Ecology and Evolutionary Biology Commons^™

Active Humans, Inactive Carnivores, And Hiking Trails Within A Suburban Preserve, Sonny Bandak, Ronald J. Sarno, Michaela C. Peterson, Daniel Farkas, Melissa M. Grigione

Suburban Sustainability

As urban areas continue to proliferate, so does the demand for outdoor recreation. Hiking trails permeate almost all remaining forest fragments within highly urbanized areas. The effects of hiking trails on carnivores remain unclear, especially in the northeastern United States. Therefore, our objectives were to investigate the spatial and temporal activity patterns of mammalian carnivores in relation to distance from hiking trails. From 2011-2012, 236 camera stations were randomly deployed between trail and off-trail areas that covered an area of 4.8km². A total of 3880 trap nights yielded 346 coyote (Canis latrans), 371 raccoon (Procyon …

A New Species Of Vaejovis From Mingus Mountain, Northern Arizona (Scorpiones: Vaejovidae), Richard F. Ayrey

Euscorpius

A new scorpion species, Vaejovis elii sp. n., is described. This small, dark brown species is found on Mingus Mountain, Yavapai County, northern Arizona, USA. It is geographically closest to V. crumpi Ayrey & Soleglad. We compare it to that species and two other species found in northern Arizona. The pedipalp fixed finger has 6 ID denticles and the movable finger has 7, like in most, but not all, of the other northern Arizona Vaejovis. Carapace of female is longer than metasomal segment V.

The Ecology And Conservation Of An Urban Karst Subterranean Estuary, Robert J. Scharping

USF Tampa Graduate Theses and Dissertations

Sulphur Springs is an artesian spring and part of the limestone karst topography of metropolitan Tampa, Florida, USA. Underlying this spring is an extensive cave system that hosts saltwater vents and conspicuous microbial biofilm communities. For decades, water from Sulphur Springs has been extracted and used to supplement public water supply and dry season flows in the Hillsborough River Estuary. This dissertation describes research conducted at Sulphur Springs to determine the impacts of urban land use on the underlying cave and downstream estuary ecosystems, and presents the use of this system as a model to fill certain ecological knowledge gaps. …

A Demographic Model Of An Endangered Florida Native Bromeliad (Tillandsia Utriculata), Zoe S. Brookover, Alexandra M. Campbell, Brian D. Christman, Sydney L. Davis, Erin N. Bodine

Spora: A Journal of Biomathematics

The large, long-lived, epiphytic bromeliad Tillandsia utriculata is currently listed as state-endangered in Florida due to significant population reduction from predation by an invasive weevil, Metamasius callizona. We have developed a novel demographic model of a population of T. utriculata in Myakka River State Park (MRSP) in Sarasota, Florida using a stage-structured matrix model. Analysis of the model revealed conditions for population viability over a variety of parameter scenarios. Model analysis showed that without weevil predation the minimum germination rate required for population viability is low (4–16%), and that given a viable population at structural equilibrium we would expect …

Friendship At The Feeding Station, Anisha Pokharel

Zea E-Books Collection

A young steppe eagle and his mother fly to Nepal from Mongolia, where Griffy, a Himalayan griffon, chases the hungry Steppe from the feeding station, but Garuda, a white-rumped vulture, intervenes and becomes Steppe's friend. Steppe's mother is angered at first, but learns the lesson that each species has its role to play.

Designed by Breanna Epp with Maeve Lausch

Diatom Voucher Flora And Comparison Of Collection Methods For Biodiversity Hotspot Upper Three Runs Creek, Katie M. Johnson

Biology Theses

Surface freshwater is a scarce resource. Due to the scarcity and necessity of this resource, it is imperative that its quality is routinely monitored. One way of monitoring water quality is through biological assessments, which include examining algal assemblages. Regionally, little remains known of algal taxa in the southeastern United States. In the past, the Academy of Natural Sciences of Philadelphia (ANSP) conducted biological assessments along the Savannah River finding Gomphonema parvulum (Kützing) Kützing 1849 to be a dominant taxon rendering assessments inconclusive. Recent studies have provided evidence that species complexes and semi-cryptic taxa have been identified within the Gomphonema …

Tropical Pitcher Plants (Nepenthes) Act As Ecological Filters By Altering Properties Of Their Fluid Microenvironments, Kadeem J. Gilbert, Leonora S. Bittleston, Wenfei Tong, Naomi E. Pierce

Biology Faculty Publications and Presentations

Characteristics of host species can alter how other, interacting species assemble into communities by acting as ecological filters. Pitchers of tropical pitcher plants (Nepenthes) host diverse communities of aquatic arthropods and microbes in nature. This plant genus exhibits considerable interspecific diversity in morphology and physiology; for example, different species can actively control the pH of their pitcher fluids and some species produce viscoelastic fluids. Our study investigated the extent to which Nepenthes species differentially regulate pitcher fluid traits under common garden conditions, and the effects that these trait differences had on their associated communities. Sixteen species of Nepenthes …

Factors Affecting Bait Site Visitation: Area Of Influence Of Baits, Jacquelyn E. Mcrae, Peter E. Schlichting, Nathan P. Snow, Amy J. Davis, Kurt C. Vercautern, John C. Kilgo, David A. Keiter, James C. Beasley, Kim M. Pepin

United States Department of Agriculture Wildlife Services: Staff Publications

ABSTRACT Baiting is a fundamental strategy for the global management of wild pigs (Sus scrofa); however, little information exists on how anthropogenic bait affects wild pig movements on a landscape. We investigated factors that are important in determining the spatial area of attraction for wild pigs to bait (‘area of influence’ of a bait site) using data from Global Positioning System (GPS) collars and locations of bait sites. We monitored movements of wild pigs in 2 distinct study areas in the United States from February to September 2016 and used locational data using GPS collars to analyze the influence of …

Nine New Species Of Scorpiops Peters, 1861 (Scorpiones: Scorpiopidae) From China, India, Nepal, And Pakistan, František Kovařík

Euscorpius

Nine new species are described: Scorpiops furai sp. n. (India), S. grosseri sp. n. (India), S. harmsi sp. n. (Nepal), S. hofereki sp. n. (Pakistan), S. kejvali sp. n. (India), S. tryznai sp. n. (India), S. wrzecionkoi sp. n. (China), S. yagmuri sp. n. (Pakistan), and S. zubairi sp. n. (Pakistan), fully complemented with color photographs of preserved specimens. New species are distinguished from all other species of the family Scorpiopidae by combinations of eight major characters: position of pedipalp chelal trichobothrium Eb₃; number of pedipalp patella ventral trichobothria; shape of pedipalp fingers; number of inner accessory denticles …

Adaptive Manipulation Of Information Broadcast From A Microbial Community, Stephen T. Trumbo, Paula Kb Philbrick, Sandra Steiger

EEB Articles

No abstract provided.

Molecular Differentiation Of Astragalus Species And Varieties From The Western United States: The Chloroplast Dna Bridge Between Evolution And Molecular Systematics, Marwa Neyaz, Daniel Cook, Rebecca Creamer

Poisonous Plant Research (PPR)

Locoweeds are the most widespread poisonous plant problem in the world and have been reported in the Western United States since the 1800s, causing tremendous losses in livestock. Consumption of locoweeds by grazing animals stimulates the neurological disease, locoism, characterized by weight loss, ataxia, and lack of muscular coordination. The name locoweed is used for Astragalus and Oxytropis species known to contain swainsonine, the toxic principle produced by the plant endophytic fungus Undifilum. Astragalus includes 2,500-3,000 species and many varieties that have almost identical morphological characteristics that overlap among species, leading to improper identification. Therefore, the aim of this study …

Sandhill Crane Abundance In Nebraska During Spring Migration: Making Sense Of Multiple Data Points, Andrew J. Caven, Dana M. Varner, Jeff Drahota

Transactions of the Nebraska Academy of Sciences and Affiliated Societies

The USFWS conducts an annual one-day aerial survey of the North and Central Platte River Valleys, generally on the fourth Tuesday in March, to estimate the abundance of the midcontinent Sandhill Crane population. However, these abundance indices demonstrate unrealistic inter-annual variation as a result of deviations in migration chronology and other factors. Additional research efforts have been undertaken within the region to estimate Sandhill Crane abundance over time and space but these projects generally seek to answer unique questions, employ differing survey methods, and cover overlapping yet distinct survey areas. Despite the wealth of information there remains significant uncertainty regarding …

First Record Of Didymocentrus Sanfelipensis (Scorpiones: Diplocentridae) From Turiguanó Island, Ciego De Ávila, Cuba, Luis F. De Armas

Euscorpius

The diplocentrid scorpion Didymocentrus sanfelipensis Armas, 1976 is recorded for the first time from Turiguanó Island, Morón municipality, northwest of Ciego de Ávila Province, central region of Cuba. This is the northernmost locality for the species and also the easternmost record for the genus, as well as the first time that this species is found in a non-serpentine soil.

Teaching Natural And Artificial Selection In Production Agriculture, Madhav P. Nepal, Clayton W. Scott

iLEARN Teaching Resources

In this lesson, students will learn how natural selection and artificial selection impact both production agriculture and biological sciences. A natural selection is a mechanism that favors heritable traits that increase species survival and reproduction. Artificial selection is a selective breeding, where humans select for desirable traits in agricultural products.

How Climate Impacts The Composition Of Wolf-Killed Elk In Northern Yellowstone National Park, Christopher C. Wilmers, Matthew C. Metz, Daniel R. Stahler, Michel T. Kohl, Chris Geremia, Douglas W. Smith

Ecology Center Publications

1. While the functional response of predators is commonly measured, recent work has revealed that the age and sex composition of prey killed is often a better predictor of prey population dynamics because the reproductive value of adult females is usually higher than that of males or juveniles.
2. Climate is often an important mediating factor in determining the composition of predator kills, but we currently lack a mechanistic understanding of how the multiple facets of climate interact with prey abundance and demography to influence the composition of predator kills.
3. Over 20 winters, we monitored 17 wolf packs in Yellowstone National Park …

Estimating Population Abundance With A Mixture Of Physical Capture And Pit Tag Antenna Detection Data, Mary M. Conner, Phaedra E. Budy, Richard A. Wilkison, Michael Mills, Peter D. Mackinnon, Mark C. Mckinstry

Ecology Center Publications

The inclusion of passive interrogation antenna (PIA) detection data has promise to increase precision of population abundance estimates (Nˆ ). However, encounter probabilities are often higher for PIAs than for physical capture. If the difference is not accounted for, Nˆ may be biased. Using simulations, we estimated the magnitude of bias resulting from mixed capture and detection probabilities and evaluated potential solutions for removing the bias for closed capture models. Mixing physical capture and PIA detections (pdet) resulted in negative biases in Nˆ . However, using an individual covariate to model differences removed bias and improved precision. From a case …

Variation In Brown Rat Cranial Shape Shows Directional Selection Over 120 Years In New York City, Emily E. Puckett, Emma Sherratt, Matthew Combs, Elizabeth J. Carlen, William Harcourt-Smith, Jason Munshi-South

Publications and Research

Urbanization exposes species to novel environments and selection pressures that may change morphological traits within a population. We investigated how the shape and size of crania and mandibles changed over time within a population of brown rats (Rattus norvegicus) living in Manhattan, New York, USA, a highly urbanized environment. We measured 3D landmarks on the cranium and mandible of 62 adult individuals sampled in the 1890s and 2010s. Static allometry explained approximately 22% of shape variation in crania and mandible datasets, while time accounted for approximately 14% of variation. We did not observe significant changes in skull size through time …

Natural Variation And Evolutionary Responses To Climate Change Stressors In Marine Invertebrates, Joanna Sarah Griffiths

LSU Doctoral Dissertations

Our rapidly changing climate is putting many species at risk of extinction and there is an urgent need to understand how species will respond to these changes. In this dissertation, I evaluate how three species of marine invertebrates (corals, oysters, and copepods) respond to stressful conditions in their current environments and how plasticity and evolutionary adaptation could alter their response to future climate change stressors. I first employed a space for time study to elucidate population differences in the response of cold-water corals, Balanophyllia elegans, to future ocean acidification. I found evidence that upwelling history (natural low pH exposure) influences …

New Scorpion Taxa (Arachnida: Scorpiones) Described In The Journal “Euscorpius” In 2002–2020, Victor Fet, František Kovařík

Euscorpius

No abstract provided.

A Rapid Population Assessment Method For Wild Pigs Using Baited Cameras At 3 Study Site, Peter E. Schlichting, James C. Beasley, Raoul K. Boughton, Amy J. Davis, Kim M. Pepin, Michael P. Glow, Ryan S. Miller, Kurt C. Vercautern, Jesse S. Lewis

United States Department of Agriculture Wildlife Services: Staff Publications

Reliable and efficient population estimates are a critical need for effective management of invasive wild pigs (Sus scrofa). We evaluated the use of 10‐day camera grids for rapid population assessment (RPA) of wild pigs at 3 study sites that varied in vegetation communities and wild pig densities. Study areas included Buck Island Ranch, Florida; Tejon Ranch, California; and the Savannah River Site, South Carolina, USA, during 2016–2018. Rapid population assessments grids were composed of baited camera traps spaced approximately 500 or 750 m apart. Two RPA grids were deployed per study site and each grid was deployed twice (4–6 months …

Investigating Bat Activity In Various Agricultural Landscapes In Northeastern United States, Katherine Harms, Emmanuel Omondi, Atanu Mukherjee

Agricultural and Environmental Sciences Faculty Research

Bats are estimated to provide between $3.7 and $53 billion annually in ecosystem services in the U.S.A. Determining how bats use land for foraging is important in planning agricultural landscapes to increase their presence and role in insect pest control. A research project was established in 2016 and 2017 to determine bat populations and activity differences between different land use management systems. Bat activity was monitored in 10 conventionally and organically managed systems in the presence of, and at a distance from the tree line. Two acoustic monitoring devices were used to record ultrasonic echolocation calls of bats. Organic systems …

Effects Of Freshwater Inflow On Nekton Assemblages And Blue Crab Populations In Southeastern Louisiana, Caleb Benjamin Taylor

LSU Master's Theses

Estuaries along the northern Gulf of Mexico represent some of the most productive ecosystems in the world, providing vital habitat for many recreationally and commercially valuable species, including the blue crab, Callinectes sapidus. The mixing of fresh river and saline ocean water in coastal estuaries contribute to this productivity. Dominated by large river influences and consisting of multiple estuaries, Louisiana contributes the largest commercial fishery in the Gulf of Mexico, and remains, on average, the largest supplier of blue crabs in the nation. However, across southeast Louisiana, freshwater flow is largely dependent on Mississippi River discharge, which is highly …

Genetic Parameters Of Growth And Adaptive Traits In Aspen (Populus Tremuloides): Implications For Tree Breeding In A Warming World, Chen Ding, Andreas Hamann, Rong-Cai Yang, Jean S. Brouard

Aspen Bibliography

Aspen (Populus tremuloides Michx) is a widespread commercial forest tree of high economic importance in western Canada and has been subject to tree improvement efforts over the past two decades. Such improvement programs rely on accurate estimates of the genetic gain in growth traits and correlated response in adaptive traits that are important for forest health. Here, we estimated genetic parameters in 10 progeny trials containing >30,000 trees with pedigree structures based on a partial factorial mating design that includes 60 half-sibs, 100 full-sib families and 1,400 clonally replicated genotypes. Estimated narrow-sense and broad-sense heritabilities were low for height …

Relationships Between Survival And Habitat Suitability Of Semi- Aquatic Mammals, Isidro Barela, Leslie M. Burger, Jimmy Taylor, Kristine O. Evans, Ryo Ogawa, Lance Mcclintic, Guiming Wang

United States Department of Agriculture Wildlife Services: Staff Publications

Spatial distribution and habitat selection are integral to the study of animal ecology. Habitat selection may optimize the fitness of individuals. Hutchinsonian niche theory posits the fundamental niche of species would support the persistence or growth of populations. Although niche-based species distribution models (SDMs) and habitat suitability models (HSMs) such as maximum entropy (Maxent) have demonstrated fair to excellent predictive power, few studies have linked the prediction of HSMs to demographic rates. We aimed to test the prediction of Hutchinsonian niche theory that habitat suitability (i.e., likelihood of occurrence) would be positively related to survival of American beaver (Castor canadensis), …

Long-Term Changes In Avian Capture Rates During Twelve Years Of Active Grassland And Savannah Restoration, Katie Stumpf, Charles Muise

Georgia Journal of Science

The decline of grassland ecosystems throughout the United States has caused population declines of many bird species, especially grassland specialists, which has led to greater interest in restoring these dwindling habitats with a combination of natural fire regimes and the replanting of native vegetation. In the southeastern United States, several species of birds use grassland habitats at critical points throughout the annual cycle, as breeding or wintering grounds or as migration stopover sites. Since April 2007, we have operated 9–11 mist nets at Panola Mountain State Park, in Rockdale County, Georgia, in an area that is being actively restored to …

Eelgrass Health Survey And Results, Nicholas B. Anderson, Catherine M. Ashcraft, Dante D. Torio, Frederick T. Short

Natural Resources & the Environment

Researchers at the University of New Hampshire designed, tested, and conducted an eelgrass health survey. The primary goal of the survey was to collect health ratings from respondents who had viewed pre-selected images of eelgrass representing a wide range of health conditions. Survey results were used as a calibration and validation to a novel eelgrass health index developed using video-monitoring. Two secondary goals of this this survey were the identification of plant-specific and environmental characteristics important to respondents and the introduction of the new eelgrass health index. This published dataset includes de-identified survey respondent background and demographic data, the survey …

A New Ectotherm 3d Tracking And Behavior Analytics System Using A Depth-Based Approach With Color Validation, With Preliminary Data On Kihansi Spray Toad (Nectophrynoides Asperginis) Activity, Philip Bal, Damian Lyons, Avishai Shuter

Faculty Publications

The Kihansi spray toad (Nectophrynoides asperginis), classified as Extinct in the Wild by the IUCN, is being bred at the Wildlife Conservation Society’s (WCS) Bronx Zoo as part of an effort to successfully reintroduce the species into the wild. Thousands of toads live at the Bronx Zoo presenting an opportunity to learn more about their behaviors for the first time, at scale. It is impractical to perform manual observations for long periods of time. This paper reports on the development of a RGB-D tracking and analytics approach that allows researchers to accurately and efficiently gather information about the toads’ behavior. …

The Nebraska Bird Review, 2020 Annual Color Section

Nebraska Bird Review

Our theme this year is Odd Couples: two or more different species captured in the same photo frame. Examples appear on the first three pages of photos.

Blue Jay with Great Horned Owl in Plum Creek SRA, Dawson Co., 23 Dec. 2019. Photo by Elizabeth Winter.

Green Heron with Baltimore Oriole on Dark Island Trail, Merrick Co., June 2020. Photo by Colleen Childers.

Wilson’s Phalarope surrounded by Longbilled Dowitchers and Stilt Sandpipers along highway 30 east of North Platte, Lincoln Co., 12 May 2020. Photo by Boni Edwards.

Downy Woodpecker with Carolina Wren on suet feeder in photographer’s yard, La …

Winter Field Report, December 2019-February 2020, W. Ross Silcock

Nebraska Bird Review

As with any of these Seasonal Reports, there was plenty to entertain us and to contemplate this winter. The most obvious feature of this winter’s reports was the taxonomically widespread incidence of midwinter occurrences of species normally absent at that time. Snow, Ross’s, and Greater White-fronted Geese occurred in good numbers, and Jan to early Feb reports of dabbling and diving ducks often far from expected winter occurrence locations were notable. Among passerines, notable midwinter reports were of Gray Catbird, Brown Thrasher, and Northern Mockingbird, Nebraska’s first record for Feb of American Pipit, and 6th winter record of Lesser Goldfinch. …

2019-2020 Christmas Bird Counts, Don Paseka

Nebraska Bird Review

Mergansers reached a new high of 104 counted in nine circles, which topped the count of 97 from 2017. A single Surf Scoter was found in the Lower Platte circle, which was only the fourth time that this species has been found on a Nebraska CBC. Lone birds were also found at Lake McConaughy in 1999, 2010 and 2015. A good North Platte find were two Barrow’s Goldeneye. Several species, however, were counted in numbers much below the norm. The lone Wood Duck found at Branched Oak was the lowest count for that species since 2004, when they were missed …