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Terrestrial and Aquatic Ecology

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2021

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Articles 61 - 80 of 80

Full-Text Articles in Biology

Invasive Bullfrogs Maintain High Levels Of Immune Gene Diversity Despite Elevated Bd Infection Relative To Native Populations, Jacob Lafond Jan 2021

Invasive Bullfrogs Maintain High Levels Of Immune Gene Diversity Despite Elevated Bd Infection Relative To Native Populations, Jacob Lafond

Electronic Theses and Dissertations, 2020-

Maintenance of genetic diversity at ecologically-relevant loci may be important for allowing invasive populations to become established despite decreases in genomic diversity due to founder effects. To evaluate this prediction, we compared genetic diversity at an expressed MHC class IIß gene fragment to a 909 bp region of the neutral cytochrome b (cytb) locus from 20 populations of the American bullfrog (Rana catesbeiana) across its North American invasive and native ranges and quantified the presence of Batrachochytrium dendrobatidis (Bd), a pathogen, for which R. catesbeiana is a vector species. We recovered 28 unique MHC alleles and found that invasive populations …


Assessing The Role Of Disturbance In Estuarine Fish Community Dynamics, Dakota Lewis Jan 2021

Assessing The Role Of Disturbance In Estuarine Fish Community Dynamics, Dakota Lewis

Electronic Theses and Dissertations, 2020-

Ecological disturbances alter biotic communities and ecosystems. In many coastal zones disturbances are increasing, including algal blooms, storms, hypoxic events, and fish kills. These disturbances are often related, for example blooms releasing toxins or depleting dissolved oxygen, ultimately killing fish. Depending on the intensity, duration, and geographic extent of a disturbance, the fish community can take days to years to recover from disturbances. To explore the relationships among environmental disturbances, sport fish, and forage fish communities, this thesis examined two Florida estuaries with differing disturbance regimes. Using an ensemble modelling approach combining generalized linear models (GLM), Bayesian modelling, and Bayesian …


Monitoring Landscape And Spectral Dynamics Of Subtropical Freshwater Wetlands That Have Undergone Hydrological Restoration, Sarah Parker Jan 2021

Monitoring Landscape And Spectral Dynamics Of Subtropical Freshwater Wetlands That Have Undergone Hydrological Restoration, Sarah Parker

Electronic Theses and Dissertations, 2020-

Over the last century, millions of hectares of wetlands have been lost due to urban development and agricultural activities throughout the world. In the U.S., efforts have been made by federal and state legislation to restore wetland habitat in exchange for development on wetlands. To restore ecosystem function by reestablishing hydrological metrics (e.g., groundwater level fluctuations), wetland restoration aims to facilitate the growth of wetland vegetation to approximate the original conditions as a proxy for ecological integrity. In 1992, the first landscape-scale off-site mitigation project, the Disney Wilderness Preserve (DWP) was funded by the Walt Disney Company in Poinciana, Florida. …


Correlations In Microplastic Abundance Between Water, The Eastern Oyster, Crassostrea Virginica, And Their Biodeposits In A Dynamic Florida Estuary, Casey Craig Jan 2021

Correlations In Microplastic Abundance Between Water, The Eastern Oyster, Crassostrea Virginica, And Their Biodeposits In A Dynamic Florida Estuary, Casey Craig

Electronic Theses and Dissertations, 2020-

Estuaries have been identified as hotspots of microplastic pollution because they are transitional zones where coastal freshwater and oceans converge. Microplastics (MP) are transported through estuaries by a dynamic series of forces such as surface flow and tides, which influence MP abundances and trends. The eastern oyster, Crassostrea virginica, is an estuarine bivalve known to ingest MP, resulting in negative impacts on organism physiology. I investigated MP pollution as a threat to C. virginica in a dynamic Florida estuary, the Indian River Lagoon (IRL), and determined there are both regional and small-scale spatial and temporal fluctuations in MP abundance. Tributaries …


Long-Term Changes In Juvenile Green Turtle Abundance And Foraging Ecology In The Indian River Lagoon, Florida, Christopher Long Jan 2021

Long-Term Changes In Juvenile Green Turtle Abundance And Foraging Ecology In The Indian River Lagoon, Florida, Christopher Long

Electronic Theses and Dissertations, 2020-

Marine turtles are distributed in temperate, sub-tropical and tropical waters and beaches worldwide, often in areas heavily impacted by humans. Although there are many threats to marine turtle populations, the growing threats of nutrient pollution and harmful algal blooms are relatively understudied despite their widespread impacts on coastal marine ecosystems that marine turtles depend on. By studying juvenile green turtles (Chelonia mydas) in the Indian River Lagoon, Florida, where nutrient pollution and HABs are a widespread and longstanding issue, I aimed to conduct a case study of how these threats may affect this federally Threatened species. In Chapter 2, I …


Of Biodiversity, Boundaries, And Distribution: The Myxomycetes Of The Philippines And Beyond, Sittie Aisha Bustamante Macabago Jan 2021

Of Biodiversity, Boundaries, And Distribution: The Myxomycetes Of The Philippines And Beyond, Sittie Aisha Bustamante Macabago

Graduate Theses and Dissertations

This dissertation contains a compilation of independently performed studies primarily focusing on the myxomycetes (plasmodial slime molds) from the Philippines and integrating local and worldwide data to demonstrate regional and global trends. The major themes include the following: (I) a review of the diverse group of spore-producing amoeboid protists, including the myxomycetes; (II-IV) diversity assessments in three different groups of islands in the Philippine archipelago; (V) mapping the myxomycetes found in the Philippines for databasing and analyzing the geocoded data; (VI) a study on regional boundaries, including the Philippines, using myxomycete species composition; and, (VII) creating a global species distribution …


Factors Driving The Compositional Diversity Of Apis Mellifera Bee Venom From A Corymbia Calophylla (Marri) Ecosystem, Southwestern Australia, Daniela Scaccabarozzi, Kenneth Dods, Thao T. Le, Joel P. A. Gummer, Michele Lussu, Lynne Milne, Tristan Campbell, Ben Pan Wafujian, Colin Priddis Jan 2021

Factors Driving The Compositional Diversity Of Apis Mellifera Bee Venom From A Corymbia Calophylla (Marri) Ecosystem, Southwestern Australia, Daniela Scaccabarozzi, Kenneth Dods, Thao T. Le, Joel P. A. Gummer, Michele Lussu, Lynne Milne, Tristan Campbell, Ben Pan Wafujian, Colin Priddis

Research outputs 2014 to 2021

Bee venom (BV) is the most valuable product harvested from honeybees ($30 - $300 USD per gram) but marginally produced in apiculture. Though widely studied and used in alternative medicine, recent efforts in BV research have focused on its therapeutic and cosmetic applications, for the treatment of degenerative and infectious diseases. The protein and peptide composition of BV is integral to its bioactivity, yet little research has investigated the ecological factors influencing the qualitative and quantitative variations in the BV composition. Bee venom from Apis mellifera ligustica (Apidae), collected over one flowering season of Corymbia calophylla (Myrtaceae; marri) was characterized …


Temporal Variation In The Genetic Composition Of An Endangered Marsupial Reflects Reintroduction History, Rujiporn Thavornkanlapachai, Harriet R. Mills, Kym Ottewell, J. Anthony Friend, W. Jason Kennington Jan 2021

Temporal Variation In The Genetic Composition Of An Endangered Marsupial Reflects Reintroduction History, Rujiporn Thavornkanlapachai, Harriet R. Mills, Kym Ottewell, J. Anthony Friend, W. Jason Kennington

Research outputs 2014 to 2021

The loss of genetic variation and genetic divergence from source populations are common problems for reintroductions that use captive animals or a small number of founders to establish a new population. This study evaluated the genetic changes occurring in a captive and a reintroduced population of the dibbler (Parantechinus apicalis) that were established from multiple source populations over a twelve-year period, using 21 microsatellite loci. While the levels of genetic variation within the captive and reintroduced populations were relatively stable, and did not differ significantly from the source populations, their effective population size reduced 10–16-fold over the duration of this …


Short Communication: Savanna-Forest Boundary On Mount Rinjani, Lombok Island, West Nusa Tenggara, Indonesia, Sutomo, Eddie Van Etten, Rajif Iryadi Jan 2021

Short Communication: Savanna-Forest Boundary On Mount Rinjani, Lombok Island, West Nusa Tenggara, Indonesia, Sutomo, Eddie Van Etten, Rajif Iryadi

Research outputs 2014 to 2021

© 2021, Society for Indonesian Biodiversity. All rights reserved. Sutomo, van Etten E, Iryadi R. 2020. Short communication: Savanna-forest boundary on Mount Rinjani, Lombok Island, West Nusa Tenggara, Indonesia. Biodiversitas 21: 726-731. Seasonally dry tropical forests tend to be bordered by or are mixed with savanna ecosystems. This research investigates the location and nature of forest-savanna boundary on Mt. Rinjani and hypothesizes on potential causes of such boundary formation. The field survey locations were based on MODIS burnt area data. We made 30 plots (50 x 50 m) established along transects to obtain vegetation and environment data across boundaries. For …


An Evaluation Of Antiparasitics Used To Treat The Sea Louse, Caligus Rogercresseyi, In Chilean Salmonid Farming, Dayla Woller Jan 2021

An Evaluation Of Antiparasitics Used To Treat The Sea Louse, Caligus Rogercresseyi, In Chilean Salmonid Farming, Dayla Woller

Scripps Senior Theses

Sea lice pose a global threat to open-net salmonid farming. As Chile is the second largest Atlantic salmon producer, they have a vested interest in mitigating infestations and increasing production. However, this will not be possible without 1) increased research on the underlying mechanisms behind sea lice infestations that will inform 2) governmental regulation of salmon farming. This increase in research and governmental regulation will only be possible through transparency on pesticide practices and sea louse monitoring data from companies operating in Chile. Taking these steps would bring Chile closer to being the largest producer of Atlantic salmon and an …


Documentation Of Atlantic Tarpon (Megalops Atlanticus) Space Use And Move Persistence In The Northern Gulf Of Mexico Facilitated By Angler Advocates, J. Marcus Drymon, Matthew B. Jargowsky, Michael A. Dance, Mitchell Lovell, Crystal L. Hightower, Amanda E. Jefferson, Andrea M. Kroetz, Sean P. Powers Jan 2021

Documentation Of Atlantic Tarpon (Megalops Atlanticus) Space Use And Move Persistence In The Northern Gulf Of Mexico Facilitated By Angler Advocates, J. Marcus Drymon, Matthew B. Jargowsky, Michael A. Dance, Mitchell Lovell, Crystal L. Hightower, Amanda E. Jefferson, Andrea M. Kroetz, Sean P. Powers

University Faculty and Staff Publications

Atlantic tarpon (Megalops atlanticus, hereafter tarpon) are facing a multitude of stressors and are considered Vulnerable by the IUCN; however, significant gaps remain in our understanding of tarpon space use and movement. From 2018 to 2019, citizen scientists facilitated tagging of 23 tarpon with SPOT tags to examine space use and movement across the northern Gulf of Mexico. Movement-based kernel densities were used to estimate simplified biased random bridge-based utilization distributions and a joint move persistence model was used to estimate a behavioral index for each fish. Tarpon showed consistent east–west movement from the Alabama/Florida border to Louisiana, and utilization …


Evaluation Of Methods For The Restoration Of Native Grasslands On Abandoned Center Pivots In The Sandsage Prairies Of Southwestern Kansas, Alonso Barragan-Martinez Jan 2021

Evaluation Of Methods For The Restoration Of Native Grasslands On Abandoned Center Pivots In The Sandsage Prairies Of Southwestern Kansas, Alonso Barragan-Martinez

Master's Theses

Throughout southwestern Kansas thousands of acres of native grassland have been converted to cropland for agricultural use, reducing native prairie by over 60% in the sandsage prairie. Due to low precipitation and arid conditions, much of these croplands are irrigated by center pivot irrigation systems fed by the Ogallala Aquifer. These fields are abandoned when the aquifers dry up, resulting in erosion of the unused farmland. Conservation programs such as the Conservation Reserve Enhancement Program (CREP) were established to address this problem but have been unsuccessful in restoring native grasslands in abandoned croplands in southwestern Kansas. We hypothesized that insect …


Analysis Of Methods To Measure Heart Rate In Mytilus Edulis, Kristin Pinho Jan 2021

Analysis Of Methods To Measure Heart Rate In Mytilus Edulis, Kristin Pinho

Student Research Poster Presentations 2021

Non-invasive research will be performed to limit the additional stress from equipment and focus on the harmful effects that polluted run-off water has on mussels’ heart rates. The chemical that will be introduced to the laboratory environment will be weed killer. This research will simulate how water pollution affects different aquatic species and how that ultimately leads to environmental changes, while evaluating the most effective methods to conduct this research.


Habitat Selection By Vulnerable Golden Bandicoots In The Arid Zone, Cheryl A. Lohr, Kristen Nilsson, Colleen Sims, Judy Dunlop, Michael T. Lohr Jan 2021

Habitat Selection By Vulnerable Golden Bandicoots In The Arid Zone, Cheryl A. Lohr, Kristen Nilsson, Colleen Sims, Judy Dunlop, Michael T. Lohr

Research outputs 2014 to 2021

In 2010, vulnerable golden bandicoots (Isoodon auratus) were translocated from Barrow Island, Western Australia, to a mainland predator-free enclosure on the Matuwa Indigenous Protected Area. Golden bandicoots were once widespread throughout a variety of arid and semiarid habitats of central and northern Australia. Like many small-to-medium-sized marsupials, the species has severely declined since colonization and has been reduced to only four remnant natural populations. Between 2010 and 2020, the reintroduced population of golden bandicoots on Matuwa was monitored via capture–mark–recapture data collection, which was used in spatially explicit capture–recapture analysis to monitor their abundance over time. In 2014, we used …


Natural Habitat Of Bali Starling (Leucopsar Rothschildi) In Bali Barat National Park, Indonesia, Sutomo Sutomo, Eddie Van Etten Jan 2021

Natural Habitat Of Bali Starling (Leucopsar Rothschildi) In Bali Barat National Park, Indonesia, Sutomo Sutomo, Eddie Van Etten

Research outputs 2014 to 2021

The Indonesian tropical savannas and dry forests provide habitats to various endemic wildlife. Unfortunately, a few of these endemic species are now seriously threatened and are red listed in the conservation status of International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN). Among these species, the Bali starling or Bali mynah Leucopsar rotschildi, locally known as Jalak Bali, is now mostly restricted to the Bali Barat National Park. Given the high extinction risk faced by such species, conservation programs require multidisciplinary approaches that would address both the biological attributes of the species itself and their habitat requirements. Regrettably, for many species, their …


Lepidopteran Granivory Reduces Seed Counts In A Rare Species Of Riparian Scour Prairies, Cheyenne Moore, Angela J. Mcdonnell, Scott Schuette, Christopher T. Martine Jan 2021

Lepidopteran Granivory Reduces Seed Counts In A Rare Species Of Riparian Scour Prairies, Cheyenne Moore, Angela J. Mcdonnell, Scott Schuette, Christopher T. Martine

Faculty Journal Articles

In Pennsylvania Baptisia australis var. australis is found along only four waterways: the Allegheny River, Youghiogheny River, Clarion River, and Red Bank Creek. Because of its limited distribution and small number of extant populations, the species is considered state-threatened in Pennsylvania. In addition, the riparian prairie habitat that Pennsylvania Baptisia australis var. australis is restricted to is also in decline and considered vulnerable. Because of these conservation concerns, insights into the natural history of the taxon in the state is valuable and will inform conservation efforts. Field surveys and fruit collections along the Allegheny River and herbarium collections were used …


Larval Anatomy Of Monotypic Painted Ant Nest Frogs Lithodytes Lineatus Reveals Putative Homoplasies With The Leptodactylus Pentadactylus Group (Anura: Leptodactylidae), Filipe A.C Do Nascimento, Rafael O. De Sá, Paulo C. De A. Garcia Jan 2021

Larval Anatomy Of Monotypic Painted Ant Nest Frogs Lithodytes Lineatus Reveals Putative Homoplasies With The Leptodactylus Pentadactylus Group (Anura: Leptodactylidae), Filipe A.C Do Nascimento, Rafael O. De Sá, Paulo C. De A. Garcia

Biology Faculty Publications

The morphological diversity of anuran larvae made them an important source of information for evolutionary and systematic studies. For the monotypic frog genus Lithodytes, which has an interesting taxonomic history, including its past synonymizing with Adenomera and its placement as a subgenus of Leptodactylus, the information provided from its larvae can help to understand its systematics interrelationships and also provide insights about its evolutionary trajectories. Herein, we provide a detailed description of the larval morphology of Lithodytes lineatus, including novel data of internal morphology (buccopharyngeal cavity and skeleton), and discuss some morphological and evolutionary aspects in relation …


A Decision Tool To Identify Population Management Strategies For Common Ravens And Other Avian Predators, Andrea F. Currylow, Brenda J. Hanley, Kerry L. Holcomb, Timothy Shields, Stephen Boland, William I. Boarman, Mercy Vaughn Jan 2021

A Decision Tool To Identify Population Management Strategies For Common Ravens And Other Avian Predators, Andrea F. Currylow, Brenda J. Hanley, Kerry L. Holcomb, Timothy Shields, Stephen Boland, William I. Boarman, Mercy Vaughn

Human–Wildlife Interactions

Some avian species have developed the capacity to leverage resource subsidies associated with human manipulated landscapes to increase population densities in habitats with naturally low carrying capacities. Elevated corvid densities and new territory establishment have led to an unsustainable increase in depredation pressure on sympatric native wildlife prey populations as well as in crop damage. Yet, subsidized predator removal programs aimed at reducing densities are likely most effective longer-term when conducted in tandem with subsidy control, habitat management, and robust assessment monitoring programs. We developed decision support software that leverages stage structured Lefkovitch population matrices to compare and identify treatment …


Water Clarity At The River-Estuary Transition Zone: A Comparative Study Of The James, Mattaponi, And Pamunkey Sub-Estuaries, Rachel Henderson Jan 2021

Water Clarity At The River-Estuary Transition Zone: A Comparative Study Of The James, Mattaponi, And Pamunkey Sub-Estuaries, Rachel Henderson

Theses and Dissertations

Water clarity is a key parameter for monitoring water quality and often used to assess habitat suitability for submerged aquatic vegetation (SAV). Light attenuation, a measure of water clarity, is impacted by colored dissolved organic matter (CDOM), and by suspended particulates which include living and non-living components. We anticipated that the relative importance of these factors in regulating light attenuation would vary among the upper portions of three sub-estuaries differing in morphometry, hydrology, and degree of human influence. The James is characterized by eutrophic conditions and high algal abundance, whereas the Mattaponi and Pamunkey exhibit lower phytoplankton production. The Mattaponi …


Effects Of Wastewater Effluent On Fish Fin Morphology Of Larval Fathead Minnows (Pimephales Promelas) And Swimming Performance Of Smallmouth Buffalo (Ictiobus Bubalus), Seth Michael Bogue Jan 2021

Effects Of Wastewater Effluent On Fish Fin Morphology Of Larval Fathead Minnows (Pimephales Promelas) And Swimming Performance Of Smallmouth Buffalo (Ictiobus Bubalus), Seth Michael Bogue

Masters Theses

The Sangamon River flows across central Illinois and is mostly free flowing except in the city of Decatur where it is impounded to form Lake Decatur. The Sanitary District of Decatur (SDD) is located approximately three miles downstream of the Lake Decatur dam. For a significant portion of the year, the stretch of the Sangamon River downstream of SDD is dominated by effluent due to limited discharge from the Lake Decatur dam. This has resulted in heavy nutrient loading, most notably phosphorus, and elevated levels of nickel and other compounds in the downstream section of the river. Smallmouth buffalo ( …