The Current Regulatory Environment of Urban Coyote Control - a Private WCO Perspective

Social, political, and legal considerations have contributed to an unfavorable regulatory environment for lethal control of urban coyotes (canis latrans). I analyze and break down that environment from a Wildlife Control Operator (WCO) perspective. Currently 3 significant factors frame the issue but a 4th could be emerging. First, our hands are tied: I use the situation in Colorado to illustrate the point. Compounding factors include the need for a paradigm shift in how rules are derived, the lag-time factor in agency response to issues, and the tendency toward bureaucracy/over-regulation. Second, human dimensions rule: I critique the downside of human dimensions in wildlife damage management, including over-reliance on public opinion tools/processes, the sacred cow of humaneness, the influence of animal welfare/rights protagonists, and changing demographics. Third, most people prefer coexistence over lethal control: I briefly look at how this factor defines the current American mind-set but is nonetheless unrealistic. Fourth, the coyotes are coming: I highlight how the burgeoning urban coyote problem could be changing perceptions and attitudes about lethal control and the regulatory environment

Reversible adsorption on a random site surface

We examine the reversible adsorption of hard spheres on a random site surface in which the adsorption sites are uniformly and randomly distributed on a plane. Each site can be occupied by one solute provided that the nearest occupied site is at least one diameter away. We use a numerical method to obtain the adsorption isotherm, i.e. the number of adsorbed particles as a function of the bulk activity. The maximum coverage is obtained in the limit of infinite activity and is known exactly in the limits of low and high site density. An approximate theory for the adsorption isotherms, valid at low site density, is developed by using a cluster expansion of the grand canonical partition function. This requires as input the number of clusters of adsorption site of a given size. The theory is accurate for the entire range of activity as long as the site density is less than about 0.3 sites per particle area. We also discuss a connection between this model and the vertex cover problem.Comment: 16 pages, 10 figure

Facilitating Functional Conversational Skills in Aphasia: An Experimental Analysis of a Generalization Training Procedure

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Global raptor research and conservation priorities : Tropical raptors fall prey to knowledge gaps

Abstract Aim Raptors serve critical ecological functions, are particularly extinction-prone and are often used as environmental indicators and flagship species. Yet, there is no global framework to prioritize research and conservation actions on them. We identify for the first time the factors driving extinction risk and scientific attention on raptors and develop a novel research and conservation priority index (RCPI) to identify global research and conservation priorities. Location Global. Methods We use random forest models based on ecological traits and extrinsic data to identify the drivers of risk and scientific attention in all raptors. We then map global research and conservation priorities. Lastly, we model where priorities fall relative to country-level human social indicators. Results Raptors with small geographic ranges, scavengers, forest-dependent species and those with slow life histories are particularly extinction-prone. Research is extremely biased towards a small fraction of raptor species: 10 species (1.8% of all raptors) account for one-third of all research, while one-fifth of species have no publications. Species with small geographic ranges and those inhabiting less developed countries are greatly understudied. Regions of Latin America, Africa and Southeast Asia are identified as particularly high priority for raptor research and conservation. These priorities are highly concentrated in developing countries, indicating a global mismatch between priorities and capacity for research and conservation. Main conclusions A redistribution of scientific attention and conservation efforts towards developing tropical countries and the least-studied, extinction-prone species is critical to conserve raptors and their ecological functions worldwide. We identify clear taxonomic and geographic research and conservation priorities for all raptors, and our methodology can be applied across other taxa to prioritize scientific investment.Peer reviewe

The Effects of a Time-Delay Procedure on Comprehension of Verb-Noun Commands in Severe Aphasia

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Flammulated Owl (\u3ci\u3eOtus Flammeolus\u3c/i\u3e) Breeding Ecology in Aspen Forests of Northern Utah: Including Responses to Ski Area Development

A number of aspects of Flammulated Owl (Otus flammeolus) breeding ecology were studied in the aspen forests of northern Utah. The primary study site, Snow Basin, is undergoing heavy development in preparation for the 2002 Winter Olympic Games. First, Flammulated Owl reproduction was measured to investigate possible impacts of Olympic ski area development. Flammulated Owls nesting near the development site fledged significantly fewer young than owls at the control site, and also differed compared to data from other Flammulated Owl studies. Reduced productivity was attributable to significantly lower hatching rates at Snow Basin. Ski area development as well as high levels of recreational use were the most likely causes of this reduced productivity, possibly causing incubating females to flush, resulting in egg mortality. Second, an experiment was conducted to investigate possible impacts of artificial lighting on breeding Flammulated Owls. Flammulated Owls were observed foraging in and around lights, suggesting that lights did not have a negative impact. Feeding rates, development of young, and productivity were compared between lighted and unlighted nests and did not differ statistically. Finally, because the habitat at Snow Basin is unique for Flammulated Owls, and because the population nests primarily in nest boxes, habitat characteristics were described and nest site preferences examined. Results suggested Flammulated Owls were not as limited by habitat type as previously thought

How Misinformation Fosters Urban Human-Coyote Conflicts

The Colorado Division of Wildlife (CDOW) recently conducted an urban coyote symposium for city decisionmakers in the Denver metro area in response to a burgeoning coyote problem, including multiple attacks on humans. The symposium was well organized, but it conveyed typical messages about managing human-coyote conflicts that I contend are misconceptions and misinformation. They include: we’re encroaching on coyote habitat; coyotes that attack pets and people are abnormal; lethal control should only be used as a last resort; killing coyotes simply produces more coyotes; we should coexist with our “coyote neighbors”; hazing is the answer; and “it’s a people problem, not a coyote problem”. I dispute these concepts, and I contend that promoting the components of coexistence can actually foster human-coyote conflicts. In the process I also support the case for lethal control