Life Sciences Commons^™

Abundance And Growth Of Juvenile Atlantic Sturgeon In The Edisto River, Sc, Molly Katherine Takacs

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

Information on abundance and body growth are important for understanding the status and health of populations, and this information can be used to guide and monitor conservation and recovery efforts for species of conservation concern. The Atlantic Sturgeon (Acipenser oxyrinchus oxyrinchus) is an anadromous fish native to the Atlantic coast of the United States and Canada. Due to overfishing and habitat degradation, population levels declined, and Atlantic Sturgeon were placed on the Endangered Species list in 2012. Although there is substantial research on adult Atlantic Sturgeon, knowledge about their early life history is lacking. The objective of this study were …

Masked Bobwhite Recovery: The Need For A Multifaceted Approach, Lacrecia A. Johnson, Matthew J. Butler, Rebecca Chester, John G. Goodwin Jr., Grant M. Harris, Steven E. Sesnie, Donald H. Wolfe

National Quail Symposium Proceedings

Masked bobwhite (Colinus virginianus ridgwayi) is a critically endangered quail historically found in the Sonoran grasslands of southern Arizona, USA and Sonora, Mexico. Native populations of masked bobwhite may already be extinct in the wild, but captive populations exist in the United States at G. M. Sutton Avian Research Center (Oklahoma, USA), Buenos Aires National Wildlife Refuge (Arizona, USA), and various zoos. The 47,000-hectare Buenos Aires National Wildlife Refuge, located in south-central Arizona, was established primarily for reintroduction of this bird. Recovery efforts within the refuge boundary in the 1980s and 1990s were initially successful but suffered debilitating …

Conservation Genetics Of A Declining Bumble Bee In Western North America; The Influence Of Geography, Dispersal Limitation, And Anthopogenic Activity, Ashley T. Rohde

All Graduate Theses and Dissertations, Spring 1920 to Summer 2023

Conservation biology addresses the problem of species loss by identifying species in need of protection. Conservation biology has subfields to address different aspects of biodiversity loss, including genetics and sociology. I used genetic approaches to assess the conservation status of western bumble bees, a bumble bee species of conservation concern.

The western bumble bee is a bumble bee species that ranges from Alaska to New Mexico and as far east as Wyoming and Colorado. This species is disappearing in some places. It may soon be listed as endangered in the United States and is already listed as endangered in parts …

Habitat Use Of The Threatened River Redhorse (Moxostoma Carinatum) In The Grand River, Mi, Usa, Nicholas M. Preville, Eric B. Snyder, Dan O'Keefe, Scott Hanshue, Amy Russell, Justin Radecki

Peer Reviewed Publications

The resilience of aquatic ecosystems hinges on our ability to protect the native species that reside within them. The river redhorse (Moxostoma carinatum) is one such example and populations have become low enough to warrant a threatened status by the State of Michigan. An insufficient understanding of the species’ habitat use outside of its spawning season hinders the ability of fisheries managers to implement appropriate habitat protection and restoration measures. To enhance our understanding of river redhorse habitat use, we implanted 15 individuals with radio transmitters during the spring spawning run and tracked their locations over the course …

Efficacy Of Conservation Actions For Imperiled Colorado River Fishes In The Grand Canyon, Arizona, Brian D. Healy

All Graduate Theses and Dissertations, Spring 1920 to Summer 2023

Many fishes are critically imperiled, particularly in their native rivers, due to human water use and dam construction, which can dramatically alter habitats and block fish migratory routes. The introduction of invasive sport-fishes that prey on native fish further threatens native species that maybe restricted to only a single river basin (i.e., “endemic”). To preserve native fishes in river systems with degraded habitats, managers need to understand the effects of conservation actions to ensure limited resources are applied effectively. Two commonly applied native fish conservation actions include removal of invasive fishes, and translocations of native fish from one place into …

Detecting Ecosystem Response To Restoration Efforts With Implications For Recovery Of The Threatened June Sucker (Chasmistes Liorus) In A Shallow, Eutrophic, Utah Lake, Ryan D. Dillingham

All Graduate Theses and Dissertations, Spring 1920 to Summer 2023

Environmental damage associated with a growing human population will increase globally without active management. Restoration can promote ecosystem recovery, yet often fails to produce desired results and may require decades to achieve noticeable benefits. Detecting small, incremental change sis imperative in these difficult situations. Here, I demonstrate that restoration focused on fish removal triggers incremental responses in aquatic plants and animals. Removing common carp is expected to encourage recovery of aquatic plants, increasing animal habitat, resulting in more macroinvertebrates (e.g., aquatic insects, snails). Carp removal should also increase water clarity, improving visibility for fishes, thus increasing their ability to find …

Mississippi Sandhill Crane Conservation Update 2017-2019, Scott G. Hereford, Angela J. Dedrickson

Proceedings of the North American Crane Workshop

To manage crane habitat on the Mississippi Sandhill Crane National Wildlife Refuge during 2017-2019, 5,822 ha were treated with prescribed burns, 648 ha of woody vegetation were removed, 97 ha of invasive plants were chemically treated, and 1.2 ha of crops were planted. Mississippi sandhill crane (Grus canadensis pulla) use responded to habitat treatment; 348 of 349 VHF radio locations were in treated areas. There were 316 target predators removed. Eighteen captive-reared juveniles were acclimated and released. We detected an average of 38 nests per year, including a record 40 nests in 2019. Fifteen chicks fledged in 2019, …

Abert’S Squirrel Management In Support Of Endangered Mount Graham Red Squirrel Recovery In Arizona, Aaron R. Morehead, Christopher Carillo, Holly Hicks, Wade Sanders, David L. Bergman

United States Department of Agriculture Wildlife Services: Staff Publications

Recovery of the endangered Mount Graham red squirrel (MGRS) will likely be long and challenging. Its limited habitat, isolation to Pinaleño Mountain range, and demographic characteristics restrict its ability to rebound quickly from threats that impact both the squirrel and its habitat. Currently, threats to the MGRS include habitat degradation and loss through high-severity wildfire, fire suppression activities, insect outbreaks, climate change, and human development, and predation, as well as competition with Abert’s squirrels. The most recent wildfire in 2017 impacted over 48,000 acres of already reduced habitat. A critical first step is to protect and manage the remaining population …