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Results for “Behavioral Biology”

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At least 145 records · Page 8Linked to original sources
USGS1993

Effects of habitat availability on dispersion of a stream cyprinid

We analyzed temporal changes in the dispersion of the rosyside dace, Clinostomus funduloides , (family Cyprinidae) in a headwater stream, to assess the role of habitat availability in promoting fish aggregation. The dace foraged alone and in groups of up to about 25 individuals, and dispersion varied significantly among monthly censuses conducted from May through December. In two of three study pools, dace aggregated during July, October and/or December, but spread out during other months, especially during September when dispersion did not differ significantly from random. Dispersion was not significantly correlated with the total amount of suitable habitat available to foraging dace, but during summer, corresponded to the availability of depositional areas adjacent to rapid currents. Foragers aggregated in eddies or depositional areas during high stream discharge in July, and shifted out of depositional areas when current velocities declined from July to September. During late autumn, however, aggregations formed independently of changes in habitat conditions, and dace dispersion did not vary significantly among months in a third pool. The study suggests that dace dispersion cannot be predicted from the overall availability of suitable habitat as estimated from point measurements of depth and velocity; both the occurrence of a specific habitat feature (i.e., eddies adjacent to high velocity currents) and seasonal differences in behavior more strongly influenced the spatial distribution of foragers.

Environmental Biology of Fishes↗
USGS2017

Seasonal and diel environmental conditions predict western pond turtle (Emys marmorata) behavior at a perennial and an ephemeral stream in Sequoia National Park, California

Managers making decisions may benefit from a well-informed understanding of a species' population size and trends. Given the cryptic nature and habitat characteristics of the western pond turtle ( Emys marmorata ), however, imperfect detection may be high and population estimates are frequently varied and unreliable. As a case study to investigate this issue, we used temperature dataloggers to examine turtle behavior at 2 long-term monitoring sites with different hydrological characteristics in Sequoia National Park, California, to determine if common stream-survey techniques are consistent with site-specific turtle behavior. Sycamore Creek is an intermittent stream that dries up every summer while the North Fork Kaweah River flows year-round. We found that while turtles spent most of the recorded time in the water (55% in Sycamore Creek and 82% in the North Fork Kaweah River), the timing of traditional surveys only coincided with the turtles' aquatic activity in the North Fork Kaweah River. At Sycamore Creek, turtles were most likely to be in the water at night. In contrast, failure to detect turtles in North Fork Kaweah River is likely owing to the larger size and complexity of the underwater habitat. In both streams, turtles were also more likely to be in the water in the weeks leading up to important changes in hydroperiods. Our findings illustrate the effects that differences in water permanence can have on turtle behavior within the same watershed and how phenotypic plasticity may then affect detection during surveys. Our study highlights the importance of tailoring survey practices to the site-specific behavioral traits of the target species.

California↗
USGS2006

Connectivity in an agricultural landscape as reflected by interpond movements of a freshwater turtle

Connectivity is a measure of how landscape features facilitate movement and thus is an important factor in species persistence in a fragmented landscape. The scarcity of empirical studies that directly quantify species movement and determine subsequent effects on population density have, however, limited the utility of connectivity measures in conservation planning. We undertook a 4-year study to calculate connectivity based on observed movement rates and movement probabilities for five age-sex classes of painted turtles (Chrysemys picta) inhabiting a pond complex in an agricultural landscape in northern Virginia (U.S.A.). We determined which variables influenced connectivity and the relationship between connectivity and subpopulation density. Interpatch distance and quality of habitat patches influenced connectivity but characteristics of the intervening matrix did not. Adult female turtles were more influenced by the habitat quality of recipient ponds than other age-sex classes. The importance of connectivity on spatial population dynamics was most apparent during a drought. Population density and connectivity were low for one pond in a wet year but dramatically increased as other ponds dried. Connectivity is an important component of species persistence in a heterogeneous landscape and is strongly dependent on the movement behavior of the species. Connectivity may reflect active selection or avoidance of particular habitat patches. The influence of habitat quality on connectivity has often been ignored, but our findings highlight its importance. Conservation planners seeking to incorporate connectivity measures into reserve design should not ignore behavior in favor of purely structural estimates of connectivity.

Conservation Biology↗
USGS1962

Glass electrodes sensitive to divalent cations

Glass electrodes suitable for measurement of divalent cations have been made and tested. Empirical and theoretical electrode equations have been presented to describe electrode behavior in a variety of aqueous solutions. Most electrodes show response interpretable as showing nearly ideal solid-solution behavior of the cations in the glass surface. The electrodes should be useful in the measurement of divalent-cation activities in natural waters and biological fluids, and useful in general analytical chemistry.

Science↗
USGS1999

Trace elements in coal: Environmental and health significance

Trace elements can have profound adverse effects on the health of people burning coal in homes or living near coal deposits, coal mines, and coal-burning power plants. Trace elements such as arsenic emitted from coal-burning power plants in Europe and Asia have been shown to cause severe health problems. Perhaps the most widespread health problems are caused by domestic coal combustion in developing countries where millions of people suffer from fluorosis and thousands from arsenism. Better knowledge of coal quality characteristics may help to reduce some of these health problems. For example, information on concentrations and distributions of potentially toxic elements in coal may help delineate areas of a coal deposit to be avoided. Information on the modes of occurrence of these elements and the textural relations of the minerals in coal may help to predict the behavior of the potentially toxic trace metals during coal cleaning, combustion, weathering, and leaching.

Biological Trace Element Research↗
USGS2004

2,3,7,8-TCDD effects on visual structure and function in swim-up rainbow trout

An understanding of mechanisms of contaminant effects across levels of biological organization is essential in ecotoxicology if we are to generate predictive models for population-level effects. We applied a suite of biochemical, histological, and behavioral end points related to visual structure and function and foraging behavior to evaluate effects of 2,3,7,8-Tetrachlorodibenzo- p -dioxin (TCDD) on swim-up rainbow trout. We detected a dose-dependent decrease in densities of retinal ganglion cells (RGC), key retinal neurons that link the eye with the brain. These changes resulted in corresponding deficits in visual/motor function including reductions in visual acuity and in scotopic and photopic thresholds due to TCDD. The loss of RGCs suggests an increase in convergence of synapses from photoreceptors to RGCs as a cellular mechanism for the visual deficits. Dose-dependent increases in immunohistochemical detection of CYP1A protein in the vasculature of the brain and eye choroid was proportional with decreased ganglion cell densities in the retina. TCDD-induced AHR-regulated effects on these tissues might be involved in the detected decrease in ganglion cell densities. Prey capture rate decreased after TCDD exposure only at the highest treatment groups evaluated. Collectively, these results show that TCDD causes biochemical and structural changes in the eye and brain of rainbow trout that are associated with behavioral deficits leading to decreased individual fitness.

Environmental Science & Technology↗
USGS2015

Geochemistry and occurrence of selenium: An overview

Selenium (Se) is both beneficial and toxic to animals, plants, and humans. Consequently, it is imperative to know its concentration in the environment and to understand the processes controlling its distribution. Determinations of Se concentrations in a variety of materials indicate that Se is widely distributed throughout the environment. The processes responsible for its distribution include volcanic activity, the burning of fossil fuels, the weathering of rocks and soils, groundwater transport, precipitation of minerals, adsorption, chemical or bacterial reduction and oxidation, and metabolic uptake and release by plants and animals. The importance of a particular process in controlling the distribution of Se is intimately linked to the speciation of Se, which is controlled by the pH and redox conditions of the environment. Selenium can exist as selenide (Se 2− ), elemental Se (Se 0 ), selenite (SeO 2− 3 ), and selenate (SeO 2− 4 ). Each oxidation state exhibits different chemical behavior. Selenide and elemental Se occur in acidic, reducing, and organic-rich environments. Metal selenides, Se-sulfides, and elemental Se are insoluble, and therefore biologically unavailable. For the pH and redox conditions of most soil and aquatic environments, SeO 2− 3 and SeO 2− 4 ; should be the dominant forms of Se. Selenite is immobilized by adsorption onto particles, particularly Fe oxyhydroxides. Selenate is highly mobile and biologically available because of the solubility of its salts and its weak adsorption by particles. Microbial action can change the speciation of Se through oxidation or reduction, or through the formation of organic Se compounds.

Book chapter↗
USGS2014

Influences of the Tamarisk Leaf Beetle ( Diorhabda carinulata ) on the diet of insectivorous birds along the Dolores River in Southwestern Colorado

We examined the effects of a biologic control agent, the tamarisk leaf beetle (Diorhabda carinulata), on native avifauna in southwestern Colorado, specifically, addressing whether and to what degree birds eat tamarisk leaf beetles. In 2010, we documented avian foraging behavior, characterized the arthropod community, sampled bird diets, and undertook an experiment to determine whether tamarisk leaf beetles are palatable to birds. We observed that tamarisk leaf beetles compose 24.0 percent (95-percent-confidence interval, 19.9-27.4 percent) and 35.4 percent (95-percent-confidence interval, 32.4-45.1 percent) of arthropod abundance and biomass in the study area, respectively. Birds ate few tamarisk leaf beetles, despite a superabundance of D. carinulata in the environment. The frequency of occurrence of tamarisk leaf beetles in bird diets was 2.1 percent (95-percent-confidence interval, 1.3- 2.9 percent) by abundance and 3.4 percent (95-percent-confidence interval, 2.6-4.2 percent) by biomass. Thus, tamarisk leaf beetles probably do not contribute significantly to the diets of birds in areas where biologic control of tamarisk is being applied.

Colorado;Utah↗
USGS2023

Habitat utilization, demography, and behavioral observations of the squat lobster, Eumunida picta (Crustacea: Anomura: Eumunididae), on western North Atlantic deep-water coral habitats

Deep-sea coral habitats, comprising mostly Lophelia pertusa (Linnaeus 1758), are well developed on the upper and middle continental slope off the southeastern United States (SEUS). These habitats support a diverse and abundant invertebrate fauna, yet ecology and biology of most of these species are poorly known. Ten cruises conducted off the SEUS (Summer–Fall; Cape Lookout, NC–Cape Canaveral, FL) from 2000 to 2005, and in 2009 provided an opportunity to investigate abundance and distribution of Eumunida picta Smith1883, a large-sized species of squat lobster commonly associated with these deep-water coral habitats. Video analysis from 70 manned-submersible dives documented occurrence, density, location on the coral colony, and behavioral observations for 5774 individuals of E . picta . Individuals collected (n = 178) from coral and adjacent habitats (e.g., rubble, soft sediments) were measured and their sex determined. Males and females were comparable in size (to 53.5 mm carapace length) and exhibited a sex ratio of approximately 1:1. Eumunida picta were most frequently observed as solitary individuals on high-profile coral matrix and were noted only infrequently on coral rubble, or rarely on soft substratum. Presence of coral habitat (i.e., live/dead L. pertusa ), geographic region within the sampling area, and depth significantly influenced abundances of E. picta . Additionally, coral habitat (dead versus live coral), vertical position on the coral (upper, middle, or lower zone), as well as horizontal position in relation to the coral matrix (outer surface versus embedded in coral matrix) were significant factors influencing E. picta distributions within the coral habitat. More individuals were found on dead versus live coral, and most frequently occurred on the outer surfaces of coral branches located on the upper portion or near the tops of coral colonies. Eumunida picta were most often observed with claws extended into the water column. This unique hunting stance provides this squat lobster the opportunity to capture prey from the water column. An active predator, this species utilizes both pelagic (i.e., fishes, pyrosomes) and benthic (e.g., scavenging and grazing) food resources, and may function as an important trophic link between the water column and the benthos. Although considered a facultative reef associate in the strictest sense of the term, E. picta has a complex and intimate relationship with L. pertusa . Based on observations from dive videos, E. picta is a dominant and ecologically important member of the invertebrate assemblage associated with deep-sea coral habitats off the SEUS. As such, this species figures prominently in the structure and function of this ecosystem.

western North Atlantic↗
USGS2018

Influences of the invasive tamarisk leaf beetle (Diorhabda carinulata) on avian diets along the Dolores River in Southwestern Colorado USA

The tamarisk leaf beetle ( Diorhabda carinulata ), introduced from Eurasia in 2001 as a biological control agent for the invasive plant Tamarix ramosissima , has spread widely throughout the western USA. With D. carinulata now very abundant, scientists and restoration managers have questioned what influence this introduced arthropod might have upon the avian component of riparian ecosystems. From 2009 through 2012 we studied the consequences of biological invasions of the introduced tamarisk shrub and tamarisk leaf beetles on the diets of native birds along the Dolores River in southwestern Colorado, USA. We examined avian foraging behavior, sampled the arthropod community, documented bird diets and the use of invasive tamarisk shrubs and tamarisk leaf beetles by birds. We documented D. carinulata abundance, on what plants the beetles occurred, and to what degree they were consumed by birds as compared to other arthropods. We hypothesized that if D. carinulata is an important new avian food source, birds should consume beetles at least in proportion to their abundance. We also hypothesized that birds should forage more in tamarisk in the late summer when tamarisk leaf beetle larvae are more abundant than in early summer, and that birds should select beetle-damaged tamarisk shrubs. We found that D. carinulata composed 24.0 percent (± 19.9–27.4%) and 35.4% biomass of all collected arthropods. From the gut contents of 188 birds (25 passerine species), only four species ( n = 11 birds) contained tamarisk leaf beetle parts. Although D. carinulata comprised one-quarter of total insect abundance, frequency of occurrence in bird gut contents was only 2.1% by abundance and 3.4% biomass. Birds used tamarisk shrubs for foraging in proportion to their availability, but foraging frequency did not increase during the late summer when more tamarisk leaf beetles were present and birds avoided beetle-damaged tamarisk shrubs. Despite D. carinulata being the most abundant arthropod in the environment, these invasive beetles were not frequently consumed by birds and seem not to provide a significant contribution to avian diets.

Colorado↗
USGS2026

Effects of carbamazepine to visual function in early life stage fish

The frequent detection of pharmaceuticals and personal care products (PPCPs) in the environment raises concern for aquatic systems. Carbamazepine (CBZ), an antiepileptic drug, is among the most detected PPCP globally, with concentrations in surface water exceeding those that induce toxicity to aquatic organisms. Non-targeted transcriptomic profiling was conducted in zebrafish ( Danio rerio ) larvae exposed to 0, 1, 5, 10, or 50 μg/L CBZ from 2 h post fertilization (hpf) through hatching, and then sampled at 48, 72, or 144 hpf. Transcriptomic profiles were annotated and characterized with in silico bioinformatic software to assess top enriched pathways and identify targets of environmentally relevant concentrations of CBZ and anchor molecular effects to higher levels of biological organization. Based on this analysis, CBZ was predicted to impair visual perception and sensory system development. The number of eye saccades, determined with a visually mediated behavioral assay, optokinetic response, was significantly reduced in 144 hpf larvae exposed to concentrations as low as 1 μg/L CBZ. These results indicate that environmentally relevant concentrations of CBZ may target and impact processes involved in visual function in fish.

Environmental Research↗
USGS2021

Spring phenology drives range shifts in a migratory Arctic ungulate with key implications for the future

Annual variation in phenology can have profound effects on the behavior of animals. As climate change advances spring phenology in ecosystems around the globe, it is becoming increasingly important to understand how animals respond to variation in the timing of seasonal events and how their responses may shift in the future. We investigated the influence of spring phenology on the behavior of migratory, barren-ground caribou ( Rangifer tarandus ), a species that has evolved to cope with short Arctic summers. Specifically, we examined the effect of spring snow melt and vegetation growth on the current and potential future space-use patterns of the Porcupine Caribou Herd (PCH), which exhibits large, inter-annual shifts in their calving and post-calving distributions across the U.S.–Canadian border. We quantified PCH selection for snow melt and vegetation phenology using machine learning models, determined how selection resulted in annual shifts in space-use, and then projected future distributions based on climate-driven phenology models. Caribou exhibited strong, scale-dependent selection for both snow melt and vegetation growth. During the calving season, caribou selected areas at finer scales where the snow had melted and vegetation was greening, but within broader landscapes that were still brown or snow covered. During the post-calving season, they selected vegetation with intermediate biomass expected to have high forage quality. Annual variation in spring phenology predicted major shifts in PCH space-use. In years with early spring phenology, PCH predominately used habitat in Alaska, while in years with late phenology, they spent more time in Yukon. Future climate conditions were projected to advance spring phenology, shifting PCH calving and post-calving distributions further west into Alaska. Our results demonstrate that caribou selection for habitat in specific phenological stages drive dramatic shifts in annual space-use patterns, and will likely affect future distributions, underscoring the importance of maintaining sufficient suitable habitat to allow for behavioral plasticity.

Alaska, Yukon↗
USGS2012

Ecotoxicology of mercury in fish and wildlife: Recent advances

A number of recent studies have documented subtle, yet potentially important effects of mercury on behavior, neurochemistry, and endocrine function in fish and wildlife at currently realistic levels of environmental exposure. Current levels of environmental methylmercury exposure are sufficient to cause significant biological impairment, both in individuals and in whole populations, in some ecosystems. Future toxicological studies on fish and wildlife will focus on linking biomarkers of methylmercury exposure and associated oxidative stress to effects on reproduction and population change; determining the genetic basis for mercury-related neurotoxic and other biological changes; determining the genetic basis for species differences in sensitivity to methylmercury; and linking toxic effects of methylmercury in individual animals to population-level changes.

Book chapter↗
USGS2007

Molecular ecology of the big brown bat (Eptesicus fuscus): Genetic and natural history variation in a hybrid zone

Several geographically distinct mitochondrial DNA (mtDNA) lineages of the big brown bat (Eptesicus fuscus) have been documented in North America. Individuals from 2 of these lineages, an eastern and a western form, co-occur within maternity colonies in Colorado. The discovery of 2 divergent mtDNA lineages in sympatry prompted a set of questions regarding possible biological differences between haplotypes. We captured big brown bats at maternity roosts in Colorado and recorded data on body size, pelage color, litter size, roosting and overwintering behaviors, and local distributions. Wing biopsies were collected for genetic analysis. The ND2 region of the mtDNA molecule was used to determine lineage of the bats. In addition, nuclear DNA (nDNA) intron 1 of the ??-globin gene was used to determine if mtDNA lineages are hybridizing. Eastern and western mtDNA lineages differed by 10.3% sequence divergence and examination of genetic data suggests recent population expansion for both lineages. Differences in distribution occur along the Colorado Front Range, with an increasing proportion of western haplotypes farther south. Results from nDNA analyses demonstrated hybridization between the 2 lineages. Additionally, no outstanding distinctiveness was found between the mtDNA lineages in natural history characters examined. We speculate that historical climate changes separated this species into isolated eastern and western populations, and that secondary contact with subsequent interbreeding was facilitated by European settlement. ?? 2007 American Society of Mammalogists.

Journal of Mammalogy↗
USGS2013

Nest site selection by diamond-backed terrapins (Malaclemys terrapin) on a Mid-Atlantic Barrier Island

We scored 48 Malaclemys terrapin nests destroyed by raccoons on Fisherman Island, Virginia, for the presence or absence of tree canopy, shrub canopy, no canopy, bare sand, grass cover, and herbaceous cover. Significantly more nests than expected were found in the open with no vegetation cover and observed distances of predator-destroyed nests from the edge of the nearest habitat island of woody vegetation were significantly different from a normal distribution; most were placed near the island margin. Our results underscore the need to understand the influence of predator search behavior on terrapin nest survival in different habitat types.

Chelonian Conservation and Biology↗
USGS2012

Nest defense- Grassland bird responses to snakes

Predation is the primary source of nest mortality for most passerines; thus, behaviors to reduce the impacts of predation are frequently quantified to study learning, adaptation, and coevolution among predator and prey species. Video surveillance of nests has made it possible to examine real-time parental nest defense. During 1999-2009, we used video camera systems to monitor 518 nests of grassland birds. We reviewed video of 48 visits by snakes to 34 nests; 37 of these visits resulted in predation of active nests. When adult birds encountered snakes at the nest (n = 33 visits), 76% of the encounters resulted in a form of nest defense (nonaggressive or aggressive); in 47% of the encounters, birds physically struck snakes. When defending nests, most birds pecked at the snakes; Eastern Meadowlarks (Sturnella magna) and Bobolinks (Dolichonyx oryzivorus) pecked most frequently in anyone encounter. Also, two Eastern Meadowlarks ran around snakes, frequently with wings spread, and three Bobolinks struck at snakes from the air. Nest defense rarely appeared to alter snake behavior; the contents of seven nests defended aggressively and two nests defended nonaggressively were partially depredated, whereas the contents of six nests defended each way were consumed completely. One fledgling was produced at each of three nests that had been aggressively defended. During aggressive defense, one snake appeared to be driven away and one was wounded. Our findings should be a useful starting point for further research. For example, future researchers may be able to determine whether the behavioral variation we observed in nest defense reflects species differences, anatomic or phylogenetic constraints, or individual differences related to a bird's prior experience. There appears to be much potential for studying nest defense behavior using video recording of both real and simulated encounters.

Studies in Avian Biology↗
USGS2025

A system dynamics model to understand the integrated ecological and human dimension aspects of wildlife health and disease management

Chronic wasting disease (CWD) presents an ongoing challenge for the management of deer populations and sustaining harvest opportunities across North America. Existing disease models often fail to fully capture the complex interplay between disease dynamics, host ecology, and socio-economic factors. We developed a comprehensive system dynamics (SD) model that integrates demographic, epidemiological, ecological, and socio-economic processes within a single model to more fully characterize the complex network of causal feedbacks throughout the system. The model was calibrated using a Bayesian approach that incorporates prior knowledge to generate biologically interpretable outcomes, even with sparse data. For estimating the joint posterior distribution of model parameters, we leveraged time series of deer abundance, harvest composition, genetic profiles, CWD surveillance, and hunter demographics and behavior. Model outputs reproduced key system behaviors, including observed CWD prevalence trends, deer population dynamics, and hunter license purchasing patterns. Model predictions were most sensitive to parameters governing initial deer population size and recruitment. While model predictions generally aligned with observed data, discrepancies in early CWD detection and overestimation of the reactivation of long-inactive hunters reflect data limitations and modeling challenges. Key results suggest that indirect transmission is necessary to explain observed prevalence, that transmission is moderately density-dependent, and that observed population-level genetic shifts driven by CWD may play a role in transmission and progression. The SD modelling approach enabled estimation of difficult-to-measure parameters and identified potential leverage points for management—such as prioritizing increasing participation in antlerless harvest of existing hunters over the recruitment of new hunters. This integrated modeling approach offers a flexible foundation for adaptive wildlife disease management and emphasizes the value of unifying biological and human dimension processes to better inform effective, evidence-based policy.

BioRxiv↗