Digital Commons Network^™

Lessons From Chimpanzee Sign Language Studies, Mary Lee Jensvold

Animal Sentience

Claims are often made about behaviors being unique to humans; the evidence usually shows they are not. Sign language studies on chimpanzees may provide a useful model for comparative studies of suicide. A productive approach to comparative studies is to focus on observable behaviors rather than getting lost in the pitfalls of vague definitions and changing measures.

Animal Suicide: An Account Worth Giving?, Irina Mikhalevich

Animal Sentience

Peña-Guzmán (2017) argues that empirical evidence and evolutionary theory compel us to treat the phenomenon of suicide as continuous in the animal kingdom. He defends a “continuist” account in which suicide is a multiply-realizable phenomenon characterized by self-injurious and self-annihilative behaviors. This view is problematic for several reasons. First, it appears to mischaracterize the Darwinian view that mind is continuous in nature. Second, by focusing only on surface-level features of behavior, it groups causally and etiologically disparate phenomena under a single conceptual umbrella, thereby reducing the account’s explanatory power. Third, it obscures existing analyses of suicide in biomedical ethics and …

Can Nondolphins Commit Suicide?, David M. Peña-Guzmán

Animal Sentience

This Response addresses the scientific and philosophical criticisms of my 2017 target article “Can nonhuman animals commit suicide?” It defends my key claims and explores topics (such as animal judgment, animal theory of mind, and the evolution of suicide) that did not appear in the original article. It also points out areas in which further research is needed and concludes that we should be wary of accusations of “anthropomorphism” in debates about animal suicide.

Salt Retention In Wetland Soils And Effects On Dissolved Organic Carbon Export, Kayla Marie Mcguire

Master's Theses and Doctoral Dissertations

Deicing salt runoff has negative effects on ecosystems. Wetland ecosystems can act as important filters for runoff pollution (e.g., nutrients), mitigating damage to plants and microbes. Wetlands are important sinks for nutrients and pollutants (e.g., road salt) and transformation spots for many nutrients including carbon. The interactions between deicing salt runoff and wetland soil carbon were explored by measuring chloride export and retention, dissolved organic carbon (DOC) export, and carbon quality using mesocosm experiments. Net retention of Cl- was highest in soils receiving high salt treatments (5.0 g/L NaCl), although percent retention of Cl- was greater in soils receiving moderate …

Data: Pre-Fire Disturbance History Modulates Relationships Between Ground Cover And Post-Fire Conifer Regeneration, Nathan Gill, Dan Jarvis, Tom Veblen, John Rogan, Dominik Kulakowski

Student Works

Understory vegetation and ground cover drive many important ecosystem processes, including tree seedling regeneration. The exact effect of ground cover on tree seedling establishment, survival, and growth depends on biophysical context. In subalpine forests, this context is largely determined by disturbances such as beetle outbreak, blowdown, and fire. Compounded disturbances that overlap in short succession can alter stand properties and trajectories in ways that are not predictable from the additive impact of individual disturbances. The aim of this study is to examine how compounded Dendroctonus rufipennis (spruce beetle; SB) outbreak followed by fire and compounded wind blowdown followed by fire …

Ms Environmental Biology Capstone Project, Alyssa Herrin

Regis University Student Publications (comprehensive collection)

The study of visitor use in museums, zoos, and aquariums is an important aspect of understanding visitor engagement and evaluating the function of the institution. Here, visitor demographics such as age, group size, and number of children were assessed to see their influence on time spent and number of stops visitors made while visiting the Denver Botanic Gardens in Denver, Colorado. This study evaluated differences in time spent and number of stops made among different gardens by observing visitors and mapping their paths and activities through each zone. The results show that older visitors and larger groups spent more time …

Animal Suicide: Evolutionary Continuity Or Anthropomorphism?, Antonio Preti

Animal Sentience

Evolutionary processes are characterized by both continuity and discontinuity. Evidence on suicide in nonhuman animals is faint and often rests on the metaphorical or anthropomorphic use of the term. Suicidal behavior might be an evolutionary jump relatively recent in our species: a byproduct of living in groups of people who are not as closely related genetically as in social groups of nonhuman mammals.

Roots Of Self-Preservation Failure In Animal Behavior, Denys Decatanzaro

Animal Sentience

Affective variation from euphoria to dysphoria, best understood in humans, is also found in the behavior and neurochemistry of many other mammals. Suicide in humans typically occurs in highly dysphoric and despondent individuals. Self-injurious behavior has been observed in dysphoric and despondent nonhuman primates. In humans, suicide is facilitated by a highly-evolved neocortex giving rise to behavioral flexibility and culture. As Peña-Guzmán indicates, some other mammals also have elaborate neocortices and the capacity for cognitive insight, particularly apes, delphinids, and whales. Suicide is most likely to occur in species where individuals live in stable groups of highly interdependent kin.

Animal Suicide And "Anthropodenial", Ryan Hediger

Animal Sentience

Increasing understanding of the impressive cognitive and social capacities of nonhuman animals suggests the possibility that they may sometimes commit suicide. Such notions tend to be dismissed as “anthropomorphism.” That interpretive hazard, I argue, must be weighed against the opposite hazard of “anthropodenial” — “the a priori rejection of shared characteristics between humans and animals” (de Waal 2006). If animals do commit suicide, how often is it motivated precisely by the impact of humans on animal life?

Continuum And Temporality, Gerard Kuperus

Animal Sentience

I fully support the continuum proposed in the target article and argue along the same lines that we should be suspicious of drawing any strict borders between human and non-human animals. Since we can say very little with absolute certainty about human intentions regarding suicide, we have no certainty about the intentions of non-human animals. Although I am very sympathetic to Peña-Guzmán’s overall argument, I suggest that time could be taken into consideration as well.

Thinking About Thinking Chickens, Lori Marino

Animal Sentience

This response focuses on three major conceptual threads that run through the peer commentary on my target article: (1) how the use of chickens influences our views of them, (2) whether education is effective, and (3) what components of chicken psychology are most relevant to understanding who chickens are.

Ontogenetic Colour Change In Oreophryne Ezra (Anura: Microhylidae) Reflects An Unusual Shift From Conspicuousness To Crypsis But Not In Toxicity, M. W. Bulbert, T. E. White, Ralph Saporito, F. Kraus

2018 Faculty Bibliography

Ontogenetic colour change (OCC) may signal a switch in defensive strategies across development. Commonly, juveniles use cryptic colours and transition to conspicuous coloration as adults. Extensive theoretical and empirical work suggest such a transition is more likely than the converse. Oreophryne ezra, a newly discovered frog from New Guinea, however, undergoes OCC that belies expectations. We investigated the notion juveniles are aposematic while the adults use crypsis. We quantified the extent of conspicuousness of O. ezra across life stages using spectrophotometry and models of avian vision; and analysed skin extracts for the presence of toxic alkaloids. As predicted, the juvenile …

An Empirical Test Indicates Only Qualitatively Honest Aposematic Signaling Within A Population Of Vertebrates, Adam M.M. Stuckert, Ralph Saporito, Kyle Summers

2018 Faculty Bibliography

Signaling is an important part of intraspecific and interspecific interactions. Theoretical work examining honest signaling in aposematic species (e.g., those with conspicuous colors and secondary defenses) has focused primarily on discerning the patterns between conspicuousness and defense within populations. Most empirical work, however, has investigated these patterns across populations or species. Here, we test for honest signaling across individuals within a population of the aposematic poison frog, Ranitomeya imitator. We find no evidence that increasing levels of the aposematic signal are correlated with increasing levels of defense in this species, indicating that our study population does not signal in a …

Ms Environmental Biology Capstone Project, Meghan Mcgill

Regis University Student Publications (comprehensive collection)

This study aims to provide a deeper understanding of the role of competition in food webs, and more specifically, in trophic cascades induced by biodiversity loss. Trophic cascades are food web disturbances that result from the removal of an important species, often a predator, and lead to dramatic changes in herbivore and plant populations. It is critical to understand the mechanisms that drive and mitigate trophic cascades, because global biodiversity loss is increasing. Previous research suggests that biodiversity, specifically intraguild biodiversity with members in the same trophic level, is an important factor in reducing the negative effects of trophic cascades. …

Native Gardens In Southern California, Center For Urban Resilience

Module 10: Garden Ecology

No abstract provided.

What Drives Species Richness In Colorado's Alpine Tundra, Michael Kintgen

Regis University Student Publications (comprehensive collection)

Despite years of research, drivers of vascular plant species richness in Colorado’s alpine tundra habitats are largely unknown. Factors such as slope aspect, Pleistocene glaciation, nutrient levels, latitude and longitude, snow depth, and disturbance have been studied. Despite this research, few patterns have emerged. Research in Colorado has been conducted on a few well studied mountains. Aridity is one factor that has not been well studied but shows promise in explaining species richness. In Patagonia and the Swiss Alps, increasing aridity correlates with higher species richness. Here, a full species assessment was conducted on nine mountains previously under researched or …

Ms Environmental Biology Capstone Project, Taylor Readyhough

Regis University Student Publications (comprehensive collection)

Life in a zoo brings a score of stressors into the lives of captive animals, including artificial light, crowds of visitors, and increased noise levels. Stress especially impacts captive birds, and continued exposure to these stressors can negatively affect birds’ reproductive success and overall well-being. Staff at the Denver Zoo noticed increased aggression between a male and female pair of great Indian hornbills during the winter of 2016. This behavioral shift coincided with Zoo Lights, a holiday event that results in the hornbills’ exhibit remaining open to the public for approximately four extra hours through the entire month of December. …

Ms Environmental Biology Capstone Project, Annamaria Marcel

Regis University Student Publications (comprehensive collection)

Due to the worldwide decline of biodiversity, protected nature reserves are necessary for species facing extinction. Many frog species have been experiencing rapid population decline and extinction due to the threat of the fungus Batrachochytrium dendrobatidis (Bd), which inflicts the highly transmittable and deadly disease chytridiomycosis. Chytridiomycosis causes increased skin tissue growth which disrupts respiration and the maintenance of water balance, which can ultimately lead to death. Certain ecological and geographical characteristics have been studied in order to assess their influence on Bd’s prevalence. Specifically, it is hypothesized that high elevations, lotic habitats, and low species richness have a positive …

Surface And Subsurface Tillage Effects On Mine Soil Properties And Vegetative Response, H. Z. Angel, Jeremy Stovall, Hans Michael Williams, Kenneth W. Farrish, Brian P. Oswald, J. L. Young

Faculty Publications

Soil compaction is an important concern for surface mine operations that require heavy equipment for land reclamation. Excessive use of rubber-tired equipment, such as scraper pans, may cause mine soil compaction and hinder the success of revegetation efforts. However, information is limited on management strategies for ameliorating the potential compacting effects of scraper pans, particularly during site preparation for loblolly pine (Pinus taeda L.) plantations. Three forms of tillage and one control were replicated five times on surface mined land in the west Gulf Coastal Plain: no tillage (NT), disking (D), single-ripping + disking (R+D), and cross-ripping + disking …

Food Habits Of Sympatric Pitvipers From The West Gulf Coastal Plain, Usa, Christopher M. Schalk, Toni Trees, Joshua B. Pierce, D. Craig Rudolph

Faculty Publications

Widespread species that occupy multiple communities exhibit geographic variation in their natural history due to the ecological context of the local community. An animal’s food habitats are a central component to understanding its natural history and ecological role within its community—information that is critical to understanding resource needs of a species, mechanisms of species coexistence, and energy flow in food webs (Litvaitis 2000; Schalk et al. 2014). This information is also crucial for predicting the response of populations to changes in resource availability and, if necessary, inform mitigation strategies (Holycross and Mackessy 2002)

Mixing Of Two Greater Sandhill Crane Populations In Northeast Oregon, M. Cathy Nowak, Krista J. Mougey, Daniel P. Collins, Blake A. Grisham

Proceedings of the North American Crane Workshop

The Oregon Department of Fish and Wildlife (ODFW) Ladd Marsh Wildlife Area in northeast Oregon hosts a small group of nesting greater sandhill cranes (Grus canadensis tabida). There were no data on where these birds wintered, and we had no understanding of how these birds fit into the larger picture of western sandhill crane population delineation. ODFW began color-banding pre-fledging colts in 2007 and added satellite tracking with platform transmitter terminals (PTTs) in 2015. To date, we have captured 15 colts and 13 adults and marked them with color bands. We also fitted 1 colt and 8 adult …

An Updated Distribution Map For The Lower Colorado River Valley Population Of Greater Sandhill Cranes, Blake A. Grisham, Daniel P. Collins, Kammie L. Kruse, Courtenay M. Conring, Jeffrey M. Knetter, Warren C. Conway

Proceedings of the North American Crane Workshop

The U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service (USFWS) recognizes 6 migratory populations of sandhill cranes (Grus canadensis) in the United States, 4 of which occur in or west of the Rocky Mountains. Traditionally the Lower Colorado River Valley Population (LCRVP; greater sandhill crane [G. c. tabida]) was thought to be distributed across the Imperial (California) and Lower Colorado River (Arizona) Valleys, southward into Mexico via the Colorado River delta in winter and northeastern Nevada (Elko and White Pine Counties) during summer. Conservation and management concern exists over known distribution based on winter and summer surveys because discrepancies …

Freshwater Pond Use By Whooping Cranes During A Wet Winter In Coastal Texas, Raymond D. Kirkwood, Elizabeth H. Smith

Proceedings of the North American Crane Workshop

Wintering whooping cranes (Grus americana) in the Aransas-Wood Buffalo Population have a restricted range along coastal Texas, and they rely on coastal salt marshes and tidal ponds for feeding and roosting habitat as well as upland freshwater ponds for dietary drinking water during drought periods. These upland ponds were used extensively by wintering whooping cranes during a multi-year drought (2011-2014), and use terminated when frequent localized rainfall events occurred across the wintering range. Despite optimum bay salinities that occurred during this study (February-March 2016) in a 6-week winter period, whooping cranes continued to use at least 1 of …

Sandhill Crane Foraging Behavior And Damage Estimates In Cornfields During Spring, Jeb A. Barzen, Andrew P. Gossens, Anne E. Lacy

Proceedings of the North American Crane Workshop

Damage to corn in the spring caused by greater sandhill cranes (Grus canadensis tabida) has increased concurrent with growth of the Eastern Population of cranes. Our study was designed to: 1) describe foraging rates and food acquisition behavior where damage was likely and 2) estimate damage in cornfields treated and untreated with a taste deterrent: 9,10-anthraquinone (AQ; Avipel®). Our 6,251.6-ha study area was located near Briggsville, Wisconsin, and we sampled 415 ± 13.2 individuals/ survey (x ± SE), of which 36 ± 1.7% used cornfields. During 10-30 May 2009, 121 observation bouts of 33 marked cranes that foraged …

Effective And Sustainable Prevention Of Avian Damage To Planted Seeds Through Seed Treatment, Jeb A. Barzen, Kenneth E. Ballinger Jr.

Proceedings of the North American Crane Workshop

Several species of cranes and other wildlife have recovered from low populations because, in part, they have adapted to resources found in agricultural environments. If future conservation strategies are to succeed in areas dominated by agricultural use, we must develop sustainable models that solve crop damage problems that are caused by expanding wildlife populations. Using crane damage to planted seed as an example, we propose 1 such model of sustainable crop damage prevention. The deterrent, 9,10-anthraquinone (AQ), is a natural product produced by plants, in part to control bird frugivory, and induces gastro-intestinal distress (temporarily sickens an individual) in sandhill …

Whooping Crane And Sandhill Crane Monitoring At Five Wind Energy Facilities, Clayton E. Derby, Melissa M. Welsch, Terri D. Thorn

Proceedings of the North American Crane Workshop

Biologists have expressed concern that individuals of the Aransas-Wood Buffalo Population of the federally endangered whooping crane (Grus americana), numbering about 300, may be injured or killed by wind turbines during migration. To help address this concern and curtail (stop) turbine operations when whooping cranes approached turbines, we monitored the area around 5 wind energy facilities in North and South Dakota during spring and fall migration for whooping cranes and sandhill cranes (G. canadensis). Observers monitored cranes for 3 years at each facility from 2009 to 2013 (1,305 total days of monitoring), recording 14 unique observations …

Abstracts From Proceedings Of The 14th North American Crane Workshop

Proceedings of the North American Crane Workshop

CRANES AND AGRICULTURE: A DELICATE BALANCE. Jane E. Austin and Kerryn M. Morrison 149

NOCTURNAL ROOSTING BEHAVIOR OF SANDHILL CRANES ON THE PLATTE RIVER, NEBRASKA. David A.Brandt, Pamela J. Pietz, Deborah A. Buhl, Wesley E. Newton, Gary L. Krapu, and Aaron T. Pearse 149

USING HOME RANGES AND SITE FIDELITY TO IDENTIFY AREAS OF IMPORTANCE FOR OVERWINTERING SANDHILL CRANES ON THE SOUTHERN HIGH PLAINS Kathryn Brautigam, Blake A. Grisham, William Johnson, Nicole Athearn, David L. Boren, Dan P. Collins, Shaun Oldenburger, Jude Smith, and Warren Conway 150

IN VITRO METHODS FOR EXAMINING MALE FERTILITY IN CRANE SPECIES Megan E. Brown, …

Effects Of Rearing Environment On Behavior Of Captive-Reared Whooping Cranes, Christy L. Sadowski, Glenn H. Olsen, M. Elsbeth Mcphee

Proceedings of the North American Crane Workshop

Whooping cranes (Grus americana) are 1 of the most endangered bird species in North America. In 1999 the Whooping Crane Eastern Partnership was formed to establish a migratory population of whooping cranes in eastern North America. These efforts have been extremely successful in terms of adult survival but reproductive success post-release has been low. One hypothesis developed to explain such low reproductive success is that captive-rearing techniques fail to prepare the birds to be effective parents. Captive-reared whooping cranes at the U.S. Geological Survey, Patuxent Wildlife Research Center, Laurel, Maryland, are either reared by humans in crane costumes …

Winter Distribution Of Sandhill Cranes From Upper Michigan And Adjacent Ontario: A Thirty-Year Perspective, Richard P. Urbanek

Proceedings of the North American Crane Workshop

The relationship between areas used for breeding and wintering by the expanding Eastern Population of greater sandhill cranes (Grus canadensis tabida) has been little studied. During 1985-1988, 32/33 (97%) of sandhill cranes VHFradiotagged on Seney National Wildlife Refuge (NWR) in the Upper Peninsula of Michigan were subsequently located on wintering areas in wet prairies, muck farms, and improved pastures in Florida and southern Georgia. Four additional radiotagged cranes from other areas of Upper Michigan and 7 from the North Channel of Lake Huron, Ontario, were also located in similar areas and habitats. Winter area was not dependent on …

Mississippi Sandhill Crane Conservation Update 2014–2016, Scott G. Hereford, Angela J. Dedrickson

Proceedings of the North American Crane Workshop

To manage crane habitat during 2014-2016, 5,826 ha were treated with prescribed burns, 298 ha of woody vegetation were removed, 94 ha of invasive plants were chemically treated, and 8 ha of crops were planted. There were 247 predators removed. We acclimated and released 29 captive-reared juveniles. We began testing drones (unmanned aerial systems [UAS]), to locate nests. We detected an average of 34 nests per year with 6 fledglings each year. The December 2016 population was 129 cranes, up 9% from the previous 3 years.