ScholarWorks

ScholarWorks is an open access repository for the capture of the intellectual work of Montana State University (MSU) in support of its teaching, research and service missions. MSU ScholarWorks is a central point of discovery for accessing, collecting, sharing, preserving, and distributing knowledge to the Montana State University community and the world.

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Wildlife Crossing Hotspot Analyses for Major Highways in Wisconsin, USA
(Western Transportation Institute, 2025-07)
Huijser, Marcel P.
;
Bell, Matthew A.
In this report we explore where and how to enhance road safety in Wisconsin through reducing collisions with large wild mammals on state-maintained routes, while also ensuring safe crossing opportunities for wildlife. We identified and prioritized road sections in Wisconsin along state-maintained routes that have a relatively high concentration of collisions involving large wild mammals, mostly with white-tailed deer. We used the large wild mammal crash and carcass data to conduct cost-benefit analyses to identify road sections where the implementation of mitigation measures may be less expensive than doing nothing and letting these types of collisions continue to occur. We also identified 36 species of conservation concern in Wisconsin. The species of conservation concern, as defined for this report, included 4 amphibian species (3 frog species, 1 salamander species), 20 reptile species (3 lizard species, 13 snake species, 4 turtle species), and 12 mammal species (1 insectivore species, 5 rodent species, 1 mustelid species, 1 canid species, 2 felid species, 2 ungulate species). We identified road sections, or counties, where species of conservation concern have been observed. Road sections that would need to be prioritized for reducing collisions with common large mammals (i.e., mostly white-tailed deer) are mostly in the eastern and southeastern parts of Wisconsin. Areas where a relatively high number of species occur that are of conservation concern are predominantly in the southwestern parts of Wisconsin. This illustrates that there would be benefits to having a two-track system of policy, funding mechanisms and implementation programs; one that is rooted in human safety through reducing collisions with large wild mammals that are common, and another that is rooted in biological conservation. We also identified measures for both large wild mammals and small animal species that are aimed at reducing wildlife-vehicle collisions and associated direct road mortality of the animals, and at reducing the barrier effects of roads and traffic to wildlife.
Potential Future Mitigation Measures for Wildlife and People Along I-90 and Other Major Highways in Western Montana, USA
(Western Transportation Institute, 2026-04)
Huijser, Marcel P.
;
Bell, Matthew A.
We explore the opportunities for potential future mitigation measures for wildlife and people along I-90 and other major highways across the Y2Y (the Yellowstone to Yukon Conservation Initiative) region in western Montana. We identified highway sections that had the highest concentration of collisions with large wild animals based on crash data and carcass removal data. We also conducted cost-benefit analyses for the implementation of wildlife fences in combination with wildlife crossing structures (underpasses and overpasses) along the highways in the study area. Then we compiled existing data on habitat and corridors for species of special conservation concern (grizzly bear, Canada lynx and wolverine) and obtained existing range distribution maps for other large wild mammals (white-tailed deer, mule deer elk, moose, pronghorn, bighorn sheep, bison, mountain lion and gray wolf). We conducted further analyses on grizzly bear road mortality and grizzly bear connectivity pathways. Our analysis of the barrier effect of the highways (based on hourly traffic volume counts) that cut through grizzly bear connectivity pathways centered around two conservation objectives. The first objective was to establish robust and functional connectivity between the Northern Continental Divide Ecosystem (NCDE) grizzly bear population and the Greater Yellowstone Ecosystem (GYE) grizzly bear population. The second objective was to facilitate recolonization by grizzly bears of the Bitterroot Ecosystem (BE). Depending on the objective, different highway sections were identified as barriers to grizzly bears. The road sections that were identified based on the two connectivity objectives were different from the road sections where most grizzly bears are killed by vehicles. The road sections that were identified based on the two connectivity objectives would need to be mitigated in a spatially coherent manner to reach the objectives, illustrating a strategic anticipatory approach to conservation rather than a reactionary approach to either conservation or human safety. An analysis of the 360-mile-long section of I-90 through the Y2Y area in Montana showed that 124 miles (34.4%) is important for grizzly bear connectivity and that 152 miles has major human safety concerns because of collisions with large wild mammals (mostly ungulates). While there is some overlap between the road sections that are important for grizzly bear connectivity and the road sections that have a relatively high concentration of collisions with large wild mammals, only 41.9% of the length of the road sections along I-90 that are important to grizzly bear connectivity are also important because of collisions, and only 34.2% of the length of the road sections along I-90 that are important because of collisions are also important to grizzly bear connectivity. This illustrates the need for a two-track system for the policy, funding and implementation of mitigation measures; one that is based on human safety, and one that is based on conservation. Furthermore, measures for human safety can relate to individual road sections, whereas measures for conservation must be spatially coherent at a landscape level.
Dynamical Tide-modified Roche Limit in Eccentric, Asynchronous Binaries
(American Astronomical Society, 2026-02)
Yu, Hang
;
Lau, Shu Yan
;
Mckeever, Ethan
;
Arras, Phil
;
Weinberg, Nevin N.
The Roche limit, or the threshold separation within which a celestial object (the donor) M cannot remain in a stable configuration due to a companion’s tidal field, has been well established when M is in hydrostatic equilibrium and has synchronous rotation in a circular orbit. However, limited analyses exist considering corrections to the Roche limit due to hydrodynamical effects. We fill in the gap by providing a general theoretical framework involving nonlinear hydrodynamics. We consider both exact nonlinear equations derived from an affine model describing incompressible ellipsoids and series-expanded ones that can be calculated for realistic stars and planets. Our formulation addresses the Roche problem in generic orbits and synchronization levels of M, and fully accounts for the history-dependent hydrodynamical effects. We show that, as the orbital eccentricity increases, fluid instability is more likely to develop at the pericenter due to the increased dynamical tide that accumulates over multiple orbits. When M moves in a highly eccentric orbit (with eccentricity around 0.9) and the damping of the fluid is small, the threshold pericenter separation at which mass loss from M can occur can be at least 30% higher than the value predicted for a circular orbit with hydrostatic equilibrium. If only a single passage is considered, however, the threshold separation is 20% smaller than the static limit. The nonlinear interaction at each pericenter passage can also trigger a diffusive fluid evolution inside M even with moderate eccentricities, complementing previous studies of diffusive tides caused by random propagation phases. Our work has broad implications for interacting binaries in eccentric orbits, including migrating gaseous exoplanets, repeated partial tidal disruption events, and more.
Detection of Naegleria fowleri in Thermally Impacted Recreational Waters of Western United States National Parks
(American Chemical Society, 2026-03)
Shikany, Jonathan I.
;
Banks, Mia M.
;
Barnhart, Elliott P.
;
Kinsey, Stacy
;
Wright, Peter
Naegleria fowleri is a thermophilic free-living amoeba (FLA) and the causative agent of primary amoebic meningoencephalitis, posing public health risks in warm freshwater environments. This multiyear, multiagency study surveyed 40 thermally impacted recreational waters across five western United States national parks and recreation areas–Yellowstone National Park, Grand Teton National Park, Olympic National Park, Newberry National Volcanic Monument, and Lake Mead National Recreation Area–to assess N. fowleri presence, concentration, and associated environmental conditions. A total of 185 water samples were analyzed by qPCR and Sanger sequencing, revealing widespread detection of N. fowleri in 34% of samples with positive detections from Lake Mead, Yellowstone, and Grand Teton hot springs and thermally impacted waters, with concentrations ranging from 4.9 to 115.7 cells/L. Multiple codetections of N. fowleri with nonpathogenic species including Naegleria australiensis were identified, suggesting they may inhabit similar ecological niches in the natural systems in contrast to engineered systems. These findings indicate that N. fowleri is present in thermally impacted areas across the western United States and underscore the use of enhanced monitoring, public awareness, and risk management strategies in thermally influenced recreational waters.
Primary bovine embryonic fibroblasts demonstrate variable fitness following infection with highly pathogenic avian influenza H5N1 strains and are susceptible to a recently circulating human 2009 pandemic lineage H1N1 strain
(American Society for Microbiology, 2026-02)
Wenger, Grace K.
;
Snyder, Deann T.
;
Prigge, Justin R.
;
Turner, Allyson H.
;
Jaffrani, Sara A.
The recent emergence of highly pathogenic avian influenza (HPAI) H5N1 (clade 2.3.4.4b, genotype B3.13) in dairy cattle presents substantial challenges to the agricultural sector and public health. Mechanistic studies of infection and transmission in cattle have proven difficult due to animal handling restrictions and the limited availability of established cell culture models. Primary bovine embryonic fibroblasts (BeEFs) were isolated and investigated here as a model to study influenza A virus (IAV) infection dynamics. We compared sialylation profiles, infectious virus production, viral replication, and plaque morphology in BeEFs following infection with the bovine HPAI H5N1 and an earlier 2.3.4.4b genotype (B1.1) isolated in 2022. The data presented here demonstrate increased expression of α-2,3 sialic acids compared to α-2,6 sialic acids in BeEFs, similar to sialylation profiles previously reported in bovine mammary tissue. These data also display increased viral fitness of the bovine origin HPAI H5N1 strains across bovine and avian cell lines, consistent with previous characterization in bovine mammary tissue. Furthermore, BeEFs were fully susceptible to a 2022 H1N1pdm09-like IAV strain while maintaining resistance to the 2009 H1N1pdm09 IAV as previously characterized in mammary cells. This study highlights the ongoing zoonotic adaptation of HPAI H5N1 in mammals and the potential for coinfection with select human H1N1 2009 pandemic lineage strains, enabling the potential development of reassortant strains. These data support the ability of BeEFs to serve as a complementary in vitro system for studying IAV infections in bovine hosts.