The effects of poaching on wildlife have been widely studied in conservation biology and can be heterogeneous, particularly on ungulates. These effects can be estimated through different methodologies whose use depends on several conditions such as Flight-initiation distance (FID). Our objectives were: 1- to evaluate whether poaching affects the FID and group structure of a guanaco (Lama guanic...

Landscape modification has been increasing in the past few decades. In particular, the biodiversity of tropical rainforests has been threatened by an intensive loss of habitat and changes in land use policies [1-3]. These processes modify the spatial pattern of the remaining forests increasing for example patch isolation [3,4], potentially affecting wildlife through changes in ecological proces...

The soybean aphid Aphis glycines Matsumura (Hemiptera: Aphididae) is an invasive economic pest of soybean (Glycine max[L.] Merrill) in the United States. Research has shown the endemic natural enemy community in the United States is capable of suppressing A. glycines below EILs, but this biological control is inconsistent, especially in simple agricultural landscapes. In the course of a 3-yr pr...

JOHNSON, BRENDA LYNN. The Effects of Habitat Fragmentation and Connectivity on Plant Disease. (Under the direction of Nick M. Haddad.) Within a large-scale habitat corridor experiment, I performed both experimental and observational studies to determine the effects of habitat fragmentation, habitat edge, and patch connectivity on the movement and incidence of fungal plant diseases. Increased sp...

Four criteria are generally used to prioritize agricultural lands for placing conservation buffers. The criteria include soil erodibility, hydrological sensitivity, wildlife habitat, and impervious surface rate that capture conservation buffers' benefits in reducing soil erosion, controlling runoff generation, enhancing wildlife habitat, and mitigating stormwater impacts, respectively. This art...

This thesis was an interdisciplinary investigation with the goal of balancing the conservation of wildlife habitat with road access for subsistence hunting in Yakutat, Alaska. The problem posed by land managers and subsistence moose hunters revolved around the use of offhighway vehicles (OHVs; e.g. “four-wheelers”) for subsistence moose hunting and the potential disturbance OHVs have on moose. ...

In human-populated landscapes, dogs (Canis familiaris) are often the most abundant terrestrial carnivore. However, dogs can significantly disrupt or modify intact ecosystems well beyond the areas occupied by people. Few studies have directly quantified the environmental or economic effects of free-roaming and feral dogs. Here, we review wildlife-dog interactions and provide a case study that fo...

Bovine tuberculosis (BTB) is endemic in Ethiopian cattle. However, the status of the disease in wildlife populations that often share habitat with livestock is unknown. We screened for BTB in wildlife in five regions in Ethiopia. Blood and tissue samples from 133 mammals of 28 species were collected from 2006 to 2008. We used a rapid serology test (RT) based on lateral flow technology, and perf...

Numerous emerging infectious diseases (EIDs) have arisen from or been identified in wildlife, with health implications for both humans and wildlife. In the practice of wildlife conservation, to date most attention has focused on the threat EIDs pose to biodiversity and wildlife population viability. In the popular media and public eye, however, wildlife is often only portrayed as the cause of E...