Ecology and Evolutionary Biology Commons^™

The Vascular Flora Of Greater San Quintín, Baja California, Mexico, Sula E. Vanderplank

CGU Theses & Dissertations

The plants of San Quintín (Baja California, Mexico) were documented through intensive fieldwork and the collection of herbarium specimens to create a checklist of species. This region is home to a diverse flora with high levels of local endemism and many rare plants. The flora documented in this study was compared to historical records from the region and shows the impact of agriculture and urbanization on the plants, including several extirpated species. A study of the perennial vegetation using a 1 km grid provides species distribution data for 140 native species, which were assessed to highlight areas of significant species …

Environmental And Endogenous Factors Influencing Emigration In Juvenile Anadromous Alewives, Benjamin I. Gahagan, Eric T. Schultz, Katie E. Gherard

EEB Articles

We analyzed juvenile anadromous alewife migration at Bride Lake, a coastal lake in Connecticut, during summer 2006 and found that migration on 24-hour and seasonal timescales was influenced by conditions of the environment and characteristics of the individual. To identify environmental cues of juvenile migration, we continuously video recorded fish at the lake outflow and employed information-theoretic model selection to identify the best predictors of daily migration rate. More than 80% of the approximately 320,000 juveniles that migrated from mid-June to mid-August departed in three pulses lasting one or two days. Pulses of migration were associated with precipitation events, transient …

Exon-Primed Intron-Crossing (Epic) Markers For Non-Model Teleost Fishes, Chenhong Li, Jean-Jack M. Riethoven, Lingbo Ma

Papers in Evolution

Background: Exon-primed intron-crossing (EPIC) markers have three advantages over anonymous genomic sequences in studying evolution of natural populations. First, the universal primers designed in exon regions can be applied across a broad taxonomic range. Second, the homology of EPIC-amplified sequences can be easily determined by comparing either their exon or intron portion depending on the genetic distance between the taxa. Third, having both the exon and intron fragments could help in examining genetic variation at the intraspecific and interspecific level simultaneously, particularly helpful when studying species complex. However, the paucity of EPIC markers has hindered multilocus studies using nuclear gene …

Landmark Use By Clark’S Nutcrackers (Nucifraga Columbiana): Influence Of Disorientation And Cue Rotation On Distance And Direction Estimates, Debbie M. Kelly, Alan Kamil, Ken Cheng

Papers in Behavior in Biological Sciences

Many species have been shown to encode multiple sources of information to orient. To examine what kinds of information animals use to locate a goal we manipulated cue rotation, cue availability, and inertial orientation when the food-storing Clark’s nutcracker (Nucifraga columbiana) was searching for a hidden goal in a circular arena. Three groups of birds were used, each with a different goal–landmark distance. As the distance between the goal and the landmark increased, nutcrackers were less accurate in finding the correct direction to the goal than they were at estimating the distance (Experiment 1). To further examine what …

No Interaction Between Competition And Herbivory In Limiting Introduced Cirsium Vulgare Rosette Growth And Reproduction, Tomomi  Suwa, Svata M. Louda, F. Leland Russell

Svata M. Louda Publications

Both competition and herbivory have been shown to reduce plant survival, growth, and reproduction. Much less is known about whether competition and herbivory interact in determining plant performance, especially for introduced, weedy plant species in the invaded habitat. We simultaneously evaluated both the main and interactive effects of plant neighbors and insect herbivory on rosette growth and seed reproduction in the year of flowering for Cirsium vulgare (bull thistle, spear thistle), an introduced Eurasian species, in tallgrass prairie in 2 years. Effects of insect herbivory were strong and consistent in both years, causing reduced plant growth and seed production, whereas …

A Signal-Substrate Match In The Substrate-Borne Component Of A Multimodal Courtship Display, Damian O. Elias, Andrew C. Mason, Eileen Hebets

Eileen Hebets Publications

The environment can impose strong limitations on the efficacy of signal transmission. In particular, for vibratory communication, the signaling environment is often extremely heterogeneous at small scales. Nevertheless, natural selection is expected to select for signals well-suited for effective transmission. Here, we test for substrate-dependent signal efficacy in the wolf spider Schizocosa stridulans Stratton 1991. We first explore the transmission characteristics of this important signaling modality by playing recorded substrate-borne signals through three different substrates (leaf litter, pine litter, and red clay) and measuring the propagated signal. We found that the substrate-borne signal of S. stridulans attenuates the least on …

Multimodal Courtship Efficacy Of Schizocosa Retrorsa Wolf Spiders: Implications Of An Additional Signal Modality, Aaron S. Rundus, Roger D. Santer, Eileen Hebets

Eileen Hebets Publications

Here, we simultaneously examine both content and efficacy-based sources of selection on the visual and seismic multimodal courtship display of the wolf spider Schizocosa retrorsa. Immature field-collected S. retrorsa were reared in the laboratory on either high-quantity diet (HD) or low-quantity diet (LD) treatments. On maturation, females of each diet treatment were run in simultaneous mate choice trials with both a HD and an LD male (content-based selection). Simultaneous mate choice trials were conducted across different signaling environments (efficacy-based selection) in a fully crossed 2 × 2 design with visual treatments of light/dark (visual signal present/absent) and seismic treatments …

Description Of The Tadpole Of Proceratophrys Renalis (Miranda-Ribeiro, 1920) (Anura: Cycloramphidae), Filipe Augusto C. Do Nascimento, Barnagleison S. Lisboa, Gabriel O. Skuk, Rafael O. De Sá

Biology Faculty Publications

The tadpole of Proceratophrys renalis is described based on specimens from Maceió, State of Alagoas, northeastern Brazil. At stage 35 the body is slightly dorso-ventrally depressed, ovoid in lateral, dorsal, and ventral views. Oral disc is ventral with lateral emarginations, surrounded by a single row of marginal papillae with a large gap on the upper labium. Labial tooth row formula is 2(2)/3(1). The analysis of internal oral anatomy revealed two possible characters that readily distinguish P. renalis from P. boiei, supporting the recent ressurection of P. renalis. Comparisons with available descriptions of the larvae for other species in the …

Beobachtungen Zu Unterscheidungsmerkmalen An Equidenschädeln, Speziell Zwischen Denen Von Mongolischen Dschiggetai Und Pferden, Roland Müller, Joachim Wussow

Erforschung biologischer Ressourcen der Mongolei / Exploration into the Biological Resources of Mongolia, ISSN 0440-1298

First paragraph:

Von STUBBE et.al. wurden zwischen 2001 und 2004 in der Südmongolei ca. 400 Schädel des Dschiggetai (Equus hemionus hemionus) gesammelt.

Estimates Of Toad Headed Agama Density In Three Steppe Habitats Of Mongolia, James Murdoch, Buyandelger Suuri, Richard P. Reading

Erforschung biologischer Ressourcen der Mongolei / Exploration into the Biological Resources of Mongolia, ISSN 0440-1298

The toad headed agama (Phrynocephalus versicolor) ranges across the arid steppe regions of southern and western Mongolia and represents one of the most common reptiles in the country. However, few details of the species’ population characteristics exist, which may be important for evaluating population trends and assessing its conservation status. We estimated toad headed agama density in Ikh Nart Nature Reserve, Mongolia based on surveys conducted in the summers (June-September) of 2005, 2006, 2008, and 2009. We conducted surveys in three steppe habitats including tall grassland (n = 7), shrub-steppe (n = 7), and semi-shrub steppe …

Beitrag Zur Säugetierfauna Des Staatlichen Naturschutzgebietes Azas In Tyva/Südsibirien = Contributions To Fauna And Ecology Of Small Mammals Of State Nature Reserve “Azas” In The Republic Of Tyva /South Siberia, Annegret Stubbe, Michael Stubbe, V. V. Unžakov, A. P. Saveljev, N. I. Putincev, W. Stubbe

Erforschung biologischer Ressourcen der Mongolei / Exploration into the Biological Resources of Mongolia, ISSN 0440-1298

During 1988-2004 Russian and German biologists carried out a research of biodiversity of the mountain taiga within the territory of State Nature Reserve “Azas” (Republic of Tyva/Russia). Along with executing the main task – studying and development of an aboriginal population of Tuvinian beavers Castor fiber tuvinicus – materials on the fauna of small mammals of the Todzha kettle were collected. On the basis of samples (about 550 collected micromammals) information on the occurrence, reproduction and morphometric characteristics of four species of Insectivora, six species of Chiroptera and eleven species of small Rodentia inhabiting the territory of the reserve “Azas” …

Temporal Dynamics Of Group Size And Sexual Segregation In Ibex, N. J. Singh, S. Amgalanbaatar, Richard P. Reading

Erforschung biologischer Ressourcen der Mongolei / Exploration into the Biological Resources of Mongolia, ISSN 0440-1298

Group size is an important variable describing behavioral ecology of animals. A variety of factors such as habitat characteristics, life history, spatio-temporal resource dynamics, population density, predation risk, competition with kin, and social learning often determine group size in large mammals. We studied temporal dynamics of group size in Siberian ibex (Capra sibirica) in a protected area in Mongolia. We measured monthly and yearly variations in typical group size and used the sexual segregation and aggregation statistic to assess sexual segregation. Ibex formed the largest groups in November and smallest groups in July. However, group sizes did not …

Characteristics Of Mongolian Wild Ass Hooves (Equus Hemionus Hemionus), Jan Gahsche, Michael Stubbe, Matthias Oppermann, N. Batsajchan, Annegret Stubbe

Erforschung biologischer Ressourcen der Mongolei / Exploration into the Biological Resources of Mongolia, ISSN 0440-1298

Measurements of hoof angles, hoof length, toe length, etc., and non-metrical hoof characters of Mongolian Wild Ass carcasses collected in in the South Gobi and in Bordzongijn-Gobi desert are presented. Khulan hooves are flat, wide and look big in relation to the animal’s dimensions. Remarkably is the wide variability in size, angles, in non metric characteristics like shape, color and the occurrence of particularly prolonged hoof wall and flaring walls. For example, toe angles are 52° for front and 54° for hind hooves on average. This measures and the suggested graphical model of the „ideal hoof shape“ can assist to …

Brutareale Und Brutbiologie Der Greifvogelarten Der Mongolei = Grid Mapping And Breeding Ecology Of Raptors In Mongolia, Michael Stubbe, Annegret Stubbe, Nayamsuren Batsaikhan, Sundev Gombobaatar, T. Stenzel, H. Von Wehrden, Sh. Boldbaatar, B. Nayambayar, D. Sumjaa, Ravčigijn Samjaa, N. Ceveenmjadag, A. Bold

Erforschung biologischer Ressourcen der Mongolei / Exploration into the Biological Resources of Mongolia, ISSN 0440-1298

This work summarizes the longtime ecological research of the German-Mongolian scientific cooperation regarding biodiversity studies in Central Asia, focusing on native raptor species (Aves: Falconiformes). There is included a short overview on the history of raptor research in Mongolia. One of the primary goals was the creation of distribution maps of breeding records based on definitive time and space coordinates. Additional data on the breeding biology amend the distribution data. Currently 43 raptor species are recorded for Mongolia. Whenever possible were also incorporated data from adjacent regions of Mongolia (China, Tuva, Burjatia, Pribaikalia), in order to embed the avifauna of …

Betr.: Schutz Des Wildesels/Kulans (Equus H. Hemionus) In Der Mongolei [Letter], Annegret Stubbe, Michael Stubbe

Erforschung biologischer Ressourcen der Mongolei / Exploration into the Biological Resources of Mongolia, ISSN 0440-1298

Letter to R. Grube of Deutschen Bahn AG in Berlin, Germany, asking for dispensation as the authors attempted to relocate a herd of wild asses (Equus h. hemionus) from a site in Mongolia where they would in harm's way due to development.

Water Use Of Asiatic Wild Asses In The Mongolian Gobi, Petra Kaczensky, V. Dresley, D. Vetter, H. Otgonbayar, C. Walzer

Erforschung biologischer Ressourcen der Mongolei / Exploration into the Biological Resources of Mongolia, ISSN 0440-1298

Water is a key resource for most large bodied mammals in the world’s arid areas. With the growing human population, access to water for wildlife often becomes compromised. Equids are typical inhabitants of semi-arid to arid rangelands and need regular access to fresh water. However, their water needs are difficult to study under free-ranging conditions. In this study we investigated Asiatic wild ass (Equus hemionus) use of permanent water points in the Great Gobi B Strictly Protected Area (SPA) in south-western Mongolia. We combined observational data from one specific water point with high frequency GPS location data from …

The Use Of High Frequency Gps Data To Classify Main Behavioural Categories In A Przewalski’S Horse In The Mongolian Gobi, Petra Kaczensky, Klaus Huber

Erforschung biologischer Ressourcen der Mongolei / Exploration into the Biological Resources of Mongolia, ISSN 0440-1298

Behavioral observations of free ranging animals can provide important insight into many aspects of their biology but are not without problems. The recent development of GPS technology allows to remotely collect high precision location data at fixed intervals. We tested whether it is possible to classify the behavior of a Przewalski’s horse in the Mongolian Gobi into Resting, Grazing and Moving based on GPS locations collected at 15 minute intervals by comparing GPS data with direct observations. Although behavioral categories lasting for 15 minutes could by fairly reliably separated based on the distances covered between successive fixes, almost half the …

The Institute For Raptor Studies Expeditions In Mongolia, 1994-2000, David H. Ellis

Erforschung biologischer Ressourcen der Mongolei / Exploration into the Biological Resources of Mongolia, ISSN 0440-1298

In 1994, 1995, 1997, 1998, and 2000, I led small teams of biologists across Mongolia in search of Saker falcon (Falco cherrug Gray) and golden eagle (Aquila chrysaetos) eyries. We also counted raptors along our march route during the first three years. These expeditions documented: (1) occupancy and productivity rates, and described eyrie sites, for Saker falcons (150 territories, 182 eyries) and golden eagles (27 known breeding territories), (2) mortality of Sakers and ipland buzzards (Buteo hemilasius) due to entanglement with trash in nests and loss of golden eagle eggs due to concealment by trash in nests, …

Current State Of Ixodidae Research In Mongolia, Daniel Kiefer, K. Pfister, D. Tserennorov, G. Bolormaa, D. Otgonbaatar, Ravčigijn Samjaa, E. G. Burmeister, Mathias S. Kiefer

Erforschung biologischer Ressourcen der Mongolei / Exploration into the Biological Resources of Mongolia, ISSN 0440-1298

Our research presents the Ixodidae-fauna in Mongolia. The current taxonomic state in Mongolia shows 19 Ixodidae taxa extracted in 308 locations from 115 bird and mammal species. In 1980, the species Ixodes persulcatus SCHULZE, 1930 and Ixodes berlesei Birula, 1895 were detected in Inget Tolgoi and Ixodes laguri OLENEV, 1929 on Meriones unguiculatus 10 km southeast of Ulaanbaatar for the first time. In 2000 the species Haemaphysalis concinna Koch, 1844 was detected in the Selenge-river area and Argas (Argas) vulgaris FILIPPOVA, 1961 was detected in the Gobi area. From the collection of M. and A. STUBBE 1 N …

Evidence Of Pachyostosis In The Cryptocleidoid Plesiosaur Tatenectes Laramiensis From The Sundance Formation Of Wyoming, Hallie P. Street, F. Robin O’Keefe

Biological Sciences Faculty Research

In this paper we present evidence for pachyostosis in the cryptocleidoid plesiosaur Tatenectes laramiensis Knight, 1900 (O'Keefe and Wahl, 2003a). Pachyostosis is not common in plesiosaurs and is particularly rare in non-pliosaurian plesiosaurs, although enlarged gastralia were first recognized in Tatenectes by Wahl (1999). This study aims to investigate the nature of the disproportionately large gastralia of Tatenectes m greater depth, based on new material. A recently discovered partial skeleton consisting of a dorsal vertebral series, ribs, gastralia, and a complete pelvic girdle was collected from the Jurassic-aged Sundance Formation of the Bighorn Basin in Wyoming during the summer of …

Sex, Mixability, And Modularity, Adi Livnat, Christos Papadimitriou, Nicholas Pippenger, Marcus W. Feldman

All HMC Faculty Publications and Research

The assumption that different genetic elements can make separate contributions to the same quantitative trait was originally made in order to reconcile biometry and Mendelism and ever since has been used in population genetics, specifically for the trait of fitness. Here we show that sex is responsible for the existence of separate genetic effects on fitness and, more generally, for the existence of a hierarchy of genetic evolutionary modules. Using the tools developed in the process, we also demonstrate that in terms of their fitness effects, separation and fusion of genes are associated with the increase and decrease of the …

Figs, Wasps, Gophers, And Lice: A Computational Exploration Of Coevolution, Ran Libeskind-Hadas

All HMC Faculty Publications and Research

This chapter explores the topic of coevolution: the genetic change in one species in response to the change in another. For example, in some cases, a parasite species might evolve to specialize with its host species. In other cases, the relationship between two species may be mutually beneficial and coevolution may serve to strengthen the benefits of that relationship.

Cognitive Representation In Transitive Inference: A Comparison Of Four Corvid Species, Alan B. Bond, Cynthia A. Wei, Alan C. Kamil

Alan Bond Publications

During operant transitive inference experiments, subjects are trained on adjacent stimulus pairs in an implicit linear hierarchy in which responses to higher ranked stimuli are rewarded. Two contrasting forms of cognitive representation are often used to explain resulting choice behavior. Associative representation is based on memory for the reward history of each stimulus. Relational representation depends on memory for the context in which stimuli have been presented. Natural history characteristics that require accurate configural memory, such as social complexity or reliance on cached food, should tend to promote greater use of relational representation. To test this hypothesis, four corvid species …

The Influence Of Environmental Settings On The Distribution Of Invasive Species, David Bercaw, Nora Dougherty, William Sees

Deer and Non-native Invasive Plant Impact Study Documents

No abstract provided.

Pollen Interception By Linyphiid Spiders In A Corn Agroecosystem: Implications For Dietary Diversification And Risk-Assessment, Julie A. Peterson, Susan Romero, James D. Harwood

West Central Research and Extension Center, North Platte

Dietary diversification, including consumption of plant tissues such as pollen, can enhance the fecundity of generalist predators, resulting in improved control of pest prey. Supplemental pollen feeding has been observed in many natural enemies, including sheet-web spiders (Araneae: Linyphiidae), which represent a major component of food webs in agroecosystems. Their horizontal, ground-based webs have the potential to intercept pollen grains during anthesis of crop plants, providing the opportunity for consumption of pollen to occur. In laboratory feeding trials, Frontinella communis and Tennesseellum formicum (Araneae: Linyphiidae) readily fed on pollen grains dusted on their webs, with 82 and 92% of spiders …

Diversity Of Interactions: A Metric For Studies Of Biodiversity, Lee A. Dyer, Thomas R. Walla, Harold F. Greeney, John O. Stireman Iii, Rebecca F. Hazen

Biological Sciences Faculty Publications

Multitrophic interactions play key roles in the origin and maintenance of species diversity, and the study of these interactions has contributed to important theoretical advances in ecology and evolutionary biology. Nevertheless, most biodiversity inventories focus on static species lists, and prominent theories of diversity still ignore trophic interactions. The lack of a simple interaction metric that is analogous to species richness is one reason why diversity of interactions is not examined as a response or predictor variable in diversity studies. Using plant-herbivore-enemy trophic chains as an example, we develop a simple metric of diversity in which richness, diversity indices (e.g., …

Assessing Genetic Differentiation Among Populations Of The Invasive Plant Impatiens Glandulifera In Maine, Jordan R. Schoonover

Honors Theses

The annual herbaceous plant Impatiens glandulifera Royle is native to the Himalayas and is a significant invasive species in Europe. In the past century, it was introduced to the United States, where it has become established in 12 states. This study evaluated genetic differentiation among four Maine populations, to address a theory that posits hybridization of distinct lineages as a trigger for invasiveness. Regions of microsatellite repeats were evaluated at two polymorphic loci for 41 plants sampled from the four populations. A striking finding was that the observed heterozygosity was substantially higher than the heterozygosity expected from random combination of …

Native Species Interactions With Red Brome: Suggestions For Burn-Area Revegetation, Scott R. Abella

Public Policy and Leadership Faculty Research

In deserts, native perennial plants often actually facilitate the establishment of exotic annual grasses. One of our focal areas of research is to identify native species for use in revegetation projects that reduce the establishment of exotic annual grasses, or at least do not strongly facilitate exotic species establishment. An initial research effort involving a competition experiment of red brome with native species and a correlational field study of brome distribution among native perennial plants is in press with the journal Invasive Plant Science and Management.

Trying To Beat The Brome: Understanding Establishment Thresholds And Choosing Competitive Native Species At Parashant National Monument, Scott R. Abella, E. Cayenne Engel

Public Policy and Leadership Faculty Research

Desert fires fueled by exotic grasses like the omnipresent red brome (Bromus rubens) can be intense and cause widespread mortality of native vegetation. Native desert scrub communities such as those dominated by blackbrush (Coleogyne ramosissima) do not readily reestablish after fire (Abella 2009) and may even become more abundant in the post-burn landscape initiating a fire cycle that occurs at a greater frequency than the recovery time of the long-lived desert perennial community.

Mojave Applied Ecology Notes Winter 2010, Scott R. Abella, E. Cayenne Engel

Mojave Applied Ecology Notes

Native species interactions with red brome (Bromus rubens), undergraduate and graduate programs at UNLV, what’s growing in the greenhouse?