The Ohio Journal of Science

Abstracts

Volume 106 No. 5─December 2006

Plant Communities of Highland Heights Community Park, Cuyahoga County, Ohio

SUNEETI K. JOG, JEFFREY R. JOHANSEN, MICHAEL K. DELONG, AND DENNIS MAGEE, Department of Biological, Geological, and Environmental Sciences, Cleveland State University, 2399 Euclid Avenue, Cleveland, OH 44115; Department of Biology, John Carroll University, 20700 North Park Boulevard, University Heights, OH 44118; Normandeau Associates, 25 Nashua Road, Bedford, NH 03110

Abstract. We have described the vegetation structure with respect to various community types of Highland Heights Community Park and adjoining territory. High values of Shannon's Diversity Indexes and Floristic Quality Assessment Indexes indicate a superior quality, species-rich habitat with several high-fidelity species. Based on our research, which reveals that the study site is worthy of conservation and preservation, we suggest recommendations to the city of Highland Heights for park management and land use planning.

OHIO J SCI 106 (5):174-180, 2006

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Status of the Organic Soils in the Scioto Marsh, Hardin County, Ohio

ALISON L. SPONGBERG AND ELAINE MOEBIUS, Department of Environmental Sciences, Mail Stop 604, University of Toledo, Toledo, OH 43606; Department of Geography and Planning, University of Toledo, Toledo, OH 43606

Abstract: Scioto Marsh in Hardin County, OH, was a 16,000-acre wetland area that was drained in the mid-1800s by channelizing the Scioto River to create farmland. The resulting soils are characterized by a thick, organic-rich A horizon that contributed to the productivity of the area. During the subsequent years, wind erosion and farming practices depleted this layer, causing the underlying B horizon to become incorporated into the till zone in many areas. This paper is a re-evaluation of the status of the A horizon, in lieu of recommendations thirty years ago on how to preserve the remaining productivity. Our study re-sampled sites from previous studies from the 1930s and 1970s. Comparisons of A-horizon thickness, organic carbon content, and bulk density indicate that the A horizon depletion has greatly diminished from its earlier pace. This is most likely due to more conservation farming practices in-corporated in recent years.

OHIO J SCI 106 (5):181-185, 2006

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Bats of Ravenna Training and Logistics Site, Portage and Trumbull Counties, Ohio

VIRGIL BRACK, JR. AND JASON A. DUFFEY, Center for North American Bat Research and Conservation, Department of Ecology and Organismal Biology, Indiana State University, Terre Haute, IN 47089; Environmental Solutions & Innovations, Inc., 781 Neeb Road, Cincinnati, OH 45233

Abstract. Six species of bats (n = 272) were caught at Ravenna Training and Logistics Site during summer 2004: 122 big brown bats (Eptesicus fuscus), 100 little brown myotis (Myotis lucifugus), 26 red bats (Lasiurus borealis), 19 northern myotis (Myotis septentrionalis), three hoary bats (Lasiurus cinereus), and two eastern pipistrelles (Pipistrellus subflavus). Catch was 9.7 bats/net site (SD = 10.2) and 2.4 bats/net night (SD = 2.6). No bats were captured at two net sites and only one bat was caught at one site; the largest captures were 33, 36, and 37 individuals. Five of six species were caught at two sites, 2.7 (SD = 1.4) species were caught per net site, and MacArthur's diversity index was 2.88. Evidence of reproduction was obtained for all species. Chi-square tests indicated no difference in catch of males and reproductive females in any species or all species combined. Evidence was found of two maternity colonies each of big brown bats and little brown myotis. Capture of big brown bats (X2 = 53.738; P <0.001), little brown myotis (X2 = 21.900; P <0.001), and all species combined (X2 = 49.066; P <0.001) was greatest 1 - 2 hours after sunset. Capture of red bats did not vary over the night (X2 = 7.083; P <0.461). Rate of capture was not consistent over the season for big brown bats (X2 = 28.603; P <0.001) or all species combined (X2 = 10.969; P = 0.004), but was similar for little brown myotis (X2 = 4.184; P = 0.123).

OHIO J SCI 106 (5):186-190, 2006

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BRIEF NOTE

Simplification of the Petz-Faure Graphic Procedure for Resolving Three Component Mixtures

Robert R. Belliveau, Department of Geoscience, University of Nevada - Las Vegas, 4505 S. Maryland Parkway, Las Vegas, NV 89154

Abstract. A simplification of the Petz-Faure graphical procedure for resolving three component mixtures is presented which has the advantages of easier construction and more intuitive interpretation.

OHIO J SCI 106 (5):191-192, 2006
 

Volume 106 No. 4─September 2006

The Ohio Journal of Science

Was the Shawnee War Chief Blue Jacket a Caucasian?

Carolyn D. Rowland, R. V. Van Trees, Marc S. Taylor, Michael L. Raymer, and Dan E. Krane, Forensic Bioinformatics, Inc., Dayton, OH 45324; Fairborn, OH 45324; Technical Associates Inc., Ventura, CA 93003; Department of Computer Science and Engineering, Wright State University, Dayton, OH 45435; and Department of Biological Sciences, Wright State University, Dayton, OH 45435

Abstract.  Two distinctly different origins have been ascribed to the great Shawnee war chief Blue Jacket who played a pivotal role in the early history of southwestern Ohio. By one very popular account, he was a captured Caucasian who embraced the ways of the Shawnee and came to lead their warriors in a campaign that unified all the Indian tribes of the Ohio River Valley against the United States of America. In contrast, modern day Shawnee Indians who still bear the Blue Jacket surname suggest that the legendary War Chief was unequivocally a Native American. Y-STR haplotyping of six living, direct male descendants of Chief Blue Jacket and of four direct male descendants/relatives of the Caucasian family that has become intertwined with the history of the Shawnee tribe is described in this study. Barring any questions of the paternity of the Chief’s single son who lived to produce male heirs, the “Blue Jacket-with-Caucasian-roots” is not based on reality. OHIO J SCI 106 (4):126-129, 2006

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What is Science?

Douglas L. Shrake, Lynn E. Elfner, William Hummon, Richard W. Janson, and Miles Free, The Ohio Academy of Science, 1500 West Third Avenue, Suite 228, Columbus, OH 43212-2817

Abstract.  In 2000 The Ohio Academy of Science published its definition of “Science.” Response to this definition led the Academy to produce a position paper entitled What is Science? The Academy officially adopted the position paper version of What is Science?, http://www.ohiosci.org/Whatisscience.pdf , at the April 2004 Ohio Academy of Science Annual Meeting. Response to this fact sheet demonstrated a need to further expand this document. Thus, this expanded version builds on the April 2004 position paper, What is Science? This paper clarifies what is science, the scientific method, a scientific hypothesis, a scientific theory, the importance of science, and what is not science.

OHIO J SCI 106 (4):130-135, 2006

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The Vertical Distribution of Phytoplankton Assemblages of Lake James, North Carolina in Relation to Mixing Depth and Nitrate and Phosphate Concentrations

Kemal Çelik and James Schindler, Department of Biological Sciences, Clemson University, Clemson, SC, 29633

Abstract.  Phytoplankton, nitrate () (mg L^-1), and phosphate () (mg L^-1) concentrations were studied in Lake James, NC, during 1997 and 1998. Depths of 2.0, 10, and 30 m were chosen for sampling to determine the vertical distribution of phytoplankton. At 2.0 and 10 m, the species diversity of Heterokontophyta was mainly represented by Mallomonas caudata (Ivanov); Chlorophyta by Chlamydomonas polypyrenoideum (Prescott); Bacillariophyta by Melosira granulata (Ehrenberg) Ralfs and Asterionella formosa (Hassall), respectively. At 30 m, the species diversity of Cryptophyta was mainly represented by Rhodomans minuta (Skuja); Bacillariophyta by Cyclotella glomerata (Bachmann), Synedra ulna (Nitzsch) Ehrenberg, and Tabellaria fenestrata (Lyngbye) Kützing; and Cyanophyta by Chroococcus limeticus (Lemmermann) and Oscillatoria limnetica (Lemmermann). The purpose of this study was to determine the vertical distribution of phytoplankton in relation to nitrate and phosphate concentrations and the mixing depth in the water column of Lake James, North Carolina, USA.OHIO J SCI 106 (4):136-145, 2006

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Nutrients, Eutrophic Response, and Fish Anomalies in the Little Miami River, Ohio

Rebecca L. Evans and Michael C. Miller, Northern Kentucky University, Department of Biological Sciences, Highland Heights, KY 41099; University of Cincinnati, Department of Biological Sciences, Cincinnati, OH 45221

Abstract.  We documented the eutrophic and chemical environment in the Little Miami River (LMR) to better understand the interaction between eutrophication, eutrophic response variables, and the health of aquatic organisms. Total phosphorus (TP) and soluble reactive phosphorus (SRP), nitrogen, dissolved oxygen (DO), benthic and sestonic algal biomass, benthic phosphorus storage, aqueous trace metals (Cd, Cr, Cu, Se, Zn), heavy metals (Al, Fe, Mn) and major cations (Ca, K, Mg, Na, Si) were analyzed at twelve sites over two summers. Results showed excess TP (>70 ug/L, p <0.05) and SRP (≥62.5 ug/L, p <0.05), borderline nuisance benthic algal biomass (mg/L chlorophyll a/m2) (periphyton: mean = 73.8 +/- 74.2, n = 125; Cladophora: mean = 216.7 +/- 380.7, n = 54), excess benthic phosphorus storage (mg P/m²) (periphyton: mean = 45.5 +/- 23.2, n = 64; Cladophora: mean = 129.3 +/- 224, n = 52), and high daytime DO (mean = 9.1 +/- 1.5 mg/L, n = 132). Previous studies showed aqueous phosphorus concentration and diurnal DO swings were positively correlated with fish anomalies (OEPA 1995, 2000). In this study, however, periphyton phosphorus (P) was the only eutrophic response variable to correlate with the distribution of fish anomalies reported by OEPA in 1995 and 2000, and the association was negative (R² = 0.143, p = 0.002, m = -1.634, df = 1, 62). We concluded that aqueous nutrients, eutrophic response variables, and/or water chemistry alone did not explain the occurrence of fish anomalies in the LMR. OHIO J SCI 106 (4):146-155, 2006

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James Hall’s (1856) Rostroconchs from the Mississippian of Indiana and Illinois

Richard D. Hoare, Department of Geology, Bowling Green State University, Bowling Green, OH 43403

Abstract.  Hall (1856) described without illustrations six species of the rostroconch Conocardium in his study of the fauna of the Salem Limestone in Indiana and the Warsaw Shale in Illinois. The species represent five genera, two of which are new, Leptoconocardium and Kyoconocardium. Other species represent the genera Hippocardia Brown, 1843; Oxyprora Hoare, Mapes, and Yancey, 2002; and Diedrorynchus Hoare and Peck, 2005.

OHIO J SCI 106 (4):156-163, 2006

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Passive Establishment of Vegetation in Constructed Wetlands in Agricultural Settings: a Case Study

Lee M. Luckeydoo, Norman R. Fausey, Craig B. Davis, Emilie Regnier, and Larry C. Brown, USDA-ARS Soil Drainage Research Unit, 590 Woody Hayes Drive, Columbus, OH 43210; School of Natural Resources, The Ohio State University, 2021 Coffey Road, Columbus, OH 43210; Department of Horticulture and Crop Sciences, The Ohio State University, 2021 Coffey Road, Columbus, OH 43210; Department of Food, Agricultural and Biological Engineering, The Ohio State University, 590 Woody Hayes Drive, Columbus, OH 43210

Abstract.  Three wetlands constructed in 1995 on land adjacent to agricultural fields in northwest Ohio were allowed to establish vegetation passively. Survey data collected 1998-2001 from quadrats in open water, frequently and infrequently submerged zones within the basin, identified 77 species over the three sites. Greatest species diversity occurred in the infrequently and frequently submerged zones. The dominant species within the wetlands originated from agricultural fields, nearby drainage ditches, streams, and the seeded erosion control buffer zones surrounding the wetlands. Six years following construction, less than 50% of the dominant species were wetland species. Results suggest that for constructed wetlands in agricultural settings, plantings or seeding of desired species will be required to supplement the existing sources of wetland vegetation species.

OHIO J SCI 106 (4):164-168, 2006

Abstracts

Volume 106 No. 3─June 2006

Survival and Nesting Habitat use by Sichuan and Ring-necked Pheasants Released in Ohio

Kathryn L. Shipley and David P. Scott, Ohio Department of Natural Resources, Division of Wildlife, Olentangy Wildlife Research Station, 8589 Horseshoe Road, Ashley, OH 43003

Abstract.  Ring-necked pheasant (Phasianus colchicus) populations in the Midwestern United States have declined drastically since World War II. Population numbers in Ohio have leveled off since the establishment of the Conservation Reserve Program (CRP); however, a return to historically abundant ring-necked pheasant populations is unlikely with current land-use practices. Studies by the Michigan Department of Natural Resources (DNR) of released Sichuan pheasants (P. c. strauchi), a subspecies of the ring-necked pheasant, suggested that Sichuans may nest in woody cover, a trait that could reduce agriculture-related nest losses common to ring-necked pheasants and potentially increase pheasant populations. We released over 2,000 Sichuan pheasants (962 females, 1,116 males) and 208 ring-necked pheasants (24 females, 84 males) in central Ohio, United States, in early April 1993-96. Survival and habitat use before, during, and after the nesting season were evaluated for a sample of hens from each subspecies through the use of radio-telemetry. Survival rates (range = 0.05-0.15) and apparent nest success (38% and 50% for Sichuan and ring-necked nests, respectively) were not different between the subspecies. The largest source of mortality for both subspecies was predation (71-84% and 65-88%, for Sichuan and ring-necked hens, respectively). Most nests, 85% of Sichuan and 81% of ring-necked, were located in upland herbaceous, upland shrub/scrub, and hay macro-habitat types. Nests of both subspecies were within 16 m of an edge, surrounded by few woody stems (median = 0.25/m2) and dense herbaceous cover (1,450 and 1,130 stems/m2, Sichuan and ring-necked nests, respectively). Sichuan hens selected a higher proportion of forbs (37.5% and 15.0%, Sichuan and ring-necked, respectively) and ring-necked hens selected a higher proportion of grass (17.5% and 37.5%, Sichuan and ring-necked, respectively) within 1.0 m2 of the nest (P ≤ 0.010). Population survey indices suggested that a self-sustaining Sichuan pheasant population was not established.

OHIO J SCI 106 (3):78-85, 2006

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Regeneration of Woodland Vegetation after Deer Browsing in Sharon Woods Metro Park, Franklin County, Ohio

Kashmira M. Asnani, Robert A. Klips, and Peter S. Curtis, Department of Evolution, Ecology, and Organismal Biology, The Ohio State University, Columbus, OH 43210.

Abstract.  Overbrowsing by deer can decrease plant abundance and change plant species composition, especially in isolated forest fragments. Sharon Woods Metro Park, Franklin County, OH is a 308 ha suburban woodland preserve that had a deer population of 347 individuals in 1992 (112 deer/km2), which was subsequently reduced to the currently maintained level of ~40 individuals (14 deer/km2). Deer exclosures (~0.4 ha) established in 1990 in three habitats were used to compare vegetation that recovered under complete protection with that which had sustained continued browsing. Tree seedlings, herbaceous and shrub species richness, diversity, and floristic quality were quantified in browsed and fenced treatments as indicators of plant diversity. Percent ground cover was assayed as a measure of plant biomass. Total percent ground cover was significantly lower in browsed treatments in two of the three habitats. Species richness and floristic quality of forest floor species were consistently, though not significantly, lowered in browsed treatments where the more disturbance-tolerant native species increased in frequency and abundance. Reduced deer browsing has allowed some plant species to regenerate but not others. For example, pawpaw (Asimina triloba), American beech (Fagus grandifolia), and jewelweed (Impatiens capensis) are disturbance tolerant and/or unpalatable species that may inhibit regeneration of more sensitive species under browsing pressure. A further reduction in deer density to ~4 deer/km2 and continued vegetation monitoring are recommended next steps for vegetation management at Sharon Woods.

OHIO J SCI 106 (3):86-92, 2006

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Population Responses of Microtus pennsylvanicus across a Chronological Sequence of Habitat Alteration

James L. Dooley, Jr. and Amanda L. Murray, Department of Biology, Muskingum College, New Concord, OH 43762

Abstract.  Understanding the effects of habitat alteration on population demography and persistence is emerging as one of the most important and challenging areas facing ecologists and conservation biologists today. Here we compare the population demography of a common but important consumer species in eastern and mid-western grassland communities (Microtus pennsylvanicus) across three habitats that differ in the amount of time since reclamation following strip-mining (30, 25, and 15 years). We established two 40 ¥ 40 m plots at each of the three sites and used traditional capture-recapture techniques to monitor population size, survival, and recruitment through a nine-month period during 1999-2000. We predicted that populations of M. pennsylvanicus would exhibit higher population numbers, better survival rates, and higher rates of recruitment in habitat patches that had been recovering for longer periods of time. In contrast to our predictions, results indicated higher peak population numbers at the most recently disturbed site ( c = 81.18 ± 9.59 individuals) and higher numbers of reproductive females ( c = 3.38 ± 0.85) relative to sites recovering for 25 and 30 years ( c peak population size = 28.08 ± 23.09 and 31.16 ± 1.75 individuals, respectively; c number of reproductive females = 0.57 ± 0.32 and 1.13 ± 0.13, respectively). Thus it would appear that time since disturbance was not an important predictor of population performance for this species in this altered system. Alternative hypotheses such as the influence of local habitat attributes and population fluctuations are discussed.

OHIO J SCI 106 (3):93-97, 2006

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Fish Assemblage of Cedar Fork Creek, Ohio, Unchanged for 28 Years

Tim M. Berra and Paulo Petry, Department of Evolution, Ecology & Organismal Biology, The Ohio State University, Mansfield, OH 44906; Museum of Comparative Zoology, Department of Ichthyology, Harvard University, Cambridge, MA 02138

Abstract.  A 270 m section of Cedar Fork Creek, a clear, gravel-bottomed, headwater stream of the Ohio River System in north-central Ohio, was sampled 48 times from 1975-2003. During the 28 year period 32,237 individuals of 10 fish families and 44 species were collected. Eight taxa made up 86% of the total number collected. Cyprinids (Luxilus cornutus, Campostoma anomalum, Pimephales notatus, Semotilus atro-maculatus, and Notropis buccatus) accounted for 65% of the individuals. Two darter species (Etheostoma caeruleum, E. nigrum) made up 17.4% of the total, and the white sucker, Catostomus commersoni, accounted for 3.3%. The same common species were abundant throughout the 28 years, and the same rare species were consistently present in small numbers. Species richness averaged 23 species per year. Margalef’s index of diversity varied only slightly from 2.8 to 3.6 during the study indicating the constancy of species composition. Two jackknife estimators (nonparametric resampling procedures) suggested that the collections detected 97-100% of the species present. Exotic species failed to make inroads into the Cedar Fork community except for carp, Cyprinus carpio, that have been in Ohio since 1879, and brown trout, Salmo trutta, that were recently stocked by the Ohio Department of Natural Resources.

OHIO J SCI 106 (3):98-102, 2006

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Glacial Lake Licking: Late-Glacial Drainage Diversion and the Formation

of Black Hand Gorge, Licking County, Ohio

Tod A. Frolking and Matthew A. Pachell, Department of Geology and Geography, Denison University, Granville, OH 43023; Anadarko Petroleum Corporation, The Woodlands, TX 77380

Abstract.  Numerous narrow, steep-walled valleys cut through the uplands of the Glaciated Appalachian Plateaus section of east-central Ohio. In Licking County, eastward-advancing glacial ice blocked the west-flowing paleo drainage east of Newark forming Glacial Lake Licking. Lake waters ultimately overtopped a drainage divide south of Hanover causing the erosion of Black Hand Gorge and reversal of the Licking River drainage. Cutbanks and cores into late-Wisconsinan terraces along the Licking River and its tributaries above the Gorge reveal dense, laminated (± 1.0 mm) to massive, calcareous, gray lacustrine silt disconformably overlain by 1.0-6.0+ m of oxidized fluvial sand and gravel overlain in turn by sandy silt (Chili loam soil). Lacustrine silt has been found from elevations of 228 m (748 ft) above sea level in cores in the Licking River floodplain to 255 m (838 ft) in a small lateral tributary. The 230 m (755 ft) elevation of the modern Gorge channel bed indicates at least 25 m of incision since the lake was impounded. Two radiometric dates (33,440 ± 1060 and 21,660 ± 120 years BP) as well as stratigraphic and pedogenic relationships indicate that Glacial Lake Licking was impounded in the late Wisconsinan and that gorge cutting occurred relatively early during the last glacial maximum. No weathering zone, indicating a significant period of subaerial exposure, has been noted either at the silt/gravel contact or within the fluvial gravel.

OHIO J SCI 106 (3):103-111, 2006

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Non-Acid Gastroesophageal Reflux and Respiratory Disorders: A Literature Review

Hayat Mousa and Frederick W. Woodley, Department of Pediatric Gastroenterology, Center for Advanced Research in Neuromuscular Gastrointestinal Disorders, Columbus Children’s Hospital, The Ohio State University School of Medicine and Public Health, Columbus, OH 45205

Abstract.  Recent technological advances that now permit us to detect gastroesophageal reflux (GER), independent of pH, have sparked a fury of interest in non-acid GER as a potential culprit in respiratory disorders. Application of combined esophageal pH and multichannel intraluminal impedance (MII) monitoring to the study and diagnosis of GER disease (GERD) demonstrated non-acid GER to be far more frequent (in infants, children, and adults alike) than previously recognized. The following report is a review of the current literature that describes non-acid GER or that temporally associates non-acid GER with respiratory disorders.

OHIO J SCI 106 (3):112-116, 2006

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Geomagnetic Navigation in Monarchs and Black Swallowtails

Alyssa Larue, Steven Naber, and Joseph Talnagi, 9661 Goodman Road, Groveport, OH 43125; Battelle Memorial Institute, 505 King Avenue, Columbus, OH 43201; The Ohio State University Nuclear Reactor Laboratory, 1298 Kinnear Road, Columbus, OH 43212

Abstract.  Monarch butterflies (Danaus plexippus) in North America migrate to and from Mexico. Black swallowtails (Papilio polyxenes) are non-migratory and travel locally. Two hypotheses have been suggested concerning the navigation of monarchs: that the monarchs use an internal sun compass, or that they use a geomagnetic compass. The data collected by this research show that both species have the ability to use geomagnetic navigation and that monarchs do, in fact, use geomagnetic navigation. Neutron activation analysis was used to assay iron concentrations by species, body parts, and sex. It was shown that the head had the highest iron concentrations of the body parts, with monarch females being higher than monarch males. The gender pattern was reversed in the black swallowtails. A strong magnet and insect pavilion was used in darkness and sunlight in different orientations to test the hypothesis that monarchs have a geomagnetic sensory system and use geomagnetic navigation. Monarchs were affected by the magnet in both sunlight and dark, while black swallowtails did not show conclusively that they use geomagnetic navigation. These findings may have parallels in other migratory and non-migratory species of animals.

OHIO J SCI 106 (3):117-123, 2006

Volume 106 No. 2--April 2006

Further Explorations into Ohio’s Fractured Environment: Introduction to The Ohio Journal of Science’s Second Special Issue on Fractures in Ohio’s Glacial Tills

 Julie Weatherington-Rice, Ann D. Christy, and Michael P. Angle, Bennett and Williams Environmental Consultants Inc., Columbus, OH 43231; Department of Food, Agricultural, and Biological Engineering, The Ohio State University, Columbus, OH 43210; Ohio Department of Natural Resources, Division of Water, Columbus, OH 43224

 Abstract.  This paper summarizes the history of the Ohio Fracture Flow Working Group (OFFWG), describes their activities since the publication of the first special issue of The Ohio Journal of Science in 2000, and references selected recent publications by Ohio researchers, other researchers in the United States, and research efforts internationally. It also serves as an introduction to and overview of this second special issue of The Ohio Journal of Science.

 Dedication.  This special issue is dedicated to Jane L. Forsyth and Truman W. Bennett for their foundational contributions to glacial geology and hydrogeology, respectively, and their roles in understanding fractures in unconsolidated (glacial) materials.

 OHIO J SCI 106(2):4-8, 2006

 Textural and Mineralogical Characteristics of Tills of Northeastern and North-Central Ohio

John P. Szabo, Department of Geology, University of Akron, Akron, OH 44325-4101

Abstract.  Textural and mineralogical parameters of over 3400 till samples are summarized to provide a database for scientists and engineers working with fractured tills in Ohio. Matrix textures (% <2.0 mm), carbonate contents (% <0.074 mm), and diffraction intensity ratios (illite/chlorite + kaolinite) were commonly measured. Texturally, most tills become sandier and less clay rich as they are traced onto the Allegheny Plateau. The overall distribution of mean textures of the Illinoian tills is similar to that of the Late Wisconsinan tills. Incorporation of local clastic bedrock on the plateau or changes in mode of deposition may be the reason for increased sand content. Carbonate contents of tills are generally larger in the Lake and Till plains provinces, and carbonate contents decline along transects from the Till Plains to the Allegheny Plateau. Exceptions to this trend are caused by the release of far-traveled carbonates from the englacial load of glaciers during formation of end moraines. Similarly the lithology of the sand fraction (1.0-2.0 mm) reflects the underlying bedrock, but proportions of igneous and metamorphic rock fragments increase within end moraines where englacial load is released. Diffraction intensity ratios decrease onto the plateau because of the entrainment of Pennsylvanian-age shales containing kaolinite. Numerous factors such as glacier dynamics, topography of the underlying bedrock, bedrock lithology, amount of bedrock exposure, and dilution by older glacial deposits affect the texture and composition of tills. Future research should examine the possible relation of texture and mineralogy to joint width.

OHIO J SCI 106(2):9-16, 2006

Mineralogy of Weathered Wisconsinan Till along a Fracture in the Root Zone

Pierre W. Bruno, John P. Szabo, and Annabelle Foos, Department of Geology, University of Akron, Akron, OH 44325-4101

Abstract.  Subsampling of a large block of Wisconsinan Ashtabula Till suggests that weathering progresses outward from fractures in the root zone. In the fracture zone pore waters have precipitated iron, calcite has been partially leached, and dolomite remains constant. Illite and kaolinite phases present in samples taken from near the fracture in yellowish-brown, oxidized till do not significantly differ from gray, unoxidized till from the same horizon. However, chlorite has been altered to vermiculite in samples proximal to the fracture. Diffraction intensity ratios (illite₀₀₁/kaolinite₀₀₁ + chlorite₀₀₂) increase near the fracture and decrease with distance away from the fracture. The concentration of goethite, the mineral responsible for the yellowish-brown color, decreases exponentially with respect to distance from the fracture. This oxidized zone has a greater sand content and lesser clay content than the unoxidized gray zone because free iron that coats the clay particles cements them into sand-size aggregates. Weathering processes in till adjacent to fractures are the same as those that form weathering zones in till landscapes.

OHIO J SCI 106(2):17–21, 2006

Use of Soil Texture Analysis to Predict Subsurface Fracturing in Glacial Tills and Other Unconsolidated Materials

Eun Kyoung Kim and Ann D. Christy, Department of Food, Agricultural, and Biological Engineering, The Ohio State University, Columbus, OH 43210

Abstract.  Predicting the occurrence and development of fractures is difficult because fracturing in glacial tills and other unconsolidated materials has been observed across many geographic areas, climates, land uses, soil types, and till units. This difficulty led to a statistical investigation of historic geologic and soil data. Soil textures and fracture depths from 9 field sites and 45 soil pedons (140 sample points) were analyzed using statistical and graphical methods. When plotted on the USDA soil texture ternary diagram, the data indicate that tills having less than 10% clay or greater than 52% sand are unlikely to support fracturing; conversely tills having greater than 10% clay or less than 52% sand are more likely to do so. Based on the 95% hexagonal confidence region for soil texture data, tills with less than 55% sand, 20-65% silt, and 5-53% clay would be more likely to form fractures. The texture classes of tills predicted to sustain fracturing were mainly clay, loam, clay loam, silty clay loam, and silty clay. The depth of glacial tills having observed fractures ranged from 0.5 to 215 ft. These results are useful to explain and document how fractures are created in glacial tills and may be a useful tool for field engineers and geologists allowing them to anticipate fractures in glacial tills in Ohio and beyond.

OHIO J SCI 106(2):22-26, 2006

Fracture and Gully Formation in Glacial Fill: Field Observations at the WillowCreek Landfill, Portage County, Ohio, with Implications to Historic Earthen Dam Failure Sites in the US

Julie Weatherington-Rice and George F. Hall, Bennett & Williams Environmental Consultants Inc., Columbus, OH, 43231; The Ohio State University, School of Environment and Natural Resources, Columbus, OH 43210

Abstract.  Fracture formation in fill was observed to occur rapidly, in just a few years at the WillowCreek Landfill site. The soil science and geomorphology literature does not discuss the formation of fractures in glacial fill. Observations (which are often the first step in developing a research effort) of fractures formed in fill derived from fine-grained Ohio glacial soils and tills by Weatherington-Rice at the WillowCreek site and in earthen dams by Sherard are here presented. Questions regarding the applications of these observations to potential impacts and failures of the built environment, that is, landfill construction and leachate generation (HELP model), earthen dams, highway construction, and general construction sites, are raised. Recommendations are made for the need for inter-disciplinary research and literature sharing.

OHIO J SCI 106(2):27-34, 2006

Buried Pre-Illinoian-Age Lacustrine Deposits with “Green Rust” Colors in Clermont County, Ohio

Julie Weatherington-Rice and Jerry M. Bigham, Bennett & Williams Environmental Consultants Inc., Columbus, OH 43231; The Ohio State University, School of Environment and Natural Resources, Columbus, OH 43210

Abstract.  Buried, Pre-Illinoian-age lacustrine deposits found in at least two separate bedrock valleys in Clermont County, OH, exhibit brilliant colors of “green rust” that alter rapidly when exposed to oxygen. In these settings, the materials are leached of calcium carbonate but the iron has not undergone the redoximorphic depletion typically observed in gleyed hydric soils. Water movement has been exclusively through fractures and along varved bedding planes for approximately 700,000 years, indicating that in these settings, matrix flow is not occurring. The overlying Pre-Illinoian-age Backbone Creek glacial till also exhibits gleyed coloration but these materials are not leached of calcium carbonate. These materials also oxidize when exposed to air, indicating that again, the iron is not removed from the till. A possible correlation to similar permeability properties in northwest Ohio Late-Wisconsinan-age lacustrine materials and fine-grained tills is drawn. The “green rust” provides evidence for minimal to no matrix flow in fine-grained materials and supports the Ohio Fracture Flow Working Group recommendation that water movement along fractures, varved bedding planes, through sand stringers, and along paleosol unconformities be assumed unless matrix contributions have been documented and can be confirmed in these settings.

 OHIO J SCI 106(2):35-44, 2006

Drastic Hydrogeologic Settings Modified for Fractured Till: Part 1. Theory

Julie Weatherington-Rice, Ann D. Christy, Michael P. Angle, and Linda Aller, Bennett & Williams Environmental Consultants Inc., Columbus, OH 43231; Department of Food, Agricultural, and Biological Engineering, The Ohio State University, Columbus, OH 43210; Ohio Department of Natural Resources, Division of Water, Columbus, OH 43224; Bennett & Williams Environmental Consultants Inc., Columbus, OH 43231

Abstract.  The ground water vulnerability assessment model, DRASTIC, has been modified to better evaluate the effect of fractured till. In the mid-1980s, the Ohio Department of Natural Resources (ODNR) Division of Water began statewide, county-by-county mapping of the potential for ground water pollution. Eventually it was recognized that the original DRASTIC methodology needed to be modified to incorporate the concept of double-block porosity and preferential flow through Ohio’s fractured glacial tills. Glacial till was eventually recognized as a unique vadose zone media, and different ratings were assigned to the various till lithologies. It was determined that thin, weathered, highly-fractured tills should be more highly rated by increasing the rating of “R” Net Recharge and “I” Impact of the vadose zone media, where appropriate. In rare instances, the ratings of very thin soils (“S” Soil media) were modified to reflect the nature of underlying parent materials. In contrast, extremely thick sequences of unweathered till were given lower ratings for “R” Net Recharge and “I” Impact of the vadose zone media. DRASTIC maps have been completed for 76% of the 88 counties in Ohio. With the advent of Geographic Information Systems (GIS) applications, compiling a county DRASTIC map has become faster, and publication costs have been significantly reduced. GIS provides the tools to review and quickly modify historical mapping efforts that predate the fracture modification. This paper reviews the history of DRASTIC mapping in Ohio, presents the theory of modifications for fractures, and includes some discussion of Ohio regulatory applications. 

OHIO J SCI 106(2):45-50, 2006

 DRASTIC Hydrogeologic Settings Modified for Fractured Till: Part 2. Field Observations

Julie Weatherington-Rice, Ann D. Christy, Michael P. Angle, Richard Gehring, and Linda Aller, Bennett & Williams Environmental Consultants Inc., Columbus, OH 43231; Department of Food, Agricultural, and Biological Engineering, The Ohio State University, Columbus, OH 43210; Ohio Department of Natural Resources, Division of Water, Columbus, OH 43224; USDA-Natural Resources Conservation Service, Columbus, OH 43215; Bennett & Williams Environmental Consultants Inc., Columbus, OH 43231

Abstract.  Developed as a companion paper to “DRASTIC Hydrogeologic Settings Modified for Fractured Till: Part 1. Theory,” twenty-one field sites around glaciated Ohio were visited to determine if fractures were present in the soils and underlying parent materials at each location. Four sites were featured with in-depth discussions. In all, 23 of the original 95 fractured soils identified in Tornes and others (2000) were confirmed in the field and four new soils were added to the list: Amanda, Avonburg, Blanchester, and Clermont. Settings were grouped by common glacial and soils characteristics where they were linked to predict similar conditions over a wider ranging area. Modifications to their site specific DRASTIC ratings can be extrapolated to the larger geologic regions. All 21 sites were evaluated for their DRASTIC settings and new Ground Water Pollution Potential numbers were assigned where necessary. Modification of the DRASTIC mapping method has made the Ohio Ground Water Pollution Potential mapping program more protective of Ohio’s ground water supplies. DRASTIC mapping efforts can play an important role in not only statewide but also local ground water pollution protection efforts.

OHIO J SCI 106(2):51-63, 2006

Fractured Tills, Ohio’s Ground Water Resources, and Public Policy Considerations Addressed by DRASTIC Maps

Julie Weatherington-Rice, Ava Hottman (in memorium), Earl Finbar Murphy, Ann D. Christy, and Michael Angle, Bennett and Williams Environmental Consultants Inc., Columbus, OH 43231; former Assistant Chief OEPA Surface Water Division, Columbus, OH; Moritz College of Law, The Ohio State University, Columbus, OH 43210; Department of Food, Agricultural, and Biological Engineering, The Ohio State University, Columbus, OH 43210; Ohio Department of Natural Resources, Division of Water, Columbus, OH 43224

Abstract.  The public health of all Ohioans is dependent on land use decisions that preserve the quality of Ohio’s water resources. If a potentially polluting site is located over fractured glacial tills, those fractures could hasten contaminant transport from surface contamination to underlying ground water. This paper addresses public policy, government programs, and the law as they affect land use decisions in fractured environments. A review of programs in Ohio identified a number of efforts currently in place that, if modified, could include ground water pollution potential mapping (DRASTIC) and the concept of fracture flow in guiding science-based land use decisions. Two of these programs, the Sole Source Aquifer designation and the Wellhead/Source Water Protection Program, are detailed. In addition, two Ohio law cases directly addressing ground water resource protection are described: Cline v. American Aggregates and CF/Water et al. v. Schregardus. The latter case is the first in the United States to explicitly state that fractures must be taken into consideration by the regulatory agency when reviewing a permit to install a potentially contaminating land use.

OHIO J SCI 106(2):64-73, 2006

Abstracts

Volume 105 No. 5--December 2005

Floristic Survey of a Highly Disturbed Wetland within Shaker Median Park, Beachwood (Cuyahoga County), Ohio 

Michael K. Delong, Suneeti K. Jog, Jeffrey R. Johansen, and George J. Wilder, Department of Biology, Geology, and Environmental Sciences, Cleveland State University, Cleveland, OH 44115; Department of Biology, John Carroll University, University Heights, OH 44118; Division of Ecological Studies, Florida Gulf Coast University, Fort Myers, FL 33965-6565 

Abstract.  A 1.5 year-long investigation of a highly disturbed suburban wetland revealed 298 species, varieties, and form as of vascular plants, including several taxa uncommon elsewhere in Cuyahoga County. The site exhibited five vegetation subtypes which we compared using several measures including Floristic Quality Assessment Index and Shannon Diversity Index. Historically, the site has been subjected to numerous massive disturbances, but none in a period of 20 years from ca. 1982-2002. Data indicated that the site had recovered partially from disturbance, but was threatened by invasive species.    OHIO J SCI 105 (5):102-115, 2005

 Changes in Older and Younger Woods in West-Central Ohio

James R. Runkle, Lisa A. Fairbanks, Keelan H. Armstrong, Timothy S. Campbell, and Amanda L. Espenschied-Reilly, Department of Biological Sciences, Wright State University, Dayton, OH 45435

Abstract.  This study examines changes in two forest stands in the Quercus-Acer saccharum forest region of west central Ohio: an old-growth stand changing from Quercus-dominated to Acer saccharum-dominated and a stand established following agricultural abandonment about 1950. Both stands are in the Wright State University woods. Permanent plots were sampled in 1980 (younger stand only), 1982 (older stand only), 1993, and 2000. The older stand had more small, fewer intermediate, and more large stems than the younger stand. The plot in the new stand showed a bell-shaped distribution with most stems established shortly after land abandonment. Mortality decreased and growth increased with stem size for both stands. Acer saccharum in all sizes and large Quercus dominated the older stand. The younger stand was dominated by Robinia pseudo-acacia with Acer saccharum also important. In the older plots small stems generally were clustered, intermediate-sized stems randomly distributed, and the largest stems regularly distributed. In the younger plot small stems were aggregated while larger ones were randomly distributed. Quercus regenerated well until the late 1800s, singly or in small groups, but few stems have become established since 1900. Quercus may need fires or grazing to regenerate successfully. Both stands are changing to increased dominance by Acer saccharum and other shade-tolerant species as they lose species (Robinia pseudo-acacia in the younger stand, Quercus in the older stand) more successful under past than present conditions.    OHIO J SCI 105 (5):116-124, 2005

Human Influence Past and Present – Relationship of Nutrient and Hydrologic Conditions to Urban Wetland Macrophyte Distribution 

Julie A. Wolin and Patricia Mackeigan, Department of Biological, Geological and Environmental Sciences, Cleveland State University, 2121 Euclid Avenue, Cleveland, OH 44115-2214 

Abstract.  Urban wetlands can provide valuable ecological services through filtration and moderation of non-point source pollutants. They provide habitat for wildlife, green space, and recreational opportunities for nearby human populations. We investigated an isolated section of an urban wetland in the Cleveland metropolitan area to determine the overall quality of the vegetation and to evaluate the site for possible rehabilitation. We also researched the distribution of plant species in relation to existing hydrologic, soil, and nutrient conditions in order to identify possible impacts of historic or present human activities in the surrounding watershed. Vegetation composition and physical/chemical parameters were measured in 1.0  1.0 m² plots along three transects. Canonical correspondence analysis (CCA) was used to directly correlate species distributions to nutrient concentrations, soil carbon content, and water depth. Our sample area was dominated by Typha angustifolia, Leersia oryzoides, and Sparganium eurycarpum. A few high quality species were present, but the overall macrophyte community was indicative of human disturbance. Historic information revealed a long history of disturbance at the site and continuing anthropogenic impact. Patchiness in nutrient and water depth gradients results from historic and current human impacts in the study area. Our results indicate any rehabilitation efforts of the site need to take into account past and current anthropogenic stressors. We recommend aggressive removal of invasive species and re-introduction of nutrient-tolerant native taxa to achieve successful rehabilitation at the site.    OHIO J SCI 105 (5):125-132, 2005

Immigration and Economic Restructuring in Ohio’s Cities, 1940-2000

Kefa M. Otiso and Bruce W. Smith, Department of Geography, Bowling Green State University, Bowling Green, OH 43403

Abstract.  The purpose of this research is to use Census data to examine trends in employment and the foreign-born among Ohio’s largest cities between 1940 and 2000. The observed trends are linked to economic changes in the cities. In 1940, many Ohio cities attracted significant numbers of foreign-born due to job opportunities in manufacturing. However, since 1940, employment and spatial restructuring has eroded the manufacturing base of most Ohio cities, making them less appealing to the newer immigrant streams. Another change is that Columbus has overshadowed Cleveland as the primary location of the foreign-born population since 1940. Columbus is now more attractive to immigrants because it has a greater concentration of jobs in the growing service and information employment sectors than does Cleveland. Columbus’ large foreign-born population is also partly due to the refugee resettlement policies of the US government, especially in the case of Somalis. Columbus is now the second largest center of Somalis in the US. Ohio cities’ ability to attract immigrants, who are critical to population and economic growth, depends on the cities’ ability to nurture industries that will generate the jobs that will draw immigrants. In addition, some researchers believe that amenities, such as cafes, museums, and diversity, are critical to attract migrants, both domestic and foreign-born. Thus, investments in the cultural environment and human talent cannot be overlooked.    OHIO J SCI 105 (5):133-137, 2005

Ultrastructure of the Eggs Chorion of Ceraleptus obtusus (Brulle, 1839) (Heteroptera: Coreidae)

Selami Candan, Zekiye Suludere, and Dilek Durak, Gazi University, Faculty of Arts and Sciences, Department of Biology, 06500, Ankara, TURKEY and Erciyes University, Faculty of Arts and Sciences, Department of Biology, Yozgat, TURKEY

Abstract.  The eggs of Ceraleptus obtusus were studied with light and scanning electron microscope. The females were collected from the Sinekci mountain pass of Kas (Antalya, Turkey) and maintained under laboratory conditions. The oval shaped eggs averaged 1.35 mm in length and 0.74 mm in width. The eggs were dark brown and mat. The egg chorion surface showed a chorionic pattern resulting in irregular hexagonal patterns. There were 18-19 short pipe micropylar projections mounted at the anterior pole. The egg burster was a chitinous and sclerotized structure. Examination of a cross section of the chorion showed that it was composed of three layers.    OHIO J SCI 105 (5):138–141, 2005

Abstracts

Volume 105 No. 4--September 2005

Cardiac Rehabilitation Intervention and Quality of Life Indicators: A Validation Estimate of Ware’s Model

John M. Laux, Isadore Newman, John Queener, Jim Rosneck, and Richard Josephson; Department of Counseling & Mental Health Services, The University of Toledo, Toledo, OH 43606; Department of Educational Foundations & Leadership, The University of Akron, Akron, OH 44325; Department of Counseling, Summa Health System, The University of Akron, Akron, OH 44325; Cardiac Rehabilitation Institute, Summa Health System, The University of Akron, Akron, OH 44304 

Abstract.  The present study tests Ware’s (1987, 1990) prediction that patient evaluations of quality of life (QOL) are related to physical ability. QOL data from 302 patients were collected prior to initiation and upon completion of a 12-week cardiac rehabilitation program. Physical ability was measured in metabolic equivalents (METS). Pearson product moment correlation coefficients were calculated for the variables under study. Multiple regression analyses were conducted to test these relationships covarying patient diagnosis, and pre-treatment QOL score and patient demographics. Significant improvements from pre- to post-CR were found for METs and all QOL variables. Improvements in physical ability were significantly correlated with improvements in physical health related QOL indices, but not with mental health QOL indices. These relationships were present even when moderating variables were co-varied. Improvements in physical ability were predictive of decreased expectations that physical health would interfere with work or other daily activities. As the physical capabilities of our patients increased, they reported feeling less physical pain and were less limited by any pain they did experience. And, increased physical ability was associated with a brighter outlook on current and expected future health status. These findings provide support for Ware’s theory of QOL. OHIO J SCI 105 (4):66–73, 2005

 Administration of a Glycoprotein IIb/IIIa Receptor Blocker with a Thienopyridine Derivative Does Not Increase the Risk of Thrombocytopenia

Kevin H. Silver, Isadore Newman, Susan M. Rohr, Jeremy Johnson, and Richard A. Josephson; Akron Cardiology Consultants, 95 Arch Street, Akron, OH 44304; Department of Educational Foundations & Leadership, The University of Akron, Akron, OH 44325; Summa Health System, University of Akron, Akron, OH 44325; Department of Medicine, Northeast Ohio Universities College of Medicine, Rootstown, OH 44272; Cardiac Rehabilitation Institute, Summa Health System, The University of Akron, Akron, OH 44304 

Abstract.  The combination of aspirin, a thienopyridine derivative, and a glycoprotein IIb/IIIa receptor inhibitor has become standard therapy for patients undergoing percutaneous coronary intervention (PCI). Recent studies have shown an increased incidence of thrombocytopenia in those patients receiving a high loading dose of clopidogrel (thienopyridine) with abciximab (IIb/IIIa receptor inhibitor) prior to coronary intervention. We reviewed the records of 504 patients who underwent PCI at a large tertiary care hospital and noted an incidence of thrombocytopenia of 4.8%, comparable to published historical controls who received abciximab without clopidogrel. In patients undergoing PCI, there was no difference in thrombocytopenia or bleeding complications between patients receiving a high or a low dose of a thienopyridine. We conclude that a high loading dose of a thienopyridine derivative prior to PCI may be administered safely and efficaciously in the setting of concomitant administration of abciximab without an undue risk of thrombocytopenia. OHIO J SCI 105 (4):74–78, 2005

Steel Industry Slags Compared with Calcium Carbonate in Neutralizing Acid Mine Soil

David A. Munn, Ohio State University Agricultural Technical Institute, 1328 Dover Road, Wooster, OH 44691

 Abstract.  Ohio has substantial lands impacted by surface mining for coal and an active steel industry. Steel industry slags have been used as liming compounds for agriculture and acid mine soil reclamation. This 3-year study evaluates slags from Ohio steel mills in greenhouse trials where these materials are compared to reagent grade CaCO3 in their ability to improve plant growth on acid mine soil. The objectives of this study were to evaluate the effectiveness of these materials at two rates of application in raising acid mine soil pH and to address concerns about metals in such slags. Three slags and reagent grade CaCO3 were applied at rates equivalent to 12.5 and 25 g CaCO3 kg-1 soil on acid mine soil (pH = 3.5). Five consecutive crops of oats (Avena sativa L.), wheat (Triticum aestivum L.), corn (Zea mays L.), wheat and soybean (Glycine max (L.) Merr.) were grown and harvested at the seedling stage. The slags and CaCO3 increased yields (P <0.01 level) compared to unlimed control pots. Soil and plant Ca were increased and plant Al and Mn decreased by application of all four materials. The slags increased soil and plant Mg. Particle size of the slags was somewhat coarse which decreased their effectiveness, but overall these slags proved to be satisfactory liming materials. The fineness efficiency developed for carbonate forms of lime may not adequately characterize slag effectiveness. Micronutrient metals including iron were not found to be in excess in plant tissue treated with slags despite the steel slags’ high Fe content. OHIO J SCI 105 (4):79–87, 2005

 Aquatic Macrophyte Diversity and Habitat Characterization of the Cuyahoga River Watershed in Northeastern Ohio

Shimshon Balanson, B. Michael Walton, Julie A. Wolin, and Tarun K. Mal (in memorium), Department of Biological, Geological, and Environmental Sciences, Cleveland State University, 2121 Euclid Avenue, Cleveland, OH 44115

Abstract.  We surveyed aquatic macrophyte diversity and abundance at 20 sites along the main channel of the Cuyahoga River and its tributaries. These sites included 12 sites in the watershed at which an Index of Biological Integrity (IBI) for fish communities deviated significantly from a value predicted by a statistical model of landscape urbanization and stream habitat quality. These sites were classified as Best of the Best, Worst of the Best, Best of the Worst and Worst of the Worst among 164 sites within the Cuyahoga basin. In order to characterize a site, we collected data on the physical features of the stream and quantified the species abundance of aquatic macrophytes in a 100 m transect. Within each transect, measurements of stream width, bankfull width, stream depth, bankfull depth, and canopy cover were recorded every 10 m. Nitrate, phosphate, and ammonia content of water samples were also assayed. The quality of stream habitat for each site was quantified using the Qualitative Habitat Evaluation Index (QHEI). Strong significant correlations between the measure of stream depth and stream width as well as canopy coverage and bankfull width were observed. A weak significant correlation was found between IBI and QHEI scores. Additional analysis showed that water chemistry did not influence QHEI or IBI scores. An analysis of variance indicated that the IBI scores significantly differed among site types. Macrophytes were discovered at seven of the 20 sites with an overall richness of 11 species among all sites. The most common aquatic macrophytes were: Elodea canadensis L., Sparganium americanum Nutt., and Sagittaria latifolia Willd. Results demonstrate that physical stream characteristics are strong indicators of fish population integrity, but are not necessarily indicative of aquatic macrophyte assemblages. Storms severely impacted many streams during the survey, possibly altering macrophyte assemblages. Further surveys should be undertaken at additional sites within the Cuyahoga River watershed for a comprehensive assessment of aquatic macrophytes. OHIO J SCI 105 (4):88–96, 2005

Failure of a Free-living Northern Mockingbird (Mimus polyglottos) to Discriminate Food Rewards on the Basis of Number

George L. Farnsworth, Department of Biology, Xavier University, 3800 Victory Parkway, Cincinnati, OH 45207

Abstract.  Spontaneous numerical discrimination has been observed in animals in laboratory and field studies. These studies often rely on subjects choosing the most profitable food items. I designed a feeding apparatus to explore the spontaneous numerical discrimination of a free-living northern mockingbird (Mimus polyglottos). The feeder consisted of two tubes containing food rewards. In order to attain the reward from a tube, the subject had to remove one or more obstacles. I tested to see if the subject would choose the tube with greatest profitability first. The subject did not discriminate when given a choice between a tube with two obstacles and a tube with three obstacles. The subject also did not discriminate between a tube with larger number of food items and a tube with fewer food items (each tube with one obstacle). However, the subject did discriminate between a tube with reward and a tube without reward. The failure of the subject to discriminate on the basis of number may reflect the low cost associated with making the sub-optimal choice. With some improvements, the feeding apparatus may provide a way to examine spontaneous numerical competence in free-living birds without having to capture subjects. OHIO J SCI 105 (4):97–99, 2005

Volume 105 No. 3--June 2005

BRIEF NOTE

New Localities in Ohio for Five Vascular Plant Species¹

Suneeti K. Jog² and Michael K. Delong³, Department of Biological, Geological, and Environmental Sciences, Cleveland State University, 2399 Euclid Avenue, Cleveland, OH 44115

Abstract.  Floristic studies are imperative for documentation of our biodiversity. We conducted floristic surveys within regions of Ohio that were ecologically interesting and contained a diverse flora. We report new records of five vascular plant species, Nigella damascena, Salix x sepulcralis. Spiraea x bumalda, Thermopsis vittosa, and Veronica longifolia. Two of these species have not been reported in Ohio, while three are new to the county in which they were collected. OHIO J SCI 105 (3):34, 2005

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Section 404 of the Clean Water Act and Resulting Wetlands Mitigation for Selected Counties of Northern Ohio¹

Emmanuel K. Mbobi, Department of Geography, Kent State University - Stark Campus, Canton, OH 44720

 ABSTRACT.  This study examines Section 404 of the Clean Water Act to determine its impact on the destruction of wetlands. The data for this study was obtained from the Army Corps of Engineers (ACOE). Included is the number of Section 404 permit applications received by the ACOE during the period 1990 to 2001 and the action taken on these applications for six northern Ohio counties — Lucas, Ottawa, Portage, Summit, Stark, and Wood. During the study period a total of 1,676 applications were received from the six counties. 79.3% of the applications were issued by the ACOE. Less than 1% of the applications were rejected, and 17% of the applications were withdrawn before action was taken. In all, these counties requested 283.5 acres of wetlands for filling. 238.4 acres were approved for destruction, and 586.82 acres were proposed for mitigation by the ACOE. The core of this study is mitigation results. The ACOE has no record certifying that proposed mitigations were carried out. They blame this on insufficient manpower to undertake the investigative task. Consequently, wetlands have been destroyed in anticipation of mitigation without corresponding mitigation activities. Most mitigation is conducted by conservation groups through mitigation banking. Their information is sketchy and their data is hard to obtain. For mitigation to work, the ACOE and EPA need to generate a feedback loop to monitor mitigation activities, a condition which is currently lacking in the organizational structure of the ACOE.  OHIO J SCI 104 (3):35-42, 2004

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Bird Population Changes in a Hamilton County, Ohio, Forest¹

LAUREN P. SAUNDERS2, CHARLES W. SAI-NDF.RS, DAVID STYRR, AND STEPHAN PEUKAN3, Department of Mathematics, University of Cincinnati, Cincinnati, OH 45221-0025

ABSTRACT.  We monitored breeding bird populations in a woodland plot in Hamilton County, OH. By comparing historical data (1991-8) with 2003 populations, we observed a decrease in the populations of more species than expected by chance. In contrast, few species showed a population increase. Overall, the total number of territorial males in 2003 was 12% below the average number from 1991 to 1998.  OHIO J SCI 105 (3):43-45, 2005

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Hydrology, Water Quality, and Restoration Potential for the Upper Big Darby Creek, Central Ohio¹

 Li ZHANG, WILLIAM J. MITSCH, AND DANIEL F. FINK, Olentangy River Wetland Research Park, School of Natural Resources and Environmental Science Graduate Program, 352 W. Dodridge Street, The Ohio State University, Columbus, OH 43202

ABSTRACT.  The restoration of riparian buffers as well as the creation and restoration of wetlands along streams are practices that can be used to control point and non-point source pollution. Our study provides hydrology and water quality data from 2000-2002 in anticipation of recommending restoration of the headwaters of the Big Darby Creek Watershed in central Ohio. One tributary of concern in the headwaters, Flat Branch, contributed 11% of the total river flow during April 2002 flooding and 56 and 88% of the flow in the headwater study area during non-growing (winter and early spring) and growing (summer and early fall) seasons, respectively. There were significant differences in water chemistry, both temporally and spatially, at each sampling station within the upper watershed. Flat Branch was seasonally or continuously higher in temperature, pH, and turbidity, and lower in dissolved ions and oxygen than Darby Creek. Low dissolved oxygen at dawn during the summer months caused by diurnal metabolism in the water column is also a concern in Darby Creek. We propose the creation/restoration of riparian wetlands at the confluence of the Big Darby and Flat Branch as one solution to degrading water quality in the upper Big Darby watershed. Flood pulses, particularly from the Flat Branch, could be directed to riparian wetlands, which would minimize downstream erosion and capture the water exactly when several pollutants (sediments, nitrates, and so forth) are in higher concentrations. The restoration area could have flood control, habitat, and ecotourism values as well. OHIO J SCI 105 (3):46-56, 2005

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 The Unionid Mussel Fauna of Northeastern Ohio's Grand River¹ 

MARTIN K. HUEHNER, ROBERT A. KREUS, GREGORY ZIMMERMAN, AND MELISSA MEJIA (in memoriam), Environmental Studies Program, Hiram College, Hiram, OH 44234; Department of BGES, Cleveland State University, Cleveland, OH 44115; EnviroScience, Inc., 3781 Darrow Road, Stow, OH 44224; Hiram College, Hiram, OH 44234

ABSTRACT. Unionid mussel distribution, numbers, and species were examined in the Grand River to provide a recent and comprehensive study of mussels from northeast Ohio's longest river. The entire length of the Grand was canoed and examined for unionid mussel beds, with the exception of upstream areas where the river was small; SCUBA was used to survey just upstream of Fairport Harbor. The lower river, designated Grand River's Wild and Scenic section, was studied in 1995, the middle reaches, called the Scenic section, were surveyed in 1996, and completion of the headwater region followed in 1998. Finally, a survey near the mouth of the river was made in 2002. A total of 95 sites were examined visually, by hand, with bottom sieves, dip nets, or by diving, as conditions demanded; riverbanks were searched for dead shells. A total of 11,625 living mussels and 4,514 dead shells comprising 27 species were identified. All species found were represented by living specimens. Comparisons to earlier collections indicated that the unionid fauna is changing, especially in downstream areas, but the diversity of these threatened macroinvertebrates in the Grand River has been much less affected than in the neighboring Ohio rivers to the west. OHIO J SCI 105 (3):57-62, 2005

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Volume 105 No. 2--April 2005

An Amphibian Survey of Killbuck Marsh Wildlife Area, Ohio 

Jill A. Wicknick, Carl D. Anthony, and Jaret S. Reblin, Department of Biology, John Carroll University, University Heights, OH 44118

 Abstract.  We surveyed Killbuck Marsh Wildlife Area, Ohio, for amphibians during a 4-year period, from 1998-2002. Sampling techniques used were visual encounter surveys (hand-collecting in terrestrial and aquatic habitats), call surveys for anurans, and sampling larvae using nets. We located 439 individuals of 16 species; of these, 7 were caudates and 9 were anurans. Specimens collected included 6 township records (Wayne County, Franklin Township: Plethodon glutinosus, Rana sylvatica; Wayne County, Wooster Township: R. clamitans melanota, R. pipiens; Holmes County, Prairie Township: Eurycea l. longicauda, Bufo a. americanus). The most common species were R. clamitans melanota and R. pipiens. The wildlife area contains extensive marshland and abundant temporary aquatic habitats (ponds, roadside ditches) that serve as breeding areas for anurans and pond breeding caudates (Ambystomatidae) that cannot coexist with predatory fish. Forested upland areas provide habitat for woodland salamanders (Plethodon) and their predators such as Pseudotriton r. ruber and Diadophis punctatus edwardsii. We compared our data to those of a previous survey. The amphibian community at Killbuck Marsh Wildlife Area appears to have changed little during the last 40 years, but increases in the number of forest dwelling species may be a result of continuing forest maturation at KMWA. OHIO J SCI 105 (2):2–7, 2005

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 Composition and Structure of Two Old-growth Forest Ecosystem Types of Southeastern Ohio

 P. Charles Goebel, David M. Hix, and Marie Semko-Duncan, School of Natural Resources, Ohio Agricultural Research and Development Center, The Ohio State University, 1680 Madison Ave, Wooster, OH 44691; School of Natural Resources, The Ohio State University, 2021 Coffey Road, Columbus, OH 43210-1085

 Abstract.  Less than 1% of the pre-European settlement forest in Ohio currently remains, mostly as small and scattered woodlots. Consequently, few studies have been undertaken to quantify the composition and structure of Ohio’s old-growth forests using a landscape ecosystem perspective. We used an existing multifactor ecosystem classification system developed for the Wayne National Forest in southeastern Ohio to compare the composition and structure of two old-growth forest ecosystem types, located on contrasting north-facing and south-facing middle slopes. No differences in physiography were observed among the stands other than aspect; however, the north-facing old-growth ecosystem type had a greater A horizon thickness and a higher pH than the south-facing old-growth ecosystem type. Mixed-oaks dominate the south-facing ecosystem type, while sugar maple, American beech and northern red oak dominate the north-facing ecosystem type. No differences were detected in stand structural components. Similar trends were observed for the ground-flora layer; specifically, we observed differences in ground-flora composition between the two ecosystem types but no differences in total percent cover or species richness. Finally, the composition and structure of coarse woody debris differed between the contrasting ecosystem types. Maple and oak snags and fallen logs dominate the north-facing ecosystem while oak standing snags and fallen stems are typically observed in the south-facing ecosystem. Few differences between the two ecosystem types were detected in coarse woody debris structure, except that snag density tends to be higher in the south-facing old-growth ecosystem and log density and volume tends to be higher in the north-facing ecosystem (P <0.10). Through the use of this ecosystem approach, we can begin to quantify the ecological factors regulating the composition and structure of old-growth communities, improving our ability to effectively manage and restore these rare ecosystems. OHIO J SCI 105 (2):8–16, 2005

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 A Survey of the Coleoptera Associated with Carrion at Sites with Varying Disturbances in Cuyahoga County, Ohio

 John Shea, Biology Department, John Carroll University, University Heights, OH 44118; Invertebrate Zoology Collection, Cleveland Museum of Natural History, Cleveland, OH 44106

 Abstract.  Human activity disrupts the natural environment to varying degrees and can lead to differences in biodiversity among localities. It was hypothesized that a site with low anthropogenic disturbances would have higher carrion-associated beetle diversity than sites exhibiting increased disturbance. Carrion beetle diversity was measured at three sites in northeast Ohio, and a total of 71 species were collected from among the three sites in July and August of 1995 from chicken and pig carrion. Luce Creek, the least disturbed site, had the highest number of specimens, families, species, and unique species while Euclid, the most disturbed site, had the lowest. Staphylinidae was the most abundant family at all three sites. The most commonly collected species at Dike and Euclid was the staphylinid Aleochara bimaculata, while at Luce Creek, it was the silphid Silpha noveboracensis. The Simpson and Shannon indices indicate that the less disturbed environment had the highest diversity of beetles associated with carrion. OHIO J SCI 105 (2):17–20, 2005

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Hydrology, Water Chemistry, and Vegetation Characteristics of a Tamarack Bog in Bath Township, Ohio: Towards Restoration and Enhancement

Tara E. Miletti, Cameron N. Carlyle, Christian R. Picard, Kathleen M. Mulac, Adam Landaw, and Lauchlan H. Fraser, Department of Biology, University of Akron, Akron, OH 44325-3908; Department of Botany, University of British Columbia, Vancouver, BC, V6T 1Z4, Canada

Abstract.  The current state of the Bath Tamarack Bog has raised concern about the health and function of the system. Only 6 tamarack (Larix laricina) trees remain, while deciduous trees, particularly red maple (Acer rubrum) and invasive species such as glossy buckthorn (Rhamnus frangula) and multiflora rose (Rosa multiflora), dominate the bog. Our purpose was to assess the physical, chemical, and biological properties of the tamarack bog. Environmental and biological properties of Bath Tamarack Bog were measured from May 2001 through November 2002. In 2001, the center of the bog experienced water levels below those typically found in bogs, yet experienced normal water levels in the following year. Water chemistry results indicate the pH is much greater than that characteristic of a typical bog, ranging from 5.94 to 7.41. Nutrient levels fluctuated and were generally higher for calcium, potassium, and phosphate than a typical bog, while nitrogen levels remained low. These results indicate that the bog is not functioning normally and is in decline. The degradation of the bog is most likely due to anthropogenic activity. Ditching occurred between 1963 and 1969 and seems to have induced the progression of red maple trees and invasive species into the bog by lowering water levels. Since 1938, the first aerial photo we have record of, the bog has reduced to approximately a third of its size, which is approximately 1.99 hectares. The bog appears to be in a late successional stage, rapidly changing to a forested wetland. We discuss possible management and restoration efforts needed to restore or enhance the tamarack bog, including 1) planting Sphagnum mats, 2) introducing tamarack seedlings, 3) controlling invasive species, and 4) maintaining the hydrology close to the soil surface. All of these measures are suggested in association with educational outreach.

OHIO J SCI 105 (2):21–30, 2005

Volume 104 No.5 -- December 2004

Trends in Reproductive Performance and Condition of White-tailed Deer in Ohio

 Michael J. Tonkovich, Michael C. Reynolds, William L. Culbertson, and Robert J. Stoll, Jr., Ohio Department of Natural Resources, Division of Wildlife, 9650 State Route 356, New Marshfield, OH 45766

 Abstract.  We compared the reproductive performance and condition of white-tailed deer (Odocoileus virginianus) collected in two regions of Ohio in 1996-99 with previous studies in 1962-67 (Nixon and others 1970; Nixon 1971) and 1981-83 (Stoll and Parker 1986). Statistical comparisons were limited to the 1981-83 and 1996-99 datasets because only summary data were available for 1962-67. We used uterine analysis to estimate reproductive parameters of roadkilled deer during 1982-83 and 1997-99, but ovarian analysis was used on deer obtained during fall hunting seasons in 1962-67. Pregnancy rates of fawns and yearlings declined in the farmland and hill country regions between 1982-83 and 1997-99, but no changes occurred in pregnancy rates of adult does. Fetal rates (fetuses/pregnant doe) of fawns and reproductive rates (fetuses/doe) of fawn and yearlings declined between 1982-83 and 1997-99. Body mass was collected at check stations in fall hunting seasons in the 1960s, 1981-82, and 1996-98, but antler beam and point characteristics were only measured in the 1981-82 and 1996-98 sampling periods. Mean body mass of all sex and age classes declined in the hill country, but fewer changes occurred in the farmland region. Mean antler beam diameter of yearling males declined in the hill country, but no differences were apparent in the farmland region. Reproductive performance and condition parameters were greater for deer in the farmland than in the hill country during both time periods. Declines in reproductive rates and in body condition have occurred as deer populations have increased in Ohio. Based on published sustained-yield tables (McCullough 1979; Downing and Guynn 1985), deer populations in the farmland region may currently exist at 35-40% of ecological carrying capacity, while the deer herd in the hill country may be near maximum sustained yield (MSY; 56% of ecological carrying capacity). Increased antlerless deer harvests may be required in the future to stabilize the population at MSY and maintain body condition and antler quality of deer because of a diminishing carrying capacity in southeastern Ohio.

 OHIO J SCI 104 (5):112–122, 2004

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 Ohio Educators Respond to Governor Taft’s Initiative for the Third Frontier: A Call for Action

 Andrea M. Karkowski and Ignatios E. Vakalis, Capital University, 2199 East Main Street, Columbus, OH 43209

 Abstract.  The new science frontier requires training students who have the knowledge and skills to work on scientific problems that transcend specific scientific disciplines. A computational studies curriculum integrated into undergraduate science majors can provide the experiences that students need to succeed in the new science frontier. Computational studies is the use of mathematical modeling and computer visualization to solve problems in biological, physical, medical, and behavioral sciences as well as economics, finance, and engineering. A computational studies curriculum is characterized by: 1) the use of computer visualization techniques and mathematical modeling to answer contemporary questions in science, 2) participation in undergraduate research experiences that includes real-world problem- solving with industry partners, 3) engagement in interdisciplinary conversations within cross-functional teams, 4) development of a computational studies thought process, 5) exploration of the creative nature of science, mathematics, and computer science, and 6) communication of science problems and solutions to a variety of audiences. Opportunities for integrating computational studies into science curricula are explored.

 OHIO J SCI 104 (5):123–125, 2004

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 Monitoring Slump-Earthflow Complex Movement: A Southeastern Ohio Case Study

 Jon W. Van de Grift and Dorothy Sack, Department of Geography, Ohio University, Athens, OH 45701

 Abstract.  In the nonglaciated region of southeastern Ohio, slope failures are among the most prominent natural hazards. Slumps are the most common form of slope movement in this area. These rotational earthslides move downslope with minimal deformation along a concave failure plane. Although they are relatively slow moving, slumps can develop with little warning, causing damage to buildings, roads, and other features. Earthflows, also common on this landscape, move downslope on the surface with a high amount of mixing. Characterizing the behavior of slope failures is an essential step in mitigating their effects. Using an electronic total station, the movement of a slump-earthflow complex located near Athens, OH, was monitored over a 5-month period. The study area is approximately 100 m x 130 m. A grid of 90 points was located on the surface of the slope. Each point was surveyed 10 times. These data are plotted and correlated with precipitation and temperature data collected by the Scalia Laboratory for Atmospheric Analysis at Ohio University. Movement on the foot of the slump was significantly greater than movement on the toe and crown. Regression analysis indicates that precipitation was a statistically significant factor influencing slope movement, but only accounted for 7% of the movement. Temperature was a statistically significant factor as well, also accounting for only 7% of the movement. Empirical evidence suggests that antecedent precipitation plays an important role in slope movement in this area.

 OHIO J SCI 104 (5):126–135, 2004

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 Response of Roosting Turkey Vultures to a Vulture Effigy

 Thomas W. Seamans, USDA, Wildlife Services, National Wildlife Research Center, 6100 Columbus Avenue, Sandusky, OH 44870-9660

 Abstract.  Increasing populations of turkey vultures (Cathartes aura) and black vultures (Coragyps atratus) cause concerns for human health and safety in areas where large roosting concentrations occur. Dead bird effigies are one proposed method of dispersing roosting vultures. In 1999 and 2000, tests were conducted using a supine and hanging turkey vulture effigy (a taxidermy mount) to disperse a vulture roost in a tower in northern Ohio. In all tests, fewer (P ≤0.04) vultures were observed in the roost during the treatment period when compared to the pretreatment period. In tests ending in fall migration the posttreatment period differed (P <0.01) from the pretreatment period. In tests ending in summer the pre- and posttreatment periods did not differ (P >0.23). Vulture effigies are promising tools that may be used as part of integrated programs to disperse vultures from problem roosting sites.

 OHIO J SCI 104 (5):136-138, 2004

Volume 104 No.4 -- September 2004

Description of Vegetation of the Oak Openings of Northwestern Ohio at the Time of Euro-American Settlement

Lawrence G. Brewer and John L. Vankat, Department of Botany, Miami University, Oxford, OH 45056

Efficacy of a Laser Device for Hazing Canada Geese from Urban Areas of Northeast Ohio

David E. Sherman and Amy E. Barras, Ohio Department of Natural Resources, Division of Wildlife, Crane Creek Wildlife Research Station, 13229 West State Route 2, Oak Harbor, OH 43449; US Department of Agriculture, APHIS, Wildlife Services, 6100 Columbus Avenue, Sandusky, OH 44870

Abstract.  Complaints about Canada geese in Ohio have increased nearly 400% in the past decade, with 732 recorded in 2001. Harassment techniques such as pyrotechnics and mylar flagging have been used to reduce goose conflicts but are frequently ineffective, and initial experiments indicated that laser harassment may disperse Canada geese. We evaluated whether lasers could cause geese to abandon urban sites, the duration of site abandonment, and dispersal distance of harassed geese. One hundred ninety geese were banded and collared in June 2001 at 6 sites in northeast Ohio. Radio transmitters were attached to 40 collars. We conducted nocturnal laser harassment of geese in four 5-day periods from July 2001 through January 2002 at 3 treatment sites. No harassment occurred at 3 control sites. One-day surveys of collared geese were conducted 2 weeks prior to the 5-day hazing period, during the hazing period, and 2 weeks post-hazing. Geese were located through radio telemetry using air- and ground-based receivers during all 3 time periods. Laser harassment caused geese to leave the site after a mean of 4.6 (SE = 0.8) minutes of treatment. Over the 5-day treatment period, the mean number of geese observed at night decreased from 92 to 14; however, we found no differences between numbers of geese observed 2 weeks prior to initial harassment and those observed post-harassment. Telemetry indicated that geese moved <2.0 km from all but one banding site. Laser harassment was more effective in reducing goose numbers at night rather than reducing numbers during the day. Site characteristics such as ambient lighting, human disturbance, and size of pond appeared to be the primary factors determining the laser’s effectiveness. OHIO J SCI 103 (3):38–42, 2004

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Estimation of Nutrient Limitation of Bacterial Activity in Temperate Alkaline Fen Sediments from Cedar Bog

Timothy C. Gsell and Roy M. Ventullo, Department of Biology, The University of Dayton, Dayton, OH 45469-2320

Abstract:  Cedar Bog Nature Preserve, located near Urbana, OH, encompasses several wetland types including an alkaline fen. In this fen, groundwater emerges in quicksand-like discharge zones consisting of porous Ca/Mg carbonates mixed with organic detritus. This study evaluates seasonal changes in the heterotrophic sediment microbial communities, their response to nutrient amendment, and in the groundwater chemistry from a fen discharge zone at Cedar Bog. The hypothesis that the microbial community in this fen upwelling is nutrient limited throughout the year, particularly by C and P, was tested. The activity of the heterotrophic bacterial community in the sediment compartment was measured. A series of single factor experiments were conducted to study organic and inorganic nutrient regulation of these communities and to determine what nutrients, if any, were limiting. Activities were based on ³H-thymidine incorporation into DNA by control and nutrient amended sediment slurries and verified with ¹⁴C-leucine incorporation into protein. Bacterial cell abundance was determined using Acridine Orange direct counts. Samples amended with carbon showed significant increases in activity in three of four seasons tested. Bog extract also stimulated activity above that of the control for the winter microcosm. The site bacterial activity also appears to be limited by inorganic nitrogen and possibly phosphorus in summer.

BRIEF NOTE

What You Need to Know About SARS

Thomas File, Jere Boyer, Margo Erme, and Joseph Myers, Department of Infectious Diseases and Department of Research Administration, Summa Health System, Akron, OH 44304; Akron City Health Department, Akron, OH 44308

OHIO J SCI 103 (4):70–72, 2003

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Vertical Migration, Orientation, Aggregation, and Fecundity of the Freshwater Mussel Lampsilis siliquoidea.

Stephanie J. Perles, Alan D. Christian, and David J. Berg, Department of Zoology, Miami University, Oxford, OH 45056; Department of Zoology, Miami University, Hamilton, OH 45011

Abstract.  The decline in freshwater mussels makes it imperative that more information be gathered on their population status, behavior, and habitat requirements. We examined vertical migration, aggregation, and reproductive potential of captive and field populations of Lampsilis siliquoidea. Both captive populations and a field population exhibited vertical migration. This movement was strongly correlated with day length, and somewhat less strongly correlated with water temperature. While captive mussels tended to orient their siphons into the current, no pattern of orientation was detected in the field population. The field population was significantly aggregated in the fall and winter. The spatial patterning of captive mussels was random in the fall and winter, but this result may have been an artifact of the small size of the artificial streams. Weather conditions prevented data collection in the spring and, therefore, no conclusions could be drawn about the relationship between aggregation and glochidia release. The average number of glochidia (parasitic larvae) produced by individuals across a limited size range was not correlated with any maternal or marsupial properties. These results are useful for implementing qualitative sampling methods under optimum conditions and for information on the reproductive potential of Lampsilis siliquoidea.

OHIO J SCI 103 (4):73–78, 2003

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The Characteristics and Potential Ecological Effects of the Exotic Crustacean Zooplankter Cercopagis pengoi (Cladocera: Cercopagidae), a Recent Invader of Lake Erie

Douglas D. Kane, Erin M. Haas, and David A. Culver, Department of Evolution, Ecology, and Organismal Biology, The Ohio State University, Columbus, OH 43210

Abstract.  The invasive zooplankter Cercopagis pengoi was recorded for the first time in Lake Erie during August 2001 following previous colonization of Lakes Ontario and Michigan. Cercopagis pengoi (Cladocera: Cercopagidae) is from the Ponto-Caspian region of Eurasia, as is a previous cercopagid invader, Bythotrephes longimanus. Cercopagis tolerates a wide range of salinities and temperatures, has many life history traits characteristic of a successful invader, and has previously invaded the Baltic Sea. Cercopagis may affect native zooplankton populations and fish populations through both predation and competition, although the extent of these interactions is not yet known. More research regarding basic life history traits and ecology of Cercopagis is needed to assess the role it will play in Lake Erie.

OHIO J SCI 103 (4):79–83, 2003

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Possible Contamination of the Sandusky River by Wastewater Discharge by Bucyrus, Ohio

Everett Fortner III and Gunter Faure, 275 Mendenhall Lab, 125 South Oval Mall, Department of Geological Sciences, The Ohio State University, Columbus, OH 43210

Abstract.  The objective of this study was to determine changes in the chemical composition of water that result from its use by the town of Bucyrus in Crawford County, OH, and to document the effect of the discharge of wastewater on the quality of water in the Sandusky River. The results indicate that the wastewater is enriched in the major elements (Na, K, Mg, Ca, and Sr) compared to tap water in the town of Bucyrus. However, the treated wastewater does not significantly alter the chemical composition of water in the Sandusky River represented by a ten-year average from 1984 to 1994. The concentrations of Mo in raw water and in the wastewater are nearly identical, which means it cannot have an anthropogenic source. The wastewater does not contain P because this element is effectively removed as required by the Great Lakes Water Quality Agreement.

OHIO J SCI 103 (4):84–88, 2003

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Variation in Communities of Seed-Dispersing Ants in Habitats with Different Disturbance in Knox County, Ohio

E. Raymond Heithaus and Marcia Humes, Biology Department, Kenyon College, Gambier, OH 43022

Abstract. Disturbance may disrupt mutualisms between plants and seed dispersers in a variety of ways including changes in the community of dispersers present. We tested the hypothesis that habitat alteration disrupts the seed-dispersal mutualism between ants and spring-flowering, perennial herbs. Fourteen study sites in Knox County, OH, represented a range of disturbance including mature woodland, woods recovering from partial logging up to 30 years prior to the study, recently logged woods, early successional field, and corn field. Baits were distributed among 480 positions in 48 randomly located transects. Ground-foraging ants were collected and vegetation characteristics of the transects were recorded. In 315 encounters of ants with baits, locations with tuna and seeds of the myrmecochore, Sanguinaria canadensis, were visited at equal rates. Visitation rates to the baits were higher in the more disturbed sites. There was little evidence for depressed ant diversity in disturbed habitats, though ant community composition varied. Seed dispersal distances were likely to be depressed only in agroecosystems, due to the smaller average size of ants, but even this difference is moderated by the tendency for myrmecochores in disturbed sites to have small seeds relative to plants in forest habitats. Where sites have extensive tree canopies the ant communities and dispersal rates are likely to be very resistant to change. Thus, habitat alteration may only affect the ant-plant seed dispersal mutualism in highly and continually disturbed habitats.OHIO J SCI 103 (4):89–97, 2003

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A Breeding Bird Survey of the Natural Areas at Holden Arboretum

Carol Skinner, The Holden Arboretum, 9500 Sperry Road, Kirtland, OH 44094-5172

Abstract.  Eight routes and 79 stations were sampled on the natural areas at Holden Arboretum during the 2001 breeding season. Birds were identified by song and call and tallied. Eighty-one species were classified as possible, probable, or confirmed breeders. Included in the breeders tally were four state-endangered species and 13 additional species listed as “special interest” by US Fish and Wildlife Service (USFWS), Ohio Department of Natural Resources (ODNR), and/or the National Audubon Society/Partners in Flight (NAS/PIF) because of significant population declines. Specific habitat types such as old growth forests and hemlock ravines were found to be important to several of these species, namely, Winter Wren, Magnolia Warbler, Cerulean Warbler, Canada Warbler, and Dark-eyed Junco. Further, large blocks of appropriate habitat were available for some species intolerant of fragmentation, such as Wood Thrush and Bobolink. Blackburnian Warbler was recorded as a probable breeder, a first for the Arboretum. For forest breeding birds, the natural areas of the Arboretum offer unparalleled reproductive habitat, particularly in northeast Ohio.

OHIO J SCI 103 (4):98–110, 2003

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Canopy Gap Characteristics of an Oak-Beech-Maple Old-Growth Forest in Northeastern Ohio

Aaron R. Weiskittel and David M. Hix, School of Natural Resources, The Ohio State University, 2021 Coffey Rd, Columbus, OH 43210

Abstract.  Forests are gap-driven systems as openings within the tree canopy directly influence species composition, structure, and regeneration. Most gap studies have occurred in small, mesic, old-growth remnants. This study sought to further the understanding of gap characteristics by examining gaps in one of Ohio’s largest old-growth forests, which has wet-mesic site conditions and high species diversity. A modification of the methodology recommended by Runkle (1992) was used to obtain data on gap characteristics. An important portion (17.7%) of this old-growth forest was in gaps. Most of the gaps sampled were large (100-400 m²), and multiple-tree gaps were significantly larger than single-tree gaps. Tip-up and basal shear of a canopy tree were the primary means by which a gap was created (origin type). These findings differ from some other similar gap studies, and the contrasts may be due to the advanced age and particular species composition of this forest, the poor soil drainage conditions, and the large size and stressed condition of the overstory trees.

OHIO J SCI 103 (4):111–115, 2003

Abstracts

Volume 103 No. 3 -- June 2003

Profile of Ohio Adults with Low Environmental Literacy

Karen Mancl, Kathleen Carr, and Michele Morrone, Food, Agricultural and Biological Engineering, The Ohio State University, Columbus, OH 43210; Strategic Research Group, Columbus, OH 43212; and School of Health Sciences, Ohio University, Athens, OH 45701

Abstract.  Environmental literacy is defined as an understanding of natural systems combined with how they interact with human social systems. An Ohio study measured adults’ knowledge of ecological principles as the basis of understanding. A telephone survey of 504 Ohio adults measured their knowledge of ecological principles along with their demographics. Low literacy adults are significantly different from those who exhibit high literacy. The lowest literacy group was characterized as less educated, below the median household income, older, female, and minority. Low literacy adults are less likely to engage in outdoor activities, gain information from environmental groups, but are more likely to gain information from television. Low literacy adults are more likely than high literacy adults to use alternative transportation. In targeting environmental education programs to heads of households and Ohio voters, adults with low environmental literacy need to be approached differently than those with high literacy.

OHIO J SCI 103 (3):38–41, 2003

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Past and Present Forest Composition and Natural History of Deep Woods, Hocking County, Ohio

Cynthia L. Riccardi and Brian C. McCarthy, Department of Environmental and Plant Biology, Ohio University, Athens, OH 45701-2979

Abstract.  Deep Woods, a 114-ha private preserve in Hocking County, OH, is the site of an all taxa biotic inventory (ATBI) coordinated by the Ohio Biological Survey. Here we describe the forest vegetation and natural history of the site and evaluate the role of human disturbance in structuring the regional landscape. Due to various abiotic factors, the area offers a diversity of habitats and species. The bedrock geology consists of sedimentary rock from the Mississippian and Pennsylvanian formations with alluvial deposits along a riparian corridor. At least three soil orders are represented: alfisols, inceptisols, and ultisols. As is typical of most of unglaciated Ohio, the forests here have been subjected to a long history of anthropogenic disturbance. The first inhabitants of the area were ancient moundbuilders (ca. 2500 YBP). During the 1700s, Shawnee and Delaware groups resided throughout the county. Anglo settlers drove all Native American groups out of the area by the early 1800s. The original land survey data (1801) suggested that the dominant vegetation at Deep Woods was composed of Quercus alba, Q. velutina, Carya spp., and Cornus florida (relative importance value, RIV = 34, 13, 12, 11%, respectively). Tax records show that Anglo-ownership of the property dates from the mid-1830s. County death records indicate occupations of 19^th century landowners primarily as farmers. Dominant vegetation types include: hydric floodplain, mesic upland, and xeric ridgetop. Betula nigra, Carpinus caroliniana, Ulmus americana, and Liriodendron tulipifera (RIV = 16, 11, 11, 10%) dominate the floodplain. Whereas L. tulipifera, Acer saccharum, and B. alleghaniensis (RIV = 21, 15, 11%) and A. rubrum, Q. prinus, and Q. alba (RIV= 27, 13, 9%) dominate the upland and ridgetop, respectively. Several other minor habitats also exist such as pasture fields, hemlock ravines, sandstone outcrops, and rockhouse formations. We conclude that the present species composition resembles the 1801 land survey, even though the post settlement disturbances were different than Native American disturbance regimes.

OHIO J SCI 103 (3):42–51, 2003

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Argulus ambystoma, a New Species Parasitic on the Salamander Ambystoma dumerilii from México (Crustacea: Branchiura: Argulidae)

William J. Poly, Department of Zoology, Southern Illinois University, Carbondale, IL 62901-6501

Abstract.  A new species of Argulus is described based on 18 specimens taken from the salamander (“achoque” or “ajolote”) Ambystoma dumerilii Dugès, collected in Lake Pátzcuaro, Michoacán, México. Diagnostic characters include the shape of the respiratory areas, number of sclerites in suction cup rods, and structures on the legs of males. Females are heavily stippled, whereas males have a very distinctive pigment pattern consisting of abundant melanophores covering the testes dorsally and two dark, inverted triangular patches on the carapace dorsally. The new species is similar to the North American species, A. versicolor, A. americanus, A. maculosus, and A. diversus. A single, dorsal pore was observed on each caudal ramus using scanning electron microscopy; these pores have not been reported previously in the Branchiura.

OHIO J SCI 103 (3):52–61, 2003

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Polymorphic Clay Models of Thamnophis sirtalis Suggest Patterns of Avian Predation

Tonya D. Bittner, Department of Biological Sciences, Northern Illinois University, DeKalb, IL 60115

Abstract.  Models of snakes varying in color pattern have been used to test hypotheses about predation and mimicry. In the present study, clay models of the common garter snake were used to test for a dif-ference in attack frequency between adult and juvenile striped and melanistic garter snakes; such difference may indicate a difference in cryptic coloration between the two morphs. The research was performed on the shores of Sandusky Bay and Lake Erie, where polymorphic garter snake populations contain both striped and melanistic garter snakes. There was no difference in attack frequency between the two morphs; however, juvenile snake models were attacked more frequently than adult ones. The study suggests that melanism may not confer a strong disadvantage with respect to visually-oriented predators.

OHIO J SCI 103 (3):62–66, 2003

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BRIEF NOTE

Difficulties in Determining Factors that Influence Effective Groundwater Recharge in Ohio

Jessica Ashooh, Jacob Liu, Erik Mueller, Sarah Sherer, Nathaniel Woggon, Denise H. Dumouchelle, and Michael Eberle, COSI Academy, Center of Science and Industry, Columbus, OH 43215; US Geological Survey, Columbus, OH 43229

Abstract.  As part of a COSI Academy research project, data from a recent statewide analysis of effective groundwater recharge were reexamined by students to further discern relations between recharge and selected environmental characteristics of individual drainage basins: 1) location of the main stem of a river relative to coarse and fine surficial sediments and 2) influence of land use. Lack of sufficiently detailed data was the principal difficulty in most phases of the examination. Other than a potential relation between recharge and the percentages of agricultural and forested land, no relations were found in visual comparisons of mapped and tabulated data.

OHIO J SCI 103 (3):67–68, 2003

Abstracts

Volume 103 No. 2 -- April 2003

The Tawawa Woods Natural Landmark: I. Survey of Flora and Land Use History

Cadance A. Lowell, John E. Silvius, and Sheila Darrow, Department of Natural Sciences and Mathematics, PO Box 1004, Central State University, Wilberforce, OH 45384-1004; Department of Science and Mathematics, Cedarville University, Cedarville, OH 45314; Archives, PO Box 1004, Central State University, Wilberforce, OH 45384-1004

Abstract.  The Tawawa Woods Natural Landmark, Wilberforce, Xenia Township, Greene County, OH (39° 43' N, 83° 52' W), and the associated riparian forest corridor along Massies Creek has nurtured at least five human cultures over the past three millennia: Native Americans (Adena ca. 1000 BC, Hopewell ca. 100 BC, and Shawnee in the 17th to early 19th centuries), European Americans, and African Americans. The purpose of this study was to document the land use patterns of these cultures and their influences on the hydrological and botanical characteristics of Tawawa Woods as a basis for understanding the current dynamics of the woods. Archival accounts from photographs, correspondence, departmental board minutes, surveys, maps, and existing physical structures were used to reconstruct prior land use patterns. Historic tree species diversity was estimated using land surveys from 1799-1856. Current tree species composition of Tawawa Woods was estimated using a combination of plot and point-centered quarter sampling methods. Tree and herbaceous species outside plot sample areas were identified by walk-through surveys and documented with photographs. Historic accounts suggest that the number of springs and flow rates had significantly decreased by the beginning of the 20th century. Release of pollutants into Massies Creek, deposits of refuse into the woods, and continued demand for lumber during the late 19th and early 20th centuries may have altered both water tables and biodiversity. Witness tree data identify 15 different tree species, while current surveys recognize 31 tree species and at least 79 herbaceous and vine/shrub species.

OHIO J SCI 103 (2):2–11, 2003

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The Tawawa Woods Natural Landmark: II. Plant Species Composition and Recovery from Disturbance

John E. Silvius, Cadance A. Lowell, and Christopher Knickerbocker, Department of Science and Mathematics, Cedarville University, Cedarville, OH 45314 and Department of Natural Sciences and Mathematics, Central State University, PO Box 1004, Wilberforce, OH 45384-1004

Abstract.  Portions of Tawawa Woods, an oak-maple-beech forest community adjacent to Wilberforce (Greene Co.), OH, was granted landmark status in 1990 on the basis of its biodiversity, historic and cultural significance, and its potential as a site for studies of forest recovery from disturbance. Earlier, in 1974, Tawawa Woods was partially destroyed by a tornado that swept through nearby Xenia and vicinity. In 1988 and in 1999, we conducted studies of the plant species composition of Tawawa Woods with emphasis on tree species abundance, age, spatial distribution, and relative dominance. We used both plot sampling and point-centered quarter sampling methods. Although a total of 27 tree species were included in the samples, in 1988, 80% of the relative density was contributed by only eight species; notably, Acer saccharum, Prunus serotina, Liriodendron tulipifera, Fagus grandifolia, Sassafras albidum, Fraxinus americana, Quercus rubra, and Quercus alba. Comparisons of tree species abundance, distribution, and dominance as a function of sampling date and tree age class are discussed with regard to forest recovery from disturbance during the past 11 years, with emphasis upon the increasing importance of Acer saccharum. A case is made for elevating the Tawawa Woods Natural Landmark to “Natural Area” status based upon its strategic location in the Massies Creek corridor, and its ecological and historical significance.

OHIO J SCI 103 (2):12–18, 2003

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New Cladid Crinoid (Phylum Echinodermata) from the Middle Devonian Delaware Limestone, Franklin County, Ohio

William I. Ausich, Department of Geological Sciences, 155 South Oval Mall, The Ohio State University, Columbus, OH 43210

Abstract.  A new species of Goniocrinus, G. saettii, is described from the Delaware Limestone of Franklin County, OH. This is the first crinoid described from the Delaware Limestone and the first cladid crinoid described from Devonian limestones of Ohio. This new occurrence suggests that additional new echinoderm specimens may be found in Devonian limestones of Ohio with a directed search for strata conducive to complete echinoderm preservation, that is, rapidly deposited, fine-grained facies.

OHIO J SCI 103 (2):19–24, 2003

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Nest Box Use and Nesting Success of House Wrens (Troglodytes aedon)

in a Midwestern Wetland Park

Theresa B. Dailey, University of Indianapolis, Biology Department, 1400 East Hanna Avenue, Indianapolis, IN 46227

ABSTRACT.  I placed 67 milk-carton nest boxes designed for Prothonotary Warblers (Protonotaria citrea) in a suburban Indianapolis wetland park and monitored them during the 2000 nesting season. My intent was to determine if nest box use and/or nest success by warblers or other cavity nesters were influenced by distance to water, recreational activity, tree diameter, canopy shading, or box height. No warblers nested, but 19 boxes (28%) were used by House Wrens (Troglodytes aedon; 24 nests) or Carolina Chickadees (Poecile carolinensis; 1 nest). Only 23% of wren nests fledged young. Failures were due to predation, usually by mammals that ripped open the cardboard boxes. Tree diameter significantly influenced box use and potentially nest success (wrens preferred smaller trees). Other variables did not significantly affect box use or nest success. Milk-carton boxes were acceptable to House Wrens but were more vulnerable to mammalian predators in this suburban park than in studies of Prothonotary Warblers in wilder settings.

OHIO J SCI 103 (2):25–28, 2003

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A Survey of Fungal Diversity in Northeast Ohio

Britt A. Bunyard, Biology Department, Dauby Science Center, Ursuline College, Pepper Pike, OH 44124

Abstract.  Threats to our natural areas come from several sources; this problem is all too familiar in northeast Ohio. One of the goals of the Geauga County Park District is to protect high quality natural areas from rapidly encroaching development. One measure of an ecosystem’s importance, as well as overall health, is in the biodiversity present. Furthermore, once the species diversity is assessed, this can be used to monitor the well-being of the ecosystem into the future. Currently, a paucity of information exists on the diversity of higher fungi in northern Ohio. The purpose of this two-year investigation was to inventory species of macrofungi present within The West Woods Park (Geauga Co., OH) and to evaluate overall diversity among different taxonomic groups of fungi present. Fruit bodies of Basidiomycetous and Ascomycetous fungi were collected weekly throughout the 2000 and 2001 growing seasons, identified using taxonomic keys, and photographed. At least 134 species from 30 families of Basidiomycetous fungi and at least 19 species from 11 families of Ascomycetous fungi were positively identified during this study. The results of this study were more extensive than from those of any previous survey in northeast Ohio. These findings point out the importance of The West Woods ecosystem to biodiversity of fungi in particular, possibly to overall biodiversity in general, and as an invaluable preserve for the northeast Ohio region.

OHIO J SCI 103 (2):29–32, 2003

Abstracts

Volume 102 No. 5 -- December 2002

West Nile Virus: The First Pandemic of the Twenty-First Century

Jere Boyer, Thomas File, and William Franks, Department of Research and Research Administration and Department of Infectious Diseases, Summa Health System, Akron, OH 44304 and Stark County Health Department, North Canton, OH 44709

Abstract.  Prior to the 1999 New York City outbreak few had ever heard of West Nile virus. That changed rapidly once the illness caused by the virus resulted in deaths, hospitalizations, and early fears of the unknown etiology of the disease. In some ways it was like Legionnaire’s Disease all over again. This review, although not extensive, will cover many of the medical, biological, epidemiological, diagnostic, and public health considerations regarding this new entry onto the list of disease agents seen in the United States.

     It is important that each of us is knowledgeable regarding new scientific information. It is all too easy for misinformation to be disseminated to the public by news media and word of mouth. Scientific societies must be ready to protect the public from this misinformation and to add perspective to the issue.

OHIO J SCI 102 (5):98–101, 2002

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Effects of PCB on Reproductive Success in Sprague-Dawley Rats Exposed to Aroclor 1254® for One Year

Douglas A. Donahue, Christa L. Bowen, Terri L. Provost2, and Lee A. Meserve3, Department of Biological Sciences, Bowling Green State University, Bowling Green, OH 43403

Abstract.  Polychlorinated biphenyls (PCB) are environmental contaminants that have been a problem since the 1960s. PCB are a serious concern because they are widespread, lipophilic, and bioaccumulate through food webs concentrating in adipose tissue. PCB are a threat to both wildlife and humans because they elicit metabolic and endocrine disruptions with some problems including hypo-thyroxinemia, spatial learning and memory deficits, neurochemical and neurobehavioral alterations, and reproductive alterations. Sprague-Dawley rats were obtained that had been exposed to Aroclor 1254® in the diet at 1.25 ppm or 25.0 ppm dosage for one year before being mated. Males and females were placed together in a cage and females were tested each day for a sperm-positive vaginal smear. After a sperm positive vaginal smear, females were housed separately, maintained on their respective diets, and weighed daily until weight gain reversal or miscarriage. All animals in the present study that were fed PCB had weight gain reversal or miscarriage, whereas controls of a similar age all carried pregnancy to term. The results of the present study indicate that continuous ingestion of Aroclor 1254® at low doses has a depressive effect on reproductive success.

OHIO J SCI 102 (5):102–105, 2002

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Hydraulic Conductivity of Ohio’s Glaciated Soil, Its Implications, and Suggestions for Future Studies

Henry H. Fisher, USDA-Natural Resources Conservation Service, Columbus, OH 43215

Abstract:  Since 1999, hydraulic conductivity values in till have been measured by the laboratory standard test method ASTM D 5084 on undisturbed soil samples taken at depths between 3.0 m to 6.0 m (10 to 20 ft) in glacial till soils in western Ohio. Their rates on uncracked soil vary from 10-6 cm/sec to 10-9 cm/sec. Measurements made on till with cracks vary from 10-5cm/sec to 10-8 cm/sec. Suggestions are made for future studies.

OHIO J SCI 102 (5):106–109, 2002

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Research Report

Science in the Art of the Italian Renaissance I: Ghiberti’s Gates of Paradise—Linear Perspective and Space

Douglas D. Kane, Department of Evolution, Ecology, and Organismal Biology, The Ohio State University, Columbus, OH 43210

Abstract.  As with the works of a number of Italian Renaissance artists, Lorenzo Ghiberti’s art contained scientific elements. In his case both his training as a goldsmith, which introduced him to concepts of mineralogy, and his knowledge and use of techniques in the realm of the science of optics demonstrated a melding of art and science. Ghiberti’s Gates of Paradise was among the first works of the period to use a true scientific study of perspective and space. The greatness ascribed to these bronze doors for the Baptistery of San Giovanni in Florence is due not only to Ghiberti’s artistic merits, but also to the science that was behind the doors’ sense of perspective and space.

OHIO J SCI 102 (5):110–112, 2002

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Research Report

Science in the Art of the Italian Renaissance II: Leonardo Da Vinci’s Representation of Animals in His Works

Douglas D. Kane, Department of Evolution, Ecology, and Organismal Biology, The Ohio State University, Columbus, OH 43210

Abstract.  Leonardo Da Vinci combined science and art in a number of his works and studies. This combina-tion of science and art is very evident in the depiction of animals in his works. Leonardo studied both the anatomy and physiology of animals in order to render them with scientific precision. This included dissections of numerous animals and studies on their movements in nature. Leonardo Da Vinci, unified science and art, as is evident in the realistic and scientific depiction of animals in his works.

OHIO J SCI 102 (5):113–115, 2002

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Bythotrephes cederstroemi in Ohio Reservoirs: Evidence from Fish Diets

Kristen H. Ferry and Russell A. Wright, Aquatic Ecology Laboratory, Department of Evolution, Ecology, and Organismal Biology, The Ohio State University, Columbus, OH 43212

Abstract.  The invading European cladoceran Bythotrephes cederstroemi, previously reported in North America from the Great Lakes and inland lakes in Ontario and Minnesota, was found in diets of juvenile largemouth bass (Micropterus salmoides) from three Ohio reservoirs in the Ohio River drainage, representing a potential expansion of the range of this exotic species. In summer 1996 samples, we found B. cederstroemi in the stomachs of small largemouth bass (37.0-115.0 mm total length) from Knox, Pleasant Hill, and Tappan Reservoirs, all within the Muskingum River watershed. Although uncommon, B. cederstroemi occurred in diets collected during mid July and late August.

OHIO J SCI 102 (5):116–118, 2002

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Twelve-Year Study Monitoring Two Species of Pond-Breeding Salamanders in Northeast Ohio

Robert Brodman, Biology Department, Saint Joseph’s College, Rensselaer, IN 47978

Abstract.  Studies suggest a worldwide decline in amphibians during the last four decades, however these studies have rarely included long-term (>10 years) studies involving interacting species of North American salamanders. In this study, populations of spotted salamanders (Ambystoma maculatum) and Jefferson Salamanders (A. jeffersonianum) at Cuyahoga Valley National Recreation Area in northeast Ohio were monitored for 12 years from 1990-2001 to provide baseline data and to test the null hypothesis that these populations are not in decline. The study sites include a semipermanent wetland (ca 1500 m2) and a temporary wetland (10 m2) that are 80 m apart on a wooded hill. I monitored populations at each wetland by estimating egg mass density, mean number of eggs per mass, and embryo mortality. From these I calculated estimates of egg and hatchling densities and the total number of eggs, surviving embryos, and adult females breeding at each wetland. The densities of eggs and hatchlings of each species were greater in the large pond and greater for spotted salamanders. The number of eggs/egg mass was greater in the large pond and was greater from 1995-1999 than 1990-1994 and 2000-2001. Embryo mortality supports predictions based on water temperature and pH. Spotted salamander embryo survival was correlated with increasing pond water pH. There was no significant trend over time in the number of embryos surviving to hatch each year for either species. This long-term study supports the hypothesis that these populations are in stable coexistence and demonstrates that some populations of North American salamanders are not in decline.

OHIO J SCI 102 (5):123–127, 2002

Abstracts

Volume 102 No. 4 -- September 2002

Science and Technology Policy Issues of Concern to Ohio’s Leaders:

A Report of the Science Policy Advisory Committee of The Ohio Academy of Science

Philip A. Geis, Chairperson, Science Policy Advisory Committee, The Ohio Academy of Science, 1500 West Third Avenue Suite 223, Columbus OH 43212-2817

Abstracts

Volume 102 No. 3 -- June 2002

Geographic Patterns of Student Enrollment in Ohio’s State-Assisted Universities

Bruce W. Smith, Joseph G. Spinelli, and Yu Zhou, Department of Geography, Bowling Green State University, Bowling Green OH 43403

Abstracts

Volume 102 No. 2 April 2002

Civil Aircraft Collisions with Birds and Other Wildlife in Ohio, 1990-1999

Scott C. Barras and Sandra E. Wright, US Department of Agriculture, 6100 Columbus Avenue, Sandusky, OH 44870

OHIO J SCI 102 (2):27–29, 2002

Volume 101 No. 5 December 2001

How Long Can We Live and What Do We Know About the Aging Process?: An Interview with Longevity Expert Dr. S. Mitchell Harman, M.D., Ph.D.

Isadore Newman, Ph.D., Carole Newman, Ph.D., and Christopher McNally, M.A, The University of Akron

Volume 101    April 2001    Nos. 2/3

GIS Modeling and Analysis of Ohio’s CO₂ Budget: Mitigating CO₂ Emissions through Reforestation

Erich D. Guy and Norman S. Levine, Department of Geology, Bowling Green State University, Bowling Green, OH 43403

Volume 101    April 2001    No. 2

Monitoring Southern Flying Squirrel Populations with Nest Boxes

Donald P. Althoff and Peggy S. Althoff, Division of Natural Sciences and Mathematics, Friends University, 2100 West University Street, Wichita, KS 67213 and Department of Biological Sciences, Wichita State University, Wichita, KS 67208 

Abstract.   Evaluating the practicality, economic, and sampling efficiency of potential monitoring pro-grams is a first step in validation. Thus, we established a system of nest boxes in southeast Ohio to evaluate the feasibility of using a system of nest boxes to monitor changes in southern flying squirrel (Glaucomys volans) populations. We recorded the time of box placement until first usage and types of use by flying squirrels as an indicator of presence as well as nest box occupancy trends on a month-to-month basis to assess usage patterns and productivity. Using monitoring results from 4 years, we evaluated alternative survey sampling techniques for occupancy and determined sample sizes necessary to estimate occupancy within specified relative bounds. We also studied the cost of establishing a nest box system and monitoring nest box use. At low nest box occupancy (9.4%), sample size necessary to monitor trend would be extreme (431 boxes for 30% relative bound), but sample size is not restrictive when occupancy rates exceed 17% (211 boxes to achieve 20% relative bound). Monitoring combined spring and summer litter sizes in November or December as a measure of recruitment would require a smaller effort to achieve a tighter relative bound (10%). Assumptions relating these demographic parameters to habitat change or dis-turbance still must be tested before the systematic placement of nest boxes can be considered the optimum approach to monitor southern flying squirrel response as measured by changes in population density or recruitment.

Volume 100    December 2000    No. 5 

CENTENNIAL ISSUE

A Centennial History of The Ohio Journal of Science

William R. Burk, John N. Couch Biology Library, CB#3280-Coker Hall, University of North Carolina, Chapel Hill, NC 27599-3280

Abstract.  On the occasion of the centennial of The Ohio Journal of Science, this paper provides a short history of its development. From an inaugural issue of 16 pages in November 1900, The Journal has matured into an important serial featuring peer-reviewed articles in science, engineering, technology, and education, or their applications; book reviews; four special issues devoted to a theme; Academy presidential addresses; and obituaries of deceased members. Guided over the years by a sequence of 18 editors, The Journal has undergone title changes as its disciplinary scope broadened: The O.S.U. Naturalist (Nov-Dec 1900), The Ohio Naturalist (Jan 1901-Jun 1914), The Ohio Naturalist and Journal of Science (Nov 1914-Jun 1915), and The Ohio Journal of Science (Nov 1915-present). In the past century The Journal has developed from an Ohio natural history serial to an interdisciplinary science journal of international use and respect. Copies are sent to 1900 individuals and organizations, including 37 foreign countries.

OHIO J SCI 100 (5):115–120, 2000

Lessons from a Dam Failure

James E. Evans, Scudder D. Mackey, Johan F. Gottgens, and Wilfrid M. Gill, Department of Geology, Bowling Green State University, Bowling Green, OH 43403, Lake Erie Geology Group, Ohio Geological Survey, Sandusky, OH 44870, Department of Biology, University of Toledo, Toledo, OH 43606, and Enecotech Southwest, Inc., Phoenix, AZ 85004.

Abstract.  The IVEX Dam (Chagrin River, northeastern Ohio) failed catastrophically on 13 August 1994, releasing 38,000 m3 (about 10 million gallons) of impounded water and sediment. This event was triggered by a 70-year rainfall event (13.54 cm of rainfall within 24-hours), resulting in flows 1.9 m above the top of the spillway and impinging on the top of the dam. The failure was the result of seepage piping at the toe of the dam, near the masonry spillway-earthen dam contact. Eyewitnesses reported that collapse of the seepage pipe created a breach in the dam that rapidly downcut. Paleohydrologic modeling suggests peak discharge through the breach was about 466 m3sec-1, substantially dewatering the reservoir in approximately 2-3 minutes. The effects of failure included erosion, flooding, and sedimentation downstream, and erosion of fine-grained sediment within the reservoir itself. Of the accumulated reservoir sediment, 9-13% was mobilized by dam breach and consequent incision (as the Chagrin River re-established its gradient by downcutting through reservoir sediment). Of this amount, 61-86% was trapped in a downstream reservoir (threatening the integrity of this structure). The failure of this dam can be attributed to a large hydrologic event and the combination of several factors: 1) inadequate spillway design, 2) lack of an emergency spillway, 3) 86% loss of permanent pool capacity due to 152 years of sedimentation, and 4) poor dam maintenance resulting in seepage piping failure. Similar dam failures will become an increasing societal problem, due to the aging of the nation’s 75,591 larger dams and reservoirs, of which 95% are privately owned and operated.

OHIO J SCI 100 (5):121–131, 2000

Tannic Acid Effects on Raphanus raphanistrum Root Acid Phosphatase

Karl O. A. Yu, Colleen A. Fried, and Prudence J. Hall, Department of Biology and Department of Chemistry, Hiram College, Hiram, OH 44234

Abstract.  The effects of tannic acid (TA) on acid phosphatase (APase) (E.C.3.1.3.2) from root extracts of fertilized or unfertilized Raphanus raphanistrum plants were examined. TA inhibited APase activity non-competitively; Vmax was reduced, but the apparent KM was unaffected in the presence of added TA. Endogenous tannin content ranged between 0.26 and 0.56 µmole.g fresh weight-1 of root tissue. Enzyme activity data was extrapolated to provide estimates of activity in the absence of any TA; uncorrected APase activity of R. raphanistrum was underestimated by an average of 25%. Addition of polyvinyl-pyrrolidone (PVP) did not affect measured enzyme rates in a consistent manner.

OHIO J SCI 100 (5):132–135, 2000

Volume 100    June/September 2000   Number 3/4

Ohio’s Fractured Environment: Introduction to The Ohio Journal of Science’s Special Issue on Fractures in Ohio’s Glacial Tills

Julie Weatherington-Rice, Ann D. Christy, and Jane L. Forsyth, Bennett and Williams Environmental Consultants Inc., Columbus, OH 43231; Department of Food, Agricultural, and Biological Engineering, The Ohio State University, Columbus, 2OH 43210; and Department of Geology, Bowling Green State University, Bowling Green, OH 43403

Abstract.  This paper describes the importance of subsurface fractures in Ohio glacial tills and provides a historical perspective on fracture research and educational efforts in Ohio. It also serves as an introduction to and overview of this special issue of The Ohio Journal of Science.

Dedication.  This special issue is dedicated to the memories of George W. White and Richard P. Goldthwait. They provided the foundation and inspiration for the work that is presented here. And the work continues.

OHIO J SCI 100 (3/4):36–38, 2000

Fractures and Their Distribution in the Tills of Ohio

C. Scott Brockman and John P. Szabo, Ohio Department of Natural Resources, Division of Geological Survey, 4383 Fountain Square Drive, Columbus, OH 43224, and Department of Geology, University of Akron, Akron, OH 44325

Abstract.  Fractures in till may be horizontal, parallel high- to low-angle, or polygonal (when viewed on a horizontal surface). They have been attributed to several geologic processes, the most important of which are desiccation, freeze-thaw, glaciotectonics, and lodgement till deposition. A literature review, a field study, and core examinations have identified many areas in Ohio where fractures are relatively common. All types of fractures are present within the state, but the depths, relative abundance of types, and their concentrations differ among physiographic regions.

OHIO J SCI 100 (3/4):39–55, 2000

Distribution of Soils in Ohio that are Described with Fractured Substratums in Unconsolidated Materials

Lawrence A. Tornes, K. Edwin Miller, Jonathan C. Gerken, and Neil E. Smeck, Ohio Department of Natural Resources, Division of Soil and Water Conservation, Fountain Square, Columbus, OH 43224; USDA-Natural Resources Conservation Service, Columbus, OH 43215; and School of Natural Resources, The Ohio State University, Columbus, OH 43210

Abstract.  Soil scientists, who systematically made soil surveys of Ohio, compiled the first comprehensive inventory of fractures in unconsolidated parent materials, or C horizons, of soils. Fractures have been documented in the C horizon of 95 soil series extending across 55 Ohio counties. A variety of terms were used to describe these nearly vertical fractures in otherwise massive materials. By convention, structural units are considered a product of soil-forming processes and the use of structural unit terminology has been limited to the solum consisting of O, A, E, and B master horizons and transitional horizons like AB, BE and BC horizons. Thus, terms used to describe soil structure have not been applied to the C horizon, even though the faces of prismatic structural units in the lower part of the B horizon commonly show continuity with fractures in the C horizon. Fractures have been identified in unconsolidated soil parent materials with textures of loam, silt loam, clay loam, silty clay loam, silty clay and clay. Clay films and carbonate coatings on fracture planes in the C horizon of soils indicate that water moves into and through these fractures. Fractures in the C horizon of soils also affect air movement and plant root extension into C horizons.

OHIO J SCI 100 (3/4):56–62, 2000

Survey of Fractured Glacial Till Geotechnical Characteristics: Hydraulic Conductivity, Consolidation, and Shear Strength

Barry J. Allred, USDA-ARS Soil Drainage Research Unit, 590 Woody Hayes Drive, Columbus, OH 43210

Abstract.  A literature survey was conducted and fracture influences on engineering behavior of glacial till are summarized, specifically with regard to saturated hydraulic conductivity, consolidation potential, and shear strength. Saturated hydraulic conductivity is increased by fractures, in some cases by two or more orders of magnitude. This in turn results in larger values for the coefficient of consolidation, c_V , governing the rate of consolidation. A larger c_V corresponds to faster settlement. Modest increases in total settlement occur only if fractures are open. Fractures also have the overall effect of reducing shear strength. Upon removal of surface material by excavation or erosion, stress release and water infiltration lead to further decreases in shear strength. This strength loss process, called softening, is due mostly to a decrease in effective cohesion and usually takes years to complete. Once failure occurs, there is another substantial drop in shear strength to a residual value. This residual strength is a result of realignment of particles along the failure plane during shear, which decreases the effective angle of internal friction. The fracture impact magnitude on glacial till saturated hydraulic conductivity, consolidation potential, and shear strength is determined largely by aperture and spacing characteristics. As the number and/or size of fractures increase, changes in these geotechnical properties become more pronounced.

OHIO J SCI 100 (3/4):63–72, 2000

Characterization Methods for Fractured Glacial Tills

Ralph J. Haefner, US Geological Survey, Water Resources Division, 6480 Doubletree Avenue, Columbus, OH 43229-1111

Abstract.  This paper provides a literature review of methods successfully employed to characterize fine-grained and fractured or unfractured glacial deposits. Descriptions and examples are given for four major categories of characterization methods: physical, hydraulic, chemical, and indirect. Characterization methods have evolved significantly within the past ten years; however, there still exists uncertainty about the reliability of individual characterization methods applied to till deposits. Therefore, a combination of methods is best, the choice of which depends on the objectives of the work. Sampling methods, sampling scales, and reporting methods are extremely important and should be considered when interpreting and comparing results between sites. Recognition of these issues is necessary to ensure that decisions regarding the transport of fluids in fractured tills are not based on the assumption that poorly permeable tills are always an inhibitor of subsurface flow.

OHIO J SCI 100 (3/4):73–87, 2000

Root Growth, Calcite Precipitation, and Gas and Water Movement in Fractures and Macropores: A Review with Field Observations

Margaret J. McMahon and Ann D. Christy, Department of Horticulture and Crop Science, and Department of Food, Agricultural, and Biological Engineering, The Ohio State University, Columbus, OH 43210

Abstract.  Recent research on the presence and dynamic nature of fractures and soil macropores has generated interest in their impact on root growth in minimally disturbed soils due to no-till or reduced tillage farming practices. The balance of water, air, and nutrients in the subsurface is, in part, determined by the structure and type of macropores. Biological systems can create and expand the network of biopores, or change the biogeochemistry within a given fracture or biopore. In the field, roots have been observed to grow preferentially through fractures. At a demonstration test pit at The Ohio State University (OSU) Molly Caren Agricultural Research Center in London, OH, networks of roots were exposed within fractures at 1.0 to 2.0 m in depth. A streambank on the OSU Waterman Agricultural and Natural Resources Laboratory in Columbus, OH, provided a natural exposure of fractures and roots preferentially growing in these fractures at depths of 1.0 to 1.5 m. A deeply incised streamcut in Batavia, OH, revealed live roots growing (at a depth of 15 to 20 m) within pre-Illinoian glacial till fractures. Microbial action upon living roots and in the degradation of dead root material can lead to calcite precipitation and infilling of fractures and other macropores. Earthworm burrowing can redistribute nutrients to the deeper sub-surface, facilitating root growth at greater depths. During construction of the small test pit located near Tremont City, OH, a live earthworm was observed within a fracture at a depth of approximately 3.0 m.

OHIO J SCI 100 (3/4):88–93, 2000

Field Workshop on Subsurface Fractures in Glacial Till and Their Environmental Implications: An Educational Experience for Professionals and Decision-makers

Ann D. Christy and Julie Weatherington-Rice, Department of Food, Agricultural, and Biological Engineering, The Ohio State University, Columbus, OH 43210 and Bennett and Williams Environmental Consultants Inc., Columbus, OH 43231

Abstract.  This paper documents the history of the Ohio Fracture Flow Working Group and describes their conceptualization, planning, coordination, and implementation of a unique outdoor field workshop on joints and fractures in glacial till held in London, OH, on 28 August 1997. The one-day event was coordinated and staffed by geologists, soil scientists, well drillers, and engineers. More than 175 people were in attendance, representing local, state and federal agencies, colleges and universities, and the private consulting sector. The field day included a morning lecture series of short plenary presentations and four afternoon field demonstration stations. The field stations included geophysics (downhole gammalogs, surface resistivity arrays), hydraulic conductivity testing (slug tests), two drilling rigs (an angle auger rig and a rotosonic rig), and a series of drilling cores that were described by a glacial geologist, two soil scientists, and a geotechnical engineer, demonstrating the different approaches, terminologies, and classifications that each discipline uses. The final field station was a large three-tiered pit approximately 10m x 25 m and 3.7 m deep that was used to demonstrate soil profiles and how they were formed, their relationship to the underlying glacial till deposits and the associated polygonal fracture patterns, and the difference in hydraulic conductivity between areas of fractures and areas of no fractures. Participant evaluations were very favorable, and plans are being made for future educational work on fractures.

OHIO J SCI 100 (3/4):94–99, 2000

The Use of Test Pits to Investigate Subsurface Fracturing and Glacial Stratigraphy in Tills and Other Unconsolidated Materials

Ann D. Christy, Louis A. McFarland, and Duane Carey, Department of Food, Agricultural, and Biological Engineering, The Ohio State University, Columbus, OH 43210; City of Circleville City Engineers Office, Circleville, OH 43113; Bennett and Williams Environmental Consultants Inc., Columbus, OH 43231

Abstract.  Joints and fractures, common in Ohio glacial tills, often influence shallow ground water flow paths and rates. Environmental site investigations in glacial till and lacustrine sediments should include determination of the glacial stratigraphy and evaluation of the presence, extent, and density of sub-surface fractures. The test pit is one approach to directly assess fracturing and stratigraphy. The design and construction of deep test pits is examined in this research report, which includes an extensive literature review and case studies from three test pit sites in Ohio. A generic design is recommended that may be used for 1-meter, 2-meter, 3-meter, or 4-meter deep test pits. Scaled drawings are included.

OHIO J SCI 100 (3/4):100–106, 2000

Properties of the Fractured Glacial Till at the Madison County, Ohio, Field Workshop Pit Site

Norman R. Fausey, George F. Hall, Jerry M. Bigham, Barry J. Allred, and Ann D. Christy, USDA/ARS, Soil Drainage Research Unit, Columbus, OH 43210; School of Natural Resources, The Ohio State University, Columbus, OH 43210; and Department of Food, Agricultural and Biological Engineering, The Ohio State University, Columbus, OH 43210

Abstract.  Water and contaminants obviously do move through the so-called impermeable glacial tills in Ohio. This study was conducted to illustrate the extensive presence of fractures in the till and to quantify the differences in hydraulic conductivity and physical and chemical properties between the fracture-affected zones and the till matrix. In situ measurements of the saturated hydraulic conductivity were made in small boreholes positioned either in the matrix or intersecting the fractures. Soil samples from both the fracture faces and the matrix were analyzed for particle size distribution, clay mineralogy, calcite, dolomite, and iron content. Hydraulic conductivity measured in boreholes intersecting fractures was 1.25 x 10-5 cm/sec (0.018 in/hr), one order of magnitude greater than in boreholes in the matrix. Particle size distribution was the same for the fracture faces and the matrix. The fracture faces showed no significant change in total clay content and a slight increase in expandable clay. Calcite content was 62% greater, dolomite content was 6% lower, and iron content was 73% lower on the fracture faces as compared to the matrix. The fractures affected approximately 7% of the soil volume.

OHIO J SCI 100 (3/4):107–112, 2000

Volume 100 No. 2 April 2000

Survey of All Water Treatment Plant Operators Who Fluoridate Drinking Water in Ohio

 James A. Lalumandier, Leonor C. Hernandez, and Ana B. Locci, Department of Community Dentistry, School of Dentistry, and Department of Biology, Case Western Reserve University, Cleveland, OH 44106-4905

Abstract.   Ohio like several other states in the US is mandated by law to optimally fluoridate all public water systems serving over 5000 people. The purpose of this study was three-fold: 1) to determine if Ohioans on public water supplies are receiving optimally fluoridated water, 2) to determine the knowledge level of water treatment plant operators who fluoridate drinking water, and 3) to compare small and large water treatment plants. A pre-tested survey was sent to all 224 water treatment plants that adjust the fluoride concentration of drinking water in Ohio. A 100% response rate was accomplished, with 93 small and 131 large water treatment plants responding. A z-test was computed to compare proportions between small and large water treatment plants. Significance was assessed at p <0.05. Nearly 90% of water treatment plant operators correctly identified the optimal fluoride level, however almost 30% used incorrect means of determining the optimal level. Approximately three-quarters of the water treatment plant operators were able to maintain the fluoride concentration to within 0.1 mg F/L of their optimal level. A significantly greater proportion of large water treatment plant operators were able to maintain a fluoride concentration to within 0.1 mg F/L of their optimum level when compared to small water treatment plant operators (83.2% vs 60.2%, z = 3.60, p <0.05). Most water treatment plant operators are knowledgeable concerning fluoride levels, however small water treatment plant operators may need additional technical assistance to reach the level attained by large plants.

OHIO J SCI 100 (2):2–7, 2000

An Ordinal Sequencing Technique for Assessing Multidimensional or Hierarchical Change Models

Walter J. Kuleck and Catharine C. Knight, The Hennepin Group, Inc., 3631 Fairmount Boulevard, Cleveland Heights, OH 44118-4362, and The Department of Educational Foundations and Leadership, The University of Akron, Akron, OH 44325-4208

Abstract.   Many scientific disciplines involve the study of growth, development, evolution, or other kinds of multidimensional or hierarchical change processes. The order in which these changes occur can be important to the scientist. Further, understanding these changes may depend on determining not only the order in which they occur, but also the relationships among them. As the broader perspectives now obtaining in science challenge our previous assumptions of linearity and simple sequences, we increasingly require techniques that allow us to view change in a more complex, combining and branching fashion, but with the discipline of statistical rigor.

     This paper introduces a statistical technique called “order analysis” to assist both researchers and investigators in any number of different fields in determining 1) both the sequences and the relations among hierarchically changing states or variables based on empirical data, and 2) to compare those sequences and relations to a hypothesized model or theory. Order analysis is a mathematical tool that allows us to identify statistically significant connections between states or variables with assumed ordinality (that is, position in a series or order), and to determine the relative “ordinal distance” between pairs of states or variables so identified. Further, branchings and combinings are identified. This tool allows us, in a relatively simple and straightforward way, to ordinally sequence states and variables, to infer the hierarchical connections to be found between and among states and variables, and to represent the “multidimensional or hierarchical change,” “developmental,” or “difficulty” distance between identified pairs of states or variables. In this paper we have included an example of the use of order analysis from our literacy research as well as an appendix describing a computer program that implements order analysis.

OHIO J SCI 100 (2):8–12, 2000

Isolated LAD Revascularization in the Modern Era: Demographics and Preliminary Outcomes

 Arene Manneh, Isadore Newman, Ann Gross, Ed Syron, and Richard Josephson, with the technical assistance of Diane Jasso and Karen Mitchen, Summa Health System, Northeast Ohio Universities College of Medicine, Rootstown, OH 44272-0095, and The University of Akron, Akron, OH 44325

Abstract.   Revascularization of the left anterior descending coronary artery is an important, evolving and controversial topic. There are differences in patient selection, hospital stay and readmission, and hospital cost. We reviewed our institutional experience in 190 consecutive patients who underwent isolated initial left anterior descending revascularization via angioplasty, angioplasty plus stenting, conventional coronary artery bypass grafting and minimally invasive direct coronary artery bypass. We sought to determine if there were differences in patient demographics, clinical outcomes, and resource utilization. We sought to evaluate what were the principal determinants of any measured differences in outcome.   Inpatient and outpatient chart review, evaluation of hospital cost via micro cost method, and multivariate analysis were employed. Results with p <0.05 were considered significant by conventional statistical analysis. Mortality was equal in all subgroups. Patients who underwent percutaneous revascularization had a shorter initial length of hospital stay and initial hospital cost. This was particularly true among those who received stents. Patients who received surgical therapy were less likely to require repeat hospital admission for both cardiac and noncardiac indications. During follow up, the initial resource savings attributable to percutaneous interventions dissipated. Multivariate analysis indicated that measured differences were likely attributable to differences in patient baseline demographics rather than the choice of revascularization procedure. Though there are differences in resources, as measured by hospital days or hospital costs between patients undergoing LAD revascularization via different techniques, the differences are principally due to differences in the types of patients selected for these techniques rather than the revascularization procedure.

OHIO J SCI 100 (2):13–18, 2000

Do Leaves Control Episodic Shoot Growth in Woody Plants?

David O. Deppong and Morris G. Cline, Department of Plant Biology, The Ohio State University, Columbus, OH 43210

Abstract.   It has been generally observed that leaf removal alters the pattern of episodic shoot growth in certain species in such ways that suggest some type of foliar control. In the present study, the effects of periodic defoliation during the growing season on the shoot growth of 11 woody species were analyzed in an attempt to elucidate the control mechanisms of episodic shoot growth. Four types of responses to defoliation were observed: A) A second flush in red oak, shagbark hickory, and year-old seedlings of green ash and sugar maple; B) A small continued extension of stem elongation with the production of some additional leaves and a significant delay in terminal bud formation in white ash, green ash, pignut hickory, black walnut, and in year-old seedlings of green ash and sugar maple; C) No response in sweetgum and white pine; and D) Shoot die-back in sugar maple, silver-red maple, cottonwood, black walnut, and to a lesser extent, the ashes. Defoliation was most effective and sometimes only effective in causing the above-mentioned responses when given early in the flush period. Leaf control of episodic shoot growth may be due to foliar inhibitors and/or effects of competition for water and nutrients.

OHIO J SCI 100 (2):19–23, 2000

Mortality of the Salt Marsh Species Salicornia europaea and Atriplex prostrata (Chenopodiaceae) in Response to Inundation

Todd P. Egan and Irwin A. Ungar, Department of Biological Sciences, University of Wisconsin Milwaukee, Milwaukee, WI 53201, and Department of Environmental and Plant Biology, Ohio University, Athens, OH 45701

Abstract.   Waterlogging and salinity are considered to be the two major factors affecting growth and plant distribution in salt marshes. But while the effects of salinity are well known, few studies have in-vestigated the impact of the former on plant survival. The purpose of this laboratory experiment was to determine the effects of water level on growth and survival of the halophytes Salicornia europaea and Atriplex prostrata. Plants were grown in the laboratory at the following levels of inundation: 1) roots and shoots completely submerged (high water), 2) roots completely submerged (medium water), 3) water level at the bottom of the pot (low water). The high water treatment caused 100% mortality in both species within one week. Survival was high for both species when grown in the other treatments, but there was an indication of lower survival (70%) in the medium water treatment for A. prostrata than in the low water treatment (90%) after three weeks submersion. There was no significant difference (P >0.05) in biomass production between medium and low water treatments in either species.

OHIO J SCI 100 (2):24–27, 2000

Abstracts

Volume 99 No. 4 September 1999

A Preliminary Checklist of the Moths of Butler County, Ohio

  Keith S. Summerville, Joseph J. Jacquot, and Ryan F. Stander, Department of Zoology, Miami University, Oxford, OH 45056

 Abstract.   Using a combination of blacklight, mercury vapor light, and sugar bait sampling techniques, we collected moths over a 2-yr period in Butler County, OH, and compiled a list of 392 species. Seventy-eight percent (305) of these species were found to be new county records. A checklist is provided as a baseline catalogue of the moths of Butler County, OH. An analysis of historical county records revealed a bias towards large or colorful species. Although many species we collected are considered common, several infrequently encountered species were discovered. Our effort suggests that biological surveys in fragmented landscapes may reveal unexpected biological diversity.

OHIO J SCI 99 (4): 66–76, 1999

Carbonate Aquifer Recharge in Western Lucas County, Northwest Ohio

  James M. Martin-Hayden, Eric S. Andreus, Raymond J. Minarovic, and Sharon L. Kozak, Department of Geology, University of Toledo, Toledo, OH 43606

Abstract.   Because the carbonate aquifer in much of northwestern Ohio is the principal water resource, understanding the avenues of recharge and resulting pathways of solute transport are crucial to the assessment of water resource availability, water quality and contaminant transport. This study uses estimates of evapotranspiration, measurements of piezometric heads and calculations of groundwater fluxes to investigate carbonate aquifer recharge from a small basin within the carbonate aquifer recharge area 2 km south of Whitehouse, OH. Of the 0.240 m of soil moisture surplus, approximately 43% runs off by way of drain tiles, ditches, and streams leaving 0.135 m as potential recharge for the deeper carbonate aquifer. Direct recharge to the 2% of the carbonate aquifer that is covered by less than 2 m of overburden accounts for a small percentage of the total recharge. Large amounts of radial flow from this shallow bedrock area suggest contributions from sources other than direct recharge or shallow lateral flow. The only remaining possible source of excess recharge in the shallow bedrock area is recharge contributed by streams through vertical fracture zones. Even where the glacial till is thick and vertical permeability is low, large vertical gradients over large areas induce significant bedrock recharge. Because direct recharge is derived from soil moisture surplus and surface water contributions in the area of shallow bedrock, the aquifer is most susceptible to contamination from these sources during the wet seasons. Conversely, even though recharge through the glacial till is maintained throughout the year, threats of contamination due to this vertical recharge are diminished.

OHIO J SCI 99 (4): 77–83, 1999

Spatial and Temporal Trends of Deer Harvest and Deer-Vehicle Accidents in Ohio

Aaron L. Iverson and Louis R. Iverson, Buckeye Valley High School, Delaware, OH 43015 and USDA Forest Service, Delaware County, Delaware, OH 43015

Abstract.   White-tailed deer (Odocoileus virginianus) have been increasing dramatically in the eastern United States, with concomitant increases in impacts resulting from deer browsing and deer-vehicle collisions. In Ohio, the number of deer were estimated at near zero in 1940 to over 450,000 in 1995. We analyzed estimates of deer harvest and deer-vehicle collisions in 1995 for 88 counties in Ohio. These data were also related to county-level spatial data on the length of major highways, urban land, rural land, crop land, forest land, all land, and human population. The objectives of this study were to evaluate the spatial and temporal trends of white-tailed deer across Ohio and to relate these patterns to the formerly mentioned environmental and human variables. For 1995 data, positive relationships existed between the amount of urban land in the county versus the number of deer-vehicle collisions, the amount of forest land in the county versus the number of deer harvested, the human population of a county versus the number of deer-vehicle collisions, and the length of major highways in a county versus the number of deer-vehicle collisions. Negative relationships existed between the amount of crop land in a county versus the number of deer harvested, the amount of crop land versus the number of deer-vehicle collisions, and the amount of urban land versus the number of deer harvested. Nine counties, representing various levels of land-use and human population tendencies, were analyzed for historic trends in deer harvest (1985-1995) and deer-vehicle collisions (1988-1995); in each case, there were substantial rises over the previous decade. Extensions of the resulting regression lines show the possibility for continued increases in deer-vehicle collisions, especially those with a high human population and forest cover. The dramatic increases in deer populations can be attributed to increasing forest land in the state, more habitat of shrubby land, few predators, mild winters, and the deer’s ability to adapt to human-inhabited environments.

OHIO J SCI 99 (4): 84–94, 1999

Volume 99 No. 3 June 1999

Surveillance for Toxoplasma gondii in the white-tailed deer (Odocoileus virginianus) in Ohio

S. C. Crist, R. L. Stewart Jr., J. P. Rinehart, and G. R. Needham, Department of Entomology, The Ohio State University, Columbus, OH 43210

Abstract.  Serum samples from 147 white-tailed deer, Odocoileus virginianus, were collected at deer-check stations and Columbus area metropolitan park deer hunts during November and December of Ohio’s 1996-97 and 97-98 hunting seasons. These samples were tested for Toxoplasma gondii antibodies using a modified direct agglutination assay. Forty-four percent (65/147) of the samples tested positive. Sixteen percent had a titer of 25, 16% had a titer of 50, 3% had a titer of 250 and 9% had a titer of =500.  Percentage of positive deer varied greatly between geographical locations. Fifty-five percent of 45 serum samples collected from Hocking County were positive while only 6% of the 18 deer sampled from Franklin County tested positive. No significant differences in infection rates were observed between sexes. This is the first report of T. gondii antibodies from a game animal in Ohio. Pregnant women should thoroughly cook venison before it is consumed to avoid complications from this pathogen.

OHIO J SCI 99 (3): 34-37, 1999

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Survey of Approval Practices for Onsite Sewage Treatment Systems in Ohio

Karen Mancl, Department of Food, Agricultural and Biological Engineering, The Ohio State University, Columbus, OH 43210

Abstract.  In 1997, a survey of all county and local health departments was conducted to learn more about the use of onsite wastewater treatment systems. The goal of this study was to assess approval practices for onsite wastewater treatment in Ohio. The survey results indicate limited use of modern site evaluation techniques to determine site suitability for onsite wastewater treatment systems. System selection is not closely tied to site characteristics. In over 70% of Ohio’s counties the onsite sewage systems are designed by the person issuing the permit. The lack of land-use planning is cited as a major obstacle to protecting public health and local health departments are looking for state leadership to make the local regulators’ job easier.

OHIO J SCI 99 (3): 38-43, 1999

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Spatial and Temporal Changes in Bacterial Assemblages of the Cuyahoga River

Laura G. Leff, Beverly J. Brown, and Michael J. Lemke, Department of Biological Sciences, Kent State University, Kent, OH 44242

Abstract.  Bacterial assemblage- and population-level variables were assessed at five sites along the Cuyahoga River in Northeastern Ohio during three seasons. Assemblage-level parameters (total, culturable, and lactose-positive bacteria) increased in a downstream direction during spring when discharge was elevated. Population-level responses were examined using colony hybridization with species-specific probes for Burkholderia cepacia and Pseudomonas putida. Also a group-specific probe for the g-proteobacteria was used to monitor the abundance of this widespread bacterial taxon. Abundances of culturable individuals of these taxa exhibited spatio-temporal differences; patterns typically were different from those observed for assemblage-level parameters. Seasonal changes in the abundances of these taxa were frequently large; for example, in winter and spring the g-proteobacteria represented 20 to 80% of the colony forming units (CFU) while in summer this group accounted for 5% or less of the CFU. Likewise, B. cepacia populations peaked in spring and became nearly undetectable in summer. Assemblage-level variations appeared to often mask population dynamics. These changes in bacterial populations imply that studies designed to monitor abundances for bioremediation or ecological purposes: 1) must account for seasonal blooms of bacteria of different species and 2) consider documenta-tion of bacterial populations to detect more sensitive environmental responses.

OHIO J SCI 99 (3): 44-48, 1999

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Karen Mancl, Kathleen Carr, and Michele Morrone, Food, Agricultural and Biological Engineering, The Ohio State University, Columbus, OH 43210, Strategic Research Group, Columbus, OH 43212, and School of Health Sciences, Ohio University, Athens, OH 45701

Abstract.  Environmental literacy is defined as an understanding of natural systems combined with how they interact with human social systems. Past surveys have measured the “pollution knowledge” of adults. This study instead examined Ohio adult’s knowledge of ecological principles as the basis of understanding. A telephone survey of 504 Ohio adults measured their knowledge of ecological principles. As a group, Ohio adults appear to understand four principles of ecology: biogeography, the earth as a bio-sphere, ecological energetics, and carrying capacity. Some additional attention should be paid to teaching Ohio adults about three principles of ecology: ecosystem succession, biotic interactions, and the importance of diversity. Most importantly, Ohio adults must learn more about the principle of materials cycling. Ohio adults showed poor understanding of the nitrogen, phosphorus, and hydrologic cycle and bioaccumulation.

OHIO J SCI 99 (3): 57-61, 1999

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Volume 99 No. 2 April 1999

Changes in Early Winter Abundance of Four Gull (Larus) Species on Western Lake Erie, 1951-19951

Laura A. Tyson, Richard A. Dolbeer, and Jerrold L. Belant, U. S. Department of Agriculture, National Wildlife Research Center, Sandusky, OH 44870

Abstract. Many gulls (Larus spp.) that nest on and north of the Great Lakes concentrate along the south shore of western Lake Erie in early winter. Monitoring population trends of these gulls is important because of increasing conflicts between gulls and humans. We used data from four Christmas Bird Count locations to examine population trends of four gull species on western Lake Erie during nine 5-year periods, 1951-1995. Overall, ring-billed gulls (L. delawarensis) were the dominant species (59% of gulls counted) followed by herring (L. argentatus, 20%), Bonapartes (L. philadelphia, 18%) and great black-backed (L. marinus, 0.2%) gulls. Ring-billed gulls displayed the most dramatic population changes over the 45-year period, increasing 23-fold (P <0.05) from 1951-1955 to 1981-1985. The population then declined (P <0.05) by 57% from 1981-1985 to 1991-1995. Population trends for Bonaparte s gulls followed the same general pattern as ring-billed gulls. Herring gulls showed an 11-fold increase (P <0.05) from 1951-1955 to 1971-1975 (10 years before the ring-billed and Bonaparte s peak) followed by a decline. Great black-backed gulls showed slight (P >0.05) increases among 5-year periods from 1951-1990 with a 3.3-fold increase (P <0.05) from 1986-1990 to 1991-1995. Early winter numbers of herring, ring-billed, and Bonaparte s gulls have stabilized or declined from peak numbers recorded on western Lake Erie in the 1970s and 1980s whereas great black-backed gull population numbers have increased. Continued monitoring of both early winter and nesting populations, combined with studies of feeding habits and migratory patterns, are needed to evaluate long-term trends of Great Lakes gull populations and to provide a foundation for management programs to resolve gull-human conflicts.

OHIO J SCI 99 (2): 2 5, 1999

Midsummer Photosynthetic Carbon Budget for Old Woman Creek Wetland, Ohio: Relative Contribution of Aquatic Macrophytes Versus Phytoplankton

David A. Francko and Robert S. Whyte, Department of Botany, Miami University, Oxford, OH 45056

Abstract. Few data are available on net productivity rates in Laurentian Great Lakes wetland communities. We used several methods (Licor photosynthesis system and various radiotracer methods) to estimate midsummer carbon photoassimilation rates among important phytoplanktonic and aquatic macrophyte assemblages in Old Woman Creek National Estuarine Research Reserve (OWC) on Lake Erie near Huron, OH, during 1993-1995. Our data suggested that the majority of carbon flow into the OWC estuary (approximately 66-99% of the total) occurred through aquatic macrophytes, especially the dominant floating-leaved species Nelumbo lutea and the emergent species Phragmites australis.

OHIO J SCI 99 (2): 6 9, 1999

Frequency and Distribution of Pseudomonas aeruginosa Serotypes 03, 06, 011 in Three Northwestern Ohio Hospitals as Determined by ELISA Using Specific Monoclonal Antibodies

Roudabeh J. Jamasbi, Medical Technology and Biological Sciences, Bowling Green State University, Bowling Green, OH 43403

Abstract. Hybridoma producing monoclonal antibodies (mAbs), specific for three clinically significant Pseudomonas aeruginosa (serotypes 03, 06, and 011), were generated to investigate the prevalence of these serotypes in three Northwestern Ohio hospitals. Fusion products reacting with bacterial cells or membrane extracts were detected by enzyme-linked-immunosorbent assay (ELISA). Three mAbs desig-nated: 72C, 11 H (IgM) and 11E (IgG2b), were selected. These mAbs reacted with approximately 40% of the clinical isolates of P. aeruginosa in each hospital. The incidence of serotype 011 varied in these hospitals, ranging from 13.2%-23.8%. Serotype 011 predominated in two of the three hospitals. The prevalence of serotype 06 was similar in all three hospitals (13.6-15%). In one of the hospitals (Hospital 2), the occurrence of serotype 06 was slightly higher (15%) than serotype 011 (13.2%). Serotype 03 occurred less frequently (1.5%) in one of the hospitals than in the other two (10-11%). None of the sero-types showed clear predilection toward any body site. The mAbs did not react with other strains of P. aeruginosa, nor with other gram-negative or gram-positive organisms. The results of Immuno-fluorescence and Western blot correlated well with ELISA. However, ELISA showed a higher sensitivity, indicating the usefulness of this technique for serotyping P. aeruginosa.

OHIO J SCI 99 (2): 10-15, 1999

Abundance of Planktonic Virus-Like Particles in Lake Erie Subsurface Waters

Adam A. Leff, Laura G. Leff, Michael J. Lemke, Robert T. Heath, and Xueqing Gao, Department of Biological Sciences, Kent State University Trumbull Campus, Warren, OH 44483 and Department of Biological Sciences and Water Resources Research Institute, Kent State University, Kent, OH 44242

Abstract. Abundance of virus-like particles (VLP) was determined in Lake Erie subsurface water. The relationship between VLP and the bacterial and phytoplankton communities were investigated. Viral and bacterial numbers were determined using nucleic acid stains and epifluorescent microscopy. Phyto-plankton abundance was estimated by chlorophyll a extraction. Viral abundance averaged 1.05 x 106 VLP/ml and the ratio of viral to bacterial number was less than 1.0 across most sampling sites and dates. Viral abundance was not correlated with either bacterial abundance or chlorophyll a concentration. Viral abundance was found to be most similar to other Great Lakes and marine systems and dissimilar to other freshwater systems.

OHIO J SCI 99 (2): 16 18, 1999

Interactive Effects of Elevated Ozone plus Carbon Dioxide on Duckweeds Exposed in Open-Top Chambers

Sarah Bailey, Joanne Rebbeck, and Ken V. Loats, Biology Department, Denison University, Granville, OH 43023 and USDA Forest Service, 359 Main Road, Delaware, OH 43015

Abstract. The response of Lemna minor L. and Spirodela polyrhiza (L.) Schleiden to projected future ambient levels of O3 and CO2 was studied under field conditions. The two duckweed species were treated with either charcoal-filtered air (CF), ambient O3 (lXO3), twice ambient O3 (2XO3), twice ambient CO2 plus twice ambient O3 (2XCO2+2XO3), or chamberless open-air (OA). Two experiments were conducted. In Experiment I, L. minor was treated for 15 d with a cumulative O3 exposure of 14.4 ppm h. No O3 effects were observed during Experiment I. Dry weight of individual fronds and photosynthesis per frond increased in L. minor exposed to 2XCO2+2XO3- air. In Experiment II after 25 d of treatment (cumulative O3 exposure of 16.2 ppm h), negative effects of 2XO3 on the photosynthetic and growth rates of L. minor were observed. Dark respiration of L. minor significantly increased in 2XO3-air compared with controls, but declined significantly in 2XCO2+2XO3-air compared to those grown in 2XO3-air. Photosynthesis and dry weight per frond increased in 2XCO2+2XO3-air when compared with all other treat-ments. Measurement of A/Ci (assimilation versus intercellular CO2 concentration) curves in L. minor showed a significant reduction in carboxylation efficiency and maximum rates of photosynthesis in 2XCO2+2XO3-air compared with other treatments when expressed per weight. No differences in carboxyla-tion efficiency were detected between treatments when expressed per frond. After 25 d of treatment, photosynthesis (per frond) and dry weight of S. polyrhiza were reduced in 2XO3-air, but final frond number was unaffected. Dark respiration of S. polyrhiza was unaffected in 2XO3-air, but when exposed to 2XCO2+2XO3-air, it declined significantly. Although S. polyrhiza photosynthesis per frond increased in 2XCO2+2XO3-air, dry weight was unaffected when compared with all other treatments. Only when comparisons were made between S. polyrhiza grown in 2XCO2+2XO3-air and 2XO3-air, were significant increases in dry weight observed. The addition of 2XCO2 to 2XO3-air resulted in amelioration of negative O3 effects for most responses for both duckweed species.

OHIO J SCI 99 (2): 19 25, 1999

Herpetofauna of the Little South Fork Basin (Cumberland River Drainage), Wayne and McCreary Counties, Kentucky

William J. Poly, Department of Zoology, Southern Illinois University, Carbondale, Illinois 62901-6501

Abstract. Amphibians and reptiles were surveyed along Little South Fork (tributary of the Cumberland River) and other sites within the drainage basin from May-October 1996 and April-May 1997 to determine the distribution and composition of the herpetofauna. Twenty-three species of amphibians and reptiles were captured or observed. Based on published and unpublished accounts and museum records, 41 species of amphibians and reptiles are known from the basin in Wayne and McCreary counties. Chelydra serpentina and Sternotherus odoratus are known from Little South Fork, and the latter from Wayne County, for the first time. Graptemys geographica was distributed throughout the surveyed portion of Little South Fork. Leeches (Placobdella parasitica) were found on two Graptemys geographica and one Chelydra serpentina.

OHIO J SCI 99 (2): 26 29, 1999

Volume 98 No. 2 March 1998

Fecundity Estimates for Rainbow Darters, Etheostoma caeruleum, in Southwestern Michigan.

Rebecca C. Fuller, Michigan State University, Department of Zoology, Kellogg Biological Station, Hickory Corners, MI 49060

Abstract. Annual fecundity was estimated for female Etheostoma caeruleum by counting the number of eggs spawned in aquaria over the breeding season. Previous estimates of annual fecundity for E. caeruleum have been based on dissected museum samples where the number of either matures eggs or both mature and immature eggs were counted. In this study, annual fecundity was estimated as 309 eggs (range 180-607 eggs). This value is greater than previous estimates based on counts of only mature eggs but is less than estimates based on counts of both immature and mature eggs. Female E. caeruleum most likely spawn multiple clutches but do not ripen and spawn all of their immature eggs. Given that females release an average of eight eggs per spawning, females probably spawn approximately 39 times over the breeding season. This study also considered relationships between standard length, growth, and mean egg mass. Female standard length was inversely correlated with growth and positively correlated with mean egg mass. This suggests that large females may invest more in offspring size and offspring survival relative to their own growth than do small females.