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To return to the Midwest Fish & Wildlife Conference website, go to http://www.midwestfw.org/ The following schedule and room names are subject to change (as of February 1, 2017). Please check back for updates. 

Presenters: Presenters for technical presentations are either the primary author (the first name listed in the abstract), or are indicated with an asterisk next to their name. 

Please note: the conference schedule is hosted by Sched.org which allows you to search within the schedule, and filter the schedule to show sessions only occurring on a certain date or within a track. You can also build your own schedule by creating a free account with Sched.org by selecting "SIGN UP" in the top right corner. 
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Tuesday, February 7
 

6:00pm CST

Poster Display. Abstract Correction for Meretsky and Fischman
AUTHORS: Meretsky and Fischman
Please use this abstract - the computer jumped to Complete on the earlier one before it was complete. This submission is for the LCC symposium, and will be the only poster in that session, so far as we are aware. Kirstin Shaw and Gwen White from the ETPBR LCC are aware of the submission and expecting it.

ABSTRACT: Graduate programs related to environmental sciences and policy and to natural resource management can be valuable partners for conservation agencies and organizations. Indiana University's School of Public and Environmental Affairs requires graduate students to complete capstone courses that undertake semester-long projects for client organizations. Capstone classes work with nonprofit organizations including the Association of Fish and Wildlife Agencies (AFWA), as well as for agencies including the US Fish and Wildlife Service and the Natural Resources Conservation Service. Working with client representatives, students have assessed State Wildlife Action Plans, reviewed national wildlife refuge Comprehensive Conservation Plans, provided groundwork for AFWA's blue-ribbon panel on fund-raising for nongame wildlife, provided recommendations for evaluating the National Water Quality Initiative, and assessed state capacity for imperiled species recovery. Whereas agencies often look to academic programs at land-grant universities that require theses and dissertations, capstone classes from professional programs provide groups of students that can approach projects from several angles simultaneously. Any single class can include students with advanced training in ecology and conservation, environmental management and policy, statistics, nonprofit management and philanthropy, program evaluation, and policy analysis. Students in these programs are usually trained to work with clients, to manage projects, and to synthesize information and communicate results to client-specified audiences that are more often managers and policy makers, not the researchers who are the usual audience for theses and dissertations. Working together, with client guidance, student groups can undertake projects that agencies and organizations list as high priorities but must forego due to staffing and financial limitations. In our experience, conservation agencies and organizations are unaccustomed to reaching beyond land-grant universities to take advantage of students in professional programs. We summarize relevant projects and provide guidelines for success in these promising partnerships.
Tuesday February 7, 2017 6:00pm - 9:00pm CST
Lancaster Ballroom
  Poster Session, Poster Display

6:00pm CST

Poster Display. Age and Growth Demographics of Asian Carp in the Upper Mississippi River
AUTHORS: Cortney Cox, Western Illinois University; Jim Lamer, Western Illinois University; Allie Lenaerts, Western Illinois University; Boone LaHood, Western Illinois University; Greg Whitledge, Southern Illinois University; Brent Knights, United States Geological Survey; Kevin Irons, Illinois Department of Natural Resources

ABSTRACT: Fish age and growth can be used to infer density-dependent competition, resource availability, age at maturity, and habitat suitability.  Understanding these dynamics are especially important when assessing the impacts of invasive species.  Bighead and silver carp are invasive species that have established throughout much of the Mississippi River Basin.  Lock and Dam 19 on the Mississippi River has slowed their upstream migration and delayed their establishment in the Upper Mississippi River.  Aging structures obtained from populations above Lock and Dam 19 allow us to determine growth rates and age at maturity in these recently established and poorly understood, low-density populations.  Using commercial fishing methods, we have collected length and weight data from 1864 silver carp and 500 bighead carp.  Pectoral spines, postcleithra, and vertebrae have been removed from 644 silver carp and 270 bighead carp, 30 fish per each 50mm size class, to quantify age and growth from bighead carp and silver carp in pools 16-19 on the Mississippi River.
Tuesday February 7, 2017 6:00pm - 9:00pm CST
Lancaster Ballroom
  Poster Session, Poster Display

6:00pm CST

Poster Display. American Marten Habitat Suitability in the Northern Lower Peninsula of Michigan
AUTHORS: Angela Kujawa, Grand Valley State University; Paul Keenlance, Grand Valley State University; Alexandra Locher, Grand Valley State University; Robert Sanders, Little River Band of Ottawa Indians; Joseph Jacquot, Grand Valley State University

ABSTRACT: American marten (Martes americana) are slender-bodied mesocarnivores in the mustelid family. Across their range, marten have experienced habitat loss and fragmentation due to logging and fire, coupled with overharvesting. These factors led to marten being extirpated from Michigan’s Lower Peninsula (LP) in 1911, with reintroduction efforts beginning in 1985. Marten are commonly considered habitat specialists, associating with old-growth forests with a coniferous component. In Michigan’s Northern LP, marten have been found to utilize areas with large diameter trees, high basal areas and ~70% or greater canopy closure. Although marten are known to inhabit the LP, their range in not fully known. This study aims to determine habitat preferences of known marten populations in the LP to create a habitat suitability model across the Northern LP. Marten locations in the area, that have been collected since 2011 via VHF radio-telemetry and GPS collars, will be used to estimate home ranges and delineate habitat preferences. Variables determined to influence selection of an area as a home range will be used to create a habitat model which will be applied across the Northern LP to obtain a gradient of low to high quality marten habitat. Noninvasive sampling methods will be used to validate the model. A unit of one female’s home range in Michigan’s LP (6.24km2) will be used as the unit of measurement during validation. This study will provide novel research that managers can use to improve degraded habitat and conserve adequate habitat, benefiting Michigan’s marten populations.
Tuesday February 7, 2017 6:00pm - 9:00pm CST
Lancaster Ballroom
  Poster Session, Poster Display

6:00pm CST

Poster Display. An Attempt to Quantify the Usefulness of Thermal Imagers for Locating Grassland Bird Nests
AUTHORS: Matt Stephenson, Natural Resource Ecology and Management, Iowa State University; Lisa Schulte Moore, NREM, ISU; Robert Klaver, U.S. Geological Survey, Iowa Cooperative Fish and Wildlife Unit.

ABSTRACT: Studies of bird nest survival require large sample sizes to draw robust inferences, but nests of grassland birds are often cryptic and difficult to locate.  Thermal imaging cameras promise to help quickly pinpoint warm nests against cool background temperatures, reducing search time and disturbance to vegetation around nests and reducing bias toward easy to find nests.  Previous authors have qualitatively reported thermal imagers to be helpful under specific thermal conditions occurring early in the morning and on cool overcast days.  This study is an attempt to quantitatively describe the usefulness of a thermal imaging camera in finding nests of grassland and open country nesting birds under a broader set of thermal conditions.  We searched 125 0.1-0.2 ha plots for bird nests once a week from early May to early July.  Searches were conducted by two pairs of observers alternating weekly.  One observer pair had access to a thermal imager and the other did not.  Capture histories were created for all nests discovered in plots and availability of a thermal imager was modeled as a covariate were placed on the detection probability.  Preliminary results suggest that under a broad range of thermal conditions, having access to a thermal imaging camera does not increase the detection rate of grassland and open country nests, but data analysis is ongoing.
Tuesday February 7, 2017 6:00pm - 9:00pm CST
Lancaster Ballroom
  Poster Session, Poster Display

6:00pm CST

Poster Display. Analysis of Age in the Black Crappie (Pomoxis Nigromaculatus) Using Scale Structures
AUTHORS: Endora K. Roberts, Minnesota State Univeristy, Mankato; Nathan Hodgins, Minnesota Department of Natural Resources

ABSTRACT: Changes to existing fish species are critical to successful management of sport fisheries as introduction of a different top predators occurs. Effects of growth on a naturally reproducing sport fish, Black Crappie (Pomoxis nigromaculatus) was monitored during changes in fisheries management from stocked Walleye (Sander vitreus) as a top predator to stocked Muskellunge (Esox masquinongy) and stocked Walleye as top predators (1999). Black Crappie were collected and measured to the nearest millimeter and scales were aged from Fox Lake in Martin County, Minnesota. Annual sampling of Fox Lake has occurred since 1991. Mean length-at-age and mean age-at-length of Black Crappie were analyzed within and among grouped years from pre and post Muskellunge management (1994-1996 and 2010-2012). Preliminary results indicate possible stunted growth prior to Muskellunge management and increased growth after Muskellunge management. Additionally, older Black Crappie are more common after Muskellunge stocking. Management of a lake with a low abundance top predator may be beneficial to other lower trophic level sport fish including Black Crappie.
Tuesday February 7, 2017 6:00pm - 9:00pm CST
Lancaster Ballroom
  Poster Session, Poster Display

6:00pm CST

Poster Display. Application of Photo-identification Software Using Spot Patterns of African Civets (Civettictis Civetta) in the Northern Tuli Game Reserve, Botswana
AUTHORS: Jessica McDaniel, School of Natural Resources, University of Nebraska - Lincoln; Andrei Snyman, Department of Biological Sciences, California State University - Los Angeles; John P. Carroll, School of Natural Resources, University of Nebraska - Lincoln

ABSTRACT: The African Civet (Civettictis civetta) is a secretive, nocturnal mammal distributed over a broad part of the African continent. This species has been widely utilized for musk production, which has led to declining populations. As a result, Botswana populations are listed under the Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species of Wild Fauna and Flora (CITES) Appendix III. In order to provide effective conservation, status assessment measures of abundance are necessary. Camera trapping is now widely used to detect nocturnal and secretive species. We believe that the unique spot patterns found on civets provides opportunity to develop individual identification for application in CMR abundance estimates. We are using photographs from 6 years of camera trapping studies to create a database of civet photos. These photos are processed through Automated Photo-identification Software (APHIS) using two techniques. Spot Pattern Matching (SPM) uses referenced points to create spot coordinates to form a fingerprint-like statistic in the matching portion of the pre-processing stage. The SPM method comes from an I3S software that is implemented within APHIS. Image Template Matching (ITM), a method specific to only APHIS, uses patterns in pixels to determine a match through a pre-processing stage. Using both methods, we were able to match these patterns on African civets because it allowed for the full mid-body of the civet and all of its characteristic to be accounted for, thus increasing the likelihood of finding the correct match. We are testing individual recognition efficacy indirectly using the multiple photo settings on the camera traps creating multiple images of known animals. We believe that the combination of camera trapping and individual identification of civets will allow streamlined and cost effective analyses of distribution and abundance.  
Tuesday February 7, 2017 6:00pm - 9:00pm CST
Lancaster Ballroom
  Poster Session, Poster Display

6:00pm CST

Poster Display. Assessment of Monarch Butterfly Habitat and Productivity in Urban Spaces: Methods and Approaches
AUTHORS: Nigel Golden, University of Massachusetts - Amherst; Abigail Derby Lewis, Chicago Field Musuem

ABSTRACT: The monarch butterfly (Danaus plexippus) population in North America is experiencing long-term declines tied to a variety of causes, including pollution, loss of milkweed, land use change, and climate change on its over-wintering habitat in Central Mexico. Empirical evidence indicates that these declines are driven primarily by habitat loss coupled with the increase in usage of glyphosate-resistant crops. Preliminary research results from the interagency and interdisciplinary Monarch Conservation Science Partnership indicates that stabilizing monarch populations will require a "conservation strategy across all land types" with a focus on all land use sectors, including and particularly urban areas. In summer 2016, the Field Museum of Natural History initiated an Urban Monarch Landscape Conservation Design with the U.S. Fish and Wildlife and other institutions to explore systematically how urban areas can contribute to monarch butterfly conservation and to ultimately determine what are the ecological and social influences that affect monarch productivity. The project, “A Monarch’s View of Urban Landscapes” aims to enhance the coordination of monarch conservation within Chicago, IL, and three other metropolitan areas (St. Paul-Minneapolis, Kansas City, and Austin) along the I-35 migratory flyway. To accomplish this, the Field Museum created and used four different collection methods to develop a model that estimates habitat contribution by different land use sectors. Using a mixture of natural area inventories, metro-transect sampling, qualitative interview site, and productivity data, we estimated how Chicago can contribute towards monarch butterfly conservation. This presentation will describe what those methods are, lessons learned from sampling in urban areas, and where to go from here.
Tuesday February 7, 2017 6:00pm - 9:00pm CST
Lancaster Ballroom
  Poster Session, Poster Display

6:00pm CST

Poster Display. Assessment of Painted Turtle Age and Size from Long-term Pond Study
AUTHORS: Ellen Dolph, University of Nebraska-Lincoln; Larkin Powell, University of Nebraska-Lincoln

ABSTRACT: Painted turtles (Chrysemys picta) are a species found throughout the United States and are often studied because of their wide range and variability. There is not, however, a great deal of knowledge on growth patterns of painted turtles. We used data from a long-term, single pond study to create a model of painted turtle age based on size measurements of individual turtles captured and recaptured over more than ten years. The long-term nature of the study, with uniquely-marked individuals that are recaptured through time at a single pond, allows it to be used for finding growth relationships.  The painted turtle data was collected every summer at a single pond near Cedar Point Biological Station in Ogallala, NE. Turtles were captured using floating basking traps or hoop nets and were then measured.  We used growth models based on fisheries studies of recaptured individuals to predict future size based on current size. Age-growth curves were then used to predict size of turtles across ages.  We provide evidence that growth is gender-specific and is affected by drought patterns. Such insight is especially important as climates continue to change.
Tuesday February 7, 2017 6:00pm - 9:00pm CST
Lancaster Ballroom
  Poster Session, Poster Display

6:00pm CST

Poster Display. Associations Among Habitat Characteristics and Meningeal Worm Prevalence in Eastern South Dakota
AUTHORS: Christopher N. Jacques, South Dakota State University; Jonathan A. Jenks, South Dakota State University; Robert W. Klaver, U.S. Geological Survey; Shelli A. Dubay, University of Wisconsin-Stevens Point.

ABSTRACT: Few studies have evaluated how wetland and forest characteristics influence prevalence of meningeal worm (Parelaphostrongylus tenuis) infection of deer throughout the grassland biome of central North America. We used previously collected prevalence data (i.e., county-level) to evaluate associations between habitat characteristics and probability of meningeal worm infection in white-tailed deer (WTD) across eastern South Dakota, USA. The highest-ranked binomial regression model for detecting probability of meningeal worm infection was spring temperature (SPRT) + summer precipitation (SUMP) + percent wetland (PLAND_WET); weight of evidence (wi=0.71) favored this model over alternative models, though predictive capability was low (ROC=0.62). Probability of meningeal worm infection increased by 1.3- and 1.6-fold for each 1 cm and 1 C increase in summer precipitation and spring temperature, respectively. Similarly, probability of infection increased 1.2-fold for each percent increase in wetland habitat. Our findings highlight the importance of wetland habitat in predicting meningeal worm infection across eastern South Dakota. Future research evaluating the relationships between climatic conditions (e.g., drought, wet cycles) and deer habitat selection on maintaining P. tenuis along the western boundary of the parasite is warranted.
Tuesday February 7, 2017 6:00pm - 9:00pm CST
Lancaster Ballroom
  Poster Session, Poster Display

6:00pm CST

Poster Display. Attractants for Asian Carp Larvae
AUTHORS: Ben H. Stahlschmidt, U.S. Geological Survey; Amy E. George, U.S. Geological Survey; Duane C. Chapman, U.S. Geological Survey

ABSTRACT: Asian carp, considered undesirable invasives in North America, spawn in the mainstem of large rivers. After a period of embryonic and larval drift, larvae move into backwaters and other nursery habitats. Swimming ability at this stage is relatively strong and therefore it is likely that larvae have substantial control over nursery habitat selection. However, it is unknown how larvae sense and select nursery habitat. This experiment tested whether certain olfactory stimuli can be used to attract larval Asian carp. This knowledge could potentially be used to attract larvae to targeted areas, which would facilitate removal and disposal. Following initiation of horizontal swimming behavior (coinciding with gas bladder inflation), daily preference tests of attractants were administered to larvae of bighead (Hypophthalmichthys nobilis), silver (H. molitrix), and grass carp (Ctenopharyngodon idella) until the development of the second gas bladder chamber. Fifty larvae of each species were collected and observed each day until the end of the experiment. Chemotactic responses were determined by comparison of tested substances (algae, water taken from holding facilities of conspecifics, rotifers, alarm pheromones, and Asian carp feces) to a control (well water) in a modified Y-maze. Larvae throughout the experiment showed no response to any of the attractants, and largely remained in the no-preference zone of the Y-maze. It is unclear at this point whether larval Asian carp are responding to chemotactic stimuli or to some other stimuli such as water flow or temperature when moving from the main river to the backwater habitats.
Tuesday February 7, 2017 6:00pm - 9:00pm CST
Lancaster Ballroom
  Poster Session, Poster Display

6:00pm CST

Poster Display. Bat Community Ecology of Myotis Septentrionalis in Northeastern Iowa
AUTHORS: Francis E Tillman, University of Dubuque; Meagan J Albon, University of Dubuque; Madeleine E Zuercher, University of California-Berkeley; Gerald L Zuercher, University of Dubuque; David E Koch, University of Dubuque; Rasika G Mudalige-Jayawickrama, University of Dubuque

ABSTRACT: Effigy Mounds National Monument is a nationally-protected park along the Mississippi River in northeastern Iowa that contains diverse topography and associated upland and lowland forests interspersed with upland prairie. The park is home to at least seven bat species, the Federally Threatened Myotis septentrionalis is one of those and is the focus of this research. M. septentrionalis is one of the species being impacted by White-nose syndrome, which is a deadly pathogen of bats caused by the fungus Pseudogymnoascus destructans (Pd). Spatial and temporal patterns of bat communities were evaluated using acoustic detection and mist-netting methods. Exposure to Pd by all captured bat species was determined via swabbing the muzzles of captured bats and testing the isolated DNA. Currently, the exposure rate is ~5%. Finally, roost-site habitat characteristics for female Myotis septentrionali was determined using telemetry. Several Myotis septentrionalis were tracked to their nesting trees in 2015 and 2016. Comparison of summer roost site habitat to park-wide available habitat indicates little selection beyond tree height. Our results suggest that Pd is present at the park and that Effigy Mounds National Monument is an important protected area for bats, especially Myotis septentrionalis.
Tuesday February 7, 2017 6:00pm - 9:00pm CST
Lancaster Ballroom
  Poster Session, Poster Display

6:00pm CST

Poster Display. Bayesian Hierarchical Modeling of Ozark Mountain Cold Water Stream Temperatures
AUTHORS: Bridget Whitehead, University of Missouri; Joanna Whittier, University of Missouri; Del Lobb, Missouri Department of Conservation; Jacob Westhoff, Missouri Department of Conservation, and Craig Paukert, U.S. Geological Survey, Missouri Cooperative Fish and Wildlife Research Unit

ABSTRACT: Water temperature is a primary driver of aquatic community distribution and composition. Knowledge of stream water temperature can help inform management practices for trout and other temperature sensitive aquatic species. From 2002 to 2014, the Missouri Department of Conservation collected daily water temperature data at 106 cold water stream sites in the Ozark Region between July 1st and September 15th. Our objective was to examine patterns in water temperature over the collection period and forecast trends in the future. We developed a Bayesian hierarchical model of daily mean water temperature as a function of both static site characteristics and time-varying climatological variables, in which coefficients for regression on air temperature, solar radiation, and precipitation varied based on the site's groundwater influence and upstream watershed area. Groundwater influence was measured by the distance to the nearest upstream spring and, where available, the magnitude of the spring. The model also incorporated AR(1) correlation structure across days, reflecting the residual correlations in water temperatures on nearby days. This structure is crucial for prediction of consecutive day statistics, such as the maximum number of consecutive days above 70F. Based on mean squared prediction error and posterior predictive distributions, the model was able to predict water temperature in the current time period (2002 – 2014) with a reasonable magnitude of uncertainty. In order to predict stream temperatures in the future, we used downscaled climate data which provided future climate simulations at the regional level based on several global climate models. We calibrated the downscaled climate data to match distributions of observed data by applying the Doksum shift function for the period 1990 – 1999. We present inferential results describing relationships between the predictors and water temperature, as well as climate based predictions for summer water temperatures in 2032, 2042, 2062, and 2087.
Tuesday February 7, 2017 6:00pm - 9:00pm CST
Lancaster Ballroom
  Poster Session, Poster Display

6:00pm CST

Poster Display. Benthic Foragers Selecting for the New Zealand Mud Snail
AUTHORS: James Beaubien, Department of Fisheries and Wildlife, Michigan State University; Jerrod Lepper, Department of Fisheries and Wildlife, Michigan State University; Mitchell Nisbet, Department of Fisheries and Wildlife, Michigan State University; Daniel Hayes, Department of Fisheries and Wildlife, Michigan State University

ABSTRACT: James Beaubien

Jerrod Lepper

Mitchell Nisbet

Daniel Hayes

Department of Fisheries and Wildlife
Michigan State University
East Lansing, MI 48824

Tags:  New Zealand Mud Snails, invasive species, predation

New Zealand Mud Snails have recently invaded the Great Lakes region, and during the past 2-3 years, have been found in several rivers in the state of Michigan.  The Pere Marquette River is the first river where this species was detected in inland waters, and the population of mud snails has grown dramatically since first detection.  Fishery managers have concern over the potential impact this species will have on the important fisheries of the Pere Marquette and other rivers, however, little is known about the ecology of this species in the Great Lakes region.  New Zealand mud snails have been documented to be consumed by trout, and have even been shown capable of surviving through their gastrointestinal tract.  To our knowledge, there have been no investigations of foraging by other fish species on New Zealand mud snails.  Species like mottled sculpin, white sucker, and redhorse sucker might be anticipated to be more efficient foragers than trout due to their feeding ecology.  As such, we collected specimens of these species at sites infested with New Zealand mud snails and uninfested sites to determine whether these species consume mud snails, and if the presence of mud snails alters their foraging preferences.  
Tuesday February 7, 2017 6:00pm - 9:00pm CST
Lancaster Ballroom
  Poster Session, Poster Display

6:00pm CST

Poster Display. Brood Rearing Resource Selection of Greater Sage-Grouse on the Eastern Fringe of Their Range
AUTHORS: Lindsey Bischoff, South Dakota State University; Dr. Andrew Gregory, Bowling Green State University; Dr. Jonathan Jenks, South Dakota State University; Travis Runia 

ABSTRACT: Greater Sage-Grouse (Centrocercus urophasianus) are a species of conservation concern throughout the Intermountain West, and have been nominated for listing under provisions of the US Endangered Species Act eight times. Consequently, numerous studies have documented drivers of demographic performance at the core of their distribution; however, relatively few studies have examined sage-grouse inhabiting the eastern extent of their range in South Dakota.  Identifying sage-grouse resource selection during the critical brood rearing period can enhance management of the species and their habitat. In the spring of 2016, we monitored 27 radio-collared female sage-grouse. We detected 20 nests, seven of which successfully hatched. We located broods 2 times per week for the first four weeks following hatch. We indexed vegetation structure using Daubenmire frames and Robel poles, and collected arthropods via pitfall trapping and sweep netting weekly at used sites, as well as two paired random sites within 1.55km of each used site. This resulted in a total of 21 use sites and 42 paired random sites being sampled. Arthropods were grouped into the following orders to be counted and weighed; Coleoptera, Orthoptera, and Hymenoptera and “others”. Vegetation was compared among brood use sites and random sites using a MANOVA test. Brood sites were significantly different from random sites (p=0.034), specifically, differing in Robel readings (p=0.0004) and grass height (p=0.0002). We used a Wilcoxon rank sum test and MANOVA to determine if arthropod count and mass differed between brood sites and random sites. The only significant variable between used and random sites was the number of “other” arthropods collected (p=0.052).  Understanding sage-grouse resource selection during the brood rearing period may help us assess current agricultural and other land management practices while mitigating anthropogenic land modification. 
Tuesday February 7, 2017 6:00pm - 9:00pm CST
Lancaster Ballroom
  Poster Session, Poster Display

6:00pm CST

Poster Display. Butterfly Survey of Restored Croplands and Native Prairies in the Northern Loess Hills of Western Iowa
AUTHORS: Logan Anderson, Morningside College; James Stroh, Morningside College

ABSTRACT: The purpose of this study was to determine the success of the establishment of butterfly habitat on land formerly used as cropland and compare cropland butterfly abundance with butterfly abundance on native upland dry prairies. In June, July and August of 2016 three native tall grass prairies and two croplands restored specifically for butterfly habitat were surveyed using the “Pollard Walk” in Plymouth and Monona counties of western Iowa. Results were compared for total number of butterflies and total number of species detected per hour.  Restored croplands had significantly more butterflies detected per hour (p < 0.01); however there was no significant difference in the number of species detected per hour between the two habitat types. In addition, the restored cropland surveys encountered mostly generalist species (e.g. orange sulfurs, red admirals, etc.), while all of the native prairies included regal fritillaries, a species typically found in native dry-mesic to xeric prairies in Iowa.  Our results suggest that croplands specifically restored as habitat for butterflies can be successful attractants for many lepidopteran species, especially those considered as generalists. This would include the monarch (Danaus plexippus), a species whose recent decline has been reported in the scientific literature and one we found frequently in the restored butterfly habitat.
Tuesday February 7, 2017 6:00pm - 9:00pm CST
Lancaster Ballroom
  Poster Session, Poster Display

6:00pm CST

Poster Display. Changes of Native Bee Diversity in Agriculture Systems Due to Additional Habitat
AUTHORS: Madison Almquist, Lake Superior State University; Dr. Gregory Zimmerman, Lake Superior State University

ABSTRACT: Bees, along with other pollinators, are necessary for many plants to reproduce. Although many agricultural crops are self-pollinated, pollinators can still cause an increase of yield for agriculture crops, thus creating incentive for farmers to put in extra habitat to attract these organisms. The purpose of this study was to assess different additional habitats in terms of increasing pollinator abundance. The habitats were a specifically designed pollinator habitat (CP-42) that is meant to attract pollinators through the use of floral resources, Conservation Reserve Program (CRP), wetlands, and a drainage ditch with a border of CRP. Bee populations were evaluated using pan traps consisting of a colored 12 oz bowl (blue, white, or yellow) attached to a plant stand and then elevated above the crop’s canopy. The bowls were filled with a soapy water solution and left for 24 hours. Any bees caught in the trap were identified to genera. There was no detectable relationship between the different genera identified and the additional habitat that neighbored the agricultural field (p=0.73). When looking at the sizes of the different bee genera at the fields there was no significant difference detected (p=0.67). Although there was no distinction detected in the genera and the body sizes of these genera in the samples, these additional habitats are still important due to the undisturbed ground and other nesting supplies available for the bees to utilize.
Tuesday February 7, 2017 6:00pm - 9:00pm CST
Lancaster Ballroom
  Poster Session, Poster Display

6:00pm CST

Poster Display. Common Snapping Turtle Monitoring and Assessment in Illinois
AUTHORS: Katie Mainor; James T. Lamer, Western Illinois University; Mike McClelland, Illinois Department of Natural Resources; Emily Szott; Ashley Stanley

ABSTRACT: Common snapping turtles (Chelydra serpentina) inhabit waterways throughout Illinois and are harvested recreationally for sport and consumption. Seasons and bag limits are in place, but additional data are needed to identify management objectives for common snapping turtle harvest in Illinois. We are using mark and recapture (survival), size structure, sex ratio, and fecundity data to populate stage-based life tables needed to inform better management practices and harvest regulations for common snapping turtles in Illinois. We measured carapace and plastron dimensions, recorded sex and weight, and marked all trapped turtles (n=356) with passive integrated transponder (PIT) tags from eight locations in Illinois from May 21st - August 7th, 2015 and from May 19th – September 9th, 2016. Demographic structure varied between populations, but combined data resulted in sex ratios of 57% male, 34% female, and 8% Juveniles. In a Chi-Square analysis three of the eight populations had sex ratios significantly different from 1:1. Data from 2015-2016 will be presented using stage-based life tables, mark-recapture population estimates, and population prediction models based on the demographic rates of each population. The models will be made to replicate long term impacts of harvest scenarios.          
Tuesday February 7, 2017 6:00pm - 9:00pm CST
Lancaster Ballroom
  Poster Session, Poster Display

6:00pm CST

Poster Display. Comparing Swimming Performance of Bluntnose Minnows Pimephales Notatus in Lentic and Lotic Systems
AUTHORS: Crystal C. Nichols, Ball State University and Jason C. Doll, Ball State University

ABSTRACT: Abstract Anthropogenic perturbations, such as culverts, can affect fish species distribution and potentially prevent fish movement. These structures often reduce stream width, thereby increasing water velocity to a rate at which fish cannot overcome. Increased velocities may inhibit species distributions because movement is largely dependent on the physical ability of the fish to cross these barriers. Further, individuals within a species also possess varying swimming abilities based on their sex, size, and the habitat they occur in. Thus, our objective is to assess swimming performance of the Bluntnose Minnow Pimephales notatus. Swimming performance was measured using a flow chamber in which the fish was placed in, following the UCrit procedure. After an hour acclimation period fish were subjected to velocities starting at five and then increasing by five until the fish is unable to keep swimming. We compared Ucrit across habitat where the fish were collected (lentic vs. lotic), sex, and body size on the swimming performance of Bluntnose Minnows.  We described swimming performance of Bluntnose Minnows across habitat, sex, and body size. Our results can be used to understand potential hydraulic barriers for this species.
Tuesday February 7, 2017 6:00pm - 9:00pm CST
Lancaster Ballroom
  Poster Session, Poster Display

6:00pm CST

Poster Display. Comparison of Methods for Characterization of Fish Thermal Habitat
AUTHORS: Ryan Andrews, Michigan State University; Dan Hayes, Michigan State University

ABSTRACT: The response of fish to human alterations of habitat conditions is of critical management and policy importance.  For example, withdrawal of groundwater from stream ecosystems can result in altered thermal regimes, and changes in fish populations.  A challenge for policy makers and managers, however, is the high degree of variability in fish population data and varying responses of fish to habitat conditions.  Several methods have been used to set policy guidelines to protect fish from anthropogenic habitat changes.  In this study, we evaluated three methods of setting temperature benchmarks for stream fishes in Michigan.  The first method (WWAT), implemented by Zorn et al. focuses on optimal thermal range for fish, the second method (TITAN) developed by Baker and King searches the data for threshold response, and the third method (CART) is a general tool for categorizing data into discrete bins.  We found that TITAN and CART generally identified similar benchmarks, whereas WWAT often resulted in a different benchmark.  Each benchmark responded to different features in the data, and as such, begs the question of what the main policy goal is.
Tuesday February 7, 2017 6:00pm - 9:00pm CST
Lancaster Ballroom
  Poster Session, Poster Display

6:00pm CST

Poster Display. Comparison of Swimming Speeds in Larval Bighead, Silver, and Grass Carp
AUTHORS: Amy E. George, U.S. Geological Survey; Tatiana Garcia, U.S. Geological Survey; Benjamin H. Stahlschmidt, U.S. Geological Survey; Duane C. Chapman, U.S. Geological Survey

ABSTRACT: Several species of Asian carp, including bighead, silver, and grass carp are invasive in the waterways of central North America, and diploid grass carp are being found in the Great Lakes and their tributaries. Questions about recruitment potential motivate a need for accurate models of egg and larval dispersal. In order to improve these dispersal models, quantitative data on swimming behaviors and capabilities during early ontogeny are needed. We measured ontogenetic changes in routine and maximum swimming speeds of bighead, grass, and silver carp larvae. Daily measurements of routine swimming speed were taken for two weeks post-hatch using a still camera and the LARVEL program, a custom image-analysis software. Larval swimming speed was calculated using the larvae location between pairs of subsequent image frames and their time frame. Using an endurance chamber, we determined the maximum speed of larvae (post-gas bladder inflation, starting at 4 days post-hatch) for four to eight weeks post-hatch. For all species, larval swimming speeds showed similar trends with respect to ontogeny: increases in maximum speed and decreases in routine speed. Maximum speeds of bighead and grass carp larvae were similar and generally faster than silver carp larvae. Routine swimming speeds of all larvae were highest before gas bladder inflation, most likely because gas bladder inflation allowed the fish to maintain position without swimming. Downward vertical velocities of pre-gas bladder inflation fish were fastest. Grass carp larvae had the highest swimming speeds in the pre-gas bladder inflation period, and the lowest speeds in the post gas bladder inflation period. Knowledge of swimming capability of these species, along with hydraulic characteristics of a river, enables further refinement of models of embryonic and larval drift.
Tuesday February 7, 2017 6:00pm - 9:00pm CST
Lancaster Ballroom
  Poster Session, Poster Display

6:00pm CST

Poster Display. Comparison of Two Sampling Techniques and Management Effects on Herptile Fauna of Squaw Creek National Wildlife Refuge, Northwest Missouri
AUTHORS: Darrin M. Welchert, U. S. Fish and Wildlife Service, Squaw Creek National Wildlife Refuge; Mark S. Mills, Missouri Western State University; Jordan J. Meyer, University of Wisconsin – Stevens Point




ABSTRACT: Often in ecological studies one sampling technique is not sufficient enough to collect a broad spectrum of data even on a single class of organisms. Sampling basis is not unique to amphibian and reptile studies.  For this study from 2009 – 2014 cover boards and drift fences were used to sample herptiles on three main habitat types including Loess Hills (forest and prairie), upland and bottomland prairie on Squaw Creek National Wildlife Refuge (SCNWR) in Northwest Missouri.  SCNWR is comprised of 2,994 ha including 2,711 ha of bottomland and 283 ha of Loess Hills.  The objectives of this study was to document species richness and relative abundance of herptiles in different habitat types and to assess the effects of habitat management techniques including prescribed fire and woody plant control on amphibians and reptiles.  Over 20 species were documented between the three different habitat types.  Fossorial species such as prairie ringneck snakes (Diadophis punctatus) were more common under cover boards where more mobile species such as prairie racerunners (Aspidoscelis sexlineatus) were captured in drift fences.  Species richness and relative abundance varied among techniques and habitat types.
Tuesday February 7, 2017 6:00pm - 9:00pm CST
Lancaster Ballroom
  Poster Session, Poster Display

6:00pm CST

Poster Display. Deer Recruitment in Wisconsin: New Estimation Methods
AUTHORS: Beth Wojcik, University of Wisconsin-Madison; Tim Van Deelen, University of Wisconsin-Madison; Dan Storm, Wisconsin Department of Natural Resources


ABSTRACT: As the product of factors influencing reproduction and neonate survival, white-tailed deer (Odocoileus virginianus) recruitment is the most variable component of deer herds. This variability applies both spatially and temporally as numerous density dependent and independent factors affecting recruitment change in relation to ecological location, weather, predation risk, deer density, and hunter harvests. Because of the numerous factors influencing recruitment, it can be difficult to untangle one specific cause for changes in observed measurements. In regions of Wisconsin, recruitment measurements have recently declined for unknown reasons. Traditional methods for measuring deer recruitment have involved herd composition counts from roadside surveys. The opportunistic and convenient nature of these surveys has likely resulted in small sample sizes and biased estimates. Our goal is to investigate new methods of surveying deer which may provide improved reliability and precision of recruitment estimates.  Research will occur during August and September of 2016 and 2017 in 10 counties representing 4 regions (Northern Forest, Central Forest, Central Farmland, and Southern Farmland) of Wisconsin. We standardized roadside surveys by establishing routes, training observers, and creating procedural protocols. Influence of habitat type, survey time, weather, and deer behavior on detectability, sample size, and precision was examined. Standardized roadside surveys in areas with good visibility and high deer populations (woodlots intermixed with hay/alfalfa/soybean fields) resulted in many deer observations, but few deer were observed in habitats with poor visibility from roadsides and low deer populations (heavily forested and corn-dominated landscapes). Methods providing improved estimates of recruitment will allow wildlife managers to better compare spatial and temporal differences of recruitment, monitor recruitment trends, and model population size.
Tuesday February 7, 2017 6:00pm - 9:00pm CST
Lancaster Ballroom
  Poster Session, Poster Display

6:00pm CST

Poster Display. Depth Distribution of Juvenile Bluegill Sunfish in an Oligotrophic Wisconsin Lake
AUTHORS: David Lonzarich, University of Wisconsin - Eau Claire, Nate Sylte, University of Wisconsin - Eau Claire, Emma Donley, University of Wisconsin - Eau Claire

ABSTRACT: A large literature has accumulated on the factors affecting the distribution and abundance of lake-dwelling juvenile Bluegill (Lepomis macrochirus).  Among the factors most often linked to patterns of habitat use in this species are vegetation cover, predation risk and food availability.  In this study, conducted in a deep oligotrophic, warm-water Wisconsin lake, we used trapping surveys and underwater observation to document variability in bluegill densities along a depth gradient from 1 to 7 meters.  Pine Lake, located in northwestern Wisconsin is one of the deepest and clearest lakes in the state.  Secchi depths during summer routinely exceed 6 meters and the epiliminion extends to a depth of 7.5 meters.  Sampling waters at depths of 1, 3, 5 and 7 meters, we collected juvenile bluegill with minnow traps and estimated fish densities from dive surveys in late summer 2016.  We also measured zooplankton densities, and estimated vegetation type and cover from all depth strata. Minnow trap surveys revealed a dome-shaped distribution of fish with the highest numbers collected at 5 meters (10 fish/trap) and the lowest at 1 meter (2.8 fish/trap).  Dive surveys, however, revealed a linear relationship with depth, with the deepest locations containing the highest sunfish densities.  In fact, we often encountered extraordinarily large aggregations (10s of thousands) of Bluegill juveniles (and other species) at individual dive locations near 7 meters, just above the thermocline.  This depth also typically contained dense, uniform stands of vegetation and the highest zooplankton densities.  While supporting the conventional view concerning habitat selection in juvenile Bluegill, our findings suggest that lake trophic status (which affects the depth of the epilimnion and of vegetation) may help inform our understanding of distribution patterns of juvenile bluegill in lake ecosystems.
Tuesday February 7, 2017 6:00pm - 9:00pm CST
Lancaster Ballroom
  Poster Session, Poster Display

6:00pm CST

Poster Display. Determining Potential Bias by Chaoborus During Hydroacoustic Surveys of Prey Fish Biomass in Ohio Reservoirs
AUTHORS: Rebecca A. Dillon, The Ohio State University; Joseph D. Conroy, Ohio Division of Wildlife; Stuart A. Ludsin, The Ohio State University

ABSTRACT: Hydroacoustic surveys provide lake-wide estimates of prey fish distribution, density, and biomass. These surveys, however, do not exclusively detect the target of interest. For example, the aquatic larval stage of the dipteran Chaoborus, a macroinvertebrate commonly found in inland lakes and reservoirs, has two air bladders which make it resonate well at a frequency (200 kHz) used for hydroacoustic surveys of prey fish. Although Chaoborus occupies deeper water during the day, it migrates into the water column at night and may contribute greatly to total acoustic backscatter, biasing hydroacoustic surveys. The Ohio Division of Wildlife conducts annual hydroacoustic assessments of prey fish biomass using 200-kHz transducers but has not accounted previously for potential bias due to the presence of Chaoborus. To determine this potential bias, we combined multi-frequency (70- and 200-kHz) hydroacoustic surveys with discrete-depth (n = 3 depths) pump and vertical net (153-micrometer mesh) tows to provide zooplankton and Chaoborus density estimates and horizontal, and discrete-depth (n = 2 depths) paired ichthyoplankton net (500-micrometer mesh) trawls to provide fish density estimates. Surveys were completed monthly during April–August 2016 in Alum Creek Lake. Combining multiple sampling approaches identified all acoustic scatters and provided in situ density estimates. We found Chaoborus on all dates sampled, with greater densities in samples collected at night. Hydroacoustic data indicated lower prey fish biomass from the 70-kHz transducer data compared to the 200-kHz transducer data, indicating bias from Chaoborus. Additional analyses will more fully quantify the seasonal contribution by Chaoborus to total acoustic backscatter and its effect on hydroacoustic estimates of forage fish biomass.
Tuesday February 7, 2017 6:00pm - 9:00pm CST
Lancaster Ballroom
  Poster Session, Poster Display

6:00pm CST

Poster Display. Dispersal of Vertebrates Among Islands in a Riverine Ecosystem
AUTHORS: Jana Green, Northeastern State University; Justin Currie, Northeastern State University; Ryan Farney, Northeastern State University; Michael J. Shaughnessy Jr., Northeastern State University

ABSTRACT: We sampled riverine ecosystems in Sequoyah National Wildlife Refuge during July, August and September 2016. Three islands and one mainland site were sampled using Y-shaped pitfall arrays consisting of 10 pitfalls connected by drift fences. Small mammals, reptiles and amphibians were collected in pitfall traps. Additionally, walking surveys were conducted for larger reptiles and amphibians that could potentially avoid getting caught in the pitfall traps. We captured or detected four species of amphibians in three families Microhylidae, Ranidae and Hylidae. Only one species of lizard has been observed on islands, Sceloporus undulatus. Two species of semiaquatic snakes have been observed, Nerodia and Agkistrodon and four species of turtles in two families; Kinosternidae and Emydidae. Few mammals have been captured in all habitats to date. Island habitats have produced only insectivores, while the mainland site has produced both rodents and insectivores. Our preliminary data suggest that the role of islands as habitats for terrestrial vertebrates in freshwater riverine systems may vary. Additional field work scheduled for 2017 is expected to better highlight the varying dispersal abilities of small mammals, reptiles and amphibians to riverine islands as well as clarify their functional role for different vertebrate groups in their surrounding ecosystem.
Tuesday February 7, 2017 6:00pm - 9:00pm CST
Lancaster Ballroom
  Poster Session, Poster Display

6:00pm CST

Poster Display. Distribution and Phenology of Didymosphenia Geminata in the St. Marys River, a Great Lakes Connecting Channel
AUTHORS: Joseph Stutesman, Lake Superior State University Student, Ashley Moerke, Professor at Lake Superior State University

ABSTRACT: Distribution and Phenology of Didymosphenia geminata in the St. Marys River, a Great Lakes Connecting Channel
Authors: Joseph Stutesman, Jonathan Edwards, and Ashley Moerke
Affiliation: School of Biological Sciences, Lake Superior State University, Sault Sainte Marie, MI 49783
Abstract
In recent decades, blooms of Didymosphenia geminata (Didymo), a stalk-producing diatom, have been observed more frequently in rivers throughout the world. In 2015, Didymo was documented blooming in the rapids of the St. Marys River, which was the first reported occurrence of Didymo blooms in Michigan waters. Didymo blooms can affect macroinvertebrates, fisheries, and aesthetics in streams and rivers, and therefore managers are interested in controlling these blooms. The objective of this study was to document distribution and quantify the density and blooming patterns (phenology) of Didymo in the upper St. Marys River (Sault Ste. Marie, Michigan and Ontario) in relation to water quality. Twenty-eight sites in the Eastern Upper Peninsula of Michigan were sampled for water quality and Didymo in mid-summer 2016 to document distribution. At two sites in the Main Rapids, water quality (e.g., conductivity) was measured in situ and rock scrapes were collected biweekly from May to September 2016 to quantify Didymo cell and stalk density. Didymo was present in 16 of the 28 locations sample, but presence was limited to sites ~30 km downstream of the rapids. Didymo was absent from tributary samples. Densities of Didymo cells and stalks were highest in the Main Rapids in late spring and declined throughout summer. These findings suggest that Didymo is currently restricted to the river, and blooms are highest in the in late spring, which may correspond to fish hatching and emergence timing. These data will serve as a baseline for monitoring Didymo change in Michigan waters.
Tuesday February 7, 2017 6:00pm - 9:00pm CST
Lancaster Ballroom
  Poster Session, Poster Display

6:00pm CST

Poster Display. Ecotypic Variation in Physiological Reaction Norms in Wintering Lizards: A Common-environment Experiment Using Populations from Two Latitudes
AUTHORS: Madeline Michels-Boyce, Department of Biological Sciences, Minnesota State University, Mankato; John Krenz, Department of Biological Sciences, Minnesota State University, Mankato; Nora Ibargüengoytía, Departamento de Zoología, INIBIOMA-CONICET, Centro Regional Universitario Bariloche, Universidad Nacional del Comahue

ABSTRACT: In order to survive winters in harsh climates, organisms often prepare for winter by storing energy and retreating to a suitable refuge. Additionally, ectothermic organisms may physiologically prepare for wintering (brumation) by either tolerating freezing temperatures or avoiding them in warmer refuges. In lizards, both a decreasing temperature and a shortening photoperiod can be the proximate cause of the onset of brumation, but it is unclear whether these two cues are used independently or conjointly to stimulate physiological changes. As is true for many vertebrates, there is little known about ecotypic variation in adaptation to cold climate in lizards. To detect such ecotypic variation, we collected five-lined skinks (Plestiodon fasciatus) from two latitudes (Minnesota/Wisconsin and Texas). To distinguish the effects of photoperiod and temperature on brumation, we propose to expose both groups to either decreasing or constant regimes of each variable. We predict that lizards will respond the strongest when given both photoperiod and temperature cues. We also predict that the lizards from the high latitude will store more energy and have lower critical thermal minima than lizards from the low latitude. The presence of north-south ecotypic variation in cold adaptation would be an important consideration in species conservation in the face of climate change.
Tuesday February 7, 2017 6:00pm - 9:00pm CST
Lancaster Ballroom
  Poster Session, Poster Display

6:00pm CST

Poster Display. Effects of Distance from Water Control Structures on Furbearer Detection on Track Plates in Crex Meadows Wildlife Area, Grantsburg, Wisconsin
AUTHORS: Lisa Zoromski, University of Wisconsin-Stevens Point; Cady Sartini, PhD., University of Wisconsin-Stevens Point; Robert Hanson, Wisconsin Department of Natural Resources; Paul Petersen, Wisconsin Department of Natural Resources


ABSTRACT: Non-invasive sampling techniques may be impacted by site-specific variables such as prey availability. Track plates with the aid of lure or bait are relatively inexpensive and a commonly used non-invasive technique for sampling furbearers. Aquatic prey of many furbearers appear to congregate around water control structures, making these structures attractive areas to sample furbearer populations through non-invasive means. The purpose of this study was to compare furbearer detection at varying distances from water control structures at four wetland flowages at Crex Meadows Wildlife Area in Grantsburg, Wisconsin. Chalked track plates with lure were placed along the dikes in 50-m increments up to 250-m away from water control structures. Track identification with plate distance from structures was recorded each morning from July 1-11, 2016.  Chalk and lure were reapplied daily after each plate check. This sampling technique was shown as a simple and effective way of detecting furbearer tracks, with 13 plates visited, mainly by raccoon (Pryocyon lotor). Data are in the process of being analyzed. We predict that across the four flowages, track plates closer to structures will show higher detection of furbearers. Understanding site-specific factors that impact detection can help improve non-invasive sampling techniques, such as track plate placement from water control structures.
Tuesday February 7, 2017 6:00pm - 9:00pm CST
Lancaster Ballroom
  Poster Session, Poster Display

6:00pm CST

Poster Display. Effects of Invasive Non-Native Aquatic Macrophytes on the Foraging and Diet Composition of Small-sized Fish
AUTHORS: Natália Carniatto, Programa de Pós-graduação em Ecologia de Ambientes Aquáticos Continentais, Universidade Estadual de Maringá; Rosemara Fugi, Núcleo de Pesquisas em Limnologia, Ictiologia e Aquicultura, Universidade Estadual de Maringá

ABSTRACT: The effects of non- native invasive aquatic macrophytes on native communities have been reported for different types of ecosystems. In Rosana Reservoir, located in the Paranapanema River, Brazil, Urochloa arrecta, an aquatic grass native to Africa, occupies extensive coastal areas, and co-occurs with the native Eichhornia azurea, both emerging and rooted. In this context, the aim of this study is to evaluate the effects of invasive macrophyte on the composition and breadth of small-sized fish diet, using the native macrophyte as a control. Fish were collected in monospecific patches using Plaxiglas floating traps. Stomach contents were analyzed and differences in diet composition between macrophytes were tested by a MRPP, and the niche breadth was evaluated by Levins’ Index. The diet of Hemigrammus marginatus was predominantly composed of microcrustaceans (mainly Cladocera), Hyphessobrycon eques by invertebrates and microcrustaceans (mainly Chironomidae and Copepods), while the Pyrrhulina australis was predominantly composed of invertebrates (mainly Collembola) and Serrapinnus notomelas of algae and microcrustaceans (mainly Zygnemaphyceae and Cladocera). The MRPP result showed that the diet composition of three of the four species was significantly different between E. azurea and U. arrecta. This result is justified by the difference in consumption of invertebrates between the two different macrophytes. In addition, some items were exclusive in one of the macrophytes, as Tecameba, Harpacticoida and Decapod in E. azurea, and Lepidoptera and Odonata in U. arrecta. Hyphessobrycon eques and Pyrrhulina australis had the highest trophic niche breadth values when associated with U. arrecta (0.49 and 0.31 respectively), and Hemigrammus marginatus and Serrapinnus notomelas when associated with E. azurea (0.35 and 0.42 respectively). These results suggest that the two macrophytes are used as a foraging place, however, the composition and especially the abundance of invertebrates associated with macrophytes should differ, resulting in different availability of resources for the fish.
Tuesday February 7, 2017 6:00pm - 9:00pm CST
Lancaster Ballroom
  Poster Session, Poster Display

6:00pm CST

Poster Display. Environmental Variables Influencing Raccoon Exposure to Parvovirus in Wisconsin
AUTHORS: Amanda Kamps, USDA-APHIS; Shelli Dubay, University of Wisconsin-Stevens Point; Christopher N. Jacques, Western Illinois University; Cady Sartini, University of Wisconsin-Stevens Point

ABSTRACT: Generalist species, such as raccoons (Procyon lotor), are able to adapt to urban environments, but how urbanization influences exposure of raccoons to parvoviruses is unknown.  Our objective was to identify potental effects of land cover (i.e., percent grassland, wetland, forest, agriculture, housing units) and intrinsic (i.e., age, sex) variables on exposure of urban racccon populations to parvovirus.  From 2008-2010, we sampled trapper-harvested raccoons near Milwaukee and Madison, Wisconsin for antibody against canine parvovirus (CPV).  Harvest locations for adult raccoons were entered into ArcMap 9.3 and buffered by a 0.81-km radius to represent a circular approximation of a home range for each raccoon.  Housing units were obtained from the 2000 US Census and land cover variables were obtained from the USGS 2001 National Landcover Database.  Overall, 60% (n = 164) of raccoons were exposed to parvovirus.  The highest-ranked model for predicting expsoure of raccoons to parvovirus was age + housing units + grassland + agriculture + forest + wetland.  Support for this model was substantial (wi = 1.00) and prediction capability was acceptable (ROC = 0.75); all other models were noncompetitive (wi < 0.001).  Adult raccoons with more forested habitat and fewer housing units within buffered home ranges were more likely exposed to parvoviruses than juveniles, potentially because parvovirus is fatal to young animals or because these individuals may not have been exposed to the virus.  Parvovirus may remain viable for longer periods of time in forested environments compared with urban areas characterized by warmer temperatures and more direct sunlight.
Tuesday February 7, 2017 6:00pm - 9:00pm CST
Lancaster Ballroom
  Poster Session, Poster Display

6:00pm CST

Poster Display. Evaluating Differences in Invertebrate Communities Between Remnant and Restored Prairies in Missouri
AUTHORS: Joseph LaRose, University of Missouri, Division of Plant Sciences.; Deborah Finke. University of Missouri, Division of Plant Sciences.
Elisabeth Webb; Missouri Cooperative Fisheries and Wildlife Research Unit

ABSTRACT: North American tallgrass prairies and their obligate inhabitants, which before mechanized agriculture occupied a large swath of central North America, now face the combined challenges of habitat loss and fragmentation.  In the Upper Osage Grasslands of Missouri and the southern Central Dissected Plains, several hundred hectares of tallgrass prairie have been restored near tracts of remnant native prairie. To evaluate the effectiveness of prairie reconstructions in restoring grassland invertebrate communities, we used sweep nets and bee bowls to sample two guilds of terrestrial invertebrates: native bees (superfamily Apoidea), and grasshoppers (Acrididae). Remnant prairie sites with adjacent or nearby reconstruction plantings were chosen in order to compare community composition and species richness between the two habitat types. We swept a total of 134 transects at five conservation or natural areas between June and September of 2016. Bee bowls were deployed at 101 of those transects during the three sampling periods. Species richness and community composition were also used to evaluate the effects of reconstruction patch size and age. We hypothesized that acridid and bee species richness will be greater in remnant prairies than in reconstructed prairies, and that reconstructions will be characterized by a distinct suite of invertebrate species. These characteristic species are probably more capable of colonization due to above average mobility or their ability to survive in the surrounding matrix. Preliminary results suggest that diversity and abundance trends across prairie type may vary across invertebrate guilds.
Tuesday February 7, 2017 6:00pm - 9:00pm CST
Lancaster Ballroom
  Poster Session, Poster Display

6:00pm CST

Poster Display. Exploitation of Paddlefish in the Mississippi River
AUTHORS: Nick Kramer, Kansas Dept. Wildlife, Parks, and Tourism; Quinton Phelps, Missouri Dept. Conservation; Sara Tripp, Missouri Dept. Conservation; Dave Herzog, Missouri Dept. Conservation

ABSTRACT: The American Paddlefish Polyodon spathula is an ancient species native to the Mississippi River and its larger tributaries. This species exhibits a unique combination of morphology and life history characteristics that sets it apart from most fishes swimming in our freshwater systems. It is these traits, coupled with extensive river modifications and overexploitation, which have led to population declines from historic values. Concern over exploitation rates from sport and commercial fisheries has increased in recent decades and the Convention on International Trade of Endangered Species is now seeking information from state agencies regarding the sustainability of commercially harvested Paddlefish Populations. The Missouri Department of Conservation is addressing this through the implementation of a five year study on exploitation of Paddlefish in the Mississippi River. The first two years of this project found that exploitation of Paddlefish along Missouri’s eastern border was equal to 4.01% (SE=0.02). Previous spawning potential ratio modeling completed by Hupfeld et al. (In Press) used estimates of exploitation derived from un-validated ages. By replacing the information from that study with the more accurate estimates determined in this study it becomes apparent that Paddlefish populations of the Mississippi River are currently at sustainable levels. However, precautionary adjustment of regulations is advised to protect Paddlefish through maturation and to counteract the possibility of increased harvest intensity resulting from increased demand of domestic caviar.
Tuesday February 7, 2017 6:00pm - 9:00pm CST
Lancaster Ballroom
  Poster Session, Poster Display

6:00pm CST

Poster Display. Flathead Catfish Recruitment in the Lower Wabash River
AUTHORS: Cassi J. Moody-Carpenter, Leslie D Frankland,Tim Edison and Robert E. Colombo

ABSTRACT: As a 200 mile boundary water, the Wabash River provides an important catfish sport and commercial fishery for both Indiana and Illinois. It currently sustains a large commercial catfish fishery, with catfish comprising approximately 50% and 80% of the harvest by Illinois and Indiana commercial fishers, respectively. To effectively address recruitment, fish were collected by pulsed DC electrofishing during 2010-2015. Each catfish sampled was measured to total length (mm) and weighed (g). Significant differences in catch of YOY and one year old flathead catfish across years was observed. Water temperature and stage height was significantly different across years as well; therefore these environmental variables may have some correlation with flathead catfish recruitment. 2016 catch and environmental data will be incorporated to determine any relationships between abiotic factors and success of spawning and recruitment of flathead catfish.
Tuesday February 7, 2017 6:00pm - 9:00pm CST
Lancaster Ballroom
  Poster Session, Poster Display

6:00pm CST

Poster Display. Flight Initiation Distances of Nesting Piping Plovers (Charadrius Melodus) in Response to Human Disturbance
AUTHORS: Mary Bomberger Brown, School of Natural Resources, University of Nebraska; Joel G. Jorgensen, Nongame Bird Program, Nebraska Game and Parks Commission; Lauren R. Dinan, Nongame Bird Program, Nebraska Game and Parks Commission

ABSTRACT: Flight initiation distances (FIDs) are often employed to inform appropriate buffer distances required for human exclusion zones used to protect birds nesting in anthropogenic landscapes. Piping Plovers (Charadrius melodus) are protected by the Endangered Species Act in the United States and often nest in areas also used by people for recreation, residence, or industry. Studies evaluating Piping Plover FIDs are limited and implementation of exclusion zones has been inconsistent across the species’ range. We measured Piping Plover response and FIDs to naturally occurring stimuli on public beaches at Lake McConaughy, Nebraska, USA. Piping Plover FIDs differed by stimulus class (vehicle, human, dog, human with dog), Julian day, and hour of day. Piping Plover FIDs were greatest for dog and human with dog compared to humans and vehicles. For all types of stimuli, Piping Plover FIDs decreased over the nesting season and increased slightly during each day.  When Piping Plovers left their nests, return times to the nest were relatively short (less than three minutes). These results suggest Piping Plovers become habituated to the presence of human-related stimuli over the course of a nesting season, but other explanations such as parental investment and risk allocation cannot be excluded. Improved guidance regarding the implementation of exclusion zones is needed so managers can implement effective protection programs in anthropogenic landscapes.
Tuesday February 7, 2017 6:00pm - 9:00pm CST
Lancaster Ballroom
  Poster Session, Poster Display

6:00pm CST

Poster Display. Free Food Is Not Free: Do Food Plots Pose Greater Predation Risk Than Resource Benefit for Northern Bobwhite Quail?
AUTHORS: Nadejda A. Mirochnitchenko, Nebraska Cooperative Fish & Wildlife Research Unit, University of Nebraska–Lincoln
Erica F. Stuber, Nebraska Cooperative Fish & Wildlife Research Unit, University of Nebraska–Lincoln
Joseph J. Fontaine, U.S. Geological Survey, Nebraska Cooperative Fish & Wildlife Research Unit, University of Nebraska–Lincoln


ABSTRACT: Supplemental feeding programs have been shown to change the distribution patterns of target and non-target species. When non-target predators move closer to supplemental feeding sites, feeders may pose as a trap for target species and other at risk non-target species, counteracting conservation intentions. However, the net benefit or costs over the entire life history for a target upland game species, Northern bobwhite quail (Colinus virginianus), has not been clearly evaluated. In this study, we will quantify space use and survival of bobwhite quail using radio telemetric tracking during winter. We will also track the local predator space use using a grid of camera traps. We will then compare the space use of quail and their predators in areas where a low maintenance supplemental feeding technique (food plots) have been implemented to areas with no food supplementation. Understanding the direct and indirect effects of proposed management programs is essential to implementation of effective conservation strategies. 
Tuesday February 7, 2017 6:00pm - 9:00pm CST
Lancaster Ballroom
  Poster Session, Poster Display

6:00pm CST

Poster Display. Fuel for Shorebirds: A Survey of Potential Invertebrate Prey Items Along Northern Lake Michigan’s Coastline During Nesting and Migration
AUTHORS: Lisa A Pashnik, US Geological Survey Great Lakes Science Center; Taaja R Tucker, CSS-Dynamac/US Geological Survey Great Lakes Science Center; Erica L Johnson, US Geological Survey Forest and Rangeland Ecosystem Science Center; Stephen C Riley, US Geological Survey Great Lakes Science Center

ABSTRACT: A variety of shorebirds, including the endangered Piping Plover (Charadrius melodus), prey upon insects and other invertebrates along the shoreline of Sleeping Bear Dunes National Lakeshore (SLBE) in northern Michigan. Piping Plovers are visual predators that pick prey items off the sand surface along the swash zone, although little is known about what invertebrates they ingest. To determine what insects were available to Piping Plovers and other shorebirds throughout the nesting season and fall migration, 10-15 sticky traps were set once monthly from June to September 2014 and July to August 2015 for three 4-hr time periods.  All birds observed within view of the sticky traps were identified and counted during the sampling period. Captured insects were identified to lowest possible taxonomic level and insect abundance and community composition were compared between daily time periods, over the sampling season, between sites, and against weather data. Results were compared to previous studies from the 1980s and late 2000s to determine if insect abundance and community structure differed over time along SLBE shorelines. A summary of the birds frequenting the survey sites is provided.
Tuesday February 7, 2017 6:00pm - 9:00pm CST
Lancaster Ballroom
  Poster Session, Poster Display

6:00pm CST

Poster Display. Grassland Bird Response to Grassland Restorations That Vary in Vegetative Diversity
AUTHORS: Joseph Lambert, Iowa State University; Robert Klaver, US Geological Survey, Iowa State University; Jennifer Vogel, Iowa State University

ABSTRACT: Tallgrass prairie ecosystems in the United States have been dramatically altered through time. The conversion, loss, and fragmentation of grassland habitat has resulted in steep declines in grassland bird populations. Programs, such as the Conservation Reserve Program (CRP), have focused on re-establishing grasslands to increase the overall amount of grassland habitat available on the landscape. Recently, older grassland restorations that were typically planted to non-native, cool-season vegetation (i.e. smooth brome (Bromus inermis)) have been converted to native restorations in an attempt to more accurately match remnant grassland habitat. Our objective was to compare grassland bird use among grassland restorations that were established with varying seed mixes. We selected 5 grassland types, cool-season (smooth brome monocultures), warm-season (2 treatments; established in different years with 5 native warm-season species), high diversity (>40 species), and shortgrass diversity (>100 species), for our study which represents the range of planting mixtures typically established on the landscape. During the summers of 2015 and 2016 we utilized line-transect sampling to survey grassland birds located on restoration plantings in the Spring Run Wetland Complex in northwestern Iowa. Vegetation surveys and invertebrate sweep-net surveys were performed to evaluate vegetative characteristics and food resource potential of the planting types. Common yellowthroat (Geothlypis trichas), bobolink (Dolichonyx oryzivorus), red-winged blackbird (Agelaius phoeniceus), and sedge wren (Cistothorus platensis) were the most common species observed in 2015 and 2016. Bird densities differed by planting type: bobolink densities were highest in cool-season fields while common yellowthroat, sedge wren, and red-winged blackbird densities were highest in fields planted with native vegetation. This suggests that a variety of planting types are needed to adequately conserve grassland birds.
Tuesday February 7, 2017 6:00pm - 9:00pm CST
Lancaster Ballroom
  Poster Session, Poster Display

6:00pm CST

Poster Display. Habitat Preferences of Turtles on 9-Mile Island of Pool 12 of the Mississippi River
AUTHORS: Amy Shook, University of Dubuque; David E Koch, University of Dubuque

ABSTRACT: Turtle Populations in Pool 12 of the Mississippi River have been observed by students from the University of Dubuque for ten years. This Mississippi River system has a complex set of habitats. This year’s project looks at some of the variations in turtle species distributions in some of those habitats. Turtles were caught using hoop nets, marked, and returned. The majority of turtles captured were in backwater habitats, with Painted Turtles (Chrysemys picta) being the most common species. Population levels were lower than previous years. Overall species richness was 5 with a Shannon’s Diversity Index of 0.93. This trapping efforts indicated that almost half of all turtles caught, were adolescent or juvenile turtles.
Tuesday February 7, 2017 6:00pm - 9:00pm CST
Lancaster Ballroom
  Poster Session, Poster Display

6:00pm CST

Poster Display. Home Range Size, Movements, and Survival Rates of Sora and Virginia Rails in a Managed Marsh Complex in Northwestern Ohio
AUTHORS: James Hansen, The Ohio State University; Brendan Shirkey, Winous Point Marsh Conservancy; John Simpson, Winous Point Marsh Conservancy; Robert Gates, The Ohio State University

ABSTRACT: Home range size and survival are not well known for species of secretive marshbirds. Sora and Virginia rails are of particular interest in Ohio because of their status as game birds with relatively liberal harvest regulations. There are no estimates of abundance for sora and Virginia rails in Ohio, and knowledge of home range size and survival is lacking. We equipped 34 sora and 64 Virginia rails with radio-transmitters from May-August 2016. Rails were tracked from the date of capture until they died or departed from the study site. Seventy-three of 98 rails (44 Virginia rail and 29 sora) departed the study area while marsh units were being flooded and drawn down. The mean number of days from initial capture to departure was 9.8 (SD = 8.6). We tracked 28 Sora and 58 Virginia rails over 449 and 1256 exposure days, respectively. Three radio-marked Virginia rails and one sora were found dead, resulting in an approximate daily survival rate of 99.8% for both species. Minimum convex polygons were generated for birds with 15-47 locations. Mean home range size was 1.92 ha (1.78-2.1) for sora and 3.5 ha (0.78-12.6) for Virginia rail. Although mortality was relatively low, small home range sizes suggest rails did not move in response to changing water levels, suggesting that small-scale changes in habitat conditions, such as declining water levels may have caused rails to depart the study site. Some of the departing birds may have been migrants that did not establish home ranges. Rails departed during the first, second, and third National marshbird survey window, revealing that the population was not closed, which creates problems for estimating abundance. Work during the next two breeding seasons will lend greater understanding of population dynamics and habitat management of Sora and Virginia rails in this managed coastal marsh system.
Tuesday February 7, 2017 6:00pm - 9:00pm CST
Lancaster Ballroom
  Poster Session, Poster Display

6:00pm CST

Poster Display. Human Observers vs Autonomous Recording Units: A Comparison of Two Avian Research Methods
AUTHORS: Julia Dale, Iowa State University; Matt Stephenson, Iowa State University; Lisa Schulte-Moore, Iowa State University; Robert Klaver, U.S. Geological Survey, Iowa Cooperative Fish and Wildlife Unit

ABSTRACT: The last few years have seen increased interest in the use of Autonomous Recording Units (ARUs) to document the presence of avian species without the need for trained human observers. While research has found ARUs to be useful in detecting certain species under specific conditions, there has been little inquiry into how this newer method compares to more traditional avian survey methods in quality and efficiency. To evaluate the comparative effectiveness of Autonomous Recording Units and trained human observers at detecting avian species, we conducted five-minute point counts while simultaneously using an ARU to record bird song. We then visually analyzed the recordings using Raven Pro software and compared this data to that collected by a trained field observer. In addition, we compared final species counts obtained via both methods for each site. A cost comparison of the two methods was conducted using micro-costing techniques in which individual costs related to each survey method were estimated and compared. 
Tuesday February 7, 2017 6:00pm - 9:00pm CST
Lancaster Ballroom
  Poster Session, Poster Display

6:00pm CST

Poster Display. Impacts of Extreme Conditions on White-tailed Deer Antlers Using Harvested and Naturally Cast Antler Metrics
AUTHORS: Brian C. Peterson, Department of Biology, University of Nebraska at Kearney; Nicolas J. Fryda, Nebraska Game and Parks Commission; Casey W. Schoenebeck, Minnesota Department of Natural Resources

ABSTRACT: Antler size and morphology is the resultant combination of genetics, nutrition, population dynamics, individual health and environmental conditions and therefore deer antler metrics can be used to index the physical condition of deer populations. Leading into and throughout the antler development season of 2012, the Nebraska white-tailed deer (WTD) herd experienced a combination of extreme conditions which included drought, reduced growing season, disease and increased population density. The objectives of this study were to evaluate 1) if WTD antler metrics during a year with extreme conditions (2012) were different than in years with normal conditions (2009-2011 and 2013-2015); and 2) if antler metrics of the WTD cohort born during the extreme condition year were different than antler metrics of similar age groups from cohorts born during years with normal conditions. Antler metrics including main beam length (MBL), circumference (H1), and total points (TP) were measured on harvested WTD (2009-2015) and pedicle seal depths were measured on freshly naturally cast (2010-2016) WTD antlers. Harvested WTD antler metrics were variable between years with extreme and normal conditions, while bucks born during the extreme condition year were persistently smaller when compared to the same age groups during normal conditions. Pedicle seal depths of cast antlers were significantly smaller during the extreme condition year for both yearlings (2.3±0.3; P < 0.01) and ≥ 2.5 year olds (4.5±0.6mm; P=0.03) when compared to years with normal conditions (4.0±0.2 and 5.8±0.2mm; respectively). Pedicle seal depths of yearling WTD born during the extreme condition year (4.4±0.3mm) were larger when compared to yearlings born during normal conditions (3.6±0.1mm; P=0.06). Although differences in harvested WTD antler metrics during the extreme condition year varied, environmental stressors may have contributed to physiological differences in cast antlers as well as the persistence of smaller antler metrics for the cohort group born under those conditions.
Tuesday February 7, 2017 6:00pm - 9:00pm CST
Lancaster Ballroom
  Poster Session, Poster Display

6:00pm CST

Poster Display. Incorporating Detection Probability into Northern Great Plains Pronghorn Population Estimates
AUTHORS: Christopher N. Jacques, South Dakota State University; Jonathan A. Jenks, South Dakota State University; Robert W. Klaver, U. S. Geological Survey; Christopher S. DePerno, North Carolina State University.


ABSTRACT: Pronghorn (Antilocapra americana) abundances commonly are estimated using fixed-wing surveys, but these estimates are likely to be negatively biased because of violations of key assumptions underpinning line-transect methodology. Reducing bias and improving precision of abundance estimates through use of detection probability and mark-resight models may allow for more responsive pronghorn management actions. Given their potential application in population estimation, we evaluated detection probability and mark-resight models for use in estimating pronghorn population abundance. We used logistic regression to quantify probabilities that detecting pronghorn might be influenced by group size, animal activity, percent vegetation, cover type, and topography. We estimated pronghorn population size by study area and year using mixed logit-normal mark-resight (MLNM) models. Pronghorn detection probability increased with group size, animal activity, and percent vegetation; overall detection probability was 0.639 (95% CI = 0.612–0.667) with 396 of 620 pronghorn groups detected. Despite model selection uncertainty, the best detection probability models were 44% (range = 8–79%) and 180% (range = 139–217%) greater than traditional pronghorn population estimates. Similarly, the best MLNM models were 28% (range = 3–58%) and 147% (range = 124–180%) greater than traditional population estimates. Detection probability of pronghorn was not constant but depended on both intrinsic and extrinsic factors. When pronghorn detection probability is a function of animal group size, animal activity, landscape complexity, and percent vegetation, traditional aerial survey techniques will result in biased pronghorn abundance estimates. Standardizing survey conditions, increasing resighting occasions, or accounting for variation in individual heterogeneity in mark-resight models will increase the accuracy and precision of pronghorn population estimates.
Tuesday February 7, 2017 6:00pm - 9:00pm CST
Lancaster Ballroom
  Poster Session, Poster Display

6:00pm CST

Poster Display. Influence of Body Size and Sex on Ectoparasite Loads in Southern Flying Squirrels (Glaucomys Volans)
AUTHORS: Mary Beth Scheihing, Western Illinois University; Will T. Rechkemmer, Western Illinois University; Sean E. Jenkins, Western Illinois University; Shelli A. Dubay, University of Wisconsin-Stevens Point; Christopher N. Jacques, Western Illinois University

ABSTRACT: Ectoparasites can have long-term negative fitness consequences for host organisms, and have been attributed to differences in sex and body condition. The degree to which parasites may affect populations of host species may depend on a variety of factors including the host species itself, intersexual variation in reproductive strategies, ability of parasites to move between host organisms, and variability in parasitism among sex and age classes within host populations Southern flying squirrels (SFS; Glaucomys volans) nest communally nest during the non-mating season, do not exhibit sexual dimorphism, and display marked intersexual differences in breeding behaviors and territoriality between males (non-territorial) and females (territorial during the mating season). Thus, SFS are excellent organisms to evaluate hypotheses related to host-parasite relations across the Midwest. The overall goal of our study is to investigate potential effects of sex and body morphometrics (e.g., mass, skull length) on ectoparasite loads in SFS. Because of the unique landscape characteristics (e.g., high forest fragmentation) across the Midwest, population and disease dynamics of SFS may vary relative to other landscapes characterized by more contiguous forests. During summer 2016, we collected ectoparasites from 46 SFS (14 males, 32 females). Mean number of ectoparasites collected per animal was 0.77 (SE = 0.18), and was similar (F1,43 = 0.23, P = 0.63) among male (mean = 0.75, SE = 0.34) and female (mean = 0.61, SE = 0.13) squirrels. Preliminary results yielded no effects (F1,43 ≤ 2.13, P ≥ 0.07) of parasite load on body mass or skull length, which may be an artifact of limited numbers of males captured during the summer months. Animal capture and parasite collection efforts are ongoing through November 2016 and complete results will be included in the poster presentation.
Tuesday February 7, 2017 6:00pm - 9:00pm CST
Lancaster Ballroom
  Poster Session, Poster Display

6:00pm CST

Poster Display. Influence of Habitat and Intrinsic Characteristics on Survival of Neonatal Pronghorn
AUTHORS: Christopher N. Jacques, South Dakota State University; Jonathan A. Jenks, South Dakota State University; Robert W. Klaver, U. S. Geological Survey.


ABSTRACT: Increased understanding of the influence of habitat (e.g., composition, patch size) and intrinsic (e.g., age, birth mass) factors on survival of neonatal pronghorn (Antilocapra americana) is a prerequisite to successful management programs, particularly as they relate to population dynamics and the role of population models in adaptive species management. During 2002–2005, we captured and radiocollared 116 neonates across two sites in western South Dakota. We documented 31 deaths during our study, of which coyote (Canis latrans) predation (n = 15) was the leading cause of mortality. We used known fate analysis in Program MARK to investigate the influence of intrinsic and habitat variables on neonatal survival. The highest-ranking model indicated that neonate mortality was best explained by site, percent grassland, and open water habitat; 90-day survival (0.80; 90% CI = 0.71–0.88) declined 23% when grassland and water increased from 80.1 to 92.3% and 0.36 to 0.40%, respectively, across 50% natal home ranges. Further, our results indicated that grassland patch size and shrub density were important predictors of neonate survival; neonate survival declined 17% when shrub density declined from 5.0 to 2.5 patches per 100 ha. Further, neonatal survival may depend on available land cover and interspersion of habitats. We have demonstrated that maintaining minimum and maximum thresholds for habitat factors (e.g., percentages of grassland and open water patches, density of shrub patches) throughout natal home ranges will in turn, ensure relatively high (>0.50) neonatal survival rates, especially as they relate to coyote predation. Thus, landscape level variables (particularly percentages of open water, grassland habitats, and shrub density) should be incorporated into the development or implementation of pronghorn management plans across sagebrush steppe communities of the western Dakotas, and potentially elsewhere within the geographic range of pronghorn.
Tuesday February 7, 2017 6:00pm - 9:00pm CST
Lancaster Ballroom
  Poster Session, Poster Display

6:00pm CST

Poster Display. Influence of Temperature Gradient on Macroinvertebrate Assemblages in Rapid Creek
AUTHORS: Michaela Halvorson; Dr. Lisa Kunza

ABSTRACT: Water temperature has a profound effect on the organisms within stream ecosystems. If a stream becomes too warm or variability in temperature increases, macroinvertebrate assemblages may shift. Humans are altering the progression of temperature gradients from headwaters to downstream ecosystems. Rapid Creek has developed a temperature gradient with increasing temperatures from the tail waters of Pactola Dam to Rapid City. By examining the relationship between macroinvertebrates and temperature gradient this study will provide insight into whether there is a shift in macroinvertebrate communities that may be crucial to understanding food web dynamics. In addition to temperature, we plan to examine the following variables: stream depth, substrate type, current velocity, bank angle, and basic water quality parameters. Finally, as temperature change occurs in many freshwater ecosystems, the resulting shifts in macroinvertebrate assemblages may influence quantity and quality of resources available to support fisheries.
Tuesday February 7, 2017 6:00pm - 9:00pm CST
Lancaster Ballroom
  Poster Session, Poster Display

6:00pm CST

Poster Display. Influences of Mixed Severity and Time Since Fire on Diversity in Ponderosa Habitats
AUTHORS: Sarah Nodskov1, Caleb Roberts2, 3, Victoria Donovan2, Emma Keele5, Dirac Twidwell2, Craig Allen3, Larkin Powell1, Dave Wedin1, David Angeler4

1 University of Nebraska Lincoln, School of Natural Resources, Hardin Hall, Lincoln, Nebraska 68583-0961

2 University of Nebraska-Lincoln, Department of Agronomy & Horticulture, Keim Hall, Lincoln, Nebraska 66583-0915

3 Nebraska Cooperative Fish and Wildlife Research Unit - USGS, Hardin Hall, Lincoln, Nebraska 66583-0984

4 Swedish University of Agriculture Sciences, Department of Aquatic Sciences and Assessment, Uppsala, Sweden PO Box 7050

5 University of Nebraska Kearney, Department of College of Natural & Social Sciences, Department of Biology, Kearney, Nebraska 68849


ABSTRACT: The historical diversity of ecological communities within Ponderosa Pine systems has been attributed to unique habitat structures spawned from mixed-severity fires occurring over time creating asynchrony in habitats.  However, because current management tactics in Ponderosa systems focus on complete fire elimination or allow only low-severity fires, the creation of such habitats may be inhibited. We compared multivariate post-fire forest structure resulting from 27- and 10-year-old mixed-severity wildfires in the Pine Ridge region of northwestern Nebraska. In stratified-randomly distributed plots, we measured coarse woody debris (CWD) area cover, tree cavity height, tree cavity width, tree density, tree diameter at breast height (DBH), and decay classes of trees and CWD. We found both time-since-fire and fire severity created unique habitat structures (P = 0.001, F = 9.3867; P = 0.001, F = 21.7979, respectively), although fire severity was most influential. Comparing both sites, high severity differed in the decay class of snag and CWD. Multiple comparisons found habitat structure varied between all fire year-fire severity combinations (all P > 0.002) except in unburned forests, High2006 vs. Moderate2006 (P = 0.104), Low2006 vs. Moderate2006 (P =1.365), and High1989 vs. Moderate1989 (P-value: 1.888). Our results suggest that wildfires create multiple unique forest structures, thus providing diverse niche space for various ecological communities. Future management of Ponderosa Pine systems in the Pine Ridge should consider the highly diversified ecological niches fire creates when applying pre- and post- fire management methods.
Tuesday February 7, 2017 6:00pm - 9:00pm CST
Lancaster Ballroom
  Poster Session, Poster Display

6:00pm CST

Poster Display. Initial Assessment of Rates of Cercariae Infections in Host Snail Populations
AUTHORS: Nathaniel Akey, Biology Department Grand Valley State University; Mark Luttenton, Biology Department Grand Valley State University

ABSTRACT: Schistosomiasis (swimmer’s itch) is caused by a parasitic trematode that involves snails as the intermediate host.  Assessing the potential occurrence of swimmer’s itch infections during the recreational season is linked to the abundance of snails and the percentage of snails infected.  We assessed the percentage of snails infected in Higgins Lake, MI which had experienced significant outbreaks of swimmer’s itch in recent years.  Snail infection rates ranged from 0% to over 7% during the summer. Infection rates peaked in early June and again in early August which may correspond to the seasonal presence of the terminal host (common mergansers).  Rates dropped slightly in late June, a period when the parasites are likely to exit the snail host in search of a terminal host.  We suggest that snail infection rates provide a reasonable estimate of the presence of schistosome parasites present in a system and may indicate the risk of swimmer’s itch in a given summer.
Tuesday February 7, 2017 6:00pm - 9:00pm CST
Lancaster Ballroom
  Poster Session, Poster Display

6:00pm CST

Poster Display. Integrating Inventory and Monitoring Studies with National Park Service Park Web Pages
AUTHORS: Chad Gross, National Park Service, Heartland Inventory and Monitoring Network; Gareth Rowell, National Park Service, Heartland Inventory and Monitoring Network; Mike DeBacker, National Park Service, Heartland Inventory and Monitoring Network

ABSTRACT: National Park Service (NPS) inventory and monitoring (I&M) research is now being integrated with park web pages through content management system (CMS) technology. The Heartland Network is one of 32 networks in the NPS I&M Division. It conducts studies in 15 National Parks located in eight Midwestern states. Heartland I&M content includes monitoring studies of fish and aquatic invertebrate communities, white-tailed deer populations, breeding bird communities and plant communities. Each monitoring project is summarized in one web page that includes text, a photograph and a figure describing significant results. Links to references and further studies are provided. The NPS already uses CMS technology as an enterprise solution for each of its park web pages. Other parts of the Service, especially Natural Resources, have implemented highly customized software in order to integrate science-based information systems. With the migration of Natural Resource web pages to CMS technology, park web sites can now provide public access to the latest science from I&M and other NPS natural resource divisions along with their partner agencies. This effort should provide new resources for citizen science activities such as bioblitz events and group park visits which require natural resource interpretation.
Tuesday February 7, 2017 6:00pm - 9:00pm CST
Lancaster Ballroom
  Poster Session, Poster Display

6:00pm CST

Poster Display. Larval Fish Community Survey of Pools 19, 18, and 17 of the Upper Mississippi River
AUTHORS: Boone M. La Hood, Western Illinois University; James T. Lamer, Western Illinois University; Kevin S. Irons, Illinois Department of Natural Resources

ABSTRACT: We used quadrafoil light traps to sample and monitor larval fish recruitment in Pools 19, 18, and 17 of the Upper Mississippi River.  This portion of the river currently represents the documented northern reproductive front for bigheaded Asian carp (Hypopthalmichthysspp.) on the Mississippi River.  The quadrafoil light traps used were illuminated with green chemical light sticks and exploit the positively phototactic swimming behavior of post-yolksac larval fish and are effective for sampling both native and invasive fish species.  We began deploying traps when water temperatures reached 17 ̊C and continued sampling until water temperatures again fell to below 17 ̊C.  Weather permitting, 12 traps were deployed each night for 4 days a week and allowed to fish for at least 1 hour.  We targeted woody, vegetated, and coverless habitats in backwater areas with little to no flow.  All of the organisms collected in the traps were preserved in a formalin fixative or 95 percent ethanol and brought back to the lab for sorting and identification.  In addition to assessing the community composition of native fish species we also looked for evidence of invasive fish species recruitment.
Tuesday February 7, 2017 6:00pm - 9:00pm CST
Lancaster Ballroom
  Poster Session, Poster Display

6:00pm CST

Poster Display. Light Traps Provide Insight About age-0 Fish Use of Restored Shorezone Areas in the St. Clair River
AUTHORS: Scott A. Jackson, U.S Geological Survey, Great Lakes Science Center; Edward F. Roseman, U.S Geological Survey, Great Lakes Science Center; Robin DeBruyne, U.S Geological Survey, Great Lakes Science Center, University of Toledo, Lake Erie Center; Jason L. Fischer, University of Toledo; Stacey Ireland, U.S Geological Survey, Great Lakes Science Center; Ethan Acromite, University of Toledo; Hayley Schroeder, U.S Geological Survey, Great Lakes Science Center; Dana Castle, University of Toledo; Stacy Provo, U.S Geological Survey, Great Lakes Science Center, Center for Ecosystems Studies Unit, Michigan State University, Department of Fisheries and Wildlife; Nathan Williams, U.S Geological Survey, Great Lakes Science Center

ABSTRACT: Light traps are frequently used to sample phototaxic organisms including larval and juvenile fishes. We conducted weekly light trap sampling during spring and summer in 2015 and 2016 to assess the larval fish assemblages at five restored shorezone habitats in the St. Clair River. Light traps were set from shore at twelve sites, three light traps per site, parallel to the shoreline and baited with white light sticks. Traps were fished from sunset to sunrise. Catch-per-effort (CPE) was calculated as number of fish per hour. We captured 1375 individuals from eight families of fish over the two years of sampling. Individuals belonging to the family Gobiiadae were the dominant taxa collected, followed by Cyprinidae, Percidae, Catostomidae, Centrarchidae, Umbridae, Esocidae and Cottidae. Even though overall CPE was not high for the species observed, the presence of the larval fish indicates the restored shorezone habitat serves as nursery habitat in the system and likely plays a role in recruitment for these species. Furthermore, CPE for the total number of fish increased as the water temperature increased, potentially due to the different taxa observed demonstrating varying temperature preferences and life history phenology. Taxa captured from the family Cyprinidae were the first species to be observed once water temperatures reached 10 C, they were followed by Catostomidae (12.0 C), Umbridae and Esocidae (13.7 C), Percidae (14.0 C), Gobiiadae (16.5 C), Cottidae (17.2 C), and finally Centrachidae (21.1 C).  Light traps allowed shorezone habitats to be easily and successfully sampled for a distinct age class of fish.   When used in combination with other sampling methods (e.g., minnow traps, seining, electrofishing), light traps can provide additional insight about fish community structure in shorezone habitats.
Tuesday February 7, 2017 6:00pm - 9:00pm CST
Lancaster Ballroom
  Poster Session, Poster Display

6:00pm CST

Poster Display. Loafing: The Wild Turkey's Guide to the Nap
AUTHORS: Christine Parker, University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign/ Illinois Natural History Survey; Thomas Benson, Illinois Natural History Survey, Wendy Schelsky, Illinois Natural History Survey; Paul Shelton, Illinois Department of Natural Resources; Jeff Hoover, Illinois Natural History Survey

ABSTRACT: Habitat selection throughout the annual life cycle of wild turkeys has been well studied. Turkeys are generally thought of as forest birds, yet use a variety of habitats in addition to forest that reflect changes in behavior and associated habitat requirements throughout the annual cycle. Loafing, or the resting time between foraging periods remains an elusive aspect of turkey behavior and habitat use. During 2015 - 2016, we monitored 62 wild turkey hens in central Illinois using microGPS units equipped with accelerometers. GPS units logged locations every 2 hours during daylight and average acceleration rates every 5 minutes. We used location and acceleration data to determine the average time per day turkeys were engaged in loafing and the predominate landscape cover where loafing occurred. We then developed logistic regression models to evaluate how season and temperature influenced loafing behavior and location.  
Tuesday February 7, 2017 6:00pm - 9:00pm CST
Lancaster Ballroom
  Poster Session, Poster Display

6:00pm CST

Poster Display. Long-term Changes in Biotic and Abiotic Factors Influence Larval Gizzard Shad (Dorosoma cepedianum) Relative Abundance
AUTHORS: Brett T. Miller, Brian C. Peterson - Department of Biology, University of Nebraska at Kearney; Casey W. Schoenebeck, Department of Biology, University of Nebraska at Kearney and Minnesota Department of Natural Resources, Glenwood Area Fisheries Office; Keith D. Koupal, Nebraska Game and Parks Commission, Fisheries Division

ABSTRACT: Gizzard shad (Dorosoma cepedianum) are an influential forage fish in many reservoirs across their native range. The importance in understanding what biotic and abiotic factors influence larval gizzard shad abundance can link timing of peak densities to sportfish management. The goal of this study was to investigate what biotic and abiotic factors influence larval gizzard shad abundance. We used combinations of 6 variables (total zooplankton, adult gizzard shad CPUE from the fall prior, temperature, turbidity, chlorophyll a, and reservoir elevation) from a long-term (2003-2014) monitoring database to create 26 a priori candidate models to assess the relative support of explanatory variables using Akaike’s information criterion (AIC). During the course of our study, larval gizzard shad densities ranged from 0.6±0.2 to 5.6±1.4/m3 SE which is similar to reported regional densities. The best supported model included turbidity and total zooplankton. Turbidity has been shown to reduce visual effectiveness of predators and allow larval gizzard shad to congregate closer to the surface where zooplankton are more abundant. Increase in total zooplankton provides greater food availability which has been shown to increase larval gizzard shad growth, thus improving the escape ability from predators, but also grow past the gape restriction of potential predators. Results suggest that a combination of factors drive larval gizzard shad abundance, understanding and being able to predict what conditions may produce a large year class can be utilized by fisheries managers to better understand competition with sportfish as well as stocking strategies.
Tuesday February 7, 2017 6:00pm - 9:00pm CST
Lancaster Ballroom
  Poster Session, Poster Display

6:00pm CST

Poster Display. Long-Term Fish Community Monitoring and Status of Topeka Shiner at Pipestone National Monument, Minnesota
AUTHORS: Calvin R. Rezac; Jeff M. Williams, Hope R. Dodd, David G. Peitz, J. Tyler Cribbs, Katie N. Bertrand, and Brian D. S. Graeb


ABSTRACT: Pipestone National Monument (PIPE) is a historic prairie community located in the southwest region of Minnesota. Endemic fish species, in Pipestone Creek, such as the T&E Topeka Shiner (Notropis topeka) are impacted by land usage within the creek’s watershed and serve as biological indicators of the stream’s condition. The objectives of the continuing study are to establish the status and tendencies in fish community composition, and to associate this community data to water quality and habitat conditions at PIPE.  From 2001-2010 and 2013-2016, data was gathered from two reaches. The reach above Winnewissa Falls revealed day-to-day fluctuating dissolved oxygen levels producing in low species richness (2-7), diversity (SI=0.27-0.81), stream integrity (IBI rating=poor/fair), and fish abundance. The community was made up mostly of tolerant species. In contrast, the downstream reach, at the exit of the park, had higher species richness (7-14), diversity (SI=0.46-0.87), stream integrity (IBI=fair/good) and consisted of more sensitive species, as well as Topeka Shiner. Fish community monitoring suggests that the downstream reach at PIPE is more supportive for prairie fish species than the above reach, where the creek enters the park. Accordingly, the park may provide refuge for the endangered Topeka Shiner and other endemic fishes inside the Pipestone Creek watershed. 
Tuesday February 7, 2017 6:00pm - 9:00pm CST
Lancaster Ballroom
  Poster Session, Poster Display

6:00pm CST

Poster Display. Long-term Trends in age-0 Yellow Perch Perca Flavescens Abundance in Southern Lake Michigan
AUTHORS: Jason Doll, Ball State University

ABSTRACT: Yellow Perch Perca flavescens are an important sport species in Lake Michigan and their population has undergone wide fluctuations over the past 30 years. In Indiana waters, they have been at very low densities since the early 1990s following a precipitous decline from peak abundance in the mid-1980s. Research on the decline in Yellow Perch abundance in Lake Michigan has focused on failed recruitment of year classes. Reasons for the decline have been attributed to changes in the ecosystem subsequent to the invasion by zebra mussels, over-exploitation of mature females, and competition with Alewife Alosa pseudoharengus. Unusually high catches of age-0 Yellow Perch were reported from multiple agencies across Lake Michigan following the 2015 sampling season. Thus, our objective was to investigate trends in age-0 Yellow Perch trawl catch-per-unit-effort (CPUE) in southern Lake Michigan since 1983. Age-0 Yellow Perch were sampled at up to four sites in southern Lake Michigan in August from 1983 to 2016 with a semi-balloon bottom trawl. Trawling effort consisted of up to two hours per site each year. Annual age-0 Yellow Perch CPUE ranged from 1.8 to 2,966 fish/hr and exceeded 1,000 fish/hr in 5 out of the 34 years. The highest recorded catch was in 1984 (2,966 fish/hr) and the second highest was in 2015 (2,338 fish/hr). We believe trends observed in our dataset can serve as preliminary guidance to Yellow Perch year-class strength. However, Yellow Perch are not fully recruited to the trawl until age-2, thus bias in catch must be assumed consistent each year.
Tuesday February 7, 2017 6:00pm - 9:00pm CST
Lancaster Ballroom
  Poster Session, Poster Display

6:00pm CST

Poster Display. Microhabitat Use of Migrating Northern Saw-whet Owls
AUTHORS: Janelle Taylor, UW Stevens Point Wildlife Society; Logan Hubbard, UW Stevens Point Wildlife Society

ABSTRACT: The Northern saw-whet owl (Aegolius acadicus) (NSWO) is a mesopredator native to upland ecosystems. NSWO’s migrate in fall from September until December, peaking approximately mid-October. During migration this species encounters a wide variety of habitat types. Little is known about fine-scale habitat use of migrating NSWO’s within migration corridors. We analyzed data from the University of Wisconsin - Stevens Point student chapter of The Wildlife Society’s long-term saw-whet owl banding project conducted within Sandhill Wildlife Area in Babcock, Wisconsin from fall 2007 to 2015. NSWO’s were lured and captured using call playback devices and mist-nets and were banded using USGS aluminum leg bands. Trapping occurred in 7 microhabitat types: late successional (LS) red oak, LS white pine, LS big-tooth aspen, grass, seral stage pine/oak mix, and oak savanna. We used a single-factor ANOVA to test for significance of NSWO use between microhabitat types. We found no significance in regards to habitat use of this migrating species, potentially indicating that this species are habitat generalist during migration periods.
Tuesday February 7, 2017 6:00pm - 9:00pm CST
Lancaster Ballroom
  Poster Session, Poster Display

6:00pm CST

Poster Display. Minnows, Madtoms, and Mudpuppies: Population Demographics of Sensitive Aquatic Organisms Indicates Improved Habitat Conditions in the St. Clair-Detroit Rivers System
AUTHORS: Emily Galassini, USGS Great Lakes Science Center; Dustin Bowser, USGS Great Lakes Science Center; Andrew Briggs, US Fish and Wildlife Service; Justin Chiotti, US Fish and Wildlife Service; Robin DeBruyne, University of Toledo; Jason Fischer, University of Toledo; Jan-Michael Hessenauer, Michigan DNR; Stacey Ireland, USGS Great Lakes Science Center; Scott Jackson, USGS Great Lakes Science Center; David Mifsud, Herpetological Resource and Management, LLC; Stacy Provo, Department of Fisheries and Wildlife Michigan State University; Jason Ross, US Fish and Wildlife Service; Hayley Schroeder, USGS Great Lakes Science Center; Maegan Stapleton, Herpetological Resource and Management, LLC; Jenny Sutherland, Eastern Michigan University; Mike Thomas, Michigan DNR; Kevin Wehrly, Michigan DNR; Todd Wills, Michigan DNR; Jim Boase, US Fish and Wildlife Service; Katie Greenwald, Eastern Michigan University; Greg Kennedy, USGS Great Lakes Science Center; Ed Roseman, USGS Great Lakes Science Center

ABSTRACT: The loss and degradation of fish and wildlife habitat is a beneficial use impairment in both the Detroit and St. Clair rivers (SCDRS) Areas of Concern. Habitat stressors such as poor water quality due to excessive contaminants, nutrient inputs, river channelization, and the removal of fish spawning and nursery areas resulted in declines of important fisheries, as well as extirpation and declines of non-game fishes and amphibians. Since the implementation of the Great Lakes Water Quality Agreement in 1972, habitat conditions in the SCDRS have improved and recent ecological surveys show increases in many rare and sensitive aquatic populations. Our survey results include collections of Northern Madtom (Noturus stigmosus), Pugnose Shiner (Notropis anogenus), and Pugnose Minnow (Opsopoeodus emiliae) who are listed as Endangered in the state of Michigan; and the Mudpuppy (Necturus maculosus), an indicator of habitat quality. In this poster, we use multi-agency survey data to describe the current range and relative catch-per-effort of these sensitive species. Measures of relative abundances, collections of multiple life history stages previously undocumented, and expanded geographic distributions indicate continued improvements in connecting channel habitat is supporting the recovery of these species and other aquatic organisms.
Tuesday February 7, 2017 6:00pm - 9:00pm CST
Lancaster Ballroom
  Poster Session, Poster Display

6:00pm CST

Poster Display. Monitoring Data, Decision Support Tools and the Midwest Avian Data Center
AUTHORS: Gareth Rowell, National Park Service, Heartland Inventory and Monitoring Network; Katie Koch, US Fish and Wildlife Service, Migratory Bird Program

ABSTRACT: The Midwest Avian Data Center (MWADC) provides the latest technology and expertise for managing and exploring bird monitoring data to support avian conservation in the Midwest. Web-based data management tools at MWADC allow biologists and citizen scientists to manage bird monitoring projects from virtually anywhere. A data management application, called MyMWADC, is available through the MWADC website and access to MyMWADC is granted through an online registration process. Creating a new project requires direct communication with system managers and the project must be based on a monitoring protocol. Once these tasks are completed, users may be granted one or more of the following roles: Project Leader (manages sampling design, protocol selection and permissions), Biologist (data manager), and Analyst (which includes online applications interfaced with R). MWADC users can also explore regional bird monitoring datasets by way of decision support tools (DSTs). DSTs are data-oriented interactive tools that allow you to explore bird monitoring data geographically and seasonally. The map-based DST, for example, allows you to explore occurrence data for individual species or groups of species using Breeding Bird Survey data, eBird data and dozens of other datasets. The histogram tool allows you to see seasonal abundance for one or more years for one or more Midwestern bird species over various regions and states . Other tools allow you to explore demography, diversity and population trends. MWADC draws on the knowledge of over 30 bird conservation partner organizations to bring together the latest expertise in the application of monitoring data for avian conservation.
Tuesday February 7, 2017 6:00pm - 9:00pm CST
Lancaster Ballroom
  Poster Session, Poster Display

6:00pm CST

Poster Display. Morphological Differences in Three Catostomidae Species Between Two Midwestern Rivers
AUTHORS: Bethany Hoster, Eastern Illinois University; Robert Colombo, Eastern Illinois University

ABSTRACT: Around the world, municipal and industrial treatment effluents expose riverine organisms to mutagenic compounds. We tested the hypothesis that fishes in a stretch of river receiving municipal and industrial treatment effluent exhibit morphological abnormalities compared to fishes in a river without this type of point source pollution. The Sangamon River receives wastewater treatment effluent from the Sanitary District of Decatur containing a variety of endocrine disruptors, including estradiol and phytoestrogens, as well as soluble nickel. We used a reach of the Embarras River not impacted by wastewater treatment effluent as our reference area. In the study reach of the Sangamon River, abnormalities in fin morphology have been anecdotally observed in several Catostomidae species. To quantify these abnormalities, we measured standard and total lengths of all captured River Carpsucker (Carpiodes carpio), Smallmouth Buffalo (Ictiobus bubalus), and Shorthead Redhorse (Moxostoma macrolepidotum) to measure the length of the caudal fin and determine the total percent of the body length that this fin comprised. We found that River Carpsucker and Smallmouth Buffalo from the Sangamon River had caudal fins comprising a significantly higher percent of the total body length than individuals from the Embarras River. No difference was found for Shorthead Redhorse. Further morphometric analyses will be conducted to determine if any other morphological abnormalities are present in these fishes.
Tuesday February 7, 2017 6:00pm - 9:00pm CST
Lancaster Ballroom
  Poster Session, Poster Display

6:00pm CST

Poster Display. Movement Patterns of Eastern Box Turtles in an Urban Ohio Landscape
AUTHORS: Sydney A. Hartbarger, Wittenberg University
Megan R. Rude, Wittenberg University
Richard S. Phillips, Wittenberg University

ABSTRACT: Eastern Box Turtles (Terrapene carolina) populations are of increasing management concern and may exist in fragmented urban environments.  Mowing, prescribed fire, collection, and car strikes all pose threats to small populations in urban parks.  To better understand movement and threats to urban turtle populations, 12 box turtles (3 males, 9 females) were monitored over two years using radio-telemetry in two urban parks in Clark County, Ohio.  Turtles were located weekly using the homing technique and at each location microhabitat variables (temperature, RH) were recorded.  Average distances moved between successive locations averaged 119 meters for all turtles with individual averages ranging from 11 m – 250 m.  There were no differences in movement rates between males and females.  Turtles were observed making migratory-like movement from hibernacula to summer ranges and there is loose evidence of fidelity to overwintering sites.  Turtles were located most often in hardwood forest (51%), with fields (25%) and prairies (12%) also commonly utilized.  The majority of turtles used a variety of habitat types given the fragmented nature of the parks.  No mortalities were documented during the study period, but three turtles were thought to be collected from the population.   These data provide a baseline to begin evaluating management regimes and their impact on turtle movements and survival.
Tuesday February 7, 2017 6:00pm - 9:00pm CST
Lancaster Ballroom
  Poster Session, Poster Display

6:00pm CST

Poster Display. Multi-stressor Effects of PPCPs on Daphnia Magna Growth, Reproduction, and Mortality
AUTHORS: Scott E. Zello, Ball State University; Melody J. Bernot, Ball State University; Randall J. Bernot, Ball State University

ABSTRACT: Pharmaceuticals and personal care products (PPCPs) are ubiquitous in freshwater ecosystems due to point and non-point pollution and occur as contaminant mixtures. Although concentrations measured (ng/L) are generally below expected levels for acute effects, the potential for adverse effects associated with chronic exposure are not well understood. Further, organismal response to multiple contaminants, as is observed in natural ecosystems, has not been explored. This research quantified chronic effects of multiple PPCP compounds on D. magna over 21 days of exposure to assess how the number of contaminants may influence organismal response as growth, reproduction, and mortality. Final size, fecundity, and amount of eggs in brood pouch per day decreased with increasing compound number. There was no significant difference in mortality, number of offspring, or first day of reproduction with increasing compound number. D. magna responses to PPCP mixtures are different than exposure to a single PPCP compound.
Tuesday February 7, 2017 6:00pm - 9:00pm CST
Lancaster Ballroom
  Poster Session, Poster Display

6:00pm CST

Poster Display. No Changes in Bat Encounters on the Mio Ranger District During the Summers of 2010-2016
AUTHORS: : Anna C. Siegfried, Wittenberg University; Taylor Ross, Wittenberg University; David J. Hixon, Wittenberg University; Douglas M. Andrews, Wittenberg University; David Richardson, US Fish & Wildlife Service; Scott Warsen, US Forest Service; Richard S. Phillips, Wittenberg University; and Kimberly A. Piccolo, US Forest Service

ABSTRACT: Recent work indicates White Nose Syndrome (WNS) is expanding in the northeastern and central U.S., increasing the importance of effective monitoring of bat populations.  To evaluate bat population change in northern Michigan mobile acoustic bat surveys were conducted on the Mio Ranger District of the Huron National Forest, Oscoda County, MI during the summers of 2010-2016. During 2012-2016, two 30 mile routes were monitored during three periods within the maternity period (June 1-15, June 16-30, July 1-15) using the Anabat® SD2 Bat Detector. The overall average for both routes is 72.33 bat detections per survey period for 2012, 29.33 per survey period for 2013, 40.17 for 2014, 30.25 for 2015 (only two survey periods), and 29.33 for 2016. Encounters among surveys within years varied from a low range of 11 encounters (30 to 41) and a high range of 106 encounters (8 to 114). Bat encounters did not differ among survey periods or between routes.  Bat encounters were different among years, with an upward spike in bat encounters during 2012. Using 2010-2016 data, bat population data did not exhibit any significant trends across years. Given the importance of temporal scale in population monitoring and the limited number of summers of acoustic bat monitoring with survey periods documented (2012-2016), further monitoring is suggested over the next few years in Oscoda County. Although there was variation in surveys within years, survey results during the maternal period (1 June to 15 July) yielded similar results. Biologists on the Mio Ranger District can reliably sample during that maternal period.
Tuesday February 7, 2017 6:00pm - 9:00pm CST
Lancaster Ballroom
  Poster Session, Poster Display

6:00pm CST

Poster Display. Ontogenetic Diet Shifts of Blue Catfish (Ictalurus Furcatus) Using Stable Isotope Analysis
AUTHORS: Ashley L Stanley, Kibbe Field Station, Western Illinois University; James T Lamer, Kibbe Field Station, Western Illinois University; Mark W. Fritts, US Fish and Wildlife Service La Crosse, WI; Andrew F. Casper, Illinois River Biological Station, Illinois Natural History Survey; Katie Mainor, Kibbe Field Station Western Illinois University; Devon Oliver, Southern Illinois University; Neil Rude, Southern Illinois University; Greg Whitledge, Southern Illinois University



ABSTRACT: Blue catfish are predatory fish native to the Mississippi River Basin and valued as an economic and ecological resource. Traditional diet studies are limited by spatial and temporal variation, empty stomachs and lethal or invasive techniques. Here, we use stable isotopes to test for ontogenetic diet shifts in blue catfish (Ictalurus furcatus). We followed fishing tournaments from Pool 20 to Memphis, Tennessee on the Mississippi River, received catfish samples from LTRMP monitoring in pool 26 and received samples from Southern Illinois University’s LTEF sampling. At each tournament we weighed and measured blue catfish and biopsied a 6 mm muscle plug. Catfish collected from Southern Illinois University and pool 26 were also weighed and measured and biopsied a 6mm muscle plug.The biopsy plugs were dried in a 100ºC oven then ground into a fine powder. The samples were sent to Southern Illinois University’s stable isotope lab for analysis with a mass spectrometer. We found that blue catfish are consuming similar diet items across all locations sampled. Blue catfish did not shift to just a piscivorous diet, but shifted to a higher variety of diet items at 200mm.  Juvenile catfish are possibly gape limited to macro-invertebrates, whereas adults are likely opportunistic and consume the most energy efficient prey source. In the future we will compare these results with extracted stomachs from commercial fishermen, as well as catfish diet data from other projects.
Tuesday February 7, 2017 6:00pm - 9:00pm CST
Lancaster Ballroom
  Poster Session, Poster Display

6:00pm CST

Poster Display. Partnering with Graduate Programs for Conservation
AUTHORS: Vicky J. Meretsky, School of Public and Environmental Affairs at Indiana University; Robert L. Fischman, Maurer School of Law at Indiana University.

ABSTRACT: Graduate programs related to environmental sciences and policy and to natural resource management can be valuable partners for conservation agencies and organizations. Indiana University's School of Public and Environmental Affairs requires graduate students to complete capstone courses that undertake semester-long projects for client organizations. Capstone classes work with nonprofit organizations including the Association of Fish and Wildlife Agencies (AFWA), as well as for agencies including the US Fish and Wildlife Service and the Natural Resources Conservation Service. Working with client representatives, students have assessed State Wildlife Action Plans, reviewed national wildlife refuge Comprehensive Conservation Plans, provided groundwork for AFWA's blue-ribbon panel on fund-raising for nongame wildlife, provided recommendations for evaluating the National Water Quality Initiative, and assessed state capacity for imperiled species recovery. Whereas agencies often look to academic programs at land-grant universities that require theses and dissertations, capstone classes from professional programs provide groups of students that can approach projects from several angles simultaneously. Any single class can include students with advanced training in ecology and conservation, environmental management and policy, statistics, nonprofit management and philanthropy, program evaluation, and policy analysis. Students in these programs are usually trained to work with clients, to manage projects, and to synthesize information and communicate results to client-specified audiences that are more often managers and policy makers, not the researchers who are the usual audience for theses and dissertations. Working together, with client guidance, student groups can undertake projects that agencies and organizations list as high priorities but must forego due to staffing and financial limitations. In our experience, conservation agencies and organizations are unaccustomed to reaching beyond land-grant universities to take advantage of students in professional programs. We summarize relevant projects and provide guidelines for success in these promising partnerships.
Tuesday February 7, 2017 6:00pm - 9:00pm CST
Lancaster Ballroom
  Poster Session, Poster Display

6:00pm CST

Poster Display. Patch Size and Nest Density Influence Nest Survival
AUTHORS: Victoria L. Simonsen, Nebraska Cooperative Fish & Wildlife Research Unit, University of Nebraska–Lincoln
Joseph J. Fontaine, U.S. Geological Survey Nebraska Cooperative Fish & Wildlife Research Unit, University of Nebraska–Lincoln


ABSTRACT: Nest predation is the primary cause of avian nest failure and therefore an important driver of avian population growth. Studies indicate that landscape context plays an important role in nest success, and although this is widely attributed to changes in nest predator communities, landscape context also influences nest density which affects predator search area and effort. Much debate remains as to whether specifically the size of a habitat patch or the density of nests has the greatest effect on nest predation rates. We explored the interactions between landscape context, predator efficiency, and nest survival. Northern bobwhite quail (Colinus virginianus) possess specific habitat requirements within a small home range and are a short-lived species that relies upon high reproductive performance, which make them the ideal system to test the extent to which landscape context affects nest predation rates. We investigated the extent to which the size of a grassland patch versus nest density affects nest survival by studying the predation rates of 617 artificial nests during two 23 day trials on 12 study sites in south central Nebraska. To examine the effects of patch size, we selected six study sites that were small patches of grassland (including pastures and Conservation Reserve Program fields) ranging in size from 40-60 ha and six study sites that were approximately 50 ha sections of larger contiguous grasslands. A high density of artificial nests were placed on half of the small and large patch study sites with the remaining sites having a low density of nests, for the second trial the nest density treatments were switched for each site.
Tuesday February 7, 2017 6:00pm - 9:00pm CST
Lancaster Ballroom
  Poster Session, Poster Display

6:00pm CST

Poster Display. Population Structure Analysis of Western Painted Turtles
AUTHORS: Charrissa Zuerlein, UNL Student; Larkin Powell, Director of Great Plains Cooperative Ecosystems Study Unit


ABSTRACT: Population structure, specifically the age, size and sex composition, of Western painted turtles is important for the survival of the species.  As a species with temperature-dependent sex determination (TSD), the sex ratios of new clutches are affected by climate, and this could cause problems for the species as climate changes occur. I studied the fluctuations in population structure of a single population using data collected for more than ten years.  This population is located near Cedar Point Biological Station in Ogallala, Nebraska.  Every summer turtles are caught using floating basking traps and hoop nets.  These turtles were either identified from previous markings or marked, and then measured for size, weight and approximate age.  We show evidence of changes in the sex ratio that occurred following a severe drought. And we show variation in the size structure of the population that suggests recent increases in productivity, as more smaller size classes are now present in the population.  The information from this unique population may be informative to how species are affected by changes in climate.  
Tuesday February 7, 2017 6:00pm - 9:00pm CST
Lancaster Ballroom
  Poster Session, Poster Display

6:00pm CST

Poster Display. Qualitative Analysis of Landowner Behavior Preceding a Market Bust Using Farm Magazine Articles
AUTHORS: Brooks Ronspies, University of Nebraska Lincoln School of Natural Resources; Larkin Powell, University of Nebraska Lincoln School of Natural Resources

ABSTRACT: Over the past century there have been spikes in land values (“booms”) across the US that have led to over-extension of personal resources by farmers followed shortly by steep drops (“busts”) in land values. The purpose of this study is to examine the language used by farmers as a measure of their behaviors during periods of time leading up to and following significant market failures. To do this we used the periodical, Nebraska Farmer, which has been published from the late 1800’s to present day. We focused on two sections of the periodical, the Letter to the Editor, and the Editor’s Conclusion. Using a scale of emotion, ranging from degrees of pessimism to degrees of optimism we ranked articles over time periods to track farmer emotions. We then compared this data with land value data to better understand the causes of these land value spikes.  We show periods of time in which farmer behavior does not track with current economic conditions.  Our work provides information that is useful when developing agricultural policies that impact wildlife habitat.
Tuesday February 7, 2017 6:00pm - 9:00pm CST
Lancaster Ballroom
  Poster Session, Poster Display

6:00pm CST

Poster Display. Radio-tracking Fledgling Cerulean Warblers in Southern Indiana
AUTHORS: Clayton D. Delancey; Garrett MacDonald; Claire Nemes; and Kamal Islam, Department of Biology, Ball State University

ABSTRACT: The Cerulean Warbler (Setophaga cerulea), a Neotropical migratory songbird, is listed as state-endangered in Indiana. We have been monitoring Cerulean Warbler breeding populations in Yellowwood and Morgan-Monroe state forests since 2007 as part of a 100-year project called the Hardwood Ecosystem Experiment. This long-term study aims at determining the effects of different forest management techniques on plant and animal communities. Based on previous research, many mature forest-dependent Neotropical migrant fledglings move from mature forest habitat into areas of thick vegetation such as clear-cuts. We are interested in determining where fledgling Cerulean Warblers disperse to after leaving their nests, but before migrating to their wintering grounds. It is believed that Cerulean Warblers, in particular, fledglings, do not follow this pattern. We present new information on fledgling movements through banding and radio-telemetry studies. Information gathered from our studies can potentially be used to suggest forest management prescriptions that provide Cerulean Warblers with all of their required habitat needs throughout the breeding season.
Tuesday February 7, 2017 6:00pm - 9:00pm CST
Lancaster Ballroom
  Poster Session, Poster Display

6:00pm CST

Poster Display. Relationship Between Water Temperature and Flow Rates for Missouri Streams
AUTHORS: Bridget Whitehead, University of Missouri; Joanna Whittier, University of Missouri; Del Lobb, Missouri Department of Conservation; Jacob Westhoff, Missouri Department of Conservation, and Craig Paukert, U.S. Geological Survey, Missouri Cooperative Fish and Wildlife Research Unit

ABSTRACT:  Water temperature is one of the most important abiotic influences on stream ecosystems. Water temperature is a major influence when making management decisions for fish stocking, harvest regulations as affected by growth, and mitigation of anthropogenic disturbances. Our objective was to create a stream temperature model for Missouri streams that included flow metrics to provide a decision support tool for assessing how modifications to stream flow might impact current thermal regimes. Between 2011 and 2015, we deployed water temperature loggers near 65 USGS gage sites in the Central Plains (CP) and Ozark Region (OR) aquatic subregions of Missouri. Temperature loggers were set to record temperature hourly to coincide with USGS gage records of discharge. Stream temperature models were based on a minimum of two complete years of empirical data and were developed separately for the CP and OR subregions due to differences in water temperature and discharge (CP: mean=13.8 °C; OR: 16.9 °C). Model fit for water temperature was better for the CP (adjusted r2=0.91) than for the OR (adjusted r2 = 0.87).   These will provide scientifically-defensible models for the implications of flow regime alterations on stream temperature.
 
Tuesday February 7, 2017 6:00pm - 9:00pm CST
Lancaster Ballroom
  Poster Session, Poster Display

6:00pm CST

Poster Display. Reproductive Potential of Silver and Bighead Carp in the Upper Mississippi River
AUTHORS: Allison Lenaerts, Western Illinois University; Jim Lamer, Western Illinois University; Cortney Cox, Western Illinois University; Boone La Hood, Western Illinois University; Alison Coulter, Southern Illinois University; Kevin Irons, Illinois DNR

ABSTRACT: Invasive silver carp (Hypophthalmichthys molitrix) and bighead carp (H. nobilis) are abundant throughout most of the Mississippi River Basin and are very prolific spawners. Abundance of these species in the Upper Mississippi River above Lock and Dam 19 is lower than in other invaded areas of the Mississippi River Basin. Evidence of successful spawning has been detected above the dam despite low populations. Understanding the reproductive potential (i.e., gonadalsomatic index (GSI), fecundity, egg size) of these low density, poorly understood populations is important to inform Asian carp management in the Upper Mississippi River.  We examined and compared GSI, fecundity, and age at sexual maturityof silver carp (n= 673) and bighead carp (n=257) among pools 17-20 of the Mississippi River. The average GSI of female bighead carp, stages IV and V, was highest in pool 17 (11.16%, n=14) and lowest in pool 20 (2.66%, n=12). Male GSI average was highest for pool 18 (0.99%, n=37) and lowest in pool 20 (.33%, n=16). The average GSI for female silver carp, stages IV and V, was highest in pool 18 (12.12%, n=58) and lowest in pool 19 (7.34%, n=428). Male GSI average was highest for pool 18 (1.07%, n=28) and lowest in pool 19 (.41%, n=266). The results will be compared to studies that have been conducted on the Middle Mississippi River and the Missouri River. 
Tuesday February 7, 2017 6:00pm - 9:00pm CST
Lancaster Ballroom
  Poster Session, Poster Display

6:00pm CST

Poster Display. Reversing Habitat Loss in Reservoirs: No One Can Do It Alone
AUTHORS: Matthew D. Wolfe, Fisheries Biologist, District 3 (Northeast Ohio), Ohio Department of Natural Resources, Division of Wildlife; Dr. Joseph D. Conroy, Fisheries Biologist, Inland Fisheries Research Unit, Ohio Department of Natural Resources, Division of Wildlife



ABSTRACT: Impoundments across North America face the dilemma of habitat loss due to the natural aging process. The natural resource agencies who manage these impoundments are limited in what they can accomplish due to constraints in manpower and budgetary resources. These consequences ultimately affect the success of angler groups, who in turn have their own limitations on what they can do. With so many problems, it is imperative that all user groups collaborate to find solutions to achieve a common goal. Pymatuning Reservoir is a large, impounded reservoir that spans the border between northeast Ohio and northwest Pennsylvania. Since the Shenango River was dammed to create the reservoir in 1934, the lake has lost significant in-lake habitat, including the rocky debris and wooden stumps that served its highly successful fisheries. Such a large reservoir (5,929 ha surface area) requires an approach that will serve all its user groups and address both short term and long term goals. Each year, the natural resource agencies (Ohio Division of Wildlife, Pennsylvania Fish and Boat Commission) collaborate with various user groups (Pymatuning Lake Association, Crawford County Conservation District) to place wooden cribs and rock reefs into the reservoir. The collaboration works well in that the user groups benefit immediately from these placements since they serve as fish concentration devices. But over time, the natural resource agencies are hopeful that these placements will serve as viable fish habitat that has been degrading away for decades.
Tuesday February 7, 2017 6:00pm - 9:00pm CST
Lancaster Ballroom
  Poster Session, Poster Display

6:00pm CST

Poster Display. Roost Site Habitat Selection by Maternity Colonies of Federally Endangered Myotis Sodalis in Bottomland Hardwood Forests
AUTHORS: Jacquelyn Dearborn, University of Missouri; Elisabeth Webb, USGS Missouri Cooperative Fisheries and Wildlife Research Unit; Sybill Amelon, USFS Northern Research Station; Shauna Marquardt, USFWS Missouri Ecological Services Field Office

ABSTRACT: Within the last century 96% of bottomland hardwood ecosystems in the south-central United States have been converted to other land uses. Previous studies indicated that Indiana bats roost in many tree species typically found in bottomland hardwood ecosystems, however, resource selection by bats can vary depending on geographic location and habitat type. With nearly half of the range-wide Indiana bat population hibernating in Missouri and Illinois, information on how the species selects maternity roost sites in some of the last remaining bottomland hardwood ecosystems in those states can help guide management practices on public lands. We captured and used radio-telemetry to track Indiana bats at Cypress Creek and Mingo National Wildlife Refuges during summer 2015. We tracked 11 female Indiana bats to 16 distinct roost locations, 7 of which were artificial roosts (telephone poles with artificial bark) that refuge biologists had placed on the landscape in 2014. Four available trees were selected for each used tree (N=64) and habitat covariates were measured at both used and available trees. Selection was determined with discrete choice analysis in R using program mlogitBMA. At Cypress Creek, bats strongly selected artificial roosts over natural roosts, while at Mingo, bats selected trees with greater than 25% exfoliating bark. Our results indicate differences in roost site habitat selection parameters between the two refuges. Due to strong selection for artificial roosts at Cypress Creek (an option not present at Mingo), habitat selection differences may have management implications for Indiana bat habitat restoration in bottomland hardwood ecosystems.
Tuesday February 7, 2017 6:00pm - 9:00pm CST
Lancaster Ballroom
  Poster Session, Poster Display

6:00pm CST

Poster Display. Roosting Habits of the Northern Long-eared Bat (Myotis Septentrionalis) in a Managed Forest
AUTHORS: Kristi Confortin, Ball State University; Timothy Carter, Ball State University; Jocelyn Karsk, Ball State University; and Scott Haulton, Indiana DNR, Division of Forestry

ABSTRACT: With the listing of the northern long-eared bat (Myotis septentrionalis) in April 2015, there has been increased interest in the ecology of the species.  This is especially true on managed forest lands where the effects of those management practices on this species may not be known.  We report the results of 4 years of tracking female northern long-eared bats to maternity roost trees on state forest lands in southern Indiana. From 2012 thru 2015 we tracked 68 bats to 175 roost trees as part of the Hardwood Ecosystem Experiment (HEE) located in the Morgan-Monroe State Forest and Yellowwood State Forest in southern Indiana.  For each roost we recorded standard microhabitat characteristics.  Northern long-eared bats roosted in both living and dead trees. While some variation existed among roosts characteristics, they were remarkably consistent across years. Average DBH was 30.4 cm, average roost-tree height was 18.2 m, average roost height was 8.2 m, while average canopy closure was around roosts was 55%. Some roosts were associated with regeneration openings (i.e. at edge or within interior) but most were either in intact forest or forested areas that had recently received a single-tree selection harvest.
Tuesday February 7, 2017 6:00pm - 9:00pm CST
Lancaster Ballroom
  Poster Session, Poster Display

6:00pm CST

Poster Display. Ruffed Grouse (Bonasa umbellus) Drumming Log Preferences Near Tomahawk, Wisconsin
AUTHORS: Jeffrey Williams Jr., Holly North, Sam Lau, Benjamin Tjepkes, Jason Riddle - University of Wisconsin-Stevens Point

ABSTRACT: The ruffed grouse (Bonasa umbellus) is an important game species in Wisconsin. We trapped and radio-marked male grouse at drumming sites near Tomahawk, Wisconsin as part of a UW- Stevens Point TWS chapter research project. We located radio-marked grouse from April through August 2016 to identify home range sizes. Next, we identified the number of drumming logs within each grouse’s home range. We also identified logs within home ranges that were not being used for drumming. We compared the following variables between used and unused logs: log species, log dimensions, level of decay, surface of the log (moss or bark), and indicators of grouse activity. Our findings can be used to identify potential limiting factors with regard to log characteristics at our study area.
Tuesday February 7, 2017 6:00pm - 9:00pm CST
Lancaster Ballroom
  Poster Session, Poster Display

6:00pm CST

Poster Display. Rusty Crayfish Consumption of Silver Carp Fecal Pellets
AUTHORS: Zachary Laughlin, Ball State University; Robert Shields, Ball State University; Dr. Mark Pyron, Ball State University

ABSTRACT: Large Midwestern U.S. rivers were invaded by Silver Carp (Hypophthalmicthys molitrix) during the past several decades. This invasive consumes and potentially alters phytoplankton communities, competes with native fishes, and likely contributed to a shift in functional trophic assemblage structure of native fishes. Recent research suggests that this invasive species affects food web structure by benthic subsidy of a novel food source via fecal matter, potentially increasing fitness of benthic consumers. We tested for effects of Asian carp fecal matter on growth and survival of rusty crayfish (Orconectes rusticus) in mesocosm experiments. One crayfish was added to each of 18 experimental mesocoms. Half of the mesocosms received chironimid larvae as food sources, and the other half received the same mass of Silver Carp fecal matter. Our results provide increased understanding for Silver Carp effects on river ecosystems.
Tuesday February 7, 2017 6:00pm - 9:00pm CST
Lancaster Ballroom
  Poster Session, Poster Display

6:00pm CST

Poster Display. Sampling Characteristics of Egg Mats
AUTHORS: Brian A. Schmidt, U.S.G.S. Great Lakes Science Center; Edward F. Roseman, U.S.G.S. Great Lakes Science Center; Nicole King, University of Toledo, Lake Erie Center; Jason Fisher, U.S.G.S. Great Lakes Science Center; Christine Mayer, University of Toledo, Lake Erie Center; Greg Kennedy, U.S.G.S. Great Lakes Science Center; Stacy Provo, Michigan State University, Department of Fisheries and Wildlife; Paige Wigren, U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service


ABSTRACT: Quantifying the spatial distribution and magnitude of fish egg deposition is crucial to population and habitat assessment. Benthic egg mats are widely used as a method to for assessing broadcast spawning fishes. Retention rates and catchability of eggs on mats in lotic systems are likely highly variable and influenced by water velocity, although this has never been tested. Therefore, we hypothesized: 1) egg retention is inversely related to water velocity and 2) egg retention is inversely related to exposure duration at constant water velocity. We used a 3.7 m by 0.5 m flume tank to imitate a dynamic, fluvial stream system. Experiments were conducted using lake whitefish (fall 2015) and walleye (spring 2016) eggs.  A regression of egg retention rates showed a significant negative relationship with average flow velocity (m/s) (F= 41.625, p < 0.01). Egg retention rates did not decrease with increased exposure duration. We also observed that the addition of rock substrate significantly reduced egg accumulation on mats (t=2.133, p = 0.05) and the distance travelled by eggs within the flume (F=17.518, p < 0.01). Through all trials, overall egg retention was low and we saw substantial movement suggesting that egg densities on mats provide a snapshot index of relative abundance rather than a true measure of density on natural bottom. 
Tuesday February 7, 2017 6:00pm - 9:00pm CST
Lancaster Ballroom
  Poster Session, Poster Display

6:00pm CST

Poster Display. Seasonal Dynamics of Blue Suckers Cycleptus Elongatus Inhabiting Great-river Tributaries in Missouri
AUTHORS: Brandon Brooke, Missouri Cooperative Fish and Wildlife Research Unit, Department of Fisheries and Wildlife Sciences, University of Missouri-Columbia; Randy Kramer, Missouri Cooperative Fish and Wildlife Research Unit, Department of Fisheries and Wildlife Sciences, University of Missouri-Columbia; Corey Dunn, Missouri Cooperative Fish and Wildlife Research Unit, Department of Fisheries and Wildlife Sciences, University of Missouri-Columbia; Craig Paukert, US Geological Survey, Missouri Cooperative Fish and Wildlife Research Unit, Department of Fisheries and Wildlife Sciences, University of Missouri-Columbia

ABSTRACT: Blue Sucker Cycleptus elongatus is a large migratory species facing declines throughout much of its geographic range. While Blue Sucker remain common in mainstem great rivers of Missouri, little is known about the timing and extent of tributary use. Insights can be gained from seasonal comparisons of population characteristics within tributaries. Here we ask, 1) Does occupancy and abundance of Blue Sucker vary seasonally across all sites and tributaries? 2) What were the condition, and age and size structure of Blue Suckers inhabiting the Grand River, Missouri? and 3) Were population characteristics seasonally variable? From summer 2014–spring 2016 we used a standardized protocol, which included boat electrofishing, benthic trawling, and hoops nets to sample fish within tributaries. Blue Suckers were collected from five of nine sites and four of six rivers. Occupancy (percentage of sites occupied) and abundance were generally highest in spring. Blue Suckers (N=57) ranged from 481–796 mm total length (625 mm ± 71 mm [mean ± SD]). Using estimated ages from pectoral rays interpreted by three readers, Blue Suckers (N = 53) were all likely mature ranging from 3 to 27 years old with a mean age of 10.53 years (SD = 5.5). In spring the population consisted of larger (ANOVA, p < 0.05) and older (ANOVA, p < 0.1) fish. Relative weight was lowest in spring during spawning season (Wr = 0.84) and significantly lower than relative weights in summer and fall (ANOVA, p < 0.01). Our results suggest that Blue Sucker population characteristics varied seasonally and by tributary, and likely resulted from immigration into tributaries by larger reproductively active fish in spring, which underscores the importance of connectivity for fish dispersal throughout tributary networks.
Tuesday February 7, 2017 6:00pm - 9:00pm CST
Lancaster Ballroom
  Poster Session, Poster Display

6:00pm CST

Poster Display. Seasonal Home Ranges, Movements, and Habitat Selection of Female Elk in Northwestern Minnesota
AUTHORS: Alicia E Freeman, Minnesota State University - Mankato; Gino J D'Angelo, School of Forestry and Natural Resources, University of Georgia; Louis J Cornicelli, Minnesota Department of Natural Resources; John D. Krenz, Minnesota State University - Mankato

ABSTRACT: Home ranges and habitat selection for North American elk (Cervus elaphus) have been studied extensively, but such studies have never been undertaken in Minnesota. Currently, approximately 130 free-ranging elk can be found in 4 sub-groups in northwestern Minnesota. Our project will provide foundational ecological data on the movement ecology, landscape-level habitat use, and selection of fine-scale habitat features by adult female elk in northwestern Minnesota. This presentation will focus on habitat selection preferences of elk by examining their selection of fine-scale structural habitat features. We placed Global Positioning System (GPS) collars on 20 adult female elk in northwestern Minnesota in February 2016. Using hourly locations taken by these collars from May 2016 through July 2016, we selected known locations, and generated random locations, within sampling areas that we created on a weekly basis. These areas were created using Minimum Convex Polygons (MCP) surrounding each of the 4 sub-groups of elk. At the known and random locations, we took fine-scale habitat measurements to characterize the amount and type of cover that female elk select during the summer growing season. We will use Resource Selection Functions (RSF) to describe the habitat characteristics that are most important to female elk during this time period. This research will provide valuable information to wildlife managers in the region to improve management practices for elk in northwestern Minnesota.
Tuesday February 7, 2017 6:00pm - 9:00pm CST
Lancaster Ballroom
  Poster Session, Poster Display

6:00pm CST

Poster Display. Seasonal Movements of Spruce Grouse (Falcipennis Canadensis) on the Huron-Manistee National Forest in Northern Michigan
AUTHORS: Taylor R. Ross, Wittenberg University; Anna C. Siegfried, Wittenberg University; Scott A. Warsen, US Forest Service; Kimberly A. Piccolo, US Forest Service; Richard S. Phillips, Wittenberg University

ABSTRACT: Spruce Grouse (Falcipennis canadensis) typically inhabit northern coniferous forests and are associated with short-needled pine trees. The Huron-Manistee National Forest is along the southern edge of spruce grouse range, with habitat for the spruce grouse thought to consist primarily of dense, mid-successional forests 15 to 40 years old which were previously occupied by Kirtland’s warbler. Wildfires and habitat management providing a young age class of jack pine forest are thought to benefit both Kirtland’s warbler and spruce grouse. To develop a baseline of habitat use by spruce grouse prior to prescribed fire, two spruce grouse were outfitted with radio-transmitters and monitored during a 7-month period from September 2015 to July 2016.  Locations were collected via triangulation and generated using Location of a Signal (LOAS). Movement analysis were conducted in ArcGIS using the ArcMET extension. A total of 102 locations were collected, with distances between locations averaging 611 m for the female and 512m for the male. The majority of locations were in jack pine, with 54 of 55 locations for the male and 41 of 47 for the female. Of the jack pine locations, 88% of locations occurred in stands 24 years of age or younger. Post burn data will be collected and compared to current information. 
Tuesday February 7, 2017 6:00pm - 9:00pm CST
Lancaster Ballroom
  Poster Session, Poster Display

6:00pm CST

Poster Display. Selection Preference of Cavity Nesting Waterfowl
AUTHORS: Trenton Rohrer, University of Wisconsin-Stevens Point; Ben Murley, University of Wisconsin-Stevens Point; Stuart Fetherston, University of Wisconsin-Stevens Point

ABSTRACT: U.S. Fish and Wildlife Biologists Gil Gigstead and Milford Smith first utilized wood duck (Aix sponsa) nesting boxes at Chautauqua National Wildlife Refuge in 1937.  These boxes sought to imitate the declining number of natural tree cavities in old growth forest that wood ducks and hooded mergansers (Lophodytes cucullatus) use for rearing their young.  In the George W. Mead Wildlife Area there are 120-130 wood duck boxes.  These boxes are permanent additions to the landscape and are only taken down if parts need to be replaced.  Each winter the boxes are cleaned out, and data on species utilization, nest success, box height, distance from water, and box opening orientation is collected.  We then use AIC software to analyze this data and determine the model of best fit to see if there is a correlation between one of these factors and nest selection behavior in cavity nesting waterfowl.  Over a 13-year period, our data showed that less than half of the boxes we looked at had been used by cavity nesting waterfowl. We will present our findings at the Midwest Fish & Wildlife Conference.
 
Tuesday February 7, 2017 6:00pm - 9:00pm CST
Lancaster Ballroom
  Poster Session, Poster Display

6:00pm CST

Poster Display. Stream Connectivity Effects on Island Backchannel Habitat Conditions Under Regulated Flows in the Lower Osage River
AUTHORS: John Brant, University of Missouri; Elisa Baebler, University of Missouri; Del Lobb, Missouri Department of Conservation; Craig Paukert, USGS Missouri Cooperative Fish and Wildlife Research Unit

ABSTRACT: The connectivity of backchannels to main channel flow in rivers, including flow regulated rivers, can affect backchannel habitat. The purpose of this study was to determine the optimal flow ranges to increase habitat diversity and enhance dissolved oxygen (DO) in selected backchannels of the lower Osage River. Bagnell Dam on the Osage River uses hypolimnetic release for hydroelectric power generation, and the stage, temperature, and DO of the river can vary greatly on a daily basis due to changes in flow releases. Water released from the hypolimnion often has low DO during late summer and early fall, especially during and following high flow releases. At low flow releases, many backchannels are disconnected from the main channel, creating lentic habitats that do not benefit from the enhanced DO of the low releases. Modification of island backchannels to enhance connectivity with the main channel at low flow releases would cause backchannels to be lotic more often, and possibly enhance DO conditions. Water temperature, DO levels, and flow rates were measured in the main channel and selected backchannels of the lower Osage River. DO levels at different flows entering the backchannels were evaluated to determine optimal flow ranges to allow for habitat diversity and DO enhancement.
Tuesday February 7, 2017 6:00pm - 9:00pm CST
Lancaster Ballroom
  Poster Session, Poster Display

6:00pm CST

Poster Display. Summer Roost Selection of Four Myotis Species in the Pine Ridge Region of Western Nebraska
AUTHORS: Brett Andersen, University of Nebraska-Kearney; Keith Geluso, University of Nebraska-Kearney

ABSTRACT: In Nebraska, the Pine Ridge region presents a unique overlap in ranges for eastern and western bat species. Due to the threats associated with White Nose Syndrome (WNS) in the east that have caused catastrophic declines in populations east of the Missouri River, the overlap in ranges on the western edge of Nebraska could provide an opportunity for the fungus to reach the Rocky Mountains. Since these populations are vulnerable, learning more about these species is paramount for their long-term persistence. In summer, female bats from the genus Myotis, a group of cave roosting bats known to be most severely impacted by WNS, congregate and form maternity colonies in a variety of structures to give birth to and raise their young. If these summer roosts are damaged or destroyed, it could drastically impact local populations. In this study, we radiotagged and tracked reproductive females from four different species of Myotis to their maternity roosts. By comparing the selected roosts to surrounding trees, we could then identify parameters that each species is using to select their roosts. In turn, this information can be used for management practices in forestry to lessen the impact that logging and related activities could have on these bat populations.
Tuesday February 7, 2017 6:00pm - 9:00pm CST
Lancaster Ballroom
  Poster Session, Poster Display

6:00pm CST

Poster Display. Survival and Drift Behavior of Pallid Sturgeon Free Embryos and Larvae in an Artificial Channel
AUTHORS: Kevin Buhl, US Geological Survey; Travis Schaeffer, US Geological Survey

ABSTRACT: Laboratory studies were conducted to quantify survival and dispersal behaviors of pallid sturgeon free embryos and larvae and to assess their tolerance to different water velocities.  The dispersal behavior experiments were conducted in two large oval flumes in 2014 and 2015.  Both flumes produced nominal water velocities of 0.15 m/s and were nearly identical, except for different water delivery systems in 2014 and the addition different substrates (sand and gravel) in 2015.  Experiments were initiated with 10 newly-hatched free embryos and survival and dispersal behavior were monitored every three hours for 21-28 days.  There was no difference in the overall survival of fish between flumes in a given year.  Estimated drift velocities decreased as the fish aged.  Fish were observed holding position along the bottom at 11 days posthatch (dph) in 2014 and at 9 dph in 2015.  In separate velocity challenge studies conducted in oval tanks, we exposed free embryos of pallid sturgeon and paddlefish and16-dph pallid sturgeon larvae to a graded series of velocities ranging from 0.00-0.45 m/s to estimate median lethal velocities (LV50).  Free embryos of both species (5-day LV50, 0.11 m/s) more sensitive to the test velocities than pallid sturgeon larvae (5-day LV50, 0.22m/s).   
Tuesday February 7, 2017 6:00pm - 9:00pm CST
Lancaster Ballroom
  Poster Session, Poster Display

6:00pm CST

Poster Display. Survival, Nesting, and Brood-rearing Ecology of Columbian Sharp-tailed Grouse in Northwestern Colorado
AUTHORS: Rachel E. Harris, University of Wisconsin – Madison; R. Scott Lutz, University of Wisconsin – Madison; Anthony D. Apa, Colorado Parks and Wildlife


ABSTRACT: Habitat loss and degradation throughout the range of the Columbian sharp-tailed grouse (CSTG; Tympanuchus phasianellus columbianus) has reduced populations to < 10% of their historic range.  Various factors influence the survival of CSTG at different life stages, with habitat being one contributing factor.  In Colorado, the reliance on artificially created habitats such as mineland reclamation and Conservation Reserve Program (CRP) lands have helped stabilize declining populations, but may also threaten the stability of future CSTG populations, particularly as these habitats age or landowners remove lands from CRP.  We investigated spatial use of females during the nesting and brood-rearing seasons in landscapes with CRP and mine reclamation grasslands to gain a better understanding of the habitats contributing to greater survival of offspring and nesting success.  Additionally, we investigated the use of radio transmitters and passive integrated transponders as techniques for estimating survival of individual brood members.  We captured CSTG in the spring and marked adult and yearling females with 15 g necklace-mounted radio transmitters to monitor survival, nesting success, and habitat use.  Using chicks produced from our radio marked females, we captured and marked a subset of CSTG chicks with 0.55 g and juveniles with 2.4 g backpack style transmitters.  We also marked a subset of chicks with subcutaneously injected passive integrated transponders to compare the two marking procedures and estimate individual survival.  Information gained from this study will serve as pre-treatment data in a long-term habitat improvement study evaluating female, chick, and juvenile survival, as well as nesting success from pre-treatment study areas to immediate and long-term post-treatment habitats in northwestern Colorado.
Tuesday February 7, 2017 6:00pm - 9:00pm CST
Lancaster Ballroom
  Poster Session, Poster Display

6:00pm CST

Poster Display. Tag Retention and Survival of Small Bighead Carp Implanted with Acoustic Tags at Three Temperatures
AUTHORS: Curt Byrd*, Five Rivers Services LLC; Duane C. Chapman, United States Geological Survey; Emily Pherigo, United States Fish and Wildlife Service

ABSTRACT: The electrical barrier in the Chicago Area Waterway System is considered to be effective on large fish, but small fish (less than 153 mm TL) could potentially penetrate the barrier. In 2015, small silver carp were located nearer to the barrier than ever before. Substantial telemetry has been performed, and continues, on adult silver and bighead carp (together the bigheaded carps), but no such work has been performed on very young bigheaded carp.  Acoustic telemetry of small bigheaded carp would be beneficial to track movements in this important area, and reductions in the size of transmitters have provided an opportunity for such work. However, survival of small bigheaded carp with surgically implanted telemetry tags, and the retention rate of those tags, has not been evaluated. Our main objective was to determine tag retention and survival associated with implanting acoustic tags into small bighead carp at three separate temperatures (24°C, 18°C, 12°C.) Our secondary objective was to determine any differences in health of the carp, defined as changes in weight or swimming speed. An average survival rate of 85 percent and a tag retention rate of 46 percent were observed at the conclusion of the 45 day study. Fish had a higher rate of tag retention in the 24°C treatment compared to the cooler temperatures. No substantial decline in fish health was observed in the tagged fish versus the untagged fish.
Tuesday February 7, 2017 6:00pm - 9:00pm CST
Lancaster Ballroom
  Poster Session, Poster Display

6:00pm CST

Poster Display. The Benthic Invertebrate Communities of Northern Lake Michigan’s Cladophora “graveyards”
AUTHORS: Taaja Tucker, CSS-Dynamac / U.S. Geological Survey Great Lakes Science Center;
Patrick Hudson, U.S. Geological Survey Great Lakes Science Center;
Lisa Pashnik, U.S. Geological Survey Great Lakes Science Center;
Stephen Riley, U.S. Geological Survey Great Lakes Science Center



ABSTRACT: The lake bottom near Sleeping Bear Dunes National Lakeshore (SLBE) in northern Lake Michigan is bathymetrically complex, featuring large depressions, shelves, and ridges. Cladophora algae grows on raised shelves and sloughs into nearby depressions due to wave action as the year progresses, creating “graveyards” of rotting Cladophora, diatoms, and other debris. Anoxic conditions generated by this debris may allow the proliferation of Clostridium botulinum type E and associated toxin (BoNTE) production, which causes avian botulism. Benthic invertebrates can harbor quantifiable amounts of BoNTE, which may allow for transfer of the toxin within food webs. To understand benthic community dynamics, invertebrates were collected from a variety of bare, live Cladophora, and dead (“graveyard”) Cladophora sites from May-November 2010-2013 at SLBE and identified to the lowest possible taxonomic resolution. Chironomid larvae, indicators of environmental stress, were identified to genus or species for a subset of samples. A multivariate regression tree was used to determine which habitat and environmental variables were related to benthic community structure, and temporal patterns of abundance throughout sampling seasons were explored. Chironomid taxa and their associated tolerance values were compared among bare, live, and dead Cladophora sites. Implications for exposure routes to avian botulism are discussed.
Tuesday February 7, 2017 6:00pm - 9:00pm CST
Lancaster Ballroom
  Poster Session, Poster Display

6:00pm CST

Poster Display. The Northeast Climate Science Center: Improving the Way Climate Science Informs Resource Management
AUTHORS: Nigel Golden, University of Massachestts - Northeast Climate Science Center
Toni Lyn Morelli, U.S. Geological Survey - Northeast Climate Science Center

ABSTRACT: The Department of Interior Northeast Climate Science Center (NE CSC) is part of a federal network of eight Climate Science Centers created to provide scientific information, tools, and techniques that managers and other parties interested in land, water, wildlife and cultural resources can use to anticipate, monitor, and adapt to climate change. Recognizing the critical threats, unique climate challenges, and expansive and diverse nature of the northeast region, the University of Massachusetts Amherst, University of Wisconsin-Madison, University of Missouri Columbia, University of Minnesota, College of Menominee Nation, Columbia University, and the Marine Biological Laboratory have formed a consortium to host the NE CSC, providing the U.S. Geological Survey with unparalleled expertise, resources, and established professional collaborations in climate science and natural and cultural resources management for successfully meeting the regional needs for climate impact science assessment, education, and stakeholder outreach throughout the northeast region. Thus, the NE CSC conducts research, both through its general funds and its annual competitive award process, that responds to the needs of natural resource management partners that exist, in part or whole, within the NE CSC bounds, including the Upper Midwest and Great Lakes, Eastern Tallgrass Prairie and Big Rivers, Gulf Coastal Plains and Ozarks, and Plains and Prairie Potholes Landscape Conservation Cooperatives (LCCs). For example, researchers are working with state partners to produce user-friendly vulnerability assessment information; developing techniques to monitor tree range dynamics as affected by natural disturbances which can enable adaptation of projected climate impacts; studying the effects of changes in the frequency and magnitude of drought on brook trout habitats, spatial distribution and population persistence; conducting assessments of regional climate projections and high-resolution downscaling; and examining species interactions with each other and their environment to better understand and predict the effects of climate change.
Tuesday February 7, 2017 6:00pm - 9:00pm CST
Lancaster Ballroom
  Poster Session, Poster Display

6:00pm CST

Poster Display. The Occurrence of Pitcher’s Thistle on Piping Plover Protected Beaches
AUTHORS: Michael Oertel Lake Superior State University ; Dr. Jason Garvon Lake Superior State University


ABSTRACT: Pitcher’s Thistle, a federally threatened dune plant found along the shores of the Great Lakes, often coincides with federally endangered Great Lakes Piping Plover nesting sites allowing for by-proxy conservation. Germination and establishment requires low disturbance of fragile dune habitats and avoidance of invasive plant establishment. Protection of piping plover nest sites, and resulting low disturbance should lead to higher establishment of the native plant.  Therefore, presence of Pitcher’s Thistle may be considered to represent a more native plant community than areas without it. We examined the density of Pitcher’s Thistle occurrence and density, and overall plant community, all active Piping Plover nesting sites in the eastern Upper Peninsula of Michigan (Vermilion, Grand Marais, Gulliver, Port Inland) as well as two non-active but historical nesting sites (Point Aux Chene, and Brevort River Mouth).  The interaction of fledging success and Pitcher’s Thistle density was also compared among active sites. The highest fledge rate of plovers was associated with the highest density of Pitcher’s Thistle with a P-Value of .07; and the plant communities on the beaches ranged from cobble and sand to dense grasses with forbs and shrubs.
Tuesday February 7, 2017 6:00pm - 9:00pm CST
Lancaster Ballroom
  Poster Session, Poster Display

6:00pm CST

Poster Display. The Role of Habitat Size and Quality on Presence and Abundance of Small Arvicoline Rodents in Northeast Iowa
AUTHORS: Kamden Glade, Wartburg College; Jake Haberman, Wartburg College; Rob Rottler, Wartburg College; Jake Thumann, Wartburg College; Dr. David McCullough, Wartburg College

ABSTRACT: The habitat degradation and fragmentation that occurs in Iowa as a result of urban expansion, construction of infrastructure, and the conversion of pre-settlement habitat to row-crop agriculture has caused several small mammal species historically found in the region to become scarce. This is particularly true for those small mammals that have their movements between habitat fragments restricted. Included in this group of small mammals are the arvicoline rodents: Southern bog lemmings (Synaptomys cooperi), prairie voles (Microtus ochrogaster), and meadow voles (Microtus pennsylvanicus). This study was designed to use live trapping data and vegetation analysis from three sites in Northeast Iowa to provide a current status of arvicoline rodent presence and distribution. Data suggest that presence, distribution, and relative abundance of these species is positively correlated with habitat quality and negatively correlated with habitat size, although it is likely that the habitat size correlation is artefactual. Furthermore, capture rates show that meadow voles, which are habitat generalists, are more abundant while prairie voles are rare and Southern bog lemmings are absent from the areas surveyed. Recommendations for species restoration include such techniques as habitat restoration, construction of accessible corridors, and reintroduction of eradicated species that may allow the rare species to persist, and even thrive in Northeast Iowa.
Tuesday February 7, 2017 6:00pm - 9:00pm CST
Lancaster Ballroom
  Poster Session, Poster Display

6:00pm CST

Poster Display. Trends in Relative Abundance of Sport Fishes of the Tahquamenon River, Michigan During 1988-2016
AUTHORS: Christopher J. Cortell, Lake Superior State University; Kevin L. Kapuscinski, Lake Superior State University; Cory Kovacs, Michigan DNR (Newberry)


ABSTRACT: Angler attitudes towards management actions( eg. stocking Muskellunge, Esox masquinongy), and the management actions themselves, have changed over the last 50 years, in the Tahquamenon River and its watershed. For example, Muskellunge stocking efforts ceased in 1989 in the Tahquamenon River and soon after a 30 inch minimum harvest limit was established in 1991 to reduce mortality on Muskellunge. In 1997, the minimum harvest length was increased to 42 inches to further reduce mortality, promote natural reproduction, and conserve trophy class individuals. Regulations like these are crucial to the sustainability of these large predators in the Tahquamenon and around the world. Some anglers and sportsmen's clubs supported these management actions, while others strongly opposed them due to perceived effects on other sport fishes. However, it is unknown if and how these management actions may have affected populations of sport fishes. For example, increased abundance and size structure of Muskellunge may have reduced the abundance of other sport fishes. We used data from standardized electro-fishing surveys conducted between 1988 and 2016 to assess trends in population characteristics of the following sport fishes: Muskellunge, Northern Pike Esox lucius, Walleye Sander vitreus, and Yellow Perch Perca flavescens. It was our goal to determine if (1) annual catch-per-unit effort changed through time for each species, (2) the percent composition of species changed through time, and (3) trends in annual catch-per-unit-effort and total length were correlated among species. Our data analysis is ongoing, but our results should help inform future management actions that may benefit the Tahquamenon River sport fishery. Data analysis will be complete and a poster synopsis will be presented at the 2017 Midwest Fisheries and Wildlife Conference.
Tuesday February 7, 2017 6:00pm - 9:00pm CST
Lancaster Ballroom
  Poster Session, Poster Display

6:00pm CST

Poster Display. Understanding the Ecological Impacts of Timber Harvest Techniques on the Bat Community in a Midwestern Hardwood Forest: Occupancy Analyses Using Bio-acoustics
AUTHORS: Keifer Titus, Ball State University; Tim Carter, Ball State University

ABSTRACT: Timber harvest in southern Indiana is an essential tool in habitat management for the Indiana DNR-Division of Forestry. The main method of timber harvesting conducted on Indiana state forest land is individual tree selection, yet there are a variety of other timber harvesting techniques taking place on the landscape. However, the long term effects of these harvesting techniques on the ecological community, especially with regard to the bat community, is poorly understood. Since the onset of White-Nose Syndrome (WNS) in Indiana in 2011 bat conservation efforts continue to be a priority. Identifying the effects of each harvest is of great interest to all parties. In order to understand how each timber harvesting techniques effect the bat community we are examining how relative bat occupancy changes across a continuum of timber harvest intensity. This continuum includes unharvested “control” forest, single tree selection harvest tracts, shelter-wood harvests, and clear cut harvests. This work is being conducted at the Hardwood Ecosystem Experiment (HEE) in south central Indiana. This is a long-term (100 year) ecological study that provides a unique opportunity to research how the bats are responding to the different harvesting techniques. In the summer of 2016 from May to August we sampled 144 sites using SM2+ acoustic echolocation detectors; each detector recorded simultaneously for three nights. Over 33,500 call files were recorded during our first field season and analyzed using Bat Call ID (BCID) an automated call identification software. Even with in our first field season we determined difference is species detection in relation to intensity of timber harvest. We plan to collect an additional field season of data to examine inter-year differences and to strengthen our current findings.
Tuesday February 7, 2017 6:00pm - 9:00pm CST
Lancaster Ballroom
  Poster Session, Poster Display

6:00pm CST

Poster Display. Urban Bat Community Composition Along a Rural-Urban Gradient
AUTHORS: Ela-Sita Carpenter, University of Missouri

ABSTRACT: A common method for studying the effect of urbanization on a species is to investigate it along an urban-rural gradient. Some studies have suggested that bats are good indicators for determining urbanization's impact on wildlife due to their relatively long lifespan and monoestrous characteristic. The Gwynns Falls Watershed (GFW) is a 3,600 ha watershed that starts in Baltimore County, Maryland and flows southeast into central Baltimore City. I hypothesized that urban bat species richness would decrease as the GFW shifted from rural to urban, resulting in different bat communities along the gradient. From May to August 2016, active acoustic monitoring was conducted at nine sites along the GFW. Over 1,500 calls from seven species were recorded. Big brown bats (Eptesicus fuscus) and red bats (Lasiurus borealis) were present at all sites Bat species richness did not decrease as hypothesized but each site had a slightly different community composition. The amount of bat activity (number of calls) also varied at each site and did not appear to follow a known pattern.
Tuesday February 7, 2017 6:00pm - 9:00pm CST
Lancaster Ballroom
  Poster Session, Poster Display

6:00pm CST

Poster Display. Use of eDNA to Predict the Presence of Mudpuppies (Necturus Maculosus Maculosus) Along the St. Clair-Detroit River System
AUTHORS: Jenny Sutherland, Eastern Michigan University, US Geological Survey; David Mifsud, Herpetological Resource and Management; Maegan Stapleton, Herpetological Resource and Management; Amber Stedman, Eastern Michigan University; Edward Roseman, US Geological Survey; James Boase, US Fish & Wildlife Service; Andrew Briggs, US Fish & Wildlife Service; Justin Chiotti, US Fish & Wildlife Service; Katherine Greenwald, Eastern Michigan University

ABSTRACT: The mudpuppy (Necturus maculosus maculosus) is a fully aquatic salamander with a range that spans the Great Lakes region. Mudpuppies are critical hosts for the federally endangered salamander mussel, and, like many other amphibians, are important indicators of good habitat quality. Although this species was once abundant throughout its range, evidence suggests that there have been widespread declines as a result of habitat loss and modification, pollution, lampricide use, and over collection. Land use practices in the St. Clair-Detroit River System (SCDRS) have altered habitat, reducing shelter and breeding sites, but information on the current status of mudpuppies is lacking. In 1987 the St. Clair and Detroit Rivers were designated an Area of Concern (AOC) under the Great Lakes Water Quality Agreement. In an effort to remove the St. Clair River as an AOC by removing the “loss of fish and wildlife habitat” beneficial use impairment, sites along the river have undergone restoration. These sites now provide structures suitable for use as mudpuppy nesting habitat. Mudpuppy occurrence was quantified at these sites, along with other sites along the St. Clair-Detroit River System, using minnow trapping records. Additionally, we are investigating the utility of environmental DNA (eDNA) to aid future monitoring efforts at these locations. Environmental DNA could be a useful tool for monitoring because it is non-invasive and requires minimal field work. We used eDNA sampling and quantitative PCR (qPCR) to determine mudpuppy presence at restored and unrestored locations and compared the results to trapping records. Results from this work will help document the occurrence of mudpuppies in the system and help prioritize management of mudpuppies on a local and range-wide scale, resulting in more successful conservation of this ecologically important species.
Tuesday February 7, 2017 6:00pm - 9:00pm CST
Lancaster Ballroom
  Poster Session, Poster Display

6:00pm CST

Poster Display. Use of Lake Erie's Ohio Reef Complex by Walleye (Sander Vitreus) During the Spring Spawning Season
AUTHORS: Andrew Bade, The Ohio State University; Stuart Ludsin, The Ohio State University; Tom Binder, Michigan State University; Christopher Vandergoot, The Ohio Department of Natural Resources Division of Wildlife; Matt Faust, The Ohio Department of Natural Resources Division of Wildlife

ABSTRACT: Multiple local walleye spawning populations (“stocks”) exist in western Lake Erie, each of which likely contributes recruits to Lake Erie’s recreational and commercial fisheries. While contributions of recruits to the adult population from any stock have not been quantified, the Ohio reef complex appears to be the largest producer of pre-recruits. However, the timing and success of reef spawning is highly variable between years in Lake Erie. This variation is likely driven by environmental factors (e.g., temperature, photoperiod, winter severity) and individual phenotypes (e.g., sex, size, age) that can alter walleye spawning phenology and ecology.  At present, numerous information gaps exist about the use of Ohio’s reef complex by walleye: 

- What environmental and biological variables influence the timing of spawning (or arrival of spawners) of walleye on the Ohio reef complex?

- How long do individuals remain on the complex during the spring?

- Are specific areas on the reefs used consistently more than others? (Do “hot spots” of spawning activity exist within the complex?)


Through the use of an extensive acoustic telemetry array on the Ohio reef complex, egg collections, and environmental monitoring data, we are quantifying the enviornmental and phenotypic variables driving spawning behavior. Preliminary findings suggest male walleye arrive earlier and remain on the reefs longer, while females exhibit a strategy of entering the reef complex sporadically for short durations. The beginning of the spawning period (defined by egg deposition and telemetry detections) appears to be controlled primarily by annual temperature variations. Activity is concentrated on the reefs rather than the surrounding area, with no apparent hot spots occuring within any single reef. These findings will add to a growing literature which seeks to explain annual variation in walleye behavior and recruitment success, and will guide future management decisions.
Tuesday February 7, 2017 6:00pm - 9:00pm CST
Lancaster Ballroom
  Poster Session, Poster Display

6:00pm CST

Poster Display. Use of Silicone Passive Sampling Devices (PSDs) for Assaying Potential Exposure of Northern Leopard Frogs to Pesticides in Agricultural Wetlands
AUTHORS: Jennifer Swanson, Iowa State University; Taylor Yaw, Iowa State University; Clay Pierce, US Geological Survey, Iowa Cooperative Fish and Wildlife Research Unit, Iowa State University; Kelly Smalling, US Geological Survey; Mark Vandever, US Geological Survey; Bianca Zaffarano, Iowa State University; and Erin Muths, US Geological Survey, Amphibian Research and Monitoring Initiative

ABSTRACT: Amphibians are considered particularly susceptible to environmental contaminants due to their physiological traits and utilization of both aquatic and terrestrial habitats. In predominantly agricultural landscapes such as Iowa, contact with pesticides may result in a variety of sub-lethal effects on amphibians. These effects range from immune suppression to reproductive and behavioral changes. In a field setting, assessing long-term pesticide exposure can be problematic. Pesticide presence and concentration may fluctuate greatly over time, and measurements of environmental contaminants are usually limited to single time points or stationary samplers. One emerging method to test chemical concentrations in the environment is passive sampling devices (PSDs) which utilize passive diffusion to sequester a wide range of contaminants over days to weeks. One material used for PSDs is silicone, which has been shown to absorb a wide range of organic contaminants, such as pesticides. Our objective was to use silicone PSDs to understand potential exposure of Northern leopard frogs (Lithobates pipiens) to pesticides in agricultural wetlands. To our knowledge, silicone has not been utilized to assess potential contaminant exposure for a wildlife species at an individual level. As a bio-compatible compound, silicone is ideal for attachment to amphibian skin. In 2015 and 2016 we tested the use of silicone PSDs in the following ways: (1) suturing PSDs to the ventral surface of radio tracked frogs; (2) fitting PSD belts to radio tracked frogs; (3) placing PSDs in locations used by radio tracked frogs and moving them daily; (4) placing stationary PSDs in summer foraging habitat; and (5) placing stationary PSDs in overwintering habitat. The success of deployment methods to collect environmental contaminant data from silicone was variable, but analysis of the silicone confirmed its utility as a sampling device. PSD analysis from the 2015 field season showed presence of several pesticides including herbicides and fungicides.
Tuesday February 7, 2017 6:00pm - 9:00pm CST
Lancaster Ballroom
  Poster Session, Poster Display

6:00pm CST

Poster Display. Using Canvasbacks (Aythya Valisineria) as a Bioindicator of Wetland Quality in the Upper Midwest
AUTHORS: Eric Smith, Western Illinois University; Chris Jacques, Western Illinois University; Mike Anteau, USGS Northern Prairie Wildlife Research Center; Heath Hagy, Forbes Biological Station/Frank C. Bellrose Waterfowl Research Center

ABSTRACT: The canvasback (Aythya valisineria) is an omnivorous, wetland-obligate species that is dependent on food associated with submerged aquatic vegetation (SAV), namely tubers, vegetation, moist-soil seeds, and aquatic invertebrates.  Since the 1950s, fluctuations in canvasback populations may be due, in part, to changes in wetland quality and abundance at migration stopover sites and wintering areas.  Wetland loss and degradation can lead to declining food resources, which in turn has direct implications for migratory waterfowl.  Thus, a need to provide high-quality habitat for wetland-obligate species is paramount for management and conservation efforts.  As such, a greater understanding of the fate of acquired nutrients (e.g., catabolized or accumulated) as lipid reserves may be useful in assessing habitat quality of key migration stopover areas for large-bodied diving ducks like canvasbacks, especially given spatial heterogeneity in habitat quality of stopover sites along traditional migration corridors.  Though plasma-lipid metabolite indices have been developed for assessing habitat quality of passerines and other small-bodied birds, a paucity of information exists for assessing wetland quality for large-bodied waterfowl like canvasbacks.  Development of a relatively unbiased plasma metabolite index for canvasbacks may provide waterfowl managers with a useful tool for assessing the relative magnitude of change in wetland quality.  Thus, our overall goal is to develop a plasma-lipid index for canvasbacks for landscape-level use in evaluating wetland quality at traditional stopover sites in the Upper Midwest.  Results of our study may assist agencies with the geographic prioritization of waterfowl conservation efforts.  Further, our landscape-level assessment of wetland quality may be an indicator of how sensitive spring migration habitat presently is for canvasbacks, which in turn may help to identify specific life stages whereby management may or may not help with future conservation of this species.
Tuesday February 7, 2017 6:00pm - 9:00pm CST
Lancaster Ballroom
  Poster Session, Poster Display

6:00pm CST

Poster Display. Using Citizen Science to Monitor Carnivores in Nebraska
AUTHORS: Claire Helmke, Nebraska Cooperative Fish & Wildlife Research Unit, University of Nebraska–Lincoln; Lucia Corral, Nebraska Cooperative Fish & Wildlife Research Unit, University of Nebraska–Lincoln; Michelle Lute, School of Natural Resources, University of Nebraska–Lincoln; Jenny M. Dauer, School of Natural Resources, University of Nebraska–Lincoln; Teresa J. Frink, Department of Applied Sciences, Chadron State College; Joseph J. Fontaine, U.S. Geological Survey, Nebraska Cooperative Fish & Wildlife Research Unit, University of Nebraska–Lincoln

ABSTRACT: In Nebraska, where 97% of the land is privately owned, to address wildlife management and conservation challenges, we need the involvement of landowners and the general public. Citizen science presents the unique opportunity to engage the public while getting access to private lands, all while filling gaps of knowledge regarding natural systems. Citizen science also provides an opportunity to better understand the role of wildlife and science in the daily life of the community. The Nebraska Canid Project has been monitoring wild canids in Nebraska since 2013, with a focus on swift fox (Vulpes velox), a Tier-1 at risk species in the state. In 2015, we started an innovative sampling approach which incorporates landowners in the conservation process by sending undergraduate students back to their family ranches to conduct wildlife surveys. We designed a course to provide students with an opportunity to engage in citizen science, collect and analyze data, learn about canid species in Nebraska from ecological and social science perspectives, and apply key concepts to illustrative case studies. We offer the course to students at the University of Nebraska–Lincoln and Chadron State College. In addition to engaging student in the scientific process we are using the citizen science platform to explore questions about student learning and general conservation ethic.
Tuesday February 7, 2017 6:00pm - 9:00pm CST
Lancaster Ballroom
  Poster Session, Poster Display

6:00pm CST

Poster Display. Using Construal Theory to Understand Students' Problemization of a Biodiversity Socio-Scientific Issue
AUTHORS: A. McKinzie Peterson, University of Nebraska - Lincoln; Jenny Dauer, University of Nebraska - Lincoln; Cory Forbes, University of Nebraska - Lincoln

ABSTRACT: Socio-scientific issues (SSIs) represent challenges at the intersection of science and everyday life that require students to use scientific knowledge, argumentation skills, personal values, and morals to articulate science-informed decisions. Biodiversity SSIs are an important but largely understudied SSIs topic. A students’ initial ‘framing’ of a SSI has the potential to contribute substantially to solutions they propose and decisions they make. However, very little is known about how college students conceptualize biodiversity SSIs, particularly how they problematize their scientific and social dimensions. To address this need, we developed a two week unit around a Great Plains biodiversity SSI on a species, the prairie dog, which is ecologically important to the Great Plains, but interferes with ranching operations. Here, we analyze student artifacts (n = 73) to better understand perceptions of the prairie dog issue on a continuum of concrete to abstract using Construal Level Theory, which suggests that concrete situations lead to poor alignment between personal values and behavioral intention whereas more distant and abstract situations have the opposite effect. Preliminary work shows that student problem statements are not overwhelmingly concrete or abstract. Understanding the implications of concrete and abstract thinking about this prairie dog SSI has implications for improving science literacy.
Tuesday February 7, 2017 6:00pm - 9:00pm CST
Lancaster Ballroom
  Poster Session, Poster Display

6:00pm CST

Poster Display. Using Geolocators to Examine Seasonal Movements and Migratory Connectivity of Cerulean Warblers, a Declining Migratory Songbird That Breeds in Indiana
AUTHORS: Garrett J. MacDonald, Ball State University; Clayton D. Delancey, Ball State University; Kamal Islam, Ball State University

ABSTRACT: The populations of many Nearctic-Neotropical migratory birds are declining. Historically, research has focused on threats on the breeding grounds, but the need for full life cycle monitoring has recently gained attention. Individual light-level data loggers, or geolocators, have become an increasingly reliable and affordable tool for examining the seasonal movements of individuals across broad spatial and temporal scales. The Cerulean Warbler, Setophaga cerulea, dependent on mature Eastern deciduous forest during the breeding season, has declined about 3% per year since 1966. It is considered “State Endangered” in Indiana. During Spring 2016, we used a canopy net in combination with audio playback of conspecific song and calls, and a decoy, to capture nine male Cerulean Warblers at our study sites in southern Indiana. These individuals were outfitted with geolocators. We aim to retrieve geolocators in Spring 2017 using the same methods previously used to capture males. Analysis of geolocator data will provide information on the movements of individuals throughout the year, allowing us to identify important staging and wintering areas and to begin to elucidate the amount of migratory connectivity shown by the Indiana population. Additionally, these efforts will aid in the conservation of the species both in Indiana and throughout its range by informing conservation actions on staging areas where birds ‘refuel’ as they make their annual migrations, and on the species’ wintering grounds.
Tuesday February 7, 2017 6:00pm - 9:00pm CST
Lancaster Ballroom
  Poster Session, Poster Display

6:00pm CST

Poster Display. Using Side-scan Sonar to Classify River Aquatic Habitat
AUTHORS: Jerrod Parker, Illinois Natural History Survey; John Epifanio, Illinois Natural History Survey; Yong Cao, Illinois Natural History Survey

ABSTRACT: Physical habitat plays an essential role in structuring biological assemblages. Characterizing aquatic habitats at different scales for analyses can be challenging, especially in non-wadeable rivers. We collected near-shore fish assemblage data for the Illinois portion of the Kankakee River at 25 fixed locations using standardized boat electrofishing three times annually from 2013 to 2015. A diversity of fishes (17 families and 91 species) were collected during surveys. We hypothesized that the high fish diversity was partially attributable to a diversity of physical habitats. In the spring of 2015 a Hummingbird 999ci HD with bow mounted transducer was used to capture side-scan sonar video of the Illinois portion of the Kankakee River. One pass was made in a downstream direction along each shoreline of the river, resulting in 173km of data. SonarTRX software (Leraand Engineering Inc.) was used to convert video files into rasterized images. Mosaic datasets were created in ArcMap 10.3 and used to stitch rasters together into continuous images. Ground-truthing was conducted at 85 locations in the Fall of 2015 using substrate hand grabs to classify percentages of bedrock, boulder, rubble/cobble, gravel, sand, silt, clay, and detritus within one-meter transects. Then benthic substrate types and other components of physical structure (e.g. macrophyte beds and large woody debris) were manually classified using the mosaic images. We found significant differences in the substrate composition of the river including large zones of sand, gravel beds, exposed bedrock, and areas of silt accumulation. Multivariate approaches were used to assess the strength of relationships among fish assemblage structure and physical habitat characteristics at different spatial scales.
Tuesday February 7, 2017 6:00pm - 9:00pm CST
Lancaster Ballroom
  Poster Session, Poster Display

6:00pm CST

Poster Display. Utilizing Diverse Cover Crop Mixes in the Establishment of Native Warm Season Grasses
AUTHORS: Chris A. McLeland, Dave J. Niebruegge, Kendall L. Coleman - Missouri Department of Conservation

ABSTRACT: The utilization and incorporation of diverse cover crop mixes into crop rotations as a means to improve soil health, continues to gain popularity across the United States. Many state and federal agencies continue to promote the use of cover crops, and have allocated millions of dollars in cost share assistance to help producer incorporate this practice. In the Midwest, cover crops have proven to be a reliable forage source for cattle. In Missouri, the state fish and wildlife agency along-side partner agencies such as Quail Forever and the NRCS continue to promote the use of native grasses and forbs as part of cattle grazing operations. Research shows multiple benefits both for producer and wildlife when native grasses are utilized with rotational grazing. While it is well known that native grasses and forbs will provide an excellent source of forage and habitat, many producers find it extremely difficult to defer acres from all grazing or haying activities while native grasses and forbs are establishing. This has proven to be a large hurdle in terms of restoring native grasslands across Missouri. Beginning in 2013, the Missouri Department of Conservation (MDC) along with other partner agencies began looking at this issue, in hopes of finding a solution that could potentially reduce the deferment time necessary to establish native grasses and forb, thereby making the practice more appealing. Research trails began utilization diverse cover crop mixes in conjunction with native grass and forb establishment. Cover crop mixes would be considered a nurse crop and would allow the producer to utilize these acres for forage while the native grasses where establishing. It is believed that this method of utilizing diver cover crop mixes in conjunction with native grass and forb establishment may enable many more producers to consider restoring native grassland acres on their operations.
Tuesday February 7, 2017 6:00pm - 9:00pm CST
Lancaster Ballroom
  Poster Session, Poster Display

6:00pm CST

Poster Display. Validating Aging Structures in Asian Carp
AUTHORS: Charmayne Anderson, Department of Biological Sciences, Western Illinois University; James T. Lamer, Department of Biological Sciences, Western Illinois University; Brent Knights, Upper Midwest Environmental Center, United States Geological Survey; Jun Wang, Shanghai Ocean University; Levi Solomon, Illinois River Biological Station, Illinois Natural History Survey; Andy Casper, Illinois River Biological Station, Illinois Natural History Survey


ABSTRACT: Silver carp (Hypophthalmichthys molitrix) and bighead carp (Hypophthalmichthys nobilis) have invaded most of the Mississippi River and its tributaries. Although fish age is routinely used to inform management decisions, aging structures for bighead and silver carp have not been validated against known-age fish to ensure accuracy and utility. We used known-age fish reared in Chinese aquaculture and collected from the LaGrange Reach of the Illinois River (tracked annually from a strong 2014-year class) to validate aging structures from bighead carp and silver carp. We removed vertebrae, lapillus otoliths, pectoral spines, and postcleithra from each individual. Each structure was sectioned and prepared accordingly. Annuli were counted and each annulus measured from the focus using Leica S8APO Stereoscope and measuring software to determine back-calculated growth. By using both field and aquaculture reared individuals we are able to validate several Asian carp aging structures and determine the most reliable structure for age and growth estimates.
Tuesday February 7, 2017 6:00pm - 9:00pm CST
Lancaster Ballroom
  Poster Session, Poster Display

6:00pm CST

Poster Display. Variation in Fish Communities of the Lower Wabash River
AUTHORS: Eric C. Hine, Eastern Illinois University; Evan Boone, Eastern Illinois University; Leslie D. Frankland, Illinois Department of Natural Resources; Tim Edison, Illinois Department of Natural Resources; Robert E. Colombo, Eastern Illinois University

ABSTRACT: The lower Wabash, which forms the southern border of Illinois and Indiana, is a unique system in that it is part of a 411-mile stretch of free-flowing river and supports a well-used commercial and sport fishery. From Mt. Carmel, Illinois to its confluence with the Ohio River, the discharge of the Wabash is effectively doubled by the confluence of the White River. This Hydrological change influences fish communities above and below the confluence by introducing added flow and sediment. To determine the variation of the fish communities between these reaches of the river, we used pulsed-DC electrofishing at random sites above and below the confluence from 2010-2015. All fish were identified to species and individuals were counted and recorded. Our preliminary counts showed that the total number of fish sampled above the confluence was noticeably greater than that of fish sampled below the confluence and similar results were found in the total numbers of individuals per Family. We expect to see variation in fish communities below and above the confluence based on the individual species’ dependency on discharge. The use of non-metric multidimensional scaling will help identify the variations in these communities and can be useful in determining other environmental factors that affect them as well. In doing this, we can better understand how fishes react to changes in discharge which can then lead to more effective management practices for commercially important species and of the river itself.
Tuesday February 7, 2017 6:00pm - 9:00pm CST
Lancaster Ballroom
  Poster Session, Poster Display

6:00pm CST

Poster Display. Vegetation Diversity and Connectedness in Ditches Across Northwest Ohio
AUTHORS: Hannah Olenik, MS Applied Geospatial Science '18, Bowling Green State University; Ashlee Nichter, MS Geology '17, Bowling Green State University; Andrew Gregory, Assistant Professor of Spatial Ecology and GRASE Research Lab, Bowling Green State Research Lab

ABSTRACT: Since European settlement, prairie ecosystems have been in decline due to increasing anthropogenic use of these landscapes, principally for cultivation. However, a common feature of cultivated landscapes is the occurrence of remnant natural or near natural vegetation found as linear habitat features along ditches and field margins. Quixotically, given the prevalence of these features, they may actually be the best native vegetation reserve remaining in northwest Ohio. We examined the degree to which these marginal natural vegetation remnants contain and preserve native biodiversity relative to existing reserve areas across northwest Ohio. In the summer of 2016, we collected data from 46 ditches in Wood and Lucas County and 10 sample sites within the Dorr-Irwin Prairie Reserve at the Toledo Metroparks in Ohio. We sampled herbaceous vegetation diversity using point intercept methodology, and vegetation composition/density using Daubenmire Frame and Robel Pole sampling schemes. We found that linear natural vegetation remnants had higher native species richness than reserves, with ditches and field margins containing 46 native species and reserves containing 31 native species. However, reserve sites did contain a significantly higher concentration of native species compared to ditches. Because our study system of ditches and field margins is highly interconnected, our findings can have possible contributions to Meta-population biology, investigating whether reserve areas do serve as sources of native diversity found in, or whether this dendritic system of linear habitat features is autonomous and drives its own diversity. Our data also can contribute to the SLOSS debate, by adding further empirical evidence to long-standing theoretical findings.
Tuesday February 7, 2017 6:00pm - 9:00pm CST
Lancaster Ballroom
  Poster Session, Poster Display
 
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  • Main Agenda Item
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  • Acipencidae
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  • S1: Midwestern Reservoir Management and Assessment Strategies
  • S2: Midwestern Agroecology and the Conservation of Grassland Birds
  • S3: Ecology of the Missouri National Recreational River
  • S4: Sustaining America's Diverse Fish and Wildlife Resources
  • S5: Playa Wetland Ecology
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