Transactions of the Kansas Academy of Science. Kansas Academy of Science最新文献

{"title":"A Giant Bear Mandible (Agriotherium schneideri Sellards 1916) from Sedgwick County, Kansas","authors":"M. Everhart, R. Hawkins","doi":"10.1660/062.123.0116","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1660/062.123.0116","url":null,"abstract":"In March 2017, the partial right mandible (FHSM VP-19466) of the giant Miocene-Pliocene bear, Agriotherium schneideri (Ursidae; Agriotheriinae), was recovered from the sandy sediments of an exposed paleo stream channel in northern Sedgwick County, Kansas. The mandible includes the right canine, fourth premolar, and m1-m3 molars. The vacant p1 alveolus is visible immediately behind the canine. The overall size of the mandible, measurements of the teeth, presence of a ‘chin,’ and a large premasseteric fossa confirm the specimen to be Agriotherium schneideri Sellards 1916. The worn condition of the teeth suggests that the bear was an older adult at the time of death. The relatively complete and un-abraded condition of the mandible would preclude long distance stream transport. All of the previously documented North American specimens of Agriotherium are dated from late Miocene to earliest Pliocene (∼ 10-4 Ma). Fragmentary remains attributable to Agriotherium have been previously identified from several Miocene localities in Kansas.","PeriodicalId":76755,"journal":{"name":"Transactions of the Kansas Academy of Science. Kansas Academy of Science","volume":"123 1","pages":"191 - 202"},"PeriodicalIF":0.0,"publicationDate":"2020-05-23","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"42701524","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"Mammalian Soil Disturbance, Plant Cover, and Soil Nitrogen in a Prairie Restoration","authors":"H. M. Alexander, Courtney Barnes, R. Timm, Benjamin A. Sikes","doi":"10.1660/062.123.0115","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1660/062.123.0115","url":null,"abstract":"Small mammal disturbances in tallgrass prairies are known to influence a variety of ecosystem properties, including plant establishment, plant diversity, and soil nutrient dynamics. We explored direct and indirect effects of mammalian soil disturbance on a newly established grassland restoration site. In 2016–2017, we measured variation in small mammal soil disturbance, plant cover, and total inorganic nitrogen, all within the same plots. Within our site, interior plots had greater disturbance than plots located near site edges. On average, plots with high soil disturbance in 2016 had high disturbance in 2017, and disturbance in the first year was greater than in the second year. Soil disturbance was associated with an overall decline in grass cover and an increase in forb cover (especially Asteraceae). However, there were no associations between soil disturbance and either inorganic nitrogen or plant species richness/diversity on the new restoration site. Our study supports the important link between prairie plant communities and small mammal soil disturbance, potentially creating heterogeneity that is important for tallgrass prairie restoration and conservation.","PeriodicalId":76755,"journal":{"name":"Transactions of the Kansas Academy of Science. Kansas Academy of Science","volume":"123 1","pages":"179 - 190"},"PeriodicalIF":0.0,"publicationDate":"2020-05-23","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"46808206","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"The Geography of Kansas: A Scholarly Bibliography","authors":"T. Rumney","doi":"10.1660/062.123.0107","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1660/062.123.0107","url":null,"abstract":"The geographical study of Kansas has taken place over a very long, though somewhat vague period of time. Native peoples who occupied and used these Kansas landscapes and resources explored and developed probably the first types of geographical studies, and later Europeans first explored and recorded their findings for later settlers and entrepreneurs to live and work in Kansas. This compendium is an attempt to find, organize, and present the available publications on geographical studies about Kansas since the incorporation of this land into the United States after the turn of the nineteenth century.","PeriodicalId":76755,"journal":{"name":"Transactions of the Kansas Academy of Science. Kansas Academy of Science","volume":"123 1","pages":"101 - 73"},"PeriodicalIF":0.0,"publicationDate":"2020-05-23","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"48468150","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"Reproductive Notes on Peromyscus leucopus and Peromyscus gossypinus in Louisiana","authors":"Alisha Dupree, Landen O'quinn, Gabrielle Kadlubar, J. Hoffman","doi":"10.1660/062.123.0127","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1660/062.123.0127","url":null,"abstract":"In Louisiana, there is a lack of published reproductive information for the white-footed mouse (Peromyscus leucopus) and cotton mouse (Peromyscus gossypinus). We recorded reproductive data from the voucher tags of preserved P. leucopus (n = 652) and P. gossypinus (n = 1460) specimens captured in Louisiana, summarized monthly variation in reproductive activity, and compared our findings to those in other states throughout each species geographic range. The average number of embryos for females was 3.93 (SD = 0.87) for P. leucopus and 4.42 (SD = 1.30) for P. gossypinus. Average testis length for male P. leucopus was 10.78 mm (SD = 3.22 mm) (scrotal) and 6.63 mm (SD = 3.38 mm) (abdominal), whereas for P. gossypinus, average testis length was 13.50 mm (SD = 5.05 mm) (scrotal) and 11.31 mm (SD = 4.39 mm) (abdominal). Similar to other southern states, both species appear to be year-round breeders with reproductive evidence appearing in every month except August for P. leucopus and July for P. gossypinus.","PeriodicalId":76755,"journal":{"name":"Transactions of the Kansas Academy of Science. Kansas Academy of Science","volume":"123 1","pages":"265 - 268"},"PeriodicalIF":0.0,"publicationDate":"2020-05-23","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"43543366","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"Qualitative Assessment of Service Learning in a General Chemistry II Course","authors":"Claudia Aguirre-Mendez, M. Mahoney","doi":"10.1660/062.123.0109","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1660/062.123.0109","url":null,"abstract":"The purpose of this study was to examine the impact of service learning in a general chemistry course. Service learning is an educational approach that connects community service with academic course content and objectives. Service learning approaches have been carried out in chemistry at the college level. This study combined qualitative methods (data from interviews and student artifacts) with a control design. The control group consisted of students enrolled in the General Chemistry II lecture, and the experimental group consisted of students additionally enrolled in the 1-hour Honors General Chemistry II Seminar. In the seminar, students discussed, designed and carried out service-learning research projects that were not part of the regular General Chemistry II coursework. Qualitative data was collected from both groups and compared. Findings indicate that the students in the Honors Seminar developed more specific knowledge and appreciation of the community, a fluid concept of leadership, and greater awareness of self and others.","PeriodicalId":76755,"journal":{"name":"Transactions of the Kansas Academy of Science. Kansas Academy of Science","volume":"123 1","pages":"103 - 120"},"PeriodicalIF":0.0,"publicationDate":"2020-05-23","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"46724486","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"New Managing Editor at the Transactions of the Kansas Academy of Science","authors":"","doi":"10.1660/062.123.0102","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1660/062.123.0102","url":null,"abstract":"Please welcome our newest Managing Editor of the Transactions of the Kansas Academy of Science. Dr. Erika Martin has a Ph.D. in Biology and is a faculty member in the Department of Biological Sciences at Emporia State University. She has research experience in aquatic ecology, STEM education, and theoretical physics. Her grandparents emigrated from Sweden as young people, and her mother is a first-generation American.","PeriodicalId":76755,"journal":{"name":"Transactions of the Kansas Academy of Science. Kansas Academy of Science","volume":"123 1","pages":"30 - 30"},"PeriodicalIF":0.0,"publicationDate":"2020-05-23","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"45936791","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"Breeding Phenology and Reproductive Success of Little Blue Herons (Egretta caerulea) in an Urban Mixed-Species Colony","authors":"A. Maccarone, Abigail C. Harper","doi":"10.1660/062.123.0125","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1660/062.123.0125","url":null,"abstract":"As human populations continue to expand into suburban and rural areas, conflicts with wildlife are likely to increase. Many populations of long-legged wading birds (Family Ardeidae) face the challenge of human disturbance both at feeding sites and breeding colonies. Little Blue Herons (Egretta caerulea) are medium-sized wading birds that often join egrets and other herons in mixed-species breeding colonies. In June and July 2018, a random sample of Little Blue Heron nests located in an urban colony were monitored from incubation to fledging. The goals of this study were to (1) characterize adult nest-activity patterns over the course of the breeding cycle, and (2) document Little Blue Heron reproductive success in an urban colony and identify sources of human disturbance. Instantaneous samples with 5-min intervals were used to record adult activity during 50 h of observation at 24 nests. An additional 77 h of continuous observation at two different nests documented fine-scale activities and changes in nesting status. Observations made at random times during morning, midday, and evening periods yielded 636 nest-hours across all breeding stages. During incubation, attending parents mostly sat (63 %) or stood (23 %) in or near their nests, spent less time in nest maintenance (5 %) and self-maintenance (scratching, preening; 5 %), and seldom (< 1 %) left the nest unprotected. By the end of the breeding cycle, nests were unattended 69 % of the time. The 26 monitored nests fledged a total 39 chicks (1.4 ± 0.3 chicks/nest attempt). The 16 successful nests (61 % of all nests) fledged 2.4 ± 0.2 chicks. Known causes of nest failure included destruction or usurpation by Cattle Egrets (Bubulbus ibis) and predation by Black-crowned Night-herons (Nycticorax nycticorax). Sources of disturbance included dogs allowed in the colony, intentional loud noises, and human presence. We compare reproductive success at this urban colony to that in less disturbed colonies reported in the literature.","PeriodicalId":76755,"journal":{"name":"Transactions of the Kansas Academy of Science. Kansas Academy of Science","volume":"123 1","pages":"251 - 258"},"PeriodicalIF":0.0,"publicationDate":"2020-05-23","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"41963227","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"Communities of Small Mammals, Tallgrass Prairie and Prescribed Fire: A Fire-Reversal Experiment","authors":"D. Kaufman, G. Kaufman, Dawn M. Kaufman, A. Reed, Ryan L. Rehmeier","doi":"10.1660/062.123.0103","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1660/062.123.0103","url":null,"abstract":"Fire, grazing, weather and associated changes in vegetation and environmental conditions affect small mammals in native tallgrass prairie in the Flint Hills of Kansas. In ungrazed sites, presence or absence of recurring fires influences plant production, structure of live and standing dead vegetation and density of litter (fallen and lodged plant debris). Based on studies on the Konza Prairie, most small mammals (i.e., rodents and shrews) respond either positively or negatively to fire-induced changes, which should change community structure and composition. We examined community characteristics (i.e., community abundance and evenness, species richness and diversity, community composition and inter-treatment similarity of communities) in annually burned (001A) and unburned treatments (020A) for 2 years and then changes that occurred when the fire regimes were reversed (treatments then renamed to reflect the new management regimen to R20A and R01A, respectively) over the subsequent 10-year period. Community abundance varied widely among years in both reversal treatments and showed no significant directional temporal change. Species richness varied from one to eight species across all treatments, seasons and years and was associated positively with community abundance. Despite this variability, species richness increased significantly in R20A in autumn over the 12-year study. Community evenness was positively associated (curvilinear patterns) with time period in both R01A and R20A in autumn and R01A in spring but it only approached statistical significance in R20A in spring. Likewise, species diversity mimicked the curvilinear patterns for evenness for both autumn and spring. The white-footed mouse (Peromyscus leucopus) initially was the largest proportional component (>0.8 of the community) in R01A in both autumn and spring but its proportional dominance significantly decreased through time. The only other species in R01A to have a value >0.5 was the hispid cotton rat (Sigmodon hispidus) in autumn. For R20A, the deer mouse (P. maniculatus) initially was the largest proportional component (>0.7 of the community) in both autumn and spring but its proportional dominance in autumn and spring significantly decreased through time to <0.20 of the community in autumn towards the end of the study. In contrast, three fire-negative species–the Elliot's short-tailed shrew (Blarina hylophaga), prairie vole (Microtus ochrogaster) and white-footed mouse–significantly increased their proportional abundances through time in autumn, although all species were <0.30 of the small mammal community. Communities in both treatments showed very low similarity values at the beginning of the study because one species of Peromyscus (although different species) numerically dominated in each of the two treatments. In both autumn and spring, similarity values significantly increased through time in a curvilinear pattern; spring communities were more similar than those in autumn.","PeriodicalId":76755,"journal":{"name":"Transactions of the Kansas Academy of Science. Kansas Academy of Science","volume":"123 1","pages":"31 - 49"},"PeriodicalIF":0.0,"publicationDate":"2020-05-23","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"47589878","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"Habitat Assessment of the Broad-Headed Skink (Plestiodon laticeps) and the Associated Squamate Community in Eastern Kansas","authors":"Allison Hullinger, Zackary Cordes, Daren Riedle, W. Stark","doi":"10.1660/062.123.0111","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1660/062.123.0111","url":null,"abstract":"During the summers of 2015-2017, we performed standardized surveys across the known range of the Broad-headed Skink in eastern Kansas. We used a combination of drift fence arrays with funnel traps and visual encounter surveys (VES) to collect occurrence data on the Broad-headed Skink. A Canonical Correspondence Analysis (CCA) was used to determine which habitat variables explained the variation observed in the squamate assemblage. The position of the Broad-headed Skink was explained by average log length and overstory tree size. A secondary analysis implies the Broad-headed Skink is also associated with presence of Black Walnut (Juglans nigra). A logistic regression was used to determine which habitat variables were significant in predicting presence of the Broad-headed Skink. The variables from the most successful model included average log length, overstory tree size, understory tree dispersion, and overstory tree dispersion. These habitat attributes suggest the Broad-headed Skink prefers mature patches of forest, and habitat structure rather than tree species composition is more useful in predicting Broad-headed Skink presence.","PeriodicalId":76755,"journal":{"name":"Transactions of the Kansas Academy of Science. Kansas Academy of Science","volume":"123 1","pages":"137 - 150"},"PeriodicalIF":0.0,"publicationDate":"2020-05-23","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"46988822","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"Evidence of Positive Phototaxis in Paddlefish: Implications for Larval Sampling","authors":"J. Schooley, Adam Geik, Willis Sontheimer, D. Scarnecchia","doi":"10.1660/062.123.0124","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1660/062.123.0124","url":null,"abstract":"Paired lit and unlit quatrefoil traps were used to examine the photic response of Paddlefish Polyodon spathula yolk-sac larvae (YSL) and exogenous-feeding larvae (EFL) under controlled conditions in a hatchery. One lit and one unlit trap were placed in two identical circular raceways containing approximately 10,000 YSL and EFL for 20 2-min trials. Lit traps captured nearly 10x more larvae than unlit traps for each cohort and accounted for 91% and 94% of total catch for YSL and EFL, respectively. This is the first documentation of this photic response in Paddlefish. A slight increasing trend in capture with length was noted for YSL, whereas EFL demonstrated a strong decreasing trend in capture, indicating a possible behavioral shift at 15-16 mm TL. The high proportional catch of lit traps among 1-mm length classes evaluated (≥79%) suggests that Paddlefish exhibit positive phototaxis and light trapping for Paddlefish larvae <20 mm TL may have potential to substantially increase catches in the wild. More efficient capture of larval Paddlefish in the wild using lighted traps might prove useful for documenting the presence of reproduction, for initial indications of year class strength, and as a source of fish for rearing in hatcheries and repatriation to the wild. However, much remains to be evaluated in controlled and wild settings, including responses to different light emissions, lower fish density, and higher turbidities common in rivers when and where wild Paddlefish spawn.","PeriodicalId":76755,"journal":{"name":"Transactions of the Kansas Academy of Science. Kansas Academy of Science","volume":"123 1","pages":"243 - 250"},"PeriodicalIF":0.0,"publicationDate":"2020-05-23","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"43864956","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}