Evolution Of Nematode Prey Chemotaxis Behavior Across Different Environments,
2026
University of Mississippi
Evolution Of Nematode Prey Chemotaxis Behavior Across Different Environments, Hailey R. Smith
Honors Theses
Climatic conditions in the near future are projected to be warmer, with more frequent and intense weather events. This will substantially alter the environments in which organisms must integrate specific information to find essential resources. Many organisms rely upon chemical signals to orient towards attractive resources through a mechanism called chemotaxis. How different environmental conditions, like temperature, impact this process will be important to understand as environments change. I conducted a laboratory evolution experiment with the model nematode Caenorhabditis elegans to see how success in chemotaxis assays changes over time when selected under different temperature regimes (normal laboratory temperature, increased …
Effects Of Increased Salinity On Mississippi Coast Bacterial Community Composition And Diversity,
2026
University of Mississippi
Effects Of Increased Salinity On Mississippi Coast Bacterial Community Composition And Diversity, Clifton C. Wade
Honors Theses
Bacterial communities are important to ecosystem function in coastal environments, but the response of these communities to short term increased salinity conditions is understudied. This study utilized a microcosm setup to investigate the response of coastal seawater bacterial communities to three treatments: an unamended seawater control, a reference treatment that received reverse osmosis (RO) water, and an elevated salinity treatment that received artificial seawater dissolved in RO water. Microcosms were sampled four times over a five-day period to analyze the effects of time under different salinity conditions on the seawater bacterial community. 16S rRNA gene sequencing was used to analyze …
The Genus Nebo Simon, 1878 (Scorpiones: Diplocentridae) In Oman,
2026
Marshall University
The Genus Nebo Simon, 1878 (Scorpiones: Diplocentridae) In Oman, Graeme Lowe
Euscorpius
No abstract provided.
In The Garden's Grasp,
2026
University of North Dakota
In The Garden's Grasp, Lacey Anderson
The Cicadian
This piece pairs a close-up photograph with reflective creative writing to explore a fleeting moment in a backyard garden ecosystem. Among vivid dahlias and winding vines, a grasshopper emerges, captured both in image and in story. Together, the photograph and prose invite readers to witness how tending, noticing, and lingering can transform an ordinary patio into a world alive with quiet, electric life.
Clethra Alnifolia: A Fact Sheet For Seed Transfer Considerations,
2026
University of Connecticut
Clethra Alnifolia: A Fact Sheet For Seed Transfer Considerations, Taylor Houggy
Plant Science Articles
Clethra alnifolia is a highly prized fragrant deciduous shrub, often found in many home gardens across Eastern North America. Despite its popularity in the landscape industry, there is little research comparing C. alnifolia's natural habits in the wild to its habits as a landscaped cultivar. Information such as flowering phenology, genetic diversity, and growth habits have the potential to change considerably depending on C. alnifolia's location. Because of this, it is important that landscape growers as well as forest conservationists have access to ecological fact sheets in order to make informed decisions when transferring seed to different areas. In this …
Ectomycorrhizal Fungal Identity Strongly Influences Soil Properties Relative To Pine Presence And Soil History In A Pine–Eucalyptus System,
2026
University of Mississippi Main Campus
Ectomycorrhizal Fungal Identity Strongly Influences Soil Properties Relative To Pine Presence And Soil History In A Pine–Eucalyptus System, Braedan Watters
Honors Theses
Invasive Pinus radiata has increasingly spread into native ecosystems in the Southern Hemisphere, including Eucalyptus forests in Australia, where it forms novel hybrid forest systems in which invasive and native tree species coexist. The success of these invasions is closely tied to ectomycorrhizal fungi (EMF) such as Rhizopogon spp., yet the relative roles of pines versus their fungal symbionts in altering soil properties remain poorly understood. This study investigated the independent and interactive effects of soil history (Pinus or Eucalyptus), EMF identity, and pine presence on soil properties using a controlled factorial experiment. Soil from beneath either Pinus …
Life History, Stock Status, And Movement Ecology Of Narrow-Barred Spanish Mackerel, Scomberomorus Commerson (Lacépède, 1800) In The Southern Arabian Gulf,
2026
United Arab Emirates University
Life History, Stock Status, And Movement Ecology Of Narrow-Barred Spanish Mackerel, Scomberomorus Commerson (Lacépède, 1800) In The Southern Arabian Gulf, Mohamed Abdulla Almusallami
Thesis/ Dissertation Defenses
The narrow-barred Spanish mackerel, Scomberomorus commerson, is the most commercially valuable pelagic fish species in the Arabian Gulf. This thesis integrated three studies to comprehensively assess the life history, stock status, and movement ecology of this species in Abu Dhabi waters. Life history traits were characterized from data collected during a 15-month monitoring program (January 2019–May 2020). Fork length ranged from 30.5 to 132 cm. Growth parameters were k = 0.14–0.15 year⁻¹ and L∞ = 128.9–135.4 cm for males and females, respectively. Size-at-maturity (Lm₅₀) was 78.7 cm FL for females and 69.7 cm FL for males. The spawning season occurred …
Quantifying Genetic Diversity In Nematode Feeding Rate,
2026
University of Mississippi
Quantifying Genetic Diversity In Nematode Feeding Rate, Jacob King
Honors Theses
Understanding how populations persist under changing environmental conditions is a central question in ecology and evolutionary biology. Variation in traits related to resource acquisition may play a key role in determining population survival when resources are limited or fluctuate over time. In this study, I investigated how variation in feeding-related traits influences population persistence using a combination of computational modeling and laboratory experiments. I developed a stochastic, individual-based consumer–resource model to simulate population dynamics across varying levels of trait variance and resource regimes. Across 60,000 simulated populations, increased trait variation consistently reduced extinction risk and extended persistence time, although the …
Bats In A Modified Suburban Landscape,
2026
Ursinus College
Bats In A Modified Suburban Landscape, Brittany Morgera
Biology Honors Papers
This research assesses bat species richness and activity across a gradient of suburban habitat modification surrounding Ursinus College and Green Lane Park in Montgomery County, located in southeastern Pennsylvania. Habitat modification was quantified using GIS-based land-cover metrics (e.g. impervious surfaces and canopy cover), and bat activity and species richness were measured though acoustic surveys conducted at 15 sites during the summers of 2024 and 2025. The project tests the hypothesis that increasing habitat modification has a negative correlation with bat species richness and activity.
I Lost My Number, Can I Have Yours? Body Image Satisfaction With Sexually Dimorphic Traits Is Associated With Men's Dating Anxiety And Confidence,
2026
Chapman University
I Lost My Number, Can I Have Yours? Body Image Satisfaction With Sexually Dimorphic Traits Is Associated With Men's Dating Anxiety And Confidence, David A. Frederick, Tania A. Reynolds, Nikoline L. Smart, Justin R. Garcia, David A. Puts
Psychology Faculty Articles and Research
Evolutionary scientists posit that sexual selection processes caused males to develop sexually dimorphic traits to aid them during intrasexual competition and increase their likelihood of being chosen as mates. Evolutionary social sciences have extensively examined women's preferences for traits such as muscle mass and voice pitch, reasoning that these traits serve as cues of men's ability to provide direct benefits (e.g., resources) and indirect (genetic) benefits passed on to offspring. At the same time, body image researchers have extensively focused on the social causes and consequences of men's dissatisfaction with their muscularity and body fat. We connected these two research …
A New Subspecies Of Papilio Indra (Papilionidae) From The West Desert Of Utah, Usa,
2026
Utah Valley University
A New Subspecies Of Papilio Indra (Papilionidae) From The West Desert Of Utah, Usa, Wayne H. Whaley, Alexander A. Jason, Todd L. Stout
The Taxonomic Report of the International Lepidoptera Survey
Papilio indra bonnevillensis is a new described subspecies partly based on taxonomic rearrangement of its larval host plant reproductive phenology relative to Wasatch Range nominate P. indra. It is geographically isolated in Utah’s West Desert from populations of ssp. nevadensis to the west and ssp. calcicola to the south. In addition to phenological differences compared to these two subspecies, it merits description based on host Lomatium depauperatum which recently speciated from L. grayi, neither of which is used as host by other subspecies of P. indra. The evolution of new host L. depauperatum is …
Comparing Awssi And Traditional Winter Metrics For Predicting Overwinter Survival Of Juvenile Walleye (Sander Vitreus),
2026
University of Nebraska-Lincoln
Comparing Awssi And Traditional Winter Metrics For Predicting Overwinter Survival Of Juvenile Walleye (Sander Vitreus), Camille N. Shifrin
Honors Program: Senior Projects (Public)
Winter conditions are an important driver of recruitment variability in freshwater fishes, yet winter severity is often characterized using single climate metrics. These simplified approaches may not capture the cumulative stress experienced by fishes during winter. The Accumulated Winter Season Severity Index (AWSSI) integrates multiple components of winter climate and may therefore provide a more biologically relevant indicator of overwinter survival. In this study, we compared AWSSI with traditional winter severity metrics to explain interannual variation in overwinter survival of juvenile Walleye (Sander vitreus) in Harlan County Reservoir, Nebraska. Model comparisons using Akaike’s Information Criterion (AIC) indicated that …
Efficacy Of Tick Sampling Methods In Urban Parks.,
2026
University of Louisville
Efficacy Of Tick Sampling Methods In Urban Parks., Emma Staples
College of Arts & Sciences Senior Theses
Amblyomma americanum (Lone star ticks) are parasites and vectors of diseases, including Ehrlichiosis. Questions remain about how an urban environment affects the host-seeking behavior of A. americanum across different life stages and thus the efficacy of different sampling methods. We sought to compare the efficacy of different sampling methods on A. americanum ticks in urban parks during the fall season and explore how the urban heat island (UHI) effect may impact each method’s efficacy. We hypothesized that, where the UHI effect is weaker near the city’s periphery, the CO2 trapping method would collect more A. americanum adults and nymphs …
Ecological Responses To Living Shoreline Restoration,
2026
University of South Alabama
Ecological Responses To Living Shoreline Restoration, Aaron S. Bland
Graduate Theses and Dissertations (2019 - present)
Coastal built communities and natural coastal ecosystems face similar and interrelated hazards: shoreline sediment erosion, shoreline retreat, and worsening storms, each of which is exacerbated by relative sea level rise. Living shorelines are coastal defense projects that incorporate natural habitats to provide more sustainable shoreline defense and improve the coastal ecosystem. Living shorelines have been widely adopted, but their performance has been highly variable, and the mechanisms of project success and failure are unclear. The overarching goal of this dissertation was to better understand the ecosystem responses to coastal restoration, focusing on the primary habitats of coastal salt marsh and …
Awe As Signpost: An Argument For The Consistency Of Lewis’S “Joy” And Psychological Awe,
2026
Liberty University
Awe As Signpost: An Argument For The Consistency Of Lewis’S “Joy” And Psychological Awe, Audrey Hendricks
Senior Honors Theses
C.S. Lewis’s Surprised by Joy details Lewis’s autobiographical apologetic for the existence of God through his experiences of “Joy,” a technical term invented by Lewis. Upon close study, his experiences of Joy contain many similarities to psychological awe. This investigation compares Lewis’s Joy with psychological awe using the Awe Experience Scale (AWE-S) to determine consistency. Lewis’s Joy was found to be consistent with all six criteria of the AWE-S in addition to other recognized psychological characteristics of awe. In addition to qualitative consistency, this review also argues for the teleological consistency of the two concepts, contending for a Christian teleological …
Transcriptomic Responses Of Teleost Fishes To Thermal And Environmental Stress: A Synthesis Of Rna-Seq Studies,
2026
Montclair State University
Transcriptomic Responses Of Teleost Fishes To Thermal And Environmental Stress: A Synthesis Of Rna-Seq Studies, Aleen Ammar
Theses, Dissertations and Culminating Projects
Climate change is driving rapid shifts in aquatic ecosystems, increasing the frequency and intensity of environmental stressors that affect survival, species distributions, and productivity. Alongside increases in temperature, stressors, such as hypoxia and acidification, are also intensifying with climate change. Teleost fishes exhibit substantial variation in tolerance to such environmental stressors. These range from specialists with narrow limits to generalists capable of persisting across fluctuating conditions, complicating predictions of vulnerability under ongoing environmental change. Transcriptomic approaches, particularly RNA sequencing (RNA-seq), provide a powerful approach for linking environmental stressors to physiological responses by quantifying genome-wide changes in gene expression. To assess …
Beat Behind The Bark: Investigating The Effects Of Music Tempo On Canine Physiological And Psychological States,
2026
University of South Alabama
Beat Behind The Bark: Investigating The Effects Of Music Tempo On Canine Physiological And Psychological States, Marley Lanier
Honors Theses
This study explores how the tempo of music, measured in beats per minute (BPM), affects dogs' heart rate and oxytocin levels, adding to past research that shows that music affects physiological and behavioral states in dogs. Being able to understand these effects holds practical implications for improving overall well-being in canines in environments such as homes, shelters, and clinical environments. Using a within-subjects design, the dogs were exposed to slow and fast versions of one instrumental track, along with a white noise baseline condition before each randomized condition. Heart rate was recorded continuously throughout the session, and oxytocin saliva samples …
Bottles, Butterflies, And Biomass: Recycled Glass Sand, Microbial Additions, And Herbivory Effects On Milkweed Growth,
2026
University of South Alabama
Bottles, Butterflies, And Biomass: Recycled Glass Sand, Microbial Additions, And Herbivory Effects On Milkweed Growth, Kealey Skinner
Honors Theses
Plant-soil-microbe interactions are integral components of ecological networks and drive ecosystem function from the bottom-up. Whereas herbivores regulate ecosystem function from the top-down, having opposing and potentially complementary effects on ecosystem function. My thesis sought to understand how below-ground microbial communities contribute to herbivore preference and plant biomass across varied soil substrates. My thesis asked: how do substrate and soil microbial communities influence herbivore preference and plant biomass accumulation on swamp milkweed (Asclepias incarnata)? To address this question, seedlings of A. incarnata were sown in 2.5 cm wide × 10 cm deep pots filled with either natural beach sand or …
Herbivory Of Phragmites Australis Along A Salinity Gradient In Connecticut Wetlands,
2026
University of Connecticut - Storrs
Herbivory Of Phragmites Australis Along A Salinity Gradient In Connecticut Wetlands, Sydney H. Kolz
Honors Scholar Theses
Invasive Phragmites australis (common reed) is widely distributed in New England wetlands, where it often outcompetes native plants and decreases biodiversity throughout the food web. Controlling its invasion is a priority, especially in salt marsh habitat, but current management techniques are inefficient. Leveraging natural processes may improve control strategies, but in order to do so, we must first better understand how abiotic and biotic stressors interact and affect Phragmites. This study focuses on herbivory and salinity, two factors limiting Phragmites’ fitness. I measured soil salinity and quantified the damage of three herbivore guilds (i.e. gall-formers and stem-borers, leaf-chewers, and …
The Role Of Floodplain Connectivity In Shaping The Abundance, Size-Class Distribution, And Schooling Behavior Of The Associated Fish Assemblage,
2026
University of New Orleans, New Orleans
The Role Of Floodplain Connectivity In Shaping The Abundance, Size-Class Distribution, And Schooling Behavior Of The Associated Fish Assemblage, Adam H. Quade
LSU New Orleans Theses and Dissertations
The life histories of many Louisiana fishes are closely tied to the timing, magnitude, and duration of the Mississippi River flood pulse, which regulates the ecological connectivity and productivity of adjacent floodplain habitats. Anthropogenic modifications such as levee construction and water-control structures have disrupted these natural hydrologic linkages, altering habitat quality and community structure across the Lower Mississippi River Basin. This dissertation used high-resolution imaging sonar to investigate how fish assemblages, species, and collectives respond to changes in floodplain connectivity within the Richard K. Yancey Wildlife Management Area prior to hydrologic restoration. In the first chapter, I applied imaging sonar …
