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Full-Text Articles in Life Sciences

Advanced Biotechnology Tools For Invasive Species Management, Invasive Species Advisory Committee Dec 2017

Advanced Biotechnology Tools For Invasive Species Management, Invasive Species Advisory Committee

National Invasive Species Council

Increasingly, genetic tools are being used to detect and solve pressing environmental, social, and health-related challenges. It is clear that investments in technology innovation can be game changing, as advances in biotechnology may provide new methods to protect the nation’s resources from the negative impacts of invasive species. The current toolbox of management options is recognizably insufficient to deal with many of the high-impact species that have been introduced. However, “surrendering” to these species is generally not a viable option from ecological, health, economic, socio-cultural, or political perspectives. Cost-efficient solutions to these “grand invasive species challenges” need to be found. …


Managed Relocation: Reducing The Risk Of Biological Invasion, Edward E. Clark Jr., Dan Simberloff, Mark Schwartz, Brent Stewart, John Peter Thompson Dec 2017

Managed Relocation: Reducing The Risk Of Biological Invasion, Edward E. Clark Jr., Dan Simberloff, Mark Schwartz, Brent Stewart, John Peter Thompson

National Invasive Species Council

Key Finding

Any organism that is relocated to a novel ecosystem has the potential to become an invasive species or spread “hitching” invasive species, or both. Managed Relocation is not congruent with Executive Order 13112 to the extent that it might facilitate “economic or environmental harm or harm to human, animal, or plant health.” Consequently, the actions by federal agencies or those entities supported by federal funding to engage in managed relocation need to be addressed in a manner consistent with EO 13751 Section 3(3), which compels Agencies to:

Refrain from authorizing, funding, or implementing actions that are likely to …


Enhancing Federal-Tribal Coordination Of Invasive Species, Blaine Parker, Chuck Bargeron, Sean Southey, Lori Buchanan, Miles Falck, Chris Fisher, Joe Maroney, Mervin Wright, Gintas Zavadkas Dec 2017

Enhancing Federal-Tribal Coordination Of Invasive Species, Blaine Parker, Chuck Bargeron, Sean Southey, Lori Buchanan, Miles Falck, Chris Fisher, Joe Maroney, Mervin Wright, Gintas Zavadkas

National Invasive Species Council

Invasive species are defined by the United States government to mean “with regard to a particular ecosystem, a non-native organism whose introduction causes or is likely to cause economic or environmental harm, or harm to human, animal, or plant health” (Executive Order [EO] 13751). The ecosystems to which invasive species are introduced or spread are not delimited by jurisdictional boundaries; they intersect with lands managed by federal, tribal, state, territorial, and county governments, as well as properties under private ownership. For this reason, effective coordination and cooperation across jurisdictions is of paramount importance in the prevention, eradication, and control of …


Combining Ballast Water Treatment And Ballast Water Exchange: Reducing Colonization Pressure And Propagule Pressure Of Phytoplankton Organisms, Esteban M. Paolucci, Leila Ron, Hugh J. Macissaac Nov 2017

Combining Ballast Water Treatment And Ballast Water Exchange: Reducing Colonization Pressure And Propagule Pressure Of Phytoplankton Organisms, Esteban M. Paolucci, Leila Ron, Hugh J. Macissaac

Biological Sciences Publications

Species richness and species abundance (colonization pressure and propagule pressure, respectively) are commonly used to characterize invasion risk for ballast-water-mediated introductions, which can be high if either parameter is high. For practical reasons, the adopted IMO-D2 standard for organisms in discharged ballast water only considers total abundance of biological indicators, without consideration of species richness or source community. Here we explore the effect of ballast-water source, ballast water exchange, chlorination, or a combination of both (hybrid treatment) on both colonization pressure and propagule pressure for one IMO-D2 size class (≥10 µm and <50 >µm; phytoplankton). A strong reduction of propagule pressure …


Higher Colonization Pressure Increases The Risk Of Sustaining Invasion By Invasive Non-Indigenous Species, Hugh J. Macissaac, Mattias L. Johansson Oct 2017

Higher Colonization Pressure Increases The Risk Of Sustaining Invasion By Invasive Non-Indigenous Species, Hugh J. Macissaac, Mattias L. Johansson

Biological Sciences Publications

Considerable attention has been focused on the concept of Propagule Pressure (number of individuals introduced and introduction events) as a predictor of invasion success (975 papers). Much less well studied is the role of Colonization Pressure (number of species introduced; 24 studies), the complement of propagule pressure. Here we review the invasion history of the Laurentian Great Lakes to predict the risk of a future invasive (i.e. producing adverse ecological effects on other species) non-indigenous species based upon the number of species introduced (colonization pressure), using the recorded history of invasions in this system as our starting point. Historically, 52% …


European Starlings, H. Jeffrey Homan, Ron J. Johnson, James R. Thiele, George M. Linz Sep 2017

European Starlings, H. Jeffrey Homan, Ron J. Johnson, James R. Thiele, George M. Linz

Wildlife Damage Management Technical Series

European starlings (Sturnus vulgaris, Figure 1) are an invasive species in the United States. The first recorded release of the birds was in 1890 in New York City’s Central Park. Because starlings easily adapt to a variety of habitats, nest sites and food sources, the birds spread quickly across the country. Today, there are about 150 million starlings in North America. Conflicts between people and starlings occur mostly in agricultural settings. Conflicts can occur during winter in urban and suburban environments, especially in business districts.

Starlings damage apples, blueberries, cherries, figs, grapes, peaches, and strawberries. Besides causing direct losses from …


A Window Of Opportunity: Subdominant Predators Can Use Suboptimal Prey, Kelly A. Jackson, Joshua S. Mccord, Jennifer A. White Jun 2017

A Window Of Opportunity: Subdominant Predators Can Use Suboptimal Prey, Kelly A. Jackson, Joshua S. Mccord, Jennifer A. White

Entomology Faculty Publications

Introduced species have been linked to declines of native species through mechanisms including intraguild predation and exploitative competition. However, coexistence among species may be promoted by niche partitioning if native species can use resources that the invasive species cannot. Previous research has shown that some strains of the aphid Aphis craccivora are toxic to a competitively dominant invasive lady beetle, Harmonia axyridis. Our objective was to investigate whether these aphids might be an exploitable resource for other, subdominant, lady beetle species. We compared larval development rate, survival, and adult weight of five lady beetle species in no-choice experiments with …


A Spiny Water Flea Invasion And Effects On The Zooplankton Community In Southern Green Bay, Lake Michigan, Casey Ann Merkle May 2017

A Spiny Water Flea Invasion And Effects On The Zooplankton Community In Southern Green Bay, Lake Michigan, Casey Ann Merkle

Lawrence University Honors Projects

The spiny water flea (Bythotrephes longimanus) is an invertebrate aquatic invasive species (AIS) in the Great Lakes that competes with native fish species for zooplankton, perhaps contributing to a decline of fish populations or changes in zooplankton communities in Lake Michigan. Bythotrephes produce two types of eggs, immediately hatching versus resting eggs which are tolerant to harsh conditions and allow for rapid dispersal. We determined Bythotrephes population density and population dynamics in Green Bay during the summer months of 2015 and 2016. Population dynamics were similar at both sites in Green Bay in each year, with peak population …


Implications Of Body Size And Habitat Distribution Of Carcinus Maenas For Predation On Mytilus Edulis In The Gulf Of Maine, Mckenzie Thompson May 2017

Implications Of Body Size And Habitat Distribution Of Carcinus Maenas For Predation On Mytilus Edulis In The Gulf Of Maine, Mckenzie Thompson

Honors College

The blue mussel, Mytilus edulis, is a commercially important species along the Gulf of Maine. Its rapid decline in population size over the last forty years has led many researchers to question if the invasive green crab, Carcinus maenas, is affecting its distribution. The increase in annual mean water temperature, due to global climate change, has led many to fear an expansion of the green crab’s range and an increase in population density among areas they currently inhabit. The Damariscotta River in Walpole, Maine offers a unique thermal gradient to study the effects of temperature on green crab distribution, abundance, …


Mechanical Harvesting Effectively Controls Young Typha Spp. Invasion And Unmanned Aerial Vehicle Data Enhances Post-Treatment Monitoring, Shane Lishawa, Brendan D. Carson, Jodi S. Brandt, Jason M. Tallant, Nicholas J. Reo, Dennis A. Albert, Andrew M. Monks, Joseph M. Lautenbach Apr 2017

Mechanical Harvesting Effectively Controls Young Typha Spp. Invasion And Unmanned Aerial Vehicle Data Enhances Post-Treatment Monitoring, Shane Lishawa, Brendan D. Carson, Jodi S. Brandt, Jason M. Tallant, Nicholas J. Reo, Dennis A. Albert, Andrew M. Monks, Joseph M. Lautenbach

School of Environmental Sustainability: Faculty Publications and Other Works

The ecological impacts of invasive plants increase dramatically with time since invasion. Targeting young populations for treatment is therefore an economically and ecologically effective management approach, especially when linked to post-treatment monitoring to evaluate the efficacy of management. However, collecting detailed field-based post-treatment data is prohibitively expensive, typically resulting in inadequate documentation of the ecological effects of invasive plant management. Alternative approaches, such as remote detection with unmanned aerial vehicles (UAV), provide an opportunity to advance the science and practice of restoration ecology. In this study, we sought to determine the plant community response to different mechanical removal treatments to …


Biotic And Abiotic Factors Predicting The Global Distribution And Population Density Of An Invasive Large Mammal, Jesse S. Lewis, Mathew L. Farnsworth, Christopher L. Burdett, David M. Theobald, Miranda Gray, Ryan S. Miller Mar 2017

Biotic And Abiotic Factors Predicting The Global Distribution And Population Density Of An Invasive Large Mammal, Jesse S. Lewis, Mathew L. Farnsworth, Christopher L. Burdett, David M. Theobald, Miranda Gray, Ryan S. Miller

Other Publications in Wildlife Management

Biotic and abiotic factors are increasingly acknowledged to synergistically shape broad-scale species distributions. However, the relative importance of biotic and abiotic factors in predicting species distributions is unclear. In particular, biotic factors, such as predation and vegetation, including those resulting from anthropogenic land-use change, are underrepresented in species distribution modeling, but could improve model predictions. Using generalized linear models and model selection techniques, we used 129 estimates of population density of wild pigs (Sus scrofa) from 5 continents to evaluate the relative importance, magnitude, and direction of biotic and abiotic factors in predicting population density of an invasive large mammal …


Replacement Of Fishmeal With Processed Meal From Knife Fish Chitala Ornata In Diets Of Juvenile Nile Tilapia Oreochromis Niloticus, Janice A. Ragaza, Sherilyn T. Abarra, Stephanie F. Velasquez, Kristina Daniela D.C. Guzman, Jaime Lorenzo F. Felipe, Melchor Tayamen Feb 2017

Replacement Of Fishmeal With Processed Meal From Knife Fish Chitala Ornata In Diets Of Juvenile Nile Tilapia Oreochromis Niloticus, Janice A. Ragaza, Sherilyn T. Abarra, Stephanie F. Velasquez, Kristina Daniela D.C. Guzman, Jaime Lorenzo F. Felipe, Melchor Tayamen

Biology Faculty Publications

A 60-day feeding trial was conducted to assess the effects of processed meal from knife fish Chitala ornata (KFM) as fishmeal replacement in diets of Nile tilapia Oreochromis niloticus juveniles. Five iso-nitrogenous (36.4% in dry matter) and isolipidic diets (8.6% in dry matter) with 0 (D1), 25 (D2), 50 (D3), 75 (D4) and 100% (D5) KFM inclusions were prepared. With a stocking density of 15 fish (0.59 ± 0.01 g) per tank, tilapia juveniles were distributed randomly in fifteen 30-L tanks. Results indicate a significant increase (P < 0.05) in the percent average weight gain, specific growth rate, and feed …


Reproductive Status Of Drosophila Suzukii (Diptera: Drosophilidae) Females Influences Attraction To Fermentation-Based Baits And Ripe Fruits, Katharine A. Swoboda-Bhattarai, Douglas R. Mcphie, Hannah Burrack Jan 2017

Reproductive Status Of Drosophila Suzukii (Diptera: Drosophilidae) Females Influences Attraction To Fermentation-Based Baits And Ripe Fruits, Katharine A. Swoboda-Bhattarai, Douglas R. Mcphie, Hannah Burrack

Department of Entomology: Faculty Publications

Drosophila suzukii (Matsumura) is an invasive species that is a devastating pest of soft-skinned fruit crops. Although much effort has been directed toward developing traps and attractants to monitor for D. suzukii, current monitoring tools do not reliably predict fruit infestation. The objective of this study was to determine if D. suzukii females at different developmental stages are differentially attracted to monitoring traps with fermentation-based baits and ripe fruits. Females were collected on the surface of traps, within traps, and on ripe fruits during three experiments at field locations in North Carolina, USA, and were dissected to determine their reproductive …


Comparison Of Burbot Populations Across Adjacent Native And Introduced Ranges, Annika W. Walters, Elizabeth G. Madenville, W. Carl Saunders, Paul C. Gerrity, Joseph A. Skorupski, Zack E. Underwood, Eric I. Gardunio Jan 2017

Comparison Of Burbot Populations Across Adjacent Native And Introduced Ranges, Annika W. Walters, Elizabeth G. Madenville, W. Carl Saunders, Paul C. Gerrity, Joseph A. Skorupski, Zack E. Underwood, Eric I. Gardunio

Watershed Sciences Faculty Publications

Introduced species are a threat to biodiversity. Burbot, Lota lota, a fish native to the Wind River Drainage, Wyoming and a species of conservation concern, have been introduced into the nearby Green River Drainage, Wyoming, where they are having negative effects on native fish species. We compared these native and introduced burbot populations to evaluate potential mechanisms that could be leading to introduction success. We examined genetic ancestry, physical habitat characteristics, community composition, and burbot abundance, relative weight, and size structure between the native and introduced range to elucidate potential differences. The origin of introduced burbot in Flaming Gorge …


Describe If Commercial Low-Frequency Electrofishing Affects The Catch Of Blue Catfish Hoop-Net Fishery, George Trice Iv Jan 2017

Describe If Commercial Low-Frequency Electrofishing Affects The Catch Of Blue Catfish Hoop-Net Fishery, George Trice Iv

Reports

The blue catfish Ictalurus furcatus was first introduced to Virginia tidal waters in the 1974 and currently inhabit all major Virginia tributaries of the Chesapeake Bay (Jenkins and Burkhead 1994, Schloesser et al. 2011). More recently blue catfish have spread to Maryland waters and are multiplying at an alarming rate. The James River tributary has the largest number of blue catfish (Schloesser et al. 2011) in Virginia. The amount of blue catfish inhabiting the James River in unknown but is likely to be over five million (Fabrizio et al. 2009, Greenlee 2011) and blue catfish are estimated to be over …


Effective Dose And Persistence Of Rhodamine-B In Wild Pig Vibrissae, Sarah C. Webster, Fred L. Cunningham, John C. Kilgo, Mark A. Vukovich, Olin E. Rhodes Jr., James C. Beasley Jan 2017

Effective Dose And Persistence Of Rhodamine-B In Wild Pig Vibrissae, Sarah C. Webster, Fred L. Cunningham, John C. Kilgo, Mark A. Vukovich, Olin E. Rhodes Jr., James C. Beasley

USDA Wildlife Services: Staff Publications

As a result of substantial ecological and economic damage attributed to wild pigs (Sus scrofa), there is international interest in using pharmaceutical baits to control populations. To assess the efficacy and specificity of baiting programs, chemical biomarkers can be used to evaluate uptake of pharmaceutical baits. Rhodamine B (RB) is known to be an effective biomarker in wild pigs. However, significant data gaps exist regarding the minimum effective dosage and persistence of RB in wild pigs. We used a controlled doubleblind study experiment conducted in spring of 2014 on the Savannah River Site, Aiken, South Carolina, USA, wherein …


Efficiency Of Different Spatial And Temporal Strategies For Reducing Vertebrate Pest Populations, Kim M. Pepin, Amy J. Davis, Kurt C. Vercauteren Jan 2017

Efficiency Of Different Spatial And Temporal Strategies For Reducing Vertebrate Pest Populations, Kim M. Pepin, Amy J. Davis, Kurt C. Vercauteren

USDA Wildlife Services: Staff Publications

Understanding effectiveness of control strategies of pest species is fundamental for planning efficient and cost-effective management programs. In addition to culling rates, there are many potential factors that can determine efficiency of different management strategies, including demographic processes such as immigration rates, birth dynamics, and spatial ecology. We developed a stochastic, data-based simulation model of feral swine population dynamics which accounted for social dynamics in space. We tested the impacts of different spatio-temporal management strategies (i.e., culling rates, timing of culling during the year, spatial pattern of culling and strength of a barrier to immigration) on population response and efficiency. …


Detection And Persistence Of Environmental Dna From An Invasive, Terrestrial Mammal, Kelly E. Williams, Kathryn P. Huyvaert, Kurt C. Vercauteren, Amy J. Davis, Antoinette J. Piaggio Jan 2017

Detection And Persistence Of Environmental Dna From An Invasive, Terrestrial Mammal, Kelly E. Williams, Kathryn P. Huyvaert, Kurt C. Vercauteren, Amy J. Davis, Antoinette J. Piaggio

USDA Wildlife Services: Staff Publications

Invasive Sus scrofa, a species commonly referred to as wild pig or feral swine, is a destructive invasive species with a rapidly expanding distribution across the United States. We used artificial wallows and small waterers to determine the minimum amount of time needed for pig eDNA to accumulate in the water source to a detectable level. We removed water from the artificial wallows and tested eDNA detection over the course of 2 weeks to understand eDNA persistence. We show that our method is sensitive enough to detect very low quantities of eDNA shed by a terrestrial mammal that has …


Effective Dose And Persistence Of Rhodamine-B In Wild Pig Vibrissae, Sarah C. Webster, Fred L. Cunningham, John C. Kilgo, Mark A. Vukovich, Olin E. Rhodes Jr., James C. Beasley Jan 2017

Effective Dose And Persistence Of Rhodamine-B In Wild Pig Vibrissae, Sarah C. Webster, Fred L. Cunningham, John C. Kilgo, Mark A. Vukovich, Olin E. Rhodes Jr., James C. Beasley

USDA Wildlife Services: Staff Publications

As a result of substantial ecological and economic damage attributed to wild pigs (Sus scrofa), there is international interest in using pharmaceutical baits to control populations. To assess the efficacy and specificity of baiting programs, chemical biomarkers can be used to evaluate uptake of pharmaceutical baits. Rhodamine B (RB) is known to be an effective biomarker in wild pigs. However, significant data gaps exist regarding the minimum effective dosage and persistence of RB in wild pigs. We used a controlled doubleblind study experiment conducted in spring of 2014 on the Savannah River Site, Aiken, South Carolina, USA, wherein …


Comparing The Effectiveness Of 7.5 And 9.0 Gpps To Conduct Low-Frequency Electrofishing To Remove Invasive Catfish From Virginia Waters, George Earl Trice Iv Jan 2017

Comparing The Effectiveness Of 7.5 And 9.0 Gpps To Conduct Low-Frequency Electrofishing To Remove Invasive Catfish From Virginia Waters, George Earl Trice Iv

Reports

The blue catfish Ictalurus furcatus is a non-native species as first introduced to Virginia tidal waters in the 1974 and currently inhabit all major Virginia tributaries of the Chesapeake Bay (Jenkins and Burkhead 1994, Schloesser et al. 2011). More recently, blue catfish have spread to Maryland waters and are multiplying at an alarming rate. The James River tributary has the largest number of blue catfish (Schloesser et al. 2011) in Virginia. The amount of blue catfish inhabiting the James River in unknown but is likely to be over five million (Fabrizio et al. 2009, Greenlee 2011) and blue catfish are …


Floristic Inventory Of Woollen’S Gardens Nature Preserve, Indianapolis, Marion County, Indiana, Usa, With Quantitative Vegetation Sampling Of Permanent Plots In 2003 And 2016, Rebecca W. Dolan, Marcia E. Moore Jan 2017

Floristic Inventory Of Woollen’S Gardens Nature Preserve, Indianapolis, Marion County, Indiana, Usa, With Quantitative Vegetation Sampling Of Permanent Plots In 2003 And 2016, Rebecca W. Dolan, Marcia E. Moore

Scholarship and Professional Work - LAS

Urban forest fragments face challenges to habitat quality due to small size, isolation from larger natural areas, and close association with anthropogenic disturbance. Monitoring changes in vegetation can inform management practices targeted at preserving biodiversity in the face of these threats. Woollen’s Gardens is a high-quality mesic upland forest preserve in the city of Indianapolis, Indiana, USA, with a beechmaple older-growth forest and a significant display of showy spring wildflowers. The entire preserve was inventoried and quantitative vegetation analysis along seven 100 m transects was conducted in 2003 and again in 2016 to track changes. Data from both years document …