Rachel Sprague - Academia.edu (original) (raw)
Papers by Rachel Sprague
Neotropical Entomology, 2009
Primeiro Registro da Broca-do-Café, Hypothenemus hampei (Ferrari) (Coleoptera: Scolytidae), em Ca... more Primeiro Registro da Broca-do-Café, Hypothenemus hampei (Ferrari) (Coleoptera: Scolytidae), em Castanhado-Pará, Bertholletia excelsa (Lecythidaceae) RESUMO-Este trabalho registra a ocorrência de Hypothenemus hampei (Ferrari) em amêndoas armazenadas da castanha-do-Pará, no Sudeste do Pará. O inseto obteve sucesso na infestação e reprodução na castanha-do-Pará. Com base nessa constatação, o uso da castanha-do-Pará pode ser uma alternativa para a criação da broca-do-café. Além disso, cabe alertar para os cuidados com armazenamento dessas amêndoas para se evitar a infestação pelo inseto. PALAVRAS-CHAVE: Praga, grão armazenado, criação massal ABSTRACT-We report the occurrence of Hypothenemus hampei (Ferrari) attacking Pará nuts stored in the southeast of Para state. The coffee berry borer successfully colonized and reproduced using Pará nuts as a food source. Based on this observation, the Pará nuts can be used as an alternative food source in rearing the coffee berry borer. Also, attention should be brought to need of proper storage of these nuts to avoid infestation by this pest.
Journal of the American Veterinary Medical Association, Jan 15, 2013
Hormones and Behavior, 2010
Fledging is a major life transition for birds, when juveniles move from the safety of a nest into... more Fledging is a major life transition for birds, when juveniles move from the safety of a nest into an environment where they must find food and avoid predators. The timing of fledging within a season can have significant effects on future survival and breeding success. Proximate triggers of fledging are unknown: though wing development is likely a primary factor, other physiological changes, such as elevated plasma corticosterone (CORT), may affect fledging behavior. Laysan Albatross (Phoebastria immutabilis) chicks have an extended post−hatching period during which they reach 150% of adult mass. However, approaching fledging, chicks fast for days to weeks and lose mass while still putting energy into feather growth. We evaluated chick morphology and physiology to elucidate proximate triggers of fledging. As in some other species, CORT increased as chicks fasted and lost body mass. At the same time, corticosteroid binding globulin (CBG) declined, thus amplifying free CORT prior to fledging. Once chicks reached a morphological threshold, free CORT levels predicted how long they stayed at the colony: chicks with higher free CORT fledged sooner. To perturb the relationship between body condition, endocrine physiology, and fledging behavior, we supplementally fed chicks for the month before fledging. Fed birds had a slower decrease in body mass, slower decrease in CBG, slower increase in free CORT, and stayed at the colony longer after reaching a morphological threshold. Our study suggests that as chicks lose mass, free CORT acts as a signal of energetic or nutritional state to adjust the timing of fledging.
This document contains the final analysis of the environmental effects associated with the Montan... more This document contains the final analysis of the environmental effects associated with the Montana Fish, Wildlife & Parks (FWP) Riparian/Wetland Habitat Conservation Program for the Libby and Hungry Horse hydroelectric projects. This document addresses significant issues raised during public review of the Riparian/Wetland Draft Programmatic Environmental Impact Statement (DEIS); summarizes major conclusions related to environmental effects and issues; and describes FWP's Preferred Alternative (modified from DEIS Proposed Alternative Two). Four Alternatives were evaluated in the DEIS: One: Status Quo; Two: Prioritized Mix of Protection and Enhancement; Three: Protection Only; Four: Enhancement Only. Following a 30-day comment period on the FEIS, the FWP Regional Supervisor in Kalispell will issue a Decision Notice describing the final action FWP will make to determine guidelines for the Riparian/Wetland Conservation Program. SUMMARY OF MAJOR CONCLUSIONS Physical Impacts: All of the considered Alternatives, including the Preferred Alternative, would result in a positive direct benefit to the physical and biological environment through the long-term conservation of wetland/riparian habitat values at project areas. The expected benefits may be greater for Alternatives One, Two, and Three than Alternative Four if Alternative Four were to focus on enhancement on public lands and not address resources on private lands. The cumulative impacts of all the Alternatives (except Alternative One in Lincoln County) to the physical and biological environment would be significantly positive. The cumulative impact on biodiversity and threatened and endangered species habitat would be more positive if currently rare habitats are considered during implementation. Social-Economic Impacts-Positive: Because Alternative One does not include Lincoln County, this alternative would not generate any social or economic benefit or impact to this area. Alternatives Two-Four and the Preferred Alternative would result in positive economic benefits due to an increase or maintenance of outdoor recreation or amenity based economies. Other potential economic benefits to private landowners include an increase in land values by owning land adjacent to perpetual open space and wildlife habitat; possible inheritance and income tax benefits for rural agricultural or timber landowners; financial compensation to landowners who decide to sell development rights or restore/enhance riparian/wetland values, thus precluding the potential for lost land value through zoning or other government regulations that could limit development. These types of benefits were not included in the DEIS. Social-Economic Impacts-Negative: Negative effects could occur to land use and the tax base, depending on the Alternative. We acknowledge that the use of conservation easements under Alternatives Two, Three, and the Preferred Alternative may preclude the future development of some lands to their "highest and best use" and that this may preclude future tax revenues. Under the Preferred Alternative, conservation easements may be used more than under the original Alternative Two for Libby and may result in slightly greater potential negative impacts to future land uses and tax bases. Villi S^J^ Cumulative Effects. Alternatives One and Three could potentially have the greatest cumulative negative impact on local land uses and tax base. The impacts of Alternative Two and the Preferred Alternative would be somewhat less. The cumulative effects of any Alternative on local communities, land use, and taxes would be additive to other mitigation or habitat protection programs occurring within the same area (e.g. Kerr mitigation, Highway mitigation). CONCLUSIONS TO SIGNIFICANT ISSUES: Conservation Strategies: The primary issue which is being decided through this EIS process is the approach or the method of habitat conservation to be emphasized by this program. Mitigation Objectives (Acres): A proposed change in the existing wildlife mitigation program is to use mitigation objectives based on riparian/wetland habitats lost at the 2 hydroelectric projects rather than target species acres (i.e. waterfowl, black bear/grizzly bear). This change will result in an increase in overall acreage to be mitigated and an expansion from the Flathead area to the Kootenai. Program Achievability, Budget, and Time-Frame: The analysis we completed on this issue shows that the existing funding structure may not be sufficient to achieve Alternatives Two-Four program objectives. As a result, this program may need to leverage available funds, undertake joint projects, cost-share to the fullest extent possible without sacrificing quality projects, and look for other creative means to extend the available funds to reach habitat objectives. We recognize that 100% mitigation may not be achievable. Mitigation Project Areas/Distance Factors: Using a single distance or identifying counties within which riparian/wetland mitigation must occur would result in lopsided project areas for the 2 hydroelectric projects. Further, this approach may be too restrictive during implementation. In response to these concerns and the need to set guidelines for the program, we propose to define 2 or 3 prioritized project areas or levels surrounding each reservoir. For Hungry Horse, project area levels would be defined as within: 1. Flathead River drainage area; 2. Columbia River basin, Montana. For Libby the priority areas would be within: 1. 15 miles of Lake Koocanusa; 2. 50 miles of Lake Koocanusa (includes all of the Kootenai River and portions of Clark Fork drainages); 3. Columbia River basin, Montana. Concerns Related to Strategies: The DEIS discussed 3 major strategies to replace habitat values lost due to hydroelectric power development: fee-title purchase, conservation easements, and enhancement activities. Land exchange was not specifically mentioned in the DEIS but is another strategy which could be used to maintain current private land base while benefitting riparian/wetlands. It could be viewed as a variation of the fee-title strategy as it redistributes land ownership patterns. We also recognize that the annual goals used in the DEIS to show how the program may be implemented could be constraining during program implementation. To provide adaptability in this program over time and to allow for flexibility in project development, we suggest maintaining the priority ranking similar to Alternative Two in the DEIS without annual goals.
The mission of the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) is to understand and pr... more The mission of the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) is to understand and predict changes in the Earth's environment and to conserve and manage coastal and oceanic marine resources and habitats to help meet our Nation's economic, social, and environmental needs. As a branch of NOAA, the National Marine Fisheries Service (NMFS) conducts or sponsors research and monitoring programs to improve the scientific basis for conservation and management decisions. NMFS strives to make information about the purpose, methods, and results of its scientific studies widely available. NMFS' Pacific Islands Fisheries Science Center (PIFSC) uses the NOAA Technical Memorandum NMFS series to achieve timely dissemination of scientific and technical information that is of high quality but inappropriate for publication in the formal peer-reviewed literature. The contents are of broad scope, including technical workshop proceedings, large data compilations, status reports an...
Laysan Albatross undergo repeated 2-3 week fasts throughout incubation, during which they can dro... more Laysan Albatross undergo repeated 2-3 week fasts throughout incubation, during which they can drop 25% of their body mass. In some species, during short, unpredictable fasts, glucocorticoid stress hormones (corticosterone in birds: CORT) rise as body mass declines. However, it is not clear whether the relationship between CORT and body mass holds during long-term, predictable fasting. Given that elevated CORT levels are associated with nest abandonment, species with repeated, long fasts during incubation may delay or depress the secretion of CORT to preserve their reproductive effort. We monitored body mass, CORT, and, for the first time, corticosteroid binding globulin (CBG), during incubation fasts over the entire incubation period in Laysan Albatross (Phoebastria immutabilis). As expected, body mass declined both within fasts and over the season. At the same time, total CORT increased both within individual incubation shifts and over the season. As supported by many other studies...
Complexity in the Marine Environment, 2015
Journal of the Yamashina Institute for Ornithology, 2008
Journal of Experimental Biology, 2013
Severe storms can pose a grave challenge to the temperature and energy homeostasis of small endot... more Severe storms can pose a grave challenge to the temperature and energy homeostasis of small endothermic vertebrates. Storms are accompanied by lower temperatures and wind, increasing metabolic expenditure, and can inhibit foraging, thereby limiting energy intake. To avoid these potential problems, most endotherms have mechanisms for offsetting the energetic risks posed by storms. One possibility is to use cues to predict oncoming storms and to alter physiology and behavior in ways that make survival more likely. Barometric pressure declines predictably before inclement weather, and several lines of evidence indicate that animals alter behavior based on changes in ambient pressure. Here we examined the effects of declining barometric pressure on physiology and behavior in the white-crowned sparrow, Zonotrichia leucophrys. Using field data from a long-term study, we first evaluated the relationship between barometric pressure, storms and stress physiology in free-living white-crowned sparrows. We then manipulated barometric pressure experimentally in the laboratory and determined how it affects activity, food intake, metabolic rates and stress physiology. The field data showed declining barometric pressure in the 12-24h preceding snowstorms, but we found no relationship between barometric pressure and stress physiology. The laboratory study showed that declining barometric pressure stimulated food intake, but had no effect on metabolic rate or stress physiology. These data suggest that white-crowned sparrows can sense and respond to declining barometric pressure, and we propose that such an ability may be common in wild vertebrates, especially small ones for whom individual storms can be life-threatening events.
Journal of the American Veterinary Medical Association, Jan 15, 2013
Neotropical Entomology, 2009
Primeiro Registro da Broca-do-Café, Hypothenemus hampei (Ferrari) (Coleoptera: Scolytidae), em Ca... more Primeiro Registro da Broca-do-Café, Hypothenemus hampei (Ferrari) (Coleoptera: Scolytidae), em Castanhado-Pará, Bertholletia excelsa (Lecythidaceae) RESUMO-Este trabalho registra a ocorrência de Hypothenemus hampei (Ferrari) em amêndoas armazenadas da castanha-do-Pará, no Sudeste do Pará. O inseto obteve sucesso na infestação e reprodução na castanha-do-Pará. Com base nessa constatação, o uso da castanha-do-Pará pode ser uma alternativa para a criação da broca-do-café. Além disso, cabe alertar para os cuidados com armazenamento dessas amêndoas para se evitar a infestação pelo inseto. PALAVRAS-CHAVE: Praga, grão armazenado, criação massal ABSTRACT-We report the occurrence of Hypothenemus hampei (Ferrari) attacking Pará nuts stored in the southeast of Para state. The coffee berry borer successfully colonized and reproduced using Pará nuts as a food source. Based on this observation, the Pará nuts can be used as an alternative food source in rearing the coffee berry borer. Also, attention should be brought to need of proper storage of these nuts to avoid infestation by this pest.
Journal of the American Veterinary Medical Association, Jan 15, 2013
Hormones and Behavior, 2010
Fledging is a major life transition for birds, when juveniles move from the safety of a nest into... more Fledging is a major life transition for birds, when juveniles move from the safety of a nest into an environment where they must find food and avoid predators. The timing of fledging within a season can have significant effects on future survival and breeding success. Proximate triggers of fledging are unknown: though wing development is likely a primary factor, other physiological changes, such as elevated plasma corticosterone (CORT), may affect fledging behavior. Laysan Albatross (Phoebastria immutabilis) chicks have an extended post−hatching period during which they reach 150% of adult mass. However, approaching fledging, chicks fast for days to weeks and lose mass while still putting energy into feather growth. We evaluated chick morphology and physiology to elucidate proximate triggers of fledging. As in some other species, CORT increased as chicks fasted and lost body mass. At the same time, corticosteroid binding globulin (CBG) declined, thus amplifying free CORT prior to fledging. Once chicks reached a morphological threshold, free CORT levels predicted how long they stayed at the colony: chicks with higher free CORT fledged sooner. To perturb the relationship between body condition, endocrine physiology, and fledging behavior, we supplementally fed chicks for the month before fledging. Fed birds had a slower decrease in body mass, slower decrease in CBG, slower increase in free CORT, and stayed at the colony longer after reaching a morphological threshold. Our study suggests that as chicks lose mass, free CORT acts as a signal of energetic or nutritional state to adjust the timing of fledging.
This document contains the final analysis of the environmental effects associated with the Montan... more This document contains the final analysis of the environmental effects associated with the Montana Fish, Wildlife & Parks (FWP) Riparian/Wetland Habitat Conservation Program for the Libby and Hungry Horse hydroelectric projects. This document addresses significant issues raised during public review of the Riparian/Wetland Draft Programmatic Environmental Impact Statement (DEIS); summarizes major conclusions related to environmental effects and issues; and describes FWP's Preferred Alternative (modified from DEIS Proposed Alternative Two). Four Alternatives were evaluated in the DEIS: One: Status Quo; Two: Prioritized Mix of Protection and Enhancement; Three: Protection Only; Four: Enhancement Only. Following a 30-day comment period on the FEIS, the FWP Regional Supervisor in Kalispell will issue a Decision Notice describing the final action FWP will make to determine guidelines for the Riparian/Wetland Conservation Program. SUMMARY OF MAJOR CONCLUSIONS Physical Impacts: All of the considered Alternatives, including the Preferred Alternative, would result in a positive direct benefit to the physical and biological environment through the long-term conservation of wetland/riparian habitat values at project areas. The expected benefits may be greater for Alternatives One, Two, and Three than Alternative Four if Alternative Four were to focus on enhancement on public lands and not address resources on private lands. The cumulative impacts of all the Alternatives (except Alternative One in Lincoln County) to the physical and biological environment would be significantly positive. The cumulative impact on biodiversity and threatened and endangered species habitat would be more positive if currently rare habitats are considered during implementation. Social-Economic Impacts-Positive: Because Alternative One does not include Lincoln County, this alternative would not generate any social or economic benefit or impact to this area. Alternatives Two-Four and the Preferred Alternative would result in positive economic benefits due to an increase or maintenance of outdoor recreation or amenity based economies. Other potential economic benefits to private landowners include an increase in land values by owning land adjacent to perpetual open space and wildlife habitat; possible inheritance and income tax benefits for rural agricultural or timber landowners; financial compensation to landowners who decide to sell development rights or restore/enhance riparian/wetland values, thus precluding the potential for lost land value through zoning or other government regulations that could limit development. These types of benefits were not included in the DEIS. Social-Economic Impacts-Negative: Negative effects could occur to land use and the tax base, depending on the Alternative. We acknowledge that the use of conservation easements under Alternatives Two, Three, and the Preferred Alternative may preclude the future development of some lands to their "highest and best use" and that this may preclude future tax revenues. Under the Preferred Alternative, conservation easements may be used more than under the original Alternative Two for Libby and may result in slightly greater potential negative impacts to future land uses and tax bases. Villi S^J^ Cumulative Effects. Alternatives One and Three could potentially have the greatest cumulative negative impact on local land uses and tax base. The impacts of Alternative Two and the Preferred Alternative would be somewhat less. The cumulative effects of any Alternative on local communities, land use, and taxes would be additive to other mitigation or habitat protection programs occurring within the same area (e.g. Kerr mitigation, Highway mitigation). CONCLUSIONS TO SIGNIFICANT ISSUES: Conservation Strategies: The primary issue which is being decided through this EIS process is the approach or the method of habitat conservation to be emphasized by this program. Mitigation Objectives (Acres): A proposed change in the existing wildlife mitigation program is to use mitigation objectives based on riparian/wetland habitats lost at the 2 hydroelectric projects rather than target species acres (i.e. waterfowl, black bear/grizzly bear). This change will result in an increase in overall acreage to be mitigated and an expansion from the Flathead area to the Kootenai. Program Achievability, Budget, and Time-Frame: The analysis we completed on this issue shows that the existing funding structure may not be sufficient to achieve Alternatives Two-Four program objectives. As a result, this program may need to leverage available funds, undertake joint projects, cost-share to the fullest extent possible without sacrificing quality projects, and look for other creative means to extend the available funds to reach habitat objectives. We recognize that 100% mitigation may not be achievable. Mitigation Project Areas/Distance Factors: Using a single distance or identifying counties within which riparian/wetland mitigation must occur would result in lopsided project areas for the 2 hydroelectric projects. Further, this approach may be too restrictive during implementation. In response to these concerns and the need to set guidelines for the program, we propose to define 2 or 3 prioritized project areas or levels surrounding each reservoir. For Hungry Horse, project area levels would be defined as within: 1. Flathead River drainage area; 2. Columbia River basin, Montana. For Libby the priority areas would be within: 1. 15 miles of Lake Koocanusa; 2. 50 miles of Lake Koocanusa (includes all of the Kootenai River and portions of Clark Fork drainages); 3. Columbia River basin, Montana. Concerns Related to Strategies: The DEIS discussed 3 major strategies to replace habitat values lost due to hydroelectric power development: fee-title purchase, conservation easements, and enhancement activities. Land exchange was not specifically mentioned in the DEIS but is another strategy which could be used to maintain current private land base while benefitting riparian/wetlands. It could be viewed as a variation of the fee-title strategy as it redistributes land ownership patterns. We also recognize that the annual goals used in the DEIS to show how the program may be implemented could be constraining during program implementation. To provide adaptability in this program over time and to allow for flexibility in project development, we suggest maintaining the priority ranking similar to Alternative Two in the DEIS without annual goals.
The mission of the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) is to understand and pr... more The mission of the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) is to understand and predict changes in the Earth's environment and to conserve and manage coastal and oceanic marine resources and habitats to help meet our Nation's economic, social, and environmental needs. As a branch of NOAA, the National Marine Fisheries Service (NMFS) conducts or sponsors research and monitoring programs to improve the scientific basis for conservation and management decisions. NMFS strives to make information about the purpose, methods, and results of its scientific studies widely available. NMFS' Pacific Islands Fisheries Science Center (PIFSC) uses the NOAA Technical Memorandum NMFS series to achieve timely dissemination of scientific and technical information that is of high quality but inappropriate for publication in the formal peer-reviewed literature. The contents are of broad scope, including technical workshop proceedings, large data compilations, status reports an...
Laysan Albatross undergo repeated 2-3 week fasts throughout incubation, during which they can dro... more Laysan Albatross undergo repeated 2-3 week fasts throughout incubation, during which they can drop 25% of their body mass. In some species, during short, unpredictable fasts, glucocorticoid stress hormones (corticosterone in birds: CORT) rise as body mass declines. However, it is not clear whether the relationship between CORT and body mass holds during long-term, predictable fasting. Given that elevated CORT levels are associated with nest abandonment, species with repeated, long fasts during incubation may delay or depress the secretion of CORT to preserve their reproductive effort. We monitored body mass, CORT, and, for the first time, corticosteroid binding globulin (CBG), during incubation fasts over the entire incubation period in Laysan Albatross (Phoebastria immutabilis). As expected, body mass declined both within fasts and over the season. At the same time, total CORT increased both within individual incubation shifts and over the season. As supported by many other studies...
Complexity in the Marine Environment, 2015
Journal of the Yamashina Institute for Ornithology, 2008
Journal of Experimental Biology, 2013
Severe storms can pose a grave challenge to the temperature and energy homeostasis of small endot... more Severe storms can pose a grave challenge to the temperature and energy homeostasis of small endothermic vertebrates. Storms are accompanied by lower temperatures and wind, increasing metabolic expenditure, and can inhibit foraging, thereby limiting energy intake. To avoid these potential problems, most endotherms have mechanisms for offsetting the energetic risks posed by storms. One possibility is to use cues to predict oncoming storms and to alter physiology and behavior in ways that make survival more likely. Barometric pressure declines predictably before inclement weather, and several lines of evidence indicate that animals alter behavior based on changes in ambient pressure. Here we examined the effects of declining barometric pressure on physiology and behavior in the white-crowned sparrow, Zonotrichia leucophrys. Using field data from a long-term study, we first evaluated the relationship between barometric pressure, storms and stress physiology in free-living white-crowned sparrows. We then manipulated barometric pressure experimentally in the laboratory and determined how it affects activity, food intake, metabolic rates and stress physiology. The field data showed declining barometric pressure in the 12-24h preceding snowstorms, but we found no relationship between barometric pressure and stress physiology. The laboratory study showed that declining barometric pressure stimulated food intake, but had no effect on metabolic rate or stress physiology. These data suggest that white-crowned sparrows can sense and respond to declining barometric pressure, and we propose that such an ability may be common in wild vertebrates, especially small ones for whom individual storms can be life-threatening events.
Journal of the American Veterinary Medical Association, Jan 15, 2013