SUNY College of Environmental Science and Forestry
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Behavior of Captive Humboldt Penguin (Spheniscus humboldti) Chicks in Response to Environmental Enrichment
Get PDFEnvironmental enrichment is an important part of animal husbandry. Enrichment can reduce and prevent the display of stereotypies, improving the wellbeing of captive animals. A video of penguins in a California aquarium explored the use of tablet computers as a form of enrichment. This research explored the effects of the novel form of enrichment on Humboldt penguin chicks at the Rosamond Gifford Zoo. I presented chicks with a tablet computer and assessed how they behaved in the presence of the new toy. I presented the tablet to the penguins in three different states then compared the frequency of observed behaviors to the control. I expected the chicks to approach the tablet and peck at the screen when the tablet was on. The chicks showed little interest in the device. Due to the limitations of individual animal statistics, I was unable to generalize to the larger population of Humboldt penguins and was only able to make claims to the effects of tablet interactions for the specific subjects in this study. The chicks in this study more frequently exhibited exploratory behavior, rather than self-maintenance in the presence of the tablet. It is possible that given reinforcement, other members of the colony would play with a tablet. Implementing novel environmental enrichment is important so that captive animals remain challenged, interested, and healthy
Sustainable Development Under Population Pressure: Lessons from Developed Land Consumption in the Conterminous U.S.
Get PDFPopulation growth will result in a significant anthropogenic environmental change worldwide through increases in developed land (DL) consumption. DL consumption is an important environmental and socioeconomic process affecting humans and ecosystems. Attention has been given to DL modeling inside highly populated cities. However, modeling DL consumption should expand to non-metropolitan areas where arguably the environmental consequences are more significant. Here, we study all counties within the conterminous U.S. and based on satellite-derived product (National Land Cover Dataset 2001) we calculate the associated DL for each county. By using county population data from the 2000 census we present a comparative study on DL consumption and we propose a model linking population with expected DL consumption. Results indicate distinct geographic patterns of comparatively low and high consuming counties moving from east to west. We also demonstrate that the relationship of DL consumption with population is mostly linear, altering the notion that expected population growth will have lower DL consumption if added in counties with larger population. Added DL consumption is independent of a county’s starting population and only dependent on whether the county belongs to a Metropolitan Statistical Area (MSA). In the overlapping MSA and non-MSA population range there is also a constant DL efficiency gain of approximately 20km2 for a given population for MSA counties which suggests that transitioning from rural to urban counties has significantly higher benefits in lower populations. In addition, we analyze the socioeconomic composition of counties with extremely high or low DL consumption. High DL consumption counties have statistically lower Black/African American population, higher poverty rate and lower income per capita than average in both NMSA and MSA counties. Our analysis offers a baseline to investigate further land consumption strategies in anticipation of growing population pressures
Session C, 2015 Third Place: Tardigrada Prevalence in Moss Cushion Growth Forms Among Habitats at Cranberry Lake
Get PDFTardigrades (phylum Tardigrada) are most durable animals due to their ability to enter a state of cryptobiosis during extreme conditions. Tardigrades are often found living in mosses due to the mosses’ ability to retain moisture, but can be found in moss in dry habitats due to their ability to survive desiccation. This study assessed the abundance of Tardigrades in moss cushion life forms of marsh, brook, lake shore, and forest habitats. Relative abundance of Tardigrades among sites was quantified, soil pH was measured at each site, and percent moisture at each site was collected. ANOVA and Tukey’s Test were used to analyze variance of Tardigrades among the four sites. It was hypothesized that there would be more Tardigrades per gram of moss in the marsh habitat than the brook, lake shore, and forest habitats. There was no significant difference found in abundance of tardigrades among different habitats. In conclusion, the habitat in which the moss was located did not affect the amount of Tardigrades in the moss. A study looking at specific species of moss among or at habitats with greater differences in moisture content is recommended
Strain Typing Mycobacterium marinum from Outbreaks at Zebrafish Research Facilities
Get PDFZebrafish (Danio rerio) are used as model organisms for biological research due to their rapid and transparent development and high fecundity amongst other reasons. Research has expanded beyond embryonic studies, with adult fish used for longer-term studies such as human disease and senescence. Zebrafish are often housed at high density in large colonies. As with any similar husbandry situation, diseases can occur, with impacts that range from morbidity to premature mortality costing researchers time and money. Understanding the impact of underlying diseases in zebrafish is crucial, particularly for long-term studies where chronic infections may confound results. One such disease problem is mycobacteriosis, caused by numerous Mycobacterium species. Mycobacteria likely spread when fish are exchanged between facilities with no precautions for biosecurity. Bacteria can also persist in the water and live on surface biofilms, making control more difficult. Mycobacterium marinum is one species that is of interest because it is highly virulent, contributing to serious outbreaks. It is also a concern for occupational health because it can cause skin infections in humans. To better understand the spread of mycobacteriosis caused specifically by M. marinum, strain typing was conducted to categorize isolates from seven different zebrafish facilities throughout the United States. For strain typing a variable number of tandem repeat assay was used. This technique was adapted using fluorescently labeled primers followed by fragment analysis in order to increase throughput and repeatability. These results were then used to determine if any epidemiological linkages exist between facilities experiencing outbreaks
Food Recovery Network at SUNY College of Environmental Science and Forestry and Syracuse University
Get PDFHunger and food waste remain large and unsustainable issues across the Earth. On a college campus, this statement remains true. While Syracuse University (SU) and State University of New York College of Environmental Science and Forestry (SUNY ESF) compost pre and post-consumer food, plenty of the edible and perfectly presentable food could have been redistributed instead of composted or thrown out. In fact, over 125 college campuses across the United States participate in a non-profit organization designed to address local food waste and community hunger. This organization is called the Food Recovery Network (FRN). As the founder of the SUNY ESF and SU FRN Chapter, I, along with a group of committed student leaders, mobilized a student run organization on campus that redistributes food from the compost or landfill to the homeless and hungry in the Syracuse area. We recruited members and volunteers for this project, contacted local distributing partners, and coordinated with dining halls. What started as a couple nights a week at one SU dining hall and at a café at ESF became a daily pickup from that dining hall and a weekly pick up from two cafes. By the end of the fall semester, we redistributed about 2,000 pounds of food and by the end of the 2014- 2015 academic year, we recovered over 5,000 pounds of food. Hopefully, as this organization gains more presence on campus, it will continue to combat hunger and waste as well as contribute to both universities’ sustainability goals
Convergent Dwelling : Neighborhood Identity + the Landscape Narrative, with Special Reference to Cape Town
Get PDFSouth Africa has suffered from gentrification since the Apartheid rule [1948-1994). The result of the Apartheid rule has left the South African landscape fragmented. Areas were classified as White Only , Coloured Only and Black Only . Twenty years later one can still see the scars of forcing people to live in certain districts. As time passes from the Apartheid rule South Africans are beginning to move out of their colored classified districts and begin to move into new areas. The Apartheid rule not only divided the country by race but left many Africans of color in extreme poverty unfortunately the connection between race and economic standing are still very much connected in South Africa. Landscape Architects world wide continue to struggle with both the positive and negative effects of gentrification, but little has been done in South Africa within the fields of education or policy to address the negative issues. One of the greatest challenges facing post-Apartheid is the lack of social cohesion. Urban planners argue that the architecture of the Apartheid city was shaped entirely by the race-based allocations of social, spatial, and economic privileges [Parnell, 1977). In post-Apartheid South Africa, inequalities continue to manifest creating racially segregated landscapes. Since the early 1990\u27s, people have been moving out from the city into nearby suburbs of Cape Town such as Woodstock. Garside [2003) and Van der Merwe [2000) established that gentrification in Woodstock which began in the 1980s when the National Commission of Enquire first allowed white communities to decide where racial desegregation could take place. At this time, higher-middle class families began to settle into Lower Woodstock. Due to the Apartheid, Lower Woodstock was a Black area of low economic standing. This shift from low economic statues to higher changed Woodstock\u27s landscape demographics and caused my families who had been there since the beginning of the Apartheid to be forced to move. Similar to Syracuse and other rust belt cities of the United States; Cape Town has experienced a flight to the suburbs. Since the 1970s, South African inner cities and their surrounding areas have experienced decay, disinvestment and white flight to suburbs [Kotze & Visser, 2008). With close proximity to Cape Town\u27s City Bowl District and charming historical architecture, Woodstock began to become a high value real-estate opportunity
Cranberry Lake Biological Station Research Symposium, Session C
Get PDFEcological Monitoring and Biodiversity Assessment (EFB202) is the one of the keystone courses in the Environmental and Forest Biology curriculum. Students enrolled in this immersive course live at the Cranberry Lake Biological Station for three weeks. During the first two weeks of the course, students study a wide variety of taxonomic groups of organisms, and are introduced to a broad range of field, laboratory and analytical methods. Students then complete a group research project during the third and final week of the course. The research projects require proficiency in field sampling methods, basic experimental design and statistical analysis, and the ability to cooperatively solve problems.
The course culminates in a research symposium during which groups present their findings to their peers and a panel of judges. The top three research projects are recognized with the Shields Research Award, named after Dr. Bill Shields, a retired EFB faculty member who conducted many years of research at Cranberry Lake Biological Station
Session A, 2015 Third Place: The Effects of Canopy Gaps on Percent Cover And Species Richness of Vascular Understory Vegetation In Northern Hardwood Forests
Get PDFThis study quantifies percent cover and species richness in forest gaps and closed canopy communities of an even aged northern hardwood forest. The plant community of interest consists of vascular plants in the herbaceous layer, within one meter of the forest floor. The study was performed in the Charles Lathrop Pack Experimental Forest at the Cranberry Lake Biological Station. Six sample sites were chosen each with two sub-plots that consisted of a gap and a closed canopy location. At each of the sub-plots, percent canopy, percent ground cover and species richness were measured. The average difference in percent cover at all sample sites between gaps and closed canopies is 25.67%. The species richness in gaps had an average of 4.5 more species than in closed canopies. This data supports that forest gaps have a higher species richness and percent cover when compared to closed canopy systems. This study could be taken further by looking at the differences in species composition and regeneration niches within the two systems as well as comparing other factors such as elevation and soil types
Session A, 2015 Second Place: The Art of War Against Tabanidae, a Survey of Tabanidae at the Cranberry Lake Biological Station
Get PDFSome of the most notorious insect pests in the world are members of the family Tabanidae. At the Cranberry Lake Biological Station, several species of Tabanidae’s occupy the area and use the students for blood meals, before depositing their eggs on plants overhanging water. To investigate solutions to this parasitism of CLBS, we placed an experimental trap alongside the standard Malaise trap at two locations, in an attempt to determine their habitat preferences and time of peak activity. We recorded the number of flies in each trap every two hours, over a twelve hour period. We also conducted a search for Tabanid eggs, in hopes of seeing if there is any preference of plant species and location, and how many clutches were invested by the female Tabanids into a single oviposition location. Because the experimental trap caught significantly more butterflies than any other insect, they were removed from the study to prevent further unnecessary casualties. It was discovered that the time of peak activity averaged around 5:00 pm, and that weather played a vital role in the levels of this activity. We also determined that there is a significant difference in adult habitat and oviposition location preferences, more commonly choosing stagnant over fast running water
Dark Spots Disease Increase in Scleractinian Corals in Bonaire, D.C.
Get PDFPathogen-host relation dynamics have adjusted in the Caribbean due to increased epizootic events and decreased coral cover resulting from anthropogenic influences. Reef-building corals are being infected by numerous diseases including dark spots disease, a ubiquitous Caribbean disease of an unknown agent. The objectives of this study were to quantify the change in dark spots disease prevalence in Siderastrea siderea and Stephanocoenia spp. from 1998 to 2014 and determine influencing conditions on prevalence and infection severity of disease. The abundance of benthic organisms and substrate types were also quantified. A 1350 m2 area between six sites on Bonaire was surveyed using belt and video transects to determine disease prevalence and benthic composition. Prevalence was compared temporally (1998 study to 2014 study) and spatially (Bonaire to Turks & Caicos, Grenada, and Bahamas). I found an increase in disease prevalence between 1998 and 2014 and moderate spatial variation between island sites. Site, colony size, spatial distribution, or coral density did not influence disease prevalence or infection severity of the disease. Substrate types varied between sites with live hard coral cover and sand and rubble cover. As dark spots disease did not have a positive correlation between coral density and prevalence, DSD does not follow a density- dependent model. Dark spots disease in these coral species most likely arises from opportunistic pathogens emerging from stressful environmental conditions due to lack of density- dependence. With the changing environment induced by anthropogenic consequences, it is prudent to monitor and quantify the status of reefs in terms of disease prevalence and its disease associated factors