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    Session 18: Lightning Talks I

    Room: Room 206D

    2022-07-29   08:15 - 09:30

    Moderator: Kevin Conway



    1.  Effects of solar arrays on wildlife in southwestern deserts: thermal and ecological consequences. Adrian Slade*, Central Washington University   slade.oreganus@gmail.com

    The American southwest is experiencing rapid expansion of solar development, which degrades and fragments wildlife habitat. Several threatened desert reptile species are disproportionately affected by solar energy development. Recent studies have found that solar arrays can increase local ambient temperatures by as much at 4 C at night. A poorly studied effect of solar energy on wildlife is its potential to change local temperatures and the consequences of these rapid environmental temperature changes on coinciding populations of reptiles. This project will focus on measuring the thermal landscape available to ectotherms at three distinct locations at two solar facilities: within a solar array, at nearby unaltered habitat, and distant unaltered habitat. Comparisons of thermal profiles between the area impacted by solar arrays and unaltered habitat will be made to determine if solar arrays change the thermal environment available to ectotherms. Knowledge of desert reptile thermal tolerances and other physiological variables influenced by temperature will be analyzed alongside the temperature data to extrapolate how solar development may affect various aspects of desert reptile fitness, activity, and persistence alongside solar development. Wildlife detection surveys will also be conducted by motion sensor cameras and visual foot surveys at the study sites to measure if solar arrays have an observable effect on species richness, occurrence, and activity. Investigating the potential impacts of solar arrays on terrestrial wildlife will inform future development strategies and mitigation tactics, such as maintaining populations of sensitive species and their habitats alongside operational solar collection facilities.


    2.  Over 15 Years of Mediterranean Gecko (Hemidactylus turcicus) research at the University of Central Oklahoma: What to do next? Allyson Fenwick*, University of Central Oklahoma   afenwick@uco.edu

    The University of Central Oklahoma (UCO) has a colonization of Mediterranean geckos (Hemidactylus turcicus) with a known introduction history beginning in 1962, mapping of geographic spread since 2005, and collection of tail tissues for DNA since 2014. We are currently working off campus to map the edges of this local range. We have over 800 tail samples from campus plus samples from the site on the Texas coast where UCO geckos were collected for introduction. We have genotyped 16 microsatellites abut have not done genomic work. We also have over 8500 data points from three years of all-season sampling of temperature and light conditions of observed geckos. Future plans include temperature physiology, and I am looking for new directions and new collaborations to further utilize this interesting colonization of exotic lizards.


    3.  Abundance and Survival of a Critically Imperiled Salamander Across Discrete Habitat Patches. Megan Novak*, Clemson University; Kyle Barrett, Clemson University   mvnovak@g.clemson.edu

    Discrete patch inhabitants with poor dispersal abilities are born into a predetermined home range territory and their resource selection is restricted to what is present, which may be unideal for subpopulation survival. Subpopulation persistence may, therefore, vary based on discrete patch qualities and environmental covariates. Green salamanders (Aneides aeneus) are an example species of discrete patch inhabitants that use embedded rock outcrops within forest landscapes. Unsurprising for a species with a narrow habitat niche, green salamanders have a decreasing population trend and are ranked as “critically imperiled” in the state of South Carolina. Previous studies have shown certain environmental (e.g., large size and low elevation), and within-site features (e.g., high crevice density) to have predictive value regarding green salamander occupancy. To further this work, we implemented a three-year mark-recapture survey using photo identification to mark individuals across 17 rock outcrops to estimate subpopulation abundance and survival rate. Preliminary data show estimated abundance was predicted by average crevice count (R2 = 0.60), but not with patch size (R2 = 0.07) or elevation (R2 = 0.19). We hope insight from this and continued research will inform future land and species management in upstate South Carolina.


    4.  Survival of Boreal Chorus Frog (Pseudacris maculata) and Northern Leopard Frog (Rana pipiens) Tadpoles Following Ranavirus Exposure. Danielle Galvin*, University of South Dakota; Jacob Kerby, University of South Dakota   danijean98@gmail.com

    Emerging amphibian pathogens are widely regarded as one of the potential drivers of amphibian population declines around the world. The focus of this research is on ranavirus, an amphibian pathogen which results in symptoms including lethargy, hemorrhaging, edema, erythema and even death. Although adult amphibians are susceptible to ranavirus infection, larval amphibians are more susceptible and often experience the highest rates of ranavirus-induced mortality following infection. In addition to differing in susceptibility based on life stage, many amphibian species differ in their susceptibility to ranavirus infection. During summer of 2021 we evaluated the differences in susceptibility and survival of larval Northern leopard frogs (Rana pipiens) (n=75) and boreal chorus frogs (Pseudacris maculata) (n=85) following exposure to different amounts of ranavirus. Individuals were exposed to ranavirus (0, 10, 100 or 1000 PFU/mL) in a 50mL water bath for 72 hours. Survival was monitored daily for 90 days. Ranavirus infection following exposure was confirmed using quantitative polymerase chain reaction (qPCR) analysis. Northern leopard frogs survived longer than boreal chorus frogs at each exposure level. As ranavirus exposure increased, survival decreased for both species with boreal chorus frogs showing the greatest decrease in survival. The average number of ranavirus copies increased with increasing ranavirus exposure for both species. This work exhibits clear differences in susceptibility among two local species that can enlighten different patterns of declines in the region.


    5.  Monitoring Marine Biodiversity Hotspots and Migration Corridors of Highly Mobile Shark Species Under Global Change . Chelsea Black*, Rosenstiel School of Marine and Atmospheric Science, University of Miami; Neil Hammerschlag, Rosenstiel School of Marine and Atmospheric Science, University of Miami; Megan McKinzie, Monterey Bay Aquarium Research Institute; Frank Muller-Karger, College of Marine Science,University of South Florida; Enrique Montes, NOAA Atlantic Oceanographic and Meteorological Laboratory; Bill Woodward, U.S. Animal Telemetry Network   clb210@miami.edu

    Satellite telemetry is a widely used tool to understand the distribution of multiple coastal and pelagic species, their movement patterns, and habitat use. This information is important to understand interactions between human uses of ocean spaces and identify potential gaps in marine protected area coverage. Using historical and current satellite telemetry data, the collaborative BioTrack project, part of the Animal Telemetry Network (ATN) and of the Marine Biodiversity Observation Network (MBON), seeks to identify shared biodiversity hotspots and migration corridors of multiple species of highly migratory sharks. These hotspots are defined as ocean areas with an above average number of species at a given time. These multi-species hotspots and migration corridors will be analyzed with respect to essential ocean variables to identify the key environmental and biological drivers behind them. Additionally, they will be projected under future climate change scenarios to characterize potential shifts in species distribution, migration routes, and biodiversity hotspots. Current and projected hotspots and migration corridors will be overlayed with place-based management zones to highlight areas vulnerable to exploitation. Due to the significant challenges in the conservation of highly migratory species such as sharks, identifying these biodiversity hotspots could ultimately maximize species protection and streamline their co-management.


    6.  First Documentation of wild Macrochelys temminckii nesting and hatching in Texas. Sal Scibetta*, Texas Turtles; Carl Franklin, Texas Turtles; Viviana Ricardez, Texas Turtles   sscibetta@yahoo.com

    Nesting behavior of the Alligator Snapping Turtle (Macrochelys temminckii) has been documented in alligator snapping turtles from Florida and Louisiana (Allen and Neil 1950, Carr 1952, Ewert 1976, Ewert et al. 2006, Holcomb and Carr 2011). On 21 May 2021 an adult female M. temminckii was observed nesting in Cherokee County Texas. The nest site was approximately 9 meters from a creek and contained 40 eggs, which had a mean mass of 31.97g per egg. At 100 days the nest was excavated to find 29 live hatchlings, 3 dead in the egg and 8 infertile eggs. The hatchlings were held for 3 days to allow the umbilical scars to heal. All 29 hatchlings were subsequently released at the creek nearest the nest site.


    7.  The Use of Probiotic Applications in Early Life Stages to Mitigate Batrachochytrium dendrobatidis Infections in Rana luteiventris (Columbia Spotted Frogs). Autumn Holley*, Eastern Washington University; Philip Campos, Eastern Washington University; Jenifer Walke, Eastern Washington University   aholley1@ewu.edu

    Chytridiomycosis, an amphibian skin disease caused by a chytrid fungal pathogen, Batrachochytrium dendrobatidis (Bd), has been linked to global amphibian declines, although some amphibian populations are resistant to infection due to symbiotic antifungal skin bacteria. Attempts to develop probiotics have been inconsistently successful because bacteria fail to persist on the skin, and studies have largely been conducted on adult and juvenile amphibians, despite amphibians having fewer known mechanisms for microbiome regulation prior to metamorphosis. We hypothesize that probiotics will persist longer and thus be more effective against pathogen infection if they are applied at an early life stage. First, to identify potential probiotics and to examine the correlation between skin microbiomes and Bd infection status, we conducted a field study of Rana luteiventris in eastern Washington and northern Idaho. We found a higher abundance of Pseudomonas species on uninfected frogs than infected frogs, and Pseudomonas bacteria have been shown to be anti-Bd, suggesting somePseudomonas bacteria may limit infection. We conducted a laboratory study to test the effectiveness ofPseudomonas sp. probiotic applications to Rana luteiventris eggs, tadpoles immediately after hatching, tadpoles one week after hatching, and newly metamorphosed frogs at two temperature regimes based on current and modeled future temperatures. We exposed all treatment groups to Bd and swabbed to collect skin microbiome samples. To evaluate the host-microbiome-pathogen dynamics, we will analyze 16S rRNA gene amplicon sequencing and Bd qPCR data. This research will inform future probiotic strategies to combat a pathogen contributing to significant amphibian declines.


    8.  Passive Detection Techniques to Estimate Occupancy and Abundance of an Imperiled Turtle. Mike Knoerr, Tangled Bank Conservation LLC; Kyle Barrett*, Clemson University; William Sutton, Tennessee State University; Gabrielle Graeter, North Carolina Wildlife Resources Commission; Susan Cameron, United States Fish and Wildlife Service; JJ Apodaca, Tangled Bank Conservation LLC   rbarre2@clemson.edu

    Acquiring information on rare or elusive species presents a unique challenge, as these species usually have low detection rates that make inferences about conservation status difficult. Data collection in the absence of a researcher (passive sampling) offers a potentially cost-effective means of surveying such species. We evaluated camera traps and eDNA as tools for estimating occupancy status of the federally threatened bog turtle (Glyptemys muhlenbergii) across 11 sites known to be occupied. Because we were able to identify individuals on images from camera traps, we further evaluated this method as a means of estimating abundance. We identified bog turtles on camera traps at all sites, and occupancy models revealed that detection probability was site-specific and varied between 0.05 and 1.0 (based on our trap density). Among sites with lower detection probability, camera traps would need to be deployed for 16 days to generate a 0.95 probability of detecting turtles at an occupied wetland. Results from eDNA sampling suggested detection probability was lower than camera traps (mean = 0.20), but variation was smaller among sites. We calculated 13 water samples would need to be analyzed to generate a 0.95 probability of detecting turtles at an occupied wetland (within an area < 1.2 ha). Population estimates from camera trap images were equal to or slightly higher than those produced from active sampling in the wetland. Passive sampling can provide relatively quick and inexpensive estimates of occupancy or abundance for bog turtles, and the approach is potentially applicable to many other wetland vertebrates.




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