Other Environmental Sciences Commons^™

The North American Trumpeter Swan Survey: Retain Or Find Something New?, Mark P. Vrtiska, J. A. Dubovsky, M. G. Anderson

School of Natural Resources: Faculty Publications

No abstract provided.

Exploring Heterogeneity In Waterfowl Hunter Trip Preferences: A Discrete Choice Experiment, K. A. Sainsbury, H. W. Harshaw, D. C. Fulton, N. W. Cole, A. A. Dayer, J. N. Duberstein, A. H. Raedeke, R. M. Schuster, Mark P. Vrtiska

School of Natural Resources: Faculty Publications

No abstract provided.

Exploring Recruitment, Retention, And License Purchase Probability Of Waterfowl Hunters Using A Mark-Recapture Approach, K. A. Graham, Mark P. Vrtiska, D. H. Humburg, Larkin A. Powell, A. H. Raedeke, P. K. Devers, Christopher J. Chizinski

School of Natural Resources: Faculty Publications

No abstract provided.

The Impact Of Dissolved Organic Matter On Photodegradation Rates, Byproduct Formations, And Degradation Pathways For Two Neonicotinoid Insecticides In Simulated River Waters, Josephus F. Borsuah, Tiffany L. Messer, Daniel D. Snow, Steven D. Comfort, Shannon Bartelt-Hunt

UK CARES Faculty Publications

The influences of dissolved organic matter (DOM) on neonicotinoid photochemical degradation and product formation in natural waters remain unclear, potentially impacting the sustainability of river systems. Therefore, our overall objective was to investigate the photodegradation mechanisms and phototransformation byproducts of two neonicotinoid pesticides, imidacloprid and thiamethoxam, under simulated sunlight at the microcosm scale, to assess the implications of DOM for insecticide degradation in rivers. Direct and indirect photolysis were investigated using twelve water matrices to identify possible reaction pathways with two DOM sources and three quenching agents. Imidacloprid, thiamethoxam, and potential degradants were measured, and reaction pathways identified. The photodegradation …

Outpatient Fall Prevention In Ambulatory Adults 65 Years Old And Over, Dorothy L. Osborne-White

Doctor of Nursing Practice (DNP) Scholarly Projects - Archive

Background: In the United States (U.S.), falls are the leading cause of injury among adults 65 and over, resulting in 36 million falls yearly (Moreland et al., 2020). According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC, 2023), one in four older adults experiences a fall each year. Falls are the world's second most prominent cause of accidental deaths (World Health Organization [WHO], 2021). Falls are the leading cause of both fatal and non-fatal injuries among older adults (Moreland et al., 2020).

Methods: A quality improvement project that included a fall bundle was implemented in a primary clinic. A …

Genetic Tracking Of A Rabid Coyote (Canis Latrans) Detected Beyond A Rabies Enzootic Area In West Virginia, Usa, Matthew W. Hopken, Crystal Gigante, Amy T. Gilbert, Richard B. Chipman, Jordana D. Kirby, Rene Edgar Condori, Samuel Mills, Chelsea Hartley, John Forbes, Lisa Dettinger, Dongxiang Xia, Yu Li, Bridgett Vonholdt

United States Department of Agriculture Wildlife Services: Staff Publications

Wildlife translocation and cross-species transmission can impede control and elimination of emerging zoonotic diseases. Tracking the geographic origin of both host and virus (i.e., translocation versus local infection) may help determine the most effective response when high-risk cases of emerging pathogens are identified in wildlife. In May 2022, a coyote (Canis latrans) infected with the raccoon (Procyon lotor) rabies virus variant (RRV) was collected in Lewis County, West Virginia, USA, an area free from RRV. We applied host population genomics and RRV phylogenetic analyses to determine the most likely geographic origin of the rabid coyote. Coyote …

The Ltar Grazing Land Common Experiment At Platte River High Plains Aquifer, M. Khorchani, M. Schmer, A. Freidenreich, T. Awada, G. Birru, S. Christofferson, R. Drijber, G. Erickson, V. Jin, R. Mcdermott, A. Suyker, A. Watson, B. Woodbury, Y. Xiong, J. Hiller, X. Sun, L. Li

School of Natural Resources: Faculty Publications

The Long-Term Agroecosystem Research (LTAR) network of the United States Department of Agriculture (USDA) consists presently of 18 sites within the contiguous United States that are managed by the Agricultural Research Service (ARS) and its partners. The LTAR network focuses on developing national strategies for more efficient, resilient, and profitable agricultural production systems, improved environmental quality, and enhanced rural prosperity. The Platte River High Plains Aquifer (PRHPA) LTAR site is managed jointly by the University of Nebraska–Lincoln (UNL) and USDA-ARS and is one of the LTAR sites that conduct research on both integrated cropping and grazing systems. The PRHPA region …

The Ltar Cropland Common Experiment At Platte River/High Plains Aquifer, Ariel Freidenreich, Marty R. Schmer, Makki Khorchani, Girma Birru, Virginia L. Jin, Tala Awada, Rhae A. Drijber, Andrew Suyker, S. Carolina Córdova, Tyler Smith, Tim Kettler, Sandra Christofferson, Xiangmin Sun, Lidong Li

School of Natural Resources: Faculty Publications

The Platte River/High Plains Aquifer (PR/HPA) region is characterized by cropland, pastures, and grasslands that are faced with changing climatic conditions and agricultural intensification. The PR/HPA Long-Term Agroecosystem Research (LTAR) site is located in Eastern Nebraska with the goal of improving resilience, sustainability, and profitability of agroecosystems through enhancing ecosystem services and environmental quality, developing strategies for efficient agricultural production, and mitigating and adapting to climate change. To meet this goal, a common experiment and five ancillary experiments have been developed to evaluate prevailing regional practices in grain crop production systems compared to alternative practices in rain-fed and irrigated systems. …

Eco-Cultural Restoration Of Mouralherwaqh: Site Description And Invasive Species Treatment Plan In King Salmon, California, Natalie Bridget Calderon, Myion Rickey, King Baptista, Owen Bardsley, Jillian Snowhook

Undergraduate Scholarship

In July of 2022, the Wiyot Tribe bought back one of their first pieces of ancestral forest within the Mouralherwaqh "more-RAH-share-wahg" village area (Wiyot, 2022). Before this repatriation, the Tribe owned less than 1% of their ancestral lands; after, the Tribe’s land holdings increased by 10% (Reclaiming Mouralherwaqh | Humboldt NOW | Cal Poly Humboldt, 2022). Mouralherwaqh is a 46 acre coastal site located near present day King Salmon, California and has high ecological and culturally significant values (Wiyot, 2022). Prior to the change of ownership, Mouralherwaqh was privately-owned and in 2014 underwent a clear-cut timber harvest within eight-acres of …

Influence Of Elevation On Plant Survivorship In Baduwa’T Estuary, Richard Louis Toledo Jr., Celine Aguilera, Rivé Prater, Claire Durbin

Undergraduate Scholarship

The Baduwa’t is a river in Humboldt County, California that has been adversely impacted by agricultural operations. Disturbances from agriculture have altered the surrounding ecosystems and hydrology of the river. The conservation stewardship group, California Trout, initiated a collaborative restoration project that created a new channel and off-channel pond to provide habitat for salmonids and other native fish in the estuary. As an extension of this project, sections of the site underwent revegetation efforts. The survivorship rates of this new vegetation were lower than anticipated and we were asked by California Trout to assess if the elevation on the site …

Riparian Revegetation: Re-Indigenizing The Powers Creek Tributary Of The Baduwa’T Watershed At Blue Lake Rancheria, California, Genesis Beltran, Ruben Lopez, Ben Stock

Undergraduate Scholarship

This project focuses on the ecological and cultural restoration of Powers Creek, a tributary of the Baduwa’t watershed at Blue Lake Rancheria, California. Riparian ecosystems play a critical role in biodiversity, water quality, and climate resilience, particularly for species like salmonids reliant on cold-water refugia. The restoration efforts, guided by Indigenous knowledge, addressed the removal of non-native competitive species such as Scotch broom (Cytisus scoparius) and French broom (Genista monspessulana) – which are shown to increase wildfire severity and challenge native plant communities – in addition to freeing established plantings of vegetative competition. Through collaborative planning …

Braving The Elements: Loss Of Metals From Mardi Gras Beads Due To Handling And Weathering, Thomas O. Carmichael, Ruth H. Carmichael

Gulf and Caribbean Research

The largest Mardi Gras celebrations in the U.S. are found along the Gulf of Mexico coast. With increasing awareness of and concern for environmental and human health risks due to pollution from Mardi Gras celebrations, there is a need for studies to quantify potential harms. We conducted a 2—part study to determine whether use—related handling and weathering of common Mardi Gras beaded necklaces results in loss of potentially harmful metals to the environment at levels of ecological or human health concern. Our data indicate that weathering and use—related handling can cause metals to be shed from the metallic coating of …

The Legal Crisis Within The Climate Crisis, Mark P. Nevitt

Faculty Articles

Climate change creates a difficult choice for property owners and governmental officials alike: Should they invest in costly climate adaptation measures or retreat from climate-exposed areas? Either decision is fraught with legal uncertainty, running headfirst into antiquated legal doctrines designed for a more stable world. Climate impacts to the coastline are forcing policymakers to consider four adaptation tools: (1) resisting climate impacts by building sea walls and armoring the shoreline; (2) accommodating those impacts by elevating existing structures; (3) managed retreat such as systematically and preemptively moving people out of harm’s way; and (4) reactively moving people to new locations …

Climate Risk, Insurance Retreat, And State Response, Mark P. Nevitt, Michael Pappas

Faculty Articles

Climate change is fundamentally destabilizing the private insurance industry, with many high-profile insurance companies exiting states in the face of catastrophic, climate-­induced risk. This rapid "insurance retreat" represents a major market signal in response to climate-exacerbated risks. Private businesses are making actuarial decisions, assessing that some locations are just too vulnerable to insure. At the same time, this insurance retreat also poses a policy challenge for states as they react to the mounting insurance gaps left by exiting private insurers.

This Article analyzes insurance retreat, its attendant policy challenges, and the lessons that can be drawn from state responses. It …

Treatment With The Immunocontraceptive Vaccine, Gonacon, Induces Temporary Fertility Control In Free-Ranging Prairie Dog Populations In Colorado, Usa, Aaron B. Shiels, Jackson Runte, Emily W. Ruell, Douglas C. Eckery, Gary W. Witmer, Daniel J. Salkeld

United States Department of Agriculture Wildlife Services: Staff Publications

Context

Prairie dogs (Cynomys spp.) are rodents enjoyed by some humans; yet, they cause crop and property damage, and carry zoonotic disease. Non-lethal control of prairie dogs is of interest in urban/suburban settings. The injectable immunocontraceptive vaccine GonaCon (active ingredient is gonadotropin-releasing hormone [GnRH]) has been shown to be effective at reducing fertility in equine and deer, and is a US EPA-registered vaccine for use in these ungulate species.

Aims

To conduct a replicated field study to test efficacy of GonaCon in black-tailed prairie dogs (C. ludovicianus), and if found to be efficacious, to help facilitate …

Comparison Of Ketamine-Xylazine, Butorphanol-Azaperone-Medetomidine, And Nalbuphine-Medetomidine-Azaperone For Raccoon (Procyon Lotor) Immobilization, Shylo R. Johnson, Christine K. Ellis, Chad Wickham, Molly R. Selleck, Amy T. Gilbert

United States Department of Agriculture Wildlife Services: Staff Publications

Raccoons (Procyon lotor) are frequently handled using chemical immobilization in North America for management and research. In a controlled environment, we compared three drug combinations: ketamine-xylazine (KX), butorphanol-azaperone-medetomidine (BAM), and nalbuphinemedetomidine- azaperone (NalMed-A) for raccoon immobilization. In crossover comparisons, raccoons received a mean of the following: 8.66 mg/kg ketamine and 1.74 mg/kg xylazine (0.104 mL/kg KX); 0.464 mg/kg butorphanol, 0.155 mg/kg azaperone, and 0.185 mg/kg medetomidine (0.017 mL/kg BAM); and 0.800 mg/kg nalbuphine, 0.200 mg/kg azaperone, and 0.200 mg/kg medetomidine (0.020 mL/kg NalMed-A). Induction time was shortest with KX (mean6SE, 10.060.7 min) and longest with NalMed-A (13.061.3 min). …

Using Prescribed Fire And Biosolids Applications As Grassland Management Tools: Do Wildlife Respond?, Brian E. Washburn, Michael J. Begier

United States Department of Agriculture Wildlife Services: Staff Publications

Prescribed burning is a management tool commonly used in forested ecosystems in the southeastern United States, but the influence of this method on grassland vegetation and wildlife in this geographic region is unknown. During 2009–2015, we conducted a study to determine if the application of prescribed burning and/or long-term biosolid applications alter plant communities and/or wildlife use of grassland areas at Marine Corps Air Station Cherry Point, Havelock, North Carolina. We monitored vegetation growth, measured plant community composition, and documented wildlife activity in four study plots for 3 years after the implementation of annual winter prescribed burns. Prescribed burning reduced …

Potential Landscape Connectivity For Invasive Wild Pigs (Sus Scrofa) Across The Northern Prairies Of North America, Corey J. Kramer, Melanie R. Boudreau, Ryan Powers, Kurt C. Vercauteren, Ryan S. Miller, Ryan K. Brook

United States Department of Agriculture Wildlife Services: Staff Publications

Understanding landscape scale connectivity is an essential component in the management of invasive species since connectivity facilitates their invasion potential. Invasive wild pigs (Sus scrofa) are among the most prolific invaders on the planet, causing billions of dollars in agricultural and environmental damage annually. Newly introduced to Canada in the 1980s, we examined wild pig invasion potential across the northern prairies from western Canada into the currently wild pig-free northern U.S. states. We used GPS collar data collected in the Canadian prairies to quantify resource selection and incorporated results into an electric circuit theory framework to evaluate potential …

Rapid Point-Of-Care Testing For Detection Of Antibodies To Toxoplasma Gondii In Black Vultures And Ring-Billed Gulls From Pennsylvania, Alexa Rosypal Von Dohlen, Sydney Randall, Jordyan Grays, Mark A. Dugo, Brian J. Hunt, Justin Brown, Kyle Van Why, Sawsan Ammar, Richard Gerhold

United States Department of Agriculture Wildlife Services: Staff Publications

Toxoplasma gondii is a zoonotic protozoan parasite that infects most warm-blooded animals, including birds. Scavenging birds are epidemiologically important hosts because they can serve as indicators of environmental T. gondii levels. A rapid point-of-care (POC) test that detects antibodies to T. gondii in humans is commercially available. In this research, we assessed the ability of the human POC test to detect anti–T. gondii antibodies in 106 black vultures (Coragyps atratus) and 23 ring-billed gulls (Larus delawarensis) from Pennsylvania, USA. Serum samples were tested with the POC test and compared to the modified …

Low Secondary Risks For Turkey Vultures From A Sodium Nitrite Toxic Bait For Wild Pigs, Justin A. Foster, John C. Kinsey, Michael J. Lavelle, Kurt C. Vercauteren, Nathan P. Snow

United States Department of Agriculture Wildlife Services: Staff Publications

An acute and orally‐delivered toxic bait for wild pigs (Sus scrofa) containing sodium nitrite (SN) is being developed and tested for potential registration in the U.S. We evaluated oral toxicity of SN and risk of secondary consumption in a common avian scavenger, the turkey vulture (Carthartes aura), by 1) conducting an acute oral toxicity test (LD₅₀) for turkey vultures by oral gavage, and 2) allowing turkey vultures to feed on whole carcasses and digestive tracts of wild pigs that died from consuming SN‐laden bait. Captive tests were conducted during fall 2016 and spring 2017 in the …