SEAFWA Journal Volume 9, March 2022

ISSN
2330-5142
SEAFWA Journal Cover - Volume 9, March 2022
Statement

The Southeastern Association of Fish and Wildlife Agencies is composed of governmental fish and wildlife agencies in the states of Alabama, Arkansas, Florida, Georgia, Kentucky, Louisiana, Mississippi, Missouri, North Carolina, Oklahoma, South Carolina, Tennessee, Texas, Virginia, West Virginia and the territories of Puerto Rico and the U.S. Virgin Islands. The Southeastern Association is one of four such regional fish and wildlife associations. While the regional associations are autonomous, they work very closely with the Association of Fish and Wildlife Agencies, of which all southeastern states are also members. Only state wildlife agencies in the 15 southeastern states and territories are members of the SEAFWA.

Its objectives are to protect the right of jurisdiction of the member states over their wildlife resources on public and private lands; to carefully scrutinize state and federal wildlife legislation and regulations and to offer support or opposition to legislative proposals or federal regulations in accordance with the best interests of the member states; to consult with and make recommendations to the federal wildlife and public land agencies in order that federal management programs and programs involving federal aid to member states shall be so conducted as to be in the best interests of the member states; and to serve as a clearinghouse for the exchange of ideas concerning wildlife and fisheries management, research techniques, wildlife law enforcement, hunting and outdoor safety, and information and educations programs. The Association participates with the Association of Fish and Wildlife Agencies, other regional associations, other governmental agencies and citizens’ organizations in pursuing mutual goals benefiting fish and wildlife resources; maintains a variety of committees consisting of fish and wildlife professionals who explore and analyze a wide range of issues and factors affecting fish and wildlife resources and makes recommendations as appropriate; sponsors cooperative fish and wildlife programs among member states and other entities to address issues of mutual interest and to benefit to fish and wildlife resources; provides effective, efficient and allied representation for member states regarding natural resource matters, particularly for issues which are beyond the capability of one agency to address or which may unduly tax the ability of individual states.

The Association’s annual meeting and conference is held every year, usually in October. The annual meeting and conference are on a rotational basis with each state having its turn as host. Officers are elected at a spring meeting, usually held in May, with the host state normally being that of the incoming President. These meetings promote exchanges of ideas and philosophy between administrators and the professional fish and wildlife biologists, managers, enforcement, information and education, and technical workers in related fields.

Organized March 14, 1938, at a meeting of state officials at Jacksonville, Florida, the Association has played a major role in the evolution of state, regional and national conservation affairs. Its officers and member have included many of the nation’s conservation leaders. The Clarence W. Watson Award is the most prestigious award given in the Southeast and is presented annually to the career individual who, in the opinion of the Award Committee, has made the greatest contribution to wildlife or fish conservation during the previous year or years.

Editors and officers

Managing Editor

Robert A. Gitzen, Ph.D.

College of Forestry and Wildlife Sciences Auburn University, Alabama

Associate Editor-Fisheries

Steven M. Sammons, Ph.D.

School of Fisheries, Aquaculture, and Aquatic Sciences Auburn University, Alabama

Southern Division, American Fisheries Society

Associate Editor-Wildlife

Daniel U. Greene, Ph.D. Environmental Research South Weyerhaeuser Company Columbus, Mississippi

Technical Editor

Ms. Kathi Wong Richmond, Virginia

SEAFWA Officers—2021

President— Paul Johansen, Chief, Wildlife Resources Section, West Virginia Department of Natural Resources

Vice President—Eric Sutton, Executive Director, Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission

Secretary-Treasurer—Robert H. Boyles, Director, South Carolina Department of Natural Resources

Past President—Charles F. “Chuck” Sykes, Director, Wildlife and Fisheries Division, Alabama Department of Conservation & Natural Resources

At-large Board Member—Jack Montoucet, Secretary, Louisiana Department of Wildlife and Fisheries.

At-large Board Member—Ryan Brown, Executive Director, Virginia Department of Wildlife Resources

Executive Secretary—Curtis Hopkins, Ph.D.

Acknowledgements

The Journal of the Southeastern Association of Fish and Wildlife Agencies is published annually. All manuscripts are subject to peer review by members of the Southeastern Section of the Wildlife Society and the Southern Division of the American Fisheries Society. Listed below are the referees that have provided reviews for the Journal. The Association and the editorial office are indebted to these individuals for their valuable services.

Fisheries

Brandon Baker, Sarah Baker, Carolyn Belcher, Jason Bettinger, Phillip Bettoli, Craig Bonds, Timothy Bonvechio, Eric Brittle, Lawrence Dorsey, Michael Eggleton, Christy Graham, Hunter Hatcher, Brent Hess,  Mike Holley, Travis Ingram, John Jackson, Rebecca Krogman, Kevin Kubach, Timothy Lane, Matthew Lewis, Steve Lochmann, Dijar Lutz-Carrillo, Sean Lynott, Matthew Marshall, Christopher Middaugh,  Wes Neal, Ben Neely, John Odenkirk, Patrick O’Rouke, Clint Peacock, Eric Peatman, Mark Pegg, Jeff Powell, Michael Quist, Jake Rash, Peter Sakaris, Jason Schooley, Nathan Smith, Nick Trippell, Jason Wisniewski, Melissa Wuellner

Wildlife

Wesley Boone, Ronald Bielefeld, Michael Brasher, Adam Butler, Steven Castleberry, Michael Chamberlain, Colter Chitwood, Christopher Chizinski, Brian Davis, Michael Eichholz, Blake Grisham, John Gruchy, Heath Hagy, Houston Havens, Steve Hayslette, Raymond Iglay, Richard Kaminski, Joe Lancaster, Tiffany Lane, Elijah Lee, JT Pynne, Scott Rush, Chris Serenari, Michael Small, Mark Smith, Richard Stevens, James Whitaker

Effects of Alligatorweed Control in Seasonal Wetlands Managed for Waterfowl

SEAFWA Journal Volume 9, March 2022
Wildlife Outstanding Technical Paper

Wildlife managers commonly use herbicides to control invasive plant species and maintain early-successional vegetation communities in seasonally flooded moist-soil wetlands. However, there is limited information on how herbicides influence plant and animal communities following application. Thus, we investigated the response of vegetation, food density, and the abundance and activities of dabbling ducks (Anatini) to application of imazapyr herbicide in moist-soil wetlands in Tennessee to control invasive alligatorweed (Alternanthera philoxeroides). Imazapyr...

Trends in Biomass and Relative Weight of Brook Trout in Response to Introduction of Non-native Brown Trout in an Appalachian Mountain Stream

SEAFWA Journal Volume 9, March 2022

Native brook trout (Salvelinus fontinalis) have been declining in many areas of their range partially because of introduction of nonnative salmonids. Brook trout biomass and relative weight in the Conway River, Virginia, were evaluated for 24 years using regression to discern trends po- tentially associated with colonization of brown trout (Salmo trutta). The Rapidan River is adjacent to the Conway River and has brook trout but not brown trout, and thus this river was sampled over similar time intervals and served as a reference stream for this case...