Biology Commons^™

Management In A Neotropical Show Cave: Planning For Invertebrates Conservation, Thais Giovannini Pellegrini, Rodrigo Lopes Ferreira

International Journal of Speleology

Lapa Nova is a dolomitic cave about 4.5 km long located in northwestern Minas Gerais state, Brazil. The cave experiences intense tourism, concentrated over a single period of the year, during the Feast of Our Lady of Lapa. In order to evaluate the impacts felt by the invertebrate community from this tourism, a new methodology was proposed. Four types of areas (intense visitation area, outlying visitation areas, moderate visitation areas and no-visitation areas) were sampled for invertebrates. There was one sampling prior and another on the last day of the 128^th feast, to evaluate the effects of visitation on …

A New Genus And A New Species Of Cladorchiidae (Digenea: Dadayiinae) From Podocnemis Expansa (Chelonia) Of The Neotropical Region, State Of Pará, Brazil, Marcelo Knoff, Daniel Rusk Brooks, Maria Cristina Mullins, Delir Corrêa Gomes

Harold W. Manter Laboratory of Parasitology: Faculty Publications

A new species of amphistome digenean from the stomach and intestine of Podocnemis expansa (Pelomedusidae), of the tropical rain forest, from the State of Pará, Brazil, is described and allocated to a new genus (Oriximinatrema noronhae). The new species is characterized by the presence of an esophageal bulb, an esophageal extension uncovered by an extension of the pharyngeal sacs, a well-developed cirrus sac, post-bifurcal genital sucker, a ventro-terminal acetabulum with an anterior lip, and medium-sized eggs. This is the first report of a Dadayiinae trematode infecting a reptilian host.

Prey Selection By The Northern Watersnake, Nerodia Sipedon, Kyle O' Connell

Department of Environmental Studies: Undergraduate Student Theses

Prey selection and composition of the northern waternake, Nerodia sipedon was investigated between 8/2010 and 3/2011 by palpation of stomach contents in the field and conducting laboratory trials. 41 snakes were captured, five yielded prey contents. Fish parts, freshwater mussels, and an insect exoskeleton were found. No amphibians were found despite availability at study sites. Snakes in the laboratory underwent 22 trials, feeding on 11 occasions. Snakes fed on an equal number of both fish species, revealing no selection. Further research is needed to determine the rate of digestion of N. sipedon.

Thermal Tolerance Of Age-0 Gulf Of Mexico Striped Bass (Morone Saxatilis): Ontogenetic And Genetic Effects, Corey Robert Anderson

Master's Theses

Striped bass, Morone saxatilis, were historically abundant in the Gulf of Mexico region but were largely extirpated from most Gulf rivers by the early 1960s. Since 1967 hatchery stocking has supported populations in Mississippi rivers and to date there is no evidence of natural reproduction. Intolerance of striped bass to high water temperature is a potential factor negatively impacting Gulf striped bass survival and reproductive fitness, and may be a limiting factor to reintroduction of the species in Mississippi. This work contributed to restoration efforts by establishing molecular tools necessary for genetic monitoring of striped bass restoration, and evaluating …

Traversing Swanton Road, 6th Ed., James A. West

Academic, Government & Associated Organizational Research Resources

Situated at the northwest end of Santa Cruz County and occupying circa 30 square miles of sharply contrasted terrain, the Scott Creek Watershed concentrates within its geomorphological boundaries, at least 10-12% of California's flora, both native and introduced. Paradoxically, the use/abuse that the watershed has sustained over the past 140+ years, has not necessarily diminished the biodiversity and perhaps parallels the naturally disruptive but biologically energizing processes (fire, flooding, landslides and erosion), which have also been historically documented for the area for +60 years. This is an early edition of an extensive document by James A. West. Please visit the …

Survival, Breeding Frequency, And Migratory Orientation In The Jefferson Salamander, Ambystoma Jeffersonianum, Stephen P. De Lisle, Kristine L. Grayson

Biology Faculty Publications

Accurate estimates of demographic parameters, such as survival and breeding frequency, are necessary for the conservation and management of animal populations. Additionally, life-history data are required for gaining an empirical understanding of the ecology of natural populations. We monitored a population of Jefferson Salamanders (Ambystoma jeffersonianum) breeding in a permanent mountain-top pond at the southern limit of this species’ geographic range in Virginia over four years. We used closed multistate mark-recapture models with Pollock's robust design to estimate the demographic parameters of this population. Additionally, we used point-of-capture data to compare the orientation of migrations into and out …

Traversing Swanton Road, 5th Ed., James A. West

Academic, Government & Associated Organizational Research Resources

Situated at the northwest end of Santa Cruz County and occupying circa 30 square miles of sharply contrasted terrain, the Scott Creek Watershed concentrates within its geomorphological boundaries, at least 10-12% of California's flora, both native and introduced. Paradoxically, the use/abuse that the watershed has sustained over the past 140+ years, has not necessarily diminished the biodiversity and perhaps parallels the naturally disruptive but biologically energizing processes (fire, flooding, landslides and erosion), which have also been historically documented for the area for +60 years. This is an early edition of an extensive document by James A. West. Please visit the …

Section Abstracts: Natural History And Biodiversity

Virginia Journal of Science

Abstracts of the Natural History and Biodiversity Section for the 89th Annual Meeting of the Virginia Academy of Science, May 25-27, 2011, University of Richmond, Richmond VA.

Draft Western Rock Lobster Fishery Environmental Management Strategy November 2010 – October 2015, Department Of Fisheries

Fisheries Occasional Publications

No abstract provided.

Traversing Swanton Road, 4th Ed., James A. West

Academic, Government & Associated Organizational Research Resources

Situated at the northwest end of Santa Cruz County and occupying circa 30 square miles of sharply contrasted terrain, the Scott Creek Watershed concentrates within its geomorphological boundaries, at least 10-12% of California's flora, both native and introduced. Paradoxically, the use/abuse that the watershed has sustained over the past 140+ years, has not necessarily diminished the biodiversity and perhaps parallels the naturally disruptive but biologically energizing processes (fire, flooding, landslides and erosion), which have also been historically documented for the area for +60 years. This is an early edition of an extensive document by James A. West. Please visit the …

A Report Of The Effects Of Fishing Advisory Group (Efag) Meeting (2 – 3 November 2010) And The Western Rock Lobster Ecological Effects Of Fishing Research Plan Revised And Updated By The Effects Of Fishing Advisory Group (2 – 3 November 2010), Department Of Fisheries

Fisheries Occasional Publications

No abstract provided.

Traversing Swanton Road, 3rd Ed., James A. West

Academic, Government & Associated Organizational Research Resources

Situated at the northwest end of Santa Cruz County and occupying circa 30 square miles of sharply contrasted terrain, the Scott Creek Watershed concentrates within its geomorphological boundaries, at least 10-12% of California's flora, both native and introduced. Paradoxically, the use/abuse that the watershed has sustained over the past 140+ years, has not necessarily diminished the biodiversity and perhaps parallels the naturally disruptive but biologically energizing processes (fire, flooding, landslides and erosion), which have also been historically documented for the area for +60 years. This is an early edition of an extensive document by James A. West. Please visit the …

Research, Monitoring, Assessment And Development Plan 2010 – 2011, Department Of Fisheries

Fisheries Occasional Publications

No abstract provided.

Range Extension For The Dismal Swamp Southern Bog Lemming, Synaptomys Cooperi Helaletes, In Eastern Virginia, Robert K. Rose

Biological Sciences Faculty Publications

The distribution of the Dismal Swamp Southern Bog Lemming is extended to include three counties west of the Dismal Swamp in southeastern Virginia, long considered its only location in the state. Evidence of lemmings was detected at 10 of 27 survey sites, and confirmed by trapping at three of five sites, all dominated by herbaceous vegetation.

Resource Assessment Framework (Raf) For Finfish Resources In Western Australia, Department Of Fisheries

Fisheries Occasional Publications

No abstract provided.

Some Laelapine Mites (Acari: Laelapidae) Ectoparasitic On Small Mammals In The Galapagos Islands, Including A New Species Of Gigantolaelaps From Aegialomys Galapagoensis, Donald D. Gettinger, Fernanda Martins-Hatano, Scott Lyell Gardner

Scott L. Gardner Publications

A collection of laelapine mites from small mammals in the Galapagos Islands are identified and their host distributions reviewed. Two species of native rodents, Aegialomys galapagoensis and Nesoryzomys narboroughii, were infested only with species typical of Neotropical oryzomyine rodents; Rattus rattus was infested with Laelaps nuttalli, a host-specific ectoparasite to Old World Rattus. A synopsis of Gigantolaelaps Fonseca is provided and we describe a new laelapine mite, Gigantolaelaps aegialomys n. sp., from the pelage of the rodent A. galapagoensis on Santa Fe Island. The new species has strong morphological affinities with a subgroup of Gigantolaelaps associated …

Phylogeography Of Northern Populations Of The Black-Tailed Rattlesnake (Crotalus Molossus Baird And Girard, 1853) With The Revalidation Of C. Ornatus Hallowell, 1854, Christopher Anderson

Open Access Theses & Dissertations

The black-tailed rattlesnake (Crotalus molossus Baird and Girard, 1853) is a wide-ranging species complex with representatives from the southwestern United States through the highlands of central and southern Mexico. The systematics of this group has received little attention and in the past six decades only two taxonomic revisions have been proposed (the transfer of C. basiliscus oaxacus to C. molossus and the elevation of C. m. estebanensis to full species). However, a recent revision of the Neotropical rattlesnakes (C. durissus and C. simus) recovered a polyphyletic C. molossus. Sequenced data were obtained from three mitochondrial genes …

Tracing Water Sources Of Terrestrial Animal Populations With Stable Isotopes: Laboratory Tests With Crickets And Spiders, Kevin E. Mccluney, John L. Sabo

Biological Sciences Faculty Publications

Fluxes of carbon, nitrogen, and water between ecosystem components and organisms have great impacts across levels of biological organization. Although much progress has been made in tracing carbon and nitrogen, difficulty remains in tracing water sources from the ecosystem to animals and among animals (the ‘‘water web’’). Naturally occurring, nonradioactive isotopes of hydrogen and oxygen in water provide a potential method for tracing water sources. However, using this approach for terrestrial animals is complicated by a change in water isotopes within the body due to differences in activity of heavy and light isotopes during cuticular and transpiratory water losses. Here …

Traversing Swanton Road, 2nd Ed., James A. West

Academic, Government & Associated Organizational Research Resources

Situated at the northwest end of Santa Cruz County and occupying circa 30 square miles of sharply contrasted terrain, the Scott Creek Watershed concentrates within its geomorphological boundaries, at least 10-12% of California's flora, both native and introduced. Paradoxically, the use/abuse that the watershed has sustained over the past 140+ years, has not necessarily diminished the biodiversity and perhaps parallels the naturally disruptive but biologically energizing processes (fire, flooding, landslides and erosion), which have also been historically documented for the area for +60 years. This is an early edition of an extensive document by James A. West. Please visit the …

Foundational Checklist Of The Amphibians Of Wise County, Virginia, Sarah R.A. Davidson, David L. Chambers

Virginia Journal of Science

The Appalachian Mountains are arguably home to the highest degree of amphibian diversity in the world, particularly caudate (salamander) biodiversity. Despite the high degree of amphibian endemism in the Appalachians, several regions remain unsurveyed for amphibian species. In addition to this knowledge gap, we are in the midst of alarming amphibian biodiversity loss. Thus, it is of the utmost importance to bridge this knowledge gap by conducting surveys before some of these amphibian species are lost. We surveyed Wise County (previously unsurveyed county in the Appalachian Mountains with no records existing in the primary literature) over two years to assess …

Rare, Threatened And Endangered Species Of Oregon (2010), James S. Kagan, Sue Vrilakas, Eleanor P. Gaines, Cliff Alton, Lindsey Koepke, John A. Christy, Erin Doyle

Institute for Natural Resources Publications

Extinction is a natural process. Today, however, plant and animal species are disappearing world-wide at an accelerated pace. Based on current trends, half of the species on earth will be extinct within the next 100 years. The major cause of this phenomenon is human caused changes to the environment, which continue to increase - in Oregon and throughout the world.

Once lost, a species can never be recovered, and there is no way of knowing how useful it may have been. We do know that human beings and many of their industries depend on plant and animal products. About 50% …

Tactical Research Fund – Asfb 2009 Workshop, Department Of Fisheries

Fisheries Occasional Publications

Biodiversity of aquatic ecosystems – What to measure and monitor for fisheries and ecosystem management FRDC Project No. 2008/353.

Western Rock Lobster International Stock Assessment And Modelling Workshop Report, Department Of Fisheries

Fisheries Occasional Publications

No abstract provided.

Information Acquisition And Sociality Among Migratory Birds, Zoltán Németh

Dissertations

Information use is a key feature of adaptive behavior: the better informed an individual, the better it is able to adjust its behavior to meet the demands of a variable world. Therefore, most animals attempt to reduce environmental uncertainty by gathering information when it is available. However, tracking unpredictable ecological factors may carry costs as individuals invest valuable time and energy in the process of information acquisition. Social learning (i.e., use of social information inadvertently produced by other individuals) enables the individual to gain rapid and more complete assessment of its novel environment. This process may be particularly important for …

A Sea Change For Aquatic Sustainability : Meeting The Challenge Of Fish Resources Management And Aquatic Sustainability In The 21st Century, Department Of Fisheries

Fisheries Occasional Publications

No abstract provided.

Section Abstracts: Natural History And Biodiversity

Virginia Journal of Science

Abstracts of the Natural History and Biodiversity Section for the 88th Annual Meeting of the Virginia Academy of Science, May 20-21, 2010, James Madison University, Harrisonburg, VA.

Inter-Island Variability In Above And Belowground Plant Biomass In Interior Marshes On The Virginia Barrier Islands, Staci B. Blecha

Biological Sciences Theses & Dissertations

The Virginia Coast Reserve's Long Term Ecological Research (LTER) site is of great interest because the barrier islands have been migrating, rapidly at times, and are exceptionally dynamic. The barrier islands have tidal saltwater marshes on the lagoon side and freshwater marshes on the island interiors. In these interior marshes on North Hog Island, South Smith Island, and North Parramore Island, salinity and depth to water table were measured to determine if these factors were influencing biomass and biomass allocation patterns in the marsh. Hog Island had the freshest interior marshes (0 and 0.7 ppm), and the most diverse (H'=0.84 …

Fishing Industry Impact Study : James Price Point Proposed Liquefied Natural Gas Precinct, Department Of Fisheries

Fisheries Occasional Publications

No abstract provided.

Domestic Exotics And The Perception Of Invasibility, Qinfeng Guo, Robert Ricklefs

Biology Department Faculty Works

Susceptibility of an area to invasion by exotic species is often judged by the fraction of introduced species in the local biota. However, the degree of invasion, particularly in mainland areas, has often been underestimated because of the exclusion of ‘domestic exotics’ (those introduced to internal units from within the national border) in calculations. Because all introduced species on islands are considered as exotics, this contributes to the perception that islands are more susceptible to invasion than are continental regions. Here, we determine the contribution of domestic exotic species to the degree of invasion (exotic fraction) in mainland areas. We …

Functional Feeding Groups, Species Richness, And Spatial Distributions Of Fishes In Rocky And Sandy Beach Habitats Of St. John, U.S. Virgin Islands, Eugene G. Maurakis, George E. Maurakis, Demetri E. Maurakis

Virginia Journal of Science

Objectives were to identify and compare fish species richness, functional feeding group richness and diversity, and delineate distributions of fishes at rocky and sandy beach habitats at St. John, U.S. Virgin Islands. Visual observations using snorkel and mask were made at 3-m intervals seaward from shore during daylight hours. A total of 69 taxa (67 species) representing 33 families of fishes were observed. Total (53) and average fish species richness (32.7) at rocky beach habitats were greater than those (total=43; average=24.3) at sandy beach habitats. Twelve functional feeding groups were identified (diurnal planktivores, excavators/eroders, macroalgae browsers, macrocarnivores, mobile benthic scrapers, …