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Model for Classifying and Monitoring Seral Stages within an Idaho Fescue Type: Bighorn National Forest, WY
Get PDFAn ecological vegetation model was developed in sedimentary soils on the Bighorn National Forest, Wyoming to classify seral stages within an Idaho Fescue (Festuca idahoensis) type. Two key plant species based on canopy cover (%), Idaho fescue and rosy pussytoes (Antennaria rosea), provide the required information for the model to classify seral stages and monitor vegetation trends. Three seral stages were quantitatively identified by multivariate statistical analyses for classification and had an overall accuracy of 98 percent. All three seral stages were significantly different from each other (P < 0.05). These seral stages provide managers three quantitative options to evaluate alternatives and meet management objectives. Application of this model within the Idaho Fescue ecological type is simple to apply, repeatable, accurate, and cost effective for field applications and management
Assessing the Effects of Competition and Seasonality on Stress, Immunity, and Number of Scars in Deer Mice
No full textInfectious wildlife diseases are becoming more common, causing population declines and species extinctions. Ecological and environmental stressors can influence disease spread in wildlife, through effects on parasite transmissibility (regulated by host immunity), and contact rates. Glucocorticoids (GCs) are hormones that mediate physiological and behavioral responses to stressors, and thus, can influence immunity and behavior in wildlife. Sin Nombre virus (SNV) is carried by deer mice (Peromyscus maniculatus), and in western Montana grasslands, deer mice compete with voles (Microtus spp.) and shrews (Sorex spp.). Because voles are dominant over deer mice, they could increase SNV prevalence in deer mice via stress-induced immunosuppression and/or alteration in contact rates, while shrews may have a lesser effect. Our objectives were to investigate whether voles and/or shrews could increase SNV prevalence in deer mice through changes in stress, immunity and/or contact rates, and to examine seasonal changes in these same measures. We live-trapped small mammals over 2 years in western Montana grasslands. We evaluated deer mice for scar numbers (proxy for contact rates), demography, and body condition scores (BCSs). Deer mouse blood was evaluated for white blood cell counts/differentials, and SNV antibodies, and feces for fecal corticosterone metabolites (FCMs) to measure stress (baseline and stress-induced). Using mixed effect regression trees, we found that higher vole density was inconsistently associated with lower BCSs and scar numbers. Higher shrew density was consistently associated with lower stress-induced FCMs, but inconsistently with lower BCSs, and higher scar numbers. Neutrophil: lymphocyte (N:L) ratios were highest in spring/summer, and lowest in fall/winter. Due to low SNV prevalence, we could not evaluate effects on infection. Interspecific competition may influence disease spread via effects on chronic stress (i.e. lower stress-induced FCMs and BCSs), and scar numbers. Higher N:L ratios, suggestive of chronic stress, over spring/summer may provide an ideal time for SNV transmission. Our findings may extend to other diseases
Development of a Uas-Based Electromagnetic Induction Sensor for Subsurface Conductivity Mapping
No full textThe Electromagnetic Induction (EMI) method is a popular and favorable geophysical technique for shallow subsurface exploration because of its high-quality, rapid data acquisition of subsurface conductivity or resistivity. However, EMI based instruments are generally ground-based. Our research aimed to investigate the practical application of an airborne EMI sensor that does not require direct contact with the ground. The objective for our project was to measure the inductive response of a conductive subsurface, and locate anomalously high subsurface zone in conductivity. To address our objective, we designed and constructed a lightweight EMI sensor for an unmanned aircraft system (UAS) based on the principles of EM induction and EM sounding. We successfully tested the instrument by measuring the secondary field response from a metal-cased Unexploded Ordinances (UXO) during its high conductivity. The innovative design and construction of our EMI sensor is original and has shown to be a practical approach for use with an UAS. The EMI sensor consists of a signal wave generator, a power amplifier, concentric transmitter and a receiver coils, and a microcontroller-based data collection and storage system. The micro-controller code for the data collection and storage system was developed in the open-source Arduino Software, Integrated Development Environment (IDE). EMI sensors operate using a transmitter coil to generate a primary magnetic field that penetrates into the subsurface and induces eddy currents in conductive subsurface Earth materials. A secondary magnetic field generated by the eddy current induced in the conductive Earth material will pass through the receiver coil, and generating an electromotive force (emf). By measuring the emf induced in the receiver, we can approximate the conductivity of Earth material
Effects of Contamination from Oil Extraction on Amphibian Abundance, Survival, and Size
No full textSaline wastewaters (brine) that contain sodium-chloride salts (NaCl) and heavy metals are a common byproduct of oil extraction. Wetlands and streams are commonly contaminated by brines, but there is sparse information on its effects on freshwater vertebrates. Amphibians are especially sensitive to increased salinity because of their porous skin and primarily-aquatic lifecycle. Therefore, we investigated the influence of brines and pure NaCl on three widespread amphibian species (barred tiger salamanders Ambystoma mavortium, leopard frogs Rana pipiens, and boreal chorus frogs (Pseudacris maculata) in the Prairie Pothole Region of Montana and North Dakota. We determined abundance of larvae in 33 wetlands that spanned a gradient of contamination. We also used lethal concentration 50 experiments to determine the influences of brine and pure NaCl contamination on survival and size. Abundance and survival of chorus frog larvae declined most rapidly in response to increased concentration of brines and NaCl, followed by leopard frogs and tiger salamander larvae. However, survival of larvae was lower when exposed to brine compared to pure NaCl. For larvae that survived experimental exposures, mass and length were lower for larvae exposed to higher concentrations of brine and NaCl. Our results suggest that brine contamination has reduced survival and abundance of larvae, brine is more toxic to larvae than pure NaCl, and that sublethal concentrations of brine and NaCl negatively influence growth of larvae. The persistence and negative influence of salts in freshwater ecosystems underscores the critical need for tools to restore landscapes affected by brine and NaCl contamination
Responsive Librarianship: Guides to State/Provincial Research about Young People and Book Reviews on Diverse YA and Children’s Books
No full textThis article presents an annotated list of websites with data that describe young people by community and, in the following section, book review resources for diverse children’s and young adult literature. The very first section will point to general resources based on the U.S. & Canada, and then will dip into the specific places served by PNLA. State and Provincial education departments all have some-thing like school report cards. Searches performed aimed at finding state/ provincial or nonprofit agencies providing reports about demographics, disabilities, at-risk behaviors and resiliency factors. Book reviewing sites were found through various articles, databases, and recommendations from teacher-librarians. The final section lists a few books that are classified gatherings of book reviews and some periodicals that focus on or have book reviews in their pages
Diet of Burbot and Implications for Sampling
Get PDFBurbot (Lota lota) are an apex piscivore that were illegally introduced to the Green River drainage, Wyoming, raising concerns for the conservation and management of fishes throughout the basin. However, relatively little is known about the diet of non-native burbot. The objectives of this research were to characterize diet composition of burbot and identify differences in diet composition as a function of sampling gear. Diet composition was characterized using frequency of occurrence, percent by number, and percent by weight to identify the importance of each prey type to burbot. Diet composition was compared across gears to identify the relationship between gear and diet. Fishes were present in the stomach contents of nearly all burbot sampled and composed 62–100 percent of the stomach contents of burbot greater than 300 mm. Prey diversity was greatest in diets of burbot sampled with small-mesh hoop nets. Results from the current study provide important information on the diet of non-native burbot and highlight the potential influence of gear on diet studies
Trends in Yellowstone River Basin Water Supply as Interpreted Through Hydrologic Analysis, 1898-2007
Get PDFThe Yellowstone River and its tributaries provide an important case study in the changes in magnitude and timing of discharge. As part of a review of water demands on the river and potential effects on fish and other aquatic biota, we assessed long term trends (1898-2007) and more recent changes (1970-2007) in the hydrographs of the Yellowstone River and its tributaries using data from 18 USGS Hydro-Climatic Data Network Stations. We evaluated seven variables used to characterize the discharge: 1) annual discharge, 2) magnitude of discharge, 3) absolute annual minimum discharge, 4) monthly discharge, 5) date when half of annual volume passed station, 6) date when maximum daily mean occurred, and 7) date when discharge returned to baseflow. Declines in volume and magnitude of annual and seasonal discharges are present in the basin, more so in areas where there are no water storage facilities. Timing of flow events are occurring earlier in the year throughout the basin, leaving less water in the summer and fall when water demands are the greatest. The appearances of significant trends have increased over the period 1970-2007, and it is expected that they will continue without serious changes in the basin. Lessened flows and altered timing stands to greatly affect all users of water in the basin, as is occurring in the rest of western North America. Effects on the native biota inhabiting the river can also be expected
2019 Annual Meeting
Get PDFThe Montana Academy of Sciences (MAS) was incorporated on the 20th day of March, 1961, as a non-profit, educational organization. The objectives of the Montana Academy of Sciences are to encourage interest and participation in the sciences and to promote public understanding of science and its contribution to society. The Academy accomplishes its objectives by conducting meetings of those interested in sciences and the education of scientists, by publishing contributions to scientific knowledge, by supporting research, by making awards to recognize accomplishments in science, by administering gifts and contributions to accomplish these aims, by assigning and cooperating with affiliated and other organizations with similar objectives, and by engaging in such other activities as deemed necessary to accomplish its objectives.
We held our 2019 Annual Meeting at Montana Tech in Butte, MT. on April 5 and 6. Over 90 registrants participated, viewing 24 contributed oral presentations and 27 poster presentations over the day and a half meeting. We present the abstracts from our meeting here so that the readers of the Intermountain Journal of Sciences can see the quality and types of science supported by MAS
Xfeb, a Direct Target of Zic1, is Involved in Neural Crest Development
No full textDuring early embryonic development, neural crest cells give rise to the peripheral nervous system, melanocytes, bone and craniofacial cartilage. A network of signaling and transcription factors regulate early neural crest development, including Zic1, Pax3, Gbx2, and Xfeb. Combinations of Zic1 plus Pax3 and Gbx2 plus Pax3 are able to induce ectopic neural crest development. We hypothesized that Xfeb also contributes to neural crest development, as it is present in the same region at the correct time. Besides being a direct downstream target of the transcription factor Zic1, Xfeb was also identified as a potential neural crest gene induced by Zic1in genomic screens. We hypothesize that pax3, Xfeb, gbx2 and zic1 are all part of a gene regulatory network controlling neural crest development. To investigate these relationships, we overexpressed the Xfeb gene using Xfeb sense RNA and inhibited Xfeb expression with morpholino oligonucleotides (MO). We used in situ hybridization to visualize neural crest induction by staining for slug RNA expression, a known neural crest marker. Our results show that embryos injected with Xfeb sense RNA expanded slug expression while those injected with Xfeb MO diminished slug expression. In further experiments, we injected embryos with pax3 sense RNA without and with Xfeb MO. Injection with pax3 sense RNA alone expanded slug expression, while embryos injected with pax3 sense RNA plus Xfeb MO showed a decrease in slug expression. This suggests that Xfeb acts downstream of Pax3 in the neural crest gene regulation network. Our next step will be to determine if upregulation of gbx2 or zic1 will rescue neural crest development in the absence of Xfeb. This research will contribute to our understanding of gene regulatory networks, and how these contribute to early neural crest development
Ligand-Controlled Chemodivergent Suzuki Cross Coupling using Palladium-N-Heterocyclic Carbene Catalysts
No full textThe successful synthesis of complicated organic molecules such as pharmaceuticals, agrochemicals, and organic materials requires an extensive toolbox of synthetic strategies for constructing carbon-carbon bonds. Problems can arise, however, when a molecule contains multiple functional groups that are reactive toward the same transformations. For example, both arylbhalides and aryltriflates can undergo palladium-catalyzed Suzuki cross-coupling in the presence of arylboronic acids. Control of selectivity between these two electrophilic sites using different Pd-phosphine catalysts has been described previously, but the scope of such methodology is severely limited. In this presentation, we describe the discovery of an orthogonal pair of Pd-N-heterocyclic carbene (Pd-NHC) catalysts for chemodivergent cross-coupling of aryl chlorides and aryl triflates with phenylboronic acids and demonstrate the synthetic utility of these catalysts with diverse boronic acids and substrates. The mild conditions used in these reactions allows for high functional group tolerance with respect to both substrates and boronic acids. We additionally present experimental and computational evidence that the origin of selectivity using Pd-NHC catalysts is dissimilar to the mechanism of selectivity control using Pd-phosphine catalysts