Aerial census of manatees and boats over the lower St. Johns River and the Intracoastal waterway in northeastern Florida

West Indian manatees (Trichechus manatus) occur throughout the year in rivers, estuaries and coastal areas of Florida (Moore 1951, Hartman 1974, Irvine and Campbell 1978, Irvine et al. 1981). Manatees are widely dispersed along the Gulf and Atlantic Coasts of the southeastern U.S. during the summer months and aggregate at traditional warm water wintering sites during cooler months (Hartman 1974, Powell and Waldron 1978, Rose and McCutcheon 1980, Rathbun et al. 1982, Powell and Rathbun 1983, Shane 1983). Their winter range on the east coast of Florida extends as far north as Jacksonville (Hartman 1974, Rathbun et al. 1983, Kinnaird and Valade 1983) but manatees are sighted most frequently in the northeastern region of the peninsula during the summer months (Moore 1951, Hartman 1974, Irvine and Campbell 1978). Recent evidence suggests that manatees in northeastern Florida are not discrete subpopulations and that manatees make seasonal north/south migrations along the eastern coastal waterways (Hartman 1974, Shane 1983, Rathbun et al. 1983, Kinnaird and Valade 1983). Northeastern Florida has the highest known manatee mortality in the state, including the highest incidence of deaths due to collisions with boats, particularly in the St. Johns River and Brevard County (O'Shea et al. in prep.). It is difficult to develop wise management policies for this region because spatial and temporal use of northeastern Florida by manatees has not been fully documented. The nature and extent of boat traffic also has not been described. I conducted aerial surveys for one complete year over the lower reaches of the St. Johns River and the northeastern section of the ICW (southern Volusia County to Kings Bay, Georgia) to document the spatial and temporal patternLt~at characterize manatee use of northeast Florida, and to describe the nature and extent of boat traffic. The development of management practices based on these patterns should help minimize resource conflicts and possibly reduce manatee boat/barge mortality. (60 page document

Manatee Use of Two Power Plant Effluents on the St. Johns River in Jacksonville. Florida

The purpose of this study is to provide a better basis for understanding manatee winter abundance and habitat use patterns along the northern limit of the species' range, the purposes of this study were to: a) document the degree and nature of manatee use at two Jacksonville power plants, b) determine the influence of air and water temperature on manatee use of the plants, c) identify and photograph individual manatees observed in the outfalls, d) document site fidelity, and e) document any local and/or long distance manatee movements. (67 page document

A bovine lymphosarcoma cell line infected with theileria annulata exhibits an irreversible reconfiguration of host cell gene expression

Theileria annulata, an intracellular parasite of bovine lymphoid cells, induces substantial phenotypic alterations to its host cell including continuous proliferation, cytoskeletal changes and resistance to apoptosis. While parasite induced modulation of host cell signal transduction pathways and NFκB activation are established, there remains considerable speculation on the complexities of the parasite directed control mechanisms that govern these radical changes to the host cell. Our objectives in this study were to provide a comprehensive analysis of the global changes to host cell gene expression with emphasis on those that result from direct intervention by the parasite. By using comparative microarray analysis of an uninfected bovine cell line and its Theileria infected counterpart, in conjunction with use of the specific parasitacidal agent, buparvaquone, we have identified a large number of host cell gene expression changes that result from parasite infection. Our results indicate that the viable parasite can irreversibly modify the transformed phenotype of a bovine cell line. Fifty percent of genes with altered expression failed to show a reversible response to parasite death, a possible contributing factor to initiation of host cell apoptosis. The genes that did show an early predicted response to loss of parasite viability highlighted a sub-group of genes that are likely to be under direct control by parasite infection. Network and pathway analysis demonstrated that this sub-group is significantly enriched for genes involved in regulation of chromatin modification and gene expression. The results provide evidence that the Theileria parasite has the regulatory capacity to generate widespread change to host cell gene expression in a complex and largely irreversible manner

MOVEMENTS, DISTRIBUTION, AND ABUNDANCE OF GREAT ARGUS PHEASANTS (\u3ci\u3eARGUSIANUS ARGUS\u3c/i\u3e) IN A SUMATRAN RAINFOREST

We used radiotelemetry, habitat sampling, camera trapping, and line-transect surveys to explore movement patterns, distribution, and abundance of Great Argus Pheasants (Argusianus argus) in Sumatra, Indonesia. We radiotracked six adult and one subadult males. Territories averaged 14.5 ± 8.5 ha, and home-range size did not vary by month or by relative abundance of selected plant foods. Daily travel distance (849 ± 211 m) varied significantly between months but did not reflect changes in plant foods. Territories were used almost exclusively by resident males. Males preferentially used undisturbed forest (habitat I). Vegetation structure at male display sites and random points indicated that display sites were located in undisturbed forest, with few lianas and small leaf size on trees adjacent to the display site. Between 1998 and 2001, we conducted five line-transect surveys in conjunction with camera-trap surveys. Density estimates of calling males varied from 0.4 to 2.5 males km−2, and the total density estimate ranged from 0.9 to 3.7 birds km−2. Density estimates increased substantially between 1998 and 2001, reflecting recovery from depressed densities after the 1997-1998 El Niño drought. Habitat occupancy estimates varied from 25% to 38% but were not significantly different over time. The proportion of occupied habitat was similar to the proportion of habitat I. We conclude that Great Argus Pheasants prefer undisturbed forest and rarely use other habitat even as population density increases. Restricted movements and habitat preference may limit the ability of Great Argus Pheasants to colonize forest fragments

Social polyandry among siamangs: the role of habitat quality

In species where females do not associate spatially with other females, males usually range over an area including the home ranges of multiple females or defend the home range of one female. Nevertheless, social polyandry (multimale-unifemale grouping) occurs in some species. We examine an ecological constraints model relating habitat quality to facultative social polyandry in siamangs, Symphalangus syndactylus, by testing predictions of two hypotheses: (H1) variation in the size and density of important food trees affects the size of siamang home ranges and areas of exclusive use; (H2) socially polyandrous groups benefit from cooperative defence of the home range and area of exclusive use. Crown volume/ha of freestanding or strangler figs (Ficus), the most important siamang food, was negatively related to the size of the home range but not to the size of the area of exclusive use. Density and crown volume/ha of the second-most important plant food, Dracontomelon dao, was not related to the size of the home range or to the size of the area of exclusive use. Multimale groups had larger home ranges and areas of exclusive use than unimale groups, and the home ranges and areas of exclusive use of multimale groups encompassed more freestanding or strangling figs than those of unimale groups. Models of home range size including fig abundance (density or crown volume/ha) and the number of males as predictor variables suggested that multimale groups have larger home ranges than predicted by the relationship between fig abundance and home range size alone. While some other facultatively polyandrous species have larger home ranges in areas of poorer habitat quality, our results suggest a more complex situation for siamangs at our study site. Specifically, the density of large figs may constrain siamang ranging patterns, but multimale groups live in home ranges with more figs than those of unimale groups. Our results suggest that multimale groups may defend higher-quality territories than unimale groups

Monitoring Rangeland Health - A Guide for Facilitators and Pastoralist Communities

This guide provides simple methods for monitoring land health -- including a ten-step process for designing and implementing a monitoring program, as well as instructions and datasheets for collecting monitoring data. The data collection methods require very little equipment or training and are quick and easy to use. This guide was written for a wide audience of land managers, including pastoralist communities, government and NGO workers, and ranch, conservancy and park managers