Biodiversity Commons^™

Genetic Analyses Determine Connectivity Among Cave And Surface Populations Of The Jamaican Endemic Freshwater Crab Sesarma Fossarum In The Cockpit Country, Manuel Stemmer, Christoph D. Schubart

International Journal of Speleology

The Jamaican freshwater crab Sesarma fossarum (Decapoda: Brachyura: Sesarmidae) is endemic to western central Jamaica where it occurs in cave and surface streams of karst regions. In the present study, we examine the population genetic structure of the species, providing evidence for intraspecific differentiation and genetic substructure among twelve sampled populations. Interestingly, crabs from caves appear genetically undistinguishable from representatives of nearby surface waters, despite previously observed and described morphometric differentiation. In contrast, genetic isolation takes place among populations from rivers and caves belonging to different watersheds. In one case, even populations from different tributaries of the same river were …

Estudios En Biodiversidad, Volumen I, Griselda Pulido-Flores, Scott Monks, Maritza López-Herrera

Zea E-Books Collection

Este libro es el producto del trabajo colegiado que han desarrollado los profesores, investigadores, y estudiantes que conforman la Red Temática de Calidad Ambiental y Desarrollo Sustentable, a través del macroproyecto “Evaluación del impacto ambiental por actividades antropogénicas: Alternativas de mitigación”. El cual fue apoyado con recursos financieros por parte del Programa para el Desarrollo Profesional Docente (PRODEP), de la Secretaria de Educación Pública (SEP) en México. Las instituciones de educación superior y cuerpos participantes en la red temática son la Universidad Autónoma del Estado de Hidalgo (Uso, Manejo y Conservación de la Biodiversidad UAEHCA- 10; Ciencias Ambientales UAEH-CA-59); Universidad …

Predicting Toucan Locations In Panama Using Arcgis, Daniel J. Herrera

Geography: Student Scholarship & Creative Works

Toucans are omnivorous birds native to southern Latin America and South America. They are non-migratory, and their range is disputed among experts. In an attempt to develop a better understanding of the range and behavior of toucans, correlations between toucan presence and geographic features of the area were analyzed to create a location probability map.

Research, Monitoring, Assessment And Development Plan 2015 – 2020, Department Of Fisheries

Fisheries Occasional Publications

No abstract provided.

P-29 Diversity And Species Turnover Of Late Cenozoic Ground Squirrels In The Meade Basin, Ks, H. Thomas Goodwin

Celebration of Research and Creative Scholarship

The Meade Basin of southwestern Kansas preserves one of the richest fossil sequences from the late Cenozoic of North America. An ongoing study has documented a rich record of fossils, especially rodents; established episodes of especially rapid species turnover (when species appear or disappear from the local record); and has attempted to relate these processes to environmental change inferred from stable isotope and other proxies for ancient climate. Here, I report on fossil squirrels from the record. At least 7 genera and 13 species are present in the composite record. Species turnover occurs throughout the record, but an especially high …

Short Report: Description And Distribution Of Wagtails "Family Motacillidae" With Reference To Pakistan, Nadia Yousuf, Kainaat William, Madeeha Manzoor, Balqees Khanum

Journal of Bioresource Management

In the current study, Wagtails of the Family Motacillidae were studied in Pakistan. Thirteen species and sub-species were found in different regions. Their characteristics were observed, photographs were taken, previous distributions of these species were analyzed, and a new distribution of each species was reported in this study. During study, the scavenging role of these birds was identified, and it was hoped that wagtails may play an important role in the absence of the vultures after recent downfalls in major scavengers. However, these important effects were not observed in the wagtails, and probably will not occur until their populations increase …

In Vitro Culturing And Harvesting Of Human Plucked Hair Follicles, Iram Rehman, Attika Rehman, Samina Jalali

Journal of Bioresource Management

Human hair follicles are miniature hair growing organs. A common human hair disorder is androgenetic alopecia (AGA), which becomes a medical problem only when the hair loss is subjectively seen as excessive, premature, and distressing on the scalp. The objectives of the present study were to culture the hair stem cells in vitro and to study the morphology of the cultured cells for the treatment of AGA. The present study proposes that plucked human hairs are a cheap source to treat male baldness and in vitro culturing of hair follicle cells is the potential method to apply the cultured cells …

Distribution And Habitat Analysis For Freshwater Turtles Of River Indus And Some Of Its Tributaries In Khyber Pakhtunkhwa And Punjab, Pakistan, Malik Ghulam Sarwar, Fakhar -I- Abbas, Inayat Ali Shahjehan

Journal of Bioresource Management

This study was conducted to investigate the relative abundance and habitat analysis of freshwater turtles of Pakistan. Eighty two individuals of seven species of turtles at sixteen different sites in River Indus and some of its tributaries in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa (KP) and Punjab were recorded; these include both soft and hard shell freshwater turtles. The species documented were, Kachuga smithii, Kachuga tecta, Geoclemys hamiltonii, Aspideretes gangeticus, Aspideretes hurrum, Chitra indica and Lissemys punctata. The L. punctata was the most common, with relative frequency (RF) of 24.4%, followed by A. gangeticus (18.3%), A. hurum (17.1%), C. indica (17.1%), K. smithii (12.2%), …

A Study Of Dna Protective Ability Of Peels Of Different Citrus Species, Nehrish Nisar, Kainaat William, Azra Khanum

Journal of Bioresource Management

The aim of the present study was to assess the DNA protection ability, free radicals scavenging activity, and phytochemical constituents of peel extracts of various species of citrus. Results showed the presence of carbohydrates, amino acids, glycosides, tannins, steroids and alkaloids. DNA protection assay showed maximum protection with methanolic extracts of peels of C. limon, C. reticulata, C. aurantium and C. sinensis as compared to C. limetta which showed less protection. DPPH assay used to assess the antioxidants showed the highest activity in the methanolic extract of peels of C. reticulata and C. aurantium with 75% and 86% respectively at …

The Distribution, Population Status, And Wildlife Product Trade Of Himalayan Musk Deer In Gilgit-Baltistan, Pakistan, Fakhar -I- Abbas, Thomas P. Rooney, Afsar Mian, Zahid Iqbal Bhatti, Jibran Haider

Journal of Bioresource Management

Himalayan musk deer (Moschus chrysogaste leucogaster) is an IUCN Red List Endangered species that reaches its western range limit in Pakistan, although its distribution or population size is unknown. Here, we mapped its distribution, described habitat preferences, estimated population sizes, recruitment and mortality, and reported the market values of musk deer wildlife products. We used two approaches: analyzing local wisdom (traditional ecological knowledge) through the use of questionnaires, and conducting confirmatory field surveys of selected areas. Questionnaire respondents indicated musk deer sightings in 28 of 84 localities; mainly in Himalayan dry temperate forests with >20% forest cover. There …

Naphthalene Acetic Acid And Benzylaminopurine Enhance Growth And Improve Quality Of Organic Spinach In Kitchen Gardens, Duad Ahmed Awan, Faheem Ahmad, Sharmin Ashraf

Journal of Bioresource Management

The present study was conducted at the Kitchen Gardening Training Centre, Faisalabad, Pakistan to evaluate the effect of the plant growth regulators Naphthalene Acetic Acid (NAA) and Benzylaminopurine (BAP), on the growth and yield of organic spinach (Spinacia oleracea L.) in kitchen gardening. Different combinations and concentrations of NAA and BAP were tested to evaluate different vegetative parameters. The data were recorded at 40 and 60 days after sowing (DAS). Maximum plant height at 40 DAS was recorded for the combined effect of NAA and BAP at a concentration of 1000 μM (each), while BAP alone at 100 μM concentration …

Susceptibility Of Nppa And Il6 With Type 2 Diabetes And Hypertension In Punjab, Pakistan, Andleeb Batool, Riffat Iqbal, Maryam Mukhtar, Hong Xue

Journal of Bioresource Management

Type 2 Diabetes (T2D) and Hypertension are the major health issues affecting quality of life of young ages throughout the world, especially the third world countries facing more complications with diabetes due to poor disease management. The present study was conducted to explore the association of genetic polymorphism with T2D and hypertension in the Punjabi population. The case control study was conducted comprising of 288 patients (118 male, 170 female) and 170 controls (104 male, 66 female). The selected genes along SNPs were NPPA (rs5064 G>A, rs5063 C>T) and IL6 (rs1800796 C>G). DNA was amplified by Nested …

Species Diversity, Distribution And Seasonal Abundance In Mangrove Associated Molluscs Along The Karachi Coast, Pakistan, Zia Ullah, Itrat Zehra, Muhammad Asif Gondal

Journal of Bioresource Management

Mangrove or Mangal vegetation are typical wetland ecosystems found in coastal deposits of mud and silt throughout the tropics and some distance into the sub-tropical latitude. Species diversity, distribution, seasonal abundance in population and behavioral responses of mangrove associated molluscs (gastropods and bivalves) were investigated in two mangal areas: Sandspit and Korangi, along the Karachi coast of Pakistan. For sampling, a fixed route was followed throughout the study period and the samples were collected and observations were made from HTZ to LTZ. Fourteen species of molluscs (5 Prosobranchia; 6 Pulmonata; 1 Opisthobranchia and 2 Lamellibranchia) belonging to ten families were …

Performance Of Exotic Tulip Cultivars Under Agro-Climatic Conditions Of Peshawar, Muhammad Ali, Abdul Mateen Khattak, Kalim Ullah, Muhammad Ibrahim

Journal of Bioresource Management

The performance of ten exotic tulip cultivars under agro-climatic conditions of Peshawar was studied at Ornamental Nursery, Department of Horticulture, The University of Agriculture Peshawar, Pakistan during the year 2013-14. The experiment was laid out in Randomized Complete Block (RCB) Design with three replications. Ten cultivars of tulips viz., Bastogne, Don Quichotte, China Town, White Dream, Red Riding Hood, Mascotte, Orange Angelique, Strong Gold, Rajka and Romantic Sunset were tested for their performance. Significant differences (P≤0.05) were observed among the cultivars regarding various parameters. The cultivar “Don Quichotte” produced the maximum number of leaves per plant (8.1), bulbs per plant …

The First Whole Genome And Transcriptome Of The Cinereous Vulture Reveals Adaptation In The Gastric And Immune Defense Systems And Possible Convergent Evolution Between The Old And New World Vultures, Oksung Chung, Seondeok Jin, Yun Sung Cho, Jeongheui Lim, Hyunho Kim, Sungwoong Jho, Hak-Min Kim, Jehoon Jun, Hyejin Lee, Alvin Chon, Junsu Ko, Jeremy Edwards, Jessica A. Weber, Kyudong Han, Stephen J. O'Brien, Andrea Manica, Jong Bhak, Woon Kee Paek

Biology Faculty Articles

Background: The cinereous vulture, Aegypius monachus, is the largest bird of prey and plays a key role in the ecosystem by removing carcasses, thus preventing the spread of diseases. Its feeding habits force it to cope with constant exposure to pathogens, making this species an interesting target for discovering functionally selected genetic variants. Furthermore, the presence of two independently evolved vulture groups, Old World and New World vultures, provides a natural experiment in which to investigate convergent evolution due to obligate scavenging.

Results: We sequenced the genome of a cinereous vulture, and mapped it to the bald …

Traversing Swanton Road, 21st Ed., James A. West

Academic, Government & Associated Organizational Research Resources

Situated at the northwest end of Santa Cruz County and occupying circa 30 square miles of sharply contrasted terrain, the Scott Creek Watershed concentrates within its geomorphological boundaries, at least 10-12% of California's flora, both native and introduced. Paradoxically, the use/abuse that the watershed has sustained over the past 140+ years, has not necessarily diminished the biodiversity and perhaps parallels the naturally disruptive but biologically energizing processes (fire, flooding, landslides and erosion), which have also been historically documented for the area for +60 years. This is an early edition of an extensive document by James A. West. Please visit the …

Gene Loss, Adaptive Evolution And The Co-Evolution Of Plumage Coloration Genes With Opsins In Birds, Rui Borges, Imran Khan, Warren E. Johnson, M. Thomas P. Gilbert, Guojie Zhang, Erich D. Jarvis, Stephen J. O'Brien, Agostinho Antunes

Biology Faculty Articles

Background: The wide range of complex photic systems observed in birds exemplifies one of their key evolutionary adaptions, a well-developed visual system. However, genomic approaches have yet to be used to disentangle the evolutionary mechanisms that govern evolution of avian visual systems.

Results: We performed comparative genomic analyses across 48 avian genomes that span extant bird phylogenetic diversity to assess evolutionary changes in the 17 representatives of the opsin gene family and five plumage coloration genes. Our analyses suggest modern birds have maintained a repertoire of up to 15 opsins. Synteny analyses indicate that PARA and PARIE pineal …

Métodos Cuantitativos Para La Conservación De Los Vertebrados, Michael J. Conroy, John P. Carroll, Juan Carlos Senar, Jeffrey J. Thompson

School of Natural Resources: Faculty Publications

Este libro es destinado para el uso por biólogos del campo y otras personas, incluso biólogos de campo en el futuro que podrían estar en un curso de la universidad y trabajando en estudios y conservación de animales. Nuestro objetivo es que los biólogos usen este libro como (haciendo apología a nuestro colega Evan Cooch) una “introducción suave” al campo de la ecología cuantitativa. Esperamos convencer a los lectores que los métodos y aproximaciones del libro no son solo para los matemáticos, estadísticos y programadores de computadoras, sino que de hecho son herramientas esenciales para practicar la conservación en el …

When An Invasive Plant Fails To Invade, Stephen L. Young

West Central Research and Extension Center, North Platte

In 2012, much of the US Midwest was gripped in one of the most severe droughts on record. While conducting experimental fieldwork at a site in Nebraska during June of that year, I noticed a single musk thistle (Carduus nutans; Figure 1) that appeared to be in the bolt or early flowering stage, which is typical for the species at that time. Here, however, two things were unusual: this plant was less than 1 meter tall (with adequate moisture and light, musk thistle typically grows to heights of 1–2.5 meters before flowering), and was only 3 months old (the bolt …

Status Of Plants In Virginia, Michael H. Renfroe

Virginia Journal of Science

OVERVIEW OF BOTANICAL DIVERSITY

Virginia possesses a unique and varied assemblage of plant life. There are 3,164 species, subspecies and varieties of plants in Virginia (Weakley et al. 2012). As classified by the Virginia Department of Conservation and Recreation’s Division of Natural Heritage (DCR-DNH), they form some 94 ecological groups and 317 community types across five distinct physiographic provinces: Coastal Plain, Piedmont, Blue Ridge, Ridge and Valley, and Appalachian Plateau. The state extends 469 miles from east to west and 201 miles north to south at the widest points, enclosing 42,326 square miles of territory. This diverse range of environmental …