scholarly journals Assessing the efficacy of medetomidine and tiletamine–zolazepam for remote immobilisation of feral horses (Equus caballus)

2014 ◽  
Vol 41 (7) ◽  
pp. 615 ◽  
Author(s):  
Magdalena A. Zabek ◽  
John Wright ◽  
David M. Berman ◽  
Jordan O. Hampton ◽  
Christina W. Collins
Keyword(s):  
Vital Signs ◽  
Equus Caballus ◽  
Time Of Day ◽  
Climatic Conditions ◽  
Population Increase ◽  
Large Species ◽  
Feral Horses ◽  
Gps Collars ◽  
Physiological Variables ◽  
Management Actions

Context The study of any wild animal’s home range requires the collection of spatiotemporal data, obtained independently of climatic conditions or time of day. This can be achieved by the attachment of global positioning system (GPS) data loggers, which, in large species, is best achieved by remote immobilisation. Feral horses (Equus caballus) usually occupy remote areas of Australia; however, a considerable population increase has been observed in a close proximity to metropolitan areas of the Australian east coast, creating increasing conflict with human interests. Aim The aim of the present study was to investigate the efficacy of remote chemical immobilisation of feral horses with medetomidine combined with tiletamine–zolazepam to facilitate placement of satellite GPS collars. Methods Nine feral horses were darted from the ground with 60 mg (i.m.) medetomidine and 1500 mg (i.m.) tiletamine–zolazepam. The effects of medetomidine were reversed with 50–100 mg (i.m. or i.v.) atipamezole 30–40 min after induction (IV/IM). Physiological variables monitored during anaesthesia were heart rate, respiratory rate, temperature and oxygen haemoglobin saturation (Spo2). Key results All horses were successfully immobilised with between one and three darts (n = 9). The mean (± s.e.m.) dose of medetomidine was 0.15 ± 0.01 mg kg–1, whereas that of tiletamine–zolazepam was 3.61 ± 0.16 mg kg–1. Mean time from darting to lateral recumbency was 13.3 ± 2.7 min and mean recumbency time was 54 ± 13 min. Vital signs for all anaesthetised animals remained within the normal range during anaesthesia, with the exception of one animal exhibiting a transient drop in Spo2. There were no deaths. Key conclusions The combination of medetomidine and tiletamine–zolazepam provided adequate anaesthesia in feral horses in the field for application of GPS collars. Implications Although a limited number of horses was immobilised, the present study shows that the combination of medetomidine and tiletamine–zolazepam provides effective short-term anaesthesia for feral horses, affording a practical and field-accessible capture technique. This method could also be applied to other management actions requiring the safe and humane capture of feral horses.

Population dynamics of feral horses (Equus caballus) in an exotic coniferous plantation in Australia

2016 ◽  
Vol 43 (4) ◽  
pp. 358 ◽  
Author(s):  
Magdalena A. Zabek ◽  
David M. Berman ◽  
Simon P. Blomberg ◽  
Christina W. Collins ◽  
John Wright
Keyword(s):  
Population Dynamics ◽  
Population Growth ◽  
Body Condition Score ◽  
Equus Caballus ◽  
Population Increase ◽  
Adult Survival ◽  
Feral Horses ◽  
Adult Females ◽  
Coniferous Plantation ◽  
The Mean

Context Understanding population dynamics of invasive species is crucial for the development of management strategies. Feral horses (Equus caballus) are a growing problem in the Tuan–Toolara State Forest (TTSF), a coniferous plantation in south-eastern Queensland, Australia. Aim The population dynamics of the TTSF feral horses was not known. Therefore, the study was designed to characterise the major vital parameters of this population and, using these data, develop a long-term management plan. Methods The study was conducted over 3 years (2011–14) involving 522 individually identified horses. Foaling rates were used to calculate fecundity. Body fat distribution was estimated using body condition score (BCS), which reflects the nutritional, metabolic and general health of individual animals. Multi state mark–capture population models were used to estimate age-specific survival, and the Leslie age-structured projection matrix model was used to determine the annual rate at which the population increased. Key results The mean annual fecundity was low (0.23 ± 0.07 s.d.). The mean BCS of the population was mid-range (2.55 ± 0.51 s.d.) with adult females having lower scores than other age and gender groups. Survival estimates were consistently high (0.92–0.95) across all age groups. The average annual finite rate of population increase (λ) for the 3 years of the study was 1.09. Sensitivity analysis demonstrated that the population growth rate was almost seven times more sensitive to changes in adult survival compared with juvenile survival, and almost twice as sensitive to changes in fecundity. Key conclusions Population dynamics of the TTSF feral horses were comparable to other feral horse populations similarly challenged by environmental nutritional limitations. Implications Defining population dynamics of the TTSF feral horses permits the formulation of management goals that can be audited and adapted as required. The most effective strategy for controlling population growth in the TTSF would involve the continuing removal of substantial numbers of adult females or manipulation of survival and/or fecundity. As selective removal will likely alter the adult sex ratio and age structure of the population, ongoing assessment is necessary to minimise adverse welfare outcomes.

scholarly journals Initial growth of coffee (Coffea arabica L. var) castillo in the coffee zone of Nariño

2019 ◽  
Vol 36 (E) ◽  
pp. 124-137
Author(s):  
Hernando Criollo E. ◽  
Johanna Muñoz B. ◽  
Jorge Checa B. ◽  
Wilmer Noguera R.
Keyword(s):  
Plant Height ◽  
Statistical Design ◽  
Climatic Conditions ◽  
Initial Growth ◽  
Area Index ◽  
Physiological Variables ◽  
Physiological Processes ◽  
Number Of Leaves ◽  
La Florida ◽  
Coffee Cultivation

The importance of coffee cultivation in Nariño is reflected in the fact that 64% of its municipalities grow coffee. The ruggedness of its Andean topography provides great diversity in terms of climatic conditions, which, in one way or another, affect the behavior of coffee in all its physiological processes. Therefore, this study sought to identify the variation in the growth processes and production processes in the different coffee areas of this department, including the coffee-growing municipalities Sandoná, Consacá, La Florida and La Unión in the Department of Nariño, using experimental lots located at different altitude ranges (B <1600msnm; M between 1600 and 1800msnm and A >1800msnm). The statistical design used for each municipality was Random Complete Blocks with three treatments and sixteen repetitions. The recorded climatic variables included photosynthetically active radiation, ambient temperature, precipitation and relative humidity, and the evaluated physiological variables were plant height, number of leaves, basal stem diameter, number of primary branches, number of secondary branches, length of primary branches, number of knots per branch and leaf area index. The variable plant height was statistically higher in the upper zone (A) in the municipalities La Florida (79.95 cm) and Consacá (64.31cm); in La Florida, the number of branches and the LAI were higher in the upper zone plants, while the diameter of the stems was higher in the middle zone. In the other municipalities, these variables were not affected by the altitude.

scholarly journals An infanticide attempt by a free-roaming feral stallion ( Equus caballus )

2008 ◽  
Vol 5 (1) ◽  
pp. 23-25 ◽  
Author(s):  
Meeghan E Gray
Keyword(s):  
Sexual Selection ◽  
Genetic Analysis ◽  
Equus Caballus ◽  
Adult Males ◽  
Free Living ◽  
Feral Horses ◽  
Selection Hypothesis ◽  
Sexual Selection Hypothesis ◽  
In Captivity

Infanticide by adult males occurs in a variety of species. While infanticidal attacks have been documented in several equid species in captivity, it has never been witnessed in free-roaming feral horses. I report an infanticide attempt by a free-living feral stallion on a recently born female foal. The stallion picked up the foal by the shoulders, tossed it around twice and bit in on the neck several times. The dam of the foal charged the stallion and successfully protected her foal from additional attacks. The foal survived the attack and later weaned successfully. The stallion recently took over the band and was excluded as the sire through genetic analysis. While this type of attack is rare, this case lends support to the sexual selection hypothesis and further demonstrates that equids have evolved with the risk of infanticide. Furthermore, it shows that maternal protectiveness can be successful against attacks by infanticidal males.

Biological Rhythmicity in Preterm Infants Prior to Discharge From Neonatal Intensive Care

PEDIATRICS ◽  
1995 ◽  
Vol 95 (2) ◽  
pp. 231-237
Author(s):  
Steven F. Glotzbach ◽  
Dale M. Edgar ◽  
Ronald L. Ariagno
Keyword(s):  
Heart Rate ◽  
Intensive Care ◽  
Preterm Infants ◽  
Rectal Temperature ◽  
Neonatal Intensive Care ◽  
Time Of Day ◽  
Circadian System ◽  
Physiological Variables ◽  
Postconceptional Age ◽  
The Impact

Objective. The study of biological rhythms and the influence of environmental factors in the timing and synchronization of different rhythmic events have important implications for neonatal health. Preterm infants in the neonatal intensive care unit (NICU) are deprived of the patterned influences of maternal sleep, temperature, heart rate, and hormonal cycles. The impact of the NICU and nursing interventions on the development of the circadian system was studied in 17 stable preterm infants in the Intermediate Intensive Care Nursery at Stanford University for three consecutive days at about 35 weeks postconceptional age. Outcome measurements. Rectal temperature, abdominal skin temperature, heart rate, and activity were simultaneously recorded at 2-minute intervals during each 3-day study by a small microcomputer (Vitalog). Results. Very low amplitude circadian rhythms were found for rectal and skin temperatures (maximum range 36.8 to 37.0°C); population mean values for heart rate (158 bpm) and activity (3.5 counts per 2-min bin) did not differ significantly as a function of time of day. Rectal temperature, averaged in 6-hour bins over the 24-hour day as a function of both postconceptional age and postnatal age, was significantly higher during the first part of the circadian cycle. In all infants, rhythmicity in each variable was dominated by ultradian periodicities that were coincident with feedings and related interventions; moreover, several physiological variables charted during feeding differed significantly from values obtained during periods in which caregiving interventions did not occur. Conclusion. Quantitative data on the preterm infant circadian system may facilitate evaluation of factors that improve therapeutic responses, recovery, and outcome of neonatal intensive care patients.

scholarly journals Assessing the Environmental Quality Resulting from Damages to Human-Nature Interactions Caused by Population Increase: A Systems Thinking Approach

2019 ◽  
Vol 11 (7) ◽  
pp. 1957 ◽  
Author(s):  
Fernando Ramos-Quintana ◽  
Héctor Sotelo-Nava ◽  
Hugo Saldarriaga-Noreña ◽  
Efraín Tovar-Sánchez
Keyword(s):  
Conceptual Framework ◽  
Human Nature ◽  
Systems Thinking ◽  
Closed System ◽  
Feedback Loop ◽  
Population Increase ◽  
Environment Quality ◽  
Management Actions ◽  
Systems Thinking Approach ◽  
Multiple Interactions

Multiple interactions between population increase-as driving force- and pressure factors can cause damage to human-nature interactions. In this paper, we aim to identify, understand, and assess those interactions that exert effects on environment quality. The assessments of multiple interactions will allow selecting management actions to reduce negative effects, such as the loss of vegetation cover, on the environment. However, multiple interactions hinder the understanding of such complex systems. The relevance of this study is related to the support of the systems thinking approach to achieve two objectives: (1) to build a conceptual framework that facilitates the construction of a network aimed at representing the multiple interactions; (2) to build a closed system for the sake of developing a sustainable environmental management system. Thus, the performance of the implemented management actions is assessed through the feedback loop of the closed system. The proposed conceptual framework and the closed system were applied to the state of Morelos, Mexico. We highlight the following results: the systems thinking approach facilitated the construction of a conceptual framework to build understandable causal network; a set of environmental pathways were derived from the causal network and then combined to define and assess a global environmental state. Environmental pathways are composed of relationships between population increase and pressure variables that exert effects on the environment quality; the feedback loop facilitated the performance analysis of implemented management actions related to natural protected areas. The current results suggest further research to apply this study to diverse systems where multiple interactions between drivers and pressure factors damage human-nature interactions, thus exerting effects on the environmental state.

Systemic range shift lags among a pollinator species assemblage following rapid climate change1This article is part of a Special Issue entitled “Pollination biology research in Canada: Perspectives on a mutualism at different scales”.

Botany ◽  
2012 ◽  
Vol 90 (7) ◽  
pp. 587-597 ◽  
Author(s):  
Felicity E. Bedford ◽  
Robert J. Whittaker ◽  
Jeremy T. Kerr
Keyword(s):  
Climate Change ◽  
Climatic Conditions ◽  
Range Shift ◽  
Range Shifts ◽  
Geographical Range ◽  
Large Species ◽  
Species Assemblage ◽  
Mobile Species ◽  
Recent Climate ◽  
Winter Temperatures

Contemporary climate change is driving widespread geographical range shifts among many species. If species are tracking changing climate successfully, then leading populations should experience similar climatic conditions through time as new populations establish beyond historical range margins. Here, we investigate geographical range shifts relative to changing climatic conditions among a particularly well-sampled assemblage of butterflies in Canada. We assembled observations of 81 species and measured their latitudinal displacement between two periods: 1960–1975 (a period of little climate change) and 1990–2005 (a period with large climate change). We find an unexpected trend for species’ northern borders to shift progressively less relative to increasing minimum winter temperatures in northern Canada. This study demonstrates a novel, systemic latitudinal gradient in lags among a large species assemblage in responses to recent climate change. Even among the most mobile species and without anthropogenic barriers to dispersal, these pollinators have been unable to extend their ranges as fast as required to keep pace with climate change.

scholarly journals Adaptability of sheep to three salinity levels in different environments

2020 ◽  
Vol 41 (1) ◽  
pp. 283
Author(s):  
Dermeval Araújo Furtado ◽  
Sebastião Benicio Carvalho Junior ◽  
José Pinheiro Lopes Neto ◽  
Bonifácio Benício de Souza ◽  
Nayanne Lopes Batista Dantas
Keyword(s):  
Thermal Comfort ◽  
Respiratory Rate ◽  
Water Source ◽  
Climatic Conditions ◽  
Adaptive Responses ◽  
Physiological Variables ◽  
Salinity Levels ◽  
Two Temperatures ◽  
Alternative Water ◽  
Male Sheep

The objective of this study is to evaluate physiological parameters and the adaptability of Santa Inês sheep to two climatic conditions 25ºC (within the thermal comfort zone [TCZ) and 32ºC (above the TCZ) and three salinity levels (2.0, 4.0, and 8.0 dS m-1). The study was developed in a climatic chamber using 36 uncastrated male sheep. The experimental design was completely randomized with a 2 ? 3 factorial scheme composed of two temperatures, three water salinity levels, and six repetitions. The physiological variables were not affected by the salinity levels. The rectal and skin temperature and the heart and respiratory rate were higher at 32 °C. However, the rectal temperature was within the normal range for the species. The consumption of water with different salt concentrations did not affect the adaptive responses of the animals and could be an alternative water source for sheep in regions where water has a high salinity level. The respiratory rate of sheep exposed to 32 °C increased to eliminate body heat, and exposure to 25 °C provided greater thermal comfort for the animals.

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