Physical Sciences and Mathematics Commons^™

Plants, Parasites, And Pollinators: The Effects Of Medicinal Pollens On A Common Gut Parasite In Bumble Bees, George Locascio

Masters Theses

Declines in several pollinator species are due to a variety of factors, including pathogens. Incorporating pollinator-friendly plant species into wild and agricultural habitats could reduce the stress of pathogens if food sources act medicinally against pathogens. Previous research demonstrated one domesticated sunflower cultivar (Helianthus annuus) can dramatically reduce a gut pathogen (Crithidia bombi) of the common eastern bumble bee, Bombus impatiens. To ascertain the breadth of this medicinal trait, we tested whether pollen from several H. annuus cultivars and four relatives could also reduce C. bombi infections in B. impatiens. We also investigated whether …

Multi-Scale Analysis Of Common-Pool Resources For Ecosystem Conservation In The Orinoco River Watershed, Luisa Galindo

Doctoral Dissertations

Adaptive management strategies are mechanisms that help governments to overcome problems derived from the sudden change of ecosystems processes and dynamics and to maintain the provision of ecosystem services to the population. These strategies rely on multi-scale networks of governing institutions that work together for the protection of the environment and cooperate for the solution of pressing issues. Sometimes, however, two issues imperil the persistence of local institutions within these networks, (1) their rights to govern their territory and to self-organize are not recognized, and (2) the nested and polycentric systems that operate through the multi-scale network are weak or …

Watershed-Scale Modeling For Water Resource Sustainability In The Tuul River Basin Of Mongolia, Javzansuren Norvanchig

Masters Theses

Water scarcity is a prevalent issue all over the world. Growing water abstractions combined with uncertain effects of climate increase competition for scarce water resources worldwide, especially in arid and semiarid regions. It is crucial to assess and manage available water resources to ensure its sustainability. There is a need for integrated water management at a watershed scale. Watershed models are a useful tool to support sustainable water management and investigate effects of hydrologic responses at various scales under climate change conditions and to simulate effects of the management decisions. This study aims to assess the sustainability of water resources …

Regional Invasive Species & Climate Change Management Challenge: Preparing For Sleeper Species, Bethany A. Bradley, Evelyn Beaury, Emily J. Fusco, Brittany Laginhas, Valerie Pasquarella

Environmental Conservation Educational Materials

Many naturalized non-native species never become invasive and generally are not prioritized for management due to limited resources. However, climate change could enhance the success of these species, causing some to become invasive. Therefore, we need to reassess the current pool of naturalized species to identify and prioritize management of ‘sleeper’ species.

Regional Invasive Species & Climate Change Management Challenge: Why Native? Benefits Of Planting Native Species In A Changing Climate, Emily J. Fusco, Jenica M. Allen, Evelyn M. Beaury, Michelle R. Jackson, Brittany B. Laginhas, Bethany A. Bradley

Environmental Conservation Educational Materials

Yards host a variety of native and non-native plants. It is easy to assume all plants play a similar role in supporting wildlife, but native plants dramatically increase the diversity of bees, butterflies, birds and other native animals. Additionally, non-native plants can become invasive or support invasive pests. Native plants increase biodiversity and reduce risks associated with invasive species, which supports resilient ecosystems in the face of climate change.

Modeling Non-Stationary Urban Growth: The Sprawl Model And The Ecological Impacts Of Development, Kevin Mcgarigal, Ethan Plunkett, Lisabeth L. Willey, Brad Compton, Bill Deluca, Joanna Grand

Environmental Conservation Faculty Publication Series

Urban development is a principal driver of landscape change affecting the integrity of ecological systems and the capacity of the landscape to support species. We developed an urban growth model (SPRAWL), evaluated it with hindcasting, and used it to simulate urban growth across the northeastern United States between 2010 and 2080 under four alternative scenarios. In the model, urban growth is constrained by demand for new development for each time step at the subregional scale. Demand is subsequently allocated to local application panes (5 km on a side within 15 km window) using a unique landscape context matching algorithm, such …

Invasive Species Risk Assessments Need More Consistent Spatial Abundance Data, Bethany A. Bradley, Jenica M. Allen, Mitchell W. O'Neill, Rebekah D. Wallace, Charles T. Bargeron, Julie A. Richburg, Kristina Stinson

Environmental Conservation Faculty Publication Series

Spatial abundance information is a critical component of invasive plant risk assessment. While spatial occurrence data provide important information about potential establishment, abundance data are necessary to understand invasive species’ populations, which ultimately drive environmental and economic impacts. In recent years, the collective efforts of numerous management agencies and public participants have created unprecedented spatial archives of invasive plant occurrence, but consistent information about abundance remains rare. Here, we develop guidelines for the collection and reporting of abundance information that can add value to existing data collection efforts and inform spatial ecology research. In order to identify the most common …

What Is The Value Of Wild Bee Pollination For Wild Blueberries And Cranberries, And Who Values It?, Aaron K. Hoshide, Francis A. Drummond, Thomas H. Stevens, Eric M. Venturini, Samuel P. Hanes, Martha M. Slyvia, Cynthia S. Loftin, David E. Yarborough, Anne L. Averill

Environmental Conservation Faculty Publication Series

Pollinator conservation efforts and growing interest in wild bee pollination have increased markedly in the last decade, making it increasingly important to have clear and practical estimates of the value of pollinators to agriculture. We used agricultural statistics, socio-economic producer surveys, and agronomic field research data to estimate traditional pollination value metrics and create novel approaches to the valuation of the ecosystem services provided by wild pollinators. Using two regionally important United States (USA) crops—Maine wild blueberry and Massachusetts cranberry—as models, we present the perceived values of wild bee pollinators from the perspectives of both consumers and producers. The net …

Climate Change, Carbon Dioxide, And Pest Biology, Managing The Future: Coffee As A Case Study, Lewis H. Ziska, Bethany A. Bradley, Rebekah D. Wallace, Charles T. Bargeron, Joseph H. Laforest, Robin A. Choudhury, Karen A. Garrett, Fernando E. Vega

Environmental Conservation Faculty Publication Series

The challenge of maintaining sufficient food, feed, fiber, and forests, for a projected end of century population of between 9–10 billion in the context of a climate averaging 2–4 °C warmer, is a global imperative. However, climate change is likely to alter the geographic ranges and impacts for a variety of insect pests, plant pathogens, and weeds, and the consequences for managed systems, particularly agriculture, remain uncertain. That uncertainty is related, in part, to whether pest management practices (e.g., biological, chemical, cultural, etc.) can adapt to climate/CO₂ induced changes in pest biology to minimize potential loss. The ongoing and …

Progress And Challenges Of Protecting North American Ash Trees From The Emerald Ash Borer Using Biological Control, Jian J. Duan, Leah S. Bauer, Roy G. Vandriesche, Juli R. Gould

Environmental Conservation Faculty Publication Series

After emerald ash borer (EAB), Agrilus planipennis Fairmaire, was discovered in the United States, a classical biological control program was initiated against this destructive pest of ash trees (Fraxinus spp.). This biocontrol program began in 2007 after federal regulatory agencies and the state of Michigan approved release of three EAB parasitoid species from China: Tetrastichus planipennisi Yang (Eulophidae), Spathius agrili Yang (Braconidae), and Oobius agrili Zhang and Huang (Encyrtidae). A fourth EAB parasitoid, Spathius galinae Belokobylskij (Braconidae) from Russia, was approved for release in 2015. We review the rationale and ecological premises of the EAB biocontrol program, and then report …

Human-Related Ignitions Increase The Number Of Large Wildfires Across U.S. Ecoregions, R. Chelsea Nagy, Emily Fusco, Bethany Bradley, John T. Abatzoglou, Jennifer Balch

Environmental Conservation Faculty Publication Series

Large fires account for the majority of burned area and are an important focus of fire management. However, ‘large’ is typically defined by a fire size threshold, minimizing the importance of proportionally large fires in less fire-prone ecoregions. Here, we defined ‘large fires’ as the largest 10% of wildfires by ecoregion (n = 175,222 wildfires from 1992 to 2015) across the United States (U.S.). Across ecoregions, we compared fire size, seasonality, and environmental conditions (e.g., wind speed, fuel moisture, biomass, vegetation type) of large human- and lighting-started fires that required a suppression response. Mean large fire size varied by three …

Bee Assemblages In Managed Early-Successional Habitats In Southeastern New Hampshire, Joan Milam, John A. Litvaitis, Alena Warren, Donald Keirstead, David I. King

Environmental Conservation Faculty Publication Series

We examined the abundance and species richness of bees at 10 sites managed for Sylvilagus transitionalis (New England Cottontail Rabbit) in southeastern New Hampshire. In 2015, we sampled bees using a streamlined bee-monitoring protocol (SBMP) developed for rapid assessment of bee communities, and in 2015 and 2016, we employed bee bowls (modified pan traps) painted fluorescent blue, yellow, or white and filled and with soapy water that were intended to mimic flower colors and attract bees. We compared the abundance of all species combined and species richness among management treatments (clearcuts, old fields, and gravel pits), patch area, and time …

A Landscape Index Of Ecological Integrity To Inform Landscape Conservation, Kevin Mcgarigal, Brad Compton, Ethan Plunkett, Bill Deluca, Joanna Grand, Eduard Ene, Scott D. Jackson

Environmental Conservation Faculty Publication Series

Context: Conservation planning is increasingly using "coarse filters" based on the idea of conserving "nature's stage". One such approach is based on ecosystems and the concept of ecological integrity, although myriad ways exist to measure ecological integrity.

Objectives: To describe our ecosystem-based index of ecological integrity (IEI) and its derivative index of ecological impact (ecoIpmact), and illustrate their applications for conservation assessment and planning in the northeastern United States.

Methods: We characterized the biophysical setting of the landscape at the 30 m cell resolution using a parsimonious suite of settings variables. Based on these settings …

Responses Of Non-Native Earthworms To Experimental Eradication Of Garlic Mustard And Implications For Native Vegetation, Kristina A. Stinson, S. D. Frey, M. R. Jackson, E. Coates-Connor, M. Anthony, K. Martinez

Environmental Conservation Faculty Publication Series

Recent studies in invasion biology suggest that positive feedback among two or more introduced organisms facilitate establishment within a new range and drive changes in native plant communities. Here, we experimentally tested for relationships between native plants and two non‐native organisms invading forest habitats in North America: garlic mustard (Alliaria petiolata, Brassicaceae) and earthworms. In two forested sites, we compared understory vegetation and earthworm biomass in plots where garlic mustard was removed for three years, plots without garlic mustard invasion, and plots invaded by garlic mustard that was not removed. Earthworm biomass was highest in the plots with …

Balancing Urban Biodiversity Needs And Resident Preferences For Vacant Lot Management, Christine C. Rega-Brodsky, Charles H. Nilon, Paige S. Warren

Environmental Conservation Faculty Publication Series

Urban vacant lots are often a contentious feature in cities, seen as overgrown, messy eyesores that plague neighborhoods. We propose a shift in this perception to locations of urban potential, because vacant lots may serve as informal greenspaces that maximize urban biodiversity while satisfying residents’ preferences for their design and use. Our goal was to assess what kind of vacant lots are ecologically valuable by assessing their biotic contents and residents’ preferences within a variety of settings. We surveyed 150 vacant lots throughout Baltimore, Maryland for their plant and bird communities, classified the lot’s setting within the urban matrix, and …