Hemlock Bluffs Nature Preserve is a 57-ha preserve in the piedmont of North Carolina. A small disjunct Tsuga canadensis (Eastern Hemlock) population exists in the preserve, primarily within a microclimate on a north-facing bluff. A study published in 1956 included a 1952–1953 inventory of the hemlock population as well as records of the local flora and climate. We re-inventoried the Eastern Hemlock population, conducted a new floristic survey, and recorded new climate data in the preserve in 2018–2019. Our new data reveal a notable change in both the Eastern Hemlock population and preserve-wide stand structure. Only 2% average light transmittance through the canopy was recorded in the preserve in the 2019 growing season, compared to 11% in the 1953 growing season (P = 0.02). At least 7 plant taxa underwent notable shifts in distribution, mostly moving down-slope on the bluff face. Average ambient air temperatures on the bluff were 1.62 °C higher in 2018–2019 than in 1952–1953. Canopy closure, inbreeding depression, increased temperatures, erosion, and browsing by Odocoileus virginianus (White-tailed Deer) all likely contribute to low Eastern Hemlock seed germination and high seedling mortality within the preserve. These factors may also partially account for observed shifts in floristic distribution. In addition to mortality caused by Adelges tsugae (Hemlock Woolly Adelgid), these environmental changes endanger the future viability of this Eastern Hemlock population.

Successful conservation requires information about a species' habitat needs throughout its life cycle. In 2015, we studied the post-breeding habitat use of Pseudacris collinsorum (Collinses' Mountain Chorus Frog), a species of special concern in North Carolina. We collected amplexing pairs from 2 breeding sites, and females laid a mean of 338 eggs per individual. We then followed 19 frogs leaving their breeding site for 23 days using radio telemetry. Fields, orchards, and, more distantly, forests surrounded breeding pools. Frogs traveled 11.4–475.6 m from their breeding site. Frog selection of macrohabitat did not differ from macrohabitat availability. However, most individuals that were from the breeding site nearest the forest as well as individuals that traveled the greatest distance entered the forest. Forest habitat had more burrows, canopy coverage, and leaf-litter cover, which provide protection from predators and desiccation. Our study suggests selection of forest habitat by Collinses' Mountain Chorus Frogs after breeding.

Cases of Ixodes scapularis (Blacklegged Tick or Deer Tick) are known to infest a variety of lizard species including Scincella lateralis (Ground Skink). We report the finding of 1 Ground Skink with an attached immature tick, later identified as an engorged Blacklegged Tick nymph, in a population with a low rate of tick infestation. Of the 151 Ground Skinks we collected at the Piney Woods Environmental Laboratory, only 1 was parasitized by any tick species. We extracted whole-body tick DNA and tested for various bacterial pathogens, including Anaplasma phagocytophilum, Ehrlichia spp., Borrelia spp., and Rickettsia spp. PCR tests for these pathogens were negative except for Rickettsia spp. Within our sampling region of Walker County, TX, in the East Texas Piney Woods, we estimated the infestation prevalence of Blacklegged Ticks utilizing Ground Skinks as a host at 0.66%, much lower than previous estimations in Oklahoma.

As agricultural conversion has transformed the landscape across the central United States, populations of grassland-associated species, such as those of Lanius ludovicianus (Loggerhead Shrike), have declined. Understanding the ecology and behavior of grassland species in these highly anthropogenic, agricultural landscapes provides vital information for conservation efforts. However, few studies have assessed the ecology and behavior of this species in intensive agricultural areas, especially during the potentially critical nonbreeding season. To help fill these knowledge gaps, we used direct behavioral and larder surveys to describe the non-breeding ecology and behavior of Loggerhead Shrikes in the agriculturally dominated Lower Mississippi Alluvial Valley of Arkansas. Over 3 winters, we observed behavior of Loggerhead Shrikes and found that they spent most of their time perched and scanning for prey (81%), mainly from utility wires (68% of used perches). On average, they made 14.9 ± 1.2 foraging attempts/hr and focused their efforts mostly in right-of-way grasses and adjacent agricultural fields. Overall, individual foraging success rates averaged 58%, did not differ amongst microhabitats, and were comparable to rates reported for breeding Loggerhead Shrikes from other habitats at similar latitudes. Arthropods were the most frequently captured prey (76%; based on direct behavioral surveys), and anurans were the most commonly cached prey (43% of observed cached items). In total, our study highlights the importance of utility wires and rights-of-way for foraging and arthropods as food sources, throughout even the coldest months of the year at this latitude, and increases our understanding of the behavior and ecology of the Loggerhead Shrike in these contexts.

We quantified microhabitat use of Etheostoma inscriptum (Turquoise Darter) in 2 streams in the Oconee River watershed in the Georgia Piedmont using snorkeling observations during September 2020. This species has a restricted distribution, and little is known about its habitat associations. Principal component analysis indicated that Turquoise Darters were over-represented in patches characterized by higher column and bottom water velocities and higher percentages of erosional substrata (gravel or small cobble) at both sites. Turquoise Darters were under-represented in patches characterized by higher amounts of depositional substrata (sand and silt) in both sites. These results indicate that sedimentation and hydrological alterations could limit suitable habitat for Turquoise Darters.

Lasiurus intermedius (Northern Yellow Bat) and Perimyotis subflavus (Tricolored Bat) are species of conservation concern in South Carolina and are threatened by loss of roosting habitat. To better understand summer roost selection, we radio-tracked individuals to roost trees during May through August of 2018 and 2019. We characterized roost trees, sites surrounding roost trees, and unused but available trees for each roost occasion. We used discrete-choice models to test hypotheses of factors influencing roost-site selection. Tri-colored Bats used foliage and Tillandsia usneoides (Spanish Moss) in hardwood trees and selected trees with high densities of Spanish Moss. Northern Yellow Bats used dead palm fronds in Sabal palmetto (Cabbage Palm Trees) or Spanish Moss in trees with high densities of Spanish Moss. Our results suggest that conservation of maritime and bottomland forests with trees that have high densities of important roost structures like Spanish Moss and dead palm fronds would benefit these species.

Resource managers can benefit from understanding how hydrology, geomorphology, and vegetation type affect fish populations and expectations of fishing quality at varying spatiotemporal scales. We used electrofishing to examine abundance and distribution of predatory fishes in 2 proximate rivers in southwest Florida for 4 years. We conducted a cross-site comparison to quantify relationships between habitat (e.g., geomorphological features, shore types, in-water structure), water conditions, and abundances of large predatory fishes. We found abundances of Centropomus undecimalis (Common Snook; euryhaline species) and Lepisosteus platyrhinchus (Florida Gar; obligate air breather) were comparable between the Peace and Myakka rivers, and low abundance of Micropterus floridanus (Florida Bass) was associated with low dissolved oxygen in the Myakka River. The lowest dissolved oxygen occurred just downstream of large in-stream marshes, where conditions become hypoxic following seasonal vegetation die-offs. Understanding how habitat availability and water conditions favor fishes within a waterbody will guide how interventions to improve fishing quality (e.g., stocking fish) can be successful or if angler expectations need to be adjusted.

We documented the structure and composition of a Pinus palustris (Longleaf Pine) woodland community in the Appalachian foothills of Alabama using field measurements and investigated the drivers of forest dynamics using dendroecology paired with historical records of disturbance. Longleaf Pine dominated the canopy, exhibiting a reverse-J–shaped diameter distribution not related with age distribution. Longleaf Pines dated as far back as 1669 to as recently as the early 2000s. In contrast to many other forests, the spatial distribution of Longleaf Pine stems in our site trended toward a random distribution when trees were weighted by DBH or age. Based on ring patterns from 322 Longleaf Pine individuals, growth releases from disturbances occurred continuously from the early 1900s through the 1940s and between 1985 and 1995, with Longleaf Pine establishment peaking 3 times: in the 1880s, 1940s, and 1990s. A superposed epoch analysis revealed that release events were not related with recorded large-scale meteorological (e.g., hurricanes) or local human-induced disturbances, suggesting that other factors have influenced the dynamics of this community. This Longleaf Pine community in the Piedmont shared similarities in composition and structure to other Longleaf Pine communities of the southeastern United States. A combination of fire suppression over the last 80 years and high-intensity arson fires over the last decade has caused an increase in density of both live and dead Longleaf Pine and recruitment of fire-sensitive pines and hardwoods into the seedling/sapling classes and canopy. Restoration of the historical fire regime may be needed for Longleaf Pine to maintain its dominance in this community, as fire may have appeared to exert strong control over the dynamics of this community.

Lasionycteris noctivagans (Silver-haired Bat) is relatively uncommon in the southeastern United States and is thought to only occur in Mississippi during spring and fall migration and in winter. Prior to 2020, there was only 1 confirmed record of a Silver-haired Bat Mississippi. It was a solitary female found in Jackson, Hinds County, on 19 October 1986. Thirty-four years later, 2 Silver-haired Bats were observed during migration periods in 2020. A female was collected in Harrison County on 9 March 2020, adding to the few records of Silver-haired Bats migrating to the coast of the Gulf of Mexico. On 5 October 2020, a young Silver-haired Bat was found on the ground at Mississippi State University, Oktibbeha County. This new record expands our current knowledge about this species in Mississippi and throughout the southeastern United States.

Within the western extent of its range, Fundulus chrysotus (Golden Topminnow) is generally restricted to coastal drainages of Texas, with few reported occurrences inland. We report a new record of Golden Topminnow in the upper San Marcos River of Texas. The occurrence of Golden Topminnow could represent a natural range expansion or incidental introduction to the area. Future monitoring of the population within the San Marcos River (Guadalupe River basin) is needed to confirm if the species becomes established.

Thryothorus ludovicianus (Carolina Wren) have rarely been reported to eat lizards. We found Scincella lateralis (Ground Skink) tails in 3 nests of Carolina Wrens occupying nest boxes in residential areas of Huntsville, TX, in 2017. The most likely explanation is that the wrens had been feeding the skinks or their tail sections to their nestlings.

We report new occurrences of the catfish Ameiurus serracanthus (Spotted Bullhead) in the Withlacoochee River drainage, a tributary of the Gulf of Mexico, in Citrus County, FL. Spotted Bullhead in Florida were previously known to occur as far south as the Suwannee River drainage. We collected 12 specimens downstream from the Inglis Lock and Dam on the Withlacoochee River, which indicates an increase in the southern extent of the species' known range and its occurrence in a new river drainage. Further sampling and genetic analysis are needed to determine if this population is genetically isolated from populations in the Suwannee River and other drainages in its range.

Bats have few natural predators, with birds and snakes being most commonly reported. However, there are also reports of bat predation by large arthropods, including spiders, although recorded cases outside of the Neotropics, Asia, and Australia/Papua New Guinea are rare. Herein, we report an observation of a potential predation event on a Perimyotis subflavus (Tri-colored Bat) by a Dolomedes tenebrosus (Dark Fishing Spider) at a culvert hibernaculum in East Texas. We believe this to be only the second reported case of predation on a bat by a hunting spider in North America. As Tri-colored Bat numbers are decreasing due to the spread of white-nose syndrome, we discuss the need to consider impacts of spider predation at culvert hibernacula and how climatic events may alter the predator–prey dynamics between these 2 species.