Ecology and Evolutionary Biology Commons^™

Behavior Of Sandhill Cranes Near Power Lines Marked With Yellow Aviation Balls, Anne E. Morkill, Stanley H. Anderson

Proceedings of the North American Crane Workshop

The principal known cause of mortality for wild whooping cranes (Grus americana) is collision with powerlines. Methods to minimize powerline collisions will contribute to the species' long term recovery. We studied the flight behavior of sandhill cranes (G. canadensis) near powerlines marked with yellow aviation balls near the Platte River, Nebraska, in 1988-90. An age ratio of 24 juveniles:76 adults of 84 carcasses found under powerlines was significantly different from typical population ratios of 12: 88 for this species. Two-way contingency table analysis of crane flight behavior data indicated that cranes avoided markers (P < 0.(01), reducing the potential for collision. Proximity ofpowerlines to habitats used by cranes (P < 0.001), wind speed (P < 0.05), and age of bird (P < 0.(01) were important factors contributing to crane collisions with powerlines in Nebraska. Details are available in Wildl. Soc. Bull. 19(4):442-449.

Behavior Of Whooping Cranes During Initiation Of Migration, Thomas V. Stehn

Proceedings of the North American Crane Workshop

Whooping cranes (Grus americana) observed immediately before the initiation of migratory flights exhibited increased alertness, wing ruffling, and head tilting. Seven observations at Aransas National Wildlife Refuge (NWR), Texas, indicate that the departure of 1 group of whooping cranes may influence other nearby cranes to start migration, even though later departing groups may fly separately.

Development And Evaluation Of Tracer Particles For Use In Microzooplankton Herbivory Studies, Mary Putt

OES Faculty Publications

Two methods of preparing algae for use as tracer particles in single species measurements of microzooplankton herbivory were evaluated. Algae were either heat-killed and labelled with 5-(4,6-dichlorotriazin-2-yl amino fluorescein) (DTAF) (Rublee & Gallegos 1989; Mar, Ecol. Prog. Ser. 51: 221-227) or stained with hydroethidine (HYD). Both DTAF and HYD-stained algae were readily visible within the digestive vacuoles of most microzooplankton collected in estuarine and coastal waters of Massachusetts (USA) and preserved with Lugol's iodine. However, DTAF was ineffective at staining several chromophytic algae and the heat-kill process reduced cell volume by ≥ 50% in several of the algae which were …

Alloparental Care In The Prairie Skink, Eumeces Septentrionalis: A Case Of Mistaken Identity?, Louis A. Somma

Papers in Herpetology

Alloparental care , or one individual caring for the eggs or young of another , ha s been documented for a variety of verte brate organism s (Coyne & Sohn 1978; Frame et a1. 1983; Gowaty & Karlin 1984) . In t h i s a rticle I document an instance of alloparental care in the prairie skink , Eumeces septentrionalis .

Seasonal Feeding Behavior And Forage Selection By Goats In Cleared And Thinned Deciduous Woodlands In Northeast Brazil, Roberto Cesar Magalhaes Mesquita

All Graduate Theses and Dissertations, Spring 1920 to Summer 2023

The seasonal feeding behavior, forage preferences and body weight responses of goats were studied under three densities of woodland (called caatinga), and under three stocking rates. The experiment was located in the semi-arid tropics of northeastern Brazil at 3 42' South latitude, and 40 21' West longitude at an elevation of 75 meters. Mean annual precipitation of the area is 832 mm.

Removing the shrubs and trees increased yields of herbaceous only on partially-cleared sites. Goats gained body weight (kg BW/ha) during the wet season, with the cleared treatment showing the best body weight response per unit of land. However …

Notes On Maternal Behavior And Post-Brooding Aggression In The Prairie Skink, Eumeces Septentrionalis, Louis A. Somma

Papers in Herpetology

Observations of three female prairie skinks (E. septentrionalis) obtained in Omaha, NE, in 1983, including nest building, oviposition, incubation, defensive behavior, grooming of hatchlings, neonatal care, and post-brooding aggression.

Determinants Of Variation In Avian Mobbing Behavior, Charles Ray Chandler Jr.

Biological Sciences Theses & Dissertations

Using three combinations of two experimental stimuli, I initiated mobbing behavior in various species of birds. The objectives of this research were to test the effects of stimuli on mobbing, the predictions of the hypothesis that mobbing functions to drive a predator away, and the effect of other species and individuals on the mobbing behavior of a bird. Mobbing experiments were conducted in a variety of habitats and locations from January 1983 through February 1984.

Only 6.5% of all trials with the mount-only stimulus were successful in attracting birds. Tape-only and mount-and-tape stimuli were equally effective in attracting birds, but …

Differential Behavior Of Coyotes With Regard To Home Range Limits, Charles E. Harris

All Graduate Theses and Dissertations, Spring 1920 to Summer 2023

This study was conducted to examine coyote behavioral responses to novel stimuli in familiar and unfamiliar environments and the implications of this behavior with regard to specific coyote management and research techniques. A series of pen studies with captive coyotes was undertaken at the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service's Predator Ecology and Behavior Project research site, Logan, Utah, to observe the range and type of behaviors coyotes showed towards small novel objects and standard scent stations in familiar and unfamiliar 1-ha enclosures. The initial response to these novel stimuli in familiar environments was one of neophobia and caution, whereas in …

Cameron B. Kepler's Review Of Janet Kear And A. J. Berger's The Hawaiian Goose: An Experiment In Conservation, Cameron B. Kepler

Pacific Studies

No abstract provided.

The Effects Of Ethostasis On Farm Animal Behavior: A Theoretical Overview, A. F. Fraser, M. W. Fox

Ethology Collection

The solution of animal problems that occur on the farm requires a holistic and multidisciplinary orientation and analysis, as well as the acquisition of new investigatory tools by both veterinarians and animal scientists. Field studies may be modeled under more controlled laboratory conditions, but the most relevant investigations must take place on the farm, and the first level of analysis should be ethological. Domestic animal behavior can be monitored and quantified like any other factor in the animals' environment; yet it has been virtually ignored in the development of new livestock husbandry systems.

The relationships between husbandry systems, disease problems, …

The Influence Of Winter Social Behavior On The Habitat Selection And Reproductive Success Of The Black-Billed Magpie, Kerry P. Reese

All Graduate Theses and Dissertations, Spring 1920 to Summer 2023

This study examined the influence of winter social behavior, particularly dominance relationships, on the subsequent nesting habitat selection and reproductive success of Black-billed Magpies (Pica pica hudsonia) on 2 areas in northern Utah. Hierarchical cluster analysis ordinated the habitats available to breeding birds and Chi-square and Bonferoni-z statistics were used to determine those habitat types the magpies seemed to prefer. Social status was determined by observing color-banded birds engaged in agonistic encounters at winter bait stations. Social dominance was evaluated by % dyads won, not by total % victories. Relationships between winter social status of magpies and their …

Equine Behavior Problems In Relation To Humane Management, Katherine A. Houpt

Equines Collection

The behavior problems of horses are frequently related to management practices. Behaviors that are termed stall vices appear to be either stereotyped behaviors that occur in reaction to stress, or patterns that emerge when natural behaviors such as grazing are prevented. The behavior cases presented to the New York State College of Veterinary Medicine, Cornell University, were tabulated: 27% were stall vices and 27% were some form of aggression. The stall vices were circling, digging, kicking the stall, chewing wood, swallowing air or self-mutilation. Management of horses on pasture rather than in stalls prevents the development of many of these …

The Social Behavior Of Brown Bears At Mcneil River, Alaska, Allan L. Egbert

All Graduate Theses and Dissertations, Spring 1920 to Summer 2023

The social behavior of brown bears (Ursus arctos) was studied during the summers of 1972 and 1973 as bears fished for salmon at McNeil River, Alaska. Study objectives were to determine behavioral characteristics of bears in relation to sex and age, changes in social behavior over a 40-day long fishing season, social and environmental parameters correlated with the occurrence of behavior, and to test the hypothesis that brown bears modify social behavior in a feeding aggregation to exploit a resource limited in time and space.

Over one-half of the agonistic interactions consisted of passive deferrals. Encounters that included …

Sheep Behavior And Vulnerability To Coyote Predation, Ernest Albert Gluesing

All Graduate Theses and Dissertations, Spring 1920 to Summer 2023

This study examined the activity patterns and social relation ships between individuals in a large herd of domestic sheep (Ovis aries) in an effort to determine if behavioral characteristics predisposed certain individuals to coyote (Canis latrans) predation.

The research was conducted on the Cook Ranch near Florence, Montana, from March through September of 1975. Data were collected from a herd of 627 ewes and 1082 lambs, each individually identifiable. A random sample of 44 ewes and their 75 lambs were intensively studied over a 16-wk period to establish activity budgets and the relationships between sheep activity …

Trout Movements In A Small Mountain Stream, Thomas Mark Twedt

All Graduate Theses and Dissertations, Spring 1920 to Summer 2023

Five groups of 400 hatchery rainbow trout, (Salmo gairdneri), were stocked in a small, mountain stream at 3-week intervals from June to September, 1972. A fish trap captured any fish moving out of a 500 m study section.

Fish began moving at high levels during the first day of each stocking and continued at high rates for 5-8 days (Early Phase), after which movement decreased to low levels for 6-9 days (Late Phase). Early Phase fish moved primarily at night, possibly due to their disoriented state and high subjectivity to stream conditions. Fish moving during Late Phase did …

Sub-Aversive Response Contingent Foot Shock As A Positive Reinforcer, Robert Lea Fulwiler

All Master's Theses

Forty-eight rats were divided into 8 groups; four were maintained under normal conditions and the other four under sensory deprivation and tested at o, 3, 6, and 9 days after condition institution. The response was placing the head through a hole in the operant chamber and the stimulus (0, 1.2, 4, or 12 Vac) was contingent upon the response. Analysis ot variance disclosed significant differences (p<.01) between the deprived and the non-deprived groups at days 6 and 9; and a significant interaction between deprivation condition and time of test. No differences were shown between the stimulus intensities indicating that the stimulus did not have a reinforcing effect.