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Supplemental feeding of wild ungulates has long been and remains a common practice across Europe and North America. Yet by drawing animals together, supplemental feeding can have unintended, negative effects on individual species and broader ecological processes. These include increased risk of disease transmission, intraspecific and interspecific competition, and predation, which are of management concern for white‐tailed deer (Odocoileus virginianus) in the southeastern United States given the arrival of nonnative wild pigs (Sus scrofa) and coyotes (Canis latrans). We conducted a field experiment between March and July of 2021 to assess the effects of supplemental feeding on spatiotemporal activity patterns of deer and wild pigs at wildlife feeders, and space use of coyotes in the Piedmont region of South Carolina, USA. We observed support for our hypothesis that interspecific competition through increased visitation by larger groups of competitor species reduces use of foraging sites by other subordinate ungulates, where feeders highly visited by wild pigs were rarely visited by deer. While adult deer and wild pigs generally did not shift their temporal activity patterns at feeders, juvenile temporal activity shifted to more frequent visits of feeders during the night, supporting our hypothesis that supplemental feed could increase risk to predator exposure, as coyotes tend to be active during crepuscular hours. Our findings suggest that supplemental feed put out to encourage deer activity could actually deter deer if wild pigs occupy that area, and has potential negative demographic effects if juveniles are at increased risk of predation. Collectively, based on our data, we do not recommend supplemental feeding in the southeastern United States where white‐tailed deer, coyotes, and wild pigs co‐occur. More broadly, given how widespread the legal use of supplemental feed remains across the United States, we encourage landowners and policymakers to consider the full suite of potential direct and indirect, short‐term and long‐term negative impacts supplemental feeding can have on both target and nontarget wildlife populations. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Aim: Synthesize literature on genetic structure within species to understand how geographic features and species traits influence past responses to climate change. Location: North America. Time Period: We synthesized phylogeographic studies from 1978 to 2023, which describe genetic lineages that diverged during the Pleistocene (≥11,700 years ago). Major Taxa Studied: Mammals. Methods: We conducted a literature review to map genetic breaks in species distributions, then tested a set of geographic hypotheses (e.g., mountains, rivers) to explain their position by comparing break locations to a grid within each species' sampled range using logistic regression. We then conducted a meta‐analysis using species‐specific model estimates to ask if life‐history traits explained variation in which barriers were most important in species' past response to climate change. Results: Our findings reveal heterogeneity in both where North American mammal phylogeography has been studied and the density of genetic breaks across 229 species. We found relatively high concordance among carnivores, ungulates and lagomorphs, where breaks were associated with mountains, major water bodies and relatively even terrain. In contrast, we found high variability within rodents and shrews, and no evidence that intrinsic factors related to dispersal ability explained the importance of hypothesized barriers across all species. Main Conclusions: Southern Mexico is a hotspot for genetic breaks that has yet to be integrated into the broader story of North American phylogeography. We show that mountains and major water bodies play particularly important roles as barriers, but substantial variation across species within orders suggests that there is more to the story besides shared climatic or phylogenetic histories. Thus, understanding the phylogeography of individual species will continue to be important given that our results suggest high variability in how species may respond to future global change. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Resource pulses are ecologically important phenomenon that occur in most ecosystems globally. Following optimal foraging theory, many consumers switch to pulsatile foods when available, examples of which include fruit mast and vulnerable young prey. Yet how the availability of resource pulses shapes the ecology of predators is still an emerging area of research; and how much individual variation there is in response to pulses is not well understood. We hypothesized that resource pulses would lead to dietary convergence in our population, which we tested by tracking both population‐level and individual coyote diets for 3 years in South Carolina, USA. We (1) described seasonal dietary shifts in relation to resource pulses; (2) compared male and female diets across seasons; and (3) tested this dietary convergence hypothesis by quantifying individual dietary variation both across and within periods when resource pulses were available. We found that pulses of white‐tailed deer fawns and blackberries composed over half of coyote diet in summer, and persimmon fruits were an important component in fall. Male and female coyotes generally had similar diets, but males consumed more deer in fall, perhaps driven by scavenging more. We found support for our dietary convergence hypothesis, where individuals had more similar diets during resource pulses compared to a non‐pulse period. We also found that this convergence happened before peak availability, suggesting a non‐symmetric response to pulse availability. We show that nearly all coyotes eat fawns, suggesting that targeted efforts to remove "fawn killers" would be in vain. Instead, given how quickly coyotes collectively converge on resource pulses, our findings show that resource pulses could potentially be used by managers to alter the behavior of apex predators. More broadly, we open a new line of inquiry into how variation in individual foraging decisions scales up to shape the effects of resource pulses on ecological communities. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Recruitment is central to diversity, equity, and inclusion (DEI) initiatives within higher education, but how faculty recruit their graduate students and consider DEI in this context remains unknown. We surveyed environmental science faculty across the United States, aiming to better understand what faculty value when recruiting, as well as when, how, and why they consider DEI. We show that faculty valued applicant character traits highest, followed by soft skills and relevant technical experience. DEI-related criteria were of low to medium importance and were generally rated lower by faculty who were White, male, and at R1 institutions, although there were nuances related to applicant degree (MS versus PhD), whether we were asking about the applicant's commitment to DEI or their demographic identity, and the stage of the recruitment process. We identified opportunities for more inclusive graduate recruitment, including higher pay, more objective evaluation strategies, and a need for institutions to incentivize productivity without undermining the faculty's ability to attract diverse graduate students. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Coyotes Canis latrans have expanded their geographic range by 40% in the last 120 years, raising questions about their ecological impacts in the newly colonised areas. Despite a wealth of local knowledge on coyote diet in North America, we have little information about how and why diet might vary throughout the species' range.We conducted the first rangewide meta‐analysis of coyote diet by investigating how ecoregion, coyote mass, environmental conditions, presence of top predators and alternative food items are related to coyote dietary diversity, as well as consumption of small mammals, lagomorphs, vegetation and ungulates.Using data from 93 studies, we used generalised linear mixed models to determine which variables best explained coyote dietary patterns.Coyotes were generally more carnivorous in temperate forests than in other ecoregions, primarily due to greater ungulate consumption. Dietary diversity was most influenced via a negative effect of mammal consumption; coyote diet was more diverse in the spring and where human footprint was greater. There was minor variation in small mammal consumption, but lagomorph consumption was greater in spring and winter and when coyotes were larger. Vegetation consumption was greatest in summer and autumn. Ungulate consumption was positively related to coyote mass, snow cover and the presence of grey wolves Canis lupus.Both intrinsic and extrinsic factors were related to coyote diet. Larger coyotes ate larger foods, which parallels the relationship between mass and prey size across the carnivore guild. Wolves and humans have opposing effects on coyote diet. Coyotes seem to prioritise eating wild mammals, though more work is needed to quantify scavenging. Collectively, our findings emphasise the need for continued local or regional studies to understand the highly variable ecological effects of coyotes within the diverse ecosystems they currently inhabit and are poised to inhabit. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Access to field experiences can increase participation of diverse groups in the environmental and natural resources (ENR) workforce. Despite a growing interest among the ENR community to attract and retain diverse students, minimal data exist on what factors undergraduate students prioritize when applying for field experiences. Using a nationwide survey of US undergraduate ENR students, we show that attracting most students to field experiences—especially racial or ethnic minority students—will require pay above minimum wage. However, the concurrent landscape of pay in ENR fell short of meeting many students' pay needs. Aside from pay, ENR students valued training in technical field skills and analytical or research skills, working with their desired study species or taxa, and working near school or family. Additional barriers beyond limited pay included incompatible schedules and noninclusive work environments. Our findings provide important insights for attracting a diverse workforce to this critical stage in career advancement for students in ENR. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

With rapid global change in the Anthropocene, it is important to understand and predict changes in species distributions that could potentially impact entire ecosystems. Turkey Vulture (Cathartes aura) distribution has been expanding and, as an obligate scavenger, its presence can have an impact on the ecosystems it inhabits. Here we investigated the relative impact of human population density and climate (temperature and precipitation) on Turkey Vulture presence. We used eBird community science data from 2010–2020 to create a species distribution model for Turkey Vultures across their entire range using a Random Forests algorithm. We then projected this distribution for the year 2070 to estimate any changes. Our model predicted an expansion in Turkey Vulture distribution during the breeding season of May–August. This suggests that areas of both North and South America where only seasonal, migratory Turkey Vultures currently exist can expect resident populations of Turkey Vultures in the future. Mild temperature was an important variable for presence during the nonbreeding season, whereas low human density was more important for predicting presence during the breeding season. The distribution of Turkey Vultures is widest during the breeding season, meaning that factors influencing the breeding range could be considered more important when considering range expansion. As such, our findings suggest that warmer boreal winters coupled with the potential presence of domestic carcasses in agricultural areas (i.e., low human density) are facilitating Turkey Vulture range expansion. This expansion has important implications for the scavenging community in northern latitudes where increased Turkey Vulture presence might impact other species relying on carrion. Con el rápido cambio global en el Antropoceno, es importante entender y predecir cambios en distribución de especies que podrían potencialmente tener un impacto en ecosistemas completos. La distribución del zopilote de cabeza roja (Cathartes aura) se ha ido expandiendo y, como carroñero obligado, su presencia puede tener un impacto en los ecosistemas que habita. Aquí investigamos el impacto relativo de la densidad de población humana y del clima (temperatura y precipitación) en la presencia del zopilote de cabeza roja. Utilizamos datos de ciencia ciudadana de eBird del 2010–2020 para crear modelos de distribución de especies de los zopilotes de cabeza roja en su rango completo usando un algoritmo de Random Forests. Luego proyectamos su distribución para el año 2070 para estimar cambios posibles. Nuestro modelo predijo una expansión en la distribución del zopilote de cabeza roja durante la temporada reproductiva de mayo-agosto. Esto sugiere que áreas tanto de Norte como Sudamérica donde los zopilotes de cabeza roja eran solo estacionales migratorios podrían esperar tener poblaciones residentes de este zopilote en el futuro. La variable temperatura templada fue importante para la presencia durante la temporada no-reproductiva, mientras que la baja densidad humana fue un predictor más importante durante la temporada reproductiva. La distribución de los zopilotes de cabeza roja es más amplia durante la temporada reproductiva, lo que significa que los factores que influyen en el rango reproductivo podrían ser considerados más importantes al considerar la expansión de rango. Así, nuestros hallazgos sugieren que inviernos boreales más cálidos junto con la presencia potencial de restos de animales domésticos en áreas agrícolas (es decir, de baja densidad humana) facilitan el rango de expansión del zopilote de cabeza roja. Esta expansión tiene implicaciones importantes para la comunidad de carroñeros en latitudes norteñas donde la presencia en aumento del zopilote de cabeza roja puede tener un impacto en otras especies dependientes de la carroña. Palabras clave: cambio global, carroñero, clima, densidad humana, expansión de rango. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Predators impose top‐down forces on prey populations, with the strength of those effects often varying over space and time and among demographic groups. In ungulates, predation risk is typically greatest for neonatal offspring, with some suggesting that predators can key in on adult activity to locate hidden neonates. However, few field studies to date have been able to directly assess the influence of maternal care on ungulate neonate survival. Using a population of white‐tailed deer under heavy coyote predation pressure, we tested the maternal dispersion hypothesis, which suggests the dispersion of maternal activity temporally and spatially attenuates risk of predation for ungulate neonates during this vulnerable altricial phase. We compared support for this hypothesis with more commonly tested hypotheses regarding the influence of habitat conditions and intrinsic factors on neonatal survival. Fawn survival to 16 weeks was 27.7%, with coyotes accounting for 59% of fawn mortalities. In support of our maternal temporal diffusion hypothesis, we found that neonatal survival decreased as more maternal visits (proportionally) occurred at night. The only other significant (p <.1) predictor of fawn survival was birth timing, with fawn survival decreasing as the season progressed. Given that fawn survival declined as the proportion of nighttime visits increased, and that wild pig presence and human disturbance can push doe and fawn activity toward nocturnal hours, additional research is needed to determine whether managing pig and human disturbance can decrease fawn mortality. More broadly, given the importance of recruitment in ungulate population dynamics, our finding opens a potentially important new line of inquiry on how maternal behaviors influence predation risk in large animal predator–prey ecology. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The accelerating loss of biodiversity has created an urgent need for applied science to help halt species extinction. However, conservation scientists have long been concerned about the extent to which their findings have been incorporated into management practices. In the case of the U.S. Endangered Species Act, the use of science in decision-making is mandated in the drafting and revision of recovery planning documents, making it an ideal case study to assess the extent to which threat-addressing research is being conducted and incorporated into endangered species recovery. We evaluated which animal species tended to receive the most peer-reviewed research, the extent to which research was relevant to the known threats faced by species, how often relevant research was integrated into recovery planning revisions, and the attributes of research that was utilized. We found that endangered species research has increased exponentially over the past 50 years, with more peer-reviewed research being produced on endangered species that are larger in size, receive more funding, and are more popular. Half (54.6 %) of peer-reviewed publications on endangered species addressed a recognized threat, with publications increasingly addressing threats over time. Recovery planning documents only cited 35 % of threat-focused peer-reviewed publications, with publications containing more government-affiliated authors being more likely to be cited in recovery plans. To better navigate this space between science and practice in endangered species recovery, we encourage researchers and practitioners to counteract entrenched taxonomic biases and to collaborate on research that is focused on identifiable threats to species and that produces findings clearly applicable to practice. [Display omitted] • Endangered species research has increased exponentially over the past 50 years • Endangered species that are larger in size, receive more funding, and more popular tend to be better studied • 54.6% of publications on endangered species addressed a recognized conservation threat • Endangered species recovery planning documents cited 35% of threat-focused peer-reviewed publications • Publications containing more government-affiliated authors were more likely to be cited in recovery plans [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Species that respond to ecosystem change in a timely, measurable, and interpretable way can be used as sentinels of global change. Contrary to a pervasive view, we suggest that, among Carnivora, small carnivores are more appropriate sentinels than large carnivores. This reasoning is built around six key points: that, compared to large carnivores, small carnivores 1) are more species‐rich and diverse, providing more potential sentinels in many systems; 2) occupy a wider range of ecological niches, exhibiting a greater variety of sensitivities to change; 3) hold an intermediate trophic position that is more directly affected by changes at the producer, primary consumer, and tertiary consumer levels; 4) have shorter life spans and higher reproductive rates, exhibiting more rapid responses to change; 5) have smaller home ranges and are more abundant, making it easier to investigate fine‐scale management interventions; 6) are easier to monitor, manage, and manipulate. Therefore, we advocate for incorporating a middle‐out approach, in addition to the established top‐down and bottom‐up approaches, to assessing the responses of ecosystems to global change. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]