Digital Commons Network^™

Critique On The Use Of The Standardized Avian Acute Oral Toxicity Test For First Generation Anticoagulant Rodenticides, Nimish B. Vyas, Barnett A. Rattner

United States Geological Survey: Staff Publications

Avian risk assessments for rodenticides are often driven by the results of standardized acute oral toxicity tests without regards to a toxicant’s mode of action and time course of adverse effects. First generation anticoagulant rodenticides (FGARs) generally require multiple feedings over several days to achieve a threshold concentration in tissue and cause adverse effects. This exposure regimen is much different than that used in the standardized acute oral toxicity test methodology. Median lethal dose values derived from standardized acute oral toxicity tests underestimate the environmental hazard and risk of FGARs. Caution is warranted when FGAR toxicity, physiological effects, and pharmacokinetics …

Climate Change And Infectious Disease Dynamics, Raina K. Plowright, Paul C. Cross, Gary M. Tabor, Emily Almberg, Leslie Bienen, Peter J. Hudson

United States Geological Survey: Staff Publications

The International Panel on Climate Change has made an unequivocal case that the earth's climate is changing in profound ways, and that human activities are contributing significantly to climate disruption (IPCC 2007). The weight of evidence demonstrates warming global temperatures, changing patterns of precipitation, and increasing climate variability, with more extreme events. Thus, the physical underpinnings of ecology are changing, with pervasive effects on disease dynamics. Interactions among environment, hosts, and pathogens drive disease processes, and climate change will influence every interaction in this triad, directly and indirectly.

Sorta Situ: The New Reality Of Management Conditions For Wildlife Populations In The Absence Of "Wild" Spaces, Barbara A. Wolfe, Roberto F. Aguilar, A. Alonso Aguirre, Glenn H. Olsen, Evan S. Blumer

United States Geological Survey: Staff Publications

The rate of species loss today is approaching catastrophic levels. Scientists project that over the next two decades, more than 1 million species of plants and animals will become extinct. E.O. Wilson has estimated that "the rate ofloss may exceed 50,000 a year, 137 a day ... this rate, while horrendous, is actually the minimal estimate, based on the species/area relationship alone" (Kellert and Wilson 1993, p. 16; Aguirre 2009). Ever-expanding communities, strained natural resources, changes in land use, and other anthropogenic drivers are compromising ecosystems and rapidly changing the landscape and the availability of "wild" spaces.

Effect Of Fires On Soil Organic Carbon Pool And Mineralization In A Northeastern China Wetland, Hongmei Zhao, Daniel Q. Tong, Qianxin Lin, Xianguo Lu, Guoping Wang

United States Department of Commerce: Staff Publications

Fire occurs frequently over wetland, but little is known of its impact on soil carbon variations and carbon mineralization, process that are potentially important in global carbon cycle. To investigate this issue, we have designed and implemented a two-year field campaign to quality the effects of fire seasonality and frequency on soil carbon abundance and carbon mineralization in a wetland of the Sanjiang Plain in Northeastern China. A total of 4 burning experiments were conducted over 12 wetland plots from autumn 2007 to spring 2009. Our results show that after burning soil organic carbon (OC) increased in the burned soils …

Agricultural Greenhouse Gas Emissions, Meredith Fairbanks, David Bowran, Geraldine Pasqual

Bulletins 4000 -

Agriculture contributes 15.5 per cent of Australia’s emissions (Figure 1), largely due to methane, from ruminant livestock digestion, nitrous oxide from soils and carbon dioxide from fossil fuel use (Australian National Greenhouse Accounts 2011; ABARES 2011).

This bulletin identifies current ways to reduce greenhouse gas emissions from Australian agriculture.

Morphology And Variation Of The Asiatic Wild Ass (Equus Hemionus Hemionus), Kati Schöpke, Annegret Stubbe, Michael Stubbe, Nyamsuren Batsaikhan, Renate Schafberg

Erforschung biologischer Ressourcen der Mongolei / Exploration into the Biological Resources of Mongolia, ISSN 0440-1298

A collection of recent skeletal remains from the Asiatic wild ass (Equus hemionus hemionus PALLAS) was prepared and stored in the Museum of Domesticated Animals “JULIUS KÜHN” in Halle, Germany.

The collection is based on carcass remains sampled between 2001 and 2006 under the leadership of Michael Stubbe during joint Mongolian-German Biological Expeditions

Skeletal remains of 43 individual specimens were studied (18 mares, 15 stallions, and 10 juvenile asses). The determination of sex and age was initially based on carcass information from observations made in situ in the field. Subsequently, skull traits, including dentition and development of canine teeth …

New Data On The Fish Coregonus Peled (Gmelin, 1788) In Some Water Bodies Of Mongolia, Ayuriin Dulmaa

Erforschung biologischer Ressourcen der Mongolei / Exploration into the Biological Resources of Mongolia, ISSN 0440-1298

In connection with the planned establishment of a coregonid fishery and the construction of a specialized hatchery in the area of Western Mongolia a study was undertaken with the aim of studying some parts of the reproductive biology of population of Coregonus peled inhabiting the lake Ulaagchnii Khar (Zavhan aimag). This species was introduced into this Mongolian lake, originally lacking any fish stock, in the period from 1980–1982. 11,230 fish were collected and examined during the periods from 1993–1999 and 2005–2011 and consisted partly of the fish originating from imported and introduced larvae and partly of the individuals belonging about …

First Stable Isotope Analysis Of Asiatic Wild Ass Tail Hair From The Mongolian Gobi, Micha Horacek, Petra Kaczensky, Merina Burnik Sturm

Erforschung biologischer Ressourcen der Mongolei / Exploration into the Biological Resources of Mongolia, ISSN 0440-1298

Stable isotope analysis has become a powerful tool to study feeding ecology, water use or movement pattern in contemporary, historic and ancient species. Certain hair and teeth grow continuously, and when sampled longitudinally can provide temporally explicit information on dietary regime and movement pattern. In an initial trial, we analysed a tail sample of an Asiatic wild ass (Equus hemionus) from the Mongolian Gobi. We found seasonal variations in H, C, and N isotope patterns, likely being the result of temporal variations in available feeds, water supply and possibly physiological status. Thus stable isotope analysis shows promise to …

Droughtscape, Winter 2012, National Drought Mitigation Center

DroughtScape: Quarterly Newsletter of the National Drought Mitigation Center (2007–2023)

Drought Planning for Kansas Ranchers Jan. 21

South Hoping La Niña Dryness Stays Away

2011 Brought Record-Breaking Extent of D4

Reported Impacts Ease as Growing Season Ends

Disaster Planning in Nanjing at Hohai U

Ag, Fire and Water Supply Topped 2011 Impacts

Modeling An Improvement In Phosphorus Utilization In Tropical Agriculture, David Edelstein, David J. Tonjes

Technology & Society Faculty Publications

Studies of Terra Preta soils have generated interest in recreating their fertility elsewhere. Much of the research has focused on soil amendment charcoal (“biochar”). Terra Preta also contains bone fragments, producing a high concentration of phosphorus. Some forecast worldwide declines in phosphorus supplies, and better agricultural system management is required to improve phosphorus use efficiency. A conceptual model is offered to consider the influence of charcoal on bioavailability of phosphorus. The model describes a system where improvements in the chemical and biological condition of the soil result in increased phosphorus availability and cycling. Mechanisms of phosphorus/charcoal interaction are considered, and …

Summary Report: Kentucky River Watershed Watch 2012 Water Sampling Results, Kentucky Water Resources Research Institute

Kentucky River Watershed Watch

No abstract provided.

Ecological Literacy, Nutrition Knowledge, And Dietary Practices Among Students At University At Albany, Elaine Hills

Legacy Theses & Dissertations (2009 - 2024)

University students (N=1,924) at a large public university were surveyed to measure their nutrition knowledge, dietary practices, and ecological literacy. A quantitative measure of ecological literacy was developed for this purpose, reflecting familiarity with nature, awareness of one's personal impact on local and global ecologies, and personal lifestyle choices that demonstrate civic responsibility for the natural environment. The association between nutrition knowledge and dietary practices was compared to the association between ecological literacy and dietary practices. The results showed that: (1) many students were not familiar with public health eating recommendations and did not eat recommended amounts of foods, particularly …

Spatial Variation In Rna:Dna Ratios Of Diporeia Spp. In The Great Lakes Region, Daniel J. Ryan, Maria S. Sepúlveda, Thomas F. Nalepa, Tomas O. Höök

United States Department of Commerce: Staff Publications

Over the past two decades, Diporeia in all of the Laurentian Great Lakes, except Superior, have declined dramatically. These declines have seemingly coincided with expansion of invasive Dreissena polymorpha and D. bugensis, however the exact mechanisms underlying decreasing Diporeia densities are obscure. We explored the use of RNA:DNA (R/D) ratios as a conditional index for Diporeia by experimentally demonstrating that Diporeia R/D responds to periods of starvation. Moreover, during 2008–2009 we collected Diporeia from throughout the Great Lakes and Cayuga Lake (New York, USA), and used R/D ratios to index condition of these in situ collected animals. We evaluated …

Linking Ciguatera Poisoning To Spatial Ecology Of Fish: A Novel Approach To Examining The Distribution Of Biotoxin Levels In The Great Barracuda By Combining Non-Lethal Blood Sampling And Biotelemetry, Amanda C. O'Toole, Marie-Yasmine Dechraoui Bottein, Andy J. Danylchuk, John S. Ramsdell, Steven J. Cooke

United States Department of Commerce: Staff Publications

Ciguatera in humans is typically caused by the consumption of reef fish that have accumulated Ciguatoxins (CTXs) in their flesh. Over a six month period, we captured 38 wild adult great barracuda (Sphyraena barracuda), a species commonly associated with ciguatera in The Bahamas. We sampled three tissues (i.e.,muscle, liver, and blood) and analysed them for the presence of ciguatoxins using a functional in vitro N2A bioassay. Detectable concentrations of ciguatoxins found in the three tissue types ranged from 2.51 to 211.74 pg C-CTX-1 equivalents/ g. Blood and liver toxin concentrations were positively correlated (ρ=0.86, P=0.003), indicating …

Metabolite Profiles In Starved Diporeia Spp. Using Liquid Chromatography-Mass Spectrometry (Lc-Ms) Based Metabolomics, Suman Maity, Amber Jannasch, Jiri Adamec, Michael Gribskov, Thomas F. Nalepa, Tomas O. Höök, Maria S. Sepúlveda

United States Department of Commerce: Staff Publications

The holarctic amphipod Diporeia spp. was historically the most abundant benthic macroinvertebrate in the offshore region of the Laurentian Great Lakes basin. However, since the 1990’s, the numbers of Diporeia have declined precipitously throughout the region. Competition for food with introduced dreissenid mussels may be partly to blame for this decline. Thus, a better understanding of how Diporeia responds and adjust to starvation is needed. For this purpose, we used liquid chromatography (LC) coupled with time-of-flight mass spectrometry (TOFMS) to study the metabolite profiles of Diporeia during starvation. Diporeia were collected from Lake Michigan, brought to the laboratory and starved …

Copper Pellets Simulating Oral Exposure To Copper Ammunition: Absence Of Toxicity In American Kestrels (Falco Sparverius), J. Christian Franson, Lesanna L. Lahner, Carol U. Meteyer, Barnett A. Rattner

United States Geological Survey: Staff Publications

To evaluate the potential toxicity of copper

(Cu) in raptors that may consume Cu bullets, shotgun

pellets containing Cu, or Cu fragments as they feed on

wildlife carcasses, we studied the effects of metallic Cu

exposure in a surrogate, the American kestrel (Falco

sparverius). Sixteen kestrels were orally administered

5 mg Cu/g body mass in the form of Cu pellets

(1.18–2.00 mm in diameter) nine times during 38 days and

10 controls were sham gavaged on the same schedule. With

one exception, all birds retained the pellets for at least 1 h,

but most (69%) regurgitated pellets during …

From Pond To Pump: Microalgae As A Feedstock For Biodiesel, Anna H. Leavitt

Honors Theses

The global reliance on fossil fuels is an unsustainable practice that has led to the depletion of finite resources and the accumulation of greenhouse gases in the atmosphere, leading to global climate change (Demirbas 2010). Transportation accounts for about a third of carbon dioxide (CO2) emissions in the United States. Demand for oil continues to increase and resources are becoming more uncertain. Increased production of renewable fuels such as biofuels can help ease the dependence on fossil fuels. Although interest and production in biofuels has been increasing in the past decade, current feedstocks do not meet efficiency needs and some …

Effects Of Root-Zone Temperature And N, P, And K Supplies On Nutrient Uptake Of Cucumber (Cucumis Sativus L.) Seedlings In Hydroponics, Qiuyan Yan, Zengqiang Duan, Jingdong Mao, Xun Li, Fei Dong

Chemistry & Biochemistry Faculty Publications

The nutrient uptake and allocation of cucumber (Cucumis sativus L.) seedlings at different root-zone temperatures (RZT) and different concentrations of nitrogen (N), phosphorus (P), and potassium (K) nutrients were examined. Plants were grown in a nutrient solution for 30 d at two root-zone temperatures (a diurnally fluctuating ambient 10°C-RZT and a constant 20° C-RZT) with the aerial parts of the plants maintained at ambient temperature (10°C -30°C). Based on a Hoagland nutrient solution, seven N, P, and K nutrient concentrations were supplied to the plants at each RZT. Results showed that total plant and shoot dry weights under …

Establishing Winter Origins Of Migrating Lesser Snow Geese Using Stable Isotopes, Viviane Hénaux, Larkin A. Powell, Mark P. Vrtiska, Keith A. Hobson

School of Natural Resources: Faculty Publications

Increases in Snow Goose (Chen caerulescens) populations and large-scale habitat changes in North America have contributed to the concentration of migratory waterfowl on fewer wetlands, reducing resource availability, and enhancing risks of disease transmission. Predicting wintering locations of migratory individuals is critical to guide wildlife population management and habitat restoration. We used stable carbon (δ¹³C), nitrogen (δ ¹⁵N), and hydrogen (δ²H) isotope ratios in muscle tissue of wintering Snow Geese to discriminate four major wintering areas, the Playa Lake Region, Texas Gulf Coast, Louisiana Gulf Coast, and Arkansas, and infer the wintering locations …

Prescribed Grazing On Pasturelands, Lynn E. Sollenberger, Carmen T. Agouridis, Eric S. Vanzant, Alan J. Franzluebbers, Lloyd B. Owens

Biosystems and Agricultural Engineering Faculty Publications

No abstract provided.

Review Of The Operations Of Bay Village, Ohio, Daila Shimek, Kyle Julien, Scott Winograd, Claudette Robey, James Wyles, Kevin E. O'Brien

All Maxine Goodman Levin School of Urban Affairs Publications

No abstract provided.

Influences On Behavior Adaptations To Reduce Exposure To Environmental Hazards Among Residents Of Louisiana's Upper Industrial Corridor, Corrinthia Marie Hinton

LSU Master's Theses

Over the past century, the growth in petrochemical manufacturing within Louisiana’s Upper Industrial Corridor brought economic development, but also introduced toxic emissions and environmental exposure risks to residents of the area. For the citizens living in close proximity to multiple facilities there is the added risk of chemical exposure from environmentally hazardous accidents. This study seeks to gain insights into patterns of risk-reducing behaviors of residents in East Baton Rouge Parish so that better educational outreach programs can be developed. This research addresses the following questions: To what extent are residents of Baton Rouge taking steps to reduce environmental exposure …

The Effects Of Oyster Harvest On Resident Oyster Reef Communities And Reef Structure In Coastal Louisiana Proper, Steven Lee Beck

LSU Master's Theses

Harvest of the eastern oyster (Crassostrea virginica) is a primary contributor to oyster reef habitat disturbance in the northern Gulf of Mexico. The impacts of oyster dredging on reef substrate and resident fauna have not been thoroughly examined on the extensive sub-tidal oyster reefs of Louisiana. Several reef structure and resident community metrics were compared on unharvested and harvested reefs during the spring, summer, and fall of 2010. Unharvested reefs had higher amounts of oyster clusters, solid reef substrate, and more large oysters, while harvested reefs had higher amounts of loose shell, mixed shell/mud substrate, and elevated chlorophyll-a levels. Overall, …

Pmi 5011 Regulates The Ubiquitin Proteasome System In Skeletal Muscle, Heather Christianne Kirk-Ballard

LSU Doctoral Dissertations

Insulin resistance in type 2 diabetes is associated with impaired glucose and protein metabolism in skeletal muscle. The impaired insulin signaling in skeletal muscle affects muscle mass by tilting the balance between skeletal muscle protein synthesis and degradation toward degradation, a process that is primarily regulated by the ubiquitin-proteasome system. Studies have shown that an extensively characterized ethanol extract of Artemisia dracunculus L (Russian Tarragon), termed PMI 5011, enhances insulin signaling in human primary skeletal muscle cells and in a rodent model of insulin resistance. The aim of this project is to determine if the effect of PMI 5011 on …

Composition And Physiological Characteristics Of The University Lake Ecosystem Phytoplankton Community: Impacts Of Seasonal And Episodic Events, Brianne Elizabeth Norris

LSU Master's Theses

This research determined the changes in phytoplankton community composition in a shallow subtropical lake, influenced by urban surroundings. Specifically this research focused on the effects of seasonal progression and episodic events on the changing inorganic nutrient dynamics and the effects those dynamics had on the phytoplankton community composition and productivity. This research quantified gross primary production and respiration to determine if seasonality or episodic events were acting as forcing functions of the phytoplankton community composition. Water samples were collected weekly at three sites on the lake’s perimeter, as well as following episodic events, to monitor nitrate (NO3), phosphate (PO4-3), ammonium …

Jennings Studies Environmental Pollutants, Aldemaro Romero Jr.

Publications and Research

No abstract provided.

Changing Land Use On Unproductive Soils, Andrew Blake, Mike Clarke, Angela Stuart-Street

Resource management technical reports

A three year study completed in 2010 examined farming systems in the north-eastern agricultural region and eastern wheatbelt of Western Australia which experienced a succession of variable seasons from 2000. This culminated in severe drought in 2006 and 2007. At that time, farmers experienced labour shortages and declining terms of trade triggered by cost inflation outpacing growth in commodity prices. As a result, farm business equity was eroded as farm debt escalated. This left many farm businesses in a highly vulnerable state. At the time of the study many farmers were facing an uncertain future.

These experiences, coupled with a …

Publications And Reports: Research And Extension 2011 Annual Summary, Department Of Natural Resource Management, South Dakota State University

Natural Resource Management Faculty Publications

Table of Contents:
[Page] 3 Introduction
[Page] 4 Department Faculty List
[Page] 5 Departmental Graduate Students
[Page] 9 Peer-reviewed publications
[Page] 15 Publications in proceedings and other journals
[Page] 17 Books or book chapters
[Page] 19 Extension reports
[Page] 21 Other reports (e.g., agency reports, completion records)
[Page] 24 popular records

Identifying Risk Factors For Disparities In Breast Cancer Mortality Among African-American And Hispanic Women, Nancy Tian, Pierre Goovaerts, F. Benjamin Zhan, T. Edwin Chow, Jeff Gaines Wilson

School of Earth, Environmental, & Marine Sciences Faculty Publications

Background: This study evaluated the risk factors associated with racial disparities in female breast cancer mortality for African-American and Hispanic women at the census tract level in Texas from 1995 to 2005.

Methods: Data on female breast cancer cases were obtained from the Texas Cancer Registry. Socioeconomic and demographic data were collected from Census 2000. Network distance and driving times to mammography facilities were estimated using Geographic Information System techniques. Demographic, poverty and spatial accessibility factors were constructed using principal component analysis. Logistic regression models were developed to predict the census tracts with significant racial disparities in breast cancer mortality …

Assessing The Drivers Of Adaptive Radiation In A Complex Of Gall Midges: A Multitrophic Perspective On Ecological Speciation, Jeremy J. Heath

Browse all Theses and Dissertations

Natural enemies as selective forces maintaining and shaping morphological, physiological, and behavioral divergence in adaptive radiations have received very little attention. Until recently, the focus has been on primary resource competition as a major driver of trait divergence in adaptive radiations. Here I consider the role of natural enemies specifically in driving trait divergence in a complex of gall midges in the nominal species Asteromyia carbonifera (Diptera: Cecidomyiidae), which appears to be in the throes of an incipient adaptive radiation on its host plant, goldenrod (Solidago). This galler uses a symbiotic fungus (Botryosphaeria dothidae) as a …