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The Prairie Naturalist Volume 26, No. 4. December 1994

The Prairie Naturalist

REPRODUCTION OF RING-NECKED PHEASANTS IN IOWA ▪ T Z. Riley, J. B. Wooley, Jr. , and W. B. Rybarczyk

DIETARY COMPARISONS OF ADULT MALE COMMON GRACKLES, RED-WINGED BLACKBIRDS, AND YELLOW-HEADED BLACKBIRDS IN NORTH CENTRAL NORTH DAKOTA ▪ H. J. Homan, GM. Linz, W. J. Bleier, and R. B. Carlson

ECOGEOGRAPHY OF SOUTHERN BOG LEMMING AND MEADOW VOLE IN NORTH CENTRAL KANSAS ▪ T. L. Welker and J. R. Choate

SUMMER AND FALL FOOD HABITS OF COYOTES IN SOUTHWESTERN NORTH DAKOTA ▪ T. L. Lewis, W. F. Jensen, K. A. Keehr, and R. W. Seabloom

MOVEMENT PATTERNS OF WHITE-TAILED DEER AT …

Effects Of Offshore Oil And Gas Development: A Current Awareness Bibliography, Sue Ann Gardner, D. Landry, J. Riley

UNL Libraries: Faculty Publications

This bibliography is a compilation of current publications (citations with abstracts) from a wide variety of electronic and print information sources relating to offshore oil and gas development.

Subject categories covered include:
Biology: Ecological, anatomical, and physiological effects of oil and/or gas, Species as biomarkers, PAH uptake and bioaccumulation, etc.
Chemistry/Geochemistry/Geology: Biochemistry, Biodegradation, Bioremediation, Hydrocarbon degradation, Environmental sampling, Soil contamination, etc.
Engineering/Physics: Technological advancements in facility/equipment design and use, Spill response and recovery equipment, Physical properties of oil and gas, etc.
Environment/Ecosystem Management/Spills: Environmental assessment and management, Oil and/or gas spill description and analysis, etc.
Socioeconomic/Regulation/General: Social and economic ramifications, …

Surveys Of The Distribution Of Seabirds Found In The Vicinity Of Proposed Geothermal Project Subzones In The District Of Puna, Hawaii, Michelle Reynolds, George Ritchotte, Anthony Viggiano, Jill Dwyer, Bonnie Nielson, James D. Jacobi

Other Publications in Wildlife Management

In 1993, the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service (USFWS) entered into an interagency agreement with the Department of Energy (DOE) to conduct specific biological surveys to identify potential impacts of the proposed geothermal development on the natural resources of the East Rift Zone (Figure 1). This report presents information from published literature information and new field data on seabird populations on the island of Hawaii. These data are analyzed with regard to potential impacts of geothermal development on seabird populations in this area. Fifteen species of seabirds, waterbirds, and shorebirds are documented or suspected of being found using habitats within …

The Prospects And Associated Challenges For The Biological Control Of Rodents, Grant R. Singleton

Proceedings of the Sixteenth Vertebrate Pest Conference (1994)

Biological control using macro- or micro-parasites is a promising research area for control of rodents. The largest impediment to progress is a dearth of high quality research, under field conditions, on wild rodents and their diseases. A major challenge is to identify a candidate control agent which is sufficiently pathogenic, has a high transmission rate and is target specific. Once this has been done, ecological studies of both the host and the disease agent, and of the epidemiology of transmission, are required. Whether the desired pathogenicity is via increased mortality and/or reduced fertility will depend on the agent and on …

Using Geographic Information Systems For Tracking An Urban Rodent Control Program, Matt Von Wahlde, Bruce A. Colvin

Proceedings of the Sixteenth Vertebrate Pest Conference (1994)

Geographic information system technology is being used to help coordinate an urban rodent control program initiated as part of the Central Artery/Tunnel Project in Boston. Databases with neighborhood survey data, surface and subsurface baiting data, sanitation code violations, and public complaints are linked to base mapping, land parcel, and utility graphics. This integrated approach helps Project biologists plan control strategies and evaluate the relatedness of rodent activity to environmental conditions. Spatial querying techniques and the ability to graphically display and map variables, such as bait stations and sanitation deficiencies, help ensure that control resources are effectively targeted and tracked. This …

Biological Management (Control) Of Vertebrate Pests-Advances In The Last Quarter Century, Scott E. Hygnstrom, Kurt C. Vercauteren, Thomas R. Schmaderer

Proceedings of the Sixteenth Vertebrate Pest Conference (1994)

In 1967, Howard provided a review of biological control of vertebrate pests. The term "biological control" was borrowed from the field of entomology, where it has been traditionally defined as "the reduction in number or density of pests through biological processes such as predation, pathogens, habitat modification, and fertility control." Current philosophy in wildlife damage management advocates "the reduction of damage to a tolerable level" rather than "the reduction of the number or density of vertebrate pests." Therefore we abdicate the term "biological control" and encourage the use of a new term, "biological management" of wildlife damage. Advances in science …

The Role Of Predators In The Ecology, Epidemiology, And Surveillance Of Plague In The United States, Kenneth L. Gage, John A. Montenieri, Rex E. Thomas

Proceedings of the Sixteenth Vertebrate Pest Conference (1994)

Predators play important roles in the ecology, epidemiology, and surveillance of plague in the United States. Most predators are accidental hosts of plague and, with the possible exception of grasshopper mice (Onychomys spp.), are not important sources of infection for feeding fleas. However, predators undoubtedly do play an important role in the natural cycle of plague by transporting infected fleas between different populations of plague-susceptible rodents. Predators are known to be at least accidental hosts for 40 of the 50 flea species that have been found to be naturally infected with plague in the U.S. Carnivores, including domestic cats, …

California Ground Squirrels At Concord Naval Weapons Station: Alternatives For Control And The Ecological Consequences, Ivette Loredo-Prendeville, Dirk Van Vuren, Amy J. Kuenzi, Michael L. Morrison

Proceedings of the Sixteenth Vertebrate Pest Conference (1994)

This paper presents a methodological approach that was recently developed to determine alternatives for control of California ground squirrels (Spermophilus beecheyi) and the resulting ecological consequences at the Concord Naval Weapons Station (CNWS). The U.S. Navy initiated this study upon determining a need to control ground squirrels for safety reasons. The squirrel's ecological role at CNWS was examined by estimating squirrel abundance and distribution throughout CNWS, analyzing predator diets, and determining the squirrel's relationship to the California tiger salamander (Ambystoma californiense). In addition, the efficacy of live capture and translocation of squirrels as a possible control …

Canadian Cooperative Wildlife Health Centre Newsletter, Volume 2-1, Winter 1994

Canadian Cooperative Wildlife Health Centre: Newsletters and Publications

Work Underway at the CCWHC
CCWHC Headquarters Secretary
Newcastle disease in cormorants
Rabies update: First case in PEI, Rabies in Bats
New viral disease of lagomorphs in Europe
Investigation of pesticide poisoning
Hantavirus in North America
Mortality in Leach's storm petrels
Common loon mortality
Verminous pneumonia in red foxes
Strychnine poisoning in grackles
Leptospirosis in a raccoon
Great horned owls and porcupines
Tick species near Thunder Bay
Mercury poisoning: loons, eagle
Parvovirus in raccoons
Phorate poisoning in Yukon wildlife
Avian cholera in Manitoba

Communal Roosting And Foraging Behavior Of Staging Sandhill Cranes, Donald Sparling, Gary Krapu

USGS Northern Prairie Wildlife Research Center

Each spring more than 300,000 Sandhill Cranes (Grus canadensis) roost communally at night in river channels in the Platte River Valley of Nebraska and disperse at dawn to forage in agricultural fields. Cranes with central roosts had activity ranges double the size of those with peripheral roosts; 42% of the birds changed activity ranges prior to the onset of migration. Minimum daily flight distance generally increased during the staging period. Cranes used native grassland and planted hayland more often than expected, relative to their percentage of occurrence, and fed longest there; cornfields were under-utilized. These differences probably reflect, …

Pigeons (Rock Doves), David E. Williams, Robert M. Corrigan

Prevention and Control of Wildlife Damage Handbook

Pigeons (Columbia livia) typically have a gray body with a whitish rump, two black bars on the secondary wing feathers, a broad black band on the tail, and red feet. Pigeons are found throughout the United States (including Hawaii), southern Canada, and Mexico. Pigeons are highly dependent on humans to provide them with food and sites for roosting, loafing, and nesting. Pigeons are primarily grain and seed eaters and will subsist on spilled or improperly stored grain. The common pigeon was introduced into the United States as a domesticated bird, but many escaped and formed feral populations. Pigeon …

Floristic Analysis Of The C. Bertrand And Marian Othmer Schultz Prairie, A Mixed-Grass Prairie In South-Central Nebraska, Steven J. Rothenberger

Transactions of the Nebraska Academy of Sciences and Affiliated Societies

The C. Bertrand and Marian Othmer Schultz Prairie is a 259 ha/640 ac/1 mi² tract of mixed-grass prairie in a region of loess hills in south-central Nebraska. It is on the Kansas border in Webster County, 6.5 km south and 8.1 km east of Red Cloud. A floristic study of the prairie was made during the 1993 and 1994 growing seasons. The 1993 study was accompanied by an ecological survey which determined (1) plant species importance and (2) plant-community relationships using point-step and quadrat methods. Major plant community types are Andropogon scoparius- A. gerardii- Bouteloua gracilis on shallow limy …

Red Imported Fire Ant Impact On Wildlife: An Overview, Craig R. Allen, Stephen Demarais, R. Scott Lutz

Nebraska Cooperative Fish and Wildlife Research Unit: Staff Publications

We reviewed the past 50 years of literature concerning red imported fire ant impacts on wildlife species. The red imported fire ant has had a negative impact on numerous species of wildlife. However, experimental evidence of population-level impacts is meager. We discuss potential fire ant perturbations and suggest research directions that may settle the long-standing controversy concerning the impact of imported fire ants on native vertebrates and the ecosystems they have invaded.

Birds At Airports, Alfred J. Godin

Prevention and Control of Wildlife Damage Handbook

Birds are a serious hazard to aviation. A bird or a flock of birds that suddenly rises from a runway or surrounding area may collide with incoming or departing aircraft and cause the aircraft to crash, possibly resulting in the loss of human life. Bird collision with aircraft is commonly known as “bird strike.” Damage caused to aircraft usually results from collision of one or more birds with the engines and/or fuselage. Although most bird strikes do not result in crashes, they do involve expensive structural and mechanical damage to aircraft. The incidence of this problem worldwide makes bird strike …

Restoration Of Woodland Caribou To The Lake Superior Region, Peter J. P. Gogan, Jean Fitts Cochrane

United States National Park Service: Publications

Woodland caribou (Rangifer tarandus caribou) historically occupied the boreal forest zone across the North American continent. The distribution and abundance of the species has declined in the past century. In particular, it has been extirpated from much of the southern limits of its historical range on both sides of the boundary between Canada and the United States (Bergerud 1974). Translocation of animals from extant populations may be used to reestablish populations in portions of the species' former range. Recently, wildlife biologists in Ontario have translocated woodland caribou to a number of sites in or adjacent to Lake Superior. …