Initial movements of re- introduced wildlife populations can determine short-term restoration success. Managers need ways to encourage release site fidelity to mitigate suboptimal breeding, reduce mortality rates, and minimize human-wildlife conflicts. We studied initial movement ecology of elk (Cervus elaphus) fitted with GPS collars and re- introduced to the Missouri Ozarks in 2011 (n = 32), 2012 (n = 21), and 2013 (n = 31) for 6 mo post release. We assessed maximum displacement from the release site, range shifts, and range size across four sequential time frames (0–10 d, 11–31 d, 32–61 d, and 62–183 d). Compared to other elk restorations in eastern North America, site fidelity was high, with maximum distance from the release site 62–183 d post release ≤10 km for 94% of 2011 animals, 57% of 2012 animals, and 97% of 2013 animals. Elk range sizes were similar during the first 61 d post release but doubled in size 62–183 d post release to an average of 26.2 km² (range: 4.0–218.8 km²). The average range overlap for individual elk in sequential time periods was between 23–26% across years, indicating elk used different areas over time. Release site had the greatest influence on initial movements; one site used in 2012 was associated with greater release site displacement and range sizes. Maternal cows also demonstrated higher site fidelity to the release site than nonmaternal cows. High site fidelity and small home ranges in elk recently restored to Missouri may be attributed to soft release, minimal human disturbance, quality habitat, and release groups of mature females.

Long-term trends suggest the eastern spotted skunk (Spilogale putorius) experienced a significant decrease in populations throughout the distribution of the species, necessitating development of range-wide management and conservation strategies. However, information on the basic ecology for both S. putorius and the western spotted skunk (S. gracilis) is lacking especially in regions where the distribution of these two species is predicted to converge. We evaluated habitat associations for spotted skunks in an occupancy modeling framework within the foothill transitional habitat of south-central Wyoming during–December 2014. We found occurrence of spotted skunks was positively associated with rocky outcroppings (β = 2.51, se = 1.11, 95% ci = 0.34–4.68, P-value = 0.02). During late-fall and winter, rocky outcropping may represent an important habitat requirement of spotted skunks in this region.

To determine whether Indiana bats (Myotis sodalis) use barns as roosts in south-central Iowa, we examined barns in six counties in 2005 and 2006. We checked barns during the day for signs of bats, and buildings with recent signs were netted at sunset. Of 232 structures checked during the day, 79.7% showed signs of use by bats. We netted 47 barns and caught 1473 bats; big brown bats (Eptesicus fuscus) and little brown bats (Myotis lucifugus) made up 98.3 % of captures. Twelve Indiana bats were captured, with most individuals captured entering buildings ≥ 1 h after sunset. Therefore it appears Indiana bats in south-central Iowa use barns primarily as night roosts. Barns represent important roosting and breeding resources in south-central Iowa for big brown and little brown bats.

We examined whether particular years of mast seed production in sugar maple (Acer saccharum) are associated with increased likelihood of cohort recruitment success into the sapling stage over three decades of heavy browsing pressure from white-tailed deer in a mature woodland population in southeastern Ontario, Canada. The population was sampled in 2014 for seedling and sapling stages (≤6 cm in stem diameter) to obtain an age frequency distribution spanning about 80 y and including survivors of seed cohorts produced in two known mast years at the study site (2013 and 1984) and in other mast years known to have occurred within the broader region (but not confirmed for the study site). The age frequency distribution is roughly bimodal with zero to very few individuals recorded for ages 9 through 29 y, corresponding with the known time period (early 1980's to late 2000's) of regional overabundance for white-tailed deer in eastern Ontario and at the study site in particular. The 1 y old seedlings (from the 2013 mast year) and the survivors of putative mast year cohorts from 2006 and 2000, however, are especially conspicuous, with less striking recruitment success indicated for the older confirmed mast year cohort from 1984 (which had more years of accumulated impact from mortality risks). Our results suggest seed masting in sugar maple can bolster cohort recruitment success that otherwise would virtually (or completely) fail when severe impact from deer browsing is combined with other typical early life-stage mortality risks, e.g., from drought, neighborhood competition, and persistent overhead canopy shade.

Surrogate grasslands established through federal set-aside programs, such as U.S. Department of Agriculture's Conservation Reserve Program (CRP), provide important habitat for grassland birds. Warm season grass CRP fields as a group have the potential for providing a continuum of habitat structure for breeding birds, depending on how the fields are managed and their floristic composition. We studied the nesting activity of four obligate grassland bird species, Bobolink (Dolichonyx oryzivorus), Eastern Meadowlark (Sturnella magna), Grasshopper Sparrow (Ammodramus savannarum), and Henslow's Sparrow (A. henslowii), in relation to vegetative composition and fire management in warm season CRP fields in southwest Wisconsin during 2009–2011. Intraspecific variation in apparent nest density was related to the number of years since the field was burned. Apparent Grasshopper Sparrow nest density was highest in the breeding season immediately following spring burns, apparent Henslow's Sparrow nest density was highest 1 y post burn, and apparent Bobolink and Eastern Meadowlark nest densities were higher in post fire years one to three. Grasshopper Sparrow nest density was highest on sites with more diverse vegetation, specifically prairie forbs, and on sites with shorter less dense vegetation. Bobolink, Eastern Meadowlark, and Henslow's Sparrow apparent nest densities were higher on sites with deeper litter; litter was the vegetative component that was most affected by spring burns. Overall nest success was 0.487 for Bobolink (22 d nesting period), 0.478 for Eastern Meadowlark (25 d nesting period), 0.507 for Grasshopper Sparrow (22 d nesting period), and 0.151 for Henslow's Sparrow (21 d nesting period). The major nest predators were grassland-associated species: thirteen-lined ground squirrel (Ictidomys tridecemlineatus), striped skunk (Mephitis mephitis), milk snake (Lampropeltis triangulum), American badger (Taxidea taxus), and western fox snake (Elaphe vulpina). Overall depredation rate was not affected by the number of years since the site had been burned. The diversity of vegetation on warm season CRP fields created by management using fire provides a continuum of structure for obligate grassland birds to use for breeding and habitat for a diversity of nest predators.

Ammodramus savannarum ammolegus—commonly referred to as the Arizona Grasshopper Sparrow—occurs in the desert and plains grasslands of southeastern Arizona, southwestern New Mexico, and northern Sonora, Mexico. Although a subspecies of conservation concern, this is the first intensive study of its life history and breeding ecology, providing baseline data and facilitating comparisons with other North American Grasshopper Sparrow subspecies. Specifically, I found A. s. ammolegus males generally weighed less than other subspecies (16.0 ± 0.8 g) but with intermediate exposed culmen length (11.6 ± 0.5 mm) and wing chord length similar to the other two migratory subspecies (62.7 ± 1.5 mm). Territory size for A. s. ammolegus was 0.72 ± 0.37 ha, with some variation between sites and among years, possibly indicating variation in habitat quality across spatial and temporal scales. The return rate for A. s. ammolegus males was 39.2%. Nest initiation for A. s. ammolegus was early to mid-July after the monsoons had begun. Domed nests were constructed on the ground, primarily under native bunch grasses, and frequently with a tunnel extending beyond the nest rim, with nest openings oriented north. Clutch size was 3.97 ± 0.68, with no evidence of Brown-headed Cowbird (Molothrus ater) nest parasitism. Extreme climate factors in the arid Southwest may have affected the life history and morphology of A. s. ammolegus as compared to other subspecies, influencing body size and mass, culmen length, breeding phenology, and nest orientation. Other geographic variation occurred in return rates, clutch size, and nest parasitism rates. The baseline data for A. s. ammolegus obtained in this study will inform future taxonomic and ecological studies as well as conservation planning. Comparisons of A. s. ammolegus morphometrics with those of other subspecies will assist field biologists in distinguishing among subspecies where they overlap, especially on wintering grounds.

The importance of Laguna de Bustillos, Chihuahua, Mexico for waterbirds was evaluated during the 2011–2012 nonbreeding season. Thirty-seven percent of all birds were light geese (Chen caerulescens and C. rossii) and 44% consisted of three other species (Anas clypeata, Grus Canadensis, and Anser albifrons). Our data contrast with the historical counts of birds by the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service using aerial surveys and may reflect recent land-use changes. Given the fact we observed some species in numbers that were far greater than previously recorded, our results provide evidence of the increasing importance of Laguna de Bustillos for wintering waterfowl.

Pesticides are detected in streams at concentrations that might have adverse effects on aquatic organisms. These agrochemicals typically occur in streams as combinations, yet research has focused on the effects of individual pesticides. We studied the effects of commercial formulations of atrazine, metolachlor, carbaryl, and chlorothalonil on aquatic gastropods Physa acuta and Helisoma anceps egestion and movement. We observed an eightfold reduction in P. acuta egestion rates when exposed to individual (atrazine: 200 μg/L; metolachlor, carbaryl, and chlorothalonil: 100 μg/L) and combined (atrazine x metolachlor: 200 μg/L x 100 μg/L and carbaryl x chlorothalonil: 100 μg/L x 100 μg/L) pesticide treatments relative to controls. For H. anceps individual and combined pesticide treatments had no significant effects on egestion, highlighting differential species response. Helisoma anceps movement declined when exposed to atrazine, carbaryl, and chlorothalonil individually, though responses varied with exposure time. When combined atrazine metolachlor and carbaryl chlorothalonil reduced H. anceps movement relative to the control. In addition to pesticide physicochemical characteristics, it is important to consider exposure durations to better understand the effects of pesticides on aquatic organisms. Furthermore, future risk assessments should incorporate multiple species to better represent response diversity.

Channelization of the Missouri River has greatly reduced the availability of shallow water habitats used by many larval and juvenile fishes and contributed to imperilment of floodplain-dependent biota. Creation of small side channels, or chutes, is being used to restore shallow water habitat and reverse negative environmental effects associated with channelization. In the summer of 2012, the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers collected early life stages of fishes from constructed chutes and nearby unrestored shallow habitats at six sites on the Missouri River between Rulo, Nebraska and St. Louis, Missouri. We compared the diets of two abundant species of fishes to test the hypothesis that created shallow chutes provided better foraging habitat for early life stages than nearby unrestored shallow habitats. Graphical analysis of feeding patterns of freshwater drum indicated specialization on chironomid larvae, which were consumed in greater numbers in unrestored mainstem reaches compared to chutes. Hiodon spp. were more generalist feeders with no differences in prey use between habitat types. Significantly greater numbers of individuals with empty stomachs were observed in chute shallow-water habitats, indicating poor foraging habitat. For these two species, constructed chute shallow-water habitat does not appear to provide the hypothesized benefits of higher quality foraging habitat.

Population monitoring is an essential component of endangered species recovery programs. The federally endangered Diamond Darter Crystallaria cincotta is in need of an effective monitoring design to improve our understanding of its distribution and track population trends. Because of their small size, cryptic coloration, and nocturnal behavior, along with limitations associated with current sampling methods, individuals are difficult to detect at known occupied sites. Therefore, research is needed to determine if survey efforts can be improved by increasing probability of individual detection. The primary objective of this study was to determine if there are seasonal and diel patterns in Diamond Darter detectability during population surveys. In addition to temporal factors, we also assessed five habitat variables that might influence individual detection. We used N-mixture models to estimate site abundances and relationships between covariates and individual detectability and ranked models using Akaike's information criteria. During 2015 three known occupied sites were sampled 15 times each between May and Oct. The best supported model included water temperature as a quadratic function influencing individual detectability, with temperatures around 22 C resulting in the highest detection probability. Detection probability when surveying at the optimal temperature was approximately 6% and 7.5% greater than when surveying at 16 C and 29 C, respectively. Time of Night and day of year were not strong predictors of Diamond Darter detectability. The results of this study will allow researchers and agencies to maximize detection probability when surveying populations, resulting in greater monitoring efficiency and likely more precise abundance estimates.

Biomass harvesting removes unmarketable vegetative material from timber harvests for use as cellulosic bioenergy, leaving only leaf litter. To test whether biomass harvests negatively affect red-backed salamander (Plethodon cinereus) populations, we set up coverboard arrays at 10 sites (mean 3.29 ha, range 2.35–4.61 ha) with varying degrees of biomass harvesting at the Southeast Purdue Agricultural Center (SEPAC) in Jennings County, Indiana. We monitored salamander artificial cover object (ACO) arrays within each site from spring 2012 to fall 2015 and marked all salamanders with visible implant elastomers, generating capture histories for all individuals. Using Program MARK and Pollock's robust design we developed 10 a priori candidate models to test salamander population parameters, with variations on capture probability, recapture probability, survival, emigration, and immigration, as well as a set of models comparing preharvest and postharvest data. To incorporate precipitation events, we classified sessions as wet or dry based on total rainfall prior to sampling. The best performing models were those that incorporated the year, season, and amount of precipitation when estimating capture probabilities. Linear regression results showed percentage of canopy cover and Downed Coarse Woody Derbies (DCWD) were significant predictors of salamander abundance. We also found no significant relationships between survival, DCWD, and canopy cover. Our results suggest DCWD has some impact on variations in population sizes of red-backed salamanders, although other factors are likely contributing as well.

Examining the diet of salamanders is important for understanding their effects on invertebrate communities and the interactions among sympatric salamander species. We examined the diet of the Cumberland Plateau Salamander, Plethodon kentucki (Mittleman), in an old growth forest in southeastern Kentucky. A total of 763 prey items were recovered from 73 salamanders with an average of 10.75 prey items per stomach. The four most important prey groups were Formicidae (ants), Araneae (spiders), Coleoptera (beetles), and Collembola (springtails). Overall, we found a total of 58 different prey types in the stomach contents from 20 invertebrate orders. This study represents one of the few successful uses of nonlethal gastric lavage methods on a large plethodontid salamander and the first description of P. kentucki diet identified to family and genus. Future work should examine diet throughout the year, compare prey species composition to sympatric salamander species, and look at local prey abundances and diversity to explore salamander foraging behavior.

Ringed Salamanders are wetland-dependent amphibians that are regionally endemic to the Ozark Highlands and Ouachita Mountains. To assess the most important variables influencing breeding wetland use by Ringed Salamanders in east-central Missouri, we sampled a total of 38 wetlands during the fall 2010 breeding season. We found the presence of predatory fish was the most important variable determining whether Ringed Salamanders used a breeding wetland and that breeding wetlands were significantly associated with increased areas of continuous forest. These breeding habitat requirements can be used to aid in conservation efforts for this species as well as other fall-breeding ambystomatid salamanders.

Using a GPS satellite collar, we tracked a jaguar close to Playa del Carmen city in Quintana Roo, Mexico from Jan. to Dec. 2013. We observed the jaguar recurrently used a cenote located near the Playa del Carmen city landfill. We searched on two occasions for potential prey items killed by the jaguar and also set two camera traps on the cenote area. We found the carcasses of two black vultures probably eaten by the jaguar, and we also obtained photographic evidence of the jaguar with a black vulture in its mouth. The photo, along with other evidence, reveals the potential significance of vultures as prey for this endangered species in areas where, due to subsistence hunting and urban expansion, jaguar‘s usual prey species have low abundances.