Video footage recorded from 14 submersible dives on the continental shelf edge was used to describe and categorize reef morphology and quantify density and number of morphotypes of large sponges and corals. Significant variation in number of morphotypes and density of three dominant species among temperature classes, depth classes, and reef morphology categories was tested using a multiple response permutation procedure. The greatest densities of Ircinia campana, Stichopathes sp., and Muricea pendula, and the largest numbers of morphotypes were found between 18.1 and 21.0 °C and at depths between 51.0 and 60.9 m. Among reef morphology types, those that contained unconsolidated sediments such as “sand” and “large boulders with sand” exhibited the lowest densities and richness of morphotypes, while “block-shaped boulders,” “buried block-shaped boulders,” and “low-relief bioeroded” reefs had the greatest densities and largest numbers of coral and sponge morphotypes. Rocky reefs along the shelf edge with rough texture, complexity, and relief provide favorable conditions for epibenthic invertebrates. The warming and stabilizing effect of the Gulf Stream along the continental shelf edge allows some sessile macrofauna to inhabit deeper waters and more northern latitudes.

Living, freshly collected individuals of three species of snapping shrimps were studied to determine any differing morphological, developmental, and ecological features: Alpheus heterochaelis, collected from Beaufort, NC; A. angulosus, found mainly in Jacksonville, FL, but also at one site in Beaufort; and A. estuariensis, collected at another Jacksonville site. Structural characteristics of these superficially similar species are summarized, with particular attention to coloration. Adult A. angulosus individuals have blue-green 2^nd antennal fl agella (vs. tan in the other two species) that are significantly shorter than those of A. heterochaelis. Alpheus angulosus and A. estuariensis bear smaller eggs (<1 mm, regardless of embryonic stage) than A. heterochaelis (>1 mm), and the former species displays the zoea larval form typical of alpheids (vs. abbreviated larval development in A. heterochaelis).

New records of copepods are listed from artificial containers and shallow waterbodies in the Florida Keys. Mesocyclops ogunnus is reported from the United States for the first time. Metacyclops cf. gracilis is reported from the Florida Keys for the first time. New collection records are presented for 12 other species. Mesocyclops ogunnus is an Old World species, and this is the third record in the Neotropics; it may have the potential to compete with the North and Central American native Mesocyclops edax. The non-native copepod species found in central and southern Florida are generally associated with plants and soils. A review of literature on introduced copepods found in South Florida is presented.

Epiphytic algae may be responsible for a significant amount of primary productivity in aquatic ecosystems, but also reduce available light, compete for nutrients, and increase drag on their living substrates. A survey of the epiphytic algal community of the submersed aquatic macrophyte Vallisneria americana Michx. (Hydrocharitaceae) in the lower St. Johns River, FLwas conducted over a 17-month period. A total of 122 infrageneric taxa were collected at four sites along a 93-km stretch of the river, yielding 32 diatoms (Bacillariophyta), 42 green algae (Chlorophyta), 45 blue-green algae (Cyanobacteria), 2 euglenoids (Euglenophyta), and 1 dinoflagellate (Pyrrophyta) taxa identified over the study period. However, only diatoms and cyanobacteria were seen at all sampling dates, and only a Cocconeis sp. was identified at all sites on all dates. This study provides baseline survey data of the epiphytic algal community in order to assess future anthropogenic effects.

General Land Office (GLO) survey data from the Ackerman Unit of the Tombigbee National Forest, MS are used to characterize early 19^th-century tree cover in a part of the North Central Hills physiographic province. Archaeological settlement-pattern data indicate that the area was abandoned ca. A.D. 1000 and that early Historic-period settlement was minimal by the time the GLO surveys were done. The GLO data therefore represent forest conditions as they developed in the absence or near-absence of human influence. Tree cover consisted of oak-dominated hardwoods with a non-clustered pine component. The distributions of some hardwood species were related to geological controls. Based on previous archaeological work, the argument concerning minimal human impact can be extended to the entire North Central Hills province, with consequent implications for forest management on federal lands.

Imperata cylindrica (cogongrass) is an invasive weed long established in the southeastern US, and considerable effort is devoted to its control. Two native species, I. brevifolia (California satintail) and I. brasiliensis (Brazilian satintail), also occur in the US, and the latter is sympatric to cogongrass. Certain Imperata morphotypes growing in the field are difficult to identify. To clarify their identity, inter-simple sequence repeats (ISSRs) were used to assess genetic differentiation among eight populations in the US representing Brazilian satintail, California satintail, three potential morphotypes of cogongrass, and three unknowns. Samples preserved in 95% ethyl alcohol and silica-gel did not produce repeatable band patterns, so DNA from fresh leaves was extracted and analyzed by polymerase chain reaction (PCR) amplification. Results indicate that California satintail (D = 0.67), a commercial cogongrass cultivar (D = 0.66), and a short-hairy morphotype of cogongrass (D = 0.65) were the most distinctive operational taxonomic units (OTUs) compared. The unweighted pair group method with arithmetic mean (UPGMA) dendrogram showed two well-supported clusters of taxa containing Brazilian satintail (Bootstrap value = 96%) and the tall morphotypes of cogongrass (Bootstrap value = 83%), respectively. Among the morphotypes of cogongrass analyzed, the tall-hairy and tall-glabrous plants formed a cluster from which the short-hairy morphotype and the cultivar were genetically divergent. Our results refute taxonomic arrangements placing Brazilian satintail as a synonym of cogongrass.

Riparian buffers can be valuable refuge areas for wildlife in otherwise homogeneous agricultural landscapes. Government sponsored programs like the Cropland Reserve Program generally require the planting of specific vegetative species during buffer restoration, although the effectiveness of such an approach when compared to restoration by volunteer species is unknown. We studied the effect of differences in vegetation structure on avian habitat in riparian buffer zones. A 25 m (82 ft) wide planted woodland buffer, 30 m (98 ft) wide grass, shrub, and woodland three-zone buffer, and a 9 m (30 ft) wide shrub buffer were evaluated for habitat potential using breeding-bird counts and vegetation surveys. Bird density and species richness varied with the structure of the vegetative communities present at the three sites. Avian species richness and total detections were higher in the three-zone buffer than in both the shrub and planted buffer, likely a result of the diversity of vegetation at the site. These data suggest that restoration of riparian areas by allowing fallow vegetation to recolonize is at the very least equally beneficial to avian wildlife as is restoration by planting specific grass, shrub, and tree species. Buffer restoration by natural revegetation using this method could be recommended as an alternative to implementation by planting riparian species due to its simplicity and cost effectiveness.

The effects of a transmission line right-of-way (TROW) on the distributions of mammalian predators were investigated by placement of track plates at specific locations. A total of 50 tracks were detected. The large-bodied carnivores exhibited a strong preference for the TROW (χ² = 8.652, 2 df, p = 0.013). In contrast, the small-bodied predators were distributed more uniformly, exhibiting no significant differences in their distributions (χ² = 1.927, 2 df, p = 0.382). The TROW likely facilitates the travel of the large-bodied carnivores by offering an area that is relatively free from obstruction. The higher-than-expected occurrence of the small-bodied predators in the TROW may have been due to temporal variations caused by dietary enhancements available at particular times of the year.

Increased road construction associated with urbanization may result in fragmentation and loss of fish populations in streams. In this study, we documented frequency of movement of fishes through three separate types of road-crossings (clear-span bridges, box culverts, and tube culverts) in six small streams using mark-recapture sampling. Upstream movement between areas separated by either box or tube culverts was lower than upstream movement between similar areas not separated by a road crossing. Downstream movement between areas separated by box culverts was also lower than downstream movement between areas without obstructions. Upstream and downstream movement between areas separated by clear-span bridges was generally similar to patterns of movement between areas not separated by a road crossing. Our results indicate that culverts may limit, to some degree, movements of fishes in small streams.

Effective sampling of pond-dwelling larval stages of the federally listed Ambystoma cingulatum (Flatwoods Salamander) requires sufficient knowledge of when larvae are present and how best to sample them. Through systematic sampling with active and passive sampling techniques, we found dipnetting to be significantly more effective than three types of passive traps. During surveys for Flatwoods Salamander larvae at Fort Stewart Military Installation, GA in 2005 and 2006, we found that pond residency varied by at least 1.5 months between the 2 years due to the timing of pond filling. In addition, our latest capture on 23 May 2005 was about 2 weeks later than previously recorded at any site range-wide. A simple growth model was used to evaluate likely hatching dates based on significant rain events, observed sizes at capture, and likely growth rates. This analysis suggested that the primary dates of hatching occurred in late February 2005 and early January 2006, a difference that corresponds to that seen in the residency of the latest larval stages. A review of the survey records for Fort Stewart for the past 13 years shows a steep decline in the number of occupied ponds from near 20 to a single pond for the past two years (the only documented breeding success in a natural pond since 1999).

We identified stomach contents of 80 Plethodon albagula (Western Slimy Salamander) from two mountain ranges in Arkansas (Ozark and Ouachita) to examine if regional differences in diet occur. Museum specimens from 1985 to 2005 were used from locations throughout each mountain range. Although a wide variety of prey were found in stomachs, Hymenoptera: Formicidae and Coleoptera: Carabidae were found to be the most important food items in the diet of P. albagula. Ants and beetles constituted 85% abundance of their total diet (79.6% Ozark and 90.1% Ouachita) and 52.2% of their total biomass (42.6% Ozark and 64.1% Ouachita). Seventy-eight and 87% of individuals examined from the Ozark and Ouachita Mountains, respectively, consumed ants (65% total, 83% for animals with food items in their stomachs), whereas 55% in the Ozarks and 58% in the Ouachitas consumed at least one family of beetle. Occurrence and biomass of prey items that did not include ants and beetles showed P. albagula to be a euryphagic predator, with 9.7% of diet being comprised of other prey types (27.3% biomass). Furthermore, importance values indicate ants were the most important prey item for P. albagula in both the Ozark and Ouachita samples, with carabid beetles (Ozark) and all beetles (Ouachita) being second most important. Jaccard Index indicated Ozark and Ouachita specimens shared 80% similarity in diet. Our data suggest P. albagula in Arkansas have high dependence upon ants and beetles, yet appears to be an opportunistic and euryphagic predator.

Macrochelys temminckii Harlan (Alligator Snapping Turtle) is a large aquatic turtle species that has been experiencing population declines throughout its range. Unfortunately, little is known about the species' basic biology or historic status throughout the majority of its range. In order to better understand the status and distribution of M. temminckii in southeastern Missouri, we visited 50 sites with suitable habitat and trapped at 19 of them in Dunklin, Mississippi, New Madrid, and Pemiscot counties, MO in 1994. We captured 37 M. temminckii at four sites in Pemiscot and Dunklin counties. The Dunklin County site was resampled in 1997, and radio transmitters were attached to 11 Alligator Snapping Turtles (6 males: 4 females: 1 unknown sex). Telemetered turtles were found at microhabitats consisting of more cover, high-density canopy, and lower gradient banks than random locations. We noted a significant difference in turtle size between sites that have and those that have not experienced historical take of Alligator Snapping Turtles.

The impact of roads on amphibian and reptile numbers at Texas Parks and Wildlife Department's Old Sabine Bottom Wildlife Management Area (OSBWMA), a bottomland hardwood forest was studied from 1 June 2003 to 1 June 2004 by vehicular and pedestrian surveys. One weekly survey was conducted in the morning and the other in late afternoon. Vehicular surveys were conducted by driving 16.1 km/hr over the roads (9.5 km) through the bottomland twice per week. Pedestrian surveys were conducted on 6 sections of those roads (1.3, 1.3, 1.3, 1.1, 0.3, and 0.3 km), three on the larger main gravel road, and three sections on smaller dirt tributaries, twice weekly. One section of the main road (1.3 km) was located near three operating oil rigs. The other 5 sections of the survey route traversed forested regions of the management area. The 3 sections located along the main gravel road were subject to regular vehicular traffic by the public and OSBWMA staff. The three sections located along the dirt trail tributaries had primarily foot travel with much less and slower vehicular traffic. GPS coordinate, date, and condition (alive or dead) of the specimens were recorded. In the summer, 10.5% of the amphibians and reptiles were found dead on the road (DOR). The number of DORs in the fall was 47.1%, and 64.3% in the spring. For amphibians, 28.1% were DOR (summer), 20% in the fall, and 83.3% in the spring. In the winter months, no specimens were observed on the roads. Road traffic in this bottomland impacts reptiles extensively in the fall and amphibians in the summer, whereas both reptiles and amphibians are affected by road traffic in the spring. Smaller roads and the section of road with oil rigs had lower mortality rates, while areas with adjacent borrow pits had higher mortality rates.

Relatively little is known about the ecology and population biology of Virginia striatula (Rough Earth Snake) and Virginia valeriae (Smooth Earth Snake), especially in the southeastern portion of their geographic ranges. We studied populations of the two species on the Savannah River Site (SRS) in Aiken, SC from 1971 to 2007. We found sexual size dimorphism in both species, in which females were longer and heavier than males, but had relatively shorter tails. Overall, Rough Earth Snakes were longer and heavier than Smooth Earth Snakes, but maximum sizes of both species were smaller on the SRS than at other localities from which data are reported. Additionally, all gravid female Smooth Earth Snakes that we captured on the SRS were smaller than their reported size at sexual maturity from other parts of their range. Seasonal activity of Smooth Earth Snakes peaked in May and October, but both Smooth Earth Snakes and Rough Earth Snakes were frequently captured during all warm months. Distinct age classes in the two species were not readily apparent other than several neonates that we captured. We strongly encourage future studies to determine growth rates, longevity, and minimum size at sexual maturity of earth snakes in the Southeast.

We present information on the use of trees by Elaphe obsoleta (Texas Ratsnake) in a mesic pine-hardwood forest in eastern Texas. Using radiotelemetry, seven snakes (3 females, 4 males) were relocated a total of 363 times from April 2004 to May 2005, resulting in 201 unique locations. Snakes selected trees containing cavities and used hardwoods and snags for a combined 95% of arboreal locations. Texas Ratsnake arboreal activity peaked during July and August, well after the peak of avian breeding activity, suggesting arboreal activity involves factors other than avian predation.

Geranium molle and Erodium cicutarium are reported here as new to the flora of Mississippi. Other collections representing new county records and disjunct populations also are reported. Several of these species are either rare or introduced, which make these findings significant for the Mississippi flora.

After more than five decades of intensive research on a wide variety of reptiles and amphibians at the Savannah River Site, the known occurrence of some members of the herpetofauna remains unresolved. One such “problem species,” Pseudacris brimleyi (Brimley's Chorus Frog), was recently found for the first time in over 50 years. The rediscovery of this cryptic species shows how the concept of hidden biodiversity not only applies to the general public, but to the scientific community as well.