This page has only limited features, please log in for full access.

Unclaimed
John P. Draper
Department of Watershed Sciences and the Ecology Center Utah State University Logan Utah 84322 USA

Honors and Awards

The user has no records in this section


Career Timeline

The user has no records in this section.


Short Biography

The user biography is not available.
Following
Followers
Co Authors
The list of users this user is following is empty.
Following: 0 users

Feed

Article
Published: 05 August 2021 in Ecosphere
Reads 0
Downloads 0

Members of the order Carnivora are a unique and important seed disperser who consume and deposit undamaged seeds while providing regular long-distance seed dispersal opportunities. Some members of Carnivora, such as coyotes (Canis latrans), are undergoing range expansions which may help the plant species they consume colonize new locations or replace dispersal services provided by recently extirpated species. In this study, we evaluated aspects of the seed dispersal effectiveness of coyotes and gut passage time to determine the potential dispersal distances for three commonly consumed and commonly occurring plant species (Amelanchier alnifolia, Celtis ehrenbergiana, and Juniperus osteosperma). We also investigated the potential effects of secondary dispersal of seeds away from scats by comparing seedling emergence from whole scats to those where seeds were first removed from scats. We found that seeds generally took between 4 and 24 h to pass through the digestive tract of coyotes, which could result in regular seed dispersal up to 7 km. Gut passage through coyotes had no effect on seed viability or emergence for any of the three plant species, including that gut passage for A. alnifolia and J. osteosperma does not replace cold stratification for breaking physiological dormancy. By simulating secondary dispersal, we found that 22% (±8.2%) more C. ehrenbergiana seedlings emerged when seeds were removed from scats and those seedlings emerged 7 d earlier (±5 d) compared to seeds that remained in the coyote scat. Coyotes are effective seed dispersers, with the potential for regular long-distance dispersal services and for providing opportunities for secondary seed dispersal, which could aid in climate migration or serve to replace extirpated dispersal mutualists.

ACS Style

John P. Draper; Trisha B. Atwood; Noelle G. Beckman; Karin M. Kettenring; Julie K. Young. Mesopredator frugivory has no effect on seed viability and emergence under experimental conditions. Ecosphere 2021, 12, e03702 .

AMA Style

John P. Draper, Trisha B. Atwood, Noelle G. Beckman, Karin M. Kettenring, Julie K. Young. Mesopredator frugivory has no effect on seed viability and emergence under experimental conditions. Ecosphere. 2021; 12 (8):e03702.

Chicago/Turabian Style

John P. Draper; Trisha B. Atwood; Noelle G. Beckman; Karin M. Kettenring; Julie K. Young. 2021. "Mesopredator frugivory has no effect on seed viability and emergence under experimental conditions." Ecosphere 12, no. 8: e03702.

Original article
Published: 12 June 2019 in Wildlife Society Bulletin
Reads 0
Downloads 0

Coyotes (Canis latrans) are the top predator of livestock in the contiguous United States. Developing more effective nonlethal tools to prevent coyote depredation will facilitate coexistence between livestock producers and coyotes. Fladry is a nonlethal deterrent designed to defend livestock by creating a visual barrier to wolves (C. lupus). Fladry may also be effective with coyotes, but large gap spacing between flags may reduce its efficacy. To address this issue, we performed 2 experiments on captive coyotes using fladry modified to reduce gap spacing at the U.S. Department of Agriculture, Predator Research Facility in Millville, Utah, USA, during 2015–2016 and 2017–2018. In 2015–2016, we tested 2 styles for attaching flags (top‐knot and shower‐curtain) to the rope‐line that reduce gaps by preventing coiling of individual flags. In 2017–2018, we tested the efficacy of gap spacing (27.9 cm vs. 45.7 cm) between flags for preventing coyote crossings. For both tests, we compared the time until coyotes crossed the fladry between treatment types. We found no differences in time to crossing between the 2 attachment designs. In our second experiment, fladry with smaller gaps between flags had greater efficacy of preventing coyote crossings than did fladry with larger gaps. Our results also indicated that for each additional minute coyotes spent interacting with fladry overall (i.e., increased persistent behavior), survival of the barrier decreased. These results suggest that persistent coyotes may overcome neophobia more rapidly than coyotes that do not exhibit persistent behaviors. Furthermore, use of top‐knot fladry and coyote‐width spacing will increase protection of livestock from coyotes.

ACS Style

Julie K. Young; John Draper; Stewart Breck. Mind the gap: Experimental tests to improve efficacy of fladry for nonlethal management of coyotes. Wildlife Society Bulletin 2019, 43, 265 -271.

AMA Style

Julie K. Young, John Draper, Stewart Breck. Mind the gap: Experimental tests to improve efficacy of fladry for nonlethal management of coyotes. Wildlife Society Bulletin. 2019; 43 (2):265-271.

Chicago/Turabian Style

Julie K. Young; John Draper; Stewart Breck. 2019. "Mind the gap: Experimental tests to improve efficacy of fladry for nonlethal management of coyotes." Wildlife Society Bulletin 43, no. 2: 265-271.

Journal article
Published: 24 May 2019 in Animals
Reads 0
Downloads 0

Global urbanization is rapidly changing the landscape for wildlife species that must learn to persist in declining wild spacing, adapt, or risk extinction. Many mesopredators have successfully exploited urban niches, and research on these species in an urban setting offers insights into the traits that facilitate their success. In this study, we examined space use and activity patterns from GPS-collared bobcats (Lynx rufus) in the Dallas–Fort Worth metroplex, Texas, USA. We found that bobcats select for natural/agricultural features, creeks, and water ways and there is greater home-range overlap in these habitats. They avoid roads and are less likely to have home-range overlap in habitats with more roads. Home-range size is relatively small and overlap relatively high, with older animals showing both greater home-range size and overlap. Simultaneous locations suggest bobcats are neither avoiding nor attracted to one another, despite the high overlap across home ranges. Finally, bobcats are active at all times of day and night. These results suggest that access to natural features and behavioral plasticity may enable bobcats to live in highly developed landscapes.

ACS Style

Julie K. Young; Julie Golla; John P. Draper; Derek Broman; Terry Blankenship; Richard Heilbrun. Space Use and Movement of Urban Bobcats. Animals 2019, 9, 275 .

AMA Style

Julie K. Young, Julie Golla, John P. Draper, Derek Broman, Terry Blankenship, Richard Heilbrun. Space Use and Movement of Urban Bobcats. Animals. 2019; 9 (5):275.

Chicago/Turabian Style

Julie K. Young; Julie Golla; John P. Draper; Derek Broman; Terry Blankenship; Richard Heilbrun. 2019. "Space Use and Movement of Urban Bobcats." Animals 9, no. 5: 275.

Research article
Published: 08 November 2017 in PLOS ONE
Reads 0
Downloads 0

One of the major concerns in conservation today is the loss of genetic diversity which is a frequent consequence of population isolation and small population sizes. Fragmentation of populations and persecution of carnivores has posed a substantial threat to the persistence of free ranging carnivores in North America since the arrival of European settlers. Black bears have seen significant reductions in range size from their historic extent, which is most pronounced in the southeastern United States and even more starkly in Alabama where until recently bears were reduced to a single geographically isolated population in the Mobile River Basin. Recently a second population has naturally re-established itself in northeastern Alabama. We sought to determine size, genetic diversity and genetic connectivity for these two populations in relation to other regional populations. Both populations of black bears in Alabama had small population sizes and had moderate to low genetic diversity, but showed different levels of connectivity to surrounding populations of bears. The Mobile River Basin population had a small population size at only 86 individuals (76–124, 95% C.I.), the lowest genetic diversity of compared populations (richness = 2.33, Ho and He = 0.33), and showed near complete genetic isolation from surrounding populations across multiple tests. The newly recolonizing population in northeastern Alabama had a small but growing population doubling in 3 years (34 individuals 26–43, 95% C.I.), relatively moderate genetic diversity compared to surrounding populations (richness = 3.32, Ho = 0.53, He = 0.65), and showed a high level of genetic connectivity with surrounding populations.

ACS Style

John P. Draper; Lisette P. Waits; Jennifer R. Adams; Christopher L. Seals; Todd Steury. Genetic health and population monitoring of two small black bear (Ursus americanus) populations in Alabama, with a regional perspective of genetic diversity and exchange. PLOS ONE 2017, 12, e0186701 .

AMA Style

John P. Draper, Lisette P. Waits, Jennifer R. Adams, Christopher L. Seals, Todd Steury. Genetic health and population monitoring of two small black bear (Ursus americanus) populations in Alabama, with a regional perspective of genetic diversity and exchange. PLOS ONE. 2017; 12 (11):e0186701.

Chicago/Turabian Style

John P. Draper; Lisette P. Waits; Jennifer R. Adams; Christopher L. Seals; Todd Steury. 2017. "Genetic health and population monitoring of two small black bear (Ursus americanus) populations in Alabama, with a regional perspective of genetic diversity and exchange." PLOS ONE 12, no. 11: e0186701.

Journal article
Published: 21 May 2012 in The Journal of Wildlife Management
Reads 0
Downloads 0

Vegetation management on levees, especially removal of trees and shrubs, might affect burrowing mammals that are considered threats to levee integrity. We evaluated habitat associations of California ground squirrels (Otospermophilus beecheyi) and Botta's pocket gophers (Thomomys bottae) on levees in the Sacramento Valley to assess the effects of levee vegetation management on these species. Using burrows as an indirect measure of mammal presence, we found that the presence of trees had a negative effect on the occurrence and abundance of ground squirrels on levees, and on the location of their burrowing activities on the levee slope, potentially because visual occlusion caused by tall woody vegetation impedes detection of predators. Similarly, trees had a negative effect on the abundance of pocket gophers on levees and on the location of their burrowing activities on the levee slope, probably because of the effect of tree cover on food availability. The conversion of woodland habitats to grasslands on levees most likely will result in increased occurrence, abundance, or both of ground squirrels and pocket gophers, and thereby increase the potential threat that their burrowing activities pose to levee integrity. © 2012 The Wildlife Society.

ACS Style

Miguel A. Ordeñana; Dirk H. Van Vuren; John P. Draper. Habitat associations of California ground squirrels and Botta's pocket gophers on levees in California. The Journal of Wildlife Management 2012, 76, 1712 -1717.

AMA Style

Miguel A. Ordeñana, Dirk H. Van Vuren, John P. Draper. Habitat associations of California ground squirrels and Botta's pocket gophers on levees in California. The Journal of Wildlife Management. 2012; 76 (8):1712-1717.

Chicago/Turabian Style

Miguel A. Ordeñana; Dirk H. Van Vuren; John P. Draper. 2012. "Habitat associations of California ground squirrels and Botta's pocket gophers on levees in California." The Journal of Wildlife Management 76, no. 8: 1712-1717.