Ecology and Evolutionary Biology Commons^™

Two New Species Of Deromecus Solier From Guatemala (Coleoptera: Elateridae: Pomachiliini), E. R. Fuller

Insecta Mundi

Deromecus georginas Fuller, new species, and Deromecus longitarsis Fuller, new species (Cole­optera: Elateridae: Pomachiliini) are described from cloud forest habitat on eastern coastal volcanoes in Quetzaltenango Department, Guatemala, and compared with Deromecus trivittatus Champion from Mexico.

Se describen la neuva especie Deromecus georginas Fuller y la neuva especie Deromecus longitarsis Fuller (Coleoptera: Elateridae: Pomachiliini), del hábitat del bosque nuboso, de los volcanes oriental de la costa, en el Departmento de Quetzaltenango, Guatemala, y se comparan con Deromecus trivittatus Cham­pion, de México.

The Elateridae are a conspicuous and diverse group of beetles in Central America (Champion 1894–1897). Adults of luminous …

Occurrence Of An Exotic Whitefly, Siphoninus Phillyreae (Haliday) (Hemiptera: Aleyrodidae) In South Korea And Its Potential Pathway Analysis, Seon Woo Lee, Hyun Jik Lee, Jun-Ran Kim, Soo-Jung Suh

Insecta Mundi

The ash whitefly, Siphoninus phillyreae (Haliday) (Hemiptera: Aleyrodidae), was first found in southern areas of South Korea during September 2019. During the survey of 2021, no additional specimens of the ash whitefly were found other than the previously reported regions. Attempts to trace a possible path­way for exotic ash whitefly suggested that this species probably followed pathways of illegal importation of infested plants from China or Japan and was unintentionally introduced into South Korea based on a survey-based study. This whitefly has not been intercepted at ports of entry to South Korea on imported plant material between 1999 and 2019 …

New Synonymies And Notes In Criodion Audinet-Serville (Coleoptera: Cerambycidae: Cerambycinae), Antonio Santos-Silva, Sergio Devesa

Insecta Mundi

Criodion angustatum Buquet, 1852 and C. pilosum Lucas, 1857 (Coleoptera: Cerambycidae: Cerambycinae) are synonymized with C. tomentosum Audinet-Serville, 1834. The holotypes of C. angustatum and C. hirsutum, and syntypes of C. pilosum and of C. tuberculatum Gahan, 1892 are illustrated for the first time. One of the type localities of C. tuberculatum is corrected.

Currently, Criodion Audinet-Serville, 1834 includes 13 species distributed from Guatemala to southern South America (Monné 2021; Tavakilian and Chevillotte 2021). Despite the relatively small number of species, they encompass several problems with their identification. For example, the specimens often identified as C. murinum Nonfried, 1895 …

New Larval Host Plants And Ecological Observations On North American Cerambycidae (Coleoptera), Josef Vlasak, Katerina Vlasakova

Insecta Mundi

New larval hosts are presented for 152 North American Cerambycidae (Coleoptera). Larval host plants of Aneflus calvatus Horn in Leng, Aneflomorpha arizonica Linsley, Aneflomorpha fisheri Linsley, Ane­flomorpha opacicornis Linsley, Anelaphus magnipunctatus (Knull), Atylostagma glabra Schaeffer, Cacophrissus pauper Bates, Elytroleptus limpianus Skiles and Chemsak, Obrium rubidum LeConte, and Stenelytrana splen­dens (Knull) are reported for the first time. The types of wood utilized by larvae of Leptorhabdium pictum (Haldeman), Sphenostethus taslei (Buquet), Typocerus lugubris (Say), and Xestoleptura octonotata (Say) are discussed. Notes on larval morphology and larval habits of Aneflus spp. and Stenaspis solitaria (Say), includ­ing a correction of a published host …

Scorpions Of The Horn Of Africa (Arachnida: Scorpiones). Part Xxvii. Lanzatus Huluul Sp. N. From Somaliland (Buthidae), František Kovařík, Graeme Lowe

Euscorpius

The rare Horn of Africa buthid genus Lanzatus Kovařík, 2001 was newly collected in Somaliland in two localities. We describe a new species Lanzatus huluul sp. n. fully illustrated with color photos showing its morphology, habitus, hemispermatophore and collection areas.

The Energetics Of Uniquely Human Subsistence Strategies, Thomas S. Kraft, Vivek V. Venkataraman, Ian J. Wallace, Alyssa N. Crittenden, Nicholas B. Holowka, Jonathan Stieglitz, Jacob Harris, David A. Raichlen, Brian Wood, Michael Gurven, Herman Pontzer

Anthropology Faculty Research

The suite of derived human traits, including enlarged brains, elevated fertility rates, and long developmental periods and life spans, imposes extraordinarily high energetic costs relative to other great apes. How do human subsistence strategies accommodate our expanded energy budgets? We found that relative to other great apes, human hunter-gatherers and subsistence farmers spend more energy but less time on subsistence, acquire substantially more energy per hour, and achieve similar energy efficiencies. These findings revise our understanding of human energetic evolution by indicating that humans afford expanded energy budgets primarily by increasing rates of energy acquisition, not through energy-saving adaptations such …

A Tale Of Three Resources: The Influence Of Multiple Resources On Plant-Herbivore Interactions, Neha Mohan Babu

Dissertations - ALL

Although studies indicate that plant growth can be co-limited by multiple resources, particularly water, nitrogen (N), and phosphorus (P), the role of co-limiting resources in driving plant-herbivore interactions remains poorly understood. Evidence indicates that the resources that limit plant and herbivore growth may differ which likely influences trophic interactions. In this dissertation, I explored how multiple resource limitation of plants affects herbivore abundance, herbivore impact on plant biomass, and plant traits, using both theoretical and empirical methods. As none of the existing hypotheses account for the effects of multiple resource limitation, I developed a novel theoretical model to predict the …

Fine Scales, Broad Consequences: Drivers And Effects Of Microclimatic Variation In Great Smoky Mountains National Park, Jordan Rebecca Stark

Theses - ALL

Climate is highly variable at scales that are not captured by most weather and climate models due to local effects of topography and living systems. This variation in microclimate has been noted for many decades but has been difficult to incorporate into quantitative understanding of ecological systems and processes due to the large amount of data and complex models required to adequately describe fine-scale patterns across complex landscapes. In recent years, models of thermal microclimate variation have been developed using low-cost temperature sensors, but few of these models have been used to predict the effects of microclimatic variation on ecological …

Monitoring Photosynthetic Activity Using In Vivo Chlorophyll A Fluorescence In Microalgae And Cyanobacteria Biofilms In The Nerja Cave (Malaga, Spain), Yolanda Del Rosal, Juan Muñoz-Fernández, Paula S.M. Celis-Plá, Mariona Hernández-Mariné, Félix Álvarez-Gómez, Salvador Merino, Félix L. Figueroa

International Journal of Speleology

The characterization of the most common photosynthetic biofilms in the Nerja Cave by the continuous monitoring of the in vivo chlorophyll a (Chl a) fluorescence and the incorporation of the irradiance as a new environmental variable related to previous studies in the cave, have allowed us to improve our knowledge about the photosynthetic pattern of the biofilms of the cave. Effective quantum yield (ΔF/F_m′) and relative electron transport rate (rETR) were determined during periods of the light, whereas the maximal quantum yield (F_v /F_m) was determined during dark periods. Increases in …

Coyote Management In San Francisco, Matthew Greer

Master's Projects and Capstones

As cities in North America grow, coyotes have become progressively more important species in urban ecosystems. Moreover, as coyotes increasingly use these urban spaces, human-coyote conflicts have become more common, creating a need for new management strategies. This paper will explore how the city of San Francisco could create a new coyote management plan for its highly visible coyote population. San Francisco has had a persistent coyote population since the early 2000s (Todd, 2018). Currently, the coyote population is close to 100 individuals and is still growing (J. Young, Presidio Trust, pers. comm.). To explore this topic a literature review …

Joint Management Of Upland & Aquatic Habitat For The California Red-Legged Frog & California Tiger Salamander, Kyle E. Verblaauw

Master's Projects and Capstones

As federally and state protected amphibians, the California tiger salamander (Ambystoma californiense) and the California red-legged frog (Rana draytonii) are recipients of ample management focus. Both species face a variety of threats, including habitat loss and alteration, introduction of non-native species, spread of disease, and effects of climate change. While management plans for the California tiger salamander and California red-legged frog exist, they frequently do not consider both species in tandem and often contain multiple shortcomings. This document aims to address the shortfalls of current management by providing practical recommendations for jointly managing the upland and …

Pushing It To The Limit: Determining Asian Elephant (Elephas Maximus) Olfactory Sensitivity And Discrimination Through A Behavioral Choice Task, Matthew S. Rudolph

Theses and Dissertations

Elephants have shown remarkable olfactory capabilities. Their sense of smell impacts their foraging choices, behavior, and ultimately, survival. Being able to detect a target odor can allow elephants to locate specific resources, identify threats, and find receptive conspecifics. Previous studies have shown that elephants can consistently detect target odors, but have not identified the limits of this detection. Thus, to investigate the extent of elephants’ odor detection capabilities, we tested Asian elephants in a two-step odor discrimination task. First, we investigated whether elephants could detect odors at varying levels of dilution after a training procedure, and then whether they could …

Energetic Tradeoffs, Infection, And Immunity In Wild Chimpanzees Of Uganda And Tanzania, Sarah Renee Phillips

Anthropology ETDs

Infectious disease is a primary source of mortality for most mammal species, but scientists have little understanding of factors driving variation in infection and immunity between individuals, populations, and species in the wild. Life history theory provides an evolutionary framework for delineating distribution of available energy to competing physiological demands, including growth, reproduction, and maintenance. Early life reproduction should be favored over late life survival, but, in long-lived species, reproductive success is strongly tied to survival to old age. Slower pace of reproduction could allow investment in immunity, reducing risk of morbidity and mortality to infectious disease. Additionally, several host …

Distribution, Abundance, And Population Genetics Of The Alligator Snapping Turtle (Macrochelys Temminckii) In Mississippi, Luke Pearson

Dissertations

The southeastern United States is a freshwater turtle biodiversity hotspot, second only to southeastern Asia, and this region is inhabited by one of the largest freshwater turtles in the world: the alligator snapping turtle (Macrochelys temminckii). This species was heavily harvested from the 1960’s to the 1980’s for the turtle soup industry, apparently contributing to substantial, range-wide population declines. These declines, coupled with anthropogenic impacts on riverine and floodplain habitats, have led to M. temminckii being petitioned for federal listing under the U.S. Endangered Species Act; it is currently under review by the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service …

Understanding How Changes In Precipitation Intensity Will Affect Vegetation In The Western U.S., Cristina Chirvasa

Fall Student Research Symposium 2021

Precipitation events are becoming more intense as the atmosphere warms, but it remains unclear how precipitation intensification will affect plant growth in arid and semiarid ecosystems. There is conflicting evidence suggesting that larger precipitation events may either increase or decrease plant growth. Here, we report the growth responses of herbaceous and woody plants to experimental manipulations of precipitation intensity in a cold, semi-arid ecosystem in Utah, USA. In this experiment, precipitation was collected and redeposited as fewer, larger events with total annual precipitation kept constant across treatments. Results from the first two growing seasons revealed that more intense events ‘pushed’ …

Estimating Cattle Density Using Wildlife Cameras, Emily Bonebrake

Fall Student Research Symposium 2021

Quantifying the abundance and distribution of animal populations is critical for effective wildlife research and management. Due to their cost-effectiveness, wildlife cameras have become an increasingly popular tool for estimating population densities. Previously, this technique relied on ‘capture-recapture’ models that utilized re-sightings of individually marked animals, but in recent years methods have been developed to estimate the population densities of unmarked animals. One such method is the random encounter and staying time (REST) technique, which does this by assuming that the cumulative time animals stay within the view of the camera scales linearly with the number of individuals. This allows …

An Assessment Of The Diverse Freshwater Turtle Fauna Of Mississippi, Lucas Haralson

Master's Theses

Nestled within the Southeastern United States Turtle Priority Area, Mississippi boasts impressive freshwater turtle diversity and is home to 8.6% of extant turtle species. Despite this impressive richness, few studies have assessed freshwater turtle assemblages in this hotspot of aquatic diversity. This research aimed to elucidate the distributions and abundances of freshwater turtle species through a statewide investigation of all major river drainages of the state. Using baited hoop nets (90 cm and 120 cm diameter), turtles were collected, identified to species and sex, and measured, before being released. Turtle assemblages were assessed in both lotic and lentic environments from …

Spatiotemporal Variation Of An Eastern Tropical Pacific Pelagic Community Assessed With Free-Drifting Bruvs, Tyler Stephen Plum

All HCAS Student Capstones, Theses, and Dissertations

Information about pelagic community diversity and ecology generally lags far behind that of coastal communities, and largely derives from fisheries data that do not reflect small and non-target species. We describe spatiotemporal vertebrate species diversity and variability over a 3,486 km² area of highly productive pelagic marine ecosystem in Pacific Panama using drifting baited remote underwater video stations (BRUVS), a non-invasive fishery-independent sampling technique. We observed 26 taxa from 17 families, including 1 mammal, 3 reptile, 5 elasmobranch, and 17 teleost species. Community assemblages differed on and off the continental shelf and between wet (April – December) and dry …

Closely Related Gull Species Show Contrasting Foraging Strategies In An Urban Environment, K. A. Lato, D. J. Madigan, R. R. Veit, L. H. Thorne

Publications and Research

The expansion of urban landscapes has both negative and positive effects on wildlife. Understanding how different species respond to urbanization is key to assessing how urban landscapes influence regional wildlife behavior and ecosystem structure. Gulls are often described as strong urban adapters, but few studies have explored species-specific differences in habitat use. Here, we use GPS tracking in conjunction with stable isotope analysis (SIA) to quantify the habitat use and trophic ecology of great black-backed gulls (Larus marinus) and herring gulls (L. argentatus) in an urbanized area. Non-Metric Multidimensional Scaling (NMDS) of foraging locations revealed significant differences in the habitat …

Small Mammal Community Ecology And Ectoparasite Dynamics In A Tamaulipan Thornscrub Habitat, Brandi Giles

Theses and Dissertations

Small mammals play many roles in ecosystems and are known as great indicators of overall ecosystem function and health, but they are also highly competent hosts for ticks and tick-borne disease. In this study, I gathered data on small mammal community ecology and species diversity, abundance, and overall ectoparasite (i.e., ticks) dynamics in a south Texas Tamaulipan thornscrub habitat. I also assessed differences in these parameters in edge versus interior habitats across a gradient of habitat fragmentation and species assemblage. Lastly, I assessed which host and environmental factors can be utilized for predicting parasitization of small mammals in this habitat. …

Uncoupled Seasonal Variability Of Transparent Exopolymer And Coomassie Stainable Particles In Coastal Mediterranean Waters: Insights Into Sources And Driving Mechanisms, Marina Zamanillo, Eva Ortega-Retuerta, Carolina Cisternas-Novoa, Cèlia Marrasé, Carles Pelejero, Josep Pascual, Josep M. Gasol, Anja Engel, Rafel Simó

Research outputs 2014 to 2021

Transparent exopolymer particles (TEP) and Coomassie stainable particles (CSP) are gel-like particles, ubiquitous in the ocean, that affect important biogeochemical processes including organic carbon cycling by planktonic food webs. Despite much research on both groups of particles (especially TEP) over many years, whether they exist as distinctly stainable fractions of the same particles or as independent particles, each with different driving factors, remains unclear. To address this question, we examined the temporal dynamics of TEP and CSP over 2 complete seasonal cycles at 2 coastal sites in the Northwestern Mediterranean Sea, the Blanes Bay Microbial Observatory (BBMO) and the L’Estartit …

Soil Microbial Community Dynamics In Response To Prescribed Extreme Fires Following Juniperus Virginiana Invasion In The Loess Canyons Of Nebraska, Julie A. Fowler

School of Natural Resources: Dissertations, Theses, and Student Research

In Nebraska and other regions of the Great Plains, the conifer Juniperus virginiana (eastern redcedar) is converting grasslands to dense woodlands. This is driven by the interacting drivers of fire suppression, altered grazing regimes, climate change and other anthropogenic factors, impacting the provisioning of ecosystem services. This vegetation state transition modifies water resource regulation and biogeochemical cycles leading to altered edaphic properties including soil microbial community composition. To restore these grasslands and control J. virginiana spread, prescribed extreme burns are implemented as a management tool through local prescribed burn associations. We hypothesized that the alternative state transition to dense J. …

A New Species Of Vaejovis From The Mule Mountains Above Bisbee, Arizona (Scorpiones: Vaejovidae), Brandon T. Myers, Richard F. Ayrey

Euscorpius

No abstract provided.

Towards A More Comprehensive Understanding Of Wild Pig (Sus Scrofa) Impacts On Agricultural Producers: Insights From A Texas Case Study, Keith M. Carlisle, Nicole Didero, Sophie Mckee, Julie Elser, Stephanie A. Shwiff

United States Department of Agriculture Wildlife Services: Staff Publications

This research investigates the impacts of invasive wild pigs (Sus scrofa Linneaus) on agricultural producers in Texas, with the aim of identifying and describing all categories of wild pig impacts and quantifying the extent of producers’ over- or underestimation of their total wild pig-related costs in 2018, as compared to calculations based upon data subsequently provided by the producers about individual wild pig-related costs and losses. Based on interviews with 23 producers in 16 Texas counties, we identified more than 20 discrete categories of negative impacts and negligible positive impacts associated with wild pigs. Among them were categories that have …

Habitat Assessment Of Ozark Glades Using Selected Epigeal Predatory Arthropods, Austin Key Jones

Graduate Theses and Dissertations

Epigeal predatory arthropods were collected with pitfall-style traps in nine sandstone glades of varying ecological stages, and management histories, in the Ozarks of Northern Arkansas over three years. These sites were categorized into three Site Types; Intact, high quality glades; Degraded, forest-encroached glades, and Restored glades which had received woody vegetation removal and burning. Collections of ground spiders (Gnaphosidae), predatory ground beetles (Carabidae), and the sole species of scorpion present in the Ozarks, Centruroides vittatus, were reported on as well as the applicability of arthropod collection methods for glade habitat assessment. Habitat characteristics were recorded for each site and analyzed …

Implications Of Condition Shifts On Shallow Lakes, Alicia Skolte

Biology Graduate Theses

Shallow lakes have undergone condition shifts throughout time by natural causes, management actions, or a combination of the two. Because shallow lakes are especially vulnerable to shifts towards turbid conditions, management actions on shallow lakes have focused on water level/retainment, biomanipulations, the management/removal of non-native species, and land-use changes. This review compiles a summary on ecosystem shifts including a discussion on the frequency of shifts historically and the importance and causes of those shifts, trophic cascades, and the influence of introduced species in shallow lakes. This review will then examine case-studies of management-linked shifts and explain current shift theory. Next, …

Feeding Patterns And Diet Overlap Of Muskellunge And Co-Occurring Piscivores In Minnesota Lakes, Kamden Glade

Biology Graduate Theses

Muskellunge Esox masquinongy are the largest member of the family Esocidae found in Minnesota and are managed for trophy angling opportunities with large minimum size requirements, limited harvest, and stocking to support existing populations or expand angling opportunities. While Muskellunge impacts at the community level appear minimal based on available literature, relatively little is known about Muskellunge diets, eat the le particularly in Minnesota. In this study, we used gastric lavage to examine gut contents of Muskellunge, Northern Pike Esox lucius, Walleye Sander vitreus, and Largemouth Bass Micropterus salmoides. Diets were quantified using an index of relative importance (IRI) and …

How Do Cover Crops Change Soil Health In A No-Till System?, Aysha Kirsten Tapp Ross

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

Nutrient levels and aggregation measurements are currently the most accurate means to measure soil health. It has been suggested that bacterial and fungal communities may prove to be a more accurate measure of soil health. In this study soil microbe communities and nutrient levels were compared in rye cover cropped soils to measure for differences between treatments. Effects between the microbial communities and environmental measurements were also measured within those treatments to test for correlations between soil health measures and microbial communities. The plots were put in a biennial corn (Zea mays L.) and soybean (Glycine max …

A Comparison Of The Ecology Of Resident And Translocated Beavers Used For Passive Restoration In Degraded Desert Rivers, Emma Doden

All Graduate Theses and Dissertations, Spring 1920 to Summer 2023

Ecosystem engineers are species that create, destroy, modify, or maintain habitat. As ecosystem engineers, beavers have the potential to assist in stream restoration. Translocation is the capture and relocation of an animal to another area. Translocation of nuisance beavers has become a popular method to reduce human-wildlife conflict and restore waterways. However, few projects monitor beavers after release and compare behavior to naturally occurring resident beavers. Translocations to desert rivers are also rare. We captured, tagged, and monitored 47 beavers which we translocated to desert river restoration sites on the Price and San Rafael Rivers, Utah, USA. We compared translocated …

Methods To Improve Our Understanding Of Aspen Regeneration And Aspen Distribution Across The Intermountain West, Robert Joseph Julius Bidner

All Graduate Theses and Dissertations, Spring 1920 to Summer 2023

Quaking aspen (Populus tremuloides) is the dominant broadleaf tree and an ecologically important species at upper elevations in the Intermountain West. Recent large-scale forest mortality events have raised questions about how physiological and climatic factors influence aspen’s distribution across the western U.S. Aspen is particularly well-known for reproducing asexually from its root sprouts, leading to the formation of large clonal stands. In addition, as a wind-dispersed species, aspen sexual reproduction plays an important role in how it is distributed at a landscape scale. My research focuses on questions relating to both sexual and asexual reproduction of aspen.

My …