Biodiversity Commons^™

On The Morphology And Taxonomy Of Griphobilharzia Amoena Platt And Blair, 1991 (Schistosomatoidea), A Dioecious Digenetic Trematode Parasite Of The Freshwater Crocodile, Crocodylus Johnstoni, In Australia [Critical Comment], Thomas R. Platt, Eric P. Hoberg, Leslie A. Chisholm

Harold W. Manter Laboratory of Parasitology: Faculty Publications

Griphobilharzia amoena Platt and Blair, 1991 was originally described was originally described as a dioecious trematode, parasitic in the circulatory system of the Australian freshwater crocodile, Crocodylus johnstoni, with the female completely enclosed in a gynecophoric chamber of the male and the two worms orientated anti-parallel to each other. A recent publication questions the original description, arguing that G. amoena is monoecious and, as a consequence, the species was transferred to Vasotrema Stunkard, 1928 (Spirorchiidae) as Vasotrema amoena n. comb. We provide photomicrographic evidence that the original description of G. amoena is correct and that Griphobilharzia Platt and Blair, …

A New Species Of Metathelazia (Nematoda: Pneumospiruridae) From The Lungs Of A Nine-Banded Armadillo In Central Mexico = Especie Nueva De Metathelazia (Nematoda: Pneumospiruridae) De Los Pulmones De Un Armadillo Del Centro De México, F. Agustín Jiménez-Ruiz, Rogelio Rosas-Valdez, Scott Lyell Gardner

Harold W. Manter Laboratory of Parasitology: Faculty Publications

Twenty-four worms were collected from the bronchioles in both lungs of a male nine-banded armadillo Dasypus novemcinctus Linnaeus, 1758 captured in Teacalco, Morelos, Mexico. The worms, herein named Metathelazia mexicana n. sp., show a constriction in the esophagus at the level of the nerve ring; males of the species have 7 pairs of papillae, fewer than the other species in the genus. Metathelazia capsulata is the most similar species to Metathelazia mexicana; however, the latter has much shorter spicules. This is the fourth species in the genus known to occur in the New World.

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Trichoptera Of Mindoro, The Philippines I. New Species And Records From The Baroc River Catchment, Roxas, Oriental Mindoro (Insecta, Trichoptera), Hendrik Freitag, Wolfram Mey

Biology Faculty Publications

The study of a collection of caddisflies from Mindoro yielded a total of 34 species. Eight species proved to be unknown taxa and are described in the present article as: Rhyacophila crenophysetis spec. nov., Agapetus parallelaria spec. nov., Stactobia roxasi spec. nov., Paduniella vicentis spec. nov., Paduniella prodita spec. nov., Psychomyia taugadensis spec. nov., Tinodes hypoplectis spec. nov., and Ecnomus biundularia spec. nov. A list of all collected species is provided.

A New Intertidal Shore Bug (Heteroptera: Saldidae) From The Philippines, Hendrik Freitag, Herbert Zettel, Clister V. Pangantihon

Biology Faculty Publications

Salduncula carmencitae sp.n. is described, its habitus and the paramere and parandria of the male are illustrated. This shore bug was found on Mindanao Island, the Philippines, in the intertidal zone. Habitat and behaviour of the species are briefly described. The distinguishing diagnostic characters of species of Salduncula Brown, 1954 are discussed.

Ancyronyx Erichson, 1847 (Coleoptera, Elmidae) From Mindoro, Philippines, With Description Of The Larvae And Two New Species Using Dna Sequences For The Assignment Of The Developmental Stages, Hendrik Freitag

Biology Faculty Publications

Ancyronyx buhid sp. n. and Ancyronyx tamaraw sp. n. are described based on adults and larvae, matched using their cox1 or cob DNA sequence data. Additional records of Ancyronyx schillhammeri Jäch, 1994 and Ancyronyx minerva Freitag & Jäch, 2007 from Mindoro are listed. The previously unknown larva of Ancyronyx schillhammeri is also described here, aided by cox1 data. The new species and larval stages are described in detail and illustrated by SEM and stacked microscopic images. Keys to the adult and larval Ancyronyx species of Mindoro and an updated checklist of Philippine Ancyronyx species are provided. The usefulness as bioindicators, …

Hydraena (Hydraenopsis) Ateneo, New Species (Coleoptera, Hydraenidae) And Other Aquatic Polyphaga From A Small Habitat Patch In A Highly Urbanized Landscape Of Metro Manila, Philippines, Hendrik Freitag

Biology Faculty Publications

Seven species of Hydraenidae, Hydrophilidae and Elmidae are recorded from temporary freshwater habitats at the Ateneo de Manila University Campus in the metropolitan area of Manila, Philippines. They were identified as Enochrus (Lumetus) fragiloides d’Orchymont, Helochares (Hydrobaticus) lepidus d’Orchymont, Helochares (Helochares) pallens (MacLeay), Hydraena (Hydraenopsis) scabra d’Orchymont, Hydraena (Hydraenopsis) palawanensis Freitag & Jäch (new record for Luzon Island), Stenelmis sp. A further hydraenid species was unknown to science and is newly described: Hydraena (Hydraenopsis) ateneo Freitag, sp. n. Aedeagus, gonocoxite, spermatheca, and female tergite X are illustrated by …

Journey To The End Of The Earth: Analyzing The Outcomes Of A Field-Based Research Program In Antarctica, William Robertson, Claudia Garcia

Departmental Papers (TE)

With the need to increase minority representation in science, specifically in polar science research, the University of Texas at El Paso (UTEP) developed an innovative field research experience entitled the International Polar Year- Research and Educational Opportunities in Antarctica for Minorities (IPY-ROAM). Supported by a National Science Foundation (NSF) grant, twenty-eight participants including undergraduate students, graduate students, teachers and university faculty completed a semester long online course and performed field research in Antarctica within the areas of aquatic ecology, terrestrial biology, physical science, ecotourism and education. The purpose of this article is to determine possible outcomes that individuals experienced through …

Biodiversity Heritage Library, Smithsonian Institution Libraries, Deanna Marcum

Copyright, Fair Use, Scholarly Communication, etc.

The Biodiversity Heritage Library (BHL), created in 2006, is the result of a collaboration of ten natural history museum and botanical garden libraries seeking to digitize core taxonomic literature and to make it free and openly available throughout the world. Today, the BHL includes fifteen member institutions whose efforts have shaped a collection of over 60,000 titles. It is supported through a combination of membership dues, in-kind support from member institutions, contributions from the user community, and direct support from the Smithsonian Institution Libraries, and it reaches tens of thousands of users each year. While managing the complex partnership has …

A Reassessment Of The Conservation Status Of A Critically Endangered Neotropical Frog, Mannophryne Olmonae, Using Occupancy Modeling Techniques, Jessica Mcquigg

Senior Independent Study Theses

Amphibian species worldwide are threatened with decline and extinction, making species monitoring an important scientific endeavor. The Bloody Bay Poison Frog, Mannophryne olmonae, a Tobago island endemic, was identified as critically endangered by the IUCN in 2004. Recent evidence suggests that a less severe conservation status may be appropriate for M. olmonae. This study employs acoustic calling surveys, land-use information, and multi-year (2011 and 2012) occupancy modeling techniques to propose an appropriate conservation status for this species. This study suggests that M. olmonae occupies a larger geographic range than was previously thought, and is not experiencing population declines. …

Habitat Availability And Heterogeneity And The Indo-Pacific Warm Pool As Predictors Of Marine Species Richness In The Tropical Indo-Pacific, Jonnell C. Sanciangco, Kent E. Carpenter, Peter J. Etnoyer, Fabio Moretzsohn

Biological Sciences Faculty Publications

Range overlap patterns were observed in a dataset of 10,446 expert-derived marine species distribution maps, including 8,295 coastal fishes, 1,212 invertebrates (crustaceans and molluscs), 820 reef-building corals, 50 seagrasses, and 69 mangroves. Distributions of tropical Indo-Pacific shore fishes revealed a concentration of species richness in the northern apex and central region of the Coral Triangle epicenter of marine biodiversity. This pattern was supported by distributions of invertebrates and habitat-forming primary producers. Habitat availability, heterogeneity, and sea surface temperatures were highly correlated with species richness across spatial grains ranging from 23,000 to 5,100,000 km(2) with and without correction for autocorrelation. The …

Does Pitcher Plant Morphology Affect Spider Residency?, Marc A. Milne, Deborah A. Waller

Biological Sciences Faculty Publications

Spiders are often found as residents in association with Sarracenia purpurea ( Purple Pitcher Plant). Many spiders choose web locations based on environmental cues such as vegetation structure and composition, prey density, temperature, and humidity. To determine if spiders use cues from the Purple Pitcher Plant to build their webs, we conducted a field study using variants of the plant that separated various morphological features: nectar, pigment, and the presence of prey. There was no difference in spider residency across all treatments and no difference in male/female or mature/immature residency. Linyphiids were the most common residents, possibly due to pitcher …

Cure From The Cave: Volcanic Cave Actinomycetes And Their Potential In Drug Discovery, Naowarat (Ann) Cheeptham Dr., Tara Sadoway, Devon Rule, Kent Watson, Paul Moote, Laiel C. Soliman, Nicholas Azad, Kingsley Donkor, Derrick Horne

International Journal of Speleology

Volcanic caves have been little studied for their potential as sources of novel microbial species and bioactive compounds with new scaffolds. We present the first study of volcanic cave microbiology from Canada and suggest that this habitat has great potential for the isolation of novel bioactive substances. Sample locations were plot ted on a contour map that was compiled in ArcView 3.2. Over 400 bacterial isolates were obtained from the Helmcken Falls cave in Wells Gray Provincial Park, British Columbia. From our preliminary screen, of 400 isolates tested, 1% showed activity against extended spectrum ß-lactamase E. coli, 1.75% against Escherichia …

Diversity And Biosynthetic Potential Of Culturable Aerobic Heterotrophic Bacteria Isolated From Magura Cave, Bulgaria, Iva Tomova, Irina Lazarkevich, Anna Tomova, Margarita Kambourova, Evgenia Vasileva-Tonkova

International Journal of Speleology

Biocapacity of bacteria inhabiting karstic caves to produce valuable biologically active compounds is still slightly investigated. A total of 46 culturable heterotrophic bacteria were isolated under aerobic conditions from the Gallery with pre-historical drawings in MaguraCave, Bulgaria. Phylogenetic analysis revealed that most of bacterial isolates affiliated with Proteobacteria (63%), followed by Actinobacteria (10.9%), Bacteroidetes (10.9%), and Firmicutes (6.5%). A strong domination of Gram-negative bacteria (total 81%) belonging to nine genera: Serratia, Pseudomonas, Enterobacter, Sphingobacterium, Stenotrophomonas, Commamonas, Acinetobacter, Obesumbacterium, and Myroides, was observed. Gram-positive isolates were represented by the genera Bacillus, Arthrobacter, and Micrococcus. One isolate …

A World Review Of Fungi, Yeasts, And Slime Molds In Caves, Karen J. Vanderwolf, David Malloch, Donald F. Mcalpine, Graham J. Forbes

International Journal of Speleology

We provide a review of fungi, yeasts, and slime molds that have been found in natural solution caves and mines worldwide. Such habitats provide frequent roost sites for bats, and in eastern North America the environmental conditions that support white-nose syndrome, a lethal fungal disease currently devastating bat populations. A list of 1029 species of fungi, slime moulds, and yeasts in 518 genera have been documented from caves and mines worldwide in 225 articles. Ascomycota dominate the cave environment. Most research has been conducted in temperate climates, especially in Europe. A mean of 17.9±24.4SD fungal species are reported per study. …

La Serreta Endokarst (Se Spain): A Sustainable Value?, Antonia D. Asencio, Teodoro Espinosa

International Journal of Speleology

La Serreta endokarst (SE Spain), which UNESCO declared a World Heritage Site in 1998, was considered a sanctuary with cave art and one of the most important archaeological sites in the Mediterranean region for both the remains it hosts and the spectacular karstic landscape at the site.

To coincide with the 40th anniversary of its discovery, the La Serreta cave-chasm was adapted for public use with the intention of showing visitors the remains, which date back to prehistoric times. The solution included attempts to minimize contact with the valuables in the cave in order to alter the existing remains as …

Response Of The Epiphytic Algal Communities To Experimentally Elevated Nutrient Levels In Intertidal Salt Marsh Habitats, Stephanie Verhulst

UNF Graduate Theses and Dissertations

Epiphytes are organisms attached to plants and are responsible for the majority of primary productivity in many aquatic systems. While epiphytes serve as a valuable food resource to herbivores, they may prove deleterious to the host plant by competing for light and nutrients, as well as increasing sheer stress. This study evaluated the impacts of nutrient additions, nitrogen and phosphorus, on the epiphytic algal community on Spartina alterniflora over the course of two growing seasons. Three nutrient treatments (N, P, and N+P) and one control treatment were placed in a salt marsh in the Tolomato River during the growing seasons …

Bacteriostatic Effects Of Sucralose On Environmental Bacteria, Arthur Phillip Omran Jr.

UNF Graduate Theses and Dissertations

Sucralose is a zero calorie sweetener developed and manufactured by Tate and Lyle Sweetener Company in the 1980’s. They sell the sweetener compounded with maltodextrin and dextrose under the brand name Splenda®. Sucralose was developed as a low cost artificial sweetener that is non-metabolizable in humans and can withstand changes in pH and temperature. It is not degraded by the waste water treatment process. Since the molecule can withstand heat, acidification and microbial degradation it is accumulating in the environment, and has been found in waste water, estuaries, rivers and the Gulf Stream. The highest concentration of environmental sucralose detected …

Effects Of Flooding On The Flora And Fauna Of A Reconstructed Tallgrass Prairie, Andrew J. Ridgway, Mark C. Myers, Benjamin Hoksch

Undergraduate Student Work

Prairie restoration for the purpose of biofuel production has the potential to be much more beneficial than using corn-based ethanol. These benefits include less damage to soil from fertilizers or pesticides, less management and greater suitability for native fauna. The current study of this restoration consists of surveying vegetation characteristics on four different soil types seeded with four different mixes, as well as observing bird and butterfly use of the restoration. In the fourth year of management of this particular prairie restoration a great deal of flooding occurred. The frequency and intensity of the flooding had a great affect on …

The European Union's Potential Contribution To Enhanced Governance Of Arctic Shipping, Nengye Liu

Research Collection Yong Pung How School Of Law

This article focuses on the European Union (EU)’s potential contribution to an enhanced legal regime of the Arctic offshore oil and gas operations. It first briefly describes existing international law for the regulation of offshore oil and gas operations in the Arctic. The article then discusses the development of EU’s Arctic policy and the EU’s competence to regulate Arctic offshore oil and gas activities. Subsequently, it analyzes potential actions and initiatives that could be taken by the EU to promote high safety standards for offshore oil and gas operations in the Arctic.

Prevention Of Vessel-Source Pollution In The South China Sea: What Role Can China Play, Nengye Liu

Research Collection Yong Pung How School Of Law

This article examines China's role in the prevention of vessel-source pollution in the South China Sea. The article argues that, although the South China Sea is a disputed sea area, China has the potential to play a leading role to improve the prevention of vessel-source pollution in this area. By playing a key role in addressing the issue of vessel-source pollution China also has the opportunity to demonstrate its willingness to co-operate to protect the marine environment of the South China Sea without inflaming the thorny sovereignty disputes in the area. First, the sovereignty disputes in the South China Sea …