Terrestrial and Aquatic Ecology Commons^™

Migration Of Northern Yellowstone Elk: Implications Of Spatial Structuring, P. J. White, Kelly M. Proffitt, L. David Mech, Shaney B. Evans, Julie A. Cunningham, Kenneth L. Hamlin

United States Geological Survey, Northern Prairie Wildlife Research Center: Publications

Migration can enhance survival and recruitment of mammals by increasing access to higher-quality forage or reducing predation risk, or both. We used telemetry locations collected from 140 adult female elk during 2000– 2003 and 2007–2008 to identify factors influencing the migration of northern Yellowstone elk. Elk wintered in 2 semidistinct herd segments and migrated 10–140 km to at least 12 summer areas in Yellowstone National Park (YNP) and nearby areas of Montana. Spring migrations were delayed after winters with increased snow pack, with earlier migration in years with earlier vegetation green-up. Elk wintering at lower elevations outside YNP migrated an …

Proportion Of Calves And Adult Muskoxen, Ovibos Moschatus Killed By Gray Wolves, Canis Lupus, In July On Ellesmere Island, L. David Mech

United States Geological Survey, Northern Prairie Wildlife Research Center: Publications

Generally Gray Wolves (Canis lupus L., 1758) tend to focus predation on young-of-the-year ungulates during summer, and I hypothesized that wolves preying on Muskoxen (Ovibos moschatus Zimmerman, 1780) in summer would follow that trend. Over 23 July periods observing wolves on Ellesmere Island, Nunavut, Canada, I found that packs of 2-12 adult wolves killed seven calves, one yearling, and five adult muskoxen at distances of 2.9 to 32 km from their current dens and pups. Given a possible bias against finding calves because of their fewer remains, these results do not necessarily refute the hypothesis, but they do …

Muellerius Capillaris Dominates The Lungworm Community Of Bighorn Sheep At The National Bison Range, Montana, Vanessa O. Ezenwa, Alicia M. Hines, Elizabeth A. Archie, Eric P. Hoberg, Ingrid M. Asmundsson, John T. Hogg

Harold W. Manter Laboratory of Parasitology: Faculty Publications

Lungworm infections are common among bighorn sheep (Ovis canadensis) in North America, and the predominant species reported are Protostrongylus stilesi and P. rushi. The only records of another lungworm species, Muellerius capillaris, infecting bighorns come from South Dakota, USA. At the National Bison Range (NBR), Montana, USA we found that across six sampling periods, 100% of wild bighorn sheep surveyed were passing first-stage dorsal-spined larvae (DSL) which appeared to be consistent with M. capillaris. By contrast, only 39%or fewer sheep were passing Protostrongylus larvae. Using molecular techniques, we positively identified the DSL from the NBR …

Nest And Brood Survival And Habitat Selection Of Ring-Necked Pheasants And Greater Prairie-Chickens In Nebraska, Ty Matthews

School of Natural Resources: Dissertations, Theses, and Student Research

Ring-Necked Pheasant (Phasianus colchicus) and Greater Prairie-chicken (Tympanuchus cupido pinnatus) populations have declined in the Midwest since the 1960’s. Research has suggested decreased nest and brood survival are the major causes of this decline due to the lack of suitable habitat. Habitat degradation has been attributed to the shift to larger crop fields, lower diversity of crops, and more intensive pesticide and herbicide use. A primary goal of the Conservation Reserve Program (CRP) is to mitigate the loss of wildlife habitat. Early research found that CRP increased the amount of suitable nesting and brood rearing cover …

Relating Fires’ Effect On Forest Succession And Forest's Effect On Fire Severity In One Burned And Unburned Environment, Tyler Jay Seiboldt

Department of Environmental Studies: Undergraduate Student Theses

Wildfires are a natural part of many forest ecosystems and play a vital role in maintaining their health.  Wildfires can have a critical influence on a landscapes plant community through their relative frequency, seasonality, and severity.  One of the most heavily influenced regions by wildfire disturbance is the Klamath Mountain region of California.  I looked at the affect a wildfires severity had on the Whiskey creek valley within the Whiskeytown National Recreation Area.  8 tree species and 4 flower species were examined on both the burned and unburned regions within this valley nearly a year after the wildfire (May 17-23 …

Where Are The Parasites? [Letters], Susan J. Kutz, Andy P. Dobson, Eric P. Hoberg

Harold W. Manter Laboratory of Parasitology: Faculty Publications

First paragraph:

The review by E. Post et al. ("Ecological dynamics across the Arctic associated with recent climate change," 11 September 2009, p. 1,355) paid little heed to parasites and other pathogens. The rapidly growing literature on parasites in arctic and subarctic ecosystems provides empirical and observational evidence that climate-linked changes have already occurred. The life cycle of the protostrongylid lungworm of muskoxen, Umingmakstrongylus pallikuukensis, has changed, and the range of that organism and the winter tick, Dermacentor albipictus, has expanded.

Behavior Of Buff-Breasted Sandpipers (Tryngites Subruficollis) During Migratory Stopover In Agricultural Fields, John P. Mccarty, Joel G. Jorgensen, Lareesa Wolfenbarger

Nebraska Game and Parks Commission: Staff Research Publications

Background: Understanding the behavior of birds in agricultural habitats can be the first step in evaluating the conservation implications of birds’ use of landscapes shaped by modern agriculture. The existence and magnitude of risk from agricultural practices and the quality of resources agricultural lands provide will be determined largely by how birds use these habitats. Buff-breasted Sandpipers (Tryngites subruficollis) are a species of conservation concern. During spring migration large numbers of Buff-breasted Sandpipers stopover in row crop fields in the Rainwater Basin region of Nebraska. We used behavioral observations as a first step in evaluating how Buff-breasted Sandpipers …

School Of Natural Resources Comprehensive Five-Year Review

School of Natural Resources: Documents and Reviews

No abstract provided.

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.

Effects Of The Polycyclic Musk Hhcb On Individual- And Population-Level Endpoints In Potamopyrgus Antipodarum, Signe Pedersen, Henriette Selck, Daniel Salvito, Valery E. Forbes

Valery Forbes Publications

Although the polycyclic musk 1,3,4,6,7,8-hexahydro-4,6,6,7,8,8-hexamethylcyclopenta[γ]-2-benzopyran (HHCB) is frequently detected in aquatic sediments, very little is known about its effects on sediment-feeding organisms. Effects of sediment-associated HHCB on growth, feeding rate, survival and reproduction in the gastropod Potamopyrgus antipodarum were measured in the laboratory. Snails were exposed to six nominal HHCB concentrations: 0, 0.1, 1, 10, 30 and 100 μg g−1 dry weight (dw) sediment. Adult survival and growth were not affected by HHCB. However, juvenile growth and survival, reproduction, time to first reproduction and adult feeding rate were more sensitive endpoints and declined with increasing HHCB concentration. Individual-level endpoints for …

Impacts Of Plant Size, Density, Herbivory, And Disease On Native Platte Thistle (Cirsium Canescens), Deidra Jacobsen

Department of Environmental Studies: Undergraduate Student Theses

Abstract. Based on prior field observations, we hypothesized that individual and interacting effects of plant size, density, insect herbivory, and especially fungal disease, influenced seedling and juvenile plant growth in native Platte thistle populations (Cirsium canescens Nutt.). We worked at Arapaho Prairie in the Nebraska Sandhills (May - August 2007), monitoring plant growth, insect damage, and fungal infection within different density thistle patches. In the main experiment, we sprayed half of test plants in different density patches with fungicide (Fungonil© Bonide, containing chlorothalonil) and half with a water control. Fungal infection rates were very low, so we found no difference …

A Survey Of Western United States Instream Flow Programs And The Policies That Protect A River's Ecosystem, Kyle Jackson

Department of Environmental Studies: Undergraduate Student Theses

The Western United States can best be described as a vast, varying land, with the high plains to the east and the jagged horizons of Rockies to the west. However there is one common trait shared by these states: the lack of water resources. With the continued development of this land, the fact that water is scarce is becoming more real. This issue became more difficult to handle as the public became more aware that many competing uses existed for the finite resource, and those different uses were degrading the natural environments of the surface waters. With this realization instream …

The International Lepidoptera Survey Newsletter, April 2009, International Lepidoptera Survey, Kenneth E. Davenport, Ray E. Stanford, Robert. L. Langston

International Lepidoptera Survey Newsletter

Contents (pages 1-67)

Title

Flight Periods of California Butterflies for “Resident Species,” Subspecies and Most Strays to the State (2009)

Authors

Kenneth E. Davenport, Ray E. Stanford and Robert L. Langston

Abstract

Normal flight periods and early/late records for resident species, subspecies and regular strays of butterflies of California are presented below.. Many subspecies or populations in the state are distinctive and may prove to merit species recognition by specialists in the future.

Using Gis To Locate Areas For Growing Quality Coffee In Honduras, Ellen Mickle

Department of Environmental Studies: Undergraduate Student Theses

Abstract Small-scale coffee producers worldwide remain vulnerable to price fluctuations after the 1999-2003 coffee crisis. One way to increase small-scale farmer economic resilience is to produce a more expensive product, such as quality coffee. There is growing demand in coffee-producing and coffee-importing countries for user-friendly tools that facilitate the marketing of quality coffee. The purpose of this study is to develop a prototypical quality coffee marketing tool in the form of a GIS model that identifies regions for producing quality coffee in a country not usually associated with quality coffee, Honduras. Maps of areas for growing quality coffee were produced …

Lithobates Catesbeianus (American Bullfrog) Predation On Cliff Swallows, Mary Bomberger Brown, Charles R. Brown

School of Natural Resources: Faculty Publications

During a 25-year study of Cliff Swallows (Petrochelidon pyrrhonota) in southwestern Nebraska, we observed Lithobates catesbeianus prey on, or attempt to prey on, Cliff Swallows. As we were mist-netting Cliff Swallows at a 10-nest colony on 7 July 1998, a L. catesbeianus attempted to eat a Cliff Swallow that was caught in the net.

Long Daily Movements Of Wolves, Canis Lupus, During Pup Rearing, L. David Mech, H. Dean Cluff

United States Geological Survey, Northern Prairie Wildlife Research Center: Publications

Wolves, Canis lupus, on Ellesmere Island traveled a daily round-trip distance of 40.2 km from their den to a landfill during July 2008, plus an undetermined distance hunting after leaving the landfill. Although long travels by Wolves are well known, this appears to be the first documentation of long daily movements by Wolves rearing pups.

Characterization Of 24 Microsatellite Loci In Delta Smelt, Hypomesus Transpacificus, And Their Cross-Species Amplification In Two Other Smelt Species Of The Osmeridae Family, Kathleen M. Fisch, Jessica Lynn Petersen, Melinda R. Baerwald, John K. Pedroia, Bernie May

Department of Animal Science: Faculty Publications

We characterized 24 polymorphic tetranucleotide microsatellite loci for delta smelt (Hypomesus transpacificus) endemic to the San Francisco Bay Estuary, California, USA. Screening of samples (n = 30) yielded two to 26 alleles per locus with observed levels of heterozygosity ranging from 0.17 to 1.0. Only one locus deviated from Hardy–Weinberg equilibrium, suggesting these individuals originate from a single panmictic population. Linkage disequilibrium was found in two pairs of loci after excluding the locus out of Hardy–Weinberg equilibrium. Twenty-two primer pairs cross-amplified in wakasagi smelt (Hypomesus nipponensis), and 15 primer pairs cross-amplified in longfin smelt ( …

Limits To Maize Productivity In The Western Corn-Belt: A Simulation Analysis For Fully Irrigated And Rainfed Conditions, Patricio Grassini, Haishun Yang, Kenneth G. Cassman

Department of Agronomy and Horticulture: Faculty Publications

Unlike the Central and Eastern U.S. Corn-Belt where maize is grown almost entirely under rainfed conditions, maize in the Western Corn-Belt is produced under both irrigated (3.2 million ha) and rainfed (4.1 million ha) conditions. Simulation modeling, regression, and boundary-function analysis were used to assess constraints to maize productivity in the Western Corn-Belt. Aboveground biomass, grain yield, and water balance were simulated for fully irrigated and rainfed crops, using 20-year weather records from 18 locations in combination with actual soil, planting date, plant population, and hybrid-maturity data. Mean values of meteorological variables were estimated for three growth periods (pre- and …

Wolf, Canis Lupus, Visits To White-Tailed Deer, Odocoileus Virginianus, Summer Ranges: Optimal Foraging?, Dominic J. Demma, L. David Mech

United States Geological Survey, Northern Prairie Wildlife Research Center: Publications

We tested whether Wolf (Canis lupus) visits to individual female White-tailed Deer (Odocoileus virginianus) summer ranges during 2003 and 2004 in northeastern Minnesota were in accord with optimal-foraging theory. Using GPS collars with 10- to 30-minute location attempts on four Wolves and five female deer, plus eleven VHF-collared female deer in the Wolves’ territory, provided new insights into the frequency of Wolf visits to summer ranges of female deer. Wolves made a mean 0.055 visits/day to summer ranges of deer three years and older, significantly more than their 0.032 mean visits/day to ranges of two-year-old deer, …

Predatory Senescence In Ageing Wolves, Daniel R. Macnulty, Douglas W. Smith, John A. Vucetich, L. David Mech, Craig Packer

United States Geological Survey, Northern Prairie Wildlife Research Center: Publications

It is well established that ageing handicaps the ability of prey to escape predators, yet surprisingly little is known about how ageing affects the ability of predators to catch prey. Research into long-lived predators has assumed that adults have uniform impacts on prey regardless of age. Here we use longitudinal data from repeated observations of individually-known wolves (Canis lupus) hunting elk (Cervus elaphus) in Yellowstone National Park to demonstrate that adult predatory performance declines with age and that an increasing ratio of senescent individuals in the wolf population depresses the rate of prey offtake. Because this ratio fluctuates independently of …

Problems With The Claim Of Ecotype And Taxon Status Of The Wolf In The Great Lakes Region, Matthew A. Cronin, L. David Mech

United States Geological Survey, Northern Prairie Wildlife Research Center: Publications

Koblmuller et al. (2009) analyzed molecular genetic data of the wolf in the Great Lakes (GL) region of the USA and concluded that the animal was a unique ecotype of grey wolf and that genetic data supported the population as a discrete wolf taxon. However, some of the literature that the researchers used to support their position actually did not, and additional confusion arises from indefinite use of terminology. Herein, we discuss the problems with designation of a wolf population as a taxon or ecotype without proper definition and assessment of criteria.

Koblmuller et al. (2009) wrote ‘The GL …

A Serological Survey Of Infectious Disease In Yellowstone National Park’S Canid Community, Emily S. Almberg, L. David Mech, Douglas W. Smith, Jennifer W. Sheldon, Robert L. Crabtree

United States Geological Survey, Northern Prairie Wildlife Research Center: Publications

Background: Gray wolves (Canis lupus) were reintroduced into Yellowstone National Park (YNP) after a .70 year absence, and as part of recovery efforts, the population has been closely monitored. In 1999 and 2005, pup survival was significantly reduced, suggestive of disease outbreaks.

Methodology/Principal Findings: We analyzed sympatric wolf, coyote (Canis latrans), and red fox (Vulpes vulpes) serologic data from YNP, spanning 1991–2007, to identify long-term patterns of pathogen exposure, identify associated risk factors, and examine evidence for disease-induced mortality among wolves for which there were survival data. We found high, constant exposure to canine …

The Amphipod Orchomenella Pinguis — A Potential Bioindicator For Contamination In The Arctic, Lis Bach, Valery E. Forbes, Ingela Dahllöf

Valery Forbes Publications

Indigenous organisms can be used as bioindicators for effects of contaminants, but no such bioindicator has been established for Arctic areas. Orchomenella pinguis is a benthic amphipod, ubiquitous in the Arctic and can be found in high numbers. We collected O. pinguis at sites with different contamination levels. Population characteristics (body length distribution, average dry weight and amphipod organic content) were related to sediment contaminant concentrations, in order to identify suitable endpoints for using this species as a bioindicator. We show that O. pinguis was prevalent in both clean and contaminated areas, easy to sample and that its population characteristics …

Variations In Stomatal Traits Of 14 Bornean Tree Species Growing On Soils With Different Moisture Contents In Lambir Hills National Park, Whitney Logan Cannon

Department of Environmental Studies: Undergraduate Student Theses

The goal of this study was to look at variations in stomatal traits of tree species on soils with different moisture contents and fertility at Lambir Hills National Park. Stomates are important structures on the surface of leaves that mediate conduction of moisture and gassesin and out of the leaf. If stomatalt raits are important for regulation, then there should be variation in stomatal traits in regards to their soil specialization. The 14 Borneant ree speciess ampledi ncluded6 sandyl oam specialists6, clay specialistsa nd 2 generalistsfo und growing with equald istributionso n both sandyl oam and clay. Confocal microscopy was …

Ecology Of The Missouri River: Missouri River Creel Survey, Bellevue Bridge To Camp Creek, 31 March Through 12 October 2007. Supplement I, Gerald Mestl

Nebraska Game and Parks Commission: White Papers, Conference Presentations, and Manuscripts

This report describes Missouri River activities and results related to a channelized Missouri River creel survey conducted from 29 March through 10 October 2003. This is the fourth of a planned annual creel survey to be conducted on alternating sections of the channelized Missouri River to measure changes in recreational fishing activity, especially those changes due to large scale habitat restoration efforts. Future reports will contain additional analyses of these data.

Anglers spent over 30,000 hours fishing the Missouri River from Camp Creek (rk 883.5) to the Kansas state line (rk 790.2) during the survey period. Effort peaked during the …

Aerial Census Techniques For Whooping Cranes On The Texas Coast, Thomas V. Stehn, Thomas E. Taylor

Proceedings of the North American Crane Workshop

The U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, using aerial surveys, regularly monitors the whooping crane (Grus americana) population wintering along the Texas coast. These regular census flights began in 1950 and have produced a long-term data set on the growth of a small population of endangered birds. This paper describes the specific methodology used by the authors during census flights.

Extra-Pair Paternity In Sandhill Cranes, Matthew A. Hayes, Hugh B. Britten, Jeb A. Barzen

Proceedings of the North American Crane Workshop

Although cranes are known for “life-long” pair bonds, exceptions to this rule have been observed (i.e. divorcing pairs and individuals re-pairing following the death of a mate). With advancements in genetic techniques, another form of infidelity has been observed: extra-pair paternity (EPP; producing young with a bird while being socially paired to another mate) has been documented in many avian species. Is this true for cranes as well? Sandhill cranes (Grus canadensis) from a dense breeding population in southcentral Wisconsin were tested for EPP using 6 microsatellite DNA markers. The frequency of EPP ranged between 4.4% (2 of 45 chicks) …

Mate Fidelity In A Dense Breeding Population Of Sandhill Cranes, Matthew A. Hayes, Jeb A. Barzen, Hugh B. Britten

Proceedings of the North American Crane Workshop

The objective of this study was to investigate mate switches observed in a dense breeding population of banded Sandhill Cranes (Grus canadensis). Over a 14-year period, 50 of 70 breeding pairs switched mates (71%), with 45 pairs switching permanently (64%). Mean mate retention between years was 83%, with an average pair bond lasting 5.7 years (range 1-13 years). Most permanent switches occurred following the death or disappearance of a mate, and overall permanent divorce (19%; 13 of 70 pairs) and annual divorce rates (6%) were low. Territory retention following mate switches was high. Males and females did not …

The Whooping Crane In Mexico: Past, Present, And Future?, Michael S. Putnam, Ruth Partida Lara, Suix Diaz Gomez, Anne E. Lacy

Proceedings of the North American Crane Workshop

We reviewed ornithological, historic, anthropological, and archaeological records for evidence of whooping cranes (Grus americana) in Mexico. Records of whooping cranes in Mexico span 88 years (1863-1951) and cluster in 3 areas. Wintering records come from the northern highlands (Durango, and possibly Chihuahua), the central highlands (Guanajuato, Jalisco), and northeastern Tamaulipas, where the bird was also found in summer and might have bred. Later records (1970’s and 1980’s) of whooping cranes in the northern highlands are from individual birds released into the experimental migratory population that formerly migrated from Idaho to New Mexico, USA. Many of the wetlands …

Precision Of Descriptors For Percent Marrow Fat Content For Whitetailed Deer, Odocoileus Viriginianus, L. David Mech

United States Geological Survey, Northern Prairie Wildlife Research Center: Publications

Based on 168 records of both verbal descriptors of White-tailed Deer (Odocoileus virginianus) femur-marrow fat and percentage of fat measured later, “gelatinous” served well to distinguish fat < 46% from higher percentages. “Waxy” distinguished fat > 56%.