Digital Commons Network^™

Relationship Between Raccoon Abundance And Crop Damage, James C. Beasley, Olin E. Rhodes Jr

Human–Wildlife Interactions

Wildlife damage to crops is a widespread concern among agricultural producers and wildlife professionals. In the United States, raccoon (Procyon lotor) damage to field corn (Zea maize) has become a serious concern, as raccoon depredation to corn has increased significantly in recent years. However, little information is available to suggest the underlying factors responsible for recent increases in raccoon depredation on agricultural crops because there is a limited understanding of the ecological factors influencing wildlife damage to crops at local scales. During 2004, we initiated a study to elucidate the ecological factors influencing depredation to field …

Use Of A Population Viability Analysis To Evaluate Human-Induced Impacts And Mitigation For The Endangered Lower Keys Marsh Rabbit, David H. Lafever, Paige M. Schmidt, Neil D. Perry, Craig A. Faulhaber, Roel R. Lopez, Nova J. Silvy, Elizabeth A. Forys

Human–Wildlife Interactions

Rapid development and urbanization of the lower Florida Keys in the last 30 years has fragmented the habitat of the Lower Keys marsh rabbit (Sylvilagus palustris hefneri), hereafter called marsh rabbit, and threatened it with extinction. On the Naval Air Station–Key West (NAS), Boca Chica Key, marsh rabbits exist as a meta-population of discrete habitat patches in a matrix of wetlands and airfield facilities. Airfield safety regulations require NAS to maintain vegetation below a minimum height on runway peripheries (clear zones). We developed a spatially-explicit, stage-structured, stochastic matrix model using the programs RAMAS-Metapop and ArcGIS. Model parameters were …

Lead (Pb) And Copper (Cu) Concentration In The Eggshells Of Audouin´S Gull (Larus Audouinii) In Turkey, Zafer Ayaş, Hüseyi̇n Çeli̇kkan, Mehmet Levent Aksu

Turkish Journal of Zoology

Audouin´s gull (Larus audouinii) eggshells from 2 archipelagos (Karaburun-İzmir and Aydıncık-Mersin) in Turkey were collected between 2002 and 2003, and analyzed for lead (Pb) and copper (Cu) content. According to the results, mean Cu level of the eggshells was 1.855 ppm for the Aydıncık colony and 10.202 ppm for the Karaburun colony. Mean Pb level of the eggshells was 0.954 ppm for the Aydıncık colony and 4.601 ppm for the Karaburun colony. The detected metal levels did not seem to have any toxic effects on the Audouin´s gull populations. It is suggested that eggshells from abandoned nests of Audouin´s gulls …

Hibernation Pattern And Importance Of Superoxide Dismutase For The Turkish Hamster, Mesocricetus Brandti (Mammalia: Rodentia), Nuri̇ Yi̇ği̇t, Di̇dem Erten, Nursel Gül

Turkish Journal of Zoology

Specimens of Mesocricetus brandti were observed in order to assess the onset of hibernation and the inhibition rate of superoxide dismutase (SOD). The first individual began to hibernate on November 2 and the last animal awoke on May 5. Individual hibernation bouts varied from 8 to 63 days, and the longest uninterrupted hibernation was 4 days. In the hibernation period, the animals lost an average of 27.1 g, ranging from 2.7% to 38% of total body weight. In hibernating animals, the average inhibition rate of SOD was 82.3% while it was 77.5% in active animals. The inhibition rate of SOD …

Interferon Alfacon 1 Inhibits Sars-Covinfection In Human Bronchial Epithelial Calu-3 Cells, Y. Kumaki, C. W. Day, M. K. Wandersee, B. P. Schow, J. S. Madsen, D. Grant, J. P. Roth, Donald F. Smee, L. M. Blatt, Dale L. Barnard

Animal, Dairy, and Veterinary Science Faculty Publications

The primary targets for SARS-CoV infection are the epithelial cells in the respiratory and intestinal tract. The angiotensin-converting enzyme 2 (ACE-2) has been identified as a functional receptor for SARS-CoV. ACE-2 has been shown to be expressed at the apical domain of polarized Calu-3 cells. In this report, interferon alfacon 1 was examined for inhibitory activities against SARS-CoV on human lung carcinoma epithelial Calu-3 cell line and the other three African green monkey kidney epithelial cell lines. Interferon alfacon 1 demonstrated significant antiviral activity in neutral red uptake assay and virus yield reduction assay. The data might provide an important …

Investigation Of The Effects Of Pre-Incubation Formaldehyde Fumigation On The Tracheal Epithelium Of Chicken Embryos And Chicks, Si̇bel Hayretdağ, Dürdane Kolankaya

Turkish Journal of Veterinary & Animal Sciences

This study aimed to evaluate the effects of pre-incubation formaldehyde fumigation on the tracheal epithelium of chicken embryos and chicks. Throughout the study pre-incubation formaldehyde fumigation was applied to 18-day-old embryos and 1-day-old chicks only once, at 1 of 2 different concentrations (3x, 42 ml of formalin and 21 g of potassium permanganate per m^3 and 4x, 56 ml of formalin and 28 g of potassium permanganate per m^3) for 1 of 2 different durations (20 min and 40 min). Tracheal samples were taken from 18-day-old embryos and 1-day-old chicks, and the tracheal epithelial cells were examined with transmission electron …

Seasonal Frequency Of Ectoparasite Infestation In Dogs From Shiraz, Southern Iran, Sardar Jafari Shoorijeh, Abbas Rowshan Ghasrodashti, Amin Tamadon, Nasrin Moghaddar, Mohammad Amin Behzadi

Turkish Journal of Veterinary & Animal Sciences

The objective of this study was to determine the prevalence of canine ectoparasite infestation in pet dogs from the Shiraz area of southern Iran, with no known exposure to insecticides. In all, 160 dogs were examined for ectoparasites in each of the 4 seasons and samples were collected. The most common ectoparasite was Ctenocephalides canis, which infested 22 of the 160 dogs. Pulex irritans was identified on 2 of the dogs and 142 Rhipicephalus sanguineus ticks were found on 13 dogs. Trichodectes canis was observed on 2 dogs and 8 dogs had Hippobosca flies, which were seen mostly in spring. …

Surfactant Proteins A And D In The Seminal Plasma Of Stallions, Ayhan Ata, Orhan Kankavi̇, M.Aki̇f Çi̇ftçi̇oğlu

Turkish Journal of Veterinary & Animal Sciences

We have previously shown that surfactant protein (SP)-A and SP-D are present in the stallion´s genital system. The aim of the present study was to evaluate the expression and presence of SP-A and SP-D in the seminal plasma and accessory sex glands of stallions. We characterized further the SP-A and SP-D in the seminal plasma of stallions by western blotting and immunohistochemically in accessory sex glands. On one-dimensional SDS-PAGE electrophoresis and western blots, bands for SP-A (34 kDa) and SP-D (43 kDa) in seminal plasma and accessory sex gland tissue extracts were detected. The similarity between biochemical properties (relative molecular …

The Effects Of Seminal Plasma, Skim Milk, And Tyrodes Solutions On Survival Of Stallion Sperm Stored At 4 °C, Ergun Akçay

Turkish Journal of Veterinary & Animal Sciences

This study was conducted to evaluate the effects of skim milk, skim milk extender supplemented with modified Tyrode´s medium, and seminal plasma (obtained from the sperm-rich fraction) on stallion sperm survival after 24 h cooled storage at 4 °C. Ejaculates from 3 Finnhorse stallions were used in this study. Ejaculates were collected by an automated phantom (Equidame) which separates fractions of semen into 5 cups. Only the second cup (sperm-rich fraction) was used to obtain spermatozoa and seminal plasma for the experiment. Semen was diluted with the stallion´s own second cup seminal plasma and the extenders to a final concentration …

Comparison Of Helminth Species And Their Prevalence In Rudd (Scardinius Erythrophthalmus L. 1758) In Gölbaşı Dam Lake And Kocadere Stream In Bursa Province Of Turkey, Ali̇ Aydoğdu, Meli̇h Selver, Veli̇ Yilgör Çirak

Turkish Journal of Veterinary & Animal Sciences

Variations in the helminth species parasitizing the rudd, Scardinius erythrophthalmus L., and their prevalences were compared in 2 different localities (Gölbaşı Dam Lake and Kocadere Stream) in Bursa province in northwestern Turkey. The overall prevalences of helminth infections were 46.7% and 92.3% at Gölbaşı Lake and Kocadere Stream, respectively. The following helminths were detected: Dactylogyrus difformis, Diplostomum spathaceum metacercariae, Asymphlodora markewitschi, Ligula intestinalis plerocercoids, Skrajibillanus scardinii, Eustrongylides sp. larvae, and Hysterothylacium sp. larvae. Among these species, D. difformis and D. spathaceum were recorded at both sampling stations. However, D. difformis was the dominant species in rudd in Gölbaşı Lake (overall …

Additions To The Breeding Avifauna Of The Lower Rio Grande Valley Of Texas, Timothy Brush

School of Integrative Biological & Chemical Sciences (Formerly Dept. of Biology)

The breeding avifauna of the Lower Rio Grande Valley (LRGV) of Texas has experienced many changes during the 20th century, primarily because of declines in native habitats due to land being converted to agriculture and urban habitats. This paper summarizes changes in breeding avifauna from 2003–2007 in the area. Breeding has been confi rmed for Cooper’s Hawk (Accipiter cooperii), Eurasian Collared-Dove (Streptopelia decaocto), and Mangrove Yellow Warbler (Dendroica petechia oraria) for the fi rst time, and for Gray-crowned Yellowthroat (Geothlypis poliocephala) and Ferruginous Pygmy-Owl (Glaucidium brasilianum) after periods of apparent absence. Short-tailed Hawk (Buteo brachyurus) is a possible breeder, based …

State Of The Fisheries Report 2007/08, Warrick J. Fletcher, K. Santoro

Status Reports of the Fisheries and Aquatic Resources

The State of the Fisheries Report is published annually to provide a detailed level of reporting on the management of fish stocks and their environment undertaken by the Department of Fisheries. A summary report from this document is included in the Department’s Annual Report to Parliament, which includes the Department’s nonfinancial (fishery) performance indicators. The Annual Report is no longer printed but is available through the Department’s website (www.fish.wa.gov.au).

Standardized Ileal Digestible Tryptophan To Lysine Ratios In Growing Pigs Fed U.S. Type And Non U.S. Type Feedstuffs, Anthony David Quant

University of Kentucky Master's Theses

The objective of these studies was to determine the optimum standardized ileal digestible tryptophan to lysine (SID Trp:Lys) ratio for growing pigs fed both U.S.–type (corn–soybean meal) and non–U.S.–type (wheat–barley) diets.

When feeding U.S.–type diets, average daily gain (ADG) and plasma urea nitrogen (PUN) concentrations improved as SID Trp:Lys ratios increased, yielding optimum ratios of 15.32% (P<0.001) and 15.25% (P<0.001), respectively. Averaging these resulted in an optimum SID Trp:Lys ratio of 15.29%. In non–U.S.–type diets, feeding increasing SID Trp:Lys ratios improved ADG and PUN, displaying optima of 15.99% (P=0.048) and 15.29% (P=0.054), respectively. This produced an average optimum SID Trp:Lys ratio of 15.64%. The final study included the other dietary essential amino acids (EAA) at a higher level, and ADG and PUN improved as SID Trp:Lys …

The Effect Of Road Crossing On Fish Movements In Small Etowah Basin Streams, Paul D. Benton, William E. Ensign, Byron J. Freeman

Faculty Articles

Increased road construction associated with urbanization may result in fragmentation and loss offish populations in streams. In this study, we documented frequency of movement of fishes through three separate types of road-crossings (clear-span bridges, box culverts, and tube culverts) in six small streams using mark-recapture sampling. Upstream movement between areas separated by either box or tube culverts was lower than upstream movement between similar areas not separated by a road crossing. Downstream movement between areas separated by box culverts was also lower than downstream movement between areas without obstructions. Upstream and downstream movement between areas separated by clear-span bridges was …

A Guide To The Tallgrass Prairies Of Eastern Nebraska And Adjacent States, Paul A. Johnsgard

Papers in Ornithology

Contents

Part 1: Ecology of the Tallgrass Prairie

Part 2: Plants of the Tallgrass Prairies:
Checklist of Prairie & Grassland Plants of Nebraska; Relative Frequencies of Grasses, Spring Creek and Nine-mile Prairies; Twenty Most Abundant Fall Forbs, Spring Creek and Nine-mile Prairies; Typical Shrubs, Forbs, Grasses & Sedges of Eastern Nebraska Tallgrass Prairies; English: Latin Name Equivalents of 370 Tallgrass Prairie Plants; Latin: English Name Equivalents of 370 Tallgrass Prairie Plants Identification Keys to Some Common Nebraska Grassland Forbs

Part 3: Animals of the Tallgrass Prairies
Greater Prairie-chickens and Native Prairies; Seasonal Checklist of Nebraska Tallgrass Ecoregion Birds (Gage County); …

The Birds Of Nebraska, Revised Edition 2007, Paul A. Johnsgard

Papers in Ornithology

Persons living in Nebraska often feel that they are living in a cultural wasteland; its citizenry preoccupied with violent sports such as hunting and football. Yet many are unaware that they are actually residing in one of the prime locations in the entire world for observing and enjoying some of the most aesthetically appealing of all the world's biological attractions. The area around Kingsley Dam and Lake McConaughy, for example, is known to have attracted more than 300 bird species, including 104 breeders (plus 17 probable breeders) making it the third-most species-rich bird location in the entire U.S.A. (after Laguna …

A Guide To The Natural History Of The Central Platte Valley Of Nebraska, Paul A. Johnsgard

Papers in Ornithology

This book has been written in the hope that visitors to the Platte Valley may gain a greater appreciation for it through learning some of its animals and plants in addition to the Platte Valley's star spring attraction, its sandhill cranes. Besides the cranes, we have a world-class migration of geese and ducks, a slightly later migration of shorebirds, including what is probably the buff-breasted sandpiper's most important spring staging area between its South American wintering grounds and its arctic breeding grounds. Nebraska also has what may be the largest surviving population of greater prairie-chickens of any state, and an …

Production Systems, Terry J. Klopfenstein, Will Griffin, Aaron Stalker, Dan Adams, Darrell Mark

Range Beef Cow Symposium

Expansion of the ethanol industry is having a major impact on all of agriculture including the cattle industry — the largest impact of any development we have seen in the past 40 years. Cattle feeding has enjoyed relatively inexpensive corn and therefore greater amounts of weight have been put on cattle in feedlots rather than outside of feedlots. Calf-feeding has developed to the point where up to one third of fed cattle might be considered calf-feds. Increased corn production in 2007 is keeping corn prices at moderate levels — higher than the last 40 years but less than the prices …

Nutrition During Gestation And Fetal Programming, K. A. Vonnahme

Range Beef Cow Symposium

Historically, considerable efforts have been made to understand how nutrition impacts health and productivity during the postnatal period. While maternal nutrition during pregnancy plays an essential role in proper fetal and placental development, less is known about how maternal nutrition impacts the health and productivity of the offspring. Indeed, the prenatal growth trajectory is sensitive to the direct and indirect effects of maternal dietary intake from the earliest stages of embryonic life when the nutrient requirements for conceptus growth are negligible (Robinson et al., 1977). Not only is neonatal health compromised, but the subsequent health may be “programmed” as offspring …

The Immune System And Recovery From Sickness In Cattle, Gordon W. Brumbaugh

Range Beef Cow Symposium

Ideally, all diseases could be prevented and beef animals on-feed would finish healthy and with the highest quality of meat. That isn’t realistic for most diseases. In spite the best efforts, some animals will become sick and require treatment. Calves with bovine respiratory disease (BRD) that required more than one treatment had decreased quality of meat and economic returns than did calves that did not develop BRD or responded after one treatment. (Hicks, 2006; McNeill, 1999; Wagner, et al., 2006) Calf-hood diseases in heifer calves had measurable effects on maternal performance for several years. (Waltner-Toews et al., 1986; van der …

Ultrasound-Based Selection: Pitfalls And Rewards, Steve Paisley, Chris Loehr, Frances Niemala

Range Beef Cow Symposium

Ultrasound has become widely used by the seedstock industry as a selection and evaluation tool. Ultrasound estimates of Ribeye Area, or REA, Intramuscular fat, or %IMF (marbling), and Rump Fat have been used to develop several EPD’s for many breed associations. Despite widespread use by seedstock producers, there is still some apprehension by commercial producers. Additionally, the use of ultrasound for commercial herd replacement decisions, used by some producers, is worth discussing. There are both benefits, as well as cautions, to using ultrasound generated information in a commercial beef herd.

The Value Of Heterosis In Cow Herds: Lessons From The Past That Apply To Today, Matthew L. Spangler

Range Beef Cow Symposium

Beef cattle producers are currently faced with a multitude of challenges. The traditional cattle cycle appears to have deviated from conventional wisdom, in part because of increasing grain prices due to a biofuels ‘industry’ that has become a competitor for grain resources that the U.S. fed cattle industry has grown dependent upon. A suite of genetic tools have been provided, or are in the works, to address issues such as feed efficiency, fertility, and longevity; along with more traditional EPDs for production and carcass/ultrasound traits. Established EPDs have proven to be very successful at allowing producers to take advantage of …

Calcium Dynamics Affecting Egg Production, Skeletal Integrity, And Egg Coloration In Ring-Necked Pheasants (Phasianus Colchicus), Landon R. Jones

Theses and Dissertations

These 4 chapters represent manuscripts formatted for submission to journals based on an experiment conducted on Ring-necked Pheasants (Phasianus colchicus). Calcium limits the distribution of this species, which produces 7-15 eggs per clutch. They may renest up to 5 times per breeding season on a diet low in calcium. The first chapter examines egg production in laying hens on 7 different diets from 0.19-4.47% calcium in the absence of calcium loading. Calcium-loaded pheasants store calcium in medullary bone before an experiment and can draw on this surplus during egg production, possibly skewing experimental results. We measured egg production, egg characteristics, …

A Study Of Habitat Variables Associated With Northern Goshawk Nest Site Activity On The Three National Forests In Southern Utah, Keeli Shea Marvel

Theses and Dissertations

The Northern Goshawk has been a species of concern since its decline in the early 1990s, which has been attributed in part to loss of critical breeding and wintering habitat. Nest site selection of goshawks has been correlated with certain specific site characteristics including, but not limited to, forest species composition, forest stand size, diameter of nest tree, percent cover, tree height, site slope, and aspect. The goshawk holds the status of a Management Indicator Species (MIS) on all of the six national forests in Utah. This status requires annual monitoring to track goshawk numbers and to address any activities …

Using Scissors To Quantify Hardness Of Insects: Do Bats Select For Size Or Hardness?, Patricia W. Freeman, Cliff A. Lemen

University of Nebraska State Museum: Mammalogy Papers

Scissors are used to determine the hardness of fresh insects of different size and taxa. Our results indicate a strong relationship between the size of an insect and its hardness, which can be expressed as log(F_max) = 0.65 × log(V) + α. F_max is the maximal force needed to cut the insect and is our measure of insect hardness. V is the volume of the insect and α is a constant that can be derived for different insect taxa. The value of 0.65 was found as an average of beetle and moth samples, and this …

Songs Of The Wild: Temporal And Geographical Distinctions In The Acoustic Properties Of The Songs Of The Yellow-Breasted Chat, Jackie L. Canterbury

Department of Animal Science: Dissertations, Theses, and Student Research

The Yellow-breasted Chat, Icteria virens, is a member of the wood-warbler family, Parulidae, and exists as eastern I. v. virens and western I. v. auricollis subspecies. It is the only wood-warbler known to sing diurnally and nocturnally.

One objective was to determine whether the eastern and western subspecies produce songs that differ acoustically; another was to determine whether a western population of Chats in Nebraska produces songs that differ acoustically at dawn and at night. Properties measured were maximum frequency, maximum power, notes/second, singing rate, and % time singing. In addition, the inter-song interval and % whistle notes were measured …

Heritable And Experiential Effects On Boldness In A Tropical Poeciliid, Culum Brown, Fiona Burgess, Victoria Braithwaite

Sentience Collection

Consistent differences in human behaviour are often explained with reference to personality traits. Recent evidence suggests that similar traits are widespread across the entire animal kingdom and that they may have substantial fitness consequences. One of the major components of personality is the shyness–boldness continuum. Little is known about the relative contributions of genes and the environment in the development of boldness in wild animal populations. Here, we bred wild-caught fish (Brachyraphis episcopi) collected from regions of highand low-predation pressure, reared their offspring in the laboratory under varying conditions and tested boldness utilising an open-field paradigm. First-generation laboratory-reared fish showed …

Correlation Between Boldness And Body Mass In Natural Populations Of The Poeciliid Brachyrhaphis Episcopi, C. Brown, F. Jones, V. Braithwaite

Sentience Collection

The boldness of individual Brachyrhaphis episcopi, collected from regions of high and low predation, was investigated using two independent assays: (1) the time to emerge from cover and (2) the propensity to leave shoal mates and investigate a novel object. A strong correlation between the two assays was revealed such that fish that emerged from shelter sooner were also more likely to approach a novel object. This is indicative of a boldness personality axis acting across both behavioural contexts. Fish from high-predation areas were bolder than those from low-predation areas and males were bolder than females. A significant correlation between …

Fisheries Research Report No. 160 - Development Of Biodiversity And Habitat Monitoring Systems For Key Trawl Fisheries In Western Australia., Mervi Kangas, S. Morrison, P. Unsworth, Eva K M Lai, I. Wright, Adrian W. Thomson

Fisheries Research Reports

Final FRDC report - Project 2002/038

The need for this project was identified through the ESD Risk Assessment workshops held for the Shark Bay and Exmouth Gulf trawl fisheries in May and October 2001. Bycatch issues in the Shark Bay and Exmouth fisheries were identified as a moderate risk through an Ecological Risk Assessment workshop. A better understanding of the faunal composition and habitat preferences of bycatch species in both trawled and untrawled areas has assisted in determining the level of risk to bycatch species. The project provided baseline data on biodiversity and variability of trawl bycatch on and off …

The Environmental Factors Regulating The Distribution Of Crayfish In The Upper Green River Basin Kentucky, Usa, Eva Ngulo

Masters Theses & Specialist Projects

Despite the importance of crayfish in aquatic systems there are major issues threatening their conservation, including invasive species, habitat alterations, and species with small distributions or have limited geographical ranges. There is limited information regarding native range, habitat requirements, life histories and biological interactions between crayfish species. In order to examine the relationship between lotic crayfish assemblages and environmental variables at both the watershed and reach scales, data were collected from 46 stream segments in the Upper Green River Basin of Kentucky, U.S.A. An independent sample t-test compared crayfish densities between segments with gravel - small cobble, and large cobble …