Introduced Wildlife of Oregon and Washington

Each species of wildlife occurs as part of an ecosystem, interacting in many ways with other plant and animal species in that system as well as with the abiotic components such as soil, air, water, and other substrates. The array of wildlife species around the globe has been shaped by geological and climatological events as well as by eons of evolution and natural selection. Species have come and gone and those remaining have, in most cases, co-evolved or co-adapted with many other species so that relatively stable, and often complex, relationships exist. Usually, a great many niches have been carved out and occupied, creating a distinct flora and fauna in each region of the globe that is maintained under conditions of relative stability over time. Natural disturbances (wind, fire) and large-scale events (volcanic eruptions, drought) may occasionally alter that stability and the relationships between species, but an overall homeostatis a return to the climatic community steady state usually prevails. These and other concepts of biogeography have been discussed in detail

Understanding Vole Problems in Direct Seeding — Strategies for Management

Crop fields can provide habitat to a variety of wildlife and crop damage can result (Wywialowski 1996, 1998; Conover 1998). Among the vertebrates, damage can occur from numerous species of birds and mammals. Worldwide concern, however, has focused on rodents and a large number of species cause substantial agricultural losses each year (Witmer et al. 1995). After the advent of effective herbicides and clean farming practices in North America, however, many rodent problems became insignificant (Hines and Hygnstrom 2000). This is, in large part, because the fields were plowed each year, disrupting burrows and removing ground cover. The fields often lay bare a lengthy part of the year. The use of herbicides, plowing, and burning prevented the fields from developing the vegetative cover that wildlife needed for year-round food and shelter. This situation has been changing in recent years. The use of conservation tillage or no-till agriculture is increasing across much of North America, in part because these methods conserve soil and water resources. Many problems can arise, however, and an integrated pest management strategy is needed to deal with weed, insect, and vertebrate pests that can proliferate and cause substantial damage in the no-till agriculture setting (Holtzer et al. 1996). When the ground is not plowed each year, crop residues are maintained, and surrounding areas provide good harborage for rodents, the potential exists for substantial increases in rodent populations and subsequent crop damage. The microtine species group (Subfamily Microtinae, Nowak 1991) contains many species that are serious pests throughout the northern hemisphere. In North America, many of the pest species belong to the genus Microtus, commonly called voles or meadow mice. In this paper, we review the literature and provide background information on voles and the damage they cause. We also discuss management strategies that can help reduce agricultural damage by voles

Understanding Vole Problems in Direct Seeding-Strategies for Management

Crop fields can provide habitat to a variety of wildlife and crop damage can result (Wywialowski 1996,1998; Conover 1998). Among the vertebrates, damage can occur from numerous species of birds and mammals. Worldwide concern, however, has focused on rodents and a large number of species cause substantial agriculture losses each year (Witmer et al, 1995). After the advent of effective herbicides and clean farming practices in North America, however, many rodent problems became insignificant (Hines and Hygnstrom 2000). This is, in large part, because the fields were plowed each year, disrupting burrows and removing ground cover. The fields often lay bare a lengthy part of the year. The use of herbicides, plowing, and burning prevented the fields from developing the vegetative cover that wildlife needed for year-round food aid shelter. This situation has been changing in recent years. The use of conservation tillage or no-till agriculture is increasing across much of North America, in part because these methods conserve soil and water resources. Many problems can arise, however, and an integrated pest management strategy is needed to deal with weed, insect, and vertebrate pests that can proliferate and cause substantial damage in the no-till agriculture setting (Holtzer et al. 1996). When the ground is not plowed each year, crop residues are maintained, and surrounding areas provide good harborage for rodents, the potential exists for substantial increases in rodent populations and subsequent crop damage

Introduced Wildlife of Oregon and Washington

Each species of wildlife occurs as part of an ecosystem, interacting in many ways with other plant and animal species in that system as well as with the abiotic components such as soil, air, water, and other substrates. The array of wildlife species around the globe has been shaped by geological and climatological events as well as by eons of evolution and natural selection. Species have come and gone and those remaining have, in most cases, co-evolved or co-adapted with many other species so that relatively stable, and often complex, relationships exist. Usually, a great many niches have been carved out and occupied, creating a distinct flora and fauna in each region of the globe that is maintained under conditions of relative stability over time. Natural disturbances (wind, fire) and large-scale events (volcanic eruptions, drought) may occasionally alter that stability and the relationships between species, but an overall homeostatis a return to the climatic community steady state usually prevails. These and other concepts of biogeography have been discussed in detail

Effects of Precooling on Recreationally Active Individuals During Loaded Carriage Foot Marches in Heated Conditions

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Introduction

Vertebrate species have been introduced to almost all parts of the world for thousands of years. Within the United States and its territories alone, over 1000 vertebrate species have been introduced since the early sailing ships explored the world. This includes at least 86 species of mammals, 127 species of birds, 126 species of reptiles, 53 species of amphibians, and over 673 species of fish (Witmer and Fuller 2011). Many of these species were native to the United States, but were moved to novel regions, often unintentionally or intentionally by humans. While invasive vertebrates have been introduced to all parts of the world, in this book, we focus on introduced terrestrial vertebrates in the United States and its territories, and the intention is to provide an overview of the complexity and challenges associated with managing invasive species within the United States. Often, the management of invasive species and the prevention of new species becoming established is largely a function of the regulatory framework established within a specific country. In this book, although historical management successes and failures are discussed, the focus is on current effective management options and potential future developments to minimize the effects of invasive species and prevent their spread into new areas. Although plants and animals have been introduced into new areas for centuries, the increased volume of worldwide trade and transportation has accelerated the rate of species introductions over the last 150 years. Animals are introduced for many reasons, both purposeful and accidental. Intentional introductions include both legal and illegal activities such as the production of food and fur, work animals, sport hunting opportunities, companion animals, aesthetics, pets, pet trade propagation, religious purposes, and pest control. Accidental introductions occur because of stowaways in transport vehicles, hitchhikers or stowaways in or on other commodities, escapees, and, in some cases, because of range expansion of a species, often facilitated by human activities and land use. For example, a tropical storm is thought to have brought the cattle egret Bubulcus ibis to North America (Florida initially) from the Caribbean islands after they had crossed the Atlantic Ocean from Europe and Africa. However, it may have been agricultural land use that allowed its subsequent rapid range expansion westward across North America. Likewise, habitat fragmentation stemming from anthropogenic land use has facilitated the expansion of coyotes (Canis latrans) across the Eastern United States and far south into Central America over the last several decades, reaching areas where the species formerly did not occur

Predictive Validity of Critical Power and Functional Threshold Power for Mountain Bike Race Performance.

Miller, M., Witmer, C., Moir, G., Davis, S., East Stroudsburg University, East Stroudsburg, PA Purpose: This study tested the predictive validity of critical power (CP) and functional threshold power (FTP) for mountain bike cross-country (MTB) race performance. Methods: Five well-trained MTB athletes (mean ± s: age: 31.4 ± 9.3 years; mass: 70.8 ± 9.5kg; VO2max: 63.8 ± 7.0 ml/kg/min) volunteered for this study. Participants’ FTP was measured during a ramped cycle ergometer test to exhaustion and was indicated as the point at which blood lactate reached 4.0 mmol/L. This test also served to measure the gas exchange threshold and VO2peak for CPtesting. CP was tested during a 3-minute all-out test on a cycle ergometer against a fixed resistance. MTB performance measures were gathered from a USA Cycling sanctioned MTB race and reduced to mean lap time over four laps of 7.5 km each. Linear regression was used to assess the prediction of MTB performance using either FTP or CP. Results: This study shows that CP can predict MTB better than FTP (R2=0.943 versus R2=0.784). CP can also predict MTB with less error than FTP (39.413 s versus 76.526 s). Conclusion: Coaches and athletes can use this information to gauge ability and prescribe training for MTB athletes