Thesis (Ph. D.)--Michigan State University. Dept. of Entomology, 2008. / Title from PDF t.p. (viewed on Mar. 30, 2009) Includes bibliographical references (p. 154-165). Also issued in print.

Social behavior and habitat selection of river otters (Lontra canadensis) are highly variable among populations and there is limited information on how space use of this mustelid changes in human-modified environments. Understanding the spatial ecology of river otters is important for efforts focused on habitat management and preventing human-wildlife conflicts. My objectives were to quantify: (1) home ranges and core areas, (2) second- and third-order habitat selection, and (3) relationships between home-range size and intensity of human development for river otters in southern Illinois. VHF transmitters were used to track river otters during 2014-2016. Home-range and core-area sizes then were compared between males (n = 8) and females (n = 10), as was home-range overlap. I also compared the frequency individuals were located <25 m from a conspecific between sexes. Habitat selection at the second and third orders was analyzed with an eigen-analysis of selection ratios. Male river otters had larger home ranges and core areas than females. Home ranges of males overlapped frequently; lack of core-area overlap among females suggested they may be territorial. Males also were located <25 m from a conspecific more frequently than females (P = 0.023), and male-male dyads shared space more than male-female and female-female dyads (P = 0.002). Herbaceous and wooded wetlands were most strongly selected for at both second- and third-order scales, but streams and ponds also were selected. Regarding terrestrial cover types, river otters selected land with vegetative cover over areas with impervious surface (e.g., parking lots and shopping centers). Forests were selected over crop fields at the third-order, but not second-order, scale. Use of urbanized land was uncommon for river otters, and there was a positive relationship (P = 0.004) between home-range size and the percentage of home range within developed open space (e.g., roads and residential lawns). The habitat selection and sociality of river otters in southern Illinois varied among individuals, as it does among river otter populations throughout North America. By recording sex differences in social behavior and selection of aquatic and upland habitat, my study provides wildlife biologists with a better understanding of river otter space use throughout a rural-urban gradient.

Submitted by BRUNA BARBOZA MARCHESI null (brumarchesi@hotmail.com) on 2016-03-16T17:25:35Z No. of bitstreams: 1 Versão FINAL_Bruna Marchesi.pdf: 2441821 bytes, checksum: 291ac40bb91fa79ae6cb35e82b758c16 (MD5) / Approved for entry into archive by Sandra Manzano de Almeida (smanzano@marilia.unesp.br) on 2016-03-16T17:57:19Z (GMT) No. of bitstreams: 1 marchesi_bb_me_bot.pdf: 2441821 bytes, checksum: 291ac40bb91fa79ae6cb35e82b758c16 (MD5) / Made available in DSpace on 2016-03-16T17:57:19Z (GMT). No. of bitstreams: 1 marchesi_bb_me_bot.pdf: 2441821 bytes, checksum: 291ac40bb91fa79ae6cb35e82b758c16 (MD5) Previous issue date: 2016-01-22 / Coordenação de Aperfeiçoamento de Pessoal de Nível Superior (CAPES) / Com o objetivo de avaliar os efeitos de formulações e de intervalos sem chuva três experimentos foram conduzidos afim de se obter informações sobre a deposição, absorção, translocação e eficácia dos herbicidas 2,4-D e glyphosate, isolados e em mistura, em plantas de Conyza canadensis. Todos os estudos foram realizados em casa-de-vegetação em delineamento inteiramente casualizado e em esquema fatorial, com 6 herbicidas (780 g e.a. ha-1 do herbicida EnlistTM; 780 + 820 g e.a. ha-1 da mistura formulada EnlistDuoTM; 780 g e.a. ha-1 de DMA 806 BR; 820 g e.a. ha-1 de Glizmax®Prime; 780 + 820 g e.a. ha-1 da mistura dos herbicidas DMA 806 BR + Glizmax®Prime e 780 + 820 g e.a. ha-1 da mistura de EnlistTM + Glizmax®Prime). Para o estudo de absorção o fatorial foi 6X4, com os 6 herbicidas e 4 intervalos de lavagem, com 5 repetições; para os de deposição e translocação o fatorial foi 6X2, sendo os 6 herbicidas e 2 regiões (ápice e base), com 6 repetições; e para o de eficácia, 6X5, os 6 herbicidas e 5 intervalos de chuva, com 4 repetições. No estudo de absorção foram quantificados os teores dos herbicidas internos e externos às plantas. Nos de deposição e translocação a quantificação dos herbicidas internos às plantas foi realizada para ambos, sendo que no de translocação a quantificação foi realizada aos 2 e 4 dias após a aplicação (DAA). No de eficácia foi realizada a avaliação visual de fitointoxicação aos 7, 14, 21 e 28 DAA e a massa seca aos 28 DAA. A mistura de 2,4-D e glyphosate, sendo ela formulada ou em tanque, aumentou a absorção e a eficácia do 2,4-D no controle de Conyza canadensis. A absorção de 2,4-D foi contínua ao longo das primeiras 24 horas com aumento dos teores internos e da porcentagem de controle com o avanço dos intervalos sem chuva ou lavagem. As folhas da base de Conyza canadensis receberam as maiores deposições de 2,4-D e glyphosate, sendo as principais responsáveis pela absorção dos herbicidas. A translocação do 2,4-D e do glyphosate é muito mais intensa no sentido base-ápice do que no sentido inverso. As maiores deposições nas folhas da base associada à maior translocação da base para o ápice contribuem para ação sistêmica desses herbicidas. / With the objective to evaluate the effects of formulations and rainless intervals three experimentes were done in order to obtain information about deposition, absorption, translocation and efficacy of the herbicides 2,4-D and glyphosate, alone or in mixture, in Conyza canadensis plants. All studies were performed in green house in a completely randomized design and in a factorial with 6 herbicides (780 g a.i. ha-1 of the herbicide EnlistTM; 780 + 820 g a.i. ha-1 of the formulated mixture EnlistDuoTM; 780 g a.i. ha-1 of DMA 806 BR; 820 g a.i. ha-1 of Glizmax®Prime; 780 + 820 g a.i. ha-1 of the herbicides mixtures DMA 806 BR + Glizmax®Prime and 780 + 820 g a.i. ha-1 of the mixture EnlistTM + Glizmax®Prime). To the absorption study the fatorial was 6X4, with 6 herbicides and 4 washing intervals, with 5 repititions; to the deposition and translocation study, the factorial was 6x2, with 6 herbicides and 2 regions (apex and base), with 6 repetitions; and to the efficacy study, 6X5, with the 6 herbicides and 5 rain intervals, with 4 repetitions. In the absorption study were quantified the levels of internal and external herbicides to plants. In the deposition and translocation, quantifying the internal herbicides to plants was conducted for both and to translocation the quantification performed at 2 and 4 days after application (DAA). For the efficacy study it was conducted a visual evaluation of injury at 7, 14, 21 and 28 DAA and dry mass at 28 DAA. The mixture of 2,4-D and glyphosate, formulated or in a tank mix, increased the absorption and the efficacy of 2,4-D in control of Conyza canadensis. The 2,4-D absorption was uniform throughout the first 24 hours with increasing internal levels and the percentage of control with the advance of intervals without rain or washing. The base leaves of Conyza canadensis received the biggest deposition of 2,4-D and glyphosate, mainly responsible for the absorption of herbicides. The translocation of 2,4-D and glyphosate is much more intense towards base-apex than in the reverse. The biggest depositons in the base leaves associated with higher translocation from base to apex contribute to systemic action of these herbicides.

La perte d'habitat, les obstacles à la dispersion et les déclins de plusieurs populations animales soulignent le besoin de techniques d’intervention permettant le maintien et le rétablissement des populations en milieu naturel. Au cours du XXe siècle, la translocation, la libération intentionnelle d’animaux dans le but d’établir ou d’augmenter les effectifs d’une population, est devenue une technique importante dans la gestion des populations animales. Toutefois, les coûts qui y sont associés sont élevés et relativement peu d’études en ont examiné les conséquences comportementales, démographiques et génétiques en milieu naturel. Afin de mieux comprendre les déterminants du succès de cet outil et d’en améliorer les résultats, plusieurs experts ont souligné l’importance de réaliser des suivis post-translocations détaillés au niveau populationnel et individuel. Mon projet visait à contribuer à la conservation et à la gestion du mouflon d’Amérique (Ovis canadensis) et d’espèces similaires par une meilleure compréhension des processus relatifs à la translocation en milieu naturel. Les objectifs spécifiques de mon projet étaient de : i) quantifier les processus d’acclimatation et d’intégration sociale de mouflons d’Amérique déplacés lors de translocations; et de ii) déterminer l’efficacité de la translocation à des fins de rétablissement génétique et démographique d’une population affectée par un problème de consanguinité. Pour ce faire, j’ai utilisé les données du suivi à long terme de la population de mouflons d’Amérique de Ram Mountain, en Alberta. Cette population isolée a subi un déclin drastique à la fin du XXe siècle et a eu beaucoup de difficultés à récupérer par la suite. L’augmentation de la consanguinité dans la population et l’absence d’évidence suggérant un rétablissement sans intervention justifiaient l’utilisation de translocations. Ainsi, entre 2002 et 2015, 37 mouflons d’Amérique provenant d’une même population source ont été relocalisés à Ram Mountain. Utilisant une approche intégrée à l’aide de données sociales, comportementales et morphologiques, j’ai quantifié de manière efficace comment les mouflons relocalisés s’intègrent socialement dans leur nouvelle population et s’acclimatent à leur nouvel environnement. Utilisant des données génétiques, démographiques et morphologiques, j’ai analysé le déclin et le rétablissement génétique dans une population suite à un important déclin démographique et à un programme de renforcement. De plus, j’ai testé l’hypothèse selon laquelle les croisements entre individus résidents et relocalisés auraient comme conséquence une augmentation de la valeur adaptative des agneaux dans une population touchée par un problème de consanguinité. J’ai détecté une assimilation progressive des mouflons relocalisés dans la population locale grâce à une augmentation graduelle de la centralité à l’intérieur des réseaux sociaux et à une diminution de l'évitement des résidents. Les mouflons déplacés ont passé plus de temps en vigilance et ont augmenté leur vigilance lorsqu’ils formaient des groupes avec un plus grand nombre de résidents locaux. Les mouflons déplacés ont accumulé significativement moins de masse que les résidents pendant le premier été suivant leur translocation. Mes résultats suggèrent que les mouflons relocalisés ont besoin d'au moins un an pour s'habituer à leur nouvel environnement et s'intégrer socialement à la population locale. Mes résultats présentent une rare description des processus sociaux et des coûts physiologiques relatifs à la libération d’animaux ainsi qu'une des premières utilisations des réseaux sociaux pour décrire l’intégration sociale d’individus relocalisés lors d’un programme de renforcement de population en nature. La chute drastique de la taille de la population à la fin du XXe siècle a entraîné une importante perte d'hétérozygotie et de diversité allélique sur deux générations. Après l’ajout de mouflons provenant d'une autre population, les agneaux descendants de mouflons relocalisés étaient significativement plus lourds au sevrage et avaient une survie plus élevée à l’âge d’un an par rapport aux agneaux non-hybrides. L’hétérozygotie et la diversité allélique à l'échelle de la population ont significativement augmenté après deux générations grâce à l'ajout d’allèles provenant d'individus relocalisés. Mes résultats appuient une littérature croissante en faveur de la translocation en tant qu'outil de conservation en milieu naturel. Dans l’ensemble, mon projet montre que le suivi post-translocation des individus relocalisés et des populations ciblées, autant au niveau comportemental que génétique, peut fournir des indices sur le succès ou l'échec des programmes de renforcement. L’utilisation d’une approche intégrée combinant différentes composantes de la translocation est une avenue prometteuse pour l’étude des translocations en milieu naturel.

Adelges tsugae Annand is a non-native invasive insect threatening the survival of eastern hemlock (Tsuga canadensis) and Carolina hemlock (T. caroliniana). A. tsugae is established in over half of the total range of eastern hemlock and the entire range of Carolina hemlock. Its continued spread, establishment and associated hemlock mortality make research into biological control of A. tsugae crucial. Field surveys of predators associated with A. tsugae in the Pacific Northwest identified a strong correlation between A. tsugae abundance with Laricobius nigrinus and two species of silver fly, Leucopis argenticollis and Leucopis piniperda. Flies in the genus Leucopis are known specialist predators of adelgids and recent studies have shown a strong synchronization between the lifecycles of Leucopis spp. and A. tsugae. The purpose of this study was to test the potential establishment of Leucopis spp. at the southern and northern extent of A. tsugae infested eastern hemlock in eastern United States. In 2015 and 2016, western Leucopis spp. adults were released at two different densities into enclosed branches of A. tsugae infested T. canadensis in Tennessee and New York. A. tsugae on the branches were counted before putting on the enclosure. Four weeks after set-up, all of the enclosures were collected. The number of Leucopis spp. offspring were counted and then stored in ethanol. The number of Leucopis spp. offspring collected were positively related to adelgid density, but did not differ by the number of adult flies per enclosure. Flies collected from enclosures and from the source colony were identified as L.argenticollis and L. piniperda using DNA barcoding. These results show that Leucopis spp. from the Pacific Northwest feed and develop to the adult stage on A. tsugae in the eastern USA. They are able to tolerate environmental conditions during late spring and early summer at the southern and northern extent of the area invaded by A. tsugae in the eastern USA.

Globally, male ungulate species are heavily managed for their sporting and trophy qualities. North American elk (Cervus canadensis) are typically managed using a male-biased harvest regime, placing increased chances of mortality on males in these hunted populations. To manage for trophy quality animals that typically represent older age classes, wildlife managers have implemented many age-biased harvest regulations, including spike-only tags and antler point restrictions. Many of these age-biased harvest regulations have fallen short of their desired goal of producing older bull elk. Consequently, the consensus has evolved to center on an overall reduction in harvest pressure. The state of Kentucky began an elk restoration project in 1997, with 1,553 elk released through 2002. As with other modern elk restoration projects, the male demographic received little research attention in the years immediately post restoration. The difficult logistics surrounding the transport of adult male elk and the reluctance of source states to part with potential trophy animals, led to few adult male elk receiving tracking collars to monitor this demographic. Hunter success rates indicated a growing male component to this population in light of the lack of a radio-marked cohort. With overall population numbers increasing in step with predictive models, so too did hunting tag numbers and hunting pressure. This rise in hunting pressure likely forced elk to become more cryptic, giving rise to the perception of a decline in the elk population, especially older age class male elk. This research represents the first in-depth look at the survival rates and habitat selection of adult male elk in Kentucky. Recent improvements in field methodology have allowed for the more efficient acquisition of a robust sample of adult male elk. I conducted a radio-telemetry study of adult male elk within southeast Kentucky to investigate the following: (1) survival and cause-specific mortality factors, (2) survival during the fall hunting period, (3) changes in survival following the implementation of a limited entry area (LEA) enclosing our study area, and (4) the associations of morphometric characteristics with the survival of adult male elk. Given the lack of information on the habitat use of male elk, a cohort of global positioning system (GPS) equipped elk were captured to investigate: (1) seasonal habitat use of male elk, (2) quantification of availability of male elk in readily viewable habitats, (3) changes to the percent of open land within the fall home range of adult male elk, and (4) the influence of open land on survival rates. To investigate the dispersal of male elk, I compared genetic relatedness to space use. Finally, in an attempt to better understand our existing capture methodologies, I analyzed drug induction and reversal metrics for the immobilization drug Carfentanil citrate. Survival analysis resulted in a 16.9% (CI = 12.2 – 23.7) three-year survival rate for adult male elk. An improvement in survival rate (p = 0.077) was noted after the implementation of an LEA system that limited the number of hunters in the study area. No morphometric characteristics were observed to have an association with survival, indicating that hunters indiscriminately harvest male elk. Predictive, habitat use models for male elk indicated a preference for grass habitats and use of habitats near grass patches. Seasonal variation in habitat use was observed with the greatest daily use of grass habitats occurring in the winter season. Adult male elk selected for open land at greater rates than is available across the study area. Over the course of three hunting seasons, elk were found to reduce their use of open land during daylight hours, and we anecdotally believe this to be a response to hunting pressure. A reduction in survival probability of male elk was directly related to use of open land in the final year of the project. Little home range overlap was observed between related male elk, indicating some level of dispersal and intra-specific competition. Predictive models for Carfentanil immobilization indicated an increase in efficacy of a shoulder injection as opposed to a hindquarter drug injection. Future management of elk in Kentucky should center on promoting the persistence of healthy grassland areas within the elk restoration zone and meeting hunter expectations. Hunter expectations should be gathered and management tailored to meet their desires and the objectives of the management agency. This research indicates that hunters harvest male elk regardless of trophy characteristics, yet we are not sure of the underlying reasons. The interaction of habitat and survival is complex and further complicated by the reclaimed coal mines that Kentucky elk live upon. Habitat management priorities should focus on a heterogeneous, yet healthy habitat that meets the needs of all species residing on these once-exploited lands.

Brucellosis is a bacterial infection that primarily affects livestock and can also be transmitted to humans. In the Greater Yellowstone Ecosystem (GYE), elk (Cervus canadensis) and bison (Bison bison) are habitual carriers of Brucella abortus, which arrived to the region with cattle over a century ago. The disease was eliminated from cattle in the United States through widespread control efforts, but is now periodically transmitted back to cattle on open rangelands where they can come into contact with fetal tissues and fluids from disease-induced abortions that occur among elk during the late winter and spring. In Wyoming, south of Yellowstone National Park, there are 23 supplemental feedgrounds that operate annually and feed the majority of the region’s elk during a portion of the winter. The feedgrounds are controversial because of their association with brucellosis and may be shuttered in the future in part due to the arrival of chronic wasting disease. Using data collected at these feedgrounds, this study investigates the role of winter feedgrounds in the ecology of this host-pathogen relationship: it evaluates the full reproductive costs of the disease to affected elk, how herd demography influences pathogen transmission, and assesses management strategies aimed at reducing pathogen spread among elk. Using blood tests for pregnancy status and brucellosis exposure in female elk, I demonstrated a previously undocumented fertility cost associated with the pathogen which is not due to abortions, but which nearly doubles the estimated fertility cost to affected individuals. I also built mechanistic transmission models using time-series disease and count data from feedgrounds. Within that framework, I assessed various management actions including test-and-slaughter of test-positive elk, which I found to be counterproductive due to rapid recovery times and the protective effects of herd immunity. The overall picture that emerges of winter feedgrounds is one of imperfect practicality driven by social and political consideration, not pathogen control. These results illustrate the underappreciated importance that recruitment and population turnover have on the transmission dynamics of brucellosis in elk, a pathogen which itself flourishes in the reproductive tracts of individual animals and thus impacts vital rates at the population level. Together, this study contributes to the field of disease ecology using a unique long term disease data set of free-ranging wild ungulates.

Increased snowmobile use in mountainous terrain has been highlighted as a conservation concern for some Canada lynx (Lynx canadensis) populations. Snow compaction resulting from winter recreation may potentially facilitate access by coyotes (Canis latrans) to habitats used by lynx during winter. Increased interactions could result in either exploitation or interference competition between the two species. Two recent, yet geographically distinct, studies showed contrasting findings regarding coyote movements and their use of snow-compacted trails during the winter. These findings suggest coyote association with snow-compacted trails may be regionally specific and dependent upon ecosystem dynamics and snow characteristics. The objectives of this study were to document diet, space use, and movements of coyotes occupying deep snow regions and explore whether a potential existed for increased interactions between coyotes and lynx due to snowmobile activity. We documented seasonal variation in coyote diets using scat collections to assess dietary overlap with lynx. Coyote resource use within and among habitats containing snowmobile activity was examined using coyote backtrack surveys during two consecutive field seasons in northwestern Wyoming. Although scat analysis findings suggest dietary overlap was not significant between coyotes and lynx during the winter or overall (all seasons combined), we lacked adequate sample size of lynx scats to determine if dietary overlap occurred during the fall, when coyote use of snowshoe hare peaked (24.1 % of all fall occurrences). Coyote backtrack surveys revealed that coyotes not only persisted in habitats used by lynx throughout the winter, but that snow compaction resulting from winter recreation use appeared to influence coyote movements during the winter months. Microhabitat analysis revealed that snow conditions influenced coyote behaviors and habitat use. This research provided insight into the impacts of winter recreation on coyote diet and habitat use during the winter months in northwestern Wyoming. In addition, these results have implications for local lynx populations in the southern periphery of their natural range. These results may assist land management agencies in planning and implementing management strategies to enhance lynx recovery, and may be used to guide decisions regarding areas designated for winter recreation and areas proposed for expansion of winter activities.

Modeling habitat suitability is beneficial for management and conservation of a species. Although data-rich models are commonly used, opinion-based models may be a beneficial alternative to estimate suitable habitat locations. Despite the increasing use of habitat models, few studies have linked habitat model covariates (i.e., land cover, weather, and normalized difference vegetation indexes (NDVI)) to demographic parameters. This study evaluates model performance and transferability of maximum entropy (MaxEnt) and expert opinion models for predicting American beaver (Castor canadensis) distribution in the southeastern US. I also investigated the relationship of environmental and habitat model covariates to beaver survival. The model’s predictive performance and transferability were evaluated using the area under the curve (AUC) index. Both model approaches performed well at predicting beaver presence. While MaxEnt had better performance, the expert models predicted greater areas as suitable for beaver. Beaver survival was estimated for northern Alabama and was found to be influenced by NDVI and weather covariates in this study.

The genus Castor is represented in Eurasia by Castor fiber, North America by C. canadensis, and has been in North America since the late Miocene. This study aims to assess whether morphology of Miocene-Pliocene C. californicus and extant C. canadensis are distinctly different. Specimens of Castor were compared using geometric morphometrics on cranial material and linear measurements of postcranial material. Species occurrence data were compared with past and future climate data to assess Castor distribution in North America through time. Results show that C. canadensis is highly variable in both cranial and postcranial morphology and C. californicus falls largely within the range of variation seen within the extant species. Past distributions match fossil occurrences of Castor, suggesting confidence in projected models. Morphological and distribution similarities between the two species suggest that they can be treated as ecological analogs, though evaluation of whether they are conspecific will require more data.