Animal Sciences Commons^™

Rare, Threatened And Endangered Species Of Oregon (2010), James S. Kagan, Sue Vrilakas, Eleanor P. Gaines, Cliff Alton, Lindsey Koepke, John A. Christy, Erin Doyle

Institute for Natural Resources Publications

Extinction is a natural process. Today, however, plant and animal species are disappearing world-wide at an accelerated pace. Based on current trends, half of the species on earth will be extinct within the next 100 years. The major cause of this phenomenon is human caused changes to the environment, which continue to increase - in Oregon and throughout the world.

Once lost, a species can never be recovered, and there is no way of knowing how useful it may have been. We do know that human beings and many of their industries depend on plant and animal products. About 50% …

Biogeography Of The American Pika (Ochotona Princeps) In Oregon And Southern Washington: Illuminating Genetic Relationships Among Disjunct Populations, George Washington Batten Iii

Dissertations and Theses

The American pika (Ochotona princeps) finds moderately warm temperatures (>25°C) lethally stressful, and at the end of the last Ice Age 10,000 years ago was forced to disperse to cooler, "sky island" mountaintops where they are almost exclusively found today. Thirty six subspecies are recognized, all established using morphological characters, and it is uncertain whether these subspecies' designations are corroborated by genetic analyses. This study elucidates three hypotheses regarding populations in Oregon and southern Washington: 1) O. p. fumosa constitutes a subspecies distinct form O. p. brunnescens, 2) the Columbia River constitutes a barrier to gene …

Spatial Segregation Of The Sexes In A Salt Marsh Grass Distichlis Spicata (Poaceae), Charlene Ashley Mercer

Dissertations and Theses

Understanding the maintenance of sexual systems is of great interest to evolutionary and ecological biologists because plant systems are extremely varied. Plant sexual systems have evolved to include not only complete plants with both male and female reproduction occurring on one plant (i.e., monoecious and hermaphroditic) but also plants with male and female function on separate plants (dioecious). The dioecious reproductive system can be used to test theories on niche differentiation given that having separate plants potentially allows for the exploitation of a broader niche. This increase in the realized niche is due to the ability for separate sexes to …

Fecal-Sac Ingestion By Spotted Towhees, Jenny E. Mckay, Michael T. Murphy, Sarah Bartos Smith, Jennifer K. Richardson

Biology Faculty Publications and Presentations

Altricial nestlings encase excrement in fecal sacs that parents remove by either ingesting them or transporting them away from the nest. Ingestion may allow energetically or nutritionally deprived parents to recapture energy or nutrients that might be lost because of nestlings' inefficient digestion (the "parental-nutrition hypothesis"), but ingestion may also permit parents to avoid flights from the nest that interfere with parental care (e.g., brooding young; the "economic-disposal hypothesis"). We used a hypothetico-deductive approach to test the two hypotheses' ability to account for fecal-sac ingestion by the Spotted Towhee (Pipilo maculatus). We confirmed the parental-nutrition hypothesis' predictions that …

Analysis And Classification Of Sounds Produced By Asian Elephants (Elephas Maximus), Sharon Stuart Glaeser

Dissertations and Theses

Relatively little is known about the vocal repertoire of Asian elephants (Elephas maximus), and a categorization of basic call types and modifications of these call types by quantitative acoustic parameters is needed to examine acoustic variability within and among call types, to examine individuality, to determine communicative function of calls via playback, to compare species and populations, and to develop rigorous call recognition algorithms for monitoring populations.

This study defines an acoustic repertoire of Asian elephants based on acoustic parameters, compares repertoire usage among groups and individuals, and validates structural distinction among call types through comparison of manual and automated …

Mangrove-Exported Nutrient Incorporation By Sessile Coral Reef Invertebrates, Elise F. Granek, Jana E. Compton, Donald L. Phillips

Environmental Science and Management Faculty Publications and Presentations

Coastal mangrove forests were historically considered as a source of organic matter (OM) for adjacent marine systems due to high net primary production; yet recent research suggesting little uptake through the food web because of low nutritional quality, challenges the concept of trophic linkage between mangrove forests and coral reefs. To examine the importance of mangrove forests to coral reef nutrient availability, we examined sessile reef-forming invertebrate consumers including hard corals, sponges, a bivalve mollusc, polychaete annelid and tunicate, and potential sources of OM (decaying mangrove leaves, microalgae, macroalgae, and seagrass) in Bocas del Toro, Panama. Using stable isotope analyses …

Engaging Recreational Fishers In Management And Conservation: Global Case Studies, Elise F. Granek, Elizabeth M.P. Madin, M. A. Brown, Will F. Figueira, Darren S. Cameron, Zeb Hogan, Gerry Kristianson, Pierre De Villiers, Jack E. Williams, John R. Post, S. Zahn, R. Arlinghaus

Environmental Science and Management Faculty Publications and Presentations

Globally, the number of recreational fishers is sizeable and increasing in many countries. Associated with this trend is the potential for negative impacts on fish stocks through exploitation or management measures such as stocking and introduction of non-native fishes. Nevertheless, recreational fishers can be instrumental in successful fisheries conservation through active involvement in, or initiation of, conservation projects to reduce both direct and external stressors contributing to fishery declines. Understanding fishers’ concerns for sustained access to the resource and developing methods for their meaningful participation can have positive impacts on conservation efforts. We examined a suite of case studies that …

Interview With Melissa & Rod Volbeda, Willamette Valley Cheese, 2007 (Audio), Melissa Volbeda, Rod Volbeda

All Sustainability History Project Oral Histories

Interview of Melissa and Rod Volbeda by Magda Gaytan on August 6th, 2007.

Willamette Valley Cheese Company tour photos available for download.

Lifetime Reproductive Success Of Female Eastern Kingbirds (Tyrannus Tyrannus): Influence Of Lifespan, Nest Predation And Body Size, Michael T. Murphy

Biology Faculty Publications and Presentations

I report on the lifetime reproductive success (LRS) of female Eastern Kingbirds (Tyrannus tyrannus) in central New York. I investigated the major correlates of LRS and specifi cally tested the hypothesis that small body size yields reproductive benefi ts. Lifetime reproductive success varied widely: 15–20% of females failed to fledge young over their life, whereas 50% of young were fledged by 20% of females. Female lifespan varied between one and eight years, and females that died after one breeding season tended to be smaller-bodied than long-lived females (≥2 seasons). I therefore conducted analyses of LRS for the entire sample and …

A Cautionary Tale: Cryptic Sexual Size Dimorphism In A Socially Monogamous Passerine, Michael T. Murphy

Biology Faculty Publications and Presentations

Among socially monogamous birds, standard metrics suggest that males are only ∼5% larger than females. An untested assumption is that, with the exception of reproductive systems, males and females are scaled mirror images of one another. I used external morphological and skeletal data, and information on muscle mass and organ size, to test this assumption in a population of breeding Eastern Kingbirds (Tyrannus tyrannus). Male and female Eastern Kingbirds exhibited no differences in body mass or standard measures of size, except in a longer (∼6%) wing chord and tail in males. However, keel length, a character rarely measured …

Nest Reuse By Eastern Kingbirds: Adaptive Behavior Or Ecological Constraint?, Lucas J. Redmond, Michael T. Murphy, Amy C. Dolan

Biology Faculty Publications and Presentations

The reuse of old nests by open-cup nesting passerines is a seemingly rare but potentially adaptive behavior if, as a consequence, females begin to breed earlier, lay larger clutches, or fledge more young. We report an unusually high rate of nest reuse (~10% of 341 nests) for Eastern Kingbirds (Tyrannus tyrannus) breeding at Malheur National Wildlife Refuge, Oregon. We found no difference in availability of nesting habitat or food abundance in territories in which nests were and were not reused. We also found no support for the hypotheses that kingbirds benefited from nest reuse by breeding earlier, laying …

Habitat And Distribution Of The Ruffed Lemur, "Varecia", North Of The Bay Of Antongil In Northeastern Madagascar, Evon R. Hekkala, Marius Rakotondratsima, Natalie Vasey

Anthropology Faculty Publications and Presentations

Here we present information on the conservation status of ruffed lemurs (Varecia) north of the Bay of Antongil in northeastern Madagascar. Two contiguous protected areas were recently established that traverse this region via blocks of forest connected by narrow forest corridors: the Masoala National Park, which expands further to the east, and the Makira Protected Area, which expands further to the west and northwest. The two extant ruffed lemurs, Varecia variegata and V. rubra, overlapped in this region historically and, on rare occasions, hybridized. As such, land north of the Bay of Antongil is a critical part …

The Fisheries Of The Lower Columbia River, 1792 To 1850, Based On Euroamerican Explorer And Fur Company Accounts, Michael A. Martin

Dissertations and Theses

The role of fish in the Native American economy of the lower Columbia River has never been considered in detail. My study focused on the Columbia River from its mouth to the Cascades and the Willamette River from its confluence with the Columbia to Willamette Falls. For this study I asked: How was salmon used? What other fish were important? Where and how were these fish taken and used?

To address these questions, I evaluated historical documents, including explorer's accounts and the administrative records of fur companies dating from the late 1700's through the 1850's. I used fishery data, physical …

Woodland Amphibian Distribution In Parks And Greenspaces Of The Portland, Oregon Metropolitan Area: A Multiple Scale Investigation, Laura A. Roberts

Dissertations and Theses

Loss of biodiversity due to habitat fragmentation is worldwide problem. With growing human populations and increasing urbanization, it is a necessity to conduct studies on wildlife occurring in urban areas. Currently there is a deficit of research investigating woodland amphibians in urban environments. My objectives were to describe amphibian species richness and abundance in the Portland, Oregon, Metropolitan region, and relate patterns of variation to variables at three increasingly large spatial scales: 1) local microenvironmental (i.e. amphibian/substrate interaction), (2) macrohabitat/patch (i.e. park or greenspace), and 3) landscape (surrounding parks and greenspaces). Environmental variables occurring within the three spatial scales were …

Rare, Threatened And Endangered Species Of Oregon (2004), James S. Kagan, Sue Vrilakas, Eleanor P. Gaines, Cliff Alton, Fern Mcarthur, Kuuipo Walsh, Eric Scheuering, John A. Christy, Jon Hak, Claudine Tobalske, Annie Weiland, Theresa Koloszar, Oregon Natural Heritage Information Center

Institute for Natural Resources Publications

Extinction is a natural process. Today, however, plant and animal species are disappearing world-wide at an accelerated pace. Based on current trends, half of the species on earth will be extinct within the next 100 years. The major cause of this phenomenon is large-scale destruction of native habitats, which has increased since European settlement began in the mid 1800's - in Oregon and throughout the New World.

Once lost, a species can never be recovered, and there is no way of knowing how useful it may have been. We do know that human beings and many of their industries depend …

Miedo, Amor, Ternura ... ¿Qué Sienten Los Animales? Emociones A Lo Bestia, Eva NúÑEz-MéNdez

World Languages and Literatures Faculty Publications and Presentations

A brief inquiry into the question of whether or not animals have feelings, emotions, or possess consciousness. Reviews the current state of scientific research and how it attempts to answer this question.

Avian Population Trends Within The Evolving Agricultural Landscape Of The Eastern And Central United States, Michael T. Murphy

Biology Faculty Publications and Presentations

State-level Breeding Bird Survey (1980-1998) and U.S. Department of Agriculture statistics were used to test the hypothesis that changes in agricultural land use within the eastern and central U.S. have driven population trends of grassland and shrub habitat birds over the past two decades. The degree to which population trends differed between grassland and shrub habitats was evaluated with respect to migratory and nesting behavior. Grassland birds declined significantly between 1980 and 1999, but, on average, shrub habitat species did not. Grassland-breeding, long-distance migrants exhibited the strongest negative trends. Most species (78%; n = 63) exhibited at least one significant …

Tolerance, Performance, And Aerobic Metabolism Of Redband Trout (Oncorhynchus Mykiss Ssp.) During Acute Exposure To Elevated Temperature, Karen Reed Lizars

Dissertations and Theses

The objective of this thesis was to determine whether the redband trout (Oncorhynchus mykiss ssp.) of Oregon's inland desert basins are negatively affected by the high peak temperatures (> 20 °C) often observed in their native streams. Small (40 - 140 g) redband trout from three streams (Bridge, Rock, and Twelve-mile creeks) were collected and tested on-site for aspects of thermal physiology, including: critical swimming velocity (Ucrit), maximum metabolic rate (MO₂), metabolic power, and total cost of transport (TCT) at 24 °C; routine MO₂ at 14 to 2: 28 °C: and critical thermal maximum (CTM). At …

High Frequency Of Extra-Pair Paternity In Eastern Kingbirds, Diane L. Rowe, Michael T. Murphy, Robert C. Fleischer, Paul G. Wolf

Biology Faculty Publications and Presentations

Genetic parentage in the socially monogamous and territorial Eastern Kingbird( Tyrannust tyrannus) was examined in a central New York population by multilocus DNA fingerprinting. Extra-pair young were identified in 60% (12 of 20) of nests. Of the 64 nestlings profiled, 42% were sired by extra-pair males, but no cases of conspecific brood parasitism were detected. These results are markedly different from a previous electrophoretic study of the same species in a Michigan population, which reported 39% of nestlings were unrelated to one (typically the mother, quasiparasitismo)r both (conspecificb roodp arasitism) of the putative parents. In the New York population, extra-pairp …

Rare, Threatened And Endangered Plants And Animals Of Oregon (2001), James S. Kagan, Sue Vrilakas, Eleanor P. Gaines, Cliff Alton, Ken Popper, Mark A. Stern, Eric Scheuering, John A. Christy, Mary Finnerty, Jon Hak, Anthony A. Tovar, Michael Murray, Claudine Tobalske, Oregon Natural Heritage Program

Institute for Natural Resources Publications

Extinction is a natural process. Today, however, plant and animal species are disappearing world-wide at an accelerated pace. Based on current trends, half of the species on earth will be extinct within the next 100 years. The major cause of this phenomenon is large-scale destruction of native habitats, which has increased since European settlement began in the mid 1800's - in Oregon and throughout the New World.

Once lost, a species can never be recovered, and there is no way of knowing how useful it may have been. We do know that human beings and many of their industries depend …

Is Reproduction By Tree Swallows (Tachycineta Bicolor) Cost-Free?, Michael T. Murphy

Biology Faculty Publications and Presentations

We manipulated brood sizes of Tree Swallows (Tachycineta bicolor) in 1996 and 1997 to test for the existence of intra- and intergenerational costs of reproduction. Modal clutch size was six eggs, but experimental brood sizes ranged from two to nine young. Nestling starvation was higher in 1996 (and dependent on brood size) than in 1997, but in both years enlargement of brood size resulted in increased productivity. Nestling mass near fledging was negatively correlated with brood size, but tarsus length and wing chord were not. Food deliveries by parents increased steadily between broods of two to six young but then …

A Longitudinal Assessment Of Temperament In Octopus Bimaculoides, David Loyd Sinn

Dissertations and Theses

Cephalopods, including Octopus spp., are highly intelligent molluscs that play major roles in many marine food webs, both as top-level feeders (Ambrose, 1984) as well as by constituting a major source of protein for the animals above them (Lang, Hochberg, Ambrose, & Engle, 1997). They also are fascinating organisms for behavioral studies, with elaborate repertoires of behavior based on plasticity and learning (Wells, 1962a; 1962b; 1978) which in complexity rivals that of the vertebrates. The study of individual differences in behavior is a facet of behavioral research that has recently gained attention in the literature (Gosling & John, 1999). Traditionally, …

This Cat's Meow: Individual Variation Among Domestic Cats In Maternal Response To An Unrelated Kitten, Theressa Joanne Silver

Dissertations and Theses

Non-offspring nursing and adoption are puzzling behaviors seen in a number of mammalian species (Riedman, 1982; Packer et al., 1992). Although domestic cats show a proclivity for adopting strange kittens, there is a great deal of individual variation in the behavior. The goal of this project was to determine the feasibility of using behavioral observations and other measures of a mother cat's personality to predict her reaction to a strange kitten. Twelve female domestic cats with litters of kittens were tested. Three behavioral tests were done with each cat: New Person Test (NPT), Familiar Person Test (FPT), and Novel Box …

Chemical Communication Of Estrous Cycle Status And Change In Social Behaviors With Reproductive State In Captive Female Asian Elephants, Elephas Maximus, Barbara Elaine Slade

Dissertations and Theses

Elephants use several well-developed sensory systems for communicating within and between social groups. Female elephants sniff, touch and flehmen to the urine and genitals of herdmembers. In addition, communication through social behaviors is prevalent. Female elephants frequently communicate through affiliate tactile and aggressive behaviors. Furthermore, although female elephants are not known to display behavioral signs of estrus, these females exhibit a tail slapping behavior that may be an implement for dispersing chemical signals to conspecifics or nearby male elephants.

The present study addresses two areas of research. The purpose of part one was first, to determine if female Asian elephants …

Habituation, Novelty Response, And Object Differentiation In The Weakly Electric Fish, Brachyhypopomus Pinnacaudatus, Gregory J. Scott

Dissertations and Theses

Weakly electric fish use a combination of active electrolocation and passive mechanosensory receptors for object detection and analysis. When tested with repeated presentations of the same moving object, Brachyhypopomus pinnacaudatus showed a gradual habituation of its electric organ pacemaker acceleration response (novelty response) that was unaltered by changes in the replacement electric organ discharge (S1). When tested with objects of differing velocities, the novelty response of the fish was proportional to the change in velocity of object. The responses of fish to objects that presented different mechanosensory profiles, but equal electrosensory profiles, suggest that the fish used the electrosensory system …

Abundance And Seasonal Distribution Of The Marbled Murrelet In Puget Sound And Hood Canal In Fall And Winter, Richard Anthony Jensen Merizon

Dissertations and Theses

The greater Puget Sound area is home to a diversity of seabirds, however with encroaching human recreational and economic use of these areas these birds are facing unique threats. It is vitally important that we understand where these seabirds occur in order to minimize the risks associated with human influences. Intensive and extensive transects were used to collect data on seasonal distribution and abundance of seabirds, specifically marbled murrelets (Brachyramphus marmoratus), in Puget Sound and Hood Canal. Surveys were conducted from the water during the fall and winter in 1995 and 1996 and summer of 1997. Marbled murrelets were abundant …

Whole Body I=In Vivo Vascular Compliance In Two Amphibians, Bufo Marinus And Rana Cate, Todd Micheal Hoagland

Dissertations and Theses

The mean circulatory filling pressure (MCFP), vascular compliance (C) and unstressed volume (USV) were measured in Bufo marinus and Rana catesbeiana, using an in vivo preparation. Capacitance curves were constructed by varying total vascular volume and then measuring MCFP. These capacitance curves enable the extrapolation of USV and the measurement of vascular compliance. The MCFP, C, and USV were 8.6 ± 0.2 (mmHg), 3.7 (ml· mmHg-1 · kg- 1 ) and 2.5 (ml), respectively, in B. marinus. The MCFP, C, and USV were 9.5 ± 0.1 (mmHg), 2.2 (ml· mmHg-1 · kg- 1 ) and 14.2 (ml), respectively, …

Chemical Communication In House Mice (Mus Musculus): Can They Recognize Gender From The Anogenital, Harderian Gland Or Mouth/Nose Odor?, Dawn Michele Andrews

Dissertations and Theses

Identifying the sensory systems animals employ to communicate chemically and the function of the chemical signals facilitates further understanding of chemical communication. Increased knowledge of how animals use the olfactory and vomeronasal systems in order to interpret the meaning of body odors will aid in developing a more detailed organization of chemosensory pathways. The message that each body odor contains can change from species to species.

The purpose of this thesis was to study three previously untested body odors in house mice (M. musculus) for their role in gender recognition of conspecifics. These odors are the anogenital (feces, …

Irrigation, Power, And Salmon: The Case For Voluntary Water Transfers In The Columbia Basin, Eric Kuhner

Center for Urban Studies Publications and Reports

This paper begins with a brief history of water law in the west, illustrating the roots of conflict over water allocation. A more detailed examination of activities in the Columbia Basin follows, describing the many parties affected by issues of water use and the overlapping institutional structures that govern the river and its water.

Sources of pressure to change the current pattern of water use are then considered. These include requirements to protect endangered salmon runs and the change over time in the relative values of water for power production and irrigation. This section demonstrates how changes in the value …

Captive Environmental Influences On Behavior In Zoo Drills And Mandrills (Mandrillus), A Threatened Genus Of Primate, Erik Terdal

Dissertations and Theses

Drills (Mandrillus leucophaeus) are an endangered species of African monkey (Cercopithecidae), and their sole congener the mandrill (Mandrillus sphinx) is vulnerable to extinction. Both species are threatened in the wild by deforestation and hunting.

Drills have a poor record of captive reproduction. Many individuals appear to have behavioral deficiencies which interfere with reproduction. Thus, the zoo population of drills does not serve as a “hedge” against the species’ total extinction: drills are endangered in captivity as well as in the wild. Mandrills, by contrast, reproduce well in captivity. Information on the behavior of mandrills in captivity may help zoo managers …