Ecology and Evolutionary Biology Commons^™

Current Ecotoxicity Testing Needs Among Selected U.S. Federal Agencies, Patricia Ceger, Natalia Garcia-Reyero Vinas, David Allen, Elyssa Arnold, Raanan Bloom, Jennifer C. Brennan, Carol Clarke, Karen Eisenreich, Kellie Fay, Jonathan Hamm, Paula F.P. Henry, Katherine E. Horak, Wesley Hunter, Donna Judkins, Patrice Klein, Nicole Kleinstreuer, Kara Koehrn, Carlie A. Lalone, James P. Laurenson, Jessica K. Leet, Anna Lowit, Scott G. Lynn, Teresa Norberg-King, Edward J. Perkins, Elijah J. Petersen, Barnett A. Rattner, Catherine S. Sprankle, Thomas Steeger, Jim E. Warren, Sarah Winfield, Edward Odenkirchen

United States Department of Agriculture Wildlife Services: Staff Publications

U.S. regulatory and research agencies use ecotoxicity test data to assess the hazards associated with substances that may be released into the environment, including but not limited to industrial chemicals, pharmaceuticals, pesticides, food additives, and color additives. These data are used to conduct hazard assessments and evaluate potential risks to aquatic life (e.g., invertebrates, fish), birds, wildlife species, or the environment. To identify opportunities for regulatory uses of non-animal replacements for ecotoxicity tests, the needs and uses for data from tests utilizing animals must first be clarified. Accordingly, the objective of this review was to identify the ecotoxicity test data …

Defining An Epidemiological Landscape That Connects Movement Ecology To Pathogen Transmission And Pace-Of-Life, Kezia Manlove, Mark Wilber, Lauren White, Guillaume Bastille-Rousseau, Anni Yang, Marie L.J. Gilbertson, Meggan E. Craft, Paul C. Cross, George Wittemyer, Kim M. Pepin

United States Department of Agriculture Wildlife Services: Staff Publications

Pathogen transmission depends on host density, mobility and contact. These components emerge from host and pathogen movements that themselves arise through interactions with the surrounding environment. The environment, the emergent host and pathogen movements, and the subsequent patterns of density, mobility and contact form an ‘epidemiological landscape’ connecting the environment to specific locations where transmissions occur. Conventionally, the epidemiological landscape has been described in terms of the geographical coordinates where hosts or pathogens are located. We advocate for an alternative approach that relates those locations to attributes of the local environment. Environmental descriptions can strengthen epidemiological forecasts by allowing for …

Examination Of Amphibian Community And Environmental Relationships In South Texas Using Environmental Dna (Edna), Sean Michael Collins

Theses and Dissertations

Developing more efficient tools to assess amphibian biodiversity and understanding what environmental variables drive amphibian biodiversity are top priorities, as amphibians are facing extinction events across the globe. Environmental DNA (eDNA) surveys are a promising new tool to asses amphibian biodiversity. Throughout the study eDNA metabarcoding along with a targeted eDNA assay and traditional survey methods were used to provide foundational information on amphibian community assemblages throughout South Texas. Water quality, habitat characteristics and soil composition data were collected and used to examine environmental relationships. eDNA metabarcoding detected significantly more amphibian taxonomic units compared to traditional survey …

Riverscape Community Genomics Of Ozark Fishes: A Comparative Framework To Infer Ecological And Evolutionary Determinants Of Genetic Diversity, Zachery D. Zbinden

Graduate Theses and Dissertations

Genetic variation is a crucial component of biodiversity and represents the variability and spatial structure of alleles within and among organisms. Evolution modulates this variability over time through mutation, selection, gene flow, and genetic drift. However, our capacity to test foundational theories of population genetics has always been at the mercy of molecular approaches available to quantify patterns of genetic diversity. Initially, techniques for empirical DNA studies were in their infancy and limited by technologies and the price per unit of genetic information. Because of these constraints, our pursuits have generally been limited to investigations of one or a few …

Conservation Of Open-Canopy-Associated Wildlife: Multi-Scale Management Impacts On Imperiled Herpetofauna, Ethan Joseph Royal

Graduate Theses and Dissertations

The loss of open-canopy ecosystems throughout North America has precipitated declines in reptile and amphibian species associated with these habitat types. Current efforts to restore open-canopy ecosystems are underway in many areas, but the local distributions of, habitat characteristics required by and the effects of management actions on many herpetofauna species are poorly understood or entirely unknown. Research examining relationships among herpetofauna and their environments is often complicated by the extremely low detectability seen in many studies. We used landscape-scale, assemblage-level surveys to investigate the occupancy patterns and habitat associations of open-canopy-associated herpetofauna in two regions, as well as gain …

Allelopathic Effect Of Cereal Straw Extracts On Growth Of Raphidocelis Subcapitata And Microcystis Aeruginosa, Holly Wren

Graduate Theses and Dissertations

Harmful algal blooms are increasing in size, duration, and intensity around the globe. For several decades, cereal straws have been recognized as a viable algal control method, though the mechanisms by which cereal straws inhibit algae remain a topic of research. The objectives of this study were to evaluate the effectiveness of decomposing cereal straw extract, particularly rice (Oryza sativa) and barley (Hordeum vulgare) straw extract, to inhibit the green alga Raphidocelis subcapitata or cyanobacteria Microcystis aeruginosa in bioassays and to determine if the effectiveness of decomposing rice straw extract is altered by the presence of natural organic matter or …

Competing Behaviors Of Thermoregulation And Ambush Foraging In The Timber Rattlesnake (Crotalus Horridus Horridus): A Mechanistic Assessment Of Thermal Conduction, Larry K. Kamees

Graduate Theses and Dissertations

The interaction between the biophysical environment and ectotherm morphology elicits behaviors designed to maintain internal body temperature (Tb) within a range that promotes physiological functions. The short-term requirements of mass (energy requirements) and heat balance are subject to tradeoffs imposed by the organisms current physiological (heat and mass budgets) and environmental (biophysical, demographic, social, and predation) constraints and available resources. In temperate forests, extreme temperatures are common in summer even with intermittent sun exposure due to dense canopy cover. In Spring and Fall, temperatures can range from below freezing to 35 ℃ in 24 hrs. An ambush predator like the …

A Review Of Host Plants For The Tortricid Tribe Grapholitini, With A Synopsis Of Host Utilization By Genus (Lepidoptera: Tortricidae), John W. Brown

Insecta Mundi

A database of larval host plants for the tortricid tribe Grapholitini (Lepidoptera: Tortricidae: Ole­threutinae) is presented, and larval hosts are summarized for each genus. Food plants have been reported for over 400 of the approximately 1,644 described species of Grapholitini. Of the 81 genera currently as­signed to the tribe, at least one larval host has been reported for 51. Ninety-seven different plant families have been reported at least once for a species of Grapholitini, with the greatest number of grapholitines recorded from Fabaceae (168 species), followed by Fagaceae (43 species), Pinaceae (43), Sapindaceae (36), Rosaceae (30), Asteraceae (30), Euphorbiaceae (15), …

Whiteflies (Hemiptera: Aleyrodidae) Intercepted On Plant Product Imported To South Korea From 2013–2021, Suhyeon Lee, Soo-Jung Suh

Insecta Mundi

Current globalization and technological progress has facilitated and increased the international trade of plant products worldwide and has promoted the long-distance movement of immobile sucking pests such as whiteflies attached on plants. Therefore, being able to compile and update information on intercepted insect pests will help to improve the inspection procedures, to detect, identify and mitigate the damage caused by exotic invasive pests. Records of whiteflies (Hemiptera: Aleyrodidae) intercepted on import plants from 2013 to 2021 in the Pest Information System (PIS) database of South Korea were analyzed. A total of 32 species belonging to 19 genera were intercepted on …

Synopsis Of The Tribe Amarotypini In New Zealand (Coleoptera: Carabidae), André Larochelle, Marie-Claude Larivière

Insecta Mundi

The tribe Amarotypini (Coleoptera: Carabidae: Migadopinae) is revised for New Zealand. Three genera and fourteen species are recognized.

Two genera and thirteen species are described as new: Amarophilus Larochelle and Larivière new genus, Amarophilus lomondensis Larochelle and Larivière new species, Amarophilus otagoensis Larochelle and Larivière new species, Amarophilus rotundicollis Larochelle and Larivière new species, Amarophilus wanakensis Larochelle and Larivière new species, Amarotypus fiordlandensis Larochelle and Larivière new species, Amarotypus glasgowensis Larochelle and Larivière new species, Amarotypus murchisonorum Larochelle and Larivière new species, Amarotypus simoninensis Larochelle and Larivière new species, Amarotypus takaheensis …

A New Phyllophaga (Listrochelus) Timida Group Species From Baja California Sur (Coleoptera: Scarabaeidae: Melolonthinae), William B. Warner

Insecta Mundi

Phyllophaga (Listrochelus) baja, new species (Coleoptera: Scarabaeidae: Melolonthinae), is de­scribed and illustrated. Its relationship to other species in the “timida group” is discussed.

Morón (2002) reviewed the Phyllophaga Harris (Listrochelus Blanchard) species near P. timida (Horn) and included a key to the eight known species of the “timida group.” Many species in this group are difficult to dis­tinguish from one another via external characters; however, the male genital shape is diagnostic for each. Here I describe a new species from Baja California Sur, Mexico, that falls within that group.

New Records Of Invasive Aphids (Hemiptera: Aphididae) On Garlic Mustard In The Usa, Doris Lagos-Kutz, Rebecah Troutman, Glen L. Hartman

Insecta Mundi

Lipaphis alliariae Müller (Hemiptera: Aphididae) was identified from specimens collected in Lake County, Ohio, on the invasive garlic mustard, Alliaria petiolata (Bieb.) Cavara & Grande (Brassicaceae). The identification was performed on apterous viviparae using morphological and molecular data. Body color and shape of the cauda discriminated L. alliariae and L. pseudobrassicae Davis. Measurements of morphological characters of both species were similar, but they have distinct characters distinguishing them from L. erysimi Kaltenbach. Neighbor-joining analysis of cytochrome oxidase 1 (Cox1) barcoding indicated a close relation­ship of the aphids that feed on Brassicaceae, and the range of pair-wise distances for Cox1 barcoding …

Natural History Of Cassida Sphaerula Boheman, 1854 (Coleoptera: Chrysomelidae: Cassidinae: Cassidini) On Arctotheca Prostrata (Salisb.) Britten (Asteraceae: Arctotidinae) In South Africa, With A Checklist Of South African Cassidinae (Leaf-Mining And Tortoise Beetles), Sally Adam, Mariana Campos, Hugh D.C. Heron, C. L. Staines, Rob Westerduijn, Caroline Simmrita Chaboo

Insecta Mundi

The tortoise beetle, Cassida sphaerula Boheman, 1854 (Coleoptera: Chrysomelidae: Cassidinae: Cassidini) is endemic to South Africa. Its endemic host, Arctotheca prostrata (Salisb.) Britten (Asteraceae) has been introduced in other countries where it is becoming invasive. Cassida sphaerula could provide a potential biocontrol of Arctotheca weeds as it spends the entire life cycle on this host. An intensive field study, with rearing, photography, and short films of C. sphaerula was conducted in its native habitat to document the life cycle. A checklist of Cassidinae genera in South Africa, along with 19 new host records for Cassidini species in South Africa are …

Chemical And Biological Stressors Threaten Native Fish Diversity In The Spring River Subbasin Of Kansas, Alexandra King

Electronic Theses & Dissertations

Chemical pollution and nonnative species are two of the major threats facing freshwater fishes. As such, understanding how freshwater fish communities respond to pollution remediation efforts and nonnative fish introductions are primary goals of native fish conservation. Within the Spring River subbasin (SRS) of southeastern Kansas, this study examined the long-term response of riffle fish communities to decreases in heavy metal concentrations, as well as the effects of introduced Blackspotted Topminnow (Fundulus olivaceus) on native Blackstripe Topminnow (Fundulus notatus). The objectives of our research in Chapter 01 of this thesis were to quantify changes in riffle …

The Role Of Nest Location On The Reproductive Success Of Piping Plovers Breeding At Rockaway Beach, New York, Clara I.D. Arndtsen

Theses and Dissertations

The study’s goal was to learn what aspects of the piping plover experience affect reproductive outcomes at Rockaway Beach Endangered Species Nesting Area. Nest location was found to help predict reproductive success. Nests further from American oystercatcher nests were likely to fledge more chicks. Reproductive success was low in 2021.

Limited Effects Of Precipitation Manipulation On Soil Respiration And Inorganic N Concentrations Across Soil Drainage Classes In Northern Minnesota Aspen Forests, Anna B. Stockstad, Robert A. Slesak, Alan J. Toczydlowski, Charles R. Blinn, Randall K. Kolka, Stephen D. Sebestyen

Aspen Bibliography

It is critical to gain insight into the responses of forest soils to the changing climate. We simulated future climate conditions with growing season throughfall reduction (by 50%) and winter snow removal using a paired-plot design across a soil drainage class gradient at three upland, Populus-dominated forests in northern Minnesota, USA. In situ bulk soil respiration and concentrations of extractable soil N were measured during the summers of 2020–2021. Soil respiration and N concentrations were not affected by throughfall reduction and snow removal, which was largely attributed to the limited treatment effects on soil moisture content and soil temperature. …

Optimising Response To An Introduction Of African Swine Fever In Wild Pigs, Kim M. Pepin, Vienna R. Brown, Anni Yang, James C. Beasley, Raoul Boughton, Kurt C. Vercauteren, Ryan S. Miller, Sarah N. Bevins

United States Department of Agriculture Wildlife Services: Staff Publications

African swine fever virus (ASFv) is a virulent pathogen that threatens domestic swine industries globally and persists in wild boar populations in some countries. Persistence in wild boar can challenge elimination and prevent disease-free status, making it necessary to address wild swine in proactive response plans. In the United States, invasive wild pigs are abundant and found across a wide range of ecological conditions that could drive different epidemiological dynamics among populations. Information on the size of the control areas required to rapidly eliminate the ASFv in wild pigs and how this area should change with management constraints and local …

The Biological Influence Of Stories & The Importance Of Reading Fiction, Elise N. Good, Katharine Schaab

The Kennesaw Journal of Undergraduate Research

Fictional narratives and stories have persisted throughout human history. However, perhaps due to a bias that stories offered nothing more than entertainment for the reader or perhaps that they are not useful outside of the realm of academia, the research within science academia has been lacking in literature on why these narratives have endured. Unfortunately, due to the lack of conversation across disciplines, particularly those of science and literature, this subject has not been thoroughly investigated through an interdisciplinary lens. Within this paper, the goal is to analyze the benefits of fictional narratives through biological, evolutionary, and neuropsychological perspectives. Research …

Wetland Soil Development Along Salinity And Hydrogeomorphic Gradients In Active And Inactive Deltaic Basins Of Coastal Louisiana, Amanda Fontenot

LSU Master's Theses

Coastal wetlands provide an abundance of ecosystem services that benefit society, such as essential habitat for commercial species, storm protection, nutrient cycling, and carbon storage. Louisiana faces rapid rates of relative sea level rise (natural subsidence and eustatic sea levels) that threaten wetland survival, which are amplified by a reduction of riverine sediment input. An important determining factor of marsh survival is the formation of wetland platform elevation, known as vertical accretion, which is determined by several processes including sediment deposition & erosion, below ground biomass (BGB) productivity, decomposition of organic matter, shallow & deep subsidence, and soil compaction. Feldspar …

Coping With Environmental Constraints: Geographically Divergent Adaptive Evolution And Germination Plasticity In The Transcontinental Populus Tremuloides, Roos Goessen, Nathalie Isabel, Christian Wehenkel, Nathalie Pavy, Lisa Tischenko, Lyne Touchette, Isabelle Giguère, Marie-Claude Gros-Louis, Jérôme Laroche, Brian Boyle, Raju Soolanayakanahally, Karen E. Mock, Javier Hernández-Velasco, Sergio Leonel Simental-Rodriguez, Jean Bousquet, Ilga M. Porth

Aspen Bibliography

Societal Impact Statement

Syntheses clearly show that global warming is affecting ecosystems and biodiversity around the world. New methods and measures are needed to predict the climate resilience of plant species critical to ecosystem stability, to improve ecological management and to support habitat restoration and human well-being. Widespread keystone species such as aspen are important targets in the study of resilience to future climate conditions because they play a crucial role in maintaining various ecosystem functions and may contain genetic material with untapped adaptive potential. Here, we present a new framework in support of climate-resilient revegetation based on comprehensively understood …

Using Satellite Imagery To Compare Land Cover And Water Resources In Two Counties Of The Nebraska Sandhills, Gabrielle Baker, Mary Ann Vinton

Transactions of the Nebraska Academy of Sciences and Affiliated Societies

The Nebraska Sandhills comprise the most intact grassland habitat in the world and 95% of land use consists of low intensity cattle grazing. Water is a key resource for cattle and for growing hay forage in this semi-arid grassland. Ranchers rely on either naturally occurring wet meadows or center pivot irrigation systems (CPIS) to produce hay. With the possibility of climate change creating more frequent extreme weather events, more flooding events or severe droughts could affect land and water resources in the Sandhills. With potentially more wet/dry extremes in the future, an understanding of the way water resources respond, and …

Reanalysis Of Teruelius And Grosphus (Scorpiones: Buthidae) With Descriptions Of Two New Species, Graeme Lowe, František Kovařík

Euscorpius

No abstract provided.

Amplification Of Black Vulture (Coragyps Atratus) Dna From Regurgitated Food Pellets, Daniel R. Taylor, Bryan M. Kluever, John S. Humphrey, Iona M. Hennessy, Amber Sutton, William E. Bruce, Antoinette J. Piaggio

United States Department of Agriculture Wildlife Services: Staff Publications

Studies that rely on noninvasive collection of DNA for birds often use feces or feathers. Some birds, such as vultures, regurgitate undigested matter in the form of pellets that are commonly found under roost sites. Our research demonstrates that regurgitated pellets are a viable, noninvasive source of DNA for molecular ecology studies of vultures. Our objectives were to amplify 5 microsatellite loci designed for distinguishing Turkey Vultures (Cathartes aura) and Black Vultures (Coragyps atratus) in a single, multiplexed PCR, and to determine how long the target nuclear DNA persists after a vulture pellet is regurgitated and …

Population Genetics Of Cownose Rays, Rhinoptera Spp. In The Western Atlantic, Helen Weber

Master's Theses

Using molecular tools (e.g., the NADH subunit II mitochondrial gene), this study was the first to document the Brazilian cownose ray, Rhinoptera brasiliensis, within the northwestern Atlantic (NWA), and was the first study to examine population structure in R. brasiliensis within the NWA or northern Gulf of Mexico (GMX), revealing novel insights into the population biology of the animal and extending its range by nearly 1,500 km. This study also examined the sympatrically occurring American cownose ray, R. bonasus, and found population structure between the NWA and the GMX and the NWA and the southwestern Atlantic (SWA). High …

Targeting Paleovalley-Related Ferricrete Units In Yilgarn Craton Using High-Resolution Aeromagnetic Data And Spatial Machine Learning, Hassan Talebi, Jelena Markov, Walid Salama, Alex Otto, Vasek Metelka, Ravi Anand, Dave Cole

Research outputs 2022 to 2026

The ferricrete units (Fe oxide cemented colluvial-alluvial sediment) of the Yilgarn Craton in Western Australia formed during the humid tropical and sub-tropical climates of the Cenozoic. Ferricretes are generally developed on long-lived paleodrainage systems and are products of the ferruginisation of detritus provided by the continuous erosion of upslopes. These iron-rich accumulations can become Au-enriched, as is the case in several locations previously discovered in the Yilgarn Craton; many of these host economic secondary gold deposits (e.g., Moolart Well, Mt Gibson, and Bulchina), typically occurring downslope of low saprolite hills and near paleovalleys (i.e., inset-valleys). Inset-valleys are a common paleotopographic …

Abundance, Site-Fidelity, And Association Patterns Of Coastal Bottlenose Dolphins (Tursiops Truncatus) Off Southeast Florida, Graysen D. Boehning

All HCAS Student Capstones, Theses, and Dissertations

The coastal bottlenose dolphin is well studied throughout its natural range, however, most of the study areas comprised wide, well-protected habitats such as bays and estuaries, and not narrow coastal sandbanks. This study identifies a residential group of coastal bottlenose dolphins utilizing the narrow sandbanks within the Northwestern Atlantic waters off the coast of Palm Beach County, Florida, USA. From 2014-2020, 313 boat surveys were conducted, and 585 individual dolphins were identified using photo-ID. Twenty-four animals were determined to be full-time and 66 animals were determined to be part-time residents. Full-time and part-time residents associated in three social tribes, with …

Evolution Of Freshwater Fishes In The Northern Neotropics, Diego Elias

LSU Doctoral Dissertations

The northern Neotropics (NN) represents one of the most geologically-complex regions on the planet, composed of island-like geological blocks that have undergone multiple episodes of isolation and connectivity at various geological times. The riverscapes of the NN harbor a unique assemblage of freshwater fishes. In contrast to the freshwaters systems of South America, which are dominated by ostariophysan lineages, the aquatic systems of the NN are dominated by lineages of two families: Cichlidae (cichlids) and Poeciliidae (livebearers). It has been suggested that the geologically complex nature of the region allowed ancestors of cichlids and livebearers to colonize and radiate within …

Recreational Caving Impacts Of Visitors In A High-Altitude Cave In Bolivian Andes: Main Effects On Microhabitat Structure And Faunal Distribution, Lais Furtado Oliveira, Rodrigo L. Ferreira, Jaime Iván Rodríguez Fernández, Marconi Souza Silva

International Journal of Speleology

The cave’s physical environment can be affected by tourism activities but only a few studies evaluated how recreational use may affect the cave fauna, mainly in caves with a low number of visitors per year. To test the hypothesis that recreational use led to changes in habitat structure and invertebrate diversity, distinct scales along a cave were analyzed. Distinct areas with and without human visitation were analyzed and transects (10 x 3 m) and quadrats (1 x 1 m) were used to access the invertebrate communities and environmental traits. Thirty-two invertebrate species were recorded, among which six are troglobitic. The …

Bee Brains: Dissecting Pollinator Behavior And The Importance Of Plasticity In The Face Of Changing Environments, Rachel Brant

Dissertations

All organisms face environmental variability, and much of contemporary biological research aims to understand the mechanisms allowing organisms to adapt and survive in the face of change. Animals residing in urban habitats face particularly high levels of unpredictability and environmental fluctuation due to changes based upon human desire. Though urban areas are considered relatively novel habitats, numerous species have adapted to city life, mediated through behavioral and physiological plasticity. Native bee species show particularly high species richness and abundance in urban settings, but the mechanisms driving this pattern are poorly understood. In this dissertation, I explore how bees employ plasticity …

Seasonal Climatic Niche And Migration Movements Of Double-Crested Cormorants, D. Tommy King, Guiming Wang, Fred L. Cunningham

United States Department of Agriculture Wildlife Services: Staff Publications

Avian migrants are challenged by seasonal adverse climatic conditions and energetic costs of long-distance flying. Migratory birds may track or switch seasonal climatic niche between the breeding and non-breeding grounds. Satellite tracking enables avian ecologists to investigate seasonal climatic niche and circannual movement patterns of migratory birds. The Double-crested Cormorant (Nannopterum auritum, hereafter cormorant) wintering in the Gulf of Mexico (GOM) migrates to the Northern Great Plains and Great Lakes and is of economic importance because of its impacts on aquaculture. We tested the climatic niche switching hypothesis that cormorants would switch climatic niche between summer and winter …