Life Sciences Commons^™

Operationalizing Resilience For Conservation Objectives: The 4s’S, Clare E. Aslan, Brian Petersen, Aaron B. Shiels, William Haines, Christina T. Lang

United States Department of Agriculture Wildlife Services: Staff Publications

Although resilience thinking is increasingly popular and attractive among restoration practitioners, it carries an abstract quality that hinders effective application. Because resilience and its components are defined differently in social and ecological contexts, individual managers or stakeholders may disagree on the definition of a system’s state, occurrence of a state change, preferred state characteristics, and appropriate methods to achieve success. Nevertheless, incentives and mandates often force managers to demonstrate how their work enhances resilience. Unclear or conflicting definitions can lead to ineffective or even detrimental decision-making in the name of resilience; essentially, any convenient action can be touted as resilience-enhancing …

The Role Of D1/Dda1 And D5/Damb Dopamine Receptors In Ethanol Induced Behavioral Disinhibition, Ivan Mercado

Open Access Theses & Dissertations

Alcohol drinking causes changes in behaviors by acting on various neurotransmitters (e.g. GABA, acetyl choline and glutamate) (Kumar et al., 2009), neuromodulators (e.g. dopamine, and serotonin) (Banerjee, 2014) and ion channels (e.g. Ca2+ and K channels) (Harris and Hood, 1980). Behaviors associated with alcohol consumption include loss of motor coordination, impaired decision-making, altered circadian rhythm, and disinhibited behaviors (NIH-NIAAA, Bethesda, MD). Behavioral disinhibition is defined as having poor judgment and acting in a manner that one would not usually behave (Greenspan and Ferveur, 2000) and commonly caused by substance abuse such as alcohol consumption and cocaine use. Excessive alcohol intake …

Rural Business Development Corporation Annual Report 2018, Department Of Primary Industries And Regional Development, Western Australia

All other publications

In accordance with section 63 of the Financial Management Act 2006, we hereby submit for your information and presentation to Parliament, the annual report of the Rural Business Development Corporation for the reporting period ended 30 June 2018.

The annual report has been prepared in accordance with the provisions of the Financial Management Act 2006 and the Rural Business Development Corporation Act 2000.

A Preliminary Investigation Of Acculturative Stress And Diurnal Cortisol Among Latina Women, Lucas Torres, Felicia Mata-Greve, April L. Harkins

Clinical Lab Sciences Faculty Research and Publications

The interplay between biological and cultural factors has remained understudied among ethnic minority groups, including Latinos. To the best of our knowledge, minimal to no research has examined the relationship between acculturative stressors and diurnal cortisol among Latina women. This initial exploratory study sought to examine the relationship between cortisol and acculturative stress. Among a small sample of adult Latina women, salivary cortisol was collected at 3 time points (waking, 30 min postwaking, and bedtime) to assess the cortisol awakening response (CAR) and diurnal cortisol response. Information regarding acculturative stress and acculturation was also collected. The major results showed that …

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 …

Conclusions, Challenges, And Research Needs, Gary W. Witmer, William C. Pitt, James C. Beasley

United States Department of Agriculture Wildlife Services: Staff Publications

At least 392 species of introduced vertebrate species (excluding fish) occur in the United States and its territories (Witmer and Fuller 2011). Many of these species can be truly considered “invasive,” causing various types of economic, social, and ecological harm. In this book, we have presented examples of many invasive vertebrates in the United States, the impacts they cause, and the methods used to control or eradicate them in various parts of the country.

While progress has been and is being made in the management of invasive vertebrates in the United States, there are still many challenges and issues to …

European Starlings, George M. Linz, Ron J. Johnson, James Thiele

United States Department of Agriculture Wildlife Services: Staff Publications

European starlings (Sturnus vulgaris, Sturnidae) are native to Europe, southwest Asia, and North Africa and have successfully established populations on every continent but Antarctica (Rollins et al. 2009). In 1890 and 1891, a member of the American Acclimatization Society, Eugene Scheiffelin, released 100 starlings into New York City’s Central Park, with the objective of introducing all the birds mentioned in the plays of William Shakespeare to North America (Cabe 1993). He was successful, as 16 pairs survived and reproduced prolifically. Starlings reached the Mississippi River in 1928 and were observed on the West Coast in 1942. In a …

Feral Goats And Sheep, Steven C. Hess, Dirk H. Van Vuren, Gary W. Witmer

United States Department of Agriculture Wildlife Services: Staff Publications

Sheep and goats are among the earliest animals domesticated by mankind (Zeder 2009). Both goats and sheep may have made better candidates for domestication than other animals like deer because they follow a single dominant leader, the herdsman (Geist 1971). They now have a nearly ubiquitous worldwide distribution, and they are among the most abundant of all commensal animals. However, they have also become some of the most widespread invasive feral mammals, particularly on the 100 or more islands throughout the world where they have been introduced, causing severe damage to island ecosystems, in some cases for hundreds of years …

Using Off-The-Shelf Technologies To Mass Manufacture Oral Vaccine Baits For Wildlife, Lucila M. Corro, Daniel W. Tripp, Scott A. Stelting, Michael W. Miller

United States Department of Agriculture Wildlife Services: Staff Publications

Technology and infrastructure costs can limit access to oral vaccination tools for wildlife disease control. We describe vaccine bait mass manufacturing employing off-the-shelf technologies. Our approach has helped advance scaling-up of plague vaccination campaigns, but components of this production system could be translated into other wildlife vaccination applications.

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 …

Ecology Of The Small Indian Mongoose (Herpestes Auropunctatus) In North America, Are R. Berentsen, William C. Pitt, Robert T. Sugihara

United States Department of Agriculture Wildlife Services: Staff Publications

The small Indian mongoose (Herpestes auropunctatus) is a diurnal opportunistic omnivore native to parts of the Middle East, India, and Asia (Corbet and Hill 1992; Lekagul and McNeely 1977; Veron et al. 2007). Much of what is known about the species comes from records of populations where they were introduced to control rodents on sugarcane plantations (predominantly the Caribbean Islands and Hawaii) rather than their native range (Horst et al. 2001). In published research, the introduced mongoose is alternately, and often synonymously, identied as H. auropunctatus or H. javanicus. However, research by Veron et al. (2007) suggests …

Comparison Of Mixing Methods And Associated Residual Levels Of Zinc Phosphide On Cabbage Bait For Rodent Management, Roger A. Baldwin, Benjamin G. Abbo, David A. Goldade

United States Department of Agriculture Wildlife Services: Staff Publications

Zinc phosphide is a toxicant that is used extensively for rodent management throughout many parts of the world. Some rodent species, such as Belding's ground squirrels (Urocitellus beldingi Merriam, 1888), often avoid zinc phosphide grain baits, leaving green vegetation such as cabbage as the only viable carrier for rodenticides. However, to date, ambiguity has existed as to the most appropriate mixing strategy for zinc phosphide-coated cabbage baits, and it is unknown how rapidly zinc phosphide degrades on these green carriers. Following laboratory and field-enclosure trials, we detected no significant difference in mean zinc phosphide concentrations or variability in zinc …

Monk And Rose-Ringed Parakeets, Michael L. Avery, Aaron B. Shiels

United States Department of Agriculture Wildlife Services: Staff Publications

Worldwide, there are about 350 species of parrots and parakeets (order: Psittaciformes). According to the analyses of Cassey et al. (2004), 54 of these species have been introduced to areas outside their native ranges, and 38 species have become established in the nonnative range. Humans exhibit ambivalent feelings toward parrots and parakeets. Many of these birds are strikingly beautiful and highly prized as companion animals, while others are banned because of potential agricultural damage or competition with native species. Many parrot species are afforded special protection because they are endangered in their native habitats, but often these same species are …

It Takes Two: Evidence For Reduced Sexual Conflict Over Parental Care In A Biparental Canid, Christopher J. Schell, Julie K. Young, Elizabeth V. Lonsdorf, Jill M. Mateo, Rachel M. Santymire

United States Department of Agriculture Wildlife Services: Staff Publications

In biparental systems, sexual conflict over parental investment predicts that the parent providing care experiences greater reproductive costs. This inequality in parental contribution is reduced when offspring survival is dependent on biparental care. However, this idea has received little empirical attention. Here, we determined whether mothers and fathers differed in their contribution to care in a captive population of coyotes (Canis latrans). We performed parental care assays on 8 (n = 8 males, 8 females) mated pairs repeatedly over a 10-week period (i.e., 5–15 weeks of litter age) when pairs were first-time breeders (2011), and again as experienced …

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 …

Antibody Evidence Of Porcine Reproductive And Respiratory Syndrome Virus Detected In Sera Collected From Feral Swine (Sus Scrofa) Across The United States, Kerri Pedersen, Ryan S. Miller, Anthony R. Mustante, Timonthy S. White, James D. Freye Ii, Thomas Gidlewski

United States Department of Agriculture Wildlife Services: Staff Publications

Feral swine sera from across the United States were tested for antibodies to porcine reproductive and respiratory syndrome virus. Antibodies to the virus were detected in 1.2% (68 of 5506) of the samples tested, suggesting that feral swine are unlikely to be an important source of spillback into domestic swine.

Evidencia de anticuerpos contra el virus del síndrome reproductivo y respiratorio porcino detectado en sueros de cerdos silvestres (Sus scrofa) a lo largo de los Estados Unidos

Présence d’anticorps contre le virus du syndrome reproducteur et respiratoire porcin dans des échantillons de sérum prélevés de porcs sauvages ( …

Growth Dynamics Of Black Spruce (Picea Mariana) Across Northwestern North America, Anastasia E. Sniderhan

Theses and Dissertations (Comprehensive)

The impacts of climate change have been widely documented around the world. One of the most rapidly changing areas is the boreal forest of North America. The extent of change has been such that there have been shifts in long-standing climate-growth relationships in many boreal tree species; while the growth of many of these high-latitude forests were formerly limited by temperature, warming has increased the evapotranspirative demands such that there is widespread drought stress limiting productivity in the boreal forest. With the importance of the boreal forest as a global carbon sink, it is imperative to understand the extent of …

Molecular Characterization Of The Mummichog (Fundulus Heteroclitus) Ovarian Steroidogenic Pathway And Implications For Exogenous Estrogen Effects During Follicular Development, Thiviya Kanagasabesan

Theses and Dissertations (Comprehensive)

This study investigated ovarian development in Fundulus heteroclitus (mummichog), through molecular characterization of key mediators in the ovarian steroidogenic pathway; these included ovarian StAR (steroidogenic acute regulatory protein), cytochrome P450 enzymes, estrogen receptors (ERα, ERβ1 and ERβ2), and gonadotropin receptors (FSHr and LHr); additionally, hepatic vitellogenin (VTG1) and ERs, and brain P450 aromatase (P450arom; CYP19b) were studied. Fish were staged into cortical alveolus, vitellogenic, early mature, late mature, and ovulating stages of maturation; blood (plasma), ovary (tissue and isolated ovarian follicles per stage), liver, and brains were collected. Testosterone (T), 17β-estradiol (E₂) and maturation inducing steroid (MIS), measured …

Testing The Network Reset Hypothesis: Noradrenergic Modulation Of Hippocampal Representations, Stephanie L. Grella

Theses and Dissertations (Comprehensive)

The locus coeruleus (LC) responds to salience cues, including novelty, and sends a major noradrenergic projection to the hippocampal formation (HF). Novelty-associated LC activation may help to sculpt contextual representations in the HF, but modulatory influence of norepinephrine (NE) over HF representations remains poorly understood. One possible mechanism is that NE provides a “reset” signal causing the HF to recruit distinct neural populations, thereby providing a molecular switch to dictate if hippocampal circuits should generate new representations or update existing ones to incorporate novel information. This hypothesis suggests that NE release should cause the HF to recruit a unique population …

Evidence For Extra-Gastric Expression Of The Proton Pump H+/K+ -Atpase In The Gills And Kidney Of The Teleost Oreochromis Niloticus, Ebtesam Barnawi

Theses and Dissertations (Comprehensive)

It is well known that stomach acid secretion by oxynticopeptic cells of the gastric mucosa is accomplished by the H⁺/ K⁺-ATPase (HKA), which is comprised of the HKα1 (gene: atp4a) and HKβ (gene: atp4b) subunits. However, the role of the HKA in extra-gastric organs such as the gill and kidney is less clear especially in fishes. This pump may contribute to active ion and/or acid-base regulation either through direct ion transport or through secondary transport proteins against unfavorable concentration gradients via the energy derived from ATP hydrolysis. In the present work I have demonstrated …

Drivers Of Post-Fire Vascular Plant Regeneration In The Conifer-Dominated Boreal Forest Of Southern Northwest Territories, Alison White

Theses and Dissertations (Comprehensive)

In recent years, climate warming has led to an increase in the severity and frequency of naturally occurring fires in boreal ecosystems globally. In 2014, an unprecedented 3.4 million hectares of boreal forest burned in the Northwest Territories (NWT). While much research has focused on post-fire succession of serotinous tree species such as Picea mariana (black spruce) and Pinus banksiana (jack pine), the understory community of vascular plants play an important role in ecosystem functioning but less is known about the response of this component of the system to changing fire regimes. Regeneration strategies such as the ability to resprout …

Relationships Between Factors Influencing Biofilm Formation And Pathogen Retention In Complex Rhizosphere Microbial Communities, Aaron Coristine

Theses and Dissertations (Comprehensive)

Riparian wetlands are unique habitats facilitating all forms of life. The riverbanks of these environments provide ideal conditions for bacteria, plants, and higher organisms. Of particular interest to this research was the variation in microbial community structure at high, intermediate and poor water quality impacted areas. Assessing the capabilities of plants to retain microbial pathogens was identified. Root systems and corresponding soil are ideal locations for bacterial deposition, resulting in attachment at these areas. Biofilm production in these regions is important for long-term establishment, leading to persistence and potential naturalization. Opportunistic pathogens originating from mammalian fecal matter are introduced into …

The Sidewalk Problem: An Examination Of The Avoidance Behaviours Employed During A Head-On Collision Course With An Approaching Person, Lana M. Pfaff

Theses and Dissertations (Comprehensive)

Individuals use visual information in order to guide their avoidance behaviours. More specifically, individuals may directly perceive the time prior to colliding with an approaching obstacle (i.e., time to contact, TTC) in order to determine when to avoid. However, if the path of the approaching obstacle is highly predictable, individuals do not use a consistent TTC (Cinelli & Patla, 2007). Additionally, individuals use body- and action-scaled information to control their movements (Fajen, 2013). These avoidance behaviours differ when avoiding a human obstacle compared to an inanimate object (Hackney, Cinelli, & Frank, 2015; Knowles, Kreuser, Haas, Hyde, & Schuchart, 1976). As …

Spatial Modelling And Wildlife Health Surveillance: A Case Study Of White Nose Syndrome In Ontario, Lauren Yee

Theses and Dissertations (Comprehensive)

Wildlife data is often limited by survey effort, small sample sizes, and spatial biases associated with collection and missing data. These factors can create unique challenges from a surveillance perspective when trying to extract spatial patterns of habitat suitability and disease distributions for conservation and management purposes. This thesis examined data quality from a wildlife health database in the context of spatial analysis of wildlife disease. Spatial analysis of the data to predict habitat suitability of bats and white nose syndrome afflicted bats was examined by using the MaxEnt modelling method. Methods to reduce spatial bias were examined and specific …

The Influence Of Physiological And Abiotic Factors On The Sensitivity Of The Sea Lamprey (Petromyzon Marinus) To The Lampricide 3-Trifluoromethyl-4-Nitrophenol (Tfm), Alexandra Muhametsafina

Theses and Dissertations (Comprehensive)

Invasive sea lamprey (Petromyzon marinus) in the Great Lakes are controlled using the pesticide (lampricide) 3-trifluoromethyl-4-nitrophenol (TFM), which is applied to nursery streams containing larval lamprey. The toxicity of TFM to lamprey is affected by various environmental and physiological factors, which can lead to residual lamprey that survive TFM treatment. The goal of this study was to investigate how abiotic (season and temperature) factors interacted with physiological parameters (whole body and tissue energy reserves) to influence TFM sensitivity in sea lamprey. Toxicity tests were conducted at different times of the year (spring, early and late summer, fall) and …

The Influence Of Water Chemistry And Gill Physiology On The Uptake Of The Lampricide Tfm By Lake Sturgeon (Acipenser Fulvescens), Scott Leslie James Hepditch

Theses and Dissertations (Comprehensive)

Application of 3-trifluoromethyl-4-nitrophenol (TFM) to control invasive sea lamprey (Petromyzon marinus) within the Laurentian Great Lakes seldom causes non-target mortality. However, under certain conditions, TFM can harm species such as the lake sturgeon (Acipenser fulvescens). Lake sturgeon less than 100mm in length are particularly vulnerable to TFM-induced mortality, and are more sensitive to TFM toxicity with increasing water alkalinity as compared to sea lamprey. The objectives of this study were to evaluate the influence of pH and alkalinity on the uptake of TFM by juvenile sturgeon using radio-labeled TFM (¹⁴C-TFM). An additional objective was …

Distribution And Stability Of The Lampricide 3-Trifluoromethyl-4-Nitrophenol (Tfm) In Non-Target Rainbow Trout (Oncorhynchus Mykiss) And White Sucker (Catostomus Commersonii), Darren Foubister

Theses and Dissertations (Comprehensive)

The lampricide 3-trifluoromethyl-4-nitrophenol (TFM) is applied to tributaries of the Great Lakes to control invasive sea lampreys (Petromyzon marinus). Although TFM is selectively toxic to larval sea lampreys, non-target mortality can occur during lampricide treatments. It is important to know whether or not TFM played a role in the death of these fishes, and the most direct means to do this is using forensic science principles. The objectives of this study were to: (i) determine the acute toxicity of TFM to the non-target fishes, rainbow trout (Oncorhynchus mykiss) and white sucker (Catostomus commersonii), and how the lampricide is …

Forensic Markers Of Lampricide Toxicity In Oncorhynchsus Mykiss, Chris White

Theses and Dissertations (Comprehensive)

The lampricide 3-trifluoromethyl-4-nitrophenol (TFM) has been used for decades to control invasive sea lamprey (Petromyzon marinus) populations in the Great Lakes, normally with little harm to other fish populations. However, due to the nature of lampricide treatments and the chemical properties of TFM, adverse effects to non-target fishes and non-target mortality occasionally occur. However, investigations of non-target mortality can be complex, particularly if fish deaths are not noticed immediately, due to decomposition of the carcasses. The objectives of this thesis were to expose rainbow trout (Oncorhynchsus mykiss) to TFM in order to: (i) identify forensic markers …

Exploring The Relationship Between Group Cohesion And Compassion In Varsity Athletes, Theo Chu

Theses and Dissertations (Comprehensive)

Compassion is a prosocial behaviour characterized by kindness and a non-judgmental attitude to reduce one’s suffering. Typically, it is thought of as a behaviour we express outwardly to others, but compassion can also be directed internally toward ourselves. This is known as self-compassion. The benefits of having compassion for other people have been largely studied in employment settings and everyday life behaviours. Moreover, research has shown self-compassion is also related to many positive outcomes. Compared to compassion for others, self-compassion has been studied in sport, however it is still in its infancy. Although research has demonstrated the importance of both …