Biodiversity Commons^™

Monitoring Butterflies In Big Spring Hollow, Utah, Using Transect Walks: Species Richness, Indices Of Abundance, Species Diversity, And Flight Periods, Alan R. Myrup

Monographs of the Western North American Naturalist

Transect walks were used to collect data to determine species richness, indices of abundance, species diversity, and flight periods of butterfly species in Big Spring Hollow in the South Fork of Provo Canyon, Utah Co., Utah. Advantages and cautions are discussed for the use of this sampling method. A total of 26,493 butterflies were recorded from 232 transect walks during the 10 years of this study (2001–2005 and 2019–2023), with a mean annual total number of 2649.3 butterflies. A total of 86 butterfly species were identified along the Big Spring Hollow transect belonging to 5 families: 18 Hesperiidae, 19 Lycaenidae, …

Vultures, Bryan M. Kluever, Lee A. Humberg, Scott C. Barras

Wildlife Damage Management Technical Series

Fact sheet about vultures including information about human--wildlife conflicts, the vulture roost, affects on livestock, structures, human health and safety, identification of damage, management methods, legal considerations, and economics. Also included is an overview of the species.

Computational And Functional Characterization Of Terebrid Venom Peptides, Favour T. Achimba

Dissertations, Theses, and Capstone Projects

Venom peptides represent a natural repertoire of bioactive compounds that are potent modulators of ion channels. Teretoxins, venom peptides from terebrid snails, remain underexplored despite their structural and functional diversity. This thesis is the first to comprehensively explore the structure and function of teretoxins using a comparative computational sequence and structure model followed by experimental assays. The majority of the functional focus has been on identifying the ion channel molecular targets of uncharacterized teretoxins. Teretoxins, like other venom peptides, are hypothesized to manipulate the cellular function of a diversity of ion channels. Dysregulation of ion channels leads to several …

Fighting The Black Snake: The Dapl And The Case For Indigenous Environmental Stewardship, Kenny Moll

Student Theses 2015-Present

This thesis analyzes the current scope of environmental injustice on Native lands in the U.S. Specifically it examines The Dakota Access Pipeline (DAPL) and its impacts on the Standing Rock Sioux Tribe of North Dakota. Western colonialism and capitalism have dominated North American ecosystems since their forcible introduction hundreds of years ago, causing the commodification of natural resources and leading to injustices such as that of the “Black Snake.” However, the story of The Standing Rock Sioux Tribe’s resistance will be analyzed through the framework of Indigenous philosophy and environmental justice. Chapter 1 analyzes the implementation of the DAPL and …

Kernel Density Estimate (Kde) Surfaces Of Wintering Tidal Marsh Birds Along The Mississippi Gulf Coast, Carlos Ramirez-Reyes, Kristine O. Evans, Mark S. Woodrey, Rachel V. Anderson, Jared Feura, Landon R. Jones, Raymond B. Iglay

Research Data

This dataset accompanies the article Spatial patterns of habitat use of wintering tidal marsh birds along the Mississippi Gulf Coast and includes kernel density estimate (KDE) raster layers describing spatial patterns of bird abundance and community richness derived from winter bird surveys. The study examined landscape features associated with the occurrence and spatial distribution of eight tidal marsh bird species during the non-breeding season along the Mississippi Gulf Coast.

Using field observations collected along fixed transects, the analysis evaluated differences between occupied and unoccupied transects, associations between bird occurrence and landscape-level predictors at ecologically relevant spatial scales, and species co-occurrence …

A Simple And Affordable Protocol To Assess Censer Seed Dispersal: First Confirmation Of The Mechanism In The Genus Solanum, Abigail J. Motter, Christopher T. Martine, Melody P. Sain

Faculty Journal Articles

The censer seed dispersal mechanism, whereby mature fruits are retained on plants and seeds dispersed by mechanical shaking, is among the most specialized wind-aided seed dispersal strategies employed by the flowering plants. An efficient, affordable, and easily repeatable protocol for determining whether a species uses this unusual mechanism of seed dispersal is lacking. Our focal species, Solanum tudununggae, is one of just two Solanum species (in a fleshy-fruited genus of ca. 1200 species) hypothesized to use this dispersal mechanism as a means to move seeds farther from parent plants than would gravity alone.

Distribution Of Mussels In Two Intermittent Upland Streams Of The Arkansas Valley Ecoregion, A. A. Brady, K. B. Hecke, S. A. Drake, Z. R. Crain, K. Moles

Journal of the Arkansas Academy of Science

Freshwater mussels are facing an increasing need for conservation due to their declining populations. More data is needed on mussel distributions, especially in tributaries of large rivers to properly conserve and restore populations. Big Shoal Creek and Little Shoal Creek are two upland-tributaries of the Arkansas River (Lake Dardanelle) in which no records exist for freshwater mussel populations. We addressed this knowledge gap by sampling a total of 9 sites in Little Shoal Creek and 18 sites in Big Shoal Creek to determine the abundance and distribution of mussels in these streams. Mussels were sampled using a timed-search approach. A …

Temporal Variation Of Benthic Aquatic Macroinvertebrate Communities In Two Upland Intermittent Streams In The Boston Mountains, R. J. Mccollough, K. B. Hecke

Journal of the Arkansas Academy of Science

Benthic aquatic macroinvertebrates are some of the most highly used organisms for biomonitoring and assessing stream health. However, biomonitoring is often done in one season, potentially missing important taxa and inaccurately reflecting the community as well as stream health. In addition, while road crossing effects have also been extensively researched the last few decades, these studies are also often conducted in one season, likely misrepresenting the community structure and the overall effects of the road crossing. The highly known River Continuum Concept (RCC) is often applied to these benthic aquatic macroinvertebrate communities. This study aimed to examine aquatic macroinvertebrate communities …

Reproductive Biology Of Hybopsis Amblops, The Bigeye Chub, In The Flint River Of Alabama, Crissy L. Tarver, Bruce W. Stallsmith

Southeastern Fishes Council Proceedings

The purpose of this study was to establish a reproductive schedule and examine reproductive traits that shape fecundity of the Bigeye Chub, Hybopsis amblops Leuciscidae in the Flint River system of north Alabama. Traits associated with reproduction, growth, and maturation were assessed. Specimens were collected and examined monthly from August, 2013 until July, 2014. This Bigeye Chub population primarily spawns in April and May as indicated by gonadosomatic index (GSI), ovarian condition and clutch size. Mean GSI values began to rise in February, peaking in April and May at over 13% for females and 1.6% for males. There was a …

First Arkansas Records Of The True Bugs Lasiochilus Hirtellus (Hemiptera: Heteroptera: Lasiochilidae) And Physopleurella Mundula (Anthocoridae)., S. W. Chordas Iii, R. Tumlison

Journal of the Arkansas Academy of Science

We report 2 uncommon species of true bugs (Hemiptera: Heteroptera), Lasiochilus hirtellus (Lasiochilidae) and Physopleurella mundula (Anthocoridae), for the first time from Arkansas. This includes the first report of the family Lasiochilidae for Arkansas. Both species were captured in UV light traps set in Clark County. We discuss identification, provide digital images of the voucher specimens and include updated distribution maps (north of Mexico) for both species. With the addition of these 2 species, there are now a total of 7 anthocorid species, among the 3 bug families Lasiochilidae, Anthocoridae and Lytocoridae, known for Arkansas.

Animal Taxa Threatened By Adverse Fire Regimes In Western Australia: A Synthesis And Outlook, Tim S. Doherty, Mark G. Allen, Karlene Bain, Stephen Beatty, Allan H. Burbidge, Renee A. Catullo, Sarah Comer, Ben Corey, Saul J. Cowen, Robert A. Davis, Martin A. Dziminski, J. Anthony Friend, Bruce Greatwich, Mark S. Harvey, Hannah Killian, Michael E. Klunzinger, Damian C. Lettoof, Nicola J. Mitchell, Melinda Moir, Harry A. Moore, David L. Morgan, Ian J. Radford, Michael J. Rix, Tom Vigilante, Adrian F. Wayne, Corey Whisson, Nicole Willers, Matthew R. Williams

Natural Resources Research Articles

Adverse fire regimes threaten biodiversity, potentially leading to population declines and increased extinction risk. Understanding how varying fire regimes affect threatened species is essential for effective ecosystem management, including in Western Australia where diverse ecosystems are exposed to wildfires, Indigenous burning, and prescribed fire. We compiled and synthesised data on the threat of adverse fire regimes to threatened animal taxa in Western Australia. Using a threat classification scheme, we ranked adverse fire regimes as having either no, low, medium, high, or unknown impact on each taxon. A total of 212 taxa were reviewed, 153 (72%) of which are considered fire-threatened: …

Metacommunity Coupled Epidemiological And Biophysical Modeling Of An Emergent Coral Disease, Benjamin Holmes Farmer

LSU Doctoral Dissertations

Emerging infectious diseases pose imminent risk to the marine realm and coral reefs in particular. Since its emergence in 2014, stony coral tissue loss disease (SCTLD) has dramatically reduced living coral cover in Florida and charted a similar course in the Caribbean. SCTLD is by far the most severe coral disease in history and has driven highly susceptible species to local extinction, yet the mechanisms driving the regional epizootic are not well understood. Here, we developed reef-scale parameterizations of disease spread using model sites in the lower Florida Keys, developed extensive metacommunity habitat maps for the US Caribbean, and then …

Dna Of Leadership To Guide Our Existential Purposes Toward Kindness, Hakan Kapucu

The Journal of Values-Based Leadership

This article examines the intersection of leadership and humanity’s quest for existential purpose, highlighting the role of human values such as kindness, empathy, respect, and ethics in guiding individuals toward meaning. It examines how existential purposes—shaped by philosophical, spiritual, social, and scientific perspectives—align with values that foster personal fulfillment and collective well-being. The article highlights the potential of leaders to address existential struggles, such as the dread of insignificance or isolation, by creating purpose-driven workplaces. Two leadership styles, servant leadership and technoversal leadership, are presented as exemplary models. Servant leadership prioritizes community, fostering environments where individuals discover purpose through shared …

Relationship Between Ratio Of Hybrid Sunfish To Their Parent Species And Latitude, Maxwell Kattner

Journal of Earth and Life Science

Hybrid sunfish of the Lepomis genus make up a generally small but notable portion of the population of sunfish in Minnesota lakes. Hybrid sunfish play a significant role in freshwater ecosystems across the United States. They are both morphologically and behaviorally distinct in some ways and similar in other ways to their parent species, causing them to both fill and compete with their parent species for niches occupied by multiple Lepomis species. Despite this, the ratio of hybrid sunfish to their parent species has never been properly explored. This study observed if the ratio of hybrid sunfish to their parent …

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 …

New Fossil Mygalomorph Spiders (?Idiopidae, Pycnothelidae) From The Lower Cretaceous Crato Formation Of Brazil, Elis Maria Gomes Santana

Graduate Theses, Dissertations, and Problem Reports (ETD)

The infraorder Mygalomorphae represents one of the earliest-diverging lineages of spiders, but its fossil record remains sparse relative to the modern diversity of the group. This is a reflection of both ecological and preservational biases, such as the predominantly fossorial habits of many mygalomorphs and the strong bias of the spider fossil record toward amber deposits. Compression fossils from rock deposits are therefore especially important for documenting the evolutionary history of the group. Here, two new mygalomorph fossils from the Lower Cretaceous Crato Formation, Araripe Basin (Brazil) are described. The first specimen is tentatively referred to ?Idiopidae based on male …

Dna Barcoding Complements Citizen Science Identifications In An Arthropod Survey At Governors Island, New York, Malky Gestetner

Dissertations and Theses

Arthropods are declining worldwide, threatened by habitat loss, climate change, and growing urbanization. Efforts to monitor arthropod biodiversity are crucial for conservation policies and for maintaining the ecosystem services provided by these animals in urban environments. Surveys of arthropods have been attempted in many New York neighborhoods, but no formal assessment has been conducted on Governors Island, which harbors 72-acres of parkland within a short boat ride away from Manhattan. This is a deficiency which this study helps to address. Following student-led collection efforts within four Governors Island sites, DNA barcoding was employed to complement specimen identification based on morphology …

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 …

Rewwild: Reimagining Environmental And Wildlife Wellbeing Through Innovative Lawn Design, Morgan J. Sandau, Maiya G. Roelen, Katia E. Chavez, Lydia K. Niedermeyer

Undergraduate Theses, Professional Papers, and Capstone Artifacts

Manicured, monoculture lawns often dominate private land in urban areas for aesthetic organization. Colonialist roots are embedded in the history of turfgrass lawns and white-picket fences intended to suppress Indigenous knowledge and ways of caring for the diverse land around us. Private land misuse and homogenous lawns are not limited to the United States; the modern lawn contributes to biodiversity loss on a global scale. Humans are concentrated in cities across the world, and urban areas are known to have negative implications for wildlife and habitat, human health, and sustainable resource use. Management of private land in urban settings is …

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 …

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, …

Water Mass Dynamics Drive Nitrogen Fixation Rates And Diazotroph Community Composition In The Coastal Region, Katherine E. Crider, Corday R. Selden, Kimberly Powell, Sing-How Tuo, Michael Muglia, Patterson Taylor, Margaret R. Mulholland, P. Dreux Chappell

OES Faculty Publications

Although significant N₂ fixation rates (NFRs) have been observed throughout mid-Atlantic coastal waters, studies have been limited in their temporal coverage, and the methods used to detect nitrogen fixers (diazotrophs) and their findings have varied. This study investigated NFRs and diazotroph communities in a dynamic coastal setting between Nags Head and Pea Island, North Carolina, USA, during a monthly time series from June 2019 to August 2020, and an August 2019 cruise. We observed movement of the Cape Hatteras Front and distinct NFRs and diazotroph communities in the Mid-Atlantic Bight, South-Atlantic Bight, Chesapeake Bay and Oregon Inlet plume waters, and …

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 …

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 …

Data From: Mass Mortality Of Avian Migrants In New Mexico, Usa, That Coincided With An Extreme Weather Event, Dylan M. Osterhaus, Allison J. Salas, Patricia L. Cutler, Mara E. Weisenberger, Kerry Mower, Abigail J. Lawon, Timothy F. Wright, Jeanne M. Fair, Martha J. Desmond

Fish, Wildlife, & Conservation Ecology: Datasets

No abstract provided.

A Study Of Adaptive Reuse Of A Decommissioned Golf Course Through A Nature-Based Approach: Woodhaven Golf Course, Fort Wort Texas., Justin B. Watson Mr.

Landscape Architecture Masters & Design Theses

Across the nation, golf courses are shutting down due to a lack of demand. Golf course developments began in the United States in the early 1950s During that era, demand for golf courses and housing was high. As golf’s popularity grew, developers saw golf courses in developments as high value-add amenities (Grooms, 2010). During the late 1990s and early 2000s, developers across the country raced to construct as many golf course communities as they could even as the number of golfers leveled out (Downey,2011).

Decommissioned golf courses across Texas are being underutilized as potential amenities for both the local community …

Assessing Urban–Rural Differences In Largemouth Bass Abundance In Minnesota, Jonathan Gates

Journal of Earth and Life Science

Urbanization can significantly alter freshwater ecosystems and influence sport fish populations. This study examined differences in largemouth bass Micropterus nigricans catch-per-unit-effort (CPUE) between urban and rural lakes in Minnesota and evaluated temporal changes between 2000–2010 and 2011–2021. Forty lakes (20 urban, 20 rural) were selected using Minnesota Department of Natural Resources fisheries survey data. Lakes were classified using NLCD 2019 land cover data, with ≥10% developed land designated as urban. Nonparametric analyses (Wilcoxon rank-sum and signed-rank tests) were used to assess spatial and temporal differences in CPUE. Results showed that rural lakes had consistently higher median CPUE than urban lakes …

Neonicotinoid Bioaccumulation In Bluegill And Bullhead Within Lake Julia And Lake Zumwalde, Jake Stuber

Journal of Earth and Life Science

Brown Bullhead Ameiurus nebulosus, Yellow Bullhead Ameiurus natalis, and Bluegill Lepomis macrochirus are unique in their stark differences. Bullhead are scaleless bottom feeders that can tolerate high pollution and low O₂ conditions. In contrast, Bluegill are scaled, aggressive nesters and are less tolerant of high pollutants or low-oxygen conditions. Among these pollutants include a class of chemicals called neonicotinoids (hereafter referred to as neonics). Neonics are a class of insecticides primarily used within agriculture and pest management. Due to the effectiveness, application has escalated on a global scale. They have been well documented by many toxicology assessments. …

Indigenous Land Seizure & Environmental Injustice: Impacts Of Settler Colonialism, Lydia Moorman

Journal of Earth and Life Science

The fields of conservation and environmentalism prioritize ecosystem health, yet both emerged from western frameworks that displaced and criminalized Indigenous land stewardship. The idealization of “pristine wilderness” narratives served to justify the removal of Indigenous peoples from their homelands and erased millennia of sustainable land stewardship that had maintained ecological balance long before western conservation existed. These narratives not only misrepresented Indigenous relationship with land but also constructed a false dichotomy between humans and nature that positioned Indigenous presence as a threat rather than a source of ecological knowledge. Simultaneously, anthropogenic expansion; such as pipelines, mining, railroads, and other extractive …

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 …