We sampled small mammals in burned and unburned tallgrass prairie by using three sites in each of two contiguous ungrazed experimental fire-reversal treatments during 1999-2010. One of the experimental treatments (001A to R20A) had been burned in spring for >20 years and then was switched to an unburned research treatment after the spring fire in 2000. In contrast, the other treatment (020A to R01A) had been left unburned for 20 of 29 years before it was switched to an annually burned treatment beginning with the prescribed fire in spring 2001. Overall, we recorded 11 species of rodents and two of shrews for a total of 2,444 individuals. The white-footed mouse (Peromyscus leucopus) was the most abundant species followed by the hispid cotton rat (Sigmodon hispidus) and deer mouse (P. maniculatus). Of the seven common species (>25 individuals), six were strongly associated with one of the treatments, and several species showed positive associations with some part of the landscape within each treatment. Furthermore, white-footed mice, deer mice, prairie voles (Microtus ochrogaster), western harvest mice (Reithrodontomys megalotis) and Elliot's short-tailed shrews (Blarina hylophaga) showed significant temporal patterns of abundance in either R01A or R20A in one or both seasons (autumn or spring). Our study also supports a very important conservation message. That is, the white-footed mouse (a woodland species) and the hispid cotton rat (a colonizing species) were more numerically dominant than the most common rodent, the deer mouse, (a native prairie species) throughout the 10-year study. These observations demonstrate that areas not burned frequently allow encroachment by shrubs and then trees, which subsequently allow the white-footed mouse and hispid cotton rat to expand into these areas. Conversely, the stoppage of frequent fires ultimately degrades the mosaic of prairie habitats for native prairie small mammals [such as the deer mouse, prairie vole and western and plains harvest mice (R. montanus)] and these species move out as shrubs and trees become common. Visual observations indicate that the latter (degradation of native tallgrass prairie) occurs much more rapidly (potentially within a decade) than the restoration of native tallgrass prairie by the elimination of shrubs and trees by annual burning (potentially 50 or more years).

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. Our 12-year study was not long enough to observe the increase, peak and then decline in similarity that was expected.

Ross Natural History Reservation (RNHR) is a Natural Area of Emporia State University, located at the eastern edge of the Flint Hills in east-central Kansas. Previous analysis of aerial photographs covered the period 1945 to 2006. More recent developments and trends are presented here for the period 2007 to 2020. We employ conventional, large-format National Agriculture Imagery Program (NAIP) imagery along with small-format aerial photography (SFAP) taken with kites, helium blimp, and unmanned aerial systems (UAS) to document qualitative changes in land cover and land use.

A wildfire in July 2012 was a major event that burned >90% of RNHR. Other significant developments include a reduction in the number of human-built structures, establishment and later realignment of experimental disturbance plots, rediscovery of the 19th-century Fruitland Schoolhouse remains, and a severe wind storm in 2019. The combination of NAIP and SFAP provides spatial and temporal resolutions for general interpretation as well as detailed analyses, which have revealed a mosaic of botanical and archaeological footprints.

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.

The Hornyhead Chub (Nocomis biguttatus) and Redspot Chub (Nocomis asper) are threatened species in Kansas, with population declines attributed largely to agriculture and impoundments. Both species are ecosystem engineers via their reproductive behavior, as they create and guard spawning mounds which other fishes use for spawning habitat. As such, declines of Kansas Nocomis have multi-species conservation implications. The objective of our research was to determine the current population status of Kansas Nocomis, which we accomplished by compiling known collection records, examining trends in those collection records, and by conducting our own contemporary sampling effort for Nocomis during 2017-2018. We found 112 unique collection records in Kansas for the Hornyhead Chub spanning from 1885-2014. Forty of the 112 records (36%) occurred since 1990, with only one since 2010 (<1%). All Hornyhead Chub collections since 1953 have come from the Osage River basin, with the most numerous and recent collections occurring in Elm Creek (WB and LY counties), Locust Creek (WB county), Marmaton River (BB county), North Wea Creek (MI county), and South Fork Pottawatomie Creek (AN county). Our 2017-2018 survey captured 111 Hornyhead Chubs at seven of 22 (32%) sample sites. For the Redspot Chub we found 59 unique collection records, with 34% of those collections happening since 1990, and none since 2007. All collections since 1963 were from Spring River or Shoal Creek in Cherokee county, although Redspot Chub had not been found in the Spring River since 1995. We captured four Redspot Chubs during 2017-2018, all in Shoal Creek. Our research indicated that the continued persistence of Nocomis in Kansas is in a precarious state, although the situation is much more perilous for the Redspot Chub than the Hornyhead Chub. Watershed protection and restoration coupled with propagation and repatriation may help prevent the extirpation of Nocomis species from Kansas.

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.

Big bluestem (Andropogon gerardii), a dominant prairie grass, exhibits a wide distribution with several genetically distinct ecotypes. Each ecotype adapts to abiotic and biotic factors within its environment. These adaptations may prove more or less desirable to herbivores in the area. For instance, plants adapted to areas with greater rainfall tend to grow larger than those adapted to drier conditions. Wetter conditions might result in greater herbivore pressure, but according to the Resource Availability Hypothesis, individual plants tend to invest little in herbivore defenses when resources are abundant. Consequently, we hypothesized A. gerardii ecotypes adapted to wetter conditions might be more susceptible to herbivory and that ecotypes adapted to drier conditions might have evolved greater herbivore defense mechanisms. We tested this with feeding preference trials involving grasshoppers and leaves from five ecotypes of A. gerardii that represented plants adapted to wet and dry conditions. Scans of leaves before and after herbivory trials indicated 43 to 78 percent of leaf area remained, with no difference among ecotypes regarding which were favored by herbivores. We also hypothesized that leaves with more tannins would be less preferable to herbivores. This was tested by measuring leaf tannin concentration from five ecotypes of A. gerardii from four common gardens across a precipitation gradient. Leaf tannin concentrations ranged from 0.8 to 2.4% of leaf dry mass and were different among both sites and ecotypes. Site differences caused the biggest difference in leaf tannins, indicating a strong environmental influence on leaf tannin concentration. There was no correlation between tannin concentration and herbivory preference among ecotypes, indicating other factors are related to herbivore defense in A. gerardii.

DMV-D10 is a strain of Dahlia mosaic virus (DMV) that is classified as an endogenous virus and does not induce any visible symptoms in the host plant. Endogenous viruses have the ability to integrate their viral sequences into the host plant genome, which can be transmitted to offspring. No studies have examined the host range of DMV-D10 outside of the Dahlia genus. Because DMV-D10 has only been observed in Dahlia, the objective for this study was to determine if presence of DMV-D10 follows an evolutionary relationship among species closely related to Dahlia. An addition objective of this study was to determine if species infected with DMV-D10 may also be infected with Dahlia common mosaic virus (DCMV) because these plant viruses are closely related. It was hypothesized species in the same tribe (Coreopsideae) as Dahlia were more likely to be infected with DMV-D10 compared to species in other Asteraceae tribes. Ten tribes consisting of thirty-five species were collected, and DNA was extracted to determine DMV-D10 infection. Polymerase chain reaction (PCR) results for a movement protein gene indicate DMV-D10 is widely spread across Asteraceae. Specifically, gel electrophoresis results suggest presence of DMV-D10 in thirteen species across seven tribes. Additionally, DCMV was detected in six species across five tribes of Asteraceae. Although, phylogenetic relationship of host plants does not necessarily determine DMV-D10 infection. This leads to questions of how this virus can move to species in other Asteraceae tribes. Some potential hypotheses include pollen transmission or possible plant-virus coevolution.

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.

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 schneideriSellards 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.

Although Iowa was the site of one of the earliest collections of tardigrades in the United States in 1873, only two additional papers on the tardigrades of this state have been published in the intervening 147 years. These earlier papers focused on tardigrades in central Iowa, living in either freshwater algae or in deciduous trees, and reported a total of only five recognized species in four genera. This project expands the known tardigrade diversity of the state through collection of specimens from both deciduous and coniferous trees in northern Iowa. Tardigrades were extracted from 29 moss and lichen samples collected from deciduous and coniferous trees in Hardin County during December 2015. 485 adult specimens and 74 eggs were collected, representing seven species (Milnesium cf. barbadosense, Milnesium burgessi, Milnesium eurystomum, Milnesium swansoni, Ramazzottius sp., Macrobiotus hibiscus, and Paramacrobiotus tonollii). Of these, one is a new species record for the United States (Milnesium cf. barbadosense), and all are new records for the state of Iowa. This is also the first report of a member of the genus Ramazzottius in Iowa. Pseudoplates, tardigrade structures that were only described for the first time in 2016, were also observed in all Milnesium specimens.

Paddlefish (Polyodon spathula) are an ancient fish species native to large rivers in eastern Kansas. They were first managed in the state in the 1970s and several snag fisheries have since developed. Osawatomie Dam on the Marais des Cygnes River supports the second most popular Paddlefish fishery in Kansas behind Chetopa Dam on the Neosho River. Mandatory check of harvested fish occurred in the Marais des Cygnes River beneath Osawatomie Dam from 1992 to 2006. These data were recently summarized to quantify harvest during the study period, determine the influence of discharge on harvest, and evaluate effects of a minimum length limit. Mean annual harvest during the study period was 50 fish and annual harvest ranged from 0 fish in four years to 454 fish in 1999. Annual harvest was largely dependent on magnitude and duration of high flows near Osawatomie Dam as measured by the 75th percentile of mean daily discharge (m³sec^-1) during annual snagging seasons but was not affected by regulation period. Mean eye-fork length (EFL) of harvested fish was 82 cm across the entire study period, but fish were larger after 2001 (mean = 98 cm) when an 86.4 cm EFL minimum length limit was implemented. These results provide insight into fishery characteristics at Osawatomie Dam and can be referenced for evaluations of this and other Paddlefish fisheries throughout the state.

There is increasing interest on the effects of take for the pet trade on reptiles in Kansas, although little data is available to elucidate possible impacts. The Kansas Department of Wildlife, Parks, and Tourism and the Kansas Biological Survey recently partnered on a project to digitize Henry Fitch's nearly 60 years of data collection on Northeast Kansas snake populations. We utilized the mark-recapture data for two species of snakes, the Prairie Kingsnake Lampropeltis calligaster and the Milk Snake L. triangulum to build population models and identify life history stages most vulnerable to take. Population growth rates for L. calligaster were most sensitive to changes in both juvenile and adult female survivorship. Lampropeltis triangulum was most sensitive to take of adult females. Sustained take over 20 years exceeding 30% in L. triangulum resulted in population extirpation based on population viability models developed here.

Three species of green tardigrades (Heterotardigrada: Echiniscoidea: Echiniscidae) Viridiscus perviridis, Viridiscus viridianus and Viridiscus viridissimus are reported from a dozen locations from Kansas, Maine, New Jersey, Pennsylvania and West Virginia. This is the first report of these species from these states and is the farthest north these species have been found in North America. Viridiscus viridianus is also reported from the island of Antigua, the first report of this genus from Antigua.

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.

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.

The Brown Bullhead (Ameiurus nebulosus) was first documented in Kansas at a United States Fish and Wildlife Service fish hatchery near Farlington, Kansas in 1955. Some early stockings occurred, but the full extent is unknown. Historical distribution information on the species was limited to three collection records deposited as museum vouchers and two records noted in early manuscripts. We performed a review of the species in Kansas, including information from the Kansas Department of Wildlife, Parks, and Tourism's Fish Sampling Database, museum vouchers, and literature records to determine its known extent in Kansas. The Brown Bullhead has been documented from eleven water bodies throughout six counties. Eight of these records were from impoundments or government-managed wetlands and two records were from streams. Most observations in Kansas occurred in the 1990's, or earlier. The restricted timeframe of most of the collections leaves these populations in doubt, especially considering impoundment renovations that have occurred throughout the last several decades. However, we document a 2019 collection from Ottawa State Fishing Lake, Ottawa County, Kansas. We collected nine Brown Bullhead in this impoundment from June and July 2019. The species has not been documented at any other water body in Kansas since 2004.

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.

The following abstracts of papers and posters were accepted for presentation at the 152nd Annual Meeting of the Kansas Academy of Science and the 96^th Annual Meeting of the Kansas Entomological Society.