Population Biology Commons^™

Msis-Kondrashov: Data-Driven Modeling With Integral Projection Models, James Peirce

Annual Symposium on Biomathematics and Ecology Education and Research

No abstract provided.

Gene Variants In Bola-Dmb, Decr1, Fasn And Srebf1 Associated With Conceptus Death On Day 16 Of Pregnancy In Holstein Cows [Abstract], Carolina L. Gonzalez-Berrios, Courtney Bowden, Pablo J. Pinedo, Jeanette V. Bishop, Hana Van Campen, Thomas R. R. Hansen, Milton G. Thomas

United States Department of Agriculture Wildlife Services: Staff Publications

Investigating the influences of single nucleotide polymorphisms (SNP) associated with conceptus death (CD) on day 16 of pregnancy could distinguish cows who have inferior value for fertility traits. We hypothesized that CD is associated with SNP genotypes that disrupt maternal recognition and lead to early pregnancy loss. RNA sequences from Holstein cow pregnancies (n = 15) with normal conceptuses (Norm) or CD were subjected to SNP discovery via Qiagen CLC Genomics Workbench. Selected SNP were based on previous fertility studies, differentially expressed genes within pregnancy development analyses and proximity to SNP associated with fertility traits in the Cattle QTL …

Skin Lipids Alone Enable Conspecific Tracking In An Invasive Reptile, The Argentine Black And White Tegu Lizard (Salvator Merianae), M. Rockwell Parker, Eric A. Tillman, Lauren A. Nazarian, Megan L. Barlowe, Julianna M. Lincoln, Bryan M. Kluever

United States Department of Agriculture Wildlife Services: Staff Publications

Locating potential mates in non-native habitats is one of the most important challenges faced by invasive vertebrate species. The Argentine black and white tegu lizard (Salvator merianae) is a major invasive reptile species in the contiguous United States and is rapidly expanding its range across Florida and the Southeast, in part due to inadequate management strategies and tools. Because a wide array of reptiles, especially squamates (snakes and lizards), have been well-studied for their reliance on chemical cues to locate conspecifics, our project aimed to isolate chemical cues from tegus and assess the ability of adult males and …

Freshwater Macroinvertebrate Communities In Baldwin County, Georgia, Heath Michael Ghioto, Michelle K. Murdock, Nadya S. Gutierrez, Kristine N. White Ph.D.

Georgia Journal of Science

Freshwater ecosystems are critical habitats for maintaining biodiversity, often providing refuge for organisms especially in urban settings. Baldwin County, GA is home to many freshwater lakes that are part of the Oconee River watershed. Despite ongoing water quality monitoring, aquatic macroinvertebrates are under studied in the area. Aquatic macroinvertebrate diversity of one forested and one residential lake in Milledgeville, GA was documented for the first time. Despite low sample size, community composition was significantly different between lakes, with 27 families in Lake Laurel (forested), 44 families in Lake Oliver Hardy (residential), and only 19 families collected from both lakes. Seasonal …

Examination Of The Status Of Phyciodes Tharos Distincta Bauer, 1975, Confirming It As A Valid Subspecies, Harry Pavulaan

The Taxonomic Report of the International Lepidoptera Survey

The subspecific status of Phyciodes tharos distincta is reexamined. A specimen series from southern Arizona reveals that distincta shows a distinct, unique phenotype dissimilar from eastern North American nominotypical P. t. tharos. Subspecies distincta occupies a very limited range in extreme southeastern California, southern Arizona, and northwestern Mexico. A lectotype is designated.

Butterfly Classification And Species Discovery Using Genomics, Jing Zhang, Qian Cong, Jinhui Shen, Leina Song, Nick V. Grishin

The Taxonomic Report of the International Lepidoptera Survey

Genomic sequencing of worldwide butterfly fauna followed by phylogenetic analysis of protein-coding genes informs butterfly classification throughout the taxonomic hierarchy, from families to species. As a rule, we attribute the same taxonomic rank to more prominent clades of comparable divergence (that is, at the same level in the tree). For species delimitation, we use criteria based on relative genetic differentiation and the extent of gene exchange between populations. We analyze the current taxonomic classification of butterflies in the light of genomic phylogenies and encounter clades that correspond to yet unnamed taxa. As a result, 11 tribes, 33 subtribes, 2 genera, …

The Effects Of Landscape And Yard Features On Mammal Diversity In Residential Yards Within Northwest Arkansas, Usa, Emily P. Johansson, Brett A. Degregorio

Biological Sciences Faculty Publications and Presentations

The human footprint is rapidly expanding, and wildlife habitat is continuously being converted to human residential properties. Surviving wildlife that reside in developing areas are displaced to nearby undeveloped areas. However, some animals can co-exist with humans and acquire the necessary resources (food, water, shelter) within the human environment. This ability to coexist may be particularly true when development is low intensity, as in residential suburban yards. Yards are individually managed “greenspaces” that can provide a range of food (e.g., bird feeders, compost, gardens), water (bird baths and garden ponds), and shelter (e.g., brush-piles, outbuildings) resources and are surrounded by …

Limited Accumulation And Persistence Of An Influenza A Virus In Tadpole Snails (Physa Spp.), Paul T. Oesterle, J. Jeffrey Root, Darcy S.O. Mora, Heather Schneider, Alan B. Franklin, Kathryn P. Huyvaert

United States Department of Agriculture Wildlife Services: Staff Publications

Waterfowl infected with avian influenza A viruses (IAVs) shed infectious virus into aquatic environments, providing a mechanism for transmission among waterfowl, while also exposing the entire aquatic ecosystem to the virus. Aquatic invertebrates such as freshwater snails are likely exposed to IAVs in the water column and sediment. Freshwater snails comprise a significant portion of some waterfowl species’ diets, so this trophic interaction may serve as a novel route of IAV transmission. In these experiments, tadpole snails (Physa spp.) were exposed to a low-pathogenicity IAV (H3N8) to determine whether snails can accumulate the virus and, if so, how long virus …

H5n1 Highly Pathogenic Avian Influenza Clade 2.3.4.4b In Wild And Domestic Birds: Introductions Into The United States And Reassortments, December 2021–April 2022, Sungsu Youk, Mia Kim Torchetti, Kristina Lantz, Julianna B. Lenoch, Mary Lea Killian, Christina Leyson, Sarah N. Bevins, Krista Dilione, Hon S. Ip, David E. Stallknecht, Rebecca L. Poulson, David L. Suarez, David E. Swayne, Mary J. Pantin-Jackwood

United States Department of Agriculture Wildlife Services: Staff Publications

Highly pathogenic avian influenza viruses (HPAIVs) of the A/goose/Guangdong/1/1996 lineage H5 clade 2.3.4.4b continue to have a devastating effect on domestic and wild birds. Full genome sequence analyses using 1369 H5N1 HPAIVs detected in the United States (U.S.) in wild birds, commercial poultry, and backyard flocks from December 2021 to April 2022, showed three phylogenetically distinct H5N1 virus introductions in the U.S. by wild birds. Unreassorted Eurasian genotypes A1 and A2 entered the Northeast Atlantic states, whereas a genetically distinct A3 genotype was detected in Alaska. The A1 genotype spread westward via wild bird migration and reassorted with North American …

South Coast Offshore Crustacean Resource Of Western Australia Harvest Strategy, Department Of Primary Industries And Regional Development, Western Australia

Fisheries Management Papers

Harvest strategies for aquatic resources in Western Australia (WA) that are managed by the Department of Primary Industries and Regional Development (DPIRD, the Department) are formal documents that ensures decision-making processes are consistent with the principles of Ecologically Sustainable Development (ESD; Fletcher 2002) and Ecosystem Based Fisheries Management (EBFM; Fletcher et al. 2012). The objectives of ESD are reflected in the objects of the Fish Resources Management Act 1994 (FRMA) and the Aquatic Resources Management Act 2016 (ARMA), which is anticipated replace the FRMA once enacted. At this point, the Fish Resources Management Regulations 1995 (FRMR) is also anticipated to …

Alpha Diversity And Species Status Of Uneven Forests In Eco-Zones Of Taraba State, Nigeria, Dau Henry Japheth, Joseph A. Ugbe, Jerry I. Alfa

Journal of Bioresource Management

Alpha diversity indices quantify the uncertainty in predicting the species identity of an individual. Quantitative indices on species composition and distribution are vital to understanding the trend and species status of an ecosystem for conservation management. However, among the forest ecosystems in Taraba state, Bakin Dutse and Wasaji uneven forests are one of the least studied areas, especially in terms of tree species status. This research work aims at assessing alpha diversity and species status of selected uneven forests in Taraba state, Nigeria; to provide baseline knowledge for conservation management. In total, 102 tree species from 74 genera and 41 …

Observations On A 40-Year January Bird Census In Boone County, Nebraska, 1978–2017, Wayne Mollhoff

Zea E-Books Collection

For 40 years Wayne Mollhoff conducted a personal bird census every January. He explains: "After having run several Breeding Bird Survey routes, and participated in several Christmas Bird Counts, I became curious to see what might be found on a winter count under the more tightly controlled parameters of a census, as contrasted with Christmas counts done with variable numbers of observers."

The count was set up similarly to the USGS Breeding Bird Survey routes with 50 stops, one-half mile (800 meters) apart, all birds counted for 3 minutes, with birds counted at one stop not counted again at following …

Summer Field Report, June–July 2023, W. Ross Silcock

Nebraska Bird Review

There were no new species for Nebraska. This was also a lean season for records of species with few Nebraska records. Probably most significant were continuing Common Ravens in two Sioux Co locations, and possibly the first summer records of Baird’s Sparrow, a recording of the latter currently under NOURC review.

Within-state breeders nesting at new locations. There were several instances of nesting reported away from known breeding areas. These include documented records of first nesting Black-necked Stilts in Cherry Co, Least Terns off river at Offutt Base Lake in Sarpy Co, Mississippi Kite in Adams Co, Yellow-throated Vireo in …

The Nebraska Bird Review (September 2023) 91(3), Whole Issue

Nebraska Bird Review

Summer Field Report, June–July 2023, by W. Ross Silcock

2023 Limpkin at Crystal Cove Park, Dakota County, NE, by Bill Huser

2022 (34th) Report of the NOU Records Committee, by Mark A. Brogie

Subscription and Organization Information

2022 (34th) Report Of The Nou Records Committee, Mark A. Brogie

Nebraska Bird Review

The functions and methods of the Nebraska Ornithologists’ Union Records Committee (NOURC) are described in its bylaws (NOURC 2010). The committee’s purpose is to provide a procedure for documenting unusual bird sightings and to establish a list of all documented birds for Nebraska. Species for which the NOURC seeks documentation (NOURC Review List) can be found at the NOU website www.NOUbirds.org. Starting in 2020, the NOURC decided to deal mainly with those species deemed as Accidental on the “Official List of the Birds of Nebraska.” Casual species and out-of-range species are now summarized in the “Seasonal Reports” of the …

2023 Limpkin At Crystal Cove Park, Dakota County, Ne, Bill Huser

Nebraska Bird Review

On the morning of October 7, 2023, I observed Nebraska’s second Limpkin (Aramus guarauna) at Crystal Cove Park in South Sioux City, and the bird was subsequently seen by several other observers throughout that afternoon. Photo and video records were obtained (https://ebird.org/checklist/S151656716). The summer and fall of 2023 brought fourteen sightings to Iowa, though it is impossible to determine how many birds were involved (eBird, 2023). One of those sightings occurred in the northwestern part of the state at Bacon Creek Park in Sioux City when a single Limpkin was independently reported by two observers on …

Population Genomics, Ecology And Conservation Of Asterias Sea Stars In The North Atlantic, Melenia I. Giakoumis

Dissertations, Theses, and Capstone Projects

Uncovering how species respond to environmental change is a central question in biology (Ehrlén & Morris 2015; Habibullah et al. 2022). It is the key to elucidating the past, understanding the present and predicting the future of species’ population dynamics. This dissertation investigates the influence of environmental change on intertidal species’ distributions and genomics at several timescales, with implications for conservation.

Environmental changes have occurred throughout history, on a geological scale, and have shaped the global patterns of species’ distributions and population sizes. Biologists have long studied how geological history has shaped species distributions (Sanmartín 2012) in both terrestrial (Liu …

Antiviral Susceptibility Of Clade 2.3.4.4b Highly Pathogenic Avian Influenza A(H5n1) Viruses Isolated From Birds And Mammals In The United States, 2022, Ha T. Nguyen, Anton Chesnokov, Juan De La Cruz, Philippe Noriel Q. Pascua, Vasiliy P. Mishin, Yunho Jang, Joyce Jones, Han Di, Andrei A. Ivashchenko, Mary Lea Killian, Mia K. Torchetti, Kristina Lantz, David E. Wentworth, Charles T. Davis, Alexandre V. Ivachtchenko, Larisa V. Gubareva

United States Department of Agriculture Wildlife Services: Staff Publications

Clade 2.3.4.4b highly pathogenic avian influenza (HPAI) A(H5N1) viruses that are responsible for devastating outbreaks in birds and mammals pose a potential threat to public health. Here, we evaluated their susceptibility to influenza antivirals. Of 1,015 sequences of HPAI A(H5N1) viruses collected in the United States during 2022, eight viruses (∼0.8%) had a molecular marker of drug resistance to an FDA-approved antiviral: three adamantane-resistant (M2-V27A), four oseltamivir-resistant (NA-H275Y), and one baloxavir-resistant (PA-I38T). Additionally, 31 viruses contained mutations that may reduce susceptibility to inhibitors of neuraminidase (NA) (n = 20) or cap-dependent endonuclease (CEN) (n = 11). A panel of 22 …

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 …

Go Big Or Go Home: Divergence In Morphology And Behavior Between Island And Islet Populations Of The San Cristóbal Lava Lizard (Microlophus Bivittatus), Emilio J. Mancero

Masters Theses

Rapid divergence in body size is a well-documented phenomenon among island species, associated with macroevolutionary processes of diversification and adaptive radiation. The effect of insularity in determining larger body size as an optimal phenotype is primarily attributed to lower predation and greater intraspecific competition on islands. Our study examined interpopulation variation in morphology, social behavior and predator avoidance in Galápagos lava lizards endemic to San Cristóbal island (Microlophus bivittatus), and the nearby islet Isla Lobos. Islet populations have fewer competitors than those on the island, where native and introduced predators are abundant. We simulated interactions with predators and …

The Devil You Know And The Devil You Don’T: Current Status And Challenges Of Bovine Tuberculosis Eradication In The United States, Daniel J. O'Brien, Tyler C. Thacker, Liliana C.M. Salvador, Anthony G. Duffiney, Suelee Robbe‑Austerman, Mark S. Camacho, Jason E. Lombard, Mitchell V. Palmer

United States Department of Agriculture Wildlife Services: Staff Publications

Having entered into its second century, the eradication program for bovine tuberculosis (bTB, caused by Mycobacterium bovis) in the United States of America occupies a position both enviable and daunting. Excepting four counties in Michigan comprising only 6109 km2 (0.06% of US land area) classified as Modified Accredited, as of April 2022 the entire country was considered Accredited Free of bTB by the US Department of Agriculture for cattle and bison. On the surface, the now well-described circumstances of endemic bTB in Michigan, where white-tailed deer (Odocoileus virginianus) serve as a free-ranging wildlife maintenance host, may appear to be …

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 …

Leveraging Eco-Evolutionary Models For Gene Drive Risk Assessment, Matthew A. Combs, Andrew J. Golnar, Justin M. Overcash, Alun L. Lloyd, Keith R. Hayes, David A. O'Brochta, Kim M. Pepin

United States Department of Agriculture Wildlife Services: Staff Publications

Engineered gene drives create potential for both widespread benefits and irreversible harms to ecosystems. CRISPR-based systems of allelic conversion have rapidly accelerated gene drive research across diverse taxa, putting field trials and their necessary risk assessments on the horizon. Dynamic processbased models provide flexible quantitative platforms to predict gene drive outcomes in the context of system-specific ecological and evolutionary features. Here, we synthesize gene drive dynamic modeling studies to highlight research trends, knowledge gaps, and emergent principles, organized around their genetic, demographic, spatial, environmental, and implementation features. We identify the phenomena that most significantly influence model predictions, discuss limitations of …

Western Pearlshell (Margaritifera Falcata) Extirpation In The Smith River, Montana, With A Possible Link To Warming Water Temperatures, David M. Stagliano

Western North American Naturalist

Western pearlshell (Margaritifera falcata) populations are in decline across the species’ range in western North America. In 2008, Montana categorized the western pearlshell as an imperiled species of concern (S2) based on reduced detections at historically occupied sites and few viable populations. Between 2004 and 2014, we surveyed 24 Smith River reaches (61 total sites in the watershed) for the presence of western pearlshell populations. Despite historical and anecdotal descriptions of abundant western pearlshell in the Smith River, intensive structured surveys between 2004 and 2007 documented only 4 sections with low-density, nonviable western pearlshell populations (<10 individuals, large size classes [average total length = 70 mm], with no signs of recruitment). In 2014, we revisited these occupied sites to repeat surveys (expending significantly more search time) and observed no live individuals. This was surprising given that, although those populations would certainly die out without recruitment, older individuals can oftentimes persist for decades. Therefore, we consider the western pearlshell mussel extirpated from the Smith River watershed. We reviewed long-term USGS gage discharge and temperature data near the western pearlshell populations to evaluate the potential causal factors for, and timing of, the extirpation. From 3 July to 3 August 2007, water temperatures were at or above the thermal stress levels of the western pearlshell (>25 °C, …

An Ecological Survey Of East Texas Salamanders Across The Camp Tyler Outdoor Field School In Smith County, Texas, Justin C. Hunt

Biology Theses

Amphibians are a unique class of organisms with a very long and storied evolutionary history of survival. Many modern amphibian clades occupy several vital ecological roles within their native freshwater environments. One of these roles, typically includes functioning as an ecological indicator species, whereby the presence of stable and diverse populations of many amphibian species, including salamanders, within a freshwater ecosystem have long been considered ecological indicators of good habitat quality and stable ecosystem health. Similarly, salamanders also function as important members of their local food webs and act as valuable mediators of complex trophic hierarchies to facilitate nutrient cycling …

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 …

2023 Coordinated Spring Survey Of Mid-Continent Sandhill Cranes, Terry Liddick

United States Fish and Wildlife Service: Publications

The aerial transect portion of the coordinated spring survey of mid-continent Sandhill cranes was conducted on March 22, 2023 in Nebraska’s Central Platte and North Platte River valleys (United States). The 2023 photo-corrected aerial estimate is 1,259,000 birds. Outside the traditional aerial transect portion, observers conducted ground surveys during the period March 20–22. From these regions, observers in the Official Survey Area (OSA) of Nebraska, Kansas, Texas, Oklahoma, and Wyoming reported an additional 25,363 cranes. The 2023 total estimate (1,284,500) increased 43.1% from 2022. The current three-year average (2021–2023 with no photo correction in 2021), based on photo corrected estimates …

Testing The Urban Dulling Hypothesis In An Iridescent Passerine Bird, Joanna Gresham

Master of Science in Integrative Biology Theses

Urbanization has brought grave consequences that lead to declines in many species; however, some species thrive in urban ecosystems. This allows us the opportunity to study evolution in real time, as species adapt and change in a new setting. Novel urban ecosystems have led to phenotypic divergence between urban and rural populations. There is a rich body of literature on how songbirds are affected by urbanization, however divergent signaling behaviors are less well understood. Urban color homogenization is well-documented in carotenoid-colored species. However, iridescent plumage is understudied in general, and little is understood about how environmental changes shape iridescent plumage. …

Holocene Rice Rats (Genus Oryzomys) From The Upper Mississippi River Drainage Basin, Hugh H. Genoways

Zea E-Books Collection

The expansion and collapse of the geographic range of the Texas rice rat (Oryzomys texensis) in the upper Mississippi River drainage basin at the end of the Holocene was a unique event in North American mammals. In a period of about 4000 years with a point of origin near the American Bottom in Illinois, these small rodents extended their geographic range in a straight-line distance of over 950 km to the west into Nebraska and the same distance to the east into Pennsylvania. Then in less than 400 years this range expansion collapsed back to a point where …

The Impact Of Road Crossings On Karst Headwater Streams In Northwest Arkansas, Anthony M. Zenga

ATU Theses and Dissertations 2021 - Present

The karst region of NW Arkansas is home to many headwater endemic Species of Greatest Conservation Need (SGCN). This includes many species of darters, such as Etheostoma cragini, E. microperca, and E. mihileze, as well as crayfish such as Faxonious meeki brevis and F. nana. NW Arkansas is rapidly urbanizing, increasing the need to construct structures like culverts, bridges, and fords. These man-made road crossings can cause stream habitat degradation and fragmentation, as well as impair overall stream connectivity. To evaluate the impact that road crossings have on aquatic SGCN species and their habitat, 30 headwater streams were sampled throughout …