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Articles 2281 - 2310 of 3584

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Dreissena And The Disappearance Of The Spring Phytoplankton Bloom In Lake Michigan, Henry A. Vanderploeg, James R. Liebig, Thomas F. Nalepa, Gary L. Fahnenstiel, Steven A. Pothoven Jan 2010

Dreissena And The Disappearance Of The Spring Phytoplankton Bloom In Lake Michigan, Henry A. Vanderploeg, James R. Liebig, Thomas F. Nalepa, Gary L. Fahnenstiel, Steven A. Pothoven

United States Department of Commerce: Staff Publications

We determined the clearance rates of the profunda morph of the quagga mussel (Dreissena bugensis) using seston and Cryptomonas ozolini, a high-quality algal food, for the temperature range 1–7 °C,which is the full temperature range this morph is likely to experience during isothermal conditions or in the hypolimnion of deep lakes. Experiments at 3 °C with the shallow-water morph of the quagga and the zebra mussel provided very similar results. The clearance rates were combined with dreissenid abundance in 0–30 m, 30–50 m, 50–90 m, and >90m depth zones of the southern basin of Lake Michigan to …

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Lake Michigan Lower Food Web: Long-Term Observations And Dreissena Impact, G. Fahnenstiel, T. Nalepa, S. Pothoven, H. Carrick, D. Scavia Jan 2010

Lake Michigan Lower Food Web: Long-Term Observations And Dreissena Impact, G. Fahnenstiel, T. Nalepa, S. Pothoven, H. Carrick, D. Scavia

United States Department of Commerce: Staff Publications

Lake Michigan has a long history of non-indigenous introductions that have caused significant ecological change. Here we present a summary of eight papers that document recent changes and the current state of the lower food web of southern Lake Michigan after the establishment of large dreissenid populations. Results are based on long-term data sets collected by federal and academic research and monitoring programs that place recent changes into a historic context. Dramatic and significant changes in the lower food web, such as the loss of the spring diatom bloom, large declines in phytoplankton productivity, and a decline of Mysis populations, …

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An Enhanced Online Piled Fuels Biomass Calculator, Clinton S. Wright, Paige C. Eagle Jan 2010

An Enhanced Online Piled Fuels Biomass Calculator, Clinton S. Wright, Paige C. Eagle

Joint Fire Science Program Research Project Reports

A web-programming project was undertaken to allow users of the online Hand-piled Fuels Biomass Calculator to also estimate the volume, biomass and potential emissions of mechanically piled fuels. Machine pile calculations encoded in the decision support software CONSUME 3.0 were added to the online Calculator to achieve this objective. In addition, the ability to batch process piled fuels data was added to the online Calculator to ease data input for large analysis projects. A stand-alone version of the Calculator was developed for users without access to the Internet. As it is executed within a standard web browser (e.g., Microsoft Internet …

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Methods For Assessing Fish Populations, Kevin L. Pope, Steve E. Lochmann, Michael K. Young Jan 2010

Methods For Assessing Fish Populations, Kevin L. Pope, Steve E. Lochmann, Michael K. Young

Nebraska Cooperative Fish and Wildlife Research Unit: Staff Publications

Fisheries managers are likely to assess fish populations at some point during the fisheries management process. Managers that follow the fisheries management process (see Chapter 5) might find their knowledge base insufficient during the steps of problem identification or management action and must assess a population before appropriate actions can be taken. Managers will implement some type of assessment during the evaluation step as a means of measuring progress relative to objectives. Choosing how to assess a population is an important decision because managers strive to maximize their knowledge of a population while minimizing the time and money expended to …

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Long-Term Recovery Patterns Of Arctic Tundra After Winter Seismic Exploration, Janet C. Jorgenson, Jay M. Ver Hoef, M. T. Jorgenson Jan 2010

Long-Term Recovery Patterns Of Arctic Tundra After Winter Seismic Exploration, Janet C. Jorgenson, Jay M. Ver Hoef, M. T. Jorgenson

United States Department of Commerce: Staff Publications

In response to the increasing global demand for energy, oil exploration and development are expanding into frontier areas of the Arctic, where slow-growing tundra vegetation and the underlying permafrost soils are very sensitive to disturbance. The creation of vehicle trails on the tundra from seismic exploration for oil has accelerated in the past decade, and the cumulative impact represents a geographic footprint that covers a greater extent of Alaska’s North Slope tundra than all other direct human impacts combined. Seismic exploration for oil and gas was conducted on the coastal plain of the Arctic National Wildlife Refuge, Alaska, USA, in …

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An Overview Of The Spread, Distribution, And Ecological Impacts Of The Quagga Mussel, Dreissena Rostriformis Bugensis, With Possible Implications To The Colorado River System, Thomas F. Nalepa Jan 2010

An Overview Of The Spread, Distribution, And Ecological Impacts Of The Quagga Mussel, Dreissena Rostriformis Bugensis, With Possible Implications To The Colorado River System, Thomas F. Nalepa

United States Department of Commerce: Staff Publications

The quagga mussel (Dreissena rostriformis bugensis) was first found in the Great Lakes in 1989 and has since spread to all five lakes. Although its spread through the system was slower than that of the zebra mussel (Dreissena polymorpha), once established, it replaced zebra mussels in nearshore regions and is colonizing deep regions where zebra mussels were never found. Outside the Great Lakes Basin, quagga mussels do not appear to be increasing to any extent in the Ohio and Mississippi Rivers, even after being present in these rivers for over a decade. In contrast, numbers in …

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The Effect Of Enclosure Type On The Behavior And Heart Rate Of Captive Coyotes, Stacey P. Brummer, Eric M. Gese, John A. Shivik Jan 2010

The Effect Of Enclosure Type On The Behavior And Heart Rate Of Captive Coyotes, Stacey P. Brummer, Eric M. Gese, John A. Shivik

United States Department of Agriculture Wildlife Services: Staff Publications

The potential for captivity to elicit changes in animal behavior and physiology is well known. Recent research on captive populations has examined the effect of feeding protocols, enclosure types, and enrichment programs on indices of stress and displays of species-typical behaviors. We investigated the impact of enclosure type upon captive coyotes (Canis latrans) by examining differences in coyote behavior and heart rate, among 3.3m2 kennels (K), 65.5m2 small pens (S), and 1000m2 large pens (L). Time budgets and repertoire of species-specific behaviors were compared among each enclosure type and to a sample of wild (W) …

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Comparison Of Endocrine Response To Stress Between Captive-Raised And Wild-Caught Bighorn Sheep, Sarah Coburn, Mo Salman, Jack Rhyan, Thomas Keefe, Matthew Mccollum, Keith Aune, Terry Spraker, Lowell Miller Jan 2010

Comparison Of Endocrine Response To Stress Between Captive-Raised And Wild-Caught Bighorn Sheep, Sarah Coburn, Mo Salman, Jack Rhyan, Thomas Keefe, Matthew Mccollum, Keith Aune, Terry Spraker, Lowell Miller

United States Department of Agriculture Wildlife Services: Staff Publications

Stress hormones in Rocky Mountain bighorn sheep (Ovis canadensis canadensis), produced in response to environmental changes, road development, or high population density, may impact their immune systems to a threshold level that predisposes them to periodic, large-scale mortality. We compared the stress response to a novel environmental situation and repeated handling between bighorn sheep born and raised in captivity (CR) and bighorn sheep born in the wild (WC) and brought into captivity. We measured plasma epinephrine, norepinephrine, cortisol, and fecal glucocorticoid metabolites (FGM). Three weeks after each group’s arrival we used a one-time drop-net event to elicit an …

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Integrity Of Mating Behaviors And Seasonal Reproduction In Coyotes (Canis Latrans) Following Treatment With Estradiol Benzoate, Debra A. Carlson, Eric M. Gese Jan 2010

Integrity Of Mating Behaviors And Seasonal Reproduction In Coyotes (Canis Latrans) Following Treatment With Estradiol Benzoate, Debra A. Carlson, Eric M. Gese

United States Department of Agriculture Wildlife Services: Staff Publications

Coyotes (Canis latrans) are seasonally monestrous and form perennial pair-bonds. Breeding is dominated by each pack’s alpha male and female, and both sexes share responsibility for territory defense and pup-rearing. They are also opportunistic predators on domestic livestock and pets. But while dominant adults have been implicated as primary killers, depredation is reduced when coyotes are without pups. Contraception, therefore, may represent a non-lethal solution for conflicts between coyotes and humans. Steroid hormones successfully control fertility in some species, but have been considered contraindicated in wildlife and canids in particular; specific concerns include possible induction of aberrant behavior, …

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Characteristics Of Mongolian Wild Ass Hooves (Equus Hemionus Hemionus), Jan Gahsche, Michael Stubbe, Matthias Oppermann, N. Batsajchan, Annegret Stubbe Jan 2010

Characteristics Of Mongolian Wild Ass Hooves (Equus Hemionus Hemionus), Jan Gahsche, Michael Stubbe, Matthias Oppermann, N. Batsajchan, Annegret Stubbe

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

Measurements of hoof angles, hoof length, toe length, etc., and non-metrical hoof characters of Mongolian Wild Ass carcasses collected in in the South Gobi and in Bordzongijn-Gobi desert are presented. Khulan hooves are flat, wide and look big in relation to the animal’s dimensions. Remarkably is the wide variability in size, angles, in non metric characteristics like shape, color and the occurrence of particularly prolonged hoof wall and flaring walls. For example, toe angles are 52° for front and 54° for hind hooves on average. This measures and the suggested graphical model of the „ideal hoof shape“ can assist to …

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Summary Of Kentucky River Watershed Watch 2010 Water Sampling Results, Kentucky Water Resources Research Institute Jan 2010

Summary Of Kentucky River Watershed Watch 2010 Water Sampling Results, Kentucky Water Resources Research Institute

Kentucky River Watershed Watch

No abstract provided.

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What Are The Causes, Consequences And Correctives Of Fish Contamination In The Detroit River Aoc That Cause Health Consumption Advisories? (Final Report, Michigan Sea Grant Michu-T-10-001), Donna R. Kashian, Ken G. Drouillard, D. Haffner, Ann E. Krause, Z Liu, Larissa Sano Jan 2010

What Are The Causes, Consequences And Correctives Of Fish Contamination In The Detroit River Aoc That Cause Health Consumption Advisories? (Final Report, Michigan Sea Grant Michu-T-10-001), Donna R. Kashian, Ken G. Drouillard, D. Haffner, Ann E. Krause, Z Liu, Larissa Sano

Environmental Science and Geology Faculty Research Publications

Using an Integrated Assessment (IA) framework, we consolidated and utilized existing data from the Detroit River to develop models that both identify possible drivers of elevated fish contaminant body burdens, and to facilitate a more risk-based approach of tissue trigger-levels for consumption advisories. This integrated assessment approach was particularly useful for consumption advisories as it provided the ability to integrate and organize complex data in a manner that can help inform management decisions. In addition, the IA framework explicitly fosters collaboration and participation of multiple interested groups. We have capitalized on this component of IAs, by seeking the active participation …

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‘Food For Life’: Looking Beyond The Horizon, Charles A. Francis, John W. Doran Jan 2010

‘Food For Life’: Looking Beyond The Horizon, Charles A. Francis, John W. Doran

Department of Agronomy and Horticulture: Faculty Publications

Our real challenge appears to be anticipating what the major challenges and constraints will be to food production and distribution a decade or more into the future. This could be called ‘Beyond the Horizon’ thinking. Today there is little disagreement over the massive depletion on a global scale of two essential inputs to agriculture: fossil fuels and fresh water. We also recognize that phosphorus is found in concentrated form in only a few deposits in nature, and that agriculture is rapidly using this limited resource and dispersing it through harvested products and soil loss from fields in forms that make …

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Recovering Brande : Freewriting And Sustainable (Procedural) Expression, Richard Bower Jan 2010

Recovering Brande : Freewriting And Sustainable (Procedural) Expression, Richard Bower

Legacy Theses & Dissertations (2009 - 2024)

Dorothea Brande is rarely known in rhetoric and composition yet continues to hold popular influence over writers attracted to Cartesian beliefs. The aim of this project is to recover Brande's contributions in order to rethink composition's trajectories. Chiefly, Dorothea Brande's legacy has been in creative writing through Becoming a Writer. In this bestseller, she establishes a program for putting the Cartesian divide to work. "Writing with the unconscious mind in the ascent," as Brande explains about what Ken Macrorie and Peter Elbow later call freewriting, harnesses the bifurcated consciousness of writers and begins a journey of unification.

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Toward A Policy Framework For The Design Of Economic Information Packages, Andrew Whitmore Jan 2010

Toward A Policy Framework For The Design Of Economic Information Packages, Andrew Whitmore

Legacy Theses & Dissertations (2009 - 2024)

The emergence of product certifications such as "organic," "fair trade" and "shade grown" has gone far to introduce non-price related product information back into the consumer decision making process thereby reducing information asymmetries and improving market outcomes. Recently, these certifications have been supplemented by the emergence of several web-based consumer decision support systems that are designed to disseminate non-price product information to consumers. Like printed product labels, these new web-based systems present the same informational cues to each consumer regardless of his or her preference for the information and they rate products with fixed weights that are not customized to …

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Methods For Assessing Fish Populations, Kevin L. Pope, Steve E. Lochmann, Michael K. Young Jan 2010

Methods For Assessing Fish Populations, Kevin L. Pope, Steve E. Lochmann, Michael K. Young

Nebraska Cooperative Fish and Wildlife Research Unit: Staff Publications

Fisheries managers are likely to assess fish populations at some point during the fisheries management process. Managers that follow the fisheries management process (see Chapter 5) might find their knowledge base insufficient during the steps of problem identification or management action and must assess a population before appropriate actions can be taken. Managers will implement some type of assessment during the evaluation step as a means of measuring progress relative to objectives. Choosing how to assess a population is an important decision because managers strive to maximize their knowledge of a population while minimizing the time and money expended to …

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Recent Changes In Density, Biomass, Recruitment, Size Structure, And Nutritional State Of Dreissena Populations In Southern Lake Michigan, Thomas F. Nalepa, David L. Fanslow, Steven A. Pothoven Jan 2010

Recent Changes In Density, Biomass, Recruitment, Size Structure, And Nutritional State Of Dreissena Populations In Southern Lake Michigan, Thomas F. Nalepa, David L. Fanslow, Steven A. Pothoven

United States Department of Commerce: Staff Publications

Trends in density, biomass, population structure, and nutritional state of Dreissena polymorpha and Dreissena rostriformis bugensis were examined in southern Lake Michigan between the 1990s and 2008. Density and biomass of D. polymorpha increased to a peak in the early 2000s and then declined. In contrast, D. rostriformis bugensis was first found in the southern basin in 2001 and has continued to increase in density or biomass at all depths ever since. In 2008, maximum mean density of D. rostriformis bugensis occurred at 16–30 m (19,000/m2), but maximum biomass (AFDW) occurred at 31–50 m (43.9 g/m2). …

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Effluent Organic Nitrogen (Eon): Bioavailability And Photochemical And Salinity-Mediated Release, Deborah A. Bronk, Quinn N. Roberts, Marta P. Sanderson, Elizabeth A. Canuel, Patrick G. Hatcher, Rajaa Mesfioui, Katherine C. Filippino, Margaret R. Mulholland, Nancy G. Love Jan 2010

Effluent Organic Nitrogen (Eon): Bioavailability And Photochemical And Salinity-Mediated Release, Deborah A. Bronk, Quinn N. Roberts, Marta P. Sanderson, Elizabeth A. Canuel, Patrick G. Hatcher, Rajaa Mesfioui, Katherine C. Filippino, Margaret R. Mulholland, Nancy G. Love

Chemistry & Biochemistry Faculty Publications

The goal of this study was to investigate three potential ways that the soluble organic nitrogen (N) fraction of wastewater treatment plant (WWTP) effluents, termed effluent organic N (EON), could contribute to coastal eutrophication - direct biological removal, photochemical release of labile compounds, and salinity-mediated release of ammonium (NH4+). Effluents from two WWTPs were used in the experiments. For the bioassays, EON was added to water from four salinities (∼0 to 30) collected from the James River (VA) in August 2008, and then concentrations of N and phosphorus compounds were measured periodically over 48 h. Bioassay results, based …

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Habitat Use, Movements And Spring Migration Chronology And Corridors Of Female Gadwalls That Winter Along The Louisiana Gulf Coast, Jacob M. Gray Jan 2010

Habitat Use, Movements And Spring Migration Chronology And Corridors Of Female Gadwalls That Winter Along The Louisiana Gulf Coast, Jacob M. Gray

LSU Master's Theses

The Louisiana Gulf Coast is an important wintering area for North American gadwall (Anas strepera). Conservation of winter habitat is a top priority of the Gulf Coast Joint Venture. Quantitative estimates of habitat use by wintering gadwall would help improve energetic demand models and subsequent estimates of habitat requirements. I used satellite telemetry (PTTs) to estimate winter habitat and refuge uses, spring migration chronology and corridors, as well as inter- and intra-regional winter movements of females. I used a split-plot MANOVA to evaluate the effects of individual females, female age, winter, hunt periods within winter, time of day, and all …

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The Influence Of Two Estrogens On The Sex And Ovarian Development Of Eastern Oysters (Crassostrea Virginica) Maintained In A Closed Recirculating System, Wesley Michael Burnside Jan 2010

The Influence Of Two Estrogens On The Sex And Ovarian Development Of Eastern Oysters (Crassostrea Virginica) Maintained In A Closed Recirculating System, Wesley Michael Burnside

LSU Master's Theses

As a multi-million dollar industry, production of the eastern oyster Crassostrea virginica is significant to the economy of the nation’s coastal regions. The cost of commercial oyster aquaculture has higher inputs than the oyster fishery, but larger, better quality oysters can be produced for culture by the stable availability of triploid individuals.

The goal of this project was to determine if the use of an estrogen, estradiol-17β or estradiol-3-benzoate, at a consistent environmental temperature would increase the percentage of females in a population, as well as ovarian development of eastern oysters. Ultimately, this could be applied to triploids to increase …

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Developing Tools To Identify Factors That Limit Production In Coastal Marshes, Vanessa Danielle Tobias Jan 2010

Developing Tools To Identify Factors That Limit Production In Coastal Marshes, Vanessa Danielle Tobias

LSU Doctoral Dissertations

Marsh loss is a problem in many areas around the world. In Louisiana’s coastal marshes, where Spartina patens is the most common plant, restoration and management seek to slow wetland loss rates that average approximately 77.4 km2/year. To combat the problem, scientists and managers require tools to determine local causes and evaluate the effectiveness of management techniques. Current methods for identifying factors that limit productivity in marshes are too time-consuming or expensive for wide-spread, regular use. Critical values of elemental concentrations in plant tissue are widely used to diagnose mineral deficiencies and toxicities in agricultural crops, however. I used the …

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Light Reductions Drive Macroinvertebrate Changes In Amphibolis Griffithii Seagrass Habitat, Adam Gartner, Paul S. Lavery, Kathryn Mcmahon, Anne Brearley, Helen Barwick Jan 2010

Light Reductions Drive Macroinvertebrate Changes In Amphibolis Griffithii Seagrass Habitat, Adam Gartner, Paul S. Lavery, Kathryn Mcmahon, Anne Brearley, Helen Barwick

Research outputs pre 2011

Numerous anthropogenic activities can significantly reduce the amount of light reaching seagrass habitats. Typically these result in morphological and physiological changes to the plant and associated algal epiphytes. However, the flow-on effects to seagrass-dependent fauna induced by these disturbances has yet to be examined. This study investigated the effects of different light reduction intensity (high: ~92% reduction; moderate: ~84% reduction), duration (3, 6 and 9 mo) and timing (post-winter and post-summer) on the density and biomass of macroinvertebrate epifauna within an Amphibolis griffithii seagrass ecosystem (Western Australia). There were generally lower epifauna densities and biomass within shaded seagrass plots. When …

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Stable Isotopes Reveal A Consistent Consumer-Diet Relationship Across Hundreds Of Kilometres, Mathew A. Vanderklift, Thomas Wernberg Jan 2010

Stable Isotopes Reveal A Consistent Consumer-Diet Relationship Across Hundreds Of Kilometres, Mathew A. Vanderklift, Thomas Wernberg

Research outputs pre 2011

Characterising geographical variation in trophic interactions is an important step towards understanding the consequences of changes in food webs. We characterised geographical variation across ~1000 km in stable isotope values (δ15N and δ13C) of the widely distributed sea urchin Heliocidaris erythrogramma and macroalgae that are its potential food. Variation in δ15N of H. erythrogramma and macroalgae was typically greatest among locations separated by hundreds of km, while variation in δ13C was typically greatest among reefs separated by a few km. Geographical variation in δ15N and δ13C of H. erythrogramma was well-explained by variation in δ15N and δ13C of the kelp …

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Pollution And Public Health In A Shrinking World: Concentrated Animal Feeding Operations As A Paradigm For Emergent Needs In Environmental And Public Health Policy, Leland Stillman Jan 2010

Pollution And Public Health In A Shrinking World: Concentrated Animal Feeding Operations As A Paradigm For Emergent Needs In Environmental And Public Health Policy, Leland Stillman

Self-Designed Majors Honors Papers

Environmental factors play a major part in human health. Environmental pollutants are often as poisonous to humans as the environment. Presently, much time and energy is dedicated to keeping pollution apart from human society, with varying success. But as global population densities rise, current levels of pollution will become inviable due to public health concerns. An emergent example of this is in the concentration of livestock operations. Recent changes in the structure of U.S. hog farming have resulted in an industry-wide shift from small or medium production farms to high capacity, “concentrated animal feeding operations” (CAFO). These operations have become …

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Test Of Localized Management For Reducing Deer Browsing In Forest Regeneration Areas, Brad F. Miller, Tyler A. Campbell, Ben Laseter, W. Mark Ford, Karl Miller Jan 2010

Test Of Localized Management For Reducing Deer Browsing In Forest Regeneration Areas, Brad F. Miller, Tyler A. Campbell, Ben Laseter, W. Mark Ford, Karl Miller

United States Department of Agriculture Wildlife Services: Staff Publications

White-tailed deer (Odocoileus virginianus) browsing in forest regeneration sites can affect current and future stand structure and species composition. Removal of deer social units (localized management) has been proposed as a strategy to alleviate deer overbrowsing in forest systems. We conducted an experimental localized removal in a high-density deer population in the central Appalachians of West Virginia, USA, during winter 2002. We removed 51 deer within a 1.1-km2 area that encompassed 2 forest regeneration sites (14 ha). During the summer following removal, we detected decreases in distance from the removal area in 8 of 30 (26.7%) adult …

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Potential Attractants For Detecting And Removing Invading Gambian Giant Pouched Rats (Cricetomys Gambianus), Gary W. Witmer, Nathan P. Snow, Patrick Burke Jan 2010

Potential Attractants For Detecting And Removing Invading Gambian Giant Pouched Rats (Cricetomys Gambianus), Gary W. Witmer, Nathan P. Snow, Patrick Burke

United States Department of Agriculture Wildlife Services: Staff Publications

BACKGROUND: Native to Africa, Gambian giant pouched rats (Gambian rats; Cricetomys gambianus Waterh.) are a threatening invasive species on a Florida island, Grassy Key. Gambian giant pouched rats shifted from a domestic pet to invading species after suspected release from a pet breeder. Because of the large size of Gambian rats (weighing up to 2.8 kg), they pose a serious threat to native species (particularly nesting species) and agricultural crops, especially if Gambian rats invade mainland Florida. Also, Gambian rats pose a threat from disease, as they were implicated in a monkeypox outbreak in the mid-western United States in 2003. …

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Evaluating Commercially Available Rodenticide Baits For Invasive Gambian Giant Pouched Rats (Cricetomys Gambianus), Gary W. Witmer, Nathan P. Snow, Patrick W. Burke Jan 2010

Evaluating Commercially Available Rodenticide Baits For Invasive Gambian Giant Pouched Rats (Cricetomys Gambianus), Gary W. Witmer, Nathan P. Snow, Patrick W. Burke

United States Department of Agriculture Wildlife Services: Staff Publications

Gambian giant pouched rats (Cricetomys gambianus) are native to Africa, but they are popular in the pet industry in the United States. They were reservoir hosts during a monkeypox outbreak in the Midwestern United States in 2003. A free-ranging population became established on Grassy Key in the Florida Keys, apparently because of a release by a pet breeder. These rodents could cause significant damage to agricultural crops should they reach the mainland. Research under controlled conditions was needed to identify effective rodenticides for Grassy Key or other cases where an invasion of Gambian rats might occur. We tested …

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Fine-Scale Genetic And Social Structuring In A Central Appalachian White-Tailed Deer Herd, Brad F. Miller, Randy W. Deyoung, Tyler A. Campbell, Benjamin R. Laseter, W. Mark Ford, Karl V. Miller Jan 2010

Fine-Scale Genetic And Social Structuring In A Central Appalachian White-Tailed Deer Herd, Brad F. Miller, Randy W. Deyoung, Tyler A. Campbell, Benjamin R. Laseter, W. Mark Ford, Karl V. Miller

United States Department of Agriculture Wildlife Services: Staff Publications

Spatial genetic structure in white-tailed deer (Odocoileus virginianus) has been examined at regional scales, but genetic markers with the resolution to detect fine-scale patterns have appeared only recently. We used a panel of microsatellite DNA markers, radiotelemetry data, and visual observations of marked deer to study fine-scale social and genetic structure in a high-density population of white-tailed deer (12–20 deer/km2). We collected genetic data on 229 adult females, 102 of which were assigned to 28 social groups. Our results were consistent with the conceptual model of white-tailed deer social structure, where philopatric females form social groups …

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Review Of Issues Concerning The Use Of Reproductive Inhibitors, With Particular Emphasis On Resolving Human-Wildlife Conflicts In North America, Kathleen A. Fagerstone, Lowell A. Miller, Gary Killian, Christi A. Yoder Jan 2010

Review Of Issues Concerning The Use Of Reproductive Inhibitors, With Particular Emphasis On Resolving Human-Wildlife Conflicts In North America, Kathleen A. Fagerstone, Lowell A. Miller, Gary Killian, Christi A. Yoder

United States Department of Agriculture Wildlife Services: Staff Publications

This manuscript provides an overview of past wildlife contraception efforts and discusses the current state of research. Two fertility control agents, an avian reproductive inhibitor containing the active ingredient nicarbazin and an immunocontraceptive vaccine, have received regulatory approval with the Environmental Protection Agency and are commercially available in the USA. OvoControl G Contraceptive Bait for Canada Geese and Ovo Control for pigeons are delivered as oral baits. An injectable immunocontraceptive vaccine (GonaCon Immunocontraceptive Vaccine) was registered with the Environmental Protection Agency for use in female white-tailed deer in September 2009. An injectable product (GonaCon Immunocontraceptive Vaccine) is registered for use …

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Temporal Variation In Terrestrial Invertebrate Consumption By Laughing Gulls In New York, Glen E. Bernhardt, Lisa Kutschbach-Brohl, Brian E. Washburn, Richard Chipman, Laura Francoeur Jan 2010

Temporal Variation In Terrestrial Invertebrate Consumption By Laughing Gulls In New York, Glen E. Bernhardt, Lisa Kutschbach-Brohl, Brian E. Washburn, Richard Chipman, Laura Francoeur

United States Department of Agriculture Wildlife Services: Staff Publications

Laughing gulls (Larus atricilla) are commonly found in many areas of North America and little is known about their diet, particularly in coastal-urban interfaces where gull-aircraft collisions can be a serious concern. The objective of this study was to describe and quantify the consumption of terrestrial invertebrates by laughing gulls at a coastal-urban interface in the northeastern United States. We examined the stomach contents of laughing gulls (n = 1053) collected during wildlife damage management operations at John F. Kennedy International Airport during the summers of 2003 and 2004. Terrestrial invertebrates consumed by laughing gulls represented 2 taxonomic …

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