Journal of the Southeastern Association of Fish and Wildlife Agencies

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.

The eastern United States contains the greatest diversity and the most imperiled species of freshwater mussels in the world. Conservation efforts are underway, yet little information is available on current and historical distributions for most species. Current knowledge of freshwater mussel species distributions is limited to data available from museum collections, small-scale studies, and Natural Heritage surveys. The accuracy and precision of these data vary considerably. We obtained the best available information on the range of freshwater mussel species to model the distribution of selected species within the Appalachians. We included in model development anthropogenic and environmental variables, such as slope, elevation, acid deposition, soil buffering capacity, flow accumulation, density of dams, density of roads, and density of zebra mussel occurrences, believed to influence freshwater ecosystems.

Nursery habitats such as seagrass beds are important for the health and sustainability of many fisheries. In fact, seagrass beds are considered to be essential nursery habitats and as a part of the Sustainable Fisheries Act (SFA) of 1996 it was mandated that these areas be protected. To designate an area as an essential fish habitat two main criteria must be met, 1) greater numbers of fish produced per area and 2) greater survival of juvenile fish to adulthood. In the Chesapeake Bay, seagrass beds are considered to be nursery habitat, but the mortality of juvenile fish on individual beds is unknown. To estimate mortality we are using fish otoliths, or ear bones, as a natural tag from spotted seatrout (Cynocion nebulosus) from different beds in the Bay. The seatrout is a model species for this work as individuals maintain a tight relationship with their natal beds.

The Eastern Brook Trout Joint Venture (EBTJV) was formed to implement range-wide strategies that sustain healthy, fishable brook trout populations across the entire range of the eastern brook trout (Salvelinus fontinalis). In order to accomplish the goals of the EBTJV in West Virginia we set out to accomplish the following objectives: to assess brook trout populations where current data is lacking and to set restoration priorities for stream reaches within this area based on both reach and subwatershed scale connectivity. Our study area was Region 1 of West Virginia, the Upper Potomac River watershed. We used West Virginia Department of Natural Resources (WVDNR) brook trout data to create a model to predict presence/absence throughout the study area; this model was validated using independent field data collected in 2006. Using the output from this model we were able to assess core brook trout populations.

Otolith chemistry has demonstrated potential for identifying natal origins and tracing dispersal in fisheries across a variety of habitats. Our objective was to assess inter-annual and intra-annual (specifically, within the spawning season) variation of trace element signatures distinguishing different rivers. Our study site was the Upper James River and its tributary the Maury River in western Virginia. We collected smallmouth bass (Micropterus dolomieu) fry from various locations along the length of the Maury River and also from the James within 10 km of their confluence. In 2005 fry were collected once from each location, while in 2006 we collected fry at approximately weekly intervals where available. Water samples were taken simultaneously with each collection. We analyzed trace element concentrations in otoliths and water samples using solution-based inductively coupled plasma-mass spectrometry (ICP-MS).