Ecology and Evolutionary Biology Commons^™

You Are What You Eat: Bioaccumulation Of Microplastics In The Food Chain, Audrianna Torrey

2025 Student Academic Showcase

Over the last century, the use and production of plastic has surged as demand for cost-effective alternatives to traditional materials has grown. While plastic has been extremely beneficial in reducing the cost of production while expanding the market, it has also created a global pollution crisis. By 2015, an estimated 6,300 million tons of plastic waste had been generated with nearly 80% accumulating in landfills and the environment. Over the last couple decades, researchers have begun to study the effects of plastic waste and its breakdown into microplastic on aquatic environments. Although not all organisms reside in water, every living-being, …

A Population Study Of The Freshwater Turtles Of The Recently Expanded Lake Hydaway In Campbell County, Virginia, Joshua Sorenson

Senior Honors Theses

Freshwater turtles are an important part of the ecological systems in central Virginia. At the recently expanded Lake Hydaway, there are several turtle species for which their population characteristics were unknown, especially the prolific Eastern Painted Turtle (Chrysemys picta picta) and Red-bellied Cooter (Pseudemys rubriventris). For five weeks, the lake was surveyed for turtles using hoop nets, and the turtles were marked and measured. Population characteristics such as carapace length and sex ratio for the Eastern Painted Turtle and Red-bellied Cooter were calculated, as well as population estimates for those two species. The Red-eared Slider ( …

A Redescription Of Leiurus Libycus (Birula, 1908), Stat. N. (Scorpiones: Buthidae), Ersen A. Yağmur, František Kovařík, Victor Fet

Euscorpius

Buthus quinquestriatus libycus was described by Birula (1908) from the Libyan Desert, based on a subadult male specimen. This taxon was later synonymized with Leiurus quinquestriatus (Ehrenberg, 1828) by Vachon (1949). In this study, we re-evaluate this taxon and recognize it as Leiurus libycus (Birula, 1908), stat. n., providing a redescription based on the holotype. The type locality of this species is clarified as western Egypt (between Alexandria and Fayum). We synonymize Leiurus aegyptiacus Lourenço & El-Hennawy, 2021 with L. libycus, stat. n., syn. n.

Passive Integrated Transponders: An Effective Marking Technique For Individual Identification Of Anaxyrus Fowleri?, Emily Leprell

Honors College Theses

With the rise of fungal disease such as Chytridiomycosis, known as chytrid, causing massive population declines for many species of frogs and toads (order Anura), specific conservation strategies are needed now more than ever. In many cases, being able to mark and identify individuals is a necessary step in developing an effective conservation plan. Individual identification allows researchers to obtain accurate population estimates, which are needed to test the progress and validity of conservation management decisions. However, due to their unique life history, including cutaneous respiration and a dichotomous lifestyle, anurans are among the most difficult wildlife species to …

Cutting Waste In Tupper's Restaurant, Logan Salvator, Christien Merritt, Lily Amaral, Erik Dukes

Earth Day Symposium on Climate and Sustainablity

No abstract provided.

A New Centruroides Species And First Record Of C. Tapachulaensis Hoffmann, 1932 (Scorpiones: Buthidae) From Honduras, Luis F. De Armas, Alex M. Cubas-Rodríguez

Euscorpius

A new species of striped bark scorpions, Centruroides lenca sp. n. is described, based on both sexes, from the Pacayita Volcano Biological Reserve (2,385 m a. s. l.), Ocotepeque Department, in the southwestern Honduras. By its general pattern, the new species resembles C. thorellii (Kraepelin, 1891), from which it clearly differs by having stronger and very darker pedipalp chelae, minute subaculear tubercle and basal pectinal plate with a large central pit in the female, among other diagnostic characters. Also, Centruroides tapachulaensis Hoffmann, 1932 is recorded for the first time from Honduras, on the basis of two observed or collected specimens …

Impacts Of Climate Change On Cannibalism And Disease Transmission In The Fall Armyworm, Kale Rougeau

LSU Master's Theses

Climate change may alter host-pathogen dynamics in terrestrial ecosystems due to rising global temperatures and carbon dioxide levels. Here, we examined cannibalism and disease transmission using the fall armyworm (Spodoptera frugiperda), an invasive agricultural pest, and its species-specific lethal baculovirus, Spodoptera frugiperda multiple nucleopolyhedrovirus (SfMNPV), under various potential challenges of climate change. We used three temperature treatments (cooler, optimal, warmer) based on the fall armyworm’s thermal performance curve to simulate a changing climate and four artificial diets with various protein-to-carbohydrate ratios (low, equal, high, standard) to manipulate resource quality from altered carbon dioxide levels. We found that higher …

Scorpions Of The Horn Of Africa (Arachnida, Scorpiones). Part Xxxvii. The Genus Hemiscorpius (Hemiscorpiidae), František Kovařík, Hassan Sh A. Elmi, František Šťáhlavský

Euscorpius

Occurrence of the rare in the Horn of Africa genus Hemiscorpius Peters, 1861 (Scorpiones: Hemiscorpiidae) is summarized, including a distribution map. A male of Hemiscorpius lipsae Kovařík & Lowe, 2022 from Djibouti is described for the first time. A new species Hemiscorpius huluul sp. n. from Somaliland is described, fully complemented with color photographs.

Restoring Exotic Cool-Season Grass Dominated Landscapes With Clethodim And Glyphosate, Eleanor J. Muzzy, Joshua D. Wiese, Abraham J. Kanz

Transactions of the Nebraska Academy of Sciences and Affiliated Societies

A major threat to grasslands around the world is the spread of exotic cool-season grasses (ECSG). ECSG dominate vegetative communities and degrade critical habitats. One of the most common methods to treat ECSG is herbicide. To compare how the widely-used, non-specific herbicide glyphosate compared to the grass-specific herbicide clethodim, we conducted a fall spray in November 2023 at two different sites located in the Central Platte River Valley of Nebraska. The following June, we used a modified Daubenmire frame sampling method to gather data on relative cover, species richness, and community composition. After analysis, glyphosate appeared to be more effective …

An Injury Healing On The Carapace Of Hottentotta Saulcyi (Simon, 1880) (Scorpiones: Buthidae), Fatih Yeşilyurt, Ersen A. Yağmur

Euscorpius

A new case of injury healing on the carapace is reported in a female Hottentotta saulcyi (Simon, 1880). An asymmetrical indentation was observed on the anterior part of the carapace, resulting from the healing of an old injury. The indentation is relatively deep, with muscle tissue visible inside it. Scar tissue is present at the end of indentation and healing tissue is present along its margins.

Robust Sex Determination In The Caenorhabditis Nigoni Germ Line, Jonathan P Harbin, Yongquan Shen, Shin-Yi Lin, Kevin Kemper, Eric S Haag, Erich M Schwarz, Ronald E Ellis

Rowan-Virtua School of Osteopathic Medicine Departmental Research

Sexual characteristics and reproductive systems are dynamic traits in many taxa, but the developmental modifications that allow change and innovation are largely unknown. A leading model for this process is the evolution of self-fertile hermaphrodites from male/female ancestors. However, these studies require direct analysis of sex-determination in male/female species, as well as in the hermaphroditic species that are related to them. In Caenorhabditis nematodes this has only become possible recently, with the discovery of new species. Here, we use gene editing to characterize major sex-determination genes in C. nigoni, a sister to the widely studied hermaphroditic species C. briggsae. These …

Designing An Optimal Thermal Preference Arena For Southern Cricket Frog (Acris Gryllus) Juveniles, Eleanor E. Briggs, David M. Phillips Jr.

Honors Theses

Climate change has been altering ecosystems across the world at a substantial rate, disrupting the delicate ecophysiological relationships between ecosystems and the organisms that live in them. Ectotherms, such as amphibians, rely on external temperatures to behaviorally thermoregulate, making it especially imperative to study their thermal biology. Thermal preference, which assesses the environmental temperature an organism would seek out in the absence of external stimuli, provides valuable information about an amphibian’s thermal biology and can be used to predict the effects of climate change on a species or population. A commonly used method to measure thermal preference is an arena …

First Record Of Corella Japonica In California, Lauren M. Stefaniak, Marie L. Nydam, Susanna López-Legentil

Marine Science

Many ascidian (sea squirt) species are common members of fouling communities, particularly on floating substrates such as docks and pilings and through maritime transport, have been introduced worldwide. For the past 30 years, marinas in Southern California have been regularly monitored for introduced species due to their proximity to the international shipping terminals in Los Angeles and Long Beach Harbors. Here, we report on the first record in the eastern Pacific of an ascidian in the family Corellidae (O. Phlebobranchia), Corella japonica, found at the Newmarks Yacht Centre in Los Angeles Harbor. This study further highlights the importance of continuously …

Avian Detection Data And Environmental Covariates For Utah, Usa Over The Years 2017-2021, Amanda L. Hayes-Puttfarcken

Browse all Datasets

Integrated Monitoring in Bird Conservation Regions (IMBCR) detection data for the state of Utah, USA, and LANDFIRE uncharacteristic exotic Departure Score data over Utah during our study period, as well as additional environmental covariates used to make the model more ecologically accurate. Environmental covariates include average May precipitation, average June temperature, distance to the nearest road, percent canopy cover, and the percent of three habitat types as defined by LANDFIRE; open tree canopy, herbaceous, and shrubland.

Neotropical Catfish Diversity In Rivers Of The Guiana Shield: A Combined Approach Using Taxonomic, Functional, And Isotopic Tools, Joseph Sheffield

Undergraduate Research Conference

Rivers of the Guiana Shield in South America are very heterogenous, containing a mosaic of habitats and environmental characteristics ideal for maintaining high freshwater biodiversity. The connection between the Essequibo and Amazon rivers via the Rupununi River during the wet season plays an important role for the great diversity of Neotropical ichthyofauna. Neotropical catfishes (Siluriformes) are the second most diverse group of freshwater fishes, after the Characiformes. They span a wide range of body sizes and exhibit diverse trophic specializations, making them ideal organisms for studying the influence of body size variation on community organization and ecosystem function. We explored …

The Importance Of Wild Birds, Janice H. Cox

Nexus – UNEP – Animal Welfare, Environment, Sustainable Development

Wild birds are important in their own right, for their contribution to human wellbeing, and for their ecological value, as part of the “web of life”. Birds are sentient beings with complex thinking and social behaviors, and the ability to experience positive and negative feelings, including suffering. The ways in which birds contribute to the functioning of the world's ecosystems include: pest control, pollination, cleaning up nature, spreading seeds, keeping coral reefs alive and transforming landscapes. Yet wild bird populations are declining dramatically – with one in eight bird species threatened with extinction. Birds are one of the most important …

Effectiveness Of Silvicultural Options In Renewal Of Trembling Aspen–Jack Pine Mixedwood Stands, 21 Years After Treatment, Rongzhou Man

Aspen Bibliography

Regenerating conifers after harvest through planting and postharvest broadcast application of herbicide is effective in ensuring the survival and growth of seedlings, but faces challenges in meeting broad social and ecological objectives of forest management. This study reports the effectiveness of alternative options in regenerating jack pine (Pinus banksiana Lamb.), 21 years after harvest of trembling aspen (Populus tremuloides Michx.)-dominated boreal mixedwood stands. The treatment options included (i) preharvest spray—aerial broadcast spray prior to harvest, (ii) postharvest partial spray—ground herbicide application in strips, (iii) partial harvest in strips, (iv) postharvest aerial broadcast, and (v) uncut reference. Twenty-one years …

How Bats View Their Flowers: Exploring The Use Of Visual Floral Cues By Nectarivorous Neotropical Bats, Lindsey R. Dennison

Theses

Neotropical nectar bats in cloud forest ecosystems must navigate and forage in dark, complex landscapes containing an incredible diversity of flowering plants. Despite these challenges, nectar bats are extremely successful at exploiting nectar resources from plants. Much of the sensory ecology behind these bat-plant interactions has been investigated and we know from previous studies that echolocation and olfaction are critical sensory modalities to nectar bats. Echo-acoustically conspicuous floral and vegetative structures as well as sulfur-containing volatile compounds function as signals, allowing bats to sense plants. However, not all plants exhibit conspicuous echo-acoustic and/or olfactory characteristics. Furthermore, many neotropical bat-pollinated plants …

Life After Death: Investigating The Resistance And Recovery Of Fungal Communities To Foundation Tree Mortality, Jessie F. Marlenee

Biology ETDs

Tree mortality can have cascading effects on the composition and resilience of interacting fungal communities. Yet, little is known about the impact tree mortality, distinct from abiotic drivers (i.e., drought), has on these communities. This dissertation focuses on the resilience of fungal communities to experimental tree mortality in a piñon-juniper woodland. In chapter one, I found that piñon mortality reduced piñon fine root biomass and piñon mycorrhizal fungal diversity, whereas juniper mycorrhizal fungi were unaffected by juniper mortality. In chapter two, I revealed that piñon mortality altered the composition and spatial structure of mycorrhizal and saprotrophic fungi in the soil, …

Biology Department Publications: 2024, Sam Lindgren

Biology Department Bibliographies

This document is a non-comprehensive list of publications made by graduate students, post-doctoral researchers, and faculty members in the Biology Department in 2024. It indexes those publications available through PubMed, and serves as an archival record of the Department's robust scholarly contributions.

Drivers Of Recruitment For A Population Of Cutthroat Trout In Northern Utah, Abbigail Lane, Austin Garner

Student Research Symposium

• Understanding recruitment dynamics informs effective management of sensitive populations (Camp et al. 2020).

17 - Mapping The Spatial Distribution Of Submerged Aquatic Vegetation Using Commercial Satellite Imagery, Brandon Watson

Undergraduate Research Symposium

Seagrass in the Chesapeake Bay has seen an increase due to restoration efforts since the 90s, but with the extreme change of climate, we are unsure if the seagrass will thrive or perish, and where it will occur in the bay. Seagrass stabilizes coastal sediments, reducing erosion and protecting shorelines. It provides crucial habitats and nursery grounds for a diverse range of marine species, supporting both biodiversity and fisheries. Additionally, they play a significant role in carbon sequestration, which mitigates the effects of climate change. This study specifically looked at the area from the mouth of the Rappahannock River up …

05 - Freeze Severity And Black Mangrove Growth: Influence Of Plant Origin On Side Shoot Development, Kathryn Bourlier, Katelyn Overstreet, Erik Yando

Undergraduate Research Symposium

Despite a reduction in freeze events and subsequent expansion in the southeastern US, freeze impacts still play a critical role in mangrove morphology and local range limits. Freeze events can impair growth, limit survival, and commonly prompts side shoot development. This study examines the relationship between plant origin, freeze severity, and side shoot development in black mangroves. Our findings show that plants from each location exhibited distinct morphological responses, with similarities more closely linked to environmental conditions rather than geographic proximity. Our work offers insights into thermal tolerance thresholds and implications for mangrove stature in coastal wetlands.

Macroinvertebrate Colonization Of Leaf Packs In The Floyd River, Abby Flanagan, Sharon Huffman, Olivia Lott, Victoria Pavik, Maelee Rodenburg, Travis Sweeney, Laurie Furlong

Celebration of Research

Watershed characteristics impact the habitat and water quality of stream and river ecosystems. In Northwest Iowa, lotic environments are negatively impacted by agricultural practices that result in the removal of riparian vegetation, bank erosion, sedimentation, and eutrophication. Because lotic macroinvertebrates vary in their sensitivity to these types of impacts, they can be used as indicators of habitat integrity. We explored the relative importance of habitat characteristics and allochthonous inputs by examining how macroinvertebrate colonization of leaf packs varied with leaf species, water quality, and stream bank characteristics. Leaf packs were submerged in a reach of the Floyd River at four …

Phylogenetic Relationships And Species Delimitation Of Bunchgrass Lizards Of The Genus Sceloporus From Mexico With The Description Of A New Species, Tristan Charran, Jesús A. Loc-Barragan, Rafael Alejandro Calzada-Arciniega, Liz A. Alfaro-Juantorena, Raúl Cueva Del Castillo, Christopher Blair, Víctor H. Jiménez-Arcos

Publications and Research

Molecular data continue to serve as an invaluable tool to assess species limits and patterns of cryptic diversity, particularly in areas harboring high levels of biodiversity. The Sceloporus scalaris group, known as bunchgrass lizards, contains 13 described and one undescribed species distributed throughout high elevation biotas of Mexico. However, recent studies suggest that diversity in the group may be substantially underestimated. We collect new sequence data from four independent loci to determine the evolutionary distinctiveness and phylogenetic relationships of an isolated population of bunchgrass lizard in the Sierra San Juan (SSJ) in the Mexican state of Nayarit. Concatenation and coalescent-based …

Notable Hesperiidae Collected By Kilian Roever In Arizona, Usa, Jing Zhang, Qian Cong, Jinhui Shen, Leina Song, Nick V. Grishin

The Taxonomic Report of the International Lepidoptera Survey

Genomic analysis of Hesperiidae specimens collected by Kilian Roever in Arizona, USA, and deposited in the McGuire Center for Lepidoptera and Biodiversity (Florida Museum of Natural History, Gainesville, Florida, USA) confirms several published state species records, reveals that Cecropterus (Murgaria) markwalkeri Grishin, 2023, Telegonus (Telegonus) misitra (Plötz, 1881), and Epargyreus cruza Evans, 1952 have been found in Arizona with sequenced specimens representing first confirmed USA records of these three species, and allows us to discover new taxa Cecropterus (Murgaria) roeveri Grishin, sp. n. and Lerema (Lerema) ochrius occidus Grishin, ssp. n. This …

The First Record Of Alpiscorpius Idaeus (Yağmur & Tropea, 2017), Comb. N. From The Lesvos Island, Greece (Scorpiones: Euscorpiidae), Ersen A. Yağmur, Özgün Sipahioğlu

Euscorpius

The scorpion species Euscorpius idaeus Yağmur & Tropea, 2017, previously known from Mount Kazdağı in the Balıkesir and Çanakkale Provinces of Turkey, is reported for the first time from the Lesvos Island, Greece. In this study, it is transferred to the genus Alpiscorpius Gantenbein et al., 1999. Detailed illustrations of Alpiscorpius idaeus (Yağmur & Tropea, 2017), comb. n. from the Lesvos Island population are provided.

Fisheries Management Paper No.286: Western Australian Octopus Resource Harvest Strategy, Department Of Primary Industries And Regional Development, Western Australia

Fisheries Management Papers

Harvest strategies for Western Australia’s (WA) aquatic resources are formal documents developed to support decision-making processes that ensure the outcomes are consistent with the principles of Ecologically Sustainable Development (ESD; Fletcher 2002a) and Ecosystem Based Fisheries Management (EBFM; Fletcher et al. 2012). Harvest strategies are a key component of all contemporary fishery management systems and a requirement for certification under the Marine Stewardship Council (MSC). The objectives of ESD are reflected in the objectives of the Fish Resources Management Act 1994 (FRMA).

This Octopus Resource Harvest Strategy (Harvest Strategy) has been developed and revised in line with the Harvest Strategy …

Investigating The Demography And Parasites Of Spring-Migrating Cedar Waxwings (Bombycilla Cedrorum) In Virginia After A Single-Day Mortality Event, Karen E, Powers, William W. Sadler, Acalia J. Carter-Martin, G. Caleb Smith, Gabe W. Tieskotter, Katie E. Wheeler, Matthew T. Close, Sara O'Brien, Pavel B. Klimov, Andrew D. Sweet, Stephen A. Smith, Jamie K. Lau

Virginia Journal of Science

While investigating the cause of death in a cedar waxwing (Bombycilla cedrorum) mortality event in March 2024 in Roanoke, Virginia, we collected parasites, investigated gizzard contents, and described demography. The group of 20 was slightly male-dominated (12/20) and only contained two adults (after second year - both females). We recovered 46 ectoparasites from 16 of 20 individuals and reported two species of feather mites (Proctophyllodes ampelidis [N=37] and Analges integer [N=5]), one oribatid mite, two spider mites (order Trombidiformes), and one unknown mite (likely immature oribatid). We recovered no endoparasites. This mortality event provided a sample size …

Plant Biodiversity Of Short-Grass Prairie On An Eastern Colorado Cattle Ranch From 1988-2024, Emilee D. Cole, Zoey E. Daniels-Sneed, Matthew Galliart, Sarah Elzay

SACAD: Scholarly Activities

This survey examined the possible effects that rotational grazing and large-scale beef cattle production has on plant diversity in short-grass prairie rangeland. The survey was conducted on the Frasier Ranch, a working cattle ranch in eastern Colorado. Plant diversity was measured via species richness, ratio of cool to warm season grasses, and Shannon-Weiner Diversity Index. In this case study, it was determined that plant diversity did not change significantly in recorded years from 1988-2024.