Master of Fisheries, Wildlife, and Conservation Biology Professional Papers
Permanent URI for this collectionhttps://www.lib.ncsu.edu/resolver/1840.20/38773
Browse
Recent Submissions
- Connecting youth and wildlife in India: the benefits of citizen science in the classroom(2025) Insignares, BellaYoung people represent the future of wildlife conservation, but little is known about their perceptions of wildlife or how activities such as citizen science might impact those perceptions. This gap is particularly pronounced in countries of the Global South. We surveyed 656 adolescent youth across 20 schools in Maharashtra, India, before and after participating in a citizen science project using camera traps to survey wildlife. Indian youth displayed strong mutualistic values, high levels of wildlife affinity and awareness, and strong belief about potential coexistence between humans and wildlife. However, scores for these variables decreased as students’ age increased. The citizen science intervention mitigated some of these declines - regardless of students’ level of participation in the project. Overall, results highlight the potential power of citizen science as an educational tool and underscore the need for more research on youth’s relationship with wildlife in Global South countries.
- Influence of urbanization on white-tailed deer fawn survival and cause-specific mortality(2025-04-15) Zampogna, Kyle
- Evaluating predictors of white-tailed deer (Odocoileus virginianus) birth-site selection along an urban-rural gradient(2025) Bradshaw, FaithBirth-site selection by parous white-tailed deer (Odocoileus virginianus) may affect neonate survival, but factors influencing selection in urbanized areas are poorly understood. Our objectives were to describe deer birth sites in Durham and Orange counties, North Carolina, evaluate landscape features as predictors of selection, and assess whether selection for these predictors varied along an urban-rural gradient. We captured and monitored 95 adult female white-tailed deer from 2022 to 2024. Out of those 95 individuals, we identified birth sites for 61 female deer and determined 5 available sites within each female’s fawn-rearing area, derived from global positioning system (GPS) locations 6-weeks prior to and after parturition (12-week range). We assessed the influence of tree canopy cover, impervious surface, normalized difference vegetation index (NDVI), distances to roads, buildings, and forest edges, and an urbanization index (i.e., position on the urbanization gradient) on birth-site selection. We developed 3 generalized linear mixed models (GLMMs) – a null model, a model with all covariates, and a model incorporating covariate-urbanization index interactions – and ranked them using Akaike’s Information Criterion for small sample sizes (AICc). The top model, which included only the covariates (i.e., no urbanization index interactions), indicated that landscape covariates affected selection similarly across the urban-rural gradient. Female deer, no matter their location on the gradient, selected birth sites with high NDVI that were closer to forest edges and roads, and farther from buildings. Percent impervious surface and tree canopy cover had no effect on selection. Our results indicate that female deer consistently select birth sites across the urban-rural gradient within or near areas that provide ample concealment cover to lower predation risk, and may also use areas in close proximity to roads as an anti-predation strategy.
- Predictive Occurrence Modeling for Three Rare Plants Within the Croatan National Forest(2023-03) Moonier, HeatherRare plants are valuable indicators of areas of biological significance, and their persistence over time serves as a measure of ecological health and good land stewardship. Knowledge of the extent of rare plant distributions and the viability of rare plant populations is valuable information for assessing the risk of extirpation, future research, and management decisions. I constructed predictive occurrence models for three rare plants, Platanthera integra, Pinguicula pumila, and Asclepias pedicellata, using the Presence-only Prediction (MaxEnt) Tool in ArcGIS Pro 2.9. Explanatory variables used to model rare plant distributions included a LiDAR-based digital elevation model (DEM) of Croatan National Forest, soil series, and natural community data. Models were trained with Elemental Occurrence data obtained from the North Carolina Natural Heritage Program. The tool generated significant models with an area under the receiver- operator curve (AUC)>0.80 for all three species. The model for Asclepias pedicellata accurately predicted two new populations. However, observers failed to find individuals at the predicted sites surveyed for Platanthera integra and Pinguicula pumila. This may have been due to the timing of surveys or the accuracy of the models. The results of this study demonstrate that the Presence-only Prediction (MaxEnt) Tool may prove to be a valuable predictor of undiscovered populations of rare species, especially once the environmental filters and life history traits driving the distribution patterns of a rare focal species are better understood.
- A Weight-Length Analysis of the Neuse River Waterdog and Comparison among Populations within its Range(2023) Shook, BrieanaThe Neuse River Waterdog (Necturus lewisi) is an aquatic salamander, endemic to the Neuse and Tar-Pamlico River basins of North Carolina. It was listed as federally threatened in 2021, following apparent population declines. There is a need to determine if size changes across populations or sexes, which may serve as a guideline for recovery objectives targeting size or body condition metrics. Our objective was to gain an understanding of N. lewisi female and male size across populations within its current distribution in the Neuse and Tar-Pamlico River basins in the Coastal Plain and Piedmont regions of North Carolina. We conducted surveys to detect N. lewisi and collect morphometric data during the months of November - March from 2018 to 2022. We measured total length (TL, mm), snout-to-vent length (SVL, mm), and weight (g) of all individuals captured. A weight/length ratio was also calculated. We hypothesized adult size would differ between: 1) female and male individuals; 2) regions, Coastal Plain and Piedmont; and 3) river basins, Neuse and Tar-Pamlico. We ran 28 unpaired t-tests to compare measurement means and weight/length ratios and evaluated the comparisons with a size-corrected alpha level (p<0.05/28). Adult N. lewisi differed between the Coastal Plain and Piedmont regions with Coastal Plain adults being larger than those in the Piedmont region. We speculated the differences in size could be due to an increasingly urbanized landscape, climate change, or variations in habitat quality across its range.
- Spatial and Temporal Variation in Female Wild Turkey Roost Site Selection(2023) Canabal, DesireeNocturnal roost sites are a habitat requirement for Meleagris gallopavo silvestris (Eastern Wild Turkey), and appropriate roost sites lessen predation risk and provide thermal protection from extreme weather. Most prior research has focused on male roost site selection, typically within a single publicly owned property. We assessed roost site selection of female Wild Turkeys in relation to distance to road, water, and opening on privately owned properties across the three main ecoregions of North Carolina. We captured and monitored 355 individuals and collected 64,924 roost locations from 2020-2022 during the leaf on (March 15 to October 31) and leaf off (November 1 to March 14) seasons, which were based roughly on the phenology of deciduous trees. We used backwards stepwise selection to determine the best fit GLM model that included year, leaf season, region, and distance to water, road, and opening as predictors of roost site selection. Female turkeys roosted closer to water (mean=138.0, SE=0.4047) than random (mean=160.7, SE=0.4872) consistently across leaf seasons and regions. The best fit model included an interaction between leaf season and distance to road and interaction between leaf season and distance to opening. Wild Turkeys selected roost locations closer to roads (mean=507.9, SE=1.562) than random (mean=539.4, SE=1.786) during the leaf on season but not during the leaf off season. Similarly, female Wild Turkeys selected roost locations closer to open land cover (mean=134.2, SE=1.088) than random (mean=167.1, SE=1.151) during the leaf on season but not during the leaf off season. Selection was generally consistent across regions, indicating that efforts to conserve roosting areas can be applied uniformly across broad geographic scales.
- Impacts and Management of White-Tailed Deer in Urban Landscapes: A Review(2023-05) Holley, Dewayne
- Ecological Effects of a Declining Red Wolf Population(2023) Murray, AlexaCarnivores, especially wolves (Canis sp.), have profound impacts on their ecosystems, affecting the abundance and behavior of prey and competitors, but this has not been examined for red wolves (C. rufus). We studied a population of red wolves that was reintroduced to eastern North Carolina in 1987, initially thrived, but experienced a population crash in 2014. We evaluated changes in the relative abundance of prey and competitor species during the red wolf decline with 25 camera traps run in the Red Wolf Recovery Area from 2015 – 2021. If red wolves were having an ecological effect on the mammal community, we expected this effect would decline as the wolf population waned, resulting in increases in prey and competitor populations. Supporting this, we found that relative abundance increased for most prey and competitor species including American black bear (Ursus americanus), bobcat (Lynx rufus), Virginia opossum (Didelphis virginiana), and Northern raccoon (Procyon lotor). For all species this increase was most notable after spring 2018, the first season without wolf reproduction. For some species, the increase was dramatic, with a doubling of the detection rate for raccoon, bear, and bobcat in the spring of 2021 compared to the spring of 2018. Our results support the hypothesis that red wolves had a strong effect on their ecosystems by suppressing prey and competitor populations when they were at their peak. The delay between the wolf decline and ecosystem response suggests that there could be a 2–3-year time lag in the effects of the wolf population on the species around them and/or that the ecological release was only notable when the wolves reached their lowest population size and failed to breed. This study shows that reintroduction of large predators can play important ecological roles, but their effects decline if their numbers dwindle to critically low numbers.
- Establishing a Wildlife Monitoring Framework for Schenck Forest: Lessons Learned(2021-12) O'Grady, GrainneWildlife monitoring programs are important for monitoring changes in wildlife abundance and diversity and can be used to highlight specific patterns and possible drivers of population change. Data created from long-term monitoring projects can provide information to managers and researchers to guide management decisions and development of research hypotheses. Long-term wildlife monitoring projects can also provide opportunities for undergraduate students to gain important skills in preparation for future employment. I laid the foundation for a long-term wildlife monitoring project at the Carl Alwin Schenck Memorial Forest to both establish baseline data on wildlife populations and offer opportunities for hands-on learning by undergraduate students in the College of Natural Resources at North Carolina State University. I established 31 survey points within the forest where coverboards were placed and bird point counts were conducted. Additional surveys were conducted by students as part of several courses. Wildlife detections in 2021 included 96 bird species, 10 reptile species, 9 amphibian species, and 8 mammal species. Herein, I summarize a possible sampling framework for long-term monitoring, outline potential challenges and limitations of various survey methods, and describe examples of how to engage students in the process.
- Nature based non-consumptive recreation and the American black bear: A review(2018-05-01) Fry, Elijah
- Invasive Species Management Survey and Lecture(2019) Bordewieck, Katherine
