Digital Commons Network^™

A Method For Characterizing Disease Emergence Curves From Paired Pathogen Detection And Serology Data, Joshua Hewitt, Grete Wilson-Henjum, Derek T. Collins, Jourdan M. Ringenberg, Christopher A. Quintanal, Robert Pleszewski, Jeffrey C. Chandler, Thomas J. Deliberto, Kim M. Pepin

United States Department of Agriculture Wildlife Services: Staff Publications

1. Wildlife disease surveillance programs and research studies track infection and identify risk factors for wild populations, humans and agriculture. Often, several types of samples are collected from individuals to provide more complete information about an animal's infection history. Methods that jointly analyse multiple data streams to study disease emergence and drivers of infection via epidemiological process models remain underdeveloped. Joint-analysis methods can more thoroughly analyse all available data, more precisely quantifying epidemic processes, outbreak status, and risks.

2. We contribute a paired data modelling approach that analyses multiple samples from individuals. We use ‘characterization maps’ to link paired data …

Torque Teno Sus Virus 1: A Potential Surrogate Pathogen To Study Pig-Transmitted Transboundary Animal Diseases, Xiaolong Li, Brandon M. Parker, Raoul K. Boughton, James C. Beasley, Timothy J. Smyser, James D. Austin, Kim M. Pepin, Ryan S. Miller, Kurt C. Vercauteren, Samantha M. Wisely

United States Department of Agriculture Wildlife Services: Staff Publications

Understanding the epidemiology and transmission dynamics of transboundary animal diseases (TADs) among wild pigs (Sus scrofa) will aid in preventing the introduction or containment of TADs among wild populations. Given the challenges associated with studying TADs in free-ranging populations, a surrogate pathogen system may predict how pathogens may circulate and be maintained within wild free-ranging swine populations, how they may spill over into domestic populations, and how management actions may impact transmission. We assessed the suitability of Torque teno sus virus 1 (TTSuV1) to serve as a surrogate pathogen for molecular epidemiological studies in wild pigs by investigating …

Common Grackle (Quiscalus Quiscula) Predation Of A Great Lakes Piping Plover (Charadrius Melodus) Nest And Its Conservation Implications, Jade R. Arneson, Dennis A. Peloquin, Thomas G. Prestby, Sarah P. Saunders

United States Department of Agriculture Wildlife Services: Staff Publications

Common grackle (Quiscalus quiscula) was observed consuming eggs from an exclosed (protected) Great Lakes piping plover (Charadrius melodus) nest in the lower bay of Green Bay, Lake Michigan in Wisconsin, USA during June 2023. The observation, captured by a trail camera, is the first photographic documentation of grackle predation in any of the three piping plover breeding populations. This behavior adds common grackle to the suite of egg predators and has critical implications for this shorebird species, particularly in the Great Lakes region where piping plover is listed as federally endangered and common grackles are relatively …

A Social-Ecological Approach To Evaluating Short-Term Water Leasing For Streamflow Conservation In Montana, Usa, Logan A. Brauer

Graduate Student Theses, Dissertations, & Professional Papers

Streams throughout Montana are increasingly caught between increasing temperatures, decreasing summer precipitation, and heavy water demand for irrigated agriculture. Amid rapidly growing urban populations and uncertain climatic futures, many watersheds in Montana may face water shortages that impact aquatic species and habitat in the upcoming years. Conservation efforts around the state are working to mitigate water stress in these streams especially during the late summer season, when streamflow is naturally lower, and/or in times of drought. One policy solution to address low flows is a concept known as temporary leasing or split season leasing programs (SSLP), whereby an entity (e.g., …

Effects Of Water Chemistry On Interaction Between Organic Contaminants And Microplastics And Their Passage In Microfiltration Membrane, Chutiporn Inchana

Chulalongkorn University Theses and Dissertations (Chula ETD)

The agricultural activity is a critical source of organic contaminants and microplastics (MPs). Typically, the agricultural soil is contaminated by an abundance of MPs, leaching chemicals during weathering process, and pesticides, which subsequently end up in surface water through agricultural runoff. Polymers that are most frequently used in crop production and detected in surface water are PE and PET MPs. Bisphenol (A) and atrazine are frequently detected in surface water. Nevertheless, the fate and distribution of organic pollutants in water treatment as a consequent on MP-aided transport is constrained by little knowledge on photoaged PE and PET MPs. In this …

Large Offshore Wind Farms Have Minimal Direct Impacts On Air Quality, Maryam Golbazi, Cristina L. Archer

Data Science Faculty Publications

Wind power has rapidly grown over the past decade because it is clean, renewable, and abundant. However, wind farms can affect local weather and possibly alter the transport, diffusion, and concentration of air pollutants. Given the unprecedented expansion of offshore wind farms planned along the U.S. East Coast by the Bureau of Ocean Energy Management (BOEM), this study aims to investigate if and how those future offshore wind farms might directly affect air pollution along the densely populated East Coast, in particular, the concentrations of ozone (O₃), fine particulate matter (PM_2.5), sulfur dioxide (SO₂), …

Climate Change's Effect On Flow Regime, Alexander Ialenti

Williams Honors College, Honors Research Projects

This project will test to see if there is a percent increase in non-perennial streams sampled from 2003-2021. Using data provided by The Cleveland Metroparks, sampling events will be separated by date, flow regime classification, and rain data. Current literature supports the claim that many perennial streams, streams that flow year-round, will become non-perennial streams over time. This shift is predicted to be caused by a change in rain patterns. Both the interval between rain events and the intensity of rainfall per event are predicted to increase. My hypothesis is that there will be an increase in the percentage of …

Crossing The “Valley Of Death”: How Climate Technology Entrepreneurs Navigate Relationships With Venture Capital Investors, Allison Lucas

Wayne State University Dissertations

As the world faces the ongoing and intensifying impacts of climate change, a group of innovative changemakers known as climate tech entrepreneurs (CTEs) are working on climate adaptation, mitigation, and/or resilience efforts by brining innovative technologies to the global market (UNFCC, 2018; Endeavor 2022). To realize the full potential of these technologies—tools, techniques, specialized knowledge or skillsets—they must be developed, deployed, and implemented at scale (IPCC, 2000). To do this, CTEs require external funding support, especially during a crucial period of the start-up lifecycle known as the “valley of death”. In this period between development and commercialization, production costs and …

Natural Selection On Feralization Genes Contributed To The Invasive Spread Of Wild Pigs Throughout The United States, Niek W. G. Barmentlo, Patrick G. Meirmans, William H. Stiver, Joseph G. Yarkovich, Blake E. Mccann, Antoinette J. Piaggio, Dominic Wright, Timothy J. Smyser, Mirte Bosse

United States Department of Agriculture Wildlife Services: Staff Publications

Despite a long presence in the contiguous United States (US), the distribution of invasive wild pigs (Sus scrofa × domesticus) has expanded rapidly since the 1980s, suggesting a more recent evolutionary shift towards greater invasiveness. Contemporary populations of wild pigs represent exoferal hybrid descendants of domestic pigs and European wild boar, with such hybridization expected to enrich genetic diversity and increase the adaptive potential of populations. Our objective was to characterize how genetic enrichment through hybridization increases the invasiveness of populations by identifying signals of selection and the ancestral origins of selected loci. Our study focused on invasive …

Influence Of Habitat And Baiting Strategy On Oral Rabies Vaccine Bait Uptake By Raccoons In The Southeastern United States, Jacob E. Hill, Madison L. Miller, Richard B. Chipman, Amy T. Gilbert, James C. Beasley, Guha Dharmarajan, Olin E. Rhodea

United States Department of Agriculture Wildlife Services: Staff Publications

terrestrial wildlife species. However, there is currently a limited understanding of how different baiting strategies influence raccoon (Procyon lotor) uptake of ORV baits in non-agricultural habitats in the Southeastern United States, which may hinder the refinement of ORV management for raccoons in this region. Using a combination of new and existing data, we investigated the role of baited area (0.16 vs 3 km²), bait density (75 versus 150 baits/km²) and season (spring versus fall) on placebo ORV bait uptake by raccoons in four rural, non-agricultural habitats in the southeastern United States (bottomland hardwood forest, …

Prevalence Of Avian Influenza Virus In Atypical Wild Birds Host Groups During An Outbreak Of Highly Pathogenic Strain Ea/Am H5n1, Jourdan M. Ringenberg, Kelsey Weir, Lee Humberg, Carl Voglewede, Mitch Oswald, J. Jeffrey Root, Krista Dilione, Even Casey, Michael Milleson, Timothy Linder, Juliann Lenoch

United States Department of Agriculture Wildlife Services: Staff Publications

The global outbreak of highly pathogenic avian influenza (HPAI) H5N1 Eurasian lineage goose/Guangdong clade 2.3.4.4b virus that was detected in North America in 2021 is the largest in history and has significantly impacted wild bird populations and domestic poultry across the continent. Synanthropic birds may play an important role in transmitting the virus laterally to other wild bird species and domestic poultry. Understanding the dynamics of HPAI in atypical, or nonreservoir, wild bird hosts may help inform management decisions and potential risk factors to both wild and domestic bird populations. Following the confirmation of infections of HPAI H5N1 in domestic …

Evaluation Of Mitigation Translocation As A Management Tool To Reduce Conflicts Between Humans And American Kestrels, Brian E. Washburn

United States Department of Agriculture Wildlife Services: Staff Publications

Raptor‐aircraft collisions (bird strikes) pose a serious safety risk to civil aircraft. Even smaller raptors, such as American kestrels (Falco sparverius), can be problematic within airport environments. Given widespread declines in kestrel populations, public interest, logistical and financial constraints, and other factors, managing kestrels at airports presents some unique challenges. I conducted a study to determine which biological (e.g., age and sex of the bird) and logistical factors (e.g., month and translocation distance) might influence the return of American kestrels live‐captured and translocated from 42 civil airports and military airbases within the contiguous USA during 2016–2021. American kestrels …

Discovery Of A Novel Invasive Rodent Species On Wake Atoll With A Desert Southwest Usa Origin, Antoinette J. Piaggio, Eric Lanners, Daniel R. Taylor, Aaron B. Shiels, Marjorie Matocq, John Eisemann

United States Department of Agriculture Wildlife Services: Staff Publications

Invasive species, particularly omnivorous rodents, have damaged island ecosystems around the world. The unique flora and fauna of island systems have typically not evolved with omnivorous rodents and are heavily impacted by their introduction. Wake Atoll of the southern Pacific Ocean is a 707-hectare coral island complex of three islands managed by the United States Department of Defense (DoD). DoD restricts civilian access to the atoll but aircraft and seacraft regularly visit the island to transport military equipment and to sustain the year-round military and contractor personnel stationed on the atoll. Wake Atoll had been invaded by Rattus rattus complex …

Efficacy Of Gonacon Fertility Control Against Prairie Dogs And Potential For Uses On Other Rodent Species, Aaron B. Shiels, Emily W. Ruell, Jason E. Bruemmer

United States Department of Agriculture Wildlife Services: Staff Publications

Use of a contraceptive (i.e., fertility control) is attractive for rodent management where lethal control is unwanted. Although population reduction is generally unachievable with small-scale, short-term contraceptive use, reduced juvenile recruitment is achievable. The injectable immunocontraceptive vaccine GonaCon (active ingredient: gonadotropin releasing hormone [GnRH]) was registered in 2022 by the United States Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) for controlling fertility of female prairie dogs (Cynomys, a type of ground squirrel) in urban/suburban settings. Here we: 1) describe past research, including a replicated field study in Colorado (GonaCon treatment vs. control sites) testing efficacy of GonaCon in prairie dogs, which …

Agricultural And Ecological Resources Safeguarded By The Prevention Of Wild Pig Population Expansion, Colin Jareb, Kim M. Pepin, Ryan S. Miller, Stephanie A. Shwiff, Sophie C. Mckee

United States Department of Agriculture Wildlife Services: Staff Publications

Wild pigs (Sus scrofa) are one of the most destructive invasive species in the United States, known for causing extensive damage to agricultural commodities, natural resources, and property, and for transmitting diseases to livestock. Following the establishment of the National Feral Swine Damage Management Program (NFSDMP) in 2014, the expansion of wild pig populations has been successfully slowed. This paper combines two modeling approaches across eight separate models to characterize the expansion of wild pig populations in the absence of intervention by the NFSDMP and forecasts the value of a subset of resources safeguarded from the threat of …

Oral Rabies Vaccination Of Raccoons (Procyon Lotor) Across A Development Intensity Gradient In Burlington, Vermont, Usa, 2015–2017, Emily M. Beasley, Kathleen M. Nelson, Dennis Slate, Amy T. Gilbert, Frederick E. Pogmore, Richard B. Chipman, Amy J. Davis

United States Department of Agriculture Wildlife Services: Staff Publications

Management of the raccoon rabies virus variant in North America is conducted primarily using oral rabies vaccination (ORV). When a sufficient proportion of the population is vaccinated (60%), rabies transmission can be eliminated. To date, ORV programs have successfully controlled and eliminated raccoon rabies in rural areas, but there has been less success in urban areas. We studied the proportions of rabies virus neutralizing antibodies (RVNA) in a raccoon (Procyon lotor) population during a 3-year ORV trial in developed areas of Burlington, Vermont, United States. We used a modified N-mixture model to estimate raccoon abundance, RVNA seroprevalence, and …

Distribution And Prevalence Of Antibodies To Trichinella Spp. And Toxoplasma Gondii In Wild Pigs (Sus Scrofa) In The United States, Christopher A. Cleveland, Ellen Haynes, Katherine C. Callaghan, Alinde Fojtik, Sarah Coker, Emily Doub, Vienna R. Brown, Ania A. Majewska, Michael J. Yabsley

United States Department of Agriculture Wildlife Services: Staff Publications

Invasive wild pigs (Sus scrofa) are a reservoir for over 100 viral, bacterial, and parasitic pathogens that are transmissible to humans, livestock, domestic animals, and wildlife in North America. Numerous historical local surveys and results from a nation-wide survey (2006–2010) indicated that wild pigs in the United States act as reservoirs for Trichinella spp. and Toxoplasma gondii, two zoonotic pathogens of importance for human and animal health. Since that time, wild pig populations have expanded and increased in density in many areas. Population expansion of wild pigs creates opportunities for the introduction of pathogens to new areas …

Ethyl-Iophenoxic Acid As A Serum Marker For Oral Baiting Of Tasmanian Devils, Ruth Pye, David Nichols, Sally A. Nofs, Amy T. Gilbert, Andrew S. Flies

United States Department of Agriculture Wildlife Services: Staff Publications

Oral baits containing vaccines, medicants or toxicants have been delivered to a broad range of wildlife species to protect against or treat disease, or suppress populations. Ethyl-Iophenoxic acid (Et-IPA) is used as a biomarker to determine oral bait consumption by wildlife species to assess and refine baiting strategies. Et-IPA is a persistent biomarker in many eutherian mammal species but not in the two marsupial species, swamp wallaby (Wallabia bicolor) and brushtail possum (Trichosurus vulpecula), tested to date. Et-IPA has not previously been evaluated in carnivorous marsupials. The Tasmanian devil (Sarcophilus harrisii), the largest extant …

Estimating Landscape Spread Of A Low-Prevalence Disease Using Multiple Surveillance Methods, Abigail Feuka, Aakash Pandey, Melinda Cosgrove, Megan Moriarty, Anthony Duffiney, Henry Campa Iii, Kurt C. Vercuteren, Kimberly M. Pepin

United States Department of Agriculture Wildlife Services: Staff Publications

1. Diseases occurring at low prevalence in free-ranging wildlife can be difficult to study and predict at a landscape scale. This problem is compounded by imperfect pathogen detection.

2. We used data from multiple surveillance methods to determine factors influencing spread of a low-prevalence disease, bovine tuberculosis (bTB), among white-tailed deer (Odocoileus virginianus) in a bTB endemic area over a 10-year period. We fit dynamic occupancy models to predict spatial spread of bTB through a county in Michigan, USA, within the bTB endemic area, while accounting for imperfect detection and a suite of ecological processes potentially driving bTB …

Effects Of The Immunocontraceptive Gonacon On Pregnancy In Brucella-Seropositive American Bison (Bison Bison), Rebecca K. Frey, Morgan E. Wehtje, Pauline Nol, Patrick R. Clarke, Jack C. Rhyan, Matthew P. Mccollum, Lowell A. Miller, Douglas C. Eckery

United States Department of Agriculture Wildlife Services: Staff Publications

The purpose of this study was to determine if the number of pregnancies in naturally infected Brucella abortus-positive bison (Bison bison) cows would be reduced over a period of 5 yr after one treatment with 3000 mg gonadotropin-releasing hormone immunocontraceptive (GonaCon) compared to a similar group of naturally infected B. abortus-positive bison cows not treated with GonaCon. In each of the 5 yr, GonaCon-treated cows produced fewer offspring in relation to number of cows than the nontreated cows. Fisher’s Exact test comparing offspring produced during the first reproductive season showed a significant difference between the …

Efficacy Of X-Ray Phytosanitary Irradiation On The Infectivity And Reproduction Of Angiostrongylus Cantonensis In Experimentally Infected Rats, Susan I. Jarvi, Lisa M. Kaluna, Steven C. Hess, Lindsey Hamilton, Carmen Antaky, Robert T. Sugihara, Israel L. Leinbach, Yaeko Tagami, Argon Steel, Kathleen Howe, Steven Jacquier, Forrest Cookman, Jocelyn Diaz, John Jacob, Peter Follett

United States Department of Agriculture Wildlife Services: Staff Publications

Angiostrongylus cantonensis is a globally distributed nematode and the leading cause of eosinophilic meningitis in humans. As a global hotspot for this disease, Hawaii’s agricultural exports may be contributing to the spread of A. cantonensis. Phytosanitary irradiation doses of 150 or 400 Gy provide quarantine security against multiple insect pests. We evaluated the in vitro and in vivo effects of phytosanitary irradiation on infectious, third-stage A. cantonensis juveniles. In vitro experiments directly exposed juveniles to irradiation doses ranging from 200 to 1,000 Gy. Results showed low mortality and no dose response across all treatments 27 days post-irradiation. …

Mangroves Of The Warm Temperate Northwest Atlantic, Daniel A. Friess, Ena L. Suárez, Anna R. Armitage, Cheryl Doughty, Laura C. Feher, Ilka C. Feller, Alejandro Fierro, Kara R. Radabaugh, Lorae T. Simpson, William C. V Vervaeke, Carlos Zamora-Tovar

School of Earth, Environmental, & Marine Sciences Faculty Publications

The ‘Mangroves of the Warm Temperate Northwest Atlantic’ province is a regional ecosystem subgroup (level 4 unit of the IUCN Global Ecosystem Typology). It includes the marine ecoregions of Carolinian and Northern Gulf of Mexico. The biota is characterized by 3 species of mangroves: Avicennia germinans, Laguncularia racemosa, and Rhizophora mangle, and 1 mangrove associate Conocarpus erectus, though not all species are equally distributed throughout the province. Mangroves in this province cross the USA and Mexico and are quite unique, as they exist at the latitudinal range limit of the mangrove ecosystem. The majority of mangroves in this province are …

Assessing Tax Revenue Implications Of Environmental Policy: A Case Study Of China’S Channel City Policy, Yongwen Yang, Juhee Lee

School of Earth, Environmental, & Marine Sciences Faculty Publications

Recent studies suggest that while environmental policies yield positive environmental effects, they also incur costs for various entities. However, there is a gap in research regarding these policies’ financial impact from the government's perspective. To investigate the extent to which government tax revenue is affected by environmental policies, we employ the Difference-inDifferences (DID) method to estimate the impact of a regional air pollution control policy in China known as the Channel City Policy on the tax revenue of city governments. Our findings indicate that the Channel City Policy (CCP) enhances air quality by reducing PM2.5, SO2, and NOx concentrations by …

Coalescence: A Carnivore Coexistence Curriculum That Braids Indigenous & Western Ecological Knowledge Into A Relevant And Experiential Learning Opportunity For Youth, Stephanie Anne Barron

Graduate Student Theses, Dissertations, & Professional Papers

As grizzly bears (Ursus arctos horriblis) begin to reoccupy more of their historic range, and as humans and large carnivore populations continue to increase, incidences of human carnivore conflict are on the rise. A decolonial curriculum designed in collaboration with the Confederated Salish and Kootenai Tribe’s wildlife biologists stands to increase awareness of Indigenous ecological knowledge and teach youth about the importance of coexistence with carnivores. Additionally, this project could greatly influence youth perceptions of grizzly bears and other large carnivores. This research project examines the development and implementation of a carnivore coexistence curriculum for youth that is guided by …

The Attitudes And Practices Of United Arab Emirates Consumers Towards Food Waste: A Nationwide Cross-Sectional Study, Lynne Kennedy, Samir Safi, Tareq M. Osaili, Ala Al Rajabi, Ayesha Alblooshi, Dima Al Jawarneh, Ahmed Al Kaabi, Fakhra Al Rubaei, Maitha Albreiki, Maryam Alfadli, Aseilah Alhefeiti, Moez Al Islam Ezzat Faris, Kholoud Allaham, Sameeha Junaidi, Moien A.B. Khan

All Works

Background: Reducing global food waste is an international environmental, health, and sus-tainability priority. Although significant reductions have been achieved across the food chain, progress by UAE households and consumers remain inadequate. This study seeks to understand the association between consumer attitudes, knowledge, and awareness relating to food waste practice of residents living in the UAE. to help inform policy and action for addressing this national priority. Methods: A cross-sectional study was conducted using a validated semi-structured online questionnaire through stratified sampling (n =1052). The Spearman correlation coefficient was performed to determine the correlations. Two independent regression analysis were used to …

St. Louis Flood Emergency Response Guide, Gabrielle Abato, Devin Hale, Sam Lu, Bitta Momeni, Shalah Russell, Darsh Singhania, Isabella Stull, Liana Van Zen, Rachel Zimmerman-Diaz

Sustainability Exchange Projects

No abstract provided.

Interannual Growth-Climate Relationships Of Western Larch After Wildfire In The Northwest, Junior Burks

Undergraduate Theses, Professional Papers, and Capstone Artifacts

Montane and mixed-conifer forests in the northwestern United States are burning at rates greater than any time in recent decades, due to the combined impacts of global warming and historical and contemporary land use and land management. Western larch (Larix occidentalis) is a tree of high regional significance, exhibiting a variety of traits that make it resistant and resilient to fire. Because seedlings are more sensitive to environmental stressors than adults, the impacts of climate change are expected to be detectable first in juvenile trees. Recent research shows that the natural regeneration of western larch after wildfires has …

Hydrologic Pathways Of A Northern Hardwood Catchment In The Great Lakes Basin Using End Member Mixing Analysis, Cory C. Burkwald

Dissertations, Master's Theses and Master's Reports

This study investigated the seasonality of hydrologic pathways, the role of wetlands in streamflow generation, and how hydrologic pathways affect the export of nutrients by streamflow in the Sturgeon River using endmember mixing analysis. The results indicated that streamflow consists of three main components: shallow subsurface water from wetland soils, shallow groundwater, and surface runoff from precipitation. Snowmelt plays a dominating role in regulating stream water chemistry (~80% volume at peak) during the snowmelt season and likely also after that. Wetland soils store snowmelt, together with rainwater though the fraction is unknown, and then gradually release through summer in the …

Empowering Communities Through Education Creating The School Of Green, Kyle Martin

Senior Honors Theses and Projects

The School of Green initiative aims to foster environmental stewardship through community-driven STEM education programs. This paper evaluates the initiative’s impact, critiques its planning, and strategizes for future success. It discusses the evolution of the School of Green Series, its community impact, and future directions. The paper also provides a contextual framework reflective analysis and outlines personal motivations and aspirations. Through meticulous documentation and archival research methods, this project aims to detail the significance of the School of Green Series in promoting environmental education and inclusivity. The comprehensive event report will not only analyze successes and areas for improvement but …

Putting Biomonitors To Work: Native Moss As A Screening Tool For Solid Waste Incineration, Sarah Jovan, Eleonore Jacobson, Jason M. Unrine, Nasser Jalili‑Jahani, Bruce Mccune

Markey Cancer Center Faculty Publications

Solid waste incineration (SWI) can release numerous air pollutants although the geographic reach of emissions is not routinely monitored. While many studies use moss and lichens for biomonitoring trace elements, including around SWIs, few investigate the complex, multi-element footprint expected from SWI emissions. This study develops using native moss as a screening tool for SWI while also informing community concerns about an aging incinerator in rural Oregon, USA. Trained community volunteers helped collect 36 composite samples of epiphytic moss (Orthotrichum s.l.) along a 32-km transect from the SWI. We used ICP-MS to measure 40 elements in moss, including 14 rare …