Ecology and Evolutionary Biology Commons^™

Fundamentals For Using Geographic Information Science To Measure The Effectiveness Of Land Conservation Projects, Robert G. Pontius Jr., Shaily Menon, Joseph Duncan, Shalini Gupta

Other Scholarly Publications

Some humans spend a tremendous amount of effort to change landscapes from a “natural” state to a “developed” state for a variety of desirable economic uses, such as urban, agriculture, transportation, and mining. Others spend a tremendous amount of effort to prevent such development in order to conserve the landscapes for a variety of important environmental uses, such as biodiversity maintenance, carbon storage, water filtration, and landslide prevention. It would be efficient in theory if a society were to focus its development efforts at locations that give the largest economic utility per area developed, and to focus its conservation efforts …

Faecal-Centric Approaches To Wildlife Ecology And Conservation; Methods, Data And Ethics, C. T. Darimont, T. E. Reimchen, H. M. Bryan, P. C. Paquet

Ethics and Conservation Biology Collection

Abundant and commonly encountered in the field, wildlife faeces have long attracted scientists. Recent advances in molecular techniques, however, especially when coupled with creative study designs, can now yield a great variety of high quality data. Herein, we review the opportunities and challenges of faecal-centric approaches to address ecological and conservation questions using wolves of coastal British Columbia, Canada, as a case system. We begin by discussing methodological considerations, which should have broad applicability to any wildlife study system. We then summarize the extensive and unique variety of data that has emerged from our ‘facts from faeces’ approach with wolves, …

The Horseshoe Crab Conundrum: Can We Harvest And Conserve?, Jennifer Mattei, Mark Beekey

Biology Faculty Publications

Horeshoe crabs "Limulus polyphemus" are remarkable ‘living fossils’ which have unique blood cells (amebocytes) that are used to test human vaccines for bacterial contamination. In the 1950’s, scientists at the Marine Biological Laboratory in Woods Hole, Massachusetts, not only discovered amebocytes but also found that they had special properties. If the amebocytes came into contact with bacteria, they would instantly coagulate around the bacteria and attack it. The Woods Hole scientists took this unique property of horseshoe crabs and developed a test for bacterial contamination using a horseshoe crab blood derivative called Limulus Amebocyte Lysate (LAL).

This article describes discusses …

Dwelling, Walking, Serving: Organic Preservation Along The Camino De Santiago Pilgrimage Landscape, Mercedes Chamberlain Quesada-Embid

Antioch University Dissertations & Theses

This study is an exploration of the people and the landscape of the well-known Camino de Santiago pilgrimage route. Although there are many routes that make up the entirety of the pilgrimage, this research is specifically focused on the landscape of the Camino Francés, or French Route, in northern Spain. The path has been written about in many ways and for a myriad of reasons since it became affiliated with the Christian tradition in the early ninth century. This research, however, is different. By way of an environmental history and hermeneutic approach, an investigation of the interrelated and overlapping human …

Burrowing Owl Associations With Black-Tailed Prairie Dog Colonies In Southwestern Kansas And Southeastern Colorado, Stephen L. Winter, Jack F. Cully Jr.

The Prairie Naturalist

We quantified the use of black-tailed prairie dog (Cynomys ludovicianus) colonies as habitat for the burrowing owl (Athene cunicularia) in southwestern Kansas and southeastern Colorado. We used incidental sightings and breeding season avifauna surveys to document the presence of the burrowing owl on black-tailed prairie dog colonies, non-colonized rangeland, and cropland during the spring and early summer. Burrowing owl rarely was observed on noncolonized rangeland and cropland sites, and black-tailed prairie dog colonies appear to be used substantially as a habitat type for the burrowing owl in the region encompassing Cimarron and Commanche National Grasslands in …

Animal Welfare Perspectives On Recreational Angling, Steven J. Cooke, Lynne U. Sneddon

Animal Welfare Collection

Fish captured by recreational anglers are often released either voluntarily or because of harvest regulations in a process called ‘‘catch-and-release’’. Catch-and-release angling is thought to be beneficial for the conservation of fish stocks based on the premise that most of the fish that are released survive. However, expanding interest in animal welfare has promoted debate regarding the ethics of catch-and-release angling. There is a growing recognition that fish can consciously experience nociception and that they have some capacity to experience pain and fear. Indeed, empirical anatomical, physiological, and behavioural evidence supports the notion that fish could experience these two forms …

The Emerging Dziggetai (Equidae: Equus Hemionus Pallas): An Illustrated History Of Taxonomic Concepts For The Identification, Classification, And Distribution Of Hemiones From Central Asia, Arnd Schreiber

Erforschung biologischer Ressourcen der Mongolei / Exploration into the Biological Resources of Mongolia, ISSN 0440-1298

The history of the discovery and the exploration of the hemione populations (Equus hemionus PALLAS) from Central Asia (Mongolia, northwest China, northeast Tibet, Kazakhstan, and Russian Siberia) from the 13th century to approximately 1950 are compiled with the aim to provide materials for a taxonomic and population genetic revision of the dziggetais. Data on their phenotypic differentiation, historical distribution status, and their husbandry history in European zoological gardens, are reviewed, as is the gradual emergence of concepts of how to identify and to classify these populations. Hemiones were an important historical case in the discussion of how to represent …

Population Assessment Of Khulan (Equus Hemionus) In Mongolia, Badamjav Lkhagvasuren

Erforschung biologischer Ressourcen der Mongolei / Exploration into the Biological Resources of Mongolia, ISSN 0440-1298

The data presented here suggest that 18,411 (± 224) khulan inhabit southern Mongolia with a density of 1.4 individuals per 1,000 km² within the 157,525 km² territory of its actual distribution. The Dornogobi province contains the highest number of khulan with a mere 67%, while 20% are found in the Ömnögobi province, 12% are in Djungarian Gobi and only 1% in the Gobi-Altay and Bayankhongor provinces. According to the proportion of foals and yearlings within each aimag, the Dornogobi, Ömnögobi east and Khovd populations have an average reproduction rate.

Kulan (Equus Hemionus Pallas 1775) In Turkmenistan, Victor S. Lukarevskiy, Yu. K. Gorelov

Erforschung biologischer Ressourcen der Mongolei / Exploration into the Biological Resources of Mongolia, ISSN 0440-1298

The kulan (Equus hemionus kulan) is the only odd-toed ungulate left in the wild in northern Eurasia. In the 1930s, the kulan survived in southern Turkmenistan only. In the 1940s, kulans were found only in an area named Badkhyz in Turkmenistan. To conserve the last natural population of this subspecies of kulan the Badkhyz Natural Reserve was established in 1941. The historical and contemporary distribution, fluctuation in numbers, conservation and sci research of kulan populations in the Badkhyz Natural reserve are reviewed in this paper.

Anadromous Rainbow Smelt And Tomcod In Connecticut: Assessment Of Populations, Conservation Status, And Need For Restoration Plan, Heather A. Fried, Eric T. Schultz

EEB Articles

(beginning of rainbow smelt executive summary)

Evidence indicates that anadromous rainbow smelt (Osmerus mordax) populations in Connecticut and elsewhere in the northeast United States have severely declined. Several sampling programs have documented declines in Connecticut’s smelt populations over the last three decades (Marcy 1976a, Marcy 1976b, Millstone Environmental Laboratory 2005). Similar declines have also been documented in the Hudson River (ASA Analysis & Communication 2005) and in Massachusetts (personal communication, Brad Chase, MA Division of Marine Fisheries 2004). Recreational and commercial fisheries in the region for this species have virtually ceased (Blake and Smith 1984). The Connecticut Fish Advisory Committee …

Assessment Of Anadromous Alewife And Blueback Herring Populations In Connecticut Coastal Streams And Connecticut River Tributaries, Justin P. Davis, Eric T. Schultz

EEB Articles

Alewife (Alosa pseudoharengus) and blueback herring (A. aestivalis) occur in anadromous populations that have a largely overlapping distribution from Florida to Newfoundland (Loesch 1987). Anadromous populations of these species are commonly collectively referred to as “river herring”. Adults inhabit coastal shelf waters until sexual maturity is reached at age 3-5 (Neves 1981). Sexually mature individuals make spawning migrations, commonly referred to as “runs”, into freshwater systems during spring months (Loesch 1987). Spawners can survive and return to spawn in subsequent years (Mullen et al. 1986). Juveniles reside in freshwater for 3-7 months, at which time they undertake a gradual migration …

A Switch From Polyandry To Serial Monogamy: Results From A Three Year Tagging Study Of Horseshoe Crabs In Long Island Sound, Jennifer Mattei Ph.D., Paul Goodell, Christine Depierro, Meghann Burke

Biology Faculty Publications

Part of an ongoing population study of the North American Horseshoe Crab, Limulus polyphemus, in Long Island Sound was completed during the 2003 – 2005 spawning seasons at Milford Point, in Milford, CT. Horseshoe crabs range more widely throughout Long Island Sound than expected and exhibit weak site fidelity. Animals originally tagged in Milford were found as far west as Stamford and as far east as Clinton, CT. during the 3 year study. Out of 522 female horseshoe crabs tagged in 2004 only 4 came back to spawn again at Milford Pt. in 2005. The sex ratios of tagged and …

Facts From Faeces: Prey Remains In Wolf, Canis Lupus, Faeces Revise Occurrence Records For Mammals Of British Columbia’S Coastal Archipelago, Michael H. H. Price, Chris T. Darimont, Neville N. Winchester, Paul C. Paquet

Biogeography and Ecological Opportunity Collection

Archipelagos often harbour taxa that are endemic and vulnerable to disturbance. Conservation planning and research for these areas depend fundamentally on accurate and current taxonomic inventories. Although basic ecological information is in its infancy, the temperate rainforest islands of coastal British Columbia are undergoing rapid human-caused modification, particularly logging. We report herein new mammal records for these islands as determined by prey remains in the faeces of Wolves (Canis lupus), the area’s apex mammalian terrestrial predator. Of particular interest is our detection of Marten (Martes americana) on islands previously inventoried and island occupancy by Moose (Alces alces), which have apparently …

Fisheries Research Report No. 148 - Historical Distribution And Abundance Of The Australian Sea Lion (Neophoca Cinerea) On The West Coast Of Western Australia, Richard Campbell

Fisheries Research Reports

Analysis of historical patterns of abundance of the Australian sea lion on the west coast of Western Australia suggests that the population size was greater prior to the impacts of colonization and commercial sealing/whaling between the 18th and 20th centuries. In addition, it is evident that there has been a reduction in the number of breeding sites along the west coast, particularly around the greater Perth metropolitan area. There is limited evidence of the impact of indigenous hunting on the abundance and distribution of this species. The major impacts on Australian sea lion populations were a combination of subsistence and …

Wild Bactrian Camel Conservation, Richard P. Reading, Evan S. Blumer, Henry Mix, Jadamsuren Adiya

Erforschung biologischer Ressourcen der Mongolei / Exploration into the Biological Resources of Mongolia, ISSN 0440-1298

The wild Bactrian camel (Camelus bactrianus ferus) is critically endangered throughout its range in China and Mongolia. Yet, wild camels remain poorly understood, with knowledge derived primarily from a few short studies and anecdotal information. We initiated a wild camel conservation project to determine the reasons for camel decline and to develop a program to address those problems.

We are employing satellite telemetry to gather data on wild camel movement patterns, home ranges, habitat use, and sources of mortality. We are also collecting feces from camels and wolves to determine important forage plants and to begin to assess …

Relationship Between Water Transparency And Species Richness Of Surviving Haplochromines In Selected Habitats In Mwanza Gulf - Lake Victoria, Hdj Mrosso, Bs Msuku, O Seehausen

Tanzania Journal of Science

Several of the surviving haplochromine species have been recorded in habitats of different water transparencies within the Mwanza Gulf. Sampling for the haplochromines was carried out in muddy, rocky, sandy and vegetated habitats. All of the recorded species had been reported previously. Fewer species were encountered than previously reported in the same sampling stations. There was evidence for positive correlation between species richness and water transparency that was reinforced with data on ecological differentiation. Further exploration and conservation measures of diversity have been suggested for Lake Victoria haplochromines.

Changes In Population Structures Of The Major Species In Selected Satellite Lakes Around Lake Victoria Following Changes In Fishing Effort, E F B Katunzi, M A Kishe

Tanzania Journal of Science

This paper evaluates the impacts of reduction in effort, increase in mesh sizes, and prohibition of illegal fishing gears in selected satellite lakes around Lake Victoria. The study was carried out in six satellite lakes by making investigations on fish collected from experimental and artisanal fisheries. The fishes were analysed for length frequencies, weight and numbers caught to determine the population structure of the fishes. Indiscriminate fishing by deploying illegal gears and increased fishing effort due to open access policy, the catch and diversity of the species in these lakes has declined. Establishment of Conservation Management Units (CMUs) as an …

Predators In Natural Fragments: Foraging Ecology Of Wolves In British Columbia’S Central And North Coast Archipelago, C. T. Darimont, M. H. H. Price, N. N. Winchester, J. Gordon-Walker, P. C. Paquet

Biogeography and Ecological Opportunity Collection

Aim Predator–prey dynamics in fragmented areas may be influenced by spatial features of the landscape. Although little is known about these processes, an increasingly fragmented planet underscores the urgency to predict its consequences. Accordingly, our aim was to examine foraging behaviour of an apex mammalian predator, the wolf (Canis lupus), in an archipelago environment.

Location Mainland and adjacent archipelago of British Columbia, Canada; a largely pristine and naturally fragmented landscape with islands of variable size and isolation.

Methods We sampled 30 mainland watersheds and 29 islands for wolf faeces in summers 2000 and 2001 and identified prey remains. We examined …

Aphytophagy In The Miletinae (Lycaenidae): Phylogeny, Ecology, And Conservation, John Mathew

Biological Sciences Theses & Dissertations

Less than 1% of all Lepidoptera are aphytophagous; of these, a considerable proportion is found in the family Lycaenidae. The aphytophagous Lycaenidae are believed to have arisen from a mutualistic template involving ant attendance. With this association firmly in place, it is a relatively simple shift to exploitation, either of the ants themselves, through active carnivory on the brood/trophallactic feeding from adults, or by carnivory on ant-tended homopterans, with little to no interference by the ants. Among lycaenids, aphytophagy has arisen several times; most spectacularly in the subfamily Miletinae, where all of the approximately 150 species are presumed or known …

Butterflies Of The North Okanagan, British Columbia, Canada, David L. Threatful

The Taxonomic Report of the International Lepidoptera Survey

An annotated list of 106 species of butterflies known to occur in the north Okanagan area of British Columbia, Canada is presented. Information is provided on flight phenology, elevation and habitat for each species. Field work over the past 100 years shows that this is one of the premiere areas in Canada for butterfly species diversity. More than one third of all known Canadian butterflies have been found in this small area.

Conservation And Restoration Of Pine Forest Genetic Resources In México, C. Sáenz-Romero, Amy E. Snively, R. Lindig-Cisneros

Student Published Works

Deforestation rates in México are about 670,000 ha/year. This threatens the richness of forest genetic resources in México, causing the disappearance of locally adapted populations and rare and endangered pine species. México is one of the six megadiverse countries in the world, with half of the world’s Pinus species. Pinus is one of the most economically and ecologically important forest genera in México. We suggest that delineation of seed zones and the establishment of a network of Forest Genetic Resource Conservation Units (FGRCUs), linked with forest management and ecological restoration programs will protect this valuable resource. We estimate that FGRCUs …

Vascular Flora Of Van Horn Woods, Plainfield Township, Will County, Il, Joseph Traina

Faculty Publications & Research

The vascular flora at Van Horn Woods Park was surveyed during the 1998-2000 growing seasons. This park is a 30 hectare site located in Plainfield Township, Will County, Illi- nois (SE1/4 S27 T36N R9E). A total of 246 taxa, representing 160 genera and 67 fami- lies, were identified within or immediately adjacent to the park. Seventy-one percent of these taxa were native. Four taxa were collected and submitted to the Morton Arboretum as new county records for Will County. The quality of this site as a natural area was also assessed using quantitative methods based on floral composition and diversity. …

Casco Bay Watershed Wetlands Characterization, State Planning Office

Maine Collection

Casco Bay Watershed Wetlands Characterization

State of Maine Executive Department - State Planning Office

Augusta, Maine, May 2001

Contents: Abstract / Background / Getting Started / Designing the System / The Characterization / The Prioritization / Results / Cautions / Significance of the Approach / Literature Cited / Figure 1 - Biophysical Regions of Maine / Appendix A: Steering Committee Members / Appendix B: Field Verification Form / Appendix C: Contacts

Tiger Restoration In Asia: Ecological Theory Vs. Sociological Reality, Ronald Tilson, Philip J. Nyhus, Neil Franklin

Faculty Scholarship

No abstract provided.

Increased Egg Conservation: Is It Essential For Recovery Of Whooping Cranes In The Aransas/Wood Buffalo Population?, James C. Lewis

Proceedings of the North American Crane Workshop

The whooping crane (Grus americana) is in a race for survival against adversities (genetic, demographic, and environmental) that are only partially understood. There is increasing evidence of genetic problems (drift, inbreeding, and loss of heterozygosity) in the captive population that likely also exist in the wild Aransas-Wood Buffalo Population (A WP), a consequence of the 1940s population bottleneck. Small populations are vulnerable to extinction through catastrophic events and random changes in productivity or survival. Negative environmental effects faced by whooping cranes include upstream diversion which diminish freshwater (nutrient) inflow into Texas wintering habitats, and expanding human activities along …

Los Coquís De Puerto Rico: Su Historia Natural Y Conservación, Rafael O. De Sá

Biology Faculty Publications

As the title indicates, this well-illustrated (115 photographs and 76 illustrations) book summarizes the current knowledge about the natural history of the 16 species of Eleutherodactylus inhabiting Puerto Rico. The book consists of eight chapters (including the epilogue) and it is clearly stated that it was written to serve both the scientific community and the nonspecialist reader. The goal of bridging these two audiences is ambitious and usually difficult; however, the book has probably accomplished this goal. The technical reader, i.e., students and professional herpetologists, will find a good summary of data and enough information to continue reading with interest. …

Managing Nature Reserves For Cranes In China, James Harris

Proceedings of the North American Crane Workshop

During the past 15 years, China has established more than 300 nature reserves. Many of the wetland reserves have been created primarily to protect endangered cranes. This paper summarizes the status of 22 nature reserves, 13 for breeding cranes and 9 for wintering cranes. The nature reserves have often been established in areas heavily populated or intensively used for economic purposes. Many reserves have been effective in stopping hunting of cranes. Taking of eggs or young has also been greatly reduced, but general human disturbances threaten successful nesting. Reserve authorities have also taken steps to prevent destruction or degradation of …

Maine's Endangered And Threatened Plants, Maine State Planning Office

Maine Collection

Maine's Endangered and Threatened Plants

Executive Department, Maine State Planning Office, Critical Areas Program, 1990.

Wildlife Conservation And Animal Rights: Are They Compatible?, Michael Hutchins, Christen Wemmer

Conservation Collection

The purpose of this paper is to explore the philosophical tenets of the animal rights/humane ethic as they relate to the environmental ethic and, more specifically, as they relate to wildlife management and conservation. The two ethics will be compared in an effort to identify potential sources of conflict. Recent criticisms of the animal rights ethic, most notably by Fox (1978, 1979), Rodman (1977), Callicott (1980), Gunn (1980), and Hutchins et al. (1982) have identified several major discrepancies. The implications of these differences will be discussed.

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.