Biology Commons^™

The Dock Beetle: Reducing Costs And Pesticides In Irish Agriculture, Bianca Araujo, Daniel P. Fitzpatrick

SURE Journal: Science Undergraduate Research Experience Journal

No abstract provided.

Ireland’S Energy Transition: Unlocking The Potential Of Offshore Renewables, Caoimhe O'Hare, Madjid Karimirad, Gautam Baruah

SURE Journal: Science Undergraduate Research Experience Journal

No abstract provided.

Implementation Of The Nature Restoration Law In The Eu - Pros, Cons And Impossibilities, Emma Mcdonagh, Liam Sunner

SURE Journal: Science Undergraduate Research Experience Journal

No abstract provided.

From Conflict To Connection: Educators Leading The Shift Towards Restorative Practices (Rp) In Deis Primary Schools, Ellen Slattery, Clara Hoyne

SURE Journal: Science Undergraduate Research Experience Journal

No abstract provided.

Bridging The Gap From Preschool To Primary: From Policy To Practice, Aimee O'Connor, Cóilín O’ Braonáin

SURE Journal: Science Undergraduate Research Experience Journal

No abstract provided.

Insecticide Resistance Profile In Nashville Culex Spp. Mosquito Populations, Ellie Sebaugh, Zachary Bement, Abelardo Moncayo, Darlene Panvini

Science University Research Symposium (SURS)

Mosquitoes may develop resistance to insecticides used by control programs, potentially increasing population density and the risk of mosquito-borne diseases. Culex spp. mosquitos are the primary vector of West Nile Virus (WNV), the leading cause of mosquito-borne disease in the United States and a reportable disease in Tennessee. Resistance profiles were constructed for two insecticides, permethrin and malathion, in a Culex spp. population from Nashville, Tennessee. Adult female mosquitoes were live-captured using gravid traps and tested using the Centers of Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) bioassay protocol to assess resistance or susceptibility. Three inhibitors were also included to identify metabolic …

Comparative Decomposition Rates Of Prickly Pear And Sage Using Litterbags, Curtis Jang, Vy Ly, Ashlyn Reagan, Ellie Sebaugh, Darlene Panvini

Science University Research Symposium (SURS)

Litterbags are used to study nutrient cycling and track the rate of decomposition over time. Decomposition rates may vary between plant species due to various factors. One factor includes the abundance of lignin, or a structural component that provides support to a plant, which can slow the rate of decomposition. This study compared the decomposition rate of sage (Salvia officinalis), which has higher lignin levels, and prickly pear (Opuntia humifusa), which has higher water content and thus lower lignin levels. Four samples of each species, with two replicates each, were initially weighed and then placed in …

The Micro-Communities Of Trees, Nicholas Davis, Lily Boysworth, Westen Wilburn

Fall Showcase for Research and Creative Inquiry

This study investigated how tree species diversity influences the variety of organisms living on or around trees across different habitat types. Field data were collected through random tree selection, measurement of tree diameter, identification of species, and estimation of surrounding ground cover types such as grass, herbaceous plants, woody plants, and leaf litter. Biodiversity associated with each tree was analyzed using the Shannon Diversity Index across several ecosystems, including grassland, woodland, and pond environments. Results indicated that the pond ecosystem exhibited the highest species diversity, followed by woodlands and then forests. A range of organisms, including lichens, mites, fungi, and …

Living Shoreline Prioritization And Hydrodynamic Habitat Suitability Models For Restoration In The Indian River Lagoon And Lake Worth Lagoon, Florida, Kelly M. Kibler, Melinda J. Donnelly, Vincent Encomio, Madison Giuntoli, Manisha Thenuwara, Brice Bennett, Laura Andrade Barron, Mariam Sonbol, Wynter Raine Seppala, Namritha Ramakrishnan, Jennifer Jordan Báez, Beth Orlando, Irene Arpayoglou, Melissa Meisenburg

Indian River Lagoon Shorelines

The spatial dataset: UCF_shorelinemodel_IRL_LWL.shp, was created with support from the Indian River Lagoon National Estuaries Program and Florida Sea Grant. These projects cumulatively led to creation of a living shoreline restoration prioritization model and hydrodynamic habitat suitability models for 1,550 km (963 miles) of estuarine shorelines in Indian River Lagoon and Lake Worth Lagoon.

The dataset presented herein includes:

1. shoreline data from >15,000 transects collected in the field,
2. shoreline wave climate data created through hydrodynamic modeling and frequency analysis of historic data,
3. categorization of potential risk for shoreline boat wake impact,
4. persistence of seagrass within 210 m of the shoreline, …

Bioaccumulation Pattern Of Per- And Polyfluoroalkyl Substances (Pfas) In Fish Tissues From Two Freshwater Systems, Margaret D. Taiwo, Husam Kafeenah, David D. Duvernell, Michael O. Eze

Biological Sciences Faculty Research & Creative Works

Per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances (PFAS) are known for their persistence, ubiquity, bioaccumulation in different matrices of the environment and their detrimental effect on human health. In this study, we used EPA 1633 to examine the prevalence of ten PFAS compounds in two freshwater systems and investigated their bioaccumulation pattern across different tissues of grass carp fish (Ctenopharyngodon idella), common carp (Cyprinus carpio), and flathead catfish (Pylodictis olivaris). Among the PFAS compounds analyzed, PFBS exhibited the highest concentration in the freshwater sample, exceeding the U.S. EPA regulatory limit of 4 ng/L for drinking water. The total PFAS concentrations in the muscle, …

Multilevel Selection In The Margins: A Review Of Its Representation In Undergraduate Biology Textbooks, C. A. Greene, S. J. Mcpeek, L. Mitchem, A. B. Clark, Vincent A. Formica

Biology Faculty Works

Multilevel selection (MLS) is a foundational framework that expands the concept of natural selection beyond the traditional focus on individuals or genes to larger units, like groups. Despite strong empirical support and applications in a broad range of biological fields, MLS, often referred to as group selection, has a controversial history, which has impeded its wide use and led to incorrect inferences on the sources and strength of selection. Here, we explore how MLS is currently presented to undergraduate biology students by analyzing the content of nine commonly used Evolutionary Biology and Animal Behavior textbooks. We ask whether and how …

Genetic Characterization And High-Resolution Total Mrna Sequencing Of The Millipede Cherokia Georgiana Bollman, 1889, Elena Cruz

Biology Theses

There are approximately 12,000 described species within the class Diplopoda. Only six species, falling within four of sixteen orders, have fully sequenced genomes. No whole genomes are available for incredibly diverse families like Xystodesmidae. Many interesting characteristics in this group are poorly defined at the genetic level, such as the production of a defensive hydrogen cyanide secretion and UV fluorescence in the order Polydesmida. Here, we present a genetic characterization of the polydesmid millipede Cherokia georgiana Bollman, 1889. We include tissue-specific sequencing metrics, alignment and assembly of mitochondrial DNA consensus sequence according to tissue type, and phylogenetic tree construction using …

Limb Regeneration In Damselflies Based On Developmental Stage, Haven O. Clements

Inquiry: The University of Arkansas Undergraduate Research Journal

Injury is common in wild animals, yet some species possess an adaptive advantage: regeneration. Enallagma vesperum, a species of damselfly, exhibits this regenerative ability, though its persistence and effectiveness across developmental stages remain poorly understood. While previous studies indicate that regeneration ceases following adult emergence, it is unclear whether this ability also diminishes prior to the final larval molt. This study investigated the effectiveness of limb regeneration in E. vesperum across early and late larval instars. I hypothesized that earlier instars would exhibit greater regenerative success due to fewer competing energetic demands compared to later instars, which may prioritize …

The Effects Of Plastic Mulch And Irrigation On Hemp Chemistry And Leaf Endophytes, Allison Rietman, Connor Morozumi, Robert C. Pearce, Natalie Christian

Journal of Agricultural Hemp Research

As an emerging crop, cultivation techniques for industrial hemp (Cannabis sativa L.) are still being developed and optimized. For example, irrigation and plastic mulching are some management practices that have been touted for their benefits in improving crop quality. Both techniques ensure ample water availability, which has often been attributed to improving hemp cannabinoid and terpene composition. In this study, we examined how supplemental irrigation implemented in a plastic mulch system influenced the cannabinoid and terpene profiles of one cultivar of CBD hemp, Lifter. We grew industrial hemp in field with plastic mulch and applied regular irrigation to one group …

Hooks For Four-Dimensional Ecology Education (4dee) Teaching With Differing Audiences Of Nonmajors, Sara E. Scanga, Vikki L. Rodgers, Loren B. Byrne, Justin R. St. Juliana, Jon M. Honea, Erica S. Tietjen, George Middendorf

Arts & Sciences Faculty Publications

Nonmajors (i.e., undergraduate students not majoring in the natural sciences) constitute a majority of United States college graduates and are a large potential audience for courses with ecology content. However, nonmajors may be unmotivated to learn about ecology because they perceive it to be uninteresting and irrelevant to their everyday lives or career goals. Although the Four-Dimensional Ecology Education (4DEE) framework can be adapted for nonmajors courses as a starting point to improve student engagement, we suggest that nonmajors ecology instructors also use ecology hooks as effective gateways to 4DEE that will motivate and deepen student learning. Selecting and developing …

Antibiotic Resistance Trends In Coliform Bacteria Of Kittitas County Waters, Kaitlyn Holbrook, Bella Blasingim, Cruz Veronica Guillen Mejia, Holly Pinkart

Journal of the Symposium of University Research and Creative Expression

Project Mentor(s): Holly Pinkart, PhD

Since the mid-1900s, antibiotics have been developed to help fight against bacterial pathogens. However, bacteria can evolve rapidly and have evolved resistance to many types of antibiotics. Using coliform bacteria collected from waters around Kittitas County, BIOL 323 students at Central Washington University have identified a variety of antibiotic-resistant bacteria in Kittitas County streams and canals. Antibiotic resistance was measured from 2014-2019 and compared to data collected in 2024. This study focuses on three antibiotics, ampicillin, kanamycin, and trimethoprim-sulfamethoxazole. In the past (2014-2019) we saw no change in the trend of antibiotic resistance in collected …

Effect Of Coniferous Trees And Water Availability On Soil Acidification, Jessica A. Cheever

Journal of the Symposium of University Research and Creative Expression

Project Mentor(s): Mary Poulson, PhD

Water availability and coniferous tree species can cause acidification and a change in soil fertility. Previous research in European forests found that rainfall, soil acidity, and conifer prevalence influenced soil quality and biodiversity. However, not much is known about these effects in the Pacific Northwest’s forests. Three forests were chosen based on a gradient of annual precipitation. The Hoh Rain Forest, the Tiger Mountain State Forest, and the Okanogan-Wenatchee National Forest were used for wet, mesic, and dry conditions, respectively. Each location had a three-by-six grid spaced 50 meters between each plot. The location was …

The Inherent Values Of Observation And Description: A Case Study In The Spiny Solanums Of Australia, Christopher T. Martine

Faculty Journal Articles

The basic exploratory effort of doing descriptive biology is an avenue by which we can deepen our knowledge about taxa and the natural phenomena that drive their diversification. As Conniff (2011) wrote in The species seekers, “we still live in the great age of discovery”, and much like that historically recognized period of the eighteenth and nineteenth centuries there remains today a distinct need for the sort of work that might have been attributable to the naturalists of that time. The careful observation of how organisms go about their lives, including how they interact with one another …

Investigating Soil Co2 Flux Among Varying Soil Types During Inundation Conditions, Jennifer Volk, Arya Patel

The Pegasus Review: UCF Undergraduate Research Journal

Land use change has contributed to the increase of carbon dioxide (CO₂) release, exacerbating global greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions. CO₂ is also naturally produced in the soil via microbial respiration which breaks down soil organic matter (SOM). Several studies have investigated factors affecting CO₂ flux from soils, but few have compared CO₂ flux from a range of soil types under controlled conditions with varying water levels. This study subjected intact soil cores from six different soil types to varied periods of inundation and dry events using the same water and timing. During each event, CO …

Age-Dependent Changes In Reproductive Behaviour And Success In A Long-Lived Beetle (Bolitotherus Cornutus), C. A. Greene, L. D. Mitchem, Vitor Dos Anjos , '21, E. D. Brodie Iii, Vincent A. Formica

Biology Faculty Works

Age-related changes in behaviors often result in shifts in an individual’s competitive ability, reproductive success, and fitness. However, how mating behaviors, aggression, and mating success simultaneously change as individuals age in natural populations remains understudied. Investigating these age-dependent effects in wild populations could reveal how age-specific patterns shape social dynamics and influence natural selection. In this study, we ask how behaviors associated with mating and reproductive success vary across age in a wild metapopulation of a long-lived beetle, Bolitotherus cornutus. We used both cross-sectional and longitudinal data from a multi-year field study of individually marked beetles to investigate how …

A Complicated History Of Mitogenome Introgression Among Luxilus Species (Teleostei, Family Leuciscidae) In The Ozark Highlands, David D. Duvernell, Carson Arnold, Shila Koju, Abby J. Wicks, Thomas E. Dowling

Biological Sciences Faculty Research & Creative Works

Hybridization is common among minnows and shiners in the family Leuciscidae, and mitonuclear discordance can reveal evidence of historical hybridization and introgression events that have shaped extant species and populations. We have identified a notable case of serial mitogenome replacement in populations of two shiner species, Luxilus zonatus and L. chrysocephalus, which are syntopic in drainages throughout the northern and eastern Ozark Interior Highlands of North America. These mitogenome replacement events involved L. zonatus acquiring the mitogenome of L. chrysocephalus, and populations of L. chrysocephalus acquiring the mitogenome of an allopatric congeneric species, L. cornutus. The latter species has a …

Fisheries Occasional Publication No. 149 - Economic Contribution Of Wild-Catch Fishing In Western Australia, 2024: Beyond Gross Value Of Production, Dipesh Maharjan, Vilaphonh Xayavong, Ben Fraser, Rebecca Thomas

Fisheries Occasional Publications

The wild-catch fishing industry plays a significant role in Western Australia’s economy, particularly in regional communities. This report summarises the economic contribution of the commercial wild-catch fishing sector in 2024, based on REMPLAN’s input-output (I-O) modelling methodology and DPIRD data and analysis. This report focuses on key economic indicators including total economic output, gross value added (GVA), and employment (FTEs).

Key findings:

• Total Economic Output of the wild-catch fishing industry is $1.22 billion (total value of goods and services produced, including intermediate inputs)
• Gross Value Added (GVA) of the wild-catch fishing industry is $487 million (value of profit, wages, salaries …

Abiotic Factors Influencing Anuran Occupation Of Neotropical Brazilian Caves, Vinícius F. Sperandei, Willian Vaz-Silva, Tejerina-Garro L. Francisco

International Journal of Speleology

Despite increasing research on the Neotropical underground environment, anurans remain poorly understood in this habitat. It was analyzed scientific literature records of anurans in Brazilian natural caves and performed a redundancy analysis (RDA) to identify the environmental, taxonomic, geographic, geological and land-use variables that influence their cave occupancy. It was examined a total of 247 literature records, encompassing 83 species/morphospecies, which revealed distinct cave-dwelling tendencies. Some anuran species occupy caves at altitudes between 5 to 21 meters above sea level (m asl), in areas characterized by rocky outcrops and grassland. Others are associated with caves surrounded by forest, savanna, pasture …

Montserrat Developments Impacting Local Coral Reefs, Emma I. Bartholomew

2025 Symposium

Montserrat is a small island in the Caribbean, and over half of the island is in the exclusion zone because of the active volcano, Soufrière Hills. In that half was the old capital, Plymouth, which has since been abandoned, and its old port. The old port was getting less reliable and accessible, so they decided to build a new port in Little Bay, closer to the seat of government in Brades. This study explored how the addition of the new port impacted the corals in that area. We explored several different bays and recorded the diversity and health of the …

Evaluating The Environmental Determinants Of Tadpole Mouthpart Deformities, Nicholas J. Canfield

Research from the Berry Summer Thesis Institute, 2025

Amphibians are among the most threatened group of animals on the planet, with over 40% of living species facing an extinction risk. These organisms are highly sensitive to environmental change due to their highly permeable skin and complex life cycle that exposes them to stressors in both aquatic and terrestrial ecosystems. Amphibian populations that are closely monitored can serve as valuable bioindicators of environmental health because they typically respond rapidly to habitat degradation, decreased water quality, and changes in climate. Tadpoles in particular may act as a “canary in a coal mine” for aquatic ecosystems because they easily develop anatomical …

Nueva Metodología De Análisis Para Determinar El Delito Ambiental De Ecocidio Por Glifosato En Cultivos Permanentes De Coca En Colombia, Rosalina González Forero, Jerry H. Kavouras, Érika González Ruiz

Biology Department Faculty Articles

El crimen organizado transnacional ha sido nefasto para el territorio colombiano, en especial el asociado a la producción de coca en la última década, lo que ha generado impactos económicos y sociales debido al aumento del conflicto e inseguridad en las zonas de influencia del cultivo. Esto se debe a que en el 2023 se tenían 230 000 hectáreas sembradas, lo que representa el 20 % de la superficie del país, con un impacto ambiental no cuantificado en términos penales. Este requiere de acciones de entidades estatales, así como de cooperación internacional, para adaptar estrategias y poder judicializar estos delitos …

Male Mating Preference For Larger Females Does Not Vary Among Age Classes In The Long-Lived Beetle Bolitotherus Cornutus, G. M. Jiron, C. A. Greene, E. D. Brodie Iii, Vincent A. Formica

Biology Faculty Works

Theory and past experimental work suggest that as males age, the strength of their mate preference should decrease. However, the empirical work investigating this question has primarily been conducted in insects that have very short life spans and often live for just a single mating season. This leaves a gap in our understanding of the relationship between male mate preference and age across taxa, as age can conflate with other ecological changes in a single mating season. In this study, we ask how the strength of preference for large female body size changes as males age in a long-lived insect, …

Abundance, Distribution, And Shoaling Of Driftfishes And Allies (Scombriformes: Stromateoidei) In The Pelagic Gulf Of Mexico, Juliet Tretler

All HCAS Student Capstones, Theses, and Dissertations

The suborder Stromateoidei contains 80 species of mesopelagic fishes in five families distributed throughout temperate and tropical seas worldwide, including the Gulf of Mexico (Gulf hereafter). Mesopelagic fishes, especially those that spatially aggregate, serve as important forage items for commercially, recreationally, and ecologically important species of fish, marine mammals, and seabirds. However, knowledge of the ecology and trophic importance of stromateoid fishes in the Gulf is extremely limited. This study provides quantitative information on the species composition, abundance, distribution, and biomass contribution of the stromateoid species to the Gulf deep-pelagic fish assemblage, with comparison to “archetypal” mesopelagic fish families (e.g., …

Spatial And Thermal Aspects Of The Ecology Of Three Sympatric Rattlesnakes In The Montane Northern Chihuahuan Desert, Joshua James Mead

Open Access Theses & Dissertations

To understand how animals coexist on the landscape, the individual aspects of a species life history must first be understood. Animals need to find locations that provide the resources they need to survive. Movement, microhabitats, and temperature can alter such areas where animals occur. Understanding animal movements provide important information on space use and microhabitats on the landscape. Ectothermic animals must acquiesce to ambient temperatures or use behavioral modifications to alter their body temperature. The ability to maintain suitable body temperature is essential for physiological function, reproduction, and ability to avoid predation. Research on the variation in a species ecology …

Site Fidelity, Seasonality, Movement, And Fish Associates Of Sand Tigers Carcharias Taurus In North Carolina, Ara L. Mcclanahan

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

Sand tigers Carcharias taurus are mackerel sharks with a disjunct global distribution in tropical and temperate seas. In the northwest Atlantic, sand tigers migrate along the coast of the eastern United States from the Gulf of Maine to Florida and occupy structurally complex benthic habitats. The long-term, underwater camera installation, SharkCam, at Frying Pan Tower, off Cape Fear, North Carolina, USA, sits atop an expanse of hard bottom reef frequented by sand tigers. The citizen-science platform Spot A Shark USA (SAS USA) uses images of sand tigers to identify and track individuals. This study utilized image encounters from SAS USA …