Physical Sciences and Mathematics Commons^™

Talking Trash In The Big Apple: Mitigating Bird Strikes Near The North Shore Marine Transfer Station, Stephan J. Beffre, Brian E. Washburn

USDA Wildlife Services: Staff Publications

Anthropogenic activities that concentrate wildlife near airports increases the risk of wildlife–aircraft collisions. Placing waste management facilities, natural areas, golf courses, and other landscape features near airports have the potential to attract wildlife hazardous to aviation. We conducted a 3-year study (March 2013–February 2016) to determine if the implementation of a Wildlife Hazard Mitigation Program (WHMP) would influence the bird use of a waste transfer station located near LaGuardia Airport, New York City, New York, USA. We conducted wildlife surveys during 3 phases: (1) no mitigation program and no waste transfer station, (2) active mitigation and no waste transfer station, …

Soil Processes Drive Seasonal Variation In Retention Of 15N Tracers In A Deciduous Forest Catchment, Christine L. Goodale, Guinevere Fredriksen, Marissa S. Weiss, Carmody K. Mccalley, Jed P. Sparks, Steven A. Thomas

School of Natural Resources: Faculty Publications

Seasonal patterns of stream nitrate concentration have long been interpreted as

demonstrating the central role of plant uptake in regulating stream nitrogen loss from forested

catchments. Soil processes are rarely considered as important drivers of these patterns. We

examined seasonal variation in N retention in a deciduous forest using three whole-ecosystem

¹⁵N tracer additions: in late April (post-snowmelt, pre-leaf-out), late July (mid-growingseason),

and late October (end of leaf-fall). We expected that plant ¹⁵N uptake would peak in

late spring and midsummer, that immobilization in surface litter and soil would peak the

following autumn leaf-fall, and that leaching losses …

Evaluation Of An Oral Vaccination Program To Control Raccoon Rabies In A Suburbanized Landscape, Jason R. Boulanger, Laura L. Bigler, Paul D. Curtis, Donald H. Lein, Arthur J. Lembo Jr.

Human–Wildlife Interactions

We evaluated the efficacy of an oral rabies vaccination (ORV) program conducted in Erie County, New York, from July through September, 2002–2005. Ingress of the raccoon (Procyon lotor) rabies variant first occurred along the southern border of Erie County, New York, during 1992 and began to spread northward at a velocity of 31 km/year. Fixed-wing aircraft dropped ORV baits in rural landscapes; helicopters, hand baiting, and bait stations distributed baits in suburban landscapes (&#;x bait densities ranged 59–118 baits/km²). Our study objectives were to quantify rabies case densities, evaluate efficacy of intervention efforts, and determine biological, …

Empowering Local Communities To Co-Manage Deer, William F. Siemer, Daniel J. Decker, Lisa C. Chase

Wildlife Damage Management Conference Proceedings

Co-management of white-tailed deer (Odocolius virginianus) holds the promise of creating better management programs in many situations, but agencies may be reluctant to encourage co-management if they doubt the capacity of a community to take on management responsibilities, especially on a continuing basis. In Cayuga Heights, New York, the New York State Department of Environmental Conservation worked with Cornell University and Cornell Cooperative Extension to help a community organization create informed public dialogue about local deer management. Using a consensus-building conceptual framework, we analyzed the planning process that created this dialogue. Process participants believed that use of a third party …

The Islip Deer Initiative: A Strategy For Stakeholder Involvement In Deer Management, William F. Siemer, Daniel J. Decker, Mark D. Lowery, James E. Shanahan

Wildlife Damage Management Conference Proceedings

Effective stakeholder involvement is among the greatest challenges in wildlife management. In this paper, we describe an effort called the Islip Deer Initiative (IDI) to illustrate one approach that wildlife management professionals can take to design a stakeholder involvement strategy. We used a four-step procedure proposed by Chase et al. (1999) as a general guideline for process design. The procedure involves: (1) developing an understanding of the local situation (i.e., preliminary situation analysis); (2) defining the wildlife agency's objectives for stakeholder involvement; (3) selecting an overarching stakeholder involvement approach; and (4) designing context-specific stakeholder involvement strategies. In this case, preliminary …

Suburban Goose Management: Insights From New York State, Bryan L. Swift

Wildlife Damage Management Conference Proceedings

New York State Department of Environmental Conservation (DEC) conducted studies in suburban Rockland County, New York during 1993-2000 to help local officials develop strategies to alleviate conflicts associated with local-nesting or "resident" Canada geese {Branta canadensis). Annual counts indicated a relatively stable population of approximately 2,500-3,000 resident geese in the county, far fewer than anecdotal reports suggested. Counts tended to increase in towns where there was little or no goose management, whereas numbers declined in towns with active goose management efforts (i.e., egg-addling, capture and removal, or use of border collies). Egg-addling programs did not result in immediate reduction of …

The Mass Media And Stakeholders’ Beliefs About Suburban Wildlife, Cynthia A. Loker, James Shanahan, Daniel J. Decker

Eighth Eastern Wildlife Damage Management Conference (1997)

This study examines how suburban audiences obtain information about 3 species in New York State (whitetail deer [Odocoileus virginianus], beaver [Castor Canadensis], and Canada goose [Branta canadensis]). Respondents in 3 suburban areas were surveyed on concerns and interests about a particular species in their area. Respondents also were surveyed about preferred sources for species information and actual source use. Finally, respondents were surveyed about general media use. “Uses-and-gratifications” theory was used to characterize respondents’ information behavior for species information. Specific recommendations for communication planning are offered.

The Press And Citizen Participation: A Content Analysis, Lisa Pelstring, James Shanahan, Ben Perry

Eighth Eastern Wildlife Damage Management Conference (1997)

We conducted a content analysis of regional New York State newspapers to assess media coverage of the Department of Environmental Conservation’s (DEC) deer management program. The goal of this analysis was to ascertain media depiction of DEC’s deer management program during the 1985-97 time period. Specifically, this research examines how deer management issues were portrayed both prior to and after implementation of a DEC public participation program (the Citizen Task Force [CTF] process) to determine if deer management issues received more favorable coverage after CTFs were implemented.

Repellency Of Plant, Natural Products, And Predator Odors To Woodchucks, N. Jay Bean, Wyatt L. Korff, J. Russell Mason

National Wildlife Research Center Repellents Conference 1995

Woodchuck (Marmota monax) damage to lawns, gardens, orchards, and other agricultural areas is of concern to homeowners and fanners throughout the northeastern region of the United States. Currently, the only effective control methods are live-trapping and relocation, shooting, or lethal trapping. Each of these techniques, though effective, has drawbacks that limit its use in residential areas. Using odors to repel the animals could provide a nonlethal option to help mitigate the vegetation and property damage caused by these animals. For this reason, we studied the repellency of several commonly available odorants to repel woodchucks. Nine different burrow sites …