Digital Commons Network^™

Infanticide In Wolves: Seasonality Of Mortalities And Attacks At Dens Support Evolution Of Territoriality, Douglas Smith, Matthew C. Metz, Kira A. Cassidy, Erin E. Stahler, Richard T. Mcintyre, Emily S. Almberg, Daniel R. Stahler

United States National Park Service: Publications

Evidence for territoriality is usually correlative or post hoc as we observe the results of past selection that are challenging to detect. Wolves (Canis lupus) are considered territorial because of competition for food (resource defense), yet they exhibit classic intrinsic behaviors of social regulation (protection against infanticide). This emphasis on prey and infrequent opportunity to observe wild wolf behavior has led to little investigation into the causes of or competitive underpinnings in the evolution of wolf territoriality. We report 6 cases of territorial wolf packs attacking neighboring packs at or near their den; 2 attacks were observed in detail. In …

Global Patterns And Environmental Controls Of Perchlorate And Nitrate Co-Occurrence In Arid And Semi-Arid Environments, W. Andrew Jackson, J. K. Böhlke, Brian J. Andraski, Lynne Fahlquist, Laura Bexfield, Frank D. Eckardt, John B. Gates, Alfonso F. Davila, Christopher P. Mckay, Balaji Rao, Ritesh Sevanthi, Srinath Rajagopalan, Nubia Estrada, Neil Sturchio, Paul B. Hatzinger, Todd A. Anderson, Greta Orris, Julio Betancourt, David Stonestrom, Claudio Latorre, Yanhe Li, Gregory J. Harvey

United States National Aeronautics and Space Administration: Publications

Natural perchlorate (ClO₄^-) is of increasing interest due to its wide-spread occurrence on Earth and Mars, yet little information exists on the relative abundance of ClO₄^- compared to other major anions, its stability, or long-term variations in production that may impact the observed distributions. Our objectives were to evaluate the occurrence and fate of ClO₄^- in groundwater and soils/caliche in arid and semi-arid environments (southwestern United States, southern Africa, United Arab Emirates, China, Antarctica, and Chile) and the relationship of ClO₄^- to the more well-studied atmospherically deposited anions NO₃^{- …}

Drought Onset Mechanisms Revealed By Satellite Solar-Induced Chlorophyll Fluorescence: Insights From Two Contrasting Extreme Events, Ying Sun, Rong Fu, Robert Dickinson, Joanna Joiner, Christian Frankenberg, Lianhong Gu, Youlong Xia, Nelun Fernando

United States National Aeronautics and Space Administration: Publications

This study uses the droughts of 2011 in Texas and 2012 over the central Great Plains as case studies to explore the potential of satellite-observed solar-induced chlorophyll fluorescence (SIF) for monitoring drought dynamics. We find that the spatial patterns of negative SIF anomalies from the Global Ozone Monitoring Experiment 2 (GOME-2) closely resembled drought intensity maps from the U.S. Drought Monitor for both events. The drought-induced suppression of SIF occurred throughout 2011 but was exacerbated in summer in the Texas drought. This event was characterized by a persistent depletion of root zone soil moisture caused by yearlong below-normal precipitation. In …

Shorebird Migration In The Face Of Climate Change, Ryan J. Stutzman, Joseph J. Fontaine

Nebraska Cooperative Fish and Wildlife Research Unit: Staff Publications

Changes in temperature and seasonality resulting from climate change are heterogeneous, potentially altering important sources of natural selection acting on species phenology. Some species have apparently adapted to climate change but the ability of most species to adapt remains unknown. The life history strategies of migratory animals are dictated by seasonal factors, which makes these species particularly vulnerable to heterogeneous changes in climate and phenology. Here, we examine the phenology of migratory shorebirds, their habitats, and primary food resources, and we hypothesize how climate change may affect migrants through predicted changes in phenology. Daily abundance of shorebirds at stopover sites …

Leaps, Chains, And Climate Change For Western Migratory Songbirds*, Joseph J. Fontaine, Ryan J. Stutzman, Leonard Z. Gannes

Nebraska Cooperative Fish and Wildlife Research Unit: Staff Publications

Climate change has increased worldwide temperatures, affected seasonal patterns, and altered important sources of natural selection. To manage wildlife populations successfully, we must understand how patterns and processes of climate change alter trade-offs between sources of selection to predict how individuals may respond, populations may evolve, and management actions may ameliorate the costs of changing climates. Here we discuss how the migratory patterns of leapfrog and chain migration facilitate or constrain responses by migratory songbirds to spatial and temporal variation in climate change across western North America. Based on 52 years of climate data, we show that changes in average …

Understanding Protected Area Resilience: A Multi-Scale, Social-Ecological Approach, Graeme S. Cumming, Craig R. Allen, Natalie C. Ban, Duan Biggs, Harry C. Biggs, David H. M. Cumming, Alta De Vos, Graham Epstein, Michel Etienne, Kristine Maciejewski, Raphael Mathevet, Christine Moore, Mateja Nenadovic, Michael Schoon

Nebraska Cooperative Fish and Wildlife Research Unit: Staff Publications

Protected areas (PAs) remain central to the conservation of biodiversity. Classical PAs were conceived as areas that would be set aside to maintain a natural state with minimal human influence. However, global environmental change and growing cross-scale anthropogenic influences mean that PAs can no longer be thought of as ecological islands that function independently of the broader social-ecological system in which they are located. For PAs to be resilient (and to contribute to broader social-ecological resilience), they must be able to adapt to changing social and ecological conditions over time in a way that supports the long-term persistence of populations, …

Reservoir Rehabilitations: Seeking The Fountain Of Youth, Mark A. Pegg, Kevin L. Pope, Larkin A. Powell, Kelly C. Turek, Jonathan J. Spurgeon, Nathaniel T. Stewart, Nick P. Hogberg, Mark T. Porath

Nebraska Cooperative Fish and Wildlife Research Unit: Staff Publications

Aging of reservoirs alters the functions, and associated services, of these systems through time. The goal of habitat rehabilitation is often to alter the trajectory of the aging process such that the duration of the desired state is prolonged. There are two important characteristics in alteration of the trajectory—the amplitude relative to current state and the subsequent rate of change, or aging—that ultimately determine the duration of extension for the desired state. Rehabilitation processes largely fall into three main categories: fish community manipulation, water quality manipulation, and physical habitat manipulation. We can slow aging of reservoirs through carefully implemented management …

The Global Status Of Freshwater Fish Age Validation Studies And A Prioritization Framework For Further Research, Jonathan J. Spurgeon, Martin J. Hamel, Kevin L. Pope, Mark A. Pegg

Nebraska Cooperative Fish and Wildlife Research Unit: Staff Publications

Age information derived from calcified structures is commonly used to estimate recruitment, growth, and mortality for fish populations. Validation of daily or annual marks on age structures is often assumed, presumably due to a lack of general knowledge concerning the status of age validation studies. Therefore, the current status of freshwater fish age validation studies was summarized to show where additional effort is needed, and increase the accessibility of validation studies to researchers. In total, 1351 original peer-reviewed articles were reviewed from freshwater systems that studied age in fish. Periodicity and age validation studies were found for 88 freshwater species …

Experimental Evaluation Of Rainbow Trout Oncorhynchus Mykiss Predation On Longnose Dace Rhinichthys Cataractae, Kelly C. Turek, Mark A. Pegg, Kevin L. Pope

Nebraska Cooperative Fish and Wildlife Research Unit: Staff Publications

Laboratory and in-stream enclosure experiments were used to determine whether rainbow trout Oncorhynchus mykiss influence survival of longnose dace Rhinichthys cataractae. In the laboratory, adult rainbow trout preyed on longnose dace in 42% of trials and juvenile rainbow trout did not prey on longnose dace during the first 6 h after rainbow trout introduction. Survival of longnose dace did not differ in the presence of adult rainbow trout previously exposed to active prey and those not previously exposed to active prey (x²₁ = 0.28, P = 0.60). In field enclosures, the number of longnose dace decreased at …

Barriers And Bridges To The Integration Of Social–Ecological Resilience And Law, Olivia Odom Green, Ahjond S. Garmestani, Craig R. Allen, Lance H. Gunderson, J.B. Ruhl, Craig A. Arnold, Nicholas A.J. Graham, Barbara Cosens, David G. Angeler, Brian C. Chaffin, C.S. Holling

Nebraska Cooperative Fish and Wildlife Research Unit: Staff Publications

There is a fundamental difference between the ways in which ecologists and lawyers view uncertainty: in the study of ecology, uncertainty provides a catalyst for exploration, whereas uncertainty is antithetical to the rule of law. This issue is particularly troubling in environmental management, where the tensions between law and ecology become apparent. Rather than acknowledge uncertainties in management actions, legal frameworks often force a false sense of certainty in linking cause and effect. While adaptive management has been developed to deal with uncertainty, laws and legal wrangling can be obstacles to implementation. In this article, we recommend resilience-based governance – …

Quantifying The Adaptive Cycle, David G. Angeler, Craig R. Allen, Ahjond S. Garmestani, Lance H. Gunderson

Nebraska Cooperative Fish and Wildlife Research Unit: Staff Publications

The adaptive cycle was proposed as a conceptual model to portray patterns of change in complex systems. Despite the model having potential for elucidating change across systems, it has been used mainly as a metaphor, describing system dynamics qualitatively. We use a quantitative approach for testing premises (reorganisation, conservatism, adaptation) in the adaptive cycle, using Baltic Sea phytoplankton communities as an example of such complex system dynamics. Phytoplankton organizes in recurring spring and summer blooms, a well-established paradigm in planktology and succession theory, with characteristic temporal trajectories during blooms that may be consistent with adaptive cycle phases. We used long-term …

Across-Ecoregion Analysis Suggests A Hierarchy Of Ecological Filters That Regulate Recruitment Of A Globally Invasive Fish, Przemek G. Bajer, Timothy K. Cross, Joseph D. Lechelt, Christopher J. Chizinski, Michael J. Weber, Peter W. Sorensen

Nebraska Cooperative Fish and Wildlife Research Unit: Staff Publications

Aim -- Even successful invaders are abundant only in a fraction of locales they inhabit. One of the main challenges in invasion ecology is explaining processes that drive these patterns. We investigated recruitment of a globally invasive fish, common carp (Cyprinus carpio), across three ecoregions to determine the role of environmental characteristics, predatory communities and propagule pressure on the invasion process at coarse and fine spatial scales.

Location -- Lakes across Northern Forest, Temperate Forest and Great Plains ecoregions of North America.

Methods -- We used data from 567 lakes to model presence or absence of carp recruitment …

Building A Scholarly Network In Learning Communities At The University Of Nebraska–Lincoln, Charlene Maxey-Harris, Lorna M. Dawes

University of Nebraska-Lincoln Libraries: Faculty Publications

In 2011 the Chancellor at the University of Nebraska – Lincoln (UNL) charged each department and academic unit within the university to create programs and strategies to increase student enrollment within the next six years. The UNL Libraries embraced this goal by becoming more involved in the first-year experience programs and the first-year learning communities. This chapter will outline how the UNL Libraries gained library administration support to hire a Learning Communities/First-Year Experience Librarian and describe how they applied the theory of threshold concepts to develop a series of workshops and e-booklets to teach information literacy skills to students affiliated …

Anticipatory Testimonies: Environmental Disaster In Claudine Jacques's Fictional Prophecies, Julia L. Frengs

French Language and Literature Papers

In Caledonian author Claudine Jacques's 2002 novel L'Âge du perroquet-banane, Parabole païenne, a tribal elder warns a man "from elsewhere": "in our country, if you remove a taboo bone, you disrupt the sea, if you touch it without respect you invite a cyclone, if you toss the bones of our elders you provoke a...tidal wave" (54). Although this work is set in a futuristic world after an ambiguous "Great Disaster" on an unnamed Oceanic island, the author manages to allegorically recount the history of the environmental atrocities attributed to the earth's human occupants that have transformed the present reality of …

Learning Biology Through Innovative Curricula: A Comparison Of Game- And Nongame-Based Approaches, Troy D. Sadler, William L. Romine, Deepika Menon, Richard E. Ferdig, Leonard Annetta

Department of Teaching, Learning, and Teacher Education: Faculty Publications

This study explored student learning in the context of innovative biotechnology curricula and the effects of gaming as a central element of the learning experience. The quasi-experimentally designed study compared learning outcomes between two curricular approaches: one built around a computer-based game and the other built around a narrative case. The research questions addressed student learning of basic biological principles, development of interest in learning science, and how a game-based approach compared to a nongame-based approach in terms of supporting learning. The study employed a pre-post design with 1,888 high school students nested within the classes of 36 biology teachers. …

An Exploration Of The Perspectives Of The Stakeholders On The Early Childhood Care And Education (Ecce) Scheme In Ireland, In Relation To Children’S Transition Into Primary School, Ciara Allen

Theses

The purpose of this study is to explore the Early Childhood Care and Education (ECCE) scheme in Ireland and a child’s transition from a pre-school setting to the formal primary school environment, from the perspective of parents, pre-school practitioners, primary school teachers and childcare organisations. The ECCE initiative was introduced in January 2010 for all children between the ages of 3 years and 3 months and 4 years and 6 months, offering them one year of free pre-school (50/38 weeks) prior to commencing primary school. This research identifies the need to study a child’s transition into formal schooling, as research …

Nebraska Statewide Forest Action Plan - 2015, Scott Josiah, John Erixson

Nebraska Forest Service: Publications

The Nebraska Forest Action Plan identifies strategic goals based on national objectives collaboratively crafted by both the National Association of State Foresters and the USFS State & Private Forestry Program. The strategic goals and actions identified in this document serve as a blueprint for focusing private, state and federal resources in areas of Nebraska where they will be most effective.

Nebraska Game And Parks Commission 2015 Annual Report

Nebraska Game and Parks Commission: Publications

No abstract provided.

Age-0 Sturgeon Accessibility To Constructed And Modified Chutes In The Lower Missouri River, Nathan J.C. Gosch, Marcus L. Miller, Todd R. Gemeinhardt, Schuyler J. Sampson, Joseph L. Bonneau

Nebraska Game and Parks Commission: Staff Research Publications

Shallow-water habitat is hypothesized to provide nursery habitat for young fish. The construction of side-channel chutes to restore shallow-water habitat is common in the lower Missouri River; however, a recent adaptive management strategy document (developed by a multiagency, multidiscipline team), as well as previous research, has suggested that the accessibility of chutes to age-0 Scaphirhynchus spp. (sturgeon hereafter) may be limited. Access is a critical prerequisite for young fish utilizing chute habitat; thus, we investigated chute-specific accessibility for age-0 sturgeon at seven chutes (constructed and natural). Age-0 sturgeon were capable of accessing most chutes; however, accessibility appeared limited at sites …

Evaluating Birding Tourism Markets In Nebraska, Joel G. Jorgensen, Mary Bomberger Brown, Lauren R. Dinan

Nebraska Game and Parks Commission: Staff Research Publications

In recent years, the number of non-consumptive (non-hunting, non-fishing) wildlife recreationists and their economic impact have increased in the United States. In 1996, surveys indicated there were more wildlife watchers than hunters and anglers combined (U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service and U.S. Department of Commerce 1997). According to the National Survey of Fishing, Hunting, and Wildlife-Associated Recreation commissioned by the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, there were over 48 million birdwatchers age 16 or older in the United States in 2006 (Carver 2009), which was approximately 21 percent of the U.S. population at the time of the survey (La Rouch …

Maternal Obesity And Rectovaginal Group B Streptococcus Colonization At Term, Shelby M. Kleweis, Alison G. Cahill, Anthony O. Odibo, Methodius G. Tuuli

Open Access Publications

No abstract provided.

Index To The Senate Journal State Of Colorado: Seventieth General Assembly First Regular Session, Colorado General Assembly

Colorado House and Senate Journals

No abstract provided.

Drag From Fishing Gear Entangling North Atlantic Right Whales, Julie M. Van Der Hoop, Peter Corkeron, John Kenney, Scott Landry, David Morin, Jamison Smith, Michael J. Moore

United States Department of Commerce: Staff Publications

Lethal and sublethal fishing gear entanglement is pervasive in North Atlantic right whales (Eubalaena glacialis). Entanglement can lead to direct injury and is likely to incur substantial energetic costs. This study (1) evaluates drag characteristics of entangled right whales, (2) contextualizes gear drag measurements for individual whales, and (3) quantifies the benefits of partial disentanglement. A load cell measured drag forces on 15 sets of fishing gear removed from entangled right whales, a towed satellite telemetry buoy, and 200 m of polypropylene line as it was shortened to 25 m, as they were towed behind a vessel at …

Southern Right Whale (Eubalaena Australis) Calf Mortality At Península Valdés, Argentina: Are Harmful Algal Blooms To Blame?, Cara Wilson, A. Viviana Sastre, Monica Hoffmeyer, Victoria J. Rowntree, Spencer E. Fire, Norma H. Santinelli, Soledad Diaz Ovejero, Valeria D'Agostino, Carina F. Maron, Gregory J. Doucette, Margaret H. Broadwater, Zhihong Wang, Nora Montoya, Jon Seger, Frederick R. Alder, Mariano Sironi, Marcela M. Uhart

United States Department of Commerce: Staff Publications

Península Valdés (PV) in Argentina is an important calving ground for southern right whales (SRWs, Eubalaena australis). Since 2005, right whale mortality has increased at PV, with most of the deaths (~90%) being calves <3mo old. We investigated the potential involvement of harmful algal blooms (HABs) in these deaths by examining data that include: timing of the SRW deaths, biotoxins in samples from dead SRWs, abundances of the diatom, Pseudo-nitzschia spp., and the dinoflagellate, Alexandrium tamarense, shellfish harvesting closure dates, seasonal availability of whale prey at PV and satellite chlorophyll data. Evidence of the whales’ exposure to HAB toxins includes trace levels of paralytic shellfish toxins (PSTs) and domoic acid (DA) in tissues of some dead whales, and fragments of Pseudo-nitzschia spp. frustules in whale feces. Additionally, whales are present at PV …

Comparison Of Experimental Respiratory Tularemia In Three Nonhuman Primate Species, Audrey R. Glynn, Derron A. Alves, Ondraya Frick, Rebecca Erwin-Cohen, Aimee Porter, Sarah Norris, David Waag, Aysegul Nalca

United States Army: Publications

Tularemia is a zoonotic disease caused by Francisella tularensis, which is transmitted to humans most commonly by contact with infected animals, tick bites, or inhalation of aerosolized bacteria. F. tularensis is highly infectious via the aerosol route; inhalation of as few as 10–50 organisms can cause pneumonic tularemia. Left untreated, the pneumonic form has more than >30% case-fatality rate but with early antibiotic intervention can be reduced to 3%. This study compared tularemia disease progression across three species of nonhuman primates [African green monkey (AGM), cynomolgus macaque (CM), and rhesus macaque (RM)] following aerosolized F. tularensis Schu S4 exposure. …

Modeling Epoxidation Of Drug-Like Molecules With A Deep Machine Learning Network, Tyler B. Hughes, Grover P. Miller, S. Joshua Swamidass

Open Access Publications

No abstract provided.

The Mitochondria In Diabetic Heart Failure: From Pathogenesis To Therapeutic Promise, Joel D. Schilling

Open Access Publications

No abstract provided.

Prematurity And Respiratory Outcomes Program (Prop): Study Protocol Of A Prospective Multicenter Study Of Respiratory Outcomes Of Preterm Infants In The United States, Gloria S. Pryhuber, Nathalie L. Maitre, Roberta A. Ballard, Denise Cifelli, Stephanie D. Davis, Jonas H. Ellenberg, James M. Greenberg, James Kemp, Thomas J. Mariani, Howard Panitch, Clement Ren, Pamela Shaw, Lynn M. Taussig, Aaron Hamvas, The Prematurity And Respiratory Outcomes Program Investigators

Open Access Publications

No abstract provided.

Leber Hereditary Optic Neuropathy: Current Perspectives, Cherise Meyerson, Greg Van Stavern, Collin Mcclelland

Open Access Publications

No abstract provided.

Pseudomonas Aeruginosa Nosocomial Pneumonia: Impact Of Pneumonia Classification, Scott T. Micek, Marin H. Kollef, Antoni Torres, Catherine Chen, Jordi Rello, Jean Chastre, Massimo Antonelli, Tobias Welte, Bernard Clair, Helmut Ostermann, Esther Calbo, Richard Wunderink, Francesco Menichetti, Garrett Schramm, Vandana Menon

Open Access Publications

No abstract provided.