Life Sciences Commons^™

Population Occurrence And Pathogen Prevalence Of Lone Star (Acari: Ixodidae) Ticks Collected From Southeast Nebraska, Amanda C. Maegli

Department of Entomology: Dissertations, Theses, and Student Research

Lone star tick, Amblyomma americanum (L.), has recently become established in Nebraska; therefore, local biology, ecology, and tick-borne disease risk are not known. Research was conducted to determine monthly questing activity, establishment, and pathogenic microorganisms associated with the lone star tick in Nebraska.

Lone star tick populations were collected from May through August, 2012 in six sites in southeast Nebraska using carbon dioxide (CO₂) traps. A total of 747 adults, 3,076 nymphs, and 1,289 larvae were collected. Total ticks collected and monthly activity were significantly different for each site.

A semi-randomized sample of 251 adult ticks were selected …

Helminth Parasites Of The Raccoon (Procyon Lotor), Virginia Opossum (Didelphis Virginiana), And Striped Skunk (Mephitis Mephitis) From Keith County, Nebraska, Dennis J. Richardson

Transactions of the Nebraska Academy of Sciences and Affiliated Societies

Nine raccoons (Procyon lotor), 6 Virginia opossums (Didelphis virginiana), and 1 striped skunk (Mephitis mephitis) collected from Keith County, Nebraska were examined for helminth parasites. Raccoons were infected with the nematodes Arthrocephalus lotoris, Baylisascaris procyonis, and Capillaria plica, the trematode Fibricola cratera, and the tapeworm Atriotaenia procyonis. Opossums were infected with 1 nematode, 1 trematode, and 1 cestode species: Physaloptera turgida, Plagiorhchis elegans, and Oochoristica sp., respectively. The single striped skunk was infected with the nematode Physaloptera maxillaris and the cestodes Mesocestoides sp. and Oochoristica sp.

Plant Community Composition And Structure Monitoring In Scotts Bluff National Monument, 2013 Annual Report, Isabel Ashton, Michael Prowatzke

United States National Park Service: Publications

Introduction

During the last century, much of the prairie within the Northern Great Plains has been plowed for cropland, planted with non-natives to maximize livestock production, or otherwise developed, making it one of the most threatened ecosystems in the United States. Within Nebraska, greater than 77% of the area of native mixed grass prairie has been lost since European settlement (Samson and Knopf 1994). The National Park Service (NPS) plays an important role in preserving and restoring some of the last pieces of intact prairies within its boundaries. The stewardship goal of the NPS is to “preserve ecological integrity and …

Ammonia And Nitrous Oxide Loss From Sprinkler Applied Beef Feedlot Effluent, Blythe P. Mcafee

Department of Agronomy and Horticulture: Dissertations, Theses, and Student Research

A range of flux chambers are available and have been used to measure fluxes of atmospheric gases, including NH₃, with the addition of acid traps. Previous studies show acid traps can be very effective but there is a need to understand how chambers affect acid trap efficiency so measurements can be adjusted for more accurate results. In this lab study, chamber tightness, pump flow variation, and NH₃ trapping efficiency of a flux chamber system were examined. Chamber leakage varied with time from 1-7%. Pumping rate between pumps was significantly different and when included in the closed chamber …

Exploitation Of Channel Catfish In Nebraska Flood-Control Reservoirs, Christopher Lee Wiley

School of Natural Resources: Dissertations, Theses, and Student Research

Channel catfish Ictalurus punctatus, is a popular sportfish in North America, and is the third most-sought fish species in Nebraska. Exploitation rates of channel catfish populations have been estimated to be substantial in states neighboring Nebraska. Despite the popularity of channel catfish, little is known about the exploitation of channel catfish populations in Nebraska. The objectives of this study were to estimate the exploitation rates of channel catfish populations, identify the length bias of angling for channel catfish, and identify the self-imposed length limits for channel catfish at flood-control reservoirs of Nebraska. The software package Program Mark was used to …

Ectoparasites Of The Virginia Opossum (Didelphis Virginiana), Raccoon (Procyon Lotor), And Striped Skunk (Mephitis Mephitis) From Keith County, Nebraska, Lance A. Durden, Dennis J. Richardson

Transactions of the Nebraska Academy of Sciences and Affiliated Societies

Six Virginia opossums (Didelphis virginiana), nine raccoons (Procyon lotor) and one striped skunk (Mephitis mephitis) collected from Keith County Nebraska were examined for ectoparasites. All three host species were parasitized by adults of the American dog tick, Dermacentor variabilis. Opossums were also parasitized by the flea Pulex simulans and the tiny fur mite Didelphilichus serri­fer; the latter species represents a new state record for Nebraska. Raccoons were also parasitized by P. simulans and by the lago­morph-associated flea Euhoplopsyllus glacialis affinis, whereas the skunk was also parasitized by the chewing louse Neotrichodectes …

Reexamination Of Herpetofauna On Mormon Island, Hall County, Nebraska, With Notes On Natural History, Keith Geluso, Mary J. Harner

Transactions of the Nebraska Academy of Sciences and Affiliated Societies

The Platte River in central Nebraska, USA, was historically surrounded by mixed grass and tallgrass prairies and wet meadows, but many of those habitats were lost or altered during the last century with unknown effects on animals that reside in them. Researchers first surveyed herpetofauna on part of a large island preserve in the Platte River, Mormon Island, Hall County, Nebraska, in 1980 when the land was protected for conservation. They documented 10 species, including three species of amphibians and seven species of reptiles. We inventoried herpetofauna after 30 years of conservation management on Mormon Island and adjacent Shoemaker Island. …

Assessment Of A Rotenone Application Event At Mormon Island West Lake In Central Nebraska, Keith D. Koupal, Brian C. Peterson, Casey W. Schoenebeck

Transactions of the Nebraska Academy of Sciences and Affiliated Societies

Fisheries managers applied rotenone to Mormon Island West in August of 2010 to renovate a fish community that was hypothesized to be unbalanced (i.e., dominated with gizzard shad and common carp) based on standardized survey results. We estimated species-specific biomass following the lake renovation to provide a baseline biomass estimate for a sand pit lake and to evaluate the effectiveness of standardized sampling gears. Gizzard shad (Dorosoma cepedianum) were abundant in all sampling gears, but mostly stock-size (>175 mm total length) and larger individuals were caught in gill and trap nets and sub-stock (≤175 mm total length) …

Plant Community Composition And Structure Monitoring For Agate Fossil Beds National Monument, 2012 Annual Report, Isabel W. Ashton, Stephen K. Wilson, Daniel J. Swanson, Michael Prowatzke, Phil Graeve

United States National Park Service: Publications

Executive Summary

Agate Fossil Beds National Monument (AGFO) plays a vital role in protecting and managing some of the last remnants of native mixed-grass prairie in the region. The Northern Great Plains Inventory & Monitoring Network (NGPN) and Fire Ecology Program (FireEP) surveyed 12 long-term monitoring plots in Agate Fossil Beds National Monument in 2012 as part of an effort to better understand the condition of plant communities in the park. We measured plant diversity and cover, looked for the presence of exotic species that may be newly invading the park, and evaluated the amount of human and natural disturbance …