Functional relationships among vegetation, nocturnal insects, and bats in riparian areas of the Oregon Coast Range

Vegetation provides food for many insects, and many insects serve as food for bats. We investigated the linkages among these three trophic levels in riparian areas throughout the Oregon Coast Range by examining the influence of vegetation cover, composition, and structure on the activity of nocturnal insects and bats, the influence of insect abundance on activity of bats, and the diets of bats. Vegetation characteristics at the stream reach spatial scale explained more variation in bat activity than did vegetation characteristics measured at larger spatial scales. Vegetation characteristics most closely associated with bat activity varied among species of bat, included both canopy and shrub attributes, and apparently operated through constraints imposed by vegetation structure on bat flight capabilities rather than through regulation of the distribution of insect prey abundance. The two orders of insects most frequently consumed by bats were Lepidoptera and Diptera. Three species of bat fed predominantly on small insects likely of aquatic origin, and activity of these species was correlated with local abundance of small insects. The seven remaining species of bat fed predominantly on larger, terrestrial insects, and their activity was not correlated with local abundance of insects. Variation among stream reaches in the number of captures and biomass of the six most commonly captured orders of insects (Diptera, Lepidoptera, Trichoptera, Ephemeroptera, Coleoptera, and Hymenoptera) was better explained by cover of deciduous canopy than by any other vegetation characteristic investigated. The number of captures and biomass of these insects increased as deciduous canopy cover increased. Canopy composition explained variation in macro-moth community composition as well: species richness and cover of canopy trees and of shrubs were associated with variation in moth species composition. Number of moths captured, biomass, and Shannon’s species diversity were greater in deciduous- than conifer-dominated stream reaches. Deciduous shrub and canopy trees play an important role in the determination of nocturnal flying insect abundance and community composition. Management activities that promote deciduous vegetation in riparian areas in this region are likely to help maintain biodiversity and abundance of nocturnal insects, which in turn serve as food resources for bats

How Demographics, Devices, and Course Characteristics Impact Introductory Psychology Course Outcomes during COVID-19

We explored factors predicting student learning outcomes (N=1303) in online Introductory Psychology sections at an open-enrollment college in the Northeastern United States in Fall 2020. Students from historically underserved groups were more likely to struggle on course outcomes, perhaps reflecting the disproportionate impact of COVID-19. Use of desktops/laptops on assignments predicted higher pass rates and quiz grades. Scores on quizzes tended to be higher in smaller class sections. Findings suggest certain students are already at-risk at the semester’s start, students should use desktops/laptops for online coursework when possible, and smaller online class sizes correlate with better performance on low-stakes outcomes

Autophagy Induction Is a Tor- and Tp53-Independent Cell Survival Response in a Zebrafish Model of Disrupted Ribosome Biogenesis

Ribosome biogenesis underpins cell growth and division. Disruptions in ribosome biogenesis and translation initiation are deleterious to development and underlie a spectrum of diseases known collectively as ribosomopathies. Here, we describe a novel zebrafish mutant, titania (tti(s450)), which harbours a recessive lethal mutation in pwp2h, a gene encoding a protein component of the small subunit processome. The biochemical impacts of this lesion are decreased production of mature 18S rRNA molecules, activation of Tp53, and impaired ribosome biogenesis. In tti(s450), the growth of the endodermal organs, eyes, brain, and craniofacial structures is severely arrested and autophagy is up-regulated, allowing intestinal epithelial cells to evade cell death. Inhibiting autophagy in tti(s450) larvae markedly reduces their lifespan. Somewhat surprisingly, autophagy induction in tti(s450) larvae is independent of the state of the Tor pathway and proceeds unabated in Tp53-mutant larvae. These data demonstrate that autophagy is a survival mechanism invoked in response to ribosomal stress. This response may be of relevance to therapeutic strategies aimed at killing cancer cells by targeting ribosome biogenesis. In certain contexts, these treatments may promote autophagy and contribute to cancer cells evading cell death.This research was funded by the National Health and Medical Research Council of Australia through Project grant 433614 (JKH), Program grant 487922 (JKH), a Senior Research Fellowship (JKH), and a Howard Florey Centenary Fellowship (HV). Operational Infrastructure Support was provided by the Victorian Government, Australia. Additional support was from Australian Research Council grant DP0346823 (GJL); NIH grant DK060322 (DYRS); and CDMRP, Department of Defense, USA W81XWH-10-1-0854 (KCE)

Repeated Raking of Pine Plantations Alters Soil Arthropod Communities

Terrestrial arthropods in forests are engaged in vital ecosystem functions that ultimately help maintain soil productivity. Repeated disturbance can cause abrupt and irreversible changes in arthropod community composition and thereby alter trophic interactions among soil fauna. An increasingly popular means of generating income from pine plantations in the Southeastern U.S. is annual raking to collect pine litter. We raked litter once per year for three consecutive years in the pine plantations of three different species (loblolly, Pinus taeda; longleaf, P. palustris; and slash, P. elliottii). We sampled arthropods quarterly for three years in raked and un-raked pine stands to assess temporal shifts in abundance among dominant orders of arthropods. Effects varied greatly among orders of arthropods, among timber types, and among years. Distinct trends over time were apparent among orders that occupied both high trophic positions (predators) and low trophic positions (fungivores, detritivores). Multivariate analyses demonstrated that raking caused stronger shifts in arthropod community composition in longleaf and loblolly than slash pine stands. Results highlight the role of pine litter in shaping terrestrial arthropod communities, and imply that repeated removal of pine straw during consecutive years is likely to have unintended consequences on arthropod communities that exacerbate over time

Modernizing Training Options for Natural Areas Managers

A recent shift in desires among working professionals from traditional learning environments to distance education has emerged due to reductions in travel and training budgets. To accommodate this, the Natural Areas Training Academy replaced traditionally formatted workshops with a hybrid approach. Surveys of participants before and after this change indicate that a traditional in-person format was preferred in the past, but a hybrid format is preferred now. Respondents indicated the new format is more effective at providing highly desired benefits than the traditional face-to-face approach. These findings have implications for many Extension programs targeting working professionals across large geographic areas

Leveraging Partnerships to Achieve High Impact: Lessons from Wildlife Field Days

Effective wildlife management on private lands can supplement and diversify income by providing opportunities for hunting, fishing, and ecotourism. We offered a workshop series that covered a comprehensive set of issues pertaining to this topic. In the process, we found that using a large, multi-state, multi-agency planning committee enabled us to tap into numerous clientele networks, reach many people new to Extension, recruit expert speakers from many organizations, and spread tasks so that individual burdens were reduced. This mutually beneficial collaboration is a model for future Extension programming that may become increasingly useful as Extension budgets continue to decline