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At least 127 records · Page 7Linked to original sources
USGS1988

Key to acanthocephala reported in waterfowl

This is the third part of a continuing series on helminths reported in waterfowl (McDonald 1974, 1981). Coots and moorhens (in Family Rallidae, Order Gruiformes) are included with the Anatidae of Anseriformes. The goal of these studies i complete coverage of waterfowl helminths of the world, although the original incentive-inadequate knowledge of the parasites of North American waterfowl- is less true now. World coverage is desirable because the world distribution of the family, tribes, and even many species of waterfowl often results in world distribution of parasites.

Resource Publication↗
USGS1987

Effects of contaminants on naiad mollusks (Unionidae): A review

Although the uptake, storage, and elimination of contaminants by naiad mollusks has been studied, relatively little information is available on toxicity. Contaminants appear to have destroyed some populations directly by exerting toxic effects, or indirectly by causing or contributing to the elimination of essential food organisms or host fish. The most frequently studied contaminants are Cd, Cu, Mn-Mn 54 , Pb-Pb 210 . and Zn-Zn 65 . Manganese seems to be most readily taken up and stored in tissues; no apparent damage has been reported from tissue concentrations of thousands of parts per million (ppm) and the element appears to be essential to metabolism. Zinc and cadmium also accumulate at high levels in tissues. Lead was never found to be lethal in the studies reviewed. Various common contaminants have been reported to be toxic at the following concentrations (ppm): cadmium. 2; copper sulfate, 2 to 18.7; ammonia, 5; potassium. 11; chromium, 12.4; arsenic trioxide, 16; copper, 19; and zinc, 66. In long-term exposures, concentrations of copper as low as 25 parts per billion (ppb) were lethal. Fry of fish infected with 20-35 glochidia were more sensitive than uninfected fish to toluene, naphthalene, and crude oil. Although few specific adverse impacts of contaminants have become clearly evident, circumstantial evidence leaves little doubt that contaminants have been responsible for decreases in population density, range, and diversity. Stresses that have been responsible for the disappearance of naiad mollusks in contaminated areas have not generally been identified, and the components of the stresses have seldom been quantitatively and qualitatively correlated with the composition and size of the naiad fauna. Often two or more factors appear to work in combination to produce the total stress that adversely affects populations. Naiad mollusks are important indicaters of contaminants in the environment; residues in soft tissue indicate recent or current exposure, and residues in shells indicate past exposure.

Resource Publication↗
USGS2002

Integrated management of waterbirds: Beyond the conventional

Integrated waterbird management over the past few decades has implicitly referred to methods for managing wetlands that usually attempt to enhance habitat for taxonomic groups such as shorebirds and wading birds, in addition to waterfowl, the traditional focus group. Here I describe five elements of integration in management: taxonomic, spatial, temporal, population and habitat, and multiple-use management objectives. Spatial integration simply expands the scale of management concern. Rather than emphasizing management on a very limited number of impoundments or wetlands in small refuges or wildlife management areas, the vision is beginning to shift to connectivity within larger landscapes on the order of many square kilometers as telemetry data on daily and seasonal movements for many species become available. Temporal integration refers to the potential for either simultaneous management for waterbirds and commercial 'crops' (e.g., crayfish and rice) or for temporally-staggered management such as row crop production in spring-summer growing seasons and waterbird management on fallow fields in the non-growing (winter) season. Integrating population dynamics with habitats has become a major research focus over the past decade. Identifying which wetlands are ?sources? or ?sinks? for specific populations provides managers with critical information about effective management. Further, the applications of spatially explicit population models place heavy demands on researchers to identify use patterns for breeding and dispersing individuals by age, sex, and reproductive class. Population viability analysis models require much the same information. Finally, multiple-use management integration refers to trying to optimize the uses of wetlands, when only one (perhaps secondary) use may include waterbird management. Depending upon the ownership and primary land use of a particular parcel of land containing wetlands and/or water bodies, managing for waterbirds may be an ?easy sell? (e.g., public natural resource lands) or a very contentious one, where wetlands are created for industrial, aquaculture or urban uses. In the latter case, careful planning and implementation require broad stakeholder participation and education.

Book chapter↗
USGS1987

Population ecology of the mallard VIII: Winter distribution patterns and survival rates of winter-banded mallards

In the present report we address questions about winter distribution patterns and survival rates of North American mallards Anas platyrhynchos . Inferences are based on analyses of banding and recovery data from both winter and preseason banding period. The primary wintering range of the mallard was dividded into 45 minor reference areas and 15 major reference areas which were used to summarize winter banding data. Descriptive tables and figures on the recovery distributions of winter-banded mallards are presented. Using winter recoveries of preseason-banded mallards, we found apparent differences between recovery distribution of young versus adult birds from the same breeding ground reference areas. However, we found no sex-specific differences in winter recovery distribution patterns. Winter recovery distributions of preseason-banded birds also provided evidence that mallards exhibited some degree of year-to-year variation in wintering ground location. The age- and sex-specificity of such variation was tested using winter recoveries of winter-banded birds, and results indicated that subadult (first year) birds were less likely to return to the same wintering grounds the following year than adults. Winter recovery distributions of preseason-banded mallards during 1950-58 differed from distributions in 1966-76. These differences could have resulted from either true distributional shifts or geographic changes in hunting pressure. Survival and recovery rates were estimated from winter banding data. We found no evidence of differences in survival or recovery rates between subadult and adult mallards. Thus, the substantial difference between survival rates of preseason-banded young and adult mallards must result almost entirely from higher mortality of young birds during the approximate period, August-January. Male mallards showed higher survival than females, corroborating inferences based on preseason data. Tests with winter banding and band recovery data indicated some degree of year-to-year variation in both survival and recovery rates, a result again consistent with inference from preseason data. Some evidence indication geographic variation in survival rates; however, there were no consistent directional differences between survival rates of mallards from adjacent northern versus southern areas, or eastern versus western areas. In some comparisons, Central Flyway mallards exhibited slightly higher survival rates than mallards from other flyways. Weighted mean estimates of continental survival rates were computed for the period 1960-77 from both winter banding data and preseason banding of adults. Resulting estimates differed significantly for males, but not for females, and the magnitude of the difference between point estimates was relatively small, even for males. The direction of the difference between these estimates was predicted correctly from previous work on the effects of heterogeneous survival an d recovery rates on band recovery model estimates. The similarity of survival estimates from these two independent data sets supports the believe that biases in these estimates are relatively small.

Resource Publication↗
USGS1982

Population ecology of the mallard: VII. Distribution and derivation of the harvest

This is the seventh in a series of comprehensive reports on population ecology of the mallard ( Anas platyrhynchos ) in North America. Banding records for 1961-1975 were used, together with information from previous reports in this series, to estimate annual and average preseason age and sex structure of the mallard population and patterns of harvest distribution and derivation. Age ratios in the pre-season population averaged 0.98 immatures per adult and ranged from 0.75 to 1.44. The adult male per female ration averaged 1.42. The young male per female ratio average 1.01. Geographic and annual differences in recovery distributions were associated with age, sex, and years after banding. Such variation might indicate that survival or band recovery rates, or both, change as a function of number of years after banding, and that estimates of these rates might thus be affected. Distribution of the mallard harvest from 16 major breeding ground reference areas to States, Provinces, and flyways is tabulated and illustrated. Seasonal (weekly) breeding ground derivation of the harvest within States and Provinces from the 16 reference areas also is tabulated. Harvest distributions, derivation, and similarity of derivation between harvest areas are summarily illustrated with maps. Derivation of harvest appears to be consistent throughout the hunting season in the middle and south central United States, encompassing States in both the Central and Mississippi flyways. However, weekly derivation patterns for most northern States suggest that early dates of hunting result in relatively greater harvest of locally derived mallard, in contrast to birds from more northern breeding areas.

Resource Publication↗
USGS1982

Wolf depredation on livestock in Minnesota

Depredation by wolves (Canis lupus) on cattle, sheep, and other livestock in Minnesota currently is a minor problem except to a few individual farmers. Indices to the seriousness of the problem are available only from recent years, so historical trends cannot be detected. From 1976 through 1980 the number of farms in the wolf range suffering verified losses to wolves ranged from 9 to 19 (mean of x = 13) per year out of about 12,230. From 1977 through 1980, the highest cattle losses claimed by farmers were 0.45 per 1,000 cattle available in 1979; the highest sheep losses claimed were 1.18 per 1,000 available in 1980. Many claims of losses (especially of calves) are based on missing animals, and few wolves are involved in the verified losses. Most losses occur in summer when livestock are released to graze in open and wooded pasture. Herd management practices, such as calving in forested or brushy pastures and disposal of carcasses in or near pastures, are responsible for many instances of wolf depredation. Failure to distinguish wolves from coyotes (Canis latrans) has contributed to an exaggerated view of the importance of wolves as livestock predators. Recently the number of wolves killed in depredation control has declined, whereas the number of livestock killed has remained fairly stable. Results of the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service's depredation- control program in 1979 and 1980 suggest that highly restricted trapping, coupled with other management methods, has potential for reducing both livestock losses and the number of wolves that need to be killed.

Resource Publication↗
USGS1986

The Breeding Bird Survey: Its first fifteen years, 1965-1979

The Breeding Bird Survey (BBS) is an ongoing cooperative program sponsored jointly by the U.S. Fish and Wildife Service and the Canadian Wildlife Service. Its main purpose is to estimate population trends of the many species of birds that nest in North America north of Mexico and that migrate across international boundaries. This survey provides information, both locally by ecological or political regions and on a continental scale, on (1) short-term population changes that can be correlated with specific weather incidents, (2) recovery periods following catastrophic declines, (3) normal year-to-year variations, (4) long-term population trends, and (5) invasions of exotics. The BBS also permits detailed computer mapping of relative abundance of each species, either year by year to show changes in distribution and relative abundance, or the average over a period of years. It provides base-line data with which more intensive local studies can be compared. For biogeographic studies it provides uniform sampling of bird populations by major physiographic regions across the continent. In conjunction with the Audubon Christmas Bird Count, it permits comparison of summer and winter distribution of species that winter in the United States. Most species of North American birds migrate across international boundaries, especially those shared with Canada, Mexico, and the Soviet Union. As part of our responsibility under treaties with these nations, the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service has developed the BBS to monitor avian population changes so that any adverse trends can be detected early. This provides the opportunity to determine the reasons for any increase or decrease, to define geographic areas in which changes are greatest, to study correlations between avian population changes and land-use changes, and to make recommendations for controlling undesirable bird population trends. For example, the BBS can be used to detect and estimate the extent of losses resulting from widespread use of pesticides, and to reveal whether major population changes of a given species (e.g., Dickcissel) in certain States are related to a continental decline or are merely a result of population shifts within the breeding range. Effects of urban and suburban expansion are often reflected in the loss of forest interior birds. Population trends for 230 species as well as several avian genera and families are discussed and graphed in this report. For most of these species, regional and well as continental trends are shown. The three major regions discussed are the Eastern, Central, and Western, bounded by the Mississippi River and the eastern base of the Rocky Mountains. Additional graphs for certain States or physiographic regions are included for selected species of special interest. The following paragraphs summarize general trends in the major bird families. The native herons in general are maintaining their populations, whereas the exotic Cattle Egret continues its geographic spread and its steady increase. Waterfowl as a group are stable or increasing. Although most widespread species of hawks are on the increase, the rarer species show evidence of decline. Among the gallinaceous birds, the greatest change was a sharp drop in Northern Bobwhite as a result of the exceptionally cold winters of 1976-77 and 1977-78 in the Ohio Valley and the Middle Atlantic States. Killdeer populations, except for a minor decline during these two winters, showed strong increases except in the West. American Woodcock were poorly sampled by the BBS because they were relatively inactive during daylight. Common Snipe and the other common shorebirds that nest in the United States and southern Canada exhibited stable or increasing populations, especially in the Eastern and Central regions. Herring Gull counts varied dramatically and irregularly from year to year. Laughing Gulls increased along the Atlantic coast and Franklin's Gulls declined in the interior of the continen

Resource Publication↗
USGS1989

Procedures for the Analysis of Band-recovery Data and User Instructions for Program MULT

We briefly review methods for inference from band-recovery data and introduce a new, flexible procedure (MULT) for analysis of data from bird-banding studies. We compare our computing method to program SURIV and discuss the relative advanatages of each. We present several basic model structures that can be analyzed using program MULT and for each model structure describe estimation and hypothesis testing and give a data example. We provide a complete description of porgram MULT, which is IBM-PC compatible and may be run as either an interactive or a batch-mode program.

Resource Publication↗
USGS1992

Trends and management of wolf-livestock conflicts in Minnesota

The nature and extent of wolf-livestock conflicts in Minnesota during 1975-86 was studied as part of a wolf depredation control program. The level of wolf (Canis lupus) depredation on livestock in Minnesota, as determined from the total number of complaints verified annually during 1975-86, showed a slight upward trend but did not increase significantly. A significant portion of the annual variation in verified complaints-perhaps the best index on severity of the depredation problem was explained by variation in severity of the winter before the depredation season (inverse relation). The addition of a time variable did not account for a significant portion of the remaining variation. Verified complaints of depredations averaged 30 per year, affecting an average of 21 farms (0.33% of producers) annually. Conflicts were highly seasonal and involved primarily cattle (mainly calves), sheep, and domestic turkeys. Annual variation in losses of sheep and turkeys was higher than for cattle. In recent years, sheep and turkey losses in two northwestern counties have increased; preventive control may be warranted in those areas. Site-specific trapping and removal of wolves in response to depredations was the primary control method, resulting in captures of 437 wolves in 12 depredation seasons. For the wolf range as a whole, no relation was found between wolf removal and subsequent depredation rates; however, wolf removal seemed to reduce depredations locally at some farms. When adults and yearlings were removed, no subsequent losses occurred in about 55% of instances; removal of young of the year reduced losses in 22%. Removal of breeding wolves did not reduce the incidence of subsequent losses more than removal of nonbreeding adults and yearlings did. The low number of conflicts for 1975-86 was remarkable considering the frequent contact between wolves and livestock. However, an update of complaints for 1987-89 revealed a definite upward trend in depredations (Epilogue). Improvements in farm management practices may reduce the present number of conflicts.

Resource Publication↗
USGS1986

Forested wetlands of the Southeast: Review of major characteristics and role in maintaining water quality

Forested wetlands occupying floodplains of major rivers in the Southeast are highly productive and diverse ecological systems. The wetlands are produced and maintained by fluvial processes and unique hydrologic regimes consisting of periodic flooding and subsequent drydown. Fluctuations in soil chemistry and biology resulting from this flooding and drydown provide a broad range of environmental conditions that are important in determining the role of forested wetlands in maintaining and improving water quality. The periodic shift between aerobic and anaerobic conditions in floodplain soils in response to flooding facilitates the assimilation of nutrients and organic matter, hastens the degradation of persistent pesticides, and decreases the bioavailability of heavy metals.

Resource Publication↗
USGS1990

Field manual for the investigation of fish kills

Preface Fish kills are graphic evidence of serious problems in a lake or stream. If the kill is related to the presence of toxic chemicals, there may be human health concerns, in addition to the obvious damage to the ecosystem and the fisheries resources. Depending on the cause of a fish kill, legal and economic ramifications may be involved. If the kill is cause by human or corporate actions, litigation is likely to follow, with possible court-awarded damages and assessed costs for cleanup and restoration. Federal and State agencies have expressed the need for a compendium of known and accepted methods and techniques that should be followed by anyone investigation a fish kill. This manual is an attempt to fill that need. It addresses the many facets involved in a fish kill investigation and provides instruction, guidance, examples, and sample forms that can be used. The U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service is pleased to provide this manual to help fisheries biologists and others prepare for a fish kill investigation. Research and Development (Region 8) has cooperated with the Division of Environmental Contaminants in Fish and Wildlife Enhancement to provide expertise and funds. We hope that the manual proves to be useful for interpreting evidence at the site of a fish kill, and corrective actions, and preparing for appearance as a court witness.

Resource Publication↗