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Using species distribution modeling to identify suitable snake habitat in South Carolina

Modern remote-sensing and GIS technologies have significantly simplified the process of modeling species distributions and identifying potentially suitable habitat across large geographic areas. Here, we are building models to predict areas of potentially high snake abundance and diversity throughout South Carolina. Our ultimate goal in this project is to identify local areas of suitable habitat for various snake species to improve coverboard functionality in projects monitoring snake diversity, as well as collection efforts for radiotelemetry research, in a poorly studied area of the South Carolina piedmont. We downloaded all research-grade occurrence records from GBIF for Agkistrodon contortrix, Carphophis amoenus, Nerodia erythrogaster, N. sipedon, N. taxispilota, Pantherophis alleghaniensis, Storeria dekayi, and S. occipitomaculata in the southeastern US. We extracted environmental data from the 19 bioclimatic layers available in the WorldClim database. Using R and QGIS, we clipped relevant layers to include only the southeastern US and built GLM species distribution models for each taxon (with a priority on maximizing the proportions of true positives and true negatives). We built the models using an equal number of presence and pseudo-absence points, trained the model on 80% of these points, and used the remaining points to evaluate the model. We then generated new raster layers to illustrate the habitat suitability predictions of the models. Future refinement of these models will come from incorporation of data from USGS 10m DEM files and from NLCD land cover, US EPA NHDPlus HR and ECOREG, USDA SSURGO databases.

Lilly Atkins graduated from Cane Bay High School in Summerville and is a junior biology major on the pre-veterinary medicine track. She is a member of the biology honors society, TriBeta, and presented her research at the Association of Southeastern Biologists conference.

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Habitat Use by Eastern Rat Snakes in the South Carolina Piedmont

Information regarding characteristics of the microhabitats used by snakes is important to our understanding of their biology and their conservation. Scientific research into habitat use and other ecological aspects of snake biology in our area of the piedmont ecoregion of South Carolina is relatively scant. We seek to add to the knowledge base by examining habitat use by Eastern Rat snakes (Pantherophis alleghaniensis) at Camp Fellowship on Lake Greenwood in Laurens County, SC. To achieve this, we will capture snakes and surgically implant radio transmitters within their body cavities. Using these transmitters, we will locate the snakes regularly and record their activities and the characteristics of the habitats they utilize. We will use QGIS and R to calculate home ranges, analyze movements (e.g., average distance moved per day), and analyze relative use of different habitats.

Kaitlyn Battle is a senior Biology Pre-Veterinary major at Lander University, graduating in May 2025. She serves as Vice President of the Animal Advocates Club and has held leadership roles in Delta Sigma Theta Sorority, Inc., the Black Student Union, and the Student Government Association. Passionate about wildlife and exotic animal care, she plans to attend veterinary school to specialize in exotic animal medicine.

Gabrielle Craft graduated from White Knoll High School in Lexington, SC and is an undergraduate at Lander University majoring in biology with a minor in English. She is a member of The National Society of Leadership and Success. After graduation she plans to pursue a career as a microbiologist lab technician.

Bethany Bagwell is currently a junior at Lander University majoring in biology with an emphasis in genetics with minors in chemistry and political science. Their future plans are to attend graduate school at the University of Notre Dame and receive their PhD in the Integrated Biomedical Sciences program.

Drew Beauford graduated from Abbeville High School in Abbeville, South Carolina. She is a junior biology major with a minor in chemistry. At Lander University, she is a Presidential Ambassador and a member of the Beta Beta Beta Biological Honor Society. After graduation, she plans to attend veterinary school to specialize in large animal practice.

Aniya Turman is from Greenwood, South Carolina, and is a senior biology major minoring in photography, business, and chemistry. Following graduation, she plans to continue her studies by attending graduate school and pursuing a career in mixed animal practice. In her free time, she enjoys photography, creating art, and volunteering at the local animal shelter and hospital.

Tamera McClurkin graduated from Chester High School here in South Carolina and is enrolled at Lander University as a biology pre-vet major as well as minoring in both Spanish and psychology. Her future plan after graduation is to attend veterinary school; after veterinary school she plans on working and aiding in the rehabilitation of wildlife.

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Environmental drivers of microbial community composition in aquatic ecosystems: Insights from the Upper Saluda watershed

The microbial community composition in aquatic ecosystems varies in part due to environmental factors like nutrient availability and pH. However, it is challenging to directly specify which environmental conditions drive the differences among these communities. The goal of our research is to determine the relationship between environmental characteristics and bacterial communities in the Upper Saluda watershed in South Carolina. As a first step, we measured the physical and chemical properties of the different sites and applied principal component analysis (PCA) to characterize them. We collected water samples from thirty different sites throughout the watershed and categorized them as either lake, ponds, rivers or streams. We measured latitude, elevation, depth, temperature, pH, conductivity, as well as the concentration of nitrate, nitrite, ammonium, phosphate, dissolved oxygen, and chlorophyll a. The PCA established which sites were similar to or different from each other and what properties were driving these differences. PC1 separated sites by habitat type; lake, pond, stream, or river. The division was driven by chlorophyll a abundance, which was higher in both ponds and lakes than river and streams. PC2 separated sites based on nitrogen forms, with some sites characterized by high ammonia concentrations and others by high nitrite. Taken together, PC1 and PC2 account for 79% of the total variance among the sites. As a next step, we extracted DNA from 100 mL of water at each site using Quiagen DNeasy PowerWater Kits. DNA samples will be sent for Illumina MiSeq high-throughput sequencing to characterize the bacteria in the community. At that point we will be able to determine the extent to which the physical and chemical conditions are related to the microbial community composition at each site.

Justina Bossa is a junior biology major with a minor in environmental sciences, from Córdoba, Argentina. She is a student-athlete currently playing for Lander´s Field Hockey team. After graduation, she plans to go to graduate school to pursue a master´s degree in Microbiology.

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Environmental predictors of cyanobacteria abundance in
freshwater in Upstate South Carolina

Cyanobacteria are photosynthetic bacteria that thrive in stagnant nutrient-rich freshwater. Although they are a major part of the microbial community, some species of cyanobacteria produce toxins that can kill fish and contaminate drinking water supplies. Understanding the environmental conditions that promote cyanobacterial blooms is essential for determining water safety and preserving freshwater ecosystems in Upstate South Carolina. In this study we investigated the relationship between environmental parameters, including nutrients, and the abundance of cyanobacteria in freshwater sites in Upstate South Carolina. We hypothesized that the sites with the highest concentrations of nitrogen and phosphorus would have a greater abundance of cyanobacteria present. We collected water samples from 25 sites in the Upper Saluda Watershed and measured water temperature, conductivity, pH, and the concentrations of ammonia, nitrate, nitrite, phosphate, chlorophyll a, and dissolved oxygen. Nitrate concentrations range from 0 to 4.79 mg/L, nitrite concentrations from 0 to 0.29mg/l, ammonia concentrations from 0 to 0.64mg/l, and phosphate concentrations from 0 to 1.584mg/l. Chlorophyll a concentration was not significantly correlated with any of the nutrients. However, we are still investigating whether nutrient concentrations predict the abundance of cyanobacteria. We have filtered water from each site, extracted DNA, and have sent samples for Illumina MiSeq high-throughput sequencing to identify the bacteria in the community. We will use multiple linear regression to build a model indicating which environmental parameters are important for predicting cyanobacterial abundance in the community. Understanding these relationships could be useful in informing environmental management strategies aimed at controlling harmful algal blooms and promoting healthier aquatic ecosystems.   

Emily Bridgeman is a junior biology major and art minor from Clinton, SC. She enjoys STEM subjects as well as art. She applied and received a TriBeta grant that went toward furthering her research on the ecological factors that influence cyanobacteria abundance. This research has helped her gain experience for her future career in biology. 

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The Effect of Coyote Range Expansion on Foxes in the Southeastern US

Coyotes (Canis latrans), red foxes (Vulpes vulpes), and gray foxes (Urocyon cinereoargenteus) are canids with similar niches. While foxes have been in South Carolina for hundreds to thousands of years, coyotes have only arrived within the last 50 years. Coyote populations have grown rapidly in South Carolina, but the effect they have on foxes is unknown. Since 2018, we have monitored mammal communities across Upstate South Carolina using a network of trail cameras. We hypothesize that, due to the similarities between the taxa, coyotes are competitively displacing foxes in areas of overlap. We predicted that over the time we have monitored the mammal community, coyote observations have increased, both red and gray fox observations have decreased, and that there is a negative correlation between fox and coyote observations. To test this hypothesis, camera trap data from six different sites (each with 3-4 camera stations) were analyzed for coyote and fox presence. We determined the relative proportion of all mammal observations in each month that were coyotes, red foxes, and gray foxes. We found that over time observations of coyotes have significantly increased, observations of red foxes have significantly decreased, and observations of gray foxes have not changed significantly. Additionally, we found a significant negative correlation between coyote and red fox observations, but no significant relationship between coyotes and gray foxes. Interestingly, there was a positive correlation between coyote and red fox observations by camera station. This result suggests that coyotes and red foxes occupy a similar habitat. Consequently, coyotes and red foxes compete, and red foxes are being displaced by coyotes as a result.

Katie Egan is a junior biology major from Columbia, SC. She has given presentations at conference meetings of the Association of Southeastern Biologists and is secretary of Lander's TriBeta chapter. Katie enjoys spending time with family, friends, and with her rabbit, Jack.