Ecology and Evolutionary Biology Commons^™

Functions Of Vocal Mimicry In The Complex Song Of The European Starling, Sturnus Vulgaris, Maria Goller

School of Biological Sciences: Dissertations, Theses, and Student Research

Vocal learning is an ability that has only evolved in a handful of taxa. Songbirds learn their songs, and some species have flexible learning in which they not only incorporate species-specific sounds, but heterospecific and/or environmental sounds as well. The functions of vocal mimicry are still unknown for many species and studying mimicry can teach us about the variation within the song learning process. In this thesis, I focused on five hypotheses on how mimicry could function in sexual selection. The repertoire size hypothesis suggests that selection for larger repertoire sizes allows mimicry to occur because imitation can increase repertoire …

Diet Analysis Of Stranded Bottlenose Dolphins (Tursiops Truncatus) In Virginia, Kristen Marie Volker

Biological Sciences Theses & Dissertations

This study describes the diet of bottlenose dolphins (Tursiops truncatus) stranded in Virginia via stomach content analysis and considers factors such as proportion of numerical abundance and reconstructed mass, frequency of occurrence, average reconstructed prey size, prey diversity and quantity, and otolith degradation code. Fish size was estimated via regression equations established from local fish collected during the study that derive wet weight directly from otolith length or width. Squid size is estimated from previously published equations. Soniferous fishes dominated the diet, especially Atlantic croaker, spot, and seatrout spp., adding evidence to the theory that bottlenose dolphins passively …

The Effects Of Hackberry Psyllids On Refueling Migratory Songbirds And Autumnal Seed Rain, Chance H. Hines

Biological Sciences Theses & Dissertations

Hackberry psyllids (Pachypsylla sp) are a galling insect native to North America’s hackberry trees (Celtis sp). Hackberry leaf-galling psyllids are ephemerally abundant during autumn, a period of time when migratory songbirds are traveling from their breeding areas in temperate North America south to their winter ranges. These migrations are energetically taxing and many songbirds fuel their journey with resources like insects and fruits. I captured birds with mist nets, observed foraging behaviors, and captured avian-dispersed fleshy fruit seeds (hereafter, seed rain) rain during the autumn of 2016 and 2017 to determine how hackberry psyllids, an ephemerally …

Talking Trash In The Big Apple: Mitigating Bird Strikes Near The North Shore Marine Transfer Station, Stephan J. Beffre, Brian E. Washburn

United States Department of Agriculture Wildlife Services: Staff Publications

Anthropogenic activities that concentrate wildlife near airports increases the risk of wildlife–aircraft collisions. Placing waste management facilities, natural areas, golf courses, and other landscape features near airports have the potential to attract wildlife hazardous to aviation. We conducted a 3-year study (March 2013–February 2016) to determine if the implementation of a Wildlife Hazard Mitigation Program (WHMP) would influence the bird use of a waste transfer station located near LaGuardia Airport, New York City, New York, USA. We conducted wildlife surveys during 3 phases: (1) no mitigation program and no waste transfer station, (2) active mitigation and no waste transfer station, …

Collective Effect Of Landfills And Landscape Composition On Bird–Aircraft Collisions, Morgan Pfeiffer, Bradley F. Blackwell, Travis L. Devault

United States Department of Agriculture Wildlife Services: Staff Publications

Ninety-three percent of all reported bird strikes occur below 1,067 m, which based on the typical approach and departure angles of aircraft is within 8–13 km of an airport. Concomitantly, the Federal Aviation Administration and the International Civil Aviation Organization recommend that any feature that would attract hazardous wildlife to the approach and departure airspace be restricted. Thus, preventing the establishment of wildlife attractants, such as municipal solid waste landfills (MSWLFs) within 8 km or 13 km extents (U.S. and international recommendations, respectively) of airports, has been recommended to mitigate the risk of bird–aircraft collisions (strikes). However, robust evidence linking …

An Annotated Checklist Of Butterflies At Elevated Protected Areas Of Pakistan, Madeeha Manzoor, Sher Wali Khan, Safdar Ali Shah

Journal of Bioresource Management

Different vegetation types, cater to the needs of butterflies at different stages of their life cycle. Some caterpillars are specific in their diet and egg-laying, such as the caterpillar of the Monarch butterfly, which mainly consumes leaves of milkweed and hence prefers laying eggs on this plant (Faldyn et al., 2018). This entomological research was undertaken at protected areas of Pakistan that include Dhirkot Nature Reserve, Pir Chanasi National Park, Banjosa Game Reserve, Pir Lasura National Park and Tolipir National Park. Forty-four different species of butterflies were recorded from the study area. The highest diversity of butterflies was observed from …

Assessment Of The Phytotoxic Effects And Ecological Risks To Phaseolus Vulgaris Planted On Crude Oil Spiked Soils, Doris F. Ogeleka, Patrick C. Bokolo, Gloria O. Omoregie

Tanzania Journal of Science

Crude oil can contaminate environmental matrices during extraction, production, refining, loading and offloading. This study evaluated the phytotoxic effects and ecological risks to beans (Phaseolus vulgaris) planted on native soils spiked with concentrations of crude oil with a secondary aim to phytoremediate the soil. The results showed a decrease in plant heights (60.80 ± 2.11 to 25.30 ± 1.10 cm), leaf areas (40.00 ± 1.70 to 23.60 ± 1.40 cm2), leaf number (14.00 ± 0.00 to 8.00 ± 0.00), and stem girth (1.57 ± 0.06 to 1.33 ± 0.06 cm) with increasing crude oil concentrations. The total petroleum hydrocarbons (TPH) …

Epidemiological Significance Of Parasitic Infections In Olive Baboons (Papio Anubis) At Gombe National Park, Tanzania, Jared S. Bakuza

Tanzania Journal of Science

Several parasites of significant health importance have been observed in baboons at Gombe National Park in western Tanzania.  However, little is known on impacts these infections have on baboon health. Baboon stools were examined for parasites using formol-ethyl technique and their health and troop membership associated with parasitic infections. Observed nematode parasites were; Streptopharagus sp., Physaloptera sp., unidentified nematodes, hookworms and Trichuris sp. Trematode parasites included Schistosoma mansoni and unidentified trematode, with the latter’s intensity being highest in DB troop baboons. Parasite egg counts (epg) for nematodes ranged from 9 to 12, and that of trematodes from 4 to 40 …

Diversity And Ethnobotanical Importance Of Pine Species From Sub-Tropical Forests, Azad Jammu And Kashmir, Kishwar Sultana, Sher Wali Khan, Safdar Ali Shah

Journal of Bioresource Management

A general investigation of sub-tropical forests, from Pir Chinasi National Park, Tolipir National Park, Dhirkot Nature Reserve and Banjosa Game Reserve was carried out during different months from February 2008 to May 2010. The relative abundance of species was calculated using line transects of 50m. A total of five different species (Abies pindrow. Cedrus deodara, Pinus wallichiana, Pinus roxburgii and Picea smithiana) from the Pinaceae family were recorded. The main reported use of Cedrus deodara and Pinus wallichiana by the local people was for furniture and construction purposes. Pinus wallichiana was observed as the dominant …

On The Inadequacy Of Species Distribution Models For Modelling The Spread Of Sars-Cov-2: Response To Araújo And Naimi, Joseph D. Chipperfield, Blas M. Benito, Robert B. O'Hara, Richard J. Telford, Colin J. Carlson

United States Public Health Resources

The ongoing pandemic of the severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) is causing significant damage to public health and economic livelihoods, and is putting significant strains on healthcare services globally. This unfolding emergency has prompted the preparation and dissemination of the article “Spread of SARS-CoV-2 Coronavirus likely to be constrained by climate” by Araújo and Naimi (2020). The authors present the results of an ensemble forecast made from a suite of species distribution models (SDMs), where they attempt to predict the suitability of the climate for the spread of SARS-CoV-2 over the coming months. They argue that climate is …

Host Plant List Of The Scale Insects (Hemiptera: Coccomorpha) In South Korea, Soo-Jung Suh

Insecta Mundi

The scale insects (Hemiptera: Coccomorpha) are one of the most successful groups of plant-feeding arthropods. Most species of shade trees, fruit trees and ornamental shrubs are subject to scale insect attacks. Based on the review of the literature and survey results, the host plant list of the scale insects in South Korea was developed and updated. Herein, an updated list of 253 species of host plants in 71 families associated with scale insects is provided and 162 species in 15 scale insect families are listed.

Testing A Key Assumption Of Using Drones As Frightening Devices: Do Birds Perceive Drones As Risky?, Conor C. Egan, Bradley Blackwell, Esteban Fernández-Juricic, Page E. Klug

United States Department of Agriculture Wildlife Services: Staff Publications

Wildlife managers have recently suggested the use of unmanned aircraft systems or drones as nonlethal hazing tools to deter birds from areas of human-wildlife conflict. However, it remains unclear if birds perceive common drone platforms as threatening. Based on field studies assessing behavioral and physiological responses, it is generally assumed that birds perceive less risk from drones than from predators. However, studies controlling for multiple confounding effects have not been conducted. Our goal was to establish the degree to which the perception of risk by birds would vary between common drone platforms relative to a predator model when flown at …

On The Distribution Of Phlegyas Stål (Hemiptera: Heteroptera: Pachygronthidae), John M. Leavengood, Jr.

Insecta Mundi

Updated distributions are provided for all three species of Phlegyas Stål (Hemiptera: Heteroptera: Pachygronthidae) in the New World: Phlegyas abbreviatus (Uhler, 1876), P. annulicrus Stål, 1869, and P. patruelis Berg, 1883. In total, four new state records for the United States of America, four new state records for Mexico, one new Canadian provincial record, and one new country record (Nicaragua, P. annulicrus) are presented, along with remarks and corrections.

Catalogue Of Species-Group Names Assigned To Copris Geoffroy, Coptodactyla Burmeister, Litocopris Waterhouse, Microcopris Balthasar, Paracopris Balthasar, Pseudocopris Ferreira, Pseudopedaria Felsche, Sinocopris Ochi, Kon And Bai, And Thyregis Blackburn (Coleoptera: Scarabaeidae: Scarabaeinae: Coprini), Jiri Zidek

Insecta Mundi

Presented are species-group names published in the nine coprine genera (Coleoptera: Scarabaeidae: Scarabaeinae: Coprini) having only one lateral carina on each elytron. The data include authorships, dates and pages of original descriptions, geographic distributions, and references to works pertinent to the topic.

The following catalogue is a compilation intended to serve for orientation in the vast number of species names, their original generic / subgeneric assignments and pertinent references. A word of caution is in order concerning the dates of Ferreira’s papers in the Instituto de Investigação Científica de Moçambique periodicals, especially the Revista de Entomologia de Moçambique, which were …

Two New Cryptic Species Of Isometrus (Scorpiones: Buthidae) From The Northern Western Ghats, India, Shauri Sulakhe, Nikhil Dandekar, Anand Padhye, Deshabhushan Bastawade

Euscorpius

Integrated taxonomic approach is used to describe two new cryptic species of the genus Isometrus Ehrenberg, 1828 (Scorpiones: Buthidae) from the northern Western Ghats of India. Isometrus tamhini sp. n. and I. amboli sp. n. are closely related to each other and differ from two other Indian species of the genus, I. thurstoni and I. maculatus, by the morphological features and a raw genetic divergence of over 10%.

Social And General Intelligence Improves Collective Action In A Common Pool Resource System, Jacob Freeman, Jacopo A. Baggio, Thomas R. Coyle

Ecology Center Publications

On a planet experiencing global environmental change, the governance of natural resources depends on sustained collective action by diverse populations. Engaging in such collective action can only build upon the foundation of human cognition in social–ecological settings. To help understand this foundation, we assess the effect of cognitive abilities on the management of a common pool resource. We present evidence that two functionally distinct cognitive abilities, general and social intelligence, improve the ability of groups to manage a common pool resource. Groups high in both forms of intelligence engage in more effective collective action that is also more consistent, despite …

Taxonomy And Systematics Of The New Zealand Pselaphini (Coleoptera: Staphylinidae: Pselaphinae), Brittany Elin Owens

LSU Doctoral Dissertations

The New Zealand (NZ) Pselaphini was revised at the species level, a phylogenetic analysis was performed using morphological data, and first steps were taken towards the construction of a molecular analysis of the tribe. Eight new genera and 33 new species were discovered from specimens collected from the NZ mainland, offshore islands, Chatham Islands and the Subantarctic Islands. Of the 13 species originally described in the genus Pselaphus by Thomas Broun during the late 19^th and early 20^th centuries, all were either reassigned to the genera Pselaphaulax and Pselaphogenius, or were placed into new genera. Three names …

Gaharitrema Droneni N. Gen., N. Sp. (Digenea: Zoogonidae: Lepidophyllinae) From The Pudgy Cuskeel, Spectrunculus Grandis (Ophidiiformes: Ophidiidae), From Deep Waters Off Oregon, With Updates Keys To Zoogonid Subfamilies And Genera, Charles K. Blend, Gábor R. Rácz, Scott Gardner

Scott L. Gardner Publications

Gaharitrema droneni n. gen., n. sp. (Digenea: Zoogonidae: Lepidophyllinae) is described from the intestine of the pudgy cuskeel, Spectrunculus grandis (Gu¨ nther, 1877) (Ophidiiformes: Ophidiidae), collected at 2,800 m depth from the northeastern Pacific Ocean off Oregon. The new genus is distinguished from Brachyenteron Manter, 1934 and Steganoderma Stafford, 1904, the 2 closest lepidophylline genera, and from 4 other zoogonid genera erected since 2007, the last major revision of the family, by a combination of diagnostic features including a pyriform or spindle-shaped body, smooth testes and ovary, narrow ceca that reach with the vitellarium into the hindbody, an unspecialized ventral …

The North American Swans: Their Biology And Conservation, Paul Johnsgard

Zea E-Books Collection

Among birds, swans are relatively long-lived species and are also among the most strongly monogamous, having prolonged pair and family bonds that strongly influence their reproductive and general social behavior, which, in combination with their beauty and elegance, contribute to the overall high degree of worldwide human interest in them. This volume of more than 59,000 words describes the distributions, ecology, social behavior, and breeding biologies of the four species of swans that breed or have historically bred in North America, including the native trumpeter and tundra swans, the introduced mute swan, and the marginally occurring whooper swan. Also included …

Context-Dependent Dynamics Lead To The Assembly Of Functionally Distinct Microbial Communities, Leonora S. Bittleston, Matti Gralka, Gabriel E. Levanthal, Itzhak Mizrahi, Otto X. Cordero

Biology Faculty Publications and Presentations

Niche construction through interspecific interactions can condition future community states on past ones. However, the extent to which such history dependency can steer communities towards functionally different states remains a subject of active debate. Using bacterial communities collected from wild pitchers of the carnivorous pitcher plant, Sarracenia purpurea, we test the effects of history on composition and function across communities assembled in synthetic pitcher plant microcosms. We find that the diversity of assembled communities is determined by the diversity of the system at early, pre-assembly stages. Species composition is also contingent on early community states, not only because of …

Revision Of The Genus Tityopsis Armas, 1974 (Scorpiones: Buthidae). Part 1. General Updates And Description Of Four New Species, Rolando Teruel, Tomás M. Rodríguez-Cabrera

Euscorpius

The buthid scorpion genus Tityopsis Armas, 1974, endemic to western Cuba, is herein revised. In total, 428 specimens were examined from 127 localities, including the primary types of the two species currently recognized as valid; this led to realize that several populations actually represent taxa new to science. Four of them are described in the present paper: a presumed troglobite and three others from epigean habitats. A thorough photographic complement and data on natural history are given for each species and for the genus in general, for which known geographical distribution is verified and updated. With this contribution, the scorpion …

Active Humans, Inactive Carnivores, And Hiking Trails Within A Suburban Preserve, Sonny Bandak, Ronald J. Sarno, Michaela C. Peterson, Daniel Farkas, Melissa M. Grigione

Suburban Sustainability

As urban areas continue to proliferate, so does the demand for outdoor recreation. Hiking trails permeate almost all remaining forest fragments within highly urbanized areas. The effects of hiking trails on carnivores remain unclear, especially in the northeastern United States. Therefore, our objectives were to investigate the spatial and temporal activity patterns of mammalian carnivores in relation to distance from hiking trails. From 2011-2012, 236 camera stations were randomly deployed between trail and off-trail areas that covered an area of 4.8km². A total of 3880 trap nights yielded 346 coyote (Canis latrans), 371 raccoon (Procyon …

A New Species Of Vaejovis From Mingus Mountain, Northern Arizona (Scorpiones: Vaejovidae), Richard F. Ayrey

Euscorpius

A new scorpion species, Vaejovis elii sp. n., is described. This small, dark brown species is found on Mingus Mountain, Yavapai County, northern Arizona, USA. It is geographically closest to V. crumpi Ayrey & Soleglad. We compare it to that species and two other species found in northern Arizona. The pedipalp fixed finger has 6 ID denticles and the movable finger has 7, like in most, but not all, of the other northern Arizona Vaejovis. Carapace of female is longer than metasomal segment V.

The Ecology And Conservation Of An Urban Karst Subterranean Estuary, Robert J. Scharping

USF Tampa Graduate Theses and Dissertations

Sulphur Springs is an artesian spring and part of the limestone karst topography of metropolitan Tampa, Florida, USA. Underlying this spring is an extensive cave system that hosts saltwater vents and conspicuous microbial biofilm communities. For decades, water from Sulphur Springs has been extracted and used to supplement public water supply and dry season flows in the Hillsborough River Estuary. This dissertation describes research conducted at Sulphur Springs to determine the impacts of urban land use on the underlying cave and downstream estuary ecosystems, and presents the use of this system as a model to fill certain ecological knowledge gaps. …

A Demographic Model Of An Endangered Florida Native Bromeliad (Tillandsia Utriculata), Zoe S. Brookover, Alexandra M. Campbell, Brian D. Christman, Sydney L. Davis, Erin N. Bodine

Spora: A Journal of Biomathematics

The large, long-lived, epiphytic bromeliad Tillandsia utriculata is currently listed as state-endangered in Florida due to significant population reduction from predation by an invasive weevil, Metamasius callizona. We have developed a novel demographic model of a population of T. utriculata in Myakka River State Park (MRSP) in Sarasota, Florida using a stage-structured matrix model. Analysis of the model revealed conditions for population viability over a variety of parameter scenarios. Model analysis showed that without weevil predation the minimum germination rate required for population viability is low (4–16%), and that given a viable population at structural equilibrium we would expect …

Friendship At The Feeding Station, Anisha Pokharel

Zea E-Books Collection

A young steppe eagle and his mother fly to Nepal from Mongolia, where Griffy, a Himalayan griffon, chases the hungry Steppe from the feeding station, but Garuda, a white-rumped vulture, intervenes and becomes Steppe's friend. Steppe's mother is angered at first, but learns the lesson that each species has its role to play.

Designed by Breanna Epp with Maeve Lausch

Diatom Voucher Flora And Comparison Of Collection Methods For Biodiversity Hotspot Upper Three Runs Creek, Katie M. Johnson

Biology Theses

Surface freshwater is a scarce resource. Due to the scarcity and necessity of this resource, it is imperative that its quality is routinely monitored. One way of monitoring water quality is through biological assessments, which include examining algal assemblages. Regionally, little remains known of algal taxa in the southeastern United States. In the past, the Academy of Natural Sciences of Philadelphia (ANSP) conducted biological assessments along the Savannah River finding Gomphonema parvulum (Kützing) Kützing 1849 to be a dominant taxon rendering assessments inconclusive. Recent studies have provided evidence that species complexes and semi-cryptic taxa have been identified within the Gomphonema …

Tropical Pitcher Plants (Nepenthes) Act As Ecological Filters By Altering Properties Of Their Fluid Microenvironments, Kadeem J. Gilbert, Leonora S. Bittleston, Wenfei Tong, Naomi E. Pierce

Biology Faculty Publications and Presentations

Characteristics of host species can alter how other, interacting species assemble into communities by acting as ecological filters. Pitchers of tropical pitcher plants (Nepenthes) host diverse communities of aquatic arthropods and microbes in nature. This plant genus exhibits considerable interspecific diversity in morphology and physiology; for example, different species can actively control the pH of their pitcher fluids and some species produce viscoelastic fluids. Our study investigated the extent to which Nepenthes species differentially regulate pitcher fluid traits under common garden conditions, and the effects that these trait differences had on their associated communities. Sixteen species of Nepenthes …

Factors Affecting Bait Site Visitation: Area Of Influence Of Baits, Jacquelyn E. Mcrae, Peter E. Schlichting, Nathan P. Snow, Amy J. Davis, Kurt C. Vercautern, John C. Kilgo, David A. Keiter, James C. Beasley, Kim M. Pepin

United States Department of Agriculture Wildlife Services: Staff Publications

ABSTRACT Baiting is a fundamental strategy for the global management of wild pigs (Sus scrofa); however, little information exists on how anthropogenic bait affects wild pig movements on a landscape. We investigated factors that are important in determining the spatial area of attraction for wild pigs to bait (‘area of influence’ of a bait site) using data from Global Positioning System (GPS) collars and locations of bait sites. We monitored movements of wild pigs in 2 distinct study areas in the United States from February to September 2016 and used locational data using GPS collars to analyze the influence of …

Nine New Species Of Scorpiops Peters, 1861 (Scorpiones: Scorpiopidae) From China, India, Nepal, And Pakistan, František Kovařík

Euscorpius

Nine new species are described: Scorpiops furai sp. n. (India), S. grosseri sp. n. (India), S. harmsi sp. n. (Nepal), S. hofereki sp. n. (Pakistan), S. kejvali sp. n. (India), S. tryznai sp. n. (India), S. wrzecionkoi sp. n. (China), S. yagmuri sp. n. (Pakistan), and S. zubairi sp. n. (Pakistan), fully complemented with color photographs of preserved specimens. New species are distinguished from all other species of the family Scorpiopidae by combinations of eight major characters: position of pedipalp chelal trichobothrium Eb₃; number of pedipalp patella ventral trichobothria; shape of pedipalp fingers; number of inner accessory denticles …