Animal Sciences Commons^™

Ars Scientists Rally 'Round The Range, Dennis O’Brien, Ann Perry, Tony Svejcar, Jeremy James, Mary Lucero

Agricultural Research Magazine

Rangelands in the western United States provide essential grazingland for hundreds of thousands of cattle and other livestock as well as a home for a vast array of native plants and animals. And since these rangelands make up a large part of the U.S. public land system, taxpayers often foot the bill for upkeep of the hardscrabble holdings. So Agricultural Research Service scientists across the West are collaborating to make sure the money used to sustain and repair these arid ecosystems is spent on programs that work.

A Burning Issue

For millennia, periodic wildfires have been an integral part of …

A Rough, Tough Forage For Rangeland Cattle, Ann Perry

Agricultural Research Magazine

Forage kochia (Kochia prostrata) is a shrubby Asian native that has found a new home on western U.S. rangelands. And although it is not invasive, it is still sometimes more resilient than the North American native plants.

“In some rangeland soils, it’s difficult to successfully reseed with native plants,” says geneticist Blair Waldron, who works at the Agricultural Research Service’s Forage and Range Research Laboratory in Logan, Utah. “But we’ve shown that forage kochia can be established to enhance rangelands and compete with cheatgrass successfully. It can even protect against wildfires. Some people said that livestock won’t eat …

Observations Of Oviposition Behavior Among North American Tiger Beetle (Coleoptera: Carabidae: Cicindelinae) Species And Notes On Mass Rearing, Mathew L. Brust, C. Barry Knisley, Stephen M. Spomer, Kentaro Miwa

University of Nebraska State Museum: Entomology Papers

Although the larvae of a large number of North American tiger beetle species have been described, little information exists on the oviposition behavior of female tiger beetles at the species level. In this study, we found that the oviposition behavior varied widely among species, with some species utilizing more than one method. We found that, contrary to many references, several tiger beetle species did not oviposit from above the soil surface by inserting the ovipositor into the soil. Instead, several species oviposited by tunneling over 20 mm below the soil surface. In addition, we outline recently used successful protocols for …

Maine Learns To Love Dairying, Erin Love

Historical Ecology Atlas of New England

The transition from subsistence to commercial farming is a defining trend in Maine dairying that continues today. Technological advances that often caused large landscape scale changes were catalysts in the division between small and large farmers. The industry developed in a relatively short time period—the last thirty years of the 19th century—but the characteristic divide between large and small farmers has continued to be exacerbated.

Out Of Sight, But Not Out Of Mind: A Look At Nanoparticles In The Marine Environment, Evan Ward, John J. Doyle

Wrack Lines

Nanoparticles exist in many products used by humans, such as sunscreens. medications, cosmetics, paints and electronics. But what is the effect of these tiny particles on the ocean or estuarine environment when the sunscreen washes off? This article looks at that question and at shellfish in particular. Evan Ward and John Doyle are marine scientists at UConn.

Who's Afraid Of The Big Bad Cormorant?, Richard Jay King

Wrack Lines

How much do you really know about the cormorant? It's an amazing coastal bird, though not a very pretty one. Lately it has a bad rap as a destroyer of island ecosystems. This article talks about these avian creatures and their habits.

2012 Interior Least Tern And Piping Plover Monitoring, Research, Management, And Outreach Report For The Lower Platte River, Nebraska, Mary Bomberger Brown, Joel G. Jorgensen, Lauren R. Dinan

School of Natural Resources: Faculty Publications

This document reports on our monitoring, research, management, and outreach activities during the past 12 months (2012). We prepared it to inform our partners, cooperating agencies, funding sources, and other interested parties of our activities and to provide a preliminary summary of our results.

The Lower Platte River and its major tributaries provide important nesting habitat for two state and federally protected bird species, the Interior Least Tern (Sternula antillarum athalassos) and Piping Plover (Charadrius melodus). The Tern and Plover Conservation Partnership (TPCP), based at the University of Nebraska-School of Natural Resources, and the Nongame Bird …

Mid-Contract Management Of Conservation Reserve Program Grasslands Provides Benefits For Ring-Necked Pheasant Nest And Brood Survival, Ty W. Matthews, J. Scott Taylor, Larkin A. Powell

School of Natural Resources: Faculty Publications

Conservation Reserve Program (CRP) fields may provide good habitat for nesting and brood-rearing ring-necked pheasants (Phasianus colchicus) during early stages of succession. But, the success of hens in early successional CRP, relative to late successional CRP and other grassland habitats, has yet to be evaluated. The reproductive period is especially critical for populations of pheasants, and CRP’s benefits to hens and chicks may decrease as fields age because of loss of vegetative diversity, decrease in vegetation density, and accumulation of residual litter. During 2005– 2006, we evaluated spatial and temporal variation in nest and brood survival for radio-marked hen pheasants …

Rural Inhabitant Perceptions Of Sandhill Cranes In Wintering Areas Of Northern Mexico, Ingrid Barcelo, Juan Carlos Guzmán-Aranda, Felipe Chávez-Ramírez, Larkin A. Powell

School of Natural Resources: Faculty Publications

Trends in the mid-continent population of sandhill cranes (Grus canadensis) indicate that the species is increasing. A large proportion of this population winters in northern Mexico where possible conflicts between local inhabitants and cranes can occur. We conducted interviews of 40 rural inhabitants living near wetlands used by cranes in three Mexican states. All interviewees had knowledge of cranes and were capable of describing them. The arrival of cranes affected 43% of interviewees. The negative effects were mainly destroyed crops with a subsequent diminished production. Seventy percent of those affected implemented scare tactics to deter the birds, while others (15%) …

Patterns Of Incubation Behavior In Northern Bobwhites (Colinus Virginianus), Jonathan S. Burnam, Gretchen Turner, Susan Ellis-Felege, William E. Palmer, D. Clay Sisson, John P. Carroll

School of Natural Resources: Faculty Publications

Patterns of incubation and nesting behavior for many species of birds, especially those with cryptic nests, have been difficult to obtain due to logistical and technological limitations. As a result, little is known about the daily attendance rhythms and behavioral patterns of many species, including the Northern Bobwhite (Colinus virginianus), despite this species being one of the most studied birds in the world. Incubation represents parental investment in offspring, and a multitude of factors may affect investment behaviors, including reproductive ecology, sex and age of parent, habitat quality, clutch age, and timing in the nesting season. Most Northern Bobwhite nests …

In Ovo Serial Skeletal Muscle Diffusion Tractography Of The Developing Chick Embryo Using Dti: Feasibility And Correlation With Histology, Zien Zhou, Zachary Delproposto, Lianming Wu, Jianrong Xu, Jia Hua, Yan Zhou, Yongquan Ye, Zishu Zhang, Jiani Hu, E Mark Haacke

Wayne State University Associated BioMed Central Scholarship

Abstract

Background

Magnetic resonance imaging is a noninvasive method of evaluating embryonic development. Diffusion tensor imaging (DTI), based on the directional diffusivity of water molecules, is an established method of evaluating tissue structure. Yet embryonic motion degrades the in vivo acquisition of long-duration DTI. We used a dual-cooling technique to avoid motion artifact and aimed to investigate whether DTI can be used to monitor chick embryonic skeletal muscle development in ovo, and to investigate the correlation between quantitative DTI parameters fractional anisotropy (FA) and fiber length and quantitative histologic parameters fiber area percentage (FiberArea%) and limb length.

Results

From 84 …

The Jackrabbit Dairy Review, Vikram Mistry

The Jackrabbit Dairy & Food Review

No abstract provided.

Comparison Of Three Cidr Based Fixed-Time Ai Protocols For Beef Heifers, G.A. Perry, J.K. Grant, J.A. Walker, G.A. Bridges, S.G. Kruse, S. Bird, K. Heaton, R. Arias, S.L. Lake

South Dakota Beef Report, 2012

Several effective fixed-time AI (FTAI) protocols have been developed to facilitate AI while eliminating the need for estrus detection. Among these are the 5-d CO-Synch+CIDR (5d), PG 6-d CIDR (PG-CIDR), and 14-d CIDR-PG (CIDR-PG) protocols. While each of these protocols varies in duration and approach to synchronizing estrus and ovulation, each has been reported as an effective method to facilitate FTAI in beef heifers. Therefore, the objective of this study was to compare FTAI pregnancy rates in beef heifers synchronized with these three CIDR based protocols. Virgin beef heifers (n = 801) at four locations were synchronized with one of …

Diversity Of The Ohio River Bacterial Communities Using Next-Generation Sequencing Techniques, Emily Michele Anneken

Theses, Dissertations and Capstones

The ability to sequence bacterial genetic material directly from environmental samples has unlocked the field of metagenomics. Next-generation sequencing techniques, such as pyrosequencing, have been instrumental in providing knowledge about bacterial communities. This study focused on identifying the bacterial diversity of the Ohio River via pyrosequencing and compared the diversity of cultivable bacteria versus the entire river community. To ensure the maximum number of cultivable bacteria was obtained, cultures were grown on nonselective media and incubated at river temperature. Bacterial DNA was extracted, sequenced, and classified. The dominant phyla for the Ohio River included Cyanobacteria (38-66% of the total), Actinobacteria …

The Effect Of Auditory Call Playback On Anuran Detection And Capture Rates, Derek Adam Bozzell

Theses, Dissertations and Capstones

Calls of male anurans during breeding seasons are species-specific identification tools. However, males cease calling after any nearby disturbance, including those of researchers. I proposed a variation on current methods that attempts to reduce this lag in calling after researcher-created disturbance by utilizing the propensity for competition in male frogs. I surveyed 14 breeding sites in Cabell and Wayne counties during the 2010 and 2011 breeding seasons. First, I used traditional visual encounter surveys (VESs). After using automated recording devices to gather site-specific recordings of calls of all species present, I conducted secondary VESs while playing these playlists over a …

Freshwater Mussel Populations Of The Monongahela River, Pa And Evaluation Of The Orsanco Copper Pole Substrate Sampling Technique Using G.I.S. Interpolation With Geometric Means, Jonathan Hart

Theses, Dissertations and Capstones

Large river studies for freshwater mussel populations and habitat in the Monongahela River within Pennsylvania have been almost non-existent over the past century. Aquatic diversity and water quality have been impaired in the Monongahela River since the Industrial Revolution and early impoundments were constructed to control the river. To date, there have been no thorough mussel population studies conducted on the Pennsylvanian Monongahela River proper since A.E. Ortmann in 1919. The mussel population accounts for this large river system are invaluable accounts of the aquatic condition of the Monongahela River. Mussel populations and habitat within the river have diminished drastically …

The Status And Distribution Of Invasive Crayfishes And Their Effects On Native Crayfish Communities In West Virginia, Casey David Swecker

Theses, Dissertations and Capstones

Introductions of non-native crayfish species have resulted in the global decline of native crayfish populations, including those in North America. The last large survey of crayfishes from West Virginia was in 1988 and 1989. In this thorough document Raymond Jezerinac, Whitney Stocker, and Donald Tarter identified three separate areas in West Virginia where non-native crayfish species have been introduced. One area is located in the Potomac River drainage in northeastern West Virginia commonly referred to as the eastern panhandle of the state. This is also the only drainage in West Virginia where the native spiny cheek crayfish (Orconectes limosus) occurs. …

Bursicon, Metamorphosis And Development Of Resilin In The Fruit Fly, David Paul Anthony Neff

Theses, Dissertations and Capstones

Hovering flight is the primary form of locomotion in the numerous and diverse forms of winged insects. A specialized elastic protein, Resilin, contributes to flight mechanics in most described insect orders. Although many studies have inferred functions of Resilin in insect flight, we report the first direct evidence that Resilin is a necessary component in flight mechanics of the fruit fly. We have successfully knocked down Resilin synthesis with RNAi and have generated a new resilin deletion mutant Df(2R)anhedral. By disturbing the formation of the Resilin rich tergopleural tendon, we have shown that Resilin functions in wing control. We also …

Food Habits Of The Hoary Bat In An Agricultural Landscape, Mathew K. Perlik, Brock R. Mcmillan, John D. Krenz

Journal of the Minnesota Academy of Science

Information on diets is fundamental to ecological studies. Prey use by the solitary, tree-roosting hoary bat (Lasiurus cinereus) in agricultural landscapes is not known. We examined the stomach contents and fecal material from carcasses of hoary bats collected during a mortality study at wind turbine sites in southwestern Minnesota. We compared diet of hoary bats to availability of prey to determine whether bats were opportunistic or selective. Food of the hoary bats primarily consisted of lepidopterans (moths; 49-50 %) and coleopterans (beetles; 28-40 %). The abundance of insects in the diet of hoary bats was not proportional to the estimated …

A Guide To Missouri's Freshwater Mussels, Stephen E. Mcmurray, J. Scott Faiman, Andy Roberts, Bryan Simmons, M. Christopher Barnhart

Faculty Books

No abstract provided.

The Role Of Fine-Scale Habitat Associations In Structuring Spider Assemblages: Determinants Of Spatial Patterns In Community Compostion, Stephanie M. Cobbold

Green Canyon Environmental Research Area, Logan Utah

No abstract provided.

Livestock Foraging Behavior In Response To Sequence And Interactions Among Alkaloids, Tannins, And Saponins, Tiffany L. Jensen

Green Canyon Environmental Research Area, Logan Utah

No abstract provided.

Nonlinear Effects Of Group Size On The Success Of Wolves Hunting Elk, Daniel R. Macnulty, Douglas W. Smith, L. David Mech, John A. Vucetich, Craig Packer

United States Geological Survey, Northern Prairie Wildlife Research Center: Publications

Despite the popular view that social predators live in groups because group hunting facilitates prey capture, the apparent tendency for hunting success to peak at small group sizes suggests that the formation of large groups is unrelated to prey capture. Few empirical studies, however, have tested for nonlinear relationships between hunting success and group size, and none have demonstrated why success trails off after peaking. Here, we use a unique dataset of observations of individually known wolves (Canis lupus) hunting elk (Cervus elaphus) in Yellowstone National Park to show that the relationship between success and group …

Male Savannah Sparrows Provide Less Parental Care With Increasing Paternity Loss, Noah G. Perlut, Lindsay M. Kelly, Nathan J. Zalik, Allan M. Strong

Environmental Studies Faculty Publications

Male parental care can significantly affect fledging success and, therefore, is a strong target of both natural and sexual selection. However, for songbird species that exhibit extra-pair paternity, males may reduce parental care based on how much paternity they have lost in a brood. We studied Passerculus sandwichensis (Savannah Sparrow) male parental care relative to the proportion of extra-pair young in the nest, to see if males adjusted care in response to increasing loss of paternity. Males brought less food (mass) with increasing rates of extra-pair paternity, although male provisioning did not influence fledging success. These results contrast with a …

Deep-Sea Origin And In-Situ Diversification Of Chrysogorgiid Octocorals, Catherine S. Mcfadden, Eric Pante, Scott C. France, Arnaud Couloux, Corinne Cruaud, Sarah Samadi, Les Watling

All HMC Faculty Publications and Research

The diversity, ubiquity and prevalence in deep waters of the octocoral family Chrysogorgiidae Verrill, 1883 make it noteworthy as a model system to study radiation and diversification in the deep sea. Here we provide the first comprehensive phylogenetic analysis of the Chrysogorgiidae, and compare phylogeny and depth distribution. Phylogenetic relationships among 10 of 14 currently-described Chrysogorgiidae genera were inferred based on mitochondrial (mtMutS, cox1) and nuclear (18S) markers. Bathymetric distribution was estimated from multiple sources, including museum records, a literature review, and our own sampling records (985 stations, 2345 specimens). Genetic analyses suggest that the Chrysogorgiidae as currently described is …

Effects Of Weaning Age And Winter Development Environment On Heifer Performance, N.L. Hojer, M.B. Hubert, P.S. Johnson, M.H. Price, K.C. Olson

South Dakota Beef Report, 2012

Our objective was to determine if early weaning (about 125 d) vs. normal weaning (about 250 d) and wintering replacement heifers in drylot vs. rangeland affected heifer growth and reproductive performance. Heifer calves from the 2009 and 2010 calf crops (n = 104 and 73, respectively) were allocated to the 2 weaning treatments and then stratified by age into the 2 winter development treatments forming a 2 by 2 factorial arrangement of treatments. Heifers wintered in drylot received mixed grass and alfalfa hay (yr 1: 11.6% CP, 52.5% TDN; yr2: 12.3% CP, 53.4% TDN) plus 1.8 kg of a dried …

Investigation Of Protease Activity In Early Postmortem Musclesubjected To Alternative Chilling Conditions, D.A. Mohrhouse, S.M. Lonergran, E. Huff-Lonergran, K.R. Underwood, A.D. Weaver

South Dakota Beef Report, 2012

The objective of this study was two-fold: 1) determine the conditions (temperature, pH) that exist in early postmortem muscle of normally-chilled and delay-chilled beef carcasses to provide a model for in vitro work, and 2) determine the mechanism by which specific early postmortem temperature/pH conditions found in normally-chilled and delay-chilled muscle influence the enzymes that regulate the aging process in vitro. For objective 1, seven market-ready calves (HCW 848 ± 17.5 lb) were harvested with the right sides subjected to normal chilling (2.3°C) and the left sides subjected to ambient temperature (delay chilling; 22.6°C) for an additional 4.75 h and …

The Accuracies Of Dna-Based Estimates Of Genetic Merit Derived From Angus Or Multibreed Beef Cattle Training Populations, K. L. Weber, D. J. Drake, J. F. Taylor, Dorian Garrick, Larry A. Kuehn, R. Mark Thallman, Robert D. Schnabel, Warren M. Snelling, E. J. Pollak, A. L. Van Eenennaam

Roman L. Hruska U.S. Meat Animal Research Center: Reports

Several organizations have developed prediction models for molecular breeding values (MBV) for quantitative growth and carcass traits in beef cattle using Bovine SNP50 genotypes and phenotypic or EBV data. Molecular breeding values for Angus cattle have been developed by IGENITY, Pfi zer Animal Genetics, and a collaboration between researchers from Iowa State University and the University of Missouri-Columbia (ISU/UMC). The U.S. Meat Animal Research Center (USMARC; Clay Center, NE) has also developed MBV for 16 cattle breeds using 2 multibreed populations, the Germplasm Evaluation (GPE) Program and the 2,000 Bull Project (2K_ALL), and 2 single breed subpopulations of …

Investigation Of The Effects Of Co2 Insufflation On Blood Gas Values During Laparoscopic Procedures In Pigs, Özlem Güzel, Di̇lek Olğun Erdi̇kmen, Di̇dar Aydin, Zi̇hni̇ Mutlu, Esma Yildar

Turkish Journal of Veterinary & Animal Sciences

Due to the fact that they produce less post-operative pain and shorter hospitalisation times, laparoscopic surgery procedures are more widely used than many traditional open surgical methods. However, the carbon dioxide gas used to visualise the surgical site during the procedure causes complications such as an increase in the blood CO_2 level and acidosis. In the present study, 12 male pigs were used. Sedation was achieved via intramuscular injection of xylazine at a dose of 2 mg/kg and anaesthesia induction was done via slow intravenous injection of ketamine HCl at a dose of 2 mg/kg. Following endotracheal intubation, general anaesthesia …

2012 South Dakota Beef Report, Department Of Animal Sciences, South Dakota State University, Agricultural Experiment Station, South Dakota State University, Cooperative Extension Service, South Dakota State University

South Dakota Beef Report, 2012

This is the 2013 South Dakota Beef Report produced by the SDSU Department of Animal Sciences in conjunction with the Agricultural Experiment Station , and the SDSU Cooperative Extension. The articles published in this report summarize many of the beef cattle research activities conducted at South Dakota State University during 2013. The articles in this report have many levels of application. Some information has immediate application for your farm, ranch, or agribusiness. The articles include information on nutrition,management, health, growth and development, and economics of the cattle and beef industry in South Dakota.