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United States Department of Agriculture Wildlife Services: Staff Publications

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Articles 1171 - 1200 of 1625

Full-Text Articles in Physical Sciences and Mathematics

Bird Depredations In Uruguayan Vineyards, Ethel N. Rodriguez, Guadalupe Tiscornia, Mark E. Tobin Feb 2004

Bird Depredations In Uruguayan Vineyards, Ethel N. Rodriguez, Guadalupe Tiscornia, Mark E. Tobin

United States Department of Agriculture Wildlife Services: Staff Publications

Many species of birds in Uruguay frequent vineyards and damage grapes, both species that are considered crop pests and species that are protected by law because their conservation and protection are desirable. We surveyed 70 farmers in the Department of Canalones, the main grape growing region in Uruguay, to determine their perceptions about the nature and severity of bud depredations and the methods being employed to reduce such damage. Sixty-seven percent of respondents reported receiving damage from birds. Bird depredations were considered a serious problem by 58% of respondents, a moderate problem by 19% of respondents, and a minor problem …

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Could Blackbird Mortality From Avicide Drc-1339 Contribute To Avian Botulism Outbreaks In North Dakota?, Diana R. Goldberg, Michael D. Samuel, Tonie E. Rocke, Kevin M. Johnson, George M. Linz Feb 2004

Could Blackbird Mortality From Avicide Drc-1339 Contribute To Avian Botulism Outbreaks In North Dakota?, Diana R. Goldberg, Michael D. Samuel, Tonie E. Rocke, Kevin M. Johnson, George M. Linz

United States Department of Agriculture Wildlife Services: Staff Publications

Blackbird (family Icteridae) depredation on sunflower (Helianthus annuus) crops in the prairie states of the United States has motivated the proposed use of an avicide, DRC-1339 (3-chloro-4-methylaniline), to decrease their numbers. The resulting mortality of blackbirds at wetland roosts could increase the potential of avian botulism occurring in affected marshes. To assess this possibility, we seeded (artificially placed) blackbird carcasses in selected wetlands in Stutsman County, North Dakota, during August–September 2000 and July–September 2001 to evaluate their rate of decomposition and role in initiating avian botulism outbreaks. We monitored carcasses to determine their persistence, the frequency and amount …

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Coyote Depredation Management: Current Methods And Research Needs, Brian R. Mitchell, Michael M. Jaegar, Reginald H. Barrett Feb 2004

Coyote Depredation Management: Current Methods And Research Needs, Brian R. Mitchell, Michael M. Jaegar, Reginald H. Barrett

United States Department of Agriculture Wildlife Services: Staff Publications

This paper examines the severity of livestock depredation by coyotes (Canis latrans), reviews evidence implicating breeding (or “alpha”) coyotes in the majority of incidents, evaluates currently used depredation control techniques, and suggests directions for future research. Nonlethal control ranges from varied animal husbandry practices to coyote behavioral modification or sterilization. These methods show significant promise but have not been proven effective in controlled experiments. Therefore, many livestock producers rely on lethal control, and most employ nonselective strategies aimed at local population reduction. Sometimes this approach is effective; other times it is not. This strategy can fail because the …

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Oral Rabies Vaccine (Orv) Bait Uptake By Striped Skunks: Preliminary Results, Susan M. Jojola, Stacie J. Robinson, Kurt C. Vercauteren Feb 2004

Oral Rabies Vaccine (Orv) Bait Uptake By Striped Skunks: Preliminary Results, Susan M. Jojola, Stacie J. Robinson, Kurt C. Vercauteren

United States Department of Agriculture Wildlife Services: Staff Publications

Aerial delivery of rabies vaccine-laden bait is effective and efficient for large-scale vaccination of wildlife. Oral rabies vaccine (ORV) contained in a sachet (or blister pack) inside baits that serve as the mode of delivery currently are used for orally immunizing foxes, raccoons, and coyotes. The technique remains in the vaccine-development stage for oral immunization of skunks. Since skunks are a major vector of the rabies virus, concurrent development of a bait that is sufficiently attractive to skunks would facilitate an immediate mode of delivery once a vaccine is developed. We ran a palatability experiment with different shapes and flavors …

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Cheloniidae (Marine Turtle) Nest Predation, John Woolard, Richard M. Engeman, Henry T. Smith, John Griner Feb 2004

Cheloniidae (Marine Turtle) Nest Predation, John Woolard, Richard M. Engeman, Henry T. Smith, John Griner

United States Department of Agriculture Wildlife Services: Staff Publications

On 19 June 2003 at 0217 h, an opossum (Didelphis virginiana) was observed for 10 min while digging into a marine turtle nest and eating 4 eggs on the beach at St. Lucie Inlet Preserve State Park (SLIPSP) on Jupiter Island, Florida. The predation event was observed using night vision equipment as part of nightly patrols to protect turtle nests from raccoon (Procyon lotor) and armadillo (Dasypus noverncinctus) predation during the nesting season. After verification of an ongoing predation event, the opossum was euthanized and removed. Prior to implementing predator removal on this beach, …

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A Review Of The Colonization Dynamics Of The Northern Curly-Tailed Lizard (Leiocephalus Carinatus Arimouri) In Florida, Henry T. Smith, Richard M. Engeman Feb 2004

A Review Of The Colonization Dynamics Of The Northern Curly-Tailed Lizard (Leiocephalus Carinatus Arimouri) In Florida, Henry T. Smith, Richard M. Engeman

United States Department of Agriculture Wildlife Services: Staff Publications

The northern curly-tailed lizard (Leiocephalus carinatus armouri) is endemic to the islands of the Little Bahama Bank, with other subspecies found in the Great Bahama Bank, Cayman Islands, and Cubs (Schwartz and Thomas 1975, Schwartz and Henderson 1991).

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Dispersal Characteristics Of Swift Foxes, J.F. Kamler, Warren B. Ballard, Eric M. Gese, R.L. Harrison, Seija M. Karki Feb 2004

Dispersal Characteristics Of Swift Foxes, J.F. Kamler, Warren B. Ballard, Eric M. Gese, R.L. Harrison, Seija M. Karki

United States Department of Agriculture Wildlife Services: Staff Publications

From 1997 to 2001, we monitored movements of 109 adult and 114 juvenile swift foxes, Vulpes velox (Say, 1823), at study sites in Colorado, New Mexico, and Texas to determine patterns of dispersal. Significantly more male (93%) than female (58%) juveniles dispersed, and both sexes had similar bimodal dispersal patterns with peaks in September–October and January–February. Adult dispersal occurred more evenly throughout the year, and significantly more male (32%) than female (5%) adults dispersed. Adult males tended to disperse after the death of their mate. Of dispersing foxes with known fates, settlement percentages in new territories were similar between juvenile …

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Spring Dispersal Patterns Of Red-Winged Blackbirds, Agelaius Phoeniceus, Staging In Eastern South Dakota, H.J. Homan, G. M. Linz, Richard M. Engeman, L.B. Penry Feb 2004

Spring Dispersal Patterns Of Red-Winged Blackbirds, Agelaius Phoeniceus, Staging In Eastern South Dakota, H.J. Homan, G. M. Linz, Richard M. Engeman, L.B. Penry

United States Department of Agriculture Wildlife Services: Staff Publications

Red-winged Blackbirds (Agelaius phoeniceus) are very abundant summer residents throughout the Prairie Pothole Region of central Norht America. In late summer they assemble in post-breeding flocks that cause significant amounts of agricultural damage, particularly in sunflower fields near natal sites. In April 2001, we aerially color-marked ~370,000 Red-winged Blackbirds near Badger, South Dakota (44°48'N, 97°21'W), to determine if migrants staging here were summer residents in sunflower production areas ~350 km to the northwest. We measured patterns of migratory dispersal by collecting birds in 54 randomly selected blocks in the north central U.S. and the Prairie Provinces of Canada. …

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Vulture-Cattle Interactions At A Central Florida Ranch, John S. Humphrey, Eric A. Tillman, Michael L. Avery Feb 2004

Vulture-Cattle Interactions At A Central Florida Ranch, John S. Humphrey, Eric A. Tillman, Michael L. Avery

United States Department of Agriculture Wildlife Services: Staff Publications

Black vulture depredations to newborn livestock, poultry, and other captive animals have been reported from at least 15 states, and during the 1990s, reports of depredations increased annually by an average of 18%. In response to this issue, we initiated a study at Buck Island Ranch of the MacArthur Agro-Ecology Research Center in central Florida to examine interactions between cattle and vultures. Based on previous reports, we hypothesized that vulture predation selectively targets calves of young, inexperienced cows. To document vulture activity, we conducted point counts of vultures in pastures throughout the ranch from January 2000 to March 2001. During …

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Wildlife Conservation Sunflower Plots As A Dual-Purpose Wildlife Management Strategy, George M. Linz, Dionn A. Schaaf, Philip Mastrangelo, H. Jeffrey Homan, Linda B. Penry, William J. Bleier Feb 2004

Wildlife Conservation Sunflower Plots As A Dual-Purpose Wildlife Management Strategy, George M. Linz, Dionn A. Schaaf, Philip Mastrangelo, H. Jeffrey Homan, Linda B. Penry, William J. Bleier

United States Department of Agriculture Wildlife Services: Staff Publications

The National Sunflower Association has identified blackbird damage as a key reason for growers to abandon sunflower. In the 1980s, National Wildlife Research Center scientists showed that "decoy" p1antings of sunflower can significantly reduce bird damage to nearby commercial sunflower fields. For a variety of reasons, largely logistical and economic in nature, decoy sunflower fields did not become wide-spread. Over the last decade, new federal farm programs have placed more emphasis on wildlife conservation. Thus, decoy sunflower fields planted to ameliorate blackbird damage and establish habitat for wildlife might gamer broad support from both agricultural and conservation groups. We present …

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Coyotes (Canis Latrans) Are Definitive Hosts Of Neospora Caninum, Luis F.P. Gondim, Milton M. Mcallister, William C. Pitt, Doris E. Zemlicka Feb 2004

Coyotes (Canis Latrans) Are Definitive Hosts Of Neospora Caninum, Luis F.P. Gondim, Milton M. Mcallister, William C. Pitt, Doris E. Zemlicka

United States Department of Agriculture Wildlife Services: Staff Publications

Four captive-raised coyote pups consumed tissues from Neospora caninum-infected calves. Feces were examined from 4 days before to 28 days after infection. One pup shed N. caninum-like oocysts, which tested positive for N. caninum and negative for Hammondia heydorni using PCR tests. Coyotes are the second discovered definitive host of N. caninum, after dogs. In North America, the expanding coyote ranges and population increase the probability of contact with domestic livestock. To reduce the risk of transmission of N. caninum to intensively farmed cattle, we recommend protection of feedstuffs using canid-proof fences, and careful disposal of dead …

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Linear Modeling Of Blackbird Populations Breeding In Central North America, H. Jeffrey Homan, Linda B. Penry, George M. Linz Feb 2004

Linear Modeling Of Blackbird Populations Breeding In Central North America, H. Jeffrey Homan, Linda B. Penry, George M. Linz

United States Department of Agriculture Wildlife Services: Staff Publications

Accurate estimates of blackbird populations are needed to develop and assess management programs to reduce blackbird damage to sunflower. Our objective was to use North American Breeding Bird Survey (BBS) indices to estimate the total blackbird population causing sunflower damage in North Dakota, South Dakota, and Minnesota.

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Evaluation Of Registered Sunflower Insecticides As Candidate Blackbird Repellents, George M. Linz, Anthony A. Slowik, Linda B. Penry, H. Jeffrey Homan Feb 2004

Evaluation Of Registered Sunflower Insecticides As Candidate Blackbird Repellents, George M. Linz, Anthony A. Slowik, Linda B. Penry, H. Jeffrey Homan

United States Department of Agriculture Wildlife Services: Staff Publications

Blackbird damage to ripening sunflower is forcing some growers to plant alternative, albeit less profitable, crops. Currently, only Bird Shield® (a.i., methyl anthranilate) is registered as a bird repellent on ripening sunflower. However, field experiments with Bird Shield showed no consistent differences in damage levels between treated and untreated plots. During September and October 2003, we screened five insecticide formulations for feeding repellency using individually caged red-winged blackbirds. The tested insecticides are registered and currently available for use on ripening sunflower. They were Asana® XL, Baythroid® 2, Lorsban®-4E, Scout X-Tra®, and Warrior® …

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Effects Of Aerial Lines On Red-Winged Blackbird Nesting, William H. Clark, George M. Linz, William J. Bleier Feb 2004

Effects Of Aerial Lines On Red-Winged Blackbird Nesting, William H. Clark, George M. Linz, William J. Bleier

United States Department of Agriculture Wildlife Services: Staff Publications


The Red-winged blackbird (RWBL) is one of the most abundant birds in all of North America (Dolbeer 1980, Beletsky 1996). Red-winged blackbird damage to crops continues to be a dilemma in localized areas of the United States (Dolbeer 1980). In addition to economic losses, bird damage may intensify conflicts between agricultural interests and the enforcement of laws defending wildlife and their habitats (Stone et al. 1984). When chemicals are shown to be environmentally harmful or when public unease grows over the mass killing of wildlife, new methods of repelling blackbirds need to be evaluated. A more humane and less hazardous …

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Avian Use Of Harvested Crop Fields During Spring Migration Through The Southern Drift Plains Of North Dakota, Alegra M. Galle, George M. Linz, William J. Bleier Feb 2004

Avian Use Of Harvested Crop Fields During Spring Migration Through The Southern Drift Plains Of North Dakota, Alegra M. Galle, George M. Linz, William J. Bleier

United States Department of Agriculture Wildlife Services: Staff Publications

In the Southern Drift Plains of North Dakota, land put into crop production has increased greatly over the last century. Of the approximately 70,000 square miles of land area in North Dakota, about 32,000 square miles are used for harvested cropland. Because of changes in the landscape, the diversity of habitat available for migrant birds has diminished, and migrants are now limited to choosing habitats for stopover sites that are uncharacteristic of those used at other times of the year. With reduced diversity of habitat a birds choice of feeding and resting areas greatly affects success at migration. Choice may …

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Avian Use Of Harvested Crop Fields During Spring Migration Through The Southern Drift Plains Of North Dakota, Alegra M. Galle, George M. Linz, William J. Bleier Feb 2004

Avian Use Of Harvested Crop Fields During Spring Migration Through The Southern Drift Plains Of North Dakota, Alegra M. Galle, George M. Linz, William J. Bleier

United States Department of Agriculture Wildlife Services: Staff Publications

In the Southern Drift Plains of North Dakota, land put into crop production has increased greatly over the last century. Of the approximately 70,000 square miles of land area in North Dakota, about 32,000 square miles are used for harvested cropland. Because of changes in the landscape, the diversity of habitat available for migrant birds has diminished, and migrants are now limited to choosing habitats for stopover sites that are uncharacteristic of those used at other times of the year. With reduced diversity of habitat a birds choice of feeding and resting areas greatly affects success at migration. Choice may …

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Cattail Quantification In The Prairie Pothole Region Of North Dakota Regarding Cattail Management For Reduction Of Blackbird Sunflower Damage, Scott T. Ralston, George M. Linz, William J. Bleier Feb 2004

Cattail Quantification In The Prairie Pothole Region Of North Dakota Regarding Cattail Management For Reduction Of Blackbird Sunflower Damage, Scott T. Ralston, George M. Linz, William J. Bleier

United States Department of Agriculture Wildlife Services: Staff Publications


The spread of cattail across the Northern Great Plains has increased the amount of breeding and roosting habitat available to marsh-nesting blackbirds. In the fall, dense cattail stands attract large numbers of roosting blackbirds, that damage crops like sunflower. In an effort to disperse roosting blackbirds and reduce the resulting crop damage, scientists from the USDA’s National Wildlife Research Center and North Dakota State University have developed wetland habitat management techniques using a glyphosate-based aquatic herbicide. These techniques have been used by USDA Wildlife Services as a nonlethal method for reducing blackbird damage.

Previous research on individual wetlands has demonstrated …

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Large-Scale Climate And Land Cover Influences On Blackbird Populations In The Prairie Pothole Region Of The United States And Canada, George M. Forcey, George M. Linz, William J. Bleier Feb 2004

Large-Scale Climate And Land Cover Influences On Blackbird Populations In The Prairie Pothole Region Of The United States And Canada, George M. Forcey, George M. Linz, William J. Bleier

United States Department of Agriculture Wildlife Services: Staff Publications

Blackbirds are ubiquitous members of the avian fauna in the Prairie Pothole Region of the United States and Canada. Their abundance combined with their food habitats make blackbirds significant agricultural pests on sunflower. Cost estimates for blackbird damage to sunflower in the northern Great Plains range from 4-11 million dollars per year. Because of their economic impact on agriculture, it is imperative to understand the environmental factors that influence their abundance. This study attempts to quantify the effects of landscape-level climatic and land use patterns on blackbird population dynamics in the Prairie Pothole Region of the United States and Canada.

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Microsatellite Variation In Red-Winged Blackbirds (Agelaius Phoeniceus), C. Lenney Williams, H.J. Homan, J.J. Johnston, G. M. Linz Feb 2004

Microsatellite Variation In Red-Winged Blackbirds (Agelaius Phoeniceus), C. Lenney Williams, H.J. Homan, J.J. Johnston, G. M. Linz

United States Department of Agriculture Wildlife Services: Staff Publications

Territorial male red-winged blackbirds from five locations in the United States and Canada were genotyped using a suite of six microsatellite loci. Each population possessed unique alleles, but numbers of alleles per locus (range = 7.3–8.8) and expected multilocus heterozygosities (range = 0.76–0.80) were similar in all populations. Significant overall allele frequency differences were detected between some population pairs, and some pairwise Fst values were significant (but small). However, Fst among populations, although significant, was also small (0.009). Despite revealing low levels of population structure, the high multilocus polymorphism indicates these loci will be valuable in the genetic …

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Optimization Of Ordered Distance Sampling, Ryan M. Nielson, Robert T. Sugihara, Thomas J. Boardman, Richard M. Engeman Jan 2004

Optimization Of Ordered Distance Sampling, Ryan M. Nielson, Robert T. Sugihara, Thomas J. Boardman, Richard M. Engeman

United States Department of Agriculture Wildlife Services: Staff Publications

Ordered distance sampling is a point-to-object sampling method that can be labor-efficient for demanding field situations. An extensive simulation study was conducted to find the optimum number, g, of population members to be encountered from each random starting point in ordered distance sampling. Monte Carlo simulations covered 64 combinations of four spatial patterns, four densities and four sample sizes. Values of g from 1 to 10 were considered for each case. Relative root mean squared error (RRMSE) and relative bias were calculated for each level of g, with RRMSE used as the primary assessment criterion for finding the …

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Responses Of Captive Fish Crows (Corvus Ossifragus) To Acetaminophen Baits And Bait Stations For Brown Tree Snake (Boiga Irregularis) Control On Guam, Michael L. Avery, Eric A. Tillman, Peter J. Savarie Jan 2004

Responses Of Captive Fish Crows (Corvus Ossifragus) To Acetaminophen Baits And Bait Stations For Brown Tree Snake (Boiga Irregularis) Control On Guam, Michael L. Avery, Eric A. Tillman, Peter J. Savarie

United States Department of Agriculture Wildlife Services: Staff Publications

One component of brown tree snake (Boiga irregularis) management on Guam is the use of a toxic bait that consists of acetaminophen tablets inserted into a dead neonatal mouse (DNM), which in turn is placed within a cylindrical polyvinyl chloride (PVC) bait station suspended above ground. Whereas this technique is effective in killing snakes, possible hazards to nontarget species, especially the Mariana crow (Corvus kubaryi), are of concern. We used the fish crow (C. ossifragus) as a surrogate for the Mariana crow to evaluate (1) oral toxicity of acetaminophen, (2) behavior of crows exposed to DNM containing acetaminophen tablets, and …

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Response Of Dogs To A Gnrh-Klh Conjugate Contraceptive Vaccine Adjuvanted With Adjuvac, Brenda Griffin, Baker Henry, Welles Elizabeth, Lowell Miller, Kathleen Fagerstone Jan 2004

Response Of Dogs To A Gnrh-Klh Conjugate Contraceptive Vaccine Adjuvanted With Adjuvac, Brenda Griffin, Baker Henry, Welles Elizabeth, Lowell Miller, Kathleen Fagerstone

United States Department of Agriculture Wildlife Services: Staff Publications

No abstract provided.

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Feasibility Of Localized Management To Control White-Tailed Deer In Forest Regeneration Areas, Tyler A. Campbell, Benjamin R. Laseter, W. Mark Ford, Karl V. Miller Jan 2004

Feasibility Of Localized Management To Control White-Tailed Deer In Forest Regeneration Areas, Tyler A. Campbell, Benjamin R. Laseter, W. Mark Ford, Karl V. Miller

United States Department of Agriculture Wildlife Services: Staff Publications

The deleterious effects of white-tailed deer (Odocoileus virginianus) on forest regeneration are well documented in many forested systems, but potential solutions to these problems on remote landholdings are limited in number and scope. Localized management proposes that a persistent area (<2 km2) of low density can be created by removing all individuals within matriarchal social groups of white-tailed deer. Our objective was to assess the feasibility of using localized management as a tool within forest regeneration areas. We present a comparison of seasonal home-range and core-area size and site fidelity of 148 radiomonitored female white-tailed deer in a forested landscape of the central Appalachians of West Virginia. We also characterized seasonal movements and dispersal. Adult female winter home-range size exceeded those of summer and autumn. Female deer displayed high fidelity, with home-range and core-area overlap being less in autumn than in summer or winter. Dispersal occurred in 1 of 28 (3.6%) female fawns and no deer >1 year old dispersed. Female white-tailed deer on our study site meet the a priori assumptions of localized management. We assert that experimental manipulations based on localized management concepts are prudent.

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Monetary Valuation Of Rare Species And Imperiled Habitats As A Basis For Economically Evaluating Conservation Approaches , Richard M. Engeman, Stephanie A. Shwiff, Henry T. Smith, Bernice Constantin Jan 2004

Monetary Valuation Of Rare Species And Imperiled Habitats As A Basis For Economically Evaluating Conservation Approaches , Richard M. Engeman, Stephanie A. Shwiff, Henry T. Smith, Bernice Constantin

United States Department of Agriculture Wildlife Services: Staff Publications

Management actions directed towards the conservation of species or habitats are usually measured in resource improvement. Nevertheless, the decision to select and carry out such actions are rooted in the available funding. Therefore, to truly evaluate the benefit/costs of a conservation-directed management action, the resource improvement should be in the same metric as the expenditures. To this end, we describe here a variety of methods for attaching monetary values to rare species and habitats. We also give examples of applications with which we have been involved to demonstrate how such species and habitat valuations have allowed economic analyses of conservation …

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Livestock Depredations By Black Vultures And Golden Eagles, Michael L. Avery, J. L. Cummings Jan 2004

Livestock Depredations By Black Vultures And Golden Eagles, Michael L. Avery, J. L. Cummings

United States Department of Agriculture Wildlife Services: Staff Publications

Black Vulture: The available evidence suggests that black vultures act as typical predators by seeking and disabling vulnerable animals prior to overwhelming and killing them (Gluesing et al., 1980). These birds take the path of least resistance and eat carrion when it is available. Black vultures are opportunists, however, and when the chance arises, they will attack and eat defenseless live animals. Defenseless does not necessarily mean sick or injured. Healthy newborn livestock are defenseless, especially if the mother is exhausted or otherwise not able to care for and protect the offspring. In assessing the role of black vultures as …

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Double-Crested Comorants In Alabama, Scott C. Barras Jan 2004

Double-Crested Comorants In Alabama, Scott C. Barras

United States Department of Agriculture Wildlife Services: Staff Publications

No abstract provided.

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Evaluating Population Management Scenarios: Crunching The Numbers Before Going To The Field, Bradley F. Blackwell, Brian E. Washburn, Michael J. Begier Jan 2004

Evaluating Population Management Scenarios: Crunching The Numbers Before Going To The Field, Bradley F. Blackwell, Brian E. Washburn, Michael J. Begier

United States Department of Agriculture Wildlife Services: Staff Publications

Effolts to mitigate wildlife-human conflicts tpically involve management of unacceptably abundant populations. Increasingly, however, reduction of dense or increasing populations of certain wild species evokes both support and contention kom the public. Management decisions involving population reduction, particularly those directed at highly visible species, should therefore be based on quantitative evaluation of potential outcomes prior to implementation. The purpose of th~sp aper is to revisit a call for use of population modeling in management decisions by reviewing basic aspects of population analysis and the use of publicly available long-term data sets in environmental assessments and impact statements. Our objectives are …

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Evaluation Of A Deer-Activated Bioacoustic Frightening Device For Reducing Deer Damage In Cornfields, Jason M. Gildorf, Scott E. Hygnstrom, Kurt C. Vercauteren, Greg M. Clements, Erin E. Blankenship, Richard M. Engeman Jan 2004

Evaluation Of A Deer-Activated Bioacoustic Frightening Device For Reducing Deer Damage In Cornfields, Jason M. Gildorf, Scott E. Hygnstrom, Kurt C. Vercauteren, Greg M. Clements, Erin E. Blankenship, Richard M. Engeman

United States Department of Agriculture Wildlife Services: Staff Publications

Deer (Odocoileus spp.) can cause substantial damage to agricultural crops, resulting in economic losses for producers. We developed a deer-activated bio-acoustic frightening device to reduce white-tailed deer (O. virginianus) damage in agricultural fields. The device consisted of an infrared detection system that activated an audio component which broadcast recorded distress and alarm calls of deer. We tested the device against unprotected controls in cornfields during the silking–tasseling stage of growth in July 2001. The device was not effective in reducing damage: track-count indices (F1,4=0.02, P=0.892), corn yield (F1,9=1.27, P=0.289), and estimated damage levels (F1,10=0.87, P=0.374) did not differ between experimental …

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Predacides For Canid Predation Management, K. A. Fagerstone, J. J. Johnston, P. J. Savarie Jan 2004

Predacides For Canid Predation Management, K. A. Fagerstone, J. J. Johnston, P. J. Savarie

United States Department of Agriculture Wildlife Services: Staff Publications

Throughout the livestock industry in the western United States, control of canid predators was considered to be of considerable importance to the livestock industry, especially to sheep producers, who sufkred high losses from coyotes and wolves. In the 19th century, the demand for predator control was communicated to Congress and the western state assemblies, with the result that predator control was provided in western states by the Fedcral Bureau of Biological Survey in cooperation with state agencies, and by trappers hired by stockmen. Steel traps and poisons were the principal methods used for predator control during the early years of …

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A Review Of The Colonization Dynamics Of The Northern Curly-Tailed Lizard (Leiocephalus Carinatus Armouri) In Florida, Henry T. Smith, Richard M. Engeman Jan 2004

A Review Of The Colonization Dynamics Of The Northern Curly-Tailed Lizard (Leiocephalus Carinatus Armouri) In Florida, Henry T. Smith, Richard M. Engeman

United States Department of Agriculture Wildlife Services: Staff Publications

No abstract provided.

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