Honors-Thesis
AbstractThis study assessed the effect of several environmental factors on the timing and relative degree of budding of fruit trees in different locations in an urban setting. Development from immature buds to leaves and flowers was compared
AbstractUnderstanding the effects of different agricultural practices on arbuscular mycorrhizal fungi (AMF) communities is important for sustainable agricultural production, since AMF play an essential role in maintaining and promoting the health of
AbstractThe ability for communities to preserve their structure and function in the face of climate change is partially dependent on whether or not species within them can successfully reproduce. Two important measures of reproduction in many plant
AbstractAccording to life history theory, reproduction is costly, and increased parental effort can lead to reduced survival and fecundity. Animal parents are thus expected to balance trade-offs between investment in their current offspring and
AbstractPanicum virgatum L., commonly known as switchgrass, is a perennial bunch grass that is receiving attention as a potential candidate for biofuel production from its biomass (via conversion of cellulose to ethanol). Switchgrass is an
AbstractAbout 2.45 billion years ago, oxygen began to accumulate in Earth's atmosphere in a phenomenon known as the Great Oxygenation Event (GOE). While the timing of this event is fairly well understood from the geological record, the timing of the
Abstract Species recognition is critical for maintaining species barriers by preventing interbreeding between distinct species that co-occur and regularly interact. In birds, feather ornamentation is a prominent mechanism underlying species
AbstractUnderstanding species boundaries is a fundamental, but challenging, component of describing and understanding the generation and maintenance of biodiversity. Examining differences among very recently diverged populations can provide
AbstractDisease poses a threat to any society, and this threat is amplified for societies persisting in cramped quarters over extended periods of time. Highly social (eusocial) insects actively combat the danger of pathogen proliferation with a