Biodiversity Commons^™

The Corvonirmus Group (Insecta, Psocodea, Phthiraptera, Ischnocera) Of Corvids (Aves, Corvidae). I. Stubbenirmus Gen. Nov., Eberhard Mey

Erforschung biologischer Ressourcen der Mongolei / Exploration into the Biological Resources of Mongolia, ISSN 0440-1298

1. The genera Corvonirmus Eichler, 1944 (with 11 spp.), Hecatrishula Gustafsson & Bush, 2017 (with 8 spp.), and Lycocoranirmus Mey, 2017 (with 5 spp.), which belong to the Brueelia complex (Philopteridae s. l.), are morpho-structurally characterized mainly by head structures and chaetotaxy. They are defined as a group of related taxa that should be placed in the rank of a subfamily (Corvonirminae subfam. nov.) if the former Brueeliinae sensu EICHLER (1963:177) would get the status of a separate family (Brueeliidae).

2. Within the Corvonirmus group, the former Hecatrishula biguttata species group is assumed to be classified as new …

The First Detection Of Ceratophyllus Fleas And An Ischnocera Louse On The Great Cormorant Phalacrocorax Carbo In Mongolia, Daniel Kiefer, Michael Stubbe, Annegret Stubbe, Volker Neumann, Sundev Gombobaatar, Davaa Lchagvasuren, Mathias Kiefer

Erforschung biologischer Ressourcen der Mongolei / Exploration into the Biological Resources of Mongolia, ISSN 0440-1298

There are summarized data on ectoparasites of Mongolian birds. The Mongolian-German Biological Expeditions found first records for the flea Ceratophyllus vagabundus and the Ischnocera louse Pectinopygus gyricornis at the host Phalacrocorax carbo.

Local People’S Perceptions Of Benefits And Costs Of Protected Areas: The Case Of Tarangire National Park And The Surrounding Ecosystem, Northern Tanzania, Felix J. Mkonyi

Journal of Ecological Anthropology

A

A better understanding of the benefits and costs of conservation to people living adjacent to protected areas is fundamental to balancing their conservation goals and needs. This study, based in the Tarangire-Simanjiro ecosystem, explored the costs, benefits and attitudes of local people living adjacent to Tarangire National Park in northern Tanzania. In-depth interviews were conducted with 30 respondents which were randomly selected from the ‘population’ of 300 respondents used previously for the main survey. Results indicate mixed responses towards protected areas. The majority of respondents held positive attitudes toward the park (56.7%) and park staff (63.3%) but had negative …

Grouse News 61-67 (2021-2024), Iucn/Ssc Galliformes Specialist Group

Galliformes Specialist Group and Affiliated Societies: Newsletters

Issue 61 (May 2021)

From the Editor

From the Chair

News from the Galliformes Specialist Group

News from the Grouse Group Conservation News

Grouse in Estonia

Endangered Species Act Protections for Southern White-Tailed Ptarmigan Found to be Not Warranted

A Remarkable Return. The Attwater’s prairie-chicken is bouncing back

Research Reports

Fluctuations and trends in tetraonid populations of the “Bryansky Les” Nature Reserve (southwest Russia)

Evaluation of the durability and longevity of lesser prairie-chicken fence tags in Kansas and Colorado

Longevity of the Lesser Prairie-Chicken

Conferences

Conferences postponed

New Books

European Breeding Bird Atlas 2: Distribution, Abundance and Change

Recent grouse …

Effects Of Salt Runoff On Aquatic Macroinvertebrate Colonies, Kendra Fink

Journal of Earth and Life Science

Aquatic macroinvertebrates bridge the gap in part between primary and secondary consumers, making them ecologically important for most aquatic systems. They are used as biotic indicators for water quality due to their sensitivity to pollutants and may be affected, specifically, by chloride ion concentrations in the water. Water quality can be evaluated by looking at species compositions and their respective tolerance values. To determine long-term effects of road salt on macroinvertebrate colonies, a total of 338 identified macroinvertebrates of 10 families (two generalized to class) at 9 sites were collected from before, after, and between three bridges on Turtle River …

Residual Spatial Autocorrelation In Macroecological And Biogeographical Modeling: A Review, Guetchine Gaspard

Theses and Dissertations--Geography

Macroecological and biogeographical modelers have predicted the distribution of species across space relying on the relationship between biotic processes and environmental variables. Such a method employs data associated, for instance, with species abundance or presence/absence, climate, geomorphology, and soils. Statistical analyses found in previous studies have highlighted the importance of accounting for the effects of spatial autocorrelation (SAC), which indicates a level of dependence between pairs of nearby observations. A consensus has existed that residual spatial autocorrelation (rSAC) can substantially impact modeling processes and inferences. However, more emphasis should be put on identifying the sources of rSAC and the degree …

Environmental Controls On The Spatial Distribution Of Greenfin Darters And Biodiversity In The Blue Ridge Mountains, Dri Tattersfield

CMC Senior Theses

Disproportionate concentrations of biodiversity in mountains worldwide suggest linkages between geologic processes and biodiversity that are not yet well understood. The Tennessee River Basin in the Blue Ridge Mountains of the southeastern U.S. is a global hotspot for freshwater fish biodiversity. To investigate drivers of biodiversity in the Tennessee River Basin, and explore links to geologic processes, I study the Greenfin Darter (Nothonotus chlorobranchius), a small fish endemic to the upper Tennessee River Basin. I use generalized linear models (GLMs) to evaluate the influence of topography, lithology, climate and land use on the distribution of the Greenfin Darter, …

Diatoms Of The Northeastern Gulf Of Mexico: Light And Electron Microscope Observations Of Sulcatonitzschia, A New Genus Of Nitzschioid Diatoms (Bacillariales: Bacillariaceae) With A Transverse Sulcus, James A. Nienow, Akshinthala K. S. K. Prasad

Gulf and Caribbean Research

During a systematic investigation of phytoplankton assemblages in the northeastern Gulf of Mexico (GOM) in the aftermath of the Deepwater Horizon blowout we encountered a population of diatoms morphologically similar to Nitzschia ossiformis (Taylor) Simonsen located about 75 km offshore and concentrated at a depth of 60—120 meters. The density of individuals in the population was sufficient to make detailed observations using light and electron microscopy. Our specimens were frequently united into short ribbon—like colonies. This, plus features of the fine structure of valve (biseriate striae, raphe canal without pores and flush with the valve surface) suggest the GOM population …

Evaluating The Biotic Condition Of Restored Streams In Kentucky’S Inner Bluegrass Region, Charles Cole Crankshaw

Theses and Dissertations--Biosystems and Agricultural Engineering

Numerous stream restoration projects have been implemented in Kentucky’s Inner Bluegrass region to offset anthropogenic impacts. These projects range from full channel realignments to volunteer-led riparian installations. To assess the ability of said projects to restore stream habitat and biota, full restoration (n=12) and riparian (n=6) sites were compared to reference (n=6) and disturbed (n=12) sites using RBP and SVAP protocols, macroinvertebrate samples, and geomorphology. General trends for SVAP, RBP, and BI scores, starting with highest habitat or biotic quality, were reference sites, full and riparian restoration sites, then disturbed sites. The number of EPT taxa, another indicator of biological …

Seedling Growth And Soil Chemistry In A Chronosequence Of Forest Restoration From Agriculture, Michaela J. Woods, Sarah J. Frankenberg, Joseph R. Juodvalkis, Mary C. Lloyd, Meredith Cobb, Ryan Mcewan

Five Rivers MetroParks Collaboration Data Archive

Soils were collected from forest restorations that were 0, 7, 10, 50 and 100 years old and assessed for soil nutrients, chemistry, and enzymatic activity. Quercus macrocarpa seedlings were planted in each soil type, after 5 months of growth seedlings were destructively harvested. Seedling mass and the colonization rate of their roots by ectomycorrhizal fungi are reported.

The photo accompanying this data collection is of the researchers' germinating Quercus macrocarpa seeds.

Religious Naturalisms, Carol W. White

Other Faculty Research and Publications

This article focuses on recent developments in religious naturalism in the twenty-first century, building on Jerome Stone’s 2008 study of its resurgence in the mid-twentieth century. I introduce religious naturalism as a synthesis of naturalistic ideas that often depart from traditional forms of religious thinking, defining it as a capacious, ecological religious worldview grounded in the observational conviction that nature is ultimate. I also describe different models of religious naturalism, focusing on the key ideas found in the influential publications of contemporary religious naturalists (e.g., Ursula Goodenough, Donald Crosby, Loyal Rue, among others). While acknowledging specific points of emphasis, I …

Importance Of Instream Habitat To Recruitment And Community Structure Of Aquatic Invertebrates, Catherine R. Billé

Master’s Theses

This thesis investigates how mechanisms of colonization by aquatic insects, both by ovipositing adults and or larval drift, operate at either micro-, meso-, or macro-scales to influence larval community assemblage in streams. Our study took place in a forested floodplain stream characterized by uniform soft clay and loose detritus substrate. Within this study reach we built three sets of riffles, with each set comprised of three identical riffles built either 15, 10, or 5 m apart. We examined microscale influences on community assemblage by studying recruitment of egg masses to our constructed riffles. We found that riffle habitat additions were …

Remote Ornithology: Studying Nesting Behavior Of Bermuda Petrels Via Live Webcam, Ragupathy Kannan, Bala Chander, Jack Jackson, Tara Chander

Journal of the Arkansas Academy of Science

We observed over 167 hours of video of a Bermuda Petrel Pterodroma cahow nest during the 2019 nesting season. The publicly available webcam feed was provided live over the internet by Nonsuch Expeditions and Cornell Lab of Ornithology. Live webcams open new avenues of data collection resulting in observations previously deemed impractical. They help surpass logistic and financial hurdles in conducting field studies. From our offices and homes in Arkansas and New York, we documented behaviors and involuntary movements of the nesting pair in Bermuda. We noted relative roles played by each parent in incubation, and behaviors of the incubating …

Factors Influencing Aquatic Invertebrate Diversity In Mine Pit Lakes Along The Mesabi Iron Range, Jeremy Laurich

Journal of Earth and Life Science

Restoration of mine pit lakes for recreation is going to be very important for the future of Minnesota’s Mesabi Iron Range area. As many as 250 lakes will need to be restored in the future along this 100-kilometer-long swath of mining country. Information regarding the organisms that currently inhabit these lakes is important for future restorations to be a success. The focus of this study was to identify the types of aquatic invertebrates present in pit lakes and to identify some of the factors that influence their abundance and diversity. During this study, invertebrate samples were taken along the shore …

Is There A Relationship Between Aquatic Vegetation And Amphipod Stocking Mortality?, Alaina Taylor

Journal of Earth and Life Science

Amphipod occurrence and abundance has declined in the Prairie Pothole Region (PPR). Wildlife managers have stocked prairie pothole wetlands with Gammarus lacustris since 2018 to establish self-sustaining populations. G. lacustris have been detected in only 2 of 22 stocked basins, suggesting that they have died or failed to reproduce in most stocking attempts. Aquatic plant surveys were conducted in stocked wetlands and compared to data from surveys of wetlands with naturally occurring populations to understand if G. lacustris would be expected to survive in stocked wetlands based on characteristics of the aquatic vegetation communities. SAV coverage was significantly higher in …

Exploring The Genetic Variability Of Zebra Mussels Dreisenna Polymoprha, Maxwell Carr

Journal of Earth and Life Science

Zebra Mussels Dreisenna polymorpha are one of the most well-known invasive species here in the United States. This species can take over watersheds very quickly, causing damage to both the ecosystem and man-made structures. The basic physical behavior of this species has been well documented, but the invasive North American Zebra Mussel is much more aggressive and therefore causes more damage in the Great Lakes region compared to its native waters. Genetic variation may be playing a very large role in how and why D. polymorpha is causing such large problems for stakeholders in the United States. This review cites …

Extirpation Risk Of The Endangered Golden Langur (Trachypithecus Geei) Inside And Outside Biological Corridors, Langthel Sub-District, Trongsa, Central District Bhutan, Kuenzang Dorji

All Master's Theses

I assessed extirpation risks of the golden langur (Trachypithecus geei) in two landscapes (inside and outside the biological corridor). Working with a team of trained scientists, I collected data on group size, feeding range, sleeping sites, and predation on golden langurs from Langthel sub-districts, Trongsa district, central Bhutan. I used scan sampling to follow 24 groups of golden langurs (15 groups outside and 9 groups inside the biological corridor) to estimate average group sizes in the two landscapes. I confirmed their sleeping sites and recorded the physiognomies of sleep sites and dimensions of the trees used as sleeping …

Conservation Status And Natural History Of Ctenomys, Tuco-Tucos In Bolivia, Scott Lyell Gardner, Sebastian Botero-Cañola, Enzo Aliaga Rossel, Altangerel Tsogtsaikhan Dursahinhan, Jorge A. Salazar-Bravo

Scott L. Gardner Publications

The genus Ctenomys consists of about 70 species and in addition to the Geomyidae of the Nearctic, Neotropical tuco-tucos represent a well-documented case of diversification in the subterranean biotype. Here we will: i) Provide an updated summary of the natural history of the 12 species of extant tuco-tucos from Bolivia; ii) Update information on distributions of each species; and iii) Using ecological niche modeling, evaluate recent and projected habitat transformation or habitat degradation within the known range of each species to provide a preliminary assessment of the preservation or conservation status of ctenomyids within Bolivia. We follow Gardner et al. …

Plant Communities In Dynamic Systems: How Disturbance Influences Coastal Plant Community Structure And Function, Joseph K. Brown

Theses and Dissertations

As the climate continues to change it is difficult to predict how barrier island function will respond to global change drivers accompanying predicted climate change. Disturbance frequency and nutrient enrichment in coastal regions are drivers of plant community change that increase with climate change. Plant communities on barrier islands are not only tightly connected to barrier island function but are also some of the first communities affected by environmental change, making them a critical piece in understanding how current drivers of global change will impact the future of barrier islands. The objective of my dissertation was to observe and manipulate …

Raven Control From A Conservation Biology Perspective, David J. Delehanty

Human–Wildlife Interactions

The common raven (Corvus corax; raven) is a large, highly intelligent passerine songbird with a Holarctic distribution attributable to a high degree of plasticity in its foraging and nesting behavior. Historically, ravens have received special attention in human culture, being either respected or vilified. In the western United States, ravens are exploiting the expanding human enterprise, which provides them with unintended subsidies of food, water, and breeding locations, allowing ravens to expand their range and increase in population density and resulting in raven depredation threatening species of conservation concern. From a conservation biology perspective, increased raven populations present …