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Update Of Distribution Of The Chestnut Lamprey In Arkansas, Jeremiah Salinger, Ronald L. Johnson, Brian Wagner

Journal of the Arkansas Academy of Science

Most lamprey species other than sea lampreys have been poorly studied in North America. The chestnut lamprey, Ichthyomyzon castaneus, has a distribution within the Mississippi River and Hudson Bay drainage systems, and the Great Lakes. Since the text Fishes of Arkansas was published in 1988, few papers have been published to update the statewide distribution of this lamprey. We incorporated our electrofishing sampling results with gray and published literature to describe the distribution of this species in the drainage basins of the State of Arkansas. Reported are records of 250 chestnut lamprey specimens, over a 90 year period, from …

Incidental Captures Of Plains Spotted Skunks (Spilogale Putorius Interrupta) By Arkansas Trappers, 2012-2017, D. Blake Sasse

Journal of the Arkansas Academy of Science

Arkansas trappers were surveyed following the 2012 and four subsequent trapping seasons regarding accidental captures of spotted skunks while attempting to trap other species. A total of 132 trappers reported capturing spotted skunks although further investigation confirmed the validity of only 42 reports from trappers that caught a total of 60 spotted skunks. Incidental captures were rare; only 0.35-1.29% of trappers each year caught spotted skunks and came primarily from the Ozark and Ouachita regions of the state.

Persistence Of Stream Restoration With Large Wood, Redwood National And State Parks, California, Diedra L. Rodriguez

Cal Poly Humboldt theses and projects

The conservation and recovery of anadromous salmonids (Oncorhynchus sp.) depend on stream restoration and protection of freshwater habitats. In-stream large wood dictates channel morphology, increases retention of terrestrial inputs such as organic matter, nutrients and sediment, and enhances the quality of fish habitat. Historic land use/land cover changes have resulted in aquatic systems devoid of large wood. Restoration by placement of large wood jams is intended to restore physical and biological processes. An important question for scientists and restoration managers, in addition to the initial effectiveness of restoration, is the persistence and fate of large wood installations. In this …

Canine Emotions: Guidelines For Research, Miiamaaria V. Kujala

Animal Sentience

In the target article, I called for a discussion on the nature and extent of dogs’ emotions. The commentators generally agreed on the existence of dog emotions, but the diversity and quality of dog emotions, as well as the influence of human social cognition on perceiving dog emotions, raised more debate. To respond to the stimulating commentaries, I touch briefly on the philosophy of (canine) mind and discuss further the benefits of comparing cognition across species, secondary emotions, and the shaping of canine emotions by evolution, breeding and experience. I conclude with suggestions for future research guidelines on studies of …

Occupancy Of Stream-Associated Amphibians Within The Interstate 90 Snoqualmie Pass Corridor, Anne Gustafson

All Master's Theses

Detection of stream-associated amphibians in visual encounter surveys is challenging due to their cryptic nature; however, occupancy models were developed to deal with these detectability problems and provide estimates of occupancy that can also be related to site characteristics. Highway crossing risks and habitat isolation were mitigated for in recent construction of wildlife underpasses, where creeks cross Interstate 90 east of Snoqualmie Pass in Washington State. The effects of these restored underpasses on stream-associated amphibians were evaluated across 8 creeks, some with and some without restored underpasses, by comparing modeled occupancy of 3 amphibian species in stream habitat upstream, under, …

Use Of A Two-Action Paradigm Apparatus With Captive Lemurs: Insights Into Social Learning, Carly Batist

All Master's Theses

Lemurs have been understudied in cognitive research despite possessing a unique phylogenetic position as the lineage linking primates to other mammals. I used a two-action paradigm apparatus to test social learning abilities in seven lemur species at the Duke Lemur Center. There were three groups: push (had model previously taught to push), pull (had model previously taught to pull), and control (no model). I conducted experimental trials to determine if lemurs in push/pull groups learned faster and more efficiently from the model than lemurs in control groups who lacked a model to observe. I found evidence of social facilitation in …

Gorilla Life-Stage Comparison Of Head Orientation, Lisa Wilding

All Master's Theses

Staring by primates, as well as other species of animals, can be perceived as a threat and averting that gaze can minimize potential conflict. Given that gorillas are highly sexually dimorphic, they may use this staring and gaze aversion strategy more than physical contact. Due to the shape of the eye and the pigmented sclera in some primates, eye gaze can be difficult to determine, whereas, head orientation may be a more salient cue. The current study documents developmental differences among age-sex classes of captive western lowland gorillas (Gorilla gorilla gorilla) in six head orientation categories (Head Toward …

Life In The Dirt: Factors Influencing The Behavior And Distribution Of Spea Intermontana In Eastern Washington State, Corey Brumbaugh

All Master's Theses

I divided my thesis into two major studies focusing on the Great Basin Spadefoot Toad, Spea intermontana, at the Beverley Dunes (Beverley, WA). The first study explored the effects of temperature and water level on the rate of metamorphosis. We gathered data on rates of development, survival, body mass, snout-vent length, and hind leg length of metamorphs under 4 treatments: 20C x High Water, 30C x High Water, 20C x Water Loss, and 30C x Water Loss. These data show that temperature has a stronger effect on the overall rate of metamorphosis of Great Basin Spadefoot Toads. The second …

Small Mammal Microhabitat Use And Species Composition At A Wildlife Crossing Structure Compared With Nearby Forest, Lindsay Millward, Kristina Ernest

All Master's Theses

Expanding transportation corridors have fragmented ecosystems throughout the world, restricting the movement of organisms or acting as complete connectivity barriers. Wildlife crossing structures (WCS) can increase the permeability of roads, allowing animals to move safely between habitats. Small mammals are especially vulnerable to the effects of reduced connectivity because of their limited mobility; however, few studies have evaluated their use of WCS. This study was conducted at a WCS under I-90 near Snoqualmie Pass, Washington. Our objective was to evaluate the small mammal species composition at the wildlife undercrossing in comparison to adjacent restoration sites and to the nearby forest. …

Fish Sentience Denial: Muddying The Waters, Lynne U. Sneddon, Javier Lopez-Luna, David C.C. Wolfenden, Matthew C. Leach, Ana M. Valentim, Peter J. Steenbergen, Nabila Bardine, Amanda D. Currie, Donald M. Broom, Culum Brown

Animal Sentience

Recent empirical studies have reported evidence that many aquatic species, including fish, cephalopods and crustaceans, have the capacity for nociception and pain, and that their welfare should be taken into consideration. Some sceptics, rejecting the precautionary principle, have denied that any study demonstrates pain or other aspects of sentience in fish. This target article discusses some of the scientific shortcomings of these critiques through a detailed analysis of a study exploring nociception and analgesia in larval zebrafish.

Defining Denial And Sentient Seafood, Jennifer Jacquet

Animal Sentience

Sneddon et al. address the scientists who reject the empirical evidence on fish sentience, calling them “sceptics” and their work “denial”. This is the first article to frame the question of fish sentience in these terms, and it provides an obvious opening for social science and humanities research in the science of fish sentience. It is also worth asking what practical changes in the lives of fish might arise from the mounting evidence of their sentience. I suggest that the relationship between sentience and our sense of moral obligation is not as clear as we often assume.

Jealousy In Dogs? Evidence From Brain Imaging, Peter Cook, Ashley Prichard, Mark Spivak, Gregory S. Berns

Animal Sentience

Domestic dogs are highly social and have been shown to be sensitive not only to the actions of humans and other dogs but to the interactions between them. We used the C-BARQ scale to estimate dogs’ aggressiveness, and we used noninvasive brain imaging (fMRI) to measure activity in their amygdala (an area involved in aggression). More aggressive dogs had more amygdala activation data while watching their caregiver give food to a realistic fake dog than when they put the food in a bucket. This may have some similarity to human jealousy, adding to a growing body of evidence that differences …

Finding The Green-Eyed Monster In The Brain Of A Dog, Peter Singer

Animal Sentience

That dogs show behavior suggestive of jealousy has long been known and has been demonstrated under controlled conditions. Cook et al. have now shown arousal in the amygdala when dogs see a caregiver feeding another dog. This finding has ethical significance in two respects. First, the consideration shown by the investigators for the welfare of their experimental subjects sets an example for other researchers using animals. Second, the greater understanding of the emotional lives of animals should lead to more concern for their needs.

Jealousy, Competition, Or A Contextual Cue For Reward?, Thomas R. Zentall

Animal Sentience

Emotions are difficult to assess, even in humans. The attribution of jealousy in an animal like a dog is especially difficult because performance of a particular behavior in the context of another animal receiving a reward may not be easily distinguishable from intra-species competition or simply a response to a contextual cue for the availability of reward. The authors provide distinguishing evidence in the form of fMRI data to show that in the presence of a “fake” dog being fed, there is bilateral activation in the amygdala, an area associated with anxiety, anger, fear, and even jealousy in humans.

On Jealousy, Envy, Sex Differences And Temperament In Humans And Dogs, Eddie Harmon-Jones, Sylvia K. Harmon-Jones

Animal Sentience

Cook, Prichard, Spivak, and Berns (2018) find that dogs’ levels of trait aggression are positively correlated with their amygdala activation when observing their caregivers giving a food to a fake dog. The authors conclude that this may provide neural evidence in dogs for the experience of jealousy, an emotion that some psychologists consider to be unique to humans. Here we explain the difference between the emotions of jealousy and envy, suggesting some ideas for future experiments that may help disentangle the experience of jealousy from that of envy in dogs. We also propose ideas for future research that may yield …

Can A Dog Be Jealous?, Yaoguang Jiang, Annamarie W. Huttunen, Michael L. Platt

Animal Sentience

Whether humans alone experience complex emotions like jealousy or envy remains hotly debated, partly because of the difficulty of measuring them without a verbal report. Cook, Berns and colleagues use functional brain imaging to identify in dogs neural responses very similar to those evoked by jealousy in humans. When dogs see their caregiver reward a facsimile dog, their amygdala is activated and the strength of this response predicts aggressive behavior — just as jealousy leads to aggression in humans. The authors conclude that dogs feel something very similar to human jealousy. This novel and creative study tackles one of the …

Fake Or Not: Two Prerequisites For Jealousy, Juliane Bräuer, Federica Amici

Animal Sentience

Cook and colleagues (2018) use a novel approach to test jealousy in dogs. Although such a non-invasive approach is more than welcome in comparative research, several methodological shortcomings limit the impact of this study. We briefly outline two main problems. (1) There is no evidence that the fake dogs in the study were perceived as real, and thus as social rivals, which would be a prerequisite for jealousy. (2) It is questionable whether dogs generally show the cognitive prerequisites for jealousy, such as attentiveness toward a social rival, the ability to understand intentions, and a sense of fairness. We suggest …

Fill-In-The-Blank-Emotion In Dogs? Evidence From Brain Imaging, Alexandra Horowitz, Becca Franks, Jeff Sebo

Animal Sentience

What is needed to make meaningful claims about an animal’s capacity for subjective experience? Cook et al. (2018) attempt to study jealousy in dogs by placing them in a particular context and then seeing whether they display a particular brain state. We argue that this approach to studying jealousy falls short for two related reasons. First, the relationship between jealousy and the selected context is unclear. Second, the relationship between jealousy and the selected brain state (indeed, any single brain state) is unclear. These and other issues seriously limit what this study can show. It is important not to see …

Role Of Nest Site Microclimate And Food Availability In Chick Development And Reproductive Success In Black-Legged Kittiwakes (Rissa Tridactyla), Lindsay Mae Lacey

Honors Theses

Seabirds are marine top predators, and as such are often studied as bioindicators of climate shifts (Oswald and Arnold 2012). Though many studies have analyzed the effect of macroclimatic variation on marine prey species availability and thus seabirds, few have analyzed effects of microclimate - fine spatial patterns of climate (Mantua and Hare 2002; Hatch 2013; Kim and Monaghan 2005a). I tested the hypothesis that localized temperature and humidity at nest sites interact with food availability to alter black-legged kittiwake (Rissa tridactyla) nest site quality, chick body condition during growth and development, and reproductive parameters including Julian lay …

Generating Species Assemblages For Restoration And Experimentation: A New Method That Can Simultaneously Converge On Average Trait Values And Maximize Functional Diversity, David C. Laughlin, Loïc Chalmandrier, Chaitanya Joshi, Michael Renton, John M. Dwyer, Jennifer L. Funk

Biology, Chemistry, and Environmental Sciences Faculty Articles and Research

1.Restoring resilient ecosystems in an era of rapid environmental change requires a flexible framework for selecting assemblages of species based on functional traits. However, current trait‐based models have been limited to algorithms that select species assemblages that only converge on specified average trait values, and could not accommodate the common desire among restoration ecologists to generate functionally diverse assemblages.

2.We have solved this problem by applying a nonlinear optimization algorithm to solve for the species relative abundances that maximize Rao's quadratic entropy (Q) subject to other linear constraints. Rao's Q is a closed‐form algebraic expression of functional diversity …

Hunter Harvest Effect On The Breeding Bird Population Of Northern Pintail Anas Acuta In North America, Matthew Wang

Journal of Earth and Life Science

Hunter harvest and the effects that it can have on population dynamics is a relationship used by wildlife professionals when making management decisions. Hunter harvest can be compensatory or additive on wildlife populations and instances where hunter harvest has been a key role in a population decline, and sometimes demise, is an occurrence studied in wildlife management. Waterfowl numbers in North America have increased 17% since 1960, but during that same time frame the Northern Pintail population has decreased 40%. Hunter harvest data has been recorded by the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service since 1961, while they have simultaneously been …

Managing Human-Habituated Bears To Enhance Survival, Habitat Effectiveness, And Public Viewing, Kerry A. Gunther, Katharine R. Wilmot, Steven L. Cain, Travis C. Wyman, Eric G. Reinertson, Amanda M. Bramblett

Human–Wildlife Interactions

The negative impacts on bears (Ursus spp.) from human activities associated with roads and developments are well documented. These impacts include displacement of bears from high-quality foods and habitats, diminished habitat effectiveness, and reduced survival rates. Additionally, increased public visitations to national parks accompanied with benign encounters with bears along park roads have caused more bears to habituate to the presence of people. In some contexts, habituation can predispose bears to being exposed to and rewarded by anthropogenic foods, which can also lower survival rates. The managers and staff of Yellowstone National Park located in Wyoming, Montana, and Idaho, …

Spatial Patterns Of Winter Roadside Gray Wolf Sightability In Yellowstone National Park, Jeremy Sunderraj

Undergraduate Theses, Professional Papers, and Capstone Artifacts

Imperfect detection is ubiquitous among wildlife research and can affect research conclusions and management. Detection probability is often included in observation-based models. We leveraged research of gray wolves (Canis lupus) in northern Yellowstone National Park (YNP) to evaluate how the probability of sighting radio collared wolf packs from ground-based observation locations was affected by the characteristics of each spatial location (i.e., distance from the road, visibility (from a viewshed analysis), habitat openness, carcass presence, and wolf group size). We used two complementary approaches focusing on sightings during early (mid-November to mid-December) and late (March) winter periods between 1995 and 2017. …

The Encyclopedia Of North American Drosophilids Volume 1: Drosophilids Of The Midwest And Northeast, Thomas Werner, Tessa Steenwinkel, John Jaenike

Open Access Books

The Encyclopedia of North American Drosophilids: Volume 1: Drosophilids of the Midwest and Northeast provides an introduction to the flies of the family Drosophilidae of the Midwest and Northeast of the United States, as well as nearby regions in Canada. The book strives to facilitate identification of most of the drosophilid species in this region and provides remarks on interesting aspects of their biology and suggestions for future research on them. The book is intended for researchers, teachers, and students wishing to discover the diversity of these flies.

Version 4 is a major update that covers new species and includes …

Microbial Community Response To Light And Heavy Crude Oil In Freshwater Systems, Timothy M. Butler

Dissertations, Master's Theses and Master's Reports

With increased demand for oil, there is an increased risk for oil spills in many environments. A number of pipelines transport oil near or across freshwater systems including the Great Lakes. Microbes are capable of breaking down oil and have thus been proposed as tools for oil spill response through bioremediation. There is a need to understand the microbial response to diverse oil types in freshwater environments due to the lack of research into this topic. This study’s main objectives are to understand how the freshwater microbial communities respond to oil, and how the bacterial communities may respond to different …

Photosynthetic Activity Under Low Light, Danijela Lonco

Williams Honors College, Honors Research Projects

Are bacteria capable of undergoing oxygenic photosynthesis under low-light conditions inside of caves? Inside of an Australian cave, Chlorophyll f was recently discovered. This chlorophyll pigment was found to demonstrate the capability for photosynthesis, suggesting that Chlorophyll f extends the spectrum of usable light needed for oxygenic photosynthesis (Lars, 2015). Due to the findings in this study, a team went to Carlsbad Caverns to see if there were any bacteria capable of undergoing oxygenic photosynthesis under low light.

Measured Soil Hydraulic Properties As Rzwqm2 Input To Simulate Soil Water Dynamics And Crop Evapotranspiration, Saadi Sattar Shahadha

Theses and Dissertations--Plant and Soil Sciences

Agricultural system models integrate many different processes that cannot all be measured in field experiments and help quantify soil water dynamics, crop evapotranspiration, and crop growth with high temporal resolution. Understanding soil water dynamics and crop evapotranspiration is essential to improve agricultural management of field crops. For example, the interaction between nitrogen application rate and water dynamics is not sufficiently understood. In most cases, model simulations deviate from field measurements, especially when model input parameters are indirectly and unspecifically derived. The extent to which measured soil hydraulic property inputs decrease the discrepancy between measured and simulated soil water status is …

Life On The Edge: Risk Of Predation Drives Selection Of Habitat And Survival Of Neonates In Endangered Sierra Nevada Bighorn Sheep, Shannon Forshee

Graduate Student Theses, Dissertations, & Professional Papers

Long-term viability of endangered populations requires development of effective management strategies that target the population vital rate with the highest potential to influence population trajectories. When adult survival is high and stable, juvenile recruitment is the vital rate with the greatest potential to improve population trajectories. For my thesis I examined how lactating Sierra Nevada Bighorn sheep (Ovis Canadensis sierra) balance forage and predation risk during the neonatal period. I first identified resource selection strategies employed by lactating females to promote survival of neonates and then determined the primary factors affecting survival of neonates. I found lactating females selected for …

Using Maximum Entropy To Model The Distribution Of An Endangered, Endemic Crayfish Cambarus Harti (Hobbs), James Kiourtsis

Theses and Dissertations

Cambarus harti is a state-listed endangered, endemic crayfish found only in three counties in mid-west Georgia. Several studies have attempted to characterize the biology and ecology of this crayfish, however data regarding the distribution of this rare, endemic crayfish remains limited. The International Union for Conservation of nature stated that in order to create an effective conservation plan, the known distribution must be expanded. Species distribution models are a cost-effective way to identify locations that have similar habitat characteristics to those with known populations. One species distribution model, Maximum Entropy (MaxEnt), is the preferred approach when modeling species, like C. …

A Description Of Nesting Behaviors, Including Factors Impacting Nest Site Selection, In Black‐And‐White Ruffed Lemurs (Varecia Variegata), Andrea L. Baden

Publications and Research

Nest site selection is at once fundamental to reproduction and a poorly understood component of many organisms’ reproductive investment. This study investigates the nesting behaviors of black-and-white ruffed lemurs, Varecia variegata, a litter-bearing primate from the southeastern rainforests of Madagascar. Using a combination of behavioral, geospatial, and demographic data, I test the hypotheses that environmental and social cues influence nest site selection and that these decisions ultimately impact maternal reproductive success. Gestating females built multiple large nests throughout their territories. Of these, females used only a fraction of the originally constructed nests, as well as several parking locations as infants …