Terrestrial and Aquatic Ecology Commons^™

Preliminary Survey And Diet Analysis Of Anurans In The Riparian Zone Of Calayagon Watershed, Agusan Del Norte, Philippines, Jenessa Verna B. Salo, Chennie L. Solania

Journal of Bioresource Management

Watersheds are critical habitats for a diverse array of organisms. Among all the fauna, anurans are excellent biological indicators of environmental health. The community structure is often associated with a relationship between species diversity and diet. An anuran survey was conducted along riparian zones of three selected barangays of Calayagon Watershed (Guinabsan, Rizal, and Malpoc), Philippines. Extensive opportunistic methods for a total of 480 man-hours were spent traversing the area. A total of 195 individuals, consisting of seven species from four families, were recorded. Seventy-two percent of the individual species were regarded as Least concern, and 14 % were Near-threatened. …

Optimizing Management Of Invasions In An Uncertain World Using Dynamic Spatial Models, Kim M. Pepin, Amy J. Davis, Rebecca S. Epanchin-Niell, Andrew M. Gormley, Joslin L. Moore, Timothy J. Smyser, H. Bradley Shaffer, William L. Kendall, Katriona Shea, Michael C. Runge, Sophie Mckee

United States Department of Agriculture Wildlife Services: Staff Publications

Dispersal drives invasion dynamics of nonnative species and pathogens. Applying knowledge of dispersal to optimize the management of invasions can mean the difference between a failed and a successful control program and dramatically improve the return on investment of control efforts. A common approach to identifying optimal management solutions for invasions is to optimize dynamic spatial models that incorporate dispersal. Optimizing these spatial models can be very challenging because the interaction of time, space, and uncertainty rapidly amplifies the number of dimensions being considered. Addressing such problems requires advances in and the integration of techniques from multiple fields, including ecology, …

An Efficient Method Of Evaluating Multiple Concurrent Management Actions On Invasive Populations, Amy J. Davis, Randy Farrar, Brad Jump, Parker Hall, Travis Guerrant, Kim M. Pepin

United States Department of Agriculture Wildlife Services: Staff Publications

Evaluating the efficacy of management actions to control invasive species is crucial for maintaining funding and to provide feedback for the continual improvement of management efforts. However, it is often difficult to assess the efficacy of control methods due to limited resources for monitoring. Managers may view effort on monitoring as effort taken away from performing management actions. We developed a method to estimate invasive species abundance, evaluate management effectiveness, and evaluate population growth over time from a combination of removal activities (e.g., trapping, ground shooting) using only data collected during removal efforts (method of removal, date, location, number of …

2022 Gray Wolf Questions And Answers, United States Fish And Wildlife Service

United States Fish and Wildlife Service: Publications

2022 Gray Wolf Questions and Answers

What does the February 10, 2022, ruling mean?

How does this ruling affect wolves in the Northern Rocky Mountains?

When does the court decision to vacate the delisting rule go into effect?

What is the legal status of gray wolves as of this ruling?

Is the Service continuing its status review of wolves in the western United States?

Is emergency listing an option for the Northern Rocky Mountain population?

Are wolf hunts going to stop as a result of the court decision?

How does this ruling affect wolves in Yellowstone National Park?

Where can …

Global And Regional Sea Level Rise Scenarios For The United States: Updated Mean Projections And Extreme Weather Level Probabilities Along U.S. Coastlines, William V. Sweet, Benjamin D. Hamlington, Robert E. Kopp, Christopher P. Weaver, Patrick L. Barnard, David Bekaert, William Brooks, Michael Craghan, Gregory Dusek, Thomas Frederikse, Gregory Garner, Ayesha S. Genz, John P. Krasting, Eric Larour, Doug Marcy, John J. Marra, Jayantha Obeysekera, Mark Osler, Matthew Pendleton, Daniel Roman, Lauren Schmied, Will Veatch, Kathleen D. White, Casey Zuzak

National Oceanographic and Atmospheric Administration: Technical Reports and Related Materials

This report and accompanying datasets from the U.S. Sea Level Rise and Coastal Flood Hazard Scenarios and Tools Interagency Task Force provide 1) sea level rise scenarios to 2150 by decade that include estimates of vertical land motion and 2) a set of extreme water level probabilities for various heights along the U.S. coastline. These data are available at 1-degree grids along the U.S. coastline and downscaled specifically at NOAA tide-gauge locations. Estimates of flood exposure are assessed using contemporary U.S. coastal flood-severity thresholds for current conditions (e.g., sea levels and infrastructure footprint) and for the next 30 years (out …

Economics Of Cormorant Predation On Catfish Farms, Carole Engle, Ganesh Kumar, Terrel Christie, Brian S. Dorr, Brian Davis, Luke Roy, Anita Kelly

United States Department of Agriculture Wildlife Services: Staff Publications

The Double-crested Cormorant is the primary avian predator on catfish farms causing significant economic losses primarily due to 1) on-farm expenditures related to bird-management activities and 2) value of the catfish lost to cormorants. This comprehensive economic study quantified these two economic effects by surveying catfish farms in the delta regions of Mississippi and Arkansas. On-farm expenditures for bird scaring were used to quantify bird-management costs. Economic losses from fish consumed by cormorants were quantified by evaluating data from field studies of the abundance, distribution, and diet of cormorants in the Mississippi delta. This study found that catfish farmers …

Effects Of Green Crab (Carcinus Maenas) Across Variable Densities Of Eelgrass (Zostera Marina), Kimberly Alexis Brown

Dissertations and Theses

Eelgrass (Zostera marina) plays a critical role in estuarine ecosystem function by sustaining a variety of marine and freshwater species, but it's increasingly threatened by the aggressive non-native green crab (Carcinus maenas). The abundance of C. maenas is on the rise within the coastal environment of Oregon and it is imperative to know how these populations will affect the long-term health of Z. marina. C. maenas have been linked to declines in Z. marina coverage and shellfish abundance, but there has been no research on to what extent the density of Z. marina affects its …

Natural History Of The Guatemalan Copper Iophanus Pyrrhias (Godman And Salvin, 1887) (Lepidoptera: Lycaenidae) In Guatemala, José Monzón-Sierra, Gregory C. Ballmer

The Taxonomic Report of the International Lepidoptera Survey

Abstract

Detailed information including photographs about the natural history of Iophanus pyrrhias (Godman and Salvin 1887) in Guatemala is presented. Information includes geographic and altitudinal distribution and phenology. We reconfirm the immatures stages use Muehlenbeckia tamnifolia (Kunth) Meisn., 1841 (Polygonaceae) as the host plant.

Reusmen

Se presenta información detallada incluyendo fotografías de la historia natural de Iophanus pyrrhias (Godman y Salvin 1887) en Guatemala. La información incluye distribución geográfica y altitudinal y fenología. Confirmamos que los estados inmaduros se alimentan de Muehlenbeckia tamnifolia (Kunth) Meisn., 1841 (Polygonaceae).

Aging Precision Using Sectioned Pectoral Fin Rays From Silver Carp Hypophthalmichthys Molitrix, Timothy Spier, Jessica Morris, Josh Tompkins

Faculty & Staff Research and Creative Activity

Many structures are used to age Silver Carp Hypophthalmichthys molitrix, but no consensus had been obtained concerning which structure is best. Previous studies have used sections from the pectoral spine, but some of those studies have used transmitted light to illuminate the annuli of the sectioned pectoral spine. We used reflected light to enhance the contrast of annuli in sectioned pectoral spines and compared the aging precision obtained from this method among 6 readers who varied in their aging experience. Overall precision as measure by the mean coefficient of variation (CV) was 5.23 ± 0.76SE, which compares well with …

Invasive Plants Watch List: 2022, Allison Zach

Nebraska Invasive Species Program

The purpose of the weed watch list is to collect data on the distribution of invasive plants found in various Nebraska counties. Counties were divided up into ‘ecoregions’ based on the Nebraska Game & Parks Commission’s Legacy Plan (map of regions below). The plants in the watch list have been identified based on their invasiveness in surrounding states and their increasing range in Nebraska. Data collected on watch list plant species distribution has been used to support the listing or delisting of noxious weeds. Plant species in the weed watch list are categorized based on early detection and rapid response …

Microplastic Abundances In The Guana River Estuary In Northeast Florida, Mckenna Keplinger

Honors Undergraduate Theses

Plastic never fully disappears, but instead breaks into smaller pieces referred to as microplastics (< 5 mm length). Microplastics are common worldwide, and more studies are needed to understand the accumulation and diversity of microplastics found in various environments. In this study, six locations were sampled for one year in the Guana River Estuary, a partially impounded system with heavily urbanized headwaters. This study was conducted in conjunction with the Guana Tolomato Matanzas National Estuarine Research Reserve (GTM NERR) and the Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission (FWC) at their water sampling stations. The objectives of this study were to investigate: 1) distribution patterns across sample sites over time, 2) the color, size, and shape of microplastics found, and 3) polymer composition. Water samples were collected from surface waters in 1-L bottles, with five replicates at each site. Sampling occurred once a month, at the beginning of each month from August 2020-August 2021. Samples were analyzed for abundance and characteristics of microplastics using a dissecting microscope and the polymer composition was determined using Fourier-transform infrared spectroscopy. No pattern was found in the distribution of microplastics from north to south or over time. Variations in plastic color, size, and polymer composition suggests that there are multiple sources of pollution into the Guana River Estuary.

Thermal Tolerances Of The Invasive Macrophyte Hydrilla Verticillata, Joshua Williams

Graduate Research Showcase

Invasive species often rapidly spread due to their ability to adapt to a wide range of habitats they can occupy and lack of competition. Hydrilla verticillata is an invasive aquatic macrophyte that has spread across the United States due to human activities. Like many aquatic plants, Hydrilla has the ability to reproduce through fragmentation of the mother plant. In this method, Hydrilla fragments are then dispersed by water current to other areas where they can settle and grow. To date, little is known about the abiotic conditions that may restrict the spread of invasive Hydrilla. However, compared to other macrophytes …

Underwater Video As A Tool To Quantify Fish Density In Complex Coastal Habitats, Ronald Baker, Dakota Bilbrey, Aaron Bland, Frank D’Alonzo Iii, Hannah Ehrmann, Sharon Havard, Zoe Porter, Sarah Ramsden, Alexandra Rodriquez

University Faculty and Staff Publications

Habitat loss is a serious issue threatening biodiversity across the planet, including coastal habitats that support important fish populations. Many coastal areas have been extensively modified by the construction of infrastructure such as ports, seawalls, docks, and armored shorelines. In addition, habitat restoration and enhancement projects often include constructed breakwaters or reefs. Such infrastructure may have incidental or intended habitat values for fish, yet their physical complexity makes quantitatively sampling these habitats with traditional gears challenging. We used a fleet of unbaited underwater video cameras to quantify fish communities across a variety of constructed and natural habitats in Perdido and …

Fish And Invertebrate Use Of Restored Vs. Natural Oyster Reefs In A Shallow Temperate Latitude Estuary, Jonathan H. Grabowski, Christopher J. Baillie, Adam Baukus, Rachael Carlyle, F. Joel Fodrie, Rachel K. Gittman, A. Randall Hughes, David L. Kimbro, Juhyung Lee, Hunter S. Lenihan, Sean P. Powers, Kevin Sullivan

University Faculty and Staff Publications

Coastal marine habitats continue to be degraded, thereby compelling largescale restoration in many parts of the world. Whether restored habitats function similarly to natural habitats and fully recover lost ecosystem services is unclear. In estuaries, oyster reefs have been degraded by multiple anthropogenic activities including destructive fishing practices and reduced water quality, motivating restoration to maintain oyster fisheries and other ecosystem services, often at relatively high cost. We compared fish and invertebrate communities on recently restored (0–1 year post-restoration), older restored (3–4 years post-restoration), and natural oyster reefs to determine if and when restored reefs support functionally similar faunal communities. …

Population Dynamics, Relative Abundance, And Habitat Suitability Of Adult Red Drum (Sciaenops Ocellatus) In Nearshore Waters Of The North-Central Gulf Of Mexico, Crystal Hightower, J. Marcus Drymon, Amanda E. Jefferson, Matthew B. Jargowsky, Emily A. Seubert, Simon Dedman, John Mareska, Sean P. Powers

University Faculty and Staff Publications

In the Gulf of Mexico, the red drum (Sciaenops ocellatus) is an immensely popular sportfish, yet the Gulf of Mexico stock is currently managed as data-limited in federal waters. The results of the federal stock assessment conducted in 2016 for Gulf of Mexico red drum were not recommended for providing management advice. Consequently, we sought to address data gaps highlighted in the assessment by producing up-to- date overall and sex-specific growth models, standardized indices of relative abundance, and predictions of habitat suitability and by updating estimates of natural mortality. Using a time series for the period of 2006–2018, we assigned …

Refugia Gardening: A Good Anthropocene Begins At Home, Robin Kollar, David S. Koetje

Summer Research

Our present age is often called the Anthropocene, an era dominated by human activities that erode biodiversity and ecological functions, altering natural systems and cycles. As a result, we are causing climate and mass extinction crises and undermining the ecosystem services that enable human flourishing. Thus, humans have moral and existential obligations to reverse this trend by realigning our relationships with nature. We are advocating for refugia gardening to build places of renewal in our own yards and in our communities. Refugia are pockets of life where species can survive and adapt during ecological crises. Refugia become “seeds” for repopulating …

Pain Sentience Criteria And Their Grading, Eva Jablonka, Simona Ginsburg

Animal Sentience

On the basis of the target article by Crump and colleagues, we suggest a more parsimonious scheme for evaluating the evidence for sentience. Since some of the criteria used by Crump et al. are not independent and some are uninformative we exclude some criteria and amalgamate others. We propose that evidence of flexible learning and prioritization, in conjunction with relevant data on brain organization, is sufficient for assigning pain-sentience to an animal and we suggest a scoring scheme based on four criteria.

Truly Minimal Criteria For Animal Sentience, Mark Solms

Animal Sentience

The criteria for determining animal sentience proposed in the target article are sensible but they lack an explicit functional justification for the focus on pain. This commentary provides an abbreviated account of the most basic functional principles that underpin animal sentience and articulates some minimal criteria for determining its presence.

Crustacean Pain, Michael Tye

Animal Sentience

This commentary discusses the target article’s methodology, the relevance of the claim that crustaceans lack a neocortex to the thesis that they feel pain, and the evaluation of the results of some trade-off experiments done with hermit crabs.

No Need For Certainty In Animal Sentience, Yew Kwang Ng

Animal Sentience

This commentary supports Crump et al.’s (2022) point that where risks to welfare are severe, strong evidence of sentience is sufficient to warrant protecting welfare. Crump et al.’s eight criteria for sentience are also useful. Flexible decision-making (5) and flexible behaviour (6) are consistent with Ng (1995). The concession that the “no-need-for-sentience” proposition is unnecessary also strengthens the importance of the target article’s conclusions.

What Might Decapod Sentience Mean For Policy, Practice, And Public?, Richard Gorman

Animal Sentience

Crump et al. provide eight criteria for evaluating sentience in decapods, with scope for for application to other taxa. Their work has attracted the interest of policymakers. This commentary discusses the limitations of conceptual and legal acknowledgement of sentience in chainging practice and public attitudes. More work is needed. Social science may be able to help.

Does The Sentience Framework Imply All Animals Are Sentient?, Kristin Andrews

Animal Sentience

The eight criteria proposed in Crump et al.’s framework for evaluating pain sentience in decapod crustaceans are just the tip of the iceberg when it comes to markers that could increase confidence in an animal’s sentience more generally. Some of the commentaries have already pointed out that pain is only one kind of sentience (Souza Valente). It has also already been pointed out that there are other criteria for pain that could be usefully added to the framework’s eight (Burrell). This expansive thinking about criteria that can be used to increase confidence in sentience raisess the question: in an expansive …

Distinguishing Epistemic And Moral Grounds For Legal Protection, Carlos Montemayor

Animal Sentience

The criteria proposed by Crump et al. are based on various cognitive roles associated with sentience. A subset of them may be sufficient for certain kinds of welfare, but the presence of all of them should be considered as clearly sufficient for substantial kinds of legal protection based on their relation to capacities that we consider essential for moral standing in human beings.

Ms Environmental Biology Capstone Project, Catherine Shapiro

Regis University Student Publications (comprehensive collection)

Chapter 1: Artificial light at night disrupts the biology of fishes. Chapter 2: Grant proposal to determine how artificial light at night affects Pumpkinseed fish. Chapter 3: Management of pinyon-juniper woodland impacts the occupancy of Pinyon Jays. Chapter 4: Stakeholder analysis of horseshoe crab fishing and its impacts on the Red Knot and biomedical industry.

Plaster Creek Stewards – Urban Habitat Restoration With Green Team, Jia Luchs, Clare Doss, Rachel Warners, David Warners, Deanna Geelhoed

Summer Research

We worked alongside the high school students of the Green Team with our mentor Rachel Warners on various Plaster Creek Projects. We joined PCS in restoring our watershed through native landscaping, meeting community leaders, learning about environmental injustice, hearing about careers in the environmental field, and learning in the classroom about watershed ecology and reconciliation. A key focus of our work is to develop personal relationships with the students and to be an open and relatable resource of what college life is like and our vocational journeys to get there. During our days together we learned about each other’s diverse …

Mississippi Sandhill Crane Conservation Update 2017–2019, Scott G. Hereford, Angela J. Dedrickson

Proceedings of the North American Crane Workshop

To manage crane habitat on the Mississippi Sandhill Crane National Wildlife Refuge during 2017-2019, 5,822 ha were treated with prescribed burns, 648 ha of woody vegetation were removed, 97 ha of invasive plants were chemically treated, and 1.2 ha of crops were planted. Mississippi sandhill crane (Grus canadensis pulla) use responded to habitat treatment; 348 of 349 VHF radio locations were in treated areas. There were 316 target predators removed. Eighteen captive-reared juveniles were acclimated and released. We detected an average of 38 nests per year, including a record 40 nests in 2019. Fifteen chicks fledged in 2019, …

Twenty-Year Status Of The Eastern Migratory Whooping Crane Reintroduction, Hillary L. Thompson, Nicole M. Gordon, Darby P. Bolt, Jadine R. Lee, Eva K. Szyszkoski

Proceedings of the North American Crane Workshop

Since the 10-year status update in 2011, the first parent-reared whooping cranes (Grus americana) were released in the Eastern Migratory Population, the ultralight program (UL) ended, and cranes were released at new sites in eastern Wisconsin. During 2011-2020, 117 captive-reared whooping cranes were released; 75 costume-reared (35 in UL and 40 in the Direct Autumn Release program) and 42 parent-reared. There were no significant differences in 1- or 3-year survival rates based on rearing technique or release site. The population size remained at about 100 cranes during 2010-2018 but then decreased during 2018-2020 due to a reduced number …

Drivers Of Annual Fledging In The Mississippi Sandhill Crane Population 1991–2018, Henry W. Woolley, Scott G. Hereford, Jerome J. Howard

Proceedings of the North American Crane Workshop

We studied trends in nesting, number of chicks fledged annually, and their environmental and biotic drivers in the wild population of Mississippi sandhill cranes (Grus canadensis pulla) on Mississippi Sandhill Crane National Wildlife Refuge during 1991-2018. Population size, number of nests, and number of chicks fledged annually increased slowly but significantly over the course of the study. Increases in population size were related to both number of wild-reared chicks fledged annually and number of captive-reared chicks released each year, but wild-reared chicks had significantly higher survivorship than captive-reared chicks. Hurricanes transiently raised mortality rates but only Hurricane Katrina …

The Impact Of Marking On Cranes: An Issue Paper, Anne E. Lacy, Barry K. Hartup, David A. Brandt

Proceedings of the North American Crane Workshop

As crane researchers and conservationists, our overarching objective is to learn and gather information about our study subjects while doing as little harm as possible. New technologies may be emerging too rapidly for researchers to assess the effectiveness or potential adverse effects of the devices, despite the ease and increasing accuracy of the information they provide. Researchers need to be able to gather information to answer various questions in a way that balances ethics and expense. With marking of cranes as a focal point, we discuss issues surrounding crane research based on various techniques, some health issues that are a …

Ecological Risk Assessment For The Western Rock Lobster Resource : Workshop Procedure And Outcomes, R Stoklosa

Fisheries Occasional Publications

No abstract provided.