Population Biology Commons^™

Integrated Pest Management (Ipm) For Vertebrates: Do We Need To Broaden This Concept?, John Hadidian

Ecology Collection

The concepts and practices of Integrated Pest Management (IPM) are historically grounded in programs aimed at insects and disease-causing organisms affecting agriculture. When applied to vertebrates, IPM concepts have most often been used in rodent control programs. Still, IPM is a powerful model that arguably can, and should, apply to conflicts with any “pest” or problem-causing organism. It may be time to examine contemporary IPM approaches and their relation to traditional vertebrate pest control more closely. Vertebrate IPM should encompass not only the development of sound and practical steps to shape decision-making and actions, but a dialogue about ethics as …

Promiscuous Mating In Feral Pigs (Sus Scrofa) From Texas, Usa, Johanna Delgado-Acevedo, Angeline Zamorano, Randy W. Deyoung, Tyler A. Campbell, David G. Hewitt, David B. Long

USDA Wildlife Services: Staff Publications

Context. Feral pigs represent a significant threat to agriculture and ecosystems and are disease reservoirs for pathogens affecting humans, livestock and other wildlife. Information on the behavioural ecology of feral pigs might increase the efficiency and effectiveness of management strategies.

Aims. We assessed the frequency of promiscuous mating in relation to oestrous synchrony in feral pigs from southern Texas, USA, an agroecosystem with a widespread and well established population of feral pigs. An association between multiple paternity of single litters and synchrony of oestrous may indicate alternative mating strategies, such as mateguarding.

Methods. We collected gravid sows at …

Sandhill Crane Staging And Whooping Crane Migratory Stopover Dynamics In Response To River Management Activities On The Central Platte River, Nebraska, Usa, Felipe Chavez-Ramirez

Proceedings of the North American Crane Workshop

The Central Platte River Valley (CPRV) is a critical stopover for migrating whooping cranes (Grus americana) and the most important staging area for sandhill cranes (G. canadensis) in North America. Due to reduced water flows caused by human activities, the Platte River no longer follows its traditional hydrograph which consisted of high spring flows that produced scouring action that eliminated vegetation. To provide adequate crane roosting habitat during stopover and staging periods, annual and woody vegetation has been mechanically cleared on eastern portions of the CPRV since 1980. Staging sandhill crane riverine roosting area has decreased …

Evaluating Propagation Method Performance Over Time With Bayesian Updating: An Application To Incubator Testing, Sarah J. Converse, Jane N. Chandler, Glenn H. Olsen, Charles C. Shafer

Proceedings of the North American Crane Workshop

In captive-rearing programs, small sample sizes can limit the quality of information on performance of propagation methods. Bayesian updating can be used to increase information on method performance over time. We demonstrate an application to incubator testing at USGS Patuxent Wildlife Research Center. A new type of incubator was purchased for use in the whooping crane (Grus americana) propagation program, which produces birds for release. We tested the new incubator for reliability, using sandhill crane (Grus canadensis) eggs as surrogates. We determined that the new incubator should result in hatching rates no more than 5% lower …

Preliminary Wintering Counts And New Locations Of Sandhill Cranes In Mexico, Ingrid Barceló, Edgar G. López, Felipe Chávez-Ramírez

Proceedings of the North American Crane Workshop

Sandhill cranes (Grus canadensis) undertake a migration twice a year, when more than 400,000 cranes cross the United States from the Arctic of North America and Eastern Siberia to the southwest U.S. and north central Mexico. Although the sandhill crane has been studied intensely, few studies have been done on their Mexican wintering grounds. Little is known about what proportion of the sandhill crane population migrates to Mexico, and there is even less information regarding its dispersion. During winter 2007-2008 we surveyed 30 wetlands in the Chihuahuan Desert ecoregion in northern Mexico, recording presence/absence and number of sandhill …

Behavior And Habitat Use Of Greater Sandhill Cranes Wintering In East Tennessee, David A. Aborn

Proceedings of the North American Crane Workshop

An increase of eastern greater sandhill cranes (Grus canadensis tabida) stopping over and wintering at the Hiwassee Wildlife Refuge in east Tennessee has led to overcrowding at the refuge, resulting in crane use of private property. Proper management is needed to prevent the cranes from becoming a nuisance, increase the suitability of the refuge for waterfowl, and reduce the likelihood of a disease outbreak. Observations of cranes revealed that cranes spent 83% of their time foraging, alert, or preening. Sandhill cranes foraged primarily in agricultural and grassy fields, whereas mudflats and shallow water were used for preening and …

Leg Problems And Power Line Interactions In The Florida Resident Flock Of Whooping Cranes, Jaimie L. Miller, Marilyn G. Spalding, Martin J. Folk

Proceedings of the North American Crane Workshop

We retrospectively reviewed a database with over 1,800 health entries from 296 captive-reared whooping cranes (Grus americana) released in central Florida and 10 wild-fledged chicks from 1992 to 2007. Fifty percent of the study population (n = 306) had 1 or more leg problems that were placed into 4 broad categories: power line interactions (n = 39), other trauma (n = 94), deformities (n = 43), and miscellaneous conditions (n = 106). More males (n = 26, 67%) had power line interactions than females (n = 13, 33%). The majority of these 39 birds died (57%), while the …

Study Of Environmental Variables And Connectivity Of Northern Mexico For Cranes: Conservation Implications, Edgar Gustavo López-Saut, Ricardo Rodriguez Estrella, Felipe Chavez-Ramirez

Proceedings of the North American Crane Workshop

Wetlands are one of the most important ecosystems for biodiversity and as a resource for humans. Humans depend on wetlands for water and food, but with expansion of urban cores, water overexploitation, and the increase of croplands, wetlands are at risk. The Chihuahuan desert is an ecoregion important for the economy and development of Mexico. Although there are many temporal wetlands that support many migratory birds, water in some desert landscapes is being overexploited due to development. This leads to the desiccation of wetlands important for migratory birds such as cranes. The cranes as a group are associated with grasslands …

Causes Of Embryonic Death In Captive Whooping Cranes, Julia N. Letoutchaia, Kelly Maguire, Barry K. Hartup

Proceedings of the North American Crane Workshop

In 2001, the International Whooping Crane Recovery Team and the Whooping Crane Health Advisory Team reemphasized the need for analysis of embryonic deaths within captive breeding flocks to identify preventable deaths and promote increased production of chicks for release programs. We conducted a retrospective study of egg necropsy reports to identify causes of death among developing whooping crane (Grus americana) embryos from captivity. Records from 44 egg necropsies conducted at the International Crane Foundation (ICF) between 2001 and 2008 were reviewed. The eggs were of captive origin (ICF, n = 40; Patuxent Wildlife Research Center, n = 3; …

Migration Patterns And Movements Of Sandhill Cranes Wintering In Central And Southwestern Louisiana, Sammy L. King, Aaron R. Pierce, Kent R. Hersey, Nicholas Winstead

Proceedings of the North American Crane Workshop

In this study we trapped wintering sandhill cranes (Grus canadensis) in Louisiana and fitted them with satellite transmitters to determine their migration routes. Four of the 6 sandhill cranes with validated locations and a terminus point used the Central Flyway for spring migration; 2 of these 4 (the only 2 for which we have data) also used the Central Flyway for fall migration. Two of the 6 birds used the Mississippi Flyway for spring migration. The results of this study suggest that reintroduced whooping cranes (G. americana) that intermix and migrate with sandhill cranes that winter …

Survival, Reproduction, And Movements Of Migratory Whooping Cranes During The First Seven Years Of Reintroduction, Richard P. Urbanek, Lara E. A. Fondow, Sara E. Zimorski

Proceedings of the North American Crane Workshop

An effort to reintroduce a migratory population of whooping cranes (Grus americana) into eastern North America began in 2001. During 2001-2007, 125 juveniles were costume/isolation-reared and released: 106 were led by ultralight aircraft from Necedah National Wildlife Refuge (NWR), central Wisconsin, to Chassahowitzka NWR, central Gulf Coast of Florida, on their first autumn migration (ultralight-led or UL). The remaining 19 individuals were released directly on Necedah NWR during autumn of the hatch year (direct autumn release or DAR). Of 86 UL and 13 DAR cranes that completed their first spring migration, 72 (84%) and 5 (38%), respectively, returned …

Reproductive Health And Performance Of The Florida Flock Of Introduced Whooping Cranes, Marilyn G. Spalding, Martin J. Folk, Stephen A. Nesbitt, Richard Kiltie

Proceedings of the North American Crane Workshop

We retrospectively examined the reproductive parameters of 122 breeding-age whooping cranes (Grus americana) in a reintroduced flock in central Florida from 1992 to 2007. The flock performed poorly when compared with an existing wild flock for all reproductive parameters when controlled for age. Pairs first formed in 1995, nested in 1999, and the first chick fledged in 2002. By 2007, 19 of 63 clutches produced 25 chicks, 9 of which fledged. Drought conditions were ruled out as the sole cause of failure when the drought lessened and productivity increased, but not in all years. We examined adult health, …

Movement Patterns And Population Genetics Of The American Horseshoe Crab In Relation To Long Island Sound Conservation Strategies, Jo-Marie Kasinak, Kirk A. Bartholomew, Mark Beekey, Jennifer Mattei

Biology Faculty Publications

The Connecticut Department of Environmental Protection (CTDEP) established three no-harvest zones for the horseshoe crab (Limulus polyphemus) population as part of a conservation plan for the species. Data from a long-term mark/recapture study of horseshoe crabs in conjunction with a microsatellite-based genetic survey of the population were analyzed to determine if this plan was appropriate to conserve genetic diversity and broaden our knowledge of movement patterns of Limulus in Long Island Sound (LIS). To date, ~53,000 crabs have been tagged over a 10 year period through the Project Limulus program with an annual average recapture rate of 12 …

Reproductive Behavior In Horseshoe Crabs: Does Density Matter?, Jennifer Mattei, Mark Beekey, Adam Rudman, Alyssa Woronik

Biology Faculty Publications

While the four species of horseshoe crabs share many common reproductive traits with respect to their reproductive systems, they do differ with respect to their mating behavior (monogamy vs. polygynandry). Past research has attributed these differences to a number of factors including: spawning densities, operational sex ratios (OSR’s), male condition (or age), environmental and/or genetic factors, or a combination thereof. Mating behaviors in the three Asian horseshoe crab species (Tachypleus gigas , T. tridentatus, and Carcinoscorpius rotundicauda ) with low spawning densities and 1:1 operational sex ratios are typically monogamous. In Limulus polyphemus , mating behavior is more …

The Delimitation Of Flammulina Fennae, Soňa Ripková, Karen Hughes, Slavomír Adamčík, Viktor Kučera, Katarína Adamčíková

Faculty Publications and Other Works -- Ecology and Evolutionary Biology

Multivariate morphometric analyses of micromorphological characters measured on 35 specimens of Flammulina fennae and related species show that only a combination of spore dimensions and ixohyphidia characters are suitable for delimitation of this species. In order to confirm species identifications based on micromorphology, ribosomal ITS DNA sequences were obtained and compared with those previously deposited in GenBank, and phylogenetic analyses were performed using an ITS dataset of all known Flammulina species. All six specimens morphologically determined as F. fennae were identified by molecular data. Two of twelve specimens morphologically assigned to F. velutipes had F. elastica sequences. One ITS sequence …

A New Genus To Accommodate Gymnopus Acervatus (Agaricales), Karen Hughes, David A. Mather, Ronald H. Peterson

Faculty Publications and Other Works -- Ecology and Evolutionary Biology

Phylogenies based on ITS and LSU nrDNA sequences show Agaricus (Gymnopus) acervatus as unique within the Gymnopus/Rhodocollybia complex. These phylogenies imply that a separate genus is necessary, and Connopus is proposed. Infraspecific morphological and DNA-based variation within C. acervatus suggests that a western North American clade might be reproductively isolated from the eastern North American/Scandinavian clade and that in this species complex the European and eastern North American clade might be conspecific. A Scandinavian exemplar is selected for bar-coding. Two GenBank sequences with name-phylogenetic placement inconsistencies are identified.

Assessing Genetic Differentiation Among Populations Of The Invasive Plant Impatiens Glandulifera In Maine, Jordan R. Schoonover

Honors Theses

The annual herbaceous plant Impatiens glandulifera Royle is native to the Himalayas and is a significant invasive species in Europe. In the past century, it was introduced to the United States, where it has become established in 12 states. This study evaluated genetic differentiation among four Maine populations, to address a theory that posits hybridization of distinct lineages as a trigger for invasiveness. Regions of microsatellite repeats were evaluated at two polymorphic loci for 41 plants sampled from the four populations. A striking finding was that the observed heterozygosity was substantially higher than the heterozygosity expected from random combination of …

Genetic Variation For Susceptibility To Storm-Induced Stem Breakage In Solidago Altissima: The Role Of Stem Height And Morphology, M. Wise, W. Abrahamson

Warren G. Abrahamson, II

While storms can have obvious ecological impacts on plants, plants’ potential to respond evolutionarily to selection for increased resistance to storm damage has received little study. We took advantage of a thunderstorm with strong wind and hail to examine genetic variation for resistance to stem breakage in the herbaceous perennial Solidago altissima. The storm broke the apex of nearly 10% of 1883 marked ramets in a common-garden plot containing 26 genets of S. altissima. Plant genets varied 20-fold in resistance to breakage. Stem height was strongly correlated with resistance to breakage, with taller stems being significantly more susceptible. A stem’s …

Spatiotemporal Variation Of Fruit Digestible-Nutrient Production In Florida's Uplands, J. Layne, W. Abrahamson

Warren G. Abrahamson, II

We examined annual total digestible nutrient (TDN) production by fruits of eight species (Quercus chapmanii, Q. geminata, Q. inopina, Q. laevis, Q. myrtifolia, Carya floridana, Sabal etonia, Serenoa repens) that account for the major proportion of TDN production by fruits and seeds in Florida’s xeric upland associations (southern ridge sandhill, sand pine scrub, scrubby flatwoods). Mean annual fruit TDN of all species combined over a 27-year span in sandhill and scrub and 24 years in scrubby flatwoods was highest (45.4 kg/ha) in sandhill, intermediate in scrubby flatwoods (28.8 kg/ha), and lowest in scrub (14.2 kg/ha). Sandhill fruit TDN production was …

Ducking As The Means Of Resistance In "Candy-Cane" Stems Of Goldenrod: Straightened Stems Lose Their Edge, M. J. Wise, W. G. Abrahamson, J. A. Cole

Warren G. Abrahamson, II

Herbivores are among the most pervasive selective forces acting on plants, and the number of plant chemicals that presumably evolved for defense against herbivory is immense. In contrast, biologists are only beginning to appreciate the important roles that architectural traits can play in antiherbivore defense. One putative architectural-resistance trait is the nodding stem apex of some goldenrods (Solidago ; Asteraceae). Individuals of S. altissima genets that undergo temporary nodding in the late spring (i.e., “candy-cane ramets) have been shown to be more resistant than individuals of erect-stemmed genets to certain apex-attacking” herbivores. We tested the hypothesis that the greater resistance …