Other Ecology and Evolutionary Biology Commons^™

Latitudinal Variation In Thermal Tolerance And Preference Of Fundulus Notatus And F. Olivaceus: Implications For Temperature Mediated Reproductive Isolation, Laura Kristin Stewart

Master's Theses

Temperature is one of the most pervasive and influential abiotic factors affecting the life histories of fish, regulating a host of physiological processes and influencing behavioral thermoregulation. Fundulus notatus, the blackstripe topminnow, and F. olivaceus, the blackspotted topminnow, are widely distributed species located in drainages along the northern part of Gulf of Mexico (30°N latitude) and as far north as southern Illinois (39°N latitude). However, F. notatus has a much broader range reaching up into the Great Lakes (43°N latitude). Due to their broad geographical range, these populations inhabit a wide range of thermal regimes, thus …

Assessment Of Disturbance Effects Of An Existing Wind Energy Facility On Greater Prairie-Chicken (Tympanuchus Cupido Pinnatus) Breeding Season Ecology In The Sandhills Of Nebraska, Jocelyn O. Harrison

School of Natural Resources: Dissertations, Theses, and Student Research

Recent wind energy development in the Great Plains of North America has given rise to concerns of potential impacts on the greater prairie-chicken (Tympanuchus cupido pinnatus). Recent studies in fragmented landscapes have suggested greater prairie-chickens may avoid wind facilities, which may lead to habitat loss and negative impacts on reproduction and survival. But, it is unknown if there is a similar effect in contiguous grass landscapes. Thus, we investigated the effect of a pre-existing, 36-turbine wind energy facility on greater prairie-chicken nesting, brood-rearing, and spatial ecology in the Nebraska Sandhills. We captured and marked 78 female greater prairie-chickens …

Discovery And Delimitation: Criconematid Nematodes Of North American Grasslands, Magdalena Jean Olson

Department of Agronomy and Horticulture: Dissertations, Theses, and Student Research

Approximately 200 years ago, North American landscapes were dominated by vast expanses of grassland. The Great Plains, an ecologically complex and diverse ecoregion, extended from Canada to the Gulf of Mexico, and from the Rocky Mountains to the border of the eastern hardwood forest in Indiana. Now the original tallgrass prairie exists in small widely dispersed remnant patches surrounded by agroecosystems. This study is an effort to characterize soil nematode diversity and population structure within those remnant patches. The plant parasitic nematode family Criconematidae serves as our indicator for nematode diversity, due to its global distribution, high abundance in natural …

Assessing Feeding Preferences And Spatial Patterns Of Lagodon Rhomboides Linnaeus, Alexandria V. Lamle

Master of Science in Integrative Biology Theses

Mesograzers have the ability to greatly mitigate the effects of eutrophication in seagrass systems. In this study we look at pinfish (Lagodon rhomboides Linnaeus) as a potential epiphytic grazer and assess feeding preferences during a transitional stage in the ontogenetic diet shift exhibited by these fish. Since pinfish are abundant in seagrass meadows in the northern Gulf of Mexico, their dietary preferences have the potential to greatly impact seagrasses in this system. Twenty-four hour feeding trials were conducted to determine pinfish preference between seagrass (Thalassia testudinum) and algal epiphytes. St. Joseph Bay, FL was also surveyed to …

The Pioneer Of Santa Rosa Island, Andrea Martinez, Michael Perez, Kathryn Mceachern, Sarah Chaney, Ken Niessen

STAR Program Research Presentations

Santa Rosa Island which is part of the Channel Islands in California has a ranching history that goes as far back as the year 1843. While rich in history, the island is no longer “rich” in native plant populations due to the sheep, cattle and other livestock that once occupied the island. As a result of these grazers that the ranchers livelihood depended on, a great disturbance in the native plant population took place. It is up to plants such as Baccharis pilularis, commonly known as Coyote brush, to assist these endangered and threatened plants to once again flourish …

Haverstraw Bay Benthic Habitat Characterization, Robert M. Cerrato, Alison M. Flanagan, Roger D. Flood

School of Marine & Atmospheric Sciences Faculty Publications

High-resolution backscatter and bathymetric maps created by multibeam and sidescan sonar surveys were used to identify five different seafloor bottom types within Haverstraw Bay. Grab samples were collected within these areas to characterize sediment properties and macrofauna. Selected sampling locations were revisited and seafloor images were obtained with an HD underwater camera. Multivariate analysis was used to identify the most important factors explaining variations in community structure. Results indicated that categorical variables defining bottom types, grain size, and water depth can explain about 42% of community structure variation. In addition, shell length data collected for Rangia cuneata, an introduced …

Horticultural Escape And Naturalization Of Magnolia Tripetala In Western Massachusetts: Biogeographic Context And Possible Relationship To Recent Climate Change, Jesse Bellemare, Claudia Deeg

Biological Sciences: Faculty Publications

No abstract provided.

Speciation In Western North America: Lomatium As An Example Of Diversification And Convergent Evolution, Edgar M. Sosa, Lauren Polito, Mckayla Stevens, Donald H. Mansfield, James F. Smith (Mentor)

Idaho Conference on Undergraduate Research

Species delimitations and understanding the processes that drive speciation are essential to nearly all aspects of human endeavor. Determining species boundaries traditionally used morphology. Phylogenetic analyses based on DNA sequence data provide a means to resolve species boundaries, as well as test hypotheses regarding the evolutionary processes. Numerous species radiations have occurred in Western North America. Among these are several plant groups such as Astragalus, Artemisia, and Lomatium. Recent phylogenetic analyses of Lomatium and related genera have demonstrated that many of the morphological characters used to delimit taxa have arisen multiple times and that most taxa are para- …

Seasonal Dynamics And Micro-Climatic Preference Of Two Alpine Endemic Hypogean Beetles, Stefano Mammola, Elena Piano, Pier Mauro Giachino, Marco Isaia

International Journal of Speleology

Hypogean beetles generally live in stable environments, characterized by constant temperature and high relative humidity. Changes in the underground microclimatic conditions generally induce local migrations of the beetles through the hypogean environment in search of suitable microhabitats. We studied the seasonal dynamics and the micro-climatic preference of two Alpine endemic hypogean beetles - Sphodropsis ghilianii (Coleoptera, Carabidae) and Dellabeffaella roccae (Coleoptera, Cholevidae) - in the hypogean complex of Pugnetto (Graian Alps, Italy). We surveyed the two species for one year, using baited pitfall traps and measuring temperature and humidity along the two main caves. We used logistic regression mixed models …

Changing Climates, Fading Cultures: A Study Of Place Annihilation As A Result Of Climate Change, Brooks A. Bolsinger

Honors Projects

Abstract

Research has established the phenomenon of cultural annihilation: the notion that the members of cultures can perceive a sense of loss when the geography upon which their culture is built undergoes a dramatic destructive change. This review examines prevailing literature to uncover existing and expected ways that climate change will impact cultures, specifically damaging the shared history that is infused into the geographic traits that make up a culture’s homeland. It examines three case studies - Native American tribes in Alaska, the island nation of the Maldives, and the country of the Netherlands – to highlight vulnerabilities that these …

Flowers In Space Attacked By Aliens: Understanding The Spatial Ecology Behind The Devastating Damage By A Thistle Bud Weevil On Pitcher’S Thistle At Whitefish Dunes State Park, Wi, Zechariah D. Meunier

Lawrence University Honors Projects

One of the most threatened plants in the Great Lakes region is Pitcher’s thistle (Cirsium pitcheri), which inhabits sand dunes along the shorelines of Lakes Michigan, Huron, and Superior. In addition to risks from habitat loss and invasive species, C. pitcheri are imperiled by a thistle bud weevil (Larinus planus) that was originally distributed for biological control of nonnative thistles. During the summer of 2014, we empirically studied the devastating damage caused by L. planus on a population of C. pitcheri at Whitefish Dunes State Park, WI, to determine what factors influence the distribution and intensity …

Predation In A Natural Community Of Marine Mollusks: Using Morphology To Determine Predator-Prey Ecology, Danielle N. Araiza, Erica Valdez

DePaul Discoveries

Predatory gastropod mollusks in the family Naticidae feed on bivalve mollusks and leave distinctive markings in the form of countersunk circular boreholes on the shells. These boreholes possess both an inner borehole diameter (IBD) and an outer borehole diameter (OBD) which are proportional to the size of the predator. It has been proposed that the ratio of IBD to OBD can be used to identify predator species. Variation in the ratio of the IBD to OBD was examined in two prey species (Dwarf surf clam, Incongruous ark clam) collected from Otter Island beach in South Carolina to determine if clams …

A Preliminary Study Of Soundscape Analysis As A Measurement Of Ecosystem Health, Veronica M. Jachowski, Lisa Kenny, Michelle Hauer, Andrew Kühn, Spencer Barrett

DePaul Discoveries

In this study, acoustic ecology, the analysis of soundscapes -- composed of geophony, biophony, and anthrophony -- is applied as a potential measurement of ecosystem health. Recordings were taken from four locations in the greater Chicago area. By combining traditional ecological assessments including soil analysis, worm density surveys, and vegetation surveys, and correlating the results with acoustic data we highlight the value of soundscape analysis and suggest lines of future inquiry.

Experimental Greenhouse And Field Trials On American Ginseng, Panax Quinquefolium: Implications For Restoration In Appalachia, Emily Thyroff

Senior Honors Projects, 2010-2019

Panax quinquefolium, American ginseng, is one of the more valuable non-timber forest products, NTFPs, providing economic, cultural, and ecological ecosystem services in forests. Although ginseng has a broad distribution range, it is not abundant anywhere due to overharvesting and deer browse. This study included experimental field and greenhouse trials to determine optimal growing conditions given inconsistencies regarding aspect and soil. Three soil series and two aspects (represented by soil moisture in the greenhouse) were manipulated in a factorial design. We hypothesized that there would be significant differences in ginseng performance (germination, survival, leaf area, and height) due to soil and …

The Effect Of Controlled Burns On Abundance Of Woody Species At Buck Mountain, West Virginia, Barry E. Edgar

Masters Theses, 2010-2019

Each year, the U.S. Forest Service prescribes burns within the George Washington and Jefferson National Forest (GWJNF). Burns are prescribed in the growing (late April-October) and dormant season (November- mid-April). The goal of the burns is to reinstate the natural fire regime, returning forests to their original species composition. Currently in GWJNF, Appalachian pine-oak forests are experiencing an increase in fire-intolerant species, while Quercus species and Gaylussacia brachycera, an endangered shrub species, are declining. In the summer of 2014, a vegetation survey was conducted on Buck Mountain, West Virginia to determine if there was a significant difference between dormant and …

Divergence Of Vertebrate And Insect Specific Toxin Genes Between Three Species Of Widow Spider, Shannon G. Kahn

Honors College Theses

The Brown widow spider, Latrodectus geometricus, is an introduced species to the southern United States (Brown 2008). The Brown widow is a member of the widow spider genus Latrodectus which includes the southern Black widow (L. mactans) and 29 other venomous species. All species of widow spiders produce venom which is used against both predator and prey. These venoms are composed of several different species-specific toxins, each encoded by a different gene (Graudins 2012). Previous research has shown that positive selection pressures affect the venom of snakes and snails, thus aiding in adaptive potential of the species …

Phylogeography Of Darlingtonea Kentuckensis And Molecular Systematics Of Kentucky Cave Trechines, Olivia Frances Boyd

Masters Theses & Specialist Projects

The monotypic cave carabid genus Darlingtonea is widely distributed along the eastern band of the Mississippian/Pennyroyal plateau in Kentucky and northern Tennessee. DNA sequence data from the mitochondrial gene cytochrome oxidase subunit I (COI) was collected from one to four individuals from 27 populations, and patterns of phylogeography and population structure were inferred from COI haplotypes. A hierarchical analysis of molecular variance found low nucleotide diversity within populations and statistically significant variation among geographically-defined groups tested based on two a priori hypotheses of structure. Population structure among five distinct genetic clusters identifies approximate locations of barriers to gene flow among …

Herbivore Impacts On The Invasive Marine Alga Grateloupia Turuturu, Emily Bishop, Carol Thornber

Senior Honors Projects

Invasive species have the ability to outcompete natives, and can create a monoculture if not mitigated by herbivores or some other mechanism. Limited information exists on the ecology of the invasive macroalga Grateloupia turuturu and how it is impacted by herbivores. Using laboratory mesocosm experiments, we investigated the ability of two invasive herbivore species common in Rhode Island, the snail Littorina littorea and Asian shore crab Hemigrapsus sanguineus, to control Grateloupia populations. In the first trial, Grateloupia was provided to a single herbivore (either Littorina or Hemigrapsus) or both herbivores together. Grateloupia controls were in the same mesocosms …

Rareness Starts Early For Disturbance-Dependent Grassland Plant Species, Matthew Candeias

Biology Theses

Ecological communities always contain a few common species and an abundance of rare species. Mechanisms determining commonness and rarity require experimental investigation. Given that most plant mortality occurs in seeds and seedlings, recruitment best predicts plant community assemblage and distributions. In northeastern North America, grassland plant species constitute a sizable portion of the native flora. Approximately 30% of western New York’s threatened and endangered flora are associated with grasslands, apparent leftovers from a post-glacial landscape. I investigated the mechanisms behind grassland species commonness and rarity by examining how habitat type, disturbance and biotic interactions limit seed recruitment for three rare …

Forest Sustainability In An Altered Landscape Requires Human Intervention, Adam C. Labatore

Biology Theses

Recruitment success determines the abundance and composition of plant communities. Successful recruitment can be summarized as a simple dichotomy of establishment versus seed limitations. Establishment limitation occurs when plant populations are inhibited by habitat availability and quality, whereas seed limitation occurs when seeds fail to arrive in necessary densities. Recruitment failure undermines overstory sustainability if the existing trees cannot replace themselves. Preliminary analysis indicated tree recruitment failure at an urban nature preserve with too few tree seedlings to replace mature canopy trees. These data suggested that the urban forest was not sustainable. The overarching goal of the study was to …