Biology Commons^™

Understanding Potassium Toxicity Stress Responses Of The Extremophyte Schrenkiella Parvula Using Systems Biology Approaches, Pramod Pantha

LSU Doctoral Dissertations

Schrenkiella parvula is an extremophyte model closely related to Arabidopsis thaliana and Brassica crops. Its natural habitat includes shores of saline lakes in the Irano-Turanian region. It has adapted to grow in soils rich in multiple salts including Na⁺ and K⁺. I have investigated the genetic basis for high K⁺ tolerance in plants using S. parvula as a stress tolerant model compared to the premier plant model, Arabidopsis thaliana which is highly sensitive to salt stresses using physiological, ionomic, transcriptomic, and metabolomic approaches. Under high K⁺ stress, root system architecture changes significantly compared to control …

Zygomorphic Flowers May Reduce Extinction Rates By Allowing Angiosperms To Occur In Low Abundances, Maria Belen Alvestegui

Theses

The high species richness that angiosperm show has been extensively correlated with key floral innovations. Key floral traits contribute to species boundaries and the origin of new species. However, how these relate to extinction remains largely untested. Among the multiple theories that attribute diversification to floral innovations, the reduced extinction model predicts that floral specialization allows the persistence of small populations and avoids their loss. Bilateral symmetry (zygomorphy) is a trait that has evolved recurrently in angiosperms. It is a form of floral specialization that restricts pollination to fewer visitors and precisely places pollen to ensure more effective transmission of …

An Updated Infra-Familial Classification Of Sapindaceae Based On Targeted Enrichment Data, Sven Buerki

Biology Faculty Publications and Presentations

Premise: The economically important, cosmopolitan soapberry family (Sapindaceae) comprises ca. 1900 species in 144 genera. Since the seminal work of Radlkofer, several authors have attempted to overcome challenges presented by the family’s complex infra-familial classification. With the advent of molecular systematics, revisions of the various proposed groupings have provided significant momentum, but we still lack a formal classification system rooted in an evolutionary framework.

Methods: Nuclear DNA sequence data were generated for 123 genera (86%) of Sapindaceae using target sequence capture with the Angiosperms353 universal probe set. HybPiper was used to produce aligned DNA matrices. Phylogenetic inferences were obtained using …

Bryophyte Ecosystem Services: How Bryophytes Impact Ecosystem Processes And Their Use In Urban Systems, Keila Spangler

University Honors Theses

Bryophytes, which include mosses, liverworts, and hornworts, are non-vascular plants that provide crucial ecosystem services in natural and urban systems. In natural systems, these services include carbon, water, and nutrient cycling and maintenance of community level biodiversity. In urban systems, bryophytes can be used as green roof substrate, as bioindicators to monitor pollution and air quality, for horticulture uses, and in medicine. Although bryophytes possess some qualities, such as reproduction by spores, that may give them an advantage compared to vascular plants as the climate warms, their response to climate change remains understudied. This paper will review the literature on …

Temperature Regulation Of Plant Hormone Signaling During Stress And Development, Christian Castroverde, Damaris Dina

Biology Faculty Publications

Global climate change has broad-ranging impacts on the natural environment and human civilization. Increasing average temperatures along with more frequent heat waves collectively have negative effects on cultivated crops in agricultural sectors and wild species in natural ecosystems. These aberrantly hot temperatures, together with cold stress, represent major abiotic stresses to plants. Molecular and physiological responses to high and low temperatures are intricately linked to the regulation of important plant hormones. In this review, we shall highlight our current understanding of how changing temperatures regulate plant hormone pathways during immunity, stress responses and development. This article will present an overview …

Screening Of Aflatoxin-Producing Fungi In Maize And Groundnuts From Three Regions In Tanzania, Kusiluka Agape, Valence Mk Ndesendo, Sartaz Begum

Tanzania Journal of Science

This study screened aflatoxin-producing fungi in maize and groundnuts from Dodoma, Singida and Iringa regions in Tanzania, and assessed the level of peoples’ awareness on aflatoxins health effects. One hundred and twenty samples (20 each crop) were collected and inoculated on Sabouraud dextrose agar and one hundred and eleven samples were observed to have fungal growths that were identified to belong to four genera, namely Aspergillus, Rhizopus, Mucor and Dermatophyte with occurrence frequencies of 75, 2.5, 5 and 10%, respectively. Among the four screened genera of fungi, Aspergillus was observed to be the major aflatoxin-producing fungi. Five species of genus …

Bacterial Growth Inhibitory Effects Of Calotropis Procera’S Latex, Leaves And Roots Extracts, Marco Baluhya, Charles O Joseph

Tanzania Journal of Science

This study was conducted to evaluate in vitro antibacterial potential of water and ethanolic extracts from Calotropis procera roots, leaves and latex. The growth inhibitory effects of the extracts were tested against Escherichia coli using disc diffusion method. Amoxicillin was used as positive control, whereas ethanol and distilled water were used as negative controls. Results showed that water extracts from root, latex and leaves had 3.27 ± 0.14, 3.1 ± 0.21 and 2.38 ± 0.24 cm of maximum inhibition zones, while the ethanolic extracts showed 2.91 ± 0.19, 3.02 ± 0.16 and 0.84 ± 0.31 cm, respectively of maximum inhibition …

Analysis Of Symptom Expressions And Transmission Rates Caused By The Plant Pathogen Phytophthora Ramorum On Native Chaparral Plants From The Genus Arctostaphylos, Bharati Gaonker

Natural Sciences and Mathematics | Biological Sciences Master's Theses

Phytophthora ramorum is the causal agent of Sudden Oak death (SOD), ramorum dieback and ramorum leaf blight which affect both forest environments and nurseries. This oomycete pathogen has had a huge economic impact on the nursery and lumber industry. Forests in California have experienced substantial mortality of oaks affecting the forest dynamics and diversity. Our research investigates four native species and two ornamental cultivars of plants, which belong to the genus Arctostaphylos (manzanita) and are considered to be new hosts for P. ramorum in the chaparral ecosystem of California. Symptom expression and transmission rates were analyzed on Arctostaphylos glauca, …

Fungi Associated With Herbaceous Plants In Coastal Northern California, Greg Huffman

Natural Sciences and Mathematics | Biological Sciences Master's Theses

The presence of fungal species associated with herbaceous plants was monitored in coastal Marin County, California, USA. The research involved a combination of field sampling surveys and data collection using a stratified random design, pathogen identification through microbiological and molecular analysis, and descriptive analysis and ordination of results. A total of two years of repeated sampling (four times a year) was organized to allow for the detection of seasonal differences in pathogen presence on aerial plant parts. The objective of this study was to identify microbial species present on herbaceous plants using ITS1 sequence analysis. Throughout March of 2018 to …

Effect Of Nitrogen Addition On Selection Of Germination Trait In An Alpine Meadow On The Tibet Plateau, Kun Liu, Yang Liu, Zhilong Zhang, Shiting Zhang, Carol C. Baskin, Jerry M. Baskin, Ting Liang, Haiyan Bu, Shuxia Li, Tingting Zhang, Xianliang Cui, Sa Xiao

Biology Faculty Publications

Seed germination requirements may determine the kinds of habitat in which plants can survive. We tested the hypothesis that nitrogen (N) addition can change seed germination trait-environmental filter interactions and ultimately redistribute seed germination traits in alpine meadows. We determined the role of N addition on germination trait selection in an alpine meadow after N addition by combining a 3-year N addition experiment in an alpine meadow and laboratory germination experiments. At the species level, germination percentage, germination rate (speed) and breadth of temperature niche for germination (BTN) were positively related to survival of a species in the fertilized community. …

Effects Of Am Fungi From Conventional And No-Till Michigan Crop Fields On Plant And Soil Health, Derek Bennett

Masters Theses

Centuries of conventional till (CT) management in agriculture has depleted soil organic matter (SOM) by over 50%. While only comprising 5% in most soils, SOM provides soil with fertility and productivity. To compensate for SOM depletion, producers have been forced to increase their reliance on fertilizer and irrigation to maintain yields. In the coming decades, climate change is expected to challenge food production and threaten an already fragile system. With no remaining land left to cultivate, conservation management strategies such as no-till (NT) look to restore SOM and increase the resilience of food production for an ever growing, increasingly food …

Winners And Losers In Reforestation Efforts In The Lower Rio Grande Valley Of Texas, And The Predictive Power Of Xylem Anatomy On Long-Term Growth And Survival, Clifton F. Albrecht

Theses and Dissertations

Reforestation has been ongoing in the Lower Rio Grande Valley annually since the 1980s, and to date over 6400 ha of land has been reforested in this area. However, there has been little subsequent study of the change and development of those forests as they mature. This thesis consists of two, interrelated, studies: (1) surveys of a five-site chronosequence of restored forests and (2) quantification of xylem anatomical traits of a subset of species present at the reforestation sites. Surveys showed a consistent reduction in species diversity and stem number density on the landscape, and identified a suite of species …

Understanding The Ecological Role, Population Dynamics, And Geographic Distribution Of Manihot Walkerae, Gisel Garza

Theses and Dissertations

Walker’s Manihot, Manihot walkerae Croizat (Euphorbiaceae), is an endangered plant that is endemic to the Tamaulipan thornscrub ecoregion. Understanding M. walkerae’s geographic distribution, populations, and species interactions can provide essential information for the development of sound conservation strategies. To this aim, I asked the following questions: 1) What is the potential geographic distribution for M. walkerae? and, will it be affected by climate change? 2) Using global and regional extinction risk assessments, what is the extinction risk category for M. walkerae after incorporating species distribution models? 3) What do natural history observations reveal about M. walkerae’s population …

Physical And Chemical Defense Mechanisms In Aloe Barbadensis Against Insect Herbivores, Zachary Johnson

Theses and Dissertations

Chapter 1: This chapter provides an overview of insect herbivore impacts on plants and plant defense mechanisms to combat them. I particularly focused on physical and chemical defenses in the broader sense.

Chapter 2: This chapter describes the experiments that showed the effects of extracts from Aloe barbadensis on the growth and development of tobacco hornworm (Manduca sexta) and fall armyworm (Spodoptera frugiperda), model herbivores used to understand herbivore growth and plant defenses. This study shows that extracts from the Aloe differentially affected the growth and development of M. sexta and S. frugiperda. This chapter …

The Importance Of A Multidisciplinary Approach To Public Health: Addressing Food Insecurity Through A Biological And Sociological Lens, Chloe Grant

Honors Theses

Plants can sense the change of 1 ^oC in their growth environment and thus global climate change has a great impact on plant growth and development. The phenomenon that warm non-stress temperatures promote stem and petiole elongation, as well as leaf hyponastic growth, is collectively known as thermomorphogenesis. While it is known that the basic helix-loop-helix (bHLH) transcription factor PIF4 is highly inducible by temperature elevations and controls thermomorphogenesis in dicots (e.g., Arabidopsis thaliana), the molecular mechanism underlying thermomorphogenetic growth in monocots is not clear. In this study, I identify PIF4 orthologs in several economically important monocotyledonous species and …

A Baseline Documentation Report For The Delta Wind Birds Sky Lake Nature Reserve, James Dubberly

Honors Theses

The purpose of this baseline documentation is to conduct a report on our subject property and discuss the findings. A conservation easement is established by upholding a certain standard of a property’s current condition which makes a baseline documentation necessary for an easement to be enacted. Baseline documentation reports are used as a resource to monitor and enforce the legal agreements of the conservation easement. The subject property is currently owned by the Delta Wind Birds organization. In our scenario, this documentation report will serve to aid in the conversion of our subject property into a conservation easement in which …

Sciadopitys Verticillata (Japanese Umbrella Pine), #1065-1067, Grace C. Kubat

BIO 140 Arboretum Project

Over the course of the 2021 spring semester, I observed a grove of Japanese Umbrella Pines. These trees are a part of the University's arboretum. In addition to making weekly observations, I researched the cultural significance of the Umbrella Pines. My research will hopefully contribute to future projects regarding the trees and help to enrich the University's arboretum project.

A Baseline Documentation Report For The Delta Wind Birds Sky Lake Nature Reserve, Preston T. Perkins, J Hays Dubberly, Michael J. Thomas, Jensine Coggin

Honors Theses

The purpose of this baseline documentation is to conduct a report on our subject property and discuss the findings. A conservation easement is established by upholding a certain standard of a property’s current condition which makes a baseline documentation necessary for an easement to be enacted. Baseline documentation reports are used as a resource to monitor and enforce the legal agreements of the conservation easement. The subject property is currently owned by the Delta Wind Birds organization. In our scenario, this documentation report will serve to aid in the conversion of our subject property into a conservation easement in which …

(2808) Proposal To Reject The Name Acalypha Supera (Euphorbiaceae), Geoffrey A. Levin, Vernie G. Sagun

Biology Faculty Publications

(2808) Acalypha supera Forssk.; Fl. Aegypt.-Arab.: 162. 1 Oct 1775[Angiosp.: Euphorb.]; nom. utique rej. prop.Typus: non designatus.

(2807) Proposal To Conserve The Name Acalypha Wilkesiana Against A. Tricolor (Euphorbiaceae), Geoffrey A. Levin, Vernie G. Sagun

Biology Faculty Publications

(2807) Acalypha wilkesiana Müll. Arg. in Candolle; Prodr. 15(2):817. Aug (sero) 1866 [Angiosp.: Euphorb.]; nom. cons. prop.Typus: Fiji; [Viti Levu]; Rewa; “Unit. Stat. explor. exped.under Capt. Wilkes” (G-DC barcodes G00324021 &G00324022; isotypi: GH barcode GH00045512; K barcodeK000959008; US Nos. 1944717 & 1944718 [barcodes00096423 & 00096424]).

(=) Acalypha tricolor Veitch ex Mast. in Gard. Chron. 1866:483. 26 Mai 1866; nom rej. prop.Neotypus (hic designatus): “Hort. Veitch; New Hebrides[Vanuatu]”; Jul 1844 (K barcode K001235482).

Fagus Sylvatica (European Beech), #1009, Megan L. Trafford

BIO 140 Arboretum Project

No abstract provided.

Tilia Cordata (Littleleaf Linden) #1059, Heather Noel Mckee

BIO 140 Arboretum Project

In this paper I studied the Tilia cordata, more commonly known as the Littleleaf Linden, over the course of three months. I included the history and uses of the Linden tree along with its symbolic value in European culture. This tree symbolizes friendship and peace which coincides with the critical concerns of the Sisters of Mercy.

Eclp Invasive Plant Project: Spot The Invaders, Aida Washburn

Showcase of Osprey Advancements in Research and Scholarship (SOARS)

An Environmental Center Leadership Program Project

Amelia Island is home to many beautiful native plants, but some invasive species have taken residence in the beach area and caused issues to the ecological system. The invasive plants outcompete our native species and can disrupt the shore bird and sea turtle nesting sites. Invasive plants also destabilize our dunes. A native plant is identified as a species that has naturally existed in each place for an extended length of time. Whereas an invasive species displaces and prevents native species from establishing. The goal of this project was to remove invasive plant species …

What’S The Buzz?, Christine L. Moskalik

Teacher Resources

Read more: Moskalik, C. (2021). What’s the Buzz? A hands-on, interdisciplinary, & FUN way to learn about circuits, energy, engineering, bee communication and pollination. Science and Children. National Science Teaching Association. Volume 58 (Issue 5). May/June 2021.

2021 Spring Newsletter, Plaster Creek Stewards

Newsletters

Highlights:

Heron Rookery

Spring Event 2021

Education on Cedar

Spring Interns

Watershed Support Grant Awarded

Otto Warburg And His Contributions To The Screw Pine Family (Pandanaceae), Martin W. Callmander, Robert Vogt, Anna Donatelli, Sven Buerki, Chiara Nepi

Biology Faculty Publications and Presentations

Otto Warburg (1859–1938) had a great interest in tropical botany. He travelled in South-East Asia and the South Pacific between 1885 and 1889 and brought back a considerable collection of plant specimens from this expedition later donated to the Royal Botanical Museum in Berlin. Warburg published the first comprehensive monograph on the family Pandanaceae in 1900 in the third issue of Das Pflanzenreich established and edited by Adolf Engler (1844–1930). The aim of this article is to clarify the taxonomy, nomenclature and typification of Warburg's contributions to the Pandanaceae. Considerable parts of Warburg's original material was destroyed in Berlin …

Responses Of Soil Surface Greenhouse Gas Emissions To Nitrogen And Sulfur Fertilizer Rates To Brassica Carinata Grown As A Bio-Jet Fuel, Dwarika Bhattarai, Gandura O. Abagandura, Thandiwe Nleya, Sandeep Kumar

Agronomy, Horticulture and Plant Science Faculty Publications

Carinata (Brassica carinata A. Braun), a non-food oilseed crop and an alternative bio-jet fuel feedstock, has received attention for its potential as a low-input option for production in the semi-arid region of the Northern Great Plains of the United States. Research addressing the impacts of nitrogen (N) and sulfur (S) fertilizers on soils and greenhouse gas (GHG; CO₂, N₂O, and CH₄) emissions from carinata production are limited. Thus, objective of this study was to evaluate the impact of different rates of N and S fertilizers applied to carinata on soil properties and GHG …

Seed Rain–Successional Feedbacks In Wet Tropical Forests, Nohemi Huanca Nuñez, Robin L. Chazdon, Sabrina E. Russo

School of Biological Sciences: Faculty Publications

Abstract

Tropical forest regeneration after abandonment of former agricultural land depends critically on the input of tree seeds, yet seed dispersal is increasingly disrupted in contemporary human-modified landscapes. Here, we introduce the concept of seed rain–successional feedbacks as a deterministic process in which seed rain is shaped by successional dynamics internal to a forest site and that acts to reinforce priority effects. We used a combination of time series and chronosequence approaches to investigate how the quantity and taxonomic and functional composition of seed rain change during succession and to evaluate the strength of seed rain–successional feedbacks, relative to other …

Evolution And Development Of Staminodes In Paronychia (Caryophyllaceae), Andrea D. Appleton

Honors College Theses

Staminodes are infertile stamens that have evolved numerous times in flowering plants and exhibit a vast array of forms and functions. Variation in staminodes suggests that numerous evolutionary processes underlie their origins, but to understand their how and why they evolved, comparative studies are needed in groups of closely related species. Identifying structures as staminodes is not always straightforward and sometimes requires corroborating phylogenetic and developmental evidence. Staminodial structures in Paronychia (Caryophyllaceae), for example, vary in shape and size and have been referred to as both petals and staminodes, rendering their homology uncertain. The development of staminodes was compared across …

A Microbiome Engineering Framework To Evaluate Rhizobial Symbionts Of Legumes, Kenjiro W. Quides, Hagop S. Atamian

Biology, Chemistry, and Environmental Sciences Faculty Articles and Research

Background

For well over a century, rhizobia have been recognized as effective biofertilizer options for legume crops. This has led to the widespread use of rhizobial inoculants in agricultural systems, but a recurring issue has emerged: applied rhizobia struggle to provide growth benefits to legume crops. This has largely been attributed to the presence of soil rhizobia and has been termed the ‘rhizobial competition problem.’

Scope

Microbiome engineering has emerged as a methodology to circumvent the rhizobial competition problem by creating legume microbiomes that do not require exogenous rhizobia. However, we highlight an alternative implementation of microbiome engineering that focuses …