Multi-population comparison of resource exploitation by island foxes: implications for conservation

Imperiled island foxes are inherently resource-limited by their insular ecology. We examined food use on all 6 islands where they occur to assess resource exploitation patterns. Over 40 different food items were identified with item use varying among islands. Sixteen items occurred with ≥10% frequency in annual fox diets: deer mice, birds, lizards, beetles, beetle larvae, Jerusalem crickets, silk-spinning sand crickets, grasshoppers, earwigs, snails, and fruits of toyon, manzanita, prickly pear cactus, ice plant, Australian saltbush, and summer holly. Foxes used a diversity of food items with variations among islands attributable to island-specific availabilities. Deer mice in particular appeared to be preferred. Foxes also exhibited extensive use of non-native items, such as ice plant fruits, European snails, and earwigs, and foxes may even be dependent on these items on some islands. To increase food security and promote population stability, we recommend (1) continuing and enhancing habitat restoration efforts on all islands, (2) increasing the abundance of native items in association with any removals of non-native species used by foxes, and (3) monitoring annual trends in abundance of key food items as well as periodic monitoring of item use by foxes to determine functional responses to changes in item availability

Characterization of Kemp's Ridley Sea Turtles in the Florida Big Bend Area: Final report

The Kemp's ridley (Lepidochelys kempo is considered the most endangered of the seven extant marine turtle species (Ross et al. 1989). The US Fish and Wildlife Service (USFWS) and the National Marine Fisheries Service (NMFS) estimate the breeding population at 1,500 to 3,000 individuals. The nesting population has been reduced from approximately 40,000 on one day to no more than 700 annually (Magnuson et al. 1990, USFWS & NMFS 1992). Conservation measures for the species have focused on the protection of the nesting beach, captive rearing (head starting), and the implementation of turtle excluder devices (TEDs) on shrimp nets. Five hundred to 5,000 ridleys are still taken incidentally yearly by shrimp trawls (Magnuson et al. 1990). Lack of knowledge about early life stages of the Kemp's ridley sea turtle currently hinders recovery efforts for this federally listed species. (Document has 18 pages.

US Fish and Wildlife Service 1979 wetland classification: A review

In 1979 the US Fish and Wildlife Service published and adopted a classification of wetlands and deepwater habitats of the United States. The system was designed for use in a national inventory of wetlands. It was intended to be ecologically based, to furnish the mapping units needed for the inventory, and to provide national consistency in terminology and definition. We review the performance of the classification after 13 years of use. The definition of wetland is based on national lists of hydric soils and plants that occur in wetlands. Our experience suggests that wetland classifications must facilitate mapping and inventory because these data gathering functions are essential to management and preservation of the wetland resource, but the definitions and taxa must have ecological basis. The most serious problem faced in construction of the classification was lack of data for many of the diverse wetland types. Review of the performance of the classification suggests that, for the most part, it was successful in accomplishing its objectives, but that problem areas should be corrected and modification could strengthen its utility. The classification, at least in concept, could be applied outside the United States. Experience gained in use of the classification can furnish guidance as to pitfalls to be avoided in the wetland classification process

5th annual Colorado rare plant symposium

Symposium held on September 5, 2008, Holiday Inn Express, Montrose, Colorado.Presented by the Colorado Rare Plant Technical Committee.Sponsored by: Colorado Rare Plant Technical Committee, Colorado Native Plant Society, University of Colorado Herbarium, US Fish and Wildlife Service, Colorado Natural Heritage Program, and USDA Forest Service

Why Not the Best? How Science Failed the Florida Panther

The US Fish and Wildlife Service is charged with using the "best available science" to manage endangered species. But a scientific review panel found "fatal flaws" in agency models used to regulate development in the habitat of the critically endangered Florida panther. What happened

Applications of Biological Integrity within the National Wildlife Refuge System Region 5

The passage of the National Wildlife Refuge System Improvement Act of 1997 (NWRSIA) and subsequent implementation of 601 FW 3: Biological Integrity, Diversity and Environmental Health Policy (hereafter, the “Integrity Policy”) represented a groundbreaking paradigm shift for refuge management. NWRSIA set forth a “mission for the System, and clear standards for its management, use, planning, and growth (US Fish and Wildlife Service, 1999),” by uniting the eclectic mix of refuges nationwide under the same mission, “to administer a national network of lands and waters for the conservation, management, and where appropriate, restoration of the fish, wildlife, and plant resources and their habitats within the United States for the benefit of present and future generations of Americans” (NWRSIA 1997). The act goes on to say that the Secretary of the Interior must “ensure that the biological integrity, diversity, and environmental health of the System are maintained for the benefit of present and future generations of Americans (US Fish and Wildlife Service, 1999.)” NWRSIA legally formalized the concept of biological integrity as a refuge management objective, but failed to define it. As a result, field experts and refuge managers struggle to discern applications of the biological integrity concept. Given the difficulties inherent in defining biological integrity, and the ambiguities involved with applying the concept to refuge management, examining how the concept is being applied on local refuges reveals valuable information about its practicality. Ultimately, for the biological integrity concept to shape refuge management, some of the ambiguity surrounding its definition and application must be removed. With outside influences such as surrounding land-use, invasive species, and climate change altering the ecological trajectories, biological integrity, as currently defined by the US Fish and Wildlife Service, proves to be an unattainable goal

Biological Invasion Theory: Darwin's Contributions from The Origin of Species

Support for this work was provided by (1) a Federal Aid in Sport Fish Restoration Project F-69-P (to R. A. Stein), administered jointly by the US Fish and Wildlife Service and Ohio Department of Natural Resources-Division ofWildlife, (2) the Department of Evolution, Ecology and Organismal Biology at The Ohio State University (OSU), and (3) a Presidential Fellowship awarded to S. A. Ludsin by OSU

Meet Your Regulators

In this session, representatives from Indiana Department of Environmental Management, Indiana Department of Natural Resources, US Army Corps of Engineers, and US Fish and Wildlife Service will discuss their roles in transportation projects as well as best practices and areas of concern they see when reviewing projects. Agency roles include waterway permitting, endangered species, historic preservation, and biological/floodway concerns

Examining the Tragedy of the Commons Dilemma: Looking at the New Hampshire Fishing Industry

The Tragedy of the Commons is a widely known problem debated amongst economists for years. Even the topic of the Tragedy of the Commons when applied to fishing has been debated several times. The fishing industry is a major part of the culture and economy here in New Hampshire and the conversation how to properly tax and regulate it to combat this problem is one that has been taking place and will continue to take place for several years. The purpose of this project was to examine this problem at a state level and look at the relationship between State Tax Collections from fishing licenses, the number of Paid Fishing License Holders in New Hampshire and the GDP of the fishing industry. I overall had mixed results with some datasets representing significant statistical relationships, while others had marginal results. More research would need to be done in this area to make any certain conclusions. There are several areas in this topic that I couldn’t analyze for a variety of reasons, and this project merely scratches the surface of the amount of research left to be done

Coastal management measures for the lower Maumee Watershed, Lake Erie

In January 2006 the Maumee Remedial Action Plan (RAP) Committee submitted a State II Watershed Restoration Plan for the Maumee River Great Lakes Area of Concern (AOC) area located in NW Ohio to the State of Ohio for review and endorsement (MRAC, 2006). The plan was created in order to fulfill the requirements, needs and/or use of five water quality programs including: Ohio Department of Natural Resources (DNR) Watershed Coordinator Program; Ohio EPA Great Lakes RAP Program; Ohio DNR Coastal Non-point Source Pollution Control Program; Ohio EPA Total Maximum Daily Load Program; and US Fish & Wildlife Service Natural Resources Damage Program. The plan is intended to serve as a comprehensive regional management approach for all jurisdictions, agencies, organizations, and individuals who are working to restore the watershed, waterways and associated coastal zone. The plan includes: background information and mapping regarding hydrology, geology, ecoregions, and land use, and identifies key causes and sources for water quality concerns within the six 11-digit hydrological units (HUCs), and one large river unit that comprise the Maumee AOC. Tables were also prepared that contains detailed project lists for each major watershed and was organized to facilitate the prioritization of research and planning efforts. Also key to the plan and project tables is a reference to the Ohio DNR Coastal Management Measures that may benefit from the implementation of an identified project. This paper will examine the development of the measures and their importance for coastal management and watershed planning in the Maumee AOC. (PDF contains 4 pages