Proactive Management Of Pneumonia Epizootics In Bighorn Sheep In Montana,
2014
University of Montana - Missoula
Proactive Management Of Pneumonia Epizootics In Bighorn Sheep In Montana, Sarah N. Sells
Graduate Student Theses, Dissertations, & Professional Papers
Pneumonia epizootics are a major challenge for management of bighorn sheep (Ovis canadensis), often causing high mortality and subsequent long-term impacts that may continue for decades. There have been at least 22 epizootics in herds in Montana from 1979‒2013, including 1 that led to a herd’s extirpation, several that appear to be affecting herds up to 3 decades later, and 11 in the last 6 years. The disease is complex and associated risk factors are poorly understood. A lack of tools to help predict and proactively manage risk of pneumonia epizootics in attempt to prevent die-offs has led …
Grassland Bird Nest Survival In Perennial Agroenergy Crops,
2014
University of Northern Iowa
Grassland Bird Nest Survival In Perennial Agroenergy Crops, Libby Torresani, Stephanie Paape, Mark C. Myers
Undergraduate Student Work
Previous research had been done in 2011 and 2012 regarding bird nest survival rates in the Cedar River Natural Resource Area in Washburn, IA. Further analysis of bird nest survival rates was done in this study to research how nest age, calendar date, soil type, and vegetation type influence the success or failure of these nests. New nests were identified in the prairie plots of the Cedar River Natural Resource Area and added to the previous sample size from the original study. A sample size of 97 bird nests total and 67 Dickcissel nests –SPAM (Spiza Americana) were …
Detection Of Seagrass Scars Using Sparse Coding And Morphological Filter,
2014
Old Dominion University
Detection Of Seagrass Scars Using Sparse Coding And Morphological Filter, Ender Oguslu, Sertan Erkanli, Victoria J. Hill, W. Paul Bissett, Richard C. Zimmerman, Jiang Li, Charles R. Bostater Jr. (Ed.), Stelios P. Mertikas (Ed.), Xavier Neyt (Ed.)
OES Faculty Publications
We present a two-step algorithm for the detection of seafloor propeller seagrass scars in shallow water using panchromatic images. The first step is to classify image pixels into scar and non-scar categories based on a sparse coding algorithm. The first step produces an initial scar map in which false positive scar pixels may be present. In the second step, local orientation of each detected scar pixel is computed using the morphological directional profile, which is defined as outputs of a directional filter with a varying orientation parameter. The profile is then utilized to eliminate false positives and generate the final …
Closing The Knowing-Doing Gap In Invasive Plant Management: Accessibility And Interdisciplinarity Of Scientific Research,
2014
Santa Clara University
Closing The Knowing-Doing Gap In Invasive Plant Management: Accessibility And Interdisciplinarity Of Scientific Research, Virginia Matzek, Justin Covino, Jennifer L. Funk, Martin Saunders
Biology, Chemistry, and Environmental Sciences Faculty Articles and Research
Like many conservation disciplines, invasion biology may suffer from a knowing-doing gap, where scientific research fails to inform management actions. We surveyed California resource managers to evaluate engagement with scientific research and to identify research priorities. We examined managers' access to information, judgment of the usefulness of existing research, ability to generate scientific information, and priorities for future research. We found that practitioners rely on their own experience, and largely do not read the peer-reviewed literature, which they regard as only moderately useful. Less than half of managers who do research carry out experiments conforming to the norms of hypothesis …
Exploring Integrated Crop–Livestock Systems In Different Ecoregions Ofthe United States,
2014
Ohio State University
Exploring Integrated Crop–Livestock Systems In Different Ecoregions Ofthe United States, R Mark Sulc, Alan J. Franzluebbers
United States Department of Agriculture-Agricultural Research Service / University of Nebraska-Lincoln: Faculty Publications
Large-scale, energy-intensive, specialized production systems have dominated agricultural production inthe United States for the past half-century. Although highly productive and economically successful, thereis increasing concern with unintended negative environmental impacts of current agricultural systems.Production systems integrating crops and livestock have potential for providing additional ecosystem ser-vices from agriculture by capturing positive ecological interactions and avoiding negative environmentaloutcomes, while sustaining profitability. A diversity of ecologically sound integrated crop-livestock sys-tems have been and can be employed in different ecoregions: sod-based crop rotations, grazing covercrops in cash-crop rotations, crop residue grazing, sod intercropping, dual-purpose cereal crops, and agro-forestry/silvopasture. Improved technologies in conservation tillage, …
Ground Arthropod Abundance In Switchgrass And Diverse Prairie Agroenergy Crops,
2014
University of Northern Iowa
Ground Arthropod Abundance In Switchgrass And Diverse Prairie Agroenergy Crops, Stephanie Paape, Libby Torresani, Mark C. Myers
Undergraduate Student Work
The University of Northern Iowa’s Tallgrass Prairie Center converted corn and soybean fields in the Cedar River Natural Resource Area to four mixes of perennial tallgrass prairie species. Research plots were randomly seeded with one of four treatments of native prairie vegetation including a switchgrass monoculture and a 32-species prairie mix. We studied ground arthropod abundance in Switchgrass and the 32-species prairie mix at various distances from the nearest woody edge using pitfall traps. We hypothesized that a 32-species Prairie mix would support greater numbers of ground arthropods than a Switchgrass monoculture and that ground arthropod abundance would be greater …
Assessing Resilience In Stressed Watersheds,
2014
University of Nebraska-Lincoln
Assessing Resilience In Stressed Watersheds, Kristine T. Nemec, Joana Chan, Christina Hoffman, Trisha L. Spanbauer, Joseph A. Hamm, Craig R. Allen, Trevor Hefley, Donald Pan, Prabhakar Shrestha
Nebraska Cooperative Fish and Wildlife Research Unit: Staff Publications
Although several frameworks for assessing the resilience of social-ecological systems (SESs) have been developed, some practitioners may not have sufficient time and information to conduct extensive resilience assessments. We have presented a simplified approach to resilience assessment that reviews the scientific, historical, and social literature to rate the resilience of an SES with respect to nine resilience properties: ecological variability, diversity, modularity, acknowledgement of slow variables, tight feedbacks, social capital, innovation, overlap in governance, and ecosystem services. We evaluated the effects of two large-scale projects, the construction of a major dam and the implementation of an ecosystem recovery program, on …
Old Tools, New View : Utilizing Species Distribution Models To Focus Conservation Efforts Under A Changing Climate,
2014
University at Albany, State University of New York
Old Tools, New View : Utilizing Species Distribution Models To Focus Conservation Efforts Under A Changing Climate, Samantha Hoff
Legacy Theses & Dissertations (2009 - 2024)
In New York State, scientists have observed many changes in bird communities including population declines, range contractions, mismatch between behavior and resources, and changes in bird phenology as a result of climatic changes. Four objectives were addressed with this research: understanding how different bird species may respond to changing climatic conditions under a future IPCC emission scenario; determining how suitable habitat may change in the future and what bioclimatic variables are important to specific avian guilds; identifying hotspots of suitable habitat that may represent important areas for conservation investment; and investigating how managers can incorporate future climate predictions into management …
Management Of The Sawmill Slough Preserve, University Of North Florida,
2014
University of North Florida
Management Of The Sawmill Slough Preserve, University Of North Florida, Justin M. Lemmons, Charles Hubbuch, Anthony M. Rossi
Professional Presentations
Poster presented at the 2014 Ecological Society of America (ESA) 99th Annual Meeting: From Oceans to Mountains. Sacramento, California.
Self-Imposed Length Limits In Recreational Fisheries,
2014
USGS Nebraska Cooperative Fish and Wildlife Research Unit
Self-Imposed Length Limits In Recreational Fisheries, Christopher J. Chizinski, Dustin R. Martin, Keith L. Hurley, Kevin L. Pope
Nebraska Cooperative Fish and Wildlife Research Unit: Staff Publications
A primary motivating factor on the decision to harvest a fish among consumptive-orientated anglers is the size of the fish. There is likely a cost-benefit trade-off for harvest of individual fish that is size and species dependent, which should produce a logistic-type response of fish fate (release or harvest)as a function of fish size and species. We define the self-imposed length limit as the length at which a captured fish had a 50% probability of being harvested, which was selected because it marks the length of the fish where the probability of harvest becomes greater than the probability of release. …
Panarchy: Theory And Application,
2014
University of Nebraska-Lincoln
Panarchy: Theory And Application, Craig R. Allen, David G. Angeler, Ahjond S. Garmestani, Lance H. Gunderson, C. S. Holling
Nebraska Cooperative Fish and Wildlife Research Unit: Staff Publications
The concept of panarchy provides a framework that characterizes complex systems of people and nature as dynamically organized and structured within and across scales of space and time. It has been more than a decade since the introduction of panarchy. Over this period, its invocation in peer-reviewed literature has been steadily increasing, but its use remains primarily descriptive and abstract. Here, we discuss the use of the concept in the literature to date, highlight where the concept may be useful, and discuss limitations to the broader applicability of panarchy theory for research in the ecological and social sciences. Finally, we …
Discontinuities, Cross-Scale Patterns, And The Organization
Of Ecosystems,
2014
James Cook University
Discontinuities, Cross-Scale Patterns, And The Organization Of Ecosystems, Kirsty L. Nash, Craig R. Allen, David G. Angeler, Chris Barichievy, Tarsha Eason, Ahjond S. Garmestani, Nicholas A. J. Graham, Dean Granholm, Melinda Knutson, R. John Nelson, Magnus Nyström, Craig A. Stow, Shana M. Sundstrom
Nebraska Cooperative Fish and Wildlife Research Unit: Staff Publications
Ecological structures and processes occur at specific spatiotemporal scales, and interactions that occur across multiple scales mediate scale-specific (e.g., individual, community, local, or regional) responses to disturbance. Despite the importance of scale, explicitly incorporating a multi-scale perspective into research and management actions remains a challenge. The discontinuity hypothesis provides a fertile avenue for addressing this problem by linking measureable proxies to inherent scales of structure within ecosystems. Here we outline the conceptual framework underlying discontinuities and review the evidence supporting the discontinuity hypothesis in ecological systems. Next we explore the utility of this approach for understanding cross-scale patterns and the …
Predicted Avian Responses To Bioenergy Development
Scenarios In An Intensive Agricultural Landscape,
2014
University of Nebraska-Lincoln
Predicted Avian Responses To Bioenergy Development Scenarios In An Intensive Agricultural Landscape, Daniel R. Uden, Craig R. Allen, Rob B. Mitchell, Tim D. Mccoy, Qingfeng Guan
Nebraska Cooperative Fish and Wildlife Research Unit: Staff Publications
Conversion of native prairie to agriculture has increased food and bioenergy production but decreased wildlife habitat. However, enrollment of highly erodible cropland in conservation programs has compensated for some grassland loss. In the future, climate change and production of second-generation perennial biofuel crops could further transform agricultural landscapes and increase or decrease grassland area. Switchgrass (Panicum virgatum) is an alternative biofuel feedstock that may be economically and environmentally superior to maize (Zea mays) grain for ethanol production on marginally productive lands. Switchgrass could benefit farmers economically and increase grassland area, but there is uncertainty as to how conversions between rowcrops, …
Introduction: Social-Ecological Resilience
And Law,
2014
U.S. Environmental Protection Agency, National Risk Management Research Laboratory
Introduction: Social-Ecological Resilience And Law, Ahjond S. Garmestani, Craig R. Allen, Craig Anthony Arnold, Lance H. Gunderson
Nebraska Cooperative Fish and Wildlife Research Unit: Staff Publications
Environmental law is intimately connected to ecological concepts and understanding. The legal instruments, institutions, and administration of law in the United States are predicated on assumptions that nature is globally stable and that the inherent variability in ecological systems is bounded. This current legal framework is based upon an understanding of ecological systems operating near an equilibrium, or if disturbed, moving back toward an equilibrium. Such assumptions make much current environmental law ill-suited for many pressing environmental issues (Ruhl 1999; Garmestani et al. 2009; Craig 2010; Verchick 2010; Benson and Garmestani 2011). Emerging environmental challenges, such as cross-boundary water governance …
Self-Confidence Of Anglers In Identification Of
Freshwater Sport Fish,
2014
Nebraska Cooperative Fish and Wildlife Research Unit
Self-Confidence Of Anglers In Identification Of Freshwater Sport Fish, Christopher J . Chizinski, D. R. Martin, K. L. Pope
Nebraska Cooperative Fish and Wildlife Research Unit: Staff Publications
Although several studies have focused on how well anglers identify species using replicas and pictures, there has been no study assessing the confidence that can be placed in angler’s ability to identify recreationally important fish. Understanding factors associated with low self-confidence will be useful in tailoring education programmes to improve self-confidence in identifying common species. The purposes of this assessment were to quantify the confidence of recreational anglers to identify 13 commonly encountered warm water fish species and to relate self-confidence to species availability and angler experience. Significant variation was observed in anglers selfconfidence among species and levels of self-declared …
Toxicity Of Copper Sulfate And Rotenone To Chinese Mystery Snail (Bellamya Chinensis),
2014
University of Nebraska-Lincoln
Toxicity Of Copper Sulfate And Rotenone To Chinese Mystery Snail (Bellamya Chinensis), Danielle M. Haak, Bruce J. Stephen, Robert A. Kill, Nicholas A. Smeenk, Craig R. Allen, Kevin L. Pope
Nebraska Cooperative Fish and Wildlife Research Unit: Staff Publications
The Chinese mystery snail (Bellamya chinensis) is a freshwater snail native to Southeast Asia, Japan, and Russia and is currently classified as an invasive species in at least 27 states in the USA. The species tolerates a wide range of environmental conditions, making management of established populations difficult. We tested the efficacy of two traditional chemical treatments, rotenone and copper sulfate, on the elimination of adult Chinese mystery snails in laboratory experiments. All snails (N=50) survived 72-hour exposure to rotenone-treated lake water, and 96% (N=25) survived 72-hour exposure to pre-determined rotenone concentrations of 0.25, 2.5, and 25.0 mg/L. …
Transdisciplinary Application Of Cross-Scale Resilience,
2014
University of Calgary
Transdisciplinary Application Of Cross-Scale Resilience, Shana M. Sundstrom, David G. Angeler, Ahjond S. Garmestani, Jorge-H. Garcia, Craig R. Allen
Nebraska Cooperative Fish and Wildlife Research Unit: Staff Publications
The cross-scale resilience model was developed in ecology to explain the emergence of resilience from the distribution of ecological functions within and across scales, and as a tool to assess resilience. We propose that the model and the underlying discontinuity hypothesis are relevant to other complex adaptive systems, and can be used to identify and track changes in system parameters related to resilience. We explain the theory behind the cross-scale resilience model, review the cases where it has been applied to non-ecological systems, and discuss some examples of social-ecological, archaeological/ anthropological, and economic systems where a cross-scale resilience analysis could …
Status Of Native Stream Fishes Within
Selected Protected Areas Of The
Niobrara River In Western Nebraska,
2014
University of Nebraska–Lincoln
Status Of Native Stream Fishes Within Selected Protected Areas Of The Niobrara River In Western Nebraska, Jonathan J. Spurgeon, Richard H. Stasiak, George R. Cunningham, Kevin L. Pope, Mark A. Pegg
Nebraska Cooperative Fish and Wildlife Research Unit: Staff Publications
Lotic systems within the Great Plains are characterized by highly fl uctuating conditions through both space and time. Fishes inhabiting these systems have adopted specifi c life- history strategies to survive in such environments; however, anthropogenic disturbance to prairie streams has resulted in declines and extirpation of many native stream fi shes. Terrestrial protected areas (i.e., parks and reserves) are designated to support native fl ora and fauna and, it is assumed, to provide protection to native fi shes. We assessed the presence and relative abundance of stream fi sh populations within protected areas along the Niobrara River in western …
Habitat Structure And Body Size Distributions: Cross-Ecosystem Comparison For Taxa With Determinate And Indeterminate Growth,
2014
James Cook University
Habitat Structure And Body Size Distributions: Cross-Ecosystem Comparison For Taxa With Determinate And Indeterminate Growth, Kirsty L. Nash, Craig R. Allen, Chris Barichievy, Magnus Nyström, Nicholas A. J. Graham
Nebraska Cooperative Fish and Wildlife Research Unit: Staff Publications
Habitat structure across multiple spatial and temporal scales has been proposed as a key driver of body size distributions for associated communities. Thus, understanding the relationship between habitat and body size is fundamental to developing predictions regarding the infl uence of habitat change on animal communities. Much of the work assessing the relationship between habitat structure and body size distributions has focused on terrestrial taxa with determinate growth, and has primarily analysed discontinuities (gaps) in the distribution of species mean sizes (species size relationships or SSRs). The suitability of this approach for taxa with indeterminate growth has yet to be …
Consuming Fire Ants Reduces Northern Bobwhite Survival
And Weight Gain,
2014
Clemson University
Consuming Fire Ants Reduces Northern Bobwhite Survival And Weight Gain, P. Evans Myers, Craig R. Allen, Hannah E. Birge
Nebraska Cooperative Fish and Wildlife Research Unit: Staff Publications
Northern bobwhite quail, Colinus virginianus (L.) (Galliformes: Odontophoridae), population declines are well documented, but pinpointing the reasons for these decreases has proven elusive. Bobwhite population declines are attributed primarily to loss of habitat and land use changes. This, however, does not entirely explain population declines in areas intensively managed for bobwhites. Although previous research demonstrates the negative impact of red imported fire ant (Solenopsis invicta Buren) (Hymenoptera: Formicidae) on northern bobwhites, the mechanisms underlying this effect are largely unknown. To meet the protein demands of early growth and development, bobwhite chicks predominantly consume small insects, of which ants are …
