The southern Appalachian Mountains are an exceptionally biodiverse region with the highest globally for salamander species. However, many of these species are endangered, threatened, or of special concern, with habitat loss being a major contributor to population declines. Sandy Bottom Preserve is a wetland complex in the French Broad River floodplain near Asheville, North Carolina. A survey of reptile and amphibian populations at this site has not been taken since 2004, therefore the objective of this research is to establish a current herpfauna inventory. This sensitive habitat is a known location for amphibian species of special concern including mole salamanders (Ambystoma talpoideum) and four-toed salamanders (Hemidactylum scutatum), and it serves as a breeding site for many others. There are also historical records for the presence of bog turtles (Glyptemys muhlenbergii), a federally threatened species. North Carolina Wildlife Resource Commission personnel have conveyed concern regarding the potential widening of Highway 191, which separates Sandy Bottom from the French Broad River. The development of this road could impact local herpfauna populations. Therefore, establishment of an updated, systematically obtained record of diversity is critical before construction is proposed. Methods of data collection include the use of drift fences with pitfall traps and coverboards, both common and effective tools used in ecological monitoring. The monitoring schedule is largely dependent on weather conditions, with pitfall traps opened and checked every 24 hours during rain events and cover boards checked a minimum of 6 times per month. The study period spans from September 2016 to March 2017. This research will provide an updated inventory of herpfauna in this ecosystem for the monitoring of rare or threatened species and those at the edge of their known ranges.
Exotic invasive species are one of the major obstacles to effective and efficient landscape management. Historical methods have proven to be costly and can sometimes lead to unanticipated environmental consequences. Current practices for weed control do not always target and kill the desired amount of weed seedlings. In addition, there is a growing need amongst organic farmers for organic pesticides as synthetic pesticides are forbidden. The scientific literature indicates there is potential for the use of beneficial soil microorganisms (BSM) as a method of weed control for land management. The goal of this research was to quantify the effect of BSM on Fagopyrum esculentum (Japanese buckwheat) over a range of concentrations and soak times. The experimental design included combinations of 4 BSM concentration levels (plus control) and 4 soak times each replicated 3 times for total of 48 replicates. Variables controlled for included BSM concentration, soak time, temperature and light. We hypothesize that BSM will increase the rate of germination to a threshold point after which the F. esculentum would die. Effects were quantified through measures of dry-weight biomass (one word), terminal plant height, seed viability testing, and germination counts.
There is growing concern for the health of the world’s freshwaters, and bioassessment is often used as a water quality monitoring tool under the Clean Water Act. I used the Surber sampler method to collect aquatic macroinvertebrates from disturbed and undisturbed locations within the Flat Brook watershed in northern New Jersey, USA. %EPT, FBIBI, and functional feeding groups were compared to suggest the overall water quality of each location. Results were not statistically significant; but overall high %EPT and excellent FBIBI values suggest high quality waters within the Flat Brook watershed. These positive ecological results indicate the need to preserve the pristine state of the Flat Brook watershed.
Boa constrictors (B. constrictor) are an extremely diverse species of snake with a neotropical range stretching from Mexico to Argentina. Their generalist diet, high fecundity, and live birth strategy have made them adaptable to a wide variety of environments. Due to these exceptionally adaptive traits they have great potential to become an invasive species in many environments. In the summer of 2013 sightings of B. constrictor began to occur on the U.S. Virgin Island of Saint Croix. These sightings were significant, as prior to 2013 no B. constrictor had ever been observed in the wild. As of the spring of 2016 twenty-one individuals, including three juveniles and three adults exceeding 2.25 meters in length, have been found on the west coast of the island north of the city of Frederiksted. Due to the presence of juveniles it is believed that a successful invasive population has been established on the island. Despite their growing prevalence, the origin of St. Croix’s B. constrictor population had remained a mystery. Analysis of the CYTB region of the mitochondrial DNA was utilized to determine the geographic origin as well as the subspecies of the invasive B. constrictor population. This information has important implications for management, prevention of further introductions, and further study of the invasive population. This study presents a unique opportunity to observe the onset of an invasion by a constricting snake in an island context.
Brown-headed Nuthatches (Sitta pusilla) are small secondary cavity-nesters that inhabit open, mature pine forests of the southeastern United States. A possibly disjunct population has been reported for several decades in the region near Asheville, NC. Studies on the breeding biology of this resident songbird have been restricted to the piedmont and coastal plain. This study is intended to collect data on the local population of brown-headed nuthatches to better understand the habitat preferences, breeding phenology, and nest success of the mountain population. I will be collecting data on their nesting and breeding behaviors in both rural and urban habitats. I built and set up nest boxes specific to these birds at UNC Asheville’s campus and the Botanical Gardens, The Asheville School’s campus, and Sandy Mush Game Lands. Previous boxes set up at Beaver Lake Bird Sanctuary will also be used, for a total of 52 nest boxes at 4 locations. These locations provide a wide range of habitats for a comparison in the behavior and population dynamics of brown-headed nuthatches.
Aquatic liverworts are important primary producers in environments that do not contain many autochthonous sources of organic matter. They also retain nutrients that would otherwise be lost to the current and contribute to the structural integrity of the mats of vascular plants and bryophytes on the boulders they inhabit. Disturbance plays a crucial role in the life cycle of aquatic liverworts, with the frequency and type of disturbance critical to their survival success. Conocephalum conicum (Snakeskin liverwort) is a thallose liverwort that grows throughout North America and is most commonly found in streams and rivers in mountainous environments. There is virtually no published literature on this species, despite its widespread occurrence. My objectives were to determine the habitat attributes of Conocephalum conicum in two western North Carolina streams (Flat Creek and Corner Rock Creek). I sampled a 3/4 mile stretch of each stream by randomly selecting patches of liverwort growing on boulders. For each patch, habitat variables were collected, including height of patch above the streambed, distance of closest understory and canopy trees, and aspect and vertical slope of the boulder. The horizontal spread of each patch was traced with tracing paper, and a leaf area meter was used to quantify the area of the tracing. For each patch of liverwort, a nearby random boulder was selected, and the same habitat characteristics were measured. Data were statistically analyzed to determine the habitat requirements of Snakeskin liverwort. This study will provide a better understanding of this species and the niche it occupies in mountain streams.
