Ecology and Evolutionary Biology Commons^™

Nocturnal Homing In The Tropical Amblypygid Phrynus Pseudoparvulus (Class Arachnida, Order Amblypygi), Eileen Hebets, E.J. Gering, Verner P. Bingman, Daniel D. Wiegmann

Eileen Hebets Publications

Arthropods are renowned for their navigational capabilities, with numerous examples known from insects and crustaceans. Early studies of amblypygids (Class Arachnida, Order Amblypygi) also suggest complex nocturnal navigation, despite their apparent lack of visual adaptations to the low-light conditions of a tropical understory. In a series of two studies, we use the tropical amblypygid, Phrynus pseudoparvulus, to assess their nocturnal homing ability. Our first experiment displaced and tracked resident and nonresident individuals. Resident individuals, displaced up to 4.5 m from their home refuges and released onto their home tree, were more likely to return to their previously occupied refuge than …

Effects Of Virus On Plant Fecundity And Population Dynamics, Holly R. Prendeville, Brigitte Tenhumberg, Diana Pilson

Brigitte Tenhumberg Papers

Microorganisms are ubiquitous and thought to regulate host populations. Although microorganisms can be pathogenic and affect components of fitness, few studies have examined their effects on wild plant populations. As individual traits might not contribute equally to changes in population growth rate, it is essential to examine the entire life cycle to determine how microorganisms affect host population dynamics. In this study, we used data from common garden experiments with plants from three Cucurbita pepo populations exposed to three virus treatments. These data were used to parameterize a deterministic matrix model, which allowed us to estimate the effect of virus …

Chasing Tachinids ‘Down Under’: Expeditions Of The Phylogeny Of World Tachinidae Project, Part Ii Eastern Australia, James E. O'Hara, Pierfilippo Cerretti, John O. Stireman Iii, Isaac S. Winkler

Biological Sciences Faculty Publications

Last year we documented in the pages of this newsletter an expedition to the Western Cape of South Africa in search of tachinids for the “Phylogeny of World Tachinidae” project (Cerretti et al. 2013). The project itself was discussed in a separate article (Stireman et al. 2013). In this issue of The Tachinid Times we discuss our expedition to eastern Australia in late 2013. This trip took place so recently that we have yet to fully identify our material and as a result cannot record here all of the taxa we collected. Instead, we will add the taxa to a …

Defining The Physiochemical, Biological And Habitat Requirements For The Upper Extant Of Oncorhynchus Mykiss Distribution, Emily Powers

Journal of Earth and Life Science

The distribution of rainbow trout is strongly influenced by their habitat. As climatic conditions change, the distribution of rainbow trout populations will change along with them. The objective of this study was to identify the particular habitat parameters that rainbow trout select for in this lotic system and to specifically assess how this relates to the upper extant of their distribution. By assessing the distribution of the upper extant specifically, future research may be conducted to better assess climatic changes on a small and/or large scale basis. A 9,000 m section of the Clearwater River was used as the study …

The Effects Of Angling Pressure On Northern Pike Size Structure, Ryan Carrow

Journal of Earth and Life Science

A number of conditions within a lake system can affect northern pike (Esox lucius) size structure. Of these conditions, the amount of angling pressure may have the biggest effect on the size structure of northern pike in Minnesota lake systems. In this study, five private and five public lakes were chosen near Bemidji, Minnesota. Each lake was fished for twenty angling hours using live northern hog suckers (Hypentelium nigricans) or golden shiners (Notemigonus crysoleucas). Total length (mm) and weight (kg) were measured for each northern pike caught. The number of fish houses that were …

Belowground Advantages In Construction Cost Facilitate A Cryptic Plant Invasion, Joshua Caplan

Biology Faculty Research and Scholarship

The energetic cost of plant organ construction is a functional trait that is useful for understanding carbon investment during growth (e.g. the resource acquisition vs. tissue longevity tradeoff), as well as in response to global change factors like elevated CO2 and N. Despite the enormous importance of roots and rhizomes in acquiring soil re- sources and responding to global change, construction costs have been studied almost exclusively in leaves. We sought to determine how construction costs of aboveground and belowground organs differed between native and introduced lineages of a geographically widely dispersed wetland plant species (Phragmites australis) under varying levels …

The Effects Of Phragmites Australis Litter On Seed Emergence In The Erie-Huron Corridor, Michigan, Travis White

Wayne State University Theses

The invasive reed, Phragmites australis, is widespread within the Great Lakes region, and is often blamed for habitat degradation. Once established, it creates dense litter mats that may persist following remediation efforts of living stock removal. We investigated the effects of P. australis and Typha angustifolia, narrow-leaf cattail, litter on seedling emergence from the native seed bank by harvesting soils from five Great Lakes coastal marshes densely populated by either Phragmites or Typha and exposing them to Phramities or Typha litter in treatments of varying litter depths. Seedling emergences were quantified for six weeks. Soils from Phragmites dominated sites had …

Effects Of Extreme Hydrologic Events On Trout Populations And Fish Communities In A Catskill Mountain River, Scott Daniel George

Legacy Theses & Dissertations (2009 - 2024)

Extreme hydrologic events are becoming more common with changing climatic conditions. Although the impacts of winter and spring floods on lotic ecosystems have been well studied, the effects of summer floods on fish assemblages in mountain streams are less well known. This study took advantage of an extreme precipitation event during the course of an ongoing monitoring program, which allowed the opportunity to quantify the effects of a severe late summer flood on fish communities in a montane watershed. We also evaluated the effect of the flood on the density and age structure of two ecologically important populations of sport …

Approaches To Improving Detection Of Invasive Fish Species In Western Lake Erie Through Analysis Of Monitoring Efficiencies And Metrics Of Community Distribution, Joshua Alan Southern

Wayne State University Theses

Efficient monitoring programs are essential for the early detection of invasive species. The Ohio Department of Natural Resources (ODNR) monitoring program encompassing 21 years of fish survey data from western Lake Erie was evaluated using Chao biodiversity analysis to determine the efficiency and precision of collection strategies of trawl and gillnet sampling, at detecting rare or non-native species. Overall, ODNR sampling annually accounted for ~80% of extant fish species, leaving gaps in coverage where rare and invasive species may be overlooked and proliferate.Obtaining 90% efficiency would require an estimated doubling of previous sampling effort. Computer simulations calculating different proportions of …

Wild Bees Preferentially Visit Rudbeckia Flower Heads With Exaggerated Ultraviolet Absorbing Floral Guides, Lisa Horth, Laura Campbell, Rebecca Bray

Biological Sciences Faculty Publications

Here, we report on the results of an experimental study that assessed the visitation frequency of wild bees to conspecific flowers with different sized floral guides. UV absorbent floral guides are ubiquitous in Angiosperms, yet surprisingly little is known about conspecific variation in these guides and very few studies have evaluated pollinator response to UV guide manipulation. This is true despite our rich understanding about learning and color preferences in bees. Historical dogma indicates that flower color serves as an important long-range visual signal allowing pollinators to detect the flowers, while floral guides function as close-range signals that direct pollinators …

Grizzly Bear Monitoring By The Heiltsuk People As A Crucible For First Nation Conservation Practice, William G. Housty, Anna Noson, Gerald W. Scoville, John Boulanger, Richard M. Jeo, Chris T. Darimont, Christopher E. Filardi

All Faculty Scholarship for the College of the Sciences

Guided by deeply held cultural values, First Nations in Canada are rapidly regaining legal authority to manage natural resources. We present a research collaboration among academics, tribal government, provincial and federal government, resource managers, conservation practitioners, and community leaders supporting First Nation resource authority and stewardship. First, we present results from a molecular genetics study of grizzly bears inhabiting an important conservation area within the territory of the Heiltsuk First Nation in coastal British Columbia. Noninvasive hair sampling occurred between 2006 and 2009 in the Koeye watershed, a stronghold for grizzly bears, salmon, and Heiltsuk people. Molecular demographic analyses revealed …

Winter Survival Strategies Of Benthic Invertebrates In Temporary Habitats In A Northern Minnesota Lake, Cal Oldenburg

Journal of Earth and Life Science

During the winter months in the northern hemisphere, above 40 degrees latitude, a freezing event occurs that can last several months. Some lakes may have large portions of the shallow littoral zone frozen completely solid down into the sediments. Invertebrates affected by these events have developed survival strategies to cope with the harsh environment. The two main strategies for invertebrates in these areas are to either migrate to a different area and recolonize the original area when it becomes available again, or to burrow into the sediments and withstand the freezing. A 1- month study took place on Lake Bemidji …

Effects Of Toxic Cyanobacteria (Microcystis Aeruginosa) On The Feeding And Reproduction Ecology Of The Copepod Eurytemora Affinis From Green Bay, Lake Michigan, Nicholas J. Barrett

Lawrence University Honors Projects

Toxic Cyanobacteria is known to be a bad food source to consumers as well as a main contributor to harmful algal blooms. This study investigates the feeding relationship between an invasive copepod in the Great Lakes system, Eurytemora affinis, and a toxic strain of cyanobacteria, Microcystis aeruginosa. E.affinis has been shown to feed on toxic cyanobacteria. By measuring the filtering rate, ingestion rate, egg production and offspring size between three different food conditions, we hope to gain insight into the effects of toxic cyanobacteria on the feeding and reproduction of this copepod. Food sources include a good green algal …

On The Helminth Fauna Of Small Mammals In Hustai National Park, Mongolia, Sumiya Ganzorig, Nyamsuren Batsaikhan, Katsuro Hagiwara, Scott Lyell Gardner, Kenji Baba, Buho Hoshino

Scott L. Gardner Publications

Introduction

The Hustai National Park is one of the special protected areas in Mongolia. The park is famous by the successful re-introduction of the wild horse (takhi), and its well-managed protection work. The park has a rich and diverse mammal fauna and flora. Of these, the takhi, and other large mammal species are objects of intensive research by the international researchers, but the parasitic helminth fauna in Hustai National Park is remained unknown. Species diversity of wildlife and its abundance, especially high density of both the prey and predators, might allow the presence of various parasitic and symbiotic organisms on …

Detection Of Predator Cues Alters Mating Tactics In Male Wolf Spiders, Dustin J. Wilgers, Daniel Wickwire, Eileen Hebets

Eileen Hebets Publications

Males of the wolf spider, Rabidosa punctulata, exhibit condition-dependent alternative mating tactics, whereby small, poor condition males engage in multimodal courtship while large, good condition males adopt a direct mount tactic that forgoes courtship. This study explores the possibility that tactic-specific costs can help explain this unintuitive pattern of mating tactic expression. Specifically, we hypothesize that courtship signaling is costly with respect to eavesdropping by predators and that males can alter their tactic expression based upon the perceived environmental predation risk. We test this by first examining the risk of predation associated with different mating tactics. We use a …

The Performance Of Simple Artificial Floating Wetland Communities And Their Effects On Aquatic Nutrient Levels And Algal Abundance, Bradley L. Sleeth

UNF Graduate Theses and Dissertations

Harmful algal blooms are exponential increases in autotrophic microorganisms that proliferate in such a way that the surrounding environment, the local economy and the health of regional populations are negatively affected. Among the causes of these blooms are anthropogenic inputs of excess nitrogen and phosphorus into the environment through overfertilization. Floating treatment wetlands (FTW) have emerged as a novel method of reducing the negative impacts of these nutrient inputs by using artificial rafts to float normally emergent wetland plants on the surface of water bodies to assimilate excess nutrients. Because their use is so new, only limited research has been …

Water Column Ammonium Concentration And Salinity Influence Nitrogen Uptake And Growth Of Spartina Alterniflora, Rachel Mactavish

College of Graduate Studies: Theses & Dissertations

Salt marsh macrophytes, such as Spartina alterniflora, play a critical role in uptake and transformation of inorganic nitrogen before it reaches coastal waters, thereby reducing the potential for eutrophication. Although nitrogen availability typically limits S. alterniflora growth, it may be possible to exceed the nitrogen uptake capacity of S. alterniflora. Increasing either nitrogen concentrations or salinity are key factors regulating S. alterniflora nitrogen uptake. Investigating the effects of nutrients and salinity on S. alterniflora is important given that increases in inorganic nitrogen supply to surface waters from agriculture and urbanization occur simultaneously with freshwater withdrawals that reduce flow and increase …

The Effects Of Herbicide On The Endangered Herb Baptisia Arachnifera And Preliminary Nutrient Survey Of Leaf Tissue And Soil, Ruth Ann C. Steinbrecher

College of Graduate Studies: Theses & Dissertations

Baptisia arachnifera (Hairy Rattleweed) is an endangered herbaceous legume that only occurs in Wayne and Brantley Counties of Georgia, United States. Many of the remaining populations exist in areas now managed for timber. This study investigated the effects of Imazapyr, an herbicide commonly used in timber management, on health and vitality of B. arachnifera under both field and greenhouse conditions. This study also analyzed leaf and soil samples from six populations of B. arachnifera to determine the nutrient content of the leaves. A recensus of a B. arachnifera population was also conducted in a site without commercial timber management. In …

Latitude And Environmental Pressure: Their Impact On Carapace Morphology In Three Species Of Fiddler Crabs (Genus Uca) Across The Atlantic Ocean, Katherine Susannah Mary Thomas

Honors Program Theses

Among semi-terrestrial fiddler crabs, three species from the subgenus Uca (sensu stricto) appear to be basal in the phylogeny of the genus: Uca major (Herbst 1782-1804), Uca maracoani (Latreille 1802-1803) and Uca tangeri (Eydoux 1835). These species evolved vicariantly as tectonic plates separated to form the Atlantic Ocean. Currently, the three species, found in Africa, South America, and the Caribbean, exhibit a high affinity for their respective tectonic plates. Inter- and intra-specific variation in carapace shape was assessed using geometric morphometrics to analyze 12 surface landmarks in the three species. In 314 female specimens, surficial coordinates were superimposed, standardized, and …

First Report Of Satellite Males During Breeding In Leptodactylus Latrans (Amphibia, Anura), Gabriel Laufer, Noelia Gobel, José M. Mautone, María Galán, Rafael O. De Sá

Biology Faculty Publications

Individual males can adopt alternative mating tactics. The occurrence of satellite males is a common behaviour across anuran taxa (e.g., Lithobates clamitans, Wells, 1977; Anaxyrus cognatus, Krupa, 1989; Dendropsophus ebraccatus, Miyamoto and Cane, 1980; Rhinella crucifer, Forester and Lynken, 1986). Satellite males take peripheral positions to calling males, and adopt alternate mating tactics in an attempt to intercept females that are attracted to calling males (Wells, 2007) to increase their own mating success. Satellite males could have an inexpensive form of mate-locating, avoiding predators, and saving energy (Arak, 1983). Furthermore, this strategy could play an important role in the genetic …

Endogenous Ros Levels In C. Elegans Under Exogenous Stress Support Revision Of Oxidative Stress Theory Of Life-History Tradeoffs, Samson W. Smith, Leigh C. Latta Iv, Dee R. Denver, Suzanne Estes

Biology Faculty Publications and Presentations

Background: The oxidative stress theory of life-history tradeoffs states that oxidative stress caused by damaging free radicals directly underpins tradeoffs between reproduction and longevity by altering the allocation of energetic resources between these tasks. We test this theory by characterizing the effects of exogenous oxidative insult and its interaction with thermal stress and diet quality on a suite of life-history traits and correlations in Caenorhabditis elegans nematodes. We also quantify demographic aging rates and endogenous reactive oxygen species (ROS) levels in live animals.

Results: Our findings indicate a tradeoff between investment in reproduction and antioxidant defense (somatic maintenance) consistent with …

Patterns Of Maximum Body Size Evolution In Cenozoic Land Mammals: Eco-Evolutionary Processes And Abiotic Forcing, Juha J. Saarinen, Alison G. Boyer, James H. Brown, Daniel P. Costa, S.K. Morgan Ernest, Alistair R. Evans, Mikael Fortelius, John L. Gittleman, Marcus J. Hamilton, Larisa E, Harding, Kari Lintulaakso, S. Kathleen Lyons, Jordan G. Okie, Richard M. Sibly, Patrick R. Stephens, Jessica Theodor, Mark D. Uhen, Felisa A. Smith

School of Biological Sciences: Faculty Publications

There is accumulating evidence that macroevolutionary patterns of mammal evolution during the Cenozoic follow similar trajectories on different continents. This would suggest that such patterns are strongly determined by global abiotic factors, such as climate, or by basic eco-evolutionary processes such as filling of niches by specialization. The similarity of pattern would be expected to extend to the history of individual clades. Here, we investigate the temporal distribution of maximum size observed within individual orders globally and on separate continents. While the maximum size of individual orders of large land mammals show differences and comprise several families, the times at …

Relationships Between Isolating Land Use And Amphibian Populations In Sub-Boreal Peatlands Of The Midwestern United States, Jeana Rose Albers

All Graduate Theses, Dissertations, and Other Capstone Projects

Successful conservation efforts of amphibians depend on the knowledge of habitat preferences because the biggest threat to amphibian populations is considered to be habitat loss. Sub-boreal peatlands in the Midwest may be a refuge for amphibian populations, but little is known about the flora and fauna of these peatlands. My study examined amphibian species richness and species diversity in 17 sub-boreal peatlands in Minnesota and Wisconsin in 2011 and 2012. I assessed the relationship between land use of lands adjacent to peatlands and use of those peatlands by amphibian populations at three spatial scales by examining landscapes surrounding peatlands in …

Thermal Ecology Of Urosaurus Ornatus (Ornate Tree Lizard), In The Northern Chihuahuan Desert On Indio Mountains Research Station, Texas, Julia Sandoval Alva

Open Access Theses & Dissertations

The main goal of this study was to determine the thermal ecology of the small tree lizard Urosaurus ornatus in a Chihuahuan Desert landscape. The study site was located at Indio Mountains Research Station (IMRS), Hudspeth County, Texas. We obtained body temperature (Tb) data on 385 lizards collected from April 2007 to June 2014 during the active period using a cloacal thermometer. Additionally, we recorded air temperature (Ta) and substrate temperature (Ts) of lizard microhabitats at the time of capture, and the operative temperature of lizard models left in the sun and shade from May to September 2014. My results …

Integrated Assessment Of Biological Invasions, Inés Ibáñez, Jeffrey M. Diez, Luke P. Miller, Julian D. Olden, Cascade J.B. Sorte, Dana M. Blumenthal, Bethany A. Bradley, Carla M. D'Antonio, Jeffrey S. Dukes, Regan I. Early, Edwin D. Grosholz, Joshua J. Lawler

Faculty Publications, Biological Sciences

As the main witnesses of the ecological and economic impacts of invasions on ecosystems around the world, ecologists seek to provide the relevant science that informs managers about the potential for invasion of specific organisms in their region(s) of interest. Yet, the assorted literature that could inform such forecasts is rarely integrated to do so, and further, the diverse nature of the data available complicates synthesis and quantitative prediction. Here we present a set of analytical tools for synthesizing different levels of distributional and/or demographic data to produce meaningful assessments of invasion potential that can guide management at multiple phases …

Tactical Escape Behavior And Performance Of A Small Sceloporine Lizard In Two High Risk Habitats, Seth Parker

College of Graduate Studies: Theses & Dissertations

The negotiation of uneven and complex terrain has implications for many small terrestrial vertebrates. Variation in the running surface due to obstacles like woody debris or vegetation can alter escape paths and running performance. Additionally, these microhabitat features can influence behavioral tactics in complex environments. The ability to negotiate physical barriers in dense environments likely influences survivorship through important ecological tasks, such as finding mates, foraging, and evading predators. The Florida scrub lizard (Sceloporus woodi) is a small, rare species endemic to two distinct and structurally complex environments in Florida, i.e. sand-pine scrub and longleaf pine-wiregrass sand-hills. The …

Modelling Cholera In Periodic Environments, Drew Posny, Jin Wang

Mathematics & Statistics Faculty Publications

We propose a deterministic compartmental model for cholera dynamics in periodic environments. The model incorporates seasonal variation into a general formulation for the incidence (or, force of infection) and the pathogen concentration. The basic reproduction number of the periodic model is derived, based on which a careful analysis is conducted on the epidemic and endemic dynamics of cholera. Several specific examples are presented to demonstrate this general model, and numerical simulation results are used to validate the analytical prediction.

The Prevalence And Effect Of Wolbachia Infection On The Brown Widow Spider (Latrodectus Geometricus), Brittany Dane' Arrington

College of Graduate Studies: Theses & Dissertations

Wolbachia was recently identified in the Brown Widow Spider (Latrodectus geometricus). This symbiont has not previously been found in this genus, therefore the consequences on the host’s population dynamics are unknown. The frequency of endosymbiont infection can provide insight into the population dynamics of the host as this bacteria is known to alter host life history. In my 1^st chapter I determine the prevalence of Wolbachia pipentis infection in in the Brown Widow Spider (Latrodectus geometricus) from five locations in the Southeastern United States. Infection frequency differed significantly among sampling locations, ranging from 20% to …

Epistasis In Predator-Prey Relationships, Iuliia Inozemtseva

College of Graduate Studies: Theses & Dissertations

Epistasis is the interaction between two or more genes to control a single phenotype. We model epistasis of the prey in a two-locus two-allele problem in a basic predator- prey relationship. The resulting model allows us to examine both population sizes as well as genotypic and phenotypic frequencies. In the context of several numerical examples, we show that if epistasis results in an undesirable or desirable phenotype in the prey by making the particular genotype more or less susceptible to the predator or dangerous to the predator, elimination of undesirable phenotypes and then genotypes occurs.

Pcb Effects On Development Of Behavior In Rats, Robert Witte

Honors Projects

Abstract

PCBs were originally used as industrial chemicals in many devices and applications, including electrical capacitors and transformers, lubricants, and sealants in buildings. PCBs have been investigated and their use has been slowly phased out starting in the U.S. in the 1970s. A worldwide ban was put on the use and manufacturing of PCB in 2001, however they remain in the food chain because of their lipophilic properties and their long half-life. Major sources of PCB include wild-life, fish, and other seafood. Individuals exposed to PCB during development can experience negative effects on neurobiological, cognitive, and behavior functioning in both …