Open Access. Powered by Scholars. Published by Universities.®

Ecology and Evolutionary Biology Commons™

Open Access. Powered by Scholars. Published by Universities.®

2023

Discipline
Institution
Keyword
Publication
Publication Type
File Type

Articles 691 - 720 of 1079

Full-Text Articles in Ecology and Evolutionary Biology

An Analysis Of The Preferences, Morphometrics, And Survey Efficacy Of The Freshwater Mussel Community In The Greenup Pool, Ohio River, Jacob Miller Jan 2023

An Analysis Of The Preferences, Morphometrics, And Survey Efficacy Of The Freshwater Mussel Community In The Greenup Pool, Ohio River, Jacob Miller

Theses, Dissertations and Capstones

The Greenup Pool is one of the most unique pools of the Ohio River in terms of habitat richness and anthropogenic impact both historical and current. The Greenup Pool spans 61.8 miles reaching from Greenup Dam in Greenup, KY to Robert C. Byrd Dam in Apple Grove, WV. We surveyed 17 sites to assess mussel communities within the Greenup Pool using the 2017 West Virginia Mussel Survey Protocol. At these sites, six 100-meter transects were surveyed for surface and subsurface mussels. Each transect was divided into 10-meter intervals. These surveys resulted in 4,041 live individuals from 21 species, including eight …

Go to article

Salve Regina University Hydroponic Growing Guide: Dolores Chive, Hanna E. Lloyd Jan 2023

Salve Regina University Hydroponic Growing Guide: Dolores Chive, Hanna E. Lloyd

Hydroponic Center

This Salve Regina Hydroponic Growing Guide describes the process of hydroponically growing Dolores Chives (Allium schoenoprasum) in a tower system. This grow guide is based on the research project completed by third year student, Hanna Lloyd, through the Hydroponic Practicum, during the 2023 spring semester. Dolores chives are an aromatic herb which grow as tall, thin, green, leaves. Chives thrive under direct light with nutrient-rich water, and propagate under grow lights in approximately 15 days. When grown in a hydroponic tower, chives can reach up to 12-20 inches in length. The following guide provides information on optimal pH, optimal nutrient …

Go to article

Data To Accompany "Altered Heat-Avoidance Behavior Following Damage To The Extended Architecture Of Mexican Jumping Bean Moth Larvae (Cydia Saltitans)", Anna Purtell, Lindsey Swierk Jan 2023

Data To Accompany "Altered Heat-Avoidance Behavior Following Damage To The Extended Architecture Of Mexican Jumping Bean Moth Larvae (Cydia Saltitans)", Anna Purtell, Lindsey Swierk

Biological Sciences Faculty Scholarship

In response to physical damage, organisms must balance physical recovery with adaptive responses to other environmental stressors. Understanding how damage and repair influence adaptive responses to high environmental temperatures is of particular interest in light of global climate change. We investigate the impact of damage and subsequent repair on heat-avoidance behaviors in Cydia saltitans larvae inhabiting host seeds (Sebastiana pavoniana) as protective structures (together colloquially known as “Mexican jumping beans”). These larvae perform temperature-dependent “jumping” or “rolling” behaviors to escape extreme heat, which are crucial for larval survival in their native arid and hot subtropical dry forests. Due …

Go to article

Hitting The Sweet Spot: Optimizing Camera Trapping Effort For Estimating Biodiversity In Coastal Environments, Ella Dipetto, Oleksii Dubovyk, Chi Wei, Angela Brierly, Eric Walters, Alex Teodorescu, Jillian Murphy Jan 2023

Hitting The Sweet Spot: Optimizing Camera Trapping Effort For Estimating Biodiversity In Coastal Environments, Ella Dipetto, Oleksii Dubovyk, Chi Wei, Angela Brierly, Eric Walters, Alex Teodorescu, Jillian Murphy

College of Sciences Posters

Wildlife trail cameras, or “camera traps”, have become an effective tool in ecological research and conservation management across a variety of ecosystems to monitor a wide range of taxa. Camera trapping allows for extended survey time in traditionally hard-to-survey environments and has greatly increased our ability to detect cryptic species. One question ecologists commonly face is how much sampling effort is required to accurately estimate community composition. Despite the abundant literature that uses camera trapping techniques, few studies have occurred in coastal saltmarsh ecosystems. These ecosystems are being lost at a rapid rate from land conversion, pollution, and other anthropogenic …

Go to article

Can The Food Preparation Hypothesis Account For Anting Behavior In Birds?, Ella Brady Jan 2023

Can The Food Preparation Hypothesis Account For Anting Behavior In Birds?, Ella Brady

2023 REYES Proceedings

This report discusses the food preparation hypothesis, one of several proposed hypotheses to explain anting behavior in birds. A brief review of the theory’s history and development, as well as an assessment of evidence for and against such a function of anting, is provided. Although there are indeed experimental data supporting food preparation as the purpose of anting behavior, there is also conflicting evidence which complicates the theory. Ultimately, it is suggested that food preparation is a secondary function of anting – a pleasant but latent “side effect” achieved alongside the behavior’s primary purpose, which is still unknown.

Go to article

Hypotheses Related To Anting By Birds, Helena Flores Jan 2023

Hypotheses Related To Anting By Birds, Helena Flores

2023 REYES Proceedings

“Anting” is a widespread behavior among bird species and mammals. Due to the various characteristics of this behavior, numerous hypotheses have been proposed to explain it. This behavior can be classified as “active”, in which birds take a bill full of ants and rub them into their feathers, or “passive” when birds let ants wander through their plumage. The hypotheses state that anting may be performed as an (1) antiparasitic behavior, for (2) feather grooming, as a way of (3) food preparation or to (4) decrease skin irritation during molt, even as a (5) sensory stimulation tool. This review compiles …

Go to article

Rapid Growth In Late Cretaceous Sea Turtles Reveals Life History Strategies Similar To Extant Leatherbacks, Laura E. Wilson Jan 2023

Rapid Growth In Late Cretaceous Sea Turtles Reveals Life History Strategies Similar To Extant Leatherbacks, Laura E. Wilson

Geosciences Faculty Publications

Modern sea turtle long bone osteohistology has been surprisingly well-studied, as it is used to understand sea turtle growth and the timing of life history events, thus informing conservation decisions. Previous histologic studies reveal two distinct bone growth patterns in extant sea turtle taxa, with Dermochelys (leatherbacks) growing faster than the cheloniids (all other living sea turtles). Dermochelys also has a unique life history compared to other sea turtles (large size, elevated metabolism, broad biogeographic distribution, etc.) that is likely linked to bone growth strategies. Despite the abundance of data on modern sea turtle bone growth, extinct sea turtle osteohistology …

Go to article

Refugia Gardening: Putting It Into Practice, David Koetje, Jason Hill Jan 2023

Refugia Gardening: Putting It Into Practice, David Koetje, Jason Hill

Summer Research

Calvin has two community gardens: one behind the house on Hampshire and one near the Knollcrest East Apartments. Each year, the plots in both gardens are rented out and used to grow a variety of fruits and vegetables. To attract pollinators and provide interest to the Hampshire Garden, we decided to design and plant a refugia garden.

Go to article

Neural And Behavioral Evolution In An Eavesdropper With A Rapidly Evolving Host, Aaron W. Wikle Jan 2023

Neural And Behavioral Evolution In An Eavesdropper With A Rapidly Evolving Host, Aaron W. Wikle

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

The diversification of animal communication systems is driven by many interacting factors. Unintended receivers play an important part in this process, yet little is known about their role in signal evolution. Flies of the genus Ormia are parasitoids of crickets and rely on acoustic cues to locate hosts. In Hawaii, selection imposed by Ormia ochracea has led to recent and rapid diversification in the songs of their host. Here, we compare neural and behavioral responses of Hawaiian flies to those of an ancestral population to understand the role of parasitoid sensory and behavioral variation in the evolution of host songs. …

Go to article

Surviving The Serenade: How Conflicting Natural And Sexual Selection Drove Rapid Diversification Of Mating Signals In An Insect, James H. Gallagher Jan 2023

Surviving The Serenade: How Conflicting Natural And Sexual Selection Drove Rapid Diversification Of Mating Signals In An Insect, James H. Gallagher

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

Understanding how the early stages of sexual signal diversification proceed is of critical importance because the nature of these microevolutionary dynamics can directly shape species trajectories and macroevolutionary patterns. Unfortunately, studying signal diversification is challenging because signals involve complex interactions between behavioral, morphological, and physiological components, many of which can only be measured in real time. Here we had the opportunity to directly study this process with the recent increase in sexual signal variation in Hawaiian populations of the Pacific field cricket (Teleogryllus oceanicus). In Hawaii, male song attracts both female crickets and a deadly acoustically orienting parasitoid …

Go to article

Using Art To Foster Creation Care And Advance Environmental Sustainability, Orion Wakeman, Dave Warners Jan 2023

Using Art To Foster Creation Care And Advance Environmental Sustainability, Orion Wakeman, Dave Warners

Summer Research

Calvin University is on land that drains into the Plaster Creek watershed, which is known as the most contaminated watershed in West Michigan. Plaster Creek Stewards (PCS) is a local watershed group at Calvin University that uses native plantings and curb-cut rain gardens to address human impact to the watershed, including ten areas on Calvin’s campus. The restored habitats and rain gardens are unique features that still perceived by many as a challenge to traditional aesthetics. I embrace the intersection of arts and sciences to provide PCS and Calvin University with visually compelling resources for the public to learn about …

Go to article

Plant Community Response To Control Of A Dominant Invader At Multiple Scales, Alexander R. B. Goetz Jan 2023

Plant Community Response To Control Of A Dominant Invader At Multiple Scales, Alexander R. B. Goetz

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

Control of invasive Tamarix spp. in riparian systems has long been a priority for management in western North America, but questions remain regarding the response of the broader plant community to different treatments. Here we summarize a series of approaches at different scales to quantify the effects of Tamarix control on characteristics of this ecosystem, including provisioning of wildlife habitat. In the first chapter we analyzed findings of the last 20 years using meta-analysis and found that although treatment has been successful in reducing Tamarix and promoting native vegetation to some extent, most literature reports very small effect sizes and …

Go to article

The Evolutionary Causes And Consequences Of Mammalian Hybridization, Kelsie E. Hunnicutt Jan 2023

The Evolutionary Causes And Consequences Of Mammalian Hybridization, Kelsie E. Hunnicutt

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

The natural recombination of divergent genomes within hybrid offspring provides windows through which we can study evolutionary processes and the dynamics of speciation. In this work, I use a combination of comparative and population genomics on both laboratory crosses of divergent rodent lineages and a hybrid zone of cottontail rabbits in the wild to study the causes and consequences of hybridization in mammals. Hybrid sterility is a common reproductive barrier between species that tends to preferentially manifest in the heterogametic sex and frequently genetically maps to the sex chromosomes. Thus, the sex chromosomes appear to play a special role in …

Go to article

Alterations In C:N Ratio To Understand Plant Metabolic Pathways In Response To Pressure From Goat Grazing In The Invasive Species: Rhamnus Cathartica, Vivian Marchan Jan 2023

Alterations In C:N Ratio To Understand Plant Metabolic Pathways In Response To Pressure From Goat Grazing In The Invasive Species: Rhamnus Cathartica, Vivian Marchan

Ignite the Spark Outstanding Undergraduate Research and Scholarship

The high fecundity and high germination rates of Rhamus cathartica serves the species to out-compete regional plant native species. Its high abundance in deciduous forest ecosystems forces species that are unable to utilize R. cathartica as a food source to migrate to areas of lower density, further contributing to the decline in regional biodiversity. Bare soil conditions left as the result of the high concentration of Nitrogen in senesced leaves and leaf litter, cause further amplification of the migration of non-plant species to areas of lower R. cathartica density. Nitrogen is essential to primary and secondary metabolism, thus minimizing the …

Go to article

Do Channel Catfish Consume Zebra Mussels?, Casey M. Myers Jan 2023

Do Channel Catfish Consume Zebra Mussels?, Casey M. Myers

Journal of Earth and Life Science

Channel catfish Ictalurus punctatus are a generalized opportunistic feeder with a wide range of diet compositions. In the Midwest, zebra mussels Dreissena polymorpha have quickly spread, causing large effects on aquatic ecosystems structures and functions. Channel catfish are known to consume native mollusks, however, little research has been done on the potential predation of zebra mussels by channel catfish. Therefore, the objective of this study was to analyze channel catfish diets to determine if zebra mussels are consumed. The channel catfish were obtained from the Sauk River chain of lakes between the dates of 14 June and 28 July 2023. …

Go to article

Sheep Ingestive Behavior And Tannin Selection In Pampa Grassland And Feedlot, Marina Terra Braga Jan 2023

Sheep Ingestive Behavior And Tannin Selection In Pampa Grassland And Feedlot, Marina Terra Braga

Green Canyon Environmental Research Area, Logan Utah

The Pampa grassland biome has high plant biodiversity, some with significant secondary compound concentrations such as tannins. Tannin inclusion in ruminant diets may improve meat quality and productivity. However, voluntary intake of this phenolic compound can be a challenge. This dissertation includes three studies within this context. The first study documented whether sheep consume tannin-rich Desmodium incanum (DI), the most common Pampa herbaceous legume species. The second study evaluated how forage tannin and protein concentration influenced sheep feedlot feed selection and the diet affects performance parameters. The third study evaluated sheep feeding behavior in a Pampa native pasture, and how …

Go to article

The Effects Of Chemical Secretions By Millipedes On Anting Behaviour In Birds And Other Animals, Theo Fraser Jan 2023

The Effects Of Chemical Secretions By Millipedes On Anting Behaviour In Birds And Other Animals, Theo Fraser

2023 REYES Proceedings

Birds perform a behavior known as anting in which they actively rub ants in their feathers or allow ants to crawl over their bodies. Several hypotheses have been proposed to explain this behavior, but no one hypothesis can account for all cases of anting that have been observed. Anting behavior has been recorded in species other than birds including primates, and substances other than ants such as millipedes may be used. This paper explores the use of millipedes in anting by birds, capuchin monkeys and lemurs. The three hypotheses supported by these studies include 1) anting serves as food preparation …

Go to article

Multi-Scale Adaptive Management Of Social-Ecological Systems, A. Garmestani, Craig R. Allen, D. G. Angeler, L. Gunderson, J. B. Ruhl Jan 2023

Multi-Scale Adaptive Management Of Social-Ecological Systems, A. Garmestani, Craig R. Allen, D. G. Angeler, L. Gunderson, J. B. Ruhl

School of Natural Resources: Documents and Reviews

No abstract provided.

Go to article

Local-Scale Impacts Of Water Hyacinth On Water Quality In A Hypereutrophic Lake, J. R. Corman, A. Z. Roegner, Z. Ogari, T. R. Miller, C. M. Aura Jan 2023

Local-Scale Impacts Of Water Hyacinth On Water Quality In A Hypereutrophic Lake, J. R. Corman, A. Z. Roegner, Z. Ogari, T. R. Miller, C. M. Aura

School of Natural Resources: Documents and Reviews

No abstract provided.

Go to article

Spatiotemporal Analysis Of Extreme Precipitation In The Southern Great Plains Hydroclimate Region, P. Flanagan, R. Mahmood Jan 2023

Spatiotemporal Analysis Of Extreme Precipitation In The Southern Great Plains Hydroclimate Region, P. Flanagan, R. Mahmood

School of Natural Resources: Documents and Reviews

No abstract provided.

Go to article

Resilience Theory And Coerced Resilience In Agriculture, S. M. Sundstrom, D. G. Angeler, C. R. Allen Jan 2023

Resilience Theory And Coerced Resilience In Agriculture, S. M. Sundstrom, D. G. Angeler, C. R. Allen

School of Natural Resources: Documents and Reviews

No abstract provided.

Go to article

Storms And Ph Of Dam Releases Affects Downstream Phosphorus Cycling In An Arid Regulated River, B. R. Deemer, R. H. Reibold, A. Fatta, J. R. Corman, C. B. Yackulic, S. C. Reed Jan 2023

Storms And Ph Of Dam Releases Affects Downstream Phosphorus Cycling In An Arid Regulated River, B. R. Deemer, R. H. Reibold, A. Fatta, J. R. Corman, C. B. Yackulic, S. C. Reed

School of Natural Resources: Documents and Reviews

No abstract provided.

Go to article

Modified Tracer Gas Injection For Measuring Stream Gas Exchange Velocity In The Presence Of Significant Temperature Variation, C. R. Jensen, D. P. Genereux, T. E. Gilmore, D. K. Solomon Jan 2023

Modified Tracer Gas Injection For Measuring Stream Gas Exchange Velocity In The Presence Of Significant Temperature Variation, C. R. Jensen, D. P. Genereux, T. E. Gilmore, D. K. Solomon

School of Natural Resources: Documents and Reviews

No abstract provided.

Go to article

Characterization Of Particulate Size Distributions And Water-Soluble Ions Measured At A Broiler Farm, P. J. Silva, T. Cress, R. Drover, C. Michael, G. Docekal, P. Larkin, A. Godoy, D. A. Cavero, C. Sin, J. Waites, Rezaul Mamood, M. Cohron, K. L. Purvis-Roberts Jan 2023

Characterization Of Particulate Size Distributions And Water-Soluble Ions Measured At A Broiler Farm, P. J. Silva, T. Cress, R. Drover, C. Michael, G. Docekal, P. Larkin, A. Godoy, D. A. Cavero, C. Sin, J. Waites, Rezaul Mamood, M. Cohron, K. L. Purvis-Roberts

School of Natural Resources: Documents and Reviews

No abstract provided.

Go to article

Analysis Of Lepilemur Edwardsi Seasonal Acoustic Activity, Samantha Henry Jan 2023

Analysis Of Lepilemur Edwardsi Seasonal Acoustic Activity, Samantha Henry

Honors Undergraduate Theses

Passive acoustic monitoring (PAM) has historically been used as a noninvasive technique to study biodiversity, activity patterns, distribution, and species dispersal. The use of acoustic data has expanded in ecological research; however, studies focusing on primates are underrepresented, especially for nocturnal species. This study seeks to increase the understanding of acoustic activity in the nocturnal Milne-Edwards' sportive lemur (Lepilemur edwardsi). This species is endangered and endemic to the lowland dry forests in northwest Madagascar. Specifically, this study aims to describe the daily and annual acoustic activity patterns of the L. edwardsi. The PAM survey was conducted using …

Go to article

Growth And Survival Of Amphibians Exposed To Road Salt And Glyphosate-Based Herbicide, Jerica Eaton Jan 2023

Growth And Survival Of Amphibians Exposed To Road Salt And Glyphosate-Based Herbicide, Jerica Eaton

Mahurin Honors College Capstone Experience/Thesis Projects

Amphibian populations are threatened by increasing levels of environmental pollution resulting from human activities. Areas with mixed land use that include agriculture and urban development experience increased contamination from surface herbicide and road deicer application. Upon entering water sources, these chemicals have the capacity to disrupt the natural dynamics of aquatic ecosystems. This study aimed to evaluate the effects of these contaminants on amphibian populations. I used the spotted salamander (Ambystoma maculatum) as a model, rearing larvae from hatching to metamorphosis. I subjected larvae in each of the treatment groups to varying levels of herbicide and salt concentrations. …

Go to article

Data To Accompany 'Diving Behavior In Semi-Aquatic Anolis Lizards Results In Heat Loss With Sex-Specific Cooling Tolerance', Alexandra M. Martin, Lindsey Swierk Jan 2023

Data To Accompany 'Diving Behavior In Semi-Aquatic Anolis Lizards Results In Heat Loss With Sex-Specific Cooling Tolerance', Alexandra M. Martin, Lindsey Swierk

Biological Sciences Faculty Scholarship

Males and females often differ in use of antipredator behaviors, particularly when antipredator behavior comes at the cost of missed mating opportunities or territory defense. When using thermally suboptimal refugia, ectotherms are especially vulnerable to these costs, as their performance is linked to body temperature. To flee from predators, semi-aquatic Anolis lizards dive underwater for long periods and rebreathe from a bubble of air. We hypothesized that using aquatic refugia would result in thermal loss, that dive duration would be influenced by sex, and that oxygen consumption when diving would help explain sex differences. We tested these hypotheses by measuring …

Go to article

Molecular And Systemic Epigenetic Inheritance: Integrating Development, Genetics, And Evolution, Robert Lickliter, David S. Moore Jan 2023

Molecular And Systemic Epigenetic Inheritance: Integrating Development, Genetics, And Evolution, Robert Lickliter, David S. Moore

Pitzer Faculty Publications and Research

Currently, a central problem for theoretical biology is the integration of development with genetics and evolutionary theory. Through the late 20th century, biologists held that animals resemble their ancestors strictly because of the transgenerational transmission of DNA. This view effectively wrote development out of evolutionary biology. However, many molecular and developmental biologists now understand that phenotypes—anatomical, physiological, and behavioral traits—are not determined by genes (i.e., DNA segments) alone; instead, they emerge epigenetically from developmental processes involving co-acting genetic factors, environmental factors, molecular epigenetic factors, and other non-genetic factors within organisms’ bodies. This insight forces a rethinking of biological inheritance. …

Go to article

What Taking Development Seriously Means For Evolutionary Theory, David C. Witherington, Robert Lickliter, David S. Moore Jan 2023

What Taking Development Seriously Means For Evolutionary Theory, David C. Witherington, Robert Lickliter, David S. Moore

Pitzer Faculty Publications and Research

Proponents of the Extended Evolutionary Synthesis (EES) emphasize the critical role that organisms and their development play in the process of evolution. This framework explicitly rejects the genocentric focus that once dominated interpretations of the Modern Synthesis in evolutionary theory. In place of genocentrism, EES highlights processes like niche construction, developmental constraint, and extragenetic inheritance as central to any understanding of evolutionary process. However, much more is at stake in adopting the EES than simply moving beyond the gene-dominant viewpoint of the Modern Synthesis. The EES, in fact, represents a fundamental challenge to the core of classic Darwinism itself by …

Go to article

Multilevel Selection On Social Network Traits Differs Between Sexes In Experimental Populations Of Forked Fungus Beetles, R. A. Costello, P. A. Cook, E. D. Brodie Iii, Vincent A. Formica Jan 2023

Multilevel Selection On Social Network Traits Differs Between Sexes In Experimental Populations Of Forked Fungus Beetles, R. A. Costello, P. A. Cook, E. D. Brodie Iii, Vincent A. Formica

Biology Faculty Works

Both individual and group behavior can influence individual fitness, but multilevel selection is rarely quantified on social behaviors. Social networks provide a unique opportunity to study multilevel selection on social behaviors, as they describe complex social traits and patterns of interaction at both the individual and group levels. In this study, we used contextual analysis to measure the consequences of both individual network position and group network structure on individual fitness in experimental populations of forked fungus beetles (Bolitotherus cornutus) with two different resource distributions. We found that males with high individual connectivity (strength) and centrality (betweenness) had …

Go to article

First Prev Next Last