Population Biology Commons^™

Global Attracting Equilibria For Coupled Systems With Ceiling Density Dependence, Eric A. Eager, Mary Hebert, Elise Hellwig, Francisco Hernandez, Richard Rebarber, Brigitte Tenhumberg, Bryan Wigianto

School of Biological Sciences: Faculty Publications

In this paper, we present a system of two difference equations modeling the dynamics of a coupled population with two patches. Each patch can house only a limited number of individuals (called a carrying capacity) because resources like food and breeding sites are limited in each patch. We assume that the population in each patch is governed by a linear model until reaching a carrying capacity in each patch, resulting in map which is nonlinear and not sublinear. We analyze the global attractors of this model.

Reconstruction Of Family-Level Phylogenetic Relationships Within Demospongiae (Porifera) Using Nuclear Encoded Housekeeping Genes, Malcolm Hill, April L. Hill, Et. Al.

Biology Faculty Publications

Background: Demosponges are challenging for phylogenetic systematics because of their plastic and relatively simple morphologies and many deep divergences between major clades. To improve understanding of the phylogenetic relationships within Demospongiae, we sequenced and analyzed seven nuclear housekeeping genes involved in a variety of cellular functions from a diverse group of sponges.

Methodology/Principal Findings: We generated data from each of the four sponge classes (i.e., Calcarea, Demospongiae, Hexactinellida, and Homoscleromorpha), but focused on family-level relationships within demosponges. With data for 21 newly sampled families, our Maximum Likelihood and Bayesian-based approaches recovered previously phylogenetically defined taxa: Keratosa^p, Myxospongiae …

White Bass Assessment In Regards To Changes In Water Level On Lake Traverse, Aaron Wilson

Journal of Earth and Life Science

Until recently the white bass Morone chrysops has been somewhat ignored by anglers, more so in Minnesota than other states; most likely due to their limited distribution throughout the state. However, with more anglers becoming aware of the sporting and culinary potentials of white bass, interests have risen. With this rise in angler interest, there should be a rise in white bass assessments. Knowing what factors may be influencing white bass population dynamics will allow fisheries professionals to better manage and protect white bass fisheries. White bass are often found in rivers and impoundments were dams are present and water …

Odonata Species Of Special Concern For Oklahoma, Usa, Michael A. Patten, Brenda D. Smith-Patten

Entomology Papers from Other Sources

Assessment of conservation status is a necessary step before management plans can be formulated. Historically such assessments have a strong bias toward vertebrates, particularly endothermic terrestrial vertebrates (i.e. birds and mammals). Invertebrates, by contrast, tend to be ignored, and many insect groups, despite being species rich and reasonably well studied, such as the Odonata (damselflies and dragonflies), have not been assessed or have been assessed only at a broad geographic level (e.g. internationally or continentally). Assessment at a state level recognizes that states often are at the front of regional and local conservation and management planning and implementation. On the …

First Record Of Pond Sliders (Trachemys Scripta Scripta And T. S. Elegans) At Fredericksburg, Virginia With Observations On Population Size, Age And Growth, Werner Wieland, Yoshinori Takeda

Virginia Journal of Science

We conducted a turtle mark-recapture program within a 160 m stretch of the Fredericksburg Canal with standard, baited hoop nets from May to July 2012 to determine if a population of the introduced Red-eared Slider (Trachemys scripta elegans) and Yellow-bellied Slider (Trachemys s. scripta) are established in this area. We captured and marked nine Red-eared Sliders (1 male, 8 females) and estimated a population size of 23 individuals. Most were reproductively mature. The established population in the canal may be a source of introduction into the Rappahannock River.

Brown Trout Spawning Location And Relationship To Suitable Winter Habitat, Matthew L. Skoog

Journal of Earth and Life Science

Brown trout are a popular game fish throughout much of the world. Understanding habitat requirements is necessary for the successful management of brown trout. This study looks at the spawning habitat preferences and relationship of redd location to wintering habitat of brown trout in the Straight River, Minnesota. Brown trout in the Straight River were found to spawn in similar habitat to brown trout looked at in previous literature. All redds were located on gravel substrate. Seventy eight percent of redds were associated with some sort of cover. Water velocities at the redd sites. (mean=0.456 ms/cm), dissolved oxygen (mean=9.78 mg/L), …

Comparison Of A Length Size Limit Of Northern Pike Population On Two Lakes In North Central Minnesota, Ethan A. Puttonen

Journal of Earth and Life Science

Fisheries managers use length size limits on northern pike (Esox lucis) to improve the size structure in select lakes. The objective of this study was to compare two similar lakes, one with a length size limit and one without, to determine if a length size limit is improving the northern pike size structure. Blueberry Lake showed a higher abundance of larger fish than Stocking Lake. Of the fish caught, 25% in Blueberry Lake were over 600 mm (24 in), and were in the protected slot. Stocking Lake had a smaller portion of fish of this size with only …

What To Eat Now? Shifts In Polar Bear Diet During The Ice-Free Season In Western Hudson Bay, Linda J. Gormezano, Robert F. Rockwell

Publications and Research

Under current climate trends, spring ice breakup in Hudson Bay is advancing rapidly, leaving polar bears (Ursus maritimus) less time to hunt seals during the spring when they accumulate the majority of their annual fat reserves. For this reason, foods that polar bears consume during the ice-free season may become increasingly important in alleviating nutritional stress from lost seal hunting opportunities. Defining how the terrestrial diet might have changed since the onset of rapid climate change is an important step in understanding how polar bears may be reacting to climate change. We characterized the current terrestrial diet of polar bears …

The Population Dynamics Of Two Rodents In Two Coastal Marshes In Virginia, Robert K. Rose, John A. March

Virginia Journal of Science

The communities of small mammals were evaluated for 13 months with capture-mark-recapture methods in two Spartina-Juncus marshes of the Atlantic coast in Northampton County, Virginia. Small mammals were trapped for three days each month using live traps placed on floats on two study grids. Two rodents were numerically dominant (~90% of small mammals) there: marsh rice rat, Oryzomys palustris, and meadow vole, Microtus pennsylvanicus. Monthly estimates of population density were greater for rice rats (peak: 45/ha) than for those of meadow voles (peak: 30/ha). Survival rates were generally low, especially for rice rats, indicating highly vagile populations. Both …

Genetic Diversity Of North American Captive-Born Gorillas (Gorilla Gorilla Gorilla), Noah D. Simmons, Ronald S. Wagner, Joseph G. Lorenz

All Faculty Scholarship for the College of the Sciences

Western lowland gorillas (Gorilla gorilla gorilla) are designated as critically endangered and wild populations are dramatically declining as a result of habitat destruction, fragmentation, diseases (e.g., Ebola) and the illegal bushmeat trade. As wild populations continue to decline, the genetic management of the North American captive western lowland gorilla population will be an important component of the long‐term conservation of the species. We genotyped 26 individuals from the North American captive gorilla collection at 11 autosomal microsatellite loci in order to compare levels of genetic diversity to wild populations, investigate genetic signatures of a population bottleneck and identify …

Pushing Taxonomy To Extiction?, Alessandro Minelli, Annemarie Ohler, Erna Aescht, Aaron Bauer, Lucio Bonato, Roger Bour, Marcelo Rodrigues De Carvalho, Rafael O. De Sá, Et Al.

Biology Faculty Publications

Can we describe all species on Earth before they disappear? We argue that this is possible only by endowing taxonomy with professional manpower and appropriate material resources as required by big science.

Contrary to Costello et al.’s (CMS) (1) statements, taxonomy is not an easy discipline accessible to all through a smartphone. It requires exhaustive training and long familiarity with field, specimens and literature (2).

CMS’s argument is framed in terms of species numbers, but different, non-overlapping species concepts apply to bacteria, brambles and birds (3,4,5): “the species” as common unit of biodiversity does not exist (6).

Even ignoring this …

Conus: First Comprehensive Conservation Red List Assessment Of A Marine Gastropod Mollusc Genus, Howard Peters, Bethan C. O'Leary, Julie P. Hawkins, Kent E. Carpenter, Callum M. Roberts

Biological Sciences Faculty Publications

Marine molluscs represent an estimated 23% of all extant marine taxa, but research into their conservation status has so far failed to reflect this importance, with minimal inclusion on the authoritative Red List of the International Union for the Conservation of Nature (IUCN). We assessed the status of all 632 valid species of the tropical marine gastropod mollusc, Conus (cone snails), using Red List standards and procedures to lay the groundwork for future decadal monitoring, one of the first fully comprehensive global assessments of a marine taxon. Three-quarters (75.6%) of species were not currently considered at risk of extinction owing …

A Reassessment Of The Conservation Status Of A Critically Endangered Neotropical Frog, Mannophryne Olmonae, Using Occupancy Modeling Techniques, Jessica Mcquigg

Senior Independent Study Theses

Amphibian species worldwide are threatened with decline and extinction, making species monitoring an important scientific endeavor. The Bloody Bay Poison Frog, Mannophryne olmonae, a Tobago island endemic, was identified as critically endangered by the IUCN in 2004. Recent evidence suggests that a less severe conservation status may be appropriate for M. olmonae. This study employs acoustic calling surveys, land-use information, and multi-year (2011 and 2012) occupancy modeling techniques to propose an appropriate conservation status for this species. This study suggests that M. olmonae occupies a larger geographic range than was previously thought, and is not experiencing population declines. …

Horseshoe Crab Eggs: A Rare Resource For Predators In Long Island Sound, Mark Beekey, Jennifer Mattei, Barbara J. Pierce

Biology Faculty Publications

In Delaware Bay, the spawning of several million horseshoe crabs (Limulus polyphemus) coincides with the arrival of migratory shorebirds that feed on their eggs. High horseshoe crab spawning densities and resulting high egg densities drive egg availability and predation rates. At high spawning densities, female horseshoe crabs perturb previously deposited clutches causing eggs to rise to the sediment surface (surface egg densities average 100,000 eggs m^{− 2}). At the surface (0–5 cm), the eggs are quickly depleted by shorebirds and other predators. This interaction between egg density and egg predation has not been explicitly explored on …

Variation In Population Densities Of The Florida Scrub Lizard (Sceloporus Woodi) Between Managed Sand Pine Scrub And Longleaf Pine Stands In The Ocala National Forest, Matthew D. Kaunert

College of Graduate Studies: Theses & Dissertations

Population-level response to habitat fragmentation is central to applied species management and conservation. Managed landscapes are often subject to increased fragmentation and, consequently, may force once connected populations to function as metapopulations. Studies investigating metapopulations occurring over patchy, managed landscapes are of increasing importance as fragmentation is a known cause of biodiversity loss. In June-September 2012, populations of the rare, endemic Florida scrub lizard (Sceloporus woodi) were sampled across the Ocala National Forest (ONF) to compare abundance and density across two management types. In the ONF, sand-pine scrub is clearcut and rollerchopped whereas longleaf pine is managed via …

Family Matters: An Analysis Of Genetic Relatedness Of Tetraclita Rubescens (The Pink Volcano Barnacle) Over Several Spatial Scales At Monterey And Bodega Bay, California, Kelly N. Chang

Scripps Senior Theses

Inbreeding involves the mating of closely related individuals at a higher frequency than at random; this can decrease the average fitness of populations and individuals by reducing the presence of heterozygotes and augmenting the expression of deleterious genes. Since marine invertebrates exhibit widespread dispersal, their potential for inbreeding is often disregarded. The adult sessile state of barnacles creates the potential for inbreeding as a result of necessary copulation between neighboring individuals. Depending on the degree of mixing that occurs during dispersal, closely related individuals or siblings may settle in close proximity, generating the possibility of kin aggregation and consequent inbreeding. …

Gulf-Wide Decreases In The Size Of Large Coastal Sharks Documented By Generations Of Fishermen, Sean P. Powers, F. Joel Frodrie, Steven B. Scyphers, J. Marcus Drymon, Robert L. Shipp, Gregory W. Stunz

University Faculty and Staff Publications

Large sharks are top predators in most coastal and marine ecosystems throughout the world, and evidence of their reduced prominence in marine ecosystems has been a serious concern for fisheries and ecosystem management. Unfortunately, quantitative data to document the extent, timing, and consequences of changes in shark populations are scarce, thwarting examination of long-term (decadal, century) trends, and reconstructions based on incomplete data sets have been the subject of debate. Absence of quantitative descriptors of past ecological conditions is a generic problem facing many fields of science but is particularly troublesome for fisheries scientists who must develop specific targets for …

Mutation From Arginine To Lysine At The Position 189 Of Hemagglutinin Contributes To The Antigenic Drift In H3n2 Swine Influenza Viruses, Jianqiang Ye, Yifei Xu, Jillian Harris, Hailiang Sun, Andrew S. Bowman, Fred L. Cunningham, Carol Cardona, Kyoungjin J. Yoon, Richard D. Slemons, Xiu-Feng Wan

United States Department of Agriculture Wildlife Services: Staff Publications

Two distinct antigenic clusters were previously identified among the H3N2 swine influenza A viruses (IAVs) and were designated H3N2SIV-alpha and H3N2SIV-beta (Feng et al., 2013. Journal of Virology 87(13), 7655–7667). A consistent mutation was observed at the position 189 of hemagglutinin (R189K) between H3N2SIV-alpha and H3N2SIV-beta fair isolates. To evaluate the contribution of R189K mutation to the antigenic drift from H3N2SIV-alpha to H3N2SIV-beta, four reassortant viruses with189R or189K were generated. The antigenic cartography demonstrated that the R189K mutation in the hemagglutinin of H3N2IAV contributed to the antigenicdrift, separating these viruses into H3N2SIV-alpha to H3N2SIV- beta. This R189K mutation was also …

A Study Of The Spatial Dynamics Of Some Introduced Avian Species In The Southwest Region Of Western Australia, Desiree L. Moon

Theses: Doctorates and Masters

The Southwest region of Western Australia is a recognised ‘biodiversity hotspot’, as it possesses high levels of biodiversity and endemism; it also holds a number of species threatened by habitat loss. The arrival of Europeans in the region wrought major changes on the natural landscape. Extensive tracts of bushland were cleared for housing, infrastructure, forestry, farming, and mining. Another challenge to regional biodiversity was the spread of exotic plants and animals (including birds); the latter provide the focus for the present study. The research examines four bird species that colonised the Southwest region following European settlement: Australian White Ibis (Threskiornis …

Metapopulation Theory Explains Black-Stripe Minnow (Pisces: Galaxiidae, Galaxiella Nigrostriata) Distribution In Seasonal Wetlands In South-West Western Australia, David M. Galeotti

Theses: Doctorates and Masters

The objective of this project was to determine if Galaxiella nigrostriata populations could belong to a metapopulation. Metapopulation theory describes how multiple populations with occasional connectivity are a ‘population of populations’. Some populations’ habitats have optimal conditions (source habitats), others experience regular extinctions (sink habitats). Connectivity allows repopulation of extinct or uninhabited habitats. Galaxiella nigrostriata occurred randomly in 11 seasonal wetlands in the Kemerton wetland complex in south-west Western Australia over a 16 year period. The wetlands did not appear to be connected.

Around 70% of wetlands on the Swan Coastal Plain in south-west WA have been filled or degraded …