Physical Sciences and Mathematics Commons^™

Effects Of Temperature Anomalies On The Palmer Drought Severity Index In The Central United States, Q. Steven Hu, Garry D. Wilson

School of Natural Resources: Faculty Publications

The purpose of this study is to improve our understanding of temperature and precipitation effects on the Palmer Drought Severity Index (PDSI). Both theoretical and observational analyses were applied to separate and compare temperature and precipitation effects on PDSI. The results showed that because of the dependence of PDSI on the ‘climatologically appropriate rainfall’, which is a function of time and varies with surface air temperature, the PDSI can be equally affected by temperature and precipitation, when both have similar magnitudes of anomalies. Calculations using observational data further illustrated the temperature influence on PDSI in different climate regions in the …

The Use Of Benthic Macroinvertebrates By Rainbow Trout (Oncorhynchus Mykiss) In Lake Ogallala, Nebraska, Tyler J. Pearson

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

No abstract provided.

Ecological And Physiological Factors Affecting Nesting Success Of Burrowing Owls In Buffalo Gap National Grassland, Randall L. Griebel

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

The western burrowing owl (Athene cunicularia hypugea) has been declining throughout much of its range, and in some areas, quite dramatically. In the Great Plains region, these declines appear to be closely associated with declines in prairie dog numbers. Most research to date has taken place on relatively small, fragmented prairie dog colonies. The objectives of this study were to analyze burrowing owl reproductive performance (i.e., clutch size, brood size, and number fledged), and nestling body condition in relation to nest level and colony level factors in Buffalo Gap National Grassland, South Dakota. Buffalo Gap contains large prairie …

The Prairie Naturalist Volume 32, No.4 December 2000

The Prairie Naturalist

LOCATING NESTS OF BIRDS IN GRASSLANDS FROM A MOBILE TOWER BLIND ▪ . T. F. Fondell, S. T. Hoekman, and L J. Ball

OBSERVATIONS ON SMALL MAMMALS RECOVERED FROM OWL PELLETS FROM NEBRASKA ▪ J J Huebschman, P. W Freeman, H. H. Genoways, and J A. Gubanyi

DlSTRIBUTION, HABITAT USE, AND NESTING SUCCESS OF HENSLOW'S SPARROW IN OKLAHOMA ▪ D. L. Reinking, D. A. Wiedenfeld, D. H. Wolfe, and R. W. Rohrbaugh, Jr.

REPRODUCTIVE SUCCESS OF PIPING PLOVERS ON ALKALI LAKES IN NORTH DAKOTA AND MONTANA ▪ R. K. Murphy, M. J. Rabenberg, M. L. Sondreal, B. R. Casler, and …

Water Current, Volume 32, No. 6, December 2000

Water Current Newsletter

Lake Classification Project Could Establish National Water Quality Ranking Procedure
From the Director: Profiling the Individuals and Efforts That Comprise the Water Center; Faculty Members Named to Administrative Posts
Meet the Faculty: David M. Admiraal; John C. Holz
Quality-Assessed Groundwater Pesticide Data Available Online
Groundwater Guardians
Pesticides Discovered in Ogallala Aquifer According to Recent USGS Study
Spring Semester Water Resources Seminar: Social Sciences Affect on Allocation of Water and Natural Resources
Nominations Solicited for 2001 Nebraska Water Conference
Water News Briefs
Congratulations to Our Winners
Avoid Fall Irrigation
TGF National Award Recipients
Our New Look
Watch Us on the Web …

Utility Of North Atlantic Right Whale Museum Specimens For Assessing Changes In Genetic Diversity, Howard C. Rosenbaum, Mary G. Egan, Phillip Clapham, Robert L. Brownell Jr., Sobia Malik, Moira Brown, Bradley White, Peter Walsh, Rob Desalle

United States Department of Commerce: Staff Publications

We examined six historical specimens of the endangered North Atlantic right whale (Eubalaena glacialis) using DNA isolated from documented baleen plates from the late nineteenth and early twentieth centuries. Sequences from the mitochondrial DNA (mtDNA) control region from these samples were compared with those from a near-exhaustive survey (269 of approximately 320 individuals) of the remaining right whales in the western North Atlantic Ocean. Our results suggest that there has been only relatively modest change in maternal lineage diversity over the past century in the North Atlantic right whale population. Any significant reduction in genetic variation in the …

Further Scrutiny Of Scientific Whaling, Robert L. Brownell Jr., Michael F. Tillman, Giuseppe Notarbartolo Di Sciara, Per Berggren, Andrew J. Read

United States Department of Commerce: Staff Publications

Normile reports on Japan's expanded scientific whaling program and notes that "Canada, the United States, the Soviet Union, South Africa, and Japan were among several countries that [conducted scientific whaling] before 1982 [the year the IWC passed the worldwide commercial moratorium on whaling], but in recent years Japan has stood alone." Although true, this statement omits three equally important points.

Ornithological Literature, Robert C. Beason

USDA Wildlife Services: Staff Publications

BABY BIRD PORTRAITS BY GEORGE MIKSCH SUTTON.

COLLINS ILLUSTRATED CHECKLIST: BIRDS OF SOUTHERN AFRICA.

BIRDS OF AFRICA: FROM SEABIRDS TO SEED-EATERS. By Chris and Tilde Stuart.

HARMONY AND CONFLICT IN THE LIVING WORLD. By Alexander F. Skutch.

HOPE IS THE THING WITH FEATHERS. By Christopher Cokinos.

STURKIE’S AVIAN PHYSIOLOGY. Edited by G. Causey Whittow.

STARLINGS AND MYNAS. By Chris Feare and Adrian Craig.

BIRDING IN THE AMERICAN WEST. By Kevin J. Zimmer.

TAKING WING: ARCHAEOPTERYX AND THE EVOLUTION OF BIRD FLIGHT. By Pat Shipman.

The Effectiveness Of The Asos, Mmts, Gill, And Crs Air Temperature Radiation Shields*, K. G. Hubbard, X. Lin, E.A. Walter-Shea

School of Natural Resources: Faculty Publications

Periodic upgrades of air temperature measurement systems in surface weather station networks cause data discontinuities. From a climatological viewpoint, it is necessary to evaluate the air temperature data discontinuities when air temperature radiation shields are upgraded. This study was undertaken to investigate the effectiveness of four common air temperature radiation shields including the Automated Surface Observing System (ASOS), the Maximum–Minimum Temperature System (MMTS), the Gill, and the Cotton Region Shelter (CRS) shields. The solar radiation shielding effectiveness for each shield under typical grass ground surface and different artificial surfaces (black, white, and aluminum) were investigated. The shield effectiveness was evaluated …

Horse Creek Fen, Birdwood Creek And Kelly Ranch Inventory, Robert F. Steinauer

Nebraska Game and Parks Commission: White Papers, Conference Presentations, and Manuscripts

Horse Creek Fen preserve is a complex of wetland communities (Sandhills fen, Sandhills freshwater marsh, and northern sedge wet meadow) associated with Horse Creek, a ditched stream that drains the Allen Valley fen. Fen vegetation on the preserve is limited to approximately 20 acres on the western boundary of the preserve where it abuts the eastern end of the Allen Valley fen (Steinauer et al. 1996). The fen vegetation is surrounded primarily by Sandhills freshwater marsh, which in turn is surrounded by northern sedge wet meadow. Additional Sandhills freshwater marsh occurs near the eastern boundary of the preserve. The eastern …

Closing - Conference Summary, James E. Miller

Wildlife Damage Management Conference Proceedings

It has been a distinct pleasure for me to have attended and participated in each of the previous eight Eastern Wildlife Damage Management Conferences, dating back to 1983, as a member of the planning committees, as well as for this first Wildlife Damage Management Conference. I have enjoyed participating, learning from each conference, as well as visiting with old friends and colleagues and meeting new colleagues. Although I have been around long enough to know that no matter how hard you try you can't please everyone, I ask those of you who enjoyed participating in this Conference to join me …

The Ninth Wildlife Damage Management Conference: Proceedings Frontmatter & Contents

Wildlife Damage Management Conference Proceedings

PROCEEDINGS OF THE NINTH WILDLIFE DAMAGE MANAGEMENT CONFERENCE, October 5-8, 2000 State College, Pennsylvania.
Edited by Margaret C. Brittingham, Jonathan Kays, Rebecka McPeake. Layout and design by Vicki Lucas.
Hosted by The School of Forest Resources, College of Agricultural Sciences, The Pennsylvania State University.
Co-sponsor: United States Department of Agriculture Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service.
Contributors Humane Society of the United States, National Park Service, New Jersey Department of Agriculture, New Jersey Division of Fish and Wildlife, Reed-Joseph International Company, U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, U.S. Forest Service, Western Pennsylvania Conservancy, Wisconsin Department of Natural Resources, Woodstream Corporation, Jack …

History And Future Of Wildlife Damage Management Conference, Daniel J. Decker

Wildlife Damage Management Conference Proceedings

The Eastern Wildlife Damage Management (EWDM) Conference was developed (1st conference held in 1983) to focus on people-wildlife interaction issues occurring in the eastern U.S. Developed as a Renewable Resources Extension Act activity, the purpose of the conference was to improve wildlife resource management and increase outputs of agricultural and forestry commodities. A primary planning issue for the 1st EWDM Conference was whether to represent the conference focus as wildlife damage "control" or "management." Control was selected initially, but the title evolved since then to be replaced by "management," reflecting the central role of wildlife conflict mitigation in wildlife management. …

A History Of Wildlife Damage Management: Twelve Lessons For Today, Robert M. Timm

Wildlife Damage Management Conference Proceedings

The history of wildlife damage management in the United States, beginning with the roots of the federal Biological Survey, is examined. Selected lessons are drawn from history and applied to today's situation, in the hope that they will be useful to those who guide this profession in the 21st Century.

The Use Of Border Collies In Avian And Wildlife Control Programs, Nicholas B. Carter

Wildlife Damage Management Conference Proceedings

Airports attract large numbers of wildlife primarily because they offer immense tracts of foraging and nesting habitats free from the threat of predation. Border collies can serve as an effective means of wildlife control in these environments by introducing a predator into the ecosystem. Many wildlife dispersal methods seek to imitate predators or the effect of predators and become increasingly ineffective as wildlife habituate to the stimuli. However, border collies are true predators, representing an actual, not perceived, threat to wildlife thereby eliminating the problems of habituation. Six airports and military bases have initiated use of border collies at their …

Comparison Of Standard And Modified Soft Catch® Traps For Capturing Coyotes, Bobcats, And Raccoons, Jan F. Kamler, Chad Richardson, Philip S. Gipson

Wildlife Damage Management Conference Proceedings

Capture rates and injury rates of coyotes (Canis latrans), bobcats {Lynx rufus), and raccoons (Procyon lotor) captured in standard No. 3 Soft Catch® traps were compared to those captured in the same trap type modified with the Taos Lightening Spring™ (TLS) double torsion spring. All traps were equipped with Paws-I-Trip™ pan tension devices and were successful in excluding most small nontarget species. We captured 15 coyotes and 17 bobcats from October 1995 to March 1997. In addition, 23 raccoons, a large nontarget species, were captured. Capture rates for coyotes were higher (P < 0.10) in TLS modified traps (92%) than standard traps (27%), whereas capture rates were similar (P > 0.10) for raccoons (85% and 67%, respectively) and …

Aversive And Disruptive Stimulus Applications For Managing Predation, John A. Shivik, Daniel J. Martin

Wildlife Damage Management Conference Proceedings

The range expansion and reintroduction of mammalian predators (e.g., wolves, coyotes and bears) coupled with growing disfavor for traditional tools of wildlife management creates an immediate need for alternative, non-lethal, but effective techniques for managing predation on livestock. Scientists at the National Wildlife Research Center are using advanced technology and animal behavior concepts (e.g., aversive and disruptive stimuli) to develop new tools for the prevention of damage by large mammalian predators, and this paper is a review of our pilot studies investigating these techniques. Recently tested tools include behavior contingent disruptive stimulus devices for wolves and coyotes. Experiments indicate the …

Survey Of Factors Affecting The Success Of Clemson Beaver Pond Levelers Installed In Mississippi By Wildlife Services, Dale L. Nolte, Seth R. Swafford, Charles A. Sloan

Wildlife Damage Management Conference Proceedings

Clemson beaver pond levelers were developed as a tool to enable land managers to manipulate water flow past beaver (Castor canadensis) dams. Wildlife Services has installed several of these devices in collaboration with landowners. We conducted a survey to determine if we could identify factors that impacted whether the devices were meeting landowner objectives. Fifty percent of the 40 levelers surveyed were still operating and regarded as successful. Factors considered in the survey included management objectives, time since the leveler was installed, watershed characteristics, physical attributes of the stream and of the beaver dam where the leveler was installed, and …

Gis Use In Oral Rabies Vaccine Programs, Patricia R. Bright, Elizabeth Schmidt, Francois Elvinger, Michelle M. Weisbarth, R. F. Bulley, Cynthia L. Mills

Wildlife Damage Management Conference Proceedings

Frequent human and domestic animal exposures to rabid wildlife have raised the public's awareness, leading to an increase in the number of wildlife submissions for rabies testing as well as an increase in the number of people requiring post exposure prophylaxis treatment. During 1998 and 1999, the Health and Human Services Department of a densely populated urban/suburban county in Virginia received a total of 955 animal submissions for rabies testing. Wildlife accounted for 714 of the submissions. Seventy-nine of the submitted wildlife were found dead, 445 were killed or euthanized for testing (190 unknown). Of the wildlife submissions, 152 (21%) …

Community Bat Management, Jerry D. Hassinger, Calvin M. Butchkoski, Harold S. Korber

Wildlife Damage Management Conference Proceedings

When a house bat colony (primarily Myotis lucifugus) is excluded from a traditional maternity roost, surviving bats add to nearby roosts or access new roosts in other buildings. To prevent this and the potential for attendant nuisance, and to conserve bats, the Pennsylvania Game Commission recommends using one or more bat boxes to attract the displaced colony. The "standard-sized" bat box used in Pennsylvania will house up to 250 little brown bats. This reactive technique has proved useful for managing single, small colonies (< 1,000 bats) in rural areas. We are, however, trying a different, proactive technique to manage large colonies or multiple colonies in a community. Newport, PA, for example, has multiple colonies in buildings within 200 meters of riparian habitat along the Juniata River. Over 7,000 bats were counted exiting a single building. To begin the process of managing these bats, the high school conservation club and town leaders were engaged and presented information about the value of bats. Programs were also presented to a school assembly and to the community. As a result, the conservation club was provided with a site at the community's water treatment plant to erect a bat condo. This site is within 1 km of at least 2 large bat colonies in old buildings. The condo is a 2.4 m square box on posts. It's 2.4 m tall with its bottom 3 m above the ground. Inside, 80 sheets of plywood provide roosting crevices for at least 2,500 bats. Supervised by the Wildlife Diversity Section of the Game Commission, the condo was built in late spring, 1999. A chain-link fence helps protect it from vandalism.

Comprehensive Management Of Commensal Bats, Stephen C. Frantz, Brian R. Laniewicz

Wildlife Damage Management Conference Proceedings

This paper reviews the basic concepts behind a comprehensive management approach to managing commensal species, and then considers how this approach is applied to bats that live within and about the built environment. Management activities should take into consideration the whole environment in which the target species is active, including the periodic changes that occur within that environment. Comprehensive management includes a clear understanding of: the biology, behavior and ecology of the species to be managed; the environment in which that species is active (especially harborage location); and the appropriate intervention methods used to manage such species. Interventions fall under …

Wildlife Damage In The Suburbs: Conflicts In A Human-Wildlife Landscape, Rebecca Field

Wildlife Damage Management Conference Proceedings

The sprawling communities surrounding cities pose a paradox for wildlife. Suburban habitat, with parks, greenways, and planned open spaces, provide attractive habitat with abundant resources for some wildlife species. Yet the landscape is dominated by human activities and disturbances. Species with little tolerance for human disturbance and habitat changes have difficulty maintaining their populations in suburban environments. Yet more adaptable species flourish in suburban areas where there are less predators, increased food resources, and abundant habitat for cover and raising young. The resulting overabundant wildlife populations pose increasing problems for biologists, wildlife damage practitioners, and the public. Management of urban …

Efforts To Enhance Stakeholder Communications In North Carolina's Wildlife Damage Control Agent System, Peter T. Bromley, Carl W. Betsill

Wildlife Damage Management Conference Proceedings

In 1995, North Carolina Wildlife Resources Commission (NCWRC) established policy and rules for handling of nuisance wildlife by Wildlife Damage Control Agents (WDCA). The policy required a one-day long training session, culminating in an open book, certification examination. The North Carolina Cooperative Extension Service (NCCES) conducted the training and administered the examination. The certification-training program covered principles of wildlife damage management, wildlife laws and regulations, humane handling of animals and euthanasia, human health risks from exposure to wildlife, professional ethics, and sources of technical information. Between Octoberl995 and March 2000,7 certification-training sessions were held and 289 WDCA's were certified, with …

Perceptions Of White-Tailed Deer Abundance And Management Among Hunters And Landowners In Illinois, Craig A. Miller, Paul Shelton

Wildlife Damage Management Conference Proceedings

State wildlife agencies often find themselves between hunters and landowners in managing white-tailed deer. During 1999 the Illinois Department of Natural Resources (IDNR) restricted archery deer harvest in a 5-county region of East-central Illinois to antlered deer only during the first month of the season. Restrictions were due to declining deer populations and increased archery harvest in the 5-county zone. Hunters in adjacent Shelby County claimed they were seeing fewer deer and lobbied both the IDNR and state legislators for inclusion in the restricted zone during the fall 2000 hunting season. We conducted a telephone survey of resident archery deer …

Den Site Selection And Movement Patterns Of Female Raccoons Following Removal And Exclusion From Residences, Anthony J. Denicola, Michael A. O'Donnell

Wildlife Damage Management Conference Proceedings

Raccoons (Procyon lotor) are one of many wildlife species that have adapted to survive in urban/suburban environments. Classified as a rabies vector species in many eastern states, their disposition after being handled by wildlife specialists is often dictated by this human health concern. Specifically, some states prohibit relocation and mandate that raccoons be released on site or euthanized. Although management using nonlethal means is often preferred by some segments of the human population, several questions remain to be addressed before appropriate agency policies regarding the handling of urban wildlife can be determined. There is little information available regarding the fate …

Special Resident Canada Goose Hunting Seasons In Pennsylvania - Management Implications For Controlling Resident Canada Geese, John P. Dunn, Kevin J. Jacobs

Wildlife Damage Management Conference Proceedings

Special hunting seasons were first implemented in 1992 to help reduce the growth rate of Pennsylvania's rapidly expanding resident Canada goose (Branta canadensis) population. Special seasons timed to occur before and after fall migration were successful in harvesting resident and not migrant Canada geese. Since 1992, September and late season hunting opportunities have been gradually expanded to include the entire state. The special season harvest of resident Canada geese has increased from about 13,000 birds in 1992 to over 68,000 in 1999. Special hunting seasons now account for over 80% of the entire Canada goose kill in Pennsylvania. Despite the …

Investigations Of Methods To Reduce Damage By Voles, Gary W. Witmer, A. A. Hakim, Brian W. Moser

Wildlife Damage Management Conference Proceedings

Voles (Microtus spp.), small burrowing rodents, range over much of North America. Populations cycle and achieve peak densities every 3-5 years. This can result in severe damage to various resources: orchards, forest plantings, alfalfa and other crops, ornamentals, lawns, and gardens. A variety of methods are used to reduce vole damage, but there is still a need for new, cost-effective, and environmentally benign approaches. We investigated numerous candidate repellents and barriers with indoor vole colonies in soil-filled tanks. Several compounds (blood meal, capsaicin, castor oil, coyote urine, quebracho, and thiram) showed promise as repellents, but only at high concentrations. Many …

Porcine Zona Pellucida Vaccine (Zonacon) As An Immunocontraceptive In Deer, Lowell A. Miller, Gary J. Killian, Paul D. Curtis

Wildlife Damage Management Conference Proceedings

Abstract: Research on a PZP contraceptive vaccine was performed at 2 sites; Penn State University and Seneca Army Depot in upper New York. The Penn State study included immune response, hormone analysis, fawning and behavioral analysis. The Seneca depot studied behavioral and fawning response in a semi-free ranging setting. At Penn State University, in a 7 year study, does were actively immunized for two years resulting in a 90% reduction in fawns. They were followed for 5 more years to determine if the effect was reversible. The reduction in fawning over the 7 years was 72%. Most deer returned to …

Exhibitor List

Wildlife Damage Management Conference Proceedings

Exhibitor List for the Ninth Wildlife Damage Management Conference, October 2000.

What Are The Research Needs And Skills Of The Future?, Richard D. Curnow

Wildlife Damage Management Conference Proceedings

One can be a student of Tom Peters, management visionary and futurist, or Gary San Julian, a leader in the academics of wildlife damage management (WDM), but that is not necessary to be impressed and excited by the rapid trends and unpredictable events that are altering how we think about and attempt to manage the nation's precious wildlife resources. Because of the boundless propensity of mankind to develop, inhabit, and alter the landscape, wildlife managers of today and the future require different strategies, tools, and skills than those who did such a fine job of conservation and management in past …