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Articles 391 - 420 of 1597

Full-Text Articles in Animal Sciences

Concentration-Response Of An Anthraquinone-Based Repellent For Raccoons (Procyon Lotor), Shylo Johnson, Shelagh T. Deliberto, Kathleen Urchek, Amy T. Gilbert, Scott J. Werner Jan 2022

Concentration-Response Of An Anthraquinone-Based Repellent For Raccoons (Procyon Lotor), Shylo Johnson, Shelagh T. Deliberto, Kathleen Urchek, Amy T. Gilbert, Scott J. Werner

United States Department of Agriculture Wildlife Services: Staff Publications

Wildlife repellents can be part of non-lethal management strategies to reduce the negative impacts of wildlife to property, agricultural production, and human health and safety. Raccoons (Procyon lotor) are associated with negative impacts in all three of these areas. Anthraquinone is a useful avian repellent and its utility as a mammalian repellent is still being explored. Our objective was to evaluate laboratory efficacy of an anthraquinone-based repellent for raccoons using different concentrations. We fed captive raccoons whole corn treated at 0.5%, 1%, 1.5% and 2% anthraquinone and examined their behavioral response related to feeding repellency including consumption and change in …


Accounting For Animal Movement Improves Vaccination Strategies Against Wildlife Disease In Heterogeneous Landscapes, Katherine M. Mcclure, Guillaume Bastille-Rousseau, Amy J. Davis, Carolyn A. Stengel, Kathleen M. Nelson, Richard B. Chipman, George Wittemyer, Zaid Abdo, Amy Gilbert, Kim M. Pepin Jan 2022

Accounting For Animal Movement Improves Vaccination Strategies Against Wildlife Disease In Heterogeneous Landscapes, Katherine M. Mcclure, Guillaume Bastille-Rousseau, Amy J. Davis, Carolyn A. Stengel, Kathleen M. Nelson, Richard B. Chipman, George Wittemyer, Zaid Abdo, Amy Gilbert, Kim M. Pepin

United States Department of Agriculture Wildlife Services: Staff Publications

Oral baiting is used to deliver vaccines to wildlife to prevent, control, and eliminate infectious diseases. A central challenge is how to spatially distribute baits to maximize encounters by target animal populations, particularly in urban and suburban areas where wildlife such as raccoons (Procyon lotor) are abundant and baits are delivered along roads. Methods from movement ecology that quantify movement and habitat selection could help to optimize baiting strategies by more effectively targeting wildlife populations across space. We developed a spatially explicit, individual-based model of raccoon movement and oral rabies vaccine seroconversion to examine whether and when baiting …


Using Noninvasive Genetics For Estimating Density And Assessing Diet Of Urban And Rural Coyotes In Florida, Usa, Bryan M. Kluever, Martin B. Main, Stewart W. Breck, Robert C. Lonsinger, John H. Humphrey, Justin W. Fischer, Michael P. Milleson Usda Aphis Wildlife Services, Gainesville, Antionette J. Piaggio Jan 2022

Using Noninvasive Genetics For Estimating Density And Assessing Diet Of Urban And Rural Coyotes In Florida, Usa, Bryan M. Kluever, Martin B. Main, Stewart W. Breck, Robert C. Lonsinger, John H. Humphrey, Justin W. Fischer, Michael P. Milleson Usda Aphis Wildlife Services, Gainesville, Antionette J. Piaggio

United States Department of Agriculture Wildlife Services: Staff Publications

Coyotes (Canis latrans) are expanding their range and due to conflicts with the public and concerns of Coyotes affecting natural resources such as game or sensitive species, there is interest and often a demand to monitor Coyote populations. A challenge to monitoring is that traditional invasive methods involving live-capture of individual animals are costly and can be controversial. Natural resource management agencies can benefit from contemporary noninvasive genetic sampling approaches aimed at determining key aspects of Coyote ecology (e.g., population density and food habits). However, the efficacy of such approaches under different environmental conditions is poorly understood. Our …


Invasive Predators Affect Community-Wide Pollinator Visitation, Christina T. Liang, Aaron B. Shiels, William P. Haines, Manette E. Sandor, Clare E. Aslan Jan 2022

Invasive Predators Affect Community-Wide Pollinator Visitation, Christina T. Liang, Aaron B. Shiels, William P. Haines, Manette E. Sandor, Clare E. Aslan

United States Department of Agriculture Wildlife Services: Staff Publications

Disruption of plant–pollinator interactions by invasive predators is poorly understood but may pose a critical threat for native ecosystems. In a multiyear field experiment in Hawai’i, we suppressed abundances of globally invasive predators and then observed insect visitation to flowers of six native plant species. Three plant species are federally endangered (Haplostachys haplostachya, Silene lanceolata, Tetramolopium arenarium) and three are common throughout their range (Bidens menziesii, Dubautia linearis, Sida fallax). Insect visitors were primarily generalist pollinators, including taxa that occur worldwide such as solitary bees (e.g., Lasioglossum impavidum), social bees (e.g., …


Spatial Risk Modeling Of Cattle Depredation By Black Vultures In The Midwestern United States, Brandon M. Quinby, Bryan M. Kluever, Grant N. Burcham, Lee Humberg, Landon R. Jones, Marian L. Wahl, Patrick A. Zollner Jan 2022

Spatial Risk Modeling Of Cattle Depredation By Black Vultures In The Midwestern United States, Brandon M. Quinby, Bryan M. Kluever, Grant N. Burcham, Lee Humberg, Landon R. Jones, Marian L. Wahl, Patrick A. Zollner

United States Department of Agriculture Wildlife Services: Staff Publications

ock operations through depredation of stock are a cause of human‐wildlife conflict. Management of such conflict requires identifying environmental and non‐environmental factors specific to a wildlife species' biology and ecology that influence the potential for livestock depredation to occur. Identification of such factors can improve understanding of the conditions placing livestock at risk. Black vultures (Coragyps atratus) have expanded their historical range northward into the midwestern United States. Concomitantly, an increase in concern among agricultural producers regarding potential black vulture attacks on livestock has occurred. We estimated area with greater or lesser potential for depredation of domestic cattle by black …


Rodents In Agriculture: A Broad Perspective, Gary Witmer Jan 2022

Rodents In Agriculture: A Broad Perspective, Gary Witmer

United States Department of Agriculture Wildlife Services: Staff Publications

The largest taxonomic group of mammals is rodents, with over 2200 species known around the world [1]. More recently, it was stated that over 2500 species exist [2]. Many species exist on all continents, with the exception of Antarctica. Rodents have adapted to all ecosystems of the world, including tundra, alpine, temperate forests, grasslands, arid regions, and aquatic systems. They provide many ecosystem functions, including soil aeration and mixing, seed and spore dispersal, vegetation succession, and being an important food source for predatory animals. Some species of rodents are even consumed by people in some parts of the world. Most …


Transmission Of Antibiotic Resistance At The Wildlife-Livestock Interface, Shinyoung Lee, Peixin Fan, Ting Liu, Anni Yang, Raoul K. Boughton, Kim M. Pepin, Ryan S. Miller, Kwangcheol Casey Jeong Jan 2022

Transmission Of Antibiotic Resistance At The Wildlife-Livestock Interface, Shinyoung Lee, Peixin Fan, Ting Liu, Anni Yang, Raoul K. Boughton, Kim M. Pepin, Ryan S. Miller, Kwangcheol Casey Jeong

United States Department of Agriculture Wildlife Services: Staff Publications

Antibiotic-resistant microorganisms (ARMs) are widespread in natural environments, animals (wildlife and livestock), and humans, which has reduced our capacity to control life threatening infectious disease. Yet, little is known about their transmission pathways, especially at the wildlife-livestock interface. This study investigated the potential transmission of ARMs and antibiotic resistance genes (ARGs) between cattle and wildlife by comparing gut microbiota and ARG profiles of feral swine (Sus scrofa), coyotes (Canis latrans), cattle (Bos taurus), and environmental microbiota. Unexpectedly, wild animals harbored more abundant ARMs and ARGs compared to grazing cattle. Gut microbiota of cattle was …


Economic Damages Of Wild Pigs In Non-Traditional Areas: From The Fairway To The After Life, Sophie Mckee, Julie Elser, Maryfrances Miller, Lirong Liu, Ryan Miller, Steven S. Shwiff, Stephanie A. Shwiff Jan 2022

Economic Damages Of Wild Pigs In Non-Traditional Areas: From The Fairway To The After Life, Sophie Mckee, Julie Elser, Maryfrances Miller, Lirong Liu, Ryan Miller, Steven S. Shwiff, Stephanie A. Shwiff

United States Department of Agriculture Wildlife Services: Staff Publications

Invasive wild pigs are widely known to cause damage to agricultural properties and commodities, but less has been reported about damages to other types of property. A survey was distributed to golf courses and cemeteries across Texas to explore the extent of damage these properties experience. While both property types reported significant damages, golf courses were found to experience more damage than cemeteries. Using average reported costs and predicted county-level damage, total costs for all golf courses and cemeteries across the state were estimated to exceed $1.6 million USD per year.


Large- And Small-Scale Climate Influences Spring Migration Departure Probability Of American White Pelicans, D. Tommy King, Guiming Wang, Fred L. Cunningham Jan 2022

Large- And Small-Scale Climate Influences Spring Migration Departure Probability Of American White Pelicans, D. Tommy King, Guiming Wang, Fred L. Cunningham

United States Department of Agriculture Wildlife Services: Staff Publications

Endogenous (e.g., age and sex) and exogenous (e.g., climate and resource availability) factors influence avian migration phenology. However, little is known regarding the migration ecology of birds at the non-breeding grounds, including the American white pelican (Pelecanus erythrorhynchos). We used Global Positioning System transmitters to track the movements and migration of 51 pelicans from 2002 to 2012. We used the Kaplan–Meier model to estimate pelican spring migration probabilities to quantify partial migration with 94 spring migration events and used the Cox proportional hazards model to evaluate the effects of the North Atlantic Oscillation index (NAOI), Southern Oscillation Index (SOI), and …


Sars-Cov-2 In Wildlife: Q & A With Alan B. Franklin, Alan B. Franklin Jan 2022

Sars-Cov-2 In Wildlife: Q & A With Alan B. Franklin, Alan B. Franklin

United States Department of Agriculture Wildlife Services: Staff Publications

Welcome Dr Franklin and thank you for joining us to help social workers increase their knowledge about the interconnectedness of humans, other mammals, and the environment. Let's begin with zoonosis.

Viruses can be transferred from wild and domestic animals to humans in a process called zoonosis.


Strength In Numbers: Avian Influenza A Virus Transmission To Poultry From A Flocking Passerine, J. Jeffrey Root, Jeremy W. Ellis, Susan A. Shriner Jan 2022

Strength In Numbers: Avian Influenza A Virus Transmission To Poultry From A Flocking Passerine, J. Jeffrey Root, Jeremy W. Ellis, Susan A. Shriner

United States Department of Agriculture Wildlife Services: Staff Publications

The effects of flock size of European starlings (Sturnus vulgaris) was experimentally manipulated to assess the potential of influenza A virus (IAV; H4N6) transmission from a flocking passerine to bobwhite quail (Colinus virginianus) through shared food and water resources to mimic starling intrusions into free-range and backyard poultry operations. Of the three starling flock sizes tested (n = 30, n = 20 and n = 10), all successfully transmitted the virus to all or most of the quail in each animal room (6/6, 6/6 and 5/6) by the end of the experimental period, as determined by seroconversion and/or viral RNAshedding. …


Social Learning Of Avoidance Behaviors: Trap Aversion In Captive Coyotes, Julie Young, Jeffrey T. Schultz, Buck Jolley, Nekol Basili, John P. Draper Jan 2022

Social Learning Of Avoidance Behaviors: Trap Aversion In Captive Coyotes, Julie Young, Jeffrey T. Schultz, Buck Jolley, Nekol Basili, John P. Draper

United States Department of Agriculture Wildlife Services: Staff Publications

Social learning can help animals gain knowledge rapidly and may enhance survival. In species that are subjected to capture in foothold traps and then lethally removed, such as the coyote (Canis latrans), learning to avoid traps is critical to survival. Here, we tested social learning of trap avoidance behavior in three experimental scenarios with captive coyotes. In the first experiment, coyotes observed an unfamiliar coyote get captured in a foothold trap (i.e., demonstrator) or did not observe a demonstrator and were therefore naïve to traps. The coyotes that observed a demonstrator showed similar latencies to approach the trap …


Predicting Consistent Foraging Ecologies Of Migrating Waterbirds: Using Stable Isotope And Parasite Measurements As Indicators Of Landscape Use, Kate L. Sheehan, Brian S. Dorr, Stephen A. Clements, Terrel W. Christie, Katie Hanson-Dorr, Scott A. Rush, J. Brian Davis Jan 2022

Predicting Consistent Foraging Ecologies Of Migrating Waterbirds: Using Stable Isotope And Parasite Measurements As Indicators Of Landscape Use, Kate L. Sheehan, Brian S. Dorr, Stephen A. Clements, Terrel W. Christie, Katie Hanson-Dorr, Scott A. Rush, J. Brian Davis

United States Department of Agriculture Wildlife Services: Staff Publications

The emergence of novel human pathogens is frequently linked with zoonotic events and human-wildlife interactions that promote disease transmission. Consequently, surveillance of wildlife populations for candidate diseases that could spread to humans is beneficial, but requires widespread collections of numerous samples. A legitimate means to acquire large sample sizes of waterfowl is through cooperation between researchers and hunters, who also work in concert with natural resource managers, landowners, and agricultural entities -e.g., aquaculture facilities. In addition to understanding the occurrence and spread of parasites and pathogens by birds, these samples can be used to answer questions about the ecology of …


Adaptive Risk-Based Targeted Surveillance For Foreign Animal Diseases At The Wildlife-Livestock Interface, Ryan S. Miller, Sarah N. Bevins, Gericke Cook, Ross Free, Kim M. Pepin, Thomas Gidlewski, Vienna Brown Jan 2022

Adaptive Risk-Based Targeted Surveillance For Foreign Animal Diseases At The Wildlife-Livestock Interface, Ryan S. Miller, Sarah N. Bevins, Gericke Cook, Ross Free, Kim M. Pepin, Thomas Gidlewski, Vienna Brown

United States Department of Agriculture Wildlife Services: Staff Publications

Animal disease surveillance is an important component of the national veterinary infrastructure to protect animal agriculture and facilitates identification of foreign animal disease (FAD) introduction. Once introduced, pathogens shared among domestic and wild animals are especially challenging to manage due to the complex ecology of spillover and spillback. Thus, early identification of FAD in wildlife is critical to minimize outbreak severity and potential impacts on animal agriculture as well as potential impacts on wildlife and biodiversity. As a result, national surveillance and monitoring programs that include wildlife are becoming increasingly common. Designing surveillance systems in wildlife or, more importantly, at …


No Panacea Attractant For Wild Pigs (Sus Scrofa), But Season And Location Matter, Nathan P. Snow, Caitlin A. Kupferman, Michael J. Lavelle, Kim M. Pepin, Madeline H. Melton, Whitney J. Gann, Kurt C. Vercauteren, James C. Beasley Jan 2022

No Panacea Attractant For Wild Pigs (Sus Scrofa), But Season And Location Matter, Nathan P. Snow, Caitlin A. Kupferman, Michael J. Lavelle, Kim M. Pepin, Madeline H. Melton, Whitney J. Gann, Kurt C. Vercauteren, James C. Beasley

United States Department of Agriculture Wildlife Services: Staff Publications

Wild pigs (Sus scrofa) are a prolific invasive species throughout many regions of the world that cause extensive economic and environmental damage. Trapping is a common strategy for reducing their populations with baits (i.e., food) and attractants (e.g., scents) used to lure wild pigs into traps. However, there is little information on which scent attractants may attract wild pigs more readily and rapidly across regions and seasons. We examined 60 scent attractants for wild pigs that could be used to increase trapping success across three seasons (winter, spring, and fall) and in two geographic regions, including a warm …


Integrating Data Types To Estimate Spatial Patterns Of Avian Migration Across The Western Hemisphere, Timothy D. Meehan, Sarah P. Saunders, William V. Deluca, Nicole L. Michel, Joanna Grand, Jill L. Deppe, Miguel F. Jimenez, Erika J. Knight, Nathaniel E. Seavy, Melanie A. Smith, Lotem Taylor, Chad Witko, Michael E. Akresh, David R. Barber, Erin M. Bayne, James C. Beasley, Jerrold L. Belant, Richard O. Bierregaard, Keith L. Bildstein, Than J. Boves, John N. Brzorad, Steven P. Campbell, Antonio Celis-Murillo, Hilary A. Cooke, Robert Domenech, Laurie Goodrich, Elizabeth A. Gow, Aaron Haines, Michael T. Hallworth, Jason M. Hill, Amanda E. Holland, Scott Jennings, Roland Kays, Tommy King, Stuart A. Mackenzie, Peter P. Marra, Rebecca A. Mccabe, Kent P. Mcfarland, Michael J. Mcgrady, Ron Melcer, D. Ryan Norris, Russell E. Norvell, Olin E. Rhodes, Christopher C. Rimmer, Amy L. Scarpignato, Adam Shreading, Jesse L. Watson, Chad R. Wilsey Jan 2022

Integrating Data Types To Estimate Spatial Patterns Of Avian Migration Across The Western Hemisphere, Timothy D. Meehan, Sarah P. Saunders, William V. Deluca, Nicole L. Michel, Joanna Grand, Jill L. Deppe, Miguel F. Jimenez, Erika J. Knight, Nathaniel E. Seavy, Melanie A. Smith, Lotem Taylor, Chad Witko, Michael E. Akresh, David R. Barber, Erin M. Bayne, James C. Beasley, Jerrold L. Belant, Richard O. Bierregaard, Keith L. Bildstein, Than J. Boves, John N. Brzorad, Steven P. Campbell, Antonio Celis-Murillo, Hilary A. Cooke, Robert Domenech, Laurie Goodrich, Elizabeth A. Gow, Aaron Haines, Michael T. Hallworth, Jason M. Hill, Amanda E. Holland, Scott Jennings, Roland Kays, Tommy King, Stuart A. Mackenzie, Peter P. Marra, Rebecca A. Mccabe, Kent P. Mcfarland, Michael J. Mcgrady, Ron Melcer, D. Ryan Norris, Russell E. Norvell, Olin E. Rhodes, Christopher C. Rimmer, Amy L. Scarpignato, Adam Shreading, Jesse L. Watson, Chad R. Wilsey

United States Department of Agriculture Wildlife Services: Staff Publications

For many avian species, spatial migration patterns remain largely undescribed, especially across hemispheric extents. Recent advancements in tracking technologies and high-resolution species distribution models (i.e., eBird Status and Trends products) provide new insights into migratory bird movements and offer a promising opportunity for integrating independent data sources to describe avian migration. Here, we present a three-stage modeling framework for estimating spatial patterns of avian migration. First, we integrate tracking and band re-encounter data to quantify migratory connectivity, defined as the relative proportions of individuals migrating between breeding and nonbreeding regions. Next, we use estimated connectivity proportions along with eBird occurrence …


Summer Habitat Use And Movements Of Invasive Wild Pigs (Sus Scrofa) In Canadian Agro-Ecosystems, Corey J. Kramer, Melanie R. Boudreau, Ryan S. Miller, Ryan Powers, Kurt C. Vercauteren, Ryan K. Brook Jan 2022

Summer Habitat Use And Movements Of Invasive Wild Pigs (Sus Scrofa) In Canadian Agro-Ecosystems, Corey J. Kramer, Melanie R. Boudreau, Ryan S. Miller, Ryan Powers, Kurt C. Vercauteren, Ryan K. Brook

United States Department of Agriculture Wildlife Services: Staff Publications

Resource selection informs understanding of a species’ ecology and is especially pertinent for invasive species. Since introduced to Canada, wild pigs (Sus scrofa Linnaeus, 1978) remain understudied despite recognized negative impacts on native and agricultural systems globally. Elsewhere in North America, pigs typically use forests and forage in agricultural crops. We hypothesized Canadian wild pigs would behave similarly, and using GPS locations from 15 individuals, we examined diel and seasonal resource selection and movement in the Canadian prairie region. Forests were predominately selected during the day, while corn (Zea mays L.), oilseeds, and wheat (Triticum aestivum L.) …


Ontario’S Double-Crested Cormorant Hunting Season May Be Ineffective But That Doesn’T Mean There Are No Conflict Issues, Brian S. Dorr, David G. Fielder, James R. Jackson, James F. Farquhar, Douglas W. Schultz, Randall M. Claramunt Jan 2022

Ontario’S Double-Crested Cormorant Hunting Season May Be Ineffective But That Doesn’T Mean There Are No Conflict Issues, Brian S. Dorr, David G. Fielder, James R. Jackson, James F. Farquhar, Douglas W. Schultz, Randall M. Claramunt

United States Department of Agriculture Wildlife Services: Staff Publications

No abstract provided.


Influence Of Landscape Attributes On Virginia Opossum Density, David A. Bernasconi, Wesley C. Dixon, Matthew T. Hamilton, James L. Helton, Richard B. Chipman, Amy T. Gilbert, James C. Beasley, Olin E. Rhodes Jr., Guha Dharmarajan Jan 2022

Influence Of Landscape Attributes On Virginia Opossum Density, David A. Bernasconi, Wesley C. Dixon, Matthew T. Hamilton, James L. Helton, Richard B. Chipman, Amy T. Gilbert, James C. Beasley, Olin E. Rhodes Jr., Guha Dharmarajan

United States Department of Agriculture Wildlife Services: Staff Publications

TheVirginia opossum (Didelphis virginiana), North America's only marsupial, has a range extending from southern Ontario, Canada, to the Yucatan Peninsula, Mexico, and from the Atlantic seaboard to the Pacific. Despite the Virginia opossum's taxonomic uniqueness in relation to other mammals in North America and rapidly expanding distribution, its ecology remains relatively understudied. Our poor understanding of the ecology of this important mesopredator is especially pronounced in the rural southeastern United States. Our goal was to estimate effects of habitat on opossum density within an extensive multiyear spatial capture‐recapture study. Additionally, we compared the results of this spatial capture‐recapture …


Managing Roof Rats In Citrus Orchards: Initial Efforts Toward Building An Integrated Pest Management Program, Roger A. Baldwin, Justine A. Smith, Ryan Meinerz, Aaron B. Shiels Jan 2022

Managing Roof Rats In Citrus Orchards: Initial Efforts Toward Building An Integrated Pest Management Program, Roger A. Baldwin, Justine A. Smith, Ryan Meinerz, Aaron B. Shiels

United States Department of Agriculture Wildlife Services: Staff Publications

Roof rats cause extensive damage in orchards throughout the world. Integrated Pest Management (IPM) systems are the best option for managing rodents, yet few management systems have been developed and tested to control roof rats in agricultural settings. We initiated a study in 2020 to provide the foundation for an IPM program to manage roof rats in California citrus orchards. Our initial efforts centered on developing effective monitoring strategies for roof rats to determine when management actions are needed, assessing rat movement patterns to determine proper placement of management tools, and conducting initial tests of Goodnature A24 self-resetting traps and …


Development Of A Novel Vertebrate Pesticide For The Invasive Small Indian Mongoose, Carmen Antaky, Steven C. Hess, Israel Leinbach, Robert T. T. Sugihara, Emily W. Ruell, Shane Siers Jan 2022

Development Of A Novel Vertebrate Pesticide For The Invasive Small Indian Mongoose, Carmen Antaky, Steven C. Hess, Israel Leinbach, Robert T. T. Sugihara, Emily W. Ruell, Shane Siers

United States Department of Agriculture Wildlife Services: Staff Publications

Small Indian mongooses are detrimental introduced predators in the United States, where they depredate native species, serve as vector of disease, and threaten public safety. Due to the risk of accidental introduction to mongoose-free islands, high cost and limitations to trapping, and no national (Section 3) Environmental Protection Agency (EPA)-registered toxicants for mongoose control, there is a need for an efficacious toxic bait for mongooses for use in conservation areas and at points of entry in the United States. Over the last five years, the National Wildlife Research Center (NWRC) worked to develop a toxic bait for mongooses for registration …


Evidence For Irruptive Fluctuation In Axis Deer Of Hawai‘I, Steven C. Hess, Jonathan Sprague, Jacob Muise Jan 2022

Evidence For Irruptive Fluctuation In Axis Deer Of Hawai‘I, Steven C. Hess, Jonathan Sprague, Jacob Muise

United States Department of Agriculture Wildlife Services: Staff Publications

Axis deer on the Hawaiian Islands of Maui, Lāna‘i, and Moloka‘i simultaneously experienced one of the most dramatic population crashes on record in 2020-2021, which coincided with extended drought conditions and prompted an emergency declaration for these islands. This phenomenon has been anecdotally documented during previous drought events in 2011-2012, but never formally studied. Newspaper articles document abundant deer becoming a nuisance to agriculture and natural resources, and then experiencing high mortality during droughts. This phenomenon fits Caughley’s (1970) operational definition of eruptive (sic) fluctuation “…as an increase in numbers over at least two generations, followed by a marked decline.” …


Abert’S Squirrel Management In Support Of Endangered Mount Graham Red Squirrel Recovery In Arizona, Aaron R. Morehead, Christopher Carillo, Holly Hicks, Wade Sanders, David L. Bergman Jan 2022

Abert’S Squirrel Management In Support Of Endangered Mount Graham Red Squirrel Recovery In Arizona, Aaron R. Morehead, Christopher Carillo, Holly Hicks, Wade Sanders, David L. Bergman

United States Department of Agriculture Wildlife Services: Staff Publications

Recovery of the endangered Mount Graham red squirrel (MGRS) will likely be long and challenging. Its limited habitat, isolation to Pinaleño Mountain range, and demographic characteristics restrict its ability to rebound quickly from threats that impact both the squirrel and its habitat. Currently, threats to the MGRS include habitat degradation and loss through high-severity wildfire, fire suppression activities, insect outbreaks, climate change, and human development, and predation, as well as competition with Abert’s squirrels. The most recent wildfire in 2017 impacted over 48,000 acres of already reduced habitat. A critical first step is to protect and manage the remaining population …


Predation Thresholds For Reintroduction Of Native Avifauna Following Suppression Of Invasive Brown Treesnakes On Guam, Robert M. Mcelderry, Eben H. Paxton, Andre V. Nguyen, Shane R. Siers Jan 2022

Predation Thresholds For Reintroduction Of Native Avifauna Following Suppression Of Invasive Brown Treesnakes On Guam, Robert M. Mcelderry, Eben H. Paxton, Andre V. Nguyen, Shane R. Siers

United States Department of Agriculture Wildlife Services: Staff Publications

The brown treesnake (BTS) (Boiga irregularis) invasion on Guåhan (in English, Guam) led to the extirpation of nearly all native forest birds. In recent years, methods have been developed to reduce BTS abundance on a landscape scale. To help assess the prospects for the successful reintroduction of native birds to Guåhan following BTS suppression, we modeled bird population persistence based on their life history characteristics and relative sensitivity to BTS predation. We constructed individual-based models and simulated BTS predation in hypothetical founding populations for each of seven candidate bird species. We represented BTS predation risk in two steps: …


Migratory Movements And Home Ranges Of Geographically Distinct Wintering Populations Of A Soaring Bird, Ryo Ogawa, J. Brian Davis, D. Tommy King, L. Wes Burger, Bronson K. Strickland, Marsha A. Sovada, Guiming Wang, Fred L. Cunningham Jan 2022

Migratory Movements And Home Ranges Of Geographically Distinct Wintering Populations Of A Soaring Bird, Ryo Ogawa, J. Brian Davis, D. Tommy King, L. Wes Burger, Bronson K. Strickland, Marsha A. Sovada, Guiming Wang, Fred L. Cunningham

United States Department of Agriculture Wildlife Services: Staff Publications

Migratory soaring birds exhibit spatiotemporal variation in their circannual movements. Nevertheless, it remains uncertain how different winter environments affect the circannual movement patterns of migratory soaring birds. Here, we investigated annual movement strategies of American white pelicans Pelecanus erythrorhynchos (hereafter, pelican) from two geographically distinct wintering grounds in the Southern and Northern Gulf of Mexico (GOM).We hypothesized that hourly movement distance and home range size of a soaring bird would differ between different geographic regions because of different thermals and wind conditions and resource availability. We calculated average and maximum hourly movement distances and seasonal home ranges of GPS-tracking pelicans. …


Susceptibility Of Wild Canids To Sars-Cov-2, Stephanie M. Porter, Aim E. Hartwig, Helle Bielefeldt-Ohmann, Angela M. Bosco-Lauth, J. Jeffrey Root Jan 2022

Susceptibility Of Wild Canids To Sars-Cov-2, Stephanie M. Porter, Aim E. Hartwig, Helle Bielefeldt-Ohmann, Angela M. Bosco-Lauth, J. Jeffrey Root

United States Department of Agriculture Wildlife Services: Staff Publications

We assessed 2 wild canid species, red foxes (Vulpes vulpes) and coyotes (Canis latrans), for susceptibility to SARS-CoV-2. After experimental inoculation, red foxes became infected and shed infectious virus. Conversely, experimentally challenged coyotes did not become infected; therefore, coyotes are unlikely to be competent hosts for SARS-CoV-2.

Throughout the COVID-19 pandemic, multiple instances of natural infections with SARS-CoV-2 have been reported in pet dogs, likely after exposure to an infected human (1–3). Domestic dogs appear to be minimally susceptible to SARS-CoV-2, as indicated by experimental inoculations resulting in reverse transcription PCR–positive samples and low titer antibody responses but no clinical …


Exploring The Value Of A Global Gene Drive Project Registry, Riley I. Taitingfong, Antoinette J. Piaggio, Cinnamon S. Bloss, Et Al. Jan 2022

Exploring The Value Of A Global Gene Drive Project Registry, Riley I. Taitingfong, Antoinette J. Piaggio, Cinnamon S. Bloss, Et Al.

United States Department of Agriculture Wildlife Services: Staff Publications

Recent calls to establish a global project registry before releasing any gene-drive-modified organisms (GDOs) have suggested a registry could be valuable to coordinate research, collect data to monitor and evaluate potential ecological impacts, and facilitate transparent communication with community stakeholders and the general public. Here, we report the results of a multidisciplinary expert workshop on GDO registries convened on 8–9 December 2020 involving 70 participants from 14 countries. Participants had expertise in gene drive design, conservation and population modeling, social science, stakeholder engagement, governance and regulation, international policy, and vector control; they represented 45 organizations, spanning national and local governmental …


Multidisciplinary Engagement For Fencing Research Informs Efficacy And Rancher-To-Researcher Knowledge Exchange, Matthew Hyde, Stewart W. Breck, Alex Few, Jared Beaver, Joshua Schrecengost, Jim Stone, Cameron Krebs, Russell Talmo, Kari Eneas, Rae Nickerson, Kyran E. Kunkel, Julie K. Young Jan 2022

Multidisciplinary Engagement For Fencing Research Informs Efficacy And Rancher-To-Researcher Knowledge Exchange, Matthew Hyde, Stewart W. Breck, Alex Few, Jared Beaver, Joshua Schrecengost, Jim Stone, Cameron Krebs, Russell Talmo, Kari Eneas, Rae Nickerson, Kyran E. Kunkel, Julie K. Young

United States Department of Agriculture Wildlife Services: Staff Publications

Across much of the Western United States, recovery of large carnivore populations is creating new challenges for livestock producers. Reducing the risks of sharing the landscape with recovering wildlife populations is critical to private working lands, which play an vital role in securing future energy, water, food, and fiber for an ever-expanding human population. Fencing is an important mitigation practice that many ranchers, land managers, and conservationists implement to reduce carnivore-livestock conflict. While fencing strategies have been reviewed in the literature, research seldom incorporates knowledge from the people who utilize fencing the most (i.e., livestock producers). Incorporating producers and practitioners …


Conserving Endangered Black-Footed Ferrets: Biological Threats, Political Challenges, And Lessons Learned, Travis M. Livieri, Steven C. Forrest, Marc R. Matchett, Stewart Breck Jan 2022

Conserving Endangered Black-Footed Ferrets: Biological Threats, Political Challenges, And Lessons Learned, Travis M. Livieri, Steven C. Forrest, Marc R. Matchett, Stewart Breck

United States Department of Agriculture Wildlife Services: Staff Publications

There may be few stories in the annals of wildlife management that are as dramatic as the near demise and comeback of the black-footed ferret (Mustela nigripes). Endemic only to North America, this charming little carnivore found only in the continent’s central grasslands was hardly known to science until the mid-20th century. By then, vast colonies of the prey it depended on for food and shelter, the prairie dog (Cynomys spp.), had been wiped out through disease (sylvatic plague) and an agricultural industry with little tolerance for burrowing and grazing rodents. At its low point, the species’ …


Implications Of Condition Shifts On Shallow Lakes, Alicia Skolte Dec 2021

Implications Of Condition Shifts On Shallow Lakes, Alicia Skolte

Biology Graduate Theses

Shallow lakes have undergone condition shifts throughout time by natural causes, management actions, or a combination of the two. Because shallow lakes are especially vulnerable to shifts towards turbid conditions, management actions on shallow lakes have focused on water level/retainment, biomanipulations, the management/removal of non-native species, and land-use changes. This review compiles a summary on ecosystem shifts including a discussion on the frequency of shifts historically and the importance and causes of those shifts, trophic cascades, and the influence of introduced species in shallow lakes. This review will then examine case-studies of management-linked shifts and explain current shift theory. Next, …