Ecology and Evolutionary Biology Commons^™

What Is The Taxonomic Identity Of Minnesota Wolves?, L. David Mech

United States Geological Survey, Northern Prairie Wildlife Research Center: Publications

The taxonomic identity of the historical and current wolf (Canis lupus L., 1758 or Canis lycaon Schreber, 1775 or their hybrids) population in Minnesota (MN) and the Great Lakes region has been, and continues to be, controversial. So too does its legal status under the U.S. Endangered Species Act. This review summarizes the morphological and genetic information about that population and concludes that historically the MN population consisted of a gray wolf (C. lupus) in the west and an eastern type (Canis lupus lycaon or C. lycaon) in the east with intergrades or hybrids between …

Interactions Between Competition And Predation Shape Early Growth And Survival Of Two Neotropical Hylid Tadpoles [Poster], Sergio C. Gonzalez, Justin C. Touchon, James R. Vonesh

Biology Presentations

Background/Question/Methods

Recent literature reviews reveal that competition typically has stronger effects on growth than the presence of predators, while predation has larger effects on survival. Further, past studies show that predators typically lessen the negative effect of competition on growth and also make interspecific competition beneficial for the survival of focal species. We examine the independent and combined effects of competition and predation for survival and growth of the tadpoles of two co-occurring Neotropical hylid frogs (Agalychnis callidryas and Dendropsophus ebraccatus). Our experiment crossed tadpole species composition (single and mixed at single total density) with the presence or absence of …

Terrestrial Predators And Abiotic Conditions Affect Hatching Survival Of Arboreal Frog Eggs: Implications For Aquatic Food Web Dynamics [Poster], Jessica Hite, James R. Vonesh

Biology Presentations

Background/Question/Methods
Recent work in food web studies has highlighted the importance of terrestrial and aquatic linkages and the trait and density-mediated effects of predators and abiotic conditions. Many studies have focused on species with complex life histories (amphibians and aquatic insects) because they encompass a variety of trophic levels and form important linkages between terrestrial and aquatic food webs. For example, red-eyed treefrog, Agalychnis callidryas eggs are deposited on vegetation overhanging ponds and risk mortality from a variety of terrestrial predators and abiotic stressors. Red-eyed treefrog embryos, however, exhibit phenotypic plasticity in hatching time in response to these terrestrial stressors. …

A Sketch-Based Language For Representing Uncertainty In The Locations Of Origin Of Herbarium Specimens, Barry J. Kronenfeld, Andrew Weeks

Faculty Research and Creative Activity

Uncertainty fields have been suggested as an appropriate model for retrospective georeferencing of herbarium specimens. Previous work has focused only on automated data capture methods, but techniques for manual data specification may be able to harness human spatial cognition skills to quickly interpret complex spatial propositions. This paper develops a formal modeling language by which location uncertainty fields can be derived from manually sketched features. The language consists of low-level specification of critical probability isolines from which a surface can be uniquely derived, and high-level specification of features and predicates from which low-level isolines can be derived. In a case …

Physiological Status Of Male And Female Popillia Japonica (Coleoptera: Scarabaeidae) Affects Mating And Grouping Behavior, Natasha Tigreros, Rashmi Jadhav, Katelyn A. Kowles, Britto P. Nathan, Paul Switzer

Faculty Research & Creative Activity

Because mating may be costly, sexually active males or females are predicted to be in relatively good physiological condition and may preferentially direct their mating behavior toward relatively high-quality mates. We tested this hypothesis in Japanese beetles (Popillia japonica Newman), a pest species in which males and females may be either isolated or in aggregations while feeding on host plants. We examined male size and lipid content and female size and egg load with respect to both their pairing status and whether they were isolated or in aggregations. Males that were paired had the highest lipid levels, and single, isolated …

Physiological Status Of Male And Female Popillia Japonica (Coleoptera: Scarabaeidae) Affects Mating And Grouping Behavior, Natasha Tigreros, Rashmi Jadhav, Katelyn Kowles, Britto Nathan, Paul Switzer

Faculty Research & Creative Activity

Because mating may be costly, sexually active males or females are predicted to be in relatively good physiological condition and may preferentially direct their mating behavior toward relatively high-quality mates. We tested this hypothesis in Japanese beetles (Popillia japonica Newman), a pest species in which males and females may be either isolated or in aggregations while feeding on host plants. We examined male size and lipid content and female size and egg load with respect to both their pairing status and whether they were isolated or in aggregations. Males that were paired had the highest lipid levels, and single, isolated …

Bat Habitat Use And Roost Tree Selection For Northern Long-Eared Myotis (Myotis Septentrionalis) In North-Central Ohio, Timothy J. Krynak

Masters Theses

Understanding roosting behavior and habitat use of bats is an important component when unraveling life histories and their ecology. Ohio remains under-represented in published information of bats compared to surrounding states. This large scale survey in 2002–2003 and Myotis septentrionalis radio telemetry study in 2005 is one of the few conducted within the state and is the first in Ohio’s North-Central region. It is also the first study conducted where net sites were chosen randomly and spatially distributed to adequately survey bat populations within Cuyahoga Valley National Park and Cleveland Metroparks. This survey documented seven species (n = 668), with …

Do Zoos And Aquariums Promote Attitude Change In Visitors? A Critical Evaluation Of The American Zoo And Aquarium Study, Lori Marino, Scott O. Lilienfeld, Randy Malamud, Nathan Nobis, Ron Broglio

Zoos and Aquariums Collection

Modern-day zoos and aquariums market themselves as places of education and conservation. A recent study conducted by the American Zoo and Aquarium Association (AZA) (Falk et al., 2007) is being widely heralded as the first direct evidence that visits to zoos and aquariums produce long-term positive effects on people’s attitudes toward other animals. In this paper, we address whether this conclusion is warranted by analyzing the study’s methodological soundness. We conclude that Falk et al. (2007) contains at least six major threats to methodological validity that undermine the authors’ conclusions. There remains no compelling evidence for the claim that zoos …

Integrated Pest Management (Ipm) For Vertebrates: Do We Need To Broaden This Concept?, John Hadidian

Ecology Collection

The concepts and practices of Integrated Pest Management (IPM) are historically grounded in programs aimed at insects and disease-causing organisms affecting agriculture. When applied to vertebrates, IPM concepts have most often been used in rodent control programs. Still, IPM is a powerful model that arguably can, and should, apply to conflicts with any “pest” or problem-causing organism. It may be time to examine contemporary IPM approaches and their relation to traditional vertebrate pest control more closely. Vertebrate IPM should encompass not only the development of sound and practical steps to shape decision-making and actions, but a dialogue about ethics as …

Ignoring Nature: Why We Do It, The Dire Consequences, And The Need For A Paradigm Shift To Save Animals, Habitats, And Ourselves, Marc Bekoff, Sarah Bexell

Ecology Collection

The article discusses the importance of biodiversity and on how people protect animals and habitats. It describes the conservation psychology and conservation social work. It suggests that there will be fewer people who will actually be able to make a positive difference in the relationships with animals and ecosystems.

Vigilance And Antipredator Responses Of Caribbean Reef Squid, Jennifer A. Mather

Sentience Collection

Antipredator responses, especially those of open-ocean squid, have been seldom studied in the natural environment. Sepioteuthis sepioidea, observed by snorkellers near the shore in early morning/late afternoon, produced an average of eight moves of over 1m per hour, apparently mostly antipredator behaviours. Close approaches by herbivorous parrotfish elicited no response in 74% of encounters; otherwise, squid produced agonistic zebra stripes or startle-mantle-dots skin patterns. Predatory bar jack fish caused flight but not zebra displays, and squid usually paled and fled quickly (66%) from snapper. The speed of approach was the best predictor for flight and display responses to snapper, …

Male Territoriality In A Social Sciurid, Cynomys Gunnisoni: What Do Patterns Of Paternity Tell Us?, J. L. Verdolin, C. N. Slobodchikoff

Veterinary Science and Medicine Collection

In many social sciurids, male territoriality confers significant mating advantages. We evaluated resident male paternity in Gunnison’s prairie dogs (Cynomys gunnisoni), a colonial ground-dwelling sciurid, where males and females cooperatively defend territories. Contrary to findings reported for other social sciurids, our results show that territorial resident males do not gain significant reproductive advantages. Resident males sired the majority of offspring from their respective territories only 10.5% of the time. A single non-resident male sired equal or greater number of offspring than any single resident male 71.2% of the time. While adult males were more likely to sire a greater number …

Behavior Of A Solitary Sociable Female Bottlenose Dolphin (Tursiops Truncatus) Off The Coast Of Kent, Southeast England, Sonja Eisfeld, Mark P. Simmonds, Laura R. Stansfield

Ethology Collection

This article provides a report of the behavior of a solitary sociable dolphin studied on the southeast coast of England in 2007. This is the first study of its kind in which behavior of such a nonhuman animal was systematically studied. By the time of this study, this young female was highly interactive with people in the water. People accompanied the dolphin for 18.4% of the 100 hr of observation, and their presence changed her behavior. The study recorded 39 different behaviors; feeding and resting behaviors declined in frequency in the presence of people. In addition, the dolphin exhibited behavior …

The Origin Of Human Races And The Antiquity Of Man Deduced From The Theory Of “Natural Selection” (1864), Alfred Russel Wallace

Alfred Russel Wallace Classic Writings

No abstract provided.

How To Civilize Savages (1865), Alfred Russel Wallace

Alfred Russel Wallace Classic Writings

No abstract provided.

Human Selection (1890), Alfred Russel Wallace

Alfred Russel Wallace Classic Writings

No abstract provided.

Mimicry, And Other Protective Resemblances Among Animals (1867), Alfred Russel Wallace

Alfred Russel Wallace Classic Writings

No abstract provided.

Linking Environmental Nutrient Enrichment And Disease Emergence In Humans And Wildlife, Pieter T. J. Johnson, Alan R. Townsend, Cory C. Cleveland, Patricia M. Glibert, Robert W. Howarth, Valerie J. Mckenzie, Eliska Rejmankova, Mary H. Ward

Ecosystem and Conservation Sciences Faculty Publications

Worldwide increases in human and wildlife diseases have challenged ecologists to understand how large-scale environmental changes affect host–parasite interactions. One of the most profound changes to Earth's ecosystems is the alteration of global nutrient cycles, including those of phosphorus (P) and especially nitrogen (N). Along with the obvious direct benefits of nutrient application for food production, anthropogenic inputs of N and P can indirectly affect the abundance of infectious and noninfectious pathogens. The mechanisms underpinning observed correlations, however, and how such patterns vary with disease type, have long remained conjectural. Here, we highlight recent experimental advances to critically evaluate the …

An Inventory And Condition Survey Of The Western Australian Part Of The Nullarbor Region, Peter-Jon A. Waddell, A K. Gardner, P Hennig

Technical Bulletins

The inventory and condition survey of the Western Australian part of the Nullarbor region, undertaken by the Department of Agriculture and Food, Western Australia (DAFWA) between 2005 and 2007, describes and maps the natural resources of the region. This survey report provides a baseline record of the existence and condition of the area's natural resources, to assist with the planning and implementation of land management practices. The report identified and described the condition of soils, landforms, vegetation, habitat, ecosystems, and declared plants and animals. It also assessed the impact of pastoralism and made land management recommendations. The Nullarbor region has …

The Role Of Retrieval And Translocation In A Reintroduced Population Of Migratory Whooping Cranes, Sara E. Zimorski, Richard P. Urbanek

Proceedings of the North American Crane Workshop

Beginning in 2001, a reintroduction project was initiated using captive-reared whooping cranes (Grus americana) to establish a migratory flock in eastern North America. From May 2003 to August 2008, 23 of these birds were retrieved and translocated in 15 separate events. These individuals consisted of 14 cranes that had been led to Florida by ultralight aircraft on their first autumn migration (UL) and 9 cranes that had been directly released in autumn in Wisconsin (DAR). Of 104 (86 UL and 18 DAR) reintroduced individuals that eventually departed from their release location, 22% were later retrieved 1-3 times. Lake …

Home Range Size And Habitat Use Of Mississippi Sandhill Crane Colts, Scott G. Hereford, Tracy E. Grazia, Jereme N. Phillips, Glenn H. Olsen

Proceedings of the North American Crane Workshop

Recruitment in the endangered Mississippi sandhill crane (Grus canadensis pulla) is minimal, with the population of 110 sustained by an annual augmentation of captive-reared juveniles. Suitability of available habitat quality is likely involved in nesting success. Thousands of hectares of pine savanna were restored for crane use, but it is not clear how much was being used by crane families. We used 3-g subcutaneous transmitters to radio-tag 27 colts over 6 years from 1998 to 2002 and 2004 to determine home range and habitat use. Using a hand-held receiver, H-antenna and standard triangulation, location data were collected twice …

Three White Cranes, Two Flyways, One World, Sara Gavney Moore, Joan Garland, Zhang Juan, Maria Vladimirtseva

Proceedings of the North American Crane Workshop

The International Crane Foundation, together with Beijing Brooks Education Center in China and the Institute for Biological Problems of the Cryolithozone in Russia, is implementing a multi-year education project targeting local communities along the eastern crane flyways in the United States and East Asia. The education activities focus on the importance of wetlands, wildlife, and other natural resources from the perspective of local communities and are designed to enhance local leadership for education efforts. In the U.S. project activities are integrated with education programs centering on the eastern migratory whooping crane (Grus americana) population, integrating classroom activities and …

An Individual Whooping Crane's Family History, Karine Gil, Felipe Chavez-Ramirez, Brian W. Johns, Thomas V. Stehn, Robin Silva

Proceedings of the North American Crane Workshop

Between 1977 and 1988, 12 cohorts (134 individuals) of whooping cranes (Grus americana) were banded in Wood Buffalo National Park (WBNP, Canada-breeding ground) and monitored from Canada to Aransas National Wildlife Refuge (ANWR, Texas-wintering ground). During 2004, historical data on banded individuals was analyzed to estimate population parameters and life table of the wild population. This study used information from one of the few banded cranes known to be alive in 2008 since 1978. A genealogy tree (Family Tree Maker software) was developed from individual RwR-nil to represent its descendents and relatives, as well as a map (GIS) …

Examination Of Opportunistically Collected Eggs Laid By Whooping Cranes In Florida, Marilyn G. Spalding, Martin J. Folk, Stephen A. Nesbitt

Proceedings of the North American Crane Workshop

We examined 41 whooping crane (Grus americana) eggs or egg remains from 27 nests in the field (n = 4), in the laboratory (n = 33), or incubated by another pair (n = 1), or in captivity (n = 3). Eggs were collected because the nest was in danger (2 eggs, 1 nest), abandoned (5 eggs, 4 nests), or failed to hatch after 34 days (27 eggs, 16 nests), or they were removed for management purposes (5 eggs, 3 nests). Evidence of fertility was found in 18 eggs (12 nests, 44%) of 33 opened. The remainder were either …

The Direct Autumn Release Of Whooping Cranes Into The Eastern Migratory Population: A Summary Of The First Three Years, Marianne M. Wellington, Richard P. Urbanek

Proceedings of the North American Crane Workshop

This paper describes methods used in an experimental direct autumn release of captive produced whooping cranes (Grus americana) into a reintroduced migratory population in eastern North America. Eighteen chicks (4 in 2005, 4 in 2006, and 10 in 2007) were eventually released in the vicinity of adult whooping cranes or wild sandhill cranes (G. canadensis). Chicks were reared by costumed aviculturists using strict isolation-rearing techniques at the International Crane Foundation (ICF) and then transferred to Necedah National Wildlife Refuge in central Wisconsin. Initially, 23 chicks were transferred from ICF to Necedah at ages of 17-46 days. …

Causes Of Embryonic Death In Captive Whooping Cranes, Julia N. Letoutchaia, Kelly Maguire, Barry K. Hartup

Proceedings of the North American Crane Workshop

In 2001, the International Whooping Crane Recovery Team and the Whooping Crane Health Advisory Team reemphasized the need for analysis of embryonic deaths within captive breeding flocks to identify preventable deaths and promote increased production of chicks for release programs. We conducted a retrospective study of egg necropsy reports to identify causes of death among developing whooping crane (Grus americana) embryos from captivity. Records from 44 egg necropsies conducted at the International Crane Foundation (ICF) between 2001 and 2008 were reviewed. The eggs were of captive origin (ICF, n = 40; Patuxent Wildlife Research Center, n = 3; …

Nest Desertion In A Reintroduced Population Of Migratory Whooping Cranes, Richard P. Urbanek, Sara E. Zimorski, Anna M. Fasoli, Eva K. Szyszkoski

Proceedings of the North American Crane Workshop

Reintroduction of an eastern migratory population of whooping cranes (Grus americana) into eastern North America began in 2001. Reproduction first occurred in 2005. Through 2008, eggs were produced in 22 first nests and 2 renests. All first nests failed–50% confirmed due to desertion by the parents and the remaining nest failures also consistent with the pattern of parental desertion. Nest failures were not related to stage of incubation, and they were often synchronous. Temperatures in winter and early spring affected timing of nest failure. An environmental factor such as harassment of incubating cranes by black flies (Simulium …

Pedigree Analyses Of The Mississippi Sandhill Crane, Jessica R. Henkel

Proceedings of the North American Crane Workshop

The genetic status of the critically endangered Mississippi sandhill crane (Grus canadensis pulla) was analyzed using 2008 studbook data from the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service managed captive breeding and release program. Since the captive breeding program was established in 1964, gene diversity has decreased 6%, average mean kinship is at the level of first cousin, and inbreeding coefficients have been observed as high as 0.375. These high inbreeding levels were correlated with lower survivorship, and an analysis of the mate suitability of current pairs at the release site revealed poor mate suitability indices. These factors may be …

Behavior Comparisons Of Two Rearing Protocols For Whooping Cranes Raised By Costumed Caregivers And Trained For An Ultralight-Led Migration, Glenn H. Olsen, John B. French

Proceedings of the North American Crane Workshop

Whooping crane (Grus americana) colts are raised at USGS Patuxent Wildlife Research Center, Laurel, Maryland for the first 40-60 days of a chick's life as part of the Whooping Crane Eastern Partnership (WCEP) ultralight-led reintroduction. Numbers raised for WCEP are increasing each year. Up to 2005, we raised whooping crane chicks in the Propagation Building where there are 10 indoor/outdoor pens, 8 full pens, and 2 half-size pens. In 2005 WCEP proposed increasing the number of colts reared to 20-24, numbers beyond the capacity of the facility. To accommodate this greater number of chicks, we modified several outdoor …

Methods To Reduce Crop Depredation By Cranes In Siberia (Trans-Baikal Region), Oleg A. Goroshko

Proceedings of the North American Crane Workshop

Methods of reducing crop depredation by cranes were tested in Daursky State Nature Biosphere Reserve on the steppes of southern Siberia. The Torey Lakes and numerous small lakes support autumn gathering of cranes and waterfowl. Croplands (mainly oats and wheat) attract staging cranes, geese, and ducks. Up to 42,000 demoiselle (Anthropoides virgo) and 1,100 hooded cranes (Grus monacha) (>10% of world populations for these species) can feed in the fields near the reserve and cause significant damage (up to 70% in some wheat fields). We investigated the problem during 1992-2004 and suggested various methods to …