Journal of the Southeastern Association of Fish and Wildlife Agencies

Muskellunge Esox masquinongy ohioensis were examined to determine biological characteristics, movement patterns, and habitat preferences, and to evaluate these characteristics between a catch-and-release reach and standard regulation reaches on Middle Island Creek, a stream in west central West Virginia. Between 2002 and 2007, 245 muskellunge were collected 371 times with pDC-boatmounted electrofishing equipment. Individual fish were measured, and muskellunge great than 450 mm were inserted with two different tags prior to release. Release locations were noted with global positioning system (GPS) and later included into a fisheries geographic information system (GIS). Sixty-eight fish were recaptured 142 times during subsequent electrofishing-based surveys and via anglers. Recaptured locations were noted with GPS, included in the GIS, and compared with initial capture locations. Movement patterns and growth rates varied between sexes.

The estimation of fish abundance in small streams is often accomplished with removal sampling and an electrofisher. Several electrofishing gears are available, and studies have compared different gear types as well as different sampling techniques, such as the number of passes, with the same equipment. We conducted seven-pass electrofishing removal sampling with two sampling gears (a backpack DC electrofisher and a parallel wire AC electrofisher) within the upper Greenbrier River drainage, West Virginia. We compared the two gear types at 10 paired-sites based on capture efficiencies. Estimates of capture efficiencies (from binary logit analysis) between parallel wire and backpack methods were based on capture data of adults of three relatively common species; western blacknose dace (Rhinichthys obtusus), fantail darter (Etheostoma flabellare), and mottled sculpin (Cottus bairdi).

A need exists within the natural resource community for an inexpensive and rapid technique for mapping and quantifying benthic habitat features of navigable river systems. Habitat mapping and assessment are critical components of research and management of aquatic fauna and the systems they inhabit. Unlike more expensive side scanning sonar units, the Humminbird side imaging system employs a transducer that can be mounted directly to the transom of a small boat thus enabling the survey of streams that include shallow, rocky areas. Our field experience with the Humminbird 981c has demonstrated this device can be used to easily obtain high-resolution, geo-spatially referenced images of riverbed habitat. Such images might then be organized and analyzed within a geographic information system (GIS).

The Greenbrier Sporting Club initiated a voluntary stream enhancement and restoration effort to restore trout habitat in nearly 4.02 km of Howard Creek, a perennial stream located near White Sulphur Springs, West Virginia. Howard Creek, which has a 170.94 km2 watershed, receives runoff from the town of White Sulphur Springs, flows through the Greenbrier Resort, and ultimately drains into the Greenbrier River. The effects of urbanization and historic stream modifications have degraded stream habitat and function within Howard Creek. More specifically, channel armoring, sedimentation, unstable stream banks, and higher instream temperatures have severely impaired trout habitat conditions. In May 2001, Williamsburg Environmental Group, Inc. (WEG) and the Greenbrier Sporting Club began a cooperative effort to restore trout populations.

Large woody debris (LWD) is an integral part of the ecology of forested headwater streams and has been shown to store organic matter, provide overhead cover, and create pools. Pool creation is of particular interest to resource managers since it forms critical summer refugia for brook trout (Salvelinus fontinalis). We investigated the morphological effects of riparian logging and LWD additions in seven headwater streams in central West Virginia. Each stream was divided into three sections: reference (uncut), logged (50% or 90% riparian basal removal), and logged + LWD additions. Each section was 250 m long and had a riparian zone defined as being 30m from the stream edge. The sections were logged and had LWD added during summer and fall 2006, with stream measurements and LWD surveys during baseflow conditions in 2005 and 2007. LWD is expected to have increased within all logged sections, with the greatest change in the logged + LWD sections.

We examined relationships between landscape physiographic variables and summer stream temperatures in the Cheat River watershed, West Virginia, to develop statistical models for characterizing thermal patterns at the stream segment and watershed scales and to examine the relationship between modeled thermal patterns and the distribution of smallmouth bass (Micropterus dolomieui) and brook trout (Salvelinus fontinalis) at these scales. Our study produced three important results. First, we developed a model to accurately predict weekly mean July temperature (WMJT) in this system using easily obtainable landscape variable (R2 = 0.81) and then validated this model (R2 = 0.77) in a neighboring watershed. Second, after using this model to predict WMJT in unsampled stream segments, we characterized the geography of coldwater, coolwater, and warmwater segments among as highly variable at both the segment and watershed scales.

The Appalachian Region contains the greatest diversity of freshwater mussels in the world. Freshwater mussels are also the most endangered taxa in the United States. Although small-scale studies have identified threats to mussel fauna, few studies have examined patterns in decline at the watershed scale. Mussel community types are not widely used in the literature, making it difficult to propose appropriate sampling designs for large-scale research. Describing mussel communities provides a framework for extrapolating research findings from local studies to a regional scale and gives researchers the ability to design sampling regimes that appropriately represent mussel community types. Our study therefore 1) evaluated potential classification strategies for freshwater mussel communities in the Appalachian Region, and 2) explored the relationships between mussel communities and environmental variables on a landscape scale.

We quantified brook trout (Salvelinus fontinalis) microhabitat use in a central Appalachian watershed, the upper Shavers Fork of the Cheat River during spring/summer 2001 with telemetry. Our objectives were to: 1) quantify non-random microhabitat use by brook trout in the Shavers Fork main stem and Rocky Run (a major tributary), 2) quantify the effects of increasing water temperature on microhabitat use, and 3) construct habitat suitability curves for four important microhabitat variables. Trout used a subset of available habitats in both the main stem and Rocky Run. Specifically trout tended to occupy deeper, higher velocity microhabitats than expected by chance alone. Trout also tended to remain close to cover and in close proximity to extremely high velocity microhabitats. During periods of warm water temperature, trout habitat use within the Shavers Fork mainstem was further constrained by access to coldwater sources near tributary mouths and along lateral groundwater seeps.

Brook trout (Salvelinus fontinalis) are the only salmonid native to the Appalachians and are thought to have experienced substantial declines over the past century. They continue to be an important recreational resource and are an excellent biotic synthesizer of aquatic integrity for forested watersheds. Management of forested watersheds to maintain and even enhance water quality and this specific species are critical to sustainable forest management in this region. We are conducting a set of manipulative experiments in streamside management zones within forested watersheds in order to determine: 1) the effects of increased solar radiation on stream productivity, especially brook trout, and 2) water quality, and the 3) effects of increased large woody debris (LWD) inputs on those same factors and on 4) habitat structure (e.g., pools). Subwatersheds of the Middle Fork River, West Virginia, were selected for the treatment sites.

The Eastern Brook Trout Joint Venture (EBTJV) was formed to implement range wide strategies that sustain healthy, fishable brook trout populations. Hudy et al. (2005) recently completed a comprehensive analysis of eastern brook trout distributions representing a critical first step towards fully integrating brook trout conservation efforts in this region. The study identified a distinct gap in our knowledge of the status and distribution of brook trout in West Virginia. Using WVDNR data collected the past ten years, we developed a landscape scale predictive classification tree model for brook trout presence/absence for each major basin (Potomac, Monongahela, Kanawha). We used the output from these predictive models to select 80 additional sites across the Potomac drainage and 75 additional sites across the Kanawha drainage (the Monongahela drainage was already well sampled).

Randomization of survey sites is generally preferred over using predetermined fixed sites for most sampling designs due to its unbiased approach and improved interpretation and inference of results. However, a completely randomized approach to sample site selection often leads to serious logistical complications and is often abandoned in favor of fixed sample sites. We conducted sign surveys for river otters (Lontra canadensis) on the Big Piney and Osage Fork rivers in southern Missouri using randomized survey points (n = 60) and fixed bridge crossing points (n = 20) in summer and winter 2001 and 2002. In each season of each year, we conducted two samplings on three 10-mile sections of each river. Otter sign was more likely to be located at random sampling sites than bridge sites on both rivers in winter and summer (P < 0.05).

Few studies have assessed methods of estimating abundance, density, and trends of wild turkey (Meleagris gallopavo) populations and most wild turkey survey efforts have been unstandardized, unsuccessful, or limited to small scales. However, successful large-scale monitoring programs are important to management decisions and evaluating management activities. Our objectives were to evaluate survey techniques for wild turkey. We used inflatable turkey decoys, radio-tagged wild turkeys, and computer simulations to evaluate road surveys and aerial surveys from fixed-wing aircraft (Cessna 172) and helicopters (Robinson R-44). We modeled detectability using logistic and linear regression. Modeling efforts suggested distance and flock size were important variables in detectability during road surveys, but flock size and vegetative cover were important during aerial surveys.

West Nile virus (WNV), St. Louis encephalitis virus (SLE), eastern equine encephalitis virus (EEE), and avian influenza virus (AI) are zoonotic pathogens that affect many species including wild turkey (Meleagris gallopavo). Several studies have documented serum antibodies to these pathogens in wild turkey; however, few studies have tested for the presence of viral antigen in tissues. Therefore, we initiated a study to test samples of multiple organs (heart, liver, kidney, spleen, brain, testes, and lung) from opportunistically-collected wild turkey for the presence of these viruses. Tissues from 45 birds from South Georgia were collected from 2005 to 2007 mainly during the spring hunting seasons. The RNA was extracted from the fresh tissues and tested for WNV, SLE, EEE, and AI using rt-PCR. We found that 56% (15) of 27 turkeys were positive for WNV, 19% (5) of 27 were positive for SLE, and 0% (0) were positive for EEE and AI. Three birds tested positive for both WNV and SLE.

It has been postulated that the declining population of red knots (Calidris canutus rufa) is limited by the amount and availability of horseshoe crab eggs at Delaware Bay, a major stopover site. To test this hypothesis, we quantified rates of horseshoe crab egg depletion by foraging shorebirds from 15 May 2005-3 June 2005 on eight beaches on Delaware Bay. We compared the 1) numbers of eggs lost and 2) proportion of eggs lost directly between plots where birds were allowed to forage versus plots from which they were excluded in three beach microhabitats: wrack line (e.g., intertidal zone concentrations of organic debris), crab nest depressions, and randomly-selected sandy locations. When considering samples from wrack line alone, we found a net 86% egg loss between control plots where birds were allowed to feed versus areas from which they were excluded.

Mudflats in the Tennessee River Valley (TRV) provide a critical migratory stopover for thousands of shorebirds. The Tennessee Valley Authority controls the availability of mudflats by manipulating water levels in reservoirs interconnected by the Tennessee River. We compared shorebird use of mudflats between Douglas and Chickamauga reservoirs in east Tennessee over two years. These reservoirs were drawn down on different dates, resulting in temporal differences in mudflat exposure. In 2005, mudflat exposure at Douglas and Chickamauga reservoirs began on 4 August and 4 October, respectively, and on 15 July and 3 October in 2006. Four mudflats per reservoir were surveyed with a spotting scope twice per week from 15 August 2005-13 January 2006 and from 31 July 2006-12 January 2007. In September 2005 and August 2006, mean daily abundance of shorebirds on mudflats was greater (P < 0.03) in Douglas than in Chickamauga reservoir.

Understanding bias associated with invertebrate sampling methods is essential for relevant comparisons among studies. As invertebrate research becomes more prevalent, it is imperative that sampling technique efficiency across habitats is understood to facilitate selection of an appropriate sampling framework. Therefore, we compared results from suction sampling and pitfall trapping in intensively managed, mid-rotation pine (Pinus spp.) stands owned and managed by Weyerhaeuser Company near Scooba, Mississippi. We used a randomized complete block design of six replicate stands with four randomly-assigned treatment plots, separated by >50 m, per stand (burn only, herbicide only, burn*herbicide, control). We used suction sampling and pitfall trapping to collect invertebrates monthly from April-September 2004 and 2005 and May-October 2004 and 2005, respectively.

A primary directive of Texas Parks and Wildlife Department (TPWD) is to assist landowners with habitat improvement, land management, and wildlife conservation. In a state that is more than 94% privately owned and managed, the Technical Guidance (TG) program is critical for wildlife conservation on private lands. Department biologists assist almost 5,500 landowners who manage over 8.4 million hectares. Since establishment of the TG program in 1973, there has been minimal documentation of the history, evolution, focus, and success of this program. In an effort to better understand the TG program, we surveyed and interviewed TPWD field biologists who assist landowners in developing and implementing wildlife management plans. We used a quantitative email survey sent to 94 TPWD staff (response rate 74%, n = 70). Additionally, we utilized qualitative personal interviews from eight biologists for further insight and information about the history and effectiveness of the TG program.

Previous research conducted at Mississippi State University found that non-industrial private (NIP) landowners in Mississippi can diversify incomes derived from their properties through the development of fee hunting enterprises. In 1998, revenues collected from fee hunting on Mississippi private lands ranged from US$2,964 to $5,254 on average per landowner or $7.50 to $14.28 per ha, depending upon the region. Net revenues averaged from $1,539 to $3,244 per landowner survey respondent or $3.90 to $9.54 per ha. Additionally, fee access wildlife recreation contributed an average increase of $808.73/ha or an increase of 36% in sales proceeds collected on lands sold in Mississippi between 2002-2005. Similar trends in fee access wildlife and fisheries recreation and land sales influenced by outdoor recreation have been documented in other southeastern states.

The “Bat Blitz” is a program of the Southeastern Bat Diversity Network (SBDN; www.sbdn.org). Blitzes are intensive surveys that sample the bat community in an extensive area. The first Bat Blitz was held in 2002 at Great Smoky Mountains National Park as part of the All Taxa Biodiversity Inventory organized by the Park. Since then, SBDN has sponsored five additional blitzes on national forests in five states (Arkansas, Georgia, North Carolina, South Carolina, and Tennessee). The value of survey efforts at all Blitzes combined (175 sites) is over $262,000. Blitzes are efficient, allowing collection of data in three days that would usually require an entire season of surveys. Blitzes also bring together bat biologists, students, and interested persons from across the nation (>20 states), providing opportunities for participants to work together in teams sharing ideas, information, and field techniques.

The state Wildlife Action Plans provide consolidated information for each state and territory and are a valuable resource for developing much-needed conservation partnerships and programs for natural resources. To better inform bat conservation efforts for the Southeastern region a review of the plans for the 16 Southeastern states was conducted. The goals of the review were to gain a better understanding of the status patterns and trends for priority bats for the region and to identify areas where multi-state and multi-species actions and programs may be developed that will enhance the outcomes for at-risk and imperiled bats. Collectively, over half of the 17 bats that occur widely in the Southeastern region are included in these plans as priority species. Nine species common to the majority of the plans were identified. Four of these are federally listed taxa; Myotis grisescens, M. sodalis, Corynorhinus townsendii ingens, and C. t. virginianus .

As part of the nation-wide state wildlife grants effort, the Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission (FWC) created Florida's Wildlife Legacy Initiative to serve the agency's commitment to conserve all native wildlife and their habitats. The Initiative identified sandhill and scrub habitat as the highest priority terrestrial habitats based upon current threats such as development and altered fire regime. Following goals set by the Initiative, we identified an area of remnant sandhill and scrub habitat in southwest Alachua County and northeast Levy County, known as Watermelon Pond, for an ecosystem restoration effort termed the Watermelon Pond Conservation Cooperative. The goal of the Cooperative is to enhance sandhill and scrub habitats and improve ecosystem connectivity by working with private landowners to implement land management activities. The approximately 17,000-acre area contains a mosaic of private and public ownerships.

The Southeast Gap Analysis Project (SEGAP; http://www.basic.ncsu.edu/segap/) is part of the U.S. Geological Survey National Gap Analysis Program. The SEGAP includes nine Southeastern states (Kentucky, Tennessee, Mississippi, Alabama, Georgia, Florida, South Carolina, North Carolina, and Virginia). The main focus of this regional GAP is to develop datasets and tools for use in conservation planning efforts such as State Wildlife Action Plans. We present the Gap Analysis process including the use of satellite imagery to map vegetation, developing databases for modeling predicted species distributions, compiling land stewardship data, and identifying conservation “gaps” (areas of conservation interest outside the conservation network). We will highlight the results of the recently completed analyses for over 600 vertebrate species in the Southeast.

Foraging ecology of cerulean warblers (Dendroica cerulea) is not well studied, yet an understanding of foraging behavior and selection of foraging habitat is important for conservation and management. During the 2006 breeding season, 359 foraging observations were collected on eight study plots in West Virginia and four in Kentucky in a mixture of national forests, state Wildlife Management Area (WMAs), and private forests. We analyzed foraging observations to quantify tree species preference based on use versus availability based on a chi-square goodness-of-fit test. Cerulean warblers preferentially foraged in hickory (Carya sp.), northern red oak (Quercus rubra), and sugar maple (Acer saccharum), avoided American beech (Fagus grandifolia), basswood (Tilia americana), and red maple (Acer rubra), and used chestnut oak (Quercus prinus) and tulip poplar (Liriodendron tulipfera) in proportion to availability.

Fragmentation and loss of habitat at local and regional scales have been implicated as important factors contributing to declines of forest bird populations. Large-scale activities such as surface mining can alter the spatial configuration, increase edge:area ratio, and reduce overall patch size of forested habitats. These factors can negatively affect mature-forest dependent species such as the cerulean warbler (Dendroica cerulea). Canopy cover, canopy gaps (or amount of canopy closure), distance from large-scale edge, and aspect were identified as predictors of cerulean warbler presence and abundance in previous models developed for the central Appalachians, upper Midwest, and the Ohio Valley. Using classification and regression trees, we are developing region-specific predictive models for cerulean warbler presence/absence and abundance throughout the Appalachian Mountains Bird Conservation Region (BCR28).

Science-based monitoring of biological resources is important for a greater understanding of ecological systems and for assessment of the target population using theoretic-based management approaches. When selecting variables to monitor, managers first need to carefully consider their objectives, the geographic and temporal scale at which they will operate, and the effort needed to implement the program. Generally, monitoring can be divided into two categories: index and inferential. Although index monitoring is usually easier to implement, analysis of index data requires strong assumptions about consistency in detection rates over time and space, and parameters are often biased—not accounting for detectability and spatial variation. In most cases, individuals are not always available for detection during sampling periods, and the entire area of interest cannot be sampled.

In September 2005, Chronic Wasting Disease (CWD) was confirmed in a 2.5-year-old male white-tailed deer in central Hampshire County as part of routine surveillance initiated in West Virginia in 2002. While awaiting confirmation of this first known occurrence in the state, the West Virginia Division of Natural Resources (WVDNR) initiated its CWD Response Plan. The goal of this plan is to guide decision-making in defining distribution and frequency of the disease in deer populations and attempt to prevent the spread of CWD to cervids in uninfected areas. In late September 2005, 206 deer were killed by sharpshooters and sampled for CWD within an 8-km radius of where the initial positive case was found. Four additional deer tested positive during this sampling period. Sampling 2170 hunter-killed bucks taken during the 2005 and 2006 hunting seasons resulted in one deer testing positive.

Hunting white-tailed deer (Odocoileus virginianus) with dogs is a 400-year-old tradition in the Southeastern United States. Today, this method of hunting involves using dogs, vehicles, and public roads to trail deer. Frequently, deer and dogs cover vast acreages requiring large consolidated tracts to keep dogs off neighboring lands. Conflicts among landowners, still hunters, and dog deer hunters in ascending order of intensity are: blocking of public roads, trespass to recover dogs, and trespass by deerhounds. During the 2002-03 hunting season, these conflicts escalated in four counties and resulted in regulatory proposals which eliminated hunting deer with dogs in those counties. Six other counties were likely to follow. Combined, this represented 25% of the opportunity for hunting deer with dogs. Faced with this reality, the Georgia Dog Hunters Association successfully sought a statutory change to mutually protect landowners' and dog-deer hunting interests.

Methylmercury is the predominant chemical form of mercury reported in the eggs of wild birds. The embryo is the life stage at which birds are most sensitive to methylmercury. Protective guidelines have been based largely on captive-breeding studies done with chickens (Gallus domesticus), mallards (Anas platyrhynchos), and ring-necked pheasants (Phasianus colchicus). Typically these studies are cost and time prohibitive. In the past, researchers have used either egg injections or the “sample egg” technique to determine contaminant effects on bird eggs. Both techniques have their limitations. As an alternative to the above methods and because most of the methylmercury is found in the albumen we have developed a novel, less invasive technique, to micro-sample the albumen of eggs in the field. An albumen sample would be analyzed and then compared to the hatching success of that egg. Using the micro-sampling procedure, the egg is oriented with the blunt end up and the pointed end down.

The National Park Service is dedicated to controlling exotic species if they interfere with natural processes or natural habitats, disrupt the accurate presentation of cultural landscapes, or hamper the land management. Morrow's honeysuckle (Lonicera morrowii) had invaded a 20-acre wet meadow at Fort Necessity National Battlefield in Farmington, Pennsylvania, providing breeding habitat for American woodcock (Scolopax minor). American woodcock populations in the northeastern United States have declined more than 45% since the late 1960s. This decline has mostly mirrored the loss of early successional habitat. In 2004 we began a project to develop a plan to remove invasive Morrow's honeysuckle from Fort Necessity National Battlefield, restore the native and historic vegetation, and at the same time maintain the woodcock and other wildlife species that occur on site.

The cerulean warbler (Dendroica cerulea) is one of the highest priority bird species in the eastern United States because populations have declined 4.3% annually during 1966-2005 based on Breeding Bird Survey (BBS) data. Habitat loss and fragmentation due to land use changes is thought to be one of the major factors contributing to the decline. BBS routes, the primary source for monitoring bird population trends, include 50 sampling stops every 0.8 km. Although data from BBS routes are extrapolated to determine regional trends in bird populations, it is important to understand the effects of habitat changes at the stop-level along BBS routes. Route-level analysis of habitat changes may mask important changes that are occurring at a smaller scale particularly for the cerulean warbler which displays several micro-scale habitat preferences.

The Appalachian Regional Reforestation Initiative (ARRI) is a broad-based citizen/industry/government program working to encourage the planting of productive trees on active coal mine lands and abandoned coal mine lands. Using a combination of private and governmental resources, the program will facilitate and coordinate citizen groups, university researchers, the coal industry, corporations, the environmental community, and local, state, and federal government agencies that have and interest in creating productive forestland on reclaimed mined lands. Forestry research conducted by various academic institutions has confirmed that highly productive forestland can be created on reclaimed mine land by using a Forestry Reclamation Approach (FRA). The Office of Surface Mining Reclamation and Enforcement (OSM) and the Appalachian region states have determined that this technology can be implemented under current state and federal regulations.

Coverboards are being used more frequently as an efficient method to inventory and monitor terrestrial salamanders. In summer 2006, we established a study to inventory and monitor salamanders at Great Smoky Mountains Institute at Tremont, a residential environmental learning center located in Great Smoky Mountains National Park, Tennessee. Our goals were to: 1) compare the effectiveness of two different types of coverboards in attracting salamanders; 2) compare salamander diversity and abundance between hardwood and eastern hemlock (Tsuga canadensis) forests; 3) establish a long-term salamander monitoring project; and 4) create a wildlife research project that engages children and adult volunteers as citizen scientists. We selected two hardwood and two eastern hemlock sites. We established five rows of eight coverboards, for a total of 40 coverboards per site.

We have developed a user-friendly geographic information system (GIS)-based, spatially-explicit decision support system (DSS) using red-cockaded woodpecker (RCW; Picoides borealis) habitat and population information to help land managers identify and prioritize critical habitat patches. Using state-of-the-art spatial modeling and GIS technologies, we coupled an existing, validated, and peer-reviewed individually-based, spatially-explicit RCW population model with actual landscape features in a user-friendly DSS format. Users can assess the effects of landscape fragmentation, habitat loss, habitat restoration, and “no management” action on RCW populations, now and into the future. The value of habitat patches is assessed through simulations of the RCW population through time, and value is measured in terms of each patches' projected contribution to RCW population parameters.

Using pentosidine levels in bird skin to determine how old they are is a relatively new method of aging. Up until now, previous studies have focused on analyzing skin from the breast. Current research is being done on analyzing patagium skin samples so that wild birds can be sampled without causing much harm to them. Fallon et al. (2006) suggested that the level of pentosidine is different in various locations of a bird's body. Forty milligram skin samples from the breast and patagium of 25 monk parakeets (Myiopsitta monachus) and 25 double-crested cormorants (Phalacrocorax auritus) were analyzed. There was a significant difference in the level of pentosidine when comparing breast and patagium skin. This suggests that it is important to consistently obtain samples from the same part of a bird's body when working on an aging project.

Riparian ecosystems provide many ecological functions critical to both aquatic and terrestrial vertebrates. Many anecdotal field observations indicate that upland forest harvesting may effect riparian ecosystem functions, yet the relationship has not been well documented, especially for wildlife. As part of the collaborative Dry Creek watershed study at International Paper's Southlands Forest in Decatur County, Georgia, we evaluated the effects of Best Management Practices (BMP) timber harvesting on avian communities occupying riparian corridors/streamside management zones (SMZs) in headwater streams of the Gulf Coastal Plain of Georgia. Using repeated visits to established line transects, we collected data during the breeding seasons from 2003 to 2006 to assess the relative conservation value of treated and reference watersheds and the spatial distribution of select riparian zone avifauna .

Canada warbler (Wilsonia canadensis), a woodland breeding songbird of special concern in West Virginia, has been declining throughout its range at a rate of 3.5% since 1980 (0.5% within West Virginia and 4.6% in the Allegheny Plateau Physiographic Region). While Canada warblers use primarily moist mixed coniferous-deciduous forest, they can be disturbance specialists at higher elevation locations in the southern portion of their range, including West Virginia, suggesting timber harvests might be an effective management option. The objectives of this study were to determine whether timber harvests are a viable management tool in an actively harvested industrial forest in West Virginia and to determine the effects of different timber harvest intensities.

Over 1 million people participated in wildlife-associated recreation in 2001 in Mississippi, spending a total of US $974 million. Research conducted at Mississippi State University (MSU) documented net revenues averaging from $1,539 to $3,244 (varied regionally) per landowner in 1998 for Mississippi non-industrial private landowners operating fee-hunting enterprises. Habitat management activities associated with fee access wildlife recreational enterprises benefit wildlife when integrated with existing land management activities. MSU research documented that bird species richness and abundance is higher on conservation agriculture field buffers (51 spp.) as to mowed agriculture field buffers (25 spp.; P < 0.05). Enterprises based on natural resources can enhance Mississippi's economy, help landowners diversify their revenue base, and help conserve the state's natural resources.

Osprey (Pandion haliaetus) pose a significant risk to safe military flight operations. A multi-agency research project was initiated to quantify the risk of osprey-military aircraft collisions in the Mid-Atlantic Chesapeake Bay Region. During the 2006 nesting season, six adult osprey (three males and three females) were fitted with satellite transmitters near Langley Air Force Base, Virginia. We monitored satellite-tagged osprey movement patterns and obtained the location of each osprey at two-hour intervals during 0500-2300 hours during the breeding and fall migration periods of 2006. During the breeding season, adult osprey flew at an average altitude of 63 m above the ground and were active (i.e., flying) relatively equally throughout daylight hours. During the fall migration period, four osprey completed their migration to their wintering grounds, traveling an average distance of 4,828 km. We lost contact with two osprey during their fall migration.

Various techniques are available to enhance wildlife quality in coastal wetlands. A new technique is terrace construction. Terraces are constructed by dredging shallow open water areas and piling the dredged material to form an exposed surface that are planted with wetland vegetation. Unlike spoil banks, which are continuous and rise above normal tides, terraces are discontinuous and flood at high tide. Constructing terraces gained popularity as a restoration and mitigation technique since the first terraces were constructed in 1993 on Sabine National Wildlife Refuge. Since then, terraces have been constructed in marsh ponds of coastal Louisiana and Texas to slow erosion of adjacent marsh as part of restoration and mitigation projects. Here we present the results of the first comparison of waterbird richness, waterbird density, and water quality between terraced and unterraced ponds.

Several studies have proposed the creation of seasonal wetlands for ensuring habitat diversity and providing connectivity for herpetofaunal populations. However, few published studies have addressed differences in faunal communities between constructed and naturally occurring wetlands and the role they play in supporting pool-breeding amphibians. We measured larval amphibian diversity within temporary pools of public forested lands in north-central Mississippi. We quantified larval amphibian species richness, abundance, and community similarities between four isolated, upland ephemeral pools constructed as water sources for livestock and wildlife species (>40 years ago) and six stream-connected floodplain pools. We conducted aquatic sweepnet surveys twice monthly for 27 sample periods over a two-year period. Fourteen amphibian species (1,038 individuals) were captured at upland sites and 12 amphibian species (1,141 individuals) were captured at floodplain sites.

Expenditures by hunters, anglers, and wildlife enthusiasts represent an important segment of income potential to most rural economies from natural resource-related activity. Research conducted at Mississippi State University (MSU) found that non-industrial private (NIP) landowners in Mississippi could diversify incomes derived from their properties through the development of fee hunting enterprises. In 1998, revenues collected from fee hunting on Mississippi private lands ranged from US$2,964 to $5,254 on average per landowner or $7.50 to $14.28 per ha while net revenues averaged from $1,539 to $3,244 per landowner or $3.90 to $9.54 per ha. Nationally these expenditures are echoed in direct sales from wildlife-associated recreation, which grew to $108 billion in 2001.

Spatial requirements and resource selection can influence home range size and use patterns. We examined seasonal patterns of home range size in adult fox squirrels (Sciurus niger) and gray squirrels (Scuirus carolinensis) at Piedmont National Wildlife Refuge in central Georgia. We used radio-telemetry locations (n = 3442) and fixed kernel methodology to estimate size of 40 seasonal home ranges of fox squirrels and 42 of gray squirrels. We determined site fidelity of an individual as the percent overlap between home range estimates in successive seasons (n = 17 fox, 19 gray). Males of both species had larger home ranges than females in all seasons. Male fox squirrel home ranges were largest in summer (26.5 ha) and smallest in winter (12.7 ha). Male gray squirrel home ranges were largest in winter (26.1 ha) and smallest in fall (4.6 ha).

NASA's Stennis Space Center (SSC) is located in Hancock County in southwestern Mississippi, east of the Pearl River and just north of interstate highway I-10. SSC is a space shuttle booster rocket testing and research base comprised of 6,462 ha acres with about 3,823 ha designated as controlled access areas for test facilities, laboratories, offices, and other operational facilities. The remaining 2,639 ha are primarily forested land within the large acoustical easement area that surrounds the rocket booster testing facility. No hunting is allowed on the base, so there has been concern about the health of the white-tailed deer (Odocoileus virginianus) population and associated habitat damage from deer herbivory. The deer population was monitored by spotlight counts for four fall-winter periods from 2001-2004 before Hurricane Katrina and one fall-winter period from 2006-2007 post-hurricane. During most survey periods, counts were conducted two nights/month from November to March.

A. Willis Robertson was a pioneer in the politics and administration of fish and wildlife resources in the United States. In 1926, Robertson, a lawyer and sportsman from Lexington, Virginia, took over the reins of the then 10-year-old Virginia Department of Game and Inland Fisheries. Robertson quickly moved to the national stage working with other wildlife professionals including Aldo Leopold. In 1933, Robertson was elected to the U.S. House of Representatives and eventually co-sponsored landmark legislation that changed the face of fish and wildlife management in the United States. In celebration of his accomplishments, several Virginia agencies and groups are embarking on a comprehensive project to chronicle and archive the estimated 18,000 pieces of correspondence written to and from Robertson while he was commissioner of the Virginia Department of Game and Inland Fisheries from 1926-1932.

We used GPS technology to examine spatial relations of black bear hunters and black bears (Ursus americanus) in Garrett County, Maryland. During the 2005 hunting season, we equipped 35 hunters and 4 adult female black bears with GPS transmitters to track their movements. We compared the following spatial variables relative to both bear and hunter movements: road corridors, riparian corridors, slope, and habitat type. Hunters used a variety of habitats, with mixed forests and wetlands used in greater proportions than expected. Hunters generally remained within 260 m from road and 400 m from riparian corridors while hunting. Because of logistical challenges, spatial data was only available from one of four bears during the 2005 hunting season; her fall home range encompassed approximately 30 km2. One GPS hunter was found to have hunted within close proximity of a GPS bear, although interaction between the two could not be confirmed.

The Mississippi Alluvial Valley (MAV) has undergone widespread loss of bottomland hardwood forests due to agricultural conversion. Hardwood establishment on marginal croplands has been proposed to mitigate effects of deforestation and related loss of carbon-capture potential. These reforestation areas can provide important wildlife habitat in agriculture-dominated landscapes; however, concern with reforestation is low seedling survival due to herbivory and vegetation competition. We surveyed reforested fields in the MAV of northwest Mississippi to assess survival of 10 species of hardwood seedlings (n = 782) planted for carbon sequestration. We sampled seedlings for stem and leaf herbivory and recorded percent cover and species diversity of herbaceous and woody vegetation surrounding seedlings during the first year following planting.

The Black Belt Region of Mississippi and Alabama is the largest blackland prairie in the southeastern United States. Large, contiguous tallgrass prairies are now extremely scarce over their historic range, with <1% of the original prairie area remaining in Mississippi. Currently, restoration of warm season grasslands is a primary conservation focus on private and public lands in Mississippi. However, limited information exists on comparisons between restored warm season grasslands and remnant, intact prairies. This information is part of an ongoing study that evaluates variations in plants species richness occurring in remnant, unperturbed prairies and restored grasslands of <10 years of age. Preliminary floristic surveys conducted in late summer 2006 assessed plant species richness in prairies along edges, transition zones near forest, fallow field, or pasture habitat, and within prairie interiors (>30 m from prairie edge).

To determine habitat selection of selected carnivores, we set up 15 remotely-triggered infrared camera stations across a 30-km2 section of the Mountain Lake Biological Station in Southwest Virginia. To maintain independence, a distance of 1 km was kept between each station. We monitored the camera stations for 942 trap nights. Raccoons (Procyon lotor) had the greatest trap success (3.03%) followed by black bear (Ursus americanus; 2.23%), coyote (Canis latrans; 1.09%), bobcat (Lynx rufus; 0.67%), and gray fox (Urocyon cinereoargenteus; 0.00%). We determined percentage cover of habitat features (% coniferous, % deciduous, % mixed) from a geographic information system (GIS) using circular buffers (100 m, 250 m, 500 m, 750 m) around each trap site and compared carnivore-present sites to carnivore-absent sites. We found no relationships. We used linear regression of trap success of animals to determine relationships between visitation rates and species.

In response to dwindling populations of northern bobwhite (Colinus virginianus), the Northern Bobwhite Conservation Initiative and the Missouri Department of Conservation's Strategic Guidance for Northern Bobwhite Restoration are guiding habitat restoration efforts in Missouri. Success of these programs is dependent on restoration of habitat on large tracts of private land. Efficacious selection of restoration areas requires a foundation of ecological and sociological information. Although we know much about bobwhite ecology, our success at engaging landowners in habitat restoration has been limited. Our objective was to develop a systematic approach for using ecological and sociological data to identify potential private land restoration areas. We used a questionnaire to assess landowner willingness, motivations, and ability to carry out habitat restoration in a cooperative setting.

In 2005, the North Carolina General Assembly and the governor requested that the North Carolina Wildlife Resources Commission (NCWRC) study issues related to hunting on Sunday in North Carolina. Of particular interest were the views held by stakeholders on the issue and the potential impact Sunday hunting might have on hunter recruitment and retention. A questionnaire was developed and sent to 2,400 randomly-selected licensed resident hunters to assess their views and opinions and to estimate potential impacts on hunting participation. The response rate was 41.6%. The issue decidedly was polarized; 38% of respondents strongly supported hunting on Sunday, whereas 39% strongly opposed it. Older hunters and those who frequently attended church or another place of worship were most opposed to hunting on Sunday. Although many respondents originally voiced support, many of these same individuals opposed hunting on Sunday if limitations were imposed.