Animal Sciences Commons^™

Effects Of Increased Human Populations On Wildlife Resources Of The Kenai Peninsula, Alaska, Edward E. Bangs, Ted H. Spraker, Theodore N. Bailey, Vernon D. Berns

United States Fish and Wildlife Service: Publications

In this paper, we will discuss what has occurred to several wildlife populations on the Kenai Peninsula as the human population increased. By discussing historical impacts, management techniques, and potential human impacts, we intend to show the significance of what occurred and may occur as human populations expand, both on the Kenai and in Alaska.

Status Of Alaska Sea Otter Populations And Developing Conflicts With Fisheries, Ancel M. Johnson

United States Fish and Wildlife Service: Publications

Although sea otters (Enhydra lutris) have been a relatively insignificant resource in Alaska during the twentieth century, the situation is changing. Remnant populations that recolonized most of their historic range are becoming recognized as a potentially valuable economic resource and as a competitor with some important shellfish fisheries. It is appropriate that sea otters should again become an important Alaskan resource because they were so significant in the initial exploration and settlement of Alaska by non-natives. In this paper I review changes in distribution and population abundance since 1740, recent changes in human attitudes toward sea otters, and …

Hep As A Planning Tool: An Application To Waterfowl Enhancement, Scott C. Matulich, Jeffrey E. Hanson, Ivan Lines, Adrian Farmer

United States Fish and Wildlife Service: Publications

To many, the principal role of wildlife agencies in public and private resource development has been that of impact mitigation. With known or pending habitat damage, biologists have to develop mitigation or compensation plans. Unfortunately, once in a mitigation framework, they are in a no-win situation, seeking remedial action at best. Yet, the potential exists for cooperative project planning, thereby facilitating mitigation of impacts before they occur, and enhancement of environmental amenities through project development. In fact, such planning is mandated by federal legislation (e.g., National Environmental Policy Act, Fish and Wildlife Coordination Act, Outdoor Recreation Act, etc.).

Nonconsumptive Wildlife-Associated Recreation In The U.S.: Identifying The Other Constituency, James R. Lyons

United States Fish and Wildlife Service: Publications

Sportsmen are the traditional clientele of wildlife management. As an organized force, sportsmen have long endorsed the principles of conservation upon which wildlife management is based. As a source of political and financial support, sportsmen continue to represent wildlife's most recognized constituency.

Development And Use Of A Habitat Gradient Model To Evaluate Wildlife Habitat, Henry L. Short

United States Fish and Wildlife Service: Publications

Ecologists and wildlife managers are increasingly confronted with the problems of predicting the value of surface cover as wildlife habitat and developing management alternatives to offset wildlife values lost because of land-use change. These problems have become urgent and more acute because of increased demand for products from the land and diminished fiscal and manpower resources for obtaining meaningful environmental information for the decision maker. This paper describes a relatively rapid, simple, and quantitative process for evaluating the quality of an area as wildlife habitat.

Maps Of Distribution And Abundance Of Selected Species Of Birds On Uncultivated Native Upland Grasslands And Shrubsteppe In The Northern Great Plains, Harold A. Kantrud

United States Fish and Wildlife Service: Publications

Many areas of the northern Great Plains (Fenneman 1931) remain poorly known ornithologically. Knowledge of species distribution in portions of this vast area has been advanced by recent State birds books (Stewart 1975; South Dakota Ornithologists' Union 1978) but many voids remain. Especially desirable for biologists and land managers is information concerning the relative abundance of plant and animal species over large land areas. This information can only be obtained from extensive surveys of the biota. The field of community ecology has been severely hampered by lack of information on species abundance (Dice 1930; Cain 1947; Partch 1962; Udvardy 1963). …

Wildlife Values Versus Human Recreation: Ruby Lake National Wildlife Refuge, Stephen H. Bouffard

United States Fish and Wildlife Service: Publications

Expanding human populations are making increased recreational demands on National Wildlife Refuges (NWR). The U.S Fish and Wildlife Service (FWS) is trying to accommodate these demands whenever possible. An important, but not primary objective of NWRs is to provide for various public uses, including recreation (U .S. Fish and Wildlife Service 1976a). The Refuge Recreation Act of 1962 (16 U.S.C. 460K-460K-4) authorizes the FWS to allow recreational uses on NWRs, National Fish Hatcheries and similar lands. This act specifies that all recreational uses must be secondary to the primary purpose of the refuge. While most refuge recreation programs do not …

Habitat Models For Land-Use Planning: Assumptions And Strategies For Development, Adrian H. Farmer, Michael J. Armbruster, James W. Terrell, Richard L. Schroeder

United States Fish and Wildlife Service: Publications

Wildlife managers have long recognized that management goals must be constrained by the availability and suitability of habitat. This recognition, combined with ever increasing land development pressures, has resulted in environmental legislation emphasizing systematic approaches to collection and analysis of habitat information. Wildlife planners have responded with a variety of approaches to the development of models that quantify habitat requirements.

California's Central Valley Wintering Waterfowl: Concerns And Challenges, David S. Gilmer, Michael R. Miller, Richard D. Bauer, John R. Ledonne

United States Fish and Wildlife Service: Publications

Few places on the North American continent can boast of the concentrations of migratory birds that winter in the Central Valley of California. Long before agriculture and industrialization came west, this great valley served as a major wintering ground for millions of migratory birds. Fall flights of waterfowl, shorebirds, waders, raptors, and passerines returned annually to inhabit the vast wetland, riparian, and grassland habitats which covered the valley floor (Dasmann 1966, Bakker 1971).
Major changes in the Central Valley during the last century have profoundly influenced its physical and biological features. Wetland, riparian, and grassland habitats have been devastated by …

Current Status And Management Challenges For Tule White-Fronted Geese, Daniel E. Timm, Michael L. Wege, David S. Gilmer

United States Fish and Wildlife Service: Publications

Since large, dark tule white-fronted geese (Anser albifrons gam belli Hartlaub) were first described in Texas over a century ago by Hartlaub (1852), and again 65 years later in California by Swarth and Bryant (1917), tule geese have been the subject of at least 14 studies in California and 8 attempts to locate summering birds in the Artic. Central questions of these efforts have been: Is the tule goose a distinct subspecies? What is their range and population size? How can the birds be identified? and What threatens their existence?
The purpose of this paper is to present the …

Habitat Use By Nesting And Roosting Bald Eagles In The Pacific Northwest, Robert G. Anthony, Richard L. Knight, George T. Allen, B. Riley Mcclelland, John I. Hodges

United States Fish and Wildlife Service: Publications

The American bald eagle (Haliaeetus leucocephalus) was designated our national symbol in 1782. Since that time, populations of the species have declined due to a combination of factors including habitat loss, shooting, and environmental pollutants. As a result, in 1978 the U.S. Department of Interior officially listed the species as endangered in 43 of the 48 contiguous states and threatened in Oregon, Washington, Michigan, Wisconsin, and Minnesota. The bald eagle is protected under the Endangered Species Act, Migratory Bird Treaty Act, and the Bald and Golden Eagle Protection Act. These pieces of legislation protect the species from direct …

Waterfowl Production At Malheur National Wildlife Refuge, 1942-1980, John E. Cornely

United States Fish and Wildlife Service: Publications

Malheur National Wildlife Refuge (NWR), Harney County, Oregon, is an important breeding area for Pacific Flyway Waterfowl. Trumpeter swans (Olor buccinator), Canada geese (Branta canadensis), and 14 species of ducks nest at Malheur NWR. The refuge is one of the most important redhead (Aythya americana) nesting areas in the western United States. Malheur NWR was established by President Theodore Roosevelt in 1908, primarily as a nesting area for migratory birds. The refuge also serves as an important migration stop for thousands of waterfowl and other migratory birds. Originally the refuge was called Malheur Lake …

Status Of The Habitat Evaluation Procedures, Mel Schamberger, William B. Krohn

United States Fish and Wildlife Service: Publications

The 1970s was a decade of increased awareness of environmental problems, and emphasis was placed on the development of procedures for predicting impacts of proposed developmental activities on natural systems. Impact assessment has evolved from a focus on species numbers, human use, species richness, and related methods to include the investigation of habitat as a supplemental or alternative approach to environmental planning, mitigation, species management, and impact assessment (Schamberger 1979, U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service 1980a, 1980b). The impetus for habitat-based assessment techniques came primarily from two sources: (1) environmental legislation requiring noneconomic project evaluations; and (2) an awareness within …

Influence Of Cooperative Wildlife And Fishery Units On Graduate Education And Professional Employment, Rollin D. Sparrowe

United States Fish and Wildlife Service: Publications

In June 1982, several private conservation organizations will join the Iowa State University, and the Iowa Conservation Commission, in a 50-year celebration of the Cooperative Research Unit concept. The first Cooperative Wildlife Research Unit began there in 1932 in response to a recognized need for trained biologists and scientific information in the field of wildlife conservation. The unique partnership between federal, state, university, and private entities that resulted, evolved into the current nationwide program. There are currently 21 wildlife units, 26 fishery units, and 3 combined fish and wildlife units at 31 universities in 29 states (Figure O. The Fishery …

Aquatic Biota Of Bank Stabilization Structures On The Missouri River, North Dakota, Ralph M. Burress, Douglas A. Krieger, C. H. Pennington

United States Fish and Wildlife Service: Publications

Biological and physical data were collected from nine habitats on the Missouri River near Washburn, North Dakota. Sampling was conducted from mid-July to mid-October 1979 to compare the relative values of the habitats for fish and macroinvertebrates.

Streptococcal Infections Of Fishes, G. L. Bullock

United States Fish and Wildlife Service: Publications

Streptococcosis is a septicemic disease that affects both freshwater and saltwater fishes; it was first reported in rainbow trout, Salmo gairdneri (Hoshino et al. 1958). Additional outbreaks have since been described in cultured golden shiners (Notemigonus crysoleucas), yellowtails (Sepiola quinqueradiata), and eels (Anguilla japonious) , and in a variety of feral saltwater fishes.

Bacterial Gill Disease Of Freshwater Fishes, S. F. Snieszko

United States Fish and Wildlife Service: Publications

Bacterial gill disease (BGD) was first described by Davis (1926, 1927), who observed it in fry and fingerling brook trout (Salvelinus fontinalis) and rainbow trout (Salmo gairdneri) in hatcheries in Vermont. The affected trout were kept in dirt-bottom ponds and were not crowded; , daily mortalities were very low. Mortalities rapidly increased when the water temperature increased and diminished when the temperature decreased. Examination of the diseased trout revealed clubbing of gill filaments. In microscopic examination of wet mounts of the filaments" Davis found that the gill surface was covered with closely adhering strands of long, …

The Parasitic Coelenterate, Polypodium Hydriforme Ussov, From The Eggs Of The American Acipenseri From Polyodon Spathula, Glenn L. Hoffman, E. V. Raikova, V. Ch. Suppes

United States Fish and Wildlife Service: Publications

No significant differences in macro- and micromorphology were found between the parasitic stolon and free-living polyps of Polypodium sp. obtained from infected eggs of the North American acipenseriform fish Polyodon spathula and corresponding developmental stages of Polypodium hydriforme Ussov, parasitic in the Volga sterlet (Acipenser ruthenus). Therefore, both the American and the European forms of Polypodium belong to the species P. hydriforme Ussov

Review Of Fish Pathology, Glenn L. Hoffman

United States Fish and Wildlife Service: Publications

This excellent, somewhat Scottish text (the editor and most contributors live in Scotland), consists of 14 well-illustrated and informative chapters: 1. The Aquatic Environment by A. L. S. Munro; 2. The Anatomy and Physiology of Teleosts by A. E. Ellis, R. J. Roberts, and P. Tytler; 3. The Pathophysiology and Systematic Pathology of Teleosts by R. J. Roberts; 4. The Immunology of Teleosts by A. E. Ellis; 5. Neoplasia of Teleosts by Joan Budd and R. J. Roberts; 6. The Virology of Teleosts by Janet Liversidge and A. L. S. Munro; 7. The Parasitology of Teleosts by Ted Needham and …

Pasteurellosis Of Fishes, G. L. Bullock

United States Fish and Wildlife Service: Publications

Septicemic infections of marine and estuarine fishes caused by Pasteurella have been known since the early 1960's. A Pasteurella caused a massive mortality of white perch (Morone americanus) and striped bass (M. saxatilis) in Chesapeake Bay in 1963 (Snieszko et al. 1964), and of cage-cultured yellowtails (Seriola quinqueradiata) in Japan in 1964 (Matsusato 1975). Pasteurellosis has spread to most areas in Japan where yellowtails are propagated and is one of the important bacterial diseases of the species. In 1972, 360 metric tons of yellowtails were lost. The terms bacterial tuberculoidosis and pseudotuberculosis (Kubota et …

First Nesting Record Of The Caspian Tern In North Dakota, James F. Herman, Rodney A. Schmidt, Karen J. Wilson

United States Fish and Wildlife Service: Publications

On June 28, 1977, we observed a single pair of Caspian terns (Sterna caspia) with two young on an island in Lake Williams in central North Dakota. This is the first confirmation of actual nesting by the Caspian tern in the State. Previously, breeding records had been postulated from sightings during the breeding season (Kantrud 1973; Robert Randall, personal communication; and Rohrt Stewart, personal communication).

Lake Williams is a shallow, saline, 420-hectare lake located near the town of Turtle Lake in east-central Mclean County. Mean depth during the breeding season (May-June) can range from 0 to 50 centimeters. …

Mycobacteriosis (Tuberculosis) Of Fishes, S. F. Snieszko

United States Fish and Wildlife Service: Publications

Mycobacteria are widely distributed in nature. They are abundant in the soil, on the surface of plants, on the skin of vertebrates, in human food (e.g., milk and butter), and in animal feeds. Most mycobacteria are saprophytic, but some species are highly pathogenic and cause diseases such as tuberculosis and leprosy in humans, and similar diseases in mammals, birds, reptiles, amphibians, and fishes.

Mycobacteria that cause diseases of fishes differ considerably from those that cause diseases in humans and other mammals. Therefore, to avoid association between tuberculosis in mammals and mycobacterial infections in fishes, it is better to call the …

Avian Mortality Caused By A September Wind And Hail Storm, Kenneth F. Higgins, Michael A. Johnson

United States Fish and Wildlife Service: Publications

In recent study of nonhunting mortality of wild waterfowl, Stout and Cornwell (1976) identified weather as one of the more significant causal agents. This paper describes an occurrence of spectacular avian mortality caused by a severe thunderstorm in North Dakota on 8 September 1977.

The storm was associated with a low pressure system in South Dakota. It developed about Noon CST north of Dickinson, traveled eastward and generally north of highway 1-94, and continued into Minnesota at about 5:00 p.m. CST. The system moved at about 60 mph (97 km/h) over a 300 mile (483 km) stretch of the state; …

Review Of Helminths Of Fish-Eating Birds Of The Palaearctic Region. I. Nematoda, Glenn L. Hoffman

United States Fish and Wildlife Service: Publications

The title is accurate but the subject is a little misleading. One would expect that the fish-eating birds will acquire nematodes from the fish they eat. On the contrary, with one exception, Eustrongylides tubifex, as far as is known none of these nematodes use fish as normal intermediate hosts. A few species use fish as paratenic hosts. The book consists of an Introduction (2 pages), General Account of Nematodes (4 pages), the Systematic Part (233 pages), List of Fish-Eating Birds and Their Nematodes (22 pages), References (29 pages) and Index (13 pages). There are keys to families, genera, and …

Vibriosis In Fish, G. L. Bullock

United States Fish and Wildlife Service: Publications

Fish vibriosis is a systemic disease of marine, estuarine, and some freshwater fishes, caused by bacteria of the genus Vibrio (Ross et al. 1968, Ghittino et al. 1972). The disease has been known for centuries; outbreaks along the Italian coast were recorded as early as the 1500's. Terms such as "red pest," "red boil," "red plague," or "saltwater furunculosis" have been applied to vibrio infections, but vibriosis is a more specific term and is now used by most fishery workers. With the rapid development of mariculture, vibriosis has become a major cause of fish loss--sometimes to the extent of being …

Upland Nesting Of American Bitterns, Marsh Hawks, And Short-Eared Owls, Harold F. Duebbert, John T. Lokemoen

United States Fish and Wildlife Service: Publications

Nests of American Bitterns (Botaurus lentiginosus), marsh hawks (Circus cyaneus), and short-eared owls (Asio flammeus) are usually found in wetland habitats. Although large marshes containing dense stands of bulrushes (Scirpus), cattails (Typha), or other wetland vegetation are favored nesting cover, these birds have also been reported to nest in stands of tall, dense shrubs and grasses on the upland (Bent 1961, 1963; Palmer 1962; Sealy 1967; Stewart 1975). During 1968-74, we regularly found upland nests of these three species while conducting duck nesting studies in planted fields of undisturbed grass-legume …

Inventory Of Wetland Habitat Usig Remote Sensing For The Proposed Oahe Irrigation Unit In Eastern South Dakota, Robert G. Best, Donald G. Moore

United States Fish and Wildlife Service: Publications

An inventory of wetlands for the area included in the proposed Oahe Irrigation Project was conducted to provide supplemental data for the wildlife mitigation plan. This report including the data summaries follows a report which documented the interpretation techniques as presented by Best, Moore, and Brewster for inventoryinq small, predominantly Type I wetlands in the low-relief terrain of the Lake Dakota Plain. Wetland habitat in over 310,000 acres in the Oahe irrigation district was inventoried. There were 5305 wetlands representing 7530 acres, 589 acres of natural drains, and 1545 acres of stream habitat in the area. The data were stored …

Nesting By Ferruginous Hawks And Other Raptors On High Voltage Powerline Towers, David S. Gilmer, John M. Wiehe

United States Fish and Wildlife Service: Publications

High voltage powerlines form a spider-web pattern across North Dakota as they radiate outward from electric generating sources at Garrison Dam and nearby lignite-fired power plants. In 1976 there were approximately 1100 miles of high voltage powerline in the state, which required approximately 4500 large steel or aluminum towers for support (G. R. Anderson, personal communication). Moreover, officials of power cooperatives and privately-owned utilities anticipate the construction of over 900 additional miles of high voltage lines by 1981. As North Dakota coal resources are developed the powerline network will probably continue to grow.

Our interest in powerlines was stimulated several …

Argulus, A Branchiuran Parasite Of Freshwater Fishes, G. L. Hoffman

United States Fish and Wildlife Service: Publications

"Fish lice" of the genus Argulus (suborder Branchiura) are Common parasites of freshwater fish, and may occur on frogs and salamanders. Argulids often cause severe mortality of fish in farm ponds, and sometimes in natural waters. Because information on life cycles, ecology, and host specificity is incomplete only a generalized account can be given.

Spring Viremia Of Carp, Winfried Ahne, Ken Wolf

United States Fish and Wildlife Service: Publications

Dating back nearly SO years and possibly even to the Middle Ages, European pond culture of carp (Cyprinus carpio) and perhaps other cyprinid fishes has been plagued with a contagious disease of great importance. Variously known as infectious dropsy, infectious ascites, hemorrhagic septicemia, or rubella, the disease is probably the most serious cause of losses among these fishes; nearly sao reports have been published on the subject.