The complex association between hosts and microbial symbionts requires the implementation of multiple approaches to evaluate variation in host physiology. Within amphibians, heterogeneity in immunogenetic traits and cutaneous microbiota is associated with variation in disease resistance. Ozark (Cryptobranchus alleganiensis bishopi) and eastern hellbenders (C. a. alleganiensis) provide a model system to assess variation in host traits and microbial communities. Ozark hellbenders have experienced declines throughout their range, are federally endangered, and experience wound retardation that...

Fire and grazing are common in grasslands world-wide to maintain grass cover and cattle production. The effects of fire, cattle grazing and riparian fencing efficacy on prairie stream ecology are not well characterized at catchment scales. We examined alterations to stream water quality and biology from patch-burn grazing (PBG) in tallgrass prairie during a five-year, replicated, catchment scale experiment that used a Before-After/Control-Impact (BACI) design and was analysed by mixed-effects models. Treatments included two patch-burned...

Infrequent, long-distance animal movements outside of typical home range areas provide useful insights into resource acquisition, gene flow, and disease transmission within the fields of conservation and wildlife management, yet understanding of these movements is still limited across taxa. To detect these extra-home range movements (EHRMs) in spatial relocation datasets, most previous studies compare relocation points against fixed spatial and temporal bounds, typified by seasonal home ranges (referred to here as the “Fixed-Period” method). However,...

Neonicotinoid pesticides can persist in soils for extended time periods; however, they also have a high potential to contaminate ground and surface waters. Studies have reported negative effects associated with neonicotinoids and non-target taxa, including aquatic invertebrates, pollinating insect species, and insectivorous birds. This study evaluated factors associated with clothianidin (1-[(2-chloro-1,3-thiazol-5-yl) methyl]-3-methyl-2-nitroguanidine, CTN) degradation and sorption in Missouri wetland soils to assess the potential for wetland soils to mitigate potential environmental risks associated with neonicotinoids....

These data and code are associated with the publication in Ornithological Applications entitled "Northern Bobwhite juvenile survival is greater on native grasslands managed with fire and grazing, and lower in non-native field borders and strip crop fields." We evaluated the influence of brood age, vegetation cover type, woody vegetation structure, habitat management, and landscape cover on juvenile survival in southwest Missouri 2016-2018.

1. Organisms associated with lotic systems rank among the most threatened because of global change. Although translocation is being increasingly applied as a conservation strategy, most studies have focused on survival and recruitment of individuals, and few have attempted to identify how habitat attributes influence short-term settlement of animals during the critical post-release period. 2. We demonstrate the application of resource selection modelling in an information theoretic framework to identify release-site characteristics that will increase...

Population growth is highly sensitive to changes in reproductive rates for many avian species. Understanding how reproductive rates are related to environmental conditions can give managers insight into factors contributing to population change. Harvest trends of eastern wild turkey (Meleagris gallopavo silvestris) in northeastern South Dakota suggest an apparent decline in abundance in recent years. We therefore investigate factors influencing reproductive success of this important game bird to identify potential factors contributing to this decline....

North American grassland birds have widely declined over the past 50 years, largely due to anthropogenic-driven loss of native prairie habitat. In response to these declines, many conservation programs have been implemented to help secure wildlife habitat on private and public lands. The Grasslands Coalition is one such initiative established to advance the conservation of grassland birds in Missouri. The Missouri Department of Conservation conducted annual point count surveys for comparison of grassland bird relative...

Previously, American black bears (Ursus americanus) were thought to follow the pattern of female philopatry and male-biased dispersal. However, recent studies have identified deviations from this pattern. Such flexibility in dispersal patterns can allow individuals greater ability to acclimate to changing environments. We explored dispersal and spatial genetic relatedness patterns across ten black bear populations—including long established (historic), with known reproduction >50 years ago, and newly established (recent) populations, with reproduction recorded <50 years ago—in...

Palustrine wetland management across the United States is often conducted under a moist soil management framework aimed at providing energetic resources for non-breeding waterfowl. Moist soil management techniques typically include seasonal water-level manipulations and mechanical soil disturbance to create conditions conducive to germination and growth of early successional, seed-producing wetland plants. The assumption is that providing stopover and wintering habitat for non-breeding waterfowl will also accommodate life history needs of a broader suite of migratory...

Pollinator declines have been documented globally, but little information is available about native bee ecology in Midwestern US agriculture. This project seeks to optimize pollinator support and weed suppression in a 3-year crop rotation with a fallow growing season. During fallow, one of five cover crop treatments (T1: crimson, red, and ladino clover and Bob oats [Trifolium incarnatum, T. pratense, T. repens, Avena sativa]; T2: crimson clover and oats; T3: red clover and oats; T4:...

Ecological restoration efforts can increase the diversity and function of degraded areas. However, current restoration practices cannot typically re-establish the full diversity and species composition of remnant plant communities. We present evidence that restoration quality can be improved by reintroducing key organisms from the native plant microbiome. In particular, root symbionts called arbuscular mycorrhizal fungi are critical in shaping grassland communities, but are sensitive to anthropogenic disturbance, which may pose a problem for grassland restoration....