CHRISTMASMOUNTAINSRESEARCHSYMPOSIUM

2016

TerlinguaRanchHeadquartersBrewsterCounty,TexasMay23rd–25th,2016

SponsoredbythecomponentinstitutionsoftheTexasStateUniversitySystem

CHRISTMASMOUNTAINSRESEARCHSYMPOSIUM

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TerlinguaRanchHeadquarters

BrewsterCounty,TexasMay23rd–25th,2016

Monday,May23rd6:00pm Informalsocialformeetingparticipantsbytheswimmingpool7:00pm Dinneravailable(onyourown)attheBadRabbitCaféTuesday,May24th9:00am FieldtriptoChristmasMountainsoverlook(meetintheparkinglotnexttotheswimmingpool)9:00am Arroyohike(meetonthepatiooutsidethecafé)1:30pm Papersession(inthebunkhousebeneaththeBadRabbitCafé)6:30pm DinnerformeetingregistrantsattheBadRabbitCafé(regulardinnermenuwillbeavailablefor

othersatthecafé)Wednesday,May25th7:00am MorningBirdWalk(meetonthepatiooutsidethecafé)10:00am Morningpapersession(inthebunkhousebeneaththeBadRabbitCafé)1:30pm Afternoonpapersession(inthebunkhousebeneaththeBadRabbitCafé)6:30pm DinnerformeetingregistrantsattheBadRabbitCafé(regulardinnermenuwillbeavailablefor

othersatthecafé)

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FIELDTRIPS

ChristmasMountainsOverlookTripleader:DavidLemkeTuesdaymorningat9:00–meetintheparkinglotnexttotheswimmingpoolParticipantswillcarpooluptheOldMineRoadtoascenicoverlookattheroad’send.WewillmakeseveralstopsalongthewaytoexaminethegeologyandvegetationoftheareaandtotakeinviewsoftheRosillosMountainsanddesertflatstotheeastandtheChisosMountainstothesoutheast.Theoverlook,atanelevationofapproximately1640m(5370ft),providesstunningviewsoftheregiontothesouthandwest,andparticipantswillhavetheoptionofmakingtheshortbutruggedhiketothesummitat1746m(5728ft).PleasenotethattheOldMineRoadrequireshigh-clearancevehiclesand,consequently,thenumberofparticipantsonthistripwill,ofnecessity,belimitedbythenumberofvehicleswehaveatourdisposal.

ArroyoHikeTripleader:MichaelHustonTuesdaymorningat9:00–meetonthepatiooutsidetheBadRabbitCaféWewillcarpooltoanareanearthebaseoftheChristmasMountainsandspendthemorninghikingup(andbackdown)oneormoreofthenumerousarroyosthatdissectthisarea.ThesedrainagessupportaplantcommunitythatisdistinctlydifferentfromthatwhichoccupiesthedryslopesoftheChristmasMountains.Thepresenceofgreateramountsofsoilmoisturesupportsanabundanceofshrubsandsmalltreessuchaspersimmon(Diospyrostexana),evergreensumac(Rhusvirens),Mexicanbuckeye(Ungnadiaspeciosa)andevenafewoaks(Quercusspp.).Thetripwillfocusonthenaturalhistoryofthearea,especiallythevegetationandavifauna.Thisisamoderatelyeasyhike,althoughtherewillbeafewroughspots.Sinceweareinthedesert,plantocarryatleastaliterofwaterwithyou.

MorningBirdWalkTripleader:RebekahRylanderWednesdaymorningat7:00–meetonthepatiooutsidetheBadRabbitCaféBringyourbinocularsandjoinusforacasualwalkaroundtheTerlinguaRanchHeadquartersareaandanintroductiontotheavifaunaofthearea.GraduatestudentRebekahRylanderwillhelpyoulearntoidentifyspeciescommontothisdrydeserthabitatthroughtheirphysicalfeaturesandcharacteristiccalls.Asmallamountofhikingovertherockyterrainwillbenecessary.

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CHRISTMASMOUNTAINSRESEARCHSYMPOSIUMTuesday,May241:30 WelcomeandIntroductions1:45 AnintroductiontotheChristmasMountains–asiteforeducationandresearch DavidE.Lemke,TexasStateUniversity2:00 GetInvolvedwithCitizenScience

StaceyBrittonandKateSeideman-Barclay,TexasStateUniversity2:15 Communitycollaborativerain,hailandsnownetwork(CoCoRaHS) JimDeBerry,NationalWeatherService2:30 TheBotanicalResearchInstituteofTexas:ascientificresourceforall

BarneyLipscomb,SulaVanderplankandEdwardSchneider,BotanicalResearchInstituteofTexas2:45 Break3:00 Lostinthelabyrinth—non-MexicandepictionsofthelargelyMexicangeographicdistributionof

Lophophoraspp.(Cactaceae)MartinTerryandKeeperTrout,SulRossStateUniversityandCactusConservationInstitute

3:15 Apreliminaryreportof3,4,5-trimethoxyphenethylamineconcentrationsinover-the-countertopical

productspurportedtocontainLophophorawilliamsii(Cactaceae)RobertLeBlancandMartinTerry,SulRossStateUniversity

3:30 Familyfirst:thesocialblack-crestedtitmouse

RebekahRylanderandM.ClayGreen,TexasStateUniversity3:45 EnvironmentalassessmentoftheRioGrandeintheBigBendregionofTexas

KevinUrbanczyk,JefferyBennett,LydiaSmith,KennySaunders,PeteDiaz,DiegoAraujo,ChristopherChapaandMichaelMontagne,SulRossStateUniversity,NationalParkService,TexasParksandWildlifeDepartmentandU.S.FishandWildlifeService

4:00 Long-termmonitoringofbiologicalcontrolofsaltcedar(Tamarix)alongtheRioGrande,withnoteson

interactionswithathel(Tamarixaphylla)andanewlocalityrecordofasaltcedarassociateChristopherM.Ritzi,AlexandraHassenfluandAnneMarieHilscher,SulRossStateUniversity

4:15 Break4:30 Insectdiversitiesinareasimpactedbythebiologicalcontrolofsaltcedar(Tamarixspp.)inwestTexas

JaimieMichelleLawhornandChristopherRitzi,SulRossStateUniversity

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4:45 BuildingresilienceinRioGrandetributariesthroughreforestationJefferyBennettandJoeSirotnak,NationalParkService

5:00 BeediversityalonganelevationgradientintheChristmasMountains

KateSeideman-BarclayandMichaelHuston,TexasStateUniversityWednesday,May25MorningSession10:00DevelopmentofageologyfieldcourseintheChristmasMountainsandBigBendregion

MarkT.FordandThomasL.McGehee,TexasA&MUniversity–Kingsville10:15ThesouthernextentoftheTascotal-MesafaultattheChristmasMountains

VeronicaSanchez,TexasA&MUniversity–Kingsville10:30PaleostressfieldsoftheChristmasMountains

AlexanderJohnston,TexasA&MUniversity–Kingsville10:45Break11:00Photogrammetryandgeomorphicchangedetection

BryanRobertsandKevinUrbanczyk,SulRossStateUniversity11:15ArchaeologicalapplicationsofphotogrammetryintheBigBend

SamuelCason,SulRossStateUniversity11:30ApolloastronauttrainingintheBigBend

PatDasch,SulRossStateUniversityAfternoonSession1:30 Monitoringprotocolsforspringinventoryandassessment,BigBendRanchStatePark,Texas

ZachWeathersandKevinUrbanczyk,SulRossStateUniversity1:45 Recentcollectionsandobservationsoftheraremilkweedvine,Mateleaatrostellata(Apocynaceae)

DavidE.Lemke,TexasStateUniversity2:00 Post-droughtmortalityandrecoveryofdesertwillowinBen’sHoleCanyon

KelseyDannen,CollinTubbs,JacksonJohnson,MatthewHarrisonandMichaelHuston,TexasStateUniversity

2:15 MammalspeciesrichnessoftheChristmasMountainsresearcharea

AllisonScottandMichaelHuston,TexasStateUniversity

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2:30 Co-occurrenceandhabitatselectionofmesocarnivoresinBigBendNationalParkSkylerStevens,PatriciaM.Harveson,CatherineC.Dennison,MichaelStanglandRaymondSkiles,SulRossStateUniversityandNationalParkService

2:45 Roadkillecology–spatialandtemporalscalesofrecentlydeceasedterrestrialvertebratesalongtheI-

10corridorfromComforttoFortStocktonJeremyLutherandMichaelHuston,TexasStateUniversity

3:00 Break3:15 Terrestrialsnailsandlifeinthedesert

FrancisHorne,TexasStateUniversity3:30 Dietaryanalysisofthemicrowhipscorpion(Palpigradi:Eukoeneniidae)fromValVerdeCountyin

southwesternTexasMaryJones,NedStrenthandLorenAmmerman,AngeloStateUniversity

3:45 ChangesininsectbiomassintheChristmasMountainsduetoabioticfactors

AllisonBordiniandMichaelHuston,TexasStateUniversity4:00 PreliminaryanalysisofChrysinawoodii(Coleoptera:Scarabaeidae)populationsintheDavisMountains

ofwestTexasTimothyMaddoxandNedE.Strenth,AngeloStateUniversity

4:15 Apreliminarysurveyofthecrayfishes(Crustacea:Decapoda)ofwestTexasandeasternNewMexico

MichaelLucero,AngeloStateUniversity4:30 Break4:45 AsedimentarysurveyoftheTornilloCreekdrainagebasin,anephemeralstreamsysteminBigBend

NationalPark–preliminaryfindingsThomasG.Stoddard,SulRossStateUniversity

5:00 CretaceouskarstdepositsofShafter,Texas

CaseyMitchellandDavidRohr,SulRossStateUniversity5:15 StratigraphicanddepositionalanalysisoftheLeonardianCiboloformationintheMarfaBasininthe

vicinityoftheChinatiMountains,TexasChristopherPate,SulRossStateUniversity

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ABSTRACTS

TuesdayAfternoonIntroductiontotheChristmasMountains–asiteforeducationandresearchDavidE.Lemke,DepartmentofBiology,TexasStateUniversity,SanMarcos,TXThispresentationwillprovideabriefoverviewofthegeology,ecology,andhistoryoftheChristmasMountainspropertyfromitsinclusionaspartofthemassiveG4RanchinthenineteenthcenturytoitsrecenttransfertotheTexasStateUniversitySystem.Geologically,theapproximately4000hectarepropertyischaracterizedlargelybymarinesedimentaryrocksofCretaceousagethathavebeenintrudedbymuchyounger(44–40millionyearold)igneousrocksformingacomplexcalderasystem.Atpresent,theareasupportsawell-developeddesertgrasslandecosystemcomprisingseveraldistinctplantcommunitytypesandmayrepresentoneofthebest-preservedexamplesofChihuahuanDesertgrasslandintheState.Thepotentialforuseofthepropertyasaneducationaltoolwillalsobediscussed.GetinvolvedwithcitizenscienceStaceyBrittonandKateSeideman-Barclay,DepartmentofBiology,TexasStateUniversity,SanMarcos,TXCitizenscientistsarevolunteersfromdiversebackgroundswithaninterestinsupportingscientificresearch.Workingwithresearchorganizations,educationalentitiesandgovernment,citizenscientistsacttofurtherscientificunderstandingandappreciationintheircommunitiesandbeyond.ExamplesofsuccessfuleffortstorecruitcitizenscientistsofallagesinthestateofTexasincludetheTexasNatureTrackersandiNaturalistprograms,amongmanyotheropportunities.Awidevarietyofprojectsareavailabletomeettheinterestsofindividualvolunteersaswellastheneedsoftheorganizations.Citizenscientistsperformawidevarietyofresearch,datacollection,anddataentrytasksthatreducethecostofresearch,increasethescopeofpossibleresearch,andcanresultinsignificantimpactsonpublicpolicy.Citizenscientistsareanunderutilizedresourceinmonitoringchangingconditionsandwildlifeactivity;however,strengtheningeffortstoprovideinformationwidelytothepublicaboutcitizenscientistopportunitiesislikelytoresultinincreasedparticipationbyvolunteerswhohaveinterestbutlacktheguidancetogetstarted.Communitycollaborativerain,hailandsnownetwork(CoCoRaHS)JimDeBerry,NationalWeatherService,Midland,TXWestTexasisoneofthemostsparselypopulatedareasofthestate.Asresult,meteorologicalobservationsherearesimilarlysparse.Evenautomatedobservingplatformsarenotasabundantouthereasinmorepopulatedareasofthestate,forfundingforsuchsystemslogicallytendstobeconcentratedwherebenefitswillbemaximized,i.e.,populationcenters.Asaresult,westTexasrainfallclimatologyispoor.In1998,theCoCoRaHS(CommunityCollaborativeRain,HailandSnow)networkwasestablished.CoCoRaHSisaunique,non-profit,community-basednetworkofvolunteersofallagesandbackgroundsworkingtogethertomeasureandmapprecipitation(rain,hailandsnow).Withasimpleraingaugeandaninternetconnection,landownerscanestablishaclimatologyofrainfallontheirland.Thedensertheobservingnetwork,thebetter,especiallyin

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mountainousterrainsuchastheChristmasMountains,forrainfallcanvaryconsiderablyinareasofdissimilartopography.CoCoRaHSisthecheapest,easiest-to-usenetworkdevisedsofarformeasuringprecipitation.TheBotanicalResearchInstituteofTexas:ascientificresourceforallBarneyLipscomb,SulaVanderplank,andEdwardSchneider,BotanicalResearchInstituteofTexas,FortWorth,TXTheBotanicalResearchInstituteofTexas(BRIT)isaglobalscientificinstituteandlearningcenterfocusedonconservationandknowledgesharing.TheBRITmissionistoconserveournaturalheritagebydeepeningourknowledgeoftheplantworldandachievingpublicunderstandingofthevalueplantsbringtolife.BRITsharesknowledgeabouttheplantworldtoenhancelifeforpeopleandalllivingthingsthroughresearch,education,andpublishing.TworesearchcollectionsatBRIT,theHerbariumandtheLibrary,arethecornerstonesofourmission.Whatarethesefoundationalresourcesandhowaretheyused?Ourherbariumcomprisesaninternationalcollectionofaround1milliondriedplantspecimens,theearliestfrom1791,whilstourlibraryisaworldwidecollectionofbotanicalandhorticulturalliterature,withover125,000books,journals,collectionsoforiginalartworks,manuscripts,photographs,andotherarchivalmaterials,datingbacktothe16thcentury.BRITresearchersarestudyingtheflorasofnorth-centralTexas,eastTexas,EnchantedRock,theLBJNationalGrasslands,andthefloraofthesoutheasternUnitedStates.BRITalsohasfloristicandconservationprojectsinBajaCaliforniaandtheMexicanborderlands.TheBRITPressfurtherstheInstitute’sconservationmissionthroughinnovationandexcellenceinpreparation,manufacture,anddistributionofscholarlybotanicalresearchandscientificdiscoveriesforthetwenty-firstcentury.BRITpublishestheJournaloftheBotanicalResearchInstituteofTexas(JBRIT)andabotanicalmiscellanybookseriesofmonographs,floras,fieldguides,biographies,andmore.Intheareaofeducation,BRITislookingtobuildgraduateprogramsinbotanywithlocaluniversities.Bella'sPreschoolProgramsandCampBRITofferameansforintroducingchildrentothewondersofnature.TheBRITSEED(Science-basedExperientialEducationDesign)Schoolinspiresandsupportseducatorsinconnectinglearnerstonaturethroughtheuseofoutdoorclassrooms,natureandurbanenvironments.GreenRevolutionisayear-roundenvironmentalleadershipplatformfocusedonincreasingenvironmentalstewardshipandE-STEMskillsofstudentsinthe6–12thgrades.Students,orAgentsofChange,investigatetheirworldtoidentify,design,andimplementcreativesolutionstoimprovehumanhealthandsustainabilityoftheenvironment.Lostinthelabyrinth—non-MexicandepictionsofthelargelyMexicangeographicdistributionofLophophoraspp.(Cactaceae)MartinTerry1,2andKeeperTrout2,1DepartmentofBiology,Geology,andPhysicalSciences,SulRossStateUniversity,Alpine,TXand2CactusConservationInstitute,Alpine,TXThegenusLophophoraconsistsofahandfulofspecificandsubspecifictaxa;thephylogeneticrelationshipsamongthemarecurrentlyunderintensiveinvestigation,asistheirbiogeography.MostofthesesmallcactioccurincalcareoussoilsoftheChihuahuanDesertandTamaulipanthornscrubinthecentralplateauofnorthernMexicobetweentheSierraMadres,aswellasinamuchsmallercontiguousregionwithsimilarhabitatsalongtheRioGrandeintheadjacentU.S.stateofTexas.HereweofferabriefcriticalreviewofthecurrentstateofknowledgeofthebiogeographyofLophophora,basedlargelyonpublishedmapsthathavebeencreatedoverthepastcenturyasapproximaterepresentationsofthegeographicdistributionofthegenusasawholeand/orofoneormoreofthemajorinfragenerictaxa,suchasL.williamsii(peyote).

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Apreliminaryreportof3,4,5-trimethoxyphenethylamineconcentrationsinover-the-countertopicalproductspurportedtocontainLophophorawilliamsii(Cactaceae).RobertLeBlancandMartinTerry,DepartmentofBiology,Geology,andPhysicalSciences,SulRossStateUniversity,Alpine,TXSamplesfromacollectionofcommercialover-the-counterproductsthatwereclaimedexplicitlyorbyimplicationtocontainLophophorawilliamsii(Cactaceae),anover-harvestedspeciesofcactus,havebeencollected.ThepurposeofthisinvestigationistodeterminethepresenceorabsenceofL.williamsiimetabolitesintheproducts.Thesampleswillbeextractedwithorganicsolventswithacid-basewashesandanalyzedbyhighpressureliquidchromatography(HPLC).Thiswillindicatethepresenceofthestableandabundantalkaloidmescaline(3,4,5-trimethoxyphenethylamine)insamplesofostensiblyL.williamsii-infusedoilsandointmentsthatweredistributedastopicalremedies.Ifdetectablelevelsofmescalinearefoundinagivenextract,thenwecaninferthatL.williamsiiispresentinthecorrespondingtopicalproducts.Familyfirst:thesocialblack-crestedtitmouseRebekahRylanderandM.ClayGreen,DepartmentofBiology,TexasStateUniversity,SanMarcos,TXTheblack-crestedtitmouse(Baeolophusatricristatus,hereafterBCTI)isasmall,non-migratorypasserinethathasatendencytoformfamilyflockinggroupsduetodelayedjuveniledispersal.Arecentlyelevatedspecies,separatedfromitssister-taxon,thetuftedtitmouse(Baeolophusbicolor),theBCTIisanidealmodelspeciesforstudyingfamily-flockingdynamics.Between2013and2015,263individualBCTIwerecapturedandcolor-bandedattheFreemanCenterinSanMarcos,Texas,wherefamilyflockswereresightedandmonitored.UsingageneralizedlinearmixedeffectsmodelandFisher’sexacttest,theweight(p<0.01)andsex(p<0.01)ofjuvenileBCTIappearedtoinfluencewhichindividualsinabrooddelaytheirdispersal.TheJuliandatewasfoundtobeasignificantpredictorforannualflocksize(p<0.001),withterritorysizeincreasinganaverage3.4ha(p<0.01)betweenthebreedingandnon-breedingseason.JuvenileBCTIthatdelayedtheirdispersaloftenestablishterritoriesadjacenttotheirparentsthefollowingyear,thuscreatingkin-structuredneighborhoods.Socialinteractionsbetweentheserelatedindividualswerealmostalwayspassiveasopposedtoaggressive(p<0.05),potentiallyleadingtoanincreaseininclusivefitnessforbothindividualsinvolved.FamilyflockingdynamicsoftheBCTIaremorecomplicatedthanpreviouslythought,andfutureresearchmayyieldinsightintohowthisspeciesevolveditscurrentsocialstructure.Withtheever-growingthreatofhabitatfragmentation,theimportanceofthefamilyunittothesurvivaloftheBCTImaybekeyformanagementofthisspecies.EnvironmentalassessmentoftheRioGrandeintheBigBendRegionofTexasKevinUrbanczyk1,JefferyBennett2,LydiaSmith2,KennySaunders3,PeteDiaz4,DiegoAraujo4,ChristopherChapa4andMichaelMontagne4,1DepartmentofBiology,Geology,andPhysicalSciencesandRioGrandeResearchCenter,SulRossStateUniversity,2NationalParkService,3TexasParksandWildlifeDepartmentand4U.S.FishandWildlifeServiceTheRioGrandeWildandScenic(RIGR)reach,locatedintheBigBendregionoffarwestTexas,isoneofthemostsignificantgroundwater-dependentaquaticecosystemsinNorthAmerica.However,diminishingflowsandalteredsedimentdynamicshaveresultedindecreasedconveyancecapacity,increasedflooding,decreasedaquatichabitatanddecreasedwaterquality.Thesetrendsareespeciallyevidentintheupper

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portionofthereach.AparticularlyimportantaspectoftheaquatichabitatoftheRIGRisitsabilitytosupportthereintroductionoftheRioGrandesilveryminnow(RGSM).TheRGSMwasextirpatedfromtheregioninthe1960s,andhasrecentlybeenreintroducedatseverallocationsintheRIGR.TherecentUpperRioGrandeBasintoBayExpertScienceteamnotedthelackofbiologicaldatarelatedtoflowandotherhabitatconditionsintheRIGR.Withamulti-institutionalandmulti-disciplinaryteam,wehaveassessedvariousaspectsoftheriverintheRIGRreach,includingtheinteractionsbetweenflow,waterquality,geomorphologyandsedimentmobility,andaquatichabitat.ResultsincludethequantificationofthegainingreachbetweenthestreamgagesatJohnsonRanchandFosterRanch(~6cms/212cfs)concomitantwithanimprovementinwaterquality.Theseresultscomefromnumeroussynopticgain/lossstudies,waterqualitystudies,andfromanalysisofstreamgagedata.Theseimprovementstotheoverallconditionoftheriver(moreflowandlesssalinity)aretheresultofbaseflowcontributionstotheriverfromtheEdwardsTrinityPlateauaquiferandarelatedaquiferinadjacentMexico.TheaquatichabitatoftheRIGRhasbeenassessedthroughnumerousdown-rivertripstosampleforfishandinvertebratesandassociatedparameters(waterdepthandvelocityandbasicfieldwaterqualityparameters).ResultsincludetherecentdiscoveryoftheRGSM57rivermilesdownstreamfromareintroductionsitenearDrydenanditsaffinityforsiltandsandsubstrateandbackwaterconditions.TheinvertebratesamplingconfirmsthegeneralobservationofdownstreamimprovementofwaterqualityindicatedbyanincreaseintheIndexofBiologicalIntegritymedianscores.Long-termmonitoringofbiologicalcontrolofsaltcedar(Tamarix)alongtheRioGrande,withnotesoninteractionswithathel(Tamarixaphylla)andanewlocalityrecordofasaltcedarassociateChristopherM.Ritzi,AlexandraHassenfluandAnneMarieHilscherDepartmentofBiology,Geology,andPhysicalSciences,SulRossStateUniversity,Alpine,TXSaltcedar(Tamarixspp.)isadeciduousshruborsmalltreethatwasintroducedintotheUnitedStatesfromEurasiaintheearly1800stostabilizeriverbankerosionandtoserveasawindbreakandornamental.However,duetoahighreproductivepotential,saltcedarhasbecomeinvasiveonmanyriversystemsinthewesternUnitedStates.SomeoftheworsttamariskinfestationshaveoccurredinthesouthernareasoftheRioGrande,andinanattempttocontrolthisplantbybiologicalmeans,aconsortiumconsistingoftheUSDA,NRCS,andSulRossStateUniversityreleasedseveralspeciesoftamariskleafbeetle(Diorhabdaspp.)insouthernBrewsterandPresidiocountiesinTexas.Thesuitabilityofthespecieswasevaluated,anddatasuggestedthattheTunisiansubtropicalspecies(D.sublineata)wasbestsuitedtothisregion.Observationshaveindicatedthatthetamariskleafbeetleswerecapableofestablishingonacloserelativenon-targetspecies,theatheltree(T.aphylla).SixsitesalongtheRioGrandeRiver,fromLajitastoCandelaria,Texas,havebeenroutinelymonitoredtodeterminethelong-termimpactofleafbeetledefoliationonsaltcedarandthenon-targetatheltreesintheregion.Althoughdefoliationhadremainedsteadyduringpreviousyears,significantdefoliationeventswerenotobserveduntilSeptemberandOctoberof2014andonlypatchyactivityobservedduring2015.Additionally,anewlydiscoveredbiologicalcontrolagentforsaltcedarwascollectedintheregion,providingtheopportunitytoexamineinteractionsandpotentialcompetitionbetweenbeetlesinthefuture.

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Insectdiversitiesinareasimpactedbythebiologicalcontrolofsaltcedar(Tamarixspp.)inwestTexasJaimieMichelleLawhornandChristopherRitzi,DepartmentofBiology,Geology,andPhysicalScience,SulRossStateUniversity,Alpine,TXSaltcedar(Tamarixspp.)isaninvasivespeciesoftreeinNorthAmerica,nativetoAsiaandtheMediterranean.Firstintroducedintheearly19thcenturyforerosioncontrol,saltcedarhasspreadtodominateover2millionacresintheUnitedStatesandMexico.Biocontrolbeganin2001withtheintroductionofthesaltcedarleafbeetleinUtah,Colorado,Nevada,andWyoming;thishasledtothecontrolofover200,000acresofaffectedland.Followingthissuccess,thesaltcedarleafbeetlewasreleasedinalongtheRioGrandeinTexasin2008whereithasbeenhavingpositiveeffects.Thisstudyservedtoresearchtheinsectbiodiversityinareaswithcontrolledsaltcedarpopulationsversusareasstillundermitigationforsaltcedar.Itishypothesizedthatthecontrolofsaltcedarwouldincreaseoverallbiodiversity.Fromthis,itwaspredictedthatareaswithcontrolledsaltcedarpopulationswouldhaveanincreasedbiodiversity,whiletheareascurrentlyundermanagementwouldstillhavereducedbiodiversityduetolimitedplantdiversityinthearea.Itwasfoundthattherewasclearlyincreaseddiversityinthecontrolledareas,nomatterthemeasure.Areaswithcontrolledsaltcedarpopulationshadgreaterspeciesabundance,diversity,andevennessthanthosecurrentlyundermanagement.BuildingresilienceinRioGrandetributariesthroughreforestationJefferyBennettandJoeSirotnak,NationalParkServiceandtheRioGrandeWildandScenicRiver,BigBendNationalPark,TXIntermittentandephemeralwatercoursesarethedominanthydrologicfeatureofaridlandscapes.Togetherwithperennialstreams,thesefeaturesservethevitalfunctionofmovingwater,nutrients,andsedimentthroughoutthewatershed.Restorationandmanagementprojectsthatincreaseresiliencewillguardagainstnegativeconsequencesofclimatechangeandwillensurethattheecosystemservicesthathumancommunitiesdependuponaresustained.Theseecosystemservicesincludefilteringandstoringwater,recharginganddischarginggroundwater,transportingsediment,providinghabitatandmigrationcorridors,supplyingnestingandcoverareasforyear-roundandmigratingbirds,andsupportingvegetationcommunities.HistoricalaccountsofperennialorintermittentstreamswithintheBigBendindicatemanywerelinedwithlargestandsofcottonwoodandwillow.Miningandagriculturalactivitiesduringthelate19thandearly20thcenturiesrequiredtheharvestofmanyriparianforestsforfuelandstructuralmaterial.In1933,TerlinguaCreekwasdescribedasa“boldrunningstream,studdedwithcottonwoodtimberaswasalivewithbeaver”.Yet,asidefromasmallareaaboveTerlinguaAbajo,theriparianforesthasnotreturneddespite70yearsofprotection.Wehypothesizethattheoldriparianforestprovidedthenurseryconditionsallowingcottonwoodandwillowrecruitmentbyreducinghydrologicforcesduringhighflows.Withoutthisforest,annualflowsaresufficienttoscouryoungplants.Wealsohypothesizethattheremovalofvegetationencouragedexcavationofgravelandreducedtheextentoftheriparianaquifer.Weproposethatreforestationwithinstreambedswillincreaseriparianhabitatforspeciessuchasyellow-billedcuckooandgrayhawk,andalsoincreaseresiliencetoclimatechangebyalteringhydrologicconditionssuchthatthechannelaggrades,increasingtheextentoftheriparianaquifer.WeareengagedinareforestationprojectalongTerlinguaCreekinBigBendNationalParkthatwillbothincreaseriparianhabitatandresiliencetoclimatechange.Theactiverestorationsiteisapproximatelyfouracres,withanadditional40acresidentified.Todate,wehaveplanted1800coyotewillow(Salixexigua)withplansfor6000more.Partnerprojectsareoccurringfartherupinthewatershed.

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BeediversityalonganelevationgradientintheChristmasMountainsKateSeideman-BarclayandMichaelHuston,DepartmentofBiology,TexasStateUniversity,SanMarcos,TXBeesareimportantpollinatinginsects,yetmostbeeresearchislimitedtoagriculturalsettings.Itisimportanttocollectbaselinedatainnon-agriculturalsettingsandinaridregionswherebeediversityisthoughttobethehighest.WeexaminedbeerichnessandabundancealonganelevationgradientintwoparallelcanyonsoftheChristmasMountains.Hangingbluevanetrapswereplacedin18establishedsamplingplotswitha100footchangeinelevationbetweeneachtrap.Weexpectthenumberofbeespeciestodecreasewithincreasingelevationbecausehigherelevationsoftenexperiencemoredramaticchangesinclimacticconditions.Whilethetwocanyonsaregeographicallyclose,theplantcommunitiesaredifferent,andthisisreflectedintheabundanceandrichnessofthebeescollected.WednesdayMorningDevelopmentofageologyfieldcourseintheChristmasMountainsandBigBendregionMarkT.FordandThomasL.McGehee,DepartmentofPhysicsandGeosciences,TexasA&MUniversity–Kingsville,Kingsville,TXTheBigBendareaprovidesourTexasA&MUniversity–Kingsville(TAMUK)studentswithacapstoneexperienceingeologyfieldcamp.Suchexperiencesinanaturallaboratoryarewidelyacceptedasbeingintegraltobothlearningandprofessionaldevelopment.Ageologyfieldschoolisfundamentalintheeducationoftopqualitygeosciencegraduatesandourcapstonecoursenotonlylinksallofthestudent’spreviouscourseworkbutalsorequireswritingreportsontheirobservationsinthefield.Thiswriting-intensivecourseproducesstudentsthatareverywellpreparedforeitherindustryorgraduateschool.Recentworkindicatesthat88%ofindustryprofessionalsagreedthatfieldworkshouldbe,“…anintegralandrequiredpartofundergraduate(geology)program.”Wecoverabroadrangeofgeologyinthisfieldcourse.ExercisesinBigBendNationalParkincludedraftingastructuralcrosssectionthroughtheMarathonFoldBelt(partoftheOuachitaOrogeny),mappingstructurallydeformedCretaceoussedimentaryrocksinDogCanyon(deformedduringtheLaramideOrogeny),measuringbothstratigraphicandvolcanicsections,mappingarhyolitedikethatcontainssomemineralizedzonesandrecognizingtheBasinandRangeoverprintonthearea,amongothers.WearedevelopingprojectstocoversimilartopicsintheChristmasMountains.Aftersomereconnaissancein2014,weconductedourfirstmappingexerciseintheChristmasMountainslastyear.TheexercisewasthefinalprojectofthiscapstonecourseandincludedstructuraldeformationbytheOuachitaandLaramideOrogeniesandBasinandRangenormalfaultingaswellasTertiaryvolcanicintrusionsintoCretaceoussedimentaryrocks.Thisyear,wewillcontinuetodevelopnewprojectswithafocusontheTerlinguaandChristmasMountainsarea.Thisspring,wewillbeexaminingpossibleprojectsattheMariposaMine(mercury),refininglastyear’smappingprojectandnetworkingwithotherstoestablishnewprojects.TheChristmasMountainspresentuswithanideallocationtogrowourfieldcourseandprovidegeologystudentswiththecapstoneexperiencetheyneedtobesuccessfulasanindustryprofessional.

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ThesouthernextentoftheTascotal-MesafaultattheChristmasMountainsVeronicaSanchez,DepartmentofPhysicsandGeosciences,TexasA&MUniversity–Kingsville,Kingsville,TXTheTransPecosregionoffersauniquesettingtostudyrockoutcropsandstructuralfeatures(faults,orfolds)becauseitisadryandsparselyvegetatedregion.Thechallengeresidesinunderstandingthegeometryofthesegeologicfeaturestothendeciphertheirroleinchangingthelandscapeovertime.TheTexasLineamentCorridor(TLC)crossesthisregion.Itisanenigmatic~1300kmlongzoneof“lineaments”alonga~N60°Wtrendthatisthoughttohaveaccommodatedhorizontalmotioneventhoughthemagnituderemainsunknown.Itisanancientzonethatdeveloped~1.4billionyearsagoduringamountainbuildingepisode.Thezoneposesachallengeasithasbeen“overprinted”bymorerecentstructures,faultsthatdevelopedlaterinthetectonicdevelopmentoftheTransPecosregion.Interestresidesinthiszonebecauseitisassociatedwithsignificantmetallogenesis.ThegoalofthisstudyistomapsectionsoftheTascotal-MesaFaultwithintheTLCtoassessvariationsindisplacementalongstrike,especiallywhereitencounterstheChristmasMountainslaccolith;amagmaticintrusionthatdeformedthesurfacecoverintoamushroom-likemorphology~42millionyearsago.Itspresencemayhaveinfluencedthespreadofstressesfromnearbyfaults.Themap-viewgeometryoftheTascotal-MesaFaultiscomparablewiththeChalkDrawFault.Bothsystemsare~150–200kmlong,appearparalleltoeachother,displayobviousbendsalongtheirtrend,andhaveasouthernterminationassociatedwithalaccolith.PreviousresearchontheChalkDrawfaultindicatesthatstresseswereencumberedbythepresenceoftheRosillosLaccolith;stressesdidnotpropagatebeyondthislocality,asnoapparentfaultshavebeenmappedorinterpretedfromremotesensing.TheChristmasMountainslaccolithhasbeeninterpretedtoresideinayoungtranstensionalzone(horizontalplusverticalmotions).Anoverviewofmajorregionalstructuralfeatureswillbediscussed,aswellasafieldplantomapfeaturesalongthesouthernTascotal-MesaFaultbendintheChristmasMountainstoassessthegeometryandkinematicsassociatedwiththisfeature.PaleostressfieldsoftheChristmasMountainsAlexanderJohnston,DepartmentofPhysicsandGeosciences,TexasA&MUniversity–Kingsville,Kingsville,TXPreliminaryresearchshowsthatthegeologyoftheChristmasMountainrangehasbeenalteredbymultipletectonicevents.ThechangesinthestressfieldthataffectedtheareamaybetheresultoftheOuachitaOrogeny,theLaramideOrogeny,Tertiaryvolcanism,andBasinandRangetectonics.PreliminarymappingshowsNWtrendingshearzonesthatarecomparablewithgeometriesassociatedwithBasinandRangeextension.ThegoalofthisresearchistoidentifyandcharacterizethepaleostressfieldsbymappinglineamentsintheChristmasMountainsviaGIStechnologyandinthefieldtoidentifyprincipalstressdirections.Thefracturepatternswillbeusedtodifferentiatebetweenseveralmodels,includingextensionduetomagmaticcooling;extensionduetorifting(BasinandRange),orcompressionduetoLaramideshortening.PreliminaryfieldresearchalsofoundthatthereisaNEtrendoffluoriteveinsassociatedwithshearzonespossiblyassociatedwithmagmaticfluidsduringlate-stagecooling.Someofthepredictionsthatthisresearchwillinvestigateare:isitpossiblyacoolinglaccoliththatdevelopedaradialfracturepattern?ArethepatternstheresultofBasinandRangerotation,oristhefracturepatternreflectingLaramideshortening?ResultsfromthisresearchwilladdtothepreviousknowledgeofthepaleostressfieldoftheTransPecosarea.ItwillalsoexpandtheamountofresearchthatisavailableforfuturestudentscomingtostudytheareaduringTAMUK’sfieldcamp,andforprofessionalsthatwillbestudyingthegeologyoftheChristmasMountainsbygivingthembackgroundinformationsothattheycanalsoexpandtheresearchfurther.

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PhotogrammetryandgeomorphicchangedetectionBryanRobertsandKevinUrbanczyk,RioGrandeResearchCenterandDepartmentofBiology,Geology,andPhysicalSciences,SulRossStateUniversity,Alpine,TXGeomorphicChangeDetection(GCD)isatoolusedtostudychangesinfluvialsystems.ItrequireshighresolutionDigitalElevationModels(DEMs)collectedbeforeandafterfloodevents.PhotogrammetryisareasonablycosteffectivetechniquethatusesoverlappingphotographstogeneratehighresolutionDEMs.ItproduceshigherresolutiondatathantraditionaltopographicsurveysandislessexpensivethanLiDAR.WehaveassessedtheprecisionandaccuracyofourapplicationofthistechniqueatafieldsiteonAlamitoCreekapproximately45kmsouthofMarfa,TX.Theexperimentincludedthecollectionoftwosetsofaerialphotographsusingaquadcopterduringtwosuccessiveweekends.Photoscan(AGISoft)wasusedtocreatetheDEMsinaUTMcoordinatesystem.OurfirstattempttoassesstheprecisionofthetechniquewastohavetwooperatorscreateDEMsfromthesamesetofphotographsandthensubtractthemtoproduceaDEMofDifference(DOD).Inthiscase,theDODisanestimateofthereproducibilityoftheelevationestimatesofthetechnique.Theaveragedifferencewas-0.004meterswithastandarddeviationof0.076meters.Thehighstandarddeviationresultedfromtheinclusionofvegetatedareaswheretheelevationestimateswerehighlyvariable.OursecondattempttoassessprecisionwastocompareDEMscreatedfromthetwodifferentdatasets.TheresultantDODhadanaveragedifferenceof-0.059mandastandarddeviationof0.556m.Thisveryhighstandarddeviationwastheresultofthefactthatthesecondsetofphotographswascollectedearlyinthemorningandtheshadowsintheimagerycausedthephotogrammetrysoftwaretocreateartificialtopographyinthevicinityofvegetatedareas.AnindependentassessmentoftheaccuracywasmadebycomparingdatacollectedwithatraditionalsurveyinstrumenttoaDEM.AcomparisonoftheelevationestimatesofthesurveypointsandtheDEMrevealedasystematicaveragedifferenceof-0.040metersandastandarddeviationof0.026.Theseresultssuggestthatifcareistakenintheprocessing,DEMscreatedusingphotogrammetrycanbeusedforhighresolutiongeomorphicchangestudies.ArchaeologicalapplicationsofphotogrammetryintheBigBendSamuelCason,CenterforBigBendStudies,SulRossStateUniversity,Alpine,TXTheCenterforBigBendStudiesutilizesphotogrammetryandStructurefromMotiontodocumentartifacts,features,andsitesintheTransPecosstudyarea.Thesetoolsenableanalysisatavarietyofspatialscalesandawaytovisualizecomplexstructuresandarchaeologicalmaterialsviadiversedigitalmedia(e.g.,GISandinteractive3-Dmodels).ApolloastronauttrainingintheBigBendPatDasch,GeologyClub,SulRossStateUniversity,Alpine,TXTheApolloprogramevolvedinresponsetoPresidentKennedy’s1961challengetosendhumanstotheMoonandbringthembacksafelytoEarth,withinthedecade.Bylate1963,NASAhadrecruited29oftheastronautswhowouldtrainforlunarexploration.Instructioningeologywasakeyelementinastronauttraining.ThelunarexplorerswouldneedtorecognizefeaturesontheMoonastheyclosedonlandingsites.MoonwalkersweretaskedwithcollectinggeologicallysignificantrocksamplesthatwouldunlockthemysteryoftheoriginandevolutionoftheMoon.BetweenMarchandJuly1964,theastronautrecruitsreceivedclassroomtrainingingeology,andtwogroupsofastronautsvisitedtheBigBendongeologicalfieldtripsinApril1964.Inthe

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wordsofTedFoss,oneofthegeologistscoordinatingtheastronauttrainingprogram:“wecan’tsaywhattheMoonislike,exactly,butitmaybesimilartotheBigBendarea.”Furthermore,aleadingfigureinplanninggeologicaltrainingfortheastronauts,BillMuehlberger,fromtheUniversityofTexas,selectedtheBigBendforfieldtrainingbecausetheareaofferedthe“greatestvarietyofgeologyinthesmallestareathananyotherplaceintheUnitedStates.”ThusbeganarelationshipbetweenNASAandtheBigBendthatcontinuestothisday.ThispresentationwillrevisitthefirstApolloastronautfieldtriptotheBigBendApril2–3,1964,andprovidevignettesofsubsequentmission-specificgeologytrainingforthelunarexplorersinfarWestTexas.WednesdayAfternoonMonitoringprotocolsforspringinventoryandassessment,BigBendRanchStatePark,TexasZachWeathersandKevinUrbanczyk,DepartmentofBiology,Geology,andPhysicalSciences,SulRossStateUniversity,Alpine,TXBigBendRanchStatePark(BBRSP),locatedinBrewsterandPresidioCountiesoffarwestTexas,ischaracterizedbyadenseconcentrationofnaturalsprings.However,thesespringshavenotbeeninventoriedoranalyzedindetail,despitetheimportanceofthespringstoriparianhabitatandhumanactivities.Inthisstudy,wehavedevelopedmonitoringprotocolsspecificallytodescribetheattributesofthespringstoassistinanoverallinventoryandclassificationeffort.TheseprotocolswereconceivedbyadaptingexistingproceduresdevelopedforspringsinthedesertsouthwesttothespecificcharacteristicsoftheBBRSP.Abasicconceptistocombinethegeologicaspectsoftheaquifersfeedingthespringswithobservationsofthebiologyandchemistryofthesprings.Achemicaldatabaseexistsforcomparisonpurposesanddifferencesinthechemicalcharacteristicsofthespringsinthedifferentsub-watershedsintheparkdoexist.Comparisonofexistingandnewdatawillhelptoquantifytheeffectsofhumanaswellasferalanddomesticanimaluseofthesprings.Together,thisnewinformation,alongwithexistingdata,willallowtheconstructionofacomprehensivedatabaseofspringsforBBRSPandsetthefoundationforanenvironmentalconservationplanforthesprings.Recentcollectionsandobservationsoftheraremilkweedvine,Mateleaatrostellata(Apocynaceae)DavidE.Lemke,DepartmentofBiology,TexasStateUniversity,SanMarcos,TXThegenusMatelea(Apocynaceae,Asclepiadoideae)comprisesmorethan100speciesofvinesorherbaceousperennialsformingdecumbentrosettesofshortstemsfromacentralrootstockthatarenativetowarmtemperateandtropicalregionsofthewesternhemisphere.Approximately20species,commonlyknownasmilkweedvines,occurintheUnitedStates,extendingasfarnorthasTennessee,Missouri,andOklahoma.FivespeciesofMateleaareknowntooccurinBrewsterCounty,Texas:M.reticulata,M.producta,M.parvifolia,M.texensis,andtherecently-describedM.atrostellatawhich,untilrecently,wasknownonlyfromthetypecollectionlocalityalongtheWindowTrailatBigBendNationalPark.RecentcollectingactivityintheChristmasMountainshasfoundM.atrostellatatobelocallycommonalongcertainarroyosontheeasternslopesofthemountains,whereitexhibitsthesamecolorvariationsasfoundinthenationalpark.Theavailabilityoffreshmaterialofthespecieshasallowedustoinvestigatetheproductionofmalodorousleafaromasthatmayfunctionasanherbivoredeterrentandtobetterunderstandtheunusualfloralstructurecharacteristicofmembersofthisgenus.

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Post-droughtmortalityandrecoveryofdesertwillowinBen’sHoleCanyonKelseyDannen,CollinTubbs,JacksonJohnson,MatthewHarrisonandMichaelHuston,DepartmentofBiology,TexasStateUniversity,SanMarcos,TXDesertWillow(Chilopsislinearis)isnotatruewillow,butratheramemberofthefamilyBignoniaceae,knownforspectacularlargeflowersandfoundthroughouttheworld,particularlyinthetropics.DesertwillowisfoundacrossthesoutherndesertsofNorthAmerica,generallyinlowlandareaswithsomewhathigherwateravailability.Ben’sHoleCanyonhasnopermanentflowingwater,butclearlyhasperiodicfloods.Wemappedandmeasured79desertwillowsrangingfromyoungsaplingstolargedeadtreesover30fttallovera500ftelevationgradientinthecanyon.Priorto2011,Ben’sHoleCanyonhadseveralsectionswithlargedesertwillowtrees.Allofthelargetreeswerekilledbythe2011drought,althoughsomearere-sproutingfromtheirbase.Wefoundthatthelargestdesertwillowswereconcentratedinafewlocationswhereeitherbedrockobstructionsortheconvergenceofdrywashesprobablyincreasedwateravailability.Theamountofre-sproutingfromtop-killedtreesandtheabundanceofyoungsaplingsthathaveestablishedsincetheendofthedroughtsuggeststhatwithcontinuednormalrainfallthedesertwillowsofBen’sHoleCanyonwillreturntotheirformerglory.MammalspeciesrichnessoftheChristmasMountainsresearchareaAllisonScottandMichaelHuston,DepartmentofBiology,TexasStateUniversity,SanMarcos,TXTheChristmasMountainsresearchareaactsasthehomerangeforavarietyofwildlifefoundinBrewsterCounty,Texas.FromFebruary2015toMay2016,wedocumentedthepresenceofwildlifespeciesinsevendifferentlocationswithintheresearchareaviatheplacementofmotion-capturewildlifecameras.Datagatheredfromourwildlifecamerasallowedustoformacatalogofspeciesthatoccurintheareaincludingmuledeer,mountainlions,bighornsheep,blackbears,ringtailcats,andvariousbirdandinsectspecies.Thisspeciesrichnessdataprovidesafoundationforfutureecologicalandbehavioralstudiesofareawildlifeincludingactivitypatterns,movementpatterns,andpredator-preyinteractions.Co-occurrenceandhabitatselectionofmesocarnivoresinBigBendNationalParkSkylerStevens1,PatriciaM.Harveson1,CatherineC.Dennison1,MichaelStangl1andRaymondSkiles2,1SulRossStateUniversityand2NationalParkService,BigBendNationalPark,TXMesocarnivoresserveanimportantroleinecosystems,actingasbothpreytolargecarnivoresandpredatorstosmallmammalsandbirds.BigBendNationalParkishometomanymesocarnivorespecies,includingstripedskunks(Mephitismephitis),hoodedskunks(Mephitismacroura),hog-nosedskunks(Conepatusleuconotus),andwesternspottedskunks(Spilogalegracilis),coyotes(Canislatrans),bobcats(Lynxrufus),greyfox(Urocyoncinereoargenteus),ringtails(Bassariscusastutus),raccoons(Procyonlotor),badgers(Taxideataxus),andlong-tailedweasels(Mustelafrenata).Tobetterunderstandhowthesespeciesinteractandpartitiontheavailablehabitatweusedremotecamerasplacedat58differentlocationsacrossa450-km2grid,coveringtheChisosMountainsandsurroundingfoothills.Cameraswereplacedstrategicallytocaptureanimalmovement,inplacessuchaswashes,canyons,mountainpasses,andsaddlesinaridgeline.Atotalof515,698pictureswerecollectedoveratotalof14,452trapdays.Skunks(collectively)werecapturedat43locations,coyotesat12locations,bobcatsat33locations,greyfoxat52locations,ring-tailsat32locations,raccoonsat5locations,badgerat2locations,andlong-tailedweaselsat5locations.Thethreeskunkspeciesallco-occurredatonly5

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locations,andhog-nosedandspottedskunksco-occurredthemostoutoftheskunkspecies,at13locations.Greyfoxco-occurredcompletelywithMephitisspp.,weasels,andraccoons.UsingaChi-squaretestandBonferroniconfidenceintervalsweanalyzedfourhabitatcategories:1)elevation,2)finescaleterrainruggedness,3)broadscaleterrainruggedness,and4)vegetationtype.Greyfox,bobcat,coyotes,ringtails,andspottedskunksallusedthefourhabitatcategoriessignificantlydifferenttoavailability.Hog-nosedskunksdidnotshowastrongpreferenceforthreeofthehabitatcategories,onlyselectingforthehighestlevelofterrainruggednessatthefinescale.Roadkillecology-spatialandtemporalscalesofrecentlydeceasedterrestrialvertebratesalongtheI-10corridorfromComforttoFortStocktonJeremyLutherandMichaelHuston,DepartmentofBiology,TexasStateUniversity,SanMarcos,TXRoadsprovideamortalityhazardforanyanimalsthatcrossthem.Althoughmostanimalscrosssuccessfully,someproportioniskilled.Theproportionofanimalsthatarekilledwhilecrossingaroadisinfluencedbypropertiesoftheroad,suchaswidthandamountoftraffic,andalsobythepropertiesofdifferentspecies,suchasspeedofmovement,hearingandeyesight,andfearofunfamiliarconditions.Weholdroadconditionsconstantbyonlysamplingontwo-lanesectionsofI-10,andholdanimalpropertiesconstantbytallyingeachspeciesseparately.Weassumethat,foraparticularspecies,thenumberofindividualanimalskilledalongasectionofI-10isproportionaltotheabundanceofthatspeciesintheareaoneithersideofthatsectionoftheroadwayatthatparticulartime.Usingthesedata,wecandescribehowtherelativeabundanceofaspecieschangesacross270milesofI-10(ComforttoFt.Stockton),aswellashowtheabundanceofaspecieschangesovertime,betweenseasons,andyears.Skunks(potentiallyof3ormorespecies)arebyfarthemostcommonroadkill,althoughtheirabundancechangesoverspaceandtime.Wewillalsoreportonotherspecies,suchascoyotes,greyfoxes,andraccoons,whichhaveclearvariationinmortalitybetweenseasons.TerrestrialsnailsandlifeinthedesertFrancisHorne,DepartmentofBiology,TexasStateUniversity,SanMarcos,TXDesertanimalshavemajorproblemsconservingwaterinbothcoldandhotdesertswherewaterisnotreadilyavailable.Tosurviveinsuchharshconditionsmanystrategiesareemployed;somebiochemical,somephysiologicalandothersbeingbehavioral.Snailsemergefromestivationafterarainasbothfoodandwaterbecomeavailable.Forseveralhoursordays,andaslongasthehumidityiselevated,feedingcontinuesduringbothdayandnight.Reproductionoccursduringsuchperiods.Aswaterevaporates,conditionsdeteriorateandsnailswithdrawintotheirshells,plasterupagainstasolidobjectlikearock.Severalepiphragmsofcalcifiedmucousareformedovershell’sorificereducingevaporativewaterloss.Decliningmetabolicratesallowestivationforuptoayearandthecatabolismof50%oftissueweight;muchofitbeingtissueprotein.Ureaanduricacidwastesofproteincatabolismareretainedandexcretedonlyafterfeedingbegins.Onceitrains,dormancyisbrokenandfeedingonlushgreenvegetationinitiated.Catabolizedtissuemustbereplaced.Itcanbearealchallengetoreplacetissuesandfoodstuffsinsuchashorttimebyeatingmostlyhighcellulosicleaves.Thesevariousissueswillbediscussed.

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Dietaryanalysisofthemicrowhipscorpion(Palpigradi:Eukoeneniidae)fromValVerdeCountyinSouthwesternTexasMaryJones,NedStrenthandLorenAmmerman,DepartmentofBiology,AngeloStateUniversity,SanAngelo,TXMicrowhipscorpions,orpalpigrades,belongtoapoorlyknownorderofarachnidsfoundincavesandsoilfromnumerouslocalitiesworldwide.Thefeedinghabitsoftheseenigmaticcreaturesarelargelyunknown.Itwaswidelyacceptedthatthisgroupislikelycarnivorousaspredationisacommonstrategyamongarachnids.Captivespecimenswerereportedlyobservedcapturingspringtailswiththeircheliceraewhichsupportedthispremise.However,arecenthistologicalstudyonacave-dwellingspeciesinSlovakiaidentifiedcyanobacteriaasafoodsource.Thiscurrentstudyuseshigh-throughputsequencingtoanalyzethegutcontentofpalpigrades.TwospecimensofEukoeneniaflorenciaewerecollectedneartheDevil’sRiverinValVerdeCountyofsouthwestTexas.ThespecimensweredecontaminatedandthenDNAextractedusingtheDNeasytissueprotocol.AfragmentoftheCOIand16SrRNAgenesweresequencedusinganIlluminaMiSeq.SequenceswereseparatedintooperationaltaxonomicunitsandcomparedtotheNCBIGenBankandBarcodeofLifeDatabase(BOLD).Preliminaryresultsindicatethepresenceofacyanobacteriaandaphidaspotentialfooditems.Thisstudyisthefirstdietaryanalysisofpalpigradesusingmoleculartechniquesandsupportsdiversefeedinghabitsofthisspecies.ChangesininsectbiomassintheChristmasMountainsduetoabioticfactorsAllisonBordiniandMichaelHuston,DepartmentofBiology,TexasStateUniversity,SanMarcos,TXPreviousstudieshaveshownthatbiomassandabundanceofinsectsaredirectlyrelatedtoprecipitationandtemperatureinanenvironment.Precipitationandtemperatureaffectthequalityandquantityofplantsonwhichtheinsectsfeed,thusaffectingtheindividualinsects.Asprimaryconsumers,insectscouldbeusedasanindicatorforimmediateandlong-termchangesintheenvironment.Ourlabhascollecteddataonthechangesininsectbiomass,diversity,andabundancesince2012,focusingonnocturnalLepidoptera.InsectsweresampledbyhangingUVlighttrapsatTerlinguaRanchHeadquartersduringthenewmooneachmonth30minutesaftersunsetfora90-minuteperiod.Onetrapfacednorthwesttowardanopenmesquiteflat,whilethesecondtrapfacedamountainoushillside.SampleswereweighedfreshandcomparedtotemperaturereadingstakeninthefieldaswellasmonthlyprecipitationdatacollectedfromPantherJunction.Initialresultshaveshownageneralincreaseoftotalinsectbiomassandsphingidbiomasswithanincreaseinprecipitationandtemperature,indicatingtheremaybeapositivecorrelationbetweenfreshweightandabioticfactors.PreliminaryanalysisofChrysinawoodii(Coleoptera:Scarabaeidae)populationsintheDavisMountainsofwestTexasTimothyMaddoxandNedE.Strenth,DepartmentofBiology,AngeloStateUniversity,SanAngelo,TXThegenusChrysinaisalargegroupwithinthesubfamilyRutelinaethathasaverylimiteddistributioninNorthAmerica,withonlyfourspeciesknowntooccurwithintheUnitedStates.Ofthesespecies,Wood’sjewelscarab(Chrysinawoodii)isconsideredtoexhibitthemostlimiteddistribution.ItisknownfromthemountainsofwestTexasandisreportedtofeedonalimitednumberofhostplants,specificallylittlewalnut(Juglansmicrocarpa).ThecurrentstudyexaminedseveralpopulationsofC.woodiiintheprimitiveequestriansiteofDavisMountainsStateParkinJeffDavisCounty.Atotalof418C.woodiispecimenswasmarkedfromthree

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siteswithintheprimitiveareaoveraperiodoftwelvecollectingtripsfromJunetoSeptember2015.Studysite1hada7%recapturerateandbeetlesweredeterminedtohavea30-daysurvivalrateof29%.Initialanalysessuggestthatthepopulationofstudysite1isrobustwithasizeof348to552individuals;however,additionalsitesareneededtobetterdeterminethesizeoftheDavisMountainspopulationasawhole.ThebeetlesappeartobemostactivefromJunethroughAugustwhenbreedingoccurs,begintodeclineinSeptember,anddieoutbymidtolateOctober.FutureworkforthisstudywillinvolveanadditionalcollectingseasonwithintheDavisMountainswiththeadditionofnewsites,aswellasfurtheringthelifehistoryinformation.Apreliminarysurveyofthecrayfishes(Crustacea:Decapoda)ofwestTexasandeasternNewMexicoMichaelLucero,DepartmentofBiology,AngeloStateUniversity,SanAngelo,TXThelastscientificsurveyofthecrayfishesofTexaswasconductedin1958anddidnotincludetheConchoandSanSabadrainagesystems.NopublishedsurveycurrentlyexistsforthestateofNewMexico.Thisongoingsurveywasstartedinthesummerof2015withtheintenttospecificallyincludethedrainagesystemsofcentralandwestTexasaswellastheentirestateofNewMexico.Todateresultshaveledtotheobservationoftheredswampcrayfish(Procambarusclarkii)intheConcho,SanSaba,lowerPecos,andRioGranderivers,thesouthernplainscrayfish(Procambarussimulans)intheConchoRiver,andspecimenstentativelyidentifiedasthewesternpaintedcrayfish(Orconectespalmeri)fromtheSanSabaRiver.Apossibleintroductionofthevirilecrayfish(Orconectesvirilis)wasalsoobservedfortheGallinasandmiddlePecosRiversinNewMexico.Thecurrentsurveywillbecomparedtohistoryaccounts.AsedimentarysurveyoftheTornilloCreekdrainagebasin,anephemeralstreamsysteminBigBendNationalPark–preliminaryfindingsThomasG.Stoddard,DepartmentofBiology,Geology,andPhysicalSciences,SulRossStateUniversity,Alpine,TXBigBendNationalPark(BBNP),Texas,istraversedbymanyephemeralstreams,arroyos,anddrawsthatcontrolsurfaceandgroundwaterresourcesacrosstheparklandscape.ThelargestoftheseistheTornilloCreekephemeralsystemtothenorthandeastoftheChisosMountains.TheTornilloCreekBasindrainsapproximatelyonethirdofBBNP.ThisstudyestablishesdefinedgeographicboundariesfortheTornilloCreekdrainagebasin(TCDB)inordertocreateacontrolareaforlong-termresearchintototalsedimentloadmovingdownstream.Overall,TornilloCreekisabraidedchannelconsistingofmixedloaddepositsandclastsizesvaryingfrombouldertoclaygrains.Typicalchannelsequencesalternatebetweenareasoflarger,rockyclastsfollowedbystretchesofcompacted,sandydeposits.Inter-channeldepressionsinupstreamareasexhibitclaymuddeposition,however,quantitiesofclaymudgreatlyincreasedownstreamduetolowerflowvelocitiesandhighersedimentinput.Fieldtests(HCl10%)indicatepresenceofcalciteatallpointsalongthecreekbed,withinter-channeldepressionsexhibitingevaporativecrystalgrowth.ChangesingeomorphologyoftheTCDBareanalyzedthroughtheuseofhistoricimageryandrecentobservations.MeasurementsofrecentdowncuttingtrenchesandtheNationalParkServiceconservationeffortsarediscussed.AgentsoftheUnitedStatesBorderPatrolreportthatTornilloCreekisfrequentlyusedbyillegalimmigrantsasapathwaynorthduetowaterfromseepspringsbeingpresentalmostyearround.ThiswasconfirmedinBantaShut-inbyevidenceofbioturbationinthecreekchannelandthepresenceofliquidwaterunderneaththebedloadmilesfromanymappedspring.Suspendedsedimentloaddataisstillnotconclusiveduetoalackofrainfall/floodeventsince07October2015.However,additionalresultsanddataarestillforthcoming.CretaceouskarstdepositsofShafter,Texas

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CaseyMitchellandDavidRohr,DepartmentofBiology,Geology,andPhysicalSciences,SulRossStateUniversity,Alpine,TXAspectacularbrecciatedlimestoneisexposedonemilesouthofShafter,PresidioCounty,Texas,alongUS67,intheShafterMiningDistrict.Thebrecciaexposureintheroadcutis25meterswideandthesidesarevertical.Itisuniquetotheareaandonlyoccursononesideoftheroadcut.ThebrecciaiswithintheLateCretaceous-agePresidioFormation,whichunconformablyoverliesthePermianMinaGrandeFormation,andinthesouthernShafterareaisoverlainbytheCenozoicPerdizConglomerate.Thebedsarecomposedofskeletalwackestonesandpackstones,aswellassomefluvialinputsandseveralbedsoflargeblackoysters.Thefluvialmaterialiscomposedofmediumgrained,wellsorted,sub-angularquartz;whichispresentinmostofthebedsintheoutcropaswellascomprisingmostofthematerialinthesandstonesthatarepresent.Brecciaclastsoflimestoneandsandstoneareaslargeas2metersandarecementedbycalcitewithsomevoidspacesremaining.DistinctivebedsofOrbitolina,largeoystersandooliticlimestonemakeupthePresidioFormationhere.Bedsoneithersideofthebrecciaappeartobeoffsetwiththeeastsidedroppedby11meters.AlthoughthestrataintheareahavebeendeformedbyCenozoicfoldingandfaulting,aswellasigneousintrusions,thebrecciadoesnotappeartobeatectonicfault,becauseitisnotcontinuousandshowsnosignofslickensides.Thebrecciaisconcludedtobeakarstfeature,specifically,abrecciapipeunderlyingacollapsestructuretrendingabout110degrees.Brecciapipescontainlargeamountsofangularblocks,andcanshowoffsetduetodissolutioncollapse.ThelithologyofthebrecciaclastsisamixtureofthePresidioFormation‘soysterbedsandooliticlimestone,soverticaldisplacementwasnotgreat.NotraceoftheoverlyingPerdizConglomerate,whichconsistsofonlyvolcanicclasts,ispresent.Speleothemsandflowstonesindicateformationinvadoseconditions,andlackofmechanicallyemplacedclasticinfillsuggestsadepthofformationgreaterthanabout10-20meters.AlthoughkarstfeaturesareknownintheunderlyingPermiancarbonates,thisappearstobetheonlykarstfeatureinthelocalCretaceousstrata.StratigraphicanddepositionalanalysisoftheLeonardianCiboloformationintheMarfaBasininthevicinityoftheChinatiMountains,TexasChristopherPate,DepartmentofBiology,Geology,andPhysicalSciences,SulRossStateUniversity,Alpine,TXTheMarfaBasininPresidioCounty,Texas,formsthesouthwesternextentofthePermianBasin.TheexposedLowerPermianstratawithintheMarfaBasinarefoundroughly10milesnorthofShafter,Texas,attheCiboloCreekRanch.TheLowerPermianstrataoftheMarfaBasinislessstudiedthantheage-equivalentstrataofthenearbyDelawareandMidlandBasins.AdetailedstudyoftheLowerPermianstrataintheMarfaBasinwillenableabetterunderstandingofthedepositionalandenvironmentalrelationshipsbetweenthelessrestrictedMarfaBasinandthemorerestrictedDelawareandMidlandbasins.InordertoaccomplishthistheLowerPermianstrataexposedneartheChinatiMountainsarebeingdescribedandcorrelatedusingmoderncarbonatedescriptions,lithostratigraphy,biostratigraphy,andsequencestratigraphy.Usingthisdata,adepositionalmodelwillbecreatedfortheLeonardian-agedCiboloFormation.TheCiboloFormationmayrepresentshelfedgetoshelfdeposits.ImprovingthecurrentstateofknowledgeofthePermianstratawithintheMarfaBasinwillfurtherenablepotentialforfutureprospectsandplaysofpetroleumthathavenotbeenfullyexploredwithinthesedimentarybasin.InordertobetterconstrainthetimingofeventswithintheMarfaBasinfusulinidswillbeidentifiedandcorrelatedtoknownfusulinidzoneswithintherestofthePermianBasin.Usingfaciesanalysis,identificationofsequenceboundarieswillbeattemptedtodetermineverticalchangeswithinthesection.ThedatacollectedfromfaciesanalysisandsequenceboundarieswillbeusedtodeterminepossibleeustaticchangeswithintheMarfaBasin.TheCiboloFormationwillbecomparedtotherestofthe

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time-equivalentformationsofthePermianBasinintermsofeustaticchanges,andfossilassemblagesanddepositionalsettings.

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ringsandpropanestoves.PleaseseetheFrontDeskforinformationregardingburnbans.• Smokingisallowedoutdoorsonly.PleasedisposeofcigarettesinbuttcanslocatedthroughouttheLodge.• ChristmasMountainsaccesspermitsareavailableattheFrontDesk.• Pleaseobeypostedspeedlimits.• PleaserespectNoTrespassingandNoHuntingsignsthroughouttheranch.• WIFIpassword:words

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CHRISTMASMOUNTAINSRESEARCHSYMPOSIUM

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