Population Biology Commons^™

Captive Breeding Protocols And Their Impact On Genetic Diversity In White-Footed Mice (Peromyscus Leucopus): Implications For Threatened And Endangered Species, Maureen C. Lamb, Janna R. Willoughby, J. Andrew Dewoody

The Summer Undergraduate Research Fellowship (SURF) Symposium

Captive breeding protocols used in zoos often are aimed at increasing population sizes and retaining genetic diversity of endangered species. However, captive breeding causes genetic adaptation to captivity that can lead to an overall decrease in genetic diversity and reduce chances of a successful reintroduction to the wild. In this study, we assess how 3 different breeding protocols—random mating, preferential breeding of individuals with the lowest mean kinship scores, and selection for docility—affect the variability of mitochondrial DNA in white-footed mice (Peromyscus leucopus). We used mice that were captured from the wild but were mated for up to …

Sediment Loss Of Santa Rosa Island Slopes: An Erosional Study, Michael Perez

STAR Program Research Presentations

Ranching began on Santa Rosa Island in the 1840’s, consequently introducing nonnative megafauna that put novel selective grazing pressures on endemic plant species. Their movement patterns also altered sediment integrity as the land was denuded of any stabilizing vegetation. Dense groves of island oak (Q. tomentella) are known to aid in sediment deposition and retention. The groves also function to collect water during periods of intense fog that are common to the island. This experiment sought to quantify the volume of sediment that has been lost on a south facing slope in the middle of the island that …

Monitoring Abundance Of Carcinus Maenas Developmental Stages In Seadrift Lagoon, Andrea M. Fieber

STAR Program Research Presentations

Able to tolerate a wide range of habitats, temperatures, and salinities, Carcinus maenas thrives in much of its non-native range, out-competing native crabs for resources while diminishing food supplies for a variety of marine and estuarine organisms. In Seadrift Lagoon, a manmade inlet of Bolinas Lagoon in Marin County, California, green crabs comprise a significant portion of benthic fauna, and trapping efforts began in 2009 to eradicate them. We analyzed several years of trapping data to monitor demographic changes for this closed population, performed larvae and megalopae sampling with pot scrubbers, and counted eggs on ovigerous females captured in Seadrift …

Winter Freeze Decreases The Emergence Of Fauna And Flora In California Vernal Pools, Korena S. Hendryx, Jamie Kneitel

STAR Program Research Presentations

Impacts of global climate change is observed in many ecological systems. Temporary aquatic ecosystems, including California vernal pools, are especially sensitive to climatic variation, but most species are adapted to the annual fluctuations in precipitation and temperature. Since vernal pools experience an inundation and desiccation every year, species that occupy the ecosystem have adaptations to this cycle. Many species survive drought by creating resting eggs to then re-emerge upon inundation However, climate changes outside the typical range may have deleterious effects on these populations. Moreover, climate variation can have secondary effects on the community. For example, the amount of precipitation …

Effects Of Land Management On Mammalian Species Abundance And Richness Among Four Sites In West-Central Georgia, Kelsey A. Champagne

Theses and Dissertations

No abstract provided.

A Search For Parent-Of-Origin Effects On Honey Bee Gene Expression, Sarah D. Kocher, Jennifer M. Tsuruda, Joshua D. Gibson, Christine M. Emore, Miguel E. Arechavaleta-Velasco, David C. Queller, Joan E. Strassmann, Christina M. Grozinger, Michael R. Gribskov, Phillip San Miguel, Rick Westerman, Greg J. Hunt

Biology Faculty Research

Parent-specific gene expression (PSGE) is little known outside of mammals and plants. PSGE occurs when the expression level of a gene depends on whether an allele was inherited from the mother or the father. Kin selection theory predicts that there should be extensive PSGE in social insects because social insect parents can gain inclusive fitness benefits by silencing parental alleles in female offspring. We searched for evidence of PSGE in honey bees using transcriptomes from reciprocal crosses between European and Africanized strains. We found 46 transcripts with significant parent-of-origin effects on gene expression, many of which overexpressed the maternal allele. …

Habitat Use By Spruce Grouse In A Fragmented System, Laurel A. Hill

All NMU Master's Theses

The spruce grouse is a boreal obligate species that has been protected in Michigan since 1915 (Ammann 1963). Despite protection, the status of spruce grouse is uncertain in Michigan and other parts of the Midwest, and there have been few attempts at large-scale surveys or monitoring (Williamson et al. 2008). I studied a population of spruce grouse near the southern edge of their range on the Yellow Dog Plains in Marquette County, Michigan.

I investigated fecal pellet counts as a possible method to assess spruce grouse presence and habitat use. My results validated the use of fecal pellet occurrence as …

Identifying The Geographic Origins For The Introduction Of Taeniatherum Caput-Medusae Subsp. Asperum (Medusahead) In The Western United States, Shane Kurtis Skaar

Boise State University Theses and Dissertations

The use of molecular markers can provide insights into the demographic and evolutionary processes that have shaped the genetic diversity of native populations and can be used to identify an invasive species’ geographic origins. Taeniatherum caput-medusae subsp. asperum (medusahead) is a cleistogamous, diploid, annual grass native toEurasia that is now invasive in the western United States (U.S.). Enzyme electrophoresis methods (allozymes) have previously been used to analyze both native and invasive populations of medusahead. Results from these studies suggest that the invasion of medusahead in the westernU.S. stems from multiple introduction events. In addition, 10 of 34 populations from across …

Mammalian Records From Southwestern Kansas And Northwestern Oklahoma, Including The First Record Of Crawford’S Desert Shrew (Notiosorex Crawfordi) From Kansas, Cody A. Dreier, Keith Geluso, Jennifer D. Frisch, Brittney N. Adams, Alyx R. Lingenfelter, Anthony E. Bridger, Patricia Freeman, Cliff Lemen, Jeremy A. White, Brett R. Andersen, Hans W. Otto, Curtis J. Schmidt

School of Natural Resources: Faculty Publications

Mammalian distributions are constantly changing. Some distributional shifts reflect habitat change, climate change, and human transplantations; thus, such shifts are due to actual expansions or contractions of populations. However, other species ranges that appear to shift as the result of new records being added to known distributional limits actually might reflect populations that previously were undetected due to a lack of past surveys or species that are difficult to detect. In 2013, multiple techniques were employed to document mammalian distributional records in southwestern Kansas and northwestern Oklahoma. We discovered three new county records in Morton County, Kansas (Crawford’s Desert Shrew, …

Reproductive Timing Of Erimystax Insignis (Blotched Chub) In The Flint River Of North Alabama, Bruce Stallsmith, Josh Mann, Candice Allen

Southeastern Fishes Council Proceedings

Important details of the reproductive ecology of many freshwater fishes of the species-rich southeastern United States are still poorly known. One such species is Erimystax insignis (Blotched Chub), whose range includes the Tennessee River drainage in northern Alabama, USA. To determine timing and patterns of reproductive effort, collections were made monthly of as many as 30 individuals from August 2011 through July 2012 from a 14 km stretch of the Flint River in Madison County, Alabama. Female and male gonadosomatic index (GSI) and ovarian development data indicate that reproductive activity for the species peaks from March through May. Ripe and …

Unowned Cat Management In The State Of Ohio: Elements Of Best Practice In Public-Private Collaborative Efforts, Daniel D. Spehar

HSU STUDENT THESES AND CAPSTONE PROJECTS

A contentious debate over the management of free-roaming cat populations is ongoing. Nevertheless, disparate groups of stakeholders share a common goal of fewer community cats. Unowned cat management typically necessitates a choice between utilization of lethal or non-lethal measures. Research has indicated strong public support for employment of non-lethal methods, like trap-neuter-return (TNR). Collaborative TNR programs are experiencing success in a growing number of communities. The purpose of this exploratory study was to identify new or underutilized public-private collaborative practices, and associated elemental factors, that have the potential to be used as—or incorporated into—templates of best practice for the non-lethal …

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 …

Fuels And Fires Influence Vegetation Via Above- And Belowground Pathways In A High-Diversity Plant Community, Paul R. Gagnon, Heather A. Passmore, Matthew Slocum, Jonathan A. Myers, Kyle E. Harms, William J. Platt, C.E. Timothy Paine

Biology Faculty Research

1. Fire strongly influences plant populations and communities around the world, making it an important agent of plant evolution. Fire influences vegetation through multiple pathways, both above- and belowground. Few studies have yet attempted to tie these pathways together in a mechanistic way through soil heating even though the importance of soil heating for plants in fire-prone ecosystems is increasingly recognized.
2. Here we combine an experimental approach with structural equation modelling (SEM) to simultaneously examine multiple pathways through which fire might influence herbaceous vegetation. In a high-diversity longleaf pine groundcover community in Louisiana, USA, we manipulated fine-fuel biomass and monitored the …

Genomic Signatures Of Cooperation And Conflict In The Social Amoeba, Elizabeth A. Ostrowski, Yufeng Shen, Xiangjun Tian, Richard Sucgang, Huaiyang Jiang, Jiaxin Qu, Mariko Katoh-Kurasawa, Debra A. Brock, Christopher Dinh, Fremiet Lara-Garduno, Sandra L. Lee, Christie L. Kovar, Huyen H. Dinh, Viktoriya Korchina, Laronda Jackson, Shobha Patil, Yi Han, Lesley Chaboub, Gad Shaulsky, Donna M. Muzny, Kim C. Worley, Richard A. Gibbs, Stephen Richards, Adam Kuspa, Joan E. Strassmann, David C. Queller

Biology Faculty Research

• Molecular evolution analyses reveal the history of social conflict
• Genes that mediate social conflict show signatures of frequency-dependent selection
• Balanced polymorphisms suggest that cheating may be stable and endemic

Cooperative systems are susceptible to invasion by selfish individuals that profit from receiving the social benefits but fail to contribute. These so-called "cheaters" can have a fitness advantage in the laboratory, but it is unclear whether cheating provides an important selective advantage in nature. We used a population genomic approach to examine the history of genes involved in cheating behaviors in the social amoeba Dictyostelium discoideum, testing whether these genes experience …

The Characterization Of A Vital Wisconsin Waterway: A Biological Assessment Of The Lower Fox River From 2006-2014, Emily L. Kiehnau

Lawrence University Honors Projects

The Lower Fox River has historically been used as a navigational crossroads, a waste disposal system, and source of hydroelectric power. Over the years, heavy use of the river has negatively affected water quality and the overall health of the system. Unhealthy rivers cannot function properly. Biological assessment based on animal surveys are often used to determine river health. I used data from the Lawrence University and Fox River Navigational System Authority invasive species-monitoring project to explore how the distribution of animals in the Fox River has changed over time and across locations. Monitoring surveys have taken place between June …

Microsatellite Analysis Of Population Structure In The Santa Ana Speckled Dace (Rhinicthys Osculus), Stacey A. Nerkowski

Electronic Theses, Projects, and Dissertations

Rhinichthys osculus, the Speckled Dace, is one of the most ubiquitous fish in western North America. Within the Southern California region, the local taxon is known as the Santa Ana Speckled Dace. The purpose of this study was to characterize and identify polymorphic microsatellite markers for R. osculus in which twenty-three were identified through Illumina pair-end sequencing. Seven of these loci were then used to examine the patterns of genetic variation and population structure that occurred within and among the watersheds in the Southern California. The study also examined the regional relationships among Southern California, Central California and Owen’s …

Socio-Economic Instability And The Scaling Of Energy Use With Population Size, John P. Delong, Oskar Burger

School of Biological Sciences: Faculty Publications

The size of the human population is relevant to the development of a sustainable world, yet the forces setting growth or declines in the human population are poorly understood. Generally, population growth rates depend on whether new individuals compete for the same energy (leading to Malthusian or density-dependent growth) or help to generate new energy (leading to exponential and super-exponential growth). It has been hypothesized that exponential and super-exponential growth in humans has resulted from carrying capacity, which is in part determined by energy availability, keeping pace with or exceeding the rate of population growth. We evaluated the relationship between …

Local Patterns In Host-Selection By Anemone Symbionts In Bocas Del Toro, Panama, Samantha Mercer

Undergraduate Honors Theses

The associations made between many symbiotic cleaner shrimps and their host anemone species are influenced by local ecological factors, resulting in regional variations in symbiont-host preferences. These relationships are crucial parts of aquatic ecosystems, and as we face rapid global environmental change, understanding the local patterns of this host specificity will be essential to maintaining healthy marine environments. However, sea anemones, as well as their symbiotic relationships, from the Caribbean coasts of Panama have been poorly studied and are largely under-represented in the current literature. The purpose of this study is to identify the local host-selection patterns, specifically regarding host-size …

Distributional Expansion Of The Hispid Cotton Rat (Sigmodon Hispidus) Into Dawson County, Nebraska, Jennifer D. Frisch, Keith Geluso, Joseph T. Springer

Transactions of the Nebraska Academy of Sciences and Affiliated Societies

In the last century, the Hispid Cotton Rat (Sigmodon hispidus) has moved northward in central parts of the United States, reaching Nebraska in the late 1950s. Recent surveys demonstrate Hispid Cotton Rats inhabit counties across southern parts of Nebraska south of the Platte River. Herein, we report on captures of S. hispidus from a new county (Dawson County), its seasonal occurrence at our study site, and the first known record of the Hispid Cotton Rat north of channels of the Platte River. Our captures represent one of the northern-most records in Nebraska.

Fisheries Management Paper No 274 - Finfish Resources Of The Peel-Harvey Estuary - Harvest Strategy 2015-2020 (Version 1.0), Department Of Fisheries, Western Australia

Fisheries Management Papers

WEST COAST ESTUARINE MANAGED FISHERY (AREA 2)

Harvest strategies for aquatic resources managed by the Western Australian Department of Fisheries (the Department) are formal documents prepared to support the decision-making processes required to ensure the management of these resources are consistent with the principles of Ecologically Sustainable Development (ESD). The objectives of ESD are reflected in the objects of the Fish Resources Management Act 1994 (FRMA), Section 3, and the draft Aquatic Resources Management Bill 2013 (ARMB), Clause 9, which will replace the FRMA once enacted.

The publication of these strategies is intended to make the decision-making considerations and processes …