Open Access. Powered by Scholars. Published by Universities.®
- Keyword
-
- Woody expansion (2)
- Ammophila breviligulata (1)
- Barrier island (1)
- Biogeomorphic feedback (1)
- Carduus nutans (1)
-
- Climate change (1)
- Coastal (1)
- Dendrites (1)
- Electron transport rate (1)
- Forest pest (1)
- Functional responses (1)
- Functional traits (1)
- Grassland (1)
- Heat tolerance (1)
- Host patch location (1)
- Hydraulic conductivity (1)
- Impact indices (1)
- Impact prediction (1)
- Invasion front (1)
- Invasion hypotheses (1)
- Latitudinal gradient (1)
- Local adaptation (1)
- Long-read sequencing (1)
- Mark–release–recapture (1)
- Metagenome (1)
- MinIONTM (1)
- Morella cerifera (1)
- Neuron conduction (1)
- Neurons (1)
- Nitrogen fixation (1)
Articles 1 - 10 of 10
Full-Text Articles in Life Sciences
Aggregate Stability And Water Retention Near Saturation Characteristics As Affected By Soil Texture, Aggregate Size And Polyacrylamide Application, Amrakh I. Mamedov, Chi-Hua Huang, Fazil A. Aliev, Guy J. Levy
Aggregate Stability And Water Retention Near Saturation Characteristics As Affected By Soil Texture, Aggregate Size And Polyacrylamide Application, Amrakh I. Mamedov, Chi-Hua Huang, Fazil A. Aliev, Guy J. Levy
Biology Publications
Understanding the effects of soil intrinsic properties and extrinsic conditions on aggregate stability is essential for the development of effective soil and water conservation practices. Our objective was to evaluate the combined role of soil texture, aggregate size and application of a stabilizing agent on aggregate and structure stability indices (composite structure index [SI], the and n parameters of the VG model and the S-index) by employing the high energy (0-5.0 J kg(-1)) moisture characteristic (HEMC) method. We used aggregates of three sizes (0.25-0.5, 0.5-1.0 and 1.0-2.0 mm) from four semi-arid soils treated with polyacrylamide (PAM). An increase in SI …
Variation In Growth And Developmental Responses To Supraoptimal Temperatures Near Latitudinal Range Limits Of Gypsy Moth Lymantria Dispar (L.), An Expanding Invasive Species, Lily M. Thompson, Trevor M. Faske, Nana Banahene, Dominique Grim, Salvatore J. Agosta, Dylan Parry, Patrick C. Tobin, Derek M. Johnson, Kristine L. Grayson
Variation In Growth And Developmental Responses To Supraoptimal Temperatures Near Latitudinal Range Limits Of Gypsy Moth Lymantria Dispar (L.), An Expanding Invasive Species, Lily M. Thompson, Trevor M. Faske, Nana Banahene, Dominique Grim, Salvatore J. Agosta, Dylan Parry, Patrick C. Tobin, Derek M. Johnson, Kristine L. Grayson
Biology Publications
Variation in thermal performance within and between populations provides the potential for adaptive responses to increasing temperatures associated with climate change. Organisms experiencing temperatures above their optimum on a thermal performance curve exhibit rapid declines in function and these supraoptimal temperatures can be a critical physiological component of range limits. The gypsy moth, Lymantria dispar (L.) (Lepidoptera: Erebidae), is one of the best-documented biological invasions and factors driving its spatial spread are of significant ecological and economic interest. The present study examines gypsy moth sourced from different latitudes across its North American range for sensitivity to high temperature in constant …
Individually Mark–Mass Release–Resight Study Elucidates Effects Of Patch Characteristics And Distance On Host Patch Location By An Insect Herbivore, Zeynep Sezen, Derek M. Johnson, Katriona Shea
Individually Mark–Mass Release–Resight Study Elucidates Effects Of Patch Characteristics And Distance On Host Patch Location By An Insect Herbivore, Zeynep Sezen, Derek M. Johnson, Katriona Shea
Biology Publications
1. How organisms locate their hosts is of fundamental importance in a variety of basic and applied ecological fields, including population dynamics, invasive species management and biological control. However, tracking movement of small organisms, such as insects, poses significant logistical challenges.
2. Mass-release and individual–mark–recapture techniques were combined in an individually mark–mass release–resight (IMMRR) approach to track the movement of over 2000 adult insects in an economically important plant–herbivore system. Despite its widespread use for the biological control of the invasive thistle Carduus nutans, the host-finding behaviour of the thistle head weevil Rhinocyllus conicus has not previously been studied. …
Functional Responses Can’T Unify Invasion Ecology, James Vonesh, Mike Mccoy, Res Altwegg, Pietro Landi, John Measey
Functional Responses Can’T Unify Invasion Ecology, James Vonesh, Mike Mccoy, Res Altwegg, Pietro Landi, John Measey
Biology Publications
Dick et al. (Biol Invasions, 2017) propose that the comparative functional response framework provides a unifying approach for the study of invasive species. We agree that functional responses are an important and powerful quantitative description of consumer effects on resources, and co-opting classical ecological theory to better predict invasive species impacts is a laudable move for invasion biology. However, we fear that the early successes of select examples of the comparative functional response (CFR) approach has led Dick et al. to exaggerate the generality of its utility, and about its ability to unify the field. Further, they fail to provide …
Nerve Conduction Through Dendrites Via Proton Hopping, Lemont B. Kier
Nerve Conduction Through Dendrites Via Proton Hopping, Lemont B. Kier
Biology Publications
Background: In our previous studies of nerve conduction conducted by proton hopping, we have considered the axon, soma, synapse and the nodes of Ranvier. The role of proton hopping described the passage of information through each of these units of a typical nerve system. The synapse projects information from the axon to the dendrite and their associated spines.
Methods: We have invoked the passage of protons via a hopping mechanism to illustrate the continuum of the impulse through the system, via the soma following the dendrites. This is proposed to be a continuum invoked by the proton hopping method.
Results: …
Minion™ Nanopore Sequencing Of Environmental Metagenomes: A Synthetic Approach, Bonnie L. Brown, Mick Watson, Samuel S. Minot, Maria C. Rivera, Rima B. Franklin
Minion™ Nanopore Sequencing Of Environmental Metagenomes: A Synthetic Approach, Bonnie L. Brown, Mick Watson, Samuel S. Minot, Maria C. Rivera, Rima B. Franklin
Biology Publications
Environmental metagenomic analysis is typically accomplished by assigning taxonomy and/or function from whole genome sequencing or 16S amplicon sequences. Both of these approaches are limited, however, by read length, among other technical and biological factors. A nanopore-based sequencing platform, MinION™, produces reads that are ≥1 × 104 bp in length, potentially providing for more precise assignment, thereby alleviating some of the limitations inherent in determining metagenome composition from short reads. We tested the ability of sequence data produced by MinION (R7.3 flow cells) to correctly assign taxonomy in single bacterial species runs and in three types of low-complexity synthetic communities: …
Differential Response Of Barrier Island Dune Grasses To Species Interactions And Burial, April Harris, Julie C. Zinnert, Donald R. Young
Differential Response Of Barrier Island Dune Grasses To Species Interactions And Burial, April Harris, Julie C. Zinnert, Donald R. Young
Biology Publications
Barrier islands are at the forefront of storms and sea-level rise. High disturbance regimes and sediment mobility make these systems sensitive and dynamic. Island foredunes are protective structures against storm-induced overwash that are integrally tied to dune grasses via biogeomorphic feedbacks. Shifts in dune grass dominance could influence dune morphology and susceptibility to overwash, altering island stability. In a glasshouse study, two dune grasses, Ammophila breviligulata and Uniola paniculata, were planted together and subjected to a 20 cm burial to quantify morphological and physiological responses. Burial had positive effects on both plants as indicated by increased electron transport rate and …
Genetic Differentiation Of Spring-Spawning And Fall-Spawning Male Atlantic Sturgeon In The James River, Virginia, Matthew T. Balazik, Daniel J. Farrae, Tanya L. Darden, Greg C. Garman
Genetic Differentiation Of Spring-Spawning And Fall-Spawning Male Atlantic Sturgeon In The James River, Virginia, Matthew T. Balazik, Daniel J. Farrae, Tanya L. Darden, Greg C. Garman
Biology Publications
Atlantic sturgeon (Acipenser oxyrinchus oxyrinchus, Acipenseridae) populations are currently at severely depleted levels due to historic overfishing, habitat loss, and pollution. The importance of biologically correct stock structure for effective conservation and management efforts is well known. Recent improvements in our understanding of Atlantic sturgeon migrations, movement, and the occurrence of putative dual spawning groups leads to questions regarding the true stock structure of this endangered species. In the James River, VA specifically, captures of spawning Atlantic sturgeon and accompanying telemetry data suggest there are two discrete spawning groups of Atlantic sturgeon. The two putative spawning groups were …
Immediate Effects Of Microclimate Modification Enhance Native Shrub Encroachment, Joseph A. Thompson, Julie C. Zinnert, Donald R. Young
Immediate Effects Of Microclimate Modification Enhance Native Shrub Encroachment, Joseph A. Thompson, Julie C. Zinnert, Donald R. Young
Biology Publications
Shrubs have become more dense and expanded beyond their range all over the world for a variety of reasons including increased temperatures, overgrazing, and alteration of historical fire regime. Native shrubs have been encroaching on Virginia barrier island grasslands for over half a century for unknown reasons. Species composition, soil nutrients, leaf area index (LAI), and ground and air temperature were recorded across the shrub to grass transition and at free-standing shrubs in a coastal grassland in order to determine the effect of shrub encroachment on plant community and microclimate. Species richness was significantly lower inside shrub thickets. Soil water …
Functional Traits Of Expanding, Thicket-Forming Shrubs: Contrasting Strategies Between Exotic And Native Species, Sheri A. Shiflett, Julie C. Zinnert, Donald R. Young
Functional Traits Of Expanding, Thicket-Forming Shrubs: Contrasting Strategies Between Exotic And Native Species, Sheri A. Shiflett, Julie C. Zinnert, Donald R. Young
Biology Publications
Woody expansion has been documented for decades in many different systems globally, often yielding vast changes in ecosystem functioning. While causes and consequences of woody expansion have been well documented, few studies have addressed plant functional traits that promote dramatic and rapid expansion in range. Our objectives were to investigate plant functional traits that contribute to the colonization, rapid expansion, and thicket formation of an invasive, N-fixing shrub, Elaeagnus umbellata Thunb. (Elaeagnaceae), and a native, N-fixing shrub Morella cerifera (L.) Small (Myricaceae) and compare to native, sympatric, non-expanding shrub species. Quantified functional traits included morphological (e.g., specific leaf area, leaf …