Larry L. Rockwood

INFLUENCE OF LAND USE ON THE INTEGRITY OF MARSH BIRD COMMUNITIES OF CHESAPEAKE BAY, USA

The landscape within the Chesapeake Bay watershed has been and continues to be impacted by human modifications. Understanding if such anthropogenic disturbances influence organisms that are dependent upon estuarine wetlands remains unclear. We developed an index of marsh bird community integrity (IMBCI) to evaluate marsh bird communities and wetland condition. During the 2002 and 2003 summers, we detected 30 bird species at 219 point count locations distributed among 96 wetlands. IMBCI scores for each wetland were used to determine whether wetland habitat characteristics and urban/suburban development, agriculture, and forest at three different spatial scales (watershed, 1000-m buffer, and 500-m buffer) influenced marsh bird community integrity. We found no relationship between IMBCI scores and wetland habitat characteristics, implying that marsh bird community integrity is not related to any single plant community. Nonparametric changepoint analysis indicated that marsh bird community integrity was significantly reduced when the amount of urban/suburban development within 500 m and 1000m of the marsh exceeded 14% and 25%, respectively. There was no effect of urban/suburban development on IMBCI scores at the watershed scale. The results of our study demonstrate that marsh bird community integrity shows a threshold response to urban/suburban development at local scales. IMBCI scores, combined with the identification of a land-use threshold, can be easy to interpret and may help communicate complex ecological data to natural resource managers and conservation planners.

Coyote colonization of northern Virginia and admixture with Great Lakes wolves

Abstract Ecological invasions of generalist species often are facilitated by anthropogenic disturbance. Coyotes (Canis latrans) have benefitted from anthropogenic changes to North American ecosystems and have experienced a dramatic range expansion since the early 19th century. The region east of the Mississippi River has been colonized via 2 routes that have converged in the mid-Atlantic region during the past few decades. Coyotes using the northern route of expansion show molecular evidence of admixture with the Great Lakes wolf (GLW). We used noninvasive molecular techniques to detect the geographic origins of the recent coyote colonization of northern Virginia as a representative of the mid-Atlantic region and to detect signatures of admixture with GLWs. Of 455 individual canid scats screened, we sequenced a variable 282-base pair fragment of the mitochondrial control region from 126 coyote scats, assigned individual identities to samples using 6 microsatellite loci, and conducted phylogeographic analyses by comparing our sequences to previously published haplotypes. In 39 individuals identified in our scat surveys we detected 7 mitochondrial DNA haplotypes, all of which have been previously reported in diverse surrounding geographic localities. Phylogeographic analyses indicate multiple sources of colonization of northern Virginia. One common haplotype detected in northern Virginia is of wolf origin, indicating the presence of admixed coyotes and GLWs from the north.

Fatty acids and diacylglycerols from elaiosomes of some ant-dispersed seeds

Abstract Lipids were isolated from the elaiosomes of four ant-dispersed herbaceous plants ( Jeffersonia diphylla , Sanguinaria canadensis , Trillium sessile , Dicentra cucullaria ) found in Northern Virginia. Fatty acid methyl esters and trimethysilyl derivatives of diacylglycerols were separated and identified by capillary GC/MS. Oleic acid and palmitic acid are significant components of the lipid fractions from all four species, and 1,2-diolein is the major diacylglycerol of Jeffersonia diphylla . These results support previous studies which had found oleic acid in elaiosomes and suggested 1,2-diolein to be an ant attractant.

Attitudes of College Undergraduates Towards Coyotes (Canis latrans) in an Urban Landscape: Management and Public Outreach Implications.

Simple Summary Understanding the public’s attitudes towards urban wildlife is an important step towards creating management plans, increasing knowledge and awareness about wildlife, and fostering coexistence between people and wildlife. Using undergraduate college students in the Washington, D.C. metropolitan area (where coyotes are a recent arrival), this study examined attitudes towards coyotes and coyote management methods. Amongst other findings, we found differences in opinion between key demographic groups, and respondents grouped management methods into two categories: methods that modified human behavior, and methods that had a direct impact on coyotes. Our results have important implications for coyote management in urban areas. Abstract Understanding and assessing the public’s attitudes towards urban wildlife is an important step towards creating management plans, increasing knowledge and awareness, and fostering coexistence between people and wildlife. We conducted a survey of undergraduate college students in the Washington, D.C. metropolitan area—where coyotes are recent arrivals—to determine existing attitudes towards coyotes and coyote management methods. Amongst other findings, we found that the more a person feared coyotes, the less likely they were to support their presence (p < 0.001), and the less likely they were to believe that pet owners should be directly responsible for protecting their pets (p < 0.001). Respondents demonstrated major gaps in their understanding of basic coyote biology and ecology. Respondents broke wildlife management practices into two categories: those that involved an action on coyotes (both lethal or non-lethal; referred to as “Coyote”), and those that restricted human behavior (referred to as “Human”); the “Human” methods were preferred. We found important differences between key demographic groups in terms of attitudes and management preferences. Our study suggests that wildlife professionals have unique opportunities in urban areas to prevent and reduce conflict before it escalates, in part by targeting tailored outreach messages to various demographic and social groups.

The Impact of Information on Students' Beliefs and Attitudes Toward Coyotes

Providing information to the public about a species can impact the publics attitudes toward that species. Overall, providing information in any of four categories of information about coyotes positively influenced attitudes toward coyotes using six attitudinal measurements (p < .01). Behavior statements most positively influenced attitudes, followed by images of coyotes, statements about humans and coyotes, and statements about coyote ecology. How well specific pieces of information were received is also discussed.

Evolutionary history of endemic Sulawesi squirrels constructed from UCEs and mitogenomes sequenced from museum specimens

BackgroundThe Indonesian island of Sulawesi has a complex geological history. It is composed of several landmasses that have arrived at a near modern configuration only in the past few million years. It is the largest island in the biodiversity hotspot of Wallacea—an area demarcated by the biogeographic breaks between Wallace’s and Lydekker’s lines. The mammal fauna of Sulawesi is transitional between Asian and Australian faunas. Sulawesi’s three genera of squirrels, all endemic (subfamily Nannosciurinae: Hyosciurus, Rubrisciurus and Prosciurillus), are of Asian origin and have evolved a variety of phenotypes that allow a range of ecological niche specializations. Here we present a molecular phylogeny of this radiation using data from museum specimens. High throughput sequencing technology was used to generate whole mitochondrial genomes and a panel of nuclear ultraconserved elements providing a large genome-wide dataset for inferring phylogenetic relationships.ResultsOur analysis confirmed monophyly of the Sulawesi taxa with deep divergences between the three endemic genera, which predate the amalgamation of the current island of Sulawesi. This suggests lineages may have evolved in allopatry after crossing Wallace’s line. Nuclear and mitochondrial analyses were largely congruent and well supported, except for the placement of Prosciurillus murinus. Mitochondrial analysis revealed paraphyly for Prosciurillus, with P. murinus between or outside of Hyosciurus and Rubrisciurus, separate from other species of Prosciurillus. A deep but monophyletic history for the four included species of Prosciurillus was recovered with the nuclear data.ConclusionsThe divergence of the Sulawesi squirrels from their closest relatives dated to ~9.7–12.5 million years ago (MYA), pushing back the age estimate of this ancient adaptive radiation prior to the formation of the current conformation of Sulawesi. Generic level diversification took place around 9.7 MYA, opening the possibility that the genera represent allopatric lineages that evolved in isolation in an ancient proto-Sulawesian archipelago. We propose that incongruence between phylogenies based on nuclear and mitochondrial sequences may have resulted from biogeographic discordance, when two allopatric lineages come into secondary contact, with complete replacement of the mitochondria in one species.

Phylogeny, biogeography and systematic revision of plain long-nosed squirrels (genus Dremomys, Nannosciurinae)

The plain long-nosed squirrels, genus Dremomys, are high elevation species in East and Southeast Asia. Here we present a complete molecular phylogeny for the genus based on nuclear and mitochondrial DNA sequences. Concatenated mitochondrial and nuclear gene trees were constructed to determine the tree topology, and date the tree. All speciation events within the plain-long nosed squirrels (genus Dremomys) were ancient (dated to the Pliocene or Miocene), and averaged older than many speciation events in the related Sunda squirrels, genus Sundasciurus. Within the plain long-nosed squirrels, the most recent interspecific split occurred 2.9 million years ago, older than some splits within Sunda squirrels, which dated to the Pleistocene. Our results demonstrate that the plain long-nosed squirrels are not monophyletic. The single species with a distinct distribution, the Bornean mountain ground squirrel (Dremomys everetti), which is endemic to the high mountains of Borneo, is nested within the Sunda squirrels with high support. This species diverged from its sister taxa in the Sunda squirrels 6.62 million years ago, and other plain long-nosed squirrels over 11 million years ago. Our analyses of morphological traits in these related genera support the re-classification of the Bornean mountain ground squirrel, Dremomys everetti, to the genus Sundasciurus, which changes its name to Sundasciurus everetti. Past inclusion in the plain long-nosed squirrels (Dremomys) reflects convergent evolution between these high elevation species.

Batrachochytrium salamandrivorans not detected in U.S. survey of pet salamanders

We engaged pet salamander owners in the United States to screen their animals for two amphibian chytrid fungal pathogens Batrachochytrium dendrobatidis (Bd) and B. salamandrivorans (Bsal). We provided pet owners with a sampling kit and instructional video to swab the skin of their animals. We received 639 salamander samples from 65 species by mail, and tested them for Bd and Bsal using qPCR. We detected Bd on 1.3% of salamanders (95% CI 0.0053–0.0267) and did not detect Bsal (95% CI 0.0000–0.0071). If Bsal is present in the U.S. population of pet salamanders, it occurs at a very low prevalence. The United States Fish and Wildlife Service listed 201 species of salamanders as “injurious wildlife” under the Lacey Act (18 U.S.C. § 42) on January 28, 2016, a precautionary action to prevent the introduction of Bsal to the U.S. through the importation of salamanders. This action reduced the number of salamanders imported to the U.S. from 2015 to 2016 by 98.4%. Our results indicate that continued precautions should be taken to prevent the introduction and establishment of Bsal in the U.S., which is a hotspot of salamander biodiversity.

Using Fecal DNA and Spatial Capture-Recapture to Characterize a Recent Coyote Colonization

Abstract The arrival of a novel predator in an ecosystem necessitates many wildlife-management decisions that should be based on sound demographic data. Canis latrans (Coyote) has experienced a dramatic range expansion across North America since the early 19th century, completing its colonization of the continental US in the mid-Atlantic region over the past 20 years. Their arrival in the suburbs of Washington, DC, has generated much public attention, and demonstrated a need for demographic information about this species. To address the challenges of surveying an elusive animal, we used fecal DNA to describe the population genetics and demographics of a newly colonized Coyote population at Marine Corps Base Quantico (MCBQ) in northern Virginia. We collected 331 scats over a period of 2 years at MCBQ, resulting in identification of 23 unique individual Coyotes and 41 total Coyote captures that were analyzed using spatial capture—recapture models. We found evidence of colonization by multiple genetic lineages and a low population density of 0.047 individuals/km2. Importantly, this study incorporates a new class of models on individual animals identified by genotype data derived from fecal DNA and demonstrates the utility of these models in surveying elusive animals.

Integrating In-Situ and Ex-Situ Data Management Processes for Biodiversity Conservation

There is an increasing need for a “one plan approach” for conservation strategies that integrate in-situ and ex-situ management processes. Zoological institutions contribute directly to threatened species conservation through paradigms such as reintroduction, head-starting, supplementation, or rescue/rehabilitation/release. This in-situ/ex-situ integration necessitates collaboration at all levels of conservation action including planning, implementation, monitoring and finally assessment to drive adaptive management processes. Each component is dependent on the availability and accuracy of data for evidence to facilitate evaluation and adaptive management processes. The Zoological Information Management System (ZIMS), managed by Species360, is a centralized web-based information system used in zoological institutions worldwide to pool life history, behavior and health data and facilitate animal husbandry, health, and breeding management processes. Currently used for few integrated conservation programs, ZIMS is an innovative tool that offers a new opportunity to link data management processes for animals that spend a part of their lives under human care and part in their natural environment and great potential for use for managed wild populations.