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At least 865 records · Page 48Linked to original sources
USGS2015

Hyla chrysoscelis (Cope’s gray treefrog) x Hyla cinerea (green treefrog): putative natural hybrid

Naturally–occurring hybrid treefrogs have been occasionally found in the eastern United States. However, these hybrids are almost always between members of the same species group. On 10 Jun 2014, at 2145 h, we located an individual making an unusual advertisement call along Bayou Manual Road in Sherburne Wildlife Management Area in the Atchafalaya Basin of south-central Louisiana, USA, and brought it back to the laboratory for further study. Physically, the treefrog appeared intermediate between a Green Treefrog and a Cope’s Gray Treefrog, which are members of different species groups. Call analysis also showed the individual to be intermediate between the two putative parental species. Flow cytometry was used to estimate the total genome size from nuclei of whole blood cells, and also determined the individual to be intermediate of the putative parental species. Despite vocalizing for mates, the hybrid did not appear to have viable spermatozoa, and was likely the result of an anomalous mis-mating event between a male Cope’s Gray Treefrog and a female Green Treefrog. To our knowledge, natural hybrids between a Cope’s Gray Treefrog and a Green Treefrog have not been previously reported.

Louisiana↗
USGS2006

Mapping new terrain climate change and America’s West: Anticipating challenges to western mountain ecosystems and resources

Climate variability and sustained change presage far-reaching transformations across America’s West, an expanse dominated by immense mountain ranges and interspersed with important urban centers. These mountains provide the region’s life blood—water that courses through its streams and runs out its faucets, power that fuels its industries and lights its cities, and natural resources that feed its economy and provide many of its jobs. The West is a land where life is written in water—from vast ranchlands and farmlands, to large densely populated urban areas—and the communities of the West are intricately tied to it. Why should we be concerned about how climate change is affecting the mountains? Despite their imposing grandeur and apparent fortitude, the mountains contain highly sensitive environments that support delicately balanced physical and natural systems. A warming of only a few degrees has major implications for mountain regions—for the integrity of the seasonal snowpack, the extensive forests that western mountains support, and for the people who make their home there. Such changes are already affecting water supply, energy availability, fire severity, and recreational opportunities. Continuing climate change may significantly alter the western landscape, where one encounters distinct ecological communities as successive layers from the lowlands to the high peaks. Each of these ecosystems has specific requirements for temperature and precipitation. As climate variability increases and global warming continues, complex changes in montane plant and animal communities will occur, increasing vulnerability of species to dramatic shifts in distribution and local extinctions.

Report↗
USGS1960

Mycobacterium salmoniphilum sp. nov. from salmonoid fishes

The presence of mycobacteria in salmonoid fishes was first recorded by Earp, Ellis, and Ordal (1) in 1953. Acid-fast bacilli had previously been reported from other cold-blooded animals including fishes of fresh-water and marine origin; recent reviews have been presented by Vogel (2) and Parisot (3). The initiation of an intensive search for bacteria of this group revealed their widespread distribution in salmonoid fish populations. Acidfast bacilli have been demonstrated in livers and kidneys of salmon and trout in Washington, Oregon, and California, as well as from salmon taken in Alaskan waters. While the organisms are generally considered to be associated with fish of hatchery origin (4), they have also been found in young and adult fish from areas presumably supporting only wild populations. Wood and Ordal (4) indicate that the incidence of the tuberculosis-like infection is directly related to the length of time the fish are reared in the hatchery prior to release. This may result from a common hatchery practice of feeding viscera and carcasses from spawned-out adults to juvenile fish. Therefore, in many instances viable mycobacteria are present in the food of young fish.

American Review of Respiratory Disease↗
USGS2014

Dietary nitrate and cardiovascular health

Sep tember 17, 2014, Bethesda, Maryland The National Heart, Lung, and Blood Institute convened this workshop to discuss the results of recent research on the effects of inorganic nitrate and nitrite on the cardiovascular system, possible long term effects of these compounds in the diet and drinking water, and future research needs including population-wide effects examined through epidemiological studies.

Conference Paper↗
USGS1996

Hematology and clinical chemistry of sea otters vaptured in Prince William Sound, Alaska following the Exxon Valdez Oil Spill

Hematologic and serum chemical analyses were performed on sea otter blood samples collected from 31 adult males, 63 adult females, and 42 pups captured in western Prince William Sound (oiled area), and 12 adult males, 40 adult females, and 15 pups captured in eastern Prince William Sound (unoiled area) in 1989 and 1990. Hematologic differences between eastern and western adult males were minimal. Both hematocrits and hemoglobins were higher in western than eastern otters but the biological significance of this is equivocal. Western males had higher absolute eosinophil counts, suggesting possible systemic hypersensitivity reactions. Western males had higher serum protein and serum globulin levels than eastern males, suggesting greater antigenic stimulation (more inflammatory and/or infectious conditions). There were no differences in hematologic parameters between eastern and western female otters. Some chemistry changes were present, but the degree of difference was small. Total protein and serum globulin levels were slightly higher in western females, a finding also seen in adult males. Mean levels of liver enzymes for western females were somewhat higher than for the eastern otters, suggesting the possibility of subclinical liver disease. As a group, western pup hematocrits, hemoglobins, and red cell counts were significantly lower than those of eastern pups. From a biological perspective, these reductions were minimal but supported by individual animal data. The red cell data suggest a mild anemia in western pups; however, the degree of anemia was minimal, so that biological significance was equivocal. Other hematologic and clinical chemical differences between eastern and western pups were not striking and were also of equivocal biological significance.

Alaska↗
USGS2003

The effect of polychlorinated naphthalenes and tributyltin on the occurrence of aberrant nuclei in erythroid cells of medaka

The micronucleus test using erythrocytes of the peripheral blood of fish is often conducted to evaluate the genotoxic effects of pollutants under experimental and natural conditions. This report presents information on the production of micronuclei and other nuclear anomalies in erythrocytes of medaka ( Oryzias latipes ) exposed to three polychlorinated naphthalene (PCN) formulations (Halowaxes 1014, 1031 and 1051) or tributyltin (TBT). Three types of deviation in the morphology of interphase nuclei were observed in medaka erythrocytes: micronuclei, nuclei fragmented into two equal or unequal parts, and nuclei at different stages of invagination. The number of erythrocytes with nuclear anomalies typically increased after chemical exposure. However, differential dose-response patterns were observed with exposures to PCNs or TBT. Polychlorinated naphthalenes caused genotoxicity, while TBT caused an amitotic effect. Gender did not influence the frequency of nuclear anomalies. This is the first report on the application of the piscine micronuclear test with medaka and is the first study that investigated the potential for detecting micronuclei in erythrocytes from adult medaka exposed in ovo to mutagens.

Environmental Sciences↗
USGS2013

Fifty years after Welles and Welles: Distribution and genetic structure of Desert Bighorn Sheep in Death Valley National Park

The status of desert bighorn sheep (Ovis canadensis nelsoni) populations in the mountains around Death Valley was first evaluated in 1938, shortly after designation of Death Valley National Monument. However, the most comprehensive evaluation of bighorn sheep in the region was conducted by Ralph and Florence Welles during 1955-1961. They documented patterns of use at water sources and other focal areas around Death Valley and roughly estimated numbers of bighorn sheep from observational data. Data collection on bighorn sheep in the area since that time has lacked a regional approach needed to address metapopulation questions.From 2011-2013, we evaluated bighorn activity at important water sources and other likely locations around Death Valley using remote cameras and observations of tracks, beds, sign, and bighorn sheep, and non-invasively collected genetic samples (fecal pellets and bones). Where possible, we revisited many of the water sources and other locations originally investigated by Welles and Welles (1961) and earlier researchers. We extracted DNA from fecal pellets, carcass tissue samples, and blood samples archived from earlier captures and genotyped them using highly variable genetic markers (15 microsatellite loci) with sufficient power to distinguish individuals and characterize gene flow and genetic structure. We also analyzed DNA samples collected from other bighorn sheep populations extending north to the White Mountains, west to the Inyo Mountains, south to the Avawatz Mountains, and southeast to the Clark Mountain Range, Kingston Range, and Spring Mountains of Nevada. We estimated genetic structure and recent gene flow among nearly all known populations of bighorn sheep in and around Death Valley National Park (DEVA), and used assignment tests to evaluate individual and population-level genetic structure to infer connectivity across the region. We found that bighorn sheep are still widely distributed in mountain ranges throughout DEVA, including many of the areas described by Welles and Welles (1961), although some use patterns appear to have changed and other areas still require resurvey. Gene flow was relatively high through some sections of fairly continuous habitat, such as the Grapevine and Funeral Mountains along the eastern side of Death Valley, but other populations were more isolated. Genetic diversity was relatively high throughout the park. Although southern Death Valley populations were genetically distinct from populations to the southeast, population assignment tests and recent gene flow estimates suggested that individuals occasionally migrate between those regions, indicating the potential for the recent outbreak of respiratory disease in the southern Mojave Desert to spread into the Death Valley system. We recommend careful monitoring of bighorn sheep using remote cameras to check for signs of respiratory disease in southeastern DEVA and ground surveys in the still-understudied southwestern part of DEVA.

Conference Paper↗
USGS2019

Establishing an Agassiz’s Desert Tortoise monitoring program within the Coachella Valley multiple species habitat conservation plan area: Final report to the Coachella Valley conservation commission on work performed near the Orocopia Mountains

In support of the goals of the Coachella Valley Multiple Species Habitat Conservation Plan and Natural Community Conservation Plan (CVMSHCP/NCCP), a population of Agassiz’s desert tortoises ( Gopherus agassizii ) was marked and studied to establish a desert tortoise monitoring program near the Orocopia Mountains beginning in early 2017 and ending in the summer of 2018, following the epic drought of 2012‒2016. This effort compliments a similar effort in the nearby mouth of Cottonwood Canyon in 2015‒2016. Surveys were performed to locate tortoises, tortoise burrows, and tortoise remains at the eastern end of the CVMSHCP area north of the Orocopia Mountains and south of Interstate 10 in Riverside County, California. Although the area is considered Critical Habitat for the recovery of tortoise populations, it was heavily impacted by military training activities in the early 1940s and continues to be impacted by off-highway vehicle use. Data were collected from all live and dead tortoise specimens encountered. Only 22 live tortoises were found during transects covering approximately 21 km 2 of habitat surveyed. The sex ratio of live adult tortoises was strongly biased toward males and the sex ratio of recently (4‒5 years) dead carcasses during the long drought was strongly biased toward females. High female mortality may have resulted from the interaction of drought (including increased predation) and the reproductive strategy of tortoises. We located only one new live tortoise in the drought year of 2018 when there was no germination of winter annual food plants. A subsample of nine tortoises was outfitted with radio transmitters, and females (n = 4) were X-radiographed at approximately 10-day intervals from April–July. Mean clutch size was about 4 eggs as is typical for tortoises in this region. Additional tortoises were located opportunistically in and around the Santa Rosa Mountains (located in the southern end of the CVMSHCP area), and these tortoises were also marked for future identification. Blood samples were taken from adult tortoises and scute clips were taken from a subset of juveniles for ongoing studies to determine genetic diversity and relationships of desert tortoises within the CVMSHCP/NCCP area and beyond. The low tortoise density and high adult female mortality observed by us and others in the area may compromise the long-term viability of the population, especially given published predictions of the negative effects of future droughts on tortoises in the region.

California↗
USGS1996

Small watershed studies: Analytical approaches for understanding ecosystem response to environmental change

Biogeochemical studies in small watersheds provide an analytical approach to understand how ecosystems respond to natural climatic variations and human-induced environmental change. Small watersheds, usually less than 5 km2, are small enough to permit characterization and understanding of ecosystem processes within relatively simple, homogeneous biological and physical settings; yet they are large enough to incorporate more complex processes and element cycles than can be studied at plot scales. Watersheds comprise discrete hydrochemical environments allowing quantification of hydrologic, element, and energy budgets. Element budgets, or mass balances, can be quantified as the difference between the mass of a solute that enters a watershed in wet and dry deposition and leaves a watershed in streamflow. Element budgets are primary tools used to investigate biogeochemical processes. Monitoring various aspects of element budgets to assess ecosystem health and stability is analogous to measuring the pulse or blood chemistry of a patient. Monitoring streamwater chemistry, basic climate, soil, and biotic variables provide a means to integrate complex biogeochemical processes and evaluate trends in water quality. Small watershed studies provide a scientific basis to develop predictive models of watershed function. Major emphases of small watershed studies include investigation of hydrologic and chemical responses to natural climate variation, anthropogenic stressors, and alternate forest-management practices. The nature and significance of biogeochemical research in small watersheds is reviewed by Moldan and Cerny (1994). The U.S. Geological Survey, U.S. Department of Agriculture Forest Service, and other federal agencies support several long-term small watershed studies to provide insight into a variety of ecosystem processes. Long-term records are essential to distinguish trends resulting from natural climatic variations or other stressors. The following sites, with noted periods of records, are examples of intensively studied forested watersheds in eastern USA supported by federal agencies: ■ Coweeta Hydrologic Laboratory, North Carolina, (1939-present), Swank and Crossley (1988). ■ Hubbard Brook Experimental Forest, New Hampshire, (1956-present), Bormann and Likens (1979). ■ Sleepers River Research Watershed, Vermont, (1958-present), Shanley et al. (1995). ■ Walker Branch Watershed, Tennessee, (1967-present), Johnson and Van Hook (1989). ■ Catoctin Mountains Research Site, Maryland, (1982-present), Rice and Bricker (1995). ■ Catskill Stream Network, New York, (1983- present), Murdoch and Stoddard (1992). ■ Panola Mountain Research Watershed, Georgia, (1985-present), Huntington et al. (1993). Small watershed studies also provide essential baseline information for understanding variations in water quality and element cycling in "pristine" ecosystems that can be used as benchmarks to evaluate anthropogenic impacts and alternate watershed management practices. This paper provides examples of how analytical tools developed through watershed research provide insight into ecosystem processes and can contribute to the management of watershed resources.

Conference Paper↗
USGS2020

Testing environmental DNA from wolf snow tracks for species, sex, and individual identification

Monitoring elusive, relatively low-density, large predators, such as the grey wolf (Canis lupus), has often been accomplished by live-capture and radiocollaring. Increasingly, non-invasive methods are considered best practice whenever it is possible to use them. Recently, environmental DNA (eDNA) deposited in snow tracks was demonstrated as useful for identifying lynx (Lynx canadensis), fisher (Pekania pennanti), wolverine (Gulo gulo), sika deer (Cervus nippon), red fox (Vulpes vulpes), and the Japanese marten (Martes melampus) to species level using mitochondrial DNA (mtDNA) markers. We tested whether eDNA from fresh wolf snow tracks collected in the Superior National Forest, Minnesota, USA during winter 2019 could be used to identify species, sex, and individual. Seven of the 8 snow track samples were successfully identified to “wolf-dog” species using mtDNA, with alleles amplifying in 5 of the samples at 1 or both of loci u250 and FH2096 in the allele range for wolves for this population. None yielded enough high-quality DNA to obtain genotypes to determine individual or sex. We recommend additional field trials to determine the minimum number of tracks required per individual to obtain sufficient, high-quality eDNA, as well as collecting associated urine or blood (from estrus) when possible. If individual wolves could be identified and sexed by the eDNA in their snow tracks, researchers should be able to determine population and family or group metrics with greater precision and less effort than typically required when conducting winter scat or hair-based genetic field studies of low density, elusive carnivores. Furthermore, this method would have applications to other areas of research and management, such as hunting quota determinations, validation of field methods and, in particular regards to wolves and other predators, livestock depredation issues. Overall, this technique holds significant future promise as field and laboratory methods are further refined for greater precision and optimized regarding the varying collection, filtration, and extraction protocols for different species in various environments.

Minnesota↗
USGS2019

Repatriated desert bighorn sheep population on the Nevada National Security Site

Ecological studies have been conducted on the Nevada National Security Site (NNSS) since the 1960s. Desert bighorn sheep ( Ovis canadensis nelsoni ) were considered rare visitors on the NNSS, with only 9 recorded observations between 1963 and 2009, all of which were males. Females and young were not documented definitively until winter 2011, when several were killed by a radiomarked female mountain lion ( Puma concolor ). Following these observations, we initiated a study of desert bighorn sheep on the NNSS to better understand their movements/interactions with other populations, prevalence of disease, population size, origin, radionuclide burdens and potential radiological dose to humans that may consume harvested animals away from the NNSS. We captured and radiomarked 6 sheep (2 females, 4 males) in November 2015, and 15 (7 females, 8 males) in November 2016. We sampled blood for genetic and disease testing and collected nasal swabs for respiratory disease testing. Sheep from the NNSS spent most of their time around Shoshone Mountain, Fortymile Canyon, and Yucca Mountain but also moved to Bare Mountain, Thirsty Canyon, and Black Mountain. Females greatly expanded their core and overall home ranges during spring, whereas males expanded their home ranges during summer. Of 18 sheep sampled for disease, 12 showed an immune response to Mycoplasma ovipneumoniae , and 5 had the bacteria present. Genetic testing revealed that the ancestry of NNSS sheep is from the Bare Mountain (1991-1995, within 24 km of our study area), Specter Range (1990-1995, within 32 km of our study area), and Stonewall Mountain (1975-1983, within 72 km of our study area) reintroduced populations. Radionuclide burden in NNSS sheep was minimal with no significant difference from sheep captured on the Nevada Test and Training Range and northern Nevada. One marked adult male was legally harvested off the NNSS north of Bare Mountain. This recently colonized reproducing population of sheep on the NNSS warrants further monitoring, protection, and inclusion in resource management plans.

Nevada↗
USGS2026

Prince William Sound Herring Program, fiscal year 2024

Pacific herring ( Clupea pallasii ) were collected from three sites in Prince William Sound (PWS), Alaska (Table 1) during the spring pre-spawn period from March 29 – April 1, 2024, to test for viral hemorrhagic septicemia virus (VHSV), viral erythrocytic necrosis (VEN), and Ichthyophonus prevalence (Table 1). Ichthyophonus was detected in 33% (59/180) of heart cultures from all sites combined. An inverted pattern of decreasing Ichthyophonus infection prevalence with size started around 2019 and continued through 2024 (Fig. 1). VHSV was isolated from one fish collected in Canoe Pass. The isolation was at a very low titer and was detectable only after blind passage. Neutralizing antibodies to VHSV were detected in 4.4% (14/318) of PWS herring in 2024 (Fig. 2). Erythrocytic inclusions indicative of VEN were not detected in any PWS herring (n =180) from 2024, but bacterial rods were noted in the blood films from three fish.

Alaska↗
USGS1998

Great Lakes

The Great Lakes region, as defined here, includes the Great Lakes and their drainage basins in Minnesota, Wisconsin, Illinois, Indiana, Ohio, Pennsylvania, and New York. The region also includes the portions of Minnesota, Wisconsin, and the 21 northernmost counties of Illinois that lie in the Mississippi River drainage basin, outside the floodplain of the river. The region spans about 9º of latitude and 20º of longitude and lies roughly halfway between the equator and the North Pole in a lowland corridor that extends from the Gulf of Mexico to the Arctic Ocean. The Great Lakes are the most prominent natural feature of the region (Fig. 1). They have a combined surface area of about 245,000 square kilometers and are among the largest, deepest lakes in the world. They are the largest single aggregation of fresh water on the planet (excluding the polar ice caps) and are the only glacial feature on Earth visible from the surface of the moon (The Nature Conservancy 1994a). The Great Lakes moderate the region’s climate, which presently ranges from subarctic in the north to humid continental warm in the south (Fig. 2), reflecting the movement of major weather masses from the north and south (U.S. Department of the Interior 1970; Eichenlaub 1979). The lakes act as heat sinks in summer and heat sources in winter and are major reservoirs that help humidify much of the region. They also create local precipitation belts in areas where air masses are pushed across the lakes by prevailing winds, pick up moisture from the lake surface, and then drop that moisture over land on the other side of the lake. The mean annual frost-free period—a general measure of the growing-season length for plants and some cold-blooded animals—varies from 60 days at higher elevations in the north to 160 days in lakeshore areas in the south. The climate influences the general distribution of wild plants and animals in the region and also influences the activities and distribution of the human population. The wild plants and animals and the natural systems that support them in the Great Lakes region are valuable resources of considerable local, regional, and national interest. They are also, in part, transboundary resources that we share with our Canadian neighbors to the north. The way these resources are changing over time is inadequately known and is a cause for concern for resource users and for those charged with managing and protecting these unique and valuable resources. This chapter describes the wild plants and animals and the systems that support them in the Great Lakes region; addresses their condition; and points out the gaps in our knowledge about them that, if filled, would aid in their conservation and appropriate use.

Illinois, Indiana, Minnesota, New York, Ohio, Penn↗
USGS1994

Waterfowl botulism--a brief summary

Botulism is a food poisoning caused by the ingestion of the toxin produced by the bacterium Clostridium botulinum of any of six strains, designated A through F. The disease, as it occurs in epidemic proportion in wild birds, is most commonly of the C type, although outbreaks caused by type E botulism have been observed on the Great Lakes. C. botulinum is a widely distributed anaerobic bacterium which is capable of existence for many years in spore form. Its vegetative cells grow and synthesize toxin, whenever and wherever the proper conditions exist in their environment. Outbreaks of botulism occur when aquatic birds consume this toxin which has been preformed in their food. Botulism is, therefore, an intoxication rather than an infection and is not a contagious disease. Botulism can be diagnosed conclusively only by demonstration of the toxin in the blood or serum of live affected birds, and a diagnostic laboratory should be contacted to confirm field diagnoses. A conclusive diagnosis cannot be reached by demonstrating the toxin or the organism in dead animals. The 'microenvironment concept' assumes that C. botulinum produces toxin in small, discrete, particulate food items which provide the requirements for growth of the bacteria independent of the surrounding wetland environment and which protect the toxin from dilution or inactivation. Optimum conditions for C. botulinum growth and toxin production include the absence of oxygen, a temperature of 76 deg. to 98 deg. F and suitable organic media, especially those composed of animal protein. Such conditions may be met in decaying invertebrate carcasses even though external conditions are unfavorable for toxin production. Vertebrate carcasses also may provide suitable conditions for the production of toxin, and maggots collected from duck carcasses during botulism outbreaks frequently contain extremely high levels of toxin. In determining the specific source of toxin and recommending control measures in the dynamic, complex, and diverse conditions of specific wetland ecosystem where botulism occurs, one's conclusions must necessarily become more speculative. Possibilities for reducing waterfowl losses due to botulism--Complete elimination of the causative organism, C. botulinum , from the wetland ecosystem is neither practical nor possible. Control methods may sometimes be profitably directed at prevention of toxin production, and the quantity of suitable media can be influenced. Rising water levels may drown terrestrial invertebrates, or flood vegetation thereby releasing nutrients which stimulate the increase in aquatic invertebrate populations to unstable levels which collapse. In other situations decreasing water levels may increase the numbers of invertebrate carcasses by increasing water temperatures or salinity which had been marginal for survival of previously thriving invertebrate populations or by stranding invertebrates on mud flats subject to periodic wind flooding. Therefore, a basic and important step in controlling botulism is stabilization of the wetland ecosystem in order to avoid the accumulation of decaying animal protein, especially during periods when temperatures are favorable for toxin production in these media. This can sometimes be accomplished by water level manipulation. If toxin production cannot be controlled by reducing the quantity of suitable media, another step is to prevent the ingestion of the toxic food items. Birds may be chased or lured from areas of toxin source or areas can be made less attractive by rapid and complete drainage, or draw down to a stable shoreline, where wind flooding does not occur. Removal of vertebrate carcasses, especially those of birds dying during the outbreak, reduces the availability of toxic maggots but carcass removal must be carried out frequently and diligently.Prevention of the effects of the toxin can be accomplished in some instances. Some degree of active immunity can be produced by injections of specific toxoi

Report↗
USGS1970

Testing of selected pharmacological agents for capturing waterfowl [Annual Progress Report]

The response of game-farm mallards (Frost strain) to seven pharmacological immobilizing agents was evaluated in Phase I of a planned four-phase study. A limited amount of testing was also done with wild mallards. Single dosages were administered to determine the mean effective dose (ED50) and mean lethal dose (LD50), The therapeutic index, or safety factor (LD50/ED50), and palatability were also established. Optimum dosage rates of compounds administered orally on baits were not considered in this phase of the study. Compounds were-administered by intubation and calculated in terms of mg/kg. All except one compound produced narcosis within 5 minutes at the effective dose rate.Immobilization periods for the seven compounds ranged from 7-24 minutes, and recovery periods from 1.0-6.5 hours. Such wide variations in actions of the compounds can be attributed to a compound's rate of absorption, the ease with which it passes the blood-brain barrier, its solubility in tissues, and its rate of metabolism in the liver and kidneys. Length of both the immobilization and recovery periods were extended when dosages were increased. There was no delayed mortality among survivors with any of the seven compounds at either the ED50 or LD50. Females were generally more sensitive to the anesthetizing agents than males. The ED50 for wild mallards was substantially higher than that for the experimental game-farm birds for the two compounds on which this was tested.Tribromoethanol (Avertin of Winthrop Laboratories) satisfied all test criteria an Phase I and will be subjected to more intensive investigation in ensuing tests. Thiopental sodium (Pentothal of Amdal Company) and pentobarbital sodium (Nembutal of Abbott Laboratories) were judged to be marginal. Although their therapeutic indexes were good (5.00), recovery periods were prolonged and toxic convulsions occurred at medium to high dose rates as the LD50 was approached.Alpha-chloralose (Fisher Scientific) proved least promising of the seven compounds, mainly because of its unacceptable therapeutic index (2.25) and because it possesses prolonged induction and recovery periods. Two new experimental drugs, methoxymol and metomidate (Pitman-Moore), appeared effective and safe when administered by intubation but produced a taste aversion when added to bait. Rejection because of taste was also a problem with secobarbital (Seconal of Elanco Products), and its therapeutic index of 2.75 was unacceptable. Monitoring of heart and respiratory rates, and body temperature by telemetry showed promise as a technique for determining physiological response to drug action.

Report↗
USGS1980

The Rocky Mountain population of the western Canada goose: Its distribution, habitats, and management

The western Canada goose ( Branta canadensis moffitti ) was divided into a Rocky Mountain population (RMP) and a Pacific population (PP) on the basis of band recovery patterns examined in this study and recovery data from other investigators. Habitat information obtained from nine cooperating wildlife agencies within the RMP's range provided a base line for evaluating future changes in nesting, molting, and wintering areas. The habitat inventory indicated that none of the seasonal habitats were currently limiting the size of the RMP. The RMP's range is divided into 15 reference areas and these are briefly described. Past studies of Canada geese in the Intermountain Region are reviewed. Topics covered in the discussion of breeding biology are nesting chronology, spring population composition, breeding age, clutch size, nesting success. artificial nesting structures, and gosling survival. Much of the mortality of Canada geese occurs before the birds are fledged. Man-made nesting structures reduce losses during incubation. but research is needed on the relations between brooding sites and gosling survival. Some western Canada geese, mainly prebreeders and unsuccessful nesters, make molt migrations to and from molting areas during and after the brood-rearing season. More than half of these molt-migrants are yearlings too young to nest; there are indications that even some successful nesters leave nesting areas to molt before the fledging of their offspring. Geese 2 years old or older may serve as guides to traditional molting areas for the first-time migrants (i.e., yearlings). Lack of disturbance appears to influence selection of specific molting areas within the nesting range of moffitti , whereas movements of molters out of the Intermountain Region may be related to the evolution of this subspecies. Apparently. molters of both the PP and RMP that leave the Region go to the Northwest Territories of Canada. Although the taxonomic status of moffitti as related to the giant Canada goose ( B. c. maxima ) is unclear. these two subspecies are closely related. as evidenced by similar molt migrations to subarctic Canada. similar blood serum proteins. and only dinal differences in body size ,!!nd color. Mean annual survival rates for birds banded on nesting areas averaged 53 ± 2% ( X̿ ± SE) for immatures and 64 ± 1 % for adults. Mean annual survival rates of adults captured on molting areas averaged 70 ± 1 %. Sport hunting accounts for more than 86% of the mortality of fledged Rocky Mountain geese. and hunting may limit the population's growth. Because the number of waterfowl hunters in the Rocky Mountain West is increasing, the continued expansion or future maintenance of the RMP may require more restrictive hunting regulations. Other management recommendations include the refinement and standardization of spring and winter aerial surveys, and more accurate age and sex determinations when geese are banded and color-marked.

Alberta, Arizona, California, Colorado, Idaho, Mon↗
USGS1977

Clinical methods for the assessment of the effects of environmental stress on fish health

Clinical methods are presented for biological monitoring of hatchery and native fish populations to assess the effects of environmental stress on fish health. The choice of methods is based on the experience of the authors and the judgment of colleagues at fishery laboratories of the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service. Detailed analysis methods, together with guidelines for sample collection and for the interpretation of results, are given for tests on blood (cell counts, chloride, cholesterol, clotting time, cortisol, glucose, hematocrit, hemoglobin, lactic acid, methemoglobin, osmolality, and total protein); water (ammonia and nitrite content); and liver and muscle (glycogen content).

Technical Paper↗