Open Access. Powered by Scholars. Published by Universities.®
- Discipline
-
- Ecology and Evolutionary Biology (16)
- Zoology (15)
- Ornithology (12)
- Other Animal Sciences (11)
- Population Biology (9)
-
- Biology (7)
- Terrestrial and Aquatic Ecology (7)
- Aquaculture and Fisheries (5)
- Other Ecology and Evolutionary Biology (5)
- Behavior and Ethology (4)
- Poultry or Avian Science (4)
- Social and Behavioral Sciences (4)
- Biodiversity (3)
- Environmental Sciences (3)
- Natural Resources and Conservation (3)
- Physical Sciences and Mathematics (3)
- Bioinformatics (2)
- Forest Sciences (2)
- Genetics (2)
- Genetics and Genomics (2)
- Physiology (2)
- Research Methods in Life Sciences (2)
- Sociology (2)
- Agricultural Economics (1)
- Agricultural Education (1)
- Agricultural and Resource Economics (1)
- Agriculture (1)
- Animal Law (1)
- Keyword
-
- Survival (4)
- Canis lupus (3)
- Habitat selection (3)
- Montana (3)
- Bird (2)
-
- Birds (2)
- Camera trapping (2)
- Distribution (2)
- Evolution (2)
- Fisher (2)
- Grizzly bear (2)
- Pekania pennanti (2)
- Puma concolor (2)
- Rainbow trout (2)
- Western Montana (2)
- Westslope cutthroat trout (2)
- Wolves (2)
- 16S (1)
- Abundance (1)
- Abundance estimates (1)
- Accelerometers (1)
- African elephant (1)
- Agricultural conversion (1)
- Apparent survival (1)
- Aquatic invertebrates (1)
- Aquatic organism passage (1)
- Articulation (1)
- Aves (1)
- Avian survey (1)
- Bayesian analysis (1)
- Publication Year
Articles 1 - 30 of 41
Full-Text Articles in Animal Sciences
Estimation Of Probability Of Habitat Use Of Roosevelt Elk On The Olympic Peninsula, Vincent Michael Gugliotti
Estimation Of Probability Of Habitat Use Of Roosevelt Elk On The Olympic Peninsula, Vincent Michael Gugliotti
Undergraduate Theses, Professional Papers, and Capstone Artifacts
Estimating the probability of habitat use for a particular species is crucial to the direct management and conservation of that species. Without knowledge of habitat preferences, managers cannot effectively focus efforts on vital resources or landscape types. However, modelling probability of habitat use can be done in several ways which leaves room for variation and uncertainty in the estimates produced by each method. This study is an examination of the variation between two estimates of probability of habitat use while focusing on a particular subspecies of elk that inhabits a unique ecosystem relative to other elk subspecies. I modeled elk …
A Road Map For Place Based Collaboration For Conflict Reduction, Joseph L. Zecher
A Road Map For Place Based Collaboration For Conflict Reduction, Joseph L. Zecher
Undergraduate Theses, Professional Papers, and Capstone Artifacts
No abstract provided.
The Bird Family Tree: How All The Major Bird Groups Are Related To Each Other., Eric M. Ray
The Bird Family Tree: How All The Major Bird Groups Are Related To Each Other., Eric M. Ray
Undergraduate Theses, Professional Papers, and Capstone Artifacts
This is a video project designed to help inform those who are curious about the shape of the bird family tree. This tree (or phylogeny) covers how the major groups of birds are related to each other. Though not a deep dive into the phylogeny (individual bird families are not covered, for example), this video seeks to give people the basic overview of how groups relate to each other. The total length is just under 30 minutes. At the start the video covers the basics on how to read a phylogeny, and then gets into the discussion of how the …
Advancing Methods Of Diet Analysis: A Case Study Using Degraded Merlin (Falco Columbarius) Prey Remains, Taylor A. Coon
Advancing Methods Of Diet Analysis: A Case Study Using Degraded Merlin (Falco Columbarius) Prey Remains, Taylor A. Coon
Undergraduate Theses, Professional Papers, and Capstone Artifacts
Prey remains have long been used as a mechanism to approach diet analyses. As understanding diet is key to comprehending ecosystem dynamics, prey remains identification requires a unique methodological approach to determine diversity within a sample. With the advancement of technology, molecular protocols designed for species-specific identification have improved to incredible accuracy and precision. Yet, the visual identification method has remained a predominant technique within diet studies. With entry-level observers, we matched visual identifications with molecular-based methods to quantify the accuracy of the visual identification method. This study determined what fraction of visually identified prey remains could be correctly identified …
Telomeres: A Tool To Assess The Impacts Of Mining Contaminants On Riparian Songbirds, Lillian Krach, Bridger Creel, Megan Fylling, Zac Cheviron, Creagh Breuner
Telomeres: A Tool To Assess The Impacts Of Mining Contaminants On Riparian Songbirds, Lillian Krach, Bridger Creel, Megan Fylling, Zac Cheviron, Creagh Breuner
Undergraduate Theses, Professional Papers, and Capstone Artifacts
Mining has left massive environmental and physical scars across the landscape. Aquatic and riparian landscapes in particular have been significantly impacted by traditional mining practices. Waste products left over from hard-rock mining leech heavy metals onto the landscape and these metals spread from headwater streams to major waterways (Lottermoser 2010). Heavy metals have been shown to cause physiological stress and challenges to organisms depending on the metal and the concentration (Baos et al. 2019, Boyd & Rajakaruna 2013). While some mining-impaired areas have undergone restoration efforts, is it enough? Typical restoration methods replace the contaminated floodplain, but not the riverbed …
Predators In Paradise: Ecotourism And Predator-Prey Dynamics In Monteverde, Costa Rica, Andrew Cremeans
Predators In Paradise: Ecotourism And Predator-Prey Dynamics In Monteverde, Costa Rica, Andrew Cremeans
Undergraduate Theses, Professional Papers, and Capstone Artifacts
The use of camera trap surveys is increasingly common to investigate recurring diel activity of mammals. Investigation into the temporal overlap of mammals can provide unique insights into predator-prey dynamics. Understanding this relationship is essential to effectively manage and conserve both species. Extensive research across the tropics has found that daily activities of mammals were shaped by thermoregulation and trophic location in food webs. Although broad scale studies of daily patterns of mammals have enhanced our understanding of these constraints, many study sites included were remote protected areas under strict conservation measures. Such protected areas often had full complements of …
Effects Of Warming And Drying On The Survival And Performance Of Giant Salmonfly Nymphs (Pteronarcys Californica), Kailie Todd
Effects Of Warming And Drying On The Survival And Performance Of Giant Salmonfly Nymphs (Pteronarcys Californica), Kailie Todd
Undergraduate Theses, Professional Papers, and Capstone Artifacts
Rising temperatures and anthropogenic influences threaten to alter aquatic ecosystems as oxygen supply and demand is altered depending on temperature, flow, and water presence. In late November of 2021, a dam malfunction occurred on the Madison River in Montana that caused the river to dry rapidly downstream of the dam and reduced flow by 70% for 50 hours. My experiments were designed to determine the effects of this event by assessing how long giant salmonfly nymphs (Pteronarcys californica) can survive in still water and in air depending on temperature and relative humidity. In the laboratory, we exposed salmonfly …
Determining Species-Specific False-Positive Rates Using Visual And Auditory Cues: A Case Study With Sagebrush Steppe Songbirds, Amelia K. Evavold
Determining Species-Specific False-Positive Rates Using Visual And Auditory Cues: A Case Study With Sagebrush Steppe Songbirds, Amelia K. Evavold
Undergraduate Theses, Professional Papers, and Capstone Artifacts
Errors in wildlife field data threaten to bias resulting abundance and occupancy estimates if not properly accounted for or minimized. Methods to account for false-positive errors in wildlife data have not been as thoroughly developed as those for false-negative errors despite false-positives being present across diverse wildlife taxa and study systems. The calibration method to account for false-positives involves assessing the field detection method to determine how often false-positive errors occur in the field data. Rates can then be incorporated into estimations based on the field data to improve estimation accuracy. This study presents an application of the calibration approach …
Bird Articulation Guide, Kelsey Blaze Miller
Bird Articulation Guide, Kelsey Blaze Miller
Undergraduate Theses, Professional Papers, and Capstone Artifacts
No abstract provided.
The Birds And The Trees: Quantifying The Drivers Of Whitebark Pine Decline And Clark's Nutcracker Habitat Use In Glacier National Park, Vladimir Kovalenko
The Birds And The Trees: Quantifying The Drivers Of Whitebark Pine Decline And Clark's Nutcracker Habitat Use In Glacier National Park, Vladimir Kovalenko
Graduate Student Theses, Dissertations, & Professional Papers
Whitebark pine (Pinus albicaulis), recently listed as threatened under the Endangered Species Act, is in steep decline in Glacier National Park, Montana, USA due to the non-native pathogen Cronartium ribicola, causal agent of the fatal disease white pine blister rust. A sample of the park’s population suggests that approximately 70 percent of whitebark pines have died, while 65 percent of the remaining trees are infected. Using landscape and climate variables, we show how geographic location, elevation, aspect, solar radiation, relative humidity, and snowpack interact with tree diameter to affect mortality, disease incidence, cone production, and regeneration. We also examine how …
Federal Funding Statutes And State-Federal Wildlife Authority: Did Congress Demonstrate A Preference For State Wildlife Management Authority With Pittman-Robertson And Dingell-Johnson?, James Vaughan Branch
Federal Funding Statutes And State-Federal Wildlife Authority: Did Congress Demonstrate A Preference For State Wildlife Management Authority With Pittman-Robertson And Dingell-Johnson?, James Vaughan Branch
Graduate Student Theses, Dissertations, & Professional Papers
The Federal Aid in Wildlife Restoration Act of 1937 now known as Pittman-Robertson and Federal Aid in Sport Fish Restoration Act of 1950 now known as Dingell-Johnson are federal statutes which stand as the original and perhaps most significant federal funding statutes supporting state wildlife conservation and management. Congress’s decision to pass these statutes may be argued to be a prima facie endorsement of state wildlife agencies (SWA) as the primary managers of wildlife since each statute dedicated substantial federal excise revenue to SWAs. We hypothesized we would find consistent evidence in favor of primary state management authority over wildlife. …
Understanding Caribou Population Cycles, Jack R. St. John
Understanding Caribou Population Cycles, Jack R. St. John
Undergraduate Theses, Professional Papers, and Capstone Artifacts
The complex population dynamics of caribou (Rangifer tarandus) were studied to determine the patterns of their population cycles and the processes driving them. It is well established, via previous archaeological research and Indigenous knowledge, that large migrating caribou herds found in and around the tundra at northern latitudes experience population boom and busts roughly every several decades. However, the processes driving the dynamics of these cycles are relatively unknown, which makes managing caribou herds for recreational and subsistence harvests difficult. It has been hypothesized that a combination of intrinsic and extrinsic factors shape these cycles, with density-dependence, predation, …
Winter Wings: An Introduction To Environmental Education, Samuel G. Mothner
Winter Wings: An Introduction To Environmental Education, Samuel G. Mothner
Undergraduate Theses, Professional Papers, and Capstone Artifacts
No abstract provided.
Relating Habitat Use To Survival Of Oncorhynchus In Rock Creek And The Clark Fork River, Brett D. Traxler
Relating Habitat Use To Survival Of Oncorhynchus In Rock Creek And The Clark Fork River, Brett D. Traxler
Undergraduate Theses, Professional Papers, and Capstone Artifacts
Westslope Cutthroat Trout Oncorhynchus clarkii lewisi (WCT) is a native trout species of conservation concern in Montana. Both migratory and resident life histories can be found in cutthroat from the same natal stream. Habitat degradation and hybridization with rainbow trout O. mykiss (RBT) have resulted in few genetically pure, migratory WCT populations persisting in large river systems. These WCT conservation populations are occurring more and more as isolated, resident populations in headwater streams. Rock Creek in Western MT has retained a unique population of migratory, non-hybridized WCT, and is of special conservation and ecological interest. As we work to protect …
Adult Female Grizzly Bear (Ursus Arctos Horribillis) Abundance And Distribution In Montana Fish, Wildlife, And Parks Region 2, Emily E. Ruta
Adult Female Grizzly Bear (Ursus Arctos Horribillis) Abundance And Distribution In Montana Fish, Wildlife, And Parks Region 2, Emily E. Ruta
Undergraduate Theses, Professional Papers, and Capstone Artifacts
Grizzly bears (Ursus arctos horribilis) are currently listed as threatened under the Endangered Species Act. Their status makes it crucial to understand the population status and trends of grizzly bears in Western Montana. The question we aimed to answer was: How many adult female grizzlies were there in Montana Fish, Wildlife, and Parks (FWP) Region 2 during 2021? To answer this, we conducted an estimate of adult female grizzly bears in Montana Fish, Wildlife and Parks Region 2 in 2021 using photos and confirmed reports. Our study focused on females because they are readily identifiable and are an important indicator …
Evaluating The Management And Consequences Of Hybridization Between Nonnative Rainbow Trout And Native Westslope Cutthroat Trout, Anthony James Dangora
Evaluating The Management And Consequences Of Hybridization Between Nonnative Rainbow Trout And Native Westslope Cutthroat Trout, Anthony James Dangora
Graduate Student Theses, Dissertations, & Professional Papers
The introduction of nonnative fish is a major driver in the decline of native fish species. Nonnative rainbow trout (Oncorhynchus mykiss; RBT) introduced into the native range of westslope cutthroat trout (O. clarkii lewisi; WCT) have led to the introgressive hybridization between these two species. This widespread hybridization is a primary threat to the long-term persistence of WCT as it can cause population-level genomic extinction. Since there are no set management solutions for hybridization, there is a need to evaluate the different conservation approaches to ensure the persistence of WCT populations. Additionally, beyond propagule pressure, the array of drivers that …
Body Temperature And Reproductive Effort In A Long-Lived Tropical Songbird, Holly R. Jackson
Body Temperature And Reproductive Effort In A Long-Lived Tropical Songbird, Holly R. Jackson
Graduate Student Theses, Dissertations, & Professional Papers
Heat production relative to dissipation rates have constrained reproductive effort and reduced fitness in short-lived, temperate birds. To determine whether heat constrains reproductive effort in long-lived taxa with low reproductive effort, we experimentally clipped plumage from tropical Gray-throated babblers (Stachyris nigriceps) to increase heat dissipation rates. Contrary to findings in short-lived species, we found no strong evidence of heat dissipation constraints on reproductive effort in our mid-elevation study. Clipped adults did not increase feeding rates compared to controls, but clipped females did spend more time incubating and brooding eggs and young. Increased time in the nest may reduce increased heat …
A Reintroduction Retrospective: Comparative Fisher (Pekania Pennanti) Survival And Prey Habitat Use In The Cascade Mountains Of Washington State, Tanner S.T. Humphries
A Reintroduction Retrospective: Comparative Fisher (Pekania Pennanti) Survival And Prey Habitat Use In The Cascade Mountains Of Washington State, Tanner S.T. Humphries
Graduate Student Theses, Dissertations, & Professional Papers
Increasing human impacts on biodiversity highlight the global need for ecological restoration. For many wildlife species, reintroduction is necessary to re-establish populations in parts of their historic range where they have been extirpated. Reintroduction efforts are commonly used to help restore ecosystem integrity, but are often expensive, time consuming, and unsuccessful at generating self-sustaining populations. Thus, a more complete understanding of the factors affecting restoration success is important for ensuring successful outcomes and responsible stewardship. Fishers (Pekania pennanti) are one of the most commonly reintroduced carnivores in North America, but the success of such efforts is highly variable, …
Golden Eagle Resource Selection And Environmental Drivers Of Reproduction In The Northern Range Of Yellowstone National Park, David Brown Haines
Golden Eagle Resource Selection And Environmental Drivers Of Reproduction In The Northern Range Of Yellowstone National Park, David Brown Haines
Graduate Student Theses, Dissertations, & Professional Papers
In the United States (US), National Parks are considered the “crown jewels” of protected lands. However, the importance of National Parks to wildlife populations and the species that inhabit them is not often quantified, thus, requiring a better understanding of National Parks as a conservation tool. Golden eagles (Aquila chrysaetos) are a North American species of conservation concern and territories in the northern range of Yellowstone National Park (YNP) are relatively dense. However, average reproductive rates over the past ten years (2011-2020) have been low (productivity = 0.34, nest success = 28%). The contrast of high density and …
Temperature Effects On Moose (Alces Alces) Activity Patterns In Isle Royale National Park, Isabella C. Evavold
Temperature Effects On Moose (Alces Alces) Activity Patterns In Isle Royale National Park, Isabella C. Evavold
Undergraduate Theses, Professional Papers, and Capstone Artifacts
Moose (Alces alces) in Isle Royale National Park impact the ecosystem by browsing tree species and serving as the primary food source for wolves. As a heat-sensitive species, moose are susceptible to the impacts of climate change in the southern extent of their range which includes Isle Royale. Understanding how temperature impacts moose behavior is valuable and can be used to predict how moose may respond to changing temperature in the future. GPS enabled radio-collars with three-axis accelerometers were used to collect one year of temperature and activity data from 6 cow moose in Isle Royale National Park. …
The Evolution Of Dragons, Laura J. Mayfield
The Evolution Of Dragons, Laura J. Mayfield
Undergraduate Theses, Professional Papers, and Capstone Artifacts
Dragons have been depicted in human art as early as 4500 BCE. For centuries, these fantasy creatures have inspired countless folk and fantasy tales, as well as appearing in the art of different cultures around the world. Now there are thousands of different depictions of these huge, flying, fire-breathing lizards, but are any of them possible? In this study, I reference peer-reviewed scientific articles, phylogenetic analysis, and paleoart studies to create biologically-sound dragons. Basing the dragon lineage on a real branch of webbed-winged scansoriopterygids—an extinct family of climbing and gliding maniraptoran dinosaurs—I explored the possible wing-structure, fire-breathing abilities, and effects …
Effects Of Slope Upon Hind Limb Kinematics In Chukar Partridge (Alectoris Chukar), Anna T. Kenney
Effects Of Slope Upon Hind Limb Kinematics In Chukar Partridge (Alectoris Chukar), Anna T. Kenney
Undergraduate Theses, Professional Papers, and Capstone Artifacts
Ground dwelling birds must scale all kinds of complex terrain in order to survive in their natural environments. For instance, Alectoris chukar live on steep hillsides with slopes of up to 60° or 172.3% slope. We undertook the present study to improve understanding of how birds successfully traverse such complex terrain. Using a high speed camera, we analyzed the hind limb kinematics of chukars during normal locomotion on a 10° and 35° incline, decline, and level slope. We compared the data collected from the video recordings, which we had used to identify and digitize the bony landmarks, between all conditions. …
Influence Of Livestock And Electrified Fences On Livestock Depredation And Habitat Selection By Grizzly Bears In The Mission Valley, Montana, Kari Lynn Eneas
Influence Of Livestock And Electrified Fences On Livestock Depredation And Habitat Selection By Grizzly Bears In The Mission Valley, Montana, Kari Lynn Eneas
Graduate Student Theses, Dissertations, & Professional Papers
Balancing protection between livestock and carnivores has been a long-standing challenge in conservation. When encounters between carnivores and livestock or humans result in conflict or livestock depredation, the safety of both wildlife and humans are at risk. Reducing livestock depredation by grizzly bears (Ursus arctos horribilis) will be important as populations continue to recover and expand beyond public lands in the Northern Continental Divide Ecosystem. We used GPS locations from 8 female grizzly bears spanning 5 years in the Mission Valley, Montana, to evaluate the effect of livestock on habitat selection of grizzly bears. The Mission Valley is located on …
Finding Fishers: Determining The Distribution Of A Rare Forest Mesocarnivore In The Northern Rocky Mountains, Jessica M. Krohner
Finding Fishers: Determining The Distribution Of A Rare Forest Mesocarnivore In The Northern Rocky Mountains, Jessica M. Krohner
Graduate Student Theses, Dissertations, & Professional Papers
The Northern Rocky Mountain fisher population (Pekania pennanti), is classified as a Species of Greatest Conservation Need and is of special concern to state, federal, and tribal entities. In this thesis, we present methods to effectively survey fishers across the northern Rockies of Idaho and Montana, and provide estimates of fisher distribution at a population range-wide scale through occupancy analyses. We also assess factors that influence fisher occurrence through covariate analyses and identify core fisher habitat in the northern Rockies through spatial occupancy modeling. By sampling broadly across the landscape, we provide baseline distributional data for comparison against …
Selection Of Forage And Avoidance Of Predation Risk By Partially Migratory Mule Deer, Collin Jeffrey Peterson
Selection Of Forage And Avoidance Of Predation Risk By Partially Migratory Mule Deer, Collin Jeffrey Peterson
Graduate Student Theses, Dissertations, & Professional Papers
Migration by ungulates has traditionally been thought of as a strategy that increases access to forage quality or reduces exposure to risk of predation, but the benefits of migration may be waning globally. In partially migratory populations, the persistence of both migrant and resident strategies is an intriguing ecological phenomenon, because migrants and residents often face contrasting fitness consequences. Partial migration is common in mule deer (Odocoileus hemionus), a species that has experienced widespread declines across the western United States during recent decades. Mule deer seldom switch between migratory strategies throughout their lifetime, which may make them less resilient to …
Canis Lupus (Gray Wolf) Pup Survival In Yellowstone National Park, Anne Marie Jehle
Canis Lupus (Gray Wolf) Pup Survival In Yellowstone National Park, Anne Marie Jehle
Undergraduate Theses, Professional Papers, and Capstone Artifacts
The aim of this study was to describe gray wolf (Canis lupus) pup survival rates throughout the summer months in Yellowstone National Park. Understanding pup survival has implications for trends in pack and population age structure, cooperative breeding ecology and other breeding tendencies, social hierarchies, and population fitness, among other elements of species-specific population ecology. A general understanding of trends in pup survival is also relevant to state and federal land that allow gray wolf harvest. Understanding such trends and survival ecology gives managers and biologists the opportunity to evaluate gray wolf populations at a more comprehensive level and implement …
Effectiveness Of Lure In Capturing Northern Bog Lemmings On Trail Cameras, Keely Benson
Effectiveness Of Lure In Capturing Northern Bog Lemmings On Trail Cameras, Keely Benson
Undergraduate Theses, Professional Papers, and Capstone Artifacts
Fens and bogs are unique wetlands that support a diversity of small mammals and many other rare species. One such species is the Northern Bog Lemming (Synaptomys borealis). This species is being considered for listing under the Endangered Species Act, so determining their presence is helpful for management. Northern bog lemmings are difficult to trap and when they are caught, experience high mortality rates. Since they are hard to capture and study, it is difficult to determine presence/absence of this species for management purposes. This study used a non-invasive, trail camera method for detecting northern bog lemmings in Finley …
Quantifying Coat Color Phenology Of Sympatric Snowshoe Hares And Weasels, Brandon Murray Davis
Quantifying Coat Color Phenology Of Sympatric Snowshoe Hares And Weasels, Brandon Murray Davis
Graduate Student Theses, Dissertations, & Professional Papers
No abstract provided.
Quantifying False Positives In Avian Survey Data, Kaitlyn M. Strickfaden
Quantifying False Positives In Avian Survey Data, Kaitlyn M. Strickfaden
Undergraduate Theses, Professional Papers, and Capstone Artifacts
Imperfect detection is a known issue when conducting count-based surveys in wildlife studies. False positive detections, observed occurrences of individuals that truly are not present, are often assumed to not occur. This assumption can bias detection rates and create misleading results when calculating population estimates. Survey methods such as the dependent double-observer method are suggested to reduce the occurrence of false positives (Nichols et al. 2000). My study quantified and compared rates of false positives in a single-observer method and a dependent double-observer method using computer-generated auditory surveys. I categorized volunteer observers as either inexperienced or experienced and asked them …
Spatial Patterns Of Winter Roadside Gray Wolf Sightability In Yellowstone National Park, Jeremy Sunderraj
Spatial Patterns Of Winter Roadside Gray Wolf Sightability In Yellowstone National Park, Jeremy Sunderraj
Undergraduate Theses, Professional Papers, and Capstone Artifacts
Imperfect detection is ubiquitous among wildlife research and can affect research conclusions and management. Detection probability is often included in observation-based models. We leveraged research of gray wolves (Canis lupus) in northern Yellowstone National Park (YNP) to evaluate how the probability of sighting radio collared wolf packs from ground-based observation locations was affected by the characteristics of each spatial location (i.e., distance from the road, visibility (from a viewshed analysis), habitat openness, carcass presence, and wolf group size). We used two complementary approaches focusing on sightings during early (mid-November to mid-December) and late (March) winter periods between 1995 and 2017. …