scholarly journals The feasibility of the north-eastern USA supporting the return of the cougar Puma concolor

Oryx ◽  
2013 ◽  
Vol 47 (1) ◽  
pp. 96-104 ◽  
Author(s):  
John W. Laundré

AbstractThe cougar Puma concolor was part of the pre-European fauna of the north-eastern USA. It was extirpated in the late 1800s and since the late 1900s there have been discussions concerning its reintroduction to the region. One site considered is Adirondack State Park in northern New York. In 1981 an assessment of the feasibility of returning cougars concluded that the Park had adequate prey and forest cover to support a small population of cougars but that conflicts with humans would cause the demise of this population within 10 years. Thus reintroduction at that time was not advised. Since then knowledge of cougar ecology and how cougars interact with humans has increased substantially. Based on information compiled since the 1980s I conducted a landscape-scale analysis to assess whether cougars could live in the Park. The results indicate that cougars could occupy 15,300–17,000 km2 (61–69%) of the Park, with minimal contact with human habitation. Based on reported cougar densities the Park could support a population of 150–350 cougars. These cougars would consume < 10% of the adult deer population annually and fawn production would be sufficient to replace these losses. Human and road densities in the Park are similar to those of the Black Hills, South Dakota and southern Florida, both of which have viable populations of cougars. I concluded that Adirondack State Park could support a population of cougars. What is now required is the will to bring them back.

Author(s):  
D. W. Minter

Abstract A description is provided for Canavirgella banfieldii. Information is included on the disease caused by the organism, its transmission, geographical distribution, and hosts. DISEASE: Early-season blight of current-year needles of five-needle pines in the north-eastern USA. The disease has been widely attributed to ozone injury, or incorrectly identified as Meloderma desmazieresii under the earlier synonym Hypoderma desmazieresii. HOSTS: Leaves of Pinus peuce, P. strobus. Most observations are on P. strobus. Adjacent P. flexilis and P. strobiformis were uninfected. GEOGRAPHICAL DISTRIBUTION: USA (Maine, New Hampshire, New York, North Carolina, Pennsylvania, Vermont, Virginia, West Virginia). TRANSMISSION: By air-borne ascospores in humid conditions.


2001 ◽  
Vol 54 (3) ◽  
pp. 377-391 ◽  
Author(s):  
Jonathan T. Hagstrum

Birds can accurately navigate over hundreds to thousands of kilometres, and use celestial and magnetic compass senses to orient their flight. How birds determine their location in order to select the correct homeward bearing (map sense) remains controversial, and has been attributed to their olfactory or magnetic senses. Pigeons can hear infrasound down to 0·05 Hz, and an acoustic avian map is proposed consisting of infrasonic cues radiated from steep-sided topographic features. The source of these infrasonic signals is microseisms continuously generated by interfering oceanic waves. Atmospheric processes affecting the infrasonic map cues can explain perplexing experimental results from pigeon releases. Moreover, four recent disrupted pigeon races in Europe and the north-eastern USA intersected infrasonic shock waves from the Concorde supersonic transport. Having an acoustic map might also allow clock-shifted birds to test their homeward progress and select between their magnetic and solar compasses.


2005 ◽  
Vol 55 (4) ◽  
pp. 1531-1537 ◽  
Author(s):  
Katherine J. Boettcher ◽  
Kara K. Geaghan ◽  
Aaron P. Maloy ◽  
Bruce J. Barber

An α-proteobacterium has been identified which is believed to be the causative agent of juvenile oyster disease (JOD). Since its first isolation in 1997, the bacterium has been recovered as the numerically dominant species from JOD-affected animals throughout the north-eastern United States (Maine, New York and Massachusetts). Colonies are usually beige to pinkish-beige, although the majority of isolates recovered in 2003 from an epizootic in Martha's Vineyard, Massachusetts, produce colonies with a greenish-yellow appearance. The cells are Gram-negative, aerobic, strictly marine and rod or ovoid in appearance. They are actively motile by one or two flagella, but cells are also observed to produce tufts of polar fimbriae. The principal fatty acid in whole cells is C18 : 1 ω7c and other characteristic fatty acids are C16 : 0, C10 : 0 3-OH, 11-methyl C18 : 1 ω7c and C18 : 0. Almost without exception, isolates have 16S rRNA gene sequences that are 100 % identical to each other. Phylogenetic analyses place the organism within the Roseobacter clade of the α-Proteobacteria, with moderate bootstrap support for inclusion in the genus Roseovarius. DNA–DNA relatedness values from pairwise comparisons of this organism with the type species of the genus (Roseovarius tolerans) and the only other described species in this genus, Roseovarius nubinhibens, were 11 and 47 %, respectively. Phenotypic and biochemical dissimilarities also support the assignment of this bacterium to a novel species. The name Roseovarius crassostreae sp. nov. is proposed, with the type strain CV919-312T (=ATCC BAA-1102T=DSM 16950T).


Soil Research ◽  
1997 ◽  
Vol 35 (3) ◽  
pp. 553 ◽  
Author(s):  
Donald S. Ross ◽  
Richmond J. Bartlett

The charge fingerprint procedure was used to characterise the exchange properties of high- organic forest soils from the north-eastern USA. Twenty-six Oa or A horizon samples were obtained from active research sites to provide samples with a range in carbon from 15·1 to 49·4% and pH (in 1 mM CaCl2) from 2·8 to 4·2. Fingerprints were similar to those developed for other variably charged soils except that significant quantities of exchangeable H+ were found and no appreciable anion exchange capacity was measured. The magnitude of the ‘base’ cation capacity (CECB) varied linearly with pH, averaging >50% change per unit pH change. A good estimate of the CECB was obtained from the sum of cations removed by a single extraction with 1·0 М choline chloride (slope 1·03, r2 = 0·91). Variations in exchangeable Al3+ or H+ with pH were related to the quantity found in untreated samples, probably because of the close association between exchangeable and organically complexed forms. The total CEC was closely related to the sum of cations removed by 0·1 M BaCl2 (slope 1·05, r2 = 0·96). Although low ionic strength may be difficult to maintain in low pH samples, the fingerprint method appears to allow precise interpolation of the organic soils’ exchange capacity at field pH.


2017 ◽  
Vol 54 (6) ◽  
pp. 1592-1604 ◽  
Author(s):  
Arun K. Bose ◽  
Aaron Weiskittel ◽  
Robert G. Wagner

2012 ◽  
Vol 15 (9) ◽  
pp. 1780-1787 ◽  
Author(s):  
Lauren E Nickerson ◽  
Abby C Sykes ◽  
Teresa T Fung

AbstractObjectiveTo examine mothers’ experience of support received from fathers for breast-feeding.DesignWe conducted in-depth in-person interviews with women with recent breast-feeding experience. Interview transcripts were analysed by qualitative content analysis. Interviews were designed to explore the mothers’ perception of role of fathers in breast-feeding, education on breast-feeding that fathers received and their perception of the fathers’ view on breast-feeding.SettingUrban and suburban community.SubjectsNineteen women from a metropolitan area in the north-eastern USA.ResultsTen themes emerged, these involved practical and emotional support provided by fathers, especially during times of unexpected breast-feeding challenges. In addition, mothers perceived fathers may benefit from more peer and professional support, lactation consultant service and breast-feeding education.ConclusionsMothers appreciated the support from fathers for breast-feeding continuation, including encouragement and understanding. These results may be useful for health-care practitioners to promote breast-feeding continuation by supporting fathers in their role in the breast-feeding process.


1905 ◽  
Vol 37 (5) ◽  
pp. 187-188
Author(s):  
J. R. De La Torre Bueno

Several entomologists have discussed with me the question of the distinguishing characters of Ranatra quadridentata, Stal, and Ranatra fusca, Pal. Beauv., and in consequence I venture to set forth here briefly and plainly the differences between these two and Ranatra kirkaldyi, n. sp, which I took for the first time in New York State.


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