Digital Commons Network^™

Acid Mine Drainage And Its Effects On Salamander Assemblages In Cumberland Plateau Streams Of The North Chickamauga Creek Watershed, Tennessee, Melissa Combs

Honors Theses

In Appalachia's coal mining regions, acid mine drainage (AMD) has contributed to the widespread degradation of stream ecosystems. Salamanders are common inhabitants of healthy headwater streams and because of their permeable skins are excellent indicators of ecosystem intergrity. Hence, we investigated the potential effects of AMD on the species richness and relative abundance of aquatic salamanders in selected stream reaches (sites) of the North Chickamauga Creek (NCC) system, Tennessee. Specimens were collected by kick-net sampling with a 500um mesh dip net and/or electroshocking at four AMD-impacted sites (pH< 5.6) and two reference sites pH> 6.2), May-July 1996. Species richness was similarly low at reference sites, 2 …

Ichthyofaunal And Habitat Associations Of Distinct Populations Of Southern Redbelly Dace, Phoxinus Erythrogaster (Teliostei: Cyprinidae) In Mississippi, Martin O'Connell

Earth and Environmental Sciences Faculty Publications

Twenty-two field sites in W-central Mississippi were surveyed for southern red- belly dace Phoxinus erythrogaster to characterize habitat and ichthyofaunal associations of these 'endangered' disjunct populations. Phoxinus erythrogaster occurred at only six sites. Data assessed similarity among all sites and described microhabitat associations of P erythro- gaster. Five species, including Semotilus atromaculatus, Campostoma anomalum, Etheostoma whipplei, P erythrogaster and Pimephales notatus, comprised 95% of the total number of in- dividuals collected at P erythrogaster sites. Standardized abundance (number per seine haul) for S. atromaculatus was consistently high among all P erythrogaster sites, whereas standard- ized abundance for C. anomalum, P …

Carrion Seeking In Brown Tree Snakes: Importance Of Olfactory And Visual Cues, John A. Shivik, Larry Clark

United States Department of Agriculture Wildlife Services: Staff Publications

We performed field experiments to examine brown tree snake (Boiga irregularis) attraction to carrion. These snakes were attracted to carrion and entered traps baited with dead mice as readily as traps baited with live mice. Using the cues arising from both live and dead prey, we examined the relative importance of visual and chemical cues to brown tree snakes. With carrion lures, chemical cues alone were sufficient for attracting and capturing snakes, but with live prey lures visual cues were required to attract and capture brown tree snakes. Our study presents the first experimental field evidence showing carrion …

The Normative Nature Of Risk Assessment: Features And Possibilities, Carl F. Cranor

RISK: Health, Safety & Environment (1990-2002)

Dr. Cranor argues that appreciating risk assessment to be permeated with normative presuppositions, in contrast with being primarily objective, opens up unforeseen possibilities for risk management.

Risk Assessment And Sustainable Development: Towards A Concept Of Sustainable Risk, Michael D. Mehta

RISK: Health, Safety & Environment (1990-2002)

Dr. Mehta examines two dominant approaches for managing health and environmental risks and suggests that they would better serve if integrated.

Investigations On The Effect Of Grazing Intensity On The Transfer Of Radionuclides To Cow's Milk, G. Voight, C. Schotola, N. M.J. Crout, J. Absalom

All U.S. Government Documents (Utah Regional Depository)

No abstract provided.

The Prairie Naturalist Volume 29, No.1. March 1997

The Prairie Naturalist

UPDATED DISTRIBUTION OF THE LEAST WEASEL ON THE CENTRAL GREAT PLAINS ▪ S. R. Hoofer and J. R. Choate

ESTIMATING SURVIVAL OF SONG BIRD CARCASSES IN CROPS AND WOODLOTS ▪ G. M. Linz, D. L. Bergman, and W. J. Bleier

SEXUAL ALLOCATION IN Carex stricta, A MONOECIOUS, TUSSOCK-FORMING SEDGE ▪ D. M. Estrella and C. E. Umbanhowar, Jr.

ABUNDANCE OF THIRTEEN-LINED GROUND SQUIRRELS IN SHORTGRASS PRAIRIE ▪ L. C. Higgins and P. Stapp

BATS OF JEWEL CAVE NATIONAL MONUMENT, SOUTH DAKOTA ▪ J. R. Choate and J. M. Anderson

NOTES

Northern Harrier Builds Nest On Top Of Depredated Mallard …

The Probe, Issue 174 – March 1997

The Probe: Newsletter of the National Animal Damage Control Association

Outwitting Urban Beaver, by C. E. "Ki" Faulkner, Regional Director, Region 0, NADCA
Bear Gets Attention in Southeast
Chinese disease Threatens Rabbits
Product Announcements: BEAR BE GONE™ -- a device designed to deter bears from foraging in trash cans.
Booklet: "Using Guard Animals to Protect Livestock"

Abstracts Published at the 3rd Annual Conference of The Wildlife Society:
A case study of black bear movements and survival after landfill closure in the central Adirondacks, by Ann M. Russell and S.L. Simek
Ecology of coyotes in a sheep ranching environment, by Ben N. Sacks, J.C.C. Neale, M. Jaeger, and D. R. McCullough …

Environmental Decision Making And Risk Management For Groundwater Systems, Janet D. Gough

RISK: Health, Safety & Environment (1990-2002)

With an eye to a specific application in New Zealand, Ms. Gough explores the use of risk management approaches for environmental decision making at strategic, policy, management and operational levels.

Book Review Of Jeffrey W. Vincoli, Risk Management For Hazardous Chemicals (1996) And Andre R. Cooper, Sr., Cooper's Toxic Exposures Desk Reference (1997), Thomas G. Field Jr.

RISK: Health, Safety & Environment (1990-2002)

Book reviews for the following: Jeffrey W. Vincoli, Risk Management for Hazardous Chemicals (2 vols. CRC Lewis Publishers 1996). Acknowledgments, author, Chemical Abstracts Number index, chemical name index, introduction, preface, references, structure diagrams, tables. LC 96-35282, ISBN 1-56670-200-3 [3040+ pp. Cloth $297.00, $9.95 shipping. 2000 Corporate Blvd., N.W. Boca Raton, FL 33431.] Andr6 R. Cooper, Sr., Cooper's Toxic Exposures Desk Reference (CRC Lewis Publishers 1997). Chemical Abstracts Number index, chemical name index, introduction, synonyms and trade name index, tables. LC 96-35221, ISBN 1-56670-220-8 [2006+ pp. Cloth $199.00, $9.95 shipping.]

The Columbia Slough, Scott A. Wells

Civil and Environmental Engineering Faculty Publications and Presentations

This report was written in an attempt to provide the public and Bureau of Environmental Services Staff with a summary of work accomplished on the Columbia Slough system by Portland State University and other consultants working on the Slough over the last 6 years. An attempt was made to create an easy-to-read report with important overviews of the "big picture", glossary of definitions, index, and further details to assist in technology transfer.

Evaluating Cable Resistance To Pocket Gopher Damage - A Review, Craig A. Ramey, Geraldine R. Mccann

Great Plains Wildlife Damage Control Workshop Proceedings

The National Wildlife Research Center, formerly known as the Denver Wildlife Research Center (DWRC), collaborated with telecommunications and energy industries to evaluate cable resistance to pocket gopher damage for 29 years (1966 to 1995). Recently, DWRC's evaluation process was transferred to private contract laboratories. This review summarizes the chronology of key investigations and procedures that were used and first published on cable resistance to rodent damage. The longstanding cooperative goal of both DWRC scientists and industry engineers was the development of rodent-proof, buried cables and ducts. Even though most data collected were proprietary, extensive laboratory testing at DWRC provided data …

Control Of Nuisance Birds By Fogging With Rejex-It® Tp-40, Peter F. Vogt

Great Plains Wildlife Damage Control Workshop Proceedings

Many bird problems are caused by birds congregating, roosting, loafing, and nesting rather than by the birds’ feeding activities. No matter what their activity, eventually birds will need to be driven off, preferably in a so-called “friendly” way without harming the birds or other animals. Unlike other avian aversion methods, fogging of ReJeX-iT® TP-40 relies on the exposure of the target birds to the aerosol rather than relying on birds eating treated food. Best results are achieved when birds congregate in the early morning or early evening when they settle down. After several exposures the birds generally leave the area …

Impact Of Preventive Aerial Coyote Hunting On Sheep Losses To Coyote Predation, Kimberly K. Wagner, Michael R. Conover

Great Plains Wildlife Damage Control Workshop Proceedings

Coyote (Canis latrans) predation is a serious problem for livestock producers in the Western U.S. In Utah, Idaho, and Wyoming, 34% of all producer-reported sheep and lamb losses were to coyote predation, amounting to $4.8 million in losses during 1995. Although preventive aerial hunting is commonly used by agriculture agencies in the Intermountain West to reduce coyote (Canis latrans) predation on sheep (Ovis aries), only limited data are available on the efficacy of the technique. We assessed the impact of winter (January - March) aerial coyote hunting on sheep losses to coyotes and the …

Development And Registration Of A Pracical Tranquilizer Trap Device (Ttd) For Foot-Hold Traps, Doris E. Zemlicka, D. Pete Sahr, Peter J. Savarie, Frederick F. Knowlton, F. Sherman Blom, Jerrold L. Belant

Great Plains Wildlife Damage Control Workshop Proceedings

Foot-hold traps can be used to selectively capture coyotes (Canis latrans) and wolves (C. lupus). However, injuries to captured animals sometimes occur when they struggle to escape. Tranquilizer trap devices (TTDs) reduce struggling and injuries but prototype TTDs were too expensive for widespread use by animal damage control (ADC) operational personnel. For this reason, the Pocatello Supply Depot (PSD) and the National Wildlife Research Center (NWRC) are investigating alternative TTD designs. A molded-rubber TTD will be available from the PSD for coyotes, and the NWRC continues to explore other cheaper TTD designs. A practical TTD …

Field Trials Of Alpha-Chloralose And Drc-1339 For Reducing Numbers Of Herring Gulls, Paul P. Woronecki, Richard A. Dolbeer, Thomas W. Seamans

Great Plains Wildlife Damage Control Workshop Proceedings

We compared the potential of Alpha-chloralose (A-C) and DRC-1339 to reduce a nesting population of herring gulls at an industrial site in Ohio in 1988. Almost all treated baits were consumed by gulls but only about one affected gull was noted for every 10 baits consumed of either chemical. A test indicated our DRC-1339 baits. containing 3.7 - 7.4 times the published LD value, were not lethal to most captive herring gulls living in fresh water. LD values of A-C and DRC-1339 need to be more precisely estimated for gull species in fresh and salt water environments.

Cooperative Wolf Depredation Management In Wisconsin, Robert C. Willging, Adrian P. Wydeven

Great Plains Wildlife Damage Control Workshop Proceedings

A depredation management plan was an important component of Federal and State recovery plans for the endangered gray wolf (Canis lupus) in Wisconsin. The Wisconsin Department of Natural Resources (WDNR) entered into a cooperative agreement with USDA-APHIS-ADC to cooperatively manage wolf depredations. Response to complaints involving wolf-dog hybrids was also part of the cooperative agreement. From 1990-1996 ADC investigated 60 wolf complaints and confirmed 10 depredations. In the same time period, WDNR paid a total of $21,376 in compensation payments for 21 incidents of wolf depredations. Wolves may be downlisted from endangered to threatened within the next five …

Wildlife-Caused Losses Of Agricultural Commodities In 1994 With Emphasis On The Great Plains, A.P. Wywialowski

Great Plains Wildlife Damage Control Workshop Proceedings

The USDA, National Agricultural Statistics Service (NASS) surveyed 16,000 agricultural producers in January 1995. Of 10,144 respondents nationwide, 58% reported wildlife-caused losses of their commodities, an increase from 55% in 1989. Based on the median value of all producers' estimates of their losses, wildlife-caused losses cost producers approximately $591 million in 1994, $130 million more than in 1989. Losses presented are based on median producer estimates which have been shown to be consistent with field-measured estimates of damage. Because the dollar value of losses are based on median estimates, extremes of reported losses do not affect these results. If all …

Perceptions Of Wildlife Damage Conference Scheduling: Response To A Survey, J. Grant Huggins

Great Plains Wildlife Damage Control Workshop Proceedings

The Wildlife Society’s Wildlife Damage Management Working Group formed an ad hoc committee to study the perception of some members of the recent development of an overabundance of wildlife damage related professional meetings. The committee consisted of Grant Huggins (chair), Jim Miller, and Phil Mastrangelo.

There are currently 3 major wildlife damage management Conferences in the U.S. The Vertebrate Pest Conference (VPC) is held in California every even-numbered year. The Great Plains Wildlife Damage Control Workshop (Great Plains) is held in the spring and the Eastern Wildlife Damage Management Conference (Eastern) is held in the fall of odd-numbered years. The …

Food Habits Of Mountain Lions In The Trans-Pecos Region Of Texas, Rosemary A. Heinen, S. Kemble Canon

Great Plains Wildlife Damage Control Workshop Proceedings

Information regarding mountain lion (Felis concolor) food habits is relatively scarce overall, and this is particularly true in the Trans-Pecos region of Texas. Most information currently available is from Big Bend National Park where livestock are excluded and game animals are not actively managed. This study involved the analysis of 32 mountain lion stomachs collected throughout the Trans-Pecos over a 14 month period. Deer (Odocoileus spp.) and javelina (Tayassu tajacu) were the predominate prey species, each occurring in 39% of the stomachs analyzed. Domestic livestock was found in 9% of the total stomachs and non-game …

Dealing With The Media, Stuart Mcdonald

Great Plains Wildlife Damage Control Workshop Proceedings

You have to ask yourself, why would you start a technical session dealing with communications. You know we are all here to learn various aspects of our trade. Why start it out with a session on communications? Well, let me give you the answer to that one. The success of every enterprise depends on public goodwill. When I first read that I thought, yes, in a free society the success of every enterprise depends on public goodwill. But then the Berlin wall came down, communism collapsed and you realize that even tyranny cannot withstand the pressure of public goodwill. So, …

Depredation On Artificial Ground Nests By Japanese Macaques: The Unspoken Exotic In Texas, Justin G. Feild, Scott E. Henke, Justin G. Mccoy

Great Plains Wildlife Damage Control Workshop Proceedings

Japanese macaques (Macaca fuscata) are old world monkeys that were introduced to Texas in 1972, and their population has since increased to over 800 individuals. Macaques are considered to be primarily vegetarian but will opportunistically forage on a variety of food items. Therefore, the objective of this study was to determine if macaques impact the nest success of bobwhite quail (Colinus virginianus). In June 1996, 20 artificial ground nests simulating those of bobwhite quail were placed randomly in areas with and without macaques. Nests were checked at 3-day intervals for 24 days and nest success was …

Teaching Youth Wildlife Damage Management Principles Comparing Techniques (How To’S And Helpful Hints), Dallas A. Virchow, Denny M. Hogeland

Great Plains Wildlife Damage Control Workshop Proceedings

Youth need to receive research-based information about wildlife damage management principles and techniques so they can make wise decisions regarding issues. Educators also need to identify the best techniques for specific ages. We presented wildlife damage management topics on 70 separate occasions to over 4,500 youth in Nebraska’s Panhandle from 1993 through 1996. Youth, ages 7 through 10 year old, comprised the majority of the audience. Presentations included a furbearer pelt display and illustration of fur preparation, wildlife population influences using interactive games and demonstrations, wildlife damage principles using lecture, video, small group discussion and demonstration, and historical changes in …

Livestock Protection Collar Use In California, Robert M. Timm, Gary D. Simmons, John R. Hays

Great Plains Wildlife Damage Control Workshop Proceedings

Use of the Livestock Protection Collar (LP Collar) containing sodium fluoroacetate began on a research basis in October 1995 at the UC Hopland Research and Extension Center. Registration for use in California only by certified ADC specialists was granted in early 1996, and operational use in three north coast counties began in early 1997. Preparation for beginning operational use dealt with concerns regarding user certification, hazardous waste disposal, and public relations. We report on the success to date of using LP Collars to remove sheep-killing coyotes. Incidents in which non-target predators including mountain lions have attacked LP-Collared sheep are also …

White-Tailed Deer Activity, Contraception, And Estrous Cycling, Stephen A. Schumake, Gary Killian

Great Plains Wildlife Damage Control Workshop Proceedings

Reliable activity measures in free-ranging white-tailed deer could be useful for the assessment of estrous cycling and general activity changes that can occur after immunocontraceptive vaccine treatments. Electronic data-logging (Countcard^TM) devices attached to 9 white-tailed doe deer on neck collars were used to monitor their movement activities during 2 rutting seasons in 2.5 acre fenced enclosures. Direct daily behavioral observations on buck responses toward individual does were used to detect estrus and to validate changes in 24-hour activity counts as another indication of estrous cycling. When individual activity counts for the estrus days on the does were compared …

Dealing With Different Audiences: Special Interest Groups, Guy R. Hodge

Great Plains Wildlife Damage Control Workshop Proceedings

One of the classic cases of clashing special interests can be found in Brownsville, Texas, just a few miles from the border with Mexico. On the outskirts of town is a location that has become as much a gathering place for bird watchers as it is for birds. The site, referred to informally as the Mexican Crow Sanctuary, is the only reliable location in the United States to observe this species. Each year, visiting birders pump millions of dollars into the local economy while pursuing the Mexican crow. But not everyone looks with favor at the presence of the birds. …

Sheep Predation By Coyotes: A Behavioral Analysis, Ray T. Sterner

Great Plains Wildlife Damage Control Workshop Proceedings

This paper presents (1) a brief overview of several concepts important to predator-prey behaviors of coyotes, (2) results of an enclosure study of sheep-attack, -immobilization, and -ingestion responses involving 12 male coyotes (Canis latrans) that were paired with sheep after observing various sheep- predation events by conspecifics, and (3) an analysis of sheep predation based upon operant learning principles. Contrasts between comparative psychological and ethological approaches to the study of animal behavior are described. Results of the enclosure study (0.127-ha) showed that following matched-length trials of observing predation, non-predation, and lone sheep, 3, 2, and 1 coyote(s), respectively, …

Dealing With Wildlife Professionals, Scott E. Hygnstrom

Great Plains Wildlife Damage Control Workshop Proceedings

A relatively small, but highly influential audience that we need to address includes all professional wildlife biologists. But wildlife biologists come in all shapes and sizes. To be an effective educator, you need to properly identify your audience and a proper medium in which to deliver your message.

Experimental Rodent Control At The Beef Cattle Research Center, Kansas State University, Philip S. Gipson, Charles D. Lee, Matthew L. Burenheide, Jan F. Kamler, Justin E. Kretzer, Daniel J. Martin, Celine C. Perchellet, Chad M. Willemssen, Jennifer Weins

Great Plains Wildlife Damage Control Workshop Proceedings

Little research has been conducted on rodent control techniques in livestock feedlot situations. We tested efficacy of several treatments including two anticoagulant baits, an acute toxicant and snap trapping to reduce rodent populations at the Beef Cattle Research Center at Kansas State University. Among the four treatments utilized, Contrac®, Blox®, and Ditrac® Tracking Powder reduced the number of active burrows. ZP® Rodent Bait had no observed effect on the rodent population and no rodents were taken with snap traps. Burrow activity appears to be a better census method when compared to corn consumption when rodents have access to unlimited food.

Mole Census Techniques, Richard M. Poche

Great Plains Wildlife Damage Control Workshop Proceedings

Effective mole control is often difficult to achieve. Various types of traps, baits, and fumigants have been developed over the years to reduce mole damage to lawns, golf courses, and other areas. Two studies were conducted in the St. Louis, Missouri area to field test products currently registered by the EPA for mole control. Reliable census methods are required to determine efficacy. The best method used was the hole punch method. It consisted of punching 1.9-2.5 cm diameter holes (using a blunt end broom stick) into the top of a mole shallow tunnel. The punched holes were examined 48 hours …