Raptor rehabilitation has become commonplace globally, yet studies on the survival and adaptation of great horned owls (Bubo virginianus) after release has been neglected to an appreciable extent. The primary objective of this study is to provide quantitative data on the success of rehabilitated and released great horned owls in the North Texas region. Owls (N=12) were rehabilitated and released onto the Ray Roberts Greenbelt Corridor in Denton County, Texas, and monitored using radio telemetry to evaluate home range (November 2002 - February 2005). With approximately 75% of the birds released for this study surviving until transmitter battery failure, it is believed that the rehabilitation process was successful for these birds.

No description available.

We tested the adequacy of standard 30 m riparian buffers for semi-aquatic vertebrate species, using the boreal toad (Bufo boreas boreas) as an example. We monitored toad populations in south-central Utah using radio telemetry during the summers of 2003 and 2004. We found 30 m buffers inadequate for protecting boreal toads and suggest this is likely true for other species as well. Managers must consider several factors when constructing buffers: (1) Buffer requirements may vary by time of year. While we located toads most often in wet habitats, toads commonly utilized upland habitats in late summer, occasionally at distances greater than 100 m from water. (2) A single year's observation may not be sufficient to establish adequate buffers. Toads moved into upland habitats more often and at greater distances from water (> or = 30 m) during the wetter, cooler weather conditions of 2004 than in 2003. (3) Buffer requirements may differ by sex. Male toads appeared to have stronger selection for wetland habitats than females. Females moved greater distances from water than males, often outside of buffer areas. (4) Buffer requirements may differ by location. 30 m buffers contained 82.4% of all observations, though results varied between 50.0 and 97.2%, depending on breeding location. Finally (5) All habitat requirements should be considered when establishing buffers. Many small, unmapped streams and seeps utilized by toads for hibernation were located outside buffer zones. After ground truthing and extending 30 m buffers around these habitats, the percentage of all observations within 30 m buffers increased to 92.4%. Managers need to be aware of the accuracy of digital and other mapping sources used in creating buffers and to incorporated all critical habitats in conservation buffers. Our boreal toad example suggests that ground truthing may be the most important factor in establishing effective buffer zones.

Migration of animals has been studied for decades and has included everything from large terrestrial and pelagic mammals traveling thousands of kilometers to many types of birds flying through several countries to insects going through multiple life cycles in a single migration. The migration of bats has been studied in broad terms to gather coarse information such as distance traveled, connecting summer and winter habitat, and a general understanding of timing. However, only recently have researchers begun to understand the specifics of bat migration including physiology and fine resolution behavior. Using nine years of spring migration data collected on VHF radio-tagged federally endangered female Indiana bats (Myotis sodalis), I predicted behavior based on previous migration studies for bats that used various methods such as band recovery data, stable hydrogen isotopes, and automated telemetry. My project used aerial telemetry to collect location points while tracking individual bats throughout the migration. I describe distances traveled, how much time bats spent in migration, traveling and foraging behavior during migration, and how weather affects bat behavior. In addition, this project resulted in the location of 17 previously unknown maternity colonies for the species including the southernmost colony known to date. Next, I used temperature data collected from individual bats along with ambient temperature to determine how air temperature affects specific bat behavior. I calculated air temperature thresholds for use of torpor in Indiana bats and described how air temperature affects transition states between torpor and normothermy. Finally, I determined landscape preferences for migrating bats during travel and foraging. Indiana bats tend to migrate in a direct path from hibernaculum to summer grounds and use the habitat in the proportion that it is available. Although bats used forested cover when possible, they did travel in open areas (e.g., across agricultural fields) when necessary to continue along the intended trajectory. This data set is the first to track individual nocturnally migrating bats via aerial telemetry for the entirety of the spring migration journey. It provides specific information about how far Indiana bats travel and how long they are migrating across the landscape, illustrates a web of connections between summer and winter habitat, describes the effect of weather on bat behavior, and provides landscape use information that can be useful for land managers and developers.

The western toad (Anaxyrus boreas, formerly Bufo boreas) is one of many amphibian species considered to be at risk of extinction (COSEWIC status is Special Concern). I examined habitat use patterns of the western toad using several methods to gain a better understanding of its habitat requirements. I examined the relationship between relative abundance of the western toad and two sympatric amphibian species (wood frog, Lithobates sylvaticus; and boreal chorus frog, Pseudacris maculata) and habitat features at eight scales of spatial extent at 24 wetlands in the Lake Utikuma region of Alberta, Canada. I radio-tracked adult western toads in three study areas in the Aspen Parkland and Boreal regions of north-central Alberta to examine 1) whether patterns of habitat selection change with different scales of spatial extent, spatial resolution, habitat composition, temporal period, and between males and females during the active period, 2) habitat used for hibernation, and 3) factors influencing the timing and nature of movements to hibernation sites. I found that the abundance of the three amphibian species was best described at different spatial extents and was related to the biology of each species. Resource Selection Function (RSF) models, created using radio-telemetry data, indicated that habitat selection was scale-dependent for western toads; differences in selection were observed among study designs, study areas, time periods, and sexes. Predictive ability did not differ significantly among study designs. However, models that were created using a fine-grained map and home-range spatial extent generally produced models with greater predictive ability than models using a coarse-grained map or population-range extent. During the active season toads selected open habitat types such as wet shrub, disturbed grass, and crop/hay fields. Western toads hibernated terrestrially in pre-existing tunnels and the majority of toads hibernated in forest stands dominated by spruce. Toads used hibernation sites 1461936 m from breeding ponds and 68% of hibernacula were communal. Arrival at and entry into hibernation sites was influenced by temperature and/or day length; larger toads moved to hibernation sites later in the year. My research results can be used to identify and protect habitat for western toads in Canada. / Environmental Biology and Ecology

No description available.

Thesis (MScEng (Electrical and Electronic Engineering))--University of Stellenbosch, 2011. / ENGLISH ABSTRACT: This thesis involves research on wildlife telemetry tracking for the Cape Leopard Trust (CLT). The CLT needed a network to transfer GPS data and single frame photos from remote locations in the Cederberg to a researcher's base station. The proposed solution is an ad hoc wireless network, where nodes perform polling of leopard collars and send information via the multi-hop network to the researcher's base once it is downloaded from a collar. The literature study involved medium access control - and routing protocols for e ectively transferring information. The solution was implemented in hardware and range tests were done in the Cederberg to determine feasible locations for nodes in this network for covering most of the CLT study area. Link budgets for this area was determined with Radio Mobile to compare with actual ranges as measured. The simulation of protocols was done in OMNET++ which could be compared with actual results from the physical network. / AFRIKAANSE OPSOMMING: Hierdie tesis handel oor navorsing wat gedoen is vir die Kaapse Luipaard Trust (CLT) vir die opsporing van luipaarde. Die CLT het 'n netwerk nodig gehad wat GPS data en enkel raam fotos van afgeleë gebiede in die Cederberge na 'n navorser se basis stuur. Die voorgestelde oplossing is 'n ad hoc draadlose netwerk, waar nodisse luipaard nekbande oproep om data af te laai en dan te stuur deur die multi-hop netwerk na die navorser se basis. Die literatuurstudie handel oor medium toegangs beheer - en roete verkryging protokolle vir die effektiewe oordrag van informasie. Die oplossing is in hardeware geïmplimenteer en radio-afstand-toetse is gedoen in die Cederberge om goedgeleë posisies vir nodisse te bepaal om die grootste gedeelte van die CLT studie area te dek. Radio Mobile is gebruik om voorspellings te maak rakende die afstande verkrygbaar tussen radios om te vergelyk met die fisiese metings in die veld. Die simulasie van protokolle is gedoen in OMNET++ en vergelyk met prestasie metings op die fisiese netwerk.

There is a concern that the ecosystems around the world are suffering from fragmentation. Ecosystems such as rivers have lost their connectivity to a large extent due to hydroelectric dams with no or insufficient passways for the natural flow of organisms, matter and energy. The Atlantic salmon, Salmo salar, is anadromous, migrating up rivers to spawn as adults and downstream to the sea as juveniles to feed. Before entering the sea, juveniles go through a parr-smolt transformation which alters their behavior, morphology, and physiology. Using radio telemetry, we assessed how the degree of smoltification, in combination with migrational timing and the juvenile’s size, affected their migration. Overall migratory success was found to differ significantly across the range of smoltification, with more fully smoltified juveniles having the highest probability (94%) of reaching the sea. No relationship was found between smoltification status and average migrational speed or delays when passing a dam. Migrational timing was also correlated to migrational success, with earlier juveniles being 50 % more likely to reach the sea than those leaving 2-3 weeks later. All of the tagged juveniles (28) that passed the dam were delayed by an average of 1,32 km/h relative to their median speed in the river, and 18 of the juveniles made it down to the sea. No effect of migrational timing was found with average migrational speed or with dam delays however. Unexpectedly, larger lengths were correlated with slower average migration speeds and greater delays when encountering a dam. This new knowledge about the degree of smoltification and its relation to migration success can help river management to direct their efforts in the right direction to strengthen salmon populations. / Ekosystem som älvar och åar har i stor utsträckning förlorat konnektiviteten till följd av vattenkraftverk med otillräckliga passager för det naturliga flödet av organismer, materia och energi. Atlantlax Salmo salar är en anadrom fisk vars livscykel kräver att den vandrar mellan olika habitat. Den vandrar upp i vattendrag som vuxna för att leka och ut till havet som unga för att äta. De unga laxarna går igenom en utvecklingsprocess (smoltifiering) innan de simmar ut i havet vilket förändrar deras beteende, morfologi och fysiologi. Med hjälp av radiotelemetri bedömde vi hur graden av smoltifiering i kombination med timing och storlek påverkade deras nedströmsvandring. Vi såg en avsevärd skillnad inom dem olika smoltifierings graderna och en lyckad nedströmsvandring, de fullständigt smoltifierade fiskarna var mest sannolika att klara nedströmsvandringen (94%). Inget samband hittades mellan smoltifieringsgrad och genomsnittliga vandringshastigheten genom ån eller förbi ett vattenkraftverk. En lyckad nedströmsvandring var relaterad till tid och vi fann att de som vandrade tidigt hade 50% större chans att nå ut till havet än de som lämnade 2–3 veckor senare. Alla radiomärkta fiskar (28) som passerade vattenkraftverket vart försenade med -1,32 km/h jämfört med deras genomsnittliga hastighet, av 48 märkta fiskar klarade sig 18 ut till havet. Oväntat nog var längre längd relaterat till större förseningar både i medianhastighet och vid passage av en damm. Den här kunskapen om sambandet mellan smoltifieringsgrad och lyckad nedströmsvandring kan förbättra insatser som görs i åar och älvar för att optimera för djur och natur.

No description available.

<p>The distribution of Blanding’s turtles in North America is centered on the Great Lakes region, where the impacts from high levels of development have reduced and isolated populations. They are particularly sensitive to habitat loss and fragmentation because of their broad habitat requirements, migratory behaviour, and relatively large seasonal movements and home ranges. Consequently, Blanding’s turtles have been designated a species at-risk throughout the majority of their geographic range. In 2011 we conducted a radio-tracking program to compare the home ranges and movement patterns of Blanding’s turtles in two eco-regions of Ontario that have contrasting habitat and landscape characteristics: Georgian Bay Islands National Park and Rondeau Provincial Park. We also used GPS loggers to supplement data collection by radio-tracking and to evaluate the effectiveness of GPS loggers in tracking the movements of a semi-aquatic species. We found differences in home range between our two study populations that may be linked to landscape features and seasonal differences in movement within the population in Georgian Bay Islands National Park. We also determined that GPS loggers, when used in combination with radio-tracking, can effectively track the movements of Blanding’s turtles with a higher temporal and spatial resolution than by radio-tracking alone. This study highlights the importance of developing management strategies that are tailored to the spatial requirements of distinct populations, and the need for conservation measures that protect aquatic and terrestrial habitat surrounding the main activity centres of Blanding’s turtles.</p> / Master of Science (MSc)