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Morphological And Color Variation In Poicephalus Parrots, Eileen Connon Apr 2019

Morphological And Color Variation In Poicephalus Parrots, Eileen Connon

Undergraduate Honors Thesis Projects

Though describing and delimiting species is one of the principle aspects of many disciplines within biology, there is often debate about which methods and concepts should be used to make such decisions. The Tobias criteria for quantitative species delimitation represent one attempt to create a standard method of delimiting species based on the morphological species concept. However, previous examples of using these criteria have not always been completely quantitative. This study uses quantitative morphological and color data of three Poicephalusparrots as a case study for the effectiveness of the Tobias criteria. The results show varying levels of support for …

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Behavioral Responses To Ancestral Predators In Vervet Monkeys (Chlorocebus Pygerythrus) On Misali Island, Tanzania, Isabelle Hanna Apr 2019

Behavioral Responses To Ancestral Predators In Vervet Monkeys (Chlorocebus Pygerythrus) On Misali Island, Tanzania, Isabelle Hanna

Independent Study Project (ISP) Collection

The success of a species depends largely on their ability to recognize and respond to predatory cues. These responses can be controlled through genetic or social factors. This study aimed to assess the ability of vervet monkeys (Chlorocebus pygerythrus) to identify and respond to ancestral predatory cues following long-term isolation on Misali Island, Zanzibar, Tanzania in order to determine if anti-predator behaviors are innate or learned. This was accomplished through exposure of troops to auditory predator cues and the documentation of their behavioral responses. The results of these trials suggest that predator recognition is an innate behavior in C. pygerythrus, …

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Modeling And Economic Analysis Of A Crop–Livestock Production System Incorporating Cereal Rye As A Forage, Eric R. Coufal Apr 2019

Modeling And Economic Analysis Of A Crop–Livestock Production System Incorporating Cereal Rye As A Forage, Eric R. Coufal

Department of Agricultural Economics: Dissertations, Theses, and Student Research

This thesis consists of two chapters using agent-based modeling for a crop-livestock production system incorporating human labor. The first chapter examines the principles used to develop a fundamental simulation pertaining to grazing cereal rye (Secale cereal L.) with calves. Within the software guidelines, the base model has the ability to capture diverse system interactions between livestock/plants and land management with human labor efficiency. AnyLogic incorporates agent-based modeling while combining with discrete event modeling and system dynamics. The purpose of the model was to find the economic returns of grazing cover crops relative to the area of Mead, Nebraska. In …

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Multispecies Character Displacement In Mexican Poeciliopsis Fishes, Andrea J. Roth Apr 2019

Multispecies Character Displacement In Mexican Poeciliopsis Fishes, Andrea J. Roth

Theses and Dissertations

Competition has long been recognized as a central force in shaping evolution, particularly through character displacement. Yet research on character displacement is biased as it has focused almost exclusively on pairs of interacting species while ignoring multispecies interactions. Unfortunately, communities are seldom so simple that only pairs of species interact, and it is not clear if inferences from pairwise interactions are sufficient to explain patterns in nature. A more realistic approach is to ask how traits evolve when multiple species interact. Here I explore the importance of multispecies competitive interactions on trait evolution in four congeneric species of livebearing fishes …

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Changes In Spring Arrival Times: Climate Change And The Phenology Of Spring Bird Migration, Aaron Svedlow Apr 2019

Changes In Spring Arrival Times: Climate Change And The Phenology Of Spring Bird Migration, Aaron Svedlow

Student Scholarship

Climate change and weather affect the phenology of bird migration; however, specific climatological factors associated with these observed effects have only recently been described. The relationship between local, regional, and global climate patterns and avian migration are increasingly important to understand due to the widespread, and potentially negative, implications (such as reduced fecundity) of rapid human induced climate change on bird populations. Migratory birds are under selective pressure to arrive at breeding areas at the optimal time to set up nesting territories and exploit seasonally abundant food resources, and because climate change has the potential to occur more rapidly than …

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Snowshoe Hares (Lepus Americanus) Alter Feeding Behavior In Response To Coyote (Canis Latrans) And Moose (Alces Alces) Cues At Diverse Vegetation Densities, Zachary K. Lankist Apr 2019

Snowshoe Hares (Lepus Americanus) Alter Feeding Behavior In Response To Coyote (Canis Latrans) And Moose (Alces Alces) Cues At Diverse Vegetation Densities, Zachary K. Lankist

Student Scholarship

Prey interpret predator cues as a warning and use them to assess the danger of a given area. Multiple prey species avoid chemical cues from predators at feeding sites because the risk of death outweighs the benefit of food. However, we lack information regarding avoidance of chemical cues from competitors as well as how foraging behavior changes alongside vegetative cover. To test if chemical cues and veget~tive cover alter prey vigilance, number of visits, and time spent at feeding sites, I observed snowshoe hares (Lepus americanus) in plots containing coyote (Canis latrans; predator) and moose (Alces alces; competitor) urine across …

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The Effects Of Butyric Acid On Performance Parameters, Egg Quality And Nutrient Utilization In Young White Leghorn Hens, Dani-El Ruth Hanna Apr 2019

The Effects Of Butyric Acid On Performance Parameters, Egg Quality And Nutrient Utilization In Young White Leghorn Hens, Dani-El Ruth Hanna

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

The objective of this study was to evaluate the effects of Prophorce butyric acid on the performance of White Leghorn laying hens. Hens (180) were placed in 60 conventional cages (3 hens/cage) using a completely randomized design with 30 replicate cages per treatment allowing 722.58cm2/hen. Hens were given the control or butyric acid. The trial spanned 40 weeks (35 weeks old at the start). Water was given ad libitum and hens were fed 110g/day. Egg production and mortality were recorded daily. Egg shell strength, weight, and mass were recorded biweekly; hen weights and egg components were measured monthly; …

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Impacts Of Anthropogenic Waste On Tasmanian Pacific Gull (Larus Pacificus) Diet, Anne Bartlett Apr 2019

Impacts Of Anthropogenic Waste On Tasmanian Pacific Gull (Larus Pacificus) Diet, Anne Bartlett

Independent Study Project (ISP) Collection

Plastic pollution is one of the foremost environmental issues that the world is currently experiencing. The effects of plastic pollution are great and range from leaching of hazardous chemicals into the environment to ingestion of plastic waste by wildlife, including seabirds. Due to the high rates of plastic consumption by seabirds, many recent studies have been performed to determine the biological impacts of plastic consumption on various seabird species. The Pacific Gull (Larus pacificus) is the world’s largest sea gull and the only gull endemic to Australia, yet very limited information exists on this species. This study examines the impacts …

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Space Use And Annual Survival Of Hybridized Mouflon Sheep In Hawaii And Comparing Estimates Of Population Size Through Instantaneous Sampling And Photographic Capture-Recapture, Bradley Jay Adams Apr 2019

Space Use And Annual Survival Of Hybridized Mouflon Sheep In Hawaii And Comparing Estimates Of Population Size Through Instantaneous Sampling And Photographic Capture-Recapture, Bradley Jay Adams

Theses and Dissertations

Significant efforts in conservation are devoted to the management and study of ungulates, due to their significant roles in ecosystems as well as their potential economic value. This is especially true for species considered exotic, such as mouflon sheep (Ovis musimon) in Hawaii. Effective management of an exotic species requires an understanding of ecological metrics such as space use, survival, and population size. We provided these metrics for a population of mouflon that have hybridized with feral sheep (Ovis aries) on the island of Hawaii. In Chapter 1, we quantified space use and annual survival of sheep in an area …

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The Relationship Between Coat Color And Dominance In Female Sable Antelope Over Time, Taylor Wilson Apr 2019

The Relationship Between Coat Color And Dominance In Female Sable Antelope Over Time, Taylor Wilson

Undergraduate Honors Thesis Projects

Sable antelope (Hippotragus niger)exhibit sexual dimorphism, where males and females look different from each other in color and size. Within this difference between the sexes, there are a wide spectrum in coat colors among females, ranging from light tan to dark brown. The variations seen in female coat color in other species are known to be hormonally caused by testosterone. Testosterone levels are also related to dominance within the herd in other species. The first objective of this study is to determine if the variations in coat color are associated with the dominance hierarchy among female sable …

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High-Resolution Melt (Hrm) Analysis For Detection Of Snps Associated With Pyrethroid Resistance In The Southern Cattle Fever Tick, Rhipicephalus (Boophilus) Microplus (Acari: Ixodidae), Guilherme M. Klafke, Robert J. Miller, Jason P. Tidwell, Donald B. Thomas, Daniela Sanchez, Teresa Patricia Feria-Arroyo, Adalberto A. Perez De Leon Apr 2019

High-Resolution Melt (Hrm) Analysis For Detection Of Snps Associated With Pyrethroid Resistance In The Southern Cattle Fever Tick, Rhipicephalus (Boophilus) Microplus (Acari: Ixodidae), Guilherme M. Klafke, Robert J. Miller, Jason P. Tidwell, Donald B. Thomas, Daniela Sanchez, Teresa Patricia Feria-Arroyo, Adalberto A. Perez De Leon

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

The southern cattle fever tick, Rhipicephalus (Boophilus) microplus, is the most economically important ectoparasite of cattle worldwide. A limitation for sustainable control and eradication is the emergence of acaricide resistance among tick populations. Molecular diagnostic tools offer the opportunity to detect resistance rapidly, which can be complemented with confirmatory bioassays with larvae and adult ticks that are more resource and time consuming to generate. Synthetic pyrethroid resistance is one of the most prevalent and well-studied forms of resistance in arthropods, being linked with target site alterations in the sodium ion channel gene. Here, we report …

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Impact Of Intrinsic Physiological Factors In The Population Recovery Of Myotis Lucifugus (Little Brown Myotis) From White-Nose Syndrome, Caroline Burke, Caitlin Looney, Alissah Sillah, Christopher Richardson Mar 2019

Impact Of Intrinsic Physiological Factors In The Population Recovery Of Myotis Lucifugus (Little Brown Myotis) From White-Nose Syndrome, Caroline Burke, Caitlin Looney, Alissah Sillah, Christopher Richardson

Lesley University Community of Scholars Day

White-nose Syndrome (WNS) has decimated populations of hibernating bats in the US. In particular, Myotis lucifugus (little brown myotis) has been one of the most affected. We investigated the energetic cost of innate immune response and Pseudogymnoascus destructans (Pd) fungal activity on post-hibernating little brown myotis and the link with the recovery of local populations in New England from WNS. We captured bats at one of each of 4 colonies in Eastern Massachusetts and Southern New Hampshire, consecutively, every 14 days to minimize disturbance to the colony. Blood samples were collected from each bat. Respirometry trials were performed on each …

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Fish And Wildlife Conservation For Educators Nrs 580, Michael Cerbo Mar 2019

Fish And Wildlife Conservation For Educators Nrs 580, Michael Cerbo

Library Impact Statements

No abstract provided.

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Providing Education To Enhance Wildlife Conservation In South Africa Through The First Wildlife School For Game Rancers - A Grassroots Effort By Government Authorized Conservationists, David L. Bergman, Nico Avenant, Francoais Schutte, Michael J. Bodenchuk Mar 2019

Providing Education To Enhance Wildlife Conservation In South Africa Through The First Wildlife School For Game Rancers - A Grassroots Effort By Government Authorized Conservationists, David L. Bergman, Nico Avenant, Francoais Schutte, Michael J. Bodenchuk

Wildlife Damage Management Conference

The establishment of the game ranching industry in South Africa has resulted in the conversion of 20 million hectares of marginal agricultural land to an economically viable and conservation oriented industry. The single biggest driving factor in the growth of the game ranching industry in South Africa was the promulgation of the Game Theft Act 105 of 1991 which conferred private ownership of game. Due to the Act, wildlife became economically viable and were managed according to the creation of this new market. The growth in game animals has reached its highest point since 1850 with over 20 million animals. …

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Feral Swine Disease Surveillance – National Targets And Pilot Projects, Vienna R. Brown, Rachel M. Maison, Thomas Gidlewski Mar 2019

Feral Swine Disease Surveillance – National Targets And Pilot Projects, Vienna R. Brown, Rachel M. Maison, Thomas Gidlewski

Wildlife Damage Management Conference

The National Feral Swine Damage Management Program (NFSP) in collaboration with the National Wildlife Disease Program (NWDP) and USDA APHIS Veterinary Services works to identify the diseases of national concern in feral swine. The current national disease surveillance program includes classical swine fever (CSF), swine brucellosis (SB), and pseudorabies (PRV). CSF is a foreign animal disease and feral swine samples collected and tested serve as part of Veterinary Services surveillance stream for this pathogen. Both SB and PRV have been eradicated from U.S. commercial swine operations; however, as they are endemic diseases in feral swine populations, monitoring of feral swine …

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Effects Of Common Ravens On Greater Sage-Grouse In The Great Basin, Region, Usa, Peter S. Coates, Shawn T. O'Neil, Joseph L. Atkinson, Brianne E. Brussee, Pat J. Jackson, David J. Delehanty Mar 2019

Effects Of Common Ravens On Greater Sage-Grouse In The Great Basin, Region, Usa, Peter S. Coates, Shawn T. O'Neil, Joseph L. Atkinson, Brianne E. Brussee, Pat J. Jackson, David J. Delehanty

Wildlife Damage Management Conference

Anthropogenic modification to ecosystems can result in the redistribution of species at higher trophic levels. Humans have re-organized predator-prey dynamics, namely by removing top predators and subsidizing more generalist mesocarnivore species. As a result, some mid-level predator species have increased in abundance and distribution, often to the detriment of lower-level species that are not adapted to increased predation rates. One example of a native avian predator that has experienced population increase following increased anthropogenic subsidization is the common raven (Corvus corax; hereafter, raven).The raven is an ubiquitous predator within sagebrush ecosystems in the western U.S.,and may contribute to …

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Efficacy Of An Avian Repellent Applied Using Drop Nozzle-Equipped Ground Rigs In Reducing Blackbird Damage To Sunflower, Page E. Klug, Michael H. Ostlie, Scott J. Werner Mar 2019

Efficacy Of An Avian Repellent Applied Using Drop Nozzle-Equipped Ground Rigs In Reducing Blackbird Damage To Sunflower, Page E. Klug, Michael H. Ostlie, Scott J. Werner

Wildlife Damage Management Conference

In North Dakota large flocks of blackbirds feed on ripening crops, after breeding and prior to migration, resulting in an annual damage estimate averaging $3.5 million for sunflower. Since the repellent needs to be ingested to be effective, one obstacle is applying sufficient repellent directly to the sunflower face. Thus, we tested efficacy of an anthraquinone-based repellent when applied via drop-nozzle to sunflower using enclosed blackbirds in a semi-natural field setting. We used a ground-rig equipped with 360 Undercover® drop nozzle sprayers to apply 20 gal/ac of solution to sunflower plots with a product application rate of 1.0 gal/ac …

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Using Unmanned Aerial Vehicles For Bird Harassment On Fish Ponds, Ciera A. Rhoades, Peter J. Allen, D. Tommy King Mar 2019

Using Unmanned Aerial Vehicles For Bird Harassment On Fish Ponds, Ciera A. Rhoades, Peter J. Allen, D. Tommy King

Wildlife Damage Management Conference

The effects of aquaculture decline on piscivorous birds in the Mississippi Delta concern catfish farmers, with possible increases in fish loss and disease transmission. Piscivorous birds quickly habituate to most current methods of harassment (loud noises and visual disturbances) leading to increased depredation and disease. Our study was designed to test the efficacy of using unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs) to effectively control piscivorous birds at fish farms. We hypothesized that a UAV would be more efficient at reducing the number of fish-eating birds on fish ponds than current forms of harassment. We conducted pre-treatment bird surveys, harassment observations, and post-treatment …

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Kaput® Feral Hog Bait Containing 0.005% Warfarin: An Overview Of Its Usefulness Against Feral Hogs And Safety To Wildlife And Humans, Richard M. Poche', David M. Poche', Gregory A. Franckwoiak, Tyler Clark, Larisa Polyakova, Batchimeg Tseveenjav Mar 2019

Kaput® Feral Hog Bait Containing 0.005% Warfarin: An Overview Of Its Usefulness Against Feral Hogs And Safety To Wildlife And Humans, Richard M. Poche', David M. Poche', Gregory A. Franckwoiak, Tyler Clark, Larisa Polyakova, Batchimeg Tseveenjav

Wildlife Damage Management Conference

Warfarin has been approved for use in the United States as a rodenticide since 1948. The United States Environmental Protection approved Kaput® Feral Hog Bait (0.005% warfarin) for use as a toxicant to control wild pigs in 2017. The level of warfarin is 80% less than in commercial rodenticide formulations. Since 1994 we have conducted wildlife safety studies examining the potential effects of warfarin on non-target mammals and birds. Over a 25-year period, non-target toxicity research was completed with European ferrets, pied magpies, mallard ducks, bobwhite quail, Norway rats, house mice, and American alligator to assess primary and secondary …

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Vertebrate Community Response To Wild Pig Control In An Agroecosystem, D. J. Steakley, Adrienne Dykstra, Garrett Street, Bronson Strickland, Kurt Vercauteren, Michael Colvin, Marcus Lashley Mar 2019

Vertebrate Community Response To Wild Pig Control In An Agroecosystem, D. J. Steakley, Adrienne Dykstra, Garrett Street, Bronson Strickland, Kurt Vercauteren, Michael Colvin, Marcus Lashley

Wildlife Damage Management Conference

Biological invasions often have negative effects on native wildlife and in the case of feral swine, also can cause extensive agricultural damage. As a result, the rapidly increasing swine populations and associated damages have led to wide-spread control efforts focused in agricultural areas. In a previous study, via camera trapping, we determined feral swine reduced observed vertebrate species richness by 26% when they invaded remnant forest patches in the Mississippi Alluvial Valley. To determine the effectiveness of removal efforts in recovering the lost vertebrate richness, in January 2018, we initiated a before-after control-impact designed experiment in 5 forest patches to …

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The Prevalence Of Two Common Internal Parasites In White-Tailed Deer With And Without Significant Interaction With Domestic Sheep, Kathryn M. Metro, Mckenzie J. Weisser, Shelby N. Rorrer, Sunday O. Peters, George R. Gallagher Mar 2019

The Prevalence Of Two Common Internal Parasites In White-Tailed Deer With And Without Significant Interaction With Domestic Sheep, Kathryn M. Metro, Mckenzie J. Weisser, Shelby N. Rorrer, Sunday O. Peters, George R. Gallagher

Wildlife Damage Management Conference

The objective of this study was to evaluate the prevalence of two internal parasites (strongylate nematodes and Nematodirus spp.) in white-tailed deer (Odocoileus virginianus) sharing a home range with domestic sheep (Ovis aries), compared to deer likely having minimal contact with sheep. Fecal samples were collected from sheep (n=75), deer (n=99) within 300m of the sheep center, and deer (n=98) located 1.3km away from the livestock center, over a 7-week period during the summer. Sheep had the highest (p<.001) number of strongylate eggs (1,212.7 ± 2.8/g) compared to deer near the livestock facility (13.9 ± 0.3/g) or deer located away from the sheep center (18.3 ± 0.3/g). Eggs of Nematodirus spp. were greater (p<.001) in sheep (33.7 ± 0.5/g) compared to deer samples collected near the sheep center (5.1 ± 0.2/g) and deer away from the sheep facility (3.0 ± 0.1/g). Additionally, strongyle and Nematodirus spp. egg counts were different (p<0.001) in the fecal samples collected from deer residing closer to the sheep facility compared to those located farther away. Results of this study suggest the interactions of white-tailed deer and domestic sheep does not influence the prevalence of these internal parasites within the deer.

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Comparison Of A 2-Layer Electric Fence And A Single Strand Electric Fence In Mitigating Browsing Of Impatiens By White-Tailed Deer, Shelby N. Rorrer, Mckenzie J. Weisser, Kathryn M. Metro, George R. Gallagher Mar 2019

Comparison Of A 2-Layer Electric Fence And A Single Strand Electric Fence In Mitigating Browsing Of Impatiens By White-Tailed Deer, Shelby N. Rorrer, Mckenzie J. Weisser, Kathryn M. Metro, George R. Gallagher

Wildlife Damage Management Conference

The objective of this study was to evaluate two electric fence configurations in minimizing damage to impatiens (Impatiens walleriana) by white-tailed deer (Odocoileus virginianus). Each of 3 sites consisted of 3 plots (3mx3m), containing 16, evenly spaced impatiens planted on the perimeter of each plot. Plots within each site had a control, single strand and 2-layered electric fence. Control plots had no fencing. Single strand plots had one electrified wire attached to posts at 40 cm height, surrounding the plot. Two-layered electric fence had energized wire attached to posts at 25 cm and 60 cm height, …

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Reducing Prairie Dog Populations And Damage By Castration Of Dominant Males, Gary W. Witmer Mar 2019

Reducing Prairie Dog Populations And Damage By Castration Of Dominant Males, Gary W. Witmer

Wildlife Damage Management Conference

Black-tailed prairie dogs (Cynomys ludovicianus) occur widely across the prairie states of North America. They compete with livestock for forage, transmit plague, and damage lawns, landscaping, and property. Interest in non-lethal methods, such as immunocontraception, is growing; however, reductions in the population due to contraception may be offset by increases in survival because adults and yearlings are not subject to the energetic demands of reproduction, and lower densities may increase the amount of resources available to growing offspring. Surgical sterilization provides a means for modeling these effects. Thus, we castrated males prior to the 1998 breeding season to …

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Wild Horses, Livestock, And Wildlife Use Of Springs And Riparian Areas On The Devil's Garden, Laura K. Snell, David F. Lile, Madeleine Levy, Roger A. Baldwin Mar 2019

Wild Horses, Livestock, And Wildlife Use Of Springs And Riparian Areas On The Devil's Garden, Laura K. Snell, David F. Lile, Madeleine Levy, Roger A. Baldwin

Wildlife Damage Management Conference

In Modoc County, located in northeastern California there is a unique rangeland area heavily populated by wild horses and managed primarily by United States Forest Service known as the Devil's Garden. Wild horses have significantly exceeded (4000 horses) appropriate management levels (206-402 horses) in recent years and expanded their range outside of the wild horse territory (258,000 acres) and on to private and tribal lands (over 450,000 acres). This increase has prompted concern about resource degradation particularly associated with riparian areas. In otherwise arid sage steppe rangelands, springs provide critical watering sources as well as wildlife habitat for sage grouse, …

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Developing Training Standards For Wildlife Control Operators, Raj Smith, Paul D. Curtis, Scott Hygnstrom Mar 2019

Developing Training Standards For Wildlife Control Operators, Raj Smith, Paul D. Curtis, Scott Hygnstrom

Wildlife Damage Management Conference

Wildlife have always threatened peoples’ comfort, safety, crops, domestic animals, and other property. Historically, wildlife and predator control were largely regulated by fur trapping and hunting laws, especially if an individual was protecting his or her property. Current laws that regulate problem wildlife are rooted in environmental conservation law. Enforcement of these regulations and laws regarding the capture and disposition of wildlife are conducted by game wardens or environmental conservation officers, whose primary mission is to enforce hunting and trapping laws. Under the Public Trust Doctrine, stewardship of wildlife is a government responsibility. State wildlife agencies have insufficient staff, however, …

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Native Wildlife Adjust Activity Patterns To Temporally Avoid Wild Pigs, Adrienne Dykstra, Dj Steakley, Garrett Street, Bronson Strickland, Kurt Vercauteren, Marcus Lashley Mar 2019

Native Wildlife Adjust Activity Patterns To Temporally Avoid Wild Pigs, Adrienne Dykstra, Dj Steakley, Garrett Street, Bronson Strickland, Kurt Vercauteren, Marcus Lashley

Wildlife Damage Management Conference

Wildlife species have defined activity patterns that are important for conserving biological rhythms and altering these rhythms can cause physiological stress. Species often shift activity patterns to minimize predation risks or to temporally partition competition. Thus, when a new predator or competitor is introduced into a community, the activity patterns of the whole community could be affected, and this effect may increase the stress wild pigs cause to native wildlife. To test the hypothesis that wild pig activity patterns affect those of native wildlife, we monitored activity patterns of native wildlife and wild pigs before and after aerial gunning events …

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Factors Influencing Common Raven Occurrence And Density Across Cold-Desert Sagebrush Ecosystems Of The Southwestern U.S., Shawn T. O'Neil, Peter S. Coates, Brianne E. Brussee, Pat J. Jackson, David J. Delehanty Mar 2019

Factors Influencing Common Raven Occurrence And Density Across Cold-Desert Sagebrush Ecosystems Of The Southwestern U.S., Shawn T. O'Neil, Peter S. Coates, Brianne E. Brussee, Pat J. Jackson, David J. Delehanty

Wildlife Damage Management Conference

Common ravens (Corvus corax) are a predator of eggs and chicks of numerous species including greater sage-grouse (Centrocercus urophasianus). Raven abundance and distribution is increasing within sagebrush ecosystems as a result of anthropogenic resource subsidies. Despite concerns about subsequent predation pressure on sage-grouse, broad-scale spatial information about raven populations remains lacking. We used hierarchical occupancy and distance sampling models to map raven density and distribution in response to natural and anthropogenic landscape covariates using >15,000 point count surveys occurring within the Great Basin region since 2007. Anthropogenic factors contributing to greater raven occurrence included increased road …

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Effect Of Stress And Methylmercury Exposure On Song Sparrows (Melospiza Melodia) Energy Balance., Claire Bottini Mar 2019

Effect Of Stress And Methylmercury Exposure On Song Sparrows (Melospiza Melodia) Energy Balance., Claire Bottini

Western Research Forum

Mercury is an endocrine disruptor well known for its deleterious impacts on wildlife and humans but its effects on songbirds’ populations still require more investigation. In their natural habitat, birds face multiple stressors (e.g. predation, food unpredictability, inclement weather) in addition to pollutants. However the accumulated effects of both stress and pollutants are rarely studied. Such co-occurring pressures may synergistically increase risk for birds as both stress and mercury exposure may disrupt energy acquisition and/or allocation. My project aims to determine the interactive effects of stress and mercury exposure on songbird energy balance. Adults’ song sparrows (Melospiza melodia) …

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The Effect Of Social Hierarchy On Behavior In Cercopithecus Petaurista, Mason Reinhart Mar 2019

The Effect Of Social Hierarchy On Behavior In Cercopithecus Petaurista, Mason Reinhart

The Pegasus Review: UCF Undergraduate Research Journal

The social group hierarchy of three captive C. petaurista specimens was monitored and determined by observing agnostic fights, aggression, and allogrooming incidents. This social group was monitored from May to August in 2017 for 60.5 observation hours total as a continuation of a previous study conducted in spring of 2017. The study took place at the Central Florida Zoo and Botanical Gardens. All observations were recorded on template sheets with the location of each individual noted on a 6x6 grid representing the enclosure. A new sheet was used for each 15-minute increment during observation periods. It was concluded that agnostic …

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The Brothers: A Study Of The Social Structure Between Two Captive Cheetahs, Chenienne Clemens Mar 2019

The Brothers: A Study Of The Social Structure Between Two Captive Cheetahs, Chenienne Clemens

The Pegasus Review: UCF Undergraduate Research Journal

Cheetahs (Acinonyx jubatus) are easily differentiated among other Felids. They exhibit unique physiological features, and their type of social structure has not been seen in any other species of Felid. Coalitions of male cheetahs are seen both in the wild and in captivity, while female cheetahs remain solitary. This paper is a compilation of a twelve-week observational study of the two male cheetahs at the Central Florida Zoo in Sanford, Florida. The focus of the study was the social structure between the two related individuals. The observational data showed that there is a lack of any hierarchy or …

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