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Feasibility Of Mapping Benthic Biotopes In The Hudson River, Nicole P. Maher, Robert M. Cerrato

School of Marine & Atmospheric Sciences Faculty Publications

Successful management of aquatic resources requires comprehensive maps that identify the spatial distribution and extent of potentially vulnerable habitats and their resident biota (e.g., essential fish habitat). We illustrate a technique that describes submerged landscapes not only in terms of geophysical properties, but also in terms of the resident biotic communities. Biological community distribution was highly correlated with the geophysical provinces initially identified by Bell et al. (2000). However, fewer groups of stations (created mainly by combining provinces) explained almost as much of the variation in benthic community structure and was a better description of the major biotopes in this …

Characterization Of Microbial Processes That Degrade Chlorinated Solvents In A Constructed Wetland Using Organic Acid And Inorganic Anion Concentration Profiles, Chad B. Bondurant

Theses and Dissertations

Chlorinated solvents have been used in industrial cleaning and degreasing processes in the United States since the early 1900s, and their induction into the environment increased significantly with the growth of industrial processes over the past century. PCE, TCE and their daughter products have been associated with a number of human health concerns and are currently the most common contaminants found in groundwater in the United States. Wetlands possess characteristics necessary for the complete degradation of chlorinated ethenes by microorganisms via anaerobic and aerobic regions that foster the necessary oxidation-reduction conditions. Organic acid and inorganic anion concentrations were evaluated in …

Modeling A Field Application Of In Situ Bioremediation Of Perchlorate-Contaminated Groundwater Using Horizontal Flow Treatment Wells (Hftws), Peter G. Chosa

Theses and Dissertations

Perchlorate contaminated groundwater is rapidly becoming a significant environmental remediation issue for the Department of Defense. In this study, an existing numerical model that simulates the operation of a Horizontal Flow Treatment Well (HFTW) system to effect the in situ biodegradation of perchlorate through the addition of an electron donor is modified to include a submodel that describes bioclogging. Bioclogging restricts flow out of the HFTW due to the accumulation of biomass directly adjacent to the well. The modified model is then applied to an existing perchlorate contaminated site that will be used for an evaluation of the HFTW technology. …

Application Of Horizontal Flow Treatment Wells For In Situ Treatment Of Mtbe-Contaminated Groundwater, Preston F. Rufe

Theses and Dissertations

This study utilized a three-dimensional numerical model to evaluate the potential application of HFTWs to manage MTBE-contaminated groundwater. HFTWs consist of two dual-screened treatment wells. One well operates in an upflow mode, with MTBE-contaminated water extracted from an aquifer through a screen in the deep portion of an aquifer and injected into the aquifer through a shallow well screen, while the adjacent well operates in a downflow mode, extracting water from the shallow zone of the aquifer and injecting it into the deep zone. As the MTBE-contaminated water flows through the wells, an electron acceptor and/or another electron donor is …

Food Habits Of Lesser Scaup (Aythya Affinis) Occupying Baitfish Aquaculture Facilities In Arkansas, David E. Wooten, Scott J. Werner

United States Department of Agriculture Wildlife Services: Staff Publications

Lesser scaup (Aythya affinis), medium-sized black and white diving ducks, were collected at Arkansas baitfish farms during November-December 1999 (N = 33), January-February 2000 (N = 39), and March-April 2000 (N = 22) to determine seasonal differences in their diet and their relative impact to baitfish production. The mass of gastrointestinal contents was used to determine the proportion of each diet item relative to all items recovered during stomach analyses. Chironomids were the primary food item recovered. Ten of 94 (10.6%) scaup contained identifiable fish biomass. Fish bones and otoliths were found in an additional …

The Prairie Naturalist Volume 36, No.1 March 2004

The Prairie Naturalist

DUCK NESTING SUCCESS IN NORTH DAKOTA ROAD RIGHT-OF-WAYS ▪ J. Walker, S. S. Stephens, M. S. Lindberg, and J. 1. Rotella

DID TALLGRASS PRAIRIE EXTEND INTO PENNSYLVANIA? ▪ D. C. Laughlin

INFLUENCE OF PREY ABUNDANCE ON RAPTORS IN TALLGRASS PRAIRIE ▪ A. W. Reed, G. A. Kaufman, D. A. Rintoul, and D. W. Kaufman

AMERICAN BITTERN NESTING IN THE SAN JOAQUIN VALLEY, CALIFORNIA ▪ L. C. Carroll and F. A. de Szalay

THE FLORA OF THE COTTONWOOD LAKE STUDY AREA, STUTSMAN COUNTY, NORTH DAKOTA ▪ . D. M. Mushet, N. H. Euliss Jr., S. P. Lane, and C. M. Goldade …

Habitat Associations Of Gopher Tortoise Burrows On Industrial Timberlands, Jeanne C. Jones, Brian S. Dorr

United States Department of Agriculture Wildlife Services: Staff Publications

The western population of the gopher tortoise (Gopherus polyphemus) was listed as threatened under the Endangered Species Act in 1987 due to extensive population declines. Declines have been linked to site conversion of native pine (Pinus spp.) forests for urban development, agriculture, and commercial forest management. We conducted surveys to detect tortoise burrows on corporate timberlands in southern Mississippi and southwestern Alabama during summer 1994. We surveyed 2,759 0.5-ha strip transects on soil types of 9 different suitability categories for gopher tortoises. We found 460 active and 264 abandoned burrows on the 1,380 ha surveyed. Edaphic and …

Biology And Culture Of Channel Catfish, James F. Glahn, D. Tommy King

United States Department of Agriculture Wildlife Services: Staff Publications

A survey of catfish producers by the United States Department of Agriculture. Centers for Epidemiology and Animal Health (CEAH) in 1996 indicated that the two primary sources of catfish losses in commercial operations were disease (45%) and wildlife (37%) (CEAH 1997a) . A variety of avian and mammalian predators are attracted to aquaculture facilities in the United States (Parkhurst et a1 . 1992) because ponds and open raceways provide a constant and readily accessible food supply for these animals . However. the mere presence of these predators around aquaculture facilities does not necessarily mean that significant depredation problems are occurring …

Coyotes In Yellowstone National Park: The Influence Of Dominance On Foraging, Territoriality, And Fitness, Eric M. Gese

United States Department of Agriculture Wildlife Services: Staff Publications

The coyote, is an opportunistic, generalist predator that has expanded its distribution to most of North America and is probably one of the most widely researched canids. Yet, its typically nocturnal, secretive behavior mean there have been only two studies-both in Grand Teton National Park, Wyoming-based on direct observation of wild coyotes (Camenzind 1978b; Bekoff and Wells 1986). The coyote population in YNP has not been persecuted for several decades, and thus is tolerant of humans to an extent that has facilitated our studies of how coyotes deal with fluctuations in temperature, snow depth, snow-pack hardness, and food availability (e.g. …

Leptospirosis In The Azores: The Rodent Connection, Gary W. Witmer, Hernani Martins, Lidia Flor

United States Department of Agriculture Wildlife Services: Staff Publications

The Azores are Portuguese islands in the North Atlantic Ocean. The culture is very agrarian with a large cattle industry. Unfortunately, there is a chronic leptospirosis problem within the people, livestock, companion animals, and wildlife of the Azores. Introduced rodents play a significant role as maintenance hosts of this disease. We review the situation and make recommendations for reducing the occurrence and hazard of leptospirosis in the Azores. Areas addressed include the need for a better understanding of the epidemiology of the disease and the role of rodents, development of an effective rodent control program, improvements in farm practices and …

West Nile Virus: Impact On Crow Populations In The United States, Robert G. Mclean

United States Department of Agriculture Wildlife Services: Staff Publications

Since the introduction of the mosquito-borne West Nile Virus (WNV) into New York City (NYC) in 1999, it has expanded westward across the North American continent in an unprecedented fashion, taking in its wake hundreds of thousands and possibly millions of native and exotic birds. Corvid species, particularly the American crow, are particularly susceptible to this virulent strain of virus and have died dramatically during the summer virus transmission season. Experimental studies have shown that the fatality rate from WNV infection in American crows is nearly 100%. This mortality in crows and other corvids was used as a sensitive sentinel …

Operational Field Evaluation Of A Plastic Bulb Reservoir As A Tranquilizer Trap Device For Delivering Propiopromazine Hydrochloride To Feral Dogs, Coyotes, And Gray Wolves, Peter J. Savarie, Daniel S. Vice, Layne Bangerter, Kevin Dustin, William J. Paul, Thomas M. Primus, F. Sherman Blom

United States Department of Agriculture Wildlife Services: Staff Publications

We evaluated a polyethylene bulb reservoir fabricated at the Pocatello Supply Depot, Pocatello, Idaho, as a potential cost savings replacement for the McBride lubber device that is used as a tranquilizer trap device (TTD). The polyethylene devices, also called pipette TTDs, were formulated with 0.6 g of propiopromazine hydrochloride (PPZH) and 0.4 g of ascorbic acid, an antioxidant. The pipette bulb was secured to a 1.6 mm-diameter cable and the cable was attached to the trap jaw. TTD testing was conducted during routine operational control under an Investigational New Animal Drug application (INAD 9528) from the U.S. Food and Drug …

Potential Flotation Devices For Aerial Delivery Of Baits To Brown Treesnakes, Peter J. Savarie, Kenneth L. Tope

United States Department of Agriculture Wildlife Services: Staff Publications

Brown treesnakes are exotic invasive predators that have extirpated native forest birds and caused drastic reductions of lizards on Guam. Operational management control methods to contain the snake on Guam include the use of live traps, hand capture from fences, and canine detection. Live traps are also used to depopulate small forest plots. Toxicants offer an additional means for reducing snake populations on small plots. Polyvinyl chloride (PVC) plastic pipe bait stations containing dead neonatal mice (DNM) treated with 80 mg acetaminophen are placed about 1.5 m above the ground in vegetation to reduce exposure to terrestrial scavengers such as …

Evaluation Of Three Contraceptive Approaches For Population Control In Wild Horses, Gary Killian, Lowell A. Miller, Nancy K. Diehl, Jack Rhyan, David Thain

United States Department of Agriculture Wildlife Services: Staff Publications

Overpopulation of feral horses in several western states is an unquestioned problem. Current management strategies of removal and adoption are expensive, logistically challenging, and ineffective as a means of population control. We are testing three long-acting contraceptive approaches on feral Nevada mares. Modified reversible immunocontraceptive vaccines for gonadotropin releasing hormone (GnRH) and porcine zona pellucida (F'ZP) (SpayVac), and intrauterine contraceptive devices (IUDs), are being evaluated to determine: I) their safety and efficacy for preventing pregnancy for multiple years, 2) whether the effects are reversible, and 3) whether there are notable contraindications. Preliminary data after 1 year suggest that IUD- and …

Weight And Age Of Coyotes Captured In Virginia, John M. Houben, J. Russell Mason

United States Department of Agriculture Wildlife Services: Staff Publications

We recorded the weight and age of 70 coyotes collected during depredation control efforts in western Virginia. Mean masses for adult male and female coyotes were 16.2 and 13.4 kg, respectively. Juvenile male and female coyotes weighed 14.0 and 13.0 kg, respectively. Regardless of sex, mean mass was greatest between November and January and comparable to that reported for coyotes throughout the eastern United States. Cementum aging indicated that 71% of the coyotes captured were greater than 1 year of age. Numerical trends suggest that age and sex may influence vulnerability to capture.

Response Of Roosting Turkey Vultures To A Vulture Effigy, Thomas W. Seamans

United States Department of Agriculture Wildlife Services: Staff Publications

Increasing populations of turkey vultures (Cathartes aura) and black vultures (Coragyps atratus) cause concerns for human health and safety in areas where large roosting concentrations occur. Dead bird effigies are one proposed method of dispersing roosting vultures. In 1999 and 2000, tests were conducted using a supine and hanging turkey vulture effigy (a taxidermy mount) to disperse a vulture roost in a tower in northern Ohio. In all tests, fewer (P ≤ 0.04) vultures were observed in the roost during the treatment period when compared to the pretreatment period. In tests ending in fall migration the …

Keynote Address: Breathing Lessons, J. Russell Mason

United States Department of Agriculture Wildlife Services: Staff Publications

Current issues in wildlife damage management and the protection of human health and safety arise from the successful application of traditional methods by state and federal managers. The paradox is that these same methods are increasingly controversial. Within this constraint, management strategies may be difficult to implement. In California, for example, protecting state-threatened foxes could mean killing federally protected golden eagles. In Utah, restoring Gunnison sage grouse may require the sustained lethal suppression of predator populations unless or until habitat can be restored. The obvious fact is that these are unpopular choices, and special interest groups frequently oppose selective intervention, …

Contraception Of Bison By Gnrh Vaccine: A Possible Means Of Decreasing Transmission Of Brucellosis In Bison, Lowell A. Miller, Jack C. Rhyan, Mark Drew

United States Department of Agriculture Wildlife Services: Staff Publications

Preventing pregnancy in brucellosis-infected bison (Bison bison) provides a potential means of preventing transmission of disease. To determine whether a gonadotropin-releasing hormone (GnRH) vaccine was effective in reducing pregnancy in bison and to study the safety of injecting GnRH in pregnant bison, a study was conducted at the Idaho Fish and Game Wildlife Health Laboratory in Caldwell, Idaho (USA). Four pregnant and two non-pregnant female bison were given a single injection of GnRH vaccine, and five pregnant adult females were given a sham injection that contained only adjuvant. Three of the GnRH-vaccinated bison that were pregnant at the …

Fertility Control Of California Ground Squirrels Using Gnrh Immunocontraception, Paul B. Nash, David K. James, Lucia T. Hui, Lowell A. Miller

United States Department of Agriculture Wildlife Services: Staff Publications

Population of wildlife, such as California ground squirrels, can grow to the extent that they come in conflict with humans. Contraception is a method of population management under investigation that may be useful in situations where neither leaving the animals uncontrolled nor lethal control are apropos. In this study, we tested the use of a single-injection gonadotropin releasing hormone (GnRH) immunocontraceptive vaccine in urban California ground squirrels. We monitored the effects of treatment for two breeding seasons. Immunization reduced the proportion of females lactating by 91% the first year and 96% in the second year. Testicular development was inhibited 35% …

Effects Of Forage Nutritional Quality (Energy And Protein) On Deer Acceptance Of Foods Containing Secondary Metabolites, Dale L. Nolte, Bruce A. Kimball, Kelly R. Perry, Juan J. Villalba, Frederick D. Provenza

United States Department of Agriculture Wildlife Services: Staff Publications

Deer foraging on tree seedlings is recognized as the most widespread detriment to reforestation efforts. Non-lethal approaches to reduce deer damage to seedlings are highly desirable. Avoidance of natural secondary metabolites contained in conifers may provide feasible means to develop non-lethal measures. Other studies have demonstrated that sheep and goats fed diets with high protein-to-energy ratios, or allowed to select between concentrates high in either energy or protein, ate much more of a high-terpene diet and of a high-tannin diet than when they were fed diets high in energy-to-protein ratios. Thus, manipulating foraging options for deer may impact their ability …

Bird Depredations In Uruguayan Vineyards, Ethel N. Rodriguez, Guadalupe Tiscornia, Mark E. Tobin

United States Department of Agriculture Wildlife Services: Staff Publications

Many species of birds in Uruguay frequent vineyards and damage grapes, both species that are considered crop pests and species that are protected by law because their conservation and protection are desirable. We surveyed 70 farmers in the Department of Canalones, the main grape growing region in Uruguay, to determine their perceptions about the nature and severity of bud depredations and the methods being employed to reduce such damage. Sixty-seven percent of respondents reported receiving damage from birds. Bird depredations were considered a serious problem by 58% of respondents, a moderate problem by 19% of respondents, and a minor problem …

Cervid Disease Research At The National Wildlife Research Center, Kurt C. Vercauteren, Mike Lavelle, Dale L. Nolte, Scott E. Hygnstrom, Jason Gilsdorf

United States Department of Agriculture Wildlife Services: Staff Publications

The realized and perceived threats of cervid diseases have immense implications for federal and state wildlife management agencies, captive cervid ranchers, hunters, and businesses and economies that rely on recreation associated with deer and elk. Therefore, the spread of diseases, primarily chronic wasting disease and bovine tuberculosis, in wild and captive cervids is of great concern. Research is paramount to closing information gaps associated with all aspects of cervid diseases. The Wildlife Disease Research Program of the USDA APHIS WS National Wildlife Research Center is engaged in considerable research on cervid diseases. Efforts focus on disease epidemiology, cervid ecology, and …

Spring Dispersal Patterns Of Red-Winged Blackbirds, Agelaius Phoeniceus, Staging In Eastern South Dakota, H.J. Homan, G. M. Linz, Richard M. Engeman, L.B. Penry

United States Department of Agriculture Wildlife Services: Staff Publications

Red-winged Blackbirds (Agelaius phoeniceus) are very abundant summer residents throughout the Prairie Pothole Region of central Norht America. In late summer they assemble in post-breeding flocks that cause significant amounts of agricultural damage, particularly in sunflower fields near natal sites. In April 2001, we aerially color-marked ~370,000 Red-winged Blackbirds near Badger, South Dakota (44°48'N, 97°21'W), to determine if migrants staging here were summer residents in sunflower production areas ~350 km to the northwest. We measured patterns of migratory dispersal by collecting birds in 54 randomly selected blocks in the north central U.S. and the Prairie Provinces of Canada. …

Could Blackbird Mortality From Avicide Drc-1339 Contribute To Avian Botulism Outbreaks In North Dakota?, Diana R. Goldberg, Michael D. Samuel, Tonie E. Rocke, Kevin M. Johnson, George M. Linz

United States Department of Agriculture Wildlife Services: Staff Publications

Blackbird (family Icteridae) depredation on sunflower (Helianthus annuus) crops in the prairie states of the United States has motivated the proposed use of an avicide, DRC-1339 (3-chloro-4-methylaniline), to decrease their numbers. The resulting mortality of blackbirds at wetland roosts could increase the potential of avian botulism occurring in affected marshes. To assess this possibility, we seeded (artificially placed) blackbird carcasses in selected wetlands in Stutsman County, North Dakota, during August–September 2000 and July–September 2001 to evaluate their rate of decomposition and role in initiating avian botulism outbreaks. We monitored carcasses to determine their persistence, the frequency and amount …

Dispersal Characteristics Of Swift Foxes, J.F. Kamler, Warren B. Ballard, Eric M. Gese, R.L. Harrison, Seija M. Karki

United States Department of Agriculture Wildlife Services: Staff Publications

From 1997 to 2001, we monitored movements of 109 adult and 114 juvenile swift foxes, Vulpes velox (Say, 1823), at study sites in Colorado, New Mexico, and Texas to determine patterns of dispersal. Significantly more male (93%) than female (58%) juveniles dispersed, and both sexes had similar bimodal dispersal patterns with peaks in September–October and January–February. Adult dispersal occurred more evenly throughout the year, and significantly more male (32%) than female (5%) adults dispersed. Adult males tended to disperse after the death of their mate. Of dispersing foxes with known fates, settlement percentages in new territories were similar between juvenile …

Cheloniidae (Marine Turtle) Nest Predation, John Woolard, Richard M. Engeman, Henry T. Smith, John Griner

United States Department of Agriculture Wildlife Services: Staff Publications

On 19 June 2003 at 0217 h, an opossum (Didelphis virginiana) was observed for 10 min while digging into a marine turtle nest and eating 4 eggs on the beach at St. Lucie Inlet Preserve State Park (SLIPSP) on Jupiter Island, Florida. The predation event was observed using night vision equipment as part of nightly patrols to protect turtle nests from raccoon (Procyon lotor) and armadillo (Dasypus noverncinctus) predation during the nesting season. After verification of an ongoing predation event, the opossum was euthanized and removed. Prior to implementing predator removal on this beach, …

Vulture-Cattle Interactions At A Central Florida Ranch, John S. Humphrey, Eric A. Tillman, Michael L. Avery

United States Department of Agriculture Wildlife Services: Staff Publications

Black vulture depredations to newborn livestock, poultry, and other captive animals have been reported from at least 15 states, and during the 1990s, reports of depredations increased annually by an average of 18%. In response to this issue, we initiated a study at Buck Island Ranch of the MacArthur Agro-Ecology Research Center in central Florida to examine interactions between cattle and vultures. Based on previous reports, we hypothesized that vulture predation selectively targets calves of young, inexperienced cows. To document vulture activity, we conducted point counts of vultures in pastures throughout the ranch from January 2000 to March 2001. During …

Coyote Depredation Management: Current Methods And Research Needs, Brian R. Mitchell, Michael M. Jaegar, Reginald H. Barrett

United States Department of Agriculture Wildlife Services: Staff Publications

This paper examines the severity of livestock depredation by coyotes (Canis latrans), reviews evidence implicating breeding (or “alpha”) coyotes in the majority of incidents, evaluates currently used depredation control techniques, and suggests directions for future research. Nonlethal control ranges from varied animal husbandry practices to coyote behavioral modification or sterilization. These methods show significant promise but have not been proven effective in controlled experiments. Therefore, many livestock producers rely on lethal control, and most employ nonselective strategies aimed at local population reduction. Sometimes this approach is effective; other times it is not. This strategy can fail because the …

Wildlife Conservation Sunflower Plots As A Dual-Purpose Wildlife Management Strategy, George M. Linz, Dionn A. Schaaf, Philip Mastrangelo, H. Jeffrey Homan, Linda B. Penry, William J. Bleier

United States Department of Agriculture Wildlife Services: Staff Publications

The National Sunflower Association has identified blackbird damage as a key reason for growers to abandon sunflower. In the 1980s, National Wildlife Research Center scientists showed that "decoy" p1antings of sunflower can significantly reduce bird damage to nearby commercial sunflower fields. For a variety of reasons, largely logistical and economic in nature, decoy sunflower fields did not become wide-spread. Over the last decade, new federal farm programs have placed more emphasis on wildlife conservation. Thus, decoy sunflower fields planted to ameliorate blackbird damage and establish habitat for wildlife might gamer broad support from both agricultural and conservation groups. We present …

Coyotes (Canis Latrans) Are Definitive Hosts Of Neospora Caninum, Luis F.P. Gondim, Milton M. Mcallister, William C. Pitt, Doris E. Zemlicka

United States Department of Agriculture Wildlife Services: Staff Publications

Four captive-raised coyote pups consumed tissues from Neospora caninum-infected calves. Feces were examined from 4 days before to 28 days after infection. One pup shed N. caninum-like oocysts, which tested positive for N. caninum and negative for Hammondia heydorni using PCR tests. Coyotes are the second discovered definitive host of N. caninum, after dogs. In North America, the expanding coyote ranges and population increase the probability of contact with domestic livestock. To reduce the risk of transmission of N. caninum to intensively farmed cattle, we recommend protection of feedstuffs using canid-proof fences, and careful disposal of dead …