MULTIPLE CAPTURES OF PEROMYSCUS LE UCO PUS: SOCIAL BEHAVIOR IN A SMALL RODENT

The capture of more than one individual in a live trap can often provide information on the social behavior of small mammals, but the conclusions drawn from these data will depend on the type of live trap used. Davis (1955) and Getz (1972) used multiple capture traps and analyzed their data with respect to attraction and repulsion of individuals both within and between different age and sex classes. Petersen (1975), Feldhamer (1977), Blaustein and Rothstein (1978), Jenkins and Llewellyn (1981) and Spencer et al. (1982) gained information on the formation of associations during foraging and dispersal from multip~ captures made in single capture traps. Other studies have included anecdotal information on multiple captures but have not analyzed the data rigorously enough to shed light on the social organization of the species involved. This paper reports multiple captures of Peromyscus leucopus, a species for which multiple capture data have not previously been analyzed in the literature. The results are then related to previous studies on multiple captures of cricetines

DISTRIBUTION AND RELATIVE ABUNDANCE OF SMALL MAMMALS IN THE ILLINI FOREST PLANTATION, URBANA, ILLINOIS

The abundance and distribution of small mammals were analyzed for correlation with the vegetational characteris· tics of their habitat. Positive correlations were found for the number of mammals trapped per area trapped versus the total ground cover (r= .67, P\u3c .05) and for the number of mammal species versus total ground cover (r= .73, P\u3c.05). The habitat preferences of the three species trapped (short-tailed shrews B/,arina brevicauda. white-footed mice Peromyscus leucopuus, and meadow voles Microtus pennsylvanicus) showed a distinct distributional pattern for the species in relation to their habitats. The management of forest-tree plantations to achieve high densities during the seedling stage and the use of silvicultural practices that promote high shrub densities are suggested as inexpensive and natural control measures for injurious microtine rodents. Seedlings must be permitted to reach a sufficient height to remove the risk of the shrubs overtopping them

Examining the Affects of Student Multitasking with Laptops During the Lecture

This paper examines undergraduate student use of laptop computers during a lecture-style class that includes substantial problem-solving activities and graphic-based content. The study includes both a self-reported use component collected from student surveys as well as a monitored use component collected via activity monitoring “spyware” installed on student laptops. We categorize multitasking activities into productive (course-related) versus distractive (non course-related) tasks. Quantifiable measures of software multitasking behavior are introduced to measure the frequency of student multitasking, the duration of student multitasking, and the extent to which students engage in distractive versus productive tasks. We find that students engage in substantial multitasking behavior with their laptops and have non course-related software applications open and active about 42% of the time. There is a statistically significant inverse relationship between the ratio of distractive versus productive multitasking behavior during lectures and academic performance. We also observe that students under state the frequency of email and instant messaging (IM) use in the classroom when self-reporting on their laptop usage

Raccoon (Procyon lotor) Harvesting on and near the U.S. Department of Energy’s Savannah River Site

Understanding the toxicodynamics of wildlife populations in contaminated ecosystems is one of the greatest challenges in ecotoxicology today. The goal is to manage these populations to minimize risk to ecosystem integrity as well as human health. Ecological risk assessments (ERAs) in the United States are designed to meet the regulatory mandates of the Comprehensive Environmental Response, Compensation and Liability Act (CERCLA) and the Resource Conservation and Recovery Act. According to the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency, an ERA evaluates the potential adverse effects that human activities have on the \u27 ora and fauna that de( ne an ecosystem (U.S. Environmental Protection Agency 1997). When conducted for a particular geographic location, the ERA process can be used to identify vulnerable and valued resources, prioritize data collection, and link human activities with their potential effects. Risk assessment results provide a common framework for comparing different management options, thus enabling decision makers and the public to make better informed decisions about the management of ecological resources. The ERA uses available toxicological and ecological information to estimate the occurrence of a speci( ed undesired ecological event or end point. The types of end points targeted for investigation depend on the objectives and the constraints imposed upon the risk assessment process (Newman and Strojan 1998) based on all of the relevant stakeholders; therefore, multiple endpoints at different scales may be necessary but are not commonly used (Gaines et al. 2004). In this case, the stakeholders are the public who live near and hunt on and near the Department of Energy’s (DOE) Savannah River Site (SRS; ( gure 4.1). To date, there is a dearth of knowledge concerning how environmental risk can be managed at the population level when using wildlife as endpoint (receptor) species

Farmers and Social Security Reform

Agricultural Finance,

Development of a unique polyurethane primer/topcoat

USBI Company, a Division of Pratt & Whitney Government Engines and Space Propulsion, is involved in corrosion and environmental research and development activities both at their headquarters in Huntsville, Alabama and their Florida Operations at Kennedy Space Center, Florida. The programs involve the development of environmentally compatible materials that improve the corrosion protection of expensive Solid Rocket Boosters (SRB) that are part of the Space Shuttle systems developed and managed by Marshall Space Flight Center in Huntsville, Alabama. Coatings For Industry, a paint manufacturer in Souderton, PA helped formulate and produce the first lot of BOOSTERCOAT paint. High strength aluminum aerospace flight hardware exposed to harsh seacoast environments and seawater immersion presently uses high volatile organic compound (VOC) chromated and lead bearing primers and epoxy topcoats for corrosion protection. Epoxy paint tends to be brittle and has relatively low ultraviolet (UV) exposure resistance. A unique, environmentally compatible, non-leaded/non-chromated, low VOC polyurethane single coat (primer/topcoat) trade named BOOSTERCOAT has been developed for excellent corrosion protection, flexibility, adhesion, chemical and solvent resistance properties. This report will discuss the development of BOOSTERCOAT and the potential opportunities for commercial use in the energy, transportation, chemical, maritime, structural fields

Morphological asymmetry and interspecific hybridization: A case study using hylid frogs

The limited studies addressing developmental stability of interspecific hybrids suggest a positive association between the level of fluctuating asymmetry and 1) the degree of divergence between parental species, and 2) the recency of the contact zone. To evaluate these associations, we examined asymmetry in a recentlyestablished hybrid population of treefrogs (Hyla cinerea and H. gratiosa) that show marked structural gene divergence. Fluctuating asymmetry (FA), directional asymmetry, and antisymmetry were assessed for eight paired osteometric traits in allozymically-defined parental and hybrid categories. FA levels varied considerably among traits. Nonetheless, for any given trait, the hybrid categories did not demonstrate elevated levels of FA compared to the parental categories, or compared to frogs from a non-hybridizing parental population. The only trait that differed statistically among categories (pterygoid length) involved a significantly lower FA value for the Fl hybrids. Thus, observed FA values do not support expectations that the hybrid categories should experience decreased developmental stability

Morphological asymmetry and interspecific hybridization: A case study using hylid frogs

The limited studies addressing developmental stability of interspecific hybrids suggest a positive association between the level of fluctuating asymmetry and 1) the degree of divergence between parental species, and 2) the recency of the contact zone. To evaluate these associations, we examined asymmetry in a recentlyestablished hybrid population of treefrogs (Hyla cinerea and H. gratiosa) that show marked structural gene divergence. Fluctuating asymmetry (FA), directional asymmetry, and antisymmetry were assessed for eight paired osteometric traits in allozymically-defined parental and hybrid categories. FA levels varied considerably among traits. Nonetheless, for any given trait, the hybrid categories did not demonstrate elevated levels of FA compared to the parental categories, or compared to frogs from a non-hybridizing parental population. The only trait that differed statistically among categories (pterygoid length) involved a significantly lower FA value for the Fl hybrids. Thus, observed FA values do not support expectations that the hybrid categories should experience decreased developmental stability