Biology Commons^™

Spatial And Temporal Dynamics Of Batesian Mimicry Between Adelpha Californica And Limenitis Lorquini, Louis Albert Prusa

University of the Pacific Theses and Dissertations

Conspicuous coloration is one of the main ways that animals communicate. The use of eye-catching color patterns to warn predators of an unprofitable trait is referred to as aposematism. Once predators learn to recognize the color pattern, a new signaling niche becomes available where other species can share the same signal. This mimicry niche can involve a “hide in plain sight” strategy by mimicking or parasitizing this signal, with mimics lacking the defense and associated costs that make them unprofitable. This is termed Batesian mimicry, and it decreases predation by taking advantage of the memory and learning of the predator …

Patterns In Abundance Of Louisiana’S Avifauna Revealed By The Louisiana Bird Atlas Project, Matthew L. Brady

LSU Master's Theses

The Louisiana Bird Atlas Project is a multi-year citizen science effort designed to quantify bird distribution and abundance for all species regularly occurring in the state of Louisiana during two time periods: summer and winter. Data were collected by volunteers in a citizen science framework across eight years, from 2007 to 2014. A total of 351 species was recorded (254 during the Summer Bird Atlas and 315 during the Winter Bird Atlas). Maps showing distribution and relative abundance for each species were generated within a Geographical Information System, and were accompanied by short descriptions of status, distribution, abundance, and other …

There’S More Than One Way To Climb A Tree: Limb Length And Microhabitat Use In Lizards With Toe Pads, Travis J. Hagey, Scott Hart, Matthew Vickers, Luke J. Harmon, Lin Schwarzkopf

Biology

Ecomorphology links microhabitat and morphology. By comparing ecomorphological associations across clades, we can investigate the extent to which evolution can produce similar solutions in response to similar challenges. While Anolis lizards represent a well-studied example of repeated convergent evolution, very few studies have investigated the ecomorphology of geckos. Similar to anoles, gekkonid lizards have independently evolved adhesive toe pads and many species are scansorial. We quantified gecko and anole limb length and microhabitat use, finding that geckos tend to have shorter limbs than anoles. Combining these measurements with microhabitat observations of geckos in Queensland, Australia, we observed geckos using similar …

Understanding The Relationship Between Hosts And Their Microbiome, Boahemaa Adu-Oppong

Arts & Sciences Graduate Student Theses and Dissertations

Microbes are bountiful and associated with every animal and plant kingdom. Furthermore, microbes can alter host phenotype, development, health and functioning. However, this is not a one-way interaction, hosts can structure microbial communities by changing the environment to be suitable for certain microbial species. Several studies have characterized microbial communities associated with hosts to answer two2 main questions in ecology: who’s there, and what are they doing? However, two questions from the field of community ecology are often ignored (1) what forces are structuring the microbial communities (how was the community formed) and (2) how stable are these communities. Vellend …

A Multi-Indicator Assessment Of Conservation Success Across A Populated Forest Anthrome, Emma Cook, Natalie Ribble, John Quinn

Biology Presentations

The heterogeneous landscape of the eastern United States has resulted in a diversity of conservation interventions including public protected areas, private lands held in easements, and open space managed at various levels of intensity. Given the pressures of expected land use and land cover change, particularly in the Southern Piedmont ecoregion, multi-scale and comprehensive data are needed to prioritize conservation actions. We assessed local and regional indicators of conservation success across an urban-rural gradient by analyzing local bird abundance and diversity as a factor of forest patch area, land use matrix, and land management strategy. The study was conducted across …

The Effects Of Mesopredator Presence On Population Abundances Of Eastern Wild Turkey (Meleagris Gallopavo Silvestris), James Mcmichen

Biological Sciences Undergraduate Honors Theses

The eastern wild turkey (Meleagris gallopavo silvestris) has been an important game bird for the cultures and livelihood of peoples living in North America for centuries. Understanding how predation pressures affect wild turkey behavior can help us better manage turkey populations. I looked at three mesopredators: raccoons (Procyon lotor), gray foxes (Urocyon cinereoargenteus), and coyotes (Canis latrans) to see how they influence turkey presence at the White Rock Ecosystem Recreational Area, northwest Arkansas. I employed the use of 16 Moultrie trail cameras to ennumerate wild turkey and mesopredators at 29 sites. I deployed the cameras during late winter and early …

Vegetation Community Changes In Two National Forests In The Pineywoods, East Texas, Trisha L. Williams

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

Despite extensive research into forest succession, little research has been directed to long-term studies. The fundamental properties of succession remain unclear and further research into terrestrial vegetation and an accounting of drivers in specific ecosystem types is required. This study addresses change in plant communities from five ecosystem types in two east Texas National Forests over a 20-year period. An analysis of 30 sample stands yields results due to various ecosystem drivers of vegetation change and uncovers plant community responses in multiple ecosystem types over this period. This research provided three key results: 1) that vegetation composition change occurs more …

Crassulacean Acid Metabolism As A Continuous Trait: Variability In The Contribution Of Crassulacean Acid Metabolism (Cam) In Populations Of Portulacaria Afra, Lonnie J. Guralnick, Kate Gladsky

Arts & Sciences Faculty Publications

Portulacaria afra L. is a dominant facultative CAM species growing in the Southeastern Cape of South Africa. P. afra is well adapted to regions of the Spekboom thicket in areas of limited and sporadic rainfall. P. afra populations occur in isolated drainages. We hypothesized the utilization of CAM would vary in the different populations in response to rainfall and temperature gradients. Carbon isotope composition can be used to determine the contribution of CAM in leaf tissue. P. afra leaves of populations were analyzed in transects running south to north and east to west in locations from the coast to elevations …

Hearing On The Fly: The Effects Of Wing Position On Noctuid Moth Hearing, Shira D. Gordon, Elizabeth Klenschi, James F. C. Windmill

Dartmouth Scholarship

The ear of the noctuid moth has only two auditory neurons, A1 and A2, which function in detecting predatory bats. However, the noctuid's ears are located on the thorax behind the wings. Therefore, as these moths need to hear during flight, it was hypothesized that wing position may affect their hearing. The wing was fixed in three different positions: up, flat and down. An additional subset of animals was measured with freely moving wings. In order to negate any possible acoustic shadowing or diffractive effects, all wings were snipped, leaving the proximal-most portion and the wing hinge intact. Results revealed …

Sensitivity Analysis Of Wolf Restoration In Yellowstone Nation Park Using Omnivory Models, Derek Fields

Theses, Dissertations and Capstones

In the ever-changing world of ecology, species survival often depends on approximations and measurements taken by biologists. These approximations help to ensure and predict the future of that given species. Our ecological community of interest involves wolves, elk, and berry producing shrubs within Yellowstone National Park. We use two different systems of ordinary differential equations, each increasing in complexity to model our community. In each model the predator (wolves) and consumers (elk) compete for a common resource, berry producing shrubs. We call this consumption of resources, from more than one trophic level, omnivory. We approximate each system with parameter values …

Restoration Of Black Oak (Quercus Velutina) Sand Barrens Via Three Different Habitat Management Approaches, David J. Kriska

ETD Archive

Disturbance regimes, i.e. frequent fires, historically maintained oak barrens until European settlement patterns, and eventually, Smoky the Bear and the fire suppression campaign of the U.S. Forest Service snuffed out the periodic flames. In the absence of a disturbance regime, ground layer floral composition at many historical oak sand barrens will change predominantly because of a buildup of leaf litter and shading of the soils. Termed mesophication, this process of ecological succession will drive Black Oak Sand Barrens to an alternate steady state. A survey conducted on Singer Lake Bog in Green, Ohio, demonstrated that succession shifted the community to …

Survey Of A Neotropical Anuran Assemblage (Pacaya-Samiria Reserve, Peru), Eric Woebbe

Browse all Theses and Dissertations

The Pacaya-Samiria National Reserve of Peru is one of the largest protected areas of the Amazon rainforest, yet it has hosted only a few studies of frogs and toads (anurans). The primary goals of my study are: 1) To conduct an inventory of the local anuran species, 2) to quantify richness among habitats, 3) to compare differences in beta diversity across a river versus a continuous landscape, and 4) to compare difference in body size between nocturnal and diurnal individuals. After eight weeks of daytime and nighttime surveys during the dry season, a total of 601 individuals were identified across …

Comparative Floristic Studies Of Georgian Sandhill Ecosystems Reveals A Dynamic Composition Of Endemics And Generalists, James M. Long, John Schenk

Honors College Theses

Sandhill habitats are characterized by sandy, xeric soils that contain a unique assemblage of plants and animals. Similar to the broader long-leaf pine (Pinus palustris) and wire grass (Aristida stricta) ecosystem that sandhills are a subset of, agriculture, development, and habitat modifications have caused sandhill ecosystems to become degraded, putting many species at risk of extinction. Previous studies have focused on diversity within individual sandhills, leaving us with an incomplete understanding of how these communities form, what species are endemic, whether endemics are widespread across sandhills, and how species have adapted to these communities. To gain a more comprehensive understanding …

Effects Of Wildfires On Rattlesnake (Crotalus Oreganus) Growth And Movement In Washington State, Joseph Chase

All Master's Theses

Fire is a dominant force in the Pacific Northwest that shapes ecosystems and influences wildlife, yet little is known of its effects on local predators. Northern Pacific rattlesnakes (Crotalus oreganus) comprise an excellent model to investigate how fire may influence wildlife because they are important predators that contribute to controlling prey populations, but are also unable to readily escape from wildfires. We developed a novel technique to assess growth rates of rattlesnakes by using digital photography to analyze differences in widths of their rattle segments laid down over time. We compared growth rates of rattlesnakes in habitats that …

Determinants Of Host Use In Tachinid Parasitoids (Diptera: Tachinidae) Of Stink Bugs (Hemiptera: Pentatomidae) In Southwest Ohio, Matthew W. Duncan

Browse all Theses and Dissertations

Tachinid parasitoids in the subfamily Phasiinae are important natural enemies of heteropteran bugs. Host location by these flies occurs via antennal reception to the pheromones of their hosts; however little is known regarding the mechanisms which underlie host selection. Halyomorpha halys, the invasive brown marmorated stink bug, represents a potential novel host species in North America. This study was conducted to determine the suitability of H. halys as a host for phasiine species, and to assess cues used in host selection by the species Gymnoclytia occidua. Field attraction to pentatomid pheromones by both phasiines and pentatomids in Southwest Ohio were …

An Assessment Of How Plant And Mycorrhizal Communities Have Been Affected Along A Mine-Impacted Watershed In The Northwest Territories, Kevin Maccoll

Theses and Dissertations (Comprehensive)

Giant Mine is an inactive gold mine located nine kilometers north of Yellowknife, Northwest Territories. Giant Mine has been the source of arsenic trioxide for the Baker Creek watershed since it opened over 60 years ago. Although arsenic levels in the creek are above the limits considered to be biologically relevant, there is no concrete evidence that plants and mycorrhizae have actually been affected. This study provides an initial assessment of the impacts mining activity at Giant Mine has had on plants and mycorrhizae in the Baker Creek watershed. Nine sites were sampled around Giant Mine: five sites downstream from …

Crassulacean Acid Metabolism As A Continuous Trait: Variability In The Contribution Of Crassulacean Acid Metabolism (Cam) In Populations Of Portulacaria Afra, Lonnie J. Guralnick, Kate Gladsky

Arts & Sciences Faculty Publications

Portulacaria afra L. is a dominant facultative CAM species growing in the Southeastern Cape of South Africa. P. afra is well adapted to regions of the Spekboom thicket in areas of limited and sporadic rainfall. P. afra populations occur in isolated drainages. We hypothesized the utilization of CAM would vary in the different populations in response to rainfall and temperature gradients. Carbon isotope composition can be used to determine the contribution of CAM in leaf tissue. P. afra leaves of populations were analyzed in transects running south to north and east to west in locations from the coast to elevations …

Efectos Del Cambio Climático En La Interacción Planta-Hormiga: Una Mini Revisión Sobre La Tolerancia Térmica, Florencio Luna Castellanos, Mariana Cuautle, Teresa Patricia Feria-Arroyo, Citlalli Castillo Guevara

School of Integrative Biological & Chemical Sciences (Formerly Dept. of Biology)

Sin duda alguna el clima está cambiando debido al aumento de la concentración de gases de efecto invernadero en la atmósfera provocado por la acción humana. Dichos cambios van a tener un efecto importante en algunas actividades humanas tales como la agricultura y también pueden afectar enormemente la distribución geográfica de los organismos vivos y por tanto sus interacciones. Las hormigas y las plantas tienen una larga historia evolutiva de interacción. La actividad de las hormigas y su relación con las plantas en los últimos años ha tenido un número creciente de estudios que están poniendo de relieve su papel …

Ordination Obscures The Influence Of Environment On Plankton Metacommunity Structure, Tad Dallas, Andrew M. Kramer, Marcus Zokan, John M. Drake

Faculty Publications

The composition of plankton communities in individual habitats is often influenced by environmental conditions like pH or hydroperiod. At larger scales, environmental gradients can influence community structure across interconnected local communities. Detecting the role of environmental and spatial factors on metacommunity structure depends on the ordering of sites and species prior to analysis. We investigated this ordination in two wetland metacommunities; a well-sampled, hyper-diverse zooplankton metacommunity, and a Central American phytoplankton metacommunity. We calculated coherence, turnover, and boundary clumping to classify the structure of the metacommunity, and we propose a statistic that responds to variation in both coherence and turnover. …

Studying The Effects Of Serpentine Soil On Adapted And Non-Adapted Species Using Arduino Technology, Kiana Saniee, Edward Himelblau, Brian Paavo

STAR Program Research Presentations

Abstract: Serpentine soils are formed from ultramafic rocks and are represent an extreme environment for plants. Serpentine soils are unique in that they carry high concentrations of heavy metals, are nutrient deficient, particularly in calcium, and have poor water retention capabilities. Although these soils constitute harsh conditions for plant growth, there are a number of species that are adapted and even endemic to serpentine soil. Water retention by commercial potting mix was compared with serpentine soil. Also, serpentine adapted and non-adapted species were grown in both soil treatments and physiological data were collected. We used the Arduino electronic platform to …

Rapid Museum, Gary Barwin

The Goose

Poetry by Gary Barwin

Ocean Acidification And Predator-Prey Relations: Correlating Disruption Of Predator Avoidance With Chemosensory Deficits, Alexandra Fw Sidun, William G. Wright

Student Scholar Symposium Abstracts and Posters

One of the most destructive effects of global climate change is the increased carbon sequestering and consequential acidification of our world’s oceans. The impacts of ocean acidification on marine organisms are still relatively unknown, especially effects on behavioral ecology. Avoiding predation has emerged from recent behavioral ecology literature as a critical feature in the life history of a wide array of animal species; experiments on marine fishes suggest acidic water compromises their predator-avoidance abilities. Recent assays in our lab suggest predator-induced behavior is reduced by weakly acidic water. These experiments do not address the potential factor of generalized malaise caused …

Mycodb, A Global Database Of Plant Response To Mycorrhizal Fungi, V. Bala Chaudhary, Megan A. Rúa, Anita Antoninka, James D. Bever, Jeffery Cannon, Ashley Craig, Jessica Duchicela, Alicia Frame, Catherine Gehring, Michelle Ha, Miranda Hart, Jacob Hopkins, Baoming Ji, Nancy C. Johnson, Wittaya Kaonongbua, Justine Karst, Roger T. Koide, Louis J. Lamit, James Meadow, Brook Milligan, John C. Moore, Thomas H. Pendergast Iv, Bridget J. Piculell, Blake Ramsby, Suzanne Simard, Shubha Shrestha, James Umbanhowar, Wolfgang Viechtbauer, Lawrence Walters, Gail W. T. Wilson, Peter C. Zee, Jason D. Hoeksema

Biological Sciences Faculty Publications

Plants form belowground associations with mycorrhizal fungi in one of the most common symbioses on Earth. However, few large-scale generalizations exist for the structure and function of mycorrhizal symbioses, as the nature of this relationship varies from mutualistic to parasitic and is largely context-dependent. We announce the public release of MycoDB, a database of 4,010 studies (from 438 unique publications) to aid in multi-factor meta-analyses elucidating the ecological and evolutionary context in which mycorrhizal fungi alter plant productivity. Over 10 years with nearly 80 collaborators, we compiled data on the response of plant biomass to mycorrhizal fungal inoculation, including meta-analysis …

Gender Differences In Space-Use Patterns And Microhabitat Characteristics Of Southern Flying Squirrel (Glaucomys Volans) In Northeastern Iowa, Elizabeth G. Bainbridge

Master's Theses or Doctor of Nursing Practice

Southern flying squirrel (Glaucomys volans) is common throughout the eastern deciduous forests of the United States, southern Canada, Mexico, and Central America. However, within the state of Iowa G. volans currently is listed as a “species of special concern.” This status is due to general loss of local habitat and lack of information about the species within the state. The state of Iowa has lost a majority of its native land cover over the past century due to intensive agricultural practices. Most native forests have been reduced drastically. The majority of habitat that would be suitable for southern flying squirrel …

Elevational Variation In Body-Temperature Response To Immune Challenge In A Lizard, Francisco Javier Zamora-Camacho, Senda Reguera, Gregorio Moreno-Rueda

Dartmouth Scholarship

Immunocompetence benefits animal fitness by combating pathogens, but also entails some costs. One of its main components is fever, which in ectotherms involves two main types of costs: energy expenditure and predation risk. Whenever those costs of fever outweigh its benefits, ectotherms are expected not to develop fever, or even to show hypothermia, reducing costs of thermoregulation and diverting the energy saved to other components of the immune system. Environmental thermal quality, and therefore the thermoregulation cost/benefit balance, varies geographically. Hence, we hypothesize that, in alpine habitats, immune-challenged ectotherms should show no thermal response, given that (1) hypothermia would be …

Transforming Ecosystems: When, Where, And How To Restore Contaminated Sites, Jason R. Rohr, Aïda M. Farag, Marc W. Cadotte, William H. Clements, James R. Smith, Cheryl P. Ulrich, Richard Woods

Integrative Biology Faculty and Staff Publications

Chemical contamination has impaired ecosystems, reducing biodiversity and the provisioning of functions and services. This has spurred a movement to restore contaminated ecosystems and develop and implement national and international regulations that require it. Nevertheless, ecological restoration remains a young and rapidly growing discipline and its intersection with toxicology is even more nascent and underdeveloped. Consequently, we provide guidance to scientists and practitioners on when, where, and how to restore contaminated ecosystems. Although restoration has many benefits, it also can be expensive, and in many cases systems can recover without human intervention. Hence, the first question we address is: "When …

Getting The Hologenome Concept Right: An Eco-Evolutionary Framework For Hosts And Their Microbiomes, K. R. Theis, N. M. Dheilly, J. L. Klassen, R. M. Brucker, J. F. Baines, T. C. G. Bosch, J. F. Cryan, Scott F. Gilbert, C. J. Goodnight, E. A. Lloyd, J. Sapp, P. Vandenkoornhuyse, I. Zilber-Rosenberg, E. Rosenberg, S. R. Bordenstein

Biology Faculty Works

Given the complexity of host-microbiota symbioses, scientists and philosophers are asking questions at new biological levels of hierarchical organization—what is a holobiont and hologenome? When should this vocabulary be applied? Are these concepts a null hypothesis for host-microbe systems or limited to a certain spectrum of symbiotic interactions such as host-microbial coevolution? Critical discourse is necessary in this nascent area, but productive discourse requires that skeptics and proponents use the same lexicon. For instance, critiquing the hologenome concept is not synonymous with critiquing coevolution, and arguing that an entity is not a primary unit of selection dismisses the fact that …

Natural History And Conservation Of Bolitoglossine Salamanders In Central Panama, Leslie Caren Brinkman

Graduate Theses/Dissertations

I conducted a mark-recapture study to assess the natural history of a Neotropical salamander community in three discrete 4–6 week sampling periods at Chorro Las Yayas, a protected natural area of about 8000 m2 in central Panama, during an extended drought. I captured 87 Bolitoglossa biseriata, 17 Oedipina complex, and 15 O. parvipes. Bolitoglossa biseriata, had a mean mass of 0.8 ± 0.4 g with a mean snout-vent length (SVL) of 31.45 ± 5.30 mm. Bolitoglossa biseriata was active throughout the night, and its detection rate varied with season, air temperature, and amount of precipitation in the previous 24 h. …

The Influence Of Balanced And Imbalanced Resource Supply On Biodiversity–Functioning Relationship Across Ecosystems, Aleksandra M. Lewandowska, Antje Biermann, Elizabeth T. Borer, Miguel A. Cebrián-Piqueras, Steven A.J. Declerck, Luc De Meester, Ellen Van Donk, Lars Ganfeldt, Daniel S. Gruner, Nicole Hagenah, W. Stanley Harpole, Kevin P. Kirkman, Christopher A. Klausmeier, Michael Kleyer, Johannes M. H. Knops, Pieter Lemmens, Eric M. Lind, Elena Litchman, Jasmin Mantilla-Contreras, Koen Martens, Sandra Meier, Vanessa Minden, Joslin L. Moore, Harry Olde Venterink, Eric W. Seabloom, Ulrich Sommer, Maren Striebel, Anastasia Trenkamp, Juliane Trinogga, Jotaro Urabe, Wim Vyverman, Dedmer B. Van De Waal, Claire E. Widdicombe, Helmut Hillebrand

School of Biological Sciences: Faculty Publications

Numerous studies show that increasing species richness leads to higher ecosystem productivity. This effect is often attributed to more efficient portioning of multiple resources in communities with higher numbers of competing species, indicating the role of resource supply and stoichiometry for biodiversity–ecosystem functioning relationships. Here, we merged theory on ecological stoichiometry with a framework of biodiversity–ecosystem functioning to understand how resource use transfers into primary production. We applied a structural equation model to define patterns of diversity– productivity relationships with respect to available resources. Meta-analysis was used to summarize the findings across ecosystem types ranging from aquatic ecosystems to grasslands …

Organismal Composition And Photosynthetic Traits Of Biological Soil Crusts In Prairie Ecosystems Of The Great Plains, Brendon C. Mccampbell

Master's Theses or Doctor of Nursing Practice

Biological soil crusts (BSCs) are soil-surface microecosystems composed of a close association of algae, cyanobacteria, fungi, lichens, and non-vascular plants with soil particles. BSCs have several ecological functions including carbon fixation, nitrogen fixation, nutrient relations, soil stabilization, water relations, and floral community development, which make them extremely important in many of the ecosystems where they occur. While BSCs have been studied throughout the American West, little work has been done in the Great Plains region where they are less prominent among the dominant vascular plant communities. This study examined organismal composition and photosynthetic traits of BSCs in four ecosystems within …