Thesis M.S. Michigan State University. Fisheries and Wildlife 2013.

Birds, as well as other wildlife species, have been affected negatively by habitat degradation due to anthropogenic activities. Restoration activities can enhance the habitat conditions which result in an increase in the resources available to supply needs like food and breeding sites that promote avian biodiversity. Jobos Bay National Estuarine Research Reserve (Jobos Bay NERR) has been planning to implement a restoration strategy for the enhancement of hydrology and mangrove wetland habitat at the northern boundary of the Mar Negro Unit. This research presents baseline data about the bird community in two contrasting areas along the northern boundary of the Mar Negro Unit that will help the staff on the Jobos Bay NERR evaluate the effectiveness of mangrove wetland restoration after its implementation. The bird surveys showed that species richness was higher in the Referenced Area but the species are more evenly distributed in the Designated-Restoration Area, consequently the avian diversity was higher. Greater Antillean Grackle (Quiscalus niger), Bananaquit (Coereba flaveola), Yellow Warbler (Dendroica petechia) and doves were the most abundant species which can be influenced with the presence of preferred habitat in the reserve. The nesting attempts of 9 species were monitored and the nest success determined. Mourning Dove was the species with the highest number of located nesting attempts, most success and had high daily survival rates in both study areas. Nest height (m) and the canopy cover (%) near the nest were the microhabitat characteristics significantly different among bird species in both study areas.

Description based on online resource; title from PDF t.p. (ProQuest, viewed on Oct 11, 2013)

Thesis M.S. Michigan State University. Fisheries and Wildlife 2016

ABSTRACTRESOURCE SELECTION AND VIABILITY OF SHARP-TAILED GROUSE IN THE UPPER PENINSULA OF MICHIGANByHeather M. PorterSharp-tailed grouse (Tympanuchus phasianellus) have experienced declines and range contractions across their distribution. Within Michigan, sharp-tailed grouse expanded during European settlement but subsequently experienced declines and fragmentation. While populations were widespread, these grouse became an important species for hunters and wildlife viewers within the state. Uncertainty about their habitat requirements and how management may influence populations makes current management difficult. I modeled sharp-tailed grouse resource selection and mapped their relative likelihood of occurrence across Michigan’s eastern Upper Peninsula. The best model, based on AICc, included the variables of openland, upland forestland, lowland forestland, and upland shrubland. Sharp-tailed grouse selected sections with higher proportions of openland and shrubland and lower proportions of forest and forested wetlands. The relative likelihood of occurrence of sharp-tailed grouse was highest in the eastern and central Upper Peninsula. I also created a spatially explicit metapopulation model and used the model to predict population response to alternative harvest and habitat management options. Scenarios using estimates of current harvest rates did not significantly impact extinction risk and simulations of range-wide harvest indicated lower metapopulation viability than when harvest was localized. Simulations of habitat improvement indicate greater increases in grouse viability when modeled in one large patch versus the addition of small scattered patches. My results suggest that harvest regulations should be implemented locally and not exceed a 25% harvest rate and habitat management scenarios should be ranked by area of contiguous habitat.

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Thesis M.S. Michigan State University. Fisheries and Wildlife 2016

Giraffe numbers, have dropped by about 40% in the last 20 years, making giraffes a species of conservation concern. In the same period of time, a skin disease has been observed in numerous giraffe populations across Africa. The disease, commonly referred to as giraffe skin disease (GSD), manifests as lesions, wrinkled skin, and encrustations that can affect the limbs, shoulder or neck of giraffes. Giraffe skin disease may hinder movement causing increased susceptibility to predation. In chapter 1, I reviewed GSD cases from literature reports and surveying efforts of individuals working with giraffes in the wild and in captivity in order to compile a database of known GSD cases. I detected variation in the manifestation, prevalence and severity of GSD in sub-Saharan Africa and giraffe populations in captivity. In chapter 2, I used photographic capture-recapture surveys via road-based transects in Tanzania’s Ruaha National Park to develop a database of spatially-explicit giraffe images. I used WildID to process these photos for individual identification and fitted spatial capture-recapture models to predict the spatial configuration of giraffe abundance and GSD prevalence within the study area. My results indicated that >86% of the giraffe population showed signs of GSD, which is the highest prevalence of the disease in Africa. With vast areas of Sub-Saharan Africa still without information on GSD, researching the prevalence and conservation impacts of this disease should be a priority. I also discuss the implications of this research for conservation of threatened species with an emphasis on disease ecology and vulnerability to predation, and more broadly, for wildlife conservation.

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Thesis M.S. Michigan State University. Fisheries and Wildlife 2016.

Changes in land use, agricultural practices, and the subsequent reduction of mosaic grasslands, which vary spatially and temporally in structure, have resulted in dramatic and range wide population declines of grassland birds. These grassland species have exhibited more substantial and continuous population declines than any other behavioral or ecological guild. To understand the impact of agricultural practices, we investigated if grassland bird communities differed on dairy pastures and grassland fragments and if vegetation structure and composition contributed to bird community differences in southwest Michigan, United States. Rather than relying on bird counts, we created utilization distributions to analyze these bird communities. Correspondence analysis indicated that pasture and grassland bird communities differed. Based on this analysis, specific species showed a stronger association with dairy pastures or grassland fragments. Canonical correlation analysis confirmed that vegetation structure and composition contributed to variation in species distributions, suggesting that species-specific associations found in the correspondence analysis were, at least partially, due to the vegetation structure of the dairy pastures and grassland fragment. Species-specific models indicated that some grassland birds were associated with unique vegetation characteristic. We concluded that species-specific habitat requirements are generally fulfilled through mosaic grasslands and that both grasslands and agriculture fields should be managed to maintain mosaic vegetation structure, that varies spatially and temporally in order to maintain a diverse community of grassland bird species.

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Thesis M.S. Michigan State University. Fisheries and Wildlife - Master of Science 2014.

Limited information exists on small mammals in industrial forests of northern California, USA. Small mammals are integral components of forest ecosystems serving as prey, regulating invertebrates, dispersing seeds, and as indicators of habitat quality. My thesis focuses on patch-level and fine-scale habitat elements that influence small mammal communities in industrial forests of northern California. The primary silviculture regime is small-scale (<8 ha) clearcutting followed by site preparation that includes various combinations of chemical, mechanical, and fire treatments. I trapped 11 small mammal species during the summers of 2011-2013 and collected count data on a subset of those species. In Chapter 1, I analyzed small mammal populations in 4 forest types (recent clearcuts (3-5 years old), 10-20 year-old plantations, rotation-aged stands (60-80 years old), and Watercourse and Lake Protection Zones) commonly found in industrial forests. I used generalized linear mixed models (GLMM) to assess patch-level (~6.35 ha) relationships between small mammal counts and commonly found forest types, and downed wood volume. Land cover composition of areas surrounding trapping webs was more influential on small mammal counts than was the forest type that contained the trapping array. Downed wood volume was positively correlated to small mammal abundance. In Chapter 2, I examined small mammal counts in relation to fine-scale (64 m2) habitat elements surrounding trap locations. I used GLMMs and found that shrub and downed wood cover were positively correlated with the number of individual small mammals captured; this relationship held across multiple taxon and trap types. This study is one of the first to be conducted on the small mammal community in industrial forests of northern California. Results of this research provide insight on small mammal populations in industrial forests and can inform timber management practices.

Description based on online resource; title from PDF t.p. (viewed on June 22, 2017)

Thesis M.S. Michigan State University. Geography 2013.

During the Terminal Pleistocene, many now extinct megafauna roamed across North America. Two of the most widely studied genera from this time period are Mammut (or mastodons) and Mammuthus (or mammoths). While paleoenvironmental studies on individual site localities have been performed, no one has attempted to do a regional study on such species. Additionally, most research on fauna during this time focuses on community dynamics rather than individual species (or genera). The prime source of data for these studies is the FAUNMAP database; however, some studies reveal issues with using the database. During this investigation, the FAUNMAP database was compared to a database I created, consisting of the original database and other sites previously published, yet not included, in the FAUNMAP database. To limit the spatial extent for the study, only site localities for the Great Lakes region were used, due to the large concentration of mammoth and mastodon fossils and palynology and plant macrofossil studies. After adding 528 new sites, the hypothesis stating FAUNMAP was an effective database for studies concerning individual species (or genera) was rejected. Further objectives, using the modified database, determined geographic range characteristics, such has size, range shift through time, and associated vegetation. Assuming the site localities are located near their feeding grounds, the associated vegetation may provide a geographic understanding of their diets; however, the results for this study were inconclusive.

Description based on online resource; title from PDF t.p. (ProQuest, viewed on Sept. 13, 2013)

Thesis Ph. D. Michigan State University. Fisheries and Wildlife Ecology, Evolutionary Biology, and Behavior 2012.

Anthropogenic habitat degradation is a primary threat to global biodiversity. The overarching theme of my dissertation is one of conservation-based research for reducing the impacts of anthropogenic disturbances, specifically timber harvesting, on forest wildlife. Although the primary objective of my dissertation is to assess the effectiveness of structural retention (i.e., canopy green trees and coarse woody debris) for conserving wildlife in harvested forests, it also provides valuable insight to other areas of ecology and wildlife management. Throughout my dissertation I highlight the need to use design- and model-based approaches for minimizing bias associated with the limited detectability of wildlife. Doing so allowed me to achieve stronger inference when determining how wildlife interacts with their environment. For my first two chapters I use species occupancy models and multiple sampling techniques to estimate detection probabilities of forest-floor wildlife. These chapters demonstrate the need to incorporate species detectability when comparing the effectiveness of different trapping methodologies. Furthermore, these studies highlight the utility of power analyses for exploring study design tradeoffs for research and monitoring programs. I used results from these chapters to develop a strong sampling design for Chapter 5. In Chapter 3 I lead a detailed investigation into the performance of wildlife occupancy models when model assumptions were openly violated. Analyses from Chapter 3 revealed general sensitivity of estimates from single-season occupancy models to violations of closure. This chapter highlights the importance of addressing the population "closure" assumption and non-random organism movements in wildlife occupancy studies. I provide multiple solutions for minimizing bias associated with non-random changes in occupancy within a field season. For my final two chapters I assess the effectiveness of structural retention for conserving wildlife in harvested forests. Both studies represent an empirical evaluation of the Michigan Department of Natural Resources (MDNR) structural retention guidelines in harvested aspen stands. Results from Chapters 4 and 5 suggest that broad-scale conservation goals for forest songbirds and terrestrial salamanders will not be accomplished by simply retaining structure within individual harvest units. Rather, successful conservation efforts for these species may also require conservation of late-successional forests as part of managed landscapes. Future management objectives in aspen forests should reflect the value of clearcutting to early-successional and generalist bird species while recognizing that green-tree and coarse woody debris retention, as observed here, did little to promote site occupancy of interior forest bird and terrestrial salamanders. However, if the management goal is to reduce mortality of local salamander populations following…

"The goal of my thesis was to quantify fine scale American marten (Martes americana) space use, resource selection, and movement behaviors in the Eastern Upper Peninsula of Michigan. I had two main objectives, to: 1) quantify the relationships among stand-level forest inventory data, Euclidean distances, and marten space use in the East Unit of the Hiawatha National Forest (HNF), and 2) quantify marten movement behaviors and relate those behaviors to weather factors. In Chapter 1, I describe marten space use (quantified from 12 GPS-tagged marten) in the form of utilization distributions, and relate those distributions to typical forest inventory and available GIS data. I found that forest inventory data, summarized at the stand level, were poor predictors of marten space utilization. I found some support for site productivity and tree density as positive correlates of resource use. I suggest that at the stand-level, site productivity is the variable that best integrated multiple forest attributes, thereby better representing the complex forest structure knowingly used by marten. In Chapter 2, I examine daily and seasonal movements and correlated these movements to weather variables. I found that average daily movement rates were 13.28 m/min (SE = 0.48), and that marten were most active during winter (and least active during fall). My results indicated that marten in the HNF did not follow predictable daily activity patterns, and that movement rates were best explained by unmeasured characteristics related to individual marten and season. I found weak support that temperature and precipitation affected daily movement rates, with movement rates decreasing as temperature increased, and movement rates increasing on days with more precipitation. My results indicated that weather is a poor predictor of marten activity and that movements are greatest in winter, likely increasing their susceptibility to harvest and predation." – Page ii.

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Thesis M.S. Michigan State University. Fisheries and Wildlife 2017

Limited information exists on eastern box turtles (Terrepene carolina carolina) and prescribed fire. My thesis focuses on the effects of prescribed fire, nesting ecology, hatchling movements, and efficacy of post-burn surveys for eastern box turtles in a 1226 ha recreation area in Michigan. Using a combination of tracking techniques, I monitored 34 female and 6 male adult eastern box turtles, and 58 hatchlings between 2013 and 2015. In Chapter 1, I summarized the nesting behavior of females, resultant clutch sizes and success, and hatchling movements using summary statistics and general linear mixed models to find that average clutch size was 6 (SE = 0.47), total clutch success ranged from 45.5% to 53.6% of the total clutch emerging, hatchling movements ranged from 3.3 to 123.7 m within the first two weeks of emerging, and that vegetation cover type had a significant effect on clutch success. In Chapter 2, I tested the efficacy of post fire surveys for box turtles and found that average detection probability 48 hrs after a fire was low (0.11) (SE = 0.05) and highly variable among surveyors (range = 0.00 – 0.50). I estimated that 26 hour-long surveys per ha would be required to reliably (95% confidence) detect turtles that were present in burned areas. In Chapter 3, I observed the direct behavioral effects of a growing season prescribed fire on radio tagged box turtles (n = 4). Behaviors included burying and actively negotiating flame fronts. I documented 1 post fire mortality. My results suggest prescribed fire should not be applied annually in grassland areas to minimize hatchling mortality and slow moving, patchy growing season fires should be considered in dry-mesic southern forests to minimize adult box turtle mortality.

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Thesis Ph. D. Michigan State University. Zoology ; Ecology, Evolutionary Biology and Behavior 2015.

Biodiversity has been steadily declining in most ecosystems due to the direct and indirect effects of a growing human population. Large carnivores are particularly threatened by the negative effects of human population growth due to their slow life histories, wide-ranging behavior, and conflict with people over livestock depredation.The Maasai Mara National Reserve (henceforth, the Reserve) is located at the edge of the Mara-Serengeti ecosystem in southwestern Kenya, and is a stronghold for large carnivore conservation in East Africa. The Reserve has traditionally supported a great density and diversity of herbivores and large carnivore species year-round. However, current research indicates that anthropogenic activities immediately outside Reserve boundaries may be having negative effects on wildlife within the Reserve itself.My research investigates the short- and long-term effects of anthropogenic disturbance around the edges of the Reserve on wildlife populations within Reserve boundaries. First, I document longitudinal trends in the ecological and anthropogenic threats to wildlife. Next, I analyze the effects these threats have on herbivore and carnivore populations. I then test the hypothesis that spotted hyenas can serve as an indicator species in this ecosystem. Finally, management authorities play critical roles in conserving wildlife in the Reserve, so in my last dissertation chapter, I work to clarify the effects of prescribed burn management on African mammals.My research indicates that there have been declines in mammalian herbivore abundance and diversity from 1989-2013 in the Talek region of the Reserve. In this same region and time period, I document significant increases in temperature, the number of pastoralist settlements, the number of livestock grazing inside the Reserve, and the number of tourist lodges. Of all these threats to wildlife, livestock inside the Reserve had the largest negative effect on native herbivores. Also, the frequency of lion sightings in the Talek region have declined by 55 % between 2004-2008 and 2009-2013, while the sympatric population of spotted hyenas has undergone rapid growth. These changes appear to be due to the indirect effects of a growing human population. The speed of movement exhibited by spotted hyenas was affected by the turning angle of their trajectory, the animal’s proximity to anthropogenic disturbance, the time of day, the ambient temperature, the amount of rainfall, the amount of moonlight, and interactions between anthropogenic disturbance and social rank and anthropogenic disturbance and the time of day. The tortuosity of the paths of movement by spotted hyenas was affected by the speed of their movement, time of day, their proximity to anthropogenic disturbance, and the amount of rainfall. The speed at which spotted hyenas moved correlated with the diversity and abundance of resident herbivores up to 26 and 14 weeks into the future, respectively,…

Thesis Ph. D. Michigan State University. Fisheries and Wildlife 2012.

Habitat selection research is devoted to understanding how organisms make use of their environment. Moving beyond mere documentation of habitat that organisms use, this field is defined by striving to understand why an organism selects a particular habitat and to determine the mechanisms that drive a population of organisms to inhabit certain areas. Assessments of this type depend on the ability to reliably locate animals in their environment. Two methods for evaluating the location of animals in space are telemetry technology and discrete animal locations (e.g., carcasses). In this dissertation I demonstrate how to derive ecological inferences from data collected by each of these methods. First, I assess the influence of telemetry error on habitat selection models (Chapters 1 and 2). Results from this research indicate that the accurate of wildlife habitat selection models is conditional on the interaction of telemetry error, covariate resolution, and patch size characteristics inherent to the study area. For instance, higher accuracies are expected in larger patch sizes. However, for imprecise telemetry systems (mean telemetry error = 174 m, SD = 130 m) complete accuracy (1.00) was not attained until patches sizes were unusually large (> 450 ha). Large patch sizes (> 200 ha) were also necessary to achieve complete accuracy for highly resolute telemetry systems (1-5 m telemetry error). These results articulate that non-point based techniques (e.g., utilization distributions, state space models) should be employed in habitat selection research. I next provide an overview of habitat selection research focusing on the methodological techniques employed to understand animal-habitat associations (Chapter 3). This chapter serves as a guide for conducting habitat selection research. Finally, I demonstrate the influence of individual body conditions on animal decision-making using the location of predator-killed animals (Chapters 4 and 5). These two chapters document that the body condition of the individual, in combination with prevailing abiotic and biotic factors, affects habitat selection. Furthermore, this effect on prey habitat selection can generate specific landscape-level patterns in predation which have important ecological consequences. My research presents a template by which others can evaluate the effect of telemetry error and individual body conditions on habitat selection. I broadly illustrate the means by which habitat selection research can inform ecology through analyses of organism-habitat associations.

Description based on online resource; title from PDF t.p. (ProQuest, viewed Jan. 21, 2013)

Thesis Ph. D. Michigan State University. Fisheries and Wildlife 2012.

Under the current rapidly changing environment, effective and efficient actions for biodiversity conservation rely on detailed knowledge on the spatiotemporal dynamics of species distribution and habitat. However, inadequate spatiotemporal information on species habitat has compromised conservation effectiveness, even for one of the most endangered species on Earth, the giant panda (Ailuropoda melanoleuca). To address this information gap, the objectives of this dissertation were to: (1) develop an approach for remotely detecting the distribution of understory bamboo, the panda's staple food, across large geographic regions; (2) develop a modeling approach for monitoring panda habitat changes across space and time; (3) evaluate the effects of current conservation efforts on short-term panda habitat changes; and (4) assess the potential impacts of climate change on long-term panda habitat dynamics. – From abstract.

Description based on online resource; title from PDF t.p. (ProQuest, viewed Sept. 18, 2013)

Thesis M.S. Michigan State University. Fisheries and Wildlife 2013.

Growing and expanding American black bear (Ursus americanus) populations and increased societal demand for honey bee pollination services have resulted in conflict between bears and beekeepers. Developing devices to protect mobile beehives from black bears is important for reducing economic losses to beekeepers and for conflict mitigation. I tested the effectiveness of 4 portable electric fence designs for excluding black bears from bait sites in northern Michigan, 2010. I determined the effectiveness of each fence design by observing bear behavior obtained from 24-hr video surveillance. From > 433 minutes of bear-fence interactions (BFI), I recorded 168 BFIs in 73 visits by an estimated 15 bears. The only fence design deemed 100% effective consisted of 3 polytape strands charged with approx. 5,000 V and spaced 0.58, 0.39, and 0.23 m from the ground. To help ensure that different bears interacted with the fence designs, I identified individual bears using several physical characteristics and unique behavior, when observed. I evaluated the repeatability of this methodology by determining the inter-rater reliability of students trained in my bear identification methods. Each student was given a 20-question test consisting of paired photographs or video recordings of unique or different bears collected during the study. Fleiss' kappa for the photographic tests was 0.49 (n = 35, z = 53.1, p < 0.001) for all students and 0.78 (z = 11, p < 0.001) for the top 5, indicating moderate and substantial agreement, respectively. Fleiss' kappa for the video test was 0.52 (n = 5, z = 7.3, p < 0.001) indicating moderate agreement. Results indicate that my techniques for identifying individual bears from photos and videos were generally repeatable.

Description based on online resource; title from PDF t.p. (viewed on Oct. 14, 2013)

Thesis Ph. D. Michigan State University. Fisheries and Wildlife ; Ecology, Evolutionary Biology, and Behavior 2017

The shift in forest management goals over the last several decades to meet societal demands for more non-timber benefits has led to a move towards ecosystem-based approaches to management, with biodiversity conservation being a major objective. Within this context, maintaining the richness and diversity of bird species on working forest landscapes has continued to be a priority in sustainable forest management. Ecosystems are heterogeneous in space and time, and regional species diversity is maintained by spatial patterns of heterogeneity at multiple scales. Understanding how patterns of heterogeneity in forest composition and structure influence species diversity is crucial to sustainable forest management. However, despite a great deal of research on habitat relationships of forest bird species, there is little understanding of how patterns of heterogeneity across scales influence regional bird species diversity. Therefore, my research goal was to investigate the relationship of bird species diversity to patterns of forest composition and structure across multiple spatial scales on a managed forest landscape. The first chapter investigates how patterns of heterogeneity in stand-level attributes impact patterns of bird community diversity across multiple spatial scales. Chapter 2 demonstrates a novel application of the conservation filters strategy to maintaining avian diversity on managed forests by working at 2 different operational scales. The third chapter looks at monitoring beta diversity in bird communities at multiple spatial scales as an alternative paradigm to species-level strategies for tracking changes in regional biodiversity.The research in these chapters draws several conclusions that are fundamental to the problem of maintaining regional biodiversity on managed forest landscapes. The first is that the relationship of environmental heterogeneity to bird community diversity changes across spatial scales. The second conclusion is that uncommon vegetation community types have a greater relative contribution to regional diversity, and the importance of specific compositional and structural attributes changes among types. Third, quantifying beta diversity of bird communities (differences among spatial units within a region) across multiple scales, using a hierarchical cluster sampling design, reflects environmental heterogeneity and offers an efficient and effective system for monitoring changes in regional biodiversity. The research presented in this dissertation offers an expanded and integrated view of the problem of maintaining biodiversity on managed forests. I have demonstrated that large-scale management systems must explicitly address how forest planning will impact patterns at multiple scales simultaneously, and maintain both homogenous and heterogeneous landscapes at the appropriate scales. My work offers an integrated set of guidelines for biodiversity conservation on managed…

Thesis M.S. Michigan State University. Fisheries and Wildlife 2016

Variation in mast production influences wildlife populations. Annual mast production is logistically difficult to measure and thus robust yearly estimates generally do not exist. Hence, wildlife managers rarely have access to information on mast occurrence and production that is spatially extensive and temporally replicated. The purpose of my research was to assess the feasibility of using citizen scientists to collect reliable data that can be used by wildlife managers to produce annual mast production estimates throughout Michigan. In Chapter 1, I present the design, development, and recruitment of a citizen-science program called MI-MAST: Wildlife Food Tracker. Following field validation of volunteer submitted data form 2014-2015, I concluded that untrained volunteers were capable of contributing reliable data on mast occurrence and production. In Chapter 2, I use data collected in 2015 to demonstrate how hard- and soft-mast production indices could be generated using the citizen-science sampling protocol. I describe a process to assess the spatial scale at which mast production variability occurs and suggest how data should be collected and combined into ecoregional units to estimate mast production for wildlife planning. I conclude that using the model described herein, citizen science is capable of producing sustainable annual mast production indices that can likely improve population models used to manage wildlife species. I also recommend that increased communication with account holders and recruitment of new participants will be needed to produce robust annual indices throughout Michigan.

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Thesis Ph. D. Michigan State University. Fisheries and Wildlife - Doctor of Philosophy 2014.

Vehicular collisions with wildlife are one of the most widespread and persistent human-wildlife conflicts that exist throughout the United States. An estimated 1-2 million wildlife-vehicle collisions (WVCs) occur each year, and that number is increasing annually. The total annual cost associated with WVCs is estimated to be >8.3 billion dollars, as well as the loss of millions of animals. Despite the magnitude of consequences from WVCs, relatively few options exist for reducing the frequency of collisions. A number of reasons can explain the shortage of options. First, identifying the most critical locations for mitigation is not straightforward. Hotspots of WVC locations are loosely defined, even though hotspots provide the best opportunity for cost-effective mitigation. Second, reporting of WVCs is inconsistent, resulting in incomplete information for studies that analyze where collisions occur. Inferences from these studies could be unreliable because of incomplete data. Finally, there is a lack of knowledge regarding large-scale and long-term trends in the frequencies of WVCs. Larger geographic and temporal studies are needed to understand the environmental influences for those trends. My overall objective was to enhance the current approaches for examining WVCs and provide more reliable inferences for reducing collisions. In Chapter 1, I address the issue of inconsistency and subjectivity in delineating hotspots of WVCs. In Chapter 2, I address the issue of sensitivity in statistical inferences from underreporting or studies of WVCs. In Chapter 3, I address the issue of understanding large-scale, dynamic processes that influence white-tailed deer (Odocoileus virginianus)-vehicle collisions (DVCs) through space and time. The collective works in these chapters contribute 3 primary conclusions for better understanding the influences of WVCs. First, the landscape can be used to objectively delineate hotspots. This new approach indicates that hotspots are larger than previously reported. Second, analyses of the influences of WVCs are highly robust to underreporting likely because WVCs occur in highly predictable patterns (i.e., hotspots). Therefore, relatively few reports are required for reliably understanding the environmental influences on where hotspots occur. Third, the large-scale, ecological drivers of DVCs through are related to suburbanization. The suburb effect consists of a unique combination intermediate to high traffic volume, high abundances of deer, and a highly fragmented landscape with high proportions of croplands. The suburb effect did not change through time, indicating high spatiotemporal predictability for DVCs. These collective works suggest large hotspots associated with suburban landscapes account for the highest frequencies of collisions, therefore these locations should be targeted for mitigation. Identifying the most critical locations to mitigate can be accomplished with…

Thesis Ph. D. Michigan State University. Fisheries and Wildlife - Doctor of Philosophy 2015.

Many of the most biodiverse locations on earth consist of landscapes inhabited by human societies with subsistence economies that depend on the harvest of the same resources researchers want to protect and study. In such contexts, especially when the rights to resource use are protected by law, it is essential for researchers, conservationists and practitioners to carefully consider and engage local peoples to ensure the success and efficiency of their work and to help protect the wellbeing of all stakeholders. My study site, the Caribbean Coast of Nicaragua, is very similar to this. I designed my initial research to explore: 1) methods to justly and effectively involve local and indigenous people in ecological research, and 2) the importance of local and indigenous people to such research. I then followed this up by integrating the results into broader research looking at trends in traditional environmental knowledge loss/retention and neotropical mammal occupancy in the context of rapid land-use change and globalization. There is an extensive literature on traditional environmental knowledge and neotropical mammals. Yet there is a dearth of publications on these topics on the context of Caribbean Coast, Nicaragua. Additionally, few research efforts have looked explicitly at the interface between the two broad topics. This dissertation builds on the literature by: 1) providing case studies concerning both traditional environmental knowledge and neotropical mammals from a region that is under-represented in academic publications, and 2) describes research that explicitly considers the process of involving local peoples into ecological research. In Chapter 1, I test a social science method for understanding traditional environmental knowledge and discuss how the results can be integrated into ecological research. In Chapter 2, I worked with locals to apply their knowledge of Baird's tapirs to a large monitoring program in a way that permitted me to compare the efficiency of multiple Baird's tapir sampling techniques, including some that integrated traditional knowledge and one that did not. In Chapters 3 and 4 I report on broader research looking at general trends in traditional environmental knowledge loss/retention and neotropical mammal occupancy over time. I found that mental model interviews are a fairly easy, but effective means for ecologists to understand how local peoples consider the ecosystems they live in, to learn how to communicate with locals about their environment, and to learn how to best integrate locals into Western science fieldwork. In addition, I found that local environmental knowledge can affect the efficiency of ecological sampling, which underscores the importance of understanding the process of local involvement in wildlife research and integrating local knowledge in a systematic way. Research on traditional environmental knowledge and wildlife occupancy reveal a landscape that remains rich in…

Thesis Ph. D. Michigan State University. Fisheries and Wildlife 2018

The eastern massasauga rattlesnake (Sistrurus catenatus catenatus) is a federally Threatened species due to factors that include degradation and fragmentation of habitat and corresponding population declines throughout the species range. Further, a fungal pathogen (Ophidiomyces ophiodiicola) which affects snake species across North America is a potential threat to massasauga populations. The ability to identify and assess suitability of current and potential habitats, to effectively locate massasaugas, and to determine population demographic rates, are warranted for conservation of the species. In 2015 and 2016, we identified 27 20-ha study sites of varying habitat quality throughout southern Michigan where massasaugas were known to occur historically. At these sites, we applied and validated a habitat suitability index (HSI) model by quantifying the habitat attributes defined by the model (% live and dead herbaceous cover, number and DBH of trees and shrubs >3 m in height, % area in early successional deciduous upland and wetland). Habitat suitability index scores across all sites ranged from 0.21 to 0.95. We used HSI scores to predict the likelihood that a given site is occupied by massasaugas (i.e., occupancy probability). For sites approaching maximum suitability (HSI = 1), predicted occupancy was > 0.5, while for poor suitability sites (HSI scores approaching 0) predicted occupancy was < 0.2. We used resource selection probability function analysis to quantify habitat use versus availability and found a positive relationship between probability of use and % live and dead herbaceous cover, and a negative relationship between probability of use and number of stems and DBH of trees >3 m in height.To aid researchers and managers in successfully detecting massasaugas in occupied habitat we developed and tested a visual encounter survey method. We quantified detection probability for massasaugas using this method and determined factors important in influencing detection probability (i.e., environmental conditions, surveyor conditions) at 4 study sites. In 2016, we completed 54 detection surveys with 5 surveyors; we detected ≥1 massasauga at 11 surveys. Our null detection probability was 0.31. We found that time spent searching and minimum air temperature were the most important correlates of detection probability of the variables we measured: detection probability approached 1.00 as searcher time exceeded 90 minutes and approached 0.80 on cooler mornings (down to 12.8°C). At six of our 27 study sites, we obtained sufficient massasauga locations (i.e., ≥30) via radio telemetry or random encounters to estimate survivorship for the study region. In total, we telemetered 22 adults, 6 juveniles, and 10 neonates using both surgical implantation of transmitters and external attachment. For the 137-day study period during the active season, adult massasauga survivorship estimated using the Mayfield method was 0.767 (SE = 0.016). For juveniles and…

Thesis Ph. D. Michigan State University. Fisheries and Wildlife 2019.

Mute swans (Cygnus olor) were introduced by humans to Michigan with translocation of one pair from Iowa into Michigan’s Charlevoix County in 1919. Michigan’s mute swan population peaked in 2013 with an estimated abundance of 17,520 individuals. This coincided with the Michigan Department of Natural Resources drafting a policy which sought fewer than 2,000 wild mute swans present in Michigan by 2030. However, uncertainty in life stage-specific demographic rates and movements did not allow for robust analyses of levels and types of management needed to achieve the long-term goal. A pilot project was launched in 2014 to investigate inter- and intrastate movements of mute swans within the Great Lakes region. This effort spawned a formal research partnership between Michigan State University, the Michigan Department of Natural Resources, and the Wildlife Services division of the U.S. Department of Agriculture Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service. The goals of this research were to refine mute swan management strategies in Michigan by incorporating region-specific parameters into demographic models and to understand seasonal movements of mute swans. We investigated nesting ecology and life stage-specific survival and movements for mute swans located in the Lower Peninsula of Michigan. We used aerial surveys to locate nests and fledged young within site boundaries. We used boats to neck collar individuals and visit nests. Estimated nest survival (Ŝ = 0.701), mean egg volume (328.2 ± SD 26.6 cm3), and mean incubation initiation date (8 April) were comparable to estimates from other portions of mute swan range. Mean clutch size (7.0 ± SE 0.15) was slightly higher than in areas of their native range, but comparable to estimates from the introduced range in North America. Apparent cygnet survival (i.e., hatch to estimated fledge; 0.27 ± 0.01), brood survival (0.58 ± 0.03), overall productivity (1.2 fledglings/pair), and percentage of gray young in newly hatched broods (36.9% gray plumage) were slightly lower compared to portions of native range. Observed breeding productivity related to saturation of characteristic nesting habitat (^ = -0.9792, p = 0.04). Seven-month survival estimates for fledged young (Ŝ = 0.526, 95% CI = 0.342 – 0.703) were slightly lower than areas of their native range and may be related to ratio of gray and leucistic morph individuals in our population (^leucistic = -0.908, 95% CI = -2.086 – 0.269). Estimated annual survival for non-breeding (Ŝ = 0.698, 95% CI = 0.419 – 0.881) and breeding swans (Ŝ = 0.850, 95% CI = 0.686 – 0.936) was slightly less but near reported values for native range. Breeding female mute swans remained on or close to nesting territories year-round and were furthest from territories during winter (x̄ = 11.3 km). Juvenile-marked female swans tended to move farther from natal areas than juvenile-marked males during their first 2 years of life; however, juvenile-marked females were closer to natal…

Thesis Ph. D. Michigan State University. Fisheries and Wildlife 2012.

The human-nature relationship is entering a new period of intense and accelerating changes at local, regional, and global scales. To sustain and improve human well-being without impairing the ecosystems on which it depends, it is needed to holistically view and manage the human society and the natural environment as a coupled system. Tourism is one of the world's largest and fastest growing industry and has great potential to contribute to the United Nation's Millennium Development Goals, especially on enhancing global biodiversity conservation and fighting poverty. Although it has been widely practiced in protected areas in less developed countries, few have been successful in balancing the needs of both conservation and development and achieve sustainability in the long run. To harness the great potential of tourism for sustainability, there is an urgent need for long-term research of tourism development in protected areas that takes a holistic perspective and integrates both the socioeconomic and ecological dimensions of this globally emergent phenomenon. In this dissertation I studied the evolution of tourism in Wolong Nature Reserve, a flagship reserve in China, across three decades. I investigated both the patterns and drivers of tourism development and also its socioeconomic and ecological consequences. The Tourism Area Life Cycle model was employed to classify and interpret the dynamic drivers and changes associated with tourism through its different development stages. Through a longitudinal analysis on the income sources of over 200 local households, I showed that the local community benefited economically from tourism in various direct and indirect ways. However, most households who benefited more from tourism are those used to possess more livelihood assets than the others; thus the poorer was marginalized during tourism development. To assess the ecological impacts of tourism development, I used a novel habitat-based approach to assess giant panda population capacity and viability to investigate how tourism, as an emerging land use type, affects panda habitat use and its consequences at population level. I found that past human disturbance has depleted more than half of the Reserve's capacity for giant pandas. Although recent forest restoration is likely to help provide more habitat for panda population recovery, over 60% of the potential gain in panda population capacity could be lost if the current expansion of tourism, especially through the use of the multiple trails traversing the Reserve, continues in the future. This interdisciplinary study provided a solid example of how the complexity of coupled human and natural system can be studied using a mixed quantitative and qualitative methods. It makes substantial contributions to the conservation of giant pandas as tourism has become a major threat to their long-term survival in the remaining habitats. It also provides useful tools and essential information for a better management…

Thesis Ph. D. Michigan State University. Fisheries and Wildlife - Doctor of Philosophy 2015.

The Egyptian Environmental Affairs Agency (EEAA) declared Ras Mohamed National Park the first Marine Protected Area (MPA) in Egypt in 1983 to conserve the Gulf of Aqaba coral reef ecosystem, sustain artisanal fisheries and encourage tourism activities in this region. The European Commission helped, initially, by providing the needed funding for the establishment of this MPA and for the establishment of two others, one in Nabq and the other in Abu Gallum. The creation of these managed resource protected areas established the entire Egyptian marine sector in the Gulf of Aqaba as a protected area by 1996. Artisanal fisheries were permitted in selected areas in these marine protected areas which were only conducted by the local people (Bedouin). This research assessed the role of the marine protected areas in conserving the fish populations of target and nontarget families in four regions of the Gulf of Aqaba, all of which were subjected to different regulations and fishing pressures over the last decade. In addition, I evaluated the impact of fishing and the catch dynamics at Nabq to ascertain whether specialized fishing regulations of take and no-take zones was effective in conserving the fisheries. Lastly, I conducted a pilot study on the dependency of the Bedouin fishers on the Nabq fisheries and their attitude towards the initiative of conservation measures and perceived needs for change to increase their effectiveness.I found that the coral reef fish populations have changed over the years since the protected areas came into existence in terms of species richness, diversity, abundance and size; a result of changing fishing pressure due to changes in the effectiveness of law enforcement and conservation. Nabq, which was relatively lightly fished in 2002, was the most affected region where species richness, total fish abundance, and the abundance of target and non-target families significantly declined by 2012 due to heavy fishing pressure and noncompliance to the regulations that applied to the no take zones in the region. In contrast, Dahab, the heavily fished region in 2002, exhibited an increase in species richness, diversity, total fish abundance, the abundances of the least commercially targeted herbivore families and other non-target fish families, by 2012; a result of reduced fishing pressure and increased law enforcement in this region. Additionally Ras Mohamed, which originally did not allow fishing, was found to have experienced illegal fishing beginning by 2003 ultimately resulting in a decline in the abundance of commercially valuable fish families by 2012.Fishers from Nabq and Dahab depend on the Nabq fisheries for food security and livelihoods. However, many of the fishers were willing to change their occupations and work for tourism or other governmental secured job, as the fisheries currently were very poor. Although the local fishers were aware of the regulations for the protected area and noted the…

Thesis Ph. D. Michigan State University. Fisheries and Wildlife 2014.

ABSTRACTREGIONAL INFLUENCE OF LANDSCAPE FEATURES AND PROCESSES ON FLUVIAL FISH ASSEMBLAGESByDarren Jay Thornbrugh Habitat fragmentation, degradation and loss are dominant reasons for global declines in biodiversity of fishes in stream systems, and humans have drastically modified landscapes drained by streams due to activities including urbanization and agriculture. Such human land uses are known to change stream habitats through inputs of excess nutrients, sediments, or toxics and through changes in stream flow and thermal regimes, and human land uses have been shown in many studies to negatively affect stream habitats and the fishes they support. Despite this understanding, degradation of stream habitats and fishes continues globally, and freshwater fishes remain one of the most threatened groups of organisms on the planet. Less understood are the specific mechanisms by which land uses affect stream habitats and how these can vary by region, and how additional landscape-scale characteristics may alter effects of human land uses, resulting in regionally-specific responses in stream fishes to stressors. Such differences across regions may render one locale more sensitive to biodiversity loss or fish assemblage change from the same magnitude of anthropogenic disturbance in the landscape and confound efforts to develop and apply specific actions to conserve biodiversity of stream fishes. The goal of this study is to help address these limitations in understanding. In these chapters, I characterize important natural landscape factors and human land uses influencing distributions and abundances of stream fishes across large regions in both Michigan and within five freshwater ecoregions in the eastern portion of the United States. The results show major regional patterns of natural landscape factors and human stressors that affect fluvial fishes and how these factors vary in influence across regions. This more in-depth understanding of landscape influences on fluvial fish assemblages will allow managers to better account for this regional variability when working to protect and conserve freshwater fisheries and biodiversity of fluvial fish assemblages from both current and future threats.

Description based on online resource; title from PDF t.p. (viewed on August 16, 2017)

Thesis M.S. Michigan State University. Fisheries and Wildlife 2014.

The goal of my thesis was to identify the climatic and vegetation factors that influence snowshoe hare occupancy in Michigan. My objectives were to: 1) quantify snowshoe hare occupancy as related to climate change and 2) quantify the relationships between patch-level snowshoe hare occupancy and land cover change over time, current land cover, habitat structure, and mesocarnivore presence. In Chapter 1, I determined the most efficient transect configurations for winter track surveys and found that transects 150m in length with 100 or 75m spacing, or 125m in length with 75m spacing provided reliable estimates of hare occupancy. In Chapter 2, I researched climatic variables that are potentially linked to snowshoe hare population performance and assessed whether those factors affected the localized extinction of snowshoe hares . I found that localized extinction was mostly influenced by maximum temperature from May 15 - January 19; as temperature increased the likelihood of localized extinction increased. I also found that the total number of days with measurable snow on the ground affected localized extinction; as number of days with snow on the ground decreased the likelihood of localized extinction increased. In Chapter 3, I evaluated whether land cover change over time, current land cover, and habitat factors affected snowshoe hare occupancy and habitat use. I found that land cover change over time did not affect hare occupancy. Rather, a current land cover covariate (the ratio between forest and open edge) and the habitat covariates of visual obstruction at 1.0-1.5m above snow level and total stem density were important; all 3 parameters were positive but only the transect-level covariates were significant.

Description based on online resource;

Mallards (Anas platyrhynchos) are one of the most widely studied waterfowl species in North America, yet there are unknown demographic vital rates that are critical to enhancing the management of this waterfowl species. Specifically, information on breeding season survival rates of female mallards in the Great Lakes region is lacking. We estimated breeding season survival for 484 individually radio-marked female mallards across 9 study sites in the Great Lakes region from 2001-2003. We modeled the effects of study site, year, state, female age (after second year [ASY] vs second year [SY]), body condition, and 3 time periods within the breeding season. Additionally, we created utilization distributions (UDs) (i.e., home ranges), estimated core areas for 282 individuals, and quantified land cover types in those core areas to model the effects of those cover types on breeding season survival. Survival ranged from 0.62-0.85 and the mean across all sites was 0.76. Survival was lowest during the peak nesting period, but study site, year, state, age, and body condition had no significant effect on survival. Our top model suggested that breeding season survival decreased as the percent composition of forested cover within the core areas increased (Beta = -1.740, 95% CI Lower = -3.282, Upper = -0.197). Breeding season survival estimates were similar to those estimated elsewhere and we failed to detect a strong relationship between most land cover types within core areas and survival, suggesting that female mallard survival in the Great Lakes region may be affected by land cover factors not assessed as a part of this study or at alternative spatial scales.

Online resource;

Thesis Ph. D. Michigan State University.Fisheries and Wildlife Ecology, Evolutionary Biology, and Behavior 2011.

Structure retention is a practice used in managed forests to assist the conservation of biological diversity, whereby green trees, dead trees (i.e., snags), and downed wood are retained during timber harvest. This activity is recognized as beneficial; however, there is little scientific support to guide the management prescriptions (e.g., density, patch sizes, distribution pattern). I quantified wildlife responses to structure retention attributes in harvest units across 4 regions in the Pacific Northwest, USA, during the summers of 2008-2010. These 4 regions encapsulated ecological and management variability of intensively managed forests ranging from Washington to northern California. Bird species were observed at retention sites across the 4 regions and white-headed woodpeckers (Picoides albolarvatus) were studied more intensively in California. I used a hierarchical modeling framework to separately model the processes related to data collection (e.g., detection probability) from those related to the state variables of interest (e.g., species occupancy). This framework allowed for the examination of factors which influenced each process. The results provide empirical support for management strategies that can improve the effectiveness of structure retention for addressing biodiversity objectives.In the first chapter, I report on a multi-species occurrence model which estimated occupancy and detection probabilities for all bird species observed at retention sites. Retained tree count was associated with an increased occupancy probability for 70% of the observed species. The community response to tree count was consistent across all study areas and years - species richness estimates increased with tree count and approximated a species-area curve. Distance to nearest mature forest did not significantly affect occupancy probability for any observed species, and therefore, had no significant relationship with species richness. These results suggest that the diversity of birds using structure retention in harvest units can be maximized at patches of >10-15 rotation age trees.In the second chapter, I used a multistate site occupancy model to estimate the probabilities of occupancy and nesting for white-headed woodpeckers in harvest units where structure retention was present. Snag density had a significant positive association with nesting probability. Mature forest proportion was negatively associated with nesting probability, though there was considerable uncertainty. High occupancy (0.98) and nesting (0.89) probabilities suggest that current structure retention policies have provided the necessary habitat conditions for white-headed woodpecker nesting in harvest units of northern California. Forest managers can maximize nesting probability by retaining >2 snags/ha during harvest.In the third chapter, I examined reproductive success for white-headed woodpeckers using models of nest survival and number of…

Thesis Ph. D. Michigan State University. Fisheries and Wildlife and Ecology, Evolutionary Biology, and Behavior 2011.

Grassland birds are one of the most imperiled guilds of North American birds, and their populations continue to decline in Michigan. Habitat loss and fragmentation due to agricultural conversion have been the most important causes of decline, with losses of native temperate grasslands >83% in the Midwest. Farmland set-aside programs such as the Conservation Reserve Enhancement Program (CREP) increase the area of native and introduced grasslands in the U.S., contributing to the conservation of grassland birds. Local evaluations (e.g., within major watersheds or ecoregions) of the impacts of farmland set-aside programs on grassland bird populations are important because grassland bird habitat requirements vary among geographic regions and there is geographic variation in the effect of farmland set-aside lands on wildlife. I examined avian populations of CREP grasslands in the Saginaw Bay watershed of Michigan from 2005-06 to address the following questions: 1) Are grassland birds present? 2) Do densities of grassland species differ in native and introduced CREP grasslands? 3) Is grassland bird occupancy correlated with grassland size, type, and structural variables and/or the extent or proximity of woody vegetation near grasslands (≤100 m)? Results of this study show that CREP grasslands provide habitat for grassland bird species in Michigan. Of 15 grassland species documented to occur in the state in the most recent Michigan Breeding Bird Atlas, 11 species were observed in study grasslands, including 1 Michigan endangered species (Henslow's Sparrow), 3 Michigan special concern species (Dickcissel, Grasshopper Sparrow, and Northern Harrier), and 4 species with significantly declining population trends (p <0.10) in Michigan according to recent analyses of Breeding Bird Survey data (Bobolink, Eastern Meadowlark, Ring-necked Pheasant, and Vesper Sparrow). Detection probability estimates were calculated for observed species. Species with low detection probability estimates (i.e., <0.10) were not included in comparisons of density or in occupancy modeling. Densities of 5 of 8 grassland bird species with detection probability estimates ≥0.10 were higher in native grasslands than introduced grasslands during at least one year of the study (i.e., Grasshopper Sparrow, Ring-necked Pheasant, Savannah Sparrow, Sedge Wren, and Vesper Sparrow). One species, Bobolink, was more abundant in the introduced vegetation during one year of the study. Grassland type was positively associated with the occupancy of Ring-necked Pheasant, Sedge Wren, and Vesper Sparrow, with higher detection-corrected occupancy estimates in native grasslands for all species. Grassland size was positively associated with Sedge Wren occupancy and negatively associated with Dickcissel occupancy. Although grassland type and grassland size…