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Interactions Of Sandhill Cranes And Whooping Cranes With Foreign Objects In Florida, Martin J. Folk, Stephen A. Nesbitt, Marilyn G. Spalding

Proceedings of the North American Crane Workshop

During studies of Florida sandhill cranes (Grus canadensis pralensis), greater sandhill cranes (G. c. tabida), and whooping cranes (G. americana) in Florida, we documented cases where these birds were in contact with human-produced objects that resulted in injury or death. We describe >40 instances in which cranes collided with powerlines or fences, became entangled in string or fishing line, or ingested foreign objects. The effect of human-produced objects on crane populations, particularly small populations, may be significant.

Bovine Tuberculosis In Brushtail Possums (Trichosurus Vulpecula): Studies On Vaccination, Experimental Infection, And Disease Transmission, L. A. L. Corner

Michigan Bovine Tuberculosis Bibliography and Database

The objectives of the research program were to obtain a better understanding of BCG as a tuberculosis vaccine in possums, and assess its potential as a tool for controlling tuberculosis in wild possum populations. A series of vaccination and challenge experiments were conducted, as well as studies on alternative experimental infection procedures. The program included two field studies, one on the epidemiology of tuberculosis in a population of possums regenerating after localised possum eradication, and the other examined the efficacy of BCG vaccine in a wild population in which tuberculosis was endemic.

The first experiments confirmed the earlier published findings …

Movement Patterns And Behavior At Winter-Feeding And Fall Baiting Stations In A Population Of White-Tailed Deer Infected With Bovine Tuberculosis In The Northeastern Lower Peninsula Of Michigan, Mark Stephen Garner

Michigan Bovine Tuberculosis Bibliography and Database

In 1994 bovine tuberculosis (Mycobacterium bovis) was discovered in a single free ranging white-tailed deer (Odocoileus virginianus) in northeastern Michigan (Deer Management Unit 452 @MU 452)). By the end of the 2000 hunting season, 325+ deer within the DMU 452 had been detected with M. bovis and it was generally believed that the disease had radiated from a single focus of infection. However, the presence of three TB positive deer discovered in 1999 well outside of DMU 452 suggested that M. bovis may be endemic at extremely low levels in Michigan white-tailed deer.

The primary mode …

Now & Then (Volume 18, Issue 01, 2001), Center Of Excellence For Appalachian Studies And Services, East Tennessee State University

Now & Then: The Appalachian Magazine

Now & Then: The Appalachian Magazine, Volume 18, Issue 01, published in 2001. The theme of this issue is Appalachian Rivers, Lakes, & Streams. This issue examines the central role of waterways in Appalachian environmental, economic, and cultural life, addressing both their vulnerability and vitality. Through articles on regional water shortages, aquaculture-based science education, and industrial heritage initiatives such as Southwest Pennsylvania's Rivers of Steel, it highlights tensions between development, resource management, and sustainability. Essays, fiction, poetry, and reviews further reflect on memory, labor, recreation, and loss connected to rivers and streams, presenting water as both a life-sustaining resource …

Biotic And Abiotic Effects On Endoparasites Infecting Dipodomys And Perognathus Species, Kimberly H. Decker, Donald W. Duszynski, Michael J. Patrick

Harold W. Manter Laboratory of Parasitology: Faculty Publications

Between 1989 and 1998, 3,504 rodents of the genera Dipodomys and Perognathus were collected from 4 permanent collecting sites on the University of New Mexico’s Long Term Ecological Research station, located on the Sevilleta National Wildlife Refuge (SNWR), Socorro County, New Mexico. All animals were killed and examined for endoparasites (acanthocephalans, cestodes, coccidia, and nematodes). The present report focuses on 3 endoparasite groups, cestodes, coccidia, and nematodes. Specific analyses address how prevalence changes were related to abiotic factors such as habitat, season, or precipitation, and how prevalence of each parasite species in each host species differed in relation to host …

An Assessment Of The Status Of White-Faced Ibis (Plegadis Chihi) In The Great Plains, Joel G. Jorgensen, Stephen J. Dinsmore

Nebraska Game and Parks Commission: Staff Research Publications

Recent increase of White-faced Ibis (Plegadis chihi) in the Great Plains have been considered a "reoccupation" of the species' former range. Review of the published literature and specimen record, however, indicates that this species has only recently become a regular breeder in the Great Plains; thus, recent patterns of summering and nesting birds in the region are best considered a range expansion. Currently, this species is increasing in the Great Plains, where it is an uncommon migrant and local breeder. Extralimital records of this species are also increasing, both along the Atlantic Coast and the Gulf Coast, probably …

Inventory Of Parks Division Lands For Threatened And Endangered Species Habitats And Exemplary Natural Communities, Steven B. Rolfsmeier

Nebraska Game and Parks Commission: White Papers, Conference Presentations, and Manuscripts

The Nebraska Natural Heritage Program is responsible for environmental review of state projects, including those on Parks division properties, to determine if they may impact state-listed threatened and endangered species. In addition, the Program maintains a statewide database on natural communities and rare and imperiled species. This information is used to inform conservation decision-making, including land management decisions, with a goal of conserving Nebraska’s flora and fauna, our natural legacy. The two main objectives of this inventory project were first to improve the Nebraska Game and Parks Commission’s knowledge of threatened and endangered species and their potential habitat on Parks …

Aquatic Plants Of Nebraska, Michael P. Gutzmer, Robert B. Kaul

University of Nebraska State Museum: Programs Information

More than 100 species of aquatic plants grow in Nebraska. Some are entirely submersed for their whole lives, others produce floating leaves and flowers, and still others stand upright, with only their lower stems in water. Examples of these are shown here in this publication.

Vigorous and diverse colonies of aquatic plants are usually a sign of healthy and stable aquatic environments. In fact, the plants themselves stabilize the shorelines, underwater soils, and water chemistry. Waters rich with aquatic plants are rich with aquatic animals and waterfowl, which find cover, breeding habitat, and abundant food. Non-alkaline waters have more aquatic …

Out Of Africa: Origins Of The Taenia Tapeworms In Humans, Eric P. Hoberg, Nancy L. Alkire, Alan De Queiroz, Arlene Jones

Harold W. Manter Laboratory of Parasitology: Faculty Publications

Phylogenetic and divergence date analyses indicate that the occurrence of Taenia tapeworms in humans pre-dates the development of agriculture, animal husbandry and domestication of cattle (Bos spp.) or swine (Sus scrofa) Taeniid tapeworms in Africa twice independently colonized hominids and the genus Homo prior to the origin of modern humans. Dietary and behavioural shifts, from herbivory to scavenging and carnivory, as early Homo entered the carnivore guild in the Pliocene/Pleistocene, were drivers for host switching by tapeworms to hominids from carnivores including hyaenids and felids. Parasitological data provide a unique means of elucidating the historical ecology, foraging behavior …

Remote Sensing Of Biotic Effects: Zebra Mussels (Dreissena Polymorpha) Influence On Water Clarity In Saginaw Bay, Lake Huron, Judith W. Budd, Thomas D. Drummer, Thomas F. Nalepa, Gary L. Fahnenstiel

United States Department of Commerce: Staff Publications

In this study, Advanced Very High Resolution Radiometer (AVHRR) remote sensing reflectance (R_rs), imagery from 1987–1993 is used to study changes in water clarity before and after zebra mussels (Dreissena polymorpha) were discovered in Saginaw Bay, Lake Huron. Spatial and temporal trends in the data indicate distinct and persistent increases in water clarity in the inner bay after the first large recruitment of zebra mussels in the fall of 1991. The pre-Dreissena imagery show that turbidity in the inner bay was influenced by the Saginaw River discharge in spring, biological production (plankton) in summer, and …

Changes In Diet And Body Condition Of Lake Whitefish In Southern Lake Michigan Associated With Changes In Benthos, Steven A. Pothoven, Thomas F. Nalepa, Philip J. Schneeberger, Stephen B. Brandt

United States Department of Commerce: Staff Publications

We evaluated the long-term trends of the benthic macroinvertebrate community (1980–1999) and biological attributes of lake whitefish Coregonus clupeaformis (1985–1999) in southeastern Lake Michigan. We also determined what food types were important to lake whitefish in an area where the amphipod Diporeia had not yet declined in 1998 and how the diet of lake whitefish changed as Diporeia declined during 1999–2000. Zebra mussels Dreissena polymorpha invaded the study area in 1992; Diporeia began to decline in 1993 and was nearly absent by 1999. The body condition of lake whitefish decreased after 1993 and remained low thereafter. The length at age …

Cetacean Sightings Around The Republic Of The Maldives, April 1998, Lisa T. Ballance, R. Charles Anderson, Robert L. Pitman, Kathleen Stafford, Abdullah Shaan, Zaha Waheed, Robert L. Brownell Jr.

United States Department of Commerce: Staff Publications

In April 1998, as part of a project to collect biopsy samples of putative pygmy blue whales (Balaenoptera musculus brevicauda) in the waters around the Republic of the Maldives, Indian Ocean, incidental sightings of cetaceans encountered were recorded. Using modified line-transect methods and handheld binoculars, a total of 267 sightings of 16 species of whales and dolphins were recorded during 20 at-sea days in the northeastern part of the atoll. Significant results include the following: (1) cetaceans were abundant and species diversity was high, including nearly every pantropical species of pelagic cetacean; (2) the spinner dolphin (Stenella …

Recent Declines In Benthic Macroinvertebrate Densities In Lake Ontario, Stephen J. Lozano, Jill V. Scharold, Thomas F. Nalepa

United States Department of Commerce: Staff Publications

Surveys of benthic macroinvertebrates conducted in Lake Ontario during 1994 and 1997 revealed recent declines in populations of three major taxonomic groups: Oligochaeta, Sphaeriidae, and Diporeia spp. (Amphipoda), with the most drastic reductions occurring in the latter. Results from sediment measurements were used to classify deepwater sediments into three habitat zones. Densities of all three taxa declined in the shallowest (12–88 m) of the sediment zones between 1994 and 1997; the greatest changes in density were observed for Diporeia, which declined from 3011 to 145 individuals·m^–2, and for total benthic macroinvertebrates, which declined from 5831 to 1376 …

Purification And Characterization Of The Sin Nombre Virus Nucleocapsid Protein Expressed In Escherichia Coli, Colleen Jonsson, Juan Gallegos, Phillip Fero, William Severson, Xiaolin Xu, Connie Schmaljohn

United States Army: Publications

Sin Nombre virus is a member of the Hantavirus genus, family Bunyaviridae, and is an etiologic agent of hantavirus pulmonary syndrome. The hantavirus nucleocapsid (N) protein plays an important role in the encapsidation and assembly of the viral negative-sense genomic RNA. The Sin Nombre N protein was expressed as a C-terminal hexahistidine fusion in Escherichia coli and initially purified by nickel-affinity chromatography. We developed methods to extract the soluble fraction and to solubilize the remainder of the N protein using denaturants. Maximal expression of protein from native purification was observed after a 1.5-h induction with IPTC (2.4 mg/L). The zwitterionic …

Modeling Reptile And Amphibian Range Distributions From Species Occurrences And Landscape Variables, Geoffrey M. Henebry, Brian C. Putz, James W. Merchant

United States Geological Survey: Publications

An international symposium in October 1999 demonstrated the state of the art in modeling species occurrences (Scott et al. 2001). One clear message from the symposium was the broad diversity of approaches that constitute the state of the art. No single method excels, largely because of the very particular and local nature of the problem. Organisms both influence and respond to their local environment; thus, the same species may key in on different resources in different landscapes. Furthermore, modeling methods vary widely in their "transparency," which can inhibit transportability or robustness.
In order to provide an analytical modeling framework that …

Review Of The Historical And Present Status Of The Lesser Prairie-Chicken (Tympanuchus Pallidicinctus) In Texas, Robert M. Sullivan, John P. Hughes, James E. Lionberger

United States Fish and Wildlife Service: Publications

Historically, the lesser prairie-chicken (Tympanuchus pallidicinctus) occurred in sandy rangeland throughout the northeastern and southwestern (Permian Basin) regions of the Texas Panhandle. Analyses of the historical distribution showed a large reduction in the range of the species in Texas between 1963 and 1980 (78% or 1,070,426 ha), particularly in the southwestern and east-central panhandle, whereas populations in the northeastern Panhandle remained relatively stable. In the northeastern Panhandle, average number of males per lek increased since 1942. In the southwestern Panhandle, average numbers of males per lek decreased dramatically from 1969 to 1981 and from 1985 to 2000, but …

Creston National Fish Hatchery, Montana Restoring America’S Fisheries

United States Fish and Wildlife Service: Publications

The National Fish Hatchery System (NFHS) is comprised of 70 Fish Hatcheries, 7 Fish Technology Centers, and 9 Fish Health Centers nation wide.  The NFHS operated by the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service has a unique responsibility in helping restore native aquatic populations, mitigate for fisheries lost as a result of federal water projects, provide fish to benefit Tribes and the National Wildlife Refuges, and to recover species listed under the Endangered Species Act.  The NFHS works closely with other programs in the Service and with the States, Tribes, and the private sector to complement habitat restoration and other resource …

Adaptive Harvest Management Working Group

United States Fish and Wildlife Service: Publications

This report provides a summary of presentations and discussions that occurred at the 13th meeting of the Adaptive Harvest Management (AHM) Working Group. The primary purposes of this meeting were to review stock-specific AHM efforts, and to consider the future strategic direction of AHM, especially as it relates to development of a new Environmental Impact Statement for migratory bird hunting. (Note: this report needs to be printed in color to properly view some of the figures).

Valentine National Wildlife Refuge 2001

United States Fish and Wildlife Service: Publications

INTRODUCTION

Valentine National Wildlife Refuge (NWR) was established on August 4, 1935 under the Migratory Bird Conservation Act by Executive Order 7142. The purpose of the refuge as stated in the executive order is “as a refuge and breeding ground for migratory birds and other wildlife.” Acquisition funding came from Duck Stamp sales and the Emergency Conservation Fund Of 1933.

The 71,272-acre Valentine NWR is located in the Sandhills of north-central Nebraska. The Sandhills contain the largest remaining stands of mid and tall grass native prairie left in North America. The refuge is a unique and ecologically important component of …

Mitochondrial Phylogeography, Subspecific Taxonomy, And Conservation Genetics Of Sandhill Cranes (Grus Canadensis; Aves: Gruidae), Judith M. Rhymer, Matthew G. Fain, Jane E. Austin, Douglas H. Johnson, Carey Krajewski

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

Six subspecies of sandhill cranes (Grus canadensis) have been denoted based on perceived morphological and/or breeding locality differences among them. Three subspecies are migratory, breeding from the high arctic in North America and Siberia (lesser sandhill, G. c. canadensis), south through central Canada (Canadian sandhill, G. c. rowani) and into the northern United States (greater sandhill, G. c. tabida). A review of sandhill crane taxonomy indicates that the size variation, on the basis of which these subspecies were named, may be clinal and not diagnostic. The other three subspecies, all listed as endangered or threatened, …

Area Requirements Of Grassland Birds: A Regional Perspective, Douglas Johnson, Lawrence Igl

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

Area requirements of grassland birds ha ve not been studied except in tallgrass prairie. We studied the relation between both species-occurrence and density and patch size by conducting 699 fixed-radius point counts of 15 bird species on 303 restored grassland areas in nine counties in four northern Great Plains states. Northern Harrier (Circus cyaneus), Sedge Wren (Cistothorus platensis, Clay-colored Sparrow (Spizella pallida), Grasshopper Sparrow (Ammodramus savannarum), Baird’s Sparrow ( Ammodramus bairdii)), Le Conte’s Sparrow (Ammodramus leconteii), and Bobolink (Dolichonyx oryzivorus) were shown to favor larger grassland patches …

Effects Of Management Practices On Grassland Birds: Short-Eared Owl, Jill A. Dechant, Marriah L. Sondreal, Douglas H. Johnson, Lawrence D. Igl, Christopher M. Goldade, Melvin P. Nenneman, Betty R. Euliss

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

Short-Eared Owl (Asio flammeus):
Breeding range
Suitable habitat
Prey habitat
Area requirements
Brown-headed Cowbird brood parasitism
Breeding-season phenology and site fidelity
Species’ response to management
Management Recommendations
Habitat Characteristics

Inhibition Of Erythrocyte Δ- Aminolevulinic Acid Dehydratase (Alad) Activity In Fish From Waters Affects By Lead Smelters, Christopher J. Schmitt, Colleen A. Caldwell, Bill Olsen, Dave Serdar

United States Geological Survey: Staff Publications

We assessed the effects on fish of lead (Pb) released to streams by smelters located in Trail, BC (Canada), E. Helena, MT, Herculaneum, MO, and Glover, MO. Fish were collected by electrofishing from sites located downstream of smelters and from reference sites. Blood from each fish was analyzed for δ-aminolevulinic acid dehydratase (ALAD) activity and hemoglobin (Hb), and samples of blood, liver, or carcass were analyzed for Pb, zinc (Zn), or both. Fish collected downstream of all four smelters sites had elevated Pb concentrations, decreased ALAD activity, or both relative to their respective reference sites. At E. Helena, fish from …

Meiotic Recombination, Cross-Reactivity, And Persistence In Plasmodium Falciparum, F. Ellis Mckenzie, Marcelo U. Ferreira, J. Kevin Baird, Georges Snounou, William H. Bossert

United States Navy: Publications

We incorporate a representation of Plasmodium falciparum recombination within a discrete-event model of malaria transmission. We simulate the introduction of a new parasite genotype into a human population in which another genotype has reached equilibrium prevalence and compare the emergence and persistence of the novel recombinant forms under differing cross-reactivity relationships between the genotypes. Cross-reactivity between the parental (initial and introduced) genotypes reduces the frequency of appearance of recombinants within three years of introduction from 100% to 14%, and delays their appearance by more than a year, on average. Cross-reactivity between parental and recombinant genotypes reduces the frequency of appearance …

Legionella Pneumophila Entry Gene Rtxa Is Involved In Virulence, Suat L. G. Cirillo, Luis E. Bermudez, Sahar H. El-Etr, Gerald Duhamel, Jeffrey D. Cirillo

School of Veterinary and Biomedical Sciences: Faculty Publications

Successful parasitism of host cells by intracellular pathogens involves adherence, entry, survival, intracellular replication, and cell-to-cell spread. Our laboratory has been examining the role of early events, adherence and entry, in the pathogenesis of the facultative intracellular pathogen Legionella pneumophila. Currently, the mechanisms used by L. pneumophila to gain access to the intracellular environment are not well understood. We have recently isolated three loci, designated enh1, enh2, and enh3, that are involved in the ability of L. pneumophila to enter host cells. One of the genes present in the enh1 locus, rtxA, is homologous to repeats …

Regional Variations In Provenance And Abundance Of Ice-Rafted Clasts In Arctic Ocean Sediments: Implications For The Configuration Of Late Quaternary Oceanic And Atmospheric Circulation In The Arctic, R. L. Phillips, A. Grantz

United States Geological Survey: Staff Publications

The composition and distribution of ice-rafted glacial erratics in late Quaternary sediments define the major current systems of the Arctic Ocean and identify two distinct continental sources for the erratics. In the southern Amerasia basin up to 70% of the erratics are dolostones and limestones (the Amerasia suite) that originated in the carbonate-rich Paleozoic terranes of the Canadian Arctic Islands. These clasts reached the Arctic Ocean in glaciers and were ice-rafted to the core sites in the clockwise Beaufort Gyre. The concentration of erratics decreases northward by 98% along the trend of the gyre from southeastern Canada basin to Makarov …

Cholinergic And Behavioral Neurotoxicity Of Carbaryl And Cadmium To Larval Rainbow Trout (Oncorhynchus Mykiss), Sheryl L. Beauvais, Susan B. Jones, Jennifer T. Parris, Sandra K. Brewer, Edward E. Little

United States Geological Survey: Staff Publications

Pesticides and heavy metals are common environmental contaminants that can cause neurotoxicity to aquatic organisms, impairing reproduction and survival. Neurotoxic effects of cadmium and carbaryl exposures were estimated in larval rainbow trout (RBT; Oncorhynchus mykiss) using changes in physiological endpoints and correlations with behavioral responses. Following exposures, RBT were videotaped to assess swimming speed. Brain tissue was used to measure cholinesterase (ChE) activity, muscarinic cholinergic receptor (MChR) number, and MChR affinity. ChE activity decreased with increasing concentrations of carbaryl but not of cadmium. MChR were not affected by exposure to either carbaryl or cadmium. Swimming speed correlated with ChE …

2,3,7,8-Tetrachlorodibenzo-P-Dioxin Induces Apoptotic Cell Death And Cytochrome P4501a Expression In Developing Fundulus Heteroclitus Embryos, Barbara Holland Toomey, Susan Bello, Mark E. Hahn, Susannah Cantrell, Peggy Wright, Donald E. Tillitt, Richard T. Di Giulio

United States Geological Survey: Staff Publications

Fundulus heteroclitus embryos were exposed to 2,3,7,8-tetrachlorodibenzo-p-dioxin (TCDD) during early development using nanoinjection or water bath exposure. TCDD caused developmental abnormalities that included hemorrhaging, loss of vascular integrity, edema, stunted development and death. The LC₅₀ and LD₅₀ of TCDD for Fundulus embryos were ~19.7 ± 9.5 pg TCDD/µl (water bath) and 0.25 ± 0.09 ng TCDD/g embryo (nanoinjection). To identify a possible cause for these developmental abnormalities we analyzed the effects of TCDD on apoptotic cell death and cytochrome P4501A (CYP1A) expression in the embryos. TCDD exposure increased apoptotic cell death in several tissues including brain, …

Mutation Of The Gene Encoding Cytotoxic Necrotizing Factor Type 1 (Cnf1) Attenuates The Virulence Of Uropathogenic Escherichia Coli, Karen E. Rippere-Lampe, Alison D. O'Brien, Richard Conran, Hank A. Lockman

Uniformed Services University of the Health Sciences

Cytotoxic necrotizing factor type 1 (CNF1) is a 115-kDa toxin that activates Rho GTPases and is produced by uropathogenic Escherichia coli (UPEC). While both epidemiological studies that link CNF1 production by E. coli with urinary tract disease and the cytopathic effects of CNF1 on cultured urinary tract cells are suggestive of a role for the toxin as a UPEC virulence factor, few in vivo studies to test this possibility have been reported. Therefore, in this investigation, we evaluated the importance of CNF1 in a murine model of urinary tract infection (UTI) by comparing the degree of colonization and damage induced …

Salmonella Typhimurium Translocates Flagellin Across Intestinal Epithelia, Inducing A Proinflammatory Response, Andrew T. Gewirtz, Peter O. Simon Jr., Clare K. Schmitt, Laura J. Taylor, Curt H. Hagedorn, Alison D. O'Brien, Andrew S. Neish, James L. Madara

Uniformed Services University of the Health Sciences

This study investigated whether soluble paracrine factors mediated Salmonella-induced IL-8 expression in polarized model intestinal epithelia. We found that the basolateral media of model epithelia that had been apically infected with Salmonella typhimurium for a short period (10 minutes) could activate IL-8 secretion in virgin model epithelia, demonstrating that a proinflammatory factor (PIF) was indeed present. Initial characterization found that PIF was a heat-stable protein with a molecular mass of about 50 kDa that acts on the basolateral, but not apical, surface of model intestinal epithelia to elicit IL-8 secretion. PIF was not present in the media of model …