An Experimental Study of Juvenile Competition and Habitat Niche Partitioning Between a Native Lizard (\u3cem\u3eAnolis carolinensis\u3c/em\u3e) and an Introduced Congener (\u3cem\u3eAnolis sagrei\u3c/em\u3e) in the Southeastern United States

Since its introduction to Florida, the brown anole, Anolis sagrei, has steadily expanded its range into that of its native congener in the southeastern United States, the green anole, A. carolinensis. Anolis sagrei achieves very high densities both in its native and invaded range and appears to impose population declines and shifts in the realized habitat niche of A. carolinensis. In order to investigate whether these effects arise prior to the adult age class in which they have previously been described, I studied the behavior of juvenile anoles at the individual, dyadic, and neighborhood levels. Contrary to some characterizations of adult microhabitat selection, distribution models of individual movement on laboratory thermal gradients indicate that juvenile A. carolinensis are likely to occupy warmer sites than A. sagrei, but with broad overlap in the full range of temperatures selected by these species. Staged dyadic encounters between socially naïve juveniles of these species, however, suggest that intrinsic individual characteristics influencing dominance and behavioral exclusion in the youngest juvenile anoles favor A. carolinensis over A. sagrei. To confirm these observations and explore their consequences under conditions representative of natural juvenile assemblages, I compared the behavior and habitat use of A. carolinensis juveniles in single-species field enclosures with A. carolinensis and A. sagrei juveniles in two-species enclosures and described changes in the partitioning of space over the first weeks of life. Within the first week, thermal microhabitat partitioning was apparent and juvenile A. carolinensis in the presence of A. sagrei juveniles exhibited an upward shift in mean perch height similar to that seen in reproductive males following experimental imposition of sympatry in adults of these species. Despite the shift in structural habitat use of A. carolinensis juveniles in the presence of A. sagrei, there was no observed consequence of syntopy on growth rate or survival. This study suggests no immediate role of juvenile interactions on numerical declines in A. carolinensis in sympatry with A. sagrei, but does indicate that a more ontogenetically comprehensive approach is warranted in the characterization of niche differences and habitat partitioning

Morphological Differences Among Two Populations of the Hooded Pitcher Plant, Sarrancenia minor, and its Usefulness as an Indicator Species for Bog and Seepage Savanna Communities

The ultimate goal of this project is to develop a model of Sarracenia minor morphology under various environmental conditions, which can then be used to assess the overall health of these ecosystems. Because S. minor is sensitive to disturbance it may be a good candidate for use as an indicator species. Decline in habitat quality should be detectable as changes in the population dynamics and morphology of S. minor, thereby indicating that intervention may be necessary to maintain habitat viability. For instance, a population that consists primarily of large mature individuals indicates that the habitat may not be suitable for the recruitment of new progeny into the population. This alteration in population morphology suggests that leaf litter may be too deep for young propagules to become established and that a controlled bum, which removes thick layers of litter, may be required to restore the ecosystem to acceptable levels of ground cover that support sensitive species such as S. minor

Life Sciences Uniting in Assessing Student Writing

Student learning outcome (SLO) statements made by an educational program serve as targets for achievement and openly communicate the knowledge and skills students are expected to acquire from the program. Clearly stated SLOs are the necessary foundation of an evidence-based educational program through which faculty, staff, and student efforts are aligned. Establishment of these statements is, therefore, the primary step in building a robust, cooperative, and effective assessment system for improving student learning and development. Here we discuss an approach to the formulation, adoption, and application of a single SLO for undergraduate writing to be used across the five undergraduate majors (Biology, Marine Biology, Microbiology, Molecular and Cell Biology, and Botany) in the School of Life Sciences formed in Fall 2019 through the merger of the Departments of Biology, Microbiology, and Botany