Ecology and Evolutionary Biology Commons^™

A Novel Approach For Characterizing The Ultra-Micro Size-Fraction Community, Abdullah Ahmed Salim, Priscilla Nicole Pineda, Isabella Alamilla, Andrew Dean Putt

EURēCA: Exhibition of Undergraduate Research and Creative Achievement

A Novel Approach for Characterizing the Ultra-Micro Size-Fraction Community

Students: Abdullah Salim, Priscilla Pineda, Isabella Alamilla

Mentors/Supervisors: Andrew Putt, Terry C. Hazen

ABSTRACT

The ultra-micro size-fraction (UMSF) are bacteria that can pass through the 0.2 µm pore membrane filters employed in environmental surveys. Despite being ubiquitous and having high metabolic activity, UMSF remain elusive and largely uncultured. Investigations of UMSF are skewed by difficulties in culturing and a lack of techniques for measuring UMSF biogeochemical signatures. This study measures surface stream UMSF community diversity, and community response to the addition of the synthetic pharmaceutical and cosmetic carbon product cyclodextrin which …

Development Of A Molecular Genetic Method For Characterizing Amphibian Diets, Alexander T. Funk

EURēCA: Exhibition of Undergraduate Research and Creative Achievement

DEVELOPMENT OF A MOLECULAR GENETIC METHOD FOR CHARACTERIZING AMPHIBIAN DIETS.Alexander Funk* and Todd W. Pierson, Department of Ecology and Evolutionary Biology, University of Tennessee Knoxville, afunk4@vols.utk.edu

Dietary studies can provide key insights into the ecology and behavior of animals. Methods common in dietary studies of amphibians (e.g., gastric lavage, fecal analysis, dissection) often fail to identify prey beyond the level of Order, are time intensive, and can be biased against soft-bodied prey. Here, we are developing a DNA metabarcoding assay to characterize amphibian diets from non-invasive fecal samples. In DNA metabarcoding, barcoding loci from mixed community samples (e.g., feces) …

Secrets Of A Rare Bird: Breeding Behavior Of The Gray-Breasted Flycatcher (Lathrotriccus Griseipectus) In Ecuador, William Harris Kirkpatrick

EURēCA: Exhibition of Undergraduate Research and Creative Achievement

The Tumbesian region of southwestern Ecuador and northwestern Peru is home to a large number of endemic bird species. Many of these species are threatened with extinction, and little is known about their basic biology. Thus, information regarding natural history of species in the region is needed to guide conservation management. We studied the reproductive biology of the Gray-breasted Flycatcher, Lathrotriccus griseipectus, a small Tyrannid that lives in the Tumbesian region. Due to habitat destruction, the range size of L. griseipectus has dwindled and the species is now listed as Vulnerable on the IUCN Red List. We used a mounted …

Frequency Of Hemlock Woolly Adelgid Information Provided In The Media: Impacts, Ecology, And Citizen Outreach, Anna Killeen Cameron, Casey Fellhoelter, Bevin Hardy, Lucas Smith

EURēCA: Exhibition of Undergraduate Research and Creative Achievement

An analysis of 165 media articles about the hemlock woolly adelgid (HWA), an invasive insect killing native hemlocks in eastern North America, was undertaken to determine possible influences of the public’s desire and ability to help with invasive species prevention and control. All of the articles mention at least one of the following: HWA impacts to ecosystems (55.2%), hemlock characteristics (47%), and the value of hemlocks (38.8%). Articles that mention HWA impacts and hemlock value also mention associated topics such as subsequent impacts from hemlock loss to shade and temperature control of forests and streams, trout and recreational fishing, and …

Quantatative Analysis Of Microbial Abundance Within Arctic Fjord Sediments Assessed Through Direct Counting, Alex Taylor Swystun

EURēCA: Exhibition of Undergraduate Research and Creative Achievement

Microbes found in the marine sediments are responsible for the production of nearly half of the carbon dioxide found in the atmosphere (Arrigo, 2005). The fjords of Svalbard (79°N) are not considered typical marine sediments because high iron content influences unique subsurface redox chemistry. Radiotracer studies have shown that these sediments contain active bacterial sulfate-reducing communities (Finke et al., 2016). In addition to bacteria, archaeal cells within these sediments have been in aggregates encompassed by sulfate-reducing bacteria (Ravenschlag et al., 2001). These anaerobic organisms participate in mediating environmental biogeochemical cycles, including the oxidation of methane (Ravenschlag et al., 2001) and …

Plasticity In A Changing World: Phenotypic Variability In Boechera Stricta Across Space And Time, Caroline Daws

EURēCA: Exhibition of Undergraduate Research and Creative Achievement

While some plants are mobile and able to physically distribute to more suitable environments, other plants have limited dispersal ability and must find alternate ways to adjust to changing conditions in situ through adaptation or plasticity. Predicted changes in abiotic pressures, including drought stress and warmer temperatures, may influence the phenotypic expression of traits in plant populations through these mechanisms. In this study, we used a reciprocal transplant approach to investigate the temporal and spatial patterns of plasticity in a native perennial mustard, Boechera stricta, in the Rocky Mountains. Specifically, we explore how a temporal gradient that reflects drought stress …