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Outcomes from Delivery of NRCS's WLFW-Bobwhite in Managed Pine Savannahs
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In 2016, the Natural Resources Conservation Service’s Working Lands for Wildlife partnership began funding management activities designed to enhance, restore, and protect bobwhites habitat on private lands. Through the WLFW program, NRCS is able to assist landowners to voluntarily create and maintain bobwhite habitat in order to support the range-wide recovery of the species. In 2018, NRCS entered into an agreement with the University of Georgia to assess habitat outcomes and bobwhite population response to our conservation actions.
n collaboration with the University of Georgia, NRCS is now looking to monitor some of these managed lands to help tease out habitat features that promote excellent bobwhite habitat. If possible, additional information (e.g., other forestry management actions employed) may also be collected through interviews with landowners and/or conservation partners.
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WLFW Outcomes: Funded Research
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Overwintering behavior reduces mortality for a terrestrial turtle in forests managed with prescribed fire
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Using radiotelemetry, we studied overwintering behavior and interactions with fire in a forest-dwelling terrestrial turtle, the Eastern Box Turtle (Terrapene carolina carolina), over an eight-year period at two sites that use prescribed fire in forest management.
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Pathogenic Chytrid Fungus Batrachochytrium dendrobatidis, but Not B. salamandrivorans, Detected on Eastern Hellbenders
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Recent worldwide declines and extinctions of amphibian populations have been attributed to chytridiomycosis, a disease caused by the pathogenic fungus Batrachochytrium dendrobatidis (Bd). Until recently, Bd was thought to be the only Batrachochytrium species that infects amphibians; however a newly described species, Batrachochytrium salamandrivorans (Bs), is linked to die-offs in European fire salamanders (Salamandra salamandra). Little is known about the distribution, host range, or origin of Bs. In this study, we surveyed populations of an aquatic salamander that is declining in the United States, the eastern hellbender (Cryptobranchus alleganiensis alleganiensis), for the presence of Bs and Bd. Skin swabs were collected from a total of 91 individuals in New York, Pennsylvania, Ohio, and Virginia, and tested for both pathogens using duplex qPCR. Bs was not detected in any samples, suggesting it was not present in these hellbender populations (0% prevalence, 95% confidence intervals of 0.0–0.04). Bd was found on 22 hellbenders (24% prevalence, 95% confidence intervals of 0.16 ≤ 0.24 ≤ 0.34), representing all four states. All positive samples had low loads of Bd zoospores (12.7 ± 4.9 S.E.M. genome equivalents) compared to other Bd susceptible species. More research is needed to determine the impact of Batrachochytrium infection on hellbender fitness and population viability. In particular, understanding how hellbenders limit Bd infection intensity in an aquatic environment may yield important insights for amphibian conservation. This study is among the first to evaluate the distribution of Bs in the United States, and is consistent with another, which failed to detect Bs in the U.S. Knowledge about the distribution, host-range, and origin of Bs may help control the spread of this pathogen, especially to regions of high salamander diversity, such as the eastern United States.
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Population Genetics of the Eastern Hellbender (Cryptobranchus alleganiensis alleganiensis) across Multiple Spatial Scales
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Conservation genetics is a powerful tool to assess the population structure of species and provides a framework for informing management of freshwater ecosystems. As lotic habitats become fragmented, the need to assess gene flow for species of conservation management becomes a priority. The eastern hellbender (Cryptobranchus alleganiensis alleganiensis) is a large, fully aquatic paedamorphic salamander. Many populations are experiencing declines throughout their geographic range, yet the genetic ramifications of these declines are currently unknown. To this end, we examined levels of genetic variation and genetic structure at both range-wide and drainage (hierarchical) scales. We collected 1,203 individuals from 77 rivers throughout nine states from June 2007 to August 2011. Levels of genetic diversity were relatively high among all sampling locations. We detected significant genetic structure across populations (Fst values ranged from 0.001 between rivers within a single watershed to 0.218 between states). We identified two genetically differentiated groups at the range-wide scale: 1) the Ohio River drainage and 2) the Tennessee River drainage. An analysis of molecular variance (AMOVA) based on landscape-scale sampling of basins within the Tennessee River drainage revealed the majority of genetic variation (∼94–98%) occurs within rivers. Eastern hellbenders show a strong pattern of isolation by stream distance (IBSD) at the drainage level. Understanding levels of genetic variation and differentiation at multiple spatial and biological scales will enable natural resource managers to make more informed decisions and plan effective conservation strategies for cryptic, lotic species.
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Prescribed Fire Training Exchanges
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Prescribed fire training exchanges are designed to address the unique landscape needs while keeping community values in mind.
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Prescribed Burn
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Prescribed Fire TREX
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Prescribed fire training exchanges are designed to address the unique landscape needs while keeping community values in mind. These events provide valuable hands-on training opportunities for TREX participants. Prescribed fires, as part of a training exchange, can help communities and landscapes become more fire-adapted, reduce wildfire risk and help build a local workforce.
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Prescribed Burn
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Prevalence of Batrachochytrium dendrobatidis in Eastern Hellbender (Cryptobranchus alleganiensis) Populations in West Virginia, USA
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The eastern hellbender (Cryptobranchus alleganiensis alleganiensis) is a North American salamander species in decline throughout its range. Efforts to identify the causes of decline have included surveillance for the chytrid fungus Batrachochytrium dendrobatidis (Bd), which has been associated with global amphibian population losses. We evaluated the prevalence of Bd in 42 hellbenders at four sites in West Virginia, US, from June to September 2013, using standard swab protocols and real-time PCR. Overall prevalence of Bd was 52% (22/42; 37.7–66.6%; 95% confidence interval). Prevalence was highest in individuals with body weight ≥695 g (χ2=7.2487, df=1, P=0.007), and was higher in montane sampling sites than lowland sites (t=−2.4599, df=44, P=0.02). While increased prevalence in montane sampling sites was expected, increased prevalence in larger hellbenders was unexpected and hypothesized to be associated with greater surface area for infection or prolonged periods of exposure in older, larger hellbenders. Wild hellbenders have not been reported to display clinical disease associated with Bd; however, prevalence in the population is important information for evaluating reservoir status and risk to other species, and as a baseline for investigation in the face of an outbreak of clinical disease.
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Range-wide assessment of grazing and hydrology in bog turtle wetlands
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In December 2018, a meeting of bog turtle experts was hosted in Richmond, VA and experts across the Eastern range of the species identified as a high priority the need to better understand the benefits and potential negative impacts of livestock grazing in bog turtle inhabited wetlands. Hydrologic conditions in bog turtle wetlands emerged as a secondary concern needing more research. Recently, NRCS’ Conservation Effects Assessment Project (CEAP) awarded funds to Dr. Carola Haas leading a team of researchers at Virginia Tech University to conduct an assessment on these two topics (grazing and hydrology).
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WLFW Outcomes: Funded Research
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Santa Rosa-Paradise Restoration
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The Santa Rosa-Paradise landscape is a priority landscape under Nevada Division of Forestry's (NDF) Forest, Range and Watershed Action Plan.
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Wildfire
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Scattered Lands Hazardous Fuels
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The Scattered Lands Hazardous Fuels project focuses on 173,942 acres of high-risk forestlands in North Idaho.
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Fire-Community & Infrastructure
