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At least 127 records · Page 7Linked to original sources
USGS2007

Conservation value of Mount Rushmore National Memorial's forest

Justifying the maintenance of small natural areas requires understanding their contribution to the conservation of specific natural resources. Mount Rushmore National Memorial (MORU) is a small portion of the Black Hills of western South Dakota and eastern Wyoming. Because it has been protected from logging since the late 1930s, it may serve as an important part of the Black Hills forest as a whole. To understand this role, we investigated the extent and degree of logging activities in the memorial and compared the current structure of the MORU forest to that in the rest of the Black Hills today and before Euro-American settlement. Our results suggest that approximately 29% of the park has had no tree harvesting activity, 18% of the park has had only selective cutting of trees, and 66% (344 ha) of the park's area is covered by old-growth forest. Based on current estimates of similar forest in the remainder of the Black Hills, the forest at MORU constitutes the second-largest area of old-growth ponderosa pine forest in the Black Hills. Although the current structure of the forest does not appear to be outside the range of natural variability for this ecosystem, some components of the forest are near the edge of this range. Conservation of this important natural resource will most likely require more active management than has occurred in the past, but this management will require careful consideration because of the rarity of this resource in the region.

Natural Areas Journal↗
USGS2006

Demographic patterns and harvest vulnerability of chronic wasting disease infected white-tailed deer in Wisconsin

Chronic wasting disease (CWD) is a fatal disease of white-tailed deer (Odocoileus virginianus) caused by transmissible protease-resistant prions. Since the discovery of CWD in southern Wisconsin in 2001, more than 20,000 deer have been removed from a >2,500-km2 disease eradication zone surrounding the three initial cases. Nearly all deer removed were tested for CWD infection and sex, age, and harvest location were recorded. Our analysis used data from a 310-km2 core study area where disease prevalence was higher than surrounding areas. We found no difference in harvest rates between CWD infected and noninfected deer. Our results show that the probability of infection increased with age and that adult males were more likely to be infected than adult females. Six fawns tested positive for CWD, five fawns from the core study area, including the youngest (5 months) free-ranging cervid to test positive. The increase in male prevalence with age is nearly twice the increase found in females. We concluded that CWD is not randomly distributed among deer and that differential transmission among sex and age classes is likely driving the observed patterns in disease prevalence. We discuss alternative hypotheses for CWD transmission and spread and, in addition, discuss several possible nonlinear relationships between prevalence and age. Understanding CWD transmission in free-ranging cervid populations will be essential to the development of strategies to manage this disease in areas where CWD is found, as well as for surveillance strategies in areas where CWD threatens to spread.

Journal of Wildlife Management↗
USGS2009

Comparison of the breeding biology of sympatric red-tailed Hawks, White-tailed Hawks, and Crested Caracaras in south Texas

We compared the breeding biology of sympatric nesting Red-tailed Hawks (Buteo jamaicensis), White-tailed Hawks (Buteo albicaudatus), and Crested Caracaras (Caracara cheriway) in south Texas during 2003 and 2004. We monitored 46 breeding attempts by Red-tailed Hawks, 56 by White-tailed Hawks, and 27 by Crested Caracaras. Observed nesting success was similar for Red-tailed Hawks (62%) and Crested Caracaras (61%), but lower for White-tailed Hawks (51%). Daily survival rates (0.99) were the same for all three species. Red-tailed Hawks and White-tailed Hawks both fledged 1.13 young per nesting pair and Crested Caracaras fledged 1.39 young per nesting pair. All three species nested earlier in 2004 than in 2003; in addition, the overall nesting density of these three species almost doubled from 2003 (1.45 pairs/km 2 ) to 2004 (2.71 pairs/km 2 ). Estimated productivity of all three species was within the ranges reported from other studies. Given extensive and progressive habitat alteration in some areas of south Texas, and the limited distributions of White-tailed Hawks and Crested Caracaras, the presence of large ranches managed for free-range cattle production and hunting leases likely provides important habitat and may be key areas for conservation of these two species. ?? 2009 The Raptor Research Foundation, Inc.

Journal of Raptor Research↗
USGS2005

Yellowstone bison fetal development and phenology of parturition

Knowledge of Yellowstone bison ( Bison bison ) parturition patterns allows managers to refine risk assessments and manage to reduce the potential for transmission of brucellosis between bison and cattle. We used historical (1941) and contemporary (1989–2002) weights and morphometric measurements of Yellowstone bison fetuses to describe fetal growth and to predict timing and synchrony of parturition. Our method was supported by agreement between our predicted parturition pattern and observed birth dates for bison that were taken in to captivity while pregnant. The distribution of parturition dates in Yellowstone bison is generally right-skewed with a majority of births in April and May and few births in the following months. Predicted timing of parturition was consistently earlier for bison of Yellowstone's northern herd than central herd. The predicted median parturition date for northern herd bison in the historical period was 3 to 12 days earlier than for 2 years in the contemporary period, respectively. Median predicted birth dates and birthing synchrony differed within herds and years in the contemporary period. For a single year of paired data, the predicted median birth date for northern herd bison was 14 days earlier than for central herd bison. This difference is coincident with an earlier onset of spring plant growth on the northern range. Our findings permit refinement of the timing of separation between Yellowstone bison and cattle intended to reduce the probability of transmission of brucellosis from bison to cattle.

Idaho, Montana, Wyoming↗
USGS2001

Effects of developmental stage at stocking on growth and survival of Atlantic salmon fry

Stocked fry are the primary source of fish for the restoration effort for Connecticut River Atlantic salmon Salmo salar , yet it is unknown whether there is a developmental stage at stocking that yields optimal growth and survival or whether good growth and survival can be achieved across a wide range of fry developmental stages. To evaluate the effects of developmental stage on growth and survival, we stocked otolith-marked (thermal-banding patterns) fry from four (1996) or three (1997) developmental stages (thermally delayed, nominal, thermally accelerated-fed, and thermally accelerated-unfed) into three rivers in the spring and sampled the age-0 fish in the fall. There was no difference in 1996 among delayed, nominal, or accelerated-fed developmental stage treatments in the final size or population estimate. Few fish from the accelerated-unfed treatment were recovered. Results from a laboratory starvation study suggested that fish from the accelerated-unfed treatment would die from starvation in about 4 d after release. In 1997, accelerated-fed fish were recaptured at a slightly higher rate than were fish from the delayed or nominal treatment, but final sizes did not differ among treatments. Despite differences in population estimates and sizes among rivers, there was no interaction between treatment and river in either study year, indicating that treatment effects were consistent among rivers. Our results suggest that fry from a fairly wide range of developmental stages will survive equally well and will grow to similar sizes by fall unless the fish have been accelerated without feeding.

Connecticut, Massachusetts, New Hampshire, New Yor↗
USGS2008

Influences of body size and environmental factors on autumn downstream migration of bull trout in the Boise River, Idaho

Many fishes migrate extensively through stream networks, yet patterns are commonly described only in terms of the origin and destination of migration (e.g., between natal and feeding habitats). To better understand patterns of migration in bull trout,Salvelinus confluentus we studied the influences of body size (total length [TL]) and environmental factors (stream temperature and discharge) on migrations in the Boise River basin, Idaho. During the autumns of 2001-2003, we tracked the downstream migrations of 174 radio-tagged bull trout ranging in size from 21 to 73 cm TL. The results indicated that large bull trout (>30 cm) were more likely than small fish to migrate rapidly downstream after spawning in headwater streams in early autumn. Large bull trout also had a higher probability of arriving at the current terminus of migration in the system, Arrowrock Reservoir. The rate of migration by small bull trout was more variable and individuals were less likely to move into Arrowrock Reservoir. The rate of downstream migration by all fish was slower when stream discharge was greater. Temperature was not associated with the rate of migration. These findings indicate that fish size and environmentally related changes in behavior have important influences on patterns of migration. In a broader context, these results and other recent work suggest, at least in some cases, that commonly used classifications of migratory behavior may not accurately reflect the full range of behaviors and variability among individuals (or life stages) and environmental conditions. ?? Copyright by the American Fisheries Society 2008.

North American Journal of Fisheries Management↗
USGS1986

Survival estimates for North American Atlantic brant, 1956-75

The entire banding and recovery record for Atlantic brant (Branta bernicla hrota) was analyzed to determine recovery and survival rates for 1956-75. Composite survival rates for all adults (sex of banded birds was not recorded) during the 19-year period ranged from 0.984 to 0.591 (x = 0.785). Survival rates for Atlantic brant are relatively high among all geese but at the low end of the range for all brant. Detailed assessment of population structure and survival rates for each age and sex cohort are needed for this population.

Journal of Wildlife Management↗
USGS2015

Managing more than the mean: Using quantile regression to identify factors related to large elk groups

Summary Animal group size distributions are often right-skewed, whereby most groups are small, but most individuals occur in larger groups that may also disproportionately affect ecology and policy. In this case, examining covariates associated with upper quantiles of the group size distribution could facilitate better understanding and management of large animal groups. We studied wintering elk groups in Wyoming, where group sizes span several orders of magnitude, and issues of disease, predation and property damage are affected by larger group sizes. We used quantile regression to evaluate relationships between the group size distribution and variables of land use, habitat, elk density and wolf abundance to identify conditions important to larger elk groups. We recorded 1263 groups ranging from 1 to 1952 elk and found that across all quantiles of group size, group sizes were larger in open habitat and on private land, but the largest effect occurred between irrigated and non-irrigated land [e.g. the 90th quantile group size increased by 135 elk (95% CI = 42, 227) on irrigation]. Only upper quantile group sizes were positively related to broad-scale measures of elk density and wolf abundance. For wolf abundance, this effect was greater on elk groups found in open habitats and private land than those in closed habitats or public land. If we had limited our analysis to mean or median group sizes, we would not have detected these effects. Synthesis and applications . Our analysis of elk group size distributions using quantile regression suggests that private land, irrigation, open habitat, elk density and wolf abundance can affect large elk group sizes. Thus, to manage larger groups by removal or dispersal of individuals, we recommend incentivizing hunting on private land (particularly if irrigated) during the regular and late hunting seasons, promoting tolerance of wolves on private land (if elk aggregate in these areas to avoid wolves) and creating more winter range and varied habitats. Relationships to the variables of interest also differed by quantile, highlighting the importance of using quantile regression to examine response variables more completely to uncover relationships important to conservation and management.

Wyoming↗
USGS2019

A multi-scale soil moisture monitoring strategy for California: Design and validation

A multi‐scale soil moisture monitoring strategy for California was designed to inform water resource management. The proposed workflow classifies soil moisture response units (SMRUs) using publicly available datasets that represent soil, vegetation, climate, and hydrology variables, which control soil water storage. The SMRUs were classified, using principal component analysis and unsupervised K‐means clustering within a geographic information system, and validated, using summary statistics derived from measured soil moisture time series. Validation stations, located in the Sierra Nevada, include transect of sites that cross the rain‐to‐snow transition and a cluster of sites located at similar elevations in a snow‐dominated watershed. The SMRUs capture unique responses to varying climate conditions characterized by statistical measures of central tendency, dispersion, and extremes. A topographic position index and landform classification is the final step in the workflow to guide the optimal placement of soil moisture sensors at the local‐scale. The proposed workflow is highly flexible and can be implemented over a range of spatial scales and input datasets can be customized. Our approach captures a range of soil moisture responses to climate across California and can be used to design and optimize soil moisture monitoring strategies to support runoff forecasts for water supply management or to assess landscape conditions for forest and rangeland management.

California↗
USGS2021

Conservation of northwestern and southwestern pond turtles: Threats, population size estimates, and population viability analysis

Accurate status assessments of long-lived, widely distributed taxa depend on the availability of long-term monitoring data from multiple populations. However, monitoring populations across large temporal and spatial scales is often beyond the scope of any one researcher or research group. Consequently, wildlife managers may be tasked with utilizing limited information from different sources to detect range-wide evidence of population declines and their causes. When assessments need to be made under such constraints, the research and management communities must determine how to extrapolate from variable population data to species-level inferences. Here, using three different approaches, we integrate and analyze data from the peer-reviewed literature and government agency reports to inform conservation for northwestern pond turtles (NPT) Actinemys marmorata and southwestern pond turtles (SPT) Actinemys pallida . Both NPT and SPT are long-lived freshwater turtles distributed along the west coast of the United States and Mexico. Conservation concerns exist for both species; however, SPT may face more severe threats and are thought to exist at lower densities throughout their range than NPT. For each species, we ranked the impacts of 13 potential threats, estimated population sizes, and modeled population viability with and without long-term droughts. Our results suggest that predation of hatchlings by invasive predators, such as American bullfrogs Lithobates catesbeianus and Largemouth Bass Micropterus salmoides, is a high-ranking threat for NPT and SPT. Southwestern pond turtles may also face more severe impacts associated with natural disasters (droughts, wildfires, and floods) than do NPT. Population size estimates from trapping surveys indicate that SPT have smaller population sizes on average than do NPT ( P = 0.0003), suggesting they may be at greater risk of local extirpation. Population viability analysis models revealed that long-term droughts are a key environmental parameter; as the frequency of severe droughts increases with climate change, the likelihood of population recovery decreases, especially when census sizes are low. Given current population trends and vulnerability to natural disasters throughout their range, we suggest that conservation and recovery actions first focus on SPT to prevent further population declines.

Journal of Fish and Wildlife Management↗
USGS2025

Considerations for using tag-returns to monitor targeted removal of invasive fishes

Objective Targeted removals are used for management of some invasive fish populations. Tag–return studies are one approach that can be used to assess the efficacy of targeted removals. However, there are many decisions to make when designing a tag–return study. We used simulation modeling to outline general guidelines for consideration when designing efficient tag–return studies to measure annual removal rates of invasive fish, particularly invasive carps. Methods We simulated data sets using scenarios with varying numbers of fish tagged per year, removal rates, tag reporting rates, tag retention rates, and study durations. We generated the data sets under a set of “known” parameters with added stochasticity; we then fitted the simulated data sets to a Bayesian tag–return model and measured the precision and accuracy of the model-estimated removal rates. Results We found that the model was able to predict removal rates without bias for most of the scenarios. However, we did find patterns in the precision of the predictions that could help to inform tag–return studies. When the proportion of the population removed through harvest was constant, the proportion of the population removed per year and the probability that harvested tags were reported had the largest effect on precision. The number of tags released per year and the study duration also had moderate effects. For scenarios testing the ability of the model to predict removal rates in stochastic populations, the precision of the model was primarily influenced by the number of fish tagged, the underlying nature of the stochasticity, and whether fish were tagged during the year of the prediction. Conclusions Based on our simulations, we outline how study objectives, the underlying population variability, and the tolerance range for error can guide decisions regarding the number of fish to tag, how to monitor tag return rates, and how long to conduct a study.

North American Journal of Fisheries Management↗
USGS1989

Variation in capture efficiency of a beach seine for small fishes

We determined the capture efficiency of a beach seine as a means of improving abundance estimates of small fishes in littoral areas. Capture efficiency for 14 taxa (individual species or species groups) was determined by seining within an enclosure at night over fine and coarse substrates in the John Day Reservoir, Oregon–Washington. Mean efficiency ranged from 12% for prickly sculpin Cottus asper captured over coarse substrates to 96% for peamouth Mylocheilus caurinus captured over fine substrates. Mean capture efficiency for a taxon (genus or species) was generally higher over fine substrates than over coarse substrates, although mean capture efficiencies over fine substrates were significantly greater for only 3 of 10 taxa. Capture efficiency generally was not influenced by fish density or by water temperature (range, 8–26°C). Conclusions about the relative abundance of taxa captured by seining can change substantially after capture efficiencies are taken into account.

North American Journal of Fisheries Management↗
USGS1975

Summer behavior of adult radio-equipped woodcock in central Maine

The behavior of 26 adult American woodcock ( Philohela minor ) was studied in central Maine during the summers of 1971-73 using radiotelemetry. Adults used diurnal covers and nocturnal sites that were similar to those previously recorded for immature woodcock. The adults, however, were more active during the daylight hours and moved to nocturnal sites later in the evening. Adult woodcock seemed to be less susceptible than immatures to capture by banding crews at night, because adults walked more often between diurnal and nocturnal sites and remained close to the brushy edges at night. Adult birds occupied a smaller composite summer range than the immatures, did not move as far from their capture sites dunng the observation penods, and traveled shorter distances between diurnal and nocturnal sites.

Maine↗
USGS2003

Marrow fat deposition and skeletal growth in caribou calves

I evaluated rates of marrow fat deposition and skeletal growth of caribou ( Rangifer tarandus granti ) calves through 20 days of age at Denali National Park, Alaska, USA. Both were negatively correlated with late winter snowfall, indicating the prolonged effects of maternal undernutrition following severe winters. Using regression analyses, I found that the rates of marrow fat deposition and hindfoot growth during the 20 days following birth declined 46% and 68%, respectively, over the range of winter severity during this study. These measures of development may indicate a broader array of effects of maternal undernutrition, influencing the vulnerability of caribou calves to predation.

Journal of Wildlife Management↗
USGS2024

Reproducing age variability in grass carp egg samples from the lower Sandusky River, Ohio, USA, using an egg-drift model

Invasive grass carp (Ctenopharyngodon idella) are currently reproducing in several tributaries to Lake Erie and threatening the Great Lakes ecosystem and fisheries. Grass carp are pelagic river spawners whose fertilized eggs drift downstream from the spawning site, developing as they drift. Variability in spawning time and location together with nonuniform velocities in natural rivers leads to egg age variability in field samples at downstream sampling sites. In this study, the Fluvial Egg Drift Simulator (FluEgg) model was used to simulate the transport of grass carp eggs collected in 12 samples at 9 sites in the lower Sandusky River (Ohio, USA) on July 12, 2017, to replicate the observed variability in egg-age distributions present in field samples. The variability in egg ages in virtual samples compare well to field samples. The most plausible explanations for differences between virtual and field samples are the existence of multiple spawning locations, including a spawning area approximately 8 kilometers upstream from the river mouth, and idealized flow fields derived from a one-dimensional hydraulic model. Despite multiple sources of uncertainty and the deficiency in prescribing detailed spawning activities in the simulations, the results validate the utility of FluEgg together with ichthyoplankton data to identify plausible spawning areas and interpret age variability in field samples. A comprehensive discussion of model limitations and ichthyoplankton sample interpretation provides guidance for those using drift models to inform management actions for control of invasive carp in North America and to protect and restore carp populations in their native range in Asia.

Ohio↗
USGS2012

Disparate stakeholder management: the case of elk and bison feeding in southern Greater Yellowstone

For resource decisions to make the most possible progress toward achieving agency mandates, managers must work with stakeholders and may need to at least partially accommodate some of their key underlying interests. To accommodate stakeholder interests, while also substantively working toward fulfilling legal mandates, managers must understand the sociopolitical factors that influence the decision-making process. We coin the phrase disparate stakeholder management (DSM) to describe situations with disparate stakeholders and disparate management solutions. A DSM approach (DSMA) requires decision makers to combine concepts from many sciences, thus releasing them from disciplinary bonds that often constrain innovation and effectiveness. We combined three distinct approaches to develop a DSMA that assisted in developing a comprehensive range of elk and bison management alternatives in the Southern Greater Yellowstone Area. The DSMA illustrated the extent of compromise between meeting legal agency mandates and accommodating the preferences of certain stakeholder groups.

Wyoming↗
USGS1998

The seventy-fourth Christmas bird count. 315. Southern Dorchester County, Md

Because limited information is available regarding preferences for nocturnal habitat during winter, we studied use of nocturnal habitats by American woodcock (Scolopax minor) wintering in the Georgia Piedmont (1994-95). During the evening crepuscular period, woodcock on the wintering grounds move from forested to field habitats, presumably to feed, conduct courtship displays, roost, and avoid predators. We conducted crepuscular flight surveys and tracked radio-marked woodcock to compare the use of fields of different sizes (<5.5 ha, 5.540.0 ha, >40.0 ha) and types (seed tree-clearcuts, fallow-old fields, hayfields, pastures). Fields > 5.5 ha were used more frequently than fields <5.5 ha (P < 0.001). Seed tree-clearcuts and fallow-old fields were more frequently used than pastures (P = 0.003). Woodcock also most frequently used fields with greater foliage volume at 0.82.0 m in height and a high percentage of bare soil (P < 0.001). Nocturnal use of fields or forests by radio-marked woodcock did not differ among age or sex classes. However, females moved an average of 230 + 32.1 m between diurnal and nocturnal locations while males moved 525 + 53.1 m ( P = 0.085). Movements differed among moon phases (P < 0.003), ranging from 579 + 79.6 m during the new moon to 213 + 50.5 m during the full moon. To manage habitat on the wintering grounds, seed tree-clearcuts and fallow-old fields should be created or maintained near preferred diurnal habitats.

Journal of Wildlife Management↗
USGS2003

Comparison of migration rate and survival between radio-tagged and PIT-tagged migrant yearling chinook salmon in the Snake and Columbia rivers

A study was conducted to compare the travel times, detection probabilities, and survival of migrant hatchery-reared yearling chinook salmon Oncorhynchus tshawytscha tagged with either gastrically or surgically implanted sham radio tags (with an imbedded passive integrated transponder [PIT] tag) with those of their cohorts tagged only with PIT tags in the Snake and Columbia rivers. Juvenile chinook salmon with gastrically implanted radio tags migrated significantly faster than either surgically radio-tagged or PIT-tagged fish, while migration rates were similar among surgically radio-tagged and PIT-tagged fish. The probabilities of PIT tag detection at downstream dams varied by less than 5% and were not significantly different among the three groups. Survival was similar among treatments for median travel times of less than approximately 6 d (migration distance of 106 km). However, for both gastrically and surgically radio-tagged fish, survival was significantly less than for PIT-tagged fish, for which median travel times exceeded approximately 10 d (migration distance of 225 km). The results of this study support the use of radio tags to estimate the survival of juvenile chinook salmon having a median fork length of approximately 150 mm (range, 127-285 mm) and a median travel time of migration of less than approximately 6 d.

Oregon, Washington↗