Life Sciences Commons^™

On Tanzania’S Precipitation Climatology, Variability, And Future Projection, Krishna Borhara, Binod Pokharel, Brennan L. Bean, Liping Deng, Shih-Yu (Simon) Wang

Plants, Soils, and Climate Faculty Publications

We investigate historical and projected precipitation in Tanzania using observational and climate model data. Precipitation in Tanzania is highly variable in both space and time due to topographical variations, coastal influences, and the presence of lakes. Annual and seasonal precipitation trend analyses from 1961 to 2016 show maximum rainfall decline in Tanzania during the long rainy season in the fall (March–May), and an increasing precipitation trend in northwestern Tanzania during the short rainy season in the spring (September–November). Empirical orthogonal function (EOF) analysis applied to Tanzania’s precipitation patterns shows a stronger correlation with warmer temperatures in the western Indian Ocean …

Emerging Priorities For Microbiome Research, Chad M. Cullen, Kawalpreet K. Aneja, Sinem Beyhan, Clara E. Cho, Stephen Woloszynek, Matteo Convertino, Sophie J. Mccoy, Yanyan Zhang, Matthew Z. Anderson, David Alvarez-Ponce, Ekaterina Smirnova, Lisa Karstens, Pieter C. Dorrestein, Hongzhe Li, Ananya Sen Gupta, Et Al.

Nutrition, Dietetics, and Food Sciences Faculty Publications

Microbiome research has increased dramatically in recent years, driven by advances in technology and significant reductions in the cost of analysis. Such research has unlocked a wealth of data, which has yielded tremendous insight into the nature of the microbial communities, including their interactions and effects, both within a host and in an external environment as part of an ecological community. Understanding the role of microbiota, including their dynamic interactions with their hosts and other microbes, can enable the engineering of new diagnostic techniques and interventional strategies that can be used in a diverse spectrum of fields, spanning from ecology …

Invasive Vegetation Affects Amphibian Skin Microbiota And Body Condition, Obed HernáNdez-GóMez, Allison Q. Byrne, Alex R. Gunderson, Thomas S. Jenkinson, Clay F. Noss, Andrew P. Rothstein, Molly C. Womack, Erica B. Rosenblum

Biology Faculty Publications

Invasive plants are major drivers of habitat modification and the scale of their impact is increasing globally as anthropogenic activities facilitate their spread. In California, an invasive plant genus of great concern is Eucalyptus. Eucalyptus leaves can alter soil chemistry and negatively affect underground macro- and microbial communities. Amphibians serve as excellent models to evaluate the effect of Eucalyptus invasion on ground-dwelling species as they predate on soil arthropods and incorporate soil microbes into their microbiotas. The skin microbiota is particularly important to amphibian health, suggesting that invasive plant species could ultimately affect amphibian populations. To investigate the potential for …

Data From: Consumption Of The Total Western Diet Promotes Colitis And Inflammation-Associated Colorectal Cancer In Mice, Abby D. Benninghoff

Browse all Datasets

Gene expression data for colon tissues obtained prior to, during, and after onset of colitis in mice fed either a standard or Western type diet.

File 1: probe annotations.

File 2: nSolver differential expression analysis results.

File 3: Gene set analysis

File 4: nSolver pathway scores

File 5: STRING-db networks and clusters

File 6: Metascape ontology results

File 7: nSolver cell type profiling scores

Short-Term Nitrogen Fertilization Affects Microbial Community Composition And Nitrogen Mineralization Function In An Agricultural Soil, Yang Ouyang, Jeanette M. Norton

Plants, Soils, and Climate Faculty Publications

Soil extracellular enzymes play a significant role in the N mineralization process. However, few studies have documented the linkage between enzyme activity and the microbial community that performs the function. This study examined the effects of inorganic and organic N fertilization on soil microbial communities and their N mineralization functions over 4 years. Soils were collected from silage corn field plots with four contrasting N treatments: control (no additional N), ammonium sulfate (AS; 100 and 200 kg of N ha⁻¹), and compost (200 kg of N ha⁻¹). Illumina amplicon sequencing was used to comprehensively assess the …

Open Science Principles For Accelerating Trait-Based Science Across The Tree Of Life, Rachael V. Gallagher, Daniel S. Falster, Brian S. Maitner, Roberto Salguero-Gómez, Vigdis Vandvik, William D. Pearse, Florian D. Schneider, Jens Kattge, Jorrit H. Poelen, Joshua S. Madin, Markus J. Ankenbrand, Caterina Penone, Xiao Feng, Vanessa M. Adams, John Alroy, Et Al.

Ecology Center Publications

Synthesizing trait observations and knowledge across the Tree of Life remains a grand challenge for biodiversity science. Species traits are widely used in ecological and evolutionary science, and new data and methods have proliferated rapidly. Yet accessing and integrating disparate data sources remains a considerable challenge, slowing progress toward a global synthesis to integrate trait data across organisms. Trait science needs a vision for achieving global integration across all organisms. Here, we outline how the adoption of key Open Science principles—open data, open source and open methods—is transforming trait science, increasing transparency, democratizing access and accelerating global synthesis. To enhance …

Stoichiometric And Stable Isotope Ratios Of Wild Lizards In An Urban Landscape Vary With Reproduction, Physiology, Space And Time, Andrew M. Durso, Geoffrey David Smith, Spencer B. Hudson, Susannah S. French

Ecology Center Publications

Spatial and temporal variation in stoichiometric and stable isotope ratios of animals contains ecological information that we are just beginning to understand. In both field and lab studies, stoichiometric or isotopic ratios are related to physiological mechanisms underlying nutrition or stress. Conservation and ecosystem ecology may be informed by isotopic data that can be rapidly and non-lethally collected from wild animals, especially where human activity leaves an isotopic signature (e.g. via introduction of chemical fertilizers, ornamental or other non-native plants or organic detritus). We examined spatial and temporal variation in stoichiometric and stable isotope ratios of the toes of Uta …

Reduction Of Taxonomic Bias In Diatom Species Data, Meredith A. Tyree, Ian W. Bishop, Charles P. Hawkins, Richard Mitchell, Sarah A. Spaulding

Ecology Center Publications

Inconsistency in taxonomic identification and analyst bias impede the effective use of diatom data in regional and national stream and lake surveys. In this study, we evaluated the effect of existing protocols and a revised protocol on the precision of diatom species counts. The revised protocol adjusts four elements of sample preparation, taxon identification and enumeration, and quality control (QC). We used six independent data sets to assess the effect of the adjustments on analytical outcomes. The first data set was produced by three laboratories with a total of five analysts following established protocols (Charles et al., Protocols for the …

Gold/Qds-Embedded-Ceria Nanoparticles: Optical Fluorescence Enhancement As A Quenching Sensor, Nader Shehata, Effat Samir, Ishac Kandas

Biology Student Research

This work focuses on improving the fluorescence intensity of cerium oxide (ceria) nanoparticles (NPs) through added plasmonic nanostructures. Ceria nanoparticles are fluorescent nanostructures which can emit visible fluorescence emissions under violet excitation. Here, we investigated different added plasmonic nanostructures, such as gold nanoparticles (Au NPs) and Cadmium sulfide/selenide quantum dots (CdS/CdSe QDs), to check the enhancement of fluorescence intensity emissions caused by ceria NPs. Different plasmonic resonances of both aforementioned nanostructures have been selected to develop optical coupling with both fluorescence excitation and emission wavelengths of ceria. In addition, different additions whether in-situ or post-synthesis have been investigated. We found …

In-Situ Gold–Ceria Nanoparticles: Superior Optical Fluorescence Quenching Sensor For Dissolved Oxygen, Nader Shehata, Ishac Kandas, Effat Samir

Biology Faculty Publications

Cerium oxide (ceria) nanoparticles (NPs) have been proved to be an efficient optical fluorescent material through generating visible emission (~530 nm) under violet excitation. This feature allowed ceria NPs to be used as an optical sensor via the fluorescence quenching Technique. In this paper, the impact of in-situ embedded gold nanoparticles (Au NPs) inside ceria nanoparticles was studied. Then, gold–ceria NPs were used for sensing dissolved oxygen (DO) in aqueous media. It was observed that both fluorescence intensity and lifetime were changed due to increased concentration of DO. Added gold was found to enhance the sensitivity of ceria to DO …

Collaborative Research: P2c2--Winter Climate Anomalies Across North America: Benchmarking Instrumental Trends And Model Projections With High Resolution Paleoclimatology, Shih-Yu (Simon) Wang

Funded Research Records

No abstract provided.

Anthropogenic Disturbance And Population Viability Of Woodland Caribou In Ontario, John M. Fryxell, Tal Avgar, Boyan Liu, James A. Baker, Arthur R. Rodgers, Jennifer Shuter, Ian D. Thompson, Douglas E. B. Reid, Andrew M. Kittle, Anna Mosser, Steven G. Newmaster, Tom D. Nudds, Garrett M. Street, Glen S. Brown, Brent Patterson

Wildland Resources Faculty Publications

One of the most challenging tasks in wildlife conservation and management is to clarify how spatial variation in land cover due to anthropogenic disturbance influences wildlife demography and long‐term viability. To evaluate this, we compared rates of survival and population growth by woodland caribou (Rangifer tarandus caribou) from 2 study sites in northern Ontario, Canada that differed in the degree of anthropogenic disturbance because of commercial logging and road development, resulting in differences in predation risk due to gray wolves (Canis lupus). We used an individual‐based model for population viability analysis (PVA) that incorporated adaptive patterns …

White Paper 3. Managing The Colorado River For An Uncertain Future, Jian Wang, David E. Rosenberg, Kevin G. Wheeler, John C. Schmidt

Civil and Environmental Engineering Faculty Publications

Colorado River managers face many uncertainties—issues like climate change, future water demand, and evolving ecological priorities—and are looking for new tools to help cope with this uncertain future. They need new ways to help classify uncertain conditions, manage for uncertain conditions, and to create models in the face of a slew of oncoming unknowns. To help Colorado River stakeholders think about, talk about, and better manage the future river, the Center for Colorado River Studies offers a new white paper that distinguishes four levels of decision-making uncertainty and suggest tools and resources to manage the different levels.

Dynamic Habitat Disturbance And Ecological Resilience (Dyhder): Modeling Population Responses To Habitat Condition, Brendan P. Murphy, Timothy E. Walsworth, Patrick Belmont, Mary M. Conner, Phaedra Budy

Ecology Center Publications

Understanding how populations respond to spatially heterogeneous habitat disturbance is as critical to conservation as it is challenging. Here, we present a new, free, and open‐source metapopulation model: Dynamic Habitat Disturbance and Ecological Resilience (DyHDER), which incorporates subpopulation habitat condition and connectivity into a population viability analysis framework. Modeling temporally dynamic and spatially explicit habitat disturbance of varying magnitude and duration is accomplished through the use of habitat time‐series data and a mechanistic approach to adjusting subpopulation vital rates. Additionally, DyHDER uses a probabilistic dispersal model driven by site‐specific habitat suitability, density dependence, and directionally dependent connectivity. In the first …

Nutrient Availability Controls The Impact Of Mammalian Herbivores On Soil Carbon And Nitrogen Pools In Grasslands, Judith Sitters, E. R. Jasper Wubs, Elisabeth S. Bakker, Thomas W. Crowther, Peter B. Adler, Sumanta Bagchi, Jonathan D. Bakker, Lori Biederman, Elizabeth T. Borer, Elsa E. Cleland, Nico Eisenhauer, Jennifer Firn, Laureano Gherardi, Nicole Hagenah, Yann Hautier, Et Al.

Ecology Center Publications

Grasslands are subject to considerable alteration due to human activities globally, including widespread changes in populations and composition of large mammalian herbivores and elevated supply of nutrients. Grassland soils remain important reservoirs of carbon (C) and nitrogen (N). Herbivores may affect both C and N pools and these changes likely interact with increases in soil nutrient availability. Given the scale of grassland soil fluxes, such changes can have striking consequences for atmospheric C concentrations and the climate. Here, we use the Nutrient Network experiment to examine the responses of soil C and N pools to mammalian herbivore exclusion across 22 …

Engaging Faculty In Preparing Students For Non-Academic Environmental Careers, Carmen R. Cid, Mark W. Brunson

Environment and Society Faculty Publications

As a biology major at New York University, I was introduced to ecology in a course that bused the class out of New York University's Greenwich Village campus every weekend, to investigate biodiversity patterns in nearby forests and wetlands. After a day crossing bogs and walking through forests, I would take the subway home, hip boots in hand, reflecting on how the day's activities connected to my routine city life. Engaging others in understanding the city connections to adjacent habitats became my life's work. As Dean of Arts and Sciences at a public liberal arts university, I encourage faculty and …

Taking It To The Road: Utah Biochar Workshops Increase Knowledge And Lead To Behavior Change, Megan Dettenmaier, Lauren Dupey, Darren Mcavoy

All Current Publications

This fact sheet describes attitude and behavior changes that have resulted from attending the statewide biochar workshop program. By administering surveys 6 to 8 months following workshops, authors learned that attendees were making biochar and biochar kilns, and that attitudes about biochar remained positive.

2019 Outlook And Analysis Letter: The Vital Statistics Of America's State Park Systems, Jordan W. Smith, Anna B. Miller, Yu-Fai Leung

All Current Publications

The annual Outlook and Analysis Letter presents the ‘vital statistics’ that characterize the operation and use of the nation’s 50 state park systems. In the report the authors detail historical trends relevant to state park system management using data within the Annual Information Exchange (AIX) archive.

Size And Scope Of Wasatch County Agriculture 2019, Ryan Feuz, Ryan Larsen, Allan Sulser

All Current Publications

This is a Wasatch County profile, located in the northeast portion of Utah. This profile includes land ownership, growing season, farm and livestock production, and farm income.

Forest Grouse In The Fall, Chuck Carpenter Iii, Skyler Farnsworth, David K. Dahlgren

All Current Publications

This bulletin describes the two types of forest grouse that inhabit mountain forests and rangelands in Utah, the ruffed grouse and the dusky grouse. It tells the species differences such as breeding, survival and reproduction, and broods. It includes tips for forest grouse hunters.

Why Electric Pressure Cookers Are Not Pressure Canners, Cathy Merrill, Karin E. Allen, Susan Haws, Teresa Hunsaker, Patricia Mathis, Paige Wray, Ellen Serfustini

All Current Publications

Electric Programmable Pressure Cookers, such as the "Instant Pot, are being used for small batch pressure canning. This fact sheet explains research showing why this is a food safety hazard, with a high risk of producing home canned foods that could develop the deadly botulism toxin. Other Frequently Asked Questions about these cookers are also addressed.

Chemigation Guide, Matt Yost, Grant Cardon, L. Neil Allen, Bryce Sorensen, Kyke Egbert, Earl Creech, Corey Ransom, Ricardo Ramirez

All Current Publications

This guide discusses general principles that apply to most types of chemigation applications.

Ten Reasons Why Alfalfa Is Highly Suitable For The West, Matt Yost, Niel Allen, Earl Creech, Dan Putnam, Jody Gale, Glenn Shewmaker

All Current Publications

This fact sheet gives ten key reasons why alfalfa is suitable in western regions.

Controlling Piute Ground Squirrels In Southwest Utah, Mark Nelson, S. Nicole Frey

All Current Publications

The Piute ground squirrel, (Spermophilus mollis), populations on agricultural lands in Beaver County, Utah are increasing. It is a small gray squirrel found in Nevada and western Utah. It eats grasses, alfalfa and other agronomic crops. High populations of ground squirrels can compete with livestock for forage; destroy food crops, golf courses, and lawns; and can be reservoirs for diseases such as plague. Their burrowing activities alter irrigation systems. Burrow mounds not only cover and kill vegetation, but can damage haying machinery. These squirrels are currently costing farmers in western Utah hundreds of thousands of dollars in lost crops and …

Guinea Pig Transferrin Receptor 1 Mediates Cellular Entry Of Junín Virus And Other Pathogenic New World Arenaviruses, Brady T. Hickerson, Jonna B. Westover, Zhongde Wang, Young-Min Lee, Brian B. Gowen

Animal, Dairy, and Veterinary Science Faculty Publications

Several clade B New World arenaviruses (NWAs) can cause severe and often fatal hemorrhagic fever, for which preventive and therapeutic measures are severely limited. These NWAs use human transferrin receptor 1 (hTfR1) as a host cell receptor for virus entry. The most prevalent of the pathogenic NWAs is Junín virus (JUNV), the etiological agent of Argentine hemorrhagic fever. Small animal models of JUNV infection are limited because most laboratory rodent species are refractory to disease. Only guinea pigs are known to develop disease following JUNV infection, but the underlying mechanisms are not well characterized. In the present study, we demonstrate …

Dominant Negative Effects By Inactive Spa47 Mutants Inhibit T3ss Function And Shigella Virulence, Jamie L. Burgess, Heather B. Case, R. Alan Burgess, Nicholas E. Dickenson

Chemistry and Biochemistry Faculty Publications

Type three secretion systems (T3SS) are complex nano-machines that evolved to inject bacterial effector proteins directly into the cytoplasm of eukaryotic cells. Many high-priority human pathogens rely on one or more T3SSs to cause disease and evade host immune responses, underscoring the need to better understand the mechanisms through which T3SSs function and their role(s) in supporting pathogen virulence. We recently identified the Shigella protein Spa47 as an oligomerization-activated T3SS ATPase that fuels the T3SS and supports overall Shigella virulence. Here, we provide both in vitro and in vivo characterization of Spa47 oligomerization and activation in the presence and absence …

Salinity Reduces The Forage Quality Of Forage Kochia: A Halophytic Chenopodiaceae Shrub, Blair L. Waldron, Joseph K. Sagers, Michael D. Peel, Craig W. Rigby, Bruce G. Bugbee, Joseph E. Creech

Forage and Range Research Laboratory Publications

Forage kochia (Bassia prostrata [L.] A.J. Scott) is a perennial, halophytic Chenopodiaceae shrub adapted to semiarid rangelands and steppes. It is noted for its ability to produce edible forage in saline environments, but the effect of salinity on its nutritive value has not been determined. Therefore, this study evaluated the dose-response of increasing salinity on the forage quality of forage kochia and Gardner’s saltbush (Atriplex gardneri [Moq.] D. Dietr., a chenopod forage shrub indigenous to the United States). Individual plants were evaluated in hydroponics for 28 days at 0, 150, 300, and 600 mM NaCl. Salt from accumulated …

Horticultural Availability And Homeowner Preferences Drive Plant Diversity And Composition In Urban Yards, Jeannine Cavender-Bares, Josep Padullés Cubino, William D. Pearse, Sarah E. Hobbie, A. J. Lange, Sonja Knapp, Kristen C. Nelson

Ecology Center Publications

Understanding the factors that influence biodiversity in urban areas is important for informing management efforts aimed at enhancing the ecosystem services in urban settings and curbing the spread of invasive introduced species. We determined the ecological and socioeconomic factors that influence patterns of plant richness, phylogenetic diversity, and composition in 133 private household yards in the Minneapolis‐Saint Paul Metropolitan area, Minnesota, USA. We compared the composition of spontaneously occurring plant species and those planted by homeowners with composition in natural areas (at the Cedar Creek Ecosystem Science Reserve) and in the horticulture pool of species available from commercial growers. Yard …

Investigating The Relationship Between Corticosterone And Glucose In A Reptile, Lorin A. Neuman-Lee, Spencer B. Hudson, Alison C. Webb, Susannah S. French

Biology Faculty Publications

The glucocorticoid hormone corticosterone (CORT) has classically been used in ecophysiological studies as a proxy for stress and energy mobilization, but rarely are CORT and the energy metabolites themselves concurrently measured. To examine CORT's role in mobilizing glucose in a wild reptile, we conducted two studies. The first study measured natural baseline and stress-induced blood-borne CORT and glucose levels in snakes during spring emergence and again when snakes return to the denning sites in autumn. The second study manipulated the hypothalamic–pituitary–adrenal (HPA) axis in male snakes in the autumn by taking a baseline blood sample, then subjecting individuals to one …

Contrasting Root System Structure And Belowground Interactions Between Black Spruce (Picea Mariana (Mill.) B.S.P) And Trembling Aspen (Populus Tremuloides Michx) In Boreal Mixedwoods Of Eastern Canada, Claudele Ghotsa Mekontchou, Daniel Houle, Yves Bergeron, Igor Drobyshev

Aspen Bibliography

This study explored the underground interactions between black spruce and trembling aspen in pure and mixed stands to understand how their soil resource use help these species coexist in the boreal mixedwoods of Western Quebec. We analyzed species-specific fine root foraging strategies (root biomass and root tissue density) along three soil layers (organic, top 0–15 cm, and bottom 15–30 cm mineral soil), using 180 soil cores. We collected cores in three sites, each containing three 20 × 50 m2 plots of pure spruce, pure aspen, and mixed spruce and aspen stands. Spruce had a shallow rooting, whereas aspen had a …