Agricultural production among the Native American populations of the Southwest declined significantly during the twentieth century. Corn, beans and squash, the three most recognized traditional food crops, remains widespread, but knowledge regarding the traditional management of these crops was lost. The loss of traditional knowledge for Southwest Indigenous Nations was more pronounced for the Southwest peach (Prunus persica) and Navajo spinach (Cleome serrulata Pursh). The Navajo, Hopi, and Zuni Nations are all seeking to increase the availability of traditional crops for their original uses, such as for food and wool dye. In order to revitalize traditional agriculture for these tribes, information regarding these crops was gathered, including: variety characterization, the horticultural basis for traditional management practices, and cultural uses and significance. Southwest peach orchards were located for seed and plant material collections to characterize their genotype and relate them to modern peach cultivars. Traditional farmers were interviewed on management practices and irrigation strategies to correlate to dendrochronology (tree-ring analysis) techniques. Dendrochronology samples included tree stumps or cores to evaluate ring growth variability, age, and life span of the orchard trees. Navajo spinach seed was collected from Chinle, Arizona for germination studies on overcoming seed dormancy. Information on both Southwest peach and Navajo spinach will be useful to encourage culturally important traditional crop management.

京都大学 / 0048 / 新制・論文博士 / 博士(農学) / 乙第12986号 / 論農博第2826号 / 新制||農||1038(附属図書館) / 学位論文||H28||N4961(農学部図書室) / 32456 / 名古屋大学大学院農学研究科生化学制御専攻 / (主査)教授 祝前 博明, 教授 今井 裕, 教授 廣岡 博之 / 学位規則第4条第2項該当 / Doctor of Agricultural Science / Kyoto University / DFAM

京都大学 / 0048 / 新制・課程博士 / 博士(理学) / 甲第19545号 / 理博第4205号 / 新制||理||1603(附属図書館) / 32581 / 京都大学大学院理学研究科生物科学専攻 / (主査)教授 村山 美穂, 教授 幸島 司郎, 教授 伊谷 原一 / 学位規則第4条第1項該当 / Doctor of Science / Kyoto University / DFAM

The clouded apollo (Parnassius mnemosyne) is a palearctic butterfly with a wide distribution across Eurasia. In recent decades, however, the species has declined in many parts of its distribution range. In Sweden, both the distribution and populations size of the clouded apollo has decreased dramatically over the past two decades, mainly due to habitat loss resulting from changes in land use practices. Today, only three geographically isolated populations remain in Sweden, as well as one captive population. While previous studies have explored the population genetics of other clouded apollo populations across Eurasia, little is known about the genetics of the remaining populations in Sweden. Here we make use of whole genome resequencing data from clouded apollo individuals collected in each of the three natural populations as well as the captive population. We apply population genetic analyses and explore mitochondrial gene data when mapping to two different reference genome assemblies, to get a better understanding of the genetic structure and levels of genetic diversity of the populations in Sweden. Our results show that the clouded apollo populations in different geographic regions harbour similar but relatively low levels of genetic diversity. We also find significant genetic differentiation between the northernmost population and the populations in southern Sweden, as well as higher levels of inbreeding in this population. Our analysis of the mitochondrial CO1 gene coupled with previously available data, shows that the remaining clouded apollo populations in Sweden correspond to two distinct mitochondrial haplogroups characteristic of different regions of Eurasia. Together with our other results, this indicates a re-colonisation of Scandinavia via two different routes after the last glacial maximum. Finally, our analyses uncover sub-population substructure in one of the remaining populations in southern Sweden. Together our results provide a first overview of the populations genetics of the clouded apollo butterfly in Sweden and explore the genetic consequences of populations size declines and fragmentation in the region. These findings were communicated to local conservation authorities and used to inform conservation strategies to protect this endangered species in Sweden.

The genetic structure of juvenile green turtles (Chelonia mydas) foraging on the east coast of central Florida is not well understood, nor has it been examined over time. In the last three decades, the dramatic increase in the number of green sea turtle nests in Florida, in association with other population parameters, has led to this species being down-listed under the Endangered Species Act from “endangered” to “threatened” in the northwest Atlantic. However, it was unclear if the exponential growth in Florida nest numbers had any influence on the genetic structure of juveniles in nearby foraging aggregations. To understand this potential impact mixed-stock analysis was conducted using mitochondrial DNA fragments that were over 800 base pairs long on samples taken from juveniles captured from 2002-2005 and 2016-2018 in the central Indian River Lagoon and Trident Submarine Basin in Port Canaveral. Results indicate the sampled foraging sites are genetically distinct habitats. In both sites, recruitment from Florida nesting beaches remained low despite increases in nesting while contributions from rookeries in Costa Rica and Mexico dominated both foraging aggregations across time. Haplotype diversity and nucleotide diversity decreased at both foraging sites over time. The foraging sites shared the two most frequently occurring haplotypes, but also had haplotypes that were unique to the site or sample period. Our results highlight the need for broader sampling of rookeries and foraging aggregations to understand the impacts of nesting increases in one rookery on juvenile diversity. Future studies should include all life stages of green turtles to enhance understanding of both the census population and effective population to better inform conservation policies necessary for a continued recovery.

No description available.

No description available.

No description available.

No description available.

Habitat degradation and hunting pose the most proximate threats to many primate species, while climate change is expected to exacerbate these threats (habitat and climate change combined henceforth as "global change") and present new challenges. Madagascar's lemurs are earth's most endangered primates, placing added urgency to their conservation in the face of global change. My dissertation focused on the critically endangered golden-crowned sifaka (Propithecus tattersalli; hereafter, "sifaka") which is endemic to fragmented forests across a gradient of dry, moderate, and wet forest types in northeastern Madagascar. I surveyed sifakas across their global range and investigated factors affecting their densities. I explored sifaka diets across different forest types and evaluated if nutritional factors influenced sifaka densities. Lastly, I investigated sifaka range-wide genetic diversity and conducted a connectivity analysis to prioritize corridor-restoration and other potential conservation efforts. Sifaka densities varied widely across forest fragments (6.8 (SE = 2.0-22.8) to 78.1 (SE = 53.1-114.8) sifakas/km²) and populations have declined by as much as 30-43% in 10 years, from ~18,000 to 10,222-12,631 individuals (95% CI: 8,230-15,966). Tree cutting, normalized difference vegetation index (NDVI) during the wet season, and Simpson's diversity index (1-D) predicted sifaka densities range-wide. Sifakas consumed over 101 plant species and spent 27.1% of their active time feeding on buds, flowers, fruits, seeds, and young and mature leaves. Feeding effort and plant part consumption varied by season, forest type, and sex. Minerals in sifaka food items (Mg (β = 0.62, SE = 0.19) and K (β = 0.58, SE = 0.20)) and wet season NDVI (β = 0.43, SE = 0.20) predicted sifaka densities. Genetic measures across forest fragments indicated that sifaka populations are becoming more isolated (moderate FIS values: mean = 0.27, range = 0.11-0.60; high M-ratios: mean = 0.59, range = 0.49-0.82; low overall effective population size: Ne = 139.8-144 sifakas). FST comparisons between fragments (mean = 0.12, range = 0.01-0.30) supported previous findings that sifakas still moved across the fragmented landscape. Further validation of these genetic results is needed. I identified critical corridors that conservation managers could protect and/or expand via active reforestation to ensure the continued existence of this critically-endangered lemur. / Doctor of Philosophy / Worldwide, many species of primates are threatened with extinction due to habitat degradation, hunting, and climate change (habitat and climate combined threats, henceforth, "global change"). These threats work at different time scales, with hunting being the most immediate and climate change likely to have its fullest impact experienced from the present to a longer time frame. Lemurs are a type of primate found only on Madagascar, an island experiencing rapid global change, which puts lemurs at a heightened risk of extinction. My dissertation research focused on the critically endangered golden-crowned sifaka (Propithecus tattersalli; hereafter, "sifaka"), a species of lemur found only in a few isolated forests across a dry to wet gradient in northeastern Madagascar. To better understand their extinction risk, I conducted surveys to estimate the number of sifakas remaining and investigated several factors that might determine how many sifakas can live in one place. I then explored how sifaka diets varied depending on the forest type that they inhabit and tested whether nutrients in their food might determine sifaka numbers. Lastly, I calculated sifaka genetic diversity to assess their ability to adapt to new environmental conditions and to determine whether sifakas can move across the landscape to find new mates and to potentially colonize new areas of habitat. Sifaka densities varied widely across their range (6.8-78.1 sifakas/km² ). Only 10,222-12,631 sifakas remain, which is 30-43% less than the range of estimates obtained 10 years ago (~18,000 sifakas). Tree cutting, normalized difference vegetation index (NDVI; a measure of plant health or "greenness" obtained from satellite data), and a tree species diversity index were useful measures to predict sifaka densities. Sifakas ate different plant parts (buds, flowers, fruits, seeds, and leaves) from over 101 plant species. The amount of time they spent eating each day varied by the time of year, forest type, and sex. On average, they spent a quarter of their day eating. Magnesium and potassium concentrations in sifaka food items also were useful nutrition-related measures to predict sifaka densities. Genetic analyses suggested that sifaka populations are becoming more isolated and inbred, meaning sifakas are breeding with other sifakas to which they are closely related. However, it appears that sifakas still can move between forest patches to find new mates and to potentially colonize new areas, if such areas are created. Further validation of these genetic results is needed. I also identified critical areas that will be important to protect and reforest to ensure that movements between populations can continue.