Biodiversity Commons^™

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 …

Breeding Birds Of Virginia, Bryan D. Watts

Virginia Journal of Science

Virginia supports a diverse community of breeding birds that has been the focus of investigation for more than 400 years. The avifauna reflects the latitudinal position of the state and the fact that the border extends from the Atlantic Ocean to the Appalachian Mountains. A total of 224 species have been recorded breeding in Virginia, 214 of which are extant. Twenty species have colonized the state since 1900 including 14 since 1950. Of all extant species, 102 (48%) are considered common at least somewhere in the state and 64 (30%) are rare to very rare. Diversity varies by physiographic region …

Virginia’S Amphibians: Status, Threats And Conservation, Jennifer Sevin, John D. Kleopfer

Virginia Journal of Science

Virginia’s diverse environments support 84 amphibian species (anurans and caudates), making it the third highest state in terms of species richness. However, the Commonwealth matches the global trend in declining amphibian populations with over one-third of its amphibian species in conservation need. The Species of Greatest Conservation Need included in the most recent Virginia Wildlife Action Plan cut across amphibian families and ecoregions. It is challenging to ascertain the exact cause of most of the population declines. In one degree or another, all of the global threats to amphibians exist within Virginia’s borders. While an active research program on amphibians …

Freshwater Mussels Of Virginia (Bivalvia: Unionidae): An Introduction To Their Life History, Status And Conservation, Jess W. Jones

Virginia Journal of Science

With 77 species, the mussel fauna of Virginia is one of the most diverse in the United States. Fifty-four species or ~70% of the state’s mussel fauna occurs in the rivers of the upper Tennessee River basin, especially in the Clinch and Powell rivers of southwestern Virginia. An additional 23 species reside in rivers of the Atlantic Slope, including the Potomac, Rappahannock, York, James and Chowan basins, and in the New River, a major tributary to the Ohio River. A total of 39 species or 51% of Virginia’s mussel fauna is listed as federally endangered, state endangered or state threatened. …

Forest Diversity And Disturbance: Changing Influences And The Future Of Virginia’S Forests, Christine J. Small, James L. Chamberlain

Virginia Journal of Science

The Virginia landscape supports a remarkable diversity of forests, from maritime dune woodlands, swamp forests, and pine savannas of the Atlantic Coastal Plain, to post-agricultural pine-hardwood forests of the Piedmont, to mixed oak, mesophytic, northern hardwood, and high elevation spruce-fir forests across three mountain provinces in western parts of the state. Virginia’s forests also have been profoundly shaped by disturbance. Chestnut blight, hemlock woolly adelgid, emerald ash borer, and other pests have caused declines or functional extirpation of foundation species. Invasive plants like multiflora rose, Oriental bittersweet, and Japanese stiltgrass threaten both disturbed and intact forests. Oaks and other fire-dependent …

The Rediscovery And Precarious Status Of Chihuahuan Dwarf Crayfish Cambarellus Chihuahuae, Evan W. Carson, Carlos Pedraza-Lara, María De Lourdes Lozano-Vilano, Gabino A. Rodríguez-Almaráz, Iris Banda-Villanueva, Lissette A. Sepúlveda-Hernández, Lilia Vela-Valladares, Andrea Cantú-Garza, Mauricio De La Maza-Benignos

Occasional Papers

We report rediscovery of the Chihuahuan Dwarf Crayfish Cambarellus chihuahuae at the desert spring Ojo Solo in Ejido Rancho Nuevo in Chihuahua, México. This species was reported to be extinct. Morphological evaluation of 12 voucher specimens confirmed the population as C. chihuahuae. Crayfish were abundant upon rediscovery in September 2012 and remained so throughout bimonthly monitoring from February 2014 to April 2015. Despite abundance at Ojo Solo, the species is critically imperiled, with four of its five native habitats dry and the remaining one in decline; however, a population was established at Ojo Caliente, a nearby natural refuge habitat we …

Metazoan Endoparasites Of The Gray Fox, Urocyon Cinereoargenteus From New Mexico, John E. Ubelaker, Bretton S. Griffin, Genevieve M. Konicke, Nora Abdullah, Aya Mouhaffel, Donald W. Duszynski, Robert L. Harrison

MANTER: Journal of Parasite Biodiversity

Metazoan gastrointestinal endoparasites were recovered from 10 of 14 (71.4%) gray foxes [Urocyon cinereoargenteus (Schreber, 1775)] collected in New Mexico from 1996 -1998. They include a pentastome Porocephalus sp., (n=1, 7.1%), a trematode: Fasciola hepatica Linnaeus, 1758 (n=1, 7.1%), the nematodes: Physaloptera rara Hall and Wigdor, 1918 (n=3, 14.3%), Physaloptera praeputialis Linstow, 1899 (n=2, 14.3%), an unidentified female Physaloptera sp. (n=1, 7.1%), Toxocara mystax (Zeder, 1800) (n=2, 14.3%), Toxocara canis (Werner, 1782) (n=1, 7.1%), Spirocerca lupi (Rudolphi, 1809) (n=6, 42.9%), and cestodes: Taenia pisiformis (Bloch, 1780) n=3, n=3, (21.4%), Taenia serialis (Gervais, 1847) (n=3, 21.4%), and Mesocestoides …

Using Choice Experiment Valuation Methods To Measure Public Preference For A New National Park In Maine, Alexander G. Wilsterman

Journal of Environmental and Resource Economics at Colby

With global population increasing faster than ever, the need to protect land from development is at an all-time high. This paper seeks the measure the public preference for a new national park located in northern Maine. A national park will both protect the land and inject a much-needed economic stimulus to the surrounding communities. The study uses the choice experiment valuation method to quantify its results. Through this revealed preference we can quantify which characteristics are most important to the public so that these characteristics may be considered if the project is ever approved.

Golf Courses In Maine: Land Type Valuation Versus A Hedonic Pricing Analysis, Gregory Ladd, Jason Buco

Journal of Environmental and Resource Economics at Colby

Many studies have been conducted analyzing the economic impact of golf courses on the local communities. These studies examine economic impacts of tournaments, endorsements, and vacation expenses of the major golf courses in the United States. However, there is little research conducted on the environmental impact of Golf courses, specifically in Maine. This paper performs a hedonic pricing analysis using housing prices in proximity to golf courses and compares it to the valuation of various land types in Maine. Housing prices were collected in the towns of Auburn, and North Yarmouth both near and distant from the local golf course. …

Cost Benefit Analysis Of Café Standards Compared To The Alternative Fuel/Carbon Tax, Brian Levinson

Journal of Environmental and Resource Economics at Colby

The Cafe Standards were introduced in 1975 following the Oil Embargo. The goals of this program were simple. To reduce co2 emissions in vehicles by increasing a mandatory average mpg level for car manufacturers in the United States. Recently, in 2012, the Obama Administration set new Cafe Standard requirements for car manufacturers. By 2025, all new cars on the road in the United States must average 54.5 miles per gallon, which would double the current 27 mpg average in place right now. While the intentions of this policy are to reduce co2 emissions while at the same time increasing savings …

The Economics Of The Audubon Society's Sanctuary Program For Golf Courses, Dan Hyszczak

Journal of Environmental and Resource Economics at Colby

Millions of people play golf every year, and in 2011 Golf Courses gained $22 billion dollars in revenue. This statistic combined with golf’s inherent place in the natural environment lead to questions of value and development for golf course owners. In 1991, The Audubon Society created their Cooperative Sanctuary Program for Golf Courses (ACSP) to promote environmentally sustainable practices for golf courses and to recognize the courses that are the most environmentally in both the United States and around the world.

This paper builds off of prior research that connects golf course beauty with revenue by examining the effects of …

Preferences For Coral Reef And Fishery Management In Okinawa, Japan, Nils Carlson

Journal of Environmental and Resource Economics at Colby

This study is an example of how a nonmarket valuation method – a choice experiment – can be used to influence and guide ecosystem conservation efforts. Using a choice experiment survey, this study estimates the willingness to pay (WTP) for certain hypothetical attributes of a restored and conserved coral reef in Okinawa, Japan. I find that an increase in the amount of fish available to catch in ten years as well as an increase in the extent and health of the coral reefs and the number of marine biodiversity found in the Okinawan waters after ten-years, both positively affect respondent’s …

An Exploratory Statistical Analysis Of The External And Internal Effects Of Art Museums In The United States, John Eder

Journal of Environmental and Resource Economics at Colby

An Exploratory Statistical Analysis of the External and Internal Effects of Art Museums in the United States

A Survey On Climate Change: How Beliefs Shape Responsibility, Connor P. Clancy, Sarah Beth Solomon

Journal of Environmental and Resource Economics at Colby

This paper examines the lack of awareness and feelings of personal responsibility for climate change. Previous literature suggests that while part of the United States population may be aware of climate change, they do not feel personally responsible for causing it despite feeling climate change’s effects just like everyone else. Furthermore, studies suggest that individuals also do not believe climate change will affect them now, but rather it is an issue for future generations. Using a survey, we examine which demographics and personal factors are most important in eliciting awareness for climate change, and furthermore, personal responsibility for its effects. …