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Articles 241 - 270 of 1096

Full-Text Articles in Life Sciences

American Eel (Anguilla Rostrata) And Other Fishes As Surveyed By Environmental Dna In The Bronx River And Hudson River Watershed, Sam C. Chin Feb 2023

American Eel (Anguilla Rostrata) And Other Fishes As Surveyed By Environmental Dna In The Bronx River And Hudson River Watershed, Sam C. Chin

Dissertations, Theses, and Capstone Projects

Mounting an effective response to the threats faced by freshwater fish may require expansions to aquatic biomonitoring in excess of what is feasible using the capture-based survey techniques currently relied upon by natural resource managers. Methods for analyzing environmental DNA (eDNA) are emerging as a minimally invasive and cost-effective approach for surveying fish and other organisms. By detecting taxon-specific DNA sequences recovered from environmental samples (e.g. water, sediment), eDNA methods are able to infer species presence from samples that can be collected rapidly with simple equipment. In many cases, eDNA detection rates of fish species have been shown to meet …

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Habitat Suitability Models For Endangered Hawaiian Flora, Bronwyn Meldrum, Richard Gill Jan 2023

Habitat Suitability Models For Endangered Hawaiian Flora, Bronwyn Meldrum, Richard Gill

Library/Life Sciences Undergraduate Poster Competition 2023

Hawaii contains the highest percentage of endangered and threatened flora in the United States. Restoration is expensive and time-consuming, and most replanting failures are mainly due to incorrect habitat. Without understanding the ideal habitat of endangered plants such as ohai (Sesbania tomentosa) and aweoweo papa (Chenopodium oahuense), it is impossible to know what areas the Molokai Land Trust should prioritize in conservation and restoration.

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Relationship Between Bats And Prairie-Dog (Cynomys Ludovicianus) Colonies In Western Kansas, Mario N. Rodriguez Jan 2023

Relationship Between Bats And Prairie-Dog (Cynomys Ludovicianus) Colonies In Western Kansas, Mario N. Rodriguez

Master's Theses or Doctor of Nursing Practice

Although it is known that prairie dog colonies can increase biodiversity in the areas surrounding them, there is extraordinarily little known about the relationship between bats and black-tailed prairie dogs (Cynomys ludovicianus). In a recent study from the Front Range of Colorado, several bat species were found to be consistently flying around prairie dog colonies, presumably foraging due to increased insect diversity and abundance. Despite the importance of prairie dogs to the ecosystem, prairie dog colonies are usually eradicated due to the perception that they adversely impact cattle grazing. If insectivorous bats are attracted to prairie dog colonies …

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The Assessment Of Genetic Diversity And Population Structure Of Endemic Scutellaria Yildirimlii (Lamiaceae) For Conservation Purposes, Merve Yildirim, Gül Ni̇lhan Tuğ, Ahmet Emre Yaprak Jan 2023

The Assessment Of Genetic Diversity And Population Structure Of Endemic Scutellaria Yildirimlii (Lamiaceae) For Conservation Purposes, Merve Yildirim, Gül Ni̇lhan Tuğ, Ahmet Emre Yaprak

Turkish Journal of Botany

Scutellaria yildirimlii is an endangered perennial endemic species from Turkey and belongs to the family Lamiaceae, which has a high number of medicinal and aromatic plants. It is crucial to determine genetic diversity and population structure of this species for its conservation measures; therefore, 111 individuals from five natural populations of S. yildirimlii were investigated by using 15 inter simple sequence repeats (ISSR) primers. The percentage of polymorphic loci (PPL), Nei?s gene diversity (H), and Shannon?s information index (I) at the species and population-level were determined as 93.9%, 0.183, 0.292 and 56.5%, 0.158, 0.242, respectively. The analysis of molecular variance …

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Effects Of Solar Arrays On Southwestern Desert Thermal Landscapes: Consequences For Terrestrial Ectotherms, Adrian Slade Jan 2023

Effects Of Solar Arrays On Southwestern Desert Thermal Landscapes: Consequences For Terrestrial Ectotherms, Adrian Slade

All Master's Theses

Solar energy development in the Southwestern United States coincides with habitat for many sensitive and endemic species, including reptiles such as Mojave Fringe-toed Lizards and Mojave Desert Tortoises who are threatened by a warming and drying climate. While utility-scale solar energy reduces carbon emissions and should ultimately benefit climate-sensitive species, it locally destroys fragile desert habitat, displaces wildlife, and has been shown to incur local air and surface temperature changes. Mitigation-based translocation of wildlife species in the face of solar development yields mixed results, and the unprecedented pace of solar expansion in the desert highlights the need for alternative practices …

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Advancing Assessments Of Climate Change Vulnerability Of West Virginia Watersheds, Joseph T. Molina Jan 2023

Advancing Assessments Of Climate Change Vulnerability Of West Virginia Watersheds, Joseph T. Molina

Graduate Theses, Dissertations, and Problem Reports (ETD)

As climate change is becoming increasingly recognized as a threat to aquatic ecosystems, climate adaptation planning, in both the long- and short-term, is becoming more common in natural resource management. There is a need within conservation agencies to develop methodologies and assessments that support adaptation planning to efficiently disperse conservation dollars and effectively strengthen ecological and community resilience as climate changes continue. My thesis aims to provide West Virginia natural resources managers with climate vulnerability assessments that can be used to determine where and how conservation efforts should be administered. Additionally, I demonstrate a methodology that can be built upon …

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Pilot Study For Invasive Brown Treesnake Baiting In Residential Areas, Shane R. Siers, Juan-Carlos Mungaray, Jordan I. S. Barcinas, Jeried E. Calaor, Rachel M. Volsteadt, Martin Kastner, Scott M. Goetz, Melia G. Nafus, Thomas C. Hall Jan 2023

Pilot Study For Invasive Brown Treesnake Baiting In Residential Areas, Shane R. Siers, Juan-Carlos Mungaray, Jordan I. S. Barcinas, Jeried E. Calaor, Rachel M. Volsteadt, Martin Kastner, Scott M. Goetz, Melia G. Nafus, Thomas C. Hall

Human–Wildlife Interactions

The nocturnal brown treesnake (Boiga irregularis; BTS) was accidentally introduced to the island of Guam, USA, in the Western Pacific in 1945. The BTS has spread throughout all terrestrial habitats, causing wildlife loss and economic damage. Several tools and techniques have been developed to locally reduce BTS numbers and prevent their spread to other islands. The common analgesic acetaminophen has been registered as a low-risk pesticide to manage BTS in non-residential areas. Prior to a more intensive toxic baiting campaign on Andersen Air Force Base, Guam, as part of a larger study to evaluate the effects of BTS …

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Activity Patterns Of The Critically Endangered Central American River Turtle (Dermatemys Mawii), Cora Dyslin Jan 2023

Activity Patterns Of The Critically Endangered Central American River Turtle (Dermatemys Mawii), Cora Dyslin

Graduate Theses/Dissertations

The Central American River Turtle (Dermatemys mawii) is native to southern Mexico, eastern Guatemala, and Belize and is primarily restricted to watersheds that drain into the Gulf of Mexico and Caribbean Sea. Hunting, both for personal consumption and market meat, has been the primary driver of declines, and the species is now classified as critically endangered. Results from past studies that have used netting and visual surveys to detect D. mawii suggest that the species is chiefly nocturnal. However, it is unclear to what extent the perception of nocturnality has been biased by the timing of survey efforts …

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Genetic Population Dynamics Of The Critically Endangered Scalloped Hammerhead Shark (Sphyrna Lewini) In The Eastern Tropical Pacific, Sydney P. Harned, Andrea Bernard, Pelayo Salinas-De-Leon, Marissa Mehlrose, Jenifer Suarez, Yolani Robles, Sandra Bessudo Lion, Felipe Ladino, Andrés López Garo, Ilena Zanella, Kevin A. Feldheim, Mahmood Shivji Dec 2022

Genetic Population Dynamics Of The Critically Endangered Scalloped Hammerhead Shark (Sphyrna Lewini) In The Eastern Tropical Pacific, Sydney P. Harned, Andrea Bernard, Pelayo Salinas-De-Leon, Marissa Mehlrose, Jenifer Suarez, Yolani Robles, Sandra Bessudo Lion, Felipe Ladino, Andrés López Garo, Ilena Zanella, Kevin A. Feldheim, Mahmood Shivji

Biology Faculty Articles

The scalloped hammerhead shark, Sphyrna lewini, is a Critically Endangered, migratory species known for its tendency to form iconic and visually spectacular large aggregations. Herein, we investigated the population genetic dynamics of the scalloped hammerhead across much of its distribution in the Eastern Tropical Pacific (ETP), ranging from Costa Rica to Ecuador, focusing on young-of-year animals from putative coastal nursery areas and adult females from seasonal aggregations that form in the northern Galápagos Islands. Nuclear microsatellites and partial mitochondrial control region sequences showed little evidence of population structure suggesting that scalloped hammerheads in this ETP region comprise a single …

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Eavesdropping On Animals: Can Bioacoustics Help Save Species?, Zoe Grueskin Dec 2022

Eavesdropping On Animals: Can Bioacoustics Help Save Species?, Zoe Grueskin

Capstones

Around the world, scientists are using sound to study the natural world in a growing field called bioacoustics. Researchers are eavesdropping on frogs and fish, elephants and earthworms, and many hope what they hear can inform and inspire conservation action around the world. From the field’s auspicious beginning with accidentally-recorded whales, to researchers today listening to locations as diverse as the Arctic seafloor and India’s Western Ghats mountain range, this capstone project explores the potential — and limitations — of conservation bioacoustics. Read the story, see photos and listen to audio pieces featuring three bioacousticians and their field recordings here: …

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Effects Of Soil Management Practices On Water Infiltration And Maize Yield To Improve Mississippi River Valley Alluvial Aquifer Sustainability, Jacob Rix Dec 2022

Effects Of Soil Management Practices On Water Infiltration And Maize Yield To Improve Mississippi River Valley Alluvial Aquifer Sustainability, Jacob Rix

Theses and Dissertations

Surface sealing and hardpans in loam soils are problematic in the Mid-South U.S. because of intense tillage. Two experiments quantified the effects of soil management practices on infiltration and maize yield in loam soils. The first study measured the impacts of in-row subsoiling frequency × furrow irrigation frequency. In-row subsoiling significantly improved the infiltration of irrigation but not the infiltration of precipitation. In-row subsoiling with low irrigation frequency is optimal to achieve profitable maize yields while encouraging groundwater conservation. In the second study, six soil management treatments were imposed. For single-ring infiltrometer tests, infiltration rates were different between the two …

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A Subspecies-Level Database Of Amazonian Bird Distributions, With Inferences On Suture Zones And Conservation, Marco Antonio Rego Dec 2022

A Subspecies-Level Database Of Amazonian Bird Distributions, With Inferences On Suture Zones And Conservation, Marco Antonio Rego

LSU Doctoral Dissertations

Amazonia has the largest and most biodiverse tropical forest on the planet. However, the distributions of its species are still poorly understood, even for well-studied vertebrates such as birds. Available distribution maps for Amazonian birds often lack accuracy in delimiting the area where species occur. Existing distributional information for Amazonian birds is often limited to species-level level taxonomy, even though many Amazonian bird subspecies represent biological species. Here, I investigate the geographic distributions of 4,148 bird taxa (species and subspecies) using museum scientific specimens as the primary source of data. To build the data base I use more than 600,000 …

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Uncovering A Natural History Mystery At The University Of Akron, Gary M. Holliday, Lara Roketenetz Dec 2022

Uncovering A Natural History Mystery At The University Of Akron, Gary M. Holliday, Lara Roketenetz

Proceedings from the Document Academy

Students were engaged in a combination of detective work, biology, archives, art, and education/outreach to prepare a collection of taxidermied birds donated to the University of Akron by the Rhodes family in the early 1900s for public access and exhibition. Students had the opportunity to learn from leading experts regarding the historical significance of biological collections, proper preservation protocols, digitizing and archival practices, and the urgency of science education and communication for a public audience. Many campus and community partners were involved, including experts from local museums and nature centers.

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Eat Your Invasives: A Practical And Historical Analysis Of Foraging For Invasive Foods, Grace Hartman Dec 2022

Eat Your Invasives: A Practical And Historical Analysis Of Foraging For Invasive Foods, Grace Hartman

Honors Projects

This paper discusses both the historical and modern role of foraging and why people may decide to forage, as well as barriers new foragers may face and how they can be overcome. Furthermore, the paper discusses how foraging for invasive species can be used as a method of conservation and how simple foraging can be encouraged for this reason.

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Temperature Affects Nest Box Occupancy, Nest Success, And Nestling Size In A Southeastern Population Of Eastern Bluebirds (Sialia Sialis), Christopher G. Horacek Nov 2022

Temperature Affects Nest Box Occupancy, Nest Success, And Nestling Size In A Southeastern Population Of Eastern Bluebirds (Sialia Sialis), Christopher G. Horacek

Biology Theses

Given the critical role that temperature plays in avian reproductive biology, rising temperatures as a result of global climate change will likely impact reproductive success of many bird populations. Secondary cavity nesting birds, many of which rely on artificial nest boxes to maintain population levels, may be particularly at risk because increased temperatures inside nest boxes can determine whether nest boxes are selected, reduce nest success, and/or negatively affect the growth and survival of offspring. We examined the effect of nest box color on nest box temperature and the influence of nest box temperature, nest box color, entrance orientation, and …

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Population Demography, Spatial Ecology, And Habitat Use Of The Florida Box Turtle (Terrapene Bauri) On A Barrier Island, Michael D. Mills Nov 2022

Population Demography, Spatial Ecology, And Habitat Use Of The Florida Box Turtle (Terrapene Bauri) On A Barrier Island, Michael D. Mills

USF Tampa Graduate Theses and Dissertations

Turtles are one the most threatened vertebrate groups in the world due to anthropogenic threats such as habitat loss and overexploitation. In addition to occupying a range that has been vulnerable to major habitat loss, the Florida box turtle (Terrapene bauri) is particularly at risk of overexploitation due to its popularity in the pet trade. Sanibel Island is a barrier island in southwest Florida that has experienced major habitat loss and is the site of a recent poaching event. In response to these threats, studies of both the population demography and spatial ecology were conducted on Sanibel’s Florida box turtle …

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Bison Movements Change With Weather: Implications For Their Continued Conservation In The Anthropocene, Nicholas A. Mcmillan, Samuel D. Fuhlendorf, Barney Luttbeg, Laura E. Goodman, Craig A. Davis, Brady W. Allred, Robert G. Hamilton Nov 2022

Bison Movements Change With Weather: Implications For Their Continued Conservation In The Anthropocene, Nicholas A. Mcmillan, Samuel D. Fuhlendorf, Barney Luttbeg, Laura E. Goodman, Craig A. Davis, Brady W. Allred, Robert G. Hamilton

Department of Agronomy and Horticulture: Faculty Publications

Animal movement patterns are affected by complex interactions between biotic and abiotic landscape conditions, and these patterns are being altered by weather variability associated with a changing climate. Some animals, like the American plains bison (Bison bison L.; hereafter, plains bison), are considered keystone species, thus their response to weather variability may alter ecosystem structure and biodiversity patterns. Many movement studies of plains bison and other ungulates have focused on point-pattern analyses (e.g., resource-selection) that have provided information about where these animals move, but information about when or why these animals move is limited. For example, information surrounding the …

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Introducing Interdisciplinary Curricula Into Conservation Biology: Exploring Changes In Students’ Perceived Proenvironmental Attitudes And Behaviors, Jasmine Janes, Lindsay J. Mccunn Nov 2022

Introducing Interdisciplinary Curricula Into Conservation Biology: Exploring Changes In Students’ Perceived Proenvironmental Attitudes And Behaviors, Jasmine Janes, Lindsay J. Mccunn

Journal of Educational Research and Practice

Today, conserving the natural environment is paramount. Educators have been striving to develop pedagogical approaches that facilitate greater engagement in conservation behaviors. However, many of these reforms have been targeted at an institutional level, without necessarily testing whether changes in proenvironmental perceptions, attitudes, or behaviors occur for students. This step seems important when developing conservation biology courses that provide well-rounded education that may better prepare students for future challenges in biodiverse conservation contexts. Our objective was to assess the proenvironmental attitudes and conservation values of undergraduate students enrolled in an undergraduate conservation biology course before and after instruction to determine …

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Population Density And Reproductive Seasonality Of Tryonia Cheatumi (Gastropoda: Cochliopidae), The Phantom Tryonia, Kathryn E. Perez, Nina Noreika, Chad Norris, Marty Kelly, Melissa Lopez, Christina Ortega, Salma Ruiz Sandoval, Samantha Gonzalez, Weston Nowlin Nov 2022

Population Density And Reproductive Seasonality Of Tryonia Cheatumi (Gastropoda: Cochliopidae), The Phantom Tryonia, Kathryn E. Perez, Nina Noreika, Chad Norris, Marty Kelly, Melissa Lopez, Christina Ortega, Salma Ruiz Sandoval, Samantha Gonzalez, Weston Nowlin

School of Integrative Biological & Chemical Sciences (Formerly Dept. of Biology)

We studied population density, population size, and reproductive seasonality of the Phantom Tryonia, Tryonia cheatumi (Pilsbry, 1935). This endangered freshwater snail is found only in the San Solomon Spring system, a cienega, or karst-based, arid-land freshwater spring system, in western Texas, USA. We sampled populations at seven locations in the system seasonally over a 2-yr period. San Solomon Spring, the system's largest spring and modified into a swimming pool, had the largest population of T. cheatumi, with an estimated 49 million individuals and a mean density as high as 23,626 ± 39,030 (individuals/m2 ± SD). There were seasonal differences …

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List Of Fish Species Present In Galápagos, Ecuador, And California, U.S.A., With Notes On Their Commercial Importance And Conservation Status, Erin J. Hanson, Jose R. Marin Jarrin Oct 2022

List Of Fish Species Present In Galápagos, Ecuador, And California, U.S.A., With Notes On Their Commercial Importance And Conservation Status, Erin J. Hanson, Jose R. Marin Jarrin

IdeaFest: Interdisciplinary Journal of Creative Works and Research from Cal Poly Humboldt

No abstract provided.

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A Long-Term Vision For An Ecologically Sound Platte River, Andrew J. Caven, Melissa M. Mosier, Kristal Stoner, Bill Taddicken, Brice Krohn, Ashley Gramza, Craig R. Allen, Mike Carter, Michelle Koch, Kirk D. Schroeder, Sarah Bailey, Rich Walters, Brian C. Chaffin, Erica Gnuse, Amy Jones, Kate Bird Oct 2022

A Long-Term Vision For An Ecologically Sound Platte River, Andrew J. Caven, Melissa M. Mosier, Kristal Stoner, Bill Taddicken, Brice Krohn, Ashley Gramza, Craig R. Allen, Mike Carter, Michelle Koch, Kirk D. Schroeder, Sarah Bailey, Rich Walters, Brian C. Chaffin, Erica Gnuse, Amy Jones, Kate Bird

Zea E-Books Collection

The Platte River extends about 310 mi (499 km) from North Platte, Nebraska, to its terminus at the Missouri River confluence near Plattsmouth, Nebraska. The Platte River Valley is a continentally significant ecosystem that serves as a major stopover for migratory waterbirds in the Central Flyway including the endangered Whooping Crane (Grus americana) and >1 million Sandhill Cranes (Antigone canadensis) at the peak of spring migration. However, the Platte River Valley also supports a great diversity of avifauna including grassland breeding birds, native stream fish, vascular plants, herpetofauna, mammals, pollinators, and aquatic macroinvertebrates. Despite ongoing conservation …

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Exploring Metapopulation-Scale Suppression Alternatives For A Global Invader In A River Network Experiencing Climate Change, Brian D. Healy, Phaedra Budy, Charles B. Yackulic, Brendan P. Murphy, Robert C. Schelly, Mark C. Mckinstry Sep 2022

Exploring Metapopulation-Scale Suppression Alternatives For A Global Invader In A River Network Experiencing Climate Change, Brian D. Healy, Phaedra Budy, Charles B. Yackulic, Brendan P. Murphy, Robert C. Schelly, Mark C. Mckinstry

Wildland Resources Faculty Publications

Invasive species can dramatically alter ecosystems, but eradication is difficult, and suppression is expensive once they are established. Uncertainties in the potential for expansion and impacts by an invader can lead to delayed and inadequate suppression, allowing for establishment. Metapopulation viability models can aid in planning strategies to improve responses to invaders and lessen invasive species’ impacts, which may be particularly important under climate change. We used a spatially-explicit metapopulation viability model to explore suppression strategies for ecologically-damaging invasive brown trout (Salmo trutta), established in the Colorado River and a tributary within Grand Canyon National Park. Our goals …

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Determination Of Atlantic Shortfin Mako Shark (Isurus Oxyrinchus) Population Genetic Structure And Comparison Of Mitogenomic Markers, Marissa Mehlrose Aug 2022

Determination Of Atlantic Shortfin Mako Shark (Isurus Oxyrinchus) Population Genetic Structure And Comparison Of Mitogenomic Markers, Marissa Mehlrose

All HCAS Student Capstones, Theses, and Dissertations

This study provides the first genomics-level, population structure and genetic diversity assessment of the shortfin mako (Isurus oxyrinchus) shark. The assessments were based on mitogenome sequences from makos distributed throughout the Atlantic Ocean, with Pacific mako mitogenomes used as a comparative outgroup. In addition to complete mitogenome-based analyses, I assessed individual mitochondrial coding gene and non-coding (Control Region) sequences for their comparative resolution properties as markers for revealing matrilineal population structure and genetic diversity. Sequencing of 125 makos in the western and eastern Atlantic across northern and southern hemispheres yielded 92 complete mitogenomes (16,698-16,702 bp) and 33 partial …

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A Genomic Investigation Of Divergence Between Tuna Species, Pavel V. Dimens Aug 2022

A Genomic Investigation Of Divergence Between Tuna Species, Pavel V. Dimens

Dissertations

Effective management and conservation of marine pelagic fishes is heavily dependent on a robust understanding of their population structure, their evolutionary history, and the delineation of appropriate management units. The Yellowfin tuna (Thunnus albacares) and the Blackfin tuna (Thunnus atlanticus) are two exploited epipelagic marine species with overlapping ranges in the tropical and sub-tropical Atlantic Ocean. This work analyzed genome-wide genetic variation of both species in the Atlantic basin to investigate the occurrence of population subdivision and adaptive variation. A de novo assembly of the Blackfin tuna genome was generated using Illumina paired-end sequencing data and …

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Evaluating Bat Roost Abundance: A Comparison Of Drone-Acquired Thermal Imagery And Acoustic Estimates With Visual Observations, Karah Jaffe Aug 2022

Evaluating Bat Roost Abundance: A Comparison Of Drone-Acquired Thermal Imagery And Acoustic Estimates With Visual Observations, Karah Jaffe

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

Roosts provide an opportunity to census philopatric populations of bats. Comparing the efficacy of traditional methods with novel methods can provide guidance on the use of new technologies in the field. This project aims to compare the count efficacy of external emergence methodologies, i.e., drone-acquired thermal imagery, acoustic estimates, and visual counts. Surveys were conducted ten nights at two emergence sites and synchronized to compare counts. Acoustic estimates could not be established as there was a weak prediction of the linear relationship between root-mean-square pressure and emergence count; therefore, this method was removed from the comparative analysis. A linear mixed-effects …

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The Paleoecology Of High-Elevation Bison In The Greater Yellowstone Ecosystem And Implications For Modern Bison Conservation, Darian Bouvier Aug 2022

The Paleoecology Of High-Elevation Bison In The Greater Yellowstone Ecosystem And Implications For Modern Bison Conservation, Darian Bouvier

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

The national mammal of the United States, the American Bison (Bison bison) was once nearly extinct. Populations have recovered to the degree that thousands roam the Great Plains today. Due to their large numbers and body size, this species has an oversized impact on the ecological communities where it lives and is considered a keystone herbivore in modern North American grasslands. This study explores the detailed, seasonally resolved, paleoecology of seven bison from the Greater Yellowstone Ecosystem during the Late Holocene through stable isotope analyses and species niche modeling. Isotopic analyses of δ13C, δ15N, …

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Flora Of Doe Mountain Recreation Area, Johnson County, Tennessee, Benjamin Mccullough Aug 2022

Flora Of Doe Mountain Recreation Area, Johnson County, Tennessee, Benjamin Mccullough

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

A botanical inventory of Doe Mountain Recreation Area (DMRA) in northeastern Tennessee was conducted to help guide conservation-based management. A total of 484 species were found in DMRA, comprising 94 families, and 285 genera, 10 species listed in the state rare plant list, and 76 exotic species. Two species, Liatris virgata and Lycopodiella inundata, were new state records. Water in the Lycopodiella seep was an order of magnitude more acid than at other sites. An analysis of the wildland-urban interface showed that only 13% of the area was classified as uninhabited. The inventory-invasion index, introduced to quantify the relative …

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Defining The Current Distribution Of The Imperiled Black-Spotted Newt Across South Texas, Usa, Padraic S. Robinson, Drew R. Davis, Sean M. Collins, Richard Kline Aug 2022

Defining The Current Distribution Of The Imperiled Black-Spotted Newt Across South Texas, Usa, Padraic S. Robinson, Drew R. Davis, Sean M. Collins, Richard Kline

School of Earth, Environmental, & Marine Sciences Faculty Publications

The Black-spotted Newt (Notophthalmus meridionalis) is a chronically understudied salamander species, with many aspects of its natural history, ecology, and distribution poorly known. Previous studies using traditional methodologies have had limited success documenting N. meridionalis on the landscape, detecting individuals at 6% (7 of 114) and 1% (2 of 221) of sites surveyed. A novel environmental DNA (eDNA) assay was designed and implemented with the goals of assessing the current distribution of N. meridionalis across south Texas, USA, and better understanding the conditions for positive eDNA detections. We conducted eDNA sampling and traditional surveys at 80 sites throughout …

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Monitoring Whitebark Pine Stand Health In The Central Washington Cascades, Nancy H. Parra, Teresa J. Lorenz, Taza D. Schaming, Alison Scoville Jul 2022

Monitoring Whitebark Pine Stand Health In The Central Washington Cascades, Nancy H. Parra, Teresa J. Lorenz, Taza D. Schaming, Alison Scoville

Student Published Works

Whitebark pine (Pinus albicaulis) plays a vital role in colonizing newly disturbed areas, providing shade for other tree species to germinate, and supplying food for a variety of birds and mammals, such as Clark’s Nutcrackers (Nucifraga columbiana) and grizzly bears (Ursus arctos horribilis). Decline of whitebark pine populations has been attributed to several factors, including white pine blister rust (Cronartium ribicola), mountain pine beetle (Dendroctonus ponderosae) outbreaks, and fire exclusion. In 2009, the U.S. Forest Service began to install permanent plots in whitebark pine stands in Washington and Oregon as …

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The Importance Of Understanding And Developing Identification Techniques In Wildlife Crime, Savannah Nguyen Jun 2022

The Importance Of Understanding And Developing Identification Techniques In Wildlife Crime, Savannah Nguyen

D.U.Quark

Wildlife crime continues to grow annually and globally, impacting several species and ecosystems. New advancements of technologies and techniques can track criminals and aid the affected victims. Highlighting the complexity of conservation and the development of identification techniques helps tackle this widespread dilemma. New developing techniques in wildlife forensics can differentiate an animal between wild and poached to pave the way for further advancement in understanding wildlife crimes. Hence, though the wildlife forensics field is still new, emphasizing the need for intricate identification techniques can help save threatened species.

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