Life Sciences Commons^™

2023 Coordinated Spring Survey Of Mid-Continent Sandhill Cranes, Terry Liddick

United States Fish and Wildlife: Staff Publications

The aerial transect portion of the coordinated spring survey of mid-continent Sandhill cranes was conducted on March 22, 2023 in Nebraska’s Central Platte and North Platte River valleys (United States). The 2023 photo-corrected aerial estimate is 1,259,000 birds. Outside the traditional aerial transect portion, observers conducted ground surveys during the period March 20–22. From these regions, observers in the Official Survey Area (OSA) of Nebraska, Kansas, Texas, Oklahoma, and Wyoming reported an additional 25,363 cranes. The 2023 total estimate (1,284,500) increased 43.1% from 2022. The current three-year average (2021–2023 with no photo correction in 2021), based on photo corrected estimates …

2022 Gray Wolf Questions And Answers, United States Fish And Wildlife Service

United States Fish and Wildlife: Staff Publications

2022 Gray Wolf Questions and Answers

What does the February 10, 2022, ruling mean?

How does this ruling affect wolves in the Northern Rocky Mountains?

When does the court decision to vacate the delisting rule go into effect?

What is the legal status of gray wolves as of this ruling?

Is the Service continuing its status review of wolves in the western United States?

Is emergency listing an option for the Northern Rocky Mountain population?

Are wolf hunts going to stop as a result of the court decision?

How does this ruling affect wolves in Yellowstone National Park?

Where can …

Statement Of World Aquatic Scientific Societies On The Need To Take Urgent Action Against Human-Caused Climate Change, Based On Scientific Evidence [Dear Colleague Letter], Scott A. Bonar, Brian R. Murphy, Leanne H. Roulson, Jesse T. Trushenski, Douglas J. Austen, Michael Edward Douglas

United States Fish and Wildlife: Staff Publications

Dear Colleague Letter from the American Fisheries Society to fellow scientific societies, July 25, 2020, about the urgent need for responsive collective action to mitigate impending radical climate change. Includes the Statement of World Aquatic Scientific Societies on the Need to Take Urgent Action Against Human-Caused Climate Change, Based on Scientific Evidence, emphasizing the importance of aquatic ecosystems. Includes extensive citations and notes.

"Water is the most important natural resource on Earth as it is vital for life. Aquatic ecosystems, freshwater or marine, provide multiple benefits to human society, such as provisioning of oxygen, food, drinking water, genetic resources; regulation …

Melanism As A Potential Thermal Benefit In Eastern Fox Squirrels (Sciurus Niger), Amanda K. Ciurej, Ashley Oblander, Andrew W. Swift, James A. Wilson

United States Fish and Wildlife: Staff Publications

Melanistic fox squirrels (Sciurus niger) have expanded westward and increased in frequency in the Omaha, Nebraska, and Council Bluffs, Iowa, metropolitan areas. The selective advantage of melanism is currently unknown, but thermal advantages have been hypothesized, especially in winter. No difference in metabolic response curves were measured between melanistic (black) and rufus (orange) fox squirrels. When exposed to sunny skies, both melanistic and rufus squirrels had higher surface (skin and fur) temperature as ambient temperatures increased. Melanistic squirrel surface temperatures did not differ when squirrels were exposed to sunny or cloudy skies. However, rufus individuals showed significantly lower …

Identifying Priority Conservation Areas For The American Burying Beetle, Nicrophorus Americanus (Coleoptera: Silphidae), A Habitat Generalist, Jessica D. Jurzenski, Christopher F. Jorgensen, Andy Bishop, Roger Grosse, John Riens, W. Wyatt Hoback

United States Fish and Wildlife: Staff Publications

Conservation efforts leading to the recovery of the federally endangered American burying beetle (ABB), Nicrophorus americanus Olivier, have been challenging because of the unknown causes of its decline, difficulty in establishing habitat requirements, and unclear population distribution across the species’ range. Extant populations of this widespread generalist species occur in broadly separated regions of North America with varying habitat characteristics. A habitat suitability model for ABB in the Nebraska Sandhills was developed over the course of 3 years resulting in a final cross-validated spatial model. The succession of models from 2009 to 2011 indicated that most of the predictive variables …

Evaluation Of Grain Distillers Dried Yeast As A Fish Meal Substitute In Practical-Type Diets Of Juvenile Rainbow Trout, Oncorhynchus Mykiss, Blake S. Hauptman, Frederic T. Barrows, Stephanie S. Block, T. Gibson Gaylord, John A. Paterson, Steven D. Rawles, Wendy M. Sealy

United States Fish and Wildlife: Staff Publications

Grain distillers dried yeast (GDDY) is a single-cell protein obtained as a co-product during the production of fuel ethanol thatmay have potential as a protein replacement for rainbowtrout. The goal of this studywas to examine the suitability of GDDY as a replacement for fish meal on a digestible protein basis in rainbow trout diets. An in-vivo digestibility study was performed to determine the nutrient availability of GDDY. Subsequently, a control diet containing 42% digestible protein and 20% lipidwas formulated to replace fish meal proteinwith GDDY protein at eight different levels (0, 25, 37.5, 50, 62.5, 75, 87.5, and 100%). Diets …

Patch Burning: Integrating Fire And Grazing To Promote Heterogeneity, John R. Weir, Samuel D. Fuhlendorf, David M. Engle, Terrence G. Bidwell, D. Chad Cummings, R. Dwayne Elmore, Ryan F. Limb, Brady W. Allred, J. Derek Scasta, Stephen L. Winter

United States Fish and Wildlife: Staff Publications

Heterogeneity refers to the differences in habitats across the landscape, and it is required for diverse plant and wildlife communities. Some heterogeneity is inherent, caused by differences in soils, while most heterogeneity is disturbance driven. Climate, fire, and grazing are the main three disturbance factors that have historically shaped the landscape. All three are still very important to the continued diversity and health of the plants and animals associated with our prairies, shrublands, and forestlands across the Great Plains. While we cannot control the climate, we can manage grazing by stocking rate, season of use, and kind and type of …

La Crosse Fish Health Center Onalaska, Wisconsin

United States Fish and Wildlife: Staff Publications

The La Crosse Fish Health Center (Center) is located in Onalaska, Wisconsin in the southwest corner of the state bordering the Mississippi River. The Center is one of nine fish health laboratories operated by the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service to serve the National Fish Hatchery System. The Center was established in 1962 and moved to its current facilities in 1995. The staff consists of eight permanent w/ 1 vacancy, 4 experience program students, and 2 student volunteers.

As an aquatic animal health laboratory, the Center services include health inspections, diagnostics, training opportunities, and technical information exchange to five Regional …

Jackson National Fish Hatchery Restoring America's Fisheries

United States Fish and Wildlife: Staff Publications

Jackson NFH was originally established in 1950 as part of the Palisades Dam Act. Today, the hatchery’s primary emphasis is producing eggs and fish to mitigate for fish losses from Federal water development projects and for Tribes, States, and research facilities. The 40 acre Jackson NFH station is located on the USFWS National Elk Refuge. The hatchery rears native Snake River cutthroat trout for a distribution area that covers close to 18,000 square miles. The facility is also part of the USFWS National Broodstock Program.

Carterville Fishery Resources Office

United States Fish and Wildlife: Staff Publications

Carterville Fishery Resources Office (FRO) was established in 1981 and is located at the Crab Orchard National Wildlife Refuge in Marion, Illinois. The office provides fishery management assistance to other Fish and Wildlife Service offices, federal and state agencies, and Department of Defense military bases in Illinois, Indiana, Missouri, and Ohio. Carterville FRO accomplishes its mission of conserving, enhancing, and protecting fish and aquatic ecosystems by working with partners.

Carterville FRO, in partnership with the Columbia FRO, assists the 28 states of the Mississippi Interstate Cooperative Resource Association (MICRA) with a basin-wide paddlefish stock assessment. Carterville FRO has operated a …

The 100th Meridian Initiative: A Strategic Approach To Prevent The Westward Spread Of Zebra Mussels And Other Aquatic Nuisance Species, Susan Mangin

United States Fish and Wildlife: Staff Publications

Zebra mussels are prolific alien invaders that have rapidly become
established in waters of the eastern United States and Canada. These
natives of the Black, Caspian, Azov and Aral Sea drainage basins were first
discovered in Lake St. Clair near Detroit, Michigan, in 1988. By 1991, they
had spread throughout the Great Lakes basin and are now established
throughout the Mississippi River basin and are spreading west into
Oklahoma. Except for Oklahoma, zebra mussels have not been detected in
open waters of the West. However, without effective prevention measures,
their invasion into the West is a real and imminent possibility. …

Spatial And Temporal Patterns And The Influence Of Abiotic Factors On Larval Fish Catches In The Lower Niobrara River, Nebraska, Greg A. Wanner, Kristen L. Grohs, Robert A. Klumb

United States Fish and Wildlife: Staff Publications

The Niobrara River has a natural hydrograph and temperature regime with the lower 32 km protected under the National Wild and Scenic River system managed by the National Park Service. The largest threat to this river is decreased instream flows due to water withdrawals for agriculture. The Niobrara River a large tributary to the Missouri River may positively influence fish production. However, no information exists regarding phenology of fish spawning or what abiotic factors may influence spawning. Our objectives were to examine the taxonomic composition and the spatial and temporal patterns of the larval fish assemblage in relation to environmental …

Yellowthroat: Wildlife Management Area

United States Fish and Wildlife: Staff Publications

Yellowthroat Wildlife Management Area (WMA) is managed as part of the National Wildlife Refuge System by the Fort Niobrara / Valentine National Wildlife Refuges complex staff. Yellowthroat WMA is a 480-acre area managed for migratory birds. Our goal is to restore this former cropland to native prairie by using management techniques such as prescribed burning, grazing, weed control, water level manipulations, and planting native grasses. A variety of wildlife can be seen in the wetlands and grasslands, including the yellow-throated warbler for which the place is named.

Alaska Reflections: A Sampler

United States Fish and Wildlife: Staff Publications

Table of Contents:

A Glacier Bird in Retreat
Bridging the Slough
The Great Eider Egg Hunt
Subsistence is for the Birds
Many are Cold, Few were Frozen
Experience is the Best Teacher
Reflecting

Endangered And Threatened Wildlife And Plants; Designation Of Critical Habitat For The Salt Creek Tiger Beetle

United States Fish and Wildlife: Staff Publications

We, the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service (Service/USFWS), designate critical habitat for the Salt Creek tiger beetle (Cicindela nevadica lincolniana) under the Endangered Species Act of 1973, as amended (Act). In total, approximately 1,933 acres (ac) (782 hectares (ha)) located in Lancaster and Saunders Counties, Nebraska, fall within the boundaries of the critical habitat designation.

Assessment Of Selenium And Atrazine Exposure And Effects To Wildlife At The North Platte National Wildlife Refuge, Scottsbluff, Nebraska, Matthew S. Schwarz, Christina D. Lydick

United States Fish and Wildlife: Staff Publications

This study evaluated selenium and atrazine exposure and effects to fish and wildlife at North Platte National Wildlife Refuge (Refuge) in Scotts Bluff County, Nebraska. Atrazine was detected in 2 of 54 water samples and at low concentrations that are not of concern. However, concentrations of selenium and strontium exceeded toxicity guidelines in water, sediment, invertebrates, whole-body fish and wood duck eggs. Concentrations of selenium in water at Refuge sites frequently exceeded a 2 μg/L total recoverable threshold for selenium bioaccumulation and were greatest at Stateline Island (9.7 μg/L) and Little Lake Alice (24 μg/L). In sediments, strontium concentrations were …

Press Release: No Rats Found, Lab Results On Six Bird Tests Received

United States Fish and Wildlife: Staff Publications

The U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service has received laboratory results on an initial group of bird carcasses collected on Rat Island in late May and Early April. Examination of the livers of two bald eagles, two glaucus winged gulls, one peregrine falcon, and one rock sandpiper all tested positive for the rodenticide brodifacoum. We are in the process of analyzing all of the viable bird remains and tissue samples collected, in order to more fully understand the cause of mortalities and more effectively plan future operations in the Aleutians. Results will be released when they are available. In addition, soil …

Reports From Rat Island Reflect Successes And Concerns

United States Fish and Wildlife: Staff Publications

After more than two weeks of intensive field monitoring on Alaska’s remote Rat Island, part of Alaska Maritime National Wildlife Refuge, which was treated last year in an effort to eliminate invasive rats and restore seabird populations and other parts of the native ecosystem, biologists have found no sign of the invasive rats that have decimated native bird populations for more than 200 years. The same studies have documented that several bird species, including Aleutian cackling geese, ptarmigan, peregrine falcons, and black oyster catchers are nesting on the ten-square-mile island.

Effects Of Intense Grazing On Cattails

United States Fish and Wildlife: Staff Publications

The Rainwater Basin Wetland Management District is often asked the question “If your job is to manage for wildlife, why are you grazing the vegetation? There is nothing left for wildlife!”

It is believed that historically, grazing of Rainwater Basin wetlands by large herds, especially during dry conditions was a driving force in keeping wetland vegetation in an early successional state. Likewise, it is commonly observed that the lack of disturbance by animals, fire, or mechanical means will cause wetland vegetation to shift from annual, early successional plants to perennial, late successional plants such as cattail and river bulrush.

Historical …

Birding In The United States: A Demographic And Economic Analysis Addendum To The 2006 National Survey Of Fishing, Hunting, And Wildlife-Associated Recreation

United States Fish and Wildlife: Staff Publications

The following report provides up-todate information so birders and policy
makers can make informed decisions regarding the management of birds and
their habitats. This report identifies who birders are, where they live, how
avid they are, and what kinds of birds they watch. In addition to demographic
information, this report also provides an economic measure of birding. It
estimates how much birders spend on their hobby and the economic impact of these expenditures.

By understanding who birders are, they can be more easily reached and informed about pressures facing birds and bird habitats. Conversely, by knowing who is likely not …

Working With Partners In Montana, Wyoming, Utah, Colorado, North Dakota, South Dakota, Nebraska And Kansas To Conserve Fish And Wildlife Resources

United States Fish and Wildlife: Staff Publications

The Mountain-Prairie Region Fisheries Program (Program) of the U. S. Fish and Wildlife Service (Service) historically has played an important role in conservation and management of fish and other aquatic resources and key wildlife resources on tribal and DOD lands. In 2002, a new national vision was developed entitled Conserving America’s Fisheries, U. S. Fish and Wildlife Service Fisheries Program Vision for the Future. The purpose of this Vision has been to improve the Service’s ability to fulfill its resource conservation and management role and to improve relationships with our partners. That Vision was stepped down regionally into a …

Frequently Asked Questions Rat Island Habitat Restoration Project

United States Fish and Wildlife: Staff Publications

A conservation partnership is restoring the native ecosystem of Rat Island in the Alaska Maritime National Wildlife Refuge by eliminating introduced rats. The ecosystem, especially the bird population, was decimated by the introduction of Norway rats via a shipwreck in the 1780’s. There are virtually no seabirds and few other birds left on Rat Island. Successful rat eradication would restore habitat and allow birds to re-colonize the island. The first step in island restoration, applying rodenticide to the island, was completed in early October. Biological monitoring in the summer of 2009 and 2010 will determine if all the rats have …

Breakfast At The Cockpit Café And Other Innovations In Protected Area Outreach, Christine Baumann Feurt, Ward Feurt

United States Fish and Wildlife: Staff Publications

Fundamental changes in protected area outreach and education strategies are dissolving old boundaries and fostering innovative approaches to civic engagement. The practice of community-based ecosystem management as presented by Meffe et al. (2002) provides an organizing framework blending ecological, institutional and sociocultural perspectives. This framework flows from a definition of ecosystem management that considers sustaining ecosystem structure and processes across spatial and temporal scales in tandem with societal priorities. The decision-making authority in this system, envisioned as collaborative and participatory, can present challenges for traditionally trained protected area managers. This definition views ecosystem management as: . . . an approach …

Molt And Aging Criteria For Four North American Grassland Passerines, Peter Pyle, Stephanie L. Jones, Janet M. Ruth

United States Fish and Wildlife: Staff Publications

Prairie and grassland habitats in central and western North America have declined substantially since settlement by Europeans (Knopf 1994) and many of the birds and other organisms that inhabit North American grasslands have experienced steep declines (Peterjohn and Sauer 1999; Johnson and Igl 1997; Sauer, Hines, and Fallon 2007). The species addressed here, Sprague’s Pipit (Anthus spragueii), Grasshopper (Ammodramus savannarum) and Baird’s (A. bairdii) sparrows, and Chestnut-collared Longspurs (Calcarius ornatus), are grassland birds that are of special conservation concern throughout their ranges due to declining populations and the loss of the specific …

2008 Annual Report: Migratory Bird Conservation Commission

United States Fish and Wildlife: Staff Publications

Table of Contents

The Service’s Legacy of Conserving Migratory Waterfowl Habitat

The Migratory Bird Conservation Commission

The Migratory Bird Conservation Fund

MBCC Approvals for Fiscal Year 2008

MBCF Land Acquisitions for Fiscal Year 2008

National Wildlife Refuge System –– New Area and Boundary Addition Approvals for Fiscal Year 2008

Notes on Tables One and Two

Map – National Migratory Bird Refuges

Table One – National Migratory Bird Areas

Map – Wetland Management Districts

Table Two – National Waterfowl Production Areas

North American Wetlands Conservation Fund Summary of MBCC Approvals for Fiscal Year 2008

Table Three – U.S. Wetlands Conservation Standard …

Birds Of Conservation Concern 2008

United States Fish and Wildlife: Staff Publications

The 1988 amendment to the Fish and Wildlife Conservation Act mandates the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service (USFWS) to “identify species, subspecies, and populations of all migratory nongame birds that, without additional conservation actions, are likely to become candidates for listing under the Endangered Species Act (ESA) of 1973.” Birds of Conservation Concern 2008 (BCC 2008) is the most recent effort to carry out this mandate. The overall goal of this report is to accurately identify the migratory and non-migratory bird species (beyond those already designated as federally threatened or endangered) that represent our highest conservation priorities. The …

Trace Elements And Petroleum Hydrocarbons In The Aquatic Bird Food Chain Of Process Water Evaporation Ponds At The Little America Refinery, Casper, Wyoming, Pedro Ramirez

United States Fish and Wildlife: Staff Publications

This study determined the nature and extent of trace elements, metals, and petroleum hydrocarbons in evaporation ponds used for the disposal of process water from Sinclair Oil Corporation’s LARCO oil refinery in Evansville, Wyoming. This study was conducted to determine if contaminants are causing adverse effects or have the potential to adversely affect aquatic migratory birds inhabiting the evaporation ponds. The discharge of refinery process water into relict dune basins created a series of ponds that provide habitat for 39 species of aquatic migratory birds. Several aquatic bird species nest at the evaporation ponds and the adjacent natural marsh complex. …

Mountain-Prairie Region Fisheries Program Strategic Plan

United States Fish and Wildlife: Staff Publications

This Mountain-Prairie Regional Fisheries Strategic Plan outlines where, within our Federal role, we will focus our efforts. It provides guidance to partners and the public about our priorities, mandates, and opportunities and to Congress and the Administration on future budgeting decisions.

Restoring Wildlife Habitat On Rat Island: Environmental Assessment

United States Fish and Wildlife: Staff Publications

Restoration of natural ecosystem function on Rat Island promises to re-establish native seabirds and other native species, thus returning this wilderness island to a healthy natural community. This restoration cannot occur until the island is cleared of the invasive non-native rats that now dominate the living community.

Introduced non-native species are a leading cause of extinctions in island communities worldwide. Increasingly, land managers are removing introduced species to aid in the restoration of native ecosystems. Rats are responsible for 40-60% of all recorded bird and reptile extinctions worldwide. Given their widespread successful colonization on islands and the resulting impact to …

2006 National Survey Of Fishing, Hunting, And Wildlife-Associated Recreation

United States Fish and Wildlife: Staff Publications

The National Survey of Fishing, Hunting, and Wildlife-Associated Recreation reports results from interviews with U.S. residents about their fishing, hunting, and wildlife watching. This report focuses on 2006 participation and expenditures of persons 16 years of age and older.

However, in addition to 2006 estimates, we also provide trend information in the Highlights section and Appendix C of the report. The 2006 numbers reported can be compared with those in the 1991, 1996, and 2001 Survey reports because they used similar methodologies. However, 2006 estimates should not be directly compared with results from Surveys conducted earlier than 1991 because of …