Notes on Black-Footed Ferret Detectability and Behavior

Despite over two decades of recovery efforts, the black-footed ferret (Mustela nigripes) remains one of the least understood and most critically endangered mammals in North America. Once extinct in the wild, over 2,400 captive-born individuals of black-footed ferret (hereafter referred to as ferret) have been released at 13 reintroduction sites ranging from northern Montana to Chihuahua, Mexico, since 1991. However, ferret populations currently are considered to be self-sustaining at only two sites in South Dakota and a single site in Wyoming (United States Fish and Wildlife Service 2006). To understand why ferret recovery is not succeeding at a majority of reintroduction sites, a better understanding of ferret behavior in the wild, particularly the behavior of reproductive females is needed. Ferrets are solitary carnivores that are adapted highly to live on prairie dog (Cynomys sp.) colonies. Prairie dogs compose a majority of their diet (Sheets et al. 1972, Campbell et al. 1987) and ferrets spend most of their lives underground in prairie dog burrow systems, with their above-ground activity typically occurring during the night (Clark et al. 1986, Richardson et al. 1987). The objectives of my study were to use multiple techniques to monitor above-ground activity of female ferrets to gain insight into their behavior in the wild, and to determine the efficiency of spotlight surveys at locating ferrets and effects of spotlighting on ferret behavior during the critical litter-rearing period

Resource selection by black-footed ferrets in relation to the spatial distribution of prairie dogs

The entire dissertation/thesis text is included in the research.pdf file; the official abstract appears in the short.pdf file (which also appears in the research.pdf); a non-technical general description, or public abstract, appears in the public.pdf file.Title from title screen of research.pdf file (viewed on October 29, 2007)Vita.Includes bibliographical references.Thesis (M.S.) University of Missouri-Columbia 2007.Dissertations, Academic -- University of Missouri--Columbia -- Fisheries and wildlife.Once extinct in the wild, the black-footed ferret (Mustela nigripes) is one of the rarest mammals in North America. Reintroductions of ferrets at 13 sites over 10 years have resulted in only 3 self-sustaining populations. Such results draw into question our current knowledge of ferret habitat requirements and how managers select and manage reintroduction sites. In 2005 and 2006, I monitored ferret resource use at one successful (Conata Basin, SD) and one unsuccessful (UL Bend, MT) reintroduction site. Space use by predators is known to be influenced by the spatial distribution of prey, and I found that prairie dog burrow distribution strongly influenced ferret resource selection. In addition, territoriality and home range size of ferrets were correlated with prairie dog distribution. Assessing the suitability of prairie dog colonies as ferret reintroduction sites likely requires spatially explicit, fine-scale measurement of prairie dog distribution. Further, managers should focus on preserving and enhancing large contiguous areas or patches of high prairie dog density as a key requirement for successful establishment and maintenance of ferret populations

Demographic, behavioral and physiological responses of wildlife to reintroduction

Title from PDF of title page (University of Missouri--Columbia, viewed on August 29, 2012).The entire thesis text is included in the research.pdf file; the official abstract appears in the short.pdf file; a non-technical public abstract appears in the public.pdf file.Dissertation advisor: Dr. Joshua J. MillspaughIncludes bibliographical references.Vita.Ph. D. University of Missouri--Columbia 2012."May 2012"To improve the outlook for conserving species and strengthen natural resource management, for my dissertation I evaluated factors influencing wildlife reintroduction success. Success is often defined demographically, where reintroduced populations need to reach a critical size before they are considered successfully recovered. I compiled and analyzed data collected from the 21-year history of the black-footed ferret reintroduction program and found that demographic success was correlated with large populations of their primary prey (prairie dogs). For large and potentially dangerous species, success can be defined in terms of how well the animals behaviorally adjust to their translocation. I evaluated the physiological and behavioral response of African elephant to reintroduction. I found that elephants exhibit chronically elevated physiological states for at least 10 years following reintroduction, during which time they exhibited refuge behavior, where they only utilize a restricted portion of the reserve available to them away from human disturbance. Further, the physiological state of elephants can effect fine-scale elephant movement decisions based on memory and environmental conditions, which has important implications to predicting and potentially managing current and future human-elephant conflicts. Collectively, these findings should provide useful information to managers on how to better successfully restore extirpated species.Includes bibliographical reference

The Multiplicative Structure of the Group of Units of Zp[x]/ where f(x) is Reducible

Factor rings of the form Zp[x]/, with p prime and f(x) irreducible in Zp[x], form a field, with cyclic multiplicative group structure. When f(x) is reducible in Zp[x] this factor ring is no longer a field, nor even an integral domain, and the structure of its group of units is no longer cyclic. In this paper we develop concise formulas for determining the cyclic group decomposition of the multiplicative group of units for Zp[x]/ that is only dependent on the multiplicities and degrees of the irreducible factors of f(x), and p

Using Environmental DNA to Identify Habitat Requirements and Restoration Objectives for the Carolina Heelsplitter

The Carolina Heelsplitter (Lasmigona decorata) is a critically endangered freshwater mussel endemic to North and South Carolina. Because of its rarity, there is a deficit of information regarding the specific habitat requirements for colonization and persistence and where suitable habitat may exist. Understanding these requirements is essential for determining factors driving species decline and for guiding future management and restoration efforts. As part of an ongoing study, we developed a quantitative PCR assay to quantify the presence/absence of the Carolina Heelsplitter and a known host fish throughout the Upper Lynches River sub-basin in South Carolina. We will collect water samples during March of 2019, coinciding with the spring release of mussel larvae by gravid females. We will collect replicate water samples to account for imperfect detection and negative controls to monitor for potential contamination. We will investigate occupancy and detection probabilities as functions of environmental covariates, such as water chemistry, channel morphology, riparian characteristics, and land use attributes. Our preliminary results, which include controls and initial field samples, demonstrate the utility of eDNA as a highly sensitive survey tool, despite the extremely low density of the target species

Evaluating artificial shelter arrays as a minimally invasive monitoring tool for the hellbender \u3ci\u3eCryptobranchus alleganiensis\u3c/i\u3e

Hellbenders Cryptobranchus alleganiensis are critically imperiled amphibians throughout the eastern USA. Rock-lifting is widely used to monitor hellbenders but can severely disturb habitat. We asked whether artificial shelter occupancy (the proportion of occupied shelters in an array) would function as a proxy for hellbender abundance and thereby serve as a viable alternative to rock-lifting. We hypothesized that shelter occupancy would vary spatially in response to hellbender density, natural shelter density, or both, and would vary temporally with hellbender seasonal activity patterns and time since shelter deployment. We established shelter arrays (n = 30 shelters each) in 6 stream reaches and monitored them monthly for up to 2 yr. We used Bayesian mixed logistic regression and model ranking criteria to assess support for hypotheses concerning drivers of shelter occupancy. In all reaches, shelter occupancy was highest from June-August each year and was higher in Year 2 relative to Year 1. Our best-supported model indicated that the extent of boulder and bedrock (hereafter, natural shelter) in a reach mediated the relationship between hellbender abundance and shelter occupancy. More explicitly, shelter occupancy was positively correlated with abundance when natural shelter covered \u3c20% of a reach, but uncorrelated with abundance when natural shelter was more abundant. While shelter occupancy should not be used to infer variation in hellbender relative abundance when substrate composition varies among reaches, we showed that artificial shelters can function as valuable monitoring tools when reaches meet certain criteria, though regular shelter maintenance is critical

A Preliminary Study of Soundscape Analysis as a Measurement of Ecosystem Health

In this study, acoustic ecology, the analysis of soundscapes -- composed of geophony, biophony, and anthrophony -- is applied as a potential measurement of ecosystem health. Recordings were taken from four locations in the greater Chicago area. By combining traditional ecological assessments including soil analysis, worm density surveys, and vegetation surveys, and correlating the results with acoustic data we highlight the value of soundscape analysis and suggest lines of future inquiry

Tracking the decline of weasels in North America

Small carnivores are of increasing conservation concern globally, including those formerly thought to be widespread and abundant. Three weasel species (Mustela nivalis, M. frenata, and M. erminea) are distributed across most of North America, yet several recent studies have reported difficulty detecting weasels within their historical range and several states have revised the status of weasels to that of species of conservation concern. To investigate the status and trends of weasels across the United States (US) and Canada, we analyzed four separate datasets: historical harvests, museum collections, citizen scientist observations (iNaturalist), and a recent US-wide trail camera survey. We observed 87–94% declines in weasel harvest across North America over the past 60 years. Declining trapper numbers and shifts in trapping practices likely partially explain the decline in harvest. Nonetheless, after accounting for trapper effort and pelt price, we still detected a significant decline in weasel harvest for 15 of 22 evaluated states and provinces. Comparisons of recent and historical museum and observational records suggest relatively consistent distributions for M. erminea, but a current range gap of \u3e1000 km between two distinct populations of M. nivalis. We observed a dramatic drop-off in M. frenata records since 2000 in portions of its central, Great Lakes, and southern distribution, despite extensive sampling effort. In 2019, systematic trail camera surveys at 1509 sites in 50 US states detected weasels at 14 sites, all of which were above 40o latitude. While none of these datasets are individually conclusive, they collectively support the hypothesis that weasel populations have declined in North America and highlight the need for improved methods for detecting and monitoring weasels. By identifying population declines for small carnivores that were formerly abundant across North America, our findings echo recent calls to expand investigations into the conservation need of small carnivores globally

Non-invasive methods for monitoring weasels: emerging technologies and priorities for future research

Weasels (genus Mustela and Neogale) are of management concern as declining native species in some regions and invasive species in others. Regardless of the need to conserve or remove weasels, there is increasingly a need to use non-invasive monitoring methods to assess population trends. We conducted a literature review and held the first ever International Weasel Monitoring Symposium to synthesise information on historical and current non-invasive monitoring techniques for weasels. We also explored current limitations, opportunities, and areas of development to guide future research and long-term monitoring. Our literature search revealed that in the past 20 years, camera traps were the most commonly used non-invasive monitoring method (62% of studies), followed by track plates or scent stations designed to collect footprints (23%) and walking transects for tracks in snow or soil (8.7%). Experts agreed that the most promising non-invasive monitoring techniques available include use of citizen scientist reporting, detection dogs, detecting tracks, non-invasive genetic surveys, and enclosed or unenclosed camera trap systems. Because each technique has benefits and limitations, using a multi-method approach is likely required. There is a need for strong commitment to dedicated monitoring that is replicated over space and time such that trend data can be ascertained to better inform future management action. The diversity of non-invasive monitoring methods now available makes such monitoring possible with relatively minor commitments of funding and effort

Seeing The Forest Through The Trees: Considering Roost-Site Selection At Multiple Spatial Scales

Conservation of bat species is one of the most daunting wildlife conservation challenges in North America, requiring detailed knowledge about their ecology to guide conservation efforts. Outside of the hibernating season, bats in temperate forest environments spend their diurnal time in day-roosts. In addition to simple shelter, summer roost availability is as critical as maternity sites and maintaining social group contact. To date, a major focus of bat conservation has concentrated on conserving individual roost sites, with comparatively less focus on the role that broader habitat conditions contribute towards roost-site selection. We evaluated roost-site selection by a northern population of federally-endangered Indiana bats (Myotis sodalis) at Fort Drum Military Installation in New York, USA at three different spatial scales: landscape, forest stand, and individual tree level. During 2007–2011, we radiotracked 33 Indiana bats (10 males, 23 females) and located 348 roosting events in 116 unique roost trees. At the landscape scale, bat roost-site selection was positively associated with northern mixed forest, increased slope, and greater distance from human development. At the stand scale, we observed subtle differences in roost site selection based on sex and season, but roost selection was generally positively associated with larger stands with a higher basal area, larger tree diameter, and a greater sugar maple (Acer saccharum) component. We observed no distinct trends of roosts being near high-quality foraging areas of water and forest edges. At the tree scale, roosts were typically in American elm (Ulmus americana) or sugar maple of large diameter (\u3e30 cm) of moderate decay with loose bark. Collectively, our results highlight the importance of considering day roost needs simultaneously across multiple spatial scales. Size and decay class of individual roosts are key ecological attributes for the Indiana bat, however, larger-scale stand structural components that are products of past and current land use interacting with environmental aspects such as landform also are important factors influencing roost-tree selection patterns