Population Biology Commons^™

A Retrospective Serological Survey For Infectious Bursal Disease Virus In Free-Ranging Sandhill Cranes In South-Central Wisconsin, Richard R. Sim, Barry K. Hartup

Proceedings of the North American Crane Workshop

A retrospective serosurvey of resident sandhill cranes (Grus candensis pratensis) in Florida suggested Infectious Bursal Disease Virus (IBDV, family Birnaviridae) may have been enzootic there as early as 1992, with 13-63% seroprevalence among age classes and wide geographic distribution of seropositive cranes. The purpose of our study was to describe the prevalence of antibodies to IBDV serotype 2 in a local population of greater sandhill cranes (G. c. tabida) near Briggsville, Wisconsin, that overlapped with resident Florida birds in winter during the same time period. Blood samples were collected June through October between 1996 and 1999 …

Summary Of Sandhill Crane Hunting Seasons In Kansas 1993–2007, David E. Sharp, Helen M. Hands, James A. Dubovsky, John E. Cornely

Proceedings of the North American Crane Workshop

The mid-continent population of sandhill cranes (Grus canadensis) is the largest population of cranes in North America. Hunting seasons for sandhill cranes were closed in 1916 and gradually resumed in Mexico (1940), the United States (1961), and Canada (1964). As knowledge of the biology of cranes and experience with hunting seasons increased, areas in which hunting was permitted expanded, and by 1992 all but 2 states (Nebraska and Kansas) in the U.S. portion of the Central Flyway conducted sport hunting seasons for this population. In 1993 Kansas resumed hunting and initial seasons were limited to specified geographic areas of …

Proceedings Of The Eleventh North American Crane Workshop: Preface And Contents

Proceedings of the North American Crane Workshop

The North American Crane Working Group (NACWG) is an organization of professional biologists, aviculturists, land managers, and other interested individuals dedicated to the conservation of cranes and their habitats in North America. Our group meets approximately every 3 years to exchange new information on research and conservation of sandhill and whooping cranes and occasionally reports from abroad. Our meeting in Wisconsin Dells, Wisconsin, 23-27 September 2008, was no exception. The workshop was ably organized by Tom Hoffman, the scientific program was well-constructed by Jane Austin, and George Archibald and Richard Urbanek helped to bring together a memorable field day in …

Wintering Sandhill Crane Distribution And Habitat Use Patterns At Bosque Del Apache National Wildlife Refuge, New Mexico, Tandi L. Perkins, Leigh H. Fredrickson

Proceedings of the North American Crane Workshop

The single most important factor regulating sandhill crane (Grus canadensis) populations is their ability to carry out annual life cycle events while responding to changing habitat availability and distribution across local, regional, and continental landscapes. Wetland and cropland resource availability and distribution across the landscape have become increasingly unpredictable. Recent changes in farming practices, urbanization, and prevailing drought conditions in New Mexico have transformed and reduced dynamic, heterogeneous landscapes into scattered fragments of the original setting. Concerns are increasing for the cumulative influence of these often irreversible actions in providing the type of resources needed by cranes at …

Promiscuous Mating In Feral Pigs (Sus Scrofa) From Texas, Usa, Johanna Delgado-Acevedo, Angeline Zamorano, Randy W. Deyoung, Tyler A. Campbell, David G. Hewitt, David B. Long

United States Department of Agriculture Wildlife Services: Staff Publications

Context. Feral pigs represent a significant threat to agriculture and ecosystems and are disease reservoirs for pathogens affecting humans, livestock and other wildlife. Information on the behavioural ecology of feral pigs might increase the efficiency and effectiveness of management strategies.

Aims. We assessed the frequency of promiscuous mating in relation to oestrous synchrony in feral pigs from southern Texas, USA, an agroecosystem with a widespread and well established population of feral pigs. An association between multiple paternity of single litters and synchrony of oestrous may indicate alternative mating strategies, such as mateguarding.

Methods. We collected gravid sows at …

Leptodactylus Savagei, W. R. Heyer, Miriam M. Heyer, Rafael O. De Sá

Biology Faculty Publications

Adult Leptodactylus savagei are large, the head is as wide as long or usually wider than long, and the hind limbs are moderate in length (Table 1; Heyer and Thompson (2000) provided definitions of adult size and leg length categories for Leptodactylus). Male vocal sacs are not visible externally. Sexually active males have hypertrophied forearms, usually 1 large black spine on each thumb, rarely with 1 large spine and a prepollical bump, and a pair of black chest spines. A pair of entire dorsolateral folds extend anteriorly from at least one_half to full distance from eye to groin, the …

The Ratio Of Gametophytes To Tetrasporophytes Of Intertidal Chondrus Crispus (Gigartinaceae) Across A Salinity Gradient, Michele Guidone, Sean Grace

Biology Faculty Publications

Population studies of the Gigartinaceae (Rhodophyta) have often observed that the ratio of gametophytes to tetrasporophytes varies with the location of the population or the time of sampling. For some species, patterns have emerged that correlate this ratio to one or a few particular environmental variables, such as elevation, wave exposure, or season. Identifying these distributional patterns is an important step towards understanding what (if any) ecological differences exist between the two free-living life history stages.

The purpose of this study was to measure the ratio of gametophytes to tetrasporophytes of intertidal populations of Chondrus crispus across a decreasing salinity …

Reproductive Behavior In Horseshoe Crabs: Does Density Matter?, Jennifer Mattei, Mark Beekey, Adam Rudman, Alyssa Woronik

Biology Faculty Publications

While the four species of horseshoe crabs share many common reproductive traits with respect to their reproductive systems, they do differ with respect to their mating behavior (monogamy vs. polygynandry). Past research has attributed these differences to a number of factors including: spawning densities, operational sex ratios (OSR’s), male condition (or age), environmental and/or genetic factors, or a combination thereof. Mating behaviors in the three Asian horseshoe crab species (Tachypleus gigas , T. tridentatus, and Carcinoscorpius rotundicauda ) with low spawning densities and 1:1 operational sex ratios are typically monogamous. In Limulus polyphemus , mating behavior is more …

Movement Patterns And Population Genetics Of The American Horseshoe Crab In Relation To Long Island Sound Conservation Strategies, Jo-Marie Kasinak, Kirk A. Bartholomew, Mark Beekey, Jennifer Mattei

Biology Faculty Publications

The Connecticut Department of Environmental Protection (CTDEP) established three no-harvest zones for the horseshoe crab (Limulus polyphemus) population as part of a conservation plan for the species. Data from a long-term mark/recapture study of horseshoe crabs in conjunction with a microsatellite-based genetic survey of the population were analyzed to determine if this plan was appropriate to conserve genetic diversity and broaden our knowledge of movement patterns of Limulus in Long Island Sound (LIS). To date, ~53,000 crabs have been tagged over a 10 year period through the Project Limulus program with an annual average recapture rate of 12 …

Fisheries Management Paper No.245 - Aquaculture Of Coral, Live Rocks And Associated Products. Aquaculture Policy, Department Of Fisheries, Western Australia

Fisheries Management Papers

Aquarium enthusiasts use corals, live rock and associated products (e.g. live sand) for display and to maintain healthy water quality conditions in their marine aquariums. There is a large and growing market for these products. While the wild harvest fisheries for aquarium products in Western Australia are sustainably managed, output is capped, so increased product is needed to meet the market demand. With a trend towards the capping of wild harvest and additional pressures, such as the introduction of Marine Parks and other marine protected areas, the aquaculture of these products is set for industry development and expansion.

The large …

The Very Basics Of Sustainability - An Alternative Viewpoint (Slides With Audio) (Large File! To Speed Up Download, Right-Click On "Download" Link To Save To Own Pc.), Jim Mcgovern

Other resources

This presentation sets out the very basics of ‘sustainability’, although a definition of sustainability is not attempted. Some of the very basics are the context in which the Earth and humankind exist in space and time, the Earth’s climate, the Earth’s population and humankind’s options and choices. The author advocates keeping an open mind on all available options, including the use of oil, gas, coal, tar sands, carbon capture and sequestration, nuclear power etc., as well as the technologies that are more widely considered ‘green’. The author also argues that, in addressing the challenges that humankind faces, globally concerted effort …

Predicting Leptodactylus (Amphibia, Anura, Leptodactylidae) Distributions: Broad-Ranging Versus Patchily Distributed Species Using A Presence-Only Environmental Niche Modeling Technique, Miguel Fernández, Daniel Cole, W. R. Heyer, Stephen Reichle, Rafael O. De Sá

Biology Faculty Publications

Locality data available for many, if not most, species of Neotropical frogs are based on written descriptions of the collecting sites, not on GPS device determined coordinate data. The pre-GPS device data are imprecise relative to GPS data. Niche modeling is a powerful technique for predicting geographic distributions that provides the best results when the locality data are precise. The purpose of this study is to determine whether imprecise historical locality data are sufficient such that niche modeling techniques can yield realistic new insights to species-level distributions. Two sets of frogs of the genus Leptodactylus that have known different kinds …

Modeling And Analysis Of Biological Populations, Joan Lubben

Department of Mathematics: Dissertations, Theses, and Student Research

Asymptotic and transient dynamics are both important when considering the future population trajectory of a species. Asymptotic dynamics are often used to determine whether the long-term trend results in a stable, declining or increasing population and even provide possible directions for management actions. Transient dynamics are important for estimating invasion speed of non-indigenous species, population establishment after releasing biocontrol agents, or population management after a disturbance like fire. We briefly describe here the results in this thesis.

(1) We consider asymptotic dynamics using discrete time linear population models of the form n(t + 1) = An(t) where …

Natural Life Histories Of Alaska Colias (Lepidoptera: Pieridae), Jack L. Harry

The Taxonomic Report of the International Lepidoptera Survey

Eight species of the genus Colias of Alaska were studied during the years of 2005, 2006, and 2007. Natural life histories were determined, immature stages described, measured, and photographed. Scanning Electron Microscope (SEM) pictures of the micropyle of five species are included.

Barrow Island Ute Guide - Non-Indigenous Insects, Spiders And Snails, Mike Grimm, Kristofer Collett, Peter Davis, Marc Widmer, Andras Szito, Rob Emery, Peter Mangano

Biosecurity published reports

Barrow Island, the second largest island in Western Australia, is a Class A Nature Reserve and home to a variety of rare and endangered fauna and flora, some of which occur nowhere else. The island lies about 70 km off the north-west coast of Western Australia and 150 km west of Karratha.

Oil discoveries in the 1960s and the development of massive Northwest Shelf gas reserves since the 1990s made Barrow Island an important site for these industries. Strict environmental and quarantine conditions are placed on industry seeking permits to drill oil wells and construct gas processing plants. Oil production …

Modeling And Analysis Of The Spread Of Japanese Encephalitis With Environmental Effects, Ram Naresh, Surabhi Pandey

Applications and Applied Mathematics: An International Journal (AAM)

A nonlinear mathematical model for the spread of Japanese Encephalitis, caused by infected mosquito feeding on susceptible human population incorporating demographic and environmental factors is proposed and analyzed. In the modeling process, it is assumed that the growth rates of reservoir animal population and vector mosquito population are enhanced due to environmental discharges caused by human population related factors. The model is analyzed by stability theory of differential equations and computer simulation. Both the disease-free and the endemic equilibria are found and their stability is investigated. It is found that whenever the disease-free equilibrium is locally asymptotically stable, the endemic …

Temporal Shifts In Demography And Life History Of An Anadromous Alewife Population In Connecticut, Justin P. Davis, Eric T. Schultz

EEB Articles

Populations of anadromous alewives (Alosa pseudoharengus) are declining throughout much of their range, particularly in southern New England where fishery moratoriums have recently been instituted in three states. The alewife run at Bride Brook, a coastal stream in East Lyme, Connecticut, was studied from 2003-06 to assess shifts in demography and life history. Annual censuses of abundance, along with sampling for size, age, and spawning history structure were conducted. These data were compared to similar data in 1966-67 at this site. Recent alewife runs at Bride Brook featured lower abundance and younger, smaller fish that were less likely to be …

Determination Of Dispersal Patterns Of The Small-Mouthed Salamander (Ambystoma Texanum) In Eagle Creek Park (Indianapolis, In), Stacey Diane Summitt

Undergraduate Honors Thesis Collection

Urbanization and the increasing threat of habitat fragmentation are contributing to the significant declines in amphibian populations world-wide. Ambystomatid species are particularly susceptible to habitat fragmentation because they migrate yearly across upland forests to their breeding sites. Habitat changes could be altering the genetic structure in these species; however few studies have focused on this topic and more generally, examined the dispersal patterns of Ambystomatids. In 2003, Clark, Cripe, and Stachniw conducted a study on “Metapopulation Structure of Ambystoma texanum in Eagle Creek Park (Indianapolis, IN) and the Potential for Gene Flow.” They hypothesized that distance limits the dispersal of …

Behavioral Interactions Of Breeding Bald Eagles (Haliaeetus Luecocephalus) At Lake Cascade, Idaho, Scott Allen Kimball

Boise State University Theses and Dissertations

During the 2000 and 2001 breeding seasons I studied the behavioral inter- and intra-specific interactions of Bald Eagles (Haliaeetus leucocephalus) breeding at Lake Cascade, Idaho. In the first chapter, I describe the relationships between an increase in population density and home range and foraging habitat use by Bald eagles. In the second chapter, I describe the relationship between aggressive interactions and reproductive success, as measured by number of nestlings fledged and nestling weight.

Because home range and foraging habitat use show temporal variability, I compared breeding home ranges and foraging habitat use of Bald Eagles at Lake Cascade, Idaho in …

White-Tailed Deer Management Plan, Robert B. Gordon Natural Area Of West Chester University, Chester County, Pennsylvania, Gino J. D’Angelo

Deer and Non-native Invasive Plant Impact Study Documents

No abstract provided.

Ambystoma Maculatum (Spotted Salamander) Occurrence, Kristine L. Grayson, A. M. Bloch

Biology Faculty Publications

Natural History Notes: Ambystoma maculatum is a wide ranging mole salamander found from Nova Scotia and southern Ontario through Georgia and eastern Texas (Conant and Collins 1998).

Effects Of The Pathogenic Water Mold Saprolegnia Ferax On Survival Of Amphibian Larvae, John M. Romansic, Kristin A. Diez, Elise M. Higashi, James E. Johnson, Andrew R. Blaustein

All Faculty Scholarship for the College of the Sciences

Infectious diseases are a significant threat to worldwide biodiversity. Amphibian declines, a significant part of current biodiversity losses, are in many cases associated with infectious disease. Water molds are one group of pathogens affecting amphibians on a worldwide basis. Although water molds have been studied extensively for their effects on host embryos, little information is available about how they affect post-embryonic amphibians. We tested the effects of one species of water mold, Saprolegnia ferax, in a comparative study of larvae of 4 amphibian species: Pseudacris regilla (Pacific treefrog), Rana cascadae (Cascades frog), Ambystoma macrodactylum (long-toed salamander), and R. aurora (red-legged …

Sex- And Context-Dependent Migration In A Pond-Breeding Amphibian, Kristine L. Grayson, Henry M. Wilbur

Biology Faculty Publications

Partial migration, variation in the percentage of a population that completes a migration, can be influenced by the local environment and condition of an individual. We examined the direct and interacting effects of habitat quality and gender on migration decision by manipulating population density and sex ratio in a factorial field experiment using aquatic enclosures. In partially migrating red-spotted newts (Notophthalmus viridescens), we measured the percentage of newts migrating to the terrestrial habitat vs. overwintering as pond residents. Density significantly influenced migration, with 63% of newts migrating from high-density enclosures compared to 39% from low-density enclosures. Newts also …

Integrating Fluvial Geomorphology And Stream Ecology: Processes Shaping The Distribution Of Freshwater Mussels In Connecticut, Piyumi T. Obeysekara, Eric T. Schultz, Melinda Daniels, Jason Vokoun

EEB Articles

No abstract provided.

Biology And Conservation Of Horseshoe Crabs, John T. Tanacredi, Mark L. Bottom, David R. Smith

School of Marine and Environmental Sciences Faculty and Staff Publications and Presentations

We dedicate this book to Drs. Carl N. Shuster, Jr. and Koichi Sekiguchi for their life-long contributions to the biology and conservation of the magnificent horseshoe crab.

A Computer Science Approach To Identify And Classify Hyperactivated Spermatozoa, Norbert Kaula

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

Effective Assisted Reproductive Technology (ART) relies in part upon accurate but easily conducted measurements of sperm motion parameters. Several established methods are widely used to assess possible reasons for male infertility, in human and veterinary Andrology clinics. Computer-assisted sperm analysis (CASA) devices quantitatively assess sperm motion parameters, which have been defined by the World Health Organization, and include the percentage of motile cells in a sample and the motion characteristics of individual cells, such as curvilinear velocity (VCL), average path velocity (VAP) and straight line velocity (VSL). However, CASA analyses fail to define hyperactive sperm motility or determine the prevalence …

What Is New On The Animal Protection Radar?, John Hadidian

Animal Welfare Collection

American attitudes toward wildlife have often been cast as falling within an urban/rural dichotomy that separates protectionist from utilitarian value orientations. Long held as a major challenge to wildlife managers the urban/rural dichotomy may be yielding to change as new attitude and value orientations arise from direct conflicts people have with wild animals as well as from a generational disenfranchisement of young people who lack direct experience with the outdoors. Both may loom as larger challenges for the future and shift the focus of once opposing interests more toward efforts to establish cooperation. Currently, much of the disagreement over wildlife …

Landscape Heterogeneity And Marine Subsidy Generate Extensive Intrapopulation Niche Diversity In A Large Terrestrial Vertebrate, Chris T. Darimont, Paul C. Paquet, Thomas E. Reimchen

Population Distribution and Habitat Collection

1 Inquiries into niche variation within populations typically focus on proximate ecological causes such as competition. Here we examine how landscape heterogeneity and allochthonous (marine) subsidy might ultimately generate intrapopulation niche diversity.

2 Using stable isotope analysis, we detected extensive terrestrial–marine isotopic niche variation among subpopulations, social groups, and individual grey wolves (Canis lupus) that occupy a spatially heterogeneous landscape in coastal British Columbia comprising a mainland area and adjacent archipelago.

3 The inner island subpopulation exhibited the widest isotopic niche in the population, consuming extensive terrestrial and marine resources. Mainland and outer island subpopulations occupied comparatively narrow …

Assessment Of River Herring And Striped Bass In The Connecticut River: Abundance, Population Structure, And Predator/Prey Interactions, Justin P. Davis, Eric T. Schultz, Jason Vokoun

EEB Articles

Populations of anadromous alewife Alosa pseudoharengus and blueback herring A. aestivalis, collectively referred to as river herring, have declined in the Connecticut River. An explanatory hypothesis for these declines is that predation pressures have increased as a result of recent increases in abundance of sympatric striped bass Morone saxatilis. We sampled river herring and striped bass from the stretch of the Connecticut River between Wethersfield, CT and Holyoke, MA during the vernal migration seasons of 2005-2008. The objectives of the sampling program were to assess abundance, temporal/spatial distribution, and population structure of both river herring and striped bass, …

Estimating Predation On Declining River Herring: Tag-Recapture Study Of Striped Bass In The Connecticut River, Eric T. Schultz, Justin P. Davis, Jason Vokoun

EEB Articles

Populations of anadromous alewife Alosa pseudoharengus and blueback herring Alosa aestivalis, collectively referred to as river herring, have declined in the Connecticut River. A hypothesis for why river herring have declined is that predation pressures have increased associated with recent increases in abundance of striped bass Morone saxatilis. Information on striped bass abundance, size structure, and consumption rates are required to test this hypothesis. This study was designed to provide estimates of striped bass population size in the Connecticut River during the spring migration season, via an intensive mark-recapture exercise and either an open or robust mark-recapture model. …