Understanding Behavioral Responses of Wildlife to Traffic to Improve Mitigation Planning

Creating and maintaining sustainable transportation systems depends in part on understanding and mitigating ecological impacts. Wildlife crossing structures (WCS) are often used to mitigate impacts on wildlife populations. WCS and existing structures may provide passage for multiple species, depending on their sensitivity to traffic disturbance and perception of the roadway. In a previous project, the research team found that traffic conditions and traffic noise could reduce WCS effectiveness in facilitating passage of diverse and sensitive species. In the current project, they expanded the geographic scope to 26 sites throughout California, including detailed measurements of vehicle noise and lighting impacts on wildlife use of structures. They investigated individual animal behavior as the animals approached structures as a possible mechanism for reducing species diversity due to traffic disturbance. In order to inform future WCS planning, placement and construction, the team studied traffic noise and light impacts on wildlife in the vicinity of the proposed Liberty Canyon wildlife over-crossing (over US 101), the first and largest of its kind in California. They improved a preliminary statistical model of the effects of traffic on WCS use of existing structures. The authors recommend strategies for transportation agencies to use in developing and modifying WCS to improve wildlife passage.View the NCST Project Webpag

Pollution, Light

Anthropogenic light at night disrupts natural patterns of light and darkness, and the color of light that have been reliable over geological time. Such changes in the environment result in nonadaptive responses from species and disruption of daily, lunar, and annual rhythms. The range of impacts of light pollution on biodiversity include interference with movement, interspecific interactions, sleep and daily rhythms, reproduction, development, gene expression, and stress and fear responses. Design principles are available to guide deployment of light at night to reduce, but not eliminate, adverse impacts on biodiversity arising from the human production of light at night

Effects of LED lighting on terrestrial wildlife

1. Systematic Map of Effects of Light from LEDs at Night on Terrestrial Wildlife 2. Relative Importance of Intensity and Spectrum of Artificial Light at Night in Disrupting Behavior of a Nocturnal Rodent 3. A Database of Species Visual Responses to the Spectral Distribution of Light 4. Assessing and Mitigating Taxon-Specific Light Pollution Impacts from Roadway Lighting Projects 5. Guidance for Evaluating and Mitigating Impacts to Sensitive Species from Artificial Light at Night in Caltrans Project

The Use of Borax to Inhibit the Brightness Reversion of Bleached CTMP

This thesis evaluated the ability of Borax to inhibit the yellowing process of paper that was made from bleached chemithermomechanical pulp (BCTMP). Paper made from BCTMP has a tendency to lose brightness (photoyellow) when exposed to ultra violet (UV) light. The light initiates a series of chemical reactions to take place that results in the formation of yellow ketone and quinone products. A combination of boric acid and borax was applied to the surface of the paper to interfere with these chemical reactions and prevent the formation of the yellow products that cause photoyellowing. The effectiveness of these additives was also compared with a previously used inhibitor (ascorbic acid). Borax was only effective at inhibiting brightness reversion when it was added in combination with boric acid. The boric acid worked almost as well as the ascorbic acid when used alone. When the two were used in combination the effects were increased with an equal addition level of the additives individually

Tamanho do corpo, despigmentação das partes bucais e presença de Batrachochytrium dendrobatidis estão relacionados em Hylodes cf. ornatus e Lithobates catesbeianus

A fungal pathogen Batrachochytrium dendrobatidis (Bd), which can cause morbidity and death of anurans, has affected amphibian populations on a worldwide basis. Availability of pure cultures of Bd isolates is essential for experimental studies to understand the ecology of this pathogen. We evaluated the relationships of body length of Hylodes cf. ornatus and Lithobates catesbeianus tadpoles to depigmentation of mouthparts and determined if dekeratinization indicated an infection by Batrachochytrium dendrobatidis. A strong association existed for both species, one from South America (Brazil: São Paulo) and one from North America (USA: Maine). We believe it prudent not to kill adult amphibians if avoidable, thus obtaining tissue for isolating Bd from tadpoles is reasonable because infected specimens of some species can be selectively collected based on depigmentation of mouthparts.O fungo patógeno Batrachochytrium dendrobatidis (Bd) é apontado como o causador de morbidade e morte em anuros, e tem afetado populações de anfíbios em uma base mundial. Avaliar culturas puras de isolados de Bd é essencial para estudos experimentais para o entendimento da ecologia desse patógeno. Avaliou-se a relação entre o comprimento do corpo em girinos de Hylodes cf. ornatus e Lithobates catesbeianus com a despigmentação das peças bucais, para verificar se a desqueratinização indica uma infecção por Batrachochytrium dendrobatidis. Uma forte associação existe para ambas as espécies, uma da América do Sul (Brasil: São Paulo) e uma da América do Norte (USA: Maine). Acredita-se ser prudente este uso, para evitar a morte de anfíbios adultos; dessa forma, obter tecidos para isolar o Bd de girinos é razoável, porque espécimes infectados podem ser coletados seletivamente com base na despigmentação do aparelho bucal.195199Fundação de Amparo à Pesquisa do Estado de São Paulo (FAPESP

Patuxent’s American Black Duck Studies from Chesapeake Bay to Maine and Beyond

The information in this chapter draws on published literature and unpublished reports written by staff members of the U.S. Geological Survey, Patuxent Wildlife Research Center (Patuxent), during its 75-year history. Reports by Bureau of Biological Survey (Biological Survey) and U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service (USFWS) personnel are included because the research entity currently known as Patuxent was formerly administered by these agencies. Some of the cited reports were prepared by USFWS scientists while they were not working at Patuxent. Literature resulting from work at other Federal and State agencies and private and academic institutions that influenced research at Patuxent on the American black duck (Anas rubripes, hereafter referred to as black duck) and that is essential to the discussion of black duck studies is included. Literature citations are selective, but include representative papers that cover four research topics: chemical contaminants, ecology, analyses of banding and survey data and population changes, and the now discredited hypothesis that the mallard (Anas platyrhynchos) could competitively exclude black ducks from fertile wetlands

Fireflies

Introduction: Fireflies may be expected to have inappropriate, innate responses to foreign light, similar to those that occur in other organisms. (Excerpted from: Ecological Consequences of Artificial Night Lighting, edited by Catherine Rich and Travis Longcore, published by Island Press, 2005.

Body Length Of Hylodes Cf. Ornatus And Lithobates Catesbeianus Tadpoles, Depigmentation Of Mouthparts, And Presence Of Batrachochytrium Dendrobatidis Are Related.

A fungal pathogen Batrachochytrium dendrobatidis (Bd), which can cause morbidity and death of anurans, has affected amphibian populations on a worldwide basis. Availability of pure cultures of Bd isolates is essential for experimental studies to understand the ecology of this pathogen. We evaluated the relationships of body length of Hylodes cf. ornatus and Lithobates catesbeianus tadpoles to depigmentation of mouthparts and determined if dekeratinization indicated an infection by Batrachochytrium dendrobatidis. A strong association existed for both species, one from South America (Brazil: São Paulo) and one from North America (USA: Maine). We believe it prudent not to kill adult amphibians if avoidable, thus obtaining tissue for isolating Bd from tadpoles is reasonable because infected specimens of some species can be selectively collected based on depigmentation of mouthparts.73195-

Extraordinary Size and Survival of American Black Duck, Anas rubripes, Broods

Two female American Black Ducks (Anas rubripes) were initially observed during June 1982 with 20 Class Ib or 18-22 Class Ia-b ducklings in two wetlands in Hancock County, Cherryfield, Maine. Fifteen of 20 ducklings (75%) in one brood and 16 of 18-22 ducklings (72-89%) in the other brood survived to fledge. These large broods probably resulted from post-hatch brood amalgamation