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Factors Influencing Seasonal Migrations of Pronghorn Across the Northern Sagebrush Steppe
Get PDFGlobally, grassland systems have received the highest impacts from human activities, and therefore management of these systems is important for ungulate conservation. Pronghorn (Antilocapra americana) undertake seasonal migrations to satisfy annual life history requirements. The effects from environmental gradients and anthropogenic factors on pronghorn migrations are not well understood. My objectives were to: 1) Classify and determine metrics for various movement behaviors and states across individuals; 2) Predict multi-scale seasonal pronghorn migration pathways across the Northern Sagebrush Steppe (NSS) and integrate scales into one spatial prediction and; 3) Create pronghorn connectivity network maps across the NSS. Based on 170 animal years from collared females, 55% of individuals undertook seasonal migrations. Using between-class analysis of metrics, three distinct movement groupings were identified. Next, I modelled multi-scale migratory pathway selection in response to anthropogenic and environmental parameters. Generally, migratory pronghorn selected grasslands, intermediate slopes and south-facing aspects and avoided increased well and road densities. Pronghorn selected stopover sites with higher forage productivity values and lower well densities versus migratory pathways. I then used a scale-integrated mapping approach and found that these spatial predictions performed as well or better than single order scales to predict migration pathways. Finally, using a suite of novel approaches, I created seasonal pronghorn connectivity networks across the NSS. I concluded that multi-scale migration followed hierarchically nested theory where finer scale decisions are conditional on broader scales that can be assessed sequentially. I suggest that the pronghorn is a broad-scale focal species useful for conservation planning across the NSS
PROPERTIES OF 3D PRINTED PLA WITH ADDITIVES
Get PDFAs the technology of 3D printing increases rapidly in today’s world, so too does the list of properties desirable in a finished, printed project. One way to improve said properties is to include additives in the material a 3D printer utilizes. The research program combined talc and mica with the PLA plastic presently used in many 3D printers. The end purpose was to measure the additives’ effects on the strength and other properties at different additive proportions. The behavior of the new PLA printing filament was evaluated so that an optimal additive amount could be recommended
Geospatial Data on Your Own Terms
Get PDFIncreasingly, geospatial data are being produced and consumed for many different purposes, ranging from urban planning to geographical analysis tasks related to sociological, historical, and literary studies. Everyone from students to scientists to professionals in many different scholarly and business disciplines has likely found—or is soon likely to find—themselves asking questions that can be answered using geospatial data. Consumers of geospatial data tend to want it on deman —wherever, whenever, and however they can get it—and of course they want this process made easy. This article highlights two recent ways in which librarians at the University of Idaho assisted researchers with the development of unique geospatial Web applications to advance research, to better communicate the results of research, and to empower researchers with the knowledge to take advantage of these technologies. Additionally, the author considers how emerging geospatial technologies may provide opportunities for libraries to build applications upon their geospatial repositories that will provide users with answers to their research questions
Improving Access to Books for Young School-age Children One Library at a Time
Get PDFJohnson and Donham (2012) found that Iowa elementary school library check out policies for young children did not always support early literacy development because of their being overly restrictive concerning the number of books children could borrow each week. A state-wide survey of Idaho elementary school library staff revealed similar challenges. Preschoolers, kindergarteners, and 1st graders were not being given adequate access to books. A state-wide grant program was developed and implemented that provided funds for collection development while stipulating the implementation of less restrictive check out policies for young children. Results from the grant program are reported along with future plans and recommendations for others wanting to implement similar programs
Geo-Statistical Methods for Detecting Elk Parturition Sites from GPS Collar Data
Get PDFThere is an increasing awareness of the importance of juvenile survival in ungulate population dynamics, and the accurate prediction of parturition habitat may allow for more effective management. Detecting birth sites in a statistically rigorous way, however, often requires intensive field efforts that may not be possible for all studies. We developed a hierarchical two-stage clustering analysis for identifying elk parturition locations, which can be conducted retrospectively using only GPS location data. We validated our approach using a dataset of 59 adult female elk ( Cervus elaphus) fitted with both a Global Positioning System (GPS) collar (30-minute sampling interval) and vaginal implant transmitter (VIT) For the top parameter set, approximately 80% of estimable parturition sites were within 1 km of their respective VIT location. Roughly 10 % of our predicted birthing locations were over 2 km away from the VIT location, but many of these events could be filtered from the analyses due to their clustering attributes. Designed to minimize Type II errors this filtering also removes a subset of birthing sites that close to VIT locations, and magnitude of this effect varied across parameter sets. Sub-sampling of the GPS dataset from 30 min to 1, 2, 3, and 6 hour intervals resulted in modest reductions in the efficacy of our approach. With the use of GPS collars in ungulate studies on the rise, our approach provides managers with additional information on birth site locations at no additional cost over and above a typical GPS study
Trumpeter Swan Production and Habitat in The Centennial Valley, Montana
Get PDFThe Trumpeter Swan Society (TTSS) initiated a pilot project in 2011 in the Centennial Valley to document existing conditions on historic trumpeter swan nesting territories. Swan production in the Greater Yellowstone region surrounding Yellowstone National Park has declined significantly over the past fifty years, particularly in the Centennial Valley, Montana, which historically has been the primary production area in Greater Yellowstone. Current low production raises serious concerns over the viability and sustainability of trumpeter swans in the Centennial and the entire region. The lack of a long-term comprehensive restoration strategy for Greater Yellowstone nesting swans, and particularly the changing management emphasis on Red Rock Lakes NWR, further emphasize the need to improve swan production in the Centennial Valley. Apparently suitable nesting territories are available and may be occupied but production is not occurring, and a growing number of non-breeding adult swans 74 are present. Lima Reservoir is the dominant water feature in the lower half of the Valley but widely fluctuating water levels affect quality waterfowl habitat, including some swan nesting territories and areas used intermittently by up to 150 non-breeding trumpeter swans. In cooperation with the Centennial Valley Association which represents 30 landowners in the Valley, TTSS monitored swan production and collected basic wetland information on the 15 most frequently used trumpeter swan territories outside Red Rock Lakes NWR. In some years, these territories have surpassed refuge swan production. This effort documented swan use and characteristics of nesting territories including wetland type and water availability, availability and quality of emergent and aquatic vegetation, and human influences such as livestock grazing, presence of fences in the wetland, and potential disturbances. Potential wetland enhancement projects were identified that could encourage trumpeter swan use. Trumpeter swan monitoring and site-specific habitat assessments are planned for the next 3-5 years
Wing-Tagged Encounters of Golden Eagles Captured in Montana
Get PDFRecently, there has been an increase in concern for Golden Eagle (Aquila chrysaetos) populations in the western U.S. The concern stems from a marked decrease in the number of migrants and future threats from a variety of anthropogenic factors including industrial energy development. Thus, there is a need for more information on Golden Eagles including: where they winter, longevity, causes of mortality and critical habitat needs. Standard banding offers low encounter rates (ca. 7%) and satellite telemetry is cost prohibitive for large sample sizes. We began auxiliary marking Golden Eagles with vinyl wing-tag markers as a cost effective means to gather information on the species. Since 2004, we have wing-tagged 260 eagles, and re-encountered 59 individuals, giving us a 23% encounter rate. This technique is proving considerably more effective than banding alone as a means of identifying individuals and receiving re-encounter information. We attribute this success, in part, to internet information sharing and the increasing use of remote cameras set up on carcasses to view scavenger activity. Given our observed encounter rates, we suggest utilizing wing-tags as a form of auxiliary marking to augment studies where standard banding is the lone marking method
Assessing Grazing as a Conservation Tool in Sagebrush and Grassland Ecosystems
Get PDFGrazing is a powerful tool to address wildlife declines associated with land use conversion in the western United States. Grazing systems can be manipulated to achieve desired vegetation outcomes, preserve native habitat and economically benefit multiple stakeholders. As a result, systems designed to benefit native ecosystems are being widely implemented. However, the benefits of these grazing systems on many wildlife communities remain relatively unexplored. Songbirds provide an ideal study system to test these benefits because they continue to use landscapes that are currently grazed. We compared songbird communities between two grazing systems in eastern Montana: rest-rotation systems and season-long systems. Our results suggest grassland and sagebrush (Artemsia spp.) associated species, many of which are of conservation concern, exhibit a mixed response to these two grazing types. Grassland associated species are more abundant in season-long grazing systems than rest-rotation grazing systems. In contrast, sagebrush associated species show no difference in abundance between the two grazing systems. These results suggest that grazing management may have the largest impact on grassland associated species. In contrast to the idea that different grazing management can have effects on a wide variety species with similar life history traits, such as birds, we found that differences in grazing management only affected a small subset of species. Our findings provide essential information for assessing the suitability of grazing as a conservation tool
Participant Perceptions of Range Rider Programs Operating to Mitigate Wolf-Livestock Conflicts in the Western United States
Get PDFAs gray wolf (Canis lupus) populations have expanded in the western United States, wolf depredations on domestic livestock have increased. Concomitantly, wildlife managers are seeking management tools that could mitigate wolf-livestock conflicts and enhance stakeholder support for conservation efforts. Range Rider Programs (RRPs) have emerged as a non-lethal management strategy that advocates the use of increased human surveillance of livestock herds in area occupied by wolves to reduce wolf-livestock conflicts. However, little information is available about the scope of contemporary NRM RRPs or participant perceptions about the potential for the programs to mitigate these conflicts. We conducted semi-structured phone and personal interviews with 51 participants from 17 Range Rider Programs (RRPs) in Montana, Oregon, and Washington to develop a typology of NRM RRPs and assess participant perceptions of current programs. Although the RRPs we studied varied in context, program focus and scale, they shared similar organizational components that included: a sponsor, collaboration among several organizations, a funding mechanism, a structure that included a supervisor, the landowner(s) and the range rider(s), and a mechanism for stakeholder feedback. We identified three unique RRP versions based on the primary focus of the programs: 1) livestock monitoring, 2) wolf surveillance and 3) livestock herding. While participants identified a number of benefits (e.g. increased information on wolf activity, extra herd supervision, rapid carcass identification), they also identified challenges which affected program sustainability. Challenges pertaining to trust and open communication were inherent in several programs, however the lack of stable funding was viewed as a major threat to program sustainability. The final challenge to RRPs sustainability was the largely unproven success of this strategy
Bat Activity Patterns and Roost Selection in Managed Forests
Get PDFThe recent introduction and subsequent westward spread of white-nose syndrome (WNS) has decimated hibernating bat populations in eastern North America and created an urgent need for scientists to understand basic information about bat ecology, especially during the winter season. White-nose syndrome has killed between 5 and 7 million bats and continues to spread westward from the eastern U.S. and southern Canada, primarily affecting bats during hibernation. Acoustic monitoring has been suggested as a potential surveillance tool for detecting WNS; however, baseline information must first be collected to test this technique. Recent interests in habitat for resident bats has focused on managed forests, particularly in western Montana, where caves used as communal winter hibernacula are not abundant. We initiated a pilot project in June 2014 deploying 2 remote acoustic monitoring stations on Plum Creek property in Flathead County and adding an additional 2 stations in forests owned by Stoltze Land and Lumber and Stimson Lumber Company in May 2015 to collect baseline acoustic information. We also conducted radio telemetry to determine characteristics of roosts used by bats during the fall season in 2014 and 2015. Thus far we have acoustically detected 11 of Montana’s 15 bat species, observed extremely high activity levels during the summer, and detected bat activity during every month of the year. We radio-tagged 14 bats of 4 different species; California myotis (Myotis californicus), Western small-footed myotis (Myotis ciliolabrum), Silver-haired bat (Lasionycteris noctivagans), Little brown bat (Myotis lucifugus) and tracked them in late October and early November. Identifying the characteristics of roost sites used during the pre-hibernation period, and the annual activity patterns determined from acoustic monitoring, begin to form the foundation for understanding basic aspects of bat ecology during the season when Montana bats will be most susceptible to WNS