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University of Tennessee, Knoxville

2022

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Articles 1 - 30 of 143

Full-Text Articles in Life Sciences

A Comparison Of Seasonal Reproductive Pattern In Two Sympatric Darters Of The Simoperca Clade, Etheostoma Duryi And Etheostoma Simoterum, Tiffany Bell, Elizabeth Cantrell, Bruce Stallsmith Dec 2022

A Comparison Of Seasonal Reproductive Pattern In Two Sympatric Darters Of The Simoperca Clade, Etheostoma Duryi And Etheostoma Simoterum, Tiffany Bell, Elizabeth Cantrell, Bruce Stallsmith

Southeastern Fishes Council Proceedings

We present results from an examination of the seasonal reproductive patterns of two closely related sympatric darter species of the Simoperca clade, Etheostoma duryi and Etheostoma simoterum. Most members of the genus Etheostoma exhibit striking sexual dimorphism, making reproductive strategy a logical point of study. Monthly collections of specimens over a one-year period were performed at a single site on the Flint River near Huntsville, Alabama. Standard length and gross somatic mass were measured for all individuals. Sex ratio was examined for possible skew. Measures of reproductive effort were monthly means of gonadosomatic index of both sexes, total oocyte count, …


Psychological Determinants Of Physical Activity And The Prediction Of Physical Activity Levels In African American Men, Alvin L. Morton Iii Dec 2022

Psychological Determinants Of Physical Activity And The Prediction Of Physical Activity Levels In African American Men, Alvin L. Morton Iii

Doctoral Dissertations

African American (AA) men experience disproportionally higher rates of non-communicable, chronic diseases (e.g., cardiovascular, type 2 diabetes, and renal failure) than White men. Physical activity (PA) is known to reduce the progression of CVD, type 2 diabetes, and renal failure. National statistics illustrate that AA men are less likely to get sufficient levels of PA to obtain health benefits. Although many factors (e.g., biomedical, socio-cultural) influence participation in PA, the psychological factors at the individual level are essential to beginning and maintaining activity. Therefore, understanding the psychological determinants of PA in AA men and their associations with meeting national guidelines …


Characterization And Management Of Auxin-Resistant Palmer Amaranth In Tennessee, Delaney C. Foster Dec 2022

Characterization And Management Of Auxin-Resistant Palmer Amaranth In Tennessee, Delaney C. Foster

Doctoral Dissertations

Palmer amaranth has a long history of evolving resistance to herbicides to the point it has become a significant row crop production obstacle. Cotton and soybean growers were offered new technologies in 2016, expanding in-crop herbicide options to include dicamba or 2,4-D. Within three years of commercialization, dicamba use in these crops increased ten-fold and growers began to report Palmer amaranth escapes in west Tennessee auxin-tolerant production systems. A survey of Palmer amaranth escapes in dicamba and 2,4-D-tolerant cotton and soybean fields in Tennessee was conducted in the fall of 2021 with the objective of determining if poor control was …


Accurate Simulation Of Reads And Improved Strategies For Abundance Estimation Supporting Reduced Representation Sequencing For Metagenomics, Ryan Kuster Dec 2022

Accurate Simulation Of Reads And Improved Strategies For Abundance Estimation Supporting Reduced Representation Sequencing For Metagenomics, Ryan Kuster

Doctoral Dissertations

Next generation sequencing has impacted all areas of biology by providing affordable investigations into some of the most complex processes underpinning life. With its ubiquitous application, there is still benefit in considering the nuances of the technology and its downstream analysis. Sequencing libraries produced by fragmenting DNA with restriction enzyme digests limit the scope of sequencing to a reduced set of genomic loci, allowing for deeper sequencing of those regions at a reduced cost per sample. These sequencing libraries have been used to determine genetic markers within populations of closely related individuals due to their sensitivity and preservation within populations. …


Leveraging Mass Spectrometry-Based Proteomics And Post-Translational Modifications For System-Wide Understanding Of Bioenergy Plants And Their Environment, Him K. Shrestha Dec 2022

Leveraging Mass Spectrometry-Based Proteomics And Post-Translational Modifications For System-Wide Understanding Of Bioenergy Plants And Their Environment, Him K. Shrestha

Doctoral Dissertations

Bioenergy research focuses on utilizing renewable biomass feedstocks to produce biofuels and bioproducts to address growing concerns about energy security and climate change. To better understand the details of bioenergy crop production and conversion to bioproducts, it is essential to characterize bioenergy plants and their environments at a molecular systems level. Mass spectrometry has emerged as a promising technique for detailed proteomic information, including post-translational modifications (PTMs), of molecular processes and cellular functions of biological systems. In this dissertation, proteomic approaches have been optimized and implemented to deepen our understanding of the interaction of plants and their environment in a …


Functional Analysis Of Soybean Proteinase Inhibitor Genes And Cyst Nematode-Inducible Synthetic Promoters For Insects And Nematode-Resistance In Plants, Mst Shamira Sultana Dec 2022

Functional Analysis Of Soybean Proteinase Inhibitor Genes And Cyst Nematode-Inducible Synthetic Promoters For Insects And Nematode-Resistance In Plants, Mst Shamira Sultana

Doctoral Dissertations

Proteinase inhibitors (PIs) from legumes have the potential for use as protectants in response to pests and pathogens. Soybean (Glycine max) contains two trypsin inhibitors (TIs): Kunitz trypsin inhibitor (KTI) and Bowman-Birk inhibitor (BBI). In this study, the possible role of soybean TIs in plant defense against insects and nematodes was investigated. In addition to the three known TIs (KTI1, KTI2 and KTI3), novel inhibitors KTI5, KTI7, and BBI5 were identified in soybean. Their functional role was further examined by overexpression in soybean and Arabidopsis. In vitro enzyme inhibitory assays showed significant increase in trypsin and chymotrypsin inhibitory …


Sphenoidal Sinuses And Spherical Harmonics: Variation And Covariation Of The Most Morphologically Diverse And Least Understood Paranasal Sinus, Katharine Grace Josephine Ryan Dec 2022

Sphenoidal Sinuses And Spherical Harmonics: Variation And Covariation Of The Most Morphologically Diverse And Least Understood Paranasal Sinus, Katharine Grace Josephine Ryan

Doctoral Dissertations

Understanding the shape variation of the human sphenoidal sinus is important to several areas of research. This includes clinical investigation (sinus pathology and safe endoscopic endonasal surgical practice) and paranasal sinus evolution (for which there is still no consensus). Yet, the sphenoidal sinus has high morphological variation, prohibiting its quantification through traditional geometric morphometric landmarking methods. The sphenoid body, and thus also the sinus contained within, is located directly at the developmental center of the basicranium in humans, where the three cranial fossae meet at the midline, and adjacent to the three synchondroses which are the sites of cranial base …


Microwave Frequency Control Algorithms For Use In A Solid-State System To Achieve Improved Heating Performance, Ran Yang Dec 2022

Microwave Frequency Control Algorithms For Use In A Solid-State System To Achieve Improved Heating Performance, Ran Yang

Doctoral Dissertations

Microwave is a popular food heating technique. Its unique volumetric heating principle enables fast heating while also leads to nonuniform heat distribution, where the standing wave patterns caused by the magnetron as microwave source is the main reason for the poor uniformity. Solid-state microwave generator is a promising solution to address the nonuniform heating, as it allows flexible microwaves, with frequencies in a range rather than fixed, and thereby, the varied thermal patterns by different frequencies could overcome the standing wave pattern issue. Previous studies on the frequency control strategy mainly focused on orderly shifting frequencies in range, while not …


A Novel Transmembrane Ligand Inhibits T Cell Receptor Activation, Yujie Ye Dec 2022

A Novel Transmembrane Ligand Inhibits T Cell Receptor Activation, Yujie Ye

Doctoral Dissertations

T lymphocytes (T cells) play essential roles in the adaptive immune system. Each mature T cell expresses one type of functional T cell receptor (TCR). The TCR recognizes antigens bound to the major histocompatibility complex (MHC) in antigen presenting cells. The resulting stimulation signal crosses the transmembrane domain of TCR and initiates downstream signaling cascades. The human immune system relies on TCRs to recognize a variety of pathogens. Normally, TCR can distinguish the self-antigens from pathogenic antigens. However, dysfunction or aberrant expression of TCRs causes different inflammatory and autoimmune diseases, which afflict millions of people annually (Chapter I). Current treatments …


Staphylococcal Surface Proteins As Vaccine Candidates For The Control Of Staphylococcal Mastitis In Dairy Cows, Jessica Jean Vidlund Dec 2022

Staphylococcal Surface Proteins As Vaccine Candidates For The Control Of Staphylococcal Mastitis In Dairy Cows, Jessica Jean Vidlund

Masters Theses

Bovine mastitis, an inflammation of the mammary gland, is the single most costly disease of dairy cattle. Staphylococci, a major bacteria that cause bovine mastitis, are commonly divided into two major groups: Staphylococcus aureus and non-aureus staphylococci (NAS), previously known as coagulase-negative Staphylococcus species (CNS). Current mastitis control programs are not fully effective against staphylococcal mastitis and antibiotics are not sustainable due to limited success and the emergence of antimicrobial resistant bacteria. Non-antibiotic sustainable control tools, such as effective vaccines, are critically needed. Our lab developed and evaluated Staphylococcus aureus surface associated protein (SASP) and Staphylococcus chromogenes surface associated protein …


Systematic Evaluation Of Database Builds In Metaproteomics For The Advancement Of Microbiome Research, Katherine E. Ostrouchov Dec 2022

Systematic Evaluation Of Database Builds In Metaproteomics For The Advancement Of Microbiome Research, Katherine E. Ostrouchov

Masters Theses

The microscopic life that inhabits a human shares a unique bond with its host. Microbes perform many functions that are vital to the survival of the human species and have long been shown to regulate the absorption of nutrients and to promote immune function. A lack of exposure to certain microbes early in life, excessive antibiotic usage, and improper diet can perturb human microbiomes and lead to disease. Since the emergence of omic sequencing technologies, it has now become possible to measure and monitor the genes and proteins made by these microorganisms to better understand how they contribute to host …


Rumen Biogeographical Regions And Their Impact On Microbial And Metabolome Variation, Macey P. Soltis Dec 2022

Rumen Biogeographical Regions And Their Impact On Microbial And Metabolome Variation, Macey P. Soltis

Masters Theses

The rumen microbiome is a complex microbial network critical to the health and nutrition of its host, due to their inherent ability to convert low-quality feedstuffs into energy. In rumen microbiome studies, the ventral sac is sampled from due to ease of access and repeatability. However, anatomical musculature demarcates the rumen into five sacs which may support distinct microbial communities. The distinction among the microbes may generate functional variation among the rumen microbiome, thus, specialized tasks within different sacs. The objective of this study was to determine the rumen liquid metabolome and epimural, planktonic, and fiber-adherent bacterial communities among each …


Encapsulation Of Antimicrobial Peptides In Bicontinuous Microemulsions For Topical Delivery To Surgical Site Infections And Chronic Wounds, Madison A. Oehler Dec 2022

Encapsulation Of Antimicrobial Peptides In Bicontinuous Microemulsions For Topical Delivery To Surgical Site Infections And Chronic Wounds, Madison A. Oehler

Masters Theses

Surgical site infections and chronic wounds, especially those caused by antibiotic-resistant microorganisms, result in hospitalization and fatalities each year. Methods to prevent these infections, such as cleaning and preparing medical tools, have had minimal success in preventing infections. Further, antibiotic treatments have become less successful in treating infections and wounds because of antibiotic-resistant bacteria. Antimicrobial peptides (AMP) are a possible treatment solution for wound infections. AMPs are oligopeptides that occur in nature or can be synthesized in vitro which possess a broad spectrum of antimicrobial activity against bacteria and other harmful microorganisms. AMPs operate by disrupting the packing arrangements of …


Identification Of The Type Eleven Secretion System (T11ss) And Characterization Of T11ss-Dependent Effector Proteins, Alex S. Grossman Dec 2022

Identification Of The Type Eleven Secretion System (T11ss) And Characterization Of T11ss-Dependent Effector Proteins, Alex S. Grossman

Doctoral Dissertations

Host-associated microbes live in dangerous environments as a result of host immune killing, nutrient provisioning, and physiological conditions. Bacteria have evolved a host of surface and secreted proteins to help interact with this host environment and overcome nutrient limitation. The studies included within this dissertation describe the identification of a novel bacterial secretion system which has evolved to transport these symbiosis mediating proteins. This system, termed the type eleven secretion system (T11SS), is present throughout the Gram negative phylum Proteobacteria, including many human pathogens such as Neisseria meningitidis, Acinetobacter baumanii, Haemophilus haemolyticus, and Proteus vulgaris. Furthermore, …


Water Availability As A Cross-Scale Driver Of Microbial Functions And Free Viral Abundance In Soil, Aubrey K. Fine Dec 2022

Water Availability As A Cross-Scale Driver Of Microbial Functions And Free Viral Abundance In Soil, Aubrey K. Fine

Doctoral Dissertations

Viral infection is widespread in natural microbial communities, with extensive study in aquatic ecosystems demonstrating direct influence on host physiology, functional activity, and mortality. While similar dynamics are assumed to occur across ecosystems, soils are distinct microbial habitats where soil physiochemical structure and water availability constrain resource availability. These unique environmental conditions have been widely demonstrated to affect microbial distribution, diversity, and functional activity in bulk soil, while their influence on virus-microbe interactions and free viral abundance remains limited. To address this knowledge gap, this research had three broad aims: i) to investigate variability in microbial responses to drying-rewetting cycles …


Predicting Immunization Status At Arrival In Tennessee Stocker Calves, Claire E. Hunkler Dec 2022

Predicting Immunization Status At Arrival In Tennessee Stocker Calves, Claire E. Hunkler

Masters Theses

Bovine respiratory disease is a multifaceted disease with agent, host, and environmental factors. Stocker calves are at high risk of contracting the disease through many stressors like weaning, transportation, commingling, etc. The purpose of this project was to test if externally observed physical characteristics of calves on arrival at a stocker facility can be used to predict calfhood vaccination status determined based on antibody titer levels. Knowledge of highly correlated characteristics could allow stocker operators to reduce the occurrence of BRD through targeted management strategies, thus lowering morbidity, mortality, and treatment costs. Ear notches, blood, and visual characteristics were collected …


Winter Wheat Cover Crop Increased Subsoil Organic Carbon In A Long-Term Cotton Cropping System In Tennessee, Rounak Patra, Debasish Saha, Sindhu Jagdamma Oct 2022

Winter Wheat Cover Crop Increased Subsoil Organic Carbon In A Long-Term Cotton Cropping System In Tennessee, Rounak Patra, Debasish Saha, Sindhu Jagdamma

Biosystems Engineering and Soil Science Publications and Other Works

Long-term cover-cropping and no-tillage practices can facilitate soil organic carbon (SOC) accumulation in agroecosystems for soil health and climate mitigation benefits. However, the contribution of these conservation management practices to SOC gain from the subsoil layers is not been extensively studied. To understand this knowledge gap, it is essential to determine the distribution of total SOC and SOC fractions in response to management practices across the soil profile. Therefore, this study was conducted by leveraging a 40-year replicated field experiment in a continuous cotton (Gossypium hirsutum) system. The management treatments examined included three cover crop treatments: 1) hairy vetch, HV …


Full Issue, Frank R. Thompson Iii Sep 2022

Full Issue, Frank R. Thompson Iii

National Quail Symposium Proceedings

No abstract provided.


The Evolution Of Quail Research: Trends In Themes, Cognitive Extent, And Lexical Diversity, Fidel Hernández Sep 2022

The Evolution Of Quail Research: Trends In Themes, Cognitive Extent, And Lexical Diversity, Fidel Hernández

National Quail Symposium Proceedings

Language is an interesting characteristic that is unique to humans. Language represents a method of human communication and is believed to reflect a person’s view of reality (Kramsch 2004). The words used by a person or a community provide insight into the ideas, concepts, and worldview held by people (Pennebaker et al. 2003). In science, publications represent a primary form of communication of ideas among scientists. Publications provide a historical record of a discipline and reflect the relative interest of a scientific community in particular concepts during a given era (Kim et al. 2018). Consequently, how word use in publications …


Effects Of Climate Change On Northern Bobwhite Nesting Chronology And Clutch Size, Justin A. Rectenwald, D. Clay Sisson, James A. Martin Sep 2022

Effects Of Climate Change On Northern Bobwhite Nesting Chronology And Clutch Size, Justin A. Rectenwald, D. Clay Sisson, James A. Martin

National Quail Symposium Proceedings

Widespread changes to breeding bird phenology in response to climate change have been apparent in North America for several decades. While the impact of an earlier breeding season may be minimal by itself, changes in community-level interactions can be greatly influenced because of varying responses to climate change in different trophic levels. Climate change has been shown to alter the onset of breeding season and chick survival, and lead to population declines for game birds in high latitudes, at high elevations, and on the periphery of their range. The topic of climate change in relation to northern bobwhite (Colinus …


Examining A Habitat-Weather Threshold For Northern Bobwhite Populations In The Southwestern United States, John T. Edwards, Fidel Hernández, Andrea Montalvo, Masahiro Ohnishi Sep 2022

Examining A Habitat-Weather Threshold For Northern Bobwhite Populations In The Southwestern United States, John T. Edwards, Fidel Hernández, Andrea Montalvo, Masahiro Ohnishi

National Quail Symposium Proceedings

In semiarid portions of the northern bobwhite (Colinus virginianus; hereafter, bobwhite) geographic distribution, weather is a strong driver of interannual abundance. However, the strength of this relationship may depend on habitat amount. Given this habitat–weather dependence, there is likely to be a threshold value for habitat that determines how strongly a bobwhite population responds to weather. Our objective was to evaluate the relationship between habitat amount and the relative influence of weather on bobwhite abundance in Texas and Oklahoma, USA and determine a potential land-cover threshold value. We collected bobwhite abundance and land-cover data from the Breeding Bird …


Climate Impacts On North American Quail, Shelby M. Perry, Erin Moser, Jeffrey G. Whitt, Kelly S. Reyna Sep 2022

Climate Impacts On North American Quail, Shelby M. Perry, Erin Moser, Jeffrey G. Whitt, Kelly S. Reyna

National Quail Symposium Proceedings

North America’s quail population trends are often linked to regional climate. Extreme climate events such as severe drought, hard freezes, or excessive winter precipitation can reduce quail populations by as much as 84%. Above-average spring and summer temperatures coincident with drought can reduce the laying season for quail by ≤60 days. Exposure of quail eggs to high temperatures during preincubation can initiate and alter embryonic development. Here, we review the impacts of extreme climate events and a changing climate on the survival, reproduction, and population trends of 6 North American quail species: California quail (Callipepla californica), Gambel’s quail …


Northern Bobwhite Response To Control Of Red Imported Fire Ants In The Gulf Coast Prairie Of Texas, Kelly M. Redmond, Eric D. Grahmann, Fidel Hernández, Leonard A. Brennan, Michael E. Morrow, Timothy Anderson Sep 2022

Northern Bobwhite Response To Control Of Red Imported Fire Ants In The Gulf Coast Prairie Of Texas, Kelly M. Redmond, Eric D. Grahmann, Fidel Hernández, Leonard A. Brennan, Michael E. Morrow, Timothy Anderson

National Quail Symposium Proceedings

The population decline of northern bobwhite (Colinus virginianus; hereafter, bobwhite) on the Texas Gulf Coast Prairie, USA is largely attributed to habitat loss. However, red imported fire ants (Solenopsis invicta) occur throughout the region and are considered a possible contributing factor to the bobwhite decline. The objectives of our study were to determine the influence of red imported fire ants on bobwhites by comparing bobwhite nest success, survival, and density between sites treated with fire ant bait (treatment) and reference (control) sites. Our study was conducted on 3 private ranches in Goliad and Refugio counties, Texas. …


Northern Bobwhite And Fire: A Review And Synthesis, David A. Weber, Evan P. Tanner, Theron M. Terhune Ii, J. Morgan Varner, James A. Martin Sep 2022

Northern Bobwhite And Fire: A Review And Synthesis, David A. Weber, Evan P. Tanner, Theron M. Terhune Ii, J. Morgan Varner, James A. Martin

National Quail Symposium Proceedings

Our understanding of the relationship between northern bobwhite (Colinus virginianus; hereafter, bobwhite) and fire began with Herbert Stoddard’s work in the early 20th century. Research on the topic has continued, but our application of fire is deeply rooted in Stoddard’s work, even as it has become evident that fire regimes must be adapted to variable environmental conditions that are evolving with a changing landscape and climate. A comprehensive review and synthesis of the literature on this topic would help formalize research advancements since Stoddard and identify knowledge gaps for future research. Results from experiments suggest fire creates favorable …


Bobwhite Response To Cattle Grazing In South Texas, Bradley K. Johnston, J. Alfonso Ortega-S., Leonard A. Brennan, Fidel Hernández, Humberto L. Perotto-Baldivieso Sep 2022

Bobwhite Response To Cattle Grazing In South Texas, Bradley K. Johnston, J. Alfonso Ortega-S., Leonard A. Brennan, Fidel Hernández, Humberto L. Perotto-Baldivieso

National Quail Symposium Proceedings

Range management practices to improve habitat for wildlife by reducing brush and increasing herbaceous plants, coupled with reduced stocking rates, can lead to dense stands of dominant grasses, such as four-flower trichloris (Trichloris pluriflora). This monoculture of trichloris creates dense vegetation unsuitable for northern bobwhite (Colinus virginianus; hereafter, bobwhite), reduces plant species diversity, and alters ecosystem functions. The objectives of this study are to 1) evaluate the effects of a proper cattle grazing regime to improve bobwhite habitat and 2) develop a management guide documenting how cattle grazing can be used as a tool to reduce …


Northern Bobwhite Response To Vegetation Management And Recovery In South Texas, Rachel A. Smith, Leonard A. Brennan, Humberto L. Perotto-Baldivieso, Fidel Hernández Sep 2022

Northern Bobwhite Response To Vegetation Management And Recovery In South Texas, Rachel A. Smith, Leonard A. Brennan, Humberto L. Perotto-Baldivieso, Fidel Hernández

National Quail Symposium Proceedings

The northern bobwhite (Colinus virginianus; hereafter, bobwhite) requires habitat structure and composition with grass cover for nesting, predator avoidance, and thermal refuge and forb cover for feeding on phytophagous arthropods and seeds. During the past 2 decades, many land managers with interest in promoting quail hunting opportunities have reduced or completely eliminated livestock across South Texas, USA, rangelands. Resting the land from grazing allows vegetation—especially grasses and forbs—to recover and thus provide nesting and foraging habitat for bobwhite and other birds. How bobwhite respond to postgrazing vegetation recovery is of keen interest to rangeland quail managers, but this …


Efficacy Of A Preemergence Herbicide Following Postemergence Control To Reduce Sericea Lespedeza In Old Fields Managed For Northern Bobwhite, Mark A. Turner, Bonner L. Powell, Craig A. Harper Sep 2022

Efficacy Of A Preemergence Herbicide Following Postemergence Control To Reduce Sericea Lespedeza In Old Fields Managed For Northern Bobwhite, Mark A. Turner, Bonner L. Powell, Craig A. Harper

National Quail Symposium Proceedings

Sericea lespedeza (Lespedeza cuneata; hereafter, sericea) is a nonnative forb that commonly invades sites managed for northern bobwhite (Colinus virginianus; hereafter, bobwhite). Sericea can reduce habitat quality for bobwhite as it outcompetes native plants that provide forage and cover. Bobwhite eat sericea seed, but seed are relatively indigestible and may limit nutrition intake and reduce the fecundity rate. Postemergence herbicides, including glyphosate, triclopyr, and fluroxypyr+triclopyr, control standing sericea, but do not provide preemergence control, which would increase long-term control because sericea annually produces large amounts of hard seed with high dormancy rates. Imazapic is labeled to …


A Simulation Model Of Sustained-Yield Harvest For Northern Bobwhite In South Texas, Joseph P. Sands, Stephen J. Demaso, Fidel Hernández, Leonard A. Brennan, Matthew J. Schnupp, Trent W. Teinert, Dale Rollins, Robert M. Perez Sep 2022

A Simulation Model Of Sustained-Yield Harvest For Northern Bobwhite In South Texas, Joseph P. Sands, Stephen J. Demaso, Fidel Hernández, Leonard A. Brennan, Matthew J. Schnupp, Trent W. Teinert, Dale Rollins, Robert M. Perez

National Quail Symposium Proceedings

Recommended sustainable harvest rates for northern bobwhite (Colinus virginianus) vary greatly and range from 25% to 70% of the prehunt population. Because northern bobwhite populations have declined across their geographic range, determining sustainable harvest levels is critical for effective management. Our objectives were to use simulation modeling to identify sustainable rates of bobwhite harvest, probability of population persistence, and minimum viable population estimates. We also conducted a sensitivity analysis to evaluate the impacts of harvest on northern bobwhite populations in Texas, USA. We constructed a simulation model using Program STELLA 9.0 for a hypothetical northern bobwhite population on …


Spatial And Temporal Analyses Of Bobwhite Hunting Dynamics, D.Abraham Woodard, Leonard A. Brennan, Fidel Hernández, Humberto L. Perotto-Baldivieso, Neal Wilkins Sep 2022

Spatial And Temporal Analyses Of Bobwhite Hunting Dynamics, D.Abraham Woodard, Leonard A. Brennan, Fidel Hernández, Humberto L. Perotto-Baldivieso, Neal Wilkins

National Quail Symposium Proceedings

A variety of factors influence the harvest of northern bobwhites (Colinus virginianus) and where that harvest occurs on a landscape. Many of these factors can be quantified and manipulated to distribute harvest pressure across time and space to meet desired spring densities. We collected spatial hunting metrics using global positioning system units on trucks and hunting dogs, along with detailed hunting logs from 211 quail hunts during the 2018–2019, 2019–2020, and 2020–2021 statewide hunting seasons in Jim Hogg County, Texas, USA. We found that hunting parties effectively covered 23.8 ± 0.3 hectares per hour, with hunts lasting 3.5 …


Evaluating The Harvest Rate Recommendation For Northern Bobwhites In South Texas, D. Abraham Woodard, Leonard A. Brennan, Fidel Hernández, Humberto L. Perotto-Baldivieso, Neal Wilkins, Andrea Montalvo Sep 2022

Evaluating The Harvest Rate Recommendation For Northern Bobwhites In South Texas, D. Abraham Woodard, Leonard A. Brennan, Fidel Hernández, Humberto L. Perotto-Baldivieso, Neal Wilkins, Andrea Montalvo

National Quail Symposium Proceedings

The current harvest rate recommendation for northern bobwhites (Colinus virginianus; hereafter, bobwhite) in South Texas, USA is 20% of the autumn population, including crippling loss. This recommendation is based on population simulations of empirical data. We completed the first field evaluation of the 20% harvest recommendation by comparing prehunting and posthunting bobwhite density estimates on a hunted and nonhunted site in South Texas during the 2018–2019, 2019–2020, and 2020–2021 statewide bobwhite hunting seasons in Jim Hogg County, Texas. We conducted line-transect distance sampling surveys on 4 occasions per year (early November, mid-December, late January, early March) from a …