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At least 37 records · Page 2Linked to original sources

Effects of diet on rate of body mass gain by wintering canvasbacks

Because habitat degradation has led to the loss of submerged vegetation in Chesapeake Bay, wintering canvasbacks ( Aythya valisineria ) have shifted from a plant diet of American wildcelery ( Vallisneria americana ) to an animal diet of Baltic clams ( Macoma balthica ). We conducted experiments with pen-reared canvasbacks ( n = 32, 1990; n = 32, 1991) to assess the effect of this diet change on mass recovery rate following a simulated period of food deprivation. During the recovery phase, canvasbacks were fed ad libitum either (1) Baltic clams (1991 only), (2) tubers of wildcelery, 3) corn, or (4) commercial control diet. Initial body mass of ducks did not differ between years ( P = 0.754) or among pens ( P > 0.264) or diets within years (1990, P = 0.520; 1991, P = 0.684). Body mass decline during food deprivation ( x̄ = 26.0 g/day ± 0.6 SE) did not differ among diets (1990, P = 0.239; 1991, P = 0.062) or between sexes in 1990 ( P = 0.197), but was greater ( P = 0.039) for males ( x̄ = 28 g/day ± 0.8 SE) than females ( x̄ = 25 g/day ± 0.9) in 1991. Mass recovery rate differed between diets (clams excluded) in 1990 ( P = 0.003) and 1991 (clams included) ( P = 0.011); mean = 42 g • bird -1 /day -1 ± 3.8 (SE) control diet, mean = 32 g • bird -1 /day -1 ± 2.8 wildcelery tubers, mean = 24 g • bird -1 /day -1 ± 4.9 whole corn, and mean = 23 g • bird -1 /day -1 ± 1.0 Baltic clams. Canvasbacks consumed an average of 2,169 g • bird -1 /day -1 of Baltic clams, 1,158 g • bird -1 /day- 1 of wildcelery tubers, 152 g • bird -1 /day -1 whole corn, and 208 g • bird -1 /day -1 (dry mass) control diet during recovery. Managers should restore and maintain aquatic plant foods that enhance winter survival of canvasbacks and other waterfowl in response to declining habitat quality.

Maryland, Virginia↗

Contaminant concentrations in manatees in Florida

The status of the endangered manatee ( Trichehus manatus ) in relation to organochlorine pesticides, polychlorinated biphenyls, mercury, lead, cadmium, copper, iron, and selenium was investigated in Florida from 1977 to 1981. Concentrations of organochlorines in blubber, mercury in muscle and liver, lead in liver, and lead and cadmium in kidneys did not indicate high exposure to these contaminants. Only cadmium in kidneys showed a positivde correlation with relative age. Copper concentrations in livers of these aquatic herbivores were significantly elevated in areas of high herbicidal copper usage after adjustment for significant age-related effects. Liver copper concentrations comparable to those associated with toxic effects in some domestic species were found in manatees from areas of high copper herbicide use. The use of copper herbicides for control of aquatic plants should be carefully managed in areas used intensively by manatees.

Florida↗

Food use and nutrition of black ducks nesting in Maine

Based on 32 adult black ducks ( Anas rubripes ) collected during the nesting seasons of 1974-76, the proportion of macro invertebrates (as aggregate [average] percent of dry weight) in the diet of males, egg-laying females, and postlaying females was 60, 75, and 55%, respectivey. Sample sizes were small, and the differences associated with sex and reproductive condition were not signficant. Molluscs, Isopods, ephemeropteran and odonate nymphs, and coleopteran, trichopteran, and dipteran larvae contributed 74% of the dry weight and 64% of the gross energy ingested. Data from proximate analyses of 9 invertebrate and 9 plant foods were combined with food habits data to estimate the nutrients available to breeding hens. We concluded that females with access to an adequate amount of natural food including invertebrates and the seeds and tubers of aquatic plants would obtain sufficient minerals, protein, and energy for reproduction. Food quality does not appear to limit the density of black ducks nesting in Maine.

Maine↗

Effects of triploid grass carp on aquatic plants, water quality, and public satisfaction in Washington State

We investigated effects of triploid grass carp Ctenopharyngodon idella on aquatic macrophyte communities, water quality, and public satisfaction for 98 lakes and ponds in Washington State stocked with grass carp between 1990 and 1995. Grass carp had few noticeable effects on macrophyte communities until 19 months following stocking. After 19 months, submersed macrophytes were either completely eradicated (39% of the lakes) or not controlled (42% of the lakes) in most lakes. Intermediate control of submersed macrophytes occurred in 18% of lakes at a median stocking rate of 24 fish per vegetated surface acre. Most of the landowners interviewed (83%) were satisfied with the results of introducing grass carp. For sites where all submersed macrophytes were eradicated, average turbidity was higher (11 nephelometric turbidity units, NTU) than at sites where macrophytes were controlled to intermediate levels (4 NTU) or unaffected by grass carp grazing (5 NTU). Chlorophyll a was not significantly different between levels of macrophyte control; therefore, we concluded that most of this turbidity was abiotic and not algal. Triploid grass carp were a popular control option and effectively grazed most submersed macrophytes in Washington State. However, calculating stocking rates based on landowner estimates of aquatic plant coverage rarely resulted in intermediate levels of aquatic plant control. Additionally, the effects of particular stocking rates varied considerably. We recommend against using grass carp in Washington lakes where eradication of submersed vegetation cannot be tolerated.

North American Journal of Fisheries Management↗

Reproductive ecology of tundra swans on the Arctic National Wildlife Refuge, Alaska

Management of tundra swans ( Cygnus columbianus ) is hampered by a lack of information on their nesting and brood-rearing ecology. We studied tundra swan nesting and brood-rearing ecology on the Arctic National Wildlife Refuge (ANWR), Alaska, 1988-90. Nest success was 58% (n = 31) in 1988, 83% (n = 36) in 1989, 84% (n = 43) in 1990, and 76% (n = 110) for the 3 years. Nests were located predominately in marshes dominated by sheathed pondweed ( Potamogeton vaginatus ), mare's tail ( Hippuris vulgaris ), and Hoppner sedge ( Carex subspathacea ), or by pendent grass ( Arctophila fulva ), water sedge ( C. aquatilis ), and tall cotton grass ( Eriophorum angustifolium ). Nests were seldom located in upland or partially vegetated habitats and were near coastal lagoons or large coastal lakes. Incubating swans were easily disturbed by ground observers and left their nests when we were 500-2,000 m from the nest. Swans did not cover eggs with nest material prior to departure; thus, eggs were vulnerable to avain predation and thermal stress. Brood-foraging sites on the Kongakut Delta (n = 41) were frequently in aquatic-marsh (59%) and saline graminoid-shrub (29%) habitats, occasionally in graminoid-marsh (7%) and partially vegetated (5%) habitats, and absent from upland, graminoid-shrub-water sedge, and graminoid-shrub-cotton grass habitats. Brood-foraging sites on the Canning Delta (n = 35) were frequently in graminoid-marsh (46%), graminoid-shrub-water sedge (26%), and aquatic-marsh (23%) habitats, occasionally in graminoid-shrub-cotton grass (3%) and upland habitats (3%), and absent from saline graminoid-shrub and partially vegetated habitats. Young cygnets grazed in terrestrial habitats more frequently than older broods on the Kongakut (P = 0.003) and Canning (P = 0.053) deltas. Wetlands with sheathed pondweed were uncommon but preferred by broods (P = 0.001). Using field experiments, we evaluated effects of swan grazing and fertilization from feces on aboveground biomass production and plant-species composition. Fertilization from swan feces did not have an overall effect (P = 0.991) or interact with clipping (simulated grazing with hand shears) (P = 0.881) for any response variable investigated. Clipping increased total vegetational biomass the year of clipping (P = 0.001), decreased biomass the year after clipping (P = 0.001), and increased total shoot densities (P = 0.017). Shoot densities after clipping increased for Hoppner sedge (P = 0.010), did not change for tundra grass ( Dupontia fischeri ) (P = 0.296), and decreased for chickweed ( Dupontia fischeri ) (P = 0.006). Traditional use of foraging sites may enhance grazing areas by increasing plant production the year of grazing and densities of plant species that tolerate grazing. Protection of aquatic-marsh, graminoid-marsh, and saline graminoid-shrub habitats, particularly those supporting sheathed pondweed and traditionally used nesting areas, is important for maintaining current swan populations on ANWR.

Alaska↗

Stimulating a Great Lakes coastal wetland seed bank using portable cofferdams: implications for habitat rehabilitation

Coastal wetland seed banks exposed by low lake levels or through management actions fuel the reestablishment of emergent plant assemblages (i.e., wetland habitat) critical to Great Lakes aquatic biota. This project explored the effectiveness of using portable, water-filled cofferdams as a management tool to promote the natural growth of emergent vegetation from the seed bank in a Lake Erie coastal wetland. A series of dams stretching approximately 450??m was installed temporarily to isolate hydrologically a 10-ha corner of the Crane Creek wetland complex from Lake Erie. The test area was dewatered in 2004 to mimic a low-water year, and vegetation sampling characterized the wetland seed bank response at low, middle, and high elevations in areas open to and protected from bird and mammal herbivory. The nearly two-month drawdown stimulated a rapid seed-bank-driven response by 45 plant taxa. Herbivory had little effect on plant species richness, regardless of the location along an elevation gradient. Inundation contributed to the replacement of immature emergent plant species with submersed aquatic species after the dams failed and were removed prematurely. This study revealed a number of important issues that must be considered for effective long-term implementation of portable cofferdam technology to stimulate wetland seed banks, including duration of dewatering, product size, source of clean water, replacement of damaged dams, and regular maintenance. This technology is a potentially important tool in the arsenal used by resource managers seeking to rehabilitate the functions and values of Great Lakes coastal wetland habitats.

Journal of Great Lakes Research↗

Regeneration of Salicaceae riparian forests in the Northern Hemisphere: A new framework and management tool

Human activities on floodplains have severely disrupted the regeneration of foundation riparian shrub and tree species of the Salicaceae family ( Populus and Salix spp.) throughout the Northern Hemisphere. Restoration ecologists initially tackled this problem from a terrestrial perspective that emphasized planting. More recently, floodplain restoration activities have embraced an aquatic perspective, inspired by the expanding practice of managing river flows to improve river health (environmental flows) . However, riparian Salicaceae species occupy floodplain and riparian areas, which lie at the interface of both terrestrial and aquatic ecosystems along watercourses . Thus, their regeneration depends on a complex interaction of hydrologic and geomorphic processes that have shaped key life-cycle requirements for seedling establishment . Ultimately, restoration needs to integrate these concepts to succeed. However, while regeneration of Salicaceae is now reasonably well-understood, the literature reporting restoration actions on Salicaceae regeneration is sparse, and a specific theoretical framework is still missing. Here, we have reviewed 105 peer-reviewed published experiences in restoration of Salicaceae forests, including 91 projects in 10 world regions, to construct a decision tree to inform restoration planning through explicit links between the well-studied biophysical requirements of Salicaceae regeneration and 17 specific restoration actions, the most popular being planting (in 55% of the projects), land contouring (30%), removal of competing vegetation (30%), site selection (26%), and irrigation (24%). We also identified research gaps related to Salicaceae forest restoration and discuss alternative, innovative and feasible approaches that incorporate the human component.

Journal of Environmental Management↗

A brief introduction to integrated pest management for aquatic systems

Aquatic invasive plants and animals are increasingly becoming a problem, causing severe economic and ecological damage to critical freshwater systems. The best strategy for controlling an invasive pest employs an integrated pest management (IPM) approach using a combination of biological, physical, chemical, and social/cultural control methods. Here, we examine the history and development of IPM and provide a discussion of the components of an IPM program involving development, evaluation, and management. Control approaches will be reviewed and the application of this technique to aquatic systems will be discussed. A discussion of the Great Lakes Fishery Commission's (GLFC) Integrated Management of Sea Lamprey Petromyzon marinus Control Program will be provided to illustrate the application of IPM to an aquatic system.

North American Journal of Fisheries Management↗

Effects of an aquatic plant and suspended clay on the activity of fish toxicants

Rotenone, antimycin, permethrin, pydrin, and Salicylanilide I were tested for their toxicities against fathead minnows ( Pimephales promelas ) in the presence of Canadian waterweed ( Elodea canadensis ) or suspended clay. The plants had little effect on the activity of rotenone and antimycin but substantially reduced the activity of permethrin and pydrin (synthetic pyrethroids). Bentonite severely inhibited the activity of all chemicals tested. Salicylanilide I was affected least and pydrin most (27 times as much pydrin was required when I g/liter of bentonite was present in 96-hour tests). The efficacy of the registered fish toxicants rotenone and antimycin is probably not significantly affected by vegetation under field conditions, but is greatly reduced by suspended bentonite clay.

North American Journal of Fisheries Management↗

Waterbirds foods in winter-managed ricefields in Mississippi

Ricefields are important foraging habitats for waterfowl and other waterbirds in primary North American wintering regions. We conducted a large-scale experiment to test effects of post-harvest ricefield treatment, winter water management, and temporal factors on availabilities of rice, moist-soil plant seeds, aquatic invertebrates, and green forage in the Mississippi Alluvial Valley (MAV), Mississippi, USA, fall-winter 1995-1997. Our results revealed that a large decrease in rice grain occurred between harvest and early winter (79-99%), which, if generally true throughout the MAV, would have critical implications on foraging carrying capacity of ricefields for migrating and wintering waterbirds. During the remainder of winter, food resources generally were similar among treatment combinations. An exception was biomass of aquatic invertebrates, which demonstrated potential to increase by late winter in ricefields that remained flooded. We offer revised calculations of foraging carrying capacity for waterfowl in MAV ricefields and recommend continuing research and management designed to increase availability of residual rice and aquatic invertebrates in winter.

Mississippi↗

Feeding ecology of breeding gadwalls on saline wetlands

The feeding ecology of breeding gadwalls ( Anas strepera ) from saline wetlands in North Dakota was examined in relation to sex, pair mates, reproductive status, food availability, and wetland type during the spring and summer of 1971 and 1972. Esophagi of males and females contained 40.4 and 48.2 percent animal food, respectively, between 17 April and 25 August. Animal foods consumed by paired females varied with reproductive condition and were independent of their mates. Invertebrates increased from 47.7 i?? 17.4 percent in the diet during prelaying to 72.0 i?? 18.4 percent during laying and declined to 46.3 i?? 30.0 percent during postlaying. Aquatic insects dominated the diet during egg-laying and were selected disproportionately relative to their availability. Esophageal contents indicated that diversity of plant and animal foods in the diet varied inversely with specific conductance. Major factors influencing food selection of the breeding birds are discussed as interactions among their physiological status, their anatomical and behavioral characteristics, and the abundance and behavior of food organisms as influenced by chemical and physical features of the environment. The data suggested that these interrelated ecological factors act simultaneously to control the phenology of events and determine the foods utilized.

North Dakota↗

Selenium stable isotope ratios in California agricultural drainage water management systems

Selenium stable isotope ratios are known to shift in predictable ways during various microbial, chemical, and biological processes, and can be used to better understand Se cycling in contaminated environments. In this study we used Se stable isotopes to discern the mechanisms controlling the transformation of oxidized, aqueous forms of Se to reduced, insoluble forms in sediments of Se-affected environments. We measured 80Se/76Se in surface waters, shallow ground waters, evaporites, digested plants and sediments, and sequential extracts from several sites where agricultural drainage water is processed in the San Joaquin Valley of California. Selenium isotope analyses of samples obtained from the Tulare Lake Drainage District flow-through wetland reveal small isotopic contrasts (mean difference 0.7%o) between surface water and reduced Se species in the underlying sediments. Selenium in aquatic macrophytes was very similar isotopically to the NaOH and Na2SO3 sediment extracts designed to recover soluble organic Se and Se(O), respectively. For the integrated on-farm drainage management sites, evaporite salts were slightly (approximately 0.6%o) enriched in the heavier isotope relative to the inferred parent waters, whereas surface soils were slightly (approximately 1.4%o) depleted. Bacterial or chemical reduction of Se(VI) or Se(IV) may be occurring at these sites, but the small isotopic contrasts suggest that other, less isotopically fractionating mechanisms are responsible for accumulation of reduced forms in the sediments. These findings provide evidence that Se assimilation by plants and algae followed by deposition and mineralization is the dominant transformation pathway responsible for accumulation of reduced forms of Se in the wetland sediments.

California↗

Unexpected appetites: Metabarcoding reveals grass carp (Ctenopharyngodon idella) foraging behaviors in the Great Lakes

Grass carp ( Ctenopharyngodon idella ) are herbivorous fish introduced to North America in the 1960s, and they are now established throughout the Mississippi River basin and Laurentian Great Lakes. Despite increasingly intensified management efforts, limited information exists on their foraging ecology. We used DNA metabarcoding to characterize the gut contents of grass carp captured from 2019 to 2022 to evaluate spatial, temporal, and environmental patterns in diet composition across Lake Erie and Lake Michigan. Contrary to long-standing assumptions that grass carp primarily consume submerged aquatic vegetation (SAV), results from Lake Erie’s western and central basins revealed a diet dominated by terrestrial and terrestrial-wetland plant genera, including maples ( Acer ), willows ( Salix ), cottonwoods ( Populus ), and nightshades ( Solanum ). In contrast, fish harvested from Lake Erie’s eastern basin and Lake Michigan tributaries consumed more SAV, particularly pondweeds like Potamogeton and Stuckenia . Diet composition varied by basin, river, and year, but not by ploidy (diploid vs. triploid). Distance-based redundancy analyses identified environmental variables as drivers of diet variability. These findings reframe previous risk assessments which were based on diets from small artificial environments, suggesting greater dietary plasticity and revealing previously overlooked terrestrial-aquatic food web connections. Results presented here could inform management actions and sampling locations. Understanding grass carp foraging behavior in invaded systems can provide a critical tool for refining removal strategies, preventing further expansion, and improving future ecological risk assessments.

Great Lakes↗

One hundred ninety-nine dead birds: Review of the scientific basis of ecological incident reporting requirements for pesticide registrants under Fifra § 6(A)(2)

The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) regulates pesticide use in the United States. The EPA is charged by the Federal Insecticide, Fungicide, and Rodenticide Act (FIFRA) with ensuring that a pesticide will not cause unreasonable adverse effects on the environment. Incident reports (documentation of exposure and injury from pesticide applications) can serve as a reality check on the pesticide registration decisions made by the EPA scientists and risk managers. The EPA collects incident reports on human, domestic animal, and ecological injury. The FIFRA section 6(a)(2) rule requires the pesticide registrant (generally, the company or other entity that wishes to market the pesticide, hereafter registrant) to submit such data to the EPA. The EPA’s ecological incident category includes injuries to aquatic (fish), terrestrial (wildlife), other non-target organisms (ONT, e.g., invertebrates) and plants. Our document focuses on the fish and wildlife ecological incidents that are submitted by registrants. We critique the application of the FIFRA section 6(a)(2) rule that controls the quality and quantity of ecological incident data that the EPA receives from registrants. We conclude that the section 6(a)(2) provisions can impede the transfer of ecological incident data from registrant to the EPA. Consequently, detailed data for many fish and wildlife incidents may never reach the EPA, and policies and decisions may be formulated in the absence of these data.

Buffalo Environmental Law Journal↗

When are environmental DNA early detections of invasive species actionable?

Environmental DNA (eDNA) sampling provides sensitive early detection capabilities for recently introduced taxa. However, natural resource managers struggle with how to integrate eDNA results into an early detection rapid response program because positive eDNA detections are not always indicative of an eventual infestation. We used a structured decision making (SDM) framework to evaluate appropriate response actions to hypothetical eDNA early detections of an introduced aquatic plant in Sebago Lake (Maine, USA). The results were juxtaposed to a recent study that used a similar SDM approach to evaluate response actions to hypothetical eDNA early detections of introduced mussels in Jordanelle Reservoir (Utah, USA). We found that eDNA early detections were not actionable in Sebago Lake because the plant's invasion potential was spatially constrained and the current management activities provided acceptable levels of mitigation. In Jordanelle Reservoir, eDNA detections were actionable due to high invasion potential and analyses supported management actions to contain the invasion. The divergent outcomes of the two case studies are related to the unique attributes of the habitats and species, highlighting the utility of the SDM approach when considering an eDNA monitoring program. We use these two case studies to present a general SDM framework and a set of heuristics that can be efficiently applied to eDNA early detection rapid response scenarios and other instances associated with indeterminant eDNA detections, especially when there is an imperative to make decisions as quickly as possible.

Maine↗

Foods of breeding pintails in North Dakota

Food habits of breeding pintails ( Anas acuta ) were studied relative to sex, land use, and reproductive condition during the spring and summer of 1969, 1970, and 1971 in eastern North Dakota. Hens and drakes, respectively, consumed 79.2 percent and 30.0 percent animal matter on nontilled wetlands and consumed 16.6 percent and 1.1 percent animal matter on tilled wetlands. Aquatic dipterans (primarily larval forms), snails, fairy shrimp, and earthworms accounted for 71 percent of the diet of hens on nontilled wetlands, while barnyard grass ( Echinochloa crusgalli ) seeds formed 71 percent of the diet of hens on tilled wetlands. Cereal grain seeds formed 84 percent of the diet of 10 hens feeding on cropland. The diet of hens was influenced by reproductive status. Animal foods were predominant during the laying period (77.1 percent) but were less important in the postlaying diet (28.9 percent). Invertebrates formed 83.9 percent of the diet of renesting hens, 61.0 percent were dipteran larvae and snails. High consumption of animal foods during egg formation presumably is related to invertebrates being superior to plants in providing certain nutrients required for production of viable eggs. Research findings suggest that food requirements of prairie-nesting pintails can be met most effectively by providing pairs access to shallow, nontilled wetland habitat subject to periodic drawdowns.

North Dakota↗

Microbial degradation of plant leachate alters lignin phenols and trihalomethane precursors

Although the importance of vascular plant-derived dissolved organic carbon (DOC) in freshwater systems has been studied, the role of leached DOC as precursors of disinfection byproducts (DBPs) during drinking water treatment is not well known. Here we measured the propensity of leachates from four crops and four aquatic macrophytes to form trihalomethanes (THMs)—a regulated class of DBPs—before and after 21 d of microbial degradation. We also measured lignin phenol content and specific UV absorbance (SUVA 254 ) to test the assumption that aromatic compounds from vascular plants are resistant to microbial degradation and readily form DBPs. Leaching solubilized 9 to 26% of total plant carbon, which formed 1.93 to 6.72 mmol THM mol C -1 However, leachate DOC concentrations decreased by 85 to 92% over the 21-d incubation, with a concomitant decrease of 67 to 92% in total THM formation potential. Carbon-normalized THM yields in the residual DOC pool increased by 2.5 times on average, consistent with the preferential uptake of nonprecursor material. Lignin phenol concentrations decreased by 64 to 96% over 21 d, but a lack of correlation between lignin content and THM yields or SUVA 254 suggested that lignin-derived compounds are not the source of increased THM precursor yields in the residual DOC pool. Our results indicate that microbial carbon utilization alters THM precursors in ecosystems with direct plant leaching, but more work is needed to identify the specific dissolved organic matter components with a greater propensity to form DBPs and affect watershed management, drinking water quality, and human health.

Journal of Environmental Quality↗

Relationship of young-of-the-year northern pike to aquatic vegetation types in backwaters of the upper Mississippi River

The association of young-of-the-year northern pike ( Esox lucius ) with different aquatic plant types (e.g., submerged, emergent, floating) was studied to evaluate the impacts of a potential loss of backwaters on available fish nursery habitats in the upper Mississippi River. Eight biweekly collections were made at each of six representative lentic habitats in Navigation Pool 7. In the spring, average catches of northern pike from areas with submerged vegetation were nearly three times greater than from areas with emergent vegetation, and more than 10 times greater than from an area with no vegetation. This pattern was consistent until late summer, when the young became more common in the more highly oxygenated, less heavily vegetated waters. Food and growth were examined as possible indicators for the selection of areas with submerged vegetation over other habitats. Food varied among fish in the different vegetation types; however, no significant patterns of improved growth or condition were apparent. Young northern pike apparently were successful, opportunistic feeders. Although preference for habitats with submerged vegetation was seemingly not related to food, the overall production of young was clearly best in these habitats.

Illinois, Iowa, Minnesota, Missouri, Wisconsin↗