Biology Commons^™

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 …

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 …

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 …

Creating A Georgia Southern Spider Collection: Can Dna Barcoding Help?, Guy B. Hobbs

College of Graduate Studies: Theses & Dissertations

With over 280 spider (Araneae) species recorded within the State of Georgia, USA, the need for a well-documented natural history collection with a usable voucher system is critical to continually assess spider diversity and their future ecological impact in this region. Spider identification can be daunting for the inexperienced taxonomist; it is time consuming and sometimes requires destructive procedures. Previous works have successfully used an alternative method, DNA barcoding, to correctly identify spider species while preserving their morphology. This study set forth to create the core of a well-documented spider collection within Georgia Southern University’s Institute for Coastal Plain Science …

Lichens And Biofilms: Common Collective Growth Imparts Similar Developmental Strategies, Erin C. Carr, Steven D. Harris, Joshua R. Herr, Wayne Riekhof

Department of Plant Pathology: Faculty Publications

Lichens are traditionally defined as a symbiotic relationship between fungi and algae and/or cyanobacteria. This union forms a unique structure called the thallus, which attaches to surfaces such as rocks and tree bark. Recent reports challenge the view that lichens are comprised of one fungus and one photobiont, and instead suggest that they are a consortium of microbes. Much of lichen biology remains unknown as most of our knowledge of lichens is limited to morphological characteristics with little to no functional analysis of lichen genes. However, lichens and biofilms share many similar physiological traits which when compared may assist in …

Monitoring Relationships Between Corticosterone And Snake Fungal Disease In Timber Rattlesnakes (Crotalus Horridus) In Western Kentucky, John Bromley Hewlett

Murray State Theses and Dissertations

Over the past four decades, emergent fungal diseases have been the most devastating relative to species declines and extinctions. While most research has focused on fungal diseases affecting amphibians and bats, less has focused on diseases like snake fungal disease (SFD), caused by Ophidiomyces ophiodiicola (Oo). SFD was first described in 2006 in North America within a Timber rattlesnake (Crotalus horridus) population in New Hampshire. Since then SFD has been documented in 19 US states, one US territory (Puerto Rico), and Europe. SFD causes high mortality in some species, including the Eastern Massasauga rattlesnakes (Sistrurus …

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 …

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, …

Comparison Of Standard And Environmental Dna Methods For Estimating Chinook Salmon Smolt Abundance In The Klamath River, California, Doyle Joseph Coyne

Cal Poly Humboldt theses and projects

Evaluating abundance of juvenile salmonids is critical to conservation and management. Current abundance estimation involves use of rotary screw traps and mark-recapture studies. Use of environmental DNA (eDNA) in water samples offers a noninvasive and less expensive approach that may potentially improve or eventually replace traditional monitoring. Here I evaluate the utility of eDNA to predict weekly abundance estimates of outmigrating Chinook salmon (Oncorhynchus tshawytscha) smolts in the Klamath River, California. A total of 15 water samples were collected per week over the 17-week smolt outmigration in both 2019 and 2020. Chinook salmon eDNA concentration in each water …

Diagnosis And Distribution Of Florida Sand Darter, Ammocrypta Bifascia (Teleostei; Percidae), In The Flint River, Georgia, Camm C. Swift, Gregory R. Moyer, Christine E. Fallon, Brett Albanese

Southeastern Fishes Council Proceedings

Abstract: In 2013, we observed the presence of an undocumented Ammocrypta species in the lower Flint River, Georgia. The occurrence represents the first record of the genus in Georgia. Subsequent surveys at 24 sites, using seining or snorkeling, documented additional specimens from mainstem sites (n = 3) between Albany and Bainbridge and from Ichawaynochaway Creek (n = 5 sites), a large tributary to the Flint River. We used morphological and genetic data to identify specimens to species. Morphological examination included 23 morphometric and 8 meristic characters from fifteen specimens that were compared to specimens from Williams (1975). For genetic analyses, …

George Argus’S List Of Salix References, Yulia Kuzovkina-Eischen

Plant Science Articles

This bibliographical list, containing more than 3600 publications related to the genus Salix, was compiled by Dr. Argus during his long scientific career.

A Hydrodynamics Assessment Of The Hammerhead Shark Cephalofoil, Matthew K. Gaylord, Eric L. Blades, Glenn Parsons

Faculty and Student Publications

© 2020, The Author(s). Hammerhead sharks are characterized by a conspicuous lateral expansion of the head forming a structure known as a cephalofoil. Two theories regarding the function of this structure suggest that it may increase maneuverability as well as produce dynamic lift similar to a cambered airplane wing. Here we report on a family-wide computational fluid dynamics analysis of all eight hammerhead shark species and three sharks with typical head shape. Models cast of the heads of fresh and museum specimens of hammerhead and typical sharks were used to produce pressure surface maps and lift and drag polar diagrams …

Biodiversity And Ecology Of Lichens Of Kenai Fjords National Park, Alaska, Roger Rosentreter

Biology Faculty Publications and Presentations

We inventoried lichens in Kenai Fjords National Park in Alaska, USA We assembled the known information on occurrence and ecology of lichens in this park by combining field, herbarium, and literature studies. Our results provide baseline data on lichen occurrence that may be used in resource condition assessments, vulnerability assessments, long-term ecological monitoring, and resource management. We report a total of 616 taxa of lichenized fungi from the Park, plus an additional five subspecies and three varieties, all of which are new additions to the National Park Service database for this park unit. An additional five species of nonlichenized lichenicolous …

Drivers Of Decadal Vegetation Change In Northern Alaska, Jacob Allen Harris

Masters Theses

The Arctic is experiencing rapid climate change. This research documents vegetation change near Atqasuk and Utqiaġvik, Alaska. At each location, 30 plots distributed in a matrix across the landscape, were sampled annually from 2010 to 2019 using a point frame. For every encounter we recorded the height and classified it into eight broad functional groups (deciduous shrubs, evergreen shrubs, forbs, graminoids, bryophytes, lichens, litter and standing dead vegetation); for vascular plants we also identified the species. We found a consistent increase in plant stature and cover over time which was dramatic at Atqasuk. Graminoid cover and height increased at both …

Spatial Use By Mammals Within Two State Parks In The Ozarks National Scenic Riverways, Benjamin Aaron Smith

Graduate Theses/Dissertations

A mammalian species inventory with comparisons between sampled sites was conducted via multiple methodologies to document presence of mammals at two Missouri state parks within the Ozark National Scenic Riverways. Camera traps, small mammal traps, acoustic detectors, and mist nets were used to detect species at the parks, and species similarity indices and occupancy analyses were used to discern use of space. A mammalian inventory was compiled for each area of inquiry. Greater diversity was found at the park with more variable habitat types. Bat activity was more in the park with a known hibernaculum, though species specific activity differed …

Global Conservation Status Of Croaker And Drum (Family: Sciaenidae) And Role Of The Maw Trade, Claire E. Gorman

Biological Sciences Theses & Dissertations

Understanding threats and drivers of extinction risk is critical to conserving marine biodiversity. Although marine bony fishes are some of the most diverse and abundant vertebrates in the world, overexploitation is the major threat to these taxa. Species in the family Sciaenidae are important marine resources in many parts of the world, supporting small- and large-scale fisheries for consumption and the international maw (dried swimbladder) trade. Sciaenids exhibit a diverse array of life history characteristics, such as high fecundity, large body size, formation of spawning aggregations, and longevity. Some characteristics increase their susceptibility to anthropogenic stressors. Despite being ecologically and …

A Survey Of Leaf Venation In New Caledonian Syzygium (Myrtaceae), Jiawei Xu Montojo

Electronic Theses & Dissertations

New Caledonia is a globally recognized biodiversity ‘hotspot’ characterized by a rich flora and a large number of endemic species. Syzygium Gaertn., the largest genus of woody plants in the world, is common in New Caledonia with approximately 70 species. A comparative survey of leaf morphology and architectural traits among 27 species of New Caledonian Syzygium was conducted, focusing on leaf venation patterns. Separate and detailed descriptions of leaf morphology and leaf venation characters are provided for the species. In addition to morphological differences, this study found differences at the species level among characters such as the number of intramarginal …

Quantifying Structure And Variation In Complex Phylogenetic Data, Genevieve Geraldine Mount

LSU Doctoral Dissertations

Identifying the source and structure of variation in nature is crucial to understanding fundamental aspects of evolution. Despite a recent plethora of genetic and morphological data, many interesting questions about the relationships between different groups remain unresolved. My dissertation evaluates three approaches for identifying and quantifying the variation within phylogenetic datasets. Characterizing variation within datasets and across analytical methods gives insight into biologically interesting characters, unusual evolutionary processes, and areas for model improvement.

Network-based community detection approaches offer a powerful tool to describe variation in phylogenetic signal across the genome (i.e., gene tree variation). In Chapter 2, I investigate the …

Spatio-Temporal Dynamics Of Fungal Communities And Their Effects On Plants, Kel Cook

Biology ETDs

Fungi perform several critical functions in the environment. Spatiotemporal distributions of fungal communities will mediate when and where these functions happen and how they vary across the landscape. I first explored tropical tree canopy fungal community variation at small spatial scales and documented near total turnover of fungi across sub-meter distances and among adjacent substrates. The second chapter analyzed fungal turnover over the course of three years, where community stability was driven primarily by abundant fungi. In the third chapter, I tested effects of the environment, including host plant and habitat, on canopy fungal communities and found only small effects, …

Inoculum Potential Of Pinus Edulis-Associated Ectomycorrhizal Fungi Across A Forest Extirpation Chronosequence, Annie M. Montes

Biology ETDs

Few studies have examined inoculum potential of ectomycorrhizal fungi (EMF) in the absence of plant hosts, yet persistence of these fungi may be paramount to resilience of Pinus edulis and other mycorrhizal plant species. We conducted a study in which seven sites were selected in northwestern New Mexico with known dates of P. edulis extirpation and a lack of regeneration. Age classes included: two sites extirpated 10-20 years ago, two extirpated 55-65 years ago, two extirpated 500+ years ago, and one extirpated 11,000+ years ago. At each site, two plots were paired: an extirpated plot and the nearest live adult …

Aspergillus Niger Decreases Bioavailability Of Arsenic(V) Via Biotransformation Of Manganese Oxide Into Biogenic Oxalate Minerals, Bence Farkas, Marek Kolenčík, Miroslav Hain, Edmund Dobročka, Gabriela Kratošová, Marek Bujdoš, Huan Feng, Yang Deng, Qian Yu, Ramakanth Illa, B. Ratna Sunil, Hyunjung Kim, Peter Matúš, Martin Urík

Department of Earth and Environmental Studies Faculty Scholarship and Creative Works

The aim of this work was to evaluate the transformation of manganese oxide (hausmannite) by microscopic filamentous fungus Aspergillus niger and the effects of the transformation on mobility and bioavailability of arsenic. Our results showed that the A. niger strain CBS 140837 greatly affected the stability of hausmannite and induced its transformation into biogenic crystals of manganese oxalates—falottaite and lindbergite. The transformation was enabled by fungal acidolysis of hausmannite and subsequent release of manganese ions into the culture medium. While almost 45% of manganese was bioextracted, the arsenic content in manganese precipitates increased throughout the 25-day static cultivation of fungus. …

Contributions To The Knowledge Of Water Bugs In Mindoro Island, Philippines, With A Species Checklist Of Nepomorpha And Gerromorpha (Insecta, Hemiptera, Heteroptera), Arthien Lovell Pelingen, Herbert Zettel, Clister V. Pangantihon, Kyra Mari Dominique Aldaba, Earl Kevin Fatallo, Jemillie Madonna De Leon, Hendrik Freitag

Biology Faculty Publications

This survey aims to provide an updated species checklist of aquatic and semi-aquatic bugs in the intra-Philippine biogeographic Region of Mindoro. An assessment survey of water bugs (Hemiptera, Heteroptera) was conducted mostly by manual collection in selected areas of Oriental Mindoro from 2017 to 2018, in which some of the collecting activities were undertaken by graduate students of Ateneo de Manila University. Twenty-nine aquatic and semi-aquatic heteropteran species were documented and some are known island-endemic species or subspecies, including Enithares martini mindoroensis Nieser & Zettel, 1999, Hydrotrephes stereoides mindoroensis Zettel, 2003, Aphelocheirus freitagi Zettel & Pangantihon, 2010, Rhagovelia mindoroensis Zettel, …

Comparative Study Of The Rates Of Dispersal Of Triadica Sebifera (Chinese Tallow) And Imperata Cylindrica (Japanese Blood Grass) In North America, Jamie W. Dinella, Meem Noshin Nawal Khan

Student Publications

Chinese Tallow (Triadica sebifera) and Japanese Blood Grass (Imperata cylindrica) are two invasive species that wreck havoc on their invaded areas by reducing the biodiversity of their new environments. We studied the rate of dispersal of these two species in North America to determine which species spreads faster. We hypothesized that Chinese Tallow spreads faster than Japanese Blood Grass since Chinese Tallow was introduced in North America long before Japanese Blood Grass and has a greater number of seed dispersal methods (e.g. wind, water, bird, etc.) than Japanese Blood Grass. To test our hypothesis, we collected the record of Chinese …

Soil Chemistry And Enzyme Data Examining Impacts Of Callery Pear Stem Cutting, Michaela J. Woods, Grace K. Attea, Ryan W. Mcewan

Five Rivers MetroParks Collaboration Data Archive

This dataset encompasses information following the collection of soil from underneath cut and treated Callery pear stems and untreated Callery pear trees. Soil was assessed for moisture, pH, and enzyme activities.

Groundwater Quality In Two Semi-Arid Areas Of Algeria: Impact Of Water Pollution On Biodiversity, Redjaimia Lylia, Hadjab Ramzi, Khammar Hichem, Merzoug Djemoi, Saheb Menouar

Journal of Bioresource Management

The biodiversity and quality of subterranean waters were comparatively studied in the Tarf plain near Oum-El-Bouaghi and in the Ksar S’bahi in Oum-El-Bouaghi, in North-eastern Algeria. For this purpose, physicochemical and faunistic analyses were carried out on the water of ten stations located in the area of Tarf, and thirteen in the area of S’bahi. In the wells of Tarf, the average stygobiologic diversity was relatively high in the wells located upstream the dumping site from the city where the groundwater presented low contents of nitrates and orthophosphates. In contrast, the wells located in the spreading zone of Tarf wastewaters …

Taxonomic Revision Of Agraphydrus Régimbart , 1903 V. Philippine Species And Their First Dna Barcodes (Coleoptera: Hydrophilidae: Acidocerinae), Hendrik Freitag, Albrecht Komarek

Biology Faculty Publications

The genus Agraphydrus RÉGIMBART , 1903 (Coleoptera: Hydrophilidae) of the Republic of the Philippines is taxonomically reviewed aided by COI mtDNA barcodes. Nine new species are described, all currently regarded as endemic to the Philippines: A. abrasus sp.n., A. ampullatus sp.n., A. batak sp.n., A. brevilobatus sp.n., A. occultus sp.n., A. palawanensis sp.n., A. pelingeni sp.n., A. tenuipalpis sp.n., and A. zetteli sp.n. Agraphydrus coomani (O RCHYMONT , 1927), widespread in the Oriental and Australasian regions, is recorded from the Philippines for the first time. COI sequences and thorough morphological examination suggest that this and further species represent a group …

Evolution Of Breeding Plumages In Birds: A Multiple-Step Pathway To Seasonal Dichromatism In New World Warblers (Aves: Parulidae), Ryan S. Terrill, Glenn F. Seeholzer, Jared D. Wolfe

Michigan Tech Publications, Part 1

Ecology and Evolution published by John Wiley & Sons Ltd Many species of birds show distinctive seasonal breeding and nonbreeding plumages. A number of hypotheses have been proposed for the evolution of this seasonal dichromatism, specifically related to the idea that birds may experience variable levels of sexual selection relative to natural selection throughout the year. However, these hypotheses have not addressed the selective forces that have shaped molt, the underlying mechanism of plumage change. Here, we examined relationships between life-history variation, the evolution of a seasonal molt, and seasonal plumage dichromatism in the New World warblers (Aves: Parulidae), a …

Heterotrophic Carbon Fixation In A Salamander-Alga Symbiosis, John A. Burns, Ryan Kerney, Solange Duhamel

Biology Faculty Publications

The unique symbiosis between a vertebrate salamander, Ambystoma maculatum, and unicellular green alga, Oophila amblystomatis, involves multiple modes of interaction. These include an ectosymbiotic interaction where the alga colonizes the egg capsule, and an intracellular interaction where the alga enters tissues and cells of the salamander. One common interaction in mutualist photosymbioses is the transfer of photosynthate from the algal symbiont to the host animal. In the A. maculatum–O. amblystomatis interaction, there is conflicting evidence regarding whether the algae in the egg capsule transfer chemical energy captured during photosynthesis to the developing salamander embryo. In experiments …

The Effects Of Elevation On Foraging Behavior Of Bats In Southern Appalachia, Victoria Long

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

There are limited studies on bat activity in higher elevations in the Appalachian region. Levels of bat activity were compared in south central Appalachia at low (< 914.4 m) and high (> 1, 524 m) elevations in open, forest edge, and riparian habitats. Additionally, habitat suitability was modeled for a common species, big brown bat (Eptesicus fuscus). The study started May 27^th 2019, and sites were monitored biweekly until October 2^nd 2019. Six species and one genus were recorded during the study. Species from the Myotis genus were grouped together because of similar call characteristics. Results show that species were significantly more …