Biology Commons^™

Thermal Preferences And Distribution Of Northern Michigan Crayfishes, Troy Keller

Faculty Bibliography

Crayfishes function as both ecosystem engineers and keystone species, and they serve as the trophic linkage between benthic organisms and fish predators. Because crayfish behavior, physiology, and growth are controlled by temperature, thermal differences among habitats may have important implications for crayfishes and the ecosystems they inhabit. To investigate the association between crayfish and temperature, we measured thermal preferences of 3 crayfish species in lab experiments (2007), recorded summer water temperatures at 9 sites (July 1-August 9, 2008), and trapped crayfishes at these same sites in northern Michigan. Orconectes rusticus (non-indigenous) preferred nearly 1 °C warmer water (=22 °C) than …

Evidence For Decline In The Unionidae Of The East Branch Rocky River, Ohio, Daniel A. Gouch, Mark S. Lyons, Robert A. Krebs

Biological, Geological, and Environmental Faculty Publications

A survey of freshwater mussels (Mollusca: Bivalvia: Unionidae) was conducted for the East Branch Rocky River, Ohio, during the summer of 2006. Development in this watershed is moderate though rapidly expanding, particularly in the upstream reaches. Perhaps as a consequence, a preliminary search failed to reveal any live mussels in the river in 2003 . The present report is of an extensive survey covering 21 two-hour timed searches for live mussels and shells combined with visual assessments of disturbance and tests for water quality at each site. All searches were visual or by feeling for mussels embedded in the stream …

A Newly Discovered Role Of Telomeres In An Ancient Organism, Bibo Li

Biological, Geological, and Environmental Faculty Publications

Trypanosoma brucei expresses Variant Surface Glycoprotein (VSG) genes in a strictly monoallelic fashion in its mammalian hosts, and the regulation of this important virulence mechanism has been the research focus for decades. Telomere position effect (TPE), an epigenetic phenomenon, has been proposed to play a critical role in VSG regulation, yet no telomeric protein was identified whose disruption led to VSG derepression. We recently identified tbRAP1 as an intrinsic component of the T. brucei telomere complex and a major regulator for silencing VSG expression sites (ESs). Knockdown of tbRAP1 led to derepression of all ES-linked VSGs but not VSGs located …

The Role Of Chmp1 In Drosophila Melanogaster, Meagan E. Valentine

Theses, Dissertations and Capstones

Chmp1A has recently been linked to pancreatic cancer, a leading cause of cancer death in humans. Pancreatic tumors have lowered Chmp1A expression, and it has been described as a tumor suppressor. Chmp1A is also a member of ESCRT III (Endosomal Sorting Complex Required for Transport), a conserved protein complex involved in the degradation and recycling of activated transmembrane receptors. There is a single Chmp1 protein in Drosophila that is homologous to vertebrate Chmp1A; however, Chmp1 hasn’t been studied in Drosophila. The objective of this study was to characterize Chmp1 in Drosophila using gene knockdown and over-expression. We used an …

Methane Emission From A Tropical Wetland In Ka'au Crater, O'Ahu, Hawai'i, Maxime Grand, Eric Gaidos

Faculty Publications

Natural tropical wetlands constitute an important but still poorly studied source of atmospheric methane, a powerful greenhouse gas. We measured net methane emission, soil profiles of methane generation and oxidation, and related environmental parameters in a tropical wetland occupying the Ka'au extinct volcanic crater on the Hawaiian island of O'ahu. The wetland has a fluctuating water table with dynamics that can be reproduced using precipitation data and a simple model. Median net methane flux was 117 mg m-2 day-1 and is consistent with measurements at other tropical sites. Net methane flux in the Commelina diffusa—dominated vegetation pattern (honohono) was significantly …

An Extraordinary Example Of Photokarren In A Sandstone Cave, Cueva Charles Brewer, Chimantá Plateau, Venezuela: Biogeomorphology On A Small Scale, Joyce Lundberg, Donald A. Mcfarlane, Charles Brewer-Carias

WM Keck Science Faculty Papers

A distinctive suite of small-scale erosional forms that are oriented towards the light occur close to the entrance of Cueva Charles Brewer, a large cave in a sandstone tepui, in SE Venezuela. These are the third example of photokarren ever studied in the world, the other two being from Borneo and Ireland. They are the only photokarren ever described from sandstone, and the only example from a non-carbonate environment. The host rock is a poorly-lithified unit of the Precambrian quartz arenite of the Roraima Supergroup. The forms are all oriented towards the light at 30° regardless of rock surface orientation. …

A Unique Population Of Cave Bears (Carnivora: Ursidae) From The Middle Pleistocene Of Kents Cavern, England, Based On Dental Morphometrics, Donald A. Mcfarlane, Martin Sabol, Joyce Lundberg

WM Keck Science Faculty Papers

The ‘breccia’ stratum from Kents (we follow local tradition in using the form ‘Kents’, without an apostrophe) Cavern, England, has been well known for its rich yield of cave-bear material since excavations began in the mid-19th century. Recent work has established that the bears are of latest MIS 12 or earliest MIS 11 age. A life table based on a collection of 67 molariform teeth is consistent with the use of the cave as a hibernaculum. Univariate and morphological assessment of the teeth shows an unusual range of primitive and more derived characters. Multivariate morphometric analysis of cave-bear teeth from …

Fecal Indicator Bacteria Concentrations In Furman Lake And Its Feeder Streams, Philip Hearn, T.J. Melton, Emily Tripp, Victoria Grimm-Oropesa

Furman Lake Restoration Book Gallery

A three page summary by four Furman students describing their research on fecal indicator bacteria in the Furman Lake and streams. The summary contains a map and bar charts.

Differences In Antibiotic Resistance In Fresh-Water Bacteria From Furman Lake And Feeder Streams, Dylan Richards, Clarissa Graham, Laura Snyder

Furman Lake Restoration Book Gallery

A one page summary by three Furman students describing their research on bacteria found in the Furman Lake.

The Effect Of Bioretention Areas On The Heavy Ion Concentration, Ph, And Water Quality Of The Furman University Lake, Adam Williams, Ashley Brown, Matthew Stutz

Furman Lake Restoration Book Gallery

A one page summary by four Furman students describing their research on the effectiveness of the bioretention areas, or rain gardens, created as part of the Lake Restoration Project.

The Distribution Of Macroalgae In Furman Lake, Anthony Guida, Jeff Hennessy, Meredith Yingling, Vanessa Argüello

Furman Lake Restoration Book Gallery

A three page summary by four Furman students describing their research on macroalge in the Furman Lake. The goal is to test whether or not the restoration efforts have significantly changed the algae cover in the lake.

The Effect Of The Lake Restoration Project On Passerine Bird Diversity, Gina Tong, Brittany Martin, Stephanie Field, Whitney Snow, Whitney Millegan, Chris Cowart

Furman Lake Restoration Book Gallery

A three page summary by six Furman students showing their research results on the lake restoration's effects on passerine bird populations.

The Effect Of The Lake Restoration Project On Habitat Use By Waterfowl, Denae Buzzell, Clay Evans, Hannah Shirley, Lin Lin Zhao

Furman Lake Restoration Book Gallery

A two page summary by four Furman students describing their research on waterfowl around the Furman Lake. The summary gives a brief history waterfowl populations and explains the adverse effects of large waterfowl populations on calm bodies of water. The summary concludes with test results showing the success of the lake restoration efforts dealing with waterfowl overpopulation.

Relative Allelopathic Potential Of Invasive Plant Species In A Young Disturbed Woodland, Nikki Pisula, Scott J. Meiners

Faculty Research & Creative Activity

Invasive plant species are often more successful within introduced areas when compared to their natural ranges. Allelopathy has been suggested as a potential mechanism for this success because invasive plants frequently establish monocultures and may produce allelochemicals evolutionarily novel to the recipient community. However, species are typically tested in isolation making the relative strength of allelopathy difficult to assess. We conducted laboratory bioassays for 10 co-occurring non-native species to determine the relative strength of their allelopathic potential. These species represented a suite of successful invaders within a young forest and were from a variety of plant life forms: trees, lianas, …

Tissue-Diet Discrimination Factors And Turnover Of Stable Carbon And Nitrogen Isotopes In White-Footed Mice (Peromyscus Leucopus), Rachel L. Demots, James M. Novak, Karen F. Gaines, Aaron J. Gregor, Christopher S. Romanek, Daniel A. Soluk

Faculty Research & Creative Activity

Stable isotope analysis has become an increasingly valuable tool in investigating animal ecology. Here we document the turnover rates for carbon in the liver, muscle, and whole blood tissue, as well as the tissue-diet discrimination values for carbon and nitrogen isotopes in the liver, whole blood, muscle, and hair, of the white-footed mouse (Peromyscus leucopus (Rafinesque, 1818)). A 168-day diet-switching experiment was conducted with a laboratory population of white-footed mice. The δ13C values for all tissues deviated less than 1‰ from those of the diet except for whole blood, which had a slightly higher tissue-diet discrimination factor of 1.8‰. All …

Evaluating The Illinois Stream Valley Segment Model As An Effective Management Tool, Stephen S. Warrner, Robert U. Fischer, Ann M. Holtrop, Leon C. Hinz Jr., James M. Novak

Faculty Research & Creative Activity

Stream habitat assessments are conducted to evaluate biological potential, determine anthropogenic impacts, and guide restoration projects. Utilizing these procedures, managers must first select a representative stream reach, which is typically selected based on several criteria. To develop a consistent and unbiased procedure for choosing sampling locations, the Illinois Department of Natural Resources and the Illinois Natural History Survey have proposed a technique by which watersheds are divided into homogeneous stream segments called valley segments. Valley segments are determined by GIS parameters including surficial geology, predicted flow, slope, and drainage area. To date, no research has been conducted to determine if …

Mechanisms Of Apoptosis In Crustacea: What Conditions Induce Versus Suppress Cell Death?, Michael A. Menze, Grady Fortner, Suman Nag, Steven C. Hand

Faculty Research & Creative Activity

Arthropoda is the largest of all animal phyla and includes about 90% of extant species. Our knowledge about regulation of apoptosis in this phylum is largely based on findings for the fruit fly Drosophila melanogaster. Recent work with crustaceans shows that apoptotic proteins, and presumably mechanisms of cell death regulation, are more diverse in arthropods than appreciated based solely on the excellent work with fruit flies. Crustacean homologs exist for many major proteins in the apoptotic networks of mammals and D. melanogaster, but integration of these proteins into the physiology and pathophysiology of crustaceans is far from complete. Whether apoptosis …

A Sketch-Based Language For Representing Uncertainty In The Locations Of Origin Of Herbarium Specimens, Barry Kronenfeld, Andrew Weeks

Faculty Research and Creative Activity

Uncertainty fields have been suggested as an appropriate model for retrospective georeferencing of herbarium specimens. Previous work has focused only on automated data capture methods, but techniques for manual data specification may be able to harness human spatial cognition skills to quickly interpret complex spatial propositions. This paper develops a formal modeling language by which location uncertainty fields can be derived from manually sketched features. The language consists of low-level specification of critical probability isolines from which a surface can be uniquely derived, and high-level specification of features and predicates from which low-level isolines can be derived. In a case …

Lifelines Winter 2010, Southern Adventist University

Lifelines - Biology Department Newsletter

The Winter 2010 issue of Lifelines features articles on research done in the Southern Connections class, the retirement of Dr. David Ekkens, the death of Dr. Richard Seidel, the Allied Health Club's service projects, and a pictorial directory of the 2010 biology and allied health graduates.

Land Use And Climatic Factors Structure Regional Patterns In Soil Microbialcommunities, Rebecca E. Drenovsky, Kerri L. Steenworth, Louise E. Jackson, Kate M. Scow

Biology

Aim Although patterns are emerging for macroorganisms, we have limited under- standing of the factors determining soil microbial community composition and productivity at large spatial extents. The overall objective of this study was to discern the drivers of microbial community composition at the extent of biogeo- graphical provinces and regions. We hypothesized that factors associated with land use and climate would drive soil microbial community composition and biomass. Location Great Basin Province, Desert Province and California Floristic Province, California, USA. Methods Using phospholipid fatty acid analysis, we compared microbial com- munities across eight land-use types sampled throughout the State of …

Plant Community And Tissue Chemistry Responses To Fertilizer And Litter Nutrient Manipulations In A Temperate Grassland, Rebecca E. Drenovsky, Jean J. Pan, Brittany Widner, Deborah Ammerman

Biology

Human-mediated nutrient amendments have widespread effects on plant communities. One of the major consequences has been the loss of species diversity under increased nutrient inputs. The loss of species can be functional group dependent with certain functional groups being more prone to decline than others. We present results from the sixth year of a long-term fertilization and litter manipulation study in an old-field grassland. We measured plant tissue chemistry (C:N ratio) to understand the role of plant physiological responses in the increase or decline of functional groups under nutrient manipulations. Fertilized plots had significantly more total aboveground biomass and live …

The Pneumococcal Serine-Rich Repeat Protein Is An Intra-Species Bacterial Adhesin That Promotes Bacterial Aggregation In Vivo And In Biofilms, Carlos J. Sanchez, Pooja Shivshankar, Kim Stol, Samuel Trakhtenbroit, Paul M. Sullam, Karin Sauer, Peter W.M. Hermans, Carlos J. Orihuela

Biological Sciences Faculty Scholarship

The Pneumococcal serine-rich repeat protein (PsrP) is a pathogenicity island encoded adhesin that has been positively correlated with the ability of Streptococcus pneumoniae to cause invasive disease. Previous studies have shown that PsrP mediates bacterial attachment to Keratin 10 (K10) on the surface of lung cells through amino acids 273-341 located in the Basic Region (BR) domain. In this study we determined that the BR domain of PsrP also mediates an intra-species interaction that promotes the formation of large bacterial aggregates in the nasopharynx and lungs of infected mice as well as in continuous flow-through models of mature biofilms. Using …

Relative Allelopathic Potential Of Invasive Plant Species In A Young Disturbed Woodland, Nikki Pisula, Scott Meiners

Faculty Research & Creative Activity

Invasive plant species are often more successful within introduced areas when compared to their natural ranges. Allelopathy has been suggested as a potential mechanism for this success because invasive plants frequently establish monocultures and may produce allelochemicals evolutionarily novel to the recipient community. However, species are typically tested in isolation making the relative strength of allelopathy difficult to assess. We conducted laboratory bioassays for 10 co-occurring non-native species to determine the relative strength of their allelopathic potential. These species represented a suite of successful invaders within a young forest and were from a variety of plant life forms: trees, lianas, …

Allelopathic Effects Of Goldenrod Species On Turnover In Successional Communities, Nikki Pisula, Scott Meiners

Faculty Research & Creative Activity

While goldenrod species are often found to be allelopathic in laboratory settings, its importance in controlling plant community dynamics has been much more difficult to assess. We designed a study to determine whether allelopathy is related to the success of goldenrods in abandoned agricultural land. To accomplish this, we conducted laboratory bioassays for six co-occurring goldenrod species and compared these results to the cover and impacts of these species in the field. We determined the germination responses of two target species to a gradient of leaf extract concentrations to assess the allelopathic potential of these goldenrods. We also used long-term …

Spatiotemporal Dynamics Of Lianas During 50 Years Of Succession To Temperate Forest, Laura Ladwig, Scott Meiners

Faculty Research & Creative Activity

Although they are important components of forest communities, the general ecology and spatiotemporal patterns of temperate lianas during forest regeneration are largely unknown. The dependence of lianas on other plants for physical support makes them a potentially important driver of community dynamics. We examined 50 years of vegetation data from an old-field succession study to determine the dynamics and community controls on liana expansion within the Piedmont region of New Jersey, USA. Four lianas, Lonicera japonica, Parthenocissus quinquefolia, Toxicodendron radicans, and Vitis spp., occurred in enough abundance for detailed analyses. In general, liana cover peaked during mid-succession (20–30 years post-abandonment) …

Responses Of Bats To Forest Fragmentation In The Mississippi River Alluvial Valley, Arkansas, Usa, Rex E. Medlin Jr., Matthew B. Connior, Karen F. Gaines, Thomas S. Risch

Faculty Research & Creative Activity

Intense conversion of bottomland hardwood forests to rice and soybeans in the Mississippi River Valley of Arkansas has restricted the remaining forest to isolated fragments. Habitat fragmentation has proven to be detrimental to population sustainability of several species, and is the subject of intense study with often species and latitude specific responses. We compared both coarse land area classes and landscape fragmentation metrics from six 30 km × 30 km subsets centered on publicly owned management areas to bat captures obtained from a 2005 population study. Patch density was the strongest predictor of total captures (R 2 = 0.801, p …

Reconstitution Of The Olfactory Epithelium Following Injury In Apoe-Deficient Mice, Britto P. Nathan, Salina Gairhe, Ikemefuna Nwosu, Stephen Clark, Robert G. Struble

Faculty Research & Creative Activity

ApoE, a protein component of lipoproteins, is extensively expressed in the primary olfactory pathway. Because apoE has been shown to play a vital role in nerve repair and remodeling, we hypothesized that apoE expression will increase in the injured olfactory epithelium (OE), and that apoE deficiency in apoE knockout (KO) mice will lead to delayed/incomplete reconstitution of the OE following injury. To directly test this hypothesis, we compared OE regeneration in wild-type (WT) and KO mice following injury induced by intranasal irrigation of Triton X-100. OE was collected at 0, 3, 7, 21, 42, and 56 days post lesion. The …

Reconstitution Of The Olfactory Epithelium Following Injury In Apoe-Deficient Mice, Britto Nathan, Salina Gairhe, Ikemefuna Nwosu, Stephen Clark, Robert Struble

Faculty Research & Creative Activity

ApoE, a protein component of lipoproteins, is extensively expressed in the primary olfactory pathway. Because apoE has been shown to play a vital role in nerve repair and remodeling, we hypothesized that apoE expression will increase in the injured olfactory epithelium (OE), and that apoE deficiency in apoE knockout (KO) mice will lead to delayed/incomplete reconstitution of the OE following injury. To directly test this hypothesis, we compared OE regeneration in wild-type (WT) and KO mice following injury induced by intranasal irrigation of Triton X-100. OE was collected at 0, 3, 7, 21, 42, and 56 days post lesion. The …

Distribution And Ecotypic Variation Of The Invasive Annual Barb Goatgrass (Aegiolops Triuncialis) On Serpentine Soil, Kelly G. Lyons, A M. Shapiro, M. W. Schwartz

Biology Faculty Research

Successful colonization of newly introduced species is driven by a multitude of factors and is highly dependent on the species. It has long been hypothesized that preadaptation and postestablishment natural selection of introduced species can facilitate their invasion; however, to date, limited research has been dedicated to these theories. In addition, although the correlation between establishment of invasive species and disturbance has been noted and widely studied, the susceptibility of undisturbed habitats to invasion remains unclear. In California, serpentine habitats are severe edaphic environments that have been relatively free of anthropogenic disturbance and nonindigenous species invasions. In this study, we …

Differences In Ultrasonic Vocalizations Between Wild And Laboratory California Mice (Peromyscus Californicus), M. C. Kalcounis-Rueppell, R. Petric, J. R. Briggs, C. Carney, M. M. Marshall, J. T. Willse, David O. Ribble, J. P. Crossland

Biology Faculty Research

Background: Ultrasonic vocalizations (USVs) emitted by muroid rodents, including laboratory mice and rats, are used as phenotypic markers in behavioral assays and biomedical research. Interpretation of these USVs depends on understanding the significance of USV production by rodents in the wild. However, there has never been a study of muroid rodent ultrasound function in the wild and comparisons of USVs produced by wild and laboratory rodents are lacking to date. Here, we report the first comparison of wild and captive rodent USVs recorded from the same species, Peromyscus californicus.

Methodology and Principal Findings: We used standard ultrasound recording techniques …