Biodiversity Commons^™

Contribution To The Knowledge Of Cave-Dwelling Fauna From The Prokletije Mountains, Joanna Kocot-Zalewska, Iwona Słowińska, Paweł Domagała, Jakub Bienias, Dominik Szymański, Dawid Szymański, Hubert Szymański, Paweł Sienkiewicz, Andrzej Józef Woźnica

International Journal of Speleology

The article presents the results of the study on invertebrate fauna inhabiting caves in the Prokletije Mountains. This mountain range is located on the border of Montenegro, Albania, and Kosovo. During the expeditions to Albania in 2021 and to Montenegro in 2022–2023, 17 caves and one bauxite mine were visited altogether. All the studied caves are located very high, above 1,700 m a.s.l., where the temperature inside is low, and several are filled with ice or snow. During the Albanian expedition 102 arthropods have been collected altogether. Among these were 19 beetles (Coleoptera), 44 flies (Diptera), three crickets (Orthoptera), five …

Life After Death: Investigating The Resistance And Recovery Of Fungal Communities To Foundation Tree Mortality, Jessie F. Marlenee

Biology ETDs

Tree mortality can have cascading effects on the composition and resilience of interacting fungal communities. Yet, little is known about the impact tree mortality, distinct from abiotic drivers (i.e., drought), has on these communities. This dissertation focuses on the resilience of fungal communities to experimental tree mortality in a piñon-juniper woodland. In chapter one, I found that piñon mortality reduced piñon fine root biomass and piñon mycorrhizal fungal diversity, whereas juniper mycorrhizal fungi were unaffected by juniper mortality. In chapter two, I revealed that piñon mortality altered the composition and spatial structure of mycorrhizal and saprotrophic fungi in the soil, …

Bird Observations Across Belmont's Campus, Jeremy T. Little, Josiah C. Mustaleski

SPARK Symposium Presentations

Over the course of 10 weeks our team collected data about bird sightings on Belmont’s campus. Sessions were recorded using eBird and Merlin Bird ID to correctly identify the birds and record accurate numbers. We conducted sessions at 3 different spots on campus, each with differing types and amounts of vegetation and human presence. These sessions were 20 minutes in duration and were conducted twice a week at each location. The data gathered was used to gain a better understanding of the bird trends and demographics on campus. This data was also used for WellCore events in conjunction with the …

Assessing The One Health (Ecosystem, Animal And Human Health) Impacts Of Current Dietary Patterns Based On Farm-To-Fork Life Cycle Assessment In The Republic Of Ireland, Daniel Tymko Burke, Paul Hynds, Anushree Priyadarshini

Articles

Food production and dietary patterns play a central role in the myriad interactions among human, animal, and environmental health, emphasising the need for a One Health approach, and this study aims to evaluate dietary patterns within this framework. A cross-sectional dietary survey of adults was undertaken (2021) with a sample size of 957 respondents, representative of the population of Ireland. Subsequently, a farm-to-fork life cycle assessment (LCA) was employed to assess nine human health and environmental impacts (fine particulate matter formation, freshwater and marine ecotoxicity and eutrophication, human carcinogenic and non-carcinogenic toxicity and terrestrial acidification and ecotoxicity) across thirteen distinct …

Metabolic Transitions In Embryos Of Artemia Franciscana: Regulation And Consequences For Oxidative Stress, Daniel Anthony Arabie

LSU Doctoral Dissertations

Embryos of Artemia franciscana survive harsh conditions in diapause and anoxia-induced quiescence for years by undergoing deep metabolic transitions. I investigated the relationship between phosphorylation of pyruvate dehydrogenase (PDH) and carbon flux to the tricarboxylic acid (TCA) cycle during metabolic depression. The difference in catalytic activity of the PDH complex (PDC) in maximally phosphorylated and dephosphorylated samples was 16.5-fold. Western blot analysis confirmed the changes in phosphorylation of PDH. Analysis of PDH expression in diapause and post-diapause embryos via phospho-PDH showed no significant differences. Investigation of post-diapause embryos under anoxia showed that phosphorylation of PDH decreased and activated the enzyme. …

The First Record Of Alpiscorpius Idaeus (Yağmur & Tropea, 2017), Comb. N. From The Lesvos Island, Greece (Scorpiones: Euscorpiidae), Ersen A. Yağmur, Özgün Sipahioğlu

Euscorpius

The scorpion species Euscorpius idaeus Yağmur & Tropea, 2017, previously known from Mount Kazdağı in the Balıkesir and Çanakkale Provinces of Turkey, is reported for the first time from the Lesvos Island, Greece. In this study, it is transferred to the genus Alpiscorpius Gantenbein et al., 1999. Detailed illustrations of Alpiscorpius idaeus (Yağmur & Tropea, 2017), comb. n. from the Lesvos Island population are provided.

Wrack Lines Spring-Summer 2025, Volume 25, Number 1, Megan Bard, Ronald Goldberg, Clayton Mcgoldrick, Judy Benson

Wrack Lines

Spring-Summer 2025 issue of CT Sea Grant's biannual magazine focuses on the theme of, "Finding their niche: Unique ways of serving people and the environment," with profiles of six standouts in various environmental fields.

Plant Biodiversity Of Short-Grass Prairie On An Eastern Colorado Cattle Ranch From 1988-2024, Emilee D. Cole, Zoey E. Daniels-Sneed, Matthew Galliart, Sarah Elzay

SACAD: Scholarly Activities

This survey examined the possible effects that rotational grazing and large-scale beef cattle production has on plant diversity in short-grass prairie rangeland. The survey was conducted on the Frasier Ranch, a working cattle ranch in eastern Colorado. Plant diversity was measured via species richness, ratio of cool to warm season grasses, and Shannon-Weiner Diversity Index. In this case study, it was determined that plant diversity did not change significantly in recorded years from 1988-2024.

Market Structure Evolution In The U.S. Automobile Industry: A Review Of Diversity And Concentration Metrics, P.V. (Sundar) Balakrishnan

AMTP Proceedings 2025

I examine the evolution of market structure in the U.S. automobile industry from 1937 to the present, focusing on the application of both traditional and novel diversity and concentration metrics. I use the Herfindahl-Hirschman Index (HHI), Comprehensive Concentration Index (CCI), and newer metrics from fields such as ecology and genetics to uncover insights into the shifting dynamics of market power, firm turnover, and industry stability. The U.S. automobile industry, characterized by consolidation and technological advancement, provides a unique case study for analyzing long-term market evolution. I contribute to the literature by synthesizing a broad range of diversity metrics and offering …

Ecological Studies Of Wolves On Isle Royale, Sarah R. Hoy, John A. Vucetich, Rolf O. Peterson

Ecological Studies of Wolves on Isle Royale

Annual Report 2024-2025

Lawn Nutrient Availability And Run-Off During Establishment Under Enhanced Biodiversity, Masami S. Kanyuk

Environmental Studies Honors Theses

Biodiversity has consistently been found to have positive ecosystem effects, including erosion mitigation and stability of nutrient cycling. For lawns, this can translate to reducing the need for fertilizer application, and reducing soil loss and leaching that can impact water quality. This paper investigates the effects of biodiversity and plant community establishment in a lawn ecosystem on soil erosion, nitrate leaching via porewater sampling, and plant available nitrogen.

In the first growing season of PLEDGE (the Pastures and Lawns Enhanced Drought and Global-Change Experiment), we hypothesized that three-species lawns (tall fescue, dwarf white clover, and creeping thyme) would experience higher …

Alfred Russel Wallace Notes 36. Wallace, Evolution And Providence., Charles H. Smith

Faculty/Staff Personal Papers

One of Alfred Russel Wallace’s most important contributions to thought was his identification of the key role provident behavior assumes in human evolution. In this essay I set out the way this idea influenced his thought process after 1864, and especially how it affected his appreciation of the possible role of spiritualism in evolution.

The Impact Of Anthropogenic Infrastructure On Avian Reproductive Success: A Study Of House Wrens In Proximity To Highways, Nana-Esi Irie Hanson, Medhavi Ambardar

SACAD: Scholarly Activities

Road infrastructure has multifaceted effects on bird populations, influencing various aspects of their ecology and behaviour. I investigated the impact of road infrastructure, particularly highways, on the reproductive success of House Wrens (Troglodytes aedon) in a rural area. I compared the reproductive success of House Wrens in sites close to a major highway (Sternberg Museum Nature Trail) with sites located farther away (along Big Creek) in Hays, KS. I hypothesized that House Wrens near highways would exhibit lower reproductive success. I recorded metrics of reproductive success, traffic volumes, and noise levels. House wrens at the Big Creek site had higher …

Impact Of Climate Change On The Diversity And Abundance Of Wintering Birds At A Northern African Wetland - Case Study Of Oglat Eddaira Wetland (Naama, Western Algeria), Ahmed Toufik Youcefi, Gouacem Ali, Litim Kouider, Haddi Leila, Messaoui Fatima

Journal of Bioresource Management

The Mediterranean regions have been classified as the areas of the world most susceptible to the effects of environmental change. These regions are sensitive to drought and rising temperatures and with heightened aridity in the next several years. The purpose of this paper is to study the effects of climate change on the diversity and abundance of wintering birds in the Oglat Eddaira wetland located in western Algeria and classified in the Ramsar list. This study is based on the comparison between some indices of biodiversity: species richness, abundance, Shannon-Weiner and Simpson Index, during the period 2015 to 2024 and …

Aerial Phytomass And Carbon Sequestrated By The Kitshanga Forest Massif In The Wamba Valley In Dr-Congo, Mayanu Pemba, Ntalakwa Makolo, Kidikwadi Tango, Lubini Ayingweu

Journal of Bioresource Management

Aerial phytomass and carbon sequestrated by the Kitshanga forest massif in the Wamba valley in DR-Congo. The general objective was to evaluate the aerial phytomass and the carbon contained in the ligneous tissues of the trees. Specifically, the research aims to: (i) inventory all individuals in the Kitshanga gallery forest; (ii) identify the species in the study area; (iii) determine the floristic composition and density of the stand studied and (iv) evaluate the phytomass and the carbon sequestered by this vegetation. Inventory devices full on 1 hectare subdivided by 400 m² to obtain 25 plots which constitute the size of …

Scorpions Of The Horn Of Africa (Arachnida, Scorpiones). Part Xxxvi. Compsobuthus Starhai Sp. N. From Somalia (Puntland) (Buthidae), František Kovařík

Euscorpius

Occurence of genus Compsobuthus Vachon, 1949 in the Horn of Africa is summarized, including a distribution map. A lectotype of C. abyssinicus (Birula, 1903) is designated. C. starhai sp. n. from Somalia (Puntland) is described and fully complemented with color photographs.

New Drainage Records And Revised Ranges For Sympatric Pirate Perch Species In Alabama, Florida, And Georgia, Tyler Muller, Bryson Hilburn, Lily Hughes

Southeastern Fishes Council Proceedings

We report updated ranges for four sympatric species of Pirate Perches following a recent taxonomic revision of Aphredoderus. Using observations from recent sampling by the North Carolina State Museum of Natural Sciences and reidentifying cataloged specimens from the Georgia Museum of Natural History and Auburn University Museum collections, we were able to refine the distributions of four species throughout a complicated sympatric zone spanning coastal plain drainages in Alabama, Florida, and Georgia. We find that A. gibbosus is present in low numbers in the Flint, Escambia, Choctawhatchee, and Chattahoochee basins. These additional records nearly link the previously reported disjunct …

Cyanobacteria And Algae From Chýnov And Koněprusy Caves (Czech Republic), Michaela Wipplingerová, Jan Pokorný, Jan Kaštovský

International Journal of Speleology

Algae and cyanobacteria have been studied in two so far phycologically unexplored show caves (Chýnov and Koněprusy) in the Czech Republic. Taxa were identified morphologically using cultivation and subsequent light microscopy, while problematic cyanobacterial species were verified by sequencing the genes for 16S rRNA and 16S–23S internal transcribed spacer. A total of 13 cyanobacterial taxa were found, two Bacillariophyceae, three Xanthophyceae, four Chlorophyceae, six Trebouxiophyceae, 11 Streptophyta, and three Euglenida; many of these species were found for the first time in the caves. The darker parts of the caves were dominated by cyanobacteria, and green algae were found predominantly right …

The Sustainability Stones: Culturally Embedded Conservation Strategies And Their Vulnerability In Maupiti, French Polynesia, Russell Fielding, Fiona Gimenez

Honors College Faculty Publications

This paper explores culturally embedded conservation strategies through the lens of the traditional agroforestry and fisheries cycles in Maupiti, French Polynesia. By pairing certain breadfruit cultivars with specific fish species, the island’s community created a culinary system that regulates the seasonal consumption of marine resources, making the sustainable use of those resources more likely. While modern pressures such as reduced breadfruit diversity, competition with imported foods, and climate change have weakened these traditional practices, they remain an example of local ecological knowledge guiding conservation. The study highlights the threat of losing sustainable resource-use practices and biodiversity as both biodiversity and …

Conservation Status Of Virginia Populations Of The Rare And Jeopardized Bridle Shiner, Notropis Bifrenatus, Wayne C. Starnes, Gabriela M. Hogue, Morgan E. Raley

Southeastern Fishes Council Proceedings

The Bridle Shiner, Notropis bifrenatus (Cope, 1867), Family Leuciscidae, is a small minnow species that ranges in Atlantic coastal river drainages of eastern North America from the St. Lawrence in Canada southward to the Santee River basin of South Carolina. Over several decades notable declines throughout its range have been observed and multiple natural resource agencies note it to be jeopardized with probable extirpations evident in a number of drainages. The Virginia Department of Game and Inland Fisheries recognized the need to assess the status of the Bridle Shiner within its historical range in Virginia. Here we report the results …