Ecology and Evolutionary Biology Commons^™

Assemblage Of Hymenoptera Arriving At Logs Colonized By Ips Pini (Coleoptera: Curculionidae: Scolytinae) And Its Microbial Symbionts In Western Montana, Celia K. Boone, Diana Six, Steven J. Krauth, Kenneth F. Raffa

Ecosystem and Conservation Sciences Faculty Publications

Colonization of a tree by bark beetles and their symbionts creates a new habitat for a diverse assemblage of arthropods, including competing herbivores, xylophages, fungivores, saprophages, predators, and parasitoids. Understanding these assemblages is important for evaluating nontarget effects of various management tactics and for subsequently evaluating how changes in climate, the presence of invasive species, and altered forestry practices and land-use tenure may affect biodiversity. We characterized the assemblage of hymenopterans attracted to logs of ponderosa pine (Pinus ponderosa C. Lawson (Pinaceae)) colonized by the bark beetle Ips pini (Say) and its microbial symbionts. In one experiment, the composition and …

Controls Over Leaf Litter Decomposition In Wet Tropical Forests, William R. Wieder, Cory C. Cleveland, Alan R. Townsend

Ecosystem and Conservation Sciences Faculty Publications

Tropical forests play a substantial role in the global carbon (C) cycle and are projected to experience significant changes in climate, highlighting the importance of understanding the factors that control organic matter decomposition in this biome. In the tropics, high temperature and rainfall lead to some of the highest rates of litter decomposition on earth, and given the near-optimal abiotic conditions, litter quality likely exerts disproportionate control over litter decomposition. Yet interactions between litter quality and abiotic variables, most notably precipitation, remain poorly resolved, especially for the wetter end of the tropical forest biome. We assessed the importance of variation …

Transport Of Fungal Symbionts By Mountain Pine Beetles, K. P. Bleiker, S. E. Potter, C. R. Lauzon, Diana Six

Ecosystem and Conservation Sciences Faculty Publications

The perpetuation of symbiotic associations between bark beetles (Coleoptera: Curculionidae: Scolytinae) and ophiostomatoid fungi requires the consistent transport of fungi by successive beetle generations to new host trees. We used scanning electron microscopy and culture methods to investigate fungal transport by the mountain pine beetle (MPB), Dendroctonus ponderosae Hopkins. MPB transports its two main fungal associates, Grosmannia clavigera (Robinson-Jeffrey and Davidson) Zipfel, de Beer and Wingfield and Ophiostoma montium (Rumbold) von Arx, in sac-like mycangia on the maxillary cardines as well as on the exoskeleton. Although spores of both species of fungi were observed on MPB exoskeletons, often in pits, …

Estrogenic Compounds Downstream From Three Small Cities In Eastern Nebraska: Occurrence And Biological Effect, Marlo K. Sellin, Daniel D. Snow, Debbie L. Akerly, Alan S. Kolok

Biology Faculty Publications

Recent studies have detected estrogenic compounds in surface waters in North America and Europe. Furthermore, the presence of estrogenic compounds in surface waters has been attributed, in some cases, to the discharge of wastewater treatment plant (WWTP) effluent. The primary objective of the current study was to determine if WWTP effluent contributes estrogens to the surface waters of Nebraska. A second objective of this study was to determine if estrogens were found in concentrations sufficient enough to manifest feminizing effects on fish. These objectives were satisfied by deploying polar organic chemical integrative samplers (POCIS) and caged fathead minnows at eight …

Planted Grasslands And Native Sod Prairie: Equivalent Habitat For Grassland Birds, Kristel K. Bakker, Kenneth F. Higgins

Natural Resource Management Faculty Publications

Little is known about how avian relationships to tracts of native sod prairie compare with avian relationships to single and multiple species of cool- and warm-season grassland plantings. We compared grassland bird species richness and density in 5 grassland cover types (n = 97) in the tallgrass prairie region of eastern South Dakota and western Minnesota, 2001–2004. Grassland bird species richness was significantly higher in native sod prairies than it was in all planted cover types except warm-season mixes. Grasslands dominated by exotic species did not support as many grassland bird species or have species densities as high as grasslands …

Dietery Response Of Sympatric Deer To Fire Using Stable Isotope Analysis Of Liver Tissue, W. D. Walter, T. J. Zimmerman, D. M. Leslie Jr., J. A. Jenks

Natural Resource Management Faculty Publications

Carbon (δ13C) and nitrogen (δ15N) isotopes in biological samples from large herbivores identify photosynthetic pathways (C3 vs. C4 ) of plants they consumed and can elucidate potential nutritional characteristics of dietary selection. Because large herbivores consume a diversity of forage types, δ13C and δ15N in their tissue can index ingested and assimilated diets through time. We assessed δ13C and δ15N in metabolically active liver tissue of sympatric mule deer (Odocoileus hemionus) and white-tailed deer (O. virginianus) to identify dietary disparity resulting from use of burned and unburned areas in a largely forested landscape. Interspecific variation in dietary disparity of deer …

Pervasive Hitchhiking At Coding And Regulatory Sites In Humans, James J. Cai, J. Michael Macpherson, Guy Sella, Dmitri A. Petrov

Biology, Chemistry, and Environmental Sciences Faculty Articles and Research

Much effort and interest have focused on assessing the importance of natural selection, particularly positive natural selection, in shaping the human genome. Although scans for positive selection have identified candidate loci that may be associated with positive selection in humans, such scans do not indicate whether adaptation is frequent in general in humans. Studies based on the reasoning of the MacDonald–Kreitman test, which, in principle, can be used to evaluate the extent of positive selection, suggested that adaptation is detectable in the human genome but that it is less common than in Drosophila or Escherichia coli. Both positive and purifying …

Unionoida (Mollusca: Margaritiferidae, Unionidae) In Arkansas, Third Status Review, John L. Harris, William R. Posey Ii, C. L. Davidson, Jerry L. Farris, S. R. Oetker, J. N. Stoeckel, B. G. Crump, M. S. Barnett, H. C. Martin, J. H. Seagraves, M. W. Matthews, R. Winterringer, C. Osborne, Alan D. Christian, N. J. Wentz

Journal of the Arkansas Academy of Science

We analyzed stream inventories, phylogeographic studies, community and population estimates, life history and reproductive biology research, and suitable habitat investigations conducted from 1997-2008, as well as the Arkansas Natural Heritage Commission mussel database, to update the conservation status for all native freshwater unionoid bivalves thought to occur in Arkansas. Prior to this study, Harris et al. (1997) reviewed the distribution and status of 75 freshwater mussels considered native to Arkansas and ranked 22 species as endangered, threatened or special concern. We now recognize 85 mussel taxa in Arkansas; however, some of those have yet to be described or their nomenclature …

Mussel Inventory And Population Status Of The Federally Endangered Potamilus Capax (Green 1832) In The Tyronza River, Arkansas, N. J. Wentz, John L. Harris, Jerry L. Farris, Alan D. Christian

Journal of the Arkansas Academy of Science

Currently, few data exist for the mussel assemblages of the Tyronza River, Arkansas. The goal of this project was to inventory the freshwater mussel assemblages of the Tyronza River and determine the status of the federally endangered Potamilus capax. We qualitatively and quantitatively sampled mussel assemblages and documented the occurrence of S1 (extremely rare), S2 (very rare), and S3 (rare to uncommon) species. A total of 70.4 river kilometers were sampled in 2006 and 2007 resulting in 363 sampling sites, 4030 live individuals, and 25 species. We observed a total of 1 S1, 2 S2, and 9 S3 species. Mean …

Surface Mining And Reclamation Effects On Flood Response Of Watersheds In The Central Appalachian Plateau Region, Todd R. Lookingbill, Joseph R. Ferrari, B. Mccormick, P. A. Townsend, K. N. Eshleman

Geography and the Environment Faculty Publications

Surface mining of coal and subsequent reclamation represent the dominant land use change in the central Appalachian Plateau (CAP) region of the United States. Hydrologic impacts of surface mining have been studied at the plot scale, but effects at broader scales have not been explored adequately. Broad-scale classification of reclaimed sites is difficult because standing vegetation makes them nearly indistinguishable from alternate land uses. We used a land cover data set that accurately maps surface mines for a 187-km2 watershed within the CAP. These land cover data, as well as plot-level data from within the watershed, are used with HSPF …

Altered Ecological Flows Blur Boundaries In Urbanizing Watersheds, Todd R. Lookingbill, Sujay S. Kaushal, Andrew J. Elmore, Robert Gardner, Keith N. Eshleman, Robert H. Hilderbrand, Raymond P. Morgan, Walter R. Boynton, Margaret A. Palmer, William C. Dennison

Geography and the Environment Faculty Publications

The relevance of the boundary concept to ecological processes has been recently questioned. Humans in the post-industrial era have created novel lateral transport fluxes that have not been sufficiently considered in watershed studies. We describe patterns of land-use change within the Potomac River basin and demonstrate how these changes have blurred traditional ecosystem boundaries by increasing the movement of people, materials, and energy into and within the basin. We argue that this expansion of ecological commerce requires new science, monitoring, and management strategies focused on large rivers and suggest that traditional geopolitical and economic boundaries for environmental decision making be …

Demographics And Habitat Selection For The Western Meadowlark (Sturnella Neglecta) In The Nebraska Sandhills, Matthew D. Giovanni

Department of Agronomy and Horticulture: Dissertations, Theses, and Student Research

The prairie ecosystems of the Great Plains region in North America have largely been replaced and fragmented with industrial agriculture and invasive herbaceous and woody plant species. The concurrent and large-scale suppression of wildfire and elimination of grazing by native ungulates may have further decreased the availability and quality of habitat for wildlife. Indeed, 2004 estimates indicate only 30% of historic grasslands in the Great Plains still exist, while the trends of decreased land area enrolled in the Conservation Reserve Program and increased land area in commercial agriculture indicate continued loss of habitat. This decrease in habitat availability continues to …

The Effectiveness Of Individual Identification Of Bobcats Using Automatically Triggered Cameras In Michigan, Karen Ickes, Paul Keenlance

Student Summer Scholars Manuscripts

Through the research of bobcat (Lynx rufus) populations a better understanding of their range in lower Michigan can be found. The use of automatically triggered cameras is an effective way to obtain bobcat range and status information. Automatically triggered cameras allow for population studies to be executed without having to trap any animals.

Direct And Indirect Effects Of Climate Change On A Prairie Plant Community, Peter B. Adler, James Leiker, Jonathan M. Levine

Wildland Resources Faculty Publications

Background

Climate change directly affects species by altering their physical environment and indirectly affects species by altering interspecific interactions such as predation and competition. Recent studies have shown that the indirect effects of climate change may amplify or counteract the direct effects. However, little is known about the the relative strength of direct and indirect effects or their potential to impact population persistence.

Methodology/Principal Findings

We studied the effects of altered precipitation and interspecific interactions on the low-density tiller growth rates and biomass production of three perennial grass species in a Kansas, USA mixed prairie. We transplanted plugs of each …

The Fourth Level Of Social Structure In A Multi-Level Society: Ecological & Social Functions Of Clans In Hamadryas Baboons, Amy Schreier, Larissa Swedell

Publications and Research

Hamadryas baboons are known for their complex, multi-level social structure consisting of troops, bands, and one-male units (OMUs) [Kummer, 1968]. Abegglen [1984] observed a 4^th level of social structure comprising several OMUs that rested near one another on sleeping cliffs, traveled most closely together during daily foraging, and sometimes traveled as subgroups independently from the rest of the band. Abegglen called these associations “clans” and suggested that they consisted of related males. Here we confirm the existence of clans in a second wild hamadryas population, a band of about 200 baboons at the Filoha site in lowland Ethiopia. During …

Male Aggression Towards Females In Hamadryas Baboons: Conditioning, Coercion And Control, Larissa Swedell, Amy Schreier

Publications and Research

No abstract provided.

Detection Of Free-Ranging West Indian Manatees Trichechus Manatus Using Side-Scan Sonar, Daniel Gonzalez-Socoloske, Leon David Olivera-Gomez, Robert E. Ford

Faculty Publications

Turbid and tannin-stained waterways are difficult habitats to study and present problems with respect to the management of aquatic fauna, and especially of endangered and cryptic animals such as manatees Trichechus spp. Linnaeus. Throughout much of the range of the extant trichechid species (T. inunguis, T. manatus, and T. senegalensis), the scientific approaches that are used successfully to document the status of the Florida subspecies (T. m. latirostris) are not feasible, due either to constraints associated with habitat or to the high costs involved. We examined the use of side-scan sonar as a novel way to acoustically detect free-ranging West …

Mckillop Library Electricity Use, Impacts And Solutions, Nellie Tarini, Marisa Volo, Carly Ouellette, Other Students

BIO140 Carbon Footprint Project

A few weeks ago, our class went on a guided tour of the library, which taught us about what goes on in the library, how resources are used, and basically how the library operates. From our tour, we saw many problem areas that could use improvements. One of these areas is the library’s use of electricity. Our group focused on the computers, printers, copiers, lights, and elevators in the library and how the library could use their electricity more efficiently. We have found that the library is not always using electricity effectively and efficiently. There are lights on when nobody …

A Serological Survey Of Infectious Disease In Yellowstone National Park’S Canid Community, Emily S. Almberg, L. David Mech, Douglas W. Smith, Jennifer W. Sheldon, Robert L. Crabtree

United States Geological Survey, Northern Prairie Wildlife Research Center: Publications

Background: Gray wolves (Canis lupus) were reintroduced into Yellowstone National Park (YNP) after a .70 year absence, and as part of recovery efforts, the population has been closely monitored. In 1999 and 2005, pup survival was significantly reduced, suggestive of disease outbreaks.

Methodology/Principal Findings: We analyzed sympatric wolf, coyote (Canis latrans), and red fox (Vulpes vulpes) serologic data from YNP, spanning 1991–2007, to identify long-term patterns of pathogen exposure, identify associated risk factors, and examine evidence for disease-induced mortality among wolves for which there were survival data. We found high, constant exposure to canine …

A Redescription Of Three Species Of Monoecocestus (Cestoda: Anoplocephalidae) Including Monoecocestus Threlkeldi Based On New Material, Terry R. Haverkost, Scott Lyell Gardner

Scott L. Gardner Publications

Because we have new and detailed data on species in the genus, herein we redescribe both Monoecocestus macrobursatus and M. minor based on existing museum specimens. We also redescribe M. threlkeldi (Parra, 1952) using material collected in Bolivia. Based on the specimens representing M. thelkeldi, we affirm that Perutaenia Parra, 1953 should remain a junior synonym of Monoecocestus.

Costs And Benefits Of Freezing Behavior In The Harvestman Eumesosoma Roeweri (Arachnida, Opiliones), Marie-Claire Chelini, Rodrigo H. Willemart, Eileen Hebets

Eileen Hebets Publications

Animals present an enormous variety of behavioral defensive mechanisms, which increase their survival, but often at a cost. Several animal taxa reduce their chances of being detected and/or recognized as prey items by freezing (remaining completely motionless) in the presence of a predator. We studied costs and benefits of freezing in immature Eumesosoma roeweri (Opiliones, Sclerosomatidae). Preliminary observations showed that these individuals often freeze in the presence of the syntopic predatory spider Schizocosa ocreata (Araneae, Lycosidae). We verified that harvestmen paired with predators spent more time freezing than when alone or when paired with a conspecific. Then, we determined that …

The Costs Of Transportation At Mckillop Library, Elizabeth Giambusso, Timothy Hanrahan, Raine Raab

BIO140 Carbon Footprint Project

Much like other libraries and institutions across the United States, Salve Regina faces its share of efficiency problems. In turn, these problems add to the many environmental issues we face today. These are mostly paper waste, recycling, or lack thereof, and the amount of energy needed to heat buildings. Notwithstanding the excessive consumption and waste, our group focused on transportation. The main goal of this project was to measure the current transportation costs and explore ways to cut carbon emissions. By sending a questionnaire through email, the staff responded with the type of vehicle they drive and their commuting distance. …

Student Assessment Of The Environmental Footprint Of The Mckillop Library, Salve Regina University - Executive Summary, Jameson Chace

BIO140 Carbon Footprint Project

No abstract provided.

Paper Waste In Mckillop Library, Kristina Lowe, Charles "Ben" Parrish, William Pearce, Sarah Petro, Allison Smith, Sarah Tolman

BIO140 Carbon Footprint Project

The goals of our project were to determine the amount of the library’s paper waste. In order to do this we decided to focus on the total sheets of paper used, the recycling that occurs in the library, the use of recycled paper, and the discarding of books. The methods that were used were talking to library staff about the amount of paper used and the discarding of books, surveying the students who use the library about their recycling practices, and hanging educational flyers about the benefits of recycling. After researching the amount of paper waste in McKillop Library, the …

Green Heating And The Mckillop Library Building, Alexandra Riewer, Anthony Rothwell, Kalei Sullivan, Other Student

BIO140 Carbon Footprint Project

As global warming becomes an ever increasing problem, it is Salve Regina University and the Newport communities job to do their part. In an effort to reduce their carbon footprint, we performed a series of tests on the heating and building of McKillop library at Salve Regina to measure its carbon emissions and environmental impact. As a team, we tested for areas of heat loss and temperature change and internal temperature and humidity fluctuation. We also focused on the types of insulation that the building uses and the efficiency of its HVAC – heating, ventilation, and air conditioning – system. …

Appendices

BIO140 Carbon Footprint Project

No abstract provided.

Common Raven Nests In North Dakota After 100-Year Hiatus, Melvin P. Nenneman, Todd A. Grant, Ron E. Martin

The Prairie Naturalist

Our observations represent the first documented nesting by the common raven in North Dakota since the late 1800's. Houston (1977) suggested that the expansion of the American crow onto the Canadian prairies was limited by the scarcity of trees for nest sites, which also might have limited the extent of the common raven. Aspen woodland has increased substantially in and around J. Clark Salyer National Wildlife Refuge since European settlement, due primarily to fire suppression and extirpation of large herbivores (Grant and Murphy 2005). Thus, plausibly these increases in woodland habitat might be providing nest sites necessary for the common …

Brood Parasitism In A North American Population Of White-Faced Ibis, Mark E. Clark

The Prairie Naturalist

In 2007 while monitoring reproductive success among various overwater nesting birds at J. Clark Salyer National Wildlife Refuge in North Dakota, I observed parasitism of a white-faced ibis nest by a cattle egret. I located a nest on 23 May 2007 that contained four white-faced ibis eggs and one cattle egret egg. The nest was located in the middle of a small colony of nesting white-faced ibis (approximately 35 pairs) and black-crowned night herons (approximately 30 pairs). On 3 June 2007 all of the eggs were still present in the nest, but two of the white-faced ibis eggs began hatching …

Untangling The Biological Contributions To Soil Stability In Semiarid Shrublands, V. Bala Chaudhary, Matthew A. Bowker, Thomas E. O'Dell, James B. Grace, Andrea E. Redman, Mathias C. Rillig, Nancy C. Johnson

School of Environmental Sustainability: Faculty Publications and Other Works

Communities of plants, biological soil crusts (BSCs), and arbuscular mycorrhizal (AM) fungi are known to influence soil stability individually, but their relative contributions, interactions, and combined effects are not well understood, particularly in arid and semiarid ecosystems. In a landscape-scale field study we quantified plant, BSC, and AM fungal communities at 216 locations along a gradient of soil stability levels in southern Utah, USA. We used multivariate modeling to examine the relative influences of plants, BSCs, and AM fungi on surface and subsurface stability in a semiarid shrubland landscape. Models were found to be congruent with the data and explained …

Soil Nutrient Changes Following A Typha X Glauca Invasion In A Great Lakes Coastal Wetland, Lane Marie Vail

Master's Theses

Invasive species are one of the major threats to the integrity and health of Great Lakes coastal wetlands. Plant invaders, such as the hybrid cattail Typha x glauca, threaten wetlands, as they can cause shifts in ecosystem structure and function and modify biogeochemical cycles and nutrient availability. Cheboygan Marsh on the coast of Lake Huron is currently undergoing invasion by T. x glauca, and soils in T. x glauca-dominated areas of the marsh have greater soil carbon and nitrogen concentrations than in areas dominated by native vegetation. This study investigated whether T. x glauca is affecting the accumulation of carbon …