Ecology and Evolutionary Biology Commons^™

Wetland Ecosystem Response To Hydrologic Restoration And Management: The Everglades And Its Urban- Agricultural Boundary (Fl, Usa), Pamela L. Sullivan, Evelyn E. Gaiser, Donatto Surratt, David T. Rudnick, Stephen E. Davis, Fred H. Sklar

Evelyn E. Gaiser

Wetland restoration success depends on understanding ecohydrological complexities in addition to the historical extent and legacies of past modifications. Restoration effectiveness in the Florida Everglades has been studied for several decades. We focused this special issue on the effects of hydrologic restoration in the southeastern Everglades, as this region provides a model for understanding wetland and estuarine response to management and restoration along an urban-agricultural-wetland boundary. We synthesize several decades of interdisciplinary wetland ecosystem restoration studies examining the influence of hydrologic and biogeochemical changes on spatial and temporal patterns of ecosystem structure and function. Our goal is to improve restoration …

Distribution Of Diatoms Along Environmental Gradients In The Charlotte Harbor, Florida (Usa), Estuary And Its Watershed: Implications For Bioassessment Of Salinity And Nutrient Concentrations, Emily Nodine, Evelyn Gaiser

Evelyn E. Gaiser

The relative abundance of diatom species in different habitats can be used as a tool to infer prior environmental conditions and evaluate management decisions that influence habitat quality. Diatom distribution patterns were examined to characterize relationships between assemblage composition and environmental gradients in a subtropical estuarine watershed. We identified environmental correlates of diatom distribution patterns across the Charlotte Harbor, Florida, watershed; evaluated differences among three major river drainages; and determined how accurately local environmental conditions can be predicted using inference models based on diatom assemblages. Sampling locations ranged from freshwater to marine (0.1–37.2 ppt salinity) and spanned broad nutrient concentration …

Density, Abundance, And Habitat Associations Of The Inland Swamp Sparrow (Melospiza Georgiana Georgiana) In Iowa, Tyler Harms, Stephen Dinsmore

Tyler Harms

Wetlands continue to decline throughout North America and the Prairie Pothole Region, thus emphasizing the importance of understanding population trends and habitat associations of wetland species to ensure effective conservation and habitat management of those species. We estimated density and abundance and evaluated habitat associations of the Inland Swamp Sparrow (Melospiza georgiana georgiana) in Iowa. We conducted standardized distance sampling surveys for Swamp Sparrows and measured habitat characteristics at 307 wetlands in two regions of Iowa in 2009 and 2010. We used Program Distance to model detection probability and estimate region-specific breeding densities of Swamp Sparrows at Iowa …

Density And Abundance Of Secretive Marsh Birds In Iowa, Tyler Harms, Stephen Dinsmore

Tyler Harms

A decrease in wetland habitats throughout North America has caused a decline in populations of marsh birds. The objective of this study was to estimate population densities and abundances of secretive marsh birds in Iowa. Call-broadcast surveys were conducted in conjunction with distance sampling for eight species of marsh birds at wetlands in three regions of Iowa during 2009 and 2010. Regions were defined by observed microhabitat characteristics which also corresponded to physiographic regions. Region-specific density estimates were obtained using Program Distance for four species of marsh birds for which sufficient detections existed (Pied-billed Grebe [Podilymbus podiceps], Least …

Urbanization—The Bad, The Good, And The Very Good, Rebecca Dolan

Rebecca W. Dolan

Great strides have been made in studying effects of urbanization on plant life in recent years. However, much remains to be learned about how the urban environment acts as a filter on flora. There is some evidence that environments in cities are so similar that they all select for the same plants or plants with the same suite of characteristics, resulting in biotic homogenization, but the jury is still out. We do know that some cities harbor a thriving and diverse native flora. Dolan will talk about what cities can do to increase the chances for long-term survival of native …

Sustainability Education As A Catalyst For University And Community Partnerships, Shane Lishawa, Adam Schubel, Alison Varty, Nancy Tuchman

Nancy Tuchman

Universities are uniquely positioned to lead society toward sustainability and their collaborations with community organizations are essential to this transition. The Biodiesel Program at Loyola University Chicago Center for Urban Environmental Research and Policy provides a case study of course-based service-learning projects facilitating synergies between the university and the community while concomitantly fostering urban sustainability. This article discusses the program’s design andstructure, and describes specific examples of community partnerships that havebenefited the university, the community, and the environment

Hypericum Cumulicola Demography In Unoccupied And Occupied Florida Scrub Patches With Different Time-Since-Fire, Pedro Quintana-Ascencio, Rebecca Dolan, Eric Menges

Rebecca W. Dolan

1 Metapopulation models predict that unoccupied, but suitable, patches will exist for species subject to extinction and colonization dynamics. We compared the demographic responses of Hypericum cumulicola, a rare herbaceous species almost entirely restricted to Florida rosemary scrub, when transplanted to occupied or unoccupied patches. 2 Seedlings were transplanted and seeds buried into Florida rosemary scrub patches differing in time since last fire, and in the presence or absence of H. cumulicola. We used a replicated, factorial design to place the transplants and seeds in the field, and monitored their performance for 18 months. 3 Neither time-since-fire nor prior H. …

Wildlife Of The Gold Coast Wetlands, Shelley Burgin, Daryl Mcphee

Daryl McPhee

Extract: Water in the landscape of the Gold Coast is dominated by marine and marine-influenced systems. The most obvious are the in-shore waters abutting the Gold Coast's world-famous beaches and estuaries. Little more than a glance at a map of the city also reveals the extensive canal estates built to take advantage of the marine waters, and indeed expand them. The waters of the rivers mix with the ocean's waters in the estuaries. These ecosystems are valuable nursery areas for marine wildlife, particularly, but not restricted to, fishes of commercial and recreational value.

Marine Environments Of The Gold Coast: Out With The Old, In With The New, Daryl Mcphee

Daryl McPhee

Extract: The marine environments of the Gold Coast comprise one of the most highly modified and heavily utilised waterways in Australia. Chapters 2 and 3 discussed changes in the historic land use patterns. Just what has this meant to the marine environments of the Gold Coast? In this chapter the contemporary marine h abitats of the Gold Coast are described, along with the fauna that those habitats support. We talk about how the current status of the habitats compares with various historical points in time, and the role of novel habitats. Given the impor tance of recreational fishing to both …

A Brief History Of Discovery, Settlement And Development, Tor Hundloe, Craig Page

Tor Hundloe

Extract: If we can rely on anecdotal data, the answers to what is truly Australian will start with mention of the koala, go to kangaroos and then include the rest of Australia's peculiar (to foreigners) fauna. The only exception might be that if we asked a male from the Asian subcontinent (India, Pakistan, Sri Lanka and Bangladesh) what he identified Australia with, he might answer 'Cricket'. Putting that aside, the Gold Coast is very likely to be in the mix of Australian icons. To capture the essence of the Gold Coast, we need to talk about its history in more …

The Impact On The Gold Coast's Terrestrial Environments, Tor Hundloe

Tor Hundloe

Extract: We tend to think of the Gold Coast as a water environment. As tourists know, it sits on the shore of the vast Pacific Ocean. That is why most come. They have seen the magnificent photographs. If not perched on flattened dunes looking east to the ocean, a significant part of the urban Gold Coast environment is located around natural and human-made water environments. Of these we will say little here, other than to note their extent. The focus of this chapter is the city's terrestrial environments, reporting on and ultimately, after describing the environments, discussing what proportion of …

State Of The Environment, Tor Hundloe

Tor Hundloe

Extract: What have we done? What have we learned? In this chapter we turn our attention to the people of the Gold Coast and their environmental impacts, as experienced in the 21st century. The past is gone. The damage is done. Dramatic change in landforms and ecological relationships are inevitable in building cities. From this we can only learn and do things better in the future. This is why there will never be another Gold Coast like the one we describe in this book.

Male-Biased Reproductive Effort In A Long-Lived Seabird., Robert Mauck, Jennifer Zangmeister, Jack Cercihara, Chalres Huntington, Mark Haussmann

Robert Mauck

Background: In dimorphic seabirds, the larger sex tends to provision more than the smaller sex. In contrast, monogamy and biparental care are often associated with equal effort between the sexes. However, the few studies that have tested sex-specific effort in monomorphic seabirds have primarily examined the details of foraging at sea. Hypotheses: Parental effort is also sex-biased in a monomorphic seabird mating system for one of two reasons: (1) If females enter the period of parental care less able to invest in care due to the cost of egg production, male-biased effort may be necessary to avoid reproductive failure. (2) …

Effects Of Temperature, Nutrients, Organic Matter And Coral Mucus On The Survival Of The Coral Pathogen, Serratia Marcescens, Erin Looney, Kathryn Sutherland, Erin Lipp

Kathryn Patterson Sutherland PhD

Serratia marcescens is an enteric bacterium that causes white pox disease in elkhorn coral, Acropora palmata; however, it remains unclear if the pathogenic strain has adapted to seawater or if it requires a host or reservoir for survival. To begin to address this fundamental issue, the persistence of strain PDL100 was compared among seawater and coral mucus microcosms. Median survival time across all conditions ranged from a low of 15 h in natural seawater [with a first-order decay constant (k) = −0.173] at 30°C to a maximum of 120 h in glucose-amended A. palmata mucus (k = −0.029) at 30°C. …

Human Sewage Identified As Likely Source Of White Pox Disease Of The Threatened Caribbean Elkhorn Coral, Kathryn Sutherland, James Porter, Jeffrey Turner, Brian Thomas, Erin Looney, Trevor Luna, Meredith Meyers, J. Futch, Erin Lipp

Kathryn Patterson Sutherland PhD

Caribbean elkhorn coral, Acropora palmata, has been decimated in recent years, resulting in the listing of this species as threatened under the United States Endangered Species Act. A major contributing factor in the decline of this iconic species is white pox disease. In 2002, we identified the faecal enterobacterium, Serratia marcescens, as an etiological agent for white pox. During outbreaks in 2003 a unique strain of S. marcescens was identified in both human sewage and white pox lesions. This strain (PDR60) was also identified from corallivorious snails (Coralliophila abbreviata), reef water, and two non-acroporid coral species, Siderastrea siderea and Solenastrea …

Development Of An Interactive Course Module: "Teaching And Learning Molecular Basis Of Evolution To Human Body", Soma Mukhopadhyay, Rachel Bishop, Brittany Blocker

Soma Mukhopadhyay Ph.D.

Today’s youth expect to use technology in every aspect of their lives, including their education. Instead of being challenged by their considerable skills, educators should embrace the technology and use it to make the classroom experience more enjoyable for students, thereby improving learning outcomes. Evolution is no different – students must know the basics of evolution in order to be well-read members of society, and technology can help the students learn. The study of evolution today is incredibly interesting, particularly with new evidence coming to light almost daily. Human evolution, in particular, is the subject of copious amounts of research. …

Taphonomy Of The Joanna Track Site, Cretaceous Glen Rose Formation: Is The Shrimp Mightier Than The Dinosaur?, Michael Blair, Benjamin Dattilo, Lydia Mark, James Farlow, Jerry Jacene, Shelley Mcfadin

Benjamin F. Dattilo

Dinosaur trackways are common in the Cretaceous Glen Rose Formation of central Texas. While the trackways in Dinosaur Valley State Park are well known, many other sites can be found in this region. Recently, a new track site was discovered during construction in Glen Rose, Texas. The Joanna Track Site features tridactyl tracks which have been partly obliterated by invertebrates burrowing through the thick mud which buried them.

We measured and described the interval from 0.3 m below the track layer through 2.7 m above it in a vertical outcrop directly adjacent to the track site. Samples were collected in …

Microstratigraphic Analysis Of Burrow-Reworked Dinosaur Track Bed At Joanna's Track Site, Cretaceous Glen Rose Formation, Glen Rose, Texas, Michael Blair, Benjamin Dattilo, Anthony Martin, James Farlow

Benjamin F. Dattilo

Although dinosaur trackways are common in the Cretaceous Glen Rose Formation of Texas, the recently discovered Joanna track site illustrates a unique ichnological relationship where dinosaur tracks were disrupted by invertebrate burrows made long after burial. In an effort to document the precise sequence of events, we described the interval from 0.3 m below the track layer through 2.7 m above it in a vertical outcrop adjacent to the track site, focusing on the 70-cm of strata immediately above the track horizon. An 8-meter N-S cross-section of this 70-cm interval was power-washed, examined for trace fossils, body fossils, and lithology …

Push Me – Pull You: Experimental Biomechanics Of Immobile Suspension Feeders On Soft Substrates, Roy Plotnick, Benjamin Dattilo, Joshua Corrie, Daniel Piquard, Jennifer Bauer

Benjamin F. Dattilo

Immobile suspension feeders on soft substrates (ISOSS; Thayer 1979) although rare in modern marine habitats, were relatively common in the Paleozoic. Numerous Paleozoic taxa have been interpreted as dwelling on soft unconsolidated sediments and possessing morphologic features that either anchor them to the sea floor (e.g., crinoid holdfasts) or prevent them from sinking in (strophomenid brachiopods). Thayer (1975) reviewed the morphologic adaptations for forms living on soft-muddy bottoms and provided a quantitative expression of the static stresses involved. The same quantitative expression can also be used to describe the forces involved in anchoring. With the exception of Leighton and Savarese …

An Unusual Association Of Pseudolingula And Rafinesquina From The Upper Ordovician Of Ohio, Benjamin Dattilo, Rebecca Freeman, Bryan Utesch, Steve Felton, John Pojeta

Benjamin F. Dattilo

Late Ordovician members of Order Lingulida, for the most part, resemble modern lingulids in their infaunal habits and marginal habitats. Pseudolingula, a common Cincinnatian form, is often found preserved in burrows in life position, and as such, it could probably escape moderate sediment accumulations. An unusual association of thousands of specimens of the lingulate Pseudolingula and hundreds of the strophomenid Rafinesquina in the Upper Ordovician of the Cincinnati, Ohio region presents an interesting case. This association occurs on 4-square-meter exposure of a 10 cm shell bed in the Fairview Formation at Harsha Lake, Ohio. The bed is covered with Rafinesquina …

The Curse Of Rafinesquina: Negative Taphonomic Feedback Exerted By Strophomenid Shells On Storm-Buried Lingulids In The Cincinnatian (Katian, Ordovician) Series Of Ohio, Rebecca Freeman, Benjamin Dattilo, Aaron Morse, Michael Blair, Steve Felton, John Pojeta

Benjamin F. Dattilo

Thousands of lingulid brachiopods were found clustered beneath hundreds of individual valves of the strophomenid brachiopod Rafinesquina in the Upper Ordovician of Ohio. This association suggested a relationship between the two brachiopods, but the nature of this relationship was unclear. We utilized serial thin sectioning to examine these brachiopods and to determine the origin of the bed in which they were found. Sedimentary structures, mixed taphonomies, and stratigraphic and paleogeographic setting suggest that the lingulids occupied a hiatal concentration that had previously been reworked, but not significantly transported, by tropical storms. The final burial event was a storm that exhumed …

The “Passive Implanter” Strategy Of The Adult Ordovician Brachiopod, Platystrophia Ponderosa., Sadye Howald, Benjamin Dattilo

Benjamin F. Dattilo

Platystrophia ponderosa is found throughout the Maysvillian Strata of the Cincinnati Ordovician. This species thrived in a high energy environment with only muddy shell gravels, and no solid substrates for pedicle attachment. Our growth-series studies show juveniles of this species had large pedicle openings, thin shell, small size, nearly flat shape, and shallow sinus/sulcus. In contrast, the adults had relatively small pedicle openings obstructed by a large beak, secondary thickening of the pedicle valve making it considerably thicker than the brachial valve, large size (up to 4cm in diameter), spherical shape, and deep sinus/sulcus. The morphological characteristics of the adult …

How Many Track Horizons Are Exposed At Dinosaur Valley State Park? Stratigraphy Of The Cretaceous Glen Rose Formation Track Sites Of The Paluxy River, Glen Rose, Texas, Benjamin Dattilo, Sadye Howald, James Farlow, Anthony Martin

Benjamin F. Dattilo

The dinosaur tracks of the Glen Rose Formation in the Paluxy River at Dinosaur Valley State Park are among the best preserved and most abundant in the world. While many track sites are easily correlated to the Main Tracksite, others, especially those at the extreme ends of the park, are differently preserved and not obviously correlated. To count track horizons, several stratigraphic sections were measured along the river from upstream at the McFall Ledge Site to 7.6 km downstream at the County Road 1001 crossing (3.1 km linear distance). These reveal 6 meters of strata separating two track-bearing horizons exposed …

Stop Clinging! –How The Ordovician Brachiopod (Fka Platystrophia) Vinlandostrophia Ponderosa Outgrew Its Mid-Life Attachment Crisis, Benjamin Dattilo, Sadye Howald

Benjamin F. Dattilo

The high-energy nearshore environment and muddy shifting shell gravels recorded in Maysvillian strata of the Cincinnati Ordovician might seem particularly inhospitable to brachiopods, which generally require solid surfaces for attachment. Nevertheless, Vinlandostrophia ponderosa thrived and even characterizes these facies. A preliminary study of growth series suggests that, like the full-grown stages of related species, smaller V. ponderosa were attached by pedicle. Smaller specimens have a large pedicle opening, a nearly flat shape, thin shell, and a shallow sinus/sulcus, leaving the commissure nearly flat. These characteristics are consistent with strong, erect pedicle attachment, even stronger than found in related species, whose …

Gape, Feeding Currents And Valve Snapping In Thecidellina Meyeri From Curaçao, Netherlands Antilles: Biomechanical Analogue For Trace-Making Paleozoic Strophomenates?, Benjamin Dattilo, Tanya Del Valle, David Meyer, Aaron Morse

Benjamin F. Dattilo

The ability of Ordovician strophomenates Sowerbyella and Rafinesquina to move sediment and create moat-like depressions has led to questions about mechanisms. Anatomical studies suggest a gape of more than 45°, likely critical to trace-making abilities. Strophomenates are extinct, but thecidellinids are reasonably good analogues; they also gape widely and have a similar lophophore structure. They differ in their small size, 3 - 5 mm, lack of concavo-convex form, and by pedicle valve cementation. Nevertheless, their physiology could illuminate biomechanical constraints on strophomenate-sediment interactions. For this study, we analyzed 1 hour of video showing 30+ specimens collected with the fragment of …

The Brachiopod Trap: What Their Oldest (Upper Ordovician, Ohio) Failed Escape Burrows Tell Us About The Evolution Of Burrowing In Lingulids, Rebecca Freeman, Benjamin Dattilo, Aaron Morse, Michael Blair, Bryan Utesch, Steve Felton, John Pojeta

Benjamin F. Dattilo

Infaunal organisms living in shallow marine settings are vulnerable to exhumation during storms or entombment by storm-deposited sediments. Cambrian­–Early Ordovician lingulids included epifaunal as well as possible infaunal forms. However, many epifaunal forms became extinct during the Middle Ordovician, and Late Ordovician lingulids were similar in their infaunal habits and marginal habitats. Modern infaunal lingulids are able to reorient themselves after burial in sediments, but it is unclear when this ability evolved. Initial burrowing of juvenile lingulids, as well as re-burrowing of exhumed modern lingulids involves digging downwards and then back up in a u-shape, but successful escape burrowing involves …

Susceptibility Of Quagga Mussels (Dreissena Rostriformis Bugensis) To Hot-Water Sprays As A Means Of Watercraft Decontamination, Sean Comeau, Scott Rainville, Wen Baldwin, Emily Austin, Shawn Gerstenberger, Chad Cross, Wai Wong

Shawn Gerstenberger

The recent spread of dreissenid mussels to various bodies of water in the western US has sparked interest by many state and federal agencies to develop protocols to stop further expansion. Quagga mussels (Dreissena rostriformis bugensis) are of particular importance as they are currently the most widespread dreissenid species in the region. This project examined the susceptibility of quagga mussels to hot-water sprays at different temperatures and durations of spray contact at Lake Mead (Nevada-Arizona, USA). Emersed adult quagga mussels were exposed to hot-water sprays at 20, 40, 50, 54, 60, 70, and 80°C for 1, 2, 5, 10, 20, …

Estimating Survival Rates Of Quagga Mussel (Dreissena Rostriformis Bugensis) Veliger Larvae Under Summer And Autumn Temperature Regimes In Residual Water Of Trailered Watercraft At Lake Mead, Usa, W. Choi, Shawn Gerstenberger, R. Mcmahon, Wai Wong

Shawn Gerstenberger

No abstract provided.

Effects Of Natural Flooding And Manual Trapping On The Facilitation Of Invasive Crayfish-Native Amphibian Coexistence In A Semi-Arid Perennial Stream, Lee Kats, Gary Bucciarelli, Thomas Vandergon, Rodney Honeycutt, Evan Mattiasen, Arthur Sanders, Seth Riley, Jacob Kerby, Robert Fisher

Lee Kats

Aquatic amphibians are known to be vulnerable to a myriad of invasive predators. Invasive crayfish are thought to have eliminated native populations of amphibians in some streams in the semi-arid Santa Monica Mountains of southern California. Despite their toxic skin secretions that defend them from native predators, newts are vulnerable to crayfish attacks, and crayfish have been observed attacking adult newts, and eating newt egg masses and larvae. For 15 years, we have observed invasive crayfish and native California newts coexisting in one stream in the Santa Monica Mountains. During that period, we monitored the densities of both crayfish and …

Encyclopedia Of Animal Behavior, A. Payne, P. Starks, Aviva Liebert

Aviva E Liebert

The Encyclopedia of Animal Behavior has engaged-with great success-the efforts of many of the best behavioral biologists of the 21st century. Section editors drawn from the most accomplished behavioral scientists of their generation have enrolled an international cast of highly respected thinkers and writers-all of whom have taken great care and joy in illuminating every imaginable corner of animal behavior. This comprehensive work covers not only the usual topics such as communication, learning, sexual selection, navigation, and the history of the field, but also emerging topics in cognition, animal welfare, conservation, and applications of animal behavior. The large section on …