Article
Biology
Mark C. Fisher, Ryan A. Prioreschi, Lisa L. Wolfe, Jonathan P. Runge, Karen A. Griffin, Heather M. Swanson, Michael W. Miller
Summary: This article describes the stable prevalence and abundance of CWD infection in an unmanaged mule deer herd. Despite the high apparent prevalence, predation by mountain lions may be helping to control CWD. Despite outward stability, prion disease still impairs adult survival and resilience in the deer herd.
COMMUNICATIONS BIOLOGY
(2022)
Article
Zoology
Anna R. Staudenmaier, Lisa A. Shipley, Meghan J. Camp, Jennifer S. Forbey, Ann E. Hagerman, Abigail E. Brandt, Daniel H. Thornton
Summary: Congeneric mule deer and white-tailed deer species exhibit overlapping distribution patterns in their ecological niches. A comparison of their nutritional requirements and tolerances reveals that mule deer have lower protein and energy requirements, higher digestion rates for fiber, energy, and dry matter, and produce fewer byproducts when consuming specific plant secondary metabolites. These differences may give mule deer a competitive advantage in habitats dominated by low-quality forages.
JOURNAL OF MAMMALOGY
(2022)
Article
Biodiversity Conservation
Stephen L. Webb, Randy W. DeYoung, Stephen Demarais, Bronson K. Strickland, Kenneth L. Gee
Summary: The study suggests that genetic relatedness has minimal impact on antler characteristics and the differences in antler quality cannot be explained by inbreeding or heterozygosity.
Article
Biodiversity Conservation
Jason T. Fisher, Hugh W. Fuller, Adam Hering, Sandra Frey, Alina C. Fisher
Summary: The global urban population is expected to increase by 2.5 billion people over the next 30 years. The doubling of urban landscapes in recent decades has resulted in habitat loss and impacts to biodiversity. However, wealthy urban areas still have more biodiversity, and urban green spaces support wildlife. Research on urban black-tailed deer in an affluent landscape in Canada showed that wealth, including housing lot size, is the dominant predictor of deer space-use. Understanding these mechanisms and incorporating them into urban planning can help promote wildlife-human coexistence.
Article
Biodiversity Conservation
Emily K. Latch, Kenneth L. Gee, Stephen L. Webb, Rodney L. Honeycutt, Randy W. DeYoung, Robert A. Gonzales, Stephen Demarais, Ryan Toby
Summary: The study found that genetic diversity of white-tailed deer remained sustained over the first 12 years of confinement, comparable to unconfined populations. Observations suggest that the fence is not completely impermeable, allowing for a low level of gene flow to mitigate genetic drift.
Article
Agriculture, Dairy & Animal Science
James T. Johnson, Richard B. Chandler, L. Mike Conner, Michael J. Cherry, Charlie H. Killmaster, Kristina L. Johannsen, Karl Miller
Summary: Bait is often used to attract wildlife for various purposes, but it can alter animal behavior and distribution. Short-term baiting was found to affect white-tailed deer's space use within home ranges, potentially enhancing disease transmission and changing harvest susceptibility. This study highlights the importance of understanding how baiting impacts wildlife behavior and distribution for effective management and research.
Article
Forestry
Myriam Cadotte, Julien H. Richard, Jean A. Berube, Steeve D. Cote
Summary: Research conducted on Anticosti Island in Canada revealed that white-tailed deer consume a large variety of fungal species, including up to 4979 different species. Female deer consumed a higher diversity of mushrooms compared to males, with a significant increase in mushroom consumption diversity among deer in 2015. Adult deer tended to consume a wider variety of mushrooms than juveniles.
Article
Evolutionary Biology
Ona S. Alminas, James R. Heffelfinger, Mark J. Statham, Emily K. Latch
Summary: Mule deer in Mexico are facing conservation concerns, particularly the subspecies on islands. Genetic studies reveal unique genetic features in Cedros and Tiburon Island deer, emphasizing the need for conservation efforts to ensure their persistence and survival.
JOURNAL OF HEREDITY
(2021)
Article
Biochemistry & Molecular Biology
Carly Q. White, Joshua P. Bush, Benjamin N. Sacks
Summary: The increasing impacts of wildfire on arid regions due to climate change highlight the necessity of understanding the response of natural communities to fire. A study conducted in northern California investigated the use of and diets within burned and unburned habitats by black-tailed deer before and after a large wildfire. The study found that deer increased their use of unburned sites and reduced use of burn sites immediately after the fire, but started returning to burned sites in subsequent years. The diversity of the deer's diet was lower in burn sites post-fire, dominated by oak, but increased in subsequent years with more herbaceous plants in burn sites.
Article
Ecology
David J. Vales, Ryan M. Nielson, Michael P. Middleton
Summary: This study developed quantitative models to estimate habitat selection by black-tailed deer in the west-central Cascade Mountains. The study found that GPS-collar production year, deer activity, and diel period were associated with fix success. To remove fix success bias, the study used a probability of detection integrated step selection function (PDiSSF) to estimate habitat selection. The summer model predictions were satisfactory, while the winter model was less promising.
JOURNAL OF WILDLIFE MANAGEMENT
(2022)
Article
Biodiversity Conservation
Brock T. Burgess, Robyn L. Irvine, Jean-Louis Martin, Michael A. Russello
Summary: In this study, genetic analyses were used to examine the impacts of past management activities on the Sitka black-tailed deer population on SGang Gwaay and Reef islands. The results revealed patterns of historical isolation, founder effect, and limited gene flow, suggesting potential durability of eradication efforts on these islands. This study underscores the importance of considering management history in interpreting population genetic data.
BIOLOGICAL INVASIONS
(2023)
Article
Multidisciplinary Sciences
Sheena J. Dorak, Csaba Varga, Mark G. Ruder, Peg Gronemeyer, Nelda A. Rivera, Douglas R. Dufford, Daniel J. Skinner, Alfred L. Roca, Jan Novakofski, Nohra E. Mateus-Pinilla
Summary: Epizootic hemorrhagic disease (EHD) and bluetongue (BT) are spreading northward in North America, causing high mortality in wild white-tailed deer. The study highlights the importance of capturing the geographic location, confirming viral causes, and expanding surveillance.
SCIENTIFIC REPORTS
(2022)
Article
Microbiology
Andrew D. Marques, Scott Sherrill-Mix, John K. Everett, Hriju Adhikari, Shantan Reddy, Julie C. Ellis, Haley Zeliff, Sabrina S. Greening, Carolyn C. Cannuscio, Katherine M. Strelau, Ronald G. Collman, Brendan J. Kelly, Kyle G. Rodino, Frederic D. Bushman, Roderick B. Gagne, Eman Anis
Summary: White-tailed deer in Pennsylvania were found to have a high level of infection with SARS-CoV-2, indicating that they may serve as a potential reservoir for the virus to transmit back to humans. The variants of the virus in deer show significant differences from those in humans.
Article
Biodiversity Conservation
Todd M. Kautz, Nicholas L. Fowler, Tyler R. Petroelje, Jared F. Duquette, Dean E. Beyer, Jerrold L. Belant
Summary: Neonatal mortality in white-tailed deer is influenced by landscape and physiological characteristics, with human development reducing predation risk but increasing anthropogenic mortality. Smaller birth mass increases the risk of non-predation natural mortality. The study highlights the interaction between landscape attributes, fawn characteristics, and mortality causes.
GLOBAL ECOLOGY AND CONSERVATION
(2022)
Article
Forestry
Gabrielle N. Ripa, Steve Demarais, Joshua J. Granger, Richard G. Hamrick, Raymond B. Iglay
Summary: In three different ecoregions in Mississippi, the study aimed to determine the effects of deer herbivory on vegetation structure and composition. The results showed no treatment effects on vegetation composition and structure, but there were changes in overstory canopy conditions between 2005 and 2021, resulting in a decrease in certain plant species preferred by deer. The lack of treatment effects may be due to overstory conditions, low deer densities, and baseline conditions reflecting past herbivory effects.
FOREST ECOLOGY AND MANAGEMENT
(2023)
Article
Biochemistry & Molecular Biology
Stephanie J. Galla, Liz Brown, Yvette (Ngai Tahu Te Hapu o Ngati Waewae) Couch-Lewis, Ilina Cubrinovska, Daryl Eason, Rebecca M. Gooley, Jill A. Hamilton, Julie A. Heath, Samantha S. Hauser, Emily K. Latch, Marjorie D. Matocq, Anne Richardson, Jana R. Wold, Carolyn J. Hogg, Anna W. Santure, Tammy E. Steeves
Summary: Pedigrees, when combined with genomic data, are invaluable for conservation genomic management, addressing pitfalls and allowing for well-informed sampling strategies and quantitative analyses.
Article
Biochemistry & Molecular Biology
Xueling Yi, Emily K. Latch
Summary: This study focuses on the impact of missing data on principal component analysis (PCA) in population genetic studies. Both simulations and empirical data show that biased missing data can lead individuals to be dragged towards the PCA origin, potentially causing misinterpretations of population structure.
MOLECULAR ECOLOGY RESOURCES
(2022)
Article
Ecology
Timothy D. Meehan, Sarah P. Saunders, William DeLuca, Nicole L. Michel, Joanna Grand, Jill L. Deppe, Miguel F. Jimenez, Erika J. Knight, Nathaniel E. Seavy, Melanie A. Smith, Lotem Taylor, Chad Witko, Michael E. Akresh, David R. Barber, Erin M. Bayne, James C. Beasley, Jerrold L. Belant, Richard O. Bierregaard, Keith L. Bildstein, Than J. Boves, John N. Brzorad, Steven P. Campbell, Antonio Celis-Murillo, Hilary A. Cooke, Robert Domenech, Laurie Goodrich, Elizabeth A. Gow, Aaron Haines, Michael T. Hallworth, Jason M. Hill, Amanda E. Holland, Scott Jennings, Roland Kays, D. Tommy King, Stuart A. Mackenzie, Peter P. Marra, Rebecca A. McCabe, Kent P. McFarland, Michael J. McGrady, Ron Melcer, D. Ryan Norris, Russell E. Norvell, Olin E. Rhodes, Christopher C. Rimmer, Amy L. Scarpignato, Adam Shreading, Jesse L. Watson, Chad B. Wilsey
Summary: This study presents a three-stage modeling framework for estimating spatial patterns of avian migration by integrating different data sources. The results suggest that incorporating LCP indices with eBird occurrence in the GAMMs can improve the accuracy of predicting observed migratory locations for most species-season models, demonstrating the effectiveness of this comprehensive approach in describing broad-scale spatial patterns of animal movement.
ECOLOGICAL APPLICATIONS
(2022)
Article
Ecology
Xueling Yi, Emily K. Latch
Summary: Understanding the mechanisms of speciation in the big brown bat requires investigating the impact of historical isolation and gene flow on population divergence. This study used restriction site-associated DNA sequencing and integrative analyses to examine the population structure of the big brown bat in North America. The results suggest that both historical isolation and ongoing gene flow have shaped contemporary population divergence. Furthermore, predictions indicate that climate change may lead to northward range shifts in the future.
JOURNAL OF BIOGEOGRAPHY
(2022)
Article
Biochemistry & Molecular Biology
Samantha S. Hauser, Stephanie J. Galla, Andrea S. Putnam, Tammy E. Steeves, Emily K. Latch
Summary: Researchers compared six commonly used genome-based relatedness estimators in five captive-bred species. The results showed that different methods, sequencing techniques, and species could lead to variations in genome-based relatedness estimates, indicating the lack of an ideal estimator. For new datasets, it is recommended to evaluate the most appropriate genome-based relatedness estimator based on the correlation with known relationships in the pedigree and the precision of known first-order relationships. These recommendations are broadly applicable to conservation breeding programs and in situ wildlife management.
MOLECULAR ECOLOGY RESOURCES
(2022)
Article
Biochemistry & Molecular Biology
Xueling Yi, Emily K. Latch
Summary: Biodiversity can be increased by colonization of new habitats. This study investigates the systematics and evolutionary history of the Eptesicus species, uncovering different populations and potential cryptic diversity. The study also proposes the origin and dispersal routes of the Eptesicus species.
MOLECULAR PHYLOGENETICS AND EVOLUTION
(2022)
Article
Multidisciplinary Sciences
Miranda J. Butler-Valverde, Travis L. DeVault, Olin E. Rhodes, James C. Beasley
Summary: The selection or avoidance of certain carrion resources by vertebrate scavengers can alter the flow of nutrients in ecosystems. This study found that mammalian carnivores avoid scavenging on higher trophic level carrion, and rely on olfactory cues to assess the benefits and risks associated with different carrion resources.
SCIENTIFIC REPORTS
(2022)
Article
Ecology
Peter T. Euclide, Wesley A. Larson, Matthew Bootsma, Loren M. Miller, Kim T. Scribner, Wendylee Stott, Chris C. Wilson, Emily K. Latch
Summary: This article describes the development and assessment of a standardized marker panel for walleye research in the Great Lakes region. The panel includes markers that are informative for genetic stock identification and kinship analysis. Results show that the panel should perform well for multijurisdictional research.
ECOLOGY AND EVOLUTION
(2022)
Article
Agriculture, Dairy & Animal Science
Wesley C. Dixon, Jacob E. Hill, Richard B. Chipman, Amy J. Davis, Amy T. Gilbert, James C. Beasley, Olin E. Rhodes Jr, Guha Dharmarajan
Summary: The United States Department of Agriculture's National Rabies Management Program has used oral rabies vaccination to control the spread of raccoon rabies west of the Appalachian Mountains since 1997. They deployed vaccine-laden baits primarily targeting raccoons, and the competition for baits between raccoons and non-target species was examined in South Carolina. The study found that raccoons consumed a significant proportion of the baits, but vertebrate competition had a minimal impact on raccoon uptake, highlighting the need to consider the effects of invertebrates on bait consumption.
APPLIED ANIMAL BEHAVIOUR SCIENCE
(2023)
Article
Ecology
James L. Helton, Jacob E. Hill, David A. Bernasconi, Wesley C. Dixon, Richard B. Chipman, Amy T. Gilbert, James C. Beasley, Guha Dharmarajan, Olin E. Rhodes Jr
Summary: The National Rabies Management Program in the eastern United States uses oral rabies vaccine (ORV) baits to control rabies virus transmission in raccoon populations. This study investigated the competition for baits between raccoons and Virginia opossums in southeastern regions. The results showed that raccoons had a higher probability of bait uptake compared to opossums across different land cover types. The consumption of baits was not affected by cover type or the abundance of raccoons or opossums. Male raccoons were more likely to consume baits than females, and the probability of consumption increased with each additional day trapped. The study suggests that further research on baiting season, bait density, and resource selection is needed to maximize ORV bait uptake by target species in southeastern landscapes.
JOURNAL OF WILDLIFE MANAGEMENT
(2023)
Article
Veterinary Sciences
David A. Bernasconi, Madison L. Miller, Jacob E. Hill, Pooja Gupta, Richard Chipman, Amy T. Gilbert, Olin E. Rhodes, Guha Dharmarajan
Summary: This study quantified the prevalence of Trypanosoma cruzi in raccoons and opossums in South Carolina, US, and found that raccoons had significantly higher parasite detection rates compared to opossums, suggesting that the parasite is established in reservoir host populations in the southeastern US.
JOURNAL OF WILDLIFE DISEASES
(2023)
Article
Multidisciplinary Sciences
Jacob E. Hill, James L. Helton, Richard B. Chipman, Amy T. Gilbert, James C. Beasley, Guha Dharmarajan, Olin E. Rhodes
Summary: This study investigates the effects of translocation on the spatial ecology of raccoons. The results show that translocated raccoons have expanded home ranges and differences in space use between individuals from different habitats. After a transient period, raccoons often return to their pre-translocation movement behavior. Additionally, translocation may lead to crossing of geographic barriers and increased contact rates with conspecifics.
SCIENTIFIC REPORTS
(2023)
Article
Environmental Sciences
Ansley E. Silva, Robert J. Speakman, Brittany F. Barnes, David R. Coyle, James C. Leaphart, Erin F. Abernethy, Kelsey L. Turner, Olin E. Rhodes Jr, James C. Beasley, Kamal J. K. Gandhi
Summary: Anthropogenic contamination from coal-fired power plants and nuclear reactors has a widespread impact on ecosystems worldwide. It is crucial to study the accumulation and effects of trace elements and radionuclides in various organisms. This study analyzed the contaminant concentrations of trace elements and radiocesium in beetles using ICP-MS and auto-gamma counting. The results showed variability in trace element concentrations between different beetle species at contaminated and uncontaminated sites. Carrion beetles were found to be sensitive to contaminant bioaccumulation, making them useful sentinels of trace element and radionuclide contamination.
SCIENCE OF THE TOTAL ENVIRONMENT
(2023)
Article
Agriculture, Dairy & Animal Science
Emily K. Latch, James R. Heffelfinger
Summary: This study demonstrates the importance of integrating genetic data into intraspecific taxonomy, particularly in the case of black-tailed and mule deer. Analysis of genetic variation provides valuable insights into the evolutionary processes and supports the recognition of five subspecies within Odocoileus hemionus.
ANIMAL PRODUCTION SCIENCE
(2022)
Article
Ecology
Rachel M. Cook, Brittany Suttner, Rachael M. Giglio, Margaret L. Haines, Emily K. Latch
Summary: In this study, the influences of natural selection and historical demography on MHC evolution in mule deer were investigated. The results show that both natural selection and historical demography play important roles in shaping the evolution of MHC in large populations. These findings contribute to our understanding of the evolutionary dynamics of immune response-related genes in large populations.
BMC ECOLOGY AND EVOLUTION
(2022)