Ecology and Evolutionary Biology Commons^™

The Sewage Microbiome Dynamics Of Different Serving Neighborhoods In Charleston, Illinois, Sandra Chiamaka Okoye

Masters Theses

The complex microbial ecosystem within sewage systems holds significant implications for environmental and public health. Unlike studies on wastewater treatment plant microbiomes, upstream sewage systems have not been studied widely. This research investigated the dynamic sewage microbiome across diverse serving neighborhoods in Charleston, Illinois, encompassing residential, hospital, industrial, and university areas. Drawing upon recent advancements in microbiome research, the study aimed to unravel the spatial and temporal variations in microbial structures. Three times between June to December 2023 sewage samples were collected from manholes in the areas mentioned above. Community DNA was extracted and sequenced for the V4-V5 region of …

Benthic And Epibenthic Invertebrate Assemblages Associated With Estuarine Submerged Aquatic Vegetation Differ Between Native And Invasive Plants, Marissa Hall, Kathryn O'Shaughnessy, Bethany Kiley, Ashley Mcdonald, Taber Faurie, Zoey Hendrickson, Anna Reimer, Samantha Smith, Charles Martin

Gulf and Caribbean Research

Estuarine submerged aquatic vegetation (SAV) provides vital habitat for macroinvertebrate communities that support diverse food webs and subsequent ecosystem services. Invasive SAV, however, has the potential to alter estuarine food webs through competition with native SAV, resulting in different associated biological communities. In the Mobile-Tensaw Delta (Alabama, USA), the invasive Eurasian milfoil, Myriophyllum spicatum, is fast becoming the dominant SAV, out-competing native SAV such as wild celery, Vallisneria americana. This study investigated the above- and belowground macroinvertebrate assemblages associated with these SAV habitats. We found significantly different assemblages between the SAV, with V. americana supporting more even and …

Lycosidae Abundance And Diversity Across Lawn And Leaf Litter Substrate, Sage O. Lockett, Dan Albrecht-Mallinger

UROP Posters

Significant knowledge gaps exist in how land-cover impacts ground-hunting spider populations. To fill these gaps, this study investigates a common family of ground-hunting spiders, Lycosidae, to determine differences in their abundance and diversity in deciduous leaf litter and managed turfgrass (lawn). The study was conducted within a forested ecosystem at Virginia Commonwealth University's Rice Rivers Center in Charles City County, Virginia. I placed 10 belt transects (1m x 20m) on lawn substrate and 10 identical transects in deciduous forest leaf litter substrate. I performed repeated visual census via eyeshine and manual capture of up to three individuals per transect …

From The Ground Up: A Complex Systems Approach To Climate Change Adaptation In Agriculture, Karen Buchsbaum

Antioch University Dissertations & Theses

Climate change presents an unprecedented challenge to global agriculture and food security. Small farms are especially vulnerable to the local impacts of large-scale drivers of change. Effective adaptation in agriculture requires working across scales, and geographic, political, and disciplinary boundaries to address barriers. I use elements of case study, agent-based modeling and serious games, to design a model of farmer decision-making using the sociocognitive framework of climate change adaptation. I examine how adaptation functions as a process, how complex dynamics influence farmer behavior, and how individual decisions influence collective behavior in response to climate change. This novel approach to adaptation …

Revision Of The Elongatus And Pecki Species Groups Of Anillinus Casey, 1918 (Coleoptera: Carabidae: Trechinae: Anillini), With Four New Species And Notes On Anillinus Turneri Jeannel, 1963, Curt W. Harden, Michael S. Caterino

Insecta Mundi

The small, eyeless beetles of the genus Anillinus Casey (Coleoptera: Carabidae: Trechinae: Anillini) comprise a diverse, ubiquitous, but poorly known component of insect biodiversity in the southeastern United States. Their limited dispersal capabilities make them ideal subjects for biogeography, but taxonomic problems and undescribed species diversity hamper such studies. In this paper, we redescribe four enigmatic species, Anillinus docwatsoni Sokolov and Carlton, Anillinus elongatus Jeannel, Anillinus pecki Giachino, and Anillinus turneri Jeannel, and consider their relationships. The elongatus species group is revised, with descriptions of four newly discovered species, Anillinus arenicollis Harden and Caterino, new species, Anillinus montrex Harden …

Synopsis Of The Subfamily Prosympiestinae In New Zealand (Heteroptera: Aradidae), Marie-Claude Larivière, André Larochelle

Insecta Mundi

The subfamily Prosympiestinae (Heteroptera: Aradidae) is revised for New Zealand. Three genera and thirteen species are recognized.

Five species are described as new: Neadenocoris centralis Larivière and Larochelle new species, Neadenocoris hoarei Larivière and Larochelle new species, Neadenocoris northlandicus Larivière and Larochelle new species, Neadenocoris pseudovatus Larivière and Larochelle new species, Neadenocoris wellingtonensis Larivière and Larochelle new species.

One new synonymy is established: Neadenocoris reflexus Usinger and Matsuda, 1959 becomes a junior synonym of Neadenocoris acutus Usinger and Matsuda, 1959.

A revision of all taxa is provided. Descriptions, identification keys, illustrations of male parandria, habitus …

Five Unusual New Species Of Rhyparus Westwood, 1845 From Mexico And Central America (Coleoptera: Scarabaeidae: Aphodiinae: Rhyparini), Paul E. Skelley, Andrew B. T. Smith

Insecta Mundi

Five new species of Rhyparus Westwood, 1845 (Coleoptera: Scarabaeidae: Aphodiinae: Rhyparini) are described: R. cucullatus Skelley and Smith from Guatemala, R. hexadentatus Skelley and Smith from Mexico and Guatemala, R. loughlini Skelley and Smith from Mexico, R. platypygus Skelley and Smith from Guatemala and Honduras, and R. pteronellus Skelley and Smith from Mexico. A description, diagnosis, images, and distributional map are presented for each species.

New Synonym Of Attagenus Tigrinus (Fabricius, 1792) (Coleoptera: Dermestidae: Attageninae), Graham J. Holloway, Andreas Herrmann

Insecta Mundi

The Attagenus bifasciatus species complex (Coleoptera: Dermestidae: Attageninae) surrounds the Mediterranean and extends into Asia. Several species are recognised but all of them are very similar to each other, and brief, old descriptions do not help to distinguish among them. Here the holotype A. tigrinus (Fabricius) and a syntype series of A. bifasciatus rossii Ganglbauer (subsequently raised to A. rossii) all collected from Italy were dissected to facilitate genital examination. From this genitalic study, Attagenus rossii is placed as a new synonym of A. tigrinus.

Social Interactions And Spatial Structure Drive Community Assembly Of Bacterial Biofilm, Matthew C. Bond

Dartmouth College Ph.D Dissertations

Despite the critical nature which microbial communities play in the natural world and human civilization, the breadth of understanding remains shallow. Challenged by scale, high variability between environments, and extensive diversity, microbial ecologists strive to understand connections between a community’s structure and function, as well as the ecological and evolutionary mechanisms underlying observed natural patterning of communities. Biofilms are the predominate mode of growth for microbial communities—characterized by cellular attachment to a surface via a self-produced matrix and heterogeneous structure, often resulting in a primary growth front along the biofilm surface due to differential access to bulk nutrients (cite). This …

Can Edna Be Used To Locate Shawnee Hills Cavefish Forbesichthys Papilliferus?, Megan Brandt, Timothy Spier Phd, Gary Zeruth Phd

Murray State Theses and Dissertations

Traditional stream fish sampling methods, such as seining and electrofishing, are time consuming, expensive, and limited to short stretches of stream. However, the analysis of environmental DNA (eDNA) from water samples promises to be a quick, inexpensive method for detecting fish. The streams of the Land Between the Lakes Recreational Area (LBL) are unique, undisturbed streams which contain many interesting fish species for which little information exists. One such rare species is the Shawnee Hills Cavefish Forbesichthys papilliferus, which is known to exist in a few LBL streams. However, the complete distribution of the Shawnee Hills Cavefish in LBL …

Interactions Between New Zealand Mud Snails (Potamopyrgus Antipodarum) And Toxic Cyanoabacteria (Anabaena) In Baduwa’T (Mad River), Humboldt County, California, Cecilia F. Kennelly

Cal Poly Humboldt theses and projects

Invasive species in freshwater systems are circulated around the globe, wreaking havoc on natural communities. The New Zealand mud snail (Potamopyrgus antipodarum) is a very successful aquatic invader that has established populations in freshwater streams, lakes, and rivers around the globe. The goal of this project was to evaluate the interactions of invasive New Zealand mud snails (NZMS) and toxic cyanobacteria Anabaena in the Mad River in Humboldt County, California. These two species of concern are found in similar habitats along the river, but their whether NZMS consume Anabaena or affect toxin production is unknown. First, I conducted …

Better Understanding The Barred Owl, Adam Lee Potts

Graduate Student Theses, Dissertations, & Professional Papers

This thesis research presents an analysis of barred owl nest site selection in an understudied region of their expanded range. The barred owl has dramatically expanded its range westwards over the last 150 years, prompting multiple conflicting reinterpretations of their species account. Hypotheses of range expansion are reviewed to provide context for this study’s research. This study gathers empirical data on nest site selection in the mixed conifer forests of Montana’s Seeley-Swan and Mission Valleys. Eight barred owl nests were located following extensive territory surveys. Field measurements of tree height and diameter using USFS Forest Inventory and Analysis (FIA) plot …

Endophytic Fungi Associated With Galls And Host Plants Of Asphondylia Borrichiae (Diptera: Cecidomyiidae), Shannon Lynn Sharpe

UNF Graduate Theses and Dissertations

Asphondylia borrichiae, like other gall-forming gnats, are obligate symbionts to the endophytic fungi (EF) they deposit when laying eggs. Asphondylia spp. and EF are important biocontrol agents, yet details surrounding their diversity, life cycles, and host interactions remain poorly understood. Galls and leaf-stem tissues from two host plants were surveyed to identify and compare EF diversity between the host tissues and species of A. borrichiae. Identification of 114 isolates was carried out by sequencing the internal transcribed spacer (ITS 1/4 primers). Pairwise alignments in multiple genetic databases were bolstered by phylogenetic analyses using maximum parsimony and maximum likelihood …

Population Viability Of Egyptian Tortoises: Analyzing Demographics Sensitivities And Extinction Risk In North Sinai, Basem Ahmed Rabia Motwaly

Graduate Theses/Dissertations

This study investigated the population viability of the critically endangered Egyptian Tortoise (Testudo kleinmanni) across five populations in North Sinai, Egypt. The research aimed to assess demographic sensitivities, extinction risks, and the influence of environmental variables to guide conservation strategies. Using multistate mark-recapture models within a Bayesian framework, survival, transition, and recapture probabilities were estimated across life stages, integrating site-specific environmental data such as the Normalized Difference Vegetation Index (NDVI). The analysis revealed stark contrasts between populations, with three sites demonstrating high extinction risk due to lower juvenile survival and limited recruitment. In contrast, two populations exhibited demographic …

Concepts In Animal Parasitology, Chapter 31: Amphilinidea Poche 1922 (Order) [Platyhelminthes, Cestoda, Cestodaria], Klaus Rohde

Concepts in Animal Parasitology

An overview of the cestode (tapeworm) order Amphilinidea Poche, 1922, a large group of large endoparasitic worms infecting the body cavity of freshwater and marine teleost (bony) fishes and freshwater turtles. Covers the morphology of the adults and larvae and the life cycle of a representative species, Austramphilina elongata, and a discussion of other species in the group, including their taxonomy and phylogeny.

Chapter 31 in Concepts in Animal Parasitology by Klaus Rohde. 2024. S. L. Gardner and S. A. Gardner, editors. Zea Books, Lincoln, Nebraska, United States. doi: 10.32873/unl.dc.ciap031

Concepts In Animal Parasitology, Chapter 27: Litobothriidea Dailey, 1969 (Order) [Platyhelminthes, Cestoda, Eucestoda], Luis García-Prieto, Berenice Adán-Torres, Brenda Atziri García-García, Omar Lagunas-Calvo

Concepts in Animal Parasitology

An overview of the cestode (tapeworm) order Litobothriidea Dailey, 1969. The 9 species included in the order, all belonging to the genus Litobothrium, infect the spiral intestine of sharks in the order Lamniformes in the tropical eastern Pacific to the central Indo-Pacific marine ecoregions. Covers their main morphological characteristics, description and summary of a representative species, L. amplificum (Kurochkin and Slankis, 1973) Euzet, 1994, taxonomy, and life cycles.

Chapter 27 in Concepts in Animal Parasitology by Luis García-Prieto, Berenice Adán-Torres, Brenda Atziri García-García, and Omar Lagunas-Calvo. 2024. S. L. Gardner and S. A. Gardner, editors. Zea Books, Lincoln, …

Concepts In Animal Parasitology, Chapter 30: Relics Of “Tetraphyllidea” Van Beneden, 1850 (Order) [Platyhelminthes, Cestoda, Eucestoda], Berenice Adán-Torres, Omar Lagunas-Calvo, Brenda Atziri García-García, Luis García-Prieto

Concepts in Animal Parasitology

An overview of the relics of cestode (tapeworm) order “Tetraphyllidea” van Beneden, 1850, parasites found in the spiral intestine and occasionally the stomach of species from all orders of elasmobranch fishes. Includes a discussion of their main morphological characteristics, a description and summary of a representative species, Duplicibothrium cairae Ruhnke et al., 2000, taxonomy, and life cycle.

Chapter 30 in Concepts in Animal Parasitology by Berenice Adán-Torres, Omar Lagunas-Calvo, Brenda Atziri García-García, and Luis García-Prieto. 2024. S. L. Gardner and S. A. Gardner, editors. Zea Books, Lincoln, Nebraska, United States. doi: 10.32873/unl.dc.ciap030

Concepts In Animal Parasitology, Chapter 32: Gyrocotylidea (Order): The Most Primitive Group Of Tapeworms [Platyhelminthes, Cestoda, Cestodaria], Willi E. R. Xylander, Klaus Rohde

Concepts in Animal Parasitology

An overview of the cestode order Gyrocotylidea, the most primitive group of tapeworms, including a discussion of their taxonomy, a description of the structure of the adult and the larva, life cycle, and ecological and economic importance.

Chapter 32 in Concepts in Animal Parasitology by Willi E. R. Xylander and Klaus Rohde. 2024. S. L. Gardner and S. A. Gardner, editors. Zea Books, Lincoln, Nebraska, United States. doi: 10.32873/unl.dc.ciap032

Concepts In Animal Parasitology, Chapter 33: Aspidogastrea (Subclass) [Platyhelminthes, Trematoda, Aspidogastrea], Klaus Rohde

Concepts in Animal Parasitology

An overview of the trematode (fluke) subclass Aspidogastrea, a very small group of trematodes with around 80 species, none of them of economic importance, but are of great interest because of their unique structure, their simple life cycles (which may well be the most primitive or ancestral one among the trematodes, and the extraordinarily complex sensory/nervous systems found in some species. Includes a desciption of their general morphology, life cycles, taxonomy and phylogeny, infection process, localization in the host, and ecological infection dynamics.

Chapter 33 in Concepts in Animal Parasitology by Klaus Rohde. 2024. S. L. Gardner and S. A. …

Concepts In Animal Parasitology, Chapter 34: Introduction To Diplostomida Olson Et Al., 2003 (Order) [Platyhelminthes, Trematoda, Digenea, Diplostomida], Lucrecia Acosta Soto, Bernard Fried, Rafael Toledo

Concepts in Animal Parasitology

An introduction to the trematode (fluke) order Diplostomida Olson et al., 2003, one of the two main lineages from which subclass Digenea have diversified. Includes a discussion of Diplostomida systematics, general morphology, and human pathogenesis, including schistosomiasis.

Chapter 34 in Concepts in Animal Parasitology, by Lucrecia Acosta Soto, Bernard Fried, and Rafael Toledo. 2024. S. L. Gardner and S. A. Gardner, editors. Zea Books, Lincoln, Nebraska, United States. doi: 10.32873/unl.dc.ciap034

Concepts In Animal Parasitology, Chapter 36: Introduction To Plagiorchiida La Rue, 1957 (Order)[Platyhelminthes, Trematoda, Digenea, Plagiorchiida], Rafael Toledo, Bernard Fried, Lucrecia Acosta Soto

Concepts in Animal Parasitology

An introduction to the large trematode (fluke) order Plagiorchiida La Rue, 1957, one of two fundamental branches of the Digenea (along with the Diplostomida). Includes a classification and basic morphological characteristics.

Chapter 36 in Concepts in Animal Parasitology, by Rafael Toledo, Bernard Fried, and Lucrecia Acosta Soto. 2024. S. L. Gardner and S. A. Gardner, editors. Zea Books, Lincoln, Nebraska, United States. doi: 10.32873/unl.dc.ciap036

Concepts In Animal Parasitology, Chapter 38: Echinostomata La Rue, 1926 (Suborder) [Platyhelminthes, Trematoda, Digenea, Plagiorchiida], Rafael Toledo, Bernard Fried, Lucrecia Acosta Soto

Concepts in Animal Parasitology

An overview of the trematode (fluke) suborder Echinostomata La Rue, 1926, which includes numerous species of trematodes that are parasites of humans and domestic animals and are of great health significance. Includes taxonomy, general morphological characteristics, identification, and life cycles for several groups, as well as brief discussions of human echinostomiasis, fascioliasis, and fasciolopsiasis.

Chapter 38 in Concepts in Animal Parasitology, by Rafael Toledo, Bernard Fried, and Lucrecia Acosta Soto. 2024. S. L. Gardner and S. A. Gardner, editors. Zea Books, Lincoln, Nebraska, United States. doi: 10.32873/unl.dc.ciap038

Concepts In Animal Parasitology, Chapter 35: Aporocotylidae Odhner, 1912 (Family): Fish Blood Flukes [Platyhelminthes, Trematoda, Digenea, Diplostomida], Russell Q.-Y. Yong

Concepts in Animal Parasitology

An overview of the trematode family Aporocotylidae Odhner, 1912, also known as the fish blood flukes. Covers identification methods, general morphology, taxonomy, life cycles, and effect on the aquaculture industry.

Chapter 35 in Concepts in Animal Parasitology, by Russell Q.-Y. Yong. 2024. S. L. Gardner and S. A. Gardner, editors. Zea Books, Lincoln, Nebraska, United States. doi: 10.32873/unl.dc.ciap035

Concepts In Animal Parasitology, Chapter 39: Haplosplanchnata Olson Et Al., 2003 (Suborder): Two Hosts With Half The Guts [Platyhelminthes, Trematoda, Digenea, Plagiorchiida], Daniel C. Huston

Concepts in Animal Parasitology

An overview of the suborder Haplosplanchnata Olson et al., 2003, a small, but distinct lineage within the Plagiorchiida. Includes a discussion of the methods of identification, general morphological characteristics, taxonomy, and life cycles.

Chapter 39 in Concepts in Animal Parasitology, by Daniel C. Huston. 2024. S. L. Gardner and S. A. Gardner, editors. Zea Books, Lincoln, Nebraska, United States. doi: 10.32873/unl.dc.ciap039

Concepts In Animal Parasitology, Chapter 37: Bivesiculata Olson Et Al., 2003 (Suborder): Small, Rare, But Important [Platyhelminthes, Trematoda, Digenea, Plagiorchiida], Thomas H. Cribb, Scott C. Cutmore

Concepts in Animal Parasitology

An overview of the the small, rare, but important group of trematodes (flukes) in suborder Bivesiculata Olson et al., 2003, found in the intestine of marine bony fishes in the class Osteichthyes. Includes identification methods, general morphology, life cycles, and taxonomy.

Chapter 37 in Concepts in Animal Parasitology by Thomas H. Cribb and Scott C. Cutmore. 2024. S. L. Gardner and S. A. Gardner, editors. Zea Books, Lincoln, Nebraska, United States. doi: 10.32873/unl.dc.ciap037

Concepts In Animal Parasitology, Chapter 40: Hemiurata Skrjabin & Guschanskaja, 1954 (Suborder) [Platyhelminthes, Trematoda, Digenea, Plagiorchiida], Lucrecia Acosta Soto, Bernard Fried, Rafael Toledo

Concepts in Animal Parasitology

An overview of the trematode (fluke) suborder Hemiurata Skrjabin & Guschanskaja, 1954, one of the most diverse groups of digeneans. They usually occur in the stomach and intestine mainly of marine teleost fishes but also in freshwater teleosts, elasmobranchs, amphibians, and reptiles, and have a wide geographical distribution, found in the Great Barrier Reef of Australia, the Indian Ocean, and the Atlantic Ocean. Includes discussion of general morphological characteristics, taxonomy, and life cycles.

Chapter 40 in Concepts in Animal Parasitology, by Lucrecia Acosta Soto, Bernard Fried, and Rafael Toledo. 2024. S. L. Gardner and S. A. Gardner, editors. Zea Books, …

Concepts In Animal Parasitology, Chapter 42: Opisthorchis (Genus) [Platyhelminthes, Trematoda, Digenea, Plagiorchiida], Sue Ann Gardner

Concepts in Animal Parasitology

A very brief overview of the trematode (fluke) genus Opisthorchis, including taxonomy, human medical importance, and life cycle.

Chapter 42 in Concepts in Animal Parasitology, compiled by Sue Ann Gardner from information from the United States Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, Division of Parasitic Diseases and Malaria. 2024. S. L. Gardner and S. A. Gardner, editors. Zea Books, Lincoln, Nebraska, United States. doi: 10.32873/unl.dc.ciap042

Concepts In Animal Parasitology, Chapter 43: Allocreadiidae Looss, 1902 (Family) [Platyhelminthes, Trematoda, Digenea, Plagiorchiida, Xiphidiata], Gerardo Pérez-Ponce De León, David Iván Hernández-Mena, Brenda Solórzano-García

Concepts in Animal Parasitology

An overview of the trematode (fluke) family Allocreadiidae Looss, 1902, mainly found as parasites of the digestive tracts of freshwater fishes. Includes a discussion of the taxonomy and classification, main morphological characteristics, morphological variability, life cycle, population biology, phylogenetic relationships, species diversity, and descriptions of representative species.

Chapter 43 in Concepts in Animal Parasitology, by Gerardo Pérez-Ponce de León, David Iván Hernández-Mena, and Brenda Solórzano-García. 2024. S. L. Gardner and S. A. Gardner, editors. Zea Books, Lincoln, Nebraska, United States. doi: 10.32873/unl.dc.ciap043

Concepts In Animal Parasitology, Chapter 44: Haematoloechidae Odening, 1964 (Family) [Platyhelminthes, Trematoda, Digenea, Plagiorchiida, Xiphidiata], Virginia León-Règagnon

Concepts in Animal Parasitology

An overview of the trematode (fluke) family Haematoloechidae Odening, 1964, parasites of the lungs of amphibians that are found on every continent except Antarctica. Their life cycle includes a snail and an aquatic arthropod as first and second intermediate hosts, respectively, and a frog or salamander as the definitive host. Includes a discussion of the main characters, taxonomy, phylogenetics, life cycles, host range, and biogeography.

Chapter 44 in Concepts in Animal Parasitology, by Virginia León-Règagnon. 2024. S. L. Gardner and S. A. Gardner, editors. Zea Books, Lincoln, Nebraska, United States. doi: 10.32873/unl.dc.ciap044

Concepts In Animal Parasitology, Chapter 45: Lecithodendriidae Lühe, 1901 (Family) [Platyhelminthes, Trematoda, Digenea, Plagiorchiida, Xiphidiata], Jeffrey M. Lotz

Concepts in Animal Parasitology

An overview of the trematode (fluke) family Lecithodendriidae Lühe, 1901, which inhabit the intestinal tract of insectivorous bats and occasionally birds. Includes a discussion of identification, general morphological charcteristics, systematics, taxonomy, life cycles, human and veterinary health significance, and ecology.

Chapter 45 in Concepts in Animal Parasitology, by Jeffrey M. Lotz. 2024. S. L. Gardner and S. A. Gardner, editors. Zea Books, Lincoln, Nebraska, United States. doi: 10.32873/unl.dc.ciap045