Terrestrial and Aquatic Ecology Commons^™

Examining The Relationship Between Climate And Seasonal Stream Thermal Regimes In A High Desert Ecosystem, Hannah Moore, Melody Feden

Scholars Week

Climate change is negatively affecting ecosystems around the world, and in the coming years, scientists predict that these changes will only intensify and accelerate. In the western mountains of North America, climate change projections predict elevated temperatures, reduced snowpack, and earlier snowmelt. Elevated air temperatures have the propensity to affect water temperatures in sensitive freshwater ecosystems. Temperature increases may cause streams to reach the upper thermal limit for many aquatic organisms, such as aquatic invertebrates and fish, and result in death or dispersal for these organisms. This makes the availability of cold-water refugia in streams that much more important for …

Can Omnivores Mediate The Effects Of Degradation?, Hannah Moore

Scholars Week

Omnivores feed at multiple trophic levels and have large effects on community structuring and stability. The magnitude and direction of such effects, whether omnivores stabilize or destabilize communities, remains unresolved. Shifts in omnivore diet and trophic position may be of particular importance to community stability in degraded habitats, where resources are sparse. For example, omnivores may reduce the severity and duration of community responses to degradationby dampening the effects of any disturbance-mediated trophic cascade. The relatively simple food webs of freshwater systems are ideal for studying trophic ecology, and in the western U.S., streams are heavily degraded by overgrazing, beaver …

Determining The Physiological And Behavioral Methods Of Salinity Tolerance In Corbicula Fluminea, John Warren Roden Iii

Appalachian Student Research Forum

While a significant degree of salinity tolerance has been observed in the bivalve mollusk species Corbicula fluminea, the physiological and behavioral responses to changes in salinity by these organisms are not completely understood. It was hypothesized that Corbicula would initially avoid any salinity stress behaviorally through valve closure, but would eventually have to open to dispel anaerobic waste products and deal with the salinity. To explore this, Corbicula were collected and put through a series of experiments at salinity exposures of 0, 2.5, and 5.0ppt, with tissue water content and hemolymph osmolality being measured. After an initial 96-hour exposure …

Analysis Of Submerged Aquatic Vegetation Resources Across The Northern Gulf Of Mexico: Communities And Biomass, Eva R. Hillmann

LSU Doctoral Dissertations

Submerged aquatic vegetation (SAV) provides many critical ecosystem services, yet we lack basic information on SAV assemblages, biomass and diversity across expansive coasts such as the northern Gulf of Mexico (nGoM). This research investigated SAV along the nGoM from 2013-2015 examining (1) inter-annual variation in SAV assemblages and biomass across salinity zones and gulf coast eco-regions (Texas Mid-Coast, Texas/LA Chenier Plain, Louisiana Delta, MS/AL), (2) intra-annual variation in SAV assemblages and biomass across salinity zones, (3) response of two species, Ruppia maritima and Myriophyllum spicatum, to salinity and light regimes, and (4) estimated organic carbon stock and storage of …

Legacies Of War: How The Commercialization Of Plastics In The United States Contribute To Cycles Of Violence, Karis Johnston

Capstone Collection

Plastic manufacturing practices developed and justified during World War II transitioned into the commercial space, entered our homes, and became part of everyday life. This proliferation was due in large part to the consolidation of manufacturing processes organized and subsidized by government contracts and the plastics industry leaders’ marketing dynamism. Plastics are in the cars we drive, the way we package our food, and are invaluable throughout the medical field. Moreover, the use of plastics has tangible environmental and health ramifications. The plastics industry and consumption patterns in the United States contribute significantly to hydrocarbon emissions, ecological violence, and the …

Bird Population Changes Following The Establishment Of A Diverse Stand Of Woody Plants In A Former Crop Field In North Dakota, 1975– 2015, Lawrence D. Igl, Harold A. Kantrud, Wesley Newton

United States Geological Survey, Northern Prairie Wildlife Research Center: Publications

Changes in the coverage of trees and shrubs on the North Dakota landscape since Euro- American settlement have likely had a pronounced impact on bird species that favor woody vegetation. Long- term data sets on breeding bird populations in wooded habitats in North Dakota or in the Great Plains are scarce. In 1975 a wildlife habitat plot was established in a 10.5 ha cropland field with a long history of small- grain production. Th e objective of this article is to evaluate the successional changes in bird populations as the habitat at this site became more biologically and structurally complex …

Influence Of Black Mangrove Expansion On Salt Marsh Faunal Communities Of Eastern Coastal Louisiana, Christina Powell

LSU Master's Theses

The salt marshes along the Gulf of Mexico provide a critical habitat for many species, but their spatial distribution is changing, because Avicennia germinans (black mangroves) are expanding due to warmer winters. Currently, little is known about how A. germinans are used as habitat providing food and refuge for aquatic fauna. Therefore, the overall goal of this study was to determine how A.germinans expansion into the Spartina alterniflora (smooth cordgrass) marshes of Louisiana’s Mississippi River delta plain affects salt marsh-dependent organisms. This study analyzed three habitat types: Spartina-dominated, Avicennia-dominated, and a mix of the two, focusing on habitat use and …

Sediment And Plant Dynamics In A Degrading Coastal Louisiana Landscape, Glenn Michael. Suir

LSU Doctoral Dissertations

Alterations to Louisiana’s river systems and local hydrology have resulted in reduced freshwater, sediment, and nutrient inputs into wetland landscapes, causing significant negative impacts on marsh productivity and stability. To combat these losses many restoration projects have been constructed or planned throughout coastal Louisiana. Typical goals of wetland restoration efforts are to conserve, create, or enhance wetland form, and to achieve wetland function that approaches natural conditions. Failure to adequately maintain wetland elevation and hydrology can have serious implications on sedimentation and vegetation processes, which significantly reduces the likelihood of reaching structural and functional targets. Measures of wetland condition have …

A Naturalist’S Guide To The Great Plains, Paul A. Johnsgard

Zea E-Books Collection

This book documents nearly 500 US and Canadian locations where wildlife refuges, nature preserves, and similar properties protect natural sites that lie within the North American Great Plains, from Canada’s Prairie Provinces to the Texas-Mexico border. Information on site location, size, biological diversity, and the presence of especially rare or interesting flora and fauna are mentioned, as well as driving directions, mailing addresses, and phone numbers or internet addresses, as available. US federal sites include 11 national grasslands, 13 national parks, 16 national monuments, and more than 70 national wildlife refuges. State properties include nearly 100 state parks and wildlife …

Olfactory Learning Capabilities Of Paraphrynus Laevifrons, John Perez

Honors Program: Senior Projects (Public)

Amblypygids, a species of nocturnal arachnids from the tropics and subtropics are incredibly intelligent and are able to not only navigate through difficult tropical terrain but also, it is believed, possess olfactory learning capabilities that aid in navigation and recollection of environments. It is hypothesized that through sensitive olfactory receptors on their antenniform legs and highly developed mushroom bodies, Amblypygi can not only learn smells but also learn to associate smells with certain stimuli such as a crevice to take refuge in. To test this hypothesis, Paraphrynus laevifrons, a species of amplypygid was subjected to four different learning treatment groups …

P-46 A Periodic Matrix Model Of Seabird Behavior And Population Dynamics, Mykhaylo M. Malakhov, Benjamin Macdonald, Shandelle M. Henson, J. M. Cushing

Honors Scholars & Undergraduate Research Poster Symposium Programs

Rising sea surface temperatures (SSTs) in the Pacific Northwest lead to food resource reductions for surface-feeding seabirds, and have been correlated with several marked behavioral changes. Namely, higher SSTs are associated with increased egg cannibalism and egg-laying synchrony in the colony. We study the long-term effects of climate change on population dynamics and survival by considering a simplified, cross-season model that incorporates both of these behaviors in addition to density-dependent and environmental effects. We show that cannibalism can lead to backward bifurcations and strong Allee effects, allowing the population to survive at lower resource levels than would be possible otherwise.

Session 3e: Teaching Using Un Sustainable Development Goals, Donald Dosch, Sarah O'Leary-Driscoll, Crystal Randall

Professional Learning Day

This session will focus on how we are using the UN Sustainable Development Goals as guideposts for curriculum development in several of our different science classes. Students will join us to present some of their varied academic work, and share the importance of these activities in their education. Part of our discussion will focus on scaffolding the learning so that students are able to perform successfully in these contextual and issues-based activities. We will also build in time for participant discussion on current issues and ideas for incorporating them effectively into their own teaching.

Food Habits Of Imperiled Plains Topminnow And Diet Overlap With Invasive Western Mosquitofish In The Central Great Plains, Joseph Thiessen, Keith D. Koupal, Casey W. Schoenebeck, Julie J. Shaffer

Transactions of the Nebraska Academy of Sciences and Affiliated Societies

Plains Topminnow (Fundulus sciadicus) populations have experienced large declines throughout the Central Great Plains, with Western Mosquitofish (Gambusia affinis) introductions suggested as a contributing factor. There are limited studies identifying the food habits of Plains Topminnow and the trophic interactions with Western Mosquitofish. This study sought to determine if a diet overlap exists between the Plains Topminnow and the introduced Western Mosquitofish by identifying the feeding habits of both species. We analyzed diets from lentic and lotic populations of Plains Topminnow captured in August and found lentic topminnows employed a generalist diet while lotic topminnow selected for gastropods. …

Coastal Resiliance And Management Evs 510x, Michael Cerbo

Library Impact Statements

No abstract provided.

Hydraulic Fracturing Fluid Biocide, Tributyl Tetradecyl Phosphonium Chloride, Causes Mitochondrial Dysfunction That Is Enhanced By Sodium Chloride In Chironomus Riparius, Zainab Hussain Alali

Seton Hall University Dissertations and Theses (ETDs)

Tributyl tetradecyl phosphonium chloride (TTPC) is a biocide utilized in the hydraulic fracturing process to extract oil and natural gas from deep underground. This study used 4^th instar Chironomus riparius to investigate the toxicity of TTPC, NaCl, and TTPC+NaCl. Our results show that the 24 h LC₅₀s for TTPC, NaCl, and TTPC+NaCl were 0.57 mg/L, >10,000 mg/L, and 0.32 mg/L, respectively, while the 48 h LC₅₀s for the same treatments were 0.48 mg/L, 9808 mg/L, and 0.22 mg/L, respectively. Additionally, TTPC’s mechanism of action was investigated by measuring the levels of adenosine triphosphate (ATP), superoxide …

Overdispersed Spatial Patterning Of Dominant Bunchgrasses In Southeastern Pine Savannas, Katherines A. Hovanes, Kyle E. Harms, Paul R. Gagnon, Jonathan A. Myers, Bret D. Elderd

Biology Faculty Research

Spatial patterning is a key natural history attribute of sessile organisms that frequently emerges from and dictates potential for interactions among organisms. We tested whether bunchgrasses, the dominant plant functional group in longleaf pine savanna groundcover communities, are nonrandomly patterned by characterizing the spatial dispersion of three bunchgrass species across six sites in Louisiana and Florida. We mapped bunchgrass tussocks of >5.0 cm basal diameter in three [Formula: see text] plots at each site. We modeled tussocks as two-dimensional objects to analyze their spatial relationships while preserving sizes and shapes of individual tussocks. Tussocks were overdispersed (more regularly spaced than …

The Groundwater Crisis, Austin Shwatal '20, Ethan Tse '20

UN Sustainable Development Goals Infographics

What is Groundwater? Groundwater is simply any water that is found in underground permeable rock layers known as aquifers

Industrial Impact, Sravani Ponnaluri '20, Emily Gonda '20

UN Sustainable Development Goals Infographics

Industries burn fossil fuels to create goods which releases carbon dioxide into the atmosphere. CO2 contributes to 20% of the world's greenhouse effect, and the level of it in the atmosphere has increased to over 400 ppm when before the French Revolution it fluctuated between 180-280 ppm (NASA, 2016). The coal industry is a big contributor as it contributes to 35% of the total U.S. energy related CO2 emissions (EIA, 2017). This all leads to global warming, which causes rising sea levels, longer plant growing seasons, and an increase in forest fires (NASA).

Threats To Ocean Biodiversity, Allia Lin '20, Grace Wulffraat '20

UN Sustainable Development Goals Infographics

Overfishing

Taking fish out of the ocean faster than their populations can be naturally replenished

Coastal Waters, Alison Deng '20, Winny Liu '20

UN Sustainable Development Goals Infographics

Coastal water, specifically coastal erosion, has been a growing problem due to human impact.