Effects of amphibian genetic diversity on ecological communities.

The amount of genetic diversity within a population can affect ecological processes at population, community, and ecosystem levels. However, the magnitude, consistency, and scope of these effects are largely unknown. To investigate these issues, we conducted two experiments manipulating the amount of genetic diversity and environmental factors in larval amphibians.

Effects of the nematode subsp. and beech leaf disease on leaf fungal and bacterial communities on (American beech).

Unlabelled: Beech leaf disease (BLD) is a newly emerging disease in North America that affects American beech (). It is increasingly recognized that BLD is caused by a subspecies of the anguinid nematode subsp. (hereafter ) which is likely native to East Asia.

Interannual variation in spring weather conditions as a driver of spring wildflower coverage: a 15-year perspective from an old-growth temperate forest.

Spring ephemerals are wildflowers found in temperate deciduous forests that typically display aboveground shoots for a period of 2 months or less. Early spring, before the canopy leaves out, marks the beginning of the aboveground growth period where ephemerals acquire nutrients and resources via aboveground tissues. Several studies have shown that spring ephemeral reproduction is affected by spring temperature, but few have looked at how weather conditions of the current and previous seasons, including precipitation and temperature, influence aboveground growth.

Development of Primers Specific for Detection of , the Causal Agent of Beech Leaf Disease, in Plant Tissue.

Beech leaf disease (BLD), an emerging threat to American beech () in the northern United States and Canada, was recently confirmed to be caused by the nematode subsp (hereafter ). Consequently, there is a need for a rapid, sensitive, and accurate method for detecting for both diagnostic as well as control purposes. This research developed a new set of DNA primers that specifically amplify and allow for accurate detection of the nematode in plant tissue.

Beech Leaf Disease Severity Affects Ectomycorrhizal Colonization and Fungal Taxa Composition.

Beech leaf disease (BLD) is an emerging forest infestation affecting beech trees ( spp.) in the midwestern and northeastern United States and southeastern Canada. BLD is attributed to the newly recognized nematode subsp.

Fungal and Bacterial Communities Exhibit Consistent Responses to Reversal of Soil Acidification and Phosphorus Limitation over Time.

Chronic acid deposition affects many temperate hardwood forests of the northeastern United States, reduces soil pH and phosphorus (P) availability, and can alter the structure and function of soil microbial communities. The strategies that microorganisms possess for survival in acidic, low P soil come at a carbon (C) cost. Thus, how microbial communities respond to soil acidification in forests may be influenced by plant phenological stage as C allocation belowground varies; however, this remains largely unexplored.

The effects of increased hay-to-grain ratio on behavior, metabolic health measures, and fecal bacterial communities in four Masai giraffe (Giraffa camelopardalis tippelskirchi) at Cleveland Metroparks Zoo.

We evaluated whether increasing the hay-to-grain ratio offered to Masai giraffe (Giraffa camelopardalis tippelskirchi) at Cleveland Metroparks Zoo would reduce oral stereotypies and alter feeding behaviors, maintain or increase serum calcium-to-phosphorus ratio, decrease serum insulin-to-glucose ratio and salivary insulin, and alter fecal bacterial community structure. Giraffe transitioned to a ∼90:10 hay-to-grain ratio in even increments over 8 weeks. A ration balancer was added during the seventh week of transition to ensure proper mineral and nutrient balance.

Mycorrhizal fungal communities respond to experimental elevation of soil pH and P availability in temperate hardwood forests.

Many forests are affected by chronic acid deposition, which can lower soil pH and limit the availability of nutrients such as phosphorus (P), but the response of mycorrhizal fungi to changes in soil pH and P availability and how this affects tree acquisition of nutrients is not well understood. Here, we describe an ecosystem-level manipulation in 72 plots, which increased pH and/or P availability across six forests in Ohio, USA. Two years after treatment initiation, mycorrhizal fungi on roots were examined with molecular techniques, including 454-pyrosequencing.

Seasonal variation in mycorrhizal fungi colonizing roots of Allium tricoccum (wild leek) in a mature mixed hardwood forest.

The community of arbuscular mycorrhizal (AM) fungi colonizing roots of the forest herb Allium tricoccum Ait. (wild leek) was examined to assess whether colonization varied seasonally and spatially within the forest. Whole plants were collected to coincide with observed phenological stages, and the perennial tissue (i.

Shotgun metagenomic analysis of metabolic diversity and microbial community structure in experimental vernal pools subjected to nitrate pulse.

Background: Human activities have greatly increased nitrogen (N) levels in natural habitats through atmospheric N deposition and nutrient leaching, which can have large effects on N cycling and other ecosystem processes. Because of the significant role microorganisms play in N cycling, high inputs of nitrogenous compounds, such as nitrate (NO3-), into natural ecosystems could have cascading effects on microbial community structure and the metabolic processes that microbes perform. To investigate the multiple effects of NO3- pollution on microbial communities, we created two shotgun metagenomes from vernal pool microcosms that were either enriched with a solution of 10 mg NO3--N (+NO3-) or received distilled water as a control (-N).

Mycorrhizal response to experimental pH and P manipulation in acidic hardwood forests.

Many temperate forests of the Northeastern United States and Europe have received significant anthropogenic acid and nitrogen (N) deposition over the last century. Although temperate hardwood forests are generally thought to be N-limited, anthropogenic deposition increases the possibility of phosphorus (P) limiting productivity in these forest ecosystems. Moreover, inorganic P availability is largely controlled by soil pH and biogeochemical theory suggests that forests with acidic soils (i.

The effects of pH change and NO3- pulse on microbial community structure and function: a vernal pool microcosm study.

Forest vernal pools experience strong environmental fluctuations, such as changes in water chemistry, which are often correlated with changes in microbial community structure. However, very little is known about the extent to which these community changes influence ecosystem processes in vernal pools. This study utilized experimental vernal pool microcosms to simulate persistent pH alteration and a pulse input of nitrate (NO3 -), which are common perturbations to temperate vernal pool ecosystems.

Temporal and spatial patterns of eukaryotic and bacterial communities found in vernal pools.

In this study, we examined the effects of physicochemical variability on the microbial communities of vernal pools. Denaturing gradient gel electrophoresis revealed temporal changes to be more pronounced than spatial changes in eukaryotic and bacterial communities. Sequencing revealed high degrees of richness in decomposers, which supports the notion that vernal pools are heterotrophic habitats.