Life Sciences Commons^™

Optimal Stomatal Theory Predicts Co2 Responses Of Stomatal Conductance In Both Gymnosperm And Angiosperm Trees, Anna Gardner, Mingkai Jiang, David S. Ellsworth, A. Robert Mackenzie, Jeremy Pritchard, Martin Karl Friedrich Bader, Craig V.M. Barton, Carl Bernacchi, Carlo Calfapietra, Kristine Y. Crous, Mirindi Eric Dusenge, Teresa E. Gimeno, Marianne Hall, Shubhangi Lamba, Sebastian Leuzinger, Johan Uddling, Jeffrey Warren, Göran Wallin, Belinda E. Medlyn

United States Department of Agriculture-Agricultural Research Service / University of Nebraska-Lincoln: Faculty Publications

Optimal stomatal theory predicts that stomata operate to maximise photosynthesis (Anet) and minimise transpirational water loss to achieve optimal intrinsic water-use efficiency (iWUE). We tested whether this theory can predict stomatal responses to elevated atmospheric CO2 (eCO2), and whether it can capture differences in responsiveness among woody plant functional types (PFTs). We conducted a meta-analysis of tree studies of the effect of eCO2 on iWUE and its components Anet and stomatal conductance (gs). We compared three PFTs, using the unified stomatal optimisation (USO) model to account for confounding effects of leaf–air vapour pressure difference (D). We expected smaller gs, but …

Global Dataset On Seagrass Meadow Structure, Biomass And Production, Simone Strydom, Roisin Mccallum, Anna Lafratta, Chanelle L. Webster, Caitlyn M. O'Dea, Nicole E. Said, Natasha Dunham, Karina Inostroza, Cristian Salinas, Samuel Billinghurst, Charlie M. Phelps, Connor Campbell, Connor Gorham, Rachele Bernasconi, Anna M. Frouws, Axel Werner, Federico Vitelli, Viena Puigcorbé, Alexandra D'Cruz, Kathryn M. Mcmahon, Jack Robinson, Megan J. Huggett, Sian Mcnamara, Glenn A. Hyndes, Oscar Serrano

Research outputs 2022 to 2026

Seagrass meadows provide valuable socio-ecological ecosystem services, including a key role in climate change mitigation and adaption. Understanding the natural history of seagrass meadows across environmental gradients is crucial to deciphering the role of seagrasses in the global ocean. In this data collation, spatial and temporal patterns in seagrass meadow structure, biomass and production data are presented as a function of biotic and abiotic habitat characteristics. The biological traits compiled include measures of meadow structure (e.g. percent cover and shoot density), biomass (e.g. above-ground biomass) and production (e.g. shoot production). Categorical factors include bioregion, geotype (coastal or estuarine), genera and …

The Potential Of Grassland And Associated Forages To Produce Fibre, Biomass, Energy Or Other Feedstocks For Non-Food And Other Sectors: New Uses For A Global Resource, M. F. Askew

IGC Proceedings (1977-2023)

1. In developed countries increased areas of land will become available for non-food production. Recent reforms of the Common Agricultural Policy will further intensify this trend in Europe.
2. There is potential for grassland and associated species to contribute to large tonnage markets of energy and bulk fibres, to the supply of fermentation products and to speciality markets, but processes and approaches to the market are not as yet developed.
3. There is potential for the establishment of Graminaceous species - specifically for non- food use. For European conditions particular attention is being given to Miscanthus sinensis (Miscanthus), Arundo donax (Giant Reed), Phalaris …

Structuring Life After Death: Plant Leachates Promote Co2 Uptake By Regulating Microbial Biofilm Interactions In A Northern Peatland Ecosystem, Allison R. Rober, Allyson J. Lankford, Evan Kane, Merritt R. Turetsky, Kevin H. Wyatt

Michigan Tech Publications, Part 1

Shifts in plant functional groups associated with climate change have the potential to influence peatland carbon storage by altering the amount and composition of organic matter available to aquatic microbial biofilms. The goal of this study was to evaluate the potential for plant subsidies to regulate ecosystem carbon flux (CO2) by governing the relative proportion of primary producers (microalgae) and heterotrophic decomposers (heterotrophic bacteria) during aquatic biofilm development in an Alaskan fen. We evaluated biofilm composition and CO2 flux inside mesocosms with and without nutrients (both nitrogen and phosphorus), organic carbon (glucose), and leachates from common peatland plants (moss, sedge, …

Exploring Gaps In City Climate Planning In The Mountain West, Joshua Padilla, Caitlin J. Saladino, William E. Brown Jr.

Environment

This fact sheet explores data from the 2022 Brookings Institution report by Joseph W. Kane, Adie Tomer, Caroline George, and Jamal Russell Black called “Not according to plan: Exploring gaps in city climate planning and the need for regional action." The original report analyzes decarbonization plans for 50 of the largest U.S. cities and comparatively ranks each plan using a point system of 5 categories. This fact sheet focuses on Mountain West cities (Denver, CO; Phoenix, AZ; Las Vegas, NV; Salt Lake, UT; and Albuquerque, NM) included in the original study.

Characterizing The Vegetation And Effects Of Climate Change On Parris Island, A Sea Island Ecosystem, Cody Hart Goodson

Theses, Dissertations and Capstones

Coastal habitats provide many ecosystem services, protecting coastlines from storm surges and erosion, diminishing the effects of eutrophication, sequestering large amounts of carbon, and acting as vital wildlife habitat. Sea-level rise and increased storm surge intensity associated with climate change are increasingly disrupting coastal habitats. These disturbances can shift environmental gradients that drive the zonation of coastal vegetation types, driving habitat conversion. Monitoring coastal habitat conversion can improve our understanding of the dynamic effects of climate change on these landscapes. Therefore, our objectives for chapter 1 were to identify and describe the distributions of vegetation types present on Marine Corps …

Molecular Regulation Of The Salicylic Acid Hormone Pathway In Plants Under Changing Environmental Conditions, Christina A. M. Rossi, Eric J. R. Marchetta, Jong Hum Kim, Christian Castroverde

Biology Faculty Publications

Salicylic acid (SA) is a central plant hormone mediating immunity, growth, and development. Recently, studies have highlighted the sensitivity of the SA pathway to changing climatic factors and the plant microbiome. Here we summarize organizing principles and themes in the regulation of SA biosynthesis, signaling, and metabolism by changing abiotic/biotic environments, focusing on molecular nodes governing SA pathway vulnerability or resilience. We especially highlight advances in the thermosensitive mechanisms underpinning SA-mediated immunity, including differential regulation of key transcription factors (e.g., CAMTAs, CBP60g, SARD1, bHLH059), selective protein–protein interactions of the SA receptor NPR1, and dynamic phase separation of the recently identified …

Changes In The Microbiome Of The Sea Anemone Exaiptasia Diaphana During Bleaching From Short-Term Thermal Elevation, Jamison R. Sydnor, Jamie Lopez, Gordon V. Wolfe, Lisa Ott, Cawa Tran

Biology: Faculty Scholarship

We examined the response of microbial communities in the model sea anemone Exaiptasia diaphana (Aiptasia) to short-term thermal elevation. Through 16S rRNA gene sequencing, we characterized the microbiomes of symbiotic (with algal symbionts) and aposymbiotic (bleached) anemones under ambient (27°C) and heat-stressed (34°C) conditions for 8-10 days, using both replicated endpoint and non-replicated time-course approaches. Consistent with prior studies, we observed a stable abundance of bacteria from the families Alteromonadaceae and Rhodobacteraceae, though with wide variation among individual anemones. We observed that symbiotic state conferred a larger impact on the microbiome than heat stress, implying the microbiome may play a …

Application Of The Fine Sediment Biotic Index To Three Drain Tiled And Ditched Agricultural Systems In Southern Minnesota, Bailey Sanders

All Graduate Theses, Dissertations, and Other Capstone Projects

Artificial drainage is a common agricultural management technique in the United States used to remove excess water from poorly drained soils. Approximately 22.48 million hectares of crop land are drain-tiled in the United States, providing long-term economic benefits to farmers. However, artificial drainage increases sediment transport in agricultural watersheds, which can degrade aquatic systems, destroy habitats, and limit biological diversity. Biotic indices based on benthic macroinvertebrates are commonly used to assess surface water quality, but recent studies show potential in developing sediment biotic indices using benthic macroinvertebrates to estimate fine sediment in streams. The objective of this study was to …

Changes In Ecosystem Processes And Functional Traits Over An Elevational Gradient, Tiana Issa

Honors Theses

Elevation gradients have been used to understand how climate change impacts various ecosystems processes by substituting distance across elevation with time, reflecting a previous, colder climate. To monitor the changes in soil organic carbon (SOC), plant community, and functional traits across time in the face of climate change, this study used space-for-time substitution to emulate a long-term study with elevational gradients and revisited the same gradient for nearly two decades to monitor elevational effects across time. With this research, I aim to answer the following questions: (1) How does elevation impact ecosystem processes and alpine plant traits? (2) How does …

Decline Of Seagrass (Posidonia Oceanica) Production Over Two Decades In The Face Of Warming Of The Eastern Mediterranean Sea, Victoria Litsi-Mizan, Pavlos T. Efthymiadis, Vasilis Gerakaris, Oscar Serrano, Manolis Tsapakis, Eugenia T. Apostolaki

Research outputs 2022 to 2026

* The response of Posidonia oceanica meadows to global warming of the Eastern Mediterranean Sea, where the increase in sea surface temperature (SST) is particularly severe, is poorly investigated. * Here, we reconstructed the long-term P. oceanica production in 60 meadows along the Greek Seas over two decades (1997–2018), using lepidochronology. We determined the effect of warming on production by reconstructing the annual and maximum (i.e. August) SST, considering the role of other production drivers related to water quality (i.e. Chla, suspended particulate matter, Secchi depth). * Grand mean (±SE) production across all sites and the study period was 48 …

Abiotic Stress Mitigation: A Case Study From 21 Trials Using A Natural Organic Matter Based Biostimulant Across Multiple Geographies, Rachel L. Sleighter, Terry Hanson, David Holden, Kristen M. Richards

Chemistry & Biochemistry Faculty Publications

Crop productivity and yields can be greatly diminished by abiotic stress events including drought, extreme temperatures, excess moisture, and saline irrigation water. Multiple stressors occurring simultaneously can further exacerbate the strain on plants. Various types of biostimulants have been shown to mitigate abiotic stress and here, the results of 21 trials on corn, wheat, soybean, and various high-value crops are discussed in the context of the abiotic stress that either occurred naturally or was experimentally induced. Treatments in these trials included stressed and non-stressed plants, as well as either an untreated control or grower standard fertilizer applications alone and in …

Distributional Ecology Of Noccaea Vesicaria In Relation To The Anatolian Diagonal, İlayda Dumlupinar, Hakan Gür, Bariş Özüdoğru

Turkish Journal of Botany

Anatolia is located at the intersection of three of the world's 36 biodiversity hotspots (the Caucasus, Irano-Anatolian, and Mediterranean Basin biodiversity hotspots) and has about 10,000 plant species, over 3000 of which are endemic. Among the many reasons for the astonishing biodiversity of Anatolia, one that stands out is the Anatolian Diagonal. Although the Anatolian Diagonal has long been recognized as a biogeographical boundary between Central and Eastern Anatolia, its exact functioning is still not well understood. Thus, in this study, our aims were 1) to assess the environmental barrier function of the Anatolian Diagonal for a plant species, Noccaea …

The Effects Of Warming Rate On The Thermal Tolerance Of A Southern Population Of Striped Bass (Morone Saxatilis), James Barrett

Honors College Theses

Climate change and global warming is an ever-growing concern for our environment and the survivability of the animals which inhabit it. With water temperatures expected to rise 2-3℃ in the next century, many aquatic organisms may be limited in their habitats based on their thermal tolerance (Lleras 2019). Southern populations of striped bass (Morone saxatilis) in the Southeastern United States could be some of the hardest hit by the effects of climate change due to their unusual life history as compared to the more northern populations of striped bass. These southern striped bass do not engage in coastal …

Marine Heatwaves Modulate The Genotypic And Physiological Responses Of Reef-Building Corals To Subsequent Heat Stress, Kristen T. Brown, Amatzia Genin, Matheus A. Mello-Athayde, Ellie Bergstrom, Adriana Campili, Aaron Chai, Sophie G. Dove, Maureen Ho, Devin Rowell, Eugenia M. Sampayo, Veronica Z. Radice

Biological Sciences Faculty Publications

Back-to-back marine heatwaves in 2016 and 2017 resulted in severe coral bleaching and mortality across the Great Barrier Reef (GBR). Encouragingly, some corals that survived these events exhibit increased bleaching resistance and may represent thermally tolerant populations that can better cope with ocean warming. Using the GBR as a natural laboratory, we investigated whether a history of minimal (Heron Island) or severe (Lizard Island) coral bleaching in 2016 and 2017 equates to stress tolerance in a successive heatwave (2020). We examined the genetic diversity, physiological performance, and trophic plasticity of juvenile (<10 cm) and adult (>25 cm) corals of two common genera ( …

Investigating The Impacts Of Ammonium Phosphate-Based Fire Retardants On Cyanobacteria (Anabaena) Growth, Gavin Sutter, Brenda Gonzalez Flores, Grace Laskey, Shane Jurak

Humboldt Journal of Microbiology

In recent years the effects of climate change have taken a devastating toll on ecosystems around the world. With high temperatures and extreme droughts, wildfires have become increasingly common. In order to combat these natural disasters wildland firefighters, drop millions of gallons of fire retardant on public lands and forests. These fire retardants consist of between 80%-100% ammonium phosphate which are incredibly effective as fire suppressants yet is more commonly known for its use in fertilizer. Ammonium phosphate fertilizers can lead to stream eutrophication and undesirable environmental impacts. Our research aims to address the effects of fire retardant on growth …

Ecohydrology Of Coastal Aquifers In Humid Environments And Implications Of A Drying Climate, Madeleine Dyring, Harald Hofmann, David Stanton, Patrick Moss, Ray Froend

Research outputs 2022 to 2026

Coastal groundwater-dependent ecosystems (GDEs), such as wetlands, estuaries and mangrove forests, are globally important habitats that promote biodiversity, provide climate regulation and serve as refugia for plant and animal communities. However, global warming, coastal development and over-abstraction threaten the availability and quality of groundwater in coastal aquifers and, by extension, the ecohydrological function of dependent ecosystems. Because ecohydrological knowledge of coastal groundwater is disparate across disciplines and habitat types, we begin by summarising the physiochemical, biological and hydrological processes supported by groundwater across coastal watersheds. Groundwater makes a significant but poorly recognised contribution to the function and resilience of coastal …

Fine Root Respiration In Quercus Rubra Is Influenced By Multidimensional Trade-Offs In Root Trait Space, Emma L. Shedd

Dissertations, Master's Theses and Master's Reports

Economic theory is often applied to plant strategies, arguing that trade-offs exist between maximizing quick returns on investment within short lifespans or producing longer-lived tissues with slower returns. While these trade-offs are well-studied aboveground, their influence on belowground traits, including root respiration, remains unclear. Resource heterogeneity and symbioses with mycorrhizal fungi may complicate root trade-off axes beyond those predicted by economics theory alone. Investigating fine root trade-offs in Quercus rubra populations along a latitudinal gradient in the Midwest, USA, we identified two distinct axes of variation in root traits: one related to a potential “fungal symbiosis” trade-off and another representing …

Experimental Design Of Open-Field Temperature And Precipitation Manipulation System To Simulate Summer Extreme Climate Events For Plants And Soils, Gwang Jung Kim, Heejae Jo, Hyeonji Kim, Min Seok Cho, Nam-Jin Noh, Hanna Chang, Hyung-Sub Kim, Yowhan Son

Turkish Journal of Agriculture and Forestry

Extreme climate events are expected to occur very frequently and intensively with climate change, and such extreme events can induce irreversible damage to plants and soils, as well as ecosystems. Accordingly, there is a need to understand the effects of extreme climate events on ecosystems. Here, we designed a temperature and precipitation manipulation system to simulate extreme climate events of heat, drought, and heavy rainfall. We constructed three soil surface temperature manipulation levels (control, 3 °C, and 6 °C increases) and three precipitation manipulation levels (control, drought, and heavy rainfall) with six replicates, and operated these from day of year …

Quantifying The Carbon Stored And Sequestered By The Trees On Pomona College’S Campus, Paola A. Giron-Carson

Scripps Senior Theses

We are experiencing a climate crisis that must be confronted with strategic mitigation. Pomona College contributes to the climate crisis through its emissions for which there is a baseline record. However there is no baseline record of the climate mitigation currently performed by the trees on Pomona’s campus through carbon storage. This study seeks to determine a current baseline quantity of carbon stored and sequestrated by Pomona’s trees as well as possible courses of climate mitigation for Pomona College to take. Initial information gathering was conducted through interviews with several stakeholders. This study was conducted using data collected prior to …

Ascophyllum Nodosum Seaweed Extract Application As A Possible Mechanism For Mitigating Salt Stress In Soybeans (Glycine Max), Elena Hoang

Honors Program Theses

Soil salinity, an abiotic stressor associated with climate change effects, inhibits the normal growth and development of sensitive crop species. The excessive accumulation of salt ions in plant tissue induces oxidative stress, which is characterized by an increased production of reactive oxygen species (ROS) damaging plant organelles and disrupting normal metabolic functions. Seaweed extracts (SWE) may be a solution for mitigating the effects of salt stress on crop yield and quality, as they introduce bioactive ingredients that are able to regulate gene expression and enhance natural physiological processes in plants. However, the positive benefits of SWE applications differ between plant …

Effects Of Climate Change And Landscape-Scale Forest Management On Avian Communities, Abundance, And Nest Success In The Appalachian Mountains, Hannah L. Clipp

Graduate Theses, Dissertations, and Problem Reports (ETD)

Birds are integral components of ecosystems and account for billions of dollars in tangible benefits to humans. As such, recent continental declines of bird species have ecological and economic consequences, providing the impetus for my dissertation research. I identified knowledge gaps and proposed novel questions about how birds in the Appalachian Mountains are influenced by changing environmental conditions due to climate change and forest management. The Appalachian Mountains encompass an important biogeographical region with high conservation value due to its myriad habitats and corresponding bird species diversity. Thus, there is a critical need to evaluate the effects of shifting climate …

Exploring The Metabolic Capabilities And Biotransformation Potential Of Environmental Lactococcus Strains, Desirée Román Naranjo

Theses

The aim of this thesis is to characterize environmental Lactococcus strains to identify different and diverse metabolic capabilities that could be applied to microbial biotransformation, defined as the conversion of a cheap/waste substrate into a value-added product. Due to the increased amounts of food processing waste generated worldwide and the impact of climate change, new sustainable approaches are necessary to contribute to waste valorization and the circular bioeconomy. We ask to what extent and in what ways environment isolated Lactococcus strains could contribute to food biotransformation by metabolizing a different range of substrates. We do so to further understand and …

Insect And Pest Management For Sustaining Crop Production Under Changing Climatic Patterns Of Drylands, Ruchika Kashyap, Sajjan Grover, Heena Puri, Sandeep Kaur, Jagmohan Singh, Karansher S. Sandhu, Gagandeep Kaur, Hinal Kharva, Shivreet Kaur, Balwinder Kaur

Department of Entomology: Faculty Publications

Climate change is alarming, particularly for agriculturists as it severely impacts the development, distribution, and survival of insects and pests, affecting crop production globally. Over time, climate change is drastically tumbling the crop productivity in all the cropping systems, whereas the dryland agriculture with existing low productivity is immensely hit. While all the existing species in drylands, including humans, are coping with extreme climate variations for millennia, future climate change predictions put dryland agriculture in a threat zone. Drylands support 38% of the world’s population; therefore, climate change coupled with population growth and global food security draws the attention of …

The Impact Of Feral Honey Bees On Endangered Seabirds In The Hawaiian Islands, André Francis Raine, Scott Driskill, Stephen Rossiter, Jennifer Rothe, Kyle Pias, Rachel Sprague, Alex Dutcher

Human–Wildlife Interactions

The ʻaʻo (Puffinus newellii; Newell’s shearwater) and ʻuaʻu (Pterodroma sandwichensis; Hawaiian petrel) are both endangered seabirds endemic to the Hawaiian Archipelago. For the last decade, multiple colonies on the islands of Kauaʻi and Lānaʻi have been the focus of intensive management (particularly predator control) and monitoring programs. Management has been effective at reducing the number of introduced mammalian predators recorded within colonies with a resultant increase in reproductive success rates for both seabird species. However, in recent years a new threat has emerged—feral honey bees (Apis mellifera; bees)—which were deliberately introduced to the Hawaiian …

Sea-Ice Conditions Predict Polar Bear Land Use Around Military Installations In Alaska, Eric V. Regehr, Kristin L. Laidre, Todd C. Atwood, Harry L. Stern, Benjamin Cohen

Human–Wildlife Interactions

Polar bears (Ursus maritimus) are threatened by sea-ice loss due to climate change, which is concurrently opening the Arctic to natural resource extraction and a broader scope of national security responsibilities. Mitigating the risk of human–bear conflicts is an emerging challenge as many polar bears spend longer ice-free summers on land where they have limited access to food and come into more frequent contact with people. We investigated a suite of physical and ecological variables that influence the timing of polar bear arrival on, and departure from, land using remote-sensing data on sea-ice extent and satellite telemetry data …

Multiple Interacting Stressors Influence Development, Growth, And Morphology Of Pacific Chorus Frog (Pseudacris Regilla) Larvae, Abby Dalke, Allie M. Erickson, Bailey R. Tasker, Skylar Riley, Paul Hurst, Sarah Cooney, Scott A. Griffith, Betsy A. Bancroft

Biology Faculty Scholarship

Freshwater ecosystems are threatened by climate change and invasive species. Amphibians are important members of freshwater communities and are susceptible to negative effects of climate change and invasion. Furthermore, both climate change and invasion can influence density of amphibian larvae at the microhabitat scale because of larval clustering. To understand the effects of climate change and invasion on Pacific Chorus Frog Pseudacris regilla (Baird and Girard, 1852) larvae, a 2 × 2 × 2 factorial experiment was carried out with a climate treatment (future/historical; simulated as changes in both temperature and hydroperiod), indirect exposure to the invasive Brook Stickleback Culaea …

Population Demography Of A Neotropical Migratory Songbird In The Face Of A Changing Climate, Adele Balmer

Theses and Dissertations

This dissertation investigates the population dynamics and demographic trends of the Prothonotary Warbler (Protonotaria citrea), a migratory songbird that breeds in North America during the spring and summer and overwinters in Central and northern South America. The primary objective of this dissertation is to examine the combined implications of variation in weather and individual traits on demographic traits and to project the effects of climate change on population trajectories of the Prothonotary Warbler.

The analyses conducted in this dissertation centered around female Prothonotary Warblers; however, visual identification of a nestling’s sex is impossible in most altricial bird species, …

Reflections On A Career Unplanned, Robert A. Glazer

Gulf and Caribbean Research

Sometimes life takes unexpected turns. I never planned to be a marine biologist; yet, after a long and unpredictable journey, that’s exactly where I found myself. After obtaining my B.S. in Fishery Biology from Colorado State University, I found myself meandering from job to job like a golden retriever following some vague scent. At first, I was hired by the Wyoming Game and Fish Department to work seasonally in Grand Teton National Park on the freshwater trout fisheries. Soon thereafter, I found myself cultivating oysters, clams, and other shellfish in California. The skills I developed there as an algologist led …

Application Of Hierarchical Species Distribution Models To Avian Species Of South Dakota And The Upper Missouri River Basin, Reza Goljani Amirkhiz

Dissertations and Theses

Recognizing the distributional patterns of species can inform management actions and increase scientific knowledge about species. Habitat Suitability Models (HSMs) are valuable tools in modeling species’ niches and effects of climate change and anthropogenic and natural disturbances on species’ distributions and abundances. In this dissertation, I expanded the application of hierarchical HSMs for a rare bird (Virginia’s warbler) and an economically valuable bird (ring-necked pheasant) in South Dakota. Also, we developed multiscale HSMs for grassland birds in the Upper Missouri River Basin (UMRB) to quantify current habitat associations and predict the influences of climate and landcover change associated with the …