Digital Commons Network^™

Cameras, Coyotes, And The Assumption Of Equal Detectability, Eveline Se Quin Larrucea, Peter F. Brussard, Michael M. Jaegar, Reginald H. Barrett

United States Department of Agriculture Wildlife Services: Staff Publications

Remote cameras are an increasingly important tool in management and wildlife studies. However, we often do not know if they provide an unbiased sample of populations. Using a marked, radio-collared population of coyotes (Canis latrans) of known social status, we evaluated the influence of temporal (daily and seasonal) and spatial (distance between units, habitat, and proximity to human structures) factors on vulnerability to photo-captures. During 8 unbaited camera sessions of 6 weeks each, we obtained 158 coyote photographs at a photo-capture success rate of 1.6%. We were able to identify not only marked individuals, but also a number …

Tumbleweed Exploratory Drilling Environmental Assessment, United States Deparment Of The Interior, Bureau Of Land Management

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

This Environmental Assessment (EA) has been prepared to analyze Stewart Petroleum Corporation’s (Stewart) proposed exploratory natural gas drilling on their Federal leases within the Tumbleweed Oil and Gas Unit (Tumbleweed Unit). This EA is a site-specific analysis of potential impacts that could result with the implementation of Alternative - the Proposed Action; Alternative B – Buried Pipelines; or Alternative C - the No Action Alternative. The EA assists the Bureau of Land Management (BLM) in project planning and ensuring compliance with the National Environmental Policy Act (NEPA), and in making a determination as to whether any “significant” impacts could result …

Status Of Blue Whales Off Isla De Chiloe, Chile, During 2007 Field Season, Bárbara Galletti Vernazzani, Carole A. Carlson, Elsa Cabrera, Robert L. Brownell Jr.

United States Department of Commerce: Staff Publications

Since 2004, a collaborative research program of the Alfaguara Project on blue whales off Isla de Chiloe, Chile, has produce important new information on present day conservation status of this population. This paper presents preliminary findings from 2007 and compares such data with that reported in previous years. Land-based monitoring in 2007 resulted in 36 days of observations with 262.85 h of land-based effort. The maximum number of individuals sighted from land ranged from 2 to 44, with an average of 18.14 individuals per day (SD=12.00 ; CI95% =14.08 - 22.20). Preliminary results on fifteen of seventeen photo-identification surveys conducted …

Optimal Foraging In Eastern Fox Squirrel: Food Size Matters For A Generalist Forager, Robert Tatina

The Prairie Naturalist

Classical optimal foraging theory (OFT) predicts that an animal forages optimally when it chooses foods with the highest energy benefit or minimizes time searching for and handling food. r evaluated OFT by presenting eastern fox squirrel (Sciurus niger) multiple food items (i.e., sunflower seeds and • fruits) in various density combinations. When the choice was between foods of equal energy benefits but different costs, they chose forage items with greater costs, seemingly not foraging optimally. However, individuals showed a partial preference for food items which minimized search time, but not handling time. The eastern fox squirrel also was …

Mountain Beaver: A Primitive Fossorial Rodent, Wendy M. Arjo

United States Department of Agriculture Wildlife Services: Staff Publications

As the largest mammalian order, rodents are nearly cosmopolitan in distribution, can exploit a broad spectrum of foods, and can often reach high population densities. One sole representative of the most primitive family of rodents, Aplodontidae, does not share some of these common rodent characteristics. The aplodontoid rodents in the family Aplodontidae and Mylagsulidae radiated during the Miocene from the Allomyinae family (Carraway and Verts 1993). The extinct Mylagaulidae represents the earlier radiation of these rodents who exhibited great specialization (Carraway and Verts 1993). Unlike the other members of the rodent order, mountain beavers are not prolific breeders; nor are …

Extraction Method Development And In Vivo And In Vitro Toxicity Studies Of The Etiologic Agent Of Avian Vacuolar Myelinopathy, Faith Wiley

All Dissertations

Avian vacuolar myelinopathy (AVM) is a neurological disease affecting birds in the southeastern United States. The cause of the disease has not yet been determined but is believed to be a naturally produced toxin and is associated with aquatic vegetation. Current research on AVM is limited to in vivo studies utilizing whole tissue or vegetative samples. The objectives of this research were to develop extraction methods for isolating the putative AVM toxin from vegetative samples and to develop an in vitro bioassay for detection and study of the toxin. Samples of vegetation were collected from reservoirs known to be affected …

Pest Risk Assessment For Feral Pigs In Oregon, Bruce Coblentz, Cassie Bouska

Other Publications in Wildlife Management

Feral pigs, wild boars, and hybrids either currently inhabit, or have been successfully introduced to every continent except Antarctica, and many oceanic islands. There are thirteen current known localities of feral pigs in Oregon (see Appendix A), distributed in various locations in southern and central Oregon. The biology of feral pigs indicates that these animals are capable of inhabiting virtually all available habitat west of the Cascade mountains, and the majority of the habitat east of the Cascades, with preference for riparian regions. Reports of feral pig biology and ecology in other regions in the United States, as well as …

Interleukin-6 And Tumor Necrosis Factor-Alpha Values In Elk Neonates, Shannon M. Barber-Meyer, Craig R. Johnson, Michael P. Murtaugh, L. David Mech, P.J. White

United States Department of Agriculture Wildlife Services: Staff Publications

Serological indicators of general condition would be helpful for monitoring or assessing ungulate wildlife. Toward that end, we report the 1st reference values for 2 cytokines, interleukin-6 (IL-6) and tumor necrosis factor-alpha (TNF-a), in neonatal elk (Cervus elaphus). We obtained blood samples from 140 calves ≤ 6 days old in Yellowstone National Park during summer 2003–2005. IL-6 values ranged from 0 to 1.21 pg/ml with a median of 0.03 pg/ml. TNF-a values ranged from 0 to 225.43 pg/ml with a median of 1.85 pg/ml. IL-6 and TNF-a concentrations were not significant predictors of elk calf survival through 21 …

Tertiary Education For Sustainability: Four Australian Universities’ Commitment To Sustainability, Meredith Wilensky

Independent Study Project (ISP) Collection

With increasing evidence of issues such as global climate change and environmental degradation, the need for sustainable development has become evident. While achieving sustainability will require many approaches, there is an immense body of literature, declarations and charters supporting education as key. Tertiary education is particularly important because universities are training our future leaders and professionals. For this reason, universities have a moral responsibility to prepare to work toward achieving a sustainable world. Unfortunately, integrating sustainability education is complex, requiring a paradigm shift toward collaboration, interdisciplinary education and an action-oriented approach.

This study analyzed the extent to and manner in …

Comparison Of 2 Vegetation-Height Management Practices For Wildlife Control At Airports, Thomas W. Seamans, Scott C. Barras, Glen E. Bernhardt, Bradley F. Blackwell, Jonathon D. Cepek

Human–Wildlife Interactions

Vegetation-height management is a potential method to reduce bird numbers at airports. Based on studies in Europe, researchers recommended vegetation heights around 25 cm; however, preliminary studies in the United States produced conflicting results regarding the effect of tall (18 to >25 cm) vegetation on bird numbers at airports. From 1999 to 2002, we compared birds and other wildlife use of 4 short-vegetation plots (mean maximum height of 15.6 cm ± 5.1 SE and visual obstruction reading of 4.6 ± 3.0 cm) and 4 tall-vegetation plots (mean maximum height of 26.9 ± 8.4 cm and visual obstruction reading of 10.0 …

Unlv Magazine, Grace Russell, Gian Galassi, Shane Bevell, Karyn S. Hollingsworth, Jennifer Lawson, Lori Bachand, Cate Weeks, Erin O'Donnell, Peter Starkweather

UNLV Magazine

No abstract provided.

Large Seasonal Swings In Leaf Area Of Amazon Rainforests, Ranga B. Myneni, Wenze Yang, Ramakrishna R. Nemani, Alfredo R. Huete, Robert E. Dickinson, Yuri Knyazikhin, Kamel Didan, Rong Fu, Robinson I. Negron Juarez, Sasan S. Saatchi, Hirofumi Hashimoto, Kazuhito Ichii, Nikolay V. Shabanov, Bin Tan, Piyachat Ratana, Jeffrey L. Privette, Jeffrey T. Morisette, Eric F. Vermote, David P. Roy, Robert E. Wolfe, Mark A. Friedl, Steven W. Running, Petr Votava, Nazmi El-Saleous, Sadashiva Devadiga, Yin Su, Vincent V. Salomonson

GSCE Faculty Publications

Despite early speculation to the contrary, all tropical forests studied to date display seasonal variations in the presence of new leaves, flowers, and fruits. Past studies were focused on the timing of phenological events and their cues but not on the accompanying changes in leaf area that regulate vegetation–atmosphere exchanges of energy, momentum, and mass. Here we report, from analysis of 5 years of recent satellite data, seasonal swings in green leaf area of ~25% in a majority of the Amazon rainforests. This seasonal cycle is timed to the seasonality of solar radiation in a manner that is suggestive of …

The Effects Of Orthophosphate As A Copper Corrosion Control Inhibitor In High Alkalinity Drinking Water Systems, Stephen Grace

Theses and Dissertations

The purpose of this research was to investigate orthophosphate as a corrosion inhibitor for copper pipe in a high-alkalinity drinking water system. Specifically, this thesis sought to answer three research questions regarding the impact of orthophosphate treatment, the nature of the mechanism by which orthophosphate controls copper corrosion, and the value of equilibrium modeling in predicting orthophosphate’s effects. The research questions were answered through a comprehensive literature review and experimental methodology integrating laboratory jar tests, water sampling and analysis from a field investigation, qualitative solids analysis, and equilibrium model application. This study analyzed field data obtained over the course of …

Partial Characterization Of Two Moderately Halophilic Bacteria From A Kansas Salt Marsh, Aileen M. Johnson, Lance R. Thurlow, Sam R. Zwenger, Eric T. Gillock

The Prairie Naturalist

Two bacterial species were isolated from a salt marsh located on privately owned land in Russell County, Kansas. Water samples from the saIt marsh were streaked for isolation on tryptic soy agar supplemented with 12 % NaCI. Visual scanning of the plates revealed two prominent colony types. The two colony types were subcultured repeatedly until axenic cultures were obtained. 80th of these organisms were shown to be moderately halophilic. The organisms were characterized partially by fatty acid methyl ester analysis, 16S rRNA sequencing, and scanning electron microscopy. These studies revealed that the bacteria previously were unreported members of genera Marinococcus …

Seasonal Changes In Allocation, Growth, And Photosynthetic Responses Of The Submersed Macrophyte Egeria Densa Planch. (Hydrocharitaceae) From Oregon And California, Toni Garrett Pennington

Dissertations and Theses

Many rooted macrophytes form a dense canopy on the water surface that is detrimental to aquatic organisms, water quality, navigation, and recreation. Control of invasive macrophytes may be improved when management activities are linked to the plant's biology. The purpose of this research was to evaluate seasonal changes in the morphology, growth rates, allocation patterns and photosynthetic responses of a clonal submersed macrophyte. Egeria densa Planch. (Hydrocharitaceae) is highly invasive in the USA where it forms dense surface canopies in freshwater ecosystems. Using E. densa the following hypotheses were evaluated: (1) flowering stems have reduced capacity for vegetative growth as …

Oral Rabies Vaccine (Orv) Bait Uptake By Captive Striped Skunks, Susan M. Jojola, Stacie J. Robinson, Kurt C. Vercauteren

United States Department of Agriculture Wildlife Services: Staff Publications

Aerial delivery of oral rabies vaccine (ORV) baits has proven effective in large-scale efforts to immunize wildlife against rabies, and in North America this strategy currently is being used to immunize foxes (Urocyon cinereoargenteus and Vulpes vulpes), raccoons (Procyon lotor), and coyotes (Canis latrans). Skunks are also a major reservoir and vector of rabies, but at present oral vaccines for use in skunks are not licensed. Furthermore, given differences in morphology (smaller jaws) and behavior (food handling and consumption), it is unknown if baits currently used in ORV campaigns would be effective for skunks. …

Wmi Outdoor News Bulletin * February 2007, Volume 61, No. 2

Wildlife Management Institute Outdoor News Bulletin

Contents:

• Secretary Kempthorne and Richard Louv to keynote North American Conference

• Elk book again available and at huge discount

• Predator/prey workshop at North American set agenda

• Jaywalking wildlife in Arizona may catch a break

• Proposed plowing of the Farm Bill

• Cooperative Fish and Wildlife Research Unit partners advocate rejecting budget request

• Worth reading:

Backcountry Bear Basics

Scout: The Christmas Dog

A Hunter’s Book of Days

Water Current, Volume 39, No. 1. Winter 2007

Water Current Newsletter

Contents

• Future of Water Use in Agriculture Topic of Fourth Annual Water Law, Policy and Science Conference by Steve Ress

• June Water Tour to New Mexico Compares Republican and Pecos River Compacts By Steve Ress

• From the Director

• Meet the Faculty

• EPAGrant Helps Researchers Study Feedlot Waste Impacts by Steve Ress

• Lawmakers Get Briefings on Top Water Issues by Jessica Harder

• UNL Hosts Biofuels and Water Resources Retreat By Steve Ress

• Fish and Wildlife Coop Supports Students, Lends Assistance by Brent Atema

• UNL Land Purchase Will Help Farmers and Ranchers Deal …

A Grassroots Vehicle For Sustainable Energy: The Conservation Reserve Program & Renewable Energy, Jared Wiesner

William & Mary Environmental Law and Policy Review

No abstract provided.

Mountain Beaver Home Ranges, Habitat Use, And Population Dynamics In Washington, W. M. Arjo, R. E. Huenefeld, D. L. Nolte

United States Department of Agriculture Wildlife Services: Staff Publications

The mountain beaver (Aplodontia rufa (Rafinesque, 1817)), endemic to western North America, is the only extant member of the family Aplodontidae. Limited information on movements and habitat use throughout the species' range is available. We radio-collared 41 mountain beavers to determine home ranges, dispersal, habitat use, and population densities on two managed forest sites in coastal Washington. Both sites were recently harvested for timber. The Donovan site (16.6 ha) was treated with herbicide before seedling planting and the Sylvia site (8.9 ha) was not treated. Mountain beaver home ranges (Donovan: 4.18 ± 0.81 ha; Sylvia: 1.39 ± 0.4 ha) …

Inside Unlv, Diane Russell, Shane Bevell, David Ashley, Lori Bachand, Grace Russell, Mamie Peers

Inside UNLV

No abstract provided.

Nutrient Cycling In Forage Production Systems, David A. Wedin, Michael P. Russelle

School of Natural Resources: Faculty Publications

In most forage production systems, the nutrients needed for plant growth are provided by microbially mediated breakdown and release of plant-available mineral nutrients from dead plant tissues, livestock excreta, soil organic matter, and geochemically bound mineral forms. Even in fertilized forage systems, determining appropriate fertilizer application rates requires a "systems" approach on the part of the manager (e.g., Di and Cameron, 2000; Rotz et al., 2002). Fertilizer additions are simply one input in the system of inputs, outputs, pools, and fluxes that characterize nutrient cycling in a particular ecosystem.

The Effects Of Chronic Nitrogen Application On A Mature Tallgrass Prairie Restoration And Nitrogen Mobilization Into Above-Ground Biomass Of Andropogon Gerardii, Ann M. (O'Neill) Ebert

Master of Environmental Science (MES) Theses

The Upland Prairie Restoration was initiated on a 25-acre old field in 1993 in Upland, Indiana. It has matured into a community dominated by Andropogon gerardii and forbs, Monarda fistulosa and Ratibida pinnata. Prior research on the site found that acute nitrogen enrichment promoted weed cover in early stages of establishment and inhibited the establishment of native prairie species. This current study examined the effects of nitrogen enrichment applied to a mature prairie restoration. In 2002, a complete randomized block design experiment was implemented with annual enrichment using nitrogen-urea fertilizer at 4 levels – 0g/m2, 5g/m2, 10g/m2, and 20g/m2. …

Native Communities And Climate Change: Protecting Tribal Resources As Part Of National Climate Policy: Report, Jonathan M. Hanna, University Of Colorado Boulder. Natural Resources Law Center, Western Water Assessment (Program)

Books, Reports, and Studies

67 p.

Factors Influencing Epiphytic Lichen Communities In Aspen-Associated Forests Of The Bear River Range, Idaho And Utah, Paul C. Rogers

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

In western North America, quaking aspen (Populus tremuloides Michx.) is the most common hardwood in montane landscapes. Fire suppression, grazing, wildlife management practices, and climate patterns of the past century are some of the threats to aspen coverage in this region. Researchers are concerned that aspen-dependent species may be losing habitat, thereby threatening their long-term local and regional viability. Though lichens have a rich history as air pollution indicators, I believe that they may also be useful as a metric of community diversity associated with habitat change. To date, few studies have specifically examined the status of aspen’s epiphytic lichen …

Provisioning Strategies Of Antarctic Fur Seals And Chinstrap Penguins Produce Different Responses To Distribution Of Common Prey And Habitat, Taro Ichii, John Bengston, Peter Boveng, Yoshimi Takao, John Jansen, Lisa Hiruki-Raring, Michael Cameron, Hiroshi Okamura, Tomonari Hayashi, Mikio Naganobu

United States Department of Commerce: Staff Publications

Central-place foragers that must return to a breeding site to deliver food to offspring are faced with trade-offs between prey patch quality and distance from the colony. Among colonial animals, pinnipeds and seabirds may have different provisioning strategies, due to differences in their ability to travel and store energy. We compared the foraging areas of lactating Antarctic fur seals and chinstrap penguins breeding at Seal Island, Antarctica, to investigate whether they responded differently to the distribution of their prey (Antarctic krill and myctophid fish) and spatial heterogeneity in their habitat. Dense krill concentrations occurred in the shelf region near the …

Antler Size Of Alaskan Moose Alces Alces Gigas: Effects Of Population Density, Hunter Harvest And Use Of Guides, Jennifer I. Schmidt, Jay M. Ver Hoef, R. Terry Bowyer

United States Department of Commerce: Staff Publications

Moose Alces alces gigas in Alaska, USA, exhibit extreme sexual dimorphism, with adult males possessing large, elaborate antlers. Antler size and conformation are influenced by age, nutrition and genetics, and these bony structures serve to establish social rank and affect mating success. Population density, combined with anthropogenic effects such as harvest, is thought to influence antler size. Antler size increased as densities of moose decreased, ostensibly a density-dependent response related to enhanced nutrition at low densities. The vegetation type where moose were harvested also affected antler size, with the largest-antlered males occupying more open habitats. Hunts with guides occurred in …

Euchoreutes Naso Sclater, 1890: Ein Säugetier-Endemit Zentralasiens, Annegret Stubbe, Michael Stubbe, Nyamsuren Batsaikhan, Ravčigijn Samjaa, Ellen Driechciarz, René Driechciarz, A. Schonert, M. Winter

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

The first specimen of Euchoreutes naso was collected by N. M. PRZEWALSKI 1879 in Central Asia, in Dzungaria. SCLATER described the species in 1890. In Mongolia Euchoreutes was found in 1924. Fifty years later new records were published by SOKOLOV et al. (1978). A taxonomic revision was done by ŠENBROT et al. (1992, 1995). The species was related to the family Sminthidae (Rodentia/Mammalia). We found the most eastern locality in Mongolia at the longitude 106° 47' E. The reproduction rate was 3.1 (n = 8 females). In the laboratory we noticed a litter of four young. The body mass …

Breeding Biology Of Passerines In A Subtropical Montane Forest In Northwestern Argentina, Sonya K. Auer, Ronald D. Bassar, Joseph J. Fontaine, Thomas E. Martin

Nebraska Cooperative Fish and Wildlife Research Unit: Staff Publications

The breeding ecology of south temperate bird species is less widely known than that of north temperate species, yet because they comprise a large portion of the world’s avian diversity, knowledge of their breeding ecology can contribute to a more comprehensive understanding of the geographic diversity of avian reproductive traits and life history strategies. We provide the first detailed examination of the reproductive strategies of 18 forest passerines of subtropical, northwestern Argentina. Mean clutch sizes were smaller and egg mass was greater than for north temperate birds, but differed among species and nest types, with cavity-nesters having larger clutches than …

Impact Of The 25th Street Combined Sewer Overflow On The Ohio River, Travis M. Bailey

Theses, Dissertations and Capstones

The 25th Street Combined Sewer Overflow was analyzed for total coliforms, Escherichia coli, antibiotic-resistant coliforms and E. coli, and routine water chemistry. The objectives of this study were to enumerate antibiotic resistant bacteria near a CSO, determine the impact of a small quantity CSO on Ohio River water quality during a storm event, and to correlate antibiotic resistance with conventional water quality measurements. The data indicate that resistant bacteria exist in both river water and wastewater, and that this CSO can not be identified as a source of resistant strains. Rain events do cause a detectable and transient change in …