DOCSLIB.ORG

Seasonal Habitat Use of the Florida Manatee (Trichecus Manatus Latirostris) in the Crystal River Natural Refuge with Regards to Natural and Anthropogenic Factors

Total Page：16

File Type：pdf, Size：1020Kb

Download full-text PDF Read full-text
Seasonal Habitat Use of the Florida Manatee (Trichecus Manatus Latirostris) in the Crystal River Natural Refuge with Regards to Natural and Anthropogenic Factors Georgia Southern University Digital Commons@Georgia Southern Electronic Theses and Dissertations Graduate Studies, Jack N. Averitt College of Spring 2007 Seasonal Habitat Use of The Florida Manatee (Trichecus Manatus Latirostris) In The Crystal River Natural Refuge With Regards To Natural And Anthropogenic Factors Ryan Willard Berger Follow this and additional works at: https://digitalcommons.georgiasouthern.edu/etd Recommended Citation Berger, Ryan Willard, "Seasonal Habitat Use of The Florida Manatee (Trichecus Manatus Latirostris) In The Crystal River Natural Refuge With Regards To Natural And Anthropogenic Factors" (2007). Electronic Theses and Dissertations. 731. https://digitalcommons.georgiasouthern.edu/etd/731 This thesis (open access) is brought to you for free and open access by the Graduate Studies, Jack N. Averitt College of at Digital Commons@Georgia Southern. It has been accepted for inclusion in Electronic Theses and Dissertations by an authorized administrator of Digital Commons@Georgia Southern. For more information, please contact [email protected]. SEASONAL HABITAT USE OF THE FLORIDA MANATEE (TRICHECUS MANATUS LATIROSTRIS) IN THE CRYSTAL RIVER NATIONAL WILDIFE REFUGE WITH REGARDS TO NATURAL AND ANTHROPOGENIC FACTORS by Ryan W. Berger (Under the Direction of Bruce Schulte) ABSTRACT Natural and anthropogenic factors work together to influence species habitat use. Kings Bay in Crystal River, Florida serves as critical habitat for the Florida manatee, but is also used extensively by humans. This study documented the seasonal dispersion and behavioral patterns of manatees in Kings Bay with regards to natural and anthropogenic factors from May 2005-June 2006. Survey stations were established across the bay and the number of manatees, people in the water, and boats were counted. The behavioral patterns of four major states were recorded using focal animal observations. During the winter, manatees aggregated in areas containing both springs and sanctuaries, where human activity was high and vegetation coverage low. In the non-winter, manatees were most abundant away from springs, where there was higher vegetative coverage and lower human activity. In the winter season, manatee spent most of their time resting in sanctuaries with springs, but when found feeding bouts were longer than in the non- winter season. In the non-winter, variation in behavior was attributed more to the lifestyle roles of different age and sex class manatees than to sub-habitat type. The need for sanctuaries that protect feeding sites during the non-winter season is recommended. INDEX WORDS: Dispersion Patterns, Behavior Patterns, Trichecus manatus latirostris, Habitat Use, Human Disturbance, Kings Bay, Florida Manatee, Crystal River 1 SEASONAL HABITAT USE OF THE FLORIDA MANATEE (TRICHECUS MANATUS LATIROSTRIS) IN THE CRYSTAL RIVER NATIONAL WILDIFE REFUGE WITH REGARDS TO NATURAL AND ANTHROPOGENIC FACTORS by RYAN W. BERGER B.S., University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign, 2003 A Thesis Submitted to the Graduate Faculty of Georgia Southern University in Partial Fulfillment of the Requirements for the Degree MASTER OF SCIENCE STATESBORO, GEORGIA 2007 2 © 2007 Ryan W. Berger All Rights Reserved 3 SEASONAL HABITAT USE OF THE FLORIDA MANATEE (TRICHECUS MANATUS LATIROSTRIS) IN THE CRYSTAL RIVER NATIONAL WILDIFE REFUGE WITH REGARDS TO NATUAL AND ANTHROPOGENIC FACTORS by RYAN W. BERGER Major Professor: Bruce A. Schulte Committee: Daniel F. Gleason Sophie B. George Iske L. V. Larkin Electronic Version Approved: May 2007 4 ACKNOWLEDGMENTS I would like to thank the folks in the biology department at Georgia Southern University for providing the foundation for my experience. Dr. Schulte, thank you for your patience and diligence in advisement. You provided me the opportunity to fulfill a childhood dream and through your advisement have created a learning experience that I will use throughout life. I would like to thank my committee members, Drs Gleason and George, for their constructive input on the thesis. To the graduate students, thank you for the many excellent memories. A special thanks to Erek Napora for his friendship and ability to bring the best out in others. I had the good fortune of collaborating with many wonderful individuals and organizations while working on this project. Dr. Larkin from the University of Florida provided beneficial advice while in the field and on the thesis, supplied field assistants, and provided financial support. I thank Mrs. Beck at the USGS’s Sirenia Project for the employment opportunity. I am very grateful to the USFWS’s staff that manages the Crystal River National Wildlife Refuge for allowing me to conduct research on their refuge. Mr. Kraus provided useful information and Ms Sarah Palimisano proved to be a wonderful friend. I would like to thank Monica Ross with Wildlife Trust for allowing me to aid in their manatee re-introductory project. Many foundations and organizations have provided financial support for Dr. Schulte’s manatee projects over the years. We are thankful to the Jane Smith Turner and Eppley Foundations, the Georgia Southern University Academic Excellence Award and Graduate Student Development Fund, and the National Fish and Wildlife Foundation in collaboration with the Walt Disney Corporation for graciously providing monetary support. I am very appreciative to Mr. Joe Johnson for his private funding. We would also like to thank the Ocean Kayak Company for the reduced price of our field kayak. Lastly, I have a very supportive and understanding family and I love you all so much. Thank you for instilling in me the qualities necessary to accomplish tasks such as this. Also, for putting up with the difficult times and working through them with me. Knowing you all were behind me allowed me to do the best job I was capable of doing. I must thank my dog, Kiara, for sharing this experience with me every single day. She is a wonderful companion and I have many great memories because of her. 5 CIRRICULUM VITAE PERMANENT ADDRESS: CURRENT ADDRESS: 903 S. Surrey Ct. 222 Lanier Dr. #307 Mahomet, IL 61853 Ryan Berger Statesboro, GA 30458 (217) 586-2470 [email protected] (912) 536-3612 ________________________________________________________________________ PROFESSIONAL OBJECTIVE To continue conducting quality research and educate the public through manatee awareness, advocacy and conservation by building on and fully utilizing the skills acquired while studying manatee habitat use in relation to human activity within the Crystal River National Wildlife Refuge. EDUCATION Georgia Southern University • Masters of Science in the Department of Biology (2004-2007) – GPA 4.0 • Thesis title: “Seasonal habitat use of the Florida manatee in Kings Bay, Crystal River Florida in relation to the natural factors of habitat composition and the possible impacts of human activities.” University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign (UIUC) • Bachelor of Science in Biology (1998-2003) – overall GPA 3.4/4.0 scale MANATEE BEHAVIOR AND CONSERVATION EXPERIENCE United States Geological Survey - Sirenia Project 9/05 - 4/06, 6/06 - 12/06 • Monitoring the manatee population in Kings Bay Crystal River FL through high quality photographs, aging and sexing of manatees for the Manatee Individual Photo-identification System’s (MIPS) database. • Assisted with manatee health assessments in Kings Bay as crew of the capture boat pulling lead lines and loading manatees. Health assessments were part of a study on animals having the papilloma virus. • Supervisor: Cathy Beck, [email protected] (353) 372-2571 ext 21. United States Fish & Wildlife - Chassaowitzka National Wildlife Refuge, Crystal River FL 5/04 – 12/06 • Worked closely with refuge staff, attended staff meetings, and spoke directly with the refuge manager regarding the political, economic, and environmental issues facing manatees within the refuge. • Aided in Florida manatee captures, conducted vegetation sampling as a long term data set within Kings Bay, and presented powerpoint updates to refuge staff and volunteers regarding my research. • Refuge Manager: Jim Kraus, [email protected] (352) 563-2088 Wildlife Trust - Kings Bay, Crystal River FL 9/05 – 2/06 • Aided in Florida manatee rescues of injured manatees and tracking of tagged manatees in Kings Bay. While tracking behavioral recordings were taken following an ethogram outlined by experienced personnel. • A tagged manatee was reintroduced into the wild as part of a rehabilitation process of injured manatees and special care was given to the tagged animals feeding and socializing habits. My proposal to aid in this important study was accepted by the Manatee Rehabilitation Partnership (MRP). • Manatee Behaviorist: Monica Ross, [email protected] (407) 739-9260 Georgia Southern University – Kings Bay, Crystal River FL data collection for thesis project 5/05-6/06 • I spent a total of 663 hours kayaking on the water to conduct a total of 264 20-minute behavioral observations on manatees over 218 days. I investigated the demographics of manatees that use Kings Bay seasonally as well as the specific behaviors performed and how 6 human activity might impact these behaviors. During behavioral observations, I aged, sexed, and photographed individual animals for my research photo-identification catalogue. I also trained many field assistants in the methodologies of behavioral data collection. • In addition, I spent a total of 492 hours kayaking a total of 164 surveys in which I counted the number of manatees, boating
Load more

Recommended publications
  • The Effects of Altered Hydrology on the Everglades
    Everglades Interim Report Chapter 2: Hydrologic Needs Chapter 2: Hydrologic Needs: The Effects of Altered Hydrology on the Everglades Fred Sklar, Chris McVoy, Randy Van Zee, Dale Gawlik, Dave Swift, Winnie Park, Carl Fitz, Yegang Wu, Dave Rudnick, Thomas Fontaine, Shili Miao, Amy Ferriter, Steve Krupa, Tom Armentano, Ken Tarboton, Ken Rutchey, Quan Dong, and Sue Newman Summary This chapter is an overview of historic hydrologic patterns, the effects of altered hydrology on the ecology of the Everglades, and the tools needed to assess and predict the impacts of water management. This is an anthology of historical information and hydrologic studies conducted over the last 100 years, covering millions of hectares, and includes scientific studies of Everglades soils, plants, and animals. The synthesis of this information, for setting hydrologic targets for restoration, is the goal of the Central and South Florida (C&SF) Restudy (see Chapter 10). This ecosystem assessment of the Everglades in relation to only hydrology is difficult because hydrology is strongly linked to water quality constituents, whose utilization, mobilization, and degradation in the Everglades is in turn, linked to hydrologic events and management. Although this chapter disassociates water quality from hydrology, in an attempt to address water management needs, and to meet the obligations set by the Everglades Forever Act, it is important to understand these linkages for sustainable management and restoration. Historic Hydrologic Change Drainage of the Everglades began in 1880 and in some locations, reduced water tables up to nine feet, reversed the direction of surface water flows, altered vegetation, created abnormal fire patterns, and induced high rates of subsidence.
    [Show full text]
  • Landcover Change and Population Dynamics of Florida Scrub-Jays and Florida Grasshopper Sparrows" (2009)
    University of Central Florida STARS Electronic Theses and Dissertations, 2004-2019 2009 Landcover Change And Population Dynamics Of Florida Scrub- jays And Florida Grasshopper Sparrows David Breininger University of Central Florida Part of the Biology Commons Find similar works at: https://stars.library.ucf.edu/etd University of Central Florida Libraries http://library.ucf.edu This Doctoral Dissertation (Open Access) is brought to you for free and open access by STARS. It has been accepted for inclusion in Electronic Theses and Dissertations, 2004-2019 by an authorized administrator of STARS. For more information, please contact [email protected]. STARS Citation Breininger, David, "Landcover Change And Population Dynamics Of Florida Scrub-jays And Florida Grasshopper Sparrows" (2009). Electronic Theses and Dissertations, 2004-2019. 3820. https://stars.library.ucf.edu/etd/3820 LANDCOVER CHANGE AND POPULATION DYNAMICS OF FLORIDA SCRUB-JAYS AND FLORIDA GRASSHOPPER SPARROWS by DAVID R. BREININGER B.S. Florida Institute of Technology, 1978 M.S. Florida Institute of Technology, 1981 A dissertation submitted in partial fulfillment of the requirements for the degree of Doctor of Philosophy in the Department of Biological Science in the College of Science at the University of Central Florida Orlando, Florida Spring Term 2009 Major Professor: Reed F. Noss ABSTRACT I confronted empirical habitat data (1994-2004) and population data (1988-2005) with ecological theory on habitat dynamics, recruitment, survival, and dispersal to develop predictive relationships between landcover variation and population dynamics. I focus on Florida Scrub-Jays, although one chapter presents a model for the potential influence of habitat restoration on viability of the Florida Grasshopper Sparrow.
    [Show full text]
  • To Secretary of the Interior Ken Salazar and the U.S
    To Secretary of the Interior Ken Salazar and the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service Petition for Rule-making: Critical Habitat Designation for the Endangered Florida Panther Center for Biological Diversity, Public Employees for Environmental Responsibility, Council of Civic Associations i Before the Department of the Interior U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service WASHINGTON, D.C. 20240 In Re: Florida panther recovery, Florida. ) Petition for rule-making to designate ) critical habitat and ensure recovery of ) the endangered Florida panther, in ) accordance with Florida Panther ) Recovery Plan and scientific findings. ) TO THE SECRETARY OF THE INTERIOR AND THE DIRECTOR, U.S. FISH AND WILDLIFE SERVICE Petition for Rule-making Michael J. Robinson Center for Biological Diversity P.O. Box 53166 Pinos Altos, NM 88053 September 17, 2009 ii Red-shouldered hawks cruise the low cypress and the marshlands, marsh hawks balance and tip, showing white rump marks, and far over at the edge of a thicket a deer feeds, and flicks his white- edged tail before he lifts his head and stares. From high in a plane at that time of year the Big Cypress seems an undulating misted surface full of peaks and gray valleys changing to feathering green. East of it, sharply defined as a river from its banks, move the vast reaches of the saw grass. The brown deer, the pale-colored lithe beautiful panthers that feed on them, the tuft-eared wildcats with their high-angled hind legs, the opossum and the rats and the rabbits have lived in and around it and the Devil’s Garden and the higher pinelands to the west since this world began.
    [Show full text]
  • Integrating Demography and Fire Management
    CSIRO PUBLISHING www.publish.csiro.au/journals/ajar Australian Journal of Botany, 2007, 55, 261–272 Integrating demography and fire management: an example from Florida scrub Eric S. Menges Archbold Biological Station, PO Box 2057, Lake Placid, FL 33862, USA. Email: [email protected] Abstract. In this work, I have used life-history and demographic data to define fire return intervals for several types of Florida scrub, a xeric shrubland where fire is the dominant ecological disturbance but where fire suppression is a major issue. The datasets combine chronosequence and longitudinal approaches at community and population levels. Resprouting shrubs, which dominate most types of Florida scrub, recover rapidly after fires (although their limits under frequent fires are not well known) and also increasingly dominate long-unburned areas. These dominant shrubs can prosper over a range of fire return intervals. Obligate-seeding scrub plants, which often have persistent seed banks, can be eliminated by frequent fire but often decline with infrequent fire. Population viability analyses of habitat specialists offer more precision in suggesting ranges of appropriate fire return intervals. For two types of Florida scrub (rosemary scrub and oak–hickory scrub), plant-population viability analyses narrow the interval and suggest more frequent fires than do previous recommendations, at intervals of 15–30 and 5–12 years, respectively. Variation in fire regimes in time and space (pyrodiversity) is recommended as a bet-hedging fire-management strategy and to allow co-existence of species with disparate life histories. Introduction Replicated experiments have advantages in controlling for With so many of the world’s habitats having fire as a factors other than the manipulated components of fire regimes, dominant ecological disturbance (Pyne 1997; Bond and Keeley but they can rarely be done at the landscape scale over 2005), management of these habitats is crucial to maintaining which fire operates (but see Andersen et al.
    [Show full text]
  • A CONCEPTUAL ECOLOGICAL MODEL of FLORIDA BAY Author(S): David T
    A CONCEPTUAL ECOLOGICAL MODEL OF FLORIDA BAY Author(s): David T. Rudnick, Peter B. Ortner, Joan A. Browder, and Steven M. Davis Source: Wetlands, 25(4):870-883. 2005. Published By: The Society of Wetland Scientists DOI: http://dx.doi.org/10.1672/0277-5212(2005)025[0870:ACEMOF]2.0.CO;2 URL: http://www.bioone.org/doi/full/10.1672/0277-5212%282005%29025%5B0870%3AACEMOF %5D2.0.CO%3B2 BioOne (www.bioone.org) is a nonprofit, online aggregation of core research in the biological, ecological, and environmental sciences. BioOne provides a sustainable online platform for over 170 journals and books published by nonprofit societies, associations, museums, institutions, and presses. Your use of this PDF, the BioOne Web site, and all posted and associated content indicates your acceptance of BioOne’s Terms of Use, available at www.bioone.org/page/terms_of_use. Usage of BioOne content is strictly limited to personal, educational, and non-commercial use. Commercial inquiries or rights and permissions requests should be directed to the individual publisher as copyright holder. BioOne sees sustainable scholarly publishing as an inherently collaborative enterprise connecting authors, nonprofit publishers, academic institutions, research libraries, and research funders in the common goal of maximizing access to critical research. WETLANDS, Vol. 25, No. 4, December 2005, pp. 870±883 q 2005, The Society of Wetland Scientists A CONCEPTUAL ECOLOGICAL MODEL OF FLORIDA BAY David T. Rudnick1, Peter B. Ortner2, Joan A. Browder3, and Steven M. Davis4 1 Coastal Ecosystems
    [Show full text]
  • Florida Panther Puma Concolor Coryi
    Florida Panther Puma concolor coryi he Florida panther, a subspecies of mountain lion, is Federal Status: Endangered (March 11, 1967) one of the most endangered large mammals in the Critical Habitat: None Designated Tworld. It is also Floridas state animal. A small Florida Status: Endangered population in South Florida,estimated to number between 30 and 50 adults (30 to 80 total individuals), represents the only Recovery Plan Status: Contribution (May 1999) known remaining wild population of an animal that once Geographic Coverage: South Florida ranged throughout most of the southeastern United States from Arkansas and Louisiana eastward across Mississippi, Alabama, Georgia, Florida and parts of South Carolina and Figure 1. County distribution of the Florida panther since 1981, based on radiotelemetry data. Tennessee. The panther presently occupies one of the least developed areas in the eastern United States; a contiguous system of large private ranches and public conservation lands in Broward, Collier, Glades, Hendry, Lee, Miami-Dade, Monroe, and Palm Beach counties totaling more than 809,400 ha. Geographic isolation, habitat loss, population decline, and associated inbreeding have resulted in a significant loss of genetic variability and overall health of the Florida panther population. Natural gene exchange ceased when the panther became geographically isolated from other subspecies of Puma concolor about a century ago. Population viability projections have concluded that, under current demographic and genetic conditions, the panther would probably become extinct within two to four decades. A genetic management program was implemented with the release of eight female Texas cougars (Puma concolor stanleyana) into South Florida in 1995 (refer to the Management section for a discussion of this program).
    [Show full text]
  • Florida Ecology, Natural History, and Conservation Fall 2020, 3 Credits the Course Calendar Can Be Found at the End of the Syllabus
    PCB 4353 – Florida Ecology, Natural History, and Conservation Fall 2020, 3 credits The course calendar can be found at the end of the syllabus Instructor: Dr. Gregg Klowden (pronounced "Cloud - in”) Office Hours: Tue 10:30-11:30a, Wed 2-3p, Thur 10:30-11:30a, or by appointment Office Hour location: On Zoom. The link is available on Webcourses on the “Zoom” page. E-mail: You may contact me via (A) the email inside Webcourses or (B) your Knights email at [email protected] I receive a large volume of emails from several courses. To help me help you, you must include: + A subject with (A) the course name (FL Ecology) and (B) a brief description of your question (e.g. FL Ecology – Question about swamp lecture) + Your first and last names in the message body If your message does not conform to the above guidelines it may go unanswered or be delayed Due to confidentiality, I will only reply to questions emailed within Webcourses or from your Knights email. I will try to respond to emails within 48 hours however, response time may be greater. Please plan accordingly by not waiting to the last minute to contact me with questions or concerns. Questions about grades must be discussed during office hours or using the Webcourses email. Class Meeting Times: Tuesdays and Thursdays 2:00 pm -3:15 pm on Zoom (Link available on Webcourses on the “Zoom” page) Course Prerequisite: Principals of Ecology (PCB 3044C) with a grade of C or better Intended Audience: Advanced Biological Science majors & minors.
    [Show full text]
  • Kautz Et Al., How Much Is Enough? Landscape-Scale Conservation for the Florida Panther
    BIOLOGICAL CONSERVATION 130 (2006) 118– 133 available at www.sciencedirect.com journal homepage: www.elsevier.com/locate/biocon How much is enough? Landscape-scale conservation for the Florida panther Randy Kautza,*, Robert Kawulaa, Thomas Hoctorb, Jane Comiskeyc, Deborah Jansend, Dawn Jenningse, John Kasbohmf, Frank Mazzottig, Roy McBrideh, Larry Richardsoni, Karen Rootj aFlorida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission, 620 South Meridian Street, Tallahassee, FL 32399-1600, USA bUniversity of Florida, Department of Landscape Architecture, P.O. Box 115704, Gainesville, FL 32611-5704, USA cThe Institute for Environmental Modeling, Department of Ecology and Evolutionary Biology, University of Tennessee, Knoxville, TN 37996, USA dBig Cypress National Preserve, 33100 Tamiami Trail East, Ochopee, FL 34141, USA eUS Fish and Wildlife Service, 6620 South Point Drive South, Suite 310, Jacksonville, FL 32216, USA fUS Fish and Wildlife Service, 1502 S.E. Kings Bay Drive, Crystal River, FL 34429, USA gFort Lauderdale Research and Education Center, Department of Wildlife Ecology and Conservation, 3205 College Avenue, Davie, FL 33314, USA hBox 178, Ochopee, FL 34141, USA iUS Fish and Wildlife Service, Florida Panther National Wildlife Refuge, 3860 Tollgate Boulevard, Suite 300, Naples, FL 34114, USA jDepartment of Biology, Bowling Green State University, Bowling Green, OH 43403-0212, USA ARTICLE INFO ABSTRACT Article history: The Florida panther (Puma concolor coryi) is an endangered, wide-ranging predator whose Received 10 February 2005 habitat needs conflict with a rapidly growing human population. Our goal was to identify Received in revised form specific regions of the south Florida landscape that are of high conservation value to sup- 29 November 2005 port a self-sustaining panther population.
    [Show full text]
  • Lopez 2001 Key Deer Dissertation.Pdf
    1 CHAPTER I INTRODUCTION BACKGROUND The purpose of this chapter is to provide the reader with a general background to the Key deer and its environment. This chapter will begin by describing the Key deer, its distribution, current status of the population, and conservation measures currently being used in the Key deer’s recovery. Next, a description of the study area, including geology, vegetation types, and spatial patterns within the Key deer range, will be presented. Finally, a review of the research objectives for this dissertation will conclude this chapter. Commonly used acronyms and scientific names for plants and animals used throughout this dissertation are in Table 1.1. Key Deer The endangered Key deer, the smallest sub-species of white-tailed deer in the United States, are endemic to the Florida Keys on the southern end of peninsular Florida (Hardin et al. 1984). In comparison to other white-tailed deer, Key deer are smaller with an average shoulder height between 61-81 cm, and average weights of 29 kg (maximum 45 kg) and 38 kg (maximum 66 kg) for females and males, respectively (R. R. Lopez, TAMU, unpublished data). Due to uncontrolled hunting, Key deer numbers were estimated to be less than 50 in the 1940’s (Hardin et al. 1984, Chapter IV). A famous cartoon (Fig. 1.1, Hardin et al. 1984) by Jay “Ding” Darling, cartoonist, conservationist, and chief of the United States Bureau of Biological Survey (predecessor to USFWS), drew national attention to the Key deer’s plight, and was instrumental in the drafting of legislation to protect the deer.
    [Show full text]
  • Department 10 Year Review
    Comprehensive Review Syllabus Department of Wildlife Ecology and Conservation at the University of Florida May 10-13, 2010 - TABLE OF CONTENTS Section 1 Introduction Welcome 1.1 Review Team members 1.2 Review agenda 1.3 Charge from the Senior Vice President 1.4 Section 2 Departmental overview WEC History 2.1 Mission Statement and context 2.2 Department overview, vision and future directions 2.3 Organizational chart 2.4 Departmental governance and committee structure 2.5 Departmental demographics, diversity, and gender 2.6 External advisory committee 2.7 Departmental infrastructure 2.8 Departmental budget 2.9 Section 3 Faculty and Staff Faculty and staff overview 3.1 Faculty 3.2 Courtesy and affiliate faculty 3.3 Staff 3.4 Section 4 Academic Programs Undergraduate programs 4.1 Undergraduate course teaching responsibilities 4.2 Descriptions of undergraduate courses taught 4.3 Graduate programs 4.4 Recent graduate student theses 4.5 Graduate course teaching responsibilities 4.6 Descriptions of graduate courses taught 4.7 Statewide teaching programs 4.8 Section 5 Research Overview of departmental research 5.1 Research scholarship 5.2 Section 6 Extension Overview of extension program 6.1 Extension programs 6.2 Summary of extension products 6.3 Section 7 International Programs Overview of international programs 7.1 Study abroad programs 7.2 Section 8 Ordway-Swisher Biological Station History of the Ordway-Swisher Biological Station 8.1 Ordway-Swisher Biological Station mission statement 8.2 Ordway-Swisher Biological Station advisory structure
    [Show full text]
  • Bald Knob, Big Lake, Cache River, Holla Bend, and Wapanocca National Wildlife Refuges
    HABITAT MANAGEMENT PLANS – SUPPLEMENTAL DOCUMENT FOR BALD KNOB, BIG LAKE, CACHE RIVER, HOLLA BEND, AND WAPANOCCA NATIONAL WILDLIFE REFUGES August 2018 Southeast Region 1 2 Table of Contents HABITAT MANAGEMENT PLAN SUPPLEMENTAL DOCUMENT Chapter I. Introduction 5 Scope and Rationale 5 Legal Mandates 5 Refuge Purposes 7 Refuge Vision 7 Relationship to Other Plans 7 Chapter II. Background, Inventory and Description Of Habitat 8 Chapter III. Resources Of Concern 9 Wintering and Migratory Waterfowl 11 Significance and Habitat Requirements 11 Refuge Contributions to Habitat/Life Cycle Needs 12 Forest Breeding birds 12 Significance and Habitat Requirements 12 Potential Refuge Contribution to Habitat Needs 14 Waterbirds 14 Shorebirds 14 Colonial Waterbirds/Wading Birds 15 Secretive Marsh Birds 15 Potential Refuge Contribution to Habitat Needs 15 Scrub-Shrub and Grassland birds 15 Significance and Habitat Requirements 15 Potential Refuge Contribution to Habitat Needs 16 Other Species with Complementary Needs 16 American Black Bear (Ursus americanus) 17 White-tailed Deer 17 American Woodcock 17 Furbearers 17 Pondberry 18 Eastern Wild Turkey 18 Aquatic species 18 3 Small Game 19 Amphibians and Reptiles 19 Reconciling Conflicting Needs 20 Chapter IV. Habitat Goals and Objectives 21 Chapter V. 24 Adaptive Management 22 Literature Cited 23 Appendix A. Region 4 Intra-Service Section 7 Biological Evaluation Form 28 Appendix B. GIS Data Source and Citations 3 Appendix C. Environmental Action Statement 4 Proposed Action and Alternatives. 4 Categorical Exclusion(s). 4 Permits/Approvals 5 Public Involvement/Interagency Coordination. 6 Supporting Documents. 6 4 LIST OF TABLES Table 1. Habitat type, resources of concern, and general habitat structure on Central Arkansas NWR Complex 6 Table 2.
    [Show full text]
  • Florida Panther Dispersal and Conservation
    Biological Conservation 106 (2002) 187–197 www.elsevier.com/locate/biocon Florida panther dispersal and conservation David S. Maehra,*, E. Darrell Landb, David B. Shindleb, Oron L. Bassc, Thomas S. Hoctord aUniversity of Kentucky, Department of Forestry, 205 Cooper Building, Lexington, KY40546-0073, USA bFlorida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission, 566 Commercial Boulevard, Naples, FL 34104, USA cNational Park Service, Everglades National Park, Research Center, Homestead, FL 33030, USA dUniversity of Florida, Department of Wildlife Ecology and Conservation, PO Box 115706, Gainesville, FL 32611-5706, USA Received 8 March 2001; received in revised form 4 September 2001; accepted 16 September 2001 Abstract We studied dispersal in 27 radio-collared Florida panthers Puma concolor coryi in southern Florida from 1986 to 2000. Male dispersal was longer (mean=68.4 km) than that of females (mean=20.3 km), tended to be circular, frustrated, and of insufficient length to ameliorate inbreeding. Females were philopatric and established home ranges that were less than one home range width away from their natal ranges. All females were successful in establishing territories, whereas males were successful 63% of the time. Dispersing panthers avoided moving toward the southeast and into an area of limited forest cover. Independence and the initiation of dispersal occurred at about 14 months of age and lasted for an average of 7.0–9.6 months for females and males, respectively. On average, Florida panthers disperse shorter distances than are typical for western populations of Puma concolor. A recent increase in long distance male dispersal events may be related to an increase in reproduction and population density resulting from the intro- duction of female cougars P.
    [Show full text]