Other Animal Sciences Commons^™

The Buzz On Bees, Rebecca Ruiz

Lewis Honors College Capstone Collection

Apis mellifera, more commonly known as the honeybee, plays a pivotal role in the ecosystem and in the survival of the planet. Many do not understand, nor realize, that the honeybee offers a wide array of products and services besides sweet honey. Honeybees have become endangered at a time when their presence is vital and evidence indicates that they can be the means to a more sustainable future for our planet. Particularly focused on in this research are the ideas of honeybees’ essential presence in medical advances, their participation in global economics, and their involvement in the development of …

Evaluating A Primate Sanctuary: Population Assessment Of The Common Squirrel Monkey (Saimiri Sciureus) On Sumak Allpa, Ecuador, Claire Leichter

Independent Study Project (ISP) Collection

The common squirrel monkey (Saimiri sciureus) population on Sumak Allpa was assessed during 33 observation periods between November 5^th and November 24^th of 2012. Sumak Allpa is a 113.15-hectare island on the Napo River in the Orellana Province of Amazonian Ecuador that has been functioning as a primate sanctuary since 2005. Squirrel monkeys were surveyed during 1 to 3 hour observation walks in the mornings, afternoons, and evenings. During two occasions, the island was divided among multiple observers at the same time, including one observer in a canoe on the exterior of the island, to allow …

A Study Of The Eastern Oyster, Crassostrea Virginica, In Tampa Bay: Effects Of Perkinsus Marinus On Reproduction And Condition, Bridgit Melora Mccrickard

USF Tampa Graduate Theses and Dissertations

Abstract

Five sites in Tampa Bay, Florida, were sampled monthly from February 2006 to January 2007. These sites were located at the mouth of the Alafia River, in an inlet of Cross Bayou, on the easement of Gandy Bridge, near mangrove in Manatee County, and an inlet of Salt Creek, off Bayboro Harbor. Standard methods were used to determine shell height and Condition Index (CI). Intensity and prevalence of Perkinsus marinus were analyzed using Ray's Thioglycollate medium test, while Haplosporidium nelsoni was studied by histological examination. Histological methods were also used to determine sex ratios, reproductive phases, and egg diameters. …

Validation Of Pcr-Based Assays And Laboratory Accreditation For Environmental Detection Of Aquatic Invasive Species, Invasive Species Advisory Committee

National Invasive Species Council

This white paper provides:

a) Background information on the use, accuracy and reliability of PCR-based assays such as environmentally sampled DNA (eDNA) for early detection of aquatic invasive species (AIS) and;

b) Recommendations for establishing a system for validating assays and accrediting laboratories that report on the presence or absence of AIS.

This white paper was developed by the members of ISAC and discusses the need for developing validation requirements for Polymerase Chain Reaction (PCR) and other DNA-based molecular assays that are increasingly being used to detect AIS. It does not provide a simplified checklist for evaluation of their ability …

Invasive Species And E-Commerce, Invasive Species Advisory Committee

National Invasive Species Council

ISSUE

Internet commerce (hereafter e-commerce) is a growing and vital part of the United States economy. Total e-commerce sales in the United States for 2011 totaled $194 billion, an increase of 16% over 2010. From 2002 to 2011, the proportion of reported e-commerce sales in the U. S. grew from about 1.4% to 5.5% of total retail sales (United States Census Bureau News 2012). Globally, e-commerce is expected to increase at a rate of 13.5% annually, amounting to $1.4 trillion in yearly sales by 2015 (Enright 2011). A portion of this activity includes the sale and trade of living organisms. …

A Spatially Explicit Agent Based Model Of Muscovy Duck Home Range Behavior, James Howard Anderson

USF Tampa Graduate Theses and Dissertations

ABSTRACT

Research in GIScience has identified agent-based simulation methodologies as effective in the study of complex adaptive spatial systems (CASS). CASS are characterized by the emergent nature of their spatial expressions and by the changing relationships between their constituent variables and how those variables act on the system's spatial expression over time. Here, emergence refers to a CASS property where small-scale, individual action results in macroscopic or system-level patterns over time. This research develops and executes a spatially-explicit agent based model of Muscovy Duck home range behavior. Muscovy duck home range behavior is regarded as a complex adaptive spatial system …

Reproduction And Population Characteristics Of White-Tailed Jackrabbits In South Dakota, Charles Dieter, Dustin Schaible

Great Plains Research: A Journal of Natural and Social Sciences (through 2013)

We evaluated the reproductive biology of314 white-tailed jackrabbits (Lepus townsendii) in 44 counties throughout South Dakota from June 2004 to September 2005. We classified jackrabbits as juveniles or adults based on the closure of the proximal epiphysis of the humerus using X-ray analysis. We determined annual reproductive activity through fluctuations in measured weights of reproductive organs for both sexes. The 2005 breeding season started in late February and proceeded until mid-July, approximately 142 days, allowing for females to potentially produce 3.3 litters. We found four distinct breeding periods by the overlap of estimated conception and parturition dates. Mean …

A Conceptual Model To Facilitate Amphibian Conservation In The Northern Great Plains, David M. Mushet, Ned H. Euliss Jr., Craig A. Stockwell

Great Plains Research: A Journal of Natural and Social Sciences (through 2013)

As pressures on agricultural landscapes to meet worldwide resource needs increase, amphibian populations face numerous threats including habitat destruction, chemical contaminants, disease outbreaks, wetland sedimentation, and synergistic effects of these perturbations. To facilitate conservation planning, we developed a conceptual model depicting elements critical for amphibian conservation in the northern Great Plains. First, we linked upland, wetland, and landscape features to specific ecological attributes. Ecological attributes included adult survival; reproduction and survival to metamorphosis; and successful dispersal and recolonization. Second, we linked ecosystem drivers, ecosystem stressors, and ecological effects of the region to each ecological attribute. Lastly, we summarized information on …

Magnitude And Structure Of Lymantria Dispar Asiatica Infestations Of Common Forest Steppe Tree Species In Northern Mongolia, Nina Tiralla, Kai Füldner, Stefan Schütz

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

Lymantria dispar L. is one of the most serious forest pests worldwide by infesting large forest areas involving massive tree dieback. Unlike outbreaks of Lymantria dispar L. in Germany that cause massive defoliation, observations of outbreaks of Lymantria dispar asiatica made in the research area Khonin Nuga, West Khentii, Mongolia during the past six years showed only punctual defoliation, and dieback was extremely scarce. However, information on the performance of Lymantria dispar asiatica and the corresponding reaction of host tree species in Khonin Nuga is rare. Therefore, this study concentrates on the examination of primarily affected tree species and the …

Bird Red List And Its Future Development In Mongolia, Sundev Gombobaatar, D. Samiya, Jonathan M. Baillie

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

With the involvement of the World Bank, Zoological Society of London, Dutch Government and National University of Mongolia, the volumes of Mongolian Red Lists of Fish, Amphibians and Reptiles, Birds and Mammals were completed, and Mongolia is now among the few nations that have up-to-date conservation assessments for all vertebrates. Of the 476 assessed native bird species of Mongolia, 10% were categorized as regionally threatened including Near Threatened. A further 0.6% were categorized as Critically Endangered (CR), 1.7% as Endangered (EN), 3.3% as Vulnerable (VU), and 4.4% as Near Threatened (NT). Almost 90% of Mongolian birds are categorized as Least …

Morphological Disparity Among Rock Voles Of The Genus Alticola From Mongolia, Kazakhstan And Russia (Rodentia, Cricetidae), V. N. Bolshakov, I. A. Vasilyeva, A. G. Vasilyev

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

The Central Asian high-mountain or rock voles of the genus Alticola Blanford, 1881 are one of the least studied groups of rodents. Taxonomic status of various geographic forms is not yet established until our days. This genus is not enough examined by biochemical and molecular genetic methods. We analyzed morphological disparity among rock voles of the genus Alticola from 8 localities. The samples studied represent 7 nominal species: A. semicanus Allen, 1924 (East Mongolia), Alticola argentatus Severtzov, 1879 (East Kazakhstan), A. tuvinicus Ognev, 1950 (Russia: Tuva), A. olchonensis Litvinov, 1960 (Russia: Olchon Island), A. macrotis Radde, 1861 (Russia: Khamar-Daban ridge), …

Long-Term Research On Biodiversity In West Khentey, Northern Mongolia, Michael Mühlenberg

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

Biodiversity is studied at ecosystem, community, and species level around Khonin Nuga, where the University Goettingen supports a research station since 15 years (established 1997 in cooperation with the National University of Mongolia). In that period 39 scientists have been involved and 67 students graduated with theses (7 PhD) about field work at that station. Inventories started at 1998 for several taxa and are now compiled in a book, which will be printed 2012 in Ulaanbaatar. It covers fungi, lichens, plants, several insect groups, spiders, crustaceans, and all vertebrate classes. For all taxa adequate experts proved the species lists. Because …

Nestling Food In The Desert Wheatear Oenanthe Deserti In The Dzungarian Gobi, Mongolia, Ueli Rehsteiner

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

The quality and size of nestling food of the Desert Wheatear Oenanthe deserti ssp. atrogularis were investigated in the spring of 2001 in the Dzungarian Gobi in Mongolia. Data are based on observations of nine pairs. Nestling food consisted of several taxa caught on the ground and in the air. Diptera, Coleoptera larvae, and Hymenoptera were the most frequent prey, that is, they contributed 17 to 30% of all food items each. The food composition changed with nestling age and season.

Food item size decreased with date. A higher proportion of multiple prey loadings were brought to nestlings in the …

Protection Of The Natural And Cultural Heritage Of The Mongolian Altai, Ulikpan Beket, Hans D. Knapp

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

The Altai-Sayan Ecoregion is known as a hotspot of biodiversity with large wilderness landscapes and a high rate of endemism in Central Asia and Siberia. There are many large and important protected areas of different categories. Parts of the Russian Altai, the “Golden Mountains of Altai”, are inscribed as World Natural Heritage. Also the neighbouring countries contain pristine landscapes, which could be a potential for an extension to a transnational serial World Heritage Site.

The Mongolian part of the ecoregion is characterized by very diverse landscapes and vegetation complexes: Deserts, semi-deserts and desert steppes in arid basins, river floodplains, salt …

On The Importance Of Pollen Morphology In Classification Of Chenopodiaceae In Mongolia, Gaadan Punsalpaamuu, Frank Schluetz, Tserendorj Gegeensuvd, Davaadorj Saindovdon

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

The pollen morphology of 18 species from 12 genera of Chenopodiaceae native to Mongolia was studied. Plants were collected during field courses and research projects on useful plants and are deposited in the Herbarium of the Mongolian State University of Education. Chemical preparation was carried out in the Palynological Laboratories at the School of Natural Sciences of the Mongolian State University of Education and the Department of Palynology and Climate Dynamics of the University of Göttingen in Germany. The results show, that all investigated species are distinguishable in terms of pollen morphology bases on their pollen grain sizes, exine thickness …

Home Range Characteristics Of Corsac And Red Foxes In Mongolia, Tserendorjiin Munkhzul, J. D. Murdoch, R. P. Reading

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

Red (Vulpes vulpes) and corsac foxes (V. corsac) live sympatrically throughout most of Mongolia, but few details of their home range characteristics exist. We captured and radio-tagged 13 red fox (♂ = 5, ♀ = 8) and 15 corsac foxes (♂ = 8, ♀ = 7) between 2004 and 2008. We tracked their movements to estimate home range sizes and examined the effects of four factors on home range size, including sex, age, season, and year. We determined mean home range size for 12 red and 10 corsac foxes that had sufficient data using fixed kernel …

Pleistocene Faunal Fossils From Bayangol I Site, Bulgan Aimag, Mongolia, Takao Sato, Fedora Khenzykhenova, Toshiaki Tsurumaru, Masao Ambiru, Jun Takakura, Yoshiaki Otsuka, Shigeo Iida, Natalya Schepina, Batmunkh Tsogtbaatar

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

During excavation of the Bayan-gol I Palaeolithic site in the Bulgan Aimak, Mongolia, some faunistic remains were recovered attributable to Aves (two species), Anura (two species), and mammals (three species). The fossil remains bear a considerable similarity to the corresponding species of today in Mongolia.

Ochotona Daurica Pallas, 1776: Modern And Past Distribution Area In Mongolia And The Transbaikal Region, M. A. Erbjeva, N. V. Alexeeva, T. V. Kisloschaeva

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

Ochotona daurica Pallas, 1776 is one of the ancient species among modern taxa having an origination in Transbaikalia possible at the end of Pleistocene. Review on the Late Pleistocene- Holocene-Recent area of distribution of this species is given on the base of new evidences and detail analysis of the previous data.

Ecology And Behaviour Of The Black-Billed Capercaillie (Tetrao Urogalloides Stegmanni) In The Khentej Mountains, Mongolia, Siegfried Klaus, Karl-Heniz Schindlatz, Alexander V. Andreev, Hans-Heiner Bergmann

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

Introduction

A common inhabitant of East Siberian larch forests, the Siberian or black-billed capercaillie (Tetrao urogalloides) ranges south to the limits of the boreal forests in the northern Mongolian mountains and east to the very coast of the Asian continent (KLAUS et al. 1989). Tetrao urogalloides MIDDENDORF (1851) has priority over T. parvirostris BONAPARTE (1856). Therefore, we prefer the T. urogalloides.

The subspecies T.u. stegmanni was first described on the basis of morphological differences by POTAPOV (1985) using specimens collected during Russian expeditions by KOZLOVA (1930). This description was based on 18 males in the collection at …

Recruitment Of Larix Sibirica Ledeb. In Closed Forest Stands, On Clear-Felling Sites And At Fire-Sites In The Forests Of Mongolia, Vasiliy T. Yarmishko, Nikolay N. Slemnev

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

The paper deals with recruitment patterns in larch forests of Mongolia following anthropogenic impacts (felling, fires), and describes successional trends in highland forest communities. It is established that mass seed recruitment of Larix sibirica Ledeb. took place during anomalous combinations of hydrothermal conditions supposedly occurring at periods of about 100 years. During the last decades, frequent fires of various intensities put serious constraints on reforestation of the larch, and induced successional trends in disturbed forests.

Osnabrück Botanical Expeditions To Mongolia, Barbara Neuffer, Nikolai Friesen, Batlai Oyuntsetseg, Tseden Jamsran, Herbert Hurka

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

Three botanical expeditions to Mongolia have been undertaken by the Botany Department of the University of Osnabrück in cooperation with the Botany Department of the National Mongolian University of Ulaanbaatar. The first expedition in 2000 took us to the Mongolian Altay, the second in 2001 to the Gobi and Gobi Altay, and the third in 2010 to East Mongolia including the Khingan Mts. (Numrug). In 2000, we were the first botanists being allowed to enter the border area between China and Russia in the Mongolian Altay since a long time, because this had been a prohibited area for decades. We …

50 Years Mongolian-German Biological Expeditions And Their Future = Fifty Years Mongolian-German Biological Expeditions And Their Future, Michael Stubbe, Ravčigijn Samjaa, Annegret Stubbe

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

First two paragraphs:

In 2012 we celebrate the 50th anniversary of the Mongolian-German Biological Expeditions. The roots can be found in the old German-Russian scientific relationships in the history of the University Halle-Wittenberg in connection with August Hermann Francke (1663–1727) and his Foundations (founded in 1698). It’s a long tradition, dating back to the 18th century when early researchers as Georg Wilhelm Steller (1709 –1746) or Peter Simon Pallas (1741–1811) reached the northern border of Mongolia. Other sources of close connections between Halle and Russia are given by persons as the physician Friedrich Hoffmann (1660–1742), the mathematician Christian Wolff (1679-1754) …

Biodiversity And Evolutionary Development Of Oligocene-Pliocene Lagomorphs (Lagomorpha, Mammalia) Of Mongolia, M. A. Erbajeva

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

Lagomorphs (pikas and hares) are an ancient group of small mammals originated in Asia in the Paleocene-Eocene. The earliest evidence of their presence in Mongolia is dated to the Early Oligocene. The taxa flourished during the Late Oligocene, Miocene and Pliocene; at the Late Pliocene they were reduced both in their diversity and in abundance. No data on lagomorph are known from the Pleistocene and Holocene, though there are 7 taxa of lagomorphs present in the modern fauna. Altogether, more than 50 lagomorph species, extinct at present, are known to have existed in Mongolia since the Oligocene through the Late …

Buchrezension – Book Review: Jan Bemmann (Herausgeber) (2012): Steppenkrieger. Reiternomaden Des 7.–14. Jahrhunderts Aus Der Mongolei, Primus Verlag Darmstadt, Format Din A4, 416 Seiten, Zahlreiche Farbfotos Und Zeichnungen, Michael Stubbe

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

Book review of Jan Bemmann (Herausgeber) (2012): Steppenkrieger. Reiternomaden des 7.–14. Jahrhunderts aus der Mongolei. Primus Verlag Darmstadt, Format DIN A4, 416 Seiten, zahlreiche Farbfotos und Zeichnungen, Preis 39,90 Euro. ISBN: 978-3-86312-011-5.

Opposing Growth Trends Created By External Disturbances In Larch Forests Of The Mongolian Altai, Choimaa Dulamsuren, Mookhoor Khishigjargal

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

If tree-ring series from different trees are merged to a chronology, in order to for example make inferences on climate, these series must be checked for consistency. Statistical parameters, including the Gleichläufigkeit (GL = coefficient of agreement) and standard t value have been applied for this purpose and are usually combined to boost the informative value. We tested the hypothesis that low GL and t values can, in turn, be used as indicators of external disturbance in a case study in forests of Siberian larch (Larix sibirica) in the Mongolian Altai. Since these forests were known to …

Diversity And Community Pattern Of Darkling Beetles (Coleoptera: Tenebrionidae) Along An Ecological Gradient In Arid Mongolia, M. Pfeiffer, E. Bayannasan

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

One of the most conspicuous detrito- and phytodetritophagous groups of beetles in the Asian steppes and deserts is the family Tenebrionidae (Coleoptera, Polyphaga) (KONSTANTINOV et al. 2009). Mongolia harbors a rich diversity of these beetles with 215 species and 50 genera of Tenebrionidae listed for the country (MEDVEDEV 1990), many of them restricted to its arid parts, where they obtain high abundances and dominate – together with ants – the insect soil fauna (PFEIFFER et al. 2003). Their dark color may be a means to withstand the high radiation at daytime; however, a large number of species is night active …

Comparative Study Of Constituents Of Essential Oils Of Ocimum Basilicum L. Cultivated In The Mongolian Gobi, Shataryn Altantsetseg, Sandui Shatar, N. Javzmaa

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

The essential oils of the herb Ocimum basilicum L., cultivated in the Mongolian Gobi, have been examined. Oils were isolated by hydro-distillation and analyzed by GC-MS. The principle components of Common Basil were methyl chavicol (52.1 %), linalool (23.9 %). In the oils of the different varieties of Basil were the following compounds found: Sweet Basil: linalool (24.5–27.4 %), methyl chavicol (19.8–20.0 %), bergamotene (10.0 %), 1.8-cineole (8.5 %); Purple Basil: linalool (52.8 %), 1.8-cineole (8.7 %); Cinnamon Basil: methyl chavicol (60.4 %), 1.8-cine-ole (6.3 %), linalool (3.3 %) and cadinol (3.2 %); Italian large leaf Basil …

“Agrionemys Kazachstanica Terbishi” Or The Two-Faced Mongolian Steppe Tortoise, Hermann Ansorge, Uwe Fritz, Khayankhyarvaa Terbish, Setev Shar

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

Although no extant native turtle and tortoise species is known to occur in Mongolia, a new subspecies of the Central Asian tortoise was described by Chkhikvadze under the name Agrionemys kazachstanica terbishi in 2009. The description was based on a mummified tortoise kept in a museum collection. Since then the Mongolian steppe tortoise has been considered as an endemic taxon Testudo horsfieldii terbishi (Chkhikvadze, 2009) for Mongolia.

However, there is no evidence for the occurrence of any wild tortoise species in Mongolia, even in the putative area of origin of the type specimen. The closest confirmed occurrence of Central Asian …

New Species Of Eimeria (Apicomplexa: Eimeriidae) From Ochotona Hyperborea And Ochotona Pallasi (Lagomorpha, Ochotonidae) In Mongolia, David S. Tinnin, Ethan T. Jensen, Nyamsuren Batsaikhan, Sumiya Ganzorig, Scott Lyell Gardner

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

An examination of the feces from 8 pikas collected in 1999 and from 17 pikas collected in 2009 in Mongolia revealed the presence of 3 new eimerian species. Four of the 5 species of pikas present in Mongolia were studied including: Ochotona alpina, O. dauurica, O. pallasi, and O. hyperborea. Oocysts of Eimeria dunnumi n. sp. from O. hyperborea collected in 1999 are ellipsoid, average length and width of 31.4 x 20.8 μm, with a 1.4 μm thick double layered wall, lacking a micropyle, oocyst residuum, and polar granule. Sporocysts of this species are ellipsoid, 12.8 …

Diploid Allium Ramosum From East Mongolia: A Missing Link For The Origin Of The Crop Species A. Tuberosum?, Batlai Oyuntsetseg, Frank R. Blattner, Nikolai Friesen

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

In eastern Mongolia, a diploid close relative of the tetraploid (4x) crop species Allium tuberosum and its closest wild relative A. ramosum (4x) was found and characterized by karyotype analysis and with molecular marker techniques. An earlier analyses revealed A. ramosum to be sister of the crop but excluded it as its progenitor. At that time a putative diploid cytotype of A. ramosum was hypothesized as a potential progenitor taxon of the tetraploids. New phylogenetic analyses of chloroplast and nuclear DNA sequences including the recently found cytotype (A. aff. tuberosum) together with A. tuberosum and A. ramosum accessions …