Ecology and Evolutionary Biology Commons^™

The Lord Howe Island Rodent Eradication: Social And Technical Lessons For Inhabited Islands, Grant A. Harper, Simon Pahor, Kelly Harrington, Darcelle Matassoni, Darryl Birch

Human–Wildlife Interactions

The 2019 rodent eradication on 1,455-ha Lord Howe Island, Australia, was the second and largest attempted on a permanently inhabited island. With 445 residents, it presented numerous novel challenges, resulting in an operation best summarized in 4 words: compromise, commensal, complexity, and cost. A ground-based operation was conducted across the inhabited portion of the island, some 300 ha known as the “settlement,” with aerial bait applied on forested hill country and cliffs (1,200 ha). Initial community resistance and the presence of mice (Mus musculus) meant that almost 19,000 external bait stations were established within the settlement, on a …

Rat Biosecurity Surveillance And Response Following Eradication On A Tropical Atoll, David Ringler, Richard Griffiths, Frank Murphy, Baudouin Des Monstiers, James C. Russell

Human–Wildlife Interactions

Biosecurity is a key element following any eradication operation, employing tools that allow both the identification and elimination of survivors or the early detection of new invaders. Eradication managers must ensure the surveillance strategy is correctly adapted to the spatial context and that the potential causes of a pest’s presence are understood to optimize their operational plans. We used the case of the eradication of black (Rattus rattus) and Pacific rats (Rattus exulans) from Honuea and Onetahi islets (Tetiaroa Atoll, French Polynesia) in 2020 to test an approach that combines rapid eradication assessment modelling and genetic …

An Automatic System To Evaluate Bait Station Visitation By Brown Treesnakes And Mongooses, Robert T. Sugihara, William C. Pitt, Are R. Berentsen, Francis L. Benevides Jr.

Human–Wildlife Interactions

Understanding the temporal, spatial, and behavioral patterns of the free-ranging target species in response to candidate baits and baiting strategies is important to ensure control success. This information can also assist in the development and deployment of feeding stations and can exclude non-target species while constituting effective bait delivery and control strategies for certain invasive animals, especially at environmentally sensitive sites. We used passive integrated transponder (PIT) tags in conjunction with very-high frequency radio-telemetry to remotely record bait station visitations and evaluate bait attractiveness in separate field research studies of brown treesnakes (Boiga irregularis) on Andersen Air Force …

A Look To The Future: New And Innovative Invasive Wildlife Management And Eradication Technologies, Aaron B. Shiels, Katherine E. Horak

Human–Wildlife Interactions

Certain wildlife tools and discoveries have been true “game changers” for invasive species management and eradications on islands. This article provides an overview of 3 cutting-edge technologies that are being eagerly pursued, but are not yet operational, for invasive wildlife management to build efficiency, reduce environmental impacts, and/or improve animal welfare practices.

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Hwi Monograph Series

Human–Wildlife Interactions

The HWI Monograph Series includes open access publications on wild pigs, black bears, deer, and free-ranging domestic cats.

Table Of Contents

Human–Wildlife Interactions

This is the table of contents.

Hwi Monograph Series

Human–Wildlife Interactions

The HWI Monograph Series includes open access publications on wild pigs, black bears, deer, and free-ranging domestic cats.

Human–Alligator Incidents In The United States: Risky Human Behaviors Cause Most “Attacks”, Mark S. Teshera, Azar Kordbacheh, Frank J. Mazzotti

Human–Wildlife Interactions

Interactions between humans and American alligators (Alligator mississippiensis), often resulting in negative outcomes for both participants, have occurred for centuries in the United States. As both populations increased over time, contact and conflict with one another became inevitable. Although human–alligator conflicts have been well documented, there has been no detailed classification of risk factors associated with human activities immediately preceding, and in most cases precipitating, an encounter. Herein, we provide a ranking system to categorize different human activities, based on risk levels, immediately preceding an encounter with an alligator. To complete our review in 2021, we initially gleaned …

Changes Coming To Human–Wildlife Interactions Publishing Procedures, S. Nicole Frey

Human–Wildlife Interactions

The editor-in-chief provides information about upcoming journal policy and procedure changes.

The First Translocation Of Bighorn Sheep In California: A Critical Review Of The Activities Of William Franklin Frakes, Vernon C. Bleich, Glenn W. Sudmeier, Michael W. Wolter, Richard A. Weaver

Human–Wildlife Interactions

In the absence of verification, historical aspects of wildlife management or conservation sometimes have become established in the literature and persisted therein for decades; in other situations, serendipitous discoveries have corrected information that earlier had been treated as factual. In some cases, efforts to vet historical accounts have been ongoing for many years; such is the case involving William Franklin Frakes, an American rancher, naturalist, adventurer, and author, who captured and translocated bighorn sheep (Ovis canadensis) in California, USA, near the turn of the twentieth century. In this review, we provide information that substantiates the majority of Frakes’s …

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Predicting Mountain Lion Resource Selection And Abundance In North America, William Connor O'Malley

Graduate Student Theses, Dissertations, & Professional Papers

The relationship between habitat quality and density is well documented in lower trophic levels but to what extent it can be extended to higher trophic levels is unknown. I tested the relationship between habitat quality, home-range size and density using a wide-ranging, well-studied, top carnivore, the mountain lion (Puma concolor). First, I created a second-order resource selection function (RSF) for mountain lions in their current North American range using GPS collar data from 476 individuals in 20 study sites and remotely-sensed landscape data. I used the RSF and home range estimates derived from collared animals to quantify mountain …

Individual And Population Responses To Hydrologic Variability In A Headwater Stream Salamander, Madaline Cochrane

Graduate Student Theses, Dissertations, & Professional Papers

Understanding how organisms respond to environmental variability is a central goal in ecology – a goal made even more pressing by the herculean challenge global climate change presents to all organisms. Climate change is increasing the frequency and intensity of floods and droughts, which will likely have disproportionate effects on freshwater organisms. Many stream-associated species have multi-stage life histories. However, we lack an empirical understanding of life history and movement responses of these organisms to hydrologic disturbances, and how these responses may influence demographic rates. In my dissertation, I used a combination of growth, developmental, movement, and demographic data to …

Responses Of Elk To Mangement Actions And Hunter Access In The Northern Sapphire Mountains, Montana, Usa, Peter O. Mumford

Graduate Student Theses, Dissertations, & Professional Papers

Chapter 1

Regulation of rifle hunting of adult female elk is the main tool wildlife managers use to manage the abundance of elk (Cervus canadensis) in the western United States. However, elk are increasingly located in areas where hunting access is restricted during rifle-hunting season, decreasing the ability of managers to reduce elk abundance through hunter harvest. Management actions that restricted hunter access in a 26 km2 area and closed 62 kms of predominantly 2-wheel motorized routes occurred in the northern Sapphire Mountains, Montana, USA. We collected data on elk locations before and two years after the management actions and …

How Aquatic Insects Mitigate Temperature-Oxygen Challenges Via Behavioral, Morphological, And Physiological Plasticity, Jackson H. Birrell

Graduate Student Theses, Dissertations, & Professional Papers

How do organisms respond to environmental challenges and to environmental change? These questions occupy a central place in ecology and answering them will help us to understand why species live where they do, how organisms are affected by human activities, and, ultimately, how to choose among alternative conservation strategies. These questions are difficult, however, for two reasons. First, environmental challenges often involve multiple, interacting stressors. Second, individual responses can be modified by behavioral, morphological, and physiological plasticity. My dissertation investigates how interactions between temperature and oxygen influence the performance and survival of aquatic insects and how plasticity allows individuals to …

Investigating Dormancy And Germination Characteristics To Promote Restoration Success In The Northern Great Plains, Gregory A. Cooper

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

Failures in seed-based restoration can be partially attributed to a lack of knowledge on seed dormancy. Dormancy is beneficial for plant establishment in unpredictable environmental conditions, but a lack of uniform germination can hinder restoration efforts. The purpose of this research was to gain a better understanding of dormancy displayed by select forbs of the northern Great Plains. The first data chapter attempted to identify and break dormancy class. Seeds were treated with scarification, smoke, and fertilizer pretreatments in an attempt to break seed dormancy. Seeds were also placed in spring and summer temperatures to identify how seasonal phenology influenced …

Effects Of Agricultural Chemicals On Native Plants Of The Northern Great Plains, Gabrielle Bolwerk

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

Agricultural chemicals are ubiquitous on the Northern Great Plains landscape and have negative impacts on non-target plant communities, even at small doses. Northern Great Plains grassland plant communities may experience herbicide drift from agricultural fields or be subject to livestock pharmaceuticals in grazing lands. My research objective was to evaluate if and how native plants are affected by agricultural chemical presence at different concentrations. In Chapter 2, I studied the effect of different concentrations of three common agricultural herbicides (2,4-D, atrazine, and trifluralin) on the germination, emergence, and growth of native plant species of the Northern Great Plains. I performed …

C3 And C4 Grass Dominated Plant Communities Differ In Response To Future Larger And Less Frequent Rainfall, Zigeng Chen

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

Climate change is leading to larger and less frequent rainfall in the Northern Great Plains (NGP). We ask if this change in rainfall would influence carbon (C) and nitrogen (N) cycling in the NGP. First, we collected soils from C3 and C4 grass dominated plant communities from western South Dakota and conducted an incubation experiment to explore the effects of soil water content (SWC) and temperature on soil respiration (Rs) and N mineralization rate (ΔIN). Second, we conducted a three-year rainfallmanipulation (RaMP) experiment with two distinct rainfall regimes (frequent/small and infrequent/large events with constant total monthly precipitation) and two grasses …

Ecological Impacts Of Anthropogenic Chemicals On Non-Target Species And The Role Of Plant Diversity In Ecosystem Restoration And Resilience, Shiva Torabian

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

Understanding ecosystem processes in rangelands is of paramount importance for ensuring global food security, given their pivotal role in sustaining forage and livestock production. Central to this understanding are fundamental processes such as nutrient cycling, decomposition, and plant biomass dynamics. However, the use of anthropogenic chemicals in agricultural practices has the potential to exert significant influence on these critical ecosystem functions. A pivotal factor in this context is the plant diversity inherent to these rangeland ecosystems. Plant diversity not only provides essential ecosystem functions but also enhances them with the capacity to withstand and recover from perturbations. Ecosystems characterized by …

Traditional Ecological Philosophy, Michael J. Desrosier

Graduate Student Theses, Dissertations, & Professional Papers

A collection of creative essays that span a range of topics centered on Indigenous environmental wisdom.

Seedy Business: Unveiling Fruit-Frugivore Interactions In Loango National Park, Gabon, Diandra Mary Lewis

Graduate Student Theses, Dissertations, & Professional Papers

Fruit-frugivore interactions within forest ecosystems are intricate and are critical determinants of community structure, function, and composition. Increasing anthropogenic impacts on biodiversity in general and forests in particular highlight the need to better understand these plant-animal relationships. This thesis focuses on connections between fruit-bearing plants and the animals that eat their fruits in a relatively undisturbed rainforest in Gabon. The work combines two studies: one scrutinising fruit trait clustering, and the other delving into the difference between using dispersers versus consumers in seed dispersal networks.

In chapter 1, we focused on fruit traits and how they group together in order …

Genetic And Environmental Contributions To Wolbachia-Induced Cytoplasmic Incompatibility, Kelley Van Vaerenberghe

Graduate Student Theses, Dissertations, & Professional Papers

Maternally-transmitted Wolbachia infect the cells of most insect species, but their frequencies in host populations vary. While much of their success can be attributed to their ability to manipulate host reproduction, these manipulations are context-dependent, varying due to several biotic and abiotic factors. Wolbachia’s most common manipulation, cytoplasmic incompatibility (CI), is a conditional sterility phenotype where male-female host compatibility depends on their infection status. Specifically, CI occurs when infected males produce modified sperm that cause increased embryonic lethality unless the female carries a similar infection. Rescuing their eggs from CI increases the relative fitness of infected females, promoting Wolbachia spread …

An Interdisciplinary Approach To Understanding Ecosystem Processes And Human Perceptions Of Montana’S Mountain Lakes, Carly Innis

Graduate Student Theses, Dissertations, & Professional Papers

Mountain lake ecosystems are critical in their roles in global biogeochemical cycling and providing vital ecosystem services, including freshwater resources, ecological habitats, and recreational opportunities. Ecological processes in mountain lakes, especially those occurring in the littoral, or near-shore zones, are linked to society and can be negatively influenced by human behavior, consequently threatening ecosystem services a lake provides. To investigate this problem, this study interrogates two inter-related issues. First, I assessed ecosystem metabolic services of biological activity that demonstrate a lake’s role in carbon cycling through sampling and monitoring a series of mountain lakes. During the summer of 2022, we …

Ecohydrology Of Coastal Aquifers In Humid Environments And Implications Of A Drying Climate, Madeleine Dyring, Harald Hofmann, David Stanton, Patrick Moss, Ray Froend

Research outputs 2022 to 2026

Coastal groundwater-dependent ecosystems (GDEs), such as wetlands, estuaries and mangrove forests, are globally important habitats that promote biodiversity, provide climate regulation and serve as refugia for plant and animal communities. However, global warming, coastal development and over-abstraction threaten the availability and quality of groundwater in coastal aquifers and, by extension, the ecohydrological function of dependent ecosystems. Because ecohydrological knowledge of coastal groundwater is disparate across disciplines and habitat types, we begin by summarising the physiochemical, biological and hydrological processes supported by groundwater across coastal watersheds. Groundwater makes a significant but poorly recognised contribution to the function and resilience of coastal …

Forest Hydrology In Chile: Past, Present, And Future, Francisco Balocchi, Mauricio Galleguillos, Diego Rivera, Alejandra Stehr, Jose Luis Arumi, Roberto Pizarro, Pablo Garcia-Chevesich, Andrés Iroumé, Juan J. Armesto, Pedro Hervé-Fernández, Carlos Oyarzún, Pilar Barría, Christian Little, Gabriel Mancilla, Santiago Yépez, Rolando Rodriguez, Don A. White, Richard P. Silberstein, Daniel G. Neary, Pablo Ramírez De Arellano

Research outputs 2022 to 2026

This paper reviews the current knowledge of hydrological processes in Chilean temperate forests which extend along western South America from latitude 29° S to 56 ° S. This geographic region includes a diverse range of natural and planted forests and a broad sweep of vegetation, edaphic, topographic, geologic, and climatic settings which create a unique natural laboratory. Many local communities, endangered freshwater ecosystems, and downstream economic activities in Chile rely on water flows from forested catchments. This review aims to (i) provide a comprehensive overview of Chilean forest hydrology, to (ii) review prior research in forest hydrology in Chile, and …

Assessing The Need For Harmonized Marine Debris Monitoring And Equity To Support Participation In The Global Plastics Treaty Negotiations By Caribbean Sids, Kristal Ambrose

World Maritime University Ph.D. Dissertations

This research addresses the challenge of marine plastic pollution with particular reference to Caribbean Small Island Developing States (SIDS). Marine plastic pollution is of particular significance to these states since they suffer from a disproportionate incidence of plastic pollution on their coasts. In line with the region's need to protect its marine environment and subsequently its economy from the grave impacts of plastic pollution, this work assesses marine debris monitoring within Caribbean SIDS, and the barriers faced and considerations needed for unified monitoring efforts that support policy development. Additionally, the research examines microplastics on the beaches of Caribbean SIDS, and …