High-definition underwater-video mapping of Buzzards Bay, MA, photographed a pyrosome tunicate. Positive identification to the species level was not possible because to do so requires a live, undamaged specimen. However, the most probable species is Pyrosoma atlanticum, a common species in temperate waters worldwide, which has not been documented in Buzzards Bay until now.

A female Lynx rufus (Bobcat) was captured, tagged, and released in New Jersey during 2014. In 2016, the Bobcat was harvested by a trapper in central Pennsylvania 175 km from the initial capture site. Bobcat dispersal is predominantly male-based. Long-range dispersal by female Bobcats has rarely been documented and has significant management implications.

We characterized patterns of bat activity outside primary hibernacula of Myotis bats at Mammoth Cave National Park on the days preceding, concurrent with, and following the total solar eclipse which occurred on 21 August 2017. Additionally, we documented nightly patterns of bat activity for hydric habitats and forest corridors across Kentucky during a 7-d period encompassing the eclipse. Our results suggest there was no diurnal bat activity occurring in response to the total solar eclipse, and there was no clear evidence of altered nightly activity patterns. However, these observations provide baseline data for future study of bat responses to eclipse events.

North American crayfish biodiversity is in need of conservation attention, which requires monitoring to assess the status of potentially imperiled species. Pennsylvania has a long history of crayfish studies, dating back to the early 1900s and continuing today. We sampled 37 new and historical sites in southeastern Pennsylvania in an effort to locate remnant populations of Cambarus diogenes (Devil Crayfish), an ecologically important burrowing crayfish. While we did not find Devil Crayfish at any historical sites, we discovered a single population in Neshaminy State Park, indicating a decline in this species' range in Pennsylvania since the last survey, circa 1905. We attribute the statewide decline of Devil Crayfish to an inherently limited amount of suitable habitat, urbanization, and biological invasions, and recommend that steps be taken to protect this species.

Nantucket, Massachusetts, could provide unique habitat for bats, but few data are available regarding bat populations on the island. We conducted passive acoustic surveys in 2015 and 2016 to inventory bat species and identify seasonal activity patterns. We detected at least 6 species of bats on Nantucket. Lasiurus cinereus (Hoary Bat) and Lasionycteris noctivagans (Silver-haired Bat) were detected as probable migrants, and Lasiurus borealis (Eastern Red Bat), Eptesicus fuscus (Big Brown Bat), and Myotis species were also present in summer. We detected Perimyotis subflavus (Tricolored Bat) in fall and early winter, suggesting that the species may hibernate on the island. In 2016, we mist-netted and radio-tagged Myotis septentrionalis (Northern Long-eared Bat), and documented individuals reproducing and hibernating on Nantucket. Given the persistence of this rare species on the island, we suggest that land-conservation organizations should consider maintenance of mature forest stands in their suite of planned management activities.

To maximize energy gained and minimize energy expended, animals should forage in a manner that gives them the largest benefit at the lowest cost. Species living in seasonal environments in the northeastern US, such as the Glaucomys volans (Southern Flying Squirrel), need to overcome high energetic demands associated with thermoregulation and food availability. In this study, we measured nightly travelled distance and home range of Southern Flying Squirrel to understand how they adapt to changes in temperature and day length. Our results showed that Southern Flying Squirrel travelled longer distances and expanded their home range in warmer temperatures and longer day-lengths. Our study contributes to our understanding of how animals adapt to constantly changing environmental conditions in the northeastern United States.

Ranaviruses are a group of emerging infectious pathogens that threaten reptiles around the world; however, their geographic and taxonomic distribution in wild reptiles is understudied relative to amphibians. We sampled tissues from 2 reptile species: Terrapene Carolina carolina (Eastern Box Turtle) and Sceloporus undulatus (Eastern Fence Lizard) in central Virginia to determine if they carried these pathogens. We found moderate prevalence of a ranavirus in these 2 species (36.1% and 20.0%, respectively). This study supplements the existing survey information for Eastern Box Turtles, which are known to carry and suffer mortality from ranaviruses. We also report on the first documentation of ranaviruses in the family Phrynosomatidae, and the first systematic screening for ranavirus in a wild, terrestrial squamate population.

The impacts of invasive species on native plant communities are often studied on small spatial scales but may vary across regionally heterogeneous landscapes. Comparisons of vegetation across several similar sites with and without an invasive species present can be logistically challenging but highly informative to both scientists and land managers. We examined regional geographic variation in the diversity and composition of 8 replicate northeastern forest-understory plant communities invaded by the non-native species Alliaria petiolata (Garlic Mustard). Despite variation in underlying soil conditions and horizon development, several native species and their associated functional groups were either negatively or positively associated with Garlic Mustard invasion at the regional scale, and soil moisture and pH were higher in invaded plots across all sites. Most tree species were less common at invaded sites, but high tree-seedling abundances at some sites led to regionally higher seedling abundance in the presence of Garlic Mustard. Our study highlights the importance of species-specific responses, as well as site-specific soil conditions, for better understanding potential impacts of invasion.

Effective management of wetlands often involves the suppression of invasive species, and understanding the ecological consequences of management efforts is an important goal. A non-native strain of Phragmites australis (Common Reed; hereafter Phragmites) is aggressively invading North American wetlands, and the species has been shown to alter hydrology and impact aquatic organisms. Clear Creek Wildlife Management Area, in Kentucky, is heavily impacted by Phragmites invasion. Portions of the Wildlife Management Area with Phragmites were treated with herbicide to restore wetland flora, and in this study, we evaluated the effects of both the presence and management of Phragmites on wildlife populations and ecosystem function. We selected 3 locations (treated Phragmites, untreated Phragmites, and Phragmites-free) and surveyed each for water chemistry, wildlife populations, and stable-isotope signatures over a 2-y period. Water chemistry varied with the presence or absence of Phragmites, suggesting differences in nutrient cycling. Fish diversity did not differ among sites, but individual species varied in distribution and abundance between the Phragmites sites and the Phragmites-free site. Turtles showed significant differences in both diversity and body size based on the presence or absence of Phragmites, but not herbicide treatment. We detected no significant differences in frog diversity across treatments. We recorded 8 Kentucky Species of Greatest Conservation Need, but there were few differences in the distribution of these species across sites. Stable-isotope analysis revealed variation in food-web structure based on the presence of Phragmites. These results indicate that herbicides had little effect on fish and herpetofaunal communities in the short term, but potentially significant ecological changes may occur if Phragmites were eradicated. Our conclusions highlight the importance of monitoring habitat restoration to guide future management. A holistic, ecosystem-level approach is necessary to understand the impacts of both invasive species and their management.

We examined the abundance and species richness of bees at 10 sites managed for Sylvilagus transitionalis (New England Cottontail Rabbit) in southeastern New Hampshire. In 2015, we sampled bees using a streamlined bee-monitoring protocol (SBMP) developed for rapid assessment of bee communities, and in 2015 and 2016, we employed bee bowls (modified pan traps) painted fluorescent blue, yellow, or white and filled and with soapy water that were intended to mimic flower colors and attract bees. We compared the abundance of all species combined and species richness among management treatments (clearcuts, old fields, and gravel pits), patch area, and time since management action. We also compared the combined captures from bee bowls to relative abundance indices from the SBMP, as well as flower abundance and richness. Neither captured bee abundance nor species richness differed among management treatments; however, by removing a possible outlier, both abundance and richness were greatest in gravel pits compared to other habitats. There was no correlation between bee captures and the SBMP, and no correlation between captures and flower abundance or floral diversity. Our study demonstrates that habitats managed for New England Cottontail support a diverse assemblage of native bees. Gravel pits are potentially valuable targets for native bee conservation, but old fields and clearcuts offer alternatives in landscapes without gravel pits. Native bees are essential to support ecosystem function, and understanding their distribution and natural history is important to develop habitatmanagement efforts that benefit not only bees but multiple species of conservation concern within early-successional habitats.

We collected water samples from upstream and downstream sites over 3 years on 18 study streams in the Adirondacks, NY, and conducted analysis via ANOVA for the presence of road-salt runoff, as measured by chloride ion content. Streams crossed by state roads received more road-salt runoff than streams crossed by county roads, as shown by higher mean chloride loads across different sampling years (P ≤ 0.01). The chloride load in streams was not reliably higher downstream from a road as opposed to upstream from a road for either state or county roads but varied in different sampling years (P < 0.001–P > 0.05). We collected a total of 1259 nymphs of Ephemeroptera, Plecoptera, and Trichoptera during water sampling. High levels of road-salt runoff were not associated with lower levels of Plecoptera or Trichoptera. Neither numbers of individuals nor numbers of genera of Ephemeroptera, Plecoptera, or Trichoptera collected per month showed any pattern when regressed on stream-chloride level. However, we detected no Ephemeroptera above a relatively high level of road-salt runoff (154 mg/L chloride ion). We employed the point-centered quarter method to assess forest composition on 10 transects above and below state roads. We conducted further analysis on trees in the lowest quartile of circumference in each transect as a representation of tree-species recruitment. Mean chloride-ion content of study streams, indicating adjacent forest exposure to road-salt runoff, was associated with greater recruitment of Abies balsamea (Balsam Fir), and lower Shannon–Weiner diversity. At the highest chloride levels, there was almost no recruitment of any species but Balsam Fir. Soil-cation analysis and linear regression, however, did not indicate concomitant depletion of plant nutrients, and therefore, we did not confirm the cause of the apparent relationship between higher road-salt runoff and higher Balsam Fir recruitment.

Adequate fat reserves are vital for long non-stop transatlantic avian-migration movements, such as those made by Setophaga striata (Blackpoll Warbler). Over a 5-y period, we studied differences in preparedness (determined by presence of fat content and arrival time at stopover locations) between hatch-year (HY) and after hatch-year (AHY) Blackpoll Warblers at 3 stopover sites (Hancock and York counties in Maine, and Plymouth County in Massachusetts) covering 2.65° latitude along the Gulf of Maine. Migration timing varied across a latitudinal gradient and between age classes. In September, AHY Blackpoll Warblers were more abundant in the northern and central counties, but HY birds mostly passed through in October. Compared to AHY Blackpoll Warblers, our results suggest that HY birds migrated along a more northern route. After hatch-year birds had higher fat-content than HY birds at the northern and central sites. However, AHY birds had lower fat-content at the southernmost site. After hatch-year birds were more abundant than HY birds at the southern-most site. Overall, across our study region, our data illustrate that Blackpoll Warblers show age-related differences in fall-migration strategy; hatch-year birds may simply need more time at stopover sites to build up fat reserves prior to large-distance flights.

In the eastern US, research is needed on the establishment and evaluation of conservation measures for forest-dwelling bats, in general, and for the newly listed Myotis septentrionalis (Northern Long-Eared Bat), in particular. Our objectives were to evaluate the overall use of 3 artificial roosting structures—rocket box, nursery box, and artificial bark—by bats and to relate this use to local landscape characteristics in north-central West Virginia. We monitored 306 structures during summer 2016 and detected use (i.e., presence of guano, visual identification, capture of bats) at 132 (43%) roosts, of which 55 (42%) were confirmed, through capture or visual identification, to contain Northern Long-eared Bats. Nursery boxes were used more than expected based on availability (60%), but rocket boxes accounted for 40 (73%) of the roosts confirmed to be occupied by Northern Long-eared Bats, with 70% being used by maternity colonies of this species. We utilized binomial generalized linear models and an information theoretic approach to examine use of artificial roosts by maternity colonies of Northern Long-eared Bats. Our best-supported model differentiating structures occupied by maternity colonies from those that housed individual bats showed relationships to elevation, slope, area solar radiation, and distance to streams and large (>200 ha) forests. Our study provides initial guidance for land and wildlife managers on implementing an effective conservation and management technique for bats within this region.

We studied diversity and abundance of bees foraging on Vaccinium macrocarpon (American Cranberry) flowers in southeastern Massachusetts during 8 bloom periods between 2007 and 2016. We documented 6 families, 20 genera, and 72 species of bees. Only Bombus (bumble bee) species were abundant in any of the collection years. Ways in which the upland areas surrounding cultivated cranberry beds and American Cranberry itself may be inhospitable for many small-bodied bee populations with limited flight ranges are reviewed. Bombus dominated (>90%) the collection. Comparison with observations in the first half of the 20^th century, together with collections made during a less-intensive survey 25 years ago, suggest that 2 Bombus species are increasing in abundance, but that at least half of the Bombus species previously observed in this region have become rare or locally extinct.