Open dune systems are being degraded through human development and exotic species invasions. The Grand Sable Dunes, Pictured Rocks National Lakeshore, Michigan, are protected from development but not from the spread of exotic species. The invasive exotic spotted knapweed, Centaurea biebersteinii, has invaded significant portions of this dune system. Areas without spotted knapweed had higher native plant diversity than areas with spotted knapweed, as well as lower exotic plant diversity. Of native plant species occurring in the highest frequencies along transects in both spotted knapweed infested and non-spotted knapweed infested areas, four out of the five species were more likely to be encountered along transects in non-spotted knapweed areas than along transects in spotted knapweed areas. Insect families Curculionidae and Formicidae were captured more often in areas with spotted knapweed. Increased dune stabilization increased the ability of exotic plant species not adapted to the actively shifting sand dunes to invade and alter the plant communities. Differences in Curculionidae and Formicidae abundance were due to the changes in plant communities. Also, increased stabilization of sand dunes as a result of spotted knapweed invasion increased the abundance of Formicidae by increasing the stability of nest sites. Limiting the range of spotted knapweed in dune systems could maintain natural insect distribution and native plant diversity.

Pocket gophers have the potential to alter the dynamics of grasslands by creating mounds that bury existing vegetation and locally reset succession. Gopher mounds may provide safe sites for less competitive species, potentially increasing both species diversity and vegetation heterogeneity (spatial variation in species composition). We compared species composition, diversity and heterogeneity among gopher mounds of different ages in three montane meadows in the Cascade Range of Oregon. Cover of graminoids and forbs increased with mound age, as did species richness. Contrary to many studies, we found no evidence that mounds provided safe sites for early successional species, despite their abundance in the soil seed bank, or that diversity peaked on intermediate-aged mounds. However, cover of forbs relative to that of graminoids was greater on mounds than in the adjacent meadow. Variation in species composition was also greater within and among mounds than in adjacent patches of undisturbed vegetation, suggesting that these small-scale disturbances increase heterogeneity within meadows.

Electric “fences” were used along with hand removal to experimentally reduce rusty crayfish (Orconectes rusticus) densities in a lake. The goals of this experiment were to determine the impacts of crayfish on three macrophytes species, Potamogeton amplifolius, P. richardsonii and Elodea canadensis and to assess the effectiveness of our electric fences. While future enhancements of our experimental design will be more effective in lakes, we were able to significantly reduce crayfish densities in electric plots compared to non-electric control plots using the electric fence method. Even at reduced densities, crayfish had a large selective impact on the macrophytes. Potamogeton richardsonii and E. canadensis were eliminated within a matter of days in the control plots and within 3 wk in the electric plots. P. amplifolius, on the other hand, survived in both plots; although crayfish reduced shoot and root dry weight in the non-electric control plots. Our results have implications for future macrophyte restoration efforts.

The endangered St. Francis Satyr (Neonympha mitchellii francisci) is a small sedentary butterfly and one of the rarest in North America. Our study examined various quantitative aspects of this butterfly's biology, including the distributional range, habitat associations, population size and trends, demographic parameters and spatial aspects of population structure. The range of N.m. francisci distribution is restricted to DoD lands at Ft. Bragg, North Carolina, where the butterfly utilizes wetland habitats, predominantly those that have previously been impounded by beaver. In situ habitat associations and captive rearing experiments indicate that multiple sedges in the genus Carex, particularly C. mitchelliana, may be important larval food plants. Subpopulation estimates range between 49–739 individuals at any one site, while cumulative population estimates range between 700–1400 individuals for all accessible areas on Ft. Bragg. Habitats occupied by N.m. francisci are frequently subject to burning or flooding and thus butterfly subpopulations are extremely dynamic, fluctuating in response to these disturbances. This regular disturbance regime dictates that dispersal is necessary for population persistence. Several inter-colony movements were measured during capture-recapture studies and we observed both subpopulation extinctions and colonization of new habitat through the period of our studies. Conservation of N.m. francisci depends on accommodating unique aspects of its populations, including its dependence on beaver and its multi-tiered metapopulation structure.

The relationship between carnivorous pitcher plants (Family Sarraceniaceae) is not well understood. While a limited amount of such data are available for some pitcher plant species such as Sarracenia purpurea, very little is know about others such as S. minor. This study examined the relationship between the hooded pitcher plant S. minor and its most common herbivore, the pitcher plant mining moth Exyra semicrocea, in northeast Florida. At the beginning of the growing season, moth densities were positively correlated with plant height, number of pitchers per plant and the proportion of non-pitcher leaves. Over the growing season, plants with higher moth densities decreased in size, while plants with lower moth densities increased. Plants with higher moth densities also produced fewer phyllodia than plants with fewer moths. Data from this study suggest that herbivory by E. semicrocea moth larvae may have a significant negative impact on the hooded pitcher plant and that this effect could be stronger for larger higher quality plants.

To date, the diet of the pigmy short-horned lizard (Phrynosoma douglasii) is not known. We report the diet of the pigmy short-horned lizard to determine whether it shows a more generalized diet, similar to other short-horned lizards or a more specialized diet consisting primarily of ants. We compare variation in diet among habitat variables and age/sex classes. We also compare ant head capsules consumed among age/sex classes to determine if lizard groups consume ants of varying size and diversity proportional to their body sizes. Similar to other short-horned lizards, P. douglasii consumes relatively lower proportions of ants (71%) than highly myrmecophagous horned lizard species, followed by pebbles (13%) and Coleopteran insects (11%). Aside from terrain, diet varies among all habitat variables measured, but especially among age and sex classes; neonates feed almost exclusively on ants (89%) while adults consume fewer ants (72%) and yearlings consume the lowest proportion of ants (60%). Most ants consumed by adults represent a single ant genus (Camponotus), while yearlings and neonates consume multiple ant genera of smaller sizes (Camponotus, Pheidole, Tetramorium). We found a significant positive correlation between lizard SVL and the size of ant heads in the diet of P. douglasii. These results are important in understanding variation in diet and ecology of the pigmy short-horned lizard and also in addressing foraging and diet in other insectivorous Phrynosomatid lizards, particularly horned lizards.

The use of fluctuating asymmetry (FA) estimates in animal research is increasing, but most studies thus far have focused on birds, amphibians and insects. Turtles have bilateral shell scutes that can be easily measured with modern imaging techniques and, therefore, should serve as ideal candidates for FA research, although identifying the most appropriate characters to measure must first be determined. With this issue in mind we undertook the current project to assess levels of plastron scute asymmetry in a common freshwater turtle species, specifically examining the level of variation among scutes and the effects of age (size) and gender on our estimates of scute FA. We photographed 86 museum specimens of adult yellow-bellied sliders, Trachemys scripta (32 males, 54 females) and used image analysis software to measure their carapace lengths and absolute differences in left-right surface areas of plastron scutes. We found that scutes varied in the degree of FA, but the magnitude of the variation tended to be higher among males and there was higher FA in general in the forward-most plastron scutes. We also found that scute asymmetry increased with carapace size, indicating that turtle shells become increasingly asymmetrical with age. This may be the result of adjacent scutes growing against each other over time, leading to random flux in symmetrical growth, or from age-related bioaccumulation of pollutants, which could interfere with normal symmetrical shell production.

The species-area pattern for plants and animals predicts larger areas generally contain greater species richness. Also, it is recognized that the number of species increases from north to south with temperature. Our analyses of the distribution of Michigan fishes support these observations. The common log-log slope value of about 0.25 for species-area relationship was found for the Upper and Lower peninsulas of Michigan as well as the Great Lakes watersheds of Superior, Huron and Erie (Michigan was an exception with a value of 0.44). The number of species per 2500 square kilometers increased from 50 species for the Upper Peninsula to 73 species for the southern Lower Peninsula as the latitude decreased from 47° to 42°, and the Great Lakes watersheds showed a similar pattern. The increase in species number from north to south correlated with a measured increase in growing degree days. The multiple regression of area and growing degree days of watersheds against number of species resulted in an increase in adjusted r² to 0.67 from 0.38 for the regression of species-area alone. Species diversity of Michigan fishes is strongly influenced by watershed area and growing degree days temperatures.

Native fishes of the Great Plains are at risk of decline due to disturbances to physical habitat caused by changes in land and water use, as well as shifts in species assemblages driven by the invasion of introduced species with the loss of natives. We used historical and current fish assemblage data in conjunction with current habitat information to assess these influences on an endemic Great Plains stream fish, the plains topminnow (Fundulus sciadicus). Of the 31 sites where the plains topminnow occurred historically (1939–1940), it was found in only seven of those sites in 2003–2005. Our results demonstrate a shift in fish assemblage over time that coincides with the loss of plains topminnow. Changes in fish assemblages were characterized by increases in occurrence of exotic, invasive and generalist species with declines in occurrences of native fishes. An information theoretic approach was used to evaluate candidate models of current fish assemblage and physical/chemical habitat on the presence of the plains topminnow. Candidate models that included both instream habitat (e.g., vegetation coverage, undercut banks) and the native fish species assemblage are important to predicting presence of the plains topminnow within its historic range. Conservation of Great Plains fishes including the plains topminnow will need a combination of habitat protection and enhancement.

Foam casts and burrow excavations were used to examine Fallicambarus gordoni burrow occupancy rates, seasonal variation in burrow morphology, correlation between crayfish abundance and burrow abundance and potential ecological effects of burrowing through soil disturbance and the creation of fossorial habitat. Burrow occupancy rates were high (75%) and consistent between active and inactive seasons, although several burrow metrics differed significantly between seasons. Crayfish abundance was strongly correlated with burrow abundance. Estimates of annual soil disturbance (82 metric tons/ha/y) and fossorial habitat created (29–49 km/ha) suggest F. gordoni serves important ecological functions within the greater habitat.

Fox squirrel (Sciurus niger) populations in the southeastern United States are declining, with fragmentation of large mature forests believed to be the primary cause. Historically, demographics of midwestern fox squirrel or gray squirrel (Sciurus carolinensis) populations have been applied to management of southeastern fox squirrels. However, fox squirrels rarely become abundant in southeastern forests, despite variations in habitat quality. Previous research has reported on low density populations in the Southeast, but the effects of changing land use patterns on population demographics remain untested. We studied the demographics of a stable high density population of southern fox squirrels (S. n. niger) on Spring Island, South Carolina. Squirrel density (75.8 squirrels/km²), as estimated by the mark–resight method was the highest reported for fox squirrels in the Southeast. Mean annual survival rate was 62%, with automobiles causing 31% of squirrel deaths. Seasonal weights (992 g–1150 g), age structure (39% juvenile and 61% subadult or adult) and evidence of year round breeding suggest the population was healthy despite concurrent residential development of the island. Although individual home ranges were smaller (2.13 ha for females during late summer to 15.08 ha for males during early summer) than previously reported, we observed no resource related sexual segregation or intolerance among individuals. We believed the characteristics of this unique population were directly related to the sustainable availability of a diversity of fox squirrel foods. These findings suggest that population demographics of fox squirrels might differ greatly among habitats, even within similar geographic locations and the same subspecies. Therefore, managers should recognize that southern fox squirrel populations can thrive in forests with residential development when cover and food resources are abundant and sustainable.

Raccoons (Procyon lotor) have been implicated as important predators impacting nesting birds in the Midwest. Raccoon populations have increased dramatically in Illinois during the past 20 y prompting suggestions that lethal control programs may be warranted. Non-lethal approaches that separate avian nesting habitat from raccoon travel corridors may provide an acceptable alternative, but little is known about foraging patterns by raccoons in agricultural landscapes. Therefore, the objectives of this study were to: (1) evaluate home range size and movements of raccoons during the avian nesting season, (2) describe patterns of habitat selection at multiple spatial scales and (3) suggest management strategies to reduce the impact of raccoons on nesting birds. Twenty-one raccoons were radio-tracked at the Richardson Wildlife Foundation in northern Illinois from May through Aug. of 2002 and 2003. The mean 95% kernel home range was 60.5 ha and the mean 50% core area was 8.1 ha. Males moved faster than females at night, averaging 355.5 m/h vs. 192.3 m/h, respectively. Raccoons tended to follow linear landscape features such as fencerows, forest edges and mowed trails as they foraged at night. Home ranges contained more forest edge and less cropland than expected, and within their home ranges, raccoons foraged selectively along forest edges and wetlands, but generally avoided grasslands and crop fields.

Many cervids exhibit similar behavior near and following parturition. For example, during their first 2 mo of life, fawn white-tailed deer (Odocoileus virginianus) are relatively sedentary, may be at their highest risk for mortality and are not yet functional ruminants. Relatively few studies describe demographics or space use of fawn white-tailed deer ≤2 mo old despite the potential for mortality through this time period having a relatively large influence on deer population dynamics. Our objectives were to estimate survival, assess cause-specific mortality and describe space use (i.e., cover) of fawn white-tailed deer in an agro-forest ecosystem in south central Michigan. We captured (mid-May to mid-Jun.), radiomarked and monitored 34 fawns during 2004–2006 and pooled data for analyses. Two- and 6-mo survival estimates (Mayfield method) were 81% and 67%, respectively, and canids caused most mortalities during both time periods. Kernel home ranges (95%) during the first 2 mo averaged 40.9 ha (range  =  2.7–166.8), with conifers and lowland deciduous forests selected in proportions higher than available on the study area.

Nestling survival may be an important factor driving population fluctuations of arvicoline rodents, yet few data exist owing to the difficulties of monitoring survival at the nest. We examined survival of nestling prairie voles Microtus ochrogaster in alfalfa and bluegrass habitats over a 25-y period using the proportion of young estimated to have been born to pregnant females and to have survived to first capture at ≤13 g. Nestling survival did not differ between habitats, but was greater during spring-early autumn than during late autumn–winter and greater during late autumn than winter. Survival of nestlings was also greater during the increase phase than during the decline or trough phases irrespective of season. During most increase phases greater nestling survival may have resulted from hibernation of snakes. Predation from snakes did not appear to be involved in decreased survival during the decline phase, at least for declines occurring during late autumn-winter. We suggest extreme weather and maternal death from predation as potential causes of decreased survival of nestlings in winter declines.

Birds and vegetation were surveyed in a 9 ha plot in spring 1976 in a 73 y-old jack pine (Pinus banksiana) – black spruce (Picea mariana) forest in northeastern Minnesota. A 1368 ha wildfire burned across the area that autumn. The plot was resurveyed in 1977 and periodically through 2006. Before the fire, birds with the highest importance values were Blackburnian Warbler (Dendroica fusca), Ovenbird (Seiurus aurocapillus), Red-eyed Vireo (Vireo olivaceus) and Bay-breasted Warbler (D. castanea). Within 7 y following the fire, canopy tree cover decreased to near zero as fire-damaged trees died. Afterwards, the canopy began increasing, reaching 53% cover by 30 y. Shrub cover, 8% before the fire, peaked at over 70% two decades after fire, primarily as a result of dense jack pine and black spruce regeneration, and then decreased to 58% 30 y after fire. The total number of bird species using the area doubled the first year following the fire while the number of bird species with discernable territories decreased 40%. Thereafter, territorial species began increasing and 30 y after the fire the number exceeded the pre-fire richness by 60%. Overall, density of bird territories decreased nearly three-fold the first 3 y after the fire, but by year 30, was over 56% greater than in the pre-burn mature pine forest. Loss of canopy was related to a reduction in warbler and vireo diversity while increases in woody debris and near-ground vegetation were related to an increase in ground-brush foragers such as White-throated Sparrow (Zonotrichia albicollis) and Chipping Sparrow (Spizella passerina). Brown Creeper (Certhia americana) populations increased briefly as trees died, and for five years following fire there was an increase in woodpeckers and secondary cavity nesting species. At 7 to 10 y after fire, White-throated Sparrow, Magnolia Warbler (Dendroica magnolia), Chestnut-sided Warbler (D. pensylvanica), Nashville Warbler (Vermivora ruficapilla) and Mourning Warbler (Oporornis philadelphia) dominated. White-throated Sparrow continued to be the most important bird species through the first two decades, followed by Magnolia Warbler and Red-eyed Vireo. Thirty years after fire, the dominant birds were Nashville Warbler and Ovenbird, followed distantly by Veery (Catharus fuscescens) Swainson's Thrush (Catharus ustulatus), Least Flycatcher (Empidonax minimus) and Black-and-white Warbler (Mniotilta varia). Overall, bird species using the area after 30 y remained over 70% higher than in the mature forest before the fire.

Woodpeckers are a significant source of mortality of emerald ash borer (EAB) (Agrilus planipennis Fairmaire), an Asian phloem-feeding insect first discovered in North America in 2002. However, factors that may influence woodpecker-EAB interactions have not been investigated. We collected data on woodpecker predation, EAB density and tree and site characteristics in southeastern Michigan, where EAB first became established. We tested statistical models to assess the ability of these variables to account for woodpecker predation levels. We observed foraging woodpeckers in the field to determine which species foraged on ash, and to compare the time spent foraging on ash vs. other tree species. Levels of woodpecker predation on EAB were variable, ranging from zero to 26.3 woodpecker attacks per m² for green ash (n  =  15 sites) and from 2.3 to 37.1 attacks per m² for white ash (n  =  7 sites). Woodpecker predation level was positively associated with the EAB density in a tree. White ash had higher predation levels than green ash, and less forested sites had higher predation levels than forested sites. However, these variables explained a relatively small amount of the variation in woodpecker predation level. Hairy, downy and red-bellied woodpeckers were observed foraging on ash trees. Woodpeckers spent significantly more time in foraging bouts on ash than on other tree species in EAB-infested areas. We suggest that managers of sites with substantial ash populations maintain conditions that are attractive to woodpeckers to encourage predation of EAB. Our analyses indicate that we need to understand much more about the foraging patterns of woodpeckers on EAB to be able to predict their impact on EAB populations.

Fossil wood recovered in gravel at a depth of 129 ft (40 m) from a west-central Indiana water-well drilling was dated at 30,070 ± 240 ¹⁴C y BP. This date represents a time period in Indiana between ∼23,000–40,000 y BP from which no known previous radiocarbon dates have been recorded. Fragments of wood were determined to be mostly Picea, and at least one fragment is referable to Larix. The macrofossils indicate the presence of boreal conditions in west-central Indiana at the beginning of the Plum Point Interstadial. Analysis of the gravel associated with the wood macrofossils suggests that the organic material was incorporated into the ice of the Lake Michigan lobe of the Laurentide Ice Sheet late in the Altonian Substage of the Late-Wisconsinan between 21,000 y BP and 26,000 y BP.

A 100-y geochemical record preserved in the sediments of a Mississippi oxbow lake yields evidence that chemicals entering from agricultural fields are only temporarily sequestered in the riparian fringe prior to active removal and transport to open water. Elevated concentrations of Pb and As, corresponding to peak historical use of lead arsenate pesticide, are clearly identified in open water sediment cores, but are absent in cores from the riparian fringe; P concentrations are also significantly higher in the open water cores than in the riparian fringe. A conceptual model is proposed where elements initially deposited in the riparian zone are seasonally remobilized by release from decomposing litter, and through uptake by wetland trees that return elements to the litter through leaf senescence. Within the riparian zone, seasonal remobilization eventually diffuses or eliminates the historical record. Elements that reach and settle out in the open water environment are sequestered and an historical geochemical record is preserved.

Recent work has demonstrated that communication between plants in natural settings can increase resistance against herbivores. However, this phenomenon has been found convincingly for only two species, alder (Alnus glutinosa) and sagebrush (Artemisia tridentata), and recent reviews have questioned the commonness of this phenomenon. Results from experiments involving sagebrush suggest that vascular signaling among branches within an individual is limited and that sagebrush may use external volatile cues instead. Communication among individuals may be a byproduct of volatile communication among branches of a single individual. We tested this hypothesis by examining systemic induced resistance and communication between individuals for two naturally occurring species of Artemisia. Artemisia cana exhibited systemic induced resistance without volatile cues. Assay branches on plants with experimentally clipped treatment branches experienced less herbivory than assay branches on unclipped controls even when air contact was blocked. We found no evidence of airborne communication between A. cana individuals that affected herbivory. Branches of A. douglasiana appeared to exhibit systemic induced resistance to experimental clipping. In addition, assay branches on plants with experimentally clipped neighbors received 45% less chewing damage than assay branches with unclipped neighbors. Although stems may have been connected by rhizomes, communication between stems required air contact. In summary, for one of two Artemisia species considered, we found evidence for volatile communication between stems that affected their tissue losses to herbivores. These results suggest that volatile communication among stems or individuals may not be an unusual phenomenon, at least within the genus Artemisia.

Population densities of calciphilic land snails are hard to quantify because the snails stay lodged deep within limestone cracks for much of the year. We tested the hypothesis that the density of empty shells from dead snails (“dead shell”) of Anguispira cumberlandiana predicts the density of living snails. If such a relationship exists, surveys of dead shell density could be used as estimates of the density of living animals, thus facilitating the study and management of this genus of high conservation value. We established a sampling grid on a limestone outcrop on the Cumberland Plateau in south-eastern Tennessee and estimated live and dead snail abundance at 50 sampling points. Our hypothesis was supported overall, but the predictive value of dead shell was not perfect: about half of the variation in the density of living snails was not explained by variation in dead shell density. We conclude that dead shell density can be used as a statistical predictor of live snail density, but not as a perfect numerical predictor. Thus, dead shell surveys may be a useful tool for studying the ecology of this species and perhaps of its endangered relative, A. picta.

Because seed fate is important in understanding the dynamics and regeneration of prairies, we set out seed of four common native grass species at three different densities (25/50/100 per dish) in both mixed-grass and tall-grass Oklahoma prairies during spring and fall 2002. Predators removed seeds almost completely with only ∼1.9% of the seeds still present after two weeks in the field. Seed predators preferred little bluestem (Schizachyrium scoparium) the least (4.5% remaining) compared to western wheatgrass (Pascopyron smithii; 1.5%), indiangrass (Sorghastrum nutans; 1%) and switchgrass (Panicum virgatum; 0.5%). Predators also preferred spring (2.6% vs. 1.3% in the fall) and mixed-grass prairie (3% vs. 0.8% in tall-grass) the least. Consistent with these findings, little bluestem remained more in the spring (7.2%) compared to the fall (1.9%). We conclude: (1) while animals preferred some species over others there was no correspondence between removal levels and seed mass, (2) density of seed made no difference, (3) animals removed more seed in the fall compared to the spring perhaps because more animals and less food sources occur at that time and (4) more seed was removed in tall-grass prairie compared to the mixed-grass prairie where animal density and composition may be reduced.

We studied initial invasion of cheatgrass (Bromus tectorum) into burned piñon-juniper woodlands to determine: (1) if particular features enhance invasion and (2) if particular grasses promote or retard invasion. We compared cheatgrass cover among roads, burn edges, seeded interiors, unseeded interiors and unburned woodlands and quantified grasses present or absent near cheatgrass. Invasion was favored by burn edges, roads and seeded interiors, but not unseeded interiors. Odds of finding cheatgrass were seven times higher near prairie junegrass (Koeleria macrantha), but six times lower near James' galleta (Hilaria jamesii) and two times lower near intermediate wheatgrass (Agropyron intermedium). Invasion may be favored: (1) in burn edges because of higher seed-bank survival, (2) along roads because of moisture, disturbance and dispersal and (3) in seeded interiors because of seed-mix contamination or seeded species that enhance invasion.

I inventoried 26 vernal pools on the Cumberland Plateau in Tennessee to assess amphibian species richness and clarify distribution patterns. Eighteen pond associated species were found out of 21 known to breed in the region, which is comparable to the richness of temporary wetland habitats throughout the southeastern U.S. Many of the observations were new county records and I extended the southwestern edge of the entire range of the wood frog (Rana sylvatica) nearly to the Alabama state line and onto Walden's Ridge for the mole salamander (Ambystoma talpoideum). Combining the overall distribution patterns with evidence from fossil, geological, palynological and recently published phylogeographic studies helped to clarify disjunct amphibian distribution patterns on the Cumberland Plateau. Most amphibian range disjunctions appear to have arisen from species-specific responses to long running cycles of climate driven habitat change, rather than wholesale community-wide shifts. Thus, the two paradoxical hypotheses for Cumberland Plateau disjuncts were both over simplifications of more complex biogeographical processes.

Hybridization between federally threatened Canada lynx (Lynx canadensis) and bobcat (L. rufus) was recently documented in the United States, but little is known regarding physical characteristics of hybrids compared to parent species. We report on the morphology and physical characteristics of five of seven Canada lynx-bobcat hybrids detected near the southern extent of the lynx's geographic range in Maine, Minnesota and New Brunswick. Hybrids displayed a range of physical characteristics, including features common to both lynx and bobcat, or that were intermediate in character. Observation of an adult female hybrid with three kittens, as well as placental scars in the reproductive tract of a second animal, suggest that hybrids may be reproducing successfully. We recommend that careful measurement, recording and photographing of key characteristics as well as genetic analysis of suspected lynx-bobcat hybrids be priorities for natural resource agencies where hybridization between these species may occur.