Coastal Alabama islands provide vital nesting and foraging habitat to many wading birds, shorebirds, gulls, pelicans, and waterfowl. We compared three regions of coastal Alabama for overlap of species present and species nesting using Monte Carlo simulations. The observed numbers of species present and species nesting were both less than predicted by the simulations, suggesting that local processes drive diversity on the coastline of Alabama. These findings also suggest that, in the wake of the recent oil disaster in the Gulf of Mexico, management along the coast of Alabama should consider species assemblages rather than surrogates and apply a scale of management decisions so as to manage each local community individually rather than manage the region as a whole.

Although Mammuthus columbi (Columbian Mammoth) remains have been collected and extensively studied throughout the United States, limited in situ material has been discovered in Georgia. Here we describe new Columbian Mammoth material from Clark Quarry, a recently excavated late-Pleistocene locality near Brunswick, GA, and discuss their historical and paleoecological significance. The site has yielded 12 genera of birds, 18 genera of amphibians and reptiles, and 12 species of mammals. Radiocarbon analyses bracket the locality between 19,840 and 22,240 radiocarbon years before present. In 1857, Falconer designated a partial third upper molar unearthed during the excavation of the Brunswick Altamaha Canal as the type specimen for Mammuthus (Elephas) columbi. Clark Quarry borders the abandoned Brunswick Altamaha Canal, and presents the possibility that this new material could be from the type locality of Mammuthus columbi. Material identified thus far indicates a minimum of two individuals and includes a juvenile palate and lower jaw with cheek teeth, adult tooth fragments, complete and partial adult long-bones, carpals, tarsals, ribs, sternal elements, and cervical, thoracic, and caudal vertebrae.

Although Dasypus novemcinctus (Nine-banded Armadillo) is the only vertebrate other than humans to exhibit naturally occurring infections with Mycobacterium leprae, the causative agent in producing leprosy, little is known about patterns of infection in wild populations. Here we provide data on some temporal aspects of infection, obtained from sampling a population of armadillos in western Mississippi from 2005–2010. Annual prevalence of infection varied between 4.5–15%. Incidence density estimates calculated over progressively longer time intervals generated values ranging from 0.11–0.61 new cases of infection/1000 animal days. Of 77 animals that tested seropositive over the course of the study, 14 (18.2%) were seropositive in two consecutive years. Four of these animals were seropositive in three consecutive years, but no armadillos tested positive in >3 straight years. Finally, the proportion of seropositive animals increased with the number of years individuals were enrolled in the study. Together, these data indicate a substantial potential for transmission of infection within this population and confirm the view of leprosy as a slow-acting disease that is largely manifested in older individuals.

Eleven Myocastor coypus (Nutria) were implanted with radiotransmitters and monitored on a freshwater floating marsh. I evaluated the habitat selection of these individuals at three scales. I examined patterns of second- and third-order selection (macrohabitat) using a vegetation-cover map and Nutria movement data. There was no difference between habitat proportions found in the study area overall versus those of individual Nutria home ranges (second-order of selection) nor between proportions within individual home ranges versus habitat coded Nutria location points (third-order selection). To evaluate fourth-order habitat selection (microhabitat), I compared plant species relative abundances by biomass and diversity indices between random samples taken throughout the available study area and plant samples taken at each Nutria location. During the colder winter months, Nutria appeared to be selecting areas with plant species that offered structure and protection from the elements. In contrast, during the spring and summer months, Nutria selected areas characterized by thin-mat and floating aquatic species that facilitated access to open water.

Rapid spread of the introduced Sus scrofa (Feral Hog) is a major concern for many landowners and land managers due to its destructive rooting behavior which damages natural habitats. Feral Swine have also been reported as infrequent predators of Alligator mississippiensis (American Alligator) eggs, with only seven nests lost in three prior studies combined (Fogarty 1974, Ruckel and Steele 1984, Woodward et al. 1992). In response to increasing reports by Louisiana landowners of Alligator nest losses due to Feral Swine, we sent a questionnaire addressing this issue to licensed Louisiana Alligator farmers who are permitted to collect eggs from wild nests. Over half (51.4%) of the farmers reported loss of Alligator nests in 2011; some 590 nests were damaged or destroyed on 36 separate properties across the state. Four farmers, some of whom have twenty or more years of experience collecting Alligator eggs, reported this is the first year in which they have lost nests to Feral Swine. Other farmers reported seeing wild hogs while in the field or seeing sign of hogs, which suggests future potential losses may be incurred and that the range and population level of this non-native species is expanding in important Alligator nesting habitat in Louisiana. Nearly all farmers who had nests destroyed by Feral Swine (94.7%) reported hog damage is increasing on their properties. Some farmers reported that hog removal efforts limited their Feral Swine damage this year relative to past years. In addition to deleterious effects on wetlands habitats caused by Feral Swine, the financial impact of loss of the Alligator egg revenue is significant.

the goal of this study was to better understand population characteristics of Villosa iris (Lea) (Rainbow Shell) in the Spring River drainage in north-central Arkansas through documenting seasonal spatial patterns, movement behavior, population size, size-frequency distributions, sex ratios, and fecundity. We conducted monthly mark and recapture sampling between May and September 2007 (i.e., before, during, and after spawning) and documented the sex, size, fecundity, and spatial location of individual Rainbow Shell at 2 sites (SFSR1 and SR1). Population estimates were relatively high at both sites with 166 ± 32 (SE) and 381 ± 37 (SE) individuals at SFSR1 and SR1, respectively. Sex ratio was highly skewed toward males at SFSR1 with a ratio of 1.0:2.6, but only slightly skewed at SR1 with a ratio of 1.0:1.3. Mean fecundity was 27,849 ± 11,653 (SE) and 15,089 ± 11,710 (SE) glochidia at SFSR1 and SR1, respectively. Spatially, statistically more males were found upstream of non-gravid females during the spawning period. Mean movement for all sampling events was 1.6 ± 0.53 cm/day and 1.9 ± 0.58 cm/day for SFSR1 and SR1, respectively. Home range was 29.3 ± 27.7 cm² and 43.0 ± 42.5 cm² for SFSR1 and SR1, respectively. From our study, we conclude that Rainbow Shell exhibits traits, such as male-skewed sex ratio and non-uniform distribution of males and females, that may influence fertilization rates of females.

To maintain and improve water quality, there is an increasing need to understand relationships between current land-use practices (e.g., agriculture, forested/silviculture, and urban) and stream ecosystems. In this study, we investigated the relationships among water quality, habitat composition, fish assemblages, and current land-use practices in the Tallapoosa River Basin in eastern Alabama. Within the six streams investigated, all fish metrics were significantly higher for forested watersheds compared to agricultural watersheds, with total nitrogen and total phosphorus being the variables most descriptive of fish biotic integrity (i.e., total nitrogen and total phosphorus were negatively related to fish biotic integrity). In addition, we found that nutrient concentrations (especially total nitrogen and total phosphorus) increased as percent agricultural land use increased. When looking at a larger scale (Tallapoosa River Basin), anthropogenic impacts such as eutrophication of Lakes Martin and Harris were related to agricultural land practices and the percentage of the basin these practices occupy. Because current land-use practices appear to be negatively impacting stream water quality and biota, it is important to decrease the amount of fertilizer, pesticides, and animal waste that runoff into streams and to protect riparian zones in order to preserve or improve biotic integrity.

Lepisosteus osseus (Longnose Gar) is a large-bodied predator, whose Florida distribution remains unclear at the southern edge of its range. We reviewed available literature and museum voucher specimens to provide a more accurate range description, and we discuss recent collections in south Florida. Longnose Gar has not been previously reported in natural habitats south of Lake Okeechobee. Instead, records south of the lake are from canals, and most are recent (since 2000), including our own southernmost 2011 record. No records from Everglades natural habitats have been collected. Previous studies have shown native range expansions in anthropogenically disturbed landscapes. We suggest that the Longnose Gar is expanding its range southward in Florida using canals as dispersal vectors and/or suitable habitat.

This is the first floristic and ecological evaluation of small pond systems developed over different periods of time after seized kaolin mining operations. Assessment of the total algal assemblage was used to infer environmental conditions of the aquatic habitats and also provided information about the ecological health and integrity of the aquatic ecosystems. The main objectives of this study were to document algal community composition and discern the amount of time it takes for a mined pond to reach its high biodiversity of primary producers. Winter and summer samples were taken from a pond developing for two years after removal of kaolin and from a pond that was thirty years old. Both pond systems contained rich algal communities predominantly from Cyanobacteria, Bacillariophyta, and Chlorophyta; however, the 30-year pond had higher Shannon-Wiener diversity, richness, and evenness values in both sampling seasons. In winter, filamentous Zygnematales dominated algal communities in the 2-year pond, while the 30-year pond community was dominated by diatoms. In both sites, the most taxon- rich group was green algal representatives of Desmidiaceae. In summer, potentially toxin- producing filamentous Cyanobacteria of the Nostocales were recorded in the 2-year pond, while the 30-year pond had higher average algal cell evenness and few toxic Nostocales. The average abundance of 11 diatom species, seven green algae, and one representative each of Euglenophyta, Cyanobacteria, and Cryptophyta resulted in less than 20 percent overall similarity between the two ponds. Our findings suggest that after two years of development potentially harmful kaolin residues are removed by natural sorption processes and do not negatively influence primary producers. However, stabilization processes in those manmade ecosystems may potentially take more than two years to produce high species richness and prevent toxic algal blooms.

During the 2010 National Park Service BioBlitz at Biscayne National Park, Homestead, FL, barnacles were collected from a submerged mangrove log near the Park headquarters. From the washings of the crushed barnacles, Archechiniscus biscaynei nov. sp. was extracted. This new species can be distinguished by its lack of a median cirrus, its large peduncles at the base of the external claws, the rounded cephalic clava between the internal and external cephalic cirri, a club-shaped papilla above the base of leg IV, and bulbous papilla just above the claws on the anterior of legs I, II, and III. A table of comparison of characteristics among the four known species and a key to their identification are provided.

Streams are heavily affected by watershed urbanization as increased stormwater runoff changes their physical and chemical composition. Benthic macroinvertebrate species richness has been consistently shown to decline with urbanization. Conversely, biomass of macroinvertebrates can increase with urban development. We examined the effect of such shifts in macroinvertebrate assemblages on the diet of larval Eurycea cirrigera (Southern Two-lined Salamanders). Salamanders have been documented to decrease in diversity in urban habitats; however, Southern Two-lined Salamander larvae which persist in urban streams (at lower densities) tend to grow larger than larvae in forested streams. Diet may play a role in these diversity and growth trends. We examined prey consumed by larval salamanders during spring, summer, and winter seasons across urban and forested watersheds. Prey diversity in salamander digestive tracts peaked during summer. We found Chironomidae (Diptera) larvae to be the most common prey item, followed by Ostracoda. Gastropoda were a common prey item during summer, which may be indicative of nutrient requirements of premetamorphic larvae. Overall, we observed minor differences in larval diet between urban and forested watersheds. A previous study within these same watersheds found that larvae in urban watersheds grew larger than those in forested watersheds, and the authors suggested prey availability may have contributed to that finding. The diet data we present here do not support such a hypothesis.

Pseudemys turtles are an important component of southeastern North American aquatic ecosystems, but the relationships within the genus are poorly understood. Convergent morphology and apparent hybridization have complicated the identification of species boundaries and have resulted in numerous conflicting taxonomic treatments. We used mitochondrial DNA sequence data from the control region and cytochrome-b gene to address 1 ) the monophyly of currently recognized subgeneric clades (the cooters and the red-bellies), and 2) relationships within these two groups. A total of 91 specimens representing 8 Pseudemys and 3 outgroup taxa were sampled, and 36 distinct haplotypes were recovered. Pseudemys forms a well-supported monophyletic group, but relationships among species were not well resolved, such that support for the two subgeneric groupings was lacking. Furthermore, most taxa do not appear to be monophyletic, with the exception of P. gorzugi (Rio Grande Cooter) and P. texana (Texas Cooter), suggesting the possibility of mitochondrial introgression as a result of historic or continuing hybrid swarms across the range of the genus, or the lack of resolution may reflect a pattern of recent speciation. In light of recent molecular surveys in turtles, the utility of mitochondrial DNA in turtle systematics is also discussed .

We surveyed freshwater turtles at sites in the Lower Rio Grande Valley and Bastrop Lost Pines ecoregions of Texas annually since 2008 and 2009, respectively, and found that captures and recaptures per unit effort (CPUE and RPUE, respectively) decreased annually. In 2011, we tested whether or not switching the type of bait used to attract turtles affected CPUE and RPUE. Under the assumption that bait preferences affect capture probabilities both among and within species, we hypothesized that switching bait would increase CPUE in 2011 by attracting individuals not captured in previous years. We also hypothesized that low recapture success in previous years was due to an olfactory-induced trap-shy response. We tested this hypothesis by determining if RPUE increased when we switched the type of bait used to attract turtles. We found that switching from fish-based bait to red meat significantly increased CPUE, but not RPUE, for Trachemys scripta elegans (Red-eared Slider). We also found weak evidence that Apalone spinifera emoryi (Texas Spiny Softshell) preferred red meat over fish-based bait. The results of this study indicate that switching bait can be an effective way to maximize CPUE across multiple years when monitoring freshwater turtles using baited hoop nets. However, switching bait did not affect RPUE, which indicates that the apparent trap-shy behavior of turtles in our study areas is not driven by an olfactory-induced response to the type of bait used.

Setophaga cerulea (Cerulean Warbler) is one of the fastest declining avian species in the United States, and its conservation has been hampered by a lack of basic biological information. Here we describe basic breeding biology and behavior and report incidental observations of scientific interest from three years of research on Cerulean Warblers in the Cumberland Mountains of eastern Tennessee. We located and monitored 241 nests and banded 83 Cerulean Warblers from 2008–2010. We documented mating strategies, timing and plasticity of reproduction, details of nest construction and maintenance, parental behavior, predation of juveniles, post-fledging behavior, interspecific interactions, female weight, and a longevity record. Many of these observations have not been formally recorded and add new dimensions to our understanding of Cerulean Warbler biology, ecology, and life history.

Serenoa repens (Saw Palmetto) is an important plant in many Florida habitats; not only does it provide food and shelter for numerous species, but it is also a highly flammable species that is fuel for fire in many of Florida's fire-maintained ecosystems. With loss of natural area due to development and agriculture, restoration of highly degraded lands may become an increasing focus of land managers. Published literature indicates that Saw Palmetto is a slow-growing species, with stems growing only a few centimeters per year. However, these growth rates are for Saw Palmetto growing in natural systems. A 16-year planting study done at the Kennedy Space Center/Merritt Island National Wildlife Refuge shows that Saw Palmettos in a former citrus grove can have highly variable growth rates, often exceeding that in native habitats. Stem length varied from 0–166 cm and crown width ranged from 13–510 cm for Saw Palmettos planted 16 years earlier as 1-gallon-sized nursery stock. Individuals growing in dense Bahiagrass had much slower growth (stem length, height, and crown width) than individuals grown without Bahiagrass.

The control of invasive exotic plants is often deemed important for managing native wildlife, but surprisingly little research exists that evaluates benefits to wildlife, including species of conservation concern. Melaleuca quinquenervia (Melaleuca) is an invasive, non-native, broad-leaved tree that aggressively displaces native plant communities in south Florida. We used land-cover maps to document changes in plant communities and radio-telemetry data to compare habitat selection and mean home-range size of the endangered Puma concolor coryi (Florida Panther) within Big Cypress National Preserve (BCNP) during a Melaleuca removal project's removal phase (1991–1997) and the ensuing maintenance and habitat recovery phase (1998–2006). During the removal phase, Panthers incorporated areas infested by Melaleuca as components of their home range. Following >99.9% removal of Melaleuca, we documented pronounced increases in total cover of native upland forest (227%), wetland forest (211%), and prairie (54%) communities. During the habitat recovery phase, Panther habitat selection in the study area included significantly more upland forest within home-range core areas, and mean home-range size contracted by 16%. However, similar reductions in mean home-range size were not observed during the same time period for the regional population of radio-collared Panthers occupying contiguous conservation lands in south Florida. Although our findings are correlational and do not demonstrate cause and effect, the increase in native plant community cover, the increased use of native plant communities by Panthers, and the reduction in mean home-range size following the removal of Melaleuca are consistent with what would be expected if improvements in habitat quality reduced Panther home-range size requirements. Restoration of native plant communities and particularly native forest types, therefore, may have improved habitat quality for the Florida Panther and resulted in smaller home-range sizes and a potential increase in carrying capacity within BCNP.

While hunting Puma concolor coryi (Florida Panther) along known travel routes, we frequently observe our trained hounds alerting to Panther scent by smelling and licking the tips of overhanging limbs and the trunks of downed logs. To determine the type of Panther activity that causes this peculiar reaction from the hounds, we set trail cameras at 3 sites. From October 2010 —August 2011, our cameras recorded 13 visits by 8 different panthers (4 adult males, 2 adult females, and 2 juveniles), either scent-marking objects with facial glands or responding to the residual scent left by the other Panthers. Frail cameras programmed to record time and date established that Panthers were able to detect the lingering scent of facial-gland-marked objects spanning an interval of up to 40 days. Based on the frequency our hounds alert to facial gland scent-marked objects and confirmation of identical observations from 10 professional Puma concolor (Puma) hunters in Paraguay, Mexico, and the southwestern United States, we conclude that this form of invisible communication is used often by Pumas throughout their range. This biological note represents the first photographic evidence of how wild Panthers of both genders scent-mark objects with facial glands.

Here we present evidence of the first field observation of the nonnative Ictalurus furcatus (Blue Catfish) occurring on the Satilla River, GA, in May 2011, and additional collections since then. This is the second large, non-native riverine catfish to be found in the Satilla River basin. Pylodictis olivaris (Flathead catfish) was first collected from the Satilla River in May 1996. The ecological effects of Blue Catfish on native mussel and fish species in the Satilla River are currently unknown, but competition with native catfishes is likely.