Ecology and Evolutionary Biology Commons^™

Interspecific Interactions And Resource Availability As Drivers Of Species Occurrences, Edita Folfas

Biology Dissertations - Archive

Understanding what forces determine species occurrence is central to studies of community ecology. Species interact with each other and their environment, and these interactions scale up to shape global patterns of diversity. In my first chapter, I examined how predation might shape patterns of Anolis lizard species richness and abundance across landscapes on islands in the Greater Antilles. I quantified predatory bird occurrence by using thousands of observations from an online citizen science database (eBird). I then obtained estimates of anole abundance and diversity by conducting local field surveys and using mark-resight methods. While predators could negatively impact anole abundance …

A Geometric Morphometrics Analysis Of The Limb Morphologies Of Mosasaurs And Its Palaeoecological Implications, Zachary J. Herbert

Master's Theses or Doctor of Nursing Practice

Mosasaurs were a major component of Late Cretaceous marine ecosystems, being the last Mesozoic radiation of secondarily aquatic tetrapods into diverse niches.

To shed light on the diversity and evolution of limb morphology in this clade, geometric morphometrics analyses were performed on seven skeletal elements from the forelimb and hindlimb. This study tested the hypothesis tested that mosasaurs living in similar environments would exhibit similar morphologies.

After analyzing datasets containing 29 taxa, the observed patterns did not support the hypothesis that habitat was the primary variable influencing morphology. The recurrence of a pattern, the plotting of plioplatecarpine mosasaurs closer to …

The Influence Of Anthropogenic Infrastructure On The Reproductive Success Of Northern House Wrens (Troglodytes Aedon) In Proximity To Highways, Nana-Esi Irie Hanson

Master's Theses or Doctor of Nursing Practice

Anthropogenic disturbances, particularly road infrastructure and noise pollution, significantly affect avian populations, influencing their ecology, behaviour, and reproductive success. This study examined the impact of highway proximity on the reproductive success of the Northern House Wrens (Troglodytes aedon) in a rural landscape. Noise levels and reproductive outcomes were compared between two sites in Hays, Kansas: a high-traffic site near Interstate 70 (Sternberg Museum Nature Trail) and a lower-traffic site at Big Creek on the Fort Hays State University campus. I hypothesized that increased traffic volume and noise pollution would negatively affect Northern House Wren reproductive success. Ambient noise …

Early Season Tropical Cyclones Affect Birds Breeding On A Barrier Island, Theodore J. Zenzal Jr., Amanda N. Anderson, Brock Geary, Jessica Schulz, Robert C. Dobbs, Wylie C. Barrow Jr., James H. Waddle

Gulf and Caribbean Research

Animal populations often experience acute natural disturbances, most of which are connected to short—term weather events. Occurrences of early—season tropical cyclones during the peak of the avian breeding season are likely to increase with climate change, which can substantially impact populations of coastal breeding birds at multiple scales. To understand the acute impacts of severe tropical cyclones, we investigated how abundances of breeding birds changed before and after 4 early season named tropical cyclones on a barrier island in the Gulf of Mexico. We detected a change in pre— versus post—storm numbers of breeding birds after 2 out of 4 …

“Nice To See You”: Addressing Plant Awareness Disparity With Locally Specific Ecological And Cultural Plant Education, Cecilia Muecke

Pomona Senior Theses

Plants form the basis of life on Earth. However, due to the phenomenon of plant awareness disparity, a self-perpetuating cycle whereby plants are overlooked on an individual and global level ensues. Lack of plant awareness leads to a lessened emphasis on plants in sustainability and conservation as well as biology education, resulting in negative impacts on biodiversity and food security. The severity of plant awareness disparity is dependent on cultural context, and Indigenous and/or traditional societies are less likely to experience plant awareness disparity because of they are typically more connected to plants for their everyday needs. Native plants are …

Florida Scrub Is Nuts (And Drupes): Fruit Production And Consumption In Florida’S Fire-Prone, Xeric Uplands, Warren G. Abrahamson Ii

Faculty Journal Articles

This is a story about how plant size, fire, and climate affect fruit and nut production (i.e., mast) in Florida’s fire-prone, xeric uplands and the importance of mast as food for wildlife. To set the stage, let’s first explore the primary mast-producing plants of Florida’s xeric uplands: oaks, hickory, and palmettos.

Mobula, Bioinspiration, Filter Feeding, Form And Function, J. B. Teeple, S. R. Kahane-Rapport, K. E. Cohen, L. Hamann, J. A. Strother, E. W.M. Paig-Tran

Biological Sciences Faculty Publications

Mobulas (manta and devil rays) are large-scale ram filter feeders that separate planktonic food particles from large volumes of water with minimal clogging. This contrasts with most human-made filters that can suffer from problematic clogging requiring additional mechanisms for clearing blocked surfaces and maintaining performance. Prior studies have shown that mobulas employ a unique mechanism referred to as ricochet separation to filter feed, whereby captive vortices in filter pores cause particles to bounce off the filter surfaces and away from the filter pores. This mechanism enables the filtration of particles smaller than the pore size and reduced clogging. However, few …

Crisis In The Current: A Proposed Study On The Impact Of Columbia River Basin Water Quality On Juvenile Chinook Salmon Survival, Olivia Buist-Thuillier

Pitzer Senior Theses

Salmon occupy a vital role in the ecosystem, economy, and indigenous culture of the Pacific Northwest of the United States, specifically within the Columbia River Basin. Of the five species of Pacific Salmon that live in the basin, Chinook salmon (Oncorhynchus tshawytscha) are the most widely commercially fished and are the largest. In recent years, Chinook Salmon populations have heavily declined from human influence. Rising temperatures from anthropogenic climate change, habitat destruction (dams, human presence), runoff from agricultural practices, and overfishing have all contributed to this decline. Because of their role as a keystone species and their cultural significance, there …

‘Who’S Your Daddy?’: Ddradseq Parentage In Broodstock-Offspring Pairs Of Diadema Antillarum In A Population Restoration Initiative, Bianca R. Rosendahl

Undergraduate Scholarship and Creative Works

In the early 1980s Diadema antillarum, or the long-spined urchin, was hit by a catastrophic mass mortality event across the western Atlantic and Gulf of Mexico, inclusive of the Florida Keys. The cause of this die-off event was likely triggered by a pathogen or environmental stressor that decimated native populations by up to 98%. The species has not yet fully recovered and is struggling with recruitment success which is why it may benefit from an ex-situ recovery program. In this study, I used single nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs) to identify genetic variation and analyze parentage in a captive population of …

Light, Symbiosis, And The Biology Of Corals, Taylor R. Lindsay

Open Access Dissertations

Light is critical for the survival of most shallow water scleractinian corals. Corals are mixotrophs, acquiring energy via both feeding on water column plankton and photosynthesis via a symbiotic relationship with dinoflagellates living within their tissues. Corals rely heavily on photosynthetically derived metabolites through this symbiotic relationship, intrinsically linking their biology to light availability. Corals are known to modulate their biology to maximize light capture. However, there is a limited understanding of the interaction between morphology, physiology, and energetic strategy, as well as how light may affect these relationships. In Chapter 1, we quantified the morphology, physiology and energetic …

Journal Of Earth And Life Science, Academic Year 2024-2025, Megan Boche, Nathan D. Pyburn, Ben Hoover, Jayden R. Alsleben, Hector Montoya, Jr, Reed Cumberland, Rose Kuhlmann, Ray Anderson, Ellie Isakson, Seth Sisneros-Martinez, Zanden Mellen, Quady Bernu, Cian Verbridge, Benjamin D. Strei, Madelaine Adamich, Arian Garcia, Tegwen Romportl, Sandra J. Marcu, Bemidji State University

Journal of Earth and Life Science

No abstract provided.

Size Structure Of Black Crappie And Bluegill In Northern, Eastern, Western, And Southern Minnesota, Ray Anderson

Journal of Earth and Life Science

Fish size structure is an important factor in a fishery population. Panfish such as black crappie Pomoxis nigromaculatus and bluegill Lepomis macrochirus play a major role in the health of fisheries. Five lakes from southern, northern, eastern, and western Minnesota were selected for analysis. Data were collected using standard sampling methods, including gill nets, electrofishing, and fyke nets. Length-frequency distributions were created to assess size structure in each region. Relative abundance was measured using catch per unit effort. Data analysis included a one-way ANOVA to compare Proportional Size Distribution (PSD) values and the distribution of fish sizes among regions. Chi-square …

Comparison Of Hoop Nets To Trap Nets In Sampling Panfish, Jayden R, Alsleben

Journal of Earth and Life Science

Panfish including bluegill Lepomis macrochirus and black crappie Pomoxis nigromaculatus are gamefish species of significance found in Minnesota. Hoop nets and trap nets are two types of gear that can be used to sample these fish. Fisheries managers and anglers alike are interested in the best tactics to capture panfish. The behavior of fish, including bluegill and black crappie, change throughout the sampling season and make it difficult to assume accurate representations. Trap nets have historically been adequate in sampling near shore populations, but questions surrounding the gear have allowed other options to be pursued. The objective of this study …

The Relationship Between Plant Density And Microplastic Concentration In The Water In Lake Bemidji, Mn, Arian Garcia

Journal of Earth and Life Science

Microplastics, plastic particles smaller than 5 mm, are an increasing environmental threat, particularly due to their widespread distribution and toxicity. While much research has focused on larger freshwater and marine ecosystems, the presence and impacts of microplastics in smaller inland lakes remain less understood. This study investigates the relationship between plant density and microplastic concentrations in Lake Bemidji, a smaller freshwater lake. A total of 30 water samples were collected across varying vegetation conditions, ranging from open water (0%) to 90% plant coverage. Microplastics were identified and categorized into six morphological types: fibers, fragments, films, spheres/beads, and foam. The samples …

A Sample Of Fish Communities In Beaver Ponds Of Northern Minnesota, Reed Cumberland, Rose Kuhlmann

Journal of Earth and Life Science

The North American beaver Castor canadensis is an ecosystem engineer and a keystone species to the environment. Beaver inhabit ponds and construct dams to build ponds that provide habitat for certain fish. Little information is provided on the species of fish that live in beaver ponds. The objective of this study is to sample the fish communities in beaver ponds while comparing the effectiveness of two styles of minnow traps. Twelve beaver ponds were selected in the Bemidji area to be sampled. The quantity and species caught in each style of trap were recorded to compare effectiveness of each trap …

Effects Of Round-Up On The Environment, Sandra J. Marcu

Journal of Earth and Life Science

Many people around the world have used and still currently use Roundup but are unaware of the effects it has on the environment. Roundup is a spray on application weedkiller that is widely used around the world today both residentially and commercially. It enables its user to grow a garden or a field of crops with a no-tilling approach to eliminate weeds. It is a well-known and popular choice for killing weeds that has been around since the mid 1970’s (Oca, 2017). John Franz, a Monsanto scientist discovered that glyphosate (main ingredient in Roundup) was an herbicide or weedkiller, and …

The Effectiveness Of The Minnesota Buffer Law And Its Impacts On People, Ellen P. Isakson

Journal of Earth and Life Science

In January 2015, the then-governor of Minnesota Mark Dayton announced new legislation that would require 50-foot vegetation buffers along all waterways in Minnesota; this legislation would come to be known as the Minnesota buffer law, exact requirements being “perennial vegetative buffers of up to 50 feet along lakes, rivers, and streams and buffers of 16.5 feet along ditches” (Albert, 2017; MN Board of Water and Soil Resources [MN BWSR] 4 ). A buffer in the context of vegetation and natural resource management is a strip of vegetation around a body of water “designed to intercept stormwater runoff and minimize soil …

Does Depth Affect Zebra Mussel Length In Scalp Lake?, Zanden Mellen

Journal of Earth and Life Science

Since its first sighting in 1996, zebra mussels Dreissena polymorpha have been confirmed in hundreds of Minnesota lakes. Not only were they found in lakes, but they are also found in rivers too. With lack of effective treatments to impede their spread, zebra mussels continue to colonize new areas causing ecological as well as economic harm. The objective of this study was to see if there was a relationship between a zebra mussel length and the depth, they are found using shell length (mm) and depth (cm). The comparison of zebra mussel length and depth was done by performing a …

Age Class Is Not Related To Size Or Composition Of Home Ranges Among Suburban White-Tailed Deer During Parturition, Nathan D. Pyburn

Journal of Earth and Life Science

How white-tailed deer use the landscape in an urban environment can help us understand the effects of urbanization on deer populations. White-tailed deer form observable matriarchal hierarchies in studied populations. This study examines the matriarchal structure, home range size, and home range composition of 25 collared white-tailed deer within the city limits of Bemidji, MN. The results found no significant difference between age class and home range size or composition. However, movement metrics from yearling and mature age classes were more similar than the juvenile age class females. I propose this is because social acceptance between mature females was higher …

Relationship Of Utricle And Trap Door Size On Common Bladderworts Utricularia Macrorhiza, Tegwen Romportl

Journal of Earth and Life Science

The common bladderwort Utricularia macrorhiza is a carnivorous aquatic plant that captures organisms with its bladders. This study was aimed at setting the stage for future research which might determine if U. macrorhiza could be a biological method of control for invasive species. The objective of this study was to determine the relationship between utricle and trap door sizes and to gather data on the size ranges of these two morphological features. A regression analysis was used to obtain results which showed there was enough evidence to suggest that the size of bladderwort trap doors have a significant, positive relationship …

Molecular Characterization Of Fungus-Arthropod Associations, Angie M. Martin

Graduate Theses, Dissertations, and Problem Reports (ETD)

Arthropods, or phylum Arthropoda, are the largest group of animals, accounting for over three quarters of all animal records on NCBI Taxonomy. And yet, only 40% of all deposited sequences on NCBI Nucleotide come from arthropods. Clearly, arthropods are an understudied group of animals: they are small, often drab, and lead lives very alien to our own. Arthropods have chitinous exoskeletons, segmented bodies, and jointed appendages, and include crabs, barnacles, insects, spiders, and millipedes. Since the era of DNA based studies took off in the 1980s, DNA and other small molecules have been integral to our understanding of the Earth …

Assessing Genetic Diversity And Population Structure In The Imperiled Aconitum Reclinatum (White Monkshood), An Endemic Wildflower Of Central Appalachia, Diamanda A. Zizis

Master’s Theses

Aconitum reclinatum, white monkshood (Ranunculaceae), is a Pennsylvania critically imperiled plant species found in five states of the Appalachian region of the United States: Pennsylvania, West Virginia, Virginia, North Carolina, and Tennessee. This plant is adapted to cool, moist environments but faces threats from increasing habitat loss, deer browse, logging, and changes in rainfall and temperature associated with climate change. Comprehensive knowledge of A. reclinatum genetic population structure remains limited. To address this, we collaborated with Natural Heritage programs within the range of A. reclinatum to sample populations across the species distribution and generate a genotyping-by-sequencing data set of …

Assessing Distribution And Density Changes Of The Ecosystem Engineers, Rockweed And Kelp, In Narragansett Bay, Ri, Rebecca Venezia

Open Access Dissertations

Climate change and anthropogenic stressors in marine costal habitats include increased sea surface temperatures (SST) and precipitation. The impacts of these stressors can affect ecosystem engineer species, which create three-dimensional habitat space in and provide various ecosystem services that modify and maintain ecosystem resources. In Narragansett Bay, RI, USA there is anecdotal evidence that the habitat forming species of kelp, Saccharina latissima, and rockweeds, Ascophyllum nodosum and Fucus spp, are changing but few long-term studies have been conducted to verify this. We compared the historical studies from the 1960s to 2010s on seaweeds in Narraganset Bay to modern SCUBA …

The Pluralistic Natural Capital Values Of A Tropical City, Adrienne Grêt-Regamey, Justine Saunders, Peter Edwards, Daniel Richards, Jahson I. Alemu, Natasha Bhatia, Roman Carrasco, Zuzana Drillet, Tze Kwan Fung, Yan Feng Leon Gaw, Wanggi Jaung, Andrea Law, Rachel Ai Ting Leong, Aikeen Youu Ming Lim, Mahyar Masoudi, Yudhishthra Nathan, Rachel Rui Ying Oh, Wen Ting Ooi, Fairul Edros Ahmad Shaikh Shaikh, Xiao Ping Song, Claudia L.Y. Tan, Puay Yok Tan, Sergio Wicki, Lynn-Wei Wong, Yanyun Yan, Erik Yando, Alex Thiam Koon Yee, Jingyuan Zhang, Daniel A. Friess

Biological Sciences Faculty Publications

Nature in cities is essential for human well-being. Quantifying and valuing the goods and services provided by nature to city dwellers is missing in tropical contexts. Yet, as cities worldwide face similar challenges, understanding the services provided by tropical urban ecosystems becomes imperative for effective management. Here, we present the first Natural Capital Assessment of a tropical city, unveiling three critical insights. Firstly, we demonstrate the vital reliance of a developed tropical city on nature, particularly for climate change mitigation through regulating services. Secondly, we identify intact natural areas as Singapore’s most valuable assets, stressing the significance of the quality …

The Prize Biter Of Modernity? Investigating Killer Whale Bite Mechanics, Daniel Hong

West Chester University Graduate Theses, Dissertations, and Final Projects

Although the killer whale (Orcinus orca) is a cosmopolitan apex predator, very little work has been done on its feeding biomechanics. Here I use finite element analysis to investigate the mandibular stiffness of a juvenile male Bigg’s killer whale, and compare it to that of the false killer whale (Pseudorca crassidens) and the saltwater crocodile (Crocodylus porosus). Full mandibles and left and right halves of mandibles are simulated under FEA. I also estimate the total jaw muscle force produced by the Bigg’s killer whale using the dry skull method. The killer whale lacks an …

Bugs In The Flux: Links Between Arthropod Diversity And Spatial Variation Of Soil Respiration In A Temperate Forest, Erin-Darby H. Mcclain

Theses and Dissertations

Soil respiration (Rs) is the largest terrestrial flux of carbon (C) to the atmosphere, with heterotrophic contributions to Rs varying spatially and temporally. While microbes are the primary and most thoroughly studied source of soil heterotrophic respiration (Rh), contributions from higher trophic organisms, including arthropods, are rarely quantified and poorly understood. Arthropod abundance and diversity correspond with variation in soil microclimate, which is influenced by site factors including canopy structure, site productivity, and disturbance. However, the extent to which these site factors influence arthropod abundance and diversity, and consequently, spatial variation in Rs is not known. The objective of our …

Factors Influencing The Discovery And Use Of Carrion By Vertebrate Scavengers From Human-Induced Mass-Mortality Events, Samantha J. Leivers, Michael J. Bodenchuk, Tyler A. Campbell, John M. Tomeček

Human–Wildlife Interactions

Scavengers play critical roles in ecosystem health and stability, and both biotic and abiotic factors can influence scavenger guild dynamics. Carrion is often limited both temporally and spatially on the landscape, but mass mortality events (MMEs)—in which there is an influx of carrion biomass on the landscape—may result in different scavenger community dynamics compared to when carrion is scarcely distributed. In this study, we investigated factors affecting the discovery and use of carrion by a natural, unharrassed scavenger guild during wild pig (Sus scrofa) MMEs conducted at East Foundation’s San Antonio Viejo Ranch in South Texas, USA. We …

Helminth Parasites Of Galápagos Mammals: A New Cestode Of The Genus Raillietina From The Endemic Rice Rat Nesoryzomys Swarthi And A Summary Of Parasites From Both Endemic And Invasive Rodents, Scott Lyell Gardner, Emma K. Chesley, Michael C. Friedle, Altangerel Tsogtsaikhan Dursahinhan

Scott L. Gardner Publications

In this first report of endoparasites from endemic land-mammals of the Galápagos Islands, we describe a new species of cestode of the genus Raillietina (Cyclophyllidea: Davaineidae) from a species of Nesoryzomys and summarize the extent of helminth parasitism in both oryzomyine endemics and introduced species of Rattus. Up to the current time, no helminth parasites have been reported from rodents of the Galápagos, and little work has yet been done describing and synthesizing Galápagos parasite diversity. In historical times, several species of autochthonous rodents have occupied the islands including: Nesoryzomys narboroughi Heller 1904, N. fernandinae Hutterer and Hirsch …

Methyl-Cpg-Binding Domain As A Protein Interaction Partner In Promoter Regulation And Neurodevelopment Through Evolutionary Expanded Entanglement, Stephanie M. Bilinovich, Surya B. Chhetri, Jackson T. Mitchell, Gage O. Leighton, Vladislav Jdanov, Jacob K. Zieba, Taylor W. Cook, Krysta L. Engel, Robert M. Vaughan, Humza Bhatti, Sadie L. Heeringa, Amy M. Wilstermann, Sophie Vanderweele, Akansha S. Das, Emily C. Sherry, Stephen A. Duncan, Katie L. Uhl, David C. Hinds, Mark Mackiewicz, Sarah K. Meadows, Kimberly M. Newberry, E. Christopher Partridge, Sara G. Cline, C. Joy Shepard, D. Casey Smith, Antonio Bradley, Daniel Vogt, Daniel B. Campbell, Lucas Pozzo-Miller, Caleb P. Bupp, Austin J. Goodyke, Surender Rajasekaran, Rebecca C. Knickmeyer, Benjie Blair

Research, Publications & Creative Work

There is increasing evidence that the methyl-binding domain (MBD) is a protein-protein interaction motif that can function independently of methylated DNA binding. The MBD proteins found throughout plants and invertebrates duplicated into multiple vertebrate DNA and non-DNA-binding members (MBD1, MBD2, MBD3, MBD4, MBD5, MBD6, MECP2, BAZ2A, BAZ2B, SETDB1, andSETDB2). Although many invertebrate species possess MBD proteins that can bind and recognize DNA methylation, the DNA-binding function has been independently lost multiple times, with only minor alterations to the protein interaction residues. The nucleosome remodeling and deacetylase (NuRD) complex, which interacts with MBD2/3 and is colocalized with MBD1/4 ChIP-Seq, is maintained …

Climate Change-Induced Shifts In Mediterranean Fungal Fruiting Phenology And Productivity, Rachel Demay

Theses and Dissertations

We used a 29-year dataset of mushroom fruiting from the Pinar Grande forest in northern Spain to investigate the effects of climate change on the phenology, productivity, and diversity of mycorrhizal and saprotrophic mushrooms. We investigated the long-term trends in fruiting season length, yield (by count, total weight, and average weight), and genus richness. Additionally, we identified associations between monthly temperature and monthly precipitation with these fungal responses across functional groups: mycorrhizal, saprotrophic, litter-decaying saprotrophic, and wood-decaying saprotrophic mushrooms, and the economically-important edible genera Boletus and Lactarius. We found that autumnal season length in the Pinar Grande has shortened over …