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Native and non-native ant impacts on soil microbes
Get PDFOrganisms produce chemical weapons for defense, but target organisms can develop resistance. In their introduced range, non-native species may bring “novel weapons” against which native organisms have not co-evolved resistance. The invasive European fire ant (Myrmica rubra) may have brought antimicrobial secretions to the Northeastern United States that are novel weapons against native fungal and bacterial soil organisms. I hypothesized that M. rubra would better inhibit seed pathogens resulting in greater emergence of native myrmecochorous Viola sororia seeds and, as a side effect, more strongly inhibit arbuscular mycorrhizal fungi than a native seed dispersing ant (Aphaenogaster picea). I also expected M. rubra would have greater suppressive effects on microbial respiration. To test this, I measured taxonomic richness, emergence and biomass of plants that germinated from the seed bank (volunteer plants) and introduced V. sororia seeds. From seeds that failed to germinate I measured percent cover of fungal growth. Finally, I recorded mesocosm CO2 flux as a proxy measurement of microbial respiration. Viola sororia emergence and biomass did not differ significantly in mesocosms inhabited by M. rubra, A. picea, and control treatments, but overall seed handling was low. Volunteer plant taxonomic richness and percent cover were lower in M. rubra mesocosms than A. picea or controls, perhaps because of the comparatively higher activity levels of M. rubra resulted in more bioturbation. Mesocosm microbial respiration (CO2 flux) was lower in both M. rubra and A. picea mesocosms than controls, indicating an \u27ant\u27 effect rather than a non-native ant effect via novel weapons
The Impact on Student Learning Outcomes and Mastery of the Unit when Guided Feedback is added to the Instructional Design
Get PDFProviding feedback after an assessment is a method used to communicate to students that the desired learning outcomes of a unit taught have been met or not. Typically, feedback provided to students is brief and not integrated in the lesson plan. With the disruption that COVID-19 pandemic brought to teaching and learning in educational institutions during the 2020-2021 academic year, there was a gap in the learning outcomes being met by the majority of the students. In this Action Research, I investigated the role feedback had in achieving the desired learning outcomes and mastery of the unit by integrating Guided Feedback into my teaching strategy
Combining historic records and multi-criteria habitat suitability analysis for the potential reintroduction of Lake Sturgeon (Acipenser fulvescens Rafinesque) into tributaries of Lake Erie
Get PDFPredicting the location and quality of habitat for imperiled species is an increasingly important application of modeling technology. The Lake Sturgeon (Acipenser fulvescens) is a widely-extirpated fish of the Laurentian Great Lakes whose recovery is dependent on the availability and connectivity of suitable stream habitat today. This is especially true in Lake Erie, where the largest Lake Sturgeon fishery was once found. I predicted that modern habitat suitability would be dependent on land use legacies from the past 200 years, with western Lake Erie tributaries having less suitable habitat compared to the eastern Lake Erie tributaries. I developed a multi-criteria habitat suitability analysis framework that was applied to two different spatial scales (watershed and stream segment) to predict the location and quality of habitat for spawning adults and juveniles in historically-used U.S. tributaries of Lake Erie. I also tested the transferability of the model framework by applying it to a stream where extant Lake Sturgeon spawn currently: the Black River in northern Michigan. My results suggest that a broad range of habitat qualities exist across the study region, with predictions aligning with several smaller-scale habitat suitability projects in the past in several of the watersheds analyzed here. Most low-scoring watersheds were located to the west, while the highest-scoring watersheds were located to the east, as predicted. The model found a high degree of agreement between the watershed scale and reach scale, suggesting that the framework could be applied at either scale accurately depending on input data availability. The model predicted that the Black River watershed is fairly suitable (40-50% suitable) for Lake Sturgeon, which warrants further investigation and ground-truthing of the model’s real-world accuracy given that the Black River is known to be highly suitable for the species. Additional spatially-explicit analysis of these results in the future will aim to reveal patterns in habitat connectivity from river mouth upstream for each watershed. My results can be used on the fine scale by managers seeking to develop local Lake Sturgeon reintroduction and restoration projects but also at the large scale for the purpose of communication and habitat connectivity for the benefit of multiple populations of Lake Sturgeon
Laurentian Great Lakes warming threatens northern fruit belt refugia
No full textClimate refugia are anomalous ‘pockets’ of spatially or temporally disjunct environmental conditions that buffer distinct flora and fauna against prevailing climatic conditions. Physiographic landscape features, such as large water bodies, can create these micro-to-macro-scale terrestrial habitats, such as the prevailing westerly winds across the Laurentian Great Lakes that create relatively cooler leeward conditions in spring and relatively warmer leeward conditions in autumn. The leeward Great Lakes climate effects create a refugia (popularly known as a ‘fruit belt’) favorable for fruit-bearing trees and shrubs. This fruit belt refugia owes its existence to seasonal inversions whereby spring cooling prevents early flower budding that leaves fruit trees susceptible to late spring killing frosts, and autumn warming prevents early killing frosts. With global climate change, however, warmer summers and milder winters, and corresponding warmer waters, might erode the leeward delaying effect on spring flowering, creating a paradoxical situation in which warming increases the risk of frost damage to plants. We evaluated the success of regional agricultural in the Great Lakes fruit belt to test our hypothesis that warmer spring climate (and concomitant warmer lake waters) correspond with degraded fruit production. We also examined long-term trends in Great Lakes climate conditions. We found that the cold-sensitive fruit tree (apple, grape, peach and cherry) refugia was destabilized by relatively warmer springs. Moreover, we found several indicators that lake waters are warming across the Great Lakes, which portends negative consequences for agricultural and natural plant communities in the Great Lakes region and in similar ‘fruit belt’ refugia worldwide.https://digitalcommons.buffalostate.edu/biology_data/1010/thumbnail.jp
MUS161
No full textFirst in a sequence of four group piano classes for music majors only. Emphasis on development of healthy piano technique, general musicianship skills and effective music learning strategies. Sight Reading, Chord Progressions, Melody Harmonization, Scales, Improvisation, Repertoire
FLM640
No full textHands on screenwriting course explores development of structure, character, theme, and style of the TV pilot; storytelling in a variety of script genres; screenplay analysis; development of voice; developing characters over multiple episodes
HEA655
No full textHistory and philosophy of intercollegiate athletics, student-athlete characteristics and development, role and relationship between colleges and intercollegiate athletics, current issues and compliance, critical needs and other specialized functions of athletic programs are explored. Offered every other year
SWK201
No full textFocus on the professional obligations of a social worker, including skills and ethics used in social work. Emphasis on social work as a science-based profession. IF Writing Infused course
SWK230
No full textExploration of culture, diversity, inclusion, personal biases, power, privilege, intersectionality, and the role of social work in addressing anti-racism, anti-discrimination, and anti-oppression
Promoting Access to Historic Book Structures: A Case Study of the Lord Collection
Get PDFThis project is focused on improving access to the John C. Lord Collection by creating an accessible and adaptable digital catalogue to facilitate use. The 23 volumes in the collection span four centuries and include many different binding structures. Several of the volumes are in bindings contemporary with the text. In 2015 the collection was placed on long-term deposit at the Buffalo State Art Conservation Department from the Buffalo History Museum. The collection has served as a study collection for book conservation students and as a result, the department has generated a large collection of electronic documentation of the collection. Data relating to the collection is stored on the department server but is not easily searchable. If unaddressed, deficiencies in the current system can lead to dissociation of collection records from the items. This project gathered all previously collected data, reports, and studies relating to the collection and created an adaptable finding aid and workflow to facilitate use of the collection