Download INFORMING THE RESTORATION OF PIEDMONT SAVANNA USING

INFORMING THE RESTORATION OF PIEDMONT SAVANNA USING HIGH QUALITY RIGHTS-OFWAY AS REFERENCE.
Nicholas Adams and Johnny Randall.
North Carolina Botanical Garden, CB 3375 University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill. Chapel Hill, North
Carolina 27599. [email protected].
The presettlement southeastern US Piedmont landscape supported an apparent abundance of firemaintained landscapes, including Piedmont savannas. Fire suppression led to a decline of fireresponsive, sun-loving herbaceous plants that had persisted for thousands (or millions) of years. These
plants are now restricted to a few natural areas, but most persist in the refugia of regularly maintained
rights-of-way. My study identified high-quality rights-of-way and evaluated them for distinct vegetative
groups (or sub-communities), possible environmental drivers of those groups, and where these might be
used for natural area restoration.
We evaluated 31 rural rights-of-way (ROWs) for savanna-like herbaceous vegetation in the North
Carolina Piedmont and built a reference for local nature preserves based on edaphic conditions. Four
distinct vegetative groups and their environmental preferences were identified. Edaphic variables were
then identified at the Mason farm Biological Reserve of the North Carolina Botanical Garden at the
University of NC at Chapel Hill. The edaphic variables at the target site were then compared to those of
the ROW sites to infer which ROW vegetative group(s) to prescribe at the target restoration site. The
results show that the edaphic variables of the target site were different enough from the ROW sites’ to
stand on their own in a distance comparison. However, there was sufficient overlap to indicate that the
vegetative groups were all appropriate prescriptions to varying degrees.
Key Words: RESTORATION, REFUGIA, SAVANNA, REFERENCE SITE, RIGHTS-OF-WAY
Session Topic: Habitat restoration/management
Format: Oral Presentation
Student Competition: No
FLORISTICS AND BIOGEOGRAPHY OF RIVERSCOUR COMMUNITIES ON THE LOCUST FORK OF
THE BLACK WARRIOR RIVER, BLOUNT COUNTY, ALABAMA.
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Kelly Anderson and Dwayne Estes .
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Department of Biology and The Center of Excellence for Field Biology, Austin Peay State University
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Herbarium (APSC), P. O. Box 4718, Clarksville, Tennessee 37044. [email protected]. Botanical
Research Institute of Texas. [email protected].
Riverscour riparian communities of the Southeast are shrub/herb/graminoid-dominated zones found along
rocky high-gradient river systems. Deposits of sand, cobble, boulder, and exposed bedrock are defining
features of riverscour. Open conditions of these sites are maintained in part by the occurrence of periodic
flooding. The Locust Fork of the Black Warrior River in Blount County, Alabama lies within the Southern
Table Plateau ecoregion of the Southwestern Appalachian Province. This region of the Cumberland
Plateau is notable for its outstanding biological richness and high occurrences of rare, endemic, and
disjunct species. Encroaching urban development, mining, reservoir construction, invasive species, and
toxic runoff threaten the integrity of these unique communities. As such, swift baseline documentation of
existing floristic composition is critical. Three objectives are primary to this research: (1) conduct an
inventory of the Locust Fork vascular flora riverscour communities; (2) identify vegetation associations
found on exposed bedrock, cobble, sand, gravel, and boulder bars; (3) map distribution of significant rare
and non-native plant species. Collection of plant species occurred from March 2013–September 2015.
Preliminary flora documentation has noted 267 species, 195 genera, and 86 distinct families. Several
noteworthy collections were made including Solidago arenicola, Hymenocallis coronaria, Marshallia
mohrii, Fothergilla major, and Phyllanthopsis phyllanthoides. Interestingly four undescribed species were
collected belonging to the genera Amsonia, Amorpha, Helianthus, and Symphyotrichum. The results of
this study are discussed and compared to floristic and vegetation studies of other southeastern riverscour
systems to better understand the biogeography and variation in flora and ecology of these understudied
communities.
Key Words: FLORISTICS, RIVERSCOUR COMMUNITIES, CUMBERLAND PLATEAU, LOCUST FORK
Session Topic: Rare Species - Riverscour Communities
Format: Oral Presentation
Student Competition: Yes
A BRIEF HISTORY OF OLD GROWTH FOREST PROTECTION IN INDIANA.
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John Bacone and Cliff Chapman .
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Indiana Department of Natural Resources, Division of Nature Preserves, 402 W. Washington, W 267,
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Indianapolis, Indiana 46204. [email protected]. Central Indiana Land Trust, 1500 N. Delaware Street,
Indianapolis, Indiana 46202. [email protected].
Fifty years ago, a statewide assessment of Indiana’s natural areas identified 12 examples of old growth
forest. Twelve families protected these sites until their eventual legal protection by conservationists.
Protection strategies varied from management agreements to build trust, negotiating gifts or bequests,
raising money to purchase, and in one case, the procurement of a white Cadillac. In 2014, the last
remnant of old growth forest was protected—none were lost during the 50 years of protection efforts.
Key Words: OLD GROWTH FOREST, LAND PROTECTION
Session Topic: Land Conservation/Land Trusts
Format: Oral Presentation
Student Competition: No
ARKANSAS STATUS ASSESSMENT AND MONITORING SUMMARY FOR THE FEDERALLY
THREATENED GEOCARPON MINIMUM MACK. (CARYOPHYLLACEAE).
Brent T. Baker and C. Theo Witsell.
Arkansas Natural Heritage Commission, 323 Center Street, Suite 1500, Little Rock, Arkansas 72201.
[email protected]; [email protected].
We report on the current status of the federally threatened Geocarpon minimum Mack. (Caryophyllaceae)
in Arkansas following extensive monitoring and survey work conducted from 2012 to 2015. All four
previously known populations (Branch Saline Barrens and Hall Creek Barrens, Kingsland Prairie, and
Warren Prairie natural areas) were found to be extant in 2012, although few individuals were observed at
the Branch and Hall Creek sites. In 2014 no G. minimum was observed at the Branch site following recent
alterations to the habitat. This had been the only population known from the Arkansas Valley Ecoregion
and the only one in the state not at least partially protected by conservation ownership. However, a
previously undocumented Arkansas Valley population was discovered in 2014 on federal land, the first
population discovered in the state in 30 years. Previously undocumented subpopulations were also
discovered at Kingsland Prairie and Warren Prairie in the West Gulf Coastal Plain Ecoregion between
2012 and 2015. In Arkansas, 2015 appeared to be a poor year for G. minimum in general, and no plants
were observed at the Hall Creek site. To test the hypothesis that some level of periodic habitat
disturbance is necessary to maintain suitable microhabitat conditions for G. minimum, a small-scale
habitat manipulation experiment was initiated in 2012 in areas that supported G. minimum in the mid1980s but were currently unoccupied. Three seasons of observations are reported from these
experimental plots. The ecology and habitat needs of G. minimum are summarized, and major threats to
populations are highlighted.
Key Words: GEOCARPON MINIMUM, CARYOPHYLLACEAE, THREATENED, SALINE BARRENS
Session Topic: Rare Species
Format: Oral Presentation
Student Competition: No
DOES ENVIRONMENTAL CONTEXT MEDIATE ANTHROPOGENIC STRESSORS?
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Lucy Baker , Michelle Evans-White , and Sally Entrekin .
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University of Central Arkansas, 201 Donaghey Ave, Conway, Arkansas 72035. [email protected],
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[email protected]; [email protected]. University of Arkansas. [email protected].
Stream catchments in the Fayetteville Shale region of Arkansas were historically mostly forested and are
now agriculture and unconventional natural gas (UNG) extraction. UNG in the Fayetteville Shale has
resulted in a 2% loss of forested lands. In addition, infrastructure, water withdrawal, and potential
contamination associated with UNG could alter water quality. The intensity of stream alteration from
stressors may be mediated by physical sensitivity to land alterations. For example, catchments with
steeper slopes, erosive soils, and less forest could experience greater sedimentation that will alter
biological communities. We calculated and ranked catchment sensitivity [Hydraulic Unit Code12 (HUC12,
n=212)] using six selected environmental variables. Each HUC12 was assigned a rank from 1 to 4 based
upon across-HUC12 quartiles for each environmental variable. Sensitivity scores were the sum of all
th
variable ranks. Streams that ranked in the lower 25 percentile were considered least sensitive and were
th
29% of catchments. Those catchments at or above the 75 percentile were considered most sensitive
and included 35% of catchments. Factors driving catchment sensitivity were primarily soil erodibility (k
factor) and average catchment slope. Our objective was to then compare the rate of biological change in
more and less sensitive catchments across a gradient of UNG or agriculture. Benthic macroinvertebrates
were sampled in 10 streams in all four treatment combinations (n=40). We predict the rate of biological
change will be greatest in naturally sensitive catchments exposed to UNG activity. If our model is correct,
it can be used as a tool to guide future development.
Keywords: NATURAL GAS, AGRICULTURE, LANDSCAPE SENSITIVITY, RESOURCE MANAGEMENT
Session Topic: Fracking and Aquatic Issues
Format: Oral Presentation
Student Competition: Yes
AROGOS SKIPPERS AND TALLGRASS PRAIRIES IN THE ARKANSAS RIVER VALLEY ECOREGION.
William H. Baltosser.
Department of Biology, University of Arkansas at Little Rock, 2801 South University Avenue,
Little Rock, Arkansas 72204. [email protected].
The arogos skipper (Atrytone arogos) is an indicator of high-quality tallgrass prairie and as such is a
Lepidoptera species of great interest. Tallgrass prairie currently occupies only a tiny fraction of the lands
within Arkansas that formerly were of this habitat type. The greatly diminished acreage is primarily a
result of human influence, generally attributable to agricultural practices, urbanization, and the removal of
landscape processes (loss of grazing by bison and the cessation of fire). Prairie habitats monitored over
multiple years within the Arkansas River Valley Ecosystem include H. E. Flanagan Prairie Natural Area,
Presson-Oglesby Preserve, and Cherokee Prairie Natural Area. With regard to the latter, this area has
been further subdivided (North, Middle, and South) to facilitate study and to better gauge the impact of
management practices (haying and burning). Findings of interest include: (1) localized hydrologic factors
influence the distribution of arogos skippers during periods of heat stress, (2) selective pressures faced
by first broods are often very different from the selection experienced by second broods, and (3)
temporary refugia are critical and make it possible to successfully carry out the management necessary to
restore and maintain tallgrass prairie habitats.
Key Words: AROGOS SKIPPER, TALLGRASS PRAIRIE, LEPIDOPTERA, FIRE
Session Topic: Pollinators
Format: Poster Presentation
Student Competition: No
DAILY AND SEASONAL ACTIVITY PATTERNS AND THE USE OF HABITAT BY THE DIANA
FRITILLARY IN BLACKLAND WOODLAND PRAIRIE.
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William H. Baltosser , D. Craig Rudolph , Josh B. Pierce , Richard R. Schaefer , J. Howard Williamson ,
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and James Childress .
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Department of Biology, University of Arkansas at Little Rock, 2801 South University Avenue
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Little Rock, Arkansas 72204. [email protected]. USDA Forest Service, Southern Research Station.
[email protected]; [email protected]; [email protected]; [email protected];
[email protected].
The Diana fritillary (Speyeria diana) has been a focal species in our investigations of land management
activities aimed at habitat restoration, maintenance, and preservation at Terre Noire Natural Area. The
impacts of cedar thinning and the use of fire have been studied to gauge the effect of these activities
upon what has proved to be a sizeable and viable population of this state-listed butterfly species. We
have investigated connectivity among different segments of the natural area through the tagging of
individuals. Nectar resources have also been seasonally and spatially quantified across multiple years.
During the former and through annual surveys aimed specifically at the Diana and its close relative, the
great spangled fritillary (Speyeria cybele), seasonal and daily activity patterns of both species and their
use of habitat have been documented. Our findings from Terre Noire provide important insight into
various aspects of the basic biology of the Diana fritillary, which from a comparative standpoint across
different habitat types (e.g., forest or prairie), supply important insight into habitat requirements and the
management of this species.
Key Words: DIANA FRITILLARY, LEPIDOPTERA, POLLINATORS, BLACKLAND WOODLAND PRAIRIE
Session Topic: Habitat Restoration/Management
Format: Poster Presentation
Student Presentation: No
OCCURRENCE AND SEASONALITY OF MOTHS ALONG THE BUFFALO NATIONAL RIVER.
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William H. Baltosser and Charles A. Ely .
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Department of Biology, University of Arkansas at Little Rock, 2801 South University Avenue
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Little Rock, Arkansas 72204. [email protected]. 811 Logansport Street, Nacogdoches, Texas.
[email protected].
Moth surveys along the upper, middle, and lower reaches of the Buffalo National River were conducted
from March through October each year over a three-year period (2009–2011). More than 600 species of
moths were detected across these three segments. Area of occurrence, seasonal phenology, and habitat
information are available for all taxa. Our findings demonstrate that the diversity of Lepidoptera (butterfly
and skipper surveys were also conducted) along the Buffalo National River and the associated National
Park through which it flows is of similar magnitude to that found in Great Smoky Mountains National Park.
The inclusion of skippers and butterflies in our presentation is to facilitate comparison with the former, but
the emphasis of this presentation is on moths. Our data provide important insight, an essential baseline
inventory, and a wealth of information about individual species. Our research in the short-term has
important ramifications for habitat management and, like similar studies in the Great Smokey Mountains,
over the long-term will become an important contribution to the detection and study of global climate
change.
Key Words: MOTHS, LEPIDOPTERA, CLIMATE CHANGE
Session Topic: Pollinators
Format: Poster Presentation
Student Competition: No
RARE, DECLINING, POORLY KNOWN, AND OTHERWISE NOTEWORTHY LEPIDOPTERA OF
ARKANSAS.
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William H. Baltosser , D. Craig Rudolph , Charles A. Ely , and Samantha M. Scheiman .
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Department of Biology, University of Arkansas at Little Rock, 2801 South University Avenue
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Little Rock, Arkansas 72204. [email protected]. USDA Forest Service, Southern Research Station.
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[email protected]. 811 Logansport Street, Nacogdoches, TX. [email protected]. Arkansas Natural
Heritage Commission. [email protected].
Numerous species of Lepidoptera believed to be in need of some form of protection have been brought to
the attention of the Arkansas Game and Fish Commission as part of ongoing efforts to complete a major
revision and update of the Arkansas Wildlife Action Plan. In addition to the 14 species of Lepidoptera
already enumerated and addressed in the current plan, we have proposed that at least 20 more species
be added to help ensure that these taxa will also be factored into future planning and management
decisions. Virtually all species with which we are concerned have one or more metapopulations found on
lands managed by state and federal agencies, which include the Arkansas Natural Heritage Commission,
the Arkansas Game and Fish Commission, the National Park Service, the U.S. Forest Service, and The
Nature Conservancy. The extent to which these agencies have a stake in the protection and preservation
of the Lepidoptera species of interest is noted. Incorporation of the proposed taxa into the updated
Wildlife Action Plan is a critical first step that should facilitate collaboration among groups and lead to
effective stewardship.
Key Words: RARE, DECLINING, LEPIDOPTERA, POLLINATORS, COLLABORATION
Session Topic: Rare Species
Format: Poster Presentation
Student Competition: No
RESTORATION WORK ON A DEMONSTRATION FOREST.
Rebecca J. Barlow, John S. Kush, Seth D. Hunt, and William A. Levendis.
School of Forestry and Wildlife Sciences, Auburn University, 602 Duncan Dr, Auburn, Alabama 36849.
[email protected]; [email protected]; [email protected]; [email protected].
Auburn University’s School of Forestry and Wildlife Sciences was given management of 400 acres of
forestland in 1983 with the stipulation that it be used for the purpose of forest demonstration. The overall
management objective for the Mary Olive Thomas Demonstration Forest (MOT) is to develop and
maintain the property to show landowners forest and wildlife management practices that could enhance
the value of their land. Over the past few decades numerous demonstrations of loblolly pine plantation
management were installed. However, markets and landowner objectives for their forests are changing,
and many are looking at alternatives. Utilizing data collected from lab exercises conducted at MOT,
efforts are underway to restore several portions of the forest to what would have existed prior to the land
being converted for agriculture. The first effort is focused on restoring longleaf pine through the
conversion of an existing loblolly pine plantation that is currently experiencing severe mortality. The
second restoration effort would be to convert a mixed pine/hardwood stand to a naturally regenerated
shortleaf pine stand using seed from the existing overstory shortleaf. A third demonstration would take a
mixed pine/hardwood stand and restore it to shortleaf/oak management. Many landowners with oak
stands are unsure of oak management techniques, and therefore, they have very little oak regeneration.
This could demonstrate what needs to be done to get natural regeneration of a once vast forest type in
Alabama—shortleaf pine and mixed oaks.
Key Words: LONGLEAF PINE, MIXED PINE/HARDWOOD, SHORTLEAF PINE
Session Topic: Habitat Restoration/Management
Format: Poster Presentation
Student Competition: No
NATURAL AREAS ASSOCIATION STUDENT PROGRAM: THE EFFECTS OF GROWING SEASON
BURNS ON PRAIRIES.
Ashley Bergman.
Southern Illinois University, Carbondale, 1263 Lincoln Drive, Carbondale, Illinois
[email protected].
A growing season burn is a prescribed fire done during the growing season to a certain area. These can
be done on a prairie or in a forested landscape. The data was collected from three different sites one in
Jasper County and two in Effingham County. These burns were all done within a month of each other with
the temperature for all three burns being between 82 and 88 degrees Fahrenheit. Each site had a
different problem species before the burn. Autumn Olive (Elaeagnus umbellata), Grey Dogwood (Cornus
racemosa), Red Cedar (Juniperus virginiana) were the main problems on these sites. We also
encountered other exotics like Bush Honeysuckle (Diervilla) and Multiflora Rose (Rosa multiflora). From
the stem count we collected there are more stems after the burn for species like Elaeagnus umbellata,
Cornus racemose, and Rosa multiflora. But the majority of the stems are under one meter and are not
viable to produce seed. This supports the idea that growing season burns would be a successful tool to
reduce invasive densities in prairie landscapes if it is done every couple of years.
Key Words: PRAIRIES, INVASIVE SPECIES, GROWING SEASON BURNS, PRESCRIBED FIRE
Session Topic: Habitat Restoration/Management
Format: Poster Presentation
Student Competition: Yes
FLAMMABILITY THRESHOLDS OF EASTERN REDCEDAR AS A POTENTIAL INDICATOR FOR
HEIGHTENED WILDFIRE DANGER.
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Christine H. Bielski , Dirac Twidwell , Dwayne R. Elmore , David M. Engle , Samuel D. Fuhlendorf , Torre
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J. Hovick , Eric T. Thacker .
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Department of Agronomy and Horticulture, University of Nebraska-Lincoln, 306 Keim Hall, Lincoln,
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Nebraska 68583. [email protected]. Department of Natural Resource Ecology and
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Management, Oklahoma State University. Department of Range Science, North Dakota State University.
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Department of Wildland Resources, Utah State University.
Invasion of Eastern redcedar has resulted in a biome-level transformation from grassland to cedar forest
across the Great Plains. This transformation might not have posed a wildfire threat under historic climate
analogues, but with increased frequency and severity of drought projected to occur by the end of the
century, the traits of Eastern redcedar (Juniperus virginiana) might contribute to heightened wildfire
danger in coming decades. Foliar fuel moisture content (FMC) plays a key role in determining foliar
flammability, with lower FMC associated with higher wildfire risk. Quantifying tipping points in flammability
is crucial to identifying periods of high wildfire risk. We quantified thresholds in flammability of Eastern
redcedar, an invasive native tree commonly planted throughout the Great Plains. Using a thermal imaging
camera, we captured common characteristics of flammability: ignitibility, sustainability, and combustibility.
Foliar samples were harvested from female Eastern redcedars. FMC classes ranged from 0%-180% in
10% intervals. FMC classes were burned under a laboratory vent hood. We recorded time of ignition,
time-spent combusting, flame height, and temperature of the combusting sample with a thermal imaging
camera. Our data demonstrate that flammability thresholds exist for J. virginiana and are expressed
through measurements of ignitibility and combustibility. At FMC’s of approximately 60%, time to ignition
rapidly decreases and the intensity of combustion rapidly increases. Based on these findings, the
flammability of J. virginiana and its associated wildfire risk is much higher during periods of drought and
should be considered as part of wildfire danger monitoring protocols in the Great Plains.
Key words: EASTERN REDCEDAR, FLAMMABILITY, CLIMATE CHANGE, THRESHOLDS, WILDFIRE
Session Topic: Invasive species
Format: Oral Presentation
Student Competition: Yes
REFORESTATION METHODS, CHALLENGES AND SOLUTIONS.
Tom Borgman
Great Parks of Hamilton County, Ohio, 10245 Winton Road, Cincinnati, Ohio 45231.
[email protected].
Great Parks of Hamilton County manages 12,800 acres of natural areas in the southwest corner of Ohio.
Recent changes in land use and forest canopy prompted reforestation and afforestation in both riparian
and upland hardwood forest types. Plantings occurred between 2010 and 2015 on sites that ranged in
size from 1 to 35 acres.
Various tree planting methods used include direct seeding, seedlings planted mechanically and by hand
as well as container trees planted by staff, volunteers and contractors. Tree survival has been observed
between 10 and 95% depending on the planting method and conditions. Advantages, challenges and
successes of each scenario will be examined.
Key Words: Reforestation
Session Topic: Habitat Restoration/Management
Format: Oral Presentation
Student Competition: No
BEYOND A SATURDAY: DEVELOPING EXTENDED CONSERVATION PARTNERSHIPS WITH
UNIVERSITY UNDERGRADUATE PROGRAMS.
Woodward S. Bousquet.
Environmental Studies Program, Shenandoah University, 1460 University Drive, Winchester, Virginia
22601. [email protected].
A new service-learning paradigm has emerged in higher education: the extended partnership. For many
years, field trips, guest speakers, and one-day service projects have characterized the relationship
between undergraduate programs and the agencies and nongovernmental organizations that are
responsible for natural areas. Service-learning at the college level has recently grown in ways that
provide opportunities for extended collaboration. Universities have added service-learning to their mission
statements and graduation requirements, so professors have integrated service into their instruction.
Longer-term partnerships benefit both conservation managers and universities. Successful projects that
link natural areas with undergraduate instruction include those related to environmental education events,
outreach publications, environmental monitoring, and ecological research. Developing and sustaining
these collaborative activities involve several considerations. These encompass project selection, course
objectives, student capabilities, entrance and exit points, funding, co-curricular support, manager
involvement, and faculty commitment.
Key Words: COLLABORATION, SERVICE, UNIVERSITY, UNDERGRADUATE, CONSERVATION
Session Topic: Constituency Building
Format: Oral Presentation
Student Competition: No
IMPORTANCE OF GROUNDWATER CONSERVATION PRACTICES TO SUSTAIN AGRICULTURAL
PRODUCTION IN THE LOWER MISSISSIPPI RIVER VALLEY.
Charolette J. Bowie, Walter M. Delp, and Christopher A. King.
USDA Natural Resources Conservation Service, Little Rock, Arkansas. [email protected];
[email protected]; [email protected].
With well over 6 million cultivated acres, grain production is vital to the economy of Arkansas and is a
significant part of national and world food supplies. Arkansas leads the U.S. in rice production with close
to half the national total. Without water for irrigation, present production levels of these crops would not be
possible. Farmers in eastern Arkansas have depended on the Mississippi River Valley alluvial aquifer
(MRVAA) for agriculture since the early 1900s. U.S. Geological Survey studies indicate withdrawals have
exceeded recharge to the MRVAA for decades, resulting in notable water-level declines, and withdrawals
have more than doubled in the last 20 years. A Delta-wide initiative to conserve water and balance water
use between surface water and groundwater is needed to stabilize the aquifer. To promote sustainable
agricultural practices, the Natural Resources Conservation Service (NRCS) provides technical support
and financial incentives to farmers as part of a systematic approach to help producers take advantage of
surface water sources and capture farm runoff. Tailwater recovery systems are now commonplace
throughout eastern Arkansas due to NRCS support. Structures may include ditches, culverts, pipelines,
storage reservoirs, grade stabilization structures, and pumping plants. These conservation systems
typically replace 25 to 50% of on-farm groundwater use with excess surface water that would otherwise
carry sediment and nutrients into the Mississippi River and contribute to the dead zone in the Gulf of
Mexico. Farms utilizing surface water also consume less energy and save $100 per acre foot on average
compared to pumping from wells.
Key Words: GROUNDWATER, IRRIGATION, TAILWATER RECOVERY, ALLUVIAL AQUIFER, RICE
Session Topic: Fracking and Aquatic Issues
Format: Oral Presentation
Student Competition: No
DOES “MINIMALLY” ALTERED MEAN BIOLOGICALLY “INTACT,” AND VICE VERSA?
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Jason Bried and Suneeti Jog .
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Department of Integrative Biology, Oklahoma State University, 501 Life Sciences West, Stillwater,
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Oklahoma 74078. [email protected]. Department of Natural Sciences, Northeastern State University.
[email protected].
Sites in protected areas with few signs of human activity may or may not be biologically intact, and sites
that appear degraded may or may not be biologically impaired. We tested for this disconnection using 40
wetlands on protected and private lands in Oklahoma. We classified 16 sites as reference-quality
(protected, visibly and biologically intact), 8 as putative reference (protected, visibly intact), and 16 as
putative impaired (not protected, visibly altered). Biological condition in the two putative groups was
evaluated with respect to the reference group using Test Site Analysis and three vegetation-based
metrics: mean conservatism, percentage of tolerant species (conservatism ≤ 2), and cover of bare ground
in the 100 m buffer zone. Only five of the putative reference sites appeared floristically intact, and one site
turned out to be floristically impaired. Similarly only two of the putative impaired sites (using the 8 most
visibly altered) turned out floristically impaired, and two others (of the 8) appeared floristically intact. Mean
conservatism and percent tolerant species best determined the impaired sites; bare ground was relatively
unimportant. Sites that appear minimally altered can still be biologically impaired, and sites that appear
degraded can still be biologically intact.
Key Words: ASSESSMENT, FLORISTIC QUALITY, WETLANDS
Session Topic: Conservation Assessment Methodology
Format: Oral Presentation
Student Competition: No
GROWING SEASON BURNS: EFFECTS ON EXOTIC WOODY PLANTS IN A FOREST ECOSYSTEM.
Daniel B Brown.
Southern Illinois University, Carbondale, 1263 Lincoln Drive, Carbondale, Illinois 6290.
[email protected].
On woodland areas colonized heavily by exotic shrubs, cost and time affective means to control them are
hard to find. Prescribed fire during the dormant season can slightly set them back, but complete
eradication usually requires chemical application, which means more time and money. Prescribed burns
during the growing season have traditionally been avoided, but have recently been explored as a means
to control exotics on several state sites. These have been found to be evidence at drastically reducing
stem height on woody exotics, making them much easier to manage effectively. This also makes them
much more susceptible to future prescribed fire. Overall, growing season burns seem to be a cheap and
effective means of controlling exotic shrubs in a woodland setting.
Key Words: EXOTIC SPECIES, GROWING SEASON BURNS, PRESCRIBED FIRE
Session Topic: Habitat restoration/management
Format: Poster Presentation
Student Competition: Yes
SMALL MAMMAL RESPONSES TO BISON REINTRODUCTION AND PRESCRIBED FIRE IN ONE OF
THE WORLD’S MOST THREATENED ECOSYSTEMS.
Angela Burke and Holly Jones.
Biological Sciences Department, Northern Illinois University, 1425 West Lincoln Highway DeKalb, Illinois
60115. [email protected]; [email protected].
The restoration of tallgrass prairies is often centered on reestablishing the native vegetation structure with
only minor efforts directed to the fauna that inhabit these areas. The reinstatement of traditional
disturbance regimes of fire and grazing bison is a critical component to the active management of
tallgrass prairies, and its subsequent effects on both flora and fauna in remnant prairies is well
documented. Understanding the role of small mammal populations and how they are affected by varying
grazing and fire management strategies can assist in the holistic evaluation of restoration efforts in sites
currently undergoing active restoration. Peromyscus and Microtus species play an important role in the
upper tropic level dynamics of tallgrass prairie ecosystems through influencing the vegetation structure
via herbivory and as prey for larger fauna. Mark and recapture data has provided a landscape-scale test
for how prairies with different management strategies recover from stressors and disturbances.
Abundance and diversity are correlated with more floristically diverse remnant quality sites. Burn
frequency and grazing influence have yet to be examined fully; initial data indicates that diversity
decreases with increased burn frequency and that species composition changes with fire and bison
grazing. The pressures of grazing bison on sites in various stages of restoration will be the focus of future
analysis.
Key Words: MAMMALS, BISON, FIRE, PRAIRIE, RESTORATION
Session Topics: Habitat restoration/management
Format: Poster Presentation
Student Competition: Yes
DEVELOPING COMMUNITY RESERVES IN AN INDIGENOUS REGION OF MEXICO.
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Angel Bustamante Gonzalez , Taurino Hernandez Moreno , Karina Velazquez Muñoz , Francisco J.
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Escobedo , and Samuel Vargas Lopez .
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Campus Puebla, Colegio de Postgraduados. Boulevard Forjadores de Puebla No. 205, Santiago
Momoxpam, Municipio San Pedro Cholula, Estado de Puebla, Mexico. C.P. [email protected].
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Sociology Unit, Universidad Autonoma de [email protected]. Wildlife and Natural
Resources Department, Secretariat of Environment and Natural Resources.
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[email protected]. School of Forest Resources and Conservation, University of
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Florida. [email protected]. Campus Puebla, Colegio de [email protected].
The Integrated Ecosystem Management in Three Priority Ecosystems project, implemented by the
National Commission of Protected Natural Areas of Mexico and the United Nations Development
Programme, was initiated in 2007 in the Guerrero Mountains. Its objective is the certification of its
conservation areas. The project was a biodiversity and ecosystem service initiative, and the creation of a
community reserve network was central to its implemented strategy. A community reserve is a type of
Protected Natural Area but is a voluntary conservation area according to Mexican environmental
legislation and certification. The region is characterized by the presence of four indigenous groups: Na
Savi, Me´Phaa, Nahuatl, and Amuzgo. It is a highly diverse ecosystem, although it is highly degraded and
has weak oversight by environmental government agencies. The implementation of the certification
process followed five general steps: delineation of priority ecosystems for conservation, selection of
communities to be certified, community awareness, constituency building, and advising through the legal
certification process. The project was a pioneer in the conservation of ecosystems in the region and
contributed significantly in establishing community reserves throughout the State of Guerrero and Mexico.
2
Twenty-one communities and 12 municipalities were involved, and 59,920.7 ha (599,207 km ),
representing temperate and dry ecosystems, were certified. This represents 85.0% and 14.4% of the
voluntary reserves’ surface of Guerrero State and the country, respectively. This project's success was
due to project activities and endogenous factors such as the presence of a local conservationist culture
and of local institutions that facilitated the process.
Key Words: COMMUNITY RESERVES, INDIGENOUS, MOUNTAINOUS
Session Topic: Constituency Building
Format: Oral Presentation
Student Competition: No
ECOSYSTEM RESTORATION IN THE OZARK HIGHLANDS: COLLABORATIVE FOREST LANDSCAPE
RESTORATION PROJECT.
William Carromero.
USDA Forest Service, Ozark/St. Francis National Forests, 605 West Main Street, Russellville, Arkansas
72801. [email protected].
Past land-management practices and fire-exclusion activities have modified the forest composition and
structure in the Ozark Highlands. Current stem densities average 300–1,000 stems per acre as opposed
to the 38–76 stems per acre recorded in Government Land Office records in the 1800s. As a result of fire
exclusion, fire-intolerant species have increased in abundance and frequency. These dense forests are
very susceptible to stressors such as periodic drought, insect and disease outbreaks, and likely impacts
of future climatic change. In 2002, a team consisting of universities and state, federal, and nongovernmental agencies gathered to discuss the issue of oak decline in the Ozark Highlands. The Ozark
Highlands Pine-Oak Woodland Restoration Partnership identified future desired conditions and strategies
to implement management activities in all lands across the landscape. Many of the collaborators in the
Partnership provided valuable feedback and support to The Ozark Highlands Collaborative Forest Land
Restoration Project (OHCFLRP). The OHCFLRP is approximately 451,058 acres that encompass
National Forest Service (NFS; 76.5%), National Park Service (NPS; 5.8%), Arkansas Game and Fish
Commission (AGFC ; 6.3%), and privately owned lands (11.4%). The project is implementing activities
ranging from prescribed burns to forest stand thinning. The objective of this presentation is to report the
outcomes of the collaborative process and the results of the first four years of project implementation.
Key Words: ECOSYSTEM RESTORATION, PARTNERSHIP, COLLABORATION, FIRE ADAPTED
ECOSYSTEMS
Session Topic: Habitat Restoration/Management
Format: Oral Presentation
Student Competition: No
THE PLANT POLLINATOR NETWORK OF THE COOSA VALLEY PRAIRIES: A PRELIMINARY
ANALYSIS.
Melissa Caspary.
School of Science and Technology, Georgia Gwinnett College, 1000 University Center Lane
Lawrenceville, Georgia 30043. [email protected].
The Coosa Valley Prairie ecosystem is a unique and diverse community of flora and fauna in
northwestern Georgia with a relatively high proportion of known rare plant species. The purpose of this
project is to characterize Apoidea (bee) and Lepidoptera (specifically butterfly) pollinators associated with
the Coosa Prairie plant community complex to identify monolectic, oligolectic, and polylectic species
interactions and determine species associations that are critical to the persistence of the native prairie
plant network. Sustaining rare plant populations requires knowledge of their distribution, population
structure, and associated pollinators. We hypothesize that rarity of plant species in the Coosa Valley
Prairies will correspond to rarity in associated pollinators. In the fall of 2015, spring and fall of 2016 and
2017, and the spring of 2018, vegetation will be sampled for species identification, cover class, and
number of flowering stems. Apoidea and Lepidoptera species will be sampled, pinned, and identified
through morphological analysis. Preliminary results suggest that while the majority of plant pollinator
interactions are dependent on generalist bees, the presence of some specialist genera including Svastra,
Paranthidium, and Andrena are important pollinators in the Coosa Valley Prairie. Given the abundance of
rare flora and pollinator diversity, further research into this system is important to ensure its continued
persistence. The findings from this research effort will be critical for natural resource managers who are
trying to sustain remaining populations and important in understanding ecological community networks in
specialized habitats.
Key Words: PLANT DIVERSITY, PRAIRIE, LEPIDOPTERA, APOIDEA, POLLINATOR NETWORK
Session Topic: Pollinators
Format: Poster Presentation
Student Competition: No
MIDDLE SCHOOL STUDENTS AND RESTORATION PROJECTS: FOLLIES, FRIVOLITIES, AND
FORTUNE.
1
2
Sarah Cech and Mary Beth McCormack .
1
2
Nature Center at Shaker Lakes, 2600 S. Park Blvd, Cleveland, Ohio 44120. [email protected].
Cleveland Montessori School. [email protected].
Habitat restoration projects often rely on volunteer work for their success and provide an opportunity for
constituency building between the restoration agency and volunteer organizations. Conservation through
collaboration involves community volunteers with different ages and abilities. Middle school students are
a powerful age group with the potential to positively impact restoration projects. If teachers and land
managers lay solid groundwork directed to this age group, these students can contribute valuable hours
on restoration projects. The Nature Center at Shaker Lakes (NCSL) a 20-acre natural area in the middle
of the Cleveland Suburbs and Cleveland Montessori Middle School, a watershed neighbor, regularly
collaborate to further conservation efforts. Through trial and error of these two partners, it is possible to
develop tools and guidance for other restoration managers and educators in these unique
partnerships. Sometimes youth volunteer project goals are set high, and the end results are not what
were anticipated. It is important to design restoration tasks to appropriately match the participating age
group. This presentation aims to help avoid the follies, find the right balance of frivolities, and ensure the
success of restoration projects with students.
Key Words: RESTORATION PROJECTS, VOLUNTEERS, STUDENTS, CONSTITUENCY BUILDING,
MIDDLE SCHOOL, TOOLS, GUIDANCE, EDUCATORS, RESTORATION MANAGERS
Session Topic: Constituency Building
Format: Oral Presentation
Student Competition: No
LONGLEAF PINE ECOSYSTEM RESTORATION ON A COLLEGE CAMPUS: THE POWER AND
EMPOWERMENT OF VOLUNTEERS.
1
2
Karen Cole and Cindy Bennington .
1
Gillespie Museum of Minerals, Stetson University, 234 E Michigan Ave, DeLand, Florida 32724.
2
[email protected]. Department of Biology, Stetson University. [email protected].
The Volusia Sandhill Ecosystem Teaching Landscape, an ongoing, small-scale (1 acre) restoration of the
historical longleaf pine forests of central Florida, was established in 2011 on the perimeter of Stetson
University’s campus and adjacent to the university’s earth science museum. Over the last four years, we
have engaged approximately 1,500 volunteers at all levels of expertise, including ecologists,
undergraduates, K-12 students, and community gardeners in planting, research, and interpretation of the
site. With a relatively modest budget of $20,000, mostly from external partners, combined with thousands
of volunteer hours, the site has been transformed from an open, degraded field to a young forest of nearly
100 trees and a developing understory that is being informed by undergraduate research findings. Too
small to create sufficient habitat for many species native to sandhills, the site is nevertheless perfectly
suited to extend the educational outreach of the museum, in collaboration with Stetson students and
faculty, to include activities related to the geology and ecology of this vanishing ecosystem. This multifaceted project with long-term opportunities for collaboration has attracted volunteers with skills in
science, gardening, photography, writing, and graphic arts, and it can be easily adapted to a variety of
urban settings, introducing a diverse citizenry to natural areas in unnatural settings. This poster will
describe the ecological success and ongoing research in the restoration as well as the benefits of
partnering with community and campus volunteers with diverse skills.
Key Words: HABITAT RESTORATION, SERVICE LEARNING, LONGLEAF PINE, COMMUNITY
ENGAGEMENT
Session Topic: Volunteers
Format: Poster Presentation
Student Competition: No
THE IMPACT OF CONSUMPTION AND CLIMATIC VARIABILITY ON THE SPARTA AND ALLUVIAL
AQUIFERS: A RESIDENT-FOCUSED STUDY.
Christopher A. Craig.
Environmental Dynamics, University of Arkansas, Ozark Hall 216, Fayetteville, Arkansas 72701.
[email protected].
This study took an oft-used holistic and collaborative approach examining water security and climate
variability through the lens of residents, irrigated farms, and industry in an attempt to better understand
two aquifers in Arkansas: the Sparta and the Alluvial. Despite regulation and management, degradation of
local/regional water systems continue, highlighting the need for inclusion and engagement of
stakeholders in conservation efforts. Findings indicated significant climate variability and a decline in
water level at the focal well-site on the Sparta aquifer between 2008 and 2013. The study’s model
included climatic variability and industry water usage on both aquifers, explaining 80.7% of the variability
in water level. Elevated levels of conductivity and phosphates were observed in field and lab tests. Paired
sample T-tests explored the impact of cones of depression on interactions between well-sites in terms of
water quality. Four-hundred-and-forty-one state residents were surveyed. Residents in critical areas who
used the Sparta aquifer as their water source were significantly more likely to avoid drinking water
because of quality and to attribute water shortages to industry than residents in non-critical areas not on
the Sparta aquifer. Residents in critical areas were significantly more likely to support water security
policy. Strategies to engage non-critical residents to improve water security are discussed.
Keywords: WATER SECURITY, WATER AVAILABILITY, WATER QUALITY, CLIMATE
Session Topic: Managing Natural Areas in a Changing Climate
Format: Oral Presentation
Student Competition: Yes
RESTORATION OF A RARE WET PIEDMONT LONGLEAF PINE FOREST AT PEE DEE NATIONAL
WILDLIFE REFUGE, NORTH CAROLINA.
1
2
3
Jack Culpepper , J. D. Bricken , and Emily M. Dowell .
1
2
Carolina Sandhills and Pee Dee National Wildlife Refuges. [email protected]. Pee Dee National
3
Wildlife Refuge. [email protected]. Carolina Sandhills and Pee Dee National Wildlife Refuges.
[email protected].
The “wet piedmont longleaf pine forest” is characterized by the presence of longleaf (Pinus palustris),
loblolly (P. taeda) and pond pine (P. serotina) in association with facultative wetland species. This
longleaf forest type is assigned the rarest ranking by NatureServe and the North Carolina Natural
Heritage Program (G1S1). A remnant of that ecosystem type exists on the Pee Dee National Wildlife
Refuge (PDNWR) in Wadesboro, North Carolina. The area includes the three pine species noted in
association with facultative wetland plants [i.e., least trillium (Trillium pusillum), yellow-eyed grass (Xyris
sp.) and cinnamon fern (Osmunda cinnamomeum)]; however, the ecosystem also includes shortleaf pine
(Pinus echinata). In recent years, surveys at PDNWR have revealed 30 plant species not previously
noted in Anson County. This ecosystem is represented across at least a 1,000-acre forest complex
comprising multiple management units, including an 83-acre Natural Heritage Site. Approximately 100
years ago, prior to the establishment of PDNWR in 1963, the focus area underwent broad-scale forest
removal. Since then and through varying ownerships, the forest has undergone 1) periods of inaction, 2)
stand replacement harvests, 3) loblolly pine planting, 4) select-harvest thinning, 5) longleaf-pine and
shortleaf-pine planting; 6) prescribed fire, and 7) forest-herbicide application. The U.S. Fish and Wildlife
Service has engaged conservation partners to assist in assessing current conditions and needs for
retaining and restoring one of the South’s rarest pine ecosystems. This presentation will describe the
ecosystem and associated restoration strategies.
Key Words: LONGLEAF PINE, SHORTLEAF PINE, PRESCRIBED FIRE, TIMBER THINNING, POND
PINE
Session Topic: Habitat Restoration/Management
Format: Poster Presentation
Student Competition: No
STREAM MACROINVERTEBRATE COMMUNITY DYNAMICS ACROSS A GRADIENT OF NATURAL
GAS DEVELOPMENT.
1
1
1
1
2
2
Sally Entrekin , Adam Musto , Julie Kelso , Lucy Baker , Brad Austin , and Michelle Evans-White .
1
Biology Department, University of Central Arkansas, 201 Donaghey Ave, Conway, Arkansas 72035.
2
[email protected]. Department of Biological Sciences, University of Arkansas.
Natural gas wells were installed at a rate of about 770 wells annually from 2005 to 2013 in the Fayetteville
shale gas field. Although development has slowed, it continues. Rapid and concentrated development
close to streams could have ecological consequences for stream biological communities. We quantified a
suite of water quality metrics at storm flow and base flow including trace elements, conductivity, and
suspended sediments from spring 2009 to spring 2014. We also quantified periphyton and
macroinvertebrates across the same study sites. We predicted higher concentrations of suspended
sediment, conductivity, and trace elements in catchments with more gas well activity and a concurrent
decline in periphyton, chlorophyll a, and macroinvertebrate density and biomass. Ordinations were used
to explore relationships among gas activity, trace elements, and biota across study sites and years.
Periphyton biomass and tolerant macroinvertebrate taxa, such as chironomid midges, tended to increase
in catchments with more gas well activity close to stream channels, while sensitive taxa, such as
stoneflies, tended to decline. We will present macroinvertebrate community dynamics spanning four
spring samplings in context with environmental conditions.
Key Words: HYDRAULIC FRACTURING, STREAMS, MACROINVERTEBRATES
Session Topic: Fracking and Aquatic Issues
Format: Oral Presentation
Student Competition: No
THE NATURAL HISTORY AND VEGETATION OF TENNESSEE PROJECT: SHIFTING THE FOCUS
FROM SPECIES CONSERVATION TO COMMUNITY CONSERVATION.
L. Dwayne Estes.
Botanical Research Institute of Texas, 1700 University Dr., Fort Worth, Texas 76107 and Austin Peay
State University, 601 College St., Clarksville , Tennessee [email protected].
There is a growing sense of urgency to prioritize the identification, protection, and restoration of natural
communities and to switch the emphasis from species-level conservation to community conservation.
Doing so depends on having a detailed, systematic classification of natural communities. Efforts by
NatureServe to develop the Ecological Systems Classification (ESC) have significantly benefited our
understanding of U.S. natural communities, but the ESC can be too coarse for small geographic areas.
Conversely, the National Vegetation Classification (NVC) is useful at small scales but is difficult to apply
at the ecoregion or state level. State-level classifications often bridge the gap between the ESC and NVC.
Recent excellent examples have been developed in Missouri, Virginia, and North Carolina. In 2014, I
initiated the Natural History and Vegetation of Tennessee Project. The goals of this project are to: (1)
develop a state-level ecoregion-based classification of Tennessee’s terrestrial natural communities that
will be fully cross-walked to the ESC and NVC; (2) review and summarize pre-settlement vegetation
records; (3) collect plot data from undescribed communities; (4) develop profile pages for each natural
community to include photographs, distribution maps, and descriptive information about the biota and
abiotic features; and (5) link the vascular flora of Tennessee to each community type to facilitate floristic
research. This work will be guided by the Tennessee Natural Communities Committee (TNCC) to be
formed in 2015. It will be developed online initially and will culminate in the publication of a complimentary
book to be titled The Natural History and Vegetation of Tennessee.
Key Words: NATURAL COMMUNITIES, RARE SPECIES, PRE-SETTLEMENT, CONSERVATION
PRIORITIES, TENNESSEE
Session Topic: Conservation Assessment Methodology
Format: Oral Presentation
Student Competition: No
PERPETUATING ECO-RESTORATION IN PRIVATE LAND CONSERVATION.
1
2
3
James R. Farmer , Eric Knackmuhs , and Michael Drescher .
1
Department of Recreation, Park, and Tourism Studies & Vincent and Elinor Ostrom Workshop in Political
2
Theory and Policy Analysis, Indiana University. [email protected]. Department of Recreation, Park,
3
and Tourism Studies, Indiana University. [email protected]. School of Planning, University of
Waterloo & Vincent and Elinor Ostrom Workshop in Political Theory and Policy Analysis, Indiana
University. [email protected].
Private land conservation and associated programs continue to perform critical functions for stewarding
ecosystem services, restoring habitat, and managing the majority of natural areas in the U.S. One
program that has sought to foster the stewardship of forests and wildlands for nearly a century is the
Indiana Classified Forest and Wildlands Program (ICFWP). Private landowners who enroll land in the
program can capitalize on educational opportunities, technical assistance, and a tax rate of $1 per acre.
Consequently, we sought to comprehend the relationship between ICFWP participants’ perception of the
biodiversity of their enrolled lands and the functioning of the system with the landowners’ land
management practices. Data were collected from a stratified sample of ICFWP participants via a mailed
survey. A total of 308 participants out of 432 responded to the survey (71.3% response rate). Results
indicate that landowners who perceived the biodiversity of their lands as outstanding completed the
management practices better than those who have good and fair perceptions of biodiversity statuses
(p<.001). The results also show that the management practices of landowners who have improving and
declining system functioning are better than those whose land seems to have no recent change in system
functioning (p<.001). The significance of these findings are (1) that they highlight the potential importance
of landowners seeing success in their practices at improving the biological condition of the land that they
steward and (2) that success begets success and failure begets persistence when it comes to active
management of one’s land.
Key Words: PRIVATE LAND CONSERVATION, HABITAT RESTORATION, BIODIVERSITY
Session Topic: Land Conservation/Land Trusts
Format: Oral Presentation
Student Competition: No
1
2
Tracy Boutelle Fidler and David Allen .
1
Shawnee Resource Conservation & Development, 1002 S. Briarwood Drive, Carbondale, Illinois 62901.
2
[email protected]. Illinois Department of Natural Resources. [email protected].
Resource management projects, by their very nature, present a variety of challenges—from the social to
the ecological. This is true of the Illinois Ozarks, which research shows is expected to be the first forest in
central North America to completely convert from an oak-hickory to a maple-beech system. It is predicted
that the forest’s conversion could be complete by 2050. During this conversion, biological diversity is
being lost. Natural resource professionals often use prescribed fire and traditional silviculture techniques
to reverse this trend. However, Illinois residents historically have opposed silviculture, including midcanopy thinning and timber harvests. To address community concerns, conservationists launched in 2013
an effort to build a shared conservation vision for southern Illinois forests in hopes of building support for
restoration. The foundation of that effort was a collaborative work group where individuals agreed to
learn, discuss, and review forest ecology concepts together. Learning from this effort was shared
regionally through an awareness campaign titled “Let the Sun Shine In.” The effort also produced a 925acre demonstration project at Trail of Tears State Forest, which will use science and an adaptive
management framework to evaluate effectiveness. Thanks in part to this effort, fire returned to the forest
after a 70-year hiatus, and Illinois Department of Natural Resources has starting using silvicultural
practices to restore a matrix of forest communities.
Keywords: FOREST ECOLOGY, MANAGEMENT, COLLABORATION, COMMUNICATION, OUTREACH
Session Topic: Constituency Building
Format: Oral Presentation
Student Competition: No
HIERARCHICAL ANALYSIS OF FISH RESPONSE ACROSS A GRADIENT OF UNCONVENTIONAL
NATURAL GAS DEVELOPMENT IN STREAMS IN NORTH-CENTRAL ARKANSAS.
Brittany V. Furtado, Jessie J. Green, Loren Stearman, Ginny Adams, and Reid Adams.
Department of Biology, University of Central Arkansas, 201 Donaghey Ave, Conway, Arkansas 72035.
[email protected].
Natural gas has been popularized globally as a “bridge” fuel to renewable energy sources and is
expected to account for 26% of the total U.S. energy use by 2035. Although research on the impact of
hydraulic fracturing and horizontal drilling is steadily increasing, there is still a paucity of data concerning
biotic responses to natural gas extraction from unconventional sources. The Fayetteville Shale has seen
exponential natural gas development (NGD) in the last 10 years and currently has over 5,700 active
wells. We sampled sites across the Fayetteville Shale in north-central Arkansas annually in the spring for
three years (2012-2014). Fishes were quantitatively sampled using backpack electrofishing and multipass depletion techniques. Pairwise correlations were used to examine a suite of community response
metrics that included different functional and feeding groups (e.g., % invertivores, tolerant, etc.) in relation
to increasing NGD. Partial correlations were used to examine the relationship between the community
response metrics and NGD when % pasture, the only other significant land-use variable, was held
constant. Results from 2012 and 2013 indicate persisting disturbance in response to NGD. However,
while relationship trends persisted in 2014, the strength of the correlations did not. There is evidence for
recolonization at some of our most impacted sites. Results from all three years will be presented.
Population-level analyses indicate strong associations between gas well activity and several fish species
including: Campostoma spp., Etheostoma whipplei, Notropis boops, Lepomis cyanellus, and Lepomis
megalotis. Univariate species-level analyses of these species of interest will also be presented.
KEYWORDS: STREAM FISH, HYDRAULIC FRACTURING, COMMUNITY STRUCTURE,
ASSEMBLAGE COMPOSITION
SESSION TOPIC: Fracking and Aquatic Issues
FORMAT: Oral Presentation
STUDENT COMPETITION: Yes
POSSIBLE HYBRIDIZATION BETWEEN CLAYTONIA VIRGINICA AND CLAYTONIA OZARKENSIS.
Landon B. Gatrell and Katherine C. Larson.
Department of Biology, University of Central Arkansas, 201 Donaghey Ave, Conway, Arkansas 72035.
[email protected]; [email protected].
Claytonia ozarkensis is restricted to growing in the Ozark region on sandstone bluffs where it grows from
horizontal cracks in the sandstone layers or on rock shelves. At one C. ozarkensis site on a sandstone
bluff within Cove Creek Natural Area, Arkansas, the widespread Claytonia virginica is found growing
nearby as well as what appears to be an intermediate form. Overlap of habitats between C. virginica and
C. ozarkensis might be leading to hybridization between the two species. One distinct characteristic of C.
ozarkensis is its long pedicels and their tendency to recurve to face the bluff wall as seeds develop.
Through observations we examined the pedicel movements of both C. ozarkensis and C. virginica, as
well as the possible hybrids. The movement of C. ozarkensis pedicels resulted in 63% of seed capsules
facing the bluff while only 18% of the seed capsules on the hybrid form faced the bluff wall. All seed
capsules of C. virginica face the ground. A survey of three habitats at the bluff showed that rock shelves
were colonized mostly by C. ozarkensis, but the possible hybrids also favor this habitat over the ground
and the wall cracks. The ground beneath the bluff contained C. virginica, while cracks in the bluff
contained C. ozarkensis.
Key Words: CLAYTONIA, VIRGINICA, OZARKENSIS, HYBRIDIZATION
Session Topic: Rare Species
Format: Poster Presentation
Student Competition: No
RESTORING AND PROTECTING THE FOREST PRESERVES OF COOK COUNTY THROUGH
COLLABORATIVE CONSERVATION.
Cathy Geraghty.
Forest Preserves of Cook County, 536 N. Harlem Ave., River Forest, Illinois 60305.
[email protected].
The Forest Preserves of Cook County (FPCC), one of the nation’s oldest and largest public land
agencies, manages more than 69,000 acres of diverse ecosystems. The richness of these lands is
mirrored by a vibrant history of collaborative conservation. Our partnerships include municipalities, local
and international conservation organizations, outdoor recreation groups, workforce development and
health care providers, education and research institutions, social justice organizations, and individuals.
The collective impact of these partnerships leverages limited resources and affects our work both
qualitatively and quantitatively. For example, in 2014 volunteers donated more than 100,000 hours to
restoration efforts, and partners raised more than $4.4 million in grants for on-the-ground projects that
improve the resilience of the forest preserves. Perhaps one of our best collaborative initiatives is the Cook
County Coyote Project co-led by the FPCC, Cook County Animal and Rabies Control, Ohio State
University, and Max McGraw Wildlife Foundation. Since 2000, this partnership has monitored more than
1,000 coyotes and now serves as a national model to municipalities that want to understand how to avoid
conflicts between coyotes and humans and promote appropriate responses to wildlife. Other ambitious
initiatives include the development and implementation of the Next Century Conservation Plan, the
Conservation Corps, and Nature and Health—all initiatives that contribute to the health of both natural
and human communities. Collaborative conservation is a practical and meaningful tool that all
organizations can use to expand their sphere of influence.
Key Words: COLLABORATION, RESTORATION, STEWARDSHIP, VOLUNTEERS, CONSERVATION
Session Topic: Habitat Restoration/Management
Format: Oral Presentation
Student Competition: No
STRATEGIC MANAGEMENT OF PRIORITY INVASIVE SPECIES: COORDINATED CONTROL
THROUGH THE SOUTHERN ILLINOIS INVASIVE SPECIES STRIKE TEAM.
Caleb J. Grantham and Nick R. Seaton.
The Nature Conservancy, 336 South Church Rd Makanda, Illinois 62958. [email protected];
[email protected].
The Nature Conservancy, in partnership with the Illinois Department of Natural Resources, U.S. Fish and
Wildlife Service, National Fish and Wildlife Foundation, the River to River Cooperative Weed
Management Area, and the USDA Forest Service Northeast Area State and Private Forestry Program
developed the Southern Illinois Invasive Species Strike Team (ISST). ISST deploys a highly trained,
mobile force of two plant management specialists who assist with the mapping, monitoring, and
controlling of invasive exotic plant species at state dedicated nature preserves, state parks, federal
natural areas, and adjacent private lands that serve as pathways onto these properties. Once a risk has
been identified, ISST also serves as a Rapid Response Team. Applying the Early Detection and Rapid
Response (EDRR) approach to invasive species management greatly improves the likelihood that
invasions will be addressed successfully while populations are still localized and containable.
Key Words: INVASIVE SPECIES, STRIKE TEAM, INFORMATION MANAGEMENT, EDRR
Session Topic: Invasive Species
Format: Poster Presentation
Student Competition: No
ECOLOGICALLY BASED ADAPTIVE MANAGEMENT OF INVASIVE LEPIDIUM LATIFOLIUM FOR
ENDANGERED SPECIES AND TIDAL MARSH RECOVERY AT SOUTHAMPTON BAY WETLAND
NATURAL PRESERVE, SAN FRANCISCO ESTUARY.
1
2
3
4
1
Brenda J. Grewell , Christina Freeman , Jules Evens , Michael Forbert , Caryn J. Futrell , and Meghan J.
1
Skaer Thomason .
1
USDA-ARS Exotic & Invasive Weeds Research Unit, University of California-Davis, Department of Plant
2
Sciences MS-4, 1 Shields Ave. Davis, California 95694. [email protected]. California Department
3
of Parks & Recreation. [email protected]. Avocet Research Associates. [email protected].
4
West Coast Wildlands. [email protected].
Dense infestations of invasive perennial pepperweed (Lepidium latifolium L.) are recognized threats to
tidal wetland habitat that undermine ecosystem restoration goals in California’s San Francisco Bay-Delta
Estuary. Pervasive weed invasions are costly and extremely detrimental to natural areas. Careful
management is required to achieve effective weed control without negative consequences to resident
endangered species. A collaborative partnership was initiated in 2009 to develop and implement an
adaptive plan for herbicide-based management of pepperweed at Southampton Bay Wetland Natural
Preserve to serve as a model for invasive weed control to support endangered species and natural
habitat recovery. The project includes annual, high-resolution mapping and assessment of the distribution
and abundance of invasive and endangered species populations. Experimental research has provided
critical scientific input to refine spatially explicit management actions through evaluation of monitoring
methods, efficacy of weed-management actions, distribution and demographic responses of rare-plant
populations to management, and plant community succession. Collaborative sharing of knowledge and
effective communication among interdisciplinary team members has broadened our understanding of the
ecology and dynamics of the target weed and endangered plant populations, and has led to effective
annual adjustments in management. In five years, pepperweed has been reduced to trace levels
throughout the marsh, while the area occupied by a population of endangered soft bird’s-beak
(Chloropyron molle subsp. molle) has increased by more than 200%. Likewise, resident special status
birds [California black rail (Laterallus jamaicensis coturniculus) and Suisun song sparrow (Melospiza
melodia maxillaris)] have maintained population levels.
Key Words: INVASIVE PLANT MANAGEMENT, ADAPTIVE MANAGEMENT, TIDAL WETLAND,
PERENNIAL PEPPERWEED, ENDANGERED SPECIES RECOVERY
Session Topic: Invasive Species
Format: Oral Presentation
Student Competition: No
SEEDS OF SUCCESS: GROWING PARTNERSHIP OPPORTUNITIES.
Megan Haidet.
Bureau of Land Management, 1849 C Street NW, Rm 2134LM, Washington, DC 20240.
[email protected].
Seeds of Success (SOS) is the United States’ national native seed collection program, led by the Bureau
of Land Management (BLM) in partnership with other federal government agencies and numerous nonfederal organizations. SOS is the first step in the Native Plant Materials Development Program (NPMDP),
and has a mission to collect wildland native seed for research, development, long-term germplasm
conservation, and ecosystem restoration. Each year, more than 50 collecting teams across the country
collect native seed, all following the SOS Technical Protocol. SOS collections are divided into a working
collection which is made available for research, and a long-term conservation storage collection which is
stored at partner institutions throughout the United States. Seed collection is an efficient and costeffective way to conserve the diversity of native plant species into the future. Partnerships make a
national large-scale conservation effort like SOS possible.
Key words: COLLECTION, CONSERVATION, GERMPLASM, PARTNERSHIP, SEEDS
Session Topic: Collaborative and Proactive Planning
Format: Oral Presentation
Student Competition: No
PLANNING FOR THE RESILIENCE OF TERRESTRIAL ECOSYSTEMS BY “CONSERVING NATURE’S
STAGE.”
Kimberly R. Hall.
The Nature Conservancy. [email protected]. Kimberly R. Hall, 1091 Woodwind Trail, Haslett,
Michigan 48840.
One of the most promising strategies available to help nature adapt to climate change is to conserve
connected networks of resilient landscapes that capture the full range of abiotic site conditions. Networks
in which resilient sites (e.g., intact sites with high internal microclimate variability) are linked by corridors
that facilitate movement should maximize the ability of plants and animals to reach suitable climates. By
supporting species adaptation in this way, we increase the odds that the widest variety of ecosystem
functions and services necessary for supporting both wild species and people will be sustained. An
approach to identifying such a network, which we refer to “Conserving Nature’s Stage” (CNS) has been
developed by The Nature Conservancy, with support from the Doris Duke Charitable Foundation (DDCF).
CNS has already been applied to ecoregions in the northeast, southeast, and northwest regions of the
U.S. Work is currently underway to conduct these analyses in 19 ecoregions within the central U.S. I will
introduce the theory behind this approach, describe the underlying analyses and resulting data products,
and illustrate how these datasets can be incorporated into landscape-scale conservation planning. Next, I
will provide examples of how this information can help inform site-scale management and protection
decisions, highlighting the use of CNS datasets by agencies and land trusts in the geographies where
results are already available. Finally, I will provide a progress report on our work in the central U.S.,
focusing on lessons learned thus far and connections to other regional conservation efforts.
Key Words: CLIMATE CHANGE, COARSE FILTER, CONSERVATION PLANNING, GEOLOGY,
CONNECTIVITY
Session Topic: Managing Natural Areas in a Changing Climate
Format: Oral Presentation
Student Competition: No
RESTORING MAJOR ECOSYSTEM DRIVERS IN ONE OF THE WORLD'S MOST ENDANGERED
ECOSYSTEMS: THE EFFECTS OF BISON REINTRODUCTIONS ON GRASSLAND BIRD NEST
SUCCESS IN TALLGRASS PRAIRIE.
Heather Herakovich and Holly Jones.
Biology Department, Northern Illinois University, 1425 W. Lincoln Hwy, DeKalb, Illinois 60115.
[email protected]; [email protected].
Tallgrass prairie has been converted to agriculture over the past century, making it one of the most
threatened ecosystems globally. Agriculture conversion of prairie has severely fragmented the landscape
and many grassland birds are now in decline and threatened with extirpation. Restoration projects have
sought to increase the quality and size of prairie fragments, hypothetically increasing breeding habitat for
grassland birds. Bison and other native grazers are now being reintroduced to prairie restorations as a
final step in a complete restoration to increase habitat quality. The goal of our study was to understand
how restoration practices influence nest density and survivorship. We predicted that nest density and
survivorship would increase with restoration age, fire return interval, and bison presence. We measured
nest density and survivorship in four plantings and two remnant sites from May to July 2014 and 2015. In
addition, artificial nests were placed at these six sites to experimentally quantify the survivorship of
grassland nests. Restoration age did not affect the survivorship of natural or artificial nests. In addition,
fire return interval did not affect the survivorship of the natural or artificial nests, although density of
natural nests decreased in an unburned planting. Finally, bison reintroduction did not influence
survivorship of natural and artificial nests, although nest density of natural nests did decrease in the bison
sites. Future research is needed to help understand how these restoration practices are influencing this
higher trophic level and how they can be altered to help this declining taxon.
Key Words: BIRDS, BISON, RESTORATION, SURVIVORSHIP, PRAIRIE
Session Topic: Habitat restoration/management
Format: Poster Presentation
Student Competition: Yes
EXPERIENCING YOUR ENVIRONMENT THROUGH CONSERVATION (EYE-CON): A
CONSERVATION EDUCATION PARTNERSHIP BETWEEN THE WESTERN PENNSYLVANIA
CONSERVANCY AND PENNSYLVANIA STATE PARKS.
1
1
2
2
Adam M. Hnatkovich , JoAnn Albert , Miranda Crotsley , and Wil Taylor .
1
Western Pennsylvania Conservancy, 800 Waterfront Drive, Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania 15222.
2
[email protected]; [email protected]. Jennings Environmental Education Center,
2951 Prospect Road, Slippery Rock, PA 16057. [email protected]; [email protected].
Meaningful experiences in the field sciences are becoming less common in Pennsylvania's high schools.
Unfortunately, many schools lack the necessary resources to develop a curriculum that includes fieldbased activities. Pennsylvania has an extensive state park system, with 61 of Pennsylvania’s 67 counties
having at least one state park. Public parks can be easily utilized for conservation education, making
parks a logistical and fiscal solution to supplement high school curricula with field-based learning. In a
partnership with Jennings Environmental Education Center (PA DCNR Parks), the Western Pennsylvania
Conservancy successfully launched a summer program in conservation education known as EYE-Con
(Experiencing your Environment through Conservation). EYE-Con provides high school students with a
fun, unique experience in plant biology and introduces students to regionally relevant conservation
issues, post-secondary opportunities in plant science and conservation biology, and citizen science
opportunities in Pennsylvania. Hosted at Jennings Environmental Education Center, EYE-Con entailed
students working with professional biologists during a five-day summer camp that focused on forest
change; past topics for EYE-Con have also included prairie conservation and restoration. Students were
able to design field experiments to answer specific questions relevant to regional conservation issues,
analyze results, and interpret biological data to provide conservation guidance for land managers. In this
talk, I will discuss our approach to conservation education, building interest in conservation careers, using
education and outreach as a starting point for citizen science, funding challenges for new programs, and
our goals for a school-based conservation education program.
Key Words: EDUCATION, OUTREACH, PRAIRIE, PLANT COMMUNITIES, MONITORING
Session Topic: Constituency Building
Format: Oral Presentation
Student Competition: No.
FIRE HISTORY IN PENNSYLVANIA: IMPLICATIONS FOR PRESCRIBED FIRE PRACTICES ON
PENNSYLVANIA’S PUBLIC LANDS.
1
2
1
Adam M. Hnatkovich , Scott L. Bearer , and Ephraim A. Zimmerman .
1
Western Pennsylvania Conservancy, 800 Waterfront Drive, Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania 15222.
2
[email protected]; [email protected]. The Nature Conservancy, Community
rd
Arts Center, 220 West Fourth Street, 3 Floor, Williamsport, Pennsylvania 17701. [email protected].
Prescribed fire is becoming a popular management tool on Pennsylvania’s public lands, where fire is
used to stimulate oak regeneration, manage grasslands, and maintain habitat openings for wildlife.
Increased use of prescribed fire creates some challenges for conservation planning for Pennsylvania’s
rare, threatened, and endangered species and communities. However, prescribed fire provides a valuable
management tool for habitat improvement at multiple scales and provides research opportunities to study
fire effects in Pennsylvania’s natural communities. During this talk, I will discuss past, present, and future
trajectories of fire management among Pennsylvania’s state agencies. I will also discuss the value of
collaboration within Pennsylvania’s prescribed fire community (Pennsylvania Prescribed Fire Council) and
highlight the benefits of this collaboration for enhancing the fire program at Pennsylvania state parks.
Key Words: PRESCRIBED FIRE, LANDSCAPE ECOLOGY, OAK, NATIVE AMERICAN, MONITORING
Session Topic: Fire Ecology and Management
Format: Oral Presentation
Student Competition: No
KAUL LUMBER COMPANY: LANDBASE AND HISTORY.
Seth D. Hunt, Rebecca J. Barlow, John S. Kush.
School of Forestry and Wildlife Sciences, Auburn University, 602 Duncan Dr, Auburn, Alabama 36849.
[email protected]; [email protected]; [email protected].
The Kaul Lumber Company existed from 1902 to 1931 in west-central Alabama. At the time it was one of
the most influential timber companies in the Southeast. Its largest mill, Kaulton, was located in the
Longleaf Pine Hills of the Central Pine Belt of Alabama, a region which had the largest production
capacity and more mills than any other part of the state. Their forested landbase consisted of longleaf and
shortleaf pine and was echoed in their slogan, “Longleaf Timbers, Shortleaf Finish”. The history of the
Kaul Lumber Company offers a historical narrative of the loss of longleaf and shortleaf pine and an idea
of forest composition before extensive harvesting practices had removed most of the old-growth stands
from the landscape. Descriptions, notes, and tally sheets in addition to records of property ownership will
be used to recreate their historical landbase and to show the extent of the effect that they had on the
landscape. Secondly, the challenges in conservation that the Kaul Lumber Company faced during its time
can provide insight into opportunities and challenges that we face today in restoration and conservation.
Key Words: KAUL LUMBER COMPANY, LONGLEAF PINE, CONSERVATION
Session Topic: Open Pine Ecosystems
Format: Poster Presentation
Student Competition: Yes
THE EFFECTS OF NEARLY A DECADE AND A HALF OF LARGE LANDSCAPE BURNING ON A
SAVANNA-LIMESTONE GLADE COMPLEX IN THE ARKANSAS OZARKS.
1
2
1
Seán E. Jenkins , Michael A. Jenkins , and James T. Lamer .
1
Department of Biological Sciences, Western Illinois University, 215 Waggoner Hall
2
Macomb, Illinois [email protected]; [email protected]. Department of Forestry and Natural
Resources, Purdue University. [email protected].
2
In 1993, prior to the reintroduction of landscape-scale burning, 18 permanent 500-m plots were
established in a large limestone glade-chert savanna complex in Cook Hollow Lower Wilderness Area,
Buffalo National River, Arkansas. In the spring of 1995 and 1997, five of the 18 plots were burned. In
2000, 13 (including the five initially burned plots) of the 18 plots were burned. Finally, in 2004 and 2007,
all 18 plots were burned. The ground flora, seedling, sapling, and overstory layers were surveyed in 1993
and after burning. Five of the plots have burned five times, nine plots have burned three times, and four of
the plots have burned two times. Burning had the greatest impact on the sapling layer with 99, 91, and
46% reductions on plots burned five, three, and two times, respectively. Burning has reduced the density
of Juniperus virginiana saplings and small trees but has not significantly reduced basal area for this
species on lower slope positions. Herbaceous species richness has not changed, but species evenness
and diversity increased on all plots with burning regardless of fire frequency. Seedling density and the
cover of woody groundflora have increased with burning due to resprouting from adventitious buds after
stem topkill. Continued burning with variability in the season and size of burns along with the removal of
individual and groups of eastern red cedar trees on lower slopes will be necessary to maintain and
enhance structure and diversity.
Key Words: LANDSCAPE BURNING, GLADE-SAVANNA COMPLEX, PLANT COMMUNITY
STRUCTURE
Session Topic: Fire Ecology and Management
Format: Oral Presentation
Student Competition: No
FLORISTIC QUALITY VERSUS TAXONOMIC DISTINCTNESS FOR GRASSLAND AND WETLAND
CONDITION ASSESSMENT.
1
2 1
Suneeti Jog and Jason Bried . Department of Natural Sciences, Northeastern State University, 601
2
North Grand Avenue, Tahlequah, Oklahoma 74464. [email protected]. Department of Integrative Biology,
Oklahoma State University. [email protected].
Indices of floristic quality and taxonomic distinctness are potentially useful for monitoring and evaluation
of natural areas. The floristic quality assessment index (FQI) is based on species tolerance to
anthropogenic disturbance, whereas the taxonomic distinctness index (TDI) is based on the degree of
species relatedness. The FQI is well established whereas the TDI has not, to our knowledge, been tested
for wetland or grassland vegetation in North America. Our objective was to determine which index, FQI or
TDI, provides a better indicator of general site condition or degradation. We compared these indices
using 110 protected and unprotected wetlands in Oklahoma and 104 managed grasslands in Kansas. Our
results indicate that while FQI performed well in Kansas grasslands, it performed poorly in Oklahoma
wetlands. Although TDI has proven useful for conservation prioritization, it performed poorly in wetlands
and analysis for grasslands is underway. Since floristic quality provides a direct measure of ecological
condition, it may tend to outperform TDI.
Key Words: TAXONOMIC DISTINCTNESS, FLORISTIC QUALITY, WETLANDS, GRASSLANDS
Session Topic: Conservation Assessment Methodology
Format: Oral Presentation
Student Competition: No
STREAM MICROBIAL COMMUNITIES AS POTENTIAL INDICATORS OF RIVER AND LANDSCAPE
DISTURBANCE IN NORTH-CENTRAL ARKANSAS.
Wilson H. Johnson, Tara N. Stuecker, Jeffrey A. Lewis, Franck G. Carbonero, Marlis R. Douglas, Bradley
J. Austin, Michelle A. Evans-White, and Michael E. Douglas.
Department of Biological Sciences, University of Arkansas, Science and Engineering 601. Fayetteville,
Arkansas 72701. [email protected]; [email protected]; [email protected]; [email protected];
[email protected]; [email protected]; [email protected]; [email protected].
In the past decade, 29 shale basins have been actively developed across 20 states for extraction of
natural gas (NG) via horizontal drilling/hydraulic fracturing (=fracking). This includes ~5,000 wells within
the Fayetteville shale of north-central Arkansas. Development often impacts both rivers and landscapes,
and management requires catchment-level evaluations over time, with organismal presence/absence as
indicators. Here we used next-generation sequencing to identify/characterize microbial communities
within biofilm of eight Arkansas River tributaries so as to gauge potential catchment influences. Streams
spanned a gradient of landscape features and hydrological flows, with four serving as ‘potentially
impacted catchment zones’ (PICZ) and four as ‘minimally impacted catchment zones’ (MICZ). Overall, 46
bacterial phyla and 141 classes were identified, with 24 phyla (52%) and 54 classes (38%) extending
across samples. A principal coordinate analysis arrayed samples according to stream order, suggesting a
relationship between communities and flows. With regard to river and landscape disturbance, three
preliminary indicators emerged: (1) Synechococcophycideae and Oscillatoriophycideae (=Cyanobacteria
that bio-degrade hydrocarbons) were significantly more abundant at PICZ sites (P<0.049), suggesting
elevated hydrocarbon availability; (2) Spartobacteria (a heterotroph negatively associated with salinity)
was significantly more abundant at MICZ sites (p<0.01), suggesting lower concentrations of brine; (3)
Actinobacteria, a bioremediator whose abundance increases with total nitrogen, was significantly more
prevalent at PICZ sites (p<0.039). Our results suggest that hydrology and location of NG well pads are
potential covariates in defining microbial communities in study streams. However, long-term follow-up
studies are needed to substantiate estimates and provide greater confidence in defining potential
impacts.
Key Words: MICROBIOME, GROUNDWATER, 16S RIBOSOMAL RNA, HYDRAULIC FRACTURING,
FAYETTEVILLE SHALE
Session Topic: Fracking and Aquatic Issues
Format: Oral Presentation
Student Competition: No
INTEGRATED VEGETATION MANAGEMENT (IVM) PARTNERSHIPS WITH AGENCIES AND
UTILITIES TO IMPROVE HABITAT FOR POLLINATORS, BIRDS AND OTHER WILDLIFE.
Richard A. Johnstone and Michael R. Haggie.
Integrated Vegetation Management Partners, Inc., P.O. Box 9886, Newark, Deleware [email protected].
Integrated Vegetation Management (IVM) is a system of managing plant communities to be compatible
with the primary land management objective and site-specific secondary objectives. Various methods or
tools may be used, including cutting, mowing, herbicides, biological and cultural controls, with the best
practice being the right tool at the right time. This paper will present botanical- and photo-documented
best IVM practices that meet safety and reliability needs of electric and natural gas utilities and highways
while partnering with agencies and communities. These methods help implement the federal strategy on
pollinators and control invasive weeds; lower risk of wildfire; improve bird, bee, butterfly, and other wildlife
habitat; and improve aesthetics, community relations, and economics.
Key Words: POLLINATORS, RIGHTS-OF-WAY, HERBICIDES, DOCUMENTATION, IVM
Session Topic: Habitat Restoration/Management
Format: Oral Presentation
Student Competition: No
HORSE SLAUGHTER IN NEW MEXICO: MULTIFACETED DILEMMAS CAUSED BY AMERICA’S
ICONS.
Molly Joyce.
University of North Texas. Museum of Northern Arizona. 516 W. Cherry St. #14, Flagstaff, Arizona 86001.
[email protected].
Though they are viewed as icons of American culture, wild horses introduce a number of political, social,
economic, and environmental issues stemming from a long history of European and American
interactions. Nearly 30,000 wild and feral horses roam across the western United States including New
Mexico, Utah, Colorado, and Wyoming. Viewed as beautiful wildlife by some and as feral pests by others,
these non-native mammals heavily impact the fragile environments in which they reside (particularly arid
lands where vegetation is overgrazed by cattle and sheep and water is scarce). Various methods have
been proposed to manage the large numbers of feral horses roaming across public lands in the western
states; however, one such method has sparked a renewed debate on the legitimacy of slaughter houses.
This paper examines the environmental history and contemporary issues involved in managing these
“icons.”
Key Words: ENVIRONMENTAL HISTORY, NON-NATIVE SPECIES, HERD MANAGEMENT, WATER
SCARCITY, HUMAN HEALTH
Session Topic: Invasive Species
Format: Oral Presentation
Student Competition: No
CHALLENGES FOR RESEARCH NATURAL AREAS ACROSS CENTRAL ALASKA FROM CLIMATE
CHANGE: BIOME SHIFT IS UNDERWAY.
1,3
2
1
Glenn Patrick Juday , Claire Alix , and Ryan Jess .
1
School of Natural Resources and Extension, University of Alaska Fairbanks. [email protected].
3
CNRS/Université Paris 1 Panthéon-Sorbonne. Present address 4837 Palo Verde Avenue, Fairbanks,
Alaska 99709.
2
In the 1980s, 18 federal and state Research Natural Areas (RNAs) were established across the boreal
region of central Alaska on Bureau of Land Management public lands and the Tanana Valley State
Forest. The RNAs were selected to include special natural features such as hot springs, karst, serpentine
soils, aquatic systems, and grasslands, as well as representative examples of vast and intact, naturally
functioning ecosystems. Since their establishment, only a limited amount of monitoring has been possible
in the RNAs, but a coherent overall pattern of climate change has occurred across the boreal region.
Temperature increases in the eastern, interior portion of Alaska have caused an intensified forest
disturbance regime from fire and insects, and substantially reduced the growth rate and health/resilience
of the dominant trees (black spruce, white spruce, Alaska birch, and aspen). Old growth white spruce, a
featured ecosystem of some of the RNAs, has been systematically reduced in extent and is now near
survival limits under recent climate. Low-elevation grasslands have benefited from warming in Interior
Alaska, and some marginal wildlife populations (caribou, Alaska marmot) on isolated mountains
apparently now have less suitable habitat. Simultaneously in western Alaska closer to the Bering Sea,
temperature increases have produced a new climatic optimum zone for the boreal growth in a region
where tree growth had been marginal previously. Monitoring results available from central Alaska RNAs
are strongly consistent with this pattern. The RNA network has fulfilled its function of detecting change in
the environment, although further documentation is needed.
Key Words: ASSESSMENT, BOREAL FOREST, BIOME SHIFT, RESEARCH NATURAL AREAS
Session Topic: Managing Natural Areas in a Changing Climate
Format: Oral Presentation
Student Competition: No
NATURAL AREAS AS SOURCES OF NATIVE MEDICINAL PLANTS FOR RESEARCH: CASE STUDY
FROM THE UNIVERSITY OF KANSAS RESEARCH PROGRAM.
Kelly Kindscher.
Kansas Biological Survey/Environmental Studies Program, University of Kansas, Room 135A, Higuchi
Hall, 2101 Constant Avenue, University of Kansas, Lawrence, Kansas 66047. [email protected].
For our Native Medicinal Plant Research Program at the University of Kansas, we made extensive use of
natural areas to find over 200 native plant species for testing in anti-oxidant and anti-cancer screens. Our
program has been based on the idea that plants in Kansas, the Midwest and Great Plains have not been
explored enough for their uses as either natural products or pharmaceutical substances. We used an
ethnobotanical screen, that is, we chose plant species to study based on their historical use as medicine
by Native Americans. We then visited properties that were both natural areas and state, federal or other
protected lands so that we could potentially return for more material and so that we would not have future
access or ownership issues. For each species that we would collect, our medicinal chemistry colleagues
requested 1 kg of dried material, which could easily be dozens or even hundreds of plants. For one
species, Physalis longifolia, we have a significant discovery of not only new compounds to science,
named withanolides, by our medicinal chemistry colleagues, but compounds that were significant in their
anti-cancer activity. I will discuss this case study from our program and how we then used GIS and
mapping to look for related species in other natural areas across the Midwest and Southwest. Overall, our
research program has demonstrated that native plants from the region are good prospects for discovery,
which we believe provides additional evidence and support for protecting native species and their
habitats.
Key words: HERBAL PRODUCTS, BIODIVERSITY
Session Topic: Land Conservation/Land Trusts
Format: Oral Presentation
Student Competition: No
HUMAN DYNAMICS OF MANAGING URBAN DEER HERDS.
1
Eric Knackmuhs and James R. Farmer.
Department of Recreation, Park, and Tourism Studies, Indiana University. [email protected];
1
th
[email protected]. Present address 1025 E. 7 St., SPHB 133, Bloomington, Indiana 47408.
The City of Bloomington, Indiana (CoB) recently authorized the use of sharpshooters at Griffy Lake
Nature Preserve (GLNP) to cull the overpopulated deer herd to a sustainable level. However, developing
and implementing such a strategy has proved controversial. The issue is complicated by the recent
postponement and resultant uncertainty as to when and if the deer herd reduction will occur. However,
this complication demonstrates the importance of understanding how human and ecological concerns
influence policy. A random sample of 500 Bloomington residents as well as 77 residents living adjacent to
GLNP were mailed questionnaires to determine factors that predicted support for the sharpshooting
policy. Analysis of the 218 returned questionnaires using a logistic regression revealed that household
harms (reported property damage), Griffy impacts (beliefs that deer damage the ecosystem at GLNP),
government trust (belief that the CoB can balance the needs of people, deer, and ecosystems), and
ecological knowledge (knowledge of general forest ecology) were significant predictors of sharpshooting
support. The variable, Griffy impacts was the strongest individual predictor of sharpshooting support. For
every unit increase in Griffy impacts score, respondents were more likely to support sharpshooting by a
factor of 3.196. However, only about two-thirds of respondents believe deer are actually damaging GLNP.
These results suggest that land managers should focus on public education efforts to gather support for
controversial natural resource management decisions. Further research should also explore how factors
such as attitudes towards science and trust in government influence support regardless of education.
Key Words: DEER, PUBLIC OPINION, URBAN ECOLOGY
Session Topic: Invasive Species
Format: Oral Presentation
Student Competition: Yes
CHECKLIST AND DIGITAL ATLAS OF THE MARYLAND FLORA.
1,2
3
4
1
5
4
Wesley M. Knapp , Robert F.C. Naczi , Jim Brighton , Chris Frye , John D. Hall , and Bill Hubick .
1
Maryland Department of Natural Resources, Wildlife and Heritage Service, P.O. Box 69 (909 Wye Mills
2
Rd.), Wye Mills, Maryland 21679. [email protected]; [email protected]. Botanical
3
4
Research Institute of Texas. The New York Botanical Garden. [email protected]. Maryland Biodiversity
5
Project. [email protected]; [email protected]. University of Maryland, College Park.
[email protected].
The Maryland Flora Checklist and Digital Atlas represent two distinct projects being unveiled in unison.
The Checklist of the Maryland Flora has been under development for over eight years and is authored by
W.M. Knapp and R.F.C. Naczi. The last published Checklist of the Maryland Flora is found within Brown &
Brown’s Woody Plants of Maryland (1972) and Herbaceous Plants of Maryland (1984), making this the
first complete checklist and the first for woody and herbaceous plants in 43 and 31 years, respectively. At
present, the Maryland Flora consists of ca. 3,140 established species, with 77% being native, 23% being
non-native (2,410 native, 730 established non-native) with an additional 241 waifs. Additionally, 144
species previously reported from Maryland are formally excluded from the checklist. No atlas explicitly for
the Maryland Flora has ever been compiled. The digital Maryland Plant Atlas will go live in September
2015 and can be found at www.marylandplantatlas.org. The Atlas is a partnership between governmental
(State of Maryland, Department of Natural Resources), not-for-profit (Maryland Biodiversity Project), and
academic (University of Maryland) entities. The goals are to document the distribution of the Maryland
Flora using a variety of data sources including specimens, vetted photographs from citizen scientists, and
reputable literature sources.
Key Words: MARYLAND FLORA, NATIVE, NON-NATIVE, ATLAS, CHECKLIST
Session Topic: Rare Species
Format: Oral Presentation
Student Competition: No
WHAT CAN WE LEARN FROM OUR NEIGHBORS? IDENTIFYING NEW CONSERVATION TARGETS
IN MARYLAND USING MULTIJURISDICTIONAL DATA.
1,2
3
Wesley M. Knapp , Amanda Treher .
1
Maryland Department of Natural Resources, Wildlife and Heritage Service, P.O. Box 69 (909 Wye Mills
2
Rd.), Wye Mills, Maryland 21679. [email protected]. Botanical Research Institute of Texas.
3
NatureServe. [email protected].
Prioritizing fieldwork is a challenge for any Natural Heritage Program or conservation organization. To
help prioritize conservation targets, we created a list of target plant species using rare species occurrence
data provided by various Natural Heritage Programs through NatureServe for counties adjacent to the
State of Maryland. This list of rare species from adjacent States was then queried against the Checklist of
the Maryland Flora, creating a list of species unknown or historic to the Maryland Flora yet known and
tracked in counties adjacent to Maryland. The utility of this project is twofold: 1) It creates a list of taxa
representing likely additions to the Flora likely to be conservation targets if discovered, and 2) The
geospacial component accompanying this query helps prioritize areas for survey and future conservation
action. Though this project’s focus was on the Flora, these methods can be applied to any taxonomic
group tracked in the Heritage Network. After one field season four species were rediscovered to the Flora
of Maryland with three of these being proposed for rare, Threatened, or Endangered status.
Key Words: RARE SPECIES, ADDITIONS, REDISCOVERIES, FLORA, GEOSPACIAL DATA
Session Topic: Conserving Rare Elements
Format: Oral Presentation
Student Competition: No
RESTORATION OF AN UPLAND HARDWOOD FOREST IN EAST-CENTRAL ALABAMA.
John S. Kush, Seth D. Hunt, and Rebecca J. Barlow.
School of Forestry and Wildlife Sciences, Auburn University, 602 Duncan Dr, Auburn, Alabama 36849.
[email protected]; [email protected]; [email protected].
An effort is underway to restore and establish an upland hardwood management demonstration on the
Mary Olive Thomas Demonstration Forest (MOT) near Auburn, Alabama. During late 2014, a 9.9-acre
upland hardwood forest was inventoried to determine the starting point for management. All trees greater
than 4.5 inches diameter at breast height have been tagged, identified to species, and stem-mapped. The
overstory was a diverse mix of white oaks, red oaks, hickory, and yellow-poplar. The midstory was
dominated by American beech and sweetgum with little to no seedlings of desirable species. In an effort
to reduce the litter layer to provide a better substrate for regeneration of heavier seeded species, the area
was prescribed burned on March 20, 2015. Prior to the fire, the litter layer averaged three inches deep
and had a dry weight of 5.4 tons/acre. The seedling layer will be subsampled in summer of 2015 to
determine the impacts. In addition, efforts will be initiated to document what is happening with the
herbaceous cover that was lacking prior to the prescribed fire. Given the present species mix, the stand
offers several options in terms of upland hardwood management. Depending on objectives, management
and the subsequent regeneration process of the stand can focus on either oaks or yellow-poplar. The
presence of white oak and northern red oak offers a unique opportunity to demonstrate oak regeneration
techniques.
Key Words: UPLAND HARDWOODS, OAK, YELLOW-POPLAR
Session Topic: Habitat Restoration/Management
Format: Poster Presentation
Student Competition: No
ANT-SEED DISPERSAL NETWORKS IN TWO SOUTHWEST VIRGINIA FORESTS.
1
2
Charles Kwit , and Heather A. Passmore .
1
Department of Forestry, Wildlife and Fisheries, University of Tennessee, 2416 Fletcher Luck Ln,
2
Knoxville, Tennessee 37996. [email protected]. Department of Biological Sciences, Murray State
University. [email protected].
In eastern North America, seeds of numerous forest understory herbs are dispersed by ants. Indeed, the
mid- and southern Appalachians are a hotspot for myrmecochory, where the majority of ant-seed
dispersal is conducted by ants in one genus: Aphaenogaster. In this region, seed-dispersing ant
communities vary by elevation, and climate change is affecting such ant distributions. We set out to
describe the ant-seed dispersal networks in two forests in southwest Virginia. These forests differ in
elevation (Falls Ridge Preserve, 520 m; Cascades Day Use Area, 700 m) and contain rich, overlapping
assemblages of myrmecochorous plants. During May and June 2014, we presented diaspores from
mature fruits of representative myrmecochores beneath approximately 100 maternal plants and recorded
which ant species removed diaspores. Falls Ridge had five species of seed-dispersing ants, while
Cascades had only one (Aphaenogaster picea). This difference is further reflected in a number of network
analysis metrics, including connectance, web asymmetry, links per species, and cluster coefficients. At
Falls Ridge, more individuals of A. rudis appeared to disperse diaspores of early fruiting myrmecochores,
and A. picea individuals dispersed diaspores of later fruiting myrmecochores. At Cascades, A. picea
dispersed diaspores of most all the same myrmecochores found at Falls Ridge, suggesting that
interspecific interactions may prevent their contribution early in the fruiting season at lower elevations
where more seed-dispersing ant species exist. Future climate change and range shifts could result in
different disperser assemblages at higher elevations, but ramifications on seed dispersal effectiveness in
such scenarios remains unclear.
Key Words: APHAENOGASTER, ELEVATION, MYRMECOCHORY, PHENOLOGY; QUANTITATIVE
NETWORK ANALYSIS
Session Topic: Managing Natural Areas in a Changing Climate
Format: Oral Presentation
Student Competition: No
HOW LONICERA JAPONICA SPREADS: THE ROLES OF SEXUAL REPRODUCTION VERSUS
ASEXUAL CLONAL GROWTH.
Katherine C. Larson, Jessica Needham, Michael Uffenbeck, Taldi Walter, and Sherry Fowler.
Department of Biology, University of Central Arkansas, 201 Donaghey Ave, Conway, Arkansas 72035.
[email protected].
Japanese honeysuckle (Lonicera japonica) is a well-known invader of natural areas, spreading
vegetatively through specialized runner shoots, as well as producing an abundance of flowers. Successful
seed set in L. japonica requires an insect vector to bring pollen from a genetically distinct individual. To
address the relative contribution of clonal spread and sexual seed production, we have conducted a
series of experiments and long-term studies. Specifically we asked (1) how successful are local pollinator
species at producing seed, (2) what is the rate of seedling establishment in natural areas, (3) what is the
rate of vegetative spread, and (4) what is the clonal structure within a population of L. japonica? We found
that sexual reproduction was limited by the availability of hawkmoths with fruit set averaging only 11%
when hawkmoths were absent, but when abundant fruit set rose to 55%. We found seedling
establishment in Arkansas natural areas to be a rare event. Clonal spread varies among individual plants,
but some clones can expand at a rate of one meter per year. Although seedling establishment is rare,
natural populations exist as a mix of different genetic individuals as identified through DNA fingerprinting.
We conclude that despite limitations in seed production due to specialized pollinator requirements, the
rare seedlings that do establish in natural areas contribute to the structure of the populations. In addition,
because of its strong capacity for clonal expansion, problem areas may be dominated by a few vigorous
genotypes.
Key Words: CLONAL GROWTH, POLLINATION, SEEDLING ESTABLISHMENT, LONICERA JAPONICA
Session Topic: Invasive Species
Format: Oral Presentation
Student Competition: No
REMOVAL OF A LOW-WATER RIVER CROSSING FOR DRINKING WATER QUALITY PROTECTION
AND FISH PASSAGE ON THE MAUMELLE RIVER, ARKANSAS.
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Raven L. Lawson , Stephanie Liechty , Randy Easley , and Joe Krystofik .
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Central Arkansas Water, 221 E Capitol Ave., Little Rock, Arkansas 72202. [email protected];
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[email protected]; [email protected]. U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service.
[email protected].
In 2010, Central Arkansas Water (CAW) purchased the 915-acre Winrock Grass Farm (WGF) along the
Maumelle River for water quality protection and to prevent development in the river floodplain. The
Maumelle River is the largest tributary to Lake Maumelle, which is the primary drinking water supply for
more than 400,000 customers in Central Arkansas. CAW was awarded a U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service
National Fish Passage Grant for the removal of a low water concrete river crossing near AR Highway 10.
This removal is the second in a series of four as identified as part of the WGF Comprehensive Land Use
and Site Development Plan. As per the Lake Maumelle Watershed Management Plan and goals of the
CAW Watershed Protection Division, the primary objective of this project is to reduce sediment and
nutrient loading to the Maumelle River and, subsequently, Lake Maumelle by reducing streambank
erosion and increasing attenuation and filtration of flood waters. The structure will be removed, the
original riffle restored, and the streambanks stabilized. Secondary objectives in the removal of this
crossing are: establish fish passage for game fish (namely white bass) and sensitive species; restore
hydrological and ecological connectivity; increase habitat complexity and quality for fish,
macroinvertebrates, and other aquatic life; attenuate flood waters on Highway 10 and surrounding
properties; and re-establish recreational connectivity for boating and fishing. Additional partners in this
project include: the Arkansas Game and Fish Commission, Arkansas Dept. of Environmental Quality,
Arkansas Highway and Transportation Dept., and the Watershed Conservation Resource Center.
Key Words: WATER QUALITY, BANK STABILIZATION, RIVERS AND LAKES, DRINKING WATER,
FISH HABITAT
Session Topic: Fracking and Aquatic Issues
Format: Oral Presentation
Student Competition: No
BUSH HONEYSUCKLE (LONICERA MAACKII) CONTROL VIA AERIAL HERBICIDE APPLICATION:
INITIAL STUDY RESULTS.
Michael J. Leahy.
Missouri Department of Conservation, P.O. Box 180, Jefferson City, Missouri 65102.
[email protected].
Bush honeysuckle (Lonicera maackii) is a pernicious non-native invasive species that is widespread in
native habitats of suburban, exurban, and some rural counties throughout the central midwestern and
upper southeastern states. It eventually converts wooded natural communities into honeysuckle
shrubland monocultures. A variety of control measures have been utilized to control the species in native
habitats. Recently the Missouri Department of Conservation has conducted pilot studies and begun a
replicated treatment design investigating the use of aerially applied herbicide application for the control of
bush honeysuckle in invaded forest stands. Aerial herbicide is applied in the late fall when most native
vegetation and wildlife is dormant but honeysuckle is still photosynthesizing. Initial study results indicate
good control rates of honeysuckle, but collateral damage to certain groups of native vegetation has
occurred. This presentation will cover the treatment effectiveness, collateral damage, and toxicological
concerns related to the control of bush honeysuckle via aerial herbicide application as part of a broader
integrated invasive species management approach.
Key Words: BUSH HONEYSUCKLE, LONICERA MAACKII, NON-NATIVE INVASIVE SPECIES,
FOREST INVASION BIOLOGY
Session Topic: Invasive Species
Format: Oral Presentation
Student Competition: No
OVERVIEW OF STATE NATURAL AREA PROGRAMS.
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Michael J. Leahy and Richard H.Thom .
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Missouri Department of Conservation, P.O. Box 180, Jefferson City, Missouri 65102.
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[email protected]. [email protected].
In 2014 we conducted an email and telephone survey of “best contacts” for state-based natural area
programs in all of the states. This was a follow-up to a similar study that resulted in the report by the
Natural Areas Association entitled, “Status of State Natural Area Programs 2005” (Thom et.al. 2005). We
summarized state responses in an Excel spreadsheet and then grouped states into three categories
based on the attributes of their natural area systems (Active Natural Area System, Administratively
Inactive Natural Area System, and No Formal Natural Area System). We also compiled the number of
areas and the acreage within each state’s system when available. This presentation shares some
interesting results of this survey, which will be available in published form by the date of the conference.
Although no two state natural area programs are the same, programs share the goal of protecting and
conserving natural features, especially exemplary natural communities that might otherwise vanish from
our increasingly stressed and altered landscape. This study documents the current status of state-level
natural area programs and updates the list of key state contacts for these programs.
Key Words: STATE NATURAL AREA PROGRAM, NATURAL AREA SYSTEM, STATE NATURAL AREA
BEST CONTACTS
Session Topic: Land Conservation/Land Trusts
Format: Oral Presentation
Student Competition: No
HABITAT RESTORATION AT THE WINROCK GRASS FARM FOR WATER QUALITY ENHANCEMENT.
Stephanie Liechty.
Central Arkansas Water, 338 Pleasant Valley Drive, Little Rock, Arkansas 72212.
[email protected].
Central Arkansas Water (CAW) is the largest water utility in the state of Arkansas, serving approximately
400,000 customers in 17 cities and communities in the region. Lake Maumelle, the primary drinking water
supply, was completed in 1956, occupies 13.9 square miles of the 137-square-mile Maumelle River
Watershed, and is surrounded by 8,800 acres owned by CAW. In 2007, CAW’s Board of Commissioners
adopted the Lake Maumelle Watershed Management Plan (the Plan) developed by TetraTech, Inc. To
meet target values for sediment, phosphorus, and Total Organic Carbon set in the plan for water quality
protection of the lake, several recommendations were made including erosion control, implementing
suitable forestry practices, lake management, and land acquisition. In partnership with The Trust for
Public Land, CAW purchased the 915-acre Winrock Grass Farm along the Maumelle River (the major
tributary of Lake Maumelle). The Forest Legacy Grant requires that afforestation occur in the sod fields.
To reduce sediment and nutrient input, CAW also completed a bank stabilization project along the
Maumelle River through the grass farm. These efforts are part of an overall plan to restore the property
for the purpose of protecting and enhancing water quality.
Key Words: WATER QUALITY, BANK STABILIZATION, FORESTRY
Session Topic: Habitat Restoration/Management
Format: Oral Presentation
Student Competition: No
BEE COMMUNITIES IN THE ARKANSAS RIVER VALLEY.
Coleman Z. Little and Katherine C. Larson.
Department of Biology, University of Central Arkansas, 201 Donaghey Ave, Conway, Arkansas 72035.
[email protected]; [email protected].
Pollination is arguably the most ecologically important plant-animal interaction in nature, and despite
urbanization, pollinator communities can remain diverse and abundant wherever floral resources remain.
The goal of this project was to quantify and document the bee communities in Arkansas River Valley
prairies, specifically contrasting a large native prairie complex with a small native prairie contained within
a suburban setting in Conway, Arkansas. I specifically examined whether the Jewel Moore Nature
Reserve (JMNR), an urban reserve on the University of Central Arkansas campus housing a small
remnant native prairie, supports specialized bee species expected in native prairies or if the community is
more typical of disturbed and urban areas. I sampled JMNR, Laurel Park (a suburban park also in
Conway, Arkansas), and a high-quality native prairie owned and managed by the Arkansas Natural
Heritage Commission, Cherokee Prairie Natural Area. To compare the bee communities of these sites, I
sampled three sites within each prairie during the spring of 2012. The bee community of each site was
sampled using pan trapping and hand netting techniques. These collections yielded 2,713 individuals, 28
genera, and 116 species. Although expert confirmations are pending, statistical analysis using nonmetric
multidimensional scaling (NMS), rarefactions, ANOVAs, and similarity indexes show JMNR has bee
community similarities with the other sites while maintaining its own, unique community.
Key Words: NATIVE BEES, BEE COMMUNITIES, REMNANT PRAIRIES
Session Topic: Pollinators
Format: Oral Presentation
Student Competition: No
EXOTIC SPECIES PREDICTION AND MANAGEMENT IN SOUTHERN ILLINOIS AND SURROUNDING
AREAS.
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Xian Liu , David J. Gibson , and Guangxing Wang .
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Department of Plant Biology and Center for Ecology, Southern Illinois University Carbondale,405 Life
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Science II, Carbondale, Illinois 62901 . [email protected]; [email protected]. Department of
Geography and Environmental Resources, Southern Illinois University Carbondale. [email protected].
Exotic species have the potential to spread, outcompete native species, and damage the local
environment. Species distribution models can be used to determine the relationship between
environmental factors and the spatial distribution of exotic species to predict future occurrences across
landscapes and help develop management guidelines. This study focused on predicting the occurrence of
three common exotic species (Japanese chaff flower, Japanese honeysuckle, and amur honeysuckle) in
southern Illinois and its surrounding areas, identifying the environmental factors (land cover, slope, and
aspect) that significantly affect spatial distributions and patterns of the species at the global (region-wide)
scale, and deciding which environmental factors should be added to future local (refuge) scale analyses.
The analysis was conducted using a MaxEnt species distribution model. Prediction maps showed that the
species were most likely to occur in the southwest and southeast portions of the study area. The results
also indicated that land cover had an average of 61.3% contribution to the predicted distribution of these
three species, slope 33.3%, and aspect 5.4%. Response curves showed that the species predictions
changed as each environmental factor varied while keeping other factors constant. From these results,
we can conclude that land cover and slope significantly affected regional species spatial distributions, and
these variables should be included in local scale analyses.
Keywords: EXOTIC SPECIES, ENVIRONMENTAL FACTORS, MAXENT, SPECIES DISTRIBUTION
MODEL
Session Topic: Invasive Species
Format: Poster Presentation
Student Competition: Yes
SOCIAL MEDIA FOR NATURAL AREAS: THE BENEFITS OF FACEBOOK FAN ENGAGEMENT.
Kristi Loobeek.
Minnesota Department of Natural Resources, 500 Lafayette Road, Saint Paul, Minnesota,
[email protected].
On any given day, content created by the Minnesota Scientific and Natural Areas’ (SNA) Facebook page
reaches roughly 500 people (all statistics within as of April 15, 2015). Founded in early 2014, the page
has since gained over 1,600 fans and reached tens of thousands of users. While there are countless
statistics that could be listed, in the Facebook realm, the most important of all is the page’s engagement
percentage. For perspective, nationally, a successful page has over 1% engagement, and at .5% a page
is considered ineffective. The SNA Facebook page has a consistent 11% engagement. Our fans are loyal
and vigorous for knowledge. We employ many strategies to increase engagement and fulfill the demand
for high-quality content. One such strategy is to use only high quality, high resolution photos with our
posts—many from our SNA Flickr group. Another is to use conversational rhetoric while still maintaining
that we are in fact the authority on the subject. Lastly, we recognize that our fans have a wide variety of
interests, not just natural areas, and we cater to this by posting content that appeals to the general
“outdoorsy” person half of the time and more specifically to our natural areas the other half. While these
strategies may not work for all business pages, it is a safe bet that any in the conservation spectrum
could benefit from their employment. By embracing the social and digital aspects of the future, we are
helping those whose interests lie in natural areas and their protection.
Key Words: SOCIAL MEDIA, FACEBOOK, CITIZEN ENGAGEMENT, PHOTOGRAPHY
Session Topic: Constituency Building
Format: Oral Presentation
Student Competition: No
LANDSCAPE-SCALE PRESCRIBED FIRE EFFECTS ON OZARK GROUND FLORA COMPOSITION.
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Calvin Maginel , Benjamin O. Knapp , Rose-Marie Muzika , Aaron P. Stevenson .
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Forestry Department, University of Missouri-Columbia 211 ABNR, Columbia, Missouri 65211
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[email protected]. Missouri Department of Conservation, 551 Joe Jones Blvd, West Plains, Missouri
65775.
As managers increase the use of prescribed fire as a restoration tool in the Missouri Ozarks, monitoring
of vegetative response to treatment is critical. A landscape-scale study at Chilton Creek Management
Area (CCMA) using prescribed fire to restore vegetative communities was initiated in 1997, with the
nearby Missouri Ozark Forest Ecosystem Project (MOFEP) as an unburned control for treatment
comparison. This study encompasses broad site variation, providing a unique opportunity to study the
effects of repeated controlled burning on vegetative communities at the landscape scale and within
individual site types. Data were used to determine effects of 15 years of varied prescribed fire frequency
on plant community composition. Results from this analysis showed a trend of species replacement, with
fire-sensitive species decreasing at a landscape scale, positive plant community response on exposed
aspects, and no negative effects on other aspects and site types. In addition, increasing values of the
Wetness Index on burned sites suggest xerification processes. This study supports continued use of
prescribed fire in the Missouri Ozarks for restoration projects at the landscape scale.
Key words: GROUND FLORA, PRESCRIBED FIRE, OZARKS
Session Topic: Habitat Restoration/Management
Format: Poster Presentation
Student: Yes
DOES THE INVASIVE SPECIES ACHYRANTHES JAPONICA FORM A MUTUALISTIC RELATIONSHIP
WITH MYCORRHIZAL FUNGI?
Lea Matschke, Travis Neal, and David Gibson.
Department of Plant Biology, Southern Illinois University Carbondale, 263 Lincoln Dr, Carbondale, Illinois
62901. Permanent Address: 1124 E. Madison St, Belvidere, Illinois 61008. [email protected];
[email protected]; [email protected].
Achyranthes japonica (Japanese chaff flower) is an invasive, perennial plant present in nine states. In
optimal conditions, chaff flower plants can grow up to two meters tall and produce up to 2,000 seeds. In
order to investigate how to control chaff flower, understanding the plants’ relationships with other
organisms is important. An experiment was undertaken with the objective of determining if chaff flower
could utilize mycorrhizal fungi for the uptake of nutrients. There were two experimental treatments: a
SOIL treatment and a mycorrhizal inoculation treatment. Field soil from a southern Illinois chaff flower
population was mixed with sand to reduce the phosphorous content of the soil, which is the nutrient most
critical for mycorrhizal utilization. The soil treatment had three levels: autoclaving to ensure sterilization,
microwaving to only reduce the levels of soil fungi, or untreated control. The mycorrhizal treatment was
established following soil treatments by inoculating half of the soil in each treatment group with
endomycorrhizal spores. Chaff flower plants of each experimental group were allowed to grow from seed
for 121 days. The number of nodes and height of each plant were measured periodically throughout the
experiment. The numbers of nodes and heights of the plants with exposure to mycorrhizae was generally
higher than the plants without exposure to mycorrhizae only in the microwaved soil treatment group.
Although the results were inconsistent, this experiment provided insight into the ecological relationships
formed by Japanese chaff flower.
Key Words: INVASIVE, SOIL TREATMENT, MYCORRHIZAE, CONTROL
Session Topic: Invasive Species
Format: Poster Presentation
Student Competition: Yes
A FLORISTIC INVENTORY OF THE SCOUR ZONES OF THE BIG SOUTH FORK RIVER IN
KENTUCKY AND TENNESSEE.
Christopher Mausert-Mooney and L. Dwayne Estes.
Botanical Research Institute of Texas, 1700 University Dr., Fort Worth, Texas 76107 and Austin Peay
State University, 601 College St., Clarksville , Tennessee 37044. [email protected];
[email protected].
Un-impounded, high-energy rivers of the Cumberland Plateau are known to experience periodic
catastrophic flooding events that can create zones of highly disturbed scour habitat, home for a diverse
and unique assemblage of plant species. The Big South Fork River is one of the largest remaining
undammed rivers in the east and contains a majority of the remaining Cumberland Plateau riverscour
habitat, which is recognized as a globally imperiled system. Prior floristic surveys of Cumberland Plateau
rivers have revealed the rich floristic diversity of these systems and refuge they provide for rare, disjunct,
and endemic plant species. Besides some limited rare- and invasive-plant surveys by the National Park
Service and Tennessee and Kentucky Heritage Programs, the diversity of species and plant communities
in the main stem of the Big South Fork River scour have remained enigmatic. After two years of data
collection, over 280 species have been collected in riverscour habitat along the Big South Fork River,
including 13 state or federally listed species. In addition to compiling a comprehensive plant checklist, this
study attempts to identify and explain the biogeographical patterns observed and augment existing abiotic
and plant community assemblage descriptions through analysis of data collected from permanent plots.
Key Words: RIVERSCOUR, BIG SOUTH FORK RIVER, CUMBERLAND PLATEAU, FLORISTIC
SURVEY
Session Topic: Rare Species - Riverscour Communities
Format: Oral Presentation
Student Competition: Yes
TREE MORTALITY FOLLOWING A DROUGHT-YEAR LIGHTNING IGNITION IN THE OUACHITA
MOUNTAINS, ARKANSAS: TWO YEARS POST-BURN.
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Virginia L. McDaniel , James M. Guldin , Nancy E. Koerth , and Jason E. Milks .
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Southern Research Station, U.S. Forest Service, 8607 North HWY 7, Jessieville, Arkansas 71949.
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[email protected]; [email protected]; [email protected]. The Nature Conservancy of Arkansas.
[email protected].
Increasingly, fire managers are using natural ignitions along with prescribed burns to restore and maintain
fire-adapted ecosystems. Increased fuel loading from fire suppression and increasing drought indices,
however, may cause natural ignitions to burn with greater intensity and severity. Managers must weigh
risk factors versus benefits before allowing a lightning ignition to burn under these conditions. During the
severe drought of 2011, the Ouachita National Forest had more lightning ignitions than any year in
recorded history. While most were fully suppressed, one lightning ignition occurred in a particularly
remote and rugged location that made suppression difficult and unsafe. Managers decided to use “less
than full suppression” techniques and allowed this fire to burn within a designated containment area
(~700 ha). Given the drought conditions, there was concern that significant overstory mortality would
occur. We installed 32 randomly placed 10-m-radius circular plots directly after the fire in three community
types: hardwood forest, pine-oak forest, and pine plantation. We identified and measured all trees ≥2.5
cm diameter at breast height (dbh) and determined scorch height and percentage, char height, and live or
dead status. Plots were remeasured one and two years post-burn to determine mortality. Overstory
(>15.0 cm dbh) and midstory (≤15.0 cm dbh) stem densities were reduced significantly one year postburn by 5 and 64% respectively, but not significantly between one year post-burn and two years postburn. This study allows managers to make more informed decisions on suppressing wildfires versus using
them to restore and maintain forest structure and composition.
Key Words: LESS THAN FULL SUPPRESSION FIRE
Session Topic: Fire Ecology and Management
Format: Poster Presentation
Student Competition: No
EVALUATION OF A FIRE MANAGEMENT PLAN IN A FLORIDA LANDSCAPE.
Eric S. Menges, Kevin N. Main, Roberta L. Pickert, and Kye Ewing.
Archbold Biological Station, 123 Main Drive, Venus, Florida 33960. [email protected];
[email protected]; [email protected]; [email protected].
Fire management plans (FMP) are complex documents that rarely are evaluated for their success in
achieving multiple objectives. The Archbold Biological Station (ABS) FMP is based on the concept of
modal fire return intervals (FRI) specific to each vegetation type, but with variation in FRI in space and
time. We use a 5 m vector grid-based GIS analysis and detailed coverages on fire extent and severity to
assess the success of ABS in achieving these goals of its FMP plan: providing variety on FRI around
modal ranges for different vegetation types, increasing area burned, burning most areas in the lightning
season, and providing variation in fire severities. From 1967-2010, ABS increased area burned and
burned relatively more area during the lightning season. Depending on the vegetation type being
considered, burning status in 2010 was ahead, on, or behind schedule. Frequently burned vegetation
(e.g., pine flatwoods) tended to be behind schedule, while less frequently burned rosemary scrub had
been burned ahead of schedule. The intermediate scrubby flatwoods, which comprise the largest part of
the ABS landscape, had a distribution of FRI that matched the FMP. Fire severity varied among
vegetation types and has not shifted appreciably over time. Most areas within burns burned intensely, but
there was considerable patchiness. The combination of fire mapping and FRI targets, together with GIS
analyses, offers a consistent, verifiable method of tracking a fire management program. Our analyses
highlight inevitable tradeoffs in using fire to manage for myriad species and plant communities.
Key Words: FIRE MANAGEMENT, SEASON OF BURN, FIRE SEVERITY, FIRE RETURN INTERVAL,
FIRE PATCHINESS
Session Topic: Fire Ecology and Management
Format: Oral Presentation
Student Competition: No
PLANT ADVANTAGES IN MYRMECOCHORY: REDIRECTING ‘DIRECTED DISPERSAL.’
Chelsea N. Miller, Mariah T. Patton, and Charles Kwit.
Department of Ecology and Evolutionary Biology, University of Tennessee, 569 Dabney Hall, 1416 Circle
Drive, Knoxville, Tennessee 37996. [email protected]; [email protected]; [email protected].
Myrmecochory, the dispersal of elaiosome-bearing seeds by ants, is typically cast as a mutualistic
relationship. Benefits of this putative mutualism include nutritive rewards for in-nest ant larvae, and safe
and nutrient-rich microsites conferring enhanced seed survival, germination, and seedling establishment.
To evaluate this from the plant perspective, we conducted a literature review and found (1) natural
history-related findings noting the prevalence of redispersal of seeds out of ant nests, (2) lack of
consensus on effects of elaiosome removal on seed predation and germination, (3) lack of research on
ant-produced antimicrobial secretions within nests, and (4) a mammal-centric approach to
myrmecochorous seed mortality. We argue that this ant-plant interaction is improperly cast as a prime
example of ‘directed dispersal’ and pose a more relevant framework to test whether ants are critically
important dispersers in such systems. In eastern North America, this should include characterization of
near ant nest locations, and a better incorporation of microbial seed depredation and the effectiveness of
ant seed treatments. Thorough tests of ‘directed dispersal’ in myrmecochorous systems should include a
combination of empirical, experimental, and modeling efforts better documenting the dynamics of
myrmecochorous seeds and their microbiota through the dispersal process. Such microsite and seedtreatment approaches are applicable in other seed dispersal systems, and will transform the conceptual
framework of ‘directed dispersal.’
Key Words: MYRMECOCHORY, SEED DISPERSAL, MUTUALISM, DIRECTED DISPERSAL
Session Topic: Special Plants
Format: Oral Presentation
Student Competition: Yes
WHAT MAKES GLADE SPECIALISTS SPECIAL?
Jesse Miller and Ellen Damschen.
Department of Zoology, University of Wisconsin-Madison. 430 Lincoln Dr., Madison, Wisconsin 53706.
[email protected]; [email protected].
Dolomite glades contain diverse plant communities with numerous species that specialize in latesuccessional habitats, including some regional endemics. Understanding the life history traits of these
specialist species could help explain their patchy occurrences within glade habitats and could inform
efforts to conserve glade communities. In this study, we asked how life history traits are related to the
degree to which plants specialize in late-successional habitats (as classified by Floristic Quality Analysis),
and how these traits drive community responses to environmental gradients in glades. We measured
traits related to resource acquisition strategies, dispersal, and persistence in over 100 glade species and
analyzed species- and community-level relationships among traits, environment, and floristic quality. We
found that late-successional glade specialist species are apparently more stress-tolerant and probably
grow more slowly than their less conservative counterparts. At the community level, our results suggest
that soil resource availability affects community means of traits related to stress tolerance, while
landscape spatial structure (or connectivity) appears to influence community means of some seed traits.
These findings suggest that glade specialists may benefit from management and restoration that is
conducted at a landscape scale. Our results suggest that glades are a prime example of the emerging
“old-growth grasslands” concept.
Key Words: GLADES, ENDEMICS, PLANT DIVERSITY, FUNCTIONAL TRAITS, FLORISTIC QUALITY
Session Topic: Special Plants
Format: Oral Presentation
Student Competition: Yes
IMPLEMENTING STRATEGIC HABITAT CONSERVATION THROUGH COLLABORATIVE HABITAT
RESTORATION IN THE MISSISSIPPI ALLUVIAL VALLEY.
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Anne Mini , Blaine Elliott , Keith McKnight , Michael Mitchell , Daniel Twedt , and Randy Wilson .
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American Bird Conservancy, Lower Mississippi Valley Joint Venture, 193 Business Park Drive, Suite E,
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Ridgeland, Mississippi 39157. [email protected]. U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, Lower Mississippi
3
Valley Joint Venture. [email protected]; [email protected]. Ducks Unlimited.
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[email protected]. U. S. Geological Survey, Patuxent Wildlife Research Center. [email protected].
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U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service. [email protected].
Lower Mississippi Valley Joint Venture conservation partners have been successful in collaboratively
implementing strategic habitat conservation for priority bird species. Our approach relies upon: (1)
development of species-habitat models to define sustainable landscapes; (2) implementation of
conservation actions in accordance with these landscape designs; and (3) the ability to monitor progress
towards meeting conservation objectives. As a prime example, partners have used a landscape-scale
approach to bottomland hardwood forest conservation in the Mississippi Alluvial Valley (MAV).
Bottomland hardwood forest has been dramatically reduced and fragmented with only 25% of the original
forest remaining. Thus, the quantity and distribution of available habitat was hypothesized to limit forestbreeding birds. We developed species-habitat models that identified the quantity of core bottomland
hardwood habitat necessary to support sustainable breeding bird populations. Next, we created a
spatially explicit decision-support tool that defined reforestation priorities. The decision-support tool
focused on enhancing the core area of forest patches that support source populations of breeding birds.
Utilizing conservation programs on public and private (notably via Wetland Reserve Program) land, forest
restoration has been substantial throughout the MAV—over 1 million acres to date. Additionally, we have
developed Desired Forest Conditions for Wildlife, recognizing that habitat quality may also limit breeding
bird success. In the final step of strategic habitat conservation, we undertook a monitoring effort to
determine if desired habitat conditions resulted in the desired bird response. Through this collaborative
effort, partners have nearly completed a turn of the strategic habitat-conservation cycle in the MAV with
great success.
Key Words: FOREST-INTERIOR BIRDS, HABITAT RESTORATION, STRATEGIC HABITAT
CONSERVATION, MISSISSIPPI ALLUVIAL VALLEY, REFORESTATION
Session Topic: Collaborative and Proactive Planning
Format: Oral Presentation
Student Competition: No
FOREST LEGACY – CONSERVING FOREST LAND IN THE SOUTHEAST.
Michael Murphy.
USDA Forest Service, 1720 Peachtree Road, NW, Room 700, Atlanta, Georgia 30309.
[email protected].
With disturbing downward trends in the nation’s private forests, Congress created the Forest Legacy
Program in 1990 to keep forests in forest. In the first 25 years of the program’s existence, over 2.5 million
acres have been protected in perpetuity. The first Forest Legacy projects in the Southeast were
established in 2000, and in the past 15 years the program has grown to include 13 states that have
protected over 250,000 acres of important forest lands. Forest Legacy proposals must compete in a
national competition that considers the important forest resources needing protection, the degree of threat
that the forest could be converted to a non-forest use, and how the proposal strategically complements
landscape-level conservation efforts. Forest Legacy tracts are typically working forests contributing to the
local economy while protecting nationally significant resources. The U.S. Forest Service works with state
agencies to develop proposals and provides grants to states to acquire land in fee simple or interest in
land by conservation easement. Tracts acquired in fee typically become state forests, state parks, natural
areas, and wildlife management areas with public access. When states acquire conservation easements
in the Southeast, the important forest resources are protected in perpetuity, but there is usually limited or
no public access.
Key Words: FOREST LEGACY PROGRAM, PERPETUITY, IMPORTANT FOREST RESOURCES,
LANDSCAPE-LEVEL CONSERVATION, WORKING FORESTS
Session Topic: Land Conservation/Land Trusts
Format: Oral Presentation
Student Competition: No
LONGLEAF PINE RESTORATION ON STATE NATURAL AREA PRESERVES IN VIRGINIA.
Richard K. Myers.
Virginia Department of Conservation and Recreation, Division of Natural Heritage, 217 Governor Street,
Richmond, Virginia 23219. [email protected].
Virginia is where longleaf pine reaches its northern range limit, where the species was first exploited
commercially by European colonists, and the one state where longleaf has been for all practical purposes
eliminated from the landscape. Teetering on the brink of extirpation for a century, longleaf pine in Virginia
is now making a comeback with reforestation increasing on both public and private lands. On state
natural area preserves, the Virginia Department of Conservation and Recreation (VDCR) in 2007 began
planting longleaf seedlings on sites that would have supported longleaf communities historically. All
planting stock has been produced using seed collected from the few remaining mature “native” longleaf
pines in Virginia. Most restoration projects have involved removal or heavy thinning of existing loblolly
pine stands, site-preparation burning, and hand-planting of container-grown seedlings, with follow-up
burning after the second growing season to control competition and promote initiation of grass-stage
seedling height growth. As of fall 2015, over 700 acres of longleaf has been restored on state natural area
preserves in southeast Virginia, with the oldest stand now eight years old and burned three times.
Establishment of longleaf pine and frequent burning (two- or three-year intervals) achieves two natural
areas stewardship objectives in Virginia: 1) restoring diverse Pine/Oak Sandhill and Pine Savanna
communities with an overstory composition consistent with pre-settlement fire influences, and 2)
expanding, enhancing, and maintaining habitat for rare species of plants and animals associated with
frequently burned pine woodlands and savannas at the northern range extent of longleaf pine.
Key Words: LONGLEAF PINE, RESTORATION, NORTHERN RANGE, VIRGINIA
Session Topic: Habitat Restoration/Management
Format: Oral Presentation
Student Competition: No
RESTORATION OF NATIVE REMNANT CANEBRAKE HABITAT IN THE CACHE RIVER WATERSHED
OF SOUTHERN ILLINOIS: EFFECTS OF FIRE, FERTILIZATION, AND TIME.
Richard Nesslar, Margaret Anderson, Derek Evans, Jon Schoonover, James Zaczek, and Sara Baer.
Southern Illinois University Carbondale. 980 Lexington Avenue Saint Charles, Illinois 60174.
[email protected].
Giant cane (Arundinaria gigantea) is one of three bamboo species native to North America. Canebrakes,
or large continuous cane stands, were one of the dominant floodplain ecosystems in the southeastern
United States and were maintained by periodic disturbances such as wildfire and windstorms.
Canebrakes provide habitat for rare animal species and are also effective riparian buffers. However,
former canebrakes have been largely converted to agriculture, and only 2% of canebrake habitat remains.
Thus, there is interest in restoration and rehabilitation of canebrake ecosystems. The objective of this
study was to compare the effects of fire and fertilization on the growth and expansion of giant cane in
eight remnant stands in the Cache River watershed over a four-year period. Within each of the eight
stands, four approximately 0.01 ha treatment plots separated by buffers were established and randomly
designated to be either burned, fertilized, burned and fertilized, or left as a control. In June 2011 prior to
2
treatment and during each of the next four dormant seasons, measurements of cane culm density (#m ),
culm height (cm), diameter (0.01 mm), and percent cane cover were taken within subplots established
interior to and exterior to treatment plots. Fertilization occurred in July 2011 and every year after.
Prescribed fire was applied in March 2012. We will report on the change in density, height, and diameter
of the cane located interior and exterior to the canebrake over time. Results from this study will benefit
resource managers interested in rehabilitating and restoring giant cane.
Key Words: GIANT CANE, CANEBRAKE, FIRE, FERTILIZATION, DISTURBANCE
Session Topic: Habitat Restoration/Management
Format: Oral Presentation
Student Competition: No
BIRD-BASED INDICATORS FOR ECOREGION ASSESSMENTS: LANDSCAPES AND VITAL RATES
ON THE ATLANTIC SLOPE.
Timothy J. O’Connell.
Natural Resource Ecology and Management, Oklahoma State University, 018 Ag Hall, Stillwater,
Oklahoma 74078. [email protected].
Identification of natural areas for preservation can be straightforward when inventory reveals multiple
globally rare species. At the scale of ecoregions, however, latitudinal and climatic gradients complicate
comparisons among regions. At broad scales, ecological indicators populated with metrics that exhibit
dose-responses to gradients of anthropogenic influence can be useful. The composition of songbird
assemblages has shown promise in ecoregion-scale assessments of ecological integrity, summarized in
this context as the degree to which a region can support populations of its native species. The Bird
Community Index (BCI) sorts assemblages of breeding birds into proportions of life history traits
represented. Traits interpreted as “specialist” or “generalist” are ranked and compiled to develop a
numeric index of condition. Scores from multiple sites provide information on the relative land area in
categories of condition. The BCI was developed for the Mid-Atlantic Highlands, an EPA Level II
Ecoregion. Subsequent research modified the BCI for application to the Mid-Atlantic Piedmont and
Coastal Plain. In all three ecoregions, the BCI is strongly correlated with land cover composition,
especially the landscape matrix. Using data from the North American Breeding Survey, the Atlantic Slope
highlands, piedmont, and coastal plain have been directly compared. In addition, for the first time, BCI
scores have been independently validated with vital rates of reproductive success for multiple species.
Results suggest that the rapidly urbanizing piedmont supports both reduced vital rates of its component
species and the lowest proportional land area assessed in excellent condition with the BCI.
Key Words: ECOLOGICAL ASSESSMENT, ECOREGION, BIRD COMMUNITY INDEX, SONGBIRDS
Session Topic: Conservation Assessment Methodology
Format: Oral Presentation
Student Competition: No
HISTORICAL RESTORATION AND CURRENT STATUS OF RIPARIAN HABITAT IN NEW YORK CITY
PARKS AND IMPLICATION FOR AVIAN DIVERSITY.
1
2
2
2
Brian F.M. Olechnowski , Brady Simmons , Ellen Pehek , and Susan Stanley .
1
Department of Biological and Allied Health Sciences, Fairleigh Dickinson University, 285 Madison
2
Avenue M-SB1-01, Madison, New Jersey 07940. [email protected]. New York City Department of Parks
and Recreation. [email protected]; [email protected];
[email protected].
Urban growth presents a number of challenges to the preservation of biodiversity. City green spaces and
city parks attempt to provide natural habitat and refugia to a number of important species living within the
greater urban environment. However, the overall biodiversity in these fragmented natural areas and parks
continues to decline as both the urban matrix and the human population continue to expand. Active
habitat restoration and adaptive management in city parks have been shown to effectively increase
diversity of both plants and animals. This study examines the effects of historical restoration practices on
avian diversity in riparian areas within three New York City parks located in the Bronx, NY from 2001–
2006. We then consider the current status of the largest of these riparian areas (Bronx Park) in 2014, as
restoration efforts have subsided there since 2004. The historical data reveals that overall measures of
diversity are positively correlated with the patch size of these parks. However, past restoration efforts are
likely related to the temporary increased presence of certain rare species to the NYC area such as the
warbling vireo (Vireo gilvus), eastern wood peewee (Contopus virens), and Cape May warbler
(Setophaga tigrina). Because of the lack of restoration efforts since 2004, current data at Bronx Park
indicates both a decrease in diversity and the presence of rare species. This study emphasizes the need
for persistent restoration efforts in urban parks coupled with sound adaptive management practices.
Monitoring of avian diversity at these NYC parks is ongoing.
Key Words: RESTORATION, URBAN PARKS, AVIAN DIVERSITY, ADAPTIVE MANAGEMENT
Session Topic: Habitat Restoration/Management
Format: Poster Presentation
Student Competition: No
DISC HARROWING AND SEED ADDITION: CAN COMBINED TREATMENTS ENHANCE
RESTORATION OF OVERGROWN SHRUBLAND TO SANDPLAIN GRASSLAND AND COASTAL
HEATHLAND?
Kelly A. Omand, Jennifer M. Karberg, Danielle I. O’Dell, and Karen C. Beattie.
Nantucket Conservation Foundation, P.O. Box 13, Nantucket, Massachusetts, 02554.
[email protected]; [email protected];
[email protected]; [email protected].
Sandplain grassland and coastal heathland are globally rare plant communities threatened by
succession, development, and climate change. Restricted mainly to coastal plains of Cape Cod and
nearby islands, they provide high-quality habitat for many state and regionally rare species. Annual brushcutting for 15+ years in Nantucket’s Middle Moors has decreased shrub height, but has not resulted in a
strong shift toward graminoid and forb dominance. Previous research projects at the site established that
key grassland species were lacking in the soil seed bank, suggesting that seed addition plus soil
disturbance could more effectively shift vegetation composition while slowing regrowth of woody shrubs.
This project evaluates the success of three levels of treatment at the site: harrowing, harrowing plus
native seed addition, and seed addition alone, compared to untreated controls. Disc harrowing a large
area stimulated seed bank germination of varied native early successional species but demonstrated that
key grassland dominants were indeed lacking in the soil seed bank. Recruitment of these key dominants
only occurred in the seed addition plots. NMS ordination and species accumulation curves supported our
hypothesis that harrowing plus seed addition accelerated the conversion to an early successional
grassland over time. Unexpected germination of three state-listed rare species only within harrowed
areas indicated that harrowing large, contiguous areas can promote germination of patchily distributed
rare species that form long-lived seed banks and require exposed mineral soil to germinate. In contrast,
seed addition may be required to establish key dominant grassland species for effective restoration or
management.
Key words: HARROWING, SOIL DISTURBANCE, SEED ADDITION, SEED BANK, GRASSLAND
Session Topic: Habitat Restoration/Management
Format: Oral Presentation
Student Competition: No
MAMMAL COMMUNITY COMPOSITION IN SOUTHERN ILLINOIS HARDWOOD FORESTS.
Brent S. Pease, Eric J. Holzmueller, and Clay K. Nielsen.
Department of Forestry, Southern Illinois University, 1205 Lincoln Drive, Carbondale, Illinois 62901.
[email protected].
Oak-hickory forests have been documented to support nearly 100 North American vertebrate species and
are one of the most widespread land cover associations in eastern United States. However the
relationship between forest structure and mammalian composition is often unclear. We utilized a
hardwood forest dominated site in southwestern Illinois to quantify the response of a mammal community
to forest structure. We randomly deployed 54 remotely-triggered cameras for 22 days across a 120 ha
study area to document key micro- and macro-habitat characteristics that influence the abundance and
diversity of silvicolous species. Camera traps recorded 143 photos, of which 40% were carnivorous
mammals, 50% were non-carnivorous mammals, 9% were bird species, and 1% were unidentifiable
individuals due to lighting, camera angle, or other obstacles from single-point photographs. Preliminary
results indicate a diverse trophic community is utilizing the study area, but at low frequencies (0.13
individuals captured per trap night). We also observed a relationship between forest basal area and deer
abundance, but further analysis, along with continued monitoring, is needed better explain the utilization
of the sampling units.
Key Words: MAMMALS, FOREST, MANAGEMENT, CAMERA-TRAPPING
Session Topic: Habitat restoration/management
Format: Poster Presentation
Student Competition: Yes
INFERRING RESPONSE TO CLIMATE CHANGE FROM NATURAL LABORATORIES: IS THERE
CONVERGENCE IN PLANT FUNCTIONAL TRAITS ACROSS MULTIPLE ELEVATIONAL GRADIENTS
IN RHODODENDRON MAXIMUM?
Alix A. Pfennigwerth, Joseph K. Bailey, and Jennifer A. Schweitzer.
Department of Ecology and Evolutionary Biology, University of Tennessee, 569 Dabney Hall, University of
Tennessee, Knoxville, Tennessee 37996. [email protected]; [email protected];
[email protected].
Understanding past responses to climatic gradients enables scientists and land managers to better
predict species’ responses to contemporary climate change. Elevational environmental gradients, which
are driven in part by temperature variation, are natural laboratories in which to understand effects of past
climatic change on phenotypic trait variation. Moreover, common garden experiments are an effective tool
to decompose observed variation into genetic and environmental components. To assess the generality
of elevational gradients as space-for-time substitutions for climate change, we hypothesized that (1)
functional trait variation along elevation is consistent among locations, and (2) observed trait variation in
situ has a genetic basis. To test our hypotheses, we measured functional traits of the dominant
understory shrub Rhododendron maximum along elevation at three geographic locations in the field and a
two-year-old common garden. We found that elevation significantly influenced functional traits, including
specific leaf area, twig-cross-sectional area, and internode length in natural populations at some, but not
all, locations, suggesting environmental complexity within and among elevational gradients. Moreover, the
majority of elevational trait clines became weak or insignificant in the common garden, indicating
underlying plastic and genetic components to phenotypic variation in situ. Overall, our results suggest that
future climate change will likely interact with a suite of environmental factors in shaping trait variation, and
that acclimation to a changing climate via phenotypic plasticity, in addition to adaptive evolution, will likely
play a key role in how plants respond to ongoing climate change in many natural areas.
Key Words: COMMON GARDEN, ELEVATIONAL GRADIENT, FUNCTIONAL TRAITS, GENETIC
VARIATION, PLASTICITY
Session Topic: Managing Natural Areas in a Changing Climate
Format: Oral Presentation
Student Competition: Yes
EFFECTS OF GEOLOCATORS ON SURVIVAL, NESTLING PROVISIONING, AND REPRODUCTIVE
SUCCESS OF MALE CERULEAN WARBLERS.
1
1
2
3
Doug Raybuck , Than Boves , Scott Stoleson , and Jeff Larkin .
1
Department of Biological Sciences, Arkansas State University,PO Box 599, State University, Arkansas
2
72467. [email protected]; [email protected]. USDA Forest Service Northern Research Station.
3
[email protected]. Department of Biology, Indiana University of Pennsylvania. [email protected].
The cerulean warbler (Setophaga cerulea) is a declining Nearctic-Neotropical migrant that is a species of
concern. Cerulean warblers breed in the canopy of eastern North American hardwood forests, including
parts of Arkansas, and winter in the canopy of montane forests of northern South America. Little is known
about migration routes, stopover sites, or migratory connectivity between breeding and wintering
populations of this species. Recently, the use of geolocators has made it possible to study migration
patterns of individual birds as small as the cerulean warbler in order to more fully understand their full
annual cycle, which will improve conservation efforts for the species. In order to improve recapture rates
and to minimize negative effects on birds outfitted with these devices, a description of harness materials
and attachment methods used, as well as documentation of any observed negative effects caused by
outfitting these birds with geolocators, should be made available to other researchers. In this study, we
are comparing not only return rates, but also survival during the breeding season, nestling provisioning
rates, and reproductive success of 30 geolocator-tagged male cerulean warblers with their color-banded
control counterparts. Preliminary data from the first ten geolocator-tagged birds has shown no negative
effects on any of these estimates, and we will have data for the other 20 birds after the 2015 breeding
season to include in this poster presentation. We will also be including any migration data obtained from
2015 recaptures from the 10 birds tagged in 2014.
Key Words: GEOLOCATORS, CERULEAN WARBLER, NEARCTIC-NEOTROPICAL MIGRANTS,
SETOPHAGA CERULEA, VULNERABLE SPECIES
Session Topic: Rare Species
Format: Poster Presentation
Student Competition: Yes
ITALIAN WALL LIZARDS (PODARCIS SICULUS CAMPESTRIS) BECOME ESTABLISHED IN
MISSOURI.
1
2
3
Jeffrey T. Briggler , Rhonda L. Rimer , and Guntram Deichsel .
1
Missouri Department of Conservation, Jefferson City, Missouri 65109. [email protected].
Missouri Department of Conservation, Springfield, Missouri 65803. [email protected].
3
Biberach an der Riss, Germany DE-88400. [email protected].
2
The Italian wall lizard (Podarcis siculus) is native to Italy and southern Switzerland and thrives in
disturbed habitats such as rock walls, parks, gardens, and cemeteries. Podarcris siculus has been
successfully introduced to multiple locations in Europe and at least six states in the U.S. The majority of
the introductions of this species in the U.S. originated from the release of animals obtained from the pet
trade. The first documented occurrence of P. siculus in Missouri was in 2013. Here we provide the details
of the introduction and establishment of P. siculus in Missouri as well ongoing monitoring and citizenbased eradication and control efforts.
Key Words: NORTHERN WALL LIZARD, MISSOURI, EXOTIC SPECIES
Session Topic: Invasive Species
Format: Poster Presentation
Student Competition: No
BALTIMORE CHECKERSPOT LIFE HISTORY: EASTERN VS. WESTERN SUBSPECIES
COMPARISONS.
1
Stephen M. Robertson and William H. Baltosser.
Department of Biology, University of Arkansas at Little Rock, 2801 South University Avenue, Little Rock,
1
Arkansas 72204. [email protected]; [email protected]. Present address SMR: Department of
Entomology, 319 Agriculture Building, University of Arkansas, Fayetteville, Arkansas 72701.
[email protected].
The Baltimore checkerspot (Euphydryas phaeton Drury) has been reported in the Ozarks since the
1930s. Critical ecological differences between Appalachian and Ozark populations of this butterfly led to a
division into two subspecies, E. p. phaeton and E. p. ozarkae Masters. Research concerning E. p.
ozarkae is sparse, and prior to our work, many aspects of the life history of this subspecies were not
known. An accurate assessment of its status has been hindered and confused through the use of data
obtained from the eastern subspecies (e.g., mesic habitats and larval food plant) to characterize Ozark
populations (e.g., xeric glade habitats and a different larval food plant). From 2011 to 2014 we monitored
the life history of E. p. ozarkae. We identified the availability of the primary larval host plant (Aureolaria
flava L.) as a potential limiting factor for these animals and investigated limitations to the distribution of
this plant. We found many similarities concerning the timing of development between the two subspecies
but ample evidence to demonstrate the uniqueness of Ozark populations. Our findings provide valuable
information for future research, taxonomy, management, and conservation of the Ozark Baltimore
checkerspot.
Key Words: BALTIMORE CHECKERSPOT, FALSE FOXGLOVE, LIFE HISTORY
Session Topic: Conserving Rare Elements
Format: Oral Presentation
Student Competition: Yes
EFFECTS OF DEER BROWSING ON THE OZARK BALTIMORE CHECKERSPOT.
1
Stephen M. Robertson and William H. Baltosser.
Department of Biology, University of Arkansas at Little Rock, 2801 South University Avenue, Little Rock,
1
Arkansas 72204. [email protected]; [email protected]. Present address SMR: Department of
Entomology, 319 Agriculture Building, University of Arkansas, Fayetteville, Arkansas 72701.
[email protected].
White-tailed deer (Odocoileus virginianus Zimmermann) have been shown to be detrimental to a number
of Lepidoptera. Potential hosts for specialist butterfly species can be reduced and removed from native
areas through selective browsing by deer. The Ozark Baltimore checkerspot (Euphydryas phaeton
ozarkae Masters) is an endemic nymphalid subspecies in the Ozark regions of Arkansas, Kansas,
Missouri, and Oklahoma. In Arkansas, the larval host for this butterfly is smooth yellow false foxglove
(Aureolaria flava L.). We examined the timing and quantified the effect of deer browsing on A. flava in
relation to populations of E. p. ozarkae. Foraging occurred in late spring and reduced plant availability by
as much as 87% over a two-month period. Browsed plants lost an average of 44 cm in height, and deer
preferentially fed upon taller plants. Heavy herbivory caused spring caterpillars to contend with reduced
host plant availability, which likely resulted in increased mortality. The amount of plant loss appeared to
be closely associated with deer abundance and area attributes (i.e., slope, human activity, plant density,
etc.). In reducing larval host availability, deer are competitors for food and, if browsing is too intense or
prolonged, it can have important consequences for the Ozark Baltimore checkerspot.
Key Words: WHITE-TAILED DEER, BALTIMORE CHECKERSPOT, FALSE FOXGLOVE, BROWSING
Session Topic: Rare Species
Format: Oral Presentation
Student Competition: Yes
OVIPOSITION HOST SELECTION IN THE OZARK BALTIMORE CHECKERSPOT.
1
Stephen M. Robertson and William H. Baltosser.
Department of Biology, University of Arkansas at Little Rock, 2801 South University Avenue, Little Rock,
1
Arkansas 72204. [email protected]; [email protected]. Present address SMR: Department of
Entomology, 319 Agriculture Building, University of Arkansas, Fayetteville, Arkansas
[email protected].
The Ozark Baltimore checkerspot (Euphydryas phaeton ozarkae; Nymphalidae Masters) is an endemic
butterfly of the Ozark regions of Arkansas, Kansas, Missouri, and Oklahoma. Currently classified as a
subspecies, E. p. ozarkae may warrant full species status due to differences in habitat and recently
obtained evidence. In Arkansas, E. p. ozarkae lay eggs in large clusters exclusively on smooth yellow
false foxglove (Aureolaria flava, Orobanchaceae L.), depositing as much as one-fourth of the total eggload onto a single plant. As such, host plant selection during oviposition is critical to individual fitness and
survival. We measured physical plant characteristics (e.g., height, width, number of leaves) and
compared plants that were accepted and unaccepted for oviposition. We also explored relationships
among the most favored plant characteristics and habitat conditions. Butterflies actively chose plants with
greater height, area, and number of stalks and leaves. These findings are congruent with the plant vigor
hypothesis (Price 1991) and imply that more-robust plants provide the greatest potential for survival.
Checkerspots appear to be resource-limited during larval stages. Host selection that favors resource-rich
plants may be a direct result of this observed limitation. Positive oviposition-selection characters, as well
as plant presence, were associated with forests that were open in both canopy cover and understory
density. Continued habitat restoration and perpetual maintenance using prescribed fire may positively
affect these butterflies by increasing host plant presence and vigor.
Key Words: OVIPOSITION, HOST SELECTION, BALTIMORE CHECKERSPOT, FIRE
Session Topic: Rare Species
Format: Oral Presentation
Student Competition: Yes
RIVERSCOUR FLORA OF DADDY'S CREEK GORGE, CUMBERLAND AND MORGAN COUNTIES,
TENNESSEE.
Devin Rodgers and Dwayne Estes.
Austin Peay State University, Department of Biology and the Center of Excellence for Field Biology, 248
B Forbes Ave, Clarksville, Tennessee 37040. Botanical Research Institute of Texas (BRIT), Fort Worth,
Texas. [email protected]; [email protected].
Riverscour is a flood-scoured riparian community found along rocky, high-gradient streams. Many
examples in the Southeast have remained understudied and in some cases unexplored because of their
position in rugged, remote regions. This habitat is perhaps best represented in the river gorges of the
Cumberland Plateau Ecoregion where it has been assigned its own ecological system, Cumberland
Riverscour. Daddy’s Creek, in Cumberland and Morgan counties, Tennessee, has high-quality riverscour
habitats harboring a rich array of rare, endemic, and disjunct species, but has largely escaped
exploration. The objectives of this study were to 1) document the vascular flora of riverscour and assess
its biogeographic connections, and 2) delineate and characterize the various riverscour vegetation
associations. Twelve collecting trips from June 2013 to October 2015 yielded 215 species in 156 genera
and 60 families. Eleven state- or federally-listed species were found including Calamovilfa arcuata,
Conradina verticillata, Gratiola brevifolia, Helenium brevifolium, Marshallia grandiflora, Poa saltuensis,
Potamogeton amplifolius, Rhynchospora chalarocephala, Sagittaria secundifolia, Solidago arenicola, and
Spiraea virginiana. Three species were documented as new or resurrected additions to the flora of
Tennessee, including Erigeron pulchellus var. brauniae, Aronia prunifolia, and Sagittaria secundifolia.
Five putatively undescribed taxa were documented, including new taxa of Clematis, Euphorbia,
Ligusticum, Oenothera and Symphyotrichum. Numerous palustrine vegetation types have been identified,
including woodlands, shrublands, grasslands, glades, and emergent wetlands containing a distinct flora of
conservative species. Results of this study are compared to other riverscour studies to discuss regional
and watershed-level differences in the ecological system.
Key Words: RIVERSCOUR, CUMBERLAND PLATEAU, COASTAL PLAIN DISJUNCTS, ENDEMIC
FLORA
Section Topic: Rare Species - Riverscour Communities
Format: Oral Presentation
Student Competition: No
STAND DYNAMICS, STAND STRUCTURE, AND EXTENT OF SHORTLEAF PINE COMMUNITIES
ACROSS ARKANSAS.
James F. Rosson, Jr. and Anita K. Rose.
USDA Forest Service, Southern Research Station, Forest Inventory and Analysis, 4700 Old Kingston
Pike, Knoxville, Tennessee 37919. [email protected]; [email protected] .
Since the 1980s concerns have been raised about the decline of shortleaf pine (Pinus echinata Mill.)
across its natural range. In the 1988 USDA Forest Inventory and Analyisis (FIA) survey of Arkansas,
shortleaf pine (long the dominant species by volume) was surpassed, in rank, by loblolly pine (Pinus
taeda L.). We compared two recent FIA surveys (years 2005 and 2014) to examine the current status of
shortleaf pine and direction of population trends across Arkansas. Currently in Arkansas there are
1,784,359 ha of forest land with at least one shortleaf pine ≥2.54 cm dbh on an FIA sample plot (the
equivalent of 14 trees per hectare [tph]), a decline of 75,539 ha from 1,859,870 ha reported in 2005.
There was also a decrease of forest land where shortleaf pine was the stand dominant (from 880,316 ha
in 2005 to 786,491 in 2014). However, the quadratic mean diameter (qmd), basal area (ba), and density
changes of overstory trees indicated a maturing of these residual stands. The qmd increased from 24.1 to
25.6 cm dbh, ba increased from 13.9 to 14.1 sq. m per ha, and density decreased from 313 to 289 tph.
Sixty-five percent of the shortleaf pine decline occurred on the Coastal Plain of southern Arkansas, long
the focal point of intensive forest management which favors loblolly pine over shortleaf pine. The best
ecological development of shortleaf pine is in the Ouachita and Ozark Highlands, and there was little
change in the aerial extent of shortleaf pine communities there.
Key Words: FIA, FOREST INVENTORY, TREND ANALYSIS, SHORTLEAF-PINE DECLINE,
LANDSCAPE-SCALE ANALYSIS
Session Topic: Collaborative and Proactive Planning
Format: Oral Presentation
Student Competition: No
RESTORED PRAIRIES OF TERRE NOIRE NATURAL AREA: SKIPPERS, BUTTERFLIES, AND
NECTAR RESOURCES.
1
2
1
1
1
D. Craig Rudolph , William H. Baltosser , Richard R. Schaefer , Josh B. Pierce , J. Howard Williamson ,
1
and James Childress .
1
USDA Forest Service, Southern Research Station, 506 Hayter Street, Nacogdoches, Texas 75965.
[email protected]; [email protected]; [email protected]; [email protected];
2
[email protected]. Department of Biology, University of Arkansas at Little Rock.
[email protected].
Restoration has the potential to reconstitute historical ecosystem processes and biodiversity; however,
this is often difficult on the small, isolated tracts available for restoration. Terre Noire Natural Area (199
ha) in Arkansas consists of a metapopulation of prairie inclusions in a forested landscape. Restoration of
prairie habitat using mechanical removal of encroaching woody vegetation and frequent fire is essentially
complete on several prairie inclusions. Annual surveys of skippers and butterflies demonstrate that
prescribed fire with an approximately three-year return interval and burning of approximately one-third of
the prairie inclusions per year does not disrupt the metapopulation dynamics of the butterfly and skipper
community. Species that are present either survive fires due to the inherent patchiness of burns or
recolonize burned patches during their first flight season post-fire. Frequent fires promote an abundance
of nectar resources for lepidopterans and other pollinators and suggest that prairie restoration to promote
skipper and butterfly diversity is straightforward. However, a more-detailed examination of individual
species suggests otherwise. Diana (Speyeria diana) and great spangled fritillaries (S. cybele) utilize a
restricted number of nectar species throughout their extended flight season (4-5 months). In central
Arkansas prairie/forest landscapes these include Asclepias tuberosa, Echinacea purpurea, Vernonia
baldwini, and Cirsium altissimum. The mapping of flowering individuals of these species demonstrates
that they are primarily ecotonal. This is especially true for C. altissimum, the primary nectar source for
ovipositing females in September. These observations demonstrate the importance of ecotone complexity
in the maintenance of robust Speyeria populations in this restored landscape.
Key Words: PRAIRIES, LEPIDOPTERA, FIRE, RESTORATION, POLLINATORS
Session Topic: Fire Ecology and Management
Format: Oral Presentation
Student Presentation: No
ECOLOGICAL RESTORATION UTILIZING FIRE IN ARKANSAS: EFFECTS ON LEPIDOPTERA.
1
2
3
1
1
D. Craig Rudolph , William H. Baltosser , Charles A. Ely , Richard R. Schaefer , Josh B. Pierce , and J.
1
Howard Williamson .
1
USDA Forest Service, Southern Research Station, 506 Hayter Street, Nacogdoches, Texas 75965.
2
[email protected]; [email protected]; [email protected]; [email protected]. Department
3
of Biology, University of Arkansas at Little Rock. [email protected]. 811 Logansport Street,
Nacogdoches, Texas. [email protected].
Massive changes in the vegetation structure of pine-dominated forests and included habitats in the
southeastern U. S. have occurred due to fire suppression activities commencing in the early 1900s. This
has resulted in major impacts on the ecology and species composition of these forests, including the
current endangered status of many species characteristic of these fire-maintained forests. Lepidopterans,
more specifically skippers and butterflies, have declined precipitously due to fire suppression, but they
also respond rapidly to management of forests where the historical vegetation structure and appropriate
fire regime is restored. Results of research on butterfly assemblages and individual species in the
historically fire-maintained shortleaf pine forests of the Ouachita Mountains in west-central Arkansas and
in isolated prairies of south-central Arkansas suggest that the positive response of skipper and butterfly
populations is due, in large part, to the increased abundance of nectar resources, primarily in the
herbaceous flora. In the Ouachita Mountains, nectar resources in the herbaceous layer peak in the first
two years following prescribed fire, and begin to decline rapidly in the third growing season following fire.
Skipper and butterfly populations exhibit a similar pattern. This suggests that a fire return interval
approximating the pre-European pattern results in a diverse and abundant lepidopteran fauna.
Key Words: LEPIDOPTERA, FIRE, RESTORATION, NECTAR RESOURCES, POLLINATORS
Session Topic: Fire Ecology and Management
Format: Oral Presentation
Student Presentation: No
HISTOLOGICAL AND GEOSPATIAL ANALYSIS OF THE MYSTERY SNAIL (BELLAMYA SPP.) IN THE
POTOMAC RIVER USING CITIZEN SCIENCE PARTICIPATION.
Jeanne Michelle Ryan.
Environmental Science and Policy Department, George Mason University, 4400 University Dr., MS 5F2
Fairfax, VA 22030. [email protected].
Bellamya spp. (Gastropoda; Caenogastropoda: Viviparidae, synonyms: Cipangopalundina spp., Viviparus
spp.) are non-native freshwater gastropods of the Viviparidae family found within the North American
freshwater systems, including the Potomac River watershed with multiple taxonomic assignments, and
scarce published research data. The purpose of this study was fourfold: First, to provide morphological
descriptions of the Bellamya spp. populations found within the Potomac River system. Second, to assess
anatomical features found within the sampled snails to ascertain if the snails were more appropriately
assigned to Bellamya chinensis or Bellamya japonica. Third, to determine if in situ-collected water quality
data (pH, electrical conductivity (EC), oxygen reduction potential (ORP), water temperature), and the
location of live Bellamya spp. snails within the Potomac River watershed varied from previously published
water quality results. Fourth, to determine if relationships between water quality data and Bellamya spp.
shell length, width, and operculum width existed. Project findings indicate snail morphological structures
reflect Viviparidae morphology with the potential for hybridization. Additionally, the study noted structural
differences with spermatozoa not previously described in literature. Furthermore, project findings indicate
the Potomac River Bellamya spp. snails survive with greater adaptability to the freshwater aquatic
environment than previously documented in scholarly literature. Results from this research will aid natural
resource managers in preparing management plans for this invasive freshwater gastropod.
Key Words: BELLAMYA CHINENSIS, BELLAMYA JAPONICA, INVASIVE SPECIES, HISTOLOGY,
GLOBAL MORAN’s I
Session Topic: Invasive Species
Format: Oral Presentation
Student Competition: Yes
Pre-Management Forest Conditions of Fourche Bottoms: An Urban Bottomland Hardwood Forest in Little
Rock, Arkansas.
1
1
1
2
3
Hal O. Liechty , Andrew S. Nelson , Douglas C. Osborne , Joshua Adams , and Dan Scheiman .
1
Arkansas Forest Resources Center, University of Arkansas Division of Agriculture, P.O. Box 3468, 110
University Ct., Monticello, Arkansas 71656. [email protected]; [email protected];
2
3
[email protected]. School of Forestry, Louisiana Tech University. [email protected]. Audubon
Arkansas. [email protected].
Fourche Bottoms is a 1600-acre unmanaged bottomland hardwood forest surrounded by urban
development in southern Little Rock, Arkansas. The forest is owned by the City of Little Rock, who is
developing management strategies to restore this area for forest-dependent songbirds of national and
international concern. In 2014 work was done to (1) delineate stand boundaries, (2) quantify current forest
structure and tree species composition, and (3) develop preliminary management recommendations to
meet desired forest conditions established by the Lower Mississippi Valley Joint Venture (LMVJV). Fiftyone one-fifth-acre fixed area plots were established across the site to characterize overstory, midstory,
and understory vegetation as well as quantify important songbird habitat features including snag density
2
and coarse woody debris volume. Total basal area across the site ranged from 110 to 150 ft /acre, with
the majority of basal area concentrated in overstory red oak species. The midstory was dominated by elm
and other shade-tolerant hardwoods, while oak and other hard masting species were strikingly absent in
the understory. None of the stands met all of the LMVJV desired forest conditions and will require
management to improve wildlife habitat. In particular, overstory basal area exceeded while coarse woody
2
3
debris volumes fell below recommended levels (60-70 ft /acre and 200 ft /acre). One management option
will be to reduce overstory density, stimulate oak regeneration, and introduce coarse wood debris by
using a combination of group or patch cuttings with additional thinning of the residual forest matrix
between gaps.
Kew Words: URBAN BOTTOMLAND FOREST, FOREST STRUCTURE, TREE SPECIES
COMPOSITION, WILDLIFE FORESTRY, SONGBIRD HABITAT
Session Topic: Habitat Restoration/Management
Format: Poster Presentation
Student Competition: No
MICROHABITAT ABUNDANCE IN DRY OAK-HEATH FORESTS OF NORTH CENTRAL
PENNSYLVANIA: A CRYPTOGAMIC PERSPECTIVE ON FOREST MANAGEMENT.
1
2
Scott Schuette and James Lendemer .
1
Western Pennsylvania Conservancy, Pennsylvania Natural Heritage Program, 800 Waterfront Drive,
2
Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania 15222. [email protected]. New York Botanical Garden, Institute of
Systematic Botany. [email protected].
Dry oak-heath forests of north-central Pennsylvania are considered optimal for timber sales and energy
development due to their location on ridgetops and general lack of plant diversity. However, these
activities represent potential threats to forest organisms, including bryophytes and lichens for which very
little is known about the relationship between disturbance history and species diversity. To determine
effects of management activities on bryophyte and lichen diversity, three sites were selected based on
their proximity to 1) active natural gas well pad, 2) recent timber sale, and 3) undisturbed natural area.
2
Four 400m plots were at each site, from which all species of bryophytes and lichens were sampled and
substrate and environmental variables recorded to analyze community differences. A total species count
of 186 (114 lichen and 72 bryophytes) were present in the study sites. Plots within the natural area site
hosted the highest values for species richness and diversity while timber sale plots hosted the lowest
values. Nonmetric multidimensional scaling of environmental variables in species space distinctly
separates each site. Separation of sites is primarily attributable to differences in cover values of
microhabitats, specifically rock and coarse woody debris, in each site. Small sample size hindered
determination of reliable indicator species for disturbed and undisturbed sites. However, the study reveals
that forest management practices prior to and after timber sales and natural gas development should
account for the high species diversity of bryophytes and lichens through deliberate preservation of
microhabitats and substrates.
Key Words: FOREST MANAGEMENT, LICHENS, MOSSES, LIVERWORTS, MICROHABITATS
Session Topic: Habitat Restoration/Management
Format: Oral Presentation
Student Competition: No
NATURAL AREAS ASSOCIATION STUDENT PROGRAM: BENEFITS AND OPPORTUNITIES FOR
STUDENTS.
Jody P. Shimp.
Illinois Department of Natural Resources, Region V Office, 11731 State Hwy 37, Benton, Illinois 62812.
[email protected].
The Natural Areas Association (NAA) Student Program is designed to provide links to inform, unite, and
support students seeking a career or who are somehow engaged in identifying, protecting, managing, and
studying natural areas. By meaningfully engaging students with natural area resources and involving
them with members of the natural area sciences community, students can gain an edge that energizes
and raises their professional performance level. Together with their class work, NAA student members
may begin to better understand the paths to their chosen profession—an important link between class
and career. The NAA Student Chapter program was launched in October 2010 to encourage students to
continue study in the natural area management sciences, provide opportunities to meet with other
students interested in natural area management, interact with prominent natural area managers at
national meetings, and provide career information and guidance in the field of natural area management.
A student chapter may be established at any post-secondary school that supports natural area
management, biology, ecology, or related subjects. Student chapter members receive the benefits of
regular NAA members. To date, there are four NAA student chapters located at the University of
Wisconsin Stout, Southern Illinois University at Carbondale, Virginia Commonwealth University, and
Oregon State University-Cascades.
Key Words: NATURAL AREAS ASSOCIATION, STUDENT CHAPTER, STUDENT PROGRAMS
Session Topic: Constituency Building
Format: Poster Presentation
Student Competition: No
MAPPING HONEYSUCKLE DISTRIBUTION THROUGH USING HIGH-RESOLUTION SATELLITE
IMAGES: A CASE STUDY IN WINTON WOODS PARK, HAMILTON COUNTY, OHIO.
1
1
2
2
2
2
Hongmei Wang , Spencer Taylor , Bret Henninger , Margaret Minzner , Jim Mundy , Ben Braeutigam ,
2
3
Jessica Spencer , and Kelissa Hieber .
1
Department of Computer Science, Northern Kentucky University, Room 532 Griffin Hall, Highland
2
Heights, Kentucky 41099. [email protected]; [email protected]. Great Parks of Hamilton County.
[email protected]; [email protected]; [email protected];
3
[email protected]; [email protected]. University of Miami. [email protected].
Honeysuckle is an invasive species in North American forests. In-situ survey of honeysuckle distribution
is impractical for large forest areas. This study aims to provide an efficient method for mapping
honeysuckle spatial distribution in large forest areas through the use of high-resolution satellite images.
The test field is Winton Woods Park in Hamilton County, Ohio. A World-View2 satellite image (with 2m
spatial resolution and 8 spectral bands) over the study area was acquired on November 9, 2013.
Honeysuckle coverage density data were collected over six sampling sites on November 8, 9, and 11,
2013; two of them were low-density sites, two were medium, and two were high. The original WorldView2 satellite image was orthorectified at first to remove geometric distortion and then converted into spectral
reflectance data. Each pixel in the reflectance image was then classified into one of the six classes,
including low-density honeysuckle, medium-density honeysuckle, high-density honeysuckle, grasses,
construction/bare soil, and water/wet land. The Maximum Likelihood Classification method was used
here. Of the six sites, three were used as honeysuckle training data in the classification process, and the
other three were used for the validation purpose. The classification map delineates honeysuckle
distribution fairly well, in particular, for high-density honeysuckle areas. As a pilot program utilizing
advanced geospatial analysis, this study provides an efficient method to keep track of honeysuckle
distribution, which helps to understand the status of wildlife habitats and to implement site-specific
management in parks and nature preserves.
Key Words: MAPPING, HONEYSUCKLE DISTRIBUTION, HIGH-RESOLUTION SATELLITE IMAGE,
HONEYSUCKLE DENSITY, CLASSIFICATION
Session Topic: Invasive Species
Format: Oral Presentation
Student Competition: No
OAK DECLINE PROCESSES ACROSS THE OZARK HIGHLANDS LANDSCAPE.
1
2
3
4
5
Martin A. Spetich , Zhaofei Fan , Hong S. He , Wen J. Wang , Michael K. Crosby , and Stephen R.
6
Shifley .
1
2
USDA Forest Service Southern Research Station, Hot Springs, Arkansas. School of Forestry and
3
4
Wildlife Sciences, Auburn University. Department of Forestry, University of Missouri,. Department of
5
6
Forestry, University of Missouri. Department of Natural Sciences, Shorter University. USDA Forest
Service Northern Research Station. [email protected].
Oak decline has been a problem in forests of the Ozark Highlands over the past 15 years. It has affected
upland oak-hickory forests, particularly species in the red oak group (Quercus Section Lobatae) across
the Ozark Highlands of Missouri, Arkansas, and Oklahoma. Drought is a common inciting factor in oak
decline, while advanced tree age is considered a predisposing factor, and opportunistic organisms such
as armillaria root fungi and opportunistic insects are believed to contribute to oak decline. Declining trees
are initially indicated by foliage wilt and browning followed by progressive branch dieback. If crown
dieback continues, trees can die. In this talk we synthesize our research on oak decline, examining the
occurrence, distribution, and characteristics of oak decline as it has affected the Ozark Highlands over the
past 15 years. Long-term climate forecasts for this region indicate increasing variation in precipitation in
addition to warming temperatures. Consequently, periodic droughts such as the widespread 2012 U.S.
drought are expected to increase in frequency and intensity and thereby exacerbate oak decline on
millions of hectares of aging oak forests. Results from our research suggest ways to improve the
resilience of oak forest ecosystems faced with increased risk of mortality due to oak decline.
Key Words: OAK DECLINE, DROUGHT, OZARK HIGHLANDS, FOREST
Session Topic: Habitat Restoration/Management
Format: Oral Presentation
Student Competition: No
POLLINATOR COMMUNITIES ON NATIVE AND MANAGED EMERGENT WETLANDS IN THE LOWER
MISSISSIPPI ALLUVIAL VALLEY OF ARKANSAS.
1
2
3
Phillip L. Stephenson , David G. Krementz , and Ashley P. G. Dowling .
1
Arkansas Cooperative Fish & Wildlife Research Unit, Biological Sciences Department, University of
2
Arkansas, 1 University, SCEN 632, Fayetteville, Arkansas 72701. [email protected]. U.S. Geological
Survey Arkansas Cooperative Fish and Wildlife Research Unit, Biological Sciences Department,
3
University of Arkansas. [email protected]. Associate Professor, Department of Entomology,
University of Arkansas. [email protected].
Insect pollinators are essential to the nation’s native plants, agricultural crops, and economic stability.
Pollination is required to produce 15–30% of the U.S. human food supply. The honey bee (Apis mellifera)
has been at the center of attention for decades, but native bees are more-efficient pollinators than honey
bees and are vital to the survival of specialized plants. Emergent wetlands occur adjacent to croplands
throughout the southeastern United States and create valuable floral resources for pollinators throughout
the growing season. Though cotton, rice, and soybeans are considered autogamous (self-pollinating),
cross-breeding (via pollinators) helps increase yield, produce more viable seed, and enhance genetic
diversity of the crop. Moist-soil wetlands are intensively managed for annual plants that produce abundant
seed resources for migratory waterfowl, moist substrate for shorebird foraging, and breeding grounds for
amphibians. Programs like the Agricultural Conservation Easement Program (formerly the Wetland
Reserve Program) seek to re-establish native plant communities, improve water quality, and provide
habitat, but their role in creating floral resources for pollinators has been overlooked. Pollinator
communities that use wetlands have been poorly documented, and their benefits to surrounding lands are
not understood. Our project seeks to document and compare pollinator communities in native and
managed emergent wetlands and secondly, their role in pollinating crops in sites adjacent to managed
wetlands.
Key Words: POLLINATORS, WETLANDS, SPECIES RICHNESS, FLORAL RESOURCES,
AGRICULTURE
Session Topic: Pollinators
Format: Oral Presentation
Student Competition: Yes
DOES THE PROXIMITY OF URBAN LAND INFLUENCE WETLAND QUALITY AND FUNCTION?
1
2
Stephanie Stoughton and Sally Entrekin .
1
Biology Department, University of Central Arkansas, 201 Donaghey Ave, Conway, Arkansas 72035.
2
[email protected]. Biology Department, University of Central Arkansas. [email protected].
Wetlands provide valuable ecosystem services as nutrient sources and sinks, and refuge for biota.
Wetland net loss has resulted in excessive downstream nutrient export due to less storage and
assimilation. Wetlands that remain intact are also impacted by changes in the surrounding landscape,
such as urban land development. Wetland cumulative loss and impact have resulted in greater nutrient
loads leaving watersheds and entering the ocean. The rapidly urbanizing White Oak Bayou (WOB)
watershed has 1,450 wetland acres and underwent a 9% urban increase from 1999 to 2004. Our study
aims to understand how urban proximity alters nutrient export and transformation from associated
tributaries and wetlands. Storm samples will be collected from tributaries with differing amounts of urban
land use within proximal and distal catchment buffers. We will also assess denitrification as a measure of
nitrogen transformation from the WOB headwaters to the Arkansas River confluence. We hypothesize
proximal urbanization will increase material transport and reduce habitat quality and function of
associated wetlands. Our study can be used to mitigate urban impacts and identify high-quality WOB
wetlands.
Key Words: WETLAND, URBANIZATION, PROXIMITY, NUTRIENTS
Session Topic: Habitat Restoration/Management
Format: Poster Presentation
Student Competition: Yes
EXAMINING THE POPULATION STATUS OF THE STARGAZING DARTER, PERCINA URANIDEA, IN
THE SALINE RIVER, ARKANSAS.
1
1
1
2
3
Justin A. Stroman , Brian K. Wagner , Jeff W. Quinn , Forrest E. Payne , Jason K. Throneberry , and
4
Benjamin D. Thesing .
1
Arkansas Game and Fish Commission, 2 Natural Resources Dr., Little Rock, Arkansas 72205.
2
[email protected]; [email protected]; [email protected]. University of
3
Arkansas at Little Rock. [email protected]. Arkansas Natural Heritage Commission.
4
[email protected] Arkansas Highway and Transportation Department.
[email protected].
The Stargazing Darter is a North American endemic fish facing range wide habitat loss. It has been
extirpated from the Wabash River basin of Illinois and Indiana. Remaining populations occur within the
Ouachita and White River basins of Arkansas and Missouri. Recent efforts to detect the Stargazing Darter
in the Saline River of the Ouachita River basin have proven unsuccessful. The Stargazing Darter was
relatively abundant within the river historically. We sampled for Stargazing Darters in the Saline River and
other historically occupied river systems in Arkansas to determine the current population status of the
Stargazing Darter. We used geospatial data sources to examine land use trends in the watersheds
occupied by the Stargazing Darter. While we have confirmed the Stargazing Darter persists in the Saline
River, catch rates were extremely low, warranting further conservation actions and investigations into the
decline of this unique species.
Key Words: DARTERS, SALINE, LONGVIEW, FISHES, ARKANSAS
Session Topic: Rare Species
Format: Poster Presentation
Student Competition: No
PUTTING NATURAL AREAS IN CONTEXT: LANDFIRE SETS THE STAGE FOR RESTORATION,
CLIMATE SCIENCE, AND LANDSCAPE CONSERVATION.
Randy Swaty, Kori Blankenship, Sarah Hagen, Kimberly Hall, Jeannie Patton, and Jim Smith.
The Nature Conservancy’s LANDFIRE team, 101 S. Front Street, Ste. 101, Marquette, Michigan 49855.
[email protected]; [email protected]; [email protected]; [email protected]; [email protected];
[email protected].
No natural area is an island. Each one interacts with the broader landscape and must be managed as
such. The LANDFIRE program maps dozens of relevant vegetation metrics representing past and present
ecosystem conditions. While designed for landscape-scale work, the products can help managers to
understand the broader context of their management and planning activities. To understand the
ecological potential of a place, LANDFIRE maps historical fire regimes and develops a concept similar to
potential vegetation called “Biophysical Settings” that includes spatial data, descriptions, and ecological
models. These models represent how a BpS would look and function under natural disturbance regimes.
To help managers understand the current vegetation conditions, LANDFIRE delivers datasets such as
existing vegetation type, height, and cover. Also, LANDFIRE delivers annual disturbance and fire
behavior fuel models spatial data. While LANDFIRE does not deliver “future-looking” data, the
aforementioned products combined with LANDFIRE-supported modeling tools allow users to explore
potential management activities and climate change. In this presentation we will discuss the basics of the
data, explore some clever uses on real landscapes, present some guidance on what not to do with this
powerful dataset, and highlight the upcoming improvements including BpS model description review that
we will need your help with!
Key words: LANDFIRE, DATA, PLANNING, ECOSYSTEMS, MODELS
Session Topic: Habitat Restoration/Management
Format: Oral Presentation
Student Competition: No
THE FLORISTIC INTEGRITY CURVE: A SYNTHESIS OF ECOLOGICAL VARIABLES.
Justin R. Thomas.
NatureCITE and Institute of Botanical Training, 111 County Road 3260, Salem, Missouri 65560.
[email protected].
Floristic Quality Assessment (FQA) and diversity variables like richness, diversity, evenness, and
dominance are commonly used to measure the condition of natural areas, as well as to monitor
restorations and guide general management decisions. However, these variables are seldom combined in
ways that inform about the larger ecological trends that occur in nature. In this study, the FQA variables of
Floristic Quality Index (FQI) and Mean C-value are correlated with richness, diversity, dominance, and
evenness using prairie data from a range of site conditions. Doing so reveals several ambiguities,
contradictions, and revelations that will allow ecologists to sharpen these otherwise blunt instruments and
more accurately interpret results.
Key Words: FLORISTIC QUALITY ASSESSMENT, MEAN C VALUE, PRAIRIE MANAGEMENT,
ECOLOGICAL INTEGRITY, FLORISTIC INTEGRITY CURVE
Session Topic: Conservation Assessment Methodology
Format: Oral Presentation
Student Competition: No
CONSERVING SPECIES AT THEIR RANGE EDGE: THE VALUE OF PERIPHERAL POPULATIONS.
Christopher Tracey.
Pennsylvania Natural Heritage Program, 800 Waterfront Drive, Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania 15222.
[email protected].
The intersection of political and ecological boundaries often results in conservation groups assigning
conservation priorities to species at the periphery of their ranges. The reasons for listing these species
include conserving genetic diversity, maintaining ecological roles, recognizing local value by people, and
the potential for such species to serve as umbrellas for lesser known taxa. The ongoing impacts of
climate change add a further complicating factor, where, for example, a species at the southern limit of its
range may be extirpated from a political unit as conditions become less suitable. Using Pennsylvania as a
case study, we determined that over one-third of the 700+ plant species tracked by the Pennsylvania
Natural Heritage Program are at their range edge or exist as disjunct populations. To begin to understand
these range edge issues, we examined the conservation needs for 40 of these plant species through
expert review of their ecology, climate change vulnerability, distribution modeling, and field verification.
The results of this analysis show that while many of Pennsylvania’s rare plant species are truly at their
range edge and are limited by ecological factors, others may be under-surveyed and/or expanding their
ranges in the state. This talk will conclude with an overview of potential guidelines for other states to
understand the range edge issues they may encounter and help unify priorities across plant species
ranges.
Key Words: EDGE-OF-RANGE, DISJUNCT, RARE PLANTS, CLIMATE CHANGE
Session Topic: Conserving Rare Elements
Format: Oral Presentation
Student Competition: No
PREPARATION FOR CUTTHROAT GRASS RESTORATION IN EXOTIC-GRASS PASTURE IN
FLORIDA: SEEDBANK RESPONSE TO TILLING.
Rebecca C. Tucker and Betsie B. Rothermel.
Restoration Ecology and Herpetology Lab, Archbold Biological Station, 123 Main Drive, Venus, Florida
33960. [email protected]; [email protected].
Cutthroat seeps and other communities dominated by the state-endangered cutthroat grass (Panicum
abscissum Swallen) are increasingly rare habitats endemic to the sand ridges of peninsular Florida.
These communities have unique hydrological and fire regimes and host many rare plant species, making
them targets for restoration. Successful cutthroat grass restoration will likely hinge on reducing
competition from the existing seedbank, particularly in areas that have been converted to agricultural land
use, such as improved cattle pasture. In these situations, seedbank composition must be assessed to
determine the best strategy for native revegetation. We examined the effects of two soil preparations
(tilling and no tilling) in pasture plots dominated by bahiagrass (Paspalum notatum Flugge) on the
Archbold Reserve in south-central Florida. In the first season following tilling, overall plant species
richness varied between treatments, with 52 species and 38 species found in the No-Till and Till plots
respectively, compared to only 14 species found in untreated Reference plots. Bahiagrass cover in
experimental plots was significantly reduced by pre-tilling field preparation (herbiciding and burning) by an
average of over 70% compared to Reference plots. However, subsequent tilling in half the experimental
plots had minimal additional effect on reducing cover of exotic grasses. Plant communities did vary
among experimental blocks, suggesting local abiotic conditions, specifically soil moisture, may
significantly influence seedbank response and restoration outcomes regardless of soil preparations.
Key Words: HABITAT RESTORATION, PASTURE, SEEDBANK, TILLING, CUTTHROAT GRASS
Session Topic: Habitat Restoration/Management
Format: Poster Presentation
Student Competition: No
THE EFFECT OF ANDROPOGON GERARDII ECOTYPE ON SPECIES COMPOSITION AND FUNCTIONAL
TRAIT VARIATION IN A PRAIRIE COMMUNITY.
1
2
Gayle Tyree and David Gibson .
1
Department of Biology, Geology, and Environmental Science, University of Tennessee at Chattanooga,
2
615 McCallie Ave, Chattanooga, [email protected]. Department of Plant Biology,
Southern Illinois University – Carbondale.
Predictions of future climate conditions call into question the suitability of using locally adapted specimens
in restoration efforts. Non-local ecotypes may prove hardier in the long-term as temperature and
precipitation regimes change. We compared plant functional trait diversity and community composition of
tallgrass prairie restoration plots planted with three ecotypes (one local, two non-local) of a dominant
graminoid (Andropogon gerardii) taken from across an aridity gradient. We quantified four plant functional
traits (specific leaf area, leaf size, leaf dry mass, and leaf nitrogen content) for six plant species (three
dominant and three subordinate) occurring in the restoration plots. We predicted that non-local ecotypes
would have lower percent cover than local ecotypes, and that functional trait diversity of co-occurring
species would be highest in plots planted with non-local ecotypes, and generally higher in dominant than
in subordinate species. Andropogon gerardii cover was lowest in plots planted with the most non-local
ecotype. Within-species variation of dry mass and specific leaf area in one subordinate species (Oxalis
stricta) was highest in plots planted with non-locally adapted ecotypes of A. gerardii, and within-species
variation of specific leaf area was marginally higher among subordinates than dominant species across all
ecotype plots. These results suggest that non-local ecotypes can create more heterogeneous habitats for
co-occurring species and may indirectly increase within-species variation, which may help restoration
communities as a whole adapt to changing climate conditions. Our findings can better inform restoration
managers of how to design restoration communities to be highly adaptive to anticipated global change.
Key Words: RESTORATION, TALLGRASS PRAIRIE, FUNCTIONAL DIVERSITY
Session Topic: Managing natural areas in a changing climate
Format: Poster Presentation
Student Competition: Yes
REDUCING SEDIMENT AND NUTRIENT LOADINGS THROUGH RESTORATION OF OZARK
STREAMS.
Matthew Van Eps, P.E. and Sandi J. Formica.
Watershed Conservation Resource Center, 380 W Rock Street, Fayetteville, Arkansas 72701.
[email protected]; [email protected].
Streambank erosion associated with unstable river systems can contribute excessive amounts of
sediment and nutrient loadings within watersheds. For example, approximately 66% of the annual
sediment load of the West Fork White River in northwest Arkansas is from streambank erosion. Stream
restoration improves water quality by reducing sediment loadings, but it also provides multiple benefits to
the community through improved local ecology and recreation opportunities, reduction of land loss, and
protection of infrastructure. Since 2007, the Watershed Conservation Resource Center (WCRC) has
designed and implemented several urban and rural demonstration projects using natural channel design
principles on Ozark streams. Site selection was based on assessment data and planning along with
community needs. Streambank erosion rates were monitored before and after restoration, and
streambank samples were collected and analyzed to provide data to calculate sediment, total phosphorus
(TP), and total nitrogen (TN) annual loadings. The projects have been successful in reducing sediment
and nutrient loadings with estimated sediment, TP, and TN load reductions ranging from 53–3,600
tons/year, 29–3,500 lbs/year, and 71–6,500 lbs/year, respectively, for an average flow year. The WCRC
continues to inspect, maintain, and conduct occasional flood repairs. All projects place an emphasis on
re-establishing native vegetation to improve ecology and resistance to flood damage.
Key Words: RESTORATION, HABITAT, RIPARIAN, NATIVE, ECOSYSTEMS
Session Topic: Habitat Restoration/Management
Format: Oral Presentation
Student Competition: No
A COMPREHENSIVE SPATIAL MAPPING OF GLADES IN THE MISSOURI AND ARKANSAS OZARK
HIGHLANDS.
1
2
Allison J. Vaughn and Paul W. Nelson .
1
Missouri Department of Natural Resources, P.O. Box 176, Jefferson City, Missouri 65101.
2
[email protected]. American Bird Conservancy, Central Hardwoods Joint Venture.
[email protected].
Glades are open, nearly treeless bedrock natural communities. Nelson and Ladd (1983) estimated that
approximately 500,000 acres of glades occurred across Missouri following a preliminary process of hand
tracing (in the late 1970s) interpretations of glades using 1930s aerial photos onto topographic maps. The
sophistication of ArcGIS, coupled with the completion of the Central Hardwoods Joint Venture Glade
Conservation Assessment (Nelson and Fitzgerald 2012), provided the impetus to initiate a
comprehensive virtual mapping of glades in the Missouri and Arkansas Ozark Highlands. As Ecologist for
the Mark Twain National Forest, Nelson began systematically mapping glades on the Mark Twain
National Forest in 2009. Upon retirement, Nelson, assisted by Allison Vaughn of the Missouri Department
of Natural Resources, expanded the mapping project to include all of the Missouri Ozarks. Completed in
2013 while working as a consultant to the American Bird Conservancy (ABC), Nelson and Vaughn
mapped over 88,000 glades in Missouri. With additional support from ABC, Nelson expanded the
mapping project to include the Arkansas Ozark Highlands. By May 2015, Nelson had mapped over
24,000 glades in Arkansas. This paper will enumerate upon the glade classification, methodologies, and
field verification used to map glades. It will cover preliminary statistical results including spatial quantities,
patterns, and distributions of glades in the Ozark Highlands and highlight the implications of the glade
mapping project to the greater conservation goals of ecosystem protection and restoration efforts.
Key Words: GLADES, OZARK HIGHLANDS, NATURAL COMMUNITY CONSERVATION
Session Topic: Conservation Assessment Methodology
Format: Oral Presentation
Student Competition: No
POSITIVE RESPONSES OF SENSITIVE REPTILE AND AMPHIBIAN COMMUNITIES TO WET PRAIRIE
ECOSYSTEM RESTORATION.
Philip N. Vogrinc, Joseph A. Baecher, and J. D. Willson.
Department of Biological Sciences, University of Arkansas, Science and Engineering 601, Fayetteville,
Arkansas, 72701. [email protected]; [email protected]; [email protected].
Since European colonization, conversion to pasture and cropland has resulted in nearly complete
elimination of prairie ecosystems in the Great Plains Region. Prairie ecosystems support a vast diversity
of taxa, including many specialists, and often contain high degrees of endemism. Within these complex
ecosystems, reptiles and amphibians play an important role as predators and prey, and are often
considered indicator species. As conservation efforts are implemented to restore prairie grasslands,
limited data documenting responses of herpetofaunal communities to prairie ecosystem restoration (i.e.,
landscape recontouring, hydrologic modifications, prescribed burning, etc.) exist. We compared species
richness and abundance in recently restored remnant wet prairie to that of neighboring degraded habitat.
Using aquatic and terrestrial sampling techniques (visual encounter, coverboards, minnow-trapping,
Anuran call monitoring), we assessed reptile and amphibian communities from February–November,
2014 at Woolsey Wet Prairie in northwest Arkansas. We captured a total of 24 species including prairie
specialists like Regina grahamii (Graham’s crayfish snake) and Lithobates aerolatus (crawfish frog), both
found to have greater abundance in restored tallgrass prairie habitat. More terrestrial, open habitat
species were more abundant and diverse in degraded habitat; therefore, we suggest that a mosaic of
upland habitat, possibly in the form of prairie mounds, be incorporated in wet prairie ecosystem
restoration to maintain species diversity. These results provide evidence that prairie and wetland
restoration can benefit rare and sensitive species that inhabit endangered tallgrass prairie ecosystems.
KEY WORDS: SPECIALIST, RICHNESS, DEGRADED, REMNANT, RARE
Session Topic: Grassland Ecology and Management
Format: Oral Presentation
Student Competition: Yes
AVID CREEK: CHARTING THE COURSE TO AN ECOLOGICAL FUTURE.
Nate Weston, Elise Coffelt, and Joshua Dabney.
University of Central Arkansas, 201 Donaghey Ave, Conway, Arkansas 72035.
Nate Weston, 1420 Ola Street, Conway, Arkansas 72032. [email protected].
Urban development introduces a suite of exogenous, anthropogenic disturbances to natural areas,
requiring restoration to maintain ecological diversity. The University of Central Arkansas maintains a
remnant 5-acre tallgrass prairie and 10 acres successional woodland. Construction, stormwater removal,
and the introduction of exotic species are suspected to have detrimental consequences on the reserve’s
biota. Anthropogenic alterations to the once-sinuous stream are negatively affecting the ecosystem’s
biota diversity. These alterations are suspected to directly and indirectly facilitate an array of deleterious
effects: bank undercutting and incision, sedimentation, lowered water quality, diminished transient
storage, and overall homogenized assemblages. The consequences of these effects include, but are not
limited to, species extirpation and functional ecosystem services loss, particularly regarding flood control
and utilization potential of the reserve as an educational, recreational, and cultural asset to the university.
We compared characteristics of three study sites to present and historic conditions, such as sinuosity and
macroinvertebrate taxa richness and rank abundance. We proposed a comprehensive, four-phase
restoration effort scheduled for completion over a ten-year period. We based the proposal on the Society
for Ecological Restoration’s Primer on Ecological Restoration and the four-quadrant holon model of
ecological restoration proposed by restoration ecologists Andre F. Clewell & James Aronson, which
encompasses qualitative (personal/cultural) values as well as quantitative (ecological/socioeconomic)
values.
Key words: URBAN RESTORATION, MACROINVERTEBRATES, DIVERSITY, VALUES
Session Topic: Habitat Restoration/Management
Format: Poster Presentation
Student Competition: Yes
HISTORICAL ECOLOGY OF KENTUCKY BLUEGRASS IN THE MIDWESTERN UNITED STATES.
John White.
Ecological Services, 904 South Anderson Street, Urbana, Illinois 61801. [email protected].
Kentucky bluegrass (Poa pratensis L.) is a sod-forming, cool-season species that is native to Eurasia and
to cold, northern, or montane regions of North America. Although this species is not usually considered
indigenous to the Midwest, it was reported by the first Euro-American immigrants to the Bluegrass Region
of Kentucky in the 1700s. It was also found in isolated patches at Native American settlements and along
trails in Illinois and neighboring states during the early 1800s. Kentucky bluegrass was important to the
subsistence of early 19th-century residents of midwestern prairie regions because it provided green
pasturage during cool months when the predominant warm-season grasses were dormant and not very
palatable or nutritious. Consequently, farmers deliberately destroyed prairie vegetation and replaced it
with Kentucky bluegrass to improve their pasturelands. Kentucky bluegrass is well-adapted to grazing
pressures, so it readily invades and supplants prairie vegetation that is pastured, and it poses a persistent
management challenge in prairie restorations and preserves.
Key Words: KENTUCKY BLUEGRASS, POA PRATENSIS
Session Topic: Invasive Species
Format: Oral Presentation
Student Competition: No
HISTORICAL ECOLOGY OF LARGE HERBIVORES IN THE PRAIRIE PENINSULA.
John White.
Ecological Services, 904 South Anderson Street, Urbana, Illinois 61801. [email protected].
Writings by early eyewitnesses and historians provide information about the distribution, population
dynamics, and ecology of American bison, elk, white-tailed deer, and domestic livestock in the eastern
tallgrass prairie region during the 1600s, 1700s, and 1800s. Herds of bison, elk, and deer concentrated at
key resource points and zones that were also the focus of human occupation and exploitation. The
location and abundance of wild ungulates shifted and fluctuated in response to weather extremes and
levels of predation, including human hunting. French colonists introduced horses, which established wild
populations and were adopted by Native Americans. Grazing and trampling by horses, cattle, and sheep
were key to conversion of open prairie rangelands to pastures and hay meadows of Eurasian grasses.
Knowledge about the historical ecology of large, wild or domestic herbivores and their early influence on
natural vegetation can help inform decisions about the present-day management of those animals in
native grassland habitats.
Key Words: AMERICAN BISON, ELK, WHITE-TAILED DEER, PRAIRIE, PRESERVE MANAGEMENT
Session Topic: Habitat restoration/Management
Format: Poster Presentation
Student Competition: No
PROS AND CONS OF PASTURING PRAIRIE PRESERVES.
John White.
Ecological Services, 904 South Anderson Street, Urbana, Illinois 61801. [email protected].
Pasturage with bison, cattle, and other livestock is an increasingly accepted management practice for
prairie preserves in the American Great Plains and Midwest. Grazing and browsing by large, hoofed
animals (often in conjunction with prescribed burning) is employed to manipulate the structure and pattern
of grassland vegetation and to create or enhance habitat conditions for selected native animals and
plants. Pasturage can also have some undesired effects on a prairie’s physical environment and biota.
This presentation addresses the positive and negative impacts of pasturage on prairie preserves as
revealed by (a) an in-depth review of scientific and historical literature, (b) recent discussions with prairie
managers and researchers, and (c) on-site inspection and comparison of prairie remnants and
restorations that are managed either with or without large herbivores and either with or without fire.
Key Words: AMERICAN BISON, PRAIRIE, PRESERVE MANAGEMENT
Session Topic: Grassland Ecology and Management
Format: Oral Presentation
Student Competition: No
LEPIDOPTERA COMMUNITY ASSEMBLAGES IN HIGH-ELEVATION WETLANDS OF WEST
VIRGINIA.
Karen L. Willard and Steven L. Stephenson.
Department of Biological Sciences, University of Arkansas, SCEN 601, University of Arkansas,
Fayetteville, Arkansas 72701. [email protected]; [email protected].
Butterflies, skippers, and moths (Lepidoptera) play multiple ecological roles in terrestrial ecosystems,
including pollinator, herbivore, detritivore, prey, parasite host and—occasionally—predator. Lepidoptera
are frequently used as model insects to access environmental change because of their diversity and
abundance in a wide range of habitats. The Appalachian Plateau is ideal for investigating changes in
Lepidoptera community dynamics, as many species are at the southern limit of their range and others are
endemic to the region. We used ultraviolet light traps at four bogs in 2013 and five bogs in 2014 to
sample the nocturnal macromoths in the Appalachian Mountains of West Virginia. Butterflies and skippers
were surveyed visually at 10 bogs. We identified 247 species of macromoths from 11 different families.
The three most abundant species were Lycophotia phyllophora, a species commonly found in bogs;
Hyphantria cunea, a hardwood generalist; and Idia rotundalis, a leaf-litter detritivore. We observed 43
species of butterflies and skippers, including three species listed as critically imperiled by the state of
West Virginia. Annual differences in sampling and survey results highlight the need for long-term
monitoring to separate stochastic events from patterns established by long-term changes to the
environment. Baseline data for Lepidoptera community assemblages in high-elevation bogs will promote
conservation of these unique natural areas and serve as a comparison for future studies accessing the
long-term effects of landscape development and climate change.
Key Words: LEPIDOPTERA, APPALACHIA, WETLANDS, COMMUNITY, HIGH-ELEVATIONS
Session Topic: Pollinators
Format: Poster Presentation
Student Competition: Yes
DESERTS IN THE FOREST: CONSERVATION OF GLADES AND BARRENS IN ARKANSAS.
C. Theo Witsell.
Arkansas Natural Heritage Commission, 323 Center Street, Suite 1500, Little Rock, Arkansas 72201.
[email protected].
While Arkansas receives enough rainfall to support forests, the state is also home to a variety of open,
xeric or hydro-xeric grassland habitats generally referred to as glades and barrens. These naturally
treeless, often rocky grasslands typically occur where bedrock outcrops come close to the surface of the
ground, or where some other edaphic factor tips the ecological scales in favor of grassland. Glades and
barrens are classified based on the type of substrate over which they form, with different plant
communities occurring on different substrates. Arkansas has glades on shale, sandstone, chert,
novaculite, limestone, dolomite, chalk, and nepheline syenite (an igneous rock related to granite).
Related habitats including saline barrens, sand barrens, sandbars, and river scour occur on
unconsolidated substrates. Glades and barrens support a unique and diverse flora and fauna with many
species specially adapted to intense heat and drought. They are important habitats for rare plant and
animal species including a number of endemic species and a number of species disjunct from all points of
the compass (but especially to the west and southeast). Glades and barrens are of high conservation
value and are threatened by various factors including development, surface mining, impoundment of
rivers and streams, and changes in ecosystem processes such as fire suppression and the resulting
encroachment of woody vegetation. This talk will characterize each of the major types of glades and
barrens in the state and briefly discuss their distribution, ecology, rare species, and conservation status.
Key Words: GRASSLANDS, GLADES, BARRENS, RARE SPECIES, ENDEMIC SPECIES
Session Topic: Special Plants
Format: Oral Presentation
Student Competition: No
THE ARKANSAS GRASSLAND FLORA PROJECT: THE BIG BASELINE.
C. Theo Witsell and Brent T. Baker.
Arkansas Natural Heritage Commission, 323 Center Street, Suite 1500, Little Rock, Arkansas 72201.
[email protected]; [email protected].
While Arkansas is often thought of as a naturally forested landscape, several lines of evidence indicate
that millions of acres of grasslands were present at the time of Euro-American settlement. These
grasslands were scattered throughout the state and included tallgrass and blackland prairies, saline
barrens, oak and pine savannas and woodlands, sand barrens, riverscour “prairies”, big river sandbars,
marshes, and a variety of edaphic to semi-edaphic glade and rock outcrop communities. These
grasslands were disproportionally biologically diverse when compared to matrix communities and
supported many endemic, disjunct, or otherwise rare taxa. In general, these grasslands have also
declined dramatically, with some types experiencing near total loss following Euro-American settlement.
As such, protecting grassland remnants and restoring degraded or converted sites are high priorities.
However, no comprehensive floras have been compiled for most of these communities. To meet this
need, we announce the Arkansas Grassland Flora Project, an effort to document the full complement of
vascular plants native to each of these grassland types. Data are currently being compiled from decades
of recent field work in remnant grasslands as well as nearly 200 years of herbarium specimen records.
The goal of the project will be the publication of comprehensive native floras for each grassland type, with
habitats listed for each taxon and descriptions of plant communities. The first such flora, for the Grand
Prairie Ecoregion of eastern Arkansas, has been completed and submitted for publication. Three
additional floras are in prep (Blackland Prairies, Arkansas Valley Prairies, and Northwest Arkansas
Prairies).
Key Words: GRASSLANDS, FLORISTICS, RARE PLANTS, RESTORATION, HERBARIA
Session Topic: Grassland Ecology and Management
Format: Oral Presentation
Student Competition: No
PRESCRIBED FIRE AND WHITE-TAILED DEER BROWSING: CHANGES IN STRUCTURE AND
DIVERSITY OF PLANT COMMUNITIES IN AN UPLAND OAK WOODLAND OF WEST-CENTRAL
ILLINOIS.
1
Jeff Woodyatt and Sean Jenkins.
Department of Biological Sciences, Western Illinois University, Waggoner Hall 372, 1 University Circle,
1
Macomb, Illinois 61455. [email protected]; [email protected]. Present address 70 Heather Way
Wood River, Illinois 62095.
We initiated a study to examine the effects of prescribed fire and white-tail deer browsing on hardwood
2
regeneration and ground flora diversity through a replicated experimental design utilizing 20 100-m deer
2
exclosure plots and 20 100-m control plots in both burned (spring of 2014) and unburned stands. In
2013, initial pre-treatment data was collected and exclosures constructed. Post-vegetation surveys in the
summer of 2014 have revealed significant effects between pre-burn and post-burned plots. The mean
large seedling density (stems/ha) for all woody species combined significantly decreased with burning.
Conversely, mean small seedling density for all woody species combined increased significantly with
burning. The increase in the small seedling class is a result of resprouting from adventitious buds at the
root collar of top-killed individuals. A significant increase in the density of woody ground flora species
including common blackberry (Rubus allegheniensis Porter) and summer grape (Vitis aestivalis Michx.)
was also documented. No significant differences in either small/large seedling or sapling densities were
observed within deer exclosure treatments. Herbaceous cover sampling (summer 2013–2014) across all
40 plots has identified over 150 vascular ground flora species in more than 40 families. Analysis of this
data shows an increase in annual herbs and grasses immediately after the 2014 burns. Vegetative
changes will be tracked for a second post-burn growing season (summer 2015) in order to study the
continued effects of these disturbances on the structure and diversity of woodland plant communities.
Key Words: PRESCRIBED FIRE, DEER BROWSING, PLANT STRUCTURE, DIVERSITY
Session Topic: Fire Ecology and Management
Format: Oral Presentation
Student Competition: Yes
HYBRID COTTONWOODS (POPULUS SPP.) DOMINATE “SKY ISLAND” POPULATIONS IN CENTRAL
NEVADA: CLIMATE RELICTS AS NATURAL ECOLOGY AND EVOLUTION LABORATORIES.
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2
Scott A. Woolbright , Nashelly Meneses , Alicyn R. Gitlin , Manuel Lamothe , Helen M. Bothwell ,
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Mathew S. Zinkgraf , Luke M. Evans , Stephanie A. Grasso , Tamara L. Maxx , Joseph K. Bailey ,
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Gregory D. Martinsen , Paul Keim , Gery J. Alan , Nathalie Isabel , and Thomas G. Whitham .
1
Department of Biology, University of Arkansas, , 2801 South University Avenue, Little Rock, Arkansas
2
72204. [email protected]. Merriam-Powell Center for Environmental Research, Northern
Arizona University. [email protected]; [email protected]; [email protected];
3
4
[email protected]. Sierra Club. [email protected]. Canadian Forest Service.
5
[email protected]; [email protected]. USDA Forest Service,
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Pacific Southwest Research Station. [email protected]. Department of Biology, West Virginia
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University. [email protected]. Center for Microbial Genetics and Genomics, Northern Arizona
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University. [email protected]; [email protected]. Division of Biological Sciences, University of Montana.
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[email protected]. Ecology and Evolutionary Biology, University of Tennessee.
10
[email protected]. EcoPlan Associates. [email protected].
Predicting the effects of climate change on biodiversity is a necessary objective in conservation and
restoration ecology. However, manipulating community and ecosystem variables in ways that mirror longterm climate effects is inherently difficult. Climate relicts—populations that have been left behind via past,
climate-driven range shifts—are “natural laboratories” for addressing problems of scope and scale that
can limit traditional experimental designs. For example, isolated stands of cottonwoods (Populus spp.)
from the “sky island” mountain ranges of Nevada are thought to be climate relicts of once larger
Pleistocene populations. Using DNA markers, we have shown that many relict stands are dominated by
hybrids that occur in the absence of one or both parental species. Hybrid adaptive advantage is further
supported by visual surveys of non-relict populations from the nearby Colorado Plateau where hybrid
mortality was four times less than that of parental species during a recent exceptional drought.
Cottonwoods are foundation species, and hybridization can affect evolutionary change in other species,
with community- and ecosystem-level consequences. Together, these studies support three important but
historically neglected ideas: 1) Climate relicts are “natural laboratories” for investigating long-term,
climate-driven evolution at genes-to-ecosystem scales. 2) Genetics and genomics are likely to play
increasingly important roles in our efforts to understand, prepare for, and mitigate the ecological and
evolutionary consequences of ongoing global change. 3) In combination with common garden field trials,
researchers can use climate relicts to critically identify populations and genotypes that are most likely to
survive climate change and support high biodiversity.
Keywords: CLIMATE CHANGE ECOLOGY, CLIMATE RELICTS, POPULUS, HYBRIDIZATION,
POPULATION GENETICS, GENOMICS
Session Topic: Managing Natural Areas in a Changing Climate
Format: Oral Presentation
Student Competition: No
CONTROL OF PROBLEMATIC WOODY PLANTS AT ARKANSAS POST NATIONAL MEMORIAL,
DUMAS, ARKANSAS: A PROJECT-BASED APPROACH.
Craig C. Young, Jordan C. Bell, Chad S. Gross, and Jennifer L. Haack-Gaynor.
Heartland Network, National Park Service, 6424 W. FR 182, Republic, Missouri 65738.
[email protected].
In an effort to maintain the cultural landscape at Arkansas Post National Memorial, we controlled the
following three woody plant species within five project areas (i.e., management units): trifoliate orange
(Poncirus trifoliata), privet (Ligustrum spp.), and honey locust (Gleditsia triacanthos). The five project
areas encompassed 118.1 acres, and the combined initial populations of these woody plants covered
approximately <1-2% of the project areas. Our control approach involved annually canvassing project
areas using backpack sprayers between 2011 and 2014. While the project areas were not entirely treated
in 2011, by 2014 we had covered all project areas completely. In 2014, reductions in woody plant cover
within project areas were substantial compared to the highest cover recorded and ranged between 93.4%
and 99.5%. In 2014, we spent 33.5 hours in direct field effort, and we expect that maintaining this project
will require a similar effort in the future. We have found that a project-based approach to problematic plant
management allowed us to better plan, assess, and hopefully sustain such projects over time.
Key Words: INVASIVE PLANTS, EXOTIC PLANTS, WEEDS, NATIONAL PARK, BOTTOMLAND
HARDWOOD
Session Topic: Invasive Species
Format: Poster Presentation
Student Competition: No