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The Chemical Senses In Birds, Larry Clark, Julie Hagelin, Scott J. Werner

United States Department of Agriculture Wildlife Services: Staff Publications

7.1 CHEMICAL SENSES

The chemical senses generally fall into three categories: chemesthesis (irritation and pain), olfaction (smell), and gustation (taste). Traditionally, the emphasis in describing responsiveness to chemical stimuli has been placed on taste and smell. The reality is more complex. For example, the sensory afferents for chemesthetic perception are in close proximity with olfactory receptors in the nasal cavity and with gustatory receptors in the oral cavity. Because external chemical stimuli can be processed by multiple sensory systems, there has been a great deal of confusion in the literature on the importance of individual sensory modalities. Generally, the principal …

Disease Risks ·Posed By Wild Birds Associated With Agricultural Landscapes, Larry Clark

United States Department of Agriculture Wildlife Services: Staff Publications

There are over 1,400 cataloged human pathogens, with approximately 62% classified as zoonotic (Taylor et aI., 2001). While most evidence of direct transmission of pathogens to humans involves domestic and companion animals, the reservoir for most zoonoses is wildlife, yet there are relatively few well-documented cases for the direct involvement of transmission from wildlife to humans (Kruse et aI., 2004). In part, this absence of evidence reflects the mobility of wildlife, the difficulty in accessing relevant samples, and the smaller number of studies focused on characterizing wildlife pathogens relative to the human and veterinary literature (McDiarmid, 1969; Davies et aI., …

Genetic Analysis Of A Bison Bison Herd Derived From The Yellowstone National Park Population, Julia A. Herman, Antoinette J. Piaggio, Natalie D. Halbert, Jack C. Rhyan, M. D. Salman

United States Department of Agriculture Wildlife Services: Staff Publications

The objective of this study is to inventory the current genetic diversity of the bison quarantine feasibility study (BQFS) herd originating from Yellowstone National Park (YNP) using previously described microsatellite, mitochondrial and nuclear DNA markers with the aim to determine the degree, if any, of cattle DNA introgression in this herd. This work can provide an important tool in monitoring and managing bison genetic diversity as brucellosis-free reintroduced herds are re-established throughout the US for conservation purposes. The BQFS composed of 89 Bison bison from YNP that were quarantined and tested to qualify as free of brucellosis in 2006 – …

Environmental Salmonella In Agricultural Fair Poultry Exhibits In Colorado, K. L. Pabilonia, K. J. Cadmus, T. M. Lingus, D. S. Bolte, M. M. Russell, D. C. Van Metre, M. M. Erdman

United States Department of Agriculture Wildlife Services: Staff Publications

Salmonella enterica is a common zoonotic pathogen in humans. Transmission typically occurs through consumption of contaminated food products or contact with infected animals, including poultry or their environment. The objective of this study was to estimate the frequency of Salmonella contamination in the environment in poultry exhibits at agricultural fairs. Samples were collected from cages, feed, floors and tables in the exhibit and cultured for Salmonella. At least one environmental sample was positive for Salmonella in 10 of 11 fairs (91%), and Salmonella was isolated from 28 of 55 environmental samples (50.9%). Eleven different serotypes were detected. Results of …

Finding A Fox: An Evaluation Of Survey Methods To Estimate Abundance Of A Small Desert Carnivore, Steven J. Dempsey, Eric M. Gese, Bryan M. Kluever

United States Department of Agriculture Wildlife Services: Staff Publications

The status of many carnivore species is a growing concern for wildlife agencies, conservation organizations, and the general public. Historically, kit foxes (Vulpes macrotis) were classified as abundant and distributed in the desert and semi-arid regions of southwestern North America, but is now considered rare throughout its range. Survey methods have been evaluated for kit foxes, but often in populations where abundance is high and there is little consensus on which technique is best to monitor abundance. We conducted a 2-year study to evaluate four survey methods (scat deposition surveys, scent station surveys, spotlight survey, and trapping) for …

Effects Of Gonacon Immunocontraceptive Vaccine In Free-Ranging Female Rocky Mountain Elk (Cervus Elaphus Nelsoni), Jenny G. Powers, Ryan J. Monello, Margaret A. Wild, Terry R. Spraker, James P. Gionfriddo, Terry M. Nett, Dan L. Baker

United States Department of Agriculture Wildlife Services: Staff Publications

Duration of efficacy and prevalence of side-effects associated with GonaCon Immunocontraceptive Vaccine (GonaCon) in free-ranging female elk (Cervus elaphus) are unknown. In January 2008, we captured 120 mature female elk in Rocky Mountain National Park (CO, USA), determined pregnancy status, and randomly assigned them to treated (n=60; 1.5 mL of GonaCon) or control (n=60; 1.5 mL of saline) groups. During the following 3 winters we recaptured, collected blood for antibody concentrations, and euthanized 10–20 elk in each group. At necropsy, we determined pregnancy and collected tissues from organs associated with the hypothalamic–pituitary–gonadal axis. We …

Report To The Chicago Park District On Conflicts With Ring-Billed Gulls And The 2014 Integrated Ring-Billed Gull Damage Management Project, M. L. Bloomquist, J.W. Hartmann, T.G. Guerrant, S. F. Beckerman, R. M. Engeman

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 …

Predicted Wildlife Disease-Related Climate Change Impacts Of Specific Concern To Usda Aphis Wildlife Services, Timothy P. Algeo, Richard B. Chipman, Dennis Slate, Jerome E. Freier, Thomas J. Deliberto

United States Department of Agriculture Wildlife Services: Staff Publications

USDA APHISWildlife Services plans for and responds to a variety of exigencies such as wildlife hazards to aircraft, disease emergence from wildlife translocations, oral rabies vaccine barrier compromises, and extreme weather events. These are often collaborative efforts with state and federal agencies and others. Climate change based in part on fossil fuel use and methane gas emissions has predictable as well as unknown consequences. As a federal leader in wildlife disease research and management, it is incumbent upon Wildlife Services to be current with the scientific literature; assess potential impacts and wildlife disease management intervention needs from predicted climate change …

Comparative Responses To Endocrine Disrupting Compounds In Earlylife Stages Of Atlantic Salmon, Salmo Salar, T. A. Duffy, L. R. Iwanowics, S. D. Mccormick

United States Geological Survey: Staff Publications

Atlantic salmon (Salmo salar) are endangered an adromous fish that may be exposed to feminizing endocrine disrupting compounds (EDCs) during early development, potentially altering physiological capacities, survival and fitness. To assess differential life stage sensitivity to common EDCs, we carried out short-term (4 day) exposures using three doses each of 17 α-ethinylestradiol (EE2), 17 β-estradiol(E2), and nonylphenol (NP) on four early life stages; embryos, yolk-sac larvae, feeding fry and 1 year old smolts. Differential response was compared using vitellogenin (Vtg, a precursor egg protein) gene transcription. Smolts were also examined for impacts on plasma Vtg, cortisol, thyroid hormones (T_{4 …}

Economic Impact Of The Potential Spread Of Vampire Bats Into South Texas, Aaron M. Anderson, Steven S. Shwiff, Stephanie A. Shwiff

United States Department of Agriculture Wildlife Services: Staff Publications

Rabies transmitted by the common vampire bat is a major public health concern in subtropical and tropical areas of Latin America, and there is some concern that the species will eventually spread into south Texas. The objective of this study was to estimate the total economic impact of the potential spread of vampire bats into south Texas. Data on livestock populations and values in the relevant counties was combined with expected mortality rates to calculate livestock losses. An IMPLAN model of the regional economy was then used to estimate the secondary impacts experienced by other businesses in the region. These …

Detection And Removal Of Invasive Burmese Pythons: Methods Development Update, Michael L. Avery, John S. Humphrey, Kandy L. Keacher, W. Eddie Bruce

United States Department of Agriculture Wildlife Services: Staff Publications

The invasive Burmese python is a large constrictor snake that is now well established in south Florida. This invasive predator could have major detrimental impacts to native wildlife populations and is a perceived threat to human health and safety. Finding and removing this elusive predator in vast Everglades habitats of wet sawgrass prairies with interspersed hardwood hammocks poses many challenges for biologists and land managers in south Florida, and no single solution is likely to prevail. In ongoing research, we are exploring opportunities to improve detection of this cryptic species using such diverse approaches as environmental DNA, trained detector dogs, …

Blocking And Guiding Adult Sea Lamprey With Pulsed Direct Currentfrom Vertical Electrodes, Nicholas Johnson, Henry Thompson, Christopher Holbrook, John Tix

United States Geological Survey: Staff Publications

tControlling the invasion front of aquatic nuisance species is of high importance to resource managers. Wetested the hypothesis that adult sea lamprey (Petromyzon marinus), a destructive invasive species in theLaurentian Great Lakes, would exhibit behavioral avoidance to dual-frequency pulsed direct current gen-erated by vertical electrodes and that the electric field would not injure or kill sea lamprey or non-targetfish. Laboratory and in-stream experiments demonstrated that the electric field blocked sea lampreymigration and directed sea lamprey into traps. Rainbow trout (Oncorhynchus mykiss) and white sucker(Catostomus commersoni), species that migrate sympatrically with sea lamprey, avoided the electric fieldand had minimal injuries when …

Inference Of Strata Separation And Gas Emission Paths In Longwall Overburden Using Continuous Wavelet Transform Of Well Logs And Geostatistical Simulation, C. Ozgen Karacan, Ricardo A. Olea

United States Geological Survey: Staff Publications

Prediction of potential methane emission pathways from various sources into active mine workings or sealed gobs from longwall overburden is important for controlling methane and for improving mining safety. The aim of this paper is to infer strata separation intervals and thus gas emission pathways from standard well log data. The proposed technique was applied to well logs acquired through the Mary Lee/Blue Creek coal seam of the Upper Pottsville Formation in the BlackWarrior Basin, Alabama, using well logs froma series of boreholes aligned along a nearly linear profile. For this purpose, continuous wavelet transform (CWT) of digitized gamma well …

Husbandry Reports Hand‐Rearing, Growth, And Development Of Common Loon (Gavia Immer) Chicks, Kevin P. Kenow, Melissa S. Meier, Laurie E. Mccoll, Randy K. Hines, Jimmy Pichner, Laura Johnson, James Lyon, Kellie Kroc Scharold, Michael Meyer

United States Geological Survey: Staff Publications

Common loon chicks were reared in captivity in association with studies to evaluate the effects of radiotransmitter implants and to assess the ecological risk of dietary methylmercury. Here we report on hatching and rearing methods used to successfully raise chicks to 105 days of age. We experienced a 91.5% hatch rate, and 89.6% of loon chicks survived to the end of the study at 105 days. Baseline information on observed rates of fish consumption, behavioral development, and growth patterns are provided. Husbandry techniques are provided that should prove valuable to wildlife rehabilitators caring for abandoned or injured loons, and biologists …

Wildlife Damage Management: Changes Over The Last 40 Years And A Look At The Future, Kathleen A. Fagerstone

United States Department of Agriculture Wildlife Services: Staff Publications

Since becoming a wildlife biologist 40 years ago, I have seen many changes. Yet some things have remained the same, like the economic impact of wildlife damage, which was high in 1974 and even higher now. In 2014, the worldwide cost of damage by vertebrate pests to agriculture will exceed $1 billion. The world’s human population has increased at an unprecedented rate, while some wildlife populations have also burgeoned over the past 40 years due to land-use changes and effective management programs. These simultaneous human and wildlife population increases have led to increasing conflicts between humans and wildlife. Nor has …

Long-Rotation Sugarcane In Hawaii Sustains High Carbon Accumulation And Radiation Use Efficiency In 2nd Year Of Growth, Ray G. Anderson, Rebecca Tirado-Corbalá, Dong Wang, James E. Ayars

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

Sugarcane has been a major agronomic crop in Hawaii with an unique, high-yield, two-year production system. However, parameters relevant to advanced, cellulosic biofuel production, such as net ecosystem productivity (NEP) and radiation use efficiency (RUE), have not been evaluated in Hawaii under commercial production. Recent demand potential has rekindled interest in Hawaiian grown biofuels; as such, there is a need to understand productivity under changing climate and agronomic practices. To this end, we established two eddy covariance towers in commercial sugarcane fields in Maui, Hawaii to evaluate the carbon balance and RUE of sugarcane under contrasting elevations and soil types. …

Invasive Vertebrate Species And The Challenges Of Management, William C. Pitt, Gary W. Witmer

United States Department of Agriculture Wildlife Services: Staff Publications

Invasive vertebrates have had significant effects on native species, ecosystem processes, human health and economies around the world for more than 200 years. However, in the last 30 years, the breadth and impact of invasive species has accelerated with the growth and integration of high speed transportation networks. The effects of many non-native species are often difficult to predict prior to establishment. Current efforts to manage invasive species can be broken into the areas of prevention of introduction and detection of incipient populations, documentation of impacts, and development and implementation of management tools. We address various aspects of these areas …

Prevention And Control Of Wildlife Damage, 5th Edition, Scott E. Hygnstrom, Robert M. Timm, Paul D. Curtis, Dale L. Nolte, Mark E. Tobin, Kurt C. Vercauteren

United States Department of Agriculture Wildlife Services: Staff Publications

The book Prevention and Control of Wildlife Damage (PCWD) is the award-winning and leading reference in the field. Over 13,000 copies of the 4th edition were sold, and we conservatively estimate that it saves $210 million in resources and $220 million in labor annually. Emerging issues and changes in the field, however, have precipitated the need for a new 5th edition of PCWD. Six editors and over 120 authors are working to create the next edition, which will include 36 new and 77 revised chapters. We anticipate that the 5th edition of PCWD and derivative products will be available as …

Habitat Coupling In A Large Lake System: Delivery Of An Energy Subsidy By An Offshore Planktivore To The Nearshore Zone Of Lake Superior, Jason Stockwell, Daniel Yule, Thomas Hrabik, Michael Sierszen, Edmund Isaac

United States Geological Survey: Staff Publications

1. We hypothesised that the autumn spawning migration of Lake Superior cisco (Coregonus artedi) provides a resource subsidy, in the form of energy-rich cisco eggs, from the offshore pelagic to the nearshore benthic community over winter, when alternate prey production is likely to be low.

2. We tested this hypothesis using fish and macroinvertebrate surveys, fish population demographics, diet and stable isotope analyses, and bioenergetics modelling.

3. The benthic, congeneric lake whitefish (C. clupeaformis) was a clear beneficiary of cisco spawning. Cisco eggs represented 16% of lake whitefish annual consumption in terms of biomass, but 34% of energy (because of …

Invasive Rodent Ecology, Impacts, And Management With An Emphasis On The United States, Gary W. Witmer, William C. Pitt, Gregg Howald

United States Department of Agriculture Wildlife Services: Staff Publications

Many invasive rodent species have become established in the United States and its territories, both on the mainland and on islands. While most were introduced accidently, some were introduced for food or fur. These rodents have caused serious impacts to native flora and fauna, agriculture, and other resources. They have caused the extinction of many species of birds in insular ecosystems. Although many methods are used to control or eradicate introduced rodents, rodenticides and traps are the main tools. Since the early 1990s, agencies have been eradicating rodents from various islands, primarily for conservation purposes. There have been numerous eradication …

Rat Density On Diego Garcia: Implications For Eradication Feasibility, Scott Vogt, Daniel S. Vice, William C. Pitt, Antenor Nestor Guzman, Ernesto J. Necessario, Are R. Berentsen

United States Department of Agriculture Wildlife Services: Staff Publications

Introduced black rats are among the most invasive species to islands worldwide. In addition to agricultural impacts, rats are vectors of disease, cause damage to native flora and fauna, and negatively impact threatened/endangered species. Eradication efforts have met with mixed success. Success or failure of an eradication effort can depend on the population density of the target species, which can influence rodenticide sowing rates. We used snap trapping grids to estimate black rat densities in two different forest types on Diego Garcia: coconut forest and mixed species forest. Individual snap traps baited with fresh coconut were placed every 10 m …

Maintaining Resilience In The Face Of Climate Change, Alejandro E. Camacho, T. Douglas Beard

United States Geological Survey: Staff Publications

Climate change, when combined with more conventional stress from human exploitation, calls into question the capacity of both existing ecological communities and resource management institutions to experience disturbances while substantially retaining their same functions and identities (Zellmer and Gunderson 2009; Ruhl 2011). In other words, the physical and biological effects of climate change raise fundamental challenges to the resilience of natural ecosystems (Gunderson and Holling 2002). Perhaps more importantly, the projected scope of ecological shifts from global climate change-and uncertainty about such changes-significantly stresses the capacity of legal institutions to manage ecosystem change (Camacho 2009). Existing governmental institutions lack the …

Estimating The Total Economic Impact Of Black Bear Peeling In Western Oregon Using Gis And Remi, Jimmy D. Taylor Ii, Anita Morzillo, Aaron M. Anderson

United States Department of Agriculture Wildlife Services: Staff Publications

In parts of the Pacific Northwest, black bears emerge from winter dens with depleted fat reserves and feed on mature conifers by stripping bark and consuming sugar-rich sapwood. Peeling by bears affects commercial conifers through direct loss of the tree or degraded log quality at stand harvest. Bears generally peel trees from 15-30 years old in intensively managed forests until preferred foods such as fruits and berries are available, and a single bear can peel several trees per day. Dying trees have a signature red canopy and are detected in annual aerial forest health surveys; however, trees that scar over …

Riverbank Filtration Potential Of Pharmaceuticals In A Wastewater-Impacted Stream, Paul M. Bradley, Larry B. Barber, Joesph W. Duris, William T. Foreman, Edward T. Furlong, Laura E. Hubbard, Kasey J. Hutchinson, Steffanie H. Keefe, Dana W. Kolpin

United States Geological Survey: Staff Publications

Pharmaceutical contamination of shallow groundwater is a substantial concern in effluent-dominated streams, due to high aqueous mobility, designed bioactivity, and effluent-driven hydraulic gradients. In October and December 2012, effluent contributed approximately 99% and 71%, respectively, to downstream flow in Fourmile Creek, Iowa, USA. Strong hydrologic connectivity was observed between surface-water and shallow-groundwater. Carbamazepine, sulfamethoxazole, and immunologically related compounds were detected in groundwater at greater than 0.02 mg L^-1 at distances up to 6 m from the stream bank. Direct aqueous-injection HPLC-MS/MS revealed 43% and 55% of 110 total pharmaceutical analytes in surface-water samples in October and December, respectively, with 16% …

Development Of Dietary-Based Toxicity Reference Values To Assess The Risk Of Chlorophacinone To Non-Target Raptorial Birds, Barnett A. Rattner, Rebecca S. Lazarus, Sandra L. Schultz, Katherine E. Horak, Benjamin G. Abbo, Steven F. Volker

United States Department of Agriculture Wildlife Services: Staff Publications

Regulatory changes in the use of some second-generation anticoagulant rodenticides in parts of North America may result in expanded use of first-generation anticoagulant rodenticides (FGARs). Recent toxicological studies with captive raptors have demonstrated that these species are considerably more sensitive to the FGAR diphacinone than traditional avian wildlife test species (mallard, bobwhite). We have now examined the toxicity of the FGAR chlorophacinone (CPN) to American kestrels fed rat tissue mechanically amended with CPN, or rat tissue containing biologically-incorporated CPN, for 7 days. Nominal CPN concentrations in these diets were 0.15, 0.75, and 1.5 μg/g food wet weight, and actual CPN …

A Recent Epizootic Of Skunk Rabies And Associated Spillover In Northern Colorado, Usa, Amy Gilbert, Dennis Kohler, Tara Rigg, Justin W. Fischer, Terry Spraker, Karen Fox, Kurt C. Vercauteren

United States Department of Agriculture Wildlife Services: Staff Publications

Rabies is a fatal viral zoonosis that is transmitted by bite contact with saliva of an infected animal. In the U.S., human deaths are rare, but each year over 5,000 rabid animals are reported and over 90% of cases are from wildlife. Multiple species of carnivores and bats are the primary sylvatic reservoirs in the U.S., and several variants circulate independently among these two taxonomic orders. Rabies prevention efforts led by USDA APHIS Wildlife Services using live recombinant vaccine baiting began in 1995 and currently target raccoons and canids, but the territory of the south-central skunk rabies virus variant has …

Humic Substances Interfere With Detection Of Pathogenic Prion Protein, Christen B. Smith, Clarissa J. Booth, Tyler J. Wadzinski, Giuseppe Legname, Rick Chappell, Christopher J. Johnson, Joel A. Pedersen

United States Geological Survey: Staff Publications

Studies examining the persistence of prions (the etiological agent of transmissible spongiform encephalopathies) in soil require accurate quantification of pathogenic prion protein (PrPTSE) extracted from or in the presence of soil particles. Here, we demonstrate that natural organic matter (NOM) in soil impacts PrPTSE detection by immunoblotting. Methods commonly used to extract PrPTSE from soils release substantial amounts of NOM, and NOM inhibited PrPTSE immunoblot signal. The degree of immunoblot interference increased with increasing NOM concentration and decreasing NOM polarity. Humic substances affected immunoblot detection of prion protein from both deer and hamsters. We also establish that after interaction with …

Nutrient Composition Of Selected Traditional United States Northern Plains Native American Plant Foods, Katherine M. Phillips, Pamela R. Pehrsson, Wanda W. Agnew, Angela J. Scheett, Jennifer R. Follett, Henry C. Lukaski, Kristine Y. Patterson

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

Ten wild plants (cattail broad leaf shoots, chokecherries, beaked hazelnuts, lambsquarters, plains prickly pear, prairie turnips, stinging nettles, wild plums, raspberries, and rose hips) from three Native American reservations in North Dakota were analyzed to expand composition information of traditional foraged plants. Proximates, dietary fiber (DF), vitamins, minerals, carotenoids, and folate vitamers were assayed using standard methods and reference materials. Per serving, all were rich in Mn (100–2808 mg). Several provided >10% DRI of Fe (cattail shoots, steamed lambsquarters, and prairie turnips), Ca (steamed lambsquarters, prickly pear, and prairie turnips), Mg (cattail shoots, lambsquarters, prickly pear, and prairie turnips), vitamins …

Comparing Crop Land Net Primary Production Estimates From Inventory, A Satellite-Based Model, And A Process-Based Model In The Midwest Of The United States Zhengpeng, Zhengpeng Li, Shuguang Liu, Zhengxi Tan, Normann B. Bliss, Claudia J. Young, Tristram O. West, Stephen M. Ogle

United States Geological Survey: Staff Publications

Accurately quantifying the spatial and temporal variability of net primary production (NPP) for crop-lands is essential to understand regional cropland carbon dynamics. We compared three NPP estimates for croplands in the Midwestern United States: inventory-based estimates using crop yield data from the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) National Agricultural Statistics Service (NASS); estimates from the satellite-based Moderate Resolution Imaging Spectro radiometer (MODIS) NPP product; and esti-mates from the General Ensemble bio geochemical Modeling System (GEMS) process-based model. The three methods estimated mean NPP in the range of 469–687 g C m⁻²yr⁻¹and total NPP in the range …

Toxicity Of Pb‐Contaminated Soil To Japanese Quail (Coturnix Japonica) And The Use Of The Blood–Dietary Pb Slope In Risk Assessment, W. Nelson Beyer, Yu Chen, Paula Henry, Thomas May, David Mosby, Barnett A. Rattner, Valerie I. Shearn-Bochsler, Daniel Sprague, John Weber

United States Geological Survey: Staff Publications

This study relates tissue concentrations and toxic effects of Pb in Japanese quail (Coturnix japonica) to the dietary exposure of soil‐borne Pb associated with mining and smelting. From 0% to 12% contaminated soil, by weight, was added to 5 experimental diets (0.12 to 382mg Pb/kg, dry wt) and fed to the quail for 6 weeks. Benchmark doses associated with a 50% reduction in delta‐aminolevulinic acid dehydratase activity were 0.62mg Pb/kg in the blood, dry wt, and 27mg Pb/kg in the diet. Benchmark doses associated with a 20% increase in the concentration of erythrocyte protoporphyrin were 2.7mg Pb/kg in …