Population Biology Commons^™

Interactions Between New Zealand Mud Snails (Potamopyrgus Antipodarum) And Toxic Cyanoabacteria (Anabaena) In Baduwa’T (Mad River), Humboldt County, California, Cecilia F. Kennelly

Cal Poly Humboldt theses and projects

Invasive species in freshwater systems are circulated around the globe, wreaking havoc on natural communities. The New Zealand mud snail (Potamopyrgus antipodarum) is a very successful aquatic invader that has established populations in freshwater streams, lakes, and rivers around the globe. The goal of this project was to evaluate the interactions of invasive New Zealand mud snails (NZMS) and toxic cyanobacteria Anabaena in the Mad River in Humboldt County, California. These two species of concern are found in similar habitats along the river, but their whether NZMS consume Anabaena or affect toxin production is unknown. First, I conducted …

Long- And Short-Term Weather Variables Affect Capture Rates In Western Painted Turtles (Chrysemys Picta Bellii) In Marshall Co., South Dakota, Amy Dolan, Heather L. Waye, Peter Dolan

Biology Publications

Turtle populations are declining globally, and yet accurate long-term population surveys are often lacking. Even amongst widespread species, information on long-term population trends is largely missing. As such, studies on demographics, population structure, and factors that affect capture efficacy are needed. In 2019 we began a long-term study on Western Painted Turtles (Chrysemys picta bellii) in the Couteau des Prairie habitat in northeastern South Dakota. We captured turtles using several trapping techniques and investigated the effects of short- and long-term weather variables on catch per unit effort. Temperature was positively associated with daily capture rates, showing the strongest …

Survival Of Translocated Coyotes In The Chicago Metropolitan Area, Usa, Charlotte R. Milling, Chris Anchor, Stanley D. Gehrt

Human–Wildlife Interactions

For nuisance animals, the general public perceives translocation to be a humane alternative to lethal control measures, but survival of translocated wildlife is often quite low due in part to increased movement post-release. Thus, for common species whose relocation generally serves a social rather than conservation purpose, translocation might not be correctly characterized when presented as nonlethal. We quantified release site fidelity and survival of coyotes (Canis latrans) fitted with very high frequency radio-collars and translocated within the Chicago Metropolitan Area, Illinois, USA, from 2000 to 2006. We also compared survival for 14 weeks post-collaring for our translocated …

Multi-Year Effectiveness Of Pzp-22 In Free-Roaming Suburban White-Tailed Deer, Allen T. Rutberg, Kali M. Pereira, Kayla A. Grams, John W. Turner Jr.

Human–Wildlife Interactions

To address the challenge that is posed to the use of fertility control to mitigate human–deer (Cervidae) conflicts by the need to regularly re-inoculate free-roaming animals, we captured, ear-tagged, and hand-injected 68 individual adult female white-tailed deer (Odocoileus virginianus) with the PZP-22 immunocontraceptive vaccine from February through April, 2014 to 2017, in the Village of Hastings-on-Hudson, New York, USA. Approximately 2.5 years after initial treatments, we booster-darted 29 of the previously treated females with either PZP-22 or native PZP (ZonaStat-D). We observed fawn production between 2014 and 2021. The combination of initial PZP-22 hand-treatments followed by single dart-delivered PZP …

Waterbird-Perceived Damage, Control Measures, And Economic Implications For Rice Production In The Brazilian Cerrado, Demetrio Luis Guadagnin, Alexandre Afonso Meyer, João Augusto Rossi Borges, Fernanda Maia Justo

Human–Wildlife Interactions

Waterbirds have the potential to inflict economic damage to crops. However, is rice (Oryza sativa) production in the Brazilian Cerrado significantly affected by waterbirds? This study aimed to assess the extent of waterbird damage on irrigated rice production in Central Brazil. We conducted surveys of waterbird populations in rice agroecosystem habitats throughout the cultivation cycle and analyzed the expenses associated with waterbird-induced yield losses and the control measures employed by farmers. The 2 most prevalent waterbird species observed were Dendrocygna viduatta and D. autumnalis, comprising 68.6% of all recorded waterbirds. These species were more frequently encountered and …

Variation In Mainland Northwest Territories Late-Winter Muskox (Ovibos Moschatus) Density Estimations And Habitat Associations Above And Below Treeline., Charlotte Rentmeister

Theses and Dissertations (Comprehensive)

The Arctic and Sub-Arctic ecosystems are seeing accelerated changes in temperature, landcover, and consequently species abundance and distributions. Reliable distributions, and associated population density estimates, are essential for effective conservation and management efforts. Growing concerns from northern communities regarding the relationship between muskox and declining caribou populations strengthens the need for updated information on muskox populations within mainland Northwest Territories (NWT). The first objective for my research was to quantify and map updated winter estimates of abundance, density, and distribution of muskoxen within three recent survey regions located in mainland NWT, using a multiple covariate distance sampling method (MCDS), paired …

Biology And Ecology Of Neonectria Magnoliae And Neonectria Punicea, Two Understudied Neonectria Species In West Virginia, Hannah Marie Petronek

Graduate Theses, Dissertations, and Problem Reports (ETD)

The family Nectriaceae includes numerous phytopathogenic fungi that cause canker diseases on both angiosperm and conifer hosts worldwide. Numerous Neonectria spp. cause cankers on hardwoods and conifers in North America, but their roles in contributing to tree decline and mortality outside of beech bark disease are largely understudied. One such pathogen, Neonectria magnoliae, causes perennial cankers on two native hosts in central Appalachia: Fraser magnolia (Magnolia fraseri) and tulip-poplar (Liriodendron tulipifera). We also recently confirmed N. magnoliae from non-native star magnolia (Magnolia stellata) in West Virginia. Both native hosts occur in the central …

Exploring Long-Term Patterns: Black Bass Tournament Fishery And Population Trends In West Virginia's Navigable Rivers, Alex J. Benecke

Graduate Theses, Dissertations, and Problem Reports (ETD)

Black bass Micropterus spp. are popular sport fish in West Virginia’s navigable rivers. In recent years, anglers have expressed concerns about a potential decline in fishery quality. To investigate these claims, we evaluated whether fishery quality has declined compared to earlier periods and whether population trends correspond to angler catch rates. Specifically, we aimed to (1) examine changes in species catch over time and during key periods, such as tournament and spawning seasons; (2) describe the distribution of black bass species across pools and habitat types; and (3) assess the outcomes of previous stocking efforts. To address these objectives, we …

Informing Standardized Wood Turtle (Glyptemys Insculpta) Population Monitoring: Influences Of Sampling Approach And Turtle Behavior On Model Estimation, Allyson N. Beard

Graduate Theses, Dissertations, and Problem Reports (ETD)

To better understand wood turtle (Glyptemys insculpta) population trends, two standardized population survey protocols were recently developed for use by state monitoring programs. The protocols were independently developed, tested, and deployed for population monitoring in the eastern and upper midwestern United States. It was unknown if the sampling designs result in similar detection success or if data from the two protocols are compatible for broad-scale analyses. Additionally, neither monitoring protocol includes a sampling design that allows for the separation of detection (p) into availability (p_a), and detection given availability (p_d). …

Reducing Food Scarcity: The Benefits Of Urban Farming, S.A. Claudell, Emilio Mejia

Journal of Nonprofit Innovation

Urban farming can enhance the lives of communities and help reduce food scarcity. This paper presents a conceptual prototype of an efficient urban farming community that can be scaled for a single apartment building or an entire community across all global geoeconomics regions, including densely populated cities and rural, developing towns and communities. When deployed in coordination with smart crop choices, local farm support, and efficient transportation then the result isn’t just sustainability, but also increasing fresh produce accessibility, optimizing nutritional value, eliminating the use of ‘forever chemicals’, reducing transportation costs, and fostering global environmental benefits.

Imagine Doris, who is …

Habitat And Demography Of The Ozark Chinquapin (Castanea Ozarkensis) At Roaring River State Park In Barry County, Missouri, Danielle Evilsizor

Electronic Theses & Dissertations

The Ozark chinquapin, Castanea ozarkensis Ashe, is a chestnut tree with a range concentrated in the Interior Highlands of North America. Like other North American members of Castanea, it was reduced from an overstory tree to an understory shrub by the invasive chestnut blight fungus (Cryphonectria parasitica [Murrill] M.E. Barr) during the early 20^th century. However, relatively little is known about the habitat of this species or its health and reproductive capability post chestnut blight. Chapter one of this study analyzed the habitat of this species through a random forest species distribution model (SDM) to predict where …

Genomic Analysis Reveals New Species And Subspecies Of Butterflies, Jing Zhang, Qian Cong, Jinhui Shen, Leina Song, Nick V. Grishin

The Taxonomic Report of the International Lepidoptera Survey

Large-scale genomic sequencing of butterfly taxa reveals new findings that are presented here. While we focus on detecting species by comparative genomics and define subspecies as groups of populations genetically differentiated from each other but not as strongly as species (that is, subspecies as species in the making), we report other adjustments to butterfly classification. As a result, 4 subgenera, 11 species, and 6 subspecies are proposed as new. New subgenera are: Rapis Grishin, subgen. n. (type species Papilio rapae Linnaeus, 1758, genus Pieris Schrank, 1801) in Pieridae Swainson, 1820 and Callitera Grishin, subgen. n. (type species Eurygona? pulcherrima …

Reassessment Of Amblyscirtes Hegon (Hesperiidae) As A Complex Of Four Distinct Species Revealed By Genomic Analysis, Harry Pavulaan, Ricky Patterson, Nick V. Grishin

The Taxonomic Report of the International Lepidoptera Survey

After the discovery of a unique phenotype in the southern United States with a different ventral ground color than nominotypical Amblyscirtes hegon (Scudder, 1863), which occurs in the northeastern United States, genomic analysis revealed that A. hegon is a species complex. Phenotypic, genitalic, and genomic differences of the complex are presented here. Four species are identified: A. hegon; A. nemoris (W. H. Edwards, 1864), stat. rest.; A. matheri Patterson, Pavulaan & Grishin, sp. n. (TL: USA, Mississippi, Warren County); and A. gelidus Grishin, Patterson & Pavulaan, sp. n. (TL: USA, Michigan, Van Buren County).

Addressing Water Hyacinth (Pontederia Crassipes) Impacts On Aquatic Biota In Lake Okeechobee, Joseph Salerno

All HCAS Student Capstones, Theses, and Dissertations

The incursion of water hyacinth, Pontederia crassipes in Lake Okeechobee has resulted in management systems to be implemented to reduce the coverage of the invasive macrophyte. Its residence in the Lake Okeechobee ecosystem and the effects it has on organisms in the lake, whether it be positive or harmful is unknown. This study attempted to assess the potential effects that water hyacinth has on aquatic biota in Lake Okeechobee. Biotic data were collected on open water, water hyacinth covered, and native vegetation covered habitats via hook-and-line fishing, electrofishing, baited minnow traps, and the sampling of plant roots over a thirteen-month …

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 …

Psammocora Stellata Distribution At Devil's Crown, Floreana Island, Galápagos Islands, Ecuador, María José Guarderas Sevilla

All HCAS Student Capstones, Theses, and Dissertations

In the Galápagos Archipelago, the free-living nodular coral Psammocora stellata is a common species that does not form reef structures. However, it is a key component of the ecosystem by increasing habitat complexity and, consequently, species diversity. This species experienced a drastic decline in Devil’s Crown channel, Floreana Island, where it disappeared after the 1982-83 El Niño-Southern Oscillation, presumably by displacement of unattached colonies by strong surface waves and currents. This assemblage has now recovered to pre-impact levels. A combination of underwater photoquadrats from 2007 and 2009 and recent (2023) orthomosaics were used to determine changes in coral densities and …

Fall Field Report, August–November 2023, W. Ross Silcock

Nebraska Bird Review

As in the last few fall seasons, late departure dates continue to increase in number. This is often attributed to a warming climate but may also result from increased observer activity and usage of eBird. Late dates are probably the most important aspect of this report, most prominent the record late fall dates for Ruby-throated Hummingbird, Sanderling, Bank Swallow, and Cassin’s Sparrow. Although these species are taxonomically diverse, there were species group concentrations of late dates, notably among shorebirds. Examples were Marbled Godwit for which the four latest reports this fall were four of the latest six fall dates on …

Index To Volume 91

Nebraska Bird Review

Adams: Pam 11; Paul 11
Aden, Debbie 55
Allard, Savannah 29
Allen, Edward 10
Allison, Betty 30
Alpheus, A. 154
Altman, Dakota 21, 30
Andersen: Bennett 30; Brett 30, 52, 142; D. E. 83
Anderson: Bob 139, 147; Chris 7; Janet 29; Will 68
Angkaew, Rongron 6
Ani, Groove-billed 127, 131
Anich: Charlie 99; Nick 99; Paula 99
Arends, Jim 30
Armstrong, Wyatt 121
Askerooth, Kristine 29
Atkins, Kate 16
Atwell, Erik 55, 58, 99, 100, 102, 112
Audubon, M. 82
Augustine, Jackie 63
Austin, Mary 7
Avocet, American 19, 53, 86, 100, 132, 158

. . .

Zach, Joel …

Yellow-Throated Warbler In Scotts Bluff County, Nebraska, Mark A. Brogie, Bill F. Huser, Jerry Probst

Nebraska Bird Review

Yellow-throated Warbler (Setophaga dominica) is a rare to uncommon migrant in eastern and central Nebraska. It is possibly a regular breeder locally at sites containing sycamores in several southeastern Nebraska counties bordering the Missouri River. There are few Nebraska reports after July, with more reports November–January than August–October. This species has three previous documented Nebraska Panhandle records, all from May.

1. One photographed 26 May 2009, at Crescent Lake NWR, Garden Co.

2. One seen and “well described” 06 May 1931, at Antioch, Sheridan Co.

3. A specimen taken 20 May 1917, at Oshkosh, Garden Co., was once …

The Nebraska Bird Review (December 2023) 91(4), Whole Issue

Nebraska Bird Review

Fall Field Report, August–November 2023, by W. Ross Silcock

NOU Founding Ornithologist, Hypnotist, Physician: Isador Trostler, by Rick Wright

Yellow-throated Warbler in Scotts Bluff County, Nebraska, by Mark A. Brogie, Bill F. Huser, and Jerry Probst

Holdrege Fall Field Days, Sept. 22–24, 2023

Index to Volume 91

Subscription and Organization Information

Nou Founding Ornithologist, Hypnotist, Physician: Isador Trostler, Rick Wright

Nebraska Bird Review

Eminent radiologist Benjamin H. Orndoff, eulogizing an esteemed colleague some months after his death, noted that Isador Simon Trostler (1869–1957) “as a lad . . . became interested in ornithology and herpetology, sending accounts of his observations and explorations to natural history magazines up to the late [18]90s.” Understandably more interested in Trostler’s role as a “pioneer in radiology,” Orndoff had no more to say about the natural history pursuits of one of Nebraska’s most notable early ornithologists, one of the founders 125 years ago of the Nebraska Ornithologists’ Union.

Conversely, we birders have known little or nothing of Trostler’s …

Holdrege Fall Field Days, Janis Paseka

Nebraska Bird Review

The 2023 NOU Fall Field Days were held in Holdrege on September 22–24, with approximately 45 in attendance. The programs were held at the Rodeway Inn. The meeting was planned by Robin Harding, Jan Johnson, and Ruthie Stearns. Field trips were led by Robin Harding, Paul Dunbar, and William Flack to numerous locations including Johnson Lake SRA, Elwood Reservoir WMA, the eagle viewing site on the Phelps County Canal in northern Gosper Co., the Platte River bridge south of Overton, Cottonwood WPA, Harlan Co. Reservoir, the Alma water treatment plant, Funk WPA, Nature's Mosaic Recreation Area, and Sacramento-Wilcox WPA.

The …

Rapid Evolution Of A(H5n1) Influenza Viruses After Intercontinental Spread To North America, Ahmed Kandeil, Christopher Patton, Jeremy C. Jones, Trushar Jeevan, Walter N. Harrington, Sanja Trifkovic, Jon P. Seiler, Thomas Fabrizio, Karlie Woodard, Jasmine C. Turner, Jeri Carol Crumpton, Lance Miller, Adam Rubrum, Jennifer Debeauchamp, Charles J. Russell, Elena A. Govorkova, Peter Vogel, Mia Kim-Torchetti, Yohannes Berhane, David Stallknecht, Rebecca Poulson, Lisa Kercher, Richard J. Webby

United States Department of Agriculture Wildlife Services: Staff Publications

Highly pathogenic avian influenza A(H5N1) viruses of clade 2.3.4.4b underwent an explosive geographic expansion in 2021 among wild birds and domestic poultry across Asia, Europe, and Africa. By the end of 2021, 2.3.4.4b viruses were detected in North America, signifying further intercontinental spread. Here we show that the western movement of clade 2.3.4.4b was quickly followed by reassortment with viruses circulating in wild birds in North America, resulting in the acquisition of different combinations of ribonucleoprotein genes. These reassortant A(H5N1) viruses are genotypically and phenotypically diverse, with many causing severe disease with dramatic neurologic involvement in mammals. The proclivity of …

Impacts Of Disturbance And Nutrient Addition On Coastal Dune Arthropod Communities, Kayla Beitzel

Honors Theses

Coastal dune ecosystems are globally distributed ecosystems that occur from the tropics to the poles and serve as the first line of defense during storms. They are critical habitats for a variety of organisms and also play a critical role in stabilizing coastal habitats. These systems face increased pressure via urban development, recreational expansion, and sea-level rise (Newman et al. 2023; Webster et al. 2005). Insects are vital consumers in coastal ecosystems and act as regulators of plant growth. Low-diversity ecosystems, like coastal dune systems, often contain a higher abundance of low-diverse insect consumers (Ripple et al. 2021), which can …

Exploring The Interrelationships Among Structural Complexity, Multi-Trophic Biodiversity, And Ecosystem Productivity In Forested Ecosystems., Ayanna St. Rose

Graduate Theses and Dissertations

Forests play a pivotal role in sustaining global biodiversity and mitigating the global climate, as they serve as the primary refuge for terrestrial biodiversity and effectively capture and store atmospheric carbon dioxide. However, changing climate and land use are altering the geographic distribution, physical structure, and productivity of forested ecosystems that can have profound impacts on biodiversity conservation, forest productivity, and global climate. This dissertation contributes to our understanding of multifaceted interactions between the physical and biological structural complexity and ecosystem functions in forested landscapes across the United states by using openly available data from two national networks: the National …

An Integrative Approach To Managing A Species Of Conservation Concern: Resource Selection, Spatial Ecology, And Population Genetics Of The Green Salamander (Aneides Aeneus), Megan Novak

All Dissertations

The relationship between wildlife and the environment they inhabit is dependent on both spatial and temporal scales. It is therefore crucial that biological investigations account for ecological scale when analyzing patterns and processes established, particularly when such investigations inform conservation management plans. This dissertation provides extensive insight into the conservation biology of the green salamander (Aneides aeneus), a critically imperiled species in South Carolina. The green salamander is a species that exists in a patchy network of rock outcrops within mountainous forest landscapes, and most studies on habitat suitability for green salamanders have been conducted on the macrohabitat, …

Accelerated Evolution Of Sars-Cov-2 In Free-Ranging White-Tailed Deer, Dillon S. Mcbride, Sofya K. Garushyants, John Franks, Andrew F. Magee, Steven H. Overend, Devra Huey, Amanda M. Williams, Seth A. Faith, Ahmed Kandeil, Sanja Trifkovic, Lance Miller, Trushar Jeevan, Anami Patel, Jacqueline M. Nolting, Michael J. Tonkovich, J. Tyler Genders, Andrew J. Montoney, Kevin Kasnyik, Timothy J. Linder, Sarah N. Bevins, Julianna B. Lenoch, Jeffrey C. Chandler, Thomas J. Deliberto, Eugene V. Koonin, Marc A. Suchard, Philippe Lemey, Richard J. Webby, Martha I. Nelson, Andrew S. Bowman

United States Department of Agriculture Wildlife Services: Staff Publications

The zoonotic origin of the COVID-19 pandemic virus highlights the need to fill the vast gaps in our knowledge of SARS-CoV-2 ecology and evolution in non-human hosts. Here, we detected that SARS-CoV-2 was introduced from humans into white-tailed deer more than 30 times in Ohio, USA during November 2021-March 2022. Subsequently, deer-to-deer transmission persisted for 2–8 months, disseminating across hundreds of kilometers. Newly developed Bayesian phylogenetic methods quantified how SARS-CoV-2 evolution is not only three-times faster in white-tailed deer compared to the rate observed in humans but also driven by different mutational biases and selection pressures. The long-term effect of …

Analysis Of Mitochondrial Dna Sequence Data Demonstrates That Monophyly Of Myotis Occultus Is Complicated By Greater Sampling Of Myotis Lucifugus, Jeffrey M. Lorch, Daniel R. Taylor, Antoinette J. Piaggio

United States Department of Agriculture Wildlife Services: Staff Publications

Abstract

The validity of Myotis occultus as a species unique from Myotis lucifugus has been a source of debate. Most recently, many authorities treat M. occultus as a distinct species, at least in part because a previous study showed that M. occultus and M. l. carissima (the subspecies that occurs in closest geographic proximity to M. occultus) form separate monophyletic clades based on sequences of two mitochondrial genes (cytochrome-b [cytb] and cytochrome oxidase subunit II [COII]). We re-evaluated the phylogenetic relationship between M. occultus and M. lucifugus based on mitochondrial sequences …

Effects Of A Protection Zone In A Reaction-Diffusion Model With Strong Allee Effect., Isaac Johnson

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

A protection zone model represents a patchy environment with positive growth over the protection zone and strong Allee effect growth outside the protection zone. Generally, these models are considered through the corresponding eigenvalue problem, but that has certain limitations. In this thesis, a general protection zone model is considered. This model makes no assumption on the direction of the traveling wave solution over the Strong Allee effect patch. We use phase portrait analysis of this protection zone model to draw conclusions about the existence of equilibrium solutions. We establish the existence of three types of equilibrium solutions and the necessary …

Effects Of Landcover On Mesocarnivore Density And Detection Rate Along An Urban To Rural Gradient, Leah E. Mctigue, Brett Degregorio

Biological Sciences Faculty Publications and Presentations

Human development has major implications for wildlife populations. Urban-exploiter species can benefit from human subsidized resources, whereas urban-avoider species can vanish from wildlife communities in highly developed areas. Therefore, understanding how the density of different species varies in response to landcover changes associated with human development can provide important insight into how wildlife communities are likely to change and provide a starting point for predicting the consequences of those changes. Here, we estimated the population density of five common mesocarnivore species (coyote (Canis latrans), bobcat (Lynx rufus), red fox (Vulpes vulpes), raccoon (Procyon …