Biodiversity Commons^™

Relationships Between Benthic Macroinvertebrate Communities And Environmental Conditions In Headwater Tributaries Of The Pend Oreille Lake Watershed, Idaho, Devlin Mee

EWU Masters Thesis Collection

Benthic macroinvertebrates are widely used indicators of stream condition, and their communities respond to thermal and land-use conditions in headwater streams. This study characterized macroinvertebrate biomass, community composition, and diversity across forested headwater tributaries of the Pend Oreille lake watershed in northern Idaho, and examined their relationships with summer temperature, land development, and road proximity. Samples from thirteen streams collected in 2024 were identified to genus, measured, and converted to estimated biomass using published length–mass regressions; ten streams had recovered temperature loggers. Because environmental variables were characterized once per stream, all analyses were conducted at the stream level.

Estimated total …

Western Massasauga (Sistrurus Tergeminus): A Species Conservation Assessment For The Nebraska Natural Legacy Project, Colleen Rothe-Groleau, Melissa J. Panella

Nebraska Game and Parks Commission: Publications

The Nebraska Natural Legacy Project recognizes the western massasauga (Sistrurus tergeminus) as a Tier I at-risk species. Provided are some general management recommendations regarding western massasaugas. Conservation practitioners will need to use professional judgment to make specific management decisions based on objectives, location, and a multitude of variables. This resource was designed to share available knowledge of this at-risk species that will aid in the decision-making process or in identifying research needs to benefit the species.

Criteria for selection as Tier I: State listed, G3

Estimated Population in NE: 1,000–2,500

Estimate based on: Field surveys

Trends since 2005 …

Complexity Theory And Environmental Conservation Management: A Case Study With Coyote And Red Wolf Hybridization, Gretchen E. Mahalic

Honors Undergraduate Theses

Conservation biology and invasion biology are value-led scientific disciplines founded on environmental advocacy, operating at the intersection of research and action. Though these disciplines are known for their scientific veracity, unexamined values are often promulgated without scrutiny and drive decisions that work against good ecological outcomes. A case in point is that coyotes migrating into southeastern territory are framed as the greatest threat to the conservation of the endangered red wolf because hybridization is seen as diminishing their species integrity. Applying Val Plumwood’s ecofeminist account of dualistic frameworks, I will use this case to show how the vilification of the …

Three Decades Of Classifying Threatened Species: Lessons Learned From And About The Iucn Red List Criteria For Quantifying Extinction Risk, H. Resit Akçakaya, E. J. Milner-Gulland, Mike Hoffmann, Helen M. Regan, Ilona Naujokaitis-Lewis, Andre E. Punt, Kevin J. Gaston, David A. Keith, Stuart H. M. Butchart, Simon N. Stuart, Nigel J. Collar, Moreno Di Marco, Monika Bohm, Alex J. Berryman, David P. Mallon, Axel Hochkirch, Nicholas K. Dulvy, Malin Rivers, Thomas M. Brooks, James R. S. Westrip, Jonathan Paul Rodriguez, Craig Hilton-Taylor, Janet Scott, Simon Tarr, Sophie H. Ledger, Christi Linardich

Biological Sciences Faculty Publications

The IUCN Red List of Threatened Species, the most widely used global system for assessing species' extinction risk, has become a foundational source of information for conservation management, policy and research. Since the adoption of quantitative extinction risk criteria more than three decades ago, the Red List has expanded substantially in scope and influence, informing decisions ranging from species conservation and protected area designation to international agreements, corporate risk assessments and global biodiversity indicators. Given its central role, maintaining scientific rigour, transparency and trust in the Red List system is essential. Feedback from users, emerging from evolving applications and scientific …

Systematics Of Disk-Winged Bats (Thyroptera), Courtney L. Klumpp

Capstone Showcase

This thesis investigates the evolutionary relationships among disk-winged bats in the genus Thyroptera, a small group of Neotropical bats known for the adhesive suction disks on their wings and feet that allow them to roost inside tightly rolled leaves. The distinctive morphology and behavior of these bats have not been extensively documented, and their phylogenetic relationships remain only partially resolved. The goal of this research is to better understand how these species are related to one another and to determine whether the five recognized species of Thyroptera form a single monophyletic group. To address this question, morphological and genetic …

Indirect Effects Of Coral Bleaching On Tursiops Truncatus Diet And Foraging Behavior In Bocas Del Toro, Panama, Annabel Fiero

Scripps Senior Theses

Indirect effects, where another species or factor mediates the effects of a given species, are critical to ecosystem structure and resilience. Shifts in fish community structure, as a result of rapidly declining coral reefs in the Caribbean due to warming-induced bleaching, pose a threat to apex predators like Tursiops truncatus (bottlenose dolphins). Branching corals create habitat niches for numerous fish species. These fish rely on coral for food and habitat, and in turn provide food for upper trophic levels. Prior research has highlighted how coral bleaching will disrupt Acroporid reef building corals and fish community structure, but the effects of …

Data From: Complete Mitochondrial Genomes Of The Spring Pygmy Sunfish (Elassoma Alabamae), Kayla M. Fast, David Lee Pounders, Mayah P. Peterson, Michael W. Sandel

Research Data

The Spring Pygmy Sunfish, Elassoma alabamae (Mayden, 1993), is a small species of sunfish (Centrarchiformes) endemic to tributaries to the middle Tennessee River in north Alabama. Elassoma alabamae is the most geographically restricted member of Elassoma and the only species found above the fall line. This species was twice considered extinct and was listed under the Endangered Species Act (ESA) as threatened in 2013. To date, surveys for this species have been limited to traditional invasive methods using dipnets and seines. In order to reduce impacts on sensitive populations, we sequenced the mitochondrial genome with the intent of developing a …

Aquatic Macrophytes As Nature-Based Solutions: Challenges And Opportunities Across Inland And Coastal Waters, Morgan Botrel, Roxane Maranger, Lindsay L. Trottier, Mathieu Cusson, Lars L. Iverson, Fanny Noisette, Christian Nozais, Katrine Turgeon, Andrea Bertolo, Thibaud André-Alphonse, Simon Bélanger, Arthur De Grandpré, Jean-Olivier Goyette, Sabine Hilt, Ladd Johnson, Valérie Langlois, Martin Laporte, Félix Lauzon, Brigitte Légaré, Anne Ola, Marie-Pomme Presne-Poissant, Matthieu Prugne, Caroline Susini, Richard Zimmerman

OES Faculty Publications

Macrophytes are foundation species whose use as nature-based solution (NbS) in aquatic ecosystems can help reduce climate change impacts while mitigating biodiversity loss. The discrepancy in research and application of macrophytes as NbS across inland and marine coastal ecosystems is an opportunity to expand the concept and learn from different approaches. We report on an initiative uniting marine and freshwater scientists that compared knowledge on macrophytes as NbS across realms, identified advances and gaps in their use, and synthesized challenges and opportunities for application. We conducted a bibliometric analysis and an expert participatory exercise around recent review papers. We reveal …

Plant Invasion Patterns In Understory And Soil Microbial Communities Of North Central West Virginia Mixed Hardwood Forests, Isabelle Marie Uganski

Graduate Theses, Dissertations, and Problem Reports (ETD)

Invasive plants alter forest ecosystems by reducing species richness, habitat heterogeneity, and nutrient cycling as they rapidly displace native plants. Invasive plant composition can influence soil health through altering soil microbial associations and communities. By studying the mechanisms in which invasives alter above- and below-ground communities, we can better understand whole-ecosystem impacts and inform management decisions. This study examined the relationships between co-occurring invasion on above and belowground communities of mixed hardwood forests of north central West Virginia. Despite distinctive associations with aboveground characteristics (native diversity, native tree regeneration, and leaf litter density) we detected limited changes to soil microbial …

Genomic Signatures Of Decline And Recovery In An Endangered Bat, Myotis Grisescens, Marxe Altman-Orbach

Graduate Theses/Dissertations

Tremendous population declines may result in the loss of genetic diversity, which can, in turn, lead to reduced adaptive potential, overexpression of deleterious phenotypes, and further population declines. In this way, genetic drift from a severe demographic decline may ultimately lead to an extinction vortex. However, populations that avoid the loss of genetic diversity may remain viable, despite demographic crashes. Therefore, understanding genetic diversity is vital for assessing the conservation status of species that have undergone declines, and can even reflect the effectiveness of management actions. I investigated signatures of genetic bottlenecks in the gray bat (Myotis grisescens), …

Nutritional Niche Separation Amongst Sympatric Threatened Lemurs: The Role Of Micronutrients In Food Selection And Implications For Physiological Health, Maire K. O'Malley

Graduate Research Theses & Dissertations

Madagascar’s biodiversity is heavily affected by anthropogenic change and consequently, conservation management plans need to reflect current research to protect biodiversity. Primate nutritional ecology offers valuable insights into ecology, evolution, health, habitat requirements, social behavior, and conservation management strategies. Macronutrients (fat, carbohydrates, and protein) provide consumers with energy whereas micronutrients (vitamins and minerals) are essential to metabolic processes but are frequently overlooked. This study provides a novel examination of dietary niche separation by comparing mineral consumption between three sympatric species differing in feeding strategies: 1) Grey Bamboo lemur (Hapalemur griseus), a bamboo specialist, 2) Diadema sifaka (Propithecus diadema), a folivore, …

Layers Of Biodiversity: Linking Urban Garden Plants And Arthropods, Chenyang Su

Dartmouth College Ph.D Dissertations

Diverse arthropods play essential roles in urban agriculture, while urban agriculture provides food and habitat that support arthropod biodiversity in fragmented urban landscapes. In urban community gardens, a form of urban agriculture characterized by allotment-style gardens, arthropods interact with plants and green space across multiple spatial scales of management, from individual gardeners' plots to broad urban landscapes. Understanding how plant communities in urban community gardens and urban landscapes shape arthropod biodiversity and interactions across scales can inform both agricultural management and urban biodiversity conservation. In this thesis, I conducted a series of field studies on ecologically and economically important arthropods …

Barriers And Corridors: Timber Rattlesnake Habitat Connectivity In New York, Lauren Rose

Electronic Theses & Dissertations (2024 - present)

Habitat fragmentation poses a significant threat to species that rely on landscape connectivity for movement in search of food, water, and mates. The timber rattlesnake (Crotalus horridus), listed as a threatened species in New York State, travels an average of 1.5 miles—and up to five miles—from permanent denning sites to reach habitat suitable for gestation, foraging, basking, and overwintering. Ongoing development in the lower Hudson Valley has increasingly fragmented these critical habitats, restricting movement between den populations. This thesis evaluates landscape barriers that contribute to population isolation and identifies opportunities to restore connectivity among timber rattlesnake metapopulations.

Using …

Unintended Consequences Of Estuarine Management Within The Trajectory Of Recovery: Examples From The Chesapeake Bay, Jessica S. Turner, Fei Da, Molly M. Mitchell

OES Faculty Publications

Estuaries are vital ecosystems that support biodiversity, human populations, and economic activities such as fisheries, aquaculture, and tourism. Managing estuarine systems often involves interventions to regulate sediment and nutrient inputs with the goal of improving water quality, and subsequently the economic values of the estuary. However, these management strategies can produce unintended consequences. The Chesapeake Bay is an estuary recovering from eutrophication which provides clear case studies for these patterns. In the Chesapeake Bay, decreased sediment inputs, resulting from shoreline stabilization and watershed modifications, can impair marsh resilience to sea level rise and disrupt sediment-light-algal interactions affecting water clarity. Likewise, …

Rapid Urbanization Reduces Genetic Diversity And Increases Genetic Differentiation Of A Lynx Spider Oxyopes Sertatus In Central Taiwan, Ying-Yuan Lo, Chi Wei, Wan-Jyun Chen, Chung-Ping Lin

Biological Sciences Faculty Publications

Urbanization is a dominant force driving destructive and irreversible changes of natural habitats in modern times. While the effects of urbanization on community composition and phenotypic responses are well-documented, its influence on genetic diversity and population structure remains understudied, particularly for invertebrates in subtropical regions. This study tested the hypothesis that urbanization reduces genetic diversity and increases population differentiation in the lynx spider Oxyopes sertatus, a common foliage-dwelling spider in Taiwan. We sampled 245 individuals from 17 sites distributed along an urban-rural gradient and quantified urbanization intensity using land-use composition at both landscape (4 km²) and local (0.25 km²) …

Baseline Assessment Of Insect Biodiversity And Distribution In La Salle Botanical Gardens, Pampanga, Philippines, Amir Lyndon Gavriell C. Beup, Kaleela Euan G. Jayson, Alyssa Ira Z. Tan, Ronielle Elisha S. Pascual, Alexi Gabrielle S. Henson, Esperidion Josef P. Ladao Iii, Juan Carlo T. Gumangan

Sinaya: A Philippine Journal for Senior High School Teachers and Students

Insects are crucial for ecosystem functions, such as pollination and food web maintenance. This study aims to assess insect biodiversity in La Salle Botanical Gardens (LSBG) in Porac, Pampanga, focusing on its grassland and forestland areas. Using rapid biodiversity assessment, this study provides baseline data on insect diversity, abundance, dominance, and evenness for conservation. Sampling employed transect line intercept and quadrat methods. Specimens were collected using different collection and preservation techniques. Insects (n = 184) were collected from August to October 2024, with specimens (n = 46) belonging to seven insect orders in the grassland and specimens (n = 138) …

Artificial Intelligence As A Catalyst For Systemic Sport Ecology, Ugo Arbieu, Laís Carneiro, Sonia Tieo, Franck Courchamp

Journal of Applied Sport Management

Artificial intelligence (AI) is reshaping both sport management and environmental science, yet these developments have largely evolved in parallel. AI can serve not merely as a technical tool but also as a catalyst for systemic sport ecology, a field that integrates sport, digital innovation and environmental sustainability. Advances in discriminative, generative and agentic AI enable the synthesis of complex ecological and sport-related data, improving monitoring, forecasting, resource efficiency, policy design, and decision-making across scales. In doing so, AI offers a pathway beyond fragmented sustainability interventions and can support holistic approaches to the interconnected crises of climate change, pollution, and biodiversity …

Terrestrial Gartersnake (Thamnophis Elegans) Consuming A Western Meadow Vole (Microtus Drummondii) In The Sangre De Cristo Mountains Of New Mexico, Joseph W. Paysen, Peggy M. Huss, Jacob C. Cooper, Lance J. Bernal, Carter Kruse, Keith Geluso

Transactions of the Nebraska Academy of Sciences and Affiliated Societies

The Terrestrial Gartersnake (Thamnophis elegans) is a dietary generalist occurring in the western half of the United States, southwestern Canada, and northern Mexico. Terrestrial Gartersnakes are known to consume a variety of small mammals, including voles (Microtus). Herein we report on an observation of the Terrestrial Gartersnake consuming a Western Meadow Vole (Microtus drummondii). On 27 June 2025, we captured a large adult Terrestrial Gartersnake underneath a log just upstream of a North American Beaver (Castor canadensis) dam on the Vermejo River, Colfax County, New Mexico that regurgitated a partially digested adult …

A New Dioecious Bush Tomato, Solanum Nectarifolium (Solanaceae), From The Northern Tanami Desert, Northern Territory, Australia, With Reassessment Of S. Ossicruentum And A Change In The Circumscription Of S. Dioicum, Christopher T. Martine, Kym Brennan, Jason T. Cantley, Aiden Webb, Geoffrey Newton

Faculty Journal Articles

A new species of functionally dioecious bush tomato from the “Solanum dioicum + S. echinatum group” of Solanum subgenus Leptostemonum is described. Solanum nectarifolium Martine & Brennan, sp. nov., is a member of the taxonomically challenging Solanum dioicum W.Fitzg. species complex in Australia and differs from other species in the group by the presence of prominent and conspicuous extrafloral nectaries on the abaxial leaf surfaces, a tinge of purple on the new growth and young fruiting calyces, and curved prickles on young stems. Although fairly well represented in herbarium collections, this new taxon has historically been treated as a …

Some New Ecological Aspects Of The Lesser Sunda Endemic Drepanosticta Berlandi (Odonata: Zygoptera: Platystictidae), Muhammad Zulhariadi, Muhammad Setyo Nugroho, Nurul Hidayani

Makara Journal of Science

Drepanosticta berlandi is an endemic damselfly in the Lesser Sunda region of Indonesia, which was first recorded on Lombok Island in the 19th century. Albeit recognized for a century, information on its ecology is still lacking; hence, this study aims to reveal its distribution and habitat preferences. The research was conducted at the Tibu Ijo Waterfall tourist area in West Lombok Regency using line transects combined with field survey in the Kekait River and on footpaths on both sides of the river. Vegetation density, topography, and land survey temperature (LST) were measured at the sampling area using ArcGIS 10.4.1 software. …

The Relationship Between Reef Fish And Coverage Of Coral And Turf Algae In Coral Reef Ecosystems Of Biak Island, Papua, Ludi Parwadani Aji, Risandi Dwirama Putra, Muhammad Abrar, Rikoh Manogar Siringoringo, Giyanto Giyanto

Makara Journal of Science

In this study, we examine the influence of benthic coverage on fish diversity in coral reef ecosystems. Benthic and reef fish community surveys were conducted at 14 sites using underwater photographic transect and underwater visual census methods, respectively. Coral cover (26.1%) was found to be lower than turf algae cover (42.1%). A total of 56 fish species, comprised of 14 carnivores, 21 corallivores, and 21 herbivores, were recorded. The most widely distributed carnivore and herbivore species were Lethrinus harak and Ctenochaetus striatus, respectively. Two species of butterflyfish, Chaetodon citrinellus and Chaetodon trifasciatus, were the most widely distributed species …

Straw Cover Increases Garden Soil Microbial Biodiversity, Emory Walker, Mara Welty, Emma Creviston

The Journal of Purdue Undergraduate Research

No abstract provided.

Habitat Disturbance And Biodiversity In Glade Habitats, Maddie Smith, Becky Hansis-O'Neill, Aimee Dunlap Phd

Undergraduate Research Symposium

The Ozark glades are home to a variety of reptiles, amphibians, rodents, and invertebrates such as tarantulas and scorpions. Glade inhabitants face challenges like habitat fragmentation and degradation, but they could be facing even bigger challenges as outdoor recreation becomes more popular. People looking for wildlife to photograph or collect often look under rocks without leaving them how they were found. This study focused on monitoring rock disturbance at two protected glades- Shaw Nature Preserve and a more accessible undisclosed glade in Jefferson County. Disturbing the glade habitat to look for wildlife is prohibited at both sites. Twenty rocks at …

Indigenizing Aquaculture: In Pursuit Of An Integrated Multi-Trophic Aquaculture System For Enhanced Self-Sufficiency In Akaroa Harbour, Aotearoa New Zealand, Cali R. Trainor

Capstone Collection

This study assessed the feasibility of integrating two pre-existing aquaculture activities in Akaroa Harbour, Aotearoa New Zealand into an integrated multi-trophic aquaculture (IMTA) system. The cultivation of giant kelp (Macrocystis pyrifera) presents an opportunity to improve the sustainability of Chinook salmon (Oncorhynchus tshawytscha) farming by introducing alternative food sources for salmon, which can be used to produce fish feed locally, enhancing the self-sufficiency of the community and boosting the holistic efficiency of the system. Macroinvertebrates residing in giant kelp wrack were collected, identified, and quantified to determine if any of the Macrocystis-associated specimens could serve as …

Preliminary Survey Of Subtidal Crustaceans On Southeast Sapelo Island, Georgia, Elise C. Mirabella, Kali Holierhoek, Kristine N. White Ph.D.

Georgia Journal of Science

The subtidal zone is the area below the low tide line that supports a wide variety of organisms, including subtidal crustaceans, which are understudied on Sapelo Island, GA. To investigate the impact of wave action on biodiversity and develop baseline data, the biodiversity of subtidal crustaceans from two beaches was compared. It was hypothesized that the beach protected from wave action would have higher biodiversity than the beach exposed to wave action. To collect the crustaceans, three different sampling methods were used on each beach: D-net, beam trawl, and Yabbi pump. The beach exposed to wave action yielded higher biodiversity …

Clerodendrum Kelli (Lamiaceae), A New Species From Carranglan, Nueva Ecija, Philippines, And Lectotypification Of Clerodendrum Mindorense, David Justin R. Ples, Jacek Patykowski, John Charles A. Altomonte, Adriene B. Tobias, Rene Alfred Anton Bustamante

Biology Faculty Publications

Clerodendrum kelli (Lamiaceae), a new species from the montane forests of Carranglan, Nueva Ecija, Philippines, is described and illustrated. The species shares morphological features with Clerodendrum quadriloculare and C. mindorense, but differs in inflorescence structure, corolla tube length, and calyx shape and color. A lectotype for C. mindorense is also designated. Preliminary conservation assessment places C. kelli in the Critically Endangered category (CR B1ab(iii)+2ab(iii)). This study contributes to Philippine plant biodiversity knowledge and informs conservation strategies.

Listen To The Birds: Sound Ecology At The Piano, Anna Showalter

Dissertations, 2020-current

This document explores the intersection between birdsong and piano music using four cases studies from the piano repertoire in the Western classical tradition. Using Jeff Titon’s framework of “sound ecology” as a lens, I ask whether the following pieces of music could in some way function as an “acoustic tissue among human and bird communities that becomes the basis for a healthy economy and a just community.” After exploring the history of birdsong in the piano literature as a microcosm of shifting attitudes toward birdsong in Western art music this study focuses on four pieces as case studies for analysis—Amy …

A Halloween Decoration’S Scary Implications For Real Bats, Coralie Carlson

Capstones

This investigative article examines the online illegal trade of taxidermied bats and how the sales are threatening one particularly showy species: the painted woolly bat.

My OSINT research shows where the bats are still sold – from Amazon to independent websites offering bulk orders – and tracks the sellers and buyers, while weaving in the scientific and cultural history this little-known colorful bat and the conservationists’ race against time to protect them.

The very existence of the painted woolly bat is threatened by Americans who want to display the dead bats in their homes as spooky decorations. Researchers (including a …

The Chemistry Of Color: A Comparative Analysis Of Natural And Synthetic Dyes In Textile Application, Caitlyn Pinaga Cpht

Honors Program Theses and Research Projects

The Chemistry of Color: A Comparative Analysis of Natural and Synthetic Dyes in Textile Application examines how color functions at the intersection of chemistry, culture, and environmental responsibility. This project traces the evolution of dyeing from ancient natural pigment traditions, rooted in ecological knowledge, agricultural practices, and cultural identity, to the industrial rise of synthetic dyes, whose laboratory precision enabled unprecedented consistency, brightness, and global textile expansion. Through experimental swatch analysis, the study compares the behavior of natural dyes derived from plants and food sources with modern fiber-reactive and synthetic dye classes on a range of fibers including cotton, bamboo …

An Updated Annotated Checklist Of The Mammals Of The Crane Trust, Hall County, Nebraska, Bethany L. Ostrom, Amanda H. Medaries, Andrew J. Caven, Jenna M. Malzahn, Alexa Rojas, Matthew R. Schaaf, David M. Baasch, Thomas E. Labedz, Greg D. Wright

Transactions of the Nebraska Academy of Sciences and Affiliated Societies

The Crane Trust is a regional nonprofit conservation organization that has protected land in the biologically important Central Platte River Valley for over four decades. A mammal inventory was conducted on the Crane Trust’s main habitat complex in 1980. Since, a variety of environmental conditions have shifted locally, regionally, and globally. An analysis of the mammal community was conducted using past and recent data to determine how species composition and relative abundance have shifted categorically from 1980 to 2021. We used all available data to categorize relative abundance during two distinct time periods per a modified “DAFOR” scale including 7 …