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Report of Activities2007 && 2008N O R T H C A R O L I N A C O O P E R AT I V E N O R T H C A R O L I N A C O O P E R AT I V E F I S H A N D W I L D L I F E R E S E A R C H U N I TF I S H A N D W I L D L I F E R E S E A R C H U N I T

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Report of Activities

2007 & 2008

Campus Box 7617Department of BiologyNC State UniversityRaleigh, North Carolina 27695-7617

Telephone: 919-515-2631 Fax: 919-515-4454http://www.ncsu.edu/nccoopunit

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Front cover photo: Sanderlings at Cape Lookout National Seashore (Photo: Nathan Tarr).

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35

23

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T A B L E O F C O N T E N T S

2 W E L C O M E

4 C O O P E R A T O R S A N D

P E R S O N N E L

4 Cooperating Agencies4 Unit Staff 5 Research Collaborators

7 H O N O R S A N D

A W A R D S

9 G R A D U A T E

E D U C A T I O N

9 Current Students10 Recent Graduates11 Committee Participation12 Courses Taught

1 3 R E S E A R C H

13 Fisheries and Aquatic 23 Wildlife and Habitats35 Integrated Ecology

3 8 P U B L I C A T I O N S A N D

P R E S E N T A T I O N S

38 Journal Articles40 Books and Book Chapters 40 Technical Reports 41 Theses and Dissertations 41 Presentations and Seminars

Above photos, from top: Daniel Kuefl er, Nick Haddad, and Catherine Frock track rare butterfl ies at Ft. Bragg with data scopes; (Photo: Nick Haddad); Sirajo goby (Photo: Patrick Cooney); Oystercatcher chicks at Cape Lookout National Seashore (Photo: Shiloh Schulte); Stream in Great Smoky Mountains National Park (Photo: Becky Keller).

2 WELCOME

W E L C O M E

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 56 research projects,

of which 40 were conducted directly by Unit scientists, and 16

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. Th is

report includes summaries of research ranging in subject from

threatened and endangered invertebrates, fi shes, herps, birds,

wolves, 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 restoration; quantitative population

and community dynamics; and innovative sampling technology

and statistical inference of research results. Much of this research

includes graduate student participation; 34 graduate students were

advised and mentored by Unit scientists during this period, and

11 have completed their degrees and are pursuing higher degrees

or are actively employed in their respective fi elds.

Th e past two years have brought ongoing change in the

administration and staff of our cooperators, which has been

exciting and rich with opportunity to build new collaborative

relationships and strengthen those existing. Th e U.S. Fish and

Wildlife Service was integrated into our Cooperative Agreement

as a formal Unit cooperator, and our home Department in the

University was renamed from Zoology to Biology. Th is 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. Th e achievements of our

scientists, staff , and students have been recognized by others with

a number of formal awards that are listed within, and we share

those honors with our cooperators and partners that facilitated

them.

Th e 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.

Th e Scientists and Staff of the North Carolina Cooperative Fish and Wildlife Research Unit

WELCOME 3

M I S S I O N S T A T E M E N T

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 , stu-

dents, 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.

Th e 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. Th rough 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.

Th is 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.

Above photo: View of Cape Lookout from top of Cape Lookout lighthouse (Photo: Shiloh Schulte).

4 COOPERATORS AND PERSONNEL

C O O P E R A T O R S A N D P E R S O N N E L

C O O P E R A T I N G A G E N C I E S

U N I T E D S TAT E S G E O L O G I C A L S U R V E Y

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

N O R T H C A R O L I N A S TAT E U N I V E R S I T Y

North Carolina Agricultural Research Service

100 Patterson Hall

Raleigh, North Carolina 27695-7643

Sylvia M. Blankenship, Associate Dean and Interim Director

Winston M. Hagler, Jr., Assistant Director

N O R T H C A R O L I N A W I L D L I F E R E S O U R C E S

C O M M I S S I O N

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

U N I T E D S TAT E S F I S H A N D W I L D L I F E S E R V I C E

Southeast Region

1875 Century Boulevard Northeast

Suite 400

Atlanta, Georgia 30345

Sam D. Hamilton, Regional Director

Cynthia K. Dohner, Deputy Regional Director

W I L D L I F E M A N A G E M E N T I N S T I T U T E

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

Washington, D.C. 20005

Steven A. Williams, President

Richard E. McCabe, Executive Vice President

Donald F. McKenzie, Field Representative

U N I T P E R S O N N E L

S C I E N T I S T S

Th omas 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

Th eodore R. Simons, Assistant Unit Leader, Ecology, Professor,

Departments of Biology and Forestry and Environmental

Resources

S U P P O R T S TA F F

Wendy J. Moore, Program Assistant

Mary M. Wilson, Offi ce Assistant

Kyle T. Rachels, Research Technician

P O S T D O C T O R A L R E S E A R C H A S S O C I AT E S

Mathew W. Alldredge

C. Ashton Drew

F. Michael Holliman

Edward J. Laurent

Sarah E. Mabey

Jason D. Riddle

Raymond A. Webster

R E S E A R C H S TA F F

Robert A. Adair

Curtis M. Belyea

Patrick B. Cooney

Todd S. Earnhardt

Alexa J. McKerrow

Matthew J. Rubino

Adam J. Terando

Steve G. Williams

COOPERATORS AND PERSONNEL 5

N O R T H C A R O L I N A S TAT E U N I V E R S I T Y

C O O P E R AT I N G F A C U LT Y

Heather M. Cheshire, Department of Forestry and

Environmental Resources

W. Gregory Cope, Department of Environmental and

Molecular Toxicology

Nicholas M. Haddad, Department of Biology

Richard A. Lancia, Department of Forestry and Environmental

Resources

Elizabethann O’Sullivan, Department of Political Science and

Public Administration

Kenneth H. Pollock, Departments of Biology and Statistics

Roger A. Powell, Department of Biology

Wayne P. Robarge, Department of Soil Science

Michael K. Stoskopf, Department of Clinical Sciences, College

of Veterinary Medicine

C O L L A B O R AT O R S

David Allen, North Carolina Wildlife Resources Commission

Keith Ashley, North Carolina Wildlife Resources Commission

Tom Augspurger, U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service

Hugh Barwick, Duke Energy Company

Doug Besler, North Carolina Wildlife Resources Commission

Gary Breckon, University of Puerto Rico

Sue Cameron, North Carolina Wildlife Resources Commission

Mark Cantrell, U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service

Jose Chabert, Puerto Rico Department of Natural Resources

Jeff Cordes, National Park Service

Sam Droege, U.S. Geological Survey, Patuxent Wildlife

Research Center

Marshall Ellis, North Carolina Division of Parks and

Recreation

Steve Fraley, North Carolina Wildlife Resources Commission

Kay Franzreb, U.S. Department of Agriculture, Forest Service,

Clemson University

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 G. Guglielmo, University of Montana

Susan M. Haig, U.S. Geological Survey, Forest and Rangeland

Ecosystem Science Center, Oregon State University

Ryan Heise, North Carolina Wildlife Resources Commission

Kevin Hining, North Carolina Wildlife Resources Commission

Bob Jenkins, Roanoke College

Mark Johns, North Carolina Wildlife Resources CommissionAbove photo shows fi eld research site of King Rail study (see page 29) conducted by Jaime Collazo and Ashton Drew (Photo: Ashton Drew).

6 COOPERATORS AND PERSONNEL

Chris Kelly, North Carolina Wildlife Resources Commission

Pete Kornegay, North Carolina Wildlife Resources Commission

R. Wilson Laney, U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service

Keith Langdon, National Park Service, Great Smoky Mountains

National Park

Allen R. Lewis, University of Puerto Rico

Craig Lilyestrom, Puerto Rico Department of Natural and

Environmental Resources

Jim Lyons, U.S. Geological Survey, Patuxent Wildlife Research

Center

Marcia Lyons, National Park Service

Ken Manuel, Duke Energy Company

Jeff Marcus, North Carolina Wildlife Resources Commission

Mallory Martin, North Carolina Wildlife Resources

Commission

Frank Moore, University of Southern Mississippi, Hattiesburg

Jim Nichols, U.S. Geological Survey, Patuxent Wildlife

Research Center

Allan O’Connell, U.S. Geological Survey, Patuxent Wildlife

Research Center

Scott Pearson, Mars Hill College, Mars Hill, North Carolina

Franklin Percival, Florida Cooperative Fish and Wildlife

Research Unit

James Peterson, Georgia Cooperative Fish and Wildlife

Research Unit

Kerry Rabenold, Purdue University

David Rabon, U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service

Michael Rikard, National Park Service

Andy Royle, U.S. Geological Survey, Patuxent Wildlife

Research Center

John Sauer, U.S. Geological Survey, Patuxent Wildlife Research

Center

David R. Smith, U.S. Geological Survey, Leetown Science

Center

Wayne Starnes, North Carolina Museum of Natural Sciences

Brian Strong, North Carolina Division of Parks and Recreation

Bryn Tracy, North Carolina Division of Water Quality

Scott Van Horn, North Carolina Wildlife Resources

Commission

Jeff rey R. Walters, Virginia Polytechnic Institute and State

University

Christian Waters, North Carolina Wildlife Resources

Commission

Mike Wicker, U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service

David Yow, North Carolina Wildlife Resources Commission

Angel Hammers and Michael Fisk radio track robust redhorse in the Pee Dee River, North Carolina.T. KWAK

HONORS AND AWARDS 7

Cooperative Research Units Scientifi c Excellence Award

Awarded to Th eodore R. Simons in 2007 for extraordinary scientifi c accomplishments

associated with his collaborative research initiative to identify and quantify sources of

measurement and misclassifi cation error in avian count data.

Wings Across the Americas Award

Jaime A. Collazo and collaborators were recognized in 2007 for their contributions to

the conservation of the Puerto Rican Parrot (Amazona vittata) and understanding of the

ecology of the Pearly-eyed Th rasher (Margarops fuscatus). Awarded by the U.S. Forest

Service.

College of Agriculture and Life Sciences Award for Excellence

Awarded to Wendy J. Moore in 2008 by the College of Agriculture and Life Sciences,

North Carolina State University.

North Carolina State University Award for Excellence

Awarded to Wendy J. Moore in 2008 by North Carolina State University.

Wildlife Management Institute Administrative Excellence Award

Awarded to Wendy J. Moore in 2008 by the U.S. Geological Survey, Cooperative

Research Units Program in Reston, Virginia.

Academic Promotion to Full Professor

Th omas J. Kwak was promoted to the rank of Full Professor of Biology (and Forestry and

Environmental Resources) at North Carolina State University.

H O N O R S A N D A W A R D S

Tom Kwak, Wendy Moore, Johnny Wynne, and Damian Shea at the College of Agriculture and Life Sciences Awards for Excellence Luncheon where Ms. Moore received a 2008 College of Agriculture and Life Sciences Award for Excellence.

8 HONORS AND AWARDS

U.S. Department of Interior STAR Awards

Received by Unit staff for superior performance.

Jaime A. Collazo, 2007, 2008

Th omas J. Kwak, 2007, 2008

Th eodore R. Simons 2007, 2008

Joseph E. Hightower 2007, 2008

Richard L. Noble Best Student Paper Award

Awarded to A. Brad Garner (T.J. Kwak, advisor) in 2007 for their presentation at the

Joint Meeting of the North Carolina and Virginia Chapters of the American Fisheries

Society. February 27-28, Danville, Virginia.

Richard L. Noble Best Student Paper Award

Awarded to William Smith (J.E. Hightower, coauthor) in 2008 for their presentation

at the North Carolina Chapter of the American Fisheries Society. February 19-20,

Greenville, North Carolina.

Best Student Platform Presentation Award

Tamara J. Pandolfo (W.G. Cope, advisor) received the Best Student Platform

Presentation Award at the 17th Annual Meeting of the Carolinas Chapter of the Society

of Environmental Toxicology and Chemistry, Morehead City, North Carolina, April

3-5, 2008.

Student Presentation Award

Allison Leidner (N.M. Haddad, advisor) earned third place in the student award

competition at the Society for Conservation Biology Annual Meeting in 2008.

Graduate Student Symposium Outstanding M.S. Presentation in Zoology Award

Awarded to Jessica R. Brewster (T.J. Kwak, advisor) in 2007.

GRADUATE EDUCATION 9

C U R R E N T S T U D E N T S

Unit scientists serve as major advisor or co-advisor for these master’s and doctoral graduate

students. Students attend North Carolina State University unless otherwise noted.

Elissa Buttermore, M.S., Fisheries and Wildlife Sciences Kwak

Timothy Ellis, Ph.D., Fisheries and Wildlife Sciences Hightower/Buckel

Scott Favrot, M.S., Fisheries and Wildlife Sciences Kwak

J. Michael Fisk, M.S., Fisheries and Wildlife Sciences Kwak

Sarah Friedl, M.S., Fisheries and Wildlife Sciences Hightower/Buckel

Julie Harris, Ph.D., Fisheries and Wildlife Sciences Hightower

Monica Iglecia, M.S., Zoology Collazo

Rebecca Keller, Ph.D., Zoology Simons

Matthew Krachey, Ph.D., Zoology Hightower/Pollock

Kevin Magowan, M.S., Fisheries and Wildlife Sciences Hightower

Elizabeth Martin,* Ph.D., Wildlife, Ecology, and Conservation Collazo/Percival

Jason Mays, M.S., Fisheries and Wildlife Sciences Kwak/Cope

Lisa Paine, M.S., Zoology Collazo/McKerrow

Joshua Raabe, Ph.D., Fisheries and Wildlife Sciences Hightower

Shiloh Schulte, Ph.D., Zoology Simons

Amy Schwarcer,* M.S., Wildlife, Ecology, and Conservation Collazo/Percival

Joseph Smith, M.S., Fisheries and Wildlife Sciences Hightower

William Smith, Ph.D., Fisheries and Wildlife Sciences Kwak

Mary “Edye” Strickland, M.S., Zoology Collazo

Michael Waine, M.S., Fisheries and Wildlife Sciences Hightower

Arielle Waldstein, M.S., Zoology Simons

Benjamin Wallace, M.S., Fisheries and Wildlife Sciences Kwak

Daniel Weaver, M.S., Fisheries and Wildlife Sciences Kwak

* University of Florida

G R A D U A T E E D U C A T I O N

Michael Waine with an American Shad caught on the Roanoke River.

J. HIGHTOWER

10 GRADUATE EDUCATION

R E C E N T G R A D U A T E S

Nathan Bacheler, Ph.D., Zoology Hightower/Buckel

Fall 2008, Postdoctoral researcher,

Oregon State University

Jerome Brewster, M.S., Zoology Simons

Spring 2007, Research Technician,

N.C. State University

Jessica Brewster, M.S., Fisheries and Wildlife Sciences Kwak

Fall 2007, Asst. District Fishery

Biologist, N.C. Wildlife Resources

Commission

Christin Brown, M.S., Fisheries and Wildlife Sciences Kwak

Summer 2008, Instructor and

Marine Sciences Coordinator,

Cape Hatteras High School

A. Brad Garner, M.S., Fisheries and Wildlife Sciences Kwak

Fall 2008, Asst. Fishery Biologist,

Wyoming Game and Fish Department

Claudia Lombard, M.S., Zoology Simons/Collazo

Summer 2007, Biologist, U.S. Fish and

Wildlife Service, Sandy Point National

Wildlife Refuge, U.S. Virgin Islands

Alexa McKerrow, Ph.D., Botany Fall 2007, Collazo/Wentworth

Biologist, U.S. Geological Survey

Stephen Midway, M.S., Fisheries and Wildlife Sciences Kwak/Aday

Fall 2008

Kelsey Obernuefemann, M.S., Fisheries and Wildlife Sciences Collazo

Spring 2008, Research

Technician, N.C. State University

Krishna Pacifi ci, M.S., Zoology Spring 2007, Simons/Pollock

Ph.D. Candidate, University of Georgia

Nathan Tarr, M.S., Fisheries and Wildlife Sciences Simons

Fall 2008

Marvin Morales uses radio telemetry to track Swainson’s Warblers at the Roanoke River National Wildlife Refuge, North Carolina.

S. QUASIUS

GRADUATE EDUCATION 11

C O M M I T T E E P A R T I C I P A T I O N

Unit scientists serve as committee members, but not as major advisors, for these students.

Collazo Nathan Bacheler, Ph.D.

Veronica Miller, M.S.

Shiloh Schulte, Ph.D.

Jose Sustache, M.S.

Nathan Tarr, M.S.

Catherine Th ompson, M.S.

Hightower Kyle Adamski, M.S.

Christina Durham, M.S.

Brad Garner, M.S.

Darren Parsons, Ph.D.

William Smith, M.S.

Jessica Th ompson, Ph.D.

Jun Yoshizaki, Ph.D.

Kwak Chris Derolf, M.S.

Julianne Harris, Ph.D.

Shad Mosher, M.S.

Tamara Pandolfo, M.S.

Robert Heth, Ph.D.

Sean Peff er, M.S.

Joe Smith, M.S.

Simons Neil Chartier, Ph.D.

Claudia Lombard, M.S.

Mat Mcgowan, Ph.D.

Kelsey Obernuefemann, M.S.

Salina Kovach, M.S.

Corey Shake, M.S.

Shiloh Schulte bands an American Oystercatcher. Monica Iglecia with Chandler Robbins, who started the Breeding Bird Survey in 1966, at the Patuxent Wildlife Research Center in Laurel, Maryland.

Kevin McGowan with a striped bass on the Roanoke River.

J. HIGHTOWERS. SCHULTE

12 GRADUATE EDUCATION

C O U R S E S T A U G H T

Fisheries Techniques and Management

Kwak

Summer 2007, Summer 2008

Hierarchical Species-Habitat Analysis and

Conservation

Collazo

Spring 2007

Management of Small Impoundments

Co-taught by Hightower and Kwak

Summer 2008

Ornithology

Simons

Spring 2007

Quantitative Fisheries Management

Hightower

Fall 2006, Fall 2008

Topics in Species-Habitat Modeling

Collazo

Fall 2008

Fisheries and Wildlife students practice electrofi shing techniques during Fisheries Techniques and Management course fi eld exercises.

T. KWAK

RESEARCH | FISHERIES AND AQUATIC 13

R E S E A R C H � F I S H E R I E S A N D A Q U A T I C

A multi-stage survey protocol for shortnose sturgeon 14

Acute and reproductive effects of emerging contaminants on freshwater mussels 14

Assessing benefits to migratory fishes of habitat restored by dam removal 14

Assessing risk of electrofishing mortality and sublethal effects to freshwater mussels 15

Assessing the exposure and relative sensitivity of native freshwater mussels to environmental stressors and laboratory conditions 15

Assessment of fish passage barriers in Puerto Rico rivers 15

Atmospheric ammonia chemistry and dry deposition of ammonia atPocosin Lakes National Wildlife Refuge 16

Contaminants in invasive freshwater fishes: snakeheads and flathead catfish 16

Development of habitat suitability index models for American shad 17

Effects of intensive grass carp stocking on reservoir invasive plants and native fishes 17

Fishery population and habitat assessment in Puerto Rico streams 17

Hydroacoustic monitoring of anadromous fishes in the Roanoke River 18

Interaction of stocked trout with native nongame stream fishes 18

Migratory behavior of diadromous fishes in the Roanoke River 18

Movement and spawning of American shad transported above dams on the Roanoke River 19

Population dynamics and ecology of introduced flathead catfish 19

Population size of American shad and striped bass in the Roanoke River 19

Relative abundance of migratory fishes within a restored braided-channel habitat and within the tailrace below the Roanoke Rapids Dam 20

Reproductive ecology and habitat relations of the robust redhorse 20

Reproductive ecology and life history of the Carolina madtom 21

Sicklefin redhorse reproductive and habitat ecology 21

Spawning activity of anadromous fishes in the Cape Fear River 22

Stream trout ecology and management in North Carolina State Parks 22

The geographic relationship of mortality events of carp species in North Carolina 22

14 RESEARCH | FISHERIES AND AQUATIC

A multi-stage survey protocol for

shortnose sturgeon

Shortnose sturgeon historically occurred in Atlantic Coast rivers from Saint John River, New Brunswick, Canada to St. John’s River, Florida. However, combinations of habitat loss and overfi shing resulted in the populations in most rivers being extirpated or substantially reduced in abundance. Th e goal of this study is to develop an improved survey methodology combining side-scan sonar, DIDSON multibeam sonar, and (in year 2 or later) gill netting. Side-scan sonar provides very high resolution images of bottom structure and topography and can

cover large areas quickly. Side-scan images can be reviewed to determine whether sturgeon sized targets (~0.7 m and larger) are present within an area. A DIDSON multibeam sonar can be deployed at loca-tions of sturgeon-sized fi sh targets, in order to make a preliminary estimate of the frac-tion of sturgeon-sized targets that are in fact sturgeon (shortnose or Atlantic sturgeon). Sturgeon can be identifi ed to genus on short-range DIDSON images based on their unique shape and fi n positions. If these hydroacoustic techniques prove eff ective, the project scope would be expanded to include gill netting, in order to ground-truth the side-scan and DIDSON data. Gill-net data (year 2 or later) would be used to estimate the proportion of sturgeon-sized sonar tar-gets that were shortnose sturgeon in order to estimate population size. PIT-tagging of gill-netted shortnose sturgeon would be done in order to obtain capture-recapture estimates of population size, for comparison with the hydroacoustic estimates.

INVESTIGATOR Joseph E. Hightower

STUDENT Jared Flowers, Ph.D. Candidate, Fisheries and Wildlife Sciences

LOCATION North Carolina and South Carolina coastal rivers

DURATION //–//

SPONSOR National Marine Fisheries Service

Acute and reproductive effects

of emerging contaminants on

freshwater mussels

A wide variety of chemical contaminants that are relative newcomers to the environment or have long been present but their envi-ronmental impacts unknown are generally being classifi ed as “emerging contaminants.” Many of these chemicals are associated with municipal wastewater and have been demonstrated to have hormonal activity or cause endocrine system disruption in fi sh and aquatic invertebrates. Unfortunately, very little is known about the toxic (lethal or sublethal) eff ects of these compounds, particularly on native freshwater mussels. To address this knowledge gap, we will use laboratory toxicity tests with representative mussel species exposed to several hormon-ally active emerging contaminants such as ethynylestradiol (synthetic estrogen), fl uoxetine (the active ingredient in Prozac™, an antidepressant drug), perfl uorinated chemicals (used extensively in production of stain-resistant coatings on numerous consumer products), and 4-nonylphenol (a common surfactant). In addition to acute toxicity testing with mussel glochidia and juveniles, our novel approach will investigate reproductive eff ects at the individual and population levels by testing the endocrine response of the adult mussels. Additionally, we will determine eff ects of the emerging contaminants on the transformation success of glochidia when they attach to fi sh and metamorphose into juveniles. Th is project will greatly expand the toxicity data base for native freshwater mussels and emerging con-taminants with diff ering modes of action. Successful completion of this project will provide the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service and other resource managers and decision makers with the information needed to assess mussel sensitivity to emerging con-taminants, which will help to improve the conservation and management of this valu-able, but imperiled faunal group.

INVESTIGATOR W. Gregory Cope

LOCATION N.C. State University

DURATION //–//

SPONSOR U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service

Assessing benefits to migratory fishes

of habitat restored by dam removal

Th e goal of this study is to examine the migration and spawning habitat used by American shad and other migratory species in the Little River, North Carolina, follow-ing the removal of three dams since 1998. Migration is being monitored using a resis-tance board weir that spans the river channel and is pervious to water but prevents fi sh from migrating upstream or downstream. Fish are funneled into either the upstream or downstream live cage, counted for abun-dance, measured, often tagged, and then released in the direction they were migrating. In 2008, PIT tag antennas were constructed at various distances upstream to monitor movement of PIT-tagged American shad. Th e array of antennas will provide informa-tion on use of restored upstream habitat, fi sh passage, migratory cues (e.g., fl ow and water temperature), and the distribution of tagged fi sh in the Little River, including the proportion that reaches Atkinson Mill Dam. Th is information can be used to refi ne and develop models that predict the impacts of dam removals on other river systems.


STUDENT Joshua Raabe, Ph.D. Candidate, Fisheries and Wildlife Sciences

LOCATION Little River (Neuse River tributary), North Carolina

DURATION //–//


DIDSON image of juvenile Atlantic sturgeon.J. HIGHTOWER

Map showing former locations of Lowell, Rains and Cherry Hospital dams.

J. HIGHTOWER


Assessing risk of electrofishing

mortality and sublethal effects to

freshwater mussels

Th e decline of the freshwater mussel fauna in the U.S. has led to nationwide eff orts to identify research, management, and conservation measures for maintenance and recovery. In North Carolina, over 50 of the freshwater mussel species are threatened with extinction. Mussels are not targeted by electrofi shing, but it is routinely employed in aquatic environments where freshwater mussels occur. Th e goal of this research was to evaluate the eff ects of electrofi shing on freshwater mussels at various life stages. In a controlled laboratory environment, we examined the consequences of exposure to two typical electrofi shing currents for the survival of adult and early life stages of three unionid species. Th e outcomes suggest that electrical exposure associated with typical electrofi shing poses little direct risk to freshwater mussels. Adult mussel survival and behavior was not adversely aff ected by electrical exposure. Glochidia showed minimal reduction in viability after exposure. Metamorphosis from glochidia to free-living juvenile mussels was not impaired after electric exposure of infested host fi sh, and survival of juvenile mussels was not infl uenced by exposure. Any minimal risk to mussels must be weighed at the population level against the benefi ts gained by using the gear for scientifi c sampling of fi sh in the same waters.

INVESTIGATORS Th omas J. Kwak F. Michael Holliman

W. Gregory CopeJay F. Levine


DURATION //–//

SPONSOR N.C. Wildlife Resources Commission

Assessing the exposure and relative

sensitivity of native freshwater

mussels to environmental stressors

and laboratory conditions

Th e goal of this project was to provide infor-mation on the exposure and relative sensitiv-ity of native freshwater mussels to selected chemical and environmental stressors and laboratory conditions. Specifi c objectives were to: (1) evaluate the relative toxicity of three fungicides (chlorothalonil, pyra-clostrobin, propiconazole) by conducting standard acute toxicity tests with glochidia and juveniles of the fatmucket, Lampsilis siliquoidea, (2) assess the relative sensitivity of mature fatmucket glochidia taken from gravid female mussels that have been held under laboratory conditions for greater than six months to mature fatmucket glochidia taken from gravid female mussels freshly collected (within one week) from the fi eld, (3) assess the relative sensitivity of fatmucket juveniles produced and reared in the labora-tory for 2 to 3 months to fatmucket juveniles produced in the laboratory and reared in cages in a natural stream for 2 to 3 months, (4) evaluate the routes and pathways of exposure for all three life stages (glochidia, juveniles, adults) of native freshwater mus-sels to environmental contaminants, in a life history context, by critically evaluating the available literature, and (5) evaluate the relative sensitivity of glochidia and juvenile native freshwater mussels to a range of common and extreme water temperatures that may be encountered during summer periods.

INVESTIGATOR W. Gregory Cope

STUDENTS Tamara J. Pandolfo, M.S., Environmental Toxicology

Erin C. Tracy, B.S., Biochemistry


DURATION //–//

SPONSOR U.S. Environmental Protection Agency

Assessment of fish 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 manag-ing Puerto Rico rivers for native aquatic diversity. Yet no comprehensive inventory of such barrier structures exists. Objectives of this project are to compile existing information on Puerto Rico fi sh passage barriers, perform site visits on selected bar-riers, search for undocumented barriers, and develop a comprehensive document and web site describing known natural and artifi cial fi sh passage barriers. Th ese fi ndings will then be incorporated into associated research and modeling to describe and understand patterns of native and introduced fi shes of Puerto Rico to facilitate conservation of native amphidromous fi sh and invertebrate species. Th e 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 Th omas J. Kwak

STAFF Patrick B. Cooney

LOCATION Puerto Rico

DURATION //–//


Dos Bocas Dam impounds the Río Arecibo (River) to form Lago Dos Bocas (Lake) in Puerto Rico. Such dams form barriers to amphidromous fi sh migration.

P. COONEY


Atmospheric ammonia chemistry and

dry deposition of ammonia at Pocosin

Lakes National Wildlife Refuge

Monitoring of ambient atmospheric chem-istry continued at several locations at the Pocosin Lakes National Wildlife Refuge in 2008. In 2007, transects of passive samplers for ammonia (ALPHA® samplers) detected a gradient in ambient concentrations downwind of a large-scale animal produc-tion facility (egg-laying operation) ~2500 m distant from the southern boundary of the refuge. Weekly integrated concentrations of ammonia at the refuge boundary were between 1 and 2.5 μg NH3-N m-³, which is double to triple background concentrations measured in 2005 and 2006 prior to the stocking with birds at the facility (< 0.5 μg NH3-N m-³). At a transect located on pri-vate property within ~500 m of the poultry facility, the measured weekly integrated concentrations of ammonia ranged from 3.5 to 6.5 μg NH3-N m-³. Th e observed gradi-ent in measured ammonia concentrations is consistent with the expected decrease in ambient concentrations as one moves away from a strong point source for emissions.

Contaminants in invasive freshwater

fishes: snakeheads and flathead

catfish

Snakeheads, the freshwater fi sh family Channidae, are native to Africa and south-ern Asia, but they have been transported and introduced widely beyond their native range. Th e fl athead catfi sh, Pylodictis olivaris, is native to the Mississippi, Rio Grande, and Mobile drainages, but has been introduced widely throughout the U.S. in 18 states. Unfortunately, the contaminant load in invasive snakeheads and fl athead catfi sh from self-sustaining North American popu-lations has not been measured or reported. Objectives of this research are to focus on determining and interpreting contaminant loads for these two invasive fi sh species. Tissue from northern snakeheads, Channa argus, from the Potomac River, Virginia, and fl athead catfi sh from the Cape Fear River basin, North Carolina, will be analyzed. Spatial patterns and those related to fi sh size will be described and fi ndings interpreted relative to human fi sh consumption stan-dards. Analyses will include organic (e.g., chlorinated pesticides, PCBs) and inorganic contaminants (e.g., metals). Results will also be interpreted in association with stable isotope analyses of these samples that will provide information on trophic relations of these fi shes. Th e trophic and contaminant fi ndings will fi ll complementary gaps in our knowledge of these species and the associated trophic interactions and human consumption consequences.

INVESTIGATORS Th omas J. Kwak, W. Gregory Cope, Damian Shea

STAFF J. Michael Fisk


DURATION //–//

SPONSOR U.S. Geological Survey

Annular denuder technology was used to continue to monitor background ambient atmospheric chemistry (NH3, HCl, HONO, HNO3, ammonium-based aerosols of Cl-, NO3- and SO42-) ~5 miles north of the egg-laying facility. Data indicated no signifi cant change in background ambient atmospheric chemistry in 2007, supporting the conclusion that the elevated ammonia concentrations being detected at the southern boundary of the refuge arise from a strong, nearby source of ammonia. In 2008, monitoring with the passive samplers and the annular denuder technology was suspended due to the wild-fi re in a large portion of the Pocosin Lakes National Wildlife Refuge. Sampling was restarted in October 2008.

INVESTIGATOR Wayne P. Robarge

STUDENTS Aleksandra Njegovan, B.S., Environmental Technology

Dawn Markarian, B.S., Environmental Technology

LOCATION Pocosin Lakes National Wildlife Refuge, North Carolina

DURATION //–//


Brad Garner and Santee Cooper hatchery staff stock triploid grass carp into Lookout

Shoals Lake, North Carolina.

T. KWAK


Development of habitat suitability

index models for American shad

Habitat Suitability Index Models (HSI Models) are needed for eff ective manage-ment of anadromous fi sh species. Species of special management emphasis include American shad, river herring, striped bass, American eel, shortnose sturgeon, and Atlantic sturgeon. HSI Models are needed for characterization of riverine habitat qual-ity and suitability, and to support environ-mental impact assessment and development of sound mitigation alternatives. Th e goal of this project is to develop an improved HSI Model for American shad in southeastern river basins. Th e American shad HSI Model should provide guidelines for assessment of habitat quality for spawning, egg and larval development, and juvenile develop-ment in riverine habitats. Th e HSI Model should allow for assessment of instream fl ow alteration eff ects on habitat suitability and availability, and be readily useable with the Instream Flow Incremental Methodology and Physical Habitat Simulation method-ology, and other mesohabitat assessment approaches. Among the research approaches will be to develop a database of river and watershed characteristics. If spawning grounds are known, a database will be devel-oped specifi cally for spawning locations. Statistical models will be used to determine which characteristics best predict historical run size and location of spawning grounds.


STUDENTS Joshua Raabe, Ph.D. Candidate, Fisheries and Wildlife Sciences

Julianne Harris, Ph.D. Candidate, Fisheries and Wildlife Sciences


DURATION //–//

SPONSOR National Marine Fisheries Service

Effects of intensive grass carp

stocking on reservoir invasive plants

and native fishes

Th e practice of stocking sterile grass carp, Ctenopharyngoden idella, in lentic and lotic waters has become an accepted management practice to biologically control submersed aquatic macrophytes. However, the effi -cacy of such practice is not clear in large reservoirs for unpalatable plant species. We evaluated high-density grass carp stocking in a reservoir for control of parrot-feather, Myriophyllum aquaticum, an invasive aquatic plant that is not preferentially consumed by grass carp, and the associated eff ects on water quality and native fi shes. Lookout Shoals Lake, a piedmont North Carolina reservoir, was stocked with triploid grass carp at a density of 100 fi sh per vegetated hectare. Parrot-feather biomass in the lake was signifi cantly reduced three months after grass carp stocking, compared to biomass in in-situ exclosures. We evaluated the native fi sh community using seasonal shoreline electrofi shing before and after grass carp stocking and found eff ects only related to yellow perch, Perca fl avescens. Th is research was conducted cooperatively with biologists of Duke Energy Company and the North Carolina Wildlife Resources Commission, and our results demonstrate that intensive grass carp stocking can control an invasive aquatic plant that is not preferentially consumed by grass carp, and reveal associ-ated changes in water quality and fi sh distributions.


STUDENT A. Brad Garner, M.S., Fisheries and Wildlife

LOCATION Lookout Shoals Lake, North Carolina

DURATION //–//

SPONSOR N.C. Wildlife Resources Commission, Duke Energy,

N.C. Wildlife Habitat Foundation

Fishery population and habitat

assessment in Puerto Rico streams

Puerto Rico is widely known for its marine sport and commercial fi sheries, but the freshwater habitats of the island also support a substantial number of fi shes, many of which provide recreational and subsistence fi shery values, yet receive little attention by fi sheries scientists. We completed research to evaluate stream and river fi sh and habitat sampling techniques and to develop standardized sampling protocols. We also modeled pat-terns in occurrence and abundance of stream and river fi sh populations as related to physi-cal habitat, including instream habitat, water quality, riparian and watershed attributes, and river regulation. Ongoing objectives include obtaining more extensive quantita-tive estimates for fi sh populations and their habitat. We will explore a biotic index that may be employed to classify riverine habitat. We will analyze contaminant concentrations in fi sh, their foods, and habitats to assess environmental eff ects and consumption risks. And we will study the ecology and migration of amphidromous fi shes to better defi ne management units and scale. Finally, we will synthesize fi ndings from these objectives and patterns in the occurrence and abundance of stream and river sport fi sh populations as related to physical and biotic habitat toward a better understanding of fi sh biology, ecology, and management.


STUDENTS Christin H. Brown, M.S., Fisheries and Wildlife

Elissa N. Buttermore, M.S. Candidate, Fisheries and Wildlife

William E. Smith, Ph.D. Candidate, Fisheries and Wildlife

STAFF Patrick B. CooneyJ. Michael Fisk


DURATION //–//

SPONSOR Puerto Rico Department of Natural and Environmental Resources

Measuring American shad captured on Roanoke River, North Carolina.

M. WAINE


Migratory behavior of diadromous

fishes in the Roanoke River

Several studies conducted by the NC Cooperative Fish and Wildlife Research Unit have examined fi sh migration and habitat use, in order to better understand how upstream dams might be aff ecting anadromous fi shes. One current study uses hydroacoustics to examine migration timing and abundance for hickory shad, American shad, and striped bass. Preliminary results indicate that the method can be used to count upstream migrants and to obtain detailed information about spatial and temporal patterns of migration. Results of the hydroacoustic study will be important for management, once the reliability of the estimates has been validated. For example, the estimates of American shad run size will be used to guide a restoration program for American shad. Th is project is intended to complement the ongoing hydroacoustic project by supporting additional focused research on the eff ectiveness of split-beam sonar. Experimental work has been con-ducted in hatchery ponds and within the Roanoke River using known-size fi sh. Another approach has been to compare split-beam and multi-beam (DIDSON) sonars to determine the relative performance of the two systems.


STUDENTS Kevin Magowan, M.S., Fisheries and Wildlife Sciences

Michael Waine, M.S. Candidate, Fisheries and Wildlife Sciences

LOCATION Roanoke River, North Carolina

DURATION //–//


Interaction of stocked trout with

native nongame stream fishes

Stocking surface waters with hatchery-reared trout (Salmonidae) to support local recreational fi sheries is common practice among state and federal agencies in the United States. Th e positive recreational and economic eff ects of trout stocking and asso-ciated fi sheries have been widely recognized for decades. However, potential negative consequences to native fauna and ecosystems are of recent concern to fi shery managers and the angling public, but the mechanisms and signifi cance remain poorly understood. Th e goal of this research is to gain an understand-ing of the interactions between stocked trout and native nongame fi shes in the stream environment. Our primary objective will be to quantify changes in fi sh density, distribu-tion, 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 in treatment and reference river reaches. A secondary objective will be to qualitatively assess direct negative interac-tions between trout and nongame fi shes. Results may be used to inform and guide management actions to improve resource management strategies and to educate fi sh-ery constituents and the public. Th e ultimate result will be better scientifi c understanding, public awareness, and improved sport fi sh-ing, while maintaining biodiversity in our rivers.


STUDENT Daniel M. Weaver, M.S. Candidate, Fisheries and Wildlife

LOCATION North Toe River and other North Carolina mountain trout streams

DURATION //–//


Hydroacoustic monitoring of

anadromous fishes in the Roanoke

River

Anadromous fi shes spend the majority of their adult lives in the ocean and make yearly migrations (runs) into coastal rivers to spawn. Th ese species are targeted by commercial and recreational fi sheries both in the ocean-estuarine environment and during their runs into coastal rivers. Information on abun-dance of these important species is needed in order to properly regulate harvests and to assess the eff ectiveness of rebuilding eff orts. Th e primary objective of this study is to esti-mate the size of spawning runs of American shad, striped bass, and other anadromous species within the Roanoke River. A related objective is to gain a detailed understanding of migratory behavior in order to design an eff ective monitoring program and interpret the hydroacoustics data. Another project goal is to evaluate the eff ectiveness of a mul-tibeam sonar (DIDSON) for characterizing the spatial distribution of upstream migrants and for identifying upstream migrants to species (based on size and morphology).


STUDENTS Michael Waine, M.S. Candidate, Fisheries and Wildlife Sciences


DURATION //–//


Dan Weaver observes fi sh microhabitats and behavior in the North Toe River,

North Carolina.

B. WALLACE


Movement and spawning of American

shad transported above dams on the

Roanoke River

American shad populations are in decline all along their native range and loss and degradation of spawning habitat may be a cause. On the Roanoke River, American shad presently spawn below the lowest dam, located at Roanoke Rapids. Previously, this population migrated and spawned farther upstream, possibly resulting in higher his-torical abundances. Above Kerr Lake, the third most downstream dam on the Roanoke River, it has been suggested that there is suitable spawning habitat for American shad. To examine movement patterns of American shad released into reservoirs above the Roanoke Rapids Dam and to identify possible spawning activity in the Staunton River, American shad were collected by electrofi shing at Roanoke Rapids, trans-ported, tagged with ultrasonic transmitters, and released into Lake Gaston, Kerr Lake, and the Roanoke (Staunton) River above Kerr Lake. Movements of tagged fi sh were determined by both stationary receivers and manual tracking. Oblique plankton sam-pling was done to detect spawning. Based on 2007 results, about 80 of all transported American shad survived to be released the following morning. Higher survival occurred earlier in the season and when water temperatures were lower. Some tagged individuals passed through either Kerr and or Gaston dams and short term mortality of passed fi sh appeared to be between 5 and 32. Almost 15 of all tagged fi sh released in Lake Gaston migrated to the tailrace of Kerr Dam. Approximately 26 of all tagged American shad released in Kerr Lake migrated up to Clarksville, VA, and almost 10 migrated into either the lower Dan or Staunton rivers. Analysis of 2008 results is ongoing.


STUDENT Julianne Harris, Ph.D. Candidate, Fisheries and Wildlife Sciences


DURATION //–//

SPONSORS N.C. Wildlife Resources Commission, Dominion

Population dynamics and ecology of

introduced flathead catfish

Th e fl athead catfi sh, Pylodictis olivaris, has been introduced to Atlantic slope rivers throughout the eastern U.S. Given its rapid dispersal and growth rates and carnivorous food habits, fi shery managers and anglers have been concerned with the impacts that introduced fl athead catfi sh may exert upon native fi sh assemblages and fi sher-ies. Th e goal of this research was to gain an understanding of population dynamics, predator-prey relations, and other aspects of fl athead catfi sh biology and ecology to develop empirical relationships to estimate changes in fi sh population dynamics and assemblage structure associated with introduced fl athead catfi sh occurrences. Phase 1 (1999–2003) results include varying fl athead catfi sh population sizes among rivers, frequent and often distant migration rates, highly selective habitat use within each river, and diets consisting of freshwater and marine fi shes and invertebrates. Phase 2 (2003–2007) research described fl athead catfi sh seasonal migration, home ranges, and habitat use. Trophic studies demonstrated opportunistic feeding and revealed no fl at-head catfi sh predation on imperiled fi shes. Results of this research identify practical management scales for this species and may be used to increase public awareness and to guide physical and biotic manipulations and other management actions to improve resource management strategies.

INVESTIGATORS Th omas J. Kwak, Joseph E. Hightower, Richard L. Noble,

James A. Rice

STUDENTS William E. Pine, Ph.D., Zoology; Edward G. Malindzak, M.S., Fisheries and

Wildlife, Jessica R. Brewster, M.S., Fisheries and Wildlife

STAFF D. Scott Waters, J. Michael Fisk

LOCATION Coastal Plain and Piedmont rivers of North Carolina

DURATION //–//


Population size of American Shad and

Striped Bass in the Roanoke River

Th e goal of this study is to estimate the number of adult American shad and striped bass returning to the Roanoke River to spawn. Split-beam hydroacoustic monitor-ing has been carried out during March-May of 2004-2007. Tracks of upstream-migrating fi sh were readily discernable from ambient noise. Electrofi shing and gill-netting were used to estimate the species composition of upstream-migrating fi sh. Estimates for American shad for 2004-2007 ranged from 7,054 to 37,349, compared to striped bass estimates ranging from 118,778 to 216,971. Th e largest uncertainties regarding the hydroacoustic monitoring are the cross-channel distribution of upstream migrants. Using hydroacoustics to estimate run sizes appears to be feasible, but improvements to the study design are needed. Further valida-tion will improve both accuracy and preci-sion of estimates, and allow fi shery managers to use hydroacoustic results with confi dence in making management decisions.


STUDENTS Kevin Magowan, M.S., Fisheries and Wildlife Sciences

Michael Waine, M.S. Candidate, Fisheries and Wildlife Sciences


DURATION //–//


Images show a school of upstream-migrat-ing fi sh as detected using a DIDSON (left) and split-beam sonar (right).

J. HIGHTOWER


Reproductive ecology and habitat

relations of the robust redhorse

Th e suckers, family Catostomidae, are a diverse group of fi shes facing numerous threats from human impacts, and scientists concur that research should be incorporated into conservation planning. Th e robust redhorse, Moxostoma robustum, was lost to science until it was rediscovered in 1980, 110 years after its description. Habitat loss and spawning disruption by dams were identi-fi ed by the Robust Redhorse Conservation Committee (RRCC) as a threat to the spe-cies. Recent work by the Yadkin/Pee Dee Technical Working Group of the RRCC identifi ed spawning habitat in shoals and side-channels downstream of Blewett Falls Dam in the Pee Dee River, North Carolina. We initiated cooperative research to improve understanding of robust redhorse reproduc-tive and habitat ecology to ensure long-term survival and population enhancement. Objectives are to quantitatively describe changes in robust redhorse spawning habitat before and after implementing a spring minimum fl ow from Blewett Falls Dam, describe how robust redhorse use habitat before and after minimum fl ows are established, and assess how fl ow augmenta-tion may aff ect survival of viable eggs. Th is ongoing, collaborative research will improve our overall understanding of a little-known and rare fi sh, that may require protection or compel other management activities in this and other regulated river systems.


STUDENT J. Michael Fisk, M.S. Candidate, Fisheries and Wildlife

LOCATION Pee Dee River, North Carolina and South Carolina

DURATION //–//

SPONSORS N.C. Wildlife Resources Commission

Progress Energy Carolinas

Relative abundance of migratory

fi shes within a restored braided-

channel habitat and within the tailrace

below the Roanoke Rapids dam

Th e Roanoke Rapids Dam in North Carolina is the present extent of upstream migra-tion for anadromous fi sh in the Roanoke River. Th e dam’s tailrace was constructed adjacent to the original river channel, which is called the bypass reach. Starting in 2004, Dominion/North Carolina Power (Dominion) began releasing water into the bypass reach to provide additional fi sh habitat. During the period when this study was conducted (Spring of 2005 and 2006), discharge into the bypass reach was 325 cfs except for 10 days at 500 cfs. To determine whether anadromous fi shes used this restored habitat for spawning, sampling for adult fi sh, eggs and larvae was completed from the start of March to the end of May, 2005 and 2006, in the bypass reach, tailrace, and main river channel. Adults were collected by a fi shwheel in the Roanoke Rapids tailrace in 2005 and main river channel in 2006 and by electrofi shing in the lower, middle (2006

only), and upper areas of the bypass reach. Eggs and larvae were collected by plankton tows and spawning pads in the bypass reach and in the main river channel. Hickory shad and blueback herring were the only anadro-mous species to spawn in the bypass reach. American shad and striped bass were not observed to spawn in the bypass reach; how-ever, adult American shad were collected in the fi shwheel and eggs were collected in the main river channel. Few adults and only one egg of striped bass were collected from main river sites. No anadromous fi sh eggs were collected in the upper or middle bypass reach. Over the next few years, spring fl ows will be increased to determine optimum levels for spawning of anadromous fi sh in the bypass reach.


STUDENT Julianne Harris, Ph.D. Candidate, Fisheries and Wildlife Sciences


DURATION //–//

SPONSORS N.C. Wildlife Resources Commission, Dominion

Julie Harris (right) and technician measure

water velocity to characterize hickory

shad spawning habitat.J. HIGHTOWER


Reproductive ecology and life history

of the Carolina madtom

Th e Carolina madtom, Noturus furiosus, is an imperiled, endemic southeastern catfi sh that is experiencing declines presumably associ-ated with habitat loss. Presently, the species may be nearing extirpation in about half of its native range (i.e., one of two Atlantic water-sheds). We investigated Carolina madtom habitat use, focusing on the occupancy of natural habitat, as well as introduced, artifi -cial cover. In six study reaches in the Tar and Neuse river basins of North Carolina, the Carolina madtom occupied microhabitats nonrandomly, most frequently inhabit-ing water that was shallow with moderate bottom velocity over coarse sand substrate. All occupied microhabitats included physical cover, with cobble found most frequently. We developed for the fi rst time empirical habitat suitability functions for the species. Our fi ndings also demonstrate signifi cant use of introduced artifi cial cover, a pattern confi rmed in laboratory choice studies; when presented four cover choices (three natural, one artifi cial), Carolina madtom selected the artifi cial cover unit over half the time. Given its State Th reatened status and limited distribution, our results have implications for conservation and restoration of this endemic species. Successful management and conser-vation of the Carolina madtom is dependent upon protecting Tar basin habitat, identify-ing Neuse basin impacts, and restoring Neuse basin populations.

INVESTIGATORS D. Derek AdayTh omas J. Kwak

STUDENT Stephen R. Midway, M.S., Fisheries and Wildlife

LOCATION Tar and Neuse river basins, North Carolina

DURATION //–//


Sicklefin redhorse reproductive and

habitat ecology

Th e sicklefi n redhorse is a recently recog-nized fi sh of the sucker family Catostomidae. It is among the largest undescribed animal species in North America, and virtually nothing is known of its biology and ecology. It is endemic to the Hiwassee and Little Tennessee river systems of North Carolina and Georgia and is suffi ciently rare that it is a candidate for endangered species protection. Spawning and reproduction are known to be a life-history bottleneck for stream fi shes, and improved understanding will be a criti-cal step toward ensuring the fi sh’s survival. Using a combination of methods (resistance-board weirs, prepositioned electrofi shing, and radio telemetry), we quantifi ed migra-tion patterns and habitat selection of the sicklefi n redhorse and other related redhorse species in the Hiwassee River system in the mountains of western North Carolina, with the ultimate outcome of protecting the physical and biotic environments to ensure the long-term survival and enhancement of the sicklefi n redhorse. Th is research delineated important habitats for this species and elucidated critical ecological processes required to sustain this population of a rare and imperiled fi sh. Th e results will be used by management and regulatory agencies to set guidelines and priorities for dam opera-tion and licensing in the Tennessee River basin.


STUDENT Scott D. Favrot, M.S. Candidate, Fisheries and Wildlife

LOCATION Little Tennessee and Hiwassee river systems, North Carolina

DURATION //–//

SPONSORS U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, U.S. Geological Survey, N.C. Wildlife

Resources Commission, World Wildlife Fund

Carolina madtom found in Contentnea Creek, Neuse River Basin, near Lucama, North Carolina.

S. MIDWAY


The geographic relationship of

mortality events of carp species in

North Carolina

Th is study examines spatial and environ-mental factors and their relationship to patterns in mortality events aff ecting carp across the United States. Data on 79 mortal-ity events have been collected. Diagnostic data on theses mortality events are very limited. Research is being conducted to help optimize the ability to develop state level participation in the data collection eff ort. A GUI relational GIS based database is being constructed to enhance evaluation of patterns of mortality events in relation to major physical factors and weather events. Th is will provide a tool for more proactive management of carp health issues in the United States.

INVESTIGATOR Michael K. Stoskopf

STUDENT Maria Serrano, D.V.M., M.S. Candidate, Fisheries and

Wildlife Sciences


DURATION //–//


Stream trout ecology and management

in North Carolina State Parks

Coldwater stream trout fi sheries are among the most important in terms of angling, economics, and scenic value, yet they are commonly managed based on historical practices or following standardized protocols without specifi c knowledge or a scientifi c basis. Research is ongoing to gather quan-titative information on the population and production dynamics of stream-dwelling trout in North Carolina State Parks. Th e goal of the research is to better understand the ecological and biological processes asso-ciated with these populations and to form an objective information base to form fi sheries and ecosystem management strategies, plan-ning, and implementation. Specifi c project objective are to conduct intensive sampling and quantify critical population parameters of stream trout populations, assemblages of nongame fi shes, water quality and instream habitat characteristics, and to present these results in an applied context toward guiding management strategies for trout fi sheries and stream ecosystems in North Carolina State Parks. Results will be compared to other stream trout populations, and the amount of biomass that may be available for harvest by angling will be estimated. Th ese fi ndings will allow managers to predict the likely outcome of altering management strategies among streams to select the most appropri-ate approaches within the ecological limits of each stream.


STUDENT Benjamin C. Wallace, M.S. Candidate, Fisheries and Wildlife

LOCATION Stone Mountain State Park, North Carolina

DURATION //–//

SPONSOR N.C. Department of Environment and Natural Resources

Spawning activity of anadromous

fishes in the Cape Fear River

Anadromous fi sh were historically an important resource within the Cape Fear River basin but populations have experi-enced signifi cant declines Th e striped bass population remains among the lowest of North Carolina’s coastal rivers. Only a small population of Atlantic sturgeon and a few shortnose sturgeon are present in the system today. Th ese declines have been attributed to the same variety of anthropogenic eff ects (overfi shing, pollution, development, dam construction) that have impacted many other Atlantic coastal rivers. In the Cape Fear River, three low-head lock and dam structures were constructed between 1913 and 1934 by the United States Army Corp of Engineers (USACOE) for the purpose of commercial navigation. Fish ladders were constructed at each of the three lock and dam structures, but anadromous fi sh were unsuccessful at utilizing them. Subsequently, in 1962, a program was implemented through an agreement among the North Carolina Wildlife Resources Commission (NCWRC), USACOE, and United States Fish and Wildlife Service (USFWS) to use the lock at each dam to move fi sh upstream to continue their spawning run. Th e goal of this project is to characterize the current patterns of migration and spawning activity for American shad and striped bass within the Cape Fear River. Tracking the move-ments of sonic-tagged fi sh, along with con-ducting egg and larval fi sh surveys, will help to identify areas of concentrated spawning activity, uncover patterns and preferences in habitat characteristics, and further assess the impact of the three dams on their distribu-tion. Ultimately, the new data provided by this study will serve as a useful tool to aid in management decisions regarding the recov-ery of this extremely important resource.


STUDENT Joseph Smith, M.S. Candidate, Fisheries and Wildlife Sciences

LOCATION Cape Fear River, North Carolina

DURATION //–//

SPONSOR U.S. Army Corps of Engineers

Justin Dycus and Ben Wallace measure microhabitat characteristics of fi sh locations

in the North Toe River, North Carolina.

D. WEAVER

RESEARCH | WILDLIFE AND HABITATS 23

R E S E A R C H � W I L D L I F E A N D H A B I T A T S

Adaptive management of horseshoe crabs and shorebirds in Delaware Bay: Predictive modeling and implementation 25

Assessing the relationship between acid precipitation, calcium depletion, and avian productivity in Great Smoky Mountains National Park 25

Avian conservation in north-central forested habitats in Puerto Rico 25

Baseline assessment of neotropical migrant landbird stopover habitat in the lower Chesapeake Bay region for conservation planning and protection 26

Bird and bat migration over Appalachian ridges in the Mid-Atlantic region: Weather surveillance radar component 26

Design and analysis of Antillean manatee aerial surveys in Puerto Rico 26

Designing sustainable landscapes for bird populations in the eastern United States 27

Ecological studies of fishers on managed landscapes in northern California 27

Ecology of raccoons within Cape Lookout National Seashore, North Carolina, and the efficacy of raccoon removal as a management tool for protecting rare, threatened, and endangered species 27

Estimating detection probabilities for community assessment and population monitoring 28

Evaluating American Oystercatchers as indicators of resource conditions in coastal North Carolina 28

Evaluation of the Red Wolf Adaptive Management Plan project 28

Field validation of King Rail habitat models in the Roanoke-Tar-Neuse-Cape Fear Ecosystems 29

Incorporating estimates of detection probability into the Breeding Bird Survey protocol: assessment of current sampling methods 29

Investigating the productivity, territory size, and food base of the Swainson’s Warbler in an irregularly flooded bottomland hardwood system 29

Measuring the effects of off-road vehicles on beach birds at Cape Lookout National Seashore 30

Non-lethal molecular diagnostic sampling of captive Red Wolves 30

N-POL bird-radar study on the eastern shore of Virginia 30

Planning level survey for at-risk amphibian species 31

Research for maintenance of the St. Francis Satyr butterfly population on Ft. Bragg, North Carolina 31

Research for the conservation and restoration of an endangered butterfly, the St. Francis Satyr 32

24 RESEARCH | WILDLIFE AND HABITATS

Species assessments and conservation scores: revision of the Puerto Rico and U.S. Virgin Islands Bird Conservation Plan 32

Status and ecology of the Northern Pine Snake, Southern Hognose Snake, Tiger Salamander, and Carolina Gopher Frog on Ft. Bragg 33

Testing model assumptions and development of a statistical framework for a regional Adaptive Management Program for migratory shorebirds 33

The impacts of habitat fragmentation on the population genetics of a rare butterfly, Atrytonopsis new species 1 34

Use of molecular genetic markers to enhance restoration of an endangered species, St. Francis’ satyr butterfly 34


Adaptive management of horseshoe

crabs and shorebirds in Delaware

Bay: Predictive modeling and

implementation

Th e Delaware Bay serves as both an impor-tant spawning area for Atlantic Horseshoe Crabs and a migratory stop over site for Red Knots during their spring migration from Tierra Del Fuego, Argentina, to the Canadian Arctic. Th e migrating birds depend on large numbers of Horseshoe crab eggs on the beaches of the Delaware Bay to refuel and prepare for the last leg of their epic migration. From 2000 to 2003, a massive decline in Red Knot abundance was observed, and managers and biologists have speculated that the decline is in part due to harvest of breeding adult Horseshoe Crabs in the Bay which led to fewer eggs available for Red Knot consumption. We are developing harvest optimization models to maximize Horseshoe Crab harvest in the bay, constrained by Red Knot population viability, for a structured decision making and adaptive harvest management approach to manage the situation. We are using the program ASDP (developed by Bruce Lubow and the USGS) to model the Delaware system in an Adaptive Stochastic Dynamic programming environment. We are using 11 years of mark resight and recapture data of red knots in the Bay in a multi-state open robust design analysis to evaluate Red Knot annual survival contingent upon weight gain during the stopover period. Th e results of these analyses will be used to parameterize the Red Knot population components of the ASDP model.

INVESTIGATORS Jaime A. Collazo, David Smith, James Nichols

POSTDOCTORAL RESEARCHER Conor McGowan

LOCATION Delaware Bay, Delaware

DURATION //–//


Assessing the relationship between

acid precipitation, calcium depletion,

and avian productivity in Great

Smoky Mountains National Park

Th e goal of this research is to examine the eff ects of acid precipitation on two groups of high elevation terrestrial animals in the southern Appalachians. Acid precipita-tion remains high in eastern forests, and is considered a critical environmental stress. We are working with Dark-eyed Juncos, Junco hyemalis, to quantify the eff ects of acid deposition and subsequent calcium depletion on the reproductive success of high elevation songbirds. We are testing for links between acid deposition and calcium content in junco eggshells collected in 2006. In 2007 and 2008, we monitored nesting success in both control and treatment plots, where calcium (crushed oyster shell) was added. As ter-restrial snails are the birds’ primary calcium source, we are also examining the diversity and abundance of snail populations across 60 plots in the high elevation spruce-fi r habitat. In addition, we are examining morphometric diff erences in the same snail species across a temporal scale using museum specimens. Results from our 2006-2008 fi eld seasons are currently being analyzed. Th is study should provide a better understanding of the long-term, landscape-level eff ects of acid precipitation, particularly on high elevation populations where deposition is greatest.

INVESTIGATOR Th eodore R. Simons

STUDENT Rebecca Keller, Ph.D. Candidate, Zoology

LOCATION Great Smoky Mountains National Park and Blue Ridge Parkway, North Carolina and Tennessee

DURATION //–//

SPONSOR U.S. Forest Service

Avian conservation in north-central

forested habitats in Puerto Rico

Th is project sought to assess bird and plant communities at a landscape level, spe-cifi cally, a better understanding of how avian abundance varies across karstic landscapes and what habitat features are associated with such variability (e.g., habitat components at diff erent scales). Accordingly, we estimated density and patch occupancy for resident avian species occurring in the karst region of Puerto Rico. Th irty-nine avian resident species were recorded during surveys. Population estimates were estimable for 16 species. Estimates of patch occupancy were estimable for 12 species. Th ese data are being used to identify unique community assemblages and factors infl uencing their abundance and distribution across the land-scape, guide regional conservation planning, assess habitat suitability for endangered species, habitat restoration, and serve as test-ing grounds for innovative avian sampling techniques (e.g. estimation of detection probability).

INVESTIGATOR Jaime A. Collazo

STUDENT Jessica Gleff e, M.S., Zoology


DURATION //–//

SPONSOR Puerto Rico Department of Natural and Environmental Resources

Park intern with Dark-eyed Junco in Great Smoky Mountains National Park.

B. KELLER


Baseline assessment of neotropical

migrant landbird stopover habitat in

the lower Chesapeake Bay region for

conservation planning and protection

Th is project is closely connected with a companion collaboration between NCSU researchers, Th e Nature Conservancy, the Center for Conservation Biology at the Col lege of William and Mary, and Patuxent Wildlife Research Center, entitled, N-POL Bird-Radar Study on the Eastern Shore of Virginia. Together, these two projects are designed to assess available stopover habitat in the lower Chesapeake Bay region. In this study, researchers conducted analyses of NEXRAD data from the Wake fi eld, Virginia, radar station (Station AKQ ), col lected during the 2003 and 2004 fall migration. Data were screened for weather contamination and other irregularities, and the resulting analysis provides an overview of migratory songbird exodus within an area described by the sweep of the radar between 15 km and 105 km from the AKQ station. NEXRAD refl ectivity has not been quantitatively calibrated for bird densities, so the data are presented on a relative percen-tile scale, which allows for identifi cation of those areas that support the greatest relative numbers of landbird migrants within the region. Researchers provided this analysis to col laborators at the Center for Conservation Biology to develop a model of the character-istics of the habitats associated with migrant exodus. Th e fi nal integrative analysis was

completed in January 2007.


POSTDOCTORAL RESEARCHER Sarah Mabey


DURATION //–//

SPONSOR Th e Nature Conservancy

Bird and bat migration over

Appalachian ridges in the Mid-

Atlantic region: Weather surveillance

radar component

Th is project is a small component of a larger collaboration between scientists with the U.S. Geological Survey and the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service to identify and describe broad scale patterns of migratory songbird movements through the southern Appalachian ridges during both spring and fall passage. Th e goal of this work is to assess the value of Doppler weather surveillance radar data for discriminating direction and volume of nocturnal migration traffi c across the Appalachian region. Researchers assessed and processed NEXRAD data from the Pittsburgh, Roanoke, Virginia, Knoxville, Tennessee, and Charleston, West Viriginia, radars for spring and fall 2005, and conducted a training session with collabora-tors to train them in the use and interpreta-tion of Doppler weather surveillance radar. Preliminary assessment of the data indicates that songbird migrant movements along the southern Appalachians is characterized by a high degree of variability in direction-ality. Researchers will meet with partners at Patuxent Wildlife Research Center this winter to fi nalize their analysis of this large radar dataset.




DURATION //–//


Design and analysis of Antillean

manatee aerial surveys in Puerto Rico

Aerial surveys have been one of the more common survey methods when dealing with manatees in part due to the large spatial extent aircraft can cover. Aerial surveys need to account for the imperfect detection probability caused by this sampling method. Imperfect detection probability can be the result of several sources: observer error, environmental issues such as glare and water turbidity, unavailable animals present in the location etc. Unavailable animals are animals that are impossible to be seen, for example, if an animal is too far below the water surface. Th ere are several common approaches that allow the detection prob-ability to be estimated for aerial surveys. In this protocol, we advocate the use of repeated counts in high use areas around the coast-line of Puerto Rico. Th e survey we propose begins with the designation of zones of high and low density. Th e areas of high density include Ceiba, Guayama, Guayanilla and Mayanguez, these specifi c regions of interest will be covered in more detail. Low density zones will be fl own over once in transit to high density zones. High density zones will have multiple passes (repeats), preferably fi ve, but fuel or other concerns may limit the number of passes.Th e next stage of the research will be to analyze data from a pilot study under this protocol using hierarchical Bayesian modeling of the repeated counts.

INVESTIGATORS Kenneth H. PollockJaime A. Collazo

STUDENT Matthew J. Krachey, Ph.D. Candidate, Zoology


DURATION //–//


Three West Indian manatees foraging on seagrass.

U.S. GEOLOGICAL SURVEY SIRENA PROJECT


Designing sustainable landscapes

for bird populations in the eastern

United States

Th e goal of this project is to develop a con-sistent methodology to enhance the capacity of states, joint ventures and other partners to assess and design sustainable landscape conservation for birds and other wildlife in the eastern United States. Specifi cally, this project will develop and implement a framework and tools to: (1) assess the current capability of habitats in ecoregions in the eastern United States to support sustainable bird populations; (2) predict the impacts of landscape-level changes (e.g., from urban growth, conservation programs, climate change) on the future capability of these habitats to support bird populations; (3) target conservation programs to eff ectively and effi ciently achieve objectives in State Wildlife Action Plans and bird conserva-tion plans and evaluate progress under these plans; and (4) enhance coordination among partners during the planning, implementa-tion and evaluation of habitat conservation through conservation design. We are model-ing urban growth and vegetation dynamics, including the impacts of climate change for the Southern Atlantic Migratory Bird Initiative (SAMBI) Region. Bird occupancy models will be used to evaluate the infl uence of land use scenarios and climate change. Collaborators at Auburn University will help communicate the results to a broad audience through decision support tools produced in collaboration with Wildlife Biologists throughout the SAMBI region. Currently, we are fi nalizing the urban growth model-ing, testing the vegetation dynamics models with climate change parameters and iden-tifying species modeling methods based on the Breeding Bird Survey and datasets from the Southeast Gap Analysis Project.

INVESTIGATORS Jaime A. Collazo

STAFF Alexa McKerrow, Steve Williams, Matt Rubino, Todd Earnhardt,

Adam Terando, and Zac Arcaro

LOCATION Eastern United States

DURATION //–//


Ecological studies of fishers on

managed landscapes in northern

California

Th e current status of the fi sher, Martes pen-nanti, as a candidate species for federal list-ing under the Endangered Species Act and concern over its absence from a substantial portion of its historic range led to a plan to reintroduce fi shers onto lands in northern Sierra Nevada Mountains where fi shers were extirpated ca 100 years ago but where habitat has recovered. Th ese fi shers will be monitored intensively to document survival, establishment of home ranges, movements, reproduction, and use of habitats. Th is reintroduction will improve the conserva-tion status of fi shers in California and will provide insight into how fi shers use man-aged landscapes. Reintroduction will place naive fi shers on a landscape supplied with appropriate habitat and prey. Th us, this rein-troduction provides the perfect opportunity to test general optimality models related to use of habitats, spacing of home ranges, and reproductive success of males. My research team will: (1) document survival, reproduc-tion and use of habitat by fi shers during the fi rst 5 years following release; (2) predict use of habitat by fi shers using 5 models and to evaluate the predictions using data on actual use of habitat by fi shers; (3) predict placement, sizes, and shapes of home range using models of optimal home range choice and test the predictions using data on actual use of space by fi shers; (4) predict patterns of breeding by males from home range placement and familiarity with landscapes and to test those predictions using data on paternity of fi shers born in the study area; and (5) conduct a parallel study of fi shers in the Klamath Mountains on lands owned by Timber Products Company, thereby gaining comparative information for a population that has never been extirpated.

INVESTIGATOR Roger A. Powell

LOCATION Sierra Nevada Mountains, California

DURATION //–//


Ecology of raccoons within Cape

Lookout National Seashore, North

Carolina, and the efficacy of raccoon

removal as a management tool for

protecting rare, threatened, and

endangered species

In many coastal areas, high raccoon densi-ties have been shown to correlate with high levels of nest failure in several threatened and endangered species. At Cape Lookout National Seashore, there is increasing concern that if raccoon populations are not managed to reduce predation, these species will suff er an increasing risk of extinction and extirpation. Th e goals of this study are to determine the basic ecology of raccoons on South Core Banks in 2007 and 2008, esti-mate the population size, and evaluate the response of raccoon, shorebird, and turtle populations to an experimental removal of raccoons in December 2008. Results from a large-scale mark-recapture study and radio-telemetry are currently being analyzed to establish baseline conditions for the raccoon population pre-removal. Data are being continually collected by the National Park Service to establish nesting success pre and post-raccoon-removal on the Seashore. Th e results of this study will provide important information about the effi cacy of predator removal to protect threatened and endan-gered species.


STUDENT Arielle Waldstein, M.S. Candidate, Zoology

LOCATION Cape Lookout National Seashore, North Carolina

DURATION //–//


Fisher and hare. R. POWELL


Estimating detection probabilities

for community assessment and

population monitoring

We conducted a series of validation experi-ments to simulate bird census conditions, vary a range of factors that aff ect detection probabilities, and evaluate observer per-formance when most birds are identifi ed by sound. Th is system, also known as “All Bird Radio,” consists of a laptop computer and a radio transmitter to control a set of player and speaker devices. We found that methods of estimating detection probability that require the localization of auditory detections are subject to large measurement and misclassifi cation errors. Th erefore, the uncertainty surrounding estimates of avian diversity or abundance based on distance, double-observer, and time of detection methods is probably higher than currently reported by most practitioners. Approaches to account for this uncertainty in abundance models clearly are needed. In practice, modern methods may exceed observer abilities in many cases. Th erefore, simplifi ed protocols (e.g., single species surveys, occu-pancy approaches) that reduce the demands on human observers may ultimately yield better results. Regardless, abundance and occupancy estimates based on point count data should always incorporate adjustments for variations in detection probability. No single approach will necessarily be the best for all species. Practitioners should care-fully consider the biology (e.g., movement rates, vocalization rates, surrounding envi-ronmental conditions) of the species under investigation when deciding upon the most appropriate sampling method.

INVESTIGATORS Th eodore R. SimonsKenneth H. Pollock

POSTDOCTORAL RESEARCHERS Mat AlldredgeRay Webster


DURATION //–//

SPONSORS U.S. Fish and Wildlife ServiceU.S. Geological Survey

N.C. Wildlife Resources Commission

Evaluating American Oystercatchers

as indicators of resource conditions in

coastal North Carolina

Natural communities in coastal regions are under increasing pressure from human use, introduced predators, and habitat change. Th e American Oystercatcher, Haematopus palliates, is a useful focal species to study the eff ect of rapid anthropogenic change on coastal ecosystems. American Oystercatchers are long-lived shorebirds that breed from Maine to Florida and are closely tied to intertidal ecosystems throughout the year. Recent evidence of population declines in several states is raising concern over the status of their populations. In 1995, a study of breeding American Oystercatchers was ini-tiated on Cape Lookout National Seashore to examine factors aff ecting nesting success. Subsequent research expanded the study area to include all nesting oystercatcher pairs on Cape Lookout and Cape Hatteras National Seashores and expanded the scope of the work to investigate survival, fi delity, movement, disturbance and depredation. Our research goals are to (1) understand the factors aff ecting the reproductive suc-cess of American Oystercatchers in North Carolina, (2) develop population models that incorporate the eff ects of humans, predators, and environmental conditions on population trends, and (3) identify range-wide patterns of adult migration and juvenile dispersal.


STUDENT Shiloh Schulte, Ph.D. Candidate, Zoology

LOCATION Cape Lookout and Cape Hatteras National Seashores

DURATION //–//

SPONSOR National Park Service

Evaluation of the Red Wolf Adaptive

Management Plan project

Th is project involves two meetings per year of the red wolf adaptive management advisory team (RWRIT) to assess and make sugges-tions about the adaptive management plan for the restoration of the red wolf. Members of the RWRIT are Karen Beck, Todd Fuller, Eric Gese, Frederick Knowlton, Dennis Murray, Michael Stoskopf, Will Waddell, and Lisette Waits. Invited guests attend each meeting to add insight or particular expertise. Th ese have included graduate students of team members, fi eld team biolo-gists and outside experts. In each meeting, the RWRIT evaluates data available on wolf genetics, demographics, health and other areas of import and makes recommendations to the fi eld team. Detailed minutes of the meeting are taken and carefully edited by the entire RWRIT and then distributed to the Red Wolf Project Leader, as confi dential advice to be implemented and distributed at their discretion. Progress to date includes increased pup production, improved proto-cols for telemetry eff ort, and identifi cation of key knowledge needed to further improve the management of the wolves. Current issues of concern are aging demographics of known breeding pairs and losses of wolves to automobile collision and gunshot. Methods of remote meeting and data assessment process for the RWRIT are being evaluated.


STUDENTS Karen Beck, D.V.M., Ph.D. Comparative Biomedical Sciences

Anne Ballman (née: Acton), Ph.D., Comparative Biomedical Sciences

LOCATION Alligator River National Wildlife Refuge, North Carolina

DURATION //–//


Wintering Oystercatchers .S. SCHULTE


Field validation of King Rail habitat

models in the Roanoke-Tar-Neuse-

Cape Fear Ecosystems

By performing fi eld validation of our King Rail model, we will test and improve the model while also assessing the value and uncertainty associated with using expert opinion within a Bayesian Belief Network model in support of Strategic Habitat Conservation. In Spring 2008, we success-fully completed the fi rst year of this two-year model validation eff ort by performing three replicate surveys at 102 marsh sites. Th e sites, located within 100 km of housing provided by Pocosin Lakes NWR and Back Bay NWR, off ered a stratifi ed random sample based on marsh area, distance to mapped open water, and land cover context within 1 km. Th ese characteristics represented vari-ables that local experts ranked as important, but about which they expressed uncertainty regarding the specifi c infl uence on King Rail site occupancy. King Rail were detected at 16 sites and a preliminary occupancy analysis in PRESENCE suggests that King Rail occupancy trends favor larger patches inter-spersed with abundant water, but may avoid interior habitat (greater than 250 m from mapped water). However, the second year’s data will be necessary to achieve adequate sample size to perform the fi nal analysis.


POSTDOCTORAL RESEARCHER C. Ashton Drew

LOCATION Pocosin Lakes National Wildlife Refuge, North Carolina,

and Back Bay National Wildlife Refuge, Virginia

DURATION //–//


Incorporating estimates of detection

probability into the Breeding Bird

Survey protocol: assessment of

current sampling methods

Th e Breeding Bird Survey (BBS) is a unique roadside survey that includes over 3,000 routes per year throughout the United States and Canada. Currently, BBS methods do not allow for the estimation of detection prob-ability for any species. In this context, detec-tion probability is the probability that an individual bird is present within the sample area and/or available for detection given it is present and/or detected given it is available. Failure to account for imperfect detection (i.e., situations in which detection prob-ability < 1.0) may lead to poor inference and management decisions. In 2008, we solicited BBS volunteers from Georgia to New York to pilot two alternative sampling methods on their routes: unreconciled double-observers and repeated visits. In North Carolina, a fi eld crew of 6 highly experienced biologists also piloted these two methods along with distance sampling and time-of-detection on 12 routes. Preliminary results from the work in North Carolina suggest large discrepan-cies exist between observers in the number of birds counted/stop as well as other data collected such as wind conditions and the number of cars that pass during the count. Additionally, car counts are a poor predic-tor of noise levels along BBS routes. Finally, observers often diff er substantially in their detection probabilities and these diff erences are not consistent among species or methods used for estimating detection probabilities. Forthcoming analyses and models should provide important guidance as to which methods may be most eff ective for incorpo-rating estimates of detection probability into the BBS protocol.

INVESTIGATOR Th eodore R. SimonsKenneth H. Pollock

POSTDOCTORAL RESEARCHER Jason Riddle

LOCATION Eastern United States

DURATION //–//


Investigating the productivity,

territory size, and food base of the

Swainson's Warbler in an irregularly

fl ooded bottomland hardwood system

Th e objective of this research is to investi-gate factors infl uencing Swainson’s warbler (SWWA) nest survival in habitat considered to be of regional signifi cance. Field work was conducted in 2006-2008, with a fi nal fi eld season planned in 2009. Nests were continuously monitored for parental activity, disturbances that infl uence nest survival, and predators that depredate nests. In addi-tion, nest-site selection, territory size, and the potential impacts of the lower Roanoke River’s altered fl ood regime were considered as factors infl uencing nest survival. To date, 217 SWWA have been captured and color-banded, and 67 birds have been radio tracked. Seventy-two nests have been moni-tored, and vegetation sampling has taken place at each nest. No fl ooding has occurred during a fi eld season. Results are currently being analyzed and can be incorporated in future large-scale adaptive ecosystem man-agement plans with the goal of restoring and enhancing bottomland forest and fl oodplain communities in the Southeast. On a smaller scale, results can be used to make informed decisions when developing strategic habitat management plans for current and future holdings of the Roanoke River National Wildlife Refuge, North Carolina, and other conservation lands along the lower Roanoke River. Preliminary results have been pre-sented at the Southeast Partners In Flight conference (11/2007) and the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Coastal Carolina/Southerastern Virgiana Strategic Habitat Conservation Team Meetings (01/2008, 10/2008).

INVESTIGATORS Richard A. LanciaTh eodore R. Simons

STUDENT Neil Chartier, Ph.D. Candidate, Fisheries and Wildlife Sciences

LOCATION Roanoke River National Wildlife Refuge, North Carolina

DURATION //–//

SPONSOR N.C. Wildlife Resources CommissionU.S. Fish and Wildlife Service

Staff from the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service train King Rail fi eld crew.

C. DREW


Measuring the effects of off-road

vehicles on beach birds at Cape

Lookout National Seashore

Shorebirds utilize sites for resting and refueling between migration fl ights along North Carolina’s barrier islands where beach driving is a prominent activity. Our objec-tive was to measure the eff ects of vehicle disturbance on shorebird behavior and habitat use at South Core Banks, a barrier island that is part of Cape Lookout National Seashore. Observational disturbance stud-ies have found that disturbance eff ects are confounded with environmental and habitat eff ects, so we employed a before-after-control-impact (BACI) experimental study design with replication to isolate disturbance eff ects. We found that disturbance decreased site use by shorebirds, all birds, and Black-bellied Plovers, Pluvialis squatarola. Th e two most abundant species of shorebird at our study sites, Sanderlings, Calidris alba, and Willets, Catoptrophorus semipalmatus, did not show signifi cant decreases in abundance in response to disturbance, but disturbance infl uenced Sanderling activity by decreasing the proportion of time that they spent roost-ing and increasing the proportion of time that they spent active. We concluded that vehicle disturbance infl uences shorebirds’ use of ocean beach habitat for roosting during the nonbreeding season and that experimen-tal BACI study designs provide a practical tool for measuring the eff ects of disturbance on wildlife, without the confounding that aff ects purely observational approaches.


STUDENT Nathan M. Tarr, M.S., Fisheries and Wildlife

LOCATION Cape Lookout National Seashore, North Carolina

DURATION //–//


Non-lethal molecular diagnostic

sampling of captive Red Wolves

Molecular assays targeting a single region of both canine distemper virus and canine parvovirus have been developed. Each assay has been tested on several vaccines to assess detection limits and assay specifi cities. Prolonged storage studies have demonstrated that each virus can be detected in vaccine-inoculated feces at least 6 months after stor-age. Induction of natural fecal viral shedding was attempted in adult red wolves and naïve coyote pups to estimate the virus detection window. No reliable viral shedding was detected in adults presumably due to eff ects of circulating antibodies but fecal shed vac-cine virus was detected in stools of coyote pups. Positive controls from suspected fi eld infections of canine parvovirus, feline pan-leukopenia and canine distemper virus are being collected and tested with the assays. Paired fecal and blood samples have been collected annually from several free-ranging carnivore species in eastern North Carolina for testing. Th is non-invasive method of evaluating pathogen presence in ecosytems provides an additional tool for habitat health risk assessment and disease management in wild carnivores.


STUDENT Anne Ballman (née: Acton), Ph.D., Comparative Biomedical Sciences

LOCATION Alligator River National Wildlife Refuge, North Carolina

DURATION //–//


N-POL bird-radar study on the

eastern shore of Virginia

In the past year, we have completed our second season of data collection with the NPOL radar in Oyster, Virginia. During the 2005 fall migratory period, we collected data on over 50 nights yielding viable data for 30 migration events. Th ese data include two nights of continuous dusk to dawn scans. Th e data have been processed and translated to a GIS-compatible format. Analysis of the data from both fall 2004 and 2005 has begun. Researchers and collab orators from the Center for Conservation Biology at the College of William and Mary are currently working on the fi nal data analysis for this project that will integrate data from ground surveys of landbird migrants, detailed vegetation and forest cover surveys, and NPOL radar data. Researchers have pre-pared preliminary analyses of 2004 NPOL radar data for Th e Nature Conservancy and U.S. Geological Survey partners. Patterns of migratory songbird exodus from a single season indicate that migrants are not evenly distributed across the lower Delmarva Peninsula. However, fi nal interpretation of these patterns will depend on our integrative

analysis.




DURATION //–//

SPONSOR Th e Nature Conservancy

Juvenile Sanderling at Cape Lookout National Seashore.

N. TARR


Planning level survey for at-risk

amphibian species

We assessed the status of tiger salamanders and gopher frogs at Ft. Bragg by searching for new wetland breeding sites and continu-ing surveys at fi ve previously known popula-tions of tiger salamanders and two previously known populations of gopher frogs. We found that approximately 170 tiger salaman-ders breed each winter, and that at least 100 gopher frogs breed at two ponds when con-ditions are favorable. Despite the presence of breeding adults, very few larvae survived to metamorphosis. We searched 60 of the base for new populations of these rare amphibians and developed a predictive model to map potential breeding sites across the base. Th is map will help us prioritize habitat to protect or restore these populations. We studied the movements of tiger salamanders and gopher frogs to understand habitat use in uplands. We used fl uorescent dye-powders to track the movements of animals as they left breed-ing ponds and found that they migrated to burrows or tunnels under woody debris. A second study followed the movements of 3 adult tiger salamanders and 2 gopher frogs using radio telemetry. We followed animals for up to 80 days, and again found heavy use of burrows and woody debris. Th ese results highlight the importance of maintaining upland habitat features for at-risk amphibian species.

INVESTIGATOR Nick M. Haddad

POSTDOCTORAL RESEARCHERS Nicole Th urgate Laura Vogel

STUDENT Will Fields, Ph.D. Candidate, Zoology

LOCATION Ft. Bragg, North Carolina

DURATION //–//

SPONSOR U.S. Army, XVIII Airborne Corps & Ft. Bragg

Research for maintenance of the St.

Francis Satyr butterfly population on

Ft. Bragg

Th is agreement funded the fi fth and sixth years of our monitoring and research on the endangered St. Francis’ satyr butterfl y, Neonympha mitchellii francisci. Th is award funded a period of synthesis in which we: (1) published the fi rst account of St. Francis’ satyr natural history and population ecology since it was fi rst described more than 25 years ago; (2) published a rigorous assessment of how to monitor St. Francis’ satyr and other rare butterfl y species; and (3) completed a major eff ort to understand habitat require-ments for St. Francis’ satyr. Taken together, our results will strengthen monitoring and management of St. Francis’ satyr butterfl y now and in the future. As to St. Francis’ satyr population monitoring in 2006 and 2007, population sizes remained constant, but lower than their all time highs. Changes in butterfl y population sizes within indi-vidual colonies can be explained by natural dynamics of their habitats, including fi re,

succession, and especially the activities of beaver. We made progress in understanding habitat dynamics for the butterfl y through detailed surveys of plant communities in wetlands and through spatial analysis to remotely identify suitable habitat. In 2006 and 2007, we successfully reared the related Georgia satyr, Neonympha areolata, and this eff ort will improve our ability to raise St. Francis’ satyr.


POSTDOCTORAL RESEARCHERS Nicole Th urgate Laura Vogel

STUDENT Becky Bartel, Ph.D., Zoology

STAFF Daniel Kuefl er, Jessica Abbott, Megan Chesser, John McAllister, Quinn Mortell, Catherine Frock,

Noa Davidai


DURATION //–//

SPONSORS U.S. Army, XVIII Airborne Corps & Ft. Bragg

Strategic Environmental Research and Development Program

Nick Haddad (right) and Daniel Kuefl er restore habitat for the endangered St. Francis' satyr butterfl y by controlling beaver dams.


Species assessments and

conservation scores: revision of the

Puerto Rico and U.S. Virgin Islands

Bird Conservation Plan

Puerto Rico and the Virgin Islands harbor over 284 species of birds; 16 of them are endemics. As an increasing human popula-tion progressively infringes on habitat quan-tity, and in many cases undermining its quality, the need to identify opportunities to protect and, if need be, manage habitat for avian species becomes a conservation prior-ity. In concert with this need, we are revising the “Puerto Rico and the U.S. Virgin Islands Bird Conservation Plan.” Th is plan covers the Bird Conservation Area 69 within the Atlantic Coast Joint Venture. Population and habitat objectives will be fi nalized this year with the aid of the Puerto Rico and U.S. Virgin Islands Gap Analyses. Ultimately, the goal of the Plan is to provide common-wealth, state, federal and non-governmental institutions with guidelines to target their resources for avian conservation more eff ec-tively and effi ciently.


STUDENT Kelsey Oberneufemann, M.S., Zoology

LOCATION Puerto Rico and U.S. Virgin Islands

DURATION //–//


Research for the conservation

and restoration of an endangered

butterfly, the St. Francis Satyr

St. Francis’ satyr, Neonympha mitchellii francisci, is an endangered butterfl y that is endemic to Ft. Bragg, North Carolina. Our complementary monitoring and research strategies are aimed at restoring and subse-quently managing a viable population of this endangered species at Ft. Bragg. Th is award funds the seventh year of monitoring for St. Francis’ satyr. Long-term monitoring of St. Francis’ satyr colonies directly contributes to our understanding of the species’ distribution and abundance, and furthers our knowledge of their natural history and of environmental factors that infl uence population variation. Th e St. Francis’ satyr population is currently stable, although changes in individual colony sizes may refl ect the eff ects of exceptional drought conditions in North Carolina that will be investigated further. Several ongoing research projects supplement the monitoring aspect of this project and greatly expand our understanding of the population ecology of St. Francis’ satyr. Current projects underway include using Landsat imagery analysis

and groundtruthing to identify additional butterfl y habitat and potential habitat res-toration sites, successful captive rearing of St. Francis’ satyr larvae to adulthood, and release experiments of a closely-related satyr species to evaluate factors infl uencing butter-fl y dispersal behavior. We have successfully identifi ed several suitable candidate sites for restoration. Additionally, our studies of butterfl y dispersal behavior have identifi ed a number of factors that strongly infl uence the movement of these butterfl ies through vari-ous natural and human-infl uenced habitat types.


POSTDOCTORAL RESEARCHER Laura Vogel

STUDENTS Becky Bartel, Ph.D., ZoologyJohnny Wilson, Ph.D. Candidate, Zoology

STAFF Catherine Frock, Quinn Mortell


DURATION //–//


St. Francis Satyrs.B. BARTEL


Status and ecology of the Northern

Pine Snake, Southern Hognose Snake,

Tiger Salamander, and Carolina

Gopher Frog on Ft. Bragg, North

Carolina

We researched four rare amphibian and snake species at Ft. Bragg, North Carolina. We monitored four breeding populations of tiger salamanders, all of which occurred in human created wetlands. We established a monitoring protocol using drift fences. Th e total adult population size of tiger salaman-ders on base was approximately 170 individu-als. Successful reproduction occurred in only one breeding pond in one of two years. Th at breeding occurs in human-created ponds suggests that new wetlands could be created and restored to enhance and expand existing populations. We radio-tagged 19 northern pine-snakes and tracked their movements across Ft. Bragg. Home ranges sizes were higher than any others reported for this spe-cies. Snakes were highly concentrated on the western side of the base in the preferred long-leaf pine and herbaceous habitats. A defi ning feature of snake microhabitats was stump

Testing model assumptions and

development of a statistical

framework for a regional Adaptive

Management Program for migratory

shorebirds

Th is project investigated the infl uence of impoundment location within a protected area and the timing of impoundment draw downs on habitat use by migrating Semipalmated Sandpipers, Calidris pusilla. We found that prey biomass was negatively correlated with movement; conversely, the amount of accessible habitat was positively correlated with movement. Th ere was a signifi cantly greater movement rate of birds from Fast to Slow drawdown units than from Slow to Fast units. Taken together, we found no advantage for Fast treatments. At a larger scale, birds moved to and remained in wetland clusters of higher prey density and accessible habitat. Movement rates suggested that clusters ~2.5 km apart were functionally connected; those at 4.1 km were not (ψ ≤ 0.05). We recommend slow, staggered drawdowns among functionally connected wetland units so that managers can continu-ally provide accessible habitat while reducing energy expenditures.


STUDENT Kelsey Oberneufemann, M.S., Zoology

LOCATION Tom Yawkey Wildlife Center, South Carolina

DURATION //–//


holes, particularly old light wood stumps that remain for decades after pine trees are harvested. At Ft. Bragg and other locations that support pine-snakes, maintenance of typical burning regimes, conservation of sandy habitats, and preservation of stump-holes would benefi t existing populations. As to our other two target species, southern hognose snakes and Carolina gopher frogs occurred in such low numbers that we were unable to study them.


STUDENT Will Fields, PhD. Candidate, Zoology

STAFF Dave Woodward, Nicole Th urgate, Noa Davidai, Megan Chesser,

John McAllister, Jessica Abbott, Brian Hudgens


DURATION //–//

SPONSORS U.S. Army, XVIII Airborne Corps & Ft. Bragg

U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service

Above: Carolina gopher frog, a federal species of concern; left: Kelsey Oberneufemann closes mist net after shorebird banding session at Tom Yawkey Wildlife Center.

J. COLLAZO

N. HADDAD


Use of molecular genetic markers

to enhance restoration of an

endangered species, St. Francis’ satyr

butterfly

Th e St. Francis’ satyr butterfl y, Neonympha mitchellii francisci, is a federally endangered species that exists only in several colonies within and outside of artillery impact areas on Ft. Bragg in North Carolina. Restoring and managing sustainable populations of St. Francis’ satyrs will require a thorough under-standing of historical and current population sizes, and infl uential processes such as dis-turbance and dispersal between populations within and outside artillery impact areas. Th is project’s objective is to develop and identify useful molecular genetic markers and non-lethal DNA sampling techniques to infer the extent of genetic exchange between colonies of St. Francis satyr butterfl ies occurring inside the restricted impact area and the more accessible colonies outside the restricted zone. Th ese microsatellite genetic markers and innovative techniques will also expand our current understanding of demographic processes such as population bottlenecks and expansions that can infl u-ence population dynamics and patterns of genetic variation.


POSTDOCTORAL RESEARCHER Laura Vogel


DURATION //–//


The impacts of habitat fragmentation

on the population genetics of a rare

butterfly, Atrytonopsis new species 1

A potentially new species of butterfl y, Atrytonopsis new species 1 (informally called the crystal skipper), is endemic to sand dunes along a 30-mile stretch of barrier islands in North Carolina. Urban development sur-rounds many butterfl y populations, which could limit the movement of individuals between populations, thereby reducing the viability of the species. Our research objec-tives are to determine the way in which urbanization aff ects Atrytonopsis movement and to identify appropriate conservation strategies. We studied the eff ects of urban-ization on Atrytonopsis using a combination of behavioral observations, mark-recapture studies, and population genetic studies. All three lines of research point to the same preliminary conclusion: natural barriers, such as ocean inlets and maritime forest, serve as barriers to Atrytonopsis movement, while anthropogenic barriers are relatively permeable. For example, residential devel-opments landscaped with native vegetation provides suitable habitat and promotes but-terfl y movement between habitat patches. Consequently, our conservation recom-mendations for Atrytonopsis are to focus on preserving as much habitat as possible, rather than explicitly targeting habitat cor-ridors that connect existing Atrytonopsispopulations. Specifi cally, retaining small undeveloped areas, maintaining wide dune lines, and encouraging homeowners to use natural landscaping all could help promote butterfl y movement.


STUDENT Allison Leidner, Ph.D.Candidate, Zoology

LOCATION Bogue Banks, North Carolina

DURATION //–//

SPONSOR U.S. Fish and Wildlife ServiceNational Park Service

North Carolina Sea GrantXerces Society

Crystal Skipper at Fort Macon.

J. PIPPEN

RESEARCH | INTEGRATED ECOLOGY 35

R E S E A R C H � I N T E G R A T E D E C O L O G Y

An exploration of literature on data selection within natural resource agencies 36

Development and demonstration of pre- and post-prescribed fire fuel models on North Carolina coastal plain wildlife refuges and surrounding areas 36

Development of population and habitat objectives for FWS Trust Resources in the Roanoke-Tar-Neuse-Cape Fear Ecoregion of the South Atlantic Migratory Bird Initiative Project Area 36

Regionalization of Gap Analysis data within the southeastern United States 37

Research to advance Gap Analysis Program data and applications in the eastern United States 37

Validity testing and evaluation of the Gap program with targeted user groups using accepted social science research and evaluation methods 37

Trout lilies at Great Smoky Mountains National Park.

R. PARTIDA

36 RESEARCH | INTEGRATED ECOLOGY

Development and demonstration

of pre- and post-prescribed fire

fuel models on North Carolina

coastal plain wildlife refuges and

surrounding areas

As a result of past fi re exclusion policies and practices, wildland fi re fuel loading in the Coastal Plain of the southeastern United States has become a hazard to life, property, ecosystem health, and the habitat of threat-ened and endangered species. Th is fi re risk is currently impacting wildlife management planning throughout the region, and specifi -cally on the Alligator River and Pea Island National Wildlife Refuges and the Air Force Dare County Bombing Range in Dare County, North Carolina. Th e overall goal of this project was to enhance wildland fuel loading information and models. Work was performed in cooperation with personnel from the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service and from Alion Science and Technology. Our primary role was to provide support for fi eld work and development of a GIS database for use in the Joint Fire Science Project (JFSP). Among the tasks performed by a technician on site in Manteo and a graduate student at North Carolina State University were: monitoring fuel moisture for fi re behavior prediction; delineating vegetation maps from aerial photography; reconciling poly-gon boundaries between existing and new vegetation maps; collecting, processing and analyzing fi eld data for the JFSP; serving as crew member during research prescribed burns; and creating a website to document and display aspects of this project [http://wildlandfi rescience.alionscience.com/index.html]

INVESTIGATOR Heather Cheshire

STUDENT Jeff Swain, M.S., Forestry

LOCATION Dare County, North Carolina

DURATION //–//


Development of population and

habitat objectives for FWS Trust

Resources in the Roanoke-Tar-Neuse-

Cape Fear Ecoregion of the South

Atlantic Migratory Bird Initiative

Project Area

Th is is a three-year pilot project to step-down population and habitat objectives from national to ecoregional and refuge levels in support of Strategic Habitat Conservation. Th erefore, we are developing and testing methods to enhance the predictive resolu-tion of species distribution models. Bayesian Belief Networks are a class of models commonly employed in situations where risk-prone, value-laden decisions must be made with incomplete data and therefore are well suited to the complexities and uncertainties inherent to population and habitat management. In our models, initial beliefs constructed from literature review and expert opinion, can then be tested and updated with each season’s fi eld data. Furthermore, the sampling design of the annual monitoring survey is developed to distinguish diff erent sources of error (e.g., inaccurate maps, incomplete knowledge, or false expert assumptions) to help manag-ers and researchers better allocate limited resources to gradually shift from expert-based to data-based decision support when setting population and habitat objectives.


POSTDOCTORAL RESEARCHER C. Ashton Drew


DURATION //–//


An exploration of literature on data

selection within natural resource

agencies

Th is research focused on a thorough exami-nation of literature pertaining to factors which may infl uence data selection for use in the natural resource policy process. Th is work built on previous research, entitled Validity testing and evaluation of the Gap Analysis Program (GAP) with targeted user groups using accepted social science research methods, but sought to expand the scope of previous research to a larger audience. Th e literature review suggests possible organi-zational and environmental factors which infl uence data selection within a natural resource agency fi eld offi ce. Among poten-tial organizational factors are age of the fi eld offi ce, management practices employed, and past data use experiences. Among potential environmental factors are outside data marketing eff orts, public involvement in the decision-making process, and the data selec-tion decisions of other fi eld offi ces. Scholarly literature suggests that organizational factors may be examined by studying the relevance of neo-institutional theory on fi eld offi ce data selection, while environmental factors may be studied through the lens of diff usion theory. Th e fi ndings of this research are being empirically tested in an independently funded dissertation study which is not asso-ciated with the U.S. Geological Survey.

INVESTIGATOR Elizabethann O'Sullivan

STUDENT Jay Gerlach, Ph.D. Candidate, Public Administration


DURATION //–//


Prescribed fi re at Pocosin Lakes National Wildlife

Refuge.

R. MICKLER

RESEARCH | INTEGRATED ECOLOGY 37

Regionalization of Gap Analysis data

within the southeastern United States

Th e Southeast Gap Analysis Project (SEGAP;http://www.basic.ncsu.edu/segap/) was a regional eff ort of the U.S.G.S. National Gap Analysis Program. Th e goal for GAP is to provide datasets (land cover, vertebrate species models, and land stewardship) and tools for use in conservation planning. Th e primary objective for Southeast Gap was to create detailed land cover and animal modeling datasets that are ecologically meaningful and consistent across the region. Th e SEGAP study area intersects 14 states, with nine of those being completely mapped. Th e Southeast Gap Datasets are available for download, with the vertebrate species models available for review. Additional analyses based on these data include work by the Environmental Protection Agency’s Regional Vulnerability Analysis, the state wildlife agencies’ for Wildlife Action Plans, U.S. National Park Service’s fi re fuels models, and our own Multi-state Conservation Grant Project. To disseminate the information, the Gap Online tool (GO) was developed at the N.C. Cooperative Fish and Wildlife Research Unit. Th e tool is a GIS web application that provides users with a streamlined interface for accessing GAP datasets. Users of the tool do not need GIS software or expertise to develop maps and tables quantifying the conservation of biodiversity across the landscape.


POSTDOCTORAL RESEARCHER Ed Laurent

STUDENT Alexa J. McKerrow, Ph.D., Botany

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


DURATION //–//


Research to advance Gap Analysis

Program data and applications in the

eastern United States

Th is project is addressing several research needs. Th ese include identifying methods to standardize the mapping of vegetation across the entire Eastern U.S. in collabora-tion with Th e Nature Conservancy, improve vegetation mapping techniques and building protocols for updating and maintenance of high resolution land cover information in collaboration with the U.S. Forest Service’s LANDFIRE Project, identify eff ective methods to develop land cover maps in a hierarchical framework in collaboration with the Multi-Resolution Land Characteristics Consortium, and assist in the imple-mentation of the National Vegetation Classifi cation Standard so that ecologists across the country use a common language to describe and inventory vegetation in collaboration with the Federal Geographic Data. In addition, local research eff orts include the application of Light Detection and Ranging data to characterize stand structure in Longleaf, Pinus palustris, and Pond Pine, Pinus serotina, Woodlands, and modeling species-habitat relationships with new techniques (e.g., occupancy models, MaxEntropy) to better inform conservation planning in North Carolina and throughout the eastern United States.


STUDENTS Zac Arcaro, M.S., Natural ResourcesMonica Iglecia, M.S. Candidate, Biology

Lisa Paine, M.S., Candidate, Biology

STAFF Alexa McKerrow, Steve Williams, Todd Earnhardt, Matt Rubino


DURATION //–//


Validity testing and evaluation of

the Gap program with targeted user

groups using accepted social science

research and evaluation methods

In 2004, the U.S. Geological Survey (USGS) and Gap Analysis Program (GAP) sought to assess the real life natural resource policy value of GAP within the state of North Carolina. A two-part process evaluation of NC-GAP was conducted. Part one involved a survey of potential North Carolina users of the Gap Ecosystem Data Explorer (GEDE) Tool. Survey results exposed a need to dis-seminate GAP data via the internet, improve GEDE resolution, and off er the Tool in an ARC 9.0 version. Part two included inter-views and a focus group consisting of several biologists and managers in an attempt to assess the natural resource policy process. Results informed GAP staff that biologists serve as scientifi c advocates to their manag-ers in the policy process, and there exists a marked need for easily accessible and accu-rate GAP data. An extension of this research was granted for the purposes of further analyzing results and laying the foundation for dissertation research pertaining to the real life applicability of GAP data and why these data are chosen for use in the natural resource policy process.

INVESTIGATOR Elizabethann O'Sullivan

STUDENT Jay Gerlach, Ph.D. Candidate, Public Administration


DURATION //–//


Land Cover StewardshipVertebrate Species Distribution

182 map units32 agencies, 40,000 parcels

614 species known ranges and predicted distributions

Southeast Gap map products.

S. WILLIAMS

38 RESEARCH | INTEGRATED ECOLOGY

P U B L I C A T I O N S A N D P R E S E N T A T I O N S

J O U R N A L A R T I C L E S

Acton, A.E., A.B. Beale, B.C. Gilger, and M.K. Stoskopf. 2006. Sustained release Cyclosporin A therapy for bilateral Keratoconjunctivitis Sicca in a red wolf, Canis rufus. Journal of Veterinary Ophthalmology 37: 562-564.

Adams, P.B., C. Grimes, J.E. Hightower, S.T. Lindley, M.L. Moser, and M.J. Parsley. 2007. Population status of North American green sturgeon Acipenser medirostris. Environmental Biology of Fishes 79: 339-356.

Alldredge, M.W., K.H. Pollock, and T.R. Simons. 2007. Estimating detection probabilities from multiple-observer point counts. Th e Auk 123: 1172-1182.

Alldredge, M.W., K.H. Pollock, T.R. Simons, and S.A. Shriner. 2007. Multiple species analysis of point count data: a more parsimonious modeling framework. Journal of Applied Ecology 44: 281-290.

Alldredge, M.W., K.H. Pollock, T.R. Simons, J.A. Collazo, and S.A. Shriner. 2007. Time of detection method for estimating abundance from point count surveys. Th e Auk 124: 653-664.

Alldredge, M.W., K. Pacifi ci, T.R. Simons, and K.H. Pollock. 2008. A fi eld evaluation of the eff ectiveness of distance sampling and double independent observers to estimate detection probability in aural avian point counts. Journal of Applied Ecology 45: 1349-1356.

Alldredge, M.W., T.R. Simons, and K.H. Pollock. 2007. An experimental evaluation of distance measurement error in avian point count surveys. Journal of Wildlife Management 71: 2759-2766.

Alldredge, M.W., T.R. Simons, and K.H. Pollock. 2007. Factors aff ecting aural detections of songbirds. Ecological Applications 17: 948-955.

Alldredge, M.W., T.R. Simons, K.H. Pollock, and K. Pacifi ci. 2007. A fi eld evaluation of the time-of-detection method to estimate population size for aural avian point counts. Avian Ecology and Conservation 2: Article 13 (online).

Allen, J.C., S.M. Krieger, J.R. Walters, and J.A. Collazo. 2006. Associations of breeding birds with fi re-infl uenced and riparian-upland gradients in a longleaf pine ecosystem. Th e Auk 123: 1110-1128.

Aukema, J.E, T.A. Carlo, and J.A. Collazo. 2007. Landscape assessment of tree communities in the northern karst region of Puerto Rico. Plant Ecology 189: 101-115.

Bacheler, N.M., J.E. Hightower, L.M. Paramore, J.A. Buckel, and K.H. Pollock. 2008. An age-dependent tag return model for estimating mortality and selectivity of an estuarine-dependent fi sh with high rates of catch and release. Transactions of the American Fisheries Society 137: 1422-1432.

Borkhataria, R.R., J.A. Collazo and M.J. Groom. 2006. Additive eff ects of vertebrate predators on insects in a Puerto Rican coff ee plantation. Ecological Applications 16: 696-703.

Bringolf, R.B., W.G. Cope, C.B. Eads, P.R. Lazaro, M.C. Barnhart, and D. Shea. 2007. Acute and chronic toxicity of technical-grade pesticides to glochidia and juveniles of freshwater mussels (Unionidae). Environmental Toxicology and Chemistry 26: 2086-2093.

Cope, W.G., R.B. Bringolf, D.B. Buchwalter, T.J. Newton, C.G. Ingersoll, N. Wang, T. Augspurger, F.J. Dwyer, M.C. Barnhart, R.J. Neves, and E. Hammer. 2008. Diff erential exposure, duration, and sensitivity of unionoidean bivalve life stages to environmental contaminants. Journal of the North American Benthological Society 27: 451-462.

Drew, C.A. 2008. Book Review: ‘Age of Complexity’ off ers opportunity for the multidisciplinary perspective of landscape ecologists. Landscape Ecology 23: 629-631.

Drew, C.A. and D.B. Eggleston. 2008. Juvenile fi sh densities in Florida Keys mangroves correlate with landscape characteristics. Marine Ecology Progress Series 362: 233-243.

Drew, C.A., A.J. McKerrow, and S. Earsom. 2006. Stepping down regional habitat and population objectives to individual national wildlife refuges: a pilot project in the Roanoke-Tar-Neuse-Cape Fear (RTNCF) Ecosystem. Gap Analysis Bulletin 14: 53-61.

Erickson, D.L. and J.E. Hightower. 2007. Oceanic distribution and behavior of green sturgeon. Pages 197-211 in J. Munro, D. Hatin, J.E. Hightower, K. McKown, K.J. Sulak, A.W. Kahnle, and F. Caron, editors. Anadromous sturgeons: habitats, threats, and management. American Fisheries Society, Symposium 56, Bethesda, Maryland.

Favreau, J.M., C.A. Drew, G.R. Hess, K.A. Eschelbach, M.J. Rubino, and F.H. Koch. 2006. Recommendations for assessing the eff ectiveness of surrogate species approaches. Biodiversity and Conservation 15: 3949-3969.

Gleff e, J.D., J.A. Collazo, M.J. Groom, and L. Miranda-Castro. 2006. Avian reproduction and the value of shaded coff ee plantations. Ornitología Neotropical 17: 271-282.

Gross, K., E.J. Kalendra, B.R. Hudgens, and N.M. Haddad. 2007. Robustness and uncertainty in estimates of butterfl y abundance from transect counts. Population Ecology 49: 191-200.

Gustafson, L., W. Showers, T. Kwak, J. Levine, and M. Stoskopf. 2007. Temporal and spatial variability in stable isotope compositions of a freshwater mussel: implications for biomonitoring and ecological studies. Oecologia 152: 140-150.

PUBLICATIONS AND PRESENTATIONS 39

Haddad, N.M., B. Hudgens, C. Damiani, K. Gross, D. Kuefl er, and K. Pollock. 2008. Determining optimal monitoring for rare butterfl y populations. Conservation Biology 22: 929-940.

Herring, G. and J.A. Collazo. 2007. Lesser Scaup winter foraging and nutrient reserve acquisition in east-central Florida. Journal of Wildlife Management 70: 1682-1689.

Herring, G. and J.A. Collazo. Site characteristics and prey abundance at foraging sites used by Lesser Scaup (Aythya affi nis) wintering in Florida. Southeastern Naturalist. In Press.

Hightower, J.E. and C. Nesnow. 2006. Distribution and abundance of American eels in the White Oak River estuary, North Carolina. Southeastern Naturalist 5: 693-710.

Holliman, F.M., D. Davis, A.E. Bogan, T.J. Kwak, W.G. Cope, and J.F. Levine. 2008. Magnetic resonance imaging of live freshwater mussels (Unionidae). Invertebrate Biology 127: 396-402.

Holliman, F.M., T.J. Kwak, W.G. Cope, and J.F. Levine. 2007. Exposure of unionid mussels to electric current: assessing risks associated with electrofi shing. Transactions of the American Fisheries Society 136: 1593-1606.

Homer, C., J. Dewitz, J. Fry, M. Coan, N. Hossain, C. Larson, N. Herold, A. McKerrow, J. Nick VanDriel, and J. Wickham. 2007. Completion of the 2001 National Land Cover Database for the Coterminous United States. Photogrammetric Engineering and Remote Sensing. 73: 337-341.

Jiang, H., C. Brownie, J.E. Hightower, and K.H. Pollock. 2007. Estimating fi shing mortality, natural mortality, and selectivity using recoveries from tagging young fi sh. North American Journal of Fisheries Management 27: 773-781.

Jiang, H., K.H. Pollock, C. Brownie, J.E. Hightower, J.M. Hoenig, and W.S. Hearn. 2007. Age dependent tag return models for estimating fi shing mortality, natural mortality and selectivity. Journal of Agricultural, Biological, and Environmental Statistics 12: 177-194.

Jiang, H., K.H. Pollock, C. Brownie, J.M. Hoenig, R.J. Latour, B.K. Wells, and J.E. Hightower. 2007. Tag return models allowing for harvest and catch-and-release: evidence of environmental and management impacts on striped bass fi shing and natural mortality rates. North American Journal of Fisheries Management 27: 387-396.

Kennerly, E., A. Acton, S. Martin, R. Wolfi nger, S. Gregory, M. Stoskopf, and G. Gibson. 2008. A gene expression signature of confi nement in peripheral blood of red wolves, Canis rufus. Molecular Ecology 17: 2782-2791.

Kuefl er, D., N.M. Haddad, S. Hall, B. Hudgens, B. Bartel, and E. Hoff man. 2008. Distribution, population structure, and habitat use of the endangered St. Francis’ satyr butterfl y, Neonympha mitchellii francisci. American Midland Naturalist 159: 298-320.

Laney, R.W., J.E. Hightower, B.R. Versak, M.F. Mangold, W.W. Cole, Jr., and S.E. Winslow. 2007. Distribution, habitat use, and size of Atlantic sturgeon captured during cooperative winter tagging cruises. Pages 167-182 in J. Munro, D. Hatin, J.E. Hightower, K. McKown, K.J. Sulak, A.W. Kahnle, and F. Caron, editors. Anadromous sturgeons: habitats, threats, and management. American Fisheries Society, Symposium 56, Bethesda, Maryland.

Lyons, J.E., J.A. Collazo and C.G. Guglielmo. 2008. Plasma metabolites and migration physiology of Semipalmated Sandpipers: Refueling performance at fi ve latitudes. Oecologia 155: 417-427.

McGowan, C.P. and T.R. Simons. 2006. Eff ects of human disturbance on the incubation behavior of American Oystercatchers. Wilson Bulletin 118: 485-493.

Morzilla, A.T., J.W. Hollister, C.A. Drew, M.E. Rocca, M.E. Baker, J.M. Bossenbroek, and C.A. Mazzarella. 2008. A young scientist’s guide to gainful employment: recent graduates’ experiences and successful strategies. Bulletin of the Ecological Society of America 89: 193-203.

Oakley, N.C. and J.E. Hightower. 2007. Status of shortnose sturgeon in the Neuse River, North Carolina. Pages 273-284 in J. Munro, D. Hatin, J.E. Hightower, K. McKown, K.J. Sulak, A.W. Kahnle, and F. Caron, editors. Anadromous sturgeons: habitats, threats, and management. American Fisheries Society, Symposium 56, Bethesda, Maryland.

Pacifi ci, K., T.R. Simons, and K.H. Pollock. 2008. Eff ects of vegetation and background noise on the detection process in auditory avian point count surveys. Th e Auk 125: 600-607.

Pine, W.E., III, T.J. Kwak, and J.A. Rice. 2007. Modeling management scenarios and the eff ects of an introduced apex predator on a coastal riverine fi sh community. Transactions of the American Fisheries Society 136: 105-120.

Pledger, S., M. Eff ord, K. Pollock, J. Collazo, and J. Lyons. Stopover duration analysis with departure probability dependent on unknown time since arrival. Journal of Applied Statistics. In Press.

Podolsky, A.L., T.R. Simons, and J.A. Collazo. 2007. Modeling population growth of the Ovenbird in the southern Appalachians. Th e Auk 124: 1359-1372.

Rice, S.M., J.A. Collazo, M.W. Alldredge, B.A. Harrington, and A.R. Lewis. 2007. Local annual survival and seasonal residency rates of Semipalmated Sandpipers in Puerto Rico. Th e Auk 124: 1397-1406.

Simons, T.R., K.H. Pollock, J.M. Wettroth, M.W. Alldredge, K. Pacifi ci, and J. Brewster. Sources of measurement error, misclassifi cation error, and bias in auditory avian point count data. Journal of Ecological and Environmental Statistics. In Press.

40 PUBLICATIONS AND PRESENTATIONS

Simons, T.R., M.W. Alldredge, and K.H. Pollock. 2007. Experimental analysis of the auditory detection process on avian point counts. Th e Auk 124: 986-999.

Stolen, E.D., J.A. Collazo and H.F. Percival. 2007. Scale-dependent habitat selection of nesting Great Egrets and Snowy Egrets. Waterbirds 30: 384-393.

Th ompson, J.S., D.S. Waters, J.A. Rice, and J.E. Hightower. 2007. Seasonal fi shing and natural mortality of striped bass in a southeastern reservoir. North American Journal of Fisheries Management 27: 681-694.

Tuomikoski, J.E., P.J. Rudershausen, J.A. Buckel, and J.E. Hightower. 2008. Eff ects of age-1 striped bass predation on juvenile fi shes in western Albemarle Sound. Transactions of the American Fisheries Society 137: 324-39.

Webster, R.A., K.H. Pollock, and T.R. Simons. 2008. Bayesian spatial modeling of point transect data from bird surveys. Journal of Agricultural, Biological and Environmental Statistics 13: 121-139.

White, T.H., G.G. Brown, and J.A. Collazo. 2006. Artifi cial cavities and nest-site selection by Puerto Rican Parrots: a multiscale assessment. Avian Conservation and Ecology 1: Article 5 (online).

B O O K S A N D B O O K

C H A P T E R S

Collazo, J.A., M.J. Groom, S.M. Haig, T.H. White, and B.D. Muizniecks. 2006. In the eye of the hurricane: eff orts to save the Puerto Rican Parrot. Essay 15.5, Pages 586-589 of Chapter 15: Restoration of damaged ecosystems and endangered populations, in M.J. Groom, G.K. Meff e, and C.R. Carroll (editors). Principles of conservation biology, 3rd edition, Sinauer Associates, Sunderland, Massachusetts.

Hayes, D.B., J.R. Bence, T.J. Kwak, and B.E. Th ompson. 2007. Abundance, biomass, and production estimation. Pages 327-374 in C.S. Guy and M.L. Brown, editors. Analysis and interpretation of freshwater fi sheries data. American Fisheries Society, Bethesda, Maryland.

Kwak, T.J. and J.T. Peterson. 2007. Community indices, parameters, and comparisons. Pages 677-763 in C.S. Guy and M.L. Brown, editors. Analysis and interpretation of freshwater fi sheries data. American Fisheries Society, Bethesda, Maryland.

Munro J., D. Hatin, J.E. Hightower, K. McKown, K.J. Sulak, A.W. Kahnle, and F. Caron, editors. 2007. Anadromous sturgeons: habitats, threats, and management. American Fisheries Society, Symposium 56, Bethesda, Maryland.

T E C H N I C A L R E P O R T S

Atlantic Sturgeon Status Review Team. 2007. Status review of Atlantic sturgeon, Acipenser oxyrinchus oxyrinchus. Report to National Marine Fisheries Service, Northeast Regional Offi ce.

Burdick, S.M., J.E. Hightower, J.A. Buckel, L.M. Paramore, and K.H. Pollock. 2007. Movement and selectivity of red drum and survival of adult red drum: an analysis of 20 years of tagging data. Completion report, North Carolina Division of Marine Fisheries, Morehead City, North Carolina.

Holliman, F.M., T.J. Kwak, W.G. Cope, and J.F. Levine. 2007. Assessing risk of electrofi shing mortality and sublethal eff ects to freshwater mussels. State Wildlife Grant Project T-03-01, Final Report, Submitted to Division of Inland Fisheries, North Carolina Wildlife Resources Commission, Raleigh, North Carolina.

Hunt, K.M., J.C. Whitehead, D.J. Murie, and T.J. Kwak. 2007. Survey of institutions of higher learning to investigate possible shortages in the number of individuals with post-baccalaureate degrees in subjects related to fi shery science. Technical report submitted to the Executive Director of the American Fisheries Society, U.S. Secretary of Commerce, and the U.S. Secretary of Education, Bethesda, Maryland.

Hunt, K.M., J.C. Whitehead, D.J. Murie, and T.J. Kwak. 2008. Supply report: survey of institutions of higher learning to investigate possible shortages in the number of individuals with post-baccalaureate degrees in subjects related to fi shery science. Pages 21-39 in U.S. Department of Commerce and U.S. Department of Education. Th e shortage in the number of individuals with post-baccalaureate degrees in subjects related to fi shery science. NOAA Technical Memorandum NMFS-F/SPO-91.

Kwak, T.J., P.B. Cooney, and C.H. Brown. 2007. Fishery population and habitat assessment in Puerto Rico streams: phase 1 fi nal report. Federal Aid in Sport Fish Restoration Project F-50 Final Report, Submitted to Marine Resources Division, Puerto Rico Department of Natural and Environmental Resources, San Juan, Puerto Rico.

Kwak, T.J., W.G. Cope, and F.M. Holliman. 2007. In situ evaluation of water quality and contaminants in the lower Roanoke River: survival and growth of shortnose sturgeon. Project Completion Report to U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, Raleigh, North Carolina.

Simons, T.R. and N. Tarr. 2007. Th e eff ects of vehicle traffi c on migrating shorebirds at Cape Lookout National Seashore. 2006 Annual Report to the National Park Service.

Simons, T.R. and N. Tarr. 2008. Fall shorebird migration and ORV disturbance at Cape Lookout National Seashore. 2007 Annual Report to the National Park Service.

Simons, T.R. and R. Hylton. 2007. Assessing the eff ects of atmospheric pollution on high elevation bird and snail communities in the southern Appalachians. 2006 Annual Report to the National Park Service and the U.S. Geological Survey.


Simons, T.R. and R. Hylton. 2008. Eff ects of atmospheric pollution on high elevation fauna in the Great Smoky Mountains National Park. 2007 Annual Report to the National Park Service and the U.S. Geological Survey.

Simons, T.R. and S. Schulte. 2008. American Oystercatcher, Haematopus palliates, research and monitoring in North Carolina. 2007 Annual Report to the National Park Service, U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, and the National Audubon Society.

Simons, T.R., A. Waldstein, and A. O’Connell. 2008. Raccoon, Procyon lotor, ecology at Cape Lookout National Seashore, North Carolina. 2007 Annual Report to the National Park Service.

Simons, T.R., K.H. Pollock, J.M. Wettroth, M.W. Alldredge, K. Pacifi ci, and J. Brewster. 2008. Sources of measurement error, misclassifi cation error, and bias in auditory avian point count data. Th e All-Bird Bulletin March 2008: 2-3.

Simons, T.R., S. Schulte, J. Cordes, M. Lyons, W. Golder. 2007. American Oystercatcher, Haematopus palliates, research and monitoring in North Carolina. 2006 Annual Report to the National Park Service, U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, and the National Audubon Society.

T H E S E S A N D

D I S S E R T A T I O N S

Arcaro, Z.E. 2007. Evaluating the use of LiDAR return data to characterize forest structure in the Croatan National Forest. M.S. Th esis. North Carolina State University.

Bacheler, N.M. 2008. Factors infl uencing the mortality and distribution of subadult red drum in North Carolina. Ph.D. Dissertation. North Carolina State University.

Ballmann (Acton), A.E. 2007. Evaluation of noninvasive molecular monitoring for fecal pathogens among free-ranging carnivores. Ph.D. Dissertation. North Carolina State University.

Bartel, B.A. 2008. Eff ects of disturbance on habitat dynamics of a rare species. Ph.D. Dissertation. North Carolina State University.

Brewster, J.P. 2006. Spatial and temporal variation in the singing rates of two forest songbirds, the Ovenbird and the Black-throated Blue Warbler: implications for aural counts of songbirds. M.S. Th esis. North Carolina State University.

Brewster, J.R. 2007. Trophic relations of introduced fl athead catfi sh in a North Carolina piedmont river. M.S. Th esis. North Carolina State University.

Brown, C.H. 2008. Sampling bias, selectivity, and environmental infl uences of Puerto Rico stream fi shes. M.S. Th esis. North Carolina State University.

Garner, A.B. 2008. High-density grass carp stocking eff ects on a reservoir invasive plant, water quality, and native fi shes. M.S. Th esis. North Carolina State University.

Lombard, C.D. 2007. Nesting ecology and conservation of Least Terns in St. Croix, U.S. Virgin Islands. M.S. Th esis. North Carolina State University.

McKerrow, A.J. 2007. Mapping and monitoring plant communities in the coastal plain of North Carolina: a basis for conservation planning. Ph.D. Dissertation. North Carolina State University.

Midway, S.R. 2008. Habitat ecology of the Carolina madtom, Noturus furiosus, an imperiled, endemic stream fi sh. M.S. Th esis. North Carolina State University.

Oberneufemann, K.P. 2007. Assessing the eff ects of scale and habitat management on residency and movement rates of Semipalmated Sandpipers at the Tom Yawkey Wildlife Center, South Carolina. M.S. Th esis. North Carolina State University.

Pacifi ci, J.K. 2007. Eff ects of vegetation and background noise on the detection process in auditory avian point count surveys. M.S. Th esis. North Carolina State University.

Pandolfo, T. J. 2008. Sensitivity of early life stages of freshwater mussels to a range of common and extreme water temperatures. M.S. Th esis. North Carolina State University.

Swain, J.B. 2007. Th e eff ect of spatial resolution on an object-oriented classifi cation of downed timber. M.S. Th esis. North Carolina State University.

Tarr, N.M. 2008. Fall migration and vehicle disturbance of shorebirds at South Core Banks, North Carolina. M.S. Th esis. North Carolina State University.

P R E S E N T A T I O N S A N D

S E M I N A R S

Aukema, J.E., J.A. Collazo, M. Kappelle, T. A. Carlo. 2006. Landscape assessment of tree communities in the moist karst region of Puerto Rico: using existing data sets in ecoregional planning. Society for Conservation Biology. June 24-28, San Jose, California (Poster).

Bacheler, N., J. Hightower, J. Buckel, L. Paramore, and K. Pollock. 2007. A novel combined telemetry and tag return method to estimate fi shing and natural mortality rates of an estuarine fi sh species. American Fisheries Society. September 2-6, San Francisco, California.

Bacheler, N., J.E. Hightower, L. Paramore, J. Buckel, and K. Pollock. 2007. Changes in fi shing mortality and selectivity of North Carolina red drum due to fi shery regulations. Joint Meeting of the Tidewater and Mid-Atlantic Chapters, American Fisheries Society. February 1-3, Lewes, Delaware.

Bacheler, N.M., J.A. Buckel, J.E. Hightower, K.H. Pollock, and L.M. Paramore. 2007. Using telemetry and tagging to estimate mortality rates and selectivity of red drum. Invited presentation for the Student Fisheries Society, University of North Carolina-Wilmington. April, Wilmington, North Carolina.


Bacheler, N.M., J.A. Buckel, J.E. Hightower, L.M. Paramore, and K.H. Pollock. 2008. A combined telemetry - tag return approach to estimate mortality rates of an estuarine fi sh. Tidewater Chapter of the American Fisheries Society Meeting. March 6-8, Gloucester Point, Virginia.

Bacheler, N.M., J.A. Buckel, J.E. Hightower, L.M. Paramore, S. Burdick, K.H. Pollock, and H. Takade. 2008. Using tagging to aid the assessment of North Carolina red drum. American Fisheries Society Meeting. August 17-21, Ottawa, Ontario, Canada.

Bacheler, N.M., J.E. Hightower, J.A. Buckel, L.M. Paramore, and K.H. Pollock. 2007. A novel combined telemetry and tag return method to estimate fi shing and natural mortality rates of an estuarine fi sh species. East Carolina University, American Fisheries Society Student Subunit. Greenville, North Carolina.

Bacheler, N.M., L.M. Paramore, J.A. Buckel, and J.E. Hightower. 2008. Abiotic and biotic factors infl uence the habitat use of North Carolina subadult red drum. Tidewater Chapter of the American Fisheries Society Meeting. March 6-8, Gloucester Point, Virginia.

Brewster, J.R. and T.J. Kwak. 2007. Trophic relations of introduced fl athead catfi sh in an Atlantic Slope river. Annual Meeting of the American Fisheries Society. September 2-6, San Francisco, California.

Brewster, J.R. and T.J. Kwak. 2007. Trophic relations of introduced fl athead catfi sh in a North Carolina Piedmont river. Joint Meeting of the North Carolina and Virginia Chapters of the American Fisheries Society. February 27-28, Danville, Virginia.

Brewster, J.R. and T.J. Kwak. 2007. Trophic relations of introduced fl athead catfi sh in an Atlantic Slope river. Annual Meeting of the Southern Division of the American Fisheries Society. February 8-11, Memphis, Tennessee.

Bringolf, R.B., S. Mosher, P. Lazaro, C. Eads, C. Barnhart, D. Shea, and W.G. Cope. 2007. A comprehensive assessment of the hazards of current use pesticides to native freshwater mussels. Biennial Symposium of the Freshwater Mollusk Conservation Society. March 12-15, Little Rock, Arkansas.

Brown, C.H., T.J. Kwak, P.B. Cooney, and K.H. Pollock. 2007. Integrating gear bias and selectivity into development of a standardized fi sh sampling protocol for Puerto Rico streams. Annual Meeting of the American Fisheries Society. September 2-6, San Francisco, California.

Brown, C.H., T.J. Kwak, P.B. Cooney, and K.H. Pollock. 2007. Integrating gear bias and selectivity into development of a standardized fi sh sampling protocol for Puerto Rico streams. Joint Meeting of the North Carolina and Virginia Chapters of the American Fisheries Society. February 27-28, Danville, Virginia.

Brown, C.H., T.J. Kwak, P.B. Cooney, and K.H. Pollock. 2007. Integrating gear bias and selectivity into development of a standardized fi sh sampling protocol for Puerto Rico streams. Annual Meeting of the Southern Division of the American Fisheries Society. February 8-11, Memphis, Tennessee.

Brown, C.H., T.J. Kwak, P.B. Cooney, and K.H. Pollock. 2008. Infl uences of instream habitat and water quality on electrofi shing catchability of Puerto Rico stream fi shes. Annual Meeting of the Southern Division of the American Fisheries Society. February 28-March 2, Wheeling, West Virginia.

Brown, L.M., K. J. Magowan, D. A. Fox, and J.E. Hightower. 2007. Comparison of split-beam and DIDSON hydroacoustic gears for conducting sturgeon surveys. American Fisheries Society. September 2-6, San Francisco, California.

Brown, L.M., K. J. Magowan, D. A. Fox, and J.E. Hightower. 2007. Comparison of split-beam and DIDSON hydroacoustic gears for conducting sturgeon surveys. Joint Meeting of the Tidewater and Mid-Atlantic Chapters, American Fisheries Society. February 1-3, Lewes, Delaware.

Collazo, J.A. 2006. Ecology of Semipalmated Sandpipers in southeastern United States and Caribbean. Invited seminar, Department of Wildlife Ecology and Conservation, University of Florida. Gainesville, Florida.

Collazo, J.A. 2007. Avian conservation in the US Caribbean—present and future. Invited speaker to the Annual Meeting of the Atlantic Joint Ventures. February 12, San Juan, Puerto Rico.

Collazo, J.A. 2007. Ecology of migratory shorebirds using salt fl ats in the tropics. Invited speaker to the Atlantic Flyway Migratory Birds and Shrimp Farming Workshop. June 24-27, Fortaleza, Brazil.

Collazo, J.A. 2007. Population and habitat objectives for southeastern migratory shorebirds. Invited speaker to the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service. April 24-25, Savannah, Georgia.

Collazo, J.A. 2008. Advancing our understanding of functional connectivity with empirical studies and its implications for avian conservation. Fourth International Partners in Flight Conference: Tundra to the Tropics. February 13-16, McAllen, Texas.

Collazo, J.A. 2008. Refueling dynamics of Semipalmated Sandpipers on their northbound migration. Invited seminar, Ecology/Biology Program, University of North Carolina-Chapel Hill. September 11, Chapel Hill, North Carolina.

Cooney, P.B., T.J. Kwak, C.H. Brown, and C.G. Lilyestrom. 2008. Factors infl uencing the distribution and density of Puerto Rico stream fi shes. Annual Meeting of the American Fisheries Society. August 17-21, Ottawa, Ontario, Canada.

Cooney, P.B., T.J. Kwak, C.H. Brown, K.H. Pollock, and C.G. Lilyestrom. 2008. Puerto Rico stream fi shes: sampling, distribution, and infl uential factors. Annual Meeting of the North Carolina Chapter of the American Fisheries Society. February 19-20, Greenville, North Carolina.


Cope, W.G., A.D. Christian, R.B. Bringolf, N. Wang, T.J. Newton, J.L. Farris, T. Augspurger, F.J. Dwyer, M.C. Barnhart, R.J. Neves, E. Hammer, and C.G. Ingersoll. 2007. Freshwater mussel ecosystem ecology: the integrated functional roles of water quality, pollution, and physical habitat in supporting adult and early life stages of freshwater mussels and their role in nutrient recycling. Invited Plenary Presentation at the Biennial Symposium of the Freshwater Mollusk Conservation Society. March 12-15, Little Rock, Arkansas.

Cope, W.G., R.B. Bringolf, S. Mosher, P. Lazaro, C. Eads, C. Barnhart, and D. Shea. 2008. A comprehensive assessment of the hazards of current use pesticides to native freshwater mussels. Invited speaker to the Annual Surface Water Monitoring and Standards Meeting. March 18-20, Chicago, Illinois.

Cope, W.G., T.J. Newton, and C.G. Ingersoll. 2008. Chemical impacts to freshwater mussels: a comparison of life stage exposure and sensitivity. Invited speaker to the Annual Meeting of the Society for Conservation Biology. July 13-17, Chattanooga, Tennessee.

DeRolph, C., S.A. Nelson, H.I. Cakir, T.J. Kwak, M. Fuentes, and E. Hain. 2008. Development and implementation of a remote sensing-based land cover classifi cation system to evaluate changes in watershed land cover and the associated response of wild trout populations. Annual Meeting of the Ecological Society of America. August 3-8, Milwaukee, Wisconsin.

Drew, C. A. and J.A. Collazo. 2008. From expert-based to data-based adaptive management using Bayesian Belief Networks. INTECOL 8th International Wetlands Conference. July 20-25, Cuiabá, Brazil.

Drew, C.A. 2007. Expert opinion and model error: when does fi ne-scale expert opinion improve large-scale regional species distribution models? US International Association for Landscape Ecology. April 9-13, Tucson, Arizona.

Drew, C.A. 2007. Stepping-down national population objectives to regional and refuge levels in North Carolina and Virginia. National Gap Analysis Program Conference. September 10-13, Asheville, North Carolina.

Drew, C.A. 2008. Bayesian Belief Network model of King Rail occupancy of marsh habitats. Invited speaker to the International Waterbirds Conference. November 5-8, South Padre Island, Texas.

Drew, C.A. 2008. Bayesian Belief Networks: linking science and management to better step-down national conservation objectives to regional and refuge levels. International Partners in Flight. February 13-16, McAllen, Texas; and US International Association for Landscape Ecology. April 6-10, Madison, Wisconsin.

Drew, C.A. 2008. From expert-based to data-based adaptive management using Bayesian Belief Networks. INTECOL International Wetlands Conference. July 20-25, Cuiabá, Brazil.

Drew, C.A., A. McKerrow, and J. Collazo. 2007. When does fi ne-scale expert opinion improve large-scale regional species distribution models? United States Regional Association of the International Association for Landscape Ecology. April 9-13, Tucson, Arizona.

Drew, C.A., J. Collazo, and A. McKerrow. 2007. Stepping-down national population objectives to regional and refuge levels in North Carolina and Virginia. National Gap Analysis Meeting. September 10-13, Asheville, North Carolina.

Erickson, D., G. Bryja, S. Lindley, M. Moser, M. Belchik, A. Kahnle, M. Millard, J. Weber, J. Hightower, E. Pikitch, and P. Doukakis. 2007. Spatial habitat use in anadromous North American sturgeons and its importance for conservation. American Fisheries Society. September 2-6, San Francisco, California.

Favrot, S.D. and T.J. Kwak. 2007. Comparison of prepositioned areal electrofi shing grids and two-way resistance board weirs for assessing migrating stream fi sh populations. Joint Meeting of the North Carolina and Virginia Chapters of the American Fisheries Society. February 27-28, Danville, Virginia.

Favrot, S.D. and T.J. Kwak. 2008. Comparison of prepositioned areal electrofi shers and two-way resistance board weirs for assessing migrating stream fi sh populations. Invited speaker to the Best Student Paper Symposium at the Annual Meeting of the American Fisheries Society. August 17-21, Ottawa, Ontario, Canada.

Favrot, S.D. and T.J. Kwak. 2008. Comparison of prepositioned areal electrofi shing grids and two-way resistance board weirs for assessing migrating stream fi sh populations. Annual Meeting of the Southern Division of the American Fisheries Society. February 28-March 2, Wheeling, West Virginia.

Fox, D.A., P. Simpson, L. Brown, K.J. Magowan, and J.E. Hightower. 2007. Atlantic sturgeon of the Delaware: historical perspectives and current approaches to understanding habitat requirements. Delaware Estuary Science Conference. January 22-24, Cape May, New Jersey.

Garner, A.B., T.J. Kwak, D.H. Barwick, and K.L. Manuel. 2007. Intensive grass carp stocking eff ects on reservoir invasive plants and native fi sh populations. Annual Meeting of the South Carolina Aquatic Plant Management Society. August 15-17, Myrtle Beach, South Carolina.

Garner, A.B., T.J. Kwak, D.H. Barwick, and K.L. Manuel. 2007. Intensive grass carp stocking eff ects on reservoir invasive plants and native fi sh populations. Annual Meeting of the Aquatic Plant Management Society. July 15-18, Nashville, Tennessee.

Garner, A.B., T.J. Kwak, D.H. Barwick, and K.L. Manuel. 2007. Intensive grass carp stocking eff ects on reservoir invasive plants and native fi sh populations. Joint Meeting of the North Carolina and Virginia Chapters of the American Fisheries Society. February 27-28, Danville, Virginia.


Garner, A.B., T.J. Kwak, K.L. Manuel, and D.H. Barwick. 2008. Intensive grass carp stocking eff ects on reservoir invasive plants and native fi sh populations. Invited speaker to the Best Student Paper Symposium at the 138th Annual Meeting of the American Fisheries Society. August 17-21, Ottawa, Ontario, Canada.

Harris, J.E. and J.E. Hightower. 2007. Hickory shad spawning habitat in the Roanoke River, North Carolina. Joint Meeting of the North Carolina and Virginia Chapters, American Fisheries Society. February 27-28, Danville, Virginia.

Harris, J.E. and J.E. Hightower. 2007. Spawning habitat of hickory shad in the Roanoke River, North Carolina. American Fisheries Society. September 2-6, San Francisco, California.

Harris, J.E. and J.E. Hightower. 2008. Migratory patterns of American shad transported above dams on the Roanoke River, North Carolina. American Fisheries Society Meeting. August 17-21, Ottawa, Ontario, Canada.

Herring, G. and J.A. Collazo. 2006. Winter survival of Lesser Scaup in east-central Florida. Declining Scaup Populations II Workshop, U.S. Geological Survey, January 17-19. Bismarck, North Dakota.

Hightower, J.E. 2007. Eff ects of dams on migration and spawning of anadromous fi shes. U. S. Geological Survey, Water Resources Division. October, Raleigh, North Carolina.

Hightower, J.E. 2008. Historical and current abundance of river herring within Albemarle Sound, North Carolina. Forage Fish Workshop, Marine Fish Conservation Network. April, Raleigh, North Carolina.

Hightower, J.E., K.J. Magowan, L.M. Brown, and D.A. Fox. 2007. Estimating anadromous fi sh abundance using a DIDSON multibeam sonar. Alden Research Laboratory. October, Holden, Massachusetts.

Holliman, F.M., D. Davis, A.E. Bogan, T.J. Kwak, W.G. Cope, and J.F. Levine. 2007. Magnetic resonance imaging of live freshwater mussels (Unionidae). Biennial Symposium of the Freshwater Mollusk Conservation Society. March 13-15, Little Rock, Arkansas.

Hunt, P, and J. Riddle. 2008. Assessing population trends and sampling methods for Nightjars in North America. American Ornithologists’ Union Annual Meeting. August 4-9, Portland, Oregon.

Keller, R. and T.R. Simons. 2007. Mercury contaminating high elevation songbirds in Great Smoky Mountains National Park. American Ornithologists’ Union. August 8-11, Laramie, Wyoming.

Kwak, T.J. 2007. Advances in fi sheries assessment and management. Invited speaker to the Meeting of the North Carolina State University Student Subunit of the Wildlife Society. February 13, Raleigh, North Carolina.

Kwak, T.J. 2008. Ecology and management of a domestic invasive species –or– why we shouldn’t move fi sh around. Invited speaker to the Department of Biology Seminar Series, North Carolina State University. September 18, Raleigh, North Carolina.

Kwak, T.J., P.B. Cooney, C.H. Brown, and C.G. Lilyestrom. 2008. Puerto Rico stream fi shes: sampling, distribution, and infl uential factors. Invited speaker to a Conference and Workshop on Environmental Flows in Puerto Rico Rivers. March 5-6, San Juan, Puerto Rico.

Kwak, T.J., P.B. Cooney, C.H. Brown, K.H. Pollock, and C.G. Lilyestrom. 2007. Puerto Rico stream fi shes: sampling, distribution, and infl uential factors. Invited speaker to the XXVI Symposium of the Puerto Rico Department of Natural and Environmental Resources. October 24-25, San Juan, Puerto Rico.

Laurent, E., S. Williams, A. McKerrow, and J. Collazo. 2007. Evaluating and enhancing GAP predictions of birds in western North Carolina. National Gap Analysis Meeting. September 10-13, Asheville, North.

Laurent, E.J. 2007. Th e role of assumptions in predictions of habitat availability and quality. U.S. International Association for Landscape Ecology Conference. April 9-13, Tucson, Arizona.

Le, R., M. Cox, B. Wallace, and S. Carson. 2008. Characterization of an A. salmonicida bacteriophage isolated from a North Carolina trout population. Annual Meeting of the North Carolina Branch of the American Society for Microbiology. October 10, Greensboro, North Carolina. Poster Presentation.

Leidner, A.K. and N.M. Haddad. 2008. Choosing the optimal conservation strategy for a rare butterfl y based on movement behavior. Ecological Society of America. August 3-8, Milwaukee, Wisconsin.

Leidner, A.K. and N.M. Haddad. 2008. Combining behavior, movement, and population genetics to identify the eff ects of urban fragmentation on a rare butterfl y. NCERA-148 Meeting on Migration and Dispersal of Agriculturally-Important Biota. Raleigh, North Carolina.

Leidner, A.K. and N.M. Haddad. 2008. Th e eff ect of urbanization on an endemic coastal butterfl y. Society for Conservation Biology. July 13-17, Chattanooga, Tennessee.

Lombard, C.D. and J.A. Collazo. 2007. Nesting ecology and conservation of Least Terns in St. Croix, U. S. Virgin Islands. Society for the Conservation and Study of Caribbean Birds. July 19-23, San Juan, Puerto Rico.

Lyons, J.E. and J.A. Collazo. 2006. Stopover duration of migratory shorebirds in relation to energetic condition, wind assistance, and time: a capture-recapture analysis. North America Ornithological Conference. October 3-7, Vera Cruz, Mexico.

Magowan, K.J. and J.E. Hightower. 2007. Use of split-beam sonar to estimate anadromous fi sh runs in a southeastern river. American Fisheries Society. September 2-6, San Francisco, California.


Magowan, K.J. and J.E. Hightower. 2008. Use of split-beam sonar to estimate anadromous fi sh runs in the Roanoke River. North Carolina Chapter, American Fisheries Society. February 19-20, Greenville, North Carolina.

Magowan, K.J., L.M. Brown, D.A. Fox, and J.E. Hightower. 2007. Comparison of split-beam and DIDSON hydroacoustic gears for conducting sturgeon surveys. Joint Meeting of the North Carolina and Virginia Chapters, American Fisheries Society. February 27-28, Danville, Virginia.

Mays, J.W., W.G. Cope, T.J. Kwak, and D.Shea. 2007. Bioaccumulation of platinum group metals in the freshwater mussel Elliptio complanata: a new indicator of transportation related impacts? Biennial Symposium of the Freshwater Mollusk Conservation Society. March 13-15, Little Rock, Arkansas. Poster Presentation.

McGowan, C. and T.R. Simons. 2006. Eff ects of human recreation of the incubation behavior of American Oystercatchers. Western Hemisphere Shorebird Science Meeting. Boulder, Colorado.

McKerrow, A. J. 2006. Using species guild data in planning. Onslow Bight LANDFIRE Pilot Applications Project. Nov 7-8, New Bern, North Carolina.

McKerrow, A.J., A.J. Terando, and C. Frost. 2007. Using the Gap Analysis Project land cover to map potential restoration sites within the range of longleaf pine (Pinus palustris). A joint meeting of the Ecological Society and the Society for Ecological Restoration. August 5-10, San Jose, California.

McKerrow, A.J., S.G. Williams, and T.S. Earnhardt. 2008. Setting Conservation Priorities Using the GAP’s Online Decision Support Tool. Poster Presentation to the Natural Areas Association. October 14-17, Nashville, Tennessee.

McKerrow, A.J., T.S. Earnhardt, K. Kleiner, J.W. Lee, M. Pyne, M.D. MacKenzie, and E.A. Kramer. 2007. Southeast regional land cover dataset: from the mountains to the sea. Poster Presentation. National Gap Analysis Meeting. September 10-13, Asheville, North Carolina.

Midway, S.R., T.J. Kwak, and D.D. Aday. 2007. Reproductive ecology and life history of the Carolina madtom. Annual Meeting of the North American Native Fishes Association. June 7-10, Greensboro, North Carolina.

Midway, S.R., T.J. Kwak, and D.D. Aday. 2008. Habitat suitability of the Carolina madtom, an imperiled southeastern stream fi sh. Annual Meeting of the American Fisheries Society. August 17-21, Ottawa, Ontario, Canada.

Mosher, S., W.G. Cope, R.B. Bringolf, T.J. Kwak, and D. Shea. 2007. Evaluation of ALA-D in the freshwater mussel Elliptio complanata as a biomarker of lead exposure and an indicator of transportation impact. Biennial Symposium of the Freshwater Mollusk Conservation Society. March 13-15, Little Rock, Arkansas. Poster Presentation.

Mosher, S., W.G. Cope, T.J. Kwak, and D. Shea. 2008. Biomarkers of lead exposure in the freshwater mussel Elliptio complanata for assessing transportation related impacts. Annual Meeting of the Carolinas Chapter of the Society of Environmental Toxicology and Chemistry. April 3-5, Morehead City, North Carolina.

Pandolfo, T.J., W.G. Cope, R.B. Bringolf, and M.C. Barnhart. 2008. Eff ects of water temperature on early life stages of freshwater mussels: implications for effl uent criteria and climate change. Annual Meeting of the Carolinas Chapter of the Society of Environmental Toxicology and Chemistry. April 3-5, Morehead City, North Carolina.

Pandolfo, T.J., W.G. Cope, R.B. Bringolf, and M.C. Barnhart. 2008. Early life stage sensitivity of freshwater mussels to a range of common and extreme water temperatures. Invited speaker to the Annual Surface Water Monitoring and Standards Meeting. March 18-20, Chicago, Illinois.

Pandolfo, T.J., W.G. Cope, R.B. Bringolf, D.B. Buchwalter, and M.C. Barnhart. 2007. Sensitivity of early life stages of freshwater mussels to a range of common and extreme water temperatures. Invited speaker to the Th ermal Ecology and Regulation Symposium. October 2-3, Denver, Colorado.

Pandolfo, T.J., W.G. Cope, R.B. Bringolf, D.B. Buchwalter, M.C. Barnhart, and H.L. Dunn. 2007. Sensitivity of glochidia, juvenile, and adult native freshwater mussels to a range of common and extreme water temperatures. Biennial Symposium of the Freshwater Mollusk Conservation Society. March 12-15, Little Rock, Arkansas.

Pandolfo, T.J., W.G. Cope, R.B. Bringolf, M.C. Barnhart, and C. Arellano. 2008. High and dry: eff ects of water temperature on early life stages of freshwater mussels and implications for drought conditions. Invited speaker to the Environmental Flows—Water for People and Nature in the Southeast Conference. October 27-29, Athens, Georgia.

Pollock, K.H. and T.R. Simons. 2007. Modeling avian detection probabilities. American Statistical Association Annual Meeting. July 29-August 2, Salt Lake City, Utah.

Riddle, J.D., T.R. Simons, and K.H. Pollock. 2007. Sources of Measurement Error, Misclassifi cation Error, and Bias in Auditory Point Count Data. Northeast Coordinated Bird Monitoring Workshop. October 3-5, Patuxent Wildlife Research Center, Laurel, Maryland.

Schulte, S. and T.R. Simons. 2007. A demographic model for American Oystercatchers in North Carolina. International Oystercatcher Meeting. October 2-3, Schiermonnikoog, Netherlands.

Simons, T.R. 2007. Adaptive management: dealing with uncertainty in natural resources management. North Carolina Wildlife Resources Commission, staff retreat. November, Hendersonville, North Carolina.


Simons, T.R. 2007. Mercury contaminating high elevation songbirds in Great Smoky Mountains National Park. Southern Appalachian Man and the Biosphere Conference. October 22-24, Johnson City, Tennessee (poster).

Simons, T.R. 2007. Sources of measurement error, misclassifi cation error, and bias in auditory avian point count data. Midwest Fisheries and Wildlife Conference. December 9-12, Madison, Wisconsin.

Simons, T.R. 2007. Sources of measurement error, misclassifi cation error, and bias in auditory avian point count data. EURING Technical Conference. January 14-20, Dunedin, New Zealand.

Simons, T.R. 2007. Status and distribution of the American Oystercatcher. International Wader Study Group Annual Conference, Workshop on Conservation Status of Oystercatchers Around the World. September 28-October 1, La Rochelle, France.

Simons, T.R. 2007. Th e American Oystercatcher Working Group. International Workshop on Oystercatcher Research. October 2-3, Schiermonnikoog, Netherlands.

Simons, T.R. 2008. A before-after-control-impact study of disturbance eff ects on nonbreeding shorebirds. American Ornithologists’ Union Annual Meeting. August 4-9, Portland, Oregon (poster).

Simons, T.R. 2008. Sources of measurement error, misclassifi cation error, and bias in auditory avian point count data. International Partners in Flight Conference. February 13-16, McAllen, Texas.

Simons, T.R., K.H., Pollock, and J. Riddle. 2008. Incorporating estimates of detection probability into the Breeding Bird Survey. Patuxent Wildlife Research Center. October, Laurel, Maryland.

Smith, J.A. and J.E. Hightower. 2008. Spawning activity and migratory characteristics of American shad and striped bass in the Cape Fear River, North Carolina. American Fisheries Society Meeting. August 17-21, Ottawa, Ontario, Canada.

Smith, W., F. Scharf, J.E. Hightower, and K. Craig. 2008. Fishery management and tag-return estimates of fi shing mortality: an example in the North Carolina southern fl ounder fi shery. American Fisheries Society Meeting. August 17-21, Ottawa, Ontario, Canada.

Smith, W., F. Scharf, J.E. Hightower, and K. Craig. 2008. Fishery management and tag-return estimates of fi shing mortality: an example in the North Carolina southern fl ounder fi shery. North Carolina Chapter, American Fisheries Society. February 19-20, Greenville, North Carolina.

Stolen, E. D. and J.A. Collazo. 2007. Factors aff ecting foraging success and habitat selection in piscivorous wading birds. American Ornithologists’ Union Meeting. August 8-11, Laramie, Wyoming.

Stolen, E.D. and J.A. Collazo. 2006. Th e eff ects of other foragers on the foraging success of piscivorous wading birds. Conference on Carnivore Biology and Conservation, Defenders of Wildlife. November 12-15, St. Petersburg, Florida.

Tarr, N.M. and T.R. Simons. 2007. ORV disturbance and wintering shorebirds. North Carolina Colonial Waterbird Working Group, Swansboro, North Carolina.

Tarr, N.M. and T.R. Simons. 2008. An experimental approach to studying the eff ects of ORV disturbance on nonbreeding shorebirds. Cape Lookout National Seashore staff , Harkers Island, North Carolina.

Tarr, N.M. and T.R. Simons. 2008. ORV disturbance and fall waterbird migration at Cape Lookout National Seashore, North Carolina. North Carolina Colonial Waterbird Working Group, Swansboro, North Carolina.

Tarr, N.M., T.R. Simons, and K.H. Pollock. 2008. Th e eff ects of off -road vehicle disturbance on nonbreeding shorebird behavior and habitat use. Poster presentation. American Ornithologists’ Union and Cooper Ornithological Society. August 4-9, Portland, Oregon.

Terando, A.J., and A.J. McKerrow. 2008. Seeing the forest fi re through the trees: modeling the historic longleaf pine fi re season. Poster Presentation to the U.S. Geological Survey Modeling Conference. Orange Beach, Alabama.

Waters, C.T., and J.E. Hightower. 2007. Eff ect of water quality on hatching success of blueback herring eggs in the Chowan River Basin, North Carolina. Southeastern Association of Fish and Wildlife Agencies. October 21-24, Charleston, West Virginia.

Williams, S.G. and J.B. White. 2007. Online GAP Data Explorer Tool: An Open Source GIS Decision Support Tool for Gap Analysis Data. National Gap Analysis Program Conference. September 10-13, Asheville, North Carolina.

Williams, S.G., M.J. Rubino, A. Silvaano. 2007. Process and review: SE-GAP avian distribution models for the Southeast. Southeast Partners in Flight Conference. February 7-10, Memphis, Tennessee.

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