Virginia journal of science最新文献

{"title":"Creating a Geographical Information System for Freshwater Crabs and Fishes in Greece","authors":"E. Maurakis, W. Witschey, P. Economidis, D. Bobori","doi":"10.25778/MKTN-2X24","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.25778/MKTN-2X24","url":null,"abstract":"A geographical information system (GIS) for freshwater crabs and fishes in Greece was created in response to the European Environmental Agency's (EEA) biodiversity initiative for European Union countries. A total of 1931 collections, made with seines, dipnets, and backpack electroshockers in 32 drainages of Greece, yielded 126 species of fishes and crabs in 2,359 data records including species, latitude, longitude, drainage, prefecture, and locality; 731 also include stream order, elevation, gradient, stream width and depth, pH, temperature, and distance to river mouth. Our GIS indicates current distributions of species, species rich and poor areas, anomalous species distributions, areas warranting further sampling, and cogeneric species whose overlapping ecoJogical distributions call for taxonomic and phylogenetic investigation. In applied studies, the freshwater GIS can be an integral tool for EEA's biodiversity inventory Qfthe southern Balkan peninsula, an inland fisheries management plan, designs for environmental impact studies, and conducting gap analyses for the region.","PeriodicalId":23516,"journal":{"name":"Virginia journal of science","volume":null,"pages":null},"PeriodicalIF":0.0,"publicationDate":"2003-01-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"82127688","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"Longevity Record for a Wild Allegheny Woodrat (Neotama magister) in West Virginia","authors":"M. T. Mengak, S. Castleberry, W. Ford, Nikki L. Castleberry, Jane L. Rodrigue","doi":"10.25778/FBAG-VJ45","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.25778/FBAG-VJ45","url":null,"abstract":"The Allegheny woodrat (Neotoma magister) is found throughout much of the central and southern Appalachians and adjacent portions of the Interior Highlands. Allegheny woodrats have declined in the northern portions of their range and are state-listed as threatened, endangered or sensitive species of concern in every state where they occur. Until recently, biologists have had to rely on biological data collected from the closely related eastern woodrat (N.jloridana) because oflimited research on the Allegheny woodrat. We have been studying the ecology and natural history ofwoodrats in Virginia and West Virginia since 1990. On 8 August 1997 we caught and ear-tagged a juvenile female woodrat. She was caught a total of 24 times in the same outcrop from 1997 through 2002. A conservative estimate of her age on 25 January 2002 was 1,734 days or 57.8 months. This extends the record longevity for a wild Allegheny woodrat by 70 days or 2.3 months. Regardless, her known time alive (from first capture to last) of 1,630 days still surpasses previous estimates of longevity for the Allegheny woodrat INTRODUCTION The Allegheny woodrat (Neotoma magister) is found throughout much of the central and southern Appalachians and adjacent portions of the Interior Highlands. It is widespread but uncommon in Virginia and West Virginia (Mengak, 1998). It is a habitat specialist closely associated with rock outcrops, cliffs, talus slopes, boulder fields and cave entrances. Allegheny woodrats are tolerant of a wide range of macrohabitats but select specific habitats based on microhabitat features (Castleberry et al., 2002b). The Allegheny woodrats' natural history and role in the local food web and in forest dynamics is unclear. Fungi and mast (hard and soft) are major components of the woodrats diet (Castleberry et al., 2002a) but it is not known what role wo.odrats play, if any, in the distribution of mycorrhizal fungi and forest regeneration. In this ecoregion, the rough and inaccessible areas inhabited by woodrats generally have not been subject to direct, large-scale disturbances from human activities such as logging, agriculture, or second-home development. The long-term effect of disturbances to Corresponding Author: (Phone) 706-583-8096, (E-mail) mmengak@smokey.forestry.uga.edu 168 VIRGINIA JOURNAL OF SCIENCE adjacent habitats on woodrat populations is unclear even as regional land use activities such as forest management and mining continue to increase in intensity. Natural history information on woodrats is needed to assess population status and recommend actions to ensure the long-term survival of this species. Allegheny woodrats have declined in the northern portions of their range and are state-listed as threatened, endangered or sensitive species of concern in every state where they occur (Beans, 1992; Laerm et al. , 2000; Castleberry et al., 2002a). Nonetheless, they still appear to be abundant in appropriate habitat ·in the central Appalachians of Kentucky, Vi","PeriodicalId":23516,"journal":{"name":"Virginia journal of science","volume":null,"pages":null},"PeriodicalIF":0.0,"publicationDate":"2002-12-31","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"80705837","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"Chromium Tolerant Microbial Communities from the Chesapeake Bay Watershed","authors":"Kristine L. Lowe, Ruth E. Fliflet, T. Ly, B. Little, J. Jones-Meehan","doi":"10.25778/AS3S-1K32","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.25778/AS3S-1K32","url":null,"abstract":"Chromium tolerant bacteria were enumerated from portions of the Chesapeake Bay watershed and examined for their potential to reduce Cr(VI). Water and sediment samples were collected from various locations in Baltimore Harbor and Bear Creek, as well as Sandy Point State Park in Maryland and the Anacostia River in Washington, DC. Samples were spread onto agar plates with Cr042-(5 ppm) as the sole terminal electron acceptor. Plates were incubated anaerobically and colony forming units (CFU) enumerated. CFU arising on minimal-Cr042medium ranged from 10 -10 mC or f 1 and community estimates from sites in proximity to Baltimore City were approximately 6-30X higher than distal sites. Bacterial identification by BIO LOGTM or l 68 rRNA sequencing indicated the presence of bacteria of the genera Klebsiella, Pseudomonas, Burkholderia, Kluyvera and others. Typical Cr(VI) reduction rates by these isolates were significantly lower than Shewanella oneidensis, a known metal-reducing bacterium. Results suggested that microbial communities in the Chesapeake Bay watershed, particularly in Baltimore Harbor and Bear Creek, had a high tolerance for Cr(VI) and/or could grow slowly with Cr(VI) as a terminal electron acceptor. However, the isolates did not rapidly degrade Cr(VI) in the laboratory. INTRODUCTION The Chesapeake Bay is the largest estuary in the U.S. and is fed by a broad watershed that includes six states (New York, Pennsylvania, Delaware, Maryland, Virginia and West Virginia) and the District of Columbia, encompassing an area of approximately 12,000 km (Pritchard and Schubel, 2001). Forests, cultivated and abandoned agricultural land, wetlands and residential areas surround the Bay and its adjacent watershed. It is home to a wide range of aquatic wildlife and has regional economic importance in the fishery and shipping industries (Lippson and Lippson, 1997). In addition, the Chesapeake Bay is ·a popular site for recreational boaters and tourists. * To whom correspondence should be addressed. E-mail: jonesmee@cc(nrl.navy.mil; Telephone: (202)404-6361; Fax: (202)404-8515 142 VIRGINIA JOURNAL OF SCIENCE As a result of past and recent human activities, pollutants and other contaminants (i.e., pesticides, herbicides, organophosphates, polychlorinated biphenyls [PCBs], petroleum products and heavy metals) have accumulated in the Bay (Lynch, 2001). Pollutants reach the Bay through river drainage, runoff and direct discharge ( Curtin, 2001 ). One of the more problematic contaminants is chromium, which was mined north of the Bay in the 19th and 20th centuries. Chromium is an important industrial metal used in the manufacture of many diverse products, including ferrous and nonferrous alloys, paints, pigments, wood preservatives and corrosion inhibitors (Fendorf et al., 2000). Such manufacturing industries have operated in and around the Bay region during the past two centuries. Chromium is a redox active transition metal with a wide range of possible oxidation state","PeriodicalId":23516,"journal":{"name":"Virginia journal of science","volume":null,"pages":null},"PeriodicalIF":0.0,"publicationDate":"2002-01-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"84963304","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"Reproductive Differences among Delmarva Grass Shrimp (Palaemonetes pugio and P. vulgaris) Populations","authors":"Holly H. Ganz, R. E. Knowlton","doi":"10.25778/N9CQ-4S17","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.25778/N9CQ-4S17","url":null,"abstract":"Populations of female grass shrimps (Palaemonetes pugio and P. vulgaris) were sampled from five coastal embayments in Delaware, Maryland, and Virginia (Delmarva) and compared with respect to reproductive and life history attributes. We observed interspecific differences in timing ofreproduction, carapace length, ratio of carapace length to total body length, body weight, clutch weight, clutch size, and egg volume. Onset of reproduction in P. vulgaris lagged behind P. pugio. Although there was no difference in the relationship between clutch size and carapace length for the two species, carapace length/total body length in P. pugio was greater than that in P. vulgaris. A multivariate analysis of variance indicated significant differences in carapace length, clutch weight, body weight, clutch size, and egg volume attributable to effects of species, population, and interactions between them. At all sites, P. pugio produced larger eggs than P. vulgaris. Although the two species did not differ in reproductive effort, both species exhibited increases in reproductive effort with latitude. Clutch size also tended to increase with latitude for both species. In populations where both species were abundant, adult females of P. pugio were longer and heavier and produced heavier egg masses comprised of fewer, larger eggs. INTRODUCTION In a classic paper, Hutchinson (1961) raised the issue of how so many similar species are able to coexist in the plankton given the prediction, from the principle of competitive exclusion (Gause, 1934; Hardin, 1960), that one species should outcompete the others. Coexistence of similar species is exemplified by the \"grass shrimps\" Palaemonetes pugio Holthuis and Palaemonetes vulgaris (Say) that abound in marshes and bays of the Atlantic and Gulf coasts of North America. These two closely related species often co-occur in estuarine sites (Williams, 1984). Although both species exhibit similar distribution patterns across their geographic ranges, they exhibit differences in within-habitat usage. In previous studies, it has been shown that habitat partitioning in these species is a consequence of interspecific differences in physiological tplerances toward salinity (Thorp and Hoss, 1975; Knowlton and Kirby, 1984; Present address: Department of Entomology & Center for Population Biology, One Shields Avenue, University of California, Davis, CA 95616. 2 Corresponding author. 36 VIRGINIA JOURNAL OF SCIENCE Knowlton and Schoen, 1984; Khan et al., 1995, 1997) and dissolved oxygen (Welsh, 1975), substrate and cover preferences (Arguin et al., 1989; Knowlton et al., 1994; Khan et al., 1995, 1997), and interference competition (Thorp, 1976). In the present study, we examine whether differences in reproductive strategies could also promote resource partitioning between P. pugio and P. vulgaris and how these differences are maintained across a range of environmental conditions. There is some evidence to suggest that reproductive strategies di","PeriodicalId":23516,"journal":{"name":"Virginia journal of science","volume":null,"pages":null},"PeriodicalIF":0.0,"publicationDate":"2002-01-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"82396014","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"Environmental Factors Contributing to the Disaggregation of a Colonial Cyanoprokaryote and Its Influence on Picoplankton Abundance within Lake Joyce, Virginia","authors":"L. Affronti, B. Duquette","doi":"10.25778/abd2-8637","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.25778/abd2-8637","url":null,"abstract":"A colonial cyanoprokaryote, Aphanocapsa holsatica and autotrophic picoplankton abundance were monitored weekly over a two year period in Lake Joyce, Virginia. Significant differences were observed in both the cyanoprokaryote and picoplankton abundance over the study period and an inverse relationship was observed between these two plankton groups. Disaggregation of colonies was shown to contribute to picoplankton populations where water temperature and precipitation input apparently trigger colony dispersion. This relationship is suggested to occur in other aquatic habitats. Results of this work and its implications for ecosystem dynamics are discussed. INTRODUCTION Picoplankton is defined as plankton between 0.2 and 2.0μm in size (Sieburth et al., 1978) and may include a variety of both heterotrophic and autotrophic organisms (Marshall, 2002). Numerous studies have shown picoplankton as an abundant and productive component within a variety of oceanic, estuarine and freshwater environments (Li, et al., 1983; Fahnensteil and Carrick, 1992; Marshall and Nesius, 1993; Affronti and Marshall, 1994). However, questions remain as to the relationship of picoplankton in aquatic food web dynamics (Stockner and Shortreed, 1989; Fogg, 1995; Marshall, 2002). To answer these questions, more detailed information is required on factors which influence picoplankton composition dynamics. With this information, a better understanding of the availability of picoplankton as a link or sink for nutrients can be determined. The objectives of this study are: 1) identify variation in both autotrophic picoplankton and colonial cyanoprokaryotic abundance using a high frequency sampling regime and 2) identify the effects, if any that water temperature and storm water runoff have on colonial cyanoprokaryotic and autotrophic picoplankton population dynamics in Lake Joyce, Virginia. Lake Joyce, Virginia (36° 54' 44\" Lat., 76° 7' 19\" Long.) is a 60ha freshwater lake whose overflow empties via Pleasure House Creek and the Lynnhaven River into the lower Chesapeake Bay. The Virginia Department of Environmental Quality ( 1994) has described this water body as an unstratified, hypereutrophic system whose average depth is 1.1 m. The major nonpoint source input is from urban storm water runoff. Lake Joyce is representative of other lakes in the Norfolk/Virginia Beach area where its general usage includes fishing, boating, and water skiing. METHODS During this study, three replicate surface grab samples (125 mL) were collected weekly at one station in Lake Joyce over a 24 month period (May 29, 2000 to May 20, 200 VIRGINIA JOURNAL OF SCIENCE Plcoplankton Abundance","PeriodicalId":23516,"journal":{"name":"Virginia journal of science","volume":null,"pages":null},"PeriodicalIF":0.0,"publicationDate":"2002-01-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"75514590","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"Identifying Sources of Fecal Pollution in the Roanoke River, Roanoke County, Virginia","authors":"J. Crozier, B. Clark, H. Weber","doi":"10.25778/XEAE-XV83","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.25778/XEAE-XV83","url":null,"abstract":"Antibiotic Resistance Patterns (ARPs) of Enterococcus spp. were used as a phenotypic fingerprint to compare and categorize unknown-source isolates in an impaired segment of the Roanoke River, Roanoke County, Virginia. Antibiotic resistance analysis (ARA) of enterococci has been effectively used to differentiate among sources of fecal contamination in many geographic regions in the United States. Enterococcus spp. were used as a fecal indicator in a library consisting of 1,562 known-source isolates. Two-way analysis indicated that approximately 95% of the unknown-source isolates collected were of animal origin. A 3-way analysis indicated that 61 % of the unknowns were of livestock origin while 34% were of wildlife origin. Of the isolates determined to be of wildlife origin, almost all were from raccoons and geese while enterococci from deer were present at low percentages. For one sample date, 20% of the isolates at one site were of human origin. This bacterial source tracking (BST) data will prove valuable for the development of TMDLs for this impaired waterway. INTRODUCTION To date 3,486 km of the 78,000 km of streams and rivers in Virginia are listed as impaired, with only one third being adequately monitored (FOR VA). The Roanoke River, used as a source of drinking water and recreation, originates in the mountains of Montgomery County, runs eastward through the highly populated areas of Roanoke County, Salem City, and Roanoke City, continues into North Carolina and empties into Albemarle Sound, North Carolina. In the Roanoke area, land usage is both agricultural, on which horses, cattle and other agriculturally important animals are present, as well as urban from which human indicator bacteria may originate. Large numbers of resident geese and ducks as well as other wildlife are also present. Of the 803 stream segments in Virginia that are listed as impaired waters, fecal indicator bacteria are the leading cause of the impairment (DEQ). In the next 10 years, Virginia must develop TMDLs (Total Maximum Daily Load) for 600 impaired segments (DEQ). Public watersheds can be restricted from human recreational use if they exceed the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) standard of 126 Escherichia coli or 33 Enterococcus colony forming units (cfu) per 100 mL (geometric mean) in fresh water (EPA). Diseases caused by enteric pathogens potentially transmitted through contaminated water include cholera (Vibrio cholerae), gasteroenteritis (Escherichia coli) , giardiasis (Giardia) , salmonellosis and typhoid fever (Salmonella sp.), shigellosis (dysentery, Shigella sp.), and viruses, such as hepatitis A and Norwalk group viruses (Parveen et al., 1999; United States Environmental Protection Agency, 2001). 158 VIRGINIA JOURNAL OF SCIENCE With current water testing procedures, the presence of fecal indicator organisms indicate the presence of fecal material but not the source of the contamination. Transforming a non-point source into a point source is valuable","PeriodicalId":23516,"journal":{"name":"Virginia journal of science","volume":null,"pages":null},"PeriodicalIF":0.0,"publicationDate":"2002-01-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"80559950","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"Reproduction of Black Drum, Pogonias cromis, from the Chesapeake Bay Region","authors":"B. Wells, Cynthia M. Jones","doi":"10.25778/NCMY-PM70","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.25778/NCMY-PM70","url":null,"abstract":"Ovaries of black drum, Pogonias cromis, collected fromthe Chesapeake Bay region in 1992, were used to describe reproductive strategy and fecundity. Histological examination showed that black drum spawn in the Chesapeake Bay region from April through early June. Distributions of oocyte diameter showed distinct oocyte-developmental groups indicating that Chesapeake Bay black drum are group-synchronous batch spawners. Female black drum are extremely fecund ranging from 414,000 to 3,736,000 hydrated oocytes (mean = 1,389,000) per batch with a spawning periodicity of 3.8 days. Estimates of spawning strategy, spawning periodicity, and batch fecundity for black drum from the Chesapeake Bay region were similar to reported estimates from the Gulf of Mexico. INTRODUCTION In U.S. waters, where the primary range for black drum, Pogonias cromis, in the Northwest Atlantic is from the Delaware .Bay south to Florida and through the Gulf of Mexico (Welsh and Breder, 1923; Hildebrand and Schroeder, 1928; Silverman, 1979), there are at least two known populations: one along the U.S. East Coast and one or more in the Gulf of Mexico (Gold et al. 1995; Jones and Wells 1998). Many essential elements of the reproductive life history are well understood for stocks in the Gulf of Mexico (Fitzhugh et al. , 1993; Nieland and Wilson, 1993; Saucier and Baltz, 1993; Fitzhugh and Beckman, 1987). Specifically, black drum fromthe Gulf of Mexico mature at five years, are group-synchronous spawners, with a batch fecundity of 1.4 to 1.6 million hydrated oocytes, and have a spawning periodicity of 3 4 days (Fitzhugh et al. , 1993; Nieland and Wilson, 1993). In contrast to the Gulf of Mexico black drum, littl~ is known about the reproductive biology of black drum along the U.S. East Coast. Studies of adult black drum in Eastern Florida and in the Chesapeake Bay have been limited to estimating the age at maturity and spawning season. Murphy and Taylor (1989) showed that the age at first maturity is five to six years and the spawning season along Northeast Florida is from January to May with peak spawning in March and April, while Alshuth and Gilmore ( 1995) found a more protracted spawning season from October to late March. In Virginia waters Bobko (1991) observed a spawning season of April through May, and noted that all fish were mature by age six. Although the length of the spawning season and age of maturity have been documented, spawning strategy has not been described nor batch fecundity estimated for black drum from along the U.S. East Coast. Estimates of batch fecundity are essential to understanding life-time reproductive output. However, this information is difficult to obtain because an age-specific migration pattern exists for this population. Although black drum of all ages are present E-mail : bkwellswork@cs.com","PeriodicalId":23516,"journal":{"name":"Virginia journal of science","volume":null,"pages":null},"PeriodicalIF":0.0,"publicationDate":"2002-01-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"91515095","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"A Baseline Assessment of Furbearers on the Upper Coastal Plain of Virginia","authors":"A. Bellows, J. Mitchell","doi":"10.25778/5zts-y543","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.25778/5zts-y543","url":null,"abstract":"We assessed the status of furbearing mammals on Fort A.P. Hill, Caroline County, Virginia during the 199 8-1999 trapping season with the cooperation of local licensed trappers. Our analyses were based on 345 captures representing of 10 mammal species, ranging from one bobcat (Lynx rufus) to 157 beavers (Castor canadensis). Mean number of captures per 100 trap nights was 17.0. Captures varied from 11.9 to 17.9 per 100 trap nights for conibear traps and 9.7 to 18.3 per 100 trap nights for leg-hold traps. External measurements of six species were similar to those reported for other populations in the region. We suggest that valuable insights into the ecology and trends of furbearer populations can be obtained from studies conducted on government installations such as Fort A. P. Hill. Management plans that include evaluations of infectious disease reservoirs and transmission and impacts of furbearers on wetlands, other wildlife, and human activities would aid in long-term evaluation of these mammals from ecosystem and health perspectives.","PeriodicalId":23516,"journal":{"name":"Virginia journal of science","volume":null,"pages":null},"PeriodicalIF":0.0,"publicationDate":"2002-01-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"83847692","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"Ice Storm Damage to Virginia Coastal Plain Forests During the Christmas 1998 Ice Storm","authors":"P. Elstner, S. Ware","doi":"10.25778/PCAD-EW27","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.25778/PCAD-EW27","url":null,"abstract":"On December 23-25, 1998, a major ice storm struck southeastern Virginia The storm-deposited glaze ice felled trees and limbs, causing a power outage and highway blockage. Between Februmy and April, 1999, we recorded occurrence, severity, and type of damage to trees over 2.5 cm dbh in nine mostly gently sloping plots in Matoaka Woods at the College of William and Macy. Frequency and severity of damage varied with species and with size of trees. Canopy damage occurred in 75% of large Fagus grandifolia trees, but in only 6% of small Sassafras a/bidum stems. As a group, small (2.5 to 15 cm dbh) trees were less likely to be damaged than large ( 15 cm dbh) trees, but about as likely to be severely damaged. Damage type also varied among the species and size. Despite severe damage to public utilities, damage within the forest was not great. Since few trees lost their entire crown, canopy gap sizes were small, and it not clear that much change in forest composition will result from this storm. However, increased density of ground litter will contribute to greater mineral release, and this plus small gaps may promote growth of already present seedlings and saplings. INTRODUCTION On December 23, 24, and 25, 1998, a major ice storm affected southeastern Virginia. Precipitation in the form of sleet and freezing rain accumulated to 1-3 cm of ice across the region, with Williamsburg reporting 3 cm of precipitation for the three-day period. In the City of Williamsburg and surrounding counties, 400,000 customers lost power for three to ten days following the storm. Many roads, including portions of Interstate 64 near Lightfoot, VA, were rendered impassable by fallen branches and trees (NCDC 1998a,b). The storm's impact on the community was certainly severe, and much of the infrastructure damage was caused by ice-felled branches and trees along roadsides and on forest margins. Based on the degree of damage readily observable from the roads, we felt that this storm presented an ideal opportunity to detennine the effects of ice accumulation on local forests. The great damage to roadside and forest margin trees, however, was due to their peculiar location. Without adjacent vegetation of comparable height to support their accumulated weight in ice, and with either asymmetric or fuller crowns due to lack of competition for light, individuals in the open would likely be more susceptible to damage than those in the forest. Nevertheless, preliminaiy investigation-of our potential study sites indicated that, although the damage within the forest was not as heavy as on its margins, it did appear significantenough t9 provide data for a meaningful study on the dominant tree species of the area. We surmised that the College Woods (also called Matoaka Woods), a forested area owned by the College of William and Macy, was an ideal place for a small-scale 4 VIRGINIA JOURNAL OF SCIENCE investigation into the susceptibility to ice of several major tree species on the Coastal Plain o","PeriodicalId":23516,"journal":{"name":"Virginia journal of science","volume":null,"pages":null},"PeriodicalIF":0.0,"publicationDate":"2001-01-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"78218432","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"Mammals of Fort A. P. Hill, Caroline County, Virginia and Vicinity","authors":"A. Bellows, J. Mitchell, J. F. Pagels, Heather Mansfield","doi":"10.25778/4XH3-FH93","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.25778/4XH3-FH93","url":null,"abstract":"Fort A.P. Hill (APH) is a 30,329 ha military training installation (U.S. Army) located in the upper Coastal Plain of Caroline County, Virginia. It was formed in 1941 and named in honor of Civil War Confederate Lt. General Ambrose Powell Hill. The current landscape includes a mosaic of habitats that range from old fields to hardwood forests. Forty species of mammals are known to exist on or near the installation. These include one marsupial, five insectivores, 9 chiropterans, one lagomorph, 12 rodents, 10 carnivores, and one cervid. We have studied many of the species on APH since 1997. In this paper w,e describe the physical environment of the area and 7 important habitats used by mammals. We also summarize the ecology and natural history of each species and provide statistical summaries of original measurements from mammals caught on the installation. The results of several recent studies on APH allow us to describe habitat affiliations and relative abundance of most of the mammals native to the mid-Atlantic region. Old fields and clearcuts support a total of 20 species, including several found predominately in this habitat. Pine stands and pine plantations support the fewest number of mammal species (17) of any habitat on the installation. Mixed pine and hardwood forests, hardwood forests, and riparian forests support the largest number of species (29-36). With the possible exception of pine plantations, the habitat mosaic found on APH provides abundant resources for mammal communities. We also include an evaluation of age and health attributes of the deer population and describe the hunting program on the base. Number of deer harvested annually 1985-2000 varied from 460 to 1765. Management activities since 1996 when the deer population exceeded carrying capacity have improved herd health. Because much of Caroline County and eastern Virginia is in extensive agriculture and the remaining hardwood forests are Current address: Deparbnent of Biological Sciences, Old Dominion University, Norfolk, VA 23529. Current e-mail address: abell008@odu.edu. 164 VIRGINIA JOURNAL OF SCIENCE being clearcut, APH is becoming a valuable habitat island for the mammalian fauna of the upper Coastal Plain of Virginia and the mid-Atlantic region.","PeriodicalId":23516,"journal":{"name":"Virginia journal of science","volume":null,"pages":null},"PeriodicalIF":0.0,"publicationDate":"2001-01-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"89774767","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}