SUNY College of Environmental Science and Forestry
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The Touch of Nature Has Made the Whole World Kin: Interspecies Kin Selection in the Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species of Wild Fauna and Flora
Get PDFThe unequal distribution of legal protections on endangered species has been attributed to the “charisma” and “cuteness” of protected species. However, the theory of kin selection, which predicts the genetic relationship between organisms is proportional to the amount of cooperation between them, offers an evolutionary explanation for this phenomenon.
In this thesis, it was hypothesized if the unequal distribution of legal protections on endangered species is a result of kin selection, then the genetic similarity between a species and Homo sapiens is proportional to the legal protections on that species. This hypothesis was tested by analyzing the taxonomic classifications of species protected in the Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species of Wild Fauna and Flora (CITES). The results of this analysis support the hypothesis, for organisms with greater genetic similarity to Homo sapiens (i.e. Animalia, Chordata, Mammalia, Primates, and Hominidae species) were afforded more legal protections in CITES than organisms with less genetic similarity to Homo sapiens.
These results indicate CITES is not an ecocentric law that recognizes the intrinsic worth of non- Homo sapiens, but an anthropocentric law that recognizes the genetic worth non-Homo sapiens have in increasing the indirect fitness of Homo sapiens. Also, these results suggest kin selection can operate between species as opposed to just within species, which indicates the existence of interspecies kin selection. Finally, the existence of interspecies kin selection suggests kin selection could play a role in interspecies cooperation
Fire as a Forcing Function in Ecological Restoration
Get PDFFire is a natural process that both positively and negatively affects the environment humans live in every single day. A soil\u27s physical characteristics can be altered from fire, resulting in effects such as degraded soil structure, inability for certain plants to regenerate, and production of hydrophobic layers. Researching the effects of fire on soil processes is important for communities with frequent forest fires or controlled burns to understand how to adapt to their altered ecosystems. Management of a community\u27s soil after burns have occurred is crucial for successful ecological restoration and regeneration of vegetation. The objective was to determine the effect of fire on soil properties for two silt loam soil samples, in particular, carbon/nitrogen content, water infiltration capacity and water retention
Determining the Optimal Sample Density of Measurements for Mapping Stream Geomorphology Using Land Surveying
Get PDFDigital elevation models (DEMs) are commonly used to illustrate and model topographic information related to river or stream channels. DEMs are frequently generated using interpolation to approximate elevation values in between points that are directly surveyed. Data collection using surveying is time-consuming; therefore, minimizing the number of surveyed locations while accurately capturing the topographic features is important. Survey data of geomorphological features and five cross sections were collected along a 100m length of the Arikaree River, a short grass prairie stream in eastern Colorado. Inverse distance weighted (IDW) and kriging interpolations were performed with 100 iterations of a random selection of 50, 60, 70, 80, and 90 percent of the points. The cross-section measurements were excluded both as a whole and for selected stream morphology features. For each sample density, the root mean square error (RMSE) of the five cross sections was found by comparing the measured elevation values to the interpolated values. The RMSE values were compared with the cross section of origin and the sample density as predictor variables. Sample density did not have a statistically significant effect on accuracy. The effect of interpolation on sample density varied between cross sections. There was a statistically significant difference in accuracy when the sample density of different morphology types was reduced while the rest of the data was not. Future surveys should focus on topography, the quality of sampling, and should reduce the amount of area where no points are being collected
Comparing Chemical Properties of Subaqueous Soil Samples from Barnegat Bay, NJ: An Analysis of Carbon, Nitrogen, and Phosphorus
Get PDFSubaqueous soil science is considered one of the new subfields of Pedology. This recently developed idea defines subaqueous soils as sediments in shallow water environments that undergo soil-forming processes, are capable of supporting rooted plants, and form horizons in place. By surveying the subaqueous soils, soil scientists can provide insight for the management of submerged aquatic vegetation restoration and estuarine protection. With the help of soil scientists from the USDA-NRCS, soil cores were extracted for a subaqueous soil survey in Barnegat Bay, NJ and split open for description. Subsamples from each horizon from each core were collected and analyzed for total carbon, total nitrogen, and extractable phosphorus. This study aims to determine if there is a significant difference in chemical properties among soil series (Cottman, Demas, Figgs, and Indian River) found in the bay. Total carbon and nitrogen were determined with an elemental analyzer (Dumas method). Extractable phosphorus was determined with the Bray I method. With respect to phosphorus, the soil series were not significantly different. The Demas series had significantly higher nitrogen levels (0.212 ± 0.242% N), whereas the Indian River series had significantly lower nitrogen levels (0.016% ± 0.017% N) compared to the other series. The Cottman series had significantly higher carbon levels (0.869% ± 0.702% C), whereas the Indian River series had significantly lower carbon levels (0.259% ± .188% C). Given these results, the Cottman series might be the best soils for planting submerged aquatic vegetation, such as eelgrass
Persistence Hunting: The Origin of Humans
Get PDFHominins are smaller, slower, and weaker than most large mammals, yet they have been eating meat from large mammals since before the invention of sophisticated weaponry. It is thought that they achieved this seemingly impossible feat through persistence hunting, a practice powered by endurance running. Essentially, one or more hunters pursue a prey animal in the heat of the day, until it reaches the point of hyperthermia. This allows a hunter to safely kill the weakened animal at close range using methods such as beating, strangling, or spearing. I assessed the feasibility of persistence hunting through several energy returned on investment (EROI) calculations based on the energy used by the hunter, their success rate, the energy used by family members that they supported, and the energy returned as meat from the kudu. I calculated the EROI of hunting greater kudu (Tragelaphus strepsiceros) as 104:1 to 39:1, when different sized kudu were captured and eaten by the hunting party alone. When I included the energetic needs of the hunters’ families into the calculations the EROI ranged from 16:1 to 6:1. The excess energy within these ranges of EROI values would have supported, and possibly even advanced, the societies that practiced persistence hunting. This could be important in explaining how hominins without advanced weaponry were able to obtain meat, sustain themselves, and could prove to be an important selective pressure that favored our modern anatomy
Session C, 2015 Second Place: Habituation of Creek Chub to a Chemical Alarm Stimulus
Get PDFWhen minnows are attacked, their epithelial cells release a chemical alarm that will alert other minnows to the presence of a predator. Our study was to see if Creek Chub (Semotilus atromaculatus) would habituate to the signal if repeatedly exposed in the absence of a predator and thus ignore it. We tested 20 Creek Chub, half getting the treatment of chemical alarm and the other half a control of water. Each fish was individually exposed to their treatment five times. It was found that there was no change in reaction of the experimental group and Creek Chub had a relatively equal reaction for every trial. As a result, we could not reject our null hypothesis that there would be no change in reaction of fish over the five trials. This shows the reaction to chemical stimulus is an innate behavior that boosts the chances of survival for the minnow
Fatty Acid Content in Shallow and Mesophotic Colonies of the Scleractinian Corals Montastraea cavernosa and Agaricia agaricites from the Cayman Islands
Get PDFTwo Scleractinian corals, Agaricia agaricites and Montastraea cavernosa, were collected from shallow (20 m depth) and mesophotic (60 m) ecosystems from the Cayman Islands. The fatty acid content of these species was analyzed by gas chromatography to determine variation in fatty acid profiles between the species and within species at different depths (shallow and mesophotic). Fatty acid composition is indicative of an organism’s diet and can be used to determine feeding habits of corals. The corals studied had different fatty acid content, suggesting different feeding mechanisms. Additionally, a difference in fatty acid content arose as a result of living in different environments for M. cavernosa but not A. agaricites, suggesting feeding plasticity and supporting species-specific adaptations to new living environments.
In shallow ecosystems (20 m) A. agaricites contained more polyunsaturated fatty acids (PUFAs) than M. cavernosa and M. cavernosa contained more saturated fatty acids (SAFAs) than A. agaricites. There was no difference in the fatty acid profiles between colonies from mesophotic reefs at 60 m. The difference in FA content between species could be a result of species-specific feeding.
Shallow and mesophotic colonies of A. agaricites have similar fatty acid content while deep water colonies of M. cavernosa contain more PUFAs and less SAFAs than shallow colonies. This difference in fatty acid content may be a result of a species- specific response of these two organisms adapting to the different environments
Population Genetics of Bowfins (Amiidae, Amia spp.) Across the Laurentian Great Lakes and the Carolinas
Get PDFThe Bowfin, Amia calva Linneaus (1766), is a common Eastern North American fish and the last extant member of the order Amiiformes. By 1870, twelve additional species of Bowfin had been described from widely dispersed localities from lakes Huron and Champlain in the north to Charleston, SC, and New Orleans, LA, in the south. This diversity of nominal forms was synonymized into a single species, A. calva, by Jordan and Evermann in 1896. Since then, this monotypy hypothesis has been generally accepted, but never scientifically validated. Recently, this hypothesis was challenged when morphological analyses of Bowfin from Savanah River, SC, and Lake Ontario basins revealed that there appeared to be two distinct Bowfin species. This study further evaluates the monotypy hypothesis using molecular biological techniques. Analysis of the barcoding gene Cythochrome Oxidase I was used to phylogenetically compare specimens collected from the Great Lakes and the Carolinas. Sanger sequencing of that gene allowed for proper alignment and genetic classification of fish from each region. Maximum likelihood analyses of COI sequence data indicated the presence of distinct genetic clades from the Carolinas and the Great Lakes (divergence about 1%), and apparent distinction of two clades within the Carolinas (from NC and SC). This supports previous inferences based on morphology that there are two species of Bowfin -- from the Carolinas and from the Great Lakes. Results have important implications for delimiting potential extant species and, thus, improving taxonomy of the Bowfin and providing a critical foundation for conservation and management
Faith in the Movement : Faith-Based Community Gardens in New York City and Long Island
Get PDFCommunity gardens are a distinct and significant component of the current environmental movement especially in urban areas. However over time many of them suffer from insufficient support and/or neglect. This investigation will seek to discover specific techniques utilized in Faith-based (religiously affiliated) gardens which could be applied ubiquitously to any of the growing community gardens throughout the world to help make them more successful and sustainable. The research is guided by three questions: ( 1) What can be learned from faithbased community gardens? (2) Which aspects of religious institutions make them conducive to agricultural projects/ are religion and gardening naturally connected? (3) ls faith-based agriculture a unique environmental movement? To address these research questions, interviews were conducted with individuals associated and involved with faithbased community agriculture initiatives in New York City and Long Island, including members of the public and non-profits in the region. The data was collected in the form of hand-written notes and typed transcripts and analyzed using a grounded theory approach. Based on the propensity of emergent themes in the interview transcripts, this study found that members highlighted a feeling of making a difference and performing some level of community service as a key component of most of the gardens. Community spirit was also revealed to be essential to garden sustainability. The learning curve was also highlighted as the greatest obstacle to maintaining a garden. However the extent to which environmentalism factors into community gardens is a topic that may warrant future study