Digital Commons Network^™

A Simulation Model For Determining Cost-Effectiveness Of Fences For Reducing Deer Damage, Kurt C. Vercauteren, Michael J. Lavelle, Scott E. Hygnstrom

United States Department of Agriculture Wildlife Services: Staff Publications

The installation of fences to protect agricultural products, natural resources, or other areas from deer (Odocoileus spp.) can be expensive and potential benefits of fencing are difficult to quantify. A rational method is needed to help evaluate whether fencing can be cost-effective and which fence designs will be optimal for particular applications. We describe an interactive, dynamic simulation model that conducts economic analyses and predicts economic benefit associated with fences for crops relative to area and perimeter of protected plot, value of crop, percentage of crop damaged by deer annually prior to fencing, efficacy of fence, and costs of fence …

Interview With Peter Hayes, Hyla Woods, 2006 (Audio), Peter Hayes

All Sustainability History Project Oral Histories

Interview of Peter Hayes by Glen Esler on July 28th, 2006.

The interview index is available for download.

Using A General Indexing Paradigm To Monitor Rodent Populations, Richard M. Engeman, Desley Whisson

United States Department of Agriculture Wildlife Services: Staff Publications

Population monitoring is a valuable component to managing invasive rodent populations. Indices can be efficient methods for monitoring rodent populations, as more labor-intensive density estimation procedures often are impractical or invalid to apply. Many monitoring objectives can be couched in an indexing framework. Indexing procedures obtain maximal utility if they exhibit key characteristics, including being practical to apply, being sensitive to population changes or differences in the target species, having an inherent variance formula to estimate precision of index values, and relying on as few assumptions as possible. Here, a general indexing paradigm that promotes the characteristics that make indices …

Results From A Decade Of Black-Tailed Prairie Dog Monitoring, David Peitz, J. Tyler Cribbs

United States National Park Service: Publications

The black-tailed prairie dog (Cynomys ludovicianus), a keystone prairie species, historically occupied over 404,700 ha (100 million ac) of short- and mixed-grass prairie. Today, they occupy less than 2% of their original range. Scotts Bluff National Monument, Nebraska is one of eight National Park Service units with one or more black-tailed prairie dog colonies. Since 1995, a total of 202 observations were made on the population of the main colony at Scotts Bluff National Monument, to estimate annual densities and abundances. Estimated annual densities ranged between 9.2 and 53.0 individuals/ha (2.5 ac). Average density of prairies dogs was …

Blanding’S Turtle (Emydoidea Blandingii): A Technical Conservation Assessment, Justin D. Congdon, Douglas A. Keinath

United States Department of Agriculture, Forest Service / University of Nebraska-Lincoln: Faculty Publications

Blanding’s turtles (Emydoidea blandingii) are secure in Nebraska, and they range from being vulnerable to threatened, or endangered throughout most of the rest of their distribution. In Region 2, they have not been reported from Kansas, they are extremely rare in South Dakota, and they occupy wetlands in the northern half of Nebraska. The largest population known within the range of Blanding’s turtles is at Valentine National Wildlife Refuge, Nebraska.

The core habitat of Blanding’s turtles has an aquatic component that consists of a permanent wetland and a suite of other, usually smaller and more temporary, wetlands such …

Indiana Wildlife Disease News, Volume 1, Issue 3 -- July 2006

Indiana Wildlife Disease News

Special points of interest:
• Special Issue on rabies
• Oral rabies vaccination zone
• Update - avian influenza surveillance in wild birds in Indiana
• Indiana Rabies Task Force
• An update on wildlife disease in Indiana and surrounding states

Inside this issue:
Oral Rabies Vaccination 2
Mechanics of a Rabies Infection 2
Rabies in Indiana 3 Submitting Animals for Testing 4
AI Update Avian Botulism 5
Canine Distemper 5
Indiana Rabies Task Force 6

Factors Contributing To Dust Emissions In Clark County, Nevada Quarterly Progress Report: Period Ending July 15, 2006, Margaret N. Rees

Dust Emissions from Public Lands

• Hiring of post-doctoral scholar is currently being finalized.

• Modification to task agreement has been processed.

Sheep Updates 2006 - Part 4, K. G. Geenty, A. A. Swan, A. J. Smith, J. L. Smith, Chris Oldham, R. G. Woodgate, R. A. Love, E. Dobbe, H. M. Hoult, J. Pearson, S. Hill, A. Van Burgel, R. B. Besier, R. Warburton, L. Mathwin, D. Rogers, E. Crossley, Allan Herbert, P. Nichols, Tony Albertsen, Darryl Mcclements, Graeme Martin, Penny Hawken, Caroline Vinoles, Beth Paganoni, Dominique Blanche

Sheep Updates

This session covers seven papers from different authors:

MANAGEMENT

1. Wool and meat traits in Merino flocks in different regions, K.G. Geenty, A.A. Swan, A.J. Smith, J.L. Smith, Sheep CRC and CSIRO Livestock Industries, Armidale

2. Fat score or Condition score? - It all depends on what you want to do! Chris Oldham, Department of Agriculture and Food Western Australia

3. Sheep worm control - the latest for Western Australia, RG Woodgate, RA Love, E Dobbe, HM Hoult, J Pearson, S Hill, A van Burgel and RB Besier, Department of Agriculture and Food Western Australia

PASTURES

4. Rethinking pasture production …

Anguilliform Larvae Collected Off North Carolina, Steve W. Ross, Tara L. Casazza, Andrea M. Quattrini, Kenneth J. Sulak

United States Geological Survey: Staff Publications

The distinctive larval stage of eels (leptocephalus) facilitates dispersal through prolonged life in the open ocean. Leptocephali are abundant and diverse off North Carolina, yet data on distributions and biology are lacking. The water column (from surface to 1,293 m) was sampled in or near the Gulf Stream off Cape Hatteras, Cape Lookout, and Cape Fear, North Carolina during summer through fall of 1999–2005, and leptocephali were collected by neuston net, plankton net, Tucker trawl, and dip net. Additional samples were collected nearly monthly from a transect across southern Onslow Bay, North Carolina (from surface to 91 m) from April …

Planning For Robust Reserve Networks Using Uncertainty Analysis, Atte Moilanen, Michael Runge, Jane Elith, Andrew J. Tyre, Yohay Carmel, Eric Fegraus, Brendan A. Wintle, Mark A. Burgman, Yakov Ben-Haim

School of Natural Resources: Faculty Publications

Planning land-use for biodiversity conservation frequently involves computer-assisted reserve selection algorithms. Typically such algorithms operate on matrices of species presence–absence in sites, or on species-specific distributions of model predicted probabilities of occurrence in grid cells. There are practically always errors in input data—erroneous species presence–absence data, structural and parametric uncertainty in predictive habitat models, and lack of correspondence between temporal presence and long-run persistence. Despite these uncertainties, typical reserve selection methods proceed as if there is no uncertainty in the data or models. Having two conservation options of apparently equal biological value, one would prefer the option whose value is …

Monitoring Sustainability In Tropical Forests: How Changes In Canopy Spatial Pattern Can Indicate Forest Stands For Biodiversity Surveys, Naikoa Aguilar, Geoffrey Henobry

School of Natural Resources: Faculty Publications

Sustainable management of tropical forests has been identified as one of the main objectives for global conservation and management of carbon stocks. Toward this goal, managers need tools to determine whether current management practices are sustainable. Several international initiatives have been undertaken for the development of criteria and indicators to aid managers in moving toward sustainable practices. Despite these efforts, the question of how to apply and assess indicators remains to be answered from an operational, field-based perspective. Field surveys are expensive and time-consuming when management areas are large and in the face of logistical constraints. Thus, there is a …

The Value Of New Jersey's Ecosystem Services And Natural Capital, Robert Costanza, Matthew A. Wilson, Austin Troy, Alexey Voinov, Shang Liu, John D'Agostino

Institute for Sustainable Solutions Publications and Presentations

This report summarizes the results of a two-year study of the economic value of New Jersey's natural capital. Natural capital consists of those components of the natural environment that provide a long-term stream of benefits to individual people and to society as a whole; the value of natural capital is defined in this report as the present value of that benefit stream. Many of the benefits provided by natural capital come from ecological systems ('ecosystems'); an ecosystem is a dynamic complex of plant, animal, and microorganism communities and their nonliving environment, all interacting as a functional unit. The benefits provided …

Scwds Briefs: Volume 22, Number 2 (July 2006 )

Southeastern Cooperative Wildlife Disease Study: Publications

SCWDS BRIEFS
July 2006
USDA Publishes Final CWD Rule
Chronic Wasting Disease (CWD) Herd Certification Program and Interstate Movement of Farmed or Captive Deer
International Avian Influenza Conferences
Highly pathogenic avian influenza (HPAI) H5N1 viruses
HPAI H5N1
Two New NIH Grants & Three New Grad Students
Trypanosoma cruzi
Chagas disease (American trypanosomiasis)
Dr. Susan Little
Borrelia lonestari
Southern Tick- Associated Rash Illness (STARI)
Amblyomma americanum, the lone star tick
Dr. Michael Yabsley
Protozoal Epidemics Among Frogs in Georgia
Rana heckscheri
Perkinsus-like protozoan
Polymerase chain reaction (PCR)
Parasite & Disease Problems in Mourning Doves
West Nile virus
Ascardia columbae
Trichomonas gallinae …

Refuge Update – July/August 2006, Volume 3, Number 4

RefugeUpdate (USFWS-NWRS)

Table of Contents:
Taking the Bighorns Home, page 9
Focus on . . . Transportation, page 10-18
Living and Learning the Desert, page 21
Studying Bats, Coast to Coast, page 24

Water Current, Volume 38, No. 3. Summer 2006

Water Current Newsletter

• Fall Colloquium Features Research, Programming By Lorrie Benson

• Seeing Toxic Algae Before it Blooms by Steve Ress

• From the Director

• Meet the Faculty

• UNL Forms Public Water Resources Advisory Panel

• Atema Joins Water Center as Student Worker

• Hardin Hall Rededicated; SNR Moves In

• Potential For Algae Blooms Continues; Test Kits Available From UNL Extension by Steve Ress

• Harder, NRDs Identify Research Needs

• 2006 Water and Natural Resources Tour

• Water News Briefs

• Internships Through the Water Resources Research Initiative

• UNL’s Jess Notes Lists Creative Uses for Instate and …

When The Well Runs Dry: An Exploration Of Water Conservation And Blue Theology, Margaret H. Ferris

Reconstruction: Studies in Contemporary Culture

Worldwide, freshwater is becoming scarce as the Earth's population increases, the effects of pollution and global warming shrink available resources, and agriculture demands rise. As theological communities offer distinctive contributions to the dialogue, theologians need to address the crisis and provide appropriate analysis and solutions from the perspective of "Blue Theology". This paper formulates such an approach, offering some of the first efforts made towards addressing the global water crisis through a theological lens. Within the Abrahamic tradition, the essay examines: how water is specifically beloved by the Divine; and the implications of God's love of water. The paper next …

The Social Nature Of Natural Resources - The Case Of Water, Jamie Linton

Reconstruction: Studies in Contemporary Culture

Of all things, water is among the most difficult to pin down. It is nevertheless characteristic of modernity that we ascribe to it an essence, on which basis particular kinds of human-water relations are made possible while others are denied. The ascription of an essential identity to water constitutes a social and political act by which it is both made known to people and made available for people. This paper explores the implications of ascribing to water an identity as "resource." Water was pronounced a resource in the United States early in the last century in the context of the …

Donors, Modellers And Development Brokers: The Pork Barrel Of Water Management Research, Julie Trottier

Reconstruction: Studies in Contemporary Culture

Donors are shaping the mainstream research agenda concerning water management around the world. As large sums are made available within applied research programmes, many actors are competing to access them. This has led to the development of a new class of actors: the water research development brokers. Development brokers have mostly been studied in the developing world. They are usually defined as local actors who master the knowledge framework of donor organizations while their social positions and local networks allow them to act as intermediaries between the local population targeted by the donor and the donor itself. Such a position …

Overlooking, Rivers, Looking Over, T.S. Mcmillin

Reconstruction: Studies in Contemporary Culture

In this hybrid essay, composed of literary theory, cultural history, and fieldwork, T.S. McMillin attempts to connect the humanities to other disciplines and to connect scholarly work to the land. In the first part of the essay, he briefly develops a theory of palindromes and palindromic reflection. Palindromes connect thinking to movement and to reflection, and in turn serve as a model for experiencing texts or terrain. Occurring in music, literature, film and video art, mathematics, painting, even genetic code, palindromes underscore the complexity of the nature of things and the necessarily complex thinking that understanding the nature of things …

Growing Up With Glen, Kathryn Miles

Reconstruction: Studies in Contemporary Culture

Ecologists refer to it as 'shifting baselines.' Anthropologists call it 'environmental generational amnesia.' Both refer to the slow change in the ways we respond to and define the environment. As biologists and social scientists have deftly argued, definitions of environmentalism and sustainable resource use are often based on our earliest experiences with nature. We then use these memories as the basis for our understanding of the natural world and its use. Ultimately, this creates a generational approach to issues of conservation, particularly with regards to such contentious issues as water rights and the changing face of the American West. At …

Confronting Sustainability: Forest Certification In Developing And Transitioning Countries, Benjamin Cashore, Fred Gale, Errol Meidinger, Deanna Newsom

Yale School of the Environment Publications Series

No abstract provided.

The National Wildlife Research Center Research Update

United States Department of Agriculture Wildlife Services: Staff Publications

Invasive Species
Aviary Construction at NWRC Sandusky, Ohio, Field Station
Grasses May Help Reduce Wildlife Strike Threats to Aviation
Kirtland’s Warbler Conservation Efforts
Thesis on Wildlife Conservation Sunflower Plots Defended
Dissertation on Coyote Space Use Defended
Chemical Repellents and Barriers
Genetic Markers for Mountain Beaver Studies
Coyote Lure Operative Devices Tracked
NWRC Supports VS Program at Plum Island Animal Disease Center
Wildlife Services Scientists Travel to Asia to Assist with Avian Influenza
Population Studies
Rodent Management
International Meetings and Conferences

Invasive Predators: A Synthesis Of The Past, Present, And Future, William C. Pitt, Gary W. Witmer

United States Department of Agriculture Wildlife Services: Staff Publications

Invasive predators have had devastating effects on species around the world and their effects are increasing. Successful invasive predators typically have a high reproductive rate, short generation times, a generalized diet, and are small or secretive. However, the probability of a successful invasion is also dependent on the qualities of the ecosystem invaded. Ecosystems with a limited assemblage of native species are the most susceptible to invasion provided that habitat and climate are favorable. In addition, the number of invasion opportunities for a species increases the likelihood that the species will successfully establish. The list of routes of entry or …

The Land Is In Your Hands : A Practical Guide For Owners Of Small Rural Landholdings In Western Australia, Department Of Agriculture And Food, Wa

Bulletins 4000 -

This Bulletin discusses various aspects of managing a small farm or property in Western Australia, including soil and land care, vegetation and plant control on farm holdings, water resource management, biosecurity, plant, animal and insect pest control and livestock management.

Effectiveness Of A Motion-Activated Laser Hazing System For Repelling Captive Canada Geese, Scott J. Werner, Larry Clark

United States Department of Agriculture Wildlife Services: Staff Publications

Effective management techniques are needed to disperse Canada geese (Branta canadensis) and reduce the human–wildlife conflicts associated with high population densities. We evaluated the effectiveness of a motion-activated laser hazing system for repelling captive Canada geese. The system decreased occupancy of 8 pairs of geese on the treated subplot by 83% during habituation trials. When an additional pair of geese were added to the experiment, occupancy of the treated subplot decreased .92% during each of the 20 nights of the extended habituation test. Avoidance (conditioned during the test) remained ,80% of pretreatment levels during the 2 days immediately following the …

Interspecies Comparison Of Pentosidine Accumulation And Its Correlation With Age In Birds, Jesse A. Fallon, Robert L. Cochrane, Brian Dorr, Hillar Klandorf

United States Department of Agriculture Wildlife Services: Staff Publications

Recent studies suggest that a linear correlation exists between the age of individual birds and accumulation of the advanced glycation endproduct pentosidine (Ps). We compared Ps accumulation in skin tissue of Ruffed Grouse (Bonasa umbellus) and Double-crested Cormorants (Phalacrocorax auritus). Skin samples were taken from the breasts of 52 Ruffed Grouse of known ages ranging from a few days to 10 years. Skin was cleaned of feathers and adipose tissue, acid hydrolyzed, and measured for collagen content via hydroxyproline spectrophotometric assay. Pentosidine concentrations were determined using reverse-phase high-performance liquid chromatography. Fluorescent detection (excitation: 310 nm, emission: …

Tissue Glycogen And Extracellular Buffering Limit The Survival Of Red-Eared Slider Turtles During Anoxic Submergence At 3°C, Daniel E. Warren, Scott A. Reese, Donald C. Jackson

Faculty Articles

The goal of this study was to identify the factors that limit the survival of the red-eared slider turtle Trachemys scripta during long-term anoxic submergence at 3°C. We measured blood acid-base status and tissue lactate and glycogen contents after 13, 29, and 44 d of submergence from ventricle, liver, carapace (lactate only), and four skeletal muscles. We also measured plasma Ca²⁺, Mg²⁺, Na⁺, K⁺, Cl^-, inorganic phosphate (P_i), lactate, and glucose. After 44 d, one of the six remaining turtles died, while the other turtles were in poor …

Decreasing Emissions Of Methane From Rice Agriculture, M. A. K. Khalil, Martha J. Shearer

Environmental Science and Management Faculty Publications and Presentations

Methane emissions from rice fields are controlled by several key factors. The most important are the application of organic soil amendments and water management: whether the fields are flooded intermittently or continuously. The total annual emissions from any country or the world are thus affected by the area of rice harvested, and a composite emission factor that takes into account how the various agricultural practices are distributed in terms of fertilizer use and water management, as well as other less important variables. Over decades the area of rice harvested changes but so does the composite emission factor. The product therefore, …

Lake Mead National Recreation Area Sensitive Wildlife Species Monitoring And Analysis: Quarterly Progress Report, Period Ending June 30, 2006, Margaret N. Rees

Wildlife Monitoring

• Tortoise and tortoise habitat monitoring was conducted on the Northshore Road construction project, on the Southern Nevada Water Authority intake pipe project, the Frontier Telephone-Willow Beach project and the movie film at Temple Bar.
• A total of 25 tortoise education classes were given to 90 individuals.
• Evaluation of 3 potential sites for relict leopard frog translocations conducted but sites were not recommended.
• Head-starting and translocation efforts for relict leopard frogs continued. 1183 animals translocated so far this year.
• Relict Leopard Frog Conservation Team meeting held and yearly report completed.
• Continuation of data management and QA of GPS collar information from …

Advisory Circular: Qualifications For Wildlife Biologist Conducting Wildlife Hazard Assessments And Training Curriculums For Airport Personnel Involved In Controlling Wildlife Hazards On Airports, David L. Bennett

Other Bird Strike and Aviation Materials

This Advisory Circular (AC) describes the qualifications for wildlife biologists who conduct Wildlife Hazard Assessments for airports certificated under Title 14, Code of Federal Regulations, Part 139 (14 CFR, Part 139). In addition, it addresses the minimum wildlife hazard management curriculum for the initial and recurrent training of airport personnel involved in implementing a Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) approved Wildlife Hazard Management Plan.