Digital Commons Network^™

Weather And Exposure Period Affect Coyote Detection At Camera Traps, Anastasia E. Madsen, Lucia Corral Hurtado, Joseph J. Fontaine

Nebraska Cooperative Fish and Wildlife Research Unit: Staff Publications

Abstract Camera traps are an increasingly popular means to monitor wildlife populations. However, like other techniques for measuring populations, camera traps are subject to sources of error that may bias population estimates. Past studies accounting for detection error have failed to account for a simple but potentially widely pervasive source of environmental error: weather conditions. Using 5,108,416 photographs from 804 scent‐lured camera traps deployed in western Nebraska, USA, during spring and autumn of 2014 and 2015, we analyzed the relationship between weather conditions (barometric pressure, wind speed, precipitation, and temperature) and coyote (Canis latrans) detection probability. Using binomial …

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 …

Balancing Stability And Flexibility In Adaptive Governance: An Analysis Of Tools Available In U.S. Environmental Law, Robin Kundis Craig, Ahjond S. Garmestani, Craig R. Allen, Craig Anthony (Tony) Arnold, Hannah E. Birge, Daniel A. Decaro, Alexander K. Fremier, Hannah Gosnell, Edella Schlager

Nebraska Cooperative Fish and Wildlife Research Unit: Staff Publications

Adaptive governance must work “on the ground,” that is, it must operate through structures and procedures that the people it governs perceive to be legitimate and fair, as well as incorporating processes and substantive goals that are effective in allowing social-ecological systems (SESs) to adapt to climate change and other impacts. To address the continuing and accelerating alterations that climate change is bringing to SESs, adaptive governance generally will require more flexibility than prior governance institutions have often allowed. However, to function as good governance, adaptive governance must pay real attention to the problem of how to balance this increased …

A Bayesian Method For Assessing Multi-Scale Species-Habitat Relationships, Erica F. Stuber, Lutz F. Gruber, Joseph J. Fontaine

Nebraska Cooperative Fish and Wildlife Research Unit: Staff Publications

Context Scientists face several theoretical and methodological challenges in appropriately describing fundamental wildlife-habitat relationships in models. The spatial scales of habitat relationships are often unknown, and are expected to follow a multi-scale hierarchy. Typical frequentist or information theoretic approaches often suffer under collinearity in multiscale studies, fail to converge when models are complex or represent an intractable computational burden when candidate model sets are large.

Objectives Our objective was to implement an automated, Bayesian method for inference on the spatial scales of habitat variables that best predict animal abundance.

Methods We introduce Bayesian latent indicator scale selection (BLISS), a Bayesian …

The Influence Of A Severe Reservoir Drawdown On Springtime Zooplankton And Larval Fish Assemblages In Red Willow Reservoir, Nebraska, Jason A. Deboer, Christa M. Webber, Taylor A. Dixon, Kevin L. Pope

Nebraska Cooperative Fish and Wildlife Research Unit: Staff Publications

Reservoirs can be dynamic systems, often prone to unpredictable and extreme waterlevel fluctuations, and can be environments where survival is difficult for zooplankton and larval fish. Although numerous studies have examined the effects of extreme reservoir drawdown on water quality, few have examined extreme drawdown on both abiotic and biotic characteristics. A fissure in the dam at Red Willow Reservoir in southwest Nebraska necessitated an extreme drawdown; the water level was lowered more than 6 m during a two-month period, reducing reservoir volume by 76%. During the subsequent low-water period (i.e., post-drawdown), spring sampling (April-June) showed dissolved oxygen concentration was …

Quantifying The Adaptive Cycle, David G. Angeler, Craig R. Allen, Ahjond S. Garmestani, Lance H. Gunderson, Olle Hjerne, Monika Winder

Nebraska Cooperative Fish and Wildlife Research Unit: Staff Publications

The adaptive cycle was proposed as a conceptual model to portray patterns of change in complex systems. Despite the model having potential for elucidating change across systems, it has been used mainly as a metaphor, describing system dynamics qualitatively. We use a quantitative approach for testing premises (reorganisation, conservatism, adaptation) in the adaptive cycle, using Baltic Sea phytoplankton communities as an example of such complex system dynamics. Phytoplankton organizes in recurring spring and summer blooms, a well-established paradigm in planktology and succession theory, with characteristic temporal trajectories during blooms that may be consistent with adaptive cycle phases. We used long-term …

Quantifying The Adaptive Cycle, David G. Angeler, Craig R. Allen, Ahjond S. Garmestani, Lance H. Gunderson

Nebraska Cooperative Fish and Wildlife Research Unit: Staff Publications

The adaptive cycle was proposed as a conceptual model to portray patterns of change in complex systems. Despite the model having potential for elucidating change across systems, it has been used mainly as a metaphor, describing system dynamics qualitatively. We use a quantitative approach for testing premises (reorganisation, conservatism, adaptation) in the adaptive cycle, using Baltic Sea phytoplankton communities as an example of such complex system dynamics. Phytoplankton organizes in recurring spring and summer blooms, a well-established paradigm in planktology and succession theory, with characteristic temporal trajectories during blooms that may be consistent with adaptive cycle phases. We used long-term …

Masked Expression Of Life- History Traits In A Highly Variable Environment, Jason A. Deboer, Joseph J. Fontaine, Christopher J. Chizinski, Kevin L. Pope

Nebraska Cooperative Fish and Wildlife Research Unit: Staff Publications

Differing life-history strategies may act as a constraint on reproductive expression that ultimately limits the ability of individual species to respond to changes in the magnitude or frequency of environmental variation, and potentially underlies the variation oft en inherent in phenotypic and evolved responses to anthropogenic change. Alternatively, if there are environmental cues that predict reproductive potential, differential expression of life-history strategies may represent differences in the adaptive capacity to optimize current reproductive value given variation in environmental conditions. We compared several aspects of walleye Sander vitreus spawning ecology at two reservoirs that diff er in environmental variability (i.e., annual …

Status Of Native Stream Fishes Within Selected Protected Areas Of The Niobrara River In Western Nebraska, Jonathan J. Spurgeon, Richard H. Stasiak, George R. Cunningham, Kevin L. Pope, Mark A. Pegg

Nebraska Cooperative Fish and Wildlife Research Unit: Staff Publications

Lotic systems within the Great Plains are characterized by highly fl uctuating conditions through both space and time. Fishes inhabiting these systems have adopted specifi c life- history strategies to survive in such environments; however, anthropogenic disturbance to prairie streams has resulted in declines and extirpation of many native stream fi shes. Terrestrial protected areas (i.e., parks and reserves) are designated to support native fl ora and fauna and, it is assumed, to provide protection to native fi shes. We assessed the presence and relative abundance of stream fi sh populations within protected areas along the Niobrara River in western …

Population Estimate Of Chinese Mystery Snail (Bellamya Chinensis) In A Nebraska Reservoir, Noelle M. Chaine, Craig R. Allen, Kent A. Fricke, Danielle M. Haak, Michelle L. Hellman, Robert A. Kill, Kristine T. Nemec, Kevin L. Pope, Nicholas A. Smeenk, Bruce J. Stephen, Daniel R. Uden, Kody M. Unstad, Ashley E. Vanderham

Nebraska Cooperative Fish and Wildlife Research Unit: Staff Publications

The Chinese mystery snail (Bellamya chinensis) is an aquatic invasive species in North America. Little is known regarding this species’ impacts on freshwater ecosystems. It is believed that population densities can be high, yet no population estimates have been reported. We utilized a mark-recapture approach to generate a population estimate for Chinese mystery snail in Wild Plum Lake, a 6.47-ha reservoir in southeast Nebraska. We calculated, using bias-adjusted Lincoln-Petersen estimation, that there were approximately 664 adult snails within a 127 m² transect (5.2 snails/m²). If this density was consistent throughout the littoral zone (depth) of …

Contaminant Exposure And Reproductive Health Of Sandhill Cranes In The Central Platte River Valley, Nebraska., Matthew S. Schwarz, Christina D. Lydick, Karen J. Nelson, Timothy S. Gross

United States Fish and Wildlife: Staff Publications

The central Platte River Valley provides crucial staging habitat for the endangered whooping crane (Grus americana) and the mid-continent population of sandhill cranes (Grus canadensis). Platte River flow depletions and the conversion of native wet meadows for agriculture and other purposes has decreased the cranes natural habitat in the central Platte River Valley, and waste corn now makes up most of the cranes diet while they are in the Valley.

The purpose of this research was to measure organochlorine, elemental contaminant, and pesticide exposure to sandhill cranes from the central Platte River Valley, and to evaluate their reproductive condition. Pesticides …

Inventory Of The Central Mixed-Grass Prairie Ecoregion Of Kansas And Nebraska, Hillary Loring, Mike Bullerman, Kelly Kindscher

Nebraska Game and Parks Commission: White Papers, Conference Presentations, and Manuscripts

An inventory of potential high quality mixed-grass prairie ranches and large properties within the Central Mixed-Grass Prairie Ecoregion of Kansas and Nebraska was conducted in the spring and summer of 1999. Emphasis during the inventory was placed on identification of relatively intact landscapes. Significant ranches within those untilled landscapes were visited. An interview of the owners or managers of those properties was coupled with a survey of the vegetation. Assessments of quality were based on species composition, continuity of ground cover, observations of livestock impact, and viability of the community types present.

The objectives of this study were to:

1) …

Nesting Piping Plover And Least Tern On The Kansas River, William H. Busby, Daniel W. Mulhern, P. Gregory Kramos, David A. Rintoul, William C. Tuttle

United States Fish and Wildlife: Staff Publications

A portion of the Kansas River in northeastern Kansas was surveyed by boat and air in 1996 and 1997 for nesting colonies of piping plover (Charadrius melodus) and least tern (Sterna antillarum). Both species were found breeding on sandbars at a total of five sites along a 30-km reach of the Kansas River. In 1996, at least two breeding pair of piping plovers and seven breeding pair of least terns were documented. In 1997, at least one pair of piping plovers and five pairs of least terns bred. These are the first known breeding records for …

Species Richness Gradients Of Oak Forest Plants Along The Missouri River In Nebraska And Iowa, Steven B. Rolfsmeier

Nebraska Game and Parks Commission: White Papers, Conference Presentations, and Manuscripts

The upland deciduous forests of the Missouri River valley contain many plants typical of forests to the east of this area, which are assumed to have migrated northward and westward along the river in postglacial times. Previous workers have reported a gradient of decreasing species richness upstream among woody species, which is suggested to be the result of climatic gradients and differential dispersal capabilities of the immigrant species. Floristic work on all vascular species in eight woodland sites along the Nebraska-Iowa border quantifies the presence of similar gradients for herbaceous species, but of differing degrees. These studies also reveal the …

California's Central Valley Wintering Waterfowl: Concerns And Challenges, David S. Gilmer, Michael R. Miller, Richard D. Bauer, John R. Ledonne

United States Fish and Wildlife: Staff Publications

Few places on the North American continent can boast of the concentrations of migratory birds that winter in the Central Valley of California. Long before agriculture and industrialization came west, this great valley served as a major wintering ground for millions of migratory birds. Fall flights of waterfowl, shorebirds, waders, raptors, and passerines returned annually to inhabit the vast wetland, riparian, and grassland habitats which covered the valley floor (Dasmann 1966, Bakker 1971).
Major changes in the Central Valley during the last century have profoundly influenced its physical and biological features. Wetland, riparian, and grassland habitats have been devastated by …

Upland Nesting Of American Bitterns, Marsh Hawks, And Short-Eared Owls, Harold F. Duebbert, John T. Lokemoen

United States Fish and Wildlife: Staff Publications

Nests of American Bitterns (Botaurus lentiginosus), marsh hawks (Circus cyaneus), and short-eared owls (Asio flammeus) are usually found in wetland habitats. Although large marshes containing dense stands of bulrushes (Scirpus), cattails (Typha), or other wetland vegetation are favored nesting cover, these birds have also been reported to nest in stands of tall, dense shrubs and grasses on the upland (Bent 1961, 1963; Palmer 1962; Sealy 1967; Stewart 1975). During 1968-74, we regularly found upland nests of these three species while conducting duck nesting studies in planted fields of undisturbed grass-legume …

Species Diversity And Distribution Of Fish In Lake Nicaragua, Kurt W. Koenig, Richard J. Beatty, Sergio Martinez C.

Investigations of the Ichthyofauna of Nicaraguan Lakes

The results of a preliminary study of the abundance, diversity and distribution of some of the fish species in Lake Nicaragua are presented here. These parameters have received little attention from investigators working on the lake.
A frequently used measure of species diversity is the Shannon-Weiner diversity index. It measures the degree of uncertainty of predicting the species identity of a randomly selected individual (Pielou, 1966). Lloyd and Ghelardi (1964) indicated that species diversity indices are influenced by both the species number, or "richness", and the species "evenness", or relative number of individuals of a species in a given habitat. …

The Behavior And Ecology Of Herotilapia Multispinosa (Teleostei, Cichlidae), Jeffrey R. Baylis

Investigations of the Ichthyofauna of Nicaraguan Lakes

Because of their complex social behavior and the ease with which they can be manipulated, cichlid fishes have long been of special interest to the ethologist. However, most of the research into cichlid behavior has been on Old World species. The social behavior of New World species is different and deserves more study. This paper will describe the ethology of one of the Central American cichlids, Herotilapia multispinosa.

Some Ecological Relations Of Fairy Shrimps In Alkaline Habitats Of Nebraska, D. B. Mccarraher

Nebraska Game and Parks Commission: Staff Research Publications

Ecological studies on the distribution of fairy shrimps have been made from 246 sites in the sandhills region of Nebraska. New records for Nebraska have been established for Artemia salina, Branchinecta campestris, B. lindahli, B. mackini and Cyzicus mexicanus. Seasonal populations of shrimp have been located in habitats containing permanent fish populations. Water mineralization was the dominant environmental condition related to the distribution of phyllopods with sodium and potassium compounds predominating in the strongly alkaline lakes. Several of the Artemia lakes were classified as hydroxide sites. Many of the alkaline ponds, where B. lindahli and B. campestris flourish, are …

Mourning Dove Status Report, 1967, James L. Ruos, Duncan Mcdonald

United States Fish and Wildlife: Staff Publications

Nationwide dove population indexes in the 1967 Mourning Dove Status Report were obtained by essentially the same data gathering and analyzing procedures as in 1966. A refinement was made in the base year index, using the mean of the 1966 and 1967 readings as the base for all States. There was a slight adjustment in physiographic region boundaries.