Digital Commons Network^™

The Communicator, Volume 3, Issue 1, February 2007

The Communicator: News from the Nebraska Cooperative Fish and Wildlife Research Unit

Teaching and Training New Faces (Chris Kelly; Justin Williams; Christopher Lewis; Dustin Martin) Congratulations! (Donald Wardwell; Christopher Lewis; Aaron Lotz) The Changing Faces of USGS Current Research Amphibian Monitoring Techniques (in Relation to Wetland Qualities and the Surrounding Landscape – Rainwater Basin Region) Cross-Scale Structure in Ecosystems An Adaptive Management Approach for Selecting Habitat Improvement Targets in the Shortgrass Prairie Ecosystem Diversity and Ecological Functions Impact of White Perch on Walleye; and Predators of White Perch at Branched Oak and Pawnee Reservoirs Evaluation of Landowner Incentives Program (LIP) for Species at Risk Monitoring, Mapping and Risk Assessment for Non-Indigenous Invasive …

Public Opinion, The Leopold Report, And The Reform Of Federal Predator Control Policy, James W. Feldman

Human–Wildlife Interactions

This paper explores the role of public opinion in a landmark shift in the federal predator control pro^gram. In 1963, the Le^opold Committee recommended extensive reform in the federal predator c_ontrol program, predicting that growing p_ublic support for the environmen_tal movement would force such a move if the government did not initiate a change. In the years following the publication of the Leopold Report, the U.S. Division of Wildlife Services reformed its predator control program and tried to improve its public image. Meanwhile, both environmentali_sts and ranchers fought …

Adaptive And Economic Management Methods For Feral Hog Control In Florida, Richard M. Engeman, Bernice U. Constantin, Stephanie A. Schwiff, Henry T. Smith, John Woolard, John Allen, John Dunlap

Human–Wildlife Interactions

Feral hogs (Sus scrofa) negatively impact the environment in most places around the world where they have been introduced into the wild. In many places, hog removal is essential to protect special habitats, in particular, wetlands. This paper describes techniques developed for use in adaptive management approaches to enhance hog removal efforts in Florida, as well as methods to evaluate the economic impacts from hog management. A valuable adaptive management tool that can be an easily applied index to monitor feral hog activity is track plots. This method has been effective for monitoring hog distribution and relative abundance, …

An Extraordinary Patch Of Feral Hog Damage In Florida Before And After Initiating Hog Removal, Richard M. Engeman, John Woolard, Henry T. Smith, Jean Bourassa, Bernice U. Constantin, Daniel Griffin

Human–Wildlife Interactions

Feral hogs (Sus scrofa) are a particularly destructive exotic species in the United States (U.S. Department of Agriculture 1999), including Florida, which, along with Hawaii, is one of 2 states cited as having the most severe invasive species problems (U.S. Congress 1993) in the country. First introduced to North America by the European colonists (Conover 2007) hogs were one of the first invasive exotic species to take hold in Florida. They can transmit disease to livestock (Hartin et al. 2007) and humans (Conover and Vail 2007). They impose a variety of negative environmental impacts, including habitat degradation and …

Multifunctional Rural Landscapes: Economic, Environmental, Policy, And Social Impacts Of Land Use Changes In Nebraska, Twyla M. Hansen, Charles A. Francis, J. Dixon Esseks, J. Allen Williams Jr.

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

The conversion of farmland near cities to other human uses is a global trend that challenges our long-term capacity to provide food, fiber, and ecosystem services to a growing world population. If current trends continue in the United States, the population will reach 450 million by the year 2050. At the same time, an accelerating change in land use will reduce today’s two acres per person of farmland to less than one acre per person. This is scarcely enough to produce food for our domestic population, without any food available for export – even assuming advances in technology. We need …

Avian Use Of Rural Roadsides With Cattail (Typha Spp.), Bryan Safratowich, George M. Linz, William H. Bleier, H. Jeffrey Homan

United States Department of Agriculture Wildlife Services: Staff Publications

We surveyed 30 roadsides in North Dakota’s Prairie Pothole Region for birds and active nests between May and July 2001–2002. Each roadside transect was 1608 m and had ≥200 linear meters of standing cattail (Typha spp.). We recorded 45 bird species; four species of Icteridae dominated the avifauna. Red-winged blackbirds (Agelaius phoeniceus) were both the most abundant species and most abundant nester, averaging 53 birds/10 ha (SE = 7.7) and 30 nests/10 ha (SE = 9.7). Among non-icterid species, song sparrow (Melospiza melodia) and common yellowthroat (Geothlypis trichas) ranked first and second consecutively …

Casnr Salute To Graduates, John Owens

John Owens: Speeches and Appearances

We appreciate your being with us this afternoon as we celebrate the accomplishments of tomorrow's graduates from the University of Nebraska-Lincoln. Thank you for attending, and congratulations to the new alumni! This ceremony is rapidly Becoming both a fixture and a tradition in the College of Agricultural Sciences and Natural Resources. As a matter of fact, it took the national "First Place Award" in a competition last year that was open to all the universities in the United States.

Nebraska Cooperative Fish And Wildlife Research Unit: Report Of Activities October 2006 – October 2007, Craig R. Allen, Kevin L. Pope

School of Natural Resources: Faculty Publications

INTRODUCTION 1
PERSONNEL AND COOPERATORS 3
Unit Personnel 3
Coordinating Committee Members 5
Cooperators 6
MILESTONES 9
PROJECTS IN FISHERY SCIENCE 11
Impact of White Perch on Walleye at Branched Oak and Pawnee Reservoirs 13
Predators of White Perch at Branched Oak and Pawnee Reservoirs 14
Recruitment of Walleye and White Bass in Irrigation Reservoirs 15
PROJECTS IN WILDLIFE SCIENCE 17
Amphibian Monitoring Techniques (in Relation to Wetland Qualities and the Surrounding Landscape
– Rainwater Basin Region) 19
Assessing Local and Regional Variability in Productivity and Fidelity of Grassland Birds on National
Park Service Units in the Great Plains 20 …

Spatial And Seasonal Variation In Wildlife-Vehicle Collisions, Jonathan M. Conard, Philip S. Gipson

The Prairie Naturalist

To understand seasonal variation in the number of wildlife-vehicle collisions and the influence of land cover type on collision distribution we counted road-kill carcasses for 84 weeks along a 40 km route on two state highways in northeastern Kansas. We noted land cover type adjacent to each road-kill and tested the null hypothesis that road-kills were distributed randomly with respect to land cover type. Wildlife-vehicle collisions were not distributed randomly in relation to land cover availability. Instead, collisions occurred more often then expected adjacent to riparian areas and less often than expected adjacent to agricultural fields. Wildlife-vehicle collisions varied seasonally …

American Society Of Parasitologists Newsletter, V. 28, No. 3, Late Fall 2006, Scott Lyell Gardner

American Society of Parasitologists: Newsletter

An issue of the American Society of Parasitologists' quarterly newsletter, also called the Journal of Parasitology Newsletter.

College Of Agricultural Sciences And Natural Resources: 13th Annual Report August 1, 2005-July 31, 2006

College of Agricultural Sciences and Natural Resources (CASNR): Annual Reports

Contents
Introduction 3 • • Dedication 7 • Administration and Staff 8 • Academic Unit Administrators 8 • CASNR Standing Committees 9 • Faculty Advisory Council 9 • Scholarship and Graduation with Distinction Committee 12 • Curriculum Committee12 • Teaching Faculty 13 • Faculty Meetings 13 • New Faculty or Faculty with New Appointments 13 • Retirements 13 • Faculty Awards 14 • Departmental News and Events 16 • Agricultural Economics17 • Agricultural Leadership, Education and Communication 19 • Agronomy and Horticulture 21 • Animal Science 28 • Biochemistry 40 • Biological Systems Engineering 41 • Entomology 47 • Food …

Long-Term Abundance Of Breeding Songbirds During Restoration Of Northern Mixed-Grass Prairie, Robert Murphy, Karen Smith

United States Fish and Wildlife Service: Publications

There are no published, long-term accounts of responses of grassland passerine birds to the restoration of northern mixed-grass prairie through combined use of fire and grazing. During 1979-2001, we assessed abundance of passerine birds (9 grassland species and 1 shrub-associate species) on 2 brush-invaded, mixed-grass prairie tracts at Lostwood National Wildlife Refuge in northwestern North Dakota. Each tract encompassed 90 ha (220 ac) that were being restored through 4 prescribed fires then 3 consecutive years of grazing by cattle. Fires were separated by 2-4 years of rest (i.e., nondisturbance) and grazing was initiated 2 years after the last fire. Among …

Christmas Bird Counts For North Dakota 2005, Robert N. Randall

The Prairie Naturalist

Twenty areas were included in the North Dakota Christmas Bird Counts. One area that had been included during the previous four years was canceJled due to extreme icy conditions and could not be rescheduled.

There were 216 observers in the field and 41 additional participants counting the birds, which visited their feeders. The field observers were out for about 522.25 hours, 109.75 on foot and 412.5 in cars. Feeder watchers added 97.5 hours to the total. The field observers covered 121.2 miles on foot and 5,648.7 miles in vehicles. Some additional effort was spent in six of the areas where …

Water Current, Volume 38, No. 2. Spring 2006

Water Current Newsletter

Contents

• July Water and Natural Resources Tour To Look at Missouri River and Northeast Nebraska by Steve Ress

• Adaptive Management Sees Resilience, Uncertainty as Allies; Third Annual Conference Looks at Innovation in Water Management by Charles Flowerday

• From the Director

• Meet the Faculty

• Great Plains CESU Funding Assistance For UNL Nears $1 Million by Steve Ress

• Two Join Staff of Water Center and Water Resources Research Initiative

• Water Quality Improvement Grant for Papillion Creek Watershed by Steve Ress

• Managing Drought and Water Scarcity in Vulnerable Environments: Creating a Roadmap for Change in …

2006 Advisory Council

ALEC Committee Minutes

No abstract provided.

Teaching Courses Online: A Review Of The Research, Mary K. Tallent-Runnels, Julie A. Thomas, William Y. Lan, Sandi Cooper, Terence C. Ahern, Shana M. Shaw, Xiaoming Liu

Department of Teaching, Learning, and Teacher Education: Faculty Publications

This literature review summarizes research on online teaching and learning. It is organized into four topics: course environment, learners’ outcomes, learners’ characteristics, and institutional and administrative factors. The authors found little consistency of terminology, discovered some conclusive guidelines, and identified developing lines of inquiry. The conclusions overall suggest that most of the studies reviewed were descriptive and exploratory, that most online students are nontraditional and Anglo American, and that few universities have written policies, guidelines, or technical support for faculty members or students. Asynchronous communication seemed to facilitate in-depth communication (but not more than in traditional classes), students liked to …

Effects Of Predator Removal On Upland Nesting Ducks In North Dakota Grassland Fragments, Kristen D. Chodachek, Michael J. Chamberlain

The Prairie Naturalist

Low nest success rates in the Prairie Pothole Region are attributed mainly to changes in the predator community coupled with reductions in availability of suitable nesting cover. We evaluated effects of removal of mammalian predators on pair density and nest success of ducks nesting on 259 ha sites in northeastern North Dakota during 2001 and 2002. We monitored pair density and duck nests on 10 sites with removal and 10 sites without removal. Overall nest success for both years was greater on trapped (53.4%) than nontrapped sites (28.7%). Pair densities were not affected by predator removal, but did increase across …

U.S. Space Programs: Civilian, Military, And Commercial, Marcia S. Smith

Congressional Research Service Reports

The 109th Congress is addressing a broad range of civilian, military, and commercial space issues.

The National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA) conducts the most visible space activities. For FY2006, NASA received $16.623 billion when adjusted for two rescissions and an augmentation for hurricane recovery. The FY2007 request is $16.792 billion.

The future of the U.S. human space flight program is dominating debate about NASA. The space shuttle returned to flight in July 2005 after a two and one-half year hiatus following the 2003 Columbia tragedy, but the next launch has been indefinitely postponed because of a foam-shedding event during …

The Many Faces Of Replication, Douglas Johnson

United States Geological Survey, Northern Prairie Wildlife Research Center: Publications

Replication is one of the three cornerstones of inference from experimental studies, the other two being control and randomization. In fact, replication is essential for the benefits of randomization to apply. In addition to ordinary replication, the repetition of treatments within a study, two other levels of replication have been identified. Pseudoreplication, a termed coined by Stuart Hurlbert, generally involves making multiple measurements on experiment units (which is commendable) and treating them as if they reflected independent responses to treatment (which is erroneous). Metareplication is a higher level of replication in which entire studies are repeated. Scientists are too much …

Natural Abundance Of Foliar 15N As An Early Indicator Of Nitrogen Deficiency In Fertilized Cotton, S. Stamatiadis, C. Christofides, C. Tsadilas, V. Samaras, James S. Schepers

United States Department of Agriculture-Agricultural Research Service / University of Nebraska-Lincoln: Faculty Publications

Information on the contribution of various soil nitrogen (N) sources to plant N uptake is often needed for the implementation of sustainable or site-specific management practices in agriculture. Considering the limitations of traditional methods in meeting these needs, this study investigated the potential of leaf δ¹⁵N as an early indicator of nutrient deficiency in cotton. The spatial and temporal natural abundance of ¹⁵N was measured in the soil and leaves of a fertilized cotton field located near the village of Moschochori (Larissa, Greece). The isotopic signal of the leaves was interpreted in the context of the relative …

The Fathead Minnow In Aquatic Toxicology: Past, Present And Future, Gerald T. Ankley, Daniel L. Villeneuve

United States Environmental Protection Agency: Publications

This paper reviews the roles of the fathead minnow (Pimephales promelas) as a small fish model in the field of aquatic toxicology. The species has been (and is) extensively used both for regulatory testing and research, especially in North America. For example, tests with the fathead minnow, ranging from 48-h lethality through partial and full life-cycle assays, are routinely used for regulatory programs aimed at assessing potential risks of new chemicals such as high-production volume materials and pesticides, as well as impacts of complex mixtures like effluents. The species also has been used for a wide variety of …

Editorial, Volume 2 - 2006, Ada Long, Dail Mullins

Honors in Practice Online Archive

Table of Contents:

Editorial Policy

Submission Guidelines

Dedication to Ted Estess

Editor’s Introduction by Ada Long

Honors in Chile: New Engagements in the Higher Education System by Juan Carlos Skewes, Carlos Alberto Cioce Sampaio, and Frederick J. Conway

Dominican University of California’s Honors Program and its Relation to University Heritage and Mission by Jayati Ghosh, M. Patricia Dougherty, and Kenneth Porada

Community Beyond Honors: Butler University’s Community Fellows Program by Margaret Brabant and Anne M. Wilson

Leadership in Scholarship Program by Matthew L. Smith and Jason C. Vallee

How to Develop and Promote an Undergraduate Research Day by Michael K. …

Honors In Practice, Volume 2 (Complete Issue)

Honors in Practice Online Archive

TABLE OF CONTENTS
Editorial Policy
Submission Guidelines
Dedication to Ted Estess
Editor’s Introduction-- Ada Long

HONORS DESIGNS
Honors in Chile: New Engagements in the Higher Education System-- Juan Carlos Skewes, Carlos Alberto Cioce Sampaio, and Frederick J. Conway
Dominican University of California’s Honors Program and its Relation to University Heritage and Mission-- Jayati Ghosh, M. Patricia Dougherty, and Kenneth Porada

HONORS INITIATIVES
Community Beyond Honors: Butler University’s Community Fellows Program Margaret Brabant and Anne M. Wilson
Leadership in Scholarship Program Matthew L. Smith and Jason C. Vallee
How to Develop and Promote an Undergraduate Research Day Michael K. Cundall Jr …

Honors In Chile: New Engagements In The Higher Education System, Juan Carlos Skewes, Carlos Alberto Cioce Sampaio, Frederick J. Conway

Honors in Practice Online Archive

Honors programs are rare in Latin America, and in Chile they were unknown before 2003. At the Universidad Austral de Chile, an interdisciplinary group of scholars linked to environmental studies put forward a pilot project for implementing a new experience in higher education. Challenged by an educational environment where (i) apathy and mediocrity have taken over the classrooms, (ii) monodisciplinary training rules the university campus, and (iii) authoritarian teaching persists, this has been an experiment in new ways of approaching the classroom. Stimulated by experiences in the USA, a project proposal was written, finding support in the Chilean Ministry of …

University Of Nebraska- Lincoln: Fact Book 2005-2006

University of Nebraska-Lincoln Administration: Reports, Papers, Publications, and Presentations

Fact Book 2005-2006 Table of Contents

General Information

Role and Mission Statement.............................

Institutional & Professional Accreditations .....................................................7

UNL Organizational Chart............................................................................9

Student Credit Hours

UNL Student Credit Hours Total Fall & Spring Semester, by College, 5 Year Trend...........................10

UNL Student Credit Hours Total Fall, by College, 5 Year Trend................................11

UNL Student Credit Hours Total Spring, By College, 5 Year Trend................................12

Summer Sessions Student Credit Hours..........................................................13

Retention, Degrees and Majors

UNL Student Retention & Graduation Rate Analysis............................................14

Total Degrees conferred by UNL Fiscal Year, 10 Year Trend.......................................15

Degrees Conferred by College, Type & Number.............................................................16

Types of Degrees Currently Offered at UNL...............................................................17

Academic …

Bio-Bibliography: John Barron Mays (1914-1987), Michael R. Hill

Department of Sociology: Faculty Publications

John Barron Mays developed a humane sociological perspective with multiple roots, including formal training in English, firsthand experience in a settlement house, a distinguished university professorship in sociology, and lifelong work as an active poet. Mays’ felicitous professional publications often spoke not only to university colleagues but also to constituencies beyond the halls of academe on a series of interrelated topics, including adolescence, criminology, education, urban life, and poetry.

Environmental Contaminants In Fish And Their Associated Risk To Piscivorous Wildlife In The Yukon River Basin, Alaska, Jo Ellen Hinck, Christopher J. Schmitt, Kathy R. Echols, Tom W. May, Carl E. Orazio, Donald E. Tillitt

United States Geological Survey: Staff Publications

Organochlorine chemical residues and elemental contaminants were measured in northern pike (Esox lucius), longnose sucker (Catostomus catostomus), and burbot (Lota lota) from 10 sites in the Yukon River Basin (YRB) during 2002. Contaminant concentrations were compared to historical YRB data and to toxicity thresholds for fish and piscivorous wildlife from the scientific literature. A risk analysis was conducted to screen for potential hazards to piscivorous wildlife for contaminants that exceeded literature-based toxicity thresholds. Concentrations of total DDT (sum of p,p¢-homologs; 1.09–13.6 ng/g), total chlordane (0.67–7.5 ng/g), dieldrin (<0.16–0.6 ng/g), toxaphene (<11–34 ng/g), total PCBs (<20– 87 ng/g), TCDD-EQ (<1.7 pg/g), arsenic (0.03–1.95 lg/g), cadmium (<0.02–0.12 lg/g), copper (0.41–1.49 lg/g), and lead (<0.21–0.27 lg/g) did not exceed toxicity thresholds for growth and reproduction in YRB fish. Concentrations of mercury (0.08–0.65 lg/g), selenium (0.23–0.85 lg/g), and zinc (11–56 lg/g) exceeded toxicity thresholds in one or more samples and were included in the risk analysis for piscivorous wildlife. No effect hazard concentrations (NEHCs) and low effect hazard concentrations (LEHCs), derived from literaturebased toxicity reference values and avian and mammalian life history parameters, were calculated for mercury, selenium, and zinc. Mercury concentrations in YRB fish exceeded the NEHCs for all bird and small mammal models, which indicated that mercury concentrations in fish may represent a risk to piscivorous wildlife throughout the YRB. Low risk to piscivorous wildlife was associated with selenium and zinc concentrations in YRB fish. Selenium and zinc concentrations exceeded the NEHCs and LEHCs for only the small bird model. These results indicate that mercury should continue to be monitored and assessed in Alaskan fish and wildlife.

Casnr Salute To Graduates, John Owens

John Owens: Speeches and Appearances

We appreciate your being with us this afternoon as we celebrate, the accomplishments of tomorrow's graduates from the University of Nebraska-Lincoln. Thank you for attending and, congratulations to the new alumni! This ceremony is rapidly becoming both a fixture and a tradition in the College of Agricultural Sciences and Natural Resources. As a matter of fact, it took the national "First Place Award" in a competition this year that was open to all the universities in the United States.

Casnr Salute To Graduates, John Owens

John Owens: Speeches and Appearances

We appreciate your being with us as we celebrate the accomplishments of tomorrow’s graduates from the University of Nebraska – Lincoln. Thank you for attending. This ceremony is rapidly becoming both a fixture and a tradition in the College of Agricultural Sciences and Natural Resources.

Community Analysis Of A Mercury Hot Spring Supports Occurrence Of Domain-Specific Forms Of Mercuric Reductase, Jessica Simbahan, Elizabeth Kurth, James Schelert, Amanda Dillman, Estuko N. Moriyama, Stevan Jovanovich, Paul H. Blum

Papers in Genetics

Mercury is a redox-active heavy metal that reacts with active thiols and depletes cellular antioxidants. Active resistance to the mercuric ion is a widely distributed trait among bacteria and results from the action of mercuric reductase (MerA). Protein phylogenetic analysis of MerA in bacteria indicated the occurrence of a second distinctive form of MerA among the archaea, which lacked an N-terminal metal recruitment domain and a C-terminal active tyrosine. To assess the distribution of the forms of MerA in an interacting community comprising members of both prokaryotic domains, studies were conducted at a naturally occurring mercuryrich geothermal environment. Geochemical analyses …