Ecology and Evolutionary Biology Commons^™

Energy Content Of Seeds Of Texas Doveweed (Croton Texensis) From The Diet Of Mourning Doves (Zenaida Macroura) From Southeastern New Mexico, John L. Hunt, Matthew E. Grilliot, Troy L. Best, Collin S. Deen, Dixie Lozano-Lopez, Emily R. Neilson, Taytumn R. Schlegel-Ridgway

Journal of the Arkansas Academy of Science

We analyzed the energy content of seeds of Texas doveweed (Croton texensis) obtained from the crops of mourning doves (Zenaida macroura) collected from plains-mesa sand-scrub habitat in Eddy and Lea counties, New Mexico. Seeds were removed from crops and dried for 48 hours at 60°C to remove moisture and to standardize masses. Seeds were then analyzed for gross caloric value (i.e., energy content) in an oxygen bomb calorimeter. Energy content of seeds of Texas doveweed was greater than many seeds previously reported from the diet of mourning doves.

Vertebrate Natural History Notes From Arkansas, 2019, C. Renn Tumlison, Chris Mcallister, Henry Robison, Matt Connior, Ron Redman, Stan Trauth, Paul Port

Journal of the Arkansas Academy of Science

Important observations of natural history often go unreported because they are not part of larger studies, but small details can provide insights that lead to interesting questions about ecological relationships or environmental change. We have compiled recent important observations of distribution, deformities, foods, parasites, and reproduction of various vertebrates. Included are a new record of Lake Sturgeon (Acipenser fulvescens), a new size record of mudpuppy (Necturus louisianensis), and a second observation of bilateral gynandromorphism in a Northern Cardinal (Cardinalis cardinalis). These unique observations continue to grow knowledge of vertebrate biology in Arkansas.

Long-Tailed Weasel (Mustela Frenata) Distribution Survey In Arkansas: Challenges In Detecting A Rare Species, Suzanne D. Johnston, D. Blake Sasse, Robert E. Kissell Jr.

Journal of the Arkansas Academy of Science

Long-tailed weasels (Mustela frenata) have one of the widest distributions of mustelids in the western hemisphere and were distributed across a majority of the American continents ranging from Canada through the contiguous United States, Mexico, and into northern South America. However, on a local scale they are considered uncommon and rare. We assessed the distribution of long-tailed weasels across Arkansas to determine occupancy in each ecoregion of Arkansas, and determined the detectability on two local, adjacent sites. No long-tailed weasels were detected within the ecoregions, but the species was detected with intensive sampling on one local site. It …

A Tale Of Two Sylamores: Understanding Relationships Among Land Use, Nutrients, And Aquatic Communities Across A Subsidy-Stress Gradient, Danielle Braund, Andrew Feltmann, George Gavrielides, Katherine Lang, Jennifer Main, Anastasia Mogilevski, Justin Mosbey, Rebecca Relic, Calvin Rezac, Brianna Trejo, Ginny Adams, Steven R. Adams

Journal of the Arkansas Academy of Science

Agricultural land use is known to degrade aquatic systems with high inputs of nutrients, sediments, and pesticides. Increased nutrients can lead to increased algal growth and thus possible hypoxic conditions in slow moving water, while increased sediment loads have been shown to obstruct light and reduce substrate stability. These conditions negatively impact primary producers, macroinvertebrates, and fish. However, small-scale changes in land use can subsidize an aquatic ecosystem instead, where an increase in nutrients allows nutrient-limited biota to flourish, and minor increases in sedimentation may help support populations of collector-filterers. The stimulation in performance caused by small disturbances is part …

A Dobsonfly, Corydalus Cornutus (Megaloptera: Corydalidae), From Arkansas With Aberrant Mandibles, David E. Bowles

Journal of the Arkansas Academy of Science

No abstract required for general note.

Plains Spotted Skunk Pelt Purchase Trends In The Ozarks And Ouachitas, 1943-1990, D. Blake Sasse

Journal of the Arkansas Academy of Science

The Plains spotted skunk (Spilogale putorius interrupta) is a small carnivore that has experienced population declines across much of its range and is currently being considered for listing as an endangered species. I utilized harvest data on pelts from the Ozarks of Missouri and Arkansas and the Ouachita mountains in Arkansas that were purchased by fur dealers from 1943-1990 to examine trends in harvest levels over time. Purchases in all three regions declined in the late 1940s and early 1950s, but purchases in the Arkansas returned to near or at historic levels in the early 1960s and the …

The Impact Of Prescribed Fire On Moth Assemblages In The Boston Mountains And Ozark Highlands, In Arkansas, Erin E. Guerra, Cristina M. Blanco, Jorista Garrie

Journal of the Arkansas Academy of Science

In addition to the impacts of prescribed fires on forest vegetation, this ecosystem process also has dramatic impacts on associated insect assemblages. For herbivorous, terrestrial insects, fire predictably results in a cycle of initial insect population reduction followed by recovery and growth, in which these insect populations exceed pre-fire abundances. We sought to examine if fire-induced disturbance cycles make prescribed burned areas more or less suitable specifically for moths (order Lepidoptera), which is a major food source for, among others, multiple bat species. We surveyed moth assemblages at 20 burned and 20 unburned sites in the Boston Mountain and Ozark …

De Novo Development And Characterization Of Tetranucleotide Microsatellite Loci Markers From A Southeastern Population Of The House Finch (Haemorhous Mexicanus), Edgar E. Sanchez, J Dylan Maddox, Douglas G. Barron

Journal of the Arkansas Academy of Science

Microsatellites are short tandem repeats (e.g. TAGATAGA) of base pairs in a species’ genome. High mutation rates in these regions produce variation in the number of repeats across individuals that can be utilized to study patterns of population- and landscape-level genetics and to determine parentage genetically. In this project our objective was to develop microsatellite markers for the House Finch, Haemorhous mexicanus. This species has become one of the most well-studied species of songbirds due to its unique geographical, evolutionary, and epidemiological history. Using mist-nets we captured birds on the Arkansas Tech University campus and collected blood samples to …

Occurrence Of The Sinus Nematode Skrjabingylus Sp. (Nematoda: Metastrongyloidea) Inferred From Sinus Lesions In Arkansas Mustelidae And Mephitidae, With Review Of Relevant Literature, C. Renn Tumlison, Terry Tumlison

Journal of the Arkansas Academy of Science

Nasal nematodes of the genus Skrjabingylus occur in the mammalian families Mustelidae and Mephitidae, and have been found from Canada to Costa Rica. Ingestion of infected snails, frogs, snakes, or mice can lead to infection of these mammalian hosts. Infection often causes pathology to bones in the sinus region, which may lead to discoloration, enlargement, and fenestrations of the bone. Examination of museum specimens for bone lesions or other evidence of infection has been used to evidence prior infection, but prevalence and intensity cannot be interpreted without actually recovering the parasite. We examined Mustelids and Mephitids in collections of mammals …

Observations Of An Alligator (Alligator Mississippiensis) Nest And Behavior Of Hatchlings In Clark County, With Anecdotal Observations Of Other Alligator Nests In Arkansas, Allison Surf, Kevin Nordengren, C. Renn Tumlison, Kelly Irwin

Journal of the Arkansas Academy of Science

Historically, the American alligator (Alligator mississippiensis) ranged through southern and much of eastern Arkansas. By the early 1900s, alligator populations had declined due to unregulated hunting, commercial exploitation, and habitat loss. In 1961, the Arkansas Game and Fish Commission (AGFC) established protection of this species, and in 1967 the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service listed the alligator as an endangered species. The AGFC conducted a restocking program from 1972-1984, and the species made a full recovery in Arkansas. Still, little is known about reproductive biology in the state. We observed an alligator nest near Arkadelphia, Clark Co., the mound …

Photographic Record Of A Greater Roadrunner (Geococcyx Californianus) From Drew County, Arkansas, John L. Hunt, Christopher G. Sims

Journal of the Arkansas Academy of Science

No abstract provided.

The Diversity Of Terrestrial Mammals Surrounding Waterfall At Billy Barquedier National Park, Kelsey Johnson, Jason Apple

Discovery, The Student Journal of Dale Bumpers College of Agricultural, Food and Life Sciences

Billy Barquedier is a National Park located in the Stann Creek district of Belize that contains Neotropical vegetation and wildlife. This study was performed to provide a baseline inventory and appearance frequency patterns of the terrestrial mammals located within Zone 1 of the park near a waterfall and to gain a greater understanding of the biodiversity and activity patterns of terrestrial mammals within the park. The methods included camera traps, small Sherman live traps, large live traps, and tracking methods. A non-random sampling method of placing camera traps and live traps on or near human-made or animal-made trails was used …

Evolutionary Dynamics Of Brown Treesnake (Boiga Irregularis) Reproductive Ecology, With Implications For Invasive Species Control, Brenna Aaren Levine

Graduate Theses and Dissertations

Invasive species represent major threats to biodiversity, global economies, and human health. Consequently, extensive research has been directed towards improving methods that restrict and contain them. Yet, control measures can also act as agents of selection by significantly impacting the reproductive capacity of invasives (in the context of “eco-evo” dynamics). The end result is that control measures subsequently alter the fitness landscape of an invasive over ecologically-relevant time, and lose their efficacy by so doing. However, adaptive management can be promoted by investigating the relationships between reproductive ecology, strength of selection, and (additive) genetic variation. In short, effective control can …

Vegetation Characteristics And Bird Communities Associated With Singing Painted Buntings In Northwest Arkansas, Lauren Kristina Thead

Graduate Theses and Dissertations

It has been shown that bird communities are affected by the species composition and physical structure of plant communities. Within avian communities, the bird species that are the most localized in distribution tend to be the most affected by habitat changes. My research analyzed plant and bird communities found with the Painted Bunting (Passerina ciris Linnaeus), a locally common but declining species throughout much of its range. First, I describe vegetation characteristics associated with singing male Painted Buntings in northwest Arkansas. I categorized field sites with singing male Painted Buntings as either managed for wildlife or unmanaged, based on land-use …

Fall Migration And Winter Habitat Use Of Northern Saw-Whet Owls (Aegolius Acadicus) In The Ozark Highlands, Mitchell L. Pruitt

Graduate Theses and Dissertations

Studying movement ecology is important not only in understanding the distribution of a species, but in understanding the magnitude of migration through certain regions, as well as explaining regional differences in demographics. The Northern Saw-whet Owl (Aegolius acadicus) is a small, migratory forest owl found throughout much of North America. Despite being captured widely during fall migration, the species’ movement ecology is poorly understood. Exploratory studies outside the saw-whet owl’s normal range have successfully captured the species during fall migration. In the Ozark Highlands ecoregion of the central United States, their status has been considered vagrant during fall and winter. …

Effect Of Macrograzers (Campostoma Spp. And Faxonius Spp.) On Periphyton In Ozark Streams With Considerations Given To Macrograzer Biomass, Phosphorus, And Season: Mensurative And Manipulative Studies, Kayla R. Sayre

Graduate Theses and Dissertations

Nutrient and benthic algal biomass relationships can guide numeric nutrient criteria development in lotic systems. However, herbivorous macrograzers may confound this relationship by reducing the slope of the positive relationship between nutrients and periphyton biomass in streams. I conducted a mensurative field study to determine if stoneroller and crayfish abundance related to algal biomass at varying nutrient concentrations and manipulated macrograzer presence with electrical exclosures in streams to examine macrograzer effects on algal biomass and understand whether these effects on periphyton varied with total phosphorus (TP) or season. Macrograzer density was quantified across a TP gradient (n=15 streams; range = …

Importance Of Forests Outside Protected Area Networks For Large-Seeded Tree Species And Their Large-Bodied Avian Frugivores--A Study In Vazhachal Reserve Forest, India, Aditi Achyut Lele

Graduate Theses and Dissertations

Western Ghats, the mountain chain running along the west coast of India, is one of eight global hotspots of biodiversity and is particularly notable for its endemic flora and fauna. Yet only 10% of this land enjoys the protected status. Vast forested lands exist outside the protected network of national parks and wildlife sanctuaries in the form of reserve forests, community forests, and private lands. The present study sought to understand the role of such forests in the context of ecological system involving large-seeded tree species that depend on large-bodied avian frugivores for seed dispersal. I conducted a study over …

A Tale Of Two Butterflies: The Effect Of Larval Social Environment And Circadian Rhythms On Mating Behavior In Bicyclus Anynana And Heliconius Hewitsoni, Deonna Nicole Robertson

Graduate Theses and Dissertations

Two key components of mate choice research focus on: 1) who an organism mates with, which may be influenced by any number of factors from sexual ornamentation to male-male competition; and, 2) when an organism courts, be it daily, monthly, or seasonally. Both aspects are especially important for gregarious species as mistakes in either can incur high costs to overall fitness. My research focuses on using butterflies to explore kin recognition from the larval stage and its possible impacts on adult mate choice and if courtship is circadian in Heliconius hewitsoni. My first experiment concerned kin recognition. When inbred, Bicyclus …

Revision Of The Genus Monatractides (Parasitengona, Torrenticolidae) Of The United States And Canada: New Species, Re-Descriptions, Phylogenetics, And A Key To Species, Whitney Anne Nelson

Graduate Theses and Dissertations

The full suite of known Monatractides (Parasitengona, Torrenticolidae) taxa of North America (north of Mexico) are investigated herein using integrative methods. Species hypotheses are supported with morphology, geography, and phylogenetic analysis of the barcoding region of COI for 154 individuals from over 100 localities. Relationships between species are examined with a combined analysis of COI and 28S rDNA for 55 specimens. Previously described species are examined and re-described with color images and updated information, where possible. Our results indicate the need to synonymize two species: M. californica (Marshall, 1943) is a junior synonym of M. geographica (Marshall, 1943). We describe …

Crispr Knockouts Reveal An Endogenous Role For Ancient Neuropeptides In Regulating Developmental Timing In A Sea Anemone, Nagayasu Nakanishi, Mark Q. Martindale

Biological Sciences Faculty Publications and Presentations

Neuropeptides are evolutionarily ancient peptide hormones of the nervous and neuroendocrine systems, and are thought to have regulated metamorphosis in early animal ancestors. In particular, the deeply conserved Wamide family of neuropeptides—shared across Bilateria (e.g. insects and worms) and its sister group Cnidaria (e.g. jellyfishes and corals)—has been implicated in mediating life-cycle transitions, yet their endogenous roles remain poorly understood. By using CRISPR-Cas9-mediated reverse genetics, we show that cnidarian Wamide—referred to as GLWamide—regulates the timing of life cycle transition in the sea anemone cnidarian Nematostella vectensis. We find that mutant planula larvae lacking GLWamides transform into morphologically normal polyps …

Flow Regime Influences On Stream And Riparian Soil Carbon Dynamics In The Ozark Highlands And Boston Mountains Of Arkansas, Allyn Dodd

Graduate Theses and Dissertations

The natural flow regime exerts primacy over lotic ecosystem patterns and processes. However, little work has examined the influence of flow regime on instream and riparian carbon (C) dynamics in minimally-impacted, temperate forested systems. To date, most research efforts have focused on characterizing C movement and transformations across biomes and land use categories; however, flow regime represents an overlooked, finer level of detail that may drive differences in ecosystem function. My dissertation objective was to measure C fixation and movement within and across multiple environmental spheres (e.g. within stream channels, between stream surfaces and the atmosphere, and from riparian soils …

Modified Landscapes, Esther Nooner

Graduate Theses and Dissertations

Modified Landscapes is a body of work that reflects serious thought regarding Nature and its future. My personal experience and beliefs are at the core of why I believe this subject to be of great importance and why it will sustain many artists’ investigations for the time to come. The influences that informed this process are explored through experiences I had traveling, reading and exploring the photograph as a material object. The manipulation of the photograph is meant to question the beautiful, untouched scene and break the Romantic gaze that is historically tied to representations of Nature and insist upon …

Phylogeny Of The Orangethroat Darter (Etheostoma Spectabile) Species Complex In The Ozark Highlands Of Arkansas, Mckenna George

Animal Science Undergraduate Honors Theses

Darters are small, benthic fishes that live in freshwater rivers and streams and belong to the family Percidae. Pleistocene glaciations fragmented many darter species, resulting in speciation, but new species are often hard to detect if they are morphologically identical to pre-existing species. Intraspecific hybridization and resulting introgression, which occur frequently in glaciated areas, further complicate identification by introducing heterospecific genomes into mitochondrial DNA, making it difficult to accurately resolve phylogenetic relationships. The results of Bossu and Near’s 2009 study highlight this issue, showing a large degree of incongruence between mitochondrial and nuclear gene trees.

This study analyzed samples from …

Nutrient Limitation Of Algal Growth In Fishery Lakes, Madeline Ludwig

Biological and Agricultural Engineering Undergraduate Honors Theses

This study investigated the effect of nutrient addition on algal growth in three United States Forest Service lakes for fishery management in Arkansas. In fishery managed lakes, fertilization works by manipulating algae growth, a basal food resource in lakes, to promote the growth of the fish population. For the nutrient addition experiments, water was collected from each lake in cubitainers and spiked with nutrients; the treatments included the control, nitrogen (+N), phosphorus (+P), and nitrogen and phosphorus (+N +P). When algal growth was visually observed, a water sample was collected from each cubitainer and analyzed for chlorophyll-α. The results showed …

Evolutionary Conservation Of Midline Repulsion By Robo Family Receptors In Flies And Mice, Allison Loy

Biological Sciences Undergraduate Honors Theses

As the nervous system develops in animal embryos, neuronal axons are guided to their synaptic targets by extra cellular cues that signal through axon guidance receptors expressed on the surface of the axon. In animals with bilateral symmetry, one of the important decisions made by nearly every axon in the embryonic nervous system is whether to stay on its own side of the body, or to cross the midline and connect to cells on the opposite side. The Roundabout (Robo) family is an evolutionarily conserved group of axon guidance receptors that regulate midline crossing in a wide range of animal …

Phylogeny And Evolutionary Genomics Of Non-Photosynthetic Diatoms, Anastasiia Onyshchenko

Graduate Theses and Dissertations

Diatoms are prolific photosynthesizers responsible for some 20% of global primary production. In real terms, the oxygen in one of every five breaths traces back to photosynthesis by marine diatoms. Among the tens of thousands of diatom species, a small handful of colorless diatom species in the genus Nitzschia have lost photosynthesis altogether and rely exclusively on extracellular organic carbon for growth. I used DNA sequence data to reconstruct the phylogeny of this group, and found that nonphotosynthetic diatoms are monophyletic, indicating that photosynthesis was lost just one time over the course of some 200 million years of diatom evolution. …

Defending Wild Dogs: Population Dynamics And Disease In Endangered African Wild Dogs, Elizabeth Claire Arredondo

Graduate Theses and Dissertations

African wild dogs (Lycaon pictus) are endangered carnivores whose population is decreasing from habitat loss and fragmentation, interspecific competition, and disease. Survival rates are especially low in Kruger National Park (KNP), though it is unclear why. I estimated the abundance in KNP and survival rates over different time spans, six years and nine months, using public photographic survey data. In 2015, there were 298 (SE=12.1) individuals. Using a mark-recapture analysis in program R, I found that the survival rate between 2009-2015 was only 3.2%, and within the 9-month survey period (September 2014 – June 2015), monthly survival rates for the …

Agricultural Information Needs And Food Access In The Stann Creek District Of Belize, Sam E. Harris, Donna L. Graham

Discovery, The Student Journal of Dale Bumpers College of Agricultural, Food and Life Sciences

The purpose of this study was to describe agricultural information sources available to farmers and to describe food access and availability for the people of Dangriga, Stann Creek, Belize. This study used descriptive survey research methods with convenience sampling of the general public (n=22) and of farmers (n = 38) in the summer of 2017. Farmers use a variety of agricultural information sources with the extension service cited most often, followed by friends and fellow farmers. Weather, lack of information, pests, and inadequate access to capital were of primary concern for farmers. Face-to-face meetings were used most often by extension …

Primeness In Early Season Arkansas Raccoon Pelts, D. Blake Sasse

Journal of the Arkansas Academy of Science

Trapping seasons in the United States are generally set around the time of the year when pelts are in “prime” condition and are in their most valuable state. In order to assess whether the start of the Arkansas trapping season is at an appropriate date 122 raccoons were captured during the month of November in 2014 and 2015. Based on the evaluation of experienced fur dealers, the percentage of pelts in prime condition was then assessed on weekly and half-monthly basis. This study indicates that starting the trapping season in the last half of the month may maximize the percentage …

Aquatic Invertebrate Community Structure, Biological Condition, Habitat, And Water Quality At Ozark National Scenic Riverways, Missouri, 2005-2014, David E. Bowles, L. W. Morrison, J. T. Cribbs

Journal of the Arkansas Academy of Science

Ozark National Scenic Riverways (OZAR) was established to protect the corridor of the Current River and its major tributary, the Jacks Fork. The Current River is one of the few remaining free-flowing rivers in the U.S., with much of its base flow coming from several large springs. To assess the biological condition of these rivers, aquatic invertebrate community structure was monitored from 2005 to 2014. Benthic invertebrate samples and associated habitat and water quality data were collected from each of nine sampling sites using a Slack-Surber sampler. The Stream Condition Index (SCI), a multimetric index that incorporates taxa richness, EPT …