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Since 2001, Grupo Tortuguero has been conducting monthly in-water monitoring of East Pacific green turtles (Chelonia mydas), also known as black turtles, at four neritic foraging areas (Bahia Magdalena, Laguna San Ignacio, Punta Abreojos, Laguna Ojo de Liebre) along the Pacific coast of Baja California Sur, Mexico. Extensive tagging (883 turtles tagged of 1,183 turtles captured) and recaptures (154 tagged turtles recaptured at least once) at these four areas suggest that immature East Pacific green turtles show strong site fidelity to their neritic foraging grounds. However, in 2007, we recaptured two immature turtles, one in Laguna San Ignacio and the other in Bahia Magdalena, that were both originally captured in Punta Abreojos. To our knowledge, this represents the first direct evidence of immature East Pacific green turtles using multiple foraging areas along the Baja California Peninsula. This report highlights the importance of long-term monitoring efforts that encompass several habitats on a relatively large spatial scale (~80 km between Punta Abreojos and Laguna San Ignacio and ~300 km between Punta Abreojos and Bahia Magdalena) to better understand the movements and habitat use of immature East Pacific green turtles on their neritic foraging areas. doi: 10.2984/64.1.125, The East Pacific green turtle (Chelonia mydas) is currently listed as endangered in the World Conservation Union (IUCN) Red List (Hilton-Taylor 2000, Seminoff 2004). This subpopulation is frequently referred to [...]

Climatic changes at Coringa-Herald National Nature Reserve (CHNNR) in the last 82 yr include a 0.7°C rise in mean minimum winter temperatures and increases in drought duration and frequency. Between 1991 and 2002, a plague of the scale insects Pulvinaria urbicola (Cockerell), together with attendant ants destroyed Pisonia grandis R.Br. rain forest at South-West Coringa Islet. Scale insect damage of P. grandis has also been recorded at North-East Herald Cay. This study explored the reasons for vegetation dieback during current climate. Woody species such as Argusia argentea (L.) Heine, Cordia subcordata Lam., and the grasses Lepturus repens (G. Forst.) R.Br. and Stenotaphrum micranthum (Desv.) C. E. Hubb. have also declined at CHNNR. Ximenia americana L. and Digitaria ctenantha (F. Muell.) Hughes were found to be locally extinct. Dieback of forests results in reduction of canopy-breeding seabirds and burrowing shearwaters (Puffinus pacificus [Gmelin)]. Dieback species were replaced by the shrub Abutilon albescens Miq. and/or fleshy herbaceous plants such as Achyranthes aspera L., Boerhavia albiflora Fosberg, Ipomoea micrantha Roem. & Schult, Portulaca oleracea L., and Tribulus cistoides L. Increasing duration of droughts and increased temperatures, together with damage caused by exotic insect pests, appear to be the key drivers of the current vegetation changes. doi: 10.2987/64.1.073, Coringa-Herald National Nature Reserve (CHNNR), located about 400 km east of Cairns, forms part of the northern Australian Coral Sea Islands Territory. It includes three groups of coral sand cays [...]

A study was carried out to ascertain the success of using cover poles to measure vegetation in wildlife and livestock management. Results showed that cover poles were convenient as a single person could carry out the entire operation.

A study was conducted to determine bait preference for capturing free-ranging white-tailed deer. Results showed that changes in bait preference did not necessarily contribute to the increased success of capture.

A study was conducted to establish cost effective methods for ecological wildlife management. Results showed that the bioeconomic model used could aid effective wildlife management in specific settings.

A study was conducted through a questionnaire circulated among stakeholder groups to determine their concepts for effective management of landscapes important to wildlife. Results showed that disparity existed in their perceptions and awareness needed to be created to manage changing landscapes.

A study was conducted to determine the relevance of the presence of predators, red-tailed hawks in close proximity to supplemental feeding areas of northern bobwhite (quail). Results showed that management of supplemental feeding had an unexpected influence on the main predator of quail as they were found close to feeding sites.

A study was conducted to determine the effect of predator control when species survival is under threat. Results showed that management of predators is an effective method in the event of species threatened due to dwindling numbers.

A study was conducted to determine the effect of destruction and alteration of natural habitat on pond amphibians. Results showed that harvest planning in areas close to breeding sites of amphibians was important in wildlife management.

A study was conducted to ascertain the survival and body condition of raccoons during winter relevant to availability of food sources. Results revealed that there was no significant change in the body conditions of raccoons after winter indicating reliable availability of food sources.

A study was undertaken to ascertain methods to determine the distribution and numbers of endangered Florida Key deer in areas comprising of the outer islands. Results showed that the digital infrared-triggered cameras were a practical method to observe the presence of deer in the area.

A study was undertaken to examine ways and means of reducing mortality of Florida Key deer due to deer-vehicle collisions (DVCs) along United States Highway 1 on Big Pine Key. Results revealed that extensive urban development along the highway was a cause of the collisions and erection of deer fencing, deer guards and underpasses decreased the risk of collisions.

Population declines of amphibians and reptiles throughout the world have led to the initiation of projects to monitor their status and trends. Historical collections give an indication of which species occurred in an area at one time, although the ambiguity surrounding locations and environmental conditions associated with collection decreases the value of this information source. Resampling using the same general protocols can give valuable insights to changes in community structure. However, this is only feasible when sampling methodology and exact site locations are known. From 2002-2005 we resampled 12 sites in St. Marks National Wildlife Refuge in Florida's panhandle, an area in which intensive herpetological surveys were conducted in 1977-1979. We documented a general decrease in species richness among the diversely managed sites, changes in dominant species and diversity and an increasing trend toward homogeneity of the herpetofaunal community among habitats. Changes were attributed to four causes: 28-y of forest community succession, changes in management practices, non-detection of species due to variation in sampling conditions and a decrease in occupancy by four amphibians and three reptiles. The use of population and habitat-related indexes helped define possible influences on community change and can be used to target species for monitoring. Declines of these seven species are of concern, especially considering the protected status of the refuge and its increasing isolation as surrounding landscapes are converted to urbanized settings.

A method is developed that combines economic and ecological models in a dynamic and spatial analysis to evaluate land use decisions and find cost-effective alternatives for which it is not possible to do better on one objective without harming another objective. The method is demonstrated using timber production and species conservation on a forested landscape over a 100-year planning horizon.

Increasing habitat fragmentation has led population ecologists to consider dispersal as a key process for population functioning and persistence. However, due to logistic and methodological problems, dispersal rates within fragmented populations have rarely been estimated, leaving many unanswered questions about the role of dispersal and the factors affecting dispersal. Recently developed multistrata capture-recapture models allow the estimation of dispersal probabilities from the analysis of recaptures or recoveries of marked individuals. Despite their undoubted efficiency at estimating dispersal rates, their contribution to the investigation of dispersal processes at the individual level is presently limited by a lack of flexibility in their parameterization. In this paper, a new parameterization of these models is presented in which the probability of leaving the site of origin and the probability that an emigrant settles on a given recipient site are modeled separately. This parameterization is then used to address the influence of local perturbations on site fidelity and settlement decisions of emigrants in a subdivided population of Black-headed Gulls, Larus ridibundus. The parameterization introduced here accurately describes dispersal probabilities whenever they result from a two-step decision-making process (i.e., when choice of a settlement site only occurs after a decision has been made to leave the current site). Furthermore, this parameterization permits investigators to disentangle hypotheses about these two components of dispersal behavior. Key words: Black-headed Gull; dispersal; habitat perturbation; Larus ridibundus; multistrata capture-recapture; settlement probability; site fidelity.

It has been possible to develop software, based on analytical methods, that can undertake improved habitat-use analyses. A random subsample of points is produced by a Statistical Analysis System-executable file from the error distribution of an estimated animal location, with the output being formatted into ARC/INFO-enabled coordinate and attribute files.

Wildlife management is becoming increasingly influenced by the decline in hunting as a recreational activity. An increase in wildlife stakeholders with interests other than hunting will require new management techniques.

Wildlife management is undergoing major changes with respect to hunting and trapping. There is a continuing decline in the numbers of hunters and trappers but an increase in technological aids and sophisticated equipment.

Wildlife Services (WS) consists of research and operations entities. It was thought that WS might operate more efficiently if information transfer between research and operations was improved. A survey of information transfer was undertaken and the findings suggest ways to improve information transfer within WS and also between research and field personnel throughout the wildlife management community.

New research evaluates the credibility of early literature about individual gray wolves and the effect of such literature on wild life management at the time. Famous wolves were known by features such as unique tracks, unusual coloration and recognizable behaviour. Many were said to be older than they were and are now thought not to have lived long enough to cause claimed damage to game and livestock. Some famous wolves may have been wolf-dog or coyote-dog hybrids. It is suggested that early literature should be used with caution when it is the basis for wolf management decisions.

The management of waterfowl harvests must take into account the uncertainty of environmental variations. Such uncertainty has been dealt with in the past through managers developing practices based on deterministic predictions. A more useful solution is stochastic dynamic programming, but it requires managers to have clear objectives, a mathematical representation of the managed system and a range of rules. The use of dynamic programming as part of an optimum harvest strategy for mallard ducks is presented.

Changes are seen in the kind of information sought by state and federal agency biologists. An analysis of the ordering of documents from the Fish and Wildlife Reference Service shows that the emphasis of most wildlife agencies is on non-game and endangered species information. A typical example is the increase in requests for documents about mussels due to the increased work on aquatic ecosystems management.

Research on Journals of the Wildlife Society (TWS) for Conservation Biology (SCB) shows that, while history and self imposed constraints of TWS' The Journal of Wildlife Management (JWM) distances it from the immediate social concerns, Conservation Biology's thrust on values and crisis prevents it from having a neutral viewpoint. JWM has focussed on single-species studies from its inception, while SCB has concentrated on multi-species studies.