Digital Commons Network^™

Roof Rat Invasion Of An Urban Desert Island, Dale L. Nolte, David Bergman, John Townsend

United States Department of Agriculture Wildlife Services: Staff Publications

Roof rats have invaded the Phoenix metropolitan area. Although the desert surrounding Phoenix is formidacie to roof rats, residential and urban development has probably sufficiently altered habitat to render it suitable for roof rats. Ongoing community and government campaigns are reducing the resources necessary for rat survival and are working to suppress rat populations. Whether these efforts will be adequate to eradicate roof rats from the area is unknown. Rat activity has declined over the past several months. However, it is difficult to assess whether this reduced activity reflects decreased rat numbers or if rats have become less active during …

Pre- And Post-Harvest Movements Of Female Rice-Field Rats In West Japanese Rice Fields, Jens Jacob, Dale L. Nolte, Rudy Hartono

United States Department of Agriculture Wildlife Services: Staff Publications

This study examined changes in the spatial behavior of rice-field rats (Rattus argentiventer) associated with the harvest of lowland irrigated rice. Radio-collared female rice-field rats were tracked before and after harvest in rice fields in West Java, Indonesia. The rice-field rats clearly reacted to the changes in habitat structure caused by the harvest by relocating their home ranges on average 300-400 m to piles of rice straw left on the fields and to unharvested areas. Post-harvest, there was a decrease in home-range size of 67% (0.6 ha pre-harvest: 0.2 ha post-harvest) and a decrease in range span of …

Feasibility Of Non-Lethal Approaches To Protect Riparian Plants From Foraging Beavers In North America, Dale L. Nolte, Mark W. Lutman, David L. Bergman, Wendy M. Arjo, Kelly R. Perry

United States Department of Agriculture Wildlife Services: Staff Publications

Beavers in North America will occupy almost any wetland area containing available forage. Wetland restoration projects often provide the resources necessary for dispersing beavers to create desirable habitats. Their wide distribution and ability to disperse considerable distances almost assure that beavers will establish themselves in new wetlands. Although beavers are a natural and desirable component of a wetland ecosystem, their foraging behaviors can be destructive. Fencing may be a feasible approach to reduce damage to small, targeted areas, and textural repellents may provide some utility to protect established trees. However, these non-lethal approaches will be marginally effective when beaver populations …

The Probe, Issue 227 – March/April 2003

The Probe: Newsletter of the National Animal Damage Control Association

• High-Tech Wolf Trapping -- Dexter K. Oliver
• The Wildlife Management Institute's booklet, Feeding Wildlife... Just Say No!, is back in stock.
• Owl Next Boxes & Rodent Control -- Robert H. Schmidt
• The terms of office for all the current NADCA officers and directors expires this year and an election must be called. NADCA president, Mike Conover, is asking for nominations to fill these positions.
• Call for Papers: 21st Vertebrate Pest Conference
• Britain Considers Eradicating Ruddy Duck Population: The British government is considering wiping out one species of duck to save another. The government and …

Whaling As Science, Phillip J. Clapham, Per Berggren, Simon Childerhouse, Nancy A. Friday, Toshio Kasuya, Laurence Kell, Karl-Hermann Kock, Silvia Manzanilla-Naim, Giuseppe Notabartolo Di Sciara, William F. Perrin, Andrew J. Read, Randall R. Reeves, Emer Rogan, Lorenzo Rojas-Bracho, Tim D. Smith, Michael Stachowitsch, Barbara L. Taylor, Deborah Thiele, Paul R. Wade, Robert L. Brownell Jr.

United States Department of Commerce: Staff Publications

In an open letter published last year in the New York Times, 21 distinguished scientists (including three Nobel laureates) criticized Japan's program of scientific research whaling, noting its poor design and unjustified reliance upon lethal sampling. In a recent Forum article in BioScience, Aron, Burke, and Freeman (2002) castigate the letter's signers and accuse them of meddling in political issues without sufficient knowledge of the science involved in those issues.

The Prairie Naturalist Volume 35, No.1 March 2003

The Prairie Naturalist

PATTERNS OF IMPALING IN A MIGRATORY POPULATION OF THE LOGGERHEAD SHRIKE ▪ J. D. Esely and E. K. Bollinger

COMPARISON OF FEEDING IN TWO PHENOLOGICALLY DISTINCT GRASSHOPPERS ▪ K. J. Haynes

DISTRIBUTION AND TRENDS OF BANDED CANADA GEESE IN SOUTH DAKOTA ▪ J. S. Gleason, J. A. Jenks, and P. W. Mammenga

FLORISTIC ASSESSMENT OF SAND PRAIRIES AND SEDGE MEADOWS, LEE COUNTY, ILLINOIS ▪ W. C. Handel, L. R. Phillippe, and J. E. Ebinger

POULT PROTECTION BY MERRIAM'S TURKEY FEMALES TOWARDS A NORTHERN GOSHAWK ▪ C. P. Lehman

ADDITIONAL ECTOPARASITIC RECORDS OF BATS FROM KANSAS ▪ D. W. Sparks, K. …

The Development Of Relationships Between Constituent Concentrations And Generic Hydrological Variables, Carmen T. Agouridis, Dwayne R. Edwards

Biosystems and Agricultural Engineering Faculty Publications

The collection and analysis of samples from storm events constitutes a large portion of the effort associated with water quality research. Estimating concentrations or loads from these events is often difficult. The equipment necessary to analyze the samples and the required laboratory resources are typically significant expenses incurred by the researcher. One potential method to reduce these costs is through the development of generic relationships between concentrations and easily measured variables such as dimensionless flow rate or time. The benefits recognized from such an effort include a reduction in the number of required samples, resulting in a reduction in cost. …

Identifying Nursery Areas Used By Inner Bay And Oceanic Pink Snapper ( Pagrus Auratus) To The Effect Of Prawn Trawling On Inner Bay Snapper Stocks - Final Report For Frdc Project 2001/061, D. J. Gaughan, Michael J. Moran, Melinda M. Ranaldi, John R. Watling

Fisheries Research Contract Reports

Final Report for FRDC Project 2001/061

Pink snapper (Pagrus auratus) is the main commercial and recreational finfish (Kailola et al., 1993) in the Shark Bay region. Pink snapper are distributed along much of the temperate and tropical coasts of Western Australia from east of Esperance on the south coast to north of Shark Bay on the west (Paulin 1990). Previous research using genetics (Johnson et al. 1986), tagging (Moran et al. 2004), and otolith microchemistry (Edmonds et al., 1989, 1999) have shown that pink snapper from the innermost parts of Shark Bay do not mix with the ocean fish

Juvenile …

Gulf River Estuary Natural Resources Inventory, Chantal Lefebvre, Dan Hellin, Chris Crawford

Urban Harbors Institute Publications

The purpose of this analysis is to inventory the present assemblage of natural resources in the vicinity of the Gulf River estuary as well as to provide information on land use, recreational use, and pollution threats and concerns. The inventory summarizes existing research and the knowledge and experience of local experts and residents who are most familiar with the Gulf River’s natural environment. It could be used as the first step toward producing a resource management plan for the Gulf River estuary.

The analysis was initiated and funded by the Gulf River Association and prepared to serve as a reference …

Modeling Catalytic Destruction Of Subsurface Contaminants In Recirculating Wells, Kerry J. Cadena

Theses and Dissertations

Groundwater and soil contamination is a significant problem throughout the nation, with approximately 300,000 to 400,000 sites affected (National Research Council, 1994). Examples of groundwater contaminants of special interest to DoD and AF installations include fuel hydrocarbons, chlorinated hydrocarbons, and nitroaromatic compounds. Traditional remediation technologies, which include pump-and-treat, permeable reactive barriers, and natural attenuation, have numerous drawbacks associated with them. These drawbacks have prompted researchers to look for innovative contamination clean-up methods. The technology investigated in this thesis, reticulating horizontal flow treatment wells (HFTWs) with in-well palladium (Pd) catalyst reactors, offers the potential for destruction of groundwater contaminants commonly found …

Optimizing An In Situ Bioremediation Technology To Manage Perchlorate-Contaminated Groundwater, Mark R. Knarr

Theses and Dissertations

Combining horizontal flow treatment wells (HFTWs) with in situ biodegradation is an innovative approach with the potential to remediate perchlorate-contaminated groundwater. A technology model was recently developed that combines the groundwater flow induced by HFTWs with in situ biodegration processes that result from using the HFTWs to mix electron donor into perchlorate-contaminated groundwater. A field demonstration of this approach is planned to begin this year. In order to apply the technology in the field, project managers need to understand how contaminated site conditions and technology design parameters impact technology performance. One way to gain this understanding is to use the …

Remote Sensing Systems Optimization For Geobase Enhancement, Steve J. Paylor

Theses and Dissertations

The U.S. Air Force is in the process of implementing GeoBase, a geographic information system (GIS), throughout its worldwide installations, Air Force GIS needs can be augmented by imagery from aerial and satellite platforms. Imagery has greatly improved over the past several years and provides high resolution coverage of features on earth. Various imagery types will significantly increase GeoBase usefulness in a range of mission requirements, Potential Air Force uses of imagery include identifying heat loss, environmental monitoring, command decision-making, and emergency response, The research develops a decision tool to determine the appropriate imagery for a given Air Force Application, …

A System Dynamics Investigation Of Genetic Drift And Translocation In The Red-Cockaded Woodpecker Metapopulation, Jason E. Yates

Theses and Dissertations

The red-cockaded woodpecker (Picoides borealis) is classified under the Endangered Species Act of 1973 as an endangered species As such, the red-cockaded woodpecker (RCW) is afforded strict protection in an effort to return the RCW population to a self-sustainable level. Endemic to southeastern United States mature pine forests, the presence of the RCW impacts the operations of many Department of Defense (DoD) installations. A particular challenge in sustaining what are often small populations of RCW at these locations is the loss of genetic variation due to genetic drift. The optimal method for mitigating such loss is through the artificial immigration, …

Wariness Of Coyotes To Camera Traps Relative To Social Status And Territory Boundaries, E.S. Sequin, Michael M. Jaeger, Peter F. Brussard, Reginald H. Barrett

United States Department of Agriculture Wildlife Services: Staff Publications

The primary objective of this study was to develop a better understanding of coyote (Canis latrans) wariness particularly as it related to social status. We determined that territory status (controlling alpha, resident beta, or nonterritorial transient) affected vulnerability to photo-capture by infrared-triggered camera systems. All coyotes were wary of cameras, leading to relatively low numbers of photo-captures, most of which occurred at night. Alphas were significantly underrepresented in photographs and were never photo-captured inside their awn territories. Betas were photographed inside and outside their territories, whereas transients were most often photographed on edges of territories. Both alphas and …

Low Mitochondrial Dna Variation In Double-Crested Cormorants In Eastern North America, Juliann L. Waits, Michael L. Avery, Mark E. Tobin, Paul L. Leberg

United States Department of Agriculture Wildlife Services: Staff Publications

Double-crested Cormorant (Phalacrocorax auritus) numbers are increasing throughout eastern North America. We compared variation for five portions of mtDNA to determine if genetic differences existed among portions of the breeding range that would need to be considered when formulating management programs. Sequences for four mtDNA regions were identical across sample locations; frequencies of two haplotypes of the mitochondrial Control Region were similar across sampling locations. There is no evidence of restricted gene flow among breeding areas, or between subspecies with different migratory patterns.

Scavenging By Vertebrates: Behavioral, Ecological, And Evolutionary Perspectives On An Important Energy Transfer Pathway In Terrestrial Ecosystems, Travis L. Devault, Olin E. Rhodes Jr., John A. Shivik

United States Department of Agriculture Wildlife Services: Staff Publications

Carrion use by terrestrial vertebrates is much more prevalent than conventional theory implies, and, rather than a curiosity of animal behavior, is a key ecological process that must be accounted for. Human aversion to rotted substances and difficulties associated with identifying scavenged material in studies of food habits have contributed to the relative lack of information concerning scavenging behavior in vertebrates. Several lines of evidence, however, suggest that carrion resources are more extensively used by vertebrates than has been widely assumed: 1) a substantial number of animals die from causes other than predation and become available to scavengers, 2) a …

A Case Of Megacolon In Rio Grande Valley As A Possible Case Of Chagas Disease, Karl J. Reinhard, Thomas M. Fink, Jack Skiles

School of Natural Resources: Faculty Publications

We have been searching for evidence of Chagas disease in mummified human remains. Specifically, we have looked for evidence of alteration of intestinal or fecal morphology consistent with megacolon, a condition associated with Chagas disease. One prehistoric individual recovered from the Chihuahuan Desert near the Rio Grande exhibits such pathology. We present documentation of this case. We are certain that this individual presents a profoundly altered large intestinal tract and we suggest that further research should focus on confirmation of a diagnosis of Chagas disease. We propose that the prehistoric activity and dietary patterns in Chihuahua Desert hunter/gatherers promoted the …

Pathoecology Of Chiribaya Parasitism, Elizabeth Martinson, Karl J. Reinhard, Jane E. Buikstra, Katharina Dittmar De La Cruz

School of Natural Resources: Faculty Publications

The excavations of Chiribaya culture sites in the Osmore drainage of southern Peru focused on the recovery of information about prehistoric disease, including parasitism. The archaeologists excavated human, dog, guinea pig, and llama mummies. These mummies were analyzed for internal and external parasites. The results of the analysis and reconstruction of prehistoric life from the excavations allows us to interpret the pathoecology of the Chiribaya culture.

Diagnosing Ancient Diphyllobothriasis From Chinchorro Mummies, Karl J. Reinhard, Otto Urban

School of Natural Resources: Faculty Publications

Diphyllobothrium pacificum has been reported as a human parasite from coprolites and skeletons in Peru and Chile. Our analysis of Chinchorro mummies from Chile provides the oldest evidence of D. pacificum directly associated with human mummies. These mummies date between 4,000 and 5,000 years ago. The basis for our diagnosis is presented. We find that the size of the eggs in the mummies is smaller than other discoveries of D. pacificum. We suggest that this is due to the peculiar circumstances of preservation of parasite eggs within mummies and the release of immature eggs into the intestinal tract as the …

Parasite Remains In Archaeological Sites, Françoise Bouchet, Niéde Guidon, Katharina Dittmar, Stephanie Harter, Luiz F. Ferreira, Sérgio A.M. Chaves, Karl J. Reinhard, Adauto Araújo

School of Natural Resources: Faculty Publications

Organic remains can be found in many different environments. They are the most significant source for paleoparasitological studies as well as for other paleoecological reconstruction. Preserved paleoparasitological remains are found from the driest to the moistest conditions. They help us to understand past and present diseases and therefore contribute to understanding the evolution of present human sociality, biology, and behavior. In this paper, the scope of the surviving evidence will be briefly surveyed, and the great variety of ways it has been preserved in different environments will be discussed. This is done to develop to the most appropriated techniques to …

Characteristics Of Current And Historical Kit Fox (Vulpes Macrotis) Dens In The Great Basin Desert, Wendy M. Arjo, Tim J. Bennett, Adam J. Kozlowski

United States Department of Agriculture Wildlife Services: Staff Publications

We examined the ecological and physical characteristics of den sites for 13 adult kit fox (Vulpes macmtis) in western Utah from December 1998 to February 2001. We also compared current and historical den distribution among habitat types. The number of den sites used was not influenced by home-range size (P = 0.11) or season (P = 0.40), but was influenced by geographical area. Home-range size was smallest (P = 0.007) and the number of dens used was greatest (P = 0.009) in mountainous areas. Ecological and physical characteristics of single-use dens (n = …

Baiting Blackbirds (Icteridae) In Stubble Grain Fields During Spring Migration In South Dakota, G. M. Linz, G.A. Knutsen, H.J. Homan, W.J. Bleier

United States Department of Agriculture Wildlife Services: Staff Publications

Blackbirds (Icteridae) annually damage US$5–8 million of ripening sunflower in the northern Great Plains. Baiting blackbirds with avicide-treated rice during spring migration might reduce the regional breeding population. In March and April 1996–1997, we simulated a baiting program in eastern South Dakota to compare attractiveness of rice-baited plots placed in fields of corn and soybean stubble. Blackbirds used plots in corn stubble more often than plots in soybean stubble and chose rice-baited plots over unbaited reference plots. We conclude that blackbirds can be successfully baited with avicide-treated rice placed in corn stubble. Copyright 2002 Elsevier Science Ltd. All rights reserved.

Comparative Standards For Intensive Livestock Operations In Canada, Mexico, And The United States, Jerry Speir, Marie-Ann Bowden, David E. Ervin, Jim Mcelfish, Rosario P. Espejo, Tim Whitehouse, Chantal L. Carpentier

Economics Faculty Publications and Presentations

Livestock farming has been transformed in the past twenty years from a business dominated by relatively small producers to one dominated by large facilities raising thousands of animals. A side effect of this development has been a new set of environmental concerns unique to this industry. While regulation of livestock agriculture has historically been a state/provincial and local matter, governments from the local to the federal level have found themselves grappling with the issues created by these new, concentrated facilities. This Report surveys the current environmental requirements for "intensive livestock operations" (ILOs) in the United States, Mexico and Canada. The …

Predator Odours As Reproductive Inhibitors For Norway Rats, Vera V. Voznessenskaya, Sergey V. Naidenko, Natalia Yu. Feoktistova, Georgy J. Krivomazov, Lowell A. Miller, Larry Clark

United States Department of Agriculture Wildlife Services: Staff Publications

We examined the influence of predator odor on reproductive output of Norway rats (Rattus norvegicus). Naive laboratory rats responded to predator chemical cues with reduced litter sire and skewed sex ratio. We found that exposure to predator urine had its greatest effect on implantation and maintenance of implantation when predator urine was applied to the bedding of rats during the first third of gestation. Based on the physical appearance of corpora lutea and uterine implantation scars, we found that the reduction in litter sire was due to resolution of the embryos during the early part of gestation. Subsequently, …

Gray Whales Off Sakhalin Island, Russia: June – September 2001: A Joint U.S. – Russia Scientific Investigation, David W. Weller, Alexander M. Burdin, Amanda L. Bradford, Grigory A. Tsidulko, Yulia V. Ivashchenko, Robert L. Brownell Jr.

United States Department of Commerce: Staff Publications

Numerous species of marine mammals inhabit the Sea of Okhotsk. Two of the most endangered populations of large whales in the world; the Okhotsk Sea bowhead whale (Balaena mysticetus) and the western North Pacific (Okhotsk-Korean) gray whale are known to occur in this sea (Brownell et al., 1997; Clapham et al., 1999). Concerns regarding the status of these whale populations have been intensified by the onset of offshore oil and gas development programs in Okhotsk waters. Anthropogenic activities related to oil and gas exploration off the northeastern Sakhalin Island shelf include geophysical seismic surveying, drilling and production operations, …

A Comprehensive Review Of The Ecological And Human Social Effects Of Artificial Feeding And Baiting Of Wildlife, L. Dunkley, M.R.L. Cattet

Canadian Cooperative Wildlife Health Centre: Newsletters and Publications

In recent years, events within Canada and the United States have drawn attention to potential negative consequences of feeding and baiting wild animals, especially enhanced transmission of infectious diseases such as bovine tuberculosis and chronic wasting disease. This report was prepared to gather available science-based information on the ecological and human social effects of artificial feeding and baiting of wildlife into one readily accessible document. The contracting agencies, Parks Canada and Saskatchewan Environment, recognize that an objective review of existing literature may help to answer questions and concerns within and outside the agencies, and help to guide subsequent decision-making concerning …

Genetic Variation In The Midcontinental Population Of Sandhill Cranes, Grus Canadensis, Jessica L. Petersen, Richard Bischof, Gary L. Krapu, Allen L. Szalanski

Nebraska Game and Parks Commission: Staff Research Publications

Three subspecies of sandhill crane (Grus canadensis) are recognized in the Midcontinental population, the lesser (Grus c. canadensis), Canadian (G. c. rowani), and greater (G. c. tabida). Blood samples collected on the population's primary spring staging area in Nebraska, U.S.A., were used to resolve the genetic relationship among these subspecies. Phylogenetic analysis of 27 G. canadensis, by DNA sequencing of a 675 bp region of the mtDNA, supports the subspecies designations of G. c. canadensisand G. c. tabida. G. c. rowani individuals were intermediate with each of the other two …

Water Current, Volume 35, No. 1, February 2003

Water Current Newsletter

Plans Taking Shape for Summer Tour; Geologists to Meet In Lincoln
Meet the Faculty
New Analytic Equipment Increases Water Sciences Lab Capabilities
Effects of Heavy Sedimentation on Rainwater Basin Wetland Hydrology
Students Get Their Feet Wet at Audubon Spring Creek Prairie
Water News Briefs
Free Water and Natural Resources Lectures Continue at UNL

White River Watershed Preliminary Habitat Assessment, Richard Rediske, Matt Cooper, Don Uzarski, Rod Denning, Dr. Thomas M. Burton

Scientific Technical Reports

In this project, a preliminary assessment of habitats in the White River watershed was conducted. Land cover and land use were evaluated using available remote sensing data to provide an assessment of current conditions and an analysis of significant change over a 20 year period (1978 to 1992/1997/1998). Investigations of water and habitat quality were also conducted in White Lake, the drowned rivermouth wetland, and selected streams and wetlands in the tributaries and branches of the White River. The report includes significant findings and recommendations.

Parasitism, The Diversity Of Life, And Paleoparasitology, Adauto Araújo, Ana M. Jansen, Françoise Bouchet, Karl J. Reinhard, Luiz F. Ferreira

School of Natural Resources: Faculty Publications

The parasite-host-environment system is dynamic, with several points of equilibrium. This makes it difficult to trace the thresholds between benefit and damage, and therefore, the definitions of commensalism, mutualism, and symbiosis become worthless. Therefore, the same concept of parasitism may encompass commensalism, mutualism, and symbiosis. Parasitism is essential for life. Life emerged as a consequence of parasitism at the molecular level, and intracellular parasitism created evolutive events that allowed species to diversify. An ecological and evolutive approach to the study of parasitism is presented here. Studies of the origin and evolution of parasitism have new perspectives with the development of …