Physical Sciences and Mathematics Commons^™

Prairie Falcon Depredation Attempts On A Greater Prairie-Chicken Lek In South-Central Nebraska, Andrew J. Caven, Joshua D. Wiese, William R. Wallauer

The Prairie Naturalist

Little information exists concerning Prairie falcons’ (Falco mexicanus; PRFA) seasonal movements, habitat use, and diet outside of the breeding season; this is especially true in the eastern portion of its wintering and migratory range (Steenhof 1998, Sharpe et al. 2001, Steenhof et al. 2005). Prairie falcons prey on ground squirrels (Spermophilus spp.), prairie dogs (Cynomys spp.), wood rats (Neotoma spp.), and other rodents during the breeding season (Bond 1936, 1942, MacLaren et al. 1988, Steenhof 1998, Steenhof et al. 1999, Johnsgard 2013). They utilize avian prey regionally as well, including western meadowlarks (Sturnella neglecta …

The Prairie Naturalist: The Journal Of The Great Plains Natural Science Society

The Prairie Naturalist

TABLE OF CONTENTS

45 EDITOR’S NOTE

RESEARCH ARTICLES

48 Avian Diversity, Abundance, and Nest Success among Managed Prairies and Agricultural Plots in Oklahoma and Texas Phillip J. Leonard, Douglas R. Wood, and Wayne E. Meyer

57 Severe Drought Impacts Female Pheasant Physiology in Southwest Nebraska Jessica A. Laskowski, Gwen C. Bachman, and Joseph J. Fontaine

66 Field Discrimination of Prairie Deer Mice and White-footed Mice using Morphological Characteristics Jacob L. Berl, Kelton M. Verble, Elizabeth A. Flaherty, and Robert K. Swihart

NOTES

72 Range Extension of the Virgina Opossum (Didelphis virginiana) in North Dakota Lisa L. Walsh

76 Prairie Falcon …

The Great Plains Natural Science Society

The Prairie Naturalist

The Great Plains Natural Science Society, formerly the North Dakota Natural Science Society, was founded in 1967 and seeks to promote interest in and understanding of natural history in the Great Plains, to encourage the conservation of natural resources, and to provide communication among individuals, institutions, and organizations of like interests. The GPNSS actively promotes the study of natural history of the Great Plains region, including geology, plants, birds, mammals, fish, insects, and other forms of life. Together with local, state, and national conservation organizations, the GPNSS fosters natural resource conservation and preservation of outstanding natural areas. The GPNSS publishes …

Distributions Of Krill And Antarctic Silverfish And Correlations With Environmental Variables In The Western Ross Sea, Antarctica, L. Brynn Davis, Eileen E. Hofmann, John M. Klinck, Andrea Piñones, Michael S. Dinniman

CCPO Publications

Antarctic krill Euphausia superba, crystal krill E. crystallorophias, and Antarctic silverfish Pleuragramma antarctica are key mid-trophic level species in the Ross Sea, connecting primary production to the upper trophic levels. Distributions of these species were constructed from observations made in the western Ross Sea from 1988 to 2004. Distributions of environmental conditions were obtained from a 5-km resolution circulation model (temperature, mixed layer depth, surface speed) and satellite-derived observations (chlorophyll, sea ice cover). A hierarchy of statistical methods determined correlations and relationships between species and environmental conditions. Each species occupies a localized habitat defined by different environmental characteristics. …

Short-Term Toxicity Of 1-Methylnaphthalene To Americamysis Bahia And 5 Deep-Sea Crustaceans, Anthony H. Knap, Nicholas R. Turner, Gopal Bera, Dorothy-Ellen A. Renegar, Tamara Frank, Jose Sericano, Bernhard Riegl

Marine & Environmental Sciences Faculty Articles

There are few studies that have evaluated hydrocarbon toxicity to vertically migrating deep-sea micronekton. Crustaceans were collected alive using a 9-m² Tucker trawl with a thermally insulated cod end and returned to the laboratory in 10 °C seawater. Toxicity of the polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbon 1-methylnaphthalene to Americamysis bahia, Janicella spinacauda, Systellaspis debilis, Sergestes sp., Sergia sp., and a euphausiid species was assessed in a constant exposure toxicity test utilizing a novel passive dosing toxicity testing protocol. The endpoint of the median lethal concentration tests was mortality, and the results revealed high sensitivity of the deep-sea micronekton …

Is The State Of The Air-Sea Interface A Factor In Rapid Intensification And Rapid Decline Of Tropical Cyclones?, Alexander Soloviev, Roger Lukas, Mark A. Donelan, Brian K. Haus, Isaac Ginis

Marine & Environmental Sciences Faculty Articles

Tropical storm intensity prediction remains a challenge in tropical meteorology. Some tropical storms undergo dramatic rapid intensification and rapid decline. Hurricane researchers have considered particular ambient environmental conditions including the ocean thermal and salinity structure and internal vortex dynamics (e.g., eyewall replacement cycle, hot towers) as factors creating favorable conditions for rapid intensification. At this point, however, it is not exactly known to what extent the state of the sea surface controls tropical cyclone dynamics. Theoretical considerations, laboratory experiments, and numerical simulations suggest that the air-sea interface under tropical cyclones is subject to the Kelvin-Helmholtz type instability. Ejection of large …

Molecular Geometries And Other Properties Of H2o⋯Agi And H3n⋯Agi As Characterised By Rotational Spectroscopy And Ab Initio Calculations, Chris Medcraft, Eva Gougoula, Dror M. Bittner, John C. Mullaney, Susana Blanco, David P. Tew, Nicholas R. Walker, Anthony C. Legon

Chemistry & Biochemistry Faculty Publications

The rotational spectra of H₃N⋯AgI and H₂O⋯AgI have been recorded between 6.5 and 18.5 GHz by chirped-pulse Fourier-transform microwave spectroscopy. The complexes were generated through laser vaporisation of a solid target of silver or silver iodide in the presence of an argon gas pulse containing a low concentration of the Lewis base. The gaseous sample subsequently undergoes supersonic expansion which results in cooling of rotational and vibrational motions such that weakly bound complexes can form within the expanding gas jet. Spectroscopic parameters have been determined for eight isotopologues of H₃N⋯AgI and six isotopologues of …

Book Reviews: Raptors Of Mexico And Central America. William S. Clark And N. John Schmitt., Jack Jack Eitniear

The Prairie Naturalist

Whether a raptor is cryptically perched in the shadows or is viewed only as a silhouette soaring in the clouds below the glaring midday sun, raptor identification can be challenging. If you are observing raptors in the North Temperate Zone, several guides (e.g., Clark and Wheeler 2001 Dunne et al.2012) will aid you with such identifications, but few resources exist for visitors south of this zone. So, if you are interested in identifying the 69 species of diurnal raptors found in Mexico and Central America, the recently released Raptors of Mexico and Central America by William S. Clark and N. …

Field Discrimination Of Prairie Deer Mice And White-Footed Mice Using Morphological Characteristics, Jacob L. Berl, Kelton M. Verble, Elizabeth A. Flaherty, Robert K.S. Swihart

The Prairie Naturalist

Field discrimination of prairie deer mice (Peromyscus maniculatus bairdii) and white-footed mice (P. leucopus noveboracensis) can be difficult throughout much of the central United States where they co-occur. We live-trapped prairie deer mice and white-footed mice within forested and row-crop habitats in central Indiana and used multiplex PCR with species-specific primers to positively determine species identification. We collected a suite of commonly measured external morphological traits (body weight and lengths of ear, hindfoot, tail, and body) from each captured animal. Individuals were assigned to species based on analysis of DNA; discriminant function analysis was used to …

Land Capability Assessment For Expanding Irrigated Horticulture Around Myalup, Department Of Agriculture And Food, Western Australia, Dafwa

Resource management technical reports

The Department of Primary Industry and Regional Development (DPIRD, formerly Department of Agriculture and Food, Western Australia), assessed the suitability of land for expanding irrigated horticulture around Myalup, Western Australia. The assessment builds upon existing soil-landscape mapping produced by van Gool and Kipling (1992), and Barnesby and Proulx-Nixon (2000). This report provides guidance to decision-makers and investors about areas with potential for irrigated horticulture.

The survey area for this assessment is east of Myalup, covering 37 800 hectares (ha). Johnston Road forms the northern boundary and the Brunswick River forms the southern boundary (Figure 1.1). The sandy soils of the …

Ph Effect On The Formation Of Thm And Haa Disinfection Byproducts And Potential Control Strategies For Food Processing, Yen-Con Hung, Brian W. Waters, Veerachandra K. Yemmireddy, Ching-Hua Huang

School of Earth, Environmental, and Marine Sciences Faculty Publications and Presentations

Chlorine-based sanitizers have seen wide spread use in food sanitation. The reaction of chlorine species with organic matter is a concern for two reasons. Available chlorine can be “used up” by organic compounds resulting in a lower amount of chlorine available for disinfection. Another concern is that some forms of chlorine can react with some organic compounds to form toxic halogenated disinfection byproducts (DBPs). Many studies have been conducted to evaluate the role of hypochlorous acid (HOCl) and hypochlorite ion (OCl−) in the production of DBPs with a particular interest in the production of trihalomethanes (THMs) and haloacetic acids (HAAs). …

Hydrogen-Bonding-Directed Ordered Assembly Of Carboxylated Poly(3-Alkylthiophene)S, David W. Bilger, Jose A. Figueroa, Neil D. Redeker, Amrita Sarkar, Morgan Stefik, Shanjuu Zhang

Faculty Publications

Hydrogen-bonding-induced ordered assembly of poly(3-alkylthiophene)s derivatives bearing carboxylic acid groups has been investigated from diluted and concentrated solutions to solid films using ultraviolet–visible absorption spectroscopy, polarized optical microscopy, and four-point probe conductivity measurements. In dilute solutions, the polymer undergoes a spontaneous structural transition from disordered coil-like to ordered rodlike conformations, which is evidenced by time-dependent chromism. Many factors such as alkyl-chain length, types of solvents, and temperature are studied to understand the assembly behavior. Transition kinetics of the assembly process reveals a universal second-order rate law, indicating an intermolecular origin due to hydrogen bonding. When more concentrated, hydrogen bonding drives …

Frontline Experiences From Changing Fisheries Bycatch Paradigms, David Kerstetter

Marine & Environmental Sciences Faculty Proceedings, Presentations, Speeches, Lectures

No abstract provided.

Challenges In Characterizing The Environmental Fate And Effects Of Carbon Nanotubes And Inorganic Nanomaterials In Aquatic Systems, Peter Laux, Christian Riebeling, Andy M. Booth, Joseph D. Brain, Josephine Brunner, Cristina Cerrillo, Otto Creutzenberg, Irina Estrela-Lopis, Thomas Gebel, Gunnar Johanson, Harald Jungnickel, Heiko Kock, Jutta Tentschert, Ahmed Tlili, Andreas Schäffer, Adriënne J. A. M. Sips, Robert A. Yokel, Andreas Luch

Pharmaceutical Sciences Faculty Publications

The current lack of commonly used protocols for dispersion, characterization, and aquatic toxicity testing of nanomaterials (NMs) has resulted in inconsistent results, which make meaningful comparisons difficult. The need for standardized sample preparation procedures that allow the reproducible generation of relevant test conditions remains a key challenge for studies of the environmental fate and aquatic toxicity of NMs. Together with the further development of optimized and cost-effective analytical techniques for physicochemical characterization that depend on reproducible sample preparation, such methods have the potential to overcome the current uncertainties with regard to NM dispersion properties, effective dose, and particle dissolution. In …

Phenology Largely Explains Taller Grass At Successful Nests In Greater Sage-Grouse, Joseph T. Smith, Jason D. Tack, Kevin Doherty, Brady W. Allred, Jeremy D. Maestas, Lorelle I. Berkeley, Seth J. Dettenmaier, Terry A. Messmer, David E. Naugle

Wildland Resources Faculty Publications

Much interest lies in the identification of manageable habitat variables that affect key vital rates for species of concern. For ground-nesting birds, vegetation surrounding the nest may play an important role in mediating nest success by providing concealment from predators. Height of grasses surrounding the nest is thought to be a driver of nest survival in greater sage-grouse (Centrocercus urophasianus; sage-grouse), a species that has experienced widespread population declines throughout their range. However, a growing body of the literature has found that widely used field methods can produce misleading inference on the relationship between grass height and nest success. Specifically, …

Sampling Effort And Uncertainty In Leaf Litterfall Mass And Nutrient Flux In Northern Hardwood Forests, Yang Yang, Ruth D. Yanai, Craig R. See, Mary A. Arthur

Forestry and Natural Resources Faculty Publications

Designs for litterfall sampling can be improved by understanding the sources of uncertainty in litterfall mass and nutrient concentration. We compared the coefficient of variation of leaf litterfall mass and nutrient concentrations (nitrogen, phosphorus, calcium, magnesium, and potassium) at different spatial scales and across years for six northern hardwood species from 23 stands in the White Mountains of New Hampshire, USA. Stands with steeper slopes (P = 0.01), higher elevations (P = 0.05), and more westerly aspect (P = 0.002) had higher interannual variation in litter mass, probably due to a litter trap design that allowed litter …

In Place: November 27, 2017, Place

PLACE Historical Documents

In PLACE is a newsletter designed to keep the Linfield College community apprised of information related to PLACE activities, as well as ways to bring the program into classes. Included in this issue:

• Spotlight On: "What's the Big Idea"
• Upcoming Events
• PLACE in the News

No Evidence For Trace Metal Limitation On Anaerobic Carbon Mineralization In Three Peatland Soils, Jason K. Keller, Jillian Wade

Biology, Chemistry, and Environmental Sciences Faculty Articles and Research

Peatlands store roughly one-third of the terrestrial soil carbon and release the potent greenhouse gas methane (CH₄) to the atmosphere, making these wetlands among the most important ecosystems in the global carbon cycle. Despite their importance, the controls of anaerobic decomposition of organic matter to carbon dioxide (CO₂) and CH₄ within peatlands are not well understood. It is known, however, that the enzymes responsible for CH₄ production require cobalt, iron and nickel, and there is a growing appreciation for the potential role of trace metal limitation in anaerobic decomposition. To explore the possibility of …

Stability Of Equilibria In Quantitative Genetic Models Based On Modified-Gradient Systems, Benjamin J. Ridenhour, Jerry R. Ridenhour

Mathematics and Statistics Faculty Publications

Motivated by questions in biology, we investigate the stability of equilibria of the dynamical system x′ = P(t)∇f(x) which arise as critical points of f, under the assumption that P(t) is positive semi-definite. It is shown that the condition ∫^∞λ₁(P(t)) dt = ∞, where λ₁(P(t)) is the smallest eigenvalue of P(t), plays a key role in guaranteeing uniform asymptotic stability and in providing information on the basis of attraction of those equilibria.

Evaluation Of Striped Bass Stocks In Virginia: Monitoring And Tagging Studies, 2015-2019 Progress Report 1 September 2016 - 31 November 2017, Philip W. Sadler, Lydia M. Goins, John M. Hoenig, Savannah Michaelsen, Maya L. Groner, Robert E. Harris

Reports

This report presents the results of striped bass (Morone saxatilis) tagging and monitoring activities in Virginia during the period 1 September 2016 through 31 August 2017. It includes an assessment of the biological characteristics of striped bass taken from the 2017 spring spawning run and estimates of annual survival and fishing mortality based on annual spring tagging. Also included is an investigation on the potential use of close-kin analyses to determine the size of the spawning stock in the Rappahannock River and an evaluation of mortality rates associated with the bacterial dermal disease mycobacteriosis in relation to water …

Efficient Air Desulfurization Catalysts Derived From Pig Manure Liquefaction Char, Rajiv Wallace, Sundaramurthy Suresh, Elham H. Fini, Teresa Bandosz

Publications and Research

Biochar from the liquefaction of pig manure was used as a precursor of H2S desulfurization adsorbents. In its inorganic matter, it contains marked quantities of calcium, magnesium and iron, which are known as hydrogen sulfide oxidation catalysts. The char was used either as-received or mixed with 10% nanographite. The latter was added to increase both the content of the carbon phase and conductivity. ZnCl2 in two different ratios of char to an activation agent (1:1 and 1:2) was used to create the porosity in the carbon phase. The content of the later was between 18–45%. The activated samples adsorbed 144 …

Linking Taxonomic Diversity And Trophic Function: A Graph-Based Theoretical Approach, Marcella M. Jurotich, Kaitlyn Dougherty, Barbara Hayford, Sally Clark

Transactions of the Nebraska Academy of Sciences and Affiliated Societies

The purpose of this study is to develop a novel, visual method in analyzing complex functional trait data in freshwater ecology. We focus on macroinvertebrates in stream ecosystems under a gradient of habitat degradation and employ a combination of taxonomic and functional trait diversity analyses. Then we use graph theory to link changes in functional trait diversity to taxonomic richness and habitat degradation. We test the hypotheses that: 1) taxonomic diversity and trophic functional trait diversity both decrease with increased habitat degradation; 2) loss of taxa leads to a decrease in trophic function as visualized using a bipartite graph; and …

Blockade Of Cb1 Cannabinoid Receptor Alters Gut Microbiota And Attenuates Inflammation And Diet-Induced Obesity, Pegah Mehrpouya-Bahrami, Kumaraswamy Naidu Chitrala, Mitra S. Ganewatta, Chuanbing Tang, E Angela Murphy, Reilly Enos, Kandy T. Velazquez, Jamie Mccellan, Mitzi Nagarkatti, Prakash Nagarkatti

Faculty Publications

Obesity is characterized by chronic low-grade, systemic inflammation, altered gut microbiota, and gut barrier disruption. Additionally, obesity is associated with increased activity of endocannabinoid system (eCB). However, the clear connection between gut microbiota and the eCB system in the regulation of energy homeostasis and adipose tissue inflammation and metabolism, remains to be established. We investigated the effect of treatment of mice with a cannabinoid receptor 1 (CB1) antagonist on Diet-Induced Obesity (DIO), specifically whether such a treatment that blocks endocannabinoid activity can induce changes in gut microbiota and anti-inflammatory state in adipose tissue. Blockade of CB1 attenuated DIO, inflammatory cytokines …

Drug Candidate Discovery: Targeting Bacterial Topoisomerase I Enzymes For Novel Antibiotic Leads, Shayna Sandhaus

FIU Electronic Theses and Dissertations

Multi-drug resistance in bacterial pathogens has become a global health crisis. Each year, millions of people worldwide are infected with bacterial strains that are resistant to currently available antibiotics. Diseases such as tuberculosis, pneumonia, and gonorrhea have become increasingly more difficult to treat. It is essential that novel drugs and cellular targets be identified in order to treat this resistance. Bacterial topoisomerase IA is a novel drug target that is essential for cellular growth. As it has never been targeted by existing antibiotics, it is an attractive target. Topoisomerase IA is responsible for relieving torsional strain on DNA by relaxing …

Ncer Assistance Agreement Annual Progress Report For Grant #83582401 - Assessment Of Stormwater Harvesting Via Manage Aquifer Recharge (Mar) To Develop New Water Supplies In The Arid West: The Salt Lake Valley Example, Ryan Dupont, Joan E. Mclean, Richard C. Peralta, Sarah E. Null, Douglas B. Jackson-Smith

Civil and Environmental Engineering Faculty Publications

The aims of the original proposed project remain the same, that is, to test the hypothesis that Managed Aquifer Recharge (MAR) for stormwater harvesting is a technically feasible, socially and environmentally acceptable, economically viable, and legally feasible option for developing new water supplies for arid Western urban ecosystems experiencing increasing population, and climate change pressures on existing water resources. The project is being carried out via three distinct but integrated components that include: 1) Monitoring of existing distributed MAR harvesting schemes involving a growing number of demonstration Green Infrastructure (GI) test sites; 2) Integrated stormwater/vadose zone/groundwater/ ecosystem services modeling; and …

In Place: November 6, 2017, Place

PLACE Historical Documents

In PLACE is a newsletter designed to keep the Linfield College community apprised of information related to PLACE activities, as well as ways to bring the program into classes. Included in this issue:

• Spotlight On: PLACE Sponsored Events
• Upcoming Events
• PLACE in the News

The Cosm Aggregate, Georgia Southern University

COSM Aggregate (2017)

No abstract provided.

Expanding Aquatic Observations Through Recreation, Robert J. W. Brewin, Kieran Hyder, Andreas J. Andersson, Oliver Billson, Philip J. Bresnahan, Thomas G. Brewin, Tyler Cyronak, Giorgio Dall'olmo, Lee De Mora, George Graham, Thomas Jackson, Dionysios E. Raitsos

Marine & Environmental Sciences Faculty Articles

Accurate observations of the Earth system are required to understand how our planet is changing and to help manage its resources. The aquatic environment—including lakes, rivers, wetlands, estuaries, coastal and open oceans—is a fundamental component of the Earth system controlling key physical, biological, and chemical processes that allow life to flourish. Yet, this environment is critically undersampled in both time and space. New and cost-effective sampling solutions are urgently needed. Here, we highlight the potential to improve aquatic sampling by tapping into recreation. We draw attention to the vast number of participants that engage in aquatic recreational activities and argue, …

Synthesis And Reductive Chemistry Of Bimetallic And Trimetallic Rare-Earth Metallocene Hydrides With (C5h4sime3)1− Ligands, Megan T. Dumas, Guo P. Chen, Jasper Y. Hu, Mitchell A. Nascimento, Jeremy M. Rawson, Joseph W. Ziller, Filipp Furche, William J. Evans

Chemistry and Biochemistry Publications

The reductive chemistry of [Cp'₂Ln(μ–H)(THF)_x]_y [Ln = Y, Dy, Tb; Cp' = (C₅H₄SiMe₃)¹⁻; x = 2, 0 and y = 2, 3] was examined to determine if these hydrides would be viable precursors for 4fⁿ5d¹ Ln²⁺ ions that could form 5d¹-5d¹ metal–metal bonded complexes. The hydrides were prepared by reaction of the chlorides, [Cp'₂Ln(μ–Cl)]₂, 1-Ln, with allylmagnesium chloride to form the allyl complexes, [Cp'₂Y(η³–C₃H_{5 …}

Structural Variations In The Dithiadiazolyl Radicals P-Roc6f4cnssn (R = Me, Et, Npr, Nbu): A Case Study Of Reversible And Irreversible Phase Transitions In P-Etoc6f4cnssn, Yassine Beldjoudi, Rui Sun, Ana Arauzo, Javier Campo, Robert J. Less, Jeremy M. Rawson

Chemistry and Biochemistry Publications

The 4ʹ-alkoxy-tetrafluorophenyl dithiadiazolyls, ROC6F4CNSSN [R = Me (1), Et (2), nPr (3), nBu(4)] all adopt cis-oid dimers in the solid state. The methoxy derivative 1 adopts a π-stacked AA’AA’ motif whereas propoxy (3) and butoxy (4) derivatives exhibit an AA’BB’ stacking. The ethoxy derivative (2) is polymorphic. The α-phase (2α) adopts an AA’BB’ motif comparable with 3 and 4, whereas 2β and 2γ are reminiscent of 1 but combine a mixture of both monomers and dimers in the solid state. The …