The Effects Of Environmental Changes On The Biodiversity And Macroecological Patterns Of Bird Assemblages In The United States,
2024
CUNY Graduate Center
The Effects Of Environmental Changes On The Biodiversity And Macroecological Patterns Of Bird Assemblages In The United States, Marlen Acosta Alamo
Dissertations, Theses, and Capstone Projects
The current restructuring of species assemblages and global loss of biodiversity result from species-specific responses to anthropogenic changes in climate and land cover. I investigated the effect of these two drivers on the seasonal distribution and biodiversity of birds in the United States and how human-induced habitat loss impacts macroecological patterns such as the species-area and the abundance-occupancy relationships. In Chapter 1, I examined the existence of a correlation between breeding and wintering geographic distributions of birds with different migratory strategies and the effect of changes in climate and the proportion of crop-pasture and urban land cover on this correlation. …
Chinese Tallow Long-Term Impact On Stand Dynamics In A Bottomland Hardwood Forest Following Vegetation Management,
2024
Stephen F. Austin State University
Chinese Tallow Long-Term Impact On Stand Dynamics In A Bottomland Hardwood Forest Following Vegetation Management, Nicklaus R. Langlois
Electronic Theses and Dissertations
Chinese tallow (Triadica sebifera (L.) Small) is an invasive tree known to have negative impacts on bottomland hardwood forests. Chinese tallow is proficient in reproducing and surviving in bottomland hardwood forests because it is more flood and shade tolerant than most native trees. The long-term effectiveness of Chinese tallow control is an important topic to research as only a few long-term studies of Chinese tallow control have been conducted. A 10-year re-measurement of 22 paired plots installed in 2012 on the Pineywoods Mitigation Bank near Diboll, Texas following herbicide treatments examined Chinese tallow and native tree stand structure. Each …
A Comparative Analysis Of Extant Oceanic Shark Species Using Trait-Based Ecology,
2024
Nova Southeastern University
A Comparative Analysis Of Extant Oceanic Shark Species Using Trait-Based Ecology, Elizabeth A. Johnson
All HCAS Student Capstones, Theses, and Dissertations
Over the past few decades, scientists have been working together to mitigate human impacts on global shark populations, but deciding which species need the most immediate attention can be difficult. This study uses a newly emerging approach to ecology, trait-based ecology, to identify trends in trait expression with depth and determine which species have the most unique sets of traits. While trait-based ecology has already been applied to numerous fields, a trait-based approach to shark research is still in its infancy. A total of 15 traits across 337 oceanic shark species were examined to identify trends in trait expression and …
The Role Of Elevation In The Migration, Physiology, And Genomic Diversification Of Birds,
2024
University of New Mexico
The Role Of Elevation In The Migration, Physiology, And Genomic Diversification Of Birds, Jessie L. Williamson
Biology ETDs
Elevational gradients cause profound eco-climatic variation across short distances. Partial pressure of oxygen (PO2) is a severe challenge that organisms face at high elevations; due partly to specialization on PO2, most Neotropical bird species have narrow elevational ranges. However, a small fraction are elevational generalists that span sea level to high elevations, and a subset undertake extreme migratory journeys from low to high elevations biannually. My dissertation combines diverse approaches across levels of biological organization to understand how elevation impacts the ecology, evolution, physiology, and migration of montane birds. I examined ‘extreme’ elevational …
Assessing The Impacts Of Grazing By Piney Woods Cattle And Controlled Burning On The Herbaceous Layer In An East Gulf Coastal Plain Longleaf Pine Woodland,
2024
The University of Southern Mississippi
Assessing The Impacts Of Grazing By Piney Woods Cattle And Controlled Burning On The Herbaceous Layer In An East Gulf Coastal Plain Longleaf Pine Woodland, William Mcfarland
Master's Theses
Fire and grazing are two disturbances which influence vegetation composition and diversity in many ecosystems. In the southeastern United States, longleaf pine plant communities are adapted to frequent fires and are likely to have been grazed by bison in the past. Though bison have been extirpated from this region, Pineywoods Cattle, which were introduced by the Spanish in the 16th Century, have been fulfilling a similar role in many of these communities. This study examines the effects that combined grazing and controlled burning have on plant diversity, biomass, and community similarity in a longleaf pine savanna in the East …
Spectral Sensitivity Of Circadian Entrainment In Araneoid And Non-Araneoid Spiders,
2024
East Tennessee State University
Spectral Sensitivity Of Circadian Entrainment In Araneoid And Non-Araneoid Spiders, Craig Campbell
Electronic Theses and Dissertations
Artificial lighting at night is a growing worldwide phenomenon that can negatively impact flora and fauna in the surrounding area. With new technology, there is now opportunity for change: newer LEDs can emit specific wavelengths of light that may be less ecologically damaging. In this study, we aim to describe the circadian spectral sensitivity of two phylogenetically distant urban spider species with similar life histories, the Araneoid Parasteatoda tepidariorum and non-Araneoid Pholcus manueli, to determine differences between them. We exposed these spiders to progressively dimmer levels of white, blue, green, or red light. Despite evidence that spiders lack visual …
Antimicrobials Produced By Ants: Chemical Properties And Microbe Specificity,
2024
Kennesaw State University
Antimicrobials Produced By Ants: Chemical Properties And Microbe Specificity, Katy Chon
Master's Theses
Antibiotic resistance is a growing public health concern worldwide, and for over a decade, we have been witnessing the growth of difficult to treat infectious diseases caused by bacteria that are becoming resistant to antibiotics. This resistance can be mostly related to the misusing and improper use of antibiotics in both humans and animals. To restore this problem, humans have turned to new sources for the production of antibiotics. In this study, we focused on using ants. Social insects, including ants and bees, have faced strong disease pressures during their evolution and have developed a range of methods to fight …
The Behavioral Specialization Of African Ant-Following Birds On Dorylus Driver Ants,
2024
Louisiana State University and Agricultural and Mechanical College
The Behavioral Specialization Of African Ant-Following Birds On Dorylus Driver Ants, Patricia F. Rodrigues
LSU Doctoral Dissertations
Ant-following birds, that forage on arthropods flushed by swarm raiding army ants, are an iconic phenomenon in tropical forests around the globe. Despite capturing the attention of naturalists for over a century, research on ant-following birds has largely focused on Neotropical species. Decades of research on Neotropical ant-following birds has revealed fascinating aspects of their specialization, including complex cognitive and behavioral adaptations that allow birds to locate and track nomadic army ants. Despite this breadth of research on Neotropical species, virtually nothing is known of the behavioral ecology of African ant-following birds, and it remains unknown whether they exhibit adaptations …
Records Of The Red-Bellied Snake (Storeria Occipitomaculata) In Central And Northeastern Nebraska,
2024
University of Nebraska at Kearney
Records Of The Red-Bellied Snake (Storeria Occipitomaculata) In Central And Northeastern Nebraska, Taylor Lowe, Sarah M. Bailey, Dan D. Fogell, Keith Geluso
Transactions of the Nebraska Academy of Sciences and Affiliated Societies
Red-bellied Snakes (Storeria occipitomaculata) are a distinctive, small species that live in moist woodlands throughout much of eastern North America. In the Great Plains, isolated populations exist in South Dakota, Wyoming, and Nebraska. In Nebraska, the only known extant population occurs in wooded riparian habitats along the Big Bend Reach of the Platte River in southcentral parts of the state. Herein, we report on new county records of Red-bellied Snakes in Nebraska, with two observations from Merrick County along the Platte River adjacent to known populations and two observations of a new population in the extreme northeastern part …
Seed Dispersal By Martu Peoples Promotes The Distribution Of Native Plants In Arid Australia,
2024
The Pennsylvania State University
Seed Dispersal By Martu Peoples Promotes The Distribution Of Native Plants In Arid Australia, Rebecca Bliege Bird, Douglas Bird, Christopher T. Martine, Chloe Mcguire, Leanne Greenwood, Desmond Taylor, Tanisha M. Williams, Peter M. Veth
Faculty Journal Articles
Commensal relationships between wild plants and their dispersers play a key ecological and evolutionary role in community structure and function. While non-human dispersers are often considered critical to plant recruitment, human dispersers have received much less attention, especially when it comes to non-domesticated plants. Australia, as a continent historically characterized by economies reliant on non-domesticated plants, is thus a key system for exploring the ecological role of people as seed dispersers in the absence of agriculture. Here, we utilize a controlled observation research design, employing ecological surveys and ethnographic observations to examine how seed dispersal and landscape burning by Martu …
The Role Of Sexual Network Core Groups In Disease Epidemics,
2024
Louisiana State University and Agricultural and Mechanical College
The Role Of Sexual Network Core Groups In Disease Epidemics, Jason Janeaux
LSU Doctoral Dissertations
Sexually transmitted infections (STIs) remain an economic and social burden, non-discriminately affecting sexually active individuals worldwide. The unique transmission of STIs is dependent upon host and pathogen life histories, as well as the underlying network structure of the host population. Within a population there is a group of individuals, the core group, that maintains STI presence and helps sustain ongoing transmission both within the core group and in the surrounding population. While the presence of these core groups is well documented, the criteria for inclusion into a sexual core group is not. In this dissertation, I explore common factors that …
Postweaning Skull Growth In Living Didelphid Marsupials: The Case Of Gracilinanus Agilis And Cryptonanus Chacoensis,
2024
DePaul University
Postweaning Skull Growth In Living Didelphid Marsupials: The Case Of Gracilinanus Agilis And Cryptonanus Chacoensis, Iveth A. Villalobos Guerrero, Noé U. De La Sancha
DePaul Discoveries
Ontogeny is described as the history of an organism through its lifetime including development, growth, and allometry. The ontogenetic approach in cranial dimensions has proved useful in interpreting evolutionary patterns. Among the largest Didelphidae family of Neotropical marsupials, the species of Gracilinanus agilis and Cryptonanus chacoensis are poorly known. In this study, we address three questions; Is there sexual dimorphism in these species? What is the pattern of allometry? Which allometric patterns best describe the patterns in the skull and mandible? We applied geometric morphometrics to describe and test these differences using MorphoJ. A discriminant function analysis was performed to …
Phytoplankton Community Dynamics In The Northern California Current System,
2024
Portland State University
Phytoplankton Community Dynamics In The Northern California Current System, Kristin E. Forgrave
Dissertations and Theses
The Northern California Current system is a productive coastal ecosystem encompassing a variety of temporal and spatial features. The photosynthetic microbial community plays a crucial role in supporting the rich ecosystem and its economically important fisheries. My research integrates data across location and two years to investigate the community composition of two major phytoplankton groups in this system: picocyanobacteria and photosynthetic picoeukaryotes (PPE). The abundances and sizes of the phytoplankton were measured using flow cytometry. I found PPE present at similar concentrations in both summer and winter seasons. Abundances of both PPE and picocyanobacteria were comparable in the winter, but …
Scientific Note: An Incursion Of The Widely-Cultivated Katsura (Cercidiphyllum Japonicum, Cercidiphyllaceae) In Pennsylvania,
2024
Bucknell University
Scientific Note: An Incursion Of The Widely-Cultivated Katsura (Cercidiphyllum Japonicum, Cercidiphyllaceae) In Pennsylvania, Kayleigh R. Long, Melody P. Sain, Elizabeth H. Williams, Christopher T. Martine
Faculty Journal Articles
Cercidiphyllum japonicum (katsura) is a dioecious tree native to China and Japan. Although imperiled in parts of its natural distribution, the species has become quite common as a cultivated tree in temperate North America. The species is noted as occasionally escaping cultivation in the eastern United States, but few records of established incursions (and the conditions under which they might recruit) exist in the literature. We here report an incursion of C. japonicum in central Pennsylvania, along with notes on seedling recruitment on the Bucknell University campus.
Climate And Shared Evolutionary History Drive Trait Variation Among Species Of Neotropical Understory Monocots,
2024
Chapman University
Climate And Shared Evolutionary History Drive Trait Variation Among Species Of Neotropical Understory Monocots, Eleinis Ávila-Lovera, Oscar M. Vargas, Jennifer L. Funk, Kathleen M. Kay, Gregory R. Goldsmith
Biology, Chemistry, and Environmental Sciences Faculty Articles and Research
Environmental variation commonly drives functional trait diversity within species, among species, and across communities. Climate and shared evolutionary history can both influence trait–environment relationships. We studied variation in plant functional traits among closely related Costus species occurring across environmental gradients, the extent to which this variation occurs within single species, and how that variation may be influenced by shared evolutionary history. We measured leaf, aboveground stem, rhizome, and fine root traits of 17 species of Costus in eight sites in Costa Rica and Panama, which varied in elevation, temperature, and precipitation. We then assessed the relationships among traits and environmental …
The Ecosystem As Super-Organ/Ism, Revisited: Scaling Hydraulics To Forests Under Climate Change,
2024
University of Missouri
The Ecosystem As Super-Organ/Ism, Revisited: Scaling Hydraulics To Forests Under Climate Change, Jeffrey D. Wood, Matteo Detto, Marvin Browne, Nathan J.B. Kraft, Alexandra G. Konings, Joshua B. Fisher, Gregory R. Quetin, Anna T. Trugman, Troy S. Magney, Camila D. Medeiros, Nidhi Vinod, Thomas N. Buckley, Lawren Sack
Biology, Chemistry, and Environmental Sciences Faculty Articles and Research
Classic debates in community ecology focused on the complexities of considering an ecosystem as a super-organ or organism. New consideration of such perspectives could clarify mechanisms underlying the dynamics of forest carbon dioxide (CO2) uptake and water vapor loss, important for predicting and managing the future of Earth's ecosystems and climate system. Here, we provide a rubric for considering ecosystem traits as aggregated, systemic, or emergent, i.e., representing the ecosystem as an aggregate of its individuals, or as a metaphorical or literal super-organ or organism. We review recent approaches to scaling-up plant water relations (hydraulics) concepts developed for …
Geographic Distribution: Smilisca Baudinii (Mexican Treefrog). Usa: Florida: Escambia Co.,
2024
Florida Department of Agriculture and Consumer Services
Geographic Distribution: Smilisca Baudinii (Mexican Treefrog). Usa: Florida: Escambia Co., Louis A. Somma, Justin K. Anto, Jakira A. Davis
Papers in Herpetology
Geographic distribution note for Smilisca baudinii, the Mexican treefrog, from Escambia County, Florida, United States.
Single-Cell Analysis Identifies Plk1 As A Driver Of Immunosuppressive Tumor Microenvironment In Luad,
2024
University of Kentucky
Single-Cell Analysis Identifies Plk1 As A Driver Of Immunosuppressive Tumor Microenvironment In Luad, Yifan Kong, Chaohao Li, Jinpeng Liu, Sai Wu
Markey Cancer Center Faculty Publications
PLK1 (Polo-like kinase 1) plays a critical role in the progression of lung adenocarcinoma (LUAD). Recent studies have unveiled that targeting PLK1 improves the efficacy of immuno- therapy, highlighting its important role in the regulation of tumor immunity. Nevertheless, our understanding of the intricate interplay between PLK1 and the tumor microenvironment (TME) remains incomplete. Here, using genetically engineered mouse model and single- cell RNA-seq analysis, we report that PLK1 promotes an immunosuppressive TME in LUAD, characterized with enhanced M2 polarization of tumor associated macrophages (TAM) and dampened antigen presentation process. Mechanistically, elevated PLK1 coin- cides with increased secretion of CXCL2 …
Sub-Stage Climatic Shifts During Mis 11 Refined From Diatom Assemblage Reconstruction In The Valles Caldera, New Mexico,
2024
University of New Mexico
Sub-Stage Climatic Shifts During Mis 11 Refined From Diatom Assemblage Reconstruction In The Valles Caldera, New Mexico, Savannah Cutler
Earth and Planetary Sciences ETDs
Diatom assemblage reconstruction from the Valles Caldera sediment core (VC-3) was utilized to infer climatic and aquatic changes during a 50-thousand-year [ka] period in the Mid-Pleistocene (435-385 ka). This 50 ka interval spans most of Marine Isotope Stage 11 (MIS 11) – one of the most prominent interglacials of the past 500 ka – and is widely considered an analog for the Holocene and future climate regimes. Nearly all records from MIS 11 are either marine or ice-core based, making VC-3 unique among lacustrine sediment records as it captures insolation variations and climatic changes during the mid-Pleistocene. Analysis of the …
Agroecology And Soil Stewardship: Values And Techniques Of Smallholder Farmers In Bernalillo County,
2024
University of New Mexico - Main Campus
Agroecology And Soil Stewardship: Values And Techniques Of Smallholder Farmers In Bernalillo County, Stephanie Olivas
Geography ETDs
Agrarian movements around the world use agroecology to build sovereignty and steward dynamic ecosystems. Research has shown that agroecological farmers steward more resilient crops, more resilient soil biomes, and greater biodiversity than conventional agriculture. GIS and remote sensing offer many tools to detect the impacts of these farmers on the environment, but it is less clear how such technologies fit into agroecological goals. This study asks: what values, experiences and knowledge do smallholder producers in Bernalillo County embody in their soil stewardship practices? Also, what experience or knowledge do smallholder producers in Bernalillo County have about remote sensing, and would …
