Other Ecology and Evolutionary Biology Commons^™

Evolution Of Primate Vocal Repertoires: Vocal Systems As Embodied Capital For Mediating Within-Group Conflict, Eric Schniter, Mateo Peñaherrera-Aguirre

ESI Working Papers

Life history traits constrain investments in costly neural and somatic embodied capital, potentially shaping the evolution of primate vocal communication systems. This study integrates life history theory with the social complexity hypothesis to test a sequential pathway from longevity to social dynamics to vocal repertoire size, using updated vocal repertoire data for McComb & Semple’s (2005) set of 42 non-human primate species, alongside measures of group size and within-group conflict. We compiled data on vocal repertoire size, within-group conflict, group size, endocranial volume, and maximum longevity, analysing these via Phylogenetic Sequential Canonical Cascade Model and ancestral character reconstructions. …

Quantifying The Influences Of Abiotic And Biotic Factors On Post-Fire Vegetation In The Southwestern Us, Joseph Lafayette Crockett

Biology ETDs

The ongoing warming associated with climate change is increasing the flammability of southwestern US dry forests. As larger fractions of the landscape are impacted by high-severity fire, the potential exists for forests to convert to non-forest. Given that the forested area in the southwestern US is an important contributor of ecosystem services, quantifying limitations to vegetation establishment is critical to informing post-fire recovery efforts and understanding how ongoing climate change will limit seedling establishment in the future. To that end, this dissertation focuses on post-fire vegetation recovery of southwestern forests. First, I report on the influence of precipitation and topography …

Interactive Effects Of Sublethal Concentrations Of Fracking Biocides And Abandoned Mine Drainage On Amphipod Behavior, Kelly Lenhart

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

This thesis examined the sublethal effects of three pollutants, namely glutaraldehyde, 4,4-dimethyloxazolidine (DMO), and abandoned mine drainage (AMD), on amphipods. The primary objective was to investigate their combined effects on amphipods. The three pollutants, despite having the potential to combine in the environment, have not been studied to determine their potential for detrimental interactive effects which could result in unexpected environmental damage.

The research employed a series of experimental setups involving controlled exposure of amphipods to varying, putatively sublethal, concentrations of the chemicals of interest. Subsequently, effects were assessed via both behavioral and feeding assessments. To facilitate this analysis, novel …

Of Changing Climate And Habitat: Range-Wide Individual Growth And Local Patterns Of Phenology And Landscape Use In A Threatened Pit-Viper, James Helferich

Theses and Dissertations

Over the 21st century, climate change and wetland habitat loss will pose major threats to the Eastern Massasauga (Sistrurus catenatus), a federally threatened and Great Lakes region endemic rattlesnake. I collected capture-recapture data from sites across the range and modeled the effect of climatic variables on growth rate and asymptotic size. I found that high snow residence time was associated with larger asymptotic sizes but slower growth, while high spring precipitation increased growth rate. I then projected future growth and size under different carbon emission scenarios. Given the threat posed by successional encroachment of woody vegetation, I used spatially explicit …

Snail Races: An Inquiry-Based Approach To Learn Invasive Species Ecology, Emma Grindle, Heather E. Bergan-Roller, Ashton Johnson, Grace Lunaburg, Jennifer A.H. Koop

Faculty Articles, Papers, and Other Scholarship

Inquiry-based lessons allow learning that is hands-on and student-driven, fostering engagement and retention of knowledge in any discipline. Here, we use this learning framework to engage students in exploring the effects of biotic and abiotic factors on animal dispersal as a means of connecting students to multiple ecological concepts. Instructors are provided with a guided lecture on key ecological concepts including the impacts of invasive species, dispersal mechanisms, and species interactions with the environment. Furthermore, the interactive lecture introduces students to the snail study system and explains the experimental process, which involves low-cost, readily available materials (e.g., kiddie pools). Students …

Germination Trends Of American Chaffseed, Schwalbea Americana L., And Factors Affecting First-Year Seedling Development, Trenton Miller

All Theses

Following centuries of exploitation and fire suppression, longleaf pine systems are now the focus of many conservation efforts. Efforts to restore populations of Schwalbea americana L. in longleaf pine savannas have been met with frustratingly low recruitment. While past studies have briefly quantified germination rates for Schwalbea, there have not been any studies yet that truly investigate this plant’s germination requirements. Additionally, there has been little research into characterizing the parasitic relationship between Schwalbea and its various host species. We conducted a germination study in a growth chamber that investigated Schwalbea’s germination rate and time to germinates as …

Effect Of Plant Genotype On Plant-Microbe Interactions And Multi-Generation Ecosystem Selection Of Microbial Communities Associated With Plant Biomass In Arabidopsis Thaliana, Nachiket Shankar

Graduate Doctoral Dissertations

The microbiome's role in shaping host phenotypes is a critical area of investigation, with implications for ecology, evolution, and host health. Dynamic plant-microbe interactions are influenced by factors like soil type, environment, and genotype. Understanding their impact on microbial communities is key for tailored plant benefits. An artificial ecosystem selection experiment was done for eight generations with Arabidopsis thaliana Ler and Cvi. This revealed distinct microbial communities shaped by genotypes and biomass treatments. Initially, environment dominated, but over time, genotype and biomass gained influence, explaining ~40% of the variation. Moreover, genotype-specific rhizobacterial associations were observed, enhancing understanding of community dynamics …

Assessment Of Green Spaces In Metro Nashville Public High Schools, Webster G. Andrews, Anna Lennon, Darlene Panvini

Science University Research Symposium (SURS)

Green spaces on and near school property have been correlated to student mental health and academic achievement. However, there is a gap in the literature investigating how quality and quantity of green space is related to socioeconomic status and school economic metrics in public high schools and the surrounding neighborhoods. Nashville public high schools located in higher socioeconomic areas and having greater financial resources were predicted to provide larger, higher quality green spaces. This study combined a quantitative analysis of neighborhood socioeconomic metrics, school socioeconomic metrics, and quantity of green space (assessed using iTree Canopy) with a qualitative field assessment …

Species Richness Of Moths In Parks Surrounded By Varying Levels Of ​Urbanization Around Nashville, Tennessee, Maxwell Stone, Allie Bennett

Science University Research Symposium (SURS)

Moths can act as indicators of environmental wellness due to their pollution sensitivity and the complexity of biodiversity required to support their life cycles. Urbanization can impact the occurrence of moths in protected green spaces. Higher moth species richness was hypothesized to occur in parks surrounded by more rural areas. Three metropolitan parks were chosen in the Nashville area: downtown, within a suburban neighborhood, and in a rural area. Tree canopy cover and degree of impervious surfaces were assessed for each park and surrounding area using iTreeCanopy. Moths were attracted to a white sheet using a mercury vapor bulb, UV …

Lead, Cadmium, And Mercury Concentration Levels In Some Commercial Fish From The Arabian Sea And The Gulf Of Aden During The Years 2020–2022, Khaled Awadh Al-Rabaki, Salem Rabie Bazar, Ahmed Ali Balqadi, Nabil Shayif Al-Hudaifi, Marwan Ahmed Al-Habashi, Nadia Ahmed Balasuad, Muhammad Abdurrahman Ba-Omer

Hadhramout University Journal of Natural & Applied Sciences

This study was conducted to determine and evaluate the heavy metal concentrations levels: lead (Pb), cadmium (Cd), and mercury (Hg) in the meat of some commercial fish species: Grouper (Epinephelus areolatus), Emperor (Lethrinus nebulosus) and Cuttlefish (Sepia Pharaonis). A total of 84 fish samples were caught and collected from different sites in the Gulf of Aden and the Arabian Sea between January 2020 and December 2022. Some of them were sold in the cities markets of Hadhramout governorate- Yemen, and some of them were exported abroad. All samples were analyzed at the laboratories of the Faculty of Environmental Sciences and …

A Neotropical Perspective On The Uniqueness Of The Holocene Among Interglacials, Mark Bush, Jacob Daniel Schiferl, M. Kingston, C. M. Akesson, B. G. Valencia, A. Rozas-Davila, D. Mcgee, A. Woods, C. Y. Chen, R. G. Hatfield, D. T. Rodbell, M. B. Abbott

Ocean Engineering and Marine Sciences Faculty Publications

Understanding how tropical systems have responded to large-scale climate change, such as glacial-interglacial oscillations, and how human impacts have altered those responses is key to current and future ecology. A sedimentary record recovered from Lake Junín, in the Peruvian Andes (4085 m elevation) spans the last 670,000 years and represents the longest continuous and empirically-dated record of tropical vegetation change to date. Spanning seven glacial-interglacial oscillations, fossil pollen and charcoal recovered from the core showed the general dominance of grasslands, although during the warmest times some Andean forest trees grew above their modern limits near the lake. Fire was very …

An Integrated Pest Management Model Incorporating Prey Refuge And Movement Between Regions, Aashima Singh Sisodia, Timothy Comar

Annual Symposium on Biomathematics and Ecology Education and Research

No abstract provided.

Msis-Ledder: Introductory Undergraduate Research Projects Using Netlogo, Timothy Comar

Annual Symposium on Biomathematics and Ecology Education and Research

No abstract provided.

Design Guidance For Wetland-Road Crossings To Reduce Blanding’S Turtle Mortality Risk, Thomas P. Ballestero, Lauren E. White, Sandra Houghton, David Burdick, Josh Megyesy

Faculty Publications

Road mortality is a leading threat to freshwater turtles, particularly the Blanding’s turtle (Emydoidea blandingii), an endangered species in New Hampshire. Wildlife wetland-crossing structures, such as culverts and/or fences, have proven effective in reducing wildlife road mortality while retaining habitat connectivity. Funding for adequate wetland-crossing creation or restoration is limited, so prioritizing areas of high mortality risk is essential to ensuring that the resources spent are impactful. A research team of professionals from the New Hampshire Department of Environmental Services, New Hampshire Fish and Game, University of New Hampshire, and other organizations formed to create a model capable …

Data File: Oak Seedling (Quercus Macrocarpa) Survivorship And Condition After Two Growing Seasons, Lindsey Dewey, Michaela Woods, Madelaine Gregory, Ryan W. Mcewan

Data Files: Ecosystem Restoration Following Industrial Agriculture

This spreadsheet is the height, basal diameter, stem weight, root weight, total weight, survivorship, and presence of herbivory on Burr Oak seedlings after two growing seasons in the Spring Run experimental restoration site (39° 46 '42.2"N, 84° 20' 52.5"W).

DOI: https://doi.org/10.26890/trp9652

Effects Of A Major Hurricane On Dynamics, Structure, And Composition Of Mississippi River Delta Forests, Lance C. Umlang

LSU Doctoral Dissertations

Tropical cyclones recurrently influence coastal forests worldwide. Tree survival (resistance) and post-cyclone recruitment (resilience) can vary with cyclone intensity, producing differences in composition, arboreal structure, and dynamics among affected forests. Studies of tropical cyclone wind effects on coastal forests typically emphasize damage more than post-cyclone responses. We hypothesized that intense cyclones might produce large, stratum-dependent effects that prevent affected forests from returning to pre-storm conditions. We explored direct effects of major Hurricane Katrina and post-hurricane changes in oak-dominated bottomland and cypress/tupelo-dominated swamp forests within the inactive portion of the Mississippi River deltaic plain. Overall mortality was high (14-25%) but concentrated …

Needham’S Girls: A Historical Case Study Of Gender And Mentoring In Entomology, Pat Munday

Interdisciplinary Arts and Sciences Articles

James G. Needham (1868-1958) was a professor of entomology at Cornell University from 1906 to 1936, and an active emeritus for about ten years thereafter. As a professor, mentored many women graduate students at Cornell, a group that included twenty-nine who took doctorates. As a scientist, he was a member of an extensive network that included many more women entomologists. These women were located throughout the United States and Canada. Some had been his students at Cornell, some were colleagues with whom he did fieldwork, and others were young women who, even though students at colleges other than Cornell, worked …

Compensating For Effects Of Autotomy On Locomotion In Stink Bugs (Halyomorpha Halys), Lilian C. Jubb

Longwood Senior Thesis Proposal

Autotomy is the voluntary release of an appendage, typically to avoid predation or entrapment. Autonomy of a single leg can have minimal effects on locomotion in arthropods with more than six legs. Hexapods, however, use a double-tripod gait which is completely disrupted with the loss of a single leg, thus locomotor performance should be greatly reduced leading to lower survival. Autotomy is so costly to locomotion that some insects regenerate a lost limb in a subsequent molt leading to reduced investment in other important functions (e.g. reproduction). Autotomy persists in adult hexapods with no opportunity for regeneration, which suggests some …

An Inquiry-Based Approach For Teaching Type Iii Functional Responses In Ecology, Jeremy L. Hsu

Biology, Chemistry, and Environmental Sciences Faculty Articles and Research

Maize (also known as corn) has played an important role in human agriculture ever since its domestication by indigenous peoples of Mexico some 10,000 years ago. The crop is now planted across the world, including in China. However, several invasive pests, including the fall armyworm Spodoptera frugiperda, have threatened this crop and lowered yield. Eupeodes corollae, an endemic syrphid hoverfly, has been proposed as a biological control agent. Here, students will explore the antagonistic relationship between S. frugiperda and E. corollae, with both species feeding on larvae of the other species, and learn about type III functional …

The Deep Ecology Movement

The International Journal of Ecopsychology (IJE)

There are two great streams of environmentalism in the latter half of the twentieth century. One stream is reformist, attempting to control some of the worst of the air and water pollution and inefficient land use practices in industrialized nations and to save a few of the remaining pieces of wildlands as "designated wilderness areas." The other stream supports many of the reformist goals but is revolutionary, seeking a new metaphysics, epistemology, cosmology, and environmental ethics of person/planet. This paper is an intellectual archeology of the second of these streams of environmentalism, which I will call deep ecology.

Expanding The Role Of The Temporal Dimension In Ecological Niche Models: A Study On Mexican Montane Small Mammals, Gonzalo E. Pinilla Buitrago

Dissertations, Theses, and Capstone Projects

Ecological niche models (ENMs) are commonly used to estimate the potential geographic distributions of species and have various uses, such as predicting invasive species' potential distribution, assessing vulnerability to climate change, or estimating paleodistributions. However, ENM developments have primarily focused on solving spatially related issues, underemphasizing the temporal dimensionality of occurrence and environmental data collected over the last century. One limitation of ENMs is the common practice of using recent environmental averages that fail to capture the gradual environmental change over the time span of the occurrence records and can hide trends in environmental variables, a critical piece of information …

Factors Affecting California Grassland Biodiversity: Two Case Studies, Nora Bales

Master's Theses

Biodiversity loss over the last century has been significant and is projected to increase. Biodiversity loss is accelerating due to climate change and habitat loss and degradation. Biodiversity supports key ecosystem services including pollination services, climate regulation, and water filtration. Biodiversity conservation is a top priority for land managers and researchers, however many ecological studies with practical applications lack a thorough understanding of the soil environment in their study system. We conducted two case studies integrating soil and plant data to answer management questions. The first case study investigated the relationship between a threatened plant, Hooveria purpurea var. purpurea and …

Assessing The Effects Of Live Oysters And Sampling Gear On Biodiversity Metrics Of Reef-Associated Benthic And Nekton Assemblages, Finella Campanino

LSU Master's Theses

Oysters are declining globally, resulting in an increase in oyster reef restoration, with many efforts prioritizing maintenance of reef-associated biodiversity. Understanding the role that reef-specific characteristics play in supporting biodiversity and how sampling gear influences measurements of biodiversity can inform design and management of restoration projects. I examined the relationship between live oyster volume and reef-associated benthic and nekton assemblages (hereafter reef assemblages) and how sampling gears influence our understanding of biodiversity on intertidal Crassostrea virginica reefs near Cocodrie, Louisiana. I quantified substrate characteristics, assemblages via trays, and water-column characteristics across four reefs and four seasons in 2022-2023, and compared …

Resolving The Paradox Of Polyploidy: Underexplored Facets Of Polyploid Plants, Benjamin P. Gerstner

Biology ETDs

Polyploidy, or whole genome duplication, is a common phenomenon in plants, but the establishment and persistence of mixed-ploidy populations remains a paradox. This dissertation explores factors that contribute to the persistence and establishment of mixed-ploidy populations in nature. The first chapter investigates the role of unreduced gametes in neopolyploid establishment and finds that variability in their formation rate can have a significant impact on polyploid establishment and persistence. The second chapter searches for evidence of soil microbes exhibiting ploidy-specificity, a pre-condition for microbe-mediated niche differentiation, a possible stabilizing mechanism contributing to ploidy coexistence. Finally, the third chapter tests for microbe-mediated …

Investigation Of Orthohantavirus Genetics In Rodent Reservoirs And Clinical Samples, Samuel Melvin Goodfellow

Biomedical Sciences ETDs

Orthohantaviruses are negative-sense, single stranded RNA viruses with trisegmented genomes that can cause severe disease in humans and are carried by several host reservoirs throughout the world. In the United States, Sin Nombre orthohantavirus (SNV) is the primary cause of hantavirus cardiopulmonary syndrome (HCPS) with a fatality rate of ~36% and the highest cases occuring in the southwest region. The primary SNV host reservoir is thought to be the western deer mouse, Peromyscus maniculatus, however it has been shown that other rodents can carry different orthohantaviruses. We designed a pan-orthohantavirus detection tool to survey several small mammal populations throughout New …

The Old Family Clock: Exploring High Variation Of Chronotype In The Common House Spider, Parasteatoda Tepidariorum, Caitlin Jones

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

Circadian rhythms are often tightly confined around a mean of 24 hours with little variation in traditional model organisms in the absence of environmental time cues. Some spider species fall well outside this normal range with mean periods of 18 hours and variation around these means of 6 hours or more. This extreme variation in circadian rhythm is not well-understood and is the focus of the current study. Using Parasteatoda tepidariorum as a model organism, we investigated whether variation in eight circadian parameters could be explained by genetic variability, environmental conditions, or an endogenous feature of the circadian system of …

Impacts Of Urbanization On Pollination Success For Common Milkweed (Asclepias Syriaca), David Rockow

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

Urbanization is among the greatest threats to biodiversity on the planet, and is projected to increase in magnitude in coming years. This growing threat makes it important to better understand how urbanization may impact vital ecosystem services, such as pollination. Studies on the impact of urbanization on pollination vary wildly in their findings. This study analyzed multiple aspects of pollination success in common milkweed populations varying in urbanization level, including insect community composition, pollen removal/deposition, and fruit/seed production. By analyzing multiple pollination aspects we can determine the overall mechanism in which urbanization instills on the entire pollination process. Overall, urbanization …

Pronghorn Survival And Resource Selection In Western Nebraska's Agriculturally Dominated Landscape, Katie Piecora

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

Nebraska’s pronghorn population has been stable over the last decade, yet their presence on the landscape remains a contentious subject amongst private landowners. Conversion of grassland for crop production and increased anthropogenic activity has drastically altered pronghorn behavior throughout their current range, however basic ecology and resource use by pronghorn in Nebraska remains poorly understood. Establishing baseline population metrics and seasonal patterns of resource use for this population at the eastern periphery of the species range is critical to guide management actions. We deployed GPS collars on 110 adult pronghorn to quantify survival, mortality risk, and seasonal resource selection in …

Neutral Theory And Beyond: A Systematic Review Of Molecular Evolution Education, Desiree Forsythe, Jeremy L. Hsu

Biology, Chemistry, and Environmental Sciences Faculty Articles and Research

Molecular evolution—including the neutral theory of molecular evolution—is a major sub-discipline of evolution and is widely taught in undergraduate evolution courses. However, despite its ubiquity, there have not been any previous attempts to compile and review the molecular evolution education literature. Here, we draw upon the framework proposed in a past literature review examining the broader evolution education landscape to conduct a literature review of papers related to molecular evolution education, classifying the contributions of such papers to evolution pedagogy as well as evolution education research. We find that there remains very limited coverage of molecular evolution in the education …

Exploring The Relationships Between Mammalian Functional Trait Distributions And Regional Biomes, With Application To Miocene Paleoecology, Devra Hock-Reid

Department of Earth and Atmospheric Sciences: Dissertations, Theses, and Student Research

Paleoecology relies on understanding relationships between modern animals and their environment. Animals are adapted to niches in their environments, and those physical adaptations, or functional traits, are utilized as proxies to interpret aspects of paleo-ecosystems. Much is known about individual functional traits in extant mammals and their relationship to the environment. Less is known about how multiple functional traits across a community can be utilized for paleoecological interpretations. I develop models utilizing traits in mammalian communities at the biome level. For Chapter 1, I build a model for North American regional biomes using mammalian trait frequencies. I quantify changes in …