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New Species Of Stenotothorax Schmidt From The Northwestern United States (Coleoptera: Scarabaeidae: Aphodiinae), Paul E. Skelley, Ron H. Mcpeak Jan 2018

New Species Of Stenotothorax Schmidt From The Northwestern United States (Coleoptera: Scarabaeidae: Aphodiinae), Paul E. Skelley, Ron H. Mcpeak

Insecta Mundi

New insights into the genus Stenotothorax Schmidt (Coleoptera: Scarabaeidae: Aphodiinae: Aphodiini) allowed for an influx of new materials from many new localities, and the realization that the genus needs revision. In this work, newly discovered characters used to distinguish species are defined. Stenotothorax lanei (Saylor) is redescribed. Diagnosis and new distributional data are presented for S. lanei, S. mcpeaki Gordon and Skelley, S. washtucna (Robinson) and S. woodleyi Gordon. Seven new species are described from the northwestern United States: S. lahontanensis, S. niviviator, S. odontomonteus, S. schneppi, S. smilodon, S. winnemucca, and S. …


Synonymy And Distribution Data Of Trypanidius Blanchard, 1846 (Coleoptera: Cerambycidae: Lamiinae: Acanthocinini) In Cuba, Sergio Devesa, Alejandro Barro Jan 2018

Synonymy And Distribution Data Of Trypanidius Blanchard, 1846 (Coleoptera: Cerambycidae: Lamiinae: Acanthocinini) In Cuba, Sergio Devesa, Alejandro Barro

Insecta Mundi

Trypanidius nocturnus Fisher, 1942 (Coleoptera: Cerambycidae: Lamiinae: Acanthocinini) is synonymized with Trypanidius insularis Fisher, 1925. Dorsal habitus photographs of the holotypes and paratypes, as well as male and females of specimens collected in Cuba, Puerto Rico and Hispaniola, are provided. Additionally, collecting data and a distributional map of Cuba are offered.

Trypanidius nocturnus Fisher, 1942 (Coleoptera: Cerambycidae: Lamiinae: Acanthocinini) es sinonimizado con Trypanidius insularis Fisher, 1925. Se muestran fotos en vista dorsal de los holotipos y paratipos así como de ejemplares macho y hembra recolectados en Cuba, Puerto Rico y La Española. Adicionalmente, se muestran los datos de colecta y …


Correction Of The Priority Of Macraspis Concoloripes (Blanchard, 1851) Over Its Subspecies Macraspis Concoloripes Ratcliffi Soula, 2005 (Coleoptera: Scarabaeidae: Rutelinae: Rutelini: Rutelina), Auke J. Hielkema Jan 2018

Correction Of The Priority Of Macraspis Concoloripes (Blanchard, 1851) Over Its Subspecies Macraspis Concoloripes Ratcliffi Soula, 2005 (Coleoptera: Scarabaeidae: Rutelinae: Rutelini: Rutelina), Auke J. Hielkema

Insecta Mundi

The priority of the name Macraspis concoloripes (Blanchard, 1851) over the name Macraspis ratcliffi Soula, 2005 (Coleoptera: Scarabaeidae: Rutelinae: Rutelini: Rutelina) is restored.


Bolivian Anthophilous Cerambycinae (Coleoptera: Cerambycidae) Host Flower Records, Robin O. S. Clarke, Sonia Zamalloa Jan 2018

Bolivian Anthophilous Cerambycinae (Coleoptera: Cerambycidae) Host Flower Records, Robin O. S. Clarke, Sonia Zamalloa

Insecta Mundi

Host flower records for 111 species of Cerambycinae, collected from 40 plant species (21 families) in three Bolivian Departments during the period 2002–2011 are presented for the following tribes: Basipterini, Callichromatini, Clytini, Compsocerini, Eburiini, Ectenessini, Heteropsini, Hexoplonini, Molorchini, Oxycoleini, Pteroplatini, Rhopalophorini, Tillomorphini, and Trachyderini. The importance of anthophilous cerambycids as pollinators, their behavior, and methods used for collecting them are presented, and some preliminary comparisons between the tropical fauna in the north and the temperate fauna in the Chaco forests of the south are outlined.


Melipona Beecheii Bennett (Hymenoptera: Apidae): Origen, Estudios Y Meliponicultura En Cuba, Julio A. Genaro, Walberto Loriga Jan 2018

Melipona Beecheii Bennett (Hymenoptera: Apidae): Origen, Estudios Y Meliponicultura En Cuba, Julio A. Genaro, Walberto Loriga

Insecta Mundi

Melipona beecheii Bennett is a common bee, native to Mexico and some parts of Central America. There has been much speculation about his presence in Cuba and Jamaica. The origin, the studies carried out, and the development of meliponiculture in Cuba are reviewed. The main diagnostic characteristics between M. beecheii and Apis mellifera Linnaeus, the only two highly social and domesticated species in Cuba, are presented. The historical trend has been the independent capture of colonies of M. beecheii, in the wild, by untrained farmers. These colonies are kept inside the trunks or branches of the trees that the …


Effects Of Red Clover Isoflavones On Tall Fescue Seed Fermentation And Microbial Populations In Vitro, Emily A. Melchior, Jason K. Smith, Liesel G. Schneider, Travis Mulliniks, Gary E. Bates, Zachary D. Mcfarlane, Michael D. Flythe, James L. Klotz, Jack P. Goodman, Huihua Ji, Phillip R. Meyer Jan 2018

Effects Of Red Clover Isoflavones On Tall Fescue Seed Fermentation And Microbial Populations In Vitro, Emily A. Melchior, Jason K. Smith, Liesel G. Schneider, Travis Mulliniks, Gary E. Bates, Zachary D. Mcfarlane, Michael D. Flythe, James L. Klotz, Jack P. Goodman, Huihua Ji, Phillip R. Meyer

West Central Research and Extension Center, North Platte

Negative impacts of endophyte-infected Lolium arundinaceum (Darbyshire) (tall fescue) are responsible for over $2 billion in losses to livestock producers annually. While the influence of endophyte-infected tall fescue has been studied for decades, mitigation methods have not been clearly elucidated. Isoflavones found in Trifolium pratense (red clover) have been the subject of recent research regarding tall fescue toxicosis mitigation. Therefore, the aim of this study was to determine the effect of ergovaline and red clover isoflavones on rumen microbial populations, fiber degradation, and volatile fatty acids (VFA) in an in vitro system. Using a dose of 1.10 mg …


Seasonal Fluctuations Of Zooplankton, Dissolved Oxygen, And Temperature In Lake Bemidji, Minnesota, Cody Coyle Jan 2018

Seasonal Fluctuations Of Zooplankton, Dissolved Oxygen, And Temperature In Lake Bemidji, Minnesota, Cody Coyle

Journal of Earth and Life Science

With the current influx of aquatic invasive species in Minnesota lakes, the status of zooplankton has become vital. Zooplankton are at the base of all food chains in aquatic ecosystems, ecosystems that vary greatly throughout a year’s time. The objectives of this study were to 1) track the location of zooplankton throughout the water column for an entire year, and 2) establish relationships between zooplankton location and specific water column characteristics. Zooplankton, dissolved oxygen, and temperature samples were collected bi-monthly at various depths at the deepest point in the southern basin of Lake Bemidji. Zooplankton were most abundant in the …


Age-0 Walleye Growth Rates Following Spiny Water Flea Bythotrephes Longimanus Invasion, Joseph Amundson Jan 2018

Age-0 Walleye Growth Rates Following Spiny Water Flea Bythotrephes Longimanus Invasion, Joseph Amundson

Journal of Earth and Life Science

Within Voyageurs National Park, spiny water flea Bythotrephes longimanus has reduced Lake Kabetogama and Rainy Lake native zooplankton biomass during summer peak by 40-60%. Subsequently, planktivorous age-0 Yellow Perch Perca flavescens growth has decreased. A possible trophic cascade may influence predatory fish growth rates like that of age-0 Walleye Sander vitreus. Using seine net and electrofishing data, age-0 Walleye growth rates were modeled as a linear function of growing degree days (GDD) and the slope was compared between pre- and post-spiny water flea establishment. Nearby Lake Vermilion, assumed to have been unaffected by spiny water flea until 2015 and …


Burbot Activity In Relation To Light Penetration On Lake Bemidji, Mn, Hunter Weidenborner, Josh Janecek Jan 2018

Burbot Activity In Relation To Light Penetration On Lake Bemidji, Mn, Hunter Weidenborner, Josh Janecek

Journal of Earth and Life Science

Burbot Lota lota is the only freshwater member of the family Gadidae and has a circumpolar distribution in cold-water regions. Information related to Burbot biology is limited in comparison to most fishes. Snow pack depth and ice conditions influence light penetration and therefore primary production levels. Primary production can have cascading effects on higher trophic levels. Therefore, the objective of this study was to observe if light levels penetrating through cleared and covered ice has an effect on Burbot activity in Lake Bemidji, MN. Angling for Burbot occurred for a minimum of 30 four hour sample periods at both cleared …


Primeness In Early Season Arkansas Raccoon Pelts, D. Blake Sasse Jan 2018

Primeness In Early Season Arkansas Raccoon Pelts, D. Blake Sasse

Journal of the Arkansas Academy of Science

Trapping seasons in the United States are generally set around the time of the year when pelts are in “prime” condition and are in their most valuable state. In order to assess whether the start of the Arkansas trapping season is at an appropriate date 122 raccoons were captured during the month of November in 2014 and 2015. Based on the evaluation of experienced fur dealers, the percentage of pelts in prime condition was then assessed on weekly and half-monthly basis. This study indicates that starting the trapping season in the last half of the month may maximize the percentage …


Evaluation Of Methods Used To Improve Grasslands As Ring-Necked Pheasant (Phasianus Colchicus) Brood Habitat, Mandy Orth Jan 2018

Evaluation Of Methods Used To Improve Grasslands As Ring-Necked Pheasant (Phasianus Colchicus) Brood Habitat, Mandy Orth

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

Management practices designed for upland game species often focus on nest survival and hen winter survival due to the importance of these life history stages on population vital rates. However, chick survival is an important component of gallinaceous bird population dynamics, but it is poorly understood and often tends to be overlooked. Ideal brood habitat not only provides open understory for easy movement and canopy cover for protection, but also provides an abundance of arthropod foods for chicks. It has been hypothesized that restricted movement of chicks through thick vegetation in unmanaged grasslands results in lower brood survival rates. Research …


Evaluating Bighorn Sheep Herd Response After Selective Removal Of Mycoplasma Ovipneumoniae Chronic Shedders, Tyler J. Garwood Jan 2018

Evaluating Bighorn Sheep Herd Response After Selective Removal Of Mycoplasma Ovipneumoniae Chronic Shedders, Tyler J. Garwood

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

Infected individuals vary in their contribution to disease persistence, and chronically infected individuals may sustain disease in a population. One disease that might persist in a population through chronically infected individuals is pneumonia in wild sheep. Mycoplasma ovipneumoniae (Mo), a pathogen of Caprinae commonly present in domestic sheep and goats, strongly correlates with pneumonia epizootics when it infects wild sheep populations. These epizootics can cause 40-100% herd mortality in an initial all-age dieoff, precipitate annual lamb mortality as high as 100% in following years, and sustain adult mortality long after initial all-age dieoffs. We conducted an experiment in the Black …


Aquatic Invertebrate Community Structure, Biological Condition, Habitat, And Water Quality At Ozark National Scenic Riverways, Missouri, 2005-2014, David E. Bowles, L. W. Morrison, J. T. Cribbs Jan 2018

Aquatic Invertebrate Community Structure, Biological Condition, Habitat, And Water Quality At Ozark National Scenic Riverways, Missouri, 2005-2014, David E. Bowles, L. W. Morrison, J. T. Cribbs

Journal of the Arkansas Academy of Science

Ozark National Scenic Riverways (OZAR) was established to protect the corridor of the Current River and its major tributary, the Jacks Fork. The Current River is one of the few remaining free-flowing rivers in the U.S., with much of its base flow coming from several large springs. To assess the biological condition of these rivers, aquatic invertebrate community structure was monitored from 2005 to 2014. Benthic invertebrate samples and associated habitat and water quality data were collected from each of nine sampling sites using a Slack-Surber sampler. The Stream Condition Index (SCI), a multimetric index that incorporates taxa richness, EPT …


Apparent Survival Of Snowy Plovers Varies Seasonally, Nora C. Papian Jan 2018

Apparent Survival Of Snowy Plovers Varies Seasonally, Nora C. Papian

Cal Poly Humboldt theses and projects

Survival is an important vital rate that contributes to population viability, but is infrequently monitored and studied, especially compared to productivity. Furthermore, factors that limit survival and the relative effect on survival are often unknown. I used mark-resight observations of a small (~350) population of threatened Snowy Plovers (Charadrius nivosus nivosus) to quantify seasonal and annual variation in survival and movement between three coastal locations across ~70 km in Humboldt County, California. The return of individuals to non-breeding flocks at three locations was high between years (75-81%). Movement between three locations varied greatly, although most (n = 137) …


Seasonal Home Range Variation And Spatial Ecology Of Peregrine Falcons (Falco Peregrinus) In Coastal Humboldt County, Ca, Elizabeth-Noelle F. Morata Jan 2018

Seasonal Home Range Variation And Spatial Ecology Of Peregrine Falcons (Falco Peregrinus) In Coastal Humboldt County, Ca, Elizabeth-Noelle F. Morata

Cal Poly Humboldt theses and projects

Peregrine falcons (Falco peregrinus) are renowned for their migratory habits, with ‘peregrinus’ often translated as ‘wanderer’ or ‘pilgrim’. However, their migratory habits may differ by population and some peregrine may falcons forgo migration when climate and resources remain stable. To examine peregrine falcon home range and space use, I fitted GPS-satellite transmitters to nine breeding adults in coastal northern California, an area with a mild climate and abundant waterbird populations. I used kernel density estimates and time-local convex hulls to examine seasonal home ranges and within-home range habitat use. All nine peregrine falcons remained resident in …


The Influence Of Microclimate And Local Adaptation For A Climate-Sensitive Species (Aplodontia Rufa), Jennie K. Jones Scherbinski Jan 2018

The Influence Of Microclimate And Local Adaptation For A Climate-Sensitive Species (Aplodontia Rufa), Jennie K. Jones Scherbinski

Cal Poly Humboldt theses and projects

Climate change models and analyses predict a disproportionate impact on climatically sensitive species such as the mountain beaver (Aplodontia rufa). Mountain beavers have physiological constraints that limit their distribution to cool, moist climates. While mountain beavers have persisted through past periods of climate change, increasing temperature since the last glacial maximum is believed to have had a strong influence in reducing their range. This is particularly true for the Point Arena subspecies (A. r. nigra, “PAMB”), found towards the southwestern edge of their range on the coast of California. Here, I examined the climatic niche of …


Evaluating Habitat Selection Models To Improve Site Selection In A Population Monitoring Program For Townsend's Big-Eared Bats (Corynorhinus Townsendii), Katrina J. Smith Jan 2018

Evaluating Habitat Selection Models To Improve Site Selection In A Population Monitoring Program For Townsend's Big-Eared Bats (Corynorhinus Townsendii), Katrina J. Smith

Cal Poly Humboldt theses and projects

Winter roost (hibernacula) surveys offer a unique opportunity to monitor Townsend’s big-eared bats (Corynorhinus townsendii) while the population is generally closed, using a simple count method to census the population. Existing knowledge of C. townsendii hibernacula facilitates long-term population trend analysis but improving the accuracy of trend estimates requires identification of additional hibernacula to increase the proportion of the population monitored. Over 800 caves are known within Lava Beds National Monument; 322 of these have never been surveyed in the winter and could potentially hold a substantial portion of the C. townsendii population currently missing from the annual …


Export Of Invertebrate Drift From Fishless Headwater Streams, Jonathan M. Hollis Jan 2018

Export Of Invertebrate Drift From Fishless Headwater Streams, Jonathan M. Hollis

Cal Poly Humboldt theses and projects

An understanding of ecological linkages between headwater systems and downstream habitats is needed to enhance management practices for aquatic conservation. I quantified and described the export of invertebrate drift from fishless headwater streams to assess its potential importance to downstream populations of coastal cutthroat trout (Oncorhynchus clarki clarki) in the lower Klamath River in northern California. From June 2015 through April 2016, I sampled invertebrate drift in six fishless headwaters in the sub-basins of Tectah, Ah Pah, and Tarup creeks. Concurrently, I collected invertebrate drift and trout diet samples from adjoining fish-bearing streams. Drift export rates were lowest …


Effects Of Main-Stem Impoundments On Hydrology And Larval Fish Communities In Major Tributaries Of Two Large Midwestern Rivers, Jordan Pesik Jan 2018

Effects Of Main-Stem Impoundments On Hydrology And Larval Fish Communities In Major Tributaries Of Two Large Midwestern Rivers, Jordan Pesik

Masters Theses

Anthropogenic modifications, like impoundments, have altered natural environmental conditions in most lotic systems and impacted fish ecology in many ways. We examined the effect of large river impoundments on fish reproductive behavior by studying the larval fish communities in tributaries of the impounded Illinois and unimpounded Wabash Rivers. We hypothesized that larval fish communities would be similar between the geographically proximal systems, but temporal structuring would depend largely on flow regimes. Biweekly larval densities were greatest among all taxa in the Wabash system, though overall communities were similar between systems. Of the six tributaries, the four smallest rivers were most …


Polar Gigantism And Sea Spiders: A Study Of Respiratory Scaling, Steven Joseph Lane Jan 2018

Polar Gigantism And Sea Spiders: A Study Of Respiratory Scaling, Steven Joseph Lane

Graduate Student Theses, Dissertations, & Professional Papers

All animals must breathe to survive. The types of primary respiratory structures vary across the metazoa, and the overall size and components of these structures scale with body size. The scaling of respiratory structures has been well studied in vertebrate lungs and gills, but very few, if any studies, have looked at it in terms of cutaneous gas exchange, the process where oxygen moves across the outer integument via diffusion. My dissertation has sought to fill this gap in knowledge by studying animals that use cutaneous respiration, and my work has determined both how the components of their respiratory surfaces …


Black-Tailed Prairie Dog (Cynomys Ludovicianus) State-And-Transition Model For Loamy Ecological Sites In Mlra 62 In Custer State Park, South Dakota, Mark R. Hendrix Jan 2018

Black-Tailed Prairie Dog (Cynomys Ludovicianus) State-And-Transition Model For Loamy Ecological Sites In Mlra 62 In Custer State Park, South Dakota, Mark R. Hendrix

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

Black-tailed prairie dogs (Cynomys ludovicianus) are native burrowing rodents that occupy large areas in the shortgrass and mixed-grass prairies of the Northern Great Plains. They are an important component of these prairie systems due to their impacts on plant communities. Currently State-and-Transition models (STMs) for grassland Ecological Site Descriptions (ESDs) address grazing by livestock as a major factor affecting states and phases within states. Impacts from other grazers, such as prairie dogs, are either not addressed directly, or are included only in a transition to a generalized early seral state. There are, however, dramatic differences in plant communities …


Effects Of Climate Change On Forest Vegetation In The Northern Rockies Region, Robert E. Keane, Mary Frances Mahalovich Jan 2018

Effects Of Climate Change On Forest Vegetation In The Northern Rockies Region, Robert E. Keane, Mary Frances Mahalovich

Aspen Bibliography

No abstract provided.


New Applications Of Radio Frequency Identification Stations For Monitoring Fish Passage Through Headwater Road Crossings And Natural Reaches, Ian R. Macleod, Charles J. Gagen Jan 2018

New Applications Of Radio Frequency Identification Stations For Monitoring Fish Passage Through Headwater Road Crossings And Natural Reaches, Ian R. Macleod, Charles J. Gagen

Faculty Publications - Biological Sciences

Within the Ouachita National Forest, roads and streams intersect each other thousands of times. Many of these road crossings alter stream hydrology and potentially limit longitudinal fish movement. To investigate the potential impacts of these road crossings on fish passage, we monitored movements of 3 native fish species (n = 2,171) individually tagged with radio frequency identification (RFID) tags in 2012 and 2013. We installed solar-powered RFID stations in 2 streams with road crossings and 2 reference streams without road crossings. Each of the 4 monitoring stations included a pair of antennas bracketing a road crossing (or similarly-sized natural reach) …


Camera Traps In Wildlife Research: Through My Lens, Bryson P. Allen Jan 2018

Camera Traps In Wildlife Research: Through My Lens, Bryson P. Allen

Undergraduate Theses, Professional Papers, and Capstone Artifacts

Wildlife species can be difficult to study because they can have very large ranges and can be wary of observers. Researchers have been using camera traps in recent decades as a way to study wildlife behavior and population metrics. Here I explore the history of these tools in wildlife biology, their possible applications, and limitations.


Ecology, W. S. Lynn, Eric G. Strauss Jan 2018

Ecology, W. S. Lynn, Eric G. Strauss

Center for Urban Resilience Scholarship

No abstract provided.


Endoparasitism Of Rehabilitating Grey Crowned Cranes In Rwanda, Barry K. Hartup, Deo Ruhgazi, Haynes Werner, Oliver Nsengimana Jan 2018

Endoparasitism Of Rehabilitating Grey Crowned Cranes In Rwanda, Barry K. Hartup, Deo Ruhgazi, Haynes Werner, Oliver Nsengimana

Proceedings of the North American Crane Workshop

Diseases such as parasitism can limit the effectiveness of conservation translocations depending on host-parasite dynamics at the site of release. The Rwanda Wildlife Conservation Association and the Rwandan government are rehabilitating and repatriating grey crowned cranes (Balearica regulorum) from illegal captivity to the wild at Akagera National Park in large numbers. Monitoring of cranes at the fenced soft-release site during 4 time points in 2017 showed 50-67% of fecal samples tested were positive for 1 or more parasites, most commonly nematodes (roundworms) of the Order Ascaridida. The prevalences and species diversity observed in the fecal samples were not …


Habitat Selection And Con- And Heterospecific Associations Of Wintering Whooping Cranes At Wheeler National Wildlife Refuge, Alabama, Andrew W. Cantrell, Yong Wang Jan 2018

Habitat Selection And Con- And Heterospecific Associations Of Wintering Whooping Cranes At Wheeler National Wildlife Refuge, Alabama, Andrew W. Cantrell, Yong Wang

Proceedings of the North American Crane Workshop

Winter ecology of the Eastern Migratory Population of whooping cranes (Grus americana) has received less detailed study than that of other life stages or the Aransas-Wood Buffalo Population. Increased winter use of novel sites by these cranes makes understanding the mechanisms contributing to habitat selection and use important for efficient conservation. As a subset of a larger and ongoing project, this study examined the individual and temporal variations of occupancy times, habitat types used, and co-occurrence with con- and heterospecifics during winters 2014-15 and 2015-16 at Wheeler National Wildlife Refuge, Alabama, while considering the effect of individual life …


Proceedings Of The Fourteenth North American Crane Workshop, 11–15 January 2017, Chattanooga, Tennessee, Frontmatter, Jane E. Austin, Richard P. Urbanek Jan 2018

Proceedings Of The Fourteenth North American Crane Workshop, 11–15 January 2017, Chattanooga, Tennessee, Frontmatter, Jane E. Austin, Richard P. Urbanek

Proceedings of the North American Crane Workshop

List of Previous Proceedings of the North American Crane Workshops:

Suggested citation formats

PREFACE

Memorials: ROBERT H. HORWICH 1940-2017; WILLIAM A. LISHMAN 1939-2017; THEODORE A. BOOKHOUT 1931-2018; JAMES T. HARRIS 1950-2018

CONTENTS

Front and back covers

The North American Crane Working Group (NACWG) is an organization of professional biologists, aviculturists, land managers, non-professional crane enthusiasts, and others interested in and dedicated to the conservation of cranes and crane habitats in North America. Our group meets approximately every 3 years to exchange information pertaining to sandhill cranes and whooping cranes and occasionally reports about some of the other cranes species. The …


Color-Band Identification System Of The Reintroduced Eastern Migratory Whooping Crane Population, Richard Urbanek Jan 2018

Color-Band Identification System Of The Reintroduced Eastern Migratory Whooping Crane Population, Richard Urbanek

Proceedings of the North American Crane Workshop

A reintroduction of whooping cranes (Grus americana) migrating between Wisconsin and the southeastern U.S. was initiated in 2001. A color-band system to uniquely identify individuals was necessary for monitoring and evaluation of that population. The system provided 336 individual unduplicated color combinations consisting of 3 base and 1 additional colors on plastic bands. The band combination on 1 leg carried a VHF transmitter and provided additional information on hatch year. Bands on the other leg were either small bands that were part of a permanent code or they were temporary and supported a remotely monitored (satellite or cellular) …


Examining Whooping Crane Breeding Season Foraging Behavior In The Eastern Migratory Population, Hillary L. Thompson, Anik Levac, Megan J. Fitzpatrick Jan 2018

Examining Whooping Crane Breeding Season Foraging Behavior In The Eastern Migratory Population, Hillary L. Thompson, Anik Levac, Megan J. Fitzpatrick

Proceedings of the North American Crane Workshop

Agricultural fields may provide an important supplementary foraging habitat for whooping cranes (Grus americana) in the reintroduced Eastern Migratory Population (EMP). We developed methods and gathered preliminary data regarding whooping crane foraging efficiency and habitat use to better understand the use of agricultural fields by breeding cranes. We generated a simple null hypothesis that cranes would spend more time in the habitat type (wetlands vs. agricultural fields) in which they were able to obtain a higher foraging efficiency to maximize food intake, along with several alternative hypotheses pertaining to reasons cranes may prefer wetlands or agricultural fields during …