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At least 415 records · Page 23Linked to original sources
USGS2014

Use of isotopic sulfur to determine whitebark pine consumption by Yellowstone bears: a reassessment

Use of naturally occurring stable isotopes to estimate assimilated diet of bears is one of the single greatest breakthroughs in nutritional ecology during the past 20 years. Previous research in the Greater Yellowstone Ecosystem (GYE), USA, established a positive relationship between the stable isotope of sulfur (δ 34 S) and consumption of whitebark pine (Pinus albicaulis) seeds. That work combined a limited sample of hair, blood clots, and serum. Here we use a much larger sample to reassess those findings. We contrasted δ 34 S values in spring hair and serum with abundance of seeds of whitebark pine in samples collected from grizzly (Ursus arctos) and American black bears (U. americanus) in the GYE during 2000–2010. Although we found a positive relationship between δ 34 S values in spring hair and pine seed abundance for grizzly bears, the coefficients of determination were small ( R 2  ≤ 0.097); we failed to find a similar relationship with black bears. Values of δ 34 S in spring hair were larger in black bears and δ 34 S values in serum of grizzly bears were lowest in September and October, a time when we expect δ 34 S to peak if whitebark pine seeds were the sole source of high δ 34 S. The relationship between δ 34 S in bear tissue and the consumption of whitebark pine seeds, as originally reported, may not be as clean a method as proposed. Data we present here suggest other foods have high values of δ 34 S, and there is spatial heterogeneity affecting the δ 34 S values in whitebark pine, which must be addressed.

Yellowstone National Park↗
USGS2014

Using sightability-adjusted brood-pair ratios to estimate waterfowl productivity

Historically, biologists used brood-pair ratios (BPRs) as an index to waterfowl productivity to help guide management decisions and evaluate conservation practices. However, BPRs are biased by imperfect detection probabilities, especially for broods. We conducted roadside surveys for breeding waterfowl pairs on 7–8 study sites in the springs of 2006–2008 in northeastern North Dakota, USA. Later each year, we conducted replicate counts of broods on the same wetlands and used mark–recapture methods to estimate sightability-adjusted BPRs (SA-BPRs). Traditional roadside brood surveys detected only 30–45% of the available broods, depending on species. We explored the potential for using SA-BPRs to measure hen success (i.e., the probability a female hatches ≥1 egg across all nesting attempts) for mallards (Anas platyrhynchos) and other upland-nesting dabbling ducks (Anas spp.). We found that SA-BPRs explained 40% of the variation in hen success over 5 species of dabbling ducks, and we were able to detect an effect of predator reduction on hen success in combined dabblers, but not in mallards alone. However, we found no relationship between SA-BPRs and mallard fledging rates (hen success × initial brood size × duckling survival). Our results suggest that SA-BPRs can provide a cost-effective alternative to traditional measures of productivity such as nesting success, but not to measures of duckling survival. Nevertheless, SA-BPRs may be useful in areas where traditional measures of waterfowl productivity are logistically or financially challenging.

Wildlife Society Bulletin↗
USGS2001

Survival and immobilizing moose with carfentanil and xylazine

The use of carfentanil with other drugs to immobilize moose (Alces alces) has yielded mixed results. Previous work on chemically immobilizing moose with these drugs reported mortality of 6–19%. Even the most recent study of free-ranging moose using the same drug combination as we used in this report (carfentanil and xylazine) had 6% mortality within several days of immobilization. Another recent study suggested that carfentanilxylazine produced unsatisfactory results in moose through exacerbated mortality risks induced by xylazine. As part of an ongoing study of carnivore effects on moose populations, we chemically immobilized 48 moose (41 adult females, one immature male, 6 calves) by charge-powered dart. Low-stress techniques were used, including quiet ground stalks by one individual and use of blindfolds and low noise during processing. On our few aerial captures we immediately withdrew the helicopter once the dart was placed and landed during induction. We found that capture-related mortality can be minimized by using effective immobilization dosages that maintain sternal recumbency, by providing naltrexone by intramuscular and subcutaneous routes, by effectively antagonizing xylazine, and by using low-stress techniques. Female moose survival was diminished when body condition was below a threshold, and some mortality occurred, likely due to poor condition per se and not as a direct result of immobilization. We provide a field protocol and drug doses that wildlife managers can use to safely immobilize moose.

Wildlife Society Bulletin↗
USGS2000

Elk, beaver, and the persistence of willows in national parks: comment on Singer et al. (1998).

Singer et al. (1998) propose that the decline in populations of beaver (Castor canadensis) in Yellowstone National Park (YNP) has caused willow to be more vulnerable to browsing by clk (Alces alces). I do not believe that their scenario correctly characterizes the relationship between elk and willow in YNP The authors developed their hypothesis based on 2 sets of observations. One was an experiment that compared willow growth in YNP to that in Rocky Mountain National Park (RMNP). Current annual growth was clipped from plants at 0%, 50%, and 100% levels in each of 4 years (1992–1995). From RMNP plants in 1 exclosure were used (Beaver Meadows); in YNP plants in 3 exclosures were treatcd (Junction Butte, Lamar East, and Lamar West; L.C. Zeigenfuss, personal communication). A second set of observations, which included additional sites in RMNP measured the growth and stature of browsed and unbrowsed plants. Singer et al. (1998) reported response to the clipping experiment in their Table 5. Even under the most severe clipping treatments, willow height and annual production were maintained in RMNP willows but declincd in YNP willows. Willows in RMNP responded to the 50% clipping treatment by increasing the level of chemical defenses (tannins and phenolics), whereas the chemical defenses of YNP willows remained relatively constant. The authors surmised that 1) enhanced vigor may enable a plant's terminal leader to grow out of ungulates' reach and 2) increased production of chemical defenses may deter herbivory. Singer et al. (1998) concluded that the betweenpark differences were directly related to better growing conditions in RMNP compared to YNP The better growing conditions in RMNP were attributed to: 1) higher effective precipitation, 2) more beaver activity, 3) more beaver dams in drainages, and 4) higher water tables near streamsides. There are several reasons the experiment conducted by Singer et al. (1998) does not support these conclusions.

Colorado, Wyoming↗
USGS2001

Control of ungulate numbers in a protected area

Successful long-term control of ungulate numbers within a protected area requires continuous review and refinement of management practices. Insights gained may have application to other sites. We evaluated management objectives and actions to control populations of exotic axis deer (Axis axis) and fallow deer (Dama dama) at Point Reyes National Seashore, California. Using records of numbers of each species culled from 1968 to 1996 and demographic data, we modeled each population's potential response to management actions and to the cessation of control in 1996. These simulations indicated that control measures hold numbers of both populations below ecological carrying capacity (K) and that populations of fallow and axis deer may have reached K within 5 to 13 years of ceasing control, respectively. We also simulated each population's response to removal of actual numbers of males killed but no females and actual numbers of females killed but no males from 1968 to 1996. Removing males only resulted in both populations reaching K. Removing females only led to the extirpation of both populations. Cessation of control activities prior to removal of all females resulted in recovery of both populations. A team of personnel expended an average of 1.75 work-hours/deer to remove 1,182 exotic deer of both species from 1984 to 1994. The work effort to kill each deer increased 2-fold from 1984 to 1994. The work effort required to remove s2 deer/day reached as great as 20 hours/deer. Elimination of the axis deer population is feasible and likely a more cost-effective management alternative than continued population control. Elimination of fallow deer is potentially more difficult but may be more costeffective than continuing control actions indefinitely. We recommend similar assessments of management alternatives to those charged with controlling ungulate numbers in protected areas.

California↗
USGS1995

Appraising status of the Yellowstone grizzly bear population by counting females with cubs-of-the-year

The grizzly bear ( Ursus arctos horriblilis ) in the lower United States was declared threatened in 1975 under the Endangered Species Act of 1973 (16 U.S.C. 15-31-1544). According to that Act, the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service had to prepare a plan to recover populations to levels where the species could be conserved and delisted from its threatened status. The Recovery Plan (U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service 1993) uses counts of distinct females with cubs-of-the-year as a recovery parameter in several grizzly bear ecosystems. The total number of these females is assumed to be the minimum number with cubs born in the current year. To our knowledge, this technique, its methodology, and value as a population indicator have never been adequately explained or discussed. Thus, we describe the methodology and assess its potential for continued use in the Yellowstone ecosystem.

Wildlife Society Bulletin↗
USGS2003

Management implications of the ecology of free-roaming horses in semiarid ecosystems of the western United States

Compared to other ungulates of North America, free - roaming horses ( Equus caballus ) possess a unique evolutionary history that has given rise to a distinct suite of behavioral, morphological, and physiological traits. Because of their unique combination of cecal digestion, an elongate head with flexible lips, and non-uniform use of the landscape, horses represent a unique disturbance agent in semi-arid ecosystems of the western United States . Consequently, it is inappropriate to assume that influences of horses on the structure, composition, function, and pattern of arid and semi-arid ecosystems will mirror influences of cattle or other artiodactyls. Although management areas for free - roaming horses occupy 18.6 million ha of land across western North America, we know relatively little about how western ecosystems and their components have responded to this uniquely managed ungulate. I draw on my research of horse habitats in the western Great Basin (U.S.A.) to examine predictions of horses ' unique influence, and advocate for continued research to refine our understanding of synecological relationships among horses and diverse ecosystem components in arid and semi-arid regions.

Wildlife Society Bulletin↗
USGS1999

Predicting mountain lion activity using radiocollars equipped with mercury tip-sensors

Radiotelemetry collars with tip-sensors have long been used to monitor wildlife activity. However, comparatively few researchers have tested the reliability of the technique on the species being studied. To evaluate the efficacy of using tip-sensors to assess mountain lion ( Puma concolor ) activity, we radiocollared 2 hand-reared mountain lions and simultaneously recorded their behavior and the associated telemetry signal characteristics. We noted both the number of pulse-rate changes and the percentage of time the transmitter emitted a fast pulse rate (i.e., head up) within sampling intervals ranging from 1-5 minutes. Based on 27 hours of observations, we were able to correctly distinguish between active and inactive behaviors >93% of the time using a logistic regression model. We present several models to predict activity of mountain lions; the selection of which to us would depend on study objectives and logistics. Our results indicate that field protocols that use only pulse-rate changes to indicate activity can lead to significant classification errors.

Florida↗
USGS1994

A demographic comparison of two black bear populations in the Interior Highlands of Arkansas

The Ozark and Ouachita mountain regions of western Arkansas, collectively known as the Interior Highlands, historically supported large numbers of black bears ( Ursus americanus ). Indiscriminate killing of bears by early settlers and subsequent habitat reductions due to extensive logging and changes in land use resulted in their decline (Smith et al. 1991). By the late 1940's, bears had been extirpated from both regions (Holder 1951). Between 1958 and 1968, Arkansa Game and Fish Commission (ACFC) Officials trapped 254 black bears in northern Minnesota and Manitoba, Canada and released them in the Interior Highlands (Rogers 1973, Smith et al. 1991d). Since then, bear numbers have dramatically increased, making the Arkansas reintroduction the most successful attempted for black bears (Smith et al. 1991). Hunts have been conducted each autumn or winter since 1980. Because little was known about bear demographics and sustainable harvest in the Interior Highlands, however, hunting regulations have been restrictive with 5-31 bears harvested/year (J.D. Clark, AGFC Annu. Harvest Rep., 1980-1988). Bears now range throughout the Ozark Mountains and Ouachita Mountains, but these regional populations are allopatric, separated by the Arkansas River Valley and Interstate 40 (J.D. Clark, unpubl. data). Past reintroduction strategies and harvest levels differed between the 2 regions, with more intensive restocking and hunting in the Ozark region. Habitat also differs with the Ozark Mountains primarily oak-hickory ( Quercus spp.- Carya spp.) upland forest compared to pine ( Pinus spp.) and mixed pine-hardwood forest in the Ouachita Mountais (Smith 1989). Because habitat quality has been shown to be the major factor affecting black bear productivity (Rogers 1976, Bunnell and Tait 1981, Elowe and Dodge 1989) and bear populations are susceptible to overharvest, our objectives were to: 1) estimate population growth and sustainable yield for populations in both regions and 2) determine whether different environmental conditions in the 2 regions resulted in differences in demographic parameters.

Arkansas↗
USGS2002

Effectiveness of rodent control and monitoring techniques for a montane rainforest

Introduced black ( Rattus rattus ) and Polynesian ( R. exulans ) rats are damaging to native birds, insects, and plants in island ecosystems. We controlled rodent populations in a montane rainforest on the island of Hawaii to determine feasibility, cost, and effectiveness of ground-based rodent control in a rugged, remote rainforest habitat. Treatment was conducted 1996-99, from January to April each year, using rodenticide bait stations and snap-traps. We monitored rodent numbers in 48-ha treatment and reference areas before, during, and after control. As indexed by presence of rat sign in tracking tunnels or census blocks, rodent control reduced rodent abundance 58-90% each year 1 month after treatment began. There was an influx of rats into the treatment area, as shown by higher than expected numbers of rats snap-trapped on the treatment perimeter. Rodent numbers recovered to approximate pretreatment levels by the beginning of the following treatment year. Coast of equipment and supplies for rodent control for the first year was about \$7,000 for a 1-km 2 grid. After the first year, cost decreased to about \$2,000 for 1 km 2 per year. Rodent control applied continuously for 4 months each year during the breeding season may be effective in protecting nesting forest birds, but will not provide protection to plants and invertebrates vulnerable to predation throughout the year, and it is not likely to protect avian food resources.

Hawaii↗
USGS1987

An inexpensive device for recording animal behavior

Recording animal behavior is tedious and time consuming when behaviors are recorded on tape and transcribed to data sheets. Data loggers circumvent these problems, but can be prohibitively expensive and may require extensive programming (see Hensler et al. [1986]). I describe an inexpensive, efficient alternative for recording behavioral observations.

Wildlife Society Bulletin↗
USGS1994

Comparison of age determination techniques for female northern pintails and American wigeon in spring

Accurate age-class determination of waterfowl is necessary for studies addressing age-specific effects (e.g., Serie et al., 1992) and age structure of populations (e.g., Raveling and Heitmeyer 1989). Duck ages can be determined in fall by morphological and color characteristics of tertial and tail feathers (Carney 1992); however, these feathers are replaced during fall and winter, thus their characteristics cannot be used in spring (Dane 1968). Other methods used to determine waterfowl age include the presence or absence of the bursa of Fabricius (hereafter bursa; Gower 1939, Hochbaum 1942, Hanson 1949) and characteristics of primary and secondary wing feathers and their coverts (e.g., Wishart 1981, Duncan 1985).

Wildlife Society Bulletin↗
USGS1994

Response of staging brant to disturbance at Izembek Lagoon, Alaska

Human disturbance of migrating waterfowl concerns managers of wildlife populations and refuges. Human disturbance may reduce food intake through interruption of foraging bouts or by displacement from feeding areas (Madsen 1985, Belanger and Bedard 1989), and it may increase energy expenditure from additional time in flight (Korschgen et al., 1985). Reduced food intake and increased energy expenditure can affect the ability of waterfowl to acquire nutrient reserves for successful migration (Fredrickson and Drobney 1979, Davis and Wiseley 1974, Belanger and Bedard 1990). Furthermore, nutrient reserves acquired during fall migration may influence overwinter survival (Haramis et al. 1986). Over 90% of the Pacific Flyway population of brant (Branta bernicla nigricans) annually migrates to the Izembek Lagoon, Alaska and adjacent areas in fall (Bellrose 1976, Reed et al. 1989). During the 4- to 10-week staging period, brant feed predominantly on energy-rich common eelgrass ( Zostera marina ) prior to a transoceanic flight to coastal wintering areas in Washington, Oregon, California, and Mexico (Hansen and Nelson 1957, Morehouse 1974, Bellrose 1976). The lzembek Lagoon, a wetland of international importance (Smart 1987), also is a major staging area for Canada geese ( Branta canadensis taverneri ), emperor geese ( Chen canagica ), and other waterbirds (Ward and Stehn 1989). Brant are disturbed by aircraft and other human activities. Jones and Jones (1966) noted that aircraft caused brant to take flight in fall at the Izembek Lagoon. Aircraft influence movements of molting brant and evoke escape responses (Derksen et al. 1979, Jensen 1990). Aircraft, boats, and hunters affect distribution of wintering brant and cause premature departures from feeding areas (Owens 1977, Kramer et al 1979, Henry 1980). However, few data have been published concerning the extent to which disturbance affects behavior of fall-staging brant. Our objective was to measure current disturbance levels and to determine the extent to which disturbance affects the behavior of brant at the Izembek Lagoon during fall. This baseline information is needed to monitor any future changes in these levels and to provide guidelines for alleviating conflicts where increased human activities cause excessive disturbance.

Alaska↗
USGS1996

Mass and body-dimension relationships of polar bears in northern Alaska

Models developed from morphometric parameters are useful for estimating body mass (M) of captured wild ursids. The accuracy of those models, however, may depend on sex, season, and geographic location of the population. We tested the suitability of reported models to predict mass of polar bears ( Ursus maritimus ) captured in northern Alaska, but found that models developed for other populations performed poorly. Hence, we derived new models from field measurements of axillary girth (AG), straight-line body length (SLBL), condylobasal length (CL), and zygomatic width (ZW). Our equations accurately predicted body mass for polar bears captured during spring and autumn. The equation for spring-captured polar bears was M = 0.000078 * AG 1.6026 * SLBL 1.3579 (R 2 =0.97), while the equation for autumn-captured polar bears was M = 0.000250 * AG 1.4967 * SLBL 1.2468 (R 2 =0.97). Our results suggest that investigators should verify the accuracy of reported equations when applied to each situation and if necessary, develop models specific for the population in question.

Alaska↗
USGS2001

Predation on waterfowl in arctic tundra and prairie breeding areas: A review

Predation is a natural component of waterfowl population biology, but environmental alterations have changed the magnitude and importance of predation on waterfowl breeding areas. We reviewed the status of waterfowl populations, adaptations of waterfowl that minimize impacts of predation, and the impacts of predation on waterfowl populations in 2 major North American breeding areas, the Arctic and Prairie Regions. We identified the underlying factors contributing to most waterfowl predation problems to be changes in essential breeding habitats and changes in predator community composition and abundance. In the Arctic, high predation rates on waterfowl eggs and young are usually associated with predators gaining access to populations that were previously isolated. In the prairie, predation problems are often related to large-scale habitat degradation coupled with changes in predator communities. Predation problems are often symptomatic of inadequate habitat management, but we recognize that habitat management alone is not always sufficient to effectively manage predation problems. Predation management efforts should be integrated with strategies of long-term management of habitats critical to breeding waterfowl, strategies embraced by the North American Waterfowl Management Plan. Predation management must be tailored to different situations and include an element of flexibility that allows appropriate response to the dynamic nature of factors influencing survival and recruitment.

Wildlife Society Bulletin↗
USGS2003

Guidelines for long-term monitoring protocols

Monitoring protocols are detailed study plans that explain how data are to be collected, managed, analyzed, and reported, and are a key component of quality assurance for natural resource monitoring programs. Protocols are necessary to ensure that changes detected by monitoring actually are occurring in nature and not simply a result of measurements taken by different people or in slightly different ways. We developed and present here guidelines for the recommended content and format of monitoring protocols. The National Park Service and United States Geological Survey have adopted these guidelines to assist scientists developing protocols for more than 270 national park units.

Wildlife Society Bulletin↗
USGS1993

Seasonal use of conservation reserve program lands by white-tailed deer in east-central South Dakota

The Conservation Reserve Program (CRP_, a provision of the 1985 Food Security Act, subsidizes landowners to take highly erodible lands out of cultivation and seed them to perennial cover for 10years. In eastern South Dakota, 0.5 million ha were enrolled in the CRP from 1985 to 1990 (Agric. Stabilization and Conserv. Serv., Brookings, S.D., unpubl. Data), which represents the largest change in conservation land-use practices in the region since the 1956 Soil Bank Program (Goetz 1987). Although the CRP is anticipated to produce substantial benefits for some wildlife species, particularly ground-nesting birds, its significance to white-tailed deer ( Odocoileus virginianus ) in the northern Great Plains agricultural region is poorly understood. Higgins et al. (1987) speculated that proliferation of CRP grasslands may provide a missing habitat component in intensively managed farmland, thereby enhancing several species of wildlife, including white-tailed deer. Deer managers in the region have expressed concerns that improved cover associated with DRP plantings on private land could attract deer and reduce hunter success rates or lead to increased depredation of adjacent croplands or stored winter forages (L. Rice, S.D. Dep. Game, Fish, and Parks, Rapid City, pers. comm., 1989). Our objectives were to describe variation in deer use of CRP lands by season, diel period, and deer activity class as a means of assessing seasonal importance of CRP fields to white-tailed deer in agricultural Midwest.

South Dakota↗