Call for Student Research in Progress Posters

February 9, 2015 by The Wildlife Society

TWS Annual Conference 2015 Winnipeg

Deadline: June 18, 2015 at 11:59 pm

22nd Annual Conference of The Wildlife Society
Winnipeg, Manitoba ♦ October 17-21, 2015

The Student Development Working Group invites students to submit Research-in-Progress Posters covering topics in wildlife science, management, conservation, education, human dimensions, or policy.  All undergraduate, M.S., and Ph.D. students are eligible for this session. Eligible posters include: 1) research that is in progress; 2) a proposed research project (with a focus on study design); 3) results from completed undergraduate research projects; or 4) student chapter research projects that may not be appropriate for the regular poster sessions (these may include a class or group research project).

The Student Research-in-Progress Poster session will be held separately from the contributed poster sessions. You should NOT submit the same abstract for the Student Research-in-Progress Poster session if you have already submitted it as a Contributed Paper or Poster abstract. This is an excellent opportunity to receive feedback and suggestions from both professionals and peers. Posters may be no larger than 4 ft. tall x 3.75 ft. wide. You will be notified by email regarding whether your abstract was accepted by July14, 2015.

Instructions for Submitting Abstracts

Abstracts for The Student Research-in-Progress Poster Session will be submitted through OASIS. The submission site will open on May 4, 2015. The submission site will lead you through the submission steps. Abstracts must be no longer than 300 words. You may initiate a submission, leave it, and return to complete or revise it as often as you like until the submission deadline. The submission deadline is June 18, 2015 at 11:59 p.m. EST. Abstracts that do not meet this deadline will not be considered. Only one submission per primary author is allowed.

You will be asked to choose one of the following subject categories for your poster:

  • Conservation and Management of Birds
  • Ecology and Habitat Relationships of Birds
  • Conservation and Management of Mammals
  • Ecology and Habitat Relationships of Mammals
  • Reptiles and Amphibians
  • Biometrics and Population Modeling
  • Community Dynamics
  • Wildlife Damage Management
  • Wildlife Diseases and Toxicology
  • New Technology and Applications
  • Conservation Planning and Policy
  • Human Dimensions and Education
  • Harvest Management

Abstract Review – Abstracts will be reviewed by a committee comprised of members of the Student Development Working Group.

Registration – All presenters MUST register and pay the appropriate conference registration fee. Advance registration is strongly recommended. Registration information will be posted on TWS’ website, https://wildlife.org. If your abstract is accepted you may apply for a student travel grant. For more information please go to https://wildlife.org.

Questions? – Questions about submitting your abstract may be directed to the Program Committee Coordinator, Tricia Fry, at tricia@wildlife.org. For all other conference questions, please call (301) 897-9770 or email membership@wildlife.org.

Wildlife Damage Program Helps Prevent Conflicts

February 6, 2015 by The Wildlife Society

Wildlife Damage Wisconsin

Wildlife damage specialists with the South Dakota Game, Fish, and Parks Department work with nearly 2,000 landowners to manage potential wildlife conflicts on their land. The damage specialists help prevent predation on livestock and damage to crops in order to promote tolerance of wildlife and encourage private landowners to grant access to hunters

Read more about wildlife damage specialists in South Dakota on The Daily Republic.

Students Pursue Career Goals by Volunteering, Networking

February 6, 2015 by The Wildlife Society

Vermont Student Chapter

The University of Vermont (UVM) Student Chapter of The Wildlife Society has been actively involved in wildlife and fisheries related activities since 1973. Student members volunteer with many local organizations and agencies to gain experience in a variety of wildlife-related careers.

Vermont Student Chapter

Chapter members with Vermont Fish and Wildlife Department biologist Steve Parren during the vegetation clean-up day to expose shale used for nesting by the state endangered spiny softshell turtle (Apalone spinifera).
Image Credit: Erin Sharkey

To enhance collaboration between the chapter and other natural resource professionals, the student chapter partners annually with federal, state, and non-governmental organizations to conduct habitat restoration and enhancement, ecosystem monitoring and inventory, wildlife research and training, and provide opportunities for natural resource professionals to present and share their findings to the greater UVM community and the public.

“The Wildlife Society at UVM provides many invaluable chances to explore possible career paths, from wildlife management, to research, to public relations. During such a pivotal time in their lives, students should know what options there are available to them to really make a difference once they graduate,” said Jessica Mailhot, a junior at UVM.

Specifically, the chapter partners each year with the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service at the Missisquoi National Wildlife Refuge to enhance migratory songbird habitat by restoring native trees. In addition, they work collaboratively with the Vermont Fish and Wildlife Department to clear vegetation from Lake Champlain’s northern beaches, exposing the shale used for nesting by the state endangered spiny softshell turtle (Apalone spinifera).

Vermont Student Chapter

Chapter members participating in a radio-telemetry workshop at Shelburne Farms, Vermont.
Image Credit: UVM TWS Member

“We are able to spend a beautiful day outside, cleaning the beaches where they [the turtles] nest, and even see some baby turtles brought by the biologists!” said Rhianna Sommers, a senior at UVM.

The chapter also participates in a BioBlitz where students and faculty rapidly identify and collect samples of all flora and fauna in various protected areas in the state. Other activities include training workshops on radio-telemetry and other field skills, guest lecturers with natural resource professionals, and attending local, regional, and national wildlife conferences.

The most anticipated annual event among members is assisting the Vermont Fish and Wildlife Department and Vermont Department of Health in the operation of biological check stations during Vermont’s deer and moose hunting seasons. Chapter members assist Fish and Wildlife biologists during the youth and modern firearm seasons in collecting information on the age, sex, and biomorphic condition of harvested animals. In addition, members collect blood sero-survey samples for the Department of Health to test for the presence of and monitor the distribution of antibodies for Eastern Equine Encephalitis (EEE) among Vermont’s ungulate populations.

Vermont

Collecting information on the age, sex and biomorphic condition of a harvested deer at a biological check station during Vermont’s deer hunting season.
Image Credit: Matthias Surch

Amanda Adams, a junior at UVM, believes that working with the Vermont Fish and Wildlife Department and the Health Department provides students with an excellent opportunity.

“Working with state biologists at the biological deer check stations gave me great experience working with deer. It is also a great time to talk to the biologists about what they do,” said Adams.

Katie Stoner, a junior, agrees.

“My involvement with the University of Vermont Wildlife and Fisheries Society has allowed me the opportunity to pursue my career goals by volunteering to support collaborative efforts between research and conservation agencies,” she said. “These experiences provided invaluable skills preparing me for the professional world.

Adam Murkowski, deer project leader for the Vermont Fish and Wildlife Department, attributes the efforts of the chapter to the Department’s ability to enhance data collection from hunter harvested deer.

“Without the leadership and participation of UVM TWS members, the Vermont Fish and Wildlife Department would not be as capable of collecting biological data from hunter harvested deer either across the state or throughout the various deer hunting seasons each fall.”

For more information on the chapter’s upcoming events visit their website or Facebook.

Novel Collars Aid in Assessing Disease Risks

February 6, 2015 by The Wildlife Society

Deer

The ability to accurately measure and detect contact between two or more animals is critical to understanding disease transmission risks. In order to collect more accurate contact data among white-tailed deer, researchers at the USDA Wildlife Services’ National Wildlife Research Center (NWRC) built a deer-borne contact detection system (DCDS) consisting of cameras and proximity loggers installed on global position system (GPS) collars. To ensure the DCDS did not alter the behavior of the deer, researchers conducted a preliminary evaluation of potential stress on deer as a result of the device and monitored the deer for five hours immediately following the placement of collars.

Twenty-six adult male deer were fitted with DCDS collars to record their locations, proximity to other equipped deer, and video of deer interactions in southern Texas. From 17 of the 26 collars, researchers documented 16 contacts with GPS, 33 with cameras, and 61 with proximity loggers, resulting in estimated mean daily contact rates of 0.12, 0.29, and 0.66, respectively. Cameras and GPS underrepresented contacts among deer, whereas proximity loggers provided credible estimates for disease modeling.

“The results underscore the importance of accurate detection and contact rates when modeling disease transmission risks,” notes NWRC supervisory research wildlife biologist Dr. Kurt VerCauteren.

Wildlife Services is a Strategic Partner of The Wildlife Society.

Video: Hundreds of Manatees Overrun Wildlife Refuge

February 5, 2015 by The Wildlife Society

Manatee

Three hundred manatees staged an invasion of a Florida National Wildlife Refuge, forcing the Three Sisters Springs in Florida’s Crystal River National Wildlife Refuge to close Monday. The manatees likely came from nearby Kings Bay according to a story by Business Insider. The U.S. Fish and Wildlife asked the refuge to close down in order to give the animals space and protect them from potentially boisterous tourists, according to the article.

Indiana Courts Rule on High-Fence Deer Hunting

February 5, 2015 by The Wildlife Society

High Fence Deer Hunting

The Indiana Court of Appeals ruled that the Indiana Department of Natural Resources (IDNR) does not have the authority to ban high-fence deer hunting. Conservation groups cite concerns about the ethics of fenced hunting and potential disease transmission between wild and captive deer and oppose the controversial practice, which the IDNR halted in 2005. The state legislature is considering two bills that would clarify currently ambiguous rules for regulating hunting of captive wildlife on private lands. The IDNR may appeal to the Indiana Supreme Court to challenge the ruling.

Read more about the ruling in the IndyStar.

Logo Contest for the 2016 Annual Conference Kicks Off

February 5, 2015 by The Wildlife Society

Annual Conference Logos

The North Carolina Chapter of The Wildlife Society seeks entries for a logo to represent The Wildlife Society’s 23rd Annual Conference to be held in Raleigh, North Carolina in October, 2016.

The logo will be used to identify and advertise The Wildlife Society’s 2016 National Conference. It will be displayed on such things as web sites, t-shirts, banners, and pens.

Design Requirements:

  • Simple
  • 2-3 graphic elements
  • 2-4 colors (with a tie to the conference location)
  • Include the name of the city (Raleigh, North Carolina)
  • Include the organization’s name (The Wildlife Society)
  • Include the year (2016)
  • Include wildlife native to North Carolina
  • Features must be clear even on something as small as a ¾” lapel pen

All entries will become the property of The Wildlife Society. Entries will be judged based on adherence to the design requirements, visual appeal of featured wildlife species, and total aesthetic appeal.

A panel of judges will select the top 3-5 entries. Designers/Artists may be asked to make adjustments before the winner is selected. The Wildlife Society will select the winner using the judges’ recommendations.

The winner will be awarded $500 and will be recognized on the TWS web page.

Deadline for submissions: Monday, March 16, 2015

Submissions: Please submit your logo design in .jpg format attached to an e-mail with your name, full address, and phone number to: Logo_Contest@nctws.org

Contest questions may be submitted to: Logo_Contest@nctws.org

Mission of The Wildlife Society:

“To inspire, empower, and enable wildlife professionals to sustain wildlife populations and habitats through science-based management and conservation.”

Senate Votes to Approve Keystone XL Pipeline

February 4, 2015 by The Wildlife Society

Bison in Montana

After three weeks of lengthy debate, the Senate voted 62-36 to approve S. 1, a bill allowing construction of the Keystone XL oil pipeline by TransCanada. The pipeline would carry crude oil extracted from tar sands in Alberta over the U.S. border and through Montana, South Dakota, and Nebraska.

The full text of S. 1 is available and contains amendments approved by Congress. Over the course of the debate, the Senate voted on 41 amendments to the bill, many of which would have had impacts on conservation.

After President Obama announced plans to designate an additional 12.28 million acres of land as wilderness in Alaska, Senator Murkowski (R-AK) introduced an amendment that would restrict agencies like the Fish and Wildlife Service to managing areas as wilderness for a maximum of 1 year before congressional approval is needed. The proposed amendment might have led to relaxed restrictions on oil and gas development in vulnerable areas, like the Alaskan National Wildlife Refuge, but did not receive the required 60 votes for approval.

Another amendment would have reauthorized the Land and Water Conservation Fund (LWCF), a 50-year program that expires in September, and would have dedicated a percentage of LWCF funds each year to increasing hunting and recreational opportunity on public lands. While substantial support existed for the amendment, it fell one vote short of the threshold required for approval after three senators changed their vote from ‘yea’ to ‘nay.’

Oil sand production is the primary source of the crude oil that Keystone XL would carry; it is not subjected to the same per-barrel tax, which helps to fund oil spill liability accounts, as more traditional oil development. While the Senate approved a measure acknowledging that the loophole that allows oil sands to be exempt from this tax should be closed, other amendments that would change regulations to impose the tax on oil sands were not approved.

One notable amendment included the recognition of the existence of climate change by the Senate. The amendment was approved 98-1.

The bill will proceed to the House for consideration. The White House has stated that the President plans to veto the bill. Congress can overturn presidential vetoes with a two-thirds vote.

Sources: Environment & Energy Daily (February 2, 2015), Environment & Energy Daily (January 29, 2015), E&E News PM (January 29, 2015), Greenwire (January 29, 2015)

Cat Disease Detected in Minks and Muskrats

February 4, 2015 by Dana Kobilinsky

Muskrat

Don’t let the nickname “cat disease” fool you. A recent study in Champaign, Ill. shows toxoplasmosis, a disease spread by cats, is prevalent in semiaquatic mammals, minks (Neovison vison) and muskrats (Ondatra zibethicus) as well.

“Infected cats shed Toxoplasma gondii oocysts in their feces, and these oocysts are picked up by other hosts in the environment,” said Adam Ahlers, University of Illinois graduate student and TWS Associate Wildlife Biologist who led the study published last week in the Journal of Wildlife Diseases. “This is an important finding because animals like muskrats and minks spend most of their time in streams and wetlands and rarely encounter cats, so the parasite is likely transferred via runoff from the surrounding landscape.”

Ahlers and his research team sought out to determine the prevalence of the parasite Toxoplasma gondii in minks and muskrats in order to determine if the parasite is contaminating freshwater watersheds.

“In our region, most of the wetlands have been drained to accommodate agricultural production and urbanization, and natural drainage systems have been altered,” Ahlers said. “With increased tile drainage and loss of natural wetlands, the transfer of T. Gondii oocysts into watersheds from agricultural and urban runoff is likely.”

The researchers predicted that animals positioned in larger watersheds would have higher prevalence rates since they are exposed to drainage from larger areas. Without wetlands to filter out pathogens like T. gondii, the parasite that causes toxoplasmosis, rainwater likely flushes T. gondii oocysts into the watershed via altered drainage systems, Ahlers said.

Ahlers and his team tested 30 muskrats and 26 minks for T. gondii antibodies in central Illinois. They found that 77 percent of the minks tested positive for T. gondii and about 60 percent of the muskrats tested were also infected.

“This was really surprising for us because muskrats are tightly linked to the watershed,” Ahlers said. “We think they are picking up the parasite from contaminated runoff originating from agricultural and urban landscapes.”

Ahlers said muskrats in larger watersheds had higher prevalence rates than those positioned in smaller watersheds. Muskrats are herbivores and likely pick up oocysts while drinking, grooming, or foraging on aquatic vegetation, he said. On the other hand, there was no link between minks and their location in relation to watershed. As carnivores, they may become infected by consuming other infected prey, he said.

The T. gondii parasite rarely discriminates against who it infects, and even humans are exposed to it. Once infected, animals can develop unhealthy behavior changes, Ahlers said.

“In mice, toxoplasmosis causes behavioral changes in the individual,” he said. “Mice that have been exposed to toxoplasmosis seek out cat urine. We don’t know for sure what the effects are in muskrats and mink, but with sea otters, we know that survival is reduced.”

In humans, the infection is linked to miscarriage, autism, depression, schizophrenia, increased suicide risk and decreased learning in children, Ahlers said.

“There are definitely human implications,” he said. “Humans can pick up oocysts by eating infected meat, or if they come in contact with contaminated water. There have been instances of freshwater contamination causing T. gondii infection in humans in Canada and in South America.”

With the study’s implications of increased pathogen in watersheds, it’s clear that not only minks and muskrats are affected, but other wildlife as well.

“Removing natural wetland habitats and altering natural drainage systems may play a big role in the spread of diseases like toxoplasmosis,” Ahlers said. “It is likely facilitating the transfer of T. gondii oocysts into freshwater watersheds.”

Spring Bear Hunt in Ontario Yields Lower Numbers

February 3, 2015 by The Wildlife Society

Spring Bear

The Ontario Ministry of Natural Resources and Forestry decided to reinitiate a spring bear hunt due to growing public safety concerns about the large population in the province – estimated at as many as 100,000 individuals in the province. However, the Ministry reported only 847 hunters shooting less than 200 bears, which are much lower numbers than what had been historically reported before the hunt’s cancellation. Results of the second year of the hunt, which begins in May, will determine if the hunt is kept or cancelled again.

Read more on CBC News.