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The Probe, Issue 238 – May/June 2005

The Probe: Newsletter of the National Animal Damage Control Association

Dusting Off the CLOD -- Are Berentsen, Research Associate, Utah State University, Jack H. Berryman Institute
A Last Resort for Bear and Lion Problems -- By Dexter K. Oliver, Duncan, Arizona
Book Review: “Innovative Skunk Control” by Rob Erickson (DeKalb, Ill: R.J.E. Publications, 2005.) paperback pp. 1-79. $15.95
BEIJING - China imported a U.S.-made scream machine to scare away the birds at Beijing airport -- except they didn’t recognize the noises and refused to budge.

When Scoundrels Rule: Review Of The Last Refuge: Patriotism, Politics, And The Environment In An Age Of Terror, By David W. Orr, Robert Costanza

Institute for Sustainable Solutions Publications and Presentations

Book Review of The Last Refuge: Patriotism, Politics, and the Environment in an Age of Terror. David W. Orr. Island Press, Washington, DC, 2004.

Exposure Assessment Of Mercury In Fish From Kentucky Surface Waters, Najla Gubari

Masters Theses & Specialist Projects

Consumption of fish contaminated with mercury is the primary exposure pathway by which humans are exposed to mercury. Mercury is known to be a neurological toxin that can cause attention and language deficits, impaired memory, and impaired visual and motor function, especially in children under the age of six. In addition, mercury exposure can lead to other health problems in adults, such as damage to the kidney and increased risk of coronary heart disease. This study assesses the exposure to mercury through consumption of fish from Kentucky surface waters. The exposure assessment is based on data collected by the Kentucky …

Relationships Between Environmental Factors And Fungi On Occupants' Perceptions Of Indoor Air Quality, Monica Rodriguez

Masters Theses & Specialist Projects

In recent decades, concerns about potential health effects resulting from exposure to contaminants that cause indoor air pollution have dramatically increased. The purpose of this study was to assess the indoor air quality of three buildings at Western Kentucky University and to examine and characterize indoor levels of basic comfort parameters, carbon dioxide, and fungi as well as occupants' perceptions of poor indoor air quality and the role of fungi on reported health symptoms. The three buildings included in the study were: Tate Page Hall (TPH), Jones Jagger Hall (JJH) and Science and Technology Hall (STH). Fifty-three questionnaires were completed …

Alternative Futures For The Bear River Watershed, Bioregional Planning Program, Department Of Environmental Society, College Of Natural Resources, Utah State University, R. E. Toth, J. B. Baker, C. L. Bryner, J. Evans, K. E. Hinman, K. R. Kilpatrick, K. Seegmiller

All U.S. Government Documents (Utah Regional Depository)

No abstract provided.

2002 Licensed Angler Survey: Summarized Results, Keith L. Hurley, Kristin L. Duppong-Hurley

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

On October 22, 2002, 5000 six-page surveys (Appendix 3) were sent to a stratified-random sample of Nebraska anglers drawn from the 2001 licensed anglers database. The database included all anglers who purchased a fishing license in 2001 as well as all lifetime fishing permit holders who purchased their license before or during 2001. The database did not include those possessing a free permit, such as veteran’s or senior citizen permits. The survey subsample (2.6% of the 2001-licensed angler database) was stratified such that the proportions of surveys in the subsample (4366 residents and 634 non-residents) matched the proportions of resident/non-resident …

The Effect Of Scaling-Up On Remotely Derived Leaf Area Index Estimators In The Brazilian Amazon, John I. Menzies

All-Inclusive List of Electronic Theses and Dissertations

This research compared a traditional statistical technique with artificial neural networks to determine their effectiveness for modeling LAI in the Santarem region of the Brazilian Amazon. In addition, different satellite sensors in the form of ETM+, ASTER, MO DIS, and IKONOS were used to assess if spatial and spectral resolutions play a role in the ability to estimate LAI. This study focused on the following: (1) Determining if neural networks perform more accurately than multiple regression for LAI modeling (2) the effectiveness of different resolution satellite data including ETM+, ASTER, MODIS, and IKONOS for LAI estimation; (3) determining if spatial …

Water Current, Volume 37, No. 2. Spring 2005

Water Current Newsletter

• Gleick Headlines April Water Management and Policy Conference by Steve Ress

• Water and Natural Resources Tour Looks at LB962, Sandhills, Pine Ridge Issues by Steve Ress

• From the Director

• Meet the Faculty

• Holz Named Water Center Assistant Director

• Water Resources Research Initiative One of 11 “Programs of Excellence”

• Cooperative Extension Ready With Algae Test Kits by Steve Ress

• Blue-green Algae a Known Health Risk

• Revisions to Water Well Construction, Pump Installation and Water Well Decommissioning Standards by Sharon Skipton • “Optimizer” Computer Tool Helps With Crop Production Under Limited Irrigation By …

Quantifying Atmospheric Nitrogen Deposition As A Nonpoint Source Pollution And Its Potential Effects On The Mullica River-Great Bay Ecosystem, Jennifer Haag

Theses, Dissertations and Culminating Projects

To characterize atmospheric nitrogen deposition and its potential impact on the Mullica River-Great Bay Estuary, atmospheric sampling was conducted at Rutgers University Marine Field Station in Tuckerton, New Jersey from March 2004 to March 2005. A total of 52 precipitation samples were collected on an event basis using a MIC wet-only automatic precipitation sampler. A total of 23 aerosol samples were also taken during this period of time with a high-volume aerosol sampler. Chemical analysis was performed using a Dionex Ion Chromatograph to determine the concentrations of nitrate and ammonium in precipitation and associated with aerosols. Nitrate concentrations for precipitation …

An Additional Record Of The Ornate Box Turtle From Western South Dakota, Steven G. Platt, Jennifer I. Stover, Edward J. Stover Iii

The Prairie Naturalist

On June 11, 2003, one of us (EJS) found an ornate box turtle crossing BIA Highway 2, approximately 7.2 km north of Sharps Comer on the Pine Ridge Indian Reservation in Shannon County, South Dakota. The air temperature at the time of collection was approximately 30°C and the substrate was moist from light rain the previous day. The turtle was an adult female with a straight-line carapace length of 118 mm. Other straight-line measurements were: maximum carapace width = 100 mm; plastron length = 122 mm; maximum plastron width = 82 mm; and maximum shell depth = 64 mm. We …

Fisheries Occasional Paper No. 19 - Management Of Western Rock Lobster Fishery - Proposed Resource Sustainability Management Package For The Northern Zones (A And B), Department Of Fisheries Western Australia

Fisheries Occasional Publications

The proposed effort reduction management package presented in this paper was developed in close co-operation with rock lobster industry to address the short-term sustainability concerns regarding the level of breeding stock in the northern region.

The management package does not address the serious long-term sustainability or socio-economic issues (e.g. cost pressures and related fleet capacity) facing the industry. If the fishery stays with input controls there will need to be regular reviews of the level of exploitation and its impact on the breeding stock. If exploitation increases and the breeding stock continues to decline additional fishing effort reductions in the …

Boston Harbor Islands Renewables Planning Guide, Urban Harbors Institute, University Of Massachusetts Boston, Island Alliance

Urban Harbors Institute Publications

This document presents a summary of findings and recommendations from a predevelopment study of the feasibility of establishing renewable energy power generation on several of the grid-tied Boston Harbor Islands. The scope of the study was to investigate the factors and issues associated with installing a mix of renewables — wind, solar, wave and tidal/current power generating facilities — with a combined output of between one and ten megawatts at sites on or around five of the Boston Harbor Islands. Four of these islands are presently grid-tied: Long Island, Moon Island, Spectacle Island, and Thompson Island. A fifth island, Peddocks …

Effects Of Pre- And Post-Trip Activities Associated With A Residential Environmental Education Experience At The New Jersey School Of Conservation On Students’ Attitudes Toward The Environment, Lisa Cavern

Theses, Dissertations and Culminating Projects

Scholars of both general education and environmental education (EE) have suggested using targeted activities before and after field experiences may increase the assimilation of desired concepts by students (Ballantyne & Packer, 1996; Bogner, 1998; Dettmann- Easler & Pease, 1999; Flavell, 1979; Knapp & Poff, 2001; Marzano, Gaddy, & Dean, 2000). A search of the EE literature using the ERIC database for the years 1967-present found two studies that explored the use of additional activities to prepare for or reinforce concepts from zoo and garden programs (Farmer & Wott, 1995; Gutierrez de White & Jacobson, 1994), but none related to residential …

Fisheries Occasional Paper No. 20 - Management Of Western Rock Lobster Fishery - Advice To Stakeholders - Assessment Of Southern Zone Resource Sustainability Options, Department Of Fisheries, Western Australia

Fisheries Occasional Publications

The management options presented in this paper have been developed in close cooperation with the rock lobster industry to address the short-term sustainability and economic concerns regarding the level of exploitation and its impact on the breeding stock in the southern region. The main focus in the short-term is to consider options that reduce fishing effort during periods that may be economically inefficient to fish and at the same time reduce the level of exploitation.

The management package does not address the serious long-term sustainability or socioeconomic issues (e.g. cost pressures and related fleet capacity) facing the industry. If the …

Parasitized And Non-Parasitized Prey Selectivity By An Insectivorous Bird, Gregory A. Jones, Kathryn E. Sieving, Michael L. Avery, Robert L. Meagher

United States Department of Agriculture Wildlife Services: Staff Publications

The identification and conservation of naturally occurring enemies of crop pests is an important means of improving biological control in cropping systems. One particularly important potential mechanism whereby birds might stabilize and improve pest control is consumption of individual prey that escape mortality from other agents of biological control. We tested the hypothesis that birds prefer to forage upon non-parasitized fall armyworm (Spodoptera frugiperda J. E. Smith) prey via captive feeding trials, where birds were also offered armyworms parasitized by Euplectrus plathypenae (Howard) larvae. While birds were equally willing to eat both parasitized and non-parasitized armyworm prey of the same …

A Comparison Of Population Sizes And Number Of Captures For The Desert Woodrat (Neotoma Lepida) In Two Microhabitats In The Las Vegas Wash, Nevada, Jayson Barangan

UNLV Theses, Dissertations, Professional Papers, and Capstones

Planned removal and eradication of saltcedar in the Las Vegas Wash, Nevada could potentially generate adverse impacts on present desert woodrat (Neotoma lepida) populations inhabiting the area. Consequently, research was conducted investigating population sizes of N. lepida in two distinct microhabitat types, saltcedar (Tamarix sp.) and mesquite/quailbush (Prosopis sp./Atriplex lentiformis). The results of this study will aid in gauging the effects of the changes in vegetation once restoration work is completed and assist with logistical scheduling for implementation of control measures. Mark-recapture field techniques were utilized for data collection from July 2002 to June 2003. Population estimates were calculated using …

Streamlining The National Environmental Policy Act Reporting Requirements: A Hard Look At The Healthy Forests Initiative, Jeffrey Alan Geller

UNLV Theses, Dissertations, Professional Papers, and Capstones

The U.S. Forest Service (USFS) has implemented the Healthy Forests Initiative (HFI) (2002), which streamlines the NEPA process for proposed forest fuel reduction projects. A key question is whether the USFS’s streamlined NEPA process produces an adequate environmental document and fulfills regulatory requirements. This thesis evaluates whether the streamlined approach practiced by the USFS under the HFI satisfies the NEPA requirements. A review of four streamlined documents assesses whether these requirements are met. The following NEPA requirements in particular are explored for each project to determine whether the NEPA requirements are met: consideration of a reasonable range of alternatives to …

South Chattanooga And Chattanooga Creek Floodplain: A Case Study, Maya M. Belka

Masters Theses and Doctoral Dissertations

South Chattanooga, Tennessee, has been the object of numerous investigations due to its large minority population and industrial history. Utilizing the case study approach, the area was examined as both an environmental justice community and home to an active Superfund site. Through legal analysis, historical research, environmental sampling, and government agency assessment, patterns emerged. The patterns provided a means for comparison with other communities in similar situations. The comparisons allowed for the formulation of several recommendations. The community's proximity to the heavily polluted Chattanooga Creek was a key component of the South Chattanooga case study. Chattanooga Creek flows through the …

Conservation Of Castanea Dentata Genetic Resources Of The Southeastern United States, Mark Thomas Alexander

Masters Theses and Doctoral Dissertations

The ongoing effort by the American Chestnut Foundation to breed and reintroduce a blight resistant, locally adapted variety of American chestnut (Castanea dentata) requires a broad genetic base. To ensure adequate genetic diversity, genetic resources must be collected from throughout the native range of the species. Finding and breeding surviving C. dentata stump sprouts is problematic due to the relatively short life span of blooming stems and their often remote forest habitat. To facilitate more efficient location of surviving trees in the southeastern U.S., we used a Geographic Information System (GIS) to overlay soil, topography, and satellite imagery for the …

An Evaluation Of Tennessee's Early Action Compacts To Achieve Compliance With New Ozone Standards: A Dynamic Analysis Of Reduction Strategies To Decrease Tropospheric Ozone Formation, Christopher W. Hayes

Masters Theses and Doctoral Dissertations

On June 19, 2002, the U.S Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) endorsed the Early Action Compact (EAC), a mechanism designed to aid potential nonattainment areas throughout the United States to comply with the new 8-hour National Ambient Air Quality Standards (NAAQS) set for ground-level ozone. Under the Compact, local areas will have the flexibility to design and implement ozone reduction control measures specific to the area's needs. The EAC will also defer nonattainment designation from April 15, 2004 to a date no later than December 31 , 2007. A nonattainment designation carries with it negative repercussions that affect the local economy …

Research To Support And Enhance Feral Swine Removal Efforts, Richard M. Engeman, Bernice Constantin, Stephanie A. Schwiff, Henry T. Smith, John Woolard

United States Department of Agriculture Wildlife Services: Staff Publications

Swine adversely affect the environment in most places around the world where they have been introduced into the wild. In many of those places swine removal is key to protection of a variety of special habitats, wetlands in particular. We have pursued several avenues of research and technique development to enhance swine removal efforts, primarily in Florida. An easily-applied passive tracking index (PTI) with good statistical properties has been effective for monitoring swine distribution and relative abundance, thus aiding the location of control method applications and the evaluation of control results. A quadrat sampiing methodology used in conjunction with the …

Pathogenicity Of Beauveria Bassiana And Metarhizium Anisopliae To The Tobacco Spider Mite Tetranychus Evansi, Vitalis W. Wekesa, Nguya K. Maniania, Markus Knapp, Hamadi I. Boga

All Peer-Reviewed Publications

Seventeen isolates of Metarhizium anisopliae (Metschnikoff) Sorokin and two isolates of Beauveria bassiana (Balsamo) Vuillemin were evaluated for their pathogenicity against the tobacco spider mite, Tetranychus evansi Baker & Pritchard. In the laboratory all the fungal isolates were pathogenic to the adult female mites, causing mortality between 22.1 and 82.6%. Isolates causing more than 70% mortality were subjected to dose-response mortality bioassays. The lethal concentration causing 50% mortality (LC50) values ranged between 0.7×107 and 2.5×107 conidia ml -1. The lethal time to 50% mortality (LT50) values of the most active isolates of B. bassiana and M. anisopliae strains varied between …

Characteristics Of Ungulate Behavior And Mortality Associated With Wire Fences, Justin L. Harrington

All Graduate Theses and Dissertations, Spring 1920 to Summer 2023

I studied the characteristics of fence mortality in pronghorn (Antilocapra americana), mule deer (Odocoileus hemionus), and elk (Cervus elaphus) along roads in Colorado and Utah from June 2004 to June 2005. I defined a direct-fence mortality as a carcass caught directly in a fence and an indirect-fence mortality as a carcass on the ground within 10 m of a fence. I estimated an average annual direct mortality occurrence of 0.25 mortalities/km (0.078 mule deer mortalities/km, 0.113 pronghorn mortalities/km, and 0.061 elk mortalities/km). The highest fence-mortality rates for ungulates occurred during August, which coincided with …

Observed Omnivory In The Herbivorous Blue Tilapia (Oreochromis Aureus), Stephen M. Oliveira Jr.

UNLV Theses, Dissertations, Professional Papers, and Capstones

Gila seminuda, a native endangered species, and Oreochromis aureus, a nonnative invasive species, share the same habitat in the form of the Reid Gardner Power Plant intake ponds. The purpose of this study is to characterize the feeding habits of Oreochromis aureus within the Reid Gardner Power Plant intake ponds and address the potential predation habits of Oreochromis aureus. Stomach contents of O. aureus were identified and analyzed using chi-square and log-likelihood ratio techniques, with respect to mass, length, girth, gender, or spatial distribution of samples. Results showed omnivorous behavior with a 7.00% predatory/prey relationship, and no difference of feeding …

Internal Phosphorus Loading In Spring Lake Eight Months Following An Alum Treatment, Alan Steinman, Mary Ogdahl

Scientific Technical Reports

An analysis of internal phosphorus loading in Spring Lake, MI was conducted during August 2006, eight months following an alum treatment. Sediment cores were removed from 4 sites (that had been sampled previously in 2003 and 2004) and incubated in the laboratory under aerobic (with oxygen) and anaerobic (without oxygen) conditions. Phosphorus flux from the sediments into the overlaying water column were measured over a 22-day period and compared to rates measured from sediment cores collected previously from these sites. Field measurements showed reduced soluble reactive and total phosphorus concentrations the summer following the alum application, but chlorophyll and irradiance …

Proximal Cues Of Pocket Gopher Burrow Plugging Behavior: Influence Of Light, Burrow Openings, And Temperature, Scott J. Werner, Dale L. Nolte, Frederick D. Provenza

United States Department of Agriculture Wildlife Services: Staff Publications

Burrow plugging is readily observed among mammals adapted for digging (i.e., fossorial mammals) as they create and maintain their burrows. We investigated the influence of light, burrow openings, and thermal environment as cues of pocket gopher (Thomomys mazama, Thomomys talpoides) behavior. When given free access to light and no light during artificial-burrow preference trials, both Thomomys spp. consistently plugged (i.e., avoided) light treatments. Burrow openings did not notably affect plugging behavior of T. mazama. Gophers (T. talpoides) plugged the artificial burrows within the light and cold (7 -C) treatments, but not within the no-light, and 18 or 31 -C treatments …

Presentation To Mojave-Southern Great Basin Rac, Public Lands Institute

Presentations (PLI)

University manages selected SNPLMA projects as determined by the four federal agencies. Projects must be:

• Compatible with UNLV’s mission.
• Enhance education and research.
• Draw upon expertise of faculty, staff, and students.

Natural Loggers: Leaf Cutter Ants As Pests In Northwestern Ecuador, Aaron Honig

Independent Study Project (ISP) Collection

The biological world is under attack. All across the world in every continent and sub-continent biological diversity is rapidly decreasing (Wilson, 1999). As the human population continues to exponentially increase, especially in Third World countries where biological diversity reaches its peak, countless diverse biological habitats are threatened by accelerating human consumption and the growing needs of growing human populations. In Ecuador, only 1% of the original tropical forest remains, as a result of the accelerating need of viable agricultural tracts for Ecuador’s relatively poor farmers, as well as the unsustainable harvest of valuable hardwood tree species endemic to Ecuador’s primary …

Fisheries Research Report No. 149 - The Western Rock Lobster Fishery 2001/2002 To 2002/2003, C F. Chubb, E H. Barker

Fisheries Research Reports

Season 2001/2002 produced 8,983 tonnes, a far cry from last season’s catch of 11,300 t. The sharp decline in catch was most likely the result of unfavourable environmental conditions throughout much of the season. The catches by the three zones were 1,651 tonnes in zone A, 2,800 tonnes in zone B and 4,532 tonnes in zone C. The sharp decline in total catch on the previous season was also reflected in declining catches in the three zones. Nominal effort also declined slightly from 10.487 million pot lifts in 2000/2001 to 10.367 million pot lifts in 2001/2002. Following the very low …

Continuing Analysis Of Phytoplankton Nutrient Limitation In Farmington Bay And The Great Salt Lake, Wayne A. Wurtsbaugh, Amy M. Marcarelli

Watershed Sciences Faculty Publications

Farmington Bay is a nutrient-enriched, highly eutrophic embayment of the Great Salt Lake. The highly variable salinity of the bay influences what species of plankton can survive there. Previous analyses suggested that cyanobacteria (blue-green algae) may not be able to survive or fix atmospheric nitrogen at high salinities, thus maintaining the lake in a nitrogen-limited state. To determine the interacting influence of nutrients and salinity on the growth and nitrogen fixation of plankton we performed a 28-day bioassay with water from Farmington and Gilbert Bays in October 2004. We tested the response of the plankton to additions of nitrogen (N) …