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Social media platforms allow people to share experiences, thoughts, and actions through words and images, including human interactions with both domestic and wild animals. Human-wildlife interactio...

Dispersal of freshwater mussels (order Unionida) is primarily as glochidia on the fins and gills of host fish. Adult mussels are more sessile, generally moving short distances (

Land use changes and the ways that natural resources are extracted and used pose severe threats to freshwater ecosystems globally. This is particularly pronounced in developing and densely populated countries, such as Rwanda. In-depth understanding of how ecosystems respond to threats could guide their restoration, conservation, and better management. The advancement of ecological monitoring tools is crucial for freshwater conservation. We developed and implemented an odonate-based tool, the Rwanda Dragonfly Biotic Index (RDBI), tailored to freshwater ecosystems in Rwanda as a metric to identify conservation priority sites and to monitor their restoration. The RDBI is determined based on three sub-indices: Distribution-Based Score (DBS), Threat-Based Score (TBS) and Sensitivity-Based Score (SBS). Species level-DBS increases from those that are widespread across all ecological zones to those that are restricted to only one ecological zone; TBS for a species ranges from those that are of least concern to those that are critically endangered, as per IUCN Red List; Species’ SBS increases from those thriving in a highly disturbed habitat to those occurring only in a relatively intact habitat. Using RDBI, we identified hotspot habitats for odonates in Rwanda and benchmark sites for restoration. Hotspots are defined based on species richness, presence of unique species, and RDBI scores. Benchmark sites for restoration are habitats with the highest RDBI in each ecological zone. The value of using RDBI in ecosystem monitoring rests on the fact that it can help identify priority sites for conservation, and it uses organisms that are charismatic and relatively easy to identify. This is essential for citizen engagement and drawing a long-term link between policymaking, on-the-ground practices, and impacts on freshwater ecosystems.

The reintroduced red wolf population in northeastern North Carolina declined to 7 known wolves by October 2020. Poaching (illegal killing) is the major component of verified anthropogenic mortality in this and many other carnivore populations, but it is still not well understood. Poaching is often underestimated, partly as a result of cryptic poaching, when poachers conceal evidence. Cryptic poaching inhibits our understanding of the causes and consequences of anthropogenic mortality which is important to conservation as it can inform us about future population patterns within changing political and human landscapes. We estimate risk for marked adult red wolves of 5 causes of death (COD: legal, nonhuman, unknown, vehicle and poached) and disappearance, describe variation in COD in relation to hunting season, and compare time to disappearance or death. We include unknown fates in our risk estimates. We found that anthropogenic COD accounted for 0.724 – 0.787, including cryptic and reported poaching estimated at 0.510 – 0.635 of 508 marked animals. Risk of poaching and disappearance was significantly higher during hunting season. Mean time from collaring until nonhuman COD averaged 376 days longer than time until reported poached and 642 days longer than time until disappearance. Our estimates of risk differed from prior published estimates, as expected by accounting for unknown fates explicitly. We quantify the effects on risk for three scenarios for disappearances, which span conservative to most likely COD. Implementing proven practices that prevent poaching or hasten successful reintroduction may reverse the decline to extinction in the wild of this critically endangered population. Our findings add to a growing literature on endangered species protections and enhancing the science used to measure poaching worldwide.

The reintroduced red wolf (Canis rufus) population in northeastern North Carolina declined to 7 known wolves by October 2020, the majority of which is due to poaching (illegal killing), the major component of verified anthropogenic mortality in this and many other carnivore populations. Poaching is still not well understood and is often underestimated, partly as a result of cryptic poaching, when poachers conceal evidence. Cryptic poaching inhibits our understanding of the causes and consequences of anthropogenic mortality, which is important to conservation as it can inform us about future population patterns within changing political and human landscapes. We estimate risk for marked adult red wolves of 5 causes of death (COD: legal, nonhuman, unknown, vehicle and poached) and disappearance, describe variation in COD in relation to hunting season, and compare time to disappearance or death. We include unknown fates in our risk estimates. We found that anthropogenic COD accounted for 0.78–0.85 of 508 marked animals, including poaching and cryptic poaching, which we estimated at 0.51–0.64. Risk of poaching and disappearance was significantly higher during hunting season. Mean time from collaring until nonhuman COD averaged 376 days longer than time until poached and 642 days longer than time until disappearance. Our estimates of risk differed from prior published estimates, as expected by accounting for unknown fates explicitly. We quantify the effects on risk for three scenarios for unknown fates, which span conservative to most likely COD. Implementing proven practices that prevent poaching or hasten successful reintroduction may reverse the decline to extinction in the wild of this critically endangered population. Our findings add to a growing literature on endangered species protections and enhancing the science used to measure poaching worldwide.

Population projection models are important tools for conservation and management. They are often used for population status assessments, for threat analyses, and to predict the consequences of conservation actions. Although conservation decisions should be informed by science, critical decisions are often made with very little information to support decision-making. Conversely, postponing decisions until better information is available may reduce the benefit of a conservation decision. When empirical data are limited or lacking, expert elicitation can be used to supplement existing data and inform model parameter estimates. The use of rigorous techniques for expert elicitation that account for uncertainty can improve the quality of the expert elicited values and therefore the accuracy of the projection models. One recurring challenge for summarizing expert elicited values is how to aggregate them. Here, we illustrate a process for population status assessment using a combination of expert elicitation and data from the ecological literature. We discuss the importance of considering various aggregation techniques, and illustrate this process using matrix population models for the wood turtle (Glyptemys insculpta) to assist U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service decision-makers with their Species Status Assessment. We compare estimates of population growth using data from the ecological literature and four alternative aggregation techniques for the expert-elicited values. The estimate of population growth rate based on estimates from the literature (λ

Urban development is a principal driver of landscape change affecting the integrity of ecological systems and the capacity of the landscape to support species. We developed an urban growth model (SPRAWL), evaluated it with hindcasting, and used it to simulate urban growth across the northeastern United States between 2010 and 2080 under four alternative scenarios. In the model, urban growth is constrained by demand for new development for each time step at the subregional scale. Demand is subsequently allocated to local application panes (5 km on a side within 15 km window) using a unique landscape context matching algorithm, such that the more historical development that occurred in the matched training windows the higher the proportion of future demand assigned to the pane. Lastly, demand in each pane is allocated among development types and then allocated to individual patches based on suitability surfaces unique to that landscape context. SPRAWL has a multi-level, multi-scale structure that captures urban growth drivers operating at multiple scales and, when combined with the unique matching and suitability algorithms, induces non-stationarity in urban growth across time and space. Our evaluation indicated that SPRAWL was highly discriminatory, well-calibrated, and highly predictive of new development, but performed weakly for redevelopment transitions. We evaluated the ecological impacts of four alternative urban growth scenarios varying in total demand for new development and “sprawliness” of new development relative to historical patterns using an ecological integrity index. The results were consistent with expectations and demonstrated the potential of SPRAWL for scenario analysis.

Sibbaldia procumbens (Rosaceae) is globally widespread in alpine and subalpine habitats of the Northern Hemisphere, where it thrives in areas of late-lying snow that persist into summer. Despite its widespread circumboreal distribution and local abundance, Sibbaldia is one of the rarest plants in New England, USA, occurring only in a single ravine on Mount Washington, New Hampshire. The New Hampshire population has evidently been declining for several decades, possibly the result of a combination of interspecific competition, over-collection, and changes in environmental conditions. We assessed historical trends, current status, and potential causes of decline of the New Hampshire population through evaluation of herbarium and historical records, field surveys, and photographic comparisons. Our research at seven New England herbaria revealed 236 plants with roots, including many large adult plants, on 65 herbarium sheets. Most of these plants were collected between 1846 and 1908, representing tro...

Freshwater turtles and tortoises are declining worldwide and currently represent one of the most imperiled major vertebrate groups. Identifying the conditions that promote long-term viable populations is a critical conservation need. However, for most species, there is relatively little or no empirical information about the factors influencing population demographics. Large-scale population monitoring efforts necessary to acquire such information remain rare due to the logistic challenges associated with low and variable detectability, which generally preclude large monitoring initiatives by any single entity. The development of collaborative population monitoring programs represents one potential strategy for overcoming these challenges. Our goal was to leverage partnerships to identify the potential factors and relevant scales affecting wood turtle (Glyptemys insculpta) population demographics. Through a large-scale collaborative multi-institutional monitoring effort, we conducted 983 spring stream surveys at 293 sites across the northeastern United States. Wood turtle abundance was negatively associated with agriculture (300 m and 5500 m) and road traffic (5500 m) and positively associated with mature forest (5500 m). Juvenile proportion displayed strong negative relationships with stream gradient and imperviousness (300 m). Sex ratios were more male-skewed with higher mature forest cover (90 m) and road density (5500 m) and less undeveloped land (300 m). These findings suggest that effective conservation of demographically robust turtle populations will require consideration of multiple spatial scales. Landscape-level conservation may be particularly important for ensuring long-term viable populations. This study highlights the valuable role that collaboration across institutions and jurisdictions can play in the conservation of cryptic taxa.

In January 2021, there were 7 known individual red wolves (Canis rufus) remaining in the only wild population, located in Northeastern North Carolina (NENC). Anthropogenic mortality is the largest threat to survival of this population. Leading theory predicts that by understanding the attitudes and behavioral inclinations of the general public toward red wolves, better decisions can be made about how and where to concentrate outreach and interventions. Another view is that a very small minority of individuals must refrain from killing endangered species before restoration can succeed, so research and interventions need to focus on those few. We conducted interviews and surveys in nine counties in and around the NENC reintroduction area to measure attitude and behavioral inclinations toward red wolves, acceptance of the red wolf recovery program, and trust in the lead agency. We used two sampling techniques and in both samples pluralities or majorities liked red wolves, supported their restoration, disliked policy that would limit red wolf protections, trusted the agency, and would not kill a wolf illegally. While these data seem favorable for red wolf recovery, our results show a small group of people are driving the species to extinction through poaching. Self-identified male hunters in the probability group reported the greatest inclination to poach, with 11% saying they would kill any wolf they encountered on their own. We recommend engaging peer processes that discourage illegal behaviors and focusing energetic anti-poaching interventions on hostile actors to restore red wolves in this human dominated landscape.

We investigated the ecology, distribution, and density of Florida Box Turtle (Terrapene carolina bauri Taylor, 1895) populations in the Ten Thousand Islands (TTI), an estuarine mangrove ecosystem in southwestern Florida. The distribution and ecology of Box Turtles in this region and this habitat type have not been previously investigated. The study area encompassed 18 islands and included five natural islands, 13 man-made shell islands, and adjacent mangrove environments. Two hundred and twenty-nine live Box Turtles and 95 Box Turtle shells were detected a total of 409 times on seven of the 18 islands. The seven islands where Box Turtles were detected ranged in size from 7.3 to 31.0 ha and were ancient shell work sites, apparently constructed by the Calusa or other Prehistoric Indians approximately 1,900 to 900 years before present (ybp). Box Turtles were not detected on natural islands. We detected Box Turtles primarily in subtropical hardwood hammock forests, but we detected 10% of turtles in m...

Many reptile species are in decline and turtles are especially susceptible. In Massachusetts, eastern box turtle (Terrapene carolina carolina) population densities are critically low, and they are listed as a Species of Special Concern. To aid in the conservation of this species, we developed a statewide population monitoring program to track large-scale population trends. We used GENPRES3 to identify the most efficient sampling design a priori. Using this design, we performed visual surveys in 2010–2012 and used site occupancy models to evaluate baseline occupancy and abundance data. We surveyed 62 4-ha monitoring plots within early successional and forest edge habitat where box turtles congregate in the spring for foraging, mating, nesting, and thermoregulation. We also used radio-telemetry at 2 survey sites to evaluate assumptions and further assess occupancy rates, detection estimates, and population size. The best fit Royle–Nichols model predicted a probability of box turtle occupancy of 0.81 ± 0.10 (mean ± SE) and a mean probability of detection of 0.29 ± 0.18. Roads and vegetation density were important covariates affecting the probability of occurrence. Survey start time, humidity, and surveyor were important covariates affecting detection probability. A power analysis indicated that we could detect a 10% decline in occupancy between 5-year sampling rounds within 15 years. The proportion of radio-tagged turtles inside the survey plots during surveys was relatively constant at each site (0.44–0.63 and 0.36–0.43), mean detection rate was 0.35 ± 0.10, and the total estimated population size of the 2 survey plots (8 ha total) was 13.31 ± 1.53. Our results can be used to track the status of this rare species as well as guide conservation actions and evaluate the effectiveness of site-specific and statewide management plans. Our approach and design can serve as a model for other states developing monitoring programs for the eastern box turtle and other similar, rare and difficult to detect species. Published 2015. This article is a U.S. Government work and is in the public domain in the USA.

We evaluated the nesting ecology of Terrapene Carolina Carolina (Eastern Box Turtle) near their northern range limit in Massachusetts. We identified 34 nests in 2005 and 2006 at 4 study sites, and measured clutch size, nest success, hatchling size, and habitat characteristics at each site. Mean clutch size was 5.87 eggs, and egg survival was approximately 50% to hatching, excluding depredation. Large-bodied females tended to oviposit larger clutches than small-bodied females, although the correlation was not significant, and a smaller proportion of their eggs produced live hatchlings. Nest depredation varied greatly across sites from 0 to nearly 100%. The variability observed across the species' range and across sites underscores the importance of obtaining local information when developing conservation and management programs for rare turtles. The characteristics of the nest sites observed in our study could be simulated to more effectively create or maintain artificial nest sites for Eastern Bo...

Sibbaldia procumbens occurs in arctic and alpine environments in widely disjunct locations in North America, Europe, and Asia. It is one of the rarest native plants in New England, with only a single station in New Hampshire. To inform conservation efforts for this species near the southeastern periphery of its North American range, we studied S. procumbens in alpine snowbeds on the Uapishka Plateau (Monts Groulx) in central Quebec, a relatively poorly known mountain range in the Grenville geologic province where the species is abundant enough to evaluate associated site characteristics. Sibbaldia procumbens was positively correlated with slope, southern aspect, and elevation, with the highest abundances associated with 22–26° slopes, 100–230° aspect, and elevations of 1024–1039 m. At our site in Quebec, S. procumbens was more abundant in association with bare rock, supporting the findings of previous authors that S. procumbens may benefit from some level of disturbance. We also quantified the do...