SUNY College of Environmental Science and Forestry
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Speciation of Oxidized Mercury Compounds Via Mass Spectrometry and Investigation of Their Uptake in Soil
No full textLED Light for in Vitro and Ex Vitro Growth of Transgenic American Chestnut (Castanea Dentata)
Full text linkLED lighting can reduce production costs and improve the quality of micro-cuttings but has not yet been investigated for tissue culture propagation of American chestnut. This study examines the effects of three LED light treatments and one fluorescent control for in vitro shoot elongation and ex vitro rooting of micropropagated, American chestnut. Results showed that all three LED light treatments produced elongated shoots with total leaf surface area and average leaf surface areas equivalent to or greater than those of the fluorescent control. Ex vitro rooting trials showed that TLED treatments produced percent rooting survival and total root length equivalent to the fluorescent control. These findings support the use of broad-spectrum LEDs to replace traditional fluorescent lamps for in vitro elongation and ex vitro rooting of American chestnut and represents an important step in the application of LED lighting technology to the micropropagation of economically significant woody plant species
Response of Ectomycorrhizal Fungal Fruiting to Nitrogen and Phosphorus Additions in Bartlett Experimental Forest, New Hampshire
Full text linkForest productivity and recovery is limited by nutrients including nitrogen and phosphorus. Ectomycorrhizal fungi (EMF) form mutualistic symbioses with trees and aid roots in acquiring soil nutrients. The composition of EMF in forests may be sensitive to changes in soil nutrients in ways not fully understood. This research investigates EMF fruiting responses to nutrient manipulation in a project on Multiple Element Limitation in Northern Hardwood Ecosystems where N and P have been added annually in a factorial design since 2011. Sporocarp abundance, biomass, species richness, and fruiting community composition were compared between nutrient addition plots and control plots. While some ectomycorrhizal fungi are known to respond to N fertilization, this work is among the first to observe sporocarp community response to P fertilization, and to N and P fertilization together, which will be important to predicting how fungal communities will respond to changing soil nutrient conditions in a changing world
Investigating Impacts on Visitors’ Environmental Attitudes and Behavior Through Innovative Interpretive Media: A Design-Based Research Case Study
No full textWith nature-deficit generations becoming more addicted to mobile devices, it is time to take advantage of the digital functions of mobile technology to attract people to explore outdoor environments. This case study at Green Lakes State Park applied QR/Snapcodes to four newly designed interpretive signs and evaluated their effectiveness on changing visitor’s attitude and behavioral intentions toward different environmental issues. The novel use of game cameras to assess visitor interactions in this study was successful. In fall of 2019, observational data were collected on 3,167 visitors interacting with interpretative signs with and without QR/Snapcodes. Survey data of 824 visitors were also collected to assess perceptions of environmental issues associated with the park. A series of one-tailed t-tests indicated an increase in attention capture, holding time, and in positive environmental attitude and behavioral intentions associated with most of the signs having QR/Snapcodes when visitors interacted with them compared to signs without the codes
Lifecycle Assessment Of Shrub Willow Evapotranspiration Cover Versus Conventional Clay And Geosynthetic Covers
Full text linkThe establishment of the landfill covers consumes substantial amounts of fuels and materials that in turn contribute to greenhouse gas emissions and fuel depletion, the impacts of which are less explored. This study conducts lifecycle assessments of a willow ET cover, a conventional clay cover and a geosynthetic cover for Solvay settling basins to assess their global warming impact (GWI) and fossil fuel depletion (FFD) for 30 years at Camillus, NY. The study suggests that willow ET is a carbon negative system with the total GWI of -13,206 kgCO2eq ha-1 , while the clay (194,916 kgCO2eq ha-1) and geosynthetic scenarios (260,212 kgCO2eq ha-1) have large positive carbon impacts. Similarly, for FFD, the impact of willow ET cover (75,303 MJ Surplus ha-1) is the lowest and is 4.7 times lower than the clay cover and 7.7 times lower than the geosynthetic cover. Sensitivity and uncertainty analyses indicated that in all scenarios the GWI of the willow ET cover was less than zero and the GWI of the geosynthetic cover was greater than the clay covers
Interactions Between Light and Production of Microcystins in the Toxic Cyanobacterium Microcystis
Full text linkCyanobacterial harmful algal blooms (cHABs) are characterized by the formation of toxins that can impact animal health, cause water quality issues, and recreational hazards. Microcystis, a common genus of cyanobacteria, produces the potent protein phosphatase inhibitor microcystins. Microcystins are nitrogen-rich and have an associated metabolic cost for production. Some outstanding questions in the study of cHABs is why are microcystins produced, what are the benefits of toxin formation, and why only some Microcystis strains produce microcystins? We examined a potential biochemical role for microcystins in the cyanobacterial photosystem regulation in response to various light conditions. Single-celled culture strains of toxic and non- toxic Microcystis aeruginosa were grown under different light irradiances. High-light conditions caused light stress based on decreased photosynthetic efficiency. Cells responded over 2-3 days by decreasing their chlorophyll and phycobilisome content per cell in unison. Looking at a natural system over a diurnal cycle of changing light intensities, Microcystis responded to high-light environments via vertical migration deeper in the water column to avoid light stress. In one culture and in situ, there were no changes in microcystins concentration per cell, but one strain showed decreased microcystins under low-light. Therefore, microcystins protein phosphatase activity may not be involved with phosphorylation/dephosphorylation under high-light. High-light environments are also associated reactive oxygen species (ROS) production. We investigated if microcystins were linked to ROS sensitivity by examining how three chlorophytes and seven cyanobacteria responded to the ROS compound hydrogen peroxide (H2O2). There was no evidence that toxic cyanobacteria were more sensitive to ROS than non-toxic cyanobacteria or chlorophytes. Addition of H2O2 did not change the microcystins concentration per cell. While these experiments did not elucidate the biochemical function of microcystins in Microcystis, they provided valuable information for water quality managers. cHAB monitoring programs must carefully consider vertical migration away from the surface during high-light conditions. The use of H2O2 as a control mechanism may not selectively remove toxic cyanobacteria. Despite visual similarities, Microcystis is composed of diverse species with a wide-range of responses to light and ROS. Care must be taken when applying conclusions using a limited number of strains to broader populations
The Reaction-Diffusion of Range Expansion of American Black Bears (Ursus Americanus) In North Carolina, USA
Full text linkBy the early 19th century, many big-game species were extirpated from much of their historic range. Implementation of harvest regulations or restrictions, habitat succession, and changes in land use practices have facilitated the return of many of these species. It is necessary, for proper management, to be able to estimate with precision or certainty, abundance and other demographic parameters as well as range expansion often with personnel and financial limitations. New advancements in analyses allow for greater extraction of information from commonly collected data.
White oak (subgenus Leucobalanus) mast production had a strong correlation with non-harvest mortality of American black bears (Ursus americanus; r = 0.89). Using white oak mast as a surrogate for hunter effort, I used a catch-effort likelihood within statistical population reconstruction (SPR) using an N- mixture multinomial model to estimate the abundance and other demographic parameters of black bears in the Mountain region of North Carolina. Abundance was estimated at 3365 (95% B.C.I. = 3165-3569) for females and 3882 (95% B.C.I. = 3696-4080) for males in 2016, with numbers continuing to increase at a rate of approximately 5% annually. SPR estimates tracked estimates from Downing population reconstruction (DPR until approximately 2008 when DPR indicated population growth to be slowing in contrast to SPR estimates. The probability of harvest ranged from 6.7-15.6% (95% B.C.I. = 6.3-16.3%) for females and 11.6-26.1% (95% B.C.I. = 11.2-26.9%) for males. Additional parameters could be estimated with the inclusion of additional data and likelihoods.
The velocity of range expansion of the Mountain and Coastal black bear populations into the Piedmont was tracked using reliable sightings, frequency and location of bear-vehicle collisions, and demographic parameters in five methods of reaction-diffusion models. The rate of expansion was approximately 4-8 km/year. Each of the five methods yielded similar velocities of range expansion, indicating the simplest method that used commonly-collected data was just as informative as more elaborate methods.
Likelihoods using other food resources availability may be necessary to modify this SPR to fit other species or bear populations in agriculturally-dominated regions, but is easily adaptable. Collecting animal- vehicle mortality locations is an inexpensive way to be estimate range expansion of elusive species
Engineering a Novel, Non-Antibody PD-1/PD-L1 Inhibitor Using High-Throughput Fluorescence Polarization Screening
Full text linkPeptide library screening and binding surface mutagenesis are effective tools in early-stage drug development that give critical insights for evaluating biologic interactions. Prior to later- stage chemistry, manufacturing, and controls (CMC), biologic potency depends on modulating key amino acid residues affecting the affinity of the potential drug towards its target(s). Developing biologics is thus increasingly dependent on high-throughput screening (HTS) techniques that accommodate rapid iteration of many candidates. Here, I synthesized a small library of epitope peptides derived from therapeutic targets and conducted a series of fluorescence anisotropy-based screens against RPtag: a novel, super-stable, antibody-like protein scaffold with pM binding affinity. I demonstrated tunability of RPtag and highlight its potential as a novel biologic by increasing affinity towards PD-L1 peptide by orders of magnitude. Finally, I used surface plasmon resonance (SPR) to demonstrate binding between a rationally engineered RPtag mutant to recombinant PD-L1 and discuss the implications of my findings
Long-term Landscape-scale Impact Of Early 20th Century Logging On Plant Communities In The Southern Appalachians
No full textLogging has been hypothesized to have long-term effects on plant communities throughout the world. Quantifying the effects of disturbances such as logging on patterns of plant diversity and composition is a fundamental question in ecology and conservation. In this dissertation I examined the long term (70+ year) impact of early 20th century clear-cutting on forest communities in the southern Appalachians, one of the most diverse temperate regions in North America. I investigated hypotheses about how clear-cutting has changed plant diversity, composition, functional traits, and the evergreen shrub layer. I used Generalized Dissimilarity Modelling to determine how clear-cutting has changed the relationships between environmental gradients and plant species turnover. I found that clear-cutting has changed the overall and relative long-term importance of drivers of community turnover, most notably by increasing the importance of spatial distance and decreasing the importance of topographic position. Based on perMANOVA and nonmetric multi-dimensional scaling ordination, I found that the composition of logged communities in high elevation areas and in landscape positions that accumulate water had diverged from communities with no logging history. By comparing the dispersions of clear- cut and unlogged areas in multivariate space, I also found that clear-cutting has homogenized plant communities overall. This homogenization effect was not only present compositionally but was observed in the community-weighted means of traits that are closely related to disturbance response, such as growth rate and fire tolerance. Clear-cutting also caused long-term declines in tree species that do not re-sprout and in ground-layer species with limited dispersal mechanisms. I did not find that clear-cutting increased the presence of evergreen shrub layers in general, as has been speculated in other studies in the region, but did find increased density of rhododendron at low elevations following clear-cutting. This study suggests that early 20th century clear-cutting has caused lasting plant community changes across the landscape, but the nature and magnitude of those changes varied along the many environmental gradients found in the region
Light and Ultrastructural Microscopy Studies on Coreomyces (Laboulbeniomycetes - Ascomycota)
Full text linkThis study utilized ultramicrotomy, coupled with transmission electron microscopy (TEM) to investigate the ultrastructure of Coreomyces, a member of an unusual group of arthropod associated fungi, Laboulbeniales (Ascomycota). Ultra-thin sections of the fungal cell wall reveal a tri-layered structure, bounded by a double membrane, and lacking perforations. This implies that all nutrition required for development of the fungal thallus is obtained directly from the host via the attachment cell. Ultrastructural details presented for any member of Laboulbeniales include (1) detail of a receptacular septum, revealing the presence of septal pores, (2) sections through the ascospore attachment pad, illustrating a mesh-like fiber network, and (3) the occurrence of a series of invaginations, interpreted as flask-like pores, situated along the outer wall of mature ascospores. Details of the development of the perithecium, asci and ascospores, are also presented, based on serial sectioning through the terminal cell of the thallus