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Population Status And Geographic Distribution Of Greater Sandhill Cranes In The Mid-Continent Population, Gary L. Krapu, David A. Brandt

Proceedings of the North American Crane Workshop

Number and geographic distribution of greater sandhill cranes (Grus canadensis tabida) in the mid-continent population (MCP) of sandhill cranes were evaluated. G. c. tabida comprised 7 of 133 (5.3%) individuals of 3 subspecies which projects to 31,579 ± 11,661 (SE) individuals in an estimated spring MCP of 600,000 cranes. From a platform transmitting terminal (PTT)-marked sample representative of the geographic distribution of G. c. tabida, 10 of 13 (77%) settled during the breeding season in east-central Canada/Minnesota, including 4 in northwestern Minnesota, 4 in Manitoba (2 at sites near the Minnesota border), and 2 in Ontario. Three …

Countability Of Sandhill Cranes In Aerial Surveys, Douglas H. Johnson, John W. Solberg, Courtney L. Amundson

Proceedings of the North American Crane Workshop

Aerial surveys are used to monitor populations of many wildlife species, including sandhill cranes (Grus canadensis). In addition to the usual problems of detectability (involving both availability and perceptibility), aerial surveys of concentrated animals are subject to countability issues; from a rapidly moving aircraft, observers cannot count or accurately estimate the number of animals in a large group. Calibration is sometimes performed in an effort to adjust aerial counts for incomplete detectability and countability by calculating the ratio of animals actually in a group to the number in the group estimated from the aircraft. Here we explore alternative, …

Carbon Dynamics In A Phragmites Australis Invaded Riparian Wetland, Steven Walters

School of Natural Resources: Dissertations, Theses, and Student Research

Invasive plant species are widely recognized as a major threat to biodiversity and ecosystem stability. Wetland ecosystems tend to be much more susceptible to invasions because of their location on the landscape where water, nutrients, and the impacts of disturbances accumulate. Invasive plants have the ability to alter ecosystem processes and community/population dynamics. The ability of invasive plants to alter these processes can have profound economic consequences. In the United States, control of invasive wetland species alone costs approximately 155 million dollars annually. The state of Nebraska spends 2 million dollars annually controlling invasive plant species in the Platte River …

Yield Potential And Resource-Use Efficiency Of Maize Systems In The Western U. S. Corn Belt, Patricio Grassini

Department of Agronomy and Horticulture: Dissertations, Theses, and Student Research

Maize demand for food, livestock feed, and biofuel is expected to increase substantially. The Western U.S. Corn Belt accounts for 23% of U.S. maize production, and irrigated maize accounts for 43 and 58% of maize land area and total production, respectively, in this region. The most sensitive parameters (yield potential [YP], water-limited yield potential [YP-W], yield gap between actual yield and YP, and resource-use efficiency) governing performance of maize systems in the region are lacking. A simulation model was used to quantify YP under irrigated and rainfed conditions based on weather data, soil properties, and crop management at 18 locations. …

Biological, Technical, And Social Aspects Of Applying Electrified Fladry For Livestock Protection From Wolves (Canis Lupus), N. J. Lance, S. W. Breck, C. Sime, P. Callahan, J. A. Shivik

United States Department of Agriculture Wildlife Services: Staff Publications

Context. Wolf predation on livestock can cause economic hardship for livestock producers as well as reduce tolerance for wolves. Lethal control of wolves is often controversial; thus, development of effective non-lethal methods for reducing wolf–livestock conflict is important. Electrified fladry is a new tool that is similar to fladry (i.e. a barrier system that scares wolves), but electrified fladry also incorporates an electric shock designed to decrease the potential for wolves to habituate to the barriers.

Aim. Evaluation of electrified fladry requires understanding of its effectiveness relative to fladry and the costs and benefits of applying it in …

Evolving Analyses Of The Shoshone River Skunk Rabies Epizootic In Wyoming, Craig A. Ramey, Kenneth H. Mills, Justin W. Fischer

United States Department of Agriculture Wildlife Services: Staff Publications

A rabies epizootic occurred in striped skunks from 1988-1993 in a previously rabies-free area of northwestern Wyoming. USDA APHIS Wildlife Services (WS) cooperated with state and local officials by providing a rabies monitoring and depopulation program starting in 1990. Wyoming WS asked for assistance in 1991 from the National Wildlife Research Center (NWRC) to analyze the epizootic’s movements. The goal was to address the public’s concerns about their health and safety and that of their domestic animals and livestock. All rabid skunks were diagnosed by the Wyoming State Veterinary Laboratory (WSVL) using standardized fluorescent antibody testing of brain tissues. The …

Habitat Succession, Hardwood Encroachment And Raccoons As Limiting Factors For Lower Keys Marsh Rabbits, Paige M. Schmidt, Robert A. Mccleery, Roel R. Lopez, Nova J. Silvy, Jason A. Schmidt

United States Department of Agriculture Wildlife Services: Staff Publications

The Lower Keys marsh rabbit (LKMR, Sylvilagus palustris hefneri), a marsh rabbit subspecies endemic to the Lower Keys, Florida was protected in 1990, however, populations continue to decline despite recovery efforts. We hypothesized on-going habitat loss and fragmentation due to succession and hardwood encroachment has led to increased edge, reduced habitat quality, and increased activity by native raccoons (Procyon lotor). These factors reduce the suitability of patches in a later successional state, thus threatening LKMR recovery and metapopulation persistence. We surveyed 150 LKMR patches in 2008, tallying adult and juvenile rabbit pellets, estimating measures of habitat succession …

Resistant Starches Types 2 And 4 Have Differential Effects On The Composition Of The Fecal Microbiota In Human Subjects, Ines Martinez, Jaehyoung Kim, Patrick R. Duffy, Vicki L. Schlegel, Jens Walter

Department of Food Science and Technology: Faculty Publications

Background: To systematically develop dietary strategies based on resistant starch (RS) that modulate the human gut microbiome, detailed in vivo studies that evaluate the effects of different forms of RS on the community structure and population dynamics of the gut microbiota are necessary. The aim of the present study was to gain a community wide perspective of the effects of RS types 2 (RS2) and 4 (RS4) on the fecal microbiota in human individuals.

Methods and Findings: Ten human subjects consumed crackers for three weeks each containing either RS2, RS4, or native starch in a double-blind, crossover design. Multiplex sequencing …

Efficacies Of Habitat Management Techniques In Managing Maize Stem Borers In Ethiopia, Difabachew K. Belay, John E. Foster

Department of Entomology: Faculty Publications

Habitat management techniques to control maize stem borers were tested in eastern (Melkassa and Mieso) and western (Sibu-Sire) Ethiopia. These techniques consisted of using mixed cropping of maize with haricot beans at different maize:bean ratios and a ‘‘push–pull’’ (PP) strategy utilizing Napier grass as a trap plant around maize plots as the ‘‘pull’’ and Desmodium in between maize rows as a deterrent or ‘‘push’’. In Melkassa, pest infestations were too low for the cropping system to significantly affect pests, plant damage and yields while in Mieso, where the pest densities were high, intercropping of maize with beans at ratios of …

Spectral Analysis Of Charcoal On Soils: Implications For Wildland Fire Severity Mapping Methods, Alistair M.S. Smith, Jan U. H. Eitel, Andrew T. Hudak

United States Department of Agriculture, Forest Service / University of Nebraska-Lincoln: Faculty Publications

Recent studies in the Western United States have supported climate scenarios that predict a higher occurrence of large and severe wildfires. Knowledge of the severity is important to infer long-term biogeochemical, ecological, and societal impacts, but understanding the sensitivity of any severity mapping method to variations in soil type and increasing charcoal (char) cover is essential before widespread adoption. Through repeated spectral analysis of increasing charcoal quantities on six representative soils, we found that addition of charcoal to each soil resulted in linear spectral mixing. We found that performance of the Normalised Burn Ratio was highly sensitive to soil type, …

A Model Of Tuberculosis Transmission And Intervention Strategies In An Urban Residential Area, Elsje Pienaar, Aaron M. Fluitt, Scott E. Whitney, Alison G. Freifeld, Hendrik J. Viljoen

Department of Chemical and Biomolecular Engineering: Faculty Publications

The model herein aims to explore the dynamics of the spread of tuberculosis (TB) in an informal settlement or township. The population is divided into households of various sizes and also based on commuting status. The model dynamics distinguishes between three distinct social patterns: the exposure of commuters during travel, random diurnal interaction and familial exposure at night. Following the general SLIR models, the population is further segmented into susceptible (S), exposed/latently infected (L), active/infectious (I), and recovered (R) individuals. During the daytime, commuters travel on public transport, while non-commuters randomly interact in the community to mimic chance encounters with …

Variation In Leaf Stomatal Traits Of 28 Tree Species In Relation To Gas Exchange Along An Edaphic Gradient In A Bornean Rain Forest, Sabrina E. Russo, Whitney Logan Cannon, Christian Elowsky, Sylvester Tan, Stuart J. Davies

School of Biological Sciences: Faculty Publications

Premise of the study: Quantifying variation in functional traits associated with shifts in the species composition of plant communities along resource gradients helps identify environmental attributes important for community assembly. Stomates regulate the balance between carbon assimilation and water status in plants. If environmental attributes affecting photosynthetic water-use efficiency govern species distribution along an edaphic gradient, then adaptive variation in stomatal traits of plant species specializing on different soils should reflect belowground resource availability.

Methods: We tested this hypothesis by quantifying stomatal trait variation in understory saplings of 28 Bornean tree species in relation to gas exchange and …

Locomotion In Response To Shifting Climate Zones: Not So Fast, Martin E. Feder, Theodore Garland Jr., James H. Marden, Anthony J. Zera

School of Biological Sciences: Faculty Publications

Although a species’ locomotor capacity is suggestive of its ability to escape global climate change, such a suggestion is not necessarily straightforward. Species vary substantially in locomotor capacity, both ontogenetically and within/among populations, and much of this variation has a genetic basis. Accordingly, locomotor capacity can and does evolve rapidly, as selection experiments demonstrate. Importantly, even though this evolution of locomotor capacity may be rapid enough to escape changing climate, genetic correlations among traits (often due to pleiotropy) are such that successful or rapid dispersers are often limited in colonization or reproductive ability, which may be viewed as a trade-off. …

Anthropology Collection Development Policy, David C. Tyler

University of Nebraska-Lincoln Libraries: Collection Development Policies

The anthropology collection supports the teaching, research and service activities of the entire university community. Its primary audience is the faculty, staff, and students of the Department of Anthropology in the College of Arts and Sciences (note: prior to 2009, the department was part of the conjoined Department of Anthropology & Geography). Its primary focus is support for the undergraduate and graduate curricula for anthropology. Narrowly specific and transient research needs of anthropology faculty and graduate students are supplemented through Interlibrary Loan. Materials are not purchased for the general public, though the public may benefit from the collection. The collection …

Contributions To The Faunistics Of Odonata In Thailand, Michael L. Ferro, Robert W. Sites, Akekawat Vitheepradit

Insecta Mundi

Distribution and habitat information are provided for 1578 adult specimens of Odonata representing 127 species in 70 genera and 16 families that were collected from 143 locations throughout Thailand. Of the species collected, 25 (20%) were represented by a single specimen, and 40 (31%) were collected from a single location. Collections were made at 49 lentic and 85 lotic sites, and an average of 6.9 and 6.6 species were collected at each site in each habitat, respectively.

Redefining The Dust Bowl Region Via Popular Perception And Geotechnology, Jess C. Porter, G. Allen Finchum

Great Plains Research: A Journal of Natural and Social Sciences (through 2013)

The Dust Bowl is a historical vernacular region that has been delimited by a diverse group of academics, literary authors, and popular cultural voices. However, the general public’s perception of the Dust Bowl region has not been mapped and analyzed. This research queried residents of 93 Great Plains counties in order to ascertain their perceptions and knowledge of the vernacular Dust Bowl region. Analysis of the responses via the application of geographic information system mapping reveals striking differences between respondents of varying age and place of residence. Findings suggest that spatial understanding of the Dust Bowl phenomena is eroding among …

Encomium: Rolliin Harold Baker: 1916-2007, Carleton J. Phillips, Robert J. Baker, Hugh H. Genoways

University of Nebraska State Museum: Mammalogy Papers

Rollin H. Baker passed away on November 12, 2007, one day after reaching his 91st birthday. Rollin was a living legend, famous for his pioneering research on biogeography and natural history of Mexican mammals, especially rodents, for his contributions to the understanding of Michigan mammals, and for being a mentor and friend to all young, aspiring mammalogists. Rollin Baker’s career lasted way beyond his traditional retirement, and in his final months he was still active in the Texas Society of Mammalogists and in conservation issues in Texas. Indeed, when he was 89 years old he presented a guest lecture in …

Forensic Bird-Strike Identification Techniques Used In An Accident Investigation At Wiley Post Airport, Oklahoma, 2008, Carla J. Dove, Nor Faridah Dahlan, Marcy Heacker

Human–Wildlife Interactions

On March 4, 2008, a Cessna Citation 1 (Model 500) crashed in a wooded area near Wiley Post Airport, Oklahoma, killing all 5 people on board. This paper describes the detailed forensic methods and expertise used by the Smithsonian Institution’s Feather Identification Lab to identify the bird that caused this bird-strike incident. We used standard methods of whole-feather analysis, microscopic examination, and DNA barcoding in this case to identify American white pelican (Pelecanus erythrorhynchos) as the bird species involved in this fatal crash. We also report the importance of proper field investigation and evidence collection for accurate results, …

A Decade Of U.S. Air Force Bat Strikes, Suzanne C. Peurach, Carla J. Dove, Laura Stepko

Human–Wildlife Interactions

From 1997 through 2007, 821 bat strikes were reported to the U.S. Air Force (USAF) Safety Center by aircraft personnel or ground crew and sent to the National Museum of Natural History, Smithsonian Institution, for identification. Many samples were identified by macroscopic and or microscopic comparisons with bat specimens housed in the museum and augmented during the last 2 years by DNA analysis. Bat remains from USAF strikes during this period were received at the museum from 40 states in the United States and from 20 countries. We confirmed that 46% of the strikes were caused by bats, but we …

Biofuels: Cultivating Energy, Not Invasive Species, Invasive Species Advisory Committee

National Invasive Species Council

Biofuels: Cultivating Energy, not Invasive Species, approved by ISAC on August 11, 2009

ISSUE

To provide alternatives to petroleum-based energy, the United States government has mandated a greater proportion of plant-based biofuels be integrated into its energy portfolio. However, certain plant species being proposed for biofuel production in the United States are invasive species or are likely to escape cultivation and become invasive. United States Executive Order (EO) 131121 defines invasive species as “alien [non-native] species whose introduction does or is likely to cause economic or environmental harm or harm to human health” and states: “Each Federal agency whose actions …

An Environmental Biography Of Bde Ihanke-Lake Andes: History, Science, And Sovereignty Converge With Tribal, State, And Federal Power On The Yankton Sioux Reservation In South Dakota, 1858–1959, David Nesheim

Department of History: Dissertations, Theses, and Student Research

Lake Andes sits at the center of the Yankton Sioux Reservation in south-central South Dakota and might be described as a prairie pothole, except it encompasses nearly 5,000 acres when full of water, stretching twelve miles long by a mile to a mile and a half wide in a quasi-crescent shape. Originally carved out by a receding glacier during the Wisconsin glaciations, for its entire history the lake has gone dry during low precipitation -- a cycle interrupted after the Bureau of Indian Affairs (BIA) commissioned several artesian wells beginning in 1896. As the lake expanded, the U.S. Fish Commission …

Review Of The Natural History Of The Handsome Fungus Beetles (Coleoptera: Cucujoidea: Endomychidae), F. W. Shockley, K. W. Tomaszewska, J. V. Mchugh

Insecta Mundi

The literature pertaining to natural history of Endomychidae (Coleoptera: Cucujoidea) is reviewed. One hundred fungal host records are provided for 32 endomychid species. Twenty-three records of endomychid yeast endosymbionts are compiled. Summaries are also presented for feeding preferences, interactions with natural enemies, non-lethal symbiotic relationships, and pest activity within the family. Unusual endomychid behaviors and habitats are reviewed, with particular attention to gregariousness and defensive strategies within Endomychidae.

Why Museums Matter: A Tale Of Pinworms (Oxyuroidea: Heteroxynematidae) Among Pikas (Ochotona Princeps And O. Collaris) In The American West [Critical Comment], Eric P. Hoberg, Patricia A. Pilitt, Kurt Galbreath

Harold W. Manter Laboratory of Parasitology: Faculty Publications

Permanent and well-supported museum or natural history collections provide a solid foundation for the process of systematics research through creation of an empirical record which validates our understanding of the biosphere. We explore the role of museums in ongoing studies of the complex helminth fauna characteristic of pikas (Ochotona spp.) in the American west. These studies address the taxonomy for pinworms of the Labiostomatinae and the problems associated with the absence of adequate type series and vouchers and with misidentifications in original descriptions. We demonstrate that the types for Labiostomum (Labiostomum) coloradensis are identical to some specimens …

Historical Review Of Elk–Agriculture Conflicts In And Around Riding Mountain National Park, Manitoba, Canada, Ryan K. Brook

Human–Wildlife Interactions

Conflicts between elk (Cervus elaphus) and farmers have been occurring since the 1880s when agriculture began around what is now Riding Mountain National Park (RMNP). Initially, the conflicts were related to low elk numbers caused primarily by unregulated harvest of elk. The creation of RMNP in 1930 and the associated ban on hunting allowed elk numbers to reach critically high levels. Since farming began, elk have been associated with considerable damage to fences and crops around RMNP, with annual damage often >$240,000. Hunting on agricultural lands has been the most common approach to mitigating elk impacts, despite its limited success. …

A Review Of The Potential Of Fertility Control To Manage Brushtail Possums In New Zealand, Weihong Ji

Human–Wildlife Interactions

Brushtail possums (Trichosurus vulpecula) were introduced into New Zealand from Australia in the mid-1800s and became a major invasive pest. They damage native biodiversity by browsing and predation, and they are a disease risk to the livestock industry by acting as vectors of bovine tuberculosis (TB). Management of possums includes their eradication from some offshore islands and control by trapping, shooting, and poisoning on the mainland. Possums have been eradicated successfully from some islands and greatly reduced in abundance in other areas of high conservation value or where they are infected with TB. However, possums are still at …

Agricultural Research Division News – February/March 2009, Volume 41, Number 7

Agricultural Research Division: News and Annual Reports

Contents:
Comments from Dean Gary Cunningham
USDA Agriculture and Food Research Initiative (AFRI)
NIH Equipment Grants
ARD Funding Opportunities
ARD Summary of Graduate Student Enrollment - Fall 2008
New or Revised Projects (November and December 2008)
Proposals Submitted for Federal Grants (November and December 2008)
Grants and Contracts Received (November and December 2008)

Non-Destructive Estimation Of Anthocyanins And Chlorophylls In Anthocyanic Leaves, Anatoly A. Gitelson, Olga B. Chivkunova, Mark N. Merzlyak

School of Natural Resources: Faculty Publications

The anthocyanin and chlorophyll contents in leaves provide valuable information about the physiological status of plants. Thus, there is a need for accurate, efficient, and practical methodologies to estimate these biochemical parameters of vegetation. In this study, we tested the performance and accuracy of several nondestructive, reflectance-based techniques for estimating anthocyanin and chlorophyll contents in leaves of four unrelated species, European hazel ( Corylus avellana ), Siberian dogwood ( Cornus alba = Swida alba ), Norway maple ( Acer platanoides ), and Virginia creeper ( Parthenocissus quinquefolia ), with widely variable pigment content and composition. An anthocyanin reflectance index, which …

Blackbrush Shrublands: Fire Conditions And Solutions In The Mojave Desert, Lisa-Natalie Anjozian

Joint Fire Science Program Briefs (2007-2012)

While mature stands of blackbrush present an almost continuous cover that appears to suppress other species, this ecosystem supports a greater array of different plant species than was previously thought. Fire can completely remove blackbrush cover, but it also results in reduced numbers of other native species, and increased dominance of non-native species such as annual grasses that can promote recurrent fi re and alter the fi re regime. Where blackbrush shrublands historically experienced intense fi res with a long fi re return interval, the non-native fi ne fuels that are now prevalent in many stands promote a greater rate …

Little Umpqua Gentian And The Big Biscuit Fire, Lisa-Natalie Anjozian

Joint Fire Science Program Briefs (2007-2012)

Umpqua gentian is an imperiled plant of the gaps and forested places, growing from the central western Cascade Mountains of Oregon, south to the Klamath Mountains in northwestern California. Since 1993, the Bureau of Land Management (BLM) and the Forest Service have worked together on a conservation strategy for this rare species, with the goal of maintaining viable, stable populations of genetic diversity. On the Medford District of the BLM, three sites had been monitored each year since 1995. When the 2002 Biscuit Fire burned the area, scientists had no information on how burning would affect this species. The Biscuit …

Birds Of The Great Plains: References, Paul A. Johnsgard

Birds of the Great Plains (Revised Edition, 2009) by Paul Johnsgard

A 21-page bibliography, including REGIONAL AND STATE REFERENCES and REFERENCES ON INDIVIDUAL SPECIES. Approximately 400 entries, through 1979.

An updated list of references will be found at the end of the new essay "Three Decades of Change in Great Plains Birds."