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The Role Of Frugivorous Birds As Seed Dispersers: Feeding Selection And Preference Of Madagascar’S Avian Frugivores In Analamazaotra Forest, Thaddeus Bashaw

Independent Study Project (ISP) Collection

Madagascar is a country rich in floral and faunal diversity. However, anthropogenic habitat destruction and climate change increasingly threaten its biodiversity. Endozoochorous plants that dependent on frugivory for seed dispersal are under threat due to increasing rates of localized extinctions of frugivorous lemurs, the primary seed dispersers of the island. While lemurs are the islands most abundant frugivores, other frugivorous vertebrates like birds and bats likely play a significant role in seed dispersal, although this role is still poorly understood. This study, conducted in Analamazaotra forest, compares the rates of visitation and consumption of six endemic fruiting tree species by …

The Relationship Between Performance, Body Composition, And Processing Yield In Broilers: A Systematic Review And Meta-Regression, Diego A. Martinez, Jordan T. Weil, Nawin Suesuttajit, Cole Alan Umberson, Abdullah Scott, Craig N. Coon

Poultry Science Faculty Publications and Presentations

This study aims to model the relationship among performance, whole body composition, and processing yield through meta-regression. Scientific papers found in Scopus and Google Scholar were included if they reported results and variability values of an actual experiment in the three mentioned groups of variables using a single broiler genetic line. Weighted mean effect sizes were determined with a random model, the risk of bias was determined, and heterogeneity was considered an indicator of usefulness. Meta-regressions considered the effect sizes of the response variable and the percent change in one or more variables as predictors. A 78-row database was built …

Report Of Thanatosis In The Central American Scorpions Tityus Ocelote And Ananteris Platnicki (Scorpiones: Buthidae), Felipe Triana, Fabián Bonilla, Adriana Alfaro-Chinchilla, Carlos Víquez, Cecilia Díaz, Mahmood Sasa

Euscorpius

Thanatosis, or tonic immobility, is a behavior where animals adopt a motionless posture after a physical contact or very close proximity of a predator. This behavior has been described in a wide range of taxa, from invertebrates to vertebrates. For scorpions, tonic immobility has been reported in two buthids, Tityus pusillus and Tityus cerroazul, one hormurid, Liocheles australasiae, and one scorpiopsid, Scorpiops jendeki. Here we report other cases of this thanatosis for two buthid scorpions from lower Central America: Tityus ocelote and Ananteris platnicki. Thanatosis in these species were observed in wild, but was better documented …

Seasonal Habitat Selection By American White Pelicans, Frederick L. Cunningham, Guiming Wang, D. Tommy King

United States Department of Agriculture Wildlife Services: Staff Publications

Resource utilization strategies of avian migrants are a major concern for conservation and management. Understanding seasonal habitat selection by migratory birds helps us explain the ongoing continental declines of migratory bird populations. Our objective was to compare the secondorder and third-order habitat selection by the American White Pelican (Pelecanus erythrorhynchos; hereafter pelican) between the breeding and non-breeding grounds. We tested the Lack hypothesis that habitat selection by migratory birds is stronger on the breeding grounds than on the nonbreeding grounds. We used random-effect Dirichlet-multinomial models to estimate the second-order habitat selection between the seasons with the GPS locations …

Importance And Winter Ornithological Value Of Lake El-Golea (Ghardaïa, Algerian Sahara, Biad Radhia, Bounab Choayb, Guergueb El Yamine, Biad Mohamed Fetheddine, Houhamdi Moussa

Journal of Bioresource Management

This study is carried out on two winter period (2018-2019 and 2019-2020) in Lake El-Golea (Ghardaïa, northern Sahara of Algeria). Its objective is to determine the ornithological value of this lake and to in ferits importance in maintaining aquatic avifauna during the winter season. This inventory shows a diversity equivalent to forty-one species belonging to thirteen families and nine orders of which eighteen are protected by various Algerian and international laws. The most represented family is that of the Anatidae with twelve species while the family with the highest number is that of the Phenicopteridae represented only by one species, …

Triazole Fungicide Prosaro Ec 250 - Induced Hematologicaland Biochemical Alterations In Male Rabbits (Oryctolagus Cuniculus), Debabsa Rafika, Khaldi Fadila, Grara Nedjoud, Bouzahouane Hana, Guezgouz Noureddine, Gheid Abdelhak

Journal of Bioresource Management

The study aimed to evaluate the toxic effects of fungicide Prosaro 250 EC on hematological profiles and renal functional-biochemical markers, as well as blood glucose level .Twenty-four male rabbits were equally and randomly divided into control untreated group (G1) (n =6) received distilled water and standard food, and three treated groups (n=6 each) received by oral gavage Prosaro 250 EC at three doses (mg/kg body weight (bw)), 0.093 (G2), 0.186 (G3) and 0.465 mg/kg bw (G4) for 21 days .Results revealed a significant decrease in the kidney weight, and a significant increase in the levels of serum urea, uric acid, …

Effects Of Early‑Life Experience On Innovation And Problem‑Solving In Captive Coyotes, Andrew C. Garcia, Mitchell A. Parsons, Julie K. Young

United States Department of Agriculture Wildlife Services: Staff Publications

Early-life experience often shapes behaviors like innovation and exploration. These behaviors are important to animals encountering novel food resources in diverse habitats, such as mesocarnivores in urban areas. To understand if early-life experiences impact later-life behavior, we examined how coyotes (Canis latrans) responded to a multi-access puzzle box at two life stages: pup (~ 7 weeks) and dispersal (~ 10 months). We first exposed pups, still living with their parents and littermates, to a baited puzzle box. At dispersal age, we again tested both these pups and an age-matched control group that was not exposed to the puzzle …

Ractopamine At The Center Of Decades-Long Scientific And Legal Disputes: A Lesson On Benefits, Safety Issues, And Conflicts, Kumail Abbas, Aqeel Raza, Ross D. Vasquez, Marri Jmelou M. Roldan, Nemi Malhotra, Jong-Chin Huang, Olivia Erin M. Buenafe, Kelvin H. -C Chen, Shin-Shin Liang, Chung-Der Hsiao

Chemistry Faculty Publications

Ractopamine (RAC) is a synthetic phenethanolamine, β–adrenergic agonist used as a feed additive to develop leanness and increase feed conversion efficiency in different farm animals. While RAC has been authorized as a feed additive for pigs and cattle in a limited number of countries, a great majority of jurisdictions, including the European Union (EU), China, Russia, and Taiwan, have banned its use on safety grounds. RAC has been under long scientific and political discussion as a controversial antibiotic as a feed additive. Here, we will present significant information on RAC regarding its application, detection methods, conflicts, and legal divisions that …

Winter Diet Of Montezuma Quail In Arizona And New Mexico, Oscar E. López-Bujanda, Alberto Macías-Duarte, Reyna A. Castillo-Gámez, Angel B. Montoya

National Quail Symposium Proceedings

Investigating the diet composition of Montezuma quail (Cyrtonyx montezumae) is fundamental for unveiling how food resources limit the species’ population size and may provide relevant tools for their harvest and habitat management. The objective of this research was to determine the composition and geographic variation of the winter diet of the Montezuma quail in Arizona and New Mexico, USA, from quail crops harvested during the hunting seasons of 2008–2017. In addition, we used beta regression analyses to determine the effect of environmental factors and ecological variables (annual mean precipitation, annual mean temperature, landscape diversity, diet diversity, time of …

Population Density Estimates Of The Montezuma Quail (Cyrtonyx Montezumae) In West Texas, Alberto Macías-Duarte, Angel B. Montoya, James H. Weaver

National Quail Symposium Proceedings

In Texas, USA, populations of Montezuma quail (Cyrtonyx montezumae) can be found scattered across mountain ranges in the Trans-Pecos region, including the Davis and Guadalupe, and farther east into the Edwards Plateau region. Abundance and distribution information to assist land managers in the enhancement of Montezuma quail populations is scarce due to the species’ secretive behavior and unknown abundance. We aimed to provide population density indices to fill this information gap by using a search path technique. We searched for quail in the winter of 2018–2019 in West Texas at 6 study sites: 5 private ranches and Elephant …

Development And Characterization Of Type I Interferon Receptor Knockout Sheep: A Model For Viral Immunology And Reproductive Signaling, Christopher J. Davies, Zhiqiang Fan, Kira P. Morgado, Ying Liu, Misha Regouski, Qinggang Meng, Aaron J. Thomas, Sang-Im Yun, Byung-Hak Song, Jordan C. Frank, Iuri V. Perisse, Arnaud Van Wettere, Young-Min Lee, Irina A. Polejaeva

Animal, Dairy, and Veterinary Science Faculty Publications

Type I interferons (IFNs) initiate immune responses to viral infections. Their effects are mediated by the type I IFN receptor, IFNAR, comprised of two subunits: IFNAR1 and IFNAR2. One or both chains of the sheep IFNAR were disrupted in fetal fibroblast lines using CRISPR/Cas9 and 12 lambs were produced by somatic cell nuclear transfer (SCNT). Quantitative reverse transcription-polymerase chain reaction for IFN-stimulated gene expression showed that IFNAR deficient sheep fail to respond to IFN-alpha. Furthermore, fibroblast cells from an IFNAR2^−/− fetus supported significantly higher levels of Zika virus (ZIKV) replication than wild-type fetal fibroblast cells. Although many lambs have …

Recent Findings On Phosphorus Digestibility Of Feed Ingredients In Broilers, Jay Hampton, Wenting Li, Franco Mussini, Katie Hilton, Janet Remus, Samuel J. Rochell

Proceedings of the Arkansas Nutrition Conference

Accurately meeting the dietary P needs of broilers is critical to ensure optimal bird performance, health, and welfare without causing undue environmental burdens associated with excess dietary P excretion. Phosphorus is commonly supplied in broiler diets from inorganic phosphates derived from non-renewable sources, but it has been estimated that peak P production will occur between 2030-2040 and that the global supply of P could be depleted within this century (Cordell and Drangert, 2009; Nest and Cordell, 2012). To address these concerns, inorganic P use in agriculture, including use in broiler diet formulation, requires careful stewardship. To this end, the dietary …

Reduction Of Protein Levels In Broiler Feed For Commercial Application – A German Case, Andreas Lemme, Kilian Fenske, Heiner Westendarp, Mathias Guhe, Elmar Rother

Proceedings of the Arkansas Nutrition Conference

A project was initiated to apply dietary CP reduction under commercial conditions. The main objective was to demonstrate and validate that dietary CP can be reduced without compromising broiler performance in a production system which is already rather efficient. In addition, we wanted to demonstrate the potential of dietary CP reduction on reducing N-excretions especially in the context of German revised regulations and monitoring attempts. Finally, as previous research suggested, few further aspects such as impact of dietary CP reduction on litter quality and quantity, footpad health, change of ingredient inclusion levels and related impact on sustainability impact factors were …

State Of The Art Pullet And Breeder Nutrition, Rick Van Emous

Proceedings of the Arkansas Nutrition Conference

During the last six to seven decades, broilers have been successfully selected for maximum growth and feed efficiency (Zuidhof et al., 2014). Modern fast-growing broilers reach a body weight of 2.0 to 2.5 kg in 35 to 45 days with an average daily growth of 55 or more gram a day (Augère-Granier, 2019). In a study with different broiler strains representative of broilers in 1957 or 1978 were compared with a broiler strain from 2005 (Zuidhof et al., 2014). The 2005 strain showed, over a 56-day growth period, a 4.6 times higher growth rate and a 50% lower feed conversion …

Amino Acids Were Not All Created Equal, Peter H. Selle, Shemil P. Macelline, Peter V. Chrystal, Sonia Y. Liu

Proceedings of the Arkansas Nutrition Conference

The contention that amino acids were not all created equal is based on the simple premise that intestinal uptakes of non-bound (synthetic, crystalline, feed-grade) amino acids are more rapid than their protein-bound counterparts. The post-enteral ramifications of this difference in bioequivalence are amplified in broiler chickens given their express growth rates and just one complication is the post-prandial oxidation of amino acids. The lack of bioequivalence between non-bound and protein-bound amino acids is a real obstacle to the development and adoption of reduced-crude protein diets that have the potential to promote sustainable chicken-meat production Thus, the purpose of this paper …

Recent Advancements On Calcium And Phosphorus Recommendations In Broilers, Justina Caldas, Marcelo Silva

Proceedings of the Arkansas Nutrition Conference

Calcium and phosphorus have been recognized essential nutrients in chickens since 1950’s (Lesson & Summers, 2001) playing important roles in bone development, among other functions. Calcium is assumed an inexpensive nutrient in animal least cost formulation while phosphorus is considered expensive and scant. The actual economic impact comes from the influence of calcium on phosphorus requirements, changes in phosphorus digestibility, buffer capacity, gut health, trace mineral absorption, fat digestibility, welfare traits, etc. Both minerals have important interactions to be considered during formulation. Few changes have been made over the past 20 years to calcium and phosphorus recommendations because these values …

Decoding The Gut Microbiome; Providing Solutions For Poultry Production, Nichoals Evans, Peter Karnezos, Curtis Novak, Diana Ayala, Emily Kimminau, Kay Russo

Proceedings of the Arkansas Nutrition Conference

The term “microbiome” refers to all the micro-organisms within a particular environment. In poultry, the microbiome is influenced by the barn, diet, and age of the birds and is believed to modulate immunity and inflammation. In the past, culture methods were primarily used to evaluate the presence of the various micro-organisms present in the microbiome; however, recent technological advances in genomic sequencing have revolutionized sample analysis. This technology has opened new avenues of research in poultry production and our understanding of the associated health challenges. Turkey cellulitis has been a major economic and health concern for many years. Traditional bacterial …

Application Of Nutritional Immunology In The Mitigation Of Economic And Production Losses In The Poultry Industry Associated With Food-Borne Pathogens, Coccidiosis, And Necrotic Enteritis., Shahna Fathima, Ramesh K. Selvaraj

Proceedings of the Arkansas Nutrition Conference

Sub-therapeutic doses of antibiotics were used in poultry production since the 1950s for improved production, prophylaxis, and animal welfare. Extensive and indiscriminatory use of antibiotics led to the emergence of antibiotic resistance in food-borne pathogens of public health significance (Jones & Ricke, 2003). As per the United States Centre for Disease Control, more than 2.8 million infections in 2019 were caused by multidrug resistant bacteria. Due to public health concerns, the use of antibiotic growth promoters in livestock production was prohibited by Sweden and Denmark in 1986 and 1998 respectively (Hammerum et al., 2007). The European Union banned the use …

Editorial: Mammalian Responses To Climate Change: From Organisms To Communities, Johan T. Du Toit, Robyn S. Hetem, M. Denise Dearing

Wildland Resources Faculty Publications

Mammals have displayed spectacular evolutionary success ever since an asteroid impact caused the Cretaceous-Tertiary extinction event ~66 million years ago, when the non-avian dinosaurs disappeared. Now another mass extinction event is underway because of another major planetary disturbance, but this time it is directly caused by just one over-achieving species among all those mammals: Homo sapiens.

Evaluation Of The Effects Of Wood-Sourced Biochar As A Feedlot Pen Surface Amendment On Manure Nutrient Capture, Jessica L. Sperber, Galen E. Erickson, Andrea K. Watson

Department of Animal Science: Faculty Publications

Feedstuffs utilized in U.S. feedlot finishing rations incorporate high concentrations of N and P, with less than 15% of fed N and P retained by the animal. The remaining N and P are excreted in the manure, where the opportunity for manure N loss via ammonia (NH3) volatilization from the feedlot pen surface is a risk to the environment and lowers the value of manure as a fertilizer. Two nutrient mass balance experiments were conducted during the winter and summer seasons to evaluate the effects of spreading unprocessed Eastern red cedar biochar onto the feedlot pen surface on manure nutrient …

The Southern Flying Squirrel (Glaucomys Volans) In Lincoln, Nebraska, Melissa J. Panella, Shaun M. Dunn, Thomas E. Labedz, Hugh H. Genoways

Transactions of the Nebraska Academy of Sciences and Affiliated Societies

The southern flying squirrel (Glaucomys volans) is considered a species of greatest conservation need in Nebraska and listed as threatened in the state. Historically, the geographic range of the southern flying squirrel in Nebraska has been restricted to five eastern counties from a northern suburb of Omaha, Douglas Co., southward in the four counties of Sarpy, Otoe, Nemaha, and Richardson, all bordering the Missouri River on the east. In late November of 2018, a resident of Lincoln, Lancaster Co., Nebraska, contacted the Nebraska Game and Parks Commission about an animal found dead in his yard. This animal proved …

Status Of Barking Owl Ninox Connivens In South-West Australia, Robert A. Davis, Leo Joseph, Ronald E. Johnstone

Research outputs 2022 to 2026

Barking Owl Ninox connivens has two recognised subspecies in Australia: N. c. connivens and N. c. peninsularis. N. c. connivens currently includes the isolated south-west Australian population, which is separated from eastern populations by the Nullarbor Plain and from N. c. peninsularis to the north. N. c. connivens in south-west Australia occurs from near Perth in the north, east to Northam and south-east to Katanning and Bremer Bay; it has been treated subspecifically as N. c. addendaMathews, 1912, but this name is not currently in use. Given concern over the apparent rarity of the south-west Australian population, we sought to …

Subscription And Organization Information

Nebraska Bird Review

logists’ Union, Inc., as its official journal, and is sent to members not in arrears of dues. Annual subscription rates (on a calendar-year basis only): $25 in the United States and $35 in all other countries, payable in advance. Single copies are $7 each, postpaid, in the United States and $9 elsewhere. Send orders for back issues to Anita Breckbill, NOU Librarian, c/o Music Library, WMB 30, University of Nebraska, Lincoln, NE 68588-0101 (or at the email address listed below). Memberships in the NOU (on a calendar-year basis only): Active Household (one or more people) $25; Sustaining Household (one or …

Summer Field Report, June-July 2022, W. Ross Silcock

Nebraska Bird Review

As always, the summer season produces surprises, and this year was no exception. Surprises fall into different categories, though: genuine statewide rarities, within-state distributional rarities, and, of course in summer, nesting records at new locations, population notes, late and early dates and high numbers, increased knowledge about subspecies in the state, and miscellaneous things of interest. These categories are covered separately below after some housekeeping comments.

“Genuine statewide rarities” were led by the first state record Limpkin found by Karen Kader and seen by many in Sarpy Co. Potential 2nd or so state records were a Mexican Duck in Scotts …

2021 (33rd) Report Of The Nou Records Committee, Mark A. Brogie

Nebraska Bird Review

The functions and methods of the Nebraska Ornithologists’ Union Records Committee (NOURC) are described in its bylaws (NOURC 2010). The committee’s purpose is to provide a procedure for documenting unusual bird sightings and to establish a list of all documented birds for Nebraska. Species for which the NOURC seeks documentation (NOURC Review List) can be found at the NOU website www.NOUbirds.org. Starting in 2020, the NOURC decided to deal mainly with those species deemed as Accidental on the “Official List of the Birds of Nebraska”. Casual species and out-of- range species are now summarized in the “Seasonal Reports” of the …

The Nebraska Bird Review. Volume 90 September 2022 Number 3

Nebraska Bird Review

Summer Field Report, June - July 2022 by W. Ross Silcock ….90

2021 (33rd) Report of the NOU Records Committee by Mark A. Brogie … 113

Subscription and Organization Information … 123

Short-Eared Owl Land-Use Associations During The Breeding Season In The Western United States, Robert A. Miller, Joseph B. Buchanan, Theresa L. Pope, Jay D. Carlisle, Colleen E. Moulton, Travis L. Booms

Intermountain Bird Observatory Publications and Presentations

The Short-eared Owl (Asio flammeus) is a species of conservation concern in the western USA, with evidence for declining population sizes. Monitoring of Short-eared Owls is complicated because of their low site fidelity and nomadic movements. We recruited community-science participants to implement a multi-year survey of Short-eared Owls across eight states in the western USA, resulting in a program of sufficient temporal and spatial dimensions to overcome many of the challenges in monitoring this species. We implemented both multi-scale occupancy and colonization/extinction modeling to provide insights into land-cover use, and to identify which cover types supported higher occurrence. …

Importance Of Flood Irrigation For Foraging Colonial Waterbirds, Colleen E. Moulton, Jay D. Carlisle, Sonya J. Knetter, Kathryn Brenner, Robert A. Cavallaro

Intermountain Bird Observatory Publications and Presentations

For a colonial‐nesting bird, like the white‐faced ibis (Plegadis chihi), the landscape surrounding the breeding colony can be important. White‐faced ibis must rely on areas outside their breeding colony for foraging, but this part of their life history has received little attention, and the management of this landscape even less so. To address this knowledge gap, we conducted road‐based driving surveys and a randomly selected, spatially balanced sample survey of agricultural fields within a 22‐km radius of the 2 largest white‐ faced ibis breeding colonies in Idaho, USA: Market Lake Wildlife Management Area and Mud Lake Wildlife Management …

Shore-Based Recreational Fishing In The Perth Metropolitan Area: 2022, Alissa Tate, Lucy Rudd, Claire B. Smallwood

Fisheries Research Reports

Recreational fishing is a popular activity in Western Australia (WA), occurring throughout the state from boats, and from a variety of natural and man-made structures along the shore. Ongoing monitoring of the shore-based recreational fishery is essential to assist with resource allocation, management evaluation and stock assessments for nearshore species. Especially for species such as Australian Herring and Southern Garfish which had management changes including a reduction in bag limit from 30 to 12 in 2015 and closure of Perth Metropolitan waters in 2017, respectively. An on-site roving creel survey to collect effort and catch data from shore fishers has …

Divergent Neural And Endocrine Responses In Wild-Caught And Laboratory-Bred Rattus Norvegicus, Joanna Jacob, Sally Watanabe, Jonathan Richardson, Nick Gonzales, Emily Ploppert, Garet Lahvis, Aaron Shiels, Sadie Wenger, Kelly Saverino, Janhavi Bhalerao, Brendan Crockett, Erin Burns, Olivia Harding, Krista Fischer-Stenger, Kelly Lambert

United States Department of Agriculture Wildlife Services: Staff Publications

Although rodents have represented the most intensely studied animals in neurobiological investigations for more than a century, few studies have systematically compared neural and endocrine differences between wild rodents in their natural habitats and laboratory strains raised in traditional laboratory environments. In the current study, male and female Rattus norvegicus rats were trapped in an urban setting and compared to weight-and sex-matched conspecifics living in standard laboratory housing conditions. Brains were extracted for neural assessments and fecal boli were collected for endocrine [corticosterone and dehydroepiandrosterone (DHEA)] assays. Additionally, given their role in immune and stress functions, spleen and adrenal weights …