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Influences Of Artificial Light On Mating Of Black Soldier Fly (Hermetia Illucens): A Review, Md Rabiul Awal, Md Masudur Rahman, Md Abdur Razzak Choudhury, Md Mehedi Hasan, Md Towfiqur Rahman, Md Fuad Mondal Jan 2022

Influences Of Artificial Light On Mating Of Black Soldier Fly (Hermetia Illucens): A Review, Md Rabiul Awal, Md Masudur Rahman, Md Abdur Razzak Choudhury, Md Mehedi Hasan, Md Towfiqur Rahman, Md Fuad Mondal

Department of Agricultural and Biological Systems Engineering: Faculty Publications

Black soldier fly (Hermetia illucens) is a potential insect species which can convert biodegradable materials and some indigestible organic waste into valuable biomass. Because of having good quality of fat and protein, its production and use in animal feed are being extended day by day. To fulfill the future demand re-searchers are trying to find out the successful mass rearing techniques of H. illucens in laboratory or indoor condition. However, the most critical part of H. illucens mass production is obtaining successful mating. This insect is very sensitive to light. It prefers direct sunlight for its …

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Exploring Higher-Order Conceptual Learning In An Arthropod With A Large Multisensory Processing Center, Kenna D. S. Lehmann, Fiona G. Shogren, Mariah Fallick, James Colton Watts, Daniel Schoenberg, Daniel D. Wiegmann, Verner P. Bingman, Eileen A. Hebets Jan 2022

Exploring Higher-Order Conceptual Learning In An Arthropod With A Large Multisensory Processing Center, Kenna D. S. Lehmann, Fiona G. Shogren, Mariah Fallick, James Colton Watts, Daniel Schoenberg, Daniel D. Wiegmann, Verner P. Bingman, Eileen A. Hebets

School of Biological Sciences: Faculty Publications

Comparative cognition aims to understand the evolutionary history and current function of cognitive abilities in a variety of species with diverse natural histories. One characteristic often attributed to higher cognitive abilities is higher-order conceptual learning, such as the ability to learn concepts independent of stimuli—e.g., ‘same’ or ‘different’. Conceptual learning has been documented in honeybees and a number of vertebrates. Amblypygids, nocturnal enigmatic arachnids, are good candidates for higher-order learning because they are excellent associational learners, exceptional navigators, and they have large, highly folded mushroom bodies, which are brain regions known to be involved in learning and memory in insects. …

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The Ecology Of Wealth Inequality In Animal Societies, Eli D. Strauss, Daizaburo Shizuka Jan 2022

The Ecology Of Wealth Inequality In Animal Societies, Eli D. Strauss, Daizaburo Shizuka

School of Biological Sciences: Faculty Publications

Individuals vary in their access to resources, social connections and phenotypic traits, and a central goal of evolutionary biology is to understand how this variation arises and influences fitness. Parallel research on humans has focused on the causes and consequences of variation in material possessions, opportunity and health. Central to both fields of study is that unequal distribution of wealth is an important component of social structure that drives variation in relevant outcomes. Here, we advance a research framework and agenda for studying wealth inequality within an ecological and evolutionary context. This ecology of inequality approach presents the opportunity to …

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Functional Response Of Harmonia Axyridis To The Larvae Of Spodoptera Litura: The Combined Effect Of Temperatures And Prey Instars, Yasir Islam, Farhan Mahmood Shah, Ali Güncan, John Paul Delong, Xingmiao Zhou Jan 2022

Functional Response Of Harmonia Axyridis To The Larvae Of Spodoptera Litura: The Combined Effect Of Temperatures And Prey Instars, Yasir Islam, Farhan Mahmood Shah, Ali Güncan, John Paul Delong, Xingmiao Zhou

School of Biological Sciences: Faculty Publications

Functional responses are central to predator–prey dynamics and describe how predation varies with prey abundance. Functional responses often are measured without regard to prey size (i.e., body mass) or the temperature dependence of feeding rates. However, variation in prey size within populations is ubiquitous, and predation rates are often both size and temperature-dependent. Here, we assessed functional responses of larvae and adult Harmonia axyridis on the 1st, 2nd, and 3rd instars of the prey Spodoptera litura across a range of temperatures (i.e., 15, 20, 25, 30, and 35◦C). The type and parameters of the functional responses were determined using logistic …

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Social Networks In The Single Cell, Moira Rodriguez, Ana Martinez-Hottovy, Alan C. Christensen Jan 2022

Social Networks In The Single Cell, Moira Rodriguez, Ana Martinez-Hottovy, Alan C. Christensen

School of Biological Sciences: Faculty Publications

Plant mitochondrial DNA (mtDNA) can become damaged in many ways. A major repair mechanism is homologous recombination, which requires an undamaged DNA template. Presumably, this template comes from a different mitochondrion in the same cell. Plant mitochondria undergo fission and fusion to form transient networks which could allow the exchange of genetic information. To test this hypothesis, Chustecki et al. (2022) used msh1 mutants with defective DNA repair, and showed that mitochondrial interactions increased, revealing a link between the physical and genetic behavior of mitochondria.

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Late Pleistocene Megafauna Extinction Leads To Missing Pieces Of Ecological Space In A North American Mammal Community, Felisa A. Smith, Emma A. Elliott Smith, Amelia Villaseñor, Catalina P. Tomé, S. Kathleen Lyons, Seth D. Newsome Jan 2022

Late Pleistocene Megafauna Extinction Leads To Missing Pieces Of Ecological Space In A North American Mammal Community, Felisa A. Smith, Emma A. Elliott Smith, Amelia Villaseñor, Catalina P. Tomé, S. Kathleen Lyons, Seth D. Newsome

School of Biological Sciences: Faculty Publications

The conservation status of large-bodied mammals is dire. Their decline has serious consequences because they have unique ecological roles not replicated by smaller-bodied animals. Here, we use the fossil record of the megafauna extinction at the terminal Pleistocene to explore the consequences of past biodiversity loss. We characterize the isotopic and body-size niche of a mammal community in Texas before and after the event to assess the influence on the ecology and ecological interactions of surviving species (>1 kg). Preextinction, a variety of C4 grazers, C3 browsers, and mixed feeders existed, similar to modern African savannas, with …

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Fishing Regulations, Sexual Dimorphism, And The Life History Of Harvest, Lyndsie S. Wszola, Zachary S. Feiner, Christopher J. Chizinski, Jamilynn B. Poletto, John P. Delong Jan 2022

Fishing Regulations, Sexual Dimorphism, And The Life History Of Harvest, Lyndsie S. Wszola, Zachary S. Feiner, Christopher J. Chizinski, Jamilynn B. Poletto, John P. Delong

School of Biological Sciences: Faculty Publications

Freshwater recreational fisheries regulations are a vital tool for achieving social and ecological fisheries objectives. However, angler behavior and fish biology may interact to influence regulation efficacy in unexpected ways. We combined models of fish growth and angler behavior to explore how angler behavior interacts with fish life history to shape the probability of fish harvest given capture across ages, life stages, and sexes of walleye (Sander vitreus). Compared to females, males grew more quickly as juveniles, matured earlier, and reached smaller maximum sizes. Male walleye were therefore vulnerable to harvest for more of their reproductive lives than …

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An Empiricist’S Guide To Using Ecological Theory, Tess N. Grainger, Athmanathan Senthilnathan, Po-Ju Ke, Matthew A. Barbour, Natalie T. Jones, John Delong, Sarah P. Otto, Mary I. O'Connor, Kyle E. Coblentz, Nikunj Goel, Jawad Sakarchi, Megan C. Szojka, Jonathan M. Levine, Rachel M. Germain Jan 2022

An Empiricist’S Guide To Using Ecological Theory, Tess N. Grainger, Athmanathan Senthilnathan, Po-Ju Ke, Matthew A. Barbour, Natalie T. Jones, John Delong, Sarah P. Otto, Mary I. O'Connor, Kyle E. Coblentz, Nikunj Goel, Jawad Sakarchi, Megan C. Szojka, Jonathan M. Levine, Rachel M. Germain

School of Biological Sciences: Faculty Publications

A scientific understanding of the biological world arises when ideas about how nature works are formalized, tested, refined, and then tested again. Although the benefits of feedback between theoretical and empirical research are widely acknowledged by ecologists, this link is still not as strong as it could be in ecological research. This is in part because theory, particularly when expressed mathematically, can feel inaccessible to empiricists who may have little formal training in advanced math. To address this persistent barrier, we provide a general and accessible guide that covers the basic, step-by-step process of how to approach, understand, and use …

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Towards An Integrative View Of Virus Phenotypes, John P. Delong, Maitham A. Al-Sammak, Zeina Al-Ameeli, David Dunigan, Kyle F. Edwards, Jeffry J. Fuhrmann, Jason P. Gleghorn, Hanqun Li, Kona Haramoto, Amelia O. Harrison, Marcia F. Marston, Ryan M. Moore, Shawn W. Polson, Barbra D. Ferrell, Miranda E. Salsbery, Christopher R. Schvarcz, Jasmine Shirazi, Grieg F. Steward, James L. Van Etten, K. Eric Wommack Jan 2022

Towards An Integrative View Of Virus Phenotypes, John P. Delong, Maitham A. Al-Sammak, Zeina Al-Ameeli, David Dunigan, Kyle F. Edwards, Jeffry J. Fuhrmann, Jason P. Gleghorn, Hanqun Li, Kona Haramoto, Amelia O. Harrison, Marcia F. Marston, Ryan M. Moore, Shawn W. Polson, Barbra D. Ferrell, Miranda E. Salsbery, Christopher R. Schvarcz, Jasmine Shirazi, Grieg F. Steward, James L. Van Etten, K. Eric Wommack

School of Biological Sciences: Faculty Publications

Understanding how phenotypes emerge from genotypes is a foundational goal in biology. As challenging as this task is when considering cellular life, it is further complicated in the case of viruses. During replication, a virus as a discrete entity (the virion) disappears and manifests itself as a metabolic amalgam between the virus and the host (the virocell). Identifying traits that unambiguously constitute a virus’s phenotype is straightforward for the virion, less so for the virocell. Here, we present a framework for categorizing virus phenotypes that encompasses both virion and virocell stages and considers functional and performance traits of viruses in …

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Predator Functional Responses And The Biocontrol Of Aphids And Mites, John Delong, Stella Uiterwaal Jan 2022

Predator Functional Responses And The Biocontrol Of Aphids And Mites, John Delong, Stella Uiterwaal

School of Biological Sciences: Faculty Publications

Biocontrol with predators is a key tool for controlling agricultural pests and preserving the productive efficiency of crops. Determining which predators to use for biocontrol often involves measuring their functional response—the relationship between foraging rate and prey abundance, yet comparisons of functional responses across predators are complicated by differences in experimental procedures. Here we use a compilation of functional responses standardized for time and space units to illustrate key sources of variation in functional responses for predators being tested for control of aphids and mites. Our results show that arena size (as a proxy for habitat structure) is a crucial …

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Geospatial Distribution Of Age-Adjusted Incidence Of The Three Major Types Of Pediatric Cancers And Waterborne Agrichemicals In Nebraska, Balkissa S. Ouattara, Jagadeesh Puvvula, Azar Abadi, Siddhi Munde, Alan S. Kolok, Shannon Bartelt-Hunt, Jesse E. Bell, Christopher S. Wichman, Eleanor Rogan Jan 2022

Geospatial Distribution Of Age-Adjusted Incidence Of The Three Major Types Of Pediatric Cancers And Waterborne Agrichemicals In Nebraska, Balkissa S. Ouattara, Jagadeesh Puvvula, Azar Abadi, Siddhi Munde, Alan S. Kolok, Shannon Bartelt-Hunt, Jesse E. Bell, Christopher S. Wichman, Eleanor Rogan

Department of Civil and Environmental Engineering: Faculty Publications

This study was conducted to examine, at the county level, the relationship between pediatric cancer incidence rate and atrazine and nitrate mean concentrations in surface and groundwater. A negative binomial regression analysis was performed to investigate the association between central nervous system (CNS) tumors, leukemia, lymphoma, and atrazine and nitrate mean concentrations in groundwater. The age-adjusted brain and other CNS cancer incidence was higher than the national average in 63% of the Nebraska counties. After controlling for the counties socio-economic status and nitrate concentrations in groundwater, counties with groundwater atrazine concentrations above 0.0002 μg/L had a higher incidence rate for …

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Phenotypic And Genomic Diversification In Complex Carbohydrate-Degrading Human Gut Bacteria, Nicholas A. Pudlo, Karthik Urs, Ryan Crawford, Ali Pirani, Todd Atherly, Roberto Jimenez, Nicolas Terrapon, Bernard Henrissat, Daniel Peterson, Cherie Ziemer, Evan Snitkin, Eric C. Martens Jan 2022

Phenotypic And Genomic Diversification In Complex Carbohydrate-Degrading Human Gut Bacteria, Nicholas A. Pudlo, Karthik Urs, Ryan Crawford, Ali Pirani, Todd Atherly, Roberto Jimenez, Nicolas Terrapon, Bernard Henrissat, Daniel Peterson, Cherie Ziemer, Evan Snitkin, Eric C. Martens

Department of Food Science and Technology: Faculty Publications

Symbiotic bacteria are responsible for the majority of complex carbohydrate digestion in the human colon. Since the identities and amounts of dietary polysaccharides directly impact the gut microbiota, determining which microorganisms consume specific nutrients is central for defining the relationship between diet and gut microbial ecology. Using a custom phenotyping array, we determined carbohydrate utilization profiles for 354 members of the Bacteroidetes, a dominant saccharolytic phylum. There was wide variation in the numbers and types of substrates degraded by individual bacteria, but phenotype-based clustering grouped members of the same species indicating that each species performs characteristic roles. The ability …

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Experimental Evaluation Of Ecological Principles To Understand And Modulate The Outcome Of Bacterial Strain Competition In Gut Microbiomes, Rafael R. Segura Munoz, Sara Mantz, Ines Martinez, Fuyong Li, Robert J. Schmaltz, Nicholas A. Pudlo, Karthik Urs, Eric C. Martens, Jens Walter, Amanda Ramer-Tait Jan 2022

Experimental Evaluation Of Ecological Principles To Understand And Modulate The Outcome Of Bacterial Strain Competition In Gut Microbiomes, Rafael R. Segura Munoz, Sara Mantz, Ines Martinez, Fuyong Li, Robert J. Schmaltz, Nicholas A. Pudlo, Karthik Urs, Eric C. Martens, Jens Walter, Amanda Ramer-Tait

Department of Food Science and Technology: Faculty Publications

It is unclear if coexistence theory can be applied to gut microbiomes to understand their characteristics and modulate their composition. Through experiments in gnotobiotic mice with complex microbiomes, we demonstrated that strains of Akkermansia muciniphila and Bacteroides vulgatus could only be established if microbiomes were devoid of these species. Strains of A. muciniphila showed strict competitive exclusion, while B. vulgatus strains coexisted but populations were still influenced by competitive interactions. These differences in competitive behavior were reflective of genomic variation within the two species, indicating considerable niche overlap for A. muciniphila strains and a broader niche space for B. vulgatus …

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Recent Advances In Biosensors For Detection Of Covid-19 And Other Viruses, Shobhit K. Patel, Jaymit Surve, Juveriya Parmar, Kawsar Ahmed, Francis M. Bui, Fahad Ahmed Al-Zahrani Jan 2022

Recent Advances In Biosensors For Detection Of Covid-19 And Other Viruses, Shobhit K. Patel, Jaymit Surve, Juveriya Parmar, Kawsar Ahmed, Francis M. Bui, Fahad Ahmed Al-Zahrani

Department of Mechanical and Materials Engineering: Faculty Publications

This century has introduced very deadly, dangerous, and infectious diseases to humankind such as the influenza virus, Ebola virus, Zika virus, and the most infectious SARS-CoV-2 commonly known as COVID-19 and have caused epidemics and pandemics across the globe. For some of these diseases, proper medications, and vaccinations are missing and the early detection of these viruses will be critical to saving the patients. And even the vaccines are available for COVID-19, the new variants of COVID-19 such as Delta, and Omicron are spreading at large. The available virus detection techniques take a long time, are costly, and complex and …

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A Robot-Assisted Acoustofluidic End Effector, Jan Durrer, Prajwal Agrawal, Ali Ozgul, Stephen C.F. Neuhauss, Nitesh Nama, Daniel Ahmed Jan 2022

A Robot-Assisted Acoustofluidic End Effector, Jan Durrer, Prajwal Agrawal, Ali Ozgul, Stephen C.F. Neuhauss, Nitesh Nama, Daniel Ahmed

Department of Mechanical and Materials Engineering: Faculty Publications

Liquid manipulation is the foundation of most laboratory processes. For macroscale liquid handling, both do-it-yourself and commercial robotic systems are available; however, for microscale, reagents are expensive and sample preparation is difficult. Over the last decade, lab-on-a-chip (LOC) systems have come to serve for microscale liquid manipulation; however, lacking automation andmulti-functionality. Despite their potential synergies, each has grown separately and no suitable interface yet exists to link macro-level robotics with micro-level LOC or microfluidic devices. Here, we present a robot-assisted acoustofluidic end effector (RAEE) system, comprising a robotic arm and an acoustofluidic end effector, that combines robotics and microfluidic functionalities.We …

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An Examination Of Ethical Attitudes Towards Wild Pig (Sus Scrofa) Toxicants In The United States, Keith Carlisle, Erin E. Harper, Stephanie A. Shwiff Jan 2022

An Examination Of Ethical Attitudes Towards Wild Pig (Sus Scrofa) Toxicants In The United States, Keith Carlisle, Erin E. Harper, Stephanie A. Shwiff

United States Department of Agriculture Wildlife Services: Staff Publications

This research aims to understand ethical attitudes of the U.S. public towards the use of a toxicant to control wild pigs (Sus scrofa), a destructive invasive species whose population growth is proving difficult to control through conventional management methods. Using a nationwide self-administered survey with 2,186 completed and returned questionnaires, we found that among six different lethal control methods, toxicant usage was the only method that a majority of respondents (51%) found to be unethical, with no significant differences between rural and urban respondents or between respondents from counties with wild pigs and counties where the species is absent. The …

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The Third International Hackathon For Applying Insights Into Large-Scale Genomic Composition To Use Cases In A Wide Range Of Organisms, Kimberly Walker, Divya Kalra, Rebecca Lowdon, Guangyi Chen, Fritz J. Sedlazeck, Ben Busby, Chia-Sin Liew, Et Al. Jan 2022

The Third International Hackathon For Applying Insights Into Large-Scale Genomic Composition To Use Cases In A Wide Range Of Organisms, Kimberly Walker, Divya Kalra, Rebecca Lowdon, Guangyi Chen, Fritz J. Sedlazeck, Ben Busby, Chia-Sin Liew, Et Al.

Nebraska Center for Biotechnology: Faculty and Staff Publications

In October 2021, 59 scientists from 14 countries and 13 U.S. states collaborated virtually in the Third Annual Baylor College of Medicine & DNANexus Structural Variation hackathon. The goal of the hackathon was to advance research on structural variants (SVs) by prototyping and iterating on open-source software. This led to nine hackathon projects focused on diverse genomics research interests, including various SV discovery and genotyping methods, SV sequence reconstruction, and clinically relevant structural variation, including SARS-CoV-2 variants. Repositories for the projects that participated in the hackathon are available at https://github.com/collaborativebioinformatics.

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Improving Taxonomic Delimitation Of Fungal Species In The Age Of Genomics And Phenomics, Ashley Stengel, Kimberly M. Stanke, Amanda C. Quattrone, Joshua R. Herr Jan 2022

Improving Taxonomic Delimitation Of Fungal Species In The Age Of Genomics And Phenomics, Ashley Stengel, Kimberly M. Stanke, Amanda C. Quattrone, Joshua R. Herr

Department of Plant Pathology: Faculty Publications

Species concepts have long provided a source of debate among biologists. These lively debates have been important for reaching consensus on how to communicate across scientific disciplines and for advancing innovative strategies to study evolution, population biology, ecology, natural history, and disease epidemiology. Species concepts are also important for evaluating variability and diversity among communities, understanding biogeographical distributions, and identifying causal agents of disease across animal and plant hosts. While there have been many attempts to address the concept of species in the fungi, there are several concepts that have made taxonomic delimitation especially challenging. In this review we discuss …

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Dynamic Causal Modeling Of Neural Responses To An Orofacial Pneumotactile Velocity Array, Yingying Wang, Rebecca Custead, Hyuntaek Oh, Steven M. Barlow Jan 2022

Dynamic Causal Modeling Of Neural Responses To An Orofacial Pneumotactile Velocity Array, Yingying Wang, Rebecca Custead, Hyuntaek Oh, Steven M. Barlow

Department of Special Education and Communication Disorders: Faculty Publications

The effective connectivity of neuronal networks during orofacial pneumotactile stimulation with different velocities is still unknown. The present study aims to characterize the effectivity connectivity elicited by three different saltatory velocities (5, 25, and 65 cm/s) over the lower face using dynamic causal modeling on functional magnetic resonance imaging data of twenty neurotypical adults. Our results revealed the contralateral SI and SII as the most likely sources of the driving inputs within the sensorimotor network for the pneumotactile stimuli, suggesting parallel processing of the orofacial pneumotactile stimuli. The 25 cm/s pneumotactile stimuli modulated forward interhemispheric connection from the contralateral SII …

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Ankrd24 Organizes Triobp To Reinforce Stereocilia Insertion Points, Jocelyn F. Krey, Chang Liu, Inna A. Belyantseva, Michael Bateschell, Rachel A. Dumont, Jennifer Goldsmith, Paroma Chatterjee, Rachel S. Morrill, Lev M. Fedorov, Sarah Foster, Jinkyung Kim, Alfred L. Nuttal, Sherri M. Jones, Dongseok Choi, Thomas B. Friedman, Anthony J. Ricci, Bo Zhao, Peter G. Barr-Gillespie Jan 2022

Ankrd24 Organizes Triobp To Reinforce Stereocilia Insertion Points, Jocelyn F. Krey, Chang Liu, Inna A. Belyantseva, Michael Bateschell, Rachel A. Dumont, Jennifer Goldsmith, Paroma Chatterjee, Rachel S. Morrill, Lev M. Fedorov, Sarah Foster, Jinkyung Kim, Alfred L. Nuttal, Sherri M. Jones, Dongseok Choi, Thomas B. Friedman, Anthony J. Ricci, Bo Zhao, Peter G. Barr-Gillespie

Department of Special Education and Communication Disorders: Faculty Publications

The stereocilia rootlet is a key structure in vertebrate hair cells, anchoring stereocilia firmly into the cell’s cuticular plate and protecting them from overstimulation. Using superresolution microscopy, we show that the ankyrin-repeat protein ANKRD24 concentrates at the stereocilia insertion point, forming a ring at the junction between the lower and upper rootlets. Annular ANKRD24 continues into the lower rootlet, where it surrounds and binds TRIOBP-5, which itself bundles rootlet F-actin. TRIOBP-5 is mislocalized in Ankrd24KO/KO hair cells, and ANKRD24 no longer localizes with rootlets in mice lacking TRIOBP-5; exogenous DsRed–TRIOBP-5 restores endogenous ANKRD24 to rootlets in these mice. Ankrd24 …

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Relationship Between Reproductive Hormones And Migration Distance In A Polygynous Songbird, The Red‑Winged Blackbird (Agelaius Phoeniceus), Michelle A. Eshleman, Page E. Klug, Esther Morales‑Vega, Björn Wissel, Timothy J. Grelves Jan 2022

Relationship Between Reproductive Hormones And Migration Distance In A Polygynous Songbird, The Red‑Winged Blackbird (Agelaius Phoeniceus), Michelle A. Eshleman, Page E. Klug, Esther Morales‑Vega, Björn Wissel, Timothy J. Grelves

United States Department of Agriculture Wildlife Services: Staff Publications

Many bird species migrate to southern overwintering locations to avoid harsh conditions at their breeding grounds, but at the cost of an energetically demanding migration that may delay their spring reproductive development. Previous work on the relationship between migration distance and reproductive readiness has primarily focused on early season baseline testosterone in both males and females. However, for females, testosterone alone may not be the appropriate measurement of reproductive development. Estradiol, a metabolite of testosterone that is essential for breeding behaviors and reproduction, should also be measured. Furthermore, baseline testosterone varies throughout the day and may change due to social …

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A Systematic Map Of Human-Carnivore Coexistence, Cassandre C. Venumière-Lefebvre, Stewart W. Breck, Kevin R. Crooks Jan 2022

A Systematic Map Of Human-Carnivore Coexistence, Cassandre C. Venumière-Lefebvre, Stewart W. Breck, Kevin R. Crooks

United States Department of Agriculture Wildlife Services: Staff Publications

Carnivore populations globally have largely declined, and coexistence, where humans and carnivores share landscapes, plays a crucial role in carnivore conservation. However, the term “coexistence” is often used in scientific and popular literature without being clearly defined. Herein, we provide a global perspective on what coexistence is and how it is studied. We conducted a systematic map of 366 articles published between 1987 and 2020 to characterize human-carnivore coexistence literature according to coexistence definitions, temporal trends, geographic and taxonomic focus, and four thematic aspects of coexistence: carnivore ecology, human endeavors, social conflict and human-carnivore conflict. We used chi-squared tests and …

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Frugivory And Seed Dispersal By Carnivorans, John P. Draper, Julie K. Young, Eugene W. Schupp, Noelle G. Beckman, Trisha B. Atwood Jan 2022

Frugivory And Seed Dispersal By Carnivorans, John P. Draper, Julie K. Young, Eugene W. Schupp, Noelle G. Beckman, Trisha B. Atwood

United States Department of Agriculture Wildlife Services: Staff Publications

Seed dispersal is critical to the ecological performance of sexually reproducing plant species and the communities that they form. The Mammalian order Carnivora provide valuable and effective seed dispersal services but tend to be overlooked in much of the seed dispersal literature. Here we review the literature on the role of Carnivorans in seed dispersal, with a literature search in the Scopus reference database. Overall, we found that Carnivorans are prolific seed dispersers. Carnivorans’ diverse and plastic diets allow them to consume large volumes of over a hundred families of fruit and disperse large quantities of seeds across landscapes. Gut …

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Aboveground Carbon Responses To Experimental And Natural Hurricane Impacts In A Subtropical Wet Forest In Puerto Rico, Hervé Chevalier, Nicholas V.L. Brokaw, Sheila E. Ward, Jess K. Zimmerman, Aaron B. Shiels, John Bithorn, Samuel Matta Carmona Jan 2022

Aboveground Carbon Responses To Experimental And Natural Hurricane Impacts In A Subtropical Wet Forest In Puerto Rico, Hervé Chevalier, Nicholas V.L. Brokaw, Sheila E. Ward, Jess K. Zimmerman, Aaron B. Shiels, John Bithorn, Samuel Matta Carmona

United States Department of Agriculture Wildlife Services: Staff Publications

Climate change and disturbance make it difficult to project long-term patterns of carbon sequestration in tropical forests, but large ecosystem experiments in these forests can inform predictions. The Canopy Trimming Experiment (CTE) manipulates two key components of hurricane disturbance, canopy openness and detritus deposition, in a tropical forest in Puerto Rico. We documented how the CTE and a real hurricane affected tree recruitment, biomass, and aboveground carbon storage over 15 years. In the CTE treatments, we trimmed branches, but we did not fell trees. We expected that during the 14-year period after initial canopy trimming, regrowth of branches and stems …

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Behavioral States In Space And Time: Understanding Landscape Use By An Invasive Mammal, Steven M. Gray, John M. Humphreys, Robert A. Montgomery, Dwayne R. Etter, Kurt C. Vercauteren, Daniel B. Kramer, Gary J. Roloff Jan 2022

Behavioral States In Space And Time: Understanding Landscape Use By An Invasive Mammal, Steven M. Gray, John M. Humphreys, Robert A. Montgomery, Dwayne R. Etter, Kurt C. Vercauteren, Daniel B. Kramer, Gary J. Roloff

United States Department of Agriculture Wildlife Services: Staff Publications

Animal movement models can be used to understand species behavior and assist with implementation of management activities. We explored behavioral states of an invasive wild pig (Sus scrofa) population that recently colonized central Michigan, USA, 2014–2018. To quantify environmental factors related to wild pig movement ecology and spatio‐temporal landscape use, we predicted wild pig behavioral states relative to land cover type, landscape structure (i.e., edge and patch cohesion), and weather conditions. We used global positioning system (GPS)‐collars and monitored 8 wild pigs from 2014–2018. We fit local convex hulls and calculated movement metrics revealing 3 wild pig behavioral states (resting, …

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Concentration-Response Of An Anthraquinone-Based Repellent For Raccoons (Procyon Lotor), Shylo Johnson, Shelagh T. Deliberto, Kathleen Urchek, Amy T. Gilbert, Scott J. Werner Jan 2022

Concentration-Response Of An Anthraquinone-Based Repellent For Raccoons (Procyon Lotor), Shylo Johnson, Shelagh T. Deliberto, Kathleen Urchek, Amy T. Gilbert, Scott J. Werner

United States Department of Agriculture Wildlife Services: Staff Publications

Wildlife repellents can be part of non-lethal management strategies to reduce the negative impacts of wildlife to property, agricultural production, and human health and safety. Raccoons (Procyon lotor) are associated with negative impacts in all three of these areas. Anthraquinone is a useful avian repellent and its utility as a mammalian repellent is still being explored. Our objective was to evaluate laboratory efficacy of an anthraquinone-based repellent for raccoons using different concentrations. We fed captive raccoons whole corn treated at 0.5%, 1%, 1.5% and 2% anthraquinone and examined their behavioral response related to feeding repellency including consumption and change in …

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Accounting For Animal Movement Improves Vaccination Strategies Against Wildlife Disease In Heterogeneous Landscapes, Katherine M. Mcclure, Guillaume Bastille-Rousseau, Amy J. Davis, Carolyn A. Stengel, Kathleen M. Nelson, Richard B. Chipman, George Wittemyer, Zaid Abdo, Amy Gilbert, Kim M. Pepin Jan 2022

Accounting For Animal Movement Improves Vaccination Strategies Against Wildlife Disease In Heterogeneous Landscapes, Katherine M. Mcclure, Guillaume Bastille-Rousseau, Amy J. Davis, Carolyn A. Stengel, Kathleen M. Nelson, Richard B. Chipman, George Wittemyer, Zaid Abdo, Amy Gilbert, Kim M. Pepin

United States Department of Agriculture Wildlife Services: Staff Publications

Oral baiting is used to deliver vaccines to wildlife to prevent, control, and eliminate infectious diseases. A central challenge is how to spatially distribute baits to maximize encounters by target animal populations, particularly in urban and suburban areas where wildlife such as raccoons (Procyon lotor) are abundant and baits are delivered along roads. Methods from movement ecology that quantify movement and habitat selection could help to optimize baiting strategies by more effectively targeting wildlife populations across space. We developed a spatially explicit, individual-based model of raccoon movement and oral rabies vaccine seroconversion to examine whether and when baiting …

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Using Noninvasive Genetics For Estimating Density And Assessing Diet Of Urban And Rural Coyotes In Florida, Usa, Bryan M. Kluever, Martin B. Main, Stewart W. Breck, Robert C. Lonsinger, John H. Humphrey, Justin W. Fischer, Michael P. Milleson Usda Aphis Wildlife Services, Gainesville, Antionette J. Piaggio Jan 2022

Using Noninvasive Genetics For Estimating Density And Assessing Diet Of Urban And Rural Coyotes In Florida, Usa, Bryan M. Kluever, Martin B. Main, Stewart W. Breck, Robert C. Lonsinger, John H. Humphrey, Justin W. Fischer, Michael P. Milleson Usda Aphis Wildlife Services, Gainesville, Antionette J. Piaggio

United States Department of Agriculture Wildlife Services: Staff Publications

Coyotes (Canis latrans) are expanding their range and due to conflicts with the public and concerns of Coyotes affecting natural resources such as game or sensitive species, there is interest and often a demand to monitor Coyote populations. A challenge to monitoring is that traditional invasive methods involving live-capture of individual animals are costly and can be controversial. Natural resource management agencies can benefit from contemporary noninvasive genetic sampling approaches aimed at determining key aspects of Coyote ecology (e.g., population density and food habits). However, the efficacy of such approaches under different environmental conditions is poorly understood. Our …

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Invasive Predators Affect Community-Wide Pollinator Visitation, Christina T. Liang, Aaron B. Shiels, William P. Haines, Manette E. Sandor, Clare E. Aslan Jan 2022

Invasive Predators Affect Community-Wide Pollinator Visitation, Christina T. Liang, Aaron B. Shiels, William P. Haines, Manette E. Sandor, Clare E. Aslan

United States Department of Agriculture Wildlife Services: Staff Publications

Disruption of plant–pollinator interactions by invasive predators is poorly understood but may pose a critical threat for native ecosystems. In a multiyear field experiment in Hawai’i, we suppressed abundances of globally invasive predators and then observed insect visitation to flowers of six native plant species. Three plant species are federally endangered (Haplostachys haplostachya, Silene lanceolata, Tetramolopium arenarium) and three are common throughout their range (Bidens menziesii, Dubautia linearis, Sida fallax). Insect visitors were primarily generalist pollinators, including taxa that occur worldwide such as solitary bees (e.g., Lasioglossum impavidum), social bees (e.g., …

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Spatial Risk Modeling Of Cattle Depredation By Black Vultures In The Midwestern United States, Brandon M. Quinby, Bryan M. Kluever, Grant N. Burcham, Lee Humberg, Landon R. Jones, Marian L. Wahl, Patrick A. Zollner Jan 2022

Spatial Risk Modeling Of Cattle Depredation By Black Vultures In The Midwestern United States, Brandon M. Quinby, Bryan M. Kluever, Grant N. Burcham, Lee Humberg, Landon R. Jones, Marian L. Wahl, Patrick A. Zollner

United States Department of Agriculture Wildlife Services: Staff Publications

ock operations through depredation of stock are a cause of human‐wildlife conflict. Management of such conflict requires identifying environmental and non‐environmental factors specific to a wildlife species' biology and ecology that influence the potential for livestock depredation to occur. Identification of such factors can improve understanding of the conditions placing livestock at risk. Black vultures (Coragyps atratus) have expanded their historical range northward into the midwestern United States. Concomitantly, an increase in concern among agricultural producers regarding potential black vulture attacks on livestock has occurred. We estimated area with greater or lesser potential for depredation of domestic cattle by black …

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