Digital Commons Network^™

Spatially Explicit Models For Inference About Density In Unmarked Or Partially Marked Populations, Richard B. Chandler, J. Andrew Royle

United States Geological Survey: Staff Publications

Recently developed spatial capture-recapture (SCR) models represent a major advance over traditional capture-recapture (CR) models because they yield explicit estimates of animal density instead of population size within an unknown area. Furthermore, unlike non-spatial CR methods, SCR models account for heterogeneity in capture probability arising from the juxtaposition of animal activity centers and sample locations. Although the utility of SCR methods is gaining recognition, the requirement that all individuals can be uniquely identified excludes their use in many contexts. In this paper, we develop models for situations in which individual recognition is not possible, thereby allowing SCR concepts to be …

Occurrence And Success Of Greater Sage-Grouse Broods In Relation To Insect-Vegetation Community Gradients, Seth M. Harju, Chad V. Olson, Lisa Foy-Martin, Stephen L. Webb, Matthew R. Dzialak, Jeffrey B. Winstead, Larry D. Hayden-Wing

Human–Wildlife Interactions

A community-level approach to identify important brood habitats of greater sage-grouse (Centrocercus urophasianus) may prove useful in guiding management actions because it acknowledges that important habitat components are not ecologically independent from each other. We used principal components analysis to combine insect and vegetation variables into community gradients and used logistic regression to link these components with brood survival and occurrence. We found that brood success was higher when broods occurred in specific insect-vegetation community types. A relationship between brood occurrence and insect-vegetation gradients was not apparent. The high resolution of the data and the solid validation performance …

Winter Habitat Use By Juvenile Greater Sage-Grouse On Parker Mountain, Utah: Implications For Sagebrush Management, Danny Caudill, Terry A. Messmer, Brent Bibles, Michael R. Guttery

Human–Wildlife Interactions

Greater sage-grouse (Centrocercus urophasianus; hereafter, sage-grouse) are entirely dependent on sagebrush (Artemisia spp.) for food and cover during winter. Loss or fragmentation of important wintering areas could have a disproportionate affect on population size. We radio-marked and monitored 91 juvenile sage-grouse in south-central Utah from 2008 to 2010. Thirty-four individuals survived to winter (January to March) and were used to evaluate winter habitat use. Resource use was calculated using kernel density estimation of radio-marked individuals and compared to available habitat using a G-test. We found that juvenile sage-grouse used winter habitats characterized by 0 to 5% slopes …

Factors Influencing Survival And Productivity Of Pronghorn In A Semiarid Grass-Woodland In East-Central New Mexico, Louis C. Bender, Jon C. Boren, Heather Halbritter, Shad Cox

Human–Wildlife Interactions

Pronghorns (Antilocapra americana) are an important source of revenue and recreation for property managers throughout New Mexico, but have been declining in number. We documented body condition, survival, production of fawns, and trends in population size of pronghorns on the Corona Range and Livestock Research Center (CRLRC), a working research ranch and wildlife enterprise located in east-central New Mexico, from 2006 through 2011. Accrual of all indices of condition and size of both adult female and adult male pronghorns was positively associated with precipitation during June to July, August to September, and annually. Annual survival rates of females …

Livestock Predation By Common Leopard In Binsar Wildlife Sanctuary, India: Human-Wildlife Conflicts And Conservation Issues, Chandra Prakash Kala, Kishor Kumar Kothari

Human–Wildlife Interactions

We investigate livestock predation by the common leopard (Panthera pardus) and emerging conflicts between this species, local people, and wildlife authorities at the Binsar Wildlife Sanctuary in the Himalayan region of India. We scrutinized secondary data that were collected by wildlife authorities; we also conducted informal interviews of villagers living within sanctuary, and wildlife staff to understand various human–leopard conflicts. Leopard density was approximately 0.33/km2 in the sanctuary. Leopards killed 1,763 domestic animals, about 90% of which were cattle, during a 14-year period. Within the sanctuary, leopards killed 1 person and injured 9 others. This high depredation rate …

Vitals Rates And Seasonal Movements Of Two Isolated Greater Sage-Grouse Populations In Utah's West Desert, Jason D. Robinson, Terry A. Messmer

Human–Wildlife Interactions

Declines in greater sage-grouse (Centrocercus urophasianus; hereafter, sage-grouse) populations in Utah over the last century parallel range-wide trends. However, little is known about the ecology of sage-grouse populations that inhabit Utah’s naturally fragmented habitats. Utah’s West Desert sage-grouse populations occupy sagebrush (Artemisia spp.) habitats that are geographically separated by the Great Salt Lake, and largely confined to the Sheeprock and Deep Creek watersheds. From 2005 to 2006, we monitored sage-grouse that were radio-collared in each watershed to determine the factors affecting the vital rates in these isolated populations. Livestock grazing by domestic cattle was the dominate land use, …

Exploring The Future Of Friesenhahn Cave, Dylana Watford, Katherine Banick, Graham Bates, Tori Carey

Earth and Environmental Geosciences Student Works

Friesenhahn Cave in San Antonio, Texas, offers a wealth of paleontological artifacts. The cave is owned by Concordia University and is primarily managed by Dr. Laurence Meissner, professor of biology at Concordia. Since its discovery in the early twentieth century, researchers have discovered numerous Pleistocene fossils; aside from the La Brea Tar Pits in California, Friesenhahn Cave is the most Pleistocene fossil-rich site in the United States. Recently, little research has been conducted in the cave, though it is believed that many fossils remain to be discovered. We propose the establishment of the Friesenhahn Cave Foundation, a non-profit organization whose …

Carbon Emissions From Soil Respiration In The Northern Chihuahuan Desert Shrubland, Anna Cristina Ortiz

Open Access Theses & Dissertations

The United States Department of Agriculture's Jornada Experimental Range (JER), is located in the northern Chihuahuan Desert in southern New Mexico and historically functioned as an experimental rangeland for cattle grazing. Historical grazing in the US Southwest has been identified as a leading, but not the sole, factor that has led to the conversion of pristine grasslands to shrublands, such has been the case on the JER. The estimated increased variability in precipitation intensity and frequency that is predicted to occur with climate warming will likely affect ecosystem responses from ecological processes including primary productivity, microbial decomposition, and thus respiration. …

Identifying Values And Benefits Of Congaree National Park, Maka Bitsadze

Theses and Dissertations

Protected areas are important tools for the conservation of biological diversity. They also support a wide range of ecosystem services and provide economic, cultural and social values and benefits. Many values and benefits of protected areas are poorly understood and greatly under-valued by decision-makers, the business sector, and the general public. Accordingly, identification and assessment of values and benefits of protected areas has been increasingly promoted during recent years.

This research investigates values and benefits of Congaree National Park and provides guidance for the further economic valuation of identified values and benefits. While the ecological significance of Congaree National Park …

Harmful Algal Blooms Of The West Florida Shelf And Campeche Bank: Visualization And Quantification Using Remote Sensing Methods, Inia Mariel Soto Ramos

USF Tampa Graduate Theses and Dissertations

Harmful Algal Blooms (HABs) in the Gulf of Mexico (GOM) are natural phenomena that can have negative impacts on marine ecosystems on which human health and the economy of some Gulf States depends. Many of the HABs in the GOM are dominated by the toxic dinoflagellate Karenia brevis. Non-toxic phytoplankton taxa such as Scrippsiella sp. also form intense blooms off the Mexican coast that result in massive fish mortality and economic losses, particularly as they may lead to anoxia.

The main objectives of this dissertation were to (1) evaluate and improve the techniques developed for detection of Karenia spp. blooms …

Stable Isotopes And Trace Elements In Tooth Enamel Bioapatite: Effects Of Diagenesis And Pretreatment On Primary Paleoecological Information, Jessica Norman Wilson

USF Tampa Graduate Theses and Dissertations

The geochemical analysis of bioapatite in vertebrate skeletal tissues is an important tool used to obtain ecological information from fossil animals. An important consideration when conducting stable isotope and trace element analyses is obtaining biogenic information that has been unaffected by diagenetic processes.

A two-step pretreatment procedure is commonly used remove diagenetically altered material by removing organic material, via an oxidation reaction with H2O2 or NaOCl, and secondary carbonate, via dissolution in dilute acetic acid, from bioapatite. While much work has been done to determine the efficacy of the pretreatment process, little research has been conducted to determine the potential …

Visualizing And Understanding Tectonism And Volcanism On Earth And Other Terrestrial Bodies, Mladen M. Dordevic

Physics Theses & Dissertations

This dissertation presents new methods of visualizing, teaching, assessing, modeling, and understanding tectonics on Earth and other celestial bodies. Tectonics is the study of planetary lithospheres and includes impact, plate, plume, cryo- and gravitational mechanisms. This dissertation is concerned with plate tectonics and plate/mantle plume interactions. Plate tectonics describes the mainly horizontal motion of lithospheric plates over the asthenosphere. Lithosphere is created at ridges and consumed at subduction zones. In addition to the plate tectonic system, mantle plumes also contribute to mass motions in the subsurface Earth. Both plate tectonics and plume upwelling processes help shape the present form of …

A History Of Place: Using Phytolith Analysis To Discern Holocene Vegetation Change On Sanak Island, Western Gulf Of Alaska, Cricket C. Wilbur

Antioch University Dissertations & Theses

This study investigated a terrestrial climate proxy, phytoliths, as a complimentary approach to documenting the dynamics of present and past vegetation on Sanak Island, the largest island in a small island group in the eastern Aleutian archipelago, and as a new basis by which to interpret Holocene environmental variability in Alaska. A phytolith reference collection was established from 59 selected plant species of maritime tundra belonging to 27 families. The grass species and a sedge species produced abundant phytolith forms whereas the majority of dicotyledons in this study were trace producers of phytoliths. A paleoenvironmental reconstruction from fossil phytoliths recovered …

Evolution Of High Tooth Replacement Rates In Sauropod Dinosaurs, Michael D. D'Emic, John A. Whitlock, Kathlyn M. Smith, Daniel C. Fisher, Jeffrey A. Wilson

Earth, Environment & Sustainability: Faculty Publications

Background: Tooth replacement rate can be calculated in extinct animals by counting incremental lines of deposition in tooth dentin. Calculating this rate in several taxa allows for the study of the evolution of tooth replacement rate. Sauropod dinosaurs, the largest terrestrial animals that ever evolved, exhibited a diversity of tooth sizes and shapes, but little is known about their tooth replacement rates.

Methodology/Principal Findings: We present tooth replacement rate, formation time, crown volume, total dentition volume, and enamel thickness for two coexisting but distantly related and morphologically disparate sauropod dinosaurs Camarasaurus and Diplodocus. Individual tooth formation time was determined …

Watershed-Scale Hybrid Stochastic-Deterministic Modeling Framework And Diffused Sources Superpositioning, Ruby Juvah Damalie

Civil & Environmental Engineering Theses & Dissertations

Predicting hydrologic system behavior is imperative to planning and management of water resources. The study developed an integrated hybrid stochastic and deterministic framework to improve prediction accuracy for overland flow and diffused sources in a watershed. The methodology includes sampling input parameters at system level and contribution of nonpoint source from hydrologically disconnected areas (heretofore referred to as system-level approach and superpositioning respectively). System-level approach includes the integration of a topography-based sampling grid generalized linear model developed by the study and Monte Carlo methods. The superpositioning method adopts in-stream water quality equation for overland flow pollution estimation.

The system-level approach …

Layer-Bounding Surfaces In Stalagmites As Keys To Better Paleoclimatological Histories And Chronologies, Loren Bruce Railsback, Pete D. Akers, Lixin Wang, Genevieve A. Holdridge, Ny Riavo Voarintsoa

International Journal of Speleology

Petrographic recognition of layer-bounding surfaces in stalagmites offers an important tool in constructing paleoclimate records. Previous petrographic efforts have examined thickness of layers (a possible proxy for annual rainfall) and alternation of layers in couplets (a possible indicator of seasonality). Layer-bounding surfaces, in contrast, delimit series of layers and represent periods of non-deposition, either because of exceptionally wet or exceptionally dry conditions.

Two types of layer-bounding surfaces can be recognized according to explicitly defined petrographic criteria. Type E layer-bounding surfaces are surfaces at which layers have been truncated or eroded at the crest of a stalagmite. Keys to their recognition …

Biorecognition Ability Of Polysaccharides As Piezo Quartz Biosensors, En Kalmykova, Ca Mgina

Tanzania Journal of Science

Piezoquartz biosensors (PQB) which are analytical devices for recognition of biochemical interactions have recently attracted increasing interest from different researchers such as analysts, immune-chemists, medical doctors, environmentalists, etc. This is due to the advantages of PQB for having high detection sensitivity (at ng and mg level depending on the mass of sorbates or micro-organisms) and the ability to monitor biochemical reactions in turbid or highly coloured liquids (including in biological fluids) in real time. The use of additional markers and preliminary sample preparation are not required in this biorecognition process. This paper reports on the principle of the PQB and …

Using Marine Snails To Teach Biogeography And Macroevolution: The Role Of Larvae And Dispersal Ability In The Evolution And Persistence Of Species, Jonathan R. Hendricks

Faculty Publications

While some marine animals are capable of traveling great distances, many have limited mobility as adults and spend the majority of their lifetimes in a small geographical area or may even be cemented to a single place. While it might be expected that species with limited mobility would have small geographic distributions, some nevertheless occur over very large areas. This is the case for some marine snails (gastropods). A key factor that impacts the geographic distribution of marine snails is the type of larvae they have during the phase of their life history that follows hatching from an egg. Because …

Long-Term Effects Of Rice Rotation, Tillage, And Fertility On Near-Surface Soil Carbon And Nitrogen Cycling, Jill Marie Motschenbacher

Graduate Theses and Dissertations

Rice (Oryza sativa L.)-based cropping systems are different from other row crops due to the flood-irrigation scheme used from about one month after planting to a few weeks prior to harvest. The frequent cycling between anaerobic (i.e., flooding during the growing season) and aerobic (i.e., generally, the remainder of the year) conditions can influence the rate of soil organic matter (SOM) decomposition, which can greatly influence carbon (C) and nitrogen (N) storage and sequestration in the soil over time. Therefore, a study was conducted on a silt-loam soil (fine, smectitic, thermic, Typic Albaqualf) at the Rice Research and Extension Center …

Interactions Of Zoo Plankton And Phytoplankton With Cyanobacteria, Rebecca J. Alexander

School of Natural Resources: Dissertations, Theses, and Student Research

Cyanobacteria are a major concern in Nebraska reservoirs and are capable of producing toxins that can cause skin irritations and gastrointestinal problems, as well as affect the nervous system. It is important to determine the mechanisms that can cause cyanobacteria blooms due to the effect they can have on human health. The interaction of zooplankton and other phytoplankton groups with cyanobacteria is important because there is a biological component in surface waters that should be taken into consideration along with the physical and chemical parameters that have been noted to promote cyanobacteria. For example, zooplankton have the ability to alter …

Interactions Of Zooplankton And Phytoplankton With Cyanobacteria, Rebecca Alexander

School of Natural Resources: Dissertations, Theses, and Student Research

Cyanobacteria are a major concern in Nebraska reservoirs and are capable of producing toxins that can cause skin irritations and gastrointestinal problems, as well as affect the nervous system. It is important to determine the mechanisms that can cause cyanobacteria blooms due to the effect they can have on human health. The interaction of zooplankton and other phytoplankton groups with cyanobacteria is important because there is a biological component in surface waters that should be taken into consideration along with the physical and chemical parameters that have been noted to promote cyanobacteria. For example, zooplankton have the ability to alter …

Megathrust Splay Fault Geometry In Prince William Sound, Alaska, Shaun Patrick Finn

Boise State University Theses and Dissertations

I present marine seismic reflection results from Prince William Sound, Alaska that document the location of active faults related to the subduction zone processes.

Subduction zones along convergent margins experience large earthquakes, magnitude >8, with recurrence intervals on the order of centuries. Smaller magnitude earthquakes with shorter recurrence intervals are probable along the same subduction zone fault zones. Convergent margin earthquakes also are associated with high uplift rates and tsunami generation, yet the location and uplift history of most tsunamigenic faults are unknown. In this thesis, I present the processed results of high resolution marine seismic reflection data of Prince …

Restoration Of Biological Soil Crust On Disturbed Gypsiferous Soils In Lake Mead National Recreation Area, Eastern Mojave Desert, Lindsay P. Chiquoine

UNLV Theses, Dissertations, Professional Papers, and Capstones

Biological soil crusts (BSCs) are sensitive to anthropogenic disturbances. Natural recovery takes many years. Active restoration decreases recovery time. Native BSC inocula, which included lichens and mosses, salvaged from gypsiferous soil habitats in Lake Mead National Recreation Area (LMNRA) in the eastern Mojave Desert were stored dry for two years and applied to disturbed soil after a road reconstruction in LMNRA and also used in laboratory experiments to test inoculation technique effectiveness. After 18 months, field results revealed positive relationships between inoculation and the presence of macroscopic BSC cover, cyanobacteria abundance, soil stability, and ammonium concentrations. Chlorophyll fluorescence monitoring of …

Autumn Migration Of Mississippi Flyway Mallards As Determined By Satellite Telemetry, David George G. Krementz, Kwasi Asante, Luke W. Naylor

United States Geological Survey: Staff Publications

We used satellite telemetry to study autumn migration timing, routes, stopover duration, and final destinations of mallards Anas platyrhynchos captured the previous spring in Arkansas from 2004 to 2007. Of those mallards that still had functioning transmitters on September 15 (n = 55), the average date when autumn migration began was October 23 (SE = 2.62 d; range = September 17–December 7). For those mallards that stopped for .1 d during migration, the average stopover length was 15.4 d (SE = 1.47 d). Ten mallards migrated nonstop to wintering sites. The eastern Dakotas were a heavily utilized stopover area. The …

Geosciences Newsletter - 2012, Department Of Geosciences

Geological and Environmental Sciences News

Vol. 5, No. 1

• Faculty Updates
• Faculty Updates
• Deanna Romanosky
• Publications
• MGRRE
• Alumni Award
• Gifts
• Grants
• Endowments

Strategies To Minimize The Effects Of Drought, Gary Bates

Kentucky Grazing Conference

As this summer has shown, forage production from cool-season pasture and hay fields across the state can be dramatically affected by drought. Pastures that consist of cool-season grasses like tall fescue and orchardgrass have been severely overgrazed, and many may have lost some significant stand. Even if you have reseeded these fields, the question is how to prevent having the same problem next year. One of the best practices is to develop a forage program that doesn’t rely on cool-season grasses for summer production, but selects forage species that are better able to produce during periods of limited rainfall and …

Grassfed Beef From A Global Perspective, Glen Aiken

Kentucky Grazing Conference

Beef production and marketing has been shifting over the last few decades in response to unstable cattle markets, higher input costs, and a need to better meet market demands. Advancement of vertical integration of the production and marketing of beef calves through retained ownership from suckling calf to feedyard has certainly enhanced the genetics of the U.S. beef herd and improved the consistency of beef products. Another shift in production has been an increased number of grassfed cattle (grass finished) for marketing either organic or locally grown beef. These niche markets have developed primarily from concerns of urban consumers regarding …

The Cost Of Pasture Versus Hay, Kenneth H. Burdine

Kentucky Grazing Conference

Whenever I discuss the economics of grazing, I like to start by thinking about hay production costs. Regardless of which species we are talking about, a livestock producer should know what his / her most expensive feeding days are. In most cases, these will be winter feeding days, and that will generally consist of feeding either purchased or home-grown hay. So, I encourage producers to start by getting a solid feel for what their daily winter feeding costs are. For the purposes of this article, I am going to present some specific estimates for winter feeding costs, and other items, …

Winter Annuals And Short Term Perennials For Grazing, S. Ray Smith

Kentucky Grazing Conference

During the last 5 years there has been a renewed interest in winter annual and short term perennials for grazing and for stored feed. There are many sources of information on this subject. I especially encourage you to read the new publication written by Dr. Garry Lacefield and colleagues, “Extending Grazing and Reducing Stored Feed Needs”. I have used information from this publication and other publications from the University of Kentucky Forage Website (www.uky.edu/Ag/Forage) in writing this article. This website contains many use publications on the subject of winter annuals and variety trial information on annual ryegrass and …

Novel Endophyte Tall Fescue, Garry D. Lacefield

Kentucky Grazing Conference

“Novel” endophyte is a term used to describe a “good” or “friendly” fungus (endophyte) in tall fescue as opposed to the endophyte that’s present if over eighty-five percent of the tall fescue in the Fescue Belt of the USA. This endophyte is costing beef producers an estimated $1 Billion dollars in losses from animal gains, reproduction and overall performance.