Sex- and season-dependent behaviour in a flightless insect, the Auckland tree weta (Hemideina thoracica)

In a polygynous mating system, males frequently compete by locating and defending sites with resources essential to female survival and reproduction. We investigated seasonal changes in site occupancy in a sexually dimorphic, harem-forming insect, the Auckland tree weta (Hemideina thoracica). First we established artificial cavities as diurnal refuge cavities and potential harem guarding sites. We then examined cavity occupancy changes, and, based on our knowledge of prior occupants, determined sex-specific patterns of arrival, departure, and aggregation at a population level throughout the year. Both season and the sex of prior occupants influenced weta occupancy patterns. Most observations were of single females. However, both males and females moved into cavities previously occupied by a weta of the opposite sex more often than expected by chance alone. Females avoided cavities where other females were present, except during summer when most harems formed. In early summer, male and female tree weta previously living apart began co-habiting. Generally there was little relationship between the number and sex of the weta inside cavities and female departure rates from cavities. Males who were sharing with other males departed cavities more frequently than single males, as might be expected in a polygynous species with male-male combat. Males were less likely to depart if they were sharing a cavity with a harem of more than two females during the summer-autumn period. Analysis of departure rates from artificial cavities indicates males are more mobile than females only in winter and spring. Based on our arrival and departure data, and high occupancy of artificial cavities, we suggest that female weta at this site are mobile and may search for mates during the summer. The data are consistent with a polygynandrous mating system as inferred for other tree weta species (Hemideina spp.)

2010 Interior Least Tern and Piping Plover Monitoring, Research, Management, and Outreach Report for the Lower Platte River, Nebraska

This document reports on our monitoring, research, management, and outreach activities during the past 12 months (2010). We prepared it to inform our partners, cooperating agencies, funding sources, and other interested parties of our activities and to provide a preliminary summary of our results. The Tern and Plover Conservation Partnership (TPCP), based at the University of Nebraska–School of Natural Resources, and the Nongame Bird Program (NBP), based at the Nebraska Game and Parks Commission (NGPC) work cooperatively on Interior Least Tern and Piping Plover monitoring, research, management, and outreach activities. While the focus of our work is the Lower Platte, Loup, and Elkhorn rivers in the eastern part of the state, we address tern and plover issues across the state and region. Our joint program includes terns and plovers nesting in on-river habitats (midstream river sandbars) and off-river human-created habitats (sand and gravel mines and lakeshore housing developments). The TPCP leads our efforts at off-river habitats; the NBP leads our efforts at on-river habitats. The report is divided into five sections: 1. Introduction—describes the project area and summarizes conditions encountered during the 2010 field season. 2. Monitoring—describes the data we collect every year for basic demographic analysis and includes the number of nests, adults, eggs, chicks, and fledglings found in the focus area. These data are collected and summarized in a form that allows comparison across the range of each species. 3. Research—describes our research objectives, data collection, and data analyses. 4. Management—describes our actions to protect Interior Least Terns and Piping Plovers and their nests from interference. 5. Outreach—describes our efforts to increase public awareness and understanding of Interior Least Terns and Piping Plovers and to promote environmental literacy

2009 Interior Least Tern and Piping Plover Monitoring, Research, Management, and Outreach Report for the Lower Platte River, Nebraska

This document reports on our monitoring, research, management, and outreach activities during the past 12 months (2009). We prepared it to inform our partners, cooperating agencies, funding sources, and other interested parties of our activities and to provide a preliminary summary of our results. The Tern and Plover Conservation Partnership (TPCP), based at the University of Nebraska–School of Natural Resources, and the Nongame Bird Program (NBP), based at the Nebraska Game and Parks Commission (NGPC) work cooperatively on Interior Least Tern and Piping Plover monitoring, research, management, and education-outreach activities. While the proximate focus of our work is the Lower Platte, Loup, and Elkhorn rivers in eastern Nebraska, we address tern and plover issues across the state and region. Our joint program includes terns and plovers nesting at on-river habitats (midstream river sandbars) and off-river or human-created habitats (sand and gravel mines and lakeshore housing developments). The TPCP leads our efforts at off-river habitats; the NBP leads our efforts at on-river habitats. The report is divided into five sections: 1. Introduction—describes the project area and summarizes conditions encountered during the 2009 field season. 2. Monitoring—describes the data we collect every year for basic demographic analyses and includes the number of nests and chicks found in the focus area. These data are collected and summarized in a form that allows comparison across the ranges of both species. 3. Research—describes details of data collection and the analysis of these data relative to specific research objectives. 4. Management—describes our activities designed to protect Interior Least Terns and Piping Plovers and nests from human and non-human interference. 5. Education-Outreach—describes our efforts to increase public awareness and understanding of Interior Least Terns and Piping Plovers in particular and to promote environmental literacy in general

2009 Interior Least Tern and Piping Plover Monitoring, Research, Management, and Outreach Report for the Lower Platte River, Nebraska

This document reports on our monitoring, research, management, and outreach activities during the past 12 months (2009). We prepared it to inform our partners, cooperating agencies, funding sources, and other interested parties of our activities and to provide a preliminary summary of our results. The Tern and Plover Conservation Partnership (TPCP), based at the University of Nebraska–School of Natural Resources, and the Nongame Bird Program (NBP), based at the Nebraska Game and Parks Commission (NGPC) work cooperatively on Interior Least Tern and Piping Plover monitoring, research, management, and education-outreach activities. While the proximate focus of our work is the Lower Platte, Loup, and Elkhorn rivers in eastern Nebraska, we address tern and plover issues across the state and region. Our joint program includes terns and plovers nesting at on-river habitats (midstream river sandbars) and off-river or human-created habitats (sand and gravel mines and lakeshore housing developments). The TPCP leads our efforts at off-river habitats; the NBP leads our efforts at on-river habitats. The report is divided into five sections: 1. Introduction—describes the project area and summarizes conditions encountered during the 2009 field season. 2. Monitoring—describes the data we collect every year for basic demographic analyses and includes the number of nests and chicks found in the focus area. These data are collected and summarized in a form that allows comparison across the ranges of both species. 3. Research—describes details of data collection and the analysis of these data relative to specific research objectives. 4. Management—describes our activities designed to protect Interior Least Terns and Piping Plovers and nests from human and non-human interference. 5. Education-Outreach—describes our efforts to increase public awareness and understanding of Interior Least Terns and Piping Plovers in particular and to promote environmental literacy in general

Observations of Piping Plovers (\u3ci\u3eCharadrius melodus\u3c/i\u3e) Color Banded in Nebraska and Re-sighted on the United States Gulf Coast

Threatened and endangered migratory birds present a challenge to conservation efforts because they use different habitats during different times of the year. As a result, successful efforts in one part of their range may be nullified by negative events taking place in other parts of their range. In many cases, information that links individual birds or populations to specific breeding, non-breeding, and migratory areas across the species\u27 range is not available. Without these links, it can be difficult to coordinate conservation efforts across the species\u27 range, and species recovery efforts may be less effective. The observation of uniquely marked individuals can be useful in linking different regions and habitats used throughout a species\u27 annual cycle. As part of our efforts to monitor and protect Piping Plovers (Charadrius melodus) in Nebraska, we initiated a research and banding program in 2008. Here we describe the color banding scheme we are using along the lower Platte River and report re-sightings of color banded plovers from non-breeding areas along the United States Gulf Coast. In the United States, the Great Plains population of Piping Plovers is federally listed as threatened. In Nebraska, the Piping Plover is listed as a state threatened species. The authority for this listing status is provided by the Nebraska Nongame and Endangered Species Conservation Act (Nebraska Revised Statutes §§37: 801–811). Historically, Piping Plover numbers declined as a result of unregulated hunting (Bent 1927), but the principal reason for the current decline is the continuing loss of breeding habitat due to human activity (USFWS 1988, 2009, Elliott-Smith and Haig 2004, http://www.natureserve.org). In addition to the loss of breeding habitat, Piping Plovers in the Great Plains are threatened by wild, feral, and pet animal predation; water pollution; hydro-peaking; shoreline stabilization and bank armoring; loss of river sandbars; and the consequences of water management decisions (Elliott-Smith and Haig 2004, http://www.natureserve.org, http://www.iucnredlist.org). Efforts by state and federal agencies and NGOs are underway to help plover populations recover across their range

Evaluating Recreationists’ Awareness and Attitudes Toward Piping Plovers (\u3ci\u3eCharadrius melodus\u3c/i\u3e) at Lake McConaughy, Nebraska, USA

Piping plovers (Charadrius melodus) are shorebirds federally protected by the U.S. Endangered Species Act that often nest on beaches in proximity to human recreation. We evaluated whether awareness of piping plovers and their legally protected status and attitudes toward species management varied between groups of recreationists at Lake McConaughy, Keith County, Nebraska, USA. Awareness of piping plovers varied primarily by the respondents’ number of annual visits to Lake McConaughy; the respondents’ age, sex, or location of primary residence had less influence. Recreationists with increased awareness of piping plovers and their protected status did not have more favorable attitudes toward plovers and recreation restrictions. The more frequently recreationists visited Lake McConaughy, the less receptive they were to alternative management strategies. Piping plover recovery plans should incorporate general and site-specific human dimensions guidance for conservation practitioners. Additional studies are needed to identify approaches to resolve bird–human conflicts

Proceedings of the Ed-ICT International Network Montreal Symposium: Stakeholder Perspectives

The purpose of the bilingual (English-French) Montreal Symposium was to examine how different stakeholders could and should contribute and collaborate to ensure the accessibility of technology in postsecondary institutions to individuals with disabilities. A variety of experts were invited to ensure representation among the key stakeholders such as senior managers, technology specialists, legal experts, service providers, professors, librarians, publishers and students with disabilities

Interior Least Tern Powerline Collision on the Lower Platte River

Collisions with electrical powerlines are a well-known documented cause of avian mortality (Avian Power Line Interaction Committee [APLIC] 1994, Savereno et al. 1996). Mortality caused by collisions with powerlines can be an important concern for many bird species, but is a serious conservation problem for threatened and endangered species because any mortality can have biological and legal ramifications (Janss 2000). Loss of individuals, particularly breeding adults, from an already small population may impede a species’ recovery by reducing reproduction and recruitment into the breeding population. The death of an individual from a threatened or endangered species as a result of a collision may constitute “take” as defined by the federal Endangered Species Act (1973; 16 U.S.C. 1531–1544.) and the federal Migratory Bird Treaty Act (1918; 16 U.S.C. 703–712). Companies and/or individuals may be prosecuted when powerline collisions occur, particularly if recommendations intended to reduce the risk of collision, provided by the United States Fish and Wildlife Service (USFWS) regarding the placement of the powerlines, have not been followed