Animal Sciences Commons^™

Raccoon Spatial Ecology In The Rural Southeastern United States, Jacob E. Hill, Madison L. Miller, James L. Helton, Richard B. Chipman, Amy T. Gilbert, James C. Beasley, Guha Dharmarajan, Olin E. Rhodes Jr.

United States Department of Agriculture Wildlife Services: Staff Publications

The movement ecology of raccoons varies widely across habitats with important implications for the management of zoonotic diseases such as rabies. However, the spatial ecology of raccoons remains poorly understood in many regions of the United States, particularly in the southeast. To better understand the spatial ecology of raccoons in the southeastern US, we investigated the role of sex, season, and habitat on monthly raccoon home range and core area sizes in three common rural habitats (bottomland hardwood, upland pine, and riparian forest) in South Carolina, USA. From 2018–2022, we obtained 264 monthly home ranges from 46 raccoons. Mean monthly …

Raccoon Spatial Ecology In The Rural Southeastern United States, Jacob E. Hill, Madison L. Miller, James L. Helton, Richard B. Chipman, Amy Gilbert, University Of Georgia, Guha Dharmarajan, Olin E. Rhodes Jr.

United States Department of Agriculture Wildlife Services: Staff Publications

The movement ecology of raccoons varies widely across habitats with important implications for the management of zoonotic diseases such as rabies. However, the spatial ecology of raccoons remains poorly understood in many regions of the United States, particularly in the southeast. To better understand the spatial ecology of raccoons in the southeastern United States, we investigated the role of sex, season, and habitat on monthly raccoon home range and core area sizes in three common rural habitats (bottomland hardwood, upland pine, and riparian forest) in South Carolina, USA. From 2018–2022, we obtained 264 monthly home ranges from 46 raccoons. Mean …

Precipitation And Greenness In Pastoral Lands Of East Turkana, Kenya, Paul Akpejeluh

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

Pastoralism has long supported livelihoods and provided essential ecosystem services in landscapes of East Africa. Vegetation productivity is central to the functioning of pastoral systems but may be affected by changes in climate and landuse. Vegetation monitoring is important for understanding the effects of global change in pastoral lands; however, it can be time and resource intensive. Remote sensing provides opportunities for efficient multi-scale monitoring of vegetation and climatic drivers. In this thesis, I explore the utility of satellite and UAV remote sensing for monitoring vegetation and precipitation trends and relationships in the East of Lake Turkana Region of northern …

Skin Lipids Alone Enable Conspecific Tracking In An Invasive Reptile, The Argentine Black And White Tegu Lizard (Salvator Merianae), M. Rockwell Parker, Eric A. Tillman, Lauren A. Nazarian, Megan L. Barlowe, Julianna M. Lincoln, Bryan M. Kluever

United States Department of Agriculture Wildlife Services: Staff Publications

Locating potential mates in non-native habitats is one of the most important challenges faced by invasive vertebrate species. The Argentine black and white tegu lizard (Salvator merianae) is a major invasive reptile species in the contiguous United States and is rapidly expanding its range across Florida and the Southeast, in part due to inadequate management strategies and tools. Because a wide array of reptiles, especially squamates (snakes and lizards), have been well-studied for their reliance on chemical cues to locate conspecifics, our project aimed to isolate chemical cues from tegus and assess the ability of adult males and …

Statistical And Machine Learning Approaches To Describe Factors Affecting Preweaning Mortality Of Piglets, Md Towfiqur Rahman, Tami M. Brown-Brandl, Gary A. Rohrer, Sudhendu R. Sharma, Vamsi Manthena, Yeyin Shi

Department of Biological Systems Engineering: Papers and Publications

High preweaning mortality (PWM) rates for piglets are a significant concern for the worldwide pork industries, causing economic loss and well-being issues. This study focused on identifying the factors affecting PWM, overlays, and predicting PWM using historical production data with statistical and machine learning models. Data were collected from 1,982 litters from the United States Meat Animal Research Center, Nebraska, over the years 2016 to 2021. Sows were housed in a farrowing building with three rooms, each with 20 farrowing crates, and taken care of by well-trained animal caretakers. A generalized linear model was used to analyze the various sow, …

Conserving Nature's Chorus: Local And Landscape Features Promoting Frog Species Richness In Farm Dams, Martino E. Malerba, Jodi J L Rowley, Peter I. Macreadie, James Frazer, Nicholas J. Wright, Nayyar Zaidi, Asef Nazari, Dhananjay Thiruvady, Don A. Driscoll

Climate Science Research Articles

Habitat loss is a key factor in the ongoing freshwater biodiversity crisis. A promising way to help tackle the rapid decline in freshwater biodiversity is to improve the potential for artificial wetlands to provide habitat for aquatic wildlife. Farm dams (also known as agricultural ponds) are among the most abundant waterbodies in agricultural landscapes and can act as “oases” against droughts for many species. Despite their prominent role in agriculture, predictive models to evaluate their ecological potential are yet to emerge. Here we use a continental-scale data set of 104,013 audio recordings from citizen scientists to identify and locate 107 …

Reef Fish Wariness Behavior: Fish Flight Initiation Distance Mediated By Territoriality And Body Size In Three Reef Sites Off The Western Coast Of Isla Colón, Bocas Del Toro, Panamá, Alina G. Irvine

Independent Study Project (ISP) Collection

Coral reefs are highly productive and diverse underwater ecosystems, providing a variety of environmental services including sand generation, nutrient processing, fish supply, and tourism. However, coral reefs have been increasingly impacted by natural and anthropogenic disturbances, which has negatively affected fish security within their environment. A significant observation is the reduction in evasive behaviors among reef fish in marine reserves compared to those exposed to anthropogenic threats. The present research aims to investigate the factors mediating fish wariness behavior through an exploration of the roles of territoriality and body size on fish flight initiation distance (FID). FID is the distance …

H5n1 Highly Pathogenic Avian Influenza Clade 2.3.4.4b In Wild And Domestic Birds: Introductions Into The United States And Reassortments, December 2021–April 2022, Sungsu Youk, Mia Kim Torchetti, Kristina Lantz, Julianna B. Lenoch, Mary Lea Killian, Christina Leyson, Sarah N. Bevins, Krista Dilione, Hon S. Ip, David E. Stallknecht, Rebecca L. Poulson, David L. Suarez, David E. Swayne, Mary J. Pantin-Jackwood

United States Department of Agriculture Wildlife Services: Staff Publications

Highly pathogenic avian influenza viruses (HPAIVs) of the A/goose/Guangdong/1/1996 lineage H5 clade 2.3.4.4b continue to have a devastating effect on domestic and wild birds. Full genome sequence analyses using 1369 H5N1 HPAIVs detected in the United States (U.S.) in wild birds, commercial poultry, and backyard flocks from December 2021 to April 2022, showed three phylogenetically distinct H5N1 virus introductions in the U.S. by wild birds. Unreassorted Eurasian genotypes A1 and A2 entered the Northeast Atlantic states, whereas a genetically distinct A3 genotype was detected in Alaska. The A1 genotype spread westward via wild bird migration and reassorted with North American …

Limited Accumulation And Persistence Of An Influenza A Virus In Tadpole Snails (Physa Spp.), Paul T. Oesterle, J. Jeffrey Root, Darcy S.O. Mora, Heather Schneider, Alan B. Franklin, Kathryn P. Huyvaert

United States Department of Agriculture Wildlife Services: Staff Publications

Waterfowl infected with avian influenza A viruses (IAVs) shed infectious virus into aquatic environments, providing a mechanism for transmission among waterfowl, while also exposing the entire aquatic ecosystem to the virus. Aquatic invertebrates such as freshwater snails are likely exposed to IAVs in the water column and sediment. Freshwater snails comprise a significant portion of some waterfowl species’ diets, so this trophic interaction may serve as a novel route of IAV transmission. In these experiments, tadpole snails (Physa spp.) were exposed to a low-pathogenicity IAV (H3N8) to determine whether snails can accumulate the virus and, if so, how long virus …

On The Rocks, Below The Rocks: A Study Of Intertidal Life In The Low, Middle And High Zones Of The Puerto Cabuyal – Punta San Clemente Marine Reserve During An El Niño Event, Juliana M. Ferrer

Independent Study Project (ISP) Collection

The rocky intertidal zone is one of the most difficult environments for organisms to survive in due to its harsh biotic and abiotic conditions. As such, it is also one of the best indicators of climate change and an important barrier to beach erosion. This study looked at the rocky intertidal zone of the Puerto Cabuyal-Punta San Clemente Marine Reserve in the Manabí province of Ecuador, with a focus on observing and identifying the organisms found in the area. Data was collected along 30 m transects at varying elevations along the shore using quadrants of two sizes: 50x50 cm for …

The Uses And Limitations Of Citizen Science For Monitoring The Australian Grey Nurse Shark (Carcharias Taurus) Population, Leah Corckran

Independent Study Project (ISP) Collection

iNaturalist is a citizen science photographic database, which is an underutilized resource in photographic identification research studies. Grey nurse sharks are critically endangered and there is a lack of knowledge regarding the estimated population size, longevity, and interactions with fisheries of this species off the coasts of Australia. To determine how photos submitted to iNaturalist can be used in Carcharias taurus conservation, the photographs were evaluated on a number of criteria including: location, date, visibility of spot patterns, visible sex characteristics, and visible injuries. In total, 814 photographs of grey nurse sharks were obtained from the iNaturalist database. Only 23.2% …

Organism Communities On Giant Clam Shells As Compared To The Surrounding Substrate In Reefs Around Lizard Island, Queensland, Gayatri Singla

Independent Study Project (ISP) Collection

Coral reef ecosystems are facing destruction at the hands of anthropogenic climate change. Therefore, it is essential that we move to better understand the ecosystem functions of the organisms present in reefs. One such family whose ecosystem function we are unfamiliar with are the giant clams (family Cardiidae). As unique and abundant macrofauna, they have the potential to play an important role in their environment. The goal of our study was to determine how giant clams function as settlement substrata. We conducted 151 observational surveys of epibionts residing on living giant clam shells and of the organism communities in the …

Analyzing Human - Nonhuman Primate Conflict Mitigation Techniques In Mto Wa Mbu, Northern Tanzania, Lily Adams

Independent Study Project (ISP) Collection

Human – non-human primate conflict is particularly crucial due to primates’ high capacity to live among human populations. The study to analyze Human - Nonhuman Primate Conflict Mitigation Techniques, was carried in November 2023 at Mto wa Mbu, Northern Tanzania. To analyze techniques currently being used to mitigate human – non-human primate conflict, this study collected data through semi-structured interviews. Over 87% (n=35) of respondents used multiple mitigation techniques simultaneously. 80% of respondents (n=32) reported using projectiles to ward off foraging primates, 75% of respondents (n=30) reported using loud noises (made either by the voice/body or by manipulating noisemakers), 67.5% …

Representations And Realities: Misali Island's Biodiversity In Hybrid Narratives, Justin Ross Whitney

Independent Study Project (ISP) Collection

Marine Protected Areas (MPAs) are complex organisms that ebb and flow between strict and unyielding conservation doctrines often at the cost of community engagement. Misali Island is different. Conceived and advocated for by community members, this organism has navigated a tumultuous tenure of environmental degradation, periods of high and low funding, and a looming tourism presence. On top of these challenges has been a growing fishing community attempting to share in the bounty of this shockingly biodiverse setting. This study sorts through the grey space of Misali Island by applying a hybrid narrative that interfaces the marine context of the …

Creating A Framework For An Effective Koala Recovery Center: A Case Study Of Friends Of The Koala, Nsw, Finley Scoular

Independent Study Project (ISP) Collection

Koala populations in New South Wales, Queensland, and the Australian Capital District are currently faced with factors that threaten their survival. Within one decade, their status has shifted from stable to vulnerable to endangered. The cause of this is attributed to increased exposure to dog attacks, vehicle collisions, diseases, and habitat fragmentation and destruction. The koalas' status of endangered in these territories has illuminated the need for human intervention. This study focuses on the specific form of human intervention that involves the rescue, rehabilitation, and release of wild koalas. Due to the recent koala status change from vulnerable to endangered, …

Antiviral Susceptibility Of Clade 2.3.4.4b Highly Pathogenic Avian Influenza A(H5n1) Viruses Isolated From Birds And Mammals In The United States, 2022, Ha T. Nguyen, Anton Chesnokov, Juan De La Cruz, Philippe Noriel Q. Pascua, Vasiliy P. Mishin, Yunho Jang, Joyce Jones, Han Di, Andrei A. Ivashchenko, Mary Lea Killian, Mia K. Torchetti, Kristina Lantz, David E. Wentworth, Charles T. Davis, Alexandre V. Ivachtchenko, Larisa V. Gubareva

United States Department of Agriculture Wildlife Services: Staff Publications

Clade 2.3.4.4b highly pathogenic avian influenza (HPAI) A(H5N1) viruses that are responsible for devastating outbreaks in birds and mammals pose a potential threat to public health. Here, we evaluated their susceptibility to influenza antivirals. Of 1,015 sequences of HPAI A(H5N1) viruses collected in the United States during 2022, eight viruses (∼0.8%) had a molecular marker of drug resistance to an FDA-approved antiviral: three adamantane-resistant (M2-V27A), four oseltamivir-resistant (NA-H275Y), and one baloxavir-resistant (PA-I38T). Additionally, 31 viruses contained mutations that may reduce susceptibility to inhibitors of neuraminidase (NA) (n = 20) or cap-dependent endonuclease (CEN) (n = 11). A panel of 22 …

Alkaline Pretreatment And Air Mixing For Improvement Of Methane Production From Anaerobic Co-Digestion Of Poultry Litter With Wheat Straw, Yuanhang Zhan, Jun Zhu, Yiting Xiao, Leland C. Schrader

Biological and Agricultural Engineering Faculty Publications and Presentations

Alkaline pretreatment (AL) and air mixing (air) both have the potential to improve anaerobic co-digestion (Co-AD) of poultry litter with wheat straw for methane production. In this study, the effects of the combination of AL (pH 12 for 12 h) and air mixing (12 mL·d⁻¹) on the Co-AD process were investigated. The substrate hydrolysis was enhanced by AL, with soluble chemical oxygen demand increased by 4.59 times and volatile fatty acids increased by 5.04 times. The cumulative methane yield in the group of Co-AD by AL integrated with air (Co-(AL + air)), being 287 mL·(g VS_added) …

A Description Of The Grassland Communities Of The Wildcat Hills Region Of Northwestern Nebraska Including Scotts Bluff National Monument And Rare Plant Survey Of The Wildcat Hills Region Of Northwestern Nebraska, Volume I, Terri Hildebrand, Steven B. Rolfsmeier

Nebraska Game and Parks Commission: White Papers, Conference Presentations, and Manuscripts

This study resulted from a Cooperative Agreement between Nebraska Game and Parks Commission and the National Park Service (NPS), with funding provided by the Natural Resource Preservation Program of the NPS. Scotts Bluff National Monument was seeking to characterize the native grassland communities of the Wildcat Hills region in order to develop species composition models for prairie restoration of disturbed lands at the monument. Nebraska Game and Parks Commission needed similar information to refine community classification for the Wildcat Hills region, and to update rare plant species inventories. This report includes a description of the grassland communities and a rare …

A Description Of The Grassland Communities Of The Wildcat Hills Region Of Northwestern Nebraska Including Scotts Bluff National Monument And Rare Plant Survey Of The Wildcat Hills Region Of Northwestern Nebraska, Volume Ii, Terri Hildebrand, Steven B. Rolfsmeier

Nebraska Game and Parks Commission: White Papers, Conference Presentations, and Manuscripts

This study resulted from a Cooperative Agreement between Nebraska Game and Parks Commission and the National Park Service (NPS), with funding provided by the Natural Resource Preservation Program of the NPS. Scotts Bluff National Monument was seeking to characterize the native grassland communities of the Wildcat Hills region in order to develop species composition models for prairie restoration of disturbed lands at the monument. Nebraska Game and Parks Commission needed similar information to refine community classification for the Wildcat Hills region, and to update rare plant species inventories. This report includes a description of the grassland communities and a rare …

Vegetative Sampling Of The Wildcat Hills Region Of Northwestern Nebraska Including Scotts Bluff National Monument And Rare Plant Survey Of The Wildcat Hills Region Of Northwestern Nebraska, A Final Report To: Nebraska Game And Parks Commission, Terri Hildebrand, Steven B. Rolfsmeier

Nebraska Game and Parks Commission: White Papers, Conference Presentations, and Manuscripts

The Wildcat Hills region of northwestern Nebraska is a ridge extending westerly from Chimney Rock in Morrill county to west of Kiowa Creek in central Scotts Bluff county and southerly into the northernmost portions of Banner county (Fig. 1). Much of the expanse is fronted along its northern portion by the North Platte River and US Highway 26. Also included within the study area are the federal lands of Scotts Bluff National Monument and Chimney Rock National Historic Site. Two large portions of state lands, Wildcat Hills State Recreation Area and Buffalo Creek Wildlife Management Area, are located just easterly …

Freshwater And Saline Flood Plain Wetlands Of The North Platte River - Sources And Seasonal Dynamics: Kiowa Wildlife Management Area, Morrill, Ne, Anne M. Matherne

Nebraska Game and Parks Commission: White Papers, Conference Presentations, and Manuscripts

The Kiowa Wildlife Management Area (WMA), a 1 mi² wetland and upland on the North Platte River, was acquired by the Nebraska Game and Parks Commission (NGPC) in 1993. The WMA comprises two distinct wetland types, alkaline and freshwater, both of which provide important wildlife habitat. It was the goal of this project to understand the hydrology controlling the development and maintenance of these wetlands in order to anticipate the affect of management strategies on the wetland complex. The study was designed to develop a comprehensive picture of the hydrogeology of both the fresh and alkaline portions of the WMA, …

Willa Cather Ecological Prairie: An Ecological Overview, Harold G. Nagel

Nebraska Game and Parks Commission: White Papers, Conference Presentations, and Manuscripts

This report includes data gathered on the ecology of a 610 acre mixed grass prairie in south-central Nebraska over a two year period.

An attempt was made to identify as many of the plant and animal species present and to determine density and standing crop biomass wherever possible, under the time and financial constraints present. Few attempts have been made to develop complete species checklists for both animals and plants in prairies. The data collected are considered baseline conditions against which comparisons can be made after a management plan is carried out.

This study of Cather Prairie had several objectives. …

The Flora Of The Oak-Wooded Drainages At The Timber Point Area, Southeastern Butler County, Nebraska, Steven B. Rolfsmeier

Nebraska Game and Parks Commission: White Papers, Conference Presentations, and Manuscripts

The Timber Point Area is a 160-acre recreational/wildlife area occupying to S½ of the SW¼ sec. 22 and the adjacent N½ of the NW¼ sec. 27, T14N R4E. The area is located in the loess-mantled glacial-till hills of southeast Nebraska not far from the terminal moraine of the Pre-Illinoian glacial sheet, one mile south and two miles east of the present town of Brainard. The uplands at Timber Point were apparently in pasture prior to purchase by the NRD, with some cultivated fields occupying the lower ground along a stream valley which southwest to northeast through the property. This small …

The Flora Of Two Oak Drainages At The Red Cedar Area, Southwestern Saunders County, Nebraska, Steven B. Rolfsmeier

Nebraska Game and Parks Commission: White Papers, Conference Presentations, and Manuscripts

The Red Cedar Area is a 175 acre recreational/wildlife area occupying the SE¼ sec. 20, T14N R5E and a small portion of sec. 29 directly to the south. The area is located in the glacial-till hills of southeast Nebraska ca 5 mi. north and 2 mi. west of Valpraiso. The bulk of the area was cultivated farmland prior to purchase by the NRD, and nearly all upland areas here were cultivated cropland, save for some steep oak-wooded drainages on the east side of Hunter’s Slough, which ran northwest to southeast through the property. The creek was dammed after NRD purchase …

The Vascular Plants Of The Woodlands Of South Table Creek In The Vicinity Of The National Arbor Day Center, Nebraska City, Nebraska, Steven B. Rolfsmeier

Nebraska Game and Parks Commission: White Papers, Conference Presentations, and Manuscripts

The objective of this study is to describe the composition of the vascular plant flora of a three-quarter mile stretch of woodland along South Table Creek managed by the National Arbor Day Foundation in Nebraska City. This 50-60 acre woodland is representative of the many small tributaries of the Missouri River in southeastern Nebraska, and may represent the only natural “preserve” of native forest on the west side of the Missouri River between Fontenelle Forest and Indian Cave State Park. All naturally-occurring species encountered in this study are listed alphabetically by family at the end of this paper, and a …

The Flora Of Meadowlark Prairie, Northeastern Seward County, Nebraska, Steven B. Rolfsmeier

Nebraska Game and Parks Commission: White Papers, Conference Presentations, and Manuscripts

This report is on the flora of the Meadowlark Prairie. The prairie is an approximately 7 acre remnant of virgin tall-grass prairie in extreme northeastern Seward County, Nebraska. The remnant is triangular in shape and lies on a gentle southeast-facing slope with a total relief of 50 ft., along the east boundary of the Meadowlark Recreation Area. The prairie is surrounded on the east side by a small brome-infested prairie remnant and cultivated field off the NRD property, and on the remaining sides by formerly cultivated fields now seeded to native warm-season grasses. Soils in the area are primarily derived …

The Flora And Plant Communities Of The Ceresco Saline Basins, Southern Saunders County, Nebraska, Steven B. Rolfsmeier

Nebraska Game and Parks Commission: White Papers, Conference Presentations, and Manuscripts

This report is on the flora and plant communities of the Ceresco Saline Basins. The basins are along Rock Creek east of Ceresco and represent the northernmost representatives of the “eastern saline marsh” community in Nebraska. Eastern saline marshland is mostly restricted to the Salt Creek drainage in northern and central Lancaster County, though the Ceresco basins extend a mile or more north into Saunders County in the floodplain of Rock Creek. Some of the wetland in this area is currently under management of the Nebraska Game and Parks Commission, while some of the northernmost portions of the basins are …

The Devil You Know And The Devil You Don’T: Current Status And Challenges Of Bovine Tuberculosis Eradication In The United States, Daniel J. O'Brien, Tyler C. Thacker, Liliana C.M. Salvador, Anthony G. Duffiney, Suelee Robbe‑Austerman, Mark S. Camacho, Jason E. Lombard, Mitchell V. Palmer

United States Department of Agriculture Wildlife Services: Staff Publications

Having entered into its second century, the eradication program for bovine tuberculosis (bTB, caused by Mycobacterium bovis) in the United States of America occupies a position both enviable and daunting. Excepting four counties in Michigan comprising only 6109 km2 (0.06% of US land area) classified as Modified Accredited, as of April 2022 the entire country was considered Accredited Free of bTB by the US Department of Agriculture for cattle and bison. On the surface, the now well-described circumstances of endemic bTB in Michigan, where white-tailed deer (Odocoileus virginianus) serve as a free-ranging wildlife maintenance host, may appear to be …

Leveraging Eco-Evolutionary Models For Gene Drive Risk Assessment, Matthew A. Combs, Andrew J. Golnar, Justin M. Overcash, Alun L. Lloyd, Keith R. Hayes, David A. O'Brochta, Kim M. Pepin

United States Department of Agriculture Wildlife Services: Staff Publications

Engineered gene drives create potential for both widespread benefits and irreversible harms to ecosystems. CRISPR-based systems of allelic conversion have rapidly accelerated gene drive research across diverse taxa, putting field trials and their necessary risk assessments on the horizon. Dynamic processbased models provide flexible quantitative platforms to predict gene drive outcomes in the context of system-specific ecological and evolutionary features. Here, we synthesize gene drive dynamic modeling studies to highlight research trends, knowledge gaps, and emergent principles, organized around their genetic, demographic, spatial, environmental, and implementation features. We identify the phenomena that most significantly influence model predictions, discuss limitations of …

Babesa Sewage Treatment Plant As A Vital Artificial Wetland Habitat For A Multitude Of Avian Species, Pelden Nima, Mahendra Timsina, Tenzin Jamtsho, Pema Khandu

Research outputs 2022 to 2026

This study aimed to glean basic ecological aspects on diversity and abundance, temporal variation and guild composition of the birds at Babesa Sewage Treatment Plant (STP). The line transect method was used as the sampling technique from November 2021 to October 2022. A total of 80 species belonging to 58 genera, 29 families, and 11 orders were detected, of which three, namely, River Lapwing Vanellus duvaucelii, Falcated Duck Mareca falcata, and Ferruginous Duck Aythya nyroca, are ‘Near Threatened’ with the remaining being ‘Least Concern’. The highest species richness was recorded in the winter (6.29), the highest species diversity in the …