Digital Commons Network^™

Semi-Wild Population Of Kulans In The Bukhara Breeding Centre And Their Co-Habitation With Przewalski’S Horses, Karim Bahloul, Olga B. Pereladova, Natalia V. Soldatova, Ekaterina V. Sidorenko, Antoine J. Sempere

Erforschung biologischer Ressourcen der Mongolei / Exploration into the Biological Resources of Mongolia, ISSN 0440-1298

Asiatic wild asses and Przewalski's horses initially inhabited steppe, semi-desert and desert areas, but Przewalski's horses became extinct in the wild, and kulans are under threat of disappearance. The Bukhara Breeding Centre (Uzbekistan) was created in 1976 for conservation and reintroduction of wild ungulate species. In 1977-1978, five kulans (two males and three females) from Barsa-Kelmes Island on the Aral lake were introduced to the reserve. The group increased to 25-30 animals in 1995-1998, when five Przewalski's horses from Moscow and St. Petersburg zoos were introduced to the same territory. We analyzed the home ranges, preferred habitats and social interactions …

Social Networks In Wild Asses: Comparing Patterns And Processes Among Populations, Daniel I. Rubenstein, Siva Sundaresan, Ilya Fischhoff, David Saltz

Erforschung biologischer Ressourcen der Mongolei / Exploration into the Biological Resources of Mongolia, ISSN 0440-1298

Asiatic wild asses inhabit some of the most arid environments in the world. All live in fissionfusion societies, but demography varies and the deserts in which they live often differ in subtle ways. Characterizing details of social structure of wild ass populations has been a challenge and has made it difficult to determine causes and consequences of any differences that might exist. We use network theory to compare the social structures of two populations of Asiatic asses/ onagers inhabiting the Negev desert, Israel and khur of the Little Rann of Kuch, India and show that populations differ in important structural …

An Overview On The State Of Equus Hemionus In Whole China, Weikang Yang

Erforschung biologischer Ressourcen der Mongolei / Exploration into the Biological Resources of Mongolia, ISSN 0440-1298

The wild ass in China is divided into two species: Gobi khulan (Equus hemionus) and kiang (Equus kiang). Maps and charts of the distribution and population sizes in China and Mongolia of each species are shown from the 1980s through the early 2000s.

Merging Qualitative And Quantitative Data In Mixed Methods Research: How To And Why Not, David L. Driscoll, Afua Appiah-Yeboah, Philip Salib, Douglas J. Rupert

Ecological and Environmental Anthropology (University of Georgia)

This study assesses the utility of mixed methods designs that integrate qualitative and quantitative data through a transformative process. Two strategies for collecting qualitative and quantitative datasets are described, and processes by which they can be merged are presented in detail. Some of the benefits of mixed methods designs are summarized and the shortcomings and challenges inherent in quantitizing qualitative data in mixed methods research are delineated.

Garifuna Land Rights And Ecotourism As Economic Development In Honduras’ Cayos Cochinos Marine Protected Area, Keri Vacanti Brondo, Laura Woods

Ecological and Environmental Anthropology (University of Georgia)

Ecotourism has been embraced by a number of developing nations hoping to improve their economies in a way that is environmentally and socially responsible. The Afroindigenous Garifuna population located in the Cayos Cochinos, a Marine Protected Area (MPA), is undergoing a livelihood transition from fishing to ecotourism. This paper draws on ethnographic research conducted with Operation Wallacea (Opwall), a private scientific research expedition organization, to begin to explore the potential barriers to the promotion of ecotourism as an alternative livelihood strategy. The historical struggle for territorial control in the region is presented as having created distrust between the Garifuna communities …

Feral Hog Research In Western Louisiana: Expanding Populations And Unforeseen Consequences, Michael D. Kaller, James D. Hudson Iii, Eric C. Achberger, William E. Kelso

Human–Wildlife Interactions

Hunter harvest data suggest that feral hog (Sus scrofa) populations in western Louisiana are increasing, and population control in this region is complicated by the mixing of feral and domestic free-ranged hogs. Aggressive management may be warranted as feral and domestic hogs appear to be having unexpected effects on their ecosystem. We present the results of 3 recent investigations of genetic source-tracking to link waterborne bacteria with bacteria from feral hogs. We integrate our most recent findings with data regarding: (1) water quality in a watershed without hog management and (2) aquatic biota of the same watershed. Hog …

Book Review: Living With Coyotes: Managing Predators Humanely Using Food Aversion Conditioning, John A. Shivik

Human–Wildlife Interactions

I was initially worried after receiving a phone call from a predator advocate who told me that I must see the new book that explained how conditioned food avoidance (CFA) could be used to solve the problem of coyote predation. “New?” I thought, recalling the acrimonious debates over CFA in the journal Appetite and elsewhere in the 1980s. On reading the book, however, I was pleasantly surprised to find that Living with coyotes by Stuart Ellins is not an extension of the ongoing diatribes that started so long ago. Instead, the book acknowledges that many of the previous heated debates …

The Changing Face Of Wildlife Damage Management, William H. Clay

Human–Wildlife Interactions

On behalf of the Wildlife Services program, I’m pleased to provide some thoughts for this initial issue of Human–Wildlife Conflicts regarding the changing face of wildlife damage management. Having been in this profession for more than 25 years, I have witnessed firsthand the growth and evolution of wildlife damage management programs across the country. The entire field of wildlife damage management has been in a period of change during the past 15 to 20 years. Wildlife damage managers making decisions in today’s environment must now consider a wide range of legitimate public interests that often conflict with one another. These …

Evolution Of The Field Of Wildlife Damage Management In The United States And Future Challenges, James E. Miller

Human–Wildlife Interactions

Through the early twentieth century, people in rural areas of North America either dealt with problems caused by wildlife by killing the problem species, eliminating its habitat, changing crops or husbandry practices, tolerating the damage, or moving to a new area devoid of such problem animals. However, many of these solutions are impractical today with the increase in human populations, the increased expansion of development into previously rural landscapes, the increased fragmentation of land ownership, and the increasing movement of people into metropolitan areas. Because of current local, state, and federal ordinances and regulations, along with the impacts of animal …

Population Viability Analysis Of Monk Parakeets In The United States And Examination Of Alternative Management Strategies, Stephen Pruett-Jones, James R. Newman, Christian M. Newman, Michael L. Avery, James R. Lindsay

Human–Wildlife Interactions

In the United States, monk parakeets (Myiopsitta monachus) are expanding their geographical distribution, and their overall population size is growing exponentially. Monk parakeets are causing widespread economic damage in the United States by nesting on utility structures, which leads to electrical fi res and power outages. Although few life history data are available for the species from North America, extensive data are available from the species’ native range in South America. Incorporating data from South America into the population viability analysis program VORTEX, we simulated population growth in United States monk parakeets to determine whether it is likely …

A Review Of Shiga Toxin Escherichia Coli And Salmonella Enterica In Cattle And Free-Ranging Birds: Potential Association And Epidemiological Links, Kerri Pedersen, Larry Clark

Human–Wildlife Interactions

Cattle are the main reservoir for human infection by pathogenic Escherichia coli and Salmonella enterica. To prevent entry of these food-borne pathogens into the human food chain, management factors at the farm level must be identified and controlled. External sources of contamination, such as birds, should be considered as potential sources of transmission over long distances. In this review, we focus on the epidemiology of infection by E. coli and S. enterica and the consequences of birds acting as disseminators of these pathogens at dairy farms in terms of cattle health and the subsequent effects on human health.

Future Antarctic Geological Drilling: Discussion Paper On Andrill And Beyond, P. J. Barrett, P.-N. Webb, D. Futterer, C. Ghezzo, M. R. A. Thomson, A. R. Pyne, F. R. Rack

ANDRILL Research and Publications

Geological drilling technology developed over the last quarter century has provided access to critical knowledge on the climatic and tectonic history of the Victoria Land margin of Antarctica, giving us a new understanding of the history and behaviour of the Antarctic ice sheet in this region over the last 34 million years. The challenge now is to develop a framework within the Antarctic science and logistics communities and other relevant groups for further projects to extend this technology to other areas both around the Antarctic margin and into the interior. This paper reviews some of the issues and offers a …

Sedimentology And Stratigraphy Of The And-1b Core, Andrill Mcmurdo Ice Shelf Project, Antarctica, L. Krissek, G. Browne, L. Carter, E. A. Cowan, G. Dunbar, R. Mckay, T. Naish, R. D. Powell, J. Reed, T. Wilch, Andrill-Mis Science Team

ANDRILL Research and Publications

During the 2006–2007 austral season, the ANDRILL McMurdo Ice Shelf Project recovered a core 1285 m-long (AND-1B) from Windless Bight in the McMurdo Sound region. This core contains a range of lithologies, including both siliciclastic and volcanic diamictites, sandstones and mudstones; diatomites; and volcanic ash/tuff and one phonolitic lava flow. The succession has been subdivided into eight lithostratigraphic units and 25 subunits, based on lithological abundances. Eleven lithofacies have been recognized, ranging from open marine diatomites and mudstones to turbidites to ice-proximal massive and stratified diamictites. More than 60 glacimarine sequences have been recognised, bounded by glacial surfaces of erosion. …

A Record Of Antarctic Climate And Ice Sheet History Recovered, T. R. Naish, R. D. Powell, R. H. Levy, F. Florindo, D. M. Harwood, G. Kuhn, F. Niessen, F. Talarico, G. S. Wilson

ANDRILL Research and Publications

Antarctica’s late Cenozoic (the past ~15 million years) climate history is poorly known from direct evidence, owing to its remoteness, an extensive sea ice apron, and an ice sheet cover over the region for the past 34 million years. Consequently, knowledge about the role of Antarctica’s ice sheets in global sea level and climate has relied heavily upon interpretations of oxygen isotope records from deep-sea cores. Whereas these isotopic records have revolutionized our understanding of climate-ice-ocean interactions, questions still remain about the specific role of Antarctic ice sheets in global climate. Such questions can be addressed from geological records at …

Synthesis Of The Initial Scientifi C Results Of The Mis Project (And-1b Core), Victoria Land Basin, Antarctica, T. R. Naish, R. D. Powell, R. H. Levy, S. Henrys, L. Krissek, F. Niessen, M. Pompilio, R. Scherer, G. S. Wilson

ANDRILL Research and Publications

The ANDRILL Program successfully recovered a 1285 m-long succession of cyclic glacimarine sediment with interbedded volcanic deposits in its first season of drilling from the McMurdo Ice Shelf (MIS). The MIS AND-1B drill core represents the longest and most complete (98% recovery) geological record from the Antarctic continental margin to date, and will provide a key reference record of climate and ice-sheet variability through the Late Cenozoic. Here we present a synopsis of this Initial Science Report with emphasis on the potential of the record for improving our knowledge of Antarctica’s influence on global climate.

Antarctic Ice Sheet Dynamics Through The Neogene From Evidence In The Andrill–Mcmurdo Ice Shelf Project Drillcore (And-1b), R. D. Powell, T. R. Naish, L. A. Krissek, G. H. Browne, L. Carter, E. A. Cowan, Gavin B. Dunbar, R. M. Mckay, T. Wilch, Andrill-Mis Science Team

ANDRILL Research and Publications

ANDRILL completed its first season in 2006-07 drilling AND-1B through the McMurdo Ice Shelf (MIS) to a depth of 1,285m below the sea floor, a record for Antarctic margin drilling, with 99% recovery. The alternating glacial-interglacial sediment packages interbedded with volcanics provide a uniquely detailed record of Antarctic glacial and climatic change through the Neogene. This paper summarizes the initial characterization of lithofacies and syndepositional structures relevant to understanding the regime and dynamics of past Antarctic ice sheets based on the ANDRILL-MIS Initial Report. Results suggest that the Antarctic Ice Sheet was relatively cold with little basal melting in the …

Agricultural Climatology, Kenneth G. Hubbard

High Plains Regional Climate Center: Staff Publications

With the diversification of the U.S. economy over the past century, agriculture has changed. We can say the farm sizes have increased over time, the number of farmers and those employed in farming have decreased over time, and as the economy has grown the relative contribution of agriculture to the total economy has decreased due to growth in other sectors. The farm prices have not changed significantly over many years while costs for energy, machinery, and land have generally increased. The combination of these factors has generally narrowed the profit margin and the highest productivity will no longer ensure the …

Indiana Wildlife Disease News - Volume 2, Issue 1

Indiana Wildlife Disease News

National Tularemia Surveillance Expanded to Include Indiana
Emerging Disease Issues: Viral Hemorrhagic Septicemia
USDA-APHIS Federal Order Prohibits Importation of Certain Species of Live Fish
Indiana Avian Influenza Surveillance Update
Bat Rabies in Indiana
Midwest Wildlife Disease Update
USDA APHIS Wildlife Services: National Wildlife Disease Surveillance and Emergency Response Program
Indiana Department of Natural Resources, Division of Fish and Wildlife

Relative Role Of Understory And Overstory In Carbon And Nitrogen Cycling In A Southern Appalachian Spruce-Fir Forest, P. T. Moore, H. Van Miegroet, N. S. Nicholas

Watershed Sciences Faculty Publications

This study investigated aboveground pools and fluxes of biomass, carbon (C), and nitrogen (N) in the overstory and understory of a southern Appalachian red spruce (Picea rubens Sarg.) – Fraser fir (Abies fraseri (Pursh) Poir.) forest, following adelgid-induced fir mortality and spruce windthrow. Using fifty 20 m × 20 m plots, stratified by elevation (1700–1900 m), we estimated standing biomass and fluxes of all growth forms from periodic stand inventories (1998–2003), vegetation surveys, and existing or derived allometric equations. Total C and N pools and fluxes were calculated from plant- and tissue-specific C and N concentrations. Total aboveground biomass attained …

Soil Organic Carbon Dynamics Along A Climatic Gradient In A Southern Appalachian Spruce-Fir Forest, C. E. Tewksbury, H. Van Miegroet

Watershed Sciences Faculty Publications

A field study was conducted in a high-elevation spruce–fir (Picea rubens Sarg. – Abies fraseri (Pursh.) Poir) forest in the Great Smoky Mountains National Park to assess the effect of temperature on soil C storage and dynamics. In eight plots along an elevation gradient (1500–1900 m), we measured soil temperature, forest floor and mineral soil C, litter decomposition, soil respiration, and forest floor mean residence time. Mean annual soil temperature and annual degree-days above 5 °C were inversely correlated with elevation. Total soil C (166–241 Mg·ha–1) showed no trend with elevation, while forest floor C accumulation (16.3–35.9 Mg·ha–1) decreased significantly …

First Report Of Jefferson's Ground Sloth (Megalonyx Jeffersonii) In North Dakota: Paleobiogeographical And Paleoecological Significance, John W. Hoganson, H. Gregory Mcdonald

United States National Park Service: Publications

A well-preserved ungual of a pes documents the presence of Jefferson’s ground sloth (Megalonyx jeffersonii) at the end of the Wisconsinan in North Dakota. This is the 1st report of M. jeffersonii in North Dakota, and one of few records from the upper Great Plains. An accelerator mass spectrometer radiocarbon age of 11,915 6 40 years ago was obtained from the specimen, suggesting that the sloth resided in North Dakota during the Rancholabrean Land Mammal Age, just before extinction of the species. Palynological records from sites near the sloth occurrence and of the same age indicate that it …

Mammal Inventories For Eight National Parks In The Southern Colorado Plateau Network, Michael A. Bogan, Keith Geluso, Shauna Haymond, Ernest W. Valdez

United States National Park Service: Publications

Historically, the Colorado Plateau has been the subject of many geological and biological explorations. J. W. Powell explored and mapped the canyon country of the Colorado River in 1869 (Powell 1961). C. H. Merriam, V. Bailey, M. Cary, and other employees of the Bureau of Biological Survey conducted biological explorations of the area in the late 1800s. In recent times, researchers such as S. D. Durrant (1952), Durrant and Robinson (1962), D. M. Armstrong (1972), J. S. Findley et al. (1975), D. F. Hoffmeister (1986), and J. Fitzgerald et al. (1994) have made considerable contributions to our understanding of the …

Effect Of Coyotes And Release Site Selection On Survival And Movement Of Translocated Swift Foxes In The Badlands Ecosystem Of South Dakota, Greg M. Schroeder

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

Success of different release strategies for swift fox (Vulpes velox) translocation was evaluated in the Badlands Ecosystem in southwestern South Dakota. Release site selection (outside coyote [Canis latrans] core-use areas compared to random release sites) and release method (i.e., hard, semi-hard, and soft) were examined to determine effects on swift fox survival and movements at 50 days post-release. I hypothesized that swift foxes released outside of coyote core-use areas would survive at a higher rate than foxes released at random sites. From 2003-2006, 16 adult coyotes were fitted with Global Positioning System (GPS) radio collars and monitored during the pup …

Spatial Ecology, Habitat Selection, And Survival Of Wild Turkey Gobblers In A Managed Bottomland Hardwood Forest, Blake Anthony Grisham

LSU Master's Theses

Wild turkey (Meleagris gallopavo) males were captured and radio-tagged in a bottomland hardwood forest of south-central Louisiana. Turkeys were monitored year round from fixed telemetry stations on Sherburne Wildlife Management Area, Atchafalaya National Wildlife Refuge, and Bayou des Ourses to observe seasonal patterns of space use, habitat selection and survival from 2005-07. The largest seasonal home range was in fall/winter (966.41 ha; Oct 1-Feb 28). Spring home range (767.77 ha; Mar 1- May 31) size was lower than reported in previous studies and was a function of female availability. Season and age interacted to influence core area size (F_{5/63 …}

The Communicator, Volume 3, Issue 1, February 2007

The Communicator: News from the Nebraska Cooperative Fish and Wildlife Research Unit

Teaching and Training New Faces (Chris Kelly; Justin Williams; Christopher Lewis; Dustin Martin) Congratulations! (Donald Wardwell; Christopher Lewis; Aaron Lotz) The Changing Faces of USGS Current Research Amphibian Monitoring Techniques (in Relation to Wetland Qualities and the Surrounding Landscape – Rainwater Basin Region) Cross-Scale Structure in Ecosystems An Adaptive Management Approach for Selecting Habitat Improvement Targets in the Shortgrass Prairie Ecosystem Diversity and Ecological Functions Impact of White Perch on Walleye; and Predators of White Perch at Branched Oak and Pawnee Reservoirs Evaluation of Landowner Incentives Program (LIP) for Species at Risk Monitoring, Mapping and Risk Assessment for Non-Indigenous Invasive …

A Test Of The Cross-Scale Resilience Model: Functional Richness In Mediterranean-Climate Ecosystems, Donald A. Wardwell, Craig R. Allen, Garry D. Peterson, Andrew J. Tyre

Nebraska Cooperative Fish and Wildlife Research Unit: Staff Publications

Ecological resilience has been proposed to be generated, in part, in the discontinuous structure of complex systems. Environmental discontinuities are reflected in discontinuous, aggregated animal body mass distributions. Diversity of functional groups within body mass aggregations (scales) and redundancy of functional groups across body mass aggregations (scales) has been proposed to increase resilience. We evaluate that proposition by analyzing mammalian and avian communities of Mediterranean-climate ecosystems. We first determined that body mass distributions for each animal community were discontinuous. We then calculated the variance in richness of function across aggregations in each community, and compared observed values with distributions created …

Schoolyard Microclimate, Joseph J. Fontaine, Samuel C. Stier, Melissa L. Maggio, Karie L. Decker

Nebraska Cooperative Fish and Wildlife Research Unit: Staff Publications

The natural world exhibits substantial variation in climate, which influences the distribution, reproductive success, and survival of plants and animals. Although students are aware of weather, their understanding of climate is typically less clear, especially the concept of microclimate-the climate of a specific place within an area as contrasted with the climate of the entire area. Microclimate can influence where birds place their nests (Lloyd and Martin 2004), where insects reside (Lorenzo and Lazzari 1999), and where plants successfully germinate (Tomimatsu and Ohara 2004). Therefore, microclimate can have a profound effect on local community structure and biodiversity, particularly on …

Factors Controlling Patterns Of Canada Thistle (Cirsium Arvense) And Yellow Starthistle (Centaurea Solstitialis) Across The Cascade-Siskiyou National Monument, Paul E. Hosten

National Invasive Species Council

Landscape patterns of broadleaved noxious weeds across the Cascade-Siskiyou National Monument are examined in the context of environmental and management factors to improve our understanding of weed dynamics. Environmental factors include a range of topographic edaphic variables, while management factors provide insight about historic vegetation manipulation, road construction and forage utilization by wildlife and livestock. Distribution patterns of Canada thistle (Cirsium arvense) and yellow starthistle (Centaurea solstitialis) across the Monument are best described by a combination of topographic, edaphic, biotic, and management factors. Variables incorporated within models describing landscape patterns of weeds varied with response variable …

U.S. Fish And Wildlife Service Response To The Catfish Farmers Of Arkansas Information Quality Act (Iqa) Request For Correction

National Invasive Species Council

In February 2000, the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service (Service or we) received a petition from the Mississippi Interstate Cooperative Resources Association (MICRA) to list the black carp (Mylopharyngodon piceus) under the injurious wildlife provision of the Lacey Act (18 U.S.C. § 42). On June 2, 2000, we published an advance notice of proposed rulemaking (ANPR) (65 FR 35314) to seek comments on whether or not we should propose to list black carp as injurious under the Lacey Act. The comment period on the ANPR was open for 60 days, until August 1, 2000. During that comment period, …

Training And Implementation Guide For Pathway Definition, Risk Analysis And Risk Prioritization

National Invasive Species Council

The purpose of pathway risk analysis is to provide scientific analyses and policy recommendations in support of U.S. National Invasive Species Council’s Management Plan. These analyses and recommendations must comply with the Plan’s mandates to:

• ensure Federal efforts are coordinated and effective

• promote action and partnership at local, State, tribal and ecosystem levels

• identify recommendations for international cooperation; and,

• facilitate networks to document, monitor and prioritize invasive species pathways

Though many definitions for invasive species and pathways may exist, we are defining these terms as they relate to Federal regulatory functions. Definitions are recounted, below:

Invasive …