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The Effects Of The Mud Snail Ilyanassa Obsoleta (Say) Upon The Benthic Community Of Broad Bay, Virginia, Wick Timothy Harlan

Biological Sciences Theses & Dissertations

The effects of the presence of the mud snail Ilyanassa obsoleta (Say) upon the benthic community of Broad Bay, Virginia were examined through artificial removal and exclusion of the snail and artificial increase of the snail population. The enclosure treatment exhibited a significantly higher number of macrofaunal individuals than the control. The control had a significantly higher number of meiofaunal individuals than either treatment. There were no significant differences for the chlorophyll a. The increase in macrofauna and corresponding decrease in meiofauna were probably due to cage effects and not snail densities. The presence of the fences can act as …

The Effects Of Dominant Species Removal On Subtidal Community Development, H. Russell Barker Jr.

Biological Sciences Theses & Dissertations

Acrylic panels were used to follow the development of the fouling community at Channel Points, Lynnhaven Bay, Virginia, from April through October 1979. The roles of Membranipora tenuis, an encrusting ectoproct, and Molgula manhattensis, a solitary tunicate, were studied by removing each species from the developing community on a weekly basis.

Early colonization was dominated by Membranipora followed by Corophium spp. (Amphipoda), Polydora ligni (Polychaeta), and Balanus eberneus (Arthropoda). Molgula colonized the panels later in the study and became a dominant occupier of primary space by the end of the study.

The removal of Membranipora and Molgula …

A Characterization Of Woodpecker Damage To Houses In East Tennessee, Dan Evans, James L. Byford, Robert H. Wainberg

Wildlife Damage Management Conference

Each year homeowners report damage and/or annoyance from woodpecker excavation and drumming activities on houses. Among the species that may be involved are the yellow-shafted flicker (Colaptes auratus), pileated woodpecker (Dryocopus pileatus), red-bellied woodpecker (Melanerpes carolinus), red-headed woodpecker (M. erythrocephalus), red-cockaded woodpecker (Picoides borealis), hairy woodpecker (P. uillosus), and downy woodpecker (P. pubescens) (Carlton 1975).

Integrated Pest Management: A Useful Approach To Wildlife Damage Control?, Robert M. Timm

Wildlife Damage Management Conference

Integrated Pest Management (IPM) has become a popular phrase and is looked upon by some persons as the solution to all pest problems and many environmental issues. Unfortunately, the concept of IPM is often misunderstood and at times misused.

Fence Designs For Deer Control: A Review And The Results Of Recent Research In Southeastern New York, Jay B. Mcaninch, Ray Winchcombe, Mark Ellingwood

Wildlife Damage Management Conference

Research on fences for deer control over the last 45 years has involved either the nonelectric or electric designs. The conventional nonelectric fence has been a vertical 8-to 10-foot woven-wire type which has proven effective in several states over the past 30 years. Some installations have included a 2-to 3-foot overhang of barbed or smooth wire at the top. All versions of this fence have been deemed excessively expensive by many consumers, although a recent New York study reported the 8-foot fence in new, high-density fruit orchards to be a very cost-effective control option.

Minimizing Black Bear Problems At New York State Public Campgrounds, John O'Pezio, Stephen H. Clarke, Gary B. Will

Wildlife Damage Management Conference

The black bear's omnivorous foraging behavior has been both beneficial and detrimental to its coexistence with modern humans. The ability to feed on a variety of animal and vegetable matter, alive or dead, has been advantageous to the black bear's survival as its range has diminished. Although black bears have an innate aversion to people, many have learned to tolerate humans to acquire easily obtainable high energy concentrated artificial foods. Human carelessness in the storage and disposal of foods within or near bear habit at has resulted in conflicts between campers and wild bears. Forest Preserve public campgrounds create a …

Predicting Deer Damage On The Basis Of Metabolic Needs, Aaron N. Moen

Wildlife Damage Management Conference

Damage to agricultural crops by deer has become a serious problem in recent years as deer populations have increased to high levels in many areas. Damage to orchards may be especially serious. Little attention has been given, however, to the basic animal-range relationships that underlie the extent of the damage. Deer "damaging" an orchard are fulfilling a metabolic need for nutrients; apple trees are an expedient food source in the winter and early spring when deer populations are concentrated.

Influence Of Deer Damage On Farmers' Perceptions Of Deer Population Trends: Important Implications For Managers, Daniel J. Decker, George F. Mattfeld, Tommy L. Brown

Wildlife Damage Management Conference

Farmers' attitudes toward deer, their perceptions of deer depredations and their preferences for future deer population levels have been extensively studied in New York (Brown and Decker 1979; Brown et al. 1977a,1977b, 1978a,1978b, 1979,1980; Decker and Brown 1982; Decker et al. 1981a, 1981b). These studies have contributed to deer-population-management decisions that give consideration to farming interests. Nevertheless, farmers cannot be expected to support deer management efforts on their behalf if they do not understand the population changes such management is designed to achieve. Consequently, wildlife managers need to know whether or not the effects of such efforts are recognized. A …

An Assessment Of Farmers' Attitudes Towards Deer And Deer Damage In West Tennessee, Gary Tanner, Ralph W. Dimmick

Wildlife Damage Management Conference

The Tennessee Wildlife Resources Agency (TWRA) has been involved in white-tailed deer (Odocoileus uirginianus) restoration since the 1950's. Annual deer harvest summaries of the TWRA reveal a many-fold increase in the number of deer taken by hunters in recent years, reflecting the success of that project. However, that success may be perceived as a mixed blessing by some of Tennessee's farmers, whose crops may be damaged by deer or who may have problems with deer hunters.

Meadow Vole Control In Ontario Apple Orchards, Zia Siddiqi, Dale Blaine, Stan Taylor

Wildlife Damage Management Conference

Meadow vole, Microtus pennsyluanicus, is the most common field rodent found in Ontario and causes extensive damage to orchards and hardwood plantations (Radvanyi 1974a, 1974b). The damage is usually most serious when their normal food supply is limited, especially under deep snow cover during winter when occasionally voles breed (Brooks et al. 1976). The Ontario Ministry of Agriculture and Food (Ells and Hikichi 1979) suggests that damage to the orchards can be prevented by mowing the sods regularly, cleaning up trash from bases of fences, keeping the ground clean around tree base, use of pitfalls, and especially protecting the …

Ecology And Management Of Depredating Blackbirds In Ontario Field Corn, J. D. Somers, F. F. Gilbert, R. J. Brooks, D. E. Joyner

Wildlife Damage Management Conference

Blackbird damage to field corn in southwestern Ontario has been a problem for farmers for many years (Whitney 1954; Dyer 1968). Historically, Kent and Essex counties were the major corn-growing regions in Ontario, and the most significant centers of corn depredation by blackbirds were in these counties. However, the development of new short-season cultivars has afforded the expansion of field corn production and corn depredation problems throughout southern Ontario. The Ontario Ministry of the Environment (OME) provided funding commencing in 1976 in response to these increased instances of corn depredation for a 4-year research program on the importance, ecology and …

Mid-Atlantic States Raccoon Rabies Outbreak, Suzanne R. Jenkins, William G. Winkler

Wildlife Damage Management Conference

In the mid-1950s, an outbreak of raccoon rabies was recognized in South Florida and marked the beginning of epizootic/enzootic rabies in raccoons in this country. It spread at a rate of about 25 miles per year and currently includes eastern Alabama and most of Georgia and South Carolina. Up until the recent mid-Atlantic outbreak, the southern focus accounted for about 85 to 90% of the approximately 400 confirmed rabid raccoons reported in the United States each year.

Senegal's Trade In Cage Birds, 1979-81, Philippe Ruelle

Wildlife Damage Management Conference

Senegal is one of the world's principal exporters of cage birds. The estimated value to Senegal of this trade is equivalent to U.S. $500,000 annually. Between 1979 and 1981, over 1 million birds were exported annually to at least 26 countries. During this period, the Government of Senegal proposed some policy guide-lines and legislative changes to manage this important industry rationally. The present report updates the exportation figures for these years and indicates some of the proposed legislation.

Parasites Of Wildlife Transmissible To Domestic Animals And Humans, Jay R. Georgi

Wildlife Damage Management Conference

Parasites of wild animals are of great importance to the health of humans and their domestic animals. Wild birds serve as reservoirs of various forms of viral encephalitis that are transmitted to humans and domestic animals through the bites of mosquitoes. Wild rodents serve as reservoirs of plague and tularemia and feed the ticks that transmit rickettsial dis-eases such as Rocky Mountain spotted fever. These are familiar examples that do not require further elaboration here. The objective of the following out-line is to review several less notorious but nevertheless important parasitisms that are communicable from wildlife to domestic animals and …

Bird Hazards At Airports, Richard L. Thompson

Wildlife Damage Management Conference

This is a 137-slide audio-visual presentation of approximately 21 minutes duration produced by the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service to provide an awareness of bird hazards to aircraft in the airport environment and some procedures to reduce the hazard. The audio-visual is a semi-technical orientation and training program for airport/airfield managers, aircraft controllers, airline managers. pilots, and other airport users.

Keeping Unwanted Gulls Away - A Progress Report, Victor E. F. Solmon, Hans Blokpoel, W. John Richardson, George W. J. Laidlaw

Wildlife Damage Management Conference

Nearly 50 years ago, wires were strung over fish ponds to discourage fish-eating birds from taking fish destined for other uses (McAtee and Piper 1936). Twenty years ago, overwiring of open ditches began on airports to keep ducks from using them and causing hazards to aircraft (Solman 1973). Both techniques used coarse wires spaced closely enough to form a physical barrier to prevent ducks and herons from landing on or taking off from the water.

Summary Comments, Merrill L. Petoskey

Wildlife Damage Management Conference

Thank you for asking me to participate in this conference, the first of its kind in the eastern United States. We are glad that some funding from the Renewable Resources Extension Act has helped to make this conference possible. Jim Miller, National Pro-gram Leader for Fish and Wildlife, Extension Service-USDA, provided early impetus in planning the program, and as a member of the conference committee, served as chairman of publicity and encouraged wide participation. We are pleased that, along with SUNY College of Environmental Science and Forestry and the New York Department of Environmental Conservation, the Extension Service, USDA, could …

Nuisance Bird Control In Virginia, Jim Hartlage, Bob Thomas, Joe May, Phil Eggborn

Wildlife Damage Management Conference

In the mid-1960s, State officials of Virginia recognized an increasing bird damage problem, yet no legislation existed that allowed any state agency the authority to initiate a nuisance bird control program. In 1968, with bird damage estimated at 25 million dollars, the Virginia General Assembly passed the Nuisance Bird Law. This law provided the basic legislation for the Virginia Department of Agriculture and Commerce (VDAC) to allow its personnel to investigate complaints, conduct surveys, and initiate bird control programs when necessary. Administration of the law is by the Plant Pest Control Section of the VDAC along with a cooperative agreement …

The Role Of New York State's Division Of Fish And Wildlife In Deer Damage Control, Louis T. Berchielli

Wildlife Damage Management Conference

The Environmental Conservation Law (ECL) spells out the responsibilities and authorities of the Department of Environmental Conservation (DEC). Section 1-0101, subdivision 3 of the ECL declares a State policy which includes the fostering, promoting, creating and maintaining of conditions under which humans and nature can thrive in harmony. Section 11-0303, subdivision 1 of the ECL vests in the department the efficient management of the wildlife resources of the State. The department is further directed by subdivision 2 of this section to include regard to the compatibility of production and harvesting of wildlife crops with other necessary or desirable land uses …

An Evaluation Of The Cost And Effectiveness Of Repellent Applications In Protecting Fruit Orchards, Mark R. Ellingwood, Jay B. Mcaninch, Raymond J. Winchcombe

Wildlife Damage Management Conference

A summer repellent spray program was devised and implemented on a total of 110 acres (9 orchard blocks) of 1- to 3-year-old semi-dwarf apple trees. Cooperating growers were supplied with repellent (Hinder or Clearepel) as required, to allow them to adhere to a flexible 3-to 6-application schedule from May through August. Spraying costs, including labor, equipment, and spray materials, were estimated based on data provided by each cooperating grower for each application completed.

New Directions In Deer Damage Management In Wisconsin, Scott R. Craven

Wildlife Damage Management Conference

The question of responsibility for wildlife damage is a difficult one to answer, especially for damage caused by white-tailed deer. Some states have chosen, or been forced by political pressures, to assume the responsibility for wildlife damage, with or without some responsibility on the part of the agricultural producer who is sustaining the damage. According to a 1980 survey by the Utah Division of Wildlife Resources, only 10 states were bound by law to make payments for damage done by game species. Only Wisconsin included a nongame species (sandhill cranes) in their payment program. Other states offer abatement assistance, while …

Population Status Of Blackbirds And Starlings In North America, 1966-81, Richard A. Dolbeer, Robert A. Stehn

Wildlife Damage Management Conference

In the early 1800s, the Passenger Pigeon (Ectopistes migratorius) was the most abundant bird in North America (and perhaps the world) with a population size of at least 3 billion (Schorger 1955). With the clearing of the forests in the East and Great Lakes Region, food supplies and cover were depleted and the Pigeon population declined rapidly. Undoubtedly, large scale market hunting accelerated the inevitable decline. The population was extinct in the wild in 1900 and the last individual died in captivity in 1914.

Structural Bird Control - An Overview, Charles W. Areson

Wildlife Damage Management Conference

Structural pest bird control is probably the most environmentally sensitive area of all pest control. The potential hazards associated with bird control are far greater and far more open to public scrutiny than in any other type of pest control. One error in judgment may bring the wrath of an entire community on you, as well as involve you with legal repercussions from both federal and state agencies. Hazards to non-target species are always a threat when using any type of program with toxics, and potential secondary hazards to protected and endangered species must always be considered. There is no …

Wildlife Damage Control: A Current Perspective, Jack H. Berryman

Wildlife Damage Management Conference

I attach special importance to this responsibility and appreciate the opportunity to deliver these keynote comments. We are here to discuss a very important and always controversial subject. The first Eastern Wildlife Damage Control Conference provides a unique opportunity for all of us to constructively influence the future direction as well as the professional and public perception of this important wildlife management activity.

Will Mammalian Pheromones Be Useful In Wildlife Damage Control?, Dietland Müller-Schwarze

Wildlife Damage Management Conference

Rodents, lagomorphs and cervids are the most important herbivorous mammals that cause economic damage in North America. Farmers, foresters, trappers and gardeners have since time immemorial used various concoctions to attract wild mammals or repel them from certain sites or crops. The chemical industry has often used food odors in their animal control products. Currently no pheromone is being used in wildlife damage control.

Rodenticide Selection And Bait Composition To Minimize Potential Primary Hazard To Nontarget Species When Baiting Field Rodents, Rex E. Marsh

Wildlife Damage Management Conference

A wide variety of methods is used to reduce potential hazards to non target species when baiting out-of-doors for rodents. The principles involved in making rodent baits highly selective hinge on the biology, particularly the feeding habits and food preferences of the target species. The differences or uniqueness of both the at-risk nontarget animals and the target animals should be assessed and then capitalized upon where possible in terms of susceptibility to toxicant, kind, size and shape of bait, etc. Generally only a few nontarget species are at risk in any particular situation, and the degree of this risk also …

The Use Of Eurasian Dogs To Protect Sheep From Predators In North America: A Summary Of Research At The U.S. Sheep Experiment Station, Jeffrey S. Green, Roger A. Woodruff

Wildlife Damage Management Conference

The authors thank the sheep producers who cooperated in the study. R. Harman, R. VanHorn, S. Ecret, K. Havelock, J. Geiser, W. Bowers, G. Pendleton, D. Johnson, and C. Schwartz helped with the care and evaluation of the dogs.

In the search for methods to reduce coyote (Canis latrans) predation on sheep, livestock guarding dogs have been found to be a relatively successful technique in a variety of conditions including open rangeland (Green and Woodruff in press) and fenced pastures (Linhart et al. 1979, McGrew and Bakesley 1982, Pfeifer and Goos 1982, Green et al. In Press a). …

Ultrasonics: Technology Vs. Tools, Tej Tanden

Wildlife Damage Management Conference

Food and material losses to rodents are as old as the knowledge of humans to store food for future use. Humans have had to share their food supplies and learn to live with the unwelcome guests since time immemorial. Even to this day rodents continue to claim a significant share of human food supply on this earth. They have inflicted epidemics that have destroyed large segments of human populations in various parts of our world, throughout history.

Humans Versus Animals, William D. Fitzwater

Wildlife Damage Management Conference

In the beginning, humans and the so-called "lower animals" would meet cautiously and fleetingly, both intent on the basic goals of survival - food and water for the belly and shelter or other escape from more powerful enemies who regarded them as dinner entrees. This situation prevailed until puny man threw the first stone or swung a heavy club and realized that he could catch fleeter animals and kill larger ones than himself with his new tools. Thus instead of a grubby existence on plants, fruits, and insects, humans with their new toys eventually became efficient predators. Most of the …

Managing Coyote Damage Problems With Nonlethal Techniques: Recent Advances In Research, Samuel B. Linhart

Wildlife Damage Management Conference

In 1972 President Nixon issued Executive Order 11643 prohibiting further federal use of toxicants for controlling predators; EPA subsequently withdrew all chemical registrations for this purpose. These actions stimulated research efforts to develop alternate nonlethal means of reducing livestock losses to coyotes and other predators. Some of these studies, focused primarily on barrier fencing, guarding dogs, chemical repellents and aversive agents, "frightening" devices, and modification of leg-hold traps, have resulted in new ways to alleviate the problem.