NENHC 2008 Abstracts
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Abstracts APRIL 17 – APRIL 18, 2008 A FORUM FOR CURRENT RESEARCH The Northeastern Naturalist The New York State Museum is a program of The University of the State of New York/The State Education Department APRIL 17 – APRIL 18, 2008 A FORUM FOR CURRENT RESEARCH SUGGESTED FORMAT FOR CITING ABSTRACTS: Abstracts Northeast Natural History Conference X. N.Y. State Mus. Circ. 71: page number(s). 2008. ISBN: 1-55557-246-4 The University of the State of New York THE STATE EDUCATION DEPARTMENT ALBANY, NY 12230 THE UNIVERSITY OF THE STATE OF NEW YORK Regents of The University ROBERT M. BENNETT, Chancellor, B.A., M.S. ................................................................. Tonawanda MERRYL H. TISCH, Vice Chancellor, B.A., M.A., Ed.D. ................................................. New York SAUL B. COHEN, B.A., M.A., Ph.D.................................................................................. New Rochelle JAMES C. DAWSON, A.A., B.A., M.S., Ph.D. .................................................................. Peru ANTHONY S. BOTTAR, B.A., J.D. ..................................................................................... Syracuse GERALDINE D. CHAPEY, B.A., M.A., Ed.D. ................................................................... Belle Harbor ARNOLD B. GARDNER, B.A., LL.B. .................................................................................. Buffalo HARRY PHILLIPS, 3rd, B.A., M.S.F.S. ............................................................................. Hartsdale JOSEPH E. BOWMAN, JR., B.A., M.L.S., M.A., M.Ed., Ed.D........................................... Albany JAMES R. TALLON, JR., B.A., M.A. ................................................................................. Binghamton MILTON L. COFIELD, B.S., M.B.A., Ph.D. ...................................................................... Rochester ROGER B. TILLES, B.A., J.D............................................................................................... Great Neck KAREN BROOKS HOPKINS, B.A., M.F.A.......................................................................... Brooklyn NATALIE M. GOMEZ-VELEZ, B.A., J.D. .......................................................................... Bronx CHARLES R. BENDIT, B.A. ............................................................................................... Manhattan President of The University and Commissioner of Education RICHARD P. MILLS Deputy Commissioner for Cultural Education JEFFREY W. CANNELL Director of the New York State Museum CLIFFORD A. SIEGFRIED Director, Research and Collections JOHN P. HART The State Education Department does not discriminate on the basis of age, color, religion, creed, disability, marital status, veteran status, national origin, race, gender, genetic predisposition or carrier status, or sexual orientation in its educational programs, services and activities. Portions of this publication can be made available in a variety of formats, including braille, large print or audio tape, upon request. Inquiries concerning this policy of nondiscrimination should be directed to the Department’s Office for Diversity, Ethics, and Access, Room 530, Education Building, Albany, NY 12234. Requests for additional copies of this publication may be made by contacting the Office of Cartography and Publications, Room 3140 CEC, State Museum, Albany, NY 12230. Northeast Natural History Conference X iii Table of Contents Conference Highlights ........................................................................................................................ iv Focus on Nature X .................................................................................................................... iv Keynote Address ........................................................................................................................ iv Overview of Conference Schedule ..................................................................................................... 1 Session Titles and Codes for Oral Presentations .............................................................................. 2 Overview of Conference Sessions ...................................................................................................... 3 Abstracts for Oral Presentations ....................................................................................................... 5 Abstracts for Poster Presentations .................................................................................................... 61 Index .................................................................................................................................................... 87 The Northeast Natural History Conference X is a joint project of the New York State Museum, the New York State Biodiversity Research Institute, and the New York State Museum Institute. It is sponsored in part by the New York Flora Association and the Northeastern Naturalist. The con- ference is held biennially at the New York State Museum and the Empire State Plaza Convention Center in Albany, NY. Previous conference abstracts and conference updates are available from the Northeast Natural History Conference website: http://www.nysm.nysed.gov/nhc. Conference Organizers Ronald J. Gill, Mary Beth Kolozsvary, and Anne L. Duperault (New York State Biodiversity Research Institute) Abstract Editor Ronald J. Gill (New York State Biodiversity Research Institute) Conference Sponsors New York Flora Association – Sponsor of Two Student Presentation Awards and Advertising Services The Northeastern Naturalist – Advertising Services Conference Planners Plaza Meetings, Latham, NY Printing by Lane Press of Albany, Albany, NY Printed on recycled paper iv Conference Highlights Focus on Nature X — Opening Reception A Natural History Art Exhibit at the New York State Museum Thursday, April 17, 2008 5:30 p.m. – 6:30 p.m. Exhibition Hall, New York State Museum (Reception open to all conference participants.) The Exhibition: Focus on Nature is a biennial exhibition of scientific, natural and cultural history. It began in 1990 in conjunction with the Northeast Natural History Conference. While the opening still coincides with the conference, the exhibit has taken on a life of its own and each year the geographical representation, breadth of subject matter and quality has increased to a level of high standard and international participation. The central purpose of Focus on Nature is to highlight illustration as a way of communicating observations of scientists and artists. Scientific discovery and illustration have always been linked, and they have advanced together. At the New York State Museum, there is a research tradition that extends back to the founding of the State Geologi- cal and Natural History Survey of 1836. Illustrations have constantly been a part of the effort to communicate the results of these studies. Purchase Awards have been offered for the past five exhibits to enhance the educational value of the NYS Museum’s Illustration Collection. The purchase(s) are selected on the basis of high technical quality, scientific ac- curacy, aesthetic achievement, and educational value. The artwork becomes part of the permanent collection owned by the people of New York State. Focus on Nature X will be exhibited from April 17–September 7, 2008. Keynote Address Dr. Kenneth B. Storey Professor of Biochemistry, Institute of Biochemistry and Departments of Biology and Chemistry, Carleton University Thursday, April 17, 2008 8:00 p.m. – 9:30 p.m. Clark Auditorium, New York State Museum Life in the Cold: A Biochemist’s Perspective on Animals in Winter Storey*, Kenneth B. (Institute of Biochemistry, Carleton University, Ottawa, Ontario, Canada) Winter temperatures below 0 °C pose a severe challenge to animal life. For many species, food supplies fail, the risk of freezing is high, endotherms are plagued by massive energy costs to stay warm, and ectotherms have low metabolic rates that are not conducive to growth and development. Some organisms escape winter by migration or avoid severe cold exposure by retreating under water or deep under ground but many must employ biochemical strategies to preserve life. My lab explores the metabolic and gene adaptations that support two main strategies of animal cold survival: mammalian hibernation and ectotherm freeze tolerance. Our hibernation studies analyze the regulatory mechanisms that allow ground squirrels and bats to sink into cold torpor, coordinating and reprioritizing all cell functions so that metabolic rate drops by >95%, body temperature falls to near 0 °C, and tissue viability is preserved over many weeks. Our research on frogs and insects explores life in a frozen state—how organisms deal with the consequences when 65–70% of total body water freezes. Survival requires extensive metabolic adjustments to deal with issues including oxygen deprivation when blood freezes, extreme cell shrinkage caused by water loss to extracellular ice masses, and physical damage to tissues by ice crystals. Hibernation and freeze tolerance are not only fascinating natural phenomena that are critical to the survival of hundreds of species in temperate and polar environments but the mechanisms identified from our studies have key applications in medicine for the long term preservation of human tissues and organs for transplant. For more information, go to www.carleton.ca/~kbstorey. Overview of Conference Schedule Overview of Conference Schedule Thursday, April 17, 2008 7:30 am–5:00