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Articles 1 - 24 of 24
Full-Text Articles in Biology
Methylation Patterns Across Tissue Type And Time In Peromyscus Leucopus: A Targeted Museum Study, Loryn Smith
Methylation Patterns Across Tissue Type And Time In Peromyscus Leucopus: A Targeted Museum Study, Loryn Smith
Master's Theses
Museum specimens are a vital data source for many types of studies. One relatively new use includes studying methylation patterns. Methylation patterns are a form of epigenetics or how gene expression changes without alteration of the genetic code. These patterns have been examined in many mammals. However, the focus has previously been on overall epigenetic patterns. Few studies have investigated whether methylation patterns differ across tissue types, time, or preservation method. In this study, I compared methylation patterns in muscle, liver, toe pads, and nasal bones from Peromyscus leucopus (white-footed mouse) museum specimens collected in 2022, 2018, 2014, and 2008 …
Influences Of Grazing On Habitat Characteristics, Avian Community Composition And Nesting Bird Abundance Within Cheyenne Bottoms, Ks, Kirsten Granstrom-Arndt
Influences Of Grazing On Habitat Characteristics, Avian Community Composition And Nesting Bird Abundance Within Cheyenne Bottoms, Ks, Kirsten Granstrom-Arndt
Master's Theses
Cheyenne Bottoms is a 41,000-acre prairie-marsh ecosystem in central Kansas. Approximately 8,000 acres of mixed grassland are dedicated for the conservation of bird populations, but little is known about the status of bird communities within these areas. This study took place within grassland areas of Cheyenne Bottoms from May – July 2021. I investigated bird community composition, relative abundance of frequently observed bird species, vegetative characteristics, and similarity of sites across different grazing intensities (continuous, rotational, and non-grazed). The four most common bird species observed were dickcissel (Spiza americana), grasshopper sparrow (Ammodramus savannarum), meadowlark species ( …
Efficacy Of Non-Lethal Molecular Methods In Elucidating Distribution Of Gray Treefrog Complex (Hyla Chrysoscelis/Versicolor) In Kansas, Nora K. Lazerus
Efficacy Of Non-Lethal Molecular Methods In Elucidating Distribution Of Gray Treefrog Complex (Hyla Chrysoscelis/Versicolor) In Kansas, Nora K. Lazerus
Master's Theses
Globally, amphibians are the most imperiled vertebrate taxa in part because they rely on both aquatic and terrestrial ecosystems. Specifically, their permeable skin makes them uniquely susceptible to habitat degradation and alteration. Cope’s Gray Treefrog (Hyla chrysoscelis) and the Gray Treefrog (Hyla versicolor) are a diploid-tetraploid, morphologically indistinguishable sister pair of cryptic anurans native to Kansas. Since 1987, the distribution of gray treefrogs in Kanas has extended west but the status of each species in the complex in Kansas is not known beyond its documented combined western expansion. Currently, species identification cannot be determined by nonlethal …
The Impact Of Planting Season And Crop Residue On Germination, Reproductive Success, And Mass Of Native Forbs, Michaela Vonlintel
The Impact Of Planting Season And Crop Residue On Germination, Reproductive Success, And Mass Of Native Forbs, Michaela Vonlintel
Master's Theses
The lack of biodiversity in prairie restorations compared to native prairies is alarming, and restoring this diversity has been a key focus of research and restoration projects for years. This study aims to assess two variables: planting season and plant residue, for achieving success in forb establishment. This research was conducted in a greenhouse using mesocosms that were seeded in spring, summer, and fall with nine forb species. Half of each seasonal treatment received ground cover, while the other half did not. Two hypotheses were formed. The first was that the fall planting will be the most successful seasonal treatment …
Enamel Corrosion Levels On Squirrel Teeth From The Fox Canyon Locality, Pliocene Of Kansas, Emma Tennyson
Enamel Corrosion Levels On Squirrel Teeth From The Fox Canyon Locality, Pliocene Of Kansas, Emma Tennyson
Honors Theses
The enamel of teeth may be corroded after death, especially if the teeth pass through the digestive tract of a predator with low gastric pH. This study characterized enamel corrosion of fossil squirrel teeth from two species (Otospermophilus rexroadensis and Ictidomys meadensis) obtained from the Fox Canyon locality of Kansas. Using microscopic imaging, I categorized teeth based on corrosion level. Overall, 45% of specimens exhibited heavy to extreme corrosion. There were no significant differences in the distribution of corrosion categories between both upper and lower teeth of either species (O. rexroadensis: X2 (3, N = 140) = .562, p= .905; …
Ground Beetle (Coleoptera: Carabidae) Assemblages In Native, Invasive, And Encroaching Grassland Habitats, Madison Pittenger
Ground Beetle (Coleoptera: Carabidae) Assemblages In Native, Invasive, And Encroaching Grassland Habitats, Madison Pittenger
Master's Theses
Ground beetles (Carabidae) are increasingly used as ecological indicators in studies regarding land use because they are ubiquitous, respond quickly to environmental change, have a well-understood taxonomy, and can be trapped with ease. While the effects of various plant communities on ground beetle assemblages are relatively well-known, past studies have operated within boreal and tropical forests and have not placed much emphasis on the effects of native and nonnative species. In this study, ground beetles were investigated as indicators of invasion in a grassland setting. Ground beetles were sampled using pitfall traps throughout the 2018 growing season at Quivira National …
The Purple Plague: Effect Of High Intensity Grazing Post Fire On Purple Threeawn Cover And Reproductive Effort And Prairie Dog Responses, Justin Roemer
Master's Theses
Purple threeawn (Aristida purpurea Nutt.) is a native warm-season bunchgrass found in western Kansas on The Nature Conservancy’s Smoky Valley Ranch and across rangelands of western North America. Upon reaching maturity, grazing/clipping pressure decreases for this bunchgrass due to poor forage quality and extreme unpalatability for cattle (Bos taurus) and Black-tailed prairie dogs (Cynomys ludovicianus). This decrease in grazing/clipping has led to development of near monocultures which cause negative impacts to the prairie ecosystem including decreases in rangeland quality and suitable habitat for prairie dogs, a keystone species. This decrease in prairie dog habitat …
Floristic Survey Of Crawford And Cherokee Counties In Southeast Kansas: An Evaluation Of Change Over Five Decades, Samantha Pryer
Floristic Survey Of Crawford And Cherokee Counties In Southeast Kansas: An Evaluation Of Change Over Five Decades, Samantha Pryer
Electronic Theses & Dissertations
This project had two main objectives. The first objective was to document comprehensively the vascular flora of Crawford and Cherokee counties in extreme southeast Kansas. Each county had seen limited collecting in recent decades, though a comprehensive survey had never been done for Cherokee County. PSU student E.S. Gibson summarized the flora for Crawford County in 1963. Fieldwork for the present study occurred mostly in 2014 and 2015. Based on 6500+ newly collected specimens, vouchers from Gibson’s study, and taxa documented by Biota of North America (BONAP) (Kartesz 2017), 1440 taxa are reported, which includes 33 state and 263 county …
Diet And Activity Patterns Of Five Bat Species In North-Central Kansas, Holly G. Wilson
Diet And Activity Patterns Of Five Bat Species In North-Central Kansas, Holly G. Wilson
Master's Theses
My study focuses on six bat species that occur in north-central Kansas. Although each species is widely distributed, information about their diet and activity patterns is lacking, especially within Kansas. Increased knowledge about bat species in Kansas can provide a baseline for future studies and conservation efforts for the species included in my study; big brown bat (Eptesicus fuscus), eastern red bat (Lasiurus borealis), hoary bat (Lasiurus cinereus), northern myotis (Myotis septentrionalis), evening bat (Nycticeius humeralis), and tricolored bats (Perimyotis subflavus) were captured and fecal samples were examined for diet diversity. I captured bats in mist nets in the Kansas …
Distance Sampling As A Technique To Monitor Pronghorn In Kansas, Jared H. Oyster
Distance Sampling As A Technique To Monitor Pronghorn In Kansas, Jared H. Oyster
Master's Theses
Accurate and precise estimates of abundance are crucial for wildlife management. Wildlife agencies spend large amounts of time and money to obtain estimated abundance. The Kansas Department of Wildlife Parks and Tourism (KDWPT) has conducted strip transect (ST) counts biannually since 1963 to estimate pronghorn (Antilocapra americana) abundance in Kansas. However, the accuracy and reliability of results are questionable. Distance sampling (DS) is a method used to estimate abundance of a biological population. All perpendicular distances of objects to the transect line are recorded; however, there is no designated strip width and no assumption that all objects are detected. I …
Burrowing Owl (Athene Cunicularia) Nesting Ecology In Western Kansas, Carol D. Grover-Mariner
Burrowing Owl (Athene Cunicularia) Nesting Ecology In Western Kansas, Carol D. Grover-Mariner
Master's Theses
The Burrowing Owl (Athene cunicularia) is a common occupant of Smoky Valley Ranch located in Logan County, Kansas, where the abundance of black-tailed prairie dog (Cynomys ludovicianus) burrows provides ideal habitat for the Burrowing Owl. The objectives of the study were to 1) estimate the densities of black-tailed prairie dog colonies through visual counts, 2) estimate nesting success and nest survival probabilities of the Burrowing Owl with the use of a burrow camera, and 3) estimate post-fledging dispersal and return rate of juvenile Burrowing Owl the following season. I located 96 potential nests from 24 March through 2 July 2007 …
Distributional Survey And Habitat Associations Of Crayfishes In Three River Basins In Kansas, Ryan Lee Pinkall
Distributional Survey And Habitat Associations Of Crayfishes In Three River Basins In Kansas, Ryan Lee Pinkall
Master's Theses
Kansas represents the western most edge of high crayfish diversity in North America. The most recent comprehensive survey of crayfishes in Kansas was conducted over 50 years ago and resulted in a list of seven species. Subsequently, three species were added sporadically. The most recent summary of crayfishes in Kansas included 10 species and suggested the highest diversity to be located in the northeastern portion of the state. I surveyed crayfishes in three river basins in Kansas during the summers of 2009, 2010, and 2011: Kansas-Lower Republican, Missouri, and Upper Republican. Sites were selected based on stream order and partitioned …
Spatial Conservation Prioritization Of Kansas For Terrestrial Vertebrates, Megan R. Rohweder
Spatial Conservation Prioritization Of Kansas For Terrestrial Vertebrates, Megan R. Rohweder
Master's Theses
Biological diversity is being threatened by the encroachment of humans, which limits the habitat available for conservation and strains resources allocated for conservation efforts. However conservation goals have to be achieved within these limitations. Conservation priorities can ensure that habitat and resources are used effectively and efficiently. I developed a conservation prioritization plan for the terrestrial vertebrates of Kansas. I used modeled distributions of every terrestrial vertebrate species found in Kansas to build three biodiversity indices; species richness, vulnerability, and endemicity. Kansas was divided into a grid of planning units, 34.5 km2. For each taxonomic group the planning units were …
The Pentatomidae, Or Stink Bugs, Of Kansas With A Key To Species (Hemiptera: Heteroptera), Richard J. Packauskas Ph.D.
The Pentatomidae, Or Stink Bugs, Of Kansas With A Key To Species (Hemiptera: Heteroptera), Richard J. Packauskas Ph.D.
Biological Sciences Faculty Publications
Forty eight species of Pentatomidae are listed as occurring in the state of Kansas, nine of these are new state records. A key to all species known from the state of Kansas is given, along with some notes on new state records.
Distribution And Genetic Structure Of Pocket Gophers (Genus Geomys) In Kansas, Zachary J. Schwenke
Distribution And Genetic Structure Of Pocket Gophers (Genus Geomys) In Kansas, Zachary J. Schwenke
Master's Theses
The development of informed management practices and insightful research depends not only on an understanding of species natural history and ecology, but information regarding the distributions of these species and how they interact with adjacent taxa. The study of a species distribution can become complicated if the geographic variation within the species is not understood. Pocket gophers, including those in the genus Geomys, display morphological and chromosomal variation across their range, even within the same species. Genetic techniques, including Amplified Fragment Length Polymorphism (AFLP), have clarified population relationships and characterized zones of contact. Previous studies have suggested 2 species and …
Mensural Discrimination Between Reithrodontomys Megalotis And R. Montanus Using Cranial Characters, Steven R. Hoofer, Jerry R. Choate, Nicholas E. Mandrak
Mensural Discrimination Between Reithrodontomys Megalotis And R. Montanus Using Cranial Characters, Steven R. Hoofer, Jerry R. Choate, Nicholas E. Mandrak
Sternberg Museum of Natural History Faculty Publications
We assessed the utility of cranial measurements to discriminate between the western harvest mouse (Reithrodontomys megalotis) and plains harvest mouse (R. montanus). We tested four combinations of measurements using discriminant function analysis to determine if several measurements could be used together to identify individuals of the two species regardless of age. Individual cranial measurements could not be used to correctly identify all individuals of the two species when relative age was disregarded. When age was considered, adults and old adults, but not subadults, could be identified correctly based on univariate statistical data from cranial characters. All specimens of the two …
Specimen Catalog, Forrest W. Davis
Specimen Catalog, Forrest W. Davis
Division of Mammals - Field Notes and Catalogs
No abstract provided.
Annotated List Of Diatoms Reported From Kansas, Mark E. Eberle
Annotated List Of Diatoms Reported From Kansas, Mark E. Eberle
Fort Hays Studies Series
This annotated list has been prepared to organize all of the available information in the literature on the diatoms of Kansas. The literature also has been reviewed to briefly summerize the history of research on diatoms in the state.
Population Dynamics Of Microtus Ochrogaster In Eastern Kansas, Michael S. Gaines, Robert K. Rose
Population Dynamics Of Microtus Ochrogaster In Eastern Kansas, Michael S. Gaines, Robert K. Rose
Biological Sciences Faculty Publications
Four eastern Kansas populations of the prairie vole, Microtus ochrogaster were live trapped from 1970—73 to gain insight into the population regulation of this species. All four populations exhibited a 2—yr cycle in numbers with peak densities generally occurring in June 1972. Peak densities were followed by a decline in numbers, a recovery, and a population crash in spring 1973. Reproductive parameters changed dramatically as density rose and fell. The summer breeding season in the crash year of 1973 was shortened by at least 3 mo. A reduction in breeding activity occurred during the summer of every year of the …
A History And Distributional List Of Ellis County, Kansas, Birds, Charles A. Ely
A History And Distributional List Of Ellis County, Kansas, Birds, Charles A. Ely
Fort Hays Studies Series
This paper marks a century of Ornithology in Ellis County most of it centered around Hays and Ellis. This paper is an attempt to collect the scattered observations of numerous birders and to encourage others to record their observations for posterity.
Invertebrate Fauna And Environment Of Deposition Of The Niobrara Formation (Cretaceous) Of Kansas, Halsey W. Miller
Invertebrate Fauna And Environment Of Deposition Of The Niobrara Formation (Cretaceous) Of Kansas, Halsey W. Miller
Fort Hays Studies Series
This paper reevaluates, and where desirable, synonymizes species. Previously unrecorded species are described and illustrated. The environment of the Niobrara Formation in Kansas is described. The author collected specimens in Scott, Logan, Gove, Trego, Rooks and Phillips Counties, Kansas.
Soil-Vegetation Relationships Of A Blue Shale-Limy Upland Range Site In Ellis County, Kansas, Larry D. Zavesky
Soil-Vegetation Relationships Of A Blue Shale-Limy Upland Range Site In Ellis County, Kansas, Larry D. Zavesky
Fort Hays Studies Series
The objective of this study was to determine the soil-vegetation relationships of a blue shale-limy upland range site. Vegetative composition and production were determined for each soil within the range site. Some of the more important physical and chemical properties, such as texture, depth of development, and general fertility, were determined for each soil.
Ecological Studies Of Blue Grama Grass (Bouteloua Gracilis), F. W. Albertson, D. A. Riegel, Gerald W. Tomanek
Ecological Studies Of Blue Grama Grass (Bouteloua Gracilis), F. W. Albertson, D. A. Riegel, Gerald W. Tomanek
Fort Hays Studies Series
Blue grama grass (Bouteloua gracilis) was selected for detailed description here because of its wide distribution and importance throughout the Great Plains Region in the United States.
Distribution Of Native Mammals Among The Communities Of The Mixed Prairie, Edwin Perry Martin
Distribution Of Native Mammals Among The Communities Of The Mixed Prairie, Edwin Perry Martin
Fort Hays Studies Series
From October, 1952, until August, 1958, the small mammals on a relict area near Hays, Kansas, were studied. The observations were undertaken to establish a standard to which the mammals of variously disturbed areas could be compared; also, information concerning the relations of the species of mammals to the communities of the mixed prairie was sought.