Physical Sciences and Mathematics Commons^™

Responses Of Pond-Breeding Amphibians To Wildfire: Short-Term Patterns In Occupancy And Colonization, Blake R. Hossack, Paul Stephen Corn

United States Geological Survey: Staff Publications

Wildland fires are expected to become more frequent and severe in many ecosystems, potentially posing a threat to many sensitive species. We evaluated the effects of a large, stand-replacement wildfire on three species of pond-breeding amphibians by estimating changes in occupancy of breeding sites during the three years before and after the fire burned 42 of 83 previously surveyed wetlands. Annual occupancy and colonization for each species was estimated using recently developed models that incorporate detection probabilities to provide unbiased parameter estimates. We did not find negative effects of the fire on the occupancy or colonization rates of the long-toed …

Ethnoprimatology: Toward Reconciliation Of Biological And Cultural Anthropology, Erin P. Riley

Ecological and Environmental Anthropology (University of Georgia)

One of the hallmarks of the discipline of anthropology is its holistic approach to the study of what it means to be human. A perennial challenge to the discipline, however, is the question of whether biological and cultural anthropology can truly coexist given their traditionally disparate epistemologies and methodologies. In this paper, I argue that the emerging field of ethnoprimatology, which focuses on the ecological and cultural interconnections between human and nonhuman primates, has real potential to bridge these two subfields. I support my argument by discussing the theoretical rationale of an ethnoprimatological approach with regard to the notion of …

Human And Non-Human Primate Co-Existence In The Neotropics: A Preliminary View Of Some Agricultural Practices As A Complement For Primate Conservation, Alejandro Estrada

Ecological and Environmental Anthropology (University of Georgia)

In this paper I address the general perception that agricultural activities are the principal threat to primate biodiversity in the tropics and argue that in Neotropical landscapes some agricultural practices may favor primate population persistence, and that this situation merits attention and investigation. To explore these issues, I examined three interrelated pressures upon tropical forests for the Mesoamerican and Amazon basin regions: human population growth trends, levels of poverty and human development and deforestation rates. I also present relevant results of recent surveys completed on the presence and activities of primate populations in agroecosystems in several landscapes in Mesoamerica. I …

Human Dimensions Of Northern Muriqui Conservation Efforts, Karen B. Strier, Jean P. Boubli, Francisco B. Pontual, Sergio L. Mendes

Ecological and Environmental Anthropology (University of Georgia)

The northern muriqui (Brachyteles hypoxanthus) is endemic to Brazil’s Atlantic Forest, and it ranks among the most critically endangered primates in the world. Roughly 25% of the species is found in the 957 ha forest at the Estação Biológica de Caratinga/RPPN-Feliciano Miguel Abdala, in Minas Gerais, Brazil. The long-term research and conservation efforts at this site have received considerable attention, and public awareness and educational campaigns about northern muriquis have been highly effective. Nonetheless, very little about the human dimensions of these efforts have been explicitly described. In this paper, we focus on three distinct, but interconnected dimensions: …

Policy Tools For Smart Growth In New England, New England Environmental Finance Center

Smart Growth

Across New England communities have been experiencing a rapid outward surge of development away from our community and downtown centers. Effects of sprawl include a loss of wildlife habitat, farm and timber lands; increased costs of community services and higher taxes; auto-dependency, longer commutes, and increased congestion; increases in air and water pollution; a sedentary lifestyle and increased obesity; and losses to one’s sense of place and social ties.

State-level responses to sprawl have surfaced throughout New England in recent years. This report describes 11 examples of these responses, representing all six New England states and a diversity of recent …

Realizing The Potential Of Family Forests: Tools To Facilitate Habitat Conservation, Drue Deberry, Julie H. Moore

11th Triennial National Wildlife and Fisheries Extension Specialists Conference (2006)

The management of family-owned forests is discussed in light of conservation issues and development pressures. Safe Harbor Agreements and Candidate Conservation Agreements with Assurances are voluntary tools that can be used to protect conservation values, particularly habitat for threatened or endangered species. A case history of forest management practices to sustain the gopher tortoise in the Southeast is given.

Sage-Grouse Restoration Project: Evaluating The Effects Of The Farm Bill Conservation Practices On Sage-Grouse, Terry A. Messmer

11th Triennial National Wildlife and Fisheries Extension Specialists Conference (2006)

The Office of Management and Budget is demanding increased accountability of funds used to implement conservation practices and strategies. Although current Farm Bill policy provides priority funding for projects that are designed to enhance species conservation, it does not allocate funds to conduct the evaluations needed to document the effect of conservation practices on wildlife. The Sage-Grouse Restoration Project (SGRP) is a cooperative agreement with the Natural Resource Conservation Service (NRCS), designed specifically to facilitate evaluations to determine the effect of conservation practices and technologies implemented under the 2002 Farm Bill on restoring or enhancing sage-grouse habitat on private lands. …

Tropic And East Fork Irrigation Company, Tropic Ditch Replacement Project, Environmental Assessment, Bureau Of Reclamation, Provo Area Office

All U.S. Government Documents (Utah Regional Depository)

The purpose of this project is to reduce the amount of salt entering the Paria River and ultimately the Colorado River. One way to reduce the amount of salt reaching the Colorado River is to eliminate seepage from the historic Tropic Ditch. The Bureau of Reclamation, Provo Area Office has proposed funding for the project under the Colorado River Salinity Control Program. In addition to reducing the amount of salt loading, the project would also conserve water lost to evaporation and seepage.

The purpose of this Environmental Assessment (EA) is to analyze the potential environmental consequences of the proposed construction …

The Earth, Energy, And Agriculture, Tad W. Patzek

Climate Change and the Future of the American West: Exploring the Legal and Policy Dimensions (Summer Conference, June 7-9)

Presenter: Tad W. Patzek, Professor of Petroleum Engineering, University of California at Berkeley, Berkeley, CA.

13 pages (includes some color illustrations).

Contains references.

2005 Nutrient And Sediment Monitoring Report Ballard Creek Near Arkansas/Oklahoma Line, Marc Nelson, L. Wade Cash, Keith Trost, Jennifer Purtle, Marty Matlock

Technical Reports

The Illinois River Basin has experienced water quality impairment from non-point source pollution for many years. This fact was well documented in the State of Arkansas' Water Quality Assessment report, the Soil Conservation Service River Basin Study, and several University of Arkansas studies. Thirty-seven sub-watersheds have been identified by the SCS in the Arkansas portion of the Illinois River basin. In the Arkansas portion of the Basin, the Illinois River, Evansville Creek, Baron Fork, Cincinnati Creek, Muddy Fork, Moores Creek, Clear Creek, Osage Creek and Flint Creek were all classified as not supporting their designated use as primary contact recreation …

Amherst Ma: A New Village Plan For Atkins Corner, Maggie Jones, Richard Barringer

Planning

The case study describes a successful smart growth initiative in the town of Amherst, Massachusetts, at an intersection known as Atkins Corner. The initiative grew from two motivating factors: the necessity of realigning Route 116, a major north-to-south artery through the town, to decrease traffic accidents at the intersection and improve pedestrian safety; and a desire on the part of Hampshire College and the Town to create a village center at the intersection. Through a consensus-building process involving key town officials, Hampshire College, neighbors, and the design firm of Dodson Associates, agreement on the project was reached with local stakeholders …

Coastal Aquaculture And Conservation Can Work Together, Tim Dempster, Pablo Sanchez-Jerez, Fernando Tuya, Damian Fernandez-Jover, Just Bayle-Sempere, Arturo Boyra, Ricardo Haroun

Research outputs pre 2011

Current fishing practices are regarded as unsustainable (Pauly et al. 2002), yet our appetite for seafood grows. To meet the growing gap, there are increasing calls for mankind to tame the oceans through aquaculture (Marra 2005). Close to the coast, rapid expansion of marine aquaculture is underway throughout the world. Sea cages enclose 2.5 million tons of fish, while 12 million tons of mussels, oysters and clams hang from floating ropes or grow on racks or trays (FAO 2004). Aquaculture structures are now ubiquitous to many coastlines. As the expansion continues, how can we best manage the interaction between natural …

Analysis Of Response Calls To Diverse Ground Predators From Three Geographically Separate Florida Scrub-Jay (Aphelocoma Coerulescens) Subpopulations, Sarah A. (Bales) Douglass

Master of Environmental Science (MES) Theses

Dialectic variation occurs in many bird species. Different factors have been investigated regarding dialectic variation, including cultural and genetic transmission of songs or calls, and geographic separation. In this study, the predator alarm call of the Florida Scrub-Jay to ground predators was recorded in three geographically separate subpopulations across Florida—Canaveral National Seashore/Merritt Island National Wildlife Refuge, Lyonia Preserve and Leisure Lakes/Lake June in Winter Scrub State Park—to examine any dialectic occurrence between these three subpopulations. Additionally, many bird species are recognized as having highly evolved predator recognition systems, often with different calls for specific predators. The Florida Scrub Jay has …

Effects Of Fire On Habitat Associations, Abundance, And Survival Of Wintering Henslow's Sparrows (Ammodramus Henslowii) In Southeastern Louisiana Longleaf Pine Savannas, Erik Ivan Johnson

LSU Master's Theses

The Henslow’s Sparrow (Ammodramus henslowii) is the fastest declining short-distance migrant and fastest declining grassland bird in North America. Declines in longleaf pine (Pinus palustris) savannas, its primary wintering habitat, have exceeded 97%. Other than basic habitat requirements, very little is known about its wintering ecology. I examined habitat associations of wintering Henslow’s Sparrows resulting from fire in longleaf pine savannas in southeastern Louisiana during two winters. Because it is important to understand the relative importance of habitat parameters, which include structure, species composition, and food availability, I measured these to determine their relative importance to Henslow’s Sparrow densities. I …