Ecology and Evolutionary Biology Commons^™

Sediment Redox-Driven Iron Flux And Phytoplankton Community Responses: Implications For Cyanobacterial Suppression And Functional Stability Across Boreal Lakes, Julia K. Kozak

Theses and Dissertations (Comprehensive)

Freshwater eutrophication contributes towards the development of cyanobacterial harmful algal blooms (cHABs), but nutrient availability alone does not fully explain variation in phytoplankton community composition or physiological performance. While phosphorus (P) availability has been known to regulate phytoplanktonic biomass, iron (Fe) is an important micronutrient supporting Fe-heavy processes within cyanobacteria (i.e., nitrogen fixation and photosynthetic electron transport). Sediment Fe availability in freshwater ecosystems is regulated by reduction oxidation (redox) conditions at the sediment-water interface (SWI), where nitrate (NO₃^-) has been found to maintain oxidizing conditions and prevent the reduction of Fe(III) to more readily bioavailable soluble Fe(II), …

Leveraging Mammal Mycophagy To Determine Environmental Drivers Of Truffle Diversity, Brittany Hartsock

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

Many mycorrhizal fungi are hypogeous (truffle-forming), producing underground fruiting bodies. Studying truffles is inherently challenging due to their hidden nature. However, mycophagous mammals provide a unique opportunity to study hypogeous fungi because they rely on truffles as a food source. Although several truffle species have recently been described in the southern Appalachian region, their fruiting patterns remain poorly understood. To address this, we quantified truffle richness and spore loads from 670 Peromyscus scat samples collected across 42 sites spanning an environmental gradient during 2024 in the Blue Ridge Mountains of East Tennessee. We found that truffle richness and spore abundance …

Under The Surface: Human Disturbance Reduces Species Richness In Glade Microhabitats, Maddie Smith, Becky Hansis-O'Neill, Aimee Dunlap Phd

Undergraduate Research Symposium

Human disturbance can alter microhabitats in ways that affect biodiversity, especially in sensitive ecosystems like glades where many animals rely on rocks for thermoregulation and refuge. This study examined how rock displacement by human activity influences species richness and community composition in glade habitats at Shaw Nature Reserve and Victoria Glades Conservation Area. We hypothesized that disturbed rocks would be less suitable for wildlife and would support fewer species. From September to November 2025, about 30 rocks per site were pseudo-randomly selected and monitored. Each rock was classified as displaced or nondisplaced, and all organisms found beneath them were recorded. …

Distribution And Diversity Of Ponyfishes (Perciformes, Leiognathidae) In The Waters Of Sonmiani’S Bay, Balochistan, Pakistan, Noor Hawa, Noor Us Saher

Journal of Bioresource Management

The current research was conducted during October 2020 to September 2021 in bay waters of Sonmiani, Balochistan as aimed to fill the paucity of diversity and distribution of research for the bay waters. Monthly fish samples were collected using gill net and beach seine during high and low tide. In the present study, out of nine species, the six species were identified as a new report species belongs to Leiognathidae family. Secutor interruptus (N=132) was the most abundant species whereas the least abundant species collected during the study period was Karalla daura (N=1). Highest diversity (1.37) was estimated during the …

Scorpio Basraensis Sp. N. From Southern Iraq (Scorpiones: Scorpionidae), Ersen A. Yağmur, Jafar A. Makki, Shurooq A. Najim

Euscorpius

A new scorpion species, Scorpio basraensis sp. n., is described and illustrated from Basra Province, southern Iraq. Scorpio basraensis sp. n. is compared with all known species of the genus Scorpio Linnaeus, 1758 occurring in countries surrounding Iraq. The new species can be distinguished by the circular genital operculum in males and the cordiform genital operculum in females (not posteriorly elongated), a densely hirsute body, appendages and metasoma, a distinctly elongated telson vesicle, discrete granules on the external surface of the chela manus that are not flattened, and pectinal tooth counts of 11–13 in males and 9–11 in females. …

Long-Term Monitoring And Response Of Papaipema Sciata Bird (Lepidoptera: Noctuidae) To Prescribed Fire In Michigan (Usa), Gregory J. Norwood, Logan M. Rowe, Brett A. Degregorio, David L. Cuthrell, Aaron D. Meredith, Steven M. Gray

The Great Lakes Entomologist

The Culver’s root borer moth (Papaipema sciata) (Lepidoptera: Noctuidae) is a rare Noctuid that requires Culver’s root (Veronicastrum virginicum) to complete its lifecycle within remnant native grasslands and open woodlands in the midwest and northeast United States. We report on 26 years of monitoring this species’ colonization of Culver’s root stems at Algonac State Park (ASP) in Michigan, where prairies have been maintained by prescribed fire since 1990. P. sciata is considered fire sensitive because eggs spend the dormant season in the combustible prairie litter and duff near host plants. The objectives were to determine the …

A New Species Of Liocheles Sundevall, 1833 (Scorpiones: Hormuridae) From The Western Himalayas, Virender К. Bhardwaj, Sunil Katal, H. T. Lalremsanga, Zeeshan A. Mirza

Euscorpius

Sampling in the Western Himalayas of India led to the discovery of a population of the genus Liocheles Sundevall, 1833, that differes from all Indian congeners. Molecular and morphological data confirmed the distinctiveness of the population, which is here described as a new species. The new species is morphologically similar to L. longimanus (Werner, 1939), from which it differs in the arrangement of trichobothria on external patella and structure of the hemispermatophore. A preliminary molecular phylogeny of the family Hormuridae based on the mitochondrial cytochrome oxidase I gene is presented.

New Locality Records And Future Habitat Suitability Of Sassanidotus Gracilis (Birula, 1900) (Scorpiones: Buthidae) In The Iran–Afghanistan–Pakistan Arid Belt, Ersen A. Yağmur, Kerim Çiçek, Homa Barati, Mohammad Moradi

Euscorpius

This study reports new locality records from Iran and a climate-based habitat suitability assessment for Sassanidotus gracilis (Birula, 1900) (Scorpiones: Buthidae) in the Iran–Afghanistan–Pakistan arid belt. We document new specimens from Sistan and Baluchestan Province, Iran, with an updated distribution map and illustrations, and we model the species' potential distribution across south-eastern Iran and adjacent parts of Afghanistan and Pakistan.

Habitat suitability was associated mainly with precipitation seasonality, precipitation of the wettest month, precipitation of the driest month, and slope. In an arid setting these rainfall variables are unlikely to indicate a need for moist habitat; they more plausibly track …

First Insular Record And Dna Barcoding Of Euscorpius Vailatii Tropea & Fet, 2015 From Trizonia Island (Fokida, Greece), Konstantinos Kalaentzis, Francesco Frigioni, Alexios Panagiotopoulos, Elias Tzoras, Styliani Minoudi, Alexandros Triantafyllidis

Euscorpius

Euscorpius vailatii Tropea & Fet, 2015 (Scorpiones: Euscorpiidae), originally described from Aitoloakarnania and Fokida (Greece), is herein reported from Trizonia Island in the Gulf of Corinth, representing the first insular record for the species. The examined specimens are consistent with the diagnostic morphology of E. vailatii. The first molecular data for the species are provided, based on both mainland and insular populations. Comparative analyses further highlight the distinctiveness of E. vailatii from geographically close congeners, while phylogenetic results indicate a sister-taxon relationship with E. erymanthius, supporting a Quaternary biogeographic history shaped by the evolution of the Gulf of …

Formalization Of Nomenclatural Acts Proposed In Tang (2026) (Scorpiones: Buthidae, Chaerilidae, Scorpiopidae), Victoria Tang

Euscorpius

Several nomenclatural, taxonomic, and faunistic decisions put forth in Tang (2026) are formalized herein: (1) four nomina dubia, Chaerilus tessellatus Qi et al., 2005, Scorpiops langxian Qi et al., 2005, S. pococki Qi et al., 2005, and Isometrus (Reddyanus) wenjieae Huang et al., 2025; (2) two junior subjective synonyms, Scorpiops langxian = S. pococki = S. tibetanus Hirst, 1911 syn. n.; (3) one new “aspidonym”, Scorpiops obluda Tang, 2026 sp. indet. nomen nudum; and (4) removal of Scorpiops hardwickii (Gervais, 1843) and S. petersii Pocock, 1893 from the Chinese scorpiofauna. Reddyanus tibetanus (Lourenço & Zhu, 2008) is maintained …

A Genetic Analysis Of The Rare Endemic Astragalus Ripleyi Barneby, Juan Antonio Jaramillo-Chico

Master's Theses

Astragalus ripleyi Barneby is a rare endemic species found in the San Luis Valley of the southern portions of the Rocky Mountains in Colorado and New Mexico. Though not federally listed as endangered, the species is on the Bureau of Land Management’s Sensitive Species List, warranting protection and continued management. This study aims to provide information about the genetic health of the species to inform conservation efforts and provide updated management recommendations. A genetic health analysis was conducted investigating the levels of diversity present in the species, how genetic diversity is structured across the known range of the species and …

Land Condition Standards For The Western Australian Nullarbor Pastoral Region, Peter-Jon A. Waddell, Wayne J. Fletcher

Natural resources published reports

This report outlines the quantitative land condition standards that define acceptable pastoral land condition for the Western Australian part of the Nullarbor, to meet the regulatory requirements of the Land Administration Act 1997 and the Soil and Land Conservation Act 1945.

The Department of Primary Industries and Regional Development is developing regional-level pastoral land condition standards for Western Australia as a critical component of the Framework for sustainable pastoral management – revised edition (Fletcher 2022), the purpose of which is to address the Office of the Auditor General’s recommendations to improve the management of pastoral lands in WA …

Paleolimnology And Diatom Taxonomy From Lake Tanganyika, Sristika Adhikari

All-Inclusive List of Electronic Theses and Dissertations

Lake Tanganyika is one of the world's largest freshwater ecosystems, supporting rich aquatic biodiversity and providing several ecosystem services to surrounding communities. Environmental changes such as rising lake surface temperatures, pollution, and land-use alterations threaten the lake’s sustainability. This research examines spatial and temporal variations in nutrient dynamics and primary productivity of Lake Tanganyika using diatom assemblages from multiple locations. Our findings indicate reduced nutrient levels and longer stratification periods in the lake’s central basin during most of the Common Era, as indicated by a remarkable increase in the relative abundance of long, needle-shaped planktonic Nitzschia species. In the southern …

A Comparison Of Ahdrift And Pitfall Traps For Surveying Small Vertebrates, Gabrielle Risko

All-Inclusive List of Electronic Theses and Dissertations

Understanding species occupancy is necessary to inform wildlife management and conservation decisions. To minimize the invasiveness of occupancy studies, some wildlife researchers have deployed game cameras to detect the presence of small vertebrates instead of utilizing stressful traditional live-capture methods. The Adapted Hunt Drift Fence Technique (AHDriFT) is an increasingly popular method for modifying and deploying camera traps to detect small vertebrates; however, no studies have directly compared AHDriFT to traditional pitfall traps operating at the exact same time, even though both are deployed along drift fences to capture small vertebrates. I compared these two methods (pitfall trapping and AHDriFT …

Reconstruction Of Copepod Populations In Sierra Nevada Lakes Using The Diatom Fragilaria Cyclopum, Rorie Reisner

All-Inclusive List of Electronic Theses and Dissertations

Copepods are one of the most abundant types of zooplankton, and their populations are often a vital part of the food chain, but their past populations cannot be estimated from lake sediments because their exoskeleton usually does not fossilize. Gull Lake is a glacial lake located in the subalpine region of the Sierra Nevada, California, which stands out due to the presence of the diatom Fragilaria cyclopum, which is rarer in diatom assemblages. Fragilaria cyclopum exclusively grows on copepods in lakes. Diatoms have an opaline silica skeleton that often fossilizes in lake sediments, so we can use this relationship with …

Re-Examining Endemic Smoky Dace As An Indicator Species In The Upper Little Tennessee River Index Of Biological Integrity, Tayton C. Alvis, William O. Mclarney, Radmila Petric, Jason P. Love

Southeastern Fishes Council Proceedings

Fish communities can be used to evaluate water quality and stream ecosystem health, helping resource managers understand the effects of anthropogenic disturbance. Fish species inform indexes of biological integrity through their ecological traits and tolerance to stressors (e.g. tolerant of disturbance, intolerant of disturbance), but these designations are difficult to determine without localized, species-specific information. The Upper Little Tennessee River watershed is subject to long-term aquatic biomonitoring, applying an index of biological integrity tailored to the region. In this index, the undescribed endemic Smoky Dace (Clinostomus sp.) is classified as intolerant based on a previous designation for the Rosyside Dace …

Scorpiops Walteri Sp. N. (Scorpiones: Scorpiopidae) From Myanmar, František Kovařík

Euscorpius

A new species Scorpiops walteri sp. n. (Scorpiopidae) is described from Myanmar, fully illustrated with color photos showing its morphology and habitus. Scorpiops walteri sp. n. is the only species of the genus with a combination of the following five characters: chelal trichobothrium Eb₃ located in middle of manus between trichobothria Dt and Est; patella of pedipalp with 11–12 ventral and 19 external trichobothria; fingers of pedipalps strongly undulate in male; pedipalp movable finger with ca. 47 IAD; and chela length to width ratio 2.8 in male.

Euscorpius Emae Sp. N. (Scorpiones: Euscorpiidae), A New Scorpion Species From Montenegro, František Kovařík

Euscorpius

A new species Euscorpius emae sp. n. (Scorpiones: Euscorpiidae) from Montenegro is described, fully complemented with color photographs. E. emae sp. n. is morphologically unique by yellow to orange color, very narrow metasoma and enlarged chela. Pedipalp patella external trichobothria numbers are 4eb, 4eb_a, 2esb, 4em, 4est, 5et, and ventral aspect of patella with 9 trichobothria.

Tails From The Isle Of Devils: Two New Records Of Non-Native Invasive Scorpions (Arachnida: Scorpiones) Successfully Intercepted In Bermuda, Including The First Record Of Caraboctonidae, Danniella Sherwood, Mark Outerbridge, Struan R. Smith, Jenny Gosling, Myles Darrell

Euscorpius

Hadruroides sp. (Scorpiones: Caraboctonidae) is newly recorded as a successfully intercepted non-native invasive species in Bermuda, based on examination of a desiccated and damaged immature female specimen. A second record of an intercepted Centruroides gracilis (Latreille, 1804) (Scorpiones: Buthidae) is reported based on examination of an adult male.

Scorpions Of Angola (Arachnida, Scorpiones). Part I. Family Buthidae, With Descriptions Of Two New Species., František Kovařík

Euscorpius

All scorpion species of the family Buthidae known from Angola are listed, with color photographs and maps of their distribution. Diagnosis of Babycurus ansorgei Hirst, 1911 is revised; its male is described for the first time. Babycurus crassicaudatus Roewer, 1952, is revalidated (it was erroneously synonymized with B. ansorgei, since the females of both species are morphologically almost identical). Uroplectes angolensis sp. n. and U. xavieri sp. n. are described from Angola. Validity of Uroplectes ngangelarum Monard, 1930 is confirmed as different from U. planimanus (Karsch, 1879); its lectotype is designated. Lectotype is also designated for Uroplectes planimanus …

History And Distribution Of The Dark Ibises (Glossy Ibis Plegadis Falcinellus And White-Faced Ibis P. Chihi) In Arkansas, R. Tumlison, P. D. Rodriguez

Journal of the Arkansas Academy of Science

The Glossy Ibis (Plegadis falcinellus) and White-faced Ibis (P. chihi) sometimes are reported simply as Dark Ibises due to difficulty in identifying them when mature characters are not clearly visible. We evaluated reports verified on citizen science websites to examine the origins and distributions of these migratory species in Arkansas. The Glossy Ibis was first documented in Arkansas in 1956, has been reported in 21 of our 75 counties, and is found more commonly in eastern Arkansas. The White-faced Ibis was first reported in Arkansas in 1971, has been reported in 41 of our 75 counties, …

Effect Of Temperature On The Defensive And Predatory Behavior Of The Scorpion Hadrurus Obscurus (Scorpiones: Hadruridae), Zia Nisani, Megan Bennett, Audrey Enriquez, Mel Iniquez, Emilia Martinez Rios, Brooklyn Stone

Euscorpius

Scorpions employ their stinging mechanism both for defense and predation, and being ectothermic, temperature influences their physiology and behavior. As such, we hypothesized that temperature both affects defensive stinging and prey-capture behavior in scorpions. We tested the effects of body temperature on these behaviors in the desert hairy scorpion, Hadrurus obscurus Williams, 1970. In the first experiment, scorpions were placed in temperature-controlled chambers with either high (26-28°C) or low (21- 22°C) temperatures and probed to elicit a defensive sting. We recorded the reaction time and the number of probes needed to elicit a sting. In the second experiment, we observed …

Scientific Note: Here The Whole Time: A Revised Understanding Of White Alumroot (Heuchera Alba, Saxifragaceae) In The Susquehanna River Valley., Anais Barnes, Madeline Wickers, Scott Schuette, Tanisha M. Williams, Ryan Folk, Christopher T. Martine

Faculty Journal Articles

Heuchera alba and H. pubescens (Saxifragaceae) are closely related species of alumroot endemic to the Appalachian region of eastern North America that can be difficult to distinguish morphologically. Heuchera pubescens has been understood to occupy a range from Kentucky to Pennsylvania, with the distribution of H. alba restricted to Virginia and West Virginia—plus a recently-recorded extension into Pennsylvania discovered with the help of social media. The uncovering of H. alba in Pennsylvania has challenged historical perceptions of Heuchera distributions in the state, particularly as this relates to the current concept of H. pubescens which may be in need of revision. …

Recreational Fishing Location Guide, Department Of Primary Industries And Regional Development, Western Australia

Fisheries Occasional Publications

Please note: this version (6th edition) published in 2026 replaces the version published in 2023.

This guide has been developed to help you identify the fishing locations that you may visit. The purpose of this guide is to enhance consistent and accurate identification of fishing locations and block numbers within each Bioregion. If you are unsure about a particular location, please discuss it with a representative of the Department of Primary Industries and Regional Development, Western Australia.

Kolonialisme Iklim Dan Tercerabutnya Pengetahuan Ekologi Tradisional: Sosio-Bioekonomi Sebagai Reorientasi Epistemologis, Viky Arthiando Putra

Antropologi Indonesia

Abstract The global climate change has brought with it a growing stack of conceptual proposals – from green economy to bioeconomy – each presenting itself as a non-extractive economic alternative. Unfortunately, these conceptual claims continue to reproduce colonial logic that subordinates local knowledge. The loss of Traditional Ecological Knowledge (TEK) is not merely an ecological setback: it is a systematic epistemological violence – a product of climate colonialism operating within the architecture of global green programs. This article traces the discourse of green economy, analyzes the loss of TEK as an epistemological problem, and proposes a socio-bioeconomy reorientation as a …

Adapting Population Genetics, Practice, And Policy For Plant Conservation In A Changing World, Cooper M. Kimball-Rhines

Graduate Doctoral Dissertations

Biodiversity conservation is an inherently interdisciplinary goal that requires effective collaboration among academics, ecosystem managers, policymakers, and other stakeholders. Codesigning research with these groups ensures experiments are useful and improves adoption of policy and practice recommendations while advancing our understanding of basic science. This dissertation explores the power of codesigned research in shaping plant conservation strategies using stakeholder engagement, causal inference, demographic modeling, and multi-omic sequencing techniques. In chapter 1 I discuss the history of New England ecosystems and the need for research-driven changes to plant conservation policy and practice in the face of global change. In chapter 2, I …

Compsobuthus Hadeki Sp. N. From Iraq (Scorpiones: Buthidae), František Kovařík, František Šťáhlavský

Euscorpius

A new species, Compsobuthus hadeki sp. n. from Iraq is described and fully complemented with color photographs and compared with morphologically the most similar species, C. matthiesseni (Birula, 1905). The two species can be unequivocally separated by the following morphological features: in C. hadeki sp. n., movable finger of pedipalp bears 9 rows of granules; telson with aculeus shorter than vesicle, and metasoma III with 10 carinae. Cytogenetic analysis was performed, revealing a diploid chromosome count of 22 in C. hadeki sp. n.

Investigating Cryptic Diversity In The Hawaiian Endemic Plant, Psychotria Mariniana (Rubiaceae), Uyen Thi Hoang Nguyen

Master's Theses

Islands, with their isolation and steep environmental gradients, serve as natural laboratories for studying speciation. Molecular phylogenetic and population genetic methods utilizing Next-Generation Sequencing (NGS) have revolutionized our ability to document patterns of genetic divergence and diversity. Cryptic diversity, genetically distinct populations that were previously unrecognized as unique, and cryptic speciation, where divergent genetic populations may be deserving of status as unique species, have been observed in many taxa. The Hawaiian Islands provide an ideal setting for studying divergence and speciation due to their extreme isolation, known ages, and volcanic origin. Previous work has investigated the evolutionary relationships of the …

Watershed Amendments: Assembling New Pervious Ground From Landscape Waste, Sophie Kaplan-Bucciarelli

Masters Theses

In Providence, Rhode Island, much of the downtown area is built over a vast historic tidal estuary. Though we no longer see the salt marshes, wooded bluffs, or meadows that once characterized this landscape, we recognize their absence in contemporary crises of urban heat, flooding, polluted soils and stormwater runoff, and habitat loss. These conditions are particularly acute along the city’s industrialized river corridors, where vacant lots and parking areas sit idle, their history paved over and potential constrained by limited imagination and resources.

These lots - already experiments in fill and land building after centuries of disturbance - can …

Insects And Arthropods And Their Role In Human Society, Emily Marie Perez-Medina

Whittier Scholars Program

With brightly colored exoskeletons, an excess of both eyes and legs, and seemingly  unpredictable behaviors, insects and arthropods come across as unusual and strange to general audiences. For this reason, they are often classified as “gross,” “ugly,” or “scary,” antagonists  in popular culture. What is not recognized when being represented to the masses is how much human society depends on their presence, and how a world without insects would be a world without most things humans know and love. In order to help reduce the stigma of these tiny, yet mighty creatures, this project serves as a call to action …