Digital Commons Network^™

Atg Interviews Beth Marhanka, Interim Associate University Librarian For User Services & Engagement And Head, Gelardin New Media Center/Maker Hub, Georgetown University, Katina Strauch, Tom Gilson

Against the Grain

No abstract provided.

One Health: Connecting The Dots, Pamela Rose

Against the Grain

No abstract provided.

If Rumors Were Horses, Katina Strauch

Against the Grain

No abstract provided.

Wryly Noted-Books About Books, John D. Riley

Against the Grain

No abstract provided.

Charleston Comings And Goings: News And Announcements For The Charleston Library Conference, Leah H. Hinds

Against the Grain

No abstract provided.

Stop, Look, Listen — Academic Content For Generation Y: Videos In Scholarly Publishing, Sven Fund

Against the Grain

No abstract provided.

Small Spaces, Big Impact: Creating Places With A Purpose In Academic Libraries, Teresa Walker, Anna Sandelli, Rita Smith

Against the Grain

No abstract provided.

Atg Profiles Encouraged

Against the Grain

No abstract provided.

Environmental Effects Are Stronger Than Human Effects On Mammalian Predator-Prey Relationships In Arid Australian Ecosystems, Benjamin L. Allen, Alana Fawcett, Alison Anker, Richard M. Engeman, Allan Lisle, Luke K.-P. Leung

United States Department of Agriculture Wildlife Services: Staff Publications

Climate (drought, rainfall), geology (habitat availability), land use change (provision of artificial waterpoints, introduction of livestock), invasive species (competition, predation), and direct human intervention (lethal control of top-predators) have each been identified as processes driving the sustainability of threatened fauna populations. We used a systematic combination of empirical observational studies and experimental manipulations to comprehensively evaluate the effects of these process on a model endangered rodent, dusky hopping-mice (Notomys fuscus). We established a large manipulative experiment in arid Australia, and collected information from relative abundance indices, camera traps, GPS-collared dingoes (Canis familiaris) and dingo scats, along …

Ecology, Impacts, And Management Of Invasive Rodents In The United States, Gary W. Witmer, Aaron B. Shiels

United States Department of Agriculture Wildlife Services: Staff Publications

Approximately 42% of all mammalian species in the world are rodents, amounting to about 2277 species (Wilson and Reeder 2005). Rodents have adapted to all lifestyles: terrestrial, aquatic, arboreal, and fossorial (underground). Most species are small, secretive, nocturnal, adaptable, and have keen senses of touch, taste, and smell. For most species of rodents, the incisors continually grow throughout their life span, requiring constant gnawing to keep the incisors sharp and at an appropriate length. This can result in extensive damage to seeds, fruits, field crops, structures, wires, and insulation. Rodents are known for their high reproductive potential; however, there is …

Nutritional Depletion Of Total Mixed Rations By European Starlings: Projected Effects On Dairy Cow Performance And Potential Intervention Strategies To Mitigate Damage, James C. Carlson, R. S. Stahl, S. T. Deliberto, J. J. Wagner, T. E. Engle, R. M. Engeman, C. S. Olson, J. W. Ellis, S. J. Werner

United States Department of Agriculture Wildlife Services: Staff Publications

European starlings are an invasive bird species in North America that are known to cause damage to commercial dairies through the consumption of total mixed rations (TMR) destined for dairy cows. We hypothesized that large foraging flocks of starlings alter the physical composition of TMR, and that this change may be significant enough to affect milk production. To better determine if production losses could potentially occur in commercial dairies as a consequence of feed consumption by foraging flocks of starlings, we conducted controlled feeding experiments using a TMR sourced from a commercial dairy that is chronically plagued with seasonal starling …

Potential Secondary Poisoning Risks To Non-Targets From A Sodium Nitrite Toxic Bait For Invasive Wild Pigs, Nathan P. Snow, Justin A. Foster, Eric H. Vannatta, Katherine E. Horak, Simon T. Humphrys, Linton D. Staples, David G. Hewitt, Kurt C. Vercauteren

United States Department of Agriculture Wildlife Services: Staff Publications

BACKGROUND: An acute and orally delivered toxic bait containing micro-encapsulated sodium nitrite (MESN), is under development to provide a novel and humane technology to help curtail damage caused by invasive wild pigs (Sus scrofa). We evaluated potential secondary risks for non-target species by: testing whether four different types of micro-encapsulation coatings could reduce vomiting by invasive wild pigs, testing the levels of residual sodium nitrite (SN) in tissues of invasive wild pigs, testing the environmental persistence of SN in vomitus, and conducting a risk assessment for scavengers.

RESULTS: Micro-encapsulation coatings did not affect the frequency of …

Interactions Between The Invasive Burmese Python, Python Bivittatus Kuhl, And The Local Mosquito Community In Florida, Usa, Lawrence E. Reeves, Kenneth L. Krysko, Michael L. Avery, Jennifer L. Gillett-Kaufman, Akito Y. Kawahara, C. Roxanne Connelly, Phillip E. Kaufman

United States Department of Agriculture Wildlife Services: Staff Publications

The Burmese python, Python bivittatus Kuhl, is a well-established invasive species in the greater Everglades ecosystem of southern Florida, USA. Most research on its ecological impacts focuses on its role as a predator and its trophic interactions with native vertebrate species, particularly mammals. Beyond predation, there is little known about the ecological interactions between P. bivittatus and native faunal communities. It is likely that established populations of P. bivittatus in southern Florida serve as hosts for native mosquito communities. To test this concept, we used mitochondrial cytochrome c oxidase subunit I DNA barcoding to determine the hosts of blood fed …

Mitigation Translocation Of Red-Tailed Hawks To Reduce Raptor–Aircraft Collisions, Craig K. Pullins, Travis L. Guerrant, Scott F. Beckerman, Brian E. Washburn

United States Department of Agriculture Wildlife Services: Staff Publications

Translocation of problematic individual animals is commonly used to reduce human–wildlife conflicts, especially to reduce the presence or abundance of raptors within airport environments, where they pose a risk to safe aircraft operations. Although this method has strong public support, there have been no scientific evaluations of its efficacy or to determine which factors might influence the return of translocated birds to the airport. We conducted a study to determine which biological and logistical factors might influence the return of red-tailed hawks (Buteo jamaicensis) translocated from Chicago’s O’Hare International Airport (ORD) during 2010–2013. We live-captured and translocated red-tailed …

Flavor Preference And Efficacy Of Variable Dose Ontario Rabies Vaccine Bait (Onrab) Delivery In Striped Skunks (Mephitis Mephitis), Amy Gilbert, Shylo Johnson, Nikki Walker, Alex Beath, Kurt C. Vercauteren

United States Department of Agriculture Wildlife Services: Staff Publications

In North America, terrestrial wildlife rabies control is achieved by oral rabies vaccination programs that principally target mesocarnivores. Success at rabies control in striped skunks (Mephitis mephitis) has been more limited and may require additional enhancements to existing bait products or novel bait designs and attractants. We evaluated preference among captive striped skunks for six different flavors of placebo Ontario Rabies Vaccine Bait (ONRAB®) ‘‘Ultralite’’ Baits (Artemis Technologies, Guelph, Ontario, Canada). Different doses and delivery methods of ONRAB vaccine were tested for efficacy in a subsequent experiment with the same skunks. Cheese-, egg-, and chicken flavored baits were preferred …

The Role Of Dog Population Management In Rabies Elimination—A Review Of Current Approaches And Future Opportunities, Louise H. Taylor, Ryan M. Wallace, Deepashree Balaram, Joann M. Lindenmayer, Douglas C. Eckery, Beryl Mutonono-Watkiss, Ellie Parravani, Louis H. Nel

United States Department of Agriculture Wildlife Services: Staff Publications

Free-roaming dogs and rabies transmission are integrally linked across many low income countries, and large unmanaged dog populations can be daunting to rabies control program planners. Dog population management (DPM) is a multifaceted concept that aims to improve the health and well-being of free-roaming dogs, reduce problems they may cause, and may also aim to reduce dog population size. In theory, DPM can facilitate more effective rabies control. Community engagement focused on promoting responsible dog ownership and better veterinary care could improve the health of individual animals and dog vaccination coverage, thus reducing rabies transmission. Humane DPM tools, such as …

Assessing The Potential Impacts Of A Changing Climate On The Distribution Of A Rabies Virus Vector, Mark A. Hayes, Antoinette J. Piaggio

United States Department of Agriculture Wildlife Services: Staff Publications

Common vampire bats (Desmodus rotundus) occur throughout much of South America to northern MeÂxico. Vampire bats have not been documented in recent history in the United States, but have been documented within about 50 km of the U.S. state of Texas. Vampire bats feed regularly on the blood of mammals and can transmit rabies virus to native species and livestock, causing impacts on the health of prey. Thus cattle producers, wildlife management agencies, and other stakeholders have expressed concerns about whether vampire bats might spread into the southern United States. On the other hand, concerns about vampire- borne …

Evaluating Blackbird Behavioral Response Toward Unmanned Aircraft Systems (Uass): Exploiting Antipredator Behavior To Enhance Avoidance, Conor C. Egan, Lucas Wandrie, Bradley F. Blackwell, Esteban Fernandez-Juricic, Page E. Klug

United States Department of Agriculture Wildlife Services: Staff Publications

Animals respond to nonlethal forms of human disturbance using behavior strategies adapted to detect, avoid, and evade natural predators. This phenomenon suggests antipredator behavior can be exploited to optimize efficacy of wildlife management tools such as visual deterrents. According to models of antipredator theory, wildlife managers could encourage animals to abandon a resource patch in zones of human-wildlife conflict by enhancing perceived predation risk associated with disturbance stimuli. One human-wildlife conflict of interest is the economic loss and human safety hazards caused by birds. For example, blackbirds (Icteridae) pose a significant risk to the commercial aviation industry through …

Nutritional Depletion Of Total Mixed Rations By European Starlings: Projected Effects On Dairy Cow Performance And Potential Intervention Strategies To Mitigate Damage, James C. Carlson, R. S. Stahl, S. T. Deliberto, J. J. Wagner, T. E. Engle, R. M. Engeman, C. S. Olson, J. W. Ellis, S. J. Werner

United States Department of Agriculture Wildlife Services: Staff Publications

European starlings are an invasive bird species in North America that are known to cause damage to commercial dairies through the consumption of total mixed rations (TMR) destined for dairy cows. We hypothesized that large foraging flocks of starlings alter the physical composition of TMR, and that this change may be significant enough to affect milk production. To better determine if production losses could potentially occur in commercial dairies as a consequence of feed consumption by foraging flocks of starlings, we conducted controlled feeding experiments using a TMR sourced from a commercial dairy that is chronically plagued with seasonal starling …

A Review Of African Swine Fever And The Potential For Introduction Into The United States And The Possibility Of Subsequent Establishment In Feral Swine And Native Ticks, Vienna R. Brown, Sarah N. Bevins

United States Department of Agriculture Wildlife Services: Staff Publications

African swine fever (ASF) is caused by African swine fever virus (ASFV), which can cause substantial morbidity and mortality events in swine. The virus can be transmitted via direct and indirect contacts with infected swine, their products, or competent vector species, especially Ornithodoros ticks. Africa and much of Eastern Europe are endemic for ASF; a viral introduction to countries that are currently ASF free could have severe economic consequences due to the loss of production from infected animals and the trade restrictions that would likely be imposed as a result of an outbreak. We identified vulnerabilities that could lead to …

Livestock Abundance Predicts Vampire Bat Demography, Immune Profiles And Bacterial Infection Risk, Daniel J. Becker, Gábor Á. Czirják, Dmitriy V. Volokhov, Alexandra B. Bentz, Jorge E. Carrera, Melinda S. Camus, Kristen J. Navara, Vladimir E. Chizhikov, M. Brock Fenton, Nancy B. Simmons, Sergio E. Recuenco, Amy T. Gilbert, Sonia Altizer, Daniel G. Streicker

United States Department of Agriculture Wildlife Services: Staff Publications

Human activities create novel food resources that can alter wildlife–pathogen interactions. If resources amplify or dampen, pathogen transmission probably depends on both host ecology and pathogen biology, but studies that measure responses to provisioning across both scales are rare. We tested these relationships with a 4-year study of 369 common vampire bats across 10 sites in Peru and Belize that differ in the abundance of livestock, an important anthropogenic food source. We quantified innate and adaptive immunity from bats and assessed infection with two common bacteria. We predicted that abundant livestock could reduce starvation and foraging effort, allowing for greater …

A Cage Efficacy Study Of Sodium Nitrite Formulations For Rodent Control, Gary W. Witmer, Rachael Moulton, Celeste Samura

United States Department of Agriculture Wildlife Services: Staff Publications

Rodents cause extensive damage to human and natural resources around the world. Rodenticides are heavily relied upon to reduce rodent populations and damage. However, some rodenticides are becoming less effective while others are becoming more restricted in their use. Additionally, there are growing concerns about the non-target effects of rodenticides and the humaneness of some rodenticides. In this study, we tested some formulations containing sodium nitrite, a salt that can be toxic in high enough concentrations. One of our previous studies indicated an LD50 of about 246 mg/kg for various rodent species. It was also determined that rodents could eat …

Anticoagulant Rodenticide Toxicity To Non-Target Wildlife Under Controlled Exposure Conditions, Barnett A. Rattner, F. Nicholas Mastrota

United States Department of Agriculture Wildlife Services: Staff Publications

Our knowledge of the toxicity of anticoagulant rodenticides (ARs) can be traced to investigations of Karl Paul Link and colleagues on “bleeding disease” in cattle, the eventual isolation of dicoumarol from moldy sweet clover, synthesis of this causative agent, and its application as a therapeutic anticoagulant in clinical medicine in 1941 (Link 1959). The notion of a coumarin-based rodenticide as a better “mouse-trap” occurred to Link in 1945 while reviewing laboratory chemical and bioassay data. By 1948, the highly potent compound number 42, warfarin, was promoted as a rodenticide (Link 1959; Last 2002). Through laboratory studies and clinical use of …

Lessons Learned From Research And Surveillance Directed At Highly Pathogenic Influenza A Viruses In Wild Birds Inhabiting North America, Andrew M. Ramey, Thomas J. Deliberto, Yohannes Berhane, David E. Swayne, David E. Stallknecht

United States Department of Agriculture Wildlife Services: Staff Publications

Following detections of highly pathogenic (HP) influenza A viruses (IAVs) in wild birds inhabiting East Asia after the turn of the millennium, the intensity of sampling of wild birds for IAVs increased throughout much of North America. The objectives for many research and surveillance efforts were directed towards detecting Eurasian origin HP IAVs and understanding the potential of such viruses to be maintained and dispersed by wild birds. In this review, we highlight five important lessons learned from research and surveillance directed at HP IAVs in wild birds inhabiting North America: (1) Wild birds may disperse IAVs between North America …

Consistent Individual Behavior: Evidence Of Personality In Black Bears, Patrick J. Myers, Julie K. Young

United States Department of Agriculture Wildlife Services: Staff Publications

Personality is defined as consistency in individual differences in organismal behavior across time or context, a phenomenon of interest within behavioral and evolutionary ecology. Empirical data have revealed an ever-increasing number and diversity of taxa that display these phenotypic patterns in both wild and captive settings. Moreover, these behavioral traits are frequently linked to wild behavior, life history strategies, and measures of individual fitness. Understanding personality is of particular importance for some animals, such as large carnivores, which may express maladaptive behavior that can lead to conflict with humans. To date, few studies of personality exist on large carnivores and …

Book Review, Jimmy D. Taylor

United States Department of Agriculture Wildlife Services: Staff Publications

Like its congener in North America (North American beaver [Castor canadensis]), the Eurasian beaver (Castor fiber) was locally extirpated from many parts of its range, largely because of over harvest and changing land use practices in the presence of an increasing human population. Similarly, both species also have responded well to changes in environmental awareness and wildlife management practices. Presently, both species are managed for the ecosystem services that they provide and the conflicts, or disservices, they create with humans (e.g., excessive flooding). The release of The Eurasian Beaver Handbook: Ecology and Management of Castor fiber …

A Conceptual Model For The Integration Of Social And Ecological Information To Understand Human-Wildlife Interactions, Stacy A. Lischka, Tara L. Teel, Heather E. Johnson, Sarah E. Reed, Stewart Breck, Andrew Don Carlos, Kevin R. Crooks

United States Department of Agriculture Wildlife Services: Staff Publications

There is growing recognition that interdisciplinary approaches that account for both ecological and social processes are necessary to successfully address human-wildlife interactions. However, such approaches are hindered by challenges in aligning data types, communicating across disciplines, and applying social science information to conservation actions. To meet these challenges, we propose a conceptual model that adopts a social-ecological systems approach and integrates social and ecological theory to identify the multiple, nested levels of influence on both human and animal behavior. By accounting for a diverse array of influences and feedback mechanisms between social and ecological systems, this model fulfills a need …

Impacts Of Biomass Production At Civil Airports On Grassland Bird Conservation And Aviation Strike Risk, Tara J. Conkling, Jerrold L. Belant, Travis L. Devault, James A. Martin

United States Department of Agriculture Wildlife Services: Staff Publications

Growing concerns about climate change, foreign oil dependency, and environmental quality have fostered interest in perennial native grasses (e.g., switchgrass [Panicum virgatum]) for bioenergy production while also maintaining biodiversity and ecosystem function. However, biomass cultivation in marginal landscapes such as airport grasslands may have detrimental effects on aviation safety as well as conservation efforts for grassland birds. In 2011–2013, we investigated effects of vegetation composition and harvest frequency on seasonal species richness and habitat use of grassland birds and modeled relative abundance, aviation risk, and conservation value of birds associated with biomass crops. Avian relative abundance was greater …

Habitat Type And Structure Affect Trap Capture Success Of An Invasive Snake Across Variable Densities, Melia G. Nafus, Amy A. Yackel Adams, Page E. Klug, Gordon H. Rodda

United States Department of Agriculture Wildlife Services: Staff Publications

Detection represents an important limitation of accurately estimating population size, abundance, and habitat suitability for wildlife, which can be especially true for cryptic animals. Moreover, for reptiles, juveniles are often less likely to be detected than later life stages. In the case of invasive species, preventing false negatives early in the invasion process can be critical for improving outcomes of control measures. We evaluated habitat structure in relation to catch per unit effort (CPUE) and mean size of trapped invasive brown treesnakes (Boiga irregularis) on Guam. We used a 5-ha enclosure containing a known, closed population of brown treesnakes to …

Seasonal Variation In Preference Dictates Space Use In An Invasive Generalist, Kelsey E. Paolini, Bronson K. Strickland, Jessica L. Tegt, Kurt C. Vercauteren, Garrett M. Street

United States Department of Agriculture Wildlife Services: Staff Publications

The spatiotemporal distribution of resources is a critical component of realized animal distributions.

In agricultural landscapes, space use by generalist consumers is influenced by ephemeral resource availability that may produce behavioral differences across agricultural seasons, resulting in economic and production consequences and increased human-wildlife conflict. Our objective was to assess changes in habitat selection across seasons in an invasive generalist omnivore (feral pigs, Sus scrofa). Hypothesizing that pig space use is primarily driven by forage availability, we predicted strong selection for the most nutritionally beneficial crops and resource types as agricultural seasons progressed. We deployed GPS collars on 13 …