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2009

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Population Structure Of Island-Associated Dolphins: Evidence From Photo-Identification Of Common Bottlenose Dolphins (Tursiops Truncates) In The Main Hawaiian Islands, Robin Baird, Antoinette Gorgone, Daniel Mcsweeney, Allan Ligon, Mark Deakos, Daniel Webster, Gregory Schorr, Karen Martien, Dan Salden, Sabre Mahaffy Jan 2009

Population Structure Of Island-Associated Dolphins: Evidence From Photo-Identification Of Common Bottlenose Dolphins (Tursiops Truncates) In The Main Hawaiian Islands, Robin Baird, Antoinette Gorgone, Daniel Mcsweeney, Allan Ligon, Mark Deakos, Daniel Webster, Gregory Schorr, Karen Martien, Dan Salden, Sabre Mahaffy

United States Department of Commerce: Staff Publications

Management agencies often use geopolitical boundaries as proxies for biological boundaries. In Hawaiian waters a single stock is recognized of common bottlenose dolphins, Tursiops truncatus, a species that is found both in open water and nearshore among the main Hawaiian Islands. To assess population structure, we photo-identified 336 distinctive individuals from the main Hawaiian Islands, from 2000 to 2006. Their generally shallow-water distribution, and numerous within-year and between-year resightings within island areas suggest that individuals are resident to the islands, rather than part of an offshore population moving through the area. Comparisons of identifications obtained from Kaua‘i/Ni‘ihau, O‘ahu, the …


Harvesting Young-Of-The-Year From Large Mammal Populations: An Application Of Systemic Management, C. W. Fowler, T. E. Jewell, M.V. Lee Jan 2009

Harvesting Young-Of-The-Year From Large Mammal Populations: An Application Of Systemic Management, C. W. Fowler, T. E. Jewell, M.V. Lee

United States Department of Commerce: Staff Publications

We evaluate the current commercial harvest of harp seal (Pagophilus groenlandicus) and proposed subsistence harvests of northern fur seal (Callorhinus ursinus ) pups based on intra-specific comparisons. These comparisons utilize a pattern derived from 167 cases of estimated consumption rates by large mammals. In all cases, the predation rates involve large mammal prey less than 1 year of age. Recent harvests of harp seal pups are exceeded by 20 (about 12%) of the estimated consumption rates among the nonhuman species. Although this is not statistically significant, further analysis may find this harvest to be unsustainable when we …


Movements And Diving Behavior Of Pelagic Spotted Dolphins, Michael Scott, Susan Chivers Jan 2009

Movements And Diving Behavior Of Pelagic Spotted Dolphins, Michael Scott, Susan Chivers

United States Department of Commerce: Staff Publications

We radio tracked 20 pantropical spotted dolphins (Stenella attenuate) in the pelagic waters of the eastern tropical Pacific Ocean during three research cruises in 1992, 1993, and 2001. Dolphins were tracked for up to 6 d from 20 to 1,000 km offshore. Seventeen of these dolphins also carried time–depth recorders, nine of which were recovered with a combined total of 477 h of dive data. The movement data suggested that the dolphins associate with areas of relatively high biological productivity. Dolphins close to shore moved along the continental slope, while some dolphins traveled farther offshore along thermocline “ridges.” …


Behavior Of Melon-Headed Whales, Peponocephala Electra, Near Oceanic Islands, Robert L. Brownell Jr., Katherine Ralls, Simone Baumann-Pickering, M. Michael Poole Jan 2009

Behavior Of Melon-Headed Whales, Peponocephala Electra, Near Oceanic Islands, Robert L. Brownell Jr., Katherine Ralls, Simone Baumann-Pickering, M. Michael Poole

United States Department of Commerce: Staff Publications

Southall et al. (2006) concluded that a near mass stranding (MS) of melon-headed whales (MHWs), Peponocephala electra, in Hanalei Bay, Kauai, Hawaii, on 3–4 July 2004, was likely related to the operation of mid-frequency sonars (MFS). However, subsequent authors argued that the nearly simultaneous entry of MHWs into Sasanhaya Bay, Rota (∼5,740 km away) made this conclusion untenable. They suggested that both sightings, and other MSs of MHWs, could be related to lunar cycles. To resolve this question, we reviewed information on the biology and behavior of MHWs and compared the two sightings to observations of MHWs around Palmyra …


Paedomorphic Ossification In Porpoises With An Emphasis On The Vaquita (Phocoena Sinus), Liliana Mellor, Lisa Noelle Cooper, Jorge Torre, Robert L. Brownell Jr. Jan 2009

Paedomorphic Ossification In Porpoises With An Emphasis On The Vaquita (Phocoena Sinus), Liliana Mellor, Lisa Noelle Cooper, Jorge Torre, Robert L. Brownell Jr.

United States Department of Commerce: Staff Publications

Heterochrony, the change in timing of developmental processes, is thought to be a key process shaping the numerous limb morphologies of tetrapods. Through a delayed offset in digit development, all cetaceans (i.e., whales, dolphins, and porpoises) have evolved supernumary phalanges (hyperphalangy). Moreover, some toothed cetaceans further alter digital morphologies by delayed endochondral and perichondral ossification of individual elements. In the harbor porpoise (Phocoena phocoena), these paedomorphic patterns have created poorly ossified phalangeal elements. However, no studies have addressed this morphology in other porpoise taxa. This study documents the timing of carpal and digital epiphyseal ossification in the poorly …


Catches Of Humpback Whales, Megaptera Novaeangliae, By The Soviet Union And Other Nations In The Southern Ocean, 1947–1973, Phil Clapham, Yuri Mikhalev, Wally Franklin, David Paton, C. Scott Baker, Yulia V. Ivashchenko, Robert L. Brownell Jr. Jan 2009

Catches Of Humpback Whales, Megaptera Novaeangliae, By The Soviet Union And Other Nations In The Southern Ocean, 1947–1973, Phil Clapham, Yuri Mikhalev, Wally Franklin, David Paton, C. Scott Baker, Yulia V. Ivashchenko, Robert L. Brownell Jr.

United States Department of Commerce: Staff Publications

The great whales of the Southern Ocean were extensively exploited by modern whaling methods, with the first catches made in the Falkland Islands Dependencies region of IWC Management Area II in 1904 (Tønnesson and Johnsen, 1982; Hart, 2006). Exploitation went through several phases. Populations of humpback whales, Megaptera novaeangliae, and blue whales, Balaenoptera musculus, around South Georgia crashed around the time of World War I, and further exploitation occurred in other regions into the 1930’s. There was a hiatus in whaling during World War II, but large-scale catches resumed in Antarctic waters after 1945.


Indo-Pacific Bottlenose Dolphin Assessment Workshop Report, R.R. Reeves, R. L. Brownell Jr. Jan 2009

Indo-Pacific Bottlenose Dolphin Assessment Workshop Report, R.R. Reeves, R. L. Brownell Jr.

United States Department of Commerce: Staff Publications

A workshop on the assessment of Indo-Pacific bottlenose dolphins (Tursiops aduncus), with the Solomon Islands as a case study, took place from 21-23 August 2008 in Apia, Samoa. It was planned and organized under the auspices of the Cetacean Specialist Group and attended by 19 invited participants from eight countries. Financial support was provided by WWF (International), The Ocean Conservancy, Animal Welfare Institute, Humane Society of the United States, Whale and Dolphin Conservation Society, U.S. Marine Mammal Commission and U.S. National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration. The workshop was hosted by the Secretariat of the Pacific Regional Environment Program …


Spatial Modelling And Prediction On River Networks: Up Model, Down Model Or Hybrid?, Vincent Garreta, Pascal Monestiez, Jay M. Ver Hoef Jan 2009

Spatial Modelling And Prediction On River Networks: Up Model, Down Model Or Hybrid?, Vincent Garreta, Pascal Monestiez, Jay M. Ver Hoef

United States Department of Commerce: Staff Publications

Preservation of rivers and water resources is crucial in most environmental policies and many efforts are made to assess water quality. Environmental monitoring of large river networks are based on measurement stations. Compared to the total length of river networks, their number is often limited and there is a need to extend environmental variables that are measured locally to the whole river network. The objective of this paper is to propose several relevant geostatistical models for river modeling. These models use river distance and are based on two contrasting assumptions about dependency along a river network. Inference using maximum likelihood, …


Demography And Population Viability Of Polar Bears In The Gulf Of Boothia, Nunavut, Mitchell Taylor, Jeff Laake, Philip Mcloughlin, H. Dean Cluff, Francois Messier Jan 2009

Demography And Population Viability Of Polar Bears In The Gulf Of Boothia, Nunavut, Mitchell Taylor, Jeff Laake, Philip Mcloughlin, H. Dean Cluff, Francois Messier

United States Department of Commerce: Staff Publications

We estimated demographic parameters and harvest risks for polar bears (Ursus maritimus) inhabiting the Gulf of Boothia, Nunavut, from 1976 to 2000. We computed survival and abundance from capture–recapture and recovery data (630 marks) using a Burnham joint live–dead model implemented in program MARK. Annual mean total survival (including harvest) was 0.889 ± 0.179 ( x ± 1 SE) for cubs, 0.883 ± 0.087 for subadults (ages 1–4), 0.919 ± 0.044 for adult females, and 0.917 ± 0.041 for adult males. Abundance in the last 3 yr of study was 1,592 ± 361 bears. Mean size of newborn …


Health Assessment Of Weddell Seals, Leptonychotes Weddellii, In Mcmurdo Sound, Antarctica, P.K. Yochem, B.S. Stewart, T.S. Gelatt, D.B. Siniff Jan 2009

Health Assessment Of Weddell Seals, Leptonychotes Weddellii, In Mcmurdo Sound, Antarctica, P.K. Yochem, B.S. Stewart, T.S. Gelatt, D.B. Siniff

United States Department of Commerce: Staff Publications

The demography of Weddell seals in eastern McMurdo Sound, Antarctica, has been well studied during the past three decades (e.g. Stirling 1971; Siniff et al. 1977; Testa and Siniff 1987; Hastings and Testa 1998; Gelatt et al. 2001). Detailed life-history data are available on thousands of seals tagged as pups in McMurdo Sound, making this population a rich resource for wildlife health studies because health parameters can be evaluated in the light of reproductive histories and genetic relationships of several generations of tagged seals.

Recently, evidence of exposure to diseases generally associated with domestic animals and feral wildlife has been …


Development And Application Of Dna Techniques For Validating And Improving Pinniped Diet Estimates, Dominic J. Tollit, Angela D. Schulze, Andrew W. Trites, Peter F. Olesiuk, Susan J. Crockford, Thomas S. Gelatt, Rolf R. Ream, Kristina M. Miller Jan 2009

Development And Application Of Dna Techniques For Validating And Improving Pinniped Diet Estimates, Dominic J. Tollit, Angela D. Schulze, Andrew W. Trites, Peter F. Olesiuk, Susan J. Crockford, Thomas S. Gelatt, Rolf R. Ream, Kristina M. Miller

United States Department of Commerce: Staff Publications

Polymerase chain reaction techniques were developed and applied to identify DNA from .40 species of prey contained in fecal (scat) soft-part matrix collected at terrestrial sites used by Steller sea lions (Eumetopias jubatus) in British Columbia and the eastern Aleutian Islands, Alaska. Sixty percent more fish and cephalopod prey were identified by morphological analyses of hard parts compared with DNA analysis of soft parts (hard parts identified higher relative proportions of Ammodytes sp., Cottidae, and certain Gadidae). DNA identified 213 prey occurrences, of which 75 (35%) were undetected by hard parts (mainly Salmonidae, Pleuronectidae, Elasmobranchii, and Cephalopoda), and …


A Fish Of Many Scales: Extrapolating Sublethal Pesticide Exposures To The Productivity Of Wild Salmon Populations, David H. Baldwin, Julann A. Spromberg, Tracy K. Collier, Nathaniel L. Scholz Jan 2009

A Fish Of Many Scales: Extrapolating Sublethal Pesticide Exposures To The Productivity Of Wild Salmon Populations, David H. Baldwin, Julann A. Spromberg, Tracy K. Collier, Nathaniel L. Scholz

United States Department of Commerce: Staff Publications

For more than a decade, numerous pesticides have been detected in river systems of the western United States that support anadromous species of Pacific salmon and steelhead. Over the same interval, several declining wild salmon populations have been listed as either threatened or endangered under the U.S. Endangered Species Act (ESA). Because pesticides occur in surface waters that provide critical habitat for ESA-listed stocks, they are an ongoing concern for salmon conservation and recovery throughout California and the Pacific Northwest. Because pesticide exposures are typically sublethal, a key question is whether toxicological effects at (or below) the scale of the …


Movements Of Satellite-Tagged Cuvier’S And Blainville’S Beaked Whales In Hawai‘I: Evidence For An Offshore Population Of Blainville’S Beaked Whales, Robin W. Baird, Gregory S. Schorr, Daniel L. Webster, Sabre D. Mahaffy, Daniel J. Mcsweeney, M. Bradley Hanson, Russel D. Andrews Jan 2009

Movements Of Satellite-Tagged Cuvier’S And Blainville’S Beaked Whales In Hawai‘I: Evidence For An Offshore Population Of Blainville’S Beaked Whales, Robin W. Baird, Gregory S. Schorr, Daniel L. Webster, Sabre D. Mahaffy, Daniel J. Mcsweeney, M. Bradley Hanson, Russel D. Andrews

United States Department of Commerce: Staff Publications

The impacts of mid-frequency active sonar on the behavior of individual cetaceans may vary depending on their history of prior exposure. Evidence from habitat use, repeated sightings of identified individuals, and satellite tagging all indicate the existence of resident populations of Cuvier’s and Blainville’s beaked whales off the island of Hawai‘i, within the Navy’s Hawai‘i Range Complex. The number of individuals that have been satellite tagged is small however, and we are combining additional satellite tagging with individual photo-identification studies to assess movements and residency of both species. Field efforts were undertaken off the island of Hawai‘i in December 2008 …


Insights Into The Population Structure Of Blue Whales In The Eastern North Pacific From Recent Sightings And Photographic Identification, John Calambokidis, Jay Barlow, John K. B. Ford, Todd E. Chandler, Annie B. Douglas Jan 2009

Insights Into The Population Structure Of Blue Whales In The Eastern North Pacific From Recent Sightings And Photographic Identification, John Calambokidis, Jay Barlow, John K. B. Ford, Todd E. Chandler, Annie B. Douglas

United States Department of Commerce: Staff Publications

Blue whales were widely distributed in the North Pacific prior to the primary period of modern commercial whaling in the early 1900s. Despite concentrations of blue whale catches off British Columbia and in the Gulf of Alaska, there had been few documented sightings in these areas since whaling for blue whales ended in 1965. In contrast, large concentrations of blue whales have been documented off California and Baja California and in the eastern tropical Pacific since the 1970s, but it was not known if these animals were part of the same population that previously ranged into Alaskan waters. We document …


Feedback Between Zebra Mussel Selective Feeding And Algal Composition Affects Mussel Condition: Did The Regime Changer Pay A Price For Its Success?, Henry A. Vanderploeg, Thomas H. Johengen, James R. Liebig Jan 2009

Feedback Between Zebra Mussel Selective Feeding And Algal Composition Affects Mussel Condition: Did The Regime Changer Pay A Price For Its Success?, Henry A. Vanderploeg, Thomas H. Johengen, James R. Liebig

United States Department of Commerce: Staff Publications

1. We investigated the role of algal composition on pumping, clearance, assimilation, pseudofaeces and faeces production, feeding time budgets, and condition of zebra mussels from spring to autumn at two sites in Saginaw Bay (Lake Huron) and one site in western Lake Erie. Size-fractioned chlorophyll was used to distinguish between feeding on small (<53 >µm) and large (>53 µm) size fractions, and mussel feeding behaviour was quantified by video observations.

2. Mussel pumping, clearance and assimilation rates varied among sites, particularly during summer, when phytoplankton composition varied considerably among sites. Lowest values were seen at the inner-bay site of …


Transformation Of The Offshore Benthic Community In Lake Michigan: Recent Shift From The Native Amphipod Diporeia Spp. To The Invasive Mussel Dreissena Rostriformis Bugensis, Thomas F. Nalepa, David L. Fanslow, Gregory A. Lang Jan 2009

Transformation Of The Offshore Benthic Community In Lake Michigan: Recent Shift From The Native Amphipod Diporeia Spp. To The Invasive Mussel Dreissena Rostriformis Bugensis, Thomas F. Nalepa, David L. Fanslow, Gregory A. Lang

United States Department of Commerce: Staff Publications

1. The native amphipod Diporeia spp. was once the dominant benthic organism in Lake Michigan and served as an important pathway of energy flow from lower to upper trophic levels. Lake-wide surveys were conducted in 1994 ⁄1995, 2000 and 2005, and abundances of Diporeia and the invasive bivalves Dreissena polymorpha (zebra mussel) and Dreissena rostriformis bugensis (quagga mussel) were assessed. In addition, more frequent surveys were conducted in the southern region of the lake between 1980 and 2007 to augment trend interpretation.

2. Between 1994 ⁄1995 and 2005, lake-wide density of Diporeia declined from 5365 to 329 m-2, …


Neglect Of Genetic Diversity In Implementation Of The Convention On Biological Diversity, Linda Laikre, Fred W. Allendorf, Laurel C. Aroner, C. Scott Baker, David P. Gregovich, Michael M. Hansen, Jennifer A. Jackson, Katherine C. Kendall, Kevin Mckelvey, Maile C. Neel, Isabelle Olivieri, Nils Ryman, Michael K. Schwartz, Ruth Short Bull, Jeffrey B. Stetz, David A. Tallmon, Barbara L. Taylor, Christina D. Vojta, Donald M. Waller, Robin S. Waples Jan 2009

Neglect Of Genetic Diversity In Implementation Of The Convention On Biological Diversity, Linda Laikre, Fred W. Allendorf, Laurel C. Aroner, C. Scott Baker, David P. Gregovich, Michael M. Hansen, Jennifer A. Jackson, Katherine C. Kendall, Kevin Mckelvey, Maile C. Neel, Isabelle Olivieri, Nils Ryman, Michael K. Schwartz, Ruth Short Bull, Jeffrey B. Stetz, David A. Tallmon, Barbara L. Taylor, Christina D. Vojta, Donald M. Waller, Robin S. Waples

United States Department of Commerce: Staff Publications

Genetic diversity is the foundation for all biological diversity; the persistence and evolutionary potential of species depend on it. World leaders have agreed on the conservation of genetic diversity as an explicit goal of the Convention on Biological Diversity (CBD). Nevertheless, actions to protect genetic diversity are largely lacking. With only months left to the 2010-biodiversity target, when the 191 parties to the CBD have agreed on achieving a significant reduction of the rate of biodiversity loss, gene-level diversity is still not being monitored, and indicators and thresholds that can be used to devise strategies to conserve this important component …


Effects Of Age, Sex And Reproductive Status On Persistent Organic Pollutant Concentrations In ‘‘Southern Resident” Killer Whales, Margaret M. Krahn, M. Bradley Hanson, Gregory Schorr, Candice K. Emmons, Douglas G. Burrows, Jennie L. Bolton, Robin W. Baird, Gina M. Ylitalo Jan 2009

Effects Of Age, Sex And Reproductive Status On Persistent Organic Pollutant Concentrations In ‘‘Southern Resident” Killer Whales, Margaret M. Krahn, M. Bradley Hanson, Gregory Schorr, Candice K. Emmons, Douglas G. Burrows, Jennie L. Bolton, Robin W. Baird, Gina M. Ylitalo

United States Department of Commerce: Staff Publications

‘‘Southern Resident” killer whales (Orcinus orca) that comprise three fish-eating ‘‘pods” (J, K and L) were listed as ‘‘endangered” in the US and Canada following a 20% population decline between 1996 and 2001. Blubber biopsy samples from Southern Resident juveniles had statistically higher concentrations of certain persistent organic pollutants than were found for adults. Most Southern Resident killer whales, including the four juveniles, exceeded the health-effects threshold for total PCBs in marine mammal blubber. Maternal transfer of contaminants to the juveniles during rapid development of their biological systems may put these young whales at greater risk than adults …


Evolutionary History, Habitat Disturbance Regimes, And Anthropogenic Changes: What Do These Mean For Resilience Of Pacific Salmon Populations?, Robin Waples, Tim Beechie, George R. Pess Jan 2009

Evolutionary History, Habitat Disturbance Regimes, And Anthropogenic Changes: What Do These Mean For Resilience Of Pacific Salmon Populations?, Robin Waples, Tim Beechie, George R. Pess

United States Department of Commerce: Staff Publications

Because resilience of a biological system is a product of its evolutionary history, the historical template that describes the relationships between species and their dynamic habitats is an important point of reference. Habitats used by Pacific salmon have been quite variable throughout their evolutionary history, and these habitats can be characterized by four key attributes of disturbance regimes: frequency, magnitude, duration, and predictability. Over the past two centuries, major anthropogenic changes to salmon ecosystems have dramatically altered disturbance regimes that the species experience. To the extent that these disturbance regimes assume characteristics outside the range of the historical template, resilience …


Sex Change And The Genetic Structure Of Marine Fish Populations, Julien Chopelet, Robin Waples, Stefano Mariani Jan 2009

Sex Change And The Genetic Structure Of Marine Fish Populations, Julien Chopelet, Robin Waples, Stefano Mariani

United States Department of Commerce: Staff Publications

The interaction between environmental forces and dispersal characteristics is largely responsible for the patterns of population structure in marine fish. Yet, crucial gaps in knowledge on life-histories and the relative contributions of numerous environmental factors still hinder a thorough understanding of marine population connectivity. One life-history trait so far overlooked by most fish population geneticists is sequential hermaphroditism, whereby individuals first mature as one sex and later in life reverse into the other sex. Population genetic theory predicts that sex-changing fish will present a higher potential for more spatially structured populations than gonochoristic species, as a result of their naturally …


Identification Of Small Subunits Of Mammalian Serine Palmitoyltransferase That Confer Distinct Acyl-Coa Substrate Specificities, Gongshe Han, Sita D. Gupta, Kenneth Gable, Somashekarappa Niranjanakumari, Prasun Moitra, Florian Eichler, Robert H. Brown Jr., Jeffrey M. Harmon, Teresa M. Dunn Jan 2009

Identification Of Small Subunits Of Mammalian Serine Palmitoyltransferase That Confer Distinct Acyl-Coa Substrate Specificities, Gongshe Han, Sita D. Gupta, Kenneth Gable, Somashekarappa Niranjanakumari, Prasun Moitra, Florian Eichler, Robert H. Brown Jr., Jeffrey M. Harmon, Teresa M. Dunn

Uniformed Services University of the Health Sciences

Serine palmitoyltransferase (SPT) catalyzes the first committed step in sphingolipid biosynthesis. In yeast, SPT is composed of a heterodimer of 2 highly-related subunits, Lcb1p and Lcb2p, and a third subunit, Tsc3p, which increases enzyme activity markedly and is required for growth at elevated temperatures. Higher eukaryotic orthologs of Lcb1p and Lcb2p have been identified, but SPT activity is not highly correlated with coexpression of these subunits and no ortholog of Tsc3p has been identified. Here, we report the discovery of 2 proteins, ssSPTa and ssSPTb, which despite sharing no homology with Tsc3p, each substantially enhance the activity of mammalian SPT …


Thresholds Of Climate Change In Ecosystems: Final Report, Synthesis And Assessment Product 4.2, Craig D. Allen, Charles Birkeland, F. Stuart Chapin, Iii, Peter M. Groffman, Glenn . R. Guntenspergen, Alan K. Knapp, A. David Mcguire, Patrick J. Mulholland, Debra P.C. Peters, Daniel D. Roby, George Sugihara Jan 2009

Thresholds Of Climate Change In Ecosystems: Final Report, Synthesis And Assessment Product 4.2, Craig D. Allen, Charles Birkeland, F. Stuart Chapin, Iii, Peter M. Groffman, Glenn . R. Guntenspergen, Alan K. Knapp, A. David Mcguire, Patrick J. Mulholland, Debra P.C. Peters, Daniel D. Roby, George Sugihara

United States Geological Survey: Publications

As defined in this Synthesis and Assessment Report, ‘an ecological threshold is the point at which there is an abrupt change in an ecosystem quality, property, or phenomenon, or where small changes in one or more external conditions produce large and persistent responses in an ecosystem’.
Ecological thresholds occur when external factors, positive feedbacks, or nonlinear instabilities in a system cause changes to propagate in a domino-like fashion that is potentially irreversible. This report reviews threshold changes in North American ecosystems that are potentially induced by climatic change and addresses the significant challenges these threshold crossings impose on resource and …


Quantifying Equid Behavior—A Research Ethogram For Free-Roaming Feral Horses, Jason I. Ransom, Brian S. Cade Jan 2009

Quantifying Equid Behavior—A Research Ethogram For Free-Roaming Feral Horses, Jason I. Ransom, Brian S. Cade

United States Geological Survey: Publications

Feral horses (Equus caballus) are globally distributed in free-roaming populations on all continents except Antarctica and occupy a wide range of habitats including forest, grassland, desert, and montane environments. The largest populations occur in Australia and North America and have been the subject of scientific study for decades, yet guidelines and ethograms for feral horse behavioral research are largely absent in the scientific literature. The U.S. Geological Survey (USGS) Fort Collins Science Center conducted research on the influences of the immunocontraceptive porcine zona pellucida (PZP) on feral horse behavior from 2003–2006 in three discrete populations in the American …


Climate Change And Water Resources Management: A Federal Perspective, Levi D. Brekke, Julie E. Kiang, J. Rolf Olsen, Roger S. Pulwarty, David A. Raff, D. Phil Turnipseed, Robert S. Webb, Kathleen D. White Jan 2009

Climate Change And Water Resources Management: A Federal Perspective, Levi D. Brekke, Julie E. Kiang, J. Rolf Olsen, Roger S. Pulwarty, David A. Raff, D. Phil Turnipseed, Robert S. Webb, Kathleen D. White

United States Geological Survey: Publications

Many challenges, including climate change, face the Nation’s water managers. The Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC) has provided estimates of how climate may change, but more understanding of the processes driving the changes, the sequences of the changes, and the manifestation of these global changes at different scales could be beneficial. Since the changes will likely affect fundamental drivers of the hydrological cycle, climate change may have a large impact on water resources and water resources managers.

The purpose of this interagency report prepared by the U.S. Geological Survey (USGS), U.S. Army Corps of Engineers (USACE), Bureau of Reclamation …


Structured Decision Making As A Conceptual Framework To Identify Thresholds For Conservation And Management, Julien Martin, Michael C. Runge, James D. Nichols, Bruce C. Lubow, William L. Kendall2 Jan 2009

Structured Decision Making As A Conceptual Framework To Identify Thresholds For Conservation And Management, Julien Martin, Michael C. Runge, James D. Nichols, Bruce C. Lubow, William L. Kendall2

United States Geological Survey: Staff Publications

Threshold and their relevance to conservation have become a major topic of discussion in the ecological literature. Unfortunately, in many cases the lack of a clear conceptual framework for thinking about thresholds in terms of a structured decision making process. The purpose of this framework is to promote a logical and transparent process for making informed decisions for conservation.

Specification of such a framework leads naturally to consideration of definitions and roles of different kinds of thresholds in the process. We distinguish among three categories of thresholds. Ecological thresholds are values of system state variables at which small changes bring …


Interactions: Newsletter Of The Wildlife Society Wildlife Damage Management Working Group, Interactions: Volume 15 Issue 4 Fall 2009 Jan 2009

Interactions: Newsletter Of The Wildlife Society Wildlife Damage Management Working Group, Interactions: Volume 15 Issue 4 Fall 2009

TWS Wildlife Damage Management Working Group Newsletter

Letters From Gary Get Involved With The Standing Committees Of The Wdmwg; Take Action To Influence Wildlife Policy; Conference Announcement 2010 Wild Pig Conference; Conference Announcement 24th Vertebrate Pest Conference; Human-Wildlife Conflicts Journal To Become Human wildlife Interactions; Notes From The Field Catching The Skunk Is The Easy Part….; New Video Netted Cage Traps For Deer: Tips And Techniques; The Wildlife Society Wildlife Damage Management Working Group; Upcoming Meetings, Conferences, And Events; Congratulations To New Board Members


Newsletter Of The Wildlife Society Wildlife Damage Management Working Group Interactions: Volume 15 Issue 3 Summer 2009 Jan 2009

Newsletter Of The Wildlife Society Wildlife Damage Management Working Group Interactions: Volume 15 Issue 3 Summer 2009

TWS Wildlife Damage Management Working Group Newsletter

And Now…A Word From The Editor Letters from Joe; Conference Announcement 2010 Wild Pig Conference; Conference Announcement 24th Vertebrate Pest Conference; Latest and Next Issue Of Human Wildlife Conflicts; Conference Announcement Bird Strike North American Conference; Candidate for Board Member David Drake, Mike Mengak, Scott C. Barras, Jay Boulanger, Jason Sukow; How Do I Vote?!?; WDM Working Group Meeting; Conference Announcement TWS Conference Preliminary Program; The Wildlife Society Wildlife Damage Management Working Group; Upcoming Meetings, Conferences, And Events;


Newsletter Of The Wildlife Society Wildlife Damage Management Working Group Interactions: Volume 15 Issue 1 Winter 2009 Jan 2009

Newsletter Of The Wildlife Society Wildlife Damage Management Working Group Interactions: Volume 15 Issue 1 Winter 2009

TWS Wildlife Damage Management Working Group Newsletter

See You In Saratoga! Letters from Gary; A Brief Report from The WDMWG Meeting and the 2008 TWS Annual Conference; New Product Announcement Backyard Wildlife: Vole Control And Ground Squirrel Management Dvd; Publication Announcement Latest Issue of Human Wildlife Conflicts Is Now Available; Conference Announcement Bird Strike North American Conference; Conference Announcement TWS Conference Preliminary Program; New Publication Available 23rd Vertebrate Pest Conference Proceedings; Calls from the Field (Or A House, Or A Farm, or A…); 2009 Wildlife Damage Management Conference Preliminary Schedule; 2009 Wildlife Damage Management Conference Registration Information; The Wildlife Society Wildlife Damage Management Working Group; Upcoming Meetings, …


Riparian And Associated Habitat Characteristics Related To Nutrient Concentrations And Biological Responses Of Small Streams In Selected Agricultural Areas, United States, 2003–04, Ronald B. Zelt, Mark D. Munn Jan 2009

Riparian And Associated Habitat Characteristics Related To Nutrient Concentrations And Biological Responses Of Small Streams In Selected Agricultural Areas, United States, 2003–04, Ronald B. Zelt, Mark D. Munn

United States Geological Survey: Publications

Physical factors, including both in-stream and riparian habitat characteristics that limit biomass or otherwise regulate aquatic biological condition, have been identified by previous studies. However, linking the ecological significance of nutrient enrichment to habitat or landscape factors that could allow for improved management of streams has proved to be a challenge in many regions, including agricultural landscapes, where many ecological stressors are strong and the variability among watersheds typically is large. Riparian and associated habitat characteristics were sampled once during 2003–04 for an intensive ecological and nutrients study of small perennial streams in five contrasting agricultural landscapes across the United …


Behavior And Reproductive Success Of Rock Sandpipers Breeding On The Yukon-Kuskokwim River Delta, Alaska, Matthew Johnson, Jesse R. Conklin, Branden L. Johnson, Brian J. Mccaffery, Susan M. Haig, Jeffrey R. Walters Jan 2009

Behavior And Reproductive Success Of Rock Sandpipers Breeding On The Yukon-Kuskokwim River Delta, Alaska, Matthew Johnson, Jesse R. Conklin, Branden L. Johnson, Brian J. Mccaffery, Susan M. Haig, Jeffrey R. Walters

United States Geological Survey: Staff Publications

We studied Rock Sandpiper (Calidris ptilocnemis) breeding behavior and monitored reproductive success from 1998 to 2005 on the Yukon-Kuskokwim River Delta, Alaska, USA. We banded 24 adults and monitored 45 nests. Annual return rate of adults ranged between 67 and 100%. Six pairs of Rock Sandpipers bred at our study site for ≥ 2 years, and among these we did not observe mate change (i.e., when both members of a pair returned and each mated with a new individual). Nests were typically initiated by mid-May and 53% of females laid second clutches if first clutches were lost through …