Terrestrial and Aquatic Ecology Commons^™

Effects Of Climate Change On Spring Ecosystem Hydroecology As A Guide To Developing Alternative Water Policies, Scott Mensing, Saxon E. Sharpe, Scott Bassett, Don Sada, Jim Thomas

Climate Change Seminar Series (NNE)

Hydroecology: the interface of ecological systems and water which combines the scientific disciplines of hydrology and ecology

Goal: evaluate the hydrologic and climate history using pollen, loss on ignition, total inorganic carbon, and invertebrates from spring sediments in Spring Valley, Eastern Nevada and Snake Valley, Western Utah

Effects Of Herbicides And Grazing On Floristic Quality Of Native Tallgrass Pastures In Eastern South Dakota And Southwestern Minnesota, Alexander J. Smart, Matthew J. Nelson, Peter J. Bauman, Gary E. Larson

Great Plains Research: A Journal of Natural and Social Sciences (through 2013)

Historic herbicide use and grazing have influenced natural diversity and quality of native pasturelands in the Great Plains. Floristic quality assessments are useful to assist agencies in prioritizing conservation practices to enhance native grasslands. The objective of this study was to determine the effects of past land-use practices on the floristic quality of remnant native pastures in eastern South Dakota and southwestern Minnesota. Floristic quality assessments were conducted on 30 native pastures and categorized by past management practices (herbicide application and grazing intensity). Mean coefficient of conservatism (C) and floristic quality index (FQI) were calculated for each site~Results showed that …

Review Of A Field Guide To The Amphibians And Reptiles Of Nebraska. By Daniel D. Fogell., Joseph T. Collins

Great Plains Research: A Journal of Natural and Social Sciences (through 2013)

A good field guide to any wildlife group includes an identification key, quality photographs, distribution maps, and a natural history summary. The recently published Field Guide to the Amphibians and Reptiles of Nebraska does not fail the reader in this regard, having all of these features and more. Dan Fogell effectively presents all 62 species of amphibians, turtles, and reptiles native to Nebraska as well as four additional species of possible occurrence within the state, and all in a useful and compact guide that can be toted easily on a hike or any other field expedition.

This long-overdue updated field …

Review Of Rare: Portraits Of America's Endangered Species. By Joel Sartore., Jim Mason

Great Plains Research: A Journal of Natural and Social Sciences (through 2013)

Short of being in the presence of a creature, a really good photograph of one can also make a lasting impression. That is something RARE does compellingly, with exquisite portrait photos of 68 North American species that are dwindling dangerously in numbers or have recently recovered from the brink of extinction. Included are such Great Plains natives as the lesser prairie chicken, the interior least tern, and the black-footed ferret. All creatures were photographed with either a pure white or black background, but unconventional poses surprise the reader with each turn of the page, while creative framing and layout engage …

Review Of Grass: In Search Of Human Habitat. By Joe C. Truett. Foreword By Harry W. Greene., Mary Ann Vinton

Great Plains Research: A Journal of Natural and Social Sciences (through 2013)

Much of the book is devoted to discussing the heavy human dependence on grasslands and whether this relationship can be maintained in company with grassland conservation. Can humans continue to use grasslands for food, fiber, and newer uses like biofuels and carbon banking while still sustaining the ecosystem? Many of us in academic ecology struggle with resolving perceived conflicts between conservation and human grassland use. In many cases, a "win-win" scenario exists in which, for example, the proper use of livestock grazing is perfectly compatible with a healthy grassland ecosystem. In other cases, such as conserving prairie dog populations, tensions …

The Ecology Of The Timber Rattlesnake (Crotalus Horridus) In Southeastern Virginia, Scott M. Goetz

Biological Sciences Theses & Dissertations

Few studies have examined the relationship between forest canopy structure and the ecology of the timber rattlesnake (Crotalus horridus). I used radiotelemetry to compare the movements, activity range sizes and behaviors of timber rattlesnakes before and after a large-scale natural disturbance that opened a previously closed canopy. The disturbance was Hurricane Isabel which made landfall in northeast North Carolina and southeastern Virginia in 2003. Isabel created gaps in the canopy through tree blowdown, resulting in a 16.6% opening in the forest canopy at my study site, in southeastern Virginia. I compared six years of female tracking data from …

Effects Of Coral Stressing On The Feeding Preferences Of The Coral Predator, Acanthaster Planci, Harriet Booth

Independent Study Project (ISP) Collection

Coral predators have always been a natural occurrence on coral reefs, but recent studies have begun to focus on the feeding preferences of these predators in relation to bleached and damaged corals. The recent mass bleaching events, mainly resulting from factors of climate change, have motivated researchers to study the effects of predation on the affected corals to determine the extent of harm these large-scale disturbances may be causing to reefs. This study examined how coral stressing affects the feeding preferences of Acanthaster planci, a coral-feeding starfish that has been known to cause widespread damage to coral reefs, especially during …

What Is The Value Of A Sea Turtle?: A Case Study Of The Conservation Ethics Of Sea Turtle Fishermen In The Caribbean Coast Of Nicaragua, Alicia Conte

Independent Study Project (ISP) Collection

The sea turtle populations on the Caribbean Coast of Nicaragua have dramatically decreased as a result of human use and consumption. All species of sea turtles are endangered and at risk of extinction. This is an environmental issue because if sea turtles go extinct, many other plants and animals in marine ecosystems will be negatively impacted by this loss, and the environment will be drastically altered. This is also problematic for locals who depend on this resource for food and as a source of income. Conservation efforts have been initiated by an international NGO, the Wildlife Conservation Society (WCS); however, …

Limnological Assistance For Lake Mead National Recreation Area: Quarterly Report, Period Ending September 30, 2011, Margaret N. Rees

Limnological Studies

Project 1

• Technical assistance with the implementation of the Interagency Monitoring Action Plan (I-MAP) for Quagga Mussels is ongoing. During this quarter, processing of all 2010 juvenile/adult samples was completed; remaining analyses are underway. The project team assisted NPS with 2011 collections.
• A final report on Veliger abundance and settlement at different depths of Lake Mead is in preparation for delivery at the end of November 2011; sample analysis continues for Growth of adult quagga mussels within Las Vegas Wash/Las Vegas Bay with report delivery planned for the end of November 2011.
• The Interagency Quagga Mussel Meeting was held on …

Limits To Sexual Reproduction In Geothermal Bryophytes, Sarah M. Eppley, Todd N. Rosenstiel, Camille Brianne Graves, Estefanía Llaneza García

Biology Faculty Publications and Presentations

Previous research suggests that while sexual reproduction generally increases with environmental stress it may decrease with extreme stress, at the edge of eukaryotic life. In this study, we explored the limits to sexual reproduction in an extremophile, bryophyte system to ultimately understand the processes that limit sexual reproduction. We used field data from geothermal sites at Lassen Volcanic National Park, California, to demonstrate that sexual reproduction, as measured by the number of sporophytes per shoot, decreases with increasing environmental stress. We found that the number of sporophytes per shoot is positively correlated with distance from geothermal features. When Pohlia nutans …

Classifying And Mapping Diversity In A Species-Poor System: The Mangrove Meta-Community Of Laguna Chacahua National Park, Oaxaca, Mexico, Elizabeth Kay Weisgerber

Master's Theses

ABSTRACT

Classifying and Mapping Diversity in a Species-Poor System: the mangrove meta-community of Laguna Chacahua National Park, Oaxaca, Mexico

by

Elizabeth Kay Weisgerber

Both field transects and imagery grid plots were analyzed with the goal of creating a community classification map for the mangrove forest of Parque Nacional Lagunas de Chacahua. In total, data was collected in 49 sites throughout the park, recording measures such as DBH, basal area, estimated dominance, frequency, cover and relative dominance. Field locations were marked and georeferenced with a GPS and grid plots overlaid on satellite imagery of the park were generated via a random …

Human Pathogen Shown To Cause Disease In The Threatened Elkhorn Coral Acropora Palmata, Kathryn Patterson Sutherland, Sameera Shaban, Jessica L. Joyner, James W. Porter, Erin K. Lipp

Faculty Publications

Coral reefs are in severe decline. Infections by the human pathogen Serratia marcescens have contributed to precipitous losses in the common Caribbean elkhorn coral, Acropora palmata, culminating in its listing under the United States Endangered Species Act. During a 2003 outbreak of this coral disease, called acroporid serratiosis (APS), a unique strain of the pathogen, Serratia marcescens strain PDR60, was identified from diseased A. palmata, human wastewater, the non-host coral Siderastrea siderea and the corallivorous snail Coralliophila abbreviata. In order to examine humans as a source and other marine invertebrates as vectors and/or reservoirs of the APS pathogen, challenge experiments …

The Use Of Chloramines To Eradicate Quagga Mussel Larvae, Trea Lacroix, Kumud Acharya

Undergraduate Research Opportunities Program (UROP)

Quagga Mussels, Dressenia bugensis, are a growing problem in the western United States, particularly in their ability to infest underwater infrastructures and clog water intake pipes and screens of power and treatment plants. Chlorine has been found to be the most effective chemical to get rid of veligers (planktonic larval form of quagga mussels) in the pipes. However, chlorine leaves a residue called trihalomethane, which is a carcinogen at higher concentrations. The purpose of this project is to test the effectiveness of an alternate chemical, chloramines (chlorine and ammonia), which leaves behind little to no residual trihalomethane. Upon experimentation with …

Effects Of Climate Change On The Viability Of The Devils Hole Pupfish, Matthew Heuton, Stanley D. Hillyard, Frank Van Breukelen

Undergraduate Research Opportunities Program (UROP)

Devils hole is an unusual, cavernous, aquifer-fed its ideal temperature range. spring in Death Valley National Park. It is the only home to a critically endangered species, Cyprinidon diabolis, a.k.a. The Devils Hole Pupfish. C. diabolis allows us a unique look at the impact of climate change on a species that has no gene flow and no possibility of escape from its current habitat. Climate change affects ectotherms (cold-blooded animals) tremendously since their body temperature is subject to changes in the temperature of their environment. In the case of C. diabolis, they are subject to high temperatures year round, around …

A Spatial And Temporal Analysis Of Microbial Communities In Great Boiling Spring, Nevada, U.S.A., Jessica K. Guy, Joseph P. Peacock, Jeremy A. Dodsworth, Tanja Woyke, Tijana G. Del Rio, Brian P. Hedlund

Undergraduate Research Opportunities Program (UROP)

Great Boiling Spring (GBS) is a large, circumneutral, long residence time geothermal spring in the US Great Basin. Twelve samples were taken from four different sediment sites and the planktonic community in the bulk water of GBS on up to four different dates. Microbial community composition and diversity was assessed by using a barcoded, improved universal primer set targeting the V8 portion of the 16S rRNA gene and PCR. Over 200,000 products were sequenced using the Roche 454 GS FLX Titanium System. Sediment and planktonic microbial communities were distinct with very little overlap, regardless of the sampling location or temperature. …

Rumbling In The Benthos: Acoustic Ecology Of The California Mantis Shrimp Hemisquilla Californiensis, E. Staaterman, C. Clark, A. Gallagher, M. Devries, T. Claverie, S. Patek

Faculty Publications, Biological Sciences

Although much research has focused on acoustic mapping and exploration of the benthic environment, little is known about the acoustic ecology of benthic organisms, particularly benthic crustaceans. Through the use of a coupled audio–video system, a hydrophone array, and an autonomous recording unit, we tested several hypotheses about the field acoustics of a benthic marine crustacean, Hemisquilla califor­niensis. Living in muddy burrows in southern California, these large mantis shrimp produce low frequency ‘rumbles’ through muscle vibrations. First, we tested whether acoustic signals are similar in the field and in the laboratory, and discovered that field-produced rumbles are more acoustically and …

Interspecies Comparison Of Αii-Spectrin Abundance Between Chinook Salmon And Steelhead, Brielle D. Kemis, Ann L. Miracle, Katie A. Wagner, Christa M. Woodley

STAR Program Research Presentations

Salmonids, such as Chinook salmon (Oncorhynchus tshawytscha) and steelhead (O. mykiss), are a staple economic, recreational, tribal, and environmental resource, yet many populations are unsustainable. This study was part of a broad scale effort to monitor the impact of downstream migration obstacles on juvenile salmonid health and survival, which is an essential step towards increasing Smolt-to-Adult Return ratios (SARs). The objective of this study was to determine if juvenile Chinook salmon and steelhead exhibit differing quantities of alphaII-Spectrin Breakdown Products (SBDPs) over two consecutive spring migration periods, indicative of neurogenesis rate and/or biological response to head …

Relationship Of Maternal Flow Environment To Offspring Size In Botrylloides Violaceus, Damion J. Delton, Sarah Cohen

STAR Program Research Presentations

Colonial botryllid tunicates, such as Botrylloides violaceus, brood large, non-feeding offspring with extremely limited larval life spans of minutes to perhaps one day. Despite the importance of this transitory life history stage, there is little information on how environmental factors such as ambient water flow affect larval size among invertebrates. Since adult tunicates feed by filtering particles from the water flowing around the siphons, we reasoned that colonies of B. violaceus in high water flow may produce larger offspring due to greater food availability. We tested to see whether there was a relationship between larval size and water motion in …

Informing Carbon In Arctic Reservoirs Vulnerability Experiment Flight Schedule Based Upon Soil And Vegetation Freeze And Thaw Event Variation Along The Alaska Ecological Transect, Jessica Potter, Kyle Mcdonald, Erika Podest

STAR Program Research Presentations

Established in the 1990s, the Alaska Ecological Transect (ALECTRA) is composed of a series of ground stations extending from the Franklin Bluff on Alaska’s North Slope to the Kenai Peninsula, south of Anchorage. At each station, sets of thermistors are deployed to monitor vegetation tissue temperature, air temperature, and soil profile temperatures. Also sensors are deployed for monitoring sap flow in individual trees. The stations are automated, with data loggers recording this data approximately every two hours. Dates marking the spring thaw and fall freeze transitions in soil and vegetation tissues from sites in Coldfoot, Dietrich Valley, and Bonanza Creek …

Fisheries Occasional Publication No.99 - Review Of The Western Australian Rock Lobster Stock Assessment, Andre E. Punt, Department Of Fisheries Western Australia

Fisheries Occasional Publications

In 2000, the West Australian Rock Lobster (WRL) fishery became the first fishery in the world to be certified by the Marine Stewardship Council (MSC). At the annual audit in December 2010, the MSC’s independent certifying body, Scientific Certification Systems, set a number of conditions for ongoing certification. The most important condition under Principle 1, Stock Assessment, was to have an international stock assessment and modelling expert undertake a review of the latest version of the WRL Stock Assessment Report that has been used to provide advice for the management of the fishery, and 2010 stock assessment and 2010/11 management …

Biological Condition Of Money Pont Benthic Communities, Southern Branch Of The Elizabeth River (2010), Daniel M. Dauer

Elizabeth River Reports

Executive Summary

The subtidal macrobenthic communities off Money Point in the Southern Branch of the Elizabeth River were quantitatively sampled in summer 2011. The designated Money Point study area will be a part of a sediment contaminant remediation effort. The primary objectives of this study were to: (1) characterize the biological health of the benthos of Money Point and (2) produce an historical data base that will allow an assessment of the effectiveness of the proposed sediment contamination remediation efforts with respect to Money Point benthos.

The most quantitative characterization of the benthos of the Elizabeth River watershed was the …

Dissolved And Colloidal Element Transport Through The Coastal Transition Zone, Moo Joon Shim

Dissertations

There are several factors (e.g., hurricanes, floodplain, and anthropogenic sources) that could modify trace element behavior through the coastal transition zone (CTZ). However, there is still a lack of information about these variables in affecting trace elements in the CTZ. For this study, water samples were collected in the Pearl River (PR), Bay of St. Louis (BSL), and the Mississippi River plume to study the effects of these factors on trace element.

A possible effect of Hurricane Katrina on water quality was examined in the East Pearl River (EPR). Hurricane Katrina could have resulted in increased inputs of organic matter …

Discontinuities: Predicting Invasions And Extinctions, Aaron Lotz

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

In this dissertation, I explore multiple tenets of the textural discontinuity hypothesis, which states that hierarchical landscape structures with scale-specific pattern entrain attributes of animals inhabiting the landscape. Landscapes form hierarchies that are structured by vegetative, geomorphological and contagious disturbance processes. The spatial and temporal patterns inherent in landscapes reflect numerous processes, interacting on distinct scales, which shape the assembly of animal communities. Analysis of body mass patterns and functional group distributions has been suggested as methods to provide insight about these underlying hierarchical processes. Scientists have posited that species at the edges of body mass aggregations may be exposed …

Satellite Finds Highest Land Skin Temperatures On Earth, David J. Mildrexler, Maosheng Zhao, Steven W. Running

Ecosystem and Conservation Sciences Faculty Publications

The location of the hottest spot on Earth has undoubtedly been an interesting curiosity for centuries. Even with the advent of the instrumental temperature record around the year 1850, the location of the hottest spot on Earth has continued to be the subject of debate and controversy. In 1913, the weather station at Furnace Creek in Death Valley National Park, California, measured an air temperature of 56.7°C (134.1°F) and claimed the title of “hottest place on Earth.” Nine years later in El Azizia, Libya, an air temperature of 57.8°C (136°F) was recorded on land owned by an Italian farmer and …

The Distribution And Life Cycle Of Alliaria Petiolate In Lincoln, Nebraska, Caleb Pharris

Department of Environmental Studies: Undergraduate Student Theses

Alliaria petiolata (Garlic Mustard) is a biennial alien invasive plant species of the Brassicacea family. It is responsible for displacing native plant species throughout North America and its management has proven to be extremely difficult. Recently several populations of Alliaria petiolata have been discovered in southwestern Lincoln, Nebraska. The spread of Alliaria petiolata is a concern for natural resource managers and the general public. Due to the difficulty of its control, Alliaria petiolata is capable of creating monocultures which diminish the aesthetic value of an ecosystem. While most commonly found in the understory of hardwood forests, it is capable of …

Exploring Sources Of Selection On The Multimodal Courtship Displays Of Two Sister Species Of Wolf Spiders: Schizocosa Crassipalpata And Schizocosa Bilineata, Mitch D. Bern

School of Biological Sciences: Dissertations, Theses, and Student Research

We examined multiple sources of selection on the multimodal courtship display of two sister species of wolf spiders, Schizocosa crassipalpata and Schizocosa bilineata. We first experimentally altered body condition in these two species by employing divergent diet treatments. We then tested for differences in adult male seismic courtship displays, visual courtship displays, and foreleg morphology; as well as adult female foreleg morphology. We then simultaneously examined both content and efficacy-based sources of selection on the visual and seismic multimodal courtship display of both species by conducting mate choice trials with high and low diet individuals across manipulated signaling environments …

Rats As Forest Pests In Southeastern Virginia: Girdling By The Hispid Cotton Rat Sigmodon Hispidus As A Significant Source Of Mortality Of Loblolly Pines (Pinus Taeda) In A Successional Pine Forest, Robyn M. Nadolny

Biological Sciences Theses & Dissertations

The hispid cotton rat (Sigmodon hispidus) is a common field rodent throughout the southeastern US, where volunteer loblolly pine trees (Pinus taeda) invade open space and begin the process of ecological succession from field to pine forest. Recent analysis of the diet of S. hispidus indicates that loblolly pine bark is stripped and eaten during the winter months. In this study, we explored the extent of rodent girdling on a 1.23 ha grid in a successional pine forest in southeastern Virginia. During the winter of 2005 we observed damage to 65% of trees in our study area, with 98% …

Limnological Assistance For Lake Mead National Recreation Area: Quarterly Report, Period Ending June 30, 2011, Margaret N. Rees

Limnological Studies

Project 1

• Technical assistance with the implementation of the Interagency Monitoring Action Plan (I-MAP) for Quagga Mussels is ongoing. During this quarter, analysis was completed for 42 juvenile/adult samples and analyses of the remaining samples are underway.
• As of 7/07/11 all sample sets will have been collected for Veliger abundance and settlement at different depths of Lake Mead; sampling continues for Growth of adult quagga mussels within Las Vegas Wash/Las Vegas Bay.
• The Interagency Quagga Mussel Meeting was held on 05/17/11; the next meeting is scheduled for 08/25/11.

Project 2

• Appendix 7, an addition to the Long-term Limnological and Aquatic …

Life History Benefits Of Residency In A Partially Migrating Pond-Breeding Amphibian, Kristine L. Grayson, Larissa L. Bailey, Henry M. Wilbur

Biology Faculty Publications

Species with partial migration, where a portion of a population migrates and the other remains residential, provide the opportunity to evaluate conditions for migration and test mechanisms influencing migratory decisions. We conducted a five-year study of two populations of red-spotted newts (Notophthalmus viridescens), composed of individuals that either remain as residents in the breeding pond over the winter or migrate to the terrestrial habitat. We used multistate mark-recapture methods to (1) test for differences in survival probability between migrants and residents, (2) determine if migrants breed every year or skip opportunities for reproduction, and (3) estimate the frequency …

Population Dynamics Of The Western Prickly Pear, Opuntia Macrorhiza (Cactaceae), Kathleen H. Keeler, Brigitte Tenhumberg

School of Biological Sciences: Faculty Publications

Although most cacti that have been studied are long lived, following individually marked plants in Boulder County, Colorado, for >7 years, we determined that average life span of Opuntia macrorhiza, the western prickly pear, is 3 years. A few individuals probably live >10 years. Vegetative reproduction, produced by rooting of cladodes, exceeded reproduction by germination and establishment from seeds. Both types of new recruits, from vegetative reproduction and seeds, had higher death rates than established plants. Size and frequency of flowering increased with age, although size both increased and decreased, sometimes dramatically, between years. Flowering correlated more strongly with …