Ecology and Evolutionary Biology Commons^™

Nutrient Enrichment Increases Invertebrate Herbivory And Pathogen Damage In Grasslands, Anne Ebeling, Alex T. Strauss, Peter B. Adler, Carlos A. Arnillas, Isabel C. Barrio, Lori A. Biederman, Elizabeth T. Borer, Miguel N. Bugalho, Maria C. Caldeira, Marc W. Cadotte, Pedro Daleo, Nico Eisenhauer, Anu Eskelinen, Philip A. Fay, Jennifer Firn, Pamela Graff, Nicole Hagenah, Sylvia Haider, Kimberly J. Komatsu, Rebecca L. Mcculley, Charles E. Mitchell, Joslin L. Moore, Jesus Pascual, Pablo L. Peri, Sally A. Power, Suzanne M. Prober, Anita C. Risch, Christiane Roscher, Mahesh Sankaran, Eric W. Seabloom, Holger Schielzeth, Martin Schütz, Karina L. Speziale, Michelle Tedder, Risto Virtanen, Dana M. Blumenthal

Wildland Resources Faculty Publications

1. Plant damage by invertebrate herbivores and pathogens influences the dynamics of grassland ecosystems, but anthropogenic changes in nitrogen and phosphorus availability can modify these relationships.
2. Using a globally distributed experiment, we describe leaf damage on 153 plant taxa from 27 grasslands worldwide, under ambient conditions and with experimentally elevated nitrogen and phosphorus.
3. Invertebrate damage significantly increased with nitrogen addition, especially in grasses and non-leguminous forbs. Pathogen damage increased with nitrogen in grasses and legumes but not forbs. Effects of phosphorus were generally weaker. Damage was higher in grasslands with more precipitation, but climatic conditions did not change effects of nutrients …

A New Species And Significant Range Extension For The Genus Fractipes Bechynĕ (Coleoptera: Chrysomelidae: Eumolpinae: Eumolpini), Wills Flowers

Insecta Mundi

Fractipes tayrona new species (Coleoptera: Chrysomelidae: Eumolpinae: Eumolpini) is described from a dry forest on the Caribbean coast of Colombia. This locality is very distant from the localities in southeast Brazil, where the other two known species of Fractipes Bechynĕ were described. Male and female genitalia are described for the first time in this genus, and F. tayrona is compared with holotype photographs of F. rhabdopteroides Bechynĕ and F. secundus Bechynĕ and Springlová de Bechynĕ.

Resumen. Se describe Fractipes tayrona especie nueva (Coleoptera: Chrysomelidae: Eumolpinae: Eumol­pini) de la costa Caribe de Colombia. La especie fue recolectada en un bosque seco, …

A New Species Of Seticeros Perger And Santos-Silva From Ecuador (Coleoptera: Cerambycidae: Prioninae), Josef Vlasak, Antonio Santos-Silva

Insecta Mundi

A new species, Seticeros convergens Vlasak and Santos-Silva (Coleoptera: Cerambycidae: Prio­ninae) is described from Ecuador. An updated key to species of Seticeros Perger and Santos-Silva, 2010 is provided.

Perger and Santos-Silva (2010) created Seticeros to include Anacanthus aquilus Thomson, 1865 and their new species, S. tunupai. Currently, the genus includes one more species, S. granulocephalus Ramírez Campos, Esteban-Durán and Santos-Silva, 2011. The known geographical distribution is from Costa Rica to Colombia (Monné 2021; Tavakilian and Chevillotte 2021). Here we are describing a new species from Ecuador.

Better Tired Than Lost: Turtle Ant Trail Networks Favor Coherence Over Short Edges, Arjun Chandrasekhar, James A. R. Marshall, Cortnea Austin, Saket Navlakha, Deborah M. Gordon

Student Published Works

Creating a routing backbone is a fundamental problem in both biology and engineering. The routing backbone of the trail networks of arboreal turtle ants (Cephalotes goniodontus) connects many nests and food sources using trail pheromone deposited by ants as they walk. Unlike species that forage on the ground, the trail networks of arboreal ants are constrained by the vegetation. We examined what objectives the trail networks meet by comparing the observed ant trail networks with networks of random, hypothetical trail networks in the same surrounding vegetation and with trails optimized for four objectives: minimizing path length, minimizing average …

Rebecca Fillyaw Ms Thesis Data For Publication In The Journal Sustainability, Rebecca Fillyaw, Melinda Donnelly, Linda Walters

CEELAB Research Data

By combatting erosion and increasing habitat, mangrove living shorelines are an effective alternative to hard-armoring in tropical and subtropical areas. An experimental red mangrove living shoreline was deployed within Mosquito Lagoon, Florida, using a factorial design to test the impact of mangrove age, breakwater presence, and mangrove placement on mangrove survival within the first year of deployment. Mixed mangrove age treatments were included to identify if seedling (11-month-old) survival could be enhanced by the presence of transitional (23-month-old) and adult (35 to 47-month-old) mangroves. Environmental factors were monitored to detect possible causes of mangrove mortalities. Approximately half (50.6%) of mangroves …

Thirty Critical Research Needs For Managing An Ecologically And Culturally Unique Remote Marine Environment: The Kimberley Region Of Western Australia, C. Cvitanovic, M. Mackay, R. Kelly, S. K. Wilson, K. Waples, K. L. Nash, E. I. Van Putten, S. Field, T. Botterill-James, B. J. Austin, L. E. Beckley, F. Boschetti, M. Depczynski, R. J. Dobbs, R. D. Evans, M. Feng, R. K. Goater, A. R. Halford, A. Kendrick, G. A. Kendrick, G. D. B. Lincoln, L. J. Ludgerus, R. J. Lowe, Kathryn Mcmahon, J. K. Munro, S. J. Newman, C. Nutt, L. Pearson, M. J. O'Leary, Z. T. Richards, W. D. Robbins, D. I. Rogers, Chandra P. Salgado Kent, V. Schoepf, M. J. Travers, M. Thums, A. D. Tucker, J. N. Underwood, S. Whiting, D. Matthews, Dambimangari Aboriginal Corporation

Research outputs 2014 to 2021

The Kimberley marine environment in Western Australia is widely recognised for its outstanding natural features, vast and remote sea and landscapes, and Indigenous cultural significance. To ensure that adequate baseline information is available to understand, monitor and manage this remote and relatively understudied region, scientific exploration was undertaken between 2012 and 2018 as part of the Kimberley Marine Research Program (KMRP). Whilst this program generated significant amounts of new knowledge about the region, important research gaps remain, that if answered, should improve the capacity of managers to conserve the region's values more effectively. Here, we apply established participatory horizon scanning …

Irreproducibility In Searches Of Scientific Literature: A Comparative Analysis, Gábor Pozsgai, Gábor L. Lövei, Liette Vasseur, Geoff Gurr, Péter Batáry, János Korponai, Nick A. Littlewood, Jian Liu, Arnold Móra, John J. Obrycki, Olivia Reynolds, Jenni A. Stockan, Heather Vanvolkenburg, Jie Zhang, Wenwu Zhou, Minsheng You

Entomology Faculty Publications

1. Repeatability is the cornerstone of science, and it is particularly important for systematic reviews. However, little is known on how researchers’ choice of database, and search platform influence the repeatability of systematic reviews. Here, we aim to unveil how the computer environment and the location where the search was initiated from influence hit results.
2. We present a comparative analysis of time-synchronized searches at different institutional locations in the world and evaluate the consistency of hits obtained within each of the search terms using different search platforms.
3. We revealed a large variation among search platforms and showed that PubMed and Scopus …

Importance Of Woodland Patches As Hibernacula For Gartersnakes In A Prairie River Floodplain Of Central Nebraska, Tony Bridger, Keith Geluso

Transactions of the Nebraska Academy of Sciences and Affiliated Societies

Gartersnakes are common inhabitants along prairie rivers in the Great Plains, but little information is known about hibernacula among diverse floodplain habitats. We radio-tracked Common Gartersnakes (Thamnophis sirtalis) and Plains Gartersnakes (Thamnophis radix) to hibernacula on islands in a braided river system subject to frequent environmental changes along the Platte River in central Nebraska. We further examined capture rates of gartersnakes in floodplain woodland patches from June to November to examine seasonal use of this habitat. In early and mid-September, movements of snakes with transmitters were in grasslands. From late September to mid-October, the farthest movements …

Inventory And Distribution Of Mosquitoes (Diptera, Culicidae) In The Aures Region (Batna, Algeria), Nora Belkhiri, Wafa Habbachi, Saliha Benhissen, Naama Frah, Abdelmadjid Yagoub Asloum, Nadia Aberkane

Journal of Bioresource Management

Mosquitoes are the most terrifying both for their abundance and for the diseases they transmit. They are vectors of malaria, lymphatic filariasis and arbovirus such as yellow fever, dengue, viral encephalitis and African horse sickness. These characteristics give this fauna prominent importance and health interest. To identify the most widespread mosquito species, we conducted for the first time an inventory in the Aures region more particularly the wilaya of Batna (East of Algeria) from May 2017 to January 2020, we studied their diversity, abundance and distribution. The sampling is done by monthly surveys of the various localities chosen, using the …

Desktop Scanning Electron Microscopy In Plant-Insect Interactions Research: A Fast And Effective Way To Capture Electron Micrographs With Minimal Sample Preparation, Sakshi Watts, Ishveen Kaur, Sukhman Singh, Bianca Jimenez, Jesus Chavana, Rupesh R. Kariyat

School of Integrative Biological & Chemical Sciences (Formerly Dept. of Biology)

The ability to visualize cell and tissue morphology at a high magnification using scanning electron microscopy (SEM) has revolutionized plant sciences research. In plant-insect interactions studies, SEM based imaging has been of immense assistance to understand plant surface morphology including trichomes (plant hairs; physical defense structures against herbivores (Kaur and Kariyat, 2020a, 2020b; Watts and Kariyat, 2021), spines, waxes, and insect morphological characteristics such as mouth parts, antennae, and legs, that they interact with. While SEM provides finer details of samples, and the imaging process is simpler now with advanced image acquisition and processing, sample preparation methodology has lagged. The …

Algal Biodiversity Survey Of The Middle Chattahoochee River Using Dna Metabarcoding, Amanda Howell

Theses and Dissertations

Aquatic plants play vital roles in water systems by providing ecological services, and one group that is understudied is algae. Algae play a crucial role in water systems as bioindicators and primary producers. They can be challenging to identify with the naked eye, so researchers have been using DNA metabarcoding, where DNA belonging to specific taxa can be isolated and identified from water samples. The objective of this study was to conduct an algal biodiversity survey on the middle Chattahoochee River system in Georgia. Water samples (1L) were filtered and sent to RTL Genomics for sequencing and processing; the data …

First Reports Of Species-Specific Ant Resemblance In Heteronotine Treehoppers (Hemiptera: Membracidae: Heteronotinae), Robert Perger

Insecta Mundi

Species-specific ant resemblance in heteronotine membracids (Hemiptera: Membracidae) is re­ported for the first time, providing evidence for ant mimicry. The shape, integument color and shine of the pronotal process of females of Heteronotus fabulosus Boulard closely resemble workers of the co-occurring giant turtle ant Cephalotes atratus (Linnaeus) (Hymenoptera: Formicidae). The entire membracid appears to mimic a mutualistic relationship between a membracid and a turtle ant.

The treehopper family Membracidae Rafinesque, 1815 is famous among entomologists for their mutualistic rela­tionships with hymenopterans (Way 1963) and high morphological diversity of their pronotum, often consisting of brightly colored and/or curiously shaped structures such …

A Review Of The History Of The Names Hamaticherus Dejean And Plocaederus Dejean And Description Of A New Genus And Species (Coleoptera: Cerambycidae: Cerambycinae), Antonio Santos-Silva, Kimberly García, Juan Pablo Botero

Insecta Mundi

Hamaticherus Dejean, 1821 (Coleoptera: Cerambycidae: Cerambycinae) is considered a junior synonym of Cerambyx Linnaeus, 1758. Hamaticherus sensu Audinet-Serville, 1834 is considered a posterior usage of Hamaticherus Dejean, 1821, and an unavailable name. Plocaederus is considered as a new genus, and not a replacement name, proposed by Dejean (1835) to allocate the species included in Hamaticherus sensu Audinet-Serville, 1834. Therefore, a new genus, Hamaederus Santos-Silva, Garcia and Botero, is herein pro­posed to include the species currently allocated in Plocaederus Dejean, 1835, creating 15 new combinations, and additionally, a new species from French Guiana, Hamaederus allofasciatus Santos-Silva, Garcia and Botero, …

The Sandhill Crane State: A Naturalist’S Guide To Nebraska, Paul Johnsgard

Zea E-Books Collection

This book includes the locations, descriptions, and points of biological, historical, geological, or paleontological interest of nearly 350 sites in Nebraska, most of which are free to access. Its 53,000 words include accounts of 9 state historical parks, 8 state parks, 2 national forests, 2 national monuments, and 7 national wildlife refuges as well as 181 wildlife management areas, 56 waterfowl production areas, and 54 state recreation areas. It also includes 48 state and county maps, 18 drawings, 33 photographs, and nearly 200 literature citations.

doi: 10.32873/unl.dc.zea.1305

Egg Plastron Of The Bog Copper Butterfly Tharsalea (Epidemia) Epixanthe (Bsd. & Le C. [1835]) (Lycaenidae: Lycaeninae), David M. Wright

The Taxonomic Report of the International Lepidoptera Survey

The egg of the Bog Copper butterfly, Tharsalea (Epidemia) epixanthe, has a prominent highly-sculptured chorionic surface. Trapped within the chorion is a labyrinth of air spaces which has been proposed as a plastron for gas exchange while the egg is submerged in water. Data derived from scanning electron microscopy (SEM) confirms the plastron should function as predicted. Furthermore, the insulating air spaces should prevent water loss of the diapausing first instar larvae while overwintering.

Short-Term Canopy And Understory Nitrogen Addition Differ In Their Effects On Seedlings Of Dominant Woody Species In A Subtropical Evergreen Broadleaved Forest, Jun Wang, Dafeng Hui, Hai Ren, Nan Liu, Zhongyu Sun, Long Yang, Hongfang Lu

Biology Faculty Research

As atmospheric nitrogen (N) deposition continues to increase, information on how N deposition affects seedling performance of tree species is critical for predicting forest regeneration. In this study, we examined the effects of canopy N addition at 25 and 50 kg ha−1 year−1 of N (CAN25 and CAN50), and understory N addition at 25 and 50 kg ha−1 year−1 of N (UAN25 and UAN50) on the survival, physiology, and growth of seedlings of two dominant woody species (Schima superba and Ardisia quinquegona) that were transplanted into a subtropical evergreen broadleaved forest. At two years after transplanting, understory N additon greatly …

Assessing The Dispersal And Recruitment Of Stocked Walleye Fry In A Northern Minnesota Chain Of Lakes, Joseph W. Amundson

Biology Graduate Theses

As part of Minnesota's Walleye Sander vitreus egg take practice, 10% of eggs taken for hatchery purposes are stocked back into the donor lake. For Andrusia, part of the Cass Lake Chain of Lakes (Chain), this practice can result in elevated fry densities (mean: 17,000 fry/littoral hectare). However, if fry are able to disperse and use all available littoral hectares throughout the Chain, fry densities would be intermediate to typical stocking densities for Minnesota lakes (1,200 - 2,400 fry/littoral hectare). In 2016-2018, 3-3.5 million fry were mass-marked by immersion in oxytetracycline (OTC) prior to stocking into Andrusia to allow differentiation …

Can Providing Positive Interactions With Snakes Change A Person’S Perception Of Dangerous Wildlife Interactions?, Bethany Walker

Theses

Due to a long co-evolutionary history between placental mammals and reptiles, primates demonstrate aversive responses to snakes. In humans, this can result in ophidiophobia, or the fear of snakes which can arise due to cultural backgrounds, traumatic experiences, or fear instilled by others. However, these reptiles fill essential roles in ecosystems. Conservation and outreach efforts are important to help our population understand snakes’ role in our lives and the state’s broader biodiversity. Negative experiences or preconceptions about snakes can make this message hard to share with the public. Educators can help prevent intentional harm to some of these organisms through …

Fisheries Science Update – October 2021: West Coast Demersal Scalefish Resource, Department Of Primary Industries And Regional Development, Western Australia

Fisheries Occasional Publications

Key points: 2021 stock assessment outcomes • The West Coast Demersal Scalefish Resource (WCDSR) is halfway into a 20-year recovery plan following a period of overfishing in the 1990s and 2000s. • This latest assessment provides an important “health check” on the recovery status. • The recovery plan is based on maintaining recreational (including charter) and commercial sector’s total fishing mortality below catch limits and protecting key spawning aggregations to recover the WCDSR by 2030. • The Department of Primary Industries and Regional Development (DPIRD) tracks recovery progress by undertaking weight of evidence stock assessments of WCDSR indicator species dhufish …

Camera Trap Survey Suggests Forestry And Prescribed Burns Attract Wildlife, But May Not Enhance Diversity, Melissa S. Vilgats, Ryan Ott, Stephanie S. Coster

Virginia Journal of Science

This study explored whether habitat management techniques such as forest thinning and burning promoted biodiversity. Fifteen camera trap stations were established at Fort A.P. Hill in Bowling Green, VA across forest stands with low, medium, and high basal area. Camera traps were deployed for a total of 532 trap nights, and trap success and species diversity were calculated using Shannon’s index. At each site, the distance to trafficable roadways and water sources, vegetation composition, and the percent groundcover, canopy cover, and understory were measured. The cameras captured nine species and recorded a total of 398 trap events. Linear regression was …

Range-Wide Indicators Of African Great Ape Density Distribution, Isabel Ordaz‐Németh, Tenekwetche Sop, Bala Amarasekaran, Mona Bachmann, Christophe Boesch, Terry Brncic, Damien Caillaud, Geneviève Campbell, Joana Carvalho, Rebecca Chancellor, Tim R. B. Davenport, Dervla Dowd, Manasseh Eno‐Nku, Jessica Ganas‐Swaray, Nicholas Granier, Elizabeth Greengrass, Stefanie Heinicke, Ilka Herbinger, Clement Inkamba‐Nkulu, Fortuné Iyenguet, Jessica Junker, Kadiri S. Bobo, Alain Lushimba, Fiona Maisels, Guy Aimé Florent Malanda, Maureen S. Mccarthy, Prosper Motsaba, Jennifer Moustgaard, Mizuki Murai, Bezangoye Ndokoue, Stuart Nixon, Rostand Aba'a Nseme, Zacharie Nzooh, Lilian Pintea, Andrew J. Plumptre, Justin Roy, Aaron S. Rundus, Jim Sanderson, Adeline Serckx, Samantha Strindberg, Clement Tweh, Hilde Vanleeuwe, Ashley Vosper, Matthias Waltert, Elizabeth A. Williamson, Michael Wilson, Roger Mundry, Hjalmar S. Kühl

Anthropology & Sociology Faculty Publications

Species distributions are influenced by processes occurring at multiple spatial scales. It is therefore insufficient to model species distribution at a single geographic scale, as this does not provide the necessary understanding of determining factors. Instead, multiple approaches are needed, each differing in spatial extent, grain, and research objective. Here, we present the first attempt to model continent-wide great ape density distribution. We used site-level estimates of African great ape abundance to (1) identify socioeconomic and environmental factors that drive densities at the continental scale, and (2) predict range-wide great ape density. We collated great ape abundance estimates from 156 …

Free-Ranging And Feral Cats, Alex Dutcher, Kyle Pias, Grant Sizemore, Stephen M. Vantassel

Wildlife Damage Management Technical Series

Domestic cats (Felis catus) are a common household pet in the United States, with an estimated 25.4% of households owning cats (American Veterinary Medical Association 2018). While an increasing number of cat owners keep their pet cats exclusively indoors, a portion of society maintains that domestic cats are entitled to a free-ranging lifestyle and may even consider unowned domestic cats to be wildlife. Although wildlife managers recognize the beliefs of many concerned stakeholders, including advocates who use strong emotional appeals on behalf of cats, it remains that free-ranging and feral domestic cats are an invasive species spread by humans (Lowe …

Remote Detection Of Disturbance From Motorized Vehicle Use In Appalachian Wetlands, Walter Smith

Virginia Journal of Science

Wetland disturbance from motorized vehicle use is a growing concern across the Appalachian coalfields of southwestern Virginia and portions of adjacent states, particularly as both extractive industries and outdoor recreation development expand in regional communities. However, few attempts have been made in this region or elsewhere to adapt approaches that can assist researchers and land managers in remotely identifying and monitoring wetland habitats disturbed by motorized vehicle use. A comparative analysis of wetlands impacted and unimpacted by off-road vehicle activity at a public recreation area in Tazewell County, Virginia was conducted to determine if and how a common, satellite-derived index …

An Opportunistic Survey Reveals An Unexpected Coronavirus Diversity Hotspot In North America, Hon S. Ip, Kathryn M. Griffin, Jeffrey D. Messer, Megan E. Winzeler, Susan A. Shriner, Mary Lea Killian, Mia Kim Torchetti, Thomas J. Deliberto, Brian R. Amman, Caitlin M. Cossaboom, R. Reid Harvey, Natalie M. Wendling, Hannah Rettler, Dean Taylor, Jonathan S. Towner, Casey Barton Behravesh, David S. Blehert

United States Department of Agriculture Wildlife Services: Staff Publications

In summer 2020, Severe Acute Respiratory Syndrome Coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) was detected on mink farms in Utah. An interagency One Health response was initiated to assess the extent of the outbreak and included sampling animals from on or near affected mink farms and testing them for SARS-CoV-2 and non-SARS coronaviruses. Among the 365 animals sampled, including domestic cats, mink, rodents, raccoons, and skunks, 261 (72%) of the animals harbored at least one coronavirus. Among the samples that could be further characterized, 127 alphacoronaviruses and 88 betacoronaviruses (including 74 detections of SARS-CoV-2 in mink) were identified. Moreover, at least 10% (n …

A Ladder Of Endemicity: A Pioneering Study Of Anuran Communities Along An Elevational Gradient In The Eastern Andean Cloud Forests, Ecuador, Ella Halbert

Independent Study Project (ISP) Collection

Per unit of area, Ecuador is home to the most herpetofauna of any region on Earth, yet many ecosystems are under researched. Positioned between the Eastern Andes and the Amazon rainforest, the Río Pastaza Basin of Ecuador has been the recent focus of anuran biodiversity surveys and is home to many endemic species. This study aimed to determine how the anuran community composition of a vertical transect in the Llanganates National Park varied between elevations. A 7-day expedition was conducted along a new trail up Abitagua Range spanning 1,050 m in elevation. Each night, visual encounter surveys were employed to …

A Phenological Analysis Of Páramo Vegetation Along An Altitudinal Gradient: The Influence Of Camelids On Andean Flora In The Páramo Of Chimborazo, Ecuador, Tessa Seifried

Independent Study Project (ISP) Collection

This study hopes to reveal the mechanisms behind camelid-plant interactions in the Chimborazo province of Ecuador, which is known for having a large population of domesticated alpacas (Vicugna pacos), along with wild vicuñas (Vicugna vicugna) that were reintroduced into the area 30 years ago. These camelid species, especially vicuñas, are understudied within Ecuador in regards to their effects on plant composition, diversity, and spatial phenology. To gain a better insight into this topic, three sites were chosen: a site inhabited by only vicuña, a site inhabited by only alpaca, and a site inhabited by both species. The vicuña site sat …

Variations, Validations, Degradations, And Noninvasive Determination Of Pregnancy Using Fecal Steroid Metabolites In Free-Ranging Pronghorn, Cole A. Bleke, Eric M. Gese, Susannah S. French

United States Department of Agriculture Wildlife Services: Staff Publications

Pregnancy status is a key parameter used to assess reproductive performance of a species as it represents a starting point for measuring vital rates. Vital rates allow managers to determine trends in populations such as neonate survival and recruitment; two important factors in ungulate population growth rates. Techniques to determine pregnancy have generally involved capture and restraint of the animal to obtain blood samples for determining serum hormone levels. Non-invasive pregnancy assessment, via feces, eliminates any hazards between handler and animal, as well as removes handling-induced physiological biases. Using noninvasive fecal sampling, we conducted hormone validations, investigated pregnancy rates, and …

How Birds During Migration Maintain (Oxidative) Balance, Scott R. Mcwilliams, Wales A. Carter, Clara Cooper-Mullin, Kristen J. Demoranville, Abigail E. Frawley, Barbara J. Pierce, Megan Skrip

Biology Faculty Publications

Animals dynamically adjust their physiology and behavior to survive in changing environments, and seasonal migration is one life stage that demonstrates these dynamic adjustments. As birds migrate between breeding and wintering areas, they incur physiological demands that challenge their antioxidant system. Migrating birds presumably respond to these oxidative challenges by up-regulating protective endogenous systems or accumulating dietary antioxidants at stopover sites, although our understanding of the pre-migration preparations and mid-migration responses of birds to such oxidative challenges is as yet incomplete. Here we review evidence from field and captive-bird studies that address the following questions: (1) Do migratory birds build …

Satellite-Detected Ammonia Changes In The United States: Natural Or Anthropogenic Impacts, Yaqian He, Rongting Xu, Stephen A. Prior, Di Yang, Anni Yang, Jian Chen

United States Department of Agriculture Wildlife Services: Staff Publications

Ammonia (NH3) is the most abundant alkaline component and can react with atmospheric acidic species to form aerosols that can lead to numerous environmental and health issues. Increasing atmospheric NH3 over agricultural regions in the US has been documented. However, spatiotemporal changes of NH3 concentrations over the entire US are still not thoroughly understood, and the factors that drive these changes remain unknown. Herein, we applied the Atmospheric Infrared Sounder (AIRS) monthly NH3 dataset to explore spatiotemporal changes in atmospheric NH3 and the empirical relationships with synthetic N fertilizer application, livestock manure production, and climate factors across the entire US …

Adaptation Of An Artificial Bait To An Automated Aerial Delivery System For Landscape-Scale Brown Treesnake Suppression, Rafael A. Garcia, Thomas W. Mcauliffe, Lorelie P. Bumanlag, Shane R. Siers, Bruce A. Kimball

United States Department of Agriculture Wildlife Services: Staff Publications

Dead neonatal mice are currently used as bait for delivery of toxin to invasive brown treesnakes (Boiga irregularis) on Guam; once deployed in the field the mice are highly attractive to the snakes but only for about four days. An artificial bait containing a mixture of fats mimicking those in skin of the mice is also highly attractive to the snakes and remains attractive 2–3 times longer. The artificial bait, however, costs more than the mice, and is more difficult to attach to the capsules of a novel aerial bait delivery system. This paper describes a reformulation of the bait …