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At least 559 records · Page 31Linked to original sources
USGS2012

RAD sequencing yields a high success rate for westslope cutthroat and rainbow trout species-diagnostic SNP assays

Hybridization with introduced rainbow trout threatens most native westslope cutthroat trout populations. Understanding the genetic effects of hybridization and introgression requires a large set of high-throughput, diagnostic genetic markers to inform conservation and management. Recently, we identified several thousand candidate single-nucleotide polymorphism (SNP) markers based on RAD sequencing of 11 westslope cutthroat trout and 13 rainbow trout individuals. Here, we used flanking sequence for 56 of these candidate SNP markers to design high-throughput genotyping assays. We validated the assays on a total of 92 individuals from 22 populations and seven hatchery strains. Forty-six assays (82%) amplified consistently and allowed easy identification of westslope cutthroat and rainbow trout alleles as well as heterozygote controls. The 46 SNPs will provide high power for early detection of population admixture and improved identification of hybrid and nonhybridized individuals. This technique shows promise as a very low-cost, reliable and relatively rapid method for developing and testing SNP markers for nonmodel organisms with limited genomic resources.

Molecular Ecology Resources↗
USGS2017

Divergence and gene flow in the globally distributed blue-winged ducks

The ability to disperse over long distances can result in a high propensity for colonizing new geographic regions, including uninhabited continents, and lead to lineage diversification via allopatric speciation. However, high vagility can also result in gene flow between otherwise allopatric populations, and in some cases, parapatric or divergence-with-gene-flow models might be more applicable to widely distributed lineages. Here, we use five nuclear introns and the mitochondrial control region along with Bayesian models of isolation with migration to examine divergence, gene flow, and phylogenetic relationships within a cosmopolitan lineage comprising six species, the blue-winged ducks (genus Anas), which inhabit all continents except Antarctica. We found two primary sub-lineages, the globally-distributed shoveler group and the New World blue-winged/cinnamon teal group. The blue-winged/cinnamon sub-lineage is composed of sister taxa from North America and South America, and taxa with parapatric distributions are characterized by low to moderate levels of gene flow. In contrast, our data support strict allopatry for most comparisons within the shovelers. However, we found evidence of gene flow from the migratory, Holarctic northern shoveler (A. clypeata) and the more sedentary, African Cape shoveler (A. smithii) into the Australasian shoveler (A. rhynchotis), although we could not reject strict allopatry. Given the diverse mechanisms of speciation within this complex, the shovelers and blue-winged/cinnamon teals can serve as an effective model system for examining how the genome diverges under different evolutionary processes and how genetic variation is partitioned among highly dispersive taxa.

Journal of Avian Biology↗
USGS2020

High site fidelity does not equate to population genetic structure for common goldeneye and Barrow's goldeneye in North America

Delineation of population structure provides valuable information for conservation and management of species, as levels of demographic and genetic connectivity not only affect population dynamics but also have important implications for adaptability and resiliency of populations and species. Here, we measure population genetic structure and connectivity across the ranges of two sister species of sea ducks: Barrow's goldeneye Bucephala islandica and common goldeneye B. clangula . We use two different marker types: 7–8 nuclear microsatellite loci assayed across 229 samples and 3678 double digest restriction‐site associated DNA sequencing (ddRAD‐seq) loci assayed across 61 samples. First, both datasets found no evidence of genetic structure within common or Barrow's goldeneye, including between North American and European samples of common goldeneye. These results are in contrast with previous mitochondrial DNA, band recovery and telemetry data which suggest that goldeneyes are structured across their range. We posit that the discordance between autosomal genetic markers and other data types suggests that males, possibly subadult males, may be maintaining genetic connectivity across each species' respective ranges. Next, although mate choice consequences resulting from inter‐specific brood parasitism was hypothesized to cause some level of gene flow between goldeneye species, we only identified a single F1 hybrid with no further evidence of contemporary or historical gene flow. Despite ddRAD‐seq demographic analyses which recovered an optimum evolutionary model of split‐with‐migration (i.e. secondary contact), estimates of gene flow were <<1 migrant per generation in both directions. Together, we conclude that either strong ecological barriers or assortative mating are likely playing a role in preventing further backcrossing. Finally, demographic analyses estimated a relatively deep divergence time between Barrow's goldeneye and common goldeneye of ~1.6 million years before present and suggests that the genomes of both species have been under similar evolutionary constraints.

Journal of Avian Biology↗
USGS2022

Hidden in plain sight: Migration routes of the elusive Anadyr bar-tailed godwit revealed by satellite tracking

Satellite and GPS tracking technology continues to reveal new migration patterns of birds which enables comparative studies of migration strategies and distributional information useful in conservation. Bar-tailed godwits in the East Asian–Australasian Flyway Limosa lapponica baueri and L. l. menzbieri are known for their long non-stop flights, however these populations are in steep decline. A third subspecies in this flyway, L. l. anadyrensis , breeds in the Anadyr River basin, Chukotka, Russia, and is morphologically distinct from menzbieri and baueri based on comparison of museum specimens collected from breeding areas. However, the non-breeding distribution, migration route and population size of anadyrensis are entirely unknown. Among 24 female bar-tailed godwits tracked in 2015–2018 from northwest Australia, the main non-breeding area for menzbieri , two birds migrated further east than the rest to breed in the Anadyr River basin, i.e. they belonged to the anadyrensis subspecies. During pre-breeding migration, all birds staged in the Yellow Sea and then flew to the breeding grounds in the eastern Russian Arctic. After breeding, these two birds migrated southwestward to stage in Russia on the Kamchatka Peninsula and on Sakhalin Island en route to the Yellow Sea. This contrasts with the other 22 tracked godwits that followed the previously described route of menzbieri , i.e. they all migrated northwards to stage in the New Siberian Islands before turning south towards the Yellow Sea, and onwards to northwest Australia. Since the Kamchatka Peninsula was not used by any of the tracked menzbieri birds, the 4500 godwits counted in the Khairusova–Belogolovaya estuary in western Kamchatka may well be anadyrensis . Comparing migration patterns across the three bar-tailed godwits subspecies, the migration strategy of anadyrensis lies between that of menzbieri and baueri . Future investigations combining migration tracks with genomic data could reveal how differences in migration routines are evolved and maintained.

Journal of Avian Biology↗
USGS2017

Virulence of a chimeric recombinant infectious haematopoietic necrosis virus expressing the spring viraemia of carp virus glycoprotein in salmonid and cyprinid fish

Infectious haematopoietic necrosis virus (IHNV) and spring viraemia of carp virus (SVCV) are both rhabdoviruses of fish, listed as notifiable disease agents by the World Organization for Animal Health. Recombinant rhabdoviruses with heterologous gene substitutions have been engineered to study genetic determinants and assess the potential of these recombinant viruses for vaccine development. A recombinant IHNV (rIHNV), containing the full-length genome of a European IHNV strain, was modified by deleting the glycoprotein (G) gene and replacing it with a European SVCV G-gene to make the rIHNV-Gsvcv. The chimeric rIHNV-Gsvcv level of virulence in rainbow trout, common carp and koi was assessed, and its ability to induce a protective immune response in surviving koi against wild-type SVCV infection was tested. The rIHNV-Gsvcv infection of trout led to high mortality, ranging from 78% to 92.5%, after immersion. In contrast, no deaths occurred in juvenile common carp after infection with rIHNV-Gsvcv by either immersion or intraperitoneal (IP) injection. Similarly, koi infected with rIHNV-Gsvcv via IP injection had little to no mortality (≤9%). Koi that survived initial infection with a high dose of recombinant virus rIHNV-Gsvcv were protected against a virulent SVCV challenge resulting in a high relative per cent survival of 82.5%.

Journal of Fish Diseases↗
USGS2017

Transcriptomic imprints of adaptation to fresh water: parallel evolution of osmoregulatory gene expression in the Alewife

Comparative approaches in physiological genomics offer an opportunity to understand the functional importance of genes involved in niche exploitation. We used populations of Alewife ( Alosa pseudoharengus ) to explore the transcriptional mechanisms that underlie adaptation to fresh water. Ancestrally anadromous Alewives have recently formed multiple, independently derived, landlocked populations, which exhibit reduced tolerance of saltwater and enhanced tolerance of fresh water. Using RNA-seq, we compared transcriptional responses of an anadromous Alewife population to two landlocked populations after acclimation to fresh (0 ppt) and saltwater (35 ppt). Our results suggest that the gill transcriptome has evolved in primarily discordant ways between independent landlocked populations and their anadromous ancestor. By contrast, evolved shifts in the transcription of a small suite of well-characterized osmoregulatory genes exhibited a strong degree of parallelism. In particular, transcription of genes that regulate gill ion exchange has diverged in accordance with functional predictions: freshwater ion-uptake genes (most notably, the ‘freshwater paralog’ of Na + /K + -ATPase α-subunit) were more highly expressed in landlocked forms, whereas genes that regulate saltwater ion secretion (e.g. the ‘saltwater paralog’ of NKAα) exhibited a blunted response to saltwater. Parallel divergence of ion transport gene expression is associated with shifts in salinity tolerance limits among landlocked forms, suggesting that changes to the gill's transcriptional response to salinity facilitate freshwater adaptation.

Molecular Ecology↗
USGS2018

Adaptive population divergence and directional gene flow across steep elevational gradients in a climate‐sensitive mammal

The American pika is a thermally sensitive, alpine lagomorph species. Recent climate-associated population extirpations and genetic signatures of reduced population sizes range-wide indicate the viability of this species is sensitive to climate change. To test for potential adaptive responses to climate stress, we sampled pikas along two elevational gradients (each ~470 to 1640 m) and employed three outlier detection methods, BAYESCAN, LFMM, and BAYPASS, to scan for genotype-environment associations in samples genotyped at 30,763 SNP loci. We resolved 173 loci with robust evidence of natural selection detected by either two independent analyses or replicated in both transects. A BLASTN search of these outlier loci revealed several genes associated with metabolic function and oxygen transport, indicating natural selection from thermal stress and hypoxia. We also found evidence of directional gene flow primarily downslope from large high-elevation populations and reduced gene flow at outlier loci, a pattern suggesting potential impediments to the upward elevational movement of adaptive alleles in response to contemporary climate change. Finally, we documented evidence of reduced genetic diversity associated the south-facing transect and an increase in corticosterone stress levels associated with inbreeding. This study suggests the American pika is already undergoing climate-associated natural selection at multiple genomic regions. Further analysis is needed to determine if the rate of climate adaptation in the American pika and other thermally sensitive species will be able to keep pace with rapidly changing climate conditions.

Washington↗
USGS2019

Urbanization reduces genetic connectivity in bobcats (Lynx rufus) at both intra- and interpopulation spatial scales

Urbanization is a major factor driving habitat fragmentation and connectivity loss in wildlife. However, the impacts of urbanization on connectivity can vary among species and even populations due to differences in local landscape characteristics, and our ability to detect these relationships may depend on the spatial scale at which they are measured. Bobcats ( Lynx rufus ) are relatively sensitive to urbanization and the status of bobcat populations is an important indicator of connectivity in urban coastal southern California. We genotyped 271 bobcats at 13,520 SNP loci to conduct a replicated landscape resistance analysis in five genetically distinct populations. We tested urban and natural factors potentially influencing individual connectivity in each population separately, as well as study–wide. Overall, landscape genomic effects were most frequently detected at the study–wide spatial scale, with urban land cover (measured as impervious surface) having negative effects and topographic roughness having positive effects on gene flow. The negative effect of urban land cover on connectivity was also evident when populations were analyzed separately despite varying substantially in spatial area and the proportion of urban development, confirming a pervasive impact of urbanization largely independent of spatial scale. The effect of urban development was strongest in one population where stream habitat had been lost to development, suggesting that riparian corridors may help mitigate reduced connectivity in urbanizing areas. Our results demonstrate the importance of replicating landscape genetic analyses across populations and considering how landscape genetic effects may vary with spatial scale and local landscape structure.

California↗
USGS2022

Hybrid enrichment of adaptive variation revealed by genotype-environment associations in montane sedges

The role of hybridization in diversification is complex and may result in many possible outcomes. Not only can hybridization produce new lineages, but those lineages may contain unique combinations of adaptive genetic variation derived from parental taxa that allow hybrid-origin lineages to occupy unique environmental space relative to one (or both) parents. We document such a case of hybridization between two sedge species, Carex nova and Carex nelsonii (Cyperaceae), that occupy partially overlapping environmental space in the southern Rocky Mountains, USA. In the region hypothesized to be the origin of the hybrid lineage, one parental taxon ( C. nelsonii ) is at the edge of its environmental tolerance. Hybrid-origin individuals display mixed ancestry between the parental taxa – of nearly 7,000 unlinked loci sampled, almost 30% showed evidence of excess ancestry from one parental lineage – approximately half displayed a genomic background skewed towards one parent, and half skewed towards the other. To test whether excess ancestry loci may have conferred an adaptive advantage to the hybrid-origin lineage, we conducted genotype-environment association analyses on different combinations of loci – with and without excess ancestry – and with multiple contrasts between the hybrids and parental taxa. Loci with skewed ancestry showed significant environmental associations distinguishing the hybrid lineage from one parent ( C. nelsonii ), whereas loci with relatively equal representation of parental ancestries showed no such environmental associations. Moreover, the overwhelming majority of candidate adaptive loci with respect to environmental gradients also had excess ancestry from a parental lineage, implying these loci have facilitated the persistence of the hybrid lineage in an environment unsuitable to at least one parent .

Arizona, Colorado, Idaho, Kansas, Montana, Nebrask↗
USGS2022

Hybridization decreases native cutthroat trout reproductive fitness

Examining natural selection in wild populations is challenging, but crucial to understanding many ecological and evolutionary processes. Additionally, in hybridizing populations, natural selection may be an important determinant of the eventual outcome of hybridization. We characterized several components of relative fitness in hybridizing populations of Yellowstone cutthroat trout and rainbow trout in an effort to better understand the prolonged persistence of both parental species despite predictions of extirpation. Thousands of genomic loci enabled precise quantification of hybrid status in adult and subsequent juvenile generations; a subset of those data also identified parent–offspring relationships. We used linear models and simulations to assess the effects of ancestry on reproductive output and mate choice decisions. We found a relatively low number of late-stage (F3+) hybrids and an excess of F2 juveniles relative to the adult generation in one location, which suggests the presence of hybrid breakdown decreasing the fitness of F2+ hybrids later in life. Assessments of reproductive output showed that Yellowstone cutthroat trout are more likely to successfully reproduce and produce slightly more offspring than their rainbow trout and hybrid counterparts. Mate choice appeared to be largely random, though we did find statistical support for slight female preference for males of similar ancestry. Together, these results show that native Yellowstone cutthroat trout are able to outperform rainbow trout in terms of reproduction and suggest that management action to exclude rainbow trout from spawning locations may bolster the now-rare Yellowstone cutthroat trout.

Molecular Ecology↗
USGS2022

Concordant patterns of morphological, stable isotope, and genetic variation in a recent ecological radiation (Salmonidae: Coregonus spp.)

Groups of sympatric taxa with low interspecific genetic differentiation, but considerable ecological differences, offer great opportunities to study the dynamics of divergence and speciation. This is the case of ciscoes ( Coregonus spp.) in the Laurentian Great Lakes, which are characterized by a complex evolutionary history and are commonly described as having undergone an adaptive radiation. In this study, morphometrics, stable isotopes and transcriptome sequencing were used to study the relationships within the Coregonus artedi complex in western Lake Superior. We observed general concordance for morphological, ecological and genomic variation, but the last was more taxonomically informative as it showed less overlap among species in multivariate space. Low levels of genetic differentiation were observed between individuals morphologically identified as Coregonus hoyi and C. zenithicus , which could be evidence of incomplete lineage sorting or recent hybridization between the two groups. Transcriptome-based single nucleotide polymorphisms exhibited significant divergence for genes associated with vision, development, metabolism and immunity among species that occupy different habitats. This study highlights the importance of using an integrative approach when studying groups of taxa with a complex evolutionary history, as individual-level analyses of multiple independent data sets can provide a clearer picture of the patterns and processes associated with the origins of biodiversity.

Michigan, Minnesota, Ontario, Wisconsin↗
USGS2022

Genetic structure and historic demography of endangered unarmoured threespine stickleback at southern latitudes signals a potential new management approach

Habitat loss, flood control infrastructure, and drought have left most of southern California and northern Baja California's native freshwater fish near extinction, including the endangered unarmoured threespine stickleback ( Gasterosteus aculeatus williamsoni ). This subspecies, an unusual morph lacking the typical lateral bony plates of the G. aculeatus complex, occurs at arid southern latitudes in the eastern Pacific Ocean and survives in only three inland locations. Managers have lacked molecular data to answer basic questions about the ancestry and genetic distinctiveness of unarmoured populations. These data could be used to prioritize conservation efforts. We sampled G. aculeatus from 36 localities and used microsatellites and whole genome data to place unarmoured populations within the broader evolutionary context of G. aculeatus across southern California/northern Baja California. We identified three genetic groups with none consisting solely of unarmoured populations. Unlike G. aculeatus at northern latitudes, where Pleistocene glaciation has produced similar historical demographic profiles across populations, we found markedly different demographics depending on sampling location, with inland unarmoured populations showing steeper population declines and lower heterozygosity compared to low armoured populations in coastal lagoons. One exception involved the only high elevation population in the region, where the demography and alleles of unarmoured fish were similar to low armoured populations near the coast, exposing one of several cases of artificial translocation. Our results suggest that the current “management-by-phenotype” approach, based on lateral plates, is incidentally protecting the most imperilled populations; however, redirecting efforts toward evolutionary units, regardless of phenotype, may more effectively preserve adaptive potential.

Baja California, California↗
USGS2023

Ancient bears provide insights into Pleistocene ice age refugia in Southeast Alaska

During the Late Pleistocene, major parts of North America were periodically covered by ice sheets. However, there are still questions about whether ice-free refugia were present in the Alexander Archipelago along the Southeast (SE) Alaska coast during the last glacial maximum (LGM). Numerous subfossils have been recovered from caves in SE Alaska, including American black ( Ursus americanus ) and brown ( U. arctos ) bears, which today are found in the Alexander Archipelago but are genetically distinct from mainland bear populations. Hence, these bear species offer an ideal system to investigate long-term occupation, potential refugial survival and lineage turnover. Here, we present genetic analyses based on 99 new complete mitochondrial genomes from ancient and modern brown and black bears spanning the last ~45,000 years. Black bears form two SE Alaskan subclades, one preglacial and another postglacial, that diverged >100,000 years ago. All postglacial ancient brown bears are closely related to modern brown bears in the archipelago, while a single preglacial brown bear is found in a distantly related clade. A hiatus in the bear subfossil record around the LGM and the deep split of their pre- and postglacial subclades fail to support a hypothesis of continuous occupancy in SE Alaska throughout the LGM for either species. Our results are consistent with an absence of refugia along the SE Alaska coast, but indicate that vegetation quickly expanded after deglaciation, allowing bears to recolonize the area after a short-lived LGM peak.

Alaska↗
USGS2023

Effects of hunting on mating, relatedness, and genetic diversity in a puma population

Hunting mortality can affect population abundance, demography, patterns of dispersal and philopatry, breeding, and genetic diversity. We investigated the effects of hunting on the reproduction and genetic diversity in a puma population in western Colorado, USA. We genotyped over 11,000 single nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs), using double-digest, restriction site-associated DNA sequencing (ddRADseq) in 291 tissue samples collected as part of a study on the effects of hunting on puma population abundance and demography in Colorado from 2004 to 2014. The study was designed with a reference period (years 1–5), during which hunting was suspended, followed by a treatment period (years 6–10), in which hunting was reinstated. Our objectives were to examine the effects of hunting on: (1) paternity and male reproductive success; (2) the relatedness between pumas within the population, and (3) genetic diversity. We found that hunting reduced the average age of male breeders. The number of unique fathers siring litters increased each year without hunting and decreased each year during the hunting period. Mated pairs were generally unrelated during both time periods, and females were more closely related than males. Hunting was also associated with increased relatedness among males and decreased relatedness among females in the population. Finally, genetic diversity increased during the period without hunting and decreased each year when hunting was present. This study demonstrates the utility of merging demographic data with large-scale genomic datasets in order to better understand the consequences of management actions. Specifically, we believe that this study highlights the need for long-term experimental research in which hunting mortality is manipulated, including at least one non-harvested control population, as part of a broader adaptive, zone management scheme.

Colorado↗
USGS2024

Secondary contact erodes Pleistocene diversification in a wide-ranging freshwater mussel (Quadrula)

The isolated river drainages of eastern North America serve as a natural laboratory to investigate the roles of allopatry and secondary contact in the evolutionary trajectories of recently diverged lineages. Drainage divides facilitate allopatric speciation, but due to their sensitivity to climatic and geomorphological changes, neighboring rivers frequently coalesce, creating recurrent opportunities of isolation and contact throughout the history of aquatic lineages. The freshwater mussel Quadrula quadrula is widely distributed across isolated rivers of eastern North America and possesses high phenotypic and molecular variation across its range. We integrate sequence data from three genomes, including female- and male-inherited mitochondrial markers and thousands of nuclear encoded SNPs with morphology and geography to illuminate the group's divergence history. Across contemporary isolated rivers, we found continuums of molecular and morphological variation, following a pattern of isolation by distance. In contact zones, hybridization was frequent with no apparent fitness consequences, as advanced hybrids were common. Accordingly, we recognize Q. quadrula as a single cohesive species with subspecific variation ( Q. quadrula rumphiana ). Demographic modeling and divergence dating supported a divergence history characterized by allopatric vicariance followed by secondary contact, likely driven by river rearrangements and Pleistocene glacial cycles. Despite clinal range-wide variation and hybridization in contact zones, the process-based species delimitation tool delimitR, which considers demographic scenarios like secondary contact, supported the delimitation of the maximum number of species tested. As such, when interpreting species delimitation results, we suggest careful consideration of spatial sampling and subsequent geographic patterns of biological variation, particularly for wide-ranging taxa.

eastern North America↗
USGS2025

Urbanization and host relatedness shape virome composition in a widespread, generalist carnivore

Urban wildlife species have the potential to serve as links in disease transmission between wildlife, humans and domestic animals at the wildland–urban interface (WUI), contributing to both sustained cross-species transmission of pathogens and the emergence of diseases in susceptible populations. However, the relative roles of host and environmental factors in shaping the composition of pathogen communities in urban wildlife is understudied. In this study, we integrated DNA and RNA virome data with host genomic and GPS datasets to investigate factors shaping virome composition in bobcats ( Lynx rufus ) at the WUI in the Tucson Mountains, Arizona, USA. Using a hybrid-capture approach for 31 scats and 17 buccal swabs, we identified multiple viruses that could affect carnivore health at the WUI, including canine parvovirus, feline astrovirus, Felis catus papillomaviruses 2 and 3 and Lyon-IARC polyomavirus. Models of virome composition and distribution of viral taxa indicated contributions of host genetic relatedness and factors relating to urbanisation (such as percentages of urban land cover, road and building densities and distances to roads). Genetic associations with virome compositions were particularly influenced by females. While females exhibit significant isolation by distance, partial Mantel tests revealed a significant correlation between beta diversity and host genetic distance in females only. To our knowledge, this study represents the first assessment of factors shaping virome composition in a wild felid. Our finding of known feline and canine pathogens in bobcats underscores the potential of the WUI to facilitate cross-species transmission between wild and domestic animals.

Arizona↗
USGS2019

Landscape and organismal factors affecting sagebrush-seedling transplant survival after megafire restoration

Larger and more frequent disturbances are motivating efforts to accelerate recovery of foundational perennial species by focusing efforts into establishing island patches to sustain keystone species and facilitate recovery of the surrounding plant community. Evaluating the variability in abiotic and biotic factors that contribute to differences in survival and establishment can provide useful insight into the relative importance of these factors. In the western United States, severe degradation of the sagebrush steppe has motivated substantial efforts to restore native perennial cover, but success has been mixed. In this study, we evaluated survival of >3000 sagebrush seedlings transplanted on 12 patches totaling of 650 ha within a 113,000 ha burn area, and related the survival to organismal and sub‐taxonomic traits, and to landscape variables. Big sagebrush has high intraspecific diversity attributed to subspecies and cytotypes identifiable through UV‐induced fluorescence, length:width of leaves, or genome size (ploidy). Of these organismal traits, survival was related only to UV fluorescence, and then only so when landscape variables were excluded from analyses. The most significant landscape variable affecting survival was soil taxonomic subgroup, with much lower survival where buried restrictive layers reduce deep water infiltration. Survival also decreased with greater slope steepness, exotic annual grass cover, and burn severity. Survival was optimal where perennial bunchgrasses comprised 8‐14% of total cover. These soil, topographic, and community condition factors revealed through monitoring of landscape‐level treatments can be used to explain the success of plantings and to strategically plan future restoration projects.

Restoration Ecology↗
USGS2011

The fecal bacteria

The Fecal Bacteria offers a balanced, integrated discussion of fecal bacteria and their presence and ecology in the intestinal tract of mammals, in the environment, and in the food supply. This new volume covers their use in examining and assessing water quality in order to offer protection from illnesses related to swimming in or ingesting contaminated water, in addition to discussing their use in engineering considerations of water quality, modeling, monitoring, and regulations. Fecal bacteria are additionally used as indicators of contamination of ready-to-eat foods and fresh produce. The intestinal environment, the microbial community structure of the gut microbiota, and the physiology and genomics of this broad group of microorganisms are explored in the book. With contributions from an internationally recognized group of experts, the book integrates medicine, public health, environmental, and microbiological topics in order to provide a unique, holistic understanding of fecal bacteria. Moreover, it shows how the latest basic science and applied research findings are helping to solve problems and develop effective management strategies. For example, readers will discover how the latest tools and molecular approaches have led to our current understanding of fecal bacteria and enabled us to improve human health and water quality. The Fecal Bacteria is recommended for microbiologists, clinicians, animal scientists, engineers, environmental scientists, food safety experts, water quality managers, and students. It will help them better understand fecal bacteria and use their knowledge to protect human and environmental health. They can also apply many of the techniques and molecular tools discussed in this book to the study of a broad range of microorganisms in a variety of habitats.

Book↗