SE CASC Participation in the 2022 SEAFWA & TWS Annual Conferences

Authors: Nils Peterson, Kaitlyn Tiffany, Lincoln Larson, Kathryn Stevenson, Erin Seekamp (NC State University), Mallory Martin, Louise Vaughn (US Fish and Wildlife Service) Paul Armsworth (University of Tennessee – Knoxville)

Abstract: Achieving the Southeast Conservation Adaptation Strategy vision of connected lands and waters that support thriving fish and wildlife populations for people requires coordinated regional conservation efforts among wildlife conservation practitioners in different states. We will report preliminary findings from a survey exploring how TWS and AFS members in SEAFWA states view regional conservation. We will describe how practitioners view regional conservation activities within six key domains selected based on goals of the State Wildlife Action Plans (SWAPs) and feedback from the SECAS Lead Coordination Team: (1) Describing threats to species/habitats and key research needs, (2) Proposing and prioritizing conservation actions for identified species, (3) Measuring the effectiveness of the proposed conservation actions and adapting as needed, (4) Developing plans for adapting conservation actions to climate change, (5) Protecting additional land for conservation (30×30, connectivity), and (6) Working with diverse stakeholders and publics to make wildlife conservation more relevant. Our study will also identify capacity-building opportunities for collaborative conservation and highlight perceived benefits and costs associated with planning at the regional level. We will conclude by summarizing how insights from wildlife and fisheries conservation practitioners can improve future regional conservation in the SEAFWA region.

Authors: Lauren M. Lyon1, Monica Papeş1,2, & Toni Lyn Morelli3,4,5

1Department of Ecology and Evolutionary Biology, University of Tennessee, Knoxville, Tennessee, USA

2National Institute for Mathematical and Biological Synthesis, University of Tennessee, Knoxville, Tennessee, USA

3Department of Environmental Conservation, University of Massachusetts, Amherst, MA 01003

4Northeast Climate Adaptation Science Center, Amherst, MA 01003

5US Geological Survey, Amherst, MA 01003

Abstract: The Appalachians maintain the greatest mammalian biodiversity hotspot within the eastern North America, north of Mexico. The Appalachian ecoregion provides critical habitat for many species of conservation concern, particularly for relict populations that can be traced back to the southward Pleistocene expansion of boreal taxa. In the face of increasing temperatures, it is imperative to identify areas of climatic stability for taxa of conservation concern. In this study, we used ecological niche modeling to map climatic suitability and estimate range shifts under multiple climate change scenarios for 58 mammals of greatest conservation need within the Appalachians. We identified areas with the greatest species overlap (i.e., highest species richness) as candidate refugia sites and overlaid the existing network of protected areas to determine which candidate refugia are likely to be preserved through 2040, in contrast with candidate refugia that are not currently protected. Nearly half of these climatic refugia fall outside of currently protected areas, making translational ecology methods in these refugia (e.g., implementing local outreach initiatives, partnering with state agencies in these regions, and targeting landowners and land managers) imperative for conservation of mammals in the Appalachians.

Authors: Shilo Felton1, Taber Allison1, Ryan Butryn1, John Lloyd1, Catherine Jardine2, Skye Pearman-Gillman3, Kelly Squires3, Paul van Dam-Bates4

1Renewable Energy Wildlife Institute, 2Birds Canada, 3Apex Resource Management Solutions, 4University of St Andrews – Centre for Research into Ecological & Environmental Modelling

Abstract: Accurate estimates of cumulative mortality due to collisions with wind turbines for North American bird species remain elusive, despite almost two decades of mortality monitoring at wind energy facilities in Canada and the U.S. Although standardization in methods has improved, the wide range of study designs, field sampling protocols, and mortality estimators applied in earlier studies limits the ability to combine mortality estimates across facilities. Further, data are lacking for a significant proportion of facilities. To address these issues, we leveraged the largest North American database on fatality monitoring to estimate cumulative fatalities for bird species. We applied an integrated modeling approach using a Bayesian hierarchical model, which combined standard models that adjust carcass counts for carcass scavenging and searcher efficiency into a single integrated model. We compared the integrated modeling results with estimates generated using a generalized linear mixed model. Both modeling approaches allowed the estimation of collision predictors, such as facility and turbine characteristics, and spatial predictors such as landscape type and ecoregion. Using these relationships, we predicted collision mortality across North America for most bird species with fatality counts. Our effort highlights the need for standardized monitoring methods to achieve reliable cumulative mortality estimates.

Authors: Wesley Boone, IV (North Carolina State University), Christopher Moorman (North Carolina State University), David Moscicki (North Carolina State University), Bret A. Collier (Louisiana State University), Michael J. Chamberlain (The University of Georgia), Adam J. Terando (USGS Southeast Climate Adaptation Science Center), Krishna Pacifici (North Carolina State University)

Abstract: Fluctuations in eastern wild turkey populations (Meleagris gallopavo silvestris) are driven in large part by annual fluctuations in nest survival. Previous studies have investigated the influence of weather on eastern wild turkey nest survival using data from small geographic areas, from a relatively small number of individuals, or from only a few years. Results of these studies were often inconsistent and therefore implications have been difficult to generalize across space and time. Yet, with climate change being one of the most consequential threats facing wildlife populations, understanding how weather and climate influence wild turkey nest survival is integral to successfully managing their populations. The decline of wild turkey populations in many portions of the eastern U.S. further highlights the need to understand this relationship. Using long-term data spanning the southeastern U.S., we performed the most thorough and broadly generalizable investigation of associations between weather and eastern wild turkey nest survival yet conducted. We used generalized linear mixed models ranked using Akaike’s information criterion to determine if weather metrics from January, February, March, during egg laying, or during nesting were the best predictors of nest survival. We model averaged all models with ΔAIC<4. Nest survival was positively associated with increased daily high temperatures during nesting. Nest survival declined throughout the nesting season. These results have important conservation implications for wild turkey as climate change is expected to continue increasing temperatures over the coming century.

Authors: Lauren Pharr (North Carolina State University), Caren Cooper (North Carolina State University), Christopher Moorman (North Carolina State University), Jeff Walters (Virginia Tech)

Abstract: Over the past several decades, densities of the endangered Red-cockaded Woodpecker (Dryobates borealis; hereafter RCW) have increased due to intensive restoration and management of longleaf pine forests and the strategic placement of artificial cavities; their recovery is so successful that the United States Fish and Wildlife Service is considering downlisting the species from an endangered to threatened status. We used data from long-term nest monitoring of the RCW to understand current trends in reproduction at 3 three locations: the Sandhills region in south-central North Carolina, Marine Corps Base Camp Lejeune on the central coast of North Carolina, and Eglin Air Force Base on the Gulf Coast in the western panhandle of Florida. We found that RCWs are initiating laying earlier, with much larger clutches early in the season. In North Carolina, the larger clutches are not resulting in higher productivity due to elevated brood reduction. However, in the southwestern portion of the range increases in clutch sizes do not compensate for elevated brood reduction, and the resulting declining productivity might be a preview of the future in North Carolina.