Biodiversity Commons^™

Sustainability Policy’S Inherent Dilemmas – Exemplified Via Critical Examination Of The Las Vegas Metropolitan Sustainability Campaign, Kathryn A. Zimmerman

All Master's Theses

In response to a dual problem of critical water scarcity and rapid population growth, leaders of metropolitan Las Vegas implemented a region-wide, internationally marketed sustainability campaign. Preliminary studies found that, while sustainability policy attains its rhetorical goals, solutions initiated not only perpetuate but also purposefully expand the original dual problem to justify continuous water resource acquisitions. To examine this sustainability conundrum constructed by leadership—problem-perpetuation rather than problem-resolution—a critical examination in resource management asked two basic questions: what is being sustained and by what means? Via this inquiry, specific processes by which leaders perpetuate problems can be identified; and, so-informed, new …

Winter Survival Strategies Of Benthic Invertebrates In Temporary Habitats In A Northern Minnesota Lake, Cal Oldenburg

Journal of Earth and Life Science

During the winter months in the northern hemisphere, above 40 degrees latitude, a freezing event occurs that can last several months. Some lakes may have large portions of the shallow littoral zone frozen completely solid down into the sediments. Invertebrates affected by these events have developed survival strategies to cope with the harsh environment. The two main strategies for invertebrates in these areas are to either migrate to a different area and recolonize the original area when it becomes available again, or to burrow into the sediments and withstand the freezing. A 1- month study took place on Lake Bemidji …

Impacts Of Fire And Climate Change On Long-Term Nitrogen Availability And Forest Productivity In The New Jersey Pine Barrens, Melissa S. Lucash, Robert M. Scheller, Alec M. Kretchun, Kenneth L. Clark, John Hom

Environmental Science and Management Faculty Publications and Presentations

Increased wildfires and temperatures due to climate change are expected to have profound effects on forest productivity and nitrogen (N) cycling. Forecasts about how wildfire and climate change will affect forests seldom consider N availability, which may limit forest response to climate change, particularly in fire-prone landscapes. The overall objective of this study was to examine how wildfire and climate change affect long-term mineral N availability in a fire-prone landscape. We employed a commonly used landscape simulation model (LANDIS-II) in the New Jersey Pine Barrens, a landscape characterized by frequent small fires and fire-resilient vegetation. We found that fire had …

Behavioural Ecology Of The Black-Flanked Rock-Wallaby (Petrogale Lateralis Lateralis): Refuge Importance In A Variable Environment, Craig Pentland

Theses: Doctorates and Masters

The black-flanked rock-wallaby (Petrogale lateralis lateralis) has suffered a significant decline in its distribution in Western Australia. This has been attributed to introduced predators (predominantly the red fox) and herbivores, fire, and habitat destruction due to clearing. Although since 2001 the Department of Environment and Conservation (DEC) had begun to reintroduce this species back into its former range, little was known of the behavioural ecology of this species. Fox control in the 1980s and 1990s resulted in population increases of rock-wallabies on several reserves in the central wheatbelt of WA. However, recently these populations have rapidly declined despite continuing fox …

A Gray Wolf (Canis Lupus) Delivers Live Prey To A Pup, L. David Mech

United States Geological Survey, Northern Prairie Wildlife Research Center: Publications

A two-year-old sibling Gray Wolf (Canis lupus) carefully captured an Arctic Hare (Lepus arcticus) leveret alive on Ellesmere Island, Nunavut, Canada, and delivered it alive to a pup 28–33 days old. This appears to be the first observation of a Gray Wolf delivering live prey to a pup.

On The Helminth Fauna Of Small Mammals In Hustai National Park, Mongolia, Sumiya Ganzorig, Nyamsuren Batsaikhan, Katsuro Hagiwara, Scott Lyell Gardner, Kenji Baba, Buho Hoshino

Scott L. Gardner Publications

Introduction

The Hustai National Park is one of the special protected areas in Mongolia. The park is famous by the successful re-introduction of the wild horse (takhi), and its well-managed protection work. The park has a rich and diverse mammal fauna and flora. Of these, the takhi, and other large mammal species are objects of intensive research by the international researchers, but the parasitic helminth fauna in Hustai National Park is remained unknown. Species diversity of wildlife and its abundance, especially high density of both the prey and predators, might allow the presence of various parasitic and symbiotic organisms on …

Native Insect Herbivory Limits Population Growth Rate Of A Non-Native Thistle, James O. Eckberg, Brigitte Tenhumberg, Svata M. Louda

Brigitte Tenhumberg Papers

The influence of native fauna on non-native plant population growth, size, and distribution is not well documented. Previous studies have shown that native insects associated with tall thistle (Cirsium altissimum) also feed on the leaves, stems, and flower heads of the Eurasian congener Cirsium vulgare, thus limiting individual plant performance. In this study, we tested the effects of insect herbivores on the population growth rate of C. vulgare. We experimentally initiated invasions by adding seeds at four unoccupied grassland sites in eastern Nebraska, USA, and recorded plant establishment, survival, and reproduction. Cumulative foliage and floral herbivory …

Varestrongylus Eleguneniensis Sp. N. (Nematoda: Protostrongylidae): A Widespread, Multi-Host Lungworm Of Wild North American Ungulates, With An Emended Diagnosis For The Genus And Explorations Of Biogeography, Guilherme G. Verocai, Susan J. Kutz, Manon Simard, Eric P. Hoberg

Harold W. Manter Laboratory of Parasitology: Faculty Publications

Background: A putative new species of Varestrongylus has been recently recognized in wild North American ungulates based on the ITS-2 sequences of larvae isolated from feces during a wide geographic survey. No taxonomic description was provided, as adult specimens were not examined. Methods: Lungworm specimens were collected in the terminal bronchioles of muskoxen from Quebec, and a woodland caribou from central Alberta, Canada. The L3 stage was recovered from experimentally infected slugs (Deroceras spp.). Description of specimens was based on comparative morphology and integrated approaches. Molecular identity was determined by PCR and sequencing of the ITS-2 region of …

Air Sac Nematode Monopetalonema Alcedinis In A Belted Kingfisher (Megaceryle Alcyon) In Maryland, Usa, Ellen Bronson, Kathleen Kelly, Eric P. Hoberg

Harold W. Manter Laboratory of Parasitology: Faculty Publications

Sporadic and geographically widespread reports of parasites affecting the Belted Kingfisher (Megaceryle alcyon) have been published but few have described details of the pathology. A female, adult kingfisher was found dead in a heavily wooded area of a zoo in Maryland, USA. At necropsy, numerous sexually dimorphic, 4.4–40.5-cm adult Monopetalonema alcedinis nematodes were found tightly wound within the coelomic cavity between organs and completely filling the caudal thoracic and abdominal air sacs. Abundant, 30–60-mm diameter, larvated, thick-walled ova were found in the bronchi and parabronchi, within the mesentery, and in the serosa of multiple coelomic organs. Monopetalonema alcedinis …

Hidden Diversity In Sardines: Genetic And Morphological Evidence For Cryptic Species In The Goldstripe Sardinella, Sardinella Gibbosa (Bleeker, 1849), Rey C. Thomas, Demian A. Willette, Kent E. Carpenter, Mudjekeewis D. Santos

Biological Sciences Faculty Publications

Cryptic species continue to be uncovered in many fish taxa, posing challenges for fisheries conservation and management. In Sardinella gibbosa, previous investigations revealed subtle intra-species variations, resulting in numerous synonyms and a controversial taxonomy for this sardine. Here, we tested for cryptic diversity within S. gibbosa using genetic data from two mitochondrial and one nuclear gene regions of 248 individuals of S. gibbosa, collected from eight locations across the Philippine archipelago. Deep genetic divergence and subsequent clustering was consistent across both mitochondrial and nuclear markers. Clade distribution is geographically limited: Clade 1 is widely distributed in the central Philippines, while …

Global Priorities For Marine Biodiversity Conservation, Elizabeth R. Selig, Will R. Turner, Sebastian Troëng, Bryan P. Wallace, Kristin Kaschner, Ben G. Lascelles, Kent E. Carpenter, Russell A. Mittermeier

Biological Sciences Faculty Publications

In recent decades, many marine populations have experienced major declines in abundance, but we still know little about where management interventions may help protect the highest levels of marine biodiversity. We used modeled spatial distribution data for nearly 12,500 species to quantify global patterns of species richness and two measures of endemism. By combining these data with spatial information on cumulative human impacts, we identified priority areas where marine biodiversity is most and least impacted by human activities, both within Exclusive Economic Zones (EEZs) and Areas Beyond National Jurisdiction (ABNJ). Our analyses highlighted places that are both accepted priorities for …

Developing Important Marine Mammal Area Criteria: Learning From Ecologically Or Biologically Significant Areas And Key Biodiversity Areas, Collenn M. Corrigan, Jeff A. Ardron, Mia T. Comeros-Raynal, Erich Hoyt, Giuseppe Notarbartolo Di Sciara, Kent E. Carpenter

Biological Sciences Faculty Publications

1. This paper explores how criteria to identify important marine mammal areas (IMMAs) could be developed, and nested in existing global criteria. This process would consider 134 species of marine mammals. 2. Particular attention is given to two suites of global criteria to identify areas important for the persistence of marine biodiversity: Ecologically or Biologically Significant Areas (EBSAs) developed through the Convention on Biological Diversity (CBD), and Key Biodiversity Areas (KBAs) in revision through the International Union for the Conservation of Nature (IUCN). They are seen as mutually complementary in the development of IMMAs. 3. The specificities necessary for identifying …

Recognition Of Two New Species Of Freshwater Crabs From The Seychelles Based On Molecular Evidence (Potamoidea: Potamonautidae)., Neil Cumberlidge, Savel Regan Daniels Phd

Journal Articles

The Afrotropical freshwater crab genus Seychellum is endemic to the granitic Seychelles in the Indian Ocean (Mahé, Silhouette, Praslin, La Digue and Frégate). Here we describe two new cryptic species of Seychellum that represent two evolutionarily separate lineages of a previously monotypic genus. This raises to three the number of species of freshwater crabs known from Seychelles. Each species is endemic to either one island (Silhouette) or to a pair of islands (Mahé and Frégate, or Praslin and La Digue). The three species can be clearly distinguished as separate lineages by DNA analysis, haplotyping and examination of gonopod characters. The …

Global Patterns Of Freshwater Species Diversity, Threat And Cross-Taxon Congruence, Ben Collen Phd, Felix Whitton Phd, Ellie E. Dyer, Jonathan E.M. Baillie Phd, Neil Cumberlidge, William Darwall, Caroline Pollack, Nadia Richman Phd, Anne-Marie Soulsby, Monica Bohm Phd

Journal Articles

Aim Global-scale studies are required to identify broad-scale patterns in the distributions of species, to evaluate the processes that determine diversity and to determine how similar or different these patterns and processes are among different groups of freshwater species. Broad-scale patterns of spatial variation in species distribution are central to many fundamental questions in macroecology and conservation biology. We aimed to evaluate how congruent three commonly used metrics of diversity were among taxa for six groups of freshwater species.

Location Global.

Methods We compiled geographical range data on 7083 freshwater species of mammals, amphibians, reptiles, fishes, crabs and crayfish to …

Federal V. State Effectiveness: An Analysis Of The Endangered Species Act And Current Potential Attempts At Reform, Nicholas Primo

Pepperdine Policy Review

In November 2013, several Congressional leaders drafted a new bill to reform the Endangered Species Act of 1973 (ESA). While the Endangered Species Management Self-Determination Act (ESMSDA) was the first major attempt at updating the crucial U.S. environmental policy in decades, it also inflamed environmentalist defenders of the original bill. More importantly, it raised several questions as to whether state or federal-oriented approaches to endangered species protection and environmental policy more broadly is ultimately more effective. This article analyzes the original 1973 ESA, followed by an analysis of the ESMSDA currently being considered. It will discuss the various strengths and …

Molecular Phylogenetic Relationships Of North American Dermacentor Ticks Using Mitochondrial Gene Sequences, Kayla L. Perry

College of Graduate Studies: Theses & Dissertations

Dermacentor is a recently evolved genus of hard ticks (Family Ixodiae) that includes 36 known species worldwide. Despite the importance of Dermacentor species as vectors of human and animal disease, the systematics of the genus remain largely unresolved. This study focuses on phylogenetic relationships of the eight North American Nearctic Dermacentor species: D. albipictus, D. variabilis, D. occidentalis, D. halli, D. parumapertus, D. hunteri, and D. andersoni, and the recently re-established species D. kamshadalus, as well as two of the Neotropical Dermacentor species D. nitens and D. dissimilis (both formerly Anocentor). We sequenced portions of the mitochondrial …

Soil Microbial Community Distributions And Disease Suppressiveness In The Coastal Plain Of Georgia, Michael J. Sabula

College of Graduate Studies: Theses & Dissertations

This study compared the soil microbial communities of three vegetation types in the coastal plain of Georgia: 1. crop land actively in use for agricultural production, 2. transitional grassland in early stages of secondary succession, and 3. pristine unmanaged forest land. Microbial species diversity and quantities of microbial DNA were determined from each of these vegetation types at three separate locations near Statesboro, Georgia. Length heterogeneity PCR(LH-PCR) methods and subsequent analysis of fungal, bacterial, and metazoan communities by analysis of similarity (ANOSIM) revealed high within-group similarity by vegetation type, indicating land management intensity and vegetation cover is a strong determining …

The Impact Of Sea Surface Temperature On Outbreaks Of Acanthaster Planci On The Great Barrier Reef, Laura A. Grossman

Scripps Senior Theses

The causes of increasing outbreaks of Acanthaster planci on the Great Barrier Reef have been a point of hot debate in recent years. It is unknown whether the increased success is due to nutrient runoff, salinity levels, or a decrease in predation, among other possibilities. In this paper I argue that the primary influence on outbreak status is sea surface temperature. From existing literature, I demonstrate that sea surface temperature in the Great Barrier Reef has increased by 0.4°C per year over the past three decades. I attempt to tie this increase with an increase in frequency of A. planci …

Agalychnis Dacnicolor—Predation., Víctor H. Jiménez-Arcos, Eric Centenero-Alcala, Leopoldo D. Vázquez Reyes, Christopher Blair, Samuel A. Santa Cruz-Padilla

Publications and Research

No abstract provided.

Ground Arthropod Abundance In Switchgrass And Diverse Prairie Agroenergy Crops, Stephanie Paape, Libby Torresani, Mark C. Myers

Undergraduate Student Work

The University of Northern Iowa’s Tallgrass Prairie Center converted corn and soybean fields in the Cedar River Natural Resource Area to four mixes of perennial tallgrass prairie species. Research plots were randomly seeded with one of four treatments of native prairie vegetation including a switchgrass monoculture and a 32-species prairie mix. We studied ground arthropod abundance in Switchgrass and the 32-species prairie mix at various distances from the nearest woody edge using pitfall traps. We hypothesized that a 32-species Prairie mix would support greater numbers of ground arthropods than a Switchgrass monoculture and that ground arthropod abundance would be greater …