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Ecology And Conservation Of Shrubland Bird Communities In The Eastern Ghats Of Indi, Anant Deshwal

Graduate Theses and Dissertations

Anthropogenic disturbance, in its multiple facets represents a major threat to biodiversity and habitat quality. Consequently, extensive research is guided towards understanding anthropogenic disturbance and their effects on wildlife for development of wildlife management plans. However, for development of effective wildlife management plans it is imperative that we understand the habitat use and preference by local fauna along with effects of anthropogenic presence. In this dissertation, I studied the habitat usage and preferences of Shrubland birds in the Eastern Ghats of India during the pre-monsoon and post monsoon seasons. Eastern Ghats show a marked difference from pre-monsoon season to post-monsoon …

Mammal Species Inventory Using Various Trapping Methods In Zone 4 Of Billy Barquedier National Park, Belize During Rainy Season, Mersady Redding

Animal Science Undergraduate Honors Theses

Belize is a small country, but it is extremely ecologically diverse. Based on the few studies conducted in Belize, the abundance of mammals is low but diversity is high. Particular findings note the number and identity of species differed between four sites in the Maya Mountains of Belize, indicating that a data set from a single site is not representative of the Neotropical region. Insufficient data is available to estimate current species richness of many areas in Belize, including Billy Barquedier National Park (BBNP). The objective of this study was to explore trapping and documentation methods of terrestrial mammals in …

Eastern Collared Lizard (Crotaphytus Collaris) Population Declines In Ozark Landscapes: An Assessment Of Environmental Constraints., Casey L. Brewster

Graduate Theses and Dissertations

The Eastern Collared Lizard (Crotaphytus collaris) has experienced extensive population declines over the past half century in the Ozark Mountains. Previous research suggests that glade habitat degradation through woody vegetation encroachment is an important factor resulting in population declines. In this dissertation I used information on time-energy budgets to investigate the link between habitat degradation and shifts in life history traits likely resulting in population declines of Eastern Collared Lizards (Crotaphytus collaris) in the Ozarks. In chapter one, I addressed the influence of dense woody vegetation encroachment on age-specific growth, body size, body condition and reproduction of C. collaris in …

Drivers Of Ant Composition, Richness, And Trophic Guilds In Neotropical Iron Ore Cavities, Rodrigo A. Castro-Souza, Thais G. Pellegrini, Marconi Souza-Silva, Rodrigo L. Ferreira

International Journal of Speleology

Subterranean habitats may be considered limiting for animal colonization, especially for ants, due to permanent darkness and mainly because of oligotrophic conditions. While not as deep as limestone caves, iron ore caves and other subterranean habitats may be more available for colonization because of their shallower depth. We use the richness and composition of ants to assess how differences in habitat structure affect the biodiversity and ecosystem function between cavities and surrounding epigean landscapes. We predicted that the distribution of ants would be different because of the variation in habitat structure and cavity conditions may act as a filter for …

Vultures And Kites From Marala Wetlands, Zahid Bhatti, Fida Muhammad Khan, Muhammad Asif Gondal

Journal of Bioresource Management

The family Accipitridae consists of approximately 254 known living species that include eagles, hawks, vultures and kites. Forty species from this family are extant in Pakistan, of which 24 are resident. Only six species from the Accipitridae family were observed at Marala Head; Marsh Harrier (Circus aeruginosus), Pariha Kite (Milvus migrans), White-Backed Vulture (Gyps bengalensis), Long-billed Vulture (Gyps indicus), Shikra (Accipiter badius) and Black-Winged Kite (Elanus caeruleus). The highest number of any species from this family observed was of Gyps bengalensis (23) in December. Elanus caeruleus was the …

Overture [From Field To Laboratory: A Memorial Volume In Honor Of Robert J. Baker], Robert D. Bradley, David J. Schmidly, Hugh H. Genoways, Lisa C. Bradley

University of Nebraska State Museum: Mammalogy Papers

Introduction to the memorial volume of Special Publications / Museum of Texas Tech University in honor of Robert J. Baker.

First paragraph:

Herein, we use the word “Overture” not in its first meaning, but rather in its second—“An introduction to something more substantial” ([Def. 2], Oxford Dictionaries, Oxford University Press 2018). In our current case, this is the overture to a memorial volume in honor of our friend and colleague Robert J. Baker. Here, his former students and colleagues have taken time and effort to write 43 essays and scientific articles and 54 personal encomia in demonstration of their …

Dental And Mandibular Anomalies In White-Tailed Deer (Odocoileus Virginianus) From Central Georgia, Patrick M. Powers, Alfred J. Mead

Georgia Journal of Science

The frequency of dental and mandibular anomalies in free-ranging white-tailed deer in the southeastern United States is not well documented. Characteristic irregularities include supernumerary and missing teeth, malocclusion, root abscesses due to bacterial infections, and tooth or bone damage due to trauma. In the present study, we examined 778 white-tailed deer dentaries collected from the Piedmont National Wildlife Refuge in central Georgia. All dentaries were inspected for lesions, tooth irregularities, developmental anomalies, and other pathologies. Thirty-two dentaries (4.1%) displayed signs of dental or bone abnormalities. More abnormalities were associated with infection or injury (22/778, 2.8%) compared to unusual tooth development …

Information Resources For Animal Control And Wildlife Damage Management, Stephen M. Vantassel, Michael W. Fall, Serge Lariviére

Wildlife Damage Management Technical Series

A bumper sticker reads, “If you think education is expensive, you oughta try ignorance.” That statement could not be truer in regard to wildlife damage management. Being willing to learn is a critical attitude for everyone involved in wildlife damage management. Since wildlife damage management intersects so many other disciplines, no single person can be an expert in all of them. In addition, the arrival of an invasive species, changes in building practices (e.g., egress windows, ridge vents), or the implementation of new regulations can confound traditional practices and require new control methods. Thus, it is important to provide a …

Goats Distinguish Between Positive And Negative Emotion-Linked Vocalisations, Luigi Baciadonna, Elodie Briefer, Livio Favaro, A. G. Mcelligott

Bioacoustics Collection

Background: Evidence from humans suggests that the expression of emotions can regulate social interactions and promote coordination within a group. Despite its evolutionary importance, social communication of emotions in non-human animals is still not well understood. Here, we combine behavioural and physiological measures, to determine if animals can distinguish between vocalisations linked to different emotional valences (positive and negative). Using a playback paradigm, goats were habituated to listen to a conspecific call associated with positive or negative valence (habituation phase) and were subsequently exposed to a variant of the same call type (contact call) associated with the opposite valence (dishabituation …

Encoding Of Emotional Valence In Wild Boar (Sus Scrofa) Calls, Anne-Laure Maigrot, Edna Hillmann, Elodie Briefer

Elodie Briefer, PhD

Measuring emotions in nonhuman mammals is challenging. As animals are not able to verbally report how they feel, we need to find reliable indicators to assess their emotional state. Emotions can be described using two key dimensions: valence (negative or positive) and arousal (bodily activation or excitation). In this study, we investigated vocal expression of emotional valence in wild boars (Sus scrofa). The animals were observed in three naturally occurring situations: anticipation of a food reward (positive), affiliative interactions (positive), and agonistic interactions (negative). Body movement was used as an indicator of emotional arousal to control for the effect of …

The Role Of Endangered Oak (Quercus Spp.) Savanna Characteristics In Supporting Red-Headed Woodpecker (Melanerpes Erythrocephalus L.) Populations, Kimberly J. Zralka

Honors Program Projects

Declines in animal populations worldwide are of critical conservation concern. However, without an understanding of optimal habitat preference, it is often difficult to determine what factors are driving these losses. Red-headed woodpecker (Melanerpes erythrocephalus L.) populations have declined by over 70% in the last 50 years, yet in some areas the birds seem to maintain stable populations. The aim of this study was to empirically test the effects of various habitat factors on red-headed woodpecker presence and abundance in both the summer and winter seasons. As oak acorns are a critical food source for this bird, we were particularly …

Bridging Disciplines To Advance Elasmobranch Conservation: Applications Of Physiological Ecology, K Lyons, Js Bigman, Et Al, Kevin C. Weng, Et Al, Richard Brill, Cn Bedore

VIMS Articles

A strength of physiological ecology is its incorporation of aspects of both species' ecology and physiology; this holistic approach is needed to address current and future anthropogenic stressors affecting elasmobranch fishes that range from overexploitation to the effects of climate change. For example, physiology is one of several key determinants of an organism's ecological niche (along with evolutionary constraints and ecological interactions). The fundamental role of physiology in niche determination led to the development of the field of physiological ecology. This approach considers physiological mechanisms in the context of the environment to understand mechanistic variations that beget ecological trends. Physiological …

The Physico-Chemical Environment And Aquatic Biodiversity Of Head Marala Wetland During 2000-2001, Zahid Bhatti, Muhammad Asif Gondal, Andleeb Batool

Journal of Bioresource Management

An ecological study on Head Marala Wetland was undertaken. The study will help in providing sound basis for the future conservation activities and its management, on sounder footing. The Marala wetlands in Bajwat area included river Jammu Tawi, river Chanab and river Manawar Tawi were studied for a period of one year, i.e. from October, 2000 to September, 2001. In this study, 36 Phytoplanktons belonging to six families were observed. The other aquatic fauna observed included 14 species of fish, 2 turtles, one leech, one prawn, one shrimp and one bullfrog. The results showed that physico-chemical parameters had an impact …

Cross-Modal Recognition Of Familiar Conspecifics In Goats, Benjamin J. Pitcher, Elodie F. Briefer, Luigi Baciadonna, Alan G. Mcelligott

Elodie Briefer, PhD

When identifying other individuals, animals may match current cues with stored information about that individual from the same sensory modality. Animals may also be able to combine current information with previously acquired information from other sensory modalities, indicating that they possess complex cognitive templates of individuals that are independent of modality. We investigated whether goats (Capra hircus) possess cross-modal representations (auditory–visual) of conspecifics. We presented subjects with recorded conspecific calls broadcast equidistant between two individuals, one of which was the caller. We found that, when presented with a stablemate and another herd member, goats looked towards the caller sooner and …

The Dry Season Shuffle: Gorges Provide Refugia For Animal Communities In Tropical Savannah Ecosystems, J. Sean Doody, Simon Clulow, Geoff Kay, Domenic D'Amore, David Rhind, Steve Wilson, Ryan Ellis, Christina Castellano, Colin Mchenry, Michelle Quayle, Kim Hands, Graeme Sawyer, Michael Bass

J. Sean Doody

In the wet-dry tropics, animal species face the major challenges of acquiring food, water or shelter during an extended dry season. Although large and conspicuous animals such as ungulates and waterfowl migrate to wetter areas during this time, little is known of how smaller and more cryptic animal species with less mobility meet these challenges. We fenced off the entire entrance of a gorge in the Australian tropical savanna, offering the unique opportunity to determine the composition and seasonal movement patterns of the small vertebrate community. The 1.7 km-long fence was converted to a trapline that was deployed for 18-21 …

The Dry Season Shuffle: Gorges Provide Refugia For Animal Communities In Tropical Savannah Ecosystems, J. Sean Doody, Simon Clulow, Geoff Kay, Domenic D'Amore, David Rhind

J. Sean Doody

In the wet-dry tropics, animal species face the major challenges of acquiring food, water or shelter during an extended dry season. Although large and conspicuous animals such as ungulates and waterfowl migrate to wetter areas during this time, little is known of how smaller and more cryptic animal species with less mobility meet these challenges. We fenced off the entire entrance of a gorge in the Australian tropical savanna, offering the unique opportunity to determine the composition and seasonal movement patterns of the small vertebrate community. The 1.7 km-long fence was converted to a trapline that was deployed for 18-21 …

Assessing The Effectiveness Of Attractants To Increase Detection Probabilities In Northeastern Mammals, Michael Buyaskas

Honors College

A primary problem with camera trapping in wildlife occupancy studies is the failure to detect an animal when it is present at the site. My objective was to determine the optimal attractant setup for maximizing detection probabilities of northeast mammalian communities. I carried out an camera trapping project in northern Maine, USA from August to November 2018, and tested 3 distinct attractant setup. Sampling stations consisted of four camera units, and each sampling unit constituted either a treatment or a control: 1) bait + lure (treatment), 2) bait only (treatment), 3) lure only (treatment), and 4) camera only (control). Data …

Use Of Plumage And Gular Pouch Color To Evaluate Condition Of Oil Spill Rehabilitated California Brown Pelicans (Pelecanus Occidentalis Californicus) Post-Release, Deborah L. Jaques, Kyra L. Mills, Barton G. Selby, Richard R. Veit, Michael H. Ziccardi

Publications and Research

Sublethal effects of oil spills may dampen seabird rehabilitation success due to lingering negative impacts of contamination and stress on reproduction and long-term survival. These effects can be difficult to measure while birds are in care as well as once birds are released. Expression of sexually selected traits that are sensitive to condition can provide information on physiological status of birds. We evaluated plumage molt and gular pouch skin color of California brown pelicans (Pelecanus occidentalis californicus) following oil contamination and rehabilitation to test for differences between previously oiled and rehabilitated (post-spill) and presumably uncontaminated pelicans. Post-spill pelicans released with …

Stable Isotopic Niche Predicts Fitness Of Prey In A Wolf–Deer System, C. T. Darimont, P. C. Paquet, T. E. Reimchen

Chris Darimont, Ph.D.

Interindividual variation in niche presents a potentially central object on which natural selection can act. This may have important evolutionary implications because habitat use governs a suite of selective forces encountered by foragers. In a free‐living native black‐tailed deer, Odocoileus hemionus, population from coastal British Columbia, we used stable isotope analysis to identify individual variation in foraging niche and investigated its relationship to fitness. Using an intragenerational comparison of surviving and nonsurviving O. hemionus over 2 years of predation by wolves, Canis lupus, we detected resource‐specific fitness. Individuals with isotopic signatures that suggested they foraged primarily in cedar ( …

Endangered Basra Reed-Warbler (Acrocephalus Griseldis) Recorded For The First Time In Turkey (Aves: Acrocephalidae), Montague H. C. Neate-Clegg, Juan Ramírez Román, Berkan Demi̇r, Çağan Hakki Şekerci̇oğlu

Turkish Journal of Zoology

The Basra Reed-warbler (Acrocephalus griseldis) is an endangered songbird that breeds in the reed beds of southern Mesopotamia. Hydrological projects, war, and drought have greatly reduced the breeding habitat of this species, making its future uncertain. The first Basra Reed-warbler for Turkey was caught in a mist net on 22 May 2018 at the Aras River Ornithological Research Station, between the provinces of Kars and Iğdır. This represents one of only a few vagrant records in the eastern Mediterranean, and the northernmost record to date. It is likely that this bird was an overshooting spring migrant, but the existence of …

Time-Activity Budgets Of Stiff-Tailed Ducks In Puerto Rico, Nickolas S. Goodman, Jack C. Eitniear, James T. Anderson

Faculty & Staff Scholarship

Habitat loss and degradation have contributed to declining populations of stiff-tailed ducks including the migratory northern ruddy duck (Oxyura jamaicensis rubida), and non-migratory masked duck (Nomonyx dominicus) and West Indian ruddy duck (Oxyura j. jamaicensis). Studies collecting time-activity budgets on waterfowl can provide important insight into habitat use, behavior, and niche partitioning. Even though the northern ruddy duck and West Indian ruddy duck are recognized as the same species, we treated them separately to appraise possible ecological differences. We recorded 24-h time-activity budgets for masked ducks (n = 142), northern ruddy ducks ( …

Estimating The Use Of Public Lands: Integrated Modeling Of Open Populations With Convolution Likelihood Ecological Abundance Regression, Lutz F. Gruber, Erica F. Stuber, Joseph J. Fontaine

Nebraska Cooperative Fish and Wildlife Research Unit: Staff Publications

We present an integrated open population model where the population dynamics are defined by a differential equation, and the related statistical model utilizes a Poisson binomial convolution likelihood. Key advantages of the proposed approach over existing open population models include the flexibility to predict related, but unobserved quantities such as total immigration or emigration over a specified time period, and more computationally efficient posterior simulation by elimination of the need to explicitly simulate latent immigration and emigration. The viability of the proposed method is shown in an in-depth analysis of outdoor recreation participation on public lands, where the surveyed populations …

Climate Change Enhances Disease Processes In Crustaceans: Case Studies In Lobsters, Crabs, And Shrimps, Jeffrey D. Shields

VIMS Articles

Climate change has resulted in increasing temperature and acidification in marine systems. Rising temperature and acidification act as stressors that negatively affect host barriers to infection, thus enhancing disease processes and influencing the emergence of pathogens in ecologically and commercially important species. Given that crustaceans are ectotherms, changes in temperature dominate their physiological and immunological responses to microbial pathogens and parasites. Because of this, the thermal ranges of several crustacean hosts and their pathogens can be used to project the outcomes of infections. Host factors such as molting, maturation, respiration, and immune function are strongly influenced by temperature, which in …

Diurnal Habitat Selection Of Migrating Whooping Crane In The Great Plains, David M. Baasch, Patrick D. Farrell, Aaron T. Pearse, David A. Brandt, Andrew J. Caven, Mary J. Harner, Greg D. Wright, Kristine L. Metzger

USGS Northern Prairie Wildlife Research Center

Available stopover habitats with quality foraging opportunities are essential for migrating waterbirds, including Whooping Crane (Grus americana). Several studies have evaluated habitats used by Whooping Crane for roosting throughout its migration corridor; however, habitats associated with foraging and other diurnal activities have received less attention. We used data collected from 42 Whooping Crane individuals that included 2169 diurnal use locations within 395 stopover sites evaluated during spring 2013 to fall 2015 to assess diurnal habitat selection throughout the U.S. portion of the migration corridor. We found that Whooping Crane selected wetland land-cover types (i.e., open water, riverine, and semipermanent wetlands) …

Ribbeting Results: Emergent Infectious Diseases In Wetland Systems, Ariel Horner

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

North American amphibians have recently been impacted by two major emerging pathogens, the fungus Batrachochytrium dendrobatidis (Bd) and iridoviruses in the genus Ranavirus (Rv). Environmental, seasonal and host factors may play important roles in disease dynamics, but few studies incorporate these components into their analyses. Here, we investigated the role of environmental, seasonal, genetic and location effects on driving Bd and Rv infection prevalence and severity in a biodiversity hot spot, the southeastern United States. We used quantitative PCR to characterize Bd and Rv dynamics in natural populations of three amphibian species: Notophthalmus perstriatus, Hyla squirella and Pseudacris ornata and …

Investigation Of Zooplankton Fauna In Water Wells Of Yayladağı District (Hatay, Turkey), Ahmet Bozkurt, Mustafa Bozça

Turkish Journal of Zoology

In this study, water quality parameters and zooplankton fauna were investigated from 14 different water wells in Yayladağı District of Hatay Province. The study was conducted seasonally between October 2015 and July 2016. A total of 51 species were identified, including 30 species of rotifers, 9 species of cladocerans, and 12 species of copepods. The most abundant species, Keratella cochlearis, Bosmina longirostris, and Tropocyclops prasinus, were found in 11, 13, and 12 wells, respectively. However, species such as Cephalodella catellina, Cephalodella ventripes, Filinia longiseta, Lecane lunaris, L. pumila, Lophocharis salpina, Mytilina unguipes, Platyias quadricornis, Trichocerca tigris, Ceriodaphnia pulchella, Diaphanosoma birgei, …

Environmental Predictors For The Distribution Of The Caspian Green Lizard, Lacerta Strigata Eichwald, 1831, Along Elevational Gradients Of The Elburz Mountains In Northern Iran, Anooshe Kafash, Sohrab Ashrafi, Annemarie Ohler, Benedikt Rudolf Schmidt

Turkish Journal of Zoology

Within its range, the Caspian green lizard, Lacerta strigata, occurs in the Elburz Mountains (northern Iran) at elevations from below sea level to approximately 2700 m a.s.l. To determine the environmental factors affecting the distribution of this lizard, we used an ensemble approach to model the distribution of the Caspian green lizard (Lacerta strigata) in Iran using four algorithms (generalized boosted model, maximum entropy, generalized linear model, random forest). Results revealed that low-elevation habitats between the Elburz Mountains and the Caspian Sea are the most suitable habitats for the species. The normalized difference vegetation index (NDVI), annual precipitation (both with …

Do Disturbed Environments Affect Density Of The Tunnel-Web Spider Acanthogonatus Centralis (Mygalomorphae: Nemesiidae) From Native Grasslands In Argentina?, Gabriel Pompozzi, Leonela Schwerdt, Sofia Copperi, Nelson Ferretti

Turkish Journal of Zoology

Disturbance is an important factor affecting community composition and biodiversity in natural ecosystems. The Ventania hill system in central Argentina presents several ecosystem disturbances. Spiders are good candidates for studies related to human impact and conservation, as they can be good biological indicators of certain ecosystems. Therefore, we tried to elucidate if the abundance and spatial distribution of the mygalomorph spider Acanthogonatus centralis (Nemesiidae) are affected by different degrees of disturbance in these hilly grasslands. We studied 3 sites with different levels of disturbance located in the Ventania system in southwestern Buenos Aires Province, Argentina. We did not find differences …

Ecological Surveys On The Parthenogenetic Artemia Populations In The Hypersaline Lakes Of Anatolia, Turkey, Armi̇n Eskandari̇, Yasemi̇n Saygi

Turkish Journal of Zoology

The objective of this study is to provide information on the parthenogenetic Artemia populations in some hypersaline lakes of Anatolia (Tuz, Bolluk, Tersakan, and Acıgöl). Sampling studies were performed for abiotic factors and population parameters between November 2009 and October 2010. During the survey we focused on the local Artemia populations to investigate population dynamics, reproduction, brood size, and cyst and naupliar biometrics. Generally, the Artemia habitats in Anatolia were relatively shallow, and thus they were subject to major seasonal fluctuations. Dramatic declines in population size in Tuz and Acıgöl Lakes were found during this study. All Artemia populations were …

Ectoparasite Presence In Select Northcentral Kansas Bat Species, Elizabeth Schumann

Master's Theses

Working with other graduate students on a grant given to Fort Hays State University, from the Kansas Department of Wildlife, Parks and Tourism, I looked at presence and species of ectoparasites on bat species. The main goal of our grant was to quantify and qualify the status of the northern myotis (Myotis septentrionalis) in the state of Kansas, and to record data on any bycatch. I worked on our grant in the summer field seasons of 2016 and 2017, May to October, as described by the Indiana bat protocol.

Bats were captured by using mist nets set over …