Scientific and ethical considerations in rare species protection: the case of beavers in Connecticut

Includes bibliographical references.The protection of rare species abounds with scientific and ethical considerations. An ethical dilemma can emerge when the life of one species is valued higher than that of another, and so we discuss the basis of ranking, protection, and valuation of plants and animals. A duty to protect rare species exists in this age of great losses to plant and animal life, but the scientific and public communities are not always in agreement regarding what species deserve protection. Using a case study, we illustrate how the decision to kill beavers to protect a rare plant and rare animals found in a tidewater creek demanded an ecological ethic approach. We present the concept of a "conservation mediator" and how its use may help find a common ground between stakeholders and decision-makers in similar situations

Effectiveness of Pan Trapping as a Rapid Bioinventory Method of Freshwater Shoreline Insects of Subtropical Texas

Pan trapping proves to be an effective method for field surveying insects, especially Diptera. This manuscript examines the effectiveness of the method for the rapid bioinventory of freshwater shoreline insects. Pan traps at ground level, above ground, and elevated and of different colors were evaluated for their ability to attract and capture insects. Abundance (n), taxonomic richness (T), and hierarchical diversity indices (H′) allowed for the determination of efficacy among methods. Yellow pan (n = 141, T = 10, H′ = 1.15) and elevated yellow pan traps (n = 113, T = 5, H′ = 1.18) were most effective at capturing the highest diversity of insects. Blue (n = 12, H′ = 1.18) and green (n = 51, H′ = 0.74) traps had similar richness (T = 4); however differed in the total insects captured and diversity. The results provide entomologists in South Texas and other subtropical environments with information to assist them with planning surveys in the field and with further study potentially developing pollution tolerance values for different insect taxa

Taphonomic Study of Japanese Quail (Coturnix japonica) Bone Modification Resulting from the Burial and Feeding Behavior of the American Burying Beetle (Nicrophorus americanus)

Actualistic and observational studies of bird bone disarticulation, wear, and damage contribute to understanding the development of fossil assemblages and distinguishing non-cultural from cultural deposition. The American burying beetle (Nicrophorus americanus) is known for seeking small bird carcasses to lay eggs and provide food for its brooding larvae. In this study, we examine the resulting body parts of Japanese quail (Coturnix japonica) carcasses to investigate the taphonomy resulting from the burial and feeding behavior of the beetles. Evidence of breakage, cracking, embedding, flaking, furrowing, pitting, polishing, and staining was observed on the bones of carcasses balled and brooded by the beetles. Based on the results, the implication of potential bird carcass intrusion in archaeological sites, where the beetle is found, is discussed

RESEARCH ARTICLE: Evaluating Stormwater Canals for Water Quality in the Lower Rio Grande Valley, Texas

The Lower Rio Grande Valley (LRGV) of South Texas contains an extensive stormwater conveyance canal system supported by culverts and crossings. This project examined representative canal segments in this system to determine the effects of stormwater conveyance structures and crossings as well as surrounding land use on water quality and the ability of the canal system to meet Texas freshwater surface water standards. Data collected for 18 physiochemical and nutrient parameters was used to generate summary statistics and perform analyses of variance and correlation analyses. The results of the analyses suggested that conveyance structures and crossings and land use significantly affected 12–13 water quality parameters. Box culverts in the canal system are more likely to affect water quality than bridge crossings or culverts placed above and below the water surface. Agricultural and residential land, roads, and trees and bushes planted on the canal boundaries effected water quality similarly, whereas the maintained, vegetated edges of canals had the greatest influences on water quality. Overall, water quality in the LRGV canal system meets federal and state standards and aquatic life criteria. The findings of our water quality survey provide significant information that could assist with municipal, county, and regional environmental compliance management

Bone chemical composition changes in bird bones from laboratory exposure to saline lake conditions

The abundance of bird bones in archeological contexts of high salt is potentially impacted by salinization, which can affect bone preservation. We exposed wing elements (humeri, ulnae, and radii) of domestic chicken (Gallus gallus domesticus) to laboratory conditions simulating a saline lake substrate with overlaying saltwater for up to 32 weeks. Our analyses based on bone ashing and elemental concentration using ICP-OES are reported. The data provide useful taphonomic information regarding changes in bone mineral content, element concentrations, and element to phosphorus ratios of bird bones exposed to saline environments. Results showed that all exposed wing bones increased significantly in bone mineral content, which indicated that wing bones most likely became stronger. Overall, ionic concentrations of Ca2+, K+, Mg2+, Na+, P5+, Sr2+, and Si4+, except Fe3+, changed significantly among all wing bones with saline exposure. These changes in ion concentration took place in as little as 4 weeks. Element to phosphorus ratios provided insight into potential ionic substitutions between the bone and the saline substrate and solution exposure. The results from our study provide direct evidence that the chemical composition of bird bones deposited along saline lake shorelines quickly become altered

Prehistoric and historical insights in avian zooarchaeology, taphonomy and ancient bird use

The study of bird bones from archaeological sites, ornithoarchaeology or avian zooarchaeology/archaeozoology focuses on the study of past bird-human relationships (Davis 2012; Morales-Muñiz 1993; Reitz and Wing 1999; Bartosiewicz 2001, 2008; Serjeanston 2009). Studies of bird remains in prehistory and history or avian zooarchaeology appear in many contexts, including as musical instruments (Morejohn and Galloway 1983), cultural symbols, art and iconography (David 1989; Sparkes 1997), tools (Olsen 1979), adornment with feathers (Berdan 2006), food (Peterson 1973), ethnology (Rea 2007) and medicine (Bezerra et al. 2013). Bird bone identification and chronicling domestication history demands the development of studies in comparative osteology (Cohen and Sergeanston 1996; Gilbert et al. 1996), pathology (Shufeldt 1893; Brothwell 2002; Gál 2008a, 2008b, 2013) and identification and ancient DNA studies (DeCupere et al. 2005; Camilla et al. 2010). Depositional histories, preservation biases and distinguishing of cultural from noncultural modification rely on taphonomic investigations (Bickart 1984; Ericson 1987; Livingston 1989; Bocheński 2002; Bovy 2002). All these topics are of research interests that can involve field excavation, actualistic study or experimentation, and ethnoarchaeology and ethnographic evidence, as well as laboratory analysis (Serjeanston 1998; Best and Mulville 2013; Soma 2013; Gomes 2016). Treatises addressing the topic of avian zooarchaeology include Grigson and Clutton-Brock (1983), Purdue et al. (1991) and Serjeantson (2009) and works presented at the Bird Working Group (BWG) Meetings of the International Council for Archaeozoology (Serjeantson 1994; Archaeofauna 1993(2); International Journal of Osteoarchaeology 1997(7); Acta Zoologica Cracoviensia 2002(45, special issue); Grupe and Peters 2005a; Prummel et al. 2010; Bejenaru and Serjeantson 2014). In January 2016, the 8th BWG Meeting was held at the University of Texas Rio Grande Valley (UTRGV), Edinburg, TX, USA. The meeting was hosted by the Department of Biology, College of Sciences, and the Office of Sustainability. Researchers from Australia, New Zealand, Japan, the UK, the USA, Mexico, France and Argentina gathered to present findings and participate in birding events. The Lower Rio Grande Valley (Starr, Hidalgo, Cameron and Willacy counties) provides habitat supporting about 520 resident, migratory and rare bird species, almost half of the 1114 recorded occurring in the USA as a whole. The presence of many tropical bird species encourages birders to visit in large numbers. Regional ecotourism that includes birding generated (as of ca. 2010) more than $300 million in local yearly revenue (Woosnam et al. 2011; Leslie 2016). We review the articles resulting from this first meeting in the USA and place them in contexts of taphonomy, hunting and domestication, and prehistoric and historic bird use