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Full-Text Articles in Biology

The Virginia Academy Of Science: A Scholarly Forum Over Decades For Students Of A Plant Ecologist, Stewart Ware Apr 2024

The Virginia Academy Of Science: A Scholarly Forum Over Decades For Students Of A Plant Ecologist, Stewart Ware

Virginia Journal of Science

As a newcomer to Virginia in 1968, I learned that annual meetings of the Virginia Academy of Science (VAS) were regarded as an excellent place for students to have their first experience giving a talk about their research to fellow scientists, and a place for faculty to get to know other Virginia scientists in their fields. Over the next four decades William and Mary students (undergraduate and graduate) and I were presenters or co-authors of 42 talks or posters at VAS annual meetings, 29 of them based on studies of plant ecology across Virginia. Two were talks by colleagues with …


Wetlands In Our Backyard: A Review Of Wetland Types In Virginia State Parks, Kirsten Bauer, Benjamin K. Campbell Oct 2022

Wetlands In Our Backyard: A Review Of Wetland Types In Virginia State Parks, Kirsten Bauer, Benjamin K. Campbell

Virginia Journal of Science

Wetlands constitute a significant component of Virginia’s natural resources and heritage. Though historically they have been discounted—and often denigrated—the exceptional value of wetlands is currently growing in recognition and appreciation. In addition to the value provided by extracted resources and ecological regulation, wetlands also offer people the opportunity to enrich themselves through cultural, educational, and recreational pursuits. The state parks of Virginia provide access to a variety of ecosystems, including a wide array of wetland types. In this review, we document the diversity of wetlands in Virginia State Parks through a typology that groups wetland systems into the three principal …


Improving The Heat Tolerance Of Vulnerable Corals Through Their Algal Symbionts, Cathryn M. Bowling Jan 2022

Improving The Heat Tolerance Of Vulnerable Corals Through Their Algal Symbionts, Cathryn M. Bowling

OUR Journal: ODU Undergraduate Research Journal

Tropical coral reefs are one of the most impressive and diverse ecosystems on the face of the earth. Found in warm, tropical waters around the globe, these reefs are major supporters of the immense biodiversity of the area. The health of coral reefs is highly influential on the overall health of the entire ecosystem. In recent years, intensifying climate change has resulted in an accelerated rise in seawater temperatures and the frequency and severity of coral bleaching. Coral bleaching occurs in response to harsh environmental conditions that cause corals to enter a period of extreme stress. During this time, corals …


Life-History Aspects Of Moxostoma Cervinum (Blacktip Jumprock) In The Roanoke River, Virginia, Dezarai A. Thompson, John S. Bentley, Steven L. Powers Jan 2015

Life-History Aspects Of Moxostoma Cervinum (Blacktip Jumprock) In The Roanoke River, Virginia, Dezarai A. Thompson, John S. Bentley, Steven L. Powers

Virginia Journal of Science

Life-history aspects of Moxostoma cervinum(Blacktip Jumprock) were identified using specimens from recent collections and the Roanoke College Ichthyological Collection. The largest specimen examined was a female 161.27 mm SL and 66 months of age. Spawning appears to occur in May, with a mean of 2477.6 oocytes (SD = 2825.3) up to 1.54 mm diameter in gravid females. Sexual maturity appears to occur by 1-2 years of age in males and 2-3 years of age in females. Male to female ratio was not significantly different from 1:1. Chironomidae composed the bulk of the diet; while detritus, Trichoptera, Ephemeroptera, and Acari …


Foundational Checklist Of The Amphibians Of Wise County, Virginia, Sarah R.A. Davidson, David L. Chambers Oct 2010

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 …


A Habitat Model For The Detection Of Two-Lined Salamanders At C. F. Phelps Wildlife Management Area, Fauquier And Culpeper Counties, Virginia, Jay Mcghee, Michael D. Killian Jan 2010

A Habitat Model For The Detection Of Two-Lined Salamanders At C. F. Phelps Wildlife Management Area, Fauquier And Culpeper Counties, Virginia, Jay Mcghee, Michael D. Killian

Virginia Journal of Science

Aquatic salamanders represent an important component of Virginia river watersheds, but despite potential declines, few specifics are known about their habitat preferences. We surveyed the habitats of the northern two-lined salamander and collected data on an array of habitat variables associated with the species. We used a logistic regression analysis to develop a model predicting its presence or absence for a given 50m-transect. Our final model incorporated the variation in stream depth and direction of stream flow and accounted for 25% of the variation in our data. We conclude that stream depth variation is an important feature of salamander habitat …


Correlation Of Eastern Wild Turkey Poult:Hen Ratios With Population Indices To Detect Reproductive Density Dependence, Jay D. Mcghee, Jim Berkson Oct 2007

Correlation Of Eastern Wild Turkey Poult:Hen Ratios With Population Indices To Detect Reproductive Density Dependence, Jay D. Mcghee, Jim Berkson

Virginia Journal of Science

Knowledge of how density affects population growth is important for the harvest management of wild turkey. Unfortunately, available time-series are often too short for statistical detection of density dependence. The correlation between wild turkey recruitment and population size was assessed using data from 7 state wildlife agencies, circumventing the problem of short time-series by using multiple datasets. Correlation coefficients were calculated between surveyed poult:hen ratios and harvest-based population indices for 31 geographic or harvest management regions. Estimated correlation coefficients were tested for homogeneity to determine if an average correlation could be calculated. Correlation coefficients for the 29 regions ranged from …


Nest-Building And Spawning Behaviors In Nocomis Effusus (Actinopterygii: Cyprindae), Eugene G. Maurakis, George E. Maurakis Oct 2004

Nest-Building And Spawning Behaviors In Nocomis Effusus (Actinopterygii: Cyprindae), Eugene G. Maurakis, George E. Maurakis

Virginia Journal of Science

Spawning behavior in Nocomis effusus is described from direct observations and review of videotapes made in Yellow Creek (Cumberland River drainage), Tennessee in 2003. Nest construction (i.e., excavating a concavity, forming a platform, and building a mound), and spawning behavior in N. effusus where a single breeding male excavates a pit and spawns with females on the upstream slope of his nest is like that described for Nocomis asper and Nocomis biguttatus. In digging a spawning pit, a male N. effusus reshapes and reorganizes substrate materials that results in spawning areas on the upstream slope of the nest composed …


Mammals Of Fort A. P. Hill, Caroline County, Virginia And Vicinity, A. Scott Bellows, Joseph C. Mitchell, John F. Pagels, Heather N. Mansfield Oct 2001

Mammals Of Fort A. P. Hill, Caroline County, Virginia And Vicinity, A. Scott Bellows, Joseph C. Mitchell, John F. Pagels, Heather N. Mansfield

Virginia Journal of Science

Fort A.P. Hill (APH) is a 30,329 ha military training installation (U.S. Army) located in the upper Coastal Plain of Caroline County, Virginia. It was formed in 1941 and named in honor of Civil War Confederate Lt. General Ambrose Powell Hill. The current landscape includes a mosaic of habitats that range from old fields to hardwood forests. Forty species of mammals are known to exist on or near the installation. These include one marsupial, five insectivores, 9 chiropterans, one lagomorph, 12 rodents, 10 carnivores, and one cervid. We have studied many of the species on APH since 1997. In this …


Effects Of Collection, Transport, And Redeployment Methods On Natural Mortality Of Rangia Cuneata (Mactridae) Used In Biomonitoring Studies, Eugene G. Maurakis, David V. Grimes, William C. Gretes Jan 2001

Effects Of Collection, Transport, And Redeployment Methods On Natural Mortality Of Rangia Cuneata (Mactridae) Used In Biomonitoring Studies, Eugene G. Maurakis, David V. Grimes, William C. Gretes

Virginia Journal of Science

Sporadic, high mortality in test populations of wedge clams (Rangia cuneata) has limited the potential for using this otherwise desirable test organism in biomonitoring studies. To determine whether high mortality was due to ontogenic or experimental variables, a two-phased study was conducted. In phase I, mortality of collected and re-deployed wedge clams, subjected to varying transport conditions, was determined at 7, 14, 21 and 60 days re-deployment. The use of three transport times (1, 2, 3 hr.), two vehicle conditions (open, closed) and three transport treatments (open, closed, iced containers) yielded 18 test groups. Individual test group mortalities …


Spawning Behavior In Hemitremia Flammea (Actinopterygii: Cyprinidae), Eugene G. Maurakis, Ray Katula, William Roston Jan 2001

Spawning Behavior In Hemitremia Flammea (Actinopterygii: Cyprinidae), Eugene G. Maurakis, Ray Katula, William Roston

Virginia Journal of Science

Spawning behavior in Hemitremia flammea (Flame chub) is described from observations made in the field and laboratory. Spawning in the field occurred over clean gravel (size range=18-25 mm) at water temperatures from 12.8-14.4 C. Spawning in the laboratory occurred over clean gravel (11.3 mm) at water temperatures from 18.3-20 C. Males often pursued females and nudged their vents with their snouts. When the female settled to the substrate, a male moved forward and aligned himself alongside her body. Then the female moved slightly forward accompanied by the male and the pair vibrated their caudal peduncles and tails. The spawn ended …


Conservation Status Of The Southern Appalachian Herpetofauna, Joseph C. Mitchell, Thomas K. Pauley, David I. Withers, Steven M. Roble, Brian T. Miller, Alvin L. Braswell, Paul V. Cupp Jr., Christopher S. Hobson Apr 1999

Conservation Status Of The Southern Appalachian Herpetofauna, Joseph C. Mitchell, Thomas K. Pauley, David I. Withers, Steven M. Roble, Brian T. Miller, Alvin L. Braswell, Paul V. Cupp Jr., Christopher S. Hobson

Virginia Journal of Science

Seventy one species of amphibians (55 salamanders, 16 anurans) and 46 species of reptiles (15 turtles, 8 lizards, 23 snakes) inhabit a five state area (Kentucky, North Carolina, Tennessee, Virginia, West Virginia) in the southern Appalachian region bordered by the Potomac River, the Blue Ridge Mountains, and the western margin of the Appalachian Plateau. Of these, 47.9 % of the amphibian fauna and 52.2 % of the reptilian fauna are listed as being of conservation concern by federal, state, and Natural Heritage programs in all or a portion of their ranges of this region. The Shenandoah salamander (Plethodon Shenandoah …


Possible Predation Scars On Rectithyris Subdepressa (Stoliczka, 1872), Late Cretaceous (Maastrichtian) Kallankurichi Fm., India, Rex Alan Hanger, Rama Krishnaswamy Apr 1999

Possible Predation Scars On Rectithyris Subdepressa (Stoliczka, 1872), Late Cretaceous (Maastrichtian) Kallankurichi Fm., India, Rex Alan Hanger, Rama Krishnaswamy

Virginia Journal of Science

A single specimen of the terebratulid brachiopod, Rectithyris subdepressa (Stoliczka, 1872) from the Late Cretaceous (Maastrichtian) Kallankurichi Fonnation of southern India was found with durophagous predation traces. This occurrence is significant as it is possibly the first documentation of elasmobranch shark predation on brachiopods from the Mesozoic.


Monitoring Results For Pfiesteria Piscidida And Pfiesteria-Like Organisms From Virginia Waters In 1998, Harold G. Marshall, David W. Seaborn, Jennifer Wolny Jan 1999

Monitoring Results For Pfiesteria Piscidida And Pfiesteria-Like Organisms From Virginia Waters In 1998, Harold G. Marshall, David W. Seaborn, Jennifer Wolny

Virginia Journal of Science

Results of an extensive 1998 monitoring program for the presence of Pfiesteria-like organisms (PLO) in Virginia estuaries indicate these dinoflagellates are widely distributed in both the water column, and as cysts in the sediment, however Pfiesteria piscicida was not detected at this time. The highest concentrations of PLO were in estuaries along the Virginia shore line of the Potomac River, and in western Chesapeake Bay estuaries from the Little Wicomico River to the Rappahannock River. The most common PLO included Cryptoperidiniopsis sp. and Gymnodinium galatheanum. The lowest PLO concentrations were at ocean side locations. PLO were also …