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Best Management Practices For Trapping Furbearers In The United States, H. Bryant White, Gordon R. Batcheller, Edward K. Boggess, Clifford L. Brown, Joseph W. Butfiloski, Thomas A. Decker, John D. Erb, Michael W. Fall, David A. Hamilton, Tim L. Hiller, George F. Hubert Jr., Matthew J. Lovallo, John F. Olson, Nathan M. Roberts 2021 Association of Fish and Wildlife Agencies

Best Management Practices For Trapping Furbearers In The United States, H. Bryant White, Gordon R. Batcheller, Edward K. Boggess, Clifford L. Brown, Joseph W. Butfiloski, Thomas A. Decker, John D. Erb, Michael W. Fall, David A. Hamilton, Tim L. Hiller, George F. Hubert Jr., Matthew J. Lovallo, John F. Olson, Nathan M. Roberts

United States Department of Agriculture Wildlife Services: Staff Publications

Humans have used wild furbearers for various purposes for thousands of years. Today, furbearers are sustainably used by the public for their pelts, leather, bones, glands, meat, or other purposes. In North America, contemporary harvest of furbearers has evolved along with trap technologies and societal concerns, and is now highly regulated and more closely coupled with harvest analysis and population monitoring. Traps and regulated trapping programs provide personal or cultural rewards that can also support conservation, and can assist with advancing ecological knowledge through research, protecting endangered species, restoring populations or habitats, protecting personal property, and enhancing public health and …


Strategic Considerations For Invasive Species Managers In The Utilization Of Environmental Dna (Edna): Steps For Incorporating This Powerful Surveillance Tool, Jeffrey Morisette, Stanley Burgiel, Kelsey Brantley, Wesley M. Daniel, John Darling, Jeanette Davis, Thomas Franklin, Keith Gaddis, Margaret Hunter, Richard Lance, Tracy Leskey, Yale Passamaneck, Antoinette Piaggio, Brian Rector, Adam Sepulveda, Melissa Smith, Carol A. Stepien, Taylor Wilcox 2021 National Invasive Species Council Staff

Strategic Considerations For Invasive Species Managers In The Utilization Of Environmental Dna (Edna): Steps For Incorporating This Powerful Surveillance Tool, Jeffrey Morisette, Stanley Burgiel, Kelsey Brantley, Wesley M. Daniel, John Darling, Jeanette Davis, Thomas Franklin, Keith Gaddis, Margaret Hunter, Richard Lance, Tracy Leskey, Yale Passamaneck, Antoinette Piaggio, Brian Rector, Adam Sepulveda, Melissa Smith, Carol A. Stepien, Taylor Wilcox

United States Department of Agriculture Wildlife Services: Staff Publications

Invasive species surveillance programs can utilize environmental DNA sampling and analysis to provide information on the presence of invasive species. Wider utilization of eDNA techniques for invasive species surveillance may be warranted. This paper covers topics directed towards invasive species managers and eDNA practitioners working at the intersection of eDNA techniques and invasive species surveillance. It provides background information on the utility of eDNA for invasive species management and points to various examples of its use across federal and international programs. It provides information on 1) why an invasive species manager should consider using eDNA, 2) deciding if eDNA can …


Reproductive Trade-Offs In The Colorado Checkered Whiptail Lizard (Aspidoscelis Neotesselatus): An Examination Of The Relationship Between Clutch And Follicle Size, Hannah E. Caracalas, S. S. French, S. B. Hudson, B. M. Kluever, A. C. Webb, D. Eifler, A. J. Lehmicke, Lise M. Aubry 2021 Colorado State University

Reproductive Trade-Offs In The Colorado Checkered Whiptail Lizard (Aspidoscelis Neotesselatus): An Examination Of The Relationship Between Clutch And Follicle Size, Hannah E. Caracalas, S. S. French, S. B. Hudson, B. M. Kluever, A. C. Webb, D. Eifler, A. J. Lehmicke, Lise M. Aubry

United States Department of Agriculture Wildlife Services: Staff Publications

Life history theory predicts that there should be an inverse relationship between offspring size and number, because individuals cannot simultaneously maximize both when resources are limited. Although extensively studied in avian species, the occurrence and determinants of reproductive tradeoffs in oviparous reptiles are far less understood, particularly in parthenogenetic species. We studied this trade-off in the Colorado Checkered Whiptail, Aspidoscelis neotesselatus, a female-only parthenogenetic lizard. Using data previously collected in 2018 and 2019, we tested for clutch and egg size trade-offs and determined whether this relationship could be influenced by female size and aspects of physiological condition. Physiological condition …


Modelling The Factors Affecting The Probability For Local Rabies Elimination By Strategic Control, Johann L. Kotzé, John Duncan Grewar, Aaron M. Anderson 2021 University of Pretoria

Modelling The Factors Affecting The Probability For Local Rabies Elimination By Strategic Control, Johann L. Kotzé, John Duncan Grewar, Aaron M. Anderson

United States Department of Agriculture Wildlife Services: Staff Publications

Dog rabies has been recognized from ancient times and remains widespread across the developing world with an estimated 59,000 people dying annually from the disease. In 2011 a tri-partite alliance consisting of the OIE, the WHO and the FAO committed to globally eliminating dog-mediated human rabies by 2030. Regardless of global support, the responsibility remains with local program managers to implement successful elimination programs. It is well known that vaccination programs have a high probability of successful elimination if they achieve a population-coverage of 70%. It is often quoted that reducing population turnover (typically through sterilizations) raises the probability for …


A Review And Comparison Of U.S. State Wildlife Action Plans For Stonefly (Insecta, Plecoptera) Species Of Greatest Conservation Need, Kathryn Greene 2021 Western Kentucky University

A Review And Comparison Of U.S. State Wildlife Action Plans For Stonefly (Insecta, Plecoptera) Species Of Greatest Conservation Need, Kathryn Greene

Mahurin Honors College Capstone Experience/Thesis Projects

State Wildlife Action Plans (SWAPs) were created in order to identify Species of Greatest Conservation Need (SGCN) and develop plans to prevent their populations from further decline and the possibility of being listed as threatened or endangered. Which SGCNs are included are decided based on characteristics that determine their vulnerability. As of early 2021, approximately 720stoneflies (Insecta, Plecoptera) species are found in the U.S., but only 143 are listed as SGCN. Only 29 states have stoneflies included on their SGCN lists, but 37 states use EPT (Ephemeroptera + Plecoptera + Trichoptera) metrics when assessing water quality issues in running water …


Temporal Invariance Of Social-Ecological Catchments, Mark A. Kaemingk, Christine N. Bender, Chris Chizinski, Aaron J. Bunch, Kevin L. Pope 2021 University of North Dakota

Temporal Invariance Of Social-Ecological Catchments, Mark A. Kaemingk, Christine N. Bender, Chris Chizinski, Aaron J. Bunch, Kevin L. Pope

Nebraska Cooperative Fish and Wildlife Research Unit: Staff Publications

Natural resources such as waterbodies, public parks, and wildlife refuges attract people from varying distances on the landscape, creating “social-ecological catchments.” Catchments have provided great utility for understanding physical and social relationships within specific disciplines. Yet, catchments are rarely used across disciplines, such as its application to understand complex spatiotemporal dynamics between mobile human users and patchily distributed natural resources. We collected residence ZIP codes from 19,983 angler parties during 2014–2017 to construct seven angler–waterbody catchments in Nebraska, USA. We predicted that sizes of dense (10% utilization distribution) and dispersed (95% utilization distribution) angler–waterbody catchments would change across seasons and …


Roost Use And Movements Of Northern Long-Eared Bats In A Southeast Nebraska Agricultural Landscape, Christopher Fill, Craig R. Allen, John F. Benson, Dirac Twidwell 2021 University of Nebraska-Lincoln

Roost Use And Movements Of Northern Long-Eared Bats In A Southeast Nebraska Agricultural Landscape, Christopher Fill, Craig R. Allen, John F. Benson, Dirac Twidwell

Nebraska Cooperative Fish and Wildlife Research Unit: Staff Publications

Bats are important bio-indicators of ecosystem health and provide a number of ecosystem services. White-nose Syndrome and habitat loss have led to the decline of many bat species in eastern North America, including the federally threatened northern long-eared bat, Myotis septentrionalis. White-nose Syndrome was only recently found in Nebraska, which lies on the western extent of this species geographic range. To better understand how this forest-dependent species persists in an agriculturally dominated landscape amid a growing number of pressures, we investigated the roosting habits of this bat at the Homestead National Monument of America, located in southeast Nebraska. We …


Phylogenomics Reveals Ancient And Contemporary Gene Flow Contributing To The Evolutionary History Of Sea Ducks (Tribe Mergini), Philip Lavretsky, Robert E. Wilson, Sandra L. Talbot, Sarah A. Sonsthagen 2021 University of Texas at El Paso

Phylogenomics Reveals Ancient And Contemporary Gene Flow Contributing To The Evolutionary History Of Sea Ducks (Tribe Mergini), Philip Lavretsky, Robert E. Wilson, Sandra L. Talbot, Sarah A. Sonsthagen

Nebraska Cooperative Fish and Wildlife Research Unit: Staff Publications

Insight into complex evolutionary histories continues to build through broad comparative phylogenomic and population genomic studies. In particular, there is a need to understand the extent and scale that gene flow contributes to standing genomic diversity and the role introgression has played in evolutionary processes such as hybrid speciation. Here, we investigate the evolutionary history of the Mergini tribe (sea ducks) by coupling multi-species comparisons with phylogenomic analyses of thousands of nuclear ddRAD-seq loci, including Z-sex chromosome and autosomal linked loci, and the mitogenome assayed across all extant sea duck species in North America. All sea duck species are strongly …


The Formatting Of Science Communication And How It Affects Attraction To And Understanding Of Scientific Information, Connor Nichols 2021 University of Nebraska-Lincoln

The Formatting Of Science Communication And How It Affects Attraction To And Understanding Of Scientific Information, Connor Nichols

Department of Environmental Studies: Undergraduate Student Theses

This observational study was performed to develop a better understanding of what kinds of communication formats were most preferred as well as which of those formats were most trusted. Studies have shown that many scientific research papers go largely unread by anyone other than their author and editors. With many issues such as global climate change becoming more important every day, it is important that scientists determine the most effective method of communicating their findings with not only world leaders, but average citizens as well. Using an online survey, participants were asked to review three different formats concerned with three …


The Effect Of Drought On The Bird Species Spiza Americana, Emily Nelson 2021 University of Nebraska-Lincoln

The Effect Of Drought On The Bird Species Spiza Americana, Emily Nelson

Department of Environmental Studies: Undergraduate Student Theses

Climate change is becoming an integral part of our environment. Recognizing its effects on ecosystems and species’ health is important for the future of the natural world. There is an influx of changes that are happening to species, specifically birds due to climate change, and these changes are largely negative. A variation that is happening from the changing climate is an increase in drought conditions, which may have effect on the avifauna community. Drought causes a significant difficulty for species survival in all parts of the globe that includes hardships finding food and unsuccessful nesting. The implications of this problem …


Soils Associated With The Invasive Grass: Microstegium Vimineum Increases Growth Of Native Trees, Bethany Lee, Kimberly Koenig, Sarah Emery PhD 2021 University of Louisville

Soils Associated With The Invasive Grass: Microstegium Vimineum Increases Growth Of Native Trees, Bethany Lee, Kimberly Koenig, Sarah Emery Phd

Undergraduate Arts and Research Showcase

Soil biota are composed of the animals, plants and microorganisms that interact and share resources and nutrients in the soil. When an invasive species is introduced to this complex web of soil interactions, plants and other biota can exhibit chemical or physical change and potentially inhibit or enhance growth of plant species. By testing five native tree species in a black box experiment, we can see if there is a change in biomass in above ground (AG) or below ground (BG) structures of the tree between invaded soils - which previously hosted an invasive grass, Microstegium vimineum - and native …


No Ape Left Behind: Orangutan Conservation Education Project, Danna Boshak 2021 Central Washington University

No Ape Left Behind: Orangutan Conservation Education Project, Danna Boshak

All Graduate Projects

Orangutans are critically endangered and if action is not taken, their extinction is imminent. Zoological institutions worldwide serve as an educational means to engage the broader public in conservation awareness and action behaviors. The Association of Zoos and Aquariums (AZA) created the Saving Animals From Extinction (SAFE) initiative to provide zoos with a platform to expand conservation efforts beyond their institutions. In collaboration with the Orangutan SAFE (OSAFE) education committee, the No Ape Left Behind: Orangutan Conservation Education Project develops educational activity resources that provide information about orangutan behavior and ecology as well as action items that individuals can take …


Evaluation Of Wave Attenuation And Shoreline Protection Provided By Us Atlantic And Gulf Coast Oyster Reef Living Shoreline Projects During Storm Events, Matthew Virden, Eric Sparks 2021 Mississippi State University

Evaluation Of Wave Attenuation And Shoreline Protection Provided By Us Atlantic And Gulf Coast Oyster Reef Living Shoreline Projects During Storm Events, Matthew Virden, Eric Sparks

CREC Publications

No abstract provided.


The Eicda: What Is It, And Why Is It Right For Nebraska?, Samantha Markus 2021 University of Nebraska-Lincoln

The Eicda: What Is It, And Why Is It Right For Nebraska?, Samantha Markus

Op-Eds from ENSC230 Energy and the Environment: Economics and Policies

For decades, humans have been pumping greenhouses gases into the atmosphere, and we are finally starting to see some of the damages. Global temperature has risen 1.76°F when compared to the twentieth century. Within Nebraska, we are seeing an increase in heavy rain events and extreme hot days, both of which negatively impact agriculture. These changes are becoming more devastating as each year passes with no action.


“Developing Nations Should Not Rush To Renewable Energies”, Alisson Ntwali 2021 University of Nebraska-Lincoln

“Developing Nations Should Not Rush To Renewable Energies”, Alisson Ntwali

Op-Eds from ENSC230 Energy and the Environment: Economics and Policies

The Conference of Parties 26 (COP26)’s purpose was to bring countries together to accelerate action towards the goals of the Paris Agreement and the UN Framework Convention on Climate Change to limit the average global temperature rise to 1.5 degrees Celsius compared to pre-industrial levels.


Biden’S “Blue” Hydrogen Plan Is Not The Answer, Ryan Martz 2021 University of Nebraska-Lincoln

Biden’S “Blue” Hydrogen Plan Is Not The Answer, Ryan Martz

Op-Eds from ENSC230 Energy and the Environment: Economics and Policies

The excitement about hydrogen as a fuel and energy source is similar to buying an electric vehicle (EV) thinking it will reduce your personal CO2 emissions. On the surface, it seems great! No greenhouse gas emissions while driving is certainly better than the greenhouse gasses released from a normal combustion engine car, but when you consider other effects, it’s no longer as great. What if the grid that you plug your EV into is powered primarily by coal? What about the environmental and human rights impacts of mining the materials to make the batteries? What about the lack of …


Loss And Damage: The $100 Billion Promise ‘The Leaders’ Failed To Keep, Abbie Williams 2021 University of Nebraska-Lincoln

Loss And Damage: The $100 Billion Promise ‘The Leaders’ Failed To Keep, Abbie Williams

Op-Eds from ENSC230 Energy and the Environment: Economics and Policies

100 billion dollars, the amount develOp-ed nations were supposed to pay less develOp-ed nations by 2020, the promise they failed to keep. The promise that was revisited at COP26 in Glasgow. The climate finance fund is funds from more develOp-ed nations to less develOp-ed nations to help with transitioning to a green economy so there is no need for reliance on fossil fuels. This fund consists of both loans and grants.


Solar Panels: Are Aesthetics More Important Than The Environment?, Madison Kinkaid 2021 University of Nebraska-Lincoln

Solar Panels: Are Aesthetics More Important Than The Environment?, Madison Kinkaid

Op-Eds from ENSC230 Energy and the Environment: Economics and Policies

Imagine you decide to install solar panels on your house. You want to do your part in combating the climate crisis as well as save your family money. You’ve done your research about which panels to get and exactly how to position them on your home. Then you find out that your neighborhood doesn’t allow solar panels because someone decades ago decided they weren’t aesthetically pleasing.


It's About Time Nebraska Ditches Coal, Riley Johnson 2021 University of Nebraska-Lincoln

It's About Time Nebraska Ditches Coal, Riley Johnson

Op-Eds from ENSC230 Energy and the Environment: Economics and Policies

For too long now, Nebraska has relied on coal from our western neighbor, Wyoming. While this proximity to Wyoming’s coal mines has led to cheap coal and cheap energy prices, it has made us reliant on out-of-state coal companies. It's great that energy is kept cheap using coal, but all of our money is getting sent out of state. Why send all of our money out-of-state when we can keep Nebraskan’s hard-earned money in Nebraska. Our beautiful state has an extremely large potential for renewable energy that we fail to utilize.


30 By 30, LaRon Core 2021 University of Nebraska-Lincoln

30 By 30, Laron Core

Op-Eds from ENSC230 Energy and the Environment: Economics and Policies

Biden’s 30 by 30 plan, a regulatory approach to conservation, an imminent response to environmental action, a promise of inclusivity to all stakeholders. Or a broken promise in the making, an environmental policy inadequate to deliver sufficient results to its stakeholders? I am set to believe Biden’s 30 by 30 plan could very well be DOA.


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