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Efficacy And Safety Of Catnip (Nepeta Cataria) As A Novel Filth Fly Repellent, J. J. Zhu, X.-P. Zeng, D. Berkebile, H.-J. Du, Y. Tong, K. Qian

United States Department of Agriculture-Agricultural Research Service / University of Nebraska-Lincoln: Faculty Publications

Catnip (Nepeta cataria) is known for its pseudo-narcotic effects on cats. Recently, it has been reported as an effective mosquito repellent against several Aedes and Culex species, both topically and spatially. Our laboratory bioassays showed that catnip essential oil (at a dosage of 20 mg) resulted in average repellency rates of 96% against stable flies, Stomoxys calcitrans (L.) and 79% against houseflies, Musca domestica (L.), respectively. This finding suggested that the application of repellent could be used as part of filth fly management. Further evaluations of catnip oil toxicity were conducted to provide a broad-spectrum safety profile of …

Bending Of Woody Riparian Vegetation As A Function Of Hydraulic Flow Conditions, John O. Goreham

UNLV Theses, Dissertations, Professional Papers, and Capstones

Vegetation encroachment reduces channel conveyance capacity below design objectives and greatly increases the risk for loss of life and property damage in the case of large flood events. Given minimal knowledge of hydraulic roughness for shrubs and woody vegetation, accurate estimation of channel capacity and water surface elevation is difficult. The ability to predict a tree's bent, reduced height in the presence of flow permits more accurate prediction of hydraulic roughness and water surface elevation.

In this study, field tests were performed to elucidate tree bending properties, which in turn served as input parameters for a numerical algorithm designed to …

Soil Moisture And Water Stage Estimation Using Precipitation Radar, Sumit Puri

UNLV Theses, Dissertations, Professional Papers, and Capstones

In south-western United States, soil moisture data is important for drought studies in the region which is experiencing a drought for many years, whereas in South Florida, water stage data is required by hydrologists to monitor the hydrological flow in wetlands. Soil moisture data and water stage data are not sufficiently available due to sparse monitoring stations. Installation of dense measuring stations over an extended area is costly and labor intensive. Therefore, there is a need to develop an alternative method of measuring soil moisture and water stage. Microwave remote sensing has proven to be a useful tool in the …

Desert Varnish As An Indicator Of Modern-Day Air Pollution In Southern Nevada, Piotr Nowinski

UNLV Theses, Dissertations, Professional Papers, and Capstones

Rock varnish, often called desert varnish, is a slow-growing, manganese-rich coating that accumulates on exposed rock surfaces. The mechanism of varnish formation is not fully understood, however, most authors agree that varnishes derive their components from the atmosphere. The main goal of this study was to demonstrate the potential use of desert varnish as a passive environmental monitor of present and past atmospheric pollution. Analysis of varnishes is a new field that can potentially provide records of pre-anthropogenic levels of atmospheric metals and other environmental pollutants. To evaluate the potential of desert varnish as an environmental monitoring tool, the following …

Validation Of Modis Terra, Airs, Ncep/Doe Amip-Ii Reanalysis-2, And Aeronet Sun Photometer Derived Integrated Precipitable Water Vapor Using Ground-Based Gps Receivers Over India, Anup K. Prasad, Ramesh P. Singh

Mathematics, Physics, and Computer Science Faculty Articles and Research

Water vapor is an important and highly variable constituent in time and space; the knowledge of its variability is important in climate studies. In India, the ground observations of water vapor using conventional methods such as radiosonde are limited. In this paper, a comparison of hourly estimates of total column water vapor from Global Positioning System (GPS) with multisensor satellite is presented over three stations. We show quantitatively seasonal and monthly dependency of bias, standard deviation, root mean square error (RMSE), and the correlation coefficient between the water vapor data sets. The GPS and Aerosol Robotic Network (AERONET) water vapor …

The Continuity Of High-Permeability Zones In Sedimentary Deposits, Arijit Guin

Browse all Theses and Dissertations

Cubic lattice models were used to represent sedimentary deposits and their role as georeservoirs. The percolation of high-permeability zones was studied using both analytical and simulation approaches. The analytical approach was developed for single-scale sedimentary architecture. The approach showed that percolation is affected by cluster spatial correlation and by lattice size. It showed that correlation affects both high-permeability and low-permeability clusters equally, and thus correlation does not likely affect the percolation threshold for infinite lattices. On finite lattices, the analysis showed that the effect of correlation on lowering the percolation threshold can be understood through the truncation of low-permeability cluster-size …

Eco-Epidemiological Analysis For Screening-Level Ecological Risk Assessment: A Geographic Information Systems Approach, Katherine E. Kapo

Browse all Theses and Dissertations

The identification and prioritization of multiple watershed stressors and the corresponding development of optimal management strategies remains a challenge in ecological risk assessment. Eco-epidemiological analysis of archival environmental spatial databases integrates available biological, physical and chemical information to generate hypotheses based on stressor-response data relationships. A geographic information systems-based technique incorporating Bayesian weights-of-evidence analysis and weighted logistic regression (WOE/WLR) developed for and currently utilized in minerals exploration was extrapolated to the eco-epidemiological analysis of aquatic ecosystem data. Case studies within state of Ohio (USA) and England and Wales were conducted to demonstrate a method proof-of-concept in the context of various …

A Morphometric Analysis Of The Highly Variable Clypeasteroid, Periarchus Lyelli, Lauren Elizabeth Williamson

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The Late Eocene echinoid, Periarchus lyelli (Conrad, 1834), known for its wide geographic range, high abundance, and specific stratigraphic range, is an ideal example of a guide fossil. However, due to its highly variable test morphology, many have questioned if, in fact, this sand dollar is actually two or three distinct species that have been misclassified. A preliminary study on this subject has been performed on specimens from Mississippi, North Carolina and South Carolina (Williamson, 2006), showing significant separation in test shapes. Continuing previous research, this study analyzes the test shapes of P. lyelli over its entire North American geographic …

Linking Plume Spreading To Hierarchical Stratal Architecture, Ramya Ramanathan

Browse all Theses and Dissertations

A new form of the Lagrangian-based model for macrodispersion of inert (non-reactive) solutes is presented. The model is based on a hierarchical expression of the spatial covariance of log-permeability representing a hierarchy of stratal unit types with a corresponding hierarchy of permeability subpopulations. The covariance expression representing the hierarchy of unit types is a linear sum of terms corresponding to the probability of transitioning across stratal unit types of different scales, and these terms are directly related to quantifiable geometric attributes of the hierarchical stratal architecture. The new macrodispersion model is also a linear sum of terms, with different integral …

Conservation Genetics Of A Near Threatened Freshwater Mussel Species (Lampsilis Cardium) And Improved Prospects For Recovery: How Nuclear And Mitochondrial Dna Analyses Inform Natural History And Conservation, Chad D. Ferguson

Browse all Theses and Dissertations

Freshwater mussels (Bivalvia: Unionidae) are among the most imperiled organisms in North America. While there is an urgent need for effective conservation planning and management of these organisms, important basic biological information is lacking. This research characterizes levels of genetic diversity and population structure in the Near Threatened (IUCN) freshwater mussel Lampsilis cardium in populations from Twin Creek (southwest Ohio), Little Darby and Big Darby Creeks (central Ohio), and Little Muskingum River (eastern Ohio) and assesses the extent to which regional geological events explain population structuring. Data from the congener Lampsilis ovata from Clinch River (Tennessee) are included for comparison. …

Using Morphometrics, Phylogenetic Systematics And Parsimony Analysis To Gain Insight Into The Evolutionary Affinities Of The Calymenidae Trilobita, Alex J. Chestnut

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The most common trilobite in the Silurian carbonates of Ohio - especially the Springfield Dolomite - is a species that has been assigned to at least five genera over the past 100 years. This trilobite has been variously referred to as Calymene celebra, Apocalymene celebra, Flexicalymene celebra, Gravicalymene celebra, and Sthenarocalymene celebra. Reexamination of the species "Calymene" celebra through parsimony and morphometric analysis was conducted to properly place this calymenid species within the correct genus. What compounds the confusion is that the characters used to seperate the genera within the family Calymenidae, and therefore create the basis for the argument …

Report On Wintering Western Snowy Plovers At Coos Bay North Spit And Impacts To Plovers From The North Jetty Repair Project, Winter 2009, David J. Lauten, Kathleen J. Castelein, Eleanor P. Gaines

Institute for Natural Resources Publications

The Western Snowy Plover (Charadrius alexandrinus nivosus) breeds along the coast of the Pacific Ocean in California, Oregon, and Washington and at alkaline lakes in the interior of the western United States (Page et al. 1991). Loss of habitat, predation pressures, and disturbance have caused the decline of the coastal population of Snowy Plovers and led to the listing of the Pacific Coast Population of Western Snowy Plovers as Threatened on March 5, 1993 (U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service 1993). Oregon Western Snowy Plovers are known to winter along the coast of Oregon as well as migrate to …

Alkaline Hydrolysis Of Mouse-Adapted Scrapie For Inactivation And Disposal Of Prion-Positive Material, R. G. L. Murphy, J. A. Scanga, B. E. Powers, J. L. Pilon, K. C. Vercauteren, P. B. Nash, G. C. Smith, K. E. Belk

United States Department of Agriculture Wildlife Services: Staff Publications

Prion diseases such as bovine spongiform encephalopathy, chronic wasting disease, and scrapie pose serious risks to human and animal health due to a host of disease-specific factors, including the resistance of infectious prions (PrP^Sc) to natural degradation and to most commercial inactivation procedures. In an attempt to address this concern, a mouse model was used to compare the efficacy of an alkaline hydrolysis process with a simulated continuous-flow rendering treatment for disposal of PrP^Sc-infected biological material. Female C57/BL6 mice (N = 120) were randomly divided into 4 treatment groups (n = 30), and each mouse was …

Benefit Cost Scenarios Of Potential Oral Rabies Vaccination For Skunks In California, Stephanie A. Shwiff, Ray T. Sterner, Robert Hale, Michele T. Jay, Ben Sun, Dennis Slate

United States Department of Agriculture Wildlife Services: Staff Publications

Scenario-based analyses were computed for benefits and costs linked with hypothetical oral rabies vaccination (ORV) campaigns to contain or eliminate skunk-variant rabies in skunks (Mephitis mephitis) in California, USA. Scenario 1 assumed baiting eight zones (43,388 km² total) that comprised 73% of known skunk rabies locations in the state. Scenario 2 also assumed baiting these eight zones, but further assumed that added benefits would result from preventing the spread of skunk-variant rabies into Los Angeles County, USA. Scenarios assumed a fixed bait cost ($1.24 each) but varied campaigns (one, two and three annual ORV applications), densities of …

Longevity Of Dayglo Fluorescent Particle Marker Used To Mark Birds In Flight Pen And Field, Shelagh K. Tupper, John L. Cummings, Richard M. Engeman

United States Department of Agriculture Wildlife Services: Staff Publications

Spray application of fluorescent particles is a widely used and very valuable technique for marking birds. This remains one of the few practical means to mark large numbers of birds for monitoring movement, despite recent availability of a variety of more technologically advanced options. We monitored the longevity of the DayGlo fluorescent particle marker on red-winged blackbirds under simulated field conditions in a flight pen, and in an observational field experiment. In the pen study we banded 52 red-winged blackbirds with individually numbered leg bands, and sprayed them with DayGlo fluorescent particle marker from a distance of ~50 cm, on …

Antemortem Detection Of PrpCwd In Preclinical, Ranch-Raised Rocky Mountain Elk (Cervus Elaphus Nelson) By Biopsy Of The Rectal Mucosa, Terry R. Spraker, Kurt C. Vercauteren, Thomas Gidlewski, David A. Schneider, Randy Munger, Aru Balachandran, Katherine I. O’Rourke

United States Department of Agriculture Wildlife Services: Staff Publications

Antemortem biopsy of the rectal mucosa was evaluated as a method for the preclinical diagnosis of chronic wasting disease (CWD) in a herd of ranch-raised Rocky Mountain elk (Cervus elaphus nelson) quarantined because of exposure to CWD. Biopsy samples were obtained from 41 elk during the winter of 2005–2006 and from 26 elk from that herd still alive and available for testing during the winter of 2006–2007. Samples were examined for PrP^CWD, the protein marker for CWD infection, by immunohistochemistry. PrP^CWD was detected in follicles of the rectoanal mucosa-associated lymphoid tissue in biopsy samples from …

Options For The Control Of Disease 3: Targeting The Environment, Alastair Ward, Kurt C. Vercauteren, W. David Walter, Emmanuellle Gilot-Fromont, Sophie Rossi, Gareth Edwards- Jones, Mark S. Lambert, Michael R. Hutchings, Richard J. Delahay

United States Department of Agriculture Wildlife Services: Staff Publications

Management of wildlife disease can be targeted at pathogens, hosts or vector populations, but may also focus on the environment. As constituent elements of any given environment, resident wildlife populations, and their pathogens, may be profoundly influenced by environmental change, in terms of their abundance, distribution and behavior. Hence, it is reasonable to expect that incorporation of environmental manipulation into a program to control wildlife diseases may potentially result in outcomes as effective as direct intervention aimed at hosts, pathogens and vectors.

Influence Of Vitamin K-Rich Plant Foods On Anticoagulant Baiting Efficacy In Wild House Mice, Wild Norway Rats, And Wild Black Rats, G. W. Witmer, P. W. Burke

United States Department of Agriculture Wildlife Services: Staff Publications

Rodents introduced to islands have caused the extinction of many species of animals. Anticoagulant rodenticides are relied on to eradicate rodents from these islands, but if the rodents are eating plant materials that contain high amounts of vitamin K (the antidote to anticoagulants) anticoagulant rodenticides may not be effective. In a laboratory trial, individually caged Noway Rats Rattus norvegicus, Black Rats R. raffus and House Mice Mus musculus were fed fresh plant material high in vitamin K (Collards [0.62 mg vitamin K per 100 g] and Brussels Sprouts [0.19 mg vitamin K per 100 g]) for a period of …

Prevalence Of Antibodies To West Nile Virus And Other Arboviruses Among Crested Caracaras (Caracara Cheriway) In Florida, Nicole M. Nemeth, James F. Dwyer, Joan L. Morrison, James D. Fraser

United States Department of Agriculture Wildlife Services: Staff Publications

We documented the antibody prevalence to three arboviruses, St. Louis encephalitis virus (SLEV), eastern equine encephalitis virus (EEEV), and West Nile virus (WNV), in Crested Caracaras (Caracara cheriway; n = 80) in Florida from 2007 to 2008. Antibody prevalence to WNV was higher (9%) than for the other viruses. Most seropositive birds were adults (≥3 yr of age), with 55% of adults testing positive for antibodies to at least one virus. Adults were significantly more likely to have antibodies to WNV than nonadults (P<0.001). Prevalence of SLEV and EEEV antibodies among Crested Caracaras was 3% for each virus, and three adult caracaras had indistinguishable anti-flavivirus antibodies. The susceptibility of Crested Caracaras to adverse effects of WNV, SLEV, or EEEV infection remains unknown; however, we observed that some free-ranging individuals survived infection and successfully fledged young. Knowledge of arboviral infection among Florida’s Crested Caracara, which is both state and federally threatened, is valuable considering increasing pressure on this population from rapid and extensive habitat alterations.

Farmers And Nature Conservation: What Is Known About Attitudes, Context Factors And Actions Affecting Conservation?, Johan Ahnström, Jenny Höckert, Hanna L. Bergea, Charles A. Francis, Peter Skelton, Lars Hallgren

Department of Agronomy and Horticulture: Faculty Publications

Farmers’ attitudes towards viability of specific conservation practices or actions strongly impact their decisions on adoption and change. This review of ‘attitude’ information reveals a wide range of perceptions about what conservation means and what the impacts of adoption will mean in economic and environmental terms. Farmers operate in a tight financial situation, and in parts of the world they are highly dependent on government subsidies, and cannot afford to risk losing that support. Use of conservation practices is most effective when these are understood in the context of the individual farm, and decisions are rooted in land and resource …

Enhancing The Perceived Threat Of Vehicle Approach To Deer, Bradley F. Blackwell, Thomas W. Seamans

United States Department of Agriculture Wildlife Services: Staff Publications

In North America and Europe, deer (Cervidae)–vehicle collisions (DVCs) are common and result not only in injury and death to the animals involved, but also human injury and property damage. Given that most DVCs occur during crepuscular periods, we questioned whether the perceived threat to deer posed by vehicle approach could be enhanced. We hypothesized that a vehicle-based lighting system that better complements peak visual capabilities of deer at night relative to standard tungsten-halogen (TH) lighting alone would elicit a greater flight-initiation distance (FID) by free-ranging white-tailed deer (Odocoileus virginianus). Our lighting system comprised 2 TH lamps and …

Avian Visual System Configuration And Behavioural Response To Object Approach, Bradley F. Blackwell, Esteban Fernandez-Juricic, Thomas W. Seamans, Tracy Dolan

United States Department of Agriculture Wildlife Services: Staff Publications

Antipredator behaviour theory provides a framework to understand the mechanisms behind human– wildlife interactions; however, little is known about the role of visual systems in the responses to humans. We quantified responses of brown-headed cowbirds, Molothrus ater (Boddaert), and mourning doves, Zenaida macroura (Linnaeus), to object approach (a ground-based vehicle) and vehicle lighting regimen, and we examined two visual properties (visual acuity and visual fields) that could influence antipredator behaviour. Brown-headed cowbird groups exposed to vehicle approach and constant illumination of the vehicle-mounted lamp showed alert behaviour earlier than did groups exposed to pulsating treatments or no lamp. Interestingly, light …

Regional Assessment On Influence Of Landscape Configuration And Connectivity On Range Size Of White-Tailed Deer, W. David Walter, Kurt C. Vercauteren, Henry Campa Iii, William R. Clark, Justin W. Fischer, Scott E. Hygnstrom, Nancy E. Mathews, Clayton K. Nielsen, Eric M. Schauber, Timothy R. Van Deelen, Scott R. Winterstein

United States Department of Agriculture Wildlife Services: Staff Publications

Variation in the size of home range of white-tailed deer (Odocoileus virginianus) has broad implications for managing populations, agricultural damage, and disease spread and transmission. Size of home range of deer also varies seasonally because plant phenology dictates the vegetation types that are used as foraging or resting sites. Knowledge of the landscape configuration and connectivity that contributes to variation in size of home range of deer for the region is needed to fully understand differences and similarities of deer ecology throughout the Midwest. We developed a research team from four Midwestern states to investigate how size of …

Survival And Cause-Specific Mortality Of Wild Turkeys In Northern Indiana, Lee A. Humberg, Travis L. Devault, Olin E. Rhodes Jr.

United States Department of Agriculture Wildlife Services: Staff Publications

Information regarding survival and cause-specific mortality of eastern wild turkeys (Meleagris gallopavo silvestris) is vital to their management, especially in small or isolated populations. Between January 2003 and August 2005, we used radio telemetry to investigate survival and cause-specific mortality of 87 [44 male (24 adult and 20 juvenile) and 43 female (34 adult and 9 juvenile)] wild turkeys in northern Indiana. We estimated annual and seasonal survival using the Kaplan-Meier product-limit method. Mean male and female annual survival estimates were 0.257 and 0.777, respectively. Annual survival estimates were different between sexes within years, but were homogenous within …

Identification Of 24 Polymorphic Microsatellite Markers For The Double-Crested Cormorant (Phalacrocorax Auritus), Jennifer A. Fike, Travis L. Devault, Olin E. Rhodes Jr.

United States Department of Agriculture Wildlife Services: Staff Publications

Twenty-four polymorphic microsatellite markers were developed for the double-crested cormorant (Phalacrocorax auritus). The number of alleles ranged from two to 13 and observed heterozygosities ranged from 0.032 to 0.871. The use of these loci should enable researchers and biologists to learn more about the population structure and ecology of this species.

Avian Visual System Configuration And Behavioural Response To Object Approach, Bradley F. Blackwelll, Esteban Fernández-Juricic, Thomas W. Seamans, Tracy Dolan

United States Department of Agriculture Wildlife Services: Staff Publications

Antipredator behavior theory provides a framework to understand the mechanisms behind human–wildlife interactions; however, little is known about the role of visual systems in the responses to humans. We quantified responses of brown-headed cowbirds, Molothrus ater (Boddaert), and mourning doves, Zenaida macroura (Linnaeus), to object approach (a ground-based vehicle) and vehicle lighting regimen, and we examined two visual properties (visual acuity and visual fields) that could influence antipredator behavior. Brown-headed cowbird groups exposed to vehicle approach and constant illumination of the vehicle-mounted lamp showed alert behavior earlier than did groups exposed to pulsating treatments or no lamp. Interestingly, light treatments …

Use Of Infrared Thermography To Detect Thermographic Changes In Mule Deer (Odocoileus Hemionus) Experimentally Infected With Foot-And-Mouth Disease, Mike R. Dunbar, Shylo R. Johnson, Jack C. Ryan, Matt Mccollum

United States Department of Agriculture Wildlife Services: Staff Publications

Infrared thermography (IRT) measures the heat emitted from a surface, displays that information as a pictorial representation called a thermogram, and is capable of being a remote, noninvasive technology that provides information on the health of an animal. Foot-and-mouth disease (FMD) caused by FMD virus (FMDV) is a severe, highly communicable viral disease of cloven-hoofed animals, including both domestic and wild ruminants. Early detection of the disease may reduce economic loss and loss of susceptible wildlife. The objective of this study was to evaluate the use of IRT to detect possible heat changes associated with sites of infection with FMDV …

Selective Foraging For Anthropogenic Resources By Black Bears: Minivans In Yosemite National Park, Stewart W. Breck, Nathan Lance, Victoria Seher

United States Department of Agriculture Wildlife Services: Staff Publications

Black bears (Ursus americanus) forage selectively in natural environments. To determine if bears also forage selectively for anthropogenic resources we analyzed data on vehicles broken into by bears from Yosemite National Park, California. We classified vehicles into 9 categories based on their make and model and collected data on use (2001–2007) and availability (2004–2005). From 2001 to 2007 bears broke into 908 vehicles at the following rates: minivan (26.0%), sport–utility vehicle (22.5%), small car (17.1%), sedan (13.7%), truck (11.9%), van (4.2%), sports car (1.7%), coupe (1.7%), and station wagon (1.4%). Only use of minivans (29%) during 2004–2005 was …

Dogs Gone Wild: Feral Dog Damage In The United States, David Bergman, Stewart W. Breck, Scott Bender

United States Department of Agriculture Wildlife Services: Staff Publications

Feral dogs have been documented in all 50 states and estimates of damage in the U.S. from these animals amount to >$620 million annually. In Texas alone, it is estimated that over $5 million in damage to livestock annually can be attributed to feral dogs. We reviewed national statistics on feral dog damage reported to USDA, APHIS, Wildlife Services for a 10-year period from 1997 through 2006. Damage by feral dogs crossed multiple resource categories (e.g., agriculture, natural resources); some examples of damage include killing and affecting the behavior and habitat use of native wildlife; killing and maiming livestock; and …

Spatial Partitioning Of Predation Risk In A Multiple Predator–Multiple Prey System, Todd C. Atwood, Eric Gese, Kyran Kunkel

United States Department of Agriculture Wildlife Services: Staff Publications

Minimizing risk of predation from multiple predators can be difficult, particularly when the risk effects of one predator species may influence vulnerability to a second predator species. We decomposed spatial risk of predation in a 2-predator, 2-prey system into relative risk of encounter and, given an encounter, conditional relative risk of being killed. Then, we generated spatially explicit functions of total risk of predation for each prey species (elk [Cervus elaphus] and mule deer [Odocoileus hemionus]) by combining risks of encounter and kill. For both mule deer and elk, topographic and vegetation type effects, along with …