Active/Completed Projects
WILDLIFE MANAGEMENT
Distribution of the king rail (Rallus elegans) along the Mississippi Flyway Funding Source: U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service Research Objectives: 1. Determine the distribution and abundance of king rails along the Mississippi River in
Missouri, between St. Louis and Hannibal Management Implications: 1. Establish guidelines for managing wetland habitat for king rails King rail populations have declined dramatically over the last 30 years, largely due to loss of
wetland habitat. Declines have been greatest in the migratory populations of the midwest, and
the species is considered threatened or endangered in some states. However, the king rail is
a game bird in many Atlantic and Gulf coast states, where the resident populations are thought
to be stable. The migration routes and wintering grounds of the migratory king rails are not
well known, thus it is possible that these endangered populations are exposed to harvest in the winter.
Survey of Breeding Secretive Marsh Birds in the Delta Region of Arkansas Funding Source: Arkansas Game and Fish Commission Research Objectives are to Determine: 1) Which secretive marsh birds occur in the Delta of Arkansas during
the breeding season Management Implications: 1) Establish baseline data on basic habitat types The Delta Region of Arkansas was once part of a vast wetland area comprised
of mostly bottomland hardwoods as well as emergent, and submergent wetlands,
and prairie. The Mississippi Alluvial Valley of Arkansas is part of the
alluvial floodplain of the lower Mississippi River that extends through
Arkansas, Louisiana, and Mississippi with smaller segments located in
Tennessee, Missouri, Illinois, and Kentucky. Before European settlement,
the LMAV was a 10 million-ha, forested-wetland system. Between the 1950s
and the 1970s, much of this land was cleared and converted to agriculture
and aquaculture facilities. Along with this change in land use has been
an unknown change in the use of those wetlands by secretive marsh birds.
Secretive marsh birds include all species that primarily inhabit marshes
(i.e., marsh-dependent species). Primary species of concern in North America
include the King Rail, Clapper Rail, Virginia Rail, Sora, Black Rail,
Yellow Rail, American Bittern, Least Bittern, Pied-billed Grebe, Purple
Gallinule, and Common Moorhen. During the summer of 2005 we surveyed 80 wetlands and approximately half
of these were occupied by = 1 secretive marsh bird. King rails occupied
12 sites with more than one bird being observed at each site. Virginia
rails were one of the least common marsh birds, being detected at only
5 sites. Soras were very common early in the summer and were detected
at 19 sites. We encountered 9 American bitterns early in the season. Least
bitterns occupied 14 sites, Pied-billed grebes occupied 9 sites, and purple
gallinules and common moorhens only occupied 2 sites. American Woodcock Fall Migration Ecology in the Central Region Funding Source: U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service Research Objectives: 1) Document American woodcock
fall migration routes in the Central Region Management Implications: 1) Establish baseline data on American woodcock fall migration ecology Despite decreased hunter bag
limits and shortening of the hunting season, American woodcock populations
have been declining since singing ground surveys began in 1968. Woodcock
have been studied extensively on the breeding grounds and to a lesser
extent on the wintering grounds, but virtually no research has been conducted
on the specie’s fall migration ecology. We know roughly when woodcock
leave the breeding grounds and when they arrive on the wintering grounds,
but little is known about the period in between. In the fall of 2001 we began
a 3 year study to document American woodcock fall migration routes, timing,
and habitat use in the Central Region. In fall 2002, 360 woodcock were
captured and fitted them with radio transmitters in Minnesota, Wisconsin,
and Michigan, of which 274 successfully began fall migration. Radio-marked
woodcock were relocated during migration and on the wintering grounds.
During fall migration we conduct aerial searches for radio-marked woodcock
in Illinois, Missouri, Kansas, Oklahoma, Arkansas, Kentucky, Tennessee,
Mississippi, Louisiana, and Texas. During 125 hours of aerial telemetry,
we found 29 possible radio-marked woodcock locations. We confirmed 22
of these locations by flushing the radio-marked bird while the remaining
7 locations were unconfirmed due to lack of access or the absence of the
radioed bird when we arrived. Of the 22 confirmed birds, 2 were located
in bottomland forest, 13 in pine forests, and 7 in upland hardwood forests.
We performed 838 50-m ground transect surveys in 26 different forest types
to document habitat use by woodcock. We flushed 38 woodcock over a total
of 41.9 km of transects using a flushing dog. Impacts of Harvest Management on the Age and Sex Structure of White-Tailed Deer
(Odocoileus virginianus) Populations in Arkansas Research Objectives: 1. Determine impact of harvest
management strategies (e.g. antler point restrictions) on sex and age
structure of white-tailed deer harvest in Arkansas. Management Implications: 1. Establish management recommendations
based on the impact of harvest management strategies in Arkansas. We are investigating the impact
of a statewide antler restriction on the age structure and sex ratio of
white-tailed deer (Odocoileus virginianus) harvested in Arkansas
between 1984-2003. Our objectives are 1) to determine which factors have
the most influence on white-tailed deer population demography pre- and
post the establishment of a statewide antler restriction, 2) determine
whether influence of the antler restriction is scale dependent and 3)
to gather demographic information on white-tailed deer hunters in Arkansas.
During fall 2000 and fall 2001, we surveyed registered white-tailed deer
hunting camps in Arkansas to gather information on harvest and habitat
management practices currently in use across Arkansas. During summer 2001
and summer 2002, we surveyed Arkansas hunting license purchasers to gather
information regarding white-tailed deer hunter demographics, harvest preferences,
opinions, and concerns. Using decision analysis theory, we are modeling
the impact of the statewide antler restriction on white-tailed deer at
different spatial scales in Arkansas. Decision analysis allows us to link
available harvest data with key biological processes underlying the population
dynamics of white-tailed deer in Arkansas. We will assess relations among
many factors influencing white-tailed deer harvest structure and underlying
population dynamics. The Importance of Lower
Mississippi River Alluvial Valley Reforestation and Wetland Restoration
Sites to Wintering Migratory Birds Funding Sources: U.S. Fish
and Wildlife Service, USGS - BRD 1. Determine the species composition
and population density of migrant birds wintering in and utilizing early-
successional vegetation sites in the Lower Mississippi River Alluvial
Valley. Management Implications: 1. Compare treatments (management
practices) between study sites and determine which management regime is
most beneficial to the greatest number of species and to those species
that are in particular need of conservation attention. Significant efforts to restore
bottomland hardwood forests and associated wetlands have been undertaken
throughout the Lower Mississippi River Alluvial Valley (LMAV) in recent
years. These restoration activities have resulted in large acreages of
early-successional habitats throughout the region. Early-successional
habitats are utilized by a number of grassland bird species as winter
refugia. Considering that grassland birds, as a whole, are experiencing
population declines and in view of the fact that little research has been
done on their winter ecology, we are investigating the role that these
restored habitats within the LMAV play for this group of birds. In total,
69 sites throughout the LMAV of Arkansas, Louisiana and Mississippi were
surveyed in winter 2000, 2001 and 2002 for bird species richness, abundance
and distribution. Associated measurements of vegetation structure were
also collected for all sites. In addition, species-specific habitat measurements
were made for three species of concern within the region: Short-eared
Owl (Asio flammeus), Sedge Wren (Cistothorus platensis)
and Le Conte's Sparrow (Ammodramus leconteii). Analysis of the
resulting population data for all sites and bird species, the relationship
of vegetation structure and landscape parameters, and the specific winter
habitat preferences of species of concern are ongoing. Turnover Rates of Pectoral Sandpipers during Fall Migration Funding Source: US Fish and Wildlife Service, Arkansas Game and Fish Commission Research Objectives: 1. Estimate turnover rates
of pectoral sandpipers (Calidris melanotos) during fall migration
in the Lower Mississippi Alluvial Valley. Management Implications: 1. Turnover rate estimates
will be used to estimate shorebird use days during the fall migration
in the Lower Mississippi Alluvial Valley. We attached radio transmitters
to 39 pectoral sandpipers (Calidris melanotos) during the fall
of 2001at 3 sites in Arkansas. Nineteen transmitters were attached to
birds at Bald Knob National Wildlife Refuge (Bald Knob), 7 at the Small
Farm Outreach and Water Management Center of the University of Arkansas-Pine
Bluff (Small Farm), and 13 at Overflow National Wildlife Refuge (Overflow).
Our objective was to determine the average turnover rate of shorebirds
moving through the Lower Mississippi Alluvial Valley during fall migration
using the pectoral sandpiper as an example of a typical migrant. The birds
were tagged and tracked between August 1 and September 28 of 2001. The
mean length of time monitored for birds with transmitters was 4.3 (3.23
SE), 1.2 (0.3 SE), and 4.2 (2.83 SE) days for Bald Knob, Small Farm, and
Overflow, respectively. Small Farm, an aquacultural facility, was believed
to have a shorter period of monitored stay due to the brief duration of
available habitat at the site. This is a possible illustration of the
differences between habitat managed for shorebirds and aquacultural facilities.
We will attempt to further investigate this matter in the 2002 field season.
Short-term Responses of Grassland Bird Populations to Native Grass Conversion and
Mowing in Northwest Arkansas Funding Source: AR Game and Fish Commission; USGS-BRD, CFWRU Research Objectives: 1. Evaluate short-term effects
of native grass conversion activities (early-spring burning, mowing, disking,
and herbicide application) and spring/summer mowing on species richness
and nest success of grassland bird populations in the Wedington Unit of
Ozark National Forest in Northwest Arkansas Management Implications: 1. Provides insights into short-term
effects of grassland restoration and spring/summer mowing on grassland
bird species and communities, which may be implemented in larger-scale
conservation strategies (e.g., Partners in Flight) and may lead to improved
management of these species. Many grassland bird species
have suffered serious declines over the past several decades, primarily
due to habitat loss and degradation. A better understanding of effects
of land management practices on grassland birds may lead to improved management
of these species. Therefore, we are evaluating short-term effects of native
grass conversion activities (early-spring burning, mowing, disking, and
herbicide application) and spring/summer mowing on species richness and
nest success of grassland bird populations in the Wedington Unit of Ozark
National Forest in Northwest Arkansas during 2002-2003. Native grass conversion
activities were suspended due to litigation during Spring 2002, although
burning was conducted on 1 pasture prior to suspension. Consequently,
we estimated species richness and nest success in 5 pastures during April
- July 2002: a reference pasture with no treatment, an early-mowed pasture
(mowed 5/19/02), a mid-mowed pasture (mowed 6/01/02), a late-mowed pasture
(mowed 7/10/02), and an early-burned pasture (burned 4/09/02). Preliminary
analyses indicated that maximum species richness after 15 May (i.e., resident
breeders only) was lowest in the early-burned pasture (22 [SE = 4]) and
highest in the early-mowed pasture (40 [SE = 10). Maximum species richness
was intermediate in the mid-mowed (28 [SE = 4]), late-mowed (29 [SE =
5]), and reference (30 [SE = 5]) pastures. Naive estimates of nest success
ranged from 6% (1/17) in the mid-mowed pasture to 67% (6/9) in the reference
pasture. Field sparrow (Spizella pusilla) was the most commonly
detected nesting species (47% of 54 nests). Next year's research will
include reference, native-grass conversion (if available), and mowed pastures,
with cattle-grazed pastures added if feasible. Spatial and temporal variation in the effects of grazing fish and crayfish on benthic communities during stream drying Funding Source: Causey-Grant in Aid Objectives: 1. Quantify effects of stream crayfish and central stoneroller minnows on stream structure and function in the Little Mulberry River, AR. 1. Information gained from this research will show how crayfish and central stonerollers affect the functioning of headwater streams in the Boston Mountain ecoregion. Effects of Otter (Lontra canadensis) Predation on Stream Communities Principal Investigator: DANIEL D. MAGOULICK Objectives: 1. Quantify aquatic and riparian food webs and investigate temporal and spatial variation
in predator-prey dynamics between otters and the aquatic community. Management Implications: 1. Results will provide information regarding the impact of otters on stream communities,
including potential impact to sport fishes.
3. This study will enable predictions concerning how predator and prey populations will respond to
environmental variation associated with seasonal fluctuations in water levels, and habitat degradation and fragmentation.
In the Ozark Mountains of northwest Arkansas, river otters (Lontra canadensis) may be an important and
overlooked predator in stream communities. In particular, there is growing concern in this region that
otters both prey upon and compete with important sport fishes. Therefore, our objectives are to examine
the effects of river otter predation on the abundance and distribution of fish and crayfish in Little Mulberry
Creek and the Mulberry River. From 2005 through 2007, we sampled possible otter prey items for stable isotope
analysis and food web development. In addition, we sampled otter fecal matter in the field and we obtained
stomachs from otter carcasses donated during the winter trapping season. In 2006, we began blood sampling
from live-captured individuals to supplement scat and stomach contents data. In addition, we conducted
crayfish tethering experiments to assess crayfish mortality associated with terrestrial and aquatic
predators. Results indicated that otters rely heavily on crayfish prey during the summer months and switch
to fish during the winter. We are continuing the diet analyses and are beginning to develop a bioenergetics
model to estimate the amount of each prey type consumed. In addition, we are beginning crayfish population
monitoring and laboratory experiments to assess direct and indirect effects of otter predation on aquatic
communities. Factors Affecting Migration and Recruitment in Headwater
Fish Assemblages of Buffalo National River, AR Funding Source: National Park Service Objectives: 1. Document the seasonal fluctuations
in fish community species composition, relative abundance, and migration
patterns at the macrohabitat, reach, and watershed scale. Management Implications: 1. Information gained by this
study will aid in interpreting the extent to which the Buffalo River depends
upon Bear Creek and other tributaries to provide a fish species pool and
as a potential spawning and nursery location. In July 1997, Searcy County
Regional Water District (SCRWD) submitted a permit application to the
Department of the Army Corps of Engineers for the construction of a dam
in the headwaters of Bear Creek, a tributary to the Buffalo National River.
In mid 1999, the Corps of Engineers denied the permit, but has recently
overturned the ruling, suggesting that fish will be minimally impacted
by a dam on Bear Creek. The Corps of Engineers' decision is based in part
on the fact that Bear Creek becomes intermittent at some points during
typical summers and the idea that fish in small, intermittent streams
move little. However, the relationship between Buffalo River's fish community
and the fish communities in the perennial and intermittent portions of
Bear Creek are unknown. Likewise, the extent of dispersal and its impact
on recruitment and fish assemblage structure within these stream systems
is currently unknown. The Influence of Stream
flow and Habitat Variability on the Funding Source: National Park Service Objectives: 1. Determine the relationship between land clearing in the Arkansas Ozarks
(on multiple spatial scales)and streamflow parameters in this region. Management implications: 1. Development of a predictive model that relates fish assemblage structure to land use and hydrology. Project Summary: Many biotic and abiotic factors have been found to influence fish assemblage structure in lotic systems.
Abiotic factors are probably more influential in less stable systems because
environmental variability keeps the fish populations from reaching a stable
state where biotic interactions would be in control (Resh et al. 1988).
Many Ozark Mountain streams fall into the unstable category because of
their highly variable flow regimes, so it is likely that abiotic factors
are shaping the fish assemblages in this region (Horwitz 1978). Streams
can have highly variable flow regimes for many reasons, one of which is
land use in the watershed. Clearing of land has led to higher peak flows
(Verry et al. 1983), and increased overall discharge (Stednick 1996) in
watersheds around the United States. Because much of the forested land
in the Arkansas Ozarks is currently being cleared for agriculture, the
impact on the hydrology and fish communities of these basins is an issue
that should be addressed. Interaction between the Introduced Crayfish, Orconectes neglectus, and native crayfish
in the Spring River Drainage Basin Funding Source: Causey Grant-in-Aid of Research- Department of Biological Sciences, University of Arkansas.
Awarded to Michael Rabalais. Research Objectives: 1. Test the hypothesis that environmental changes do not prevent O. eupunctus from surviving and growing
in their former range. Management Implications: 1. Information from this study will help determine current impacts and predict future impacts of the
invading crayfish species on native species. We recently found that the
crayfish Orconectes neglectus has been introduced into the Spring
River drainage of southern Missouri and northern Arkansas and appears
to have the potential to negatively impact the native communities. We
found that; 1) O. neglectus was introduced into portions of the South
Fork Spring River between 1984 and 1998; 2) O. neglectus may
be negatively impacting the native crayfish community, especially O.
eupunctus, which is rare locally and globally and listed as special
concern, as well as C. hubbsi; and 3) O. neglectus has
the potential to spread in the Spring River drainage affecting other species
including the imperiled O. marchandi. Field and laboratory research
needs to be conducted to determine species displacement, mechanisms involved,
and effects on ecosystem structure and function.
Project Duration: Spring 2006 - Fall 2007
Principle Investigator: DAVID G. KREMENTZ
Graduate Research Assistant: ABIGAIL J. DARRAH (M.S. student)
2. Determine habitat use of king rails, including nesting and brood-rearing habitats
2. Modify hunting regulations if necessary to avoid harvest of endangered migratory populations
of king rails on their wintering grounds
Project Summary:
We began a study on king rails along the Mississippi River in Missouri in May 2006. Because of
the secretive nature and low population density of the king rail, we surveyed each site 8-10 times
during the 2006 and 2007 seasons. We had very few responses in both years, mostly early in the
season on 2-3 out of 15 wetlands. At each survey point we collected cover type information
within 50 m and percent forest within 400 m. We searched for nests and broods throughout each season,
and located 3 inactive nests and 6 broods in 2006, and 5 broods in 2007. In 2007 we also banded and
placed transmitters on several adult and juvenile king rails. For all nests, brood locations, and radio
point locations, we took habitat information including water depth, vegetation cover, and dominant plant
species within a 5 m radius of each point.
We will analyze the data using the program PRESENCE, which independently estimates detection probability (p)
and probability of site occupancy (?). Using the survey data and the habitat covariates, we will select
the best model predicting king rail occupancy of wetland sites. For nest, brood, and telemetry habitat data,
we will use resource selection functions to determine how king rails use the available wetland habitats in
our study area.
Project Duration: Spring 2005 - spring 2007
Principal Investigator: DR. DAVID G. KREMENTZ
Graduate Research Assistant: MICHAEL J. BUDD (M.S. student)
2) What proportion of sites in the Delta are occupied by secretive marsh
birds
3) What is the probability of detecting a secretive marsh bird in the
Delta
4) What factors affect detecting secretive marsh birds
5) Basis habitat types occupied by secretive marsh birds
2) Habitat management recommendations to benefit marsh birds
3) Establish information on sites used primarily by marsh birds
Project Summary:
Project Duration: Fall 2001 – Fall 2004
Principle Investigator: DR. DAVID KREMENTZ
Graduate Research Assistant: NICK MYATT (M.S. student)
2) Establish the timing of woodcock fall migration
3) Investigate woodcock habitat use during fall migration
2) Habitat management recommendations to benefit migrating American woodcock
3) Establish information on primary woodcock wintering areas and habitats<
Project Summary:
Funding Source: Arkansas Game and Fish Commission
Project Duration: 1 July 2000 to 31 September 2004
Principal Investigator: DAVID G. KREMENTZ
Graduate Research Assistant: BRET A. COLLIER (Ph.D. Student)
2. Determine if harvest management strategies influence white-tailed deer
harvests differently dependent upon spatial scale.
3. Investigate the human dimension of statewide white-tailed deer management
practices.
2. Verify the effectiveness of harvest management strategies and determine
if harvest differences between states under those strategies and those
states that are not.
3. Gather baseline information on how AGFC can assist private landowners
managing white-tailed deer.
4. Estimate at which spatial scale harvest management strategies influence
deer demography.
Project Summary:
Project Duration: September 1999 to June 2004
Principal Investigator: DAVID G. KREMENTZ
Graduate Research Assistant: ROBERT H. DOSTER (Ph.D. Student)
Research Objectives:
2. Characterize the vegetation in early-successional fields and relate
these vegetative characters to bird species richness and abundance.
3. Focus on three uncommon wintering grassland bird species (Short-eared
Owl, Sedge Wren and Le Conte's Sparrow) by determining more specific wintering
habitat requirements for purposes of conservation management.
4. Determine the breeding origin of selected bird species wintering in
the Lower Mississippi River Alluvial Valley, through analysis of stable
isotopes incorporated in feathers, for use in conservation planning between
breeding and wintering sites.
2. Formulate management recommendations based on research objectives for
the purpose of a region-wide conservation strategy aimed at providing
optimal wintering habitat for the greatest number of short-distance migrant
bird species.
Project Summary:
in the Lower Mississippi Alluvial Valley
Project Duration: July 2001 to June 2003
Principle Investigator: DAVID G. KREMENTZ
Graduate Research Assistant: SARAH E. LEHNEN (M.S. Student)
2. These estimates will be valuable in managing fall shorebird habitats
in the Lower Mississippi Alluvial Valley.
Project Summary:
We plan to attach 75 transmitters to pectoral sandpipers during the fall
of 2002. In addition to the same 3 sites used in 2001, we will add Yazoo
National Wildlife Refuge in Mississippi. We will also use aerial tracking
to locate the birds after they leave the banding areas and set up an automated
tracking unit at Catahoula Lake in Louisiana to record any birds with
transmitters using that stopover site. During the fall of 2002, we will
also color mark least sandpipers (Calidris minutilla) and use
mark resight data to estimate the turnover rate for this species.
Project Duration: August 2001 to May 2004
Principal Investigator: WILLIAM L. THOMPSON
Graduate Research Assistant: JASON D. LUSCIER (M.S. Student)
Project Summary:
Project Duration: August 2004 to December 2009
Principal Investigator: DANIEL D. MAGOULICK
Graduate Research Assistant: JOHN P. LUDLAM (Ph.D. Student)
2. Determine how stream drying influences the ability of grazers to affect benthic communities.
2. Results will help develop predictions regarding the importance of stream drying to within-stream processes.
Project Summary:
Graduate Research Assistant: MATTHEW P. DEKAR (Ph.D. Candidate)
2. Quantify otter diet and develop a bioenergetics model to estimate the amount of each prey type consumed.
3.Use experimental manipulations to test hypotheses regarding the impact of otter predation on stream communities.
2. Bioenergetics modeling will give insight into ecological constraints regulating otter populations.
Project Summary:
Project Duration: June 2001 to June 2003
Principal Investigator: DANIEL D. MAGOULICK
Graduate Research Assistant: SHAWN HODGES (M.S. Student)
MATT DEKAR (M.S. Student)
CHRIS BARE (M.S. Student)
2. Document larval drift densities and rates as components of fish community
recruitment in the upstream, middle, and downstream reaches of Bear Creek.
2. Results will aid in interpreting the effects of barriers to fish movement,
such as dams or stream drying.
3. Provide insight into the dynamics of fish reproduction and recruitment
in intermittent and perennially interrupted streams.
Project Summary:
Fish Assemblage Structure of Arkansas Ozark Streams
Project Duration: June 2001 to June 2003
Principal Investigator: DANIEL D. MAGOULICK
Graduate Research Assistant: MANDY SCOTT (M.S. Student)
2. Examine differences in flood-resistance/resilience traits of fish between
assemblages occurring in streams with differently variable flow and habitat
complexity.
3. Determine the responses to high streamflow velocities of select species
from these assemblages.
4. Develop and test a predictive model that describes fish assemblage
structure in Arkansas Ozark streams according to each stream's flow regime
and degree of habitat complexity.
2. Ability to predict impacts of changes in land use on stream fish assemblages.
Project Duration: 1 July 2002 to 31 July 2004
Principal Investigator: DANIEL D. MAGOULICK
Graduate Research Assistant: MICHEAL R. RABALAIS (M.S. Student)
2. Determine the extent of resource (habitat) partitioning between O.
eupunctus and O. neglectus.
3. Test the hypothesis that introduced O. neglectus outcompete native
O. eupunctus.
2. Understanding mechanisms of displacement and effects of introduced
crayfish on native species will allow managers to develop informed strategies
regarding the need for mitigation and potential success of mitigation
efforts.
3. Information gained here will be especially important in making decisions
regarding the conservation of three species that are potentially at risk
from this invasion, Orconectes eupunctus, (locally rare and uncommon
and globally imperiled) Orconectes marchandi (both locally and
globally imperiled), and Cambarus hubbsi.
Project Summary: