Journal of the Southeastern Association of Fish and Wildlife Agencies

Food habits of redbreast sunfish (Lepomis auritus), smallmouth bass (Micropterus dolomieu), and white sucker (Catostomus commersoni) populations in the Shenandoah River Basin, Virginia, were assessed during 2002 to identify dietary pathways and patterns potentially affecting mercury uptake. Aquatic insects (71% to 83%) were the principal food item of redbreast sunfish, while smallmouth bass mainly consumed aquatic insects (32% to 48%), crayfish (19% to 31%), and fish (22% to 29%). Principal food items of white sucker included aquatic insects (20% to 26%) and detritus (66% to 70%). Dipterans, ephemeropterans, and trichopterans were the main taxa of aquatic insects consumed by all species. As redbreast sunfish and smallmouth bass increased in size, redbreast sunfish diversified their diet, while smallmouth bass shifted from a diet mainly composed of aquatic insects to one primarily composed of crayfish and fish.

Developing and recommending protective flows for stream fishes requires precise information on how fishes use their habitat. Collections to establish fish-habitat relations are typically conducted during daylight hours, but because of diel habitat shifts exhibited by many warmwater stream fishes, we were concerned that determining protective flows only from day collections would result in recommended flows that were not protective. We tested for diel differences in habitat selection by stream fishes and evaluated the effects of these differences on simulated usable habitat area as flows varied. Logistic regression modeling and habitat-selection analyses for five fish species showed substantial differences between day and night habitat relations.

Since the late 1980s, range-wide bird conservation plans have been developed for a wide range of species and habitats. These plans provide a basis for setting population and habitat objectives, as well as identify assumptions that require further research and monitoring. Generally, bird conservation plans share four common components: a vision to sustain a high relative abundance, the development of specific population estimates and objectives, the development of habitat objectives within ecoregions, known as Bird Conservation Regions, and the acknowledgement of partnerships for conservation delivery at local and regional scales. The North American Bird Conservation Initiative (NABCI) was formed in 2000 to provide a forum for discussion and action among wildlife administrators charged with implementing bird conservation plans. Currently, high priority actions for the U.S.

The State Wildlife Grant program resulted from efforts to adequately fund wildlife diversity conservation by State and Territorial Wildlife Agencies through the Conservation and Reinvestment Act. From 2001 to 2005, State Wildlife Grants provided funding for programs for a broad array of wildlife species that were not eligible under other funding initiatives. It has also created a strong partnership between state, federal, and non-governmental agencies working toward conservation goals by requiring the development of Comprehensive Wildlife Conservation Strategies in the States and Territories. State Wildlife Grants are one of the mechanisms that can contribute to conservation of birds and other wildlife species in the Southeast. Key words: conservation, funding, strategy, wildlife, grants, birds

We present a framework for using Landtype Associations (LTAs), or subdivisions of ecological subsections, to develop integrated conservation strategies for priority bird and other taxa of conservation concern in the Central Hardwoods Bird Conservation Region, using the Missouri Ozarks as a prototype. We profile LTAs amenable to the conservation of species in grassland, shrub-savanna, woodland-forest and wetland landscapes, provide examples of priority species associated with each, suggest conservation strategies at biologically appropriate spatial scales, and evaluate conservation opportunities and limits based upon current land use characteristics and socioeconomic factors. Key words: Landtype associations, ecological hierarchy, bird conservation, comprehensive wildlife conservation strategies

All-bird conservation, although relatively simple in concept, is extremely challenging at nearly every level when trying to implement. State wildlife agencies are often faced with budget constraints, staffing limitations, or logistical challenges (e.g., access to private lands). The Kentucky Department of Fish and Wildlife Resources has been successful in overcoming many of these challenges through innovative partnerships that have co-funded positions with the Department, provided matching funds for grants, and facilitated large-scale research and habitat management projects for priority species. In addition, the Department's Comprehensive Wildlife Conservation Strategy planning effort is helping to prioritize conservation efforts to ensure complete coverage of various bird conservation plans.

The South Atlantic Migratory Bird Initiative (SAMBI) has integrated planning efforts among several major continental bird conservation plans in the United States, seeking common goals and objectives for habitat conservation to sustain, maintain, and increase populations of migratory birds and resident birds which utilize the Atlantic Flyway. One objective common to all these bird conservation plans is the need for surveys and monitoring of bird populations. Inherent to all surveys and monitoring protocols is the requirement of data storage and management. An attempt to address this need resulted in the development of a web-based data storage and management website called the SAMBI Waterfowl and Shorebird Bird Data Page. The website provides remote data entry and region-wide display of waterfowl and shorebird survey data. Currently, waterfowl and shorebird surveys are underway on a network of wildlife management areas and National Wildlife Refuges from Virginia to Florida.

A working group of the International Association of Fish and Wildlife Agencies' Science and Research Committee reviewed the rationale, design, and coordination of bird monitoring during 2004 to focus on the need for integration of information about bird status with budget, policy, and management decisions. “Rationale” promotes understanding of the role of monitoring in effective bird conservation and management, “design” of monitoring focuses on the effective and efficient use of monitoring resources, and “coordination” emphasizes the necessary infrastructure and resources for coordinated monitoring. Science-based management requires explicit objectives, management strategies and corresponding management actions, assessment, and periodic adjustment of management strategies. Distinctions between monitoring for status and trends versus monitoring to evaluate management have, however, become a source of debate among those responsible for bird monitoring.

The first continental bird conservation initiative for North America started under the North American Waterfowl Management Plan (NAWMP) during the mid-1980s. About five years later Partners in Flight (PIF; focused on landbird species) came into being followed by the U.S. and Canada Shorebird Conservation Plans (USSCP and CSCP), the North American Waterbird Conservation Plan (NAWCP), and the Northern Bobwhite Conservation Initiative (NBCI). Soon after the establishment of NAWMP,priority areas for waterfowl conservation were identified for delivering conservation programs, now referred to as Joint Ventures. Soon after PIF was initiated, all of the United States and Canada was divided into Physiographic Areas, loosely based on areas defined by the Breeding Bird Survey. USSCP and NAWCP identified larger planning regions, which were essentially aggregations of previously identified planning units established under PIF.

In 1999, the Management Board of the Atlantic Coast Joint Venture (ACJV) embraced the vision and framework of the then newly emerging North American Bird Conservation Initiative. As a result, the ACJV expanded its objective of conserving waterfowl and wetlands habitat to all native birds and their associated habitats throughout the Atlantic Flyway. To meet this objective, the ACJV launched the South Atlantic Migratory Bird Initiative (SAMBI) in the Southeastern Coastal Plain Bird Conservation Region.

The Comprehensive Wildlife Conservation Strategy (Strategy) is one component of Florida's Wildlife Legacy Initiative (Initiative), which is a program designed to create a strategic vision for conserving all of Florida's wildlife. The other two main components of the Initiative are partnership development and Florida's State Wildlife Grants Program. The state of Florida has an unprecedented opportunity to shape the future of fish and wildlife conservation efforts. The Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission (Commission) is developing a long-range strategy for managing all wildlife in Florida, including birds, with the aim of averting future declines and keeping common species common. The Strategy will build a foundation for future wildlife conservation that will be solidified by opportunities for funding.

Contemporary wetland managers assigned to modified landscapes are faced with increasing complexity to maintain wetland functions and values and to meet the needs of many taxons. Historically, wetland management was driven by the drought of the 1930s when waterfowl populations were in serious decline. These conditions set the stage for a management dogma rooted in the storage rather than the manipulation of water and a focus on waterfowl. Although the first National Wildlife Refuge was for the protection of waterbirds in Florida, there was a strong focus on protecting and managing waterfowl habitats on breeding areas following the drought. Not only was the emphasis on the breeding grounds and waterfowl, but the focus was often on a single species, a selected life cycle event, or a specified time period. Thus, management often had the goal of maintaining high waterfowl populations continuously.

No paper was submitted with this abstract. Abstract was too long so please refer to pdf. Keywords: Wildlife agency partnerships, public support, funding

Beginning in September 1998, the Arkansas Game and Fish Commission (AGFC) conducted a three-year creel survey on the trout fishery below Beaver Dam, Arkansas, to collect current information on angler effort, catch, and harvest. Angler catch rates for rainbow trout (Oncorhynchus mykiss) remained high (>1.0 fish/h) throughout the study. However, a reduction in angling effort coupled with a high rate of voluntary release resulted in low exploitation of the put-and-take rainbow trout fishery. The annual catch of brown trout (Salmo trutta) exceeded the number stocked in all three years suggesting that survival rates for this species are high. Conversely, mean catch rates for brook trout (Salvelinus fontinalis) (0.06 fish/h) and cutthroat trout (Oncorhynchus clarkii) (0.03 fish/h) were very low and the annual catch was typically much lower than numbers stocked.

Stomachs of 171 muskellunge (Esox masquinongy) ranging in length from 358 to 1270 mm were examined to evaluate fish diet and to estimate through bioenergetics modeling the predatory impact of muskellunge on smallmouth bass (Micropterus dolomieu) in the New River, Virginia. Fifty-five percent of muskellunge stomachs examined contained food. Ninety percent of muskellunge stomachs that contained food contained fewer than six items. Muskellunge exhibited an ontogenetic shift in diet at approximately 800 to 900 mm, changing from a diet consisting primarily of cyprinids to one consisting primarily of catostomids. Smallmouth bass comprised a relatively minor (4% by wet weight) component of muskellunge diet overall, although consumption of smallmouth bass did increase with muskellunge length. At an initial abundance of 100 age-1 fish, muskellunge were estimated to consume 0.18 kg•ha-1•yr-1 of smallmouth bass.

Population characteristics for black Pomoxis nigromaculatus and white crappies P. annularis combined were simulated using a dynamic pool model to determine if the current 254-mm length limit is practical at Lake Chicot, Arkansas. Catch curve regressions were used to estimate annual mortalities, and exploitation was estimated with two consecutive tag reward studies. Exploitation was adjusted for tag loss, tagging mortality, and non-reporting. Average annual mortality was 78% and adjusted exploitation was 17%. The model predicted no significant changes in PSD, RSD-P, RSD-M, or population abundance as a result of removing the length limit. However, the model predicted a significant increase (P < 0.05) in the number of crappies harvested and yield if the length limit is removed. The length limit probably has not affected most population characteristics because of low exploitation and high recruitment variability.

A method of evaluating white bass (Morone chrysops) populations sampled with gill nets during fall in Missouri's large reservoirs was developed by establishing objectives for growth, size structure, and age structure parameters. Growth objectives were 300 and 350 mm mean total lengths for age-1 and -2 white bass in reservoirs where gizzard shad (Dorosoma cepedianum) are the primary prey, and 330 and 380 mm in reservoirs where threadfin shad (D. petenense) are the primary prey. Objectives for size and age structure were determined by modeling population structures of white bass with acceptable growth and intermediate total annual mortality rates (about 40%-50%). Objectives for size structure (percentages of white bass ?age 1 that were also ?300 mm and 380 mm) were 65%-85% and 5%-25% for gizzard shad prey reservoirs, and 80%-100% and 30%-50% for threadfin shad prey reservoirs. The objective for age structure (percentages of fish ? age 1 that were ?

We measured total length and weight and estimated daily age of 50 young-of-year shoal bass (Micropterus cataractae) collected from a hatchery pond in southwest Georgia. Daily age was estimated using otoliths and was considered the median age of ring counts from one reader who counted rings in each otolith independently three times. This sample of young-of-year shoal bass averaged 28.55 days old, 24.04 mm in total length, and 0.13 grams in weight. Daily growth rates averaged 0.85 mm day-1. The length-weight relationship was described by the equation: weight = 0.0043e0.1399*length. The frequency distribution of daily ages was skewed, suggesting one main spawning period later in the season, lasting approximately 12 days, with young-of-year swim-up beginning 27 March 2003. These are among the first data on young-of-year shoal bass characteristics and we recommend further research to validate daily ring formation in otoliths of this species.

The interaction of prey fish body depth and predator gape size may produce prey assemblages dominated by invulnerable prey and excessive prey-to-predator biomass ratios. Peacock cichlids (Cichla ocellaris) were stocked into southeast Florida canals to consume excess prey fish biomass, particularly spotted tilapia (Tilapia mariae). The ecomorphologically similar largemouth bass (Micropterus salmoides) was already present in the canals. We present relations of length-specific gape size for peacock cichlids and largemouth bass. Both predators have broadly overlapping gape size, but largemouth bass ?126 mm total length have slightly larger gape sizes than peacock cichlids of the same length. Also, we experimentally tested the predictions of maximum prey size for peacock cichlids and determined that a simple method of measuring gape size used for largemouth bass also is appropriate for peacock cichlids.

The blue catfish Ictalurus furcatus fishery at Lake Texoma has been increasing in popularity. Guides that typically seek striped bass Morone saxatilis switch to blue catfish, particularly during the winter months when the largest individuals are most vulnerable. Low frequency electrofishing samples, collected since the early 1990s by the Oklahoma Department of Wildlife Conservation, indicate that population abundance is stable but concerns have been raised over the long term viability of the fishery in the face of increased angling pressure on the largest individuals. Baseline age and growth data, using otoliths, were collected from both the Red River arm and Washita River arm in 2003 (N = 333). Mortality rates were estimated using the Fishery Analysis Simulation Tools model. Growth rates, particularly of fish age ? 6, were highly variable. The oldest fish collected was age 16 and weighed 20.43 kg.

Catfishes are among the most frequently sought freshwater fishes in the United States. Yet despite the popularity of catfish angling, few angler surveys have been conducted to describe the demographics, social characteristics, and opinions of catfish anglers to assist in improving fisheries management in Missouri. Thus, the Missouri Department of Conservation conducted a statewide survey of licensed anglers in Missouri in 2002. The survey asked questions specifically related to angler demographics, species preferences, angling behavior, and angler opinions on catfish management. Our results indicate that catfish anglers in Missouri are a diverse group and their preferences often differ by demography. In general, Missouri's catfish anglers are primarily male (79%), between the ages of 36 and 55 years old (52%), and live mostly (73%) in rural communities or small towns. Seventy-five percent of catfish anglers indicated that channel catfish was their favorite species to harvest.

Upstream migration of the Cooper River, South Carolina, population of shortnose sturgeon (Acipenser brevirostrum) is severely limited at Pinopolis Dam (river km 77). Shortnose sturgeon congregating and spawning in the tailrace of the dam has been documented but data is lacking on the group's population dynamics. From 1995 through 1999, the population was sampled in the tailrace with 91.4 m long bottom-set gillnets during the spawning season when fish were concentrated in the area. Fish captured during 1996-1998 were tagged for a multiple census mark-recapture population estimate using the modified Schnabel method. Most captured fish were measured and weighed, and the data were fit to a weight-length regression. Pectoral fin rays were removed from a sub-sample of 35 fish for determination of the spawning population's age structure. Length-at-age data were then used to develop a von Bertalanffy growth equation. Population viability was modeled with the MOCPOP 2.0 age-structure model.

Despite the large number of low-head dams on North Carolina streams and rivers, fishways have rarely been used to restore access to habitat upstream of dams. The goal of this study was to determine the use of a prefabricated Alaska steeppass fishway installed at a low-head dam on Black Creek, a blackwater tributary of the Neuse River near Smithfield, North Carolina. Between 21 February and 2 June 2003 study period, the ladder was used by 949 gizzard shad (Dorosoma cepedianum), 2 American shad (Alosa sapidissima), and 1 golden shiner (Notemigonus crysoleucas). Upstream passage of gizzard shad was marginally correlated (P = 0.06) with stage height of a nearby stream. These results illustrate that fish passage should be considered not only for anadromous fishes but also riverine species that undertake a spring spawning migration or that make upstream movements for feeding or other life cycle requirements.