Physical Sciences and Mathematics Commons^™

The Press And Citizen Participation: A Content Analysis, Lisa Pelstring, James Shanahan, Ben Perry

Wildlife Damage Management Conference

We conducted a content analysis of regional New York State newspapers to assess media coverage of the Department of Environmental Conservation’s (DEC) deer management program. The goal of this analysis was to ascertain media depiction of DEC’s deer management program during the 1985-97 time period. Specifically, this research examines how deer management issues were portrayed both prior to and after implementation of a DEC public participation program (the Citizen Task Force [CTF] process) to determine if deer management issues received more favorable coverage after CTFs were implemented.

Conservation Of A Dinosaur In Modern Times: South Carolina’S Alligator Management Program, Walter E. Rhodes

Wildlife Damage Management Conference

American alligator (Alligator mississippiensis) conservation is necessary given the animal's role in wetland ecosystems and its economic value. Although the alligator appears to be no longer threatened with extinction, the reptile’s perceived reputation and a burgeoning human population combine to create a management paradox. Alligator management in South Carolina consists of a Nuisance Control Program, a Private Lands Harvest Program, and public education. Annually, over 750 alligator complaints are received by the South Carolina Department of Natural Resources (SCDNR), and harvest averages about 250 animals. To address alligator/human interaction in rural habitats, a harvest on private lands was …

An Evaluation Of Farmer Applications Of Deer Damage Controls, Peter A. Fritzell Jr., Glenn Dudderar, R. Ben Peyton

Wildlife Damage Management Conference

Damage to agricultural crops caused by white-tailed deer (Odocoileus virginianus) continues to be a significant concern of farmers in Michigan and elsewhere in the United States. Policy changes that promise to reduce deer numbers may be long in coming, but better application of available damage control techniques may be an immediate alternative for farmers awaiting relief. Conversations with farmers, extension agents, and wildlife professionals suggest that some damage control techniques are underutilized by Michigan farmers, whereas other techniques are applied with little success despite promising field trials. We investigated producers’ practices to identify common weaknesses in how deer …

The Use Of Gis To Delineate Potential Urban Deer Habitat, David M. Kocka, Frederick M. Garst

Wildlife Damage Management Conference

Overabundant deer herds in urban environments often require new and creative approaches to properly evaluate the situation and gain support for population management. To determine potential white-tailed deer (Odocoileus virginianus) habitat for the Harrisonburg, Virginia, Deer Task Force, a geographic information systems (GIS) map was created that reflected current land use in the city. Data were compiled using 2m resolution Digital Ortho Quarter Quads. Using this backdrop, land use zones were digitized on-screen. Wooded (13%), Agricultural (20%), and Open Areas (14%) land use types accounted for nearly half the city's land area and represent a conservative estimate of …

Developing Urban Deer Management Plans: The Need For Public Education, Deborah Green, Glen R. Askins, Phillip D. West

Wildlife Damage Management Conference

Independent public opinion surveys concerning urban deer (Odocoileus virginianus) management were conducted in two Virginia communities. A total of 346 citizens were interviewed in two Random Digit Dial telephone surveys. In addition to questions concerning management techniques and their administration, participants were asked about their experience with deer, their awareness of problems with deer in the area, and their enjoyment of deer. In both localities, non-lethal controls were preferred over lethal controls; trapping and relocation, fencing, repellents, and birth control measures were favored by a majority of residents. The only lethal control acceptable to residents in both communities …

Response From Cooperative Extension Personnel To Citizen Requests For Information About Wildlife, Shannon Thurston, Gary J. San Julian

Wildlife Damage Management Conference

With the increasing urbanization of rural areas, conflicts between homeowners and wildlife are becoming more common. County extension offices frequently receive telephone calls from individuals who are experiencing problems with wildlife. In most cases, extension staff provides assistance over the phone or by mail. However, there are no guidelines for the distribution of information nor is there training for extension personnel. Each county office collects and distributes information differently. Because there is no follow-up to inquiries, little is known about what the homeowners actually do or whether the problems were solved. With some wildlife species, there is a question of …

Prototype For Sontrac: A Scintillating Plastic Fiber Detector For Solar Neutron Spectroscopy, James M. Ryan, Janis Baltgalvis, D Holslin, John R. Macri, Mark L. Mcconnell, Cornelia B. Wunderer, Aaron R. Polichar

Space Science Center

We report the scientific motivation for and performance measurements of a prototype detector system for SONTRAC, a solar neutron tracking experiment designed to study high- energy solar flare processes. The full SONTRAC instrument will measure the energy and direction of 20 to 200 MeV neutrons by imaging the ionization tracks of the recoil protons in a densely packed bundle of scintillating plastic fibers. The prototype detector consists of a 12.7 mm square bundle of 250 micrometer scintillating plastic fibers, 10 cm long. A photomultiplier detects scintillation light from one end of the fiber bundle and provides a detection trigger to …

Controlled Formation Of Weakly Bound Atomic Negative Ions By Electron Transfer From State-Selected Rydberg Atoms, M. Reicherts, T. Roth, A. Gopalan, M.-W. Ruf, Harmut Hotop, C. Desfrançuois, Ilya I. Fabrikant

Department of Physics and Astronomy: Faculty Publications

Using crossed atomic beams and mass spectrometric ion detection we have studied the formation of negative Ca ions in slow collisions between laser-excited state-selected Ne^**(ns; J = 2) and Ne^** (nd; J = 4) Rydberg atoms and ground state Ca atoms. The rate coefficients exhibit resonant behavior with maxima at an effective principal quantum number n^* of about 11.5 and an estimated peak value of about 10^-8 cm³ s^-1. Two different theoretical calculations, based on a curve-crossing model and on a modified adiabatic theory, respectively, yield n^{* …}

Reaction Of Dioxygen With A Cross-Conjugated Carbon-Carbon Double Bond In A Bis-Macrocycle Diiron Compound, D. Brent Macqueen, Christopher Lange, Melvin Calvin, John W. Otvos, Larry O. Spreer, Christian B. Allan, Anna Ganse, Richard B. Frankel

Physics

Dioxygen at atmospheric pressure attacks a cross-conjugated carbon-carbon double bond in a diiron complex to form two, like, keto macrocyclic iron(II) complexes. This reaction occurs with high yield in both solution and in the solid state. A dioxetane intermediate is, therefore, invoked. The rate of the reaction is very dependent on the nature of the axial ligands on the low-spin iron(II) ions in the bimetallic complex. The rate is at least a factor of 10⁴ faster with DMF ligands than with CH₃CN axial ligands. This rate dependence is explained by stabilization of a peroxo biradical transition state …

Nonuniversal Scaling And Conformational Crossover Of Polymer Chains In An Electrophoretic Deposition, Grace M. Foo, Ras B. Pandey

Faculty Publications

A computer simulation model of electrodeposition of polymer chains on an impenetrable wall is used to evaluate the power-law scaling exponents (ν_x(y)) for the longitudinal and transverse spread, R_gx(y)∼L_c^ν_x(y); we find that the exponents ν_x(y) depend on the field strength, i.e., they are nonuniversal. A conformational crossover is observed for the transverse spread from the bulk with ν_y≃1/3-2/3 to the wall with ν_y≃2/3-1. A similar crossover also occurs for the longitudinal component of R_g but with an opposite trend, i.e., magnitude of ν_x is larger …

The I Band Tully-Fisher Relation For Cluster Galaxies: Data Presentation., Riccardo Giovanelli, Martha P. Haynes, Terry Herter, Nicole P. Vogt, Gary Wegner, John J. Salzer, Luiz N. Da Costa, Wolfram Freudling

Dartmouth Scholarship

Observational parameters which can be used for redshift-independent distance determination using the Tully-Fisher (TF) technique are given for 782 spiral galaxies in the fields of 24 clusters or groups. I band photometry for the full sample was either obtained by us or compiled from published literature. Rotational velocities are derived either from 21 cm spectra or optical emission line long--slit spectra, and converted to a homogeneous scale. In addition to presenting the data, a discussion of the various sources of error on TF parameters is introduced, and the criteria for the assignment of membership to each cluster are given.

The Impact Of Multimedia Training On Mental Models Of Simple Processes, Johnny L. Washington, Erika Rogers

Computer Science and Software Engineering

The purpose of this paper is to describe work in progress on a project which is designed to study how multimedia training may impact people’s mental models of sample processes. A tutorial is under development which helps people learn how to construct an abstract model of the steps needed to produce a letter on a typewriter, and how to change this model when the task moues to a computerized setting. Subjects have been recruited to participate in this study, and the current status of the project is discussed.

Outbreak Agent: Intelligent Wearable Technology For Hazardous Environments, Erika Rogers, Robin R. Murphy, Chris Thompson

Computer Science and Software Engineering

The topic of this paper is a project to design an intelligent agent which supports humans in the domain of hazardous site investigation. This software agent will be integrated into wearable technology which is embedded in the protective clothing worn by the humans. An overview of some of the design issues is presented, with a particular emphasis on the visual problem solving component.

Determination Of The Preexponential Frequency Factor For Superparamagnetic Maghemite Particles In Magnetoferritin, Bruce M. Moskowitz, Richard B. Frankel, Sarah A. Walton, Dominic P. E. Dickson, K. K. W. Wong, T. Douglas, Stephen Mann

Physics

Magnetization and Mössbauer measurements on maghemite particles with an average particle diameter of 10 nm have been made in the temperature range from 5 K to 353 K spanning the superparamagnetic (SPM) and stable single domain (SD) regimes. The maghemite particles were produced within the iron-storage protein ferritin, resulting in a narrowly-sized, weakly interacting nanocomposite material called magnetoferritin. Experiments combining hysteresis measurements, low temperature remanence, and Mössbauer spectroscopy were used to characterize magnetoferritin and to provide experimental estimates of (1) the pre-exponential frequency factor ƒ₀ in the Néel-Arhennius relaxation equation; (2) the SPM threshold size at room temperature for …

Observation Of Laser Satellites In A Plasma Produced By A Femtosecond Laser Pulse, S.A. Pikuz, Anatoly Maksimchuk, Donald Umstadter, M. Nantel, I. Yu. Skobelev, A. Ya. Faenov, A. Osterheld

Donald Umstadter Publications

Laser satellites are detected in the emission spectra of magnesium and aluminum plasmas produced by femtosecond laser pulses. This is made possible by the realization of picosecond time resolution in a highluminosity x-ray spectrograph with a spherically curved mica crystal. The temporal characteristics of these newly recorded spectral lines show unequivocally that they are formed as a result of nonlinear processes.

Automated Classification Of Stellar Spectra. Ii: Two-Dimensional Classification With Neural Networks And Principal Components Analysis, Ted Von Hippel, Coryn A.L. Bailer-Jones, Mike Irwin

Publications

We investigate the application of neural networks to the automation of MK spec- tral classification. The data set for this project consists of a set of over 5000 optical (3800–5200°A) spectra obtained from objective prism plates from the Michigan Spec- tral Survey. These spectra, along with their two-dimensional MK classifications listed in the Michigan Henry Draper Catalogue, were used to develop supervised neural network classifiers. We show that neural networks can give accurate spectral type classifications (68 = 0.82 subtypes, rms= 1.09 subtypes) across the full range of spectral types present in the data set (B2–M7). We show also that …

Liquid-Liquid Immiscibility In Lipid Monolayers, John P. Hagen, Harden M. Mcconnell

Chemistry and Biochemistry

Some binary lipid mixtures form coexisting liquid phases when spread at the air/water interface. This work describes the pressure–composition phase diagrams of binary mixtures of four unsaturated phosphatidylcholines with dihydrocholesterol. These four binary mixtures have critical compositions of approximately fifty mole percent, and average critical exponents of 0.25±0.07. The data can also be approximated by a regular solution thermodynamic model, yielding parameters for the non-ideality of these mixtures.

Cytochrome P450 And Organochlorine Contaminants In Black-Crowned Night-Herons From The Chesapeake Bay Region, Usa, Barnett A. Rattner, Mark J. Melancon, Clifford P. Rice, Walter Riley Jr., John D. Eisemann, Randy K. Hines

United States Department of Agriculture Wildlife Services: Staff Publications

Black-crowned night-heron (Nycticorax nycticorax) offspring were collected from a relatively uncontaminated coastal reference site (next to Chincoteague National Wildlife Refuge, VA, USA) and two sites in the Chesapeake Bay watershed (Baltimore Harbor, MD and Rock Creek Park, Washington, DC, USA). Hepatic microsomal activities of benzyloxyresorufin-O-dealkylase and ethoxyresorufin-O-dealkylase were significantly elevated (up to sixfold and ninefold induction, respectively) in pipping embryos from the Baltimore Harbor colony compared to the reference site, whereas values in embryos from the Rock Creek Park colony were intermediate. Concentrations of organochlorine pesticides and metabolites in pipping embryos from both sites …

The Virginia Wetlands Report Vol. 12, No. 3, Virginia Institute Of Marine Science

Virginia Wetlands Reports

• Barred Owl. Julie G. Bradshaw
• Yellow Perch. Lyle Varnell
• Targeting for Effective Wetlands Preservation. Marcia Berman and Lynn M. Dancy
• Chesapeake Bay Program Wetlands Initiative - New Approach Allows the Identification of Locally Important Wetlands. Carl Hershner
• Chesapeake Executive Council Directive
• Peat: Processing and Potential for Restoration. Pam Mason
• What is marsh toe protection and how does it protect a wetland? William Roberts

The Legal Roles And Responsibilities Of A Community Concerning Crop Depredation By White-Tailed Deer, Eric G. Darracq, Stephen R. Chapman

Eighth Eastern Wildlife Damage Management Conference (1997)

The interwoven issues of the legal roles and responsibilities that landowners (i.e., farmers, foresters, and hunters) and a state agency have to control deer densities in rural areas that directly affect crop depredation and various stakeholders will be addressed in this paper. Because unmanaged deer populations severely can damage agricultural crops, the financial cost of this deer damage is borne entirely by individual private landowners. The South Carolina Department of Natural Resources (SCDNR) is the regulatory state agency in South Carolina responsible for annually promulgating rules and regulations pertaining to white-tailed deer harvest by hunters. Even though deer are property …

An Evaluation Of Farmer Applications Of Deer Damage Controls, Peter Fritzell Jr., Glenn Dudderar, R. Ben Peyton

Eighth Eastern Wildlife Damage Management Conference (1997)

Damage to agricultural crops caused by white-tailed deer (Odocoileus virginianus) continues to be a significant concern of farmers in Michigan and elsewhere in the United States. Policy changes that promise to reduce deer numbers may be long in coming, but better application of available damage control techniques may be an immediate alternative for farmers awaiting relief. Conversations with farmers, extension agents, and wildlife professionals suggest that some damage control techniques are underutilized by Michigan farmers, whereas other techniques are applied with little success despite promising field trials. We investigated producers’ practices to identify common weaknesses in how deer …

Wildlife Damage To Agricultural Crops In Pennsylvania: The Farmers’ Perspective, Margaret C. Brittingham, Walter M. Tzilkowski, James M. Zeidler, Matthew J. Lovallo

Eighth Eastern Wildlife Damage Management Conference (1997)

Agricultural damage by wildlife is a major concern for both agricultural and wildlife agencies at the state and federal level. Our objective was to estimate wildlife damage to agricultural crops on a statewide basis. We sent questionnaires to 4,958 farmers and 1,003 were returned after 2 mailings. Twenty-five percent of farmers responding to our survey rated the level of wildlife damage to their crops as severe or very severe, 46% as moderate, and 29% had none or very little. Mean levels of crop loss to wildlife ranged from 6% for wheat to 10% for corn grain, and white-tailed deer ( …

Double-Crested Cormorant And Ring-Billed Gull Damage Management On Lake Champlain: Are Basin-Wide Objectives Achievable?, Richard Chipman, Dennis Slate, Larry Garland, David Capen

Eighth Eastern Wildlife Damage Management Conference (1997)

Ring-billed gulls ( Larus delewarensis) and double-crested cormorants ( Phalacrocorx auritus) have nested on Lake Champlain since 1949 and 1982, respectively. Recent increases in cormorant nesting populations and pioneering activities of both species to previously uncolonized islands have resulted in impacts related to accumulation of bird guano and interspecific competition with less common species. Of primary concern are: decreases in wildlife and plant diversity on islands; reduced aesthetics and property values of island associated with the loss of trees; and predation or competition for nesting space with other species such as the state-endangered common tern (Sterna hirundo …

Historical Forces Shaping Americans’ Perceptions Of Wildlife And Human-Wildlife Conflicts, Michael R. Conover, Denise O. Conover

Eighth Eastern Wildlife Damage Management Conference (1997)

From colonial times until the 19th century, the dominant American view of wildlife and its management was dualistic—wildlife species were divided into good animals (those which had commercial value or could be eaten) or bad animals (those which threatened the colonists’ safety or food supply). Philosophically, early colonial Americans believed that the environment was to be manipulated for man’s purposes. Under the impact of modernization, Darwinian influence, over-exploitation of resources, and environmentally-conscious professionals, Americans in the late 19th century began to appreciate the recreational value of wildlife and to develop a more protective attitude toward it. Still the dichotomy between …

Bird Abundance At Accomack County Southern Landfill, Melfa, Virginia, In Relation To Various Management Activities, Laura Francoeur, Martin Lowney

Eighth Eastern Wildlife Damage Management Conference (1997)

Birds, especially gulls (Larus spp.), are attracted to landfills, and when landfills are close to airports, birds can pose a threat to aircraft safety. We conducted a 1-year ecological study to address concerns of the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) and Accomack County, Virginia, officials over potential wildlife hazards caused by the Accomack County Southern Landfill. During 48 surveys conducted from December 1995 to December 1996, we observed 112,693 birds at the landfill ( x =503). Nine species represented 97% of all observations. Bird numbers varied during the year, increasing during winter and declining during summer. Bird abundance appeared unaffected …

Vertebrate Damage Management: The Future Of An Evolving Profession, Robert H. Giles Jr.

Eighth Eastern Wildlife Damage Management Conference (1997)

The author argues that an objective of a new group of people taking a systems approach to large wild animal problems should be to manage damage as a cost-reducing role within a total, profitable, long-term system, not necessarily to control the "pest." The needs are for well-grounded financial analyses both for customers, the public, the resources, and the well-being of the profession. A point of view is advanced for the need for evolving pest-related operations into a new, unique profession that is involved in a profound way as an element of a cost-effective total land and human resource production system.

Private Nuisance Wildlife Control: Is There A Future In Kansas?, Charles D. Lee, Philip Gipson, Lucas Koch

Eighth Eastern Wildlife Damage Management Conference (1997)

The private industry involvement in nuisance animal damage control is increasing in Kansas. Improved oversight of that industry is needed and the Kansas Department of Wildlife and Parks (KDWP) plans to implement a mandatory education and certification program beginning in 1998. KDWP currently issues permits to individuals who wish to trap or control nuisance animals outside of normal harvest seasons. Individuals who have held these permits to conduct nuisance animal damage control were surveyed in 1995 to better understand the status and needs of that industry in Kansas. A 3-page mail survey was sent to all 93 permit holders. Raccoons …

The Mass Media And Stakeholders’ Beliefs About Suburban Wildlife, Cynthia A. Loker, James Shanahan, Daniel J. Decker

Eighth Eastern Wildlife Damage Management Conference (1997)

This study examines how suburban audiences obtain information about 3 species in New York State (whitetail deer [Odocoileus virginianus], beaver [Castor Canadensis], and Canada goose [Branta canadensis]). Respondents in 3 suburban areas were surveyed on concerns and interests about a particular species in their area. Respondents also were surveyed about preferred sources for species information and actual source use. Finally, respondents were surveyed about general media use. “Uses-and-gratifications” theory was used to characterize respondents’ information behavior for species information. Specific recommendations for communication planning are offered.

Conference Summary: What Have We Learned? Where Do We Go From Here?, James E. Miller

Eighth Eastern Wildlife Damage Management Conference (1997)

Since I am charged with providing some closing comments this morning, let me begin by having those of you who are still with us to join me in providing a round of applause to Jim Parkhurst, Phil Eggborn, and Martin Lowney, the Conference Planning Committee, and to those on the Conference Program Committee; to the sponsors, exhibitors, speakers, session moderators; and to all of you as participants who helped make this 8th Eastern Wildlife Damage Management Conference so successful. And, as most of you know who have ever planned and conducted such a conference, there are always a number of …

List Of Participants

Eighth Eastern Wildlife Damage Management Conference (1997)

participants