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Articles 1 - 5 of 5
Full-Text Articles in Biology
Effects Of Hemiparasites In Grassland Restorations Are Not Universal, Anna Scheidel, Victoria Borowicz
Effects Of Hemiparasites In Grassland Restorations Are Not Universal, Anna Scheidel, Victoria Borowicz
Faculty Publications – Biological Sciences
Root hemiparasites infiltrate the vascular tissue of host roots to acquire water and nutrients, which often reduces host growth. Hemiparasites are postulated to be keystone species in grassland communities if they suppress dominant species and increase plant community biodiversity, and ecosystem engineers if they increase nutrient accessibility for surrounding species. We examined keystone effects by evaluating species richness and evenness in 1 m2 plots in a recent prairie restoration where Castilleja sessiliflora was naturally present or absent, and in a longer-established prairie restoration with or without Pedicularis canadensis. We examined ecosystem engineer effects by determining nitrate and phosphate concentrations …
How Within-Host Priority Effects Between Specialist And Generalist Pathogens Affect Disease Risk, Jing Jiao, Michael H. Cortez
How Within-Host Priority Effects Between Specialist And Generalist Pathogens Affect Disease Risk, Jing Jiao, Michael H. Cortez
Annual Symposium on Biomathematics and Ecology Education and Research
No abstract provided.
Determination Of The Summer Origins Of American Kestrels ( Falco Sparverius ) Wintering In Northern And Central Illinois, Taylor P. Joray
Determination Of The Summer Origins Of American Kestrels ( Falco Sparverius ) Wintering In Northern And Central Illinois, Taylor P. Joray
Theses and Dissertations
The seasonal and interannual movements of the American Kestrel (Falco sparverius) are not fully understood. Although one of the most widespread and abundant raptors found in North America, information on where many populations summer and overwinter is lacking. We used stable hydrogen isotope values obtained from feathers (δ2Hf) of known origin to create age-specific calibration functions for juvenile and adult American Kestrels. We then used these calibration functions to determine the most likely summer origins of the American Kestrels that wintered in northern and central Illinois during 2015-16, classified these individuals as year-round residents or wintering migrants, and validated these …
Takeover On The Tallgrass Prairie: How Lespedeza Cuneata Establishes Dominance, Morgan Rae Walder
Takeover On The Tallgrass Prairie: How Lespedeza Cuneata Establishes Dominance, Morgan Rae Walder
Theses and Dissertations
Invasion ecology aims to study mechanisms by which invasive species are able to enter, establish, and spread within an ecosystem. This study analyzed Darwin’s naturalization and the biotic resistance hypotheses as the most likely explanations for invasion by an exotic legume, Lespedeza cuneata, into a tallgrass prairie. Darwin’s naturalization hypothesis posits that exotic species are less able to establish in communities that have related species, because similarity in morphology and function promotes intense competition for resources. The biotic resistance hypothesis states that competitors, herbivores, and pathogens already present in the community limit the colonization, naturalization, and persistence of invaders, therefore …
Using Deuterium And Garp To Estimate Geographic Extents Of Source Populations Of Hoary ( Lasiurus Cinereus ) And Eastern Red ( Lasiurus Borealis ) Bats Killed At A Central Illinois Wind Facility, Rachael Anne Van Essen
Using Deuterium And Garp To Estimate Geographic Extents Of Source Populations Of Hoary ( Lasiurus Cinereus ) And Eastern Red ( Lasiurus Borealis ) Bats Killed At A Central Illinois Wind Facility, Rachael Anne Van Essen
Theses and Dissertations
High bat mortality at wind energy facilities is a widely cited conservation issue, but the population-level impacts are not understood. In Illinois, the main species affected are migratory tree bats like the Hoary (Lasiurus cinereus) and Eastern Red (Lasiurus borealis).This research used deuterium isotope analysis of hair combined with ecological niche modeling (GARP: Genetic Algorithm for Rule-set Prediction) in a novel way to map the geographic extents of Hoary and Eastern Red bat specimens salvaged at a single central Illinois wind facility from 2008-2010. Hair was chosen after determining that the claw is currently a problematic tissue due to a …