Animal Sciences Commons^™

A Life Cycle Analysis Of Land Use In Us Pork Production, Greg Thoma, Marty Matlock, Ben Putman, Jasmina Burek

Food Systems

The goal of this study was to analyze land use in the production of US pork using Life Cycle Assessment (LCA). LCA is a comprehensive methodology for quantitatively analyzing potential environmental impacts associated with complex systems. Identification of processes contributing to high environmental impacts often highlights opportunities for gains in efficiency, which can increase the profitability and sustainability of US pork. The environmental impact category analyzed in this assessment was land use. After reviewing existing information regarding land use in agriculture and livestock production, analysis for US pork production was performed at two scales: cradle-to-grave and cradle-to-farm gate. The cradle-to-grave …

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

Nebraska Cooperative Fish and Wildlife Research Unit: Staff Publications

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

Disease Will Limit Future Food Supply From The Global Crustacean Fishery And Aquaculture Sectors, G. Stentiford, D. Neil, E. Peeler, J. Shields, H. Small, T. Flegel, J. Vlak, B. Jones, F. Morado, S. Moss, J. Lotz, Lyric Bartholomay, D. Behringer, C. Hauton, D. Lightner

Lyric Bartholomay

Seafood is a highly traded food commodity. Farmed and captured crustaceans contribute a significant proportion with annual production exceeding 10 M metric tonnes with first sale value of $40bn. The sector is dominated by farmed tropical marine shrimp, the fastest growing sector of the global aquaculture industry. It is significant in supporting rural livelihoods and alleviating poverty in producing nations within Asia and Latin America while forming an increasing contribution to aquatic food supply in more developed countries. Nations with marine borders often also support important marine fisheries for crustaceans that are regionally traded as live animals and commodity products. …

Longevity Of Mineral Supplements Within The Soil And Associated Use By White-Tailed Deer, Brian C. Peterson, Keith D. Koupal, Andrew K. Schissel, Cody M. Siegel

Transactions of the Nebraska Academy of Sciences and Affiliated Societies

Humans have baited wildlife such as white-tailed deer (Odocoileus virginianus) for generations with the primary purpose of increasing hunting harvest success. Baiting regulation changes are often considered by state management agencies as they pertain to hunting opportunity, fair chase, and disease risk. Cervids require a variety of minerals to supplement biological processes, especially sodium (Na), calcium (Ca), and phosphorus (P). We developed artificial mineral supplement sites set in front of trail cameras to monitor deer use. Pooled soil samples were collected at mineral sites and compared to the surrounding area to determine the longevity of elevated minerals levels …

Occupancy Analysis And Density Estimation Of Kori Bustards (Ardeotis Kori) And Helmeted Guineafowl (Numida Meleagris) For Use In Landscape Conservation Planning In The Northern Tuli Game Reserve, Botswana, Kathryn R. Mccollum

School of Natural Resources: Dissertations, Theses, and Student Research

For understudied species, more informed conservation planning and decision-making on both the local and landscape levels may be attained through the use of occupancy and abundance estimations. Here, we focus on two iconic bird species in eastern Botswana, kori bustards (Ardeotis kori) and helmeted guineafowl (Numida meleagris). The overall goal of this project was to better understand the hierarchy of factors that influence occupancy (ψ) and density of kori bustard and helmeted guineafowl populations within the Northern Tuli Game Reserve and how these factors may interact to affect landscape conservation and usage. We performed distance sampling …

Effects Of Wind Turbine Noise On Male Greater Prairie-Chicken Vocalizations And Chorus, Cara E. Whalen

School of Natural Resources: Dissertations, Theses, and Student Research

Wind energy facilities are constructed without full knowledge of their effects on birds, and the noise generated by wind turbines is a particular concern. I investigated the effects of wind turbine noise on male Greater Prairie-Chicken (Tympanuchus cupido pinnatus) vocalizations and chorus near Ainsworth, NE, USA in 2013 and 2014. I studied 14 leks located in the area surrounding a 36-turbine wind energy facility. I used two main approaches in this study. First, I recorded Greater Prairie-Chicken boom, cackle, whine, and whoop vocalizations at each of the study leks and measured the duration, sound pressure level, peak frequency, …

Determination Of Dispersal Patterns And Characterization Of Important Habitats For Lake Sturgeon Restoration In The Upper Tennessee River System, Christina Grace Saidak

Masters Theses

Lake Sturgeon, Acipenser fulvescens, are one of the slowest to reach sexual maturity and longest-lived freshwater fish species in North America. These fish are a species of special concern by the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, a vulnerable species by the American Fisheries Society (Jelks et al. 2008), and a threatened species in Tennessee (Chiasson et al. 1997; Williams et al. 1989). They have been reintroduced into the Upper Tennessee River system since 2000.

Since December 2013, 49 Lake Sturgeon have been implanted with ultrasonic acoustic transmitters, and 26 fixed-station receivers installed throughout the Upper Tennessee River System to …

West Coast Deep Sea Crustacean Managed Fishery, Jason R. How, F J. Webster, K. L. Travaille, Kim Nardi, A. V. Harry

WA Marine Stewardship Council report series

This report provides a comprehensive description of the West Coast Deep Sea Crustacean Managed Fishery (WCDSCMF) and contains information relevant to assist the assessment of this fishery against the Marine Stewardship Council (MSC) standard (v1.3) for sustainable fishing.

Seismic Surveys And Marine Turtles: An Underestimated Global Threat?, Sarah E. Nelms, Wendy Dow Piniak, Caroline R. Weir, Brendan J. Godley

Environmental Studies Faculty Publications

Seismic surveys are widely used in marine geophysical oil and gas exploration, employing airguns to produce sound-waves capable of penetrating the sea floor. In recent years, concerns have been raised over the biological impacts of this activity, particularly for marine mammals. While exploration occurs in the waters of at least fifty countries where marine turtles are present, the degree of threat posed by seismic surveys is almost entirely unknown. To investigate this issue, a mixed-methods approach involving a systematic review, policy comparison and stakeholder analysis was employed and recommendations for future research were identified. This study found that turtles have …

West Coast Estuarine Managed Fishery (Area 2: Peel-Harvey Estuary) & Peel-Harvey Estuary Blue Swimmer Crab Recreational Fishery, Danielle Johnston, K. A. Smith, J. I. Brown, K. L. Travaille, Fiona Crowe, R. K. Oliver, E. A. Fisher

WA Marine Stewardship Council report series

This report provides a comprehensive description of the West Coast Estuarine Managed Fishery (WCEMF) Area 2 (Peel-Harvey Estuary) and the Peel-Harvey Estuary Blue Swimmer Crab Recreational Fishery in Western Australia and contains information relevant to assist with the assessment of these fisheries against the Marine Stewardship Council (MSC) standard (v1.3) for sustainable fishing.

Re-Emergence Of The Harmful Algal Bloom Species Alexandrium Monilatum In The Chesapeake Bay: Assessing Bloom Dynamics And Potential Health Impacts, Sarah K.D. Pease, Kimberly S. Reece, Wolfgang K. Vogelbein

Presentations

Effective management of harmful algal blooms (HABs) within a region requires an understanding of species-specific HAB spatial and temporal distributions, bloom dynamics, as well as potential health impacts. In 2007, the southern Chesapeake Bay witnessed its first blooms of the HAB species Alexandrium monilatum. Since then, A. monilatum has bloomed in the region almost annually. A. monilatum produces the toxin ‘goniodomin A’ and is suspected in local mass mortalities of oyster larvae (Crassostrea virginica) grown for aquaculture and restoration projects. Representatives from Virginia’s multimillion dollar oyster aquaculture industry recently expressed great concern over A. monilatum impacts to their businesses; field …

Effects Of Commercial Clam Aquaculture On Biogeochemical Cycling In Shallow Coastal Ecosystems, Annie E. Murphy, Iris C. Anderson, Mark W. Luckenbach

Presentations

The bivalve aquaculture industry is expanding worldwide; sustainability requires improved understanding of its interactions with the environment. As suspension feeders, bivalves, such as clams, reduce primary production through feeding, and thus dampen eutrophication. Additionally, enhanced rates of denitrification, the microbial removal of reactive nitrogen, have been reported in bivalve sediments due to increased organic matter supply through biodeposition; another potential, yet indirect, control on eutrophication. Simultaneously, bivalves can influence local ‘bottom-up’ effects on production by enhancing nutrient regeneration through excretion and microbial mineralization of biodeposits. At clam aquaculture sediments, respiration and nutrient regeneration rates were significantly higher compared to uncultivated …

Quantifying Finfish And Blue Crab Use Of Created Oyster Reefs In The Lower Chesapeake Bay, Bruce W. Pfirrmann, Rochelle D. Seitz

Presentations

Structurally complex reefs created by the eastern oyster Crassostrea virginica provide a host of ecosystem services yet have experienced significant declines, prompting extensive restoration efforts. We investigate the use of created oyster reefs in the lower Bay by mobile finfish and blue crabs with field surveys and diet analysis. The results of this study provide insight into how restoration activities influence estuarine community dynamics and the provision of ecosystem services.

Structural Complexity And Location Affect The Habitat Value Of Restored Oyster Reefs, Melissa Karp, Rochelle Seitz

Presentations

Oyster reefs provide a suite of valuable ecosystem services, such as water filtration, nitrogen sequestration, and provision of habitat and foraging grounds. The global decline of these habitats has had negative economic and ecological impacts to coastal waters worldwide. In the Chesapeake Bay, < 1% of the historic oyster population remains and efforts to restore oyster populations and the services they provide have been increasing. Building reefs that successfully provide specific ecosystem services may require different techniques then previously used, and success may depend on reef morphology, location, and environmental conditions. Settling trays were embedded into previously restored oyster reefs that varied in their structural complexity (rugosity) in multiple rivers in the lower Chesapeake Bay. Trays were collected after 7-weeks, sorted, and species identified and weighed (ash-free dry weight) to obtain species diversity, abundance, and biomass. Species composition data was analyzed using nMDS plots, which showed that salinity was an important driver of differences in species composition. Results of an ANOVA analysis found that species diversity was significantly greater on reefs in the high-salinity rivers compared to reefs in low-salinity rivers. Total organism abundance and biomass were positively correlated with reef structural complexity measures, such as rugosity, oyster clump volume, and oyster biomass. These results suggest that more complex oyster reefs in higher salinity locations may support more diverse and productive benthic communities. This study provides insight into the driving factors that structure oyster reef communities and has important implications for oyster reef restoration design and management.

The Relationship Between Reproduction And Mortality In Triploid Crassostrea Virginica: A Matter Of Economic Importance, Joseph L. Matt, Standish K. Allen

Presentations

The goal of this project is to maximize survival for commercially produced triploid Crassostrea virginica oysters in Virginia. Over the last few years, commercial oyster growers in Virginia have reported significant mortality events of triploid oysters during the spring and summer months. The summer of 2014 was the worst yet, as growers across the state reported summer mortality, most severe on the Eastern shore and in some cases as high as 85% of the crop (Karen Hudson, personal communication). Surviving oysters from some of these mortality events were sent to the Virginia Institute of Marine Science and several of the …

Characteristics Of Geoffroy’S Tamarin (Saguinus Geoffroyi) Population, Demographics, And Territory Sizes In Urban Park Habitat (Parque Natural Metropolitano, Panama City, Panama), Caitlin Mcnaughton

Independent Study Project (ISP) Collection

Metropolitan parks are an important refuge for wildlife in developed areas. In the tropics, land conversion threatens rainforest habitat that holds some of the highest levels of biodiversity in the world. This study aims to investigate the characteristics of Geoffroy’s tamarin (Saguinus geoffroyi) population, demographics, and territory size in a highly urbanized forest habitat (Parque Natural Metropolitano (PNM), Panama City, Republic of Panamá). Studies of animal response to modified habitats are important as development continues worldwide. S. geoffroyi is an ideal species to study for this purpose due to the species’ tolerance to habitat disturbance. This particular park is …

Frog Diversity And Population Trends In Andasibe, Madagascar, Ryan Herman Herman, Alexandra Ulin

Independent Study Project (ISP) Collection

Facing immediate threats such as habitat loss, emerging infectious diseases, and climate change, the frog populations of the Madagascar rainforest, one of the richest amphibian diversity hotspots in the world, are an important focus for monitoring programs. This study focused on assessing the general diversity, key species population trends, and monitoring effectiveness of the Analamazaotra Forest Station’s amphibian community, a population of over forty species within Andasibe, Madagascar. Building on a long-term monitoring program that began in 2012, visual encounter surveys were conducted over a two-week period in November 2015 along the edge and within the interior of the forest …

Evaluating Recruitment Of American Eel, Anguilla Rostrata, In The Potomac River (Spring 2015), Troy D. Tuckey, Mary C. Fabrizio

Reports

The Atlantic States Marine Fisheries Commission (ASMFC) adopted the Interstate Fishery Management Plan (FMP) for the American Eel in November 1999. The FMP focuses on increasing coastal states’ efforts to collect American Eel data through both fishery‐dependent and fishery‐independent studies. Consequently, member jurisdictions agreed to implement an annual survey for young‐of‐year (YOY) American Eels. The survey is intended to “…characterize trends in annual recruitment of the YOY eels over time [to produce a] qualitative appraisal of the annual recruitment of American Eel to the U.S. Atlantic Coast” (ASMFC 2000). The development of these surveys began in 2000 with full implementation …

Forecasting The Big Picture: Arctic Ecosystems, Climate Change, Shipping & Fisheries, Mary S. Wisz

ShipArc 2015 Conference

No abstract provided.

Wildlife Of The Gold Coast Wetlands, Shelley Burgin, Daryl Mcphee

Daryl McPhee

Extract: Water in the landscape of the Gold Coast is dominated by marine and marine-influenced systems. The most obvious are the in-shore waters abutting the Gold Coast's world-famous beaches and estuaries. Little more than a glance at a map of the city also reveals the extensive canal estates built to take advantage of the marine waters, and indeed expand them. The waters of the rivers mix with the ocean's waters in the estuaries. These ecosystems are valuable nursery areas for marine wildlife, particularly, but not restricted to, fishes of commercial and recreational value.

Marine Environments Of The Gold Coast: Out With The Old, In With The New, Daryl Mcphee

Daryl McPhee

Extract: The marine environments of the Gold Coast comprise one of the most highly modified and heavily utilised waterways in Australia. Chapters 2 and 3 discussed changes in the historic land use patterns. Just what has this meant to the marine environments of the Gold Coast? In this chapter the contemporary marine h abitats of the Gold Coast are described, along with the fauna that those habitats support. We talk about how the current status of the habitats compares with various historical points in time, and the role of novel habitats. Given the impor tance of recreational fishing to both …

The Evolution Of Environmental Management As A Profession In Australia And New Zealand, E. Anderson, W. Haylock, Tor Hundloe, S. Molesworth, M. Morris, J. Roper-Lindsay, P. Skelton, J. Womersley

Tor Hundloe

Environmental management is a relatively new profession, having evolved since the rapid worldwide rise in environmental consciousness in the 1960s. This article, by past presidents of the Environment Institute of Australia and New Zealand, the inaugural editor of the Australasian Journal of Environmental Management, and collaborators, reflects on the establishment and development of environmental management as a profession, and the parallel development of the Institute as the focus for the profession. It concludes by considering future directions for the profession and Institute.

Shark Bay Prawn Managed Fishery, M. I. Kangas, E. C. Sporer, S. A. Hesp, K. L. Travaille, S. J. Brand-Gardner, P. Cavalli, A. V. Harry

WA Marine Stewardship Council report series

This report provides a comprehensive description of the Shark Bay Prawn Managed Fishery (SBPMF) and contains information relevant to assist the assessment of this fishery against the Marine Stewardship Council (MSC) standard (v1.3) for sustainable fishing. The SBPMF is located in Shark Bay, Western Australia and uses demersal otter trawl gear to predominantly target brown tiger prawns (Penaeus esculentus) and western king prawns (Penaeus latisulcatus).

Sustaining The Saco Estuary: Final Report 2015, Christine B. Feurt Ph D, Pamela A. Morgan, Mark D. O. Adams, Anna L. Bass, Carrie J. Byron, Michael C. Daley, Michael O. Esty, Noah G. Perlut, Kayla Smith, Tyler Spillane, Michelle M. Steen-Adams, James Sulikowski, Stephan I. Zeeman, Jacob Aman, Michele Dionne, Jeremy Miller, Kristin Wilson

Environmental Studies Faculty Publications

This study focuses on the Saco estuary, the tidal portion of the Saco River, which drains the largest watershed in southern Maine. With headwaters in the White Mountains of New Hampshire, the watershed encompasses more than 4,400 km², and provides clean healthy drinking water to over 100,000 people living and working in communities in southern Maine.

When the study began in 2009, very little was known about the ecology of the Saco estuary. Researchers at the University of New England and the Wells National Estuarine Research Reserve employed the process of collaborative learning to bring together people who …

Neurobehavioral And Gene Expression Effects Of Early Embryonic Methylmercury Exposure In Yellow Perch (Perca Flavescens) And Zebrafish (Danio Rerio) Larvae, Francisco Xavier Mora Zamorano

Theses and Dissertations

Methylmercury (MeHg) is a pervasive and persistent neurotoxic environmental pollutant known to affect the behavior of fish, birds and mammals. The present study addresses the neurobehavioral and gene expression effects of MeHg in yellow perch (Perca flavescens) and zebrafish (Danio rerio) embryos. The rationale for this study originated from an interest to understand the behavioral and molecular phenotypes of environmental MeHg exposure in the yellow perch, an ecologically and economically relevant species of the North American Great Lakes region. Both MeHg and the yellow perch coexist in a common ecosystem: the North American Great Lakes. However, the effects of this …

Exmouth Gulf Prawn Managed Fishery, M. I. Kangas, E. C. Sporer, S. A. Hesp, K. L. Travaille, N. Moore, P. Cavalli, E. A. Fisher

WA Marine Stewardship Council report series

This report provides a comprehensive description of the Exmouth Gulf Prawn Managed Fishery (EGPMF) in Western Australia and contains information relevant to assist the assessment of this fishery against the Marine Stewardship Council (MSC) standard (v1.3) for sustainable fishing. The EGPMF uses demersal otter trawl gear to target predominantly brown tiger prawns (Penaeus esculentus) and western king prawns (Penaeus latisulcatus).

Parent-Offspring Resemblance In Colony-Specific Adult Survival Of Cliff Swallows, Charles R. Brown, Erin A. Roche, Mary Bomberger Brown

School of Natural Resources: Faculty Publications

Survival is a key component of fitness. Species that occupy discrete breeding colonies with different characteristics are often exposed to varying costs and benefits associated with group size or environmental conditions, and survival is an integrative net measure of these effects. We investigated the extent to which survival probability of adult (≥ 1-year old) cliff swallows (Petrochelidon pyrrhonota) occupying different colonies resembled that of their parental cohort and thus whether the natal colony had long-term effects on individuals. Individuals were cross-fostered between colonies soon after hatching and their presence as breeders monitored at colonies in the western Nebraska …

Grass Finishing Systems For Lambs, Erin Leigh Smyth

Graduate Theses and Dissertations

There is strong interest in sustainably produced meat. Grass-fed lamb could fulfill this market by reducing off-farm inputs. The objective was to examine the effect of grass-finishing or minimal supplementation on performance of lambs in the southeastern US. Katahdin lambs born in October 2013 and 2014 and February 2014 were weaned in January 2014/2015 and May 2014, respectively. Lambs were blocked by gender (fall; winter included only ram lambs) and randomly assigned to receive no (NON) or grain co-product supplement (SUP; 15% CP) at 0.5% of BW/d. Lambs were rotationally grazed on predominantly grass. Body weight, fecal egg counts (FEC), …

Life Cycle Assessment Of Alternative Swine Management Practices, Prathamesh Avadhut Bandekar

Graduate Theses and Dissertations

Life Cycle Assessments (LCAs) are quantitative analyses of complex systems for evaluation of impacts and risk associated with management decisions. LCAs can be effective tools for determining comparative advantages of management strategies across specific impact concern. In this study, life cycle assessments of pork production management alternatives was performed. The alternative management practices included in this study were production of entire males (boars), use of pens for gestation housing, immunocastration, production without growth promoting antimicrobials, production without growth promoting and preventive antimicrobials, and production without ractopamine. These LCAs evaluated the impact of each management strategy on greenhouse gas emission (GHG), …

A Cradle To Farm Gate Life Cycle Analysis Of Land Use In U.S. Pork Production, William Benjamin Putman

Graduate Theses and Dissertations

The goal of this study was to conduct a detailed Life Cycle Assessment (LCA) of the U.S. live swine production supply chain to quantify land use requirements and to assess the impact associated with various ration compositions. The functional unit was defined as one kilogram (2.2 pounds) of live swine at the farm gate, ready for transport to the abattoir. This assessment focused on the three highest producing USDA regions, which encompassed the Midwest (Regions 5 and 7) and the Southeast (Region 4), representing 86% of U.S. market hog production.

First, a literature review was conducted to summarize the most …