Landscape change throughout North America has resulted in heightened nest predator population and declining avian productivity. Essential to establishing effective management design is an understanding of differential predation pressure among avian groups as group specific responses to predation impact may exist. The objective of this study was to examine the efficacy of predator trapping on the nest success and density of ground nesting avifauna in 2004-2005 in the Virginia Coast Reserve, specifically dabbling ducks, Canada Goose and Willet. Second, we determine the impact of predation on ground nesting birds by relating indices of predator abundance to nest density and nest success for island plots. Overall Mayfield nest success for dabbling ducks was 54.4% (n = 12) in 2004 and 17.7% (n = 30) in 2005. Green Transformed nest success for dabbling ducks was 34.5% (n = 25) in 2004 and 23.0% (n = 42). For Canada goose, overall Mayfield nest success was 53.1 (n = 37) in 2004 and 47.7% (n = 39) in 2005. Overall Green Transformed nest success for Canada Goose was 59.5% (n = 57) in 2004 and 50.6% (n = 51) in 2005. Finally, overall Green Transformed nest success for Willet was 53.7% (n = 110) in 2004 and 46.0% (n = 118) in 2005. Nest success estimates on island plots varied greatly. There was no difference in nest success between trapped and non-trapped islands for dabbling ducks (P = 0.1990), Canada Goose (P = 0.4860), Willet (P = 0.4920) and artificial nest success (P = 0.4200). Likewise, there was no difference in nest density between trapped and non-trapped islands for dabbling ducks (P = 0.2408), Canada Goose (P = 0.2950), and Willet (P = 0.1381). Several factors may explain this result including a lack of trapping efficacy, design flaws, low intensity of trapping, and differences in island habitat affecting avian nest site selection and sample size. Nest success for both dabbling ducks (P = 0.0225) and Willets (P < 0.0001) was inversely related to predator activity, as measured by artificial nest success. In contrast, Canada Goose (P = 0.6686) showed no relationship between nest success and predator activity. For Canada Goose (P = 0.0064) and Willet (P = 0.0029), nest density decreased with increasing predator activity on island plots. Biased nest detection, philopatry to islands with reduced predation risk, and active selection for reduced predator environments may explain the higher nest density on islands with reduced predator activity. On barrier islands in Virginia, dabbling duck nest densities are independent of predator activity (P = 0.1981). I hypothesize that, in this system, the availability of brood rearing habitat for ducks govern island selection above predation risk.

I compared nest success estimates for both shorebirds and Sharp-tailed Grouse between controls and 36 square-mile blocks that were trapped for intermediate mammalian predators. I also investigated shorebird nest site selection by comparing vegetation visual obstruction and species composition between nest sites and the surrounding field. Nest success (Mayfield estimate ± SE) was not different between trapped and control blocks for shorebirds (trap: 50.8% ± 6.3%; control: 69.1% ± 17.5%) or Sharp-tailed Grouse (trap: 61.3% ± 8.3%; control: 48.7% ± 10.0%). This indicates that trapping intermediate mammalian predators is not an efficient method of increasing shorebird or Sharp-tailed Grouse nest success. Regardless of the surrounding habitat type, shorebird nest sites were located in characteristic vegetation depending on species. Common Snipe preferred nest sites to be covered by native vegetation that obstructed vision below 21cm. Wilsons Phalarope also preferred native vegetation, however they nested in vegetation obstructing vision less than 16cm. Upland Sandpipers showed little preference for vegetation species composition, although nest sites were typically found in vegetation obstructing vision less than 21cm. These results indicate that useful shorebird habitat includes relatively sparse, native vegetation.

In the southeastern United States, industrial agriculture dominates the landscape, and much of the native land cover is in decline. Longleaf pine forests were once a dominant ecosystem in this region, but have largely disappeared. However, little research has been conducted on how this loss affects wildlife, especially mammalian predators. With increasing restoration efforts for longleaf pine it is important to assess the impact on species that inhabit those landscapes. Gray foxes (Urocyon cinereoargenteus) are native to the Southeast, but are adaptable to a wide range of habitats. Therefore, during 2002-2006 I studied a population of gray foxes on land managed for longleaf pine (Ichauway plantation) and the surrounding agriculture and residential landscape. Gray fox habitat selection did not differ across seasons (P > 0.050) at any of the 3 spatial scales examined, but was non random at all scales (P ≤ 0.050). Gray foxes preferred habitat types that were rare or not available on Ichauway including residential areas, hardwood forests, and industrial agriculture. Gray foxes were largely found partially or completely off Ichauway. In fact, gray foxes that overlapped Ichauway were found closer (Λ = 12.06, P < 0.001) to the borders of Ichauway than expected. Annual survival was 0.610 ± 0.100. Sixteen deaths were documented, and human causes (i.e., vehicle collisions) accounted for most (n=10) of these. Gray fox mortality from human caused sources may have been higher than in most other populations because of the selection of anthropogenic habitat and lack of trapping. Home range sizes differed between seasons (F2,34 = 3.97, P = 0.030), with home ranges in winter (152.43 ± 32.02 ha) being larger than either breeding (91.42 ± 12.93 ha) or kit-rearing (99.68 ± 18.27 ha) seasons. Grafens kinship coefficient was used to examine relatedness through genetic analysis. No correlation was detected between distance of trapped gray foxes with one another and their genetic distance for either 2004-2005 or 2005-2006 (P > 0.1). Preliminary evidence suggested that closer relatives may be more apt to overlap one anothers spatial use area.

This dissertation addresses applying industrial park concepts to the development of aquaculture parks in public waters specifically for off-bottom triploid Easter oyster, Crassostrea virginica, culture. The objectives are to identify the permitting process, relevant agencies, and legislation needed to facilitate development of aquaculture parks in the Gulf of Mexico states, and test and analyze off-bottom oyster culture for commercial production of triploid oysters. Off-bottom culture can increase oyster production, but fouling organisms can reduce growth and survival rates. The Adjustable Longline System (ALS), commercially used in Australia, allows oyster bags to be suspended in the water column and positioned for aerial drying to deter fouling. This study evaluates means of controlling fouling organisms for off-bottom culture of diploid oysters by measuring 1) growth rate, 2) survival rate, and 3) fouling rates. This study shows that routine aerial exposure reduces the amount of fouling organisms without significantly affecting growth or survival. The oysters in all treatments reached market-size in twelve months and had survival rates greater than 80%. Advances in oyster genetics research are creating superior candidates for culture and needs to be coupled with advanced grow-out methods to reach full potential. Triploid oyster culture is a viable alternative to natural oyster production but requires investment in seed. This study analyzed the capital, operating costs, and break-even prices of a 0.40-hectare ALS for triploid oyster culture. The analysis assumes that seed is purchased from a hatchery and that the culturist harvests triploid oysters during the months when on-bottom oysters have a lower meat yield. The break-even costs are determined for a 100-count box of oysters. Once importation and permitting costs are determined, areas of the budget can then be adjusted to reduce the break-even price. This will include such factors as domestic system components, labor hours, or stocking density. The results will determine if off-bottom culture of triploid oysters is a good investment for the Louisiana oyster industry. In addition, an operational plan was also prepared for the ALS to meet the International Shellfish Sanitation Council requirements for shellfish culture facilities.

This study investigated a Soxhlet extract procedure to separate chemical components in the wood and bark of Port-Orford cedar (POC) (Chamaecyparis lawsoniana). The bio-activities, antioxidant properties, and decay resistance were evaluated. The heartwood extracts were analyzed by gas chromatography-mass spectrometry (GC-MS). Three vitro assays including (1) 1, 1-diphenyl-2-picrylhydrazyl hydrate (DPPH ) radical scavenging assay, (2) 2,2-azinobis ( 3-ethylbenzothiszoline-6-sulfonic acid) diammonium salt (ABTS) radical cation scavenging ability assay, and (3) metal chelating activity assay were carried out to evaluate the antioxidant activity. The total phenol content of the extracts was determined by the Folin-Ciocalteu method and expressed as Gallic Acid Equivalent (GAE). The results showed that the methanol extracts of the heartwood and the sapwood contained moderate radical scavenging activities, and the inner bark and outer bark extracts showed the most activities. The sapwood extracts demonstrated the strongest chelating metal capability. Among the four partitions of POC bark, the n-Butanol extracts (n-Bu) showed the highest inhibition effect on ABTS⁺ and the highest amount of total phenolic content, followed by ethyl acetate extracts (EA), water soluble components (Wa) and n-hexane extracts (n-He) subtractions. The correlation suggested that phenolic compounds are likely to contribute to the radical scavenging activity of the methanol extracts. There were three major components found in hexane extracts from the heartwood of POC, which were τ-cadinol, azulene, and τmuurolol. Hexadecadinoic acid was found in ethyl acetate extracts. Both the n-hexane and ethyl acetate extracts of the heartwood of POC had excellent growth inhibitory effects on white- and brown-rot fungi. The n-hexane extracts showed a higher antifungal index in this assay system, which was significantly higher than the ethyl acetate extracts.

Much evidence suggests that nest success is one of the key drivers of duck production. Accordingly, for the past thirty years, waterfowl managers have focused their efforts on increasing nest success. One way to increase nest success is through predator trapping. Previous studies have shown that predator trapping increases nest success on different sized trapped blocks. This study attempted to answer the question: does trapping affect nest success on areas directly adjacent to trapped block boundaries? I hypothesized that predator abundance outside trapped blocks would be reduced. I predicted that nest success would decline with distance from the boundary while predator abundance would increase with distance from the boundary. This study was conducted in the Drift Prairie section of the Prairie Pothole Region in northeast North Dakota during the summers of 2005 and 2006. A total of 3,231 nests were found inside of six trapped blocks and a total of 2,006 nests were found outside of five trapped blocks. Daily survival rates were estimated using Shaffers logistic-exposure model and then related to distance from the center (for inside) or distance from the edge (for outside) of a trapped block, trapped block, field within a trapped block, and all interactions. Model fit was assessed using Akaikes information criteria as adjusted for small sample size. The most important variables for explaining variation in daily survival rates of nests, both inside and outside trapped blocks, were year, and field within a trapped block. Distance appeared to have a negligible effect on daily survival rates for nests inside and outside trapped blocks. Mean daily survival rates were higher inside trapped blocks. Trapping, therefore, did not appear to increase daily survival rates outside trapped blocks. Predator scent-stations were used in 2006 to obtain an index of predator activity. Distance from a trapped block edge did not affect visitation rates for any individual predator species or for all species combined, both inside and outside trapped blocks. There were, however, significantly higher visitation rates inside versus outside trapped blocks for raccoons and for all species combined.

Consistent habitat loss and fragmentation are contributing factors to the rise of human-bear conflicts in south Louisiana. Complaints associated with nuisance activities of Louisiana black bears (Ursus americanus luteolus) experienced in this region have steadily increased since 2000, requiring intervention by state and federal agencies. As a threatened species, Louisiana black bears require non-lethal management referred to as aversive conditioning. We used rubber buckshot and dogs to test the effectiveness of management techniques used by the state to deter nuisance activity by black bears. Eleven bears, representing approximately 15% of the estimated population in this region, were captured in residential and industrial areas reporting nuisance activity. Bears were fitted with radio-transmitting collars and released within 2 km of the capture site. Each bear was randomly placed within 1 of 2 treatments; treatment 1 (n=5) used rubber buckshot and treatment 2 (n=6) used the rubber buckshot in combination with dogs. Bears were monitored using telemetry to estimate movements and interactions with anthropogenic resources. Bears, on average, remained within 2 km of capture sites 2 weeks following release. Ten bears (91%) returned to nuisance behavior within 5 months, regardless of treatment. Results suggest that aversive conditioning techniques used to deter bears from nuisance activity have limited short term effectiveness.

Wood liquefaction was conducted using phenol as a reagent solvent with oxalic acid as a catalyst. A series of studies were done on liquefied wood, liquefied wood residues, novolac-type liquefied wood resins, and bio-composites fabricated from liquefied wood resin. The results of the liquefied wood residue characterization revealed that the liquefaction reactions conducted in different reaction vessels underwent different liquefaction mechanisms. The crystallinity indexes of the liquefied wood residues were higher than that of the original wood, indicating that the amorphous lignin was the most susceptible component in wood to the liquefaction reaction. Fe2+ and Fe3+ ions were found to have catalytic effects during liquefaction reaction. The cure kinetic study of two typical liquefied wood resins (LWR) showed that the activation energies of liquefied wood resin were higher than conventional phenolic resins and close to that of a lignin-phenol-formaldehyde resin from another study. It was found that LWR followed an autocatalytic cure mechanism. Two kinetic models were proposed for LWR based on the isothermal differential scanning calorimetry (DSC) methods. The flexural strengths of the composites were comparable to that of similar products reported by other researchers, indicating that the liquefied wood resin and liquefied wood residue from a weak-acid-catalyzed liquefaction could be successfully applied to molded bio-composite products as a substitute for conventional novolac resin.

Wild turkey (Meleagris gallopavo) males were captured and radio-tagged in a bottomland hardwood forest of south-central Louisiana. Turkeys were monitored year round from fixed telemetry stations on Sherburne Wildlife Management Area, Atchafalaya National Wildlife Refuge, and Bayou des Ourses to observe seasonal patterns of space use, habitat selection and survival from 2005-07. The largest seasonal home range was in fall/winter (966.41 ha; Oct 1-Feb 28). Spring home range (767.77 ha; Mar 1- May 31) size was lower than reported in previous studies and was a function of female availability. Season and age interacted to influence core area size (F_5/63 = 2.35, P = 0.051), but not home range size (F_5/63 = 1.49, P = 0.207). Males did not move about their home range differently before or during the breeding season (t₂₀ = 1.11, P = 0.282). Additionally, males did not display spatial shifts of core areas before and during the breeding season at the population level (t₂₀ = -0.92, P = 0.367). Upland forests and water-based forests were selected by adults and juveniles at all 3 spatial scales (habitat selection in home ranges vs. habitat availability across study area [1st order], habitat selection in core areas vs. habitat availability across home ranges [2nd order], and habitat availability across home ranges [3rd order]), whereas lowland forests were avoided at all 3 spatial scales. Habitat selection in spring was based on location of females. Water-based forests were essential to male habitat as they provide quality roosting and feeding sites. Survival was lowest in spring (0.43, SE = 0.09; Mar 1- May 31) due to the spring harvest. Fall/winter survival averaged 0.74 (SE = 0.05; Oct 1-Feb 28) and survival during summer averaged 0.74 (SE=0.06; Jun 1-Sept 30). Mean annual survival was 0.64 (SE = 0.06), among the highest ever reported for wild turkey males. The conservative harvest strategy on Sherburne was likely related to high survival rates for males

Mallard (Anas platyrhynhcos) populations in the Lower Mississippi Alluvial Valley (LMAV) historically averaged 1.6 million and represented the largest concentrations of wintering mallards in North America. Effective management of this wintering population requires current information on use of habitats, movements, and survival of female mallards. I used radio-telemetry techniques to assess these parameters during winters 2004-2005 and 2005-2006. Radio-marked female mallards used forested wetland habitats extensively during diurnal and nocturnal sampling periods. Proportional use of habitats varied inconsistently among time periods defined by hunting seasons and winters. Proportional use of forested wetlands ranged from 0.464 to 0.816 and from 0.280 to 0.764 during diurnal and nocturnal sampling periods, respectively. Movement distances (± SE) between diurnal and nocturnal locations averaged 2524 ± 150.1 meters and varied inconsistently by date among habitat types. The product-limit survival rate of radio-marked female mallards was 0.542 for the 140 day tracking season. Interval survival rates varied among time periods defined by hunting seasons and ranged from 0.721 to 0.981. Cause-specific mortality rates (± SE) for the tracking period were 0.177 ± 0.041 and 0.342 ± 0.119 for hunting and non-hunting sources of mortality, respectively. Continued restoration and establishment of forested wetland habitats should benefit wintering mallards in the LMAV. Finally, waterfowl managers may want to consider management actions to improve survival of female mallards in the LMAV.