Ecology and Evolutionary Biology Commons^™

Pile Burning After Conifer Removal From Aspen Stands Affects Tree Mortality, Regeneration, And Understory Recovery, John-Pascal Berrill, Christa M. Dagley, Yoon G. Kim, J. Morgan Varner

Aspen Bibliography

Quaking aspen (Populus tremuloides Michx.) stands throughout the western United States provide valuable ecosystem services but can be lost via succession from aspen to conifer. Forest managers are cutting conifers, but disposal of cut wood can be challenging in remote or sensitive areas. Piling and burning is being tested within aspen stands but ecosystem responses to this treatment are understudied. We assessed aspen tree mortality, tree regeneration, and understory vegetation after forest restoration thinning followed by pile burning in seven aspen-conifer stands around Lake Tahoe, California and Nevada, USA. Pile burning was conducted after cut wood had dried (1.5–7.5 …

Effects Of Hemiparasites In Grassland Restorations Are Not Universal, Anna Marie Scheidel, Victoria Borowicz

Faculty Publications – Biological Sciences

Root hemiparasites infiltrate the vascular tissue of host roots to acquire water and nutrients, which often reduces host growth. Hemiparasites are postulated to be keystone species in grassland communities if they suppress dominant species and increase plant community biodiversity, and ecosystem engineers if they increase nutrient accessibility for surrounding species. We examined keystone effects by evaluating species richness and evenness in 1 m2 plots in a recent prairie restoration where Castilleja sessiliflora was naturally present or absent, and in a longer-established prairie restoration with or without Pedicularis canadensis. We examined ecosystem engineer effects by determining nitrate and phosphate concentrations …

Using Leaf Spectra To Elucidate The Taxonomy And Ecology Of Living And Dried Plants, Natalia L. Quinteros Casaverde

Dissertations, Theses, and Capstone Projects

Identifying plants and understanding of changes in plant communities are crucial to the conservation and management of nature. The shortwave spectral reflectance of leaves is a promising tool for rapidly identifying species at different taxonomic ranks and predicting important plant functional traits. However, the spectral reflectance of leaves changes in response to biotic and abiotic conditions.

The aim of this dissertation is to investigate the potential of shortwave spectral reflectance to investigate (Chapter 1) how its variation affects the accuracy of methods used to predict plant taxonomies and what environmental factors most influence biophysically predicted traits, (Chapter 2) what are …

Adaptive Evolution Of Surface Proteins In Microbial Pathogens: Lyme Disease Pathogens (Borreliella Sp.) And Human Immunodeficiency Virus Type 1 (Hiv-1), Li Li

Dissertations, Theses, and Capstone Projects

Cell and virion surface proteins are key to the survival and adaptation of microbial pathogens by enabling them to evade host immune responses and to persist in diverse environments. Pathogens respond to host immune pressures with genetic changes in surface proteins through mechanisms including point mutations, recombination, gene duplication and loss, and lateral gene transfer, resulting in novel antigenic variants and antigenic diversity. This continuous adaptation helps pathogens evade host immunity, leading to chronic infections and recurrent disease outbreaks. Understanding these mechanisms is vital for developing effective strategies to combat infectious diseases.

This dissertation comprises three chapters exploring the adaptive …

Towards Sociobiogeochemistry: Critical Perspectives On Anthropogenic Alterations To Soil Nitrogen Chemistry Via U.S. Urban And Suburban Development, Christopher D. Ryan

Dissertations, Theses, and Capstone Projects

The ecological impacts of changes to land use are relevant to concerns about climate change, eutrophication of waterbodies, and reductions in biodiversity. As a foundational component of ecosystem functioning, changes to soil biogeochemistry have significant effects on overall ecosystem health. With cities continuing to grow and develop in extent, the impacts of urbanization and suburbanization on soils are of particular concern. Despite a wide range of natural climatic and geologic conditions, several factors have driven similar patterns of land transformation and management across the United States. In particular, federal initiatives including the Home Owners Loan Corporation, the Federal Housing Administration, …

Avian Symbionts Of Sulawesi: Identifying And Correlating Malaria Parasites And The Microbiome In Communities Of Endemic Avian Hosts, Rachael Joakim

Dissertations, Theses, and Capstone Projects

Since the evolution of complex organisms, there have been communities of symbionts inhabiting them. Thanks to the development of parallel sequencing techniques, DNA of entire microbial communities can be sequenced from a single sample. Some microbes can be parasitic in nature, such as Haemosporida, an order of eukaryotes causing malaria. While most symbionts form a more commensal host relationship in wild systems, host-symbiont dynamics can vary in pathogenicity based on biotic and abiotic factors. In vertebrates, microbial communities in the gut play a major role in host function, including immune responses to Haemosporida. Though this relationship is most commonly explored …

The Influence Of Incubation Temperature On Offspring Traits Varies Across Northern And Southern Populations Of The American Alligator (Alligator Mississippiensis), Christopher R Smaga, Samantha L Bock, Josiah M Johnson, Thomas Rainwater, Randeep Singh, Vincent Deem, Andrew Letter, Arnold Brunell, Benjamin B Parrott

Faculty, Staff and Student Publications

Maternal provisioning and the developmental environment are fundamental determinants of offspring traits, particularly in oviparous species. However, the extent to which embryonic responses to these factors differ across populations to drive phenotypic variation is not well understood. Here, we examine the contributions of maternal provisioning and incubation temperature to hatchling morphological and metabolic traits across four populations of the American alligator (Alligator mississippiensis), encompassing a large portion of the species' latitudinal range. Our results show that whereas the influence of egg mass is generally consistent across populations, responses to incubation temperature show population-level variation in several traits, including …

Experimental Sars-Cov-2 Infection Of Elk And Mule Deer, Stephanie M. Porter, Airn E. Hartwig, Helle Bielefeldt-Ohmann, Jeffrey M. Marano, J. Jeffrey Root, Angela M. Bosco-Lauth

United States Department of Agriculture Wildlife Services: Staff Publications

To assess the susceptibility of elk (Cervus canadensis) and mule deer (Odocoileus hemionus) to SARS-CoV-2, we performed experimental infections in both species. Elk did not shed infectious virus but mounted low-level serologic responses. Mule deer shed and transmitted virus and mounted pronounced serologic responses and thus could play a role in SARS-CoV-2 epidemiology.

Comparing Sucrose Preference Between Colonies Of Bombus Impatiens, Kevin R. Corrigan, Becky Hansis-O'Niell, Aimee Sue Dunlap

Undergraduate Research Symposium

Current studies in nectar concentration preference generally take the form of a static laboratory experiment in which a multitude of feeders provide a constant source of nectar in differing concentrations and data is collected on which one is preferred most by bees. Studies like these are important because they seek to gain an understanding of bee foraging patterns. Having a strong biological understanding of these organisms better prepares us to combat issues regarding conservation should they occur. Here, we conduct an analysis on the foraging patterns of two colonies of Bombus impatiens (B. Impatiens) with data gathered from fixed ratio …

Animal Conservation In St. Louis, Kate O'Sullivan

Undergraduate Research Symposium

St. Louis has a multitude of organizations involved in the natural sciences. But how many of them actually contribute towards animal conservation? The St. Louis Zoo is an organization that focuses a lot of its effort on presentation, so how does that impact the funds that go towards actually saving the animals? I plan to dive into the different animal-based organizations in St. Louis and its surrounding areas, as well as discuss the positives and negatives of each organization. Furthermore, I will provide examples from several sources that I have been reviewing all year to support my claims. I plan …

Surveys Of Aphonopelma Hentzi In Missouri: Conservation Efforts Through Population, Genetics, And Habitat Studies, Anderson B. Spencer Mr., Becky Hansis-O'Niell

Undergraduate Research Symposium

Aphonopelma hentzi and other tarantula species are greatly understudied organisms. In the Missouri regions there is little knowledge on their mating patterns, gene diversity, or population sizes. The focal glades in this experiment display regional fragmentation, which could prevent tarantulas from traveling and mating between regions of their glades. Due to the lack of knowledge surrounding them, methods for determining gene diversity are harmful to the organism. Our recent work has shown that it is possible to extract genetic information from the molts of burrowing tarantulas. This will allow us to safely determine the lineages and interbreeding patterns of the …

Molecular Characterisation Of Traditional Cashew (Anacardium Occidentale L.) Populations From Nachingwea And Newala Districts In Tanzania, Hussein R. Chiumbi, Hashim M. Mangosongo

Tanzania Journal of Science

This study assessed the genetic diversity of 120 selected cashew plants from Nachingwea and Newala traditional cashew populations, comprising of 60 cashew plants from each population. Eight Simple Sequence Repeats (SSR) makers were used to ascertain the extent of genetic variation within and between the two traditional cashew populations. Genomic DNA extraction and Polymerase Chain Reaction (PCR) were performed using standard protocols. The results showed that all SSR markers were polymorphic. Average Polymorphic Information Content (PIC), heterozygosity, number of alleles per locus, allelic frequency and Shannon’s Index were 0.540, 0.721, 3.391, 0.666 and 0.649, respectively. Analysis of molecular variance results …

Population Genetic Structure And Demographic History Of Opsaridium Microcephulum Along Lake Nyasa, Alex Nehemia, Alinanuswe J. Mwakalesi

Tanzania Journal of Science

The Sanjika, Opsaridium microcephalum is among the fish species that serve as a major source of proteins and income to people along Lake Nyasa. However, the information on its genetic diversity and structure particularly in the Tanzania part of the Lake is limited. Therefore, the assessment of the genetic diversity and structure of O.microcephalum along the Lake Nyasa part of Tanzania was conducted in the current study using a fragment of the mitochondrial COI gene from 92 individuals of O. microcephalum. The findings showed that an average haplotype diversity and average nucleotide diversity were 0.8065 ± 0.0314 and 0.002380 ± …

Woody Plant Assemblages Of Recently Declared Village Land Forest Reserve In The Eastern Afromontane Biodiversity Hotspot, Samora Macrice Andrew

Tanzania Journal of Science

Understanding of species composition of village land forest reserves and their driving factors informs adequate development of effective restoration strategies and sustainable forest management of miombo woodlands. This study assessed the effects of human disturbance as well as environmental variables on woody plant species composition using 24 square plots of 10 x 10 m in a recently declared village land forest reserve in the Eastern Afromontane biodiversity hotspot of Tanzania. Ordination analysis technique canonical correspondence analysis was used to identify important vegetation gradients and significant factors that explain the spatial variation in species composition of woody plants. Results showed that, …

Toward Improved Global Food Security: Uncovering How Tomatoes Fight Root-Knot Nematodes, Chingyan H. Huang

The Journal of Purdue Undergraduate Research

No abstract provided.

Exploring The Evolution Of Callose Synthase In Green Plants, Giovanna Durante

The Journal of Purdue Undergraduate Research

No abstract provided.

Aspen Recovery In Northern Yellowstone: A Comment On Brice Et Al. (2021), Luke E. Painter, Robert L. Beschta, William J. Ripple

Aspen Bibliography

Aspen sapling recruitment increased as browsing by elk decreased, following the 1995–96 reintroduction of wolves in Yellowstone National Park. We address claims by Brice et al. (2021) that previous studies exaggerated recent aspen recovery. We conclude that their results actually supported previous work showing a trophic cascade benefiting aspen.

A Coupled Model Of Population, Poaching, And Economic Dynamics To Assess Rhino Conservation Through Legal Trade, Henry Doyle, Kylie Champagne, Ditto Rajpal, Grace Seebeck, David J. Gerberry

Spora: A Journal of Biomathematics

Rhinoceros populations in Africa are in peril largely due to the high value of their horns and the poaching that ensues. The strategy of legalizing the international trade of rhino horn is receiving increased support among both the people and government officials in Africa. Many in the international conservation community remain opposed to the idea. The legalization strategy is straightforward in theory: legalizing the trade of rhino horn will introduce a large quantity of horn to the market, the increased supply will lead to lower prices for rhino horn, and lower prices will reduce the overall poaching pressure these animals …

Literature Review Nature-Based Art Therapy Exploring Connections And Relationships, Janell Lopez-Curtis

Expressive Therapies Capstone Theses

Art therapy is a modality used in clinical psychotherapy. It is supported through both quantitative and qualitative research. Branching out from art therapy is nature-based art therapy. This branch of expressive therapies holds the potential to be beneficial as art therapy due to the interconnected access to the scientific fields of ecology, ecopsychology, art therapy, expressive therapies, and other nature-based therapeutic activities; this includes intersectionality in ecological theories such as ecofeminism and deep ecology as well. Through an exploration of literature, this paper will provide definitions and theory-based support through reviewing clinical psychotherapy, evidence-based practices, and art therapy theories. The …

Aspen And Spruce Densities Affect Tree Size, Future Stand Volume, And Aboveground Carbon Following Precommercial Thinning, Philip G. Comeau, Mike Bokalo

Aspen Bibliography

Data collected over a 30-year period from an experiment replicated across 21 locations in western Canada are used to explore the effects of precommercial thinning of trembling aspen to a range of densities in combination with three initial white spruce densities on tree growth and stand dynamics. Increasing differentiation amongst the 15 treatments was observed with age after thinning for both spruce and aspen responses. Spruce height and diameter declined with increasing aspen density. At age 10 spruce diameter with no aspen was 1.5× that of spruce in unthinned while it was 2.6× that of spruce in unthinned at age …

Tracing The Maternal Line In Glacial-Interglacial Migrations Of Populus Tremuloides: Finding Trees For Future Sustainable Forests By Searching In The Past, Luke R. Tembrock, Frida A. Zink, Guozhe Zhang, Andrea Schuhmann, Cuihua Gu, Zhiqiang Wu

Aspen Bibliography

Maintaining and planting sustainable forests is fundamental in perpetuating the essential functions of these ecosystems. A central aspect of managing forests for future resilience is the consideration of past migration and evolution of trees using genetic and genomic data to ensure that functionally appropriate diversity is conserved and utilized. In our study, we generated and compared genetic and genomic data from the plastome to better understand phylogeography and molecular evolution in the tree species Populus tremuloides (aspen). With these analyses, we found evidence of divergence and migration between northern and southern sites. Additionally, evidence of deep incomplete plastome sorting across …

Parental Environnement Influences Offspring Gene Expression In The Olympia Oyster, Ostrea Lurida., Mark S. Yeats

LSU Master's Theses

The Olympia Oyster is the only native oyster species on the Pacific coast of North America. Seasonality in water temperatures across this threatened species’ broad and fragmented range has been linked to its development, reproductive timing, reproductive activity, growth, and survival rates. Recent evidence suggests parental environments can have carry-over effects on larval growth and respiration rates in response to temperature. In this study, we utilized transcriptomic methods to identify the underlying mechanisms of this cross-generation plasticity. Sequence libraries of adult ctenidia tissue and pooled larval replicates were extracted and spawned from hatchery raised oysters of the same parentage immediately …

The Cetacean Sanctuary: A Sea Of Unknowns, Jason N. Bruck

Faculty Publications

Housing cetaceans in netted sea pens is not new and is common for many accredited managed- care facilities. Hence, the distinction between sanctuary and sea pen is more about the philosophies of those who run these sanctuary facilities, the effects of these philosophies on the animals’ welfare, and how proponents of these sanctuaries fund the care of these animals. Here, I consider what plans exist for cetacean sanctuaries and discuss the caveats and challenges associated with this form of activist-managed captivity. One goal for stakeholders should be to disregard the emotional connotations of the word “sanctuary” …

A Survey Of Proximal Sensilla Associated With Denticle Subrows On Scorpion Pedipalp Fingers (Arachnida: Scorpiones), With Observations On Scorpion Fluorescence, Graeme Lowe, Victor Fet

Euscorpius

Sensilla on the dentate margins of scorpion pedipalp fingers, associated with denticle subrows or terminal denticles, were surveyed by white light, UV fluorescence and scanning electron microscopy. A total of 163 species belonging to 103 genera from 19 families were examined, representing all major phylogenetic lineages in the order. In the majority of species (141/152) with dentition organized into linear subrows of median denticles, a small socketed sensillum with a short shaft was observed at the proximal terminus of each subrow, termed a ‘subrow proximal sensilla’ (SPS). With few exceptions, SPS were non-fluorescent (‘Type N’) in buthids, and fluorescent (‘Type …

Gene Flow And Isolation In The Arid Nearctic Revealed By Genomic Analyses Of Desert Spiny Lizards, Carlos J. Pavón-Vázquez, Qaantah Rana, Keaka Farleigh, Erika Crispo, Mimi Zeng, Jeevanie Liliah, Daniel Mulcahy, Alfredo Ascanio, Tereza Jezkova, Adam D. Leaché, Tomas Flouri, Ziheng Yang, Christopher Blair

Publications and Research

The opposing forces of gene flow and isolation are two major processes shaping genetic diversity. Understanding how these vary across space and time is necessary to identify the environmental features that promote diversification. The detection of considerable geographic structure in taxa from the arid Nearctic has prompted research into the drivers of isolation in the region. Several geographic features have been proposed as barriers to gene flow, including the Colorado River, Western Continental Divide, and a hypothetical Mid-Peninsular Seaway in Baja California. However, recent studies suggest that the role of barriers in genetic differentiation may have been overestimated when compared …

Description Of Gastrophryne Elegans (Boulenger, 1882) Tadpole From The Rainforest Of Los Tuxtlas, Veracruz, Mexico, Víctor H. Jiménez-Arcos, Rafael Alejandro Calzada-Arciniega, Bruno Cortés-Ortiz, Christopher Blair

Publications and Research

No abstract provided.

Eristalis Tenax Movement Behavior In Response To Light, Temperature, And Food, Jeffery J. Zheng, Zdena M. Janderova, Jason D. Lang

Georgia Journal of Science

Drone flies, Eristalis tenax (Diptera: Syrphidae), are important generalist pollinators and visit flowers globally that range widely in color. The flies’ photoreceptors allow them to sense light wavelengths between 300-600 nm and E. tenax exhibit a positive phototactic response. To understand the effects of light on E. tenax movement, we conducted two-choice behavioral tests to determine their phototactic response to different wavelengths of light across the spectrum (ultraviolet to red light, plus full spectrum white light). The drone flies moved most and quickest toward sunlight, with almost twice the percentage of flies moving toward sunlight than toward black and …

The Long-Term Effects Of Prescribed Fire On Floral Abundance And Bumble Bee Abundance In Mixed-Oak Forests Of Southeastern Ohio, Moses Shafer

Theses, Dissertations and Capstones

Pollinators are declining due to climate change and habitat loss driven by agriculture and urbanization. In fire-adapted ecosystems, fire promotes the biodiversity of plants by creating space, reducing competition, and increasing light and nutrient availability. However, little is known regarding the effects of fire on floral abundance of plants used by Bombus. The overall goal of this project was to assess the long-term effects of fire on floral abundance and Bombus abundance. Our specific questions were: (1) How does fire frequency influence floral abundance?, (2) How does fire frequency influence floral abundance of species specifically utilized by bumble bees?, …

Microhabitat Selection Of Adult Female Eastern Diamondback Rattlesnakes (Crotalus Adamanteus) In The Carolinas, Matthew Gacheny

Theses, Dissertations and Capstones

Reptiles rely on environmental conditions to regulate body temperature using behavioral strategies to meet basic life history needs. Viviparous squamates use thermoregulatory behaviors to meet energetic requirements for vitellogenesis and gestation, which carry considerable energetic costs and must balance with maintenance and survival. Embryonic development is often optimized in a narrower temperature range than the mother’s preferred temperature, creating an intergenerational conflict that should be addressed with maternal microhabitat selection. Field-based studies are needed to understand the link between the thermal biology of reptiles, their reproduction, and implications for population viability. With a use-availability logistic regression framework, I examined thermal …

Temporal Trends In Mammalian Roadkill Abundance In Central Georgia, Lucy Beck

Graduate Research Showcase

Mitigating wildlife-vehicle collisions requires knowledge of spatiotemporal trends which can be revealed using roadkill data analysis. When examining seasonal roadkill abundance, the trends could be explained by seasonal changes in animal behavior, interactions between taxa, and relative species abundance. Furthermore, roadkill seasonality can be influenced by driver visibility due to changing day lengths. The current study documents the temporal distribution of mammalian roadkill from 2012 to 2022 on a 12.2 mile section of Highway 212 in Putnam County and Baldwin County, GA. In this driving survey, roadkill were recorded to the nearest tenth of a mile using vehicle odometer readings. …