A study of the biology of Tropisternus lateralis, a hydrophilid beetle, was conducted during the flood period of a single playa on the Southern High Plains of Texas from early June 1995 through early September 1995. Mechanism of colonization, tolerance/avoidance to drought, larval density, and secondary production were analyzed. T. lateralis colonized playas from surrounding aquatic habitats and avoided drought through aerial dispersion. Once in the playa, larval density increased over time. Secondary production was 1.31 g/m2/.25 yr. In addition, aquatic Coleoptera diversity was studied in seven playas on the Southern High Plains of Texas. A total of twenty three species were identified from the study region. Nine species not reported in playa literature were identified.

A novel Gram negative, capsule-forming bacterium was previously isolated in Dr. G. Roland Vela's laboratory. The distribution of this bacterium in soils from various locations was investigated. Soil samples from 188 locations around the world were examined. Isolates of the bacterium were obtained from 50 of these soils, with 48 of the isolates found in soils from the southwestern United States and northern Mexico. This suggests that this region is the natural habitat of the bacterium. The other two isolates were obtained from Madrid, Spain and Taipei, Taiwan. None were found in soils from South America or Australia. A lack of variation in morphology and physiological properties in the isolates suggests that a homogeneous population exists, even from widespread geographical locations.

Growth of mussels under laboratory conditions was examined under various food regimes in different water types and temperatures. Growth was less than would be useful as an indicator and comparisons with field exposures were of minimal value. The effects of organophosphates on bivalves were examined via toxicity tests, tissue concentration, and by controlling exposure through the use of physical constraints. Upper temperature tolerance of both bivalve species was examined with respect to different acclimation temperatures and organophosphate exposures. Deviations from control exposures occurred at some temperatures. Copper effectively lowered the mean heat coma temperatures of C. fluminea at some concentrations, however, chlorine exposures did not alter heat coma temperature.

The life history and ontogenetic microhabitat change of Mayatrichia ponta Ross were investigated in Honey Creek, Turner Falls Park, Murray Co., Oklahoma, U.S.A. from August 1994 to August 1995. The shape of larval cases changed from a small cone to a cylinder. M. ponta had an asynchronous multivoltine life history with considerable cohort and generation overlap; five generations were estimated. The development rate was reduced in winter. The winter generations of M. ponta had wider head capsule widths (136-165 μm) than summer generations (121-145 μm). The sex ratio of adults was 1.43 ♂ : 1 ♀. Fecundity ranged from 46 to 150 eggs/female. Fifth instar larvae and pupae aggregated on the bottom side of substrates. Early instars were distributed evenly on all sides of substrates. General patterns of ontogenetic microhabitat shift in aquatic insects are categorized as flow mediated, flow independent, and population interactions and other resources mediated.

Several biomarkers (cell viability and phagocytosis) based on earthworm (Lumbricus terrestris) immune cells (coelomocytes), together with whole-worm mortality (LC/LD50's), were used to assess a bioremediation attempt to reduce pentachlorophenol (PCP) toxicity in a former wood processing hazardous waste site (HWS).

The TOL plasmids of Pseudomonas putida encode enzymes required for the oxidation of toluene and other related aromatic compounds. These genes are organized into two operons, the xylUWCMABN operon (upper), and the xylXYZLTEGFJQKIH operon (lower). Here we report the nucleotide sequence of a 7107 bp segment of the TOL pDK1 plasmid encoding the region just upstream of the "upper" operon through the genes encoding xylUWCMA. Sequence analysis, comparison of base-usage patterns, codon-usage patterns, and intergenic distances between genes help support the idea that the "upper" and "lower" operons have evolved independently in different genetic backgrounds and have only more recently been brought together in TOL and related catabolic plasmids.