Thesis (M.S.)--Marshall University, 2009. / Title from document title page. Includes abstract. Document formatted into pages: contains vi, 113 p. Includes bibliographical references p. 42-47.

Thesis (M. Sc.)(Wildlife Management)--University of Pretoria, 2005. / Includes bibliographical references. Available on the Internet via the World Wide Web.

"Professional paper presented in partial fulfillment of the requirements for the degree of Master of Science in Wildlife Biology, the University of Montana, Missoula, MT, spring 2007." / Title from PDF title page (viewed on Aug. 12, 2007). Includes bibliographical references (p. 61-70).

Thesis (M. Sc.)--University of Alberta, 2009. / Title from pdf file main screen (viewed on Nov. 16, 2009). "A thesis submitted to the Faculty of Graduate Studies and Research in partial fulfillment of the requirements for the degree of Master of Science in Ecology, Department of Biological Sciences, University of Alberta." Includes bibliographical references.

<p> Coexistence with people is one of the greatest challenges to survival for the African savannah elephant (<i>Loxodonta africana</i>), listed as Vulnerable in the IUCN Species Red List (Blanc 2008), in areas where human cultivation borders fragmented habitats (Hoare and Du Toit 1999; Osborn and Parker 2002), and crop-raiding occur. Electric fences are used more frequently. While they are effective at deterring the more risk-averse general population, they do not solve the problem of older, dominant bull elephants known as habitual (crop) raiders (HRs) that have learned to break through the most sophisticated fence designs without getting shocked (Kioko et al. 2008; Mutinda et al. 2014). There is no single solution to stop crop-raiding conflicts with HRs because they habituate to farm-based deterrents (Bell 1984; Tchamba 1995; Taylor 1999) and current novel approaches using chili-based repellents and beehive fences have had limited success but are labor-intensive and impractical for large-scale general crop protection. Further, important migration corridors have been closed off to mitigate conflicts, compromising the viability of local populations. HRs are responsible for causing 80-100% of crop-damage (Jackson et al. 2008; Alhering et al. 2011; Chiyo et al. 2011; Fernando 2011). They are not only singled out for lethal management or translocation by local authorities, they are targeted and killed by affected communities. However, HRs are keystone individuals and their constant removal has profound ecological and population implications. Focus needs to be shifted from constructing evermore elaborate fences to preventing the formation of &ldquo;problem&rdquo; elephants. Current management practices that increase aggression, increase crop-raiding conflicts, increase the risk of local extinctions, and has the potential to degrade the environment should be eliminated. In this thesis, I take an interdisciplinary approach to: (1) further understanding of HR behavioral ecology, the development of crop-raiding behavior and the potentially negative impacts of current management practices; (2) conduct a thorough analysis of HR fence-breaking/crop-raiding behavior in the Laikipia Plateau, Kenya, and suggest alternate methods to stop the conflicts; (3) introduce a behavior modification technique I designed that uses signal and solution learning to discourage HRs from raiding crops. It is my belief that any management approach, to be effective, must be developed with a clear understanding of the animal&rsquo;s capacity to learn, and the causation, development, evolution and adaptive value of the behavior to be modified.</p><p>

<p> Across the planet, climate change is altering the way human societies interact with the environment. Amplified climate change at high latitudes is significantly altering the structure and function of ecosystems, creating challenges and necessitating adaptation by societies in the region that depend on local ecosystem services for their livelihoods. Rural communities in Interior Alaska rely on plants and animals for food, clothing, fuel and shelter. Previous research suggests that climate-induced changes in environmental conditions are challenging the abilities of rural residents to travel across the land and access local resources, but detailed information on the nature and effect of specific conditions is lacking. My objectives were to identify climate-related environmental conditions affecting subsistence access, and then estimate travel and access vulnerability to those environmental conditions. I collaborated with nine Interior Alaskan communities within the Yukon River basin and provided local residents with camera-equipped GPS units to document environmental conditions directly affecting access for 12 consecutive months. I also conducted comprehensive interviews with research participants to incorporate the effects of environmental conditions not documented with GPS units. Among the nine communities collaborating on this research, 18 harvesters documented 479 individual observations of environmental conditions affecting their travel with GPS units. Environmental conditions were categorized into seven condition types. I then ranked categories of conditions using a vulnerability index that incorporated both likelihood (number of times a condition was documented) and sensitivity (magnitude of the effect from the condition) information derived from observations and interviews. Changes in ice conditions, erosion, vegetative community composition and water levels had the greatest overall effect on travel and access to subsistence resources. Environmental conditions that impeded travel corridors, including waterways and areas with easily traversable vegetation (such as grass/sedge meadows and alpine tundra), more strongly influenced communities off the road network than those connected by roads. Combining local ecological knowledge and scientific analysis presents a broad understanding of the effects of climate change on access to subsistence resources, and provides information that collaborating communities can use to optimize adaptation and self-reliance. </p><p>

<p> Reservoirs throughout the country exhibit degraded shorelines and simplified littoral habitats because of aging. This study evaluated the establishment of agricultural plantings on reservoir mudflats and the effectiveness of supplemental brush pile structures in providing recruitment habitat for juvenile fish. The mudflats of Enid Reservoir, Mississippi were seeded during the winter drawdown in October of 2016 and 2017 with agricultural plantings. Monitoring of plantings found grasses performed best in terms of establishment and providing potential fish habitat. During Summer 2017 brush piles and control sites, without brush, were sampled in Enid Reservoir using rotenone to evaluate juvenile fish use. Juvenile fish exhibited greater abundances and larger sizes, on average, in brush pile sites. Larger brush piles placed in shallower water provided the greatest benefit to juvenile fish.</p><p>

abstract: In riparian ecosystems, reptiles and amphibians are good indicators of environmental conditions. Herpetofauna have been linked to specific microhabitat characteristics, microclimates, and water resources in riparian forests. My objective was to relate herpetofauna abundance to changes in riparian habitat along the Virgin River caused by the Tamarix biological control agent, Diorhabda carinulata, and riparian restoration. During 2013 and 2014, vegetation and herpetofauna were monitored at 21 riparian locations along the Virgin River via trapping and visual encounter surveys. Study sites were divided into four stand types based on density and percent cover of dominant trees (Tamarix, Prosopis, Populus, and Salix) and presence of restoration activities: Tam, Tam-Pros, Tam-Pop/Sal, and Restored Tam-Pop/Sal. Restoration activities consisted of mechanical removal of non-native trees, transplanting native trees, and introduction of water flow. All sites were affected by biological control. I predicted that herpetofauna abundance would vary between stand types and that herpetofauna abundance would be greatest in Restored Tam-Pop/Sal sites due to increased habitat openness and variation following restoration efforts. Results from trapping indicated that Restored Tam-Pop/Sal sites had three times more total lizard and eight times more Sceloporus uniformis captures than other stand types. Anaxyrus woodhousii abundance was greatest in Tam-Pop/Sal and Restored Tam-Pop/Sal sites. Visual encounter surveys indicated that herpetofauna abundance was greatest in the Restored Tam-Pop/Sal site compared to the adjacent Unrestored Tam-Pop/Sal site. Habitat variables were reduced to six components using a principle component analysis and significant differences were detected among stand types. Restored Tam-Pop/Sal sites were most similar to Tam-Pop/Sal sites. S. uniformis were positively associated with large woody debris and high densities of Populus, Salix, and large diameter Prosopis. Restored Tam-Pop/Sal sites likely supported higher abundances of herpetofauna, as these areas exhibited greater habitat heterogeneity. Restoration activities created a mosaic habitat by reducing canopy cover and increasing native tree density and surface water. Natural resource managers should consider implementing additional restoration efforts following biological control when attempting to restore riparian areas dominated by Tamarix and other non-native trees. / Dissertation/Thesis / Masters Thesis Applied Biological Sciences 2014

<p> Understanding survival and breeding season length of game birds are important for effective management and conservation. By determining the variables that drive survival and recovery rates for white-winged doves (<i>Zenaida asiatica</i>), I can offer management implications to agencies across their range. There is currently little knowledge about white-winged dove molting and hatching chronology. The objectives of this study were to: 1) investigate annual survival and recovery rates of white-winged doves, 2) determine intrinsic and extrinsic factors influencing them, 3) determine AHY primary feather molt rate and the factors that influence molt rate and initiation, and 4) describe hatch chronology and determine the factors that influence hatching. To understand what influences annual survival and recovery, I examined subpopulation, climate variables, urbanization characteristics, molt, and band type as covariates. I used the Brownie approach in the RMark package of R to compare annual survival and recovery models and generate estimates. I used Underhill and Zucchini models in the Moult package of R to determine AHY primary feather molt rate and the best predictors of molt rate and initiation. I analyzed molt scores of HY doves recorded during annual banding using GLMs in R to determine the factors that influence hatching. I used AIC to select the most parsimonious models for each <i>a priori</i> candidate set. I analyzed 71,675 bands, of which, 3,086 were recovered from 2007 &ndash; 2016. My most supported model influencing survival and recovery was [<i>S</i>(age class x urban intensity) <i>f</i>(age class X MRPP)]. Average AHY primary molt rate across Texas was 13.21 &plusmn; 0.93 days. MRPP subpopulation + Year was the most supported model influencing AHY primary molt rate, AHY molt initiation, and hatch date. Within my sample, 95% of AHY white-winged doves began molting from 7 April to 8 July and completed molt 17 August to 17 November. White-winged doves hatched as early as 6 January and as late as 27 July, with 95% of all hatching occurring between 22 March and 18 June and peaking at 5 May. Urban intensity was an important variable influencing annual survival, which is expected for such an urbanized species. MRPP subpopulations influenced vital rates and should be considered for future harvest management. </p><p>

<p> Interactions between animal populations and their environment form the foundation of wildlife management, and provision of resources that enhance fitness produce effectual management. Hunting is a selective force that shapes behavior and other adaptations of harvested species and may subsequently impact diel habitat use. Moreover, linking habitat use to biological outcomes, such as survival, is needed to evidence habitat suitability because of equivocal relations among population density, habitat correlations, or energy availability to population dynamics. The mallard (<i>Anas platyrhynchos</i>) is among the most coveted and harvested waterfowl in North America and is a migratory species of ecological, economic, and social importance. The Mississippi Alluvial Valley (MAV) is an ancestral and continentally important wintering area for North American mallards despite significant anthropogenic wetland transformation. Through targeted objectives and consequence of soil and water conservation, financial assistance programs have expanded waterfowl habitat on private lands in Mississippi. I radiomarked 265 female mallards and tracked their diel habitat use in winters 2010-2015 to evaluate objectives related to their wintering ecology in the MAV of Mississippi. Specifically, I investigated whether waterfowl hunting influenced use of some habitats during hunting season, the effectiveness of financial assistance programs in providing habitat, and habitat suitability through habitat specific survival rates. Females made greatest use of forested and emergent wetlands diurnally and emergent wetlands and flooded cropland at night. Results suggested that mallards did not avoid flooded cropland or emergent wetlands diurnally during hunting season, but conclusions were complicated by significant use of inviolate sanctuaries. Mallards used numerous incentivized conservation program wetlands, but use was less than public and privately managed wetlands. Among conservation programs, those with large enrollment and a focus on restoration (i.e., Wetlands Reserve Program) were most used by mallards. Apparent survival was independent of diurnal habitat use suggesting that mallards use of wetland complexes leads to their winter survival. Restoration of forested wetlands should be a management focus and easement programs provide such inroads on private lands. Public wetlands are an important source of habitat and inviolate sanctuary should be considered where waterfowl hunting is a predominate activity.</p><p>