2003 — 2009 |
Wolff, Jerry Schoech, Stephan |
N/AActivity Code Description: No activity code was retrieved: click on the grant title for more information |
Collaborative Research: Behavioral and Neuroendocrine Variation in Mammalian Mating Systems
Behavioral and neuroendocrine variation in mammalian mating systems
Jerry O. Wolff and Steven M. Phelps
SUMMARY This research will examine individual and geographic variation in the expression of receptors for the hormone vasopressin, which affects monogamous mating in male prairie voles (Microtus ochrogaster). Vasopressin receptors affect affiliative and paternal behavior in males; this dual role may allow females to choose good fathers as mates. Preliminary evidence suggests that monogamous traits such as affiliation and paternal care are more common in a population of voles from Illinois and less common in voles from Tennessee. A series of field and laboratory experiments will be conducted on voles from these two locations to determine how vasopressin receptors affect individual differences in male fidelity, affiliation and paternal care. Experiments will also determine if females can assess differences in male affiliative behavior and select mates based on paternal characteristics. In addition to examining individual mate preferences, field experiments will be conducted to determine if this trait ultimately affects juvenile survival and population growth rates. This will be the first study to combine data at the level of gene expression, individual behaviors, mating system, field demography and population variation.
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0.915 |
2003 — 2009 |
Wolff, Jerry George, E Olusegun Schoech, Stephan Ferkin, Michael (co-PI) [⬀] Parris, Matthew [⬀] |
N/AActivity Code Description: No activity code was retrieved: click on the grant title for more information |
Umeb - An Integrative Research Experience in Undergraduate Education
Funding from NSF will support an Undergraduate Mentoring in Environmental Biology (UMEB) program at the University of Memphis. We propose to actively involve students from underrepresented ethnic groups in environmental research, thus encouraging them to pursue professions in environmental biology as viable career choices. We plan to use research facilities at The University of Memphis and the Meeman Biological Field Station to provide a unique learning experience for participating undergraduate students. Our goals are to teach the scientific method, critical thinking, data analysis, and writing skills by directly involving students in the development and testing of hypotheses centered on environmental biology. Seven professors from a variety of science and math fields will recruit and mentor minority students from their sophomore-senior years. We have a plan to attract underrepresented students in the sciences and present them with specialty skills-oriented courses, field and laboratory research experiences, and exposure to minority role models to prepare them for professional careers in environmental biology. We have partnered with numerous private and government agencies and potential employment institutions to expose students to academic and professional role models and employment opportunities. Assessment of our program and dissemination of information will include professional presentations and manuscripts, Internet links from the University, and the use of our participants as recruiters for additional candidates. We believe that our UMEB program will nurture excitement for scientific inquiry, increase minority participation in careers in environmental biology, and provide a model for other urban institutions to increase the number of underrepresented groups actively involved in environmental research. This collaborative effort will reinforce the commitment of the mentors and the educational philosophy of our institution to NSF-funded research and education of students who are underrepresented in environmental biology.
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0.915 |
2004 — 2008 |
Schoech, Stephan |
N/AActivity Code Description: No activity code was retrieved: click on the grant title for more information |
Collaborative Research: Interactive Effects of Stress and Nutrition On Reproduction in Birds
Collaborative Research: Interactive Effects of Stress and Nutrition on Reproduction in Birds Stephan J. Schoech & Reed Bowman University of Memphis & Archbold Biological Station Correctly timing breeding is essential for animals to maximize their fitness. To produce young when conditions favor their survival, most organisms rely on a variety of environmental cues. The PIs have used a combination of observational and experimental studies to demonstrate that food quantity and quality influence timing of breeding. Florida Scrub-Jays (Aphelocoma coerulescens) in suburban habitats with access to ad libitum human-provided food always breed earlier than jays in wildland habitat at nearby Archbold Biological Station (ABS). In wildlands, supplementation with diets that differ in fat and protein content confirm that these nutrients act in synergy to advance breeding. Birds given high fat/high protein (HFHP) diets lay earlier than controls and jays supplemented with high fat/low protein diet, increase maternal allocation to eggs, and increase survival of offspring. Additionally, the PIs found a strong trend for increased over-winter survival of HFHP-supplemented adults relative to controls (even though birds are only supplemented from Jan-Mar). Importantly, both suburban and HFHP wildland jays also had lower levels of corticosterone (CORT), the avian stress hormone, than wildland controls. Because CORT can negatively affect the reproductive axis, the link between CORT and nutrition suggests a unique mechanism underlying the initiation of reproduction. The PIs have developed a novel model demonstrating how resources influence stress (CORT), which in turn influences timing of breeding. Unlike other models, this predicts both advanced timing of breeding and reduced between-year variation - consistent with empirical observations. Very early in the breeding season, birds may be stressed by reduced food availability. Although they may be "reproductively primed" by other cues, such as photoperiod, high levels of CORT inhibit reproduction. But as food become more predictable or of better quality, stress levels are reduced, releasing the inhibition, allowing breeding to occur. Field and captive studies will be used to test the hypothesis that stress associated with resource quality and/or predictability is the physiological mechanism by which environmental cues are translated into reproductive decisions. Suburban and HFHP-supplemented jays will be implanted with CORT to determine if it delays reproduction in females with access to ad libitum food. To learn whether the removal of CORT results in earlier activation of the reproductive axis and advanced laying, CORT will be blocked in unsupplemented jays at ABS. The PIs also will evaluate the ultimate effects of resource availability by examining the interactive effects of diet, stress, and time of breeding on egg size, offspring development, and short- and long-term survival. Using captive studies on Blue Jays, the PIs will examine further the interactions between diet and stress and reproduction. These studies allow serial sampling of endocrine responses to food treatments. The PIs will compare reproductive and stress hormones in jays that differ in the predictability in which food is provided. In addition, nocturnal light exposure in the suburbs may be stimulatory to the reproductive axis. This will be tested by comparing a suite of physiological parameters in jays that are exposed to low levels of light during the dark phase of the daily cycle with birds that are not. The interactions between stress, environmental resources, and reproduction have not been thoroughly investigated in free-living species and may be critical in how birds time reproduction. The suburban component underscores how rapid environmental change associated with global patterns of urbanization can influence naturally-selected systems, and illustrates the potential consequences. Florida Scrub-Jays are a declining species and may serve as an important model for an increasing number of other species from many taxa that are or will face similar challenges due to continued loss of habitat in the face of increasing human usage. This project will have benefits at multiple levels. First, Florida Scrub-Jays are a threatened species and this research may provide ways in which the decline in numbers may be slowed. Second, techniques and information gleaned may be used to ameliorate declines in other species. Third, stress has profound negative impacts upon many aspects of an organism's (humans included!) health, and this research (and associated projects) will consider links between stress, nutrition, reproduction, immune function, and survivorship: all of which have important cross-species implications.
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0.915 |
2005 — 2008 |
Schoech, Stephan |
N/AActivity Code Description: No activity code was retrieved: click on the grant title for more information |
Disseration Research: Life History Trade-Offs: An Investigation of the Resource Allocation Hypothesis in the Florida Scrub-Jay (Aphelocoma Coerulescens)
Dissertation Research: Life History Trade-offs - An investigation of the resource allocation hypothesis in the Florida Scrub-Jay (Aphelocoma coerulescens)
Stephan J. Schoech & Raoul K. Boughton University of Memphis
There is considerable interest in the hypothesized trade-off between current reproduction and survival. However, the mechanisms that mediate this trade-off have been elusive. One mechanism that can affect both reproduction and survival is the immune system. While activation of the immune system during reproduction will likely increase survival, activation will also use energetic resources that could have been directed towards reproduction. The main objectives of this study are to test the resource allocation hypothesis in the monogamous long-lived cooperatively breeding Florida Scrub-Jay, and to investigate endocrine mechanisms that may function as immuno-modulators. Florida Scrub-Jays are a unique model to investigate the resource allocation hypothesis because research in this area has been restricted to migratory species with life histories that are characterized by relatively short life spans and temporally restricted breeding seasons. The sedentary nature, long life span, and socially and genetically monogamous breeding system of the Florida Scrub-Jay provide for a new and unique model to investigate postulated reproduction-survival trade-offs. The study has five specific objectives: (1) To characterize immune responses throughout the yearly cycle with special attention paid to previously identified energetic bottleneck periods when an internal trade-off of resources would be expected to occur; (2) To measure the effects of high quality supplemental food on immune function and reproductive success by comparing jays from supplemented and non-supplemented territories; (3) To determine whether breeding per se is responsible for immune suppression by comparing immune responses in breeders and nonbreeding helpers; (4) To further investigate the interrelationship between immune function and endocrine physiology (especially, testosterone, estrogen, corticosterone, and prolactin); and (5) to monitor both disease and parasite state to assess their effects upon immune function, reproductive effort, and survival. The broader impacts of this study are numerous and include facilitating co-PI Boughton's graduate training as both a professional researcher and as a mentor to undergraduate students. Where possible, we will recruit undergraduate students from the Department of Biology, University of Memphis' NSF funded program, Undergraduate Mentoring in Environmental Biology. These students will have the opportunity to learn methods and techniques of field biology, such as bird handling, blood sampling, and assays of immune function. Researchers will be exposed to the general public while working on the suburban portions of Florida Scrub-Jay population, allowing direct communication as to how basic science can investigate the reproductive success, disease exposure, and coping mechanisms of this threatened species. The grass roots concept of public awareness of research programs and the research that is undertaken is fundamental to encourage continued public support of funding programs. Additionally, both co-PIs regularly share their research results with local birding clubs and within the classroom at the University of Memphis. A most important aspect of this study is its connection with the private Archbold Biological Station and the long term Florida Scrub-Jay research. This relationship has promoted a partnership with another PhD student from the University of Missouri at St. Louis, who is concurrently investigating the oxygen free radical hypothesis and how it relates to longevity. The combined efforts of both studies will allow evaluation of two hypotheses put forth to explain why immune suppression may occur during reproduction.
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0.915 |
2009 — 2013 |
Schoech, Stephan |
N/AActivity Code Description: No activity code was retrieved: click on the grant title for more information |
Collaborative Research: Influences of Environmental Manipulation On Parental Programming and Stress Physiology in a Cooperatively Breeding Bird
A wealth of research in the biological and social sciences has demonstrated that rearing environment is an important contributor to offspring development. Are these developmental effects adaptive in terms of molding an individual to match current environmental conditions? The co-PIs will first test whether variation in provisioning behavior by breeding Florida Scrub-Jays gives rise to differences, both physiological and behavioral, in the resulting offspring. The research will then follow the survival and reproduction of these offspring to assess whether the developmental pathways determined by their parent's provisioning behaviors do indeed match the offspring phenotype to the current environment. Florida Scrub-Jays breed as family units, with older siblings helping to rear the most recent brood of nestlings. Hence, findings with respect to the rearing environment and its potential to affect physical and mental aspects of the emerging adults will have implications for other species with complex social systems (like humans). Furthermore, through a multifaceted approach to monitoring physical, physiological, and behavioral aspects of focal birds, the co-PIs will be able to provide insight into the mechanisms that drive environmental influences on offspring development (preliminary data suggest an important role for secretion of the 'stress hormone' corticosterone, early in life). A key component of the research will be the development of a new automated feeding technology to manipulated food availability and provisioning rates in particular family groups. This approach, which will use radio frequency identification to selectively administer food to targeted individuals, will introduce an inexpensive yet powerful tool for studies that require manipulation of the feeding environment. Previous work by the co-PIs has demonstrated that food supplementation can increase the number of young produced in this Threatened species, and the improved delivery system the co-PIs will use in this research will be a powerful conservation tool that can be used by managers of other threatened and endangered species.
The field work will take place at Archbold Biological Station in Central Florida, and will contribute to this institution's infrastructure and legacy of high-quality research. Finally, the research will provide training opportunities for a number of undergraduates (or recent graduates), two Ph.D. students, and two post-doctoral researchers; and it will help enrich Archbold's K-12 education programs.
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0.915 |
2009 — 2010 |
Schoech, Stephan Wilcoxen, Travis |
N/AActivity Code Description: No activity code was retrieved: click on the grant title for more information |
Dissertation Research: Reproductive Senescence in the Florida Scrub-Jay (Aphelocoma Coerulescens)
A decrease in reproductive performance in older birds, despite the likely benefits of increased experience, is often attributed to senescence. Senescence is the progressive deterioration of structure and function over time, and in vertebrates is manifested as an age-related increase in mortality, decrease in fecundity, or both. The physiology of senescence is complex, and involves age-related changes in function of somatic and reproductive cells and tissues, and subsequent changes in interactions among these systems. Analyses of seventeen years of data from our study population of Florida Scrub-Jays (Aphelocoma coerulescens) reveals a quadratic relationship between breeder age and number of fledglings produced, with the youngest and oldest birds having the lowest reproductive success. The Florida Scrub-Jay is a cooperatively breeding passerine that is restricted to remnant scrub oak habitat of peninsular Florida. In this project, the investigators will assess reproductive aspects of senescence in this species; taking into consideration reproductive endocrinology, stress physiology, egg hatchability, sperm morphology, life history trade-offs, and age-related variance in parental behavior. Specifically, the investigators will conduct experiments to determine which component of the reproductive (hypothalamic-pituitary-gonadal: HPG) axis exhibits senescence by recording physiological changes (primarily endocrine measures) as individuals age. The results from this project which will combine observational and manipulative experiments will ultimately contribute valuable insight into the mechanisms that underlie (or are a result of) avian reproductive senescence. The broader impacts of the project will primarily be realized through the continuing education of a graduate student. The investigators will present and publish findings in appropriate national and international venues (e. g., at meetings and in respected journals). Similarly, both investigators regularly present research findings to lay organizations, such as ornithological and nature clubs.
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0.915 |
2010 |
Schoech, Stephan |
N/AActivity Code Description: No activity code was retrieved: click on the grant title for more information |
The Xxvth International Ornithological Congress: Campos Do Jordao, Sp, Brazil; 22-28 August 2010
International Ornithological Congresses (IOC) have been held at regular intervals since 1884. The XXVth IOC will be held in Campos de Jordão, SP, Brazil, in August, 2010 and is the first IOC to be held in South America. This Congress will allow US scientists to interact with scientists from around the world and they will also encounter habitats and people that have been largely inaccessible. The financial assistance provided to scientists by the National Science Foundation will make it possible for some to attend who might not otherwise have been able to afford travel to Brazil. A committee of five ornithologists will evaluate applications for funds from scientists who are participating in the Congress. Committee members are committed to assuring that diversity will be enhanced at the IOC by selecting a diverse group of scientists with respect to gender, career stage, and membership in groups underrepresented in science and engineering.
At the Congress information will be exchanged in plenary lectures, symposia, contributed oral presentations, poster sessions, round table discussions, and innumerable informal conversations and it is anticipated that many cooperative, international projects will be initiated. Examples of topics to be represented in the above mentioned forums are: population biology, social behavior, communication (aural and visual), reproductive biology, avian evolution, pedagogy, physiology, avian conservation biology, promotion of ornithology in developing countries, public policy, avian diseases, systematics, palenotology, migration, genomics, and flight biology.
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0.915 |
2011 — 2012 |
Schoech, Stephan Heiss, Rebecca |
N/AActivity Code Description: No activity code was retrieved: click on the grant title for more information |
Dissertation Research: Oxidative Stress and Trade-Offs in the Cooperatively Breeding Florida Scrub-Jay (Aphelocoma Coerulescens)
Oxidative damage results from the inability of an organism to cope with reactive oxygen species (ROS) that are formed as byproducts of metabolism. Damage to various classes of biomolecules has been implicated in cellular senescence, aging and debilitating diseases. This research will be the first to address the effects of multiple aspects of oxidative damage on fitness-related measures in a free-living long-lived avian model. The framework currently being developed from this research may be of importance to the medical community as birds are increasingly being recognized as viable models to assess adaptations to combat oxidative damage, senescence, and associated diseases in humans. Florida Scrub-Jays will be used to assess whether the accumulation of oxidative damage negatively affects reproductive decisions and output, as well as fitness. Both nestling and adult birds will be supplemented with antioxidants which neutralize ROS. Thus, birds that receive antioxidants are predicted to demonstrate higher reproduction and survivorship. Florida Scrub-Jays are a federally threatened species and therefore, the results of this research may be applied broadly to assist in the conservation of this, and other threatened species by providing important clues as to the best management practices with regard to supplemental antioxidant diets. Additionally, through collaboration with Archbold Biological Station (ABS), an ecological research facility intimately involved in environmental education, this research will integrate scientific advancement with educational opportunities. This research will be published in high profile journals and presented at scientific and lay meetings. It will also be shared informally through interactions with visitors to ABS, and formally both through the station?s internship program which brings several dozen undergraduate and graduate students to the station to work on independent projects each year and the ABS ecology education program which hosts nearly 3,000 3rd-5th grade schoolchildren every year.
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0.915 |
2014 |
Schoech, Stephan |
N/AActivity Code Description: No activity code was retrieved: click on the grant title for more information |
Conference Proposal: Support Attendance to the 2014 - 26th International Ornithological Congress in Tokyo, Japan
Ornithologists from around the world meet once every four years at the International Ornithological Congresses to share their research findings and forge research collaborations that are critical in moving the discipline forward. Research on birds is conducted in practically every country, and much of the research spans national boundaries. For U.S. ornithologists to remain current, it is essential that they exchange ideas directly with their international colleagues. Although the obvious focus of the International Ornithological Congress is birds, the breadth of disciplines represented among ornithologists in attendance encompasses all of the biological sciences. A partial list of these disciplines includes: evolution, systematics, ecology, population biology, physiology, endocrinology, immunology, functional morphology, behavioral ecology, neurobiology, and conservation biology. The exchange of information among scientists during oral and poster presentations is of great value, but equally important are the personal exchanges and resulting collaborations established in the hallways between sessions and during the numerous topic-based workshops scheduled throughout the congress.
Funds provided by NSF will help support the attendance of future leaders of ornithology. Specifically, recipients will be at an early stage in their careers (e.g., graduate students and post-doctoral fellows) and will be from U.S. institutions. The selection committee will also strive to support individuals from groups that are historically underrepresented in ornithology. Assistance of such scientists will help forge new, international collaborations, thereby creating long-term benefits for all involved. For example, a Round Table Discussion at the 2010 International Ornithological Congress resulted in the formation of an international Research Coordination Committee on parrots that now boasts 247 members from all continents. Information from the congress will be made available through publication on CD-ROMs containing the full text of all plenary and symposium talks, as well as the abstracts of all posters and oral presentations. Similarly, a subset of papers will be published in an online open access edition of the Journal of Ornithology.
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0.915 |
2015 — 2017 |
Jones, Blake (co-PI) [⬀] Schoech, Stephan |
N/AActivity Code Description: No activity code was retrieved: click on the grant title for more information |
Dissertation Research: Assessing the Effects of Stress Physiology On Long-Lasting Memory in a Free-Living Animal
Glucocorticoids, commonly known as "stress hormones", can affect the formation of short-term memories (i.e., memories that last from seconds to days), but the effects of stress hormones on memories that persist for months to years are unknown. Additionally, many memory studies use laboratory animals, which often have different behaviors and physiologies than their free-living counterparts. This research will assess the effects of stress hormones on the long-lasting memory of free-living Florida scrub-jays, a long lived bird that retains memories for years. A better understanding of how stress mediates memory may improve the post-release survival of captive-bred endangered species. Many conservation programs teach endangered animals the dangers of predators prior to release into natural habitats, and a strong memory of the identity of potential predators is essential for an animal's survival. This research may also have impacts on the study of human disorders that impair long-lasting memory, such as post-traumatic stress disorder and Alzheimer's disease. In addition, this research will provide research opportunities for University of Memphis undergraduates, over 40% of which are from groups underrepresented in science.
Stress can mediate memory function via glucocorticoids (GCs), which are released at low baseline concentrations, but increase in response to a stressor. For example, exposure to increased levels of circulating GCs shortly after learning typically enhances long-term memory formation. Long-term memories last hours to weeks, whereas memories that persist for months to years are known as long-lasting memories. Despite the robust knowledge of the effects of GCs on short- and long-term memory, the understanding of the effects of GCs on long-lasting memory is essentially nonexistent. The goal of this study is to understand how circulating glucocorticoids affect the long-lasting memory of an emotionally arousing event. The researchers will manipulate circulating levels of GCs in free-living Florida scrub-jays (Aphelocoma coerulescens) during a fear conditioning protocol wherein subjects will be either conditioned to avoid an artificial, novel predator or exposed to a non-threatening control. The researchers will then measure subjects' avoidance of the novel predator 48 hours and 10 months post-conditioning to assess the role of GCs in consolidation and retention of the associative memory. All data and analysis from this research will be made publically and freely available on GitHub, a free, web-based Git repository hosting service, at https://github.com/Jonesbc.
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0.915 |