Male Scolopax minor (American Woodcock ) occasionally perform courtship behaviors outside of the primary breeding period. The costs and benefits of such behaviors are not known. We observed a Woodcock perform an aerial courtship display in Minnesota on 8 November 2010, a juvenile male emit peent vocalizations in Virginia on 12 December 1991, and a solitary individual emit a cackle vocalization in Georgia on 28 December 1994. These behaviors may have been aberrations that are selected against and therefore uncommon, influenced by environmental conditions, or performed to improve the quality of male courtship behaviors. Research and monitoring are needed to ascertain which if any of these explanations is correct.

The fixed-width strip-transect and fixed-radius point-count survey methods for breeding birds were evaluated side-by-side in 2009, 2010, and 2011 in a 200-ha mixed hardwood forest surrounded by urban development in Parkville, MO. One 2-ha strip transect (80 m × 250 m) and four 0.5-ha fixed-radius plots (40 m radius, 150 m separation) were surveyed in adjacent riparian forest areas during May and June, 2009. In 2010, two additional sets of transects and corresponding circular-plot arrays were installed, bringing the total area surveyed by each method to 6 ha in 2010 and 2011. Abundance of individuals of all species was greater on circular-plot arrays compared with transects in both 2009 and 2010. Modeling the potential intersection of transect and circular-plot arrays on a background simulating a landscape distribution of bird territories at varying densities indicated that a dispersed array of circular survey plots may overlap more bird territories than contiguous strip transects, though both survey plots enclose the same total forest area. The fixed-radius point-count method appears to effectively sample a larger forest patch than the fixed-width transect method, possibly resulting in estimations of bird population parameters that are different between the two methods.

Nest depredation is a major source of mortality in many turtle populations. Although turtle life histories may have evolved with relatively high levels of nest depredation, present-day levels may be negatively impacting populations that are already declining. This degree of depredation may be problematic for species such as Macrochelys temminckii (Alligator Snapping Turtle), which has relatively low reproductive output for a large turtle, yet little is known about depredation of M. temminckii nests. We constructed 90 artificial M. temminckii nests in 2008 and 2009 at Black Bayou Lake National Wildlife Refuge in Louisiana to identify nest predators and elucidate patterns of nest depredation. All artificial nests were depredated, with Procyon lotor (Raccoon), and Dasypus novemcinctus (Nine-banded Armadillo) being the two most common nest predators. Other predators included Lontra canadensis (Northern River Otter), Didelphis virginiana (Virginia Opossum), and Lynx rufus (Bobcat). Nest depredation is a major threat to Alligator Snapping Turtles at this site and may be limiting recruitment in this population.

Urban habitat fragments may provide birds the resources necessary to sustain viable populations in close proximity to human settlement. Conversely, urban habitat fragments may also act as ecological traps, where birds are lured into habitats that negatively affect reproduction or survival. In this study, we compared annual survival estimates of six common resident bird species captured at Bluebonnet Swamp, a 41.7-ha forest fragment bordered by the urban matrix of Baton Rouge, LA, with values derived from the Institute for Bird Populations' MAPS program to determine if populations sampled in the habitat fragment demographically deviated from regional baseline estimates. We found that three species captured at Bluebonnet Swamp exhibited survival estimates consistent with regional averages, whereas Cardinalis cardinalis (Northern Cardinal), Toxostoma rufum (Brown Thrasher), and Poecile carolinensis (Carolina Chickadee) survival estimates were lower than baseline. Edge effects associated with a relatively small preserve coupled with disease and semiannual movements in and out of the study area may be influencing Cardinal and Thrasher survival. We recommend that other studies focus on measuring avian demographics within habitat fragments to identify and mitigate factors that limit population sustainability in human-modified landscapes, as relative density alone may not be an appropriate metric for understanding the value of habitat fragments to birds.

Petrochelidon pyrrhonota (Cliff Swallow) initially expanded its breeding range to the Great Pee Dee River corridor of the Carolinas in the early 1980s. In 2012, I documented approximately 1700 active nests of the Cliff Swallow at 20 colony sites in the Lower Piedmont of North Carolina and Coastal Plain of South Carolina along this river corridor. Cliff Swallows nested primarily at bridges and other water-based sites but also bred at several land-based sites, including the first colony documented at a highway overpass in the Carolinas. Compared to colony sizes in the early 1980s and mid-1990s at 3 major sites in North Carolina, numbers in 2012 were approximately 1500% and 400% higher, respectively. Before this study, Cliff Swallows nesting along the Great Pee Dee River was documented only as far as Cheraw, at the Fall Line. This study demonstrates that breeding now occurs 145 km farther south along this corridor at 6 sites, including 2 sites in the tidewater region of South Carolina. Several bridges along this corridor with favorable structural characteristics for breeding are still unoccupied. The breeding range expansion front of interior populations along and near the Great Pee Dee River has moved slowly (≈3.25 km/yr), in an apparently stepwise manner. However, the gap between expanding interior and coastal populations is confounding the pattern of range expansion in the Lower Coastal Plain of South Carolina.

Long-term stocking of non-native Morone saxatilis (Striped Bass) in Toledo Bend Reservoir may have had adverse effects on the integrity of the native Morone chrysops (White Bass) and M. mississipiensis (Yellow Bass) genome through introgression. We examined microsatellite genotypes for evidence of hybridization in a sample of Striped. White, and Yellow Bass but found only four potential hybrids. Despite the introduction of millions of Striped Bass over four decades, there is no evidence for either a hybrid swarm or substantial introgression. Low numbers of hybrids may be the result of poor hybrid survival, little reproduction between species, or a combination of both.

Concern over the use of lethal techniques to collect basic biological data from sharks has necessitated the development of nonlethal methods of data collection. We evaluated the nonlethal method of removing stomach contents using acrylic tubes. Stomach contents of Spiny Dogfish (Squalus acanthias) captured with bottom trawls and longlines were collected using acrylic tubes flushed with seawater. The largest tube used during the trawl survey was 30 mm in diameter, while a larger tube (37 mm in diameter) was used during longline sampling due to catches of larger dogfish. The average efficiency of stomach content removal was 79.5% overall, and improved to 93% with the addition of the larger tube. Selection of a tube with a diameter 10–20 mm less than mouth width can be reasonably expected to recover over 90% of stomach contents. Stomachtube lavage is a useful and efficient method for nonlethal sampling of stomach contents from Spiny Dogfish, and perhaps other small sharks.

The series of steep, wooded ravines along the eastern side of the Apalachicola River in Gadsden and Liberty counties, FL, is recognized for its rich biodiversity. Little recent information is available on crayfishes of this unique ecosystem. During surveys conducted from 1939–1941, 5 taxa, including one undescribed species (now Cambarus pyronotus [Fireback Crayfish]), were recorded. No crayfish studies were conducted in the Apalachicola Ravines in the ensuing 60 years, and the conservation status of C. pyronotus remained unknown. From June 1999–February 2002, we surveyed the Apalachicola Ravines to determine distributional limits and stream-by-stream occurrence of C. pyronotus and evaluate its conservation status in relation to the regional system of protected lands. We recorded 8 species of crayfishes, including 4 primary burrowers and 4 aquatic species. Members of each of these 2 groups exhibited distinct microgeographic and microhabitat selection patterns, with several species showing non-overlapping microdistributions. We documented C. pyronotus from only 12 of 29 stream drainages surveyed, all within the middle region of the survey area, for a total range estimate of about 80 km². Most of the inhabited streams within this small range occur on protected lands and include multiple habitable branches.

Little is known about the Ornate Diamondback Terrapin (Malaclemys terrapin macrospilota) from the Big Bend region of Florida (Wakulla, Jefferson, Taylor, and Dixie counties), and only 12 museum specimens from this area are known. We surveyed for this ecologically significant coastal species from the St. Marks River south for approximately 135 km to the Suwannee River in order to identify populations, locate and assess nesting habitats, create distribution maps for the species, and offer management recommendations to improve terrapin conservation in the Big Bend region. Using modified crab pots, head counts, and land surveys, we documented 37 new site records for Ornate Diamondback Terrapins. We captured 5 live terrapins, and recorded 5 heads, 6 intact nests, 16 crawls, terrapin material from 48 individuals, and 453 depredated terrapin nests. This survey documents the importance of the Big Bend region as significant habitat for this imperiled species. Managers should evaluate proposed development projects along this coastline for potential impacts to terrapin habitat and populations. We also recommend continued surveys of potential Diamondback Terrapin habitat along the Gulf coast of Florida so that additional populations can be located. We suggest that field studies commence at the terrapin population centers/nesting sites that we identified at Big Grass Island and vicinity, islands at the mouth of the Suwannee River, and areas surrounding the mouths of both the Steinhatchee and St. Marks rivers.

The patterns of hydrologic connectivity in coastal marsh systems may affect the variation of environmental variables. In this study, we examine the effects of hydrologic connectivity patterns on environmental variables among freshwater, brackish, and saline marsh ponds and between pond types (permanently connected pond [PCP], temporarily connected pond [TCP]) in coastal Louisiana. TCPs did not completely dry although they were only temporarily connected by surface water to permanent bodies of water. The patterns of daily water depth within a pond type across marshes and between pond types within a marsh did not clearly indicate differences. We found few environmental differences between our hydrological groups PCP and TCP. The salinity increased from inland (i.e., freshwater marsh) towards the ocean (i.e., saline marsh), but percent cover of submerged aquatic vegetation (SAV) decreased in the same direction.

Branchiate Ambystoma talpoideum (Mole Salamanders) in fishless ponds can be large enough to act as predators, rather than competitors, during the spring breeding season of other amphibians. Food habits of high-density Mole Salamander populations from 2 proximate woodland ponds in Clark County, AR were examined before and after egg-laying by frogs, with an expectation that the salamanders likely would consume hatching tadpoles. However, salamanders instead commonly fed on the novel item of freshly-laid frog eggs. Results from both ponds indicated that the salamanders, perhaps due to food limitation, consumed smaller prey items than would be expected and heavily consumed frog eggs, a novel item.

We performed a field experiment to determine the effect of supplemental food provisioning on the cache-pilferage rates of a natural squirrel population in Central Arkansas. Provisioning, which is sometimes used to attract animals to a study site and/ or to induce foraging behavior, may increase the local food availability above what is normally found and may in itself have profound effects on behavior. To test the hypothesis that artificial provisioning inflates cache-pilferage rates, we tracked the pilferage rates of experimenter-made caches at field sites that had been either provisioned or not provisioned with supplemental food. We found that squirrels pilfered caches at a significantly higher rate when the site was provisioned (med = 34.8) compared to similar caches placed in non-provisioned plots (med = 27.9), a difference that is likely the consequence of increased squirrel density and foraging intensity at provisioned sites. Based on these results, we suggest that researchers include appropriate non-provisioned controls and be conservative in the interpretation of pilfering rates obtained from study sites with supplemental food.

Sediment transport, one of the key processes of river systems, is altered or stopped by dams, leaving lower river reaches barren of sand and gravel, both of which are essential habitat for fish and macroinvertebrates. One way to compensate for losses in sediment is to supplement gravel to river reaches below impoundments. Because gravel addition has become a widespread practice, it is essential to evaluate the biotic response to restoration projects in order to improve the efficacy of future applications. The purpose of our study was to evaluate the response of the macroinvertebrate community to gravel addition in a high-gradient, regulated river in western North Carolina. We collected benthic macroinvertebrate samples from gravel-enhanced areas and unenhanced areas for 1 season before gravel addition, and for 4 seasons afterwards. Repeated measures multivariate analysis of variance indicated that the responses of macroinvertebrates to gravel addition were generally specific to individual taxa or particular functional feeding groups and did not lead to consistent patterns in overall family richness, diversity, density, or evenness. Non-metric multi-dimensional scaling showed that shifts in macroinvertebrate community composition were temporary and dependent upon site conditions and season. Correlations between macroinvertebrate response variables and substrate microhabitat variables existed with or without the inclusion of data from enhanced areas, which suggests that substrate-biotic relationships were present before gravel addition. A review of the current literature suggests that the responses of benthic macroinvertebrates to substrate restoration are inconsistent and dependent upon site conditions and the degree habitat improvement of pre-restoration site conditions.

Sagittaria fasciculata (Bunched Arrowhead) is an endangered plant known to grow only in Greenville County, SC, and Henderson and Buncombe counties, NC. This study compared the hydrogeochemical characteristics (hydrologic setting, water chemistry, substrate grain size, and organic matter content) of fourteen Bunched Arrowhead sites across Greenville County. All Bunched Arrowhead were found in partially to fully shaded and saturated discharge areas in close proximity to and fed by continuous and consistent groundwater seeps. The plants grew in sandy substrata with highly variable organic matter contents. Surface waters at these sites were shallow, dilute, and acidic (pH 4.5–5.7). However, the degree to which water chemistry influences the plant's growth and survival remains to be determined.

Information on factors affecting the abundance and detection of the endangered Ammodramus savannarum floridanus (Florida Grasshopper Sparrow) was required to determine appropriate management strategies and evaluate monitoring efforts. We examined annual point-count data, records of prescribed fire (2003–2008), observer variability, and landscape features for Three Lakes Wildlife Management Area to identify sources of variation in abundance and detection. The population of male Florida Grasshopper Sparrows was estimated to be 498 (95% CL = 354–641), which corresponded to 23.9 (95% CL = 17.0–30.7) males per km². Over most or all observed covariate ranges, abundance estimates increased with mean elevation above sea level, distance from outer edge of optimal habitat, and with growing-season burns (P ≤ 0.025). Abundance declined with time since last burn (P ≤ 0.006). Estimates of probability of detection ranged from 0.041 to 0.101, depending on observer and prior detections. Probability of detection declined with time of day, day of year, and days since last burn (P ≤ 0.058). The current prairie burn regime of 2- to 3-year intervals should be maintained with preference for increased growing-season burns. Annual point-count surveys should be continued. Surveys should be conducted within 2 hours of sunrise between mid-April and mid-May. Future monitoring should incorporate covariates of abundance and detection during the collection of data and in their analysis for population estimates used for recovery criteria.

Heterogeneity created through patchy disturbance is an important component of grassland conservation, but little research has focused on patch burn-grazing in grassland of the eastern United States. To test the viability of patch burn-grazing in a Tall Fescue-invaded old-field grassland on the Cumberland Plateau, we conducted a prescribed patch burn, stocked cattle, and measured vegetation structure and plant functional group composition. We found that patch burn-grazing creates spatial heterogeneity (patch contrast) for grass height, litter cover, bare ground, and canopy cover of native and exotic grasses. These results suggest that patch burn-grazing is a viable tool for heterogeneity-based grassland management in the region.

Epifagus virginiana (Beechdrop) is an annual flowering plant that parasitizes Fagus grandifolia (American Beech) roots. The pollination biology of the chasmogamous flowers of E. virginiana is unknown. In September 2011–2012, we observed insect visitors to E. virginiana flowers. Insect visitors included Bombus impatiens, Crematogaster spp., and Prenolepis imparis, but were dominated by P. imparis (over 96% of insect visits). In September 2012, we captured ants (Crematogaster and P. imparis) on E. virginiana flowers in three different areas found in the Coastal Plain and Piedmont physiographic provinces. With the use of 2,5-diphenyl tetrazolium bromide (MTT), we tested E. virginiana pollen from flowers and ant integuments for viability. We observed no significant difference (P > 0.05) between the viability of pollen taken directly from E. virginiana flowers and pollen removed from the ants. Our data suggests that ants can be playing an important role in the pollination of E. virginiana.