Ecology and Evolutionary Biology Commons^™

Acquisition Of Forgaging Skills By Lambs Eating Grass Or Shrub, Enrique R. Flores

All Graduate Theses and Dissertations, Spring 1920 to Summer 2023

I studied the acquisition of foraging skills by lambs eating shrub or grass in three experiments. The general approach was to isolate those skills involved in prehending forage from those related to the acceptance of novel foods. Treatment lambs received 15 times more exposure to grass or shrub than did control lambs. Lambs were tested in 2.5 x 2.5 meter monocultures of shrub or grass 5 min/d, on two separate occasions. Height, bulk density and spatial arrangement of plant material were controlled during testing.

In Experiment 1, I studied the acquisition of foraging skills by lambs on monocultures of shrubs. …

Nesting And Habitat Parameters For Selected Raptors In The Desert Of Northwestern Utah, David L. Peterson

All Graduate Theses and Dissertations, Spring 1920 to Summer 2023

This study examined the effects of habitat parameters, disturbances and predation on the reproductive success of golden eagles (Aguila chrysaetos), ferruginous hawks (Buteo regalis), red-tailed hawks (Buteo jamaicensis) and prairie falcons (Falco mexicanus) in the desert area southwest of the Great Salt Lake in northwestern Utah.

The prairie falcon was the only species examined that had a normal reproductive output during the study years of 1984-1986. The prairie falcon was better able to utilize the avian prey species which were very difficult for the larger and slower raptor species to capture. During …

Effect Of Fertilization On Woody Plant Chemistry: The Role In Diet Selection By Goats, Amanuel Gobena

All Graduate Theses and Dissertations, Spring 1920 to Summer 2023

Lack of forage quantity and quality limit livestock production during the dry season in northeast Brazil. Coppice produced following cutting of tree species in this area has the potential to increase forage quantity and quality during the dry season, because trees that coppice retain green foliage throughout most of the dry season. However, the palatability of coppice is often low.

From a theoretical standpoint, woody plants with inherently slow growth rate should be less palatable to herbivores than plants with inherently fast growth rates, because plants that grow slowly allocate more carbon to compounds such as tannins and resins that …

Inter-Seasonal Range Relationships Of Spanish Goats And Mule Deer In A Utah Oakbrush Community, Robert Alexander Riggs

All Graduate Theses and Dissertations, Spring 1920 to Summer 2023

Three experiments were conducted to assess the potential for using Spanish goats to manage Gambel oakbrush winter range, dominated by Gambel oak (Quercus gambelii), for mule deer (Odocoileus hemionus). Summer-time food selection of goats, effects on plant community composition, and consequent effects on mule deer nutrition and foraging behavior were examined.

An apparent preference for juvenile oak browse, and low use of oak twigs was observed. Selection for juvenile browse may have been facilitated by the retarded phenology of oak as compared to that of associated flora. This differential was maintained by repeated browsing. Animal performance, …

Pastoral Development Strategies In The Sahel And East Africa: Can The Mistakes Be Corrected?, Ahmed Musa Haji Ahmed

All Graduate Plan B and other Reports, Spring 1920 to Spring 2023

There is much controversy on the definition given to those people who raise livestock on the natural vegetation. Differences in the degree of their dependence on livestock and livestock products for food, as well as differences in the patterns of their movements, create the controversy. "Pure-pastoralists", "nomadic pastoralists", "semi - pastoralists", "semi-nomadic", "transhumant", and "semisedentary" are but some of the many terms used in the literature to describe them (see, for example, Johnson, 1969; Jacobs, 1965; McGee, 1986; Horowitz, 1981). To avoid much of the confusion created by the use of these terms, we use the definition of pastoralists as …

Douglas-Fir Beetle (Dendroctonus Pseudotsugae Hopkins, Coleoptera : Scolytidae) Brood Production On Douglas-Fir Defoliated By Western Spruce Budworm (Choristoneura Occidentalis Freeman, Lepidoptera : Tortricidae) In Logan Canyon, Utah, S E. Fredricks, M J. Jenkins

The Bark Beetles, Fuels, and Fire Bibliography

Douglas-fir beetle brood production was studied on Douglas-fir (Pseudotsuga menziesii [Mirb.] Franco) trees defoliated by the western spruce budworm between 1983 and 1985. Tallies were made of the number of attacks, total length and number of egg galleries, number of eggs deposited, number of larval tunnels, number of pupal chambers, and number of emerging beetles (per female and per unit area). Data analysis showed no significant differences among the three years studied. The number of emerging beetles per female parent was 0.59, and emergence per 90 cm2 was 2.32 beetles. Egg, larval, and pupal survivals were 47.5%, 30.0%, and 15.5%, …

Lodgepole Pine Vigor, Regeneration, And Infestation By Mountain Pine Beetle Following Partial Cutting On The Shoshone National Forest, Wyoming, Gene D. Amman, Gene D. Lessard, Lynn A. Rasmussen, Curtis G. O'Neil

The Bark Beetles, Fuels, and Fire Bibliography

Lodgepole pine stands were thinned in the Shoshone National Forest of northwestern Wyoming in 1979 and 1980 using different forms of partial cutting. Average losses of trees 5 inches diameter at breast height and larger to mountain pine beetles during the 5 years following thinning ranged from less than 1 percent in spaced thinnings to 7.4 percent in the 12-inch diameter limit cut, compared to 26.5 percent in check stands. Residual trees increased radial growth significantly, but change in growth efficiency is slow. Regeneration 5 years after thinning ranged between 1,160 and 3,560 seedlings per acre, with pine being favored …

A Seasonal Comparison Of Metabolic And Water Loss Rates Of Three Species Of Grasshoppers, Lynn J. Forlow, James A. Macmahon

Green Canyon Environmental Research Area, Logan Utah

1. 1. Seasonal differences in metabolic and water loss rates were examined in three related species of grasshoppers collected from shrub-steppe communities in Utah: Arphia conspersa, A. pseudonietana and

2. 2 cohorts of Trimerotropis pallidipennis. 2. No significant differences (P = 0.05) in metabolic rates were observed between seasons (early vs late), between genera (Arphia vs Trimerotropis) nor among species.

3. 3. Early season (spring) grasshoppers had a higher (but non-significant) mean water loss rate (±X ± SD in mg.g−1-hr−1) (4.81 ± 1.53) than late season (summer) grasshoppers (4.43 ± 1.43).

4. 4. Among species, early season A. conspersa had …

New Uses Of Livestock Guarding Dogs To Reduce Agriculture/Wildlife Conflicts, R. Coppinger, J. Lorenz, Lorna Coppinger

Wildlife Damage Management Conference

Pilot programs in several states have shown that livestock guarding dogs are 70-80% effective in reducing predation on livestock by wildlife, primarily coyotes. In order to increase that percentage, ineffective dogs were studied and new techniques tested that had the potential of turning problems into successes.

From the population of over 1,000 dogs that has been placed on farms and ranches nationwide during the past ten years under the auspices of the Livestock Dog Project at Hampshire College, data was analyzed for each of the three basic behaviors (trustworthy, attentive, protective) that a good guardian needs to exhibit. A wide …

Effectiveness Of Human Hair, Bgr, And A Mixture Of Blood Meal And Peppercorns In Reducing Deer Damage To Young Apple Trees, Michael R. Conover, Gary S. Kania

Wildlife Damage Management Conference

We evaluated the ability of three repellents [human hair, Big Game Repellent (BGR), and a mixture of blood meal and peppercorns] to reduce deer damage on young apple trees in two Connecticut orchards. Most of the deer damage consisted of winter browsing on dormant apple buds. Little browsing occurred on leaves or buds during the growing season and only a few cases of pre-rut rubbing of trees were observed. In one orchard, buds were browsed during the winter on 52% of the untreated control trees, 45% of the trees sprayed with BGR, and 40% of the trees containing a hair …

Categorization And Seasonal Periodicity Of Terrestrial Vertebrate Pest Control Inquiries In Virginia, Harry J. Dutton, Jefferson L. Waldon, Peter T. Bromley

Wildlife Damage Management Conference

Information requests for species-specific preventive and control measures directed to the state's extension wildlife specialist were recorded by species or species group, month, day, and year, and by type of human group inquiring. Skunks (15.5%), snakes (14.7%), and bats (10.9%) were inquired about most often. Homeowners (67.4%) were the most frequent inquirers. Summer (43.5%) and spring (29.0%) were the seasons when most information requests occurred. Woodpeckers (16.0%) were the most frequently reported species in the spring. In the summer, the most frequently requested information was about bats (20.2%). Snakes (29.7%) were the most frequently reported species in the fall. Over …

Temporal Use Patterns Of Wintering Starlings At A Southeastern Livestock Farm: Implications For Damage Control, J. F. Glahn, S. K. Timbrook, D. J. Twedt

Wildlife Damage Management Conference

The farm use patterns of individually marked and transmitter-equipped starlings at a livestock farm in south-central Kentucky were studied each month during the principal damage period (December-February) of 1982-83 and 1984-85 following a pilot study in January and February of 1980. In addition to intensive observation at the farm, sightings of tagged starlings away from the farm were solicited from the public and mapped. For each year of data on individual starlings that used the farm at least once after marking, the expected frequencies of farm occurrence were calculated and compared to observed frequencies. In all 3 years, there was …

Catch Effectiveness And Selectivity Of Several Traps, Edward P. Hill

Wildlife Damage Management Conference

The effectiveness and selectivity of several traps and trap modifica­tions were field-evaluated and compared in Alabama from 1977 to 1980. No. 220 Conibear traps placed in baited open-end boxes (TB) on the ground posed a hazard to dogs and were not recommended for general use in terrestrial sets. They may be effective to control feral dogs in special situations or areas. TB devices attached to tree trunks 1 m above the ground eliminated the hazard to dogs, but rendered the trap ineffective for taking small mammals.

No. 220 Conibear traps with selective position treadle triggers placed in trail water-sets were …

Wildlife Damage To Agriculture In Nebraska: A Preliminary Cost Assessment, R. J. Johnson, R. M. Timm

Wildlife Damage Management Conference

We estimate the annual financial losses resulting from wildlife damage to major crops and livestock in Nebraska. For each wildlife species, the damage problem is presented along with a description of how the estimate was made. Field crop estimates include losses from Plains pocket gophers (Geomys bursarius), commensal rodents (Rattus norvegicus and Mus musculus), field rodents in grain fields (e.g. Peromyscus maniculatus, Dipodomys ordi, Spermophilus tridecemlineatus), house sparrows (Passer domesticus), blackbirds (e.g. Agelaius phoeniceus and Ouiscalus guiscula), lagomorphs (Sylvilagus floridanus, Lepus californicus, and L. townsendii), deer (Odocoileus …

Wolf, Golden Eagle, And Coyote Problems In Montana, B. W. O'Gara, W. Rightmire

Wildlife Damage Management Conference

The average annual reported loss of sheep and lambs to predators in Montana from 1982 through 1986 was 46,000 animals worth $1,980,000. During recent years, coyote predation has been the single most important cause of death for lambs. Coyotes accounted for 80% of the predator kills during 1985 and 72% during 1986, and 8,321 coyotes were killed by ADC during those 2 years. Aerial gunning accounted for more than half of the kills. During the first year of a study on a ranch in western Montana without predator control, coyotes killed 8% of the ewes and 27% of lambs. Predation …

Deer Damage Control Preferences And Use Decisions Of New York Orchardists, K. G. Purdy, W. F. Siemer, G. A. Pomerantz, T. L. Brown

Wildlife Damage Management Conference

Previous studies in New York, the nation's second leading state in apple production, have contributed much to deer management decisions that give consideration to orchardists' concerns about crop damage. Little information, however, has been reported about orchardists' reasons for adopting or not adopting particular types of deer damage controls or their preference for various forms of possible damage control assistance. Two complementary studies, conducted in early 1987 by the Human Dimensions Research Unit, Department of Natural Resources, Cornell University, have addressed these information needs. A mail survey of orchardists in an important fruit-producing region of southeastern New York indicated that …

Control Of Ring-Billed Gull Colonies At Urban And Industrial Sites In Southern Ontario, Canada, H. Blokpoel, G. D. Tessier

Wildlife Damage Management Conference

At eight urban or industrial sites in southern Ontario colonies of Ring-billed Gulls (Larus delawarensis) were controlled to ameliorate problems caused by the adults and their young. At the Nanticoke Generating Station on Lake Erie a growing colony was eliminated by collecting eggs and subsequent harassment of adults. One colony at the Stelco Yards in Hamilton Harbour was eliminated by installing a gull exclosure and collecting eggs from nests outside the exclosure and another was controlled by frequently destroying nests and eggs. At Toronto Island Airport an incipient colony was controlled by collecting eggs and harassing adults. At …

Public Tolerance Of Deer In A Suburban Environment: Implications For Management And Control, Nancy A. Connelly, Daniel J. Decker, Sam Wear

Wildlife Damage Management Conference

A mail survey of residents in suburban northern Westchester County, New York was conducted to determine the nature and extent of deer damage in the county, the importance of deer damage relative to other deer-human interactions, and residents' perceptions of costs and benefits associated with the deer herd. The estimated cost of damage to plantings was quite high, $6.4 million to $9.5 million (depending on the type of assumptions concerning nonrespondents). Most respondents used some form of deer damage control (estimated to cost $1.2 to $1.8. million/year), but few people reported their problems to officials. Although these costs were high, …

The Urban-Suburban Canada Goose: An Example Of Short-Sighted Management?, Michael R. Conover

Wildlife Damage Management Conference

During the last 30 years, Canada Goose (Branta canadensis) populations have become established in many urban and suburban parts of North America. Most of these scattered populations were established when live geese were released in these areas or nearby rural areas by individual hunters, sportmen's groups and game agencies. The birds quickly found lawns in urban-suburban areas an abundant source of nutritious grass for grazing and discovered people willing to provide supplementary handouts. The resident goose populations thrived; in Connecticut alone their population has increased to 9,000. However, the increased populations contributed little to the hunter's take because …

Management Of Suburban Deer: An Emerging Controversy, Daniel J. Decker

Wildlife Damage Management Conference

During the last 10 years the presence of deer (Odocoileus virginianus) in suburban areas has become an increasing concern from the standpoint of damage and nuisance problems. It is unclear whether (a) overall deer numbers in suburban environments have increased (possibly because of residential development in "natural" settings and creation of food sources represented by residents' ornamental plantings and vegetable gardens), (b) more development in suburban areas has forced deer into adjacent remaining patches of suitable habitat, resulting in increased deer densities in certain localities, or (c) some combination of both. Regardless of the factors perpetrating the situation, …

The Bird Strike Hazard (Bash) Program, Edgardo R. Farraro, Russell P. Defusco

Wildlife Damage Management Conference

The hazards birds pose to aircraft has been of concern to the Air Force for more than 20 years. After losing several aircraft due to bird strikes in the early 1960's, the Air Force formed a team to evaluate bird hazards to Air Force aircraft. The team, from the Air Force Weapons Laboratory (AFWL) at Kirtland AFB NM, handed over this mission to the Bird Aircraft Strike Hazard (BASH) Team at HQ Air Force Engineering and Services Center (AFESC) at Tyndall AFB in 1975. In 1986 (October) the BASH team moved to Bolling AFB, Washington DC.

Distribution And Impact Of Canada Goose Crop Damage In East-Central Wisconsin, James Heinrich, Scott Craven

Wildlife Damage Management Conference

The steady increase in the numbers of Canada geese on or near Horicon National Wildlife Refuge since its establishment in the early 1940s has resulted in many opportunities, and a few difficult problems. The problem of crop depredations has plagued the Horicon area since the mid-1960s. Each increase in goose numbers has brought with it renewed farmer concern, and each incident has resulted in some change in goose management direction. Increasing problems, more geese, lower harvest quotas, and the new Wisconsin Wildlife Damage Program combined to encourage the Wisconsin Department of Natural Resources (WDNR) to take a comprehensive look at …

State/Federal/Private Cooperative Relationships In Wildlife Damage Control, Charles D. Kelley

Wildlife Damage Management Conference

During my 30 year tenure as Alabama's Game and Fish Division Director it has been very gratifying to witness the successful restoration of wildlife populations. We have been able to allow long hunting seasons with liberal bag limits for our popular game species. However, as conditions improved from a recreational standpoint we also experienced an escalation of wildlife damage complaints. Every member of the Alabama Game and Fish Division staff is involved to some extent in answering calls, providing information and otherwise assisting with resolution of wildlife damage complaints.

Urban Gray Squirrel Damage And Population Management: A Case History, J. Hadidian, D. Manski, V. Flyger, C. Cox, G. Hodge

Wildlife Damage Management Conference

Lafayette Park, a 3.0 hectare national park located across the street from the White House in Washington D.C., has had a gray squirrel (Sciurus carolinensis) density as high as 50 animals/hectare. In recent years this large population caused significant damage to mature trees and other vegetation. In keeping with the legislative mandate to protect and preserve the historic landscape in Lafayette Park, the National Park Service implemented a squirrel management program following an Integrated Pest Management (IPM) approach. The population was studied and monitored to determine the ecological bases for high squirrel numbers. Action was taken through a …

Controlling Blackbirds And Starlings At Winter Roosts Using Pa-14, J. F. Heisterberg, A. R. Stickley Jr., K. M. Garner, P. D. Foster Jr.

Wildlife Damage Management Conference

The only EPA-registered chemical for lethal control of winter roosting blackbird (Icterinae) and European starling (Sturnus vulgaris) populations is Compound PA-14 Avian Lethal Agent (PA-14). Between 1978 and 1987, 39 PA-14 spray operations, 15 by helicopter and 24 by ground-based spray systems, have been conducted at 33 winter roosts in Kentucky, Tennessee, and Alabama. In-roost bird mortality for the aerial operations have been poor, averaging only 4% of the pretreatment roost populations or 114,000 birds killed per spray operation. Although very labor-intensive, a ground-based sprinkler system application method has proven much more successful, averaging 67% in-roost bird mortality …

Research Needs In Wildlife Damage Control, James E. Miller

Wildlife Damage Management Conference

The wildlife profession has achieved great success in habitat management, game population restoration, and in learning to manage wildlife populations for public use and enjoyment during the past 50 years. However, a number of wildlife species have become serious problems to agricultural profitability and to natural resources managers in recent years.

Coyote Control Techniques And Their Applications In The Eastern United States, Rick D. Owens

Wildlife Damage Management Conference

Conflicts between coyotes and man's activities are varied and include such problems as predation on livestock, agricultural crops, and other wildlife, as well as threats to human health or safety. Formerly restricted to the Great Plains, the coyote's adaptability has enabled expansion of its population throughout most of the United States, Canada and Mexico. This expansion has occurred in spite of large-scale control and/or eradication efforts.

Landowner Perceptions Of Beaver Damage And Control In Arkansas, T. B. Wigley, M. E. Garner

Wildlife Damage Management Conference

Landowner perceptions of damage caused by beavers (Castor canadensis) and of beaver control programs in Arkansas were determined by mail survey. Beavers were present on lands owned by 36% of the 1,716 respondents. Girdled timber, blocked culverts and flooded timber were the first, second and third most common damages reported, respectively. Thirty-two percent of all respondents and 90% of those with beavers reported at least one form of damage. Four percent of land owned by respondents was flooded by beavers. Of landowners with beavers, 50% described damage as substantial or severe, and 46% perceived damage as unreasonable. At …

Involving Hunting And Trapping In Cooperative Wildlife Damage Control, Ed Hackett

Wildlife Damage Management Conference

The perception of a wildlife damage problem may vary greatly among groups with a stake in the problem. To the deer hunter, there is no such problem as too many deer. To the farmer, in the midst of a personal economic disaster, one deer may seem too many. To the conservation officer (CO) who has spent a career building deer populations, the farmer's problem may be a sign of success. To the USDA-APHIS-ADC staff member, solving the farmer's problem may be the most important issue. The key to resolving these conflicting views of the same event is to make each …

Bait Stations For Controlling Voles In Apple Orchards, Mark E. Tobin, Milo E. Richmond

Wildlife Damage Management Conference

Bait stations made with polyvinylchloride (PVC) pipe were compared with hand-broadcast applications of rodenticides for achieving long-term control of pine and meadow vole populations (Microtus pinetorum and M. pennsylvanicus, respectively) in two apple orchards in the mid-Hudson Valley of New York. The stations were constructed of three pieces of 1.5-in diameter PVC tubing joined together in the shape of an inverted "T". Roofing shingles were placed over the entrances to some of the bait stations to encourage use by voles, while others were left uncovered. All stations were tied to trees, with no attempt to place them near …