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Characterization Of Arsenic-Tolerant Bacterial Cultures From The Lower Laguna Madre Of South Texas, Gemma A. Berlanga, Michael W. Persans, Thomas Eubanks, Kristine L. Lowe

School of Integrative Biological & Chemical Sciences (Formerly Dept. of Biology)

Two forms of arsenic are found in the environment: As(V) and As(III), the latter being more toxic, water-soluble, and mobile. Microorganisms may increase the mobility of arsenic by reducing As(V) to As(III); however, detoxification and immobilization can occur via the oxidation of As(III) to As(V). The US EPA has set a minimum contaminant level of 10 parts per billion (ppb) for arsenic in drinking water. The research objective was to confirm the presence of arsenic-tolerant bacteria in the Lower Laguna Madre of south Texas. Sediment samples were collected and inoculated into growth media which contained either 2 mM As(III) or …

Similarity Of Nutrient Uptake And Root Dimensions Of Engelmann Spruce And Subalpine Fir At Two Contrasting Sites In Colorado, Melissa S. Lucash, Ruth D. Yanai, Karis J. Mcfarlane, Sarah E. Kulpa, Dustin M. Wood

Environmental Science and Management Faculty Publications and Presentations

Nutrient uptake capacity is an important parameter in modeling nutrient uptake by plants. Researchers commonly assume that uptake capacity measured for a species can be used across sites. We tested this assumption by measuring the nutrient uptake capacity of intact roots of Engelmann spruce (Picea engelmanni Parry) and subalpine fir (Abies lasiocarpa (Hook.) Nutt.) at Loch Vale Watershed and Fraser Experimental Forest in the Rocky Mountains of central Colorado. Roots still attached to the tree were exposed to one of three concentrations of nutrient solutions for time periods ranging from 1 to 96h, and solutions were analyzed for ammonium, …

Slides: The Use Of Terrestrial Cyanobacteria For The Rehabilitation Of Arid Soils: Not Just Another Good Idea, Timothy Flynn

Best Practices for Community and Environmental Protection (October 14)

Presenter: Dr. Timothy Flynn, Primordial Solutions Inc.

42 slides

Challenges To Educating The Next Generation Of Wildland Fire Professionals In The United States, Leda N. Kobziar, Monique E. Rocca, Christopher Dicus, Chad Hoffman, Neil Sugihara, Andrea E. Thode, J. Morgan Varner, Penelope Morgan

Natural Resources Management and Environmental Sciences

Over the last 20 years, the duties of US fire professionals have become more complex and risk laden because of fuel load accumulation, climate change, and the increasing wildland-urban interface. Incorporation of fire use and ecological principles into fire management policies has further expanded the range of expertise and knowledge required of fire professionals. The educational and training systems that produce these professionals, however, have been slow to organize an updated and coordinated approach to preparing future practitioners. Consequently, aspiring fire professionals face numerous challenges related to scheduling conflicts, limited higher education programs in fire science, lack of coordination between …

Environmental Conscience And Comportment Of Youth In Dakar, Elizabeth Van Brocklin

Independent Study Project (ISP) Collection

The natural environment is in a state of crisis in Dakar, in Senegal, in Africa and throughout the world. Humans are the primary contributors to environmental degradation, as their activities place stress on natural ecosystems, and this stress is often most acute in the urban setting. Dakar is one major West African city where inhabitants are particularly neglectful and disrespectful of their communal environment, illustrated by the oppressive presence of mismanaged waste that pollutes the public streets. Based on the hypothesis that the general population was either unaware or misinformed of the actual state of the environment, I aimed to …

Scwds Briefs: Volume 25, Number 3 (October 2009), Gary L. Doster , Editor, Scwds Briefs, Michael J. Yabsley

Southeastern Cooperative Wildlife Disease Study: Publications

Table of Contents:

Clams & AI Virus

SCWDS Funded to Study WNS

USDA Program Changes Proposed

TB in Captive Cervids

CWD Prions in Deer Feces

TWS Position Statement on Lead

WDA Awards For SCWDS Staff

New Brochure for Hog Hunters

The Emerging Role Of Lidar Remote Sensing In Coastal Research And Resource Management Full Access, John C. Brock, Samuel J. Purkis

Marine & Environmental Sciences Faculty Articles

Knowledge of coastal elevation is an essential requirement for resource management and scientific research. Recognizing the vast potential of lidar remote sensing in coastal studies, this Special Issue includes a collection of articles intended to represent the state-of-the-art for lidar investigations of nearshore submerged and emergent ecosystems, coastal morphodynamics, and hazards due to sea-level rise and severe storms. Some current applications for lidar remote sensing described in this Special Issue include bluegreen wavelength lidar used for submarine coastal benthic environments such as coral reef ecosystems, airborne lidar used for shoreline mapping and coastal change detection, and temporal waveform-resolving lidar used …

Lake Mead National Recreation Area Vegetation Monitoring And Analysis: Quarterly Progress Report, July 1, 2009 To September 30, 2009, Margaret N. Rees

Vegetation Monitoring

Executive Summary

• Weed Sentry staff surveyed over 55 miles and 311 acres (most of which was conducted by foot) this quarter.
• Planning for future Brassica tournefortii research projects has been implemented through collaboration between PLI and NPS staff.
• Preliminary results from ongoing Brassica tournefortii projects indicate little effect of disturbance on abundance of the species, but, as expected, the species benefitted with increased water availability
• Rare plant data monitoring and data entry for this season is complete.
• Pre-planning activities for the upcoming Northshore Road restoration plantings and evaluation were initiated.
• Gypsum restoration research is ongoing, data are being analyzed and …

Heat And Smoke Effects On Red Brome Soil Seed Banks, Scott R. Abella, E. Cayenne Engel

Public Policy and Leadership Faculty Research

Management of exotic plants that are annuals entails understanding and managing their soil seed banks. We completed a study of the influences of heat and liquid smoke on red brome (Bromus rubens) soil seed banks collected from Red Rock Canyon in southern Nevada as part of a collaborative fire effects monitoring effort with Bureau of Land Management - Las Vegas. We collected the samples from the 2005 Loop Fire, where we observed in a monitoring field study that exotic grasses such as red brome were relatively sparse in the first 2-3 years (which were during a dry period) following the …

Mojave Applied Ecology Notes Fall 2009, Tom Monaco, Scott R. Abella, Amber Lee, James E. Deacon

Mojave Applied Ecology Notes

USDA working to manage invasive annual grasses, effects of heat and smoke on red brome soil seed bank, how burial depth and substrate affect germination of Sahara mustard and red brome, environmental effects of the southern Nevada groundwater project

Unlv Magazine, Matthew K. Jacobsen, Holly Ivy De Vore, Lisa Arth, Cate Weeks, Greg Lacour, Tony Allen, Afsha Bawany, Barbara Cloud, Gian Galassi, Phil Hagen, Karyn S. Hollingsworth, Michelle Mouton, Erin O'Donnell

UNLV Magazine

No abstract provided.

Effects Of Tide Gate Replacement On Water Temperature In A Freshwater Slough In The Columbia River Estuary, Sara Ennis

Environmental Science and Management Professional Master's Project Reports

Dramatic declines in salmon populations in the Pacific Northwest have brought new attention to the importance of estuarine rearing habitats. Levees and tide gates used to convert estuarine wetlands into farmland have reduced available habitat by more than half of historical levels. Recent efforts to restore estuarine habitats include tide gate replacement, though this method has been poorly studied. As a key indicator of salmon habitat suitability, temperature was used to evaluate the effects of tide gate replacement in a tidally influenced freshwater slough in the Lower Columbia River estuary. Three tide gates in the largest slough on Tenasillahe Island …

A Tribute To Richard A. Dolbeer: Scientist, Innovator, Manager, And Mentor, Bradley F. Blackwell, Travis L. Devault

Human–Wildlife Interactions

Richard A. Dolbeer retired in September 2008 from the U.S. Department of Agriculture, Wildlife Services (WS) program. Over the last 30 years, his research has encompassed the areas of population dynamics of pest species, economic assessment of losses, development of practical management techniques for resolving human–wildlife conflicts, and integrated pest management programs in the United States and abroad (Africa, Asia, Latin America). Most notably, he is one of a few individuals who recognized, early on, the cost in lives and property due to wildlife collisions with aircraft and that much of that cost is avoidable through the application of findings …

Suspending Vulture Effigies From Roosts To Reduce Bird Strikes, Steven A. Ball

Human–Wildlife Interactions

I observed very few vultures over the airfield after deploying the effigies, and vultures were completely absent most days. Hanging vulture effigies seemed to be effective in pushing the vultures farther away by denying them their observation point looking over the Coastal Plain near the airfield. This meant that their forage center point had been relocated far enough from the airfield that few individuals extended their range as far as the airport.

Developing Bird-Strike Risk Assessment Models For Open-Water Restorations, Justin D. Hart, Alison Colyer, John R. Allan

Human–Wildlife Interactions

Mineral extraction sites that are restored to open water can increase bird-strike risk if they are planned near airports. This can generate conflict between the minerals industry and safeguarding authorities. To help resolve this potential conflict, it would be useful to predict how new restorations affect local water-bird populations so that mineral deposits can be exploited and restored in safeguarded zones without compromising flight safety. Bird abundances and movements at new restorations can be estimated with statistical models that use the environmental characteristics of restoration schemes as predictor variables. These models can improve guidance in safeguarding, provided that they comprise …

Phytoplankton Blooms: Their Occurrence And Composition Within Virginia's Tidal Tributaries, Harold G. Marshall, Todd A. Egerton

Virginia Journal of Science

Sporadic algal bloom development within a 10 year monitoring program in Virginia tidal tributaries of Chesapeake Bay is reviewed. These blooms were common events, characteristically producing a color signature to the surface water, typically short lived, occurring mainly from spring into autumn throughout different salinity regions of these rivers, and were produced primarily by dinoflagellates. The abundance threshold levels that would identify bloom status from a non-bloom presence were species specific, varied with the taxon's cell size, and ranged from ca. 10 to 10⁴ cells mL^-1. Among the most consistent sporadic bloom producers were the dinoflagellates Akashiwo …

Linking Waste And Material Flows On The Island Of Oahu, Hawai’I: The Search For Sustainable Solutions, Matthew Eckelman, Marian Chertow

Yale School of the Environment Publications Series

No abstract provided.

Sustainability And Land Use Planning: Greening State And Local Land Use Plans And Regulations To Address Climate Change Challenges And Preserve Resources For Future Generations, Patricia E. Salkin

William & Mary Environmental Law and Policy Review

No abstract provided.

Observations Of Neck-Collared Canada Geese Near John F. Kennedy International Airport, New York, Thomas W. Seamans, Scott E. Clemons, Allen L. Gosser

United States Department of Agriculture Wildlife Services: Staff Publications

Canada geese (Branta canadensis) often cause significant damage when they strike aircraft. They are responsible for a reported minimum of $2.6 million in damage per year to civil aviation in the United States. Knowledge of goose movements in relation to airports would allow wildlife managers to allocate time and funds to manage those populations that pose the greatest threat to aircraft. We placed alpha-numeric neck collars on 300 Canada geese within 8 km of both John F. Kennedy International Airport (JFKIA) and LaGuardia Airport in New York, New York. We conducted weekly observations for 2 years within a …

Richard A. Dolbeer: Scientist, Innovator, Manager, And Mentor, Bradley F. Blackwelll, Travis L. Devault

United States Department of Agriculture Wildlife Services: Staff Publications

Richard A. Dolbeer retired in September 2008 from the U.S. Department of Agriculture, Wildlife Services (WS) program. Over the last 30 years, his research has encompassed the areas of population dynamics of pest species, economic assessment of losses, development of practical management techniques for resolving human–wildlife conflicts, and integrated pest management programs in the United States and abroad (Africa, Asia, Latin America). Most notably, he is one of a few individuals who recognized, early on, the cost in lives and property due to wildlife collisions with aircraft and that much of that cost is avoidable through the application of findings …

Phenotopic Plasticity Of Leaf Shape Along A Temperature Gradient In Acer Rubrum, Dana L. Royer, Laura A. Meyerson, Kevin M. Robertson, Jonathan M. Adams

Natural Resources Science Faculty Publications

Both phenotypic plasticity and genetic determination can be important for understanding how plants respond to environmental change. However, little is known about the plastic response of leaf teeth and leaf dissection to temperature. This gap is critical because these leaf traits are commonly used to reconstruct paleoclimate from fossils, and such studies tacitly assume that traits measured from fossils reflect the environment at the time of their deposition, even during periods of rapid climate change. We measured leaf size and shape in Acer rubrum derived from four seed sources with a broad temperature range and grown for two years in …

South Dakota Thriving, Fall 2009, College Of Agriculture &. Biological Sciences

Growing South Dakota (Publication of the College of Agriculture, Food and Environmental Sciences)

Table of Contents:
[Page] 2 Growing Farmers Markets: South Dakota Cooperative Extension Service Helps Develop and Grow Booming Homegrown markets
[Page] 4 Lighari Leads Restructuring of Extension: Director of South Dakota Cooperative Extension Service Focuses on Building Relationships
[Page} 6 South Dakota's Newest Research Station: The Addition of the SDSU Cow Camp Means Another Tremendous Resource for South Dakota and SDSU
[Page] 8 SDSU Rodeo Builds World Champs: Focus on Academics and Team Leads to Success Inside Both the Classroom and the Arena
|[Page] 12 Behind the Scenes in SDSU's Anatomy Lab: SDSU's Hands-On Anatomy Lab Gives Students the Edge …

Management Of Bayberry In Relation To Tree-Swallow Strikes At John F. Kennedy International Airport, New York, Glen E. Bernhardt, Zachary J. Paton, Lisa A. Kutschbach-Brohl, Richard A. Dolbeer

Human–Wildlife Interactions

Tree swallows (Tachycineta bicolor) have been a periodic bird-strike problem at John F. Kennedy International Airport (JFKIA), New York, New York, causing runway closures, flight delays, and damage to aircraft following the ingestion of bird flocks into engines. We examined 65 tree swallows collected at JFKIA in October 2001 to determine food sources that were attracting the birds to the airport. Digestive tracts of all 65 specimens contained northern bayberry fruits (Myrica pensylvanica), averaging 15.6 fruits per bird or 3.4% of the bird’s body mass in specimens where the entire tract was dissected. Bayberry fruits are …

Survival And Productivity Of A Low-Density Black Bear Population In Rocky Mountain National Park, Colorado, Roger A. Baldwin, Louis C. Bender

Human–Wildlife Interactions

Rocky Mountain National Park (RMNP) has supported a small black bear (Ursus americanus) population of low productivity. Increased visitor use of the park and development around its periphery could lead to a reduction in population viability of RMNP’s bear population or could increase the potential for human–bear conflict. Therefore, we investigated contemporary survival and productivity parameters for RMNP’s black bear population from 2003 to 2006 and compared these values to historic levels (1984–1991) and population means throughout the western United States to clarify the current status of RMNP’s bear population. The contemporary black bear population showed signs of …

Coexisting With Cougars: Public Perceptions, Attitudes, And Awareness Of Cougars On The Urban-Rural Fringe Of Calgary, Alberta, Canada, Clarisse Thornton, Michael S. Quinn

Human–Wildlife Interactions

Interactions between humans and cougars (Puma concolor) have been steadily increasing over the past 20 years largely due to human encroachment into cougar habitat and an increase in the human population. We determined the attitudes, knowledge, and perceptions toward cougars by residents in the urban-rural fringe of Calgary, Alberta, Canada, an area populated by both cougars and humans. We sent a survey to a stratified, random sample of 1,508 residents. Survey analysis included a potential for conflict index (PCI) to help provide quantitative direction for future cougar management. We analyzed and tested for differences among 7 variables: livestock …

Setting Research Priorities At Wildlife Services’ National Wildlife Research Center, Richard L. Bruggers

Human–Wildlife Interactions

As director of the Wildlife Services’ National Wildlife Research Center (NWRC), I frequently have been asked how the NWRC determines, prioritizes, and implements its research agenda. To answer this question, I will start by giving both a historical overview and an update of the NWRC. The mission of the NWRC is to provide science-based tools and information to resolve human–wildlife conflicts.

Safety Management Systems: How Useful Will The Faa National Wildlife Strike Database Be?, Richard A. Dolbeer, Sandra E. Wright

Human–Wildlife Interactions

The National Wildlife Strike Database for Civil Aviation in the United States became operational in 1995 with the initiation of data entry of all strike reports beginning in 1990. The database contained 82,057 reported strikes from 1990 to 2007. About 9,800 of these strike reports noted damage to the aircraft, of which 2,700 indicated the damage was substantial. The database has proven to be a useful source of objective information on the extent and nature of wildlife strikes for personnel at individual airports and for researchers and regulatory agencies at the national level. With the impending requirement for airports in …

Forensic Bird-Strike Identification Techniques Used In An Accident Investigation At Wiley Post Airport, Oklahoma, 2008, Carla J. Dove, Nor Faridah Dahlan, Marcy Heacker

Human–Wildlife Interactions

On March 4, 2008, a Cessna Citation 1 (Model 500) crashed in a wooded area near Wiley Post Airport, Oklahoma, killing all 5 people on board. This paper describes the detailed forensic methods and expertise used by the Smithsonian Institution’s Feather Identification Lab to identify the bird that caused this bird-strike incident. We used standard methods of whole-feather analysis, microscopic examination, and DNA barcoding in this case to identify American white pelican (Pelecanus erythrorhynchos) as the bird species involved in this fatal crash. We also report the importance of proper field investigation and evidence collection for accurate results, …

Observations Of Neck-Collared Canada Geese Near John F. Kennedy International Airport, New York, Thomas W. Seamans, Scott E. Clemons, Allen L. Gosser

Human–Wildlife Interactions

Canada geese (Branta canadensis) often cause significant damage when they strike aircraft. They are responsible for a reported minimum of $2.6 million in damage per year to civil aviation in the United States. Knowledge of goose movements in relation to airports would allow wildlife managers to allocate time and funds to manage those populations that pose the greatest threat to aircraft. We placed alpha-numeric neck collars on 300 Canada geese within 8 km of both John F. Kennedy International Airport (JFKIA) and LaGuardia Airport in New York, New York. We conducted weekly observations for 2 years within a …

Role Of Near-Miss Bird Strikes In Assessing Hazards, Matthew W. Klope, Robert C. Beason, Timothy J. Nohara, Michael J. Begier

Human–Wildlife Interactions

Management of problem wildlife within the airfield environment is a difficult job. Today’s Bird–Animal Aircraft Strike Hazard (BASH) program managers require as much information as possible to accomplish their tasks. Bird censuses and actual bird-strike events in and around the air operations area are used to make airfield management decisions and to assess the risk of bird hazards to aircraft. Both types of information are sampled rather sparsely. Avian radar is now being used as a new tool to provide continuous sampling of bird activity that significantly supplements visual censuses. The measure of risk used today is commonly expressed as …