Population Biology Commons^™

Of Changing Climate And Habitat: Range-Wide Individual Growth And Local Patterns Of Phenology And Landscape Use In A Threatened Pit-Viper, James Helferich

Theses and Dissertations

Over the 21st century, climate change and wetland habitat loss will pose major threats to the Eastern Massasauga (Sistrurus catenatus), a federally threatened and Great Lakes region endemic rattlesnake. I collected capture-recapture data from sites across the range and modeled the effect of climatic variables on growth rate and asymptotic size. I found that high snow residence time was associated with larger asymptotic sizes but slower growth, while high spring precipitation increased growth rate. I then projected future growth and size under different carbon emission scenarios. Given the threat posed by successional encroachment of woody vegetation, I used spatially explicit …

Psammocora Stellata Distribution At Devil's Crown, Floreana Island, Galápagos Islands, Ecuador, María José Guarderas Sevilla

All HCAS Student Capstones, Theses, and Dissertations

In the Galápagos Archipelago, the free-living nodular coral Psammocora stellata is a common species that does not form reef structures. However, it is a key component of the ecosystem by increasing habitat complexity and, consequently, species diversity. This species experienced a drastic decline in Devil’s Crown channel, Floreana Island, where it disappeared after the 1982-83 El Niño-Southern Oscillation, presumably by displacement of unattached colonies by strong surface waves and currents. This assemblage has now recovered to pre-impact levels. A combination of underwater photoquadrats from 2007 and 2009 and recent (2023) orthomosaics were used to determine changes in coral densities and …

Effects Of A Protection Zone In A Reaction-Diffusion Model With Strong Allee Effect., Isaac Johnson

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

A protection zone model represents a patchy environment with positive growth over the protection zone and strong Allee effect growth outside the protection zone. Generally, these models are considered through the corresponding eigenvalue problem, but that has certain limitations. In this thesis, a general protection zone model is considered. This model makes no assumption on the direction of the traveling wave solution over the Strong Allee effect patch. We use phase portrait analysis of this protection zone model to draw conclusions about the existence of equilibrium solutions. We establish the existence of three types of equilibrium solutions and the necessary …

Fall Field Report, August–November 2023, W. Ross Silcock

Nebraska Bird Review

As in the last few fall seasons, late departure dates continue to increase in number. This is often attributed to a warming climate but may also result from increased observer activity and usage of eBird. Late dates are probably the most important aspect of this report, most prominent the record late fall dates for Ruby-throated Hummingbird, Sanderling, Bank Swallow, and Cassin’s Sparrow. Although these species are taxonomically diverse, there were species group concentrations of late dates, notably among shorebirds. Examples were Marbled Godwit for which the four latest reports this fall were four of the latest six fall dates on …

Index To Volume 91

Nebraska Bird Review

Adams: Pam 11; Paul 11
Aden, Debbie 55
Allard, Savannah 29
Allen, Edward 10
Allison, Betty 30
Alpheus, A. 154
Altman, Dakota 21, 30
Andersen: Bennett 30; Brett 30, 52, 142; D. E. 83
Anderson: Bob 139, 147; Chris 7; Janet 29; Will 68
Angkaew, Rongron 6
Ani, Groove-billed 127, 131
Anich: Charlie 99; Nick 99; Paula 99
Arends, Jim 30
Armstrong, Wyatt 121
Askerooth, Kristine 29
Atkins, Kate 16
Atwell, Erik 55, 58, 99, 100, 102, 112
Audubon, M. 82
Augustine, Jackie 63
Austin, Mary 7
Avocet, American 19, 53, 86, 100, 132, 158

. . .

Zach, Joel …

Yellow-Throated Warbler In Scotts Bluff County, Nebraska, Mark A. Brogie, Bill F. Huser, Jerry Probst

Nebraska Bird Review

Yellow-throated Warbler (Setophaga dominica) is a rare to uncommon migrant in eastern and central Nebraska. It is possibly a regular breeder locally at sites containing sycamores in several southeastern Nebraska counties bordering the Missouri River. There are few Nebraska reports after July, with more reports November–January than August–October. This species has three previous documented Nebraska Panhandle records, all from May.

1. One photographed 26 May 2009, at Crescent Lake NWR, Garden Co.

2. One seen and “well described” 06 May 1931, at Antioch, Sheridan Co.

3. A specimen taken 20 May 1917, at Oshkosh, Garden Co., was once …

The Nebraska Bird Review (December 2023) 91(4), Whole Issue

Nebraska Bird Review

Fall Field Report, August–November 2023, by W. Ross Silcock

NOU Founding Ornithologist, Hypnotist, Physician: Isador Trostler, by Rick Wright

Yellow-throated Warbler in Scotts Bluff County, Nebraska, by Mark A. Brogie, Bill F. Huser, and Jerry Probst

Holdrege Fall Field Days, Sept. 22–24, 2023

Index to Volume 91

Subscription and Organization Information

Nou Founding Ornithologist, Hypnotist, Physician: Isador Trostler, Rick Wright

Nebraska Bird Review

Eminent radiologist Benjamin H. Orndoff, eulogizing an esteemed colleague some months after his death, noted that Isador Simon Trostler (1869–1957) “as a lad . . . became interested in ornithology and herpetology, sending accounts of his observations and explorations to natural history magazines up to the late [18]90s.” Understandably more interested in Trostler’s role as a “pioneer in radiology,” Orndoff had no more to say about the natural history pursuits of one of Nebraska’s most notable early ornithologists, one of the founders 125 years ago of the Nebraska Ornithologists’ Union.

Conversely, we birders have known little or nothing of Trostler’s …

Holdrege Fall Field Days, Janis Paseka

Nebraska Bird Review

The 2023 NOU Fall Field Days were held in Holdrege on September 22–24, with approximately 45 in attendance. The programs were held at the Rodeway Inn. The meeting was planned by Robin Harding, Jan Johnson, and Ruthie Stearns. Field trips were led by Robin Harding, Paul Dunbar, and William Flack to numerous locations including Johnson Lake SRA, Elwood Reservoir WMA, the eagle viewing site on the Phelps County Canal in northern Gosper Co., the Platte River bridge south of Overton, Cottonwood WPA, Harlan Co. Reservoir, the Alma water treatment plant, Funk WPA, Nature's Mosaic Recreation Area, and Sacramento-Wilcox WPA.

The …

Rapid Evolution Of A(H5n1) Influenza Viruses After Intercontinental Spread To North America, Ahmed Kandeil, Christopher Patton, Jeremy C. Jones, Trushar Jeevan, Walter N. Harrington, Sanja Trifkovic, Jon P. Seiler, Thomas Fabrizio, Karlie Woodard, Jasmine C. Turner, Jeri Carol Crumpton, Lance Miller, Adam Rubrum, Jennifer Debeauchamp, Charles J. Russell, Elena A. Govorkova, Peter Vogel, Mia Kim-Torchetti, Yohannes Berhane, David Stallknecht, Rebecca Poulson, Lisa Kercher, Richard J. Webby

United States Department of Agriculture Wildlife Services: Staff Publications

Highly pathogenic avian influenza A(H5N1) viruses of clade 2.3.4.4b underwent an explosive geographic expansion in 2021 among wild birds and domestic poultry across Asia, Europe, and Africa. By the end of 2021, 2.3.4.4b viruses were detected in North America, signifying further intercontinental spread. Here we show that the western movement of clade 2.3.4.4b was quickly followed by reassortment with viruses circulating in wild birds in North America, resulting in the acquisition of different combinations of ribonucleoprotein genes. These reassortant A(H5N1) viruses are genotypically and phenotypically diverse, with many causing severe disease with dramatic neurologic involvement in mammals. The proclivity of …

Effects Of Landcover On Mesocarnivore Density And Detection Rate Along An Urban To Rural Gradient, Leah E. Mctigue, Brett Degregorio

Biological Sciences Faculty Publications and Presentations

Human development has major implications for wildlife populations. Urban-exploiter species can benefit from human subsidized resources, whereas urban-avoider species can vanish from wildlife communities in highly developed areas. Therefore, understanding how the density of different species varies in response to landcover changes associated with human development can provide important insight into how wildlife communities are likely to change and provide a starting point for predicting the consequences of those changes. Here, we estimated the population density of five common mesocarnivore species (coyote (Canis latrans), bobcat (Lynx rufus), red fox (Vulpes vulpes), raccoon (Procyon …

Impacts Of Disturbance And Nutrient Addition On Coastal Dune Arthropod Communities, Kayla Beitzel

Honors Theses

Coastal dune ecosystems are globally distributed ecosystems that occur from the tropics to the poles and serve as the first line of defense during storms. They are critical habitats for a variety of organisms and also play a critical role in stabilizing coastal habitats. These systems face increased pressure via urban development, recreational expansion, and sea-level rise (Newman et al. 2023; Webster et al. 2005). Insects are vital consumers in coastal ecosystems and act as regulators of plant growth. Low-diversity ecosystems, like coastal dune systems, often contain a higher abundance of low-diverse insect consumers (Ripple et al. 2021), which can …

Accelerated Evolution Of Sars-Cov-2 In Free-Ranging White-Tailed Deer, Dillon S. Mcbride, Sofya K. Garushyants, John Franks, Andrew F. Magee, Steven H. Overend, Devra Huey, Amanda M. Williams, Seth A. Faith, Ahmed Kandeil, Sanja Trifkovic, Lance Miller, Trushar Jeevan, Anami Patel, Jacqueline M. Nolting, Michael J. Tonkovich, J. Tyler Genders, Andrew J. Montoney, Kevin Kasnyik, Timothy J. Linder, Sarah N. Bevins, Julianna B. Lenoch, Jeffrey C. Chandler, Thomas J. Deliberto, Eugene V. Koonin, Marc A. Suchard, Philippe Lemey, Richard J. Webby, Martha I. Nelson, Andrew S. Bowman

United States Department of Agriculture Wildlife Services: Staff Publications

The zoonotic origin of the COVID-19 pandemic virus highlights the need to fill the vast gaps in our knowledge of SARS-CoV-2 ecology and evolution in non-human hosts. Here, we detected that SARS-CoV-2 was introduced from humans into white-tailed deer more than 30 times in Ohio, USA during November 2021-March 2022. Subsequently, deer-to-deer transmission persisted for 2–8 months, disseminating across hundreds of kilometers. Newly developed Bayesian phylogenetic methods quantified how SARS-CoV-2 evolution is not only three-times faster in white-tailed deer compared to the rate observed in humans but also driven by different mutational biases and selection pressures. The long-term effect of …

Analysis Of Mitochondrial Dna Sequence Data Demonstrates That Monophyly Of Myotis Occultus Is Complicated By Greater Sampling Of Myotis Lucifugus, Jeffrey M. Lorch, Daniel R. Taylor, Antoinette J. Piaggio

United States Department of Agriculture Wildlife Services: Staff Publications

Abstract

The validity of Myotis occultus as a species unique from Myotis lucifugus has been a source of debate. Most recently, many authorities treat M. occultus as a distinct species, at least in part because a previous study showed that M. occultus and M. l. carissima (the subspecies that occurs in closest geographic proximity to M. occultus) form separate monophyletic clades based on sequences of two mitochondrial genes (cytochrome-b [cytb] and cytochrome oxidase subunit II [COII]). We re-evaluated the phylogenetic relationship between M. occultus and M. lucifugus based on mitochondrial sequences …

Unlocking The Mysteries Of Opportunism: Neuroendocrine Insights From An Aseasonal Breeder (Taeniopygia Guttata), Jessica A. Moodie

Graduate Theses and Dissertations (2019 - present)

The regulation of reproductive physiology in animals is mediated by the Hypothalamus-Pituitary-Gonad (HPG) axis. In seasonal breeders, a conserved reciprocal switching of deiodinase enzymes alters thyroid hormone signaling, which controls HPG activity. This study tested the hypothesis that neural regulation of the HPG axis as described in seasonal systems is conserved and repurposed to respond to other cues in aseasonal species. Using water deprivation and nest restriction in the opportunistic Zebra Finch, we were able to create a breeding group and non-breeding group, confirmed by egg laying and changes in ovarian anatomy. Breeding females had clear follicular hierarchy, increased ovary …

An Integrative Approach To Managing A Species Of Conservation Concern: Resource Selection, Spatial Ecology, And Population Genetics Of The Green Salamander (Aneides Aeneus), Megan Novak

All Dissertations

The relationship between wildlife and the environment they inhabit is dependent on both spatial and temporal scales. It is therefore crucial that biological investigations account for ecological scale when analyzing patterns and processes established, particularly when such investigations inform conservation management plans. This dissertation provides extensive insight into the conservation biology of the green salamander (Aneides aeneus), a critically imperiled species in South Carolina. The green salamander is a species that exists in a patchy network of rock outcrops within mountainous forest landscapes, and most studies on habitat suitability for green salamanders have been conducted on the macrohabitat, …

Exploring The Interrelationships Among Structural Complexity, Multi-Trophic Biodiversity, And Ecosystem Productivity In Forested Ecosystems., Ayanna St. Rose

Graduate Theses and Dissertations

Forests play a pivotal role in sustaining global biodiversity and mitigating the global climate, as they serve as the primary refuge for terrestrial biodiversity and effectively capture and store atmospheric carbon dioxide. However, changing climate and land use are altering the geographic distribution, physical structure, and productivity of forested ecosystems that can have profound impacts on biodiversity conservation, forest productivity, and global climate. This dissertation contributes to our understanding of multifaceted interactions between the physical and biological structural complexity and ecosystem functions in forested landscapes across the United states by using openly available data from two national networks: the National …

Species Richness Of Moths In Parks Surrounded By Varying Levels Of ​Urbanization Around Nashville, Tennessee, Maxwell Stone, Allie Bennett

Science University Research Symposium (SURS)

Moths can act as indicators of environmental wellness due to their pollution sensitivity and the complexity of biodiversity required to support their life cycles. Urbanization can impact the occurrence of moths in protected green spaces. Higher moth species richness was hypothesized to occur in parks surrounded by more rural areas. Three metropolitan parks were chosen in the Nashville area: downtown, within a suburban neighborhood, and in a rural area. Tree canopy cover and degree of impervious surfaces were assessed for each park and surrounding area using iTreeCanopy. Moths were attracted to a white sheet using a mercury vapor bulb, UV …

Pathogenicity In Chickens And Turkeys Of A 2021 United States H5n1 Highly Pathogenic Avian Influenza Clade 2.3.4.4b Wild Bird Virus Compared To Two Previous H5n8 Clade 2.3.4.4 Viruses, Mary J. Pantin-Jackwood, Erica Spackman, Christina Leyson, Sungsu Youk, Scott A. Lee, Linda M. Moon, Mia K. Torchetti, Mary L. Killian, Julianna B. Lenoch, Darrell R. Kapczynski, David E. Swayne, David L. Suarez

United States Department of Agriculture Wildlife Services: Staff Publications

Highly pathogenic avian influenza viruses (HPAIVs) of subtype H5 of the Gs/GD/96 lineage remain a major threat to poultry due to endemicity in wild birds. H5N1 HPAIVs from this lineage were detected in 2021 in the United States (US) and since then have infected many wild and domestic birds. We evaluated the pathobiology of an early US H5N1 HPAIV (clade 2.3.4.4b, 2021) and two H5N8 HPAIVs from previous outbreaks in the US (clade 2.3.4.4c, 2014) and Europe (clade 2.3.4.4b, 2016) in chickens and turkeys. Differences in clinical signs, mean death times (MDTs), and virus transmissibility were found between chickens and …

Raccoon Spatial Ecology In The Rural Southeastern United States, Jacob E. Hill, Madison L. Miller, James L. Helton, Richard B. Chipman, Amy Gilbert, University Of Georgia, Guha Dharmarajan, Olin E. Rhodes Jr.

United States Department of Agriculture Wildlife Services: Staff Publications

The movement ecology of raccoons varies widely across habitats with important implications for the management of zoonotic diseases such as rabies. However, the spatial ecology of raccoons remains poorly understood in many regions of the United States, particularly in the southeast. To better understand the spatial ecology of raccoons in the southeastern United States, we investigated the role of sex, season, and habitat on monthly raccoon home range and core area sizes in three common rural habitats (bottomland hardwood, upland pine, and riparian forest) in South Carolina, USA. From 2018–2022, we obtained 264 monthly home ranges from 46 raccoons. Mean …