Salamanders are an important ecological component of eastern hardwood forests and may be affected by natural or silvicultural disturbances that alter habitat structure and associated microclimate. From May to August in 2008 (pretreatment) and 2011 (post-treatment), we evaluated the response of salamanders to three silvicultural practices designed to promote oak regeneration — prescribed fire, midstory herbicide application and shelterwood harvest — and a control. We trapped salamanders using drift fences with pitfall traps in five replicates of the four treatments. Only the southern gray-cheeked salamander Plethodon metcalfi and the southern Appalachian salamander P. teyahalee were captured in sufficient numbers for robust statistical analysis. We analyzed data for these species using single-species dynamic occupancy models in statistical software program R. We allowed changes in four covariates to influence extinction probability from pre- to post-treatment implementation: 1) percent leaf litter cover; 2) percent understory cover; 3) percent CWD cover; and 4) percent canopy cover. The final combined model set describing extinction probability contained four models with ΔAIC < 2 for P. metcalfi and nine models with ΔAIC < 2, including the null model, for P. teyahalee. For both species, the 95% confidence intervals for model-averaged extinction probability parameter estimates overlapped zero, suggesting none were significant predictors of extinction probability. Absence of short-term salamander response in midstory herbicide and prescribed burn treatments was likely because of minor or transitory changes to forest structure. In shelterwood harvests, any potential effects of reduced canopy and leaf litter cover may have been mitigated by rapid post-treatment vegetation sprouting. Additionally, climatic conditions associated with high elevation sites and high amounts of rainfall in 2011 may have compensated for potential changes to microclimate. Continued monitoring of Plethodon salamanders to assess responses at longer time scales (e.g. > 3 years post-treatment) is warranted.

The use of faecal DNA, although a promising tool for the population monitoring of mammals, has not yet become a fully exploited and standard practice, mainly because low target DNA concentration, DNA degradation, and co-purification of inhibitors demand extra laboratory procedures to improve success and reliability. Here we evaluate a simple method that enables sampling of DNA in the field through the collection of the intestinal cells present on the surface of a scat using a swab. The swab is immediately placed in a vial containing a lysis buffer that preserves the DNA for its later extraction. DNA extracts of three species of herbivores (goat, fallow deer and white-tailed deer), two carnivores (Iberian lynx and domestic dog) and one omnivore species (brushtail possum) were characterised in terms of target and total DNA quantity, PCR inhibition and genotyping success. Direct comparison was carried out with duplicate samples preserved in 96% ethanol and extracted via a commonly used commercial DNA extraction kit for faecal material. Results from these comparisons show that swabbing the samples in situ not only simplifies field collection and sample handling in the laboratory, but generally optimises target DNA recovery, minimises co-purification of PCR inhibitors and provides good quality DNA for the species tested, especially for herbivores. This method is also less time-consuming and more cost-effective, thus providing a more convenient and efficient alternative for non-invasive genetic studies.

As human population increase, human-wildlife conflicts have reached unprecedented levels, often resulting in negative attitudes toward regional conservation initiatives, and thus are of concern for conservation communities. From April to May 2011, we carried out a survey to quantify carnivore-induced livestock losses perceived by local pastoralists in the Qinghai Lake region on the pastoral Qinghai—Tibetan Plateau and examined the ecological and socio-economic dimensions in the conflict. We finished 286 in-person interviews using a semi-structured questionnaire with mixed closed- and open-ended questions. Our results showed that 93.7% of the respondents reported livestock depredations by carnivores from March 2010 to March 2011. The perceived losses represented 3.7% of total standing value of livestock in the region. The losses were positively correlated with livestock number in each household and showed significant seasonal and diurnal difference. Adult sheep and goats were the mostly killed (54.9%), followed by lambs (21.0%), adult yaks and cattle (19.1%), calves (4.9%) and horses (0.1%). More than 80% of the respondents reported that they could not tolerate the contemporaneous depredations and nearly two thirds expected compensations for their losses. Wolf Canis lupus was blamed for most of the killings (76.0%) and was perceived most negative followed by brown bear Ursus arctos, Tibetan fox Vulpes ferrilata, red fox Vulpes vulpes and raptors. Attitudes toward the problem carnivores were positively correlated with livestock size but negatively with magnitudes of the depredations. The attitudes also varied among the three survey sites, which may be attributed to the different extent of openness and livelihood dependence on animal husbandry. In the light of our results, we suggested possible measures to mitigate the conflict and maintain coexistence between human and wild carnivores on the Qinghai—Tibetan Plateau.

Cervid studies have demonstrated body weight and lactation may be limited in areas with poor-quality soils, with the underlying mechanism often attributed to poor forage quality resulting from poor soil quality. However, if highly nutritious foods are produced but in limited quantities, selective foraging may alleviate nutritional stressors associated with poor soil productivity when adequate quantities of high-quality forage are obtained. We tested whether poor soil productivity limits forage from being high quality or conversely limits the abundance of high-quality forages. To do so, we determined whether nutrient concentrations in selected and non-selected forages on our poor soil study site met the nutritional requirements of lactating white-tailed deer Odocoileus virginianus assuming adequate amounts of forage are obtained. Also, we compared body weight of yearling males at a high density (13–17 deer km^-2) and low density (3–5 deer km^-2), because previous studies concluded soils on the study site were too poor for morphometrics (e.g. body weight) to be density-mediated. Deer selected plant species from each of five forage classes that would meet their nutritional requirements (i.e. assuming adequate forage intake) but also selected for different nutrients across forage classes. Phosphorus was limited in most forages, but deer selected forages that met P-requirements 10 times more than expected. We demonstrated body weight was 7.3% greater when deer density was low than high. Contrary to previous reports from poor productivity soil regions, deer on our study site should be able to meet lactation requirements when the quantity of high-quality forage is not limiting, and similarly body weight should be density-mediated. Hence, management strategies that alter the amount of forage per animal (i.e. decreasing animal density and/or increasing forage abundance) are viable options to promote desirable ungulate morphometrics in poor soil regions.

Hunting and habitat loss led to the extinction of the Formosan sika deer Cervus nippon taiouanus population in the wild in 1969. A sika deer restoration program has been in place in Kenting National Park (KTNP), Taiwan since 1984. Human—deer conflicts have increased following wild deer population growth. Understanding residents' attitudes toward reintroduced sika deer is vital to management policies. To investigate the local residents' attitudes, we collected 228 questionnaires through personal interviews in 2010. A majority of the respondents agreed that they would be happy to encounter a wild sika deer (78.1%), and a majority supported the restoration program in the KTNP (75.4%). However, 59.1% of the respondents knew little concerning the restoration program. Approximately half of the respondents (47.8%) thought that sika deer caused damages to crops, and 18.4% of the respondents actually suffered crop damages from deer. The farmers and people living within the deer's range were more vulnerable to deer damage; therefore, they were more aware of deer damage to their crops and livelihoods than non-farmers and people living outside of the deer's range. In addition, most respondents (87.2%) considered sika deer as an attractive tourism resource and were supportive of the development of ecotourism (87.3%). We recommend that the KTNP should improve public participation, environmental education, and communication with the local people. The development of community-based ecotourism would increase the benefits of the reintroduction of sika deer and would help to mitigate human—deer conflicts.

Migratory and non-migratory passerine birds can carry several pathogens, including parasites, which may cause significant diseases in birds, other animal species and humans. Parasites have been shown to negatively impact many populations of wildlife, and this may become more significant with global temperature changes. This study was performed to investigate the prevalence of intestinal parasites in faecal samples of European passerines. Intestinal parasites identified were statistically associated with passerines phylogenetic classification, migratory habits (migratory, non-migratory) and the type of diet (omnivorous, insectivorous and granivorous). A total of 385 passerines of 42 species were captured and their droppings collected. The prevalence of parasites in faecal samples of passerines was 15.6%. Intestinal parasites were identified in 50/309 (16.2%) migratory passerines and 10/76 (13.2%) non-migratory passerines using the faecal flotation method. Coccidia were most often identified parasites; they were more likely to be present in an omnivorous bird species (p = 0.02). Syngamus spp. was more likely to be detected in omnivorous passerines (p = 0.04). Tits (p = 0.01) and finches (p = 0.006) were less likely to have intestinal parasites present in their faecal samples than passerines classified in other phylogenetic clades. Tits (p = 0.02) and finches (p = 0.008) were also less likely to have coccidia present in their faecal samples. Phylogeny was associated with the presence of parasites in faecal samples of passerines (p = 0.03). The prevalence of parasites, however, was not associated with the migration habit of passerines, but to the type of diet (p = 0.04). Our analysis suggests that the diversity of feeding sources of omnivore passerines exposes them to infection with intestinal parasites to a greater extent than granivore or insectivore passerines.