Midwest Fish & Wildlife Conference 2018

AUTHORS: Sean E. MacDonald, University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign; Jinelle H. Sperry, US Army ERDC-CERL; Michael P. Ward, Illinois Natural History Survey

ABSTRACT: Birds select habitat based upon a combination of direct resource cues and indirect social cues (i.e. presence of conspecifics). Conspecific attraction is the tendency for individuals of the same species to settle near one another and is a behavior that has been successfully exploited by conservation practitioners to augment colonial seabird and migratory songbird populations. Common methods of attracting avian conspecifics are visual (i.e. decoys) and audio cues (i.e. playback of song). Recently, there has been a growing body of literature surrounding social information and habitat selection in birds. Yet, knowledge in this area is still rudimentary and its application to conservation issues limited. To date, all studies on this topic only investigate the effects on bird populations and not the habitat they occupy. Therefore, we explored the effectiveness of enticing birds to consume fruit, thereby facilitating seed dispersal, of common and endangered plants using audio playback experiments.Our study was conducted from June 2016 – July 2017 across Oahu, Hawaii. We performed 77 playback experiments across 25 plant species using vocalizations from four resident bird species. The average number of birds that consumed fruit from a target plant per trial during the control period (no playback) was 0.13±0.08 and increased to 1.58±0.5 during the treatment period (playback). Strength of response appeared to be species-specific with nearly 90% of observed frugivory events occurring on common plants, and greater than 50% of the 996 frugivorous birds attracted during treatment periods consisting of Japanese white-eye. No statistical difference was detected between the breeding and non-breeding seasons. 30% of trials (23/77) resulted in frugivory from a target plant during treatments. Our results suggest that audio lures may be a practical tool for land managers to foster seed dispersal mutualisms between birds and plants. However, more research is needed to determine feasibility in other systems.

AUTHORS: Monica Matthews*, Jillian Josimovich, and Bruce A. Kingsbury, Department of Biology, Indiana University-Purdue University

ABSTRACT: The presence and installation of roads can impact a wide range of wildlife species through road mortality, habitat fragmentation, decreased genetic diversity and habitat destruction or degradation. Research has shown not only that snakes are among those taxa that can be negatively impacted by roads but that they also perceive roads as being dangerous, which in turn affects movement behavior and mortality rates in snake populations. The road ecology of Massasaugas (Sistrurus catenatus) has been little studied and with the Massasauga’s recent federal listing of threatened, it is pertinent that we gain a better understanding of how roads impact Massasaugas and how Massasaugas respond to roads to better inform management practices. Through radio-telemetry monitoring, we have been able to observe the movements of 34 Massasaugas in Northern Michigan. We used R analysis software to calculate distances and directions moved and Netlogo to preliminarily evaluate Massasauga movement in regards to roads. At this point in the study with one more active season to go, the preliminary results suggest that Massasaugas are apprehensive to cross roads but that there are nonetheless individuals within the population that are willing and capable of crossing roads successfully. 

AUTHORS: Amanda R. Lipinski, Nebraska Cooperative Fish & Wildlife Research Unit, University of Nebraska–Lincoln; Gwendolyn C. Bachman, University of Nebraska–Lincoln; Joseph J. Fontaine, U.S. Geological Survey Nebraska Cooperative Fish & Wildlife Research Unit, University of Nebraska–Lincoln

ABSTRACT: External environmental conditions and organism physiology often influence one another in an iterative cycle that can have substantial effects on the behavior and fitness of individuals and groups of individuals. We aimed to examine relationships between the environment and the physiology of organisms within that environment to assess ultimate and proximate factors determining observed differences in behavior and fitness. We used northern bobwhite (Colinus virginianus) in Nebraska as a study system due to the highly variable climate and land use context found in the state and the organization of quail in winter social groups (coveys), allowing for examination of individual and subpopulation responses to environmental stimuli. We marked 18 coveys with VHF radio-collars and tracked covey movements from January 2017 to June 2017, as well as assessed body condition, baseline corticosterone levels, and survival. Preliminary results suggest that environmental context is correlated with variation in individual and subpopulation physiology and movement behavior. Observed variation in physical condition and behavior can have far-reaching effects on subpopulation persistence and broader population dynamics.

AUTHORS: Nathan Johnston, Dale Shank, Chris Kemp, and Jeffrey Miner, Aquatic Ecology & Fisheries Lab, Bowling Green State University

ABSTRACT: The Maumee River in Lake Erie is an important spawning ground for Walleye Sander vitreus with the first upstream spawning habitat occurring approximate 20 km from Lake Erie.  Larvae hatching from the spawning grounds must traverse this habitat that includes about 10 km of dredged shipping channel (8-10 m deep).  Trying to quantify abundance and mortality of these larvae as they move downstream includes understanding of temporal pattern of dispersal.  Most often, quantifying this distribution and population abundance involves weekly sampling and then interpolation of densities and flow conditions.  However, the periodicity of the dispersal is not well known.  We sampled daily just downstream of the spawning grounds for three years to determine the daily variability of this distribution.  We found that 37-69% of larval walleye dispersed from spawning grounds in just three days each spring.  Often abundance was as much as 10 times lower the day before or after peak abundance.  For accurate abundance estimates of larval Walleye dispersing from spawning grounds and to project mortality as larvae pass downstream, much more intense sampling is required to accurately estimate life history dynamics.

AUTHORS: Jordyn O’Gara, Michaela Fisher, Melissa Walsh, Abby Keller, Erik R. Olson - Northland College

ABSTRACT: Gray foxes (Urocyon cinereoargenteus) are one of two canid species that are capable of climbing trees. Researchers have hypothesized that gray fox climb for food acquisition, predator avoidance, or denning. However, to our knowledge, no one has yet attempted to quantify gray fox scansorial behavior. In the fall of 2014, we initiated a study to quantify the limitations of gray fox climbing ability. Using baited trail cameras from thirty-one study sites in Northern Wisconsin, we observed gray fox climbing on over 16 separate occasions. We used logistic regression to compare tree and site characteristics of climbing events to those where the fox did not climb. Fox were 2.2 times more likely to climb branched trees than clean-bowled trees.  We then examined whether or not bait height and weight were significant predictors of fox climbing within branched or clean-bowled trees. Within clean-bowled trees we documented a significant relationship among bait weight and height, with fox more likely to climb clean-bowled trees if the bait was large or closer to the ground. However, these factors do not appear to be limiting to the likelihood of a gray fox climbing a heavily branched tree. Fox climbing behavior was also more prevalent during time periods that correspond with spikes in seasonal nutritional limitations. We believe gray fox climbing is a risk-aversive foraging behavior.  Climbing clean-bowled trees appears to be a risky behavior relative to branched trees – an observation reinforced by our observations of a captive fox participating in an enrichment program at the Wildwood Zoo in Marshfield, WI. Gray fox appear to maximize benefits while minimizing risks.

AUTHORS: Stephen Tyndel, University of Illinois; Jinelle Sperry, CERL-ERDC, University of Illinois; Michael P. Ward, University of Illinois, Illinois Natural History Survey

ABSTRACT: Golden-winged Warblers (Vermivora chrysoptera) and Blue-winged Warblers (Vermivora cyanoptera) are closely related species that have received extensive research attention. The two species hybridize frequently and produce fertile offspring yet tend to mate assortively and can hold overlapping territories. Studies examining behavioral responses between the species have shown mixed results. Still lacking, however, is information on how conspecific and heterospecific interactions impact settlement and habitat selection for both species. The purpose of this study was to examine the role of social information in the habitat selection process of both Golden-winged and Blue-winged warblers. The first objective was to determine if conspecific social information can be used to induce settlement in both Golden-winged and Blue-winged warblers across their range. The second objective was to determine the response of each species to heterospecific cues (how BWWA respond to GWWA calls and vice versa) and whether or not their response differs in allopatric and sympatric populations.In order to address these questions, in the summer of 2017 we broadcast vocalizations of Golden-winged warblers and Blue-winged warblers in an area where only Golden-winged warblers breed (Vilas County, WI), where only Blue-winged warblers breed (Vermillion County, IL), and where both species breed (Monroe County, WI). Preliminary results suggest the strongest responses occurred in the northern allopatric population of Golden-winged warblers with equivocal results elsewhere. Data analysis is ongoing to determine impacts of cues on settlement patterns across all treatment combinations. Ultimately, our results will provide important insight into the relationship between these species and the role of social information on habitat selection, thereby potentially guiding future management practices.  

AUTHORS: Daniel Isermann, U.S. Geological Survey, Wisconsin Cooperative Fishery Research Unit; Tom Binder, Department of Fisheries and Wildlife, Michigan State University-Hammond Bay Biological Station; Scott Hansen, Wisconsin Department of Natural Resources; David Caroffino, Michigan Department of Natural Resources; Daniel Dembkowski, Fisheries Analysis Center, University of Wisconsin-Stevens Point; Charles Krueger, Center for Systems Integration and Sustainability, Department of Fisheries and Wildlife, Michigan State University; Christopher Vandergoot, U. S. Geological Survey, Great Lakes Science Center, Lake Erie Biological Station; Wesley Larson, U. S. Geological Survey, Wisconsin Cooperative Fishery Research Unit

ABSTRACT: Lake whitefish support important commercial and recreational fisheries on Lake Michigan, with the northern third of the lake supporting the majority of harvest. Previous genetic analyses indicated lake whitefish harvest in northwest Lake Michigan was largely supported (˜ 75%) by fish assigned to Big Bay de Noc (BBDN) and North and Moonlight bays (NMB) genetic stocks. Previous tagging suggested the BBDN stock spawned on reefs within BBDN and were usually recovered by the fishery in Green Bay north of Chambers Island or along the lake side of the Door Peninsula. Most fish from the NMB stock were thought to spawn on reefs along the lake side of Door Peninsula and the majority of tags were recovered along both sides of the Door Peninsula. While these previous studies suggested lake whitefish show relatively high spawning site fidelity, determining whether these two stocks are functionally discrete remains an important question for fishery managers. Additionally, lake whitefish assigning to multiple stocks now spawn in tributaries to Green Bay (primarily the Fox and Menominee rivers) where spawning had not been observed for nearly a century; the movements of these fish are largely unknown. We will implant acoustic transmitters in 400 lake whitefish at four different spawning locations (BBDN, NMB, Fox and Menominee rivers) during November 2017. Use of acoustic telemetry coupled with genomics will allow us to test current understanding of lake whitefish stock structure and describe stock-specific movements and spatial distribution relative to fishing effort. Use of telemetry and high-reward tags will also allow us to estimate mortality rates for these stocks, which are needed for determining safe harvest levels.