Biennial Report - Nc State University · Department of Biology NC State University Raleigh, North Carolina 27695-7617 Telephone: 919-515-2631 ... Books and Book Chapters 44 Technical

BIENNIALREPORT2011–2012North Carolina Cooperative Fish and Wildlife Research Unit

COOPERATORS

North Carolina State University

North Carolina Wildlife Resources Commission

United States Geological Survey

United States Fish and Wildlife Service

Wildlife Management Institute

U.S.FISH & WILDLIFE

SERVICE

department of the interior

Campus Box 7617

Department of Biology

NC State University

Raleigh, North Carolina 27695-7617

Telephone: 919-515-2631

Fax: 919-515-4454

www.ncsu.edu/nccoopunit

Table of Contents

Welcome .................................................................. 4

Mission Statement 5

Cooperators and Personnel ............................... 6

Cooperating Agencies 6Unit Staff 7Postdoctoral Research Associates 7Research Staff 7NC State University Cooperating Faculty 7Research Collaborators 8

Honors and Awards .............................................. 9

Feature, Ribbit Radio ......................................... 12

Graduate Education ........................................... 13

Current Students 13Recent Graduates & Current Pursuits 13Graduate Committee Participation 14Courses Taught 14

Research ................................................................. 15

Fisheries and Aquatic 15Wildlife and Habitats 25Integrated Ecology 37

Publications and Presentations..... . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 43Journal Articles 43Books and Book Chapters 44Technical Reports 45Theses and Dissertations 45Presentations and Seminars 45

4BIENNIAL REPORT 2011–2012North Carolina Cooperative Fish and Wildlife Research Unit

WelcomeCelebrating 50 Years: 1962–2012

We at the North Carolina Cooperative Fish and Wildlife Research

Unit are pleased to provide this summary of our activities and

accomplishments over the past two years. During this period, we

have conducted and facilitated 76 research projects, of which 52 were

conducted directly by Unit scientists, and 24 were undertaken by

cooperating faculty at North Carolina State University. We place great

value on the collaborative relationships that we have developed across

institutional boundaries to address multidisciplinary research questions.

We are also proud of the role that the Unit serves in facilitating

research by our colleagues that utilizes the expertise and knowledge

of scientists from a number of departments, colleges, and programs

within the University, as well as from our cooperating natural resource

agencies.

Our research includes innovative solutions to traditional fi sh, wildlife,

and natural resource management issues, but spans broadly into the

fi elds of conservation biology, landscape ecology, ecosystem processes,

toxicology, and microbiology. Our fi eld sites are concentrated in North

Carolina, but span from coast to coast in the United States and extend

into the Caribbean. This report includes summaries of research ranging

in subject from threatened and endangered invertebrates, fi shes,

herps, birds, and terrestrial and marine mammals; invasive aquatic

and terrestrial species; and the eff ects of anthropogenic inputs and

contaminants on aquatic ecosystems; to broad-scale eff ects of land

management, conservation planning, and climate change; quantitative

population and community dynamics; and innovative sampling

technology and statistical inference and modeling of research results.

Much of this research includes graduate student participation; 31

graduate students were advised and mentored by Unit scientists

during this period, and 13 have completed their degrees and are

pursuing higher degrees or are actively employed in their respective

fi elds.

The past two years have brought ongoing change in the

administration and staff of our cooperators, which has been rich with

opportunity to build new collaborative relationships and strengthen

those existing. Administrative realignment seems to be everywhere

in recent years. North Carolina State University is restructuring the life

sciences on campus, including formation of a new college and several

departments. Thus, the future departmental home for our Unit remains

uncertain at this time, but we are assured to remain well integrated

as productive faculty members at our host University. We collaborate

with two new US Department of the Interior centers established at the

University, the South Atlantic Landscape Conservation Cooperative and

the Southeast Climate Science Center. We have enjoyed interacting

with our new federal colleagues to build upon the current strengths of

our Unit to succeed in our respective and shared missions.

This period has been productive and successful for the North Carolina

Unit, and in this report, we share a listing of our research products and

make them available upon request. The achievements of our scientists,

staff , and students have been recognized by others with many formal

awards that are listed within, and we share those honors with our

cooperators and partners that facilitated them.

This year marks the 50th anniversary of the North Carolina Cooperative

Fish and Wildlife Research Unit! We hope that you will join us in

celebrating this milestone. The success to date of the North Carolina

Unit is largely due to strong, synergistic relationships with our

cooperators, partners, colleagues, and friends — and we look forward

to continuing those associations to exceed our past accomplishments.

Please contact any individual investigator if you would like more

information on the research summarized in this report. We also

welcome your comments on our past activities and seek your input on

the direction that we plan to pursue in the future — please contact us.

The Scientists and Staff of the

North Carolina Cooperative Fish and Wildlife Research Unit

JOSH RAABE

5

MISSION STATEMENT

The goals of the North Carolina Cooperative Fish and Wildlife Research

Unit are to address the research and technical needs of the U.S.

Geological Survey, the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, the National

Park Service, the North Carolina Wildlife Resources Commission,

North Carolina State University, and other appropriate agencies and

organizations; to contribute to the quality education of advanced

and graduate fi sheries and wildlife students at North Carolina State

University; and to disseminate the results of research conducted by

Unit scientists, staff , students, and cooperators. To advance these goals,

the Unit scientists will vigorously pursue funding for projects having

scientifi c merit and those that provide valuable information for natural

resource management. Unit personnel will collaborate with cooperators

in jointly conducting research and educating graduate students.

The North Carolina Unit will focus on the identifi cation, assessment,

interpretation, and alleviation of the eff ects of current or potential

environmental changes or perturbations on fi sh, wildlife, and natural

resources. Through a combination of basic and applied research, the

Unit will pursue innovative solutions to natural resource questions.

Although some work may be species oriented, community and

ecosystem studies will be emphasized. This will require a team approach

to hypothesis testing research, involving Unit and University personnel

as investigators. When cause-eff ect relationships are not demonstrable

in the fi eld, laboratory or controlled fi eld studies will be conducted.

Educational goals will be achieved by teaching graduate level courses,

chairing graduate committees, delivering guest lectures and seminars,

and sponsoring or participating in short courses and workshops for

cooperators when appropriate.

JOSH RAABE

6 BIENNIAL REPORT 2011–2012North Carolina Cooperative Fish and Wildlife Research Unit

Cooperators

and Personnel

COOPERATING AGENCIES


North Carolina Agricultural Research Service

100 Patterson Hall


Richard H. Linton, Dean

David W. Monks, Interim Associate Dean and

Director

North Carolina Wildlife Resources

Commission

1751 Varsity Drive

NCSU Centennial Campus

Raleigh, North Carolina 27606

Gordon S. Myers, Executive Director

Mallory G. Martin, Assistant Director

Robert L. Curry, Chief, Division of Inland Fisheries

David T. Cobb, Chief, Division of Wildlife

Management


12201 Sunrise Valley Drive

Reston, Virginia 20192

Byron K. Williams, Chief, Cooperative Research

Units

Kevin G. Whalen, Deputy Chief, Cooperative

Research Units

W. James Fleming, Supervisor


Southeast Region

1875 Century Boulevard Northeast, Suite 400

Atlanta, Georgia 30345

Cynthia K. Dohner, Regional Director

David Viker, Regional Refuge Chief


1101 14th Street, N.W., Suite 801

Washington, D.C. 20005

Steven A. Williams, President

Scot J. Williamson, Vice President

JOSH RAABE

7

UNIT STAFF

Scientists

Thomas J. Kwak,

Unit Leader , Fisheries, Professor,

Departments of Biology and Forestry and

Environmental Resources

Jaime A. Collazo,

Assistant Unit Leader , Wildlife,

Professor, Departments of Biology and Forestry

and Environmental Resources

Joseph E. Hightower,

Assistant Unit Leader , Fisheries,

Professor, Department of Biology

Theodore R. Simons,

Assistant Unit Leader , Ecology,

Professor, Departments of Biology and Forestry


NC State University

Cooperating Faculty

David B. Buchwalter , Department of

Environmental and Molecular Toxicology

W. Gregory Cope , Department of Environmental

and Molecular Toxicology

Christopher S. DePerno , Department of Forestry


Robert R. Dunn , Department of Biology

Beth A. Gardner , Department of Forestry and


Nicholas M. Haddad , Department of Biology

George R. Hess , Department of Forestry and


Jay F. Levine , Department of Population Health

and Pathobiology

Christopher E. Moorman , Department of

Forestry and Environmental Resources

M. Nils Peterson , Department of Forestry and


Kenneth H. Pollock, Department of Biology

Roger A. Powell , Department of Biology

Toddi A. Steelman , Department of Forestry and


Laura O. Taylor , Department of Agricultural and

Resource Economics

Support Staff

Wendy J. Moore , Administrative Specialist

Hevvon Barnes , Offi ce Assistant

James Wehbie , Research Technician

Postdoctoral Research Associates

ELI ROSE ADAM EFIRD

Jennifer K. Costanza

Joseph A. Daraio

C. Ashton Drew

Julie E. Harris

Azad H. Khalyani

Matthew J. Krachey

Brian Tavernia

Ashley Van Beusekom

Andrew M. Wilson

Research Staff

Louise B. Alexander

Curtis M. Belyea

Patrick B. Cooney

Todd S. Earnhardt

J. Michael Fisk

Krishna Pacifi ci

Sara Prado

Matthew J. Rubino

Nathan M. Tarr

Adam J. Terando

Steve G. Williams

8 BIENNIAL REPORT 2011–2012North Carolina Cooperative Fish and Wildlife Research Unit

RESEARCH COLLABORATORS

David Allen, North Carolina Wildlife Resources

Commission

Tom Augspurger, US Fish and Wildlife Service

Jerad Bales, US Geological Survey, Water

Resources Division

Hugh Barwick, Duke Energy Company

Doug Besler, North Carolina Wildlife Resources

Commission

Jon Blanchard, North Carolina Division of Parks

and Recreation

Gary Breckon, University of Puerto Rico

Sue Cameron, US Fish and Wildlife Service

Mark Cantrell, US Fish and Wildlife Service

Jose Chabert, Puerto Rico Department of Natural


Jeff Cordes, National Park Service

John Crutchfi eld, Duke Energy Company

Kevin Dockendorf, North Carolina Wildlife

Resources Commission

Sam Droege, US Geological Survey, Patuxent

Wildlife Research Center

Marshall Ellis, North Carolina Division of Parks

and Recreation

Steve Fraley, North Carolina Wildlife Resources

Commission

Kay Franzreb, US Department of Agriculture,

Forest Service, Clemson University

Mary Freeman, US Geological Survey, Patuxent


Walker Golder, National Audubon Society

William Gould, International Institute of Tropical

Forestry

Bob Graham, Dominion North Carolina Power

J. Barry Grand, Alabama Cooperative Fish and

Wildlife Research Unit

Martha Groom, University of Washington

Christopher Guglielmo, University of Montana

Susan M. Haig, US Geological Survey, Forest and

Rangeland Ecosystem Science Center

Ryan Heise, North Carolina Wildlife Resources

Commission

Kevin Hining, North Carolina Wildlife Resources

Commission

Mark Johns, North Carolina Wildlife Resources

Commission

Kristine Johnson, National Park Service, Great

Smoky Mountains National Park

Byron Karns, National Park Service, St. Croix

National Scenic Riverway

Chris Kelly, North Carolina Wildlife Resources

Commission

R. Wilson Laney, US Fish and Wildlife Service

Allen Lewis, University of Puerto Rico

Craig Lilyestrom, Puerto Rico Department of

Natural and Environmental Resources

Michael Loeffl er, North Carolina Division of

Marine Fisheries

Jim Lyons, US Geological Survey, Patuxent


Marcia Lyons, National Park Service

Ken Manuel, Duke Energy Company

Jeff Marcus, North Carolina Wildlife Resources

Commission

Alexa McKerrow, US Geological Survey

Brian McRae, North Carolina Wildlife Resources

Commission

Frank Moore, University of Southern Mississippi,

Hattiesburg

Teresa Newton, US Geological Survey, Upper

Midwest Environmental Sciences Center

Jim Nichols, US Geological Survey, Patuxent


Rob Nichols, North Carolina Wildlife Resources

Commission

Allan O’Connell, US Geological Survey, Patuxent


Scott Pearson, Mars Hill College

Franklin Percival, Florida Cooperative Fish and


James Peterson, Oregon Cooperative Fish and


Kerry Rabenold, Purdue University

Morgan Raley, North Carolina Museum of

Natural Sciences

Jacob Rash, North Carolina Wildlife Resources

Commission

Michael Rikard, National Park Service

Andy Royle, US Geological Survey, Patuxent


John Sauer, US Geological Survey, Patuxent


David Smith, US Geological Survey, Leetown

Science Center

Wayne Starnes, North Carolina Museum of

Natural Sciences

Bryn Tracy, North Carolina Division of Water

Quality

Jeff rey Walters, Virginia Polytechnic Institute and

State University

Mike Wicker, US Fish and Wildlife Service

Bennett Wynne, North Carolina Wildlife

Resources Commission

David Yow, North Carolina Wildlife Resources

Commission

C. ASHTON DREW

9

Honors and Awards

Cooperative Research Units

Research Excellence Award

Awarded to the North Carolina Cooperative

Fish and Wildlife Research Unit for excellence

in furthering the mission of the Cooperative

Research Units Program. Fall 2010.

Cooperative Research Units

Leadership Excellence Award

Awarded to Thomas J. Kwak for excellence in

leadership. Fall 2010.

Cooperative Research Units Scientifi c

Excellence Award

Awarded to Jaime A. Collazo by the

Cooperative Research Units Program. March

2011.

U.S. Department of Interior STAR Awards

Received by Unit staff for superior performance.

Jaime A. Collazo, 2010, 2011

Joseph E. Hightower, 2010, 2011

Thomas J. Kwak, 2010, 2011

Theodore R. Simons, 2010, 2011

Water Conservationist of the Year

Governor’s Conservation Achievement Award,

awarded to Joseph E. Hightower in 2011 by the

North Carolina Wildlife Federation.

Elective Member, American Ornithologists’

Union 2011

Theodore R. Simons

Board of Editors, Ecological Society of

America (2003 – present)

Theodore R. Simons

Kenneth R. Keller Award for Excellence in

Doctoral Dissertation Research

Awarded to Julie Harris (J.E. Hightower, advisor)

in 2011 by the North Carolina State University,

College of Agriculture and Life Sciences.

American Fisheries Society Student Writing

Contest Award

Awarded to Patrick B. Cooney (T. J. Kwak,

advisor) in 2012 for his article “Climbing the

slippery slope.”


Contest, First Runner-Up

Awarded to Tamara Pandolfo (T.J. Kwak and

W.G. Cope, advisors) in 2011 for her article

“Living on the edge: freshwater mussels on the

brink of extinction.”


Contest, Honorable Mention

Awarded to Stephen R. Midway (T.J. Kwak and

D.D. Aday, advisors) in 2011 for his article “Filth,

fl ows, and family: pressures mount on a rare

stream catfi sh.”

American Fisheries Society and Sea Grant

Best Student Paper Award, Honorable

Mention

Awarded to Tamara J. Pandolfo (and T.J. Kwak

and W.G. Cope, advisors) in 2012 for their

presentation at the Annual Meeting of the

American Fisheries Society. August 19–23, St.

Paul, Minnesota.

Best Student Platform Presentation Award

Awarded to Renae Greiner (and coauthors J.

Levine, C. Osborne, T. Kwak, A. Bogan, and D.

Buchwalter) in 2011 for their presentation at

the Biennial Symposium of the Freshwater

Mollusk Conservation Society.

Richard Noble Best Student Paper Award

Awarded to William E. Smith (and T.J. Kwak,

advisor, and P.B. Cooney, coauthor) in 2012 for

their presentation at the Annual Meeting of

the North Carolina Chapter of the American

Fisheries Society. February 28-29, Raleigh, North

Carolina.

Zoology Graduate Student Research

Symposium Outstanding PhD Presentation

Awarded to Josh Raabe (J.E. Hightower, advisor)

in 2011 at the 15th Annual Zoology Graduate

Student Research Symposium, North Carolina

State University.

Zoology Graduate Student Research

Symposium Best Poster Presentation

Awarded to Jennifer M. Archambault (W.G.

Cope and T.J. Kwak, advisors) in 2012 at the

15th Annual Zoology Graduate Student

Research Symposium, North Carolina State

University.

American Fisheries Society Education

Section Young Professional Travel Award

Awarded to Julie Harris (J.E. Hightower, advisor)

in 2011.

JOSH RAABE


Betsy Tharrington Award For Outstanding

Teaching

Awarded to Arielle Waldstein (T.R. Simons,

advisor) in 2010.

Certifi cate of Accomplishment in Teaching


in 2011 by the Life Sciences Program, North

Carolina State University.

Estuaries Section of the American Fisheries

Society Student Travel Award

Awarded to Augustin C. Engman (T.J. Kwak,

advisor) in 2012 to attend the 142nd Annual

Meeting of the American Fisheries Society.

August 19–23, St. Paul, Minnesota.

Marine Fisheries Section of American

Fisheries Society Travel Award

Awarded to Tim Ellis (J.A. Buckel and J.E.

Hightower, advisors) in 2011.

Electric Power Research Institute Travel

Award


Cope and T.J. Kwak, advisors) in 2011 to attend

the Electric Power Research Institute 3rd

Thermal Ecology and Regulation Workshop.

October 11–12, Maple Grove, Minnesota.

North Carolina Chapter of the American

Fisheries Society Student Travel Award


Cope and T.J. Kwak, advisors) in 2012 to attend

the 142nd Annual Meeting of the American

Fisheries Society. August 19-23, St. Paul,

Minnesota.



Awarded to Tamara J. Pandolfo (T.J. Kwak

and W.G. Cope, advisors) in 2012 to attend

the 142nd Annual Meeting of the American

Fisheries Society. August 19–23, St. Paul,

Minnesota.



Awarded to Augustin C. Engman (T.J. Kwak,

advisor) in 2012 to attend the 142nd Annual

Meeting of the American Fisheries Society.





Hightower, advisors) in 2011 to attend the

141st Annual Meeting of the American Fisheries

Society. September 4–8. Seattle, Washington.

North Carolina State University Graduate

Student Association Travel Award

Awarded to Jessica Stocking (T.R. Simons,

advisor) in 2012 for travel to the North

American Ornithological Conference,

Vancouver, Canada.



Awarded to Tracy Borneman (T.R. Simons,

advisor) in 2012 for travel to the North

American Ornithological Conference,

Vancouver, Canada.




in 2011for travel to the 141st Annual Meeting

of the American Fisheries Society. September

4–8. Seattle, Washington.

Preparing the Professoriate Teaching

Fellowship

Awarded to Tamara J. Pandolfo (T.J. Kwak and

W.G. Cope, advisors) in 2012 by the North

Carolina State University, Graduate School,

Preparing Future Leaders Program.

University Graduate School Fellowship

Awarded to Laura A. Belica (W.G. Cope and T.J.

Kwak, advisors) in 2012 by the North Carolina

State University, Graduate School.


Awarded to Tomas J. Ivasauskas (T.J. Kwak,

advisor) in 2012 by the North Carolina State

University, Graduate School.

ANGELA WHITE

TED SIMONS

11


Awarded to Augustin C. Engman (T. J. Kwak,

advisor) in 2011 by the North Carolina State



Awarded to Patrick B. Cooney (T.J. Kwak,

Advisor) in 2011 by the North Carolina State


National Science Foundation Doctoral

Dissertation Improvement Grant

Awarded to Rebecca Keller (T.R. Simons,

Advisor) in 2010 by the National Science

Foundation.

Dissertation Completion Fellowship

Awarded to Rebecca Keller (T.R. Simons,

Advisor) in 2011 by the North Carolina State


Dissertation Completion Fellowship

Awarded to William E. Smith (T.J. Kwak, Advisor)

in 2012 by the North Carolina State University,

Graduate School.

Walter B. Jones Memorial Award for

Excellence in Coastal and Marine Graduate

Study


Hightower, advisors) in 2012 by the National

Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration,

National Ocean Service.

Joseph E. and Robin C. Hightower Graduate

Student Award



Joseph E. and Robin C. Hightower Graduate

Student Award

Awarded to Jacob B. Hughes (J.E. Hightower,

advisor) in 2011.

North Carolina Wildlife Federation

Scholarship

Awarded to Patrick B. Cooney (T.J. Kwak,

Advisor) in 2012, sponsored in part by the

Rocky River Chapter of Trout Unlimited.

Dale Ward Academic Scholarship. Raleigh

Saltwater Sportfi shing Club



Best Poster Presentation NC Museum of

Natural Sciences Global Change Award,

Second Place

Awarded to Jennifer K. Costanza in 2011 for

her poster presentation to the public about

scientifi c research.

Best Student Poster Award

Awarded to Jennifer K. Costanza, Adam Terando,

Todd Earnhardt, and Alexa McKerrow in 2011

for their presentation on wildfi re dynamics and

the future of the longleaf pine ecosystem at the

Student Conference on Conservation Science.

October 11–12, New York.

Best Student Platform Presentation

Awarded to P.D. Hazelton, W.G. Cope, M.C.

Barnhart, and R.B. Bringolf in 2010 for their

presentation on the eff ects of PFOS on early

life stages of freshwater mussels at the Joint

Meeting of the Society of Environmental

Toxicology and Chemistry Carolinas and

Southeast Chapters. March 25–27, Athens,

Georgia.

Best Student Platform Presentation Award

Awarded to Peter D. Hazelton in 2010 for his

presentation at the Joint Meeting of the Society

of Environmental Toxicology and Chemistry

Carolinas and Southeast Chapters. March

25–27, Athens, Georgia.

North Carolina Wildlife Society Best Student

Poster Award

Awarded to E.L. Kilburg (and C.E. Moorman,

and C.S. DePerno, advisors) in 2012 for their

presentation on Poults or coals? Wild turkey

nest survival in the presence of growing-season

fi re at the Annual Meeting of the North Carolina

Chapter of The Wildlife Society. Browns Summit,

North Carolina.

Service Award


in 2011 by the Student Fisheries Society, North

Carolina State University.

NCSU Student Fisheries Society Awards

2012. Outstanding Student Subunit: American

Fisheries Society

2012. Outstanding Student Subunit: Southern

Division of the American Fisheries Society

2011. Outstanding Student Subunit: American

Fisheries Society

2011. Outstanding Student Subunit: Southern

Division of the American Fisheries Society

JOSH RAABE


FEATURE

‘Ribbit Radio’ in the

Wall Street Journal

When Wall Street Journal reporter Gautam Naik visited the NC

Unit during the summer 2010, he wasn’t seeking a story on world

economic or political aff airs, rather he was interested in frog call

surveys. In particular, he was covering Dr. Ted Simons’ collaborative

research into the fi eld methods used to survey amphibian populations

and joined the group in the fi eld. ‘Ribbit Radio’ was modeled after

Ted’s research on the accuracy of bird point counts, where a series of

remotely controlled playback devices are used to mimic populations

of calling frogs (or birds) in a realistic fi eld situation. The researchers

set up the system outdoors and use it to test how well observers

identify frog species by call. They discovered that observers regularly

recorded false positive detections, and that these errors produced

large biases in population estimates. The fi ndings are broadly relevant

to understanding observer bias in species monitoring programs based

on presence-absence data.

The study, “Unmodeled observation error induces bias when inferring

patterns and dynamics of species occurrence via aural detections,” is

published in the August 2010 issue of Ecology. It is co-authored by Ted,

NC State’s Kenneth Pollock, former Unit PhD student Larissa Bailey of

Colorado State University, and Brett McClintock of the University of St.

Andrews. A follow-up study conducted in 2011 as a collaboration with

staff from the North American Amphibian Monitoring Program was

published in Ecological Applications in 2012.

To read the full Wall Street Journal article, hear sample calls, and view a

slide show on the research, see the URL below.

<http://online.wsj.com/article/SB100014240527487047910045754659

80825869258.html>

TED SIMONS

Ribbit Radio experiment at Patuxent Wildlife Research Center, Laurel, Maryland, November 2011. Trained observers identify frog calls broadcast to an array of speakers in an open fi eld. Collaborators included Evan Grant, Dave Miller, Brett McClintock, Linda Weir and Larissa Bailey.

13

Graduate Education

CURRENT STUDENTS

STUDENT, DEGREE, PROGRAM ADVISOR(S)

Allison J. Nolker, MS, Zoology Theodore Simons

Angela G. White, MS, Zoology Thomas J. Kwak, W. Gregory Cope

Augustin C. Engman, PhD, Fisheries, Wildlife, and Conservation Biology

Thomas J. Kwak

Rebecca A. Keller, PhD, Zoology Theodore Simons

Eli T. Rose, MS, Zoology Theodore Simons

H. Jared Flowers, PhD, Fisheries, Wildlife, and Conservation Biology

Joseph E. Hightower

Jennifer M. Archambault, MS, Zoology

Thomas J. Kwak, W. Gregory Cope

Jessica J. Stocking, MS, Zoology Theodore Simons

Joshua K. Raabe, PhD, Fisheries, Wildlife, and Conservation Biology

Joseph E. Hightower

Julissa I. Irizarry, MS, Zoology Jaime A. Collazo

Laura A. Belica, PhD, Fisheries, Wildlife, and Conservation Biology

Thomas J. Kwak

Michael V. Cove, PhD, Zoology Theodore Simons, Beth Gardner

Morgan A. Parks, MS, Zoology Jaime A. Collazo

Patrick B. Cooney, PhD, Fisheries, Wildlife, and Conservation Biology

Thomas J. Kwak

Paul J. Rudershausen, PhD, Fisheries, Wildlife, and Conservation Biology

Jeff rey A. Buckel, Joseph E. Hightower

Tamara J. Pandolfo, PhD, Zoology Thomas J. Kwak, W. Gregory Cope

Timothy A. Ellis, PhD, Fisheries, Wildlife, and Conservation Biology

Jeff rey A. Buckel, Joseph E. Hightower

Tomas J. Ivasauskas, PhD, Fisheries, Wildlife, and Conservation Biology

Thomas J. Kwak

Tracy E. Borneman, MS, Zoology Theodore Simons

William E. Smith, PhD, Fisheries, Wildlife, and Conservation Biology

Thomas J. Kwak

RECENT GRADUATES & CURRENT PURSUITS

STUDENT, DEGREE, CURRENT PURSUIT, ADVISORS

Amy Schwarzer

MS, Zoology, University of Florida April 2011Biologist, Florida Wildlife CommissionJaime A. Collazo, H. Franklin Percival

Arielle Waldstein

MS, Zoology July 2010 Staff Scientist, NC Natural Museum of Natural HistoryTheodore Simons

Elissa N. Buttermore MS, Fisheries, Wildlife, and Conservation Biology May 2011Biologist, US Fish and Wildlife ServiceThomas J. Kwak, W. Gregory Cope

Jacob B. Hughes MS, Fisheries, Wildlife, and Conservation Biology August 2012 Fisheries Technician, Idaho Department of Fish and GameJoseph E. Hightower

Lisa Paine MS, Zoology May 2010Indiana Department of Environmental ManagementJaime A. Collazo

Mary E. Kornegay MS, Zoology November 2011Jaime A. Collazo

Monica N. Iglecia MS, Zoology April 2010The Nature Conservancy, California Jaime A. Collazo

Samantha Rogers MS, Zoology June 2011Instructor, Biology and Ecology, John Tyler Community CollegeJaime A. Collazo

Shiloh Schulte PhD, Zoology June 2012 Biologist, Manomet Bird Observatory Theodore Simons


GRADUATE COMMITTEE PARTICIPATION

Jaime Collazo

Tracy Borneman, MS

Paul Taillie, MS

Benjamin Hess, MS

Shiloh Schulte, PhD

Rebecca Keller, PhD

Joseph E. Hightower

Patrick Cooney, PhD

Patrick Erbland, PhD (Univ. of Maine)

Anne Grote, MS (Univ. of Maine)

Janice Kerns, PhD (Univ. of Florida)

Thomas J. Kwak

Renae Greiner, MS

Elizabeth Hassell, PhD

Crystal Lee Pow, PhD

Sandra Mort, PhD

Theodore Simons

Shannon Bowling, MS

Julissa Irizarry, MS

Edye Kornegy, MS

Jessica Pispinen, MS

Samantha Rogers, MS

COURSES TAUGHT

Climate Change and Conservation

Jaime A. Collazo, Adam J. Terando, C. Ashton Drew, and Alexa J. McKerrowSpring 2009

Fisheries Techniques and Management

Thomas J. KwakSummer 2011, Summer 2012

Ornithology

Theodore R. SimonsSpring 2010, Spring 2012

Quantitative Fisheries Management

Joseph E. HightowerFall 2012

Scientifi c Communication in a Digital World

Theodore R. Simons and Joseph E. HightowerFall 2011

Shorebird Ecology and Management

Jaime A. Collazo, James. E. Lyons, Brad Winn, and Richard TurnerNational Conservation Training Center Fall 2011

Sampling Elusive Wildlife Species: Accounting for

Detection Probability

Theodore R. Simons, Kenneth Pollock, and Russell AlpizarWorkshop at Murdoch University, Perth, AustraliaSummer 2011

TED SIMONS

15

Research: Fisheries and Aquatic

A comprehensive examination of endocrine disrupting

compounds and intersex fi sh in North Carolina water bodies ................ 16

A multi-stage survey protocol for shortnose sturgeon ................................ 16

Acute and reproductive eff ects of emerging contaminants on

freshwater mussels .............................................................................................................. 16

Acute eff ects of cyanide compounds on freshwater mussels ................. 17

Assessing benefi ts to migratory fi shes of habitat restored by dam

removal ....................................................................................................................................... 17

Assessing mortality, tag reporting rate, and movement patterns

of Albemarle Sound and Roanoke River striped bass using

conventional, passive integrated transponder, and telemetry

tagging techniques ............................................................................................................. 17

Assessment of fi sh passage barriers in Puerto Rico rivers ........................... 18

Assessment of the potential association of stream bank erosion

and sedimentation with the distribution and abundance of

unionids in streams at Fort Bragg, North Carolina ........................................... 18

Characterizing habitat suitability for American shad in the

Yadkin-Pee Dee River ......................................................................................................... 18

Contaminants of emerging concern in the Great Lakes Basin:

Studies evaluating diff ering modes of action and reproductive

eff ects with freshwater mussels .................................................................................. 19

Development of habitat suitability index models for

American shad ....................................................................................................................... 19

Establishment of captive populations of magnifi cent

ramshorn and greenfi eld ramshorn ......................................................................... 19

Evaluation of fi sh passage following installation of a rock arch

rapids at Lock and Dam #1, Cape Fear River, North Carolina .................... 20

Fish host identifi cation, culture, and propagation of the Tar

spinymussel and yellow lance, two rare endemic mussels of

the North Carolina Piedmont........................................................................................ 20

Fishery population and habitat assessment in Puerto Rico streams.... 20

Hierarchical landscape models for endemic unionid mussels:

building strategic habitat conservation tools for mussel recovery

in the South Atlantic Landscape Conservation Cooperative .................... 21

Hydroacoustic monitoring of anadromous fi shes in the

Roanoke River, North Carolina ...................................................................................... 21

Identifi cation and laboratory validation of temperature

tolerance for northwestern macroinvertebrates: Developing

vulnerability prediction tools ........................................................................................ 21

Identifi cation of American shad spawning habitat in the Pee

Dee River, North Carolina and South Carolina.................................................... 22

Interaction of stocked trout with native nongame stream fi shes.......... 22

Migratory behavior of diadromous fi shes in the Roanoke

River, North Carolina ........................................................................................................... 22

Modeling suitable habitat for the robust redhorse in the

Pee Dee River .......................................................................................................................... 23

Modeling the response of imperiled freshwater mussels to

anthropogenically induced changes in water temperature,

habitat, and fl ow in streams of the southeastern and central

United States ........................................................................................................................... 23

Recent precipitous declines of endangered freshwater mussels

in the Clinch River: an in situ assessment of water quality

stressors related to energy development and other land use ................. 23

Riverine movements of shortnose and Atlantic sturgeon.......................... 24

Sicklefi n redhorse ontogeny, recruitment, and priority

habitats in regulated rivers ............................................................................................. 24

Stocked trout survival, behavior, and ecology in North

Carolina streams .................................................................................................................... 24


A comprehensive examination of endocrine disrupting compounds and intersex fi sh in North Carolina water bodies

Endocrine disrupting compounds (EDCs) are

discharged into water bodies from numerous

sources and have been associated with

deleterious eff ects on fi sh and wildlife globally.

EDCs are associated with high incidence

of fi sh intersex, defi ned as the presence

of both male and female characteristics.

The goal of this research is to establish a

comprehensive understanding of the impact

of EDC contaminants to fi sheries in the state.

Objectives are to develop a GIS-based map of

potential sources of EDCs, conduct a statewide

survey for the presence of EDCs and intersex

in fi sh, quantify seasonal dynamics of EDCs

and intersex fi sh, conduct fi eld research and

experimental bioassays on intersex fi sh and

EDC dynamics in the Pee Dee River Basin, and

conduct laboratory assessment of endocrine

disruption and intersex in Pee Dee River water

mixtures. Findings will guide strategic planning

to address this emerging water quality and

fi sheries management issue.

INVESTIGATORS D. Derek Aday, Seth W. Kullman, W. Gregory Cope,

Thomas J. Kwak, James A. Rice, and J. Mac Law

STUDENTS Crystal S. Lee Pow, PhD, Environmental Toxicology;

Laura A. Belica, PhD, Fisheries and Wildlife Sciences

STAFF Dana K. Sackett

LOCATION North Carolina

DURATION July 2011–June 2016

FUNDING N.C. Wildlife Resources Commission

A multi-stage survey protocol for shortnose sturgeon

Technological advances present opportunities

to enhance and supplement traditional

fi sheries sampling approaches. One area that

is changing rapidly and has great potential

for complementing traditional methods

is side-scan sonar, a type of hydroacoustic

equipment. Side-scan sonar has advantages

over traditional techniques, such as the ability

to sample large areas effi ciently and potential

to survey fi sh without physically handling

them–important for species of conservation

concern, such as endangered sturgeons.

We surveyed six rivers in North Carolina and

South Carolina, thought to contain varying

abundances of sturgeon, using a combination

of side-scan sonar, telemetry, and video

cameras (to sample jumping sturgeon). We

surveyed lower reaches of each river, near

the saltwater/freshwater interface, on three

occasions (generally successive days) and used

a Bayesian occupancy modeling approach to

analyze these data. The combination of side-

scan sonar and video monitoring was eff ective

in detecting sturgeon, with estimated gear-

specifi c detection probabilities ranging from

0.2–0.5 and river-specifi c occupancy estimates

(per 2-km river segment) ranging from 0.0–0.8.

INVESTIGATOR Joseph E. Hightower

STUDENT H. Jared Flowers, PhD, Fisheries and Wildlife Sciences

LOCATION Roanoke, Neuse, Cape Fear, Pee Dee, Santee, Edisto rivers,

North Carolina and South Carolina

DURATION September 2008–August 2013

FUNDING National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration

Acute and reproductive eff ects of emerging contaminants on freshwater mussels

The goal of this project was to expose

freshwater mussels to several hormonally

active emerging contaminants, such as

ethynylestradiol, fl uoxetine, perfl uorinated

chemicals, and 4-nonylphenol. In addition to

acute toxicity testing with mussel glochidia

and juveniles, our novel approach investigated

reproductive eff ects at the individual and

population levels by testing the endocrine

response of adult mussels. Additionally,

we determined eff ects of the emerging

contaminants on the transformation success

of glochidia when they attach to fi sh and

metamorphose into juveniles. The viability

and fi tness of transformed juveniles that

were exposed in marsupia were compared

to the viability and fi tness of unexposed

juveniles from the same brood. This project

greatly expanded the toxicity data base for

native freshwater mussels and emerging

contaminants with diff ering modes of action.

INVESTIGATOR W. Gregory Cope

STUDENT Peter D. Hazelton, PhD, Environmental Toxicology

LOCATION NC State

DURATION August 2008–December 2010

FUNDING U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service

H. JARED FLOWERS

Taylor Jackson and Jared Flowers with Atlantic sturgeon tagged in the Roanoke River near Weldon, North Carolina.

17

Acute eff ects of cyanide compounds on freshwater mussels

The toxicity of cyanide to the early life stages

of freshwater mussels (Order Unionida) has

remained unexplored, though cyanide is

known to be acutely toxic to other aquatic

organisms. Cyanide-containing compounds,

such as sodium ferrocyanide and ferric

ferrocyanide, are commonly added to road

deicing salts as anti-caking agents. The purpose

of this study was to assess the acute toxicity of

three cyanide compounds (sodium cyanide,

sodium ferrocyanide, and ferric ferrocyanide),

two road salts containing cyanide anti-caking

agents (Morton and Cargill brands), a brine

deicing solution (Liquidow brand), and a

reference salt (sodium chloride) on glochidia

(larvae) and juveniles of the freshwater mussel

Villosa iris. Sodium ferrocyanide and ferric

ferrocyanide were not acutely toxic to glochidia

and juvenile mussels at concentrations up

to 1,000 mg/L and 100 mg/L, respectively.

Lowest observed eff ect concentrations for

these two chemicals ranged from 10 to >1,000

mg/L. Sodium cyanide was acutely toxic to

juvenile mussels, with a 96 h median eff ective

concentration (EC50) of 1.10 mg/L, though

glochidia tolerated concentrations up to 10

mg/L. The EC50s for sodium chloride, Liquidow

brine, Morton road salt, and Cargill road salt

were not signifi cantly diff erent for tests within

the same life stage and time period (range

1.66–4.92 g/L). These results indicate that

cyanide-containing anti-caking agents do not

exacerbate the toxicity of road salts, but that

the use of road salts and brine solutions for

deicing or dust control on roads may warrant

further investigation.


STUDENT Tamara J. Pandolfo, PhD, Zoology

LOCATION NC State

DURATION September 2009–July 2011


Assessing benefi ts to migratory fi shes of habitat restored by dam removal

Migratory fi sh species are assumed to benefi t

from dam removals that restore connectivity

and provide access to upstream habitat, but

few studies have evaluated this assumption.

Behavior of migratory fi shes was monitored in

the springs of 2007 through 2010 on the Little

River, North Carolina, a tributary to the Neuse

River with three complete and one partial

dam removals. Migratory fi shes were tagged

with passive integrated transponders (PIT) at a

resistance board weir located at a dam removal

site (most upstream in 2007, most downstream

near river mouth in 2008–2010). Movements

were monitored by installing PIT antennas at

upstream sites in 2008–2010. Fish migrations

were strongly infl uenced by river fl ow, with

most movement occurring during freshets. Use

of upstream restored habitat varied by species.

For example, 24–31% of anadromous American

shad Alosa sapidissima, 45–49% of resident

gizzard shad Dorosoma cepedianum, and 4–11%

of invasive fl athead catfi sh Pylodictis olivaris

passed the most upstream dam removal site

at river kilometer 56. The results provide strong

support for further eff orts to restore currently

inaccessible habitat through complete removal

of derelict dams.


STUDENT Joshua K. Raabe, PhD, Fisheries and Wildlife Sciences

LOCATION Little River, near Goldsboro, North Carolina

DURATION August 2006–August 2011


Assessing mortality, tag reporting rate, and movement patterns of Albemarle Sound and Roanoke River striped bass using conventional, passive integrated transponder, and telemetry tagging techniques

Project objectives are to examine migration

and mortality of striped bass in the Roanoke

River and Albemarle Sound, North Carolina,

using a combination of sonic transmitters,

high-reward internal anchor tags, and PIT tags.

In 2011, 84 striped bass were tagged with a

sonic transmitter and a $100-reward internal

anchor tag, and over 3,000 were given PIT tags.

Ten percent of the sonic-tagged individuals

soon died or were not detected; all others were

detected at multiple receivers in the Albemarle

Sound and Roanoke River. Eighty-two percent

of the sonic-tagged individuals migrated into

the Roanoke River during 2011, with 68%

reaching spawning grounds at Weldon, most

during April and May. In 2011, 17% of the

sonic-tagged individuals were caught either

commercially (n=2) or recreationally (n =12),

and 75% of those caught recreationally were

released. Although striped bass behavior was

sometimes altered by catch-and-release, all

released individuals survived. Using North

Carolina Wildlife Resources Commission creel

data, our preliminary population estimate for

striped bass spawning in the Roanoke River in

2011 was about 732,000 fi sh.


STAFF Julianne E. Harris

LOCATION Roanoke River and Albemarle Sound, North Carolina

DURATION June 2010–June 2013

FUNDING N.C. Department of Environment and Natural Resources

JULIE HARRIS

Julie Harris and Michael Fisk implant a sonic tag in a striped bass.


Assessment of fi sh passage barriers in Puerto Rico rivers

Knowledge of the occurrence and structure

of natural and artifi cial barriers to fi sh and

invertebrate migration is critical to managing

Puerto Rico rivers for native aquatic diversity

and diversity. Yet no comprehensive inventory

of such barrier structures exists. Objectives

of this project were to compile existing

information on Puerto Rico fi sh passage

barriers, perform site visits on selected barriers,

search for undocumented barriers, and develop

a comprehensive document and web site

describing known natural and artifi cial fi sh

passage barriers. These fi ndings will then

be incorporated into associated research

and modeling to describe and understand

occurrence patterns of native and introduced

fi shes of Puerto Rico to facilitate conservation

of native amphidromous fi sh and invertebrate

species. The results will assist management

agency biologists and planners in island-wide

assessment and conservation planning for

aquatic fauna that may be infl uenced by fi sh

barriers.

INVESTIGATOR Thomas J. Kwak

STAFF Patrick B. Cooney

LOCATION Puerto Rico

DURATION August 2008–September 2012


Assessment of the potential association of stream bank erosion and sedimentation with the distribution and abundance of unionids in streams at Fort Bragg, North Carolina

Fort Bragg comprises more than 160,000

acres in the Sandhills of the Piedmont of

North Carolina. The installation supports

military training, but also serves as refugia for a

number of noted endangered and threatened

species. Little prior work on Fort Bragg has

focused on the distribution and diversity of

freshwater mussels, a faunal group that is

imperiled throughout much of North Carolina.

These studies at focus on (1) Documenting

the presence, abundance and distribution of

freshwater mussels in accessible streams on

Fort Bragg; (2) Determining the contribution of

natural and anthropogenic factors contributing

to erosion and sedimentation in selected

streams and their potential association

with mussel populations; and (3) Providing

recommendations for guiding potential stream

restoration eff orts on the base that would

support native freshwater mussel and fi sh

populations. Eff orts to date, have focused on

identifying study sites for mussel surveys, and

initial geographic mapping prior to planned

hydrographic characterization.

INVESTIGATOR Jay Levine

STUDENTS Nathan Lyons, PhD, Marine Earth and Atmospheric Sciences;

Thomas Fox, MS, Fisheries, Wildlife, and Conservation Biology

LOCATION Hoke, and Cumberland counties, North Carolina

DURATION August 2012–June 2014

FUNDING U.S. Army, XVIII Airborne Corps & Fort Bragg

Characterizing habitat suitability for American Shad in the Yadkin-Pee Dee River

In the Yadkin-Pee Dee Basin, North Carolina and

South Carolina, the extent of fi sh migrations

has been greatly reduced by the presence of

dams. At present, there are no facilities for fi sh

passage, but options are being explored. The

primary objective of this study is to characterize

and evaluate the suitability of fi sh habitat

upstream of dams on the Yadkin-Pee Dee

River. Our focal species will be the anadromous

American shad with potential generalization

to other species. Characterizing the suitability

of habitat above the dams is an important

step in guiding diadromous fi sh passage and

restoration eff orts.


STAFF Joshua K. Raabe

LOCATION Yadkin and Pee Dee Rivers, North Carolina and South Carolina

DURATION September 2011–December 2013


PATRICK COONEY

Dams are found on nearly every river in Puerto Rico and provide important human services, but are the most critical threat to native diadromous fi shes on the island.

19

Contaminants of emerging concern in the Great Lakes Basin: Studies evaluating diff ering modes of action and reproductive eff ects with freshwater mussels

The goal of this project is to conduct laboratory

and experimental ecosystem type toxicity tests

with representative mussel species exposed

to several hormonally active contaminants of

emerging concern such as ethynylestradiol,

testosterone, fadrazole, fl uoxetine, perfl uorinated

chemicals, atrazine, mercury, tributyltin or

4-nonylphenol. In addition to acute toxicity

testing with mussel glochidia and juveniles, we

will investigate reproductive eff ects at individual

and population levels by testing the endocrine

response of adult mussels and their progeny.

We will determine eff ects of the contaminants

on the transformation success of glochidia. The

viability and fi tness of transformed juveniles that

were exposed in marsupia will be compared

to the viability and fi tness of unexposed

juveniles from the same brood. Juveniles will

also be exposed at critical periods during their

development and grown out in experimental

systems to assess potential eff ects on endpoints

such as sex determination, reproductive

enzymes, proteins, or lipids, and fecundity.


STUDENT Jeremy A. Leonard, PhD, Environmental Toxicology

LOCATION NC State


FUNDING U.S. Environmental Protection Agency

Development of habitat suitability index models for American shad

Habitat suitability index models for American

shad Alosa sapidissima were developed by Stier

and Crance in 1985. The purpose of this study

was to develop updated habitat suitability

index models for spawning American shad in

the southeastern United States, building on the

many fi eld and laboratory studies completed

since 1985. We surveyed biologists with

knowledge about American shad spawning

grounds, assembled a panel of experts to

discuss important habitat variables, and used

raw data from published and unpublished

studies to develop new habitat suitability

curves. The updated curves are based on

resource selection functions which can model

habitat selectivity based on use and availability

of particular habitats. Using fi eld data

collected in eight rivers from Virginia to Florida

(Mattaponi, Pamunkey, Roanoke, Tar, Neuse,

Cape Fear, Pee Dee, St. Johns), we obtained

new curves for temperature, current velocity,

and depth that were generally similar to the

original models. The Bayesian approach that

we used to develop habitat suitability curves

provides an objective framework for updating

the model as new studies are completed and

for testing the model’s applicability in other

parts of the species’ range.


STUDENT Joshua K. Raabe, PhD, Fisheries and Wildlife Sciences

STAFF Julianne E. Harris, C. Ashton Drew

LOCATION NC State



Establishment of captive populations of magnifi cent ramshorn and greenfi eld ramshorn

The magnifi cent ramshorn Planorbella

magnifi ca is an extremely rare freshwater snail

endemic to only a few locations in eastern

North Carolina. Prior to the initiation of this

project, the best-known population was in

captivity in private holding, and the status of

wild populations was unknown. The purpose

of this project is to establish an additional

captive breeding population of the snail and

then conduct studies to identify factors that

contribute to their nutrition, growth, and

survival. In April 2012, 35 adult P. magnifi ca

were established in aquaria at the College

of Veterinary Medicine. There are now over

1,000 off spring in holding. A portion of these

off spring (340), were transferred to the Watha

State Fish Hatchery in an attempt to establish

a third captive population. Nutrition studies

and studies on the eff ects of salinity and pH

on growth and survival of the snail will be

conducted during the fall and winter 2012.


STUDENT Lori Westmorlend, CVM

STAFF Chris Eads, Jennifer Bloodgood, Roberta Smith-Uhl

LOCATION NC State

DURATION September 2011–May 2013


JAY LEVINEGREG COPE

A magnifi cent ramshorn (Planorbella magnifi ca) propagated at the Aquatic Epidemiology and Conservation Laboratory at the NCSU College of Veterinary Medicine.

Evaluating the reproductive eff ects of the human synthetic estrogen drug 17-α-ethinylestradiol on male freshwater mussels.


Evaluation of fi sh passage following installation of a rock arch rapids at Lock and Dam #1, Cape Fear River, North Carolina

The primary objective of this study is to

evaluate fi sh passage at the fi rst lock and dam

(Lock and Dam #1) on the Cape Fear River

following the installation of a rock arch rapids.

A second objective is to evaluate migratory

behavior, e.g., migratory cues and swim speeds,

of fi sh during upstream migrations and also

their passage rates at upstream lock and dam

structures.


STAFF Joshua K. Raabe

LOCATION Cape Fear River, North Carolina

DURATION May 2012–September 2014

FUNDING U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service

Fish host identifi cation, culture, and propagation of the Tar spinymussel and yellow lance, two rare endemic mussels of the North Carolina Piedmont

The Tar River spinymussel Elliptio steinstansana

and the yellow lance Elliptio lanceolata are

imperiled species of freshwater mussels native

to North Carolina. Captive propagation of

mussels is a conservation tool used to augment

populations of rare species. Captive reared

juveniles are also used to support research

and toxicological studies. Objectives of this

project were to (1) refi ne captive propagation

techniques for the Tar Spinymussel and yellow

lance, (2) establish in vitro mussel propagation

capabilities at the NCSU College of Veterinary

Medicine (CVM), and (3) provide propagated

juveniles to research cooperators. Techniques

for the captive propagation of both species

were refi ned, and juveniles were provided to

the USGS laboratory in Columbia, Missouri,

to conduct toxicity tests of Tar River basin

municipal effl uent on these species. An in

vitro propagation facility was established at

the CVM, and 13 species of mussels have been

propagated, including 3 federally endangered

and 4 state endangered species.


STUDENT Thomas Fox, MS, Fisheries, Wildlife, and Conservation Biology

LOCATION NC State



Fishery population and habitat assessment in Puerto Rico streams

Puerto Rico is known for its marine fi sheries,

but the freshwater habitats of the island also

support a substantial number of relatively

unknown fi shes, many of which provide

recreational fi shery values. We completed

research to evaluate stream and river fi sh

and habitat sampling techniques and to

develop standardized sampling protocols.

We also modeled patterns in occurrence and

abundance of stream and river fi sh populations

as related to physical habitat, including

instream habitat, water quality, riparian and

watershed attributes, and river regulation.

We quantifi ed contaminant concentrations

and dynamics in the stream food web, and

elucidated the ecology and migration of

amphidromous fi shes. Ongoing objectives

include sampling fi shes in downstream river

reaches, developing fi sh microhabitat suitability

functions, and studies of fi sh recruitment

dynamics. Finally, we will synthesize fi ndings

from these objectives toward a better

understanding of fi sh biology, ecology, and

management.


STUDENTS Elissa N. Buttermore, MS, Fisheries and Wildlife Sciences;

William E. Smith, PhD, Fisheries and Wildlife Sciences;

Augustin C. Engman, PhD, Fisheries and Wildlife Sciences

STAFF Patrick B. Cooney


DURATION November 2004–September 2015

FUNDING Puerto Rico Department of Natural and Environmental Resources

PATRICK COONEYJOSH RAABE

The sirajo goby is one of seven native amphidromous fi shes in Caribbean rivers.

A rock arch rapids installed at Lock and Dam #1 on the Cape Fear River to aid fi sh passage.

21

Hierarchical landscape models for endemic unionid mussels: building strategic habitat conservation tools for mussel recovery in the South Atlantic Landscape Conservation Cooperative

The southeastern United States is a hotspot of

mussel biodiversity, and an integrated approach

is urgently needed to conserve endangered

mussel species. We will develop an integrated

landscape, instream habitat, water quality,

and mussel-specifi c model for identifying and

prioritizing strategic habitat conservation areas

for endangered freshwater mussels inhabiting

streams of the south Atlantic slope, with an

emphasis on rare and endangered endemic

species of North Carolina. We are working with

the federally-endangered Tar spinymussel as well

as the Atlantic pigtoe and yellow lance. Results

of this project will be used to develop scientifi -

cally defensible estimates of the stream network

needing conservation to support mussel recov-

ery; identify specifi c factors limiting recovery of

federally-listed mussels in a watershed manner;

enable predictions and hypothesis testing as-

sociated with mussel occupancy and distribu-

tion associated with changes in habitat at the

instream, riparian, or watershed spatial scales;

and refi ne sampling strategies for rare mussels.

INVESTIGATORS Thomas J. Kwak, W. Gregory Cope

STUDENT Tamara J. Pandolfo, PhD, Zoology

STAFF C. Ashton Drew

LOCATION Tar River and Neuse River basins, North Carolina

DURATION September 2010–September 2013


Hydroacoustic monitoring of anadromous fi shes in the Roanoke River, North Carolina

Riverine hydroacoustic techniques are

commonly used to estimate abundance

of upstream migrating anadromous fi shes

in Pacifi c coast states but have rarely been

used along the U.S. east coast. We used a

split-beam sonar and a DIDSON multibeam

sonar to estimate spawning run size of striped

bass Morone saxatilis, American shad Alosa

sapidissima, hickory shad A. mediocris, alewife A.

pseudoharengus, blueback herring A. aestivalis,

and the semi-anadromous white perch M.

americana, in the Roanoke River, North Carolina.

Estimates of total upstream migrants in 2010

and 2011 were 2.4 million and 4.2 million fi sh,

respectively, considerably greater than the

2004–2009 estimates. The higher 2010–2011

estimates are likely due to the addition of

side-looking DIDSON monitoring on each bank.

Sonar applications targeting anadromous fi sh

migrations are generally restricted to rivers

with relatively few species and ideal bank

slope geometry, neither of which is the case

for the Roanoke River. This monitoring protocol

and model should be widely applicable to

other river systems that are not well suited for

traditional sonar monitoring.


STUDENTS Warren A. Mitchell, MS, Kevin J. Magowan, MS, Michael W. Waine, MS, Jacob B. Hughes, MS, all Fisheries and Wildlife Sciences

LOCATION Roanoke River near Halifax and Williamston, North Carolina

DURATION July 2007–June 2013


Identifi cation and laboratory validation of temperature tolerance for northwestern macroinvertebrates: Developing vulnerability prediction tools

Aquatic insects are the most commonly used

faunal group for the ecological assessment

of freshwaters worldwide. Scientists and

resource managers currently lack the ability

to discriminate between temperature and

other water quality eff ects on aquatic insect

communities. Little is known about the

fundamental thermal physiology of these

organisms, and our lab is investigating the role

of physiological hypoxia in determining the

thermal tolerance of aquatic insects at diff erent

levels of biological organization ranging from

gene expression to whole organism physiology

studies using respirometry.

INVESTIGATOR David Buchwalter

STAFF Kyoung Sun Kim

LOCATION NC State


FUNDING U.S. Geological Survey

JOE HIGHTOWERJOE HIGHTOWERH. JARED FLOWERS

Images of migrating fi sh obtained using a DIDSON multibeam sonar.

Hydroacoustic gear used to monitor fi sh abundance in the Roanoke River.

Tamara Pandolfo measures a dwarf wedgemussel, in the Tar River.


Identifi cation of American shad spawning habitat in the Pee Dee River, North Carolina and South Carolina

We examined spawning site selection and

habitat use of American shad in the Pee Dee

River, North Carolina and South Carolina, using

a combination of plankton sampling and radio

telemetry. Most spawning was estimated

to occur in a 25-river kilometer section just

below the lowermost dam in the system, in

the Piedmont physiographic region; however,

some spawning also occurred downstream

in the Coastal Plain. The Piedmont region is

higher in gradient and is predicted to have

slightly higher current velocities and shallower

depths on average than the Coastal Plain. Also,

the Piedmont is dominated by boulders and

gravel, whereas the Coastal Plain is dominated

by sand. Sampling at night when American

shad were spawning resulted in the collection

of young eggs that more precisely identifi ed

spawning sites. In the Piedmont region,

most radio-tagged American shad remained

in discrete areas and generally occupied

water velocities between 0.20 and 0.69 m/s,

depths between 1.0 and 2.9 m, and substrates

dominated by boulder/bedrock and gravel.


STAFF Julianne E. Harris

LOCATION Pee Dee River, North Carolina and South Carolina



Interaction of stocked trout with native nongame stream fi shes

Stocking surface waters with hatchery-reared

trout to support local recreational fi sheries is

common practice among state and federal

agencies. The benefi ts of trout stocking

and associated fi sheries have been widely

recognized for decades. However, potential

negative consequences to native fauna are

of recent concern, but the mechanisms

and signifi cance remain poorly understood.

The goal of this research was to gain an

understanding of the interactions between

stocked trout and native nongame fi shes in the

stream environment. Our primary objective was

to quantify changes in fi sh density, distribution,

and habitat use of nongame fi shes as aff ected

by the presence of stocked trout, relying

primarily on snorkeling techniques in a BACI

(Before-After-Control-Impact) study design.

Results may be used to inform and guide

management actions and to educate fi shery

constituents and the public. The ultimate result

will be better scientifi c understanding, public

awareness, and improved sport fi shing, while

maintaining river biodiversity.


STUDENT Daniel M. Weaver, MS, Fisheries and Wildlife Sciences

LOCATION North Toe River and other North Carolina mountain trout streams

DURATION July 2007–April 2011


Migratory behavior of diadromous fi shes in the Roanoke River, North Carolina

One focus of this research has been to evaluate

new methods for monitoring migration of

diadromous fi shes. Pond trials were conducted

with a DIDSON multibeam imaging sonar to

assess bias in DIDSON size estimates. This type

of gear has considerable potential for use in

fi sheries surveys because the video-like images

are easy to interpret and contain information

about fi sh size, shape, and swimming behavior,

as well as characteristics of occupied habitats.

We examined images for Atlantic sturgeon

Acipenser oxyrinchus, striped bass Morone

saxatilis, white perch M. americana, and channel

catfi sh Ictalurus punctatus of known size

(20–141 cm). For ranges up to 11 m, percent

measurement error (sonar estimate–total

length)/total length X 100 varied by species

but was not related to the fi sh’s range or

aspect angle (orientation relative to the sonar

beam). Least-square mean percent error was

signifi cantly diff erent from 0.0 for Atlantic

sturgeon (x=̄-8.34, SE=2.39) and white perch

(x=̄14.48, SE=3.99) but not striped bass (x=̄

3.71, SE=2.58) or channel catfi sh (x=̄3.97,

SE=5.16). Multibeam sonar estimates of fi sh size

should be useful for research and management

if potential sources of bias and imprecision are

addressed.


STUDENT Kevin Magowan, MS, Fisheries and Wildlife Sciences

LOCATION Roanoke River and Delaware State University ponds



JOE HIGHTOWERJULIE HARRIS

Dewayne Fox and Joe Hightower with Atlantic sturgeon used in pond experiments with a DIDSON multibeam sonar.

Lindsey Garner tracks radio-tagged American shad on the Pee Dee River.

23

Modeling suitable habitat for the robust redhorse in the Pee Dee River

The robust redhorse Moxostoma robustum, a

member of the sucker family of fi shes was lost

to science until it was rediscovered in 1980,

110 years after its description. Habitat loss and

spawning disruption by dams were identifi ed

by the Robust Redhorse Conservation

Committee as a threat to the species. This

research follows previous objectives to develop

habitat suitability functions for the species.

Current objectives will describe instream

habitat availability under varying fl ow volumes

in the unimpounded, lotic reach of the Pee

Dee River upstream of Blewett Falls Lake, and

model the quantity of suitable robust redhorse

habitat in that reach under varying fl ows, based

on previously defi ned habitat suitability criteria

for the species. This collaborative research will

inform planning for population restoration

and improve our overall understanding of a

little-known and rare fi sh, that may require

protection or other management activities in

this and other regulated river system.


STAFF J. Michael Fisk

LOCATION Pee Dee River, North Carolina

DURATION October 2010–May 2012

FUNDING N.C. Wildlife Resources Commission,Progress Energy Carolinas

Modeling the response of imperiled freshwater mussels to anthropogenically induced changes in water temperature, habitat, and fl ow in streams of the southeastern and central United States

Freshwater mussels are in global decline and

urgently need protection and conservation.

Our recent fi ndings suggest that many

species are living close to their upper thermal

tolerances. We are combining the expertise and

resources of multiple scientists, agencies, and

universities to build on our past fi ndings and

integrate climate change induced vulnerability

and risk assessment data into regional

watershed and instream biological response

models for the protection and conservation

of imperiled freshwater mussels. Among 10

specifi c objectives, our primary objective is to

use our developed mussel vulnerability and

risk threshold data in downscaled watershed

and instream regional models to allow federal

and state natural resource managers to forecast

species responses to climate change over the

next 30–50 years and to develop adaptation

strategies to mitigate the adverse eff ects.

These results will contribute to the science and

conservation of the most imperiled fauna in the

world as aff ected by climate change.

INVESTIGATORS Thomas J. Kwak, Jerad Bales, Teresa J. Newton, W. Gregory Cope,

Ryan J. Heise, Byron N. Karns

STUDENTS Tamara J. Pandolfo, PhD, Zoology; Jennifer M. Archambault, MS, Zoology

LOCATION Tar River Basin, North Carolina, and Upper Mississippi River and St. Croix River

basins, Wisconsin

DURATION December 2009–December 2012


Recent precipitous declines of endangered freshwater mussels in the Clinch River: an in situ assessment of water quality stressors related to energy development and other land use

Native freshwater mussels (Order Unionida)

are one of the most rapidly declining faunal

groups in the North America. About 70% of the

nearly 300 freshwater mussel species found

in North America are considered vulnerable

to extinction or are already extinct. These

declines have been attributed to an array of

factors associated with pollution and water

quality degradation and habitat destruction

and alteration, including most recently,

rapid expansion of energy development

and other extractive land uses. This research

project will measure contaminant stressors in

surface water, sediment, and sediment pore

water and evaluate the relationship of the

combined stressors to freshwater mussels,

including federally listed endangered species,

in the Clinch River in Virginia and Tennessee

and Clinch River tributaries in Virginia. The

successful completion of this project will

provide federal and state natural resource

management agencies and other decision

makers with the information needed to assess

mussel sensitivity to contaminants in relation to

these multi-faceted stressors, which will help to

improve the conservation and management of

this valuable, but imperiled faunal group.


STUDENT Angela G. White, MS, Zoology

STAFF Christine M. Bergeron

LOCATION Clinch River, Virginia and Tennessee

DURATION May 2012–April 2015


JENNIFER ARCHAMBAULT

Angela White and Bobby Cope collect freshwater mussels in the Tar River Basin in research to understand the eff ects of land-use and climate change on their occurrence.


Riverine movements of shortnose and Atlantic sturgeon

The objective of this study is to characterize

migration of subadult and adult Atlantic

sturgeon within the Roanoke River and

Albemarle Sound. The fi ve Atlantic sturgeon

tagged in the Roanoke River during fall 2010

and fall 2011 were detected in Albemarle

Sound in spring 2012. The two sturgeon

tagged in fall 2011 apparently did not leave

Albemarle Sound during winter. Of the three

sturgeon tagged in Fall 2010, one has never left

the sound since tagging, one was relocated

in Chesapeake Bay, Virginia, in 2011 by Virginia

Commonwealth University researchers, off

the coast of North Carolina by East Carolina

University researchers in March 2012, and later

in Albemarle Sound. The last was relocated off

the coast of Delaware in May 2011 by Delaware

State University researchers, in Long Island

Sound in September and October 2011 by

biologists from the Connecticut Department of

Energy and Environmental Protection, and back

in Albemarle Sound in spring 2012. Monitoring

will continue through 2013.

INVESTIGATORS Joseph E. Hightower

STUDENT H. Jared Flowers, PhD, Program

STAFF J. Michael Fisk

LOCATION Roanoke River, Albemarle Sound, North Carolina

DURATION July 2010–May 2013

FUNDING S.C. Department of Natural Resources

Sicklefi n redhorse ontogeny, recruitment, and priority habitats in regulated rivers

The sicklefi n redhorse is a recently recognized

fi sh of the sucker family Catostomidae and a

candidate for endangered species protection.

It is among the largest undescribed animal

species in North America, and little is known

of its biology and ecology. This research will

build on previous objectives on spawning

migration, movement patterns, microhabitat

suitability, and behavior. New objectives focus

on early life history and include estimating

reproductive success, describing ontogenetic

shifts in sicklefi n redhorse habitat use and

suitability during early life stages, determining

eff ects of nonnative species on recruitment,

and augmenting the database of spawning

areas in the basin. These fi ndings will be used

by management and regulatory agencies to set

guidelines and priorities for dam operation and

licensing in the Tennessee River basin.


STUDENT Tomas J. Ivasauskas, PhD, Fisheries and Wildlife Sciences

LOCATION Little Tennessee and Hiwassee river basins, North Carolina

DURATION October 2011–June 2016


Stocked trout survival, behavior, and ecology in North Carolina streams

Stocking surface waters with hatchery-reared

trout to support local recreational fi sheries is

common practice among state and federal

agencies. The eff ectiveness of some fi sheries

is dependent on the extended availability

of stocked trout for angling. The goal of this

research is to defi ne the extent and causes of

stocked trout migration and mortality among

species and to elucidate the mechanisms

responsible. We are combining intensive and

extensive studies to determine the persistence

of stocked trout in designated reaches and

streams, and then the associated processes

and mechanisms will be sought in a subset of

stream reaches. Fish behavior and ecology will

be examined to gain an understanding of the

factors that may aff ect stocked fi sh growth,

condition, and survival. Results may be used

to inform and guide management actions to

improve resource management strategies and

to educate fi shery constituents and the public.


STUDENT Patrick B. Cooney, PhD, Fisheries and Wildlife Sciences

LOCATION North Carolina mountain trout streams

DURATION July 2011–December 2015


TOM KWAKH. JARED FLOWERS

Patrick Cooney juggles a hatchery-reared brook trout as he prepares to implant a radio transmitter before releasing the fi sh in a mountain stream.

Atlantic sturgeon egg collected on spawning pad deployed in the Roanoke River near Weldon, North Carolina.

25

Research: Wildlife and Habitats

Adaptive management of horseshoe crabs and shorebirds

in Delaware Bay: Predictive modeling and implementation .................... 26

Amenity value of proximity to National Wildlife Refuges ............................ 26

American Oystercatcher conservation initiative, North Carolina ........... 26

Assessing endangered marsh rabbit and wood rat habitat use

and feral cat populations using photographic, video, and RFID

capture-recapture data ..................................................................................................... 27

Assessing recovery opportunities for Red-Cockaded

Woodpeckers on private lands in eastern North Carolina .......................... 27

Assessing the eff ects of the National Park Service prescribed

fi re program on the breeding bird community in the Great

Smoky Mountains National Park ................................................................................ 27

Assessing the responses of breeding shorebirds to military jet

overfl ights in the core military operations area at Cape

Lookout National Seashore ............................................................................................ 28

Designing sustainable landscapes for bird populations in the

eastern United States ......................................................................................................... 28

Development of a monitoring framework for the Island

Scrub-Jay .................................................................................................................................... 28

Ecological studies of fi shers reintroduced to the northern

Sierra Nevada Mountains ................................................................................................ 29

Ecology of raccoons within Cape Lookout National Seashore,

North Carolina, and the effi cacy of raccoon removal as a

management tool for protecting rare, threatened, and

endangered species ........................................................................................................... 29

Elk habitat suitability map for North Carolina ..................................................... 29

Expanding the range and scope of the designing sustainable

landscapes project to the South Atlantic Landscape

Conservation Cooperative area .................................................................................. 30

Field and greenhouse experiments for the restoration and

recovery of the U.S. federally-endangered St. Francis’

satyr butterfl y .......................................................................................................................... 30

Field validation of King Rail habitat models in the Roanoke-

Tar-Neuse-Cape Fear Ecosystem ................................................................................. 30

Incorporating estimates of detection probability into the

Breeding Bird Survey protocol: Assessment of current

sampling methods .............................................................................................................. 31

Integrated waterbird management and monitoring within

the Atlantic and Mississippi fl yways ......................................................................... 31

Keystone Field to Market Initiative ............................................................................ 31

Manatee protection areas in Puerto Rico .............................................................. 32

Maximizing the benefi ts of fi eld borders for nesting quail and

early-succession songbirds ............................................................................................ 32

Modeling of seabird distributions in the western Atlantic in

anticipation of wind energy development .......................................................... 32

Monitoring and restoration for the endangered butterfl y, the

St. Francis’ satyr I .................................................................................................................... 33

Monitoring and restoration for the endangered butterfl y, the

St. Francis’ satyr II ................................................................................................................... 33

Native-naturalized plant species for pollinators in agricultural

lands in the Caribbean area ........................................................................................... 33

Nature Conservancy Great Rivers Partnership Fellowship .......................... 34

Northern Sierra Nevada fi sher translocation continuity .............................. 34

Restoration and management of coastal lagoons in Puerto Rico ......... 34

Review and analysis of camera trap survey data for the Florida

panther in southwestern Florida ................................................................................ 35

Strategic habitat conservation in Puerto Rico .................................................... 35

Testing a decision model to maximize suitable habitat for

migratory shorebirds in saline lagoons .................................................................. 35

The eff ects of growing-season prescribed fi re on small mammals

and ground-nesting birds at Fort Bragg, North Carolina ............................. 36

The infl uence of coyotes on white-tailed deer recruitment at

Fort Bragg, North Carolina .............................................................................................. 36

The infl uence of growing-season prescribed fi re on white-tailed

deer forage at Fort Bragg, North Carolina ............................................................. 36


Adaptive management of horseshoe crabs and shorebirds in Delaware Bay: Predictive modeling and implementation

A steep reduction of horseshoe crab Limulus

polyphemus eggs at Delaware Bay had been

singled out as a contributor of the decline of

Red Knots. Purportedly, deteriorating foraging

conditions hamper the ability of adults to gain

the body mass needed to survive and breed

successfully. There was support for a positive

relationship between horseshoe crab spawning

and the probability of gaining mass. However,

support for the link between mass gain and

adult survival was poor. Other factors, such

as arctic weather conditions on the breeding

grounds, exerted a stronger infl uence on

adult survival. This work developed a model to

adaptively manage horseshoe crab harvests at

the Bay, and links it with Red Knot mass gain,

annual survival, and fecundity. On 9 February

2012, the Atlantic State Marine Fisheries

Commission voted to adopt and implement

an adaptive management strategy to manage

horseshoe crab harvests in the Bay region.

INVESTIGATOR Jaime A. Collazo

STAFF Conor McGowan

LOCATION Delaware Bay and NC State

DURATION August 2008–December 2010


Amenity value of proximity to National Wildlife Refuges

Natural open spaces provide multiple forms of

benefi ts to local communities, and the U.S. Fish

and Wildlife Service National Wildlife Refuge

(NWR) System is unique in this respect. We

explore the benefi cial economic impacts to

their surrounding communities. Specifi cally,

we focus on how the proximity of residential

properties to a NWR could have a substantial

positive eff ect on property values due to

the protections NWRs provide against future

development and the preservation of the

many natural amenity benefi ts associated with

open spaces. We conduct our analysis by U.S.

Fish and Wildlife Service Region, and fi nd that

homes located within 0.5 miles of an NWR and

within 8 miles of an urban center are valued,

on average, 4%–5% higher in the Northeast

region, 7%–9% higher in the Southeast region,

and 3%–6% higher in California/Nevada region.

These percentages translate into increased

property values and tax bases of approximately

$7.6 to $8.7 million per NWR, depending on the

region considered.

INVESTIGATOR Laura O. Taylor

STUDENT Timothy Hamilton, PhD, Economics

STAFF Xiangping Liu

LOCATION NC State

DURATION June 2009–December 2010


American Oystercatcher conservation initiative, North Carolina

As a member of a steering committee selected

by the National Fish and Wildlife Foundation

and the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, we

developed a national conservation plan for

the American Oystercatcher. The plan has

served as the blueprint for directing over

$3 million for research and management

projects over the past four years. This project

represents a portion of the ongoing work

in North Carolina through collaborations

involving staff at the North Carolina Audubon

Coastal Reserve Program, the North Carolina

Wildlife Resources Commission, and the North

Carolina Cooperative Fish and Wildlife Research

Unit. The project has expanded studies of the

factors aff ecting the productivity of American

Oystercatchers on Cape Lookout National

Seashore to the entire coast of North Carolina.

Because the birds nest and feed along the

outer beach, their populations are threatened

by a variety of problems related to human

activity including disturbance related to human

recreation and ORVs, loss of nesting habitat

due to coastal erosion, and predation from

introduced predators such as feral cats, dogs,

rats, and in some cases, raccoons. The research

is determining the management actions

necessary to protect the remaining breeding

populations, and to incorporate American

Oystercatchers as a component of long-term

natural resource monitoring programs in

coastal North Carolina.

INVESTIGATOR Ted Simons

STUDENT Jessica Stocking, MS, Zoology

LOCATION Cape Lookout National Seashore, North Carolina

DURATION May 2009–May 2013

FUNDING National Audubon Society

JESSICA STOCKING

Andy Lawrence and Maria Logan weigh an American Oystercatcher chick as part of a study to evaluate use of alternative nesting habitat.

27

Assessing endangered marsh rabbit and wood rat habitat use and feral cat populations using photographic, video, and RFID capture-recapture data

The lower keys marsh rabbit Sylvilagus

palustris hefneri and the Key Largo woodrat

Neotoma fl oridana smalli are endangered

species endemic to the Florida Keys. Their

survival is threatened by a variety of factors

including habitat change, sea level rise, and

introduced predators like feral cats that

thrive in human-dominated landscapes.

We will use photographic, video, and RFID

capture-recapture methodologies to inform

the management of these two endangered

species. Our primary objectives are to (1) use

camera trapping methods to validate marsh

rabbit pellet count occupancy estimates and

to estimate population size and movement of

feral cats, and (2) use camera traps, video, and

RFID tag monitoring to assess use of artifi cial

structures by woodrats and to estimate the

population size and movement of feral cats in

woodrat habitat. Findings will assist the U.S.

Fish and Wildlife Service in formulating feral cat

management policies.

INVESTIGATORS Ted Simons, Beth Gardner

STUDENT Michael Cove, PhD, Zoology

LOCATION National Key Deer and Crocodile Lake National Wildlife Refuges, Florida



Assessing recovery opportunities for Red-Cockaded Woodpeckers on private lands in eastern North Carolina

There were at most 55,200 acres that could

potentially support Red-Cockaded Woodpecker

(RCW) recovery eff orts on private land in the

Onslow Bight area of North Carolina. Our model

accurately predicted suitability for 92% of

surveyed sites classifi ed as potentially suitable

in 10 years, but also predicted suitability for

28% of surveyed sites not classifi ed as such.

We surveyed 15,490 acres of the potential

habitat and detected no active RCW clusters.

We found 284,579 acres of pine stands could

be recruited to support RCW on private

lands within 10 years. Our economic models

suggest it would cost $322 to $349 per acre

to transition from short rotation longleaf to

RCW habitat producing longleaf management

for private landowners, $56 to $698 per acre

for conversion from conventionally managed

loblolly pine (assuming a 4% discount rate). Of

the 1,143 stands identifi ed as having short-term

potential to support RCW clusters, sites with

the greatest potential connectivity occur north

of the Croatan National Forest, and in Beaufort,

Bladen, and Brunswick counties. Conservation

outreach eff orts should target properties with

high conservation value, particularly those with

potential to provide RCW habitat and improve

landscape connectivity between active and

future cluster sites.

INVESTIGATORS Nils Peterson, Chris Moorman, Fred Cubbage

STUDENTS Paul J. Taillie, MS, Fisheries, Wildlife, and Conservation Biology;

Viola Glenn, MS, Natural Resources

LOCATION Eastern North Carolina

DURATION September 2010–May 2012

FUNDING U.S. Marine Corps

Assessing the eff ects of the National Park Service prescribed fi re program on the breeding bird community in the Great Smoky Mountains National Park

The southwestern corner of Great Smoky

Mountains National Park, with its dry pine and

oak-hickory forests, steep slopes drained by

small tumbling creeks, scattered old home sites,

wetlands, and extensive fi re history, provides

diverse habitat for a variety of birds. Many of

these species are restricted to habitats declining

elsewhere and limited in the park by past fi re

management practices. Prescribed fi re has

been introduced in the past 20 years, as well as

a policy allowing naturally caused fi res to burn.

The resulting mosaic of mature trees, dense

regeneration and open savannah-like forest has

changed the landscape signifi cantly. This area

was the last known habitat for the endangered

Red-Cockaded Woodpecker; several other bird

species whose habitat is improved by fi re are

likely to be present. Characterizing the habitat

and identifying breeding birds will guide the

park in fi re management decisions and help

improve habitat. This project will provide

fundamental information to evaluate possible

reintroduction of Red-Cockaded Woodpeckers

and target habitat management for other bird

species of concern.


STUDENT Eli Rose, MS, Zoology

LOCATION Great Smoky Mountains National Park, North Carolina and Tennessee

DURATION February 2012–December 2014

FUNDING National Park Service

MIKE COVE CYNTHIA WORTHINGTON

Eli Rose conducts site reconnaissance in the Great Smoky Mountains National Park.

A marsh rabbit photographed by a Reconyx PC900 camera trap at the National Key Deer Refuge on Big Pine Key, Florida.


Assessing the responses of breeding shorebirds to military jet overfl ights in the core military operations area at Cape Lookout National Seashore

The objectives of this research are to determine

if military overfl ights through the Core Military

Operations Area of Cape Lookout National

Seashore aff ect the behavior, demography,

or reproductive success of nesting American

Oystercatchers, Least Terns, Common Terns,

Black Skimmers, Wilson’s Plovers, and Gull-

Billed Terns. We are using island-wide arrays

of digital sound and video monitoring

equipment to quantify the eff ects of military

overfl ights and to evaluate the relative

importance of overfl ight noise and other

natural and anthropogenic disturbance factors,

including natural and feral predators, off -road

vehicles, non-military aircraft, and recreational

activities.


STUDENT Tracy Borneman, MS, Zoology



FUNDING U.S. Marine Corps

Designing sustainable landscapes for bird populations in the eastern United States

This project was designed to assess the

current and projected capability of habitats

in the South Atlantic Coastal Plain to support

sustainable bird populations. Capability

was modeled as a function of landscape-

level changes, e.g., urban growth and

climate change. The end point was to target

conservation programs to most eff ectively and

effi ciently achieve habitat objectives in State

Wildlife Action Plans. Habitat prioritization

models were generated for 41 focal species.

These look at habitat conservation under a

combination of static and dynamic landscape

factors, e.g., restoration and management

potential, proximity to protected lands, existing

habitat, source populations, urban growth,

climate change, and vegetative succession. In

addition, we illustrated how expert knowledge

can aid in decision support models for bird

conservation. Occupancy models were used to

validate expert and knowledge-based species-

habitat relationships.


STUDENTS Monica Iglecia, MS, Zoology

STAFF Steve Williams, Matt Rubino, Curtis Belyea, Todd Earnhardt,

Jennifer Costanza, Adam Terando

LOCATION NC State

DURATION January 2008–June 2011


Development of a monitoring framework for the Island Scrub-Jay

The Island Scrub-Jay Aphelocoma insularisis

endemic to Santa Cruz Island and due to its

restricted range requires close population

monitoring. Island-wide helicopter-supported

distance sampling resulted in a fi rst robust

abundance estimate, but is costly. Using a

simulation study, we investigated how using

fewer sampling points or sampling only points

that could be accessed by vehicle and on foot

infl uenced the power to detect population

declines. We found no considerable diff erences

among random sampling, the existing

sampling design or “Easy access” sampling in

their power, accuracy, or precision to detect

and estimate population declines. The power

to detect population declines decreased

strongly with decreasing number of sampling

points for all survey designs. This suggests

that the number of sampling points should

not be reduced, but sampling only points that

can be accessed relatively easily should work

adequately. We are currently investigating if

spatial mark-resight models provide a superior

analytical tool for scrub jay monitoring.

INVESTIGATOR Beth Gardner

STAFF Rahel Sollmann

LOCATION NC State

DURATION April 2012–February 2013


TED SIMONS DEVON PIKE

Island Scrub Jay on Santa Cruz Island, California.Tracy Borneman with banded American Oystercatcher.

29

Ecological studies of fi shers reintroduced to the northern Sierra Nevada Mountains

From late 2009 through 2011, we released

fi shers Pekania pennanti (24 females, 16 males)

onto the Stirling Management District of Sierra

Pacifi c Industries in the northern Sierra Nevada,

California. The released fi shers experienced

high survival and only 6 fi shers have been

found dead. In the fi rst 2 years of the study, 12

females are known to have denned (71% of

all females tracked), producing a minimum of

19 kits. Of 24 fi shers tracked long enough to

document home ranges, the mean size was

3.6 km2 for females and 16.2 km2 for males. In

October of 2011, we implemented a large scale,

annual trapping eff ort on Stirling to recapture

previously released fi shers and their progeny.

During the last 3 months of 2011 and into

2012, we captured 9 juvenile fi shers (5 females,

4 males) and recaptured and re-collared 11

adults.

INVESTIGATOR Roger Powell

STUDENTS Aaron Facka, PhD, Zoology; Rob Swiers, MS, Zoology

LOCATION Sierra Nevada Mountains, California

DURATION February 2008–September 2012


Ecology of raccoons within Cape Lookout National Seashore, North Carolina, and the effi cacy of raccoon removal as a management tool for protecting rare, threatened, and endangered species

Raccoons are an important predator of

threatened and endangered birds and sea

turtles at several National Seashore and

National Wildlife Refuges. Nest depredation

by raccoons at Cape Lookout National

Seashore, North Carolina, is responsible for

the loss of loggerhead and green sea turtle

eggs and hatchlings and is a primary cause

of nest failures of Piping Plovers, American

Oystercatchers, terns, and Black Skimmers.

Despite extensive public outreach and

education by the National Park Service, raccoon

populations appear to benefi t from human

activity in the seashore, and they have been

implicated in an increasing number of negative

human-wildlife interactions. The Park Service

wishes to develop a predator management

plan but fi rst needs to gather basic ecological

information on the raccoon population to

fully evaluate the ecological consequences

of predator removal as a management tool.

This study documented raccoon behavior,

movement, foraging ecology, and population

parameters before and after an experimental

50% reduction of the South Core Banks

population. It then documented the response

of breeding turtle and shorebird populations to

lower raccoon densities.


STUDENT Arielle Waldstein, MS, Zoology


DURATION May 2006–June 2011


Elk habitat suitability map for North Carolina

The North Carolina Wildlife Resources

Commission is interested in determining the

extent of suitable habitat for Eastern elk Cervus

elaphus canadensis in the state. This interest

was prompted by the desire to engage in

reintroduction eff orts beyond those carried out

by the Great Smoky Mountains National Park.

To maximize the success of reintroductions,

the Commission is requesting a spatial

representation of suitable elk habitat. This

spatial representation will refl ect the ability of

the landscape to provide core requirements

for the species, e.g., food, water, shelter, and

space. Selection criteria of potential sites for

reintroduction will include management

options, land protection, and human

disturbance.


STAFF Steven G. Williams

LOCATION NC State

DURATION May 2012–December 2012


AARON FACKA

Fisher release.


Expanding the range and scope of the designing sustainable landscapes project to the South Atlantic Landscape Conservation Cooperative area

We are expanding the approach used in the

Designing Sustainable Landscapes (DSL)

Project to cover the full geographic extent of

the South Atlantic Landscape Conservation

Cooperative (SALCC), specifi cally, the Piedmont

ecoregion. The objectives are to (1) derive

projections of downscaled climate variables

to predict disturbances that impact habitat

availability; (2) model future urbanization

patterns; and (3) model terrestrial habitat

distribution and characteristics in the context

of urbanization and climate change. Because

the focus of the SALCC includes more than

just avian taxa, we will include amphibians,

reptiles, and mammals. Priority species will be

identifi ed through structure decision making

workshops by Barry Grand of the Alabama

Cooperative Fish and Wildlife Research Unit.

Once identifi ed, habitat availability for selected

species will be modeled through time, based

on the vegetation dynamics and urbanization

modeling. Finally, occupancy models for an

expanded list of bird species will be done using

the approach developed in the initial DSL

project.


STAFF Jennifer Costanza, Steve Williams, Todd Earnhardt, Matt Rubino, Nathan Tarr,

Samantha Rogers

LOCATION NC State

DURATION September 2010–March 2012


Field and greenhouse experiments for the restoration and recovery of the U.S. federally-endangered St. Francis’ satyr butterfl y

In our 11th year of research on the endangered

St. Francis’ satyr butterfl y Neonympha mitchellii

francisci on Fort Bragg, North Carolina, we

detected signifi cant improvement in habitat

quality at restoration plots implemented the

previous year, to the extent that St. Francis’

satyrs were able to colonize them. This

colonization proves timely, as current St. Francis’

satyr populations that we regularly monitor

elsewhere continue to decline drastically. With

use of a new greenhouse built on base, we

have been able to move our captive-rearing

eff orts indoors and improve our techniques.

After 10 years of searching, we fi nally located

a St. Francis’ satyr caterpillar in the wild and

were able to confi rm the species’ host plant.

Our research in the future will focus on greatly

expanding our captive-reared population to

allow for a more aggressive release program,

and to maintain restoration plots as high

quality breeding habitat for individuals in the

wild.

INVESTIGATOR Nick M. Haddad

STUDENT Johnny Wilson, PhD, Zoology

STAFF Erik Aschehoug, Frances Sivakoff , Heather Lessig

LOCATION Fort Bragg, North Carolina

DURATION: May 2012–May 2013


Field validation of King Rail habitat models in the Roanoke-Tar-Neuse-Cape Fear Ecosystem

We estimated King Rail Rallus elegans

occupancy to evaluate the utility of an

expert-based Bayesian Belief Network (BBN)

model to inform management decisions. We

evaluated occupancy at landscape levels,

and assessed the infl uence of year since

burn on occupancy and nest success. We

conclude that BBN models advanced King Rail

conservation and support Strategic Habitat

Conservation adaptive management processes.

Fire management infl uenced rail occupancy,

but only location (refuge) had a strong eff ect,

with marsh composition (natural vs. created)

between refuges accounting for diff erences.

Natural marshes may provide higher quality

habitat, e.g., resource availability. Although

we could not model the infl uence of fi re

management on nest survival, we do establish

a link between occupancy and reproductive

activity in the context of prescribed burns. A

full assessment of the demographic benefi ts of

recently burned marshes to King Rails requires

that brood survival be quantifi ed.


STUDENT Samantha Rodgers, MS, Zoology

LOCATION Back Bay and Mackay Island National Wildlife Refuges,

North Carolina and Virginia

DURATION January 2007–May 2011


JIM RATHERTHEATHER LESSIG

King Rail Rallus elegans.Erik Aschehoug assembles an experimental enclosure designed to study the eff ects of restoration on the endangered St. Francis’ satyr butterfl y.

31

Incorporating estimates of detection probability into the Breeding Bird Survey protocol: Assessment of current sampling methods

The goal of this research was to evaluate the

relative costs and benefi ts of incorporating

diff erent methods of estimating detection

probability into the Breeding Bird Survey

(BBS), one of the largest and longest running

vertebrate monitoring program in the world.

We implemented this assessment within the

operational framework of the BBS through

close collaboration with the national BBS

program, state BBS coordinators, and local BBS

volunteers. We sampled BBS routes over three

consecutive breeding seasons and compared

results derived from unadjusted unlimited-

radius counts with those derived from counts

adjusted for detection probability using

multiple-observer, time of detection, distance

sampling, and repeated count methods.

Findings provided BBS program managers with

practical recommendations about the relative

costs (personnel, sampling eff ort, training)

and benefi ts (bias reduction) of incorporating

diff erent measures of detection probability into

the BBS protocol.

INVESTIGATOR Ted Simons, Ken Pollock

STAFF Jason Riddle

LOCATION North Carolina



Integrated waterbird management and monitoring within the Atlantic and Mississippi fl yways

The Integrated Waterbirds Management

and Monitoring (IWMM) initiative combines

standardized monitoring and modeling at

fl yway, regional, and local scales to address

information needs of waterbird managers and

to guide future management decisions about

where to focus time and other resources on

habitat management and restoration. The

program uses monitoring information in an

adaptive management framework applied at

three spatial scales to inform management

decisions. The IWMM will serve as a tool for

Flyway Technical Committees to address

waterbird habitat management, and link

quantity/quality/locations of waterbird habitat

to waterbird population goals. The program is

a collaboration among conservation partners

located along the Atlantic and Mississippi

fl yways, including the U.S. Fish and Wildlife

Service, state agencies, Ducks Unlimited, and

other non-governmental agencies.


STAFF Andy Wilson, Brian Tavernia

LOCATION Coastal Southeastern United States

DURATION September 2010–June 2013

FUNDING U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service,U.S. Geological Survey

Keystone Field to Market Initiative

We developed a biodiversity metric that allows

producers to compare the expected impacts

of alternative practices, e.g., crop choice, tillage

methods, and fi eld margin management,

on vertebrate species within and around

commercial agricultural fi elds. The metric

uses a producer’s inputs about their fi eld-level

practices to calculate a biodiversity score for

individual fi elds of commercially grown corn,

wheat, cotton, and soy crops in the Coastal

Plain and Piedmont of Virginia, North Carolina,

and South Carolina. The metric is an indirect,

additive index which combines landscape-

level species-habitat distribution data from

Southeast GAP and expert knowledge of

species site-level forage and shelter resource

preferences. Our results demonstrate that

even large-scale, conventional agricultural

producers are potentially important partners

in biodiversity conservation. The metric off ers

a means to educate both producers and

conservation managers about the potential

value of agricultural practices in sustaining

diverse vertebrate wildlife communities.


STAFF C. Ashton Drew, Louise Alexander-Vaughn

LOCATION Virginia, North Carolina, and South Carolina

DURATION January 2011–December 2012

FUNDING The Keystone Center

ROB HAINERJOSH RAABE

Soybean and corn crops.Willet Tringa semipalmata.


Manatee protection areas in Puerto Rico

This project was designed to assist the U.S. Fish

and Wildlife Service’s Caribbean Field Offi ce

to identify and provide the scientifi c basis to

propose Manatee Protection Areas (MPAs). We

pursued two research objectives (1) identify

areas which include the specifi c ecological

attributes necessary to support manatee

populations, and (2) identify areas where take

could be reduced through approved MPA

regulatory frameworks. We achieved these

objectives through literature review, expert

elicitation, and geospatial modeling. The fi nal

product identifi ed a set of 13 potential MPA

regions. These regions serve as suitable starting

points to reduce threats to manatees, but we

recommend that before any MPA is selected

and established, hypothesized attributes and

threats, e.g., boating activity, are ground-

truthed. Establishing MPAs is a management

action that, integrated within the species

Recovery Plan, will enhance the conservation

of manatees.


STUDENT Kari Henderson, undergraduate honors student

LOCATION NC State and Puerto Rico



Maximizing the benefi ts of fi eld borders for nesting quail and early-succession songbirds

This project builds upon the existing

agreement between Murphy-Brown, LLC,

and the North Carolina Wildlife Resources

Commission, and is currently and previously

funded by the North Carolina Department

of Justice’s Smithfi eld Environmental

Enhancement Grants. We used wildlife video

cameras to monitor quail and songbird nests

in and around fi eld borders to determine nest

depredation patterns and how these relate

to fi eld border characteristics, such as border

width and placement within the farm and

surrounding landscape. Results from the study

will be used to provide recommendations

to agencies and landowners for using water

quality enhancement measures, i.e., fi eld

borders, for maximizing the nest success

rates of birds that use them. We will use

scientifi c and popular publications, lectures,

and workshops and fi eld demonstrations to

disseminate management recommendations

to landowners.

INVESTIGATORS Ted Simons, Jason Riddle, University of Wisconsin-Stevens Point

LOCATION Eastern North Carolina

DURATION October 2009–December 2012

FUNDING N.C. Department of Justice

Modeling of seabird distributions in the western Atlantic in anticipation of wind energy development

Off shore development proposed for U.S.

Atlantic waters requires that regulatory

agencies, e.g., Bureau of Energy Management,

Regulation, and Enforcement and the U.S.

Fish and Wildlife Service, assess the eff ects

of activities such as the construction and

operation of wind turbines on marine bird

populations. To meet these goals, information

is needed on the occurrence, distribution, and

behavior of seabirds and factors infl uencing

their distribution. Thus far, we have developed

basic occupancy and dynamic occupancy

models for a suite of species including

Common Loon, Northern Gannett, and Black-

legged Kittiwake in the near shore waters off

of Rhode Island. This work has also included

collecting covariate information including

sea surface temperature, bathymetry, and

chlorophyll at similar spatial and temporal

resolution as the survey data. These covariates

have been included in the models to help

inform patterns of species occurrence. Next

steps include building a community dynamic

occupancy model and building similar models

for nearby waters of Massachusetts.


STUDENT Nick Flanders, MS, Fisheries, Wildlife, and Conservation Biology

LOCATION NC State



JASON RIDDLE

Searching for nests.West Indian manatee Trichechus manatus.

33

Monitoring and restoration for the endangered butterfl y, the St. Francis’ satyr I

Recent studies of the endangered St. Francis’

satyr butterfl y Neonympha mitchellii francisci

on Fort Bragg, North Carolina, have focused on

population monitoring and habitat restoration.

We continued with these activities for our ninth

year of research, and observed a population

greatly reduced in numbers, likely due to dry

weather conditions, natural forest succession

and human habitat disturbance. With a focus

on butterfl y behaviors, we measured how

diff erent habitats, including wetlands, upland

forest, and open areas connect or create

barriers among habitats for St. Francis’ satyr.

We also found that beavers are engineers that

benefi t not just this rare butterfl y, but plant

diversity as well. Our restoration eff orts were

enhanced by our captive-rearing program,

which this year was successful in raising and

releasing two broods of adult butterfl ies into

the wild and will continue to expand in the

future.


STUDENT Johnny Wilson, PhD, Zoology

STAFF Heather Lessig


DURATION April 2010–May 2011


Monitoring and restoration for the endangered butterfl y, the St. Francis’ satyr II

We completed our 10th year of research on

the endangered St. Francis’ satyr butterfl y

Neonympha mitchellii francisci on Fort

Bragg, North Carolina, focusing on the

implementation of a long-term, large-scale

restoration project funded in cooperation

with the Department of Defense’s Strategic

Environmental Research and Development

Program. We created experimental restoration

plots along creek drainages by mimicking

fi re eff ects and inundation by beaver to

produce high quality wetland habitat. We also

continued to have success with our captive-

rearing program, releasing broods during

both fl ight periods and detecting wild-bred

individuals where only captive-bred ones were

released. Using genetic and behavioral data, we

examined landscape connectivity for St. Francis’

satyr, and found that riparian areas serve as

corridors for the butterfl y. We also found that

fi nancial investment in detailed behavioral

observations of butterfl ies can be helpful in

analysis of landscape connectivity.


STUDENTS Johnny Wilson, PhD, Zoology; Tyson Wepprich, PhD, Zoology

STAFF Erik Aschehoug, Heather Lessig


DURATION May 2011–May 2012


Native-naturalized plant species for pollinators in agricultural lands in the Caribbean area

Bees are the main providers of pollination

services in natural and agricultural

environments. To eff ectively attract and

conserve wild bee populations in agricultural

regions, it is important to understand how

to meet their ecological requirements in

an agricultural landscape. We have taken a

lead role in a multi-institution assessment of

bee populations in the southern agricultural

region of Puerto Rico and St. Croix, U.S.

Virgin Islands. In conjunction with National

Resources Conservation Service and the U.S.

Forest Service, this information will be used

to develop recommendations for future

conservation planning that can benefi t both

growers and the environment. Specifi c unit

responsibilities include estimation of wild bee

species abundance and diversity, assessment

of biotic and abiotic factors, such as local

habitat type and structure, infl uencing the bee

diversity, and development of educational and

informational pamphlets detailing our fi ndings

and recommendations.


STAFF Sara Prado

LOCATION Puerto Rico and NC State


FUNDING U.S. Department of Agriculture, Natural Resources Conservation Service

DOUG LEMKEHEATHER LESSIG

Honey bee Apis mellifera.St. Francis’ satyr Neonympha mitchellii francisci chrysalis from captive-reared population on Ft. Bragg.


Nature Conservancy Great Rivers Partnership Fellowship

This was a companion project with the

Keystone Field to Market Initiative aimed at

developing a biodiversity metric that allows

producers to compare the expected impacts

of alternative practices, e.g., crop choice,

tillage methods, fi eld margin management,

on vertebrate species within and around

commercial agricultural fi elds. The metric

uses a producer’s input about their fi eld-level

practices to calculate a biodiversity score for

individual fi elds of commercially grown corn,

wheat, cotton, and soy crops in the Coastal

Plain and Piedmont of Virginia, North Carolina,

and South Carolina. The metric is an indirect,

additive index which combines landscape-

level species-habitat distribution data from

Southeast GAP and expert knowledge of

species site-level forage and shelter resource

preferences. Our results demonstrate that

even large-scale, conventional agricultural

producers are potentially important partners

in biodiversity conservation. The metric off ers

a means to educate both producers and

conservation managers about the potential

value of agricultural practices in sustaining

diverse vertebrate wildlife communities.


STAFF C. Ashton Drew, Louise Alexander-Vaughn

LOCATION Virginia, North Carolina, South Carolina

DURATION March 2012–December 2012

FUNDING The Nature Conservancy

Northern Sierra Nevada fi sher translocation continuity

In late autumns 2006 through 2011,

we collected hair follicles from 100 bait

stations across our study area in the Eastern

Siskiyou Mountains of California and, using

microsatellite analysis to amplify the contained

DNA, identifi ed individuals of our target

species. Population sizes and demographic

structure for each year, as well as ingress /

egress between years, will be estimated using

mark-recapture estimators. Following data

collection in autumn 2009, 5 fi shers were

removed for a project to reintroduce fi shers

to the northern Sierra Nevada. Following

data collection in 2010, 4 more animals were

removed. Relevant population parameters will

be used to assess this removal. Preliminary

analyses show that the population size in

our study area is approximately 30 fi shers,

the annual population growth rate is near 1,

and the removal of fi shers for reintroduction

elsewhere had little eff ect on the population.

INVESTIGATOR Roger Powell

STAFF Aaron Facka, PhD, Zoology; Rob Swiers, MS, Zoology

LOCATION Siskiyou County, California



Restoration and management of coastal lagoons in Puerto Rico

We will formulate and deliver an implemented

management plan to the Puerto Rico

Department of Natural and Environmental

Resources for La Providencia Lagoon (Guánica

State Forest) to enhance populations of

migrant and resident waterfowl, shorebirds,

and other aquatic avian species. We will follow

the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service’s Strategic

Habitat Conservation framework to develop

the management plan. At the core of this

work is a hydrologic model to enable the

manager to optimize desired habitat attributes,

specifi cally, water depth (accessible habitat

for foraging) and salinity (quality to foster

prey abundance), and targeted monitoring to

gauge the success of management actions,

and adjust if necessary. Work also entails

monitoring the recovery of two lagoons that

will be reconnected to the ocean. The aim of

the action is to restore ecological services, e.g.,

nursery habitat, in southwestern Puerto Rico.


STUDENTS Morgan Parks, MS, Zoology; Beatriz Gonzalez, MS, Forestry and





AARON FACKA JASON PATRICK ROSS

Coastline at Guanica Dry Forest Reserve, Puerto Rico.Fisher in a log.

35

Review and analysis of camera trap survey data for the Florida panther in southwestern Florida

Mark-resight models are a less invasive

alternative to capture-recapture models and

an important monitoring tool for species

that lack natural individual marks. Using data

from two 9-month camera-trapping surveys

conducted within the core range of the

endangered Florida panther Puma concolor

coryi in southwestern Florida, we developed a

spatial mark-resight model that incorporates

telemetry location data from radio-collared

individuals to improve estimates of population

density. The density estimates of 1.51 (± 0.81)

and 1.46 (± 0.76) individuals per 100 km2 for

each year fi t with the global pattern of puma

densities. A simulation study showed that

these estimates may exhibit some positive

bias but coverage of the true values by 95%

credible intervals was nominal. This approach

provides a standardized analytical framework

for monitoring the Florida panther —and other

species without conspicuous markings—while

fully accounting for imperfect individual

detection and varying sampling eff ort, issues of

fundamental importance in the monitoring of

wildlife populations.


STAFF Rahel Sollmann

LOCATION NC State

DURATION June 2011–March 2012


Strategic habitat conservation in Puerto Rico

The goal of this project is to design a habitat

conservation strategy for resident avian species,

between two forest reserves in southwestern

Puerto Rico. Early in the project, we focused

on determining the use and permeability of

habitat matrices between forest reserves and

monitoring tools to assess the eff ectiveness

of conservation actions. The former quantifi ed

patch colonization and extinction rates in

agricultural, urban, and forested matrices, and

permeability of the urban matrix. The latter

tested the utility of the breeding productivity

index derived from MAPS (monitoring avian

populations and survival). We are now

formulating a plan to create a biological

corridor to assist movement of resident avian

species and other fauna between reserves.

The strategy will maximize the use of all

available mechanisms and incentives to work

with stakeholders prior to considering habitat

acquisition. The strategy recognizes that

the landscape is under multiple land uses,

including low density urban development.


STUDENTS Mary Kornegay, MS, Zoology, Julissa Irizarry, MS, Zoology

LOCATION Southwestern Puerto Rico and NC State

DURATION October 2010–July 2012


Testing a decision model to maximize suitable habitat for migratory shorebirds in saline lagoons

Managers of the Cabo Rojo National Wildlife

Refuge, Puerto Rico, wish to provide quality

feeding habitat for aquatic birds. To that

eff ect, we propose to test a model designed

to optimize decisions about the hydrologic

management of selected units within the

refuge. Decisions are aimed at maximizing

accessible habitat (depth) for foraging

shorebirds at salinity levels that promote high

prey density. The model links management

objectives and actions, predicting possible

outcomes from a suite of alternative actions.

Monitoring shorebird numbers and use is

an integral component of this process as it

permits the quantitative evaluation of how

the system responds to a management action,

and whether that response conforms to

model predictions. This is essential to adjust

actions after evaluating a system’s response,

the foundation of an adaptive management

framework. The project will deliver a refi ned

decision model for full implementation by the

staff of the Cabo Rojo National Wildlife Refuge.


STUDENT Morgan Parks, MS, Zoology

LOCATION Southwestern Puerto Rico and NC State

DURATION July 2012–September 2015


BETH GARDNER JULISSA IRIZARRY

Puerto Rican Bullfi nch fi tted with a radio transmitter for translocation experiments to assess urban matrix permeability.

Camera-trap picture of male collared Florida panther that served as a marked individual in the spatial mark-resight model.


The eff ects of growing-season prescribed fi re on small mammals and ground-nesting birds at Fort Bragg, North Carolina

A recent shift from dormant to growing-

season prescribed fi re may alter habitat for

ground-dwelling wildlife, e.g., small mammals

and ground-nesting birds, and reduce acorn

production critical to a variety of wildlife, e.g.,

southeastern fox squirrel. In 2011 and 2012,

we captured small mammals in each of fi ve

main cover types, including upland pine, one,

two, and three years post-burning. Captures

declined with time since burn. We located

wild turkey nests and monitored survival by

tracking radio-marked hens. Though one-

third of the study area was burned during the

turkey nesting season, only one of 30 nests

(3.3%) was destroyed by fi re. Additionally,

prescribed fi re likely maintained the optimal

vegetation structure in riparian ecotones,

where over 50% of nests were located. From

March 2011 to July 2012, we tracked 51 radio-

collared southeastern fox squirrels. Analyses of

relationships between squirrel locations and

environmental covariates, e.g., hardwood basal

area and burn frequency, are forthcoming.

INVESTIGATORS Christopher Moorman, Christopher DePerno

STUDENTS Eric Kilburg, MS, Fisheries, Wildlife, and Conservation Biology; Annemarie Prince,

MS Fisheries, Wildlife, and Conservation Biology; Morgan Elfelt, MS, Fisheries, Wildlife,

and Conservation Biology




The infl uence of coyotes on white-tailed deer recruitment at Fort Bragg, North Carolina

White-tailed deer harvest has declined at

Fort Bragg, North Carolina, concurrent with

an apparent increase in coyote densities. We

examined coyote movements and depredation

of deer. We captured coyotes and adult

female deer in 2011 and 2012. We deployed

vaginal-implant transmitters, and subsequently

captured fawns at birth sites and deployed

expandable VHF radio-collars. We tracked fawn

survival for 16 weeks and investigated cause of

mortality. We deployed 30 GPS radio-collars on

coyotes. In 2011 and 2012, we radio-collared

27 and 42 fawns, respectively. Fawn survival

was low in both years (<20%), and predation

was a leading cause of mortality. Preliminary

analyses of coyote movements suggest that

coyotes have large home ranges. Analysis of

relationships between coyote habitat selection

and prey abundance is forthcoming.


STUDENTS Colter Chitwood, PhD, Fisheries, Wildlife, and Conservation Biology;

Morgan Elfelt, MS, Fisheries, Wildlife, and Conservation Biology




The infl uence of growing-season prescribed fi re on white-tailed deer forage at Fort Bragg, North Carolina

In recent decades, management of the longleaf

pine ecosystem has moved toward the use

of frequent growing-season prescribed fi res.

However, homogeneous fi re application

during a narrow burn season on a relatively

consistent return interval is based on historical

averages and likely does not represent the

heterogeneity in naturally ignited fi res. In 2011

and 2012, we fi tted 37 adult female deer with

GPS collars to investigate movements and

lactation potential in relation to fi re frequency

and seasonality. We also are evaluating

eff ects of fi re regime on hard and soft mast

abundance, forage availability, and seasonal

deer diet selection. Preliminary results indicate

more variable fi re regimes are necessary to

maintain heterogeneity within the longleaf

pine ecosystem.


STUDENT Marcus A. Lashley, PhD, Fisheries, Wildlife, and Conservation Biology



FUNDING U.S. Army, XVIII Airborne Corps & Fort Braggg

CHRIS MOORMANCHRIS MOORMANCHRIS MOORMAN

37

Research: Integrated Ecology

Advanced training for natural resources professionals ................................. 38

Assessing climate-sensitive ecosystems in the southeastern

United States ........................................................................................................................... 38

Coastal wetland dynamics and wildlife populations: Modeling

the eff ects of sea level rise and landscape change ......................................... 38

Describing cultural support for, and barriers to, collaborative

management within the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service ................................ 39

Development and dissemination of a high-resolution national

climate change dataset .................................................................................................... 39

Development of population and habitat objectives for U.S. Fish

and Wildlife Service Trust Resources in the Roanoke-Tar-

Neuse-Cape Fear Ecosystem of the South Atlantic Migratory

Bird Initiative project area................................................................................................ 39

Extending the adaptive management framework .......................................... 40

Integrating the eff ects of global and local climate change on

wildlife in North America ................................................................................................. 40

Modeling and mapping landscape pattern resilience and

vulnerability ............................................................................................................................. 40

Modeling impacts of biomass production on landscapes

and wildlife ............................................................................................................................... 41

Research and applications in support of the National Gap

Analysis Program .................................................................................................................. 41

Southeast integrated assessment: Climate change and wildlife

dynamics .................................................................................................................................... 41

Statewide terrestrial habitat threats and risks projections

based on climate change, urbanization, and strategic

conservation decisions ..................................................................................................... 42

Strategic conservation planning for six priority natural

environments for the Eastern North Carolina and Southeastern

Virginia Strategic Habitat Conservation Team .................................................... 42

Systems’ response to climate change projections and species

distribution models in the Caribbean ..................................................................... 42

JOSH RAABE


Advanced training for natural resources professionals

This project is designed to enhance and

expand skills and capacity of biologists,

managers, and planners to address natural

resources conservation challenges in Puerto

Rico. Training will be multi-faceted, stressing

the benefi ts of integrated and multi-disciplinary

work. The objective of the proposed project

will be achieved through a series of targeted

workshops off ered by leading professionals

in the fi eld from Puerto Rico and the United

States. The thematic composition of workshops

was selected via a consultation process with

professionals of the Department of Natural

and Environmental Resources to maximize the

relevance and impact of workshops. Topics are

nested within three themes, namely, principles

of statistics, fi sheries and wildlife population

parameter estimation, and conservation design

and adaptive resource management.



DURATION November 2011–September 2013


Assessing climate-sensitive ecosystems in the southeastern United States

We have just begun conducting an assessment

of climate change vulnerability for ecosystems

in the southeastern United States, Puerto Rico,

and the U.S. Virgin Islands. This research is in

collaboration with researchers from the U.S.

Geological Survey’s Tennessee Water Science

Center. We are assessing the three components

of vulnerability, exposure, sensitivity, and

adaptive capacity. We are identifying the set

of focal ecosystems for which we will conduct

the assessment, based on feedback from local

Landscape Conservation Cooperatives. When

we have identifi ed focal ecosystems, we will

conduct GIS analysis in the lab to assess the

components of vulnerability. We will combine

our results with the results of literature reviews

conducted by collaborators. The result will be a

comprehensive assessment of potential climate

change impacts to ecosystems and a list of

recommended management, conservation,

and monitoring strategies.


STAFF Jennifer Costanza

LOCATION NC State



Coastal wetland dynamics and wildlife populations: Modeling the eff ects of sea level rise and landscape change

This project is addressing aspects of the U.S.

Fish and Wildlife Service’s Strategic Habitat

Conservation initiative by linking the response

of coastal marshes to sea level rise with habitat

models for a variety of wildlife species. We

are developing hierarchical models of marsh

bird survey data to assess the importance of

biophysical factors on marsh bird distribution

and abundance. Our goal is to evaluate the

uncertainty surrounding predictions from

“downscaled” climate models to predictions of

future species-habitat relationships.


STAFF Matthew Krachey

LOCATION NC State

DURATION September 2009–August 2014


Marsh area at Bald Head Island, North Carolina.

39

Describing cultural support for, and barriers to, collaborative management within the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service

Why do some U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service

(USFWS) biologists collaborate with diverse

stakeholders while others do not? To answer

this question, we developed a collaborative

management framework and surveyed all

USFWS project leaders in the Southeast Region

in June–August 2010. The survey revealed

that 63% of local USFWS offi ces engaged

in community-based partnerships, yet no

partnership served as a robust example of

collaborative management. Survey results

also indicated that the project leaders are

split between a consultative and collaborative

orientation regarding how to engage

stakeholders in the decision making process.

Interviews with select offi ces in the region’s

Ecological Services and Refuge Offi ces plus

leaders in the Southeast Regional and National

Offi ces were conducted in October–December

2010. The interviews explored personal and

organizational level factors that lead a biologist

to collaborate with scientists and non-

scientists. Results were shared with the USFWS

in February 2011; interview analysis is ongoing.

INVESTIGATOR George Hess, Toddi Steelman

STUDENT Kathryn B. Reis, PhD, Fisheries and Wildlife Sciences

LOCATION Southeast Region of the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service

DURATION March 2010–December 2012

FUNDING U. S. Fish and Wildlife Service

Development and dissemination of a high-resolution national climate change dataset

The goal of this project was to create a

comprehensive web-based data portal of high-

resolution climate change projections that

can be used to assess the impacts of climate

change on ecosystems in the continental

United States. The U.S. Department of the

Interior has recognized the need for high-

resolution downscaled climate to develop

adaptation strategies. The work was done in

close collaboration with the U.S. Geological

Survey Center for Integrated Data Analytics

(CIDA) and the National Climate Change and

Wildlife Science Center (NCCWSC). The North

Carolina Unit had the primary responsibility

for (1) organizing workshops with partners

and Landscape Conservation Cooperatives to

identify science gaps and provide data portal

demonstrations, (2) work with CIDA to improve

functionality of the data portal, and (3) overall

project management. The Geo Data Portal is

now available for public use at http://cida.usgs.

gov/gdp/ and a prototype of the companion

portal that calculates various projections of

climate thresholds and extremes is available at

http://cida.usgs.gov/climate/derivative/.


STAFF Adam Terando

LOCATION NC State

DURATION January 2010–September 2012


Development of population and habitat objectives for U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service Trust Resources in the Roanoke-Tar-Neuse-Cape Fear Ecosystem of the South Atlantic Migratory Bird Initiative project area

We modeled habitat occupancy by breeding

King Rail Rallus elegans in Eastern North Carolina

and Southeastern Virginia to test the value of

Bayesian Beliefs Networks (BBN) to support

U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service’ Strategic Habitat

Conservation (SHC). We evaluated whether

BBN models initiated with expert knowledge

and incrementally updated with empirical

data could eff ectively support the defi nition of

population and habitat objectives at regional

and refuge scales. Following two years of fi eld

surveys, we compared occupancy predictions

from the original expert-only BBN model, a

variety of BBN models and with diff erent data,

and empirically-derived detection-adjusted

occupancy estimates. Spatial data error, expert

error, and uncertainty to overall model error

were considered during the interpretation

of results. We conclude that BBN models

advanced King Rail conservation, and proposed

general recommendations to maximize the

utility of expert knowledge within Bayesian

Belief Networks designed to support SHC

adaptive management processes.


STAFF C. Ashton Drew

LOCATION Back Bay and Mackay Island National Wildlife Refuges,

North Carolina and Virginia

DURATION March 2006–February 2011


BRIAN LASENBY ASHTON DREW

Catherine Airey listens for King Rail to respond to a call-back survey at Mackay Island National Wildlife Refuge.

American Alligator Alligator mississippiensis in its natural habitat on the banks of the Suwannee River-Okefenokee Swamp National Wildlife Refuge, Georgia.


Extending the adaptive management framework

Most management and conservation problems

are plagued with high levels of uncertainties,

which make optimal decision making diffi cult.

We developed a unifying framework that

allows for the incorporation of diff erent types

of uncertainty while providing a robust and

fl exible framework to learn effi ciently. Any

observed variable or signal can be used to

learn about system dynamics, which has the

potential to increase the speed and value

of learning and increase the likelihood of

targeting the aspects of the problem in which

uncertainty plays the largest role. This approach

has the advantage of potentially being able to

accommodate climate change, characterized

by parameter drift or non-stationarity in a

system, by treating slowly evolving system

parameters as part of the system uncertainty.

We are currently applying this approach

to strategic habitat conservation decisions

in the southeastern U.S. along with several

case studies including the management of

recreation near Golden Eagle nesting sites.

INVESTIGATORS Jaime A. Collazo, Paul L. Fackler

STAFF Krishna Pacifi ci

LOCATION NC State



Integrating the eff ects of global and local climate change on wildlife in North America

Global warming is rapidly shifting the distribution

and roles of species in North America and

more generally, but it is not acting alone. In

urban areas, temperatures can exceed those in

more natural habitats by 5–10 degrees C, such

that the most rapid and extreme changes in

climate in North America, particularly in the

southeastern U.S., are likely to be in cities. In our

project, we aim to more fully characterize both

the changes in climate occurring in cities and

how those changes are aff ecting wild species.

Toward this end, we are using fi eld observations,

experiments, large scale models, and meta-

analysis to understand how both species of

conservation concern and invasive and pest

species have already responded to urban

warming. Our focus has been on ants (both rare

and pest/invasive species), beetles (primarily

pest species), scale insects, and butterfl ies. These

smaller species are likely to be the most robust

indicators of local change in response to urban

warming. The fi nal steps in our work will be

to model the combined eff ects of urban and

global warming on urban temperatures and

species responses based on projections of both

urbanization and future climate.

INVESTIGATORS Rob Dunn, Steven Franks, Nadia Singh, Nick Haddad

STUDENTS Emily Meineke, PhD, Entomology; Amanda Traud, PhD, Biomathematics; Adam

Dale, MS, Entomology

STAFF Elsa Youngstedt, Sarah Diamond, Andrew Ernst

LOCATION NC State, Raleigh-Durham, Boston, New York City, Baltimore



Modeling and mapping landscape pattern resilience and vulnerability

Landscape pattern has important implications

for natural resources, including wildlife

habitat and water quality. Therefore,

understanding how landscape pattern may

change in response to future changes such

as climate change, urban growth, and natural

disturbances is critical for conserving those

resources. This project integrates state-of-the-

art landscape pattern analysis with simulations

of landscape change to assess and map

future resilience of landscape pattern. We

are using vegetation dynamics and urban

growth models to simulate future changes. To

characterize landscape patterns, we are using

state-of-the-art pattern analysis techniques.

The result will be a map of the resilience of

pixels in the landscape to future changes and

an assessment of the implications of changes in

landscape pattern for wildlife habitat.


STAFF Jennifer Costanza

LOCATION NC State

DURATION August 2012–July 2015

FUNDING U.S. Forest Service

BENOIT GUENARD

Carpenter ant Camponotus americanus.Golden Eagle.

41

Modeling impacts of biomass production on landscapes and wildlife

We will assess the potential impacts, both

positive and negative, of biomass production

on the state’s landscapes and wildlife. The state

of North Carolina has a goal of 10% of liquid

fuels from locally-produced biofuels by 2017.

To reach the goal sustainably, the potential

impacts to the state’s natural resources from

biomass production must be assessed. For a

set of plausible future scenarios, we are using

landscape and wildlife models to project the

types and amounts of landscape change

that are likely to occur in North Carolina from

biomass production through the year 2050. We

are then incorporating those potential changes

into spatially explicit models of landscape

dynamics and wildlife habitat. The result will be

a set of maps to be used as a tool for decision-

makers in the state, as well as a list of strategies

to ameliorate the negative eff ects of biofuels

on landscapes and wildlife.

INVESTIGATORS Jaime A. Collazo, Jennifer Costanza, Robert Apt,

Ronalds Gonzalez, C. Ashton Drew

STAFF Todd Earnhardt, Matt Rubino, and Louise Alexander

LOCATION NC State

DURATION June 2012–August 2013

FUNDING Biofuels Center of North Carolina

Research and applications in support of the National Gap Analysis Program

This project is focused on three critical themes

for the National Gap Analysis Program,

applications, monitoring, and refi nement. The

Program completed nationally consistent core

datasets, i.e., land cover, public areas database,

vertebrate predicted distributions, and seeks

to conduct various analyses on a national

extent and develop decision support tools for

landscape level applications. Since September

2011, the focus has been the completion of

national extent distribution models for a wide

range of terrestrial vertebrates and developing

the approach for incorporating expert

knowledge and uncertainty into the Gap

species-habitat models. We have also partnered

with the Biofuels Center of North Carolina

and the National Park Service to integrate

GAP land cover and species models to assess

potential impacts of biofuels production

and model species responses to prescribed

fi re, respectively. Plans call to work with the

Environmental Protection Agency to develop

metrics of ecological services provided by

species in the southeastern United States.


STUDENT Eli Rose, MS, Zoology

STAFF Steve Williams, Todd Earnhardt, Matt Rubino, Nathan Tarr,

Curtis Belyea, C. Ashton Drew,

LOCATION NC State



Southeast integrated assessment: Climate change and wildlife dynamics

Climate change is recognized by the U.S.

Department of the Interior as a priority for

research and strategic planning. As part of

this eff ort, we assumed a leadership role in a

multi-unit and multi-institution assessment

to provide decision makers and Landscape

Conservation Cooperatives with state-of-the-

science projections of potential climate and

landscape changes in the southeastern United

States. North Carolina Unit researchers were

responsible for developing models of avian

range dynamics, probabilistic climate change

projections, regional urbanization projections,

probabilistic fi re regime projections, and

vegetation dynamics models. Researchers from

the Alabama Cooperative Fish and Wildlife

Research Unit used resulting data to develop

robust conservation strategies for adapting to,

and mitigating the eff ects of, global change.

The products of this project were not only a

set of data that can inform conservation at

multiple scales, but also a fl exible framework

that can be implemented elsewhere and

updated to incorporate new information.


STUDENT Monica Iglecia, MS, Zoology

STAFF C. Ashton Drew, Jennifer Costanza, Adam Terando,

Curtis Belyea, Todd Earnhardt, Matt Rubino

LOCATION NC State



H.J. SCHNEIDER

Switchgrass is commonly used as a biomass crop for ethanol and butanol production.


Statewide terrestrial habitat threats and risks projections based on climate change, urbanization, and strategic conservation decisions

The North Carolina Wildlife Resources

Commission (NCWRC) has taken steps

to defi ne and value the habitats of North

Carolina to facilitate science-based, publicly-

informed prioritization of the lands proposed

for acquisition or management. Recognizing

that landscapes are dynamic, the NCWRC

would prefer that their prioritization scheme

also consider potential threats to and likely

future condition of habitats. In particular, the

NCWRC would like to pro-actively anticipate

and, if possible, mitigate habitat threats that

might occur as a result of population growth

and climate change. We will deliver to the

NCWRC a spatially-explicit Decision Support

Tool to support state-wide habitat acquisition

and management decisions by projecting

future threats/risks to terrestrial and aquatic

habitats. These include direct and indirect

eff ects of climate change, urbanization, and

pollution. Output from such a tool would

project expected land cover into the future in

increments that could support both short- and

long-term planning.


STAFF Steve Williams

LOCATION NC State


FUNDING North Carolina Wildlife Resources Commission

Strategic conservation planning for six priority natural environments for the Eastern North Carolina and Southeastern Virginia Strategic Habitat Conservation Team

We are using expert knowledge to inform a

comprehensive strategic conservation plan

for the Eastern North Carolina/Southeastern

Virginia Strategic Habitat Conservation

Team (ENCSEVA). We are applying the Open

Standards framework and using the expert

opinion from wildlife biologists, natural

resource managers, and researchers to

conceptualize and inform the conservation

plan. This framework provides a multi-step

process to conceptually organize conservation

projects in a manner that enhances the rigor

and transparency of expert and knowledge

based plans. It helps defi ne explicit links

between planned conservation activities to

outcomes, as well as indicators to measure

success. We will provide the ENCSEVA team

with a portfolio of management options, an

analysis of threats facing conservation targets

and summaries of expert-based predictions

linking the implementation of potential actions

with objectives of the plan. The latter serves

as a foundation for an adaptive management

framework.


STAFF Louise B. Alexander-Vaughn

LOCATION Eastern North Carolina and Southeastern Virginia

DURATION August 2012–January 2013


Systems’ response to climate change projections and species distribution models in the Caribbean

We propose to project biotic and abiotic

responses of tropical island ecosystems to

climate change and urbanization. Specifi cally,

we propose to use downscaled climate data

to (1) model climate-change related eff ects on

water quantity and water temperature across

the island, (2) simulate future spatial patterns

of urban growth across the island according

to recent growth urbanization trends, and (3)

model vegetation dynamics to project future

land covers for Puerto Rico and the U.S. Virgin

Islands. We aim to assess the potential impacts

of these projections on predicted distributions

using species-habitat models from the Puerto

Rico Gap Analysis Program. It is hoped that

this project will facilitate the full integration of

science-support projects in support of eff orts

to stand-up and operationalize the Caribbean

Landscape Conservation Cooperative.


STAFF Jennifer Costanza, Azad Henareh Khalyani, Ashley Van Beusekom

LOCATION Puerto Rico and NC State



JOSH RAABE

43

Publications and PresentationsJOURNAL ARTICLES

Bartel, R.A., N.M. Haddad, and J.P. Wright. 2010. Ecosystem engineers maintain

rare species and increase biodiversity. Oikos 119: 883–890.

Baumann, J.R., and T.J. Kwak. 2011. Trophic relations of introduced fl athead

catfi sh in an Atlantic river. Transactions of the American Fisheries Society

140: 1120–1134.

Bhat, K.S., M. Haran, A. Terando, and K. Keller. 2011. Climate projections

using Bayesian model averaging and space-time dependence. Journal of

Agricultural, Environmental, and Biological Statistics 16: 606–628.

Borkhataria, R.R., J.A. Collazo, and M.J. Groom. 2012. Species abundance and

potential biological control services in shade vs. sun coff ee in Puerto Rico.

Agriculture, Ecosystems and Environment 151: 1–5.

Borkhataria, R.R., J.A.Collazo, M.J. Groom, A. Jordan-Garcia. 2012. Shade-

grown coff ee in Puerto Rico: Opportunities to preserve biodiversity while

reinvigorating a struggling agricultural commodity. Agriculture, Ecosystems

and Environment 149: 164–170.

Borkhataria, R.R, P.C. Frederick, R.A. Keller, and J.A. Collazo. 2012. Temporal

variation in local wetland hydrology infl uences post dispersal survival of

juvenile wood storks (Mycteria Americana). Auk 129: 1–12.

Collazo, J.A., J.F. Gilliam, and L. Miranda-Castro. 2010. Functional response

models to estimate feeding rates of wading birds. Waterbirds 33: 33–40.

Cooney, P.B., and T.J. Kwak. Spatial extent and dynamics of dam impacts on

tropical island freshwater fi sh assemblages. BioScience. In press.

Cope, W.G., F.M. Holliman, T.J. Kwak, N.C. Oakley, P.R. Lazaro, D. Shea, T.

Augspurger, J.M. Law, J.P. Henne, and K.M. Ware. 2011. Assessing water

quality suitability for shortnose sturgeon in the Roanoke River, North

Carolina, USA with an in situ bioassay approach. Journal of Applied

Ichthyology 27: 1–12.

Costanza, J.K., J. Hulcr, F.H. Koch, T. Earnhardt, A.J. McKerrow, R.R. Dunn, and

J.A. Collazo. 2012. Simulating the eff ects of the southern pine beetle on

regional dynamics 60 years into the future. Ecological Modeling 244:

93–103.

Engman, A., and A. Ramírez. 2012. Fish assemblage structure in urban streams

of Puerto Rico: the importance of reach- and catchment-scale abiotic

factors. Hydrobiologia 693: 141–155.

Fisk, J.M. II, T.J. Kwak, R.J. Heise, and F.W. Sessions. Redd dewatering eff ects

on hatching and larval survival of the robust redhorse. River Research and

Applications. In press.

Franklin, S., D. Faber-Langendoen, M. Jennings, T. Keeler-Wolf, O. Loucks, A.

McKerrow, R. Peet, and D. Roberts. 2012. Building the United States National

Vegetation Classifi cation. Annali di Botanica —Coenology and Plant

Ecology (Roma) 2: 1–9.

Harris, J.E., and J.E. Hightower. 2011. Identifi cation of American shad spawning

sites and habitat use in the Pee Dee River, North Carolina and South

Carolina. North American Journal of Fisheries Management 31: 1019–1033.

Hazelton, P.D., W.G. Cope, T.J. Pandolfo, S. Mosher, M.J. Strynar, M.C. Barnhart,

and R.B. Bringolf. 2012. Partial life-cycle and acute toxicity of perfl uoroalkyl

acids to freshwater mussels. Environmental Toxicology and Chemistry 31:

1611–1620.

Hightower, J.E., J.E. Harris, J.K. Raabe, P. Brownell, C.A. Drew. 2012. A Bayesian

spawning habitat suitability model for American shad in southeastern

United States rivers. Journal of Fish and Wildlife Management 3: 2 [online:

http://www.fwspubs.org/doi/pdf/10.3996/082011-JFWM-047].

Hudgens, B.R., W.F. Morris, N.M. Haddad. W. Fields, J. Wilson, D.C. Kuefl er, and

R.T. Jobe. 2012. How complex do models need to be to predict dispersal

of threatened species through matrix habitats? Ecological Applications 22:

1701–1710.

Kuefl er, D., B. Hudgens, N.M. Haddad, W.F. Morris, and N. Thurgate. 2010. The

confl icting role of matrix habitats as conduits and barriers for dispersal.

Ecology 91: 944–950.

Lombard, C.D., J.A. Collazo, and D.B. McNair. 2010. Nest and chick survival and

colony dynamics of Least Terns in the US Virgin Islands. Condor 112: 56–64.

Martin, J., A.F. O’Connell Jr., W.L. Kendall, M.C. Runge, T.R. Simons, A.H.

Waldstein, S.A. Schulte, S.J. Converse, G.W. Smith, T. Pinion, M. Rikard, E.F.

Zipkin. 2010. Optimal control of native predators. Biological Conservation

143: 1751–1758.

McClintock, B.T., L.L. Bailey, K.H. Pollock and T.R. Simons. 2010. Experimental

investigation of observation error in anuran call surveys. Journal of Wildlife

Management 74: 1882–1893.

McClintock, B.T., L.L. Bailey, K.H. Pollock, and T.R. Simons. 2010. Unmodeled

observation error induces bias when inferring patterns and dynamics of

species occurrence via aural detections. Ecology 91: 2446–2454.

Midway, S.R. 2012. Filth, fl ows, and family: Pressures mount on a rare stream

catfi sh. Fisheries 37: 320–321.

Milko, L.V., N.M. Haddad, and S.L. Lance. 2012. Dispersal via stream corridors

structures populations of the endangered St. Francis’ satyr butterfl y

(Neonympha mitchellii francisci). Journal of Insect Conservation 16: 263–273.

Miller, D.A.W., L.A. Weir, B.T. McClintock, E.H. Grant, L.L. Bailey, and T.R. Simons.

2012. Experimental investigation of false positive errors in auditory species

occurrence surveys. Ecological Applications 22: 1656–1674.

Mosher, S., W.G. Cope, F.X. Weber, T.J. Kwak, and D. Shea. 2012. Assessing

accumulation and sublethal eff ects of lead in a unionid mussel. Walkerana:

the Journal of the Freshwater Mollusk Conservation Society 15: 60–68.

Mosher, S., W.G. Cope, F.X. Weber, D. Shea, and T.J. Kwak. 2012. Eff ects of lead

on Na+, K+-ATPase and hemolymph ion concentrations in the freshwater

mussel Elliptio complanata. Environmental Toxicology 27: 268–276.

Pandolfo, T.J. 2011. Living on the edge: Freshwater mussels on the brink of

extinction. Fisheries 36: 562.

Pandolfo, T.J., W.G. Cope, G.B. Young, J.W. Jones, D. Hua, and S.F. Lingenfelser.

2012. Acute eff ects of road salts and associated cyanide compounds on the

early life stages of the unionid mussel Villosa iris. Environmental Toxicology

and Chemistry 31: 1801–1806.


Pandolfo, T.J., T.J. Kwak, and W.G. Cope. 2012. Thermal tolerances of freshwater

mussels and their host fi shes: Species interactions in a changing climate.

Walkerana: the Journal of the Freshwater Mollusk Conservation Society 15:

69–82.

Quinn, J.W., and T.J. Kwak. 2011. Movement and survival of brown trout

and rainbow trout in an Ozark tailwater river. North American Journal of

Fisheries Management 31: 299–304.

Ramírez, A., A. Engman, K.G. Rosas, O. Perez-Reyes, and D.M. Martinó-Cardona.

2011. Urban impacts on tropical island streams: Some key aspects

infl uencing ecosystem response. Urban Ecosystems 15: 315–325.

Riddle, J.D., R.S. Mordecai, K.H. Pollock, and T.R. Simons. 2010. Eff ects of

prior detections on estimates of detection probability, abundance, and

occupancy. Auk 127: 1–6.

Riddle, J.D., J.H. Pollock, and T.R Simons. 2010. An unreconciled double-

observer method for estimating detection probability and abundance. Auk

127: 841–849.

Schwarzer, A.C., J.A. Collazo, L.J. Niles, J.M. Brush, N.J. Douglass, and H.F. Percival.

Annual survival of Red Knots (Calidris canutus rufa) wintering in Florida. Auk.

In press.

Simmerman, S., J. Wang, J. Osborne, K. Shook, J. Huang, W. Godsoe, and T.

Simons. 2012. Exploring similarities among many species distributions.

Extreme Science and Engineering Discovery Environment. 12 (online).

Simons, T.R., E. Nol, and R. Boettcher. 2012. American Oystercatcher Working

Group. American Oystercatcher (Haematopus palliatus), The Birds of North

America Online (A. Poole, Ed.). Ithaca: Cornell Lab of Ornithology; http://

bna.birds.cornell.edu/bna/species/082 doi:10.2173/bna.82.

Smith, W.E., and F.S. Scharf. 2011. Post-release survival of sub-legal southern

fl ounder captured in a commercial gillnet fi shery. North American Journal

of Fisheries Management 31: 445–454.

Stanislav, S., K.H. Pollock, T.R. Simons, and M.W. Alldredge. 2010. Separation

of availability and perception processes for aural detection in avian point

counts: A combined multiple observer and time-of-detection approach.

Avian Ecology and Conservation 5: 3. [online] URL: http://www.ace-eco.org/

vol5/iss1/art3/.

Stolen, E.D., J.A. Collazo, and H. Franklin Percival. 2012. Benefi ts and costs in

group foraging wading birds. Condor. In press.

Stringer, E.M., M.K. Stoskopf, T.R. Simons, A.F. O’Connell, and A. Waldstein.

2010. Ultrasonic measurement of body fat as a means of assessing body

condition in free-ranging raccoons (Procyon lotor). International Journal of

Zoology: 1–6 (Article ID 972380).

Veran, S., K.J. Kleiner, R. Choquet, J. Collazo, and J.D. Nichols. 2012. Modeling

habitat dynamics accounting for possible misclassifi cation. Landscape

Ecology 27: 943–956.

Worden, A., J. Janouskovec, D. McRose, A. Engman, R. Welsh, S. Malfatti, S.

Tringe, and others. 2012. Global distribution of a wild alga revealed by

targeted metagenomics. Current Biology 22: R682–R683.

BOOKS AND BOOK CHAPTERS

Drew C.A., and J.A. Collazo. 2012. Expert knowledge as a foundation for

management of secretive species and their habitat. Chapter 5 in A.H. Perera,

C.A. Drew, and C.J. Johnson, editors. Expert Knowledge and its Application

in Landscape Ecology. Springer, New York.

Drew C.A., C.J. Johnson, and A.H. Perera. 2012. Elicitation and use of expert

knowledge in landscape ecological applications: A synthesis. Chapter 14 in

A.H. Perera, C.A. Drew, and C.J. Johnson, editors. Expert Knowledge and its

Application in Landscape Ecology. Springer, New York.

Drew C.A., and A.H. Perera. 2011. Expert knowledge as a basis for landscape

ecological predictive models. Chapter 12 in C.A. Drew, Y. Wiersma, and F.H.

Huettmann, editors. Predictive Species and Habitat Modeling in Landscape

Ecology: Concepts and Applications. Springer, New York.

Drew C.A., Y. Wiersma, and F.H. Huettmann. 2011. The state of habitat and

species modeling today. Chapter 15 in C.A. Drew, Y. Wiersma, and F.H.

Huettmann, editors. Predictive Species and Habitat Modeling in Landscape

Ecology: Concepts and Applications. Springer, New York.

Drew, C.A., Y. Wiersma, and F.H. Huettmann, editors. 2011. Predictive Species

and Habitat Modeling in Landscape Ecology: Concepts and Applications.

Springer, New York.

Kwak, T.J. 2012. Fisheries indicators, freshwater. Pages 130–135 in D. Fogel,

S. Fredericks, L. Harrington, and I. Spellerberg, editors. Measurements,

indicators, and research methods for sustainability. Encyclopedia

of sustainability, volume 6. Berkshire Publishing, Great Barrington,

Massachusetts.

Kwak, T.J., M.T. Porath, P.H. Michaletz, and V.H. Travnichek. 2011. Catfi sh science:

status and trends in the 21st century. Pages 755–780 in P.H. Michaletz

and V.H. Travnichek, editors. Conservation, Ecology, and Management of

Catfi sh: The Second International Symposium. American Fisheries Society

Symposium 77, Bethesda, Maryland.

Laurent E, C.A. Drew, and W. Thogmartin. 2011. The role of assumptions in

predictions of habitat availability and quality. Chapter 5 in C.A. Drew, Y.

Wiersma, and F.H. Huettmann, editors. Predictive Species and Habitat

Modeling in Landscape Ecology: Concepts and Applications. Springer, New

York.

Perera, A.H., C.A. Drew, and C.J. Johnson, editors. 2012. Expert Knowledge and

its Application in Landscape Ecology. Springer, New York.

Perera, A.H, C.A. Drew, and C.J. Johnson. 2012. Experts, expert knowledge and

their roles in landscape ecological applications. Chapter 1 in A.H. Perera, C.A.

Drew, and C.J. Johnson, editors. Expert Knowledge and its Application in

Landscape Ecology. Springer, New York.

Sanders, N.J., R.R. Dunn, M.C. Fitzpatrick, C.E. Carlton, M.R. Pogue, C.R. Parker,

and T.R. Simons. 2010. Diverse elevational diversity gradients in Great Smoky

Mountains National Park, U.S.A. Pages 75–87 in E.M Spehn and C. Korner.

Data Mining for Global Trends in Mountain Biodiversity. CRC Press, Boca

Raton, Florida.

45

Wallace, B.C., D.M. Weaver, and T.J. Kwak. 2011. Effi ciency of baited hoop nets

for sampling catfi sh in southeastern U.S. small impoundments. Pages 581–

588 in P.H. Michaletz and V.H. Travnichek, editors. Conservation, Ecology, and

Management of Catfi sh: The Second International Symposium. American

Fisheries Society Symposium 77, Bethesda, Maryland.

Wiersma, Y., C.A. Drew, F.H. Huettmann. 2011. Landscape modeling of species

and their habitats: History, uncertainty, and complexity. Chapter 1 in C.A.

Drew, Y. Wiersma, and F.H. Huettmann, editors. Predictive Species and

Habitat Modeling in Landscape Ecology: Concepts and Applications.

Springer, New York.

TECHNICAL REPORTS

Collazo, J.A., L.B. Alexander, and C.A. Drew. 2011. Recovery plan for the Puerto

Rico population of the West Indian (Antillean) manatee (Trichechus manatus

manatus). Final report to the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, Caribbean Field

Offi ce, Boquerón, Puerto Rico.

Collazo, J.A., M. Krachey, S.J. Dinsmore, T.H. White, Jr., and I. Llerandi-Román.

2010. Assessment of Puerto Rican parrot demography: Implications for its

recovery program. Final report to the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, Puerto

Rican Parrot Field Offi ce, Rio Grande, Puerto Rico.

Costanza, J.K., T. Earnhardt, A. Terando, and A. McKerrow. 2010. Modeling

vegetation dynamics and habitat availability in the southeastern U.S.

using GAP data. In Maxwell, J., Gergely, K., and Aycrigg, J.L. editors. Gap

Analysis Bulletin No. 18. USGS/BRD/Gap Analysis Program, Moscow, ID, USA.

Available at: http://www.gap.uidaho.edu/bulletins/18/costanza.pdf.

Drew, C.A., J.A. Collazo, L.B. Alexander, J.P. Reid, and D.H. Slone. 2012. Science

summary and recommendations in support of manatee protection area

design in Puerto Rico. Final report prepared for the U.S. Fish and Wildlife

Service, Caribbean Field Offi ce, Boquerón, Puerto Rico.

Guenard B., and C. A. Drew. 2011. Ant species of MacKay Island and Back Bay

National Wildlife Refuges: Results of opportunistic sampling in diverse

habitats in July, 2010. Final report to Back Bay and Mackay Island National

Wildlife Refuges, U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service.

Krachey, M., K.H. Pollock, and J.A. Collazo. 2011. Design and analysis of

manatee aerial surveys in Puerto Rico. Final report to the U.S. Fish and

Wildlife Service, Caribbean Field Offi ce, Boquerón, Puerto Rico.

Kwak, T.J., and B.C. Wallace. 2011. Stream trout ecology and management

in North Carolina State Parks. Final report to the Division of Parks and

Recreation, North Carolina Department of Environment and Natural

Resources, Raleigh, North Carolina.

Kwak, T.J., and D.M Weaver. 2011. Interaction of stocked trout with native

nongame stream fi shes. Federal aid in sport fi sh restoration project F-68,

study number 10. Final report to the North Carolina Wildlife Resources

Commission, Raleigh, North Carolina.

Nytch, C., J.A. Collazo, F. Núñez-García, W. C. Hunter, and S. Melvin. 2010. Puerto

Rico and the U.S. Virgin Islands Bird Conservation Plan. Final report to U.S.

Fish and Wildlife Service, Atlanta, Georgia.

Sollmann, R., and B. Gardner. 2011. Estimating the density of the Florida

panther in the Picayune Strand Restoration Project, Florida. Final report to

the USGS Patuxent Wildlife Research Center, Maryland.

Sollmann, R., and B. Gardner. 2012. Island-wide distance sampling survey

design for the Island Scrub-jay. Final report to the USGS Patuxent Wildlife

Research Center, Maryland.

Taylor, L., X. Liu, and T. Hamilton. 2011. Amenity values of proximity to

National Wildlife Refuges. Final report to the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service,

Department of Interior.

THESES AND DISSERTATIONS

Buttermore, E.N. 2011. Contaminant and trophic dynamics of tropical stream

ecosystems. Master of Science Thesis, North Carolina State University,

Raleigh.

Hughes, J. B. 2012. Combining count data from split-beam and multiple

DIDSON sonar techniques to estimate spawning run abundance of

anadromous fi shes in the Roanoke River, NC. Master of Science Thesis,

North Carolina State University, Raleigh.

Keller, R.A. 2012. Eff ects of atmospheric pollution on high-elevation fauna

in the southern Appalachians. Doctoral Dissertation, North Carolina State

University, Raleigh.

Kornegay, M.E. 2011. Abundance and breeding productivity of resident avian

species in Guánica State Forest. Master of Science Thesis, North Carolina

State University, Raleigh.

Rogers, S. 2011. King Rail (Rallus elegans) occupancy, reproductive activity and

success in fi re managed coastal marshes of North Carolina and Virginia.

Master of Science Thesis, North Carolina State University, Raleigh.

Schulte, S.A. 2012. Ecology and population dynamics of American

Oystercatcher (Haematopus palliatus). Doctoral Dissertation, North Carolina

State University, Raleigh.

Schwarzer, A. 2011. Demographic rates and energetics of Red Knots wintering

in Florida. Master of Science Thesis, University of Florida, Gainesville.

Waldstein, A. 2010. Raccoon ecology and management on Cape Lookout

National Seashore. Master of Science Thesis, North Carolina State University,

Raleigh.

PRESENTATIONS AND SEMINARS

Alexander-Vaughn, L.B. 2011. A structured approach to designing protection

areas for the Antillean manatee in Puerto Rico. Second International

Conference on Marine Mammal Protected Areas. November 7–11, Fort-de-

France, Martinique.

Alexander-Vaughn, L.B. 2012. Measuring management: Using qualitative

and quantitative tools to optimize shorebird habitat at Cabo Rojo Wildlife

Refuge, Puerto Rico. Southeast Partners in Flight Annual Meeting. February

6–9, Raleigh, North Carolina.

Alexander-Vaughn, L.B. 2011. The open standards for the practice of

conservation: Lessons learned. Eastern North Carolina/Southeastern Virginia

Strategic Habitat Conservation Team Meeting. December, Gloucester,

Virginia.


Alexander-Vaughn, L.B. 2012. Using qualitative frameworks and quantitative

tools to optimize shorebird habitat at Cabo Rojo Wildlife Refuge, Puerto

Rico. 9th INTECOL Wetlands Conference, Wetlands in a Complex World. June

3–8, Orlando, Florida.

Alexander-Vaughn, L.B. 2011. Using quantitative frameworks to ask

quantitative questions. Symposium on Expert Elicitation Research:

Methodology and Applications. February, Brisbane, Australia.

Archambault, J.M., W.G. Cope, and T.J. Kwak. 2012. Ecological relevance in

freshwater mussel thermal tolerance tests: Implications for climate change.

Freshwater Mollusk Conservation Society Biennial Workshop. April 19–20,

Athens, Georgia.

Archambault, J.M., W.G. Cope, and T.J. Kwak. 2012. Enhancing relevance to

climate change in freshwater mussel thermal tolerance tests. North Carolina

Chapter of the American Fisheries Society Annual Meeting. February 28–29,

Raleigh, North Carolina.

Archambault, J.M., W.G. Cope, T.J. Kwak, and T.J. Pandolfo. 2011. Development

of laboratory tests to determine thermal tolerance of juvenile freshwater

mussels in sediment. 7th Biennial Symposium of the Freshwater Mollusk

Conservation Society. April 11–15, Louisville, Kentucky.

Aycrigg, J.L., J. Lonneker, M. Rubino, N. Tarr, K. Boykin, A. McKerrow, G. Beauvais,

T. Gotthardt, and W. Gould. 2012. Modeling vertebrate species across

the U.S.: The species modeling eff orts of the Gap Analysis Program. 97th

Annual Meeting of the Ecological Society of America. August 5–10, Portland

Oregon.

Aycrigg, J.L., J. Lonneker, M. Rubino, N.Tarr, K. Boykin, A. McKerrow, G. Beauvais,

T. Gotthardt, and W. Gould. 2012. Modeling vertebrate species across the

U.S.: The species modeling eff orts of the Gap Analysis Program. The Wildlife

Society 19th Annual Conference. October 13–18, Portland, Oregon.

Booth, N., and A. Terando. 2012. The Geo Data Portal: Translating climate

data for geographic analysis. National Climate Change and Wildlife Center.

Webinar series.

Borneman, T., and T.R. Simons. 2011. Eff ects of human activity on American

Oystercatchers breeding at Cape Lookout National Seashore, North

Carolina. Ecological Society of America Annual Meeting. August, Austin,

Texas.

Borneman, T., and T.R. Simons. 2012. Eff ects of human activity on American

Oystercatchers breeding at Cape Lookout National Seashore, North

Carolina. North American Ornithological Conference. August 14–18,

Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada.

Buttermore, E.N., T.J. Kwak, W.G. Cope, P.B. Cooney, D. Shea, and P.R. Lazaro.

2011. Contaminants and food web dynamics in Puerto Rico stream

ecosystems. North Carolina Chapter of the American Fisheries Society

Annual Meeting. February 22–23, Charlotte, North Carolina.

Celis-Murillo, A., A.J. Deppe, J. Riddle, M. Ward, and T.R. Simons. 2012. An

experimental evaluation of the performance of acoustic recording

systems for estimating avian species richness abundance. North American

Ornithological Conference. August 14–18, Vancouver, British Columbia,

Canada.

Chitwood, M.C. 2012. Coyotes and deer: Can the two co-exist? Seminar

presented at Forestry Issues Forum “Managing White-tailed Deer in North

Carolina” Teleconference. Raleigh, North Carolina.

Chitwood, M.C. 2011. First year research update: Understanding the emerging

deer-coyote dynamic in the eastern United States. Fort Bragg Wildlife

Branch. Fort Bragg, North Carolina.

Chitwood, M.C., M.A. Lashley, M.B. Elfelt, C.S. DePerno, C.E. Moorman, and

J.C. Kilgo. 2012. The emerging deer-coyote dynamic: Evidence of fawn

and adult deer predation in the southeast. 35th Annual Meeting of the

Southeast Deer Study Group. February 26–28, Sandestin, Florida.

Collazo, J.A. 2010. Patch dynamics and climate indicators: On the potential

of occupancy models to assess climate impacts. US Regional Association

of the International Association for Landscape Ecology 25th Anniversary

Symposium. April 5–9, Athens, Georgia.

Cooney, P.B., and T.J. Kwak. 2011. Infl uence of dams, big and small, on tropical

diadromous fi shes. 141st Annual Meeting of the American Fisheries Society.

September 4–8, Seattle, Washington.


diadromous fi shes. North Carolina Chapter of the American Fisheries

Society Annual Meeting. February 22–23, Charlotte, North Carolina.


diadromous fi shes. Southern Division of the American Fisheries Society

Annual Meeting. January 13–16, Tampa, Florida.

Cope, W.G., T.J. Kwak, N.C. Oakley, F.M. Holliman, R.B. Bringolf, and K.J.

Dockendorf. 2011. Recovery of shortnose sturgeon and American shad in

the Roanoke River: water quality implications. North Carolina Chapter of

the American Fisheries Society Annual Meeting. February 22–23, Charlotte,

North Carolina.

Cope, W.G., and T.J. Pandolfo. 2010. The eff ects of transportation-related

pollutants in road runoff on native freshwater mussels. 2nd Symposium of

the Clinch-Powell Clean Rivers Initiative. May 25–26, Abingdon, Virginia.

Costanza, J.K, J. Hulcr, T. Earnhardt, and A. McKerrow. 2011. Using TELSA to

Model southern pine beetle dynamics in the southeastern United States.

State and Transition Landscape Modeling Conference. June 14–16, Portland,

Oregon.

Costanza, J.K., A. Terando, T.S. Earnhardt, and A. McKerrow. 2010. Landscape

dynamics in response to climate change and disturbances in the

southeastern United States. American Geophysical Union Fall Meeting, San

Francisco, California.

Costanza, J.K, A. Terando, T.S. Earnhardt, and A. McKerrow. 2011. Modeling

the impact of climate change on regional vegetation dynamics via eff ects

on the fi re regime. Ecological Society of America Annual Meeting. August

7–11, Austin, Texas.

Costanza, J.K., A. Terando, T.S. Earnhardt, and A. McKerrow. 2012. Simulating

future climate and management eff ects on fi re and vegetation to inform

conservation. Ecological Society of America. August 4–10, Portland, Oregon.

47

Costanza, J.K., A. Terando, T.S. Earnhardt, and A. McKerrow. 2012. Simulating

future fi re and landscape dynamics to inform conservation of longleaf

pine ecosystems. U.S. International Association for Landscape Ecology

Symposium. April 8–12, Newport, Rhode Island.

Costanza, J.K, A. Terando, T. Earnhardt, and A. McKerrow. 2011. Wildfi re

dynamics and the future of the longleaf pine ecosystem. Student

Conference on Conservation Science. October 11–12, New York, New York.

Drew C.A., and L. Alexander-Vaughn. 2011. Open standards: Lessons learned.

U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service Eastern North Carolina-Southeastern Virginia

Strategic Habitat Conservation Team. December, Norfolk, Virginia.

Drew C.A., L. Alexander-Vaughn, J.A. Collazo, A. McKerrow, and J. Anderson.

2012. Vertebrate biodiversity in agricultural landscapes: Predicting impacts

of alternative row crop production strategies. U.S. International Association

for Landscape Ecology. April 8–12, Newport, Rhode Island.

Drew C.A., L. Alexander-Vaughn, D. Sloan, and J. Reid. 2011. A structured

approach to inform recovery decisions of the Antillean manatee in Puerto

Rico. International Sirenian Symposium. November 27, Tampa, Florida.

Drew, C.A., and J.A. Collazo. 2010. Field validation and updating of an expert-

based Bayesian belief network model to set population and habitat

objectives for King Rail. U.S. International Association for Landscape

Ecology, 25th Anniversary Symposium. April 5–9, Athens, Georgia.

Drew C.A., J.A. Collazo, and L. Alexander-Vaughn. 2011. Expert-based Bayesian

network models to set and update population and habitat objectives.

Queensland University of Technology Symposium on Eliciting Expert

Knowledge: Methodology and Applications. February, Brisbane, Australia.

Drew C.A., T. Kwak, G. Cope, T. Augspurger, and T. Pandolfo. 2011. Hierarchical

landscape models for endemic unionid mussels: Building strategic habitat

conservation tools for mussel recovery in the South Atlantic Landscape

Conservation Cooperative. Dwarf Wedgemussel Recovery Planning

Workshop. November, Raleigh, North Carolina.

Drew C.A., T. Kwak, G. Cope, T. Augspurger, and T. Pandolfo. 2012. Hierarchical

landscape models for endemic unionid mussels: Building strategic habitat

conservation tools for mussel recovery in the South Atlantic Landscape

Conservation Cooperative. U.S. International Association for Landscape

Ecology. April 8–12, Newport, Rhode Island.

Eads C, and J.F Levine. 2011. Propagation and culture of two federally

endangered freshwater mussel species in North Carolina. Freshwater

Mollusk Conservation Society. April 11–15, Louisville, Kentucky

Elfelt, M.B. 2011. Update of ongoing research: Coyote habitat use in south-

central North Carolina. Fort Bragg Wildlife Branch. Fort Bragg, North

Carolina.

Elfelt, M.B., C.S. DePerno, and C. E. Moorman. 2012. Coyote habitat use in

relation to small mammal availability. North Carolina Chapter of The Wildlife

Society Annual Meeting. Browns Summit, North Carolina.

Engman, A., A. Ramírez, K.G. Rosas, D.M. Martinó-Cardona, and O. Perez-Reyes.

2012. Urban impacts on tropical island streams: Key aspects infl uencing

ecosystem response. 142nd Annual Meeting of the American Fisheries

Society. August 19–23, St. Paul, Minnesota.

Fackler, P.L., and K. Pacifi ci. 2012. Addressing structural and observational

uncertainty in resource management. Adaptive Management Conference

Series. June 12–14, Ithaca, New York.

Fisk, J.M. II, T.J. Kwak, and R.J. Heise. 2012. Modeling suitable riverine habitat

for the robust redhorse: An assessment for reintroduction. 142nd Annual

Meeting of the American Fisheries Society. August 19–23, St. Paul,

Minnesota.

Fisk, J.M. II, T.J. Kwak, and R.J. Heise. 2012. Modeling suitable habitat for the

robust redhorse in the Pee Dee River: An assessment for reintroduction.

Annual Meeting of the North Carolina Chapter of the American Fisheries

Society. February 28–29, Raleigh, North Carolina.

Flowers, H.J., and J.E. Hightower. 2012. A novel approach to surveying sturgeon

using side-scan sonar and occupancy modeling. 142nd Annual Meeting of

the American Fisheries Society. August 19–23, St. Paul, Minnesota.

Fox, T, and J.F. Levine. 2012. The use of fi sh cells as a supplemental form of

nutrition for in vitro propagation of freshwater mussels. Freshwater Mollusk

Conservation Society. April 11–15, Louisville, Kentucky.

Gardner, B. 2012. Baseline ecological modeling of seabirds in the mid-Atlantic.

Mid-Atlantic Marine Wildlife Surveys, Modeling, and Data Workshop. July

24–25, Silver Spring, Maryland.

Gardner, B., A.F. O’Connell, and A.T. Gilbert. 2012. Off shore wind farms and

seabirds along the east coast of the US. Southeast Partners in Flight

Meeting. February 6–9, Raleigh, North Carolina.

Gardner, B., J.K. Raabe, and J.E. Hightower. 2012. Spatial capture-recapture

in linear networks: estimating survival and migration patterns in fi shes.

International Statistical Ecology Conference. July 3–6, Krokkleiva, Norway.

Gardner, B., R. Sollman, T.R Simons, A. O’Connell, and A. Waldstein. 2010.

Evaluating spatial capture recapture models for estimating density of a

raccoon population. Ecological Society of America Annual Meeting. August

1–6, Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania.

Greiner, R., J. Levine, C. Osborne, T. Kwak, A. Bogan, and D. Buchwalter. 2011.

Shredding insects’ potential contribution to freshwater mussel nutrition. 7th

Biennial Symposium of the Freshwater Mollusk Conservation Society. April

11–15, Louisville, Kentucky.

Hamilton, T. 2012. Amenity values of permanently protected open space. 14th

Annual University of Colorado Environmental and Resource Economics

Workshop. October 5–6, Beaver Creek, Colorado.

Harris, J.E., and J.E. Hightower. 2012. Identifi cation of American shad spawning

sites and habitat use in the Pee Dee River, North Carolina and South

Carolina. North Carolina Chapter of the American Fisheries Society. February


Harris, J.E., and J.E. Hightower. 2012. Migration and mortality of sonic-tagged

striped bass in the Roanoke River, North Carolina. Tidewater Chapter of the

American Fisheries Society. March 8–10, Beaufort, North Carolina.

Harris, J.E., and J.E. Hightower. 2012. Migration and mortality of tagged striped

bass in the Roanoke River and Albemarle Sound, North Carolina. 142nd

Annual Meeting of the American Fisheries Society. August 19–23, St. Paul,

Minnesota.


Hazelton, P.D., W.G. Cope, M.C. Barnhart, and R.B. Bringolf. 2010. Eff ects of

PFOS on early life stages of freshwater mussels. American Fisheries Society

Georgia Chapter Annual Meeting. January 26–27, Perry, Georgia.

Hazelton, P.D., W.G. Cope, M.C. Barnhart, and R.B. Bringolf. 2010. Eff ects of PFOS

on early life stages of freshwater mussels. Joint Meeting of the Society of

Environmental Toxicology and Chemistry Carolinas and Southeast Chapters.

March 25–27, Athens, Georgia.

Heise, R.J., B.K. Jones, J.M. Fisk, II, T.J. Kwak, and T.D Ewing. 2011. Research and

relicensing on the Pee Dee River, North Carolina. North Carolina Chapter of

the American Fisheries Society Annual Meeting. February 22–23, Charlotte,

North Carolina.

Hughes, J.B., and J.E. Hightower. 2012. Using multiple sonar deployments to

improve run-size estimates of anadromous fi shes. North Carolina Chapter

American Fisheries Society. February 28–29, Raleigh, North Carolina.

Hulcr, J., J. Costanza, F. Koch, T. Earnhardt, A. McKerrow, and J. Collazo. 2011.

The Southern Pine Beetle and models of vegetation dynamics. Ecological

Society of America Annual Meeting, August 7–11, Austin, Texas.

Iglecia, M.N., J.A. Collazo, and A.J. McKerrow. 2010. Content and context:

Predicting occupancy for avian species in southeastern United States. U.S.

International Association for Landscape Ecology. April 6, Athens, Georgia.

Iglecia, M., J.A. Collazo, and A. J. McKerrow. 2011. Assessing avian species

richness and sensitivity to urban landscapes. U.S. Association of Landscape

Ecologists. April 3–7, Portland, Oregon.

Nichols, J.D., J.A. Collazo and A.J. Terando. 2010. Range dynamics of North

American landbirds: Tests and predictive modeling. USGS Modeling

Conference. June 10, Denver, Colorado.

Keller, R., T.R. Simons. 2012. Calcium limitation in high elevation birds in

Great Smoky Mountains National Park. North American Ornithological

Conference. August 14–18, Vancouver, Canada.

Kilburg, E.L., C.E. Moorman, and C.S. DePerno. 2012. Poults or coals? Wild turkey

nest survival in the presence of growing-season fi re. North Carolina Chapter

of The Wildlife Society Annual Meeting. Browns Summit, North Carolina.

Kilburg, E.L., C.E. Moorman, and C.S. DePerno. 2012. Wild turkey nest survival

and nest site selection in the presence of growing-season fi re. North

Carolina Prescribed Fire Council. August 21–22, Chapel Hill, North Carolina.

Kilburg, E.L., C.E. Moorman, and C.S. DePerno. 2011. Wild turkey nest survival

and nest site selection in the presence of growing-season fi re. Fort Bragg

Wildlife Branch. Fort Bragg, North Carolina.

Kim, K.S., D.H. Funk, and D.B. Buchwalter. 2012. Thermal and hypoxic gene

expression in the mayfl y centroptilum triangulifer. Annual Meeting of the

Society of Integrative and Comparative Biology. January 3–7, Charleston,

South Carolina.

Kornegay, M., and J.A. Collazo. 2011. Testing assumptions underlying estimates

of breeding productivity derived from mist netting data. American

Ornithologist Union. August 24–29, Jacksonville, Florida.

Kornegay, M., and J.A. Collazo. 2011. Testing assumptions underlying estimates

of breeding productivity derived from mist netting data. Association of Field

Ornithologists, Cooper Ornithological Society, and Wilson Ornithological

Society. March 9–13, Kearney, Nebraska.

Lashley, M.A., M.C. Chitwood, A. Prince, M.B. Elfelt, E. Kilburg, C.S. DePerno,

and C.E. Moorman. 2012. Wildlife food distribution and availability in the

Sandhills. North Carolina Prescribed Fire Annual Meeting. August 21–22,

Chapel Hill, North Carolina.

Lashley, M.A., M.C. Chitwood, A.P. Rockhill, M.B. Elfelt, C.S. DePerno, and C.E.

Moorman. 2012. The eff ects and predictability of solunar activity on deer

movements. Proceedings of the 35th Annual Southeast Deer Study Group.

February 26–29, Destin, Florida.

Lea, C., D. Faber-Langendoen, A. McKerrow, and D. Long. 2010. U.S. National

Vegetation Classifi cation update: Upper and mid-level hierarchy

developments. ASPRS/CaGIS Conference. November 17, Orlando, Florida.

Leonard, J.A., W.G. Cope, M.C. Barnhart, and R.B. Bringolf. 2012. Biochemical

and reproductive eff ects of the synthetic estrogen 17-α-ethinylestradiol on

the unionid freshwater mussel Lampsilis fasciola. North Carolina Chapter of

the American Fisheries Society Annual Meeting. February 28–29, Raleigh,

North Carolina.

Liu X. 2012. Amenity values of permanently protected open space. Annual

Meeting of the Association of Environmental and Resource Economists.

June 3–4, Asheville, North Carolina.

Lonneker, J., A. Davidson, L. Duarte, A. McKerrow, K. Gergely, J. Aycrigg, M.

Croft, and A. Radel. 2011. Data blast-national gap analysis program data

viewers. USGS Community for Data Integration Meeting. August 15–19,

Denver, Colorado.

Low-Choy, S., A. James, and C. A. Drew. 2011. Capturing expert knowledge

for ecological applications. U.S. International Association for Landscape

Ecology. April 3–7, Portland, Oregon.

Low-Choy, S., A. James, and C.A. Drew. 2011. Capturing expert knowledge

for ecological applications. Waterbird Society Annual Meeting. November

10–12, Annapolis, Maryland.

McKerrow, A., and D. Newcomb. 2011. Assessing the impacts of climate

change on species habitat and distributions in the Southeastern U.S. North

Carolina Geographic Information Systems Conference. February 17–18,

Raleigh, North Carolina.



North Carolina Chapter of the American Fisheries Society Annual Meeting.

February 28–29, Raleigh, North Carolina.



Freshwater Mollusk Conservation Society Biennial Workshop. April 19–20,

Athens, Georgia.

Pandolfo, T.J., T.J. Kwak, W.G. Cope, R.J. Heise, and R.B. Nichols. 2011.

Microhabitat suitability of common and imperiled Atlantic slope freshwater

mussels. 141st Annual Meeting of the American Fisheries Society.


49

Pandolfo, T.J., T.J. Kwak, W.G. Cope, R.J. Heise, and R.B. Nichols. 2011. Modeling

eff ects of climate and land use changes on common and imperiled

freshwater mussel occurrence in the Tar River Basin, North Carolina. 7th

Biennial Symposium of the Freshwater Mollusk Conservation Society. April

11–15, Louisville, Kentucky.

Prince, A., C.E. Moorman, and C.S. DePerno. 2012. The eff ect of growing-season

prescribed fi re on southeastern fox squirrel habitat selection. North Carolina

Prescribed Fire Annual Meeting. August 21–22, Chapel Hill, North Carolina.

Prince, A., C.E. Moorman, and C.S. DePerno. 2011. The eff ect of growing-season

prescribed fi re on southeastern fox squirrel habitat selection. Fort Bragg

Wildlife Branch. Fort Bragg, North Carolina.

Prince, A., C.S. DePerno, and C.E. Moorman. 2012. The infl uence of prescribed

fi re on southeastern fox squirrel habitat selection. North Carolina Chapter of

The Wildlife Society Annual Meeting. Browns Summit, North Carolina.

Prince, A., C.S. DePerno, and C.E. Moorman. 2012. The infl uence of prescribed

fi re on southeastern fox squirrel habitat selection. The 6th International

Colloquium on Arboreal Squirrels. February 4–8, Kyoto City, Japan.

Raabe, J.K., B. Gardner, and J.E. Hightower. 2012. A spatial capture – recapture

model to estimate fi sh survival and migration patterns from linear telemetry

arrays. 142nd Annual Meeting of the American Fisheries Society. August

19–23, St. Paul, Minnesota.

Raabe, J.K., and J.E. Hightower. 2012. Restored habitat use by migratory fi shes

following complete and partial dam removals. North Carolina Chapter,

American Fisheries Society. February 28–29, Raleigh, North Carolina.

Rogers, S., J.A. Collazo, and C. A. Drew. 2011. King Rail (Rallus elegans)

occupancy, reproductive activity, and habitat selection in coastal marshes

of North Carolina and Virginia. Southeast Partners in Flight Annual Meeting.

March 1–3, Lexington, Kentucky.

Rose, E., and T.R. Simons. 2012. Using artifi cial-egg heart rate monitors to

assess the physiological response of American Oystercatchers (Haematopus

palliatus) to anthropogenic activity. North American Ornithological

Conference. August 14–18 , Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada.

Rubino, M. 2012. Using SLAMM in modeling sea level rise for conservation

planning. South Atlantic Landscape Conservation Cooperative Web Forum.

August 16th, Raleigh, North Carolina.

Sackett, D.K., M. Rubino, C. Lee-Pow, M. Law, D.D. Aday, W.G. Cope, S. Kullman,

J.A. Rice, and T.J. Kwak. 2012. Measuring sources of endocrine disrupting

compounds in North Carolina waterways: A GIS-based sampling approach

for studies on intersex fi sh. 142nd Annual Meeting of the American

Fisheries Society. August 19–23, St. Paul, Minnesota.

Schwarzer, A., J.A. Collazo, J. Brush, and F. Percival. 2011. Demographic rates

and energetics of Red Knots wintering in Florida. American Ornithologist

Union. August 24–29, Jacksonville, Florida.

Simons, T.R., K. Pollock, J. Riddle, L. Bailey, B. McClintock, and D. Miller. 2012.

Observer expectation: an overlooked source of bias in repeated count

surveys. North American Ornithological Conference. August 14–18,

Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada.

Smith, W.E., and T.J. Kwak. 2011. Population modeling to guide Caribbean

freshwater riverine fi shery management. Annual Meeting of the Southern

Division of the American Fisheries Society. January 13–16, Tampa, Florida.

Smith, W.E., and T.J. Kwak. 2011. Population modeling to guide Caribbean

freshwater riverine fi shery management. North Carolina Chapter of the

American Fisheries Society Annual Meeting. February 22–23, Charlotte,

North Carolina.

Smith, W.E., T.J. Kwak, and P.B. Cooney. 2011. Migration and management of

Caribbean amphidromous fi shes. 25th Annual Meeting of the Tidewater

Chapter of the American Fisheries Society. March 10–12, Gloucester Point,

Virginia.

Smith, W.E., T.J. Kwak, and P.B. Cooney. 2011. Migration and management of

Caribbean amphidromous fi shes. 141st Annual Meeting of the American

Fisheries Society. September 4–8, Seattle, Washington.

Smith, W.E., T.J. Kwak, and P.B. Cooney. 2012. Tropical island fi sh assemblages

are resilient to fl ood disturbance mortality. North Carolina Chapter of the

American Fisheries Society Annual Meeting. February 28–29, Raleigh, North

Carolina.

Sollmann, R., B. Gardner, R.B. Chandler, and J.A. Royle. 2012. Spatial capture-

recapture models for partially identifi able populations. International

Statistical Ecology Conference. July 3–6, Krokkleiva, Norway.

Sollmann, R., B. Gardner, D. Shindle, D. Onorato, A.F. O’Connell., R. Chandler, and

J.A. Royle. 2012. Estimating Florida panther density from camera-trapping

data. International Wildlife Management Congress. July 9–12, Durban,

South Africa.

Sollmann, R., B. Gardner, D. Shindle, D. Onorato, A.F. O’Connell., R. Chandler, and

J.A. Royle. 2011. Estimating Florida panther density from camera-trapping

data. The Wildlife Society Annual Conference. November 5–10, Kona,

Hawaii.

Stocking, J.J., and T.R. Simons. 2012. Comparison of nest success and chick

growth on traditional and non-traditional island sites for the American

Oystercatcher in North Carolina. North American Ornithological

Conference. August 14–18, Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada.

Stocking, J.J., and T.R. Simons. 2011. From program MARK to WinBUGS: Moving

toward a hierarchical analysis of avian nest survival. Ecological Society of

America Annual Meeting. August, Austin, Texas.

Tarr, N.M., J. Aycrigg, A. McKerrow, M.J. Rubino, K. Boykin, and J. Lonneker.

2012. The Gap Analysis Program: National databases for enhancing

bird conservation. American Ornithological Conference. August 12–18.

Vancouver, British Columbia.

Tarr, N.M., J. Aycrigg, A. McKerrow, M.J. Rubino, K. Boykin, and J. Lonneker. 2012.

The Gap Analysis Program: National data layers and habitat models. North

American Ornithological Conference. August 12–18, Vancouver, British

Columbia.

Terando, A. J. 2011. Barriers to ecosystem resiliency in the face of climate

change. Climate Change in the Caribbean: Puerto Rico and the U.S. Virgin

Islands. San Juan, Puerto Rico.


Terando, A. J. 2012. Climate change impacts on freshwater resources.

Southeast Aquatic Resources Partnership/South Atlantic Landscape

Conservation Cooperative Instream Flow Resources Workshop. Savannah,

Georgia.

Terando, A. J. 2011. Making sense of climate change. Climate Change

Certifi cation Course, Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission.

Tallahassee, Florida.

Terando, A., C. Belyea, and J.K. Costanza. 2011. Barriers to ecosystem resiliency

in the face of climate change. U.S. Caribbean Climate Change Conference.

November 15–16, San Juan, Puerto Rico.

Terando, A., C. Belyea, J. Costanza, A. McKerrow, and S. Williams. 2012.

Urbanization as a barrier to ecosystem resiliency in the face of climate

change. Ecological Society of America Annual Meeting. August 5–10,

Portland, Oregon.

Terando, A., C. Belyea, J.K. Costanza, A. McKerrow, and S. Williams. 2012.

Urbanization as a barrier to ecosystem resiliency in the face of climate

change. Presentation to Ecological Society of America. August 4–10,

Portland Oregon.

Terando, A., S. Bhat, M. Haran, K. Hayhoe, K. Keller, R. Tonkonojenkov, and

N. Urban. 2010. Developing regionally downscaled probabilistic climate

change projections for the Southeast Regional Assessment Project.

American Geophysical Union Fall Meeting. December 3–7, San Francisco,

California.

Terando, A., D. Blodgett, T. Kunicki, I. Suftin, D. Sibley, and S. Lewein. 2011.

Dynamic creation and distribution of fl exible climate indices for ecological

modeling and climate change impact assessments. American Geophysical

Union Fall Meeting. December 3–7, San Francisco, California.

Terando, A., J. Costanza, M. Haran, K. Hayhoe, K. Keller, S. Bhat, and R.

Tonkonojenkov. 2011. Developing downscaled probabilistic climate

projections for regional integrated assessments. Ecological Society of

America Annual Meeting. August 7–12, Austin, Texas.

Veran, S., J.D. Nichols, and J.A. Collazo. 2011. Modeling habitat dynamics

accounting for possible misclassifi cation. Ecological Society of America.

August 7–12, Austin, Texas.

Williams, S.G., J.A. Collazo, J.B. Grand, A.J. Terando, A.T. Moody, M.J. Rubino,

and T.S. Earnhardt. 2010. Wildlife conservation and climate change: Using

tomorrow’s landscape to inform today’s decisions in the southeastern

regional assessment project. U.S. Geological Survey Modeling Conference.

June 7–11, Denver, Colorado.

Wilson, A., J. Casey, J. Coppen, J. Ertel, P. Heglund, S. Jacobi, T. Jones, M.

Knutson, K. Koch, H. Laskowski, B. Loges, E. Lonsdorf, J. Lyons, M. Runge,

J. Stanton, T. Sutherland, B. Thompson, and J. Tirpak. 2011. Strategic

Habitat Conservation through the Integrated Waterbird Management

and Monitoring Program. Waterbird Society. November 10–12, Annapolis,

Maryland.

WORKSHOPS

Collazo, J.A., J.E. Lyons, and B. Winn. 2011. Shorebird ecology and management

workshop. Off ered for the National Conservation Training Center. October

24–28, Merritt Islands National Wildlife Refuge, Florida.

Conroy, M.J., and J.A. Collazo. 2011. Principles of statistics II workshop. Off ered

to Puerto Rico Department of Natural and Environmental Resources staff .

August, Jobanes, Puerto Rico.

Conroy, M.J., and K. Pacifi ci. 2011. Occupancy analysis and modeling

workshop. Off ered to North Carolina State University faculty and students,

and North Carolina Wildlife Resource Commission biologists. December


McKerrow, A., D. Diamond, and J. Singhurst. 2011. The national vegetation

classifi cation: Exploring the unique vegetation of the Edwards Plateau.

Ecological Society of America. August 6, Austin, Texas.

Terando, A.J. 2012. North Carolina State University and Peninsular Florida

Landscape Conservation Cooperative, Landscape and Climate Science and

Scenarios. June, St. Petersburg, Florida.

Veran, S., and J.A. Collazo. 2012. Principles of statistics I workshop. Off ered to

the Puerto Rico Department of Natural and Environmental Resources. April,

Dorado, Puerto Rico.

INVITED PRESENTATIONS AND SEMINARS

Archambault, J.M., W.G. Cope, and T.J. Kwak. 2012. Ecological relevance in

freshwater mussel thermal tolerance tests: Implications for climate change.

142nd Annual Meeting of the American Fisheries Society. August 19–23, St.

Paul, Minnesota.

Archambault, J.M., W.G. Cope, T.J. Kwak, and T.J. Pandolfo. 2011. Enhanced

ecological relevance in laboratory tests to determine thermal tolerance

of juvenile freshwater mussels in sediment. 3rd Thermal Ecology and

Regulation Workshop. October 11–12, Maple Grove, Minnesota.

Buchwalter, D.B. 2012. Experimental approaches to understanding thermal

tolerance in aquatic insects. University of California, Riverside. Department

of Entomology Spring Seminar Series. April, Riverside, California.

Buchwalter, D.B., D.H. Funk, J.K. Jackson, and B.W. Sweeney. 2012. Linking

physiological traits with life history outcomes to understand thermal

tolerance in aquatic insects. Society for Freshwater Sciences Annual

Meeting. May 20–24, Louisville, Kentucky.

Buttermore, E.N., T.J. Kwak, W.G. Cope, P.B. Cooney, D. Shea, and P.R. Lazaro.

2011. Contaminants and food web dynamics in Puerto Rico stream

ecosystems. 141st Annual Meeting of the American Fisheries Society.


Collazo, J.A., and L.B. Alexander-Vaughn. 2011. Climate change and adaptation

strategies for resident avifauna. Climate Change in the Caribbean 2011:

Puerto Rico and the U.S. Virgin Islands. November 15–16, San Juan, Puerto

Rico.

51

Collazo, J.A., P.L. Fackler, T.H. White, I. Llerandi-Román, and S.J. Dinsmore. 2011.

Reintroduction of Puerto Rican Parrots: Decisions and learning in a highly

managed setting. The Wildlife Society 18th Annual Conference. November

5–10, Waikoloa, Hawaii.

Collazo, J.A., J.D. Nichols, and S. Veran. 2012. Range dynamics of North

American landbirds: Tests and modeling seminar. Smithsonian Institution.

April 6, Washington, DC.

Costanza, J.K. 2011. Modeling forest vegetation dynamics and the future of

the southeast’s ecosystems. North Carolina State University Department

of Forestry and Environmental Resources Seminar. November 14, Raleigh,

North Carolina.

Fisk, J.M., T.J. Kwak, and R.J. Heise. 2011. Modeling suitable habitat for the

robust redhorse at potential reintroduction sites. The Robust Redhorse

Conservation Committee Annual Meeting. October 4–5, Albemarle, North

Carolina.

Kwak, T.J. 2012. Sleeping giants: The ecology and impacts of domestic invasive

large catfi sh. 142nd Annual Meeting of the American Fisheries Society.


Kwak, T.J., P.B. Cooney, E.N. Buttermore, W.G. Cope, P.R. Lazaro, D. Shea, and

C.G. Lilyestrom. 2011. Urbanization impacts in tropical stream ecosystems:

fi sh, habitat, and contaminants in Puerto Rico. The Annual Meeting of the

American Society of Limnology and Oceanography. February 13–18, San

Juan, Puerto Rico.

Kwak, T.J., P.B. Cooney, and C.G. Lilyestrom. 2011. Caribbean freshwater fi sheries

research: An opportunity to enhance diversity. 141st Annual Meeting of the

American Fisheries Society. September 4–8, Seattle, Washington.

Kwak, T.J., W.G. Cope, T.J. Newton, J.D. Bales, J.A. Daraio, C.A. Drew, T.J. Pandolfo,

J.M. Archambault, A.M. Ganser, R.J. Heise, R.B. Nichols, T. Augspurger, and

B.N. Karns. 2012. Breaking traditional barriers to model climate change

and land use impacts on freshwater mussels. The Freshwater Mollusk

Conservation Society Biennial Workshop. April 19–20, Athens, Georgia.

Kwak, T.J., J.M. Fisk, and R.J. Heise. 2011. Interaction of nonnative catfi sh with

imperiled redhorses. Robust Redhorse Conservation Committee Annual

Meeting. October 4–5, Albemarle, North Carolina.



142nd Annual Meeting of the American Fisheries Society. August 19–23, St.

Paul, Minnesota.

Simons, T.R. 2010. Fifteen years of American Oystercatcher research in coastal

North Carolina. Center for Marine Science and Technology. November,

Morehead City, North Carolina.

Simons, T.R. 2011. Fifteen years of American Oystercatcher research on the

Outer Banks of North Carolina—focal species management in a dynamic

environment. Western Australian Research Center. July, Wanneroo, Australia.

Simons, T.R. 2011. Haematopology—collaborative focal species research and

management in waterbird conservation. Waterbird Society Annual Meeting.

November 9–12, Annapolis, Maryland.

Simons, T.R. 2010. Sources of detection bias in animal sampling. Virginia Tech.

September, Blacksburg, Virginia.

Simons, T.R. 2011. Sources of detection bias in avian and amphibian sampling.

Duke University. January, Durham, North Carolina.

Simons, T.R. 2011. The importance of estimating detection probability in

animal sampling. Murdoch University. July, Perth, Australia.

Smith, W.E., T.J .Kwak, and P.B. Cooney. 2012. Tropical insular fi sh assemblages

are resilient to fl ood disturbance mortality. 142nd Annual Meeting of the

American Fisheries Society. August 19–23, St. Paul, Minnesota.

Terando, A.J. 2012. Climate model projections. Meeting of the Puerto Rico

Climate Change Council. San Juan, Puerto Rico.

COOPERATORS


North Carolina Wildlife Resources Commission




U.S.FISH & WILDLIFE

SERVICE

department of the interior

Campus Box 7617

Department of Biology

NC State University


Telephone: 919-515-2631

Fax: 919-515-4454

www.ncsu.edu/nccoopunit

Documents

Biennial Report - Nc State University · Department of Biology NC State University Raleigh, North Carolina 27695-7617 Telephone: 919-515-2631 ... Books and Book Chapters 44 Technical