Morphological Correlates Of Auditory Sensitivity In The Inner Ear Of Two Species Of Invasive Carp, Tyler Patty

Mahurin Honors College Capstone Experience/Thesis Projects

Silver (Hypopthalmichthys molitrix) and bighead (H. nobilis) carp, are invasive species that have negative impacts upon ecosystems. H. molitrix is known to jump completely out of the water in response to broadband sounds, however, this is not observed in H. nobilis. Preliminary experiments reveal that sounds can be used to modify the behavior of carps. Thus, understanding the hearing abilities of these species is important in order to design appropriate acoustical deterrents. Fish heads were preserved in 4% paraformaldehyde and the inner ears dissected and photographed under a light microscope in order to describe the …

Use And Partitioning Of Riparian Corridors By Mammalian Carnivores In Rio Mora National Wildlife Refuge, Armando Toral Becker

Regis University Student Publications (comprehensive collection)

Land conversion across the Southwestern U.S. for agricultural and livestock use and prolonged drought conditions cascade to reduce ecosystem function, including habitat provision for wildlife. Arroyo restoration efforts aim to improve wildlife habitat by decreasing soil erosion and enhancing water retention. These hydrologic and geomorphic changes increase the likelihood that wildlife use restored corridors by increasing riparian vegetation cover. Rio Mora National Wildlife Refuge (RMNWR) has restored several arroyos by installing a system of one-rock dams throughout the refuge, but the extent to which mammals prefer restored over unrestored riparian corridors and how habitat structure influences mammalian use and density …

Size And Density Of Upside-Down Jellyfish, Cassiopea Sp., And Their Impact On Benthic Fluxes In A Caribbean Lagoon, Chester B. Zarnoch, Noshin Hossain, Erika Fusco, Mary Alldred, Timothy J. Hoellein, Sophia Perdikaris

School of Global Integrative Studies: Faculty Publications

Anthropogenic disturbances may be increasing jellyfish populations globally. Epibenthic jellyfish are ideal organisms for studying this phenomenon due to their sessile lifestyle, broad geographic distribution, and prevalence in near-shore coastal environments. There are few studies, however, that have documented epibenthic jellyfish abundance and measured their impact on ecological processes in tropical ecosystems. In this study, the density and size of the upside-down jellyfish (Cassiopea spp.) were measured in Codrington Lagoon, Barbuda. A sediment core incubation study, with and without Cassiopea, also was performed to determine their impact on benthic oxygen and nutrient fluxes. Densities of Cassiopea were 24–168 …

Development Of A Novel Cardiac Ischemia-Reperfusion Model In The Axolotl, Jeremy Tolentino Llaniguez

Wayne State University Dissertations

The Center for Disease Control’s National Center for Health Statistics data for mortality from diseases of the heart show the age-adjusted death rate has fallen from almost 600 deaths in the 1950s to just over 190 deaths per 100,000 U.S. residents today. With the recognized limitations of pharmacotherapy of myocardial infarction (MI), cell-based therapies have been undergoing rapid development and clinical testing. However, there is still no consensus about cell types, delivery routes, dosing and treatment schedules and pretreatment conditioning of cells prior to administration. Furthermore, a fundamental question remains unanswered about the reasons for the poor capacity for myocardial …

Biotic And Abiotic Factors Influencing Arsenic Biogeochemistry And Toxicity In Fluvial Ecosystems: A Review, Laura Barral-Fraga, María Teresa Barral, Keeley L. Macneill, Diego Martiñá-Prieto, Soizic Morin, María Carolina Rodríguez-Castro, Baigal-Amar Tuulaikhuu, Helena Guasch

School of Natural Resources: Faculty Publications

This review is focused on the biogeochemistry of arsenic in freshwaters and, especially, on the key role that benthic microalgae and prokaryotic communities from biofilms play together in through speciation, distribution, and cycling. These microorganisms incorporate the dominant iAs (inorganic arsenic) form and may transform it to other arsenic forms through metabolic or detoxifying processes. These transformations have a big impact on the environmental behavior of arsenic because different chemical forms exhibit differences in mobility and toxicity. Moreover, exposure to toxicants may alter the physiology and structure of biofilms, leading to changes in ecosystem function and trophic relations. In this …

Influence Of Burner Position On Temperature Distribution In Soybean Flaming, Miloš Miloš Rajkovic, Goran Malidža, Strahinja Stepanovic, Marko Kostic, Kristina Petrovic

West Central Research and Extension Center, North Platte

The main objective of this study was to identify optimal burner orientation for a newly designed flame cultivator by quantifying the flame temperature distributions of cross, back, and parallel position of burners at different heights of the soybean canopy (distance from the soil surface). Flame temperatures were measured within-row for three burner orientations at seven propane doses (20–100 kg/ha) and eight different canopy heights (0–18 cm above soil surface). Soybean plants in V3 growth stage were flamed with the same doses and burner orientations, and 28 days after treatment (DAT) crop injury (0%–100%), plant height (cm), dry matter (g) and …

Weed Science Research Summary 2020

West Central Research and Extension Center, North Platte

Contents

Assessment of Industrial Hemp Susceptibility to Off-target Movement of Commonly Applied Corn and Soybean Postemergence Herbicides; Milos Zaric, Bruno Canella Vieira, Marija Savic, Barbara Vukoja, Guilherme Sousa Alves, Greg R. Kruger

Effects of Drift-reducing Nozzles and Adjuvants on Dicamba Efficacy; Milos Zaric, Kasey P. Schroeder, Bruno Canella Vieira, Guilherme Sousa Alves, Jesaelen Gizotti de Moraes, Jeffrey A. Golus, Greg R. Kruger

Dicamba Simulated Tank-contamination in Common Postemergence Non-dicamba-tolerant Soybean Herbicide Programs; Milos Zaric, Guilherme Sousa Alves, Bruno Canella Vieira, Jeffrey A. Golus, Greg R. Kruger

Air Induction nozzles pattern distribution influenced by work pressure and boom height; Antonio Augusto …

Planting Date, Cultivar, Seed Treatment, And Seeding Rate Effects On Soybean Growth And Yield, Thandiwe Nleya, Matthew Schutte, David Clay, Graig Reicks, Nathan Mueller

West Central Research and Extension Center, North Platte

Soybean [Glycine max (L.) Merr.] yield is a function of many factors including genetic attributes of the cultivar, environmental conditions, and management practices. Temporally variable weather patterns in North America, especially in the northern Great Plains, have resulted in the re-examination of how spring production practices interact with the environmental conditions to influence yield. This study evaluated the impact of four plantings dates, four seeding rates, and two soybean maturity groups (MGs) using treated and untreated (control) seed on soybean growth, seed yield, and composition. The study was conducted at Volga, SD, in 2014, 2015, and 2016. The planting …

Comparison Of Water-Sensitive Paper, Kromekote And Mylar Collectors For Droplet Deposition With A Visible Fluorescent Dye Solution, J. Connor Ferguson, Andrew J. Hewitt, Chris C. O’Donnell, Greg R. Kruger

West Central Research and Extension Center, North Platte

The study was conducted at the University of Nebraska Pesticide Application and Tech-nology Laboratory in North Platte, Nebraska in July 2015. Two application volume rates (100 and 200 l · ha−1) and three nozzle types (XR, AIXR, TTI) were selected at two flow rates (0.8 and 1.6 l · min−1) and at a single application speed of 7.7 km · h−1. Each collec-tor type [Mylar washed (MW), Mylar image analysis (MIA), water-sensitive paper (WSP), and Kromekote (KK)] was arranged in a randomized complete block design. Each nozzle treatment was replicated twice, providing six cards of each collector type for each …

Herbicide Drift Exposure Leads To Reduced Herbicide Sensitivity In Amaranthus Spp., Bruno Viera, Joe Luck, Keenan Amundsen, Rodrigo Werle, Todd A. Gaines, Greg R. Kruger

West Central Research and Extension Center, North Platte

While the introduction of herbicide tolerant crops provided growers new options to manage weeds, the widespread adoption of these herbicides increased the risk for herbicide spray drift to surrounding vegetation. The impact of herbicide drift in sensitive crops is extensively investigated, whereas scarce information is available on the consequences of herbicide drift in non-target plants. Weeds are often abundant in field margins and ditches surrounding agricultural landscapes. Repeated herbicide drift exposure to weeds could be detrimental to long-term management as numerous weeds evolved herbicide resistance following recurrent-selection with low herbicide rates. The objective of this study was to evaluate if …

The Impact Of Cow Size On Cow–Calf And Postweaning Progeny Performance In The Nebraska Sandhills, Rob L. Ziegler, Jacki A. Musgrave, Tanya L. Meyer, R. Funston, Elliott James Dennis, Kathy Hanford, J. C. Macdonald, Travis Mulliniks

West Central Research and Extension Center, North Platte

Optimizing beef production system efficiency requires an understanding of genetic potential suitable for a given production environment. Therefore, the objective of this retrospective analysis was to determine the influence of cow body weight (BW) adjusted to a common body condition score (BCS) of 5 at weaning-influenced cow-calf performance and postweaning steer and heifer progeny performance. Data were collected at the Gudmundsen Sandhills Laboratory, Whitman, NE, on crossbred, mature cows (n = 1,607) from 2005 to 2017. Cow BCS at calving, prebreeding, and weaning were positively associated (P < 0.01) with greater cow BW. Increasing cow BW was positively associated (P < 0.01) with the percentage of cows that conceived during a 45-d breeding season. For every additional 100-kg increase in cow BW, calf BW increased (P < 0.01) at birth by 2.70 kg and adjusted 205-d weaning BW by 14.76 kg. Calf preweaning average daily gain (ADG) increased (P < 0.01) 0.06 kg/d for every additional 100-kg increase in cow BW. Heifer progeny BW increased (P < 0.01) postweaning with every additional 100-kg increase in dam BW. Dam BW did not influence (P ≥ 0.11) heifer puberty status prior to breeding, overall pregnancy rates, or the percentage of heifers calving in the first 21 d of the calving season. Steer initial feedlot BW increased by 7.20 kg, reimplant BW increased by 10.47 kg, and final BW increased by 10.29 kg (P ≤ 0.01) for every additional 100-kg increase in dam BW. However, steer feedlot ADG was not influenced (P > 0.67) by dam BW. Hot carcass weights of steers were increased (P = …

Diurnal And Seasonal Activity Patterns Of Drosophilid Species (Diptera: Drosophilidae) Present In Blackberry Agroecosystems With A Focus On Spotted-Wing Drosophila, Katharine A. Swoboda-Bhattarai, Hannah Burrack

West Central Research and Extension Center, North Platte

Drosophilid species with different life histories have been shown to exhibit similar behavioral patterns related to locating and utilizing resources such as hosts, mates, and food sources. Drosophila suzukii (Matsumura) is an invasive species that differs from other frugivorous drosophilids in that females lay eggs in ripe and ripening fruits instead of overripe or rotten fruits. We hypothesized that there may be diurnal and/or seasonal patterns associated with the movement of drosophilid species into and out of crop fields and their attraction to fermentation-odor-based monitoring traps, and that D. suzukii would conform to similar patterns. To test these hypotheses, we …

Conspecifics And Familiar Odors Alter Movement Patterns In A Land Snail, Cepaea Hortensis, Madeleine Shelton, Jeeva Rathnaweera, Perri Eason

Undergraduate Arts and Research Showcase

In some animals, unfamiliarity with a place and the presence of a conspecific can change movement patterns, often altering individuals’ routes, exploration, and the directions taken. Patterns such as these can affect individual survival, and thus might be present across a wide range of taxa, although mostly vertebrates have been studied. We used a native Kentucky land snail (white-lipped globe snail, Cepaea hortensis) to investigate how snail size, familiarity and the recent presence of a conspecific affect movement of snails in a novel environment. We also tested whether presence of a familiar smell influenced movement on a 25X25 cm …

Risk Assessment And Flight Decisions In Adult Versus Juvenile Squirrels (Sciurus Carolinensis), Alex Haydon, Jeeva Rathnaweera, Perri Eason

Undergraduate Arts and Research Showcase

One way to quantify a prey’s response to a predator is by flight initiation distance (FID), the distance between a predator and prey at the moment the prey flees. As perceived risk from a predator increases, FID increases. Juvenile animals typically flee from approaching threats sooner than do adults because they have less able risk assessment. However, our observations suggested juvenile squirrels might use a different tactic: foraging near refuges. We first tested whether age affected squirrels’ FID in response to an approaching human on the UofL campus, where squirrels experience high levels of interactions with humans from an early …

Ashfall Fossil Beds: From Waterhole To Rhino Barn, Sandy Mosel

University of Nebraska State Museum: Programs Information

Twelve million years ago a volcanic super-eruption in what is now southwestern Idaho created an enormous ashfall that blanketed the Great Plains with several inches of volcanic ash, devastating the local wildlife. Evidence of this geologic event lies within the hills of the Niobrara River Valley in northeast Nebraska, at a place aptly named the Ashfall Fossil Beds State Historical Park. Located near the tiny village of Royal, the Ashfall Park has been developed around a waterhole where animals succumbed after breathing in the volcanic dust. Buried deeply by windblown volcanic ash in the weeks following the eruption, the skeletons …

Ticks On Lizards: Parasite-Host Interactions Of The Southern Alligator Lizard (Elgaria Multicarinata) In Washington State, Emma Houghton

Undergraduate Honors Theses

I investigated interactions between ectoparasites (ticks) and their host, the southern alligator lizard (Elgaria multicarinata). Alligator lizards are capable of complement-mediated killing of the Lyme disease spirochete carried by ticks and may potentially reduce Lyme disease prevalence by cleansing pathogenic organisms from ticks. Despite this, little is known about host-parasite dynamics in alligator lizards. My goals were to 1) assess patterns of tick presence (i.e. parasite load) on alligator lizards and 2) investigate potential negative effects of ticks on alligator lizards. I sampled lizards during the summer of 2019 near Catherine Creek, along the Columbia River Gorge in southern Washington. …

Investigating The Avian Species Composition, Diversity, And Abundance Of Engelhorn Pond, Kiana Rose

Undergraduate Honors Theses

Central Washington University’s Engelhorn Pond contains important habitats for many organisms, particularly migratory birds, and is a valuable resource for students. However, little information is available about the wildlife inhabiting the pond. The pond’s discrete location means that many people are unaware of its existence. In addition, the pond is threatened by a number of anthropogenic sources, including chemical runoff, garbage, and feral cats. By using point counts, a common ornithological survey technique, I recorded the bird species present at the pond during all seasons of the year. I collected data using point counts during 13 visits from June of …

Ticks On Lizards: Parasite-Host Interactions Of The Southern Alligator Lizard (Elgaria Multicarinata) In Washington State, Emma Houghton

All Undergraduate Projects

I investigated interactions between ectoparasites (ticks) and their host, the southern alligator lizard (Elgaria multicarinata). Alligator lizards are capable of complement-mediated killing of the Lyme disease spirochete carried by ticks and may potentially reduce Lyme disease prevalence by cleansing pathogenic organisms from ticks. Despite this, little is known about host-parasite dynamics in alligator lizards. My goals were to 1) assess patterns of tick presence (i.e. parasite load) on alligator lizards and 2) investigate potential negative effects of ticks on alligator lizards. I sampled lizards during the summer of 2019 near Catherine Creek, along the Columbia River Gorge in southern Washington. …

Genetic Structure Of Green Sea Turtle (Chelonia Mydas) Foraging Aggregations On The East Coast Of Florida, Monica R. Reusche

Honors Undergraduate Theses

The genetic structure of juvenile green turtles (Chelonia mydas) foraging on the east coast of central Florida is not well understood, nor has it been examined over time. In the last three decades, the dramatic increase in the number of green sea turtle nests in Florida, in association with other population parameters, has led to this species being down-listed under the Endangered Species Act from “endangered” to “threatened” in the northwest Atlantic. However, it was unclear if the exponential growth in Florida nest numbers had any influence on the genetic structure of juveniles in nearby foraging aggregations. To …

Managing Invasive Plants On Great Plains Grasslands: A Discussion Of Current Challenges, John Gaskin, Erin Espeland, Casey D. Johnson, Jane M. Mangold, Rachel A. Mcgee, Chuck Milner, Shishir Paudel, Dean E. Pearson, Lora B. Perkins, Chadley W. Prosser, Justin B. Runyon, Sharlene E. Sing, Zachary A. Sylvain, Amy J. Symstad, Daniel R. Tekiela

Native Plant Focused Publications

The Great Plains of North America encompass approximately 1,300,000 km² of land from Texas to Saskatchewan. The integrity of these lands is under continual assault by long-established and newly-arrived invasive plant species, which can threaten native species and diminish land values and ecological goods and services by degrading desired grassland resources. The Great Plains are a mixture of privately and publicly owned lands, which leads to a patchwork of varying management goals and strategies for controlling invasive plants. Continually updated knowledge is required for efficient and effective management of threats posed by changing environments and invasive plants. Here we …

The First Global Deep-Sea Stable Isotope Assessment Reveals The Unique Trophic Ecology Of Vampire Squid Vampyroteuthis Infernalis (Cephalopoda), A. V. Golikov, F. R. Ceia, R. M. Sabirov, J. D. Ablett, Ian G. Gleadall, Gudmundur Gudmundsson, Henk-Jan T. Hoving, Heather L. Judkins

USF St. Petersburg Campus Faculty Publications

Vampyroteuthis infernalis Chun, 1903, is a widely distributed deepwater cephalopod with unique morphology and phylogenetic position. We assessed its habitat and trophic ecology on a global scale via stable isotope analyses of a unique collection of beaks from 104 specimens from the Atlantic, Pacific and Indian Oceans. Cephalopods typically are active predators occupying a high trophic level (TL) and exhibit an ontogenetic increase in δ15N and TL. Our results, presenting the first global comparison for a deep-sea invertebrate, demonstrate that V. infernalis has an ontogenetic decrease in δ15N and TL, coupled with niche broadening. Juveniles are mobile zooplanktivores, while larger …

Temporal Variability Of Polycyclic Aromatic Hydrocarbons In Deep-Sea Cephalopods Of The Northern Gulf Of Mexico, Isabel C. Romero, Heather L. Judkins, Michael Vecchione

USF St. Petersburg Campus Faculty Publications

As part of the effort to understand the effects of the Deepwater Horizon Oil Spill (DWHOS), we analyzed tissue from five species of midwater oceanic cephalopods in the northern Gulf of Mexico (GoM) during three time periods, including one period sampled fortuitously just before the spill (2010), and two periods sampled after the spill (2011 and 2015–2016). The species, Japetella diaphana, Abralia redfieldi, Histioteuthis corona, Leachia atlantica, and Onychoteuthis banksii were collected in three geographic areas in the GoM (east, south and southeast of the Macondo wellhead). Results indicate a shift in the composition of polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs) in …

A Synergism Between Dimethyl Trisulfide And Methyl Thiolacetate In Attracting Carrion-Frequenting Beetles Demonstrated By Use Of A Chemically-Supplemented Minimal Trap, Stephen T. Trumbo, John Dicapua Iii

EEB Articles

Volatile organic compounds derived from microbes recruit insects to carrion, shaping community assembly and ecological succession. The importance of individual volatiles and interactions between volatiles are difficult to assess in the field because of (1) the myriad compounds from decomposing animals, and (2) the likelihood that complex component blends are important for the final approach to carrion. On the assumption that searching insects may use simpler volatile cues to orient at a distance, we employed a chemically-supplemented minimal trap that uses test chemicals to attract from a distance and a minimal carrion bait to induce trap entry. Traps supplemented with …

Using Harvest Slot Limits To Promote Stock Recovery And Broaden Age Structure In Marine Recreational Fisheries: A Case Study, Jacob M. Kasper, Jeffrey Brust, Amanda Caskenette, Jason Mcnamee, Jason C. Vokoun, Eric T. Schultz

EEB Articles

Fish populations with broad age distributions are expected to have higher reproductive capacity than age-truncated populations because of the disproportionate contributions of older fish. Harvest slot limits, an expected means of ameliorating age truncation, are modeled for Tautog Tautoga onitis in an overfished population subunit that is experiencing overfishing. Tautog, currently managed by a 40 cm minimum size limit (MSL), is a candidate species for slots because it is relatively long-lived, slow-growing, with low discard mortality. We evaluated changes in biomass and abundance-at-age relative to management with the current MSL regulations using a forward population simulation model for four slots: …

Bio-Economic Outcomes Under Alternative Management Strategies With Human Choice And Behavior: Modeling Tautog And Anglers' Preferences, Eric T. Schultz, Zhenshan Chen, Pengfei Liu, Stephen Swallow, Jacob M. Kasper

EEB Articles

Key findings

• There was relatively strong support for slot limits, and roughly comparable support for status quo management, among anglers fishing for Tautog in Long Island Sound.
• Respondents were not in favor of a total moratorium on fishing for Tautog.
• Providing survey respondents information on how different management scenarios will affect fishing in the future had little detectable impact on fishing preferences.
• Respondents expected to fish less in the future if a wide slot limit is imposed or if status quo management is maintained, but expected no change in effort if a narrow slot limit is imposed.
• Changes in regulations …

Using Northern Pike And Yellow Perch To Attempt A Trophic Cascade, Bryan Sea

Journal of Earth and Life Science

In the midwestern USA, water clarity has decreased in shallow lakes as a result of large populations of Fathead Minnow Pimephales promelas and agriculture that impact the life that depend on shallow habitats, such as waterfowl, fish, and aquatic plants. Northern Pike Esox lucius and Yellow Perch Perca flavescens were stocked in a few lakes in attempt to create a tropic cascade and reduce populations of nuisance Fathead Minnows. Northern Pike were stocked as fry and Yellow Perch were stocked as adults either pre-spawn or post-spawn. Lake managers hypothesized adult Yellow Perch would spawn and the age-0 Perch would feed …

In Memoriam: Ignacio Ribera (1963–2020), Emmanuel D. Delocado, Michael Balke, Hendrik Freitag

Biology Faculty Publications

No abstract provided.

Genetic Analysis Of The Endangered Gray Bat Species (Myotis Grisescens), Emma Fitzgerald

Lewis Honors College Capstone Collection

This study attempts to analyze the genetics using specific haplotype sequences of the endangered gray bat to determine genetic events that have happened in the past as well as determining how the species population has changed over time. We were able to conduct a Tajima’s D test to investigate whether a potential bottleneck has occurred. A linear regression of the genetic vs. geographical distance was produced to investigate the patterns of haplotype distribution. The species past distribution was compared to the current distribution using known collected specimens. A map of future predictions was constructed using present and future climate layers …

Spring Field Report, March-May 2020, W. Ross Silcock

Nebraska Bird Review

Although there were numerous early arrival dates, most were in the range of historically earliest expected dates; notable, however, was a lone record-early Whiterumped Sandpiper, nicely photographed. Record late by a month was a juvenile Redtailed (Harlan’s) Hawk, also confirmed by photo. Perhaps most prominent this spring were the large numbers of several species. Most eye-popping were record spring totals of 22 Glossy Ibises, 11 Yellow-bellied Flycatchers, 14 Veeries, including five in the Panhandle, 48 Gray-cheeked Thrushes, 20 Bay-breasted Warblers, not long ago a rare bird in spring, 45 Golden-winged Warblers and 27 Canada Warblers, both of which were about …

New State Records Of Lady Beetles (Coleoptera: Coccinellidae: Coccinellinae) From Missouri And Mississippi, Usa, Louis S. Hesler

Insecta Mundi

New state records for three species of lady beetles (Coleoptera: Coccinellidae: Coccinellinae) are reported from two states in the south-central USA. Hyperaspis bolteri LeConte and Exochomus childreni guexi LeConte are newly reported for the state of Missouri, and Hyperaspis connectens (Thunberg) is newly reported for the state of Mississippi.