Biodiversity Commons^™

Commercial Fishing Identification Guide 2023, Department Of Primary Industries And Regional Development, Western Australia

Fisheries occasional publications

Throughout this guide you will see all or some of the marine bioregion symbols with each fish illustration, indicating where the species is most likely to occur.

This guide has been developed to help you identify the more common species in Western Australia you may encounter. The purpose of this guide is to enhance consistent and accurate species identification.

If you are unsure about a particular species (or if it is not in this guide), please discuss it with a representative of the Department of Primary Industries and Regional Development, Western Australia.

Vascular Plants Of The Caribou-Targhee National Forest And Curlew National Grassland In Southeastern Idaho, Western Wyoming, And Northern Utah, Michael Daines

Electronic Theses & Dissertations

Due to a historical paucity of collections from and the absence of a comprehensive floristic treatment for parts of the Caribou-Targhee National Forest and Curlew National Grassland, an updated inventory for the area was needed. I present an annotated checklist of the vascular plants documented from the Caribou-Targhee National Forest and Curlew National Grassland. A total of new 3189 voucher specimens were collected for this project in 2021 and 2022. To compile the annotated checklist, I consulted both newly collected specimens and specimen data from online botanical databases. A total of 1557 taxa (species, subspecies, varieties, and hybrids), 1423 species …

Annotation Of Non-Model Species’ Genomes, Taiya Jarva

Master's Theses

The innovations in high throughput sequencing technologies in recent decades has allowed unprecedented examination and characterization of the genetic make-up of both model and non-model species, which has led to a surge in the use of genomics in fields which were previously considered unfeasible. These advances have greatly expanded the realm of possibilities in the fields of ecology and conservation. It is now possible to the identification of large cohorts of genetic markers, including single nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs) and larger structural variants, as well as signatures of selection and local adaptation. Markers can be used to identify species, define population …

2023 Coordinated Spring Survey Of Mid-Continent Sandhill Cranes, Terry Liddick

United States Fish and Wildlife: Staff Publications

The aerial transect portion of the coordinated spring survey of mid-continent Sandhill cranes was conducted on March 22, 2023 in Nebraska’s Central Platte and North Platte River valleys (United States). The 2023 photo-corrected aerial estimate is 1,259,000 birds. Outside the traditional aerial transect portion, observers conducted ground surveys during the period March 20–22. From these regions, observers in the Official Survey Area (OSA) of Nebraska, Kansas, Texas, Oklahoma, and Wyoming reported an additional 25,363 cranes. The 2023 total estimate (1,284,500) increased 43.1% from 2022. The current three-year average (2021–2023 with no photo correction in 2021), based on photo corrected estimates …

Regional Aquatic Macroinvertebrate Biodiversity, Sally Sir, Kris N. White Ph.D.

Georgia Journal of Science

Macroinvertebrates are sensitive to environmental conditions, giving them the ability to be utilized in studies indicating the health of their environment. Additionally, macroinvertebrates are an important food source for vertebrates and invertebrates. Since macroinvertebrates play such significant roles in the ecosystem, it is important to identify and document their presence. In order to begin documenting the macroinvertebrates in central Georgia, aquatic macroinvertebrates were collected from ten sampling sites along a transect of central Georgia. Live specimens were imaged, preserved, identified, and sequenced. COI mitochondrial DNA and 18s nuclear DNA and 3D images of the organisms were made publicly available. The …

Two New Species Of The Remarkable Scorpion Genus Megacormus Karsch, 1881 (Scorpiones: Euscorpiidae), Rolando Teruel, František Kovařík, Graeme Lowe, František Šťáhlavský

Euscorpius

Two new species of the very interesting euscorpiid scorpion genus Megacormus Karsch, 1881, are herein described from eastern Mexico. Both had been previously misidentified in the published literature, one as Megacormus segmentatus Pocock, 1900, the other as Megacormus granosus (Gervais, 1844), but the direct comparison of adults of both sexes to adult topotypes from all members of the genus currently accepted as valid taxa, revealed solid morphological characters that warrant their recognition as distinct taxa. Both new species seem also to be endemics with a small distribution area, but apparently not restricted to a single locality. This addition raises the …

The Impact Of Road Crossings On Karst Headwater Streams In Northwest Arkansas, Anthony M. Zenga

ATU Theses and Dissertations 2021 - Present

The karst region of NW Arkansas is home to many headwater endemic Species of Greatest Conservation Need (SGCN). This includes many species of darters, such as Etheostoma cragini, E. microperca, and E. mihileze, as well as crayfish such as Faxonious meeki brevis and F. nana. NW Arkansas is rapidly urbanizing, increasing the need to construct structures like culverts, bridges, and fords. These man-made road crossings can cause stream habitat degradation and fragmentation, as well as impair overall stream connectivity. To evaluate the impact that road crossings have on aquatic SGCN species and their habitat, 30 headwater streams were sampled throughout …

Morphological Trait Evolution In Solanum (Solanaceae): Evolutionary Lability Of Key Taxonomic Characters, Rebecca Hilgenhof, Edeline Gagnon, Sandra Knapp, Xavier Aubriot, Eric Tepe, Lynn Bohs, Leandro Giacomin, Yuri Gouvea, Andres Orejuela, Christopher T. Martine, Clara Ines Orozco, Iris E. Peralta, Tina Sarkinen

Faculty Journal Articles

Solanum is one of the world's largest and economically most important plant genera, including 1245 currently accepted species and several major and minor crops (e.g., tomato, potato, brinjal eggplant, scarlet eggplant, Gboma eggplant, lulo, and pepino). Here we provide an overview of the evolution of 25 key morphological traits for the major and minor clades of this giant genus based on stochastic mapping using a well-sampled recently published phylogeny of Solanum. The most evolutionarily labile traits (showing >100 transitions across the genus) relate to plant structure (growth form and sympodial unit structure), herbivore defence (glandular trichomes), pollination (corolla shape …

Sympatric Soil Microbe Interactions Between Streptomyces And Fusarium Isolates, Lehren A. Olk-Szost

All NMU Master's Theses

Interkingdom interactions between soil bacteria and fungi may play a critical role in occurrence of disease suppressive soils, yet our understanding of these interactions remains limited. Streptomyces are well-known producers of antimicrobial compounds important to medicine and agriculture. Production of these secondary metabolites is often mediated by quorum sensing. Most Streptomyces research occurs in single species experiments, yet new metabolites have been discovered in interspecies co-culture experiments. Interspecies, intergenic, and interkingdom co-culture research will likely reveal many valuable compounds, and strengthen our understanding of complex ecological interactions in soil microbiomes. Interactions between sympatric Streptomyces and Fusarium isolates from disease suppressive …

Study Of Production And Adaptation Characters Of Some Newly Obtained Genotypes Of Durum Wheat (Triticum Durum Desf.) In Sub-Humid Region (El Harrouch North-Eastern Of Algeria), Lamia Bourouh, Nabila Souilah, Boulacel Mouad, Ghania Chaib, Tahar Hazmoune, Bendif Hamdi

Journal of Bioresource Management

The experiment was carried out at DAOUDI Larbi pilot farm in El Harrouch, during the 2021/2022 crop year, under sub-humid weather conditions. The main objective of this research is based on the study of production and adaptation characters of seven durum wheat newly obtained genotypes (Triticum durum Desf.). The results of descriptive sheets according to UPOV recommendations (2014-2017), showed diversity between the varieties studied, such as: plant height, straw section, awns (presence, disposition, anthocyanin pigmentation, color, and length), ear (density, color, shape, length and glaucescence), lower glume (shape, color, weight and shape of shoulder, length and curvature of beak), …

Habitat Preference By Himalayan Musk Deer (Moschus Leucogaster) In Shey Phoksundo National Park, Nepal, Rishi Ram Paudel, Aman Oli, Pramod Ghimire

Journal of Bioresource Management

Himalayan Musk Deer (Moschus leucogaster) is distributed across the mid-mountainous region from the elevation of 3000 m to 4000 m. Shey Phoskundo National Park lies in western Nepal and Shey Phoksundo Rural Municipality serves as the prime habitat in this region. The main objective of this study was to find out the habitat preference of Himalayan Musk Deer and to evaluate all the suitable habitats. Transects survey were done to evaluate the preferred attributes of the species. Pellets were rarely found where the crown cover was more than 75 % but the resting sites were abundantly found there …

Mp: 766 Roadside Rights-Of-Way As Pollinator Habitat: A Literature Review, Brianne Du Clos

Miscellaneous Publications

Pollination of crops and naturally-occurring flowering plants is a critical ecosystem service provided by managed and unmanaged animal pollinators. Insects are the most studied pollinators, particularly managed honey bees, unmanaged wild bees, and butterflies. Bees and butterflies thrive in early-successional habitat featuring grasses, exposed soil, wildflowers, and shrubs, which is consistently found within transportation and utility rights-of-way (ROW). However, intensive management of ROW can reduce the amount of high-quality pollinator habitat; such practices include frequent mowing, broadcast herbicide use, and planting non-native cool season grasses. Here, we review peer-reviewed academic and non-peer reviewed gray literature describing ROW management practices and …

Environmental Monitoring Of Heavy Metals Status In Semiarid Lands Of Northeastern Algeria, Rania Gacem, Hana Souahi, Chemseddine Fehdi, Abderrezzeq Chebout

Journal of Bioresource Management

With the rapid development of industry, heavy metal contamination is becoming among the most important environmental problems causing worldwide concern. The purpose of this study was to evaluate the level of soil heavy metal pollution in the semi-arid areas of Northeast Algeria. To evaluate the ecological state of soils, we investigated fifteen sites. The level of heavy metals (HMs) toxicity and soil characteristics likr pH, electrical conductivity, organic matter, calcium carbonate, calcium, sodium, magnesium, phosphorus, nitrogen, and potassium were assessed during this study. The results showed that the mean values of heavy metals were as follows in ppm: Zn (41.197 …

Development Of A 16s Reference Library For Edna Metabarcoding The Freshwater Fishes Of Western Ecuador., Hannah M. Willis, Olivia G. Schweikart, Windsor E. Aguirre

DePaul Discoveries

This project examines the use of the 16S locus to amplify neotropical freshwater fishes native to Western Ecuador in a newly created 16S reference library for DNA barcoding and eDNA metabarcoding applications. Among the orders Characiformes, Siluriformes, Cichliformes, Gobiiformes, Cryprinodontiformes, Gymnotiformes, and Perciformes, a compendium of 105 specimens were sequenced, with 43 representing new 16S sequences previously unavailable on Genbank.

Shark-Diving Tourism In The Macaronesian Archipelagos: Challenges And Opportunities, Pedro Gonzáles Mantilla

ITSA 2022 Gran Canaria - 9th Biennial Conference: Corporate Entrepreneurship and Global Tourism Strategies After Covid 19

The Macaronesian region is typically heavily exploited by fisheries; however, in recent years, marine wildlife tourism has become popular and a shark-diving industry has emerged, potentially presenting an alternative for the sustainable use of sharks. Combining a literature review with interviews with dive operators conducting shark encounters in the Macaronesian archipelagos, we provide an overview of the challenges and conservation potential of shark-diving tourism for these territories. Owing to the regular presence of important shark species for tourism and the growth of the scuba-diving industry, shark-diving has potential to expand over the region. Yet, the overlap between European industrial fishing …

Molecular And Morphological Confirmation Of Isometrus Maculatus (Degeer, 1778) (Scorpiones: Buthidae) From Northeast India And East Asia, Shubhankar Deshpande, Mihir Joshi, Kazusa Kawai, Arnab Deb, Jeng-Di Lee, Deshabhushan Bastawade, Gaurang Gowande, Shauri Sulakhe

Euscorpius

We present molecular data on Isometrus maculatus (DeGeer, 1778) for the first time from India, Japan, and Taiwan based on the COI gene and justify the cosmopolitan nature of this species. We also address the first population of I. maculatus found in Teliamura, Tripura, India and give its detailed description and comparison with the rest of the Isometrus species from India. Furthermore, we discuss the justification for considering Sri Lanka as the true home of I. maculatus.

Improving The Land Trust Model’S Impact On Environmental Conservation In Northern California, Peter Talbot

Master's Projects and Capstones

For years, the land trust sector of California and much of the United States has operated with a dollars and acres mentality that has prioritized fundraising as a result of acreage protected. Within California, nearly 5.8 million acres of land have been protected by 132 land trusts throughout the state. To accommodate for the diverse cross-section of land and the many needs of the population, land trusts take on numerous shapes and sizes. A unique aspect of this diversity is the rich agricultural and natural spaces found throughout the state. This mix of land and variety of land uses has …

А Review Of Heterometrus In Thailand (Scorpiones: Scorpionidae), Kazusa Kawai, Thornthan Unnahachote, Yossaphon Suttisatid, Victoria Tang

Euscorpius

Five species of the genus Heterometrus Ehrenberg, 1828 are currently confirmed from Thailand and revised, with their respective distribution range in this country updated. Heterometrus laevigatus (Thorell, 1876) is considered a nomen dubium, while its two previous junior synonyms, H. cimrmani Kovařík, 2004, stat. rev. and H. minotaurus Plíšková et al., 2016, stat. rev. are revalidated and redescribed based on the examination of topotypes. Females of H. minotaurus Plíšková et. al., 2016, stat. rev. were also collected and examined, and their characters are herein described with a special attention to sexual dimorphism. Furthermore, some populations previously regarded as H. …

The Digitization Of Eatonia, Peter M. Grant

Faculty Articles & Research

The June 2023 issue of The Mayfly Newsletter features this article written by Dr. Peter Grant about the digitization of Eatonia by SWOSU University Archivist and Special Collections Librarian, Phillip Fitzsimmons, and Digitization Technician, Ben Dressler.

Preliminary Evidence Of Anticoagulant Rodenticide Exposure In American Kestrels (Falco Sparverius) In The Western United States, Evan R. Buechley, Dave Oleyar, Jesse L. Watson, Jennifer Bridgeman, Steven Volker, David A. Goldade, Catherine E. Swift, Barnett A. Rattner

United States Geological Survey: Staff Publications

Although there is extensive evidence of declines in the American Kestrel (Falco sparverius) population across North America, the cause of such declines remains a mystery. One hypothesized driver of decline is anticoagulant rodenticide (AR) exposure, which could potentially cause mortality or reduced fitness. We investigated AR exposure in wild American Kestrels in Utah, USA. We collected and tested for AR residues in liver samples (n = 8) from kestrels opportunistically encountered dead and in blood samples (n = 71) from live wild kestrels, both nestlings and adults. We found high detection rates in both tissues. Adult …