Digital Commons Network^™

A “Community” Approach To Invasive Species Management: Some Pacific Case Studies, Alan Saunders, Henri Blaffart, Craig Morley, Joape Kuruyawa, Vilikesa Masibalavu, Elenoa Seniloli

Managing Vertebrate Invasive Species

Conservation is essentially a social activity – it is about, by and for people. Managing invasive species on islands to reduce their “community effects” (that is, effects on communities of people as well as on communities of plants and animals) makes good sense. Consequently, many demonstration projects supported as part of the Pacific Invasives Initiative involve social and economic objectives as well as biological ones. In New Caledonia, for example, dialogue between conservation agencies and local tribes about a proposed pest mammal control project on Mont Panié has been taking place for nearly 10 years. As well as being involved …

Eradicating House Mice From Islands: Successes, Failures And The Way Forward, James W. B. Mackay, James C. Russell, Elaine C. Murphy

Managing Vertebrate Invasive Species

The house mouse (Mus musculus) has been spread throughout the world by the actions of humans. It causes severe impacts to native ecosystems, especially in areas where there are no native mammals. It is possible to eradicate mice from islands but they are harder to eradicate than rats. A review of reported eradication attempts found that 17 attempts on 45 islands worldwide failed; a failure rate of 38%. The effect of operational factors on eradication success was examined, but no significant model was formed. Brodifacoum is the most widely used toxicant and has a 49% success rate. Mouse …

Climate Matching As A Tool For Predicting Potential North American Spread Of Brown Treesnakes, Gordon H. Rodda, Robert N. Reed, Catherine S. Jarnevich

Managing Vertebrate Invasive Species

Climate matching identifies extralimital destinations that could be colonized by a potential invasive species on the basis of similarity to climates found in the species’ native range. Climate is a proxy for the factors that determine whether a population will reproduce enough to offset mortality. Previous climate matching models (e.g., Genetic Algorithm for Rule-set Prediction [GARP]) for brown treesnakes (Boiga irregularis) were unsatisfactory, perhaps because the models failed to allow different combinations of climate attributes to influence a species’ range limits in different parts of the range. Therefore, we explored the climate space described by bivariate parameters of …

Species-Specific Visitation And Removal Of Baits For Delivery Of Pharmaceuticals To Feral Swine, Tyler A. Campbell, David B. Long

United States Department of Agriculture Wildlife Services: Staff Publications

Within the domestic swine industry there is growing trepidation about the role feral swine (Sus scrofa) play in the maintenance and transmission of important swine diseases. Innovative disease management tools for feral swine are needed. We used field trials conducted in southern Texas from February to March 2006 to compare species-specific visitation and removal rates of fish-flavored and vegetable-flavored baits with and without commercially available raccoon (Procyon lotor/) repellent (trial 1) and removal rates of baits deployed in a systematic and cluster arrangement (trial 2). During trial 1, 1) cumulative bait removal rates after four nights …

Alaska’S Rat Spill Response Program, Steven M. Ebbert, Arthur Sowls, G. Vernon Byrd

Managing Vertebrate Invasive Species

The introduction of rodents on an island as a new predator usually interferes with natural island biodiversity, particularly on islands without any native mammalian predators. Many Alaskan islands, and most islands in the Aleutian Island region of the Alaska Maritime National Wildlife Refuge (AMNWR), are free of mammalian predators and are vulnerable to invasion by rodents. Rat introduction to islands can put ground-nesting birds, such as seabirds and endemic landbirds, at risk of extirpation. The refuge is also concerned about additional introductions of house mice. As far as we know, the introduction, or “spilling,” of rats onto refuge islands from …

Effects Of Calcium Availability On The Reproductive Output Of Insectivorous Bats, Christina M. Booher

All-Inclusive List of Electronic Theses and Dissertations

Reproduction is a period of high calcium demand in vertebrates, and calcium deficiency can limit reproductive output in mammals. Insects are a poor calcium source, suggesting that insectivorous species are more likely to be calcium deficient. Pregnant big brown bats (Eptesicus fuscus) consume 10 times less calcium than they are estimated to require. To accommodate calcium demand during pregnancy, many mammals mobilize more calcium from the skeleton, and extensive bone loss has been observed in some bats during pregnancy. A conflict may arise between the female and developing embryo over allocation of limited calcium supplies, which could limit reproductive output …

The Cumberland Trail: An Assessment Of The Land Acquisitions And Potential Ecological Value Of Tennessee's New Linear Park, Ben Miles

Masters Theses and Doctoral Dissertations

Tennessee's first linear state park, the Cumberland Trail State Scenic Trail, will stretch over three hundred miles from Signal Point in Hamilton County, to the Cumberland Gap on the Kentucky border. Although the trail uses land already in public ownership at different locations along its proposed route, land purchased to secure a state-managed corridor for the Cumberland Trail acquires properties along an expansive area of the Cumberland Plateau. Efforts to acquire land for the trail' s corridor utilize both federal and state funding, and constitute the largest land acquisition project in Tennessee. This large and unique State Park land acquisition …

Microbial Nitrogen Limitation Increases Decomposition, Joseph M. Craine, Carl Morrow, Noah Fierer

Dartmouth Scholarship

With anthropogenic nutrient inputs to ecosystems increasing globally, there are long-standing, fundamental questions about the role of nutrients in the decomposition of organic matter. We tested the effects of exogenous nitrogen and phosphorus inputs on litter decomposition across a broad suite of litter and soil types. In one experiment, C mineralization was compared across a wide array of plants individually added to a single soil, while in the second, C mineralization from a single substrate was compared across 50 soils. Counter to basic stoichiometric decomposition theory, low N availability can increase litter decomposition as microbes use labile substrates to acquire …

Landscape Ecology Of Crayfish (Decapoda: Cambaridae) In West-Central Indiana, Jacob L. Burskey

All-Inclusive List of Electronic Theses and Dissertations

I investigated the distribution, zoogeography, and habitat associations of crayfish (Decapoda: Cambaridae) in an area of west central Indiana containing glaciated and unglaciated regions. I first sampled 180 streams within Vigo, Clay, Owen, Sullivan, Greene, and Knox counties to establish spatial distributions of crayfish species and gather information on natural history and site specific habitat conditions. Ten species were found; Cambarus (Tubericambarus) polychromatus, Cambarus (Lacunicambarus) sp.A, Cambarus (Erebicambarus) laevis, Fallicambarus (Creaserinus)fodiens, Procambarus (Girardiella) gracilis, Procambarus (Ortmannicus) acutus, Orconectes (Triscellescens) immunis, Orconectes ( Gremicambarus) virilis, Orconectes ( Crockerinus) propinquus, - Orconectes (Faxinous) indianensis. The two rarest species were 0. indianensis (collected …

Relaxin As A Diagnostic Tool For Pregnancy In The Coyote (Canis Latrans), Debra A. Carlson, Eric M. Gese

United States Department of Agriculture Wildlife Services: Staff Publications

The diagnosis of pregnancy in the domestic dog (Canis familiaris) often employs specialized equipment, experienced staff, and the cooperation of the bitch. These procedures can be challenging when the subject is a wild canid, particularly in a field setting. In addition, reproductive hormone assays are unreliable as a diagnostic tool because the estrous profiles of pregnant and pseudopregnant canines are similar. However, research has demonstrated that the hormone relaxin can be detected in maternal blood after embryonic implantation, but remains negligible in non-pregnant females. We investigated the use of relaxin as a diagnostic marker of pregnancy in the …

Sheep Updates 2007 - Part 4, Dean Thomas, Dominique Blache, Dean Revell, Hayley Norman, Phil Vercoe, Zoey Durmic, Serina Digby, Di Mayberry, Megan Chadwick, Martin Sillence, David Masters, R. Silberstein, F. Byrne, P. G. H. Nichols, J. Young, L. Aitkins, M. G. Wilmot, A. J. Rintoul, T. Lambert, D. R. Mcclements, P. Raper, P. Ward, C. Walton, T. York, David Pethick, David Hopkins, Malcolm Mcphee, D. B. Savage, J. V. Nolan, I. R. Godwin, A. Aoetpah, T. Nguyen, N. Baillie, C. Lawler, Ken Geenty, John Smith, Darryl Smith, Tim Dyall, Grant Uphill, John Young, Michael Paton, John Dorrian

Sheep Updates

This session covers eight papers from different authors:

GRAZING

1. The impact of high dietary salt and its implications for the management of livestock grazing saline land, Dean Thomas, Dominique Blache, Dean Revell, Hayley Norman, Phil Vercoe, Zoey Durmic, Serina Digby, Di Mayberry, Megan Chadwick, Martin Sillence and David Masters, CRC for Plant-based Management of Dryland Salinity, Faculty of Natural & Agricultural Sciences, The University of Western Australia, WA.

2. Sustainable Grazing on Saline Lands - outcomes from the WA1 research project, H.C. Norman^1,2, D.G. Masters^1,2, R. Silberstein^1,2, F. Byrne^2,3, P.G.H. Nichols …

Jeanne Gurnee Oral History Interview With Beth Fratesi And Todd Chavez, July 23, 2007, Jeanne Gurnee (Interviewee), Sarah Elizabeth (Beth) Fratesi (Interviewer), Todd Chavez (Interviewer)

Environmental Sustainability Oral Histories

Jeanne Gurnee, speleologist, explorer, writer, editor, conservationist, and land-use planner, discusses how she developed her lifelong interest in caving, how she met her husband Russell, and how they began their involvement with the National Speleological Society (NSS) as a professional pair. She gives an in-depth, chronological discussion of her professional involvement with caving groups and organizations, specifically the founding of fifty or more grottos, as well as her cave projects in Puerto Rico, Barbados, and Angola. Jeanne Gurnee speaks of her love of "show caves", their importance, her reception as an ecological lecturer, and her advice to young women beginning …

Hunter-Gatherer Use Of Small Animal Food Resources: Coprolite Evidence, Karl J. Reinhard, J. R. Ambler, C. R. Szuter

School of Natural Resources: Faculty Publications

Faunal remains are commonly found in coprolites and provide direct evidence of animal consumption. An evaluation of hunter-gatherer coprolites from the Southwest United States shows that animal bone in coprolites can be used to assess patterns of hunting, food preparation, and general importance of small animals in diet. This is demonstrated by a comparison of faunal assemblages between two hunter-gatherer sites with respect to small animal hunting strategies. The sites are Dust Devil Cave on the Colorado Plateau, an Archaic winter habitation, and Hinds Cave, a warm season Archaic habitation in the lower Pecos of Texas. The results indicate that …

Demographics Of Black Vultures In North Carolina, Bradley F. Blackwell, Michael L. Avery, Bryan D. Watts, Martin S. Lowney

United States Department of Agriculture Wildlife Services: Staff Publications

Understanding the contributions of vital rates to species population growth is critical to developing new management protocols. We constructed a model population for black vultures (Coragyps atratus) in North Carolina, USA, based on demographic data from a 14-year study. The model population was similar in stage structure to the reference population, and adult survival was the primary contributor to the annual rate of increase (10.6%). We suggest that the North Carolina black vulture population is experiencing high rates of survival and fertility, potentially breeding at an age younger than previously assumed, and growing rapidly.

Biosedimentology Of Thermal Features In The Uzon Caldera, Kamchatka, Russia : Implications For Biosignature Formation, Jessica Christine Goin

Dissertations and Theses

Modern hot springs serve as a habitat for microorganisms similar in metabolism, morphology, and cellular structure to the microbes that existed relatively early in Earth history. To maximize our ability to interpret evidence for these microorganisms and their communities in the rock record, we need to understand how their biosignatures form and become preserved.

This biosedimentological study of four thermal features in the Uzon Caldera (K4 Well, Ochki Pool, Thermophile Spring, and Zavarzin Pool) focused on identifying how chemical, physical and biological inputs contribute to the characteristics of sinter biofabrics. The biofabrics of K4 Well outflow channel were studied in …

The Future Of Unl Energy Sciences

Nebraska Center for Energy Sciences Research: White Papers and Presentations

UNL has a large number of faculty conducting research on energy-related topics. However, strategic coordination needs improvement, and there are significant opportunities to leverage synergies across departments and colleges, centers, and institutes. In addition, there are critical gaps in expertise that need filling to achieve critical mass and national prominence in key areas.

This white paper seeks to identify a set of thematic areas that would help focus UNL faculty resources on emerging opportunities in the energy-related sciences and serve as a framework to achieve the following goals:

♦ Develop innovative research programs that enhance renewable energy resources and energy …

Wildlife Disease Management: An Insurmountable Challenge?, Scott E. Henke, Alan M. Fedynich, Tyler A. Campbell

United States Department of Agriculture Wildlife Services: Staff Publications

Wildlife biologists are increasingly being thrust onto the frontlines of wildlife disease management and surveillance in the United States. For example, biologists now routinely engage in oral vaccination of wildlife [e-g., Oral Rabies Vaccination Programs (QRVPs)] and collect specimens for both diagnostic purposes and disease surveillance or monitoring (e.g., avian influenza in migratory bids). For many, these responsibilities are novel compared to the more traditional roles of population estimation. habitat manipulation, and formulation of harvest recommendations. Wildlife disease investigation and management, in reality, we in their infancy compared with disciplines of human and domestic animal disease management. The recent focus …

Green Iguanas (Iguana Iguana): The Unintended Consequence Of Sound Wildlife Management Practices In A South Florida Park, Walter E. Meshaka Jr., Henry T. Smith, Elizabeth Golden, Jon A. Moore, Stephanie Fitchett, Ernest M. Cowan, Richard M. Engeman, Stacey R. Sekscienski, Heather L. Cress

United States Department of Agriculture Wildlife Services: Staff Publications

We examined the demographic response of the Green Iguana (Iguana iguana) to the removal of Raccoons in an urban maritime state park in southern Florida. The rapid growth of iguanas to sexual maturity in an underexploited, if not vacant, niche contributed to the rapid recruitment of a large and growing population during the four and one half years since removal of its limiting predator. We proffer here that at sites where Green Iguanas and high density Raccoons are syntopic, future Raccoon removal programs should be concurrent with an equally concerted effort to remove resident Green Iguanas. In this …

Incorporating Results Of Avian Toxicity Tests Into A Model Of Annual Reproductive Success, Richard S. Bennett*, Matthew A. Etterson

United States Environmental Protection Agency: Publications

Modeling the effects of pesticide exposure on avian populations requires knowledge of how the pesticide changes survival and fecundity rates for the population. Although avian reproduction tests are the primary source of information on reproductive effects in the pesticide risk assessment process, current tests cannot provide a direct estimate of the effects of a pesticide on fecundity rates. We present a mathematical model that integrates information on specific types of effects from reproduction tests with information on avian life history parameters, the timing of pesticide applications, and the temporal pattern of pesticide exposure levels to estimate pesticide effects on annual …

The Buzz About Sustainability, John S. Farnsworth

Environmental Studies and Sciences

I wear sweater vests, I never split infinitives, I trim my beard close, and I read a poem at the beginning of every class. More to the point, as a member of the English faculty at a distinguished university, I distrust any word that had not been coined by the time my father—himself formerly a professor at a Jesuit university—completed his undergraduate studies.

So what am I doing as the faculty director of a Residential Learning Community (RLC) organized around the theme of “sustainability”?

In the past 18 months, the university that employs me hired its first sustainability coordinator, held …

Scientific Reports Of Soviet Whaling Expeditions In The North Pacific, 1955-1978, Y. V. Ivashchenko, P. J. Clapham, R. L. Brownell Jr.

United States Department of Commerce: Staff Publications

The translated and annotated materials in this volume constitute a collection of 18 formerly secret internal reports written by Soviet scientists working aboard whaling factory ships in the North Pacific. The reports cover the period from 1955 to 1978. During most of this time, the USSR was engaged in a massive campaign of illegal whaling worldwide; these illegal catches continued until introduction of the International Whaling Commission’s International Observer Scheme in 1972. The reports were copied from the archives of the Pacific Research and Fisheries Center (TINRO) in Vladivostok by Alfred A. Berzin, the former director of TINRO’s marine mammal …

Refuge Update – July/August 2007, Volume 4, Number 4

RefugeUpdate (USFWS-NWRS)

Table of Contents:
Counting Alpine Flora, page 3
Focus on Law Enforcement, pages 8–12
Virtual Geocaching, page 15
The Big Sit! at Your Refuge?, page 21

Indiana Wildlife Disease News, Volume 2, Issue 3 --July 2007

Indiana Wildlife Disease News

Contents:

2007 Indiana Avian Influenza Surveillance
Black Spot in Fish
Changes to CWD Surveillance Protocol
Avian influenza surveillance for upland game bird farms in Indiana
Exotic parasites affects American Coots in Upper Midwest
Call for Papers: 68th Annual Midwest Fish and Wildlife Conference
Indiana Chapter of The Wildlife Society
Epizootic hemorrhagic disease (EHD) found in Indiana and nearby states in 2007
Midwest Wildlife Disease Update
AI Training for Agencies in Indiana

Climate. A Period Of Consequence: Environmental Literature Of 2006, Shaun O'Connell

New England Journal of Public Policy

The author talks about the consequences of not respecting the climate and understanding global warming will cause ecocide and our own extinction.

Benthic Biological Monitoring Program Of The Elizabeth River Watershed (2006), Daniel M. Dauer

Elizabeth River Reports

Executive Summary

Macrobenthic communities of the Elizabeth River watershed have been quantitatively sampled since summer 1999. This report presents the data from the eigth year of sampling in 2006. The three objectives of the Benthic Biological Monitoring Program of the Elizabeth River watershed are: (1) To characterize the health of the tidal waters of the Elizabeth River watershed as indicated by the structure of the benthic communities. (2) To conduct trend analyses on long-term data at 14 fixed-point stations to relate temporal trends in the benthic communities to changes in water and/or sediment quality. Trend analyses will be updated annually …

Botanical Survey Of Fuel Reduction Areas On The Pine Ridge Ranger District Of The Nebraska National Forest, Steven B. Rolfsmeier, Leslie Stewart-Phelps

Nebraska Game and Parks Commission: White Papers, Conference Presentations, and Manuscripts

Between May and September 2006, surveys of selected areas on the Pine Ridge Unit of the Pine Ridge Ranger District in the Nebraska National Forest were carried out to document the presence of vascular plant species of known or potential conservation concern. The surveys were done in response to a request for botanical information to include in hazardous fuel projects in the East Ash and West Ash drainages. These 2006 surveys concentrated primarily on these drainages, though small forested areas were also examined in the Deadhorse Creek and Indian Creek drainages. (Data from these sites are included in the following …

Water Current, Volume 39, No. 3, Summer 2007

Water Current Newsletter

Latest Research on Water Science, Economics and Law To Be Featured in October
Fifth Annual Water Law, Policy and Science Conference Examines Water Quality by Lorrie Benson
SUMMERSTOCK ’07
Meet the Faculty
New Thermal Imaging Camera Advances UNL Research By Steve Ress
Coop Research Unit Tracks Invasive Species By Brent Atema
Water Resources Advisory Panel Update By Jessica Harder
Nebraska Department of Natural Resources Adds Groundwater Modelers, Geohydrologist By Steve Ress
Survey Offers Public Perceptions and Attitudes about Water by Sandi Alswager Karstens
Water Initiative Helps Add Nearly a Dozen New Faculty Members
Dahab Combines UNL Research and Administration with …

Fueling The Superpowers: What Role For Iran?, Hossein Askari

New England Journal of Public Policy

This article by Hossein Askari is taken from the proceedings of the EPIIC Symposium at Tufts University, February 2005

Green Crab Management: Reduction Of A Marine Invasive Population, Catherine E. De Rivera, Edwin D. Grosholz, Greg Ruiz, Amy A. Larson, Rebecca L. Kordas, Mark Sytsma

Environmental Science and Management Faculty Publications and Presentations

The overall goal of this study is to develop and demonstrate the capacity for local eradication of adult Carcinus maenas, European green crabs. This represents a conceptual shift in development of management options to address established invasions in marine systems, extending and exploring the application of terrestrial successes in this area. Specifically, this project tests the effects of removing green crabs from Bodega Harbor on the green crab population and on native shore crabs eaten by green crabs.

Interagency Science And Research: Quarterly Progress Report, Period Ending June 30, 2007, Margaret N. Rees

Interagency Science and Research Strategy

• Updated the SNAP Board on May 18 with a formal presentation.
• Began discussions with the Cultural Resources Team to integrate cultural resource science within in the Science and Research Strategy.
• Refined the science proposal peer-review process and developed a conceptual graphic to communicate the process with Science and Research Team members.
• Facilitated the selection of interagency goals, sub-goals, and related monitoring and science questions by Science and Research Team.
• Began planning of an all-agency resource management workshop intended to validate interagency science goals and sub-goals, and assist in the prioritization of questions.