Assembling evidence for identifying reservoirs of infection

Many pathogens persist in multihost systems, making the identification of infection reservoirs crucial for devising effective interventions. Here, we present a conceptual framework for classifying patterns of incidence and prevalence, and review recent scientific advances that allow us to study and manage reservoirs simultaneously. We argue that interventions can have a crucial role in enriching our mechanistic understanding of how reservoirs function and should be embedded as quasi-experimental studies in adaptive management frameworks. Single approaches to the study of reservoirs are unlikely to generate conclusive insights whereas the formal integration of data and methodologies, involving interventions, pathogen genetics, and contemporary surveillance techniques, promises to open up new opportunities to advance understanding of complex multihost systems

Modeling connectivity in landscape genetics: applications, optimization and assessing uncertainty

Connectivity modeling and corridor identification are an essential part of landscape genetics and important tools for the future of conservation biology. The previous decade has shown a steadily increasing interest and rise in publications in landscape genetics. This enthusiasm has led to advances in the methods and theoretical background of the field; however, there remain important, yet unresolved, challenges. Many of these are related to validation and uncertainty testing for resistance surfaces (hypotheses of connectivity). These fundamental issues need to be addressed before landscape genetics can gain the full recognition of a scientific discipline such as population genetics or landscape ecology. The results herein not only describe the application of traditional landscape genetic techniques to empirical data, but also explore two new major approaches to improving connectivity modeling and corridor identification. In the first new approach, general theory is advanced using resistant kernel modeling by assessing a wide range of potential resistance surfaces to broadly model species distribution, connectivity, and response to habitat fragmentation and loss. Resistant kernel models allow generality across several species based on abiotic (human footprint) and life-history traits (dispersal ability and population size) for the entire Western United States. The second approach is to introduce a genetic algorithm for optimizing the process of resistance map fitting to empirical data. Optimization has three benefits. The first is removing the potential bias of expert opinion. The second is making possible multimethod evaluations of model uncertainty using different statistical tests, genetic distance metrics, and connectivity models. Lastly, optimization allows one to compare a large number of models enabling sensitivity analysis testing (e.g. leave-one-out populations, loci, or individuals). Together optimization and sensitivity analysis provide better, and more consistent, identification of landscape corridors and illustrate where models fail due to sensitivity to noisy genetic data. Described herein is a more rigorous framework of resistance map fitting and testing to help alleviate drawing faulty inferences in landscape genetic studies

The Bad Pass Trail: An Examination as a Route of Least Resistance

The Bad Pass Trail is a 10,000-year-old prehistoric cairn-marked trail system, located within the naturally occurring Bighorn Canyon corridor. Its braided path marks a passable route across rugged terrain, connecting the Bighorn Basin of northcentral Wyoming and the Yellowstone River Basin of southcentral Montana. Until recently a comprehensive synthesis of locational data of all associated cairns was not available for application in spatial analyses. Using this most recent data I will test my hypothesis that the culturally created cairns of the Bad Pass Trail’s route follow a path of least resistance through the Bighorn Canyon corridor as determined by terrain slope. Measurements of near distance between cairn locations and computer-generated paths of least resistance comprise my dataset values. The application of critical values and numeric thresholds identify statistically significant occurrences. Cairns located within numeric thresholds likely share terrain slope as a primary influencing factor. My results demonstrate that terrain slope likely serves as primary influence upon cairn locations within the Bighorn Canyon corridor. With an additional application of predictive intervals, I provide measurements which may one day aid in determining areas of increased likelihood for containing similar cairn features as measured from paths of least resistance. However, it is imperative to acknowledge caveats of examining prehistoric activities by quantitative testing alone. The ability to fully encapsulate complete understandings of complex stimuli acting upon prehistoric people through these tests is limited. Therefore, measurements and assumptions produced from quantitative tests are best used as tools for the development of future inquiries

Mediators of Fine-Scale Population Genetic Structure in the Black Blow Fly, Phormia regina (Meigen) (Diptera: Calliphoridae)

Indiana University-Purdue University Indianapolis (IUPUI)Population genetic structure is difficult to assess in blow flies (Diptera: Calliphoridae) due to high connectivity and genetic diversity of subpopulations. Previous studies revealed high relatedness among individuals within wild samples of blow fly populations, however broad geographic structure was absent. The aim of this research was to determine if blow fly genetic structure exists at a fine spatiotemporal resolution and, if so, to elucidate the influence of environmental factors and resource availability on fly genetics. Specifically, blow fly population genetic patterns were tested against a null hypothesis that flies adhere to a patchy population model with high genetic diversity (i.e. no structure) and high resource availability. Samples of the black blow fly, Phormia regina Meigen (Diptera: Calliphoridae), were collected at six urban parks in Indiana, USA (=urban) in 2016 and 2017 (N = 14 and 16 timepoints, respectively). Additional sampling in different ecoregions was performed to determine if trends observed at a high-resolution scale were also present at a broad geographic scale. Therefore, P. regina were also collected at four sites within two national parks (the Great Smoky Mountains and Yellowstone National Parks) over a three-day period. Randomly selected females (N = 10) from each sample underwent the following analyses: 1) gut DNA extraction, 2) molecular analysis at 6 microsatellite loci, 3) vertebrate-specific 12S and 16S rRNA sequencing, and, 4) vertebrate fecal metabolite screening. Flies from the national parks and a comparable subset of urban data also underwent stable isotope analysis (SIA) to determine larval food source. Overall, strong seasonal population genetic structure was observed over both years in the urban environment (2016 F’ST = 0.47, 2017 F’ST 0.34), however spatial structure was lacking, as seen in previous studies (2016 F’ST = 0.04, 2017 F’ST 0.03). Weather conditions prior to and on the day of blow fly collections, interspecific competition, and resource availability greatly impacted the genetic diversity and kinship of P. regina. A total of 17 and 19 vertebrate species were detected by flies in 2016 and 2017, respectively, and many flies tested positive for vertebrate feces, suggesting that many varied resources are important for maintaining high gene flow among geographic locations. Genetic diversity was non-existent in flies collected from the Smokies (F’ST = 0.00), while very slight spatial structure existed in the Yellowstone populations (F’ST = 0.07). Environmental factors such as temperature, humidity, and wind speed were all statistically relevant in maximizing fly collections with vertebrate resources. In 720 min of total sampling time in the national parks and a subset of urban data, 28 vertebrate species were identified, and fecal resources appeared to be the most abundant in Yellowstone. Stable isotope analysis revealed a majority of larval resources in the national parks were herbivores, with a more even distribution of carnivore and herbivore carcasses present in the urban environment, which likely explains the high genetic diversity of adult flies in these regions. Overall, the null hypothesis that P. regina adheres to a patchy population model could not be rejected for the Smokies populations. However, the urban and Yellowstone populations appear to adhere to a Levins metapopulation model in which variable availability in resources leads to random bottleneck events in the local populations. Overall, environmental conditions, competition, and resource availability are all important factors influencing P. regina population genetic structure in different environments

Montana Bureau of Mines and Geology

The Montana Bureau of Mines and Geology is the principal source of earth science information for the citizens of Montana. The bureau provides extensive advisory, technical, and informational services on geologic, mineral, energy, and water resources in the state of Montana. This includes earthquake studies, environmental assessment, Geographic Information Services (GIS), geology and minerals, groundwater, mines information, coal, state mapping, and more. The publications database contains all Bureau publications as well as U.S. Geological Survey publications related to Montana geology. Educational levels: Graduate or professional, Undergraduate lower division, Undergraduate upper division

Crown of the Continent and the Greater Yellowstone Magazine - Winter/Spring 2016

Table of Contents: Well, Hello Kitty... -- Some Like It Hot -- WHY Protect the Greater Yellowstone? -- The Yellowstone River Part IV: Through the Paradise Valley -- ART: Yellowstone National Park in Winter White by Bill Voxman -- Winterkeepers: Canyon Village -- Winterkeepers: Many Glacier -- Beavers: An Ally or an Inconvenient Species? -- Citizen Scientsts...in Search of the Canary in the Coal Mine -- The Badger Two Medicine...Where I Practice My Religion -- A Deadly Game of Hide and Seek -- Book Reviews -- Field Noteshttps://scholarworks.umt.edu/crown-yellowstone-magazine/1000/thumbnail.jp

Land use planning: A potential force for retaining habitat connectivity in the Greater Yellowstone Ecosystem and Beyond

AbstractThe grizzly bear (Ursus arctos horribilis) population in the Greater Yellowstone Ecosystem (GYE) is perceived to have been isolated from the population in the Northern Continental Divide Ecosystem for a century. Better land use planning is needed to thwart progressive intra- and inter-ecosystem habitat fragmentation, especially due to private land development. The dilemma of private lands being intermixed in large landscapes is addressed. This review attempts to identify some land use planning levels and tools which might facilitate dispersal by the grizzly bear and other large mammals. The planning levels discussed include national, regional, state, county and municipal, and federal land management agency. Specific potential federal tools mentioned include zoning, Landscape Conservation Cooperatives, the Endangered Species Act, beyond boundary authority, land exchanges, less-than-fee acquisition and other incentives, the Northern Rockies Ecosystem Protection Act, and federal land annexation. Besides summarizing existing recommendations, some derived observations are offered