Digital Commons Network^™

Nebline, January/February 2023

NEBLINE Newsletter Archive from Nebraska Extension in Lancaster County

2022 Extension Highlights

Thank You Volunteers! Valued at $711,217

From the Unit Leader: Global Connections

4-H Programs Engaged 32,332 Youth

Setting Sustainable, Healthy New Year’s Resolutions by Alyssa Havlovic

Recipe of the Month: Berry Good Pancakes by Aylssa Havlovic

Garden Guide: Thing to Do This Month

Extension’s 2023 Master Gardener Volunteer Training Begins Soon

Upcoming Green Industry Conferences

ProHort Lawn & Landscape Update

2023 Pesticide Applicator Trainings

Crop Production Clinics

Upcoming Ag Workshops

Minimizing the Impact of Winter Weather on Water & Wastewater Systems by Becky Schuerman

Bringing Motor Play Indoors for Young Children by Hayley Jackson

Tiny Bugs in …

Fish & Wildlife News: Winter 2023

Fish and Wildlife News

No abstract provided.

Survey Of Federally Funded Marine Mammal Research – Fiscal Year 2023

United States Marine Mammal Commission

No abstract provided.

Nutech Ventures Annual Report 2022-2023

NUtech Ventures: Publications

NUTech Ventures annual report 2022-2023.

Of Game Keepers, Opportunism, And Conservation, Raymond Hames

Department of Anthropology: Faculty Publications

In this collection, gamekeepers are supernatural entities that regulate wildlife hunting in a wide variety of ways. They assist the hunters in pursuit of their prey, ritual respect for the game, and the reincarnation of slain animals. In addition, broader considerations are described, such as the mutual moral obligations between hunters and the supernatural. Gamekeepers seem to be nearly universal in those societies that depend on game animals as an important part of their diet, making the topic interesting from a ideological perspective. Some of the chapters argue that gamekeepers play a role in the conservation of prey types. The …

Selected Anthropogenic Contaminants In Groundwater, Papio-Missouri River Natural Resources District, Eastern Nebraska, 1992–2020, Brent M. Hall, Cory L. Kavan, Amanda Flynn, Mikaela L. Cherry

United States Geological Survey: Water Reports and Publications

A study in cooperation with the Papio-Missouri River Natural Resources District was completed in 2019 to determine the concentration of contaminants of emerging concern (CEC) in groundwater in the Papio-Missouri River Natural Resources District, eastern Nebraska. Each well was sampled twice (in June and October or November) in 2019, totaling 34 samples. Samples were analyzed for 132 CECs, which include pharmaceutical, steroid hormone, and other organic chemicals. Seven of the 132 CEC analytes were detected in samples collected during this study. The most commonly detected CEC in this study was the antibiotic sulfamethoxazole. Other CECs detected in this study were …

Los Textiles Andinos Teñidos Por Amarras, El Motivo Del Punto En El Rombo Y Su Patrón De Difusión: Felinos, Serpientes Y El Cultivo Del Maíz En Un Mundo En Transformación, Denise Arnold

Tejiendo imágenes. Homenaje a Victòria Solanilla Demestre

Resumen Las técnicas de teñido por amarras en los textiles andinos, con el diseño de un punto en un cuadrado o rombo, tienen un amplio patrón de difusión. Se reconoce que son el origen de técnicas y diseños similares en Mesoamérica e incluso en el suroeste de Estados Unidos. Sin embargo, los estudios clave sobre estas técnicas y diseños en los Andes carecen de proponer cuáles serían los rasgos comunes que podrían haber impulsado esta difusión. Admiten que es probable que se compartiera el conocimiento técnico de esta técnica tejida por razones ideológicas o religiosas, pero no exploran cuáles podrían …

Environmental Transmission Of Influenza A Virus In Mallards, Kim M. Pepin, Clinton B. Leach, Nicole L. Barrett, Jeremy W. Ellis, Kaci K. Vandalen, Colleen T. Webb, Susan A. Shriner

United States Department of Agriculture Wildlife Services: Staff Publications

Abstract

Influenza A viruses present a major challenge for animal and human health. They circulate widely in wild waterfowl and frequently spillover into poultry, emphasizing the need for risk-based surveillance in wild birds and an understanding of the relative importance of different transmission mechanisms. We addressed this objective with a replicated (N = 6) experimental infection study in which we serially exposed eight cohorts of four naïve contact mallards to an experimentally infected mallard and a shared water pool. Viral concentration in the water was a better predictor of transmission than several direct measures of viral shedding in the …

Changes In Wild Pig (Sus Scrofa) Relative Abundance, Crop Damage, And Environmental Impacts In Response To Control Efforts, Joseph W. Treichler, Kurt C. Vercauteren, Charles R. Taylor, James C. Beasley

United States Department of Agriculture Wildlife Services: Staff Publications

Background

As the population and range of wild pigs (Sus scrofa) continue to grow across North America, there has been an increase in environmental and economic damages caused by this invasive species, and control efforts to reduce damages have increased concomitantly. Despite the expanding impacts and costs associated with population control of wild pigs, the extent to which wild pig control reduces populations and diminishes environmental and agricultural damages are rarely quantified.The goal of this study is to quantify changes in wild pig relative abundance and subsequent changes in damages caused by invasive wild pigs in response to …

Individual‑Level Patterns Of Resource Selection Do Not Predict Hotspots Of Contact, Anni Yang, Raoul Boughton, Ryan S. Miller, Nathan P. Snow, Kurt C. Vercauteren, Kim C. Pepin, George Wittemyer

United States Department of Agriculture Wildlife Services: Staff Publications

Contact among animals is crucial for various ecological processes, including social behaviors, disease transmission, and predator–prey interactions. However, the distribution of contact events across time and space is heterogeneous, influenced by environmental factors and biological purposes. Previous studies have assumed that areas with abundant resources and preferred habitats attract more individuals and, therefore, lead to more contact. To examine the accuracy of this assumption, we used a use-available framework to compare landscape factors influencing the location of contacts between wild pigs (Sus scrofa) in two study areas in Florida and Texas (USA) from those influencing non-contact space use. …

Echinococcus Species Infections Among Wild Canids In Pennsylvania, Usa, Kayla Garrett, Justin Brown, Ryan K. A. Grunert, Jonathan Hunte, Mark G. Ruder, Kyle Van Why, Michael J. Yabsley, Christopher A. Cleveland

United States Department of Agriculture Wildlife Services: Staff Publications

Echinococcus species are zoonotic tapeworms that can impact the health of wildlife, domestic animals, livestock, and humans. Two species of interest in North America are Echinococcus multilocularis and Echinococcus canadensis (Echinococcus granulosus sensu lato). The primary wildlife definitive hosts for E. multilocularis and E. canadensis are similar, including red foxes (Vulpes vulpes), gray foxes (Urocyon cinereoargenteus), coyotes (Canis latrans), and wolves (Canis lupus). These two Echinococcus spp. use different intermediate hosts, including small mammals for E. multilocularis and artiodactylids for E. canadensis. Although historically absent from …

Understory Arthropod Diversity In A Mixed Dryland Ecosystem, Hawai‘I, Matthew J. Madeiros, William P. Haines, Clare E. Aslan, Aaron B. Shiels, Asa Aue, Christina T. Liang

United States Department of Agriculture Wildlife Services: Staff Publications

Tropical drylands are among the most threatened ecosystems worldwide, and fewer than 10% of tropical dry forests in Hawai‘i remain intact. Terrestrial arthropods comprise most of the endemic fauna on many islands, including Hawai‘i, where they provide ecosystem services such as pollination, decomposition, and a reliable prey base for predators. The objective of our study was to measure understory arthropod diversity and relative abundances in two common habitat types within dryland Hawai‘i—a non-native grassland, dominated by Cenchrus setaceus (fountain grass) with few native shrubs, and a native woodland, dominated by Metrosideros polymorpha (‘ōhi‘a). We used generalized additive models to examine …

Evaluation Of Roost Culling As A Management Strategy For Reducing Invasive Rose‑Ringed Parakeet (Psittacula Krameri) Populations, C. Janes Anderson, Leonard A. Brennan, William P. Bukoski, Steven C. Hess, Clayton D. Hilton, Aaron B. Shiels, Shane Siers, Bryan M. Kluever, Page E. Klug

United States Department of Agriculture Wildlife Services: Staff Publications

Rose-ringed parakeets (Psittacula krameri) are one of the most widespread invasive avian species worldwide. This species was introduced to the island of Kaua‘i, Hawai‘i, USA, in the 1960s. The rapidly increasing population has caused substantial economic losses in the agricultural and tourism industries. We evaluated the efficacy of a roost culling program conducted by an independent contractor from March 2020 to March 2021. We estimated island-wide minimum abundance was 10,512 parakeets in January 2020 and 7,372 in April 2021. Over 30 nights of culling at four roost sites, approximately 6,030 parakeets were removed via air rifles with 4,415 …

Social Network Analysis Of White-Tailed Deer Scraping Behavior: Implications For Disease Transmission, Michael E. Egan, Kim M. Pepin, Justin Fischer, Scott R. Hygnstrom, Kurt C. Vercauteren, Guillaume Bastille-Rousseau

United States Department of Agriculture Wildlife Services: Staff Publications

Host contact structure affects pathogen transmission in host populations, but many measures of host contact do not distinguish contacts that are relevant to pathogen transmission from those that are not. Scrapes are sites for chemical communication by white-tailed deer (Odocoileus virginianus) during the breeding season and potential sites of transmission of prions, the causative agent of chronic wasting disease (CWD). Scrape-related behaviors vary in their probability of transmitting prions to or from the environment, suggesting that behavior be combined with contact structure to better reflect potential heterogeneity in prion transmission at scrapes. We recorded visits and behaviors by …

Disease Progression And Serological Assay Performance In Heritage Breed Pigs Following Brucella Suis Experimental Challenge As A Model For Naturally Infected Feral Swine, Vienna R. Brown, Ryan S. Miller, Courtney F. Bowden, Timothy J. Smyser, Nicholas A. Ledesma, Aim E. Hartwig, Paul Gordy, Aaron M. Anderson, Stephanie M. Porter, Kate Alexander, Zane Gouker, Tom Gidlewski, Richard A. Bowen, Angela M. Bosco-Lauth

United States Department of Agriculture Wildlife Services: Staff Publications

Invasive feral swine (Sus scrofa) are one of the most important wildlife species for disease surveillance in the United States, serving as a reservoir for various diseases of concern for the health of humans and domestic animals. Brucella suis, the causative agent of swine brucellosis, is one such pathogen carried and transmitted by feral swine. Serology assays are the preferred field diagnostic for B. suis infection, as whole blood can be readily collected and antibodies are highly stable. However, serological assays frequently have lower sensitivity and specificity, and few studies have validated serological assays for B. suis in feral swine. …

Evaluation Of The Effect Of Hydrated Lime On The Scavenging Of Feral Swine (Sus Scrofa) Carcasses And Implications For Managing Carcass-Based Transmission Of African Swine Fever Virus, Courtney F. Bowden, James Grinolds, Gregory Franckowiak, Loma Mccallister, Joe M. Halseth, Matthew Cleland, Travis Guerrant, Michael J. Bodenchuk, Robert Miknis, Michael C. Marlow, Vienna R. Brown

United States Department of Agriculture Wildlife Services: Staff Publications

African swine fever (ASF) is a devastating hemorrhagic disease marked by extensive morbidity and mortality in infected swine. The recent global movement of African swine fever virus (ASFV) in domestic and wild swine (Sus scrofa) populations has initiated preparedness and response planning activities within many ASF-free countries. Within the US, feral swine are of utmost concern because they are susceptible to infection, are wide-spread, and are known to interact with domestic swine populations. African swine fever virus is particularly hardy and can remain viable in contaminated carcasses for weeks to months; therefore, carcass-based transmission plays an important role in the …

Perturbations Highlight Importance Of Social History In Parakeet Rank Dynamics, Annemarie Van Der Marel, Xavier Francis, Claire L. O'Connell, Cesar O. Estien, Chelsea Carminito, Virginia Darby Moore, Nickolas Lormand, Bryan M. Kluever, Elizabeth A. Hobson

United States Department of Agriculture Wildlife Services: Staff Publications

Dominance hierarchies can provide many benefits to individuals, such as access to resources or mates, depending on their ranks. In some species, rank can emerge as a product of a group’s history of social interactions. However, it can be difficult to determine whether social history is critical to rank in observation-based studies. Here, we investigated rank dynamics in three captive groups of monk parakeets (Myiopsitta monachus). We used experimental social perturbations to test whether social history shapes rank emergence in these groups. Using targeted removals and reintroductions, we tested whether differently ranked individuals could re-take their ranks in hierarchies after …

Distribution Of The Misfolded Isoform Of The Prion Protein In Peripheral Tissues And Spinal Cord Of Rocky Mountain Elk (Cervus Elaphus Nelsoni) With Naturally Occurring Chronic Wasting Disease, Terry R. Spraker, Thomas Gidlewski, J. G. Powers, T. A. Nichols, M. A. Wild

United States Department of Agriculture Wildlife Services: Staff Publications

Chronic wasting disease (CWD) is an infectious transmissible spongiform encephalopathy of cervids associated with the presence of a misfolded prion protein (PrPCWD). Progression of PrPCWD distribution has been described using immunohistochemistry and histologic changes in a single section of brain stem at the level of the obex resulting in scores from 0 (early) to 10 (terminal) in elk with naturally occurring CWD. Here we describe the spread and distribution of PrPCWD in peripheral tissues and spinal cord in 16 wild and 17 farmed Rocky Mountain elk (Cervus elaphus nelsoni) with naturally occurring CWD and correlate these findings with obex scores. …

Predator Telemetry Informs Temporal And Spatial Overlap With Stocked Salmonids In Lake Huron, David G. Fielder, Todd A. Hayden, Thomas R. Binder, Brian S. Dorr, Heidi A. Currier

United States Department of Agriculture Wildlife Services: Staff Publications

Double-Crested Cormorants (Phalacrocorax auratus), Walleyes (Sander vitreus), and Lake Trout (Salvelinus namaycush) are migratory predators that undergo extensive movements in Lake Huron. Stocking of juvenile salmonid fish (Oncorhynchus and Salmo sp.) is an important component of fishery management in Lake Huron and assessing the spatial and temporal extent of predator movements is a useful consideration for determining when and where to stock juvenile fish to reduce predation and maximize survival. Previous investigation indicated that some Walleyes migrate to the main basin of Lake Huron in spring from Saginaw Bay. Similarly, telemetry studies of Lake Trout movement in Lake Huron have …

Role Of Social Structure In Establishment Of An Invasive Large Mammal After Translocation, Lindsay M. Clontz, Anni Yang, Sarah M. Chinn, Kim M. Pepin, Kurt C. Vercauterten, George Wittemyer, Ryan S. Miller, James C. Beasley

United States Department of Agriculture Wildlife Services: Staff Publications

Background

Data on the movement behavior of translocated wild pigs is needed to develop appropriate response strategies for containing and eliminating new source populations following translocation events. We conducted experimental trials to compare the home range establishment and space-use metrics, including the number of days and distance traveled before becoming range residents, for wild pigs translocated with their social group and individually.

Results

We found wild pigs translocated with their social group made less extensive movements away from the release location and established a stable home range ~5 days faster than those translocated individually. We also examined how habitat quality …

Drought Influences Annual Survival Of Painted Turtles In Western Nebraska, Allyson N. Beard, Larkin Powell

School of Natural Resources: Faculty Publications

Aquatic habitats in the Great Plains of North America have increased risk of droughts under climate forecasts. Droughts have the potential to influence the population dynamics of pond turtles, and long-term studies are useful to assess the impact of climatic variation on turtles. We compiled twelve years of mark-recapture data for painted turtles (Chrysemys picta) captured in a pond in Keith County, Nebraska during 2005–2016 that included two periods of drought. We used a robust design analysis to investigate influences on population size, annual survival, temporary immigration, and capture probability. Estimates of the annual population size ranged from 92 (CI: …

Integrated Vs. Specialized Farming Systems For Sustainable Food Production: Comparative Analysis Of Systems’ Technical Efficiency In Nebraska, Maroua Afi, Jay Parsons

Department of Agricultural Economics: Faculty Publications

Complementarities between crops and livestock production have the potential to increase input use efficiency and maintain a diversified livelihood. This paper uses non-parametric data envelopment analysis (DEA) to assess the technical efficiency (TE) of integrated crop–livestock systems (ICLS) compared to specialized cropping and specialized livestock systems in the state of Nebraska, in the central United States. We classify each county of Nebraska into one of three systems according to their dominant agricultural production revenues. We use DEA to measure the TE of each county compared, first, to a group production frontier (in-system comparison) and second, to a metafrontier (cross-system comparison). …

2023 Extension Highlights

Lancaster County, Nebraska Extension: Reports

The work and programs highlighted in this report are a sample of how local residents count on Nebraska Extension in Lancaster County to:

• Strengthen Nebraska Agriculture & Food Systems

• Inspire Nebraskans & Their Communities

• Enhance The Health & Wellbeing Of All Nebraskans

Nasis 2023: Nebraska Annual Social Indicators Survey Questionnaire, Bureau Of Sociological Research

Nebraska Annual Social Indicators Survey (NASIS)

No abstract provided.

Orb-Web Spider Argiope (Araneidae) As Indigenous Arrow Poison Of G/Ui And G//Ana San Hunters In The Kalahari, Tharina L. Bird, Smith Moeti, Robert K. Hitchcock, Melinda C. Kelly, Lefang L. Chobolo, Nonofo Gotcha, Kgosi K. Moatlhodi, Leungo D. Mukoka, Emmanuel K. Sekopo, Caroline Simmrita Chaboo

University of Nebraska State Museum: Staff and Affiliates, Publications

Hunting has been crucial in early human evolution. Some San (Bushmen) of southern Africa still practice their indigenous hunting. The use of poisons is one remarkable aspect of their bow-and-arrow hunting but the sources, taxonomic identifications of species used, and recipes, are not well documented. This study reports on fieldwork to investigate recent indigenous hunting practices of G/ui and G//ana San communities in the Central Kalahari Game Reserve (CKGR), Botswana. Here we discuss their use of spider poison. The hunters use the contents of the opisthosoma (‘abdomen’) of a spider as sole ingredient of the arrow poison and discard the …

Transportando El Poder: Los Palanquines En El Clásico Maya, Roberto Romero Sandoval, Octavio Quetzalcóatl Esparza Olguín, Pablo Alberto Mumary Farto

Segundo congreso internacional de iconografía precolombina. Barcelona, 2023. Actas.

En las vasijas tipo códice del periodo Clásico Tardío (600 a 900 d. C.), así como en diferentes tipos de monumentos, existen representaciones de tronos portátiles en escenas palaciegas que fueron utilizados como vehículos para llevar al soberano a diferentes lugares del señorío, o fuera de sus fronteras, con el fin de supervisar actividades rituales, militares y diplomáticas, entre otras. En este sentido, el objetivo del presente trabajo será analizar las distintas representaciones de palanquines en el arte maya, así como destacar su mención en los textos jeroglíficos del Clásico maya, donde se asocian con el vocablo piit, ‘litera, palanquín’. …

Indigenous Architecture And Rock Art And Euro-American Historical Inscriptions From The Canyons Of The Ancients National Monument, Southwestern Colorado, Usa, Radosław Palonka

Segundo congreso internacional de iconografía precolombina. Barcelona, 2023. Actas.

The paper presents some results from research of the Polish archaeological project conducted in several canyons in the Canyons of the Ancients National Monument, Mesa Verde region of southwestern Colorado, USA. It focuses on reconstruction of settlement structure and socio-cultural changes in Ancestral Pueblo community from 13th century A.D. as well as on documentation (mainly with advanced digital methods) and analysis of Native American rock art from different time periods. Rock art consists of petroglyphs and paintings that include Ancestral Pueblo and historic Ute tribes, but also Euro-American inscriptions left close to Native American rock art panels. One of the …

Potential Effect Of The Proposed R-Project Transmission Line On The Aransas-Wood Buffalo Whooping Crane Population, Jeb A. Barzen, J. Michael Engels, Lisa H. Elliott, Douglas H. Johnson

Proceedings of the North American Crane Workshop

Whooping cranes (Grus americana) frequently encounter electrical transmission or distribution lines located throughout most of their range. We estimated the probability of at least 1 whooping crane being killed by colliding with a proposed transmission line (the R-project) planned to cross the primary whooping crane migration corridor in Nebraska. We also estimated the number of individuals that might be killed by the line. We used telemetry data provided by the U.S. Geological Survey and its partners, collected from 2009 to 2018, as well as published data, to estimate: 1) the probability that a migrating whooping crane would stop within the …

Thirteen-Year Status Of The Louisiana Nonmigratory Whooping Crane Reintroduction, Eva K. Szyszkoski, Sara E. Zimorski, Hillary L. Thompson

Proceedings of the North American Crane Workshop

During 2011–2023, 167 captive-reared whooping cranes (Grus americana) were released in the Louisiana Nonmigratory Population: 157 were costume-reared and 10 were parent-reared. There were 5 additional whooping cranes translocated to Louisiana from the Florida Nonmigratory Population. Approximately 68.7% of released cranes survived 1 year post-release and 51.3% survived 3 years following release. During 2011–2017, large cohorts of captive-reared cranes were released and the population size increased rapidly. The population grew more slowly during 2018–2023 when cohort sizes were smaller but there were more wild-hatched cranes that fledged. There were 114 mortalities, and of the 85 where remains were recovered, the …

Releases Of After Hatch Year And Adult Whooping Cranes In The Reintroduced Eastern Migratory Population, Stephanie M. Schmidt, Hillary L. Thompson

Proceedings of the North American Crane Workshop

The reintroduced Eastern Migratory Population of whooping cranes (Grus americana) experiences low recruitment and high mortality. To support and supplement this population’s growth, ex-situ breeding and release programs prioritizing the release of juvenile whooping cranes (121.1 ± 2 days after hatch) are used. However, extenuating circumstances have resulted in the release of 4 after-hatch-year and 1 adult whooping crane between 2018 and 2022. Although the sample size is small, these unique cases are informative for future management and release, revealing lower survival 1 year after release (20%) than traditional release methods (parent-reared: 69.0%; costume-reared: 64.4%), and average post-release survival of …