Biology Commons^™

Quantifying The Ecological Effects Of Salix Fragilis On Riparian Habitat In Kittitas County, Washington, Landon Shaffer

All Master's Theses

Invasive species threaten plant community structure and function globally. Riparian areas, the zone near streams where water influences vegetation, are especially sensitive to invasive species colonization, suffering large-scale shifts in community composition. Salix fragilis (crack willow) is a nonnative riparian species abundant in the lower elevation tributaries of central Washington. Some speculate whether this willow should be listed as invasive in Washington, despite a lack of regional supporting evidence. I studied riparian communities dominated by either S. fragilis or native species in the Kittitas Valley and measured biodiversity, quantified differences in solar attenuation, and compared leaf decomposition rates to learn …

Monitoring Faunal Responses To Biodegradable Oyster Reef Restoration Materials With Camera Traps, Tara L. Blanchard

Honors Undergraduate Theses

Restoration of the oyster reefs has become increasingly crucial due to great population declines around the globe. Intertidal oyster reefs provide essential foraging and loafing grounds to many faunal species, including several threatened/endangered wading bird species. Biodegradable oyster reef restoration materials have been introduced to avoid potential plastic pollution from traditional materials. Studies have shown success regarding oyster recruitment rates to these materials. However, their impacts on fauna using restored oyster reefs are unknown. This project aims to evaluate oyster reef restoration using biodegradable materials to increase faunal diversity, abundance, and foraging behaviors. Camera traps were deployed to observe fauna …

Interdisciplinary Learning: How Different Ways Of Thinking Can Fuel Passion And Expand Understanding., Allison Amy Peschek

Undergraduate Theses, Professional Papers, and Capstone Artifacts

This Capstone project was created to show the profound experience resulting from an extended range of interdisciplinary learning, and how different methods, when paired together, can enhance a learning experience. This was a personal project of exploration into those different angles, and primarily focused on avenues of logical and creating learning, respectively. These methods have been implemented by this author often in the past, but this capstone will explore this concept further, as there is a lot of potential in combining these different methods and biases in learning, to both further passion and understanding as a learner, but to also …

Bird Predation On Coho Salmon (Oncorhynchus Kisutch) In Humboldt Bay, Colton J. Dixon

Cal Poly Humboldt theses and projects

Coho Salmon (Oncorhynchus kisutch) populations along the west coast of the United States are declining. In Humboldt County, located in northwestern California, Coho Salmon have been in decline since their federal listing as threatened in 1997, primarily due to habitat loss from logging, agriculture, and urban development. Although these anthropogenic factors caused salmon populations to decline, bird predation may also be hindering population recovery, as evidenced by the recovery of Passive Integrated Transponder (PIT) tags, originally implanted in Coho Salmon, from bird colonies in Humboldt Bay. This study examines predation by Double-crested Cormorants (Phalacrocorax auritus), Caspian …

Endophytic Fungi Associated With Galls And Host Plants Of Asphondylia Borrichiae (Diptera: Cecidomyiidae), Shannon Lynn Sharpe

UNF Graduate Theses and Dissertations

Asphondylia borrichiae, like other gall-forming gnats, are obligate symbionts to the endophytic fungi (EF) they deposit when laying eggs. Asphondylia spp. and EF are important biocontrol agents, yet details surrounding their diversity, life cycles, and host interactions remain poorly understood. Galls and leaf-stem tissues from two host plants were surveyed to identify and compare EF diversity between the host tissues and species of A. borrichiae. Identification of 114 isolates was carried out by sequencing the internal transcribed spacer (ITS 1/4 primers). Pairwise alignments in multiple genetic databases were bolstered by phylogenetic analyses using maximum parsimony and maximum likelihood …

Demographics And Recruitment Patterns In A Reintroduced Population Of Alligator Snapping Turtles (Macrochelys Temminckii), Melisa P. Blasky

Graduate Theses/Dissertations

Reintroductions have increasingly become a useful tool for managing wildlife populations, but post-reintroduction studies to evaluate the success of these efforts are often lacking. In 2007, 265 Alligator Snapping Turtles (Macrochelys temminckii) were released into several semi-impounded wetlands in the Washita River drainage basin in southeastern Oklahoma, where surveys in the late 1990s suggested that the species was functionally extirpated. I conducted turtle trapping surveys using baited hoop nets to assess demographics and recruitment patterns in the population 11–12 years after the initial reintroduction. I estimated the age of juveniles by counting scute annuli and compared the data …

Compliance And Roughness In Relation To Gecko Locomotion, Brooklynn Campbell

Williams Honors College, Honors Research Projects

Geckos move efficiently through a variety of substrates, from swaying branches to wooden fences to the sides of structures. Previous studies have studied locomotion and adhesion on manmade and rough substrates; however, the work is limited when discussing locomotion and adhesion as a relationship of compliance and roughness. Ease of movement was quantified by speed, under the assumption that the faster a gecko moves, the easier it is for the gecko to cross the substrate. Gehyra oceanica geckos from Moorea, French Polynesia were tested on substrates varying in compliance and roughness with four different treatments in total. Compliance, roughness, and …

Interactions Between New Zealand Mud Snails (Potamopyrgus Antipodarum) And Toxic Cyanoabacteria (Anabaena) In Baduwa’T (Mad River), Humboldt County, California, Cecilia F. Kennelly

Cal Poly Humboldt theses and projects

Invasive species in freshwater systems are circulated around the globe, wreaking havoc on natural communities. The New Zealand mud snail (Potamopyrgus antipodarum) is a very successful aquatic invader that has established populations in freshwater streams, lakes, and rivers around the globe. The goal of this project was to evaluate the interactions of invasive New Zealand mud snails (NZMS) and toxic cyanobacteria Anabaena in the Mad River in Humboldt County, California. These two species of concern are found in similar habitats along the river, but their whether NZMS consume Anabaena or affect toxin production is unknown. First, I conducted …

Tropicalization Fact Sheet, Linda Walters, Carla Perscky

CEELAB Outreach Materials

The goal of this 2-sided fact sheet is to introduce the topic of tropicalization along our coastlines to young audiences and their families. Tropicalization is defined as, "the transformation of ecosystems by tropical organisms that migrate towards the poles in response to warming minimum winter temperatures."

The Influence Of Rusty Crayfish And Zebra Mussel Invasion On Yellow Perch Population Dynamics In North-Central Minnesota Lakes, Kendra Fink

Biology Graduate Theses

Over the last 50 years, Minnesota Department of Natural Resources standard fisheries survey catch rates of Yellow Perch have declined. Yellow Perch Perca flavescens are an important, widespread game fish, are essential prey species for Walleye Sander vitreus and other piscivorous fish and rely greatly on benthic resources through many life stages. Aquatic invasive species (AIS) like rusty crayfish Faxonius rusticus and zebra mussels Dreissena polymorpha have the potential to change water quality, vegetation and prey assemblages in aquatic systems and could cause shifts in energy flow, subsequently altering growth, condition, and maturity of native fish species. In this study, …

Seagrass Epibiont Biodiversity In The Northern Gulf Of Mexico, Kathryn Wyssmann

LSU New Orleans Theses and Dissertations

Epibionts on seagrass leaves contribute substantially to productivity and trophic interactions in seagrass ecosystems. Differences in epibiont assemblages and factors that contribute to epibiont diversity have been little studied on the seagrass Halodule wrightii in the northern Gulf of Mexico (nGoM). We used a metabarcoding approach to describe epibiont assemblages on H. wrightii leaves in four bays across the nGoM and to test whether epibiont assemblages differed spatially at local levels (within bays) or regional levels (from west to east). Furthermore, we tested if epibiont diversity was related to environmental conditions and/or seagrass productivity. Epibiont assemblages differed significantly between bays …

Impacts Of Disturbance And Nutrient Addition On Coastal Dune Arthropod Communities, Kayla Beitzel

Honors Theses

Coastal dune ecosystems are globally distributed ecosystems that occur from the tropics to the poles and serve as the first line of defense during storms. They are critical habitats for a variety of organisms and also play a critical role in stabilizing coastal habitats. These systems face increased pressure via urban development, recreational expansion, and sea-level rise (Newman et al. 2023; Webster et al. 2005). Insects are vital consumers in coastal ecosystems and act as regulators of plant growth. Low-diversity ecosystems, like coastal dune systems, often contain a higher abundance of low-diverse insect consumers (Ripple et al. 2021), which can …

Unlocking The Mysteries Of Opportunism: Neuroendocrine Insights From An Aseasonal Breeder (Taeniopygia Guttata), Jessica A. Moodie

Graduate Theses and Dissertations (2019 - present)

The regulation of reproductive physiology in animals is mediated by the Hypothalamus-Pituitary-Gonad (HPG) axis. In seasonal breeders, a conserved reciprocal switching of deiodinase enzymes alters thyroid hormone signaling, which controls HPG activity. This study tested the hypothesis that neural regulation of the HPG axis as described in seasonal systems is conserved and repurposed to respond to other cues in aseasonal species. Using water deprivation and nest restriction in the opportunistic Zebra Finch, we were able to create a breeding group and non-breeding group, confirmed by egg laying and changes in ovarian anatomy. Breeding females had clear follicular hierarchy, increased ovary …

Exploring The Interrelationships Among Structural Complexity, Multi-Trophic Biodiversity, And Ecosystem Productivity In Forested Ecosystems., Ayanna St. Rose

Graduate Theses and Dissertations

Forests play a pivotal role in sustaining global biodiversity and mitigating the global climate, as they serve as the primary refuge for terrestrial biodiversity and effectively capture and store atmospheric carbon dioxide. However, changing climate and land use are altering the geographic distribution, physical structure, and productivity of forested ecosystems that can have profound impacts on biodiversity conservation, forest productivity, and global climate. This dissertation contributes to our understanding of multifaceted interactions between the physical and biological structural complexity and ecosystem functions in forested landscapes across the United states by using openly available data from two national networks: the National …

Quantifying The Role Of Water Quality On Nitrogen Cycling In A Trophic Estuary, Kayla Gonzalez-Boy

Symposium of Student Scholars

Jobos Bay Estuary is an intertidal, tropical estuary located in southern Puerto Rico. The estuary covers about 12 km² and has a variety of habitats, such as seagrass beds, mangroves, mud flats, and coral reefs, which play important roles in sediment trapping and water quality maintenance. Seagrasses also serve as nursery and feeding grounds and provide shelter for macrofauna. Currently, the role of seagrasses and water quality on nitrogen (N) cycling in trophic estuaries is not well constrained. Understanding variations in sediment-based effects on N cycling rates and transformations, and how they are associated with water quality, is an …

The Himalayan Uplift And Evolution Of Aquatic Biodiversity Across Asia: Snowtrout (Cyprininae: Schizothorax) As A Test Case, Binod Regmi, Marlis R. Douglas, Karma Wangchuk, Zachery D. Zbinden, David R. Edds, Singye Tshering, Michael E. Douglas

Biological Sciences Faculty Publications and Presentations

Global biodiversity hotspots are often remote, tectonically active areas undergoing climatic fluctuations, such as the Himalaya Mountains and neighboring Qinghai-Tibetan Plateau (QTP). They provide biogeographic templates upon which endemic biodiversity can be mapped to infer diversification scenarios. Yet, this process can be somewhat opaque for the Himalaya, given substantial data gaps separating eastern and western regions. To help clarify, we evaluated phylogeographic and phylogenetic hypotheses for a widespread fish (Snowtrout: Cyprininae; Schizothorax) by sequencing 1,140 base pair of mtDNA cytochrome-b (cytb) from Central Himalaya samples (Nepal: N = 53; Bhutan: N = 19), augmented with 68 GenBank …

Water Quality Of Madari Khal Tributary Of The Halda River, Chattogram, Bangladesh, Md. Shafiqul Islam, M.A. Azadi

Journal of Bioresource Management

Tidal canal Madari-Khal is one of the important tributaries of the river Halda, through which nearby hill stream water, agricultural washings, and effluents (treated or untreated) of Chattogram Asian paper Mill are drained to the Halda River. In this paper water quality and pollution level of Madari Khal are presented. A one-year study was conducted to ascertain the water quality and pollution level by using different physicochemical parameters i.e. Air temperature, Water temperature, Transparency, EC (Electrical Conductivity), TDS (Total Dissolved Solids), pH, DO (Dissolved Oxygen), freeCO₂, Ca⁺⁺ (Calcium), TH (Total Hardness), TA (Total Alkalinity), and Biological Oxygen …

Evidence Of Competitive Release Following Overstory Mortality In A Semi-Arid Piñon-Juniper Woodland, Corrie D. Gonzalez

Biology ETDs

Extreme temperatures and severe drought events have led to widespread tree mortality worldwide. In semi-arid regions of the Southwest United States, these events pose a significant threat to piñon-juniper (PJ) woodlands. We studied the effects of piñon and juniper mortality on the growth and physiology of existing saplings in PJ woodlands by analyzing water status, photosynthetic activity, and tissue chemistry to gain insights into these impacts. Juniper saplings exhibited improved water status and water use efficiency in response to overstory mortality, whereas piñon saplings did not. Additionally, both piñon and juniper saplings exhibited increased photosynthetic rates, increased photosynthetic capacity, and …

An Ecological Survey Of East Texas Salamanders Across The Camp Tyler Outdoor Field School In Smith County, Texas, Justin C. Hunt

Biology Theses

Amphibians are a unique class of organisms with a very long and storied evolutionary history of survival. Many modern amphibian clades occupy several vital ecological roles within their native freshwater environments. One of these roles, typically includes functioning as an ecological indicator species, whereby the presence of stable and diverse populations of many amphibian species, including salamanders, within a freshwater ecosystem have long been considered ecological indicators of good habitat quality and stable ecosystem health. Similarly, salamanders also function as important members of their local food webs and act as valuable mediators of complex trophic hierarchies to facilitate nutrient cycling …

Monitoring The Effects Of Poultry Waste On Fishes And Macroinvertebrates In The Sabine River, Karley R. Parker

Biology Theses

Freshwater is a vital resource that provides life and sustainability for almost all organisms on Earth. It is important to maintain its health and protect it from emerging pollutants that pose a threat to the organisms that use it. Pollution continues to threaten the well-being of the environment’s freshwater sources all around the world that could lead to damaging effects in the future. The Sabine River is a major freshwater resource in the east Texas and western Louisiana areas that provides a habitat for thousands of organisms as well as other domestic uses for humans. In 2019, a waste discharge …

Commercial Fishing Identification Guide 2023, Department Of Primary Industries And Regional Development, Western Australia

Fisheries Occasional Publications

Throughout this guide you will see all or some of the marine bioregion symbols with each fish illustration, indicating where the species is most likely to occur.

This guide has been developed to help you identify the more common species in Western Australia you may encounter. The purpose of this guide is to enhance consistent and accurate species identification.

If you are unsure about a particular species (or if it is not in this guide), please discuss it with a representative of the Department of Primary Industries and Regional Development, Western Australia.

Historical Trends Of Aquatic Invasive Species Introduction And Establishment In Illinois, Usa, Carter S. Cranberg, Reuben Keller

School of Environmental Sustainability: Faculty Publications and Other Works

Tracking the introduction and establishment of aquatic invasive species (AIS) is important for monitoring the biological and economic health of freshwater environments. The state of Illinois (USA) is a critical region for understanding the threats of AIS because it possesses the only continuous aquatic habitat connecting the Laurentian Great Lakes and Mississippi River Basins. In this study, we update a previous effort to catalogue and evaluate historical AIS records from Illinois. Our updated database shows that there are now at least 92 nonindigenous aquatic species established in Illinois and a further 51 have been recorded as introduced but not established. …

Skeletal Anatomy Of The Pectoral Fin In Mudskipper Species From Terrestrial And Aquatic Habitats, Haodong Zhou, Cassandra M. Donatelli, Odette Laneuville, Emily M. Standen

Engineering Faculty Articles and Research

Mudskippers are a group of amphibious fishes in the family Oxudercidae, whose species inhabit a range of habitats from mostly aquatic to mostly terrestrial. Most of our understanding about habitat preference comes from natural history observations, particularly where they are collected (i.e., low intertidal vs. high intertidal regions). Mudskippers have undergone several morphological changes to accommodate a terrestrial life, including major changes to the pectoral and pelvic girdles. These changes result in a novel crutching gait, which mudskippers use to move over land. Though the appendicular morphology and crutching gait of mudskippers have been described in some species, few …

Cadmium And Salinity Stressor Antagonism On Vallisneria Neotropicalis, Christopher P. Mikolaitis

Graduate Theses and Dissertations (2019 - present)

Submerged macrophytes form the foundation of freshwater ecosystems. These organisms are sessile and are very susceptible to shifts in their environment. Heavy metals are of particular concern as they can be sequestered indefinitely in sediments and are readily taken up by rooted vegetation. In the presence of saltwater intrusions, these metals can interact with salt ions potentially changing their availability to submerged vegetation. In this study a freshwater macrophyte, Vallisneria neotropicalis, was used as a test species for interactive effects between Cd, a non-essential heavy metal, and salt stress. The metrics used to establish the individual as well as …

Development Of A 16s Reference Library For Edna Metabarcoding The Freshwater Fishes Of Western Ecuador., Hannah M. Willis, Olivia G. Schweikart, Windsor E. Aguirre

DePaul Discoveries

This project examines the use of the 16S locus to amplify neotropical freshwater fishes native to Western Ecuador in a newly created 16S reference library for DNA barcoding and eDNA metabarcoding applications. Among the orders Characiformes, Siluriformes, Cichliformes, Gobiiformes, Cryprinodontiformes, Gymnotiformes, and Perciformes, a compendium of 105 specimens were sequenced, with 43 representing new 16S sequences previously unavailable on Genbank.

The Digitization Of Eatonia, Peter M. Grant

Faculty Articles & Research

The June 2023 issue of The Mayfly Newsletter features this article written by Dr. Peter Grant about the digitization of Eatonia by SWOSU University Archivist and Special Collections Librarian, Phillip Fitzsimmons, and Digitization Technician, Ben Dressler.

A Remote Sensing Approach To Assess The Historical Invasion Of Phragmites Australis In A Brackish Coastal Marsh, Jason S. Hagani, John Y. Takekawa, Steven C. Chappell, Richelle L. Tanner, Adrienne R. Ernst, Karin M. Kettenring

Biology, Chemistry, and Environmental Sciences Faculty Articles and Research

Introduction: Coastal estuarine wetlands provide important habitats for a variety of endemic flora and fauna but are particularly vulnerable to biological invasions. Regular monitoring of changes in these vulnerable wetlands has become increasingly important for effective management, especially considering threats from climate change effects and human disturbance. Historical analyzes of plant invasions may guide targeted management strategies to eradicate harmful species. Estimating the distribution of invasive species has never been more accessible with the improved availability of high-resolution data and innovations in remote sensing, estimating the distribution of invasive species has never been more accessible.

Methods: We assessed the spread …

Trophic Dynamics Of The Lake Superior Fish Community, Ariel Edwards

All NMU Master's Theses

The Lake Superior food web has undergone many changes in recent decades, including the rehabilitation of the native apex predator lake charr (Salvelinus namaycush) and the introduction of several nonnative species. The trophic linkages and ecological requirements of the entire fish community, including predators and prey fishes, has not been assessed on a whole-lake scale in over a decade. Here, I investigated the trophic dynamics across multiple regions of the lake, and estimated the consumptive effect of lean lake charr in one region of Lake Superior. From April to October of 2021, a total of five predator, four …

The Response Of Microcystis And The Microbiome To Exogenous Hydrogen Peroxide, Bryan A. Puma

Masters Theses, 2020-current

Microcystis spp. produce prolific annual blooms in freshwater systems worldwide. The success of these blooms depends heavily on the Microcystis spp. overcoming environmental factors such as oxidative stress caused by reactive oxygen species (ROS) like hydrogen peroxide. Most Microcystis genomes do not contain many genes for responding to oxidative stress, including those that encode the enzyme catalase. Other cyanobacteria such as Prochlorococcus that also lack hydrogen peroxide degrading enzymes have been shown to benefit from partnerships with heterotrophic bacteria. Microcystis spp. may also receive similar benefits from heterotrophic bacteria in the phycosphere. To test this hypothesis, we examined the …

An Argument For The Utilization Of Amphibian Stress As An Indicator Of Wetland Condition, Andrew W. Sisson

Honors College Theses

Traditional forms of rapid wetland condition assessments focus on foliage health, nutrient enrichment, chemical contamination, and surrounding land usage, often overlooking an evaluation of the animals living in the wetland. More intense assessments include the National Wetland Condition Assessment (NWCA) and indices of biotic integrity, which focus on community composition (e.g., diversity and species richness) and abundances. These indices require expertise in species identification and do not provide information about the animal’s fitness. Animal stress physiology, which generally correlates with measures used to quantify animal fitness (e.g., survival, reproduction, and body condition), may provide a complementary rapid assessment method aimed …