Digital Commons Network^™

Integrating Human Dimensions Studies And Human-Wildlife Conflict Data To Develop A Targeted Awareness Campaign About Coyotes In Florida, Angeline Scotten, Greg Kaufmann, Catherine Kennedy, Ann Forstchen, Ramesh Paudyal, Jacob Kline, Allison Perez

Wildlife Damage Management Conference

The Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission (FWC) uses qualitative and quantitative data on people’s values, beliefs, attitudes, and understanding of wildlife species to optimize outreach efforts to reduce human-wildlife conflict. These data also help the agency develop and implement effective and acceptable programs on fish and wildlife management by reducing adverse impacts of fish and wildlife on Florida’s environment, economy, and human health and safety. Combining human dimensions information with human wildlife conflict incident data can serve as a powerful tool to help prioritize outreach efforts.

In last few years, FWC has supported several research projects to gain a …

Fish Eating Birds Can Spread Bacterial Diseases Between Catfish Ponds, Fred L. Cunningham, Katie C. Hanson, Lorelei Ford, Lanna Durst, Raleigh Middleton, Larry A. Hanson

Wildlife Damage Management Conference

Severe outbreaks of Motile Aeromonad Septicemia disease in commercial catfish aquaculture ponds have been associated with a virulent Aeromonas hydrophila strain (VAh) that is genetically distinct from less virulent strains. We demonstrated that Great Egrets (Arde alba), Double-crested Cormorants (Phalacrocorax auritus), American White Pelicans (Pelecanus erythrorhynchos), and Wood Storks (Mycteria americana) can carry and shed viable VAh after consuming fish infected with Vah.

Edwardsiella ictaluri and E. tarda are considered the primary species of Edwardsiella to cause disease outbreaks in North American catfish aquaculture. Genetic analysis has determined that most isolates designated as E. …

Integrated Wild Pig Control™: The Flint River Project, Michael Foster, Rod Pinkston

Wildlife Damage Management Conference

Integrated Wild Pig Control™ (IWPC™) utilizes is a systematic approach to enhance the lethal removal of feral pigs based upon seasons food sources and conditional avoidance behavior that occurs when animals are exposed to trapping events. This sequence involves extensive camera and visual surveillance to determine numbers and locations of pigs. This information was utilized to deploy remote trapping of animals. Initial emphasis is placed on the removal of entire sounders at one time. Removal of remaining pigs is accomplished by use of firearms typically at night using thermal imagery technology. In January 2017, JAGER PRO™ was hired to remove …

Vertebrate Community Response To Wild Pig Control In An Agroecosystem, D. J. Steakley, Adrienne Dykstra, Garrett Street, Bronson Strickland, Kurt Vercauteren, Michael Colvin, Marcus Lashley

Wildlife Damage Management Conference

Biological invasions often have negative effects on native wildlife and in the case of feral swine, also can cause extensive agricultural damage. As a result, the rapidly increasing swine populations and associated damages have led to wide-spread control efforts focused in agricultural areas. In a previous study, via camera trapping, we determined feral swine reduced observed vertebrate species richness by 26% when they invaded remnant forest patches in the Mississippi Alluvial Valley. To determine the effectiveness of removal efforts in recovering the lost vertebrate richness, in January 2018, we initiated a before-after control-impact designed experiment in 5 forest patches to …

The Prevalence Of Two Common Internal Parasites In White-Tailed Deer With And Without Significant Interaction With Domestic Sheep, Kathryn M. Metro, Mckenzie J. Weisser, Shelby N. Rorrer, Sunday O. Peters, George R. Gallagher

Wildlife Damage Management Conference

The objective of this study was to evaluate the prevalence of two internal parasites (strongylate nematodes and Nematodirus spp.) in white-tailed deer (Odocoileus virginianus) sharing a home range with domestic sheep (Ovis aries), compared to deer likely having minimal contact with sheep. Fecal samples were collected from sheep (n=75), deer (n=99) within 300m of the sheep center, and deer (n=98) located 1.3km away from the livestock center, over a 7-week period during the summer. Sheep had the highest (p<.001) number of strongylate eggs (1,212.7 ± 2.8/g) compared to deer near the livestock facility (13.9 ± 0.3/g) or deer located away from the sheep center (18.3 ± 0.3/g). Eggs of Nematodirus spp. were greater (p<.001) in sheep (33.7 ± 0.5/g) compared to deer samples collected near the sheep center (5.1 ± 0.2/g) and deer away from the sheep facility (3.0 ± 0.1/g). Additionally, strongyle and Nematodirus spp. egg counts were different (p<0.001) in the fecal samples collected from deer residing closer to the sheep facility compared to those located farther away. Results of this study suggest the interactions of white-tailed deer and domestic sheep does not influence the prevalence of these internal parasites within the deer.

Comparing Live Capture Methods For Nutria (Myocastor Coypus): Single Versus Multiple-Capture Cage Traps, Trevor R. Sheffels, Mark D. Sytsma, Jacoby Carter, Jimmy D. Taylor

Wildlife Damage Management Conference

Herbivory and burrowing by nutria (Myocastor coypus) cause substantial ecological and economic damage. Trapping is a common practice for reducing nutria damage; however, trapping approaches must continually be adapted to keep pace with evolving animal welfare and ethical issues and to more effectively target species of interest. Our objective was to evaluate the efficacy of 2 non-lethal trap types for nutria: single-capture (SCT) and multi-capture (MCT) cage traps. We established 3 MCT and 3 SCT at each of 7 sites on a 10,500 ha mixed-use island, located 15 km northwest of Portland, Oregon. Pre-baiting was accomplished using carrots, …

Comparison Of A 2-Layer Electric Fence And A Single Strand Electric Fence In Mitigating Browsing Of Impatiens By White-Tailed Deer, Shelby N. Rorrer, Mckenzie J. Weisser, Kathryn M. Metro, George R. Gallagher

Wildlife Damage Management Conference

The objective of this study was to evaluate two electric fence configurations in minimizing damage to impatiens (Impatiens walleriana) by white-tailed deer (Odocoileus virginianus). Each of 3 sites consisted of 3 plots (3mx3m), containing 16, evenly spaced impatiens planted on the perimeter of each plot. Plots within each site had a control, single strand and 2-layered electric fence. Control plots had no fencing. Single strand plots had one electrified wire attached to posts at 40 cm height, surrounding the plot. Two-layered electric fence had energized wire attached to posts at 25 cm and 60 cm height, …

Feral Free-Ranging Horse Impacts To Native Wildlife, David L. Bergman, Scott C. Bender

Wildlife Damage Management Conference

The impacts of introduced horse on the vegetative communities has been widely studied. However, minimal research has been conducted to scientifically determine how they affect native wildlife. Ecologically, feral and free-ranging horses have been documented to cause environmental effects including: soil loss, compaction and erosion; trampling of vegetation; reducing plant species richness; inducing mortality of native trees; damage to bog habitats; damage to water bodies; facilitation of weed invasion; altering composition of insects; crabs, fish, reptiles, birds and small mammals; and, keeping wildlife out of waterholes. The controversy surrounding management of horses and the continued growth of feral free-ranging horse …

Comparison Of Deer Repellents Applied To Azaleas And Pansies, Rebecca Mcpeake, Rachel Lipsey, Nicole Nichols, Garry Mcdonald

Wildlife Damage Management Conference

The effectiveness of commercially-available repellents in reducing browse by white-tailed deer (Odocoileus virginianus) was assessed on two varieties of azaleas (Rhododendron spp.)and one variety of pansies (Viola tricolor var. hortensis). Repellents examined included Plantskydd™ (liquid, granular), Deer Stopper™, Milorganite™, and Repels-All™. Evergreen azaleas in 15-gallon containers were observed during 3 trial seasons in October –May, 2012 –2015. During each trial, individual plants were treated with the maximum recommended level of each repellent, or no repellent, or no repellent with a wire cage to serve as a positive control. At the end of each trial, leaves …

Reducing Prairie Dog Populations And Damage By Castration Of Dominant Males, Gary W. Witmer

Wildlife Damage Management Conference

Black-tailed prairie dogs (Cynomys ludovicianus) occur widely across the prairie states of North America. They compete with livestock for forage, transmit plague, and damage lawns, landscaping, and property. Interest in non-lethal methods, such as immunocontraception, is growing; however, reductions in the population due to contraception may be offset by increases in survival because adults and yearlings are not subject to the energetic demands of reproduction, and lower densities may increase the amount of resources available to growing offspring. Surgical sterilization provides a means for modeling these effects. Thus, we castrated males prior to the 1998 breeding season to …

Wild Horses, Livestock, And Wildlife Use Of Springs And Riparian Areas On The Devil's Garden, Laura K. Snell, David F. Lile, Madeleine Levy, Roger A. Baldwin

Wildlife Damage Management Conference

In Modoc County, located in northeastern California there is a unique rangeland area heavily populated by wild horses and managed primarily by United States Forest Service known as the Devil's Garden. Wild horses have significantly exceeded (4000 horses) appropriate management levels (206-402 horses) in recent years and expanded their range outside of the wild horse territory (258,000 acres) and on to private and tribal lands (over 450,000 acres). This increase has prompted concern about resource degradation particularly associated with riparian areas. In otherwise arid sage steppe rangelands, springs provide critical watering sources as well as wildlife habitat for sage grouse, …

The Path To Eliminating Raccoon Rabies In The Eastern Us-Obstacles And Opportunities In Urban-Suburban Landscapes, Carrie Stengel, Richard B. Chipman, Kathleen M. Nelson, Frederick E. Pogmore, Amy T. Gilbert

Wildlife Damage Management Conference

Rabies in terrestrial wildlife poses a significant public and animal health threat. Oral rabies vaccination (ORV) targeting specific vector species has proven effective in eliminating certain rabies variants in Europe and Canada. The goal of eliminating the raccoon rabies variant (RRV) in the US is achievable through an integrated ORV program at the landscape scale. Current wildlife rabies management in the US includes extensive air and ground ORV programs in 16 eastern states coordinated by Wildlife Services (WS)’ National Rabies Management Program. More than 10 million vaccine-baits are distributed annually targeting raccoons (Procyon lotor) and striped skunks ( …

Black Bear Use Of Forest Roads In Western Washington, Gary W. Witmer

Wildlife Damage Management Conference

Radiolocations (108) of 20 black bears were used to assess use or avoidance of 3 forest road types in western Washington. Distances of bears to each type of road were compared to distances of 108 random points using t-tests. Females and males avoided 2-lane roads, while only males avoided 1-lane roads, the most common road type in the area. Females, but not males, were located closer to overgrown, spur roads than expected. This road type has substantial cover of grasses, forbs, and berry-producing shrubs along with protective tree cover. This situation may provide easy travel for females along with security …

Development Of A Rodent Bait With Slug-Repellent Properties, Aaron B. Shiels, Stephanie Joe, Tyler Bogardus

Wildlife Damage Management Conference

Commensal rodents (invasive rats, Rattus spp., and house mice, Mus musculus) are established on most of the world’s land masses, damaging agriculture and infrastructure, spread disease, and are frequent predators of native species. Trapping is a common non-toxicant method to remove pest rodents, with bait longevity and attractiveness keys to successful rodent trapping. Bait spoilage and consumption by slugs may impede successful rodent control. Our goal was to determine whether food grade citric acid added to bait would repel slugs while remaining attractive to rodents. We conducted several trials using peanut butter bait and Goodnature™ Rat Lure bait, including: …

Emerging Tools To Control Feral Horse Populations In The Western Usa, Kate A. Schoenecker, Sarah R.B. King, Stefan L. Ekernas

Wildlife Damage Management Conference

The U.S. Geological Survey (USGS) has been conducting research to support the Bureau of Land Management (BLM) Wild Horse and Burro Program since 1996 and is currently engaged in testing additional tools to curb high population growth of feral horses. Horses are protected by the Wild and Free-Roaming Horses and Burros Act of 1971 and are managed to maintain populations at appropriate management level (AML). With no natural predators, many populations double in 4-5 years. Population size is controlled primarily with “gathers” in which horses are rounded up and made available for adoption by the public. This is a costly …

South Carolina Department Of Transportation And The United States Department Of Agriculture, Partnering For Success In Migratory Bird Treaty Act Compliance: A Case Study, Brett H. Quattlebaum, Michael J. Queen, Robert W. Byrd

Wildlife Damage Management Conference

The South Carolina Department of Transportation (SCDOT) is responsible for maintaining over 8,400 bridges statewide and several species of migratory birds use these structures as nesting locations. These birds, including their nests and eggs, are protected under the Migratory Bird Treaty Act (MBTA). During a review of MBTA compliance in 2014, SCDOT concluded that they had no procedures in place to allow take to occur when active migratory bird nests were found within project limits. Project delays were the only management method available when active nests were found. SCDOT entered a Cooperative Service Agreement with USDA Wildlife Services (WS) in …

Single-Dose, Multi-Year Immunocontraception Using Spayvac®, Mark Fraker, Ursula Bechert

Wildlife Damage Management Conference

Managing populations of certain species such as free-ranging horses (Equus caballus) is a significant challenge, with animal-welfare, environmental, sociological, public policy, and economic dimensions. Immunocontraception is a useful tool, but vaccines must have multi-year efficacy to be technically feasible and cost-effective. SpayVac^® has demonstrated single-dose, long-term contraceptive efficacy in several species. Grey seals (Halichoerus grypus) experienced an 80-85% decrease in fertility for at least 10 years post-treatment. No fallow deer (Dama dama) treated with SpayVac became pregnant for 3 years following vaccination. In a field trial with white-tailed deer (Odocoileus virginianus), …

Developing Training Standards For Wildlife Control Operators, Raj Smith, Paul D. Curtis, Scott Hygnstrom

Wildlife Damage Management Conference

Wildlife have always threatened peoples’ comfort, safety, crops, domestic animals, and other property. Historically, wildlife and predator control were largely regulated by fur trapping and hunting laws, especially if an individual was protecting his or her property. Current laws that regulate problem wildlife are rooted in environmental conservation law. Enforcement of these regulations and laws regarding the capture and disposition of wildlife are conducted by game wardens or environmental conservation officers, whose primary mission is to enforce hunting and trapping laws. Under the Public Trust Doctrine, stewardship of wildlife is a government responsibility. State wildlife agencies have insufficient staff, however, …

Depredation Impact Of Double-Crested Cormorants (Phalacrocorax Auritus) On Commercial Catfish Production In The Mississippi Delta, Terrel W. Christie, J. Brian Davis, Brian S. Dorr, Katie C. Hanson-Dorr, Luke A. Roy, Anita M. Kelly, Carole Engle

Wildlife Damage Management Conference

Double-crested Cormorants (Phalacrocorax auritus) impact United States commercial aquaculture and are considered the greatest avian predators on catfish (Ictalurus spp.) aquaculture facilities. Cormorants are especially problematic in the Delta region in western Mississippi, where catfish production is concentrated providing ideal wintering and foraging areas. Although cormorant/aquaculture dynamics have been studied, recent changes in aquaculture practices, regulatory policies, and decreased overall hectares in production merit contemporary research. Therefore, we estimated abundance and distribution of cormorants at their night roosts and assessed diet related to catfish consumption. Aerial surveys of cormorant night roosts were flown from October through …

Native Wildlife Adjust Activity Patterns To Temporally Avoid Wild Pigs, Adrienne Dykstra, Dj Steakley, Garrett Street, Bronson Strickland, Kurt Vercauteren, Marcus Lashley

Wildlife Damage Management Conference

Wildlife species have defined activity patterns that are important for conserving biological rhythms and altering these rhythms can cause physiological stress. Species often shift activity patterns to minimize predation risks or to temporally partition competition. Thus, when a new predator or competitor is introduced into a community, the activity patterns of the whole community could be affected, and this effect may increase the stress wild pigs cause to native wildlife. To test the hypothesis that wild pig activity patterns affect those of native wildlife, we monitored activity patterns of native wildlife and wild pigs before and after aerial gunning events …

Anthropogenic Subsidies Affect Common Raven Nesting, Space-Use, And Movement, Julia C. Brockman, Pat J. Jackson, Peter S. Coates, Perry J. Williams

Wildlife Damage Management Conference

Common raven (Corvus corax) number shave increased drastically throughout the Great Basin. Anthropogenic resources provide subsidies for growing raven populations with potential negative impacts on prey species including species of conservation concern such as greater sage-grouse (Centrocercus urophasianus).Our objective was to identify the effects of anthropogenic subsidies on raven nesting, space-use, and movement in sage-grouse habitat. We captured and radio-tagged 67 ravens between 2015 and 2018 and identified 70 nests during the 2018 breeding season. We found the majority of nests were built on anthropogenic structures. We also examined raven use of anthropogenic subsidies including highways, …

Predators, Predator Removal, And Sage-Grouse: A Review, Michael R. Conover, Anthony J. Roberts

Wildlife Damage Management Conference

Populations of sage-grouse (Centrocercus urophasianus; i.e., sage-grouse) have been in a decline since the nineteenth century. We used our research, unpublished reports, and scientific literature to identify which predators kill greater sage-grouse and to assess whether lethal control of these predators benefited the species. We also asked state wildlife biologists and scientists if they had ever witnessed a predator kill sage-grouse. We identified 266 instances where the predator responsible for depredating nests or killing juvenile or adult sage-grouse could be ascertained. Most adult sage-grouse were killed by eagles (Accipitridae), owls (Strigiformes), or coyotes (Canis latrans), except …

Factors Influencing Common Raven Occurrence And Density Across Cold-Desert Sagebrush Ecosystems Of The Southwestern U.S., Shawn T. O'Neil, Peter S. Coates, Brianne E. Brussee, Pat J. Jackson, David J. Delehanty

Wildlife Damage Management Conference

Common ravens (Corvus corax) are a predator of eggs and chicks of numerous species including greater sage-grouse (Centrocercus urophasianus). Raven abundance and distribution is increasing within sagebrush ecosystems as a result of anthropogenic resource subsidies. Despite concerns about subsequent predation pressure on sage-grouse, broad-scale spatial information about raven populations remains lacking. We used hierarchical occupancy and distance sampling models to map raven density and distribution in response to natural and anthropogenic landscape covariates using >15,000 point count surveys occurring within the Great Basin region since 2007. Anthropogenic factors contributing to greater raven occurrence included increased road …

Fine Scale Characteristics Of Catfish Aquaculture Ponds Influencing Use By Double-Crested Cormorants (Phalacrocorax Auritus) In Northwest Mississippi, Paul C. Burr, Jimmy L. Avery, Garrett M. Street, Bronson K. Strickland, Brian S. Dorr

Wildlife Damage Management Conference

Double-crested Cormorants (Phalacrocorax auritus) are the main source of depredation at catfish aquaculture facilities in Northwest Mississippi, resulting in significant economic loss. Understanding factors related to pond selection by cormorants could aid in mitigation practices to minimize further loss. We constructed occupancy models to estimate the probability of cormorant presence on catfish ponds against multiple variables associated with each ponds physical surroundings and internal conditions. We also explored cormorant use of aquaculture and natural habitat by using logistic regression to model the proportion of cormorants on aquaculture compared to natural habitat and influences of seasonal variation. Cormorant presence …

Foraging Ecology And Distribution Of Scaup (Aythya Spp.) On Arkansas Commercial Baitfish And Sportfish Farms, Stephen A. Clements, Brian Davis, Brian S. Dorr, Katie C. Hanson-Dorr, Luke A. Roy, Anita M. Kelly, Carole Engle, Scott C. Barras

Wildlife Damage Management Conference

Lesser Scaup (Aythya affinis)and Greater Scaup (Aythya marila) have been reported to consume substantial quantities of golden shiners (Notemigonus crysoleucas), fathead minnows (Pimephales promelas), goldfish (Carassius auratus), and sunfish (Lepomis spp.) produced on Arkansas commercial baitfish and sportfish farms. The goals of this study were to investigate foraging ecology and distribution of Scaup at these facilities, and use this information to assist producers in administering bird harassment efforts more efficiently. During typical wintering period for Scaup in Arkansas (November-March), we conducted approximately 1,400 pond surveys to estimate abundance …

The Effect Of Phylogenetic Uncertainty And Imputation On Edge Scores, K. Bodie Weedop, Arne Ø. Mooers, Caroline M. Tucker, William D. Pearse

Biology Faculty Publications

Faced with the challenge of saving as much diversity as possible given financial and time constraints, conservation biologists are increasingly prioritizing species on the basis of their overall contribution to evolutionary diversity. Metrics such as EDGE (Evolutionary Distinct and Globally Endangered) have been used to set such evolutionarily based conservation priorities for a number of taxa, such as mammals, birds, corals, amphibians, and sharks. Each application of EDGE has required some form of correction to account for species whose positions within the tree of life are unknown. Perhaps the most advanced of these corrections is phylogenetic imputation, but to date …

Breathe: Helping Students With Mental Disabilities- And Helping Yourself, Miranda Cundick

Tutor's Column

1 in 5 people in the United States suffer from some sort of mental illness; it follows that at least 1 in 5 students that we tutor would as well. College can be stressful, and as tutors we can help alleviate some of this stress by being mindful of and informed about the many mental health problems USU students can face- and by learning how to help.

Identification Of New Glutamate Decarboxylases From Streptomyces For Efficient Production Of Γ-Aminobutyric Acid In Engineered Escherichia Coli, Haina Yuan, Hongbo Wang, Ozkan Fidan, Yong Qin, Gongnian Xiao, Jixun Zhan

Biological Engineering Faculty Publications

Background

Gamma (γ)-Aminobutyric acid (GABA) as a bioactive compound is used extensively in functional foods, pharmaceuticals and agro-industry. It can be biosynthesized via decarboxylation of monosodium glutamate (MSG) or L-glutamic acid (L-Glu) by glutamate decarboxylase (GAD; EC4.1.1.15). GADs have been identified from a variety of microbial sources, such as Escherichia coli and lactic acid bacteria. However, no GADs from Streptomyces have been characterized. The present study is aimed to identify new GADs from Streptomyces strains and establish an efficient bioproduction platform for GABA in E. coli using these enzymes.

Results

By sequencing and analyzing the genomes of three Streptomycesstrains, …

Consequences Of Intraspecific Variation In Seed Dispersal For Plant Demography, Communities, Evolution And Global Change, Rebecca S. Snell, Noelle G. Beckman, Evan Fricke, Bette A. Loiselle, Carolina S. Carvalho, Landon R. Jones, Nathanael I. Lichti, Nicky Lustenhouwer, Sebastian J. Schreiber, Christopher Strickland, Lauren L. Sullivan, Brittany R. Cavazos, Itamar Giladi, Alan Hastings, Kimberly M. Holbrook, Eelke Jongejans, Oleg Kogan, Flavia Montaño-Centellas, Javiera Rudolph, Haldre S. Rogers, Rafal Zwolak, Eugene W. Schupp

Biology Faculty Publications

As the single opportunity for plants to move, seed dispersal has an important impact on plant fitness, species distributions and patterns of biodiversity. However, models that predict dynamics such as risk of extinction, range shifts and biodiversity loss tend to rely on the mean value of parameters and rarely incorporate realistic dispersal mechanisms. By focusing on the mean population value, variation among individuals or variability caused by complex spatial and temporal dynamics is ignored. This calls for increased efforts to understand individual variation in dispersal and integrate it more explicitly into population and community models involving dispersal. However, the sources, …

Is Grassfed Meat And Dairy Better For Human And Environmental Health?, Frederick D. Provenza, Scott L. Kronberg, Pablo Gregorini

Wildland Resources Faculty Publications

The health of livestock, humans, and environments is tied to plant diversity—and associated phytochemical richness—across landscapes. Health is enhanced when livestock forage on phytochemically rich landscapes, is reduced when livestock forage on simple mixture or monoculture pastures or consume high-grain rations in feedlots, and is greatly reduced for people who eat highly processed diets. Circumstantial evidence supports the hypothesis that phytochemical richness of herbivore diets enhances biochemical richness of meat and dairy, which is linked with human and environmental health. Among many roles they play in health, phytochemicals in herbivore diets protect meat and dairy from protein oxidation and lipid …