Ecology and Evolutionary Biology Commons^™

Spatiotemporal Partitioning Of Two Invasive Ungulates In Guam [Abstract], Kelly J. Koriakin, Kurt C. Vercauteren, Nathan P. Snow, D. Buck Jolley

United States Department of Agriculture Wildlife Services: Staff Publications

Interspecific interactions are crucial in shaping ecosystem dynamics (Connell 1983, Tilman 1987, Barbosa and Castellanos 2005). Non-native ungulates have been introduced across the globe (Ferretti and Lovari 2014, Volery et al. 2021) and in environments where multiple invasives thrive, these co-occurring sympatric species may shift spatiotemporal patterns to minimize interspecific competition (Schoener 1974, Chesson 2000). Spatiotemporal shifts can lead to cascading effects to the native flora and fauna (Simberloff and Von Holle 1999). Given the potential negative impacts, understanding these interactions is vital for effective management of these ecosystems.

Two invasive ungulates, the wild pig (Sus scrofa) and …

Complex Dynamics Of Coral Gene Expression Responses To Low Ph Across Species, Veronica Z. Radice, Ana Martinez, Adina Paytan, Donald C. Potts, Daniel J. Barshis

Biological Sciences Faculty Publications

Coral capacity to tolerate low pH affects coral community composition and, ultimately, reef ecosystem function. Low pH submarine discharges (‘Ojo’; Yucatán, México) represent a natural laboratory to study plasticity and acclimatization to low pH in relation to ocean acidification. A previous >2‐year coral transplant experiment to ambient and low pH common garden sites revealed differential survivorship across species and sites, providing a framework to compare mechanistic responses to differential pH exposures. Here, we examined gene expression responses of transplants of three species of reef‐building corals (Porites astreoides, Porites porites and Siderastrea siderea) and their algal endosymbiont communities …

Multi-Year Effectiveness Of Pzp-22 In Free-Roaming Suburban White-Tailed Deer, Allen T. Rutberg, Kali M. Pereira, Kayla A. Grams, John W. Turner Jr.

Human–Wildlife Interactions

To address the challenge that is posed to the use of fertility control to mitigate human–deer (Cervidae) conflicts by the need to regularly re-inoculate free-roaming animals, we captured, ear-tagged, and hand-injected 68 individual adult female white-tailed deer (Odocoileus virginianus) with the PZP-22 immunocontraceptive vaccine from February through April, 2014 to 2017, in the Village of Hastings-on-Hudson, New York, USA. Approximately 2.5 years after initial treatments, we booster-darted 29 of the previously treated females with either PZP-22 or native PZP (ZonaStat-D). We observed fawn production between 2014 and 2021. The combination of initial PZP-22 hand-treatments followed by single dart-delivered PZP …

Spatial Predictors Of Human–Black Bear Interactions In Nova Scotia, Canada, Jason I. Airst, Tricia B. Fleming

Human–Wildlife Interactions

The increased global frequency of human–wildlife conflict with large, wild carnivores and omnivores negatively impacts human, wildlife, and ecosystem health. The goal of this study was to determine what landscape characteristics best predicted where human–black bear (Ursus americanus) interactions occurred in Nova Scotia, Canada, to support management efforts. We compared the location of 3,278 human–bear conflict reports and 867 non-conflict reports collected between 2017 and 2021 to 12,000 randomly generated locations. Data were analyzed using logistic additive mixed models. We found that interactions (conflict and non-conflict reports) occurred near roads and farther from forests and surface water features. …

Waterbird-Perceived Damage, Control Measures, And Economic Implications For Rice Production In The Brazilian Cerrado, Demetrio Luis Guadagnin, Alexandre Afonso Meyer, João Augusto Rossi Borges, Fernanda Maia Justo

Human–Wildlife Interactions

Waterbirds have the potential to inflict economic damage to crops. However, is rice (Oryza sativa) production in the Brazilian Cerrado significantly affected by waterbirds? This study aimed to assess the extent of waterbird damage on irrigated rice production in Central Brazil. We conducted surveys of waterbird populations in rice agroecosystem habitats throughout the cultivation cycle and analyzed the expenses associated with waterbird-induced yield losses and the control measures employed by farmers. The 2 most prevalent waterbird species observed were Dendrocygna viduatta and D. autumnalis, comprising 68.6% of all recorded waterbirds. These species were more frequently encountered and …

Monograph Available: Toolkit To Address Free-Ranging Domestic Cats On Agency Lands Managed For Native Wildlife And Ecosystem Health

Human–Wildlife Interactions

This is an announcement about the published monograph titled "Toolkit to Address Free-ranging Domestic Cats on Agency Lands Managed for Native Wildlife and Ecosystem Health." This publication, part of the HWI Monograph Series, is online and open access.

Grass Rejection By Capybaras Can Be Used As A Possible Strategy To Mitigate Road Accidents, André Luiz Gama Nogueira, Sérgio Luiz Gama Nogueira-Filho, Selene Siqueira Da Cunha Nogueira, Denis Sato, Natasha Camilo Maximiano Da Silva, Lilian Elgalise Techio Pereira, Michael Mendl, Adroaldo José Zanella

Human–Wildlife Interactions

Feeding management can be a good strategy for avoiding wildlife–vehicle collisions (WVCs), which are a worldwide concern. In this study, we aimed to identify grass species that capybaras (Hydrochoerus hydrochaeris) reject as feeding material. These species could be planted to make roadsides less attractive to capybaras and, consequently, decrease WVCs involving this species. We planted 3 grass species (Brachiaria decumbens cv. Basilisk, B. hybrid Mavuno, and Zoysia japonica) in 4 blocks, applying a randomized-complete blocks design. The first 2 species we assumed would be rejected, since some animals do not consume them due to their high …

Hunting Types In North American Eocene And Oligocene Carnivores And Implications For Nimravid Extinction, Miguel Andres Castellanos

Graduate Research Theses & Dissertations

The late Eocene and Oligocene is traditionally seen as a time of great climactic shift, with open habitats beginning to appear and forests receding. This time period saw both the diversification and subsequent extinction of North American nimravids. The causes of the extinction of this early sabertooth group in the Arikareean remain unclear. One possibility for their decline is that nimravids were competitively disadvantaged in open habitats relative to contemporary, possibly more cursorial caniform predators. Here I analyze and compare the hunting styles of Eocene and Oligocene predators in correlation with their ecological implications via discriminant function analysis of the …

On The Ground And From Above: A Multi-Factor Analysis Of The Direct And Indirect Drivers Of Tallgrass Prairie Small Mammal Communities, Erin Rowland-Schaefer

Graduate Research Theses & Dissertations

Tallgrass prairies are among the most globally threatened ecosystems, with only one percent of the historical extent remaining in Illinois. Prairie restoration is an essential strategy to preserve biodiversity and reestablish threatened species. Practitioners use management tools to shift the landscape context of prairie restoration sites, such as prescribed fire and land cover change. Managers can also impact the landscape connectivity and edge proximity of certain areas through the use of mowed driving lanes. The effects of these factors on small mammals, which are central in tallgrass prairie food webs and relevant to human health and restoration success, are not …

Population Demographics Of Channel Catfish In The Lower Wabash River, Valerie J. Thompson

Masters Theses

Inland fisheries are experiencing increasing demands due to anthropogenic stressors, especially within large river systems that support both recreational and commercial fisheries. Riverine species are sensitive to habitat degradation, species introductions, and exploitation, so continued monitoring and management of these communities are vital to maintain abundance and diversity within these systems. The North American catfish family, Ictaluridae, supports both recreational and commercial fisheries throughout the United States. Channel Catfish Ictalurus punctatus are heavily studied and managed compared to other sport catfishes in this family because of their economic and ecological significance. One important Channel Catfish fishery exists in the lower …

Molecular Investigation Of Tick-Borne Pathogens In Feral Swine (Sus Scrofa) From Seven Us States, Sofiane Aiche

Masters Theses

Feral swine (Sus scrofa) have been proposed as part of the lifecycles of multiple tickborne pathogens (TBP). This is a result of the increase in feral swine populations and increased tick populations and geographic ranges. Few surveys exist on the TBP relevant to human and wildlife of feral swine in the US. The aim of this study is to investigate the prevalence of 10 TBP: Anaplasma spp., Borrelia spp., Cytauxzoon felis, Hepatozoon spp., Babesia spp., Mycoplasma spp., Trypanosoma cruzi, Toxoplasma gondii, Yersinia pestis, and Rickettsia spp. A total of 87 feral swine blood samples …

Translocations Of North American Bison Across Large Climatic Gradients: Impacts On Thermoregulation, Body Size, And Helmintic Infection, Hayden Wolfe

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

Every year, one-eighth of all North American bison (Bison bison) are translocated, often across large climatic gradients. Over the last 16 years bison have been translocated from Wind Cave National Park in South Dakota to establish six herds across the United States central grasslands in Iowa, Missouri, Illinois, Indiana, and Kansas. Influence of climatic gradients on herd-level thermoregulation, body size, and helmintic infection were evaluated. Overall, 1174 thermal images and 1050 fecal samples were collected between 2021 and 2023. Physiological heat flux was used to measure thermoregulation, asymptotic body mass (ABM) was used for body size, and helminth genera abundance …

Improving Stream Connectivity In South Dakota, Colton Rainier Curtis

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

Stream connectivity is crucial for fish movement and genetic diversity in fragmented landscapes. Road-crossings often act as barriers, disrupting hydrology and isolating fish populations. The Southeast Aquatic Resources Partnership (SARP) has developed rapid road-crossing assessment protocols and tools to prioritize restoration projects. However, managers lack tools for planning, directing, and initiating roadcrossing assessments. Managers also require modeling approaches to effectively identify and monitor road-crossings across dynamic stream networks. Presented here is a case study offering a roadmap for effective implementation of collaborative road-crossing assessments and prioritization of remediation projects, alongside an exploration of predictive modeling approaches to identify problematic crossings …

Ethyl-Iophenoxic Acid As A Serum Marker For Oral Baiting Of Tasmanian Devils, Ruth Pye, David Nichols, Sally A. Nofs, Amy T. Gilbert, Andrew S. Flies

United States Department of Agriculture Wildlife Services: Staff Publications

Oral baits containing vaccines, medicants or toxicants have been delivered to a broad range of wildlife species to protect against or treat disease, or suppress populations. Ethyl-Iophenoxic acid (Et-IPA) is used as a biomarker to determine oral bait consumption by wildlife species to assess and refine baiting strategies. Et-IPA is a persistent biomarker in many eutherian mammal species but not in the two marsupial species, swamp wallaby (Wallabia bicolor) and brushtail possum (Trichosurus vulpecula), tested to date. Et-IPA has not previously been evaluated in carnivorous marsupials. The Tasmanian devil (Sarcophilus harrisii), the largest extant …

Landscape-Scale Epidemiological Dynamics Of Sars-Cov-2 In White-Tailed Deer, Joshua Hewitt, Grete Wilson-Henjum, Derek T. Collins, Timothy J. Linder, Julianna B. Lenoch, Jonathan D. Heale, Christopher A. Quintanal, Robert Pleszewski, Dillon S. Mcbride, Andrew S. Bowman, Jeffrey C. Chandler, Susan A. Shriner, Sarah N. Bevins, Dennis J. Kohler, Richard B. Chipman, Allen L. Gosser, David L. Bergman, Thomas J. Deliberto, Kim M. Pepin

United States Department of Agriculture Wildlife Services: Staff Publications

Understanding pathogen emergence in new host species is fundamental for developing prevention and response plans for human and animal health. We leveraged a large-scale surveillance dataset coordinated by United States Department of Agriculture, Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service and State Natural Resources Agencies to quantify the outbreak dynamics of SARS-CoV-2 in North American white-tailed deer (Odocoileus virginianus; WTD) throughout its range in the United States. Local epidemics in WTD were well approximated by a single-outbreak peak followed by fade out. Outbreaks peaked early in the northeast and mid- Atlantic. Local effective reproduction ratios of SARS-CoV-2 were between …

Probabilistic Genetic Identification Of Wild Boar Hybridization To Support Control Of Invasive Wild Pigs (Sus Scrofa), Timothy J. Smyser, Peter Pfaffelhuber, Rachael M. Giglio, Matthew G. Desaix, Amy J. Davis, Courtney F. Bowden, Michael A. Tabak, Arianna Manunza, Valentin Adrian Bâlteanu, Marcel Amills, Laura Iacolina, Pamela Walker, Carl Lessard, Antoinette J. Piaggio

United States Department of Agriculture Wildlife Services: Staff Publications

The rapid expansion of wild pigs (Sus scrofa) throughout the United States has been fueled by unlawful introductions, with invasive populations causing extensive crop losses, damaging native ecosystems, and serving as a reservoir for disease. Multiple states have passed laws prohibiting the possession or transport of wild pigs. However, genetic and phenotypic similarities between domestic pigs and invasive wild pigs—which overwhelmingly represent domestic pig and wild boar hybrids—pose a challenge for the enforcement of such regulations. We sought to exploit wild boar ancestry as a common attribute among the vast majority of invasive wild pigs as a means …

Efficacy Of X-Ray Phytosanitary Irradiation On The Infectivity And Reproduction Of Angiostrongylus Cantonensis In Experimentally Infected Rats, Susan I. Jarvi, Lisa M. Kaluna, Steven C. Hess, Lindsey Hamilton, Carmen Antaky, Robert T. Sugihara, Israel L. Leinbach, Yaeko Tagami, Argon Steel, Kathleen Howe, Steven Jacquier, Forrest Cookman, Jocelyn Diaz, John Jacob, Peter Follett

United States Department of Agriculture Wildlife Services: Staff Publications

Angiostrongylus cantonensis is a globally distributed nematode and the leading cause of eosinophilic meningitis in humans. As a global hotspot for this disease, Hawaii’s agricultural exports may be contributing to the spread of A. cantonensis. Phytosanitary irradiation doses of 150 or 400 Gy provide quarantine security against multiple insect pests. We evaluated the in vitro and in vivo effects of phytosanitary irradiation on infectious, third-stage A. cantonensis juveniles. In vitro experiments directly exposed juveniles to irradiation doses ranging from 200 to 1,000 Gy. Results showed low mortality and no dose response across all treatments 27 days post-irradiation. …

Potential Landscape Connectivity For Invasive Wild Pigs (Sus Scrofa) Across The Northern Prairies Of North America, Corey J. Kramer, Melanie R. Boudreau, Ryan Powers, Kurt C. Vercauteren, Ryan S. Miller, Ryan K. Brook

United States Department of Agriculture Wildlife Services: Staff Publications

Understanding landscape scale connectivity is an essential component in the management of invasive species since connectivity facilitates their invasion potential. Invasive wild pigs (Sus scrofa) are among the most prolific invaders on the planet, causing billions of dollars in agricultural and environmental damage annually. Newly introduced to Canada in the 1980s, we examined wild pig invasion potential across the northern prairies from western Canada into the currently wild pig-free northern U.S. states. We used GPS collar data collected in the Canadian prairies to quantify resource selection and incorporated results into an electric circuit theory framework to evaluate potential …

Eradication Of Feral Swine From A Barrier Island In Florida, Usa: An Examination Of Effort And Multi-Method, Multi-Species Population Indexing, Richard M. Engeman, Eric A. Tillman, Betsy A. Evans, John C. Griffin, Garrison Grobaski, Bradley S. Smith, John Stark, Bryan M. Kluever

United States Department of Agriculture Wildlife Services: Staff Publications

Feral swine (Sus scrofa) were targeted for and successfully eradicated from Saint Vincent Island (SVI), a National Wildlife Refuge (NWR) along the coast of Florida’s panhandle to protect its habitats and uncharacteristically high diversity of wildlife species for barrier islands in the region, including federal and state-listed threatened and endangered species. The eradication effort was initiated in early 2015 and concluded in 2019. A total of 438 feral swine were removed from the Island, 417 by federal control experts and 21 by recreational hunters. In general, the amount of effort needed to eradicate each feral swine slowly increased …

Effects Of Ungulate‐Proof Fencing On Space Use By Wild Pigs, Kelly Koriakin, D. Buck Jolley, Benjamin Smith, Kurt C. Vercauteren, Nathan P. Snow

United States Department of Agriculture Wildlife Services: Staff Publications

Wild pigs (Sus scrofa) are a highly adaptable species that have invaded many regions and cause significant damage throughout the world. Ungulate‐proof fencing is increasingly used in conjunction with other control techniques to manage wild pig populations. However, little is known about how fencing affects wild pig space use behaviors and whether any changes may be exploited to increase efficacy of control activities. Our goal was to understand how wild pigs altered their space use behaviors in response to newly constructed fencing. Specifically, we examined for changes in space use area (home range and core area), increases in …

Relief Displacement Of Airborne Objects, Esteban Fernández-Juricic, Joe Crumpton, Morgan B. Pfeiffer, Sathishkummar Saiappan, Jared A. Elmore, Landon R. Jones, B. Santhana Krishnan, Raymond B. Iglay, Bradley F. Blackwell

United States Department of Agriculture Wildlife Services: Staff Publications

The increasing availability of unoccupied aircraft systems (UAS, also referred to as drones) has led to their use in taking vertical aerial photographs at relatively small spatial scales. These photographs can be used to measure the distances between objects appearing in the photographs. However, relief displacement can cause an object above or below ground level to appear at a point in a vertical aerial photograph that is not directly in-line with the object’s actual location, causing a measurement error. A UAS was used in this study as a photographed airborne object because its location and altitude could be controlled. We …

Efficacy Of Gonacon Fertility Control Against Prairie Dogs And Potential For Uses On Other Rodent Species, Aaron B. Shiels, Emily W. Ruell, Jason E. Bruemmer

United States Department of Agriculture Wildlife Services: Staff Publications

Use of a contraceptive (i.e., fertility control) is attractive for rodent management where lethal control is unwanted. Although population reduction is generally unachievable with small-scale, short-term contraceptive use, reduced juvenile recruitment is achievable. The injectable immunocontraceptive vaccine GonaCon (active ingredient: gonadotropin releasing hormone [GnRH]) was registered in 2022 by the United States Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) for controlling fertility of female prairie dogs (Cynomys, a type of ground squirrel) in urban/suburban settings. Here we: 1) describe past research, including a replicated field study in Colorado (GonaCon treatment vs. control sites) testing efficacy of GonaCon in prairie dogs, which …

Can Edna Be Used To Locate Shawnee Hills Cavefish Forbesichthys Papilliferus?, Megan Brandt, Timothy Spier Phd, Gary Zeruth Phd

Murray State Theses and Dissertations

Traditional stream fish sampling methods, such as seining and electrofishing, are time consuming, expensive, and limited to short stretches of stream. However, the analysis of environmental DNA (eDNA) from water samples promises to be a quick, inexpensive method for detecting fish. The streams of the Land Between the Lakes Recreational Area (LBL) are unique, undisturbed streams which contain many interesting fish species for which little information exists. One such rare species is the Shawnee Hills Cavefish Forbesichthys papilliferus, which is known to exist in a few LBL streams. However, the complete distribution of the Shawnee Hills Cavefish in LBL …

Behavioral Ecology Of The Colorado Brown Tarantula (Aphonopelma Hentzi): Activities Displayed Around The Burrow Through Juvenile Group Dispersal, Bradley Allendorfer

Master's Theses and Doctoral Dissertations

The life history strategy of the Colorado brown tarantula (Aphonopelma hentzi) typically includes males spatially scattering in search for a female mate in the fall, followed by female attendance of fertilized eggs the following summer. Here, I highlighted aspects associated with this female parental care. Specifically, I compared the activities of maternal (egg-attending) tarantulas to their non-maternal (not egg-attending) counterparts, as this may be a costly time for these egg-attending individuals. I concluded that maternal individuals tended to show reduced activity at the burrow entrance, however; these, results were significant in only one comparison. After weeks of this parental care, …

Compliance And Roughness In Relation To Gecko Locomotion, Brooklynn Campbell

Williams Honors College, Honors Research Projects

Geckos move efficiently through a variety of substrates, from swaying branches to wooden fences to the sides of structures. Previous studies have studied locomotion and adhesion on manmade and rough substrates; however, the work is limited when discussing locomotion and adhesion as a relationship of compliance and roughness. Ease of movement was quantified by speed, under the assumption that the faster a gecko moves, the easier it is for the gecko to cross the substrate. Gehyra oceanica geckos from Moorea, French Polynesia were tested on substrates varying in compliance and roughness with four different treatments in total. Compliance, roughness, and …

Effects Of Habitat Selection And Individual Quality On The Reproductive Success Of Barn Owls (Tyto Furcata), Jaime E. Carlino

Cal Poly Humboldt theses and projects

The hypothesis of adaptive breeding habitat selection proposes congruence between the evolved selection of habitats and fitness components such as reproductive success. However, mismatches between habitat selection and observed fitness outcomes are not unusual and can arise for multiple reasons. Variation in individual qualities of animals has also been found to affect reproduction and survival. I examined associations between barn owl nest box selection, reproductive output, and plumage characteristics previously shown to correspond to individual quality. I found that barn owls selected tall nest boxes made of wood, mounted high off the ground, and with increased proportions of grassland around …

An Effective Method For Long-Term Control Of American Bullfrogs Syntopic With Special-Status Native Amphibians In California, Usa, Jeff A. Alvarez, Jeffery T. Wilcox

Human–Wildlife Interactions

American bullfrogs (Lithobates catesbeianus) are invasive in western North America and are well established in California, USA, where they are widespread. This invasive species has been implicated in the decrease of native amphibian populations and is believed to have contributed to the decline of threatened and endangered amphibians regionally. We utilized air rifles, tin alloy pellets, and 2 shooters to systematically control L. catesbeianus in both lentic and lotic habitat types within 2 counties in California. We visited sites monthly (April through November) for approximately 8 and 14 years to lethally target and remove L. catesbeianus …

Is Mitigation Translocation An Effective Method For Reducing Laysan Albatross–Military Aircraft Collisions?, Brian E. Washburn, Katherine D. Rubiano, William P. Bukoski

Human–Wildlife Interactions

Wildlife–aircraft collisions (wildlife strikes) pose a serious risk to civil and military aircraft. Each year, Laysan albatrosses (Phoebastria immutabilis) attempt to establish a breeding colony on the airfield at the U.S. Navy’s Pacific Missile Range Facility (PMRF) located on the island of Kaua‘i, Hawai‘i, USA, resulting in a hazard to safe military aircraft operations at this facility. A long-term management program, with an emphasis on mitigation translocation (e.g., live-capture and translocation away from the area) of problematic individuals, has been conducted by the U.S. Department of Agriculture, Wildlife Services. However, the efficacy of mitigation translocation as a nonlethal …

Methods For Optimizing Detection And Evaluating Habitat Use Of North American River Otters In South Dakota, Jessica Speiser

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

North American river otters (Lontra canadensis) play a critical role as an apex predator in riverine ecosystems. A challenging species to survey using traditional methods, they remain understudied in non-forested regions, such as the Northern Great Plains, where habitat degradation and landscape fragmentation may reduce habitat quality and availability and disrupt landscape connectivity. This thesis aims to improve detectability and investigates the habitat use of river otters in South Dakota to better understand habitat needs of otters and improve their continued recovery and management. My first chapter provides a brief overview of river otters and their ecological roles in freshwater …

Pond Characteristics That Influence Oviposition Site Selection By Two Pond-Breeding Amphibians, Northern Red-Legged Frog (Rana Aurora) And Northwestern Salamander (Ambystoma Gracile), Jessica Jones

Cal Poly Humboldt theses and projects

Pond-breeding amphibians connect aquatic and terrestrial habitats through their biphasic life cycle, and understanding pond characteristics that support oviposition sites for multiple species is important for amphibian conservation. Two common amphibians in the Pacific Northwest, Northern red-legged frog (Rana aurora) and Northwestern salamander (Ambystoma gracile) often oviposit in the same pond; however, prior studies have focused on pond use by one species or the other, but not both together. I surveyed pond and oviposition site characteristics of 26 ponds in Humboldt County, CA, 10 of which were used only by R. aurora and 16 of which …