Terrestrial and Aquatic Ecology Commons^™

Review Of The Speyeria Egleis Complex In Montana, With The Description Of Two New Subspecies (Lepidoptera: Nymphalidae: Heliconiinae), Steve Kohler

The Taxonomic Report of the International Lepidoptera Survey

Four phenotypically and geographically distinct sets of populations of Speyeria egleis are identified in Montana. Two new subspecies are named from northwestern and northcentral Montana. Two existing names are recognized (S. e. macdunnoughi from southwestern Montana, southeastern Idaho, and northwestern Wyoming, and S. e. albrighti from central Montana. S. e. near macdunnoughi from Oregon and Washington is discussed.

Core Commitments For Field Trials Of Gene Drive Organisms, Kanya C. Long, Luke Alphey, George J. Annas, Cinnamon S. Bloss, Karl J. Campbell, Jackson Champer, Chun-Hong Chen, Amit Choudhary, George M. Church, James P. Collins, Kimberly L. Cooper, Jason A. Delborne, Owain R. Edwards, Claudia I. Emerson, Kevin Esvelt, Sam Weiss Evans, Robert M. Friedman, Valentino M. Gantz, Fred Gould, Sarah Hartley, Elizabeth Heitman, Janet Hemingway, Hirotaka Kanuka, Jennifer Kuzma, James V. Lavery, Yoosook Lee, Marce Lorenzen, Jeantine E. Lunshof, John M. Marshall, Philipp W. Messer, Craig Montell, Kenneth A. Oye, Megan J. Palmer, Philippos Aris Papathanos, Prasad N. Paradkar, Antoinette J. Piaggio, Jason L. Rasgon, Gordana Rašić, Larisa Rudenko, J. Royden Saah, Maxwell J. Scott, Jolene T. Sutton, Adam E, Vorsino, Omar S. Akbari

United States Department of Agriculture Wildlife Services: Staff Publications

We must ensure that trials are scientifically, politically, and socially robust, publicly accountable, and widely transparent.

Gene drive organisms (GDOs), whose genomes have been genetically engineered to spread a desired allele through a population, have the potential to transform the way societies address a wide range of daunting public health and environmental challenges. The development, testing, and release of GDOs, however, are complex and often controversial. A key challenge is to clarify the appropriate roles of developers and others actively engaged in work with GDOs in decision-making processes, and, in particular, how to establish partnerships with relevant authorities and other …

Diagnosis And Distribution Of Florida Sand Darter, Ammocrypta Bifascia (Teleostei; Percidae), In The Flint River, Georgia, Camm C. Swift, Gregory R. Moyer, Christine E. Fallon, Brett Albanese

Southeastern Fishes Council Proceedings

Abstract: In 2013, we observed the presence of an undocumented Ammocrypta species in the lower Flint River, Georgia. The occurrence represents the first record of the genus in Georgia. Subsequent surveys at 24 sites, using seining or snorkeling, documented additional specimens from mainstem sites (n = 3) between Albany and Bainbridge and from Ichawaynochaway Creek (n = 5 sites), a large tributary to the Flint River. We used morphological and genetic data to identify specimens to species. Morphological examination included 23 morphometric and 8 meristic characters from fifteen specimens that were compared to specimens from Williams (1975). For genetic analyses, …

Exposing Lettuce Plants To Cyanobacteria In A Closed Hydroponics System To Reduce Cyanobacterial Growth And Production, Emily Eberly

Honors Projects

Sandusky Bay is largely populated by cyanobacterial algal blooms, mainly formed by Planktothrix. Fertilizers containing nitrogen and phosphorus run from agricultural lands into the bay, building up excess nutrients forming eutrophic waters. The Planktothrix feed off these nutrients and grow into algal blooms. To determine a potential solution to the growth of these blooms, I implemented a hydroponics system involving Lactuca Sativa for analysis of Planktothrix growth and productivity. Four different nutrient conditions were added to a Planktothrix-only solution and a solution growing Planktothrix with the lettuce in the hydroponics system. The four conditions consisted of no nutrient …

Taxonomic Review Of South American Butter Frogs: Phylogeny, Geographic Patterns, And Species Delimitation In The Leptodactylus Latrans Species Group (Anura: Leptodactylidae), Felipe De M. Magalhães, Mariana L. Lyra, Thiago R. De Carvalho, Diego Baldo, Francisco Brusquetti, Pamela Burella, Guarino R. Colli, Marcelo C. Gehara, Rafael O. De Sá, Et Al.

Biology Faculty Publications

The Leptodactylus latrans species group currently comprises eight medium- to large-sized frog species with a convoluted taxonomic history, particularly related to the specific limits of the L. latrans complex, and the species pair Leptodactylus chaquensis–Leptodactylus macrosternum. Their homogeneous external morphology and continental geographic distribution in South America have posed severe limitations to a comprehensive review, such that taxonomic consensus and species limits remain uncertain. This is further worsened by the presence of chromatic polymorphism among coexisting species that can hardly be distinguished by external morphology. Based on a large-scale geographic sampling including multilocus DNA analyses, and acoustic …

Impact Of Endangered Animal Protection Rights, Policies, And Practices On Zoonotic Disease Spread, Daniella Fedak-Lengel

Honors Projects

Building on field research in Costa Rica and Belize, this honors project analyzes environmental and endangered animal protection policies, rights, and practices in Central America and the Caribbean, and assesses the impact of veterinary science and biological research and practice, particularly conservation biology, on animal welfare concerns. Informed by the recent surge in awareness regarding zoonoses and zoonotic disease transmission, prevention and control, resulting from the current global pandemic of SARS-CoV-2, the project assesses the need for new and innovative types of collaboration, particularly involving conservation biologists, environmental scientists, public health experts, law and policy makers, and global trade and …

Blenny Territoriality At Oyster Landing, North Inlet Estuary, South Carolina: Seasonal Patterns And Ecological Factors, Sydney Davis, Juliana Harding

Honors Theses

Temperate oyster reef blennies use oyster shells that are still articulated as habitat year round. During the breeding season when water temperatures are > 18-20°C, many species of blenny males use the oyster valves as nesting sites. Male blennies exhibit territorial behavior when guarding their nesting sites and can interact differently with conspecific and transient species. Striped blenny (Chasmodes bosquianus) and freckled blenny (Hypsoblennius ionthas) behavior was described from April 2020 to August 2020 at Oyster Landing, North Inlet estuary, South Carolina to quantify typical blenny behavior, general presence or absence of residents, and potential environmental parameters …

Infaunal Bivalve Density And Richness In North Inlet Estuary, South Carolina: Seasonal Patterns And Ecological Factors, Valerie M. Knowles, Juliana Harding

Honors Theses

Estuarine bivalves recruit to benthic habitats after the larvae are in the planktonic stage. The observed infaunal bivalve density relates to larval supply from adult reproduction during warmer months as well as larval and juvenile mortality post-recruitment. The purpose of this research was to examine annual and seasonal patterns of infaunal bivalve density and richness in the context of habitat water temperature and salinity. Cores were collected biweekly from Bly Creek in North Inlet estuary between January 2019 and February 2020. Temperatures ranged from 9-30 ºC and salinity ranged from ~17-36 psu. Bivalves were sieved out of the cores, counted, …

Residency, Diel Movement, And Tidal Patterns Of Large Juvenile Bull Sharks (Carcharhinus Leucas) In Winyah Bay, Sc, Jeremy Lee Arnt

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

No abstract provided.

Synergies Among Environmental Science Research And Monitoring Networks: A Research Agenda, J. A. Jones, Peter M. Groffman, J. Blair, F. W. Davis, H. Dugan, E. E. Euskirchen, S. D. Frey, T. K. Harms, E. Hinckley, M. Kosmala, S. Loberg, S. Malone, K. Novick, S. Record, A. V. Rocha, B. L. Ruddell, E. H. Stanley, C. Sturtevant, A. Thorpe, T. White, W. R. Wieder, L. Zhai, K. Zhu

Advanced Science Research Center

Many research and monitoring networks in recent decades have provided publicly available data documenting environmental and ecological change, but little is known about the status of efforts to synthesize this information across networks. We convened a working group to assess ongoing and potential cross-network synthesis research and outline opportunities and challenges for the future, focusing on the US-based research network (the US Long-Term Ecological Research network, LTER) and monitoring network (the National Ecological Observatory Network, NEON). LTER-NEON cross-network research synergies arise from the potentials for LTER measurements, experiments, models, and observational studies to provide context and mechanisms for interpreting NEON …

An Examination Of The Influence Of Multi-Scale Processes And Connectivity On The Population And Assemblage Dynamics Of Headwater Fishes, Josh P. Hubbell

Dissertations

Typified by their branching pattern, headwaters are numerically abundant as the density of these habitats increases with increasing distance from the base of a dendritic river system. Connectivity among headwaters is complex, resulting in the spatial isolation of populations. Headwater specialists have evolved a suite of traits that permit these species to permanently reside within these habitats. The spatial configuration and connectivity of headwaters has repercussions for metapopulations and meta-assemblages. I investigated how multi-scale processes and connectivity influenced the patch occupancy, coexistence, movement ecology, population structure, and gene flow of headwater specialists. In chapter two, I used occupancy modeling to …

The Occurrence Of Microplastics Among Freshwater Fish Guilds In A South Carolina Reservoir, Chasity Rae Moore

Graduate Theses

No abstract provided.

Effects Of Infection Of The Protist Parasite, Dermomycoides Sp., In Dusky Gopher Frog Tadpoles, Jaime Smith

Master's Theses

Infections of the protist parasite, Dermomycoides sp. are thought to have caused several years of low recruitment in the dusky gopher frog (Rana sevosa) populations. I evaluated the effects of density of the infective zoospores, host developmental stage, and tadpoles' ability to acquire resistance to Dermomycoides sp. on dusky gopher frog tadpoles. Tadpoles were exposed to zoospore densities of 0, 250, 500, and 750 zoospores/µL at Gosner stage 25, and we found no significant differences among treatments in tadpole mortality. In evaluating susceptibility by development stage, I exposed R. sevosa to 50 zoospores/µL as eggs, embryos, hatchlings, and …

Analysis Of Seasonal Changes In Thermal Stress Resilience And Innate Immunity In The Temperate Coral, Astrangia Poculata, From Future Climate Impacts, Tyler Eugene Harman

Masters Theses

Over the years, global warming has had a devastating effect on coral reef ecosystems. Anthropogenic influences have caused significant increases in greenhouse gases, with a subsequent increase in solar radiation held within Earth’s atmosphere leading to increasing global temperatures. The increasing temperatures from concurrent increases in greenhouse gases impact fragile marine ecosystems such as coral reefs, which require particular environmental parameters such as temperature in order to survive and maintain a diverse ecosystem in which many marine species rely on. These increases in temperature exacerbate phenomena such as bleaching events and coral disease, drastically impacting coral on a global scale …

Neogene And Quaternary Events Shaped Diversification And Speciation In Bhutanese Rheophilic Fishes Of The Family Nemacheilidae (Cypriniformes) And Sisoridae (Siluriformes), Karma Wangchuk

Graduate Theses and Dissertations

Biogeography of the Himalayan region [to include the Qinghai-Tibetan Plateau (QTP)] evolved over a ~30M year span, catalyzed by the collision of the Indian and Eurasian plates. The resulting uplift produced major ecological and climatic effects, that in turn drove the diversification of biodiversity. As a result, the QTP is designated as a global biodiversity hotspot particularly vulnerable to cumulative climatic effects, including shrinking distributions, declining numbers, and local extinctions. Understanding how the biodiversity within the Himalaya/ QTP was established and maintained is a necessary first step in prioritizing conservation efforts.

Fishes in global montane regions, such as the Himalaya, …

Environmental Factors Influencing Primary Productivity Of The Forest-Forming Kelp Laminaria Hyperborea In The Northeast Atlantic, Dan A. Smale, Albert Pessarrodona, Nathan King, Michael T. Burrows, Anna Yunnie, Thomas Vance, Pippa Moore

Research outputs 2014 to 2021

© 2020, The Author(s). Rates and drivers of primary productivity are well understood for many terrestrial ecosystems, but remain poorly resolved for many marine ecosystems, particularly those within in coastal benthic environments. We quantified net primary productivity (NPP) using two methods as well as carbon standing stock within kelp forests (Laminaria hyperborea) at multiple subtidal habitats in the United Kingdom (UK). Study sites spanned 9° in latitude and encompassed a gradient in average temperature of ~ 2.5 °C. In addition to temperature, we measured other factors (e.g. light intensity, water motion, nutrients, sea urchin density) that may influence productivity. Although …

Fish And Macroinvertebrate Response To Restoration And Conservation Efforts, Madison C. Cogar

Graduate Theses/Dissertations

Fish and macroinvertebrate response to restoration and conservation efforts varies in regards to the size and structure of the system (e.g. headwater streams in WV versus large rivers such as the Mississippi River). This project reviews fish and macroinvertebrate rebound in treated acid mine drainage (AMD) streams in WV as well as macroinvertebrate drift patterns in the Mississippi and Missouri Rivers. AMD is a product of a chemical reaction resulting in an acidic water outflow from mining sites, which may harm aquatic life. As a response, passive AMD treatment systems have been installed. I tested the effectiveness of remediation by …

Light Conditions During Desiccation And Rehydration Impact The Recovery Of Cultured Timmiella Crassinervis, Sotodeh Ebrahimi

UNLV Theses, Dissertations, Professional Papers, and Capstones

Many terrestrial mosses of xeric environments experience excess light during extended periods of desiccation. While dry or hydrated, excess light energy can lead to formation of reactive oxygen species and photoinhibition (e.g. damage to Photosystem II) which affects photosynthetic stress and efficiency. This study aimed to determine the effect of duration dry and light intensity (PAR) on cultured shoots of the chaparral moss Timmiella crassinervis, as well as to elucidate the optimal rehydration light conditions for this species. I hypothesized that 1) mosses exposed to higher light intensities during desiccation would incur more damage upon rehydration than those exposed to …

Effects Of Wildfire On Plant And Insect Pollinator Communities In The Mojave Desert, Nha Trang Vivian Sam

UNLV Theses, Dissertations, Professional Papers, and Capstones

The changing fire regime of landscapes across the Mojave Desert has prompted considerable research on its effects on plant community recovery, but it has not been widely studied what effects wildfire may have on native pollinators and the vital ecosystem services they provide. Ecological changes from increased wildfire severity from invasive exotic annual grasses will likely continue influencing pollinator habitats and floral resources. Understanding the effects that wildfires have on pollinators is valuable to make decisions as to whether active management and restoration activities are required to conserve ecologically vital pollinator functions. The intention of this thesis was to examine …

The Effects Of Multiple Stressors On Stream Communities: The Convergence Of Drought, Nutrient Pollution, And Invasive Species, Robert Joseph Fournier Iii

Graduate Theses and Dissertations

Freshwater systems experience multi-faceted degradation from a variety of ecological and environmental stressors. Three common stressors in these systems, drought, nutrient pollution, and invasive species, have wide-ranging effects on stream population- community- and ecosystem dynamics. We have a broad understanding of how each of these stressors works to influence stream systems independently. However, we still know relatively little about if, and how, these stressors might interact when they co-occur. Though drought is a natural part of many stream systems, all three of these stressors can be exacerbated or facilitated by anthropogenic actions. Accordingly, as human population and resource use continue …

Linking Mosquito Surveillance To Dengue Fever Through Bayesian Mechanistic Modeling, Clinton B. Leach, Jennifer A. Hoeting, Kim M. Pepin, Alvaro E. Eiras, Mevin B. Hooten, Colleen T. Webb

United States Department of Agriculture Wildlife Services: Staff Publications

Our ability to effectively prevent the transmission of the dengue virus through targeted control of its vector, Aedes aegypti, depends critically on our understanding of the link between mosquito abundance and human disease risk. Mosquito and clinical surveillance data are widely collected, but linking them requires a modeling framework that accounts for the complex non-linear mechanisms involved in transmission. Most critical are the bottleneck in transmission imposed by mosquito lifespan relative to the virus’ extrinsic incubation period, and the dynamics of human immunity. We developed a differential equation model of dengue transmission and embedded it in a Bayesian hierarchical …

Stygobitic Crustaceans In An Anchialine Cave With An Archeological Heritage At Vodeni Rat (Island Of Sveti Klement, Hvar, Croatia), Alessandro Montanari, Nicolas Cerveau, Barbara Fiasca, Jean-François Flot, Diana Galassi, Maurizio Mainiero, David Mcgee, Tadeusz Namiotko, Stefano Recanatini, Fabio Stoch

International Journal of Speleology

A group of four amphoras found in the anchialine cave of Vodeni Rat in the Croatian island of Sveti Klement, on a rocky ledge at 24 m water depth, indicates that a freshwater source was exploited at the bottom of this karstic pit by islanders and/or passing-by sailors from the late Roman Republican Period to the Early Medieval Period. In other words, prior to the 4^th–7^th century CE, Vodeni Rat was not an anchialine cave but a Pleistocene karstic pit with a freshwater pool at the bottom. Seawater started to infiltrate this cavity via newly opened fissures …

The Birds Of The Nebraska Sandhills, Paul A. Johnsgard, Josef Kren

Zea E-Books Collection

This book provides basic information on all the species of birds that have been reliably reported from the Nebraska Sandhills region as of 2020. They include 46 permanent residents, 125 summer breeders, 125 migrants, and 102 rare or accidental species, totaling 398 species. Information on status, migration, and habitats is provided for all but the very rare and accidental species. There are also descriptions of 46 refuges, preserves, and other public-access natural areas in the region and seven suggested birding routes. The text contains more than 90,000 words and over 250 literature references along with more than 20 drawings, 9 …

Multidecadal Analysis Of Beach Loss At The Major Offshore Sea Turtle Nesting Islands In The Northern Arabian Gulf, Rommel H. Maneja, Jeffrey D. Miller, Wenzhao Li, Rejoice Thomas, Hesham El-Askary, Sachi Perera, Ace Vincent B. Flandez, Abdullajid U. Basali, Joselito Francis A. Alcaria, Jinoy Gopalan, Surya Prakash Tiwari, Mubarak Al-Jedani, Perdana K. Prihartato, Ronald A. Loughlan, Ali Qasem, Mohamed A. Qurban, Wail Falath, Daniele Struppa

Mathematics, Physics, and Computer Science Faculty Articles and Research

Undocumented historical losses of sea turtle nesting beaches worldwide could overestimate the successes of conservation measures and misrepresent the actual status of the sea turtle population. In addition, the suitability of many sea turtle nesting sites continues to decline even without in-depth scientific studies of the extent of losses and impacts to the population. In this study, multidecadal changes in the outlines and area of Jana and Karan islands, major sea turtle nesting sites in the Arabian Gulf, were compared using available Kodak aerographic images, USGS EROS Declassified satellite imagery, and ESRI satellite images. A decrease of 5.1% and 1.7% …

Genomic Evidence Suggests Further Changes Of Butterfly Names, Jing Zhang, Qian Cong, Jinhui Shen, Pal A. Opler, Nick V. Grishin

The Taxonomic Report of the International Lepidoptera Survey

Further genomic sequencing of butterflies by our research group expanding the coverage of species and specimens from different localities, coupled with genome-scale phylogenetic analysis and complemented by phenotypic considerations, suggests a number of changes to the names of butterflies, mostly those recorded from the United States and Canada. Here, we present evidence to support these changes. The changes are intended to make butterfly classification more internally consistent at the genus, subgenus and species levels. That is, considering all available evidence, we attempt to assign similar taxonomic ranks to the clades of comparable genetic differentiation, which on average is correlated with …

Swimming Point Benthic Community Condition Elizabeth River (2019), Daniel M. Dauer

Elizabeth River Reports

Executive Summary

The subtidal macrobenthic communities off Swimming Point in the Elizabeth River were quantitatively sampled in summer 2019. The primary objective of this study was to characterize the ecological condition of the benthos compared to benthic data collected in summer 2010 (Dauer 2011).

The estimated the level of degraded benthic bottom of the Swimming Point stratum (BIBI < 3.0) in 2019 was 64% ± 18.8% a decrease from the 2010 value of 84% ± 14.0%. The level of severely degraded bottom (BIBI ≤ 2.0) in 2019 was 28% ± 17.6% compared to the 2010 value of 52% ± 19.6%. The ecological condition of benthic communities at Swimming Point in 2019 were comparable to the values for the Mainstem segment of the Elizabeth River in 2019 which had an estimated degraded benthic bottom of 52% ± 19.6% and a value of 36% ± 18.8 of severely degraded bottom.

The BIBI and its metrics showed a mixture of improvements and degradations in benthic community condition. Compared to the previous benthic community condition reported in Dauer (2011) the 2019 Swimming Point benthos: (1) the average BIBI value improved significantly from 2.2 ± …

Coyotes, Rick Tischaefer

Wildlife Damage Management Technical Series

The coyote (Canis latrans; Figure 1) is a medium-sized member of the canid family. Once primarily found in western deserts and grasslands, coyotes have expanded their range across North America and into diverse habitats, including urban areas. This expansion occurred during a time of extensive habitat change and efforts by people to suppress coyote populations to prevent damage. Coyotes can cause a variety of conflicts related to agriculture, natural resources, property, and human health and safety. This document highlights a variety of methods for reducing those conflicts. Coyotes are a highly adaptable species and may become habituated to some management …

Spotted Owls And Forest Fire: Comment, Gavin M. Jones, R. J. Gutiérrez, William M. Block, Peter C. Carlson, Emily J. Comfort, Samuel A. Cushman, Raymond J. Davis, Stephanie A. Eyes, Alan B. Franklin, Joseph L. Ganey, Shaula Hedwall, John J. Keane, Rodd Kelsey, Damon B, Lesmeister, Malcolm P. North, Susan L. Roberts, Jeremy T. Rockweit, Jamie S. Sanderlin, Sarah C. Sawyer, Ben Solvesky, Douglas J. Tempel, Ho Yi Wan, A. Leroy Westerling, Gary C. White, M. Zachariah Peery

United States Department of Agriculture Wildlife Services: Staff Publications

Western North American forest ecosystems are experiencing rapid changes in disturbance regimes because of climate change and land use legacies (Littell et al. 2018). In many of these forests, the accumulation of surface and ladder fuels from a century of fire suppression, coupled with a warming and drying climate, has led to increases in the number of large fires (Westerling 2016) and the proportion of areas burning at higher severity (Safford and Stevens 2017, Singleton et al. 2018). While the annual area burned by fire is still below historical levels (Taylor et al. 2016), some forest types in the west …

Anthropogenic Change On The Distribution Of Marine Megafauna And Their Prey, Baylie Fadool

Honors Program: Senior Projects (Public)

Anthropogenic change is impacting the distribution and survival of marine megafauna and their prey. Humans are changing every aspect of the marine environment, with effects reaching as large as changing the composition of marine environments to directly overexploiting species through the fishing industry. The role that marine megafauna play in balancing ecosystems, including as top apex predators, leads to detrimental results in the absences and population declines of these species. Migrations and declines due to threats on marine apex predator species will alter their environments by causing mesopredator release and changes in community structure, which is often associated with reduced …

Loci Associated With Antibody Response In Feral Swine (Sus Scrofa) Infected With Brucella Suis, Courtney F. Pierce, Vienna R. Brown, Steven C. Olsen, Paola Boggiatto, Kerri Pedersen, Ryan S. Miller, Scott E. Speidel, Timothy J. Smyser

United States Department of Agriculture Wildlife Services: Staff Publications

Feral swine (Sus scrofa) are a destructive invasive species widespread throughout the United States that disrupt ecosystems, damage crops, and carry pathogens of concern for the health of domestic stock and humans including Brucella suis—the causative organism for swine brucellosis. In domestic swine, brucellosis results in reproductive failure due to abortions and infertility. Contact with infected feral swine poses spillover risks to domestic pigs as well as humans, companion animals, wildlife, and other livestock. Genetic factors influence the outcome of infectious diseases; therefore, genome wide association studies (GWAS) of differential immune responses among feral swine can provide …