The Effects Of Aboveground Herbivory On Root Traits And Root Decomposition, 2024 Utah State University
The Effects Of Aboveground Herbivory On Root Traits And Root Decomposition, Emily A. Chavez
All Graduate Theses and Dissertations, Fall 2023 to Present
Soil holds more carbon (C) than the Earth's atmosphere and vegetation combined. Soil loses carbon through soil respiration and releases CO2 from the soil. The soil respiration rate can vary based on the chemistry of the plant litter inputs and physical factors, such as soil temperature and nutrient content. In Alaska's Yukon-Kuskokwim (YK) Delta, grazing by geese affects the chemistry of plants and the soil's physical qualities, thus altering the rate of soil respiration. Although we know that goose herbivory leads to changes in the rate of soil respiration, we know very little about how goose herbivory affects the …
Drone Imagery Of Submarine Groundwater Discharge Effects On Coastal Primary Productivity On Coral Reefs In Maunalua Bay, Hawai'i, 2024 Pepperdine University
Drone Imagery Of Submarine Groundwater Discharge Effects On Coastal Primary Productivity On Coral Reefs In Maunalua Bay, Hawai'i, Lulu Wang, Florybeth Flores La Valle, Grace Kim
Seaver College Research And Scholarly Achievement Symposium
Submarine groundwater discharge (SGD) plays a crucial role in coastal ecosystems, especially coral reefs, by introducing terrestrial nutrients and freshwater, significantly affecting the primary productivity of coastal ecosystems and potentially altering ecological balances. La Valle et al. (2023) emphasized the importance of SGD in nutrient distribution and algal productivity, highlighting the need for comprehensive understanding and management strategies in the face of increasing nutrient runoff due to land use changes due to increased population. To better understand the impact, our experiments utilize remote sensing and data science by using a DJI Mavic 3 Enterprise drone with a thermal imaging camera …
A Tick's Quest: The Effects Of Climatic Stress On Host-Seeking Behavior Of Wild Ticks, 2024 Pepperdine University
A Tick's Quest: The Effects Of Climatic Stress On Host-Seeking Behavior Of Wild Ticks, Lawson Trimmell, Peter Briggs, Javier Monzón
Seaver College Research And Scholarly Achievement Symposium
The Lone Star Tick (Amblyomma americanum) is one of the most epidemiologically relevant tick species in the United States and is experiencing a range expansion. Our study aimed to investigate the effects of climatic stress on the behavior and physiology of the Lone Star Tick at the expansion front. We hypothesized that there are differences in survivorship, questing (host-seeking) behavior, and dehydration tolerance based on sex or geographic origin. We also predicted that ticks increase their host-seeking behavior as they approach death due to dehydration stress. We collected adult ticks from six sites across Oklahoma and New York/New Jersey. We …
Checking For Ticks: Analyzing The Efficiency Of Different Tick Collection Methods, 2024 Pepperdine University
Checking For Ticks: Analyzing The Efficiency Of Different Tick Collection Methods, Peter Briggs, Lawson Trimmell, Javier Monzón
Seaver College Research And Scholarly Achievement Symposium
Ticks are the most important arthropod disease vectors in both North America and Europe. Field collection of wild ticks is vital for research on the ecology of vector-borne diseases. Dragging and trapping are the two most common methods for collecting wild ticks. Dragging involves a researcher pulling a canvas through a field to collect ticks searching for a host, while trapping exploits ticks’ natural attraction to carbon dioxide to lure them onto a canvas where they get caught on tape. Our study aimed to evaluate which of these two methods is more effective. We chose six sites across three states, …
Materials And Methods Developed For The Recording And Analysis Of Behavior In The Common Marmoset (Callithrix Jacchus)., 2024 University of Nebraska at Omaha
Materials And Methods Developed For The Recording And Analysis Of Behavior In The Common Marmoset (Callithrix Jacchus)., Christian Wintle
UNO Student Research and Creative Activity Fair
Materials and methods developed for the recording and analysis of behavior in the common marmoset (Callithrix jacchus).
Christian J. Wintlea, Jordan B. Hernandeza,b,c, Dobromir Dotovd, and Jonathan B. Claytona,b,e,f,g
aDepartment of Biology, University of Nebraska at Omaha, Omaha, NE, USA
bNebraska Food for Health Center, University of Nebraska-Lincoln, Lincoln, NE, USA
cDepartment of Genetics, Cell Biology, and Anatomy, University of Nebraska Medical Center, NE, USA
dDepartment of Biomechanics, University of Nebraska at Omaha, Omaha, NE, USA
eDepartment of Food Science and Technology, University of Nebraska-Lincoln, Lincoln, …
Analysis Of The Population Structure And Migrationhabits Of The Northern Leopard Frog (Lithobates Pipiens) At Midewin National Tallgrass Prairie, 2024 Olivet Nazarene University
Analysis Of The Population Structure And Migrationhabits Of The Northern Leopard Frog (Lithobates Pipiens) At Midewin National Tallgrass Prairie, Gretchen A. Brinkman
ELAIA
Massive amphibian declines of recent years have pushed researchers to pursue population genetics surveys and assess the status of these essential components of many ecosystems. The Northern Leopard Frog (Lithobates pipiens) has continuously experienced population declines across the continental United States due to a combination of habitat losses and environmental changes. Midewin National Tallgrass Prairie houses a considerable portion of L. pipiens in Illinois, and the two creek watersheds studied within this location provide ideal conditions to support these animals. Because this prairie restoration project is a relatively recent development, further assessments regarding the population structure and degree of migration …
Ecological And Educational Impacts Of A Living Shoreline On St. Simons Island, Georgia, Usa, 2024 College of Coastal Georgia
Ecological And Educational Impacts Of A Living Shoreline On St. Simons Island, Georgia, Usa, C. Tate Holbrook, Cameron Atkinson, Jordan Fountain, Stephanie Knox, Jan Mackinnon
Georgia Journal of Science
Living shorelines encompass a range of nature-based alternatives to traditional coastal armoring structures. In addition to shoreline stabilization and protection, living shorelines are intended to meet conservation goals such as restoring habitat, delivering ecosystem services, and promoting ecological resilience to climate change. While early results have been promising, further monitoring is needed to better understand and evaluate the performance of living shorelines across a range of designs and environmental contexts, thereby informing coastal management. Nature-based shoreline protection is relatively new in Georgia, USA, where in 2015 the state’s fourth living shoreline was constructed of oyster shell and native plants on …
Species Delimitation Of Slimy Salamanders, Plethodon Kisatchie And Plethodon Mississippi, Across The Lower Mississippi River, 2024 Louisiana Tech University
Species Delimitation Of Slimy Salamanders, Plethodon Kisatchie And Plethodon Mississippi, Across The Lower Mississippi River, Brock Hunter Stevenson
Theses and Dissertations
Species are fundamental units of biodiversity yet delimiting species can be challenging. Slimy Salamanders of the Plethodon glutinosus species complex are a classic example of cryptic species for which species boundaries and relationships have proved difficult to determine. Once thought to be a single species ranging across the eastern United States, protein analysis revealed high genetic divergences among geographically distinct groups of populations, leading to 16 species being recognized within the group. Two of these species, the Louisiana Slimy Salamander (Plethodon kisatchie) and the Mississippi Slimy Salamander (Plethodon mississippi), are closely related but occur on opposite sides of the Mississippi …
In Memoriam Richard F. Ayrey (1948 – 2024), 2024 Marshall University
In Memoriam Richard F. Ayrey (1948 – 2024), Melinda Deboer-Ayrey, Brandon T. Myers, Robert W. Bryson, Jr., Michael M. Webber, Matthew R. Graham, Graeme Lowe, Victor Fet, František Kovařík
Euscorpius
This is a memorial issue honoring Richard F. Ayrey (1948 – 2024), a US scorpiologist. A full list of his 26 works is appended, as well as a list of scorpion taxa described by Richard (two genera and 19 species of Vaejovidae), and a map of their type localities in the USA and Mexico.
Lichen Ecosystem Services And A Study From The Nj Pine Barrens, 2024 West Chester University
Lichen Ecosystem Services And A Study From The Nj Pine Barrens, Gregory Turner
Sustainability Research & Practice Seminar Presentations
Professor Greg Turner of the WCU Biology Department presents Lichen Ecosystem Services and a Study from the New Jersey Pine Barrens.
Sense Of Place In Natural Resource Recreation And Tourism: An Evaluation And Assessment Of Research Findings., 2024 Cal Poly Humboldt
Sense Of Place In Natural Resource Recreation And Tourism: An Evaluation And Assessment Of Research Findings.
The International Journal of Ecopsychology (IJE)
No abstract provided.
Revision Of The Genus Olivierus In Xinjiang, China, With Comments On Mesobuthus Thersites (Scorpiones: Buthidae), 2024 Marshall University
Revision Of The Genus Olivierus In Xinjiang, China, With Comments On Mesobuthus Thersites (Scorpiones: Buthidae), Victoria Tang, Zhenbang Liu, Matthew R. Graham, Victor Fet, František Kovařík, František Šťáhlavský
Euscorpius
The genus Olivierus Farzanpay, 1987 in Xinjiang Uygur Autonomous Region, China, is revised based on recently collected topotypes and other populations from 12 localities. Brief differential diagnoses are provided, with colored illustrations and photos in vivo habitus, emphasizing the key characters. Chinese appellations, conservation status, and documentation of behavior and post-envenomation symptoms are also included. Only two species are now recognized for this genus in Xinjiang: O. longichelus (Sun & Zhu, 2010) and O. przewalskii (Birula, 1897), based on both morphological and molecular evidence. The two species exhibit extensive distribution in Xinjiang (China) while also occurring in adjacent countries. Three …
Towards Sociobiogeochemistry: Critical Perspectives On Anthropogenic Alterations To Soil Nitrogen Chemistry Via U.S. Urban And Suburban Development, 2024 The Graduate Center, City University of New York
Towards Sociobiogeochemistry: Critical Perspectives On Anthropogenic Alterations To Soil Nitrogen Chemistry Via U.S. Urban And Suburban Development, Christopher D. Ryan
Dissertations, Theses, and Capstone Projects
The ecological impacts of changes to land use are relevant to concerns about climate change, eutrophication of waterbodies, and reductions in biodiversity. As a foundational component of ecosystem functioning, changes to soil biogeochemistry have significant effects on overall ecosystem health. With cities continuing to grow and develop in extent, the impacts of urbanization and suburbanization on soils are of particular concern. Despite a wide range of natural climatic and geologic conditions, several factors have driven similar patterns of land transformation and management across the United States. In particular, federal initiatives including the Home Owners Loan Corporation, the Federal Housing Administration, …
Taxonomic Advances Driven By The Genomic Analysis Of Butterflies, 2024 University of Texas Southwestern Medical Center
Taxonomic Advances Driven By The Genomic Analysis Of Butterflies, Jing Zhang, Qian Cong, Jinhui Shen, Leina Song, Nick V. Grishin
The Taxonomic Report of the International Lepidoptera Survey
This study presents new findings based on a large-scale analysis of butterfly genomic sequences. Focusing on species identification through comparative genomics, we define subspecies as populations differentiated to a lesser extent than distinct species ("species in the making"). Additionally, we propose further adjustments to the current butterfly classification. As a result, 3 subgenera, 12 species, and 4 subspecies are described as new. New subgenera are (type species in parenthesis): Hyalaus Grishin, subgen. n. (Papilio epidaus E. Doubleday, 1846) of Eurytides Hübner, [1821] (Papilionidae Latreille, [1802]) and Astria Grishin, subgen. n. (Lycaena astraea Freyer, 1851) of Glaucopsyche Scudder, 1872 …
Effects Of Hemiparasites In Grassland Restorations Are Not Universal, 2024 Illinois State University
Effects Of Hemiparasites In Grassland Restorations Are Not Universal, Anna Marie Scheidel, Victoria Borowicz
Faculty Publications – Biological Sciences
Root hemiparasites infiltrate the vascular tissue of host roots to acquire water and nutrients, which often reduces host growth. Hemiparasites are postulated to be keystone species in grassland communities if they suppress dominant species and increase plant community biodiversity, and ecosystem engineers if they increase nutrient accessibility for surrounding species. We examined keystone effects by evaluating species richness and evenness in 1 m2 plots in a recent prairie restoration where Castilleja sessiliflora was naturally present or absent, and in a longer-established prairie restoration with or without Pedicularis canadensis. We examined ecosystem engineer effects by determining nitrate and phosphate concentrations …
Comparing Sucrose Preference Between Colonies Of Bombus Impatiens, 2024 University of Missouri-St. Louis
Comparing Sucrose Preference Between Colonies Of Bombus Impatiens, Kevin R. Corrigan, Becky Hansis-O'Niell, Aimee Sue Dunlap
Undergraduate Research Symposium
Current studies in nectar concentration preference generally take the form of a static laboratory experiment in which a multitude of feeders provide a constant source of nectar in differing concentrations and data is collected on which one is preferred most by bees. Studies like these are important because they seek to gain an understanding of bee foraging patterns. Having a strong biological understanding of these organisms better prepares us to combat issues regarding conservation should they occur. Here, we conduct an analysis on the foraging patterns of two colonies of Bombus impatiens (B. Impatiens) with data gathered from fixed ratio …
Animal Conservation In St. Louis, 2024 University of Missouri, St. Louis
Animal Conservation In St. Louis, Kate O'Sullivan
Undergraduate Research Symposium
St. Louis has a multitude of organizations involved in the natural sciences. But how many of them actually contribute towards animal conservation? The St. Louis Zoo is an organization that focuses a lot of its effort on presentation, so how does that impact the funds that go towards actually saving the animals? I plan to dive into the different animal-based organizations in St. Louis and its surrounding areas, as well as discuss the positives and negatives of each organization. Furthermore, I will provide examples from several sources that I have been reviewing all year to support my claims. I plan …
Surveys Of Aphonopelma Hentzi In Missouri: Conservation Efforts Through Population, Genetics, And Habitat Studies, 2024 University of Missouri-St. Louis
Surveys Of Aphonopelma Hentzi In Missouri: Conservation Efforts Through Population, Genetics, And Habitat Studies, Anderson B. Spencer Mr., Becky Hansis-O'Niell
Undergraduate Research Symposium
Aphonopelma hentzi and other tarantula species are greatly understudied organisms. In the Missouri regions there is little knowledge on their mating patterns, gene diversity, or population sizes. The focal glades in this experiment display regional fragmentation, which could prevent tarantulas from traveling and mating between regions of their glades. Due to the lack of knowledge surrounding them, methods for determining gene diversity are harmful to the organism. Our recent work has shown that it is possible to extract genetic information from the molts of burrowing tarantulas. This will allow us to safely determine the lineages and interbreeding patterns of the …
Toward Improved Global Food Security: Uncovering How Tomatoes Fight Root-Knot Nematodes, 2024 Purdue University
Toward Improved Global Food Security: Uncovering How Tomatoes Fight Root-Knot Nematodes, Chingyan H. Huang
The Journal of Purdue Undergraduate Research
No abstract provided.
Exploring The Evolution Of Callose Synthase In Green Plants, 2024 Purdue University
Exploring The Evolution Of Callose Synthase In Green Plants, Giovanna Durante
The Journal of Purdue Undergraduate Research
No abstract provided.