Ecology and Evolutionary Biology Commons^™

Effects Of Landscape Disturbances On Autotrophic Processes Within Arkansas Ozark Streams, Bradley J. Austin

Graduate Theses and Dissertations

Land-use change is one of the most widespread human impacts and can influence abiotic and biotic processes within surrounding streams. For example, streams in agricultural and urban watersheds receive greater light and nutrient inputs that can promote increased algal growth and primary production. Natural gas (NG) infrastructure development, a recent land use change in many regions, may also stimulate forested stream primary production, by reducing forest cover and increasing sediments and nutrient transport. I sampled streams across a NG activity gradient for algal biomass and gross primary production (GPP) to assess potential effects of this emerging land-use type. Algal biomass …

Distribution Of The Egyptian Goose (Alopochen Aegyptiacus) In Northwestern Arkansas And In The United States Of America, Cameron Chesbro

Graduate Theses and Dissertations

The Egyptian Goose (Alopochen aegyptiacus) is an exotic member of the Anatidae that has been residing in northwestern Arkansas since the 1980s (Smith and James 2012). Following the discovery of Egyptian Geese in the area, not much attention has been given to the consequences of population increase. The Egyptian Goose has shown many diverse population growth patterns in areas where it has been introduced and started feral populations. The purpose of this study was to assess the current population size of the Egyptian Goose in northwestern Arkansas,and confirm successful breeding. The methods used in this study included conducting road surveys …

Improving Production Efficiency Of Beef Cow-Calf Operations, Amanda Jo Davis

Graduate Theses and Dissertations

Three studies were conducted to improve and incorporate reproductive management practices into beef cow-calf production. First study evaluated serial use of Estrotect estrous detection patches as a simple, cost-effective reproductive management tool to identify cyclic animals before breeding, distinguish between females conceiving to AI versus natural service, and determine seasonal pregnancy rate after bull removal. Also determined, was effectiveness of altered timing of GnRH treatment (1 d ± CIDR removal) in a modified 14-d CIDR-Select Synch protocol. When evaluated over a 4-wk period, estrous detection patches correctly (P < 0.01) identified 79% of cyclic and 86% of non-cyclic heifers. Patches were 96 and 98% accurate in identifying heifers and cows pregnant by AI, respectively, and were 76 and 87% accurate in identifying pregnant heifers and cows at the end of the breeding season (P < 0.01). Treatment with GnRH at CIDR removal reduced labor costs and animal handling without compromising estrous response (both ~63.0%) and AI pregnancy rates (~76 and 77%; P > 0.1). Second study determined if addition of PGF2alpha treatment on d 7 …

A Systematic Review Of The Soricimorph Eulipotyphla (Soricidae: Mammalia) From The Gray Fossil Site (Hemphillian), Tennessee, Joshua Doby

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

Due in part to the incompleteness of the Cenozoic fossil record in the eastern U.S., the evolution and immigration of shrews (Soricidae) is not well understood. A rich soricid fauna from the Gray Fossil Site (GFS), Washington County, TN, has enabled many new inferences to be made. There are 7 new species in 6 genera: Paenelimnoecus, “Blarinella”, Petenyia, Tregosorex, Crusafontina, and Gen et sp. nov. GFS species of the genera Paenelimnoecus, “Blarinella”, and Petenyia are the first occurrence of each genus in the New World. Tregosorex, Crusafontina, and the N.A. taxon Limnoecus all have their latest documented occurrence at the …

The Evolution Of Body Size In The Order Siluriformes, D Cooper Campbell

Honors Theses

The evolution of body size has long been a topic of interest to biologists due to the close link between size and various aspects of an organism’s biology. Adult body size is influenced by the underlying tradeoff in energy allocation between maintenance, somatic growth and reproduction. I studied the evolution of a large group of globally distributed (primarily freshwater with some marine forms) fishes to test some basic hypotheses about the evolution of adult body size. Catfish (Siluriformes) are an excellent group for this type of research as they represent approximately 11% of fishes and species range in size from …

Grass-Shrub Spatial Associations Over Precipitation And Grazing Gradients In The Great Basin, Usa, Maike F. Holthuijzen

All Graduate Theses and Dissertations, Spring 1920 to Summer 2023

As environmental stress increases, positive plant interactions dominate, resulting in clumped, plant-plant spatial patterns. Positive plant-plant interactions have received more attention in recent years due to their importance to the structure and function of arid ecosystems. Certain plants (nurses), provide benefits that help neighboring plants grow or survive.

I investigated spatial associations between Wyoming big sagebrush (Artemisia tridentata ssp. wyomingensis) and three native grasses (Poa secunda, Elymus elymoides, and Pseudoroegnaria spicata) across a rainfall gradient in the Great Basin, USA. We also explored the effect of grazing on grass-shrub spatial patterns. I hypothesized that positive …

Factors Influencing The Ecology Of Greater Sage-Grouse Inhabiting The Bear Lake Plateau And Valley, Idaho And Utah, Casey J. Cardinal

All Graduate Theses and Dissertations, Spring 1920 to Summer 2023

Greater sage-grouse (Centrocercus urophasianus; sage-grouse) are a sagebrush obligate species and as such an indicator of sagebrush (Artemisia spp.) habitat quality and quantity. Sage-grouse populations have declined across western North America. This decline has been attributed to habitat loss and degradation of the sagebrush ecosystem. To determine factors that may cause localized declines in sage-grouse populations, managers may need site-specific information on the ecology and habitat use patterns of meta-populations. This information is currently lacking for sage-grouse populations that inhabit the Bear Lake Plateau and Valley (BLPV), encompassing parts of Idaho, Utah and Wyoming. I captured, radio-marked …

Parasite Infection Mediates Trait Tradeoffs In Fundulus Heteroclitus, Sarah Dunn

Honors College Theses

To be successful, an animal must eat, grow, and reproduce. With limited resources, there are tradeoffs between these critical life history parameters but the direction of the tradeoffs is largely unknown in a changing environment. To determine whether environmental context affects life-history tradeoffs, I surveyed and quantified investment into reproduction, growth, and a proxy for immunity (parasitism), in the mummichog, Fundulus heteroclitus, a common inhabitant of salt marshes in Georgia. Three salt marsh sites along coastal Georgia (Shellman Bluff, Skidaway Island, and Tybee Island) were selected using a proxy for anthropogenic disturbance (impervious surface), which also fell along a …

New Upstream Records For Fishes Following Dam Removal In The Cahaba River, Alabama, Micah G. Bennett, J. Heath Howell, Bernard R. Kuhajda, Paul L. Freeman

Southeastern Fishes Council Proceedings

Population fragmentation by dams of all sizes is a major threat to biodiversity in running waters. Dam removal has become an increasingly popular tool among conservation practitioners because of its potential benefits to aquatic organisms and ecosystems. During fish monitoring following removal of a small run-of-river dam on the Cahaba River, we documented new upstream records between 8 months and 2 years post-removal for five species: Stargazer Shiner, Notropis uranoscopus; River Redhorse, Moxostoma carinatum; Southern Sand Darter, Ammocrypta meridiana; Freckled Darter, Percina lenticula; River Darter, P. shumardi. These new records suggest that the former dam may …

Non-Adaptive Phentypic Plasticity: Morphology, But Not Swim Speed, Of Spotted Salamander Larvae Is Affected By "Terrestrial" And "Aquatic" Herbicides, Mitchell Schooler

Mahurin Honors College Capstone Experience/Thesis Projects

1. Phenotypic plasticity, although ubiquitous, may not always be advantageous. In cases where individuals expressing an induced phenotype outperform non-induced individuals, the phenotypic plasticity is considered adaptive. Conversely, if the individuals with an induced phenotype underperform relative to non-induced individuals, then the plasticity is maladaptive. A final possibility is that both induced and non-induced individuals perform equally well (or poorly). This would be a case of non-adaptive (i.e. neutral) phenotypic plasticity.
2. We investigated the mode of phenotypic plasticity induced by four glyphosate-based herbicides in larvae of the spotted salamander, Ambystoma maculatum (Shaw, 1802), by determining whether the herbicides induced different morphologies, …

The Ecology Of Phenotypic Plasticity In The Cabbage White Butterfly, Pieris Rapae, Isabella Thompson Lambert

Undergraduate Honors Thesis Collection

Phenotypic plasticity is the ability of an organism to alter its expressed phenotype in response to the environment in which it develops. There are many different environmental factors that can influence the phenotype of organisms such as photoperiod, temperature, mechanical strain, as well as nutrient availability (Stoehr and Goux 2008; Schneider et al. 2014). Adaptive plasticity allows organisms to cope with varying and complex environments and changing conditions. Along with these factors, the effects of changing environments caused from habitat alterations or climate change need to be studied more in depth. Understanding the ecology of plastic organisms is important for …

Analysis Of The Diets Of The Northern Spotted Owl And Barred Owl, Valeria Briones

Scholarly and Creative Works Conference (2015 - 2021)

The Northern Spotted Owl, a once thriving species is now a threatened species and on the verge of endangerment. The Barred Owl, a species native to the eastern United States over the past few centuries has expanded its range into that of the Northern Spotted Owl, causing a major threat to the Northern Spotted Owl Populations. This paper is a synthesis of the existing literature of the diets of the Northern Spotted Owl and Barred Owl individually as well as in areas in which they occur sympatrically. With this summary of literature, the reader can gain an understanding of the …

How Does The Exploitation And Degradation Of Finite Natural Resources By Industrial Oil Producers Effect Our Future Planetary Environment?, Zachary J. King Mr.

Symposium of Student Scholars

Zachary King

Dr. Tu

26 March 2015

GEOG 3700

Abstract

The purpose of this presentation is to communicate content of the reports given by credible institution on the degradation and exploitation of finite natural resources by corporate institutions, for short term financial gain, and how it will effect the future planetary environment. Methods used in obtaining this research range from point source observation directly from oil spills in the Gulf or pipe leaks in the Mid-West, to analytical and numerical data quantifications gathered over a period of two decades. This presentation encompasses a wide scope of information concerning the way …

Some Agreement On Kin Selection And Eusociality?, David C. Queller, Stephen Rong, Xiaoyun Liao

Biology Faculty Research

The authors of "Relatedness, Conflict, and the Evolution of Eusociality" respond to objections raised by Martin Nowak and Benjamin Allen.

Analysis Of Sediment Reveals An Ecological "Regime Change" In Lake Hilary, Toni R. Gohman, Emily K. Kiolbasa

Celebrating Scholarship & Creativity Day (2011-2017)

Lake sediments contain excellent records of both fossils and component minerals that can be used to reconstruct regional ecological history. To complement ongoing studies of Lake Hilary’s pollen and macrofossils, we constructed a high-resolution record of the organic matter, carbonate, and non-carbonate mineral fractions of the lake’s sediment. The organic fraction is a proxy for the biological productivity of the pelagic, littoral, and shoreline of the lake. Non-carbonate minerals can evince erosion and subsequent aerial or fluvial deposition. Carbonate deposition can be related to lake productivity and chemical weathering in the surrounding watershed. We sought to compare our sediment record …

Two New Euscorpius Species From Central-Western Greece (Scorpiones: Euscorpiidae), Gioele Tropea, Victor Fet

Euscorpius

Two new Euscorpius species are described, based on specimens collected by P.M. Giachino & D. Vailati in central-western Greece in neighboring Aitoloakarnania (Western Greece) and Fokida (Central Greece) regional units. No Euscorpius specimens were previously available from this area. The first new species, Euscorpius giachinoi sp. n., is very similar to a recently described E. birulai Fet et al., 2014 from Euboea Island, and is also characterized by a low trichobothrial count (Pv = 7, et = 5), a low pectinal teeth count (Dp = 7 in males, 6 in females), and long-limbed features. The second species, …

Switching Tactics: Phenotypic Plasticity In The Alternative Mate-Finding Tactics Of Burying Beetles, Theresa Mulrey

Theses and Dissertations

Male Nicrophorus burying beetles utilize two alternative mate-finding tactics, representing an ideal model system to test the influence of environmental cues on the expression of alternative tactics. The "searching" tactic involves flying in search of a carcass on which to mate. This tactic can result in high levels of paternity, but is risky in that carcasses are rare and competition for carcasses is fierce. The "signaling" tactic, which involves emitting pheromone in the absence of a carcass to attract females, is energetically less costly, but a signalling male must mate with multiple females to achieve the same reproductive returns as …

Ecosystem Resistance In The Face Of Climate Change: A Case Study From The Freshwater Marshes Of The Florida Everglades, Sparkle L. Malone, Cynthia Keough, Christina L. Staudhammer, Michael G. Ryan, William J. Parton, Paulo Olivas, Steven F. Overbauer, Jessica L. Schedlbauer, Gregory Starr

Biology Faculty Publications

No abstract provided.

Manipulation Of Same Sex Social Pair Bonds In Budgerigars, Melopsittacus Undulatus, Amanda M. Stilwell

Undergraduate Distinction Papers

Same sex pair bonding can be found throughout various animal species. These relationships can be common in monogamous species, especially when there is a lack of members of the opposite sex. Budgerigars, Melopsittacus undulatus, are a socially monogamous species, which create strong pair bonds but are also known to engage in extra pair copulations. When looking at an all-male flock of budgerigars, the question arises, are these bonds easily broken or disrupted by a third party individual. After determining seven pair bonds in a flock of 32 males, these pairs were removed from an aviary and placed in separate …

Intestinal Parasite Loads Of Minnows In Eastern Kentucky Streams, Seth H. Bromagen

Morehead State Theses and Dissertations

A Thesis Presented to the Faculty of the College of Science and Technology Morehead State University in Partial Fulfillment of the Requirements for the Degree Master of Science by Seth H. Bromagen on April 13, 2015.

Phylogenetically Novel Species Are More Successful Due To High Competitive Ability At Local And Regional Scales, Amy C. Patterson

Undergraduate Research Symposium Posters

Invasive species are widely considered to be a major threat to native biodiversity, however some studies suggest that exotic species seldom cause the extinction of native species, and may even increase biodiversity at some spatial scales. This leads to the question of whether exotic plant species that have naturalized to a new range are biologically distinct from their native counterparts. Here, we chose one common native and one common exotic plant species from each of five plant families, and evaluated their growth over one growing season for two proposed mechanisms of biological invasion. We evaluated the Enemy Release Hypothesis (ERH), …

Climate And Changing Winter Distribution Of Alcids In The Northwest Atlantic, Richard R. Veit, Lisa L. Manne

Publications and Research

Population level impacts upon seabirds from changing climate are increasingly evident, and include effects on phenology, migration, dispersal, annual survivorship, and reproduction. Most population data on seabirds derive from nesting colonies; documented climate impacts on winter ecology are scarce. We studied interannual variability in winter abundance of six species of alcids (Charadriiformes, Alcidae) from a 58-year time series of data collected in Massachusetts 1954–2011. We used counts of birds taken during fall and winter from coastal vantage points. Counts were made by amateur birders, but coverage was consistent in timing and location. We found significant association between winter abundance of …

Poster Panel: Dr. Jane Claire Dirks-Edmunds, Samantha Noelle Hilton

Jane Claire Dirks-Edmunds Exhibit

This poster panel was part of the Dr. Jane Claire Dirks-Edmunds exhibit that was on display at Linfield College's Jereld R. Nicholson Library in April and May of 2015. The display was put together by Linfield student and archives technician Samantha Hilton. This poster panel provides a short overview of Dr. Dirks-Edmunds's biography.

Dr. Dirks-Edmunds graduated from Linfield College in 1937; she returned to teach in the Biology department from 1941-1974.

Poster Panel: The Collection, Samantha Noelle Hilton

Jane Claire Dirks-Edmunds Exhibit

This poster panel was part of the Dr. Jane Claire Dirks-Edmunds exhibit that was on display at Linfield College's Jereld R. Nicholson Library in April and May of 2015. The display was put together by student and archives technician Samantha Hilton. This poster panel provides a short overview of the collection, known as the Dr. Jane Claire Dirks-Edmunds Papers.

Dr. Dirks-Edmunds graduated from Linfield College in 1937; she returned to teach in the Biology department from 1941-1974.

Is There Specificity In A Defensive Mutualism Against Soil Versus Lab Nematodes, Dictyostelium Discoideum Farmers And Their Bacteria?, Boahemaa Adu-Oppong,, David C. Queller, Joan E. Strassmann

Biology Faculty Research

Background: The social amoeba Dictyostelium discoideum is a soil-dwelling microbe, which lives most of its life cycle in the vegetative stage as a predator of bacteria and as prey for nematodes. When bacteria are sparse, amoebae aggregate into a multicellular fruiting body. Some clones of D. discoideum have agriculture (Brock et al., 2011). They carry bacteria through the social stage, eat them prudently, and use some bacteria as defence against non-farming D. discoideum competitors. Caenorhabditis elegans preys on D. discoideum in the laboratory but does not encounter it in nature because C. elegans lives on rotten fruit. The nematode …

Hatching Asynchrony In European Starlings ( Sturnus Vulgaris ), Jason Hanser

Theses and Dissertations

Across a wide range of avian taxa, eggs within clutches hatch asynchronously, placing later hatched nestlings at a disadvantage. Here, we explore the proximate and ultimate causes of hatching asynchrony within European starlings, Sturnus vulgaris. Specifically, we investigate the effect of ambient temperature on egg viability and incubation behavior prior to clutch completion. Additionally, we examine the potential for storage time and maternally-deposited yolk testosterone to influence rates of embryonic development and hatching patterns within European starlings.

Isotopic Incorporation Rates And Discrimination Factors In Mantis Shrimp Crustaceans., Maya Devries, Carlos Del Rio, Tate Tunstall, Todd Dawson

Faculty Publications, Biological Sciences

Stable isotope analysis has provided insights into the trophic ecology of a wide diversity of animals. Knowledge about isotopic incorporation rates and isotopic discrimination between the consumer and its diet for different tissue types is essential for interpreting stable isotope data, but these parameters remain understudied in many animal taxa and particularly in aquatic invertebrates. We performed a 292-day diet shift experiment on 92 individuals of the predatory mantis shrimp, Neogonodactylus bredini, to quantify carbon and nitrogen incorporation rates and isotope discrimination factors in muscle and hemolymph tissues. Average isotopic discrimination factors between mantis shrimp muscle and the new diet …

Early Successional Microhabitats Allow The Persistence Of Endangered Plants In Coastal Sand Dunes, Eleanor A. Pardini, Kyle E. Vickstrom, Tiffany M. Knight

Biology Faculty Research

Many species are adapted to disturbance and occur within dynamic, mosaic landscapes that contain early and late successional microhabitats. Human modification of disturbance regimes alters the availability of microhabitats and may affect the viability of species in these ecosystems. Because restoring historical disturbance regimes is typically expensive and requires action at large spatial scales, such restoration projects must be justified by linking the persistence of species with successional microhabitats. Coastal sand dune ecosystems worldwide are characterized by their endemic biodiversity and frequent disturbance. Dune-stabilizing invasive plants alter successional dynamics and may threaten species in these ecosystems. We examined the distribution …

Long-Term Plant Responses To Climate Are Moderated By Biophysical Attributes In A North American Desert, S M. Munson, R H. Webb, D C. Housman, Kari E. Veblen, K E. Nussear, E A. Beever, K B. Hartney, M N. Miriti, S L. Phillips, R E. Fulton, N G. Tallent

Wildland Resources Faculty Publications

Recent elevated temperatures and prolonged droughts in many already water-limited regions throughout the world, including the southwestern United States, are likely to intensify according to future climate-model projections. This warming and drying can negatively affect perennial vegetation and lead to the degradation of ecosystem properties. To better understand these detrimental effects, we formulate a conceptual model of dryland ecosystem vulnerability to climate change that integrates hypotheses on how plant species will respond to increases in temperature and drought, including how plant responses to climate are modified by landscape, soil and plant attributes that are integral to water availability and use. …

Ficus Sp. Y La Frugivoría: Una Investigación Sobre Un Recurso Importante Para Las Aves En El Bosque Nublado Occidental Del Ecuador, Hilary Niles

Independent Study Project (ISP) Collection

Ocho plantas fructíferas de Ficus sp. (Moraceae) fueron monitoreadas durante 16 días en la reserva La Hesperia en el bosque nublado al oeste del Ecuador; esto con el objetivo de entender mejor los patrones de la frugivoría aviar y la relación entre las aves y el género Ficus. Se observaron aves durante el 70.8% de las visitas de observación, en las que se registraron 326 individuos, 28 especies, y 7 familias comiendo la fruta de las plantas de Ficus. La mayoría (74.5%) de las aves observadas perteneció a la familia Thraupidae, siendo las dos especies predominantes Tangara gyrola …