Browsing by Author "Bromley, Peter T."

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    A comprehensive evaluation of Virginia's hunter education program
    Hampton, Ed L. (Virginia Polytechnic Institute and State University, 1987)
    Hunter education began in the 1930's and 1940's in response to an increasing number of hunting accidents. Early programs focused on gun safety. Later, emphasis shifted to a balance between gun safety and hunter ethics. Virginia's Hunter Education Program in 1980 had been operating on a voluntary basis for 20 years and had more than 250,000 graduates. The program was six hours in duration and was taught by game wardens and volunteer instructors. Classes were given to anyone 12 years of age or older, but students in public schools were the primary targets. Though Virginia's program had been in effect for many years, no formal evaluation as to the effectiveness of hunter education had been conducted. The present study was designed to provide a comprehensive evaluation of Virginia's Hunter Education Program. The study was conducted in three phases. Phase one involved development of a new student examination for use in pre- and post-test knowledge assessment. Seven typical hunter education classes and one class of game warden recruits were tested in 1982. Test scores improved approximately 16 percent. The hunter education program seemed to be increasing students' knowledge of safe and ethical hunting. However, due to design and measurement weaknesses, no strong conclusions about the effectiveness of the hunter education program in improving students' knowledge can be made. Phase two was a participant observational study of dove hunters at two wildlife management areas in Virginia. The purpose of this phase was to compare hunting behavior of hunter education graduates versus those hunters who had not taken the course. The 112 hunters observed during the 1981 and 1982 season were later mailed a questionnaire designed to gather information on the individual hunter's experience, interest in, commitment to, and knowledge of hunting as well as some demographic characteristics. Observational and questionnaire data were combined into 32 variables and correlated with the hunter education variable. No meaningful correlations were found. Therefore, hunter education seemed to have little effect on hunters' behavior in the field. Phase three was a naturalistic inquiry evaluation of how the program was being implemented and received throughout Virginia. In-depth interviews were conducted with 57 people closely involved with hunter education. The primary purpose of this phase was to discover problems in the program and recommend solutions. The primary problems were lack of effective leadership and lack of internal agency support. Major recommendations included moving the entire program into the Education Division and creating a strong hunter safety coordinator position. Overall, the three-phased evaluation revealed that Virginia's Hunter Education Program lacked effective leadership, was being poorly implemented, and seemed to have little effect on hunters' behavior in the field. Though these results were obtained in Virginia, the investigator believes that the same results might apply to most other hunter education programs across the country.
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    An evaluation management model for environmental education programs
    Armstrong, James B. (Virginia Polytechnic Institute and State University, 1989)
    The study was designed to develop a management model for the evaluation of environmental education supplements developed by nonprofit special-interest groups. Naturescope, an interdisciplinary environmental education supplement developed by the National Wildlife Federation (NWF), was used as a vehicle for developing this model. The first component of the study involved the development of the model, while the second component measured evaluation outcomes relative to NatureScope. Working in conjunction with NWF program staff, four issues of NatureScope were randomly selected from the fifteen issues available at the time of the study. Volunteer fifth and seventh grade teachers from Virginia and Georgia were used in the study. A separate knowledge test was developed for each of the four issues. In addition, a 16-item likert scale was developed to measure environmental attitudes. Qualitative information related to the usefulness of NatureScope was collected through a teacher questionnaire. Evaluator interactions with the client, school administrators, and teachers influenced the development and success of the evaluation. The politically-motivated hidden agendas of the client resulted in unexpected modifications to the evaluation process. School administrators displayed a reluctance to permit teachers to participate in the study. Teachers who volunteered expressed concern over a lack of familiarity with the topics and the evaluation process. The evaluation outcomes of the study measured the effects of NatureScope on environmental knowledge and attitudes. Students exposed to Let's Hear It for Herps demonstrated the greatest differences in subject knowledge when compared to the control group. None of the issues had a significant effect on environmental attitudes when compared to the control group. Fifth grade students systematically scored higher than seventh grade students on all measures. Teachers responded favorably to NatureScope, however, the materials were criticized as too simple for seventh grade. The NatureScope evaluation portion of the study indicates that the materials may be best suited for fifth grade students of average ability.
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    Feeding wild birds
    Bromley, Peter T.; Geis, Aelred D., 1929- (Virginia Cooperative Extension Service, 1982-05)
    Discusses selection and presentation of food for wild birds.
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    Feeding wild birds
    Bromley, Peter T.; Geis, Aelred D., 1929- (Virginia Cooperative Extension, 2009-05-01)
    This publication offers tips on selection and presentation of bird feeds, preferred foods by species, and landscaping to attract wild birds.
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    Habitat and population dynamics of wolves and blackbuck in Velavadar National Park, Gujarat
    Jhala, Yadvendradev V. (Virginia Tech, 1991-04-05)
    The management problem of allocating limited resources for conflicting habitat needs of 2 endangered species, (the wolf (Canis lupus pallipes) and the blackbuck (Antelope cervicapra)) at Velavadar National Park, Gujarat, India, was addressed with the aid of mathematical optimization models. Critical biological data essential for model formulation and management decisions were collected by field research from February 1988 to December 1990. The semi-arid grassland habitat was dominated by perennial grasses like Dichanthium annulatum and Sporobolus virginicus. The grassland system seems quite resilient to droughts and grazing. Above-ground production is primarily dependent on precipitation. Two-year rainfall sequence explained 960/0 of the variability in the peak above-ground plant biomass. Food habits of blackbuck were determined by lead animal studies and observations on wild blackbuck. Blackbuck relied primarily on grasslands to obtain food. The pods of the exotic shrub, Prosopis juliflora, comprised 10% of the diet and were considered to be important during the summers and drought years. Dry matter intake, as estimated from captive blackbuck feeding on natural forage, was cyclical, dropping in the summers and increasing during the monsoons and winters. Apparent digestibility and forage quality were extremely low in summers. Average annual dry matter intake was estimated at 86 gms/kg .075 of blackbuck per day. Relationships were developed for predicting forage quality from fecal ether extract and fecal nitrogen. The blackbuck population seemed to be in a dynamic equilibrium at about 1850 animals. Periodic droughts and floods cause major population declines. The population takes 4-5 years to recover from such catastrophic mortality. Life-table analysis done by aging jaws of dead blackbuck revealed a bimodal mortality pattern for males. Males between the ages of 7 to 9 years were at high risk of wolf predation during the rutting season. A population simulation model using a modified Leslie matrix approach estimated the probability of extinction during the next 50 years to be close to zero. The population was predicted to fluctuate between 1100 and 2800 individuals.
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    Habitat relationships of bobwhite quail and cottontail rabbits on agricultural lands in Halifax County, Virginia
    Cline, Gerald A. (Virginia Tech, 1988-11-09)
    I examined the relationships of quail and rabbits to agricultural land uses in the Virginia Piedmont during 1986-1987. Bobwhites and cottontails were censused and the associated habitat components quantified at 2 scales: macro-scale at 121 road transect stations, and a micro-scale at 87-foot transect stations. Additionally, the quail's immediate habitat was measured using variables found in the HSI model for northern bobwhite. The paucity of rabbit sightings prevented an analysis of habitat relationships for this species. Relative quail densities decreased from 1986 to 1987 along both road and foot transects (P < 0.05). A model (R² = 0.374) relating relative density of quail at stations to adjacent habitat found positive (P < 0.10) relationships for crop/crop, road/pasture, road/fallow, and "other" edges and negative (P < 0.10) relationships for road/tall grass yard edge and 3 variables describing dense overstory canopies. The presence/absence of quail at foot transect stations was related to habitat characteristics using logistic regression. Wooded fallow fields, the length (m) of pasture/fallow and forest/forest edges, and the total number of all edges present were positively related to quail presence (P < 0.001). Analysis of quail-centered plots indicated quail preferred areas with more woody cover, less grass composing the herbaceous canopy, more bare ground or light litter ( < 2 cm deep), and more honeysuckle canopy than was randomly available (P < 0.05). Management recommendations are to emphasize maximizing the number of different edges present, especially the combinations highlighted by this analysis. Efforts should be made to maximize the number of fallow fields in early successional stages. Cultivation of field borders and corners, waterways, and other idle areas should be discouraged.
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    Home and Garden Wildlife Pest Complaints
    Bromley, Peter T. (Virginia Cooperative Extension Service, 1981-01)
    Discusses the reasons that wild animals become domestic pests, actions that can be taken to deter them, and the effects of pesticides on wildlife.
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    Landowner's guide to wildlife abundance through forestry
    Bromley, Peter T.; Starr, James; Sims, Jared; Coffman, David (Virginia Cooperative Extension, 2009-05-01)
    Drawing from forestry and wildlife research results, this publication explains the interaction of Virginia wildlife with its forests. It outlines forest management practices that support wildlife and give tips for management of specific species.
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    A landowner's guide to working with sportsmen in Virginia
    Bromley, Peter T. (Virginia Cooperative Extension, 2009-05-01)
    To foster positive relations between sportsmen and landowners, this publication discusses liability, alternative ways of managing access to private lands, and uses and methods of posting by landowners.
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    Management of wood ducks on private lands and waters
    Bromley, Peter T.; Buhlmann, Kurt; Helfrich, Louis A. (Virginia Cooperative Extension, 2009-05-01)
    This publication explains how landowners can manage wetlands to enhance wood duck habitat, including designing ponds for waterfowl, providing foods and nest boxes, and controlling predation.
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    The occurrence and toxicology of heavy metals in Chesapeake Bay waterfowl
    Di Giulio, Richard T. (Virginia Polytechnic Institute and State University, 1982)
    The goals of this study were to elucidate relationships between food habits and tissue accumulations of heavy metals in Chesapeake Bay waterfowl and to determine effects of chronic cadmium and lead ingestion on energy metabolism in waterfowl. Concentrations of cadmium, lead, copper, and zinc were measured in 774 livers, 266 kidneys, and 271 ulnar bones from 15 species of ducks obtained from the Chesapeake Bay region. Liver and kidney concentrations of cadmium were highest among two carnivorous sea duck species, Clangula hyemalis and Melanitta deglandi. In contrast, lead concentrations in three tissues were generally highest in largely herbivorous species, such as Anas platyrhynchos, Anas rubripes, and Anas strepera. Spent shot may be an important source for tissue burdens of lead in these ducks. No marked trends were observed between food habits and tissue concentrations of copper or zinc. Cadmium and lead concentrations were generally higher in benthic macrophytes than in soft tissues of clams collected from several locations in the Bay. These results suggest that the change that has occurred in the food habits of some Chesapeake Bay ducks, most notably Aythya valisineria to diets composed largely of clams rather than aquatic vegetation probably did not increase ingestion of these elements. In experiments conducted with A. platyrhynchos, chronic ingestion of equal dietary concentrations of cadmium and lead resulted in about 15 times greater accumulation of cadmium than lead in livers and kidneys. However, while ulnar bones accumulated lead, cadmium concentrations in bones remained below detection limits. Cadmium ingestion enhanced renal accumulation of copper and zinc, perhaps due to induction of metallothionein by cadmium. In combination with an imposed food restriction, cadmium ingestion appeared to alter some indices of energy metabolism, such as plasma concentrations of free fatty acids and triiodothyronine, at dietary cadmium levels far below those eliciting similar responses in the absence of a food restriction. Those results suggest the importance of considering interactions with other stressors when examining potential effects of environmental contaminants on wild animals.
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    Overwinter survival of wild turkeys on central Virginia's industrial forests
    Morgan, John T. (Virginia Tech, 1989-05-05)
    Overwinter survival of wild turkeys on industrial forests managed for short-rotation pines (treatment) and typical Piedmont forests and farmland (control), was investigated in Virginia's central Piedmont during 1986-1988. Ninety-six percent of the turkeys (N =106) were captured in early fall with alpha-chloralose laced bait. Sixty-three percent of the captured turkeys recovered and were released with transmitters; 15% were released without transmitters; and 21% died from capture related causes. Overwinter survival for all turkeys was <2% regardless of area or year. Daily survival was lower on the control areas (P < 0.01), however, due to the small (13) and scattered sample of turkeys captured over the 3 years on control areas, these data were omitted from further analyses. Daily survival on treatment areas over the 3 years was 97.6%. Thirty-seven percent of radio-equipped turkeys on treatment areas died within 2 weeks of release suggesting that factors related to the trapping process influenced survival. Possibilities considered were residual effects from alpha-chloralose, capture myopathy, and/or a negative effect from the transmitter and/or harness. Four weeks after release daily survival rates improved significantly (P < 0.01) indicating the influence from trapping had subsided. While hardwoods composed 38% of the primary treatment area, 65% of turkeys died in hardwood stands; predation accounted for 81% of the turkey mortality (N =42). Field evidence and necropsy results plus scent station data indicated that gray foxes (Urocyon cinereoargenteus) were the main turkey predators. Fox scats contained no detectable turkey remains but indicated that eastern cottontails (Silvilagus floridanus) were a primary prey species.
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    Raccoon biology and management
    Bromley, Peter T.; Lochmiller, Robert L.; Chapman, David L. (Virginia Cooperative Extension Service, 1984-05)
    Discusses raccoon biology, habitat, and management in Virginia.
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    Solutions to common farm pond problems
    Helfrich, Louis A.; Bromley, Peter T.; Pardue, Garland B. (Virginia Cooperative Extension, 1994)
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    Supplemental income from wildlife on your land
    Bromley, Peter T.; Benson, Delwin E., 1949- (Virginia Cooperative Extension, 2009-05-01)
    Farmers and ranchers are considering hunting, fishing, trapping, and camping as a new source of income. This publication explains how to assess the income-generating potential from wildlife on your land.
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    Wildlife damage control in Virginia. Bats
    Bromley, Peter T. (Virginia Cooperative Extension Service, 1984-04)
    Discusses bats, their habits, and how to eliminate bat roosts.
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    Wildlife damage control in Virginia. Blackbird roosts
    Lyon, Linda A.; Bromley, Peter T. (Virginia Cooperative Extension Service, 1984-05)
    Describes the types of blackbirds in Virginia and their habitat. Recommends ways to disrupt blackbirds from their roosts to prevent damage to trees and soil.
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    Wildlife damage control in Virginia. Controlling rodents in homes
    Miller, Edwin J.; Bromley, Peter T. (Virginia Cooperative Extension Service, 1988-02)
    Describes various rodents and ways to control them in the home.
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    Wildlife damage control in Virginia. Controlling voles
    Bromley, Peter T.; Byers, Ross E.; MacPherson, Sandra L., 1959- (Virginia Cooperative Extension Service, 1987-06)
    Recommends ways to control voles and diminish their damage on plants and crops.
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    Wildlife damage control in Virginia. Moles
    Bromley, Peter T. (Virginia Cooperative Extension Service, 1988)
    Describes the biology and ecology of moles in Virginia and discusses controlling mole damage.