Ecology and Evolutionary Biology Commons^™

Urban Wildlife Habitat -- Present And Future, David Tylka

Ecology Collection

Many kinds of wild animals can become adapted to living in cities, provided that the right kinds of habitats are available and that their presence is accepted by city-dwellers. Suitable habitats can be furnished by traditional parks, tracts of "wild acres" set aside by cities, linear parks, cemeteries and golf courses, and transportation corridors. Buildings, rooftops, and institutional grounds can also provide habitat for animals like birds and butterfiles. Suburban areas can encourage the growth of local wildlife by neglecting to mow common grounds, or allowing sections of individual lawns to grow up with wild vegetation.

Ethical Issues And Future Directions In Wildlife Management, John W. Grandy

Nature Collection

Recent progress in protection of wildlife and wildlife refuges is currently being undermined by the efforts of James Watt, U.S. Secretary of the Interior, who believes that commercial interests should take precedence over the preservation of pristine wilderness areas and wildlife sanctuaries. The consequent loss, as populations approach extinction because of programs like decimation of habitats and predator control, is more than simply aesthetic: genetic material unique to each species will be lost forever. Particular issues of immediate concern are the fate of bobcats and whales, inhumane trapping, and the Endangered Species Act. As a longer-term concern, the goal of …

Introduced Species And The Issue Of Animal Welfare, Michael Hutchins, Victoria Stevens, Natasha Atkins

Ecology Collection

Recently, considerable debate has been heard about the control or elimination of introduced or "exotic" animals on publicly held U.S. lands. Species introductions, whether intentional or unintentional, seem to be an inevitable result of human activities, but they may result in both economic and ecological problems: It has been estimated that over 90 percent of all such introductions have been harmful in some respect. Control of exotics can be accomplished through containment, shooting, poisoning, reintroduction of native predators, introduction of disease organisms, live capture and removal, and reproductive inhibition.

Those who must make decisions about the fate of introduced species …

The Red-Tailed Hawk On Sauvie Island, Oregon, Kevin J. Lien

Dissertations and Theses

A study was undertaken to determine the abundance, distribution, perching heights, diets and territory sizes of Red-Tailed Hawks on Sauvie Island, Oregon. Sauvie Island supported a large wintering population of non-territorial Red-Tailed Hawks. The establishment of territories began around 10 January. Average perch height was found to be 14.2 m. Average perch height increased from fall to spring, corresponding-to the onset of the breeding season and to the onset of egg-laying and incubation. Voles (Microtus spp.) were the principal prey year-round, though waterfowl were more important in terms of biomass in the winter and early spring. Territory sizes on the …

Sensory Head Pores And Canals In Goodeid Fishes, John Michael Fitzsimons

Occasional Papers of the Museum of Natural Science, Louisiana State University

No abstract provided.

Geographic Variation In The Scrub Euphonia, Robert W. Dickerman

Occasional Papers of the Museum of Natural Science, Louisiana State University

No abstract provided.

Mice Of The Genus Peromyscus In Guadalupe Mountains National Park, Texas, John E. Cornely, David J. Schmidly, Hugh H. Genoways, Robert J. Baker

University of Nebraska State Museum: Mammalogy Papers

Mice of the genus Peromyscus are found in virtually every habitat type in Guadalupe Mountains National Park in West Texas. Because of their abundance and wide distribution, they comprise an important component of the park's ecosystem. The first known specimens of Peromyscus from the area now included in the park were collected by Vernon Bailey in 1901 (Bailey, 1905). He collected specimens of Peromyscus boyIii in Dog and McKittrick canyons. Davis (1940) collected P. leucopus at Frijole in 1938 and P. boylii in The Bowl in 1938 and 1939. Davis and Robertson (1944) reported collecting P. pectoralis from along Bell …

Estimation Of Harvest Rate And Vulnerability From Age And Sex Data, J. E. Pahoheimo, David Fraser

Wildlife Population Management Collection

A nonlinear least-squares procedure is developed to estimate harvest rate and differential vulnerability in wildlife populations that are harvested with 1 segment of the population more able than another. The method requires age data by category from a series of harvests, plus information on accumulated harvest effort, and assumes that the nonharvest mortality rate is the same for the categories. The data need not be from consecutive harvests, as long as the effort is known for missing Monte Carlo simulations were done to verify the estimation procedure. An example shows the application of the method to moose (Alces alces) harvest …

The Effects Of Copper On Skeletonema Costatum (Greville) Cleve, Susanne Sybille Jackman

Biological Sciences Theses & Dissertations

Copper levels and dominant phytoplankton species composition were examined from six sites in Kings Creek on Virginia's Eastern Shore from March to August 1980. Creek copper levels were determined by an APDCMIBK extraction procedure and ranged from 0.003 to 0.020 mg/1. Diatoms were the dominant phytoplankters with Skeletonema costatum (Greville) Cleve emerging as a major late summer species.

Subsequent laboratory studies involved 96-hour experiments using Skeletonema costatum (clone Skel) grown in enriched natural seawater. The water was collected from Kings Creek and enriched to Guillard and Ryther's (1962) f/2 media levels. Cupric sulfate was added to the experimental culture media …

Breeding Birds Of Two Atlantic White Cedar Stands In The Great Dismal Swamp, Karen Terwilliger

Biological Sciences Theses & Dissertations

Breeding birds were censused during two years in two Atlantic white cedar stands of the Great Dismal Swamp, and a comparison was made with census results of the predominant swamp community, maple-gum. The maple-gum site had a higher bird species diversity than either cedar site but supported only half the density. The century-old cedar site had the highest species richness while the younger cedar site had the highest density.

Cluster analysis placed the avifauna into distinct groups which closely corresponded to the vegetative strata of the stands. Species were ordered along the height gradient using principal coordinate and detrended correspondence …

A Survey Of The Mussels (Pelecypoda: Unionoidia: Unionacea) Of Twelvepole Creek, West Virginia With A Study Of Commensal Algae Found On Selected Mussels, Kevin Joe Smith

Theses, Dissertations and Capstones

A survey of the Unionacea of Twelvepole Creek, West Virginia was conducted coupled with a qualitative study of commensal algae found on selected mussel species. The naiads and the algae were found to have diverse populations. Naiads collected during the survey were represented by 23 species, 16 genera and 2 families. Corbicula fluminea was found to be confined largely to the main branch of Twelvepole, with no individuals being collected from the East or West Forks and only limited collections near the mouth of Beechfork Creek. Lampsilis radiata luteola and L. ventricosa were found to have the greatest distribution, being …

The Naiads (Mollusca: Unionidae) From Two Prehistoric Sites Along The Ohio River, Mason County, West Virginia, Beverly Dawn Spurlock

Theses, Dissertations and Capstones

Archeological naiad valves representing 29 species were recovered from two Late Prehistoric Indian villages along the Ohio River, Mason County, West Virginia. Surface collections and limited excavation provided a total of 1,599 identifiable valves and valve fragments. Dif­ferences in species compositions and relative abundances between the two middens were noted. Samples from the Rolf Lee Farm Site (46MS51) contained 28 species while the Lewis-Old Town Farm Site (46MS57) produced only 23 species. Comparisons were made with other nearby prehistoric shell deposits and also with more recent twentieth century collections from this reach of the river. Nine of the archeological species …

Flying Insect Populations As Sampled By Malaise Trap On Crowley's Ridge In Northeast Arkansas, Lynita M. Cooksey, Harvey E. Barton

Journal of the Arkansas Academy of Science

Malaise trap collections from woodlot and open field sampling sites on Crowley's Ridge yielded 10,830 individuals during the months of May, July and September, 1980. Greatest numbers of insects were collected in May, with fewest in September. Four orders comprised 97% of the total catch: Diptera (57%), Lepidoptera (17%), Hymenoptera (15%) and Homoptera (8%). Coleoptera, Hemiptera, Neuroptera, Odonata and Orthoptera comprised the remaining 3%. Ordinal composition and seasonal occurrence patterns are discussed and compared for the two sampling sites.

The Leopard In Africa: Biological And Cultural Realities, Norman Myers

International Journal for the Study of Animal Problems

The author comments on a proposal to change the leopard's status in Africa from endangered to threatened, which would open the leopard up to sport hunting. This proposed change would be a mistake, in the author's opinion. While the leopard still occurs in satisfactory numbers in some countries despite being rarely seen, its population is much lower than it could in other countries. The author notes that the real problem is not the species' biological status but the institutional, socio-cultural, and economic considerations. Wildlife conservation in Africa is challenging enough without the further complications that sport hunting brings.

The Coyote (Canis Latrans) In Panama, Eustorgio Méndez, Francisco Delgádo, Demetrio Miranda

Conservation Collection

This report reveals that the coyote, Canis Iatrans, has recently extended its southern range to Panama. The skin of one adult female coyote killed by hunters at Los Pirales, a farm near Gualaca in Chiriqui Province, western Panama, has been deposited in the Gorgas Memorial Laboratory Vertebrate Collection. Other coyotes have been observed in Alanje, Boquete and Boqueron, other localities of the same province. The probable range of the coyote in Panama is indicated, and the need for an urgent management strategy for this canid in the Republic is also expressed.

Getting Educated At The Zoo, Nancy Heneson

Zoos and Aquariums Collection

In this issue we present three papers that deal with the subject of the zoo. Although the focal concern of each paper is different and the positions of the authors range from whole-hearted support of the institution to frank skepticism, all express a belief in the potential educational value of zoos. This editorial, however, has a different premise. It is not meant to criticize the other papers, but rather to raise questions from another point of view.

An Overview Of Zoo Goals And Exhibition Principles, Randall L. Eaton

Zoos and Aquariums Collection

It is not uncommon among progressive-minded zoo professionals these days to hear disdain for the function of zoos as recreational. This attitude is understandable in that traditionally, zoos have done little but offer amusement along with parklands or picnic facilities. The progressive zoo person sets his or her goals above the old-fashioned recipe of crowding as many exotic animals as possible into an amusement-oriented menagerie to an authentic theme for exhibition intended to educate the public, offer research possibilities, and preserve and propagate species. Nevertheless, recreation remains a primary function of zoos. Most zoo visitors do not seek education in …

The Role And Responsibility Of Zoos: An Animal Protection Viewpoint, John E. Cooper

Zoos and Aquariums Collection

The aim of this paper is to look at zoological collections from the viewpoint of the animal and, in particular, to draw attention to areas where welfare considerations should be paramount. I do not intend to cover the capture and transportation of zoo animals, although this is obviously of great importance and must be included in any overall consideration of the welfare of zoo animals. In this paper, however, I shall concentrate upon the care of the animal within the zoo environment.

A Study Of Leslie Model Under Stochastic Environments, Kamran Shaukat

Dissertations and Theses

The prediction and analysis of changes in the numbers of biological populations rest on mathematical formulations of demographic events (births and deaths) classified by the age of individuals. The development of demographic theory when birth and death rates vary statistically over time is the central theme of this work. A study of the standard Leslie model for the demographic dynamics of populations in variable environments is made. At each time interval a Leslie matrix of survival rates and fertilities of a population is chosen according to a Markov process and the population numbers in different age classes are computed. Analytical …

Microhabitat Distribution And Its Effect Of Prey Utilization In Sympatric Populations Of Plethodon Glutinosus And Plethodon Dorsalis In Northwestern Arkansas, James M. Britton

Journal of the Arkansas Academy of Science

A study was done on sympatric populations of Plethodon glutinosus and P. dorsalis in northwestern Arkansas to determine the relative distribution of the two species and the relationship between their distribution and the utilization of available prey. Upon capture, total length, location, and habitat type were recorded for each salamander. Stomach content samples were obtained by forced regurgitation, and the animals were released. Samples of the local litter fauna were taken to determine prey availability. Habitat data were obtained for 171 salamanders; 76 P. glutinosus and 95 P. dorsalis. Stomach content samples were taken from 67 salamanders; 32 P. glutinosus …

An Evaluation Of Small Rodent Populations In Four Dismal Swamp Plant Communities, Fiona Elizabeth Breidling

Biological Sciences Theses & Dissertations

Diversity and density of small rodents in the Dismal Swamp are believed to be low. Reasons for this may be excessive predation, heavy interspecific pressure from larger rodents, lack of suitable habitat, low food availability or flooding.

Rodent populations were evaluated using live-traps and pitfall traps in four different Dismal Swamp plant communities. Habitat was compared on the basis of phytomass studies previously reported. Flood levels were recorded during live-trapping sessions. Mast from trees was collected in modified mast collectors, and fed to Peromyscus leucopus in the laboratory. Mast was analyzed for caloric value and nutrient content.

Only two …

Roadside Zoos Are Not Zoos

Close Up Reports

The HSUS was one of the first national animal welfare organizations to take a long, hard look at all zoos, including roadside menageries. During the last nine years, we have worked intensively, conducting zoo inspections, public education and awareness programs, and developing a working relationship with the professional zoological community as well as U.S. Government agencies charged with the welfare of animals.

Demographic And Reproductive Parameters Of The Yellow-Cheeked Pocket Gopher (Pappogeomys Castanops), Michael J. Smolen, Hugh H. Genoways, Robert J. Baker

University of Nebraska State Museum: Mammalogy Papers

A population of Pappogeomys castanops simulans was live-trapped on a 3.5-ha study area in Lubbock, Texas, from September 1971 to September 1973. Seasonal and annual differences in population size were observed, with the population fluctuating between 20 and 25 gophers. Female reproductive activity began in January and continued until October, with an obvious period of recruitment lacking; however, a peak was observed in March and April. Females produced as many as three litters per reproductive season. Females born early in the year were sexually mature within the reproductive season of their birth. Females had an average survival rate of 56 …

Macrobenthic Communities Of An Industrialized Seaport Ecosystem: The Southern Branch Of The Elizabeth River, Virginia, Steven D. Hawthorne

Biological Sciences Theses & Dissertations

Macrobenthic invertebrates of an industrialized seaport ecosystem were studied seasonally from October, 1977 through July, 1978. Five stations were selected along the Southern Branch of the Elizabeth River, Virginia. The stations ranged from an area of heavy industrialization to a non-urbanized environment. At each station, bottom water was measured for salinity, temperature, dissolved oxygen, and pH. Within each sampling area, macrobenthic infauna! invertebrates were collected from in and out of channel sites along with sediment samples for various types of physicochemical analysis.

Community structure was spatially homogeneous at station sites and throughout the stations along the River. Slightly acidic pH …

Percina Gymnocephala, A New Percid Fish Of The Subgenus Alvordius, From The New River In North Carolina, Virginia, And West Virginia, Eugene C. Beckham, Iii

Occasional Papers of the Museum of Natural Science, Louisiana State University

No abstract provided.

Environmental Factors Affecting The Diversity Of Reptiles In The Deep Canyon Transect Of The Colorado Desert, California, James W Cornett

Theses Digitization Project

No abstract provided.

Bringing Nature Into The Zoo: Inexpensive Solutions For Zoo Environments, David Hancocks

Zoos and Aquariums Collection

Animals in captivity have traditionally been kept in sterile and inappropriate environments. Typically this situation still prevails in zoos. Cages are designed only for restraint of the animals, expediency for the public, and convenient maintenance by keepers. The animals' behavioral needs are often ignored. By using nature as a norm, and by using natural materials, the spatial and temporal environment of a captive animal can be easily and greatly enriched. Several examples which have been used at Woodland Park Zoological Gardens are discussed. Their application and expansion are appropriate for most urban zoos.

Profile Of Human-Rabid Skunk Contacts In Arkansas: 1977-1979, Dale V. Ferguson, Gary A. Heidt

Journal of the Arkansas Academy of Science

No abstract provided.

Nebraska Trapping, George Schildman, Frank Andelt, Jim Brunner

Nebraska Game and Parks Commission: Publications

Fur bearers and trapping played an important role in the exploration and development of Nebraska. The harvest of our fur-bearer resource is part of every Nebraskan's heritage. Wise use of the resource and consideration for other people's property and personal rights can insure that trapping will remain a part of the heritage of future generations. The purpose of this publication is to help insure this heritage ... through the educational process. Knowledge of and respect for the resource, as well as consideration for other people, are the keys to perpetuating trapping as an outdoor activity. While primarily designed to assist …

Estimated Growth And Standing Crop Of Largemouth Bass (Micropterus Salmoides) From Lake Elmdale, Alex Zdinak Jr., Raj V. Kilambi, Marvin L. Galloway, John E. Mcclanahan, Clark Duffe

Journal of the Arkansas Academy of Science

Electro-fishing gear was used to make shoreline population estimates of largemouth bass (Micropterus salmoldes) in Lake Elmdale, Washington County, Arkansas, during September 1979. The population density was estimated to be 1541 bass/Km² with a standing crop of 30.4 kg/ha. The length-weight relationship was calculated as W = 0.00001 504L^2.97, and the total length-scale radius relationship as L = 41.75 + 1.23 St. The average condition coefficient(K) was 1.31. In comparison with four other Arkansas lakes the population density of largemouth bass was highest in Lake Elmdale while the growth rate was lowest.