Experimental infection of Attwater's/greater prairie chicken hybrids with the reticuloendotheliosis virus

Reticuloendotheliosis virus (REV), a common pathogen of poultry, has been associated with runting and neoplasia in an endangered subspecies of grouse, the Attwater's prairie chicken. The pathogenesis of REV infection was examined in experimentally infected prairie chickens. Three groups of four Attwater's/greater prairie chicken hybrids were infected intravenously with varying doses (tissue culture infective dose [TCID50], 200, 1000, and 5000) of a prairie chicken-isolated REV. A fourth group of four birds was not infected. Blood was collected prior to infection, and at various times up to 37 wk following infection. Peripheral blood mononuclear cells were examined for integrated proviral DNA by a single-amplification polymerase chain reaction (PCR) and nested PCR of a region within the pol gene. The nested PCR identified REV proviral DNA in all REV-inoculated birds by 2 wk postinfection and confirmed chronic infection throughout the study. With the exception of a bird that died from bacterial pneumonia 8 wk postinfection, neoplasia, resembling that seen in naturally occurring infections, was observed in all birds, even those receiving as little as 200 TCID50 of virus.     

Impacts of urbanization on Florida Key deer behavior and population dynamics

Rapid human population growth and urbanization have had a negative impact on species biodiversity. As competition for resources between man and wildlife continues, it is important to understand the effects of urbanization on species. Endangered Key deer (Odocoileus virginianus clavium) are endemic to the Florida Keys which have undergone rapid human population growth and development over the past 30 years. Our study objectives were to evaluate the impacts of urban development on Key deer habitat use, population dynamics, behavior, and body mass. We used data from two comprehensive studies on Key deer spanning 30 years to evaluate these changes. Our results suggest that Key deer have become more urbanized, using urban areas more today than they did 30 years ago. Contrary to our predictions, survival was higher for more urban deer than for less urban deer. Problems still exist with mortality factors heavily impacting some portions of the deer population including lower survival associated with less urban male deer. Analysis of Key deer body mass also was converse to our predictions as deer weights appear to have increased over time. Collectively, our results suggest that over the past 30 years Key deer have become more urbanized and that deer plasticity has allowed them to adapt and persist in an urbanizing environment. However, the future ability of Key deer to persist in an environment with continued urban development is unknown. At some threshold, urban development would become unsustainable and unlike other forms of habitat change or environmental disturbances, urban development is in most cases irreversible requiring careful planning in habitat conservation strategies.     

Effectiveness of supplemental stockings for the endangered Key Largo woodrat

We evaluated the effectiveness of supplemental stockings being proposed in the recovery of the federally endangered Key Largo woodrat (KLWR, Neotoma floridana smalli) using a stage-based, stochastic model. Supplemental stockings were evaluated with a population model using current trapping and telemetry data along with published and unpublished KLWR data. Model simulations predicted the KLWR had >70% probability of terminal extinction over the next 10 years even with the use of supplemental annual stockings. Supplemental stockings of KLWRs (?20 females) appear to delay the extinction of the species, but negative population trajectories accelerated after stockings cease. Model results illustrated the importance of determining limiting factors on the population prior to the use of supplemental stockings as a recovery option for this endangered woodrat population.     

Failure to identify non-bovine reservoirs of Mycobacterium bovis in a region with a history of infected dairy-cattle herds

The State of Texas had the most (cumulative) tuberculous cattle herds of any state in the United States during the decade ending in 1997. Of the cumulative 18 infected herds in Texas, 12 herds were concentrated in El Paso County (designated the 'El Paso milkshed'). To identify whether non-bovine reservoirs were a source of Mycobacterium bovis infection of cattle in this region, an investigation was conducted on the premises of 14 dairy herds (12 tuberculous and 2 non-affected herds) between May 1995 and June 1997. None of the 670 mammalian, avian and environmental (soil, water and air) samples collected and cultured from the premises of these herds was positive for the presence of M. bovis. None of the 119 human urine samples obtained from employees of these dairies was culture positive for M. bovis. Of 124 dairy-farm workers with tuberculin skin-test results, 48 showed positive test results. There was, however, no difference in percentages of positive skin-test results between farms without, and farms having, bovine tuberculosis within the last two years or longer. The percentage of positive reactions did not increase with length of time employed at a dairy with a history of confirmed tuberculosis. These findings suggest that non-bovine reservoirs appear not to be a factor responsible for tuberculosis of cattle in the El Paso milkshed.     

Influence of patch,habitat, and landscape characteristics on patterns of Lower Keys marsh rabbit occurrence following Hurricane Wilma

Degradation of coastal systems has led to increased impacts from hurricanes and storm surges and is of concern for coastal endemics species. Understanding the influence of disturbance on coastal populations like the endangered Lower Keys marsh rabbit (Sylvilagus palustris hefneri) is important to understanding long-term dynamics and for recovery planning. We evaluated the effect of disturbance on the rabbits by determining which patch, habitat, and landscape characteristics influenced habitat use following Hurricane Wilma. We determined patch-level occurrence 6–9 months prior to Hurricane Wilma, within 6 months following the hurricane, and 2 years after the storm to quantify rates of patch abandonment and recurrence. We observed high patch abandonment (37.5% of used patches) 6 months after Hurricane Wilma and low rates of recurrence (38.1% of abandoned patches) 2 years after the storm, an indication that this storm further threatened marsh rabbit viability. We found the proportion of salt-tolerant (e.g., mangroves and scrub mangroves) and salt-intolerant (e.g., freshwater wetlands) vegetation within LKMR patches were negatively and positively correlated with probability of patch abandonment, respectively. We found patch size and the number of used patches surrounding abandoned patches were positively correlated with probability of recurrence. We suggest habitat use following this hurricane was driven by the differential response of non-primary habitats to saline overwash and habitat loss from past development that reduced the size and number of local populations. Our findings demonstrate habitat use studies should be conducted following disturbance and should incorporate on-going effects of development and climate change.     

Influence des éléments minéraux sur la composition de l'ananas

Résumé Des essais réalisés à deux concentrations de chaque élément (méthode confounding) ont permis de déterminer l'influence des éléments N. P et K sur la composition chimique de l'ananas. D'après l'analyse statistique des résultats, on peut conclure que N, P et K n'ont pas d'influence sensible sur la teneur en sucre du fruit. K augmente de 50% l'acidité et N la diminue de 20% environ.

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Summary By experiments at two levels of each nutrient (confounding method), the influence of nitrogen, phosphorus and potassium fertilization on the chemical composition of ananas was studied.The statistical analysis of the results has shown that N, P and K have no marked influence on the sugar contents of the fruits. The acidity, however, increases 50% with K-fertilization; by N-fertilization the decrease is 20%.

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Zusammenfassung Durch Versuche in zwei Stufen bei jedem Pflanzennährstoff (confounding-Methode) wurde der Einfluss der Düngung N, P, K auf die chemische Zusammensetzung von Ananas studiert. Die statistische Auswertung der Resultate hat gezeigt, dass N, P, K keinen merklichen Einfluss auf den Zucker-Gehalt der Früchte ausübt. Dagegen steigt die Säure um 50% unter dem Einfluss der K-Düngung; sie nimmt um 20% ab unter dem Einfluss der N-Düngung.