Download or read book Conservation Genetics and Ecological Niche Modeling of Kirtland s Snake Clonophis Kirtlandii and the Eastern Massasauga Rattlesnake Sistrurus Catenatus Catenatus written by and published by . This book was released on 2002 with total page pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: Conservation genetics and ecological niche modeling of Kirtland's snake, Clonophis kirtlandii, and the Eastern Massasauga rattlesnake, Sistrurus catenatus catenatus.
Download or read book Landscape Genetics Demographic Models and Conservation of the Eastern Massasauga Rattlesnake Sistrurus Catenatus written by Scott Anthony Martin and published by . This book was released on 2022 with total page 0 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: Successful conservation actions require a detailed understanding of how individuals interact with their environment. For many threatened and endangered species, anthropogenic changes to their landscape have created barriers separating formerly connected populations. This isolation can have profound impacts on the long-term viability of these populations and ultimately the conservation status of the species. For example, as populations become more isolated, they may enter the “extinction vortex” where small populations experience high levels of inbreeding and genetic drift depressing demographic rates, driving the population into a positive feedback loop that can lead to a decline in numbers and eventual extinction. However, if barriers to movement are not complete, even infrequent dispersal between populations can counter potential vortex effects by bolstering local population sizes and introducing new genetic material. Determining if populations are connected via dispersal or if they are isolated is a difficult question with no single best approach. For the Federally threatened Eastern Massasauga Rattlesnakes, Sistrurus catenatus, their reclusive, sedentary lifestyle make many field-based methods for generating this information difficult and unreliable without unrealistic investments of time and resources. In my thesis, I used information from DNA single nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs) from neutral genetic markers to address the following three fundamental questions regarding how S. catenatus move through their landscape in Ohio and how this information can be used to evaluate proposed activities for their conservation: (1) Do snakes in scattered habitat patches across Northeastern Ohio belong to a single connected population, a metapopulation with infrequent dispersal, or isolated populations? I used 1000s of DNA SNPs to reconstruct a pedigree across 86 individuals and showed that no individuals have moved between habitat patches separated by more than a few meters in the last three generations. This is despite known movements of over 2 km by individual snakes in other populations of this species found in more continuous habitat. From these results, I concluded that S. catenatus in NE Ohio is split into five genetically distinct populations in an area smaller than 15 km2 with no recent connectivity. (2) What landscape features drive the observed lack of connectivity? I next used the same SNP dataset with a second SNP dataset collected from 103 S. catenatus from a large population in Central Ohio to model landcover features that potentially impact resistance to movement between local habitat patches. I found that an inherent landscape feature, elevation, and contemporary landcover, specifically roads, were the main barriers to connectivity. I then used the resistance maps and pedigrees for S. catenatus populations in NE Ohio and Central Ohio to estimate the resistance values between all pairs of closely related individuals and used those to estimate dispersal kernels around each population. The kernels results reinforced our previous finding of no contemporary connectivity between S. catenatus populations in this region. (3) How would proposed management actions impact the demographic viability of S. catenatus in NE Ohio? The habitat occupied by populations of S. catenatus in NE Ohio has been targets of active management to prevent vegetation succession, and there has been increased interest in additional habitat management. Suggested management actions for individual S. catenatus populations have focused on increasing habitat sizes, increasing the frequency of woody vegetation removal, creating habitat between populations, and translocating snakes between populations. I built forward-in-time simulations of population trends under current management and five alternative management activities using resistance maps that I previously developed in Population Viability Analysis (PVA) models. I found that connectivity improvements via the formation of new habitats (and ideally new populations) between the current populations or a hybrid connectivity/translocation strategy offered the greatest improvement towards both overall population size and the number of occupied patches. These connectivity models were superior to the base scenario representing no changes to management. Overall, my research has generated novel tools and approaches based on landscape genetics and demographic modeling for conservation of endangered and threatened species in fragmented landscapes. When applied to S. catenatus population is in NE Ohio, these approaches have provided new and significant insights on contemporary population structure in S. catenatus in NE Ohio, how the landscape created the observed patterns, and how this information can be used to generate management recommendations to promote the long-term persistence of this threatened reptile.
Download or read book Using Human Dimensions Insights to Improve Conservation Efforts for the Eastern Massasauga Rattlesnake Sistrurus Catenatus Catenatus in Michigan and the Timber Rattlesnake Crotalus Horridus Horridus in Minnesota written by Rebecca Ann Christoffel and published by . This book was released on 2007 with total page 612 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt:
Download or read book Landscape Ecology Approaches to Eastern Massasauga Rattlesnake Conservation written by Eric Mitchell McCluskey and published by . This book was released on 2016 with total page 111 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: The Eastern Massasauga Rattlesnake (Sistrurus catenatus catenatus) is a rare species across its range and is thought to be experiencing widespread population declines. Application of conservation-oriented management practices to this species is hindered by incomplete knowledge of the spatial distribution of populations and suitable habitat. To address this obstacle to conservation efforts I developed species distribution models (SDMs) for northeastern Ohio and Michigan and incorporated the resulting habitat suitability maps (HSMs) in a range of landscape ecology applications. These models were generated using the software program Maxent and a series of environmental variables that represent different elements of Eastern Massasauga habitat association, including vegetation attributes (Landsat derived vegetation indices; LiDAR) and relative elevation (topographic position index). The Maxent model with the best predictive capacity to identify extant northeastern Ohio populations used location data from across the state. The model selected LiDAR data as the top contributing variable. Northeastern Ohio is a priority for Eastern Massasauga conservation in the state so I also conducted an analysis of historical land use and land cover change to better understand the distribution of populations and habitat in this region. I used object-based classification techniques to analyze historical aerial photographs (covering ~75 years) and found that present day populations and suitable habitat largely coincided with abandoned agricultural fields. In the absence of natural disturbance agents, agricultural fields that were allowed to go fallow represented an important source of early successional habitats that are vital to Massasauga. The early successional, open canopy habitats that Eastern Massasauga rely on are not permanent fixtures in this landscape making habitat management a necessity. The Michigan SDM was on a much broader scale than the Ohio modeling effort incorporating 60 populations distributed across the lower third of Michigan. The Michigan SDM selected the topographic position index at a 1 km scale as the best predictor variable. This index uses a digital elevation model to provide information on relative peaks or valleys depending the scale of analysis. Importantly, this variable identified the low lying areas more prone to accumulate water and exhibit the moist conditions Massasauga prefer. The widespread distribution of Massasauga populations in Michigan also presented the opportunity to assess habitat availability and connectivity. Using the HSM from the Michigan SDM, I quantified the number of large, contiguous habitat patches and their protected status. Most were located on private land holdings. I compared least cost path (LCP) distances and distance-weighted metrics using three different resistance layers. I found LCPs based on raw HSM values were shorter than class-weighted HSM or land cover based resistance layers. Therefore conservation planners need to carefully consider the underlying resistance layers they use for connectivity based decisions. I also generated a range-wide SDM under different climate change scenarios to provide a future perspective on Massasauga conservation and evaluate potential shifts in habitat suitability and identify at-risk populations. The climate SDM indicated that southern Massasauga populations appear more at risk to changing conditions that may be unfavorable to the species.
Download or read book Second International Symposium and Workshop on the Conservation of the Eastern Massasauga Rattlesnake Sistrurus Catenatus Catenatus written by Bob Johnson and published by Scarborough, Ont. : Toronto Zoo. This book was released on 1999 with total page 180 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt:
Download or read book The Influence of Landscape on Genetic Structure of a Threatened Reptile written by Michelle Francis DiLeo and published by . This book was released on 2011 with total page 194 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: Understanding the impacts of both natural and anthropogenic landscape features on genetic diversity, population structure and connectivity has important implications for conservation of species living in fragmented environments. Here, I combine population genetic data, detailed land cover information, and computer simulations to explore how landscape shapes genetic structure across two regional populations of the threatened eastern massasauga rattlesnake (Sistrurus catenatus catenatus) in Ontario, Canada: one along the eastern shores of Georgian Bay and the other largely confined to the northern half of the Bruce Peninsula. First I used spatial Bayesian assignment to quantify the genetic population structure within each regional population. I found marked subpopulation structure within eastern Georgian Bay with differentiation of island and mainland snakes, a north-south split within the mainland coinciding with the town of Parry Sound, and evidence of further subdivision within the cluster of snakes north of Parry Sound. In contrast I found no population subdivision within the mainland of the Bruce Peninsula, but genetic distinction of mainland and island snakes. Next, I identified the landscape features that shape spatial genetic structure within regional populations. In eastern Georgian Bay I found local variation in the effect of landscape on populations. North of Parry Sound I found no effect of landscape on inter-individual genetic differentiation, but a strong pattern of isolation-by-distance. In contrast I found that both open water and roads restrict gene flow of snakes south of Parry Sound. I found no evidence of isolation-by-distance or that landscape shape genetic structure within the Bruce Peninsula. Finally I used individual-based, spatially explicit simulations to identify the lag-time associated with the detection of contemporary landscape feature effects on genetic structure of massasaugas, and explore the consequences of using spatially correlated land cover elements in landscape genetic analyses. I found that the genetic consequences of roads could be detected within 2-12 generations when population sizes were small or juvenile dispersal was low. However, I also found that roads could be spuriously identified as impediments to gene flow when spatially correlated features such as water are included in genetic models.
Download or read book Using Microsatellite DNA to Genetically Identify a Potential Hybrid Population of Endangered Massasauga Rattlesnakes Sistrurus Catenatus in North Central Missouri written by Michael Joseph Murphy and published by . This book was released on 2009 with total page 24 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: Abstract: DNA-based genetic techniques can be used to identify individuals in wild populations whose ancestry is uncertain. The massasauga rattlesnake is a small rattlesnake found from central New York to southeastern Arizona. It is currently described as consisting of three subspecies: the eastern massasauga (Sistrurus catenatus catenatus), the western massasauga (Sistrurus c. tergeminus) and the desert massasauga (Sistrurus c. edwardsii). Due to morphological similarities between eastern and western massasaugas in north central Missouri (where the range of S. c. catenatus meets that of S. c. tergeminus), there is debate over the species identity of individuals in this population and the possibility that it is a hybrid population has been suggested. Here, I use microsatellite DNA from western and eastern massasaugas to determine the species identity of a central Missouri population. To do this, I used a combination of clustering analysis and distance-based phylogenetic analysis to determine the relationships among the western, eastern, and central Missouri populations. Cluster-based analysis using the program Structure showed that the central Missouri population clustered strongly with the western (tergeminus) populations. Distance-based phylogenetic analysis of populations also grouped the Missouri population with western populations and analysis of all individuals grouped the central Missouri individuals together with the western individuals. These results show that the western massasauga and central Missouri population are genetically similar, and both are highly differentiated from eastern massasauga populations. Therefore this data strongly suggests that the central Missouri population is Sistrurus c. tergeminus. This has the implications that one of the criteria for special protection status of this population has been removed and that the range of S. c. catenatus does not extend west of the Mississippi River which supports the possibility that the Mississippi River acts as a phylogeographical barrier for massasauga rattlesnakes.
Download or read book Geographic Variation Distribution and Status of Kirtland s Snake Clonophis Kirtlandii Kennicott in Illinois written by Mark Bavetz and published by . This book was released on 1993 with total page 212 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt:
Download or read book Final Report written by Dennis R. Brown and published by . This book was released on 19?? with total page 32 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt:
Download or read book Snakes written by Stephen J. Mullin and published by Cornell University Press. This book was released on 2011-08-15 with total page 383 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: Destruction of habitat due to urban sprawl, pollution, and deforestation has caused population declines or even extinction of many of the world's approximately 2,600 snake species. Furthermore, misconceptions about snakes have made them among the most persecuted of all animals, despite the fact that less than a quarter of all species are venomous and most species are beneficial because they control rodent pests. It has become increasingly urgent, therefore, to develop viable conservation strategies for snakes and to investigate their importance as monitors of ecosystem health and indicators of habitat sustainability. In the first book on snakes written with a focus on conservation, editors Stephen J. Mullin and Richard A. Seigel bring together leading herpetologists to review and synthesize the ecology, conservation, and management of snakes worldwide. These experts report on advances in current research and summarize the primary literature, presenting the most important concepts and techniques in snake ecology and conservation. The common thread of conservation unites the twelve chapters, each of which addresses a major subdiscipline within snake ecology. Applied topics such as methods and modeling and strategies such as captive rearing and translocation are also covered. Each chapter provides an essential framework and indicates specific directions for future research, making this a critical reference for anyone interested in vertebrate conservation generally or for anyone implementing conservation and management policies concerning snake populations. Contributors: Omar Attum, Indiana University Southeast; Steven J. Beaupre, University of Arkansas; Xavier Bonnet, Centre National de la Recherche Scientifique; Frank T. Burbrink, College of Staten Island-The City University of New York; Gordon M. Burghardt, University of Tennessee; Todd A. Castoe, University of Colorado; David Chiszar, University of Colorado; Michael E. Dorcas, Davidson College; Lara E. Douglas, University of Arkansas; Christopher L. Jenkins, Project Orianne, Ltd.; Glenn Johnson, State University of New York at Potsdam; Michael Hutchins, The Wildlife Society; Richard B. King, Northern Illinois University; Bruce A. Kingsbury, Indiana University-Purdue University Fort Wayne; Thomas Madsen, University of Wollongong; Stephen J. Mullin, Eastern Illinois University; James B. Murphy, National Zoological Park; Charles R. Peterson, Idaho State University; Kent A. Prior, Parks Canada; Richard A. Seigel, Towson University; Richard Shine, University of Sydney; Kevin T. Shoemaker, College of Environmental Science and Forestry, State University of New York; Patrick J. Weatherhead, University of Illinois; John D. Willson, University of Georgia
Download or read book Scientific and Standard English Names of Amphibians and Reptiles of North America North of Mexico written by Society for the Study of Amphibians and Reptiles. Committee on Standard English and Scientific Names and published by . This book was released on 2001 with total page 104 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt:
Download or read book A Field Guide to the Natural Communities of Michigan written by Joshua G. Cohen and published by . This book was released on 2015 with total page 0 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: Small enough to carry in a backpack, this comprehensive guide explores the many diverse natural communities of Michigan, providing detailed descriptions, distribution maps, photographs, lists of characteristic plants, suggested sites to visit, and a dichotomous key for aiding field identification. This is a key tool for those seeking to understand, describe, document, conserve, and restore the diversity of natural communities native to Michigan.
Download or read book Reptile Ecology and Conservation written by C. Kenneth Dodd and published by Oxford University Press. This book was released on 2016 with total page 491 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: This practical handbook of reptile field ecology and conservation brings together a distinguished, international group of reptile researchers to provide a state-of-the-art review of the many new and exciting techniques used to study reptiles. The authors describe ecological sampling techniques and how they are implemented to monitor the conservation status and population trends of snakes, lizards, tuatara, turtles, and crocodilians throughout the world. Emphasis is placed on the extent of statistical inference and the biases associated with different techniques and analyses. The chapters focus on the application of field research and data analysis for achieving an understanding of reptile life history, population dynamics, movement patterns, thermal ecology, conservation status, and the relationship between reptiles and their environment. The book emphasises the need for thorough planning, and demonstrates how a multi-dimensional approach incorporates information related to morphology, genetics, molecular biology, epidemiology, statistical modelling, animal welfare, and biosecurity. Although accentuating field sampling, sections on experimental applications in laboratories and zoos, thermal ecology, genetics, landscape ecology, disease and biosecurity, and management options are included. Much of this information is scattered in the scientific literature or not readily available, and the intention is to provide an affordable, comprehensive synthesis for use by graduate students, researchers, and practising conservationists worldwide.
Download or read book Amphibians and Reptiles of Wisconsin written by Joshua M. Kapfer and published by . This book was released on 2022 with total page 1176 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: Amphibians and reptiles represent an essential and interesting component of Wisconsin's wildlife. Eighteen species of amphibian and thirty-six species of reptile occupy landscapes across the state. They live in aquatic habitats that range from small streams to large lakes, and from open prairies to mature forests on land. These species are vital members of the biological communities in which they occur, acting as important predators, prey, and competitors, while also providing a wide variety of additional ecological functions. However, many amphibians and reptiles have experienced drastic population declines and even local extinctions in Wisconsin due to habitat loss and degradation, overharvesting, the introduction of invasive species, pollution, and other factors. This comprehensive volume, by an expert team of editors and contributors, consolidates the current state of scientific knowledge, aims to expand public knowledge and appreciation of Wisconsin's natural legacy, and brings out the herpetologist in all of us. This long-awaited, state-of-the-field synthesis also includes hundreds of color photographs and illustrations, state-level and North American range maps, dichotomous keys, and research and conservation anecdotes that will entertain and inform even the most dedicated nature lover. Amphibians and Reptiles of Wisconsin is set to become a lasting resource and armchair companion for anyone in the Midwest interested in the state's natural history and amphibian and reptile fauna.
Download or read book The Ecology of Old Woman Creek Ohio written by Charles E. Herdendorf and published by . This book was released on 2004 with total page 448 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: A comprehensive ecological study of a Lake Eric estuary and its watershed, including chapters on geology, soils, climatology, hydrolesy, biology, ecology, archaeology, history, and land use. This book serves as a site profile of the only Nation a Estuarine Research Reserve in the Great Lakes Resion. Over 200 color illustrations.
Download or read book Mammals of Illinois written by Donald F. Hoffmeister and published by University of Illinois Press. This book was released on 2002 with total page 392 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: Hoffmeister (natural history-emeritus-U. of Illinois) presents the culmination of a lifetime of work. Here are 55 color and 192 bandw photos, drawings, distribution maps, and detailed keys. A model of natural history writing. Annotation copyrighted by Book News, Inc., Portland, OR
Download or read book The Biogeography of the Island Region of Western Lake Erie written by Jerry F. Downhower and published by . This book was released on 1988 with total page 294 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt:
