Digital Commons Network^™

Using Prescribed Fire And Biosolids Applications As Grassland Management Tools: Do Wildlife Respond?, Brian E. Washburn, Michael J. Begier

United States Department of Agriculture Wildlife Services: Staff Publications

Prescribed burning is a management tool commonly used in forested ecosystems in the southeastern United States, but the influence of this method on grassland vegetation and wildlife in this geographic region is unknown. During 2009–2015, we conducted a study to determine if the application of prescribed burning and/or long-term biosolid applications alter plant communities and/or wildlife use of grassland areas at Marine Corps Air Station Cherry Point, Havelock, North Carolina. We monitored vegetation growth, measured plant community composition, and documented wildlife activity in four study plots for 3 years after the implementation of annual winter prescribed burns. Prescribed burning reduced …

Potential Landscape Connectivity For Invasive Wild Pigs (Sus Scrofa) Across The Northern Prairies Of North America, Corey J. Kramer, Melanie R. Boudreau, Ryan Powers, Kurt C. Vercauteren, Ryan S. Miller, Ryan K. Brook

United States Department of Agriculture Wildlife Services: Staff Publications

Understanding landscape scale connectivity is an essential component in the management of invasive species since connectivity facilitates their invasion potential. Invasive wild pigs (Sus scrofa) are among the most prolific invaders on the planet, causing billions of dollars in agricultural and environmental damage annually. Newly introduced to Canada in the 1980s, we examined wild pig invasion potential across the northern prairies from western Canada into the currently wild pig-free northern U.S. states. We used GPS collar data collected in the Canadian prairies to quantify resource selection and incorporated results into an electric circuit theory framework to evaluate potential …

Rapid Point-Of-Care Testing For Detection Of Antibodies To Toxoplasma Gondii In Black Vultures And Ring-Billed Gulls From Pennsylvania, Alexa Rosypal Von Dohlen, Sydney Randall, Jordyan Grays, Mark A. Dugo, Brian J. Hunt, Justin Brown, Kyle Van Why, Sawsan Ammar, Richard Gerhold

United States Department of Agriculture Wildlife Services: Staff Publications

Toxoplasma gondii is a zoonotic protozoan parasite that infects most warm-blooded animals, including birds. Scavenging birds are epidemiologically important hosts because they can serve as indicators of environmental T. gondii levels. A rapid point-of-care (POC) test that detects antibodies to T. gondii in humans is commercially available. In this research, we assessed the ability of the human POC test to detect anti–T. gondii antibodies in 106 black vultures (Coragyps atratus) and 23 ring-billed gulls (Larus delawarensis) from Pennsylvania, USA. Serum samples were tested with the POC test and compared to the modified …

Low Secondary Risks For Turkey Vultures From A Sodium Nitrite Toxic Bait For Wild Pigs, Justin A. Foster, John C. Kinsey, Michael J. Lavelle, Kurt C. Vercauteren, Nathan P. Snow

United States Department of Agriculture Wildlife Services: Staff Publications

An acute and orally‐delivered toxic bait for wild pigs (Sus scrofa) containing sodium nitrite (SN) is being developed and tested for potential registration in the U.S. We evaluated oral toxicity of SN and risk of secondary consumption in a common avian scavenger, the turkey vulture (Carthartes aura), by 1) conducting an acute oral toxicity test (LD₅₀) for turkey vultures by oral gavage, and 2) allowing turkey vultures to feed on whole carcasses and digestive tracts of wild pigs that died from consuming SN‐laden bait. Captive tests were conducted during fall 2016 and spring 2017 in the …

A Method For Characterizing Disease Emergence Curves From Paired Pathogen Detection And Serology Data, Joshua Hewitt, Grete Wilson-Henjum, Derek T. Collins, Jourdan M. Ringenberg, Christopher A. Quintanal, Robert Pleszewski, Jeffrey C. Chandler, Thomas J. Deliberto, Kim M. Pepin

United States Department of Agriculture Wildlife Services: Staff Publications

1. Wildlife disease surveillance programs and research studies track infection and identify risk factors for wild populations, humans and agriculture. Often, several types of samples are collected from individuals to provide more complete information about an animal's infection history. Methods that jointly analyse multiple data streams to study disease emergence and drivers of infection via epidemiological process models remain underdeveloped. Joint-analysis methods can more thoroughly analyse all available data, more precisely quantifying epidemic processes, outbreak status, and risks.

2. We contribute a paired data modelling approach that analyses multiple samples from individuals. We use ‘characterization maps’ to link paired data …

Torque Teno Sus Virus 1: A Potential Surrogate Pathogen To Study Pig-Transmitted Transboundary Animal Diseases, Xiaolong Li, Brandon M. Parker, Raoul K. Boughton, James C. Beasley, Timothy J. Smyser, James D. Austin, Kim M. Pepin, Ryan S. Miller, Kurt C. Vercauteren, Samantha M. Wisely

United States Department of Agriculture Wildlife Services: Staff Publications

Understanding the epidemiology and transmission dynamics of transboundary animal diseases (TADs) among wild pigs (Sus scrofa) will aid in preventing the introduction or containment of TADs among wild populations. Given the challenges associated with studying TADs in free-ranging populations, a surrogate pathogen system may predict how pathogens may circulate and be maintained within wild free-ranging swine populations, how they may spill over into domestic populations, and how management actions may impact transmission. We assessed the suitability of Torque teno sus virus 1 (TTSuV1) to serve as a surrogate pathogen for molecular epidemiological studies in wild pigs by investigating …

Common Grackle (Quiscalus Quiscula) Predation Of A Great Lakes Piping Plover (Charadrius Melodus) Nest And Its Conservation Implications, Jade R. Arneson, Dennis A. Peloquin, Thomas G. Prestby, Sarah P. Saunders

United States Department of Agriculture Wildlife Services: Staff Publications

Common grackle (Quiscalus quiscula) was observed consuming eggs from an exclosed (protected) Great Lakes piping plover (Charadrius melodus) nest in the lower bay of Green Bay, Lake Michigan in Wisconsin, USA during June 2023. The observation, captured by a trail camera, is the first photographic documentation of grackle predation in any of the three piping plover breeding populations. This behavior adds common grackle to the suite of egg predators and has critical implications for this shorebird species, particularly in the Great Lakes region where piping plover is listed as federally endangered and common grackles are relatively …

Longevity In Afrikaner Cattle: A Survival Analysis, Allison M. Bot Steffl

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

The Afrikaner breed of cattle is indigenous to South Africa and due to their hardiness was once the most popular breed amongst farmers. The objectives for this study were to: (1) estimate environmental effects (age at first calving, season) and (2) genetic variance affecting longevity in Afrikaner cattle using survival analysis and a Weibull model and (3) evaluate the effect of the Infusion Project on longevity utilizing a Cox model. For the first objective, age at first calving impacted longevity as younger age at first calving was associated with decreased longevity. Season of birth and year of birth also impacted …

Understanding Angler Responses To Fish Stocking Programs Across South Dakota, Riley L. Mounsdon

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

Fisheries management is a complex process that often requires consideration of many factors to be implemented effectively. Stocking is one of the most often used fisheries management techniques for addressing a myriad of issues in the fisheries field. Stocking is also one of the largest expenses for many fisheries management agencies. Due to license sale declines, management actions including stocking, are being evaluated by many agencies to determine if there are ways to improve efficiency and effectiveness to reduce costs and enhance angler participation. For my second chapter, I evaluated the current fish stocking decision-making process within South Dakota Game, …

Influence Of Reduced Salt In Fully Cooked Ham And Sausage Cured With Natural Celery Powder On The Growth Of Listeria Monocytogenes At 4⁰C, Anne Sherod

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

This research evaluated the influence of reducing salt on outgrowth of L. monocytogenes on ready to eat (RTE) deli-style sliced ham cured with natural celery powder, fully cooked sausage links cured with traditional sodium nitrite and sausage links cured with natural celery powder, vacuum packaged and stored at 4⁰C on the outgrowth of L. monocytogenes. Experiment 1 evaluated L. monocytogenes outgrowth on ham over 153 days on the following treatments, current retail ham (HC) 2.0% salt; reduced salt 1 (HRS1) 1.5% salt; reduced salt 2 (HSR2) 1.35% salt; and reduced salt 2 without antimicrobials (HRS2WA) 1.35% salt without potassium lactate …

Role Of Production Systems On Carcass And Palatability Attributes Of Bison, Lydia Margaret Hite O'Sullivan

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

The overall objective of this dissertation was to determine the impact of finishing systems on carcass and palatability attributes of bison. The specific objectives were 1) determine the influence of finishing system (grain-finished vs. grass-finished) on the mechanisms of tenderness formation in the longissimus lumborum of bison bulls, 2) determine the influence of diverse finishing systems on carcass characteristics and proximate composition of bison heifers, and 3) determine the influence of diverse finishing systems on palatability of striploin steaks from bison heifers. Results indicate that finishing systems differentially influence carcass characteristics, tenderness, and flavor attributes of bison. Specifically, this is …

Deep Transfer Learning-Based Bird Species Classification Using Mel Spectrogram Images, Mrinal Kanti Baowaly, Bisnu Chandra Sarkar, Md.Abul Ala Walid, Md. Martuza Ahamad, Bikash Chandra Singh, Eduardo Silva Alvarado, Imran Ashraf, Md. Abdus Samad

School of Cybersecurity Faculty Publications

The classification of bird species is of significant importance in the field of ornithology, as it plays an important role in assessing and monitoring environmental dynamics, including habitat modifications, migratory behaviors, levels of pollution, and disease occurrences. Traditional methods of bird classification, such as visual identification, were time-intensive and required a high level of expertise. However, audio-based bird species classification is a promising approach that can be used to automate bird species identification. This study aims to establish an audio-based bird species classification system for 264 Eastern African bird species employing modified deep transfer learning. In particular, the pre-trained EfficientNet …

Relationships Between Cliff Swallows (Petrochelidon Pyrrhonota) And Feather Coloration, Morphological Characteristics, And Colony Size, Sonja M. Brandt

Master's Theses or Doctor of Nursing Practice

Environmental stressors such as drought and roadways can strongly affect breeding birds. Cliff Swallows (Petrochelidon Pyrrhonota) are aerial insectivores that experience mortality from car collisions, because they often nest and hunt under bridges and road culverts. Individual traits that may convey social information, such as body condition, or feather coloration, might be associated with better coping around cars and other environmental stressors. Few studies have investigated relationships between coloration and other environmental stressors, such as water loss due to drought near the colony and foraging areas. Colony size can be heavily affected by various environmental factors such as water level …

The Impacts Of Gut-Supporting Feed Additives On The Growth Performance, Gut Health, Blood Chemistry, And Immune Status Of Broiler Chickens Exposed To Different Stressors, Richard A. Adefioye

Theses and Dissertations--Animal and Food Sciences

Three experiments were conducted to examine the effects of different feed additives in mitigating stress in broiler chickens. Experiment 1 used 504-day-old male by-product Cobb breeder chicks with 8 treatments replicated 9 times with 7 birds per replicate cage, structured as a 2x4 factorial arrangement of treatments. All birds were on the experimental diets for 20 days. There were 2 levels of lipopolysaccharide (LPS) challenge [no challenge vs. LPS challenge at 1 mg/kg BW) and 4 types of feed additives [no additive, 0.05% PostB, 0.1% PostB, and 0.1% Tynagen^TM]. In experiment 2, 672-day-old male by-product Cobb breeder chicks …

Active Facilitation Of Helper Dispersal By Parents And Siblings In The Cooperatively Breeding Acorn Woodpecker, Natasha D. G. Hagemeyer, Walter D. Koenig, Eric L. Walters

Biological Sciences Faculty Publications

Offspring that delay dispersal in cooperatively breeding species have been hypothesized to gain direct fitness benefits via parental facilitation—being passively tolerated on their natal territory by their parents—thereby enjoying enhanced survival and increased probability of acquiring a breeding position in the population. Here we describe active facilitation in the acorn woodpecker (Melanerpes formicivorus) by parents and siblings assisting the dispersal of helpers in their social group. Helpers in this species compete for reproductive opportunities in “power struggles” that take place when all breeders of one sex die or disappear, creating a reproductive vacancy. Individuals compete at power struggles …

Baby's First Jets: A Kinematic And Hydrodynamic Analysis Of Turning In Cuttlefish Hatchlings, Alissa M. Ganley, Paul S. Krueger, Ian K. Bartol

Biological Sciences Faculty Publications

Turning is an important aspect of life underwater, playing integral roles in predator avoidance, prey capture, and communication. While turning abilities have been explored in a diversity of adult nekton, little is currently known about turning in early ontogeny, especially for cephalopods. In this study, we investigated the turning abilities of hatchling common cuttlefish (Sepia officinalis, n = 49) and dwarf cuttlefish (Sepia bandensis, n = 30), using both kinematic and wake-based analyses. Using body tracking software and particle image velocimetry (PIV), we found that S. officinalis turned faster than S. bandensis, but both species …

Parasite Prevalence And Innate Immunity In Mud And Musk Turtles, Nicole Beckett

Honors Program Theses

Turtles are being infected by both ectoparasites (typically leeches) and endoparasites (typically blood parasites). It is unknown what the parasite intensity is of wild Central Floridian turtles is, and what effect this parasite load has on them. In order to determine these factors wild turtles (Sternotherus odoratus, Kinosternon baurii, and Kinosternon subrubrum) were caught from two locations, Mead Botanical Gardens, and Lake Virginia. Hoop traps were used to catch the turtles, which were then sampled and released. Captured turtles went through a series of measurements as well as a blood draw before release. Blood parasite levels were taken from the …

Migration-Associated Variation In Blood Parasitism, Body Condition, And Stress In Gambel’S White-Crowned Sparrows (Zonotrichia Leucophrys Gambelii), Julianna Deibel

Scripps Senior Theses

Migration is a widespread behavior in animals which both causes and is motivated by fluctuations in nutrient availability. Migration is ecologically important, as it connects areas of differing primary productivities and carries pathogens over distance. The relationship between migration and disease is complex, sensitive to anthropogenic disturbance, and influenced by ecological cycles as well as host, vector and parasite life cycles. Four central migration-infection mechanisms have been proposed: migratory susceptibility, migratory exposure, migratory escape, and migratory culling. These mechanisms may yield increased or decreased infection post-migration, based on migration’s physiological tax and the concentration of pathogens along migratory pathways.

To …

The Smell Of Fear: Responses Of Native And Invasive Geckos To Predator Scent Cues On Moorea, French Polynesia, Haley Dreisbach, Tessa Bodo

Williams Honors College, Honors Research Projects

Hemidactylus frenatus, a globally invasive species, is syntopic with the native gecko Lepidodactylus lugubris on the island of Moorea, French Polynesia. The success of an invasive species, H. frenatus can be attributed to many factors and is the subject of much study. Some research suggests that invasive and native geckos may differ in their response to chemosensory cues from predators. We compared the responses of H. frenatus and L. lugubris to the scents of both a native local predator; centipede, and a common predator of geckos that is not present on Moorea; snake. While neither gecko species showed any …

Compliance And Roughness In Relation To Gecko Locomotion, Brooklynn Campbell

Williams Honors College, Honors Research Projects

Geckos move efficiently through a variety of substrates, from swaying branches to wooden fences to the sides of structures. Previous studies have studied locomotion and adhesion on manmade and rough substrates; however, the work is limited when discussing locomotion and adhesion as a relationship of compliance and roughness. Ease of movement was quantified by speed, under the assumption that the faster a gecko moves, the easier it is for the gecko to cross the substrate. Gehyra oceanica geckos from Moorea, French Polynesia were tested on substrates varying in compliance and roughness with four different treatments in total. Compliance, roughness, and …

Relationship Between Socking Rate And Production Of Stocker Hybrid Tilapia And Water Quality In A Mixtotrophic Biofloc System, Bartholomew W. Green, Steven D. Rawles, Candis L. Ray, Matthew E. Mcentire

United States Department of Agriculture-Agricultural Research Service / University of Nebraska-Lincoln: Faculty Publications

Intensified production of stocker-size tilapia can be accomplished using the biofloc technology production system. Stocker-size tilapia (ca. 10–200 g/fish) are raised for subsequent stocking for grow-out to market size. The relationship between stocking rate and the production of stocker-size hybrid tilapia (Oreochromis aureus x O. niloticus) was evaluated in two studies in outdoor mixotrophic biofloc tanks. Hybrid tilapia were stocked in 18.6-m² (15.7-m³) tanks at 50–150 fish/m² (59–178 fish/m³) in 25 fish/m² (30 fish/m³) increments in Study 1 and grown for 141–143 days. Stocking rates evaluated in 4.7-m …

Grass Rejection By Capybaras Can Be Used As A Possible Strategy To Mitigate Road Accidents, André Luiz Gama Nogueira, Sérgio Luiz Gama Nogueira-Filho, Selene Siqueira Da Cunha Nogueira, Denis Sato, Natasha Camilo Maximiano Da Silva, Lilian Elgalise Techio Pereira, Michael Mendl, Adroaldo José Zanella

Human–Wildlife Interactions

Feeding management can be a good strategy for avoiding wildlife–vehicle collisions (WVCs), which are a worldwide concern. In this study, we aimed to identify grass species that capybaras (Hydrochoerus hydrochaeris) reject as feeding material. These species could be planted to make roadsides less attractive to capybaras and, consequently, decrease WVCs involving this species. We planted 3 grass species (Brachiaria decumbens cv. Basilisk, B. hybrid Mavuno, and Zoysia japonica) in 4 blocks, applying a randomized-complete blocks design. The first 2 species we assumed would be rejected, since some animals do not consume them due to their high …

Is Mitigation Translocation An Effective Method For Reducing Laysan Albatross–Military Aircraft Collisions?, Brian E. Washburn, Katherine D. Rubiano, William P. Bukoski

Human–Wildlife Interactions

Wildlife–aircraft collisions (wildlife strikes) pose a serious risk to civil and military aircraft. Each year, Laysan albatrosses (Phoebastria immutabilis) attempt to establish a breeding colony on the airfield at the U.S. Navy’s Pacific Missile Range Facility (PMRF) located on the island of Kaua‘i, Hawai‘i, USA, resulting in a hazard to safe military aircraft operations at this facility. A long-term management program, with an emphasis on mitigation translocation (e.g., live-capture and translocation away from the area) of problematic individuals, has been conducted by the U.S. Department of Agriculture, Wildlife Services. However, the efficacy of mitigation translocation as a nonlethal …

Monograph Available: Toolkit To Address Free-Ranging Domestic Cats On Agency Lands Managed For Native Wildlife And Ecosystem Health

Human–Wildlife Interactions

This is an announcement about the published monograph titled "Toolkit to Address Free-ranging Domestic Cats on Agency Lands Managed for Native Wildlife and Ecosystem Health." This publication, part of the HWI Monograph Series, is online and open access.

An Effective Method For Long-Term Control Of American Bullfrogs Syntopic With Special-Status Native Amphibians In California, Usa, Jeff A. Alvarez, Jeffery T. Wilcox

Human–Wildlife Interactions

American bullfrogs (Lithobates catesbeianus) are invasive in western North America and are well established in California, USA, where they are widespread. This invasive species has been implicated in the decrease of native amphibian populations and is believed to have contributed to the decline of threatened and endangered amphibians regionally. We utilized air rifles, tin alloy pellets, and 2 shooters to systematically control L. catesbeianus in both lentic and lotic habitat types within 2 counties in California. We visited sites monthly (April through November) for approximately 8 and 14 years to lethally target and remove L. catesbeianus …

Efficacy Of A Laser As A Starling Deterrent And Its Effect On Lactating Dairy Cow Behavior, Callan A. Lichtenwalter, Marcos Marcondes, Kyle R. Taylor, Craig Mcconnel, Amber Adams Progar

Human–Wildlife Interactions

European starlings (Sturnus vulgaris) cause damage (including structural damage) on dairies, eat cattle feed, and can potentially spread disease through their fecal matter. Deterring starlings from dairies without affecting cow (Bos taurus) welfare is vital, and lasers have been effective starling deterrence tools in urban roosts and in some crops. To evaluate if the use of lasers on dairies would affect starling use of freestall barns as night roosts, or lactating cow behavior, 1 laser was installed in each of the 2 freestall barns at the Knott Dairy Center at Washington State University, Pullman, Washington, USA. …

Effects Of Energy Drink Additives On Crayfish Metabolism, Katherine Paltz

Williams Honors College, Honors Research Projects

The effects of caffeine and additives commonly found in energy drinks were tested on crayfish to record changes, if any, in their metabolism. Three experimental groups were studied: 1. Caffeine; 2. Caffeine + Glucuronolactone; 3.) Caffeine + Glucuronolactone + Taurine. Caffeine is a common stimulant used to improve mental awareness, headaches, memory, and athletic performance. Glucuronolactone is connected with cardiovascular issues and aggressive behavior. Taurine is said to improve mood and focus. The experiment was performed at two different caffeine levels: 600mg and 1200mg for an initial 1 hour of exposure and 10 hours after exposure used as a pseudo-baseline. …

Crayfish Tube-Feeding Methodology, Phoenix Johnson

Williams Honors College, Honors Research Projects

The purpose of this paper was to use a tube feeding method on crayfish to expose them to substances through ingestion rather than the gill. This was done to mimic human ingestion of substance to aid in crayfish research involving substances that are normally ingestion. This was done by using a pipette to inject grains of sand into the mouth of the crayfish. To determine if the method worked and successfully went into the stomach the grains of sand were recovered and counted under a microscope after certain increments of time post injection.

Natural Selection On Feralization Genes Contributed To The Invasive Spread Of Wild Pigs Throughout The United States, Niek W. G. Barmentlo, Patrick G. Meirmans, William H. Stiver, Joseph G. Yarkovich, Blake E. Mccann, Antoinette J. Piaggio, Dominic Wright, Timothy J. Smyser, Mirte Bosse

United States Department of Agriculture Wildlife Services: Staff Publications

Despite a long presence in the contiguous United States (US), the distribution of invasive wild pigs (Sus scrofa × domesticus) has expanded rapidly since the 1980s, suggesting a more recent evolutionary shift towards greater invasiveness. Contemporary populations of wild pigs represent exoferal hybrid descendants of domestic pigs and European wild boar, with such hybridization expected to enrich genetic diversity and increase the adaptive potential of populations. Our objective was to characterize how genetic enrichment through hybridization increases the invasiveness of populations by identifying signals of selection and the ancestral origins of selected loci. Our study focused on invasive …

Influence Of Habitat And Baiting Strategy On Oral Rabies Vaccine Bait Uptake By Raccoons In The Southeastern United States, Jacob E. Hill, Madison L. Miller, Richard B. Chipman, Amy T. Gilbert, James C. Beasley, Guha Dharmarajan, Olin E. Rhodea

United States Department of Agriculture Wildlife Services: Staff Publications

terrestrial wildlife species. However, there is currently a limited understanding of how different baiting strategies influence raccoon (Procyon lotor) uptake of ORV baits in non-agricultural habitats in the Southeastern United States, which may hinder the refinement of ORV management for raccoons in this region. Using a combination of new and existing data, we investigated the role of baited area (0.16 vs 3 km²), bait density (75 versus 150 baits/km²) and season (spring versus fall) on placebo ORV bait uptake by raccoons in four rural, non-agricultural habitats in the southeastern United States (bottomland hardwood forest, …