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Identifying And Managing For Wildlife Damage During Stand Initiation, Jimmy D. Taylor Ii

United States Department of Agriculture Wildlife Services: Staff Publications

Trees in the Pacific Northwest (PNW) are susceptible to wildlife damage throughout their life cycles, and many industrial and nonindustrial forest landowners spend a good deal of money attempting to prevent or lessen this damage. Several species of animals affect forest regeneration and their damage can generally be broken into categories based on when damage occurs. During stand initiation, damage is seen with seeds, seedlings, and saplings. While some animals may cause damage only at one particular time, others damage trees at various intervals and in different ways. Methods of lethal and non-lethal control to reduce wildlife damage have been …

Evaluation Of Sonic Dissuader® To Reduce Damage By Pileated Woodpeckers, Shelagh K. Tupper, John L. Cummings, William F. Andelt, Scott Werner, Richard Harness

United States Department of Agriculture Wildlife Services: Staff Publications

Woodpecker damage to utility poles results in significant monetary losses to utility companies worldwide. Most techniques for repelling woodpeckers from utility poles are costly, difficult to install, effective for a limited time, or ineffective. We evaluated the Sonic Dissuader for detecting and deterring pileated woodpecker (Dryocopus pileatus) damage to wooden utility poles in controlled flight pens. The Sonic Dissuader emits pileated woodpecker and avian predator calls contingent upon pecking by woodpeckers. Ratios of departure were lower and woodpeckers spent more time after a pecking event on the pole with the Sonic Dissuader compared to the control pole (paired …

Regulated Commercial Harvest To Manage Overabundant White-Tailed Deer: An Idea To Consider?, Kurt C. Vercauteren, Charles W. Anderson, Timothy R. Van Deelen, David Drake, W. David Walter, Stephen Vantassel, Scott E. Hygnstrom

United States Department of Agriculture Wildlife Services: Staff Publications

Declines in hunter recruitment coupled with dramatic growth in numbers of white-tailed deer (Odocoileus virginianus) have challenged our ability to manage deer populations through regulated hunting. We review the efficacy of current regulated hunting methods and explain how they are unable to reduce deer numbers sufficiently in some environments. Regulated commercial harvest would provide an additional tool to help state wildlife agencies manage overabundant populations of white-tailed deer. We outline potential means to govern regulated commercial deer harvest and explain how it is compatible with the North American Model of Wildlife Conservation. We identified several benefits, including reduced …

What Is The Proper Method To Delineate Home Range Of An Animal Using Today’S Advanced Gps Telemetry Systems: The Initial Step, W. David Walter, Justin W. Fischer, Sharon Baruch-Mordo, Kurt C. Vercauteren

United States Department of Agriculture Wildlife Services: Staff Publications

The formal concept of an animal’s home range, or derivations thereof, has been around for over half a century (Burt 1943). Within this time frame there have been countless published studies reporting home range estimators with no consensus for any single technique (Withey et al., 2001; Laver & Kelly 2008). Recent advances in global positioning system (GPS) technology for monitoring home range and movements of wildlife have resulted in locations that are numerous, more precise than very high frequency (VHF) systems, and often are auto correlated in space and time. Along with these advances, researchers are challenged with understanding the …

Coyote Capture Vulnerability Relative To Space Use And Trap Density, Ryan R. Wilson, Julie K. Young, John Shivik

United States Department of Agriculture Wildlife Services: Staff Publications

Coyotes (Canis latrans) are reported to be less vulnerable to capture in familiar areas of territories, however, most studies do not control for trap density across the territory. We determined if accounting for trap density provided a better explanation of observed capture rates. Based on a sample of 24 captured coyotes (6 inside core areas and 18 on peripheries of occupied areas) the best fitting model describing capture location only accounted for trap density and not relative time spent in each region. Our results suggest that coyote capture rates are a function of trap density in an area …

Eradication Of Invasive Rodents On Islands Of The United States, Gary W. Witmer, J. Pierce, William C. Pitt

United States Department of Agriculture Wildlife Services: Staff Publications

Many invasive rodents have become established in the United States and its territories. The species include several species of Rattus, house mice (Mus musculus), Gambian giant pouched rats (Cricetomys gambianus), ground squirrels (Spermophilus parryii), nutria (Myocastor coypus) and marmots (Marmota caligata). These rodents have caused serious impacts to native flora and fauna, agriculture, and other resources. Since the early 1990s, agencies have been eradicating rodents from various islands, primarily for conservation purposes. Of about 40 eradication attempts, 22 (55%) appear to have succeeded. For several islands, however, it is …

Attempting To Eradicate Invasive Gambian Giant Pouched Rats (Cricetomys Gambianus) In The United States: Lessons Learned, Gary W. Witmer, P. Hall

United States Department of Agriculture Wildlife Services: Staff Publications

Gambian giant pouched rats (Cricetomys gambianus) are native to Africa, but they are popular pets in the United States. They caused a monkeypox outbreak in the Midwestern United States in 2003 in which 72 people were infected. A free-ranging population became established on the 400 ha Grassy Key in the Florida Keys, apparently after a release by a pet breeder. This rodent species is known to cause extensive crop damage in Africa and if it reaches the mainland US, many impacts, especially to the agriculture industry of Florida, can be expected. An apparently successful inter-agency eradication effort has …

Feeding Of Grey Squirrels (Sciurus Carolinensis) With The Contraceptive Agent Diazacontm: Effect On Cholesterol, Hematology, And Blood Chemistry, C. A. A. Yoder, Brenda A. Mayle, Carol A. Furcolow, David N. Cowan, Kathleen A. Fagerstone

United States Department of Agriculture Wildlife Services: Staff Publications

Grey squirrels (Sciurus carolinensis) are an invasive species in Britain and Italy. They have replaced native red squirrels (Sciurus vulgaris) throughout most of Britain, and cause damage to trees. Currently, lethal control is used to manage grey squirrel populations in Britain, but nonlethal methods might be more acceptable to the public. One such method is contraception with 20,25-diazacholesterol dihydrochloride (DiazaCon^TM). DiazaCon^TM inhibits the conversion of desmosterol to cholesterol, resulting in increasing desmosterol concentrations and decreasing cholesterol concentrations. Because cholesterol is needed for the synthesis of steroid reproductive hormones, such as progesterone and testosterone, …

Diseases And Parasites [Of White-Tailed Deer], Tyler A. Campbell, K. C. Vercauteren

United States Department of Agriculture Wildlife Services: Staff Publications

Wildlife biologists have long pursued understanding the ecology of diseases and parasites impacting white-tailed deer (e.g., see Whitlock, 1939), an important field of study because they can detrimentally affect deer populations, other wildlife, livestock, and humans (Davidson et aI., 1981). Diseases and parasites of white-tailed deer, perhaps more than any other North American large mammal species, have received much attention in the literature and complete treatises have been devoted to the subject (e.g., see Davidson et aI., 1981). In the last 20 years it has become necessary for wildlife biologists to incorporate disease concerns into the management of white-tailed deer …

Agricultural Herbicide Transport In A First‐Order Intermittent Stream, Nebraska, Usa, Jason Vogel, Joshua Linard

United States Geological Survey: Staff Publications

The behavior of herbicides in surface waters is a function of many variables, including scale of the watershed, physical and chemical properties of the herbicide, physical and chemical properties of the soil, rainfall intensity, and time of year. In this study, the transport of 6 herbicides and 12 herbicide degradates was examined during the 2004 growing season in an intermediate‐scale agricultural watershed (146 ha) that is drained by a first‐order intermittent stream, and the mass load for each herbicide in the stream was estimated. The herbicide load during the first week of storm events after application ranged from 17% of …

Mercury Trends In Fish From Rivers And Lakes In The United States, 1969–2005, Ann Chalmers, Denise M. Argue, David A. Gay, Mark E. Brigham, Christopher J. Schmitt, David Lorenz

United States Geological Survey: Staff Publications

A national dataset on concentrations of mercury in fish, compiled mainly from state and federal monitoring programs, was used to evaluate trends in mercury (Hg) in fish from US rivers and lakes. Trends were analyzed on data aggregated by site and by state, using samples of the same fish species and tissue type, and using fish of similar lengths. Site-based trends were evaluated from 1969 to 2005, but focused on a subset of the data from 1969 to 1987. Data aggregated by state were used to evaluate trends in fish Hg concentrations from 1988 to 2005. In addition, the most …

A Geospatial Approach To Identify Water Quality Issues For National Wildlife Refuges In Oregon And Washington, Jo Ellen Hinck, Kimberly Chojnacki, Susan Finger, Greg Linder, Kevin Kilbride

United States Geological Survey: Staff Publications

Many National Wildlife Refuges (Refuges) have impaired water quality resulting from historic and current land uses, upstream sources, and aerial pollutant deposition. Competing duties limit the time available for Refuge staff to identify and evaluate potential water quality issues. As a result, water quality–related issues may not be resolved until a problem has already arisen. This study developed a geospatial approach for identifying and prioritizing water quality issues affecting natural resources (including migratory birds and federally listed species) within Refuge boundaries. We assessed the location and status of streams pursuant to the Clean Water Act in relation to individual Refuges …

Incorporating Parametric Uncertainty Into Population Viability Analysis Models, Conor P. Mcgowan, Michael C. Runge, Michael A. Larson

United States Geological Survey: Staff Publications

Uncertainty in parameter estimates from sampling variation or expert judgment can introduce substantial uncertainty into ecological predictions based on those estimates. However, in standard population viability analyses, one of the most widely used tools for managing plant, fish and wildlife populations, parametric uncertainty is often ignored in or discarded from model projections. We present a method for explicitly incorporating this source of uncertainty into population models to fully account for risk in management and decision contexts. Our method involves a two-step simulation process where parametric uncertainty is incorporated into the replication loop of the model and temporal variance is incorporated …

An Exploratory Investigation Of Polar Organic Compounds In Waters From A Lead–Zinc Mine And Mill Complex, Colleen E. Rostad, Christopher J. Schmitt, John G. Schumacher, Thomas J. Leiker

United States Geological Survey: Staff Publications

Surface water samples were collected in 2006 from a lead mine–mill complex in Missouri to investigate possible organic compounds coming from the milling process. Water samples contained relatively high concentrations of dissolved organic carbon (DOC; greater than 20 mg/l) for surface waters but were colorless, implying a lack of naturally occurring aquatic humic or fulvic acids. Samples were extracted by three different types of solid-phase extraction and analyzed by electrospray ionization/mass spectrometry. Because large amounts of xanthate complexation reagents are used in the milling process, techniques were developed to extract and analyze for sodium isopropyl xanthate and sodium ethyl xanthate. …

Plant Community Recovery Following Restoration In Semiarid Grasslands, Seth M. Munson, William K. Lauenroth

United States Geological Survey: Staff Publications

The Conservation Reserve Program (CRP) is an extensive land use in the United States, which restores cultivated land to perennial vegetation through seeding. Low precipitation and high potential evapotranspiration are major limitations to the establishment and growth of seeded species in semiarid regions. We tested the rate of development of plant functional types across a chronosequence of restored fields using a model of plant succession. We also determined how the seeding of non-native (introduced) relative to native perennial grasses influenced plant community recovery. In contrast to the native shortgrass steppe (SGS), recently seeded CRP fields had high cover of annuals, …

Evaluation Of Single And Two-Stage Adaptive Sampling Designs For Estimation Of Density And Abundance Of Freshwater Mussels In A Large River, D. R. Smith, J. T. Rogala, B. R. Gray, Steven J. Zigler, Teresa J. Newton

United States Geological Survey: Staff Publications

Reliable estimates of abundance are needed to assess consequences of proposed habitat restoration and enhancement projects on freshwater mussels in the Upper Mississippi River (UMR). Although there is general guidance on sampling techniques for population assessment of freshwater mussels, the actual performance of sampling designs can depend critically on the population density and spatial distribution at the project site. To evaluate various sampling designs, we simulated sampling of populations, which varied in density and degree of spatial clustering. Because of logistics and costs of large river sampling and spatial clustering of freshwater mussels, we focused on adaptive and non-adaptive versions …

Susceptibility Of Selected Potato Varieties To Zebra Chip Potato Disease, Joseph E. Munyaneza, Jeremy L. Buchman, Venkatesan G. Sengoda, Tonja W. Fisher, Cole C. Pearson

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

Zebra chip (ZC), an emerging and serious disease of potato has caused millions of dollars in losses to the potato industry in the United States, Mexico, Central America, and New Zealand. The disease has recently been associated with a previously undescribed species of liberibacter tentatively named “Candidatus Liberibacter solanacearum” transmitted to potato by the potato psyllid, Bactericera cockerelli (Šulc). At present, applications of insecticides targeted against the potato psyllid are the only means to manage ZC. Given the low psyllid density and short inoculation access period required to induce the disease, insecticides may not act fast enough to prevent …

Evaluating Spawning Migration Patterns And Predicting Spawning Success Of Shovelnose Sturgeon In The Lower Missouri River, M. L. Wildhaber, S. H. Holan, G. M. Davis, D. W. Gladish, A. J. Delonay, Diana M. Papoulias, D. K. Sommerhauser

United States Geological Survey: Staff Publications

Approaches using telemetry, precise reproductive assessments, and surgically implanted data storage tags (DSTs) were used in combination with novel applications of analytical techniques for fish movement studies to describe patterns in migratory behavior and predict spawning success of gravid shovelnose sturgeon. From 2004 to 2007, over 300 gravid female shovelnose sturgeon (Scaphirhynchus platorynchus) from the Lower Missouri River, that were expected to spawn in the year they were collected, were surgically implanted with transmitters and archival DSTs. Functional cluster modeling of telemetry data from the spawning season suggested two common migration patterns of gravid female shovelnose sturgeon. Fish …

Nomenclatural Notes And Identification Of Small-Eared Shrews (Mammalia: Genus Cryptotis) From Cobán, Guatemala, In The Natural History Museum, London, Neal Woodman

United States Geological Survey: Staff Publications

A small series of shrews collected in Guatemala and registered in the British Museum between 1843 and 1907 includes parts of type series for three species: Corsira tropicalis Gray (1843), Sorex micrurus Tomes (1862), and Blarina tropicalis Merriam (1895). These three names are now considered equivalent, but my recent review of the specimens comprising the series indicates that they include three distinct species: Cryptotis merriami Choate (1970), Cryptotis oreoryctes Woodman (2011), and Cryptotis tropicalis (Merriam 1895). I review the taxonomic history of these specimens, provide current identifications tied directly to museum register numbers, describe how to distinguish the three species, …

Genetic Applications In Avian Conservation, Susan M. Haig, Whitcomb M. Bronaugh, Rachel S. Crowhurst, Jesse D'Elia, Collin A. Eagles-Smith, Clinton W. Epps, Brian Knaus, Mark P. Miller, Michael L. Moses, Sara Oyler-Mccance, W. Douglas Robinson, Brian Sidlauskas

United States Geological Survey: Staff Publications

A fundamental need in conserving species and their habitats is defining distinct entities that range from individuals to species to ecosystems and beyond (Table 1; Ryder 1986, Moritz 1994, Mayden and Wood 1995, Haig and Avise 1996, Hazevoet 1996, Palumbi and Cipriano 1998, Hebert et al. 2004, Mace 2004, Wheeler et al. 2004, Armstrong and Ball 2005, Baker 2008, Ellis et al. 2010, Winker and Haig 2010). Rapid progression in this interdisciplinary field continues at an exponential rate; thus, periodic updates on theory, techniques, and applications are important for informing practitioners and consumers of genetic information. Here, we outline conservation …

Challenges Of Predicting The Potential Distribution Of A Slow-Spreading Invader: A Habitat Suitability Map For An Invasive Riparian Tree, Catherine S. Jarnevich, Lindsay V. Reynolds

United States Geological Survey: Staff Publications

Understanding the potential spread of invasive species is essential for land managers to prevent their establishment and restore impacted habitat. Habitat suitability modeling provides a tool for researchers and managers to understand the potential extent of invasive species spread. Our goal was to use habitat suitability modeling to map potential habitat of the riparian plant invader, Russian olive (Elaeagnus angustifolia). Russian olive has invaded riparian habitat across North America and is continuing to expand its range. We compiled 11 disparate datasets for Russian olive presence locations (n = 1,051 points and 139 polygons) in the western US and …

Evaluating The Effect Of Predators On White-Tailed Deer: Movement And Diet Of Coyotes, Melissa M. Turner, Aimee P. Rockhill, Christopher S. Deperno, Jonathan A. Jenks, Robert W. Klaver, Angela R. Jarding, Troy W. Grovenburg, Kenneth H. Pollock

United States Geological Survey: Staff Publications

Coyotes (Canis latrans) may affect adult and neonate white-tailed deer (Odocoileus virginianus) survival and have been implicated as a contributor to the decline of deer populations. Additionally, coyote diet composition is influenced by prey availability, season, and region. Because coyote movement and diet vary by region, local data are important to understand coyote population dynamics and their impact on prey species. In southeast Minnesota, we investigated the effect of coyotes on white-tailed deer populations by documenting movement rates, distances moved, and habitats searched by coyotes during fawning and nonfawning periods. Additionally, we determined survival, cause-specific mortality, …

Introduction To “Environmental Contaminants In Biota, 2nd Edition”, W. Nelson Beyer, James P. Meador

United States Geological Survey: Staff Publications

Ecotoxicology is the study of the movement of environmental contaminants through ecosystems and their effects on plants and animals. Examining tissue residues of these contaminants in biota is basic to ecotoxicology, both for understanding the movement of contaminants within organisms and through food chains, and for understanding and quantifying injuries to organisms and their communities. This book provides guidance on interpreting tissue concentrations of environmental contaminants.

Tissue concentrations have long been used both to identify the cause of toxicity in animals and as a measure of the severity of toxicity. More recently, they have been incorporated into environmental models, tying …

Lead In Birds, J. Christian Franson, Deborah J. Pain

United States Geological Survey: Staff Publications

Lead is a highly toxic heavy metal that acts as a nonspecific poison affecting all body systems and has no known biological requirement. Absorption of low concentrations may result in a wide range of sublethal effects in animals, and higher concentrations may result in mortality (Demayo et al. 1982).

Lead has been mined and smelted by humans for centuries, but the use of lead-based products increased greatly following the Industrial Revolution. Consequently, lead today is ubiquitous in air, water, and soil, in both urban and rural environments (Eisler 2000). Vertebrates are exposed to lead mainly via inhalation and ingestion. A …

The Role Of Histone H4 Biotinylation In The Structure Of Nucleosomes, Nina A. Filenko, Carol Kolar, John T. West, S. Abbie Smith, Yousef I. Hassan, Gloria E. O. Borgstahl, Janos Zempleni, Yuri L. Lyubchenko

Department of Nutrition and Health Sciences: Faculty Publications

Background: Post-translational modifications of histones play important roles in regulating nucleosome structure and gene transcription. It has been shown that biotinylation of histone H4 at lysine-12 in histone H4 (K12Bio-H4) is associated with repression of a number of genes. We hypothesized that biotinylation modifies the physical structure of nucleosomes, and that biotin-induced conformational changes contribute to gene silencing associated with histone biotinylation.

Methodology/Principal Findings: To test this hypothesis we used atomic force microscopy to directly analyze structures of nucleosomes formed with biotin-modified and non-modified H4. The analysis of the AFM images revealed a 13% increase in the length of …

Body Mass Index Is Associated With Dietary Patterns And Health Conditions In Georgia Centenarians, Dorothy B. Hausman, Mary Ann Johnson, Adam Davey, Leonard W. Poon

Department of Nutrition and Health Sciences: Faculty Publications

Associations between body mass index (BMI) and dietary patterns and health conditions were explored in a population-based multiethnic sample of centenarians from northern Georgia. BMI ≤20 and ≥25 was prevalent in 30.9% and 25.3% of study participants, respectively. In a series of logistic regression analyses controlled for gender and place of residence, the probability of having BMI ≥25 was increased by being black versus white and having a low citrus fruit, noncitrus fruit, orange/yellow vegetable or total fruit and vegetable intake. The probability of having BMI ≤20 was not associated with dietary intake. When controlled for race, gender, residence, and …

Spatial Patch Occupancy Patterns Of The Lower Keys Marsh Rabbit, Mitchell J. Eaton, Phillip T. Hughes, James D. Nichols, Anne Morkill, Chad Anderson

United States Geological Survey: Staff Publications

Reliable estimates of presence or absence of a species can provide substantial information on management questions related to distribution and habitat use but should incorporate the probability of detection to reduce bias. We surveyed for the endangered Lower Keys marsh rabbit (Sylvilagus palustris hefneri) in habitat patches on 5 Florida Key islands, USA, to estimate occupancy and detection probabilities. We derived detection probabilities using spatial replication of plots and evaluated hypotheses that patch location (coastal or interior) and patch size influence occupancy and detection. Results demonstrate that detection probability, given rabbits were present, was <0.5 and suggest that naı¨ve estimates (i.e., estimates without consideration of imperfect detection) of patch occupancy are negatively biased. We found that patch size and location influenced probability of occupancy but not detection. Our findings will be used by Refuge managers to evaluate population trends of Lower Keys marsh rabbits from historical data and to guide management decisions for species recovery. The sampling and analytical methods we used may be useful for researchers and managers of other endangered lagomorphs and cryptic or fossorial animals occupying diverse habitats.

Estimating Age From Recapture Data: Integrating Incremental Growth Measures With Ancillary Data To Infer Age-At-Length, Mitchell J. Eaton, William A. Link

United States Geological Survey: Staff Publications

Estimating the age of individuals in wild populations can be of fundamental importance for answering ecological questions, modeling population demographics, and managing exploited or threatened species. Significant effort has been devoted to determining age through the use of growth annuli, secondary physical characteristics related to age, and growth models. Many species, however, either do not exhibit physical characteristics useful for independent age validation or are too rare to justify sacrificing a large number of individuals to establish the relationship between size and age. Length-at-age models are well represented in the fisheries and other wildlife management literature. Many of these models …

Characteristics Of Road-Kill Locations Of San Clemente Island Foxes, Nathan P. Snow, William F. Andelt, Nicholas P. Gould

United States Department of Agriculture Wildlife Services: Staff Publications

Mortalities from collisions with vehicles have created concern for the welfare of the San Clemente Island fox (Urocyon littoralis clementae); 1 of only 6 genetically distinct subspecies of island fox. To find possible solutions for minimizing these mortalities, we compared 9 characteristics of roads and roadsides at kill-sites and control-sites to ascertain whether certain features were associated with risk of collisions. We found that kill-sites were positively associated with the volume of traffic, and negatively associated with the distance of motorists’ visibility, which had not been previously identified for island foxes. Additionally, visual obstructions along roadsides (i.e., steep …

A Field Evaluation Of A Trap For Invasive American Bullfrogs, Nathan P. Snow, Gary W. Witmer

United States Department of Agriculture Wildlife Services: Staff Publications

Native to the eastern United States, American bullfrogs (Rana catesbeiana [Lithobates catesbeianus]) have been introduced in many countries throughout the world. There have been relatively few effective and efficient control methods developed to manage bullfrogs. Particularly in the Hawaiian Islands, Pacific coast of North America, and Japan, finding effective methods for controlling invasive bullfrogs is needed with special emphasis on low impacts for sensitive native species. We conducted a field study to examine the efficacy of a newly designed live trap for capturing invasive bullfrogs. We found that our trap was successful at capturing bullfrogs because we …