Terrestrial and Aquatic Ecology Commons^™

Temporal And Spatial Influences On Fawn Summer Survival In Pronghorn Populations: Management Implications From Noninvasive Monitoring, Cole A. Bleke, Eric M. Gese, Juan J. Villalba, Shane B. Roberts, Susannah S. French

United States Department of Agriculture Wildlife Services: Staff Publications

Monitoring vital rates allowsmanagers to estimate trends in growth rates of ungulate populations. However, connecting the influence of nutrition on ungulate demography is challenging. Noninvasive sampling offers a low-cost, low-effort alternative for measuring nutritional indices, allowing for an increased understanding of the mechanistic relationships between environmental factors, nutrition, and specific population vital rates. We examined the temporal influence of intrinsic and extrinsic factors on pronghorn (Antilocapra americana) fawn recruitment. We collected fresh fecal samples from adult female pronghorn in five subpopulations spanning three sampling periods associated with critical maternal life-history stages (late gestation, early lactation, breeding season) for …

Susceptibilities And Viral Shedding Of Peridomestic Wildlife Infected With Clade 2.3.4.4b Highly Pathogenic Avian Influenza Virus (H5n1), J. Jeffrey Root, Stephanie M. Porter, Julianna B. Lenoch, Jeremy W. Ellis, Angela M. Bosco-Lauth

United States Department of Agriculture Wildlife Services: Staff Publications

We tested the ability of six peridomestic wildlife species to replicate a highly pathogenic (HP) clade 2.3.4.4b AIV (H5N1) isolated in the United States during 2022. All tested species replicated and shed virus, at least to some degree. Of the six species evaluated (house sparrows (Passer domesticus), European starlings (Sturnus vulgaris), feral pigeons (Columba livia), striped skunks (Mephitis mephitis), Virginia opossums (Didelphis virginiana), and cottontails (Sylvilagus sp.)), striped skunks and Virginia opossums shed the highest viral titers of 106.3 PFU/mL and 105.0 PFU/mL, respectively. Overall, the results of this …

Chronic Wasting Disease Effects On A Breeding Season Behavior In White-Tailed Deer (Odocoileus Virginianus), Miranda Hsiang-Ning Jacobson Huang, Stephen Demarais, Bronson K. Strickland, Allan Houston, Alejandro Banda, Kurt C. Vercauteren

United States Department of Agriculture Wildlife Services: Staff Publications

Wildlife disease outbreaks can lead to population declines, which are usually attributed to increased direct or indirect mortality. Alternatively, behavior associated with sickness can lead to social isolation, potentially decreasing fitness of affected individuals. A useful case study to examine this dynamic is chronic wasting disease (CWD), a neurological disease of cervids, known to affect behavior and movement. In this study, we monitored scraping, a White-tailed Deer (Odocoileus virginianus; WTD) breeding season behavior, in an area of high CWD prevalence to determine if this reproductive behavior is affected by CWD. At 107 scrape sites, we detected 3,063 scrape interactions and …

Trichinella Murrelli Identified In Red Foxes (Vulpes Vulpes) In Pennsylvania, Usa, Jitender Dubey, Peter C. Thompson, Larissa S. De Araujo, Aditya Gupta, Sasha Kay, Oliver C. H. Kwok, Jaquin Battle, Kyle R. Van Why, Justin D. Brown, Benjamin Rosenthal

United States Department of Agriculture Wildlife Services: Staff Publications

Trichinella infections have been eliminated from pork where pigs are raised in biosecure facilities, but wildlife infections persist. Trichinella murrelli is the primary zoonotic species in wild carnivores in the United States, having been identified in several species of omnivores and carnivores. Here, we document its occurrence in seven of 21 (33.3%) red foxes (Vulpes vulpes) from six counties in Pennsylvania. Encysted Trichinella juveniles were detected in muscle squashes (< 5 g samples) of all seven foxes, and in histological sections of the tongue and limb muscle of three. Juveniles from muscle squashes were pooled and tested in a multiplex PCR capable of differentiating all Trichinella species native to the USA; all samples contained only T. murrelli. This is the first identification of T. murrelli in red foxes from Pennsylvania, …

Heating Decoys To Mimic Thermal Signatures Of Live Animals For Drones, Landon R. Jones, Cerise Mensah, Jared S. Elmore, Kristine O. Evans, Morgan B. Pfeiffer, Brad F. Blackwell, Raymond B. Iglay

United States Department of Agriculture Wildlife Services: Staff Publications

Method name

Heating animal decoys to mimic thermal signatures for drones

Abstract

Thermal sensors mounted on drones (unoccupied aircraft systems) are popular and effective tools for monitoring cryptic animal species, although few studies have quantified sampling error of ani- mal counts from thermal images. Using decoys is one effective strategy to quantify bias and count accuracy; however, plastic decoys do not mimic thermal signatures of representative species. Our objective was to produce heat signatures in animal decoys to realistically match thermal images of live animals obtained from a drone-based sensor. We tested commercially available methods to heat plastic decoys of …

Competitive Behaviors Between Black Vultures (Coragyps Atratus) And Turkey Vultures (Cathartes Aura) During Scavenging / Comportamientos Competitivos Entre Coragyps Atratus Y Cathartes Aura Durante El Carroñeo, Amanda M. Herbert, Patrick A. Zollner, Landon R. Jones, Marian L. Wahl, Grant N. Burcham, Bryan M. Kluever, Lee A. Humberg, Brandon M. Quinby

United States Department of Agriculture Wildlife Services: Staff Publications

Abstract

Interference competition occurs when an individual prohibits another’s access to a resource through antagonistic interactions. Despite considerable research on scavenger interactions at carrion, the limited evidence for competitive interactions between black vultures (Coragyps atratus) and turkey vultures (Cathartes aura) relies upon the frequency of antagonistic interactions without considering other forms of competition. Using remote cameras, we recorded the duration of aggression, scavenging, and vigilance behaviors exhibited by individual black vultures and turkey vultures scavenging stillborn domestic cattle carcasses within flocks composed of one or both vulture species. We tested for differences of durations of each …

The Texas Feral Swine Eradication And Control Pilot Program, David R. Pipkin, Bruce R. Leland, Katherine Garwood, Linda Tschirhart-Hejl, Michael J. Bodenchuk, John M. Tomecek

United States Department of Agriculture Wildlife Services: Staff Publications

The United States Agriculture Improvement Act of 2018 (the 2018 Farm Bill) established the Feral Swine Eradication and Control Pilot Program. The program funded US$75M for 5 years, split evenly between the Natural Resources Conservation Service (NRCS) and the Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service (APHIS), both programs within the United States Department of Agriculture. The agencies solicited joint programs from states with high densities of feral swine in two phases. In Texas, NRCS and APHIS submitted three multi-county project areas along watersheds for Phase I funding and one eradication effort along with two crop protection projects in Phase II. …

Spatiotemporal Partitioning Of Two Invasive Ungulates In Guam [Abstract], Kelly J. Koriakin, Kurt C. Vercauteren, Nathan P. Snow, D. Buck Jolley

United States Department of Agriculture Wildlife Services: Staff Publications

Interspecific interactions are crucial in shaping ecosystem dynamics (Connell 1983, Tilman 1987, Barbosa and Castellanos 2005). Non-native ungulates have been introduced across the globe (Ferretti and Lovari 2014, Volery et al. 2021) and in environments where multiple invasives thrive, these co-occurring sympatric species may shift spatiotemporal patterns to minimize interspecific competition (Schoener 1974, Chesson 2000). Spatiotemporal shifts can lead to cascading effects to the native flora and fauna (Simberloff and Von Holle 1999). Given the potential negative impacts, understanding these interactions is vital for effective management of these ecosystems.

Two invasive ungulates, the wild pig (Sus scrofa) and …

The Influence Of Social And Spatial Processes On The Epidemiology Of Environmentally Transmitted Pathogens In Wildlife: Implications For Management, Aakash Pandey, Chris Wojan, Abigail Feuka, Meggan E. Craft, Kezia Manlove, Kim M. Pepin

United States Department of Agriculture Wildlife Services: Staff Publications

Social and spatial structures of host populations play important roles in pathogen transmission. For environmentally transmitted pathogens, the host space use interacts with both the host social structure and the pathogen’s environmental persistence (which determines the timelag across which two hosts can transmit). Together, these factors shape the epidemiological dynamics of environmentally transmitted pathogens. While the importance of both social and spatial structures and environmental pathogen persistence has long been recognized in epidemiology, they are often considered separately. A better understanding of how these factors interact to determine disease dynamics is required for developing robust surveillance and management strategies. Here, …

Surveillance Of Highly Pathogenic Avian Influenza Virus In Wild Canids From Pennsylvania, Usa, Kevin D. Niedringhaus, Taylor C. Chan, Ashley Mcdowell, Lauren Mxwell, Madison Stevens, Lane Potts, Erica Miller, Eman Anis, Kyle Van Why, Thomas Keller, David Stallknecht, Rebecca L. Poulson, Kaitlyn Bahrs, Justin D. Brown

United States Department of Agriculture Wildlife Services: Staff Publications

The avian influenza virus is a global pathogen with significant health and economic implications. While primarily a pathogen of wild and domestic birds, recent outbreaks of the H5N1 highly pathogenic avian influenza virus (HPAIV) clade 2.3.4.4b have caused mortality in a wide variety of mammals, including members of the Canidae family, on multiple continents. Despite sporadic mortality events globally, the epidemiology and pathobiology of H5N1 HPAIV in wild canids remains poorly defined. During 2022–2024, 41 wild canid carcasses (diagnostic cases), including 23 red foxes and 18 gray foxes, were tested for the influenza A virus (IAV) via PCR, with five …

Rabies, Amy T. Gilbert, Christine Ellis

United States Department of Agriculture Wildlife Services: Staff Publications

Illustrated fact sheet on rabies.

An Assessment Of Functional Characteristics In Macroinvertebrates And Fishes In The Lower Ogeechee River, Molly A. Mckeon

College of Graduate Studies: Theses & Dissertations

The southeastern United States is a hotspot for aquatic biodiversity; yet this region is also considered vulnerable to climate and land–use changes. The Ogeechee River is an unimpeded blackwater river in Georgia that drains into the Atlantic Ocean and a unique ecosystem due to the preservation of its natural state; Historically, research conducted in the river establishes a baseline for long-term ecological studies. The aim of this study is to compare aquatic macroinvertebrate and fish community composition data collected in 2014 to 2017 to a recently collected dataset from 2023 and document temporal changes. Water quality monitoring was performed throughout …

Exploring The Consistency Of Flow Regimes Within And Among Ecoregions Of The Southeastern United States, Frank Paul Braun Iv

College of Graduate Studies: Theses & Dissertations

Human manipulation of river systems has long been a known contributor to the loss of freshwater biodiversity. By accounting for environmental causes of hydrologic variation among rivers, we can better understand how ecoregion mediates flow regimes and forecast species that may be at risk. Presumably, natural variation associated with ecoregion boundaries exerts strong influence on flow regimes, and may mediate relationships between other features (e.g., land use, dam operations) and hydrology. However, such between-ecoregion variation is poorly investigated, particularly at fine spatial and temporal scales. I characterized 10 hydrologic metrics, representing the five key dimensions of the flow regime (magnitude, …

Demographics And Recruitment Patterns In A Reintroduced Population Of Alligator Snapping Turtles (Macrochelys Temminckii), Melisa P. Blasky

Graduate Theses/Dissertations

Reintroductions have increasingly become a useful tool for managing wildlife populations, but post-reintroduction studies to evaluate the success of these efforts are often lacking. In 2007, 265 Alligator Snapping Turtles (Macrochelys temminckii) were released into several semi-impounded wetlands in the Washita River drainage basin in southeastern Oklahoma, where surveys in the late 1990s suggested that the species was functionally extirpated. I conducted turtle trapping surveys using baited hoop nets to assess demographics and recruitment patterns in the population 11–12 years after the initial reintroduction. I estimated the age of juveniles by counting scute annuli and compared the data …

Submarine Groundwater Discharge As A Major Nutrient Source In River-Fed Vs. Tidally Dominated Estuaries, Stephanie J. Wilson, Joseph J. Tamborski, Bongkeun Song, Peter Bernhardt, Margaret R. Mulholland

OES Faculty Publications

The tidal tributaries of the lower Chesapeake Bay experience seasonally recurring harmful algal blooms and the significance of submarine groundwater discharge (SGD) as a nutrient vector is largely unknown. Here, we determined seasonal SGD nutrient loads in two tributaries with contrasting hydrodynamic conditions, river-fed (York River) vs. tidally dominated (Lafayette River). Radon surveys were performed in each river to quantify SGD at the embayment-scale during spring and fall 2021. Total SGD was determined from a ²²²Rn mass balance and Monte Carlo simulations. Submarine groundwater discharge rates differed by a factor of two during spring (Lafayette = 11 ± 17 cm …

Monarch Butterfly (Danaus Plexippus) Oviposition Preferences And A Survey Of Fungal Pathogens On Native Milkweeds (Asclepias) Of The Northern Great Plains, Grace Damiano

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

North American monarch butterfly (Danaus plexippus) populations are experiencing significant declines due to habitat loss caused by land use changes. Much of the American Midwest where milkweed, the only host plant of the monarch butterfly, was once much more abundant has been converted to a predominantly agricultural landscape. There are nineteen species of milkweed native to the northern Great Plains region occupied by South Dakota, North Dakota, and Minnesota. Some of these milkweed species may be preferable to monarch butterflies for different reasons, including morphological factors such as stem length, species-level chemical factors, and temporal factors. As monarch …

The Effects Of Beaver Dam Anaolgs On Linked Aquatic-Terrestrial Communities In Western Headwater Streams, Michelle Elyse Fillion, Benjamin P. Colman, Rachel L. Malison

Graduate Student Theses, Dissertations, & Professional Papers

In response to stream degradation resulting from the near eradication of American Beavers (Castor canadensis), managers of freshwater systems have turned to using beaver dam analogs (BDAs) as one means of restoring waterways from stream and riparian degradation. Though BDAs have been shown to restore physical traits of riparian areas, their influence on macroinvertebrates and linked aquatic-terrestrial systems is not well understood. To examine how BDAs influence aquatic habitats, macroinvertebrate communities, and riparian insectivores, we compared unrestored reference stream segments to BDA-restored segments with 7-14 BDAs in three western Montana headwater streams. We collected physical stream measurements and quantitative samples …

Informing Standardized Wood Turtle (Glyptemys Insculpta) Population Monitoring: Influences Of Sampling Approach And Turtle Behavior On Model Estimation, Allyson N. Beard

Graduate Theses, Dissertations, and Problem Reports (ETD)

To better understand wood turtle (Glyptemys insculpta) population trends, two standardized population survey protocols were recently developed for use by state monitoring programs. The protocols were independently developed, tested, and deployed for population monitoring in the eastern and upper midwestern United States. It was unknown if the sampling designs result in similar detection success or if data from the two protocols are compatible for broad-scale analyses. Additionally, neither monitoring protocol includes a sampling design that allows for the separation of detection (p) into availability (p_a), and detection given availability (p_d). …

Northern Shrimp In The Gulf Of Maine And The Impacts Of Climate Change, Alicia Hober

Honors Theses

Northern Shrimp (Pandalus borealis) populations within the Gulf of Maine collapsed in 2011 following the first year that sea surface temperature surpassed 10ºC. The population collapse resulting in a moratorium in 2014. The waters of the Gulf of Maine have been rising at a rate of 0.045ºC per year, changing predator distribution, prey distribution, as well as Northern Shrimp biological variables. There has been very little recovery to the Northern Shrimp stock despite the fishing moratorium and the answers behind the collapse and lack of recovery remains enigmatic. Therefore, this two-chapter study includes a literature review and a …

Not Just Bony Fish: All Nonmammalian And Nonavian Animals Are Neglected In Both Welfare And General Research, Jennifer A. Mather Ph.D.

Animal Sentience

The lack of research on fish welfare highlighted by Oldfield & Bonano (2024) is only part of a more general problem: a relative neglect of animals other than mammals and birds. The causes are our lack of knowledge, our negative view of what we consider to be “lower” animals and our underestimation of their intelligence and sensitivity. Our estimation will increase as our knowledge increases. As a broader view spreads to the public through the media, it should gradually increase the demand to expand both research and welfare, especially beyond mammals and birds.