Digital Commons Network^™

Male Burmese Pythons Follow Female Scent Trails And Show Sex-Specific Behaviors, Shannon A. Richard, Eric A. Tillman, John S. Humphrey, Michael L. Avery, M. Rockwell Parker

United States Department of Agriculture Wildlife Services: Staff Publications

Animals communicate with potential mates using species-specific signals, and pheromones are powerful sexual signals that modify conspecific behavior to facilitate mate location. Among the vertebrates, snakes are especially adept in mate searching via chemical trailing, which is particularly relevant given that many snake species are invasive outside their native ranges. Chemical signals used in mate choice are, thus, potentially valuable tools for management of invasive snake species. The Burmese python (Python bivittatus) is an invasive snake in the Florida Everglades where it is negatively impacting native fauna. In this study, we sought to: (i) determine if males can follow conspecific …

Variation In Host Home Range Size Decreases Rabies Vaccination Effectiveness By Increasing The Spatial Spread Of Rabies Virus, Katherine M. Mcclure, Amy T. Gilbert, Richard B. Chipman, Erin E. Rees, Kim M. Pepin

United States Department of Agriculture Wildlife Services: Staff Publications

1. Animal movement influences the spatial spread of directly transmitted wildlife disease through host-host contact structure. Wildlife disease hosts vary in home range- associated foraging and social behaviours, which may increase the spread and intensity of disease outbreaks. The consequences of variation in host home range movement and space use on wildlife disease dynamics are poorly understood, but could help to predict disease spread and determine more effective disease management strategies.
2. We developed a spatially explicit individual-based model to examine the effect of spatiotemporal variation in host home range size on the spatial spread rate, persistence and incidence of rabies virus …

Non-Invasive Methods For Measuring And Monitoring Stress Physiology In Imperiled Amphibians, Edward J. Narayan, Zachery R. Forsburg, Drew R. Davis, Caitlin R. Gabor

School of Earth, Environmental, & Marine Sciences Faculty Publications

Global climate change is negatively impacting global biodiversity and ectothermic vertebrates, with amphibians being the most imperiled vertebrate taxa. Increased mean global atmospheric temperatures, high rates of habitat degradation, and exposure to infectious diseases, such as chytridiomycosis, have contributed to population declines and extinctions of rare and endangered amphibian species. Field-based monitoring of physiological endocrine traits can help determine the sub-lethal effects of environmental stressors and provide early alerts when populations are chronically stressed. Recent advances in amphibian stress endocrinology include the development and use of non-invasive methods to quantify the glucocorticoid, or stress biomarker, corticosterone. Non-invasive methods, such as …

Water‐Borne And Plasma Corticosterone Are Not Correlated In Spotted Salamanders, Alice R. Millikin, Sarah K. Woodley, Drew R. Davis, Ignacio T. Moore, James T. Anderson

School of Earth, Environmental, & Marine Sciences Faculty Publications

Water‐borne hormone measurement is a noninvasive method suitable for amphibians of all sizes that are otherwise difficult to sample. For this method, containment‐water is assayed for hormones released by the animal. Originally developed in fish, the method has expanded to amphibians, but requires additional species‐specific validations. We wanted to determine physiological relevance of water‐borne corticosterone in spotted salamanders (Ambystoma maculatum) by comparing concentrations to those taken using established corticosterone sampling methods, such as plasma. Using a mixture of field and laboratory studies, we compared water‐borne corticosterone levels to other traditional methods of sampling corticosterone for spotted salamander larvae, metamorphs, and …

The Ethics Of Outdoor Education: Increasing Access While Minimizing Environmental Impacts, Steven Sassaman

Sustainability Research & Practice Seminar Presentations

No abstract provided.

Food Habits Of Coyotes (Canis Latrans) In The Valles Caldera National Preserve, New Mexico, Suzanne J. Gifford, Eric M. Gese, Robert R. Parmenter

United States Department of Agriculture Wildlife Services: Staff Publications

Wildlife managers needed to understand coyote (Canis latrans) ecology in order to develop management plans on the nascent Valles Caldera National Preserve in northern New Mexico. Managers concerned about low elk (Cervus elaphus) recruitment had observed an increase in sightings of coyotes and observations of coyote predation on elk calves. Our objective was to identify and quantify coyote diet, and assess the temporal variation in coyote diet on the Valles Caldera National Preserve, particularly as related to elk calf consumption. We examined coyote food habits using 1,385 scats analyzed monthly from May 2005 to November 2008. …

The Firece Green Fire: Vol. 10 Issue 9, Wofford College Environmental Studies Program

The Fierce Green Fire

No abstract provided.

Wcu Study Abroad And Carbon Offsets: Not Whether But Whxen Now!, Paul Sylvester

Sustainability Research & Practice Seminar Presentations

No abstract provided.

Impact Of The Human Footprint On Anthropogenic Mortality Of North American Reptiles, Jacob E. Hill, Travis L. Devault, Jerrold L. Belant

United States Department of Agriculture Wildlife Services: Staff Publications

Human activities frequently result in reptile mortality, but how direct anthropogenic mortality compares to natural morality has not been thoroughly investigated. There has also been a limited examination of how anthropogenic reptile mortality changes as a function of the human footprint. We conducted a synthesis of causespecific North American reptile mortality studies based on telemetry, documenting 550 mortalities of known cause among 2461 monitored individuals in 57 studies. Overall 78% of mortality was the result of direct natural causes, whereas 22% was directly caused by humans. The single largest source of mortality was predation, accounting for 62% of mortality overall. …

Weaponizing Radioactive Medical Waste - The Looming Threat, Shreekumar Menon, Vagish Kumar L.S.

International Journal of Nuclear Security

Across the globe, use of radioactive substances for medical treatment, by hospitals has resulted in generation of toxic wastes on a large scale. Disposal of these wastes are being entrusted to waste disposal vendors. Environmental concerns, pressures, restrictions and high labor costs, compel these vendors to dump these wastes in third world countries, where enforcement and awareness are substantially low. Unrestricted access to these waste dumps is an open invitation to terror organizations to extract toxic substances and fabricate crude dirty bombs to threaten public safety, and cause low-level contamination of sensitive installations. It is therefore imperative to create an …

Understanding Factors Related To Undergraduate Student Decision-Making About A Complex Socio-Scientific Issue: Mountain Lion Management, Ashley Alred, Jenny Dauer

School of Natural Resources: Faculty Publications

We outline an instructional strategy for supporting students’ science literacy skills using a structured decision-making tool in an interdisciplinary undergraduate course. Instructional tools support basing complex socioscientific issues decisions on a reasoned analysis of tradeoffs among multiple conflicting values rather than heuristics, such as social norms. We explored the factors related to students’ decision-making about mountain lion management by examining if students’ value orientations, identity, or knowledge predicted their management decisions before, during, and after engaging in structured decision-making where they performed a tradeoffs analysis. We found that student decision-making may align more closely to students’ value orientations and identity …

Environmental Regulation Of Emerging Offshore Oil And Gas Activities In Somalia, Abubakar Mohamud Abubakar

World Maritime University Dissertations

No abstract provided.

Identify Monitoring Needs And Emerging Technology To Support Ecosystem Based Management (Ebm) And Sustainable Blue Growth In Nigerian Ports : Case Study : Lagos Ports (Lagos Pport Complex And Tin Can Island Port Complex), Roland Oladipo Ijabiyi

World Maritime University Dissertations

No abstract provided.

Towards Implementing Integrated Coastal Zone Management In The Gambia : Coastal Adaptation To Climate Change And Human Impacts In The High Risk Zone (Cell 6), Lamin Komma

World Maritime University Dissertations

No abstract provided.

Sustainable Growth Through Value Chain Development In The Blue Economy : A Case Study Of The Port Of Walvis Bay, Tangeni Haimbala

World Maritime University Dissertations

No abstract provided.

An Impact Assessment Of Illegal Unreported Unregulated (Iuu) Fishing In Central Africa As A Step Towards Sustainability In Africa’S Fishing Industry : Case Study : Cameroon, Noella Njeuyap Mbotiji

World Maritime University Dissertations

No abstract provided.

Marine Safety And Pollution Prevention From Oil Spills In The Arabian Gulf : A Comparative Study Of Applicable International And Regional Conventions, Khalid Rakan Aldosari

World Maritime University Dissertations

No abstract provided.

Assessing The Limitations Of Integrating Energy And Environmental Standards Into Seaports Of Small Island Developing States, Matthew Kensen

World Maritime University Dissertations

No abstract provided.

Ship Energy Efficiency Management Plan : Analysis Of Biofouling Effect On Co2 Emission Performance Of Iraq Non-Trading Fleet, Oudah Salim Mohammed Ali Alshawi, Tsitskishvili Avtandil

World Maritime University Dissertations

No abstract provided.

Turbidity And Ion Concentrations Vary With Land Use And Underlying Geology At The West Fork Of The White River, Erin E. Scott, Brian E. Haggard

Arkansas Water Resources Center Technical Reports

The West Fork of the White River (WFWR) watershed in northwest Arkansas is a trans-ecoregion watershed and is experiencing land-use changes, especially in the downstream portion of the watershed. The entire 54-km long river has been on the State’s 303(d) list of impaired waterbodies for turbidity, total dissolved solids (TDS), and sulfate for many years. The purpose of this study was to identify which part(s) of the river fail to meet applicable water quality standards (WQS) and to investigate possible sources of pollutants, whether human-caused or naturally occurring. Water samples were collected once or twice a month at 9 sites …

The Coastal Monitor Fall 2019, John Tanacredi Ph.D.

The Coastal Monitor

In 2013 I had the distinct pleasure to be offered the opportunity to become a part of the Molloy College family. President Dr. Drew Bogner believed that CERCOM would be an important part of building an exciting program for students in Earth and Environmental Science at Molloy. Dr. Bogner was able to envision how the CERCOM Field Station, would enrich Molloy College science students, given its decades of earth, environmental, and marine sciences research. He had the foresight to understand that the experiences at CERCOM would help foster a vast array of international academic collaborations which now include 14 countries. …

Natural Resource Condition Assessment, Tallgrass Prairie National Preserve, David S. Jones, Roy Cook, John Sovell, Christopher Herron, Jay Benner, Karin Decker, Andrew Beavers, Johannes Beebee, David Weinzimmer, Rob Schorr

United States National Park Service: Publications

Executive Summary

The National Park Service (NPS) Natural Resource Condition Assessment (NRCA) Program administered by the NPS Water Resources Division evaluates current conditions for important natural resources and resource indicators using primarily existing information and data. NRCAs also report on trends in resource condition when possible, identify critical data gaps, and characterize a general level of confidence for study findings. This NRCA complements historic resource assessments, is multi-disciplinary in scope, employs a hierarchical indicator framework, identifies and develops reference conditions/values for comparison against current conditions, and emphasizes spatial evaluation of conditions and GIS products.

Created in 1996, Tallgrass Prairie National …

Organic Agriculture Teaching And Learning In 2025: Transforming The Future Learning Landscape, Randa Jabbour, Charles A. Francis, Mary Barbercheck, Katharina S. Ullman

Department of Agronomy and Horticulture: Faculty Publications

University instructors are compelled to anticipate future changes in farming and food systems that will impact their students. Sixteen educators met in 2018 to envision the future of organic agriculture courses needed by 2025. Likely future global issues include food access, especially for people of limited economic means; climate change; and fossil fuel costs. Changes that will impact education are increasing demand for quality food, more organic production, and globalization of food systems due to consolidation. Probable course content changes are increasing focus on whole farm systems; designing for resilience in changing physical, economic, environmental, and political climates; and increasing …

Forum: Critical Decision Dates For Drought Management In Centraland Northern Great Plains Rangeland, Alexander J. Smart, Keith Harmoney, J. Derek Scasta, Mitchell B. Stephenson, Jerry D. Volesky, Lance T. Vermeire, Jeffrey C. Mosley, Kevin Sedivec, Miranda Meehan, Tonya Haigh, Justin D. Derner, Mitchel P. Mcclaran

Natural Resource Management Faculty Publications

Ranchers and other land managers of central and northern Great Plains rangelands face recurrent droughts that negatively influence economic returns and environmental resources for ranching enterprises. Accurately estimating annual forage production and initiating drought decision-making actions proactively early in the growing season are both critical to minimize financial losses and degradation to rangeland soil and plant resources. Long-term forage production data sets from Alberta, Kansas, Montana, Nebraska, North Dakota, South Dakota, and Wyoming demonstrated that precipitation in April, May, and June (or some combination of these months) robustly predict annual forage production. Growth curves from clipping experiments and ecological site …

Spatial And Temporal Variations In Abundance And Composition Of Benthic Macrofauna Associated With Seagrass Beds In Abu Dhabi, Maitha Mohamed Al Hameli

Biology Theses

This study compared the seasonal variations of macrofaunal communities found within the seagrass beds of protected areas and non-protected areas in Abu Dhabi. The study took into consideration the spatial and temporal differences of the sites and seasons as well as other environmental factors, like trace metals concentrations, water temperature, sediment composition, salinity and pH. The main objective and aim of this study is to investigate changes in the community structure of macrofauna with changes in location and seasons. Environmental parameters and biological samples were collected in-situ and analyzed at UAEU labs from both sites, during both seasons (winter and …

The Power Of Wording: An Evaluation Of Framing Effects, Chelsea Romph

Honors Capstones

No abstract provided.

Analysis Of Genetic Variation Of Western And Eastern Populations Of Socotra Cormorant (Phalacrocorax Nigrogularis) In The Uae, Salama Rashed Al Mansouri

Biology Theses

Understanding the genetic structure of threatened and endangered species is important in management and conservation efforts. Measuring the pattern and scale of genetic variation within and among populations is important for understanding population dynamics. It helps us improve our understanding of the ecological and genetic relation between the populations. The current research looks at the population structure of the endemic seabird of the United Arab Emirates (UAE), the Socotra cormorant (Phalacrocorax nigrogularis). The lack of genetic information, increased threats, and small breeding habitats of the Socotra cormorants, makes it important to investigate the genetic population structure in the …

A Study Of Environmental Factors Affecting Coral Species Growth In Western Region Of Abu Dhabi – Uae And The Arabian Gulf, Khulood Ahmed Eissa Al Ali

Biology Theses

This study aims to investigate possible effects of certain environmental factors particularly, high summer water temperature and increase of water salinity on the growth rate of endemic dominant coral species at the west coasts of the United Arab Emirates. The study investigated the dissolved trace elements concentrations and its relation to coral diseases.

The methodological investigations have been conducted in a defined two sites at Baraka and Al Saadiyat area. In Barakah, three quadrates of 1.0 m3 have monitored the growth of Porites harrisoni by both photographically as well as by direct measurements of the targeted coral colonies in each …

Desertification Risk Analysis Based On Soils And Climate In Olive Cultivated Areas In Tulare County, California, Zehra Kavakli Karatas

USF Tampa Graduate Theses and Dissertations

Desertification is one of the most critical environmental problems caused by human activities and climate change. As a result of human activities, land degradation has been seen in many agricultural areas. Intense pressure on cultivated fields causes loss of soil fertility, which can then lead to desertification. Planting plant drought-resistant plants, such as olives, is one strategy for reducing desertification risk in cultivated areas. It is essential to find a way not only how to combat this process but also how to adapt or survive with desertification conditions. Defining desertification risks have a fundamental role in combating drought. The goal …

Assessment Of Conventional Wastewater Treatment Plants In Removing Pharmaceutical Compounds: A Case Study Of Al Ain City, Uae, Ahmad Mohammad I Hassan Alhalab

Theses

This thesis is concerned with the assessment of conventional wastewater treatment plants (WWTPs) in removing pharmaceutical compounds (PCs). PCs have classes like analgesics, antibiotics, antiseptics, hormones, cosmetic products, personal care products. They are used extensively by humans and they don’t have actual guidelines describing their concentration in domestic wastewater discharge. Thus, they may still be present in treated sewage effluent (TSE) or sludge and could consequently pose adverse environmental effects. Limited work has been done to assess the removal of PCs at WWTPs in arid and semi-arid countries including the United Arab Emirates (UAE). As such, this study aimed at …