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Managing The Recreational Catch Of Demersal Scalefish On The West Coast. Future Management Scenarios For Community Consideration, Jon Ford (Minister For Fisheries; The Kimberley, Pilbara And Gascoyne)

Fisheries Management Papers

This paper discusses the major issues around controlling the total recreational catch. It also considers some of the tools available to manage the catch to specific target levels. The sustainability of fish species must be a key driver. However, the impacts on the social amenity of recreational fishing must also be taken into account. Any particular tool, if used on its own and to its full extent, may be rather “blunt” in its application and its impacts unacceptable to large parts of the community. The most effective and acceptable management package will probably be a mix of tools, supported by …

Refuge Update – September/October 2007, Volume 4, Number 5

RefugeUpdate (USFWS-NWRS)

Table of Contents:

Searching for Japanese MIAs in Alaska – page 3 Japanese and Americans look for burial sites on Attu Island in Alaska Maritime National Wildlife Refuge.

The Job of a Lifetime – pages 6-7 Meet a 90-year old volunteer and a 31-year old tractor driver.

Crocs Come Back – page 27 American crocodiles are threatened but no longer endangered.

Organic Geochemical Investigation Of A Highly Contaminated Urban Waterway: The Gowanus Canal, Brooklyn, New York, Usa, Michael A. Kruge, Kevin K. Olsen, Eric A. Stern

Department of Earth and Environmental Studies Faculty Scholarship and Creative Works

The Gowanus Canal is an industrial waterway constructed in the mid-19^th century by widening and deepening a natural tidal channel. It is ca. 3 km in length and empties into Gowanus Bay, an arm of New York Harbor. Its banks, reinforced by bulkheads and piers, became the site of intensive industrial activity, including oil refining, coal gasification, soap making and tanning. Even though much of the industrial activity along the canal has ceased, its sediments remain highly enriched in organic and inorganic contaminants, with combined sewer outfalls continuing to transport pollutants into the canal. The canal area remains densely …

Distribution And Disease Prevalence Of Feral Hogs In Missouri, R. Edwin Hartin, Mark R. Ryan, Tyler A. Campbell

United States Department of Agriculture Wildlife Services: Staff Publications

No attempts have been made to document the distribution of feral hogs (Sus scrofa) in Missouri. Also, antibody prevalence for pseudorabies virus and swine brucellosis have not been reported from Missouri. Our objectives were to characterize the current distribution of feral hogs in Missouri and to determine prevalence and distribution of feral hogs with antibodies against selected important diseases. We collected feral hog sighting data both from the public and Missouri Wildlife Services and Missouri Department of Conservation wildlife biologists. We determined prevalence of antibodies against pseudorabies virus, swine brucellosis, tularemia, and classical swine fever. From 2000 to …

Crop Diversification Leads To Diverse Bird Problems In Hawaiian Agriculture, Marni E. Koopman, William C. Pitt

United States Department of Agriculture Wildlife Services: Staff Publications

Over the last 20 years, Hawaii’s agriculture has shifted from a focus on sugar cane (Saccharum officinarum) and pineapples (Ananas comosus) produced on large farms to a diverse array of products produced on a multitude of smaller farms. This dramatic shift in production, in addition to the introduction of many new avian species, has resulted in a concomitant change in the problems faced by agriculture. We surveyed farmers to determine the extent of bird damage to crops, the species responsible, the crops most vulnerable, and control methods employed. Bird problems varied by island, but cardinals ( …

Environmental Controls On The Landscape-Scale Biogeography Of Stream Bacterial Communities, Noah Fierer, Jennifer L. Morse, Sean T. Berthrong, Emily S. Bernhardt, Robert B. Jackson

Environmental Science and Management Faculty Publications and Presentations

We determined the biogeographical distributions of stream bacteria and the biogeochemical factors that best explained heterogeneity for 23 locations within the Hubbard Brook watershed, a 3000-ha forested watershed in New Hampshire, USA. Our goal was to assess the factor, or set of factors, responsible for generating the biogeographical patterns exhibited by microorganisms at the landscape scale. We used DNA fingerprinting to characterize bacteria inhabiting fine benthic organic matter (FBOM) because of their important influence on stream nutrient dynamics. Across the watershed, streams of similar pH had similar FBOM bacterial communities. Streamwater pH was the single variable most strongly correlated with …

Other Voices, Other Ways, Better Practices: Bridging Local And Professional Environmental Knowledge, Kim M. Wilkinson, Susan G. Clark, William R. Burch

Yale School of the Environment Publications Series

No abstract provided.

From The Field: An Extraordinary Patch Of Feral Hog Damage In Florida Before And After Initiating Hog Removal, John Woolard, Henry T. Smith, Jean Bourassa, Bernice U. Constantin, Daniel Griffin

United States Department of Agriculture Wildlife Services: Staff Publications

Feral hogs (Sus scrofa) are a particularly destructive exotic species in the United States (U.S. Department of Agriculture 1999), including Florida, which, along with Hawaii, is one of 2 states cited as having the most severe invasive species problems (U.S. Congress 1993) in the country. First introduced to North America by the European colonists (Conover 2007) hogs were one of the first invasive exotic species to take hold in Florida. They can transmit disease to livestock (Hartin et al. 2007) and humans (Conover and Vail 2007). They impose a variety of negative environmental impacts, including habitat degradation and …

Adaptive And Economic Management Methods For Feral Hog Control In Florida, Richard M. Engeman, Bernice U. Constantin, Stephanie A. Shwiff, Henry T. Smith, John Woolard, John Allen, John Dunlap

United States Department of Agriculture Wildlife Services: Staff Publications

Feral hogs (Sus scrofa) negatively impact the environment in most places around the world where they have been introduced into the wild. In many places, hog removal is essential to protect special habitats, in particular, wetlands. This paper describes techniques developed for use in adaptive management approaches to enhance hog removal efforts in Florida, as well as methods to evaluate the economic impacts from hog management. A valuable adaptive management tool that can be an easily applied index to monitor feral hog activity is track plots. This method has been effective for monitoring hog distribution and relative abundance, …

Foraging Preferences Of Captive Canada Geese Related To Turfgrass Mixtures, Brian E. Washburn, Scott C. Barras, Thomas W. Seamans

United States Department of Agriculture Wildlife Services: Staff Publications

Overabundant populations of Canada geese (Branta canadensis) cause economic and safety concerns associated with collisions with civil and military aircraft. Habitat management techniques that reduce the use of airfield habitats by geese might reduce these concerns. The objective of this study was to determine if captive Canada geese exhibited a foraging preference between a vegetation mixture consisting mostly of perennial ryegrass (Lolium perenne) and white clover (Trifolium repens) versus an endophyte-infected tall fescue- (Festuca arundinacea) based vegetation mixture. We established 6 paired plots of perennial ryegrass-dominated and tall fescue-dominated mixtures at NASA …

Land Cover Types Of The Las Vegas Wash, Nevada, Seth A. Shanahan, Dave Silverman, Art Ehrenberg

Publications (WR)

Vegetation type, extent, continuity, and structure are some of the most important factors that determine wildlife diversity and distribution. Other contributing factors that shape wildlife communities include disturbance, competition, climate, and water availability. Because vegetation communities in the southwestern U.S. gradate sharply along zones of soil moisture, wildlife are often restricted to specific vegetation types. Along the Las Vegas Wash (Wash), Nevada, more than 250 wildlife species have been documented to occur in distinct wetland, riparian, and upland vegetation types. Recent studies have investigated the diversity and distribution of amphibians, birds, fishes, mammals, and reptiles (Shanahan 2005, 2005a, Van Dooremolen …

Interaction Of Methoxyethyl Methyl Imidazolium-Based Ionic Liquids With Uranium And Its Effect On Bioreduction Of Uranium, Hao Wang

Dissertations

Ionic liquids (ILs) are new materials with unique properties such as non-measurable vapor pressure, low melting point below 100°C and tunable physical-chemical properties. These liquids demonstrate tremendous potential applications in many fields, including nuclear waste treatment.

In this study, new MOEMIM (methoxyethyl methyl imidazolium)-based ionic liquids were synthesized. Their properties were characterized by UV-Vis spectroscopy (UV-vis), Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy (ETIR), mass spectroscopy (MS) and NMR (Nuclear magnetic resonance). The interaction between ILs and uranium has been explored by various analysis techniques, including pH, potentiometric titration, UV-vis, MS and EXAFS (extended x-ray absorption fine structure). Among all the ILs studied …

Home Range And Habitat Use Of Feral Hogs (Sus Scrofa) In Congaree National Park, Bradford Friebel

All Theses

ABSTRACT One of the most destructive exotic wildlife species in the southeastern U.S. is the feral hog (Sus scrofa). To learn more about feral hog movement patterns and habitat use, hogs were radio-collared and tracked from April 2005 to November 2006 in Congaree National Park (CNP). Seven male and nine female hogs were monitored and their home ranges averaged 218.2 ± 42.9 ha and 194.1 ± 31.0 ha, respectively. These home ranges proved relatively small when compared to results from other analyses of home range size in feral hogs, and suggest an abundant resource base in CNP. Habitat use was …

Parasite Findings In Archeological Remains: Diagnosis And Interpretation, Adauto Arajuo, Karl J. Reinhard, Luiz Fernando Ferreira

School of Natural Resources: Faculty Publications

Paleoparasitology has contributed to resolving the debate about the peopling of the Americas and determining the antiquity of human parasite infection. Hookworm (Ancylostomidae) and whipworm (Trichuris trichiura) and other exclusive human intestinal parasites have been recorded in pre-Columbian America. These parasite species originated in pre-hominids and have accompanied humans across continents when people went out of Africa. However, for those human populations that crossed the Bering Land Bridge from Siberia to Alaska, cold climate conditions hampered parasite transmission. Alternative migration routes have been proposed to explain the presence of these parasites in pre-Columbian populations in the Americas. Other …

Comparative Analysis Of Environmental Kuznets Curve In Central And Eastern Europe And South And East Asia, Yu-Chin Pang

Graduate Student Dissertations, Theses, Capstones, and Portfolios

Environmental deterioration has frequently been viewed as a problem that inevitably accompanies economic development and industrialization. However, different economic backgrounds might experience different kinds and levels of environmental deterioration. This study investigated environmental deterioration in two groups of countries with comparable income levels but different economic backgrounds-transitional Central and Eastern Europe (CEE) and non-transitional South and East Asian (SEA) countries.

This research utilized the environmental Kuznets curve (EKC) hypothesis to explain the relationships among macroeconomic indicators, country categories, and atmospheric concentrations in the CEE and SEA regions. Three research questions and six hypotheses and related sub-hypotheses were answered and tested …

The Ecology Of Vertebrate Pests And Integrated Pest Management (Ipm), Gary W. Witmer

United States Department of Agriculture Wildlife Services: Staff Publications

Across the world, vertebrates cause considerable annual damage to agriculture, property, human health and safety, and natural resources. Although some species of all vertebrate groups have been implicated in damage, the species most often involved in serious amounts of damage are birds and mammals. Agroecosystems have provided many new opportunities for vertebrates to exploit, resulting in their becoming serious "pests" with humans taking various steps to protect their agricultural resources. This conflict has intensified as the human population has increased, efforts to get more production out of traditional croplands have intensified, and marginal lands have been placed into crop production. …

Understanding And Optimizing Surfaces And Interfaces In Energy Conversion Devices, Clemens Heske

UNLV Renewable Energy Symposium

This inaugural event is dedicated to showcasing the renewable/sustainable energy projects of UNLV faculty, staff, students, and collaborators, as well as other external projects underway statewide and nationally. The development and utilization of new technologies to protect the environment, achieve energy independence, and strengthen the economy will be explored. Speakers and poster-session presenters will provide further insight to many ongoing projects and innovative research ideas.

Organized by UNLV’s Office of Strategic Energy Programs, the event offers participants the opportunity to learn about energy projects and will encourage networking and collaboration. This symposium is intended for researchers, educators, students, policy makers, …

Research On Establishment Of Oil Spill Emergency Response System In China Qingdao Port Based On Ann, Ge Zhang

World Maritime University Dissertations

No abstract provided.

Florida’S Non-Native Avifauna, Michael L. Avery, Michael P. Moulton

Managing Vertebrate Invasive Species

Florida has a mild climate, diverse natural habitats, and a growing, mobile human population. Florida also hosts thousands of species of introduced plants, fish, and wildlife. A recent compilation lists 196 non-native bird species, comprising 15 orders, which have occurred in Florida. The list includes 72 species of parrots and parakeets (psittaciformes), 51 passerines, and 22 species of waterfowl (anseriformes). First sightings of newly introduced bird species in Florida increased rapidly through the 1980s, but numbers of new species detected appear to have subsided since then. Sources of introductions are often not reported, but of those that are known, most …

Invasive Rats And Bubonic Plague In Northwest Uganda, Jeff N. Borchert, Jeff J. Mach, Timothy J. Linder, Asaph Ogen-Odoi [Deceased, In Memoriam], Santos Angualia

Managing Vertebrate Invasive Species

Major introductions of roof rats (Rattus rattus) likely occurred in the ports of East Africa during the Third Plague Pandemic in the late 1800’s. Transport via trains, boats, and trucking likely introduced this species to inland areas of East Africa, ultimately including Northwest Uganda. Historic plague outbreaks occurred during the early part of the 20th century and continue to cause a human disease burden in the West Nile region of NW Uganda via the bubonic, septicemic, and pneumonic forms. Four field sites in this area were trapped to determine the rodent species composition in commensal and peridomestic areas …

The Role Of Early Detection And Rapid Response In Thwarting Amphibian And Reptile Introductions In Floridalorida, Todd S. Campbell

Managing Vertebrate Invasive Species

Prevention is the best policy for dealing with introduced species. However, biologists often spend an inordinate amount of time studying their spread and impacts rather than focusing on what should be done to thwart their establishment in the first place. Amphibian and reptile introductions are reaching epidemic proportions in Florida, largely due to irresponsible behavior by pet owners and the pet industry, but also due to ineffective preventive policies and actions. Prevention of additional amphibian and reptile introductions in Florida will require a comprehensive approach involving legal restrictions of certain problematic species, a massive public education effort, and a well-funded …

Can Temperature Be Used As A Tool For Limiting Brown Treesnake Invasion Via Transportation Pathways?, Michelle T. Christy, Julie A. Savidge, Richard Bischof, Gordon H. Rodda

Managing Vertebrate Invasive Species

The use of extreme temperatures is one of the few chemical residue-free techniques available for control of pest species and has proven fast and effective in a variety of applications. We determined the upper and lower lethal temperatures for the brown treesnake. We also investigated whether gender, size, body condition and exposure time influenced survival at temperature extremes. Elevating snake core temperatures to 40°C and 41°C for one hour resulted in 99% mortality within seven days (40°C) and 100% mortality within one hour of exposure (41°C). Mortality decreased sharply to 51% for a one hour exposure to 39°C. Shorter, heavier …

Multiple-Species Exclusion Fencing And Technology For Mainland Sites, Tim Day, Roger Macgibbon

Managing Vertebrate Invasive Species

Eradication of invasive vertebrate pests from increasingly large islands has become an important wildlife management and conservation tool internationally. Success on islands has prompted attempts to exclude and eradicate vertebrate pests from mainland sites. Early mainland exclusion efforts often failed due to ineffective or poorly maintained barriers to pest reinvasion. Over the last 10 years, we have conducted extensive experiments to design effective pest exclusion technology. We have determined the behavior and physical abilities of many of the vertebrate pest species found in New Zealand and other parts of the world. Pest species have been tested against a variety of …

The Path To Eradication Of The Gambian Giant Pouched Rat In Florida, Richard Engeman, Gary W. Witmer, Jean B. Bourassa, John W. Woolard, Bernice Constantin, Parker T. Hall, Scott Hardin, Neil D. Perry

Managing Vertebrate Invasive Species

A thriving population of Gambian giant pouched rats became established on Grassy Key, a 550-ha island in Florida, following escape(s) from an exotic pet breeder. After existence of the population was verified, computer models indicated that Gambian giant pouched rats could successfully invade a large portion of North America if they reached the mainland. This largest of rat species is highly prolific, and its dispersal to the mainland could result in substantial negative impacts to agriculture, environment, and wildlife. Additionally, Gambian giant pouched rats are known vectors of a variety of diseases transmissible to humans and livestock. The first action …

The Political, Economic And Management History Of A Successful Exotic Eradication: The Case Of Black-Tailed Jackrabbits In One Part Of Florida, Richard M. Engeman, Bernice Constantin, Jeffrey Bunting

Managing Vertebrate Invasive Species

Black-tailed jackrabbits are a prolific, mobile species that became established at Miami International Airport, Florida. These animals posed a potential threat for colonization through additional parts of Florida if they were able to spread beyond the expansive airport property. Moreover, their carcasses from collisions with vehicles and aircraft attracted large scavenging and predatory birds to the airport, causing potential airstrike hazards. While the jackrabbits ultimately were successfully eradicated, the political, economic and management paths to that success were convoluted. We describe that history here and how a beneficial outcome was ultimately achieved.

Managing Non-Native Wildlife In Florida: State Perspective, Policy And Practice, Scott Hardin

Managing Vertebrate Invasive Species

Florida has more non-native wildlife species than any other state: 439 introduced species of fish, wildlife and marine organisms have been observed and at least 123 are established, i.e., highly unlikely to be extirpated without human intervention. Florida is an epicenter for non-native species with a long established pet industry, major tourist attractions, and major ports, primarily Miami. The large number of established species is due to climate match with that of popular tropical pets, habitat disturbance that facilitates invasion, and a depauperate vertebrate fauna in tropical and subtropical portions of Florida. The Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission’s approach …

Custom Trucks, Radio Snake Jingles, And Temporary Tattoos: An Overview Of A Successful Public Awareness Campaign Related To Brown Treesnakes In The Commonwealth Of The Northern Mariana Islands, Nathaniel B. Hawley

Managing Vertebrate Invasive Species

The brown treesnake (Boiga irregularis) was introduced on Guam during post World War II cargo movements. Brown treesnakes (BTS) have now become exceptionally abundant on Guam and pose a direct, significant, and growing threat to other areas outside of their historic range, including the Commonwealth of the Northern Mariana Islands (CNMI), the State of Hawaii, the United States mainland and other sites regionally and internationally. The CNMI is at high risk for a BTS introduction due to its close proximity and the types and amount of cargo received. Limited BTS awareness efforts between 1986 and 2002 in the …

Control And Eradication Of The North American Ruddy Duck In Europe, Iain Henderson, Peter Robertson

Managing Vertebrate Invasive Species

The ruddy duck (Oxyura jamaicensis) was introduced to wildfowl collections in the United Kingdom (UK) in the 1940s and subsequently escaped into the wild. Estimated numbers have increased rapidly in the UK from 20 wintering birds in 1962 to 5,946 in January 2000. As the population of feral ruddy ducks in the UK rose, so did the number of records of ruddy ducks on the European mainland. In 1984, ruddy ducks were first recorded in Spain, which is home to internationally important populations of the rare indigenous white-headed duck (Oxyura leucocephala). By 1991, hybrids resulting from …

Ecology Of An Invasive Predator In Hawaii, Steven C. Hess, Heidi Hansen, Paul C. Banko

Managing Vertebrate Invasive Species

Cats (Felis catus) brought to Hawaii in the 1700s now occupy most habitats throughout the islands, including montane and sublapine zones. We studied home range, population genetics, diseases, and diet of feral cats on Hawai`i Island. Feral cats on Mauna Kea live in low densities and exhibit some of the largest reported home ranges. While 95% kernel home range estimates for 4 males ( x = 1418 ha) were nearly twice as large as 3 female home ranges ( x = 772 ha), one male maintained a home range of 2050 ha. Population genetics revealed that Mauna Kea …

Invasive Species Management And Research Using Gis, Tracy Holcombe, Thomas J. Stohlgren, Catherine Jarnevich

Managing Vertebrate Invasive Species

Geographical Information Systems (GIS) are powerful tools in the field of invasive species management. GIS can be used to create potential distribution maps for all manner of taxa, including plants, animals, and diseases. GIS also performs well in the early detection and rapid assessment of invasive species. Here, we used GIS applications to investigate species richness and invasion patterns in fish in the United States (US) at the 6-digit Hydrologic Unit Code (HUC) level. We also created maps of potential spread of the cane toad (Bufo marinus) in the southeastern US at the 8-digit HUC level using regression …