Animal Sciences Commons^™

Relating Predator Community Ecology And Duck Nest Survival In Eastern South Dakota, Samantha R. Fino

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

As conversion of native grasslands and wetlands to croplands continues in the Prairie Pothole Region (PPR), managers are tasked with maintaining sustainable waterfowl populations. Mesopredator community dynamics is a hypothesized mechanism driving spatiotemporal variation of waterfowl nest survival in the PPR, yet studies often lack detailed information on mesopredator species occurrence and abundance. Therefore, understanding spatial and temporal variation in behaviors of mesopredators provides valuable insights for understanding predator-prey interactions between mesopredators and upland duck nests. Further, differences in a predator community resulting from lethal removal of dominant species may influence composition and space use patterns of subordinate and non-target …

Key To Isotomidae (Collembola) Of Iran And A Photographic Guide Of Key Characters Of Species, Elham Yoosefi Lafooraki, Jalil Hajizadeh, Masoumeh Shayanmehr, Reza Hosseini, Pietro Paolo Fanciulli

Turkish Journal of Zoology

Present work deals with providing an identification key to 60 Iranian species of the family Isotomidae. The photographic support provided here, both light micrographs and scanning electron microscopy (SEM) pictures, can be used as a practical tool for researchers who are not well acquainted with the morphology of Isotomidae.

Using Rose Pulp Silage Instead Of Sugar Beet Pulp Silage In Lambs Fed With Total Mixed Ration, Kadi̇r Emre Buğdayci, Mustafa Numan Oğuz, Hale Seçi̇lmi̇ş Canbay, Hidir Gümüş, Fatma Karakaş Oğuz

Turkish Journal of Veterinary & Animal Sciences

The aim of this study was to determine the effects of using rose pulp (Rosa damacena) silage instead of sugar beet pulp silage on fattening performance, carcass yield, and some ruminal fluid parameters in lambs fed with total mixed ration. For this purpose, a total of 16 (average 30 ± 5 kg) 6-month-old Pırlak lambs, 8 in each group, were randomly divided into two groups. Total mixed rations were formulated by using concentrate, wheat straw and rose pulp silage (RPS) (Group 1) or sugar beet pulp silage (SBPS) (Group 2) in the experiment. Due to the low dry …

New Insights On Epidemiology Of Infectious Bronchitis Virus In Iran By Comparing Two Genotyping Methods, Arash Ghalyanchilangeroudi, Hossein Hosseini, Zahra Ziafati Kafi, Naser Sadri, Ali Hojabr Rajeoni, Hamideh Najafi

Turkish Journal of Veterinary & Animal Sciences

Different genotypes of infectious bronchitis virus (IBV) in poultry are circulating worldwide. The most efficient classification system for IBV genotypes is based on the complete sequencing of S1 gene, and the target organ can be trachea, kidney, oviduct, lung, esophagus, proventriculus, intestine, liver, spleen, bursa, cecal tonsils, cloaca, and testis. In Iran, IBV genotyping is usually performed by partial sequencing of S1 gene, and the trachea is often selected for sampling. This study applies a different genotyping method, and compares the results with the routine method of genotyping. Samples were collected from the trachea and kidneys of 50 broiler flocks …

Transcriptomic Responses Of Females To Consumption Of Nuptial Food Gifts As A Potential Mediator Of Sexual Conflict In Decorated Crickets, Bert Foquet, James Rapkin, Manmohan D. Sharma, Ben M. Sadd, Scott K. Sakaluk, John Hunt

Faculty Publications – Biological Sciences

Nuptial food gift provisioning by males to females at mating is a strategy in many insects that is thought to be shaped by sexual conflict or sexual selection, as it affords males access to a female's physiology. While males often attempt to use these gifts to influence female behaviour to their own advantage, females can evolve counter mechanisms. In decorated crickets, the male's nuptial gift comprises part of the spermatophore, the spermatophylax, the feeding on which deters the female from prematurely terminating sperm transfer. However, ingested compounds in the spermatophylax and attachment of the sperm-containing ampulla could further influence female …

The Effects Of Body Weight, Feed Intake, And Weather On Total And Liquid Water Intake In Growing Beef Cattle, Madison Rae Kovarna

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

Research conducted in the 1950s to determine water requirements utilized cattle that vary greatly from the animals being raised today. Additionally, most of the previous research has been conducted on animals being fed for slaughter, rather than bulls or reproductive females. The objective of this study was to analyze the effect of weather variables, dry matter intake (DMI), and body weight (BW) on total daily water intake (TDWI) and liquid daily water intake (LDWI) in growing beef bulls and heifers. Two contemporary groups of Angus and Simmental x Angus bulls and heifers over a two-year period were utilized in this …

Impacts Of Eastern Redcedar Juniperus Virginiana L. On Avian Communities In Eastern South Dakota, Jay Holm

Schultz-Werth Award Papers

Eastern redcedar (ERC) (Juniperus virginiana L.) is the most rapidly spreading woody species in the Northern Great Plains due to fire suppression, planting in windbreaks, and overgrazing. Its encroachment has converted already fragmented and/or degraded grassland into woodland, and there is concern that it may negatively impact grassland-obligate/dependent avian species. In this study, I evaluated avian community composition between ERC-encroached and non-encroached grasslands in eastern South Dakota. Six sites each of encroached grassland and non-encroached grassland were selected. Bird surveys were conducted by performing point counts placed equidistantly along a transect for two years. Presence and abundance of each species …

Evaluation Of Growth Performance, Energy Utilization, And Carcass Trait Responses Of Finishing Lambs Administered Zeranol, Emily Nold

Schultz-Werth Award Papers

The objective of this research was to determine the influence of implanting heavy wether lambs with 12 mg zeranol (1 pellet Ralgro, Merck Animal Health. Madison, NJ) 59 d before harvest. Average daily gain (ADG), feed efficiency, and carcass merit were evaluated. Polpypay and crossbred wethers (n = 32 total) were equally divided into two treatment groups within a randomized complete block design. Sixteen pens were used resulting in 8 replicate pens per treatment. Wethers were fed a finishing diet consisting of cracked corn, soybean meal and soybean hulls ad libitum for 59 d. Lambs had access to clean water …

Selenium Form-Induced Changes In The Early Luteal Phase Corpus Luteum, The Blood, And The Endometrium During Early Gestation In Beef Cows, Sarah Nancy Carr

Theses and Dissertations--Animal and Food Sciences

Selenium (Se) deficient soils and thus forages are widespread throughout the United States, necessitating supplementation of this trace mineral in the diet of grass-fed cattle to negate detrimental effects of a deficiency on immune function, growth, and fertility. Conventionally, Se is supplemented to cattle in a vitamin-mineral mix as an inorganic form (ISe) although the organic forms (OSe) are available when cattle consumer forage, and OSe has been shown to increase the bioavailability of Se in cattle. Previous research has demonstrated supplementation with 1:1 mixture (MIX) of ISe and OSe compared to ISe alone increases systemic concentrations of progesterone (P4) …

Increasing Efficiency Of Finishing Beef Production: Strategies To Optimize Starch Digestion, Improve Flake Quality, And Reduce Methane Emissions, Ronald J. Trotta

Theses and Dissertations--Animal and Food Sciences

To continue to meet the demands of increasing food production and environmental sustainability, new strategies are needed to enhance the efficiency of finishing cattle production. A review of the literature identified several nutritional and physiological constraints that limit the ability for cattle to digest starch and absorb glucose from the small intestine. Comparative sequencing analyses revealed a missing region of the sucrase-isomaltase protein which could affect the capacity for starch digestion in cattle. Post-flaking sampling and handling recommendations were generated based on a series of experiments to improve estimates of starch availability and flaking consistency for commercial feedlots and laboratories. …

Plant Cell Wall Composition And In Vitro Fermentation Characteristics Of Cool-Season Forage Grasses From Two Growing Seasons In Central Kentucky, Sophia Danielle Newhuis

Theses and Dissertations--Animal and Food Sciences

Grass cell walls are rich in cellulose, hemicellulosic arabinoxylan (AX) polysaccharides, and lignin. AX structural differences such as degree and pattern of branching and the ester-linked phenolic acid content could affect plants’ digestibility when used as forage for livestock. However, there is little information about how these structural elements change over the growing season in the vegetative tissue of cool-season perennial grasses. Enhanced information about the cell wall composition and carbohydrate structure of forage material will provide a foundation for expanding our knowledge of how forage cell wall carbohydrate structures are utilized by ruminants. The objectives of this study were …

Evaluation Of Boron Supplementation In Swine And Poultry, Tyler B. Chevalier

Theses and Dissertations--Animal and Food Sciences

The objectives of this dissertation were to evaluate dietary boron (B) supplementation as sodium borate in various swine models and broiler chicks through a series of experiments. The initial experiment evaluated supplemental B (0, 25, 50, and 100 ppm B) on serum insulin, glucose, and clinical chemistry panel of growing pigs. Serum insulin/glucose ratio tended to decrease linearly with increasing supplemental B in a fasting state (P = 0.08). These findings were more noticeable (linear effect, P = 0.02) in a postprandial state (~ 50 minutes following a meal). A series of follow-up studies further evaluating B supplementation (0, 5, …

Evaluation Of Increasing Levels Of Mycotoxin-Containing Corn Fines On Diet Choice And Growth Performance Of Nursery Pigs, Duncan B. Paczosa

Theses and Dissertations--Animal and Food Sciences

Pigs fed mycotoxin contaminated diets at high concentrations will result in a detriment to health and performance. An initial study and a follow-up study were conducted to evaluate the effects of feeding increasing levels of mycotoxin-containing corn fines on growth performance, diet preference of pigs, and two possible mitigants.

The initial study was a 3 x 2 factorial containing three levels of fines (0, 10, and 20%, Diets 1-3, respectively) and either 0 ppm (Diets 1-3) or 40 ppm boron (Diets 4-6; Diets 4-6 were Diets 1-3, respectively, plus boron) as sodium tetraborate decahydrate as a possible mitigant. In this …

Profiling The Cell Wall Polysaccharides Of Hemp (Cannabis Sativa L.) Inflorescence And Hempseed And Exploring Their Application As Ruminant Feed Ingredients, Miranda Agbana

Theses and Dissertations--Animal and Food Sciences

Hemp (Cannabis sativa L.) is used in the United States as a source of CBD oil, fiber, and grain. While hempseeds are consumed whole or as dehulled hemp hearts, hempseed oil is also a desirable seed oil in human nutrition. The process of collecting hempseed oil leaves behind hempseed cakes that are abundant in protein and fiber. Feeding of hempseed cakes to animals, including ruminants, has only initially been explored. Extraction of CBD from hemp inflorescences generates organic waste that may find a second purpose as a fiber feed for cattle. Little is known about the exact fiber composition …

Precision Livestock Farming And Personality As Tools To Understand Dairy Calf Individual Variation In Performance, Behavior, And Response To Stress, Megan Marie Woodrum Setser

Theses and Dissertations--Animal and Food Sciences

Individual differences impact animal responses to their environments and can be observed with animal personality (stable behavioral differences with populations) and food neophobia (avoidance of unfamiliar feeds). These individual differences can influence cattle performance and welfare. Precision technologies, such as automatic feeding systems (AFS) and accelerometers continuously measure feeding behaviors and activity and may allow us to relate individual differences to behaviors in the home environment. Therefore, the first objective was to determine if food neophobia was associated with feeding behaviors measured by AFS. Food neophobia was associated with rewarded visits to the AFS, but to no other feeding behaviors. …

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

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 …

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 …

A Single-Cell Atlas Of Bovine Skeletal Muscle Reveals Mechanisms Regulating Intramuscular Adipogenesis And Fibrogenesis, Leshan Wang, Peidong Gao, Chaoyang Li, Qianglin Liu, Zeyang Yao, Yuxia Li, Xujia Zhang, Jiangwen Sun, Constantine Simintiras, Matthew Welborn, Kenneth Mcmillin, Stephanie Oprescu, Shihuan Kuang, Xing Fu

Computer Science Faculty Publications

Background

Intramuscular fat (IMF) and intramuscular connective tissue (IMC) are often seen in human myopathies and are central to beef quality. The mechanisms regulating their accumulation remain poorly understood. Here, we explored the possibility of using beef cattle as a novel model for mechanistic studies of intramuscular adipogenesis and fibrogenesis.

Methods

Skeletal muscle single-cell RNAseq was performed on three cattle breeds, including Wagyu (high IMF), Brahman (abundant IMC but scarce IMF), and Wagyu/Brahman cross. Sophisticated bioinformatics analyses, including clustering analysis, gene set enrichment analyses, gene regulatory network construction, RNA velocity, pseudotime analysis, and cell-cell communication analysis, were performed to elucidate …

Ancient Bears Provide Insights Into Pleistocene Ice Age Refugia In Southeast Alaska, Flavio Augusto Da Silva Coelho, Stephanie Gill, Crystal M. Tomlin, Marilena Papavassiliou, Sean D. Farley, Joseph A. Cook, Sarah A. Sonsthagen, George K. Sage, Timothy H. Heaton, Sandra L. Talbot, Charlotte Lindqvist

Nebraska Cooperative Fish and Wildlife Research Unit: Staff Publications

During the Late Pleistocene, major parts of North America were periodically covered by ice sheets. However, there are still questions about whether ice-free refugia were present in the Alexander Archipelago along the Southeast (SE) Alaska coast during the last glacial maximum (LGM). Numerous subfossils have been recovered from caves in SE Alaska, including American black (Ursus americanus) and brown (U. arctos) bears, which today are found in the Alexander Archipelago but are genetically distinct from mainland bear populations. Hence, these bear species offer an ideal system to investigate long-term occupation, potential refugial survival and lineage turnover. Here, we present genetic …

Movement And Genomic Methods Reveal Mechanisms Promoting Connectivity In A Declining Shorebird: The Lesser Yellowlegs, K. Christie, R. E. Wilson, J. A. Johnson, C. Friis, C. M. Harwood, L. A. Mcduffie, E. Nol, Sarah A. Sonsthagen

Nebraska Cooperative Fish and Wildlife Research Unit: Staff Publications

No abstract provided.

Fecal Dna Metabarcoding Shows Credible Short-Term Prey Detections And Explains Variation In The Gut Microbiome Of Two Polar Bear Subpopulations, M. Franz, L. Whyte, T. C. Atwood, D. Menning, Sarah A. Sonsthagen, S. L. Talbot, K. L. Laidre, E. Gonzalez, M. A. Mckinney

Nebraska Cooperative Fish and Wildlife Research Unit: Staff Publications

No abstract provided.

Habitat Use By Sandhill Cranes Wintering In The Agricultural Landscape Of The Sacramento–San Joaquin River Delta Of California, Gary L. Ivey, Bruce D. Dugger, Caroline P. Herziger, Michael L. Casazza, Joseph P. Fleskes

Proceedings of the North American Crane Workshop

The Sacramento–San Joaquin Delta region of California is an important wintering region for sympatric greater (Grus canadensis tabida) and lesser (G. c. canadensis) sandhill cranes. Basic information about sandhill crane use of habitats in their winter landscape is needed to design a biologically driven conservation strategy. We monitored a sample of radio-tagged birds of each subspecies for 2 winters and conducted foraging counts to document their habitat use. Cranes used the major crops and habitat types that were available in the landscapes surrounding their roost sites and focused most of their foraging in grain crops. We examined habitat selection surrounding …

Whooping Crane Nesting Behavior, Parental Care, And Ecology At Wood Buffalo National Park, Andrew J. Caven, Michael J. Forsberg

Proceedings of the North American Crane Workshop

We studied Whooping crane (Grus americana) nesting behavior and movement patterns at Wood Buffalo National Park using an instantaneous scan sampling approach. We also photo-documented important behavioral and ecological observations. Data were collected from 2 to 9 June 2023 from before 3:00 to after 22:00 hours. We completed 88 hours of observation and documented nest swapping about every 3.2 hours. The female incubated/brooded 3.3-10.9% more than the male, and the probability of incubation/brooding declined by 49% after the second chick began pipping and by 99% after both chicks had hatched. The eldest chick was successfully provisioned 16 hours and 33 …

Inland Habitat Selection Model For Wintering Whooping Cranes, Karen Tyrell, Kristin Brightwell, Matthew Crane, Wade Harrell, Rosa Palmer, Aaron T. Pearse, Ted Owen

Proceedings of the North American Crane Workshop

Inland habitat use by wintering Aransas-Wood Buffalo whooping cranes (Grus americana) is expected to increase given projected population growth and observations of some whooping cranes using inland winter habitat in addition to coastal marshes. We developed resource utilization functions using ‘random forests’ to model whooping crane use as a function of environmental covariates considered important for whooping crane use. Covariates associated with distance to cropland, distance to development, and wetness or standing water were the most influential in model prediction. The model estimated that the 50% predicted use contour encompassed 34,925 hectares (ha) and the 95% predicted use contour encompassed …

Mortality Of Fledged Whooping Cranes In The Aransas-Wood Buffalo Population, Kristin Brightwell, Matt Rabbe, Aaron T. Pearse, Ben Bainbridge, Karen Tyrell, Clayton Derby

Proceedings of the North American Crane Workshop

Maintaining accurate mortality records for endangered species is important for guiding management and conservation actions. Mortalities of whooping cranes (Grus americana) in the Aransas-Wood Buffalo Population (AWBP) are documented in published records from 1950 through 2010. This paper documents publicly available records of known mortalities from 2011 through 2023, and updates historic records from 1950 to 2010. Public sightings and telemetry carcass records were restricted to fledged whooping cranes from the AWBP and stratified by confirmed, suspected, and unknown causes across the annual range (i.e., summer, migration, and winter). This mortality update provides more certainty associated with available carcass data …

Differential Habitat Use Of Wintering Whooping Cranes Throughout The Range Of The Eastern Migratory Population, Hillary L. Thompson, Anne E. Lacy, Robert F. Baldwin, Patrick G. R. Jodice

Proceedings of the North American Crane Workshop

In 2001, a reintroduced population of whooping cranes (Grus americana), the Eastern Migratory Population (EMP), was established in the eastern United States. There has been no assessment of habitat use of the EMP across the current winter distribution. During 2 winters, we used radio-telemetry to track groups of cranes each for 1 day. We grouped sites into 3 regions, based on natural clustering: north (Illinois, Indiana, Kentucky), central (Tennessee, Alabama), and south (Georgia, Florida, Louisiana). Home ranges decreased in size from north to south (4.9 ± 2.8, 3.1 ± 1.0, and 2.3 ± 0.5 km2, respectively). In the north and …

Comparisons Of Migration Patterns Between Parent-Reared And Costume-Reared Whooping Cranes In The Eastern Migratory Population, 2012–2023, Mary Anderson, Glenn H. Olsen, Susie Dunham, Hillary L. Thompson, Marianne M. Wellington

Proceedings of the North American Crane Workshop

Whooping cranes (Grus americana) have been raised and released into the Eastern Migratory Population (EMP) since 2001. Cranes either were costume-reared and learned their migration route by following an ultralight aircraft, were costume-reared and released in fall near adult cranes (known as direct autumn release), or were parent-reared by captive adult whooping crane pairs and released in the fall near adult whooping cranes. Compared to costume-rearing, parent-rearing encourages conspecific learning prior to release, but needs further research to understand how it may influence post-release behaviors including migration. This study compared the migratory timing and length of parent-reared whooping cranes and …

Temporal Patterns Of Sandhill Crane Use Of The Pecos River Valley, Chaves County, New Mexico, James B. Montgomery Jr.

Proceedings of the North American Crane Workshop

The Pecos River Valley is an important stopover area for both migrating and wintering sandhill cranes (Grus canadensis) in southeastern New Mexico. The combination of shallow impoundments and a playa lake at Bitter Lake National Wildlife Refuge, off-refuge shallow ponds and riverine wetlands, and approximately 20,000 ha of nearby irrigated farmlands in Chaves County provided roosting and foraging areas used by the cranes. Once per week sandhill cranes were counted when departing their roosts during September through April 2005–2024. The fall migration during October and November peaked at 24,431 ± 204 (SE). During this peak period, cranes divided foraging between …

Movement Of Eastern Migratory Whooping Cranes Outside The Nonessential Experimental Population Range, 2002–2024, Nicole M. Gordon, Eleanor A. Laack, Hannah R. Macinnes, Alicia M. Ward, Hillary L. Thompson

Proceedings of the North American Crane Workshop

Whooping cranes (Grus americana) are listed as an endangered species under the Endangered Species Act (ESA), with 1 historic migratory population and multiple reintroduced populations. The reintroduced populations, including the Eastern Migratory Population (EMP), are considered nonessential experimental populations (NEP) under section 10j of the ESA. Within the boundaries of the NEP range, whooping cranes are treated with the protection of a threatened species on federal lands but are treated as a species under consideration for listing on private lands. However, if an individual exits the NEP range, they are treated as federally endangered and have the full protections of …