Publications

Sediment ingestion has been identified as an important exposure route for toxicants in waterfowl. The toxicity of lead-contaminated sediment from the Coeur d'Alene River Basin (CDARB) in Idaho was examined on posthatching development of mallard (Anas platyrhynchos) ducklings for 6 weeks. Day-old ducklings received either untreated control diet, clean sediment (24%) supplemented control...

For many years, waterfowl have been poisoned by lead after ingesting contaminated sediment in the Coeur d'Alene River Basin, in Idaho. Results of studies on waterfowl experimentally fed this sediment were combined with results from field studies conducted in the Basin to relate sediment lead concentration to injury to waterfowl. The first step in the model estimated exposure as the...

The idea that local factors govern local richness has been dominant for years, but recent theoretical and empirical studies have stressed the influence of regional factors on local richness. Fewer species at a site could reflect not only the influence of local factors, but also a smaller regional pool. The possible dependency of local richness on the regional pool should be taken into...

We compared the efficacy of 400-m line transects and sets of three point counts at detecting avian richness and abundance in bottomland hardwood forests and intensively managed cottonwood (Populus deltoides) plantations within the Mississippi Alluvial Valley. We detected more species and more individuals on line transects than on three point counts during 218 paired surveys conducted...

Managing for the endangered Red-cockaded Woodpecker (Picoides borealis) on federal lands requires burning large tracts of mature pine forests every 3-5 yr. Many cavity trees that serve as potential nest sites for primary and secondary hole-nesting birds are destroyed by fire. We assessed the efficacy of a nest box program for the Great Crested Flycatcher (Myiarchus crinitus) at Carolina...

Manganese is a toxic element frequently overlooked when assessing toxicity of effluents, sediments, and pore waters. Manganese can be present at toxic levels in anoxic solutions due to increased solubility under chemically reducing conditions, and it can remain at those levels for days in aerated test waters due to slow precipitation kinetics. Ceriodaphnia dubia and Hyalella azteca are...

We modified a figure-8 leg-loop harness designed for small passerines to attach successfully 1.8-g radio transmitters over the synsacrum of migrant Soras (Porzana carolina). Because of the short caudal region of Soras, addition of a waist loop was critical to securing the transmitter while leg loops were maintained to center the package. Thin gauge (0.6-mm diameter) elastic thread proved...

Pea Patch Island in Delaware Bay is the site of the largest heronry north of Florida. From 1989–93, the population of nine species of wading birds numbered approximately 12,000 pairs, but has recently declined to about 7,000 pairs. Because Delaware Bay is a major shipping channel and receives anthropogenic releases of toxic substances from agricultural, industrial, and municipal point...

During the winter of 1993-1994, male lesser scaup (Aythya alfinis) were collected on the heavily polluted Indiana Harbor Canal, East Chicago, Indiana, and examined for several bioindicators of chemical exposure. Livers were analyzed for activities of three cytochrome P450-associated monooxygenases and four measures of oxidative stress. Blood and spleen were analyzed by flow cytometry for...

The nontarget effects of Abate® 4E (44.6% temephos) at 0.054 kg of active ingredient (a.i.) per 1 ha and of Altosid® Liquid Larvicide (5% methoprene) at 0.011 kg a.i./ha were investigated in 18 experimental ponds (average area, 202 m2; maximum depth, 0.7 m) at Patuxent Wildlife Research Center, Laurel, Maryland, USA. Ponds were sprayed three times at 3-week intervals. Six ponds were...

In order to examine the condition of biota in Atlantic coast estuaries, "Contaminant Exposure and Effects—Terrestrial Vertebrates" database (CEE-TV) has been compiled through computerized search of published literature, review of existing databases, and solicitation of unpublished reports from conservation agencies, private groups, and universities. Summary information has been entered...

α1-Antitrypsin (A1AT) is a major protease inhibitor present in all mammalian sera that have thus far been investigated. A1AT is also highly polymorphic and is therefore a useful genetic marker. Previously reported A1AT polymorphism in domestic dogs consisted of two alleles designated as Pim and Pis which exhibited frequencies of 0.72 and 0.28, respectively, in a group of randomly...