Ecology and Evolutionary Biology Commons^™

Same Stone, Different Outcomes: Marine Communities On Engineered Vs. Natural Rock Shores, Lucy Anne Dando Lockwood

Graduate Masters Theses

The effort to protect coastal property and infrastructure from storm damage, erosion, and sea level rise has resulted in increased construction of coastal protection structures (CPS) worldwide. Researchers around the globe have found that the marine communities living on CPS differ from those living on natural rock outcroppings in the same area. We conducted a classic disturbance experiment to investigate possible differences in marine organism response and community assembly between natural and human-constructed rocky intertidal habitat along the Massachusetts coast. The one-year study used naturally occurring rock shores and human-made granite seawalls with both wave-exposed and wave-protected areas. Significant differences …

Investigating The Effects Of Temperature On Lesser Celandine, Regina Bellian

The Downtown Review: An Interdisciplinary Journal Written and Peer-Reviewed by Mandel Honors College Students at Cleveland State University

This paper explores invasive species Ficaria verna (Lesser celandine) and the effects of temperature on its growth. Trials were completed with two treatments, 13OC cold temperature and 20OC ambient temperature. Germinated bulbils of Lesser celandine were planted on February 15, 2017 and placed in their respective growing chambers. The plants were watered weekly and monitored for growth until harvest on March 29, 2017. Upon harvest, the plants’ height, largest leaf diameter and biomass were measured after extraction from soil and the removal of the leftover soil debris. Average height was found to be 11.66cm for the cold treatment and 5.14cm …

Fungicide Sensitivity Of Sclerotinia Sclerotiorum Isolates From Five States With Different Fungicide Treatments, Cristian Wulkop Gil, Edgar Nieto-Lopez, Sydney Everhart

UCARE: Research Products

Sclerotinia sclerotiorum is a plant pathogenic fungus that causes a disease called white mold that can infect more than 450 plant species including soybeans, dry beans, green beans, canola, and sunflower. This pathogen is capable of up to $252M in losses every year (U.S. Canola Association, 2014). Fungicides are widely used in developed agricultural systems to control disease. However, resistance to the most effective fungicides has emerged and spread in pathogen populations and there have been multiple reports of S. sclerotiorum isolates becoming resistant to certain fungicides. Since different fields in different states use different fungicide treatments on plants and …

Investigating The Effects Of Sea-Level Rise And Increasing Salinity On Procambarus Lunzi Of Sapelo Island, Georgia, Samuel Long

Biology Theses

Barrier islands have great ecological and economical importance and face a threat from increasing sea-level due to climate change. Erosion of existing freshwater lens and ocean inundation could greatly change freshwater availability on the island. This could have significant impacts on freshwater crayfish like Procambarus lunzi, which are complexly intertwined into the trophic food web of the island. This study’s goal was to investigate the salinity tolerance of this crayfish on Sapelo Island, Georgia, in an attempt to predict the possible effects and response to sea-level rise by this crayfish. Crayfish were wild-caught from the island in March, June, and …

The Effect Of Ocean Plastic On Plankton And Marine Ecosystems, Aiden Brinkmann '22, Eric Shackelford '22

Student Leadership Exchange (SLX)

Title: The Effect of Ocean Plastic on Plankton and Marine Ecosystems Abstract: This presentation aims to raise awareness for the harm plastics in our oceans are causing analysis and visualization of scientific data. It is largely inspired by the fourteenth United Nations Sustainable Development Goal: Life Below Water. The datasets used primary fall into two categories: ocean plastic content statistics and plankton population demographics. The presentation will also explore plankton’s role as the base of many aquatic ecosystems and model the impact a population decline could have on these ecosystems. The effects ocean plastics can have on our modern society …

Hives, Rachel Selvaraj '22, Nicolette Schmidling '22, Abigail Ryner '22

Student Leadership Exchange (SLX)

Bees are a capstone species and the world’s most important animal as ranked by the Royal Geographic Society in London. They play a key role in the production of many food products which certain communities may depend on; however, their population has rapidly been declining as of lately. Hives is an organization which takes this issue into extreme consideration. We believe that habitat restoration efforts for bees is the strongest way to make an impact. We will work with numerous local gardens to install our artificial bee homes. These homes are created solely from recyclable materials. Not only are our …

Nomenclatural Notes For The Erotylinae (Coleoptera: Erotylidae), Paul E. Skelley

Insecta Mundi

Several taxonomic and nomenclatural issues are reviewed, clarified, and resolved for multiple genera of the Erotylinae (Coleoptera: Erotylidae). Generic-group names discussed: Brachymerus Dejean, 1836, Cyphero­tylus Crotch, 1873, Cytorea Laporte, 1840, Erotylus Fabricius, 1775, Eudaemonius Lewis, 1887, Eutriplax Lewis, 1887, Gibbifer Voet, 1806, Neobarytopus Alvarenga, 1965, Neomorphoides Alvarenga, 1977, Ogcotriplax Heller, 1920, Paratritoma Gorham, 1888, Platichna Thomson, 1863, Pseudochrysomela Voet, 1806, Pseudotriplax Heller, 1920, Triplax Herbst, 1793, Tritomapara Alvarenga, 1970, Typocephalus Hope, 1841, and Xestus Wollaston, 1864.

Reviewing these issues resulted in a several nomenclatural actions. Eutriplax Lewis, 1887, was found to be an unnecessary replacement name for Eudaemonius Lewis, 1887. …

Taxonomic Contributions To Neotropical Lamiinae (Coleoptera: Cerambycidae) Including A New Genus, Five New Species And A New Synonym, James E. Wappes, Antonio Santos-Silva

Insecta Mundi

Five new species and one new genus in Neotropical Lamiinae (Coleoptera: Cerambycidae) are de­scribed: Cotycicuiara lingafelteri Wappes and Santos-Silva, from Panama (Acanthoderini); Nesozineus morrisi Wappes and Santos-Silva, from Bolivia (Acanthoderini); Trichoanoreina panamensis Wappes and Santos-Silva, from Panama (Acanthoderini); Callisema skillmani Wappes and Santos-Silva, from Bolivia (Calliini); Rileyellus panamensis Wappes and Santos-Silva, new genus and species, from Panama (Desmiphorini). Callia pulchra Melzer, 1930 is placed in synonymy with Callia axillaris (Dalman, 1823).

What Roadkills Did We Miss In A Driving Survey? A Comparison Of Driving And Walking Surveys In Baldwin County, Georgia, Kori A. Ogletree, Alfred J. Mead

Georgia Journal of Science

Accurate estimates of vertebrate road mortalities are necessary prior to the consideration of mitigation measures by resource managers. Due to ease of implementation, driving surveys are more common than walking surveys. From February 2018 to February 2019, two survey methods, driving and walking, were used to monitor a 1.16 km section of Highway 212 in Baldwin County, Georgia. Roadkills were identified and monitored for persistence from sunrise to noon two days a week. Twenty-nine roadkills were recorded over the survey period: 48.3% mammals (14/29), 27.6% herpetofauna (8/29), and 24.1% birds (7/29). Forty-eight percent (14/29) of roadkills were missed by the …

Sea Level Rise Vulnerability Analysis Of Mangrove Ecosystems Using Gis, Kayla Caldwell

HCNSO Student Theses and Dissertations

Climate change is accelerating beyond what is natural due to excessive emissions from human activities. The sea level has been rising for many years and is currently at a rate of 3.6 mm/yr. Mangroves are known to only keep pace with a sea level rate of less than 1.2 mm/yr. Mangroves are particularly vulnerable to rising sea levels if they are not able to keep pace through vertical sediment accretion or inland migration. To test the vulnerability of the south Florida mangrove ecosystems to sea level rise, this study analyzed changes in the mangrove forest coverage of the Oleta River …

Re-Evaluation Of Euchloe Olympia (W. H. Edwards, 1871 (Pieridae: Pierinae) From A Geographic And Taxonomic Perspective, Harry Pavulaan

The Taxonomic Report of the International Lepidoptera Survey

The taxonomic status of regional populations of Euchloe olympia (W. H. Edwards, 1871) is reevaluated here. A review of pertinent literature and a critique of Clench & Opler (1983) are provided. The taxon rosa and two distinct populations of the Great Lakes “dune form” are each proposed for recognition at subspecific rank. The status of synonym anniha Ebner (1970) is addressed.

Investigating Drivers Of Genetic Structure In Plants: Global, Regional And Local Scales, Diana Gamba-Moreno

Dissertations

Genetic structure within and among plant populations is a critical component of plant biodiversity, informing local adaptation, conservation, and incipient speciation. However, its drivers remain poorly understood, especially across different spatial scales. In my dissertation I examined factors that affect plant population genetic structure at global, regional, and local scales. At the global scale, I performed a literature review of population genetic differentiation (F_ST) in seed plants based on a 337-species dataset with data on F_ST and species traits. Using phylogenetic multiple regressions, I found that F_ST is higher for tropical, mixed-mating, non-woody species pollinated by …

First Record Of Dactylopius Confusus (Cockerell, 1929) (Hemiptera: Coccomorpha: Dactylopiidae) In Michoacan, Mexico, Arturo Ramírez-Cruz, Héctor González-Hernández, Christof F. Stumpf

Insecta Mundi

In April 2017, several scale insect specimens in the family Dactylopiidae were collected from infested cladodes of wild Opuntia tomentosa Salm-Dyck, 1822 (Cactaceae) in the outskirts of Morelia City, Michoacan, Mexico. The specimens were identified as Dactylopius confusus (Cockerell, 1929) (Hemiptera: Coccomorpha: Dac­tylopiidae). In this article, the presence of D. confusus in Michoacan state, Mexico, is recorded for the first time. A subsequent finding of D. confusus on Opuntia ficus-indica (L.) Mill., (1768) (Cactaceae) in October 2019 was confirmed with 18S rDNA and 28S rDNA.

A New Species Of Crioprosopus Audinet-Serville, 1834 From Costa Rica And Panama (Coleoptera: Cerambycidae: Cerambycinae: Trachyderini), Bryan K. Eya

Insecta Mundi

Crioprosopus baldwini Eya (Coleoptera: Cerambycidae: Cerambycinae: Trachyderini), sp. nov., from Costa Rica and Panama, is described. An amendment to the key to species of Crioprosopus Audinet-Serville, 1834, as presented in Eya (2015), is provided along with illustrations of the key characteristics to differentiate C. baldwini from other species.

The Trichoptera Of Panama Xiv. New Species Of Microcaddisflies (Trichoptera: Hydroptilidae) From Omar Torrijos Herrera National Park, Brian J. Armitage, Steven C. Harris

Insecta Mundi

Abstract. In 2017, a new project was begun to assess the biodiversity of national parks and forest reserves in the Republic of Panama. Designated “Proyecto Sistema de Producción Sostenible Conservación de la Biodiversidad (PSPSCB)”, this project is managed by Panama’s Ministerio de Ambiente. The first park sampled in 2017 was Omar Torrijos Herrera National Park (OTHNP). Trichoptera (Insecta) were collected at four locations using both Malaise traps and UV light traps. The rugged terrain and lack of access in this remote park limited the sampled area. Sampling included streams in both the Caribbean and Pacific drainages. Seven new species of …

Termitodiellus Mindanaoensis, A New Species Of Rhyparini Schmidt, 1910 (Scarabaeidae: Aphodiinae) From The Philippines, Łukasz Minkina, Showtaro Kakizoe

Insecta Mundi

A new species of the genus Termitodiellus Nakane, 1961—T. mindanaoensis Minkina and Kakizoe, new species from Mindanao Island in the Philippines is described and illustrated. Photographs of the epipharynx of Termitodiellus species are provided for the first time. A short discussion of the phylogeny of Rhyparini Schmidt, 1910 is presented.

Impacts Of Invasive Rats And Tourism On A Threatened Island Bird: The Palau Micronesian Scrubfowl, Paul M. Radley, Robert A. Davis, Tim S. Doherty

Research outputs 2014 to 2021

Invasive predators have decimated island biodiversity worldwide. Rats (Rattus spp.) are perhaps the greatest conservation threat to island fauna. The ground nesting Palau Micronesian Scrubfowl Megapodius laperouse senex (Megapodiidae) inhabits many of the islands of Palau's Rock Island Southern Lagoon Conservation Area (RISL) in the western Pacific. These islands are also heavily visited by tourists and support populations of introduced rats, both of which may act as added stressors for the scrubfowl. Using passive chew-tag and call playback surveys on five tourist-visited and five tourist-free islands, we investigated if rats and tourists negatively affect scrubfowl, and if higher rat activity …

Geographic Variation In Host Selection In The Spider Wasps Entypus Unifasciatus (Say) And Tachypompilus Ferrugineus (Say) (Hymenoptera: Pompilidae), Frank E. Kurczewski, Joseph W. Stoll, Rick C. West, Kelly C. Kissane, Neil Stanley Cobb

Insecta Mundi

Geography and host spider family are strongly linked in the spider wasps (Hymenoptera: Pompilidae) Entypus unifasciatus (Say) and Tachypompilus ferrugineus (Say) (rusty spider wasp) when 2031 host spider local­ity records from the years 1918–2020 are mapped. Entypus unifasciatus lycosid host records are plentiful from 43–44° N in the U.S. to northern Mexico. Tachypompilus ferrugineus lycosid host records are numerous from southern Ontario and New England to Mexico east of the Rocky Mountains. Most E. unifasciatus and T. ferrugin­eus pisaurid host records are from the SE U.S. Trechaleid host records for E. unifasciatus and T. ferrugineus are predominant in southern Mexico …

Genotyping-By-Sequencing And Ecological Niche Modeling Illuminate Phylogeography, Admixture, And Pleistocene Range Dynamics In Quaking Aspen (Populus Tremuloides), Justin C. Bagley, Neander M. Heming, Eliécer E. Gutiérrez, Upendra K. Devisetty, Karen E. Mock, Andrew J. Eckert, Steven H. Strauss

Ecology Center Publications

Populus tremuloides is the widest‐ranging tree species in North America and an ecologically important component of mesic forest ecosystems displaced by the Pleistocene glaciations. Using phylogeographic analyses of genome‐wide SNPs (34,796 SNPs, 183 individuals) and ecological niche modeling, we inferred population structure, ploidy levels, admixture, and Pleistocene range dynamics of P. tremuloides, and tested several historical biogeographical hypotheses. We found three genetic lineages located mainly in coastal–Cascades (cluster 1), east‐slope Cascades–Sierra Nevadas–Northern Rockies (cluster 2), and U.S. Rocky Mountains through southern Canadian (cluster 3) regions of the P. tremuloides range, with tree graph relationships of the form ((cluster 1, …

A Basic Ddradseq Two‐Enzyme Protocol Performs Well With Herbarium And Silica‐Dried Tissues Across Four Genera, Ingrid E. Jordon-Thaden, James B. Beck, Catherine A. Rushworth, Michael D. Windham, Nicolas Diaz, Jason T. Cantley, Christopher T. Martine, Carl J. Rothfels

Faculty Journal Articles

Premise

The ability to sequence genome‐scale data from herbarium specimens would allow for the economical development of data sets with broad taxonomic and geographic sampling that would otherwise not be possible. Here, we evaluate the utility of a basic double‐digest restriction site–associated DNA sequencing (ddRADseq) protocol using DNAs from four genera extracted from both silica‐dried and herbarium tissue.

Methods

DNAs from Draba, Boechera, Solidago, and Ilex were processed with a ddRADseq protocol. The effects of DNA degradation, taxon, and specimen age were assessed.

Results

Although taxon, preservation method, and specimen age affected data recovery, large phylogenetically informative …

Analyzing The Flight Patterns And Behavior Of Dragonflies Engaged In Aerial Territory Battles, Brandon Hastings, Brandon Jackson

Virtual 2020 Spring Student Showcase for Research and Creative Inquiry

It has previously been determined that male dragonflies occupying the most suitable territory within a habitat have a higher flight-muscle ratio (FMR) than those occupying poor territories, but it is unknown how this increased FMR relates to their flight patterns. This study examined the flight patterns of dragonflies engaged in aerial territory battles to investigate differences in maneuverability between winners and losers. 3D video data of dragonflies interacting in a natural habitat was analyzed for territorial flights. Winners showed a lower maximum angular velocity compared to losers.

What Is The Winter Limiting Nutrient In Urban Reservoirs? A Case Study, Precious Nyabami

UCARE: Research Products

The importance of reservoirs is widely acknowledged by urban populations, yet little is understood scientifically about their ability to process nutrients deposited into them in winter. For example, when agricultural runoff is deposited in lakes in winter or any other season, eutrophication might arise in the spring. With increased eutrophication, several ecosystem services are lost and this leads to what several researchers call “the urban syndrome”. Some studies have been done on the winter limnology of lakes, yet little is understood about the above in reservoirs. The sustainability of urban reservoirs relies on understanding how the phytoplankton in urban reservoirs …

333— Effectiveness Of Batesian Mimicry In The Ant Mimicking Spider Myrmarachne Formicaria, Alanna Richman, Bea Dipzinski

GREAT Day Posters

Myrmarachne formicaria is a non-native ant-mimicking spider that was first recorded in New York in 2006. Little is known about its natural history in its native range in Europe and Asia or in its newly colonized range in North America. Some spider species are Batesian mimics that resemble ants in order to avoid being eaten, since many potential predators will not prey on ants. To assess the effectiveness of Batesian mimicry in this species, we staged encounters with a larger salticid spider species that could be a potential predator of M. formicaria. In total, 12 predator spiders were observed …

260— Patterns Of Occupancy Of Artificial Nest Sites By Native Bees, Allison Menendez

GREAT Day Posters

Although people tend to think of honeybees when they think about pollination, many species of native bees are actually important pollinators. Declining native bee populations can be supported in several ways, including reducing pesticide use, providing native flowers as a food source, leaving natural nest sites unaltered, or even by providing artificial nests. At SUNY Geneseo, a bee barn with eleven wooden boxes filled with natural reed cavities of varying sizes is in the Spencer J Roemer Arboretum. Female bees lay brood in these cavities, and provision food for the developing young. Some native bees are overwintering in these cavities. …

136— Predation On Microbivalves By Juvenile Naticid Gastropods On San Salvador Island, The Bahamas, Eliza Merges

GREAT Day Posters

Predator-prey interactions, where snails eat clams, evolutionarily has been a key interaction within marine molluscan communities. There is evidence of molluscan extinctions in the fossil record that are marked by changes in predation ratios. In this study, we will investigate predation of microbivalves by juvenile naticid gastropods in a shallow marine setting on San Salvador Island in the Bahamas. We propose to test predation density within different environments (facies) of a lagoonal setting. Significantly different ratios between these facies in one time period can indicate that predator-prey interactions can change over time from one environment to another. It is more …

298— Rural Economic Growth And Disease Intervention In Ghana; The Edward Pettinella '73 Endowed Ambassadorship In Business, Lucas Sutton

GREAT Day Posters

Schistosomiasis is a leading parasitic infection that debilitates many individuals in sub Saharan Africa. Because this parasitic infection involves a snail as an intermediate host, we use a native prawn species as a natural predator to decrease the population of this snail community. This study focuses on Tomefa, a primarily fishing peri-urban community located oi the outskirts of Accra, the capital city of Ghana. A survey was also given to the local community measuring economic characteristics. In the laboratory, Macrobrachium spp prawn exhibit preference of Bulinus snails over Biomphalaria snails while non-parasitic snails were consumed in higher proportion to parasitized …

135— Coral-Sponge Interactions On Rocky Point Reef, San Salvador, Bahamas, Michael Harvey, Anna Meichenbaum, Brooke Stickles

GREAT Day Posters

We surveyed the intensity of competition for reef space between sponges and corals at the Rocky Point patch reef adjacent to San Salvador Island, The Bahamas. Our working hypothesis was that, because of a dearth of predators, fast growing, chemically unprotected sponges more likely to be involved in competitive interactions. Results indicate that competition for reef space was widespread, but contrary to our hypothesis no sponge or coral species was disproportionately more involved in these interactions. These results contradict previous studies on Rocky Point reef and in our discussion we propose an explanation for this discrepancy.

170— A Comparison Of Native And Invasive Plant Species Microhabitats In Western Ny, Emelyn Bell

GREAT Day Posters

Previous research concluded that the extended leaf phenology of invasive plant species Lonicera maackii (Amur Honeysuckle) reduced seed predation, possibly due to less favorable microclimates for invertebrate seed predators. In the fall of 2019, we conducted a field experiment to observe the microhabitat preferences of snails. In our study, we selected six pairs of invasive L. maackii and native Cornus racemosa (Gray Dogwood) throughout the Roemer Arboretum. Twice weekly, we recorded temperature, relative humidity, air velocity, light, soil pH, and soil moisture along with the number and size of snails found on the plant and within 0.3m of its surrounding …

Evolutionary Bioethics Advanced By Ernest Everett Just: Implications For Biology, Ethics, And Theology, Theodore Walker

Perkins Faculty Research and Special Events

Ernest Everett Just (1883-1941) is an acknowledged “pioneer” in biology, being honored with a Black Heritage postage stamp in 1996. Here we discover that Just also made pioneering contributions to general evolutionary bioethics (distinct from special medical bioethics) by advancing a cell-biology-rooted theory of the origin and continuing evolution of ethical behavior influenced by the “law of environmental dependence.”

See especially “The Origin of Man’s Ethical Behavior (1941, unpublished book manuscript) by Ernest Everett Just and Hedwig Schnetzler Just, discovered in 2018 among the collected papers of E.E. Just at the Moorland-Spingarn Research Center at Howard University.

Accordingly, evolution is …

Hers And His: Silk Glands Used In Egg Sac Construction By Female Spiders Potentially Repurposed By A 'Modern' Male Spider, Mark A. Townley, Danilo Harms

Biological Sciences

Cylindrical silk gland (CY) spigots distinguish a large clade of modern spiders, the CY spigot clade, which includes all entelegyne spiders and their closest relatives. Following a widespread paradigm, CYs and their spigots are only known to occur in female spiders and they produce silk used in the construction of egg sacs. Here we report the occurrence of a CY spigot or CY nubbin on each posterior median spinneret (PMS) in males (5th stadium and later) of the spider Australomimetus maculosus. Late juvenile males had a CY spigot on each PMS, whereas adult males either had a CY spigot or, …