Biology Commons^™

Avian Population Trends Within The Evolving Agricultural Landscape Of The Eastern And Central United States, Michael T. Murphy

Biology Faculty Publications and Presentations

State-level Breeding Bird Survey (1980-1998) and U.S. Department of Agriculture statistics were used to test the hypothesis that changes in agricultural land use within the eastern and central U.S. have driven population trends of grassland and shrub habitat birds over the past two decades. The degree to which population trends differed between grassland and shrub habitats was evaluated with respect to migratory and nesting behavior. Grassland birds declined significantly between 1980 and 1999, but, on average, shrub habitat species did not. Grassland-breeding, long-distance migrants exhibited the strongest negative trends. Most species (78%; n = 63) exhibited at least one significant …

Tolerance, Performance, And Aerobic Metabolism Of Redband Trout (Oncorhynchus Mykiss Ssp.) During Acute Exposure To Elevated Temperature, Karen Reed Lizars

Dissertations and Theses

The objective of this thesis was to determine whether the redband trout (Oncorhynchus mykiss ssp.) of Oregon's inland desert basins are negatively affected by the high peak temperatures (> 20 °C) often observed in their native streams. Small (40 - 140 g) redband trout from three streams (Bridge, Rock, and Twelve-mile creeks) were collected and tested on-site for aspects of thermal physiology, including: critical swimming velocity (Ucrit), maximum metabolic rate (MO₂), metabolic power, and total cost of transport (TCT) at 24 °C; routine MO₂ at 14 to 2: 28 °C: and critical thermal maximum (CTM). At …

Enrichments And Isolations Of Mesophilic And Thermophilic Iron-Reducing Microbes From Deep-Sea Hydrothermal Vents And The Deep Subsurface, Melissa Mary Kendall

Dissertations and Theses

Microbes inhabiting the deep subsurface play an important role in geochemical processes and may be of practical value in bioremediation and biotechnology. Hydrothermal vents and the deep gold mines of South Africa have be likened to "windows" into the subsurface biosphere. The aim of this research was to isolate and characterize microbes involved in iron-cycling from deep-sea hydrothermal vents and from the deep gold mines of the Witwatersrand Basin. Three mesophilic bacteria, strains BB4, W3, and A6 were isolated from sulfide chimneys at 13°N and a thermophilic bacterium, strain GB21 was isolated from Guaymas Basin on the East Pacific Rise. …

The Response Of Mice To Infection By The Parasitic Nematode Trichinella: A Comparison Of Trichinella Spiralis And Trichinella Pseudospiralis, Barry Clayton Anderson

Dissertations and Theses

The intracellular parasite Trichinella is a genus in phylum Nematoda that contains six named species including Trichinella spiralis and Trichinella pseudospiralis. These parasites infect a large variety of wild and domestic animals, human beings and a few species of birds. The parasitic strategies and the pathological effects on the host between trichinella spiralis and Trichinella pseudospiralis are quite different.

The purpose of this study is to gain an understanding of the physiological, immunological and pathological differences between these two species of Trichinella using infections in the mouse as a model. In the course of this research I have attempted to …

High Frequency Of Extra-Pair Paternity In Eastern Kingbirds, Diane L. Rowe, Michael T. Murphy, Robert C. Fleischer, Paul G. Wolf

Biology Faculty Publications and Presentations

Genetic parentage in the socially monogamous and territorial Eastern Kingbird( Tyrannust tyrannus) was examined in a central New York population by multilocus DNA fingerprinting. Extra-pair young were identified in 60% (12 of 20) of nests. Of the 64 nestlings profiled, 42% were sired by extra-pair males, but no cases of conspecific brood parasitism were detected. These results are markedly different from a previous electrophoretic study of the same species in a Michigan population, which reported 39% of nestlings were unrelated to one (typically the mother, quasiparasitismo)r both (conspecificb roodp arasitism) of the putative parents. In the New York population, extra-pairp …

Avian And Mammalian Use Of Three Small Urban Wetlands Invaded By A Pest Species, Reed Canarygrass (Phalaris Arundinacea L.), Laurie Dizney

Dissertations and Theses

Small urban wetlands are being destroyed and degraded at an alarming rate. One result of degradation is invasion by pest species, such as reed canarygrass (Phalaris arundinacea L. ). Reed canarygrass forms virtual monocultures in a wide range of wetland types. Wetlands normally have high plant species richness and abundance, which is widely believed to lead to faunal diversity. The purpose of the present study was to determine to what extent birds and mammals use a wetland dominated by reed canarygrass. The research was conducted at Tualatin Hills Nature Park in Beaverton, Washington County, Oregon. I examined three sites …

Rare, Threatened And Endangered Plants And Animals Of Oregon (2001), James S. Kagan, Sue Vrilakas, Eleanor P. Gaines, Cliff Alton, Ken Popper, Mark A. Stern, Eric Scheuering, John A. Christy, Mary Finnerty, Jon Hak, Anthony A. Tovar, Michael Murray, Claudine Tobalske, Oregon Natural Heritage Program

Institute for Natural Resources Publications

Extinction is a natural process. Today, however, plant and animal species are disappearing world-wide at an accelerated pace. Based on current trends, half of the species on earth will be extinct within the next 100 years. The major cause of this phenomenon is large-scale destruction of native habitats, which has increased since European settlement began in the mid 1800's - in Oregon and throughout the New World.

Once lost, a species can never be recovered, and there is no way of knowing how useful it may have been. We do know that human beings and many of their industries depend …

Is Reproduction By Tree Swallows (Tachycineta Bicolor) Cost-Free?, Michael T. Murphy

Biology Faculty Publications and Presentations

We manipulated brood sizes of Tree Swallows (Tachycineta bicolor) in 1996 and 1997 to test for the existence of intra- and intergenerational costs of reproduction. Modal clutch size was six eggs, but experimental brood sizes ranged from two to nine young. Nestling starvation was higher in 1996 (and dependent on brood size) than in 1997, but in both years enlargement of brood size resulted in increased productivity. Nestling mass near fledging was negatively correlated with brood size, but tarsus length and wing chord were not. Food deliveries by parents increased steadily between broods of two to six young but then …

A Determination Of Parentage, Mating System, And Genetic Diversity In A Captive Population Of The Straw-Colored Fruit Bat (Eidolon Helvum), Jan Zinck

Dissertations and Theses

Small populations tend to lose genetic variability. The magnitude of this loss is influenced by the number of founding individuals, the genetic diversity of the founders, and the species mating system. Genetic variability is the basis of adaptive evolution, and the loss of genetic variability may have harmful effects on development, growth, and survival. Therefore, a primary management goal for small, captive populations is the retention of genetic variability. Of considerable importance to conservation biology is the determination of parentage, from which mating, genetic, and demographic information can be derived. Microsatellites provide a robust molecular evolutionary tool for the study …

Profiles Of The Highly Invasive Plants In Oregon Including Lists Of Oregon’S Invasive And Naturalized Plants, Rebekah Jane Harper

Dissertations and Theses

The study and control of invasive species are important issues in restoration ecology and land management. Invasive species are among the top contributors to habitat degradation worldwide. Unfortunately, information concerning invasive species and methods for their control is limited and widely scattered throughout the literature.

A comprehensive list of the naturalized and invasive species found in Oregon is important for monitoring invasive and potentially invasive species. It also provides a base of information for people interested in investigating invasive species; however, no such state-wide list existed for Oregon before this work.

Profiles for highly invasive species should provide information concerning …

Cullin-3 Targets Cyclin E For Ubiquitination And Controls S Phase In Mammalian Cells, Jeffrey D. Singer, Mark Gurian-West, Bruce Clurman, James M. Roberts

Biology Faculty Publications and Presentations

Cyclin E is an unstable protein that is degraded in a ubiquitin- and proteasome- dependent pathway. Two factors stimulate cyclin E ubiquitination in vivo: when it is free of its CDK partner, and when it is phosphorylated on threonine 380. We pursued the first of these pathways by using a two-hybrid screen to identify proteins that could bind only to free cyclin E. This resulted in the isolation of human Cul-3, a member of the cullin family of E3 ubiquitin–protein ligases. We found that Cul-3 was bound to cyclin E but not to cyclin E-Cdk2 complexes in mammalian cells, and …

Reproductive Biology Of Melilotus Officinalis (L.) Lam (Fabaceae: Papilionoideae): Morphology, Seed/Ovule Ratios And Ovule Abortion Patterns, Susan Lee Schouten

Dissertations and Theses

Melilotus officinalis, an introduced herbaceous species within the Papilionoideae, has a fixed ovule abortion pattern. In its primarily single-seeded, indehiscent fruits, with an average of 6.98 ovules/fruit, this species matured the basal-most ovule in 67.63% and the second basal-most ovule in 24.22% of the fruits studied. This pattern contrasts with other legumes studied, which abort the basal-most ovules or those at either end of the fruit. Workers propose interaction between two opposing gradients--that of maternal resources from the basal end of the fruit and of fertilization from the stylar end. Several lines of evidence indicate that all ovules are …

Measurement Of The Cross-Sectional Area Of The Nasal Passages Of Nine Species Of Modern Odontoceti With Implications For Comparative Physiology And The Paleophysiology Of The Dinosauria, Eric Paul Katz

Dissertations and Theses

In search of evidence for or against the endothermic dinosaur hypothesis, a recent study by Ruben et al. (1996) revealed that endotherms tend to have larger nasal cross-sectional areas than ectotherms of the same mass. The reason offered for this observation was that larger nasal passages are needed to house the complex respiratory turbinates possessed by endotherms. Whales were excluded from the study on the grounds that they have no nasal turbinates. In the present study, the cross-sectional area of the nasal passages of nine species of Odontoceti were measured by the use of latex casts. The regression of log …

Chemical Communication Of Estrous Cycle Status And Change In Social Behaviors With Reproductive State In Captive Female Asian Elephants, Elephas Maximus, Barbara Elaine Slade

Dissertations and Theses

Elephants use several well-developed sensory systems for communicating within and between social groups. Female elephants sniff, touch and flehmen to the urine and genitals of herdmembers. In addition, communication through social behaviors is prevalent. Female elephants frequently communicate through affiliate tactile and aggressive behaviors. Furthermore, although female elephants are not known to display behavioral signs of estrus, these females exhibit a tail slapping behavior that may be an implement for dispersing chemical signals to conspecifics or nearby male elephants.

The present study addresses two areas of research. The purpose of part one was first, to determine if female Asian elephants …

Photoadaptation Rate Of Synechococcus Wh7803 Cultures At Two Iron Concentrations, Jon Daniel Moulton

Dissertations and Theses

The marine cyanobacterium Synechococcus WH7803 adapts to changes in light intensity by changing its photosynthetic physiology. This work is a study o f the rate o f photoadaptation of Synechococcus WH7803 in laboratory cultures. Cultures were shifted from constant 8 µEm^-2s^-1 light to constant 80 µEm^-2s^-1 light, from constant 80 µEm^-2s^-1 light to 8 µEm^-2s^-1 light and from different light regimes to a single fluctuating light regime. The response of high iron cultures grown in modified aquil culture medium at 5*10^-6M Fe was compared with the …

Abundance And Seasonal Distribution Of The Marbled Murrelet In Puget Sound And Hood Canal In Fall And Winter, Richard Anthony Jensen Merizon

Dissertations and Theses

The greater Puget Sound area is home to a diversity of seabirds, however with encroaching human recreational and economic use of these areas these birds are facing unique threats. It is vitally important that we understand where these seabirds occur in order to minimize the risks associated with human influences. Intensive and extensive transects were used to collect data on seasonal distribution and abundance of seabirds, specifically marbled murrelets (Brachyramphus marmoratus), in Puget Sound and Hood Canal. Surveys were conducted from the water during the fall and winter in 1995 and 1996 and summer of 1997. Marbled murrelets were abundant …

Temperature Sensitivity Of El Tor 01, Classical 01, And 0139 Vibrio Cholerae, Michelle Angela O'Neill

Dissertations and Theses

Vibrio cholerae has long been recognized as the causative agent of the disease cholera, but what has only become evident in recent years is the role of the environment in cholera. The cholera bacterium is found autochthonously in the marine and estuarian environment, and if there is any hope of controlling the disease the environmental aspects must be understood.

The central questions addressed in this study were how bacterial survival was influenced by temperature and the role that available nutrients play in V. cholerae survival. Survival of three different V. cholerae strains [classical (01); El Tor (01), and El Tor …

Construction And Analysis Of Mutant Hsv-1 Viruses Having Mutations In The Yy1 And/Or Sp1 Binding Sites Of The Glycoprotein D (Gd) Gene Promoter, Sabine Ludwig

Dissertations and Theses

The purpose of this study was to construct and analyze four recombinant herpes simplex virus type 1 (HSV-1) viruses having mutations in the YY1 and/or Sp1 binding sites of the glycoprotein D (gD) gene promoter and a control virus containing a wild type (wt) gD promoter. The YY1 and Sp1 binding sites in the HSV-1-gD gene promoter have been shown in earlier in vitro experiments to be essential for virus-induced gD gene expression with Sp1 playing the major role. The first part of my project required the construction of four different plasmids containing a HSV-1 sequence that included the gD …

Age Related Changes In The Activity And The Responsiveness Of The Renin-Angiotensin System In The 15 Month Old Rat, Michele Mckee Thompson

Dissertations and Theses

Progressive deterioration of renal function is one consequence of aging. Glomerular maladaptation is one aspect of this and includes increased glomerular capillary hypertension and a reduced ultrafiltration coefficient, which can lead to glomerular sclerosis and proteinuria. In the aging rat, angiotensin converting enzyme inhibitors (CEI) lower proteinuria (U_protV) and decrease glomerular sclerosis (2, 18, 24, 45). Accordingly, alterations in the circulating and renal renin-angiotensin system (RAS) are hypothesized to play a role in the pathogenesis of renal disease in the aging rat. Previous studies using rat models have demonstrated a lower responsiveness to converting enzyme inhibitor treatment in …

Whole Body I=In Vivo Vascular Compliance In Two Amphibians, Bufo Marinus And Rana Cate, Todd Micheal Hoagland

Dissertations and Theses

The mean circulatory filling pressure (MCFP), vascular compliance (C) and unstressed volume (USV) were measured in Bufo marinus and Rana catesbeiana, using an in vivo preparation. Capacitance curves were constructed by varying total vascular volume and then measuring MCFP. These capacitance curves enable the extrapolation of USV and the measurement of vascular compliance. The MCFP, C, and USV were 8.6 ± 0.2 (mmHg), 3.7 (ml· mmHg-1 · kg- 1 ) and 2.5 (ml), respectively, in B. marinus. The MCFP, C, and USV were 9.5 ± 0.1 (mmHg), 2.2 (ml· mmHg-1 · kg- 1 ) and 14.2 (ml), respectively, …

Whole Body In Vitro Hydraulic Conductivity And Transcapillary Filtration In Two Amphibians, Bufo Marinus And Rana Catesbeiana, Thomas Vincent Hancock

Dissertations and Theses

The capillary filtration coefficient (CFC) and isovolumetric capillary pressure (P_ci) were measured in Bufo marinus and Rana catesbeiana, using a gravimetric technique on an in vitro preparation while perfusing with Ringers and 0.1 g·100 ml^-1 bovine serum albumin Estimates of pre- and post-capillary resistance were obtained from Bufo; the post- to pre-capillary resistance ratio was found to be 0.18, which was used to estimate capillary pressure. CFC was found to be 6.68 ± 0.51 and 5.07 ± 0.23 ml·min^-1·kg^-1·mmHg^-1 and P_ci was found to be 7.4 and 6.3 mmHg in …

The Effect Of Lymph Sac Pressure On Lymph Heart Pressure Development In The Toad Bufo Marinus, Michael Georgitsis

Dissertations and Theses

Lymph hearts play an important role in blood volume regulation in anurans by controlling the movement of fluid from the lymphatic spaces to the vasculature. The anatomical continuity between lymph sacs and lymph hearts predicts a coupling of pressure between the two structures which may represent a physical basis for lymph heart regulation. The precise relationship between lymph heart pressure and lymph heart output was not examined so that conclusions regarding changes in work performed by the hearts as a result of changing lymph sac pressure could not be made. However, increases in lymph sac pressure led to increases in …

A Pouplation Genetic Study Of Wild Bottlenose Dolphins (Tursiops Truncatus) In Matagorda Bay, Texas, Joel Stephen Lenox

Dissertations and Theses

A long-term photoidentification study was initiated in response to an unusually high incidence of bottlenose dolphin mortality between Corpus Christi and Matagorda Bays, Texas. Blood samples from 36 captured and released animals were analyzed using three genetic techniques; mtDNA haplotyping, nuclear DNA fingerprinting and electrophoretic analysis of hemoglobin. Two Hinf I mtDNA haplotypes previously described in bottlenose dolphins from other locations within the Gulf of Mexico were discovered. Similarity Indices (SI) were calculated based on nuclear DNA fingerprinting data. These SI values were used as a relative measure of relatedness between two individuals run on the same gel. Means of …

Ovarian Steroid Regulation Of Tryptophan Hydroxylase Enzyme Level In The Midbrain Raphe In Ovariectomized Guinea Pigs, Zhidong Lu

Dissertations and Theses

Progesterone stimulates prolactin secretion in estrogen ( estradiol-17-~)primed monkeys and guinea pigs. It is hypothesized that the serotonin neural system plays a pivotol role in mediating the effect of progesterone on prolactin secretion. Indeed, progesterone, but not estrogen, increases serotonin levels in the midbrain raphe in guinea pigs. However, estrogen alone stimulates gene expression of the rate-limiting enzyme for serotonin synthesis, tryptophan hydroxylase (TPH), and progesterone supplement to the estrogen regimen has no additive effect, as indicated by TPH mRNA levels in monkeys. The discrepancy between ovarian steroid effects on the TPH mRNA level and the serotonin level might be …

The Role Of The Hepatic Vagus In The Pathogenesis Of Fever, Christopher Todd Simons

Dissertations and Theses

Recent evidence has suggested a role of vagal afferents in the pathogenesis of fever. Although bilateral truncal subdiaphragmatic vagotomy has been shown to attenuate the febrile response to lipopolysaccharide (LPS) and interleukin-1, no study has yet been able to verify which of the five subdiaphragmatic vagal branches (viz., the anterior and posterior celiac branches, the anterior and posterior gastric branches, and the hepatic branch) is responsible for communicating this signal. The present study tested the hypothesis that the hepatic vagal branch mediates pyrogenic signals from the periphery to the brain. Male Wistar rats underwent one of four selective …

Structural And Successional Analysis Of Woodland Vegetation In Tualatin Hills Nature Park, Christopher J. Dobson

Dissertations and Theses

Tualatin Hills Nature Park is an urban woodland located in Beaverton, Oregon. The park is owned and managed by Tualatin Hills Park & Recreation District. Vegetation in the park is in a state of secondary succession following a long history of disturbance. The site provided an excellent opportunity to study the recovery of a natural woodland in an urban setting in the northern Willamette Valley.

The purpose of this study was to analyze the species composition, structure, and successional trends of the woodland vegetation in Tualatin Hills Nature Park. A secondary purpose was to determine if there were any natural …

The Periphyton Community Of A Second Order Subalpine Stream Following Salmon Carcass Decomposition, Jonathan Micheal Honea

Dissertations and Theses

To protect and manage Pacific Northwest salmonid stocks, sound management programs must be developed that incorporate knowledge of the ecological processes critical to their survival. One such process is the nutrient dynamic in headwater spawning streams. It is essential that we understand the trophic relationships among the spawners, the I to 3 year-old juveniles, the invertebrates, and the primary producers in these streams.

The hypothesis that I tested is that photoautotrophic production increases due to the decomposition of salmon carcasses. Increased primary production would stimulate the production of invertebrates which are an important food resource of juvenile salmonid species. The …

Purification And Characterization Of Catalase From Enterococcus Faecalis, Zhenghong Zhu

Dissertations and Theses

Catalase is an important biological enzyme that most organisms employ during aerobic growth to catalyze the decomposition of hydrogen peroxide, a toxic reduction product of oxygen, into water and molecular oxygen. Traditionally, the bacterium Enterococcus faecal is is considered to have no cytochrome system and to be catalase negative. However, certain strains of E. subsequent studies have shown that faecalis are capable of producing catalase when grown aerobically in a medium containing hematin.

The goals of this study were to purify and characterize catalase from a clinical strain of E. faecalis. The organisms were grown under aerobic conditions in a …

Investigation Of Transactivation Of The Human C-Myc Gene By Herpes Simplex Virus Type 1, Xian Wu

Dissertations and Theses

The purpose of this investigation was to identify the regulatory elements involved in the transactivation of the human c-myc gene by herpes simplex virus type-1 (HSV-1). This study mainly focused on a major c-myc promoter P₂ (Fig. 1). Transient expression assays were carried out with a reporter plasmid, that contained either a wild type (+66wt c-myc) or mutant (+66 mt E2F, +66mt CT -I₂) c-myc promoter fused to the chloramphenicol acetyltransferase (CAT) gene, cotransfected with effector plasmids that contained the HSV-1 immediate early (IE) genes ( encoding IE proteins, ICP4, ICP0, ICP27). The transient expression assays revealed …

Chemical Communication In House Mice (Mus Musculus): Can They Recognize Gender From The Anogenital, Harderian Gland Or Mouth/Nose Odor?, Dawn Michele Andrews

Dissertations and Theses

Identifying the sensory systems animals employ to communicate chemically and the function of the chemical signals facilitates further understanding of chemical communication. Increased knowledge of how animals use the olfactory and vomeronasal systems in order to interpret the meaning of body odors will aid in developing a more detailed organization of chemosensory pathways. The message that each body odor contains can change from species to species.

The purpose of this thesis was to study three previously untested body odors in house mice (M. musculus) for their role in gender recognition of conspecifics. These odors are the anogenital (feces, …