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Earth University (Costa Rica), Mary Finley-Brook, Caroline O'Rourke

Geography and the Environment Faculty Publications

EARTH is a private nonprofit international university located in the town of Guácimo in the province of Limón, a lowland region in the east of Costa Rica. EARTH derives its acronym from the Spanish title Escuela de Agricultura de la Región Tropical Húmeda (Agricultural School of the Humid Tropical Region). The W. K. Kellogg Foundation, the U.S. Agency for International Development, and the Costa Rican government worked with other national and international agencies to create this unique university in the mid-1980s. The higher education initiative emerged from recognition that unsustainable agricultural practices were damaging and straining soil, water, forest, biological, …

Evaluation Of A Biopesticide Against Invasive Species For Native Species Restoration, Denise Ann Mayer

Legacy Theses & Dissertations (2009 - 2024)

Since their introduction in the 1980s, dreissenid mussels (Dreissena polymorpha and D. rostriformis bugensis) rapidly spread throughout North America and have had severe impacts on the ecology of freshwater ecosystems. A project was initiated in the early 1990s at the New York State Museum's Field Research Laboratory to discover and develop natural products to control industrial biofouling by dreissenid mussels. A strain of Pseudomonas fluorescens (Pf-CL145A), isolated from the sediment of a North American river, was found to be effective at killing dreissenids. The strain was patented for this use.

Evaluating How New York Natural Heritage Program Information Affects Development Projects In New York State, Tara Salerno

Legacy Theses & Dissertations (2009 - 2024)

Is New York Natural Heritage Program (NYNHP) information used to affect land-use decisions in New York State? A seemingly simple question, yet it had no answer. The NYNHP maintains a comprehensive database on the status and location of rare species and significant natural communities throughout New York State. The NYNHP uses this database to provide information to consulting firms, project applicants, developers, local governments, state and federal agencies, private organizations, non-profits, the environmental conservation community, and the general public (together referred to as requestors) with the intent that such information will be used to aid in land-use decisions that will …

Nebraska Cooperative Fish And Wildlife Research Unit—Usgs: Report Of Activities October 2010 – October 2011

Nebraska Cooperative Fish and Wildlife Research Unit: Annual Reports

INTRODUCTION .................................................................................... 1

PERSONNEL AND COOPERATORS ...................................................................... 2

Unit Personnel ............................................................................. 2

Coordinating Committee Members .............................................................. 4

Cooperators ............................................................................... 5

MILESTONES ...................................................................................... 8

THESES AND DISSERTATIONS ......................................................................... 8

AWARDS AND RECOGNITIONS ........................................................................ 9

OUTREACH ACTIVITIES ............................................................................. 10

RESEARCH PROJECTS............................................................................... 11

Adaptive Management for the Nebraska Natural Legacy Plan ........................................ 12

Angler Behavior in Response to Management Actions on Nebraska Reservoirs ........................... 13

Aquatic Invasive Species (AIS) Prevention Program ................................................ 15

Assessing Local and Landscape Constraints on Habitat Management for Upland Birds..................... 16

Assessing the Relationship between Stable Isotopes and Grassland Bird Productivity on Great Plains National Park Service Properties ....................................................................... …

Homestead National Monument, Vegetation Mapping Project [Poster], Kelly Kindscher, Hayley Kilroy, Jennifer Delisle, Quinn Long, Hillary Loring, Kevin Dobbs, Jim Drake

United States National Park Service: Publications

Homestead National Monument was created in 1936 to celebrate the significance of the Homestead Act of 1862, which granted 160 acres of free land to claimants. This was one of the most significant and enduring events in the westward expansion of the United States. The site is the first tract homesteaded under the act by Daniel Freemen, and encompasses 184 acres in Gage County, west of Beatrice, Nebraska.

This unique site also hosts the oldest prairie restoration in the National Park system and the second-oldest tallgrass prairie restoration known. This park unit also has a small remnant of native tallgrass …

Pathology And Failure In The Design And Implementation Of Adaptive Management, Craig R. Allen, Lance H. Gunderson

Nebraska Cooperative Fish and Wildlife Research Unit: Staff Publications

The conceptual underpinnings for adaptive management are simple; there will always be inherent uncertainty and unpredictability in the dynamics and behavior of complex ecological systems as a result non-linear interactions among components and emergence, yet management decisions must still be made. The strength of adaptive management is in the recognition and confrontation of such uncertainty. Rather than ignore uncertainty, or use it to preclude management actions, adaptive management can foster resilience and flexibility to cope with an uncertain future, and develop safe to fail management approaches that acknowledge inevitable changes and surprises. Since its initial introduction, adaptive management has been …

Adaptive Management For A Turbulent Future, Craig R. Allen, Joseph J. Fontaine, Kevin L. Pope, Ahjond S. Garmestani

Nebraska Cooperative Fish and Wildlife Research Unit: Staff Publications

The conceptual underpinnings for adaptive management are simple; there will always be inherent uncertainty and unpredictability in the dynamics and behavior of complex ecological systems as a result non-linear interactions among components and emergence, yet management decisions must still be made. The strength of adaptive management is in the recognition and confrontation of such uncertainty. Rather than ignore uncertainty, or use it to preclude management actions, adaptive management can foster resilience and flexibility to cope with an uncertain future, and develop safe to fail management approaches that acknowledge inevitable changes and surprises. Since its initial introduction, adaptive management has been …

Luring Anglers To Enhance Fisheries, D. R. Martin, Kevin L. Pope

Nebraska Cooperative Fish and Wildlife Research Unit: Staff Publications

Current fisheries management is, unfortunately, reactive rather than proactive to changes in fishery characteristics. Furthermore, anglers do not act independently on waterbodies, and thus, fisheries are complex socio-ecological systems. Proactive management of these complex systems necessitates an approachdadaptive fisheries managementdthat allows learning to occur simultaneously with management. A promising area for implementation of adaptive fisheries management is the study of luring anglers to or from specific waterbodies to meet management goals. Purposeful manipulation of anglers, and its associated field of study, is nonexistent in past management. Evaluation of different management practices (i.e., hypotheses) through an iterative adaptive management process should …

Using Consumption Rate To Assess Potential Predators For Biological Control Of White Perch, Nathan J.C. Gosch, Kevin L. Pope

Nebraska Cooperative Fish and Wildlife Research Unit: Staff Publications

Control of undesirable fishes is important in aquatic systems, and using predation as a tool for biological control is an attractive option to fishery biologists. However, determining the appropriate predators for biological control is critical for success. The objective of this study was to evaluate the utility of consumption rate as an index to determine the most effective predators for biological control of an invasive fish. Consumption rate values were calculated for nine potential predators that prey on white perch Morone americana in Branched Oak and Pawnee reservoirs, Nebraska. The consumption rate index provided a unique and insightful means of …

Woody Invasions Of Urban Trails And The Changing Face Of Urban Forests In The Great Plains, Usa, Kristine T. Nemec, Craig R. Allen, Aaron L. Alai, Gregory M. Clements, Andrew C. Kessler, Travis C. Kinsell, Annabel Major, Bruce J. Stephen

Nebraska Cooperative Fish and Wildlife Research Unit: Staff Publications

Corridors such as roads and trails can facilitate invasions by non-native plant species. The open, disturbed habitat associated with corridors provides favorable growing conditions for many non-native plant species. Bike trails are a corridor system common to many urban areas that have not been studied for their potential role in plant invasions. We sampled five linear segments of urban forest along bike trails in Lincoln, Nebraska to assess the invasion of woody non-native species relative to corridors and to assess the composition of these urban forests. The most abundant plant species were generally native species, but five non-native species were …

Ecosystem Services Provided By Playas In The High Plains: Potential Influences Of Usda Conservation Programs, Loren M. Smith, David A. Haukos, Scott T. Mcmurry, Ted Lagrange, David Willis

Nebraska Game and Parks Commission: Staff Research Publications

Playas are shallow depressional wetlands and the dominant wetland type in the non-glaciated High Plains of the United States. This region is one of the most intensively cultivated regions in the Western Hemisphere, and playas are profoundly impacted by a variety of agricultural activities. Conservation practices promoted through Farm Bills by the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) that influence playas and surrounding catchments impact ecosystem functions and related services provided by wetlands in this region. As part of a national assessment, we review effects of agricultural cultivation and effectiveness of USDA conservation programs and practices on ecosystem functions and associated …

Winter And Summer Upwelling Modes And Their Biological Importance In The California Current Ecosystem, Bryan A. Black, Isaac D. Schroeder, William J. Sydeman, Steven J. Bograd, Brian K. Wells, Franklin B. Schwing

United States Department of Commerce: Staff Publications

Analysis of monthly coastal upwelling intensities revealed two seasonal and biologically relevant upwelling ‘modes’ in the California Current Ecosystem (CCE). The first mode reflected upwelling during the summer months and was characterized by low-frequency (multidecadal) processes, including significant (Po0.01) linear trends at some latitudes. In contrast, the second mode reflected wintertime upwelling and was defined by higher-frequency variability associated with the North Pacific High and El Niño Southern Oscillation events. These modes were compared with multidecadal time series of splitnose rockfish (Sebastes diploproa) otolith growth, yelloweye rockfish (S. ruberrimus) otolith growth, Chinook salmon (Oncorhynchus tshawytscha …

Age Estimation And Growth Layer Patterns In Teeth Of Commerson’S Dolphins (Cephalorhynchus C. Commersonii) In Subantarctic Waters, Natalia A. Dellabianca, Aleta A. Hohn, R. Natalie P. Goodall

United States Department of Commerce: Staff Publications

The Commerson’s dolphin, Cephalorhynchus c. commersonii, one of the world’s smallest cetaceans, occurs in the southwestern South Atlantic from about 41°30'S to near Cape Horn (56°S), including the central and eastern Strait of Magellan and the Falkland (Malvinas) Islands (Goodall 1978, Goodall et al. 1988). Along the coasts of Patagonia, northern Tierra del Fuego, Argentina, and the eastern Strait of Magellan, Chile, this is the cetacean most often seen near shore, where the animals feed and surf in the breakers. They seldom strand, but are commonly taken incidentally in shore-based gill nets set perpendicular to the coast over the …

Seasonality Of Calving And Predation Risk In Bottlenose Dolphins On Little Bahama Bank, Holly Fearnbach, John Durban, Kim Parsons, Diane Claridge

United States Department of Commerce: Staff Publications

Most studies of seasonal reproduction in odontocetes have considered bottom-up forcing through seasonal changes in the physical environment and/or prey availability (Wells et al. 1987, Read 1990, Urian et al. 1996, Mann et al. 2000, McGuire and Aliaga-Rossel 2007,Westgate and Read 2007), which are typically more pronounced in high latitudes. In contrast, there has been little consideration of top-down selection through seasonal changes in predation pressure. Predation pressure by sharks has been shown to affect delphinid habitat use and group size (Norris and Dohl 1980, Wells et al. 1987, Heithaus 2001, Heithaus and Dill 2002), but the influence of predation …

Understanding And Estimating Effective Population Size For Practical Application In Marine Species Management, Matthew P. Hare, Leonard Nunney, Michael K. Schwartz, Daniel E. Ruzzante, Martha Burford, Robin S. Waples, Kristen Ruegg, Friso Palstra

United States Department of Commerce: Staff Publications

Effective population size (N_e) determines the strength of genetic drift in a population and has long been recognized as an important parameter for evaluating conservation status and threats to genetic health of populations. Specifically, an estimate of N_e is crucial to management because it integrates genetic effects with the life history of the species, allowing for predictions of a population’s current and future viability. Nevertheless, compared with ecological and demographic parameters, N_e has had limited influence on species management, beyond its application in very small populations. Recent developments have substantially improved N_e estimation; however, some …

Estimating The Carrying Capacity Of French Frigate Shoals For The Endangered Hawaiian Monk Seal Using Ecopath With Ecosim, Frank A. Parrish, Evan A. Howell, George A. Antonelis, Sara J. Iverson, Charles L. Littnan, James D. Parrish, Jeffrey J. Polovina

United States Department of Commerce: Staff Publications

The carrying capacity of the French Frigate Shoals (FFS) region for the endangered Hawaiian monk seal was appraised using an updated version of the original FFS Ecopath model (Polovina 1984). Model parameters were updated using recent literature, and data from surveys of the seal population and its bottom-associated prey. Together they produced a static mass balance model for 1998 when the prey surveys began. The Ecopath-estimated monk seal biomass was 0.0045 t/km², which was in close agreement with the biomass calculated from monk seal field beach counts (0.0046 t/km²). Model simulations through time were done in …

Tropospheric Temperature Trends: History Of An Ongoing Controversy, Peter W. Thorne, John R. Lanzante, Thomas C. Peterson, Dian J. Seidel, Keith P. Shine

United States Department of Commerce: Staff Publications

Changes in atmospheric temperature have a particular importance in climate research because climate models consistently predict a distinctive vertical profile of trends. With increasing greenhouse gas concentrations, the surface and troposphere are consistently projected to warm, with an enhancement of that warming in the tropical upper troposphere. Hence, attempts to detect this distinct ‘fingerprint’ have been a focus for observational studies. The topic acquired heightened importance following the 1990 publication of an analysis of satellite data which challenged the reality of the projected tropospheric warming. This review documents the evolution over the last four decades of understanding of tropospheric temperature …

Evaluating The Utility Of Cox1 For Cetacean Species Identification, A. Viricel, P. E. Rosel

United States Department of Commerce: Staff Publications

The mitochondrial cytochrome c oxidase I (cox1) gene has been promoted as a universal reference gene, or barcode, to identify organisms to the species level. We evaluated whether cox1 would be appropriate to diagnose cetacean species. The 5' end of cox1 (686 base pairs, bp) was sequenced for 46 of 86 recognized species of cetaceans. In addition, we included 105 sequences from GenBank, increasing our taxonomic coverage to 61 species. Particular focus was placed on sampling two subfamilies that contain closely related taxa: the Delphininae and the Globicephalinae. Species-specific sequences were observed for all but three taxa ( …

Interplay Of Individual Interactions And Turbidity Affects The Functional Response Of Three-Spined Sticklebacks Gasterosteus Aculeatus, K. W. Vollset, K. M, Bailey

United States Department of Commerce: Staff Publications

The effects of turbidity, size and the presence of conspecifics on the functional response, feeding latency and activity in the three-spined stickleback Gasterosteus aculeatus were examined. A significant interaction between standard length and presence of conspecifics demonstrated an increase in attack rates of larger individuals in the presence of conspecifics. Attack rate was also higher in turbid water. Feeding latency decreased with prey concentration and presence of conspecifics, but was not affected by turbidity. Activity level did not change with prey levels, but increased with turbidity. These results can help to better understand how individual flexibility in the functional response …

Recovery Of Logbooks And International Marine Data: The Reclaim Project, Clive Wilkinson, Scott D. Woodruff, Philip Brohan, Stefan Claesson, Eric Freeman, Frits Koek, Sandra J. Lubker, Catherine Marzin, Dennis Wheeler

United States Department of Commerce: Staff Publications

The RECovery of Logbooks and International Marine data (RECLAIM) project is a concerted, international effort to facilitate and encourage the recovery – through imaging and digitisation – of archived marine weather observations, platform and instrumental metadata and historical documentation, from many different countries. Non-instrumental observations of wind and weather have been recorded in ships’ logbooks for hundreds of years, augmented by systematic instrumental observations of sea surface and air temperatures, barometric pressure and other meteorological (and oceanographic) elements largely since the mid-nineteenth century. Once digitised, these data are widely useful for climate studies and other avenues of scientific research – …

The Evolutionary Origins Of Syngnathidae: Pipefishes And Seahorses, A. B. Wilson, J. W. Orr

United States Department of Commerce: Staff Publications

Despite their importance as evolutionary and ecological model systems, the phylogenetic relationships among gasterosteiforms remain poorly understood, complicating efforts to understand the evolutionary origins of the exceptional morphological and behavioural diversity of this group. The present review summarizes current knowledge on the origin and evolution of syngnathids, a gasterosteiform family with a highly developed form of male parental care, combining inferences based on morphological and molecular data with paleontological evidence documenting the evolutionary history of the group. Molecular methods have provided new tools for the study of syngnathid relationships and have played an important role in recent conservation efforts. Despite …

Eddies As Offshore Foraging Grounds For Melon-Headed Whales (Peponocephala Electra), Phoebe A. Woodworth, Gregory S. Schorr, Robin W. Baird, Daniel L. Webster, Daniel J. Mcsweeney, M. Bradley Hanson, Russel D. Andrews, Jeffrey J. Polovina

United States Department of Commerce: Staff Publications

Movements of upper trophic level predators in an open ocean environment should be driven, in part, by the distribution, density, and movements of their prey. Surveys have shown that cetacean densities are higher closer to shore around the main Hawaiian Islands than in offshore waters (Barlow 2006), presumably reflecting increased productivity or spatial and temporal predictability of prey associated with island effects (Baird et al. 2008a). A number of high trophic level pelagic species have been shown to concentrate around and/or use mesoscale eddies as foraging habitat (e.g., Davis et al. 2002, Seki et al. 2002, Bakun 2006, Polovina et …

Water Current, Volume 43, No. 1, Winter 2011

Water Current Newsletter

UNL Water Center Becomes Groundwater Guardian

Water Tour Will Visit North Central Nebraska July 12-14

From the Interim Director: Back from the Czech Republic for a Second

Meet the Faculty: Diego Riveros-Iregui, Ph.D., Stephen L. Young, Ph.D.

Free Water and Natural Resources Lectures Continue

North American Invasive Plant Ecology and Management Short Course

Geothermal: Nebraska's Abundant, Renewable, and Clean Energy

WRAP Gets January Updates

Jess Gets 2010 Kremer Groundwater Award

POWER......One Word, Many Definitions

Past Environmental Programs, Water Center Director Passes

EPA Monitoring Hexavalent Chromium

Central Platte NRD, Farmers Work Six Mile Canal Deal

EPA Approves Nebraska's 2010 List of …

Second National Communication Of Seychelles, Government Of Seychelles

East Africa

The Initial National Communication of Seychelles which was submitted to UNFCCC in October 2000 was important in bringing attention to climate change issues in Seychelles; it had nonetheless some limitations. It focused primarily on reporting under the Convention and that strategic opportunities for feeding into national development were not fully exploited and there was limited participation of stakeholders from public and private sectors. The Investigations were essentially academic in nature; hence of limited relevance to policy decision making, for instance the climate risk management issue.

Biogeochemical Response Of Alpine Lakes To A Recent Increase In Dust Deposition In The Southwestern, Us, Ashley P. Ballantyne, J. Brahney, D. Fernandez, C. L. Lawrence, J. Saros, J. C. Neff

Ecosystem and Conservation Sciences Faculty Publications

The deposition of dust has recently increased significantly over some regions of the western US. Here we explore how changes in dust deposition have affected the biogeochemistry of two alpine watersheds in Colorado, US. We first reconstruct recent changes in the mass accumulation rate of sediments and then we use isotopic measurements in conjunction with a Bayesian mixing model to infer that approximately 95% of the inorganic fraction of lake sediments is derived from dust. Elemental analyses of modern dust indicate that dust is enriched in Ca, Cr, Cu, Mg, Ni, and in one watershed, Fe and P relative to …

River Otter (Lontra Canadensis) Use Of Phragmites Australis And Density Estimation Using Genetic Techniques, Amy R. Williams

School of Natural Resources: Dissertations, Theses, and Student Research

River otters were extirpated in Nebraska in the early 1900’s. In 1986 Nebraska Game and Parks Commission began reintroducing otters. In support of developing an otter management plan, I conducted research on two aspects of otter ecology in Nebraska. First, I examined otter use of habitats dominated by the non–native aquatic plant, Phragmites australis, in the Big Bend reach of the Platte River. Sixteen otters were trapped, radio–tagged, and tracked between 2006 and 2009. I identified 517 den/resting locations, 127 of which were unique locations. I compared den/resting site habitat use to availability to determine if otters were using …

Settlement And Growth Of Quagga Mussels (Dreissenia Rostriformis Bugensis Andrusov, 1897) In Lake Mead, Nevada-Arizona, Usa, Wai Hing Wong, Shawn Gerstenberger, Wen Baldwin, Bryan Moore

Environmental & Global Health Faculty Research

Settlement and growth of quagga mussels Dreissena rostriformis bugensis were monitored in Lake Mead, NV, USA, where the first dreissenid occurrence was confirmed in the western United States. To measure the settlement rate of these invasive mussels, seven acrylonitrile butadiene styrene (ABS) pipes were attached to a line in shallow water (7.7 m below the surface) since November 23, 2007; eight ABS pipes were placed on another line in deep water (13.4 m below the surface) since January 3, 2008. Quagga mussels were sampled from these pipes on March 19, May 21, July 9, October 20, and December 19, 2008. …

The 100th Meridian Initiative At The Lake Mead National Recreation Area, Nv, Usa: Differences Between Boater Behaviors Before And After A Quagga Mussel, Driessena Rostiformis Bugensis, Invasion, Sara Ann Mueting, Shawn Gerstenberger

Environmental & Global Health Faculty Research

The 100th Meridian Initiative was developed to help prevent the spread of aquatic nuisance species (ANS) through boater education and research on boater movement patterns and behaviors. Surveys employing these elements were conducted at Lake Mead National Recreation Area (LMNRA) in 2002-2003 before the discovery of the quagga mussel (Dreissena rostiformis bugensis Andrusov 1897) and in 2007-2008 after an established population of quagga mussels was found in the Lake. Boaters were asked questions in a personal interview or a mail-in survey regarding what body of water they had previously launched their watercraft in, where they were planning to launch next, …

Interagency Monitoring Action Plan (I-Map) For Quagga Mussels In Lake Mead, Nevada-Arizona, Usa, Kent Turner, Wai Hing Wong, Shawn Gerstenberger, Jennell M. Miller

Environmental & Global Health Faculty Research

Following the discovery of quagga mussels in Lake Mead, Nevada-Arizona, USA, a variety of federal, state and regional agencies set up monitoring programs to evaluate and gain information to help minimize the impacts, or potential impacts, of quagga mussels to their facilities and lake ecology. While the agencies have worked closely and shared monitoring data and findings from the beginning of the infestation, there has been no documented comprehensive monitoring program to describe and record the various quagga mussel-related monitoring needs. Ad hoc interagency quagga mussel meeting representatives established an Interagency Monitoring Action Plan (I-MAP), which outlines agency objectives related …

Abundance And Size Of Quagga Mussels (Dreissena Bugensis) Veligers In Lake Mead, Nevada-Arizona, Shawn Gerstenberger, Sara Ann Mueting, Wai Hing Wong

Environmental & Global Health Faculty Research

The planktonic veligers of the invasive quagga mussel were present year-round from April 2008 to March 2009 in Lake Mead, with high abundance from September to October (>20 veligers/L), whereas the percentage of competent veligers, in terms of the ability to settle, peaked from November 2008 to January 2009 (>60%). The results from this experiment are useful in understanding the life history and population dynamics of quagga mussels in the lower Colorado River Basin.