Digital Commons Network^™

Ram Island: Recovery In Progress, Richard A. Harlow Jr.

Bird Observer

No abstract provided.

Bobolink Protection And Mortality On Suburban Conservation Lands, Stephen F. Ells

Bird Observer

No abstract provided.

Investigating Telomere Lengths In Chestnut-Crowned Babblers, Gabriella Rose Beberg

Honors Thesis

Telomeres are chromosomal elements that protect and maintain genes as DNA replicates in many organisms. As individuals age and DNA replicates, telomeres often shorten; thus, telomere length often corresponds with an individual’s lifespan, and early-life decreases in telomere length can be predictive of longevity. Here, I investigated the relationship between telomere length and developmental environment in a cooperatively breeding species, the chestnut-crowned babbler (Pomatostomus ruficeps; CCB). Cooperative species are unique, as some individuals give up their own breeding opportunities to help rear the offspring of others; further, cooperative breeding systems generate considerably more variation in adult carers, which …

Recolonization Of The Common Raven In Berkshire County, Massachusetts, Timothy J. Flanagan

Bird Observer

No abstract provided.

Bicknell's Thrush: A Northeastern Songbird In Trouble, Christopher C. Rimmer, Jonathan L. Atwood, Laura R. Nagy

Bird Observer

No abstract provided.

A Key Link In Greater Boston's Wildlife Habitat: Metropolitan State Hospital, John Andrews, Lee Taylor

Bird Observer

No abstract provided.

Thoreau: Speaking For Birds, Richard K. Walton

Bird Observer

No abstract provided.

Some Notes On Spruce Grouse (Dendragapus Canadensis), Michael R. Greenwald

Bird Observer

No abstract provided.

Microbial Ecology Of Alpine Snows: Novel Approaches To Assess Spatial And Temporal Dynamics, Avery Ezra Tucker

Electronic Theses and Dissertations Archive

Snow algae blooms and associated microbial communities play large roles in snow ecosystem processes. Patterns and mechanisms underpinning snow algae bloom spatial distribution and associated microbial community assembly dynamics are poorly understood. To bridge these gaps in knowledge, this dissertation focused on two broad areas: (1) mapping associations of microbial communities and environmental measures between/within snow algae blooms across diverse substrate categories and identifying significant associations between them; (2) metagenome sequencing, offering the first partial genome of Sanguina nivaloides, along with identification of putative functional pathways. Although snow algae are an enigmatic domain in microbial community research, due to the …

Tiny Drifters Amidst Global Change: Examining Environmental Drivers, Trophic Impacts, And Management Strategies Of Estuarine Plankton Communities In The Anthropocene, Taylor Nicole Dodrill

Dissertations and Theses

Plankton productivity supports estuarine food webs, and has been tied to the success of fisheries, macroinvertebrates, and cultured shellfish yields. Climate change and alterations to nutrient loads are thought to be influencing plankton assemblages, with toxin-producing harmful algal blooms (HABs) on the rise and nutritional quality of plankton declining globally. These shifts in plankton communities may contribute to low biomass yields and toxin-based closures of important fisheries. The objectives of this dissertation are to identify environmental drivers, trophic impacts, and management strategies to understand and respond to changing estuarine plankton communities. To address these objectives, I used a combination of …

Can The Vegetation Structure And Composition In Urban Green Spaces Determine Diversity Of Green Lacewings (Neuroptera: Chrysopidae)?, Jose I. Martinez, Raiza J. Castillo, Adrián Ardila-Camacho, Charles V. Covell, José Isabel López-Arroyo, Francisco Javier Nava-Guízar

Insecta Mundi

Green spaces represent the only natural areas in several cities around the world, providing good shelters for the local fauna. Based on this premise, many ecological studies have been conducted focused on these areas. Most of these works are about insects, particularly butterflies and beetles. Our study is centered on a different group: green lacewings (Neuroptera: Chrysopidae). These insects exhibit a similar feeding behavior to some other groups, such as beetles. We estimated diversity, richness, distribution, abundance and similarity employing two methods: sweep netting and suction trapping. Also, oviposition hosts were identified in 20 different green spaces. Approximately 740 specimens …

The Influence Of Salinity And Vegetation Texture On The Ecological Roles Of Insects In Tidal Marshes In Louisiana, Benjamin G. Aker, Claudia Husseneder, Lane D. Foil

Faculty Publications

Tidal marsh insect communities are influenced by both salinity and aspects of vegetation texture (vegetation diversity, plant density, and architectural structure). These factors affect the abundances and intra- and interguild interactions of these insects and should result in broad-scale variation in the distribution and ecological functioning of tidal marsh insect communities along these gradients. However, this assumption has not been tested within Gulf Coast marshes, and the insect communities and their ecological roles are not well known. This study identifies how family-level insect biodiversity varies by salinity and which factors are most important in affecting the distribution of insect functional …

Controls Of Benthic Microbial Communities In Headwater Streams Across A Land Use Gradient In Northeastern Usa, Joshua Michael Buonpane

Master's Theses and Capstones

Benthic microbes are important drivers of biogeochemical cycling in streams, influencing the storage, transformation, and emission of carbon and nutrients. While the impact of land use and land cover on water quality has been extensively studied, the connection between water quality and microbial community composition and function remains unresolved. In this study, we examined how the water quality changes accompanying watershed development impact the diversity, composition, and functional potential of benthic bacterial/archaeal, and fungal communities. This was explored in headwater streams across an urbanization gradient in the northeastern US. We did not find a link between urbanization and α-diversity of …

Exploring The Interrelationships Among Structural Complexity, Multi-Trophic Biodiversity, And Ecosystem Productivity In Forested Ecosystems., Ayanna St. Rose

Graduate Theses and Dissertations

Forests play a pivotal role in sustaining global biodiversity and mitigating the global climate, as they serve as the primary refuge for terrestrial biodiversity and effectively capture and store atmospheric carbon dioxide. However, changing climate and land use are altering the geographic distribution, physical structure, and productivity of forested ecosystems that can have profound impacts on biodiversity conservation, forest productivity, and global climate. This dissertation contributes to our understanding of multifaceted interactions between the physical and biological structural complexity and ecosystem functions in forested landscapes across the United states by using openly available data from two national networks: the National …

Human Dimensions Of Woody Encroachment Management In Nebraska, Emily Rowen

School of Natural Resources: Dissertations, Theses, and Student Research

Woody plant encroachment (WPE) is a social-ecological problem that will challenge conservation professionals and agricultural producers to adapt their management strategies. This research first examined WPE from the perspective of individual conservation professionals through an online survey. Conservation professionals’ attitudes about adaptation to vegetation transitions, such as WPE, were of interest because these attitudes are one measure of how prepared this group is to respond to WPE. Hypothesized predictors of adaptation attitude were tested through linear regression modeling. These predictors included ecological change, observation of WPE, or risk perception. It was found that risk perception was the strongest predictor of …

In Situ Water Sensing Systems: Research On Advancements In Environmental Monitoring, Abigail Seibel

Honors Program: Senior Projects (Public)

In this work, two sensing systems were researched in order to improve in situ environmental monitoring. The first is a pH and Total Alkalinity sensor used to determine these characteristics of sea water. I explored the facets of this sensor over a 7-week internship with Dr. Ellen Briggs in her lab in summer of 2023. The second is a more holistic sensing system that reads temperature, turbidity, and pressure used for studying environmental characteristics of Alaskan bever ponds. Both systems were developed in close collaboration with scientists who are collecting data to better understand the impacts of climate change. Better …

Seagrass Epibiont Biodiversity In The Northern Gulf Of Mexico, Kathryn Wyssmann

LSU New Orleans Theses and Dissertations

Epibionts on seagrass leaves contribute substantially to productivity and trophic interactions in seagrass ecosystems. Differences in epibiont assemblages and factors that contribute to epibiont diversity have been little studied on the seagrass Halodule wrightii in the northern Gulf of Mexico (nGoM). We used a metabarcoding approach to describe epibiont assemblages on H. wrightii leaves in four bays across the nGoM and to test whether epibiont assemblages differed spatially at local levels (within bays) or regional levels (from west to east). Furthermore, we tested if epibiont diversity was related to environmental conditions and/or seagrass productivity. Epibiont assemblages differed significantly between bays …

Evolution And Natural Selection Of Olfactory Receptor Genes In Hawaiian Drosophila, Ngoc H. Ly

UNLV Theses, Dissertations, Professional Papers, and Capstones

The olfactory system is a powerful tool for sensing countless odorants. In Drosophila, the olfactory system is critical for detecting food, finding mates, laying eggs, avoiding predators, and adapting to new environments. Understanding the olfactory system in Drosophila will advance our knowledge of sensory biology in various insects and vertebrates, including humans. Drosophila has been a valuable model for biology since the early 1900s, and the Drosophila melanogaster olfactory system is well-studied. The Hawaiian Drosophila represent approximately 1/3 of the world’s Drosophila, however, there is limited research on Hawaiian Drosophila olfactory genes. We conducted a comparative analysis of …

Correlations Between Educational Struggle, Toxic Sites By School District And Demographic Variables, With Geographical Information System Projections, Junu Shrestha, Raihan K. Khan, Shane Mcclintock, John Degroote, Catherine L. Zeman

Faculty Publications

This correlational study associated data on children enrolled in individualized educational plans in their K-12 schools (IEP) and an algorithm-calculated score of neurotoxins at contaminated sites located in each school district. The study also mapped and projected the correlations using Geographical Information System (GIS) technology. These data were populated in ArcMap 10.5 (a GIS software) for generating maps and data to conduct geospatial analysis. A total of 1 Superfund site and 39 CERCLA sites were identified as contaminated sites for this analysis. The majority of contaminants were heavy metals such as lead, arsenic, mercury, and cadmium. The mean toxic score …

People, Place, And Planet: Global Review Of Use-Inspired Research On Water-Related Ecosystem Services In Urban Wetlands, Jason Sauer, Heejun Chang

Geography Faculty Publications and Presentations

With climate change and urbanization, city planners and developers have increasing interest and practice in constructing, restoring, or incorporating wetlands as forms of green infrastructure to maintain water-related ecosystem services (WES). We reviewed studies that valued in functional or monetary units the water regulation and purification services of urban wetlands around the globe. We used the adaptive management cycle (AMC) as a heuristic to determine the step that a study would represent in the AMC, the connections between the cycle steps that were used or considered, and the stakeholders involved. Additionally, we identified the social, ecological, and/or technological dimension(s) of …

Characterization Of The Long-Distance Dispersal Kernel Of White-Tailed Deer And Evaluating Its Impact On Chronic Wasting Disease Spread In Wisconsin, Mennatallah Gouda

All Graduate Theses and Dissertations, Fall 2023 to Present

Chronic Wasting Disease (CWD) is a fatal, untreatable neurodegenerative disease that infects deer and related species. It is highly contagious and caused by abnormal malfunction and assembly of normal cellular proteins into aggregation-prone proteins. The Centers for Disease Control and prevention report that the prevalence of CWD in free-ranging deer in the US is still relatively low. However, in several states the infection rates exceed 1 deer in 10. Deer may uptake CWD from direct interaction with infected individuals or from the environment. Infected individuals shed CWD into the environment through feces, urine, saliva or carcasses, and long-distance dispersal of …

Linking Microbial Community Assembly In Flowers With Function Under Diverse Environmental Conditions: A Case Study Involving Erwinia Amylovora, Christopher Skylar Mcdaniel

All Graduate Theses and Dissertations, Fall 2023 to Present

Fire blight, a devastating disease of pome fruit trees caused by the bacterium Erwinia amylovora, can cause millions of dollars in losses for producers each year around the globe. Management approaches that involve use of antibiotics, such as streptomycin, can be effective; although concerns exist over pollinator and crop health when using them regularly. Recently, there have been developments that allow for biological agents such as microbes to curtail fire blight infection. These agents work by competing with Erwinia for resources or space, producing antibacterial compounds, or even killing Erwinia cells on contact. Unfortunately, these agents do not yet …

Inundated Vegetation Response To Ongoing Restoration And Its Impacts On Fish Community Structure, Emmanuel J. May

All Graduate Theses and Dissertations, Fall 2023 to Present

Shallow lake ecosystems and their associated wetland habitats globally are subject to non-native species introductions, nutrient loading, and water level fluctuations, each of which can decrease vegetated habitat availability, exposing vulnerable native aquatic species to predation. Managers are frequently tasked with mitigating native species declines by restoring vegetation considered crucial for their survival. However, restoring vegetation can be challenging in the presence of multiple stressors, requiring managers to assess the relative importance of the different stressors limiting vegetation recovery.

Utah Lake is a large shallow lake subject to multiple stressors and has shifted from a mesotrophic lake with abundant aquatic …

Specialized Recreation, Spatial Behavior, And Ecological Implications In The Nature Reserve Of Orange County, Ca, Jake Van Deursen

All Graduate Theses and Dissertations, Fall 2023 to Present

A widespread surge in park and protected area (PPA) visitation strikes managers with the imminent challenge of preserving ecological conditions and maintaining accessibility in the open spaces that are a fundamental component to the health and wellness needs of society. In the field of recreation resource management, recreation specialization, the selective channeling of interests and abilities into a specific recreational activity, has contributed to comprehensive understandings of recreation behavior, site preference, management perceptions and conservation support. Contributing to historical understandings of specialization can inform recreation planning on the diversity of uses occurring in urban-proximate PPAs. Survey data providing information on …

Phenology Of The Invasive Balsam Woolly Adelgid, Adelges Piceae (Ratz.) (Hemiptera: Adelgidae), On Subalpine Fir In Northern Utah, Elizabeth L. Rideout

All Graduate Theses and Dissertations, Fall 2023 to Present

Balsam woolly adelgid (BWA) is an invasive true fir pest in North America. Native to Europe, BWA was first discovered in Utah attacking subalpine fir in 2017. Recent BWA-caused subalpine fir mortality in northern Utah has prompted the need for baseline biological research to support pest management. Small-bodied and blending easily with its environment, BWA is a challenging pest to detect and study. Phenology, or the timing and characteristics of life stages through the year, of BWA varies depending on elevation and climate and is unstudied in Utah. This research focuses on defining aspects of BWA’s phenology, including the number …

The Blueberry Gall Midge Complex And Its Specialist Parasitoids, Monique Michele Raymond

Master's Theses and Capstones

The cosmopolitan blueberry gall midge complex causes serious damage to the terminal vegetation of blueberry plants. The nature of their infestation, paired with prolonged periods of abundance, requires an integrated pest management approach. Of all known parasitoids present in the system, members of the subfamily Platygastrinae are the only oligophagous clade specialized against true gall midges. In this study, we present the results of blueberry gall midge and platygastrid surveys in high- and low-bush blueberry crops in the northeastern and southeastern United States, along with an identification key, with emphasis on blueberry parasitoid Synopeas species to facilitate their identification.

How Is Wildlife Poaching Changing In Uganda And How Can We Understand The Contribution Of Wildlife Protection Efforts At Multiple Scales: Murchison Falls National Park, Uganda., Ingrid Nyonza Nyakabwa

All Dissertations

Wildlife poaching is a critical global issue that poses significant threats to biodiversity, ecological balance, and the long-term sustainability of wildlife in Sub-Saharan Africa. The illicit trade in wildlife and their derivatives continues to grow, fueled by various socio-economic, cultural, and environmental factors. As the demand for wildlife products persists, it is imperative to understand the underlying causes, impacts, and potential solutions to combat this detrimental practice.

This research examined the dimensions of wildlife poaching in and around the area of Murchison Falls National Park in Uganda, the largest and oldest National Park in Uganda. Uganda has experienced success in …

The Endoparasite Fauna Of Mesopredatory Mesopelagic Teleosts, Alexander U. Rayburn

All HCAS Student Capstones, Theses, and Dissertations

The ecology of the mesopelagic zone is an understudied area of the open ocean, with few diet studies even for dominant fish species. Since endoparasites are generally transmitted trophically, descriptions of the parasite communities within fishes can often provide additional insights on food web interactions. This project assesses the endoparasite faunal community of mesopredatory mesopelagic teleosts to better understand mesopelagic food webs in the South Atlantic Bight. Fishes in the Families Alepisauridae (lancetfishes), Gempylidae (snake mackerels), Bramidae (pomfrets), and Scombrolabracidae (longfin escolar) are frequent bycatch in the pelagic longline fishery targeting swordfish Xiphias gladius and thunnid tunas, yet the ecology …

Race/Socioeconomic Status And Covid-19: A Narrative Review, Olubunmi Oladunjoye, Akinwale Akingbule, Adebola Omogunwa, Logan Lawson, Anthony Donato

Advances in Clinical Medical Research and Healthcare Delivery

Background: COVID-19 infection has resulted in more than 620 million infections and 6.6 million deaths. Since the pandemic, many articles have been published on socioeconomic and racial disparities in COVID-19 infection and its outcomes. This article aims to review the impact of race and socioeconomic status on COVID-19 infection and vice versa.

Findings: Most studies showed an increase in COVID infections and hospitalizations in communities of color, with some showing higher mortality rates while others did not. Social determinants, including insurance and care access, food security, housing security appear to have worsened over the same period for these …

Evaluating The Efficacy Of Chatgpt In Navigating The Spanish Medical Residency Entrance Examination (Mir): Promising Horizons For Ai In Clinical Medicine., Francisco Guillen-Grima, Sara Guillen-Aguinaga, Laura Guillen-Aguinaga, Rosa Alas-Brun, Luc Onambele, Wilfrido Ortega, Rocio Montejo, Enrique Aguinaga-Ontoso, Paul Barach, Ines Aguinaga-Ontoso

Department of Medicine Faculty Papers

UNLABELLED: The rapid progress in artificial intelligence, machine learning, and natural language processing has led to increasingly sophisticated large language models (LLMs) for use in healthcare. This study assesses the performance of two LLMs, the GPT-3.5 and GPT-4 models, in passing the MIR medical examination for access to medical specialist training in Spain. Our objectives included gauging the model's overall performance, analyzing discrepancies across different medical specialties, discerning between theoretical and practical questions, estimating error proportions, and assessing the hypothetical severity of errors committed by a physician.

MATERIAL AND METHODS: We studied the 2022 Spanish MIR examination results after excluding …