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Wmi Outdoor News Bulletin * February 2007, Volume 61, No. 2

Wildlife Management Institute Outdoor News Bulletin

Contents:

• Secretary Kempthorne and Richard Louv to keynote North American Conference

• Elk book again available and at huge discount

• Predator/prey workshop at North American set agenda

• Jaywalking wildlife in Arizona may catch a break

• Proposed plowing of the Farm Bill

• Cooperative Fish and Wildlife Research Unit partners advocate rejecting budget request

• Worth reading:

Backcountry Bear Basics

Scout: The Christmas Dog

A Hunter’s Book of Days

Water Current, Volume 39, No. 1. Winter 2007

Water Current Newsletter

Contents

• Future of Water Use in Agriculture Topic of Fourth Annual Water Law, Policy and Science Conference by Steve Ress

• June Water Tour to New Mexico Compares Republican and Pecos River Compacts By Steve Ress

• From the Director

• Meet the Faculty

• EPAGrant Helps Researchers Study Feedlot Waste Impacts by Steve Ress

• Lawmakers Get Briefings on Top Water Issues by Jessica Harder

• UNL Hosts Biofuels and Water Resources Retreat By Steve Ress

• Fish and Wildlife Coop Supports Students, Lends Assistance by Brent Atema

• UNL Land Purchase Will Help Farmers and Ranchers Deal …

A Grassroots Vehicle For Sustainable Energy: The Conservation Reserve Program & Renewable Energy, Jared Wiesner

William & Mary Environmental Law and Policy Review

No abstract provided.

Mountain Beaver Home Ranges, Habitat Use, And Population Dynamics In Washington, W. M. Arjo, R. E. Huenefeld, D. L. Nolte

United States Department of Agriculture Wildlife Services: Staff Publications

The mountain beaver (Aplodontia rufa (Rafinesque, 1817)), endemic to western North America, is the only extant member of the family Aplodontidae. Limited information on movements and habitat use throughout the species' range is available. We radio-collared 41 mountain beavers to determine home ranges, dispersal, habitat use, and population densities on two managed forest sites in coastal Washington. Both sites were recently harvested for timber. The Donovan site (16.6 ha) was treated with herbicide before seedling planting and the Sylvia site (8.9 ha) was not treated. Mountain beaver home ranges (Donovan: 4.18 ± 0.81 ha; Sylvia: 1.39 ± 0.4 ha) …

Inside Unlv, Diane Russell, Shane Bevell, David Ashley, Lori Bachand, Grace Russell, Mamie Peers

Inside UNLV

No abstract provided.

A Proposal For Robust Temperature Compensation Of Circadian Rhythms, Christian I. Hong, Emery D. Conrad, John J. Tyson

Dartmouth Scholarship

The internal circadian rhythms of cells and organisms coordinate their physiological properties to the prevailing 24-h cycle of light and dark on earth. The mechanisms generating circadian rhythms have four defining characteristics: they oscillate endogenously with period close to 24 h, entrain to external signals, suffer phase shifts by aberrant pulses of light or temperature, and compensate for changes in temperature over a range of 10°C or more. Most theoretical descriptions of circadian rhythms propose that the underlying mechanism generates a stable limit cycle oscillation (in constant darkness or dim light), because limit cycles quite naturally possess the first three …

Nutrient Cycling In Forage Production Systems, David A. Wedin, Michael P. Russelle

School of Natural Resources: Faculty Publications

In most forage production systems, the nutrients needed for plant growth are provided by microbially mediated breakdown and release of plant-available mineral nutrients from dead plant tissues, livestock excreta, soil organic matter, and geochemically bound mineral forms. Even in fertilized forage systems, determining appropriate fertilizer application rates requires a "systems" approach on the part of the manager (e.g., Di and Cameron, 2000; Rotz et al., 2002). Fertilizer additions are simply one input in the system of inputs, outputs, pools, and fluxes that characterize nutrient cycling in a particular ecosystem.

The Effects Of Chronic Nitrogen Application On A Mature Tallgrass Prairie Restoration And Nitrogen Mobilization Into Above-Ground Biomass Of Andropogon Gerardii, Ann M. (O'Neill) Ebert

Master of Environmental Science (MES) Theses

The Upland Prairie Restoration was initiated on a 25-acre old field in 1993 in Upland, Indiana. It has matured into a community dominated by Andropogon gerardii and forbs, Monarda fistulosa and Ratibida pinnata. Prior research on the site found that acute nitrogen enrichment promoted weed cover in early stages of establishment and inhibited the establishment of native prairie species. This current study examined the effects of nitrogen enrichment applied to a mature prairie restoration. In 2002, a complete randomized block design experiment was implemented with annual enrichment using nitrogen-urea fertilizer at 4 levels – 0g/m2, 5g/m2, 10g/m2, and 20g/m2. …

Native Communities And Climate Change: Protecting Tribal Resources As Part Of National Climate Policy: Report, Jonathan M. Hanna, University Of Colorado Boulder. Natural Resources Law Center, Western Water Assessment (Program)

Books, Reports, and Studies

67 p.

Enhancing Fertiliser Use Efficiency For Transplanted Vegetables, Dennis Phillips, Aileen Reid, Gavin D'Adhemar

Horticulture research reports

Horticulture Australia (HAL) Project No. VG04018.

Project VG 04018 ‘Enhancing fertiliser use efficiency for transplanted vegetables’ showed that spraying highly concentrated solutions containing nitrogen over newly transplanted vegetable seedlings for between 14 and 21 days after planting can increase marketable yields by as much as 300% compared to other methods of fertiliser application. Crops that this method has been successfully tested on in this study by the W.A. Department of Agriculture and Food include iceberg and Cos lettuce, broccoli, cauliflower, Chinese cabbage (wombok), celery and cabbage.

The research was conducted on virgin sandy soils of the Swan Coastal Plain near …

Factors Influencing Epiphytic Lichen Communities In Aspen-Associated Forests Of The Bear River Range, Idaho And Utah, Paul C. Rogers

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

In western North America, quaking aspen (Populus tremuloides Michx.) is the most common hardwood in montane landscapes. Fire suppression, grazing, wildlife management practices, and climate patterns of the past century are some of the threats to aspen coverage in this region. Researchers are concerned that aspen-dependent species may be losing habitat, thereby threatening their long-term local and regional viability. Though lichens have a rich history as air pollution indicators, I believe that they may also be useful as a metric of community diversity associated with habitat change. To date, few studies have specifically examined the status of aspen’s epiphytic lichen …

Proceedings Of The 119th Annual Meeting Of The Iowa Academy Of Science [Program, 2007], Iowa Academy Of Science

Iowa Academy of Science Documents

Contents:

Welcome from the Executive Director --- 3
Program Summary/Timeline --- 4
Iowa Junior Academy of Science --- 6
General Session Presentations --- 7
Symposia Presentations --- 10
Senior Poster Program --- 14
Awards Luncheon --- 16
President's Banquet --- 16
IAS Annual Business Meeting --- 17
2006-2007 Officers and Volunteers --- 18
Notes --- 19
Field Trips --- 20
Section Meeting Programs and Oral Presentations (Alphabetical by Section) --- 22
Abstracts (by Section) --- 27
Author Index --- 53

Provisioning Strategies Of Antarctic Fur Seals And Chinstrap Penguins Produce Different Responses To Distribution Of Common Prey And Habitat, Taro Ichii, John Bengston, Peter Boveng, Yoshimi Takao, John Jansen, Lisa Hiruki-Raring, Michael Cameron, Hiroshi Okamura, Tomonari Hayashi, Mikio Naganobu

United States Department of Commerce: Staff Publications

Central-place foragers that must return to a breeding site to deliver food to offspring are faced with trade-offs between prey patch quality and distance from the colony. Among colonial animals, pinnipeds and seabirds may have different provisioning strategies, due to differences in their ability to travel and store energy. We compared the foraging areas of lactating Antarctic fur seals and chinstrap penguins breeding at Seal Island, Antarctica, to investigate whether they responded differently to the distribution of their prey (Antarctic krill and myctophid fish) and spatial heterogeneity in their habitat. Dense krill concentrations occurred in the shelf region near the …

Antler Size Of Alaskan Moose Alces Alces Gigas: Effects Of Population Density, Hunter Harvest And Use Of Guides, Jennifer I. Schmidt, Jay M. Ver Hoef, R. Terry Bowyer

United States Department of Commerce: Staff Publications

Moose Alces alces gigas in Alaska, USA, exhibit extreme sexual dimorphism, with adult males possessing large, elaborate antlers. Antler size and conformation are influenced by age, nutrition and genetics, and these bony structures serve to establish social rank and affect mating success. Population density, combined with anthropogenic effects such as harvest, is thought to influence antler size. Antler size increased as densities of moose decreased, ostensibly a density-dependent response related to enhanced nutrition at low densities. The vegetation type where moose were harvested also affected antler size, with the largest-antlered males occupying more open habitats. Hunts with guides occurred in …

Euchoreutes Naso Sclater, 1890: Ein Säugetier-Endemit Zentralasiens, Annegret Stubbe, Michael Stubbe, Nyamsuren Batsaikhan, Ravčigijn Samjaa, Ellen Driechciarz, René Driechciarz, A. Schonert, M. Winter

Erforschung biologischer Ressourcen der Mongolei / Exploration into the Biological Resources of Mongolia, ISSN 0440-1298

The first specimen of Euchoreutes naso was collected by N. M. PRZEWALSKI 1879 in Central Asia, in Dzungaria. SCLATER described the species in 1890. In Mongolia Euchoreutes was found in 1924. Fifty years later new records were published by SOKOLOV et al. (1978). A taxonomic revision was done by ŠENBROT et al. (1992, 1995). The species was related to the family Sminthidae (Rodentia/Mammalia). We found the most eastern locality in Mongolia at the longitude 106° 47' E. The reproduction rate was 3.1 (n = 8 females). In the laboratory we noticed a litter of four young. The body mass …

Breeding Biology Of Passerines In A Subtropical Montane Forest In Northwestern Argentina, Sonya K. Auer, Ronald D. Bassar, Joseph J. Fontaine, Thomas E. Martin

Nebraska Cooperative Fish and Wildlife Research Unit: Staff Publications

The breeding ecology of south temperate bird species is less widely known than that of north temperate species, yet because they comprise a large portion of the world’s avian diversity, knowledge of their breeding ecology can contribute to a more comprehensive understanding of the geographic diversity of avian reproductive traits and life history strategies. We provide the first detailed examination of the reproductive strategies of 18 forest passerines of subtropical, northwestern Argentina. Mean clutch sizes were smaller and egg mass was greater than for north temperate birds, but differed among species and nest types, with cavity-nesters having larger clutches than …

Impact Of The 25th Street Combined Sewer Overflow On The Ohio River, Travis M. Bailey

Theses, Dissertations and Capstones

The 25th Street Combined Sewer Overflow was analyzed for total coliforms, Escherichia coli, antibiotic-resistant coliforms and E. coli, and routine water chemistry. The objectives of this study were to enumerate antibiotic resistant bacteria near a CSO, determine the impact of a small quantity CSO on Ohio River water quality during a storm event, and to correlate antibiotic resistance with conventional water quality measurements. The data indicate that resistant bacteria exist in both river water and wastewater, and that this CSO can not be identified as a source of resistant strains. Rain events do cause a detectable and transient change in …

Ultrafine Particle Initiation Of Lipid Peroxidation In Mitochondria, Josephine Kimberly Wells

Undergraduate Honors Theses

Studies have shown that car exhaust particles increase cellular oxidative stress (Li, 2002), and people who live in highly polluted areas have shown a higher incidence of cardiovascular disease (Beck, 2005). Recently a theory has been developed that ultrafine particles (< 0.1 µm in diameter) contained in the atmospheric pollution are responsible for initiating the adverse effects of damage and disease (Li, 2003).

Ultrafine particles (UFP), which make up 72% of the particle concentration in the air (Beck, 2005), typically originate from sources involving combustion, such as cars, forest fires, volcanoes and industry (USDHHS, 1995). The small size and abundance of UFPs provide ample surface area with an increased absorption for damaging substances such as iron or reactive organic compounds (Beck, 2005; …

Surface Associated Amoebae On The Ctenophore, Mnemiopsis Sp., Connie S. Versteeg

HCNSO Student Theses and Dissertations

Previous work by Moss et al. (2001) reported surface associated protists on the ctenophore Mnemiopsis sp. They frequently observed the ciliate Trichodina ctenophorii and a Flabellula-like amoeba attached to the comb plate surface. They noted that the ciliate and the amoeba were found on the subsagittal, subtentacular, and the auricular comb plates. The amoeba had a maximum width of about 15 μm and cells were crescent shaped. Ultrastructural evidence suggested that these protists were parasites although the exact nature of the association remained to be determined. This was the background for the present study.

The present investigation documented the …

Soils: A Contemporary Perspective, Cheryl Palm, Pedro Sanchez, Sonya Ahamed, Alex Awiti

East Africa Institute

Soils are viewed in the context of ecosystem services, soil processes and properties, and key attributes and constraints. The framework used is based on the premise that the natural capital of soils that underlies ecosystem services is primarily determined by three core soil properties: texture, mineralogy, and soil organic matter. Up-to-date descriptions and geographical distribution of soil orders as well as soil attributes and constraints are given, along with the relationships between soil orders, properties, and biomes. We then relate ecosystem services to specific soil processes, soil properties, and soil constraints and attributes. Soil degradation at present is not adequately …

Dominance And Neophobia In Coyote (Canis Latrans) Breeding Pairs, Alex Edward Mettler, John Anthony Shivik

United States Department of Agriculture Wildlife Services: Staff Publications

Previous research suggests that within social animals, subordinate individuals are less neophobic than dominant individuals. We investigated the effect of social status on neophobic responses using 10 captive coyote breeding pairs. Social status was determined from observations of feeding behavior and agonistic interactions during a series of reference trials. Once dominance was established, we surrounded an experimental area with novel stimuli (ropes adorned with interspersed flags) to create a novel context around a familiar food source. Contrary to hypotheses, dominant coyotes were first to feed, showed more interest toward novel stimuli, and eventually crossed the barrier, which subordinates never did. …

Emerging Near-Real Time Forage Monitoring Technology With Application To Large Herbivore Management In Mongolia, Dennis P. Sheehy, Jerry W. Stuth, Douglas E. Johnson, Jay Angerer, Douglas Tolleson

Erforschung biologischer Ressourcen der Mongolei / Exploration into the Biological Resources of Mongolia, ISSN 0440-1298

Large herbivore livestock and wildlife in Mongolia depend almost entirely for substance on forage standing crop produced each year on natural pastureland. Consequently, both livestock and wildlife are continuously subject to environmental risk, especially drought and severe winter storms, while livestock are also subject to financial risk. As consumption-based livestock production changes to commercialized livestock production, steps taken by the livestock herder to avert both environmental and financial risk to livestock can increase environmental risk to large wild herbivores. A realistic and workable pastureland and risk management system will be critical for conservation of large herbivore habitat. New technologies are …

Feeding Ecology Of Asiatic Wild Ass Equus Hemionus, Jochen Lengger, Frieda Tataruch, Christian Walzer

Erforschung biologischer Ressourcen der Mongolei / Exploration into the Biological Resources of Mongolia, ISSN 0440-1298

The Mongolian wild ass or khulan (Equus hemionus) is a potential competitor for forage to reintroduced Przewalski’s horses. To evaluate the major foraging plants of khulan we chose the alkane method that was first described by Mayes in 1984. Different plant species contain varying amounts and proportions of n-alkanes. This fact allows the determination of diet composition by comparing the plant alkane to the fecal alkane pattern. The major advantage is that the method is non-invasive and has been shown to be a reliable method in captive trials. Fecal and plant samples were collected simultaneously and preserved by …

Assessment Of Non-Metric Skull Characters And Age Determination In The Asiatic Wild Ass Equus Hemionus: A Methodological Approach, Hermann Ansorge, Annegret Stubbe, Nyamsuren Batsaikhan, Ravčigijn Samjaa, Michael Stubbe

Erforschung biologischer Ressourcen der Mongolei / Exploration into the Biological Resources of Mongolia, ISSN 0440-1298

The report presents the first information on the use of non-metric skull characters and age determination by tooth section for Asiatic wild asses. It was initiated by a collection of more than 400 skulls of the Asiatic wild ass from the Bordzongijn-Gobi 2002-2004. The methodological overview gives a first research prospect in Asiatic Wild Ass concerning the use of non-metric skull characters as a morphological tool for assessing genetic variability, determining epigenetic divergences and evaluating fluctuating asymmetry. The time course of tooth eruption and replacement in the Asiatic wild ass is described with regard to its use for age determination. …

Semi-Wild Population Of Kulans In The Bukhara Breeding Centre And Their Co-Habitation With Przewalski’S Horses, Karim Bahloul, Olga B. Pereladova, Natalia V. Soldatova, Ekaterina V. Sidorenko, Antoine J. Sempere

Erforschung biologischer Ressourcen der Mongolei / Exploration into the Biological Resources of Mongolia, ISSN 0440-1298

Asiatic wild asses and Przewalski's horses initially inhabited steppe, semi-desert and desert areas, but Przewalski's horses became extinct in the wild, and kulans are under threat of disappearance. The Bukhara Breeding Centre (Uzbekistan) was created in 1976 for conservation and reintroduction of wild ungulate species. In 1977-1978, five kulans (two males and three females) from Barsa-Kelmes Island on the Aral lake were introduced to the reserve. The group increased to 25-30 animals in 1995-1998, when five Przewalski's horses from Moscow and St. Petersburg zoos were introduced to the same territory. We analyzed the home ranges, preferred habitats and social interactions …

Estimating Nutrient Uptake By Mature Tree Roots Under Field Conditions: Challenges And Opportunities, Melissa S. Lucash, Dave M. Eissenstat, J. Devereux Joslin, Karis J. Mcfarlane, Ruth D. Yanai

Environmental Science and Management Faculty Publications and Presentations

Nutrient uptake by roots of mature trees is difficult to measure accurately under field conditions using existing methods. In this review, we discuss current techniques for measuring uptake at the root surface including excised roots, isotopic tracers, autoradiography, depletion, and lysimeters. Although these methods have provided many insights, each has drawbacks. Estimates of uptake are affected by the sampling scheme, experimental conditions, whether roots are excised or not, concentrations of ions, and the rate of efflux of ions. Microbes and mycorrhizas can also affect estimates of uptake. A greater focus on methods development is critical to advancing our understanding of …

Soil Organic Carbon Dynamics Along A Climatic Gradient In A Southern Appalachian Spruce-Fir Forest, C. E. Tewksbury, H. Van Miegroet

Watershed Sciences Faculty Publications

A field study was conducted in a high-elevation spruce–fir (Picea rubens Sarg. – Abies fraseri (Pursh.) Poir) forest in the Great Smoky Mountains National Park to assess the effect of temperature on soil C storage and dynamics. In eight plots along an elevation gradient (1500–1900 m), we measured soil temperature, forest floor and mineral soil C, litter decomposition, soil respiration, and forest floor mean residence time. Mean annual soil temperature and annual degree-days above 5 °C were inversely correlated with elevation. Total soil C (166–241 Mg·ha–1) showed no trend with elevation, while forest floor C accumulation (16.3–35.9 Mg·ha–1) decreased significantly …

Quantifying Soil Chemical Properties Using Near Infrared Reflectance Spectroscopy, Robert L. Ficklin, Shane M. Foley, Robert E. Kissell Jr.

Journal of the Arkansas Academy of Science

Methodologies for determining soil chemical properties have evolved dramatically during the past century. Early geochemical analyses were conducted exclusively through the use of wet chemistry techniques that were relatively reliable but painstaking and subject to errors at various stages of analysis. Near infrared reflectance spectroscopy (NIRS) has emerged as a new approach for rapidly analyzing a variety of materials including soils. In this study soil samples were taken from eight study areas across the Ozark Highlands of Arkansas, and NIRS calibration models were developed to determine the accuracy of using NIRS to analyze soils compared with standard soil chemical analysis …

2007 Kentucky River Watershed Watch Sampling Results Summary Report, Malissa Mcalister, Lindell Ormsbee

Kentucky River Watershed Watch

No abstract provided.

Applications Of Trace-Element And Stable-Isotope Geochemistry To Wildlife Issues, Yellowstone National Park And Vicinity, Maurice A. Chaffee, Wayne C. Shanks Iii, Robert O. Rye, Charles C. Shwartz, Monique G. Adams, Robert R. Carlson, James G. Crock, Pamela A. Gemery-Hill, Kerry A. Gunther, Cynthia L. Kester, Harley D. King, Shannon R. Podruzny

United States Geological Survey: Publications

Reconnaissance investigations have been conducted to identify how geochemical techniques can be applied to biological studies to assist wildlife management in and near Yellowstone National Park (the Park). Many elements (for example, As, B, Be, Ce, Cl, Cs, F, Hg, K, Li, Mo, Rb, S, Sb, Si, and W) are commonly enriched in (1) thermal waters in the Yellowstone area, (2) rocks altered by these waters, (3) sinter and travertine deposits, and (4) soils and stream sediments derived from these rocks. Some of these elements, such as As, F, Hg, and Mo, may be toxic to wildlife and could be …