Factors Influencing Aquatic Invertebrate Diversity In Mine Pit Lakes Along The Mesabi Iron Range, Jeremy Laurich

Journal of Earth and Life Science

Restoration of mine pit lakes for recreation is going to be very important for the future of Minnesota’s Mesabi Iron Range area. As many as 250 lakes will need to be restored in the future along this 100-kilometer-long swath of mining country. Information regarding the organisms that currently inhabit these lakes is important for future restorations to be a success. The focus of this study was to identify the types of aquatic invertebrates present in pit lakes and to identify some of the factors that influence their abundance and diversity. During this study, invertebrate samples were taken along the shore …

Is There A Relationship Between Aquatic Vegetation And Amphipod Stocking Mortality?, Alaina Taylor

Journal of Earth and Life Science

Amphipod occurrence and abundance has declined in the Prairie Pothole Region (PPR). Wildlife managers have stocked prairie pothole wetlands with Gammarus lacustris since 2018 to establish self-sustaining populations. G. lacustris have been detected in only 2 of 22 stocked basins, suggesting that they have died or failed to reproduce in most stocking attempts. Aquatic plant surveys were conducted in stocked wetlands and compared to data from surveys of wetlands with naturally occurring populations to understand if G. lacustris would be expected to survive in stocked wetlands based on characteristics of the aquatic vegetation communities. SAV coverage was significantly higher in …

Predicting Total Length Of Fish In Minnesota Lakes Using Bony Structure Dimensions, Jay Holland

Journal of Earth and Life Science

This study seeks to establish a relationship between a fish’s total length to the size of various bony structures of prey fishes. Three important prey fish species in Minnesota were selected for examination in this study, including Black Crappie Pomoxis nigromaculatus, Bluegill Lepomis macrochirus, and Yellow Perch Perca flavescens. Length and weight dimensions of each fish’s otoliths, cleithra, and vertebrae were associated to total lengths of the fish they came from. In many dietary studies, the need for these relationships is strongly related to the disfigurement or degradation of prey fish in stomach samples. With accurate enough regression equations, researchers …

Abiotic Factors Effect On Summertime Fish Sampling, Kyle Oxley

Journal of Earth and Life Science

Fish surveys are vital in understanding various information about a fishery. Surveys lay the groundwork to how an agency views the status of the fishery, are used to set appropriate regulations, and manage stocking. Understanding which areas of a fishery holds the greatest density of fish is key to achieving the most accurate sample that reflects the fishery. The objective of this study was to track fish densities throughout the summer of 2021 and establish if there is a relationship between high fish density locations and specific water column characteristics. Fish density, temperature, and dissolved oxygen were measured bimonthly at …

Burbot Post-Spawn Diet, Madison Gibson

Journal of Earth and Life Science

Burbots have become an increasingly popular game fish among anglers and have become a strong predator within the systems, consuming a wide variety of organisms. Therefore, the objective of this study was to compare male and female burbots diets post-spawn in a system. Burbots angled from Bad Medicine Lake were sacrificed and the stomach contents were observed, categorized by the lowest taxonomic key, and then weighed in grams. Percent by weight was calculated for each category of organisms and presented in a pie charts. In all three analyses, crustaceans were the main source of the diet structure at more than …

Exploring The Genetic Variability Of Zebra Mussels Dreisenna Polymoprha, Maxwell Carr

Journal of Earth and Life Science

Zebra Mussels Dreisenna polymorpha are one of the most well-known invasive species here in the United States. This species can take over watersheds very quickly, causing damage to both the ecosystem and man-made structures. The basic physical behavior of this species has been well documented, but the invasive North American Zebra Mussel is much more aggressive and therefore causes more damage in the Great Lakes region compared to its native waters. Genetic variation may be playing a very large role in how and why D. polymorpha is causing such large problems for stakeholders in the United States. This review cites …

Effectiveness Of Endothall Treatment In Reducing Potamogeton Crispus In Lake Julia, Jake Sorensen

Journal of Earth and Life Science

Curly leaf pondweed Potamogeton crispus, is a submerged aquatic plant non-native to North America. It was most likely introduced when common carp Cyprinus carpio were intentionally brought to the Midwest. Endothall is an aquatic herbicide commonly used to control curlyleaf pondweed in lakes. This study focused on collecting data from Lake Julia in Sherburne County, MN. Lake Julia is treated annually in the spring to control curlyleaf pondweed. The results show treatment areas saw a significant increase in vegetation density compared to control areas (P < 0.01). Changes in percent vegetation coverage by date were insignificant (P = 0.24). No significant signs of fish kills were observed. Because this study looked at overall vegetation coverage instead of specifically curlyleaf pondweed, we cannot conclude the increase in vegetation coverage was from curlyleaf pondweed alone. Based on the results from Poovey et al. (2002) we would expect lower vegetation coverage in treatment areas instead of the increased vegetation coverage observed in our study. This suggests the possibility that the endothall treatment successfully killed curlyleaf pondweed in treated areas, which allowed for new growth of submerged aquatic plants to take place as water temperatures increased.

Change In The Behaviors And Spatial Use Of Canada Lynx (Lynx Canadensis) Over Time At John Ball Zoo, Hailee Cederquist

Student Summer Scholars Manuscripts

Felines are popular attractions at zoos across the country, even more so when young animals are involved. As such caretakers strive to ensure that their animal’s needs are met, and individuals display healthy behaviors and activity levels in comparison to their wild counterparts (Mcphee & Carlstead, 2010). However, cats, being wide-ranging carnivores, are known to be prone to stereotypical behaviors which can be detrimental to an animal’s health (Clubb & Mason, 2003). At John Ball Zoo in Grand Rapids, Michigan, we observed the behaviors and spatial use of 3 Canada lynx (Lynx canadensis) during the summer of 2020; an adult …

Solifuge (Camel Spider) Reproductive Biology: An Untapped Taxon For Exploring Sexual Selection, Alfredo V. Peretti, David E. Vrech, Eileen Hebets

Eileen Hebets Publications

The exploration of new and diverse animal groups in the study of sexual selection is both necessary and important to help better understand broad patterns and test sexual selection hypotheses regarding the evolutionary origins and maintenance of reproductive tactics and associated traits. Solifuges are, in this matter, an exceptional group and very little explored from the sexual selection point of view. At first glance, mating is apparently quite simple and conserved within this arachnid order, but solifuge reproductive behavior is unique among arachnids and more diverse than previously thought. In particular, these voracious animals appear to exhibit high sexual conflict, …

Spiders (Araneae) Collected As Prey By The Mud-Dauber Wasps Sceliphron Caementarium And Chalybion Californicum (Hymenoptera: Sphecidae) In Southeastern Nebraska1, Tyler B. Corey, Earl Agpawa, Eileen Hebets

Eileen Hebets Publications

Predator diets represent a potential interaction between local prey availability, prey antipredator defenses, and predator foraging behavior. Female spider-specialist muddauber wasps (Hymenoptera: Sphecidae) collect spiders and provision them intact, but paralyzed, to their developing larvae, providing a unique means of quantifying the diversity and abundance of prey that they capture. Mud-dauber wasps are hypothesized to be a major source of selection on antipredator defenses in web-building spiders, and the spiny and thickened abdomens of female spiny orb-weaving spiders (Araneae: Araneidae) are hypothesized to function as antiwasp defenses. We inventoried spider prey from nests of the mud-dauber wasps Sceliphron caementarium (Drury) …

Polar Bear Behavior: Morphologic And Physiologic Adaptations, John P. Whiteman

Biological Sciences Faculty Publications

Polar bears possess morphologic and physiologic characteristics that reflect their terrestrial lineage as members of the bear family (Ursidae) as well as adaptations to the Arctic marine environment. Among marine mammals, they are the least adapted for aquatic life. They exhibit substantial seasonality in body mass, body condition, and many physiological functions, reflecting the annual cycle of both their Arctic sea ice habitat and the availability of their main prey, ringed seals. This hypercarnivorous diet has likely influenced the polar bear’s craniodental morphology and nutritional physiology. Similar to other marine mammal predators, polar bears exhibit a relatively high resting metabolic …

Searching For Gold: Using A Novel Land Cover Classification To Identify Multiscale Drivers Of Site Occupancy By A Flagship Species For Early-Successional Habitat Conservation, Baron Lin

Theses and Dissertations

Understanding habitat selection at multiple scales is an important step in guiding conservation programs and reversing species declines. This, however, is difficult for species that occupy early-successional habitats (ESH) due to a lack of accurate representation of shrub cover in publicly available land cover data. The Golden-winged Warbler (Vermivora chrysoptera; GWWA) is a threatened species of conservation concern and a flagship for ESH conservation. We used a novel, LIDAR-derived land cover classification that accurately identifies shrubs at a fine resolution (1m) to investigate how habitat composition and configuration influence GWWA site occupancy. We aggregated this same land cover …

A Decision Tool To Identify Population Management Strategies For Common Ravens And Other Avian Predators, Andrea F. Currylow, Brenda J. Hanley, Kerry L. Holcomb, Timothy Shields, Stephen Boland, William I. Boarman, Mercy Vaughn

Human–Wildlife Interactions

Some avian species have developed the capacity to leverage resource subsidies associated with human manipulated landscapes to increase population densities in habitats with naturally low carrying capacities. Elevated corvid densities and new territory establishment have led to an unsustainable increase in depredation pressure on sympatric native wildlife prey populations as well as in crop damage. Yet, subsidized predator removal programs aimed at reducing densities are likely most effective longer-term when conducted in tandem with subsidy control, habitat management, and robust assessment monitoring programs. We developed decision support software that leverages stage structured Lefkovitch population matrices to compare and identify treatment …

Predation Threat In A Variable Landscape: Connecting Predation Risk To Nesting Success For The Seaside Sparrow (Ammospiza Maritima Macgilivraii), Corina D. Newsome

College of Graduate Studies: Theses & Dissertations

Predation, the leading cause of nest-failure in birds, not only exists as a direct threat to nesting success, but may exacerbate other sources of nest mortality. Birds inhabiting Atlantic coastal marshes, such as Seaside Sparrows (Ammospiza maritima; hereafter SESP), are experiencing significant and rapid changes to their habitat, particularly sea level rise (SLR) and encroaching urbanization, that may affect the relative influence of nest predation on overall productivity. For SESPs, SLR presents an inherent threat to nest success in its potential to increase the frequency of nest flooding. In addition to this direct threat, the ability of SESPs …

Inter- And Intra-Annual Effects Of Lethal Removal On Common Raven Abundance In Nevada And California, Usa, Shawn T. O'Neil, Peter S. Coates, Julia C. Brockman, Pat J. Jackson, Jack O. Spencer Jr., Perry J. Williams

Human–Wildlife Interactions

Populations of common ravens (Corvus corax; ravens) have increased rapidly within sagebrush (Artemisia spp.) ecosystems between 1960 and 2020. Although ravens are native to North America, their population densities have expanded to levels that negatively influence the population dynamics of other wildlife species of conservation concern, such as greater sage-grouse (Centrocercus urophasianus) and desert tortoises (Gopherus agassizii). For this reason, lethal removal, such as the application of the avicide DRC-1339, has been used to manage raven numbers at local scales and under certain circumstances. Because the relative effectiveness of DRC-1339 in reducing raven …

Incorporation Of Summer Annual Mixtures Into Grazing Systems In Kentucky, Kelly Marie Mercier

Theses and Dissertations--Plant and Soil Sciences

Utilizing summer annual grass-legume forage mixtures has the potential to improve forage yield and nutritive characteristics, and/or animal performance during times when cool-season pasture growth is limited by high temperatures. Legumes can utilize atmospheric nitrogen, which can increase crude protein and forage digestibility in mixtures. As nitrogen application generally improves both the yield and nutritive characteristics of summer annual forages, but can have a negative effect on legume competitiveness, nitrogen fertilizer recommendations for legume-containing summer annual mixtures are not well established.

Two experiments were conducted to determine the feasibility of utilizing summer annual mixtures in Kentucky, USA. The first experiment …

Geometric Morphometric Analyses Define Riverine And Lacustrine Species Flocks Of Himalayan Snowtrout (Cyprinidae: Schizothorax) In Nepal, Binod Regmi, Marlis R. Douglas, David R. Edds, Michael E. Douglas

Biological Sciences Faculty Publications and Presentations

Freshwater fishes in the river and lake systems in the Himalayas and Tibetan Plateau are morphologically diverged but the evolutionary relationship of putative subspecies separated in these freshwater systems has not been explored. Snowtrout (Schizothorax spp.) are minnows (Cyprinidae) broadly distributed in Asia. Body shapes of 3 Lake Rara (northwest Nepal) endemics (S. macrophthalmus, S. nepalensis, S. raraensis) and 2 widely distributed riverine species (S. progastus, S. richardsonii) across 3 drainages in Nepal (i.e. Karnali, Gandaki, and Koshi Rivers) were studied using geometric morphometry. Data were derived from museum voucher specimens/tissues collected …

Documentation Of Atlantic Tarpon (Megalops Atlanticus) Space Use And Move Persistence In The Northern Gulf Of Mexico Facilitated By Angler Advocates, J. Marcus Drymon, Matthew B. Jargowsky, Michael A. Dance, Mitchell Lovell, Crystal L. Hightower, Amanda E. Jefferson, Andrea M. Kroetz, Sean P. Powers

University Faculty and Staff Publications

Atlantic tarpon (Megalops atlanticus, hereafter tarpon) are facing a multitude of stressors and are considered Vulnerable by the IUCN; however, significant gaps remain in our understanding of tarpon space use and movement. From 2018 to 2019, citizen scientists facilitated tagging of 23 tarpon with SPOT tags to examine space use and movement across the northern Gulf of Mexico. Movement-based kernel densities were used to estimate simplified biased random bridge-based utilization distributions and a joint move persistence model was used to estimate a behavioral index for each fish. Tarpon showed consistent east–west movement from the Alabama/Florida border to Louisiana, and utilization …

Demography, Morphometrics, And Stomach Contents Of Common Ravens Examined As A Result Of Controlled Take, Corinne M. Gibble, Kriss K. Neuman, Jessie Beck

Human–Wildlife Interactions

Common ravens (Corvus corax; ravens) are known nest predators that have the ability to negatively impact nesting birds, including imperiled species of seabirds and shorebirds. We conducted systematic necropsies of ravens that were lethally controlled in Monterey Bay, California, USA during 2013–2015, in or near western snowy plover (Charadrius nivosus nivosus) nesting areas, in an effort to better understand body condition, overall health, and diet of individual ravens. Raven predation of snowy plover nests has increased over the years in the Monterey Bay study area, and lethal removal of ravens has been employed to reduce predation. …

A Reintroduction Retrospective: Comparative Fisher (Pekania Pennanti) Survival And Prey Habitat Use In The Cascade Mountains Of Washington State, Tanner S.T. Humphries

Graduate Student Theses, Dissertations, & Professional Papers

Increasing human impacts on biodiversity highlight the global need for ecological restoration. For many wildlife species, reintroduction is necessary to re-establish populations in parts of their historic range where they have been extirpated. Reintroduction efforts are commonly used to help restore ecosystem integrity, but are often expensive, time consuming, and unsuccessful at generating self-sustaining populations. Thus, a more complete understanding of the factors affecting restoration success is important for ensuring successful outcomes and responsible stewardship. Fishers (Pekania pennanti) are one of the most commonly reintroduced carnivores in North America, but the success of such efforts is highly variable, …

A Bioinformatic Analysis Of The Biosynthesis Of Carotenoids In The Copepod Tigriopus Californicus, Anchalya Balasubramaniam

Theses and Dissertations (Comprehensive)

Abstract

Biological pigments, also called biochromes, are coloured compounds which are displayed by a variety of life forms, including animals, due to selective colour absorption. The combination of light absorption and reflection enables each pigment to portray a distinct colour which results in the broad spectrum of colours we observe in our surroundings. Carotenoids are a large group of yellow, orange, and red biological pigments found in living organisms. Our current biomolecular knowledge of carotenoids is heavily derived from studying the pathway in photosynthetic prokaryotes, bacteria, fungi, and plants. Carotenoid pigments are exceptionally multifunctional as they act as photo-protectors against …

Wildlife Forage Recovery Following Boreal Wildfire, Alexis Jorgensen, Jennifer Baltzer

Theses and Dissertations (Comprehensive)

Climate change is altering the boreal wildfire regime through increases in the extent and severity of burning and reductions in fire return intervals. These changes can alter the regeneration trajectory of canopy species and ground vegetation, with implications for wildlife habitat. There is some uncertainty about the timelines of when different animal species will use burned areas as their preferred forage taxa recover following fire, and how such recovery is mediated by environmental factors. Here, we aim to address these knowledge gaps through the following questions: 1) What are the main forage types consumed by boreal wildlife and how much …

Assessing Pace-Of-Life: Comparing Metabolism And Behavior In Tarantulas, Haley Vanscoyoc

Master's Theses and Doctoral Dissertations

Pace-of-Life Syndrome (PoLS) links physiology, behavior, and life history to understand how an organism lives and is under-researched in many invertebrate groups. In this study I used five tarantula species to assess if they follow the predictions of PoLS. I compared individual species as well as Old- and New-World lineages and solitary and sub-social species. I predicted that Old- World and sub-social species would have higher resting metabolic rates (RMRs) and activity levels compared to New-World and solitary species. RMRs were measured using an open-flow respirometry system, and a classic open-arena test was used to assess activity level. Spearman’s correlation …

Global Extinction Risk For Seahorses, Pipefishes And Their Near Relatives (Syngnathiformes), Riley A. Pollom, Gina M. Ralph, Caroline M. Pollock, Amanda C.J. Vincent

Biological Sciences Faculty Publications

Few marine taxa have been comprehensively assessed for their conservation status, despite heavy pressures from fishing, habitat degradation and climate change. Here we report on the first global assessment of extinction risk for 300 species of syngnathiform fishes known as of 2017, using the IUCN Red List criteria. This order of bony teleosts is dominated by seahorses, pipefishes and seadragons (family Syngnathidae). It also includes trumpetfishes (Aulostomidae), shrimpfishes (Centriscidae), cornetfishes (Fistulariidae) and ghost pipefishes (Solenostomidae). At least 6% are threatened, but data suggest a mid-point estimate of 7.9% and an upper bound of 38%. Most of the threatened species are …

Effects Of Weather On Foraging Success And Hunting Frequency In Winter-Irruptive Snowy Owls (Bubo Scandiacus) In Upstate New York, Russell E. Winter, William M. Shields

Biological Sciences Faculty Publications

The effects of weather on an individual can often alter the population dynamics of a species. Knowledge of how weather influences individual behavior is therefore essential in understanding its full impact in the context of population ecology. Snowy Owls (Bubo scandiacus) exhibit expensive long-distance migrations in winters following population irruptions. During irruptive movements, many owls migrate past the southernmost extent of their traditional wintering grounds, the mechanism for which is still debated. We propose and test the “milder climate” hypothesis; Snowy Owls wintering in lower latitudes are better able to meet their metabolic demands due to higher temperatures …

Ogre-Faced, Net-Casting Spiders Use Auditory Cues To Detect Airborne Prey, Jay A. Stafstrom, Gil Menda, Eya I. Nitzany, Eileen A. Hebets, Ronald R. Hoy

Eileen Hebets Publications

Prey-capture behavior among spiders varies greatly from passive entrapment in webs to running down prey items on foot. Somewhere in the middle are the ogre-faced, net-casting spiders (Deinopidae: Deinopis) that actively capture prey while being suspended within a frame web. Using a net held between their front four legs, these spiders lunge downward to ensnare prey from off the ground beneath them. This “forward strike” is sensorially mediated by a massive pair of hypersensitive, night-vision eyes. Deinopids can also intercept flying insects with a “backward strike,” a ballistically rapid, overhead back-twist, that seems not to rely on visual cues. Past …

The Mayfly Newsletter, Donna Giberson

The Mayfly Newsletter

The Mayfly Newsletter is the official newsletter of the Permanent Committee of the International Conferences on Ephemeroptera.

Prevalence Of Snake Fungal Disease Caused By Ophidiomyces Ophiodiicola In East Texas, Alan Lizarraga

Biology Theses

Fungal pathogens and resultant disease are credited with the decline of many species across all branches of the tree of life. Fungal diseases such as Snake Fungal Disease (SFD), primarily caused by the fungus Ophidiomyces ophiodiicola (Oo), have been strongly associated with the cause of the decrease/disappearance of many snake populations in North America. To date SFD in the wild has been described as far southwest as central Louisiana. Due to similar conditions and the proximity of East Texas to central Louisiana, a survey of local snake populations provided crucial information about the spread and presence of this emerging pathogen. …

The Effect Of Concentrate Supplementation On Milk Production And Cow Traffic In Early And Late Lactation In A Pasture-Based Automatic Milking System, John Shortall, Cathriona Foley, Roy D. Sleator, Bernadette O'Brien

Department of Biological Sciences Publications

The objective of this experiment was to establish the effect of low-concentrate (LC) and high-concentrate (HC) supplementation in the early and late periods of lactation on milk production and cow traffic in a pasture-based automatic milking (AM) system. In total, 40 cows (10 primiparous and 30 multiparous) were randomly assigned to one of the two treatments. The experimental periods for the early and late lactation trials extended from 23 February to 12 April 2015 and 31 August to 18 October 2015, respectively (49 days in each trial period). The early lactation supplement levels were 2.3 and 4.4 kg/cow per day …

Ocean Acidification And Fish Respiration: A Study On The Anatomical, Physiological, And Behavioral Adaptations Of Fishes And Their Ability To Cope With Decreasing Seawater Ph, Mark P. Rogers

All HCAS Student Capstones, Theses, and Dissertations

Abstract

Fish stocks across the globe are increasingly being relied upon to supply the ever-growing human population with high quality protein and other nutrients. In addition to fishing pressure, stressors brought on by climate changes, including ocean acidification and hypoxic conditions, have the potential for providing substantial negative impacts on the efficiency of fish respiration, internal acid-base balance, and energy budgets. To meaningfully integrate the potential impacts of ocean acidification on fishes into management practices it is important to study the anatomical, physiological, and behavioral adaptations that enable fish to cope with decreasing seawater pH and how those mechanisms might …