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Significance Of Polycyclic Aromatic Hydrocarbons (Pahs) And Petroleum Biomarker Compounds In Contaminated Passaic River Sediments, Michael A. Kruge

Department of Earth and Environmental Studies Faculty Scholarship and Creative Works

The lower Passaic River (northeastern New Jersey) flows through one of the most densely populated regions of the United States. The area’s long history of industrial activity is reflected in the complex and variable hydrocarbon composition of the river sediments. Sediments from river bottom grab samples at Newark and a 30 cm deep core at Kearny were subjected to thermal desorption-gas chromatography/mass spectrometry (TD-GC/MS). This technique offers a practical alternative for rapid, inexpensive analysis, simply employing milligram quantities of dry, disaggregated sediment, avoiding the use of hazardous organic solvents. For each sample, a total of 181 hydrocarbons and organosulfur compounds …

First Record Of The Least Shrew In Wyoming; And Clostridium Perfingens Type A Enterotoxemia In A Captive Adult White-Tailed Deer, Shauna R. Marquardt, Brian C. Bartels, Cheryl A. Schmidt, Joshua A. Delger, Kevin L. Monteith, Jonathan A. Jenks

The Prairie Naturalist

First Record of the Leaast Shrew in Wyoming by Shauna R. Marquardt, Brian C. Bartels, and Cheryl A. Schmidt; and Clostridium perfingens Type A Enterotoxemia in a Captive Adult White-tailed Deer by Joshua A. Delger , Kevin L. Monteith, and Jonathan A. Jenks.

Habitat Characteristics Of Spring Blackbird Roosts In East-Central South Dakota, H. Jeffrey Homan, Richard S. Sawin, George M. Linz, William J. Bleier

The Prairie Naturalist

In the northern Great Plains, blackbirds (Icteridae) roost almost exclusively in emergent-dominated wetlands. The physical characteristics of wetland roosts are not well understood. From March 20 to April 20, 1999, we studied 16 wetlands used as blackbird roosts in east-central South Dakota. Six wetlands had major roosts (range: 102,000-298,000 blackbirds); whereas, 10 wetlands had minor roosts (range: 2,010-34,000 blackbirds). Maximum roost size was correlated directly with emergent vegetation area (P = 0.05) and possibly with wetland basin area (P ≤ 0.10). Water depths were greater at used sites within wetlands of major roosts (median = 44 cm) than …

The Prairie Naturalist, Volume 38, Number 3, September 2006, Elmer J. Finck, Hilary Gillock

The Prairie Naturalist

The Prairie Naturalist (September 2006) 38(3)

Editor: Elmer J. Finck

Assistant editor: Hilary Gillock

Great Plains Natural Science Society

Artificial Burrows and the Deer Mouse: Do Number of Entrances Influence Use? GLENNIS A. KAUFMAN1 and DONALD W. KAUFMAN, pages 145-154

Evaluating Genetic Viability of Pronghorn in Wind Cave National Park JONATHAN A. JENKSi , CHRISTOPHER N. JACQUES, JARET D. SIEVERS, ROBERT W. KLAVER, R. TERRY BOWYER, and DANIEL E. RODDY, pages 155-165

Age Structure and Reproductive Activity of the Blue Sucker in the Milk River, Missouri River Drainage, Montana JULIE BEDNARSKl1 and DENNIS L. SCARNECCHIA, pages 167-182

Habitat Characteristics of …

Reviews: Natural History Of Javelinas; And Three Dvds On Bats, Louis A. Harveson, Jean Legge

The Prairie Naturalist

Reviews of Javelinas: Collared Peccaries of the Southwest (2006) by Jane Manaster, Texas Tech University Press, Lubbock, Texas, 85 pages (review by Louis A. Harveson) and of The Secret World of Bats (DVD), Building Homes for Bats (DVD), and Kids Discover Bats (DVD) (2005) published by Bat Conservation International (review by Jean Legge).

Age Structure And Reproductive Activity Of The Blue Sucker In The Milk River, Missouri River Drainage, Montana, Julie Bednarski, Dennis L. Scarnecchia

The Prairie Naturalist

The life history and ecology of the blue sucker (Cycleptus elongatus) in the lower Milk River, Montana were investigated in 2002 and 2003. A total of 253 blue sucker was captured; 248 adult fish, three larval fish, and two age-0 juveniles. The ages (n = 102) of the adult blue sucker ranged from 10 to 37 years; maximum age greatly exceeded ages reported in other studies. Blue sucker in the Milk River population grew slower, matured later, and lived longer than fish at lower latitudes. Adult females of the blue sucker were longer and weighed more than …

Deep-Water Antipatharians: Proxies Of Environmental Change, B. Williams, M.J. Risk, S.W. Ross, K.J. Sulak

United States Geological Survey: Staff Publications

Deep-water (307–697 m) antipatharian (black coral) specimens were collected from the southeastern continental slope of the United States and the north-central Gulf of Mexico. The sclerochronology of the specimens indicates that skeletal growth takes place by formation of concentric coeval layers. We used 210Pb to estimate radial growth rate of two specimens, and to establish that they were several centuries old. Bands were delaminated in KOH and analyzed for carbon and nitrogen stable isotopes. Carbon values ranged from _16.4‰ to _15.7‰; the oldest specimen displayed the largest range in values. Nitrogen values ranged from 7.7‰ to 8.6‰. …

Inventory And Monitoring Of Aquatic Bird Species On Lakes Mead And Mohave 2004 - 2006, Joseph Barnes

Wildlife Monitoring

This project was completed as part of a task agreements awarded by the National Park Service (NPS), Lake Mead National Recreation Area (LAME), to the Public Lands Institute (PLI) at the University of Nevada, Las Vegas (UNLV). This final report was completed under a task agreement ending on September 30, 2006, and was completed in support of an NPS project funded by the Southern Nevada Public Lands Management Act (PLMA) to inventory and monitor shoreline and near-shore natural resources on Lakes Mead and Mohave (DOI 2005). This report details inventory and monitoring efforts on shoreline and aquatic bird species between …

Identification Of Priority Areas In South America For Exploration Of Natural Enemies For Classical Biological Control Of Tetranychus Evansi (Acari: Tetranychidae) In Africa, Komi K.M. Fiaboe, Rafael L. Fonseca, Gilberto J. De Moraes, Callistus K.P.O. Ogol, Markus Knapp

All Peer-Reviewed Publications

The red spider mite Tetranychus evansi Baker and Pritchard is a pest of tomato in East and Southern Africa. It is probably native to South America. Three models were established to identify priority areas for the search of natural enemies in South America for classical biological control of this pest in Africa. The models were based on the concept of "fundamental ecological niche", predicting regions in South America that have similar environmental conditions to areas where the mite is a problem in Africa, using Desktop-GARP (Genetic Algorithm for Rule-set Production). Based on the model established with data sets from Kenya …

Fences And Deer-Damage Management: A Review Of Designs And Efficacy, Kurt C. Vercauteren, Michael J. Lavelle, Scott Hygnstrom

United States Department of Agriculture Wildlife Services: Staff Publications

White-tailed deer (Odocoileus virginianus) may cause more damage than any other species of wildlife. These damages include crop loss, automobile and aviation collisions, disease transmission, environmental degradation, and destruction of ornamental plantings. One practical method of controlling deer damage is the use of exclusionary fences. The relatively high cost of labor and materials required to build effective fences has limited most applications to the protection of orchards, vegetable farms, other high-value resources, and mitigation of human health and safety risks. Improvements in fence technology resulting in less expensive, yet effective fences have expanded the use of fences to manage damage …

Blackbird Use And Damage Of Wildlife Conservation Sunflower Plots: The Second Year, Jonathan M. Raetzman, George M. Linz, William J. Bleier

United States Department of Agriculture Wildlife Services: Staff Publications

Annual blackbird damage to sunflower is valued at $5 to $10 million. Perhaps more importantly, the National Sunflower Association has identified blackbirds as the key reason for growers to abandon sunflower in areas of prime production. North Dakota and South Dakota together produce approximately 70% of sunflower grown in the United States. This crop adds $906 million to the regional economy. To date, cost effective and environmentally safe methods to reduce bird damage to sunflower remain elusive. In the 1980’s, scientists from the National Wildlife Research Center (NWRC) showed that “decoy” sunflower plots can greatly reduce bird damage to local …

A Shocking Device For Protection Of Concentrated Food Sources From Black Bears, Stewart W. Breck, Nathan Lance, Peggy Callahan

United States Department of Agriculture Wildlife Services: Staff Publications

Conflicts with American black bears (Ursus americanus) are increasing in rural and suburban areas throughout the United States. Human encroachment on bear range has increased availability of garbage, bird feeders, beehives, and other food sources. Preventing bears from attaining food from anthropogenic sources could mitigate these conflicts. We tested a new shocking mechanism that is being marketed to deter black bears from attaining food from clumped anthropogenic food sources. The Nuisance Bear Controller (NBC) has two 6-volt batteries wired to an automobile vibrator coil/condenser that emits 10,000–13,000 volts through a disk that triggers the device. Activation of the NBC only …

Landscape Use And Movements Of Wolves In Relation To Livestock In A Wildland–Agriculture Matrix, Andreas S. Chavez, Eric M. Gese

United States Department of Agriculture Wildlife Services: Staff Publications

Wolves (Canis lupus) have expanded their distribution into areas of the midwest United States that have not had wolves for several decades. With recolonization of wolves into agricultural areas, there is increasing concern of wolf–livestock conflicts. To assess the risk wolves may pose to livestock, we initiated a 3-year study investigating the activity patterns, movements, habitat use, visitation to livestock pastures by wolves, and the occurrence of depredation events in an agricultural–wildland matrix in northwestern Minnesota, USA. From June 1997 to November 1999, we captured 23 wolves, including pups, from 3 packs; we radio-collared 16 of these wolves. …

Proceedings Of 8th Bird Strike Committee Usa/Canada Annual Meeting: 21-24 August 2006

Bird Strike Committee-USA/Canada Joint Annual Meeting: 8th (2006)

Includes abstracts of 26 papers and 12 poster sessions. Complete in one document (39 pages).

Perchlorate And Nitrate Remediation Efficiency And Microbial Diversity In A Containerized Wetland Bioreactor, Paula Krauter, Bill Daily Jr., Valerie Dibley, Holly Pinkart, Tina Legler

All Faculty Scholarship for the College of the Sciences

We have developed a method to remove perchlorate (14–27 μg/L) and nitrate (48 mg/L) from contaminated groundwater using a wetland bioreactor. The bioreactor has operated continuously in a remote field location for more than 2 yr with a stable ecosystem of indigenous organisms. This study assesses the bioreactor for long-term perchlorate and nitrate remediation by evaluating influent and effluent groundwater for oxidation-reduction conditions and nitrate and perchlorate concentrations. Total community DNA was extracted and purified from 10-g sediment samples retrieved from vertical coring of the bioreactor during winter. Analysis by denaturing gradient gel electrophoresis of short, 16S rDNA, polymerase-chain-reaction products …

Boiga Irregularis+ (Reptile)

Other Publications in Wildlife Management

This night-loving and tree-loving, brown tree snake (Boiga irregularis) is so secretive in its nature that it is frequently concealed on container ships and in aircraft cargo. It probably arrived on Guam after World War II in a cargo ship. Now the wetlands, coastlands and forests of Guam are bereft of nine out of twelve native bird species (and two out of eleven native lizards) due to the snakes voracious appetite. The brown tree snake is not a fussy feeder, stimulating the very real fear that it might drive yet more species to extinction.

Sus Scrofa (Mammal)

Other Publications in Wildlife Management

Pigs are large omnivorous mammals with powerful bodies and coarse hairy coats. Their thick necks, wedge-shaped heads and mobile snouts are used in feeding to uproot the ground and find prey or plant material. Ecological characteristics of feral pig activity, group size and home range size should be considered in any management strategy aimed to control pig numbers or reduce their negative impact. Feral pig activity varies between different habitats and climates. High activity has been reported to occur in early morning and late afternoon in tropical climates (Diong 1982). However, in India pigs have been reported to feed nocturnally …

Remote Sensing Of Birds Around Airports – Present Efforts In Germany, Wilhelm Ruhe, Reinhold Hill

Bird Strike Committee-USA/Canada Joint Annual Meeting: 8th (2006)

As birds around airports and military airfields are a potential danger for air traffic, there are ongoing efforts, also in Germany, to monitor birds in conflicting airspaces. Besides other factors the spatial scale very much determines system demands and the resolution of detections. Based on the well known time lapse photography technique, digital video recording of radar screens is still used in long term (e.g. 2 years) bird monitoring studies at German airports. The technical equipment is easily installed and the remote controlled systems are working very reliable. However, data analysis is time consuming and needs a good deal of …

Seagrass Transect Data Summary And Analysis From A Six-Year Period: 1999 - 2004, Charlotte Harbor Environmental Center, Inc, Charlotte Harbor Aquatic Preserves Florida Department Of Environmental Protection

Reports

This report contains a summary and analysis of data from a seagrass transect monitoring project begun in 1998 by the Charlotte Harbor Aquatic Preserves, Florida Department of Environmental Protection. Seagrass abundance and distribution data at twenty-six locations around Upper Charlotte Harbor, Gasparilla Sound / Lemon Bay, and the Peace and Myakka Rivers have been collected annually each year since 1999 to characterize the local and regional abundance of seagrasses. The purpose of this report is to summarize the dataset, to detect changes (if any) in seagrass abundance and distribution which may have occurred over time, to suggest mechanisms that may …

Limitations Of Receiver/Data Loggers For Monitoring Radiocollared Animals, Stewart W. Breck, Nathan Lance, Jean Bourassa

United States Department of Agriculture Wildlife Services: Staff Publications

We evaluated the effectiveness of receiver/data loggers for monitoring the presence/absence of radiocollared animals in discrete areas. Our primary objective was to determine how variation in transmitter signal strength affected the size of area being monitored. This information will help researchers better manage the uncertainty related to determining an animal’s location relative to a discrete boundary. We used an adjustable attenuator to measure signal strength to determine the minimum number of decibels (dB) required to eliminate detection of a radio signal by receiver/data loggers. We quantified how dB varied depending upon orientation of the transmitter on the animal and distance …

Climate Variability Has A Stabilizing Effect On The Coexistence Of Prairie Grasses, Peter B. Adler, Janneke Hille Ris Lambers, Phaedon C. Kyriakidis, Qingfeng Guan, Jonathan M. Levine

School of Natural Resources: Faculty Publications

How expected increases in climate variability will affect species diversity depends on the role of such variability in regulating the coexistence of competing species. Despite theory linking temporal environmental fluctuations with the maintenance of diversity, the importance of climate variability for stabilizing coexistence remains unknown because of a lack of appropriate long-term observations. Here, we analyze three decades of demographic data from a Kansas prairie to demonstrate that interannual climate variability promotes the coexistence of three common grass species. Specifically, we show that (i) the dynamics of the three species satisfy all requirements of ‘‘storage effect’’ theory based on recruitment …

Sustainability With Globalization: An Unsustainable Proposition, Daniel B. Reader

Masters Theses & Specialist Projects

Globalization is recognized as a world-encompassing phenomenon, even as its benefits are debated. Sustainability, the capacity to maintain high standards of living through generations, is at stake. This paper examines the problems of sustainability with globalization from several perspectives. High statistical correlation between indices of globalization and environmental degradation (r2 = 0.977, p < .001) is found using multi-dimensional scaling software. The socially destabilizing, culture flattening effects of globalization are examined, and the terms ‘nationalism’ and ‘terrorism’ are defined. On the basis of its medial position among the indices of both globalization and environmental degradation, Chile is explored in a case study of the interaction. Conclusions regarding Chile’s vulnerabilities are reached, and the country’s environmental, social, and economic ‘weak spots’ are identified. The ethical positions of globalization and sustainability are considered, and the conclusion that there is very little that can be done to alter the nature of the interaction is drawn. It is suggested that globalization minimizes the prospects of success in efforts toward sustainability by maximizing vulnerabilities among sustainability’s components.

Integrated Fisheries Management Draft Allocation Report Roe's Abalone Perth Metropolitan Region., Integrated Fisheries Allocation Advisory Committee

Fisheries Management Papers

The IFAAC has prepared this report, which documents the committee’s initial position on allocations for the abalone resource, along with the reasons for its conclusions as a basis for widespread community consultation. This report follows the IFAAC’s preliminary investigation of the abalone resourcesharing issues and consultation with stakeholders

The Impact Of Acid Mine Drainage On West Little Sugar Creek, Vigo Co., In, Jodie L. Gibson

All-Inclusive List of Electronic Theses and Dissertations

This study evaluates the degree and extent of contamination in West Little Sugar Creek by analyzing water chemistry in the stream during low and moderate flow conditions. West Little Sugar Creek is located in Vigo County, Indiana and has been severely impacted by AMD discharging from the abandoned Green Valley Mine site. Stream water is commonly acidic (as low as pH 2.4) with elevated concentrations of Fe and Al and elevated trace elements including Ni, Zn, Cu, Cd, Cr, Co, and others, many of which exceed local and/or national surface water quality standards. Amorphous Fe and Al precipitates also form …

Wmi Outdoor News Bulletin * August 2006, Volume 60, No. 8

Wildlife Management Institute Outdoor News Bulletin

New report reveals problems with Bison Range agreement

WMI's Distinguished Service Award gets distinguished namesake

Wyoming and feds still growling over wolf management

New twist in reauthorization of Great Lakes Fish and Wildlife Restoration Act

Worth reading: Marley & Me

Sustainable Development Or Just Plain Development? An Analysis Of Sustainability Indicators For Chattanooga, Tennessee, Cheryl Horn

Masters Theses and Doctoral Dissertations

The city of Chattanooga, Tennessee, and the surrounding area has undergone a notable transformation in recent decades. Many of these changes have been used to promote the city as an environmentally friendly place to live, and the phrase sustainable development is frequently used to describe local growth and planning. However, no comprehensive analysis has been undertaken to determine whether Chattanooga is truly headed toward becoming a sustainable community in terms of environmental, social, and economic considerations. Based on the concept of sustainable development, as defined by the United Nations and others, and on sustainability studies conducted in four other cities, …

Benthic Biological Monitoring Program Of The Elizabeth River Watershed (2005), 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 seventh year of sampling in 2005. 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 …

Evidence Of An Active Enso And Pdq During The Mid-Holocene From A Costa Rican Speleothem, April D. Azouz

UNLV Theses, Dissertations, Professional Papers, and Capstones

Although the El Nino/Southern Oscillation (ENSO) is the most important source of inter-annual climate variability in the tropics, its Holocene history is poorly understood, particularly in Central America. A high resolution (-3.8 years/sample) paleoclimate record of Central American rainfall variability has been reconstructed from a U /Th-dated stalagmite (7890 to 6490 yrs B.P.) from Costa Rica to constrain the onset and variability of ENSO throughout the Holocene, and to determine its role in generating regional climate anomalies. I suggest drier conditions, forced by El Nino, are represented by higher 5180 values, and are correlative with higher 513C values, indicating that …

Influences Of Watershed Urban Development On Habitat Heterogeneity And Native Fish Diversity In A Ridge And Valley Stream In Southeastern Tennessee, Nicholas B. Cookson

Masters Theses and Doctoral Dissertations

The present study examined relationships of landscape features with instream environmental conditions and fish assemblage attributes in a third-order Ridge and Valley stream in the Chattanooga, Tennessee area. Stream water quality, habitat, and fish assemblages were sampled in May-June 2005 at seven sites (drainage areas <17 km2) in the Mountain Creek system (Tennessee River drainage). Watershed urban land use (predominantly residential) ranged from 1.62 % to 18.97 % and housing density from 49 housing units/km2 to 72 housing units/km2. Natural riparian land cover at the sites ranged from 26.9 % to 53.1 %. A total of22 species offish and 3,686 individuals was found at the seven sites. Native species richness per drainage area ranged from 0.12 species/km2 to 1.15 species/km2 at the individual sites. Species evenness ranged from 0.56 to 0.79. Index of biotic integrity ratings varied from poor to good. Watershed urban land use was negatively correlated with species richness, species evenness, variation in stream shape, and variation in current velocity. Housing density in the watershed was positively correlated with sediment depth and negatively correlated with species richness, substrate diversity, and variation in stream shape. Riparian natural cover was positively correlated with variation in current velocity. Results of this study emphasize the negative influence of watershed residential land use on stream habitat heterogeneity and native fish diversity.

Susceptibility Of Greater Sage-Grouse To Experimental Infection With West Nile Virus, Larry Clark, Jeffrey Hall, Robert Mclean, Michael Dunbar, Kaci Klenk, Richard Bowen, Cynthia A. Smeraski

United States Department of Agriculture Wildlife Services: Staff Publications

Populations of greater sage-grouse (Centrocercus urophasianus) have declined 45– 80% in North America since 1950. Although much of this decline has been attributed to habitat loss, recent field studies have indicated that West Nile virus (WNV) has had a significant negative impact on local populations of grouse. We confirm the susceptibility of greater sage-grouse to WNV infection in laboratory experimental studies. Grouse were challenged by subcutaneous injection of WNV (103.2 plaque-forming units [PFUs]). All grouse died within 6 days of infection. The Kaplan-Meier estimate for 50% survival was 4.5 days. Mean peak viremia for nonvaccinated birds was 106.4 PFUs/ml (6100.2 …