We document the discovery of Chrosomus erythrogaster (Southern Redbelly Dace) in the Bankhead National Forest, Double Springs, AL. This collection represents the first documented collection of C. erythrogaster in the Mobile Basin and adds to the biodiversity found in the Bankhead National Forest. Biogeographically, the discovery of C. erythrogaster at this locality leads us to propose the idea of interbasin transfer through subterranean pathways. No evidence exists for stream capture through surface waters, and bait-bucket transfer is unlikely given the isolation of the area due to its wilderness designation.

As ecological communities migrate northward with climate change, associated species are expected to accompany habitat-forming, foundation species. However, differences in physiological limitations and/or sensitivity to climatic cues can cause spatial or temporal mismatches in the expansion of foundation species and associated inhabitants. Here, we document novel habitat switching by an inhabitant that has outpaced its traditional habitat. We provide the first report of the typically mangrove-associated Aratus pisonii (Mangrove Tree Crab) in temperate salt marsh habitats along Florida's Atlantic coast. Mangrove Tree Crab is present in salt marshes as far north as Little Satilla Creek, GA (31°5′32″N), substantially further north than the northernmost mangrove (∼30°N). Based on historical records of the range limit of Mangrove Tree Crab and its current distribution, we calculate that the species has moved northward at a rate of 62 km per decade over the last century, outpacing the range expansions of the foundation species (13–45 km/decade) with which it has traditionally been associated.

Gavia immer (Common Loon) utilizes freshwater lakes for nesting and breeding, but winters off both US coasts and the Gulf of Mexico in marine habitats. They are primarily piscivorous. In the winter, Common Loons feed predominately as single individuals, but they occasionally form small groups or flocks. The groups likely facilitate greater feeding efficiency. The largest previously reported foraging aggregation of wintering Common Loons was approximately 200 individuals. We report an extremely large wintering flock of >600 loons foraging 17 km from the southern coast of Mississippi. More work is needed to understand the prevalence of larger groups of overwintering loons as well as temporal and spatial factors that might predict their occurrence.

Here we present the remarkable movements of an individual Crocodylus acutus (American Crocodile) over a 14-year period. The crocodile was originally marked in Homestead, FL as a young-of-the-year in 1999, and was later recaptured multiple times more than 388 km away along the southwest coast of Florida. After several relocations and numerous sightings, this individual who has become known as Yellow Number 1 was found back within the same canal system in which it was first captured.

Although native to Central and South American, Basiliscus vittatus (Brown Basilisk) is now firmly established in South Florida. Birds, lizards, and large crustaceans prey upon the Brown Basilisk throughout its native range, but snakes had been the only documented predators of this species in Florida. Here we document predation on Florida Brown Basilisks by the wading bird Ardea alba (Great Egret) and two different species of large, predatory fish—Micropterus salmoides (Largemouth Bass) and Centropomus undecimalis (Common Snook).

Eleutherodactylus planirostris (Greenhouse Frog), originally from Cuba, the Bahamas, and the Florida Keys, has been introduced to mainland Florida and has spread across the southeastern US. We used automated recording devices to determine the distribution and activity patterns of Greenhouse Frogs at 15 headwater-slope wetlands in Baldwin County, AL, during 2011 and 2012. We detected this species at 5 widely distributed wetlands confirming that the Greenhouse Frog has spread since its initial introduction to Alabama.

Opheodrys vernalis (Smooth Green Snake) is documented in North Carolina by only a single specimen collected in the western part of the state by Albert Rogers Crandall and deposited in 1871 at the Museum of Comparative Zoology, Harvard University, Cambridge, MA. Owing to a lack of additional material evidence, many authors have questioned the occurrence of the species in the state. We make the case that the museum tag on the extant Smooth Green Snake specimen was originally assigned to a Sceloporus undulatus (Eastern Fence Lizard) specimen collected by Crandall in western North Carolina, and that the tag was re-assigned between 1924 and 1941 to two Smooth Green Snake specimens. We conclude that the Harvard specimen has become disassociated from its data, and it therefore does not serve as a reliable locality record. Pending acquisition of evidence to the contrary, we recommend excluding North Carolina from the geographic range of Smooth Green Snakes.

Following the Deepwater Horizon oil spill in the Gulf of Mexico in April 2010, the USDA Natural Resources Conservation Service (NRCS) established and funded the Migratory Bird Habitat Initiative (MBHI), with the goal of improving and increasing wetland habitats on private lands to benefit wintering and migrating waterbirds displaced from oil-impacted coastal wetlands. The NRCS and conservation partners provided financial and technical assistance to landowners and managers of sites enrolled in various conservation easement programs, and incorporated approximately 190,000 ha of wetlands and agricultural lands in the Mississippi Alluvial Valley (MAV) and Gulf Coast regions in the MBHI. In fall 2010, the NRCS worked with scientists and graduate students from three universities and various conservation agencies to design and implement landscape-scale evaluations of (1) the use of MBHI-managed wetlands and comparable non-MBHI wetlands by Charadriiformes (shorebirds), Anseriformes (waterfowl), and other waterbirds; and (2) the relative effectiveness of different MBHI practices for providing habitat and food resources for migrating, resident, and wintering waterbirds. In this paper, we describe the scientific framework designed to evaluate the MBHI in improving waterbird habitats on private lands in the MAV, the Gulf Coast Prairies in Louisiana and Texas, and Gulf coastal wetlands of Mississippi and Alabama. The results of our evaluation will enhance our understanding of the influence of MBHI, other Farm Bill Conservation Initiative managed lands (e.g., Wetland Reserve Program), and selected agricultural working lands (e.g., Oryza sativa L. [Rice] fields in southern Louisiana and Texas) on wintering and migrating waterbirds. A proactive approach that uses science to evaluate governmental conservation programs is relevant and can inform development of meaningful public policy that likely will be needed for effective delivery of future conservation programs and to justify financial incentives paid to landowners to apply best management practices.

In 1995, we surveyed a previously studied (1982–1986) northern Florida population of Gopherus polyphemus (Gopher Tortoise) to document demographic changes that may have occurred over time. The sandhill study site had been unburned for approximately 8 years, resulting in increased woody midstory and decreased herbaceous groundcover. We captured 88 Gopher Tortoises in pitfall traps during May—June 1995. Eighteen (20%) of the tortoises had been previously marked; only 11% of 169 marked tortoises were recaptured. Gopher Tortoise distribution appeared to be more clumped in 1995, and density had declined by about half, likely due to habitat degradation associated with fire exclusion. Size- and sex-class distribution and clutch size were not significantly different between the two study periods. In 1995, the smallest female with detected shelled eggs had 11 plastral annuli and a carapace length of 225 mm. Habitat degradation, whether on private or public lands, is an ongoing problem for this species.

Castor canadensis (Beaver) is a selective forager that can modify the species composition and structure of plant communities. However, no studies have examined the use of woody plants by Beaver in temperate forests that contain a dominant nonnative plant. We investigated foraging of woody plants by Beaver in a riparian shrub community that is dominated by both native and nonnative species, including the federally threatened shrub Spiraea virginiana (Virginia Spiraea). We established 48 random, 25-m transects along a 12-km reach of the Cheoah River in the Appalachian Mountains of North Carolina. We sampled woody plants every 5 m using a modified point-centered quarter method to estimate relative abundance and to quantify browsing by Beaver. We used a mixed linear model to determine Beaver forage selection on the 9 most abundant plant species and Virginia Spiraea. We recorded 984 plants of 58 woody species (55 native, 3 nonnative). Beaver browsed 24% of the woody species sampled and 8% of all stems. This finding suggests that the overall effects of browsing in this community were relatively low, likely because of the high gradient and turbulent nature of the Cheoah River. Relative stem abundance and location along the river did not differentially affect local levels of browsing. However, Beaver were selective foragers at both the species and individual-plant level. Of the 9 most abundant species, Carpinus carolinana (Musclewood), Liquidambar styraciflua (Sweetgum), and Alnus serrulata (Tag Alder) were selected most often; Lindera benzoin (Spicebush), Virginia Spiraea, Cornus amomum (Silky Dogwood), and Ligustrum sinense (Chinese Privet) were moderately selected. Least frequently selected species were Rhododendron maximum (Rosebay Rhododendron), Leucothoe fontanesiana (Doghobble), and Xanthorhiza simplicissima (Yellowroot). Browsing appeared to have a positive effect on both the invasive nonnative shrub, Chinese Privet, and the rare Virginia Spiraea by stimulating asexual reproduction and inducing plants to spread through suckering. This study demonstrates the importance of understanding the reproductive strategies of woody plants when gauging the community-wide effects of foraging by Beaver, particularly when an invasive plant species is present.

Megacopta cribraria (Bean Plataspid or Kudzu Bug) is an invasive phytophagous stink bug that was first detected in North America in 2009 and has subsequently spread across the southeastern US. It is thought to feed primarily on Pueraria montana (Kudzu), Glycine max (Soybean), and a few other legumes. We investigated the diet of adult Bean Plataspids by analyzing DNA found in their guts. We extracted DNA from adult Bean Plataspid viscera and PCR-amplified and sequenced an exon of the chloroplast trnL gene. Our results indicate that Bean Plataspid adults not only feed on Kudzu and other legumes, but also on a variety of angiosperms and some conifers. We discuss possible implications of the invasive plataspid's broad diet, and propose that it might also imply that Bean Plataspid is an even more threatening pest than was previously thought.

Ecosystems dominated by Chamaecyparis thyoides (Atlantic White Cedar) are critically endangered due to hydrologic alterations associated with ditching, logging, development, and agricultural conversion. Few studies have related structural and functional characteristics of this plant community to water tables, yet hydrologic management options may be critical to establish a peat-based seed refugium and allow Atlantic White Cedar self-maintenance in this ecosystem. In this study, we assessed aboveground forest biomass, litter production, and depth to water table at a mature (60–70 y) and an intermediate (20–35 y) age-class stand in two national wildlife refuges, Alligator River (AR) and Great Dismal Swamp (DS) in North Carolina. We calculated forest biomass from morphometric data gathered within randomized study plots. We made monthly litter collections at each study plot from November 1998 to April 2000; litter was sorted by species and type for the first 12 months. Wells installed at each study plot recorded water-table levels, which were at or near the surface at AR but >30 cm below the soil surface at DS throughout the study. Although Atlantic White Cedar was a dominant species at all sites, community structure differed between refuges. Total aboveground biomass was similar among age classes; however, Atlantic White Cedar stem density was greater and mean diameter at breast height was lower at AR. Mean annual litter production was higher at AR sites for each age class despite a persistently high water table. We conclude that the rates of primary production associated with high water tables at AR represent favorable conditions for Atlantic White Cedar self-maintenance.

We analyzed spatiotemporal variations in point counts of Ammodramus savannarum floridanus (Florida Grasshopper Sparrow) at Three Lakes Wildlife Management Area (WMA) during 2003–2012 to provide a detailed report of population changes during that period. There were significant increases in estimates of occupancy probability and abundance of Florida Grasshopper Sparrows at count points in some parts of Three Lakes WMA from 2003 to 2008 followed by significant reductions in these estimates from 2008 to 2012. Inconsistent, finer-scale population fluctuations appeared to be occurring within these time periods. From 2003 to 2012, estimates of overall change in occupancy probability and abundance of the Florida Grasshopper Sparrows at count points were largely negative throughout the area, but a region in the northeast portion of the WMA may offer the greatest chance for population persistence. The count points characterized by most persistent occurrence and abundance were ≥600 m from the edge of non-prairie habitat, at higher elevations (18.5–19.0 m above sea level), and associated with areas burned within the previous 2 years. Causes for the overall population decline are unknown, but appear to be acting over the entire range of the Florida Grasshopper Sparrow.

Comparative life-history data are needed to develop effective conservation plans for Gopherus polyphemus (Gopher Tortoise), a threatened species that inhabits diverse ecosystems throughout its range. In 2010–2011, we measured and radiographed 27 female Gopher Tortoises occupying Florida scrub and mesic flatwoods habitats at Avon Park Air Force Range in south-central Florida. Counter to predictions of optimal egg size theory, both clutch size and mean egg width (measured via x-rays) increased significantly with body size. Furthermore, our data suggest the presence of a non-pelvic constraint on egg size in this species. Despite greater cover of grasses and forbs in flatwoods, clutch size, egg width, and female body condition were similar in flatwoods and scrub. Thus, the relatively low density of juvenile-sized burrows in flatwoods is not a result of low fecundity. Body condition tended to be higher in the wetter spring of 2010, although seasonal differences were not statistically significant. Clutch sizes at Avon Park Air Force Range (range = 4–9 eggs; overall mean = 5.8 ± 1.2) were comparable to other populations, but lower than reported for some peninsular Florida populations. Further research is needed to explain variation in reproductive output among individuals and populations in the southern part of the species' range.

The Sarracenia spp. (pitcher plant) bogs located along the southern Gulf of Mexico represent a unique natural resource characterized by endangered and endemic wetland floral communities that include a number of carnivorous plants (e.g., pitcher plants and Drosera spp. [sundews]). Despite the prevalence of obligate wetland plant species and indicators of wetland hydrology, the soils underlying this niche ecosystem often lack clear indicators of hydric soil morphology, posing challenges to wetland delineation and resource management. The National Technical Committee for Hydric Soils and an interagency team of soil scientists investigated saturated conditions and anaerobic soil conditions in pitcher plant bogs. Our results demonstrate that many of the pitcher plant-bog soils examined failed to meet an approved hydric soil indicator. Herein, we discuss potential factors preventing the formation of typical hydric soil morphologies including: low organic-matter content, high iron-concentrations, extensive bioturbation, presence of high-chroma minerals (e.g., chert), and short saturation-intervals. Our examination of soil morphology and condition in these unique and ecologically valuable habitats indicates that additional studies are required to address the apparent disconnect between observations of soils, hydrophytic vegetation, and indicators of wetland hydrology to ensure the appropriate management of these endemic natural resources.

Chrosomus sp. cf. saylori (Clinch Dace) is an undescribed species that is recognized at the state and federal level as a species in need of conservation. The reproductive biology of Clinch Dace is unknown. Here we use in situ breeding observations to infer the timing and mode of reproduction and laboratory analyses to quantify primary and secondary sex characteristics. We conclude that Clinch Dace spawn from May to July using a nest association. Clinch Dace reach reproductive maturity at 2 years, and have a lower number of mature eggs per female and gonadosomatic index in comparison to other Chrosomus species. There was a 3:1 female-biased sex ratio, and pectoral fin length was the only sexually dimorphic external trait. Low reproductive potential coupled with small population sizes and a fragmented distribution places Clinch Dace at a high risk of extirpation.

Mudflats are important stopover sites for shorebirds during migration, but management plans typically do not provide mudflat habitat in the reservoirs of the Tennessee River Valley (TRV) during May—July. In May 2010, flooding delayed drawdowns on Tennessee National Wildlife Refuge and created wetlands for shorebirds from May—August. We studied wetland use and behavior of shorebirds during delayed drawdowns in 2010, and we compared shorebird abundance between years with delayed and typical drawdowns using International Shorebird Survey data. We found that shorebirds consistently used wetlands for foraging throughout summer during 2010. In addition, abundance of 43% of species tested was greater in years with delayed than typical drawdowns. Our results suggest extending availability of mudflats throughout summer in the TRV may provide important habitat for migrating shorebirds.

We investigated the diet of Corynorhinus rafinesquii (Rafinesque's Big-eared Bat) in west-central Louisiana by examining fecal pellets collected from beneath 3 bridges used by these bats as day roosts. Fresh fecal material was found under the bridges during every month of the year. We detected 5 insect orders, including 5 families, in fecal pellets collected from 25 August 2005 to 5 January 2007. Lepidoptera represented 93.7% of the total volume and was the only order observed in 100% of our samples. Coleopterans, mostly Scarabaeidae, were the second most abundant food item and represented 5.8% of the total volume. Hemiptera, Diptera, and Hymenoptera together represented 0.4 % of the total volume. We observed Diptera, Hemiptera, Hymenoptera, and Coleoptera in fecal pellets collected under some, but not all bridges. No insect orders were observed that had not previously been reported as prey of Rafinesque's Big-eared Bats. Our results were similar to those reported in studies conducted in Kentucky, North Carolina, and Florida, and we concluded that Rafinesque's Big-eared Bats primarily prey upon lepidopterans in Louisiana.

Habitat islands, corridors, and patches within the urban—rural mosaic provide important resources for migratory and resident species and may be crucial for breeding success and survival. In suburban areas, corridor width and patch size are strongly correlated with community composition. We assessed the breeding bird community in the Historic Bethabara Park Complex (HBPC) by territory mapping during April–July 2009 and 2010. HBPC is a 77-ha habitat island in Winston-Salem (Forsyth County), NC. We detected 109 bird species in HBPC, including 60 for which we documented at least 1 breeding territory in either year. Each year we found territories of 58 species; 57 species were the same between years. The majority of birds encountered in this study nest in the canopy, in shrubs, or in cavities. The breeding community was roughly split between migrants (32) and residents (34) and included 3 exotic species. We documented territories for 10 woodland interior specialists including Hylocichla mustelina (Wood Thrush), Seiurus aurocapilla (Ovenbird), and Piranga olivacea (Scarlet Tanager). Two of these observed bird species—Wood Thrush and Sitta pusilla (Brown-headed Nuthatch)—are designated as US birds of conservation concern by Partners in Flight (PIF). Eight of the species we documented are considered by PIF to be species of conservation concern in the Piedmont Region during the breeding season and and 3 of these are common species in steep decline: Chaetura pelagica (Chimney Swift), Megaceryle alcyon (Belted Kingfisher), and Colaptes auratus (Northern Flicker). HBPC is historically and currently species-rich and has a community composition similar to that seen in other NC Piedmont studies. We recommend periodic monitoring as the local landscape and climate change. Further research is needed to determine to what degree the park complex functions as an oasis or population sink for the bird community, especially for forest-interior obligates, Neotropical migrants, and species of concern.