Bats (\u3ci\u3eMyotis lucifugus\u3c/i\u3e)

Despite their ecological value, bats (Myotis lucifugus) are relentlessly and unjustifiably persecuted. Bats, the only mammals that truly fly, belong to the order Chiroptera. Bats in North America are virtually all insectivorous, feeding on a variety of flying insects (exceptions among house bats were noted previously). Most North American bats emit high frequency sounds (ultrasound) inaudible to humans and similar to sonar, in order to avoid obstacles, locate and capture insect prey, and to communicate. Bats often fly about swimming pools, from which they drink or catch insects. Bats use roosting niches that are indoors (human dwellings, outbuildings, livestock quarters, warehouses), semi-enclosed (loading docks, entrance foyers), partially sheltered (porches, carports, pavilions, highway underpasses, bridges), and open structural areas (window shutters, signs). Surface areas on walls, under loose woodwork, between bricks and around other bat entryways often have a smooth, polished appearance. Disturbing sounds may be heard from vocalizations and grooming, scratching, crawling, or climbing in attics, under eaves, behind walls, and between floors. Fecal pellets indicate the presence of animals and are found on attic floors, in wall recesses, and outside the house at its base. Several arthropods (fungivores, detritivores, predators, and bat ectoparasites) are often associated with colonies of bats in buildings. Bats are distinct from most vertebrate pests that inhabit human dwellings because of the potential for transmitting rabies — a viral infection of mammals that is usually transmitted via the bite of an infected animal. Rabies is the most important public health hazard associated with bats. The lethal control of bats, even when there is a proven potential danger to humans, often is subjected to careful scrutiny and interagency coordination

TB132: An Annotated Bibliography of Predator Research in Maine, 1974-1988

From 1974 to 1988, graduate students (13 M.S. and 5 Ph.D.) and faculty members from the University of Maine conducted a series of studies regarding the ecology of coyotes, red foxes, bobcats, pine martens, fishers, otters, and their prey. This research was reported in 67 theses, journal articles, or other reports, which are abstracted here. An introductory section summarizes the major findings.https://digitalcommons.library.umaine.edu/aes_techbulletin/1068/thumbnail.jp

Subcutaneous Fluid Administration: A Potentially Useful Tool in Prehospital Care

Mass casualty incidents (MCIs) and disaster medical situations are ideal settings in which there is need for a novel approach to infusing fluids and medications into a patient's intravascular space. An attractive new approach would avoid the potentially time-consuming needlestick and venous cannulation requiring a trained practitioner. In multiple-patient situations, trained practitioners are not always available in sufficient numbers to enable timely placement of intravenous catheters. The novel approach for intravascular space infusion, described in this paper involves the preadministration of the enzyme, human recombinant hyaluronidase (HRH), into the subcutaneous (SC) space, via an indwelling catheter. The enzyme “loosens” the SC space effectively enhancing the absorption of fluids and medication

Large area polysilicon films with predetermined stress characteristics and method for producing same

Multi-layer assemblies of polysilicon thin films having predetermined stress characteristics and techniques for forming such assemblies are disclosed. In particular, a multi-layer assembly of polysilicon thin films may be produced that has a stress level of zero, or substantially so. The multi-layer assemblies comprise at least one constituent thin film having a tensile stress and at least one constituent thin film having a compressive stress. The thin films forming the multi-layer assemblies may be disposed immediately adjacent to one another without the use of intermediate layers between the thin films. Multi-layer assemblies exhibiting selectively determinable overall bending moments are also disclosed. Selective production of overall bending moments in microstructures enables manufacture of such structures with a wide array of geometrical configurations

Modeling the decline of the Porcupine Caribou Herd, 1989-1998: the importance of survival vs. recruitment

The Porcupine caribou (Rangifer tarandus granti) herd increased from approximately 100 000 animals during the 1970s to 178 000 in 1989, then declined to 129 000 by 1998. Our objective was to model the dynamics of this herd and investigate the potential that lower calf recruitment, as was observed during 1991-1993, produced the observed population changes. A deterministic model was prepared using estimates of birth and survival rates that reproduced the pattern of population growth from 1971-1989. Then, parameters were changed to simulate effects of lower calf recruitment and adult survival. Reducing recruitment for 3 years caused an immediate reduction in population size, but the population began to recover in 5-6 years. Even a dramatic temporary reduction in recruitment did not explain the continuing decline after 1995. In contrast, a slight but persistent reduction in adult survival caused a decline that closely followed the observed pattern. This suggests that survival of adults, and perhaps calves, has declined since the late 1980s

Determinants of Gray Wolf (Canis lupus) Sightings in Denali National Park

Wildlife viewing within protected areas is an increasingly popular recreational activity. Management agencies are often tasked with providing these opportunities, yet quantitative analyses of factors influencing wildlife sightings are lacking. We analyzed locations of GPS-collared wolves and wolf sightings from 2945 trips in Denali National Park and Preserve, Alaska, USA, to provide a mechanistic understanding of how viewing opportunities are influenced by attributes of wolves and physical, biological, and harvest characteristics. We found that the presence of masking vegetation, den site proximity to the road, pack size, and presence of a wolf harvest closure adjacent to the park affected wolf sightings, and the influence of den proximity on sightings depended on harvest management. Wolf sightings increased with den site proximity to the road in years with a harvest closure adjacent to the park but not in the absence of the closure. The effect of the harvest closure on sightings was similar in magnitude to an increase in pack size by two wolves or a more than a two-fold decrease in masking vegetation. These findings were consistent across a 10-fold change in spatial resolution. Quantitative analysis of the factors influencing wildlife sightings provides valuable insight for agencies tasked with managing viewing opportunities. L’observation de la faune dans les aires protégées est un loisir qui prend de plus en plus d’ampleur. Souvent, les organismes de gestion ont le mandat d’offrir de telles activités et pourtant, il n’y a toujours pas d’analyses quantitatives des facteurs qui exercent une influence sur les observations fauniques. Nous avons analysé les emplacements de loups munis de colliers GPS et les observations de loups découlant de 2 945 déplacements au parc national et à la réserve de Denali, en Alaska, aux États-Unis afin d’obtenir une compréhension mécaniste de la manière dont les activités d’observation sont influencées par les attributs des loups ainsi que par les caractéristiques physiques, biologiques et de récolte. Nous avons remarqué que la présence de végétation masquante, la proximité des tanières de la route, la taille des meutes et la présence d’une interdiction de récolte de loups dans le secteur adjacent au parc ont eu un effet sur les observations de loups, et que l’influence de la proximité des tanières par rapport aux observations dépendait de la gestion des récoltes. Les observations de loups augmentaient en fonction de la proximité des tanières par rapport à la route au cours des années pendant lesquelles il y avait interdiction de récolte de loups dans le secteur adjacent au parc, mais ce n’était pas le cas en l’absence d’interdiction. L’ampleur de l’effet de l’interdiction de récolte sur les observations était semblable à une augmentation de la taille de la meute correspondant à deux loups ou plus, ou à la diminution de plus du double de la végétation masquante. Ces constatations se recoupaient dans un changement correspondant au décuple dans la résolution spatiale. L’analyse quantitative des facteurs influençant les observations fauniques offre une importante perspective aux organismes dont le mandat consiste à gérer les activités d’observation.&nbsp