Life Sciences Commons^™

Gps-‐‐Basedmeasurements Of Backcountry Visitors In Parks And Protected Areas: Examples Of Methods And Applications From Three Case Studies, A. D'Antonio, Christopher Monz, S. Lawson, P. Newman

Christopher Monz

No abstract provided.

Metapopulation Dynamics Of Mid-Continent Lesser Snow Geese: Implications For Management, Lise M. Aubry, Robert F. Rockwell, David N. Koons

Human–Wildlife Interactions

The rapid increase in abundance of lesser snow goose (LSG; Chen caerulescens caerulescens) numbers and their devastating effects on arctic and subarctic habitats has inspired much research on the use of population models for defining appropriate management policies. We use the not yet considered metapopulation approach to examine the elasticity of mid-continent LSG population dynamics to changes in underlying vital rates to determine whether management efforts aimed at decreasing burgeoning numbers should be reevaluated. After considering a variety of geographic scenarios in the metapopulation model, we found that changes in survival would still have a larger impact on population …

Movements, Habitat Selection, Associations, And Survival Of Giant Canada Goose Broods In Central Tennessee, Eric M. Dunton, Daniel L. Combs

Human–Wildlife Interactions

The brood-rearing period in giant Canada geese (Branta canadensis maxima) is one of the least-studied areas of goose ecology. We monitored 32 broods in Putnam County, Tennessee, from the time of hatching through fledging (i.e., when the goslings gained the ability to fly) and from fledging until broods left the brood-rearing areas during the spring and summer of 2003. We conducted a fixed-kernel, home-range analysis for each brood using the Animal Movement Extension in ArcView® 3.3 GIS (ESRI, Redlands, Calif.) software and calculated 95% and 50% utilization distributions (UD) for each brood. We classified 25 broods as sedentary …

Estimating Relative Distribution Of Raccoons, Opossums, Skunks, And Foxes Using Animal Control Data, Christine Klinkowski-Clark, Michael J. Kutilek, John O. Matson, Paula Messina, Kevin Earley, Shannon M. Bros-Seemann

Human–Wildlife Interactions

We used indices of animal control reports per capita and areas of land covers to assess the relative habitat-use of raccoons (Procyon lotor), opossums (Didelphis virginiana), skunks (Spilogale putorius and Mephitis mephitis), and foxes (Vulpes vulpes and Urocyon cinereoargenteus). We used confirmed (hereafter, verified) calls made to Brevard Animal Services, Florida, and assessed potential human demographic influences associated with unconfirmed (hereafter, unverified) reports where it was uncertain whether or not an animal was present. To estimate habitat use, we performed quadrat sampling using a geographic information system (GIS) and obtained areas of …

Landowner Attitudes Toward Elk Management In The Pine Ridge Region Of North-Western Nebraska, R. Daniel Crank, Scott E. Hygnstrom, Kit M. Hams

Human–Wildlife Interactions

Little is known about attitudes of landowners toward elk (Cervus elaphus) on privately-owned land. We mailed questionnaires to agricultural landowners in the Pine Ridge region of northwestern Nebraska in both 1995 and 1997 to determine attitudes toward elk populations and management of elk. Fifty-six percent (n = 214) of respondents in 1995 and 57% (n = 461) in 1997 were in favor of free-ranging elk. Motivation for those in favor of elk was utilitarian (opportunity to view and hunt elk), ecological (return of a native species), and economic (benefits from increased tourism and leased land for elk hunting). …

An Effective Chemical Deterrent For Invasive Cuban Treefrogs, Steve A. Johnson, Monica E. Mcgarrity, Christina L. Staudhammer

Human–Wildlife Interactions

Introduced vertebrates have a variety of impacts on ecosystems and economies, and many cause problems for humans. One such problem is the loss of electrical power when invasive animals cause short circuits in power-transmission equipment. Cuban treefrogs (Osteopilus septentrionalis) are known to cause power outages and are a nuisance to humans when they invade homes and defecate on doors and windows. These large, slightly toxic treefrogs were introduced into Florida from the Caribbean. They now occur throughout the peninsula of Florida and are spreading to other states in the Southeast. We used refuge choice experiments to test the …

Evaluation Of Damage By Vertebrate Pests In California Vineyards And Control Of Wild Turkeys By Bioacoustics, Robert W. Coates, Michael J. Delwiche, W. Paul Gorenzel, Terrell P. Salmon

Human–Wildlife Interactions

Complaints of agricultural damage by wild turkeys (Meleagris gallopavo), particularly from wine grape growers, have increased in California. We assessed damage by vertebrate pests in vineyards and tested a bioacoustic-aversion technique for turkeys as an alternative to other control techniques (e.g., reflective tape, trapping, bird netting). We selected 12 vineyards in the Napa Valley and Sierra Foothills American Viticultural Areas of California. We conducted damage surveys to assess percentages of missing or damaged grapes (i.e., grapes that had been stripped, pecked, and plucked) for every grape cluster on 20 randomly-selected vines before harvest in 2007 and on 40 …

Unfurling Fern Biology In The Genomics Age, M. S. Barker, Paul G. Wolf

Biology Faculty Publications

Twenty-first century technology is addressing many of the questions posed by 20th-century biology. Although the new approaches, especially those involving genomic data and bioinformatic tools, were first applied to model organisms, they are now stretching across the tree of life. Here, we review some recent revelations in the ferns. We first examine how DNA sequence data have contributed to our understanding of fern phylogeny. We then address evolution of the fern plastid genome, including reports of high levels of RNA editing. Recent studies are also shedding light on the evolution of fern nuclear genomes. Initial analyses of genomic data suggest …

The Combined Influence Of The Local Environment Andregional Enrichment On Bird Species Richness, Ethan P. White, A. H. Hurlbert

Biology Faculty Publications

It is generally accepted that local species richness at a site reflects the combined influence of local and regional processes. However, most empirical studies evaluate the influence of either local environmental variables or regional enrichment but not both simultaneously. Here we demonstrate the importance of combining these processes to understand continental scale richness patterns in breeding birds. We show that neither regional enrichment nor the local environment in isolation is sufficient to characterize observed patterns of species richness. Combining both sets of variables into a single model results in improved model fit and the removal of residual spatial autocorrelation. At …

Seasonal Patterns Of Arthropod Diversity And Abundance On Big Sagebrush, Artemisia Trientata, M P. Stanford, Nancy J. Huntly

Biology Faculty Publications

The sagebrush biotype is the largest in the western United States. This vast sagebrush community is thought to harbor equally vast and diverse arthropod communities, but these remain little explored. Our objective was to examine the diversity, abundance, and seasonal phenology of arthropod taxa found on the dominant shrub of the sagebrush ecosystem, big sagebrush (Artemisia tridentata). We wanted to improve understanding of this little-studied arthropod assemblage that may play significant roles in the dynamics of sagebrush populations and the sagebrush ecosystem. We sampled free-living and gall-forming arthropods from a stratified random sample of sagebrush plants at the Barton Road …

The Evolution Of Chloroplast Genome Structure In Ferns, Paul G. Wolf, J. M. Roper, A. M. Duffy

Biology Faculty Publications

The plastid genome (plastome) is a rich source of phylogenetic and other comparative data in plants. Most land plants possess a plastome of similar structure. However, in a major group of plants, the ferns, a unique plastome structure has evolved. The gene order in ferns has been explained by a series of genomic inversions relative to the plastome organization of seed plants. Here, we examine for the first time the structure of the plastome across fern phylogeny. We used a PCR-based strategy to map and partially sequence plastomes. We found that a pair of partially overlapping inversions in the region …

Complete Plastome Sequences Of Equisetum Arvense And Isoetes Flaccida: Implications For Phylogeny And Plastid Genome Evolution Of Early Land Plant Lineages, K. G. Karol, K. Arumuganthan, J. L. Boore, A. M. Duffy, K. D. E. Everett, J. D. Hall, S. K. Hansen, J. V. Mandoli, D. F. Mandoli, B. D. Mishler, R. G. Olmstead, K. S. Renzaglia, Paul G. Wolf

Biology Faculty Publications

Background Despite considerable progress in our understanding of land plant phylogeny, several nodes in the green tree of life remain poorly resolved. Furthermore, the bulk of currently available data come from only a subset of major land plant clades. Here we examine early land plant evolution using complete plastome sequences including two previously unexamined and phylogenetically critical lineages. To better understand the evolution of land plants and their plastomes, we examined aligned nucleotide sequences, indels, gene and nucleotide composition, inversions, and gene order at the boundaries of the inverted repeats. Results We present the plastome sequences of Equisetum arvense, a …

Teaching Species, Mark W. Ellis, Paul G. Wolf

Biology Faculty Publications

A clear understanding of the term "species" is fundamental to the subject of evolution. However, introductory textbooks often fail to address this topic until one of the later chapters, after having used the term species in all preceding chapters. Furthermore, definitions of terms critical to a clear understanding of this subject are often vague or absent in chapters on species concepts. We feel the popular notion of a "species problem" has been unnecessarily inflated by this less-than-effective educational approach. Clearly addressing this essential subject at the beginning of a course on evolution will prepare students to learn the details and …

Loss Of Foundation Species Increases Population Growth Of Exotic Forbs In Sagebrush Steppe, J S. Prevey, M J. Germino, Nancy J. Huntly

Biology Faculty Publications

The invasion and spread of exotic plants following land disturbance threatens semiarid ecosystems. In sagebrush steppe, soil water is scarce and is partitioned between deeprooted perennial shrubs and shallower-rooted native forbs and grasses. Disturbances commonly remove shrubs, leaving grass-dominated communities, and may allow for the exploitation of water resources by the many species of invasive, tap-rooted forbs that are increasingly successful in this habitat. We hypothesized that exotic forb populations would benefit from increased soil water made available by removal of sagebrush, a foundation species capable of deep-rooting, in semiarid shrub-steppe ecosystems. To test this hypothesis, we used periodic matrix …

Chloroplast Genome Sequence Of The Moss Torula Ruralis: Gene Content, Polymorphism, And Structural Arrangement Relative To Other Green Plant Chloroplast Genomes, M. J. Oliver, A. G. Murdock, B. D. Mishler, J. V. Kuehl, J. L. Boore, D. F. Mandoli, K. D. E. Everett, Paul G. Wolf, A. M. Duffy, K. G. Karol

Biology Faculty Publications

Background Tortula ruralis, a widely distributed species in the moss family Pottiaceae, is increasingly used as a model organism for the study of desiccation tolerance and mechanisms of cellular repair. In this paper, we present the chloroplast genome sequence of T. ruralis, only the second published chloroplast genome for a moss, and the first for a vegetatively desiccation-tolerant plant. Results The Tortula chloroplast genome is ~123,500 bp, and differs in a number of ways from that of Physcomitrella patens, the first published moss chloroplast genome. For example, Tortula lacks the ~71 kb inversion found in the large single copy region …

Guidelines For Aspen Restoration On The National Forests In Utah, Mary O'Brien, Paul Rogers, Kevin Mueller, Rob Macwhorter, Allen Rowley, Bill Hopkin, Bill Christensen, Paul Dremann

Aspen Bibliography

These guidelines are a working document and will be tested within the Utah National Forests on dif- ferent aspen types.

Aspen Biology, Community Classification, And Management In The Blue Mountains, David K. Swanson, Craig L. Schmitt, Diane M. Shirley, Vicky Erickson, Kenneth J. Schuetz, Michael L. Tatum, David C. Powell

Aspen Bibliography

Quaking aspen (Populus tremuloides Michx.) is a valuable species that is declining in the Blue Mountains of northeastern Oregon. This publication is a compilation of over 20 years of aspen management experience by USDA Forest Service workers in the Blue Mountains. It includes a summary of aspen biology and occurrence in the Blue Mountains, and a discussion of aspen conservation and management techniques such as fencing, conifer removal, and artificial propagation. Local data on bird use of aspen stands, insects and diseases in aspen, and genetic studies of aspen are also included. An aspen community classification developed from over …

‘Earligreen’ A Super-Dwarf Pea Cultivar For Use In Controlled Environment Research, Joseph F. Romagnano, Emily Mills, Bruce Bugbee

Dwarf Crops

Earligreen is ideal for controlled environment studies due to its fast life cycle, short height, and excellent growth in low light. Earligreen peas typically grow 18 to 35 cm tall and flower 20 to 25 days after emergence with the first fresh seed ready at 40 days. Optimal temperature is 20 to 25˚C. Earligreen grows well under a wide range of light levels (photosynthetic photon flux (PPF), 100 to 1000 µmol m-2 s-1) and a photoperiod of 16 to 24 hours. Leaves display a characteristic silver speckling pattern.

Earligreen was developed in 1950 at the Morden research station in Manitoba, …

Optimizing The Physical And Nutritional Environment Of Unleached Root-Zones, Curtis B. Adams

Publications

Unleached root-zones represent an environmental ideal by eliminating wasteful leaching of nutrients and water. NASA grows plants in space in unleached root-zones, incorporating polymer-coated fertilizer (PCF) into a ceramic media (Turface or Profile). However, lack of growth productivity in space has led to the need for research to improve the nutritional and physical environment of the root-zone, which is the objective of this research. PCF types are diverse in release characteristics and the effects of temperature and substrate water content have not been well characterized. In spite of widespread use, studies on chemical properties and applied studies to verify soil …

Genetic Characteristics And Environmental Parameters For Growing Turfgrass In Closed And Retractable Dome Stadiums, Bruce Bugbee, Paul Johnson

Turfgrass

Our analysis indicates that electric lighting for turfgrass growth is highly cost effective, if it is coupled with appropriate genetic and environmental changes.

Inadequate light levels for vigorous turf growth is the key challenge associated with growing turf in enclosed and retractable dome stadiums. The light levels of closed stadiums are too low to maintain vigorous plant growth that can quickly recover from the damage caused by athletic events. As a solution, retractable-dome stadiums have been built. However, even with the roof open, light levels in these stadiums are less than half of natural sunlight because of shading from the …

Mini-Lysimeters To Monitor Transpiration And Control Drought Stress: System Design And Unique Applications, Julie Chard, Marc Van Iersel, Bruce Bugbee

Techniques and Instruments

Methods for the precise control of drought stress have been a holy grail of plant biology research. Here we describe a five-container growth chamber system and a 16-container greenhouse system, each of which uses load cells to monitor and control the mass of a soil/plant system. The calibration and signal conditioning necessary to quantify transpiration over 10 minute intervals is described. Evaporation can be reduced to less than 1% of the transpiration rate by covering the container surface. Procedures for quantifying and correcting the effect of temperature on load cell output are described. Each system can be programmed to maintain …

Induction Of Ip-10 By Sars-Cov Infection Of Calu-3cells And Balb/C Mice, Y. Kumaki, C. W. Day, K. W. Bailey, M. H. Wong, M. K. Wandersee, R. Madsen, J. S. Madsen, N. M. Nelson, J. D. Hoopes, J. D. Woolcott, Z. T. Mclean, L. M. Blatt, A. M. Salazar, Dale L. Barnard

Animal, Dairy, and Veterinary Science Faculty Publications

Destruction of the architectural and subsequently the functional integrity of the lung following pulmonary viral infections is attributable to both the extent of pathogen replication and to the host-generated inflammation associated with the recruitment of immune responses. The presence of antigenically disparate pulmonary viruses and the emergence of novel viruses assures the recurrence of lung damage with infection and resolution of each primary viral infection. Thus, there is a need to develop safe broad spectrum immunoprophylactic strategies capable of enhancing protective immune responses in the lung but which limits immune-mediated lung damage. The immunoprophylactic strategy described here utilizes a protein …

Development Of A New Tacaribearenavirus Infection Model And Its Use To Explore Antiviral Activity Of A Novelaristeromycin Analog, Brian B. Gowen, M. H. Wong, D. Larson, W. Ye, K. H. Jung, E. J. Sefing, Ramona T. Skirpstunas, Donald F. Smee, John D. Morrey, S. W. Schneller

Animal, Dairy, and Veterinary Science Faculty Publications

Background

A growing number of arenaviruses can cause a devastating viral hemorrhagic fever (VHF) syndrome. They pose a public health threat as emerging viruses and because of their potential use as bioterror agents. All of the highly pathogenic New World arenaviruses (NWA) phylogenetically segregate into clade B and require maximum biosafety containment facilities for their study. Tacaribe virus (TCRV) is a nonpathogenic member of clade B that is closely related to the VHF arenaviruses at the amino acid level. Despite this relatedness, TCRV lacks the ability to antagonize the host interferon (IFN) response, which likely contributes to its inability to …

Aspen Mortality Summit, December 18 And 19, 2006, Salt Lake City, Utah, Dale L. Bartos, Wayne D. Shepperd

Aspen Bibliography

The USDA Forest Service Rocky Mountain Research Station sponsored an aspen sum- mit meeting in Salt Lake City, Utah, on December 18 and19, 2006, to discuss the rapidly increasing mortality of aspen (Populus tremuloides) throughout the western United States. Selected scientists, university faculty, and managers from Federal, State, and non-profit agencies with experience working with aspen were invited. Participants were first asked to share information on recent aspen mortality. Subject matter working groups were then asked to determine factors associated with recent aspen mortality, recommend research needs, and organize those needs into testable questions and hypotheses. This report documents their …

Basal Area Growth For Aspen Suckers Under Simulated Browsing On Cedar Mountain, Southern Utah, Western United States Of America, K Tshireletso, J C. Malechek, D L. Bartos

Aspen Bibliography

The objective of the study was to determine the effects of season and intensity of clipping using simulated browsing on suckers' (Populus tremulaides Michx.) basal area growth on Cedar Mountain, Southern Utah, Western United States of America. Three randomly selected stands measuring 70 m x 70 m were clear-felled in mid-July, 2005, and fenced. Simulated browsing treatments of 0%, 20%, 40%, and 60% removal of current year's growth on aspen suckers were randomly applied in early, mid-, and late summers of2006 and 2007 on permanently demarcated quadrats. Sucker basal area was monitored by measuring basal diameter of individual suckers. These …

Bulldozers And Blueberries: Managing Fence Damage By Bare-Nosed Wombats At The Agricultural–Riparian Interface, Philip Borchard, Ian A. Wright

Human–Wildlife Interactions

Fence damage by bare-nosed wombats (Vombatus ursinus) can be a serious problem for farmers wishing to reduce herbivory by other herbivores on valuable crops. We investigated the effectiveness of exclusion fencing to prevent the incursion of unwanted native and feral herbivores and the use of swinging gates designed to allow wombats to pass through the fence without having to damage it. We also examined the temporal response of animals toward exclusion fencing and wombat gates. The 10-month study took place on the interface between natural riparian vegetation and a 22-ha blueberry (Vaccinium corymbosum) orchard in southeastern …

Bear River Watershed: Its Role In Maintaining The Bear River Migratory Bird Refuge, Richard E. Toth, Thomas J. Edwards Jr, Adam L. Perschon, Danny C. White

Richard E. Toth

No abstract provided.

The Soap Box Wild Horses And Blm Management Issues: What To Do With 30,000 Symbols Of The American West, James T. Smith

Human–Wildlife Interactions

No abstract provided.

European Starling Preferences For Bait Substrates Used In Drc-1339 Applications, H. Jeffrey Homan, George M. Linz, Scott Beckerman, Anthony G. Duffiney, Thomas D. Halstead

Human–Wildlife Interactions

Additional bait substrates for the avicide, DRC-1339 Concentrate (3-chloro-4- methylaniline hydrochloride), could provide USDA/Wildlife Services with more fl exibility when managing nuisance populations of European starlings (Sturnus vulgaris) at livestock facilities. From January 11 to 21, 2008, we conducted 11 2-choice preference tests with 6 bait types at a feedlot in central Kansas. The baits included cracked corn mixed with lard (2 concentrations), 2 forms of distiller’s grain (wet powder and pellets), 2 types of livestock feed (calf-starter pellet and sweet-feed mix), and a custom-produced poultry pellet (carrier pellet) made by USDA specifically for baiting starlings. We evaluated …

Effects Of Aquaculture On Migration And Movement Patterns Of Double-Crested Cormorants, D. Tommy King, Bradley F. Blackwell, Brian S. Dorr, Jerrold L. Belant

Human–Wildlife Interactions

We analyzed 10,620 recovery records for double-crested cormorants (Phalacrocorax auritus) banded as nestlings from 1923 to 2006 to determine the population’s age structure, migration routes, dispersal patterns, and the possible influence of the expansion of the aquaculture industry in the southeastern United States on these population characteristics. Ninety-nine percent of the birds were banded during June to August, and 78% were banded as pre-fledged birds. Cormorants banded in the interior region of the United States comprised 91% of all birds banded from 1955 to 2006; these birds wintered primarily in the Lower Mississippi Valley and the northern Gulf …