Life Sciences Commons^™

Revision Of The High Andean Genus Eremophygus Ohaus (Coleoptera: Scarabaeidae: Rutelinae: Rutelini), José Mondaca

Insecta Mundi

The genus Eremophygus Ohaus, 1910 (Coleoptera: Scarabaeidae: Rutelinae: Rutelini), endemic to the Andean biogeographic region, is revised and now includes two altiplanic species: Eremophygus lasiocali­nus Ohaus, 1915 and Eremophygus philippii Ohaus, 1910. A redescription of the genus and included species, diagnoses, distribution records, and a key to species are provided. Additionally, photographs of the type specimens are included. Based on examination of type specimens of all species-group names, Eremophy­gus bicolor (Gutiérrez, 1951) and Eremophygus pachyloides Ohaus, 1925 are new synonyms of Eremophygus lasiocalinus, while Eremophygus leo Gutiérrez, 1951 is a new synonym of Eremophygus philippii. Lectotypes are designated …

Long-Lasting Impairments In Quadriceps Mitochondrial Health, Muscle Size, And Phenotypic Composition Are Present After Non-Invasive Anterior Cruciate Ligament Injury, Steven M. Davi, Ahram Ahn, Mckenzie S. White, Timothy A. Butterfield, Kate Kosmac, Oh Sung Kwon, Lindsey K. Lepley

Center for Muscle Biology Faculty Publications

Introduction: Despite rigorous rehabilitation aimed at restoring muscle health, anterior cruciate ligament (ACL) injury is often hallmarked by significant long-term quadriceps muscle weakness. Derangements in mitochondrial function are a common feature of various atrophying conditions, yet it is unclear to what extent mitochondria are involved in the detrimental sequela of quadriceps dysfunction after ACL injury. Using a preclinical, non-invasive ACL injury rodent model, our objective was to explore the direct effect of an isolated ACL injury on mitochondrial function, muscle atrophy, and muscle phenotypic transitions.

Methods: A total of 40 male and female, Long Evans rats (16-week-old) were exposed to …

Bottom-Up Drivers Of Future Fire Regimes In Western Boreal North America, Adrianna C. Foster, Jacquelyn K. Shuman, Brendan M. Rogers, Xanthe J. Walker, Michelle C. Mack, Laura L. Bourgeau-Chavez, Sander Veraverbeke, Scott J. Goetz

Aspen Bibliography

Forest characteristics, structure, and dynamics within the North American boreal region are heavily influenced by wildfire intensity, severity, and frequency. Increasing temperatures are likely to result in drier conditions and longer fire seasons, potentially leading to more intense and frequent fires. However, an increase in deciduous forest cover is also predicted across the region, potentially decreasing flammability. In this study, we use an individual tree-based forest model to test bottom-up (i.e. fuels) vs top-down (i.e. climate) controls on fire activity and project future forest and wildfire dynamics. The University of Virginia Forest Model Enhanced is an individual tree-based forest model …

Evaluation Of A Direct Fed Microbial And/Or An Enzymatically Hydrolyzed Yeast Product In Diets Containing Monensin Sodium On Feedlot Phase Growth Performance, Efficiency Of Dietary Net Energy Utilization, And Carcass Characteristics In Newly Weaned Beef Steers Fed In Confinement For 258 Days, Erin Gubbels, Forest Francis, Thomas G. Hamilton, Jason Griffin, Warren Rusche, Tom Rehberger, Elliot Block, Zachary K. F. Smith

SDSU Beef Day 2022 Summary Publication

Study Description:

Single-sourced, newly weaned steers (n = 256; initial body weight (BW) = 542 ± 3.7 lb) were allotted to 32 pens (n = 8 pens/treatment with 8 steers/pen). Steers were blocked by location in a 2x2 factorial treatment arrangement of DFM (Certillus CP B1801 Dry; Bacillus subtilis, Lactobacillus plantarum; 28 g/steer·d-1) and YCW (Celmanax; 18 g/steer·d-1). Steers were vaccinated and poured at processing and individually weighed on d 1, 14, 42 (end of receiving phase; implanted), 77, 105 (end of growing phase), 133, 161 (implanted), 182, 230 (start ractopamine HCl) and 258. Growth performance and carcass measurements were …

Maternal Choline Supplementation And High-Fat Feeding Interact To Influence Dna Methylation In Offspring In A Time-Specific Manner, Hunter W. Korsmo, Bhoomi Dave, Steven E. Trasino, Anjana Saxena, Jia Liu, Jorge Matias Caviglia, Kaydine Edwards, Moshe Dembitzer, Shameera Sheeraz, Sarah Khaldi, Xinyin Jiang

Advanced Science Research Center

Maternal methyl donor supplementation during pregnancy has demonstrated lasting influence on offspring DNA methylation. However, it is unknown whether an adverse postnatal environment, such as high-fat (HF) feeding, overrides the influence of prenatal methyl donor supplementation on offspring epigenome. In this study, we examined whether maternal supplementation of choline (CS), a methyl donor, interacts with prenatal and postnatal HF feeding to alter global and site-specific DNA methylation in offspring. We fed wild-type C57BL/6J mouse dams a HF diet with or without CS throughout gestation. After weaning, the offspring were exposed to HF feeding for 6 weeks resembling a continued obesogenic …

Snp-Based Breeding For Broiler Resistance To Ascites And Evaluation Of Correlated Production Traits, Katie Pepper Lee, Nicholas B. Anthony, Sara K. Orlowski, Douglas D. Rhoads

Biological Sciences Faculty Publications and Presentations

Background

The goal of this study was to evaluate marker-assisted selection (MAS) in broiler chickens using previously mapped gene regions associated with ascites syndrome incidence. The second-generation MAS products were assessed for impact on ascites phenotype and whether there were associated changes in important production traits. Previously, we used whole genome resequencing (WGR) to fine-map 28 chromosomal regions as associated with ascites phenotype in our experimental ascites broiler line (Relaxed, REL) based on a hypobaric chamber challenge. Genotypes for single nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs) in mapped regions on chromosomes 2 and 22, were used for MAS in our REL line. After …

Modeling Symbiotic Biological Nitrogen Fixation In Grain Legumes Globally With Lpj-Guess (V4.0, R10285), Jianyong Ma, Stefan Olin, Peter Anthoni, Sam S. Rabin, Anita D. Bayer, Sylvia S. Nyawira, Almut Arneth

All Peer-Reviewed Publications

Biological nitrogen fixation (BNF) from grain legumes is of significant importance in global agricultural ecosystems. Crops with BNF capability are expected to support the need to increase food production while reducing nitrogen (N) fertilizer input for agricultural sustainability, but quantification of N fixing rates and BNF crop yields remains inadequate on a global scale. Here we incorporate two legume crops (soybean and faba bean) with BNF into a dynamic vegetation model LPJ-GUESS (Lund–Potsdam–Jena General Ecosystem Simulator). The performance of this new implementation is evaluated against observations from a range of water and N management trials. LPJ-GUESS generally captures the observed …

Notas Sobre Ectinogonia Chalyboeiventris Chalyboeiventris Germain Y Kerremans Y E. Chalyboeiventris Wagenknechti Cobos, Con Descripción De Dos Nuevas Especies De Ectinogonia Spinola (Coleoptera: Buprestidae) Del Norte De Chile, Cristian Pineda, José Mondaca

Insecta Mundi

La distribución geográfica y las características morfológicas de Ectinogonia chalyboeiventris chalyboeiventris Germain y Kerremans, 1906 y E. chalyboeiventris wagenknechti Cobos, 1954 (Coleoptera: Buprestidae) fueron identificadas a partir del estudio de parte de sus ejemplares tipo. Como resultado de la comparación de estos taxones con ejemplares de Ectinogonia Spinola recolectados en las provincias de Elqui y Choapa (Región de Coquimbo), se reconocen y describen dos nuevas especies del norte de Chile: E. gem­mula Pineda y Mondaca, nueva especie y E. interruptissima Pineda y Mondaca, nueva especie. Se presentan caracteres diagnósticos, fotografías de los adultos y de los órganos genitales del …

Culicoides Latreille And Leptoconops Skuse Biting Midges Of The Southwestern United States With Emphasis On The Canyonlands Of Southeastern Utah (Diptera: Ceratopogonidae), Robert A. Phillips

Insecta Mundi

Leptoconops Skuse and Culicoides Latreille (Diptera: Ceratopogonidae) biting midges are serious pests of mammals, birds, and reptiles and important vectors of viruses, protozoans, and filarial nematodes. Their collection became an important adjunct to mosquito surveillance using light-baited and CO2-baited suction traps in Grand County, Utah, United States, during 1999–2016. During 2017–2020, collecting was expanded to California, Nevada, Idaho, Wyoming, Colorado, Arizona, New Mexico, and other parts of Utah using an ultraviolet light suction trap. As a result, five species of Leptoconops and 59 species of Culicoides, representing Leptoconops subgenera Holoconops Kieffer and Leptoconops Skuse, Culicoides subgenera Amoss­ovia Glukhova, Beltranmyia …

Forage Systems To Optimize Agronomic And Economic Performance In Organic Dairy Systems, S. Ray Smith, G. Pighetti, D. M. Butler, Kenneth H. Burdine, Krista Lea, K. Mercier, K. Payne, J. Allison, Gary E. Bates, N. Colton, A. Rius, P. Krawczel, E. Eckelkamp

IGC Proceedings (1977-2023)

Organic dairy production in the USA is growing, but most forage systems research focuses on conventional production practices. As a result, organic dairy producers have limited science-based information to assist with farm and livestock management. The objective of this project was to use a multi-faceted approach to determine the ideal species mixtures for organic dairy production as well as document forage quality, forage yield, soil characteristics, milk production and milk quality during the grazing season. The forages studied ranged from a single species monoculture to a four species mixture of warm and cool season grasses and legumes. Nine distinct forage …

Fodder Crop Adoption Through Push-Pull Technology (Ppt) For Fall Armyworm (Faw) Control In Cereals Cropping Systems, Michael N. Njunie, E. N. Muthiani, A. Mzingirwa, N. F. Pole, B. M. Muli, A. O. Esilaba

IGC Proceedings (1977-2023)

There is an urgent need to increase grain yields and animal products due to increasing human population in Africa. Push-pull technology (PPT) is a conservation agriculture intercrop technology which protects and enhances natural resources productivity and ecosystem services in mixed farming systems. The technology involves growing of a cereal crop with a repellent intercrop, Desmodium genus (silverleaf, D. uncinatum and greenleaf, D. intortum) with grass such as Pennisetum purpureum or Brachiaria spp. planted as a border around the cereal-legume intercrop. The plants accompanying the cereal crop are typically valuable high quality fodder thus integrating crop-livestock production. The PPT was …

Evaluation Of The Chemical And Biological Characteristics Of Sake Lees, S. Katsumata, S. Yamanaka, M. Yamauchi, H. Hirooka, H. Kumagai

IGC Proceedings (1977-2023)

Sake lees (SLs), produced from brewing Japanese Sake and known to be rich in yeast, is expected to be an alternative of feed protein sources for ruminants. Previous studies showed that yeast improved the digestibility of fibers in ruminants. However, the nutrient composition and the numbers of live and dead yeast in the SLs, have large diversity because of the different brewing materials and processes. The objective of this study was to evaluate the chemical and biological characteristics of SLs with diverse brewing processes and storing periods (0-23 weeks). Seven types of SLs (SLs 1-7) were collected from two breweries. …

Effect Of High-Intensity, Short-Duration Grazing On Species Density And Botanical Composition Of Arid Rangelands, Mounir Louhaichi, Mouldi Gamoun, Fethi Gouhis, Ezzeddine Belfekih, Mohamed Abdelkader

IGC Proceedings (1977-2023)

Rangelands are the mainstay of pastoral and agropastoral livelihoods worldwide. They have provided forage for livestock and wildlife for centuries, but steady degradation of rangelands is causing increasing concern. Many rangeland managers believe exclusion of livestock grazing for extended periods would allow degraded rangelands to recover. The purpose of this current ongoing research is to evaluate the effect of high-intensity short-duration grazing on plant density, species richness and botanical composition on arid rangelands during favorable years. The site, which is protected for two years in southern Tunisia and covers an area of 6 ha, was grazed by a flock of …

Economics Of Greenhouse Gas Mitigation Strategies In A North-Eastern Brazilian Beef Production System, K. Agethen, Rogerio M. Mauricio, C. Deblitz

IGC Proceedings (1977-2023)

The state of Maranhão, Brazil, has been among the country’s fastest-growing cattle regions in recent years and it now faces important conflicts for beef production. Pasture degradation, low cattle productivity, and land-use changes due to agriculture and forestry expansion are key challenges. Additionally, beef production systems are a focus for emissions reduction, particularly in the context of increasing deforestation and its impact on global warming. A sustainable intensification of currently used pastures, enhancing economic viability and reducing environmental effects of beef production can help to mitigate the climate impact. Since economics is an important incentive in the decision-making processes of …

Muscle Activity And User-Perceived Exertion During Immersive Virtual Reality Exergaming Incorporating An Adaptive Cable Resistance System, David Gomez, Jonathan D. Browne, Abdulrahman Almalouhi, Max Abundex, Jonathan Hu, Sally Nason, Nicholas Kull, Cade Mills, Quincy Harris, Richard Ku, Eric V. Neufeld, Brett A. Dolezal

International Journal of Exercise Science

International Journal of Exercise Science 15(7): 261-275, 2022. The purpose of this exploratory study was to characterize muscle activation via surface electromyography (sEMG), user-perceived exertion, and enjoyment during a 30-minute session of immersive virtual reality (IVR) cable resistance exergaming. Ten healthy, college-aged males completed a signature 30-minute exergaming session using an IVR adaptive cable resistance system that incorporated six traditional compound exercises. Muscle activation (sEMG) was captured during the session with a wearable sEMG system. Rated of Perceived Exertion (RPE) and Physical Activity Enjoyment Scale (PACES) were recorded following the session. Pectoralis major showed the highest activation during chest press, …

Evaluation Of A Direct Fed Microbial An An Enzymatically Hydrolyzed Yeast Product Fed Alone Or In Combination To Beef Steers Administered Ractopamine Hydrochloride 28 Days Prior To Harvest During Summer Months In The Northern Plains, Erin Gubbels, Forest Francis, Thomas G. Hamilton, Jason Griffin, Warren Rusche, Tom Rehberger, Elliot Block, Zachary K. F. Smith

SDSU Beef Day 2022 Summary Publication

Study Description:

Single-sourced, newly weaned steers (n=256; initial BW=542 ± 3.7lb; n=64 steers/treatment; 8 steers/pen) were blocked by location in a 2×2 factorial arrangement of DFM (Certillus CP B1801 Dry; Bacillus subtilis, Lactobacillus plantarum; 28 g/steer·d-1) and YCW (Celmanax; 18 g/steer·d-1). Temperature-humidity index (THI) was calculated as: THI=0.81×ambient temperature+[relative humidity×(ambient temperature-14.40)]+46.40. On d-1 and 2 and d-21 and 22 on RH, respiration rate (RR) and panting scores (PS) were determined before and after AM and PM feedings (0700h, 1100h, 1400h, 1700h). RR (n=3 steers/pen) was calculated from: 600/seconds required for 10 flank movements. PS utilized this scoring system: 0 (not …

Annette Derouin – Covid 19 Oral History Project, Annette Derouin, Institute Of Child Nutrition. Child Nutrition Archives.

Oral History Project (all interviews)

During 2022 the Child Nutrition Archives conducted multiple interviews investigating how child nutrition professionals dealt with the Covid 19 pandemic and its effects on the operations of school feeding programs. This interview examines the experiences of Annette Hendrickx Derouin, who is the Director of Food and Nutrition Services for Willmar, New London-Spicer, Montevideo and Community Christian Schools in Minnesota. These four districts offer the Child Nutrition Programs to the fullest extent possible. Annette has worked in School Nutrition for over 25 years. She is a Registered Dietitian and has her Master’s Degree in Health and Nutrition Administration. She holds the …

Form Of Supplemental Selenium Affects The Expression Of Mrna Transcripts Encoding Selenoproteins, And Proteins Regulating Cholesterol Uptake, In The Corpus Luteum Of Grazing Beef Cows, Sarah N. Carr, Benjamin R. Crites, Joy L. Pate, Camilla H. K. Hughes, James C. Matthews, Phillip J. Bridges

Animal and Food Sciences Faculty Publications

Selenium (Se)-deficient soils necessitate supplementation of this mineral to the diet of forage-grazing cattle. Functionally, Se is incorporated into selenoproteins, some of which function as important antioxidants. We have previously shown that the source of supplemental Se; inorganic (sodium selenite or sodium selenate; ISe), organic (selenomethionine or selenocysteine; OSe) or 1:1 mix of ISe and OSe (MIX), provided to Angus-cross cows affects concentrations of progesterone (P4) during the early luteal phase of the estrous cycle. In this study, we sought to investigate (1) the effect of form of Se on the expression of mRNA encoding selenoproteins in the corpus luteum …

The Coxsackievirus And Adenovirus Receptor Has A Short Half-Life In Epithelial Cells, Poornima Kotha Lakshmi Narayan, James M. Readler, Mahmoud S. Alghamri, Trisha L. Brockman, Ray Yan, Priyanka Sharma, Vladislav Snitsarev, Katherine J.D.A Excoffon, Abimbola O. Kolawole

Department of Biology Faculty Scholarship and Creative Works

The coxsackievirus and adenovirus receptor (CAR) is an essential cellular protein that is involved in cell adhesion, cell signaling, and viral infection. The 8-exon encoded isoform (CAREx8) resides at the apical surface of polarized epithelia, where it is accessible as a receptor for adenovirus entering the airway lumen. Given its pivotal role in viral infection, it is a target for antiviral strategies. To understand the regulation of CAREx8 and determine the feasibility of receptor down regulation, the half-life of total and apical localized CAREx8 was determined and correlated with adenovirus transduction. Total and apical CAREx8 has a relatively short half-life …

Form Of Supplemental Selenium Affects The Expression Of Mrna Transcripts Encoding Selenoproteins, And Proteins Regulating Cholesterol Uptake, In The Corpus Luteum Of Grazing Beef Cows, Sarah Carr, Benjamin R. Crites, Joy Pate, Camilla Hughes, James C. Matthews, Phillip J. Bridges

Animal and Food Sciences Graduate Research

Selenium (Se)-deficient soils necessitate supplementation of this mineral to the diet of forage-grazing cattle. Functionally, Se is incorporated into selenoproteins, some of which function as important antioxidants. We have previously shown that the source of supplemental Se; inorganic (sodium selenite or sodium selenate; ISe), organic (selenomethionine or selenocysteine; OSe) or 1:1 mix of ISe and OSe (MIX), provided to Angus-cross cows affects concentrations of progesterone (P4) during the early luteal phase of the estrous cycle. In this study, we sought to investigate (1) the effect of form of Se on the expression of mRNA encoding selenoproteins in the corpus luteum …

Variation In American Bison (Bison Bison) Ecological Functionality Across Management Sectors: Implications For Conducting Conservation Assessments, Luke Rollie Rogers

Biology Theses, Dissertations, and Student Creative Activity

The American bison (Bison bison subspp.), once on the verge of extinction, now number in the hundreds of thousands. Despite an understanding of their numerical recovery, a comprehensive survey of bison herds and how their management varies between sectors has never been completed, and neither has a critical evaluation of the level of ecological recovery of the species. I surveyed bison managers from all major sectors, collecting extensive information about each bison situation. I identified significant proportional differences between management sectors among my survey questions using Freeman-Halton-Fisher exact tests of independence. I visualized and grouped individual herds based on their …

Measurement Of Binding Affinity And Receptor Activation Of A Novel Curcumin Analog, Cis-Trans Curcumin, At Adenosine Receptors A1, A2a, A2b, And A3, Luke James Hamilton

Biology Theses, Dissertations, and Student Creative Activity

Vanilloid phytochemicals (VPs), which contain the 4-hydroxy-3-methoxybenzyl group, have consistently been shown to alleviate pain. All four of the adenosine receptor (AR) subtypes mediate pain and have been targeted by pharmacologists to generate new therapeutics for pain. However, despite the fact that both VPs and ARs are connected to pain relief, only a few studies have described the interaction between VPs and ARs. Furthermore, the few studies that have been done have all been performed in vivo, with no assessment of binding affinity and receptor activation in vitro. In this study, photochemical methods were used to generate a novel isomer …

Effects Of Antimicrobial Addition On Lipid Oxidation Of Rendered Chicken Fat, Janak Dhakal, Dalton Holt, Charles G. Aldrich, Carl Knueven

Department of Food Science and Technology: Faculty Publications

This study evaluated the effects of antimicrobial acidulant addition on lipid oxidation of rendered chicken fat. Chicken fat was untreated (control) or treated with either sodium bisulfate (SBS) or lactic acid (LA) at 0.5% w/w and incubated for 6 wk at 40 °C. Peroxide value (PV), p-anisidine value (AV), and free fatty acid (FFA) levels were measured at days 0 (D0), 1(D1), 3 (D3), 5 (D5), and 7 (D7), and weeks 2 (W2), 3 (W3), 4 (W4), 5 (W5), and 6 (W6). The FFA level of untreated-control fat was ~7% and remained consistent throughout the incubation until W6 (~8.5%; P …

Implementation Of Epigenetic Variation In Sorghum Selection And Implications For Crop Resilience Breeding, Dikungwa Ketumile, Xiaodong Yang, Robersy Sanchez, Hardik Kundariya, John F. Rajewski, Ismail M. Dweikat, Sally A. Mackenzie

Department of Agronomy and Horticulture: Faculty Publications

Crop resilience and yield stability are complex traits essential for food security. Sorghum bicolor is an important grain crop that shows promise for its natural resilience to drought and potential for marginal land production. We have developed sorghum lines in the Tx430 genetic background suppressed for MSH1 expression as a means of inducing de novo epigenetic variation, and have used these materials to evaluate changes in plant growth vigor. Plant crossing and selection in two distinct environments revealed features of phenotypic plasticity derived from MSH1 manipulation. Introduction of an epigenetic variation to an isogenic sorghum population, in the absence of …

Three Essays On Climate Smart Agriculture And Multidimensional Poverty In Uganda, Sarah Kagoya

LSU Doctoral Dissertations

Agriculture is the backbone of the Ugandan economy. It contributes about 23.1% to the gross domestic product and employs approximately 72% of the total labor force (World Bank, 2021). However, Uganda suffers from low agricultural productivity resulting from pests and diseases, changing climate, deteriorating natural resources, and lack of modern factors of production. In addition, land deterioration and fluctuating weather patterns lead to reduced crop productivity and cause food insecurity in the country. Climate-Smart Agriculture (CSA) can help transform the agricultural system and ensure food security in the country.

The dissertation is written in a three-essay format. The first essay …

Transcriptional Coactivators: Driving Force Of Plant Immunity, Muhammad Saad Shoaib Khan, Faisal Islam, Huan Chen, Ming Chang, Daowen Wang, Fengquan Liu, Zhengqing Fu, Jian Chen

Faculty Publications

Salicylic acid (SA) is a plant defense signal that mediates local and systemic immune responses against pathogen invasion. However, the underlying mechanism of SA-mediated defense is very complex due to the involvement of various positive and negative regulators to fine-tune its signaling in diverse pathosystems. Upon pathogen infections, elevated level of SA promotes massive transcriptional reprogramming in which Non-expresser of PR genes 1 (NPR1) acts as a central hub and transcriptional coactivator in defense responses. Recent findings show that Enhanced Disease Susceptibility 1 (EDS1) also functions as a transcriptional coactivator and stimulates the expression of PR1 in the presence of …

Reply To Comment: Controls On Turnover Of Marine Dissolved Organic Matter-Testing The Null Hypothesis Of Purely Concentration-Driven Uptake, Yuan Shen, Ronald Benner

Faculty Publications

Our recent bioassay experiments indicate that molecular properties are a primary control on the microbial utilization of dissolved organic matter in the ocean. This finding is questioned by Lennartz and Dittmar who modeled our experiments and concluded that our observations could be largely explained by concentration-driven uptake independent from molecular properties. We suggest the authors' models are deficient for establishing the relative roles of molecular properties and concentration-driven uptake. Our conclusion is consistent with earlier and recent experimental results and biogeochemical observations, supporting a unified theory with molecular properties as a more prominent control than concentration-driven uptake on marine organic …

Genetic Insights Into The Introduction History Of Black Rats Into The Eastern Indian Ocean, Vicki A A. Thomson, Andrew S. Wiewel, Russell Palmer, Neil Hamilton, Dave Algar, Caitlyn Pink, Harriet Mills, Ken P. Aplin, Geoffrey Clark, Atholl Anderson, Michael B. Herrera, Steven Myers, Terry Bertozzi, Philip J. Piper, Hitoshi Suzuki, Steve Donnellan

Research outputs 2022 to 2026

Islands can be powerful demonstrations of how destructive invasive species can be on endemic faunas and insular ecologies. Oceanic islands in the eastern Indian Ocean have suffered dramatically from the impact of one of the world’s most destructive invasive species, the black rat, causing the loss of endemic terrestrial mammals and ongoing threats to ground-nesting birds. We use molecular genetic methods on both ancient and modern samples to establish the origins and minimum invasion frequencies of black rats on Christmas Island and the Cocos-Keeling Islands. We find that each island group had multiple incursions of black rats from diverse geographic …

Rangeland Degradation In Mongolia – Using State And Transition Models To Help Understand Rangeland Dynamics, S. Sainnemekh, B. Densambuu, B. Bestelmeyer, I. C. Barrio, A. L. Aradóttir

IGC Proceedings (1977-2023)

Rangeland degradation and soil erosion pose constant challenges to the management of natural resources in Mongolia. Large increases in livestock numbers since the early 1990s, together with increasing temperatures and higher frequency of extreme weather events have led to widespread degradation of rangeland resources, to the extent that today, nearly 57% of rangelands in Mongolia are considered degraded to some degree. New ways of understanding the dynamics of rangeland ecosystems and guidelines to conserve healthy and productive rangelands are urgently needed. The application of State and Transition Models (STMs) in ecosystem management has shown promise to understand the mechanistic processes …

An Approach To Evaluate Soils Influence On Floristic Composition Of Natural Grasslands, F. L. F. De Quadros, R. M. R. De Carvalho, R. Farenzena, L. Marin, P. L. Nascimento

IGC Proceedings (1977-2023)

This trial aims to evaluate floristic composition of most abundant species in three soil typical of Pampa biome on Brazil. The survey was held at Maronna Fundation located on southern Alegrete municipality, on Rio Grande do Sul, Brazil’s state. Regional climate belongs to Koeppen’s Cfa class. Soil types were shallow basalt (Psamments e Orthents), deep basalt (Vertisols) and sandy soil (Acrisols or Ultisols). Floristic composition were evaluated by visual ranking of aerial biomass of the major species (transformed to kg of dry matter per hectare), calibrated by cuts at ground level, according to field procedures of BOTANAL method. Grasses were …