David S. Maehr

Florida panther dispersal and conservation

We studied dispersal in 27 radio-collared Florida panthers Puma concolor coryi in southern Florida from 1986 to 2000. Male dispersal was longer (mean=68.4 km) than that of females (mean=20.3 km), tended to be circular, frustrated, and of insufficient length to ameliorate inbreeding. Females were philopatric and established home ranges that were less than one home range width away from their natal ranges. All females were successful in establishing territories, whereas males were successful 63% of the time. Dispersing panthers avoided moving toward the southeast and into an area of limited forest cover. Independence and the initiation of dispersal occurred at about 14 months of age and lasted for an average of 7.0–9.6 months for females and males, respectively. On average, Florida panthers disperse shorter distances than are typical for western populations of Puma concolor. A recent increase in long distance male dispersal events may be related to an increase in reproduction and population density resulting from the introduction of female cougars P. c. stanleyana into south Florida. Although the population exhibits the behavioral ability to colonize nearby vacant range, females have yet to do so. Successful dispersal to these areas could be facilitated by habitat restoration and translocation of females. # 2002 Elsevier Science Ltd. All rights reserved.

Landscape linkages and conservation planning for the black bear in west-central Florida

The Greater Chassahowitzka black bear population is the smallest documented in North America with fewer than 20 individuals. Its future depends on landscape linkages with other bear populations that are separated by denatured habitat. We used a Geographic Information System (GIS) to identify potential landscape linkages between this isolated population and six others in Florida. Pathway lengths ranged from 60–194 km with varying potentials for facilitating black bear dispersal. Each pathway incorporated 35–88% conservation land and encountered at least 11 dispersal bottlenecks. Even pathways that incorporated extensive conservation land encountered bottlenecks that make these linkages potentially unviable. All six pathways, however, passed through ≥95% core black bear habitat. Thus, the infrastructure for a conservation network is still largely intact. The Suwannee pathway provides the best opportunity to restore connectivity between the Greater Chassahowitzka Ecosystem (GCE) and a southward colonising bear population in the Big Bend region. However, intensification of development poses an immediate threat to maintaining connectivity between the GCE and other bear populations in Florida. Through immediate strategic planning and active conservation and restoration measures, many of the generated pathways can provide long-term connectivity. Least-cost path analyses can aid in the conservation of wide-ranging animals by providing managers with a science-based, empirically derived blueprint of potential landscape linkages.

Food Habits of Florida Black Bears

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ISOLATION OF PSEUDORABIES (AUJESZKY'S DISEASE) VIRUS FROM A FLORIDA PANTHER

Pseudorabies virus was isolated in cell culture from the brain tissue of a 3.5-year-old male Florida panther (Felis concolor coryi). The virus was not isolated from other tissues collected at necropsy. Based upon a nested polymerase chain reaction (PCR), the virus was determined to have the classical wild-type virulent genotype, glycoprotein I+ (gl+) and thymidine kinase+ (TK+ ).

Food Habits of Bobcats in Florida

No sex, age, or regional differences in food habits were detected in a study of 413 Florida bobcat stomachs collected from 1977–1983. Seasonal changes in the diet were attributed to variations in prey species abundance due to recruitment (small mammals), hunter mortality (deer/hogs), and migration (wintering bird species). Annual differences in food habits were attributed to a decline in cotton rat availability during 1981. Florida bobcats are specialists on small prey, utilizing birds more frequently and ungulates less frequently than more northern populations.

Demographic Characteristics of a Reintroduced Elk Population in Kentucky

We used radiotelemetry and field observations to study survival and reproduction of 718 reintroduced elk (Gervus elaphus) in eastern Kentucky, USA, from 1997 to 2001. Capture-related injuries accounted for 49% of the transit and post-release mortality. Annual survival was high across all age and sex classes, and ranged from 0.90 (adult females) to 0.97 (yearling females). Calving rates increased from 66% in 1998 to 92% in 2000. A high nutritional plane may explain the relatively high reproduction among females bred as yearlings, consecutive-year pregnancies, and twinning. Such high survival and reproductive rates are characteristic of colonizing ungulate populations in areas devoid of predators and competitors. Future research should focus on Kentucky-born calves to more accurately determine the effects of meningeal worm (Prelaphostrongylus tenuis) and other factors on recruitment, colonization, and population establishment.

LANDSCAPE CONSERVATION AND REGIONAL PLANNING FOR THE FLORIDA PANTHER

Abstract The need for regional planning is increasingly important for effective Florida panther (Puma concolor coryi) (Bangs 1898) conservation and is essential for protecting enough habitat in South Florida to ensure a viable population. We used two decades of radio telemetry data and geographic information system (GIS) software to develop a regional blueprint for landscape restoration that enhances dispersal, facilitates population colonization, and could be the basis for future land use decisions in the range of the endangered Florida panther. We identified 923,576 ha of forests in an 18-county study area that is a barrier-rich patchwork of land uses. A least cost path analysis simulated natural colonization events and can be used to identify landscape linkages and conservation networks for the panther. Our analysis of planned development permits suggests that large-scale land protection must happen quickly. The alternatives are managing an isolated, heavily managed population or large-scale landscape restoration that is probably economically unfeasible.

Florida Panther Habitat Use: New Approach to an Old Problem

Abstract Although the Florida panther (Puma concolor coryi) has a history of study spanning more than 2 decades, some researchers have criticized previous habitat analyses of the panther for using daytime telemetry locations to infer 24-hour habitat use, selective use of radiotagged animals, comparison of animal locations to an inappropriate set of available resources, use of land cover maps for time periods that poorly matched some animal locations, use of locations instead of the individual animal as the sampling unit, and failure to account for telemetry error. To address all but the first of these concerns, we analyzed over 57,000 radiolocations of 100 Florida panthers and 8 introduced Texas cougars (Puma concolor stanlyana) collected from 1981 to 2003 using a Euclidean distance-based analysis (EDA), a technique that measures linear distances between telemetry locations and habitat types to determine nonrandom habitat use. We matched panther locations to 1 of 3 land cover maps reflecting cover conditions spanning 23 years to determine second- and third-order habitat selection. Panthers selected a mosaic of habitats when establishing a home range, and selected forests and avoided open wetlands within their home range. We recommend that managers give forests highest consideration when conserving this endangered species and suggest the further evaluation of the habitat value of natural openings that occur in close proximity to forested panther range.

Vaccination strategies for managing brucellosis in Yellowstone bison.

Concerns over migratory bison (Bison bison) at Yellowstone National Park transmitting brucellosis (Brucella abortus) to cattle herds on adjacent lands led to proposals for bison vaccination. We developed an individual-based model to evaluate how brucellosis infection might respond under alternate vaccination strategies, including: (1) vaccination of female calves and yearlings captured at the park boundary when bison move outside the primary conservation area; (2) combining boundary vaccination with the remote delivery of vaccine to female calves and yearlings distributed throughout the park; and (3) vaccinating all female bison (including adults) during boundary capture and throughout the park using remote delivery of vaccine. Simulations suggested Alternative 3 would be most effective, with brucellosis seroprevalence decreasing by 66% (from 0.47 to 0.16) over a 30-year period resulting from 29% of the population receiving protection through vaccination. Under this alternative, bison would receive multiple vaccinations that extend the duration of vaccine protection and defend against recurring infection in latently infected animals. The initial decrease in population seroprevalence will likely be slow due to high initial seroprevalence (40-60%), long-lived antibodies, and the culling of some vaccinated bison that were subsequently exposed to field strain Brucella and reacted positively on serologic tests. Vaccination is unlikely to eradicate B. abortus from Yellowstone bison, but could be an effective tool for reducing the level of infection. Our approach and findings have applicability world-wide for managers dealing with intractable wildlife diseases that cross wildlife-livestock and wildlife-human interfaces and affect public health or economic well-being.

Early Maternal Behavior in the Florida Panther (Felis concolor coryi)

-Intensive monitoring of two radio-collared, adult female Florida panthers (Felis concolor coryi) from January 1985-December 1987 revealed behavior patterns associated with rearing of kittens. Reductions in home-range size immediately after parturition were followed by an increase in area used by one female and decreased area used by another. Activity was highest between 1600 and 2400 h and absences from the den increased as kittens aged. Prey abundance may explain some of the observed behavioral differences between the two females.