Digital Commons Network^™

Use Of Stormwater Impoundments Near Airports By Birds Recognizedas Hazardous To Aviation Safety, Brian J. Fox, Wesley B. Holland, Frank L. Boyd, Bradley F. Blackwell, James B. Armstrong

United States Department of Agriculture Wildlife Services: Staff Publications

Design of privately-owned stormwater impoundments within or near airport siting criteria has received little attention with regard to potential hazards posed to aviation safety. In particular, minimizing use of these impoundments by bird species recognized as hazardous to aviation poses an important challenge. Emergent vegetation, shoreline irregularity, and proximity of other water resources are linked to avian richness and diversity within wetlands, as well as bird use of stormwater impoundments on airports. We predicted also that impoundments with bank slope >20% and those functioning as detention facilities, where water is periodically drawn down, would negatively influence use by birds; and …

Comparison Of Two Models For Estimating Mortality From Baitings With Compound Drc-1339 Concentrate Avicide, H. Jeffrey Homan, Randal S. Stahl, George M. Linz

United States Department of Agriculture Wildlife Services: Staff Publications

In the U.S., DRC-1339 baitings for blackbirds (Icteridae) are generally done under the pesticide label, Compound DRC-1339 Concentrate ‒ Staging Areas. DRC-1339 is a slow-acting avicide and gives the birds enough time to leave the baiting sites. Carcass searches and other forms of onsite counts are ineffective. Instead, linear models (LM) are used. The LM are based on esophageal analyses of several blackbird species collected while feeding at staging area bait sites. Biases and large variances can occur with this type of sampling. As an alternative to the LM, we developed a semi-mechanistic model (SM) that combined mechanistic modeling of …

Use Of Dairies By Postreproductive Flocks Of European Starlings, H. Jeffrey Homan, Jeffrey T. Lejeune, D. L. Pearl, T. W. Seamans, Thomas W. Seamans, A.A. Slowik, Mark R. Morasch, George M. Linz

United States Department of Agriculture Wildlife Services: Staff Publications

Knowledge of the behavior and movement patterns of European starlings (Sturnus vulgaris L.) is important to wildlife managers that seek to resolve conflicts at livestock facilities. We captured and radio tagged 10 starlings at each of 5 dairies in northeastern Ohio. From September 19 to October 31, 2007, we obtained sufficient data from 40 birds to study their behavior and movements. The birds visited the dairies where they were initially captured (home sites) on 85% of the days, spending 58% of each day at the dairies. Onsite arrival and departure times were 2.5 h after sunrise and 3.1 h …

Comparisons Between Blackbird Damage To Corn And Sunflower In North Dakota, Megan E. Klosterman, George M. Linz, Anthony Slowik, H. Jeffrey Homan

United States Department of Agriculture Wildlife Services: Staff Publications

For sunflower producers in North Dakota, blackbird (Icterinae) damage is a chronic problem costing millions of dollars annually. Sunflower damage surveys were last completed in the state in 1979-1980. Since the last surveys, corn plantings have increased 6-fold to 1500 X 10³ ha, whereas sunflower hectarage has declined by >75% to 310 × 10³ ha. Blackbirds forage on both crops, and this rapid change in North Dakota’s agricultural landscape was a sound inducement for reassessing crop damage. Field surveys are an important step in damage methods development because they are used for measuring efficacy, as well as assessing …

Use Of A Gnrh Vaccine, Gonacontm, For Prevention And Treatment Ofadrenocortical Disease (Acd) In Domestic Ferrets, Lowell A. Miller, Kathleen A. Fagerstone, Robert A. Wagner, Mark Finkler

United States Department of Agriculture Wildlife Services: Staff Publications

Adrenocortical disease (ACD) is a common problem in surgically sterilized, middle-aged to old ferrets (Mustela putorius furo). The adrenal tissues of these ferrets develop hyperplasia, adenomas, or adenocarcinomas, which produce steroid hormones including estradiol, 17-hydroxyprogesterone, and androstenedione. Major clinical signs attributable to overproduction of these hormones are alopecia (hair loss) in both sexes and a swollen vulva in females. Pruritus, muscle atrophy, hind limb weakness, and sexual activity or aggression are also observed in both sexes. Males can develop prostatic cysts, prostatitis, and urethral obstruction. ACD is thought to be linked to continuous and increased LH secretion, due …

Changes In Grouping Patterns Of Saiga Antelope In Relation To Intrinsic And Environmental Factors In Mongolia, B. B. Buuveibaatar, T. K. Fuller, A. E. Fine, B. Chimeddorj, J. K. Young, J. Berger

United States Department of Agriculture Wildlife Services: Staff Publications

Factors that affect group sizes in large ungulates are generally poorly understood for species from remote regions. Understanding grouping patterns is important for effective species management, but is lacking for the endangered Mongolian saiga (Saiga tatarica mongolica).We studied seasonal changes in the group size and social structure of saigas in relation to environmental and anthropogenic factors in western Mongolia during 2009–2012. To identify group size and composition, we observed saigas monthly while conducting monitoring surveys, and weekly while tracking radio-collared animals. We observed 9268 individuals; median group size was 6.5 (SE = 1.7; range = 1–121), and groups …

Stream Hierarchy Defines Riverscape Genetics Of A North American Desert Fish, Matthew W. Hopken, Marlis R. Douglas, Michael E. Douglas

United States Department of Agriculture Wildlife Services: Staff Publications

Global climate change is apparent within the Arctic and the south-western deserts of North America, with record drought in the latter reflected within 640 000 km2 of the Colorado River Basin. To discern the manner by which natural and anthropogenic drivers have compressed Basin-wide fish biodiversity, and to establish a baseline for future climate effects, the Stream Hierarchy Model (SHM) was employed to juxtapose fluvial topography against molecular diversities of 1092 Bluehead Sucker (Catostomus discobolus). MtDNA revealed three geomorphically defined evolutionarily significant units (ESUs): Bonneville Basin, upper Little Colorado River and the remaining Colorado River Basin. Microsatellite analyses …

Detecting An Elusive Invasive Species: A Diagnostic Pcr To Detect Burmese Python In Florida Waters And An Assessment Of Persistence Of Environmental Dna, Antoinette J. Piaggio, Richard M. Engeman, Matthew W. Hopken, John S. Humphrey, Kandy L. Keacher, William E. Bruce, Michael L. Avery

United States Department of Agriculture Wildlife Services: Staff Publications

Recent studies have demonstrated that detection of environmental DNA (eDNA) from aquatic vertebrates in water bodies is possible. The Burmese python, Python bivittatus, is a semi-aquatic, invasive species in Florida where its elusive nature and cryptic coloration make its detection difficult. Our goal was to develop a diagnostic PCR to detect P. bivittatus from water-borne eDNA, which could assist managers in monitoring this invasive species. First, we used captive P. bivittatus to determine whether reptilian DNA could be isolated and amplified from water samples. We also evaluated the efficacy of two DNA isolation methods and two DNA extraction kits …

Potential Economic Benefits Of Eliminating Canine Rabies, Stephanie A. Shwiff, Katie Hampson, Aaron M. Anderson

United States Department of Agriculture Wildlife Services: Staff Publications

Contents

1. Introduction ...................352

2. Pathways to economic impacts .................353

3. Counting the costs of canine rabies ...........353
3.1. Direct costs ...............................353
3.2. Indirect costs ............................353
3.3. Comparing regions ...................353

4. Monetizing the impacts ..............354

5. Macroeconomic impacts ..................355

6. The value of global canine rabies elimination .........355

References ..............................356

Evaluating Habitat Manipulations And Rodenticides To Protect Seedlings From Rodent Damage At Restored Landfills In New York, Gary W. Witmer

United States Department of Agriculture Wildlife Services: Staff Publications

Solid waste landfills have become rather commonplace in urbanized and industrialized regions of the world. If designed, managed, and restored properly, they can be converted to useful land uses. However, restoration of woody vegetation can be difficult when animal damage occurs. Numerous species of voles occur throughout the northern hemisphere and several may become serious pests of restoration plantings at high population density, increasing the expense and difficulty of establishing targeted plant communities. We anticipated that meadow voles (Microtus pennsylvanicus) were responsible for causing the majority of damage to seedlings planted on restored landfill sites in Brooklyn, New …

Mutation From Arginine To Lysine At The Position 189 Of Hemagglutinin Contributes To The Antigenic Drift In H3n2 Swine Influenza Viruses, Jianqiang Ye, Yifei Xu, Jillian Harris, Hailiang Sun, Andrew S. Bowman, Fred L. Cunningham, Carol Cardona, Kyoungjin J. Yoon, Richard D. Slemons, Xiu-Feng Wan

United States Department of Agriculture Wildlife Services: Staff Publications

Two distinct antigenic clusters were previously identified among the H3N2 swine influenza A viruses (IAVs) and were designated H3N2SIV-alpha and H3N2SIV-beta (Feng et al., 2013. Journal of Virology 87(13), 7655–7667). A consistent mutation was observed at the position 189 of hemagglutinin (R189K) between H3N2SIV-alpha and H3N2SIV-beta fair isolates. To evaluate the contribution of R189K mutation to the antigenic drift from H3N2SIV-alpha to H3N2SIV-beta, four reassortant viruses with189R or189K were generated. The antigenic cartography demonstrated that the R189K mutation in the hemagglutinin of H3N2IAV contributed to the antigenicdrift, separating these viruses into H3N2SIV-alpha to H3N2SIV- beta. This R189K mutation was also …

Managing Airport Stormwater To Reduce Attraction To Wildlife, Bradley F. Blackwell, David Felstul, Thomas W. Seamans

United States Department of Agriculture Wildlife Services: Staff Publications

An airport is a component of the landscape. contributing to and subject to local- and landscapelevel factors that affect wildlife populations and the hazards that these species pose to aviation (Blackwell et al. 2009, Martin et al. 2011). Water resources at and near an airport, in the form of both surface water and contained runoff, are recognized by the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) as potential attractants to wildlife that pose hazards to aviation safety (FAA 2007). Surface water, including aboveground stormwater detention/retention facilities (see U.S. Environmental Protection Agency 2006). can represent a substantial proportion of the area within siting criteria …

Bat Incidents With U.S. Civil Aircraft, Kristen M. Biondi, Jerrold L. Belant, Travis L. Devault, James A. Martin, Guiming Wang

United States Department of Agriculture Wildlife Services: Staff Publications

Wildlife collisions with aircraft (hereafter incidents) threaten human safety and cause substantial economic loss. Although more than 97% of wildlife incidents with U.S. civil aircraft involve birds, damage is more than 4.5 times more likely to occur during a mammal incident (e.g., deer, canids). Bats are the only mammals with the potential to be struck by aircraft outside the airport environment (at least 152.4 m above ground). We examined the Federal Aviation Administration’s (FAA) National Wildlife Strike Database from 1990 to 2010 to estimate the frequency of bat incidents with aircraft within the U.S. and the risk relative to other …

Effects Of Local-Scale Removals On Feral Swine Populations In Southern Texas, Johanna Delgado-Acevedo, Randy W. Deyoung, Tyler A. Campbell

United States Department of Agriculture Wildlife Services: Staff Publications

Feral swine (Sus scrofa) are one of the most threatening mammalian pest species in North America owing to the damage they cause to natural habitats and agroecosystems, and the risk of disease transmission they pose to wildlife, livestock, and humans. The long-term (> 1 year) effects of lethal control efforts on feral swine populations at local scales are largely unknown. Using a panel of molecular markers, we assessed the effects of lethal control efforts on selected populations of feral swine in southern Texas. We collected tissue samples from two sites during removal campaigns, extracted and amplified DNA, and …

The History Of Wildlife Strikes And Management At Airports, Richard A. Dolbeer

United States Department of Agriculture Wildlife Services: Staff Publications

The first human-powered flight took place in December 1903, when Orville and Wilbur Wright successfully flew their experimental aircraft at Kitty Hawk, North Carolina, USA. Birds, which had been practicing powered flight for about 150 milli0n-Years, suddenly had a new "competitor" for airspace. and the bird-aircraft collision problem (hereafter referred to as bird strikes) began shortly thereafter (Cleary and Dolbeer 2005). On 7 September 1905, the first reported bird strike, as recorded by Orville Wright in his diary, occurred when his aircraft hit a bird over a cornfield near Dayton, Ohio, USA. Flocks of red-winged blackbirds (Agelaius phoeniceus) …

Population Management To Reduce The Risk Of Wiid Life-Aircraft Collisions, Richard A. Dolbeer, Alan B. Franklin

United States Department of Agriculture Wildlife Services: Staff Publications

Pour basic control strategies mitigate the risks to aviation caused by wildlife at airports: (1) aircraft flight schedule modification (primarily at military air· bases) and enhancement of aircraft visibility to avoid interactions with wildlife (e.g., Blackwell et a1. 2009b, 2012); (2) habitat modification and elimination of food, water, and cover that attract wildlife (Cleary and Dolbeer 2005, Blackwell et al. 2009a; Chapters 5, 8-10); (3) repellent and harassment techniques to disperse wild life (Cleary and Dolbeer 2005; Chapters 2-4); and (4) wildlife population management (e.g., Dolbeer 1998). As discussed throughout this book, successful efforts to mitigate the risk of wildlife-aircraft …

Understanding Animal Movements At And Near Airports, Jerrold L. Belant, Brian E. Washburn, Travis L. Devault

United States Department of Agriculture Wildlife Services: Staff Publications

Understanding movements of hazardous wildlife species at and near airports is critical to formulating effective management strategies for reducing aviation risk. Animal movements vary daily, seasonally, and annually and are based on broad biological and ecological concepts, including foraging, reproduction, habitat characteristics, dispersal, and migration. As an energy conservation strategy. most animals minimize their movements to meet life requisites, which in turn presumably improves fitness. Animal movements in relation to airports can be direct; for example, Canada geese (Branta canadensis) flying onto an airfield because grass height and composition are suitable for loafing sites and as food. Animal …

Report To The Chicago Park District On Conflicts With Ring-Billed Gulls And The 2013 Integrated Ring-Billed Gull Damage Management Project, J. W. Hartmann, T. G. Guerrant, S. F. Beckerman, R. M. Engeman, T. W. Seamans

United States Department of Agriculture Wildlife Services: Staff Publications

The large ring-billed gull (Larus delawarensis) population in the City of Chicago has caused various conflicts including general nuisance, property damage, economic losses, and threats to human health and safety. Several studies have shown a relationship between ring-billed gulls and increased levels of fecal indicator bacteria (FIB) such as Escherichia coli (E. coli) in nearshore waters. Results of tests for E. coli have led to the issuance of swim advisories at Chicago beaches.

The objectives of the Chicago Ring-billed Gull Damage Management Project were to (1) reduce the local production of ring-billed gulls, (2) reduce the severity of …

Wild Ungulates As Disseminators Of Shiga Toxin- Producing Escherichia Coli In Urban Areas, Alan B. Franklin, Kurt C. Vercauteren, Hugh Maguire, Mary K. Cichon, Justin W. Fischer, Michael J. Lavelle, Amber Powell, J. Jeffrey Root, Elaine Scallan

United States Department of Agriculture Wildlife Services: Staff Publications

Background: In 2008, children playing on a soccer field in Colorado were sickened with a strain of Shiga toxin-producing Escherichia coli (STEC) O157:H7, which was ultimately linked to feces from wild Rocky Mountain elk. We addressed whether wild cervids were a potential source of STEC infections in humans and whether STEC was ubiquitous throughout wild cervid populations in Colorado.

Methodology/Principal Findings: We collected 483 fecal samples from Rocky Mountain elk and mule deer in urban and non-urban areas. Samples testing positive for STEC were higher in urban (11.0%) than non-urban (1.6%) areas. Elk fecal samples in urban areas had a …

Brownian Bridge Movement Models To Characterize Birds’ Home Ranges, Justin W. Fischer, W. David Walter, Michael L. Avery

United States Department of Agriculture Wildlife Services: Staff Publications

A Brownian bridge movement model (BBMM) is a relatively new concept that estimates the path of an animal’s movement probabilistically from data recorded at brief intervals. A BBMM assumes that locations are not independent, whereas the “classical” kernel-density estimator (KDE) assumes they are. We estimated BBMM home ranges for 11 Black Vultures (Coragyps atratus) and 7 Turkey Vultures (Cathartes aura) equipped with satellite transmitters near Marine Corps Air Station Beaufort, South Carolina, from October 2006 to November 2008. The 95% BBMM home ranges (95% BBMM) of the two Black Vultures that traveled >100 km from the …

State-Level Approaches To Managing The Use Of Contraceptives In Wildlife In The United States, John D. Eisemann, Jeanette R. O'Hare, Kathleen A. Fagerstone

United States Department of Agriculture Wildlife Services: Staff Publications

Several fertility control agents have recently been registered with the United States Environmental Protection Agency for management of wildlife or other free-ranging animals. The registration of GonaConTM Immunocontraceptive Vaccine for use in white-tailed deer (Odocoileus virginianus) and OvoControl for use in Canada geese (Branta canadensis) and pigeons (Columba livia) has caused state wildlife and land management agencies to review their regulatory authority over the use of contraceptives in wildlife. As a result, many states are taking steps to ensure legislation or policies are current with emerging technologies. This article examines the various approaches states are …

Avian Influenza Infection Alters Fecal Odor In Mallards, Bruce A. Kimball, Kunio Yamazaki, Dennis Kohler, Richard A. Bowen, Jack P. Muth, Maryanne Opiekun, Gary K. Beauchamp

United States Department of Agriculture Wildlife Services: Staff Publications

Changes in body odor are known to be a consequence of many diseases. Much of the published work on disease-related and body odor changes has involved parasites and certain cancers. Much less studied have been viral diseases, possibly due to an absence of good animal model systems. Here we studied possible alteration of fecal odors in animals infected with avian influenza viruses (AIV). In a behavioral study, inbred C57BL/6 mice were trained in a standard Y-maze to discriminate odors emanating from feces collected from mallard ducks (Anas platyrhynchos) infected with low-pathogenic avian influenza virus compared to fecal odors …

Deer-Activated Bioacoustic Frightening Device Deters White-Tailed Deer, Aaron M. Hildreth, Scott E. Hygnstrom, Kurt C. Vercauteren

United States Department of Agriculture Wildlife Services: Staff Publications

White-tailed deer (Odocoileus virginianus) damage urban and suburban plantings, as well as crops and stored feed. We tested the efficacy of a frightening device that played pre-recorded distress calls of adult female white-tailed deer when activated by an infrared motion sensor for a period of 13 days. This deer-activated bioacoustic frightening device reduced deer entry into protected sites by 99% (δ = -558, P = 0.09) and bait consumption by 100% (δ = -75, P = 0.06). The frightening device that we evaluated demonstrated potential for reducing damage in disturbed environments and agricultural settings.

Effects Of Deer Density And Land Use On Mass Of White-Tailed Deer, Trevor J. Hefley, Scott E. Hygnstrom, Jason M. Gilsdorf, Gregory M. Clements, Myndi J. Clements, Andrew J. Tyre, David M. Baasch, Kurt C. Vercauteren

United States Department of Agriculture Wildlife Services: Staff Publications

Local and regional land use changes, such as the expansion of cropland for cellulosic biofuels, and the population density of white-tailed deer can affect the health and body mass of white-tailed deer Odocoileus virginianus. We collected hunterharvest data for 1,731 white-tailed deer from DeSoto National Wildlife Refuge in eastern Nebraska and western Iowa from 2003 to 2010. We used linear mixed-effects models and information theoretic methods to estimate effects of density of white-tailed deer and proportion of total landcover area converted from cropland to cool- or warm-season grassland on body mass of white-tailed deer. Density of white-tailed deer at …

Efficacy Of Electronet Fencing For Excluding Coyotes: A Case Study For Enhancing Production Of Black-Footed Ferrets, Marc R. Matchett, Stewart W. Breck, John Callon

United States Department of Agriculture Wildlife Services: Staff Publications

Reducing coyote (Canis latrans) predation can be an important management objective. Here, we evaluated the efficacy of electronet fencing for excluding coyotes from focal areas on black tailed prairie dog (Cynomys ludovicianus) colonies, measured the effect of fencing on wild-born black-footed ferret (Mustela nigripes) kit survival, and modeled costs and benefits of fencing. From 27 July to 2 October 2010 in northcentral Montana, USA, we erected and maintained 7.7 km of electronet that enclosed 108 ha on portions of 2 prairie dog colonies. We monitored 2 female ferrets and 6 kits inside exclosures and …

Wildlife Conservation And Alternative Land Uses At Airports, James A. Martin, Tara J. Conkling, Jerrold L. Belant, Kristin M. Biondi, Bradley F. Blackwell, Travis L. Devault, Esteban Fernandez-Juricic, Paige M. Schmidt, Thomas W. Seamans

United States Department of Agriculture Wildlife Services: Staff Publications

Given all the attention paid throughout this book to minimizing the risk of wildlife-aircraft strikes, the title of this chapter may seem like an oxymoron. This book has emphasized management as related to the hazardous (to aircraft) sector of biodiversity. In this chapter we focus on the issue of protection and management of less hazardous taxa, and how altering land use at airports might. in limited circumstances, contribute to this objective.

The term "conservation" often leads to confusion and perceived conflicting goals of management. In fact, many of the direct management techniques used at airports (e.g., deterrents, translocation, etc.) could …

Tactile And Auditory Repellents To Reduce Wildlife Hazards To Aircraft, Thomas W. Seamans, James A. Martin, Jerrold L. Belant

United States Department of Agriculture Wildlife Services: Staff Publications

Wildlife within the airport environment are hazards to human safety. Lethal removal of targeted individuals reduces the immediate threat, but other approaches should be integrated into control programs to make them more effective and to help meet legal and ethical considerations (Dolbeer et al. 1995). When negative media attention, special in terest groups, or calls for restrictive legislation influence public opinion, the resulting public pressure can preclude effective wildlife management and lead to subsequent population control problems (Torres et al. 1996, Coolahan and Snider 1998, Conover 2001). Nonlethal management activities to reduce wildlife use of airports may include habitat modifi …

Anthropogenic And Physiologically Induced Stress Responses In Captive Coyotes, Christopher J. Schell, Julie K. Young, Elizabeth V. Lonsdorf, Rachel M. Santymire

United States Department of Agriculture Wildlife Services: Staff Publications

Repeated stressful events can negatively impact overall health by continuous stimulation of the hypothalamic– pituitary–adrenal axis, which leads to depletion of glucose stores and suppression of immune and reproductive function. The influence of stressors on survivability is particularly salient for coyote (Canis latrans) populations, because understanding how coyotes cope with stressors may provide relevant context on coyote adaptation to urbanized ecosystems. Our objectives were to physiologically validate fecal glucocorticoid metabolite (FGM) analysis in coyotes by performing an adrenocorticotropic hormone (ACTH) challenge in 12 captive individuals (6 treatment and 6 control) housed at the United States Department of Agriculture …

Cottontail Rabbit Papillomavirus Infection In A Desert Cottontail (Sylvilagus Audubonii) From Colorado, Usa, J. Jeffrey Root, Matthew W. Hopken, Thomas Gidlewski, Antoinette J. Piaggio

United States Department of Agriculture Wildlife Services: Staff Publications

A wild-caught desert cottontail rabbit (Sylvilagus audubonii) from Colorado was observed to have large, pedunculated, dark cutaneous lesions on its abdomen and cylindrical masses on its mouth. Morphologically, the masses were consistent with previous reports of virally induced papillomas. Subsequent DNA analysis indicated widespread infection with cottontail rabbit papillomavirus.

Short-Term Exercise Training Improves Insulin Sensitivity But Does Not Inhibit Inflammatory Pathways In Immune Cells From Insulin-Resistant Subjects, Sara M. Reyna, Puntip Tantiwong, Eugenio Cersosimo, Ralph A. Defronzo, Apiradee Sriwijitkamol, Nicolas Musi

School of Medicine Publications

Background. Exercise has an anti-inflammatory effect against, and immune cells play critical roles in the development, of insulin resistance and atherosclerotic vascular disease (AVD). Thus, the goal of this study was to determine whether exercise improves insulin sensitivity in insulin-resistant subjects by downregulating proinflammatory signaling in immune cells.

Methods. Seventeen lean, 8 obese nondiabetic, and 11 obese type 2 diabetic individuals underwent an aerobic exercise program for 15 days and an insulin clamp before and after exercise. Peripheral mononuclear cells (PMNC) were obtained for determination of Toll-like receptor (TLR) 2 and 4 protein content and mitogen-activated protein kinase phosphorylation.

Results. …