Kristina L. Black, Philip J. Manlick, J. Pauli, M. Romanski
{"title":"Exploring the Origins of Red Foxes (Vulpes vulpes) on Isle Royale","authors":"Kristina L. Black, Philip J. Manlick, J. Pauli, M. Romanski","doi":"10.1674/0003-0031-185.2.260","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1674/0003-0031-185.2.260","url":null,"abstract":"Abstract. Isle Royale National Park is generally considered a pristine ecosystem, but the island archipelago has a long history of human impacts that have altered the island's mammal communities through extirpations and introductions. The origin of red foxes (Vulpes vulpes) on the islands are of particular interest given their ubiquity and uncertain colonization history. Red foxes were first reported on Isle Royale in 1925, shortly after the foundation of a small fox farm that began on Isle Royale in 1922. We sequenced two mitochondrial haplotypes from red fox scats collected on Isle Royale and compared them to haplotypes from the mainland surrounding Lake Superior, the predominant source of the island's other native mammals. Some Isle Royale foxes matched widespread haplotypes commonly found across Canada, but over half of our samples matched haplotypes previously detected only in Newfoundland. While we cannot conclude a singular origin, we offer a working hypothesis red foxes on Isle Royale are derived from a combination of natural colonization and human introduction. Specifically, we propose native red foxes may be admixed with fur-farmed foxes from an introduction in the early 20th century.","PeriodicalId":50802,"journal":{"name":"American Midland Naturalist","volume":null,"pages":null},"PeriodicalIF":0.6,"publicationDate":"2021-04-28","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"46578417","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":4,"RegionCategory":"环境科学与生态学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
{"title":"The Rocky Road to Eastern Hellbender (Cryptobranchus a. alleganiensis) Recovery in Ohio: An Evaluation of Habitat in Ohio's Streams","authors":"Nicholas A. Smeenk, Gregory J. Lipps, R. Waters","doi":"10.1674/0003-0031-185.2.201","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1674/0003-0031-185.2.201","url":null,"abstract":"Abstract. Determining habitat characteristics that influence the contemporary distribution of species is imperative for effective conservation planning. The Eastern Hellbender (Cryptobranchus a. alleganiensis) reaches its Midwestern northern range limit in Ohio, U.S.A.Most previous studies have focused on habitat within the mountainous core of the species' range. We assessed physical and chemical habitat characteristics across the extant range of the Hellbender in Ohio. Physical habitat characteristics were similar to habitat across the range. Hellbenders occupied stream segments typically in contact with steep hillsides that are the source of large shelter rocks. Stream substrate consisted of large boulders and cobble and contained moderate proportions of gravel and sand. Both water temperature (max = 29.4–33.0 C) and conductivity (range = 284–1323 µS/cm) were elevated in Ohio streams. Historic alterations to streams in combination with distinct hydrologic regimes and geology have resulted in habitat characteristics not commonly reported elsewhere. This may have contributed to Hellbender populations being dominated by large adults. Developing an understanding of the role habitat structure and perturbations play in egg and larval survival is critical for the implementation of effective conservation strategies.","PeriodicalId":50802,"journal":{"name":"American Midland Naturalist","volume":null,"pages":null},"PeriodicalIF":0.6,"publicationDate":"2021-04-28","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"47738139","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":4,"RegionCategory":"环境科学与生态学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
Ian S. Hart, R. Utz, A. Taylor, Macie Chess, B. Porter, D. Locy
{"title":"High Conservation Value of the Odonata Assemblage in the Upper Ohio River Mainstem: A Large, Regulated River in North America","authors":"Ian S. Hart, R. Utz, A. Taylor, Macie Chess, B. Porter, D. Locy","doi":"10.1674/0003-0031-185.2.175","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1674/0003-0031-185.2.175","url":null,"abstract":"Abstract. Like many large rivers in modern industrialized regions, the Ohio River mainstem is a heavily modified riverine habitat comprised of various reservoir-dam series and shaped channels, rather than a free-flowing system. However, many odonate species in such habitats, even species of conservation concern, have been shown to prosper in degraded lotic habitats due to key life history attributes, such as rapid recolonization following large disturbances. In this study we characterize the assemblage of odonates in a Pennsylvania section of the Ohio River mainstem and determined if any species of conservation concern were present. We also tested hypotheses on distributions in the channel by testing if proximity to banks and channel depths helped predict odonate abundance. Samples were acquired as bycatch to benthic fish sampling conducted using electrified benthic trawling, a novel approach for collecting benthic macroinvertebrates in large freshwater rivers. We found seven odonate species, all of which were known to be species of conservation concern in one or more U.S. states. We also concluded that gradients of bank distance and river depth only weakly predicted odonate abundance, suggesting that the Ohio River species regularly use mid-channel habitat that is several meters deep. Life histories of most of the species collected are typical of those living in large lotic, and occasionally lentic, environments. Studies of other large, temperate rivers show that the ability to persist is not uncommon for odonates in these modified environments, and may be due to their ability to use mid-channel resources successfully. Despite the substantial differences between contemporary and historic conditions of habitats in the Ohio River basin, an odonate assemblage worth conserving continues to be present in the mainstem channel.","PeriodicalId":50802,"journal":{"name":"American Midland Naturalist","volume":null,"pages":null},"PeriodicalIF":0.6,"publicationDate":"2021-04-28","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"48563756","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":4,"RegionCategory":"环境科学与生态学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
Simon P. Tye, Keith Geluso, M. Harner, A. Siepielski, Michael L. Forsberg, Emma M. Brinley Buckley, Jeffrey S. Dale
{"title":"One House is a Home for Many: Temporal Partitioning of Vertebrates on an American Beaver Lodge","authors":"Simon P. Tye, Keith Geluso, M. Harner, A. Siepielski, Michael L. Forsberg, Emma M. Brinley Buckley, Jeffrey S. Dale","doi":"10.1674/0003-0031-185.2.229","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1674/0003-0031-185.2.229","url":null,"abstract":"Abstract. American beavers (Castor canadensis) are emblematic of diverse and dynamic freshwater ecosystems across North America. Numerous studies have described positive associations between beaver-modified habitats and biodiversity across a wide range of taxa. Yet few studies have documented biodiversity associated with the epicenter of beaver-modified habitats – the beaver lodge. We used an internet-connected, solar-powered, time-lapse camera system to examine daily and seasonal temporal partitioning amongst vertebrate taxa that visited an American beaver lodge in south-central Nebraska over 9 mo. We observed at least 28 species on the lodge, and many organisms were present during discrete daily and seasonal time periods. These observations provide a more holistic view of a widely recognized, yet understudied, component of beaver-modified habitats. Future use of similar visual-recording systems may reveal that other animal structures, such as burrows, nests, and hives, are prominent ecosystem components in the wild.","PeriodicalId":50802,"journal":{"name":"American Midland Naturalist","volume":null,"pages":null},"PeriodicalIF":0.6,"publicationDate":"2021-04-28","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"41576355","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":4,"RegionCategory":"环境科学与生态学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
{"title":"Assessing Linkages Between Small Impoundments and Long-term Trajectories of Prairie Stream Fish Assemblages","authors":"S. C. Hedden, Lindsey A. Bruckerhoff, K. Gido","doi":"10.1674/0003-0031-185.2.187","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1674/0003-0031-185.2.187","url":null,"abstract":"Abstract. Most stream fish communities have changed over time in response to common anthropogenic disturbances. Impoundments are a widespread anthropogenic stressor that can negatively impact stream fishes as they alter flow regimes, block movements, and act as fountainheads for the introduction and spread of invasive species. Recent studies, however, have reported the occurrence and reproduction of native fishes in impoundments, suggesting they might benefit some native fishes. Our primary objective was to evaluate whether impoundment construction has led to changes in fish community structure in prairie streams. To accomplish this, we compared fish occupancy in small impoundments (,5 ha) to temporal trends in stream occupancy among species to test whether species' increases in stream occupancy were related to their occupancy in impoundments. We examined stream fish communities in the Upper Cottonwood River basin, Kansas, from 1948–2018, and sampled small impoundments in 2016 and 2017. A third (32%) of fish communities in impoundments were similar to stream assemblages, whereas most impoundments (68%) were dominated by sport or bait fishes. In streams, six species showed increases in occupancy and four species showed decreases since small impoundment construction. Of the species that exhibited increased stream occupancy, five showed a positive, logistical relationship between a species' impoundment occupancy and its increase in stream occupancy. Species declining in stream occupancy experienced continued linear declines and may still be declining. Our research suggests stream fish communities have changed since impoundment construction, and are associated with locally-invasive, native species reaching a new stable state in streams accompanied by declines in other native stream fish species.","PeriodicalId":50802,"journal":{"name":"American Midland Naturalist","volume":null,"pages":null},"PeriodicalIF":0.6,"publicationDate":"2021-04-28","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"44175263","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":4,"RegionCategory":"环境科学与生态学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
J. Pynne, Elizabeth I. Parsons, L. Conner, A. Whelan, S. Castleberry, Robert A. Gitzen, Sarah I. Duncan, J. D. Austin, R. McCleery
{"title":"Southeastern Pocket Gopher (Geomys pinetis) Tunnels Provide Stable Thermal Refugia","authors":"J. Pynne, Elizabeth I. Parsons, L. Conner, A. Whelan, S. Castleberry, Robert A. Gitzen, Sarah I. Duncan, J. D. Austin, R. McCleery","doi":"10.1674/0003-0031-185.2.218","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1674/0003-0031-185.2.218","url":null,"abstract":"Abstract. Animals living underground deal with multiple physiological challenges, such as hypoxia and hypercarbia, but may have reduced thermoregulation demands because of the more stable underground microclimate. Southeastern pocket gophers (Geomys pinetis Rafinesque) occur in the fire-adapted, open-pine forests of the southeastern Atlantic Coastal Plain where prescribed fire is commonly used to manage understory vegetation. They are almost exclusively fossorial, and their tunnels provide ecological services, including shelter, for a suite of commensal vertebrates and invertebrates. To quantify potential thermoregulation benefits of southeastern pocket gopher tunnels, we compared temperatures in active tunnels (n = 31) to aboveground temperatures during winter (December 2018–February 2019), and to aboveground temperatures during prescribed fire events (n = 16) occurring in spring (March–May 2019). During winter, tunnels provided a more stable thermal environment (average range = 6.5 ± 0.8 C; mean ± se) relative to aboveground (average range = 24.8 ± 1.8 C) temperatures. Similarly, mean tunnel temperature range (2.05 ± 0.5 C) was significantly narrower than aboveground temperature range associated with fire events (497.0 ± 101.4 C). Clearly, tunnels provide a stable thermal environment for pocket gophers and commensals that use their tunnel systems.","PeriodicalId":50802,"journal":{"name":"American Midland Naturalist","volume":null,"pages":null},"PeriodicalIF":0.6,"publicationDate":"2021-04-28","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"49501434","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":4,"RegionCategory":"环境科学与生态学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
Jordan Wolfkill, Maria Elena Bejarano, T. Serfass, Greg Turner, Sunshine L. Brosi, Daniel J. Feller, Carolyn G. Mahan
{"title":"The Prevalence of the Raccoon Roundworm, Baylisascaris procyonis, in Allegheny Woodrat Habitat in the Mid-Atlantic Region, U.S.A.","authors":"Jordan Wolfkill, Maria Elena Bejarano, T. Serfass, Greg Turner, Sunshine L. Brosi, Daniel J. Feller, Carolyn G. Mahan","doi":"10.1637/0003-0031-185.1.145","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1637/0003-0031-185.1.145","url":null,"abstract":"Abstract. Baylisacaris procyonis is a roundworm that is tolerated by its primary host, raccoons (Procyon lotor). However, this roundworm can be fatal to intermediate mammalian hosts and may be a contributing factor to population declines of the endangered, Allegheny woodrat (Neotoma magister). We used fecal flotation to determine the prevalence of B. procyonis eggs in raccoon scat found in locations that overlap with where woodrats persist in the mid-Atlantic. We determined that B. procyonis was present at two extant woodrat colonies in Maryland and Pennsylvania. We expect woodrat populations at these sites to decline, if the roundworm and other factors (e.g., forest fragmentation) are not alleviated.","PeriodicalId":50802,"journal":{"name":"American Midland Naturalist","volume":null,"pages":null},"PeriodicalIF":0.6,"publicationDate":"2021-01-11","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"43946773","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":4,"RegionCategory":"环境科学与生态学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
Nichole L. Bjornlie, Clint D. Atkinson, R. Inman, Jesse T. Boulerice
{"title":"Long-lived Female Wolverines (Gulo gulo) Documented at the Southern Edge of Recolonization","authors":"Nichole L. Bjornlie, Clint D. Atkinson, R. Inman, Jesse T. Boulerice","doi":"10.1637/0003-0031-185.1.110","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1637/0003-0031-185.1.110","url":null,"abstract":"Abstract. Wolverines (Gulo gulo) were nearly eliminated from the contiguous U.S. by the mid-1920s, when they began to naturally recolonize portions of their historical range. Currently, the Greater Yellowstone Ecosystem in Wyoming represents the southernmost distribution. Using remote cameras, we detected two female wolverines in 2016 and 2017 in Wyoming, originally captured as juveniles. At nearly 11 and 12 y old, both were documented in the same areas where they appeared to set up home ranges previously, suggesting continued residency. The presence of long-lived females near the southern boundary of recolonization is important to the persistence of residents as well as population expansion. However, nearest habitat to the south is ≥130 km across open land atypical of wolverine habitat. Connectivity between island-like patches of habitat will be critical to continued recolonization, although active restorations may still be needed in areas unlikely to receive females through natural dispersal.","PeriodicalId":50802,"journal":{"name":"American Midland Naturalist","volume":null,"pages":null},"PeriodicalIF":0.6,"publicationDate":"2021-01-11","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"42973405","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":4,"RegionCategory":"环境科学与生态学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
Barbara I. Bleho, C. Borkowsky, M. Grantham, C. Hamel
{"title":"A 20 y Analysis of Weather and Management Effects on a Small White Lady's-slipper (Cypripedium candidum) Population in Manitoba","authors":"Barbara I. Bleho, C. Borkowsky, M. Grantham, C. Hamel","doi":"10.1637/0003-0031-185.1.32","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1637/0003-0031-185.1.32","url":null,"abstract":"Abstract. The small white lady's-slipper, Cypripedium candidum, is a rare perennial orchid with a limited distribution in Canada, occurring as isolated populations in remnant tallgrass prairie in southern Manitoba and Ontario. The species is listed as endangered in both provinces and as threatened federally. Despite its status, information on how environmental conditions and land management affect population size and persistence of this species is limited. We used 20 y of monitoring data collected for a subset of the largest population in Canada to evaluate the response of small white lady's-slipper to land management and weather. Long-term monitoring suggests the population is in decline and may not persist under the current climate and management regime. Temperature appears to regulate vegetative growth and flowering proximately. Warm temperatures early in the spring, when shoots are emerging, appear favored, but high temperatures during anthesis appear detrimental, reducing both vegetative growth and flowering. In contrast, precipitation appears to have a lag effect on growth and flowering. However, snow depth was identified as a positive influence on vegetative growth, suggesting precipitation in early spring, when shoots are emerging, is also important for above-ground growth. Some grazing appears to benefit the species presumably by reducing competition and shading, but frequent grazing may increase the risk of direct damage to individuals from cattle consumption and trampling and does not provide sufficient time for individuals to recover following grazing events. Our findings add to the knowledge of orchid conservation and management, highlighting the importance of long-term monitoring in detecting population trends in species with erratic life cycles and fluctuating populations, such as the small white lady's-slipper.","PeriodicalId":50802,"journal":{"name":"American Midland Naturalist","volume":null,"pages":null},"PeriodicalIF":0.6,"publicationDate":"2021-01-11","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"46400164","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":4,"RegionCategory":"环境科学与生态学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
{"title":"Effects of Light and Temperature on Germination of Eggert's Sunflower (Helianthus eggertii)","authors":"Noah D. Dell, M. Albrecht, Quinn G. Long","doi":"10.1637/0003-0031-185.1.49","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1637/0003-0031-185.1.49","url":null,"abstract":"Abstract. Helianthus eggertii is a rare perennial sunflower of barrens and open habitats in Kentucky, Tennessee, Alabama, and South Carolina in the United States (U.S.). Despite its delisting in the U.S. Endangered Species Act in 2005, little is known about the germination biology of H. eggertii other than seeds require cold stratification for optimal germination. Knowledge about the germination biology of rare species can aid in the management of natural populations and inform strategies for ex situ seed conservation and propagation. We examined how cold stratification, light, and temperature interact to affect seed germination in H. eggertii, and whether germination proportions varied among populations. At the time of maturity in October, seeds have primary physiological dormancy and require cold stratification or prolonged (> 8 wk) incubation in light at cool (15/6 C) temperatures to germinate. Seeds maintained a light requirement for germination when cold stratified in darkness, but not after cold stratification in light. However, seeds germinated to lower proportions after cold stratification in light relative to darkness, and when incubated at temperatures that mimic summer (35/20 C) compared to late spring (25/15 C). Germination varied widely among populations (23-58%), with plants from more open sites exhibiting lower germination proportions than those from partially shaded sites. Our results indicate seeds most likely germinate in early- to mid-spring, and light promotes germination of H. eggertii. Our results highlight the interactive role of light and temperature in determining seed dormancy break and germination in H. eggertii.","PeriodicalId":50802,"journal":{"name":"American Midland Naturalist","volume":null,"pages":null},"PeriodicalIF":0.6,"publicationDate":"2021-01-11","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"48999433","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":4,"RegionCategory":"环境科学与生态学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}