Kelsey E. Paolini, Abigail M. Sisneros-Kidd, Nicole Gautier, Robert Bonnie, Kenneth E. Wallen, Drew E. Bennett
Natural and anthropogenic disturbances may threaten big game migration. Migration corridors span both biophysical and jurisdictional barriers, which create challenges for effective species conservation. Though corridor conservation in the Intermountain West of the United States gained traction with the 2018 Secretarial Order that directed the U.S. Department of the Interior to enhance habitat quality within big game winter ranges and identify priority migration corridors in the western U.S., public support and active policies at sub regional scales remain polarized. We surveyed registered voters in Wyoming, USA, to assess perspectives and preferences to conserve land and habitat for big game migration. We used online focus groups and phone surveys to assess attitudes and opinions specific to support for policies that conserve migrations, the believability of interest groups, and the efficacy of conservation messaging frames. Our results show that Wyoming voters favored policies that benefit both humans and big game, associated higher credibility with state agencies than federal agencies, and found messages that specify human-centered benefits most compelling. We assessed beliefs across demographics, such as political ideology, but found few significant differences. Our work provides insight into dynamic perspectives and preferences for big game corridor conservation among critically affected public, which can aid future research and engagement to advance big game management.
{"title":"Perpetuating corridor conservation: Using public perception to advance big game management","authors":"Kelsey E. Paolini, Abigail M. Sisneros-Kidd, Nicole Gautier, Robert Bonnie, Kenneth E. Wallen, Drew E. Bennett","doi":"10.1002/wsb.1496","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1002/wsb.1496","url":null,"abstract":"Natural and anthropogenic disturbances may threaten big game migration. Migration corridors span both biophysical and jurisdictional barriers, which create challenges for effective species conservation. Though corridor conservation in the Intermountain West of the United States gained traction with the 2018 Secretarial Order that directed the U.S. Department of the Interior to enhance habitat quality within big game winter ranges and identify priority migration corridors in the western U.S., public support and active policies at sub regional scales remain polarized. We surveyed registered voters in Wyoming, USA, to assess perspectives and preferences to conserve land and habitat for big game migration. We used online focus groups and phone surveys to assess attitudes and opinions specific to support for policies that conserve migrations, the believability of interest groups, and the efficacy of conservation messaging frames. Our results show that Wyoming voters favored policies that benefit both humans and big game, associated higher credibility with state agencies than federal agencies, and found messages that specify human-centered benefits most compelling. We assessed beliefs across demographics, such as political ideology, but found few significant differences. Our work provides insight into dynamic perspectives and preferences for big game corridor conservation among critically affected public, which can aid future research and engagement to advance big game management.","PeriodicalId":23845,"journal":{"name":"Wildlife Society Bulletin","volume":"31 1","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":1.5,"publicationDate":"2023-11-20","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"138538059","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":4,"RegionCategory":"环境科学与生态学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
Jack Wiggins, Diane Baum, Annette C. Broderick, Tobias Capel, Liliana P. Colman, Toby Hunt, Daisy Lomas Simmons, James McGurk, Lucy Mortlock, Rebecca Nightingale, Nicola Weber, Sam B. Weber
Abstract Successful embryonic development and offspring sex ratios of marine turtles are determined by thermal conditions experienced during incubation, rendering them potentially vulnerable to anthropogenic climate change. With the rate of projected temperature rises likely to outpace the adaptive capacity of long‐lived species such as marine turtles, there is growing interest in management interventions aimed at mitigating the effects of climate change at nesting grounds. In this study, we experimentally tested the impacts of artificial nest shading on the incubation temperature, hatching success, and predicted offspring sex ratio of green turtle ( Chelonia mydas ) clutches at Ascension Island. Clutches ( n = 97) were sampled from 2 nesting beaches with naturally contrasting thermal environments (one hot; one cool) and either left as in situ controls or relocated to shaded or unshaded hatcheries on their beach of origin. Compared to unshaded experimental clutches, shading reduced mean incubation temperatures and sex‐determining temperatures (i.e., middle third of embryonic development) by 0.5–0.9°C and 0.5–1.2°C respectively, with the reduction being greater on the hotter beach. Shading also differentially affected hatchling output across the 2 sites: on the hot beach, shading significantly improved hatching success by ~23% but had minimal effects on offspring sex ratio; whereas on the cooler beach, shading did not impact hatching success but resulted in ~12% more male offspring. Interestingly, mean incubation temperatures of in situ controls did not differ significantly from shaded clutches, and were significantly cooler than unshaded experimental clutches, suggesting relocation may have negated some of the benefits of shading. Our results demonstrated that artificial shading may be a viable approach for partially offsetting climate change impacts on nesting marine turtles; however, scalability will be a major challenge in achieving conservation objectives at high‐density nesting sites like Ascension Island.
{"title":"Efficacy of artificial nest shading as a climate change adaptation measure for marine turtles at Ascension Island","authors":"Jack Wiggins, Diane Baum, Annette C. Broderick, Tobias Capel, Liliana P. Colman, Toby Hunt, Daisy Lomas Simmons, James McGurk, Lucy Mortlock, Rebecca Nightingale, Nicola Weber, Sam B. Weber","doi":"10.1002/wsb.1497","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1002/wsb.1497","url":null,"abstract":"Abstract Successful embryonic development and offspring sex ratios of marine turtles are determined by thermal conditions experienced during incubation, rendering them potentially vulnerable to anthropogenic climate change. With the rate of projected temperature rises likely to outpace the adaptive capacity of long‐lived species such as marine turtles, there is growing interest in management interventions aimed at mitigating the effects of climate change at nesting grounds. In this study, we experimentally tested the impacts of artificial nest shading on the incubation temperature, hatching success, and predicted offspring sex ratio of green turtle ( Chelonia mydas ) clutches at Ascension Island. Clutches ( n = 97) were sampled from 2 nesting beaches with naturally contrasting thermal environments (one hot; one cool) and either left as in situ controls or relocated to shaded or unshaded hatcheries on their beach of origin. Compared to unshaded experimental clutches, shading reduced mean incubation temperatures and sex‐determining temperatures (i.e., middle third of embryonic development) by 0.5–0.9°C and 0.5–1.2°C respectively, with the reduction being greater on the hotter beach. Shading also differentially affected hatchling output across the 2 sites: on the hot beach, shading significantly improved hatching success by ~23% but had minimal effects on offspring sex ratio; whereas on the cooler beach, shading did not impact hatching success but resulted in ~12% more male offspring. Interestingly, mean incubation temperatures of in situ controls did not differ significantly from shaded clutches, and were significantly cooler than unshaded experimental clutches, suggesting relocation may have negated some of the benefits of shading. Our results demonstrated that artificial shading may be a viable approach for partially offsetting climate change impacts on nesting marine turtles; however, scalability will be a major challenge in achieving conservation objectives at high‐density nesting sites like Ascension Island.","PeriodicalId":23845,"journal":{"name":"Wildlife Society Bulletin","volume":"129 32","pages":"0"},"PeriodicalIF":0.0,"publicationDate":"2023-11-13","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"136351993","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":4,"RegionCategory":"环境科学与生态学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
Abstract Obtaining precise and unbiased estimates of feral burro ( Equus asinus ) abundance in the western United States is challenging due to their cryptic pelage and the rugged terrain they inhabit. Management agencies employ helicopter‐based, simultaneous double‐observer sightability surveys (hereafter denoted as DOS) to estimate abundance of burros; but the DOS method routinely produces negatively biased estimates due to residual heterogeneity in detection probability. Consequently, testing alternative methods to improve upon current procedures is warranted. Residual heterogeneity in DOS surveys can be minimized by including radio‐collared individuals in the population. Alternatively, if distance measurements are recorded, residual heterogeneity can also be reduced via a mark‐recapture distance sampling (MRDS) approach. Aerial infrared (IR) surveys offer a safer alternative than helicopter‐based surveys because they can be flown at a higher altitude and require fewer observers in the aircraft. Further, IR surveys using a distance sampling approach have been shown to generate accurate and precise estimates of feral horse ( E. caballus ) populations. Accordingly, we compared results of surveys using aerial IR distance sampling, the standard DOS survey, a DOS survey incorporating detections of radio‐collared individuals, and an MRDS analysis of a feral burro population with a known minimum population size in central Utah, winter 2015–2016 and spring 2016. The minimum number of burros known alive during the winter and spring surveys were 236 and 136, respectively. The average detection probability of IR surveys was P = 0.88 (SE = 0.16) and distance models produced estimates of 127 burros (95% CIs = 99–175) for the winter survey, and 94 burros (CIs = 72–134) for the spring survey. Mean detection probability of the standard DOS surveys was P = 0.78 (SE = 0.09), and model‐generated abundance estimates were 155 burros (CIs = 133–227) in winter, and 92 burros (CIs = 79–139) in spring. Incorporating detections of radio‐collared individuals in the DOS survey resulted in a decreased detection probability ( P = 0.46; SE = 0.06) and increased abundance estimates to 267 (CIs = 169–571) and 155 (CIs = 128–263) for winter and spring, respectively. Mark‐recapture distance sampling produced a mean detection probability of P = 0.48 (SE = 0.12) and resulted in estimates of 282 (CIs = 178–385) and 169 (CIs = 73–310) burros in winter and spring, respectively. Our study demonstrated that aerial IR surveys conducted using standard distance sampling can produce precise estimates of burro population sizes; however, estimates were negatively biased relative to the known population size. Small sample size limits generalization of our results, but the IR‐based distance approach did not improve upon DOS surveys. Accounting for residual heterogeneity through use of radio‐collars and mark‐recapture distance sampling eliminated the negative bias from the standard DOS survey b
{"title":"Comparing methods to estimate feral burro abundance","authors":"Jacob D. Hennig, Kathryn A. Schoenecker","doi":"10.1002/wsb.1495","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1002/wsb.1495","url":null,"abstract":"Abstract Obtaining precise and unbiased estimates of feral burro ( Equus asinus ) abundance in the western United States is challenging due to their cryptic pelage and the rugged terrain they inhabit. Management agencies employ helicopter‐based, simultaneous double‐observer sightability surveys (hereafter denoted as DOS) to estimate abundance of burros; but the DOS method routinely produces negatively biased estimates due to residual heterogeneity in detection probability. Consequently, testing alternative methods to improve upon current procedures is warranted. Residual heterogeneity in DOS surveys can be minimized by including radio‐collared individuals in the population. Alternatively, if distance measurements are recorded, residual heterogeneity can also be reduced via a mark‐recapture distance sampling (MRDS) approach. Aerial infrared (IR) surveys offer a safer alternative than helicopter‐based surveys because they can be flown at a higher altitude and require fewer observers in the aircraft. Further, IR surveys using a distance sampling approach have been shown to generate accurate and precise estimates of feral horse ( E. caballus ) populations. Accordingly, we compared results of surveys using aerial IR distance sampling, the standard DOS survey, a DOS survey incorporating detections of radio‐collared individuals, and an MRDS analysis of a feral burro population with a known minimum population size in central Utah, winter 2015–2016 and spring 2016. The minimum number of burros known alive during the winter and spring surveys were 236 and 136, respectively. The average detection probability of IR surveys was P = 0.88 (SE = 0.16) and distance models produced estimates of 127 burros (95% CIs = 99–175) for the winter survey, and 94 burros (CIs = 72–134) for the spring survey. Mean detection probability of the standard DOS surveys was P = 0.78 (SE = 0.09), and model‐generated abundance estimates were 155 burros (CIs = 133–227) in winter, and 92 burros (CIs = 79–139) in spring. Incorporating detections of radio‐collared individuals in the DOS survey resulted in a decreased detection probability ( P = 0.46; SE = 0.06) and increased abundance estimates to 267 (CIs = 169–571) and 155 (CIs = 128–263) for winter and spring, respectively. Mark‐recapture distance sampling produced a mean detection probability of P = 0.48 (SE = 0.12) and resulted in estimates of 282 (CIs = 178–385) and 169 (CIs = 73–310) burros in winter and spring, respectively. Our study demonstrated that aerial IR surveys conducted using standard distance sampling can produce precise estimates of burro population sizes; however, estimates were negatively biased relative to the known population size. Small sample size limits generalization of our results, but the IR‐based distance approach did not improve upon DOS surveys. Accounting for residual heterogeneity through use of radio‐collars and mark‐recapture distance sampling eliminated the negative bias from the standard DOS survey b","PeriodicalId":23845,"journal":{"name":"Wildlife Society Bulletin","volume":"14 1","pages":"0"},"PeriodicalIF":0.0,"publicationDate":"2023-10-19","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"135732565","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":4,"RegionCategory":"环境科学与生态学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
Elisabeth C. Teige, Liam A. Berigan, Carly S. H. Aulicky, Jonathan H. Reitz, David A. Haukos, Daniel S. Sullins, Kent A. Fricke, Kraig A. Schultz, Liza G. Rossi
Abstract Translocation is a management tool used to restore or augment wildlife populations, but outcomes of translocations are often poorly documented and can have varying levels of success for improving wildlife population declines. The lesser prairie‐chicken ( Tympanuchus pallidicinctus ) is a prairie grouse endemic to the southern Great Plains. In response to declining abundance and distribution, in 2023 lesser prairie‐chickens were listed as threatened or endangered under the Endangered Species Act in different states. Translocation is a potential management response to population declines when there is an availability of unoccupied habitats, but translocation efficacy has not been evaluated for lesser prairie‐chickens. We translocated 411 lesser prairie‐chickens seasonally from 2016‐2019 and monitored the translocated lesser prairie‐chicken population from 2017–2022. To assess translocation as a management tool for lesser prairie‐chickens, we estimated survival for 2017–2020 and conducted lek surveys during 2017–2022. Over a fifth (22.8%, n = 94) of translocated birds either died or went missing within the first 2 weeks following release. Survival rates of translocated birds during the breeding (0.44 ± 0.02 [SE]) and nonbreeding (0.55 ± 0.03 [SE]) seasons were relatively low compared to nontranslocated lesser prairie‐chickens in other studies (0.63–0.93 for breeding season; 0.43–0.87 for non‐breeding season). Twenty‐seven percent of translocated birds survived to the breeding season after release (i.e., >1 year). Translocated lesser prairie‐chickens initiated 28 lekking sites over the study period. We estimated 77% of males available >2 weeks post release participated in lekking activity. The number of leks and male high counts on leks in the study area increased after translocation, peaking one year post‐translocation (an overall increase of 250% and 340%, respectively). However, both the number of leks and male high counts decreased (48% and 39%, respectively) within 3 years after translocation cessation. Establishment of leks and increasing lek attendance directly following translocation initially suggested that translocation could be a viable management tool. However, survival rates after translocation and declining lek counts following translocation indicates that the increased population abundance and occupied range from this translocation effort may be unsustainable. Our results highlight the necessity of monitoring to determine outcomes of a large lesser prairie‐chicken translocation. Other management strategies, such as targeted grassland restoration and management in areas of greatest lesser prairie‐chicken density, could be more beneficial for conservation of lesser prairie‐chicken populations.
{"title":"Assessment of lesser prairie‐chicken translocation through survival and lek surveys","authors":"Elisabeth C. Teige, Liam A. Berigan, Carly S. H. Aulicky, Jonathan H. Reitz, David A. Haukos, Daniel S. Sullins, Kent A. Fricke, Kraig A. Schultz, Liza G. Rossi","doi":"10.1002/wsb.1493","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1002/wsb.1493","url":null,"abstract":"Abstract Translocation is a management tool used to restore or augment wildlife populations, but outcomes of translocations are often poorly documented and can have varying levels of success for improving wildlife population declines. The lesser prairie‐chicken ( Tympanuchus pallidicinctus ) is a prairie grouse endemic to the southern Great Plains. In response to declining abundance and distribution, in 2023 lesser prairie‐chickens were listed as threatened or endangered under the Endangered Species Act in different states. Translocation is a potential management response to population declines when there is an availability of unoccupied habitats, but translocation efficacy has not been evaluated for lesser prairie‐chickens. We translocated 411 lesser prairie‐chickens seasonally from 2016‐2019 and monitored the translocated lesser prairie‐chicken population from 2017–2022. To assess translocation as a management tool for lesser prairie‐chickens, we estimated survival for 2017–2020 and conducted lek surveys during 2017–2022. Over a fifth (22.8%, n = 94) of translocated birds either died or went missing within the first 2 weeks following release. Survival rates of translocated birds during the breeding (0.44 ± 0.02 [SE]) and nonbreeding (0.55 ± 0.03 [SE]) seasons were relatively low compared to nontranslocated lesser prairie‐chickens in other studies (0.63–0.93 for breeding season; 0.43–0.87 for non‐breeding season). Twenty‐seven percent of translocated birds survived to the breeding season after release (i.e., >1 year). Translocated lesser prairie‐chickens initiated 28 lekking sites over the study period. We estimated 77% of males available >2 weeks post release participated in lekking activity. The number of leks and male high counts on leks in the study area increased after translocation, peaking one year post‐translocation (an overall increase of 250% and 340%, respectively). However, both the number of leks and male high counts decreased (48% and 39%, respectively) within 3 years after translocation cessation. Establishment of leks and increasing lek attendance directly following translocation initially suggested that translocation could be a viable management tool. However, survival rates after translocation and declining lek counts following translocation indicates that the increased population abundance and occupied range from this translocation effort may be unsustainable. Our results highlight the necessity of monitoring to determine outcomes of a large lesser prairie‐chicken translocation. Other management strategies, such as targeted grassland restoration and management in areas of greatest lesser prairie‐chicken density, could be more beneficial for conservation of lesser prairie‐chicken populations.","PeriodicalId":23845,"journal":{"name":"Wildlife Society Bulletin","volume":"56 1","pages":"0"},"PeriodicalIF":0.0,"publicationDate":"2023-10-10","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"136359530","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":4,"RegionCategory":"环境科学与生态学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
Matthew P. Hinrichs, Julia Nawrocki, Matthew P. Gruntorad, Mark P. Vrtiska, Mark A. Pegg, Christopher J. Chizinski
Abstract Since the 1970s, waterfowl hunting participation has declined in the United States, which has resulted in socioeconomic consequences for waterfowl conservation and management. Attempts to increase the waterfowl hunter population have been difficult, partly due to social factors (e.g., constraints, motivations, demographics) influencing who participates, frequency of participation, and diversity of desired outcomes from hunting experiences. We examined the preferences of 10 potential management options by hunters and anglers from several states in the central U.S. during 2018. Respondents were grouped into the following activity groups based on responses to survey questions: frequent waterfowl hunters, sporadic waterfowl hunters, previous waterfowl hunters, hunters (never hunted waterfowl), and nonhunters (anglers who have never hunted). All ordinal models indicated that the ability of the scenario to increase participation significantly ( P < 0.05) depended on the activity group. Scenarios, including Having someone to take the respondent hunting (probability of increasing participation > 0.35 for all activity groups) and Special areas for new waterfowl hunters, had the greatest indication (probability > 0.40) of increased waterfowl hunting participation across activity groups. Frequent and sporadic waterfowl hunters ranked Special areas to allow for a quality hunt highest, while hunters and non‐hunters ranked Someone to take me hunting as the most preferred scenario. Information for what new/inexperienced hunters need, Classes or materials to teach waterfowl ID, and Ability to rent equipment were scenarios consistently ranked as the lowest for all activity groups. Our research underscores that only some of the scenarios had the same appeal to all activity groups, which implies a need for a greater diversity of experiences in the landscape of public waterfowl hunting access. Also, continued promotion of current waterfowl hunters taking new or inexperienced individuals may increase waterfowl hunting participation.
{"title":"An examination of scenarios to increase waterfowl hunting participation","authors":"Matthew P. Hinrichs, Julia Nawrocki, Matthew P. Gruntorad, Mark P. Vrtiska, Mark A. Pegg, Christopher J. Chizinski","doi":"10.1002/wsb.1490","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1002/wsb.1490","url":null,"abstract":"Abstract Since the 1970s, waterfowl hunting participation has declined in the United States, which has resulted in socioeconomic consequences for waterfowl conservation and management. Attempts to increase the waterfowl hunter population have been difficult, partly due to social factors (e.g., constraints, motivations, demographics) influencing who participates, frequency of participation, and diversity of desired outcomes from hunting experiences. We examined the preferences of 10 potential management options by hunters and anglers from several states in the central U.S. during 2018. Respondents were grouped into the following activity groups based on responses to survey questions: frequent waterfowl hunters, sporadic waterfowl hunters, previous waterfowl hunters, hunters (never hunted waterfowl), and nonhunters (anglers who have never hunted). All ordinal models indicated that the ability of the scenario to increase participation significantly ( P < 0.05) depended on the activity group. Scenarios, including Having someone to take the respondent hunting (probability of increasing participation > 0.35 for all activity groups) and Special areas for new waterfowl hunters, had the greatest indication (probability > 0.40) of increased waterfowl hunting participation across activity groups. Frequent and sporadic waterfowl hunters ranked Special areas to allow for a quality hunt highest, while hunters and non‐hunters ranked Someone to take me hunting as the most preferred scenario. Information for what new/inexperienced hunters need, Classes or materials to teach waterfowl ID, and Ability to rent equipment were scenarios consistently ranked as the lowest for all activity groups. Our research underscores that only some of the scenarios had the same appeal to all activity groups, which implies a need for a greater diversity of experiences in the landscape of public waterfowl hunting access. Also, continued promotion of current waterfowl hunters taking new or inexperienced individuals may increase waterfowl hunting participation.","PeriodicalId":23845,"journal":{"name":"Wildlife Society Bulletin","volume":"10 1","pages":"0"},"PeriodicalIF":0.0,"publicationDate":"2023-10-10","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"136359378","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":4,"RegionCategory":"环境科学与生态学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
Lydia A. Laughlin, Hailey M. Freeman, Carson A. Blevins, Victoria E. Depuy, Alex Gatewood, Blaine MacKenzie, Nathan Ranallo, John McQuaig, Craig A. Davis, Laura E. Goodman, Samuel D. Fuhlendorf, Kent Andersson, Courtney J. Duchardt, M. Colter Chitwood
Abstract Camera traps are an important noninvasive tool used by scientists to monitor wildlife efficiently and at reduced costs. New camera trap features improve performance and encourage increased use by researchers and the public. Cellular transmission of image data, which provides users the ability to digitally receive images instead of retrieving or downloading images in the field is a useful new feature. Cellular data transmission has 2 key benefits for wildlife research in that it reduces travel time required for downloading image data and the uncertainty involving storage capacity of SD cards and battery life, and cellular transmission allows for near real‐time analysis of images, which could redistribute the time usually devoted to processing a large data set when the memory card is retrieved. Despite potential benefits, cellular transmission technology in camera traps is still new and questions remain about its reliability. Our objective was to determine the efficacy of cellular transmission technology in wildlife research by designing a camera trap study as part of a senior‐level class (Wildlife Management Applications and Planning; NREM 4522) project at Oklahoma State University. We used ArcGIS to generate a stratified random sample of trap locations, deploying five cellular transmission camera traps in open grassland and five in closed canopy forest areas from 5 September to 5 October 2021. We monitored the number of transmitted images each day online, and after camera trap retrieval, we compared the number of transmitted images to those stored on the memory card to determine transmission efficiency. Our data indicated the majority of the images taken each day were transmitted successfully; however, transmission efficiency (i.e., number transmitted divided by total number taken by the camera trap) tended to be lower in forested areas (47%) compared to open grassland (86%). Though cellular transmission technology shows promise, the combination of cellular signal, landscape features, and transmitted data quality may limit the effectiveness of cellular transmission technology for near real‐time data analysis. Based on our results, we recommend that researchers consider advantages and disadvantages of cellular transmission when designing studies and note that researchers may need to adopt an adaptive approach or conduct pilot testing that includes quantifying the transmission functionality.
{"title":"Assessing efficacy of cellular transmission technology in camera trapping for wildlife research","authors":"Lydia A. Laughlin, Hailey M. Freeman, Carson A. Blevins, Victoria E. Depuy, Alex Gatewood, Blaine MacKenzie, Nathan Ranallo, John McQuaig, Craig A. Davis, Laura E. Goodman, Samuel D. Fuhlendorf, Kent Andersson, Courtney J. Duchardt, M. Colter Chitwood","doi":"10.1002/wsb.1491","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1002/wsb.1491","url":null,"abstract":"Abstract Camera traps are an important noninvasive tool used by scientists to monitor wildlife efficiently and at reduced costs. New camera trap features improve performance and encourage increased use by researchers and the public. Cellular transmission of image data, which provides users the ability to digitally receive images instead of retrieving or downloading images in the field is a useful new feature. Cellular data transmission has 2 key benefits for wildlife research in that it reduces travel time required for downloading image data and the uncertainty involving storage capacity of SD cards and battery life, and cellular transmission allows for near real‐time analysis of images, which could redistribute the time usually devoted to processing a large data set when the memory card is retrieved. Despite potential benefits, cellular transmission technology in camera traps is still new and questions remain about its reliability. Our objective was to determine the efficacy of cellular transmission technology in wildlife research by designing a camera trap study as part of a senior‐level class (Wildlife Management Applications and Planning; NREM 4522) project at Oklahoma State University. We used ArcGIS to generate a stratified random sample of trap locations, deploying five cellular transmission camera traps in open grassland and five in closed canopy forest areas from 5 September to 5 October 2021. We monitored the number of transmitted images each day online, and after camera trap retrieval, we compared the number of transmitted images to those stored on the memory card to determine transmission efficiency. Our data indicated the majority of the images taken each day were transmitted successfully; however, transmission efficiency (i.e., number transmitted divided by total number taken by the camera trap) tended to be lower in forested areas (47%) compared to open grassland (86%). Though cellular transmission technology shows promise, the combination of cellular signal, landscape features, and transmitted data quality may limit the effectiveness of cellular transmission technology for near real‐time data analysis. Based on our results, we recommend that researchers consider advantages and disadvantages of cellular transmission when designing studies and note that researchers may need to adopt an adaptive approach or conduct pilot testing that includes quantifying the transmission functionality.","PeriodicalId":23845,"journal":{"name":"Wildlife Society Bulletin","volume":"34 1","pages":"0"},"PeriodicalIF":0.0,"publicationDate":"2023-10-10","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"136359246","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":4,"RegionCategory":"环境科学与生态学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
Brandon Wolfe, Mike D. Proctor, Victoria Nolan, Stephen L. Webb
Abstract Passive acoustic monitoring is a valuable ecological and conservation tool that allows researchers to collect data from vocal species across large geographic areas and temporal spans. Grassland bird populations, many of which are indicators of ecosystem health, have experienced precipitous declines over the past several decades. Acoustic monitoring of grassland bird populations provides opportunities to monitor declines and focus conservation practices, yet the ability to identify species efficiently and accurately from acoustic data is challenging. Therefore, development of automated classifiers such as convolutional neural networks (CNNs) are at the forefront of streamlining detection and identification of individual species. Here, we present a CNN classifier for 5 key grassland bird species across southcentral Oklahoma, a part of the southern Great Plains: northern bobwhite ( Colinus virginianus ), painted bunting ( Passerina ciris ), dickcissel ( Spiza americana ), eastern meadowlark ( Sturnella magna ), and Bell's vireo ( Vireo bellii ). We compiled a high‐quality training dataset consisting of 6,933 calls, built semiautonomously using template matching that can be expanded easily to any bird species of interest. Our trained multilabel CNN achieved a high level of classification accuracy (≥98%) for the 5 species using the library of test calls and field recordings played using a programmable game caller. The ability to conduct acoustic wildlife surveys across large spatial extents will allow for more efficient monitoring of wildlife to determine key population parameters and trends and effects of biotic and abiotic factors (e.g., vegetation, disturbance, weather) on these key species.
{"title":"An efficient acoustic classifier for high‐priority avian species in the southern Great Plains using convolutional neural networks","authors":"Brandon Wolfe, Mike D. Proctor, Victoria Nolan, Stephen L. Webb","doi":"10.1002/wsb.1492","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1002/wsb.1492","url":null,"abstract":"Abstract Passive acoustic monitoring is a valuable ecological and conservation tool that allows researchers to collect data from vocal species across large geographic areas and temporal spans. Grassland bird populations, many of which are indicators of ecosystem health, have experienced precipitous declines over the past several decades. Acoustic monitoring of grassland bird populations provides opportunities to monitor declines and focus conservation practices, yet the ability to identify species efficiently and accurately from acoustic data is challenging. Therefore, development of automated classifiers such as convolutional neural networks (CNNs) are at the forefront of streamlining detection and identification of individual species. Here, we present a CNN classifier for 5 key grassland bird species across southcentral Oklahoma, a part of the southern Great Plains: northern bobwhite ( Colinus virginianus ), painted bunting ( Passerina ciris ), dickcissel ( Spiza americana ), eastern meadowlark ( Sturnella magna ), and Bell's vireo ( Vireo bellii ). We compiled a high‐quality training dataset consisting of 6,933 calls, built semiautonomously using template matching that can be expanded easily to any bird species of interest. Our trained multilabel CNN achieved a high level of classification accuracy (≥98%) for the 5 species using the library of test calls and field recordings played using a programmable game caller. The ability to conduct acoustic wildlife surveys across large spatial extents will allow for more efficient monitoring of wildlife to determine key population parameters and trends and effects of biotic and abiotic factors (e.g., vegetation, disturbance, weather) on these key species.","PeriodicalId":23845,"journal":{"name":"Wildlife Society Bulletin","volume":"25 1","pages":"0"},"PeriodicalIF":0.0,"publicationDate":"2023-10-04","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"135645313","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":4,"RegionCategory":"环境科学与生态学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
Daniel M. Wolcott, James R. Herkert, Christine A. Ribic, Rosalind B. Renfrew, David W. Sample
Abstract Trade‐offs exist between timing of grassland habitat management activities (e.g., weed and brush control) while also ensuring other conservation objectives (e.g., grassland bird reproductive success) are met. On land set aside for grassland conservation (e.g., lands enrolled in the U.S. Department of Agriculture Conservation Reserve Program and some state and federal wildlife management areas), federal and state agencies set time frames for land management based on avoiding disturbance of grassland bird nests. However, recent calls for considering the needs of dependent fledglings in conservation plans imply a need to evaluate whether current time frames are adequate. We used initiation and end dates for 3,257 nests of 8 obligate grassland bird species in Illinois and Wisconsin and a simulation approach for fledgling survival to estimate the potential proportion of active nests at risk when management (e.g., mowing, fire) occurred on the 1st and 15th day of May, June, July, and August during the breeding season. Management during June had the potential to impact 24–61% of nests, depending on the species. Management during July had the potential to impact 4–52% of nests, depending on the species. If disturbance occurred during August, proportionately few active nests were at risk for any species (0–9% of nests on 1 August, 0–<0.5% on 15 August). Potential proportions of fledglings at risk from management were greatest in July for 7 of the 8 species (7–18%). Our study suggests that on lands where a primary conservation objective is to increase or ensure survival of grassland birds, delaying management activities until August could be beneficial for protecting both grassland bird nests and fledglings.
{"title":"Potential impacts of land‐management schedules on grassland bird nests and fledglings","authors":"Daniel M. Wolcott, James R. Herkert, Christine A. Ribic, Rosalind B. Renfrew, David W. Sample","doi":"10.1002/wsb.1488","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1002/wsb.1488","url":null,"abstract":"Abstract Trade‐offs exist between timing of grassland habitat management activities (e.g., weed and brush control) while also ensuring other conservation objectives (e.g., grassland bird reproductive success) are met. On land set aside for grassland conservation (e.g., lands enrolled in the U.S. Department of Agriculture Conservation Reserve Program and some state and federal wildlife management areas), federal and state agencies set time frames for land management based on avoiding disturbance of grassland bird nests. However, recent calls for considering the needs of dependent fledglings in conservation plans imply a need to evaluate whether current time frames are adequate. We used initiation and end dates for 3,257 nests of 8 obligate grassland bird species in Illinois and Wisconsin and a simulation approach for fledgling survival to estimate the potential proportion of active nests at risk when management (e.g., mowing, fire) occurred on the 1st and 15th day of May, June, July, and August during the breeding season. Management during June had the potential to impact 24–61% of nests, depending on the species. Management during July had the potential to impact 4–52% of nests, depending on the species. If disturbance occurred during August, proportionately few active nests were at risk for any species (0–9% of nests on 1 August, 0–<0.5% on 15 August). Potential proportions of fledglings at risk from management were greatest in July for 7 of the 8 species (7–18%). Our study suggests that on lands where a primary conservation objective is to increase or ensure survival of grassland birds, delaying management activities until August could be beneficial for protecting both grassland bird nests and fledglings.","PeriodicalId":23845,"journal":{"name":"Wildlife Society Bulletin","volume":"102 1","pages":"0"},"PeriodicalIF":0.0,"publicationDate":"2023-09-21","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"136101347","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":4,"RegionCategory":"环境科学与生态学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
Lauren A. Hernandez‐Rubio, Richard M. Kaminski, Christopher K. Williams
Abstract Within academia and research, publishing peer‐reviewed articles is expected for dissemination of knowledge and is used as a measure of professional performance. However, few papers have been published on professionals' and graduate students' perceptions of student publication performance, how professionals encourage student publishing, and what types of publication barriers exist for graduate students to publish. In 2019, we emailed a survey to professional and student attendees of the 2013 and 2016 North American Duck symposia as a representative cadre of waterfowl and wildlife biologists. We surveyed 469 professionals and 98 students who attended the symposia. Response rates were 42% and 45% for professionals and students, respectively, and deemed reliable as response rates approached 50%. Fifty percent and 69% of professional respondents indicated they felt frustration motivating their Ph.D. and M.S. students to publish, respectively. Of strategies used to motivate graduate student publishing, 79% of students ranked providing congenial encouragement most effective, while 60% of professionals ranked playing a major role in drafting and editing as most effective. Both professionals and students considered lack of time during and outside work hours as barriers to publishing graduate work. Professionals and students agreed that asking students to sign a contract at time of their initial matriculation may be an effective strategy to publish. Information from this study adds to knowledge on graduate student publishing practices and can be used to improve methods to increase graduate student publication rates in wildlife science and conservation. Similar surveys can be conducted face‐to‐face or remotely at international wildlife and other ecological conferences to broaden application of our results. We encourage students to generate publications from their research by writing separate thesis/dissertation chapters to expedite the publication process.
{"title":"Wildlife professionals' and graduate students' perceptions regarding scientific publishing","authors":"Lauren A. Hernandez‐Rubio, Richard M. Kaminski, Christopher K. Williams","doi":"10.1002/wsb.1486","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1002/wsb.1486","url":null,"abstract":"Abstract Within academia and research, publishing peer‐reviewed articles is expected for dissemination of knowledge and is used as a measure of professional performance. However, few papers have been published on professionals' and graduate students' perceptions of student publication performance, how professionals encourage student publishing, and what types of publication barriers exist for graduate students to publish. In 2019, we emailed a survey to professional and student attendees of the 2013 and 2016 North American Duck symposia as a representative cadre of waterfowl and wildlife biologists. We surveyed 469 professionals and 98 students who attended the symposia. Response rates were 42% and 45% for professionals and students, respectively, and deemed reliable as response rates approached 50%. Fifty percent and 69% of professional respondents indicated they felt frustration motivating their Ph.D. and M.S. students to publish, respectively. Of strategies used to motivate graduate student publishing, 79% of students ranked providing congenial encouragement most effective, while 60% of professionals ranked playing a major role in drafting and editing as most effective. Both professionals and students considered lack of time during and outside work hours as barriers to publishing graduate work. Professionals and students agreed that asking students to sign a contract at time of their initial matriculation may be an effective strategy to publish. Information from this study adds to knowledge on graduate student publishing practices and can be used to improve methods to increase graduate student publication rates in wildlife science and conservation. Similar surveys can be conducted face‐to‐face or remotely at international wildlife and other ecological conferences to broaden application of our results. We encourage students to generate publications from their research by writing separate thesis/dissertation chapters to expedite the publication process.","PeriodicalId":23845,"journal":{"name":"Wildlife Society Bulletin","volume":"13 1","pages":"0"},"PeriodicalIF":0.0,"publicationDate":"2023-09-21","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"136237677","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":4,"RegionCategory":"环境科学与生态学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
Jared D. Hall, Heather A. Mathewson, Shaun L. Oldenburger, Mike Frisbie, Thomas W. Schwertner
Abstract Banding data are commonly used to estimate vital rates for migratory game bird management. We used white‐winged dove ( Zenaida asiatic a) banding data to estimate molt and hatch chronology in Texas. We used Texas Parks and Wildlife Department's long‐term, state‐wide banding data (71,675 banded individuals) from 1 June to 15 August 2007–2016 to investigate primary feather molt and hatching in white‐winged doves in Texas. We estimated primary feather molt and used individual recapture data to determine reliability of models predicting primary feather molt rates. For hatching, we used primary feather molt scores of captured hatch‐year doves to backdate to an estimated hatch date. Our modeling predicted mean after‐hatch‐year primary feather molt rate of 13.21 ± 0.93 days. We predicted 95% of adult white‐winged doves began molting between 7 April to 8 July and completed molt between 17 August to 17 November. Across all years, white‐winged doves hatched as early as 6 January and as late as 27 July, with 95% of all hatching occurring between 22 March and 18 June and peaking on 4 May. Primary feather molt initiation peaked 16 days after the peak of hatching, suggesting that white‐winged doves delay the onset of primary molt until reproductive activity slows. Secondary data collected during banding operations on migratory game birds may be used to understand additional life processes without the requirement to initiate additional survey efforts.
{"title":"Using banding data to estimate primary feather molt and hatch chronology of white‐winged doves in Texas","authors":"Jared D. Hall, Heather A. Mathewson, Shaun L. Oldenburger, Mike Frisbie, Thomas W. Schwertner","doi":"10.1002/wsb.1489","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1002/wsb.1489","url":null,"abstract":"Abstract Banding data are commonly used to estimate vital rates for migratory game bird management. We used white‐winged dove ( Zenaida asiatic a) banding data to estimate molt and hatch chronology in Texas. We used Texas Parks and Wildlife Department's long‐term, state‐wide banding data (71,675 banded individuals) from 1 June to 15 August 2007–2016 to investigate primary feather molt and hatching in white‐winged doves in Texas. We estimated primary feather molt and used individual recapture data to determine reliability of models predicting primary feather molt rates. For hatching, we used primary feather molt scores of captured hatch‐year doves to backdate to an estimated hatch date. Our modeling predicted mean after‐hatch‐year primary feather molt rate of 13.21 ± 0.93 days. We predicted 95% of adult white‐winged doves began molting between 7 April to 8 July and completed molt between 17 August to 17 November. Across all years, white‐winged doves hatched as early as 6 January and as late as 27 July, with 95% of all hatching occurring between 22 March and 18 June and peaking on 4 May. Primary feather molt initiation peaked 16 days after the peak of hatching, suggesting that white‐winged doves delay the onset of primary molt until reproductive activity slows. Secondary data collected during banding operations on migratory game birds may be used to understand additional life processes without the requirement to initiate additional survey efforts.","PeriodicalId":23845,"journal":{"name":"Wildlife Society Bulletin","volume":"10 1","pages":"0"},"PeriodicalIF":0.0,"publicationDate":"2023-09-19","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"135106620","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":4,"RegionCategory":"环境科学与生态学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
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