Female Acceptance Of Mates Is Consistent Across Different Sex Ratios And Male Proximities In Wood Frog (Rana Sylvatica) Breeding Aggregations,
2025
Binghamton University--SUNY
Female Acceptance Of Mates Is Consistent Across Different Sex Ratios And Male Proximities In Wood Frog (Rana Sylvatica) Breeding Aggregations, Alia Kabbaj, Laura Bousaid, Gabriella Lowney, Lindsey Swierk
Binghamton University Undergraduate Journal
Sexual selection plays a crucial role in shaping reproductive strategies. We investigated the influence of sex ratio and male proximity on female acceptance of mates in wood frogs (Rana sylvatica). We hypothesized that females at a more even sex ratio would exhibit higher acceptance of males due to reduced male competition when compared to females at a more male-skewed sex ratio. Using digital video analysis of mating trials (n = 39), we quantified male proximity to females and female acceptance of males at two sex ratios – 1:4 (F:M) and 1:7. Males at a 1:4 sex ratio maintained …
You Are What You Eat: Bioaccumulation Of Microplastics In The Food Chain,
2025
Lindenwood University
You Are What You Eat: Bioaccumulation Of Microplastics In The Food Chain, Audrianna Torrey
2025 Student Academic Showcase
Over the last century, the use and production of plastic has surged as demand for cost-effective alternatives to traditional materials has grown. While plastic has been extremely beneficial in reducing the cost of production while expanding the market, it has also created a global pollution crisis. By 2015, an estimated 6,300 million tons of plastic waste had been generated with nearly 80% accumulating in landfills and the environment. Over the last couple decades, researchers have begun to study the effects of plastic waste and its breakdown into microplastic on aquatic environments. Although not all organisms reside in water, every living-being, …
A Population Study Of The Freshwater Turtles Of The Recently Expanded Lake Hydaway In Campbell County, Virginia,
2025
Liberty University
A Population Study Of The Freshwater Turtles Of The Recently Expanded Lake Hydaway In Campbell County, Virginia, Joshua Sorenson
Senior Honors Theses
Freshwater turtles are an important part of the ecological systems in central Virginia. At the recently expanded Lake Hydaway, there are several turtle species for which their population characteristics were unknown, especially the prolific Eastern Painted Turtle (Chrysemys picta picta) and Red-bellied Cooter (Pseudemys rubriventris). For five weeks, the lake was surveyed for turtles using hoop nets, and the turtles were marked and measured. Population characteristics such as carapace length and sex ratio for the Eastern Painted Turtle and Red-bellied Cooter were calculated, as well as population estimates for those two species. The Red-eared Slider ( …
A Redescription Of Leiurus Libycus (Birula, 1908), Stat. N. (Scorpiones: Buthidae),
2025
Marshall University
A Redescription Of Leiurus Libycus (Birula, 1908), Stat. N. (Scorpiones: Buthidae), Ersen A. Yağmur, František Kovařík, Victor Fet
Euscorpius
Buthus quinquestriatus libycus was described by Birula (1908) from the Libyan Desert, based on a subadult male specimen. This taxon was later synonymized with Leiurus quinquestriatus (Ehrenberg, 1828) by Vachon (1949). In this study, we re-evaluate this taxon and recognize it as Leiurus libycus (Birula, 1908), stat. n., providing a redescription based on the holotype. The type locality of this species is clarified as western Egypt (between Alexandria and Fayum). We synonymize Leiurus aegyptiacus Lourenço & El-Hennawy, 2021 with L. libycus, stat. n., syn. n.
Passive Integrated Transponders: An Effective Marking Technique For Individual Identification Of Anaxyrus Fowleri?,
2025
Murray State University
Passive Integrated Transponders: An Effective Marking Technique For Individual Identification Of Anaxyrus Fowleri?, Emily Leprell
Honors College Theses
With the rise of fungal disease such as Chytridiomycosis, known as chytrid, causing massive population declines for many species of frogs and toads (order Anura), specific conservation strategies are needed now more than ever. In many cases, being able to mark and identify individuals is a necessary step in developing an effective conservation plan. Individual identification allows researchers to obtain accurate population estimates, which are needed to test the progress and validity of conservation management decisions. However, due to their unique life history, including cutaneous respiration and a dichotomous lifestyle, anurans are among the most difficult wildlife species to …
Cutting Waste In Tupper's Restaurant,
2025
Bryant University
Cutting Waste In Tupper's Restaurant, Logan Salvator, Christien Merritt, Lily Amaral, Erik Dukes
Earth Day Symposium on Climate and Sustainablity
No abstract provided.
A New Centruroides Species And First Record Of C. Tapachulaensis Hoffmann, 1932 (Scorpiones: Buthidae) From Honduras,
2025
Marshall University
A New Centruroides Species And First Record Of C. Tapachulaensis Hoffmann, 1932 (Scorpiones: Buthidae) From Honduras, Luis F. De Armas, Alex M. Cubas-Rodríguez
Euscorpius
A new species of striped bark scorpions, Centruroides lenca sp. n. is described, based on both sexes, from the Pacayita Volcano Biological Reserve (2,385 m a. s. l.), Ocotepeque Department, in the southwestern Honduras. By its general pattern, the new species resembles C. thorellii (Kraepelin, 1891), from which it clearly differs by having stronger and very darker pedipalp chelae, minute subaculear tubercle and basal pectinal plate with a large central pit in the female, among other diagnostic characters. Also, Centruroides tapachulaensis Hoffmann, 1932 is recorded for the first time from Honduras, on the basis of two observed or collected specimens …
Impacts Of Climate Change On Cannibalism And Disease Transmission In The Fall Armyworm,
2025
Louisiana State University and Agricultural and Mechanical College
Impacts Of Climate Change On Cannibalism And Disease Transmission In The Fall Armyworm, Kale Rougeau
LSU Master's Theses
Climate change may alter host-pathogen dynamics in terrestrial ecosystems due to rising global temperatures and carbon dioxide levels. Here, we examined cannibalism and disease transmission using the fall armyworm (Spodoptera frugiperda), an invasive agricultural pest, and its species-specific lethal baculovirus, Spodoptera frugiperda multiple nucleopolyhedrovirus (SfMNPV), under various potential challenges of climate change. We used three temperature treatments (cooler, optimal, warmer) based on the fall armyworm’s thermal performance curve to simulate a changing climate and four artificial diets with various protein-to-carbohydrate ratios (low, equal, high, standard) to manipulate resource quality from altered carbon dioxide levels. We found that higher …
Scorpions Of The Horn Of Africa (Arachnida, Scorpiones). Part Xxxvii. The Genus Hemiscorpius (Hemiscorpiidae),
2025
Marshall University
Scorpions Of The Horn Of Africa (Arachnida, Scorpiones). Part Xxxvii. The Genus Hemiscorpius (Hemiscorpiidae), František Kovařík, Hassan Sh A. Elmi, František Šťáhlavský
Euscorpius
Occurrence of the rare in the Horn of Africa genus Hemiscorpius Peters, 1861 (Scorpiones: Hemiscorpiidae) is summarized, including a distribution map. A male of Hemiscorpius lipsae Kovařík & Lowe, 2022 from Djibouti is described for the first time. A new species Hemiscorpius huluul sp. n. from Somaliland is described, fully complemented with color photographs.
Restoring Exotic Cool-Season Grass Dominated Landscapes With Clethodim And Glyphosate,
2025
Platte River Whooping Crane Maintenance Trust (Crane Trust)
Restoring Exotic Cool-Season Grass Dominated Landscapes With Clethodim And Glyphosate, Eleanor J. Muzzy, Joshua D. Wiese, Abraham J. Kanz
Transactions of the Nebraska Academy of Sciences and Affiliated Societies
A major threat to grasslands around the world is the spread of exotic cool-season grasses (ECSG). ECSG dominate vegetative communities and degrade critical habitats. One of the most common methods to treat ECSG is herbicide. To compare how the widely-used, non-specific herbicide glyphosate compared to the grass-specific herbicide clethodim, we conducted a fall spray in November 2023 at two different sites located in the Central Platte River Valley of Nebraska. The following June, we used a modified Daubenmire frame sampling method to gather data on relative cover, species richness, and community composition. After analysis, glyphosate appeared to be more effective …
An Injury Healing On The Carapace Of Hottentotta Saulcyi (Simon, 1880) (Scorpiones: Buthidae),
2025
Marshall University
An Injury Healing On The Carapace Of Hottentotta Saulcyi (Simon, 1880) (Scorpiones: Buthidae), Fatih Yeşilyurt, Ersen A. Yağmur
Euscorpius
A new case of injury healing on the carapace is reported in a female Hottentotta saulcyi (Simon, 1880). An asymmetrical indentation was observed on the anterior part of the carapace, resulting from the healing of an old injury. The indentation is relatively deep, with muscle tissue visible inside it. Scar tissue is present at the end of indentation and healing tissue is present along its margins.
Robust Sex Determination In The Caenorhabditis Nigoni Germ Line,
2025
Rowan University
Robust Sex Determination In The Caenorhabditis Nigoni Germ Line, Jonathan P Harbin, Yongquan Shen, Shin-Yi Lin, Kevin Kemper, Eric S Haag, Erich M Schwarz, Ronald E Ellis
Rowan-Virtua School of Osteopathic Medicine Departmental Research
Sexual characteristics and reproductive systems are dynamic traits in many taxa, but the developmental modifications that allow change and innovation are largely unknown. A leading model for this process is the evolution of self-fertile hermaphrodites from male/female ancestors. However, these studies require direct analysis of sex-determination in male/female species, as well as in the hermaphroditic species that are related to them. In Caenorhabditis nematodes this has only become possible recently, with the discovery of new species. Here, we use gene editing to characterize major sex-determination genes in C. nigoni, a sister to the widely studied hermaphroditic species C. briggsae. These …
Designing An Optimal Thermal Preference Arena For Southern Cricket Frog (Acris Gryllus) Juveniles,
2025
University of Mississippi Main Campus
Designing An Optimal Thermal Preference Arena For Southern Cricket Frog (Acris Gryllus) Juveniles, Eleanor E. Briggs, David M. Phillips Jr.
Honors Theses
Climate change has been altering ecosystems across the world at a substantial rate, disrupting the delicate ecophysiological relationships between ecosystems and the organisms that live in them. Ectotherms, such as amphibians, rely on external temperatures to behaviorally thermoregulate, making it especially imperative to study their thermal biology. Thermal preference, which assesses the environmental temperature an organism would seek out in the absence of external stimuli, provides valuable information about an amphibian’s thermal biology and can be used to predict the effects of climate change on a species or population. A commonly used method to measure thermal preference is an arena …
Avian Detection Data And Environmental Covariates For Utah, Usa Over The Years 2017-2021,
2025
Utah State University
Avian Detection Data And Environmental Covariates For Utah, Usa Over The Years 2017-2021, Amanda L. Hayes-Puttfarcken
Browse all Datasets
Integrated Monitoring in Bird Conservation Regions (IMBCR) detection data for the state of Utah, USA, and LANDFIRE uncharacteristic exotic Departure Score data over Utah during our study period, as well as additional environmental covariates used to make the model more ecologically accurate. Environmental covariates include average May precipitation, average June temperature, distance to the nearest road, percent canopy cover, and the percent of three habitat types as defined by LANDFIRE; open tree canopy, herbaceous, and shrubland.
First Record Of Corella Japonica In California,
2025
Coastal Carolina University
First Record Of Corella Japonica In California, Lauren M. Stefaniak, Marie L. Nydam, Susanna López-Legentil
Marine Science
Many ascidian (sea squirt) species are common members of fouling communities, particularly on floating substrates such as docks and pilings and through maritime transport, have been introduced worldwide. For the past 30 years, marinas in Southern California have been regularly monitored for introduced species due to their proximity to the international shipping terminals in Los Angeles and Long Beach Harbors. Here, we report on the first record in the eastern Pacific of an ascidian in the family Corellidae (O. Phlebobranchia), Corella japonica, found at the Newmarks Yacht Centre in Los Angeles Harbor. This study further highlights the importance of continuously …
Neotropical Catfish Diversity In Rivers Of The Guiana Shield: A Combined Approach Using Taxonomic, Functional, And Isotopic Tools,
2025
Stephen F Austin State University
Neotropical Catfish Diversity In Rivers Of The Guiana Shield: A Combined Approach Using Taxonomic, Functional, And Isotopic Tools, Joseph Sheffield
Undergraduate Research Conference
Rivers of the Guiana Shield in South America are very heterogenous, containing a mosaic of habitats and environmental characteristics ideal for maintaining high freshwater biodiversity. The connection between the Essequibo and Amazon rivers via the Rupununi River during the wet season plays an important role for the great diversity of Neotropical ichthyofauna. Neotropical catfishes (Siluriformes) are the second most diverse group of freshwater fishes, after the Characiformes. They span a wide range of body sizes and exhibit diverse trophic specializations, making them ideal organisms for studying the influence of body size variation on community organization and ecosystem function. We explored …
The Importance Of Wild Birds,
2025
WellBeing International
The Importance Of Wild Birds, Janice H. Cox
Nexus – UNEP – Animal Welfare, Environment, Sustainable Development
Wild birds are important in their own right, for their contribution to human wellbeing, and for their ecological value, as part of the “web of life”. Birds are sentient beings with complex thinking and social behaviors, and the ability to experience positive and negative feelings, including suffering. The ways in which birds contribute to the functioning of the world's ecosystems include: pest control, pollination, cleaning up nature, spreading seeds, keeping coral reefs alive and transforming landscapes. Yet wild bird populations are declining dramatically – with one in eight bird species threatened with extinction. Birds are one of the most important …
Effectiveness Of Silvicultural Options In Renewal Of Trembling Aspen–Jack Pine Mixedwood Stands, 21 Years After Treatment,
2025
Ontario Ministry of Natural Resources and Forestry
Effectiveness Of Silvicultural Options In Renewal Of Trembling Aspen–Jack Pine Mixedwood Stands, 21 Years After Treatment, Rongzhou Man
Aspen Bibliography
Regenerating conifers after harvest through planting and postharvest broadcast application of herbicide is effective in ensuring the survival and growth of seedlings, but faces challenges in meeting broad social and ecological objectives of forest management. This study reports the effectiveness of alternative options in regenerating jack pine (Pinus banksiana Lamb.), 21 years after harvest of trembling aspen (Populus tremuloides Michx.)-dominated boreal mixedwood stands. The treatment options included (i) preharvest spray—aerial broadcast spray prior to harvest, (ii) postharvest partial spray—ground herbicide application in strips, (iii) partial harvest in strips, (iv) postharvest aerial broadcast, and (v) uncut reference. Twenty-one years …
How Bats View Their Flowers: Exploring The Use Of Visual Floral Cues By Nectarivorous Neotropical Bats,
2025
University of Missouri-St. Louis
How Bats View Their Flowers: Exploring The Use Of Visual Floral Cues By Nectarivorous Neotropical Bats, Lindsey R. Dennison
Theses
Neotropical nectar bats in cloud forest ecosystems must navigate and forage in dark, complex landscapes containing an incredible diversity of flowering plants. Despite these challenges, nectar bats are extremely successful at exploiting nectar resources from plants. Much of the sensory ecology behind these bat-plant interactions has been investigated and we know from previous studies that echolocation and olfaction are critical sensory modalities to nectar bats. Echo-acoustically conspicuous floral and vegetative structures as well as sulfur-containing volatile compounds function as signals, allowing bats to sense plants. However, not all plants exhibit conspicuous echo-acoustic and/or olfactory characteristics. Furthermore, many neotropical bat-pollinated plants …
Life After Death: Investigating The Resistance And Recovery Of Fungal Communities To Foundation Tree Mortality,
2025
University of New Mexico
Life After Death: Investigating The Resistance And Recovery Of Fungal Communities To Foundation Tree Mortality, Jessie F. Marlenee
Biology ETDs
Tree mortality can have cascading effects on the composition and resilience of interacting fungal communities. Yet, little is known about the impact tree mortality, distinct from abiotic drivers (i.e., drought), has on these communities. This dissertation focuses on the resilience of fungal communities to experimental tree mortality in a piñon-juniper woodland. In chapter one, I found that piñon mortality reduced piñon fine root biomass and piñon mycorrhizal fungal diversity, whereas juniper mycorrhizal fungi were unaffected by juniper mortality. In chapter two, I revealed that piñon mortality altered the composition and spatial structure of mycorrhizal and saprotrophic fungi in the soil, …
