Ecology and Evolutionary Biology Commons^™

Continuing Studies Of Ultralight Aircraft Applications For Introducing Migratory Populations Of Endangered Cranes, Kent R. Clegg, James C. Lewis

Proceedings of the North American Crane Workshop

This research tested whether captive-reared cranes led by an ultralight aircraft (UL) along a migration route, would, after release on a wintering area, integrate with wild cranes and migrate in spring to their natal area without human assistance. This was the historical first motorized migration involving an endangered species. In 1997, whooping cranes (Grus americana) and greater sandhill cranes (Grus canadensis tabida) were group-reared in species-specific pens and 80% fledged. Beginning 13 October, 4 whooping cranes and 8 sandhill cranes were led along a 1, 133-km migration route from Grace, Idaho, to Bosque del Apache National …

Promoting Wildness In Sandhill Cranes Conditioned To Follow An Ultralight Aircraft, Joseph W. Duff, William A. Lishman, Dewitt A. Clark, George F. Gee, Daniel T. Sprague, David H. Ellis

Proceedings of the North American Crane Workshop

During the 1998 field season, we developed and tested a new protocol to teach sandhill cranes (Grus canadensis) to follow ultralight aircraft yet avoid humans. Although successful in teaching the cranes a migration route, our previous migration (1997) resulted in birds that were overly tame and sought association with humans. For this study, 16 sandhill cranes were costume-reared at USGS Patuxent Wildlife Research Center and transported to Ontario shortly before fledging. After the birds learned to follow the aircraft, 14 were transported to an isolated wintering site in South Carolina, 1300 km south of the training area. Twelve …

Use Of Satellite Telemetry To Identify Temporal And Spatial Distribution Of The Midcontinent Sandhill Crane Population Throughout The Annual Cycle, Gary L. Krapu, David A. Brandt

Proceedings of the North American Crane Workshop

Effective management of the midcontinent sandhill crane (Grus canadensis) population requires having detailed information available on the distribution of subspecies and subpopulations throughout the annual cycle. The current study is being undertaken in partnership with several federal and state agencies and private organizations to obtain key information not currently available. We are monitoring crane movements throughout the year by attaching Platform Transmitting Terminals (PTTs) to plastic leg bands and with the aid of equipment on board orbiting NOAA weather satellites relocating the radiomarked individuals at 4-10 day intervals throughout the year. Twenty-one cranes were captured and radio-marked in …

Water Conditioning And Whooping Crane Survival After Release In Florida, George F. Gee, Jane M. Nicolich, Stephen A. Nesbitt, Jeff S. Hatfield, David H. Ellis, Glenn H. Olsen

Proceedings of the North American Crane Workshop

About 50% of the whooping cranes (Grus americana) released in Florida die within the first year of release. Most of these deaths and those in subsequent years result from bobcat (Lynx rufus) predation. Choosing release sites in open marshes away from bobcat habitat has improved survival. We hypothesized that exposure to ponds (water conditioning) at the rearing site would encourage birds to roost in deeper water marshes after release and such exposure would thereby reduce bobcat predation. In this study, we moved young birds (ca 50 days of age) to netted pens with large (I5-m diameter), deep (30--60 …

Mortality Of Whooping Crane Colts In Wood Buffalo National Park, Canada, 1997–99, Douglas G. Bergeson, Brian W. Johns, Geoffrey L. Holroyd

Proceedings of the North American Crane Workshop

Twenty-two whooping crane (Grus americana) pairs with 2 young were monitored in Wood Buffalo National Park (WBNP) over 3 years to determine causes of colt mortality. The family groups were monitored from the ground, air, and with the aid ofradioteiemetry. We attached transmitters to 18 colts: 5 (28%) fledged, 5 (28%) succumbed to cumulative effects (head trauma, stress, exposure and/or infection), 4 (22%) were lost to unknown causes (3 of these went missing after they had lost their transmitters), 2 (11%) were taken by foxes (Vulpes vulpes), 1 (5.5%) was lost to raven (Corvus corax …

Egg Collection And Recruitment Of Young Of The Year In The Aransas/Wood Buffalo Population Of Whooping Cranes, John R. Cannon, Brian W. Johns, Thomas V. Stehn

Proceedings of the North American Crane Workshop

We present data for 61 years (1938 to 1998) on the recruitment of juvenile (i.e., young-of-the-year) whooping cranes (Grus americana) for the 1 natural wild population that nests in the vicinity of Wood Buffalo National Park (WBNP) in Canada and migrates annually to wintering grounds in the vicinity of Aransas National Wildlife Refuge (ANWR) on the Gulf coast of Texas in the United States. We divide these years into 2 data sets: years during which 1 of 2 eggs was collected from WBNP nests (to develop captive populations and to conduct reintroduction experiments), and years during which no …

Status Of Sandhill Cranes In Indiana, John S. Castrale, James Bergens

Proceedings of the North American Crane Workshop

Historically, the sandhill crane (Grus canadensis) was considered a common migrant throughout Indiana and a locally abundant breeding bird in northwestern Indiana until 1929. Most of the Eastern Population of greater sandhill cranes (G. c. tabida) is thought to congregate each fall at Jasper-Pulaski Fish and Wildlife Area before migrating to Florida and Georgia. Systematic weekly fall counts began in 1967 and annual peak numbers have increased from 2,500 in 1967 to 27,600 in 1997, with a record count of 32,600 in 1991. Fall migrants are noticeable by late September, peak in mid-October through mid-November, and …

Tracking Sandhill Crane Migration From Saskatchewan To The Gulf Coast, Dale G. Hjertaas, David H. Ellis, Brian W. Johns, Stacie L. Moon

Proceedings of the North American Crane Workshop

Four adult sandhill cranes (Grus canadensis rowani) were captured in east-central Saskatchewan, equipped with transmitters, and tracked by satellite to detennine if their migration routes and wintering areas would allow their use as guide birds to establish a new migratory flock of whooping cranes (G. americana). Two birds captured near Yorkton died or their transmitters were lost before migration. Two adults from the Overflowing River moved to staging areas in southern Saskatchewan in September. By 29 September, Crane A left Saskatchewan and moved to North Dakota where it remained until late October. By 21 December, it …

Fate Of The Survivors Of The 1995 And 1996 Arizona Trucking Migrations Of Costume-Reared Greater Sandhill Cranes, Daniel P. Mummert, David H. Ellis, Carol L. Chambers

Proceedings of the North American Crane Workshop

In 1995 and 1996, we trained 2 groups of costume-reared greater sandhill cranes (Grus canadensis tabida) (10 in 1995, 14 in 1996) to follow a truck. Thereafter we led 10 in 1995 and 12 in 1996 from Garland Prairie, northern Arizona, to the Buenos Aires National Wildlife Refuge, southern Arizona (ca. 620 km). These techniques were being developed to create additional, disjunct populations of the whooping crane (G. americana). The cranes taught the migration route in 1995 did not follow the desired migration route in 1996 but did travel north 140 km along the route in …

Results Of The First Ultralight-Led Sandhill Crane Migration In Eastern North America, Joseph W. Duff, William A. Lishman, Dewitt A. Clark, George F. Gee, David H. Ellis

Proceedings of the North American Crane Workshop

In 1997, we led 8 sandhill cranes (Grus canadensis) south from Ontario, Canada by ultralight aircraft to a wintering area near Warrenton, Virginia, an area without a wild population. Six others were transported south in a trailer in hopes they would return north with those that flew. The migration was 863 kIn long, included 14 stops, and took 21 days to complete. A1l13 SUIViving birds were wintered together. In March 1998, the surviving 7 "aircraft-led" birds departed the wintering site. The following day, 6 of the 7 were reported on the south shore of Lake Ontario. The flock …

Development Of Geobiophysical Models For Cartographic Representation Of Wetlands In Yellow Creek Basin, West Virginia, Ian Farrar

Theses, Dissertations and Capstones

In the Appalachian Mountains of Canaan Valley, the warmer temperatures and fading native species are conducive for invading foreign species. Localized relic communities of red spruce, sphagnum and polytrichum are sensitive to climatic change and potential indicators of global warming. Therefore, the development of a baseline assessment and further research are necessary to observe and model changes. Influencing factors in wetland ecology include slope, aspect, biologically rich and diverse vegetation associations, micro-topography, hydrology, underlying soils, and geology. Three uniquely independent study sites have been established along a single transect of the Yellow Creek stream terraces, in Tucker County, West Virginia. …

Do Naked Goby (Gobiosoma Bosci) Larvae Exhibit Periodic Vertical Movements In Order To Facilitate Upriver Migration In The Hudson River Estuary?, Megan C. Fencil, Eric T. Schultz

EEB Articles

Estuaries provide high quality nursery habitat for larval fishes due to high productivity, predator protection, and warm temperatures. Previous studies suggest that larval naked gobies (Gobiosoma bosci) are capable of upriver migration and estuarine retention despite net seaward flow. Gobiosoma bosci larvae were collected at a fixed site in the Hudson River estuary in late July of 1998 from 4 discrete depths to provide a time-series of depth-stratified abundance during both a spring and a neap tide. Larvae were concentrated at depth, indicating that depth preference behavior is present and will likely contribute to up-river transport. Harmonic regression …

The Evolution Of Virtual Ecology, Alan Kamil, Alan B. Bond

Alan Bond Publications

The relationship between the perceptual and cognitive abilities of predatory birds and the appearance of their insect prey has long been of intense interest to evolutionary biologists. One classic example is crypsis, the correspondence between the appearance of prey species and of the substrates on which they rest which has long been considered a prime illustration of effects of natural selection, in this case operating against individuals that were more readily detected by predators (Poulton 1890; Wallace 1891). But the influences of predator psychology are broader, more complex, and more subtle than just pattern matching. Many cryptic prey, including the …

Tests For Cognitive Mapping In Clark’S Nutcrackers (Nucifraga Columbiana), Brett M. Gibson, Alan Kamil

Papers in Behavior in Biological Sciences

In these experiments, the authors examined the nature of the spatial information that Clark’s nutcrackers (Nucifraga columbiana) use during navigation and whether this information is represented in the form of a cognitive map. In Experiment 1, nutcrackers were able to use distal cues to locate a small hidden goal. In Experiments 2 and 3, nutcrackers were given the opportunity to develop a map of a room by viewing local subsets of the landmarks in the room at a goal during training. During transfer tests, nutcrackers were presented with a landmark panorama that was not previously seen at the …

Search For A Hidden Goal By Clark's Nutcrackers (Nucifraga Columbiana) Is More Accurate Inside Than Outside A Landmark Array, Brett M. Gibson, Alan C. Kamil

Papers in Behavior in Biological Sciences

In three experiments in which an open-room delayed response task was used, we explored how Clark's nutcrackers use landmarks to search for a hidden goal when multiple potential goal locations were present. In Experiment 1, nutcrackers presented with three spatial samples were able to use relative local cues from an array that changed positions throughout a session to return to a hidden goal during a test. In Experiment 2, the number of samples varied from one to three prior to the test. The nutcrackers performed as well with one sample as with two or three samples. In Experiment 3, we …

The Use Of Relative And Absolute Bearings By Clark's Nutcrackers, Nucifraga Columbiana, Juli E. Jones, Alan C. Kamil

Papers in Behavior in Biological Sciences

Two groups of Clark's nutcrackers were trained to find buried seeds whose location was defined by a constant angle from two landmarks whose interlandmark distance and position in the room varied across trials. The first group had a landmark array that was always placed in the same orientation with respect to the walls, allowing the animals to use both relative and absolute bearings. The second group had a landmark array that rotated across trials so that only relative bearings could be used to locate the seeds. The birds in each group learned the task and transferred to new interlandmark distances …

Sensory Biology Of Whip Spiders (Arachnida, Amblypygi), Ranier Foelix, Eileen Hebets

Eileen Hebets Publications

Whip spiders belong to a small arachnid order (Amblypygi) that is not well known. Their most conspicuous feature are the elongated, extremely thin front legs (“whips”, or antenniform legs). These are no longer used for walking but are modified extremities carrying various sense organs – very much like the antennae of insects. Whereas hundreds of olfactory hairs are concentrated near the tip of each antenniform leg, large bristles (contact chemo-receptors) are evenly distributed over the entire antenniform leg. The sensory hairs of each antenniform leg contribute about 30,000 small sensory axons which proceed toward the Central Nervous System (CNS). The …

Effects Of Hydroperiod On Metamorphosis In Rana Sphenocephala, Travis J. Ryan, Christopher T. Winne

Scholarship and Professional Work - LAS

Hydroperiod, the time a temporary pond holds water, is an important factor influencing recruitment in amphibian populations and structuring amphibian communities. We conducted an experiment to test the effect of hydroperiod on metamorphic traits of the southern leopard frog (Rana sphenocephala), a common amphibian in the southeastern United States. We reared larval R. sphenocephala in artificial ponds at a density of 32 larvae per tank (initial volume = approximately 650 liter). We dried the tanks according to natural patterns, using three different hydroperiods (60, 75 and 90 d). Experimental hydroperiods had a significant effect on the number of …

Origin And Conservation Genetics Of Threatened Ute Ladies’-Tresses, Spiranthes Diluvialis (Orchidaceae), Allen L. Szalanski, Gerry Steinauer, Richard Bischof, Jessica Lynn Petersen

Department of Animal Science: Faculty Publications

The Ute ladies’-tresses, Spiranthes diluvialis, is listed as a threatened orchid in west-central United States by the Federal government. Information on its origin and patterns of genetic variation is needed to develop effective conservation strategies for this species. DNA sequencing and polymerase chain reaction–restriction fragment length polymorphism (PCR-RFLP) was used to evaluate genetic variation and structure of 23 populations of S. diluvialis. In addition, four congeneric species were analyzed to determine possible origins of the putative allotetraploid S. diluvialis. DNA sequencing and PCR-RFLP analysis of the nuclear ribosomal internal transcribed spacer (ITS) and mitochondrial and chloroplast DNA …

Kajian Morfologi, Variasi Anatomi Dan Distribusi Genus Zingiber Di Semenanjung Malaysia, Wan Fadhilah Wan Zainal Abidin

Student Works (2000-2009)

Among the objectives of the study are to survey and document the diversity and richness of the Zingiber species for the purpose of conservation. A total of 144 accessions from 32 Zingiber species including 8 varieties have been recorded throughout Peninsular Malaysia. These represent 20% out of the 150 species in the Zingibcraceae family, known to exist in Malaysia. Nine new species and two new varieties have been described. An anatomical study was conducted on 15 Zingiber species based on observation of anatomical structures of the leaves and petioles. The anatomy of the leaves and petioles shows some variation of …

Recolonization Of The Flicker And Other Notes From Isla Guadalupe, Mexico, Paul R. Sweet, George F. Barrrowclough, John Klicka, Liliana Montanez-Godoy, Patricia Escalante

Ornithology Program (HRC)

During a visit to Isla Guadalupe from 31 May to 3 June 1996, we documented three species new to the island, the Barn Owl, Swainson's Thrush, and Hooded Oriole, and established first breeding records for the European Starling and Western Meadowlark. Red-shafted Flickers are now breeding on the island, representing a recent recolonization from the mainland following the extinction of the endemic population. We investigated the validity of Colaptes auratus rufipileus and concluded that it doesn’t meet the standard for phylogenetic species but differs from C. a. collaris at the 75% level usually associated with subspecific rank. Damage to the …

The Effect Of Aspen Wood Characteristics And Properties On Utilization, Kurt H. Mackes, Dennis L. Lynch

Aspen Bibliography

This paper reviews characteristics and properties of aspen wood, including anatomical structure and characteristics, moisture and shrinkage properties, weight and specific gravity, mechanical properties, and processing characteristics. Uses of aspen are evaluated: sawn and veneer products, composite panels, pulp, excelsior, post and poles, animal bedding, animal food supplements, fuel applications, and novelties. Aspen is a preferred species for paneling, veneer products including matchsticks and chopsticks, waferboard and oriented strandboard (OSB), fiberboard, pulp, excelsior, research animal bedding, animal food supplements, and tourist or gift items.

Fisheries Occasional Publication No. 31 - Feeding Lupins To Fish: A Review Of The Nutritional And Biological Value Of Lupins In Aquaculture Feeds, Brett Glencross

Fisheries Occasional Publications

Lupins are the harvested seed of species from the Lupinus genus, a group within the leguminous bean and pea family Fabaceae. Legumes are particularly valuable agricultural crops because of their capacity to provide a grain crop and also fix and return nitrogen to soils and improve the soil value for further cropping. The oilseeds, soybeans and peanuts are also leguminous plants, though traditionally they have been cropped for their oil value, whereas lupins, are cropped for both their protein and nitrogen fixing value (Gladstones, 1998; Perry et al., 1998).

The three key commercial species of lupins are L. angustifolius (Narrow-leafed …

Review Of Encyclopedia Of The Biosphere: Humans In The Worlds Ecosystems, John Stephen Brantley

Faculty & Staff Research & Creative Activity

No abstract provided.

Review Of Encyclopedia Of The Biosphere: Humans In The Worlds Ecosystems, John Brantley

Faculty & Staff Research & Creative Activity

No abstract provided.

Food Items And Feeding Rates For Wild Whooping Crane Colts In Wood Buffalo National Park, Douglas G. Bergeson, Mark Bradley, Geoffrey L. Holroyd

Proceedings of the North American Crane Workshop

Food habits of 5 whooping crane (Orus americana) colts in 4 nest ponds were recorded in the days following hatching in Wood Buffalo National Park (WBNP). In total, 93 hours of observations were made from blinds that were 60-80 m away from the nest. Spotting scopes and binoculars were used to identify food items. The adults were observed bringing the following items to the colts: adult dragonflies (Libellula sp., and Aeshna sp.), fish (Culaea inconstans), diving beetles (Rhantus binotatus, Acilius semisulcatus, Oraphoderus occidentalis, and Dytiscus alaskanus), damselflies (Enallagma sp., and Lestes sp.), …

Sandhill Crane Abundance At Grays Lake, Idaho, L J. Ball, Jane E. Austin, Adonia R. Henry

Proceedings of the North American Crane Workshop

We initiated a study on the breeding ecology of greater sandhill cranes (Grus canadensis tabida) in the Grays Lake basin ofIdaho in 1997. Interest in the status of crane populations at Grays Lake is high; consequently, we present preliminary information on estimated size of the population, changes since the 1970s, and potential environmental factors involved. Drewien (1973) counted an average of549 cranes in the spring and estimated 250 nesting pairs in 1970-71. Number of nesting pairs reportedly increased 33% (to 332) by 1982 in response to intensive management, then declined 40-60% by 1996 (Drewien 1997, and Homocker Wildlife …

Nesting Ecology Of Sandhill Cranes At Grays Lake, Idaho, Jane E. Austin, L. J. Ball, Adonia R. Henry

Proceedings of the North American Crane Workshop

We examined the nesting ecology of greater sandhill cranes (Grus canadensis tabida) at Grays Lake, Idaho during 1997-99 to detennine the effects of nest-site characteristics and land use on crane nest success. These are preliminary results from 3 years of a 4-year study. Crane nests were located in portions of the Grays Lake basin from early May through late June each year (n = 131 in 1997; n = 131 in 1998; n = 143 in 1999). Apparent nest success varied among years (54% in 1997, 71% in 1998, and 53% in 1999; overall average of 59%). We …

Translocation Of Florida Sandhill Cranes To Georgia, Wesley A. Abler, Stephen A. Nesbitt

Proceedings of the North American Crane Workshop

Wild Florida sandhill cranes (Grus canadensis pratensis) were captured in Florida during 3 years and translocated to Grand Bay Wildlife Management Area (GBWMA), Georgia, in an attempt to establish a resident population of Florida sandhill cranes in a location with suitable habitat but no known population of resident sandhill cranes. Translocated second-year subadult cranes commingled with migratory greater sandhill cranes (G. c. tabida) yet remained on GBWMA each year after the migratory birds left the area. Twenty-one of 35 released cranes were visually identified at least 5 months after release, 3 cranes more than 15 months …

Results Of The Second (1996) Experiment To Lead Cranes On Migration Behind A Motorized Ground Vehicle, David H. Ellis, Brian Clauss, Tsuyoshi Watanabe, R. Curt Mykut, Matt Shawkey, Daniel P. Mummert, Daniel T. Sprague, Catherine H. Ellis, F. Benjamin Trahan

Proceedings of the North American Crane Workshop

Fourteen greater sandhill cranes (Grus canadensis tabida) were trained to follow a specially-equipped truck and 12 were led along a ca 620-Ian route from Camp Navajo in northern Arizona to the Buenos Aires National Wildlife Refuge near the ArizonalMexico border. Ten survived the trek, 380 Ian of which were flown, although only a few cranes flew every stage of the route. Major problems during the migration were powerline collisions (ca 15, 2 fatal) and overheating (when air temperatures exceeded ca 25° C). The tenacity of the cranes in following both in 1995 and 1996 under unfavorable conditions (e.g., …