Delivery Systems- Is the Lates Technology the Greatest?

High-tech delivery systems, such as distance-based learning and on-line resources, are increasingly popular among Extension organizations, but are they preferable to traditional delivery systems? In the study reported here, the author surveyed Extension agents (with agriculture and natural resources responsibilities) and natural resources professionals in state agencies to determine which delivery systems were most preferred for wildlife management information. Regardless of the respondent group, printed fact sheets and bulletins were among the most preferred sources of information for wildlife-related topics. These findings illustrate the importance of including traditional printed delivery systems into our high-tech programs

Interagency Collaboration on Wildlife Management Issues: Opportunities and Constraints

The researcher used mail surveys to evaluate the potential for partnership between Ohio\u27s Extension and state organizations on wildlife management issues. Respondents rated wildlife topics according to perceived importance and their own knowledge about topics. Extension and state personnel did not differ in the perceived importance of 72% of topics, suggesting similar programming needs. However, knowledge values were higher for state than Extension personnel for 83% of topics. Thus, state agencies seem better poised to deal with wildlife management issues. Extension organizations should enhance the wildlife training of Extension agents and promote additional collaboration with state agencies

Nest predation in an urbanizing landscape: the role of exotic shrubs

Nest predation is considered a primary force shaping avian communities, and landscape-scale features (e.g., amount of fragmentation) are generally recognized as factors mediating nest predation. These same landscape-scale features, however, may promote invasion by exotic plants, which may, in turn, increase risk of nest predation. We examined whether the use of exotic shrubs (Lonicera spp. and Rosa multiflora Thumb.) affected nest predation across 12 riparian forest sites along a rural–urban gradient (<1– 47% urban land cover within 1 km). From 2001 to 2003, 188 Northern Cardinal (Cardinalis cardinalis) and American Robin (Turdus migratorius) nests ≤5 m tall were monitored. Nest substrate, nest height, and distance from the forest edge were recorded for each nest, whereas nest placement and nest patch characteristics were measured only for Northern Cardinal nests (n = 68). To further assess relative rates of nest predation in native vs. exotic shrubs while controlling for nest height, distance to edge, and land use, we conducted an artificial nest experiment at two rural sites. Artificial nests (n = 79) were placed at similar heights in honeysuckle, rose, and native nest substrates along a transect 50–75 m from the forest edge. Nest substrate and landscape type alone failed to account for differences in daily mortality rates. Instead, the effect of nest substrate varied with the landscape matrix, such that nests in exotic shrubs in urbanizing landscapes were twice as likely to be depredated than nests in native substrates, irrespective of distance from the edge. Artificial nests placed in exotic shrubs in rural landscapes also suffered higher rates of nest failure than artificial nests in native substrates. Daily mortality rates were greater for nests in exotic shrubs, likely due to reduced nest height and larger shrub volume surrounding the nest. Nests in exotic shrubs were 1.5–2 m lower to the ground and within patches containing 6–9 times more exotic shrub volume. These differences may improve search efficiency of mammalian predators, which appear to be the main predators at our study sites. Based on marks present on recovered clay eggs, 68% of the predation events were attributed to mammals. These findings demonstrate that exotic shrubs can reduce nesting success of forest birds and may cause increased nest failure in urbanizing landscapes. This illustrates another way that exotic plants may diminish habitat quality and limit the capacity of urban forests to contribute to wildlife conservation; therefore, restoring the native shrub community may prove beneficial

A method for detecting undervalued resources with application to breeding birds

Anthropogenic changes to ecosystems can decouple habitat selection and quality, a phenomenon well illustrated by ecological traps in which individuals mistakenly prefer low-quality habitats. Less recognized is the possibility that individuals might fail to select high-quality habitat because of the absence of some appropriate cue. This incorrect assessment of resource quality can lead to relatively high-quality resources being undervalued, whereby they support fewer individuals than optimal. We developed a habitat selection model to predict the expected patterns in patch-level density, fitness, and individual quality derived from either accurate assessment of habitat quality or from undervaluing of habitat patches (i.e., quality is not correctly assessed). Unlike previous habitat selection models, we explicitly and simultaneously incorporated variation in both individual and habitat quality into our estimates of realized fitness. Although multiple mechanisms can reduce patch-average density, fitness, and individual quality in less preferred patches, only undervaluation results in the occupation of higher-quality territories by similar-quality individuals in less preferred vs. preferred patches. We then looked for evidence of undervaluation in our seven-year data set of Acadian Flycatchers (Empidonax virescens) occupying forests in urbanizing landscapes in Ohio, USA. We suspected that forests within more urban landscapes may be undervalued in our study system because (1) urban forests typically support lower densities of Neotropical migratory birds than rural forests and (2) anthropogenic disturbance and habitat alterations are likely to result in mismatches between cues typically used in habitat selection and actual habitat quality. In contrast to our predictions, field data suggest that urban forests are not undervalued. Our work not only expands upon previous habitat selection models by considering undervaluation, but also demonstrates how predictions derived from our model can be tested using a long-term empirical data set

Gestion durable du paysage : les leçons que les nouveaux parcs naturels régionaux doivent tirer de l'expérience des anciennes corporations

The landscape is increasingly perceived as a resource. For this reason, it is necessary to find legal, political and economic instruments that will succeed in managing this “resource landscape” in the long term. The Swiss government recently introduced the instrument of regional nature parks into the legislation governing nature and landscape preservation; the proposed parks are organized on the basis of the French model. The examination of the new parks from the perspective of much older management structures, i.e. the civic municipalities (bourgeoisies) and corporations, makes it possible to demonstrate the strengths and weaknesses of each of these instruments in their contribution to the resolution of use rivalries between actors who use or influence the resource landscape. This comparison also enables the formulation of practical recommendations regarding the management of this resource

Testing Alternative Hypotheses for the Cause of Population Declines: The Case of the Red-Headed Woodpecker

The Red-headed Woodpecker (Melanerpes erythrocephalus) has experienced strong population declines during the past 3 decades. Using North American Breeding Bird Survey (BBS) and Audubon Christmas Bird Count (CBC) data, we investigated 4 hypotheses that may explain this decline, including: (1) interspecific competition with native Red-bellied Woodpeckers (Melanerpes carolinus) and nonnative European Starlings (Sturnus vulgaris); (2) predation by Cooper\u27s Hawks (Accipiter cooperii) and Sharp-shinned Hawks (Accipiter striatus); (3) climate change; and (4) changes in forested area within their range. In analyses of both the breeding and overwintering periods, our results indicated a role of increased accipiter populations in driving Red-headed Woodpecker declines through increased predation. We also found evidence for significant effects of warmer winter temperatures and increased forest cover, both directly and indirectly through their effects on enhancing accipiter populations. In contrast, our results failed to support the hypothesis that interspecific competition with either Red-bellied Woodpeckers or European Starlings has played a role in Red-headed Woodpecker declines. Despite considerable evidence for nest-site competition and aggression between Red-headed Woodpeckers and both Red-bellied Woodpeckers and European Starlings, these interactions do not appear to be limiting Red-headed Woodpecker populations

After the Invasion: Invasive Exotic Plants Present Critical Ecological Restoration Issues

Author Institution (Rodewald, Bouchard and Arvai): School of Environment and Natural Resources, The Ohio State University; Author Institution (Miriti): Department of Evolution, Ecology and Organismal Biology, The Ohio State Universit