Ecology and Evolutionary Biology Commons^™

Spring Field Report, March - May 2021, W. Ross Silcock

Nebraska Bird Review

A total of 163 observers contributed to this report. This spring several observers were quite active statewide, resulting in interesting discoveries among waterfowl hybrids, subspecies distributions, breeding and spatial range expansions, and more than usual early and late dates and high counts, not to mention a couple of extreme rarities. Speaking of BONO, readers will note a new section under “Species Accounts” that deals with hybrids reported in Nebraska. A surprising 47 are listed, 26 of these waterfowl. If you like waterfowl hybrids, read on! This report deals with 14 such hybrids, four newly documented for the state. Several non-waterfowl …

Brown Meets Green: Light And Nutrients Alter Detritivore Assimilation Of Microbial Nutrients From Leaf Litter, Taylor L. Price, Jennifer Harper, Steven N. Francoeur, Halvor M. Halvorson, Kevin A. Kuehn

Faculty Publications

In aquatic detrital-based food webs, research suggests that autotroph-heterotroph microbial interactions exert bottom-up controls on energy and nutrient transfer. To address this emerging topic, we investigated microbial responses to nutrient and light treatments during Liriodendron tulipifera litter decomposition and fed litter to the caddisfly larvae Pycnopsyche sp. We measured litter-associated algal, fungal, and bacterial biomass and production. Microbes were also labeled with ¹⁴C and ³³P to trace distinct microbial carbon (C) and phosphorus (P) supporting Pycnopsyche assimilation and incorporation (growth). Litter-associated algal and fungal production rates additively increased with higher nutrient and light availability. Incorporation of microbial P …

Linking Behavioral States To Landscape Features For Improved Conservation Management, Maitreyi Sur, Jim R. Belthoff

Biology Faculty Publications and Presentations

1. A central theme for conservation is understanding how animals differentially use, and are affected by change in, the landscapes they inhabit. However, it has been challenging to develop conservation schemes for habitat-specific behaviors.
2. Here we use behavioral change point analysis to identify behavioral states of golden eagles (Aquila chrysaetos) in the Sonoran and Mojave Deserts of the southwestern United States, and we identify, for each behavioral state, conservation-relevant habitat associations.
3. We modeled behavior using 186,859 GPS points from 48 eagles and identified 2,851 distinct segments comprising four behavioral states. Altitude above ground level (AGL) best differentiated behavioral states, …

Assessing Cryptic Dispersal And Movement In The Lompoc Kangaroo Rat, Katherine A. Belnick

Biological Sciences

Lompoc kangaroo rats (LKR, Dipodomys heermanni arenae) are small rodents that reside in sand dunes from Pismo to Orcutt, including the Oceano Dunes State Vehicular Recreation Area (SVRA), in Oceano, CA. In the SVRA, some of these individuals live in habitat islands, which are habitat fragments of dense vegetation disrupted by empty, bare sand in between them. Recreational vehicle activity is permitted in the Oceano Dunes, which has caused persistence habitat fragmentation. Kangaroo rats are known to disperse between habitat islands and are suspected to do so via a special type of dispersal: cryptic dispersal. This dispersal mode, if it …

Predicting Range Shifts Of African Apes Under Global Change Scenarios, Joana S. Carvalho, Bruce Graham, Gaeelle Bocksberger, Fiona Maisels, Elizabeth A. Williamson, Serge Wich, Tenekwetche Sop, Bala Amarasekaran, Benjamin Barca, Abdulai Barrie, Richard A. Bergl, Christophe Boesch, Hedwige Boesch, Terry M. Brncic, Bartelijntje Buys, Rebecca Chancellor, Emmanuel Danquah, Osiris A. Doumbe, Stephane Y. Le-Duc, Anh Galat-Luong, Jessica Ganas, Sylvain Gatti, Andrea Ghiurghi, Annemarie Goedmakers, Nicolas Granier, Dismas Hakizimana, Barbara Haurez, Josephine Head, Ilka Herbinger, Annika Hillers, Sorrel Jones, Jessica Junker, Nakedi Maputla, Eno-Nku Manasseh, Maureen S. Mccarthy, Mary Molokwu-Odozi, Bethan J. Morgan, Yoshihiro Nakashima, Paul K. N'Goran, Stuart Nixon, Louis Nkembi, Emmanuelle Normand, Laurent D. Z. Nzooh, Sarah H. Olson, Leon Payne, Charles-Albert Petre, Alex K. Piel, Lilian Pintea, Andrew J. Plumptre, Aaron S. Rundus, Adeline Serckx, Fiona A. Stewart, Jacqueline Sunderland-Groves, Nikki Tagg, Angelique Todd, Ashley Vosper, Jose F. C. Wenceslau, Erin G. Wessling, Jacob Willie, Hjalmar S. Kuehl

Anthropology & Sociology Faculty Publications

Aim: Modelling African great ape distribution has until now focused on current or past conditions, while future scenarios remain scarcely explored. Using an ensemble forecasting approach, we predicted changes in taxon-specific distribution under future scenarios of climate, land use and human populations for (1) areas outside protected areas (PAs) only (assuming complete management effectiveness of PAs), (2) the entire study region and (3) interspecies range overlap. Location: Tropical Africa. Methods: We compiled occurrence data (n = 5,203) on African apes from the IUCN A.P.E.S. database and extracted relevant climate-, habitat- and human-related predictors representing current and future (2050) conditions to …

A Dynamic Landscape Of Fear: Human Impacts On Carnivore Communities, Tru Hubbard

All NMU Master's Theses

Mammalian carnivores are elusive, enigmatic species that often play keystone roles in ecosystems through direct (i.e., predation) and indirect (i.e., perceived predation risk) effects. Worldwide many carnivore species are experiencing rapid human-mediated population declines due to landscape change and habitat disturbance. For researchers, carnivores present unique challenges due to their large home ranges, low population densities, sensitivity to human disturbance, and direct persecution. Further, growing evidence shows that human activity can impact carnivore behavior and community structure by altering predator-prey interactions, shifting diel activity patterns, and altering wildlife movement leading to increased sightings, nuisance reports, and harvests. To investigate how …

Dna Barcoding Of The High-Altitude Artemisia And Nepeta Species, Vyacheslav Dushenkov, Csanad Gurdon, Shukhratdzhon Satorov

Publications and Research

DNA barcoding was performed for four medicinal plant species from the mountain region of Tajikistan. The nucleotide sequences for Artemisia sieberi, Artemisia scoparia, Artemisia vulgaris, and Nepeta glutinosa were deposited into the GenBank at the National Center for Biotechnology Information.

Selection Of Overwintering Microclimate By Migratory Western Monarch Butterflies, Kiana Saniee

Master's Theses

Migratory species are expected to demonstrate habitat selection that occurs at multiple spatial and temporal scales. Western monarch butterflies migrate seasonally to overwinter in groves at geographically predictable locations along the California coast. To date, overwintering habitat selection by western monarch butterflies has been studied assuming that habitat selection occurs where overwintering aggregations form, meaning at the spatial scale where monarchs form dense overwintering aggregations within overwintering groves. We argue that since western monarch butterflies are migratory, studies of habitat selection could have commingled selection at different scales into a single spatial scale. This likely leads to ignoring some levels …

Dynamic Observers For Unknown Populations, Chris Guiver, Nathan Poppelreiter, Richard Rebarber, Brigitte Tenhumberg, Stuart Townley

Brigitte Tenhumberg Papers

Dynamic observers are considered in the context of structuredpopulation modeling and management. Roughly, observers combine a known measured variable of some process with a model of that process to asymptotically reconstruct the unknown state variable of the model. We investigate the potential use of observers for reconstructing population distributions described by density-independent (linear) models and a class of density-dependent (nonlinear) models. In both the density-dependent and -independent cases, we show, in several ecologically reasonable circumstances, that there is a natural, optimal construction of these observers. Further, we describe the robustness these observers exhibit with respect to disturbances and uncertainty in …

An Evaluation Of Body-Grip Trap Trigger Configurations For Reducing River Otter Take Incidental To Beaver Trapping, Alec J. Sundelius, Nicholas Forman, Nathan M. Roberts, Shawn T. Rossler, David B. Ruid, Robert C. Willging

United States Department of Agriculture Wildlife Services: Staff Publications

River otter (Lontra canadensis) populations in North America have been the focus of significant restoration efforts. Wildlife management agencies, concerned about the unintentional take of river otters incidental to beaver (Castor canadensis) trapping, may recommend techniques to avoid capturing river otters. River otter avoidance techniques that are ineffective or diminish trap performance for beavers are undesirable. We conducted a field evaluation in 2015 and 2016 in Wisconsin to assess how two trigger configurations (offset and center) on body-grip traps would affect the incidental capture rate of river otters during beaver trapping. We also evaluated effects of …

Habitat Heterogeneity Affects The Thermal Ecology Of The Federally Endangered Blunt-Nosed Leopard Lizard, Nicole Gaudenti

Master's Theses

Global climate change is already contributing to the extirpation of numerous species worldwide, and sensitive species will continue to face challenges associated with rising temperatures throughout this century and beyond. It is especially important to evaluate the thermal ecology of endangered ectotherm species now so that mitigation measures can be taken as early as possible. A recent study of the thermal ecology of the federally endangered Blunt-Nosed Leopard Lizard (Gambelia sila) suggested that they face major activity restrictions due to thermal constraints in their desert habitat, but that large shade-providing shrubs act as thermal buffers to allow them …

Reciprocal Transplant And Machine Learning Study Of Oak Mistletoe On Three Host Oak Species In Santa Margarita, California, Ella Abelli-Amen

Master's Theses

At Santa Margarita Ranch, California, oak mistletoe (Phoradendron villosum) parasitizes valley oak and blue oak but cannot be found growing on coast live oak despite its abundance and ability to parasitize coast live oak in other areas. It seems as though this species of mistletoe is specializing on certain host oak trees, but the mechanisms of this specialization are unknown. In order to investigate this pattern, we utilized a type of machine learning in GIS called supervised classification as well as a reciprocal transplant study in the field. The three species of oak trees were classified with 87% accuracy using …

James Davidson Fawcett (1933–2020): Imbibing With The Kiwi, Louis A. Somma

Papers in Herpetology

An obituary and summary of the life of James D. Fawcett (1933-2020), herpetologist and instructor and professor of Biology at University of Nebraska at Omaha, 1972-2015. Includes bibliography of his works, list of master's theses chaired, and recollections of former students.

Patterns Of Vertebrate Richness Across Global Anthromes: Prioritizing Conservation Beyond Biomes And Ecoregions, John E. Quinn, Emma K. Cook, Nicolas Gauthier

Open Access Fund Publications

There is a clear need to refocus the way we prioritize conservation actions at a global scale to incorporate human systems. Anthromes have been suggested as one tool for integrating anthropogenic effects on ecosystems, but spatially explicit comparisons of biodiversity patterns are limited at a global extent. To address this gap, we used global data sets of anthromes and terrestrial vertebrate richness. We ranked anthromes by richness to all and threatened species at a global scale, temperate and tropical extents, and within major geographic regions. We tested for correlations between overall richness and count of threatened species, between taxonomic groups …

Microbial-Host Dynamics And The Evolution Of Nearshore Diversity In Hippocampus Abdominalis, Jimiane L. Ashe

Dissertations, Theses, and Capstone Projects

Local adaptation is a fundamental concept at the core of evolutionary process. Devising means to break down larger concepts and systematically test internal mechanisms are key to understanding the driving forces behind the influence of environmental differences on biological systems. To understand dynamic processes in the natural world, we must strip away layers and confounding variables that may mask the signal we hope to understand. In this case seahorse species, Hippocampus abdominalis, or the pot-bellied seahorse, made an unlikely but ideal study system. The first layer to strip away was neutral genetic variation within the population. A multilocus genetic …

Genomic And Ecological Dimensions Of Malagasy Reptile And Amphibian Biodiversity, Arianna L. Kuhn

Dissertations, Theses, and Capstone Projects

A long history of isolation coupled with complex topographic and ecological landscapes makes Madagascar ideal for exploring the historical factors that have shaped patterns of population diversity and endemism. Many species-level studies have suggested Late Quaternary climate change may have influenced population dynamics in the tropics, but Madagascar’s ecologically unique biomes or individual species properties may have driven idiosyncratic responses to these shifts. Using community-scale population genetic data I implement a hierarchical approximate Bayesian computation (hABC) approach to evaluate the degree of synchronous population expansion during glacial cycles across herpetofaunal assemblages both within and across discrete biomes and taxonomic groups. …

Understanding And Predicting The Distribution Of Biodiversity In The Atlantic Forest, Andrea Paz Velez

Dissertations, Theses, and Capstone Projects

Understanding how biodiversity is distributed in geography is essential for conservation. This requires an understanding of the multiple dimensions of biodiversity: species, their ecological functions, and their evolutionary history. For my Ph.D. dissertation, I devised a study to explore the environmental drivers of biodiversity patterns in Neotropical species. I first investigated broad macroecological patterns in the Brazilian Atlantic Forest, combining occurrence data and phylogenetic information from multiple clades of animals and plants (Chapter 1). I discovered that one can accurately predict the accumulation of species richness and phylogenetic diversity based on current climatic descriptors – particularly precipitation – but not …

Paul Austin Johnsgard: Memories Of An Exceptional Naturalist, Allison E. Johnson, Charles R. Brown

Nebraska Bird Review

On May 28, 2021 the world lost one of its most dogged advocates, and we lost an amazing teacher, naturalist, and friend. Paul has told you in his own words in the previous pages where he was from, where he was educated, about the immense number of scholarly articles and books he published, and about his beautiful art that brought the wild to all of us (https://digitalcommons.unl.edu/zeabook/30/), but we wanted to share the person we knew Paul to be, and to relive some of our memories of him. While Paul’s body of work will continue to impact the ornithological and …

The Nebraska Bird Review, Volume 89 June 2021 Number 2

Nebraska Bird Review

Spring Field Report, March - May 2021, by W. Ross Silcock … 50

Incorrectly Aged, Identified and Classified: Revisiting Nebraska’s 1968 ‘Barnacle Goose’ Record, by Joel G. Jorgensen, Stephen J. Brenner, and W. Ross Silcock …80

Paul A. Johnsgard by Paul A. Johnsgard … 92

Paul Austin Johnsgard: Memories of an Exceptional Naturalist by Allison E. Johnson and Charles R. Brown …94

Breeding Status of Louisiana Waterthrush (Parkesia motacilla) in the Niobrara River Valley, North-central Nebraska by W. Ross Silcock … 97

Remembering Elaine Bachel 1946-2021, by Ruthie Stearns …101

Subscription and Organization Information …103

Incorrectly Aged, Identified And Classified: Revisiting Nebraska’S 1968 ‘Barnacle Goose’ Record, Joel G. Jorgensen, Stephen J. Brenner, W. Ross Silcock

Nebraska Bird Review

On 2 November 1968 in northeastern Otoe County, Nebraska, Milton Muncie harvested a bird (herein referred to as the 1968 specimen), subsequently identified as an immature Barnacle Goose (Branta leucopsis), from a flock of about 40 Cackling Geese (Branta hutchinsii; Cortelyou 1969). The occurrence was reported not only as the first record of a Barnacle Goose for Nebraska, but also the first record for the North American Interior and West (Cortelyou 1969). Cortelyou’s (1969) brief article also included a photograph of the mounted specimen. At the time and when subsequently reviewed by various authors, the identity of the 1968 specimen …

From Psychology To Phylogeny: Bridging Levels Of Analysis In Cultural Evolution, Mason Youngblood

Dissertations, Theses, and Capstone Projects

Cultural evolution, or change in the socially learned behavior of a population over time, is a fascinating phenomenon that is widespread in humans and present in some non-human animals. In this dissertation, I present an array of cultural evolutionary studies that bridge pattern and process in a wide range of research models including music, extremism, and birdsong. The first chapter is an introduction to the field of cultural evolution, including a bibliometric analysis of its structure. The second and third chapters are studies on the cultural dynamics of music sampling traditions in hip-hop and electronic music communities and far-right extremism …

Alfaxalone Successfully Immobilizes Small Indian Mongooses (Urva Auropunctata): A Field Report, Caroline C. Sauvé, Yves Rondenay, Are R. Berentsen, Mel J. Rivera-Rodriguez, Patrick A. Leighton

United States Department of Agriculture Wildlife Services: Staff Publications

We investigated intramuscular administration of alfaxalone (5.3–10.0 mg/kg) as an immobilizing agent in free-ranging small Indian mongooses (Urva auropunctata) on the island of St. Kitts, West Indies. From 5–11 January 2020, we successfully immobilized 10 of 11 mongooses. Alfaxalone provided rapid onset (median = 3 min) of immobilization. Mean duration of immobilization was 16.8 ± 3 min. Mean recovery time was 5.6 ± 1 min. There was no effect of dose administered on induction, anesthesia, or recovery times at the dose range used. We concluded that alfaxalone represents an effective alternative to dissociative agents for the immobilization of free-ranging mongooses. …

Comparing Management Programs To Reduce Red–Tailed Hawk Collisions With Aircraft, Brian Washburn, Craig K. Pullins, Travis L. Guerrant, Gregory J. Martinelli, Scott F. Beckerman

United States Department of Agriculture Wildlife Services: Staff Publications

Wildlife-aircraft collisions (wildlife strikes) pose a serious safety risk to aircraft. Raptors (i.e., hawks and owls) are one of the most frequently struck guilds of birds within North America. Although raptors (most notably red-tailed hawks [Buteo jamaicensis]) are commonly managed at most airports and military bases, there is no scientific information available regarding comparisons of the efficacy of raptor management programs for reducing raptor-aircraft collisions. Therefore, we conducted a study to examine the efficacy of 2 raptor hazard management programs implemented at Chicago's O'Hare International Airport (ORD). The first raptor management program (Phase I) occurred during January 2010–June 2013 and …

Strategic Testing Approaches For Targeted Disease Monitoring Can Be Used To Inform Pandemic Decision-Making, James D. Nichols, Tiffany L. Bogich, Emily Howerton, Ottar N. Bjørnstad, Rebecca K. Borchering, Matthew Ferrari, Murali Haran, Christopher Jewell, Kim M. Pepin, William J.M. Probert, Juliet R.C. Pulliam, Michael C. Runge, Michael Tildesley, Cecile Viboud, Katriona Shea

United States Department of Agriculture Wildlife Services: Staff Publications

More than 1.6 million Servere Acute Respiratory Syndrome Cronovirus 2(SARS-COV-2)tests were administered daily in the United States at the peak of the epidemic, with a significant focus on individual treatment. Here, we show that objective-driven, strategic sampling designs and analyses can maximize information gain at the population level, which is necessary to increase situational awareness and predict, prepare for, and respond to a pandemic, while also continuing to inform individual treatment. By focusing on specific objectives such as individual treatment or disease prediction and control (e.g., via the collection of population- level statistics to inform lockdown measures or vaccine rollout) …

The Effects Of Infliximab On The Fibrosis Response Of Three-Spine Stickleback, Mita Kale

Honors Scholar Theses

This study was conducted to determine if the monoclonal antibody drug infliximab could effectively suppress the fibrosis immune response in three-spine stickleback fish. Successful suppression of this response could allow for further study of cestode infection and growth without the presence of fibrosis. Infliximab’s efficacy was investigated through conducting two intraperitoneal injection experiments and examinations of the fibrosis in the body cavity of the euthanized stickleback. We used immune adjuvant alum to induce a fibrosis response without the presence of the S. solidus tapeworm parasite. Ultimately, the differences in fibrosis levels between the treatment groups that received alum and the …

Mathematical Analysis Of Harvested Predator-Prey System With Prey Refuge And Intraspecific Competition, Alanus Mapunda, Thadei Sagamiko

Tanzania Journal of Science

In this paper, a predator-prey relationship in the presence of prey refuge was studied. The analysis of the dependence of locally stable equilibrium points on the parameters of the problem was carried out. Bifurcation and limit cycles for the model were analyzed to show the dynamical behaviour of the system. The results showed that the system is stable at a constant prey refuge m = 0.3 and prey harvesting rate H = 0.3. However, increasing m and decreasing H or vice versa, the predator-prey system remains stable. It was further observed that for a constant prey refuge m ≥ 0.78, …

Spatial Distribution Patterns Of The Populations Of Two Subterranean Termites (Blattodea: Termitidae) In Eucalyptus (Myrtales: Myrtaceae) Plantations, Olaniyi T Alamu, Francis K Ewete, Ayangbade E Ayandokun, John A Ete

Tanzania Journal of Science

The study was conducted in Afaka, Northern Guinea Savanna of Nigeria to determine the spatial distribution patterns of the populations of Ancistrotermes sp. and Microtermes sp. in Eucalyptus camaldulensis Dehnh, Eucalyptus citriodora Hook, Eucalyptus cloeziana F. and Eucalyptus tereticornis Muell plantations. Spatial distributions patterns of the two termite species populations were determined using indices such as ratios of population variance to mean, Lloyd’s index, Green coefficient, Taylor power and Iwao’s regression models. The values of variance to mean ratios, Lloyd’s index and Green coefficient showed that the populations of both termite species had aggregated distribution pattern in all the Eucalyptus …

Brown Treesnake Mortality After Aerial Application Of Toxic Baits, Scott M. Goetz, Eric T. Hileman, Melia G. Nafus, Amy A. Yackel Adams, Amanda R. Bryant, Robert N. Reed, Shane R. Siers

United States Department of Agriculture Wildlife Services: Staff Publications

Quantitative evaluation of control tools for managing invasive species is necessary to assess overall effectiveness and individual variation in treatment susceptibility. Invasive brown treesnakes (Boiga irregularis) on Guam have caused severe ecological and economic effects, pose a risk of accidental introduction to other islands, and are the greatest impediment to the reestablishment of extirpated native fauna. An aerial delivery system for rodent‐based toxic baits can reduce brown treesnake abundance and heterogeneity among individuals may influence bait attraction or toxicant susceptibility. Previous baiting trials have either been simulated aerial treatments or relied on slightly different bait capsule compositions and the results …

Empathy And Fairness In Nonhuman Primates: Evolutionary Bases Of Human Morality, Colt Halter

Intuition: The BYU Undergraduate Journal of Psychology

Darwin offered an evolutionary perspective on the origins of human morality, suggesting that humans share a biological foundation with nonhuman primates. This paper reviews the current literature on moral and prosocial behaviors of nonhuman primates, specifically examining whether nonhuman primates exhibit behaviors that are typical of empathy and fairness. The literature documents that nonhuman primates exhibit empathetic behaviors regarding emotional contagion and sympathetic concern. There is also evidence that nonhuman primates have a sense of fairness, seen in their reciprocal behaviors and aversion to inequity. Taken together, this suggests that there are evolutionary roots of morality, lending empirical support to …

Genomics-Guided Refinement Of Butterfly Taxonomy, Jing Zhang, Qian Cong, Jinhui Shen, Paul A. Opler, Nick V. Grishin

The Taxonomic Report of the International Lepidoptera Survey

Continuing with comparative genomic exploration of worldwide butterfly fauna, we use all proteincoding genes as they are retrieved from the whole genome shotgun sequences for phylogeny construction. Analysis of these genome-scale phylogenies projected onto the taxonomic classification and the knowledge about butterfly phenotypes suggests further refinements of butterfly taxonomy that are presented here. As a general rule, we assign most prominent clades of similar genetic differentiation to the same taxonomic rank, and use criteria based on relative population diversification and the extent of gene exchange for species delimitation. As a result, 7 tribes, 4 subtribes, 14 genera, and 9 subgenera …