Urbanization, the conversion of natural habitat into area fit for human exploitation, is the greatest contemporary threat to natural ecosystems. With urbanization only projected to increase in magnitude as human populations continue to grow it is becoming increasingly important to evaluate the potential negative impacts urbanization can have on vital ecosystem functions and services. One such important ecosystem service is pollination. Roughly 87.5% of flowering plants are animal pollinated, with pollination contributing over $175 billion dollars to the global economy each year. The fundamental ecologic and economic importance of pollination, coupled with the growing threat of urbanization, makes it important to better understand how pollination success may be impacted by urban development. Though, studies on the impact of urbanization on pollination success vary wildly in their findings, with some studies finding a negative impact of urbanization, while others find a negligible or even positive impact. This discordance in past studies is likely due to the fact that pollination studies typically focus on just one aspect of the pollination process, whether that be pollinator community, pollen removal/deposition, or fruit/seed production. Urbanization, however, may induce differential impacts across different stages of the pollination process. Focusing on just one pollination aspect may limit our understanding of the potential underlying mechanisms urbanization may impart on different stages of the pollination process. The goal of this study was to evaluate multiple aspects of pollination success across an urbanization gradient. Specifically, pollinator community (in terms of visitation rate and community composition), pollen removal/deposition, and fruit/seed production were surveyed across 12 common milkweed (Asclepias syriaca) populations, six of which were in natural habitats and six of which were in areas of moderate urbanization. By evaluating all pollination aspects together we can pinpoint which step(s) of the pollination process are impacted by urbanization, which will inform decisions on how to best conserve the integrity of pollination in anthropogenically disturbed environments. Overall, urbanization increased pollinator visitation rate (0.151 visits per minute per flower in urban populations, compared to 0.067 at natural populations), and altered pollinator composition, with more small bees and beetles present in more urbanized areas. Pollen removal also increased with urbanization (2.00 pollen removals per flower in urban populations, compared to 1.41 at natural populations), while pollen deposition, fruit production, and seed production were unchanged by urbanization. Thus, suggesting that the more abundant pollinators in more urbanized areas were effective at removing pollen, but ineffective at depositing pollen, resulting in no change in reproductive output (i.e., equal fruit and seed production). The results of this study suggest that increased urbanization can variably impact various steps in the pollination process, thus stressing the importance of studying multiple pollination aspects in tandem.

Urbanization is among the greatest threats to biodiversity on the planet, and is projected to increase in magnitude in coming years. This growing threat makes it important to better understand how urbanization may impact vital ecosystem services, such as pollination. Studies on the impact of urbanization on pollination vary wildly in their findings. This study analyzed multiple aspects of pollination success in common milkweed populations varying in urbanization level, including insect community composition, pollen removal/deposition, and fruit/seed production. By analyzing multiple pollination aspects we can determine the overall mechanism in which urbanization instills on the entire pollination process. Overall, urbanization increased insect visitation rate, and altered insect composition, with small bees and bugs/beetles having a larger presence in urbanized areas. Pollen removal also increased with urbanization, while other factors of pollination success were unaltered. These results suggest that increased urbanization can differentially impact components of the pollination process.

The eastern migratory population of monarch butterflies (Danaus plexippus plexippus) has declined by >80% within the last two decades. One possible cause of this decline is the loss of >= 1.3 billion stems of milkweed (Asclepias spp.), which monarchs require for reproduction. In an effort to restore monarchs to a population goal established by the US Fish and Wildlife Service and adopted by Mexico, Canada, and the US, we developed scenarios for amending the Midwestern US landscape with milkweed. Scenarios for milkweed restoration were developed for protected area grasslands, Conservation Reserve Program land, powerline, rail and roadside rights of way, urban/suburban lands, and land in agricultural production. Agricultural land was further divided into productive and marginal cropland. We elicited expert opinion as to the biological potential (in stems per acre) for lands in these individual sectors to support milkweed restoration and the likely adoption (probability) of management practices necessary for affecting restoration. Sixteen of 218 scenarios we developed for restoring milkweed to the Midwestern US were at levels (>1.3 billion new stems) necessary to reach the monarch population goal. One of these scenarios would convert all marginal agriculture to conserved status. The other 15 scenarios converted half of marginal agriculture (730 million stems), with remaining stems contributed by other societal sectors. Scenarios without substantive agricultural participation were insufficient for attaining the population goal. Agricultural lands are essential to reaching restoration targets because they occupy 77% of all potential monarch habitat. Barring fundamental changes to policy, innovative application of economic tools such as habitat exchanges may provide sufficient resources to tip the balance of the agro-ecological landscape toward a setting conducive to both robust agricultural production and reduced imperilment of the migratory monarch butterfly.

Submitted by Michele Mologni (mologni@unoeste.br) on 2018-07-27T12:29:47Z No. of bitstreams: 1 Renato Marcos de Leão.pdf: 1271849 bytes, checksum: a89943d84d38997ef1167837ead53ae6 (MD5) / Made available in DSpace on 2018-07-27T12:29:47Z (GMT). No. of bitstreams: 1 Renato Marcos de Leão.pdf: 1271849 bytes, checksum: a89943d84d38997ef1167837ead53ae6 (MD5) Previous issue date: 2018-02-20 / The A. curassavica plant is characterized as a toxic plant for vertebrates, and little is known about its effect on invertebrates, such as insects. Thus, a study was conducted to verify the action of A. curassavica on S. frugiperda. The plants were collected, dried and ground, and the raw ethanolic extract was made from the powder. This was added to the diet offered to caterpillars in two trials, one at concentrations of 1%, 2% and 4%; and another at concentrations of 0.05%, 0.1% and 0.5%. The parameters evaluated were: mortality; food consumption; weight of larvae and pupae; fertility (number of eggs and% of hatching). Two trials (one with second instar caterpillars and one with fifth instar caterpillars) of topical applications of the extract at concentrations of 1%, 2%, 4% and 6% were conducted to verify contact action through mortality after treatment. The experiments were performed with and without a choice, using corn leaf disks immersed in ethanolic extract at concentrations of 1%, 2% and 4%, where food intake (g) and preference index were evaluated. A trial was conducted evaluating total polyphenols and flavonoids in extract A. curassavica in order to verify the presence and measure them. The extract of A. curassavica added to the artificial diet, caused mortality of S. frugiperda in all concentrations, with 1%, 2% and 4% showing 100% mortality, and also 0.5% with 98% mortality. The prolongation of the larval period was evidenced in the treatments 0.1% and 0.5%, in 1.29 and 10.75 days respectively, in relation to the control. There was a reduction of larval weight in treatments 0.05%, 0.5%, 1%, 2% and 4% in 15%, 77%, 17%, 97% and 100%, respectively. On the pupal weight, the weight of the pupae in the treatments was 0.05%, 0.1% and 0.5% in 10%, 22% and 54% respectively; already in the weight of the female pupae, there was reduction with the treatment 0.1% in 9.5%. Food consumption was reduced in treatments 0.5%, 1%, 2% and 4% in 22%, 40%, 47% and 57%, respectively. The excreted faeces weight in the treatments 0.1%, 1%, 2% and 4% was 0.730g, 0.002g, 0g and 0g, respectively. At no concentration interference was observed in the number of postures, number of eggs and percentage of hatching. On topical application in the second instar caterpillars, contact action was verified in all concentrations, standing out the 6% treatment that caused 100% mortality after 72 hours of application. However, in the trial with fifth instar caterpillars, there was no contact action in the treatments used. In the tests with and without chance of choice, there was difference in food consumption in all concentrations, especially the reduction in treatment 4%. All treatments were classified as phagdeterrents, and the 4% treatment was less preferred. It was verified the presence of total polyphenois and flavonoids in the extract, presenting 58.75 ug / ml and 150.1 ug / ml, respectively. The extract of A. curassavica should be tested in the field at the concentration of 0.5%, because in this concentration causes high mortality (98%) with the lowest amount of input. / A planta A. curassavica é caracterizada como planta tóxica para vertebrados, e pouco se sabe sobre seu efeito em invertebrados, como insetos. Dessa forma, foi conduzido um estudo para verificar a ação de A. curassavica sobre S. frugiperda. As plantas foram coletadas, secas e moídas, e a partir do pó foi confeccionado o extrato etanólico bruto. Este foi adicionado à dieta oferecida as lagartas, em dois ensaios, um nas concentrações de 1%, 2% e 4%; e outro nas concentrações de 0,05%, 0,1% e 0,5%. Os parâmetros avaliados foram: mortalidade; consumo alimentar; peso de larvas e pupas; fertilidade (nº de ovos e % de eclosão). Dois ensaios (um com lagartas de segundo instar e outro com lagartas de quinto instar) de aplicações tópicas do extrato nas concentrações de 1%, 2%, 4% e 6%, foram conduzidos para verificar a ação de contato através da mortalidade após o tratamento. Foram realizados testes com e sem chance de escolha, utilizando discos foliares de milho imersos sob extrato etanólico nas concentrações de 1%, 2% e 4%, onde avaliaram-se: consumo alimentar (g) e índice de preferência. Foi conduzido ensaio avaliando polifenóis totais e flavonoides no extrato A. curassavica a fim verificar a presença e mensurá-los. O extrato de A. curassavica adicionado a dieta artificial, provocou mortalidade de S. frugiperda em todas concentrações, destacando-se 1%, 2% e 4% apresentaram 100% de mortalidade, e também 0,5% com 98% de mortalidade. O prolongamento do período larval foi evidenciado nos tratamentos 0,1% e 0,5%, em 1,29 e 10,75 dias respectivamente, em relação a testemunha. Houve redução do peso larval nos tratamentos 0,05%, 0,5%, 1%, 2% e 4% em 15%, 77%, 17%, 97% e 100%, respectivamente. Sobre o peso pupal, houve redução do peso das pupas machos nos tratamentos 0,05%, 0,1% e 0,5% em 10%, 22% e 54% respectivamente; já no peso das pupas femêas, houve redução com o tratamento 0,1% em 9,5%. O consumo alimentar foi reduzido nos tratamentos 0,5%, 1%, 2% e 4% em 22%, 40%, 47% e 57%, respetivamente. O peso das fezes excretadas nos tratamentos 0,1%, 1%, 2% e 4% foi de 0,730g, 0,002g, 0g e 0g, respectivamente. Em nenhuma concentração foi verificada interferência no número de posturas, número de ovos e porcentagem de eclosão. Sobre aplicação tópica nas lagartas de segundo instar, foi verificada ação de contato em todas concentrações, destacando-se o tratamento 6% que provocou 100% de mortalidade após 72 horas da aplicação. Porém, no ensaio com lagartas de quinto instar, não se verificou a ação de contato nos tratamentos utilizados. Nos testes com e sem chance de escolha, houve diferença no consumo alimentar em todas concentrações, destacando-se a redução no tratamento 4%. Todos tratamentos foram classificados como fagodeterrentes, e o tratamento 4% obteve a menor preferência. Foi verificada a presença de pólifenois totais e flavonoides no extrato, apresentando 58,75 ug/ml e 150,1 ug/ml, respectivamente. O extrato de A. curassavica deverá ser experimentado a campo na concentração de 0,5%, pois nessa concentração causa alta mortalidade (98%) com a menor quantidade de insumo.

Butterfly weed (Asclepias tuberosa) is a primary larval food source for the monarch butterfly (Danaus plexippus). Planting more butterfly weed may stimulate declining monarch populations. To that end, a habitat suitability map was created for Mississippi in GIS using soil pH, soil texture, and land cover. Herbarium data were derived from the Southeast Regional Network of Expertise and Collections (SERNEC) database. Environmental data were from the USDA National Resource Conservation Service geospatial data gateway. Frequency analysis was used to assign scores to environmental variables of SERNEC occurrences using a suitability index. Global positioning systems (GPS) locations of butterfly weed were collected to validate the model. The most suitable model with 78.9% of GPS points in medium to high suitability was a weighted sum overlay with land cover 50%, soil pH 25%, and soil texture 25%. The suitability map may enable conservationists to identify suitable sites for butterfly weed in Mississippi.

<p dir="ltr">Plant secondary metabolites (PSMs) are specialized compounds produced in response to a range of insect herbivores and microbes, making them important in shaping tri-trophic interactions. However, despite being well-studied in the context of plant-insect coevolution, it is unclear how PSMs impact microbial communities associated with plants and the insect herbivores that feed on them. The overarching goal of this dissertation was to better understand how variation in plant defensive responses, particularly expression of PSMs, influences the composition and functional potential of microbial communities associated with plant tissues (roots and leaves) and insect herbivores. Monarchs (<i>Danaus plexippus</i>) and their milkweed hosts (<i>Asclepias spp.)</i> are well-studied for mechanisms of plant defense and insect counter defense, but little is known about the role of associated microbial communities in this iconic system. To address this knowledge gap, a combination of metabarcoding and metagenomics was used to characterize the taxonomic composition and functional gene profiles of bacterial communities associated with plant tissues (i.e., phyllosphere and rhizosphere) and monarch caterpillars fed on multiple milkweed species (<i>A. curassavica</i>, <i>A. syriaca</i>, and <i>A. tuberosa</i>). Findings show the composition of phyllosphere, rhizosphere, and monarch microbiomes vary across milkweed species in terms of diversity and relative abundance of bacterial taxa. Furthermore, phyllosphere and rhizosphere microbiomes were shown to have distinct functional gene profiles and presence of potential PSM metabolism genes that also varied across milkweed species. Rhizosphere microbiomes had a greater overall capacity for PSM metabolism compared to the phyllosphere, having more genes, and associated metabolic pathways involved in degradation or detoxification of known classes of PSMs. However, plant associated microbiomes were not generally affected by monarch feeding, evidenced by few changes in taxonomic composition or abundance of genes predicted to be involved in PSM metabolism. Interestingly, monarch microbiomes shared >90% of their taxa with their host plants, but there was little evidence of PSM metabolism genes present in functional gene profiles. Overall, this dissertation lays the foundation for understanding how PSMs shape all the microbial communities associated with monarchs and their milkweed hosts. Findings suggest plant defensive responses affect the assembly, functional potential and ultimately the evolution of plant and insect microbiomes.</p>