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At least 91 records · Page 5Linked to original sources
USGS2016

Book review: Advances in reintroduction biology of Australian and New Zealand fauna

Reintroduction, and other forms of moving animals around the landscape, is an estab lished action that has been used in the contexts of mitiga tion, conservation, and salvage. Advances in Reintroduction Biol ogy of Australia n and New Zealand Fauna is more than an update of its pred ecessor (Serena 1995 ). This book not only enumerates advances in reintroduction but also provides a cogent road map for understanding and applying current know ledge, and for developing future strategi es. Review info: Advances in Reintroduction Biology of Australian and New Zealand Fauna. Doug P. Armstrong, Matthew W. Hayward, Dorian Moro, and Philip J. Seddon, editors. 2015. ISBN 978-1486303014. 320 pp.

Journal of Wildlife Management↗
USGS1998

Ecology of Siberian Taimen Hucho taimen in the Lake Baikal Basin

Taimen Hucho taimen historically inhabited most tributaries and littoral areas of Lake Baikal, in south central Siberia, where they supported subsistence and commercial fisheries. Logging, pollution, and overfishing have caused dramatic population declines or local extinction of most stocks. Most of what is known about this species has been published in eastern journals and therefore is not readily available to western scientists. New data collected during the 1980s and 1990s have been combined with other reports to provide an overview of the biology and life history of this species. Taimen are long-lived fish and can reach ages of 29 years and sizes up to 60 kg. Populations can either be strictly riverine or anadromous. Adults from both life histories ascend rivers in spring to spawn and feed, and less extensive migrations occur in fall to prey on spawning omul ( Coregonus autumnalis migratorius ). Principal food items for age 1 and 2 taimen are macroinvertebrates, but young taimen quickly become piscivorous at age 2 when they consume mainly black Baikal grayling ( Thymallus arcticus baicalensis ), and sculpins ( Taracottus kneri, Cottus kesslerij ). Males reach sexual maturity at ages 7 to 8 and later for females at ages 8 to 9. Average egg production per female was about 22,000 eggs. Parasite burdens are heavy but composed of few species and mediated by prey items consumed. This fish is a highly-specialized predator and plays an indispensable role in the structure of fish communities in mountains and foothills. Taimen conservation in the Baikal region is impossible without adoption and implementation of a dedicated rehabilitation program that includes the protection of remaining populations and habitat, and possibly introduction of hatchery-reared fish in selected areas where habitat remains, but parental stocks are low.

Journal of Great Lakes Research↗
USGS2013

Conditions favouring Bromus tectorum dominance of endangered sagebrush steppe ecosystems

1. Ecosystem invasibility is determined by combinations of environmental variables, invader attributes, disturbance regimes, competitive abilities of resident species and evolutionary history between residents and disturbance regimes. Understanding the relative importance of each factor is critical to limiting future invasions and restoring ecosystems. 2. We investigated factors potentially controlling Bromus tectorum invasions into Artemisia tridentata ssp. wyomingensis communities across 75 sites in the Great Basin. We measured soil texture, cattle grazing intensity, gaps among perennial plants and plant cover including B. tectorum, biological soil crusts (BSCs) and bare soil. Using a priori knowledge, we developed a multivariate hypothesis of the susceptibility of Artemisia ecosystems to B. tectorum invasion and used the model to assess the relative importance of the factors driving the magnitude of such invasions. 3. Model results imply that bunchgrass community structure, abundance and composition, along with BSC cover, play important roles in controlling B. tectorum dominance. Evidence suggests abundant bunchgrasses limit invasions by limiting the size and connectivity of gaps between vegetation, and BSCs appear to limit invasions within gaps. Results also suggest that cattle grazing reduces invasion resistance by decreasing bunchgrass abundance, shifting bunchgrass composition, and thereby increasing connectivity of gaps between perennial plants while trampling further reduces resistance by reducing BSC. 4. Synthesis and applications. Grazing exacerbates Bromus tectorum dominance in one of North America's most endangered ecosystems by adversely impacting key mechanisms mediating resistance to invasion. If the goal is to conserve and restore resistance of these systems, managers should consider maintaining or restoring: (i) high bunchgrass cover and structure characterized by spatially dispersed bunchgrasses and small gaps between them; (ii) a diverse assemblage of bunchgrass species to maximize competitive interactions with B. tectorum in time and space; and (iii) biological soil crusts to limit B. tectorum establishment. Passive restoration by reducing cumulative cattle grazing may be one of the most effective means of achieving these three goals.

Journal of Applied Ecology↗
USGS2016

A goodness-of-fit test for occupancy models with correlated within-season revisits

Occupancy modeling is important for exploring species distribution patterns and for conservation monitoring. Within this framework, explicit attention is given to species detection probabilities estimated from replicate surveys to sample units. A central assumption is that replicate surveys are independent Bernoulli trials, but this assumption becomes untenable when ecologists serially deploy remote cameras and acoustic recording devices over days and weeks to survey rare and elusive animals. Proposed solutions involve modifying the detection-level component of the model (e.g., first-order Markov covariate). Evaluating whether a model sufficiently accounts for correlation is imperative, but clear guidance for practitioners is lacking. Currently, an omnibus goodnessof- fit test using a chi-square discrepancy measure on unique detection histories is available for occupancy models (MacKenzie and Bailey, Journal of Agricultural, Biological, and Environmental Statistics, 9, 2004, 300; hereafter, MacKenzie– Bailey test). We propose a join count summary measure adapted from spatial statistics to directly assess correlation after fitting a model. We motivate our work with a dataset of multinight bat call recordings from a pilot study for the North American Bat Monitoring Program. We found in simulations that our join count test was more reliable than the MacKenzie–Bailey test for detecting inadequacy of a model that assumed independence, particularly when serial correlation was low to moderate. A model that included a Markov-structured detection-level covariate produced unbiased occupancy estimates except in the presence of strong serial correlation and a revisit design consisting only of temporal replicates. When applied to two common bat species, our approach illustrates that sophisticated models do not guarantee adequate fit to real data, underscoring the importance of model assessment. Our join count test provides a widely applicable goodness-of-fit test and specifically evaluates occupancy model lack of fit related to correlation among detections within a sample unit. Our diagnostic tool is available for practitioners that serially deploy survey equipment as a way to achieve cost savings.

Ecology and Evolution↗
USGS2004

Managing National Wildlife Refuges for historic or non-historic conditions: Determining the role of the refuge in the ecosystem

The 1997 Refuge Improvement Act mandates that National Wildlife Refuges (NWR) develop Comprehensive Conservation Plans and that the Refuge System be administered in a manner that ensures the biological integrity, diversity, and environmental health of the System are maintained. Refuges must determine their role in the landscape and decide if refuge lands will be managed for historic or non-historic conditions. This decision should be based on an understanding of the Refuge Purpose and supported by available science. Case studies for Sherburne NWR and Bosque del Apache NWR illustrate two possible approaches to determining future management.

Natural Resources Journal↗
USGS2015

Evidence for episodic acidification effects on migrating Atlantic salmon Salmo salar smolts

Field studies were conducted to determine levels of gill aluminium as an index of acidification effects on migrating Atlantic salmon Salmo salar smolts in the north-eastern U.S.A. along mainstem river migration corridors in several major river basins. Smolts emigrating from the Connecticut River, where most (but not all) tributaries were well buffered, had low or undetectable levels of gill aluminium and high gill Na + /K + -ATPase (NKA) activity. In contrast, smolts emigrating from the upper Merrimack River basin where most tributaries are characterized by low pH and high inorganic aluminium had consistently elevated gill aluminium and lower gill NKA activity, which may explain the low adult return rates of S. salar stocked into the upper Merrimack catchment. In the Sheepscot, Narraguagus and Penobscot Rivers in Maine, river and year-specific effects on gill aluminium were detected that appeared to be driven by underlying geology and high spring discharge. The results indicate that episodic acidification is affecting S. salar smolts in poorly buffered streams in New England and may help explain variation in S. salar survival and abundance among rivers and among years, with implications for the conservation and recovery of S. salar in the north-eastern U.S.A. These results suggest that the physiological condition of outmigrating smolts may serve as a large-scale sentinel of landscape-level recovery of atmospheric pollution in this and other parts of the North Atlantic region.

Journal of Fish Biology↗
USGS2012

Olympic Fisher Reintroduction Project: Progress report 2008-2011

This progress report summarizes the final year of activities of Phase I of the Olympic fisher restoration project. The intent of the Olympic fisher reintroduction project is to reestablish a self-sustaining population of fishers on the Olympic Peninsula. To achieve this goal, the Olympic fisher reintroduction project released 90 fishers within Olympic National Park from 2008 to 2010. The reintroduction of fishers to the Olympic Peninsula was designed as an adaptive management project, including the monitoring of released fishers as a means to (1) evaluate reintroduction success, (2) investigate key biological and ecological traits of fishers, and (3) inform future reintroduction, monitoring, and research efforts. This report summarizes reintroduction activities and preliminary research and monitoring results completed through December 2011. The report is non-interpretational in nature. Although we report the status of movement, survival, and home range components of the research, we have not completed final analyses and interpretation of research results. Much of the data collected during the monitoring and research project will be analyzed and interpreted in the doctoral dissertation being developed by Jeff Lewis; the completion of this dissertation is anticipated prior to April 2013. We anticipate that this work, and analyses of other data collected during the project, will result in several peer-reviewed scientific publications in ecological and conservation journals, which collectively will comprise the final reporting of work summarized here. These publications will include papers addressing post-release movements, survival, resource selection, food habits, and age determination of fishers.

Report↗
USGS2016

Design and testing of a mesocosm-scale habitat for culturing the endangered Devils Hole Pupfish

aptive propagation of desert spring fishes, whether for conservation or research, is often difficult, given the unique and often challenging environments these fish utilize in nature. High temperatures, low dissolved oxygen, minimal water flow, and highly variable lighting are some conditions a researcher might need to recreate to simulate their natural environments. Here we describe a mesocosm-scale habitat created to maintain hybrid Devils Hole × Ash Meadows Amargosa Pupfish ( Cyprinodon diabolis × C. nevadensis mionectes ) under conditions similar to those found in Devils Hole, Nevada. This 13,000-L system utilized flow control and natural processes to maintain these conditions rather than utilizing complex and expensive automation. We designed a rotating solar collector to control natural sunlight, a biological reactor to consume oxygen while buffering water quality, and a reverse-daylight photosynthesis sump system to stabilize nighttime pH and swings in dissolved oxygen levels. This system successfully controlled many desired parameters and helped inform development of a larger, more permanent desert fish conservation facility at the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service’s Ash Meadows National Wildlife Refuge, Nevada. For others who need to raise fish from unique habitats, many components of the scalable and modular design of this system can be adapted at reasonable cost.

North American Journal of Aquaculture↗
USGS2001

Cloning, sequencing, and expression of interferon-γ from elk in North America

Eradication of Mycobacterium bovis relies on accurate detection of infected animals, including potential domestic and wildlife reservoirs. Available diagnostic tests lack the sensitivity and specificity necessary for accurate detection, particularly in infected wildlife populations. Recently, an in vitro diagnostic test for cattle which measures plasma interferon-gamma (IFN-γ) levels in blood following in vitro incubation with M. bovis purified protein derivative has been enveloped. This test appears to have increased sensitivity over traditional testing. Unfortunately, it does not detect IFN-γ from Cervidae. To begin to address this problem, the IFN-γ gene from elk ( Cervus elaphus ) was cloned, sequenced, expressed, and characterized. cDNA was cloned from mitogen stimulated peripheral blood mononuclear cells. The predicted amino acid (aa) sequence was compared to known sequences from cattle, sheep, goats, red deer ( Cervus elaphus ), humans, and mice. Biological activity of the recombinant elk IFN-γ (rElkIFN-γ) was confirmed in a vesicular stomatitis virus cytopathic effect reduction assay. Production of monoclonal antibodies to IFN-γ epitopes conserved between ruminant species could provide an important tool for the development of reliable, practical diagnostic assays for detection of a delayed type hypersensitivity response to a variety of persistent infectious agents in ruminants, including M. bovis and Brucella abortus . Moreover, development of these reagents will aid investigators in studies to explore immunological responses of elk that are associated with resistance to infectious diseases.

Journal of Wildlife Diseases↗
USGS1995

Genetic strategies for lake trout rehabilitation: a synthesis

The goal of lake trout rehabilitation efforts in the Great Lakes has been to reestablish inshore lake trout ( Salvelinus namaycush ) populations to self-sustaining levels. A combination of sea lamprey control, stocking of hatchery-reared lake trout, and catch restrictions were used to enhance remnant lake trout stocks in Lake Superior and reestablish lake trout in Lakes Michigan, Huron, Erie, and Ontario. Genetic diversity is important for the evolution and maintenance of successful adaptive strategies critical to population restoration. The loss of genetic diversity among wild lake trout stocks in the Great Lakes imposes a severe constraint on lake trout rehabilitation. The objective of this synthesis is to address whether the particular strain used for stocking combined with the choice of stocking location affects the success or failure of lake trout rehabilitation. Poor survival, low juvenile recruitment, and inefficient habitat use are three biological impediments to lake trout rehabilitation that can be influenced by genetic traits. Evidence supports the hypothesis that the choices of appropriate lake trout strain and stocking locations enhance the survival of lake trout stocked into the Great Lakes. Genetic strategies proposed for lake trout rehabilitation include conservation of genetic diversity in remnant stocks, matching of strains with target environments, stocking a greater variety of lake trout phenotypes, and rehabilitation of diversity at all trophic levels.

Journal of Great Lakes Research↗
USGS1987

Power and speed of swimming dolphins

The belief that dolphins have an extraordinary ability to generate propulsive power or can modify the water flow over their bodies to the low-resistance laminar flow is pervasive in the perception of the animals by the public and by some of the biology communities. I analyzed measured swimming speeds for dolphins of the Stenella-Delphinus morphology. A conservative hydrodynamics model equivalent to 119% of the drag of a rigid fusiform body (the added 19% compensates for the drag induced by propulsion) and a metabolic rate of 13.4 times the projected resting metabolic rate are consistent with measured maximum steady-state speeds. Measured routine swimming speeds are also consistent with this same hydrodynamics model and with metabolic rates for routine activity of other swimming and terrestrial homeotherms. Energy expenditure for swimming dolphins is entirely within expected ranges and no extraordinary mechanisms are necessary to explain observations.

Journal of Mammalogy↗
USGS2021

Exploiting the physiology of lampreys to refine methods of control and conservation

Lampreys (order: Petromyzontiformes) represent one of two extant groups of jawless fishes, also called cyclostomes. Lampreys have a variety of unique features that distinguish them from other fishes. Here we review the physiological features of lampreys that have contributed to their evolutionary and ecological success. The term physiology is used broadly to also include traits involving multiple levels of biological organization, like swimming performance, that have a strong but not exclusively physiological basis. We also provide examples of how sea lamprey traits are currently being used or investigated to control invasive populations in the Great Lakes, such as reduced capacity to detoxify lampricides, inability to surmount low barriers or dams, and sensitivity to several lamprey-specific chemosensory pheromones and alarm cues. Specific suggestions are also provided for how an improved knowledge of lamprey physiological traits could be exploited for more effective conservation of native lampreys and lead to the development of next generation sea lamprey control and conservation tools.

Journal of Great Lakes Research↗
USGS2015

An empirical evaluation of landscape energetic models: Mallard and American black duck space use during the non-breeding period

Bird conservation Joint Ventures are collaborative partnerships between public agencies and private organizations that facilitate habitat management to support waterfowl and other bird populations. A subset of Joint Ventures has developed energetic carrying capacity models (ECCs) to translate regional waterfowl population goals into habitat objectives during the non-breeding period. Energetic carrying capacity models consider food biomass, metabolism, and available habitat to estimate waterfowl carrying capacity within an area. To evaluate Joint Venture ECCs in the context of waterfowl space use, we monitored 33 female mallards ( Anas platyrhynchos ) and 55 female American black ducks ( A. rubripes ) using global positioning system satellite telemetry in the central and eastern United States. To quantify space use, we measured first-passage time (FPT: time required for an individual to transit across a circle of a given radius) at biologically relevant spatial scales for mallards (3.46 km) and American black ducks (2.30 km) during the non-breeding period, which included autumn migration, winter, and spring migration. We developed a series of models to predict FPT using Joint Venture ECCs and compared them to a biological null model that quantified habitat composition and a statistical null model, which included intercept and random terms. Energetic carrying capacity models predicted mallard space use more efficiently during autumn and spring migrations, but the statistical null was the top model for winter. For American black ducks, ECCs did not improve predictions of space use; the biological null was top ranked for winter and the statistical null was top ranked for spring migration. Thus, ECCs provided limited insight into predicting waterfowl space use during the non-breeding season. Refined estimates of spatial and temporal variation in food abundance, habitat conditions, and anthropogenic disturbance will likely improve ECCs and benefit conservation planners in linking non-breeding waterfowl habitat objectives with distribution and population parameters. Published 2015. This article is a U.S. Government work and is in the public domain in the USA.

Arkansas, Delaware, Louisiana, Michigan, New Jerse↗
USGS2012

A review of the key genetic tools to assist imperiled species conservation: analyzing West Indian manatee populations

Managers faced with decisions on threatened and endangered wildlife populations often are lacking detailed information about the species of concern. Integration of genetic applications will provide management teams with a better ability to assess and monitor recovery efforts on imperiled species. The field of molecular biology continues to progress rapidly and many tools are currently available. Presently, little guidance is available to assist researchers and managers with the appropriate selection of genetic tools to study the status of wild manatee populations. We discuss several genetic tools currently employed in the application of conservation genetics, and address the utility of using these tools to determine population status to aid in conservation efforts. As an example, special emphasis is focused on the endangered West Indian manatee (Order Sirenia). All four extant species of sirenians are imperiled throughout their range, predominately due to anthropogenic sources; therefore, the need for genetic information on their population status is direly needed.

Journal of Marine Animals and Their Ecology↗
USGS1992

Seasonal dynamics of groundwater-lake interactions at Doñana National Park, Spain

The hydrologic and solute budgets of a lake can be strongly influenced by transient groundwater flow. Several shallow interdunal lakes in southwest Spain are in close hydraulic connection with the shallow ground water. Two permanent lakes and one intermittent lake have chloride concentrations that differ by almost an order of magnitude. A two-dimensional solute-transport model, modified to simulate transient groundwater-lake interaction, suggests that the rising water table during the wet season leads to local flow reversals toward the lakes. Response of the individual lakes, however, varies depending on the lake's position in the regional flow system. The most dilute lake is a flow-through lake during the entire year; the through flow is driven by regional groundwater flow. The other permanent lake, which has a higher solute concentration, undergoes seasonal groundwater flow reversals at its downgradient end, resulting in complex seepage patterns and higher solute concentrations in the ground water near the lake. The solute concentration of the intermittent lake is influenced more strongly by the seasonal wetting and drying cycle than by the regional flow system. Although evaporation is the major process affecting the concentration of conservative solutes in the lakes, geochemical and biochemical reactions influence the concentration of nonconservative solutes. Probable reactions in the lakes include biological uptake of solutes and calcite precipitation; probable reactions as lake water seeps into the aquifer are sulfate reduction and calcite dissolution. Seepage reversals can result in water composition that appears inconsistent with predictions based on head measurements because, under transient flow conditions, the flow direction at any instant may not satisfactorily depict the source of the water. Understanding the dynamic nature of groundwater-lake interaction aids in the interpretation of hydrologic and chemical relations between the lakes and the ground water.

Journal of Hydrology↗
USGS1979

Physiological and biochemical aspects of ozone toxicity to rainbow trout ( Salmo gairdneri )

An acute toxicity curve for dissolved ozone (O 3 ) in soft water at 10 °C, using 10–13-cm rainbow trout ( Salmo gairdneri ) as the test species was calculated. The 96-h LC50 (95%, confidence interval) was 9.3 (8.1–10.6) μg/L. The lethal threshold level was about 8 μg/L mandating that a conservative margin of safety be used if ozone is employed as a fish disease control agent. Death apparently results from massive destruction of the gill lamellar epithelium together with a severe hydromineral imbalance. In partial chronic (3-mo) testing, 2 μg/L caused no significant biological damage while 5 μg/L caused some gill pathological changes and reduced feeding behavior. Accordingly, 2 μg/L is suggested as a provisional maximum safe exposure level, pending completion of life cycle studies. Thus, if ozone-treated water is discharged into the environment, dissolved O 3 should be reduced to at least the 2 μg/L level to minimize adverse impacts on salmonids in receiving waters.

Journal of the Fisheries Research Board of Canada↗
USGS1986

Movement and fate of detergents in groundwater: A field study

The major cations, anions, and detergents in a plume of contaminated groundwater at Otis Air Base on Cape Cod (Mass., U.S.A.) have moved approximately 3.5 km down gradient from the disposal beds. We hypothesize that the detergents form two distinct plumes, which consist of alkyl benzene sulfonates (ABS) detergents and linear alkyl sulfonates (LAS) and sodium dodecyl sulfate (NaLS) detergents. The ABS detergents were deposited from approximately 1940 through 1965, when ABS detergents were banned. From 1965 to the present, LAS and NaLS detergents were in the sewage. The ABS detergents appear to be transported in the aquifer at the same rate as the specific conductance (major cations and anions) and boron, which are currently used as conservative tracers of the plume of contaminated groundwater. There appears to be little or no biological degradation of the ABS detergents in the aquifer, based on their concentration in the plume. On the other hand, the LAS and NaLS detergents have degraded rapidly and have been detected only 0.6 km down gradient. The roleof the detergents in the transport of other organic compounds in the plume is nuclear. There is a separation of the ABS detergent plume and the volatile organic compound plume; however, the time of entry of the detergents and the volatile organic compounds is unknown. Therefore, it is not possible to conclude on the interaction of these two classes of compounds.

Journal of Contaminant Hydrology↗
USGS2013

Biodiversity losses and conservation trade-offs: Assessing future urban growth scenarios for a North American trade corridor

The Sonoran Desert and Apache Highlands ecoregions of North America are areas of exceptionally high plant and vertebrate biodiversity. However, much of the vertebrate biodiversity is supported by only a few vegetation types with limited distributions, some of which are increasingly threatened by changing land uses. We assessed the impacts of two future urban growth scenarios on biodiversity in a binational watershed in Arizona, USA and Sonora, Mexico. We quantified and mapped terrestrial vertebrate species richness using Wildlife Habitat Relation models and validated the results with data from National Park Service biological inventories. Future urban growth, based on historical trends, was projected to the year 2050 for 1) a “Current Trends” scenario and, 2) a “Megalopolis” scenario that represented a transnational growth corridor with open-space conservation attributes. Based on Current Trends, 45% of existing riparian woodland (267 of 451species), and 34% of semi-desert grasslands (215 of 451 species) will be lost, whereas, in the Megalopolis scenario, these types would decline by 44% and 24% respectively. Outcomes of the two models suggest a trade-off at the taxonomic class level: Current Trends would reduce and fragment mammal and herpetofauna habitat, while Megalopolis would result in loss of avian-rich riparian habitat.

International Journal of Biodiversity Science, Eco↗