduction. Part II is a brief historical review of legal constructions of parenthood. In Part III, Dalton examines two legal concepts: retroactive legitimation and presumed fatherhood. Both concepts were introduced in 1872 and each independently encouraged judges to think of fatherhood as consisting of two distinct spheres, the biological and the social. She then traces the legal development of these concepts through a series of presumed father, retroactive legitimation, and putative father cases. In Part IV …

A Comparison Of Floristic Diversity In Old-Growth Versus Mid-Successional Secondary-Growth Hardwood Forests Of The White Mountain National Forest, New Hampshire, United States, Leslie Marie Teeling-Adams

Doctoral Dissertations

There is currently debate over whether managed forests will ever regain the species diversity of old-growth stands. While succession and response to disturbance of tree species has been extensively researched, little similar effort has focused on understory herbaceous communities. This study conducted large-scale, comprehensive botanical inventories of three old-growth and three mid-successional (80--100 year old) secondary forest stands in New Hampshire's White Mountain National Forest (WMNF). Cluster analysis and TWINSPAN grouped the secondary sites within two steps. Old-growth floras were significantly richer in total, total herbaceous, woodland herbaceous, and unique herbaceous species. Abundance distributions of the two treatment groups were …

Transcriptional Elongation Defects Enhance Upstream Poly (A) Site Utilization And Spt5 Affects Mrna Degradation Through Its Physical And Functional Interaction With Ccr4 -Not Complex, Yajun Cui

Doctoral Dissertations

While a number of proteins are involved in elongational processes, the mechanism of action of most of these factors remains unclear primarily because of the lack of suitable in vivo model systems. We have identified in yeast several genes, each of which contain internal poly (A) sites, whose full-length mRNA formation is reduced by mutations in RNA polymerase II subunit RPB2, elongation factor SPT5, or TFIIS. RPB2 and SPT5 defects also promoted the utilization of upstream poly (A) sites for genes that contain multiple 3 ' poly (A) signaling sequences, supporting a role for elongation in differential poly (A) site …

Nuclear And Cytoplasmic Genetic Variation In Picea: Dna Markers For Evaluating Past Migration, Introgression And Evolutionary History, Joselle Germano-Presby

Doctoral Dissertations

Mitochondrial and chloroplast haplotypes were identified in range-wide populations of white (Picea glauca), black (P. mariana ) and red spruce (P. rubens). The chloroplast genome exhibited more intraspecific variation than the mitochondrial genome. Red spruce displayed the most total chloroplast genetic diversity (H T = 0.52). Neighbor-joining analysis arranged the chloroplast haplotypes into three monophyletic groups that were nearly 100% species-specific. These results strongly refute a previously proposed progenitor/derivative relationship of black/red spruce. Red and black spruce were estimated to have diverged from their common ancestor ∼0.6--3.5 million years ago. Mitochondrial diversity detected in black spruce was attributed to interspecific …

Evaluation Of Bacteriophage And Viral Persistence During Alkaline Stabilization In Sludge And Biosolids Intended For Land Application, Jacqueline Joy Brabants

Doctoral Dissertations

The use of lime to reduce or eliminate pathogen content is a cost-effective treatment method currently being employed in many Class B biosolids production plants in the United States. A bench scale model of lime stabilization was designed to evaluate pathogen persistence. The survivability of poliovirus type 1, fecal coliforms, Salmonella, adenovirus type 5, rotavirus Wa, and the male-specific bacteriophage MS-2 was evaluated under lime stabilization conditions in various matrices. Salmonella and fecal coliforms were evaluated at 28°C and poliovirus and MS-2 were evaluated at both 28°C and 4°C for survivability under lime stabilization conditions in a sludge matrix. All …

Satellite Indices Of Fluvial Influence In Coastal Waters, Joseph E. Salisbury Ii.

Doctoral Dissertations

In this dissertation a suite of satellite, discharge and in-situ measurements is used to explore the spatio-temporal distribution of terrestrial constituents in coastal environments. The covariance between riverine delivery of optically active constituents and the corresponding optical variability in neighboring coastal waters for the Mississippi and Orinoco Rivers is documented. From this work, satellite-based indices of fluvial influence (IFI), are developed which contain information on the spatial extent of riverine constituents in coastal waters. The IFI is defined as the correlation between time series of riverine discharge and an ocean color satellite-derived property in the region proximal to a river's …

Spatial Modeling And Visualization Of Habitat Response To Hydrologic Restoration In New England Salt Marshes, Raymond Anthony Konisky

Doctoral Dissertations

Anthropogenic alterations that restrict tidal flows negatively impact 20% of New England salt marshes, but management attempts to restore tides to these sites can be met with unexpected or less than optimal results. Restoration planners may be hindered by a lack of synthesized information regarding important biotic and abiotic factors that determine the distribution of dominant salt marsh plants and invasive species. An ecosystem model was developed to better predict salt marsh habitat response to hydrologic modification as a synthesis of existing models for biomass production, marsh elevation, tidal hydrology, and plant succession. A field experiment was conducted to provide …

Age, Growth, And Reproductive Biology, Of The Winter Skate, Leucoraja Ocellata, In The Western Gulf Of Maine, James Antoni Sulikowski

Doctoral Dissertations

This study describes the age, growth and reproductive biology of the winter skate, Leucoraja ocellata, in the Western Gulf of Maine. Age was estimated by enumerating annular bands within the vertebral centra. Precision of the age estimates was evaluated using the Index of Average Percent Error and the annual nature of growth band formation was documented using marginal increment analyses. Growth was assessed with the use of the von Bertalanffy growth equation. Age and size at maturity was estimated by measuring morphological and histological changes in the reproductive tract and circulating steroid hormone concentrations. Maturity ogives for males predict that …

Investigations Into The Digestive System Proteases Of Argiope Aurantia (Araneae: Araneidae), Hemolytic Agents Of Spider Venoms, And The Role Of Both In Necrotic Arachnidism, Matthew Joseph Foradori

Doctoral Dissertations

Necrotic arachnidism, or tissue necrosis following spider bites is a widespread problem. Knowledge of the exact mechanism that produces such lesions is still incomplete. Here I have examined spider digestive fluid proteases and spider venom enzymes (e.g., sphingomyelinase D and phospholipase A2) for their potential to cause necrotic lesions, as both are thought to be primary agents.

The digestive fluid of Argiope aurantia was examined for its ability to cleave a variety of extra-cellular matrix proteins, including collagen, elastin, and fibronectin. Having confirmed that the fluid has collagenases, the digestive fluid was injected into the skin of rabbits to observe …

Factors Associated With Atlantic White -Cedar Seedling Recruitment On Microtopographic And Landscape Scales, Brown Mill Pond, Rye, New Hampshire, Lara Megdane Gengarelly

Doctoral Dissertations

The decline of Atlantic white-cedar (Chamaecyparis thyoides) throughout its range has motivated researchers to investigate cedar seedling recruitment. In this study, conducted at Brown Mill Pond in Rye, New Hampshire, the distribution pattern of cedar seedlings was studied in order to identify which, if any, biological or physical factors observed at a microtopographic scale were associated with seedling presence. On a landscape scale, five previously identified cedar communities were measured for differences in water table level and soil moisture in order to determine associations between stand dynamics and hydrology.

A field survey showed that cedar seedlings were (1) absent from …

Calcium -Dependent Protein Kinases Are Myristoylated And Associated With Different Membranes In Arabidopsis Thaliana, Sheen Xun Lu

Doctoral Dissertations

In plants, calcium-dependent protein kinases (CDPKs) are the predominant calcium-stimulated kinases and are known to be involved in many cellular processes. CDPK enzymatic activity previously has been detected in many locations in plant cells, including the membrane fraction. However, little is known about the subcellular locations of individual CDPKs or the mechanisms involved in targeting them to those locations. Arabidopsis contains 34 genes that are predicted to encode CDPKs and 28 of the predicted CDPK proteins have potential myristoylation motifs at their amino termini. Myristate is a 14-carbon saturated fatty acid that is attached co-translationally to the amino-terminal glycine of …

Assessment Of The Fate Of Cryptosporidium Parvum, Giardia Lamblia And Ascaris Lumbricoides In Class A Composting And Class B Lime Stabilization Biosolids Treatment Processes, Christine L. Bean

Doctoral Dissertations

The management of biosolids in the United States has become an issue of public health concern in regard to disposal. Congress created the Clean Water Act in 1972 to protect waters in the United States and as a result, no longer can human waste be dumped into oceans or rivers. Means of disposal of biosolids are focused on land application today. The practice of land application takes into consideration the classification of the biosolids material and management practices to control access to and growth of crops on the land. Biosolids are classified as either Class A or Class B depending …

Characterization Of Prokaryotic Diversity In A Chlorinated Solvent-Contaminated Bedrock Aquifer Using Denaturing Gradient Gel Electrophoresis, Ribosomal Dna Sequencing, And Real Time Pcr, Walid Naser

Doctoral Dissertations

A culture-independent molecular phylogenetic approach was implemented to investigate spatial and temporal variations in microbial diversity and abundance in a chlorinated solvent-contaminated bedrock aquifer. Core and groundwater samples were collected from several boreholes and included the following samples: (1) groundwater that was associated with the core, (2) open fractures and (3) partially mineralized sealed fractures (PMSF) exposed by striking the core with a surface-sterilized geology hammer. DNA representing the attached and unattached microbial communities was extracted from these samples, and the 16S rRNA gene was amplified with primers specific for Bacteria, Archaea, sulfate reducers, Geobacteraceae family, Dehalorespirers (Dehalococcoides sp. and …

Factors Affecting Plant Community Composition And Dynamics In The Ossipee Pine Barrens, New Hampshire, Lauren Fredrick Howard

Doctoral Dissertations

Forty-one 0.25 ha sites were sampled in the Ossipee Pine Barrens to identify and describe tree community types and investigate factors controlling forest composition and dynamics. Every site had three site-time assemblages (STA's) representing past, present, and future trees. Past (1952) vegetation was calculated based on reverse growth estimates of current stems and stumps. Future (2052) vegetation was predicted by current sapling (<10 cm dbh and ≥1 m tall) relative densities.

Cluster analysis produced three community types from 121 STA's: pitch pine, mixed pine-hardwoods, and red maple. Pitch pine communities comprised 63% of sites in 1952, but declined since. Mixed pine-hardwoods peaked at 58% in 2002, but were …

Ec03-177 Noxious Weeds Of Nebraska: Purple Loosestrife, Stevan Z. Knezevic

University of Nebraska-Lincoln Extension: Historical Materials

Purple loosestrife is an introduced invasive weed that is overrunning thousands of acres of wetlands and waterways in the Midwest. Once purple loosestrife invades a wetland, natural habitat is lost and the productivity of native plant and animal communities is severely reduced. This Extension Circular discusses the biology, identification, distribution and control of purple loosestrife.

Nowranie Caves And The Camooweal Karst Area, Queensland Nowranie Caves And The Camooweal Karst Area, Queensland: Hydrology, Geomorphology And Speleogenesis, With Notes On Aquatic Biota, Stefan Eberhard

KIP Articles

No abstract provided.

Jollyville Salamander Data Analysis: 1997 – 2003, Martha Turner

KIP Data Sets and Technical Reports

The Jollyville Plateau salamander, Eurycea tonkawae, inhabits springs and spring-runs in tributaries draining the Jollyville Plateau area of Travis and Williamson counties, Texas. The species is considered a "species of concern" by the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, and as such, it may be in need of concentrated conservation actions. A previous 2-year study by the City of Austin provided baseline water chemistry, sediment chemistry, habitat, and ecological data at salamander sites. Examination of 6 years of data at five salamander sites shows that salamander counts are declining at two sites. The declining counts appear to be related to habitat …

Genes And Justice: The Future Of Cloning In The United States - An Analysis Of Ethical, Scientific, & Legal Policy, Marlo Diane Curiel

Whittier Scholars Program

This project is a report that surveys the “Biotech Age” expansion and the resulting ethical dilemmas in regards to human cloning while providing an analysis of ethical, scientific, and legal policy. This project is split into sections which discuss the Biotech Age including the Biotech trends, recent legal and scientific breakthroughs, and insight into controversy. This project revolves around the science of cloning human beings, ethical dilemma and legal background. In conclusion a cloning bill is proposed by the scholar.

Biology Discipline Assessment Preliminary Report 2002/2003, Biology Discipline

Assessment of Student Learning Reports

No abstract provided.

John Russell Bozeman Papers, Zach S. Henderson Library Special Collections

Finding Aids

This collection consists of research materials belonging to Georgia Southern College instructor, John Russell Bozeman. Materials span 1948-1994 and include research files on beach erosion, the ecology of the Georgia barrier islands, and general information on Southeastern ecology and topography.

Find this collection in the University Libraries' catalog.

Seedling Recruitment In The Coastal Sage Scrub- Grassland Ecotone, Hedvig Nenzen

Whittier Scholars Program

The table of contents include Mediterranean Ecosystems Worldwide, Characteristics of the Local Flora, Reasons and Effects of Invasive Species, the Spread of Invasives in Southern California, Theories of Disturbances and Succession and the Past and Future of Landscape Ecology. Additionally there is a scientific paper included. Landscape and plant community structure is complex, explained by factors such as climate, topography, soil biota, successional stage, disturbance regime, species competitive ability, and land use history. Dispersal, seedling recruitment and (shade tolerance) also maintain patchy vegetation communities. I will examine the characteristics of the ecotone between non-native and native plants in a Southern …

Biology, Culture, And Environment: The Struggle For Hegemony In Arizona, Sondra Kae Cosgrove

UNLV Retrospective Theses & Dissertations

This is an examination of the various cultural groups who have attempted to extend hegemony control over what is now the state of Arizona. Each chapter focuses on the ways different societies adapted to the region's challenging environment; paying particular attention to those that sought to integrate their neighbors into their own socioeconomic systems, whether by force or through negotiation. The rise and fall of the indigenous Hohokam civilization marks the first phase in this struggle for hegemony, while conflicts between Spaniards and Indians characterize the second. The third, and so far, final cycle concludes with Euro-Americans seizing the region …

Addressing Retention, Discipline, And Achievement Problems Among High School Freshmen, John Rhett Harris

Abraham S. Fischler College of Education ETD Archive

Problems with ninth grade retention, discipline, and achievement and the attempts to correct those problems were examined as a part of the practicum assignment for Nova Southeastern University. The creation of a ninth grade academy patterned around research describing schools within- schools (SWAS) served as the vehicle for reform aimed at correcting these dilemmas. Statistical evidence revealed that our retention and discipline rates school wide were worsening, particularly among freshmen. Consultation between the researcher and the school principal lead to the creation of a new learning setting whose priority was to reverse the negative trends we were seeing through new …

Aligning Standards Successfully In A High School Science Curriculum, J. Harrison Goodwin

Abraham S. Fischler College of Education ETD Archive

This dissertation describes the process of aligning the science curriculum of Chapman High School with the South Carolina Science Curriculum Standards. This was necessary due to the state requirement that students pass an exit examination in science beginning with the graduating class of 2005.

The passage of the South Carolina Education Accountability Act of 1998 required that students pass an exit examination in science beginning with the graduating class of 2006. The act also required that students take end-of-course examinations in certain science classes beginning with biology in the school year of 2003-2004. This exit examination and the end-of-course tests …