Life Sciences Commons^™

Greater Sage-Grouse Ecology In Western Box Elder County, Utah 2007 Annual Report, Eric Thacker, Terry Messmer, Todd A. Black

All Archived Publications

No abstract provided.

The Aridity Of Grace: Community And Ecofeminism In Barbara Kingsolver's Animal Dreams And Prodigal Summer, Richard M. Magee

English Faculty Publications

In both Animal Dreams and her later novel Prodigal Summer, Kingsolver constructs narratives of community inhabited by characters with a vivid awareness of the natural world and the threats to that world; furthermore, both novels feature strong female characters who long for a more harmonious life within nature. The novels develop and present forthright ecofeminist themes, with the women in the texts representing ideals of ecologically sensitive living who seek to educate their communities about threats to the environment and the defenses against those threats.

Kingsolver's ecofeminist vision, however, is frequently complicated and contradictory; just as the desert landscape …

On Estimating The Exponent Of Power-Law Frequency Distributions, Ethan P. White, B. J. Enquist, J. L. Green

Biology Faculty Publications

Power-law frequency distributions characterize a wide array of natural phenomena. In ecology, biology, and many physical and social sciences, the exponents of these power-laws are estimated to draw inference about the processes underlying the phenomenon, to test theoretical models, and to scale up from local observations to global patterns. Therefore, it is essential that these exponents be estimated accurately. Unfortunately, the binning-based methods traditionally utilized in ecology and other disciplines perform quite poorly. Here we discuss more sophisticated methods for fitting these exponents based on cumulative distribution functions and maximum likelihood estimation. We illustrate their superior performance at estimating known …

Effects Of Agricultural Conservation Practices On Fish And Wildlife Volume 2, Stuart R. Gagnon, Joseph R. Makuch, Cassandra Y. Harper

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

This bibliography, in two volumes, is part of a multi-volume set developed by the Water Quality Information Center at the National Agricultural Library in support of the United States Department of Agriculture’s Conservation Effects Assessment Project (CEAP). The bibliography is a guide to recent scientific literature covering effects of agricultural conservation practices on fish and wildlife. The citations listed here provide information on how conservation programs and practices designed to improve fish and wildlife habitat, as well as those intended for other purposes, e.g., water quality improvement, affect various aquatic and terrestrial fauna.

Effects Of Agricultural Conservation Practices On Fish And Wildlife, Stuart R. Gagnon, Joseph R. Makuch, Cassandra Y. Harper

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

This bibliography, in two volumes, is part of a multi-volume set developed by the Water Quality Information Center at the National Agricultural Library in support of the U.S. Department of Agriculture’s Conservation Effects Assessment Project (CEAP). The bibliography is a guide to recent scientific literature covering effects of agricultural conservation practices on fish and wildlife. The citations listed here provide information on how conservation programs and practices designed to improve fish and wildlife habitat, as well as those intended for other purposes, e.g., water quality improvement, affect various aquatic and terrestrial fauna.

Differences In Ostracoda (Crustacea) Assemblages Between Two Maar Lakes And One Sinkhole Lake In The Konya Region Of Turkey, Derya Akdemi̇r

Turkish Journal of Zoology

For this study, ostracod samples collected from a total of 9 stations in 2 maar lakes (Acı and Meke) and 1 sinkhole lake (Meyil) in Konya, Turkey were investigated. Accordingly, 14 ostracod taxa (Darwinula stevensoni, Candona angulata, Candona sp. 1, Candona sp. 2, Pseudocandona marchica, Cypria sp., Ilyocypris gibba, I. bradyi, I. monstrifica, Heterocypris salina, Potamocypris sp., Limnocythere sp., Paralimnocythere sp., and Cythereis sp.) belonging to 10 genera were identified. Among them, only 2 species (I. bradyi and P. marchica) were collected alive, while the others were found in sub-fossil form, and some shells of D. stevensoni were found containing …

Ecological Genomics: Understanding Gene And Genome Function In The Natural Environment, M. C. Ungerer, L. C. Johnson, M. A. Herman

School of Biological Sciences: Faculty Publications

The field of ecological genomics seeks to understand the genetic mechanisms underlying responses of organisms to their natural environments. This is being achieved through the application of functional genomic approaches to identify and characterize genes with ecological and evolutionary relevance. By its very nature, ecological genomics is an interdisciplinary field. In this review, we consider the significance of this new area of study from both an ecological and genomic perspective using examples from the recent literature. We submit that by considering more fully an ecological context, researchers may gain additional insights into the underlying genetic basis of ecologically relevant phenotypic …

Drought Traits Of Eucalyptus Gomphocephala In Yalgorup National Park, Paul L. Drake

Theses: Doctorates and Masters

Isohydric and anisohydric regulation of plant water status has been observed over several decades of field, glasshouse and laboratory studies, yet the functional significance and mechanism of both remain obscure. W e studied the seasonal trends in plant water status and hydraulic properties in a natural stand of Eucalyptus gomphocephala through cycles of varying environmental moisture (rainfall, groundwater depth, evaporative demand ) in order to test for isohydry and to provide physiological information for the mechanistic interpretation of seasonal trends in plant water status. Over a 16-month period of monitoring, spanning two summers, midday leaf water potential correlated with pre-dawn …

Ptenoglossa Species (Mollusca: Gastropoda) Distributed Along The Turkish Coast Of The Aegean Sea, Bi̇lal Öztürk, Alper Doğan, Banu Bi̇tli̇s, Mesut Önen

Turkish Journal of Zoology

This study was performed to determine Ptenoglossa species (Mollusca, Gastropoda) distributed along the Turkish coastline of the Aegean Sea. The examination of samples, taken between 1995 and 2005 from various biotopes and depths up to 300 m, yielded 249 specimens and 130 shells, belonging to 33 ptenoglossate species, of which Monophorus thiriotae Bouchet 1984, Similiphora similior (Bouchet and Guillemot 1978), Cerithiopsis diadema Monterosato 1874, Cerithiopsis jeffreysi Watson 1885, Krachia tiara (Monterosato 1874), Punctiscala cerigothana (Sturani 1896), Melanella boscii (Payraudeau 1826), and Nanobalcis nana (Monterosato 1878) were unrecorded from the Turkish coasts. Furthermore, M. thiriotae and K. tiara are new reports …

Phylogeny And Biogeography Of Endemic Festuca (Poaceae) From New Zealand Based On Nuclear (Its) And Chloroplast (Trnl–Trnf) Nucleotide Sequences, Kelvin M. Lloyd, Angela M. Hunter, David A. Orlovich, Suzanne J. Draffin, Alan V. Stewart, William G. Lee

Aliso: A Journal of Systematic and Floristic Botany

We investigated the phylogenetic relationships of the endemic New Zealand (NZ) species of Festuca (Poaceae, Pooideae) by assessing sequence variation from the nuclear internal transcribed spacers (ITS) and a chloroplast intergenic spacer (trnL–trnF) and by measuring DNA content using flow cytometry. The ITS and trnL–trnF data sets were congruent in showing that the NZ species of Festuca have two origins. One group, containing F. coxii, F. luciarum, F. multinodis, and F. ultramafica, is closely related to Festuca sect. Aulaxyper. The other group includes a clade of five endemic …

Implications Of Introduced Mule Deer On Santa Catalina Island, California : Their Impacts, Population Ecology, And Management, Thad A. Manuwal

Theses and Dissertations

A small group of mule deer were introduced to Santa Catalina Island in the early
1930s. The mule deer population increased through the 1940s and 1950s and remains widespread and abundant today. Large browsing ungulates are not native to Santa Catalina Island and there is concern that nonnative mule deer are damaging endemic trees and shrubs on the island when foraging. This study was designed to develop quantitative information on diets, foraging behavior, movements, and population biology of mule deer on Catalina Island.

Diet analysis indicated mule deer are consuming a wide variety of native and
endemic plants found on …

Feeding Performance In Hawaiian Stream Goby Fishes: Morphological And Functional Analysis, Takashi Maie

All Theses

Distributions of Hawaiian stream fishes are typically interrupted by waterfalls that divide streams into lower and upper segments. Larvae hatched upstream are flushed into the ocean, and must climb these waterfalls to reach adult habitats when returning back to freshwater as part of an amphidromous life cycle. Stream surveys and studies of climbing performance show that Lentipes concolor can reach fast-flowing upper stream segments, but that Awaous guamensis reaches only slower, lower stream segments. Gut content analyses for these two species indicate that diet differs between them only by 10% or less dry weight for most major components (mostly green …

Historical Evolution And Future Of Natural Resources Law And Policy: The Beginning Of An Argument And Some Modest Predictions, Sally K. Fairfax, Helen Ingram, Leigh Raymond

The Future of Natural Resources Law and Policy (Summer Conference, June 6-8)

8 pages.

Includes bibliographical references

"Sally Fairfax, UC-Berkeley, Helen Ingram, UC-Irvine, and Leigh Raymond, Purdue University" -- Agenda

Private Rights And Collective Governance: A Functional Approach To Natural Resources Law, Eric T. Freyfogle

The Future of Natural Resources Law and Policy (Summer Conference, June 6-8)

4 pages.

"Eric T. Freyfogle, Max L. Rowe Professor of Law, University of Illinois College of Law"

Parasites Alter Community Structure, Chelsea L. Wood, James E. Byers, Kathryn L. Cottingham, Irit Altman

Dartmouth Scholarship

Parasites often play an important role in modifying the physiology and behavior of their hosts and may, consequently, mediate the influence hosts have on other components of an ecological community. Along the northern Atlantic coast of North America, the dominant herbivorous snail Littorina littorea structures rocky intertidal communities through strong grazing pressure and is frequently parasitized by the digenean trematode Cryptocotyle lingua. We hypothesized that the effects of parasitism on host physiology would induce behavioral changes in L. littorea, which in turn would modulate L. littorea's influence on intertidal community composition. Specifically, we hypothesized that C. lingua …

Importance Of Early Successional Forest For Wildlife In Southern New England, Amy Wynia

Senior Honors Projects

Many bird species that require early successional forest are declining in the Northeast U.S. because such habitat is relatively rare and when they inhabit the more common mature forests or suburban areas they are less successful. Early successional forest is maintained by regular disturbance (wind, fire, clear-cutting, and flooding) which has been happening less frequently during the past 50 years. Bird species that have declined during this time and which inhabit early successional forest include ruffed grouse (Bonasa umbellus), blue jay (Cyanocitta cristata), chestnut-sided warbler (Dendroica pensylvanica), gray catbird (Dumetella carolinensis), field sparrow (Spizella pusilla), golden-winged warbler (Vermivora chrysoptera), eastern …

Fresh Water Ecology Unit For Secondary Education Science Courses, Eric L. Hyer

Theses and Dissertations

Science means “to know", a process for gaining knowledge and an understanding of the natural world. Students need to be involved in active learning. In other words, they must do science, not just hear about it. Good science encourages students to gain knowledge by doing science: observing, questioning, exploring, making and testing hypotheses, comparing predictions, evaluating data, and communicating conclusions. This unit plan is designed to incorporate the components of fresh water, ecology, water quality, and a class-wide science project. Each lesson addresses selected standards from the state core curriculum and has specific objectives that are tied to the learning …

Preserving The Chesapeake: Law, Ecology, And The Bay, Hon. Gerald L. Baliles

University of Richmond Law Review

No abstract provided.

Ecology And Morphological Comparison Between Rough Greensnakes (Opheodrys A. Aestivus) And Eastern Smooth Greensnakes (Opheodrys V. Vernalis) In West Virginia, Timothy Earl Baldwin

Theses, Dissertations and Capstones

Since 1971, documented Rough Greensnake (Opheodrys aestivus) occurrences in West Virginia have declined from approximately 100 to less than 20 occurrences in the last 10 years. In contrast to the decline of Rough Greensnakes in WV, Smooth Greensnake (O. vernalis) populations appear to be stable over the same period of time. Historic sites from the West Virginia Biological Survey were cross referenced with habitat descriptions in published literature to establish research locations. One hundred nineteen Rough and Smooth Greensnakes were measured for snout-vent length and total body length, and of these, 78 were measured in detail for external head morphology …

Population Responses Of Wood Frog (Rana Sylvatica) Tadpoles To Overwintered Bullfrog (Rana Catesbeiana) Tadpoles, Leroy J. Walston, Stephen J. Mullin

Faculty Publications

A fundamental goal in ecology is to understand how environmental variation influences the distribution of individuals within a population. In this study, we used laboratory experiments to examine the population responses of sympatric Wood Frog (Rana sylvatica) tadpoles to native overwintered Bullfrog (Rana catesbeiana) tadpoles. For periods of up to two weeks, we measured growth, activity, and refuge use of Wood Frog tadpoles in small mesocosms with and without an overwintered Bullfrog tadpole present. Bullfrog tadpoles had a negative effect on the growth of Wood Frog tadpoles allotopic (naive) to Bullfrogs, whereas the presence of Bullfrogs had no effect on …

Selection For Salt Tolerance In Tidal Freshwater Swamp Species: Advances Using Bald Cypress As A Model For Restoration (Chapter 14), David Creech

Faculty Publications

No abstract provided.

Contributions To The Chiroptera Of Mongolia With First Evidences On Species Communities And Ecological Niches, Dietrich Dolch, Nyamsuren Batsaikhan, Klaus Thiele, Frank Burger, Ingo Scheffler, Andreas Kiefer, Frieder Mayer, Ravčigijn Samjaa, Annegret Stubbe, Michael Stubbe, Leonard Krall, Dirk Steinhauser

Erforschung biologischer Ressourcen der Mongolei / Exploration into the Biological Resources of Mongolia, ISSN 0440-1298

In this paper are presented the accounts of 13 identified bat species from a total of 628 captured specimens from 32 locations in Mongolia during three field expeditions. These species accounts include taxonomical, morphological, and ecological data resulting from observations and further analyses. As a result of this work the distribution of some bat species in Mongolia can be drawn in more detail. For instance, Vespertilio murinus is much wider distributed and abundant than the former records indicate. The Plecotus species were clearly identified by genetic analyses combined with morphological characteristics. Moreover, the second record for Eptesicus serotinus and the …

Gunnison Sage-Grouse Winter And Summer Ecology In San Juan County, Utah, Sharon Ward

All Current Publications

Thesis Report: Gunnison sage-grouse winter and summer ecology in San Juan County.

Schweinitz’S Sunflower Helianthus Schweinitzii Torrey And Gray, (Asterales: Asteraceae) In Upper Piedmont South Carolina, Steven E. Fields

Journal of the South Carolina Academy of Science

No abstract provided.

Chemical Ecology, Fungal Interactions And Forest Stand Correlations Of The Exotic Asian Ambrosia Beetle, Xylosandrus Crassiusculus (Motschulsky) (Curculionidae), Eric Paul Ott

LSU Master's Theses

Increasing evidence of non-indigenous ambrosia beetles aggressively attacking hosts in their new environment in the United States has led to concern over the potential for damage to urban trees, nurseries, orchards, and forests. A novel technique of flooding host trees was devised to stimulate ambrosia beetle attacks, with ambrosia beetle attraction peaking four days following flooding. In-situ sampling identified significant differences in the composition, quantity and point of release (leaf or bole) of volatiles emitted by the flooded and non-flooded trees. Coupled gas chromatography electroantennographic detection revealed olfactory sensitivity by the ambrosia beetle Xylosandrus crassiusculus (Motschulsky) to 29 of these …

Spatial And Temporal Patterns Of Anadromous Fish Passage At Boshers Dam Vertical Slot Fishway On The James River, Richmond, Virginia, Matthew Thomas Fisher

Theses and Dissertations

Boshers dam vertical slot fishway, James River, Virginia, U.S.A., opened in 1999 and restored connectivity to 543.3 km of spawning habitat for anadromous fish. The fishway also allowed local movement of resident species. Video observation from 2001-2005 was used to evaluate environmental predictors of American shad (Alosa sapidissima) and sea lamprey (Petromyzon marinus) passage. The ecological effects of restoring connectivity to upstream habitat for gizzard shad (Dorosoma cepedianum) and blue catfish (Ictalurus furcatus) are also discussed. Regression analysis determined that the best predictor of increased daytime American shad passage is higher water temperatures and discharge and for increased daytime sea …

Ecology, Biodiversity, Management, And Restoration Of Aspen In The Sierra Nevada, Wayne D. Shepperd, Paul C. Rogers, David Burton, Dale L. Bartos

Aspen Bibliography

This report was commissioned by the USDA Forest Service Lake Tahoe Basin Management Unit to synthesize existing information on the ecology and management of aspen (Populus tremuloides) in the Sierra Nevada of California and surrounding environs. It summarizes available information on aspen throughout North America from published literature, internal government agency reports, and experienced scientists and managers. The historic distribution, abundance, and ecologic role of aspen in the Sierra Nevada are discussed, along with the reproductive physiology of aspen. Issues that affect aspen health and vigor in the Sierra Nevada and elsewhere are covered, along with methodology for …

Ecological Investigations Of Chukars In Western Utah, Randy T. Larsen

Theses and Dissertations

This thesis presents three separate manuscripts in chapter format dealing with the ecology of Chukars (Alectoris chukar) in western North America. All three manuscripts have been formatted for publication in professional journals. Chapter one confirms discovery of ingested lead pellets in Chukars across a broad region of western Utah including all four western counties sampled. Prevalence rates were 1.9% (n=105) for crops and 10.7% (n=75) of gizzards showing no evidence of penetration wounds. Ingestion is likely related to grit size preferences that are consistent with common shot sizes. The second chapter describes watering patterns and water-site selection of Chukars. Chukars …

Coexistence Of The Niche And Neutral Perspectives In Community Ecology, Mathew A. Leibold, Mark A. Mcpeek

Dartmouth Scholarship

The neutral theory for community structure and biodiversity is dependent on the assumption that species are equivalent to each other in all important ecological respects. We explore what this concept of equivalence means in ecological communities, how such species may arise evolutionarily, and how the possibility of ecological equivalents relates to previous ideas about niche differentiation. We also show that the co-occurrence of ecologically similar or equivalent species is not incompatible with niche theory as has been supposed, because niche relations can sometimes favor coexistence of similar species. We argue that both evolutionary and ecological processes operate to promote the …

Comparative Pollen Foraging Of Africanized And European Honeybees In A Non-Agricultural Environment, Ruben Ruiz

Theses and Dissertations - UTB/UTPA

With the advent of the Africanized honeybee, ways to differentiate it from the European honeybee have been greatly sought in attempts to better understand the role of Africanized bees in pollination. Pollen collecting strategies for both honeybee subspecies have been explored in attempts to exploit their pollinating capabilities. This project examined pollen collected by honeybees from feral and managed European and Africanized colonies in a relatively isolated site. Paired European and Africanized honeybee colonies were used to obtain pollen foragers. Through acetolysis (series acidified Acetic Anhydride washings); the collected pollen from the individual foragers was treated and observed with light …