Physical Sciences and Mathematics Commons^™

Virginia's Public Beach Board 20 Years Of Coastal Management, Donna A. Milligan, C. Scott Hardaway Jr.

Reports

No abstract provided.

Relationships Between Abundance Of Physically Complex Habitat And Benthic Macroinvertebrate Community Parameters In The James River, Nelson County, Va, Tammy Lee Shumaker

Theses & Honors Papers

This study shows the importance of structurally complex habitat on abundance and diversity of organisms in a benthic macroinvertebrate community in the James River, Nelson County, Virginia. Structural complexity was manipulated by attaching stones to five concrete blocks (12.8 ± 0.97% coverage; mean ± SE) and comparing organism abundance on these blocks and blocks lacking stones (0% coverage). Concrete blocks were randomly placed at a site in the James River on November 14, 1999 and collected on December 12, 1999. Macroinvertebrates and particulate organic and inorganic matter on the blocks were collected. Total invertebrate abundance, abundance of eight individual taxa, …

Ecology Of Elk In The Pine Ridge Region Of Northwestern Nebraska: Seasonal Distribution, Characteristics Of Wintering Sites, And Herd Health, Michael A. Cover

School of Natural Resources: Dissertations, Theses, and Student Research

No abstract provided.

Fundamentals Of Economic Principles And Wildlife Management, Peter W. Schuhmann, Kurt A. Schwabe

Human Conflicts with Wildlife: 2002 Symposium

This paper presents an overview of the economic fundamentals involved in wildlife management, with special consideration for cases involving harmful wildlife-human interactions. The process of benefit-cost analysis is used as a unifying platform for incorporating both theoretical and empirical issues. Topics such as external market effects and public goods are detailed in order to give the reader a theoretical foundation for understanding the economic perspective on the problems associated with defining and attaining optimally managed wildlife populations. To these principles we add practical considerations for measuring the costs and benefits associated with wildlife populations. Different categories of wildlife values, such …

Damage Abatement And Compensation Programs As Incentives For Wildlife Management On Private Land, Jonathan K. Yoder

Human Conflicts with Wildlife: 2002 Symposium

Public damage abatement and compensation programs may be used to alter private incentives for damage abatement and habitat provision. A model is developed that explains the economic logic behind prevalent characteristics of public wildlife damage programs. The model is supported with an examination of a broad cross-section of wildlife agency policy and law. The model can be used by wildlife managers and policy makers as a conceptual framework for understanding the incentive effects of compensation and abatement policy.

The Endangered Species Act And Private Landowner Incentives, Jeffrey A. Michael

Human Conflicts with Wildlife: 2002 Symposium

While intended to increase the habitat available to endangered species, the restrictions of the Endangered Species Act (ESA) increase the costs of harboring an endangered species to private landowners and create incentives for private landowners to reduce habitat. This paper illustrates the incentive for habitat destruction with a simple model of private land use under the ESA, and uses it to predict the effects of changes in policy or biological conditions on private landowner incentives. Many anecdotal accounts and recent empirical research support the predictions of the model. Because of the ESA’s perverse incentives, many have proposed replacing the punitive …

Economic Considerations Of Damage Assessment, Richard M. Engeman

Human Conflicts with Wildlife: 2002 Symposium

Cost-effectiveness is the fundamental economic test of any damage control or damage mitigation strategy, and damage assessment is the essential component for determination of cost-effectiveness. However, there are many potential costs associated with making damage assessments. The sampling and measurement required to produce a damage assessment have associated effort and costs, but even greater costs can be incurred due to inappropriate management decisions resulting from inaccurate damage assessments. Other costs can result from using an assessment method that is unsuited to management objectives, or by misinterpreting or not understanding the relationship between observed damage and actual losses. The concepts of …

Spreadsheets, Response Surfaces, And Intervention Decisions In Wildlife Damage Management, Ray T. Sterner

Human Conflicts with Wildlife: 2002 Symposium

An a priori approach to examining the economics of performing management activities to reduce agricultural and resource damage by wildlife is described. Computer spreadsheet procedures are used to derive response surfaces of potential net savings and benefit:cost indices for selected crop- or resource-protection activities. Tabular and graphical displays of these indices afford decision-making aids for wildlife-damage interventions. An example based on the use of an acute rodenticide, zinc phosphide (Zn₃P₂), for vole (Microtus spp.) control in alfalfa (Medicago sativa) is described. Iterative calculations were derived for 1,260 possible combinations of 3 field-size, 6 …

Impacts Of House Mice On Crops In Australia - Costs And Damage, Peter R. Brown, Grant R. Singleton

Human Conflicts with Wildlife: 2002 Symposium

Rodents cause serious losses to crops in many different parts of the world. The house mouse (Mus domesticus, Schwarz and Schwarz 1943) is a serious pest to agriculture in Australia. The impacts of house mouse damage to crops in Australia were examined. Plagues of mice (>1,000 mice/ha) cause enormous economic and social stress to rural communities in Australia. The mouse plague in 1993/94 caused about US$60 million in damage to crops, intensive livestock industries, and rural communities. The impact of mouse plagues is generally well understood, but there is a dearth of knowledge about the relationship between …

Development Of A Model To Assess Rodent Control In Swine Facilities, Kurt C. Vercauteren, Scott E. Hygnstrom, Robert M. Timm, Robert M. Corrigan, John Beller, Larry L. Bitney, Michael C. Brumm, Daniel Meyer, Dallas R. Virchow, Robert W. Wills

Human Conflicts with Wildlife: 2002 Symposium

At the request, and with the support, of the National Pork Producers Council we are conducting a comprehensive economic analysis of rodent control in swine production facilities. The authors represent an interdisciplinary working group that has been assembled to identify all necessary input variables and values associated with rodent damage and control. The working group consists of specialists in swine production, facilities management, agricultural economics, swine health, rodent control, the pest management industry, systems modeling, and distance education. We incorporated data from the scientific literature and personal experience into an interactive STELLA systems model. The model generates benefit-cost analyses and …

Using Bioeconomic Models To Maximize Benefits From Vertebrate Pest Control: Lamb Predation By Feral Pigs, David Choquenot, Jim Hone

Human Conflicts with Wildlife: 2002 Symposium

The question “When should investment in pest control stop?” either explicitly or implicitly underpins decisions concerning pest control made at every level of enterprise or government, regardless of whether these decisions are tactical or strategic. Bioeconomic modeling provides a quantitative framework for considering the benefits and costs of alternative pest control strategies. In this case study, we develop 3 bioeconomic models that examine strategies based on helicopter shooting and 1080 poisoning, for reducing feral pig (Sus scrofa) predation of newborn lambs in wool-growing enterprises located in Australia’s rangelands. In the first model, marginal analysis indicated that helicopter shooting …

Economics Of Predation Management In Relation To Agriculture, Wildlife, And Human Health And Safety, Michael J. Bodenchuk, J. Russell Mason, William C. Pitt

Human Conflicts with Wildlife: 2002 Symposium

Predation management is controversial and much recent debate has focused on the cost of management efforts. This manuscript considers the cost of predators to agriculture, big game or threatened and endangered species management, and human health and safety. Subsequently, the cost of efforts to manage predation in these contexts is discussed, and benefit:cost ratios are calculated. When properly applied, predation management shows benefit:cost ratios of between 3:1 to 27:1 for agriculture and 2:1 to 22:1 for wildlife protection. For human health and safety, benefit:cost ratios are more difficult to calculate, but we argue that benefits outweigh costs in many different …

An Analysis Of Deer-Vehicle Collisions: The Case Of Ohio, Kurt A. Schwabe, Peter W. Schuhmann, Michael J. Tonkovich, Ellen Wu

Human Conflicts with Wildlife: 2002 Symposium

The costs of deer-vehicle collisions (DVCs) in Ohio are estimated to be in excess of US$52 million annually. The intention of this paper is to identify factors contributing to the abundance of DVCs in Ohio, calculate the average cost of a deer-vehicle collision event, and illustrate the potential gains in economic efficiency from alternative approaches for reducing DVCs. Our results suggest that large potential economic gains from reducing DVCs in Ohio exist and that the optimal strategies for achieving these reductions seem to combine both changes in deer management schemes and deer-vehicle mitigation strategies.

The Economics Of Managing Belding’S Ground Squirrels In Alfalfa In Northeastern California, Desley A. Whisson, Steve B. Orloff, Donald L. Lancaster

Human Conflicts with Wildlife: 2002 Symposium

We used estimates of yield loss from 1995 to 1999 and the reported costs and effectiveness of available control methods to provide a basis for developing a cost-effective management strategy for Belding’s ground squirrels in alfalfa in northern California. Mean annual losses varied between US$110/ha and US$300/ha of alfalfa. Growers usually spend less than US$25/ha on control methods that are implemented haphazardly and provide poor control. We suggest that growers can afford to spend more on control methods such as burrow fumigation or exclusion fencing that previously have been viewed as being too expensive. Control efforts should be focused on …

Economic Tools For Managing Impacts Of Urban Canada Geese, Nicole H. Mccoy

Human Conflicts with Wildlife: 2002 Symposium

Management of urban Canada geese impacts can be assisted by the use of economic analyses of both the problem and the proposed solution. Management of a species that is both geographically mobile and stationary, protected by the Migratory Bird Act of 1918, and loved by much of the public while posing a significant risk of damage to both private and public property is a difficult task. The issue is further complicated by the scope and scale of urban goose impacts. While the presence of urban Canada geese results in both positive and negative impacts, this paper will focus primarily on …

Economic Analysis Of A Large Scale Oral Vaccination Program To Control Raccoon Rabies, Philip Kemere, Michael K. Liddel, Phylo Evangelou, Dennis Slate, Steven Osmek

Human Conflicts with Wildlife: 2002 Symposium

Since the late 1980s, results of oral vaccination trials in several states have provided growing evidence that this vaccination method may be effective for controlling the spread of rabies in raccoons (Procyon lotor). This study examines the economic feasibility of using oral vaccination on a larger scale than previous trials. We analyze the benefits and costs associated with a hypothetical barrier that would stretch from Lake Erie to the Gulf of Mexico, combining natural geographic features provided by the Appalachian Mountains with oral vaccination zones. The goal of this barrier would be to prevent the raccoon rabies variant …

Evaluation Of Wildlife Damage To Forests In Germany, Markus J. Schaller

Human Conflicts with Wildlife: 2002 Symposium

Legal regulations concerning wildlife damage in Germany are totally different from regulations in the United States. In certain cases German game laws provide the right to compensation for wildlife damage to forests for forest owners. But not everyone has to be compensated. Liability exists only for damage caused by hooved game, rabbits, and pheasants, and only to important local tree species (Hauptholzarten). If, for example, red deer damage an afforestation of Norway spruce (Picea abies) by browsing, normally the shooting tenant has to compensate for the damage. The most important types of damage to forests in Germany are …

Brown Treesnake Control: Economy Of Scales, Daniel S. Vice, Mikel E. Pitzler

Human Conflicts with Wildlife: 2002 Symposium

The accidental introduction of the brown treesnake (Boiga irregularis) to Guam led to the demise of most of the island’s native avifauna and herpetofauna. The snake is also responsible for significant economic losses through frequent power outages and consumption of poultry. Control of the snake, aimed at preventing its inadvertent dispersal from the island and protecting native wildlife and economic resources, is accomplished using specially designed snake traps, hand capture, snake detector dogs, and snake barriers. Although control tools capture large numbers of snakes, control efforts are labor intensive, costly, and ineffective in reducing snake populations across the …

Has An Integrated Pest Management Approach Reduced Blackbird Damage To Sunflower?, George M. Linz, Brian D. Peer, H. Jeffrey Homan, Ryan L. Wimberly, David L. Bergman, William J. Bleier

Human Conflicts with Wildlife: 2002 Symposium

Since the mid-1970s many new and modified damage abatement methods have been implemented to reduce blackbird damage to ripening sunflower in the northern Great Plains. Concurrently, estimates were made of breeding blackbird densities and sunflower damage to track changes in population size and chart progress toward reducing damage. Breeding density estimates were made at both the regional and county levels, whereas sunflower damage estimates were made at the county level only. Periodic regional estimates of breeding densities, between 1967 and 1998, showed that numbers of red-winged blackbirds (Agelaius phoeniceus) and yellow-headed blackbirds (Xanthocephalus xanthocephalus) did not …

Cormorant Depredation Losses And Their Prevention At Catfish Farms: Economic Considerations, James F. Glahn, Scott J. Werner, Terry Hanson, Carole R. Engle

Human Conflicts with Wildlife: 2002 Symposium

Although several piscivorous birds are involved in depredation conflicts with southern aquaculture, the double-crested cormorant causes some of the most widespread and significant problems to catfish, the dominant industry. Unlike other agriculture commodities, catfish losses due to predation cannot be directly measured, so we review several approaches taken to estimate these losses. Although these approaches are valid for predicting the costs of simply replacing these fish at the time of predation, they have been criticized because they failed to consider the functional relationships between predation and output parameters at harvest. Recent controlled experiments are reviewed that confirm previous estimates of …

The Costs Of Bird Strikes And Bird Strike Prevention, John R. Allan

Human Conflicts with Wildlife: 2002 Symposium

Collisions between birds (and other wildlife) and aircraft are known to cause substantial losses to the aviation industry in terms of damage and delays every year. Techniques exist to control bird numbers on airfields and hence to reduce the number of wildlife strikes, but they are applied at widely different levels from airport to airport. Some of this variation may be due to differing levels of strike-risk at the different sites, but much of it is due to the unwillingness or inability of the airports concerned to invest in bird strike prevention. Part of the reason for this reluctance to …

Pieces Of Silver: Examples Of The Economic Impact And Management Of The Silver Gull (Larus Novaehollandiae) In Melbourne, Australia, Ian D. Temby

Human Conflicts with Wildlife: 2002 Symposium

Like a number of gull species, the silver gull Larus novaehollandiae has expanded its population in response to human food subsidy. The major anthropogenic food source is food waste at rubbish tips. Other sources of human food waste are also exploited. Many problems result from the activities of these birds, including human health and safety, economic impacts, and effects on the conservation of other species. My study examines aspects of the economic impacts of the silver gull on the human community of the Greater Melbourne Area comprising approximately 4065 km2 (1569 square miles). My data collection method involves identifying sites …

Wildlife Impacts On Forest Resources, Dale L. Nolte, Mike Dykzeul

Human Conflicts with Wildlife: 2002 Symposium

The negative impacts of wildlife on forest resources can be extensive. This paper provides some insight into the economic and environmental consequences of wildlife damage to forest resources and a brief overview of the damage inflicted by select wildlife species. Probably the most thorough measure of wildlife damage to forests in the Pacific Northwest was initiated in 1963 and 1964 by the Committee on Animal Damage Survey of the Western Forestry and Conservation Association. This study estimated that 30% of the tree seedlings planted would be damaged if no preventive practices were implemented; stocking rates on unprotected sites were 75% …

The Economic Impact Of Invasive Species To Wildlife Services’ Cooperators, David L. Bergman, Monte D. Chandler, Adrienne Locklear

Human Conflicts with Wildlife: 2002 Symposium

On February 3, 1999, the president of the United States signed an Executive Order 13112 on invasive species. Each federal agency was directed to detect and respond rapidly to control populations of invasive species, monitor invasive species populations, provide for restoration of native species and habitat conditions, conduct research on invasive species and develop technologies to prevent their introduction, and promote public education on invasive species and the means to address them. The United States Department of Agriculture’s Wildlife Services Program fulfills a federal responsibility for helping solve problems which occur when human activity and wildlife, including invasive species, are …

Evaluation And Assessment Of Agrichemical Contaminants In The Creighton, Ne Area, Mark E. Burbach, Roy F. Spalding

School of Natural Resources: Faculty Publications

The Lewis and Clark Natural Resources District (LCNRD) has reported elevated nitrate- nitrogen (NO3-N) concentrations in ground water near Creighton, NE. The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency has set a maximum contaminant level (MCL) of 10 mg/L for NO3-N in public water supplies. NO3-N in the city of Creighton municipal drinking water wells and several rural domestic and irrigation wells have exceeded the MCL. The city of Creighton has constructed a reverse-osmosis water treatment system at a cost of $1.1 million to reduce the NO3-N concentration below the MCL in its water supply. In response to this NO3-N contamination problem the …

Monitoring Relative Abundance Of American Shad In Virginia's Rivers Annual Report 1999, John E. Olney Sr., John M. Hoenig

Reports

A moratorium on the taking of American shad (Alosa sapidissima) in the Chesapeake Bay and its tributaries was established by the Virginia Marine Resources Commission (VMRC) beginning 1 January 1994. The prohibition applied to both recreational and commercial fishers. The moratorium was imposed at a time when commercial catch rates of American shad in Virginia's rivers were experiencing declines. Data from the commercial fishery were the best available for assessing the status of individual stocks. Catch-per-unit-effort (CPUE) data were compiled from logbooks that recorded landings by commercial fishermen using staked gill nets at various locations throughout the middle reaches of …

An Overview Of Recreation And Parks Professional Preparation Programs In Higher Education, Jennifer Y. Mak

Management Faculty Research

The purpose of this paper is to give an overview of recreation and parks professional preparation programs in higher education. This paper will (a) help to understand the framework of recreation and parks professional preparation programs, (b) discuss the factors which influence the professional preparation outcomes, and (c) help to identify future research needs. The discussion is based on the framework for studying professional preparation programs by Stack, et al. (1986). The key element of the framework for studying recreation and parks professional preparation programs is the recreation and parks professional preparation environment which was the product of external, internal …

Can We Protect Agricultural Land And The Scenic Rural Landscape? The Spatial Effects Of Three Land Protection Strategies In The Eastern United States, Elizabeth Brabec, Chip Smith

Elizabeth Brabec

In order to assess the efficacy of the three most common types of agricultural land conservation in the United States, this study analyzes the spatial and visual quality of a purchase of development rights program and two regulatory programs — cluster and the transfer of development rights. The study compares the effectiveness of programs that have been in place for periods of 6 to 18 years, surveying three different communities in the urban fringe: 1. the transfer of development rights program in Montgomery County, Maryland, in effect since 1981, 2. Riverhead, New York’s farmland development rights acquisition program, administered by …

Fragmentation, Impervious Surfaces And Water Quality: Quantifying The Effects Of Density And Spatial Arrangement, Elizabeth Brabec, Paul Richards, Stacey Schulte

Elizabeth Brabec

Impervious surfaces have for many years been recognized as an indicator of the intensity of the urban environment and, with the advent of urban sprawl, they have become a key issue in habitat health. In addition to the direct impacts to water quality, impervious surfaces fragment open space and habitat and are therefore a primary land use indicator of both water quality and ecological degradation. This paper develops an understanding of the land use planning implications of the interaction of impervious surfaces, water quality and the spatial form those surfaces take in a watershed. In order to clarify these relationships, …

Environmental Impacts Of New Solutions: Two Case Studies, Lori Potter, Michael Freeman

Water and Growth in the West (Summer Conference, June 7-9)

32 pages.

Contains footnotes and references.