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Full-Text Articles in Physical Sciences and Mathematics

Investigations Of Methods To Reduce Damage By Voles, Gary W. Witmer, A. A. Hakim, Brian W. Moser Oct 2000

Investigations Of Methods To Reduce Damage By Voles, Gary W. Witmer, A. A. Hakim, Brian W. Moser

Wildlife Damage Management Conference Proceedings

Voles (Microtus spp.), small burrowing rodents, range over much of North America. Populations cycle and achieve peak densities every 3-5 years. This can result in severe damage to various resources: orchards, forest plantings, alfalfa and other crops, ornamentals, lawns, and gardens. A variety of methods are used to reduce vole damage, but there is still a need for new, cost-effective, and environmentally benign approaches. We investigated numerous candidate repellents and barriers with indoor vole colonies in soil-filled tanks. Several compounds (blood meal, capsaicin, castor oil, coyote urine, quebracho, and thiram) showed promise as repellents, but only at high concentrations. Many …


Coding Spreadsheets For Intervention Decisions In Wildlife Damage Management, Ray T. Sterner, H. Nicole Lorimer Oct 2000

Coding Spreadsheets For Intervention Decisions In Wildlife Damage Management, Ray T. Sterner, H. Nicole Lorimer

Wildlife Damage Management Conference Proceedings

Sterner (In press) described the use of a priori, theoretical analyses of crop/resource savings and benefit:cost ratios as a way of making intervention decisions in wildlife damage management. Iterative (1-variable-changed-at-a-time) calculations of these economic indices were computed for the use of zinc phosphide baits to control vole {Microtus spp.) populations in alfalfa (Medicago sativa). Results showed that indices displayed transitive effects — greater net savings and benefit:cost ratios were related to larger field-size, crop-damage and bait-effectiveness variables, but smaller bait-application fees. Ratios varied between 0.40 and 6.45, with -5-10% vole-caused damage required to produce returns on investments equal to the …


A Private Lands Approach To Controlling New Jersey's Deer Population, David Drake Oct 2000

A Private Lands Approach To Controlling New Jersey's Deer Population, David Drake

Wildlife Damage Management Conference Proceedings

In New Jersey, annual losses from white-tailed deer (Odocoileus virginianus) depredation to agricultural crops have been estimated as high as $10 million. Additional problems caused by the state's overabundance of deer include increasing vehicle/deer collisions, possible human health concerns regarding increasing incidences of Lyme disease, and a loss of flora and fauna diversity. In an effort to reduce deer numbers and minimize damage, both non-lethal and lethal management practices have been used with limited success. Hunter access to private lands remains the biggest impediment to effective deer management in New Jersey. I propose an incentive-based program to increase lease and …


Spreadsheets, Response Surfaces, And Intervention Decisions In Wildlife Damage Management, Ray T. Sterner Aug 2000

Spreadsheets, Response Surfaces, And Intervention Decisions In Wildlife Damage Management, Ray T. Sterner

Human Conflicts with Wildlife: 2002 Symposium

An a priori approach to examining the economics of performing management activities to reduce agricultural and resource damage by wildlife is described. Computer spreadsheet procedures are used to derive response surfaces of potential net savings and benefit:cost indices for selected crop- or resource-protection activities. Tabular and graphical displays of these indices afford decision-making aids for wildlife-damage interventions. An example based on the use of an acute rodenticide, zinc phosphide (Zn3P2), for vole (Microtus spp.) control in alfalfa (Medicago sativa) is described. Iterative calculations were derived for 1,260 possible combinations of 3 field-size, 6 …


The Economic Impact Of Invasive Species To Wildlife Services’ Cooperators, David L. Bergman, Monte D. Chandler, Adrienne Locklear Aug 2000

The Economic Impact Of Invasive Species To Wildlife Services’ Cooperators, David L. Bergman, Monte D. Chandler, Adrienne Locklear

Human Conflicts with Wildlife: 2002 Symposium

On February 3, 1999, the president of the United States signed an Executive Order 13112 on invasive species. Each federal agency was directed to detect and respond rapidly to control populations of invasive species, monitor invasive species populations, provide for restoration of native species and habitat conditions, conduct research on invasive species and develop technologies to prevent their introduction, and promote public education on invasive species and the means to address them. The United States Department of Agriculture’s Wildlife Services Program fulfills a federal responsibility for helping solve problems which occur when human activity and wildlife, including invasive species, are …