Animal Sciences Commons^™

Regulated Commercial Harvest To Manage Overabundant White-Tailed Deer: An Idea To Consider?, Kurt C. Vercauteren, Charles W. Anderson, Timothy R. Van Deelen, David Drake, W. David Walter, Stephen Vantassel, Scott E. Hygnstrom

United States Department of Agriculture Wildlife Services: Staff Publications

Declines in hunter recruitment coupled with dramatic growth in numbers of white-tailed deer (Odocoileus virginianus) have challenged our ability to manage deer populations through regulated hunting. We review the efficacy of current regulated hunting methods and explain how they are unable to reduce deer numbers sufficiently in some environments. Regulated commercial harvest would provide an additional tool to help state wildlife agencies manage overabundant populations of white-tailed deer. We outline potential means to govern regulated commercial deer harvest and explain how it is compatible with the North American Model of Wildlife Conservation. We identified several benefits, including reduced …

Pituophis Catenifer Deserticola (Great Basin Gophersnake) Predation, Steven J. Wamback, Richard M. Engeman

United States Department of Agriculture Wildlife Services: Staff Publications

A variety of taxa have been observed to· prey upon Pituophis catenifer, including mammals, birds-of prey, and other snakes. Here, we describe an unusual two-day observation of predation on a mature Great Basin gophersnake by a brown trout (Salmo trutta).

The observation took place in Jones Canyon, Utah, USA, on the grounds of the Jones Hole National Fish Hatchery (JHNFH). Jones Creek' emanates from springs at the head of Jones Canyon on hatchery grounds, and flows north to south 6.4 km to the Green River, approximately paralleling the Utah-Colorado border. The stream runs for about 0.3 km …

Rodents And Other Vertebrate Invaders In The United States, Michael W. Fall, Michael L. Avery, Tyler A. Campbell, Peter J. Egan, Richard M. Engeman, David Pimentel, William C. Pitt, Stephanie A. Shwiff, Gary W. Witmer

United States Department of Agriculture Wildlife Services: Staff Publications

Contents

Introduction

Assessing impacts of rodents and other vertebrate invaders

Accounts of some important vertebrate invaders
Norway rat (Rattus norvegicus)
Roof rat (Rattus rattus)
Polynesian rat (Rattus exulans)
House mouse (Mus Musculus)
Nutria (Myocastor coypus)
Gambian giant pouched rat (Cricetomys gambianus)
Feral swine (Sus scofa)
Small Indian Mongoose (Herpestes javanicus)
Rock pigeon (Columba livia)
House sparrow (Passer domesticus)
European starling (Sturnus vulgaris)
Monk parakeet (Myiopsitta monachus)
Brown tree snake (Boiga irregularis)
Burmese python (Python …

Relative Abundance And Spatial Distribution Of Lepomid Sunfishes In The Peace River, Justin Henry Heller

USF Tampa Graduate Theses and Dissertations

This study examines spatially continuous sampling data in order to investigate patterns of abundance and distribution of three recreationally important sunfish species (bluegill, redear, and spotted sunfish) along the main-stem of the Peace River, a large softwater river located in southwest Florida. A total of 467 electrofishing transects were sampled biannually from spring 2008 to spring 2010. Sampling sites ranged from the headwaters of the Peace River in Polk County, FL to the oligohaline waters located in Charlotte County, FL. All fish were collected with boat mounted electrofishing gear, and aquatic habitat and physiochemical water quality measurements were recorded at …

The Need To Quantify Ecosystem Services Provided By Birds, Daniel G. Wenny, Travis L. Devault, Matthew D. Johnson, Dave Kelly, Cagan H. Sekercioglu, Diana F. Tomback, Christopher J. Whelan

United States Department of Agriculture Wildlife Services: Staff Publications

What are the birds worth--what is their actual dollar value to human society? To most of us in the ornithological community, birds are invaluable. But in these times we need more specific rationales to convince policy makers and business leaders to include bird conservation in land-use and development decisions. Over the past two decades, awareness of our dependence on a variety of ecosystem services (natural ecological processes that benefit human society) and of their importance and prevalence has progressed toward the goal of making conservation a mainstream value. Building strategies for the protection of ecosystem services into conservation and land-use …

Match–Mismatch Regulation For Bluegill And Yellow Perch Larvae And Their Prey In Sandhill Lakes, Jeffrey C. Jolley, David W. Willis, Richard S. Holland

Nebraska Game and Parks Commission: Staff Research Publications

Food availability may regulate fish recruitment, both directly and indirectly. The availability of zooplankton, especially to newly hatched larvae, is thought to be crucial to their early growth and survival. We examined stomach contents of larval bluegill Lepomis macrochirus and yellow perch Perca flavescens in Pelican Lake and Cameron Lake, Nebraska, in 2004 and 2005. We also determined zooplankton availability and calculated prey selection using Chesson’s a. In addition, we investigated potential match–mismatch regulation of recruitment from 2004 to 2008. Bluegill positively selected copepod nauplii and Bosmina spp., and yellow perch often selected copepods. Abundant zooplankton populations were available for …

Integrated Fisheries Management Report. West Coast Demersal Scalefish Resource., Department Of Fisheries Western Australia.

Fisheries Management Papers

This report on the West Coast Demersal Scalefish fishery is the third in a series of Integrated Fisheries Management (IFM) resource reports required under the Government policy on IFM. Under this policy, the Chief Executive Officer of the Department of Fisheries is required to approve a sustainability report for each fishery, which includes a clear statement on the recommended harvest level.

A Bycatch Action Plan For The Pilbara Fish Trawl Interim Managed Fishery., Department Of Fisheries Western Australia

Fisheries Management Papers

The effect of commercial fishing on bycatch species and the marine ecosystem generally, has emerged as a significant national and international issue. Environmental issues associated with bycatch – including impacts on the ecology of non-target species of fish and wildlife – are important issues to address in reducing the impacts, or potential impacts, of commercial fisheries.

In 1998, the National Standing Committee on Fisheries and Aquaculture developed a national policy on fisheries bycatch. In 1999, the (then) State Minister for Fisheries adopted the national policy as his position on bycatch for Western Australia. The main objective of the policy is …

Invasive Species And Public Investment In The Green Economy, Invasive Species Advisory Committee

National Invasive Species Council

Invasive Species and Public Investment in the Green Economy, approved by ISAC on June 24, 2010

ISSUE

Invasive species are intricately linked to the economy. Trade, travel, and transport facilitate their spread. Invasive species management requires extensive human and financial resources. The impacts of invasive species can substantially undermine economic growth and sustainable development. United States Executive Order (EO) 13112 defines invasive species as “alien [non-native] species whose introduction does or is likely to cause economic or environmental harm or harm to human health” and states that Federal agencies should …“not authorize, fund, or carry out actions that are likely …

Marine Bioinvasions And Climate Change, James T. Carlton, Sandra C. Lindstrom, Celia M. Smith, Jennifer E. Smith

National Invasive Species Council

BACKGROUND

Invasive species are second only to habitat destruction as the greatest cause of species endangerment and global biodiversity loss. Invasive species can cause severe and permanent damage to the ecosystems they invade. Consequences of invasion include competition with or predation upon native species, hybridization, carrying or supporting harmful pathogens and parasites that may affect wildlife and human health, disturbing ecosystem function through alteration of food webs and nutrient recycling rates, acting as ecosystem engineers and altering habitat structure, and degradation of the aesthetic quality of our natural resources. In many cases we may not fully know the native animals …

Abalone Aquaculture In Western Australia. Aquaculture Policy., Department Of Fisheries Western Australia.

Fisheries Management Papers

The Department of Fisheries (“Department”) is committed to the development of a sustainable abalone aquaculture industry in Western Australia. As part of its commitment, the Department has developed this new Abalone Aquaculture Policy (“Policy”) to outline new arrangements for the management of the abalone aquaculture industry in the State.

The first policy on abalone aquaculture was released 10 years ago and in November 2009, the Department convened a stakeholder meeting with the abalone industry (the wild capture and aquaculture sectors) to discuss policy changes that would support the abalone aquaculture industry in Western Australia. Relevant issues included compliance, monitoring, biosecurity, …

Poisonous Rangeland Plants In San Luis Obispo County, Sara Litten, Amanda Ou

Animal Science

Poisonous Rangeland Plants in San Luis Obispo County is a comprehensive educational guide to rangeland plants that are toxic to domestic livestock. This guide begins with an exploration of how the biological systems are affected by the poisonous plant toxins. The biochemistry behind these toxins is included in the discussion. Next, reference material for fourteen plants that inhabit San Luis Obispo County is provided. This information includes specific toxins found in poisonous plants, affected animals, symptoms of poisoning, stages of growth, lethal dose, and distribution of the plant in California. This section of the guide is filled with helpful photos …

A Sea Change For Aquatic Sustainability : Meeting The Challenge Of Fish Resources Management And Aquatic Sustainability In The 21st Century, Department Of Fisheries

Fisheries Occasional Publications

No abstract provided.

Winter Ecology Of Buggy Creek Virus (Togaviridae, Alphavirus) In The Central Great Plains, Charles R. Brown, Stephanie A. Strickler, Amy T. Moore, Sarah A. Knutie, Abinash Padhi, Mary Bomberger Brown, Ginger R. Young, Valerie A. O'Brien, Jerome E. Foster, Nicholas Komar

School of Natural Resources: Faculty Publications

A largely unanswered question in the study of arboviruses is the extent to which virus can overwinter in adult vectors during the cold winter months and resume the transmission cycle in summer. Buggy Creek virus (BCRV; Togaviridae, Alphavirus) is an unusual arbovirus that is vectored primarily by the swallow bug (Hemiptera: Cimicidae: Oeciacus vicarius) and amplified by the ectoparasitic bug’s main avian hosts, the migratory cliff swallow (Petrochelidon pyrrhonota) and resident house sparrow (Passer domesticus). Bugs are sedentary and overwinter in the swallows’ mud nests. We evaluated the prevalence of BCRV and extent of …

Shark Bay Prawn And Scallop Fisheries: Final Review Report, Western Australia. Department Of Fisheries

Fisheries Management Papers

The Shark Bay Prawn Fishery and Shark Bay Scallop Fishery operate in the same general areas of Shark Bay (although there are some differences in their areas of operation). The interrelationship between trawling activities for the two target species (prawns and scallops) has raised both management challenges and industry conflicts over time. Harvest level settings for each fishery (in the form of effort levels and the timing and/or location of fishing) are independently set, on the basis of recruitment and abundance surveys of each target species. However, each industry sector strongly believes that the interactions between the fisheries arise because …

Fishing Industry Impact Study : James Price Point Proposed Liquefied Natural Gas Precinct, Department Of Fisheries

Fisheries Occasional Publications

No abstract provided.

Revised Relative Abundance Estimates And Temporal Activity Of Bats At Three Great Lakes National Parks Based On Acoustic Data, Bruce W. Miller

United States National Park Service: Publications

Abstract

In this study, Miller re-analyzed acoustic bat data collected from June-August 2003 that was part of a baseline inventory of bat species in three national parks in the Lake Superior region. While the original study presented base-line data on the presence/absence of bat species in these parks, this reanalysis provides estimates of relative abundance and temporal activity of the identified species. Using a suite of recently developed acoustic analysis tools, Miller created species specific filters. This allowed parsing of calls from non-fragmented sequences and differentiate between two species, Myotis septentrionalis and Myotis lucifugus, that were combined into a …

Fisheries Occasional Paper No. 77 - Economic Analysis: Fishing Industry Impact Study - Kimberley Lng Project, Econsearch Pty Ltd, Department Of Fisheries Western Australia

Fisheries Occasional Publications

This study, prepared as a part of a broader study for WA fisheries, is concerned with the regional economy of the West Kimberley region and involves an assessment of the impact on the region of a range of fishing industry scenarios associated with development of an LNG processing facility. Specific tasks involved in the study were to prepare the following:

• a standard input-output model for the West Kimberley regional economy for 2007/08 and extend it as a DECON model; and

• estimates of the regional economic and population impact for a range of fishing industry scenarios arising from the …

2010 Interior Least Tern And Piping Plover Monitoring, Research, Management, And Outreach Report For The Lower Platte River, Nebraska, Mary Bomberger Brown, Joel G. Jorgensen

School of Natural Resources: Faculty Publications

This document reports on our monitoring, research, management, and outreach activities during the past 12 months (2010). We prepared it to inform our partners, cooperating agencies, funding sources, and other interested parties of our activities and to provide a preliminary summary of our results.

The Tern and Plover Conservation Partnership (TPCP), based at the University of Nebraska–School of Natural Resources, and the Nongame Bird Program (NBP), based at the Nebraska Game and Parks Commission (NGPC) work cooperatively on Interior Least Tern and Piping Plover monitoring, research, management, and outreach activities. While the focus of our work is the Lower Platte, …

Considerations For The Implementation Of Western Rock Lobster Sectoral Allocations., Integrated Fisheries Allocation Advisory Committee

Fisheries Management Papers

This paper discusses the Western rock lobster allocation process.

The Minister for Fisheries has determined that the allocation for sectors in the western rock lobster fishery after reserving one tonne for the customary sector shall be 95 per cent commercial and five per cent recreational.

The notional Sustainable Harvest Level (SHL) for rock lobster is expressed as a range, depending on the status of the stock rather than a specific quantitative limit.

State Of The River Report For The Lower St. Johns River Basin, Florida: Water Quality, Fisheries, Aquatic Life, And Contaminants 2010, Environmental Protection Board, City Of Jacksonville, University Of North Florida, Jacksonville University

State of the River Report

No abstract provided.

Promiscuous Mating In Feral Pigs (Sus Scrofa) From Texas, Usa, Johanna Delgado-Acevedo, Angeline Zamorano, Randy W. Deyoung, Tyler A. Campbell, David G. Hewitt, David B. Long

United States Department of Agriculture Wildlife Services: Staff Publications

Context. Feral pigs represent a significant threat to agriculture and ecosystems and are disease reservoirs for pathogens affecting humans, livestock and other wildlife. Information on the behavioural ecology of feral pigs might increase the efficiency and effectiveness of management strategies.

Aims. We assessed the frequency of promiscuous mating in relation to oestrous synchrony in feral pigs from southern Texas, USA, an agroecosystem with a widespread and well established population of feral pigs. An association between multiple paternity of single litters and synchrony of oestrous may indicate alternative mating strategies, such as mateguarding.

Methods. We collected gravid sows at …

Fisheries Research Report No.196 - Management Of Bioeroding Sponges In Wild Stocks Of Pinctada Maxima In Western Australia, Sabine Daume, Jane Fromont, Anthony M. Hart

Fisheries Research Reports

Final FRDC Report – Project 2005/074

The Western Australian fishery is the only remaining significant fishery for pearl oysters in the world and comprises most of the exported pearl product of Australia, currently worth around $125 million annually. The majority of pearl shells used to culture pearls come from the pearling beds in the inshore waters near Broome. The fishery for pearl oysters preferentially targets smaller ‘culture’ shell (4-5 years age class, 120mm - 160mm shell length) that are more suitable for growing pearls, leaving larger MOP oysters (6+ age class, 175mm+) on the fishing grounds.

Silver-lipped pearl oysters (Pinctada …

South Dakota Thriving, Fall 2009, College Of Agriculture &. Biological Sciences

Growing South Dakota (Publication of the College of Agriculture, Food and Environmental Sciences)

Table of Contents:
[Page] 2 Growing Farmers Markets: South Dakota Cooperative Extension Service Helps Develop and Grow Booming Homegrown markets
[Page] 4 Lighari Leads Restructuring of Extension: Director of South Dakota Cooperative Extension Service Focuses on Building Relationships
[Page} 6 South Dakota's Newest Research Station: The Addition of the SDSU Cow Camp Means Another Tremendous Resource for South Dakota and SDSU
[Page] 8 SDSU Rodeo Builds World Champs: Focus on Academics and Team Leads to Success Inside Both the Classroom and the Arena
|[Page] 12 Behind the Scenes in SDSU's Anatomy Lab: SDSU's Hands-On Anatomy Lab Gives Students the Edge …

Five Year Management Strategy For The Recreational Trout Fishery. Discussion Paper For Public Comment On Future Management., The Rfac’S Recreational Freshwater Fisheries Stakeholder Sub-Committee

Fisheries Management Papers

The Recreational Fishing Advisory Committee (RFAC) was concerned over the delay in time in progressing this issue and recommended that the issue of trout stocking for recreational purposes be progressed in isolation. This matter was referred to the Recreational Freshwater Fisheries Stakeholder Sub-Committee (RFFSS) to progress the recreational aspects of stocking trout within State public waters. This strategy represents a significant step in ensuring the appropriate level of management is provided for the translocation of trout into and within Western Australia for recreational purposes. It is also hoped that this policy will serve as a guide for the management and …

Biofuels: Cultivating Energy, Not Invasive Species, Invasive Species Advisory Committee

National Invasive Species Council

Biofuels: Cultivating Energy, not Invasive Species, approved by ISAC on August 11, 2009

ISSUE

To provide alternatives to petroleum-based energy, the United States government has mandated a greater proportion of plant-based biofuels be integrated into its energy portfolio. However, certain plant species being proposed for biofuel production in the United States are invasive species or are likely to escape cultivation and become invasive. United States Executive Order (EO) 131121 defines invasive species as “alien [non-native] species whose introduction does or is likely to cause economic or environmental harm or harm to human health” and states: “Each Federal agency whose actions …

Fisheries Research Report No. 194 - Conceptual Models For Ecosystem Based Fisheries Management (Ebfm) In Western Australia, Sarah J. Metcalf, D J. Gaughan, Jennifer Shaw

Fisheries Research Reports

The Department of Fisheries, Western Australia is currently developing a framework to assess the most appropriate methodologies for the implementation of Ecosystem Based Fisheries Management (EBFM) in Western Australia. The implementation of EBFM can be considered as an operational extension of Ecologically Sustainable Development (ESD), the principles of which were adopted by Western Australia for application in the management of fisheries in 2002. EBFM aims to assess and manage ecological impacts as well as social and economic outcomes related to fish and fisheries at a regional level. The degree to which EBFM will be implemented in terms of activities or …

Fisheries Management Paper No.245 - Aquaculture Of Coral, Live Rocks And Associated Products. Aquaculture Policy, Department Of Fisheries, Western Australia

Fisheries Management Papers

Aquarium enthusiasts use corals, live rock and associated products (e.g. live sand) for display and to maintain healthy water quality conditions in their marine aquariums. There is a large and growing market for these products. While the wild harvest fisheries for aquarium products in Western Australia are sustainably managed, output is capped, so increased product is needed to meet the market demand. With a trend towards the capping of wild harvest and additional pressures, such as the introduction of Marine Parks and other marine protected areas, the aquaculture of these products is set for industry development and expansion.

The large …

Applications And Potentials For Biogenic Methane Recovery Operations In Nebraska Agriculture, Industry, And Economic Development, David Micheal Dingman

Department of Environmental Studies: Undergraduate Student Theses

ABSTRACT: This thesis report illustrates the applications and potentials of biogenic methane recovery in Nebraska’s agricultural and industrial sectors and as a means for increasing sustainable economic development in the state’s rural communities. As the nation moves toward a new green economy, biogenic methane recovery as a waste management strategy and renewable energy resource presents significant opportunities for Nebraska to be a national and world leader in agricultural and industrial innovation, advanced research and development of renewable energy technology, and generation of new product markets. Nebraska’s agricultural economy provides a distinct advantage to the state for supporting methane recovery operations …

Slides: Groundwater Law And Administration: From Conflict To Reform, Michael A. Gheleta

Western Water Law, Policy and Management: Ripples, Currents, and New Channels for Inquiry (Martz Summer Conference, June 3-5)

Presenter: Michael A. Gheleta, Brownstein Hyatt Farber Schreck LLP, Denver, CO

14 slides