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The Effect Of Prescribed Burns On Cation Exchange Capacity In An Oak Savanna, Christopher Michael Gentry

All-Inclusive List of Electronic Theses and Dissertations

The Indiana Department of Natural Resources estimates that fire-maintained, tallgrass savannas once covered approximately 15% oflndiana. During the 1800's, settlers cleared savannas for their rich soils, which are well suited for agricultural use, and fire was suppressed from the remaining savannas because of the threat to farmland. Today, prescribed bums are being used in savannas as a management tool to reduce competition from non-native species, encourage community density, and promote patch dynamics. This research examines how fire affects Cation Exchange Capacity (CEC) in post fire soil samples. CEC is an important soil characteristic that helps to describe soil fertility. With …

The Prairie Naturalist Volume 35, No.4 December 2003

The Prairie Naturalist

HOME RANGE AND MOVEMENTS OF EASTERN AND RIO GRANDE WILD TURKEY FEMALES IN NORTHEASTERN

SOUTH DAKOTA ▪ C. P. Lehman, L. D. Flake, and A. P. Leif

THE BAT FAUNA OF SOUTHEASTERN SOUTH DAKOTA . J. E. Lane, C. L. Buck, and R. M. Brigham

FIRST REPORT OF THE NORTH DAKOTA RARE BIRD COMMITTEE ▪ D. Svingen and R. E. Martin

BREEDING CHRONOLOGY OF DABBLING DUCKS IN MINNEDOSA, MANITOBA ▪ A. M. Wells and H. H. Prince

A LIVE COLLECTION OF A PISTOLGRIP FROM NEBRASKA ▪ S. C. Schainost

NEW NESTING DATES FOR SOME BREEDING BIRDS IN NORTH DAKOTA ▪ …

Effect Of Heavy Metals On Bacteria, Elena Vratonjic

Theses and Dissertations

Heavy metals have become devastating environmental contaminants due to their widespread use in the manufacture of electronics, plastics, batteries and dyes. The discharge of heavy metals into the environment has caused concern about their effects on the ecosystem. Many metals are essential for growth in small amounts. However, at higher concentrations heavy metals are toxic because they bind to organic compounds. This accounts for their effects on some important parts of the cell structure, like their ability to denature protein molecules. The initial objective of this study was to find out the growth rate of E.coli and M.roseus in the …

Return To The Wild, John C. Jahoda

Bridgewater Review

No abstract provided.

Status And Trends In Water Quality And Living Resources In The Virginia Chesapeake Bay: York River (1985-2002), Daniel M. Dauer, Harold G. Marshall, John R. Donat, Michael F. Lane, Suzanne Doughten, Frederick A. Hoffman

Status and Trends for Virginia Chesapeake Bay

The Virginia Chesapeake Bay and its tidal tributaries continue to show some environmental trends indicating progress toward restoration of a more balanced and healthy ecosystem. However, the Bay system remains degraded and some areas and indicators show continuing degradation. Progress in reducing nutrient inputs has made demonstrable improvements and we expect that continued progress toward nutrient reduction goals, along with appropriate fisheries management and chemical contaminant controls, will result in additional improvements to the Bay. An overall summary of findings for the major VA Bay tributaries (i.e. James, York, and Rappahannock Rivers) is bulleted below while the remainder of this …

Status And Trends In Water Quality And Living Resources In The Virginia Chesapeake Bay: Rappahannock River (1985-2002), Daniel M. Dauer, Harold G. Marshall, John R. Donat, Michael F. Lane, Suzanne Doughten, Frederick A. Hoffman

Status and Trends for Virginia Chesapeake Bay

The Virginia Chesapeake Bay and its tidal tributaries continue to show some environmental trends indicating progress toward restoration of a more balanced and healthy ecosystem. However, the Bay system remains degraded and some areas and indicators show continuing degradation. Progress in reducing nutrient inputs has made demonstrable improvements and we expect that continued progress toward nutrient reduction goals, along with appropriate fisheries management and chemical contaminant controls, will result in additional improvements to the Bay. An overall summary of findings for the major VA Bay tributaries (i.e. James, York and Rappahannock Rivers) is bulleted below while the remainder of this …

Status And Trends In Water Quality And Living Resources In The Virginia Chesapeake Bay: James River (1985-2002), Daniel M. Dauer, Harold G. Marshall, John R. Donat, Michael F. Lane, Suzanne C. Doughten, Frederick A. Hoffman

Status and Trends for Virginia Chesapeake Bay

The Virginia Chesapeake Bay and its tidal tributaries continue to show some environmental trends indicating progress toward restoration of a more balanced and healthy ecosystem. However, the Bay system remains degraded and some areas and indicators show continuing degradation. Progress in reducing nutrient inputs has made demonstrable improvements and we expect that continued progress toward nutrient reduction goals, along with appropriate fisheries management and chemical contaminant controls, will result in additional improvements to the Bay. An overall summary of findings for the major VA Bay tributaries (i.e. James, York, and Rappahannock Rivers) is bulleted below while the remainder of this …

Nonlethal Techniques For Managing Predation: Primary And Secondary Repellents, John A. Shivik, Adrian Treves, Peggy Callahan

United States Department of Agriculture Wildlife Services: Staff Publications

Conservation biology requires the development of practical tools and techniques to minimize conflicts arising from human modification of ecosystems. We applied behavioral theory of primary and secondary repellents to predator management by using aversive stimulus devices (electronic training collars) and disruptive stimulus devices (behavior-contingent audio and visual repellents) in a multipredator (Canis lupus, Haliaeetus leucocephalus, Ursus spp. ) study in the United States. We examined fladry and a newly developed disruptive stimulus device contingent upon behavior on six wolf territories in Wisconsin, (US.A.) and determined that the disruptive stimulus device gave the greatest degree of protection from predation. We …

Wolf Depredation Trends And The Use Of Fladry Barriers To Protect Livestock In Western North America, Marco Musiani, Charles Mamo, Luigi Boitani, Carolyn Callaghan, C. Cormack Gates, Livia Mattei, Elisabetta Visalberghi, Stewart W. Breck, Giulia Volpi

United States Department of Agriculture Wildlife Services: Staff Publications

In Alberta, Canada (1982-2001), and in Idaho, Montana, and Wyoming, United States (1987-2001), wolves (Canis lupus) killed various domestic animals, among which the major prey were sheep in the United States (68%, n = 494) and cattle in Canada (95%; n = 1633). Under recovery programs, the wolf population increased in the United States, and depredation events increased proportionately. In both countries, the number of domestic animals killed each year was correlated with the number of wolves killed by government authorities for depredation management. We tested the ability of anti-wolf barriers made of flags hanging from ropes to impede wolf …

Survey Of Health Effects Among Residents Adjacent To A National Priority List Site In Ssouthwest Virginia., Danette Haywood

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

The Saltville Waste Disposal Site is a National Priority List site used during the 77- year operation (1895–1972) of an electrolytic chlorine and caustic soda plant. A cross-sectional study was conducted to determine disease prevalence among Saltville Medical Center (SMC) patients. Diseases associated with chronic exposures to mercury, arsenic, and lead were reviewed in patient records and these data were analyzed. Ratios of illness observed at the SMC were compared to health studies of similar environmental exposures and disease prevalence among residents of neighboring communities. Prevalence ratios were calculated for residents and non-residents of Saltville who were SMC patients. Saltville …

Buck Creek Watershed Management Plan, Annis Water Resources Institute

Watershed Management Plans and Reports

The water quality goals are based on improving or restoring the designated uses of the Watershed and attaining compliance with the E. coli TMDL established in Buck Creek. The following long-term goals for the Watershed have been determined:

● Improve or restore the coldwater and coolwater fisheries
● Improve and protect the safety and enjoyment of fishing, canoeing, and swimming
● Improve or restore the warmwater fishery
● Improve and protect the habitats for other indigenous aquatic life and wildlife
The short-term objectives to reduce sediment in the Watershed are:

● Stabilize stream flows to moderate hydrology and increase base …

Preliminary Watershed Assessment: Mona Lake Watershed, Alan Steinman, Rick Rediske, Xuefeng Chu, Rod Denning, Lori Nemeth, Don Uzarski, Bopi Biddanda, Mark Luttenton

Scientific Technical Reports

The Mona Lake watershed, located in Muskegon and Newaygo Counties in west Michigan, is relatively small in area (~ 200 km2 or 48,000 acres), but faces a large number of environmental challenges. An ecological assessment of the watershed was conducted to provide a new baseline of information, in the hope that this effort would catalyze actions to improve the health of the watershed.

Host-Pathogen Interactions In A Segregating Population Of Bc2f2 Hybrid Castanea Dentata And Other Chesnut Hybirds After Exposure To Hypovirus-Containing And Hypvirus-Free Strains Of Cryphonectria Parasitica, Stephen Henry Alexander

Masters Theses and Doctoral Dissertations

An F2 population of second backcross interspecific hybrid chestnut trees (BC2F2) and the progeny of the Chattanooga Chestnut Tree Project (CCTP) breeding program were exposed to three isogenic strains of Cryphonectria parasitica. Strain Ep155 (virus-free) was used to screen the 4- 7 year old chestnut trees for resistance to chestnut blight disease. Two virus-containing, hypovirulent strains, Ep155(CHV1-Euro7) and Ep155(CHV1-Ep713), were used to investigate interactions of host disease resistance and expression ofhypovirulence. The BC2F2 population varied from highly susceptible to highly resistant, as measured by Ep155 (virus-free) canker length at 95 days. Disease resistance in the CCTP population varied from highly …

Internal Phosphorus Loading In Spring Lake: Year 1, Dr. Alan Steinman, Dr. Rick Rediske

Scientific Technical Reports

The rate of phosphorus release from sediments, and the degree to which alum reduces phosphorus release from sediments, was investigated in Spring Lake during the summer of 2003. Triplicate cores were sampled from 4 sites in the lake, and exposed to one of four treatments in the laboratory: 1) oxygen/alum; 2) oxygen/ no alum; 3) nitrogen/alum; or 4) nitrogen/no alum. Both soluble reactive phosphorus (SRP) and total phosphorus (TP) release rates were virtually undetectable in the alum treatments (both with and without oxygen). Low, but detectable, release rates were measured in the oxygen/no alum treatment. The highest release rates were …

The Role Of Facial Pits In The Thermoregulatory Behavior Of Pitvipers (Viperidae: Crotalinae) Behavioral, Ecological And Phylogenetic Perspectives, Aaron R. Krochmal

All-Inclusive List of Electronic Theses and Dissertations

Pitvipers (Viperidae: Crotalinae) possess unique sensory organs, the facial pits, capable of sensing subtle fluctuations in thermal radiation. Prey acquisition has long been regarded as the sole function of the facial pits. However, the ability to sense thermal radiation could also direct thermoregulatory behavior by remotely sensing nearby surface temperatures. Using a series ofbehavioral arenas of varying spatial complexity and ecological relevance, I surveyed the ability of western diamondback rattlesnakes (Crotalus atrox) to direct successful thermoregulatory movements with either functional or disabled facial pits. I found that western diamondback rattlesnakes could base thermoregulatory decisions on thermal radiation cues when their …

Acute And Chronic Toxicity Of Compound Drc-1339 (3-Chloro-4-Methylaniline Hydrochloride) To Birds, John D. Eisemann, Patricia A. Pipas, John L. Cummings

United States Department of Agriculture Wildlife Services: Staff Publications

DRC-1339( 3-chloro-4-methylaniline hydrochloride) is the only toxicant currently registered by the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (USEPA) for lethal bird control. DRC-1339 was first registered in 1967 for starling control at feedlots It may currently be used to manage blackbirds, rock doves, crows, ravens, magpies, gulls and starlings for purposes of protecting human health and safety, agricultural crops and threatened or endangered species. A large body of toxicity information is available because of the nature of DRC-1339 uses and its 35-year history of use. Laboratory testing has resulted in estimates of median lethal dose (LD₅₀) for 55 species of …

Reducing Blackbird-Human Conflicts In Agriculture And Feedlots: New Methods For An Integrated Management Approach, George M. Linz, H. Jeffrey Homan, Linda B. Penry, Philip Mastrangelo

United States Department of Agriculture Wildlife Services: Staff Publications

In the United States, blackbirds are abundant and widely distributed. with their winter populations estimated to be between 500 million and 1 billion. Annual damage to grain, fruit, and berry crops from blackbirds exceeds $100 million in direct costs. Additional costs, not estimated, include those spent to prevent human health and safety hazards and those from damage abatement efforts. The U.S. Department of Agriculture's Wildlife Services (WS) is charged with reducing the magnitude of health. safety, nuisance, agriculture, and feedlot/dairy problems caused by these birds. WS' goal is to improve profitability to agricultural producers, enhance the human health and safety, …

Estimating The Number Of Nonbreeding Male Red-Winged Blackbirds In Central North Dakota, Richard S. Sawin, George M. Linz, Ryan L. Wimberly, Mark W. Lutman, William J. Bleier

United States Department of Agriculture Wildlife Services: Staff Publications

Red-winged blackbirds (Agelauis phoeniceus) have a polygynous breeding system that results in a group of nonbreeding males (floaters) who are unable to obtain territories. Floaters are often unaccounted for in population estimates during the breeding season because they are difficult to locate. We used a series of removals to estimate the population of non-breeding after-second-year male red-winged blackbirds in two townships in the northern Great Plains. The number of floaters determines the level of competition for vacant territories. In our study population, we estimated there were more floaters than territorial males, indicating that competition for vacant territories was …

Nontarget Bird Use Of Drc-1339 Bait Sites During Operational Baiting Programs In Louisiana And Texas, Patricia A. Pipas, John L. Cummings, John D. Eisemann, Richard M. Engeman

United States Department of Agriculture Wildlife Services: Staff Publications

Nontarget bird use of DRC-1339 bait sites was assessed during operational baiting programs from 2000-2002 in Louisiana and from 2001-2002 in Texas. DRC-1339 is an avicide registered with the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency to manage blackbirds causing damage to agriculture. It was used in Louisiana between 15 February to 15 March and in Texas from January though March to protect newly planted rice. In Louisiana, there were 55 bait sites observed during 316 observation periods (158 observation hours) and 312 flush-counts conducted from 2000-2002. In Texas, there were 26 bait sites observed during 182 observation periods (91 observation hours) and …

Understanding Blackbird Sensory Systems And How Repellent Applications Work, Scott J. Werner, Larry Clark

United States Department of Agriculture Wildlife Services: Staff Publications

We reviewed the learning processes and sensory capabilities of birds, with a special emphasis on chemical repellents and wildlife damage management. Repellents include several methods and devices used to manipulate behavior of birds in attempt to reduce damage or nuisance. Effective applications of chemical repellents to reduce bird damages are dependant upon an adequate understanding of the sensory modalities and modes of animal learning that are affected by a repellent. Chemical repellents can elicit withdrawal from specific or combined sensory stimuli or by producing learned avoidance via association between adverse postingestive effects and specific sensory cues. The application of repellents …

Water Quality Monitoring Of Moore's Creek Above Lincoln Lake, M. A. Nelson, L. W. Cash, G. K. Trost

Arkansas Water Resources Center Technical Reports

No abstract provided.

Water Quality Sampling, Analysis And Annual Load Determinations For Tss, Nitrogen And Phosphorus At The Washington County Road 76 Bridge On Ballard Creek, Marc A. Nelson, Ron Redman, L. Wade Cash, G. Keith Trost

Arkansas Water Resources Center Technical Reports

The Illinois River Basin has experienced water quality impairment from non-point source pollution for many years. This fact was well documented in the State of Arkansas' Water Quality Assessment report, the Soil Conservation Service River Basin Study, and several University of Arkansas, Fayetteville studies. Thirty-seven sub-watersheds have been identified by the SCS in the Arkansas portion of the Illinois River basin. In the Arkansas portion of the Basin, the Illinois River, Evansville Creek, Baron Fork, Cincinnati Creek, Muddy Fork, Moores Creek, Clear Creek, Osage Creek and Flint Creek were all classified as not supporting their designated use as primary contact …

Water Quality Sampling, Analysis And Annual Load Determinations For Tss, Nitrogen And Phosphorus At The Wyman Road Bridge On The White River, Marc Nelson, Wade Cash

Arkansas Water Resources Center Technical Reports

A water quality sampling station was installed at the Wyman Road Bridge just below the confluence of the three main forks of the Upper White River in January 2000. This station is coordinated with the USGS gaging station at the same location. This station was instrumented to collect samples at sufficient intervals across the hydrograph to accurately estimate the flux of total suspended solids, nitrogen and phosphorus into the upper end of Beaver Lake from the Upper White River.

Water Quality Sampling, Analysis And Annual Load Determinations For Tss, Nitrogen And Phosphorus At The Washington County Road 195 Bridge On The West Fork Of The White River, Marc Nelson, Wade Cash

Arkansas Water Resources Center Technical Reports

A water quality sampling station was installed at the Washington County Road 195 Bridge on the West Fork of the White River just above the confluence of the three main forks of the Upper White River in December 2001. The Quality Assurance Project Plan (QAPP) was approved by EPA Region Six on March 2002 and sampling was begun at that time. This station is coordinated with a USGS gauging station at the same location. This station was instrumented to collect samples at sufficient intervals across the hydrograph to accurately estimate the flux of total suspended solids, nitrogen and phosphorus into …

2002 Pollutant Loads Kings River Near Berryville, Arkansas, Marc Nelson, Wade Cash

Arkansas Water Resources Center Technical Reports

An automatic sampler and a USGS gauging station were established in 1998 and water quality sampling was begun in 1999 on the Kings River near Berryville, Arkansas. Continuous stage and discharge measurements and frequent water quality sampling have been used to determine pollutant concentrations and loads in the river. This report presents the results from the sampling and analysis for January 1, 2002 to December 31, 2002.

Fisheries Research Report No. 146 - Catch Composition Of The Western Australian Temperate Demersal Gillnet And Demersal Longline Fisheries, 1994 To 1999, Rory Mcauley, Colin Simpfendorfer

Fisheries Research Reports

Catch composition data were collected from Western Australia’s temperate demersal gillnet and demersal longline fisheries, between Eucla and Geraldton, over a five-year period from July 1994 to June 1999. Results were compared to Department of Fisheries catch records compiled from fishers’ monthly catch returns. Discarded bycatch of several species was estimated by bootstrapping their observed catch rates. Dusky shark, Carcharhinus obscurus, gummy shark, Mustelus antarcticus, whiskery shark, Furgaleus macki, and Port Jackson shark, Heterodontus portusjacksoni, were identified as the main components of the fisheries’ catch, however, catches were found to vary regionally. School shark, Galeorhinus galeus, dogfish of the family …

Benthic Biological Monitoring Program Of The Elizabeth River Watershed (2002), Daniel M. Dauer

Elizabeth River Reports

Executive Summary

A study of the macrobenthic communities of the Elizabeth River watershed was initiated in summer 1999. This report presents the data from the fourth year of sampling in 2002. 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 …

University Of Nebraska-Lincoln School Of Natural Resources Review: Final Report, December 2003, Michael O'Neill, Phaedra Budy, Stephen Degloria, Ed Kanemasu, Jamie Robertson, Derrel Martin, Anne K. Vidaver, Tylr Naprstek, Donna Woudenberg

School of Natural Resources: Documents and Reviews

In July 2003, the School of Natural Resource Sciences was merged with the Conservation and Survey Division and the Water Center Nebraska State Survey. This merger produced the School of Natural Resources (hereafter referred to as the "School") in its current form. The University of Nebraska-Lincoln requested a ten-year review of the School's programs and activities. The review was administered by the Cooperative State Research, Education and Extension Service (CSREES) in cooperation with the University of Nebraska-Lincoln's Institute of Agriculture and Natural Resources, the College of Agriculture, and the School.

The review document is divided into nine sections. The first …

Decision Process For Identification Of Estuarine Benthic Impairments, Roberto J. Llansó, Jon H. Volstad, Daniel M. Dauer

Benthic Applications

To meet the requirements of the Clean Water Act, the States of Maryland and Virginia are in the process of developing biological criteria for evaluating estuarine waters. The Chesapeake Bay Benthic Index of Biotic Integrity (B-IBI) is the basis for these biological criteria. As an initial step, a Workgroup developed an interim framework for the application of the B-IBI to the States’ water quality inventory report (305b report) and list of impaired waters (303d list). The Workgroup included representatives of the Maryland Department of the Environment (MDE), Maryland Department of Natural Resources (MDNR), Virginia Department of Environmental Quality (DEQ), USEPA …

Timber Damage By Black Bears, Dale L. Nolte, Kimberly K. Wagner, Andy Trent

United States Department of Agriculture Wildlife Services: Staff Publications

Consequences of Bear Damage
Damage Management
Bear Removal
Silvicultural Practices
Alternative Food Sources
Alternative Approaches