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Terrestrial and Aquatic Ecology Commons

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Full-Text Articles in Terrestrial and Aquatic Ecology

Spatial Ecology And Resource Selection Of Bighorn Sheep (Ovis Canadensis) Ewes In A Prairie Badlands Population, Erin Wood Jul 2020

Spatial Ecology And Resource Selection Of Bighorn Sheep (Ovis Canadensis) Ewes In A Prairie Badlands Population, Erin Wood

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

The basic spatial ecology and habitat relationships of female bighorn sheep in Nebraska are poorly understood. Establishing seasonal patterns of space use and resource selection for this population at the margin of their historical and current range addresses a key knowledge gap and provides important baseline information for ongoing conservation efforts in Nebraska. We deployed GPS radio-collars on 56 adult ewes in western Nebraska to quantify seasonal space use, movements, and resource selection of ewes. To investigate spatial ecology, we quantified movements of ewes and the factors that influence home range size, seasonal use, and spatial stability across seasons. Home …


Roosting Habitat Use By Sandhill Cranes And Waterfowl On The North And South Platte Rivers In Nebraska, Dana Varner, Aaron T. Pearse, Andy Bishop, Jonas I. Davis, John C. Denton, Roger C. Grosse, Heather M. Johnson, U.S. Fish And Wildlife Service, Soldotna, Ak, Kirk D. Schroeder, Robert E. Spangler, Mark Vrtiska, Angelina E. Wright Jun 2020

Roosting Habitat Use By Sandhill Cranes And Waterfowl On The North And South Platte Rivers In Nebraska, Dana Varner, Aaron T. Pearse, Andy Bishop, Jonas I. Davis, John C. Denton, Roger C. Grosse, Heather M. Johnson, U.S. Fish And Wildlife Service, Soldotna, Ak, Kirk D. Schroeder, Robert E. Spangler, Mark Vrtiska, Angelina E. Wright

United States Geological Survey, Northern Prairie Wildlife Research Center: Publications

Migration ecology and habitat use of spring migrating birds using the Central Platte River is a well-explored topic, yet less is known about use of the North and South Platte rivers (NSPR) in western Nebraska. The efficiency and effectiveness of conservation efforts in the NSPR could be greatly improved with access to information about where and when birds roost and landscape prioritization tools. We used aerial surveys to determine population distribution and migration phenology of sandhill cranes Antigone canadensis, Canada geese Branta canadensis, and ducks using the NSPR for roosting during the mid-February to mid-April spring migration. We used these …


Assessing Lipid Content In Migrating Alewife, Anthony Zenga May 2020

Assessing Lipid Content In Migrating Alewife, Anthony Zenga

Honors College

Alewife are a commercially, economically, and ecologically important fish, that expend large amounts of energy during their long migrations to spawning habitat. This energy demand can influence an individual’s chances of surviving and reproducing successfully. To understand how energy use may affect fitness, we captured alewife from the Souadabscook Stream over the course of their spawning migration. Fifty fish were sampled each week from May 12th to June 10th 2019. The lipid content of each individual was measured by using i) a Distell Fatmeter and ii) gravimetric analysis by measuring muscle moisture as an indirect method to assess lipid content. …


Migratory Flyways May Affect Population Structure In Double‐Crested Cormorants, Steven J.A. Kimble, Brian S. Dorr, Katie C. Hanson-Dorr, Olin E. Rhodes Jr., Travis L. Devault Feb 2020

Migratory Flyways May Affect Population Structure In Double‐Crested Cormorants, Steven J.A. Kimble, Brian S. Dorr, Katie C. Hanson-Dorr, Olin E. Rhodes Jr., Travis L. Devault

United States Department of Agriculture Wildlife Services: Staff Publications

Double‐crested cormorants (Phalacrocorax auritus) recovered from a demographic bottleneck so well that they are now considered a nuisance species at breeding and wintering grounds across the United States and Canada. Management of this species could be improved by refining genetic population boundaries and assigning individuals to their natal population. Further, recent radio‐telemetry data suggest the existence of Interior and Atlantic migratory flyways, which could reduce gene flow and result in substantial genetic isolation. In this study, we used 1,784 individuals collected across the eastern United States, a large panel of microsatellite markers developed for this species, and individuals banded as …