scholarly journals Potential Distribution of Six North American Higher-Attine Fungus-Farming Ant (Hymenoptera: Formicidae) Species

2019 ◽  
Vol 19 (6) ◽  
Author(s):  
Sarah F Senula ◽  
Joseph T Scavetta ◽  
Joshua A Banta ◽  
Ulrich G Mueller ◽  
Jon N Seal ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Environmental Factors ◽  
Species Distribution ◽  
Evolutionary History ◽  
Niche Overlap ◽  
The United States ◽  
Flood Frequency ◽  
Limiting Factors ◽  
Limiting Factor ◽  
Soil Variables ◽  
Precipitation Seasonality

Abstract Ants are among the most successful insects in Earth’s evolutionary history. However, there is a lack of knowledge regarding range-limiting factors that may influence their distribution. The goal of this study was to describe the environmental factors (climate and soil types) that likely impact the ranges of five out of the eight most abundant Trachymyrmex species and the most abundant Mycetomoellerius species in the United States. Important environmental factors may allow us to better understand each species’ evolutionary history. We generated habitat suitability maps using MaxEnt for each species and identified associated most important environmental variables. We quantified niche overlap between species and evaluated possible congruence in species distribution. In all but one model, climate variables were more important than soil variables. The distribution of M. turrifex (Wheeler, W.M., 1903) was predicted by temperature, specifically annual mean temperature (BIO1), T. arizonensis (Wheeler, W.M., 1907), T. carinatus, and T. smithi Buren, 1944 were predicted by precipitation seasonality (BIO15), T. septentrionalis (McCook, 1881) were predicted by precipitation of coldest quarter (BIO19), and T. desertorum (Wheeler, W.M., 1911) was predicted by annual flood frequency. Out of 15 possible pair-wise comparisons between each species’ distributions, only one was statistically indistinguishable (T. desertorum vs T. septentrionalis). All other species distribution comparisons show significant differences between species. These models support the hypothesis that climate is a limiting factor in each species distribution and that these species have adapted to temperatures and water availability differently.

scholarly journals Environmental factors affecting coastal and estuarine submerged aquatic vegetation (SAV)

2021 ◽  
Author(s):  
Eve Eisemann ◽  
Catherine Thomas ◽  
Matthew Balazik ◽  
Damarys Acevedo-Mackey ◽  
Safra Altman
Keyword(s):  
Water Quality ◽  
Environmental Factors ◽  
Submerged Aquatic Vegetation ◽  
Aquatic Vegetation ◽  
The United States ◽  
Project Planning ◽  
Limiting Factors ◽  
Ecosystem Functions ◽  
Engineering Project ◽  
Coastal Marine

Submerged aquatic vegetation (SAV) growing in estuarine and coastal marine systems provides crucial ecosystem functions ranging from sediment stabilization to habitat and food for specific species. SAV systems, however, are sensitive to a number of environmental factors, both anthropogenic and natural. The most common limiting factors are light limitation, water quality, and salinity, as reported widely across the literature. These factors are controlled by a number of complex processes, however, varying greatly between systems and SAV populations. This report seeks to conduct an exhaustive examination of factors influencing estuarine and coastal marine SAV habitats and find the common threads that tie these ecosystems together. Studies relating SAV habitats in the United States to a variety of factors are reviewed here, including geomorphological and bathymetric characteristics, sediment dynamics, sedimentological characteristics, and water quality, as well as hydrologic regime and weather. Tools and methods used to assess each of these important factors are also reviewed. A better understanding of fundamental environmental factors that control SAV growth will provide crucial information for coastal restoration and engineering project planning in areas populated by SAVs.

scholarly journals Assessment on latitudinal tree species richness using environmental factors in the southeastern United States

PeerJ ◽  
2019 ◽  
Vol 7 ◽  
pp. e6781
Author(s):  
Youngsang Kwon ◽  
Taesoo Lee ◽  
Alison Lang ◽  
Dorian Burnette
Keyword(s):  
United States ◽  
Species Richness ◽  
Environmental Factors ◽  
Tree Species ◽  
The United States ◽  
Forested Area ◽  
Tree Species Richness ◽  
Mean Temperature ◽  
Precipitation Seasonality ◽  
Southeastern Region

The southeastern region of the United States exhibits an unusual trend of decreasing tree species richness (TSR) from higher to lower latitudes over the Florida peninsula. This trend contradicts the widely marked latitudinal diversity gradient where species richness is highest in tropical zones and decreases towards extratropical regions. This study aims to assess the environmental factors that prompt this atypical inverse latitudinal gradient seen in TSR using the USDA Forest Service’s Forest Inventory and Analysis (FIA) database. Fifteen variables under four categories of forested area, groundwater, soil properties, and climate groups were examined to model TSR in the region. Generalized linear models (GLMs) with Poisson distributions first assessed individual variables to test explanatory power then the LASSO regularization method was utilized to extract two subsets of the most influential variables to predict TSR. Forest area and four climate variables (mean annual temperature, precipitation seasonality, mean temperature of coldest quarter, and mean precipitation of driest quarter) were the top five variables during the initial GLM assessment implying their potential individual influence in regulating TSR. Two subsets of LASSO models contained seven and three predictor variables, respectively. Frist subset includes seven predictors, presented in highest to low standardized coefficient, mean temperature of coldest quarter, forested area, precipitation seasonality, mean precipitation of driest quarter, water table depth, spodosol, and available water storage. The other subset further excluded four lowest influential variables from the first set, leaving the top three variables from the first subset. The first subset of the LASSO model predicted TSR with 63.4% explained deviance while the second subset reproduced 60.2% of deviance explained. With only three variables used, the second model outperformed the first model evaluated by the AIC value. We conclude that forest patch area, mean temperature of coldest quarter, and precipitation seasonality are the highly influential variables of TSR among environmental factors in the southeastern region of U.S., but evolutionary or historic cause should be further incorporated to fully understand tree species diversity pattern in this region.

scholarly journals Genetic, Morphological, and Environmental Differentiation of an Arid-Adapted Oak with a Disjunct Distribution

Forests ◽  
2021 ◽  
Vol 12 (4) ◽  
pp. 465
Author(s):  
Bethany A. Zumwalde ◽  
Ross A. McCauley ◽  
Ian J. Fullinwider ◽  
Drew Duckett ◽  
Emma Spence ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Genetic Variation ◽  
Large Scale ◽  
Niche Overlap ◽  
The United States ◽  
Disjunct Distribution ◽  
Population Divergence ◽  
Environmental Niche ◽  
Widespread Species ◽  
Precipitation Seasonality ◽  
Bioclimatic Variables

The patterns of genetic and morphological diversity of a widespread species can be influenced by environmental heterogeneity and the degree of connectivity across its geographic distribution. Here, we studied Quercus havardii Rydb., a uniquely adapted desert oak endemic to the Southwest region of the United States, using genetic, morphometric, and environmental datasets over various geographic scales to quantify differentiation and understand forces influencing population divergence. First, we quantified variation by analyzing 10 eastern and 13 western populations from the disjunct distribution of Q. havardii using 11 microsatellite loci, 17 morphological variables, and 19 bioclimatic variables. We then used regressions to examine local and regional correlations of climate with genetic variation. We found strong genetic, morphological and environmental differences corresponding with the large-scale disjunction of populations. Additionally, western populations had higher genetic diversity and lower relatedness than eastern populations. Levels of genetic variation in the eastern populations were found to be primarily associated with precipitation seasonality, while levels of genetic variation in western populations were associated with lower daily temperature fluctuations and higher winter precipitation. Finally, we found little to no observed environmental niche overlap between regions. Our results suggest that eastern and western populations likely represent two distinct taxonomic entities, each associated with a unique set of climatic variables potentially influencing local patterns of diversity.

scholarly journals Environmental determinants of the current and future distribution of seven Ottelia Pers. species in African freshwater bodies

2021 ◽  
Author(s):  
Boniface K. Ngarega ◽  
John M. Nzei ◽  
Josephat K. Saina ◽  
Marwa Waseem A. Halmy ◽  
Jin-Ming Chen ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Climate Change ◽  
Species Distribution ◽  
Aquatic Plant ◽  
Niche Overlap ◽  
Limiting Factors ◽  
Environmental Drivers ◽  
Climate Variations ◽  
Intergovernmental Panel ◽  
Environmental Covariates ◽  
Freshwater Bodies

Abstract Understanding the influence of environmental covariates on plants’ distribution is critical, especially for aquatic plant species. Climate change is likely to alter the distribution of aquatic species. However, knowledge of this change on the burden of aquatic macroorganisms is often fraught with difficulty. Ottelia Pers., a model genus for studying the evolution of the aquatic family Hydrocharitaceae, is mainly distributed in slow-flowing creeks, rivers or lakes throughout the world’s pantropical areas. Due to recent rapid climate changes, the natural Ottelia populations have declined significantly. In the present study, we use maximum entropy (MaxEnt) to explore the environmental drivers of seven Ottelia species distribution in African freshwater bodies. The models use known background points to determine how environmental covariates vary spatially and produce continental maps of these species’ distribution. We also estimate the possible influences of the optimistic and extreme pessimistic Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC) pathway scenarios and identify high suitability areas under these scenarios. Model performances were statistically significant than random expectations with Area Under Curve (AUC) values above 0.831, indicating the good performance of the models. We observe that our studied Ottelia species had distinct spatial patterns influenced by climate variations (e.g. Bio9- mean temperature of driest quarter, Bio12- annual precipitation, and Bio14- Precipitation of the driest month). While there is a lack of accord in defining the limiting factors for the distribution of the seven species, it is clear that water-temperature conditions have promising effects when kept within optimal ranges. Niche overlap analyses showed that most Ottelia species have similar but not equivalent climatic niches. In addition, considering the expected warming in the future, the persistence and survival of the Ottelia species in Africa could be compromised. The present findings provide a theoretical basis for the distribution of various Ottelia species in Africa.

Mass School Shootings in the United States: A Novel Root Cause Analysis Using Lay Press Reports

2019 ◽  
Vol 58 (13) ◽  
pp. 1423-1428 ◽  
Author(s):  
Chris A. Rees ◽  
Lois K. Lee ◽  
Eric W. Fleegler ◽  
Rebekah Mannix
Keyword(s):  
United States ◽  
Environmental Factors ◽  
Root Cause Analysis ◽  
The United States ◽  
School Shootings ◽  
Contributing Factors ◽  
Mass Shootings ◽  
Cause Analysis ◽  
Factors Associated ◽  
Root Cause

School shootings comprise a small proportion of childhood deaths from firearms; however, these shootings receive a disproportionately large share of media attention. We conducted a root cause analysis of 2 recent school shootings in the United States using lay press reports. We reviewed 1760 and analyzed 282 articles from the 10 most trusted news sources. We identified 356 factors associated with the school shootings. Policy-level factors, including a paucity of adequate legislation controlling firearm purchase and ownership, were the most common contributing factors to school shootings. Mental illness was a commonly cited person-level factor, and access to firearms in the home and availability of large-capacity firearms were commonly cited environmental factors. Novel approaches, including root cause analyses using lay media, can identify factors contributing to mass shootings. The policy, person, and environmental factors associated with these school shootings should be addressed as part of a multipronged effort to prevent future mass shootings.

scholarly journals Anaerobic Mineralization of Recirculating Aquaculture Drum Screen Effluent for Use as a Naturally-Derived Nutrient Solution in Hydroponic Cropping Systems

Conservation ◽  
2021 ◽  
Vol 1 (3) ◽  
pp. 151-167
Author(s):  
Joseph Tetreault ◽  
Rachel Fogle ◽  
Todd Guerdat
Keyword(s):  
Nutrient Solution ◽  
Agricultural Waste ◽  
The United States ◽  
Anaerobic Treatment ◽  
Production Costs ◽  
Effluent Treatment ◽  
Limiting Factors ◽  
Fertilizer Treatment ◽  
Recirculating Aquaculture ◽  
Recirculating Aquaculture Systems

Operation and effluent treatment costs are limiting factors for the success of recirculating aquaculture systems (RAS) in meeting seafood demand in the United States. Adopting a capture-and-reuse waste management model similar to terrestrial agriculture farmers would allow RAS farmers to monetize effluent and offset production costs. The moisture content and nutrient profile of RAS effluent makes it a potential option for use as a hydroponic fertilizer. Treatment of RAS waste is needed to mineralize particulate-bound nutrients before becoming a viable hydroponic nutrient solution. Anaerobic treatment (AT), a method used by municipal and agricultural waste treatment facilities to reduce total solids, has been shown to successfully mineralize particulate-bound nutrients from RAS effluent. Continuously mixed anaerobic batch bioreactors were used to evaluate the degree to which AT may mineralize particulate-bound nutrients in solid RAS waste. Concentrations of twelve different macro- and micro-nutrients were analyzed in the waste before and after treatment. Effluent samples were analyzed to determine the fraction of each nutrient in the solid and aqueous forms. This study showed that AT is an effective method to mineralize particulate-bound nutrients in RAS effluent and the mineralization rate data may be used to design a pilot-scaled flow-through RAS effluent treatment system.

scholarly journals Application Natura 2000 Data For The Invasive Plants Spread Prediction

2015 ◽  
Vol 46 (4) ◽  
pp. 159-166 ◽  
Author(s):  
J. Pěknicová ◽  
D. Petrus ◽  
K. Berchová-Bímová
Keyword(s):  
Environmental Factors ◽  
Invasive Plants ◽  
Species Distribution ◽  
Natura 2000 ◽  
Distribution Model ◽  
Distribution Data ◽  
Habitat Types ◽  
Distribution Models ◽  
Occurrence Data ◽  
Heracleum Mantegazzianum

AbstractThe distribution of invasive plants depends on several environmental factors, e.g. on the distance from the vector of spreading, invaded community composition, land-use, etc. The species distribution models, a research tool for invasive plants spread prediction, involve the combination of environmental factors, occurrence data, and statistical approach. For the construction of the presented distribution model, the occurrence data on invasive plants (Solidagosp.,Fallopiasp.,Robinia pseudoaccacia,andHeracleum mantegazzianum) and Natura 2000 habitat types from the Protected Landscape Area Kokořínsko have been intersected in ArcGIS and statistically analyzed. The data analysis was focused on (1) verification of the accuracy of the Natura 2000 habitat map layer, and the accordance with the habitats occupied by invasive species and (2) identification of a suitable scale of intersection between the habitat and species distribution. Data suitability was evaluated for the construction of the model on local scale. Based on the data, the invaded habitat types were described and the optimal scale grid was evaluated. The results show the suitability of Natura 2000 habitat types for modelling, however more input data (e.g. on soil types, elevation) are needed.

Diversity and distribution of the superfamily Grylloidea (Orthoptera: Ensifera: Gryllidea) in the Nearctic region

Zootaxa ◽  
2021 ◽  
Vol 5040 (2) ◽  
pp. 283-288
Author(s):  
XIN ZHAO ◽  
DANDAN FENG ◽  
YUNTAO LI ◽  
HAOYU LIU
Keyword(s):  
United States ◽  
North America ◽  
Species Distribution ◽  
Coastal Plain ◽  
The United States ◽  
Asymmetric Distribution ◽  
Arctic Zone ◽  
Southeastern Coastal Plain ◽  
Regional Similarity ◽  
Nearctic Region

Based on the geographic distribution database of the Orthoptera Species File, the diversity and distribution of the superfamily Grylloidea in the Nearctic region was studied using the statistics and Sorensen dissimilarity coefficient. A total of 164 species or subspecies belonging to 4 families, 9 subfamilies and 27 genera were recorded from this region; among which Gryllidae (93, 56.70%), followed by Trigonidiidae (44, 26.83%), Mogoplistidae (25, 15.24%), and Phalangopsidae (2, 1.22%). The diversity exhibits an asymmetric distribution pattern, with the southeastern coastal plain, the Interior Plateau and Piedmont of the United States was the most abundant. At the same time, the regional similarity of species distribution was analyzed, and the Nearctic was divided into four subregions: Boreal & Arctic zone of North America, Eastern temperate North America, Northeast temperate North America, and Southern North America & western temperate North America.  

The Physiology of Body Weight Regulation: Relevance to the Etiology of Obesity in Children

PEDIATRICS ◽  
1998 ◽  
Vol 101 (Supplement_2) ◽  
pp. 525-539 ◽  
Author(s):  
Michael Rosenbaum ◽  
Rudolph L. Leibel
Keyword(s):  
United States ◽  
Body Weight ◽  
Environmental Factors ◽  
Regulatory System ◽  
The United States ◽  
Genetic Changes ◽  
Adult Body ◽  
Genes Encoding ◽  
Prevalence Of Obesity ◽  
Obesity In Children

The prevalence of obesity in children and adults in the United States has increased by more than 30% over the past decade. Recent studies of the physiology and molecular genetics of obesity in humans have provided evidence that body weight (fat) is regulated. Some of the genes encoding the molecular components of this regulatory system have been isolated from rodents. The increasing prevalence of obesity in the United States apparently represents the interaction of these genes with an environment that encourages a sedentary lifestyle and consumption of calories. The rapid increase in the prevalence of obesity emphasizes the role of environmental factors, because genetic changes could not occur at this rate. Thus, understanding of the relevant genes and how their effects are mediated by environment and development should lead to more effective prophylaxis and therapy of obesity. Although no clear environmental factors have been identified as causative of obesity, the rapid increases in the prevalence of obesity and the seeming voluntary immutability of adult body fatness can be taken as tacit evidence that the pediatric environment can be altered in a way that affects adult body weight.

scholarly journals Household Accessibility and Residential Relocation in Older Adults

2018 ◽  
Vol 74 (7) ◽  
pp. e72-e83 ◽  
Author(s):  
Marianne Granbom ◽  
Nancy Perrin ◽  
Sarah Szanton ◽  
Thomas K.M. Cudjoe ◽  
Laura N Gitlin
Keyword(s):  
Older Adults ◽  
Environmental Factors ◽  
Residential Care ◽  
The United States ◽  
Multinomial Regression ◽  
Housing Type ◽  
Residential Care Facilities ◽  
Care Facilities ◽  
Nationally Representative ◽  
Safety Features

Abstract Objectives It is unclear how home environmental factors influence relocation decisions. We examined whether indoor accessibility, entrance accessibility, bathroom safety features, housing type, and housing condition were associated with relocations either within the community or to residential care facilities. Methods We used prospective data over 4 years from the nationally representative National Health and Aging Trends Study in the United States of Medicare beneficiaries 65 years and older living in the community (N = 7,197). We used multinomial regression analysis with survey weights. Results Over the 4 years, 8.2% of the population moved within the community, and 3.9% moved to residential care facilities. After adjusting for demographics and health factors, poor indoor accessibility was found to be associated with moves within the community but not to residential care facilities. No additional home environmental factors were associated with relocation. Discussion One-floor dwellings, access to a lift, or having a kitchen, bedroom, and bathroom on the same floor may help older adults age in place. Understanding which modifiable home environmental factors trigger late-life relocation, and to where, has practical implications for developing policies and programs to help older adults age in their place of choice.

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