Population Biology Commons^™

Documenting The Southern Range Terminus Of The Wood Frog (Lithobates Sylvaticus) In North America, Christian Braswell

Theses

The Wood Frog (Lithobates sylvaticus) holds a remarkable position in North American amphibian biology, with its range extending from the Arctic Circle down to the near sub-tropical southeastern United States. This thesis presents a novel quantitative polymerase chain reaction analysis (qPCR) primer specific to L. sylvaticus and a survey effort regarding the southernmost distribution and detection of this species in Alabama through the application of environmental DNA (eDNA) sampling techniques. By investigating historical data and employing advanced genetic methodologies, this research provides insights into the contemporary status and distribution of the Wood Frog. This research is important to …

Demographic Consequences Of Off-River Nesting For Piping Plover (Charadrius Melodus) And Interior Least Tern (Sternula Antillarum Athalassos) In The Lower Platte River System, Nebraska, Elsa M. Forsberg

School of Natural Resources: Dissertations, Theses, and Student Research

Piping plovers (Charadrius melodus; hereafter, plovers) and interior least terns (Sternula antillarum athalassos; hereafter, terns) are two avian species that nest along the Lower Platte River system (LPRS) in Nebraska. In the LPRS, river sandbars provide natural nesting habitat, but off-river sites provide substantial nesting habitat especially when sandbar habitat is scarce. Although presumed to be important for the persistence of plovers and terns, off-river habitat is not self-sustaining and predicted to decline. Understanding the vital rates of plovers and terns in the LPRS will inform the role of off- river sites in the future conservation …

Interior Least Terns (Sternula Antillarum Athalassos) In A Landscape Of Fear: Explaining Predator Frequency On Sandbars Using Habitat Features, Carice N. Kimbrell

ATU Theses and Dissertations 2021 - Present

Causes of colony failure in interior least terns (Sternula antillarum athalassos) have been a prevalent topic for researchers investigating this previously endangered species. In Arkansas, these colonies are primarily located on sandbars formed along the McClellan-Kerr Arkansas River Navigation System. Reduction in nesting site quality may put this sensitive species at a greater risk for predator encounters. In my first chapter, I identified which sandbar characteristics resulted in higher frequencies of predator encounters at interior least tern colonies. In my second chapter, I investigated how those predators influenced colony production and whether interior least tern colonies exhibited similar …

The Nebraska Bird Review (March 2024) 92(1), Whole Issue

Nebraska Bird Review

Winter Field Report, December 2023–February 2024, by W. Ross Silcock

Birds and the People They Were Named For

Annual Color Photo Section

2023–2024 Christmas Bird Counts, by Don Paseka

Annual Treasurer’s Report for 2023, by Jan Johnson

Subscription and Organization Information

Nebraska Ornithologists' Union Treasurer's Report, December 31, 2023, Jan Johnson

Nebraska Bird Review

No abstract provided.

Annual Color Photo Section

Nebraska Bird Review

Annual color photograph section (the first six pages show examples of this year’s theme: species whose common names include the names of people):

Cassin’s Finch
Cassin’s Kingbird
Steller’s Jay
Cooper’s Hawk
Baird’s Sandpiper
Baird’s Sparrow
Bullock’s Oriole
Hybrid Baltimore × Bullock’s Oriole
Clark’s Grebes
Sprague’s Pipit
Forster’s Tern
Brewer’s Sparrow
Nelson’s Sparrow
Swainson’s Hawk
Swainson’s Thrush
Clark’s Nutcracker
Ross’s Goose
Sabine’s Gull
LeConte’s Sparrow
Harris’s Sparrow
Henslow’s Sparrow
Townsend’s Solitaire
Wilson’s Warbler
Wilson’s Snipe
Lincoln’s Sparrow
Wilson’s Phalarope
Franklin’s Gulls
Pine Grosbeak
Bald Eagle
Pine Siskin
Piping Plover
Ovenbird
Blackheaded Grosbeak
Red Crossbill
Ash-throated Flycatcher
Long-eared Owl
Horned Grebes

Birds And The People They Were Named For

Nebraska Bird Review

This year the theme for our color photo section was birds named for people. For the purposes of our selections, we looked only at the common names of birds, although some species also reflect the names of people in their scientific names. Many species are named for people, but photos of the ones listed here are on the first six pages of this year’s color section.

Baird’s Sandpiper, Baird’s Sparrow Spencer Fullerton Baird (1823-1887) was the first curator and later secretary of the Smithsonian Institution and was instrumental in expanding the Institution’s natural history collections. John James Audubon named the …

Winter Field Report, December 2023–February 2024, W. Ross Silcock

Nebraska Bird Review

As was the case for winter 2022–2023, the big general story was the large number of reports of tardy fall migrants and unexpectedly northerly occurrences in midwinter, an apparent residue of relatively mild early winter temperatures. These reports involved at least 50 species, many of them waterbirds and native sparrows, but including several other passerines as well. Notable were about 12 waterfowl species, five grebe species, an interesting late Dec peak in each of the last three years of Sandhill Cranes, record late Whooping Cranes, a 4th winter record of Dunlin, high numbers of Double-crested Cormorants, a wintering Rock Wren, …

2023–2024 Christmas Bird Counts, Don Paseka

Nebraska Bird Review

With the resurrection of the Kearney count, twenty CBCs [Christmas Bird Counts] were run in the 2023–2024 season. This is four more than last year and one more than the previous high number of nineteen from 2021. Although the Crawford, Harrison, and Scottsbluff counts were postponed because of snow, the weather on count days was mild with an average high of 43°F and an average low of 27°F, resulting in mostly open water. Rain and mud eliminated access to several normally productive areas of the Harlan County count which still produced the highest number of species (94). Lake McConaughy produced …

The Art Of Medicine: “Meeting Patients Where They’Re At”, Elyse Stevens

School of Medicine Faculty Publications

No abstract provided.

Habitat Associations And Species Distribution Modeling Of The Plains Spotted Skunk (Spilogale Interrupta) In Kansas, Daniel Benson

Electronic Theses & Dissertations

While once abundant across the central United States, the plains spotted skunk (Spilogale interrupta formerly Spilogale putorious) has experienced range wide population declines. In Kansas, the plains spotted skunk has suffered a particularly dramatic decline and is currently listed as a state-threatened species. Due to the deficit of knowledge on this species, we have paired a long-term, large-scale camera trap survey with the a regional, temporally discrete Species Distribution Model (SDM) to determine the ecology and presence of the plains spotted skunk in Kansas. We deployed camera traps for 40,393 trap nights across 29 counties between 2016 and …

Experimental Sars-Cov-2 Infection Of Elk And Mule Deer, Stephanie M. Porter, Airn E. Hartwig, Helle Bielefeldt-Ohmann, Jeffrey M. Marano, J. Jeffrey Root, Angela M. Bosco-Lauth

United States Department of Agriculture Wildlife Services: Staff Publications

To assess the susceptibility of elk (Cervus canadensis) and mule deer (Odocoileus hemionus) to SARS-CoV-2, we performed experimental infections in both species. Elk did not shed infectious virus but mounted low-level serologic responses. Mule deer shed and transmitted virus and mounted pronounced serologic responses and thus could play a role in SARS-CoV-2 epidemiology.

Taxonomic Advances Driven By The Genomic Analysis Of Butterflies, Jing Zhang, Qian Cong, Jinhui Shen, Leina Song, Nick V. Grishin

The Taxonomic Report of the International Lepidoptera Survey

This study presents new findings based on a large-scale analysis of butterfly genomic sequences. Focusing on species identification through comparative genomics, we define subspecies as populations differentiated to a lesser extent than distinct species ("species in the making"). Additionally, we propose further adjustments to the current butterfly classification. As a result, 3 subgenera, 12 species, and 4 subspecies are described as new. New subgenera are (type species in parenthesis): Hyalaus Grishin, subgen. n. (Papilio epidaus E. Doubleday, 1846) of Eurytides Hübner, [1821] (Papilionidae Latreille, [1802]) and Astria Grishin, subgen. n. (Lycaena astraea Freyer, 1851) of Glaucopsyche Scudder, 1872 …

Surveys Of Aphonopelma Hentzi In Missouri: Conservation Efforts Through Population, Genetics, And Habitat Studies, Anderson B. Spencer Mr., Becky Hansis-O'Niell

Undergraduate Research Symposium

Aphonopelma hentzi and other tarantula species are greatly understudied organisms. In the Missouri regions there is little knowledge on their mating patterns, gene diversity, or population sizes. The focal glades in this experiment display regional fragmentation, which could prevent tarantulas from traveling and mating between regions of their glades. Due to the lack of knowledge surrounding them, methods for determining gene diversity are harmful to the organism. Our recent work has shown that it is possible to extract genetic information from the molts of burrowing tarantulas. This will allow us to safely determine the lineages and interbreeding patterns of the …

A Coupled Model Of Population, Poaching, And Economic Dynamics To Assess Rhino Conservation Through Legal Trade, Henry Doyle, Kylie Champagne, Ditto Rajpal, Grace Seebeck, David J. Gerberry

Spora: A Journal of Biomathematics

Rhinoceros populations in Africa are in peril largely due to the high value of their horns and the poaching that ensues. The strategy of legalizing the international trade of rhino horn is receiving increased support among both the people and government officials in Africa. Many in the international conservation community remain opposed to the idea. The legalization strategy is straightforward in theory: legalizing the trade of rhino horn will introduce a large quantity of horn to the market, the increased supply will lead to lower prices for rhino horn, and lower prices will reduce the overall poaching pressure these animals …

Factors Associated With Acoustic Bat Presence During Spring Emergence In The Appalachian Mountains Of Western Virginia, Emily Kirk Pody

Theses, Dissertations and Capstones

Studies of threats that bats face during hibernation have increased in response to white-nose syndrome (WNS), a fungal disease that has ravaged North American bat populations. However, impacts of WNS on bat ecology during spring emergence, when bats are potentially recovering from infection and allocating resources for reproduction, is relatively understudied. As more bat species become listed at the federal and state level, the need to understand the factors associated with spring emergence is critical for improving conservation guidelines and habitat management practices. Acoustic monitoring is an efficient method for monitoring bat presence for prolonged periods of time, giving biologists …

Factors That Influence Small Mammal Long Bone Morphology: An Analysis Of The Femora, Tibiae, And Humeri Of The Eastern Gray Squirrel (Sciurus Carolinensis), Tyler Everette Blake

Theses, Dissertations and Capstones

The goal of this study is to examine the effect of urbanization and latitude on bone morphology, specifically limb length and bone density among gray squirrels endemic to the eastern United States. This study’s hypotheses are as follows: gray squirrels occupying lower latitudes will have larger body sizes and longer limbs relative to body size than those at higher latitudes following Bergmann’s and Allen’s rules. Further, squirrels in urban habitats will have greater bone density than those in rural habitats. Results show moderate correlation between body mass and respective proxies and latitude following Bergmann’s rule. Weak correlations were found between …

Mark-Recapture Methods In Eastern Diamondback Rattlesnake (Crotalus Adamanteus) Monitoring, Carissa J. Adams

Theses, Dissertations and Capstones

Eastern diamondback rattlesnakes (Crotalus adamanteus; EDB) are an imperiled species native to the Southeastern United States longleaf pine (Pinus palustris) ecosystem. Several markrecapture methods have been used range-wide in hopes of increasing knowledge on their population numbers. I explored the efficacy of two mark-recapture methods (scale cauterization and dorsal head photography) using the Marine Corps Recruit Depot, Parris Island, SC EDB population in this multi-part study. The first method I evaluated was ventral scale branding, which has been widely implemented without knowledge of brand permanence. I classified misidentification errors at capture status (new versus recapture) and …

Environmental Biology Masters Capstone, Antonio Gonzalez-Pita

Regis University Student Publications (comprehensive collection)

Human wildlife interactions (HWI) pose a complex challenge for wildlife managers. Human encroachment into wildlife habitat and the growing number of outdoor recreationists are increasing the frequency of contact and conflict, especially in regions such as the Front Range of Colorado. Geographic information systems (GIS), which use a combination of remote sensing and environmental survey data, allow for predictive spatial analyses of where human wildlife interactions are likely to occur. I used publicly reported observations of moose to create spatial predictive maps in a species distribution model framework. Slope and elevation were shown to be the strongest predictors of HWI, …

Limitations Of Invasive Snake Control Tools In The Context Of A New Invasion On An Island With Abundant Prey, Shane R. Siers, Melia G. Nafus, Jereid E. Calaor, Rachel M. Volsteadt, Matthew S. Grassi, Megan Volsteadt, Aaron F. Collins, Patrick D. Barnhart, Logan T. Huse, Amy A. Yackel Adams, Diane L. Vice

United States Department of Agriculture Wildlife Services: Staff Publications

In October 2020, a new population of invasive brown treesnakes (Boiga irregularis) was discovered on the 33-ha Cocos Island, 2.5 km off the south coast of Guam, United States. Cocos Island is a unique conservation resource, providing refuge for many lizards and birds, including endangered species, which were extirpated from mainland Guam by invasive predators including brown treesnakes. We sought to evaluate the usefulness of toxic baiting with acetaminophen-treated carrion baits and cage trapping, common tools for the control of brown treesnakes on mainland Guam, as potential eradication tools on Cocos Island. We evaluated multiple bait types and …