Source: USDA Forest Service - Southern Research Station submitted to NRP
BIOLOGY & ECOLOGY OF ANIMALS, ESPECIALLY WARMWATER FISHES, FRESHWATER MUSSELS, & NEOTROPICAL BIRDS IN RIPARIAN & BOTTOMLAND HARDWOODS
Sponsoring Institution
Forest Service/USDA
Project Status
COMPLETE
Funding Source
USDA INHOUSE
Reporting Frequency
Annual
Accession No.
0197738
Grant No.
(N/A)
Cumulative Award Amt.
(N/A)
Proposal No.
(N/A)
Multistate No.
(N/A)
Project Start Date
Jan 18, 2000
Project End Date
Jan 18, 2005
Grant Year
(N/A)
Program Code
[(N/A)]- (N/A)
Recipient Organization
USDA Forest Service - Southern Research Station
200 WEAVER BLVD., PO BOX 2680
ASHEVILLE,NC 28804
Performing Department
SOUTHERN HARDWOOD LAB - STONEVILLE, MS
Non Technical Summary
Forest and land managers need information about the ecology, biology, and diversity of terrestrial and aquatic fauna to sustainably manage the natural resources of bottomland hardwood forests. This project seeks to learn more about the ecology and biology of key indicator species in bottomland hardwood forests and associated warmwater streams.
Animal Health Component
70%
Research Effort Categories
Basic
30%
Applied
70%
Developmental
(N/A)
Classification

Knowledge Area (KA)Subject of Investigation (SOI)Field of Science (FOS)Percent
1350899106040%
1350899107040%
1350899119020%
Knowledge Area
135 - Aquatic and Terrestrial Wildlife;

Subject Of Investigation
0899 - Wildlife and natural fisheries, general/other;

Field Of Science
1060 - Biology (whole systems); 1070 - Ecology; 1190 - Limnology;
Goals / Objectives
Over the last five years, team researchers provided critical information to natural resource managers on warmwater fishes, freshwater mussels, Neotropical migratory birds, and other terrestrial animals with emphasis on sensitive species. Most of this information is published or was presented in technology transfer efforts. Research on warmwater fishes emphasized: the national and regional distribution and conservation status of native fishes; associations of landscape history and attributes with fish diversity and imperilment; the biology and habitat of sensitive fishes; and initial studies of fish dispersal and long-term variability in fish communities. Freshwater mussel research produced work that provided a better understanding of: national imperilment of freshwater mussels; distribution and status of mussel species on national forests; habitat, host-fishes, and other life history requirements of sensitive mussel species; and the interaction of reproductive strategies and host-fish densities on the structure of freshwater mussel communities. Research on neotropical migratory birds and other nongame bird species resulted in: development and standardization of sampling techniques for nongame birds; extensive data bases on the biology of the Cerulean Warbler and other neotropical migratory birds of bottomland hardwoods; and initiation of studies of wildlife responses to forest restoration on abandoned agruicultural lands. Future research will address three broad areas of common information needs for management of aquatic and terrestrial animals. Common areas of information need include monitoring tools, alternatives for habitat improvement and population recovery, and effects of large-scale processes on local populations. Future research on migratory birds will focus on (1) developing and validating monitoring protocols for migratory bird use of habitats in the winter; (2) evaluating responses of Neotropical migratory birds, particularly Cerulean Warblers, to techniques of forest harvest designed to improve habitat conditions for them; and (3) understanding the effects of large-scale processes on local populations of Neotropical migratory birds, particularly Cerulean Warblers, by comparing population responses of birds in different parts of their range. For warmwater fishes, efforts will be directed towards: (1) measuring fish response to restoration of a channelized river; (2) developing an index of biotic integrity for low gradient upper Coastal plain streams; (3) quantifying watershed-scale effects of timber management on fish and macroinvertebrate communities in the Interior Highlands; (4) quantifying warmwater fish community dynamics as functions of environmental variability and dispersal; and (5) assessing the distribution and conservation status of fishes in the Southern Region. Future research on freshwater mussels will focus on: (1) developing and validating monitoring and inventory methods; (2) assessing natural colonization success of mussels in a restored bottomland river; (3) determining the influence of host-fishes, habitat, and life history stages on population dynamics and assemblage composition of mussels.
Project Methods
To address these areas, the team will need to conduct foundational research on: community habitat relationships and species habitat requirements; patterns of movement, dispersal, and migration; and implications of life history traits for management actions. For the aquatic fauna, the team anticipates a continued research emphasis on sensitive warmwater fishes and mussels, and for the terrestrial community, efforts will be directed toward Neotropical migratory birds, primarily the indicator species, Cerulean Warbler. The intent of the team of scientists working under this problem is to provide information that allows treatment of these species as products of management rather than constraints to or by-products of management. Element 1. Linking forest management activities to stream fishes requires an understanding of the variability of fish communities and their response to biotic and abiotic factors operating across space and time. Management for diverse, functioning fish communities also requires understanding those features of life history, reproductive biology, and dispersal of individual species that are simultaneously critical to the animal and sensitive to management. Topic 1. Managers lack tested management alternatives affecting the recovery of fish communities and sensitive fish species and lack region-specific monitoring tools for determining fish community response to watershed management. Study 1. Fish and mussel community response to restoration of a channelized bottomland river (Little Tallahatchie River, MS) Study 2. Development of Index of Biotic Integrity for fish communities of forested watershed in the upper Coastal Plain (MS National Forests) Topic 2. Managers need information on the effects of landscape-scale processes and historical events on the distribution and abundance of warmwater stream fishes. Study 1. Large-scale effects of timber harvesting on regional fish and macroinvertebrate assemblages in the Ouachita Mountains, AR (Ouachita National Forest). Study 2. Environmental variability, historical contingency, and the structure of regional fish and macroinvertebrate assemblages in Ouachita Mountain stream systems (Ouachita National Forest) Topic 3. Managers lack up-to-date information on the distribution, abundance, and status of warmwater stream fishes, especially sensitive species. Study 1. GIS-compatible fish research database for the Ouachita and Ozark Mountain drainages (Ouachita and Ozark National Forests) Study 2. Diversity, distribution, and status of fishes of the southern US. Topic 4. Managers need a better understanding of community habitat interrelationships and species habitat requirements for warmwater fishes to predict effects of management actions. Study 1. Microhabitat interrelationships of stream fishes inhabiting severely to moderately incised channels of upper Coastal Plain streams in MS Study 2. Autecology and recovery of the federally endangered palezone shiner (Cyprinidae) in the Little South Fork, KY, with emphasis on fish community structure, habitat relationships and restoration (Daniel Boone National Forest Study 3. Fish and macroinvertebrate communities and habitat stability under

Progress 10/01/04 to 09/30/05

Outputs
The Southern Research Station has been studying Cerulean Warbler biology in the Mississippi Alluvial Valley for several years. Populations of the species in the southern and western parts of the range have been declining while some of the populations in the Northeast have been increasing. That pattern suggests, among other possibilities, that climatic factors may be involved in the changing distribution of this warbler. The Station's long-term data on this species provided a unique opportunity to test the hypothesis that changes in climate were associated with changing distribution of the birds. The Station scientist used DMAP, an epidemiology mapping and analysis tool, to assess areas of annual concentrations of Cerulean Warblers on their breeding grounds. This study showed that the most consistently occupied portion of the species' range has clearly defined climatic characteristics. Furthermore, among areas that are intermittently occupied by the Cerulean warbler, occupancy occurs when climate conditions match those of the more preferred portion of the range, and does not occur when the conditions differ. Initial presentations of this research have been well received in the community of geographers, as indicated by a third prize award for data integration from the Tennessee Geographic Information Council at their 2005 Annual Conference, 22-23 March 2005, in Franklin, TN. An important practical application of this research will be to apply the same analytical tool to distribution data of other migratory and nonmigratory bird species. The results of such an application should provide managers with an indication of where to expect ranges of certain bird species to be in the future, and thus to anticipate management schemes that will be necessary to provide habitat for these birds. The results will also enable us to anticipate conservation needs for particular bird species in the future under simulated climate change scenarios.

Impacts
Methods and results from this study on common species may also contribute to our ecological understanding of rare species such as pondberry (Lindera melissifolia), an endangered wetland plant that has bird-dispersed fruit.

Publications

  • No publications reported this period


Progress 10/01/03 to 09/30/04

Outputs
Freshwater mussels are one of the most endangered groups of animals in the country. The mussel fauna of the eastern United States is the most diverse on earth and plays a crucial role in maintenance of water quality and overall integrity of stream ecosystems. National Forests, particularly in the Southern Region, are among the most important areas for conservation of this imperiled resource. National Forest managers and other natural resource professionals need tested, repeatable, and practical field methods with which to monitor mussel populations and assess their viability. Previous methods used for inventory and monitoring of mussel populations (1) often yielded results with poor statistical precision; (2) were not easily compared with data obtained by other methods; (3) were limited in applicability to a single stream site; or (4) were impractical to apply routinely and in a variety of settings. We have developed and tested survey methods that largely solve these long-standing problems. Our methods are designed to produce precise, repeatable estimates of population size in the context of a watershed or stream reach of particular conservation importance. Further, our methods are designed to concentrate the sampling effort in areas likely to harbor mussels thus enabling us to effectively sample as much as 12 km of stream in about five days. We have applied our methods successfully on the Talladega National Forest in Alabama, and the Daniel Boone National Forest in Kentucky to estimate population size of four threatened and endangered species, as well as other co-occurring species. These studies are the first to provide precise estimates of total population size of mussels in entire watersheds; such estimates are of vital importance in assessing viability of imperiled mussel populations. This technique has generated much interest among resource management agencies. We have been contacted by a number of organizations to conduct similar projects or to provide advise in designing sampling programs in other streams (Daniel Boone National Forest, Winchester, Kentucky; Francis Marion and Sumter National Forests, Columbia, South Carolina; Southern Research Station, Center for Aquatic Technology Transfer, Blacksburg, Virginia; The Nature Conservancy, State College, Pennsylvania; U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, State College, Pennsylvania). In addition, we were asked to present the results of our sampling program on the Daniel Boone National Forest, focusing on mussel conservation issues revealed by our research, to the annual joint meeting of the Kentucky Department of Fish and Wildlife Resources and Daniel Boone National Forest. These methods provide an important new, science-based tool for Forest Service managers and other natural resource professionals to monitor and assess the status of mussel populations and to evaluate the effectiveness of management designed to conserve these imperiled animals.

Impacts
Methods and results from this study on common species may also contribute to our ecological understanding of rare species such as pondberry (Lindera melissifolia), an endangered wetland plant that has bird-dispersed fruit.

Publications

  • Haag, W.R. 2004. Ovate clubshell, Pleurobema perovatum (Conrad). In: Mirachi, R.E.; Garner, J.T.; Mettee, M.F.; O'Neil, P.E. eds. Alabama wildlife, Volume 2, imperiled aquatic mollusks and fishes. Tuscaloosa, Alabama: University of Alabama Press. 75.
  • Haag, W.R. 2004. Orangenacre mucket, Lampsilis perovalis (Conrad). In: Mirachi, R.E.; Garner, J.T.; Mettee, M.F.; O'Neil, P.E. eds. Alabama wildlife, volume 2, imperiled aquatic mollusks and fishes. Tuscaloosa, Alabama: University of Alabama Press. 94-95.
  • Haag, W.R. 2004. Heavy pigtoe, Pleurobema taitianum (Lea). In: Mirachi, R.E.; Garner, J.T.; Mettee, M.F.; O'Neil, P.E. eds. Alabama wildlife, volume 2, imperiled aquatic mollusks and fishes. Tuscaloosa, Alabama: University of Alabama Press. 80.
  • Haag, W.R. 2004. Flat pigtoe, Pleurobema marshalli Frierson. In: Mirachi, R.E.; Garner, J.T.; Mettee, M.F.; O'Neil, P.E. eds. Alabama wildlife, volume 2, imperiled aquatic mollusks and fishes. Tuscaloosa, Alabama: University of Alabama Press. 30.
  • Haag, W.R. 2004. Finerayed pocketbook, Lampsilis altilis (Conrad). In: Mirachi, R.E.; Garner, J.T.; Mettee, M.F.; O'Neil, P.E. eds. Alabama wildlife, volume 2, imperiled aquatic mollusks and fishes. Tuscaloosa, Alabama: University of Alabama Press. 93-94.
  • Alexander, G.E., Jr.; Hamel, P.B. 2004. Washington county (south) [MSWC], Mississippi, 33'11''N x 90'98''W, Christmas bird count, count year: 104. http://owl.audubon.org:90/cbccurrent/current_table.html.
  • Colorado, G.J.; Cuadros, T. 2004. Reinita CerDTlea ( Dendroica cerlea ). http://www.sao.org.co/aprenda_mas/aprenda_avedelmes.htm. Jun 2, 2004.
  • Dolloff, C.A.; Warren, M.L., Jr. 2003. Fish relationships with large wood in small streams. In: Gregory, S.V.; Boyer, K.L.; Gurnell, A.M. eds. The ecology and management of wood in world rivers. 37. Bethesda, MD: American Fisheries Society. 179-193.
  • Haag, W.R. 2004. Upland combshell, Epioblasma metastriata (Conrad). In: Mirachi, R.E.; Garner, J.T.; Mettee, M.F.; O'Neil, P.E. eds. Alabama wildlife, volume 2, imperiled aquatic mollusks and fishes. Tuscaloosa, Alabama: University of Alabama Press. 20.
  • Haag, W.R. 2004. Triangular pigtoe, Ptychobranchus greenii (Conrad). In: Mirachi, R.E.; Garner, J.T.; Mettee, M.F.; O'Neil, P.E. eds. Alabama wildlife, volume 2, imperiled aquatic mollusks and fishes. Tuscaloosa, Alabama: University of Alabama Press. 82.
  • Haag, W.R. 2004. Southern pigtoe, Pleurobema georgianum (Lea). In: Mirachi, R.E.; Garner, J.T.; Mettee, M.F.; O'Neil, P.E. eds. Alabama wildlife, volume 2, imperiled aquatic mollusks and fishes. Tuscaloosa, Alabama: University of Alabama Press. 73.
  • Haag, W.R. 2004. Southern combshell, Epioblasma penita (Conrad). In: Mirachi, R.E.; Garner, J.T.; Mettee, M.F.; O'Neil, P.E. eds. Alabama wildlife, volume 2, imperiled aquatic mollusks and fishes. Tuscaloosa, Alabama: University of Alabama Press. 51.
  • Haag, W.R. 2004. Southern acornshell, Epioblasma othcaloogensis (Lea). In: Mirachi, R.E.; Garner, J.T.; Mettee, M.F.; O'Neil, P.E. eds. Alabama wildlife, volume 2, imperiled aquatic mollusks and fishes. Tuscaloosa, Alabama: University of Alabama Press. 22.
  • Haag, W.R. 2004. Rayed creekshell, Anodontoides radiatus (Conrad). In: Mirachi, R.E.; Garner, J.T.; Mettee, M.F.; O'Neil, P.E. eds. Alabama wildlife, volume 2, imperiled aquatic mollusks and fishes. Tuscaloosa, Alabama: University of Alabama Press. 91.
  • Haag, W.R. 2004. Black clubshell, Pleurobema curtum. In: Mirachi, R.E.; Garner, J.T.; Mettee, M.F.; O'Neil, P.E. eds. Alabama wildlife, volume 2, imperiled aquatic mollusks and fishes. Tuscaloosa, Alabama: University of Alabama Press. 29.
  • Haag, W.R. 2004. Alabama spike, Elliptio arca (Conrad). In: Mirachi, R.E.; Garner, J.T.; Mettee, M.F.; O'Neil, P.E. eds. Alabama wildlife, volume 2, imperiled aquatic mollusks and fishes. Tuscaloosa, Alabama: University of Alabama Press. 44.
  • Haag, W.R. 2004. Alabama hickorynut, Obovaria unicolor (Lea). In: Mirachi, R.E.; Garner, J.T.; Mettee, M.F.; O'Neil, P.E. eds. Alabama wildlife, volume 2, imperiled aquatic mollusks and fishes. Tuscaloosa, Alabama: University of Alabama Press. 99.
  • Haag, W.R. 2004. Alabama moccasinshell, Medionidus acutissimus. In: Mirachi, R.E.; Garner, J.T.; Mettee, M.F.; O'Neil, P.E. eds. Alabama wildlife, volume 2, imperiled aquatic mollusks and fishes. Tuscaloosa, Alabama: University of Alabama Press. 98.
  • Haag, W.R. 2004. Southern clubshell, Pleurobema decisum (Lea). In: Mirachi, R.E.; Garner, J.T.; Mettee, M.F.; O'Neil, P.E. eds. Alabama wildlife, volume 2, imperiled aquatic mollusks and fishes. Tuscaloosa, Alabama: University of Alabama Press. 100-101.
  • Williams, L.R.; Taylor, C.M.; Warren, M.L., Jr.; Clingenpeel, J.A. 2004. The role of regional factors in structuring Ouachita Mountain stream assemblages. Guldin, J.M. tech. comp. SRS-74. Asheville, NC: U.S. Department of Agriculture, Forest Service, Southern Research Station: 231-238.
  • Williams, L.R.; Warren, M.L., Jr.; Adams, S.B.; [and others] 2004. Basin visual estimation technique (BVET) and representative reach approaches to stream surveys: methodological limitations and future directions. Fisheries. 29(8): 12-22.
  • Haag, W.R. 2004. Dark pigtoe, Pleurobema furvum (Conrad). In: Mirachi, R.E.; Garner, J.T.; Mettee, M.F.; O'Neil, P.E. eds. Alabama wildlife, volume 2, imperiled aquatic mollusks and fishes. Tuscaloosa, Alabama: University of Alabama Press. 72.
  • Haag, W.R. 2004. Coosa moccasinshell, Medionidus parvulus (Lea). In: Mirachi, R.E.; Garner, J.T.; Mettee, M.F.; O'Neil, P.E. eds. Alabama wildlife, volume 2, imperiled aquatic mollusks and fishes. Tuscaloosa, Alabama: University of Alabama Press. 25.
  • Haag, W.R. 2004. Alabama heelsplitter, Potamilus inflatus. In: Mirachi, R.E.; Garner, J.T.; Mettee, M.F.; O'Neil, P.E. eds. Alabama wildlife, volume 2, imperiled aquatic mollusks and fishes. Tuscaloosa, Alabama: University of Alabama Press. 102.
  • Haag, W.R.; Staton, J.L. 2003. Variation in fecundity and other reproductive traits in freshwater mussels. Freshwater Biology. 48(12): 2118-2130.
  • Haag, W.R.; Warren, M.L., Jr. 2003. Changes in freshwater mussel populations in Bankhead National Forest from 1993-2003. Final report; Alabama National Forests. Oxford, Mississippi: U.S. Department of Agriculture, Forest Service, Southern Research Station. 24 p.
  • Haag, W.R.; Warren, M.L., Jr. 2003. Collections and research for U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service endangered/threatened species subpermittee authorization number SA-98-06 amendment 3. Annual report; U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service. Oxford, Mississippi: U.S. Department of Agriculture, Forest Service, Southern Research Station. 2 plus attachments p.
  • Warren, M.L., Jr.; Haag, W.R.; Adams, S.B.; Sheldon, A.L. 2004. Population size estimates and distribution of freshwater mussels in Shoal Creek, Talladega National Forest, Alabama. Final report; U.S. Department of Agriculture, Forest Service, Southern Region. Oxford, MS: U.S. Department of Agriculture, Forest Service, Southern Research Station. 42 p.
  • Warren, M.L., Jr.; Haag, W.R.; Commens, A.M. 2004. Observations of watersnake (Nerodia, Colubridae) predation on darters (Percidae). Southeastern Fishes Council Proceedings. 47: 1-3.
  • Williams, L.R.; Taylor, C.M.; Warren, M.L., Jr.; Clingenpeel, J.A. 2003. Environmental variability, historical contingency, and the structure of regional fish and macroinvertebrate faunas in Ouachita Mountain stream systems. Environmental Biology of Fishes. 67: 203-216.
  • Haag, W.R.; Warren, M.L., Jr. 2004. Species richness and total population size of freshwater mussels in Horse Lick Creek, Kentucky in 2003. Final report; United States Fish and Wildlife Service. Oxford, Mississippi: U.S. Department of Agriculture, Forest Service, Southern Research Station. 43 p.
  • Haag, W.R.; Warren, M.L., Jr. 2004. Population dynamics and demography of freshwater mussels: application of population models and population viability analysis. Final report; National Fish and Wildlife Foundation. Oxford, Mississippi: U.S. Department of Agriculture, Forest Service, Southern Research Station. 43 p.
  • Hamel, P.B.; Dawson, D.K.; Keyser, P.D. 2004. How we can learn more about the cerulean warbler (Dendroica cerulea). Auk. 121(1): 7-14.
  • Hill, B.H.; McCormick, F.H. 2004. Nutrient uptake and community metabolism in streams draining harvested and old-growth watersheds: a preliminary assessment. Guldin, J.M. tech. comp. SRS-74. Asheville, NC: U.S. Department of Agriculture, Forest Service, Southern Research Station: 214-220.
  • Lonzarich, D.G.; Lonzarich, M.E.; Warren, M.L., Jr. 2004. Using snorkeling to quantify fish assemblage structure in Arkansas streams. Guldin, J.M. tech. comp. SRS-74. Asheville, NC: U.S. Department of Agriculture, Forest Service, Southern Research Station: 253-256.
  • Lonzarich, D.G.; Warren, M.L., Jr.; Lonzarich, M.E. 2004. Consequences of pool habitat isolation on fishes. Guldin, J.M. tech. comp. SRS-74. Asheville, NC: U.S. Department of Agriculture, Forest Service, Southern Research Station: 246-252.
  • Matthews, W.J.; Miller-Lemke, A.M.; Warren, M.L., Jr.; [and others] 2004. Context-specific trophic and functional ecology of fishes of small stream ecosystems in the Ouachita National Forest. Guldin, J.M. tech. comp. SRS-74. Asheville, NC: U.S. Department of Agriculture, Forest Service, Southern Research Station: 221-230.
  • Robison, H.W.; Henderson, L.G.; Warren, M.L., Jr.; Rader, J.S. 2004. Computerization of the Arkansas fishes database. Guldin, J.M. tech. comp. SRS-74. Asheville, NC: U.S. Department of Agriculture, Forest Service, Southern Research Station: 257-264.
  • Stiles, R.A.; Warren, M.L., Jr. 2004. Pygmy Sculpin, Cottus paulus Williams. In: Mirarchi, R.E.; Garner, J.T.; Mette, M.F.S.; O'Neil, P.E. eds. Alabama wildlife, volume 2, imperiled aquatic mollusks and fishes. Tuscaloosa, AL: University of Alabama Press. 182-183.
  • Strayer, D.L.; Downing, J.A.; Haag, W.R.; [and others] 2004. Changing perspectives on pearly mussels, North America's most imperiled animals. BioScience. 54(5): 429-439.
  • Taylor, C.M.; Williams, L.R.; Fiorillo, R.A.; [and others] 2004. Fish assemblage structure under variable environmental conditions in the Ouachita Mountains. Guldin, J.M. tech. comp. SRS-74. Asheville, NC: U.S. Department of Agriculture, Forest Service, Southern Research Station: 239-245.
  • Warren, M.L., Jr. 2004. Spring Pygmy Sunfish, Elassoma alabamae Mayden. In: Mirachi, R.E.; Bailey, M.A.; Garner, J.T.; [and others]. eds. Alabama wildlife, volume 4, conservation and management recommendations for imperiled wildlife. Tuscaloosa, Alabama: University of Alabama Press. 132-133.
  • Warren, M.L., Jr. 2004. Brindled Madtom, Noturus miurus Jordan. In: Mirachi, R.E.; Bailey, M.A.; Garner, J.T.; [and others]. eds. Alabama wildlife, volume 4, conservation and management recommendations for imperiled wildlife. Tuscaloosa, Alabama: University of Alabama Press. 141.
  • Warren, M.L., Jr. 2004. Trispot Darter, Etheostoma trisella Bailey and Richards. In: Mirachi, R.E.; Bailey, M.A.; Garner, J.T.; [and others]. eds. Alabama wildlife, volume 4, conservation and management recommendations for imperiled wildlife. Tuscaloosa, Alabama: University of Alabama Press. 129.


Progress 10/01/02 to 09/30/03

Outputs
Swamp privet (Forestiera acuminata (Micheaux) Poiret) occurs in lowlands throughout the southeastern U.S. and is abundant in riparian areas of the Mississippi River Delta. Although common, surprisingly little is known about this plant. Swamp privet is a small tree that grows in seasonally flooded wetlands and riparian zones and produces fleshy fruits about 3 cm long in late spring. Observations of the fruits in stomachs of several catfish led the research to team to begin asking questions about interactions between the plant and various animal species. The interdisciplinary research project began in 2001 and continues to develop and expand. Although we are in the early stages of the research, we have found several interesting results, relating to both plant-animal interactions and to plant phenology. We found that channel catfish (Ictalurus punctatus) are seed dispersers of swamp privet, consuming fruit and defecating viable seeds. Seed dispersal by catfishes is common in the Amazon River basin, where fruit is the primary food of some fishes, but has not been documented previously in North America. We also documented that cedar waxwings (Bombycilla cedrorum) are seed dispersers, and although we observed wood ducks (Aix sponsa) eating the fruits, we presume that they are seed predators rather than dispersers. Seeds that have not passed through an animal are also viable, however both birds and fish potentially greatly increase the maximum dispersal distance of seeds relative to passive dispersal distances. We found an undescribed weevil species that destroys the seeds before the fruit ripens. The prevalence of the weevil was highly variable. An interesting phenological finding was that the plants compensated, at least partially, for loss of flowers or immature fruit due to flooding. In two consecutive years, rising water inundated plants or portions of plants during or after flowering, however the inundated branches flowered a second time after water receded. Future research will continue to explore the above topics and will also explore how hydrology, which has been altered in many swamp privet locations, influences the plant-animal interactions. Catfish are an important sport fish in the Mississippi River delta, and swamp privet fruits may provide a valuable nutritional source just prior to spawning during some years. Similarly, the fruits may be important to cedar waxwings because they are available during the northern migration. The knowledge of linkages between terrestrial and aquatic communities contributes to our understanding of the role of riparian plant communities for both terrestrial and aquatic fauna. The results remind us that linkages work in two directions and that aquatic fauna also can influence riparian plants. Methods and results from this study on common species may also contribute to our ecological understanding of rare species such as pondberry (Lindera melissifolia), an endangered wetland plant that has bird-dispersed fruit.

Impacts
Methods and results from this study on common species may also contribute to our ecological understanding of rare species such as pondberry (Lindera melissifolia), an endangered wetland plant that has bird-dispersed fruit.

Publications

  • Buhay, J.E.; Haag, W.R. 2003. Molecular systematics of the freshwater mussel genus villosa (Bivalvia: unionidae) [Abstract]. In: 3rd biennial symposium of Freshwater Mollusk Conservation Society. Durham, NC: 15p
  • Haag, W.R.; Warren, M.L., Jr. 2003. 2002 report for U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service endangered/threatened species subpermittee authorization number SA-95-06. Annual report; US. Fish & Wildlife Service. Oxford, MS: 2 p.
  • Hamel, P.B.; Woodson, C.A. 2000. Brown-headed cowbird removes egg from cerulean warbler nest. Migrant. 71(1): 1-3.
  • Commens, A.M.; Warren, M.L., Jr.; Haag, W.R. 2003. Annual patterns of length-frequency distribution of the Yazoo Shiner Notropis rafinesquei in three streams in northern Mississippi [Poster]. 2003 joint meeting of ichthyologists and herpetologists. Manaus, Brazil: 43.
  • Haag, W.R.; Warren, M.L., Jr. 2003. Host fishes and infection strategies of freshwater mussels in large Mobile Basin steams, USA. Journal of the North American Benthological Society. 22(1): 79-91.
  • Hamel, P.B. 2003. Winter bird community differences among methods of bottomland hardwood forest restoration: results after seven growing seasons., Forestry. 76(2): 189-197.
  • Hamel, P.B.; Alexander, G.E., Jr. 2003. 103rd Christmas bird count: Washington County (south) Mississippi, United States. http://audubon.birdsource.org/CBCOutpt/review.html?speciesByState=fal se&yr+103&circle+S101.
  • Hill, B.H.; McComick, F.H.; Harvey, B.C.; [and others] 2003. An interregional comparison of channel structure, transient storage, and nutrient uptake in streams draining late and early successional watersheds. [Poster]. NABS 2003. Athens, GA
  • Love, J.W.; Taylor, C.M.; Rooney, A.J.; Warren, M.L., Jr. 2002. Consequences of seasonal drought in Quachita mountain streams on the gene flow patterns and heterozygosity of Lepomis megalotis and Fundulus olivaceus [Poster]. The southwestern association of naturalists. 49th annual meeting. Cuernavaca Morelos, Mexico: 42p.
  • Williams, L.R.; Taylor, C.M.; Warren, M.L., Jr. 2003. Influence of fish predation on assemblage structure of macroinvertebrates in an intermittent stream. Transactions of the American Fisheries Society. 132: 120-130.


Progress 10/01/01 to 09/30/02

Outputs
The breeding biology of the Cerulean Warbler, a candidate species for listing as a threatened species by the US Fish and Wildlife Service under the Endangered Species Act of 1973, as amended, has been studied for the past 11 years. Fieldwork this year concentrated upon monitoring via radio telemetry the activities of a small group of breeding males at Meeman Shelby Forest State Park, near Memphis, Tennessee. Efforts included collection of feather samples for testing stable isotope ratios to determine migratory pathways of the species. An experimental manipulation of habitat was conducted on land owned by a cooperator, to assess response of the species to silvicultural activities intended to improve habitats. A presentation on silvicultural options affecting the species in contrast to another candidate species, the Golden-winged Warbler, was invited by organizers of the Third International Partners in Flight Conference in Asilomar, CA, in March. We now know that the birds are not dependent on old-growth forest in the Lower Mississippi River Valley for their breeding habitat, which means that silvicultural applications to produce habitat are a viable mechanism for species conservation. This will benefit those interested in conservation of the birds in managed forest lands, including the public land managers, private and industrial forest managers, and bird conservationists. The ultimate goal of this work is to provide a dependable, accurate silvicultural prescription for managing the Cerulean Warbler in bottomland hardwood forests of the Lower Mississippi River Valley. This goal will benefit the scientific community interested in management of populations of rare species, it will help forest managers interested in maintaining wildlife benefits in timber management operations, and will be of great interest to environmentalists concerned about protecting the Cerulean Warbler.

Impacts
(N/A)

Publications

  • Holland, Marjorie M.; Warren, Melvin L.; Stanturf, John A., eds. 2002. Proceedings of a conference on sustainability of wetlands and water resources: how well can riverine wetlands continue to support society into the 21st century? 2000 May 23-25; Oxford, MS. Gen. Tech. Rep. SRS-50. Asheville, NC: U.S. Department of Agriculture, Forest Service, Southern Research Station: 191 p.
  • Hunter, William C.; Buehler, David A.; Canterbury, Ronald A.; Confer, John L.; Hamel, Paul B. 2001. Conservation of disturbance-dependent birds in eastern North America. Wildlife Society Bulletin. 29(2): 440-455.
  • Moorman, Christopher E.; Guynn, David C., Jr. 2001. Effects of group-selection opening size on breeding bird habitat use in bottomland forest. Ecological Applications. 11(6): 1680-1691.
  • Adams, Susan B.; Frissell, Christopher A. 2001. Thermal habitat use and evidence of seasonal mirgration by Rocky Mountain tailed frogs, Ascaphus montanus, in Montana. The Canadian Field-Naturalist. 115(2): 251-256.
  • Adams, Susan B.; Warren, Melvin L., Jr.; Haag, Wendell R. 2001. Temporal variation in the fish assemblages of three Upper Coatal Plain streams in Mississippi. 62nd annual meeting of the Association of Southeastern Biologists. 2001 April 4-7; New Orleans, LA. [Poster]
  • Burr, Brooks M.; Adams, Ginny L.; Krejca, Jean K.; Paul, Regina J.; Warren, Melvin L., Jr. 2001. Troglomorphic sculpins of the Cottus carolinae species group in Perry County, Missouri: distribution, external morphology, and conservation status. Environmental Biology of Fishes. 62: 279-296.
  • Haag, Wendell R. 2002. Spatial, temporal, and taxonomic variation in population dynamics and community structure of freshwater mussels. Oxford, MS: University of Mississippi. 128 p. Ph.D. dissertation.
  • Haag, Wendell R.; Warren, Melvin L., Jr.; Wright, Keith; Shaffer, Larry. 2002. Occurrence of the rayed creekshell, anodontoides radiatus, in the Mississippi River Basin: implicaitons for conservation and biogeography. Southeastern Naturalist. 1(2): 169-178.
  • Hamel, Paul B. 2002. Bird community differntiation in restoration of bottomland hardwood forests. In: Gardiner, Emile S.; Breland, Lynne J., comps. Proceedings of the IURFO conference on restoration of boreal and temperate forests: documenting forest restoration knowledge and practices in boreal and temperate ecosystems; 2002 April 28-May 02; Vijle, Demnmark. Frederiksberg C, Denmark: Danish Centre for Forest, Landscape and Planning. 11: 86-87.
  • Hamel, Paul B.; Foti, Thomas L.; tech. eds. 2001. Bottomland hardwoods of the Mississippi Alluvial Valley: characteristics and management of natural function, structure, and composition. 1995 October 28; Fayetteville., AR. Gen. Tech. Rep. SRS-42. Asheville, NC: U.S. Department of Agriculture, Forest Service, Southern Research Station: 109 p.
  • Hamel, Paul B.; Meadows, James S.; Gardiner, Emile S.; Stanturf, John A. 2001. Chainsaws, canebrakes, and cotton fields: sober thoughts on silviculture for songbirds in bottomland forests. In: Hamel, Paul B.; Goti, Thomas L., tech. eds. Bottomland hardwoods of the Mississippi Alluvial Valley: characteristics and management of natural function, structure, and composition; 1995 October 28; Fayetteville, AR. Gen. Tech. Rep. SRS-42. Asheville, NC: U.S. Department of Agriculture, Forest Service, Southern Research Station: 99-105.
  • Hamel, Paul B.; Twedt, Daniel J.; Nuttle, Timothy J.; Woodson, Christopher A.; Broerman, Fred; Wahome, Joseph M. 2002. Winter bird communities inafforestation: should we speed up or slow down ecological succession? Holland, Marjorie M; Warren, Melvin L. ; Stanturf, John A. eds. Proceedings of a conference on sustainability of wetlands and water resources: how well can riverine wetlands continue to support society into the 21st century.? Gen. Tech. Rep. SRS-50. Asheviile, NC: U.S. Department of Agriculture, Forest Service, Southern Research Station: 191p.
  • Haag, Wendell R.; Warren, Melvin L., Jr. 2001. Host fishes and reproductive biology of freshwater mussels in the Buttahatchee RIver, Mississippi. Final report. Submitted to Mississippi Wildlife Hertiage 2001 Research Program, Misssissippi Museum of Natural History, Mississippi Wildlife, Fisheries and Parks. Jackson MS. 41p.
  • Nelson, Joseph S.; Starnes, Wayne C.; Warren, Melvin L. 2002. A capital case for common names of species of fishes - a white crappie or a White Crappie. Fisheries. 27(7): 31-33.
  • Riley, Cecilia; Hunter, William C.; Woodrey, Mark [and others]. 2001. Monitoring bird migration through the Southeastern United States [Abstract]. El Pitirre. 14(2): 68-69.
  • Staton, J. Leanne; Haag, Wendell R.; Warren, Melvin L., Jr.; Miller, Gary L. 2002. Fecundity variables of six species of freshwater mussels [Abstract]. Freshwater Mollusk Conservation Society 2nd symposium; 2001 March 12-14; Pittsburgh. Pittsburgh: Freshwater Mollusk Conservation Society: 64.
  • Tanner, James T.; Hamel, Paul B. 2001. A long-term view of old-growth deciduous forests. Hamel, Paul B.; Foti, Thomas L., tech. eds. Botttomland hardwoods of the Mississsippi Alluvial Valley: characteristics and management of natural function, structure, and composition; 1995 October 28; Fayetteville, AR. Gen. Tech. Rep. SRS-42. Asheville, NC: U.S. Department of Agriculture, Forest Service, Southern Research Station: 106-109.
  • Williams, Lance R.; Taylor, Christopher M.; Warren, Melvin L., Jr.; Clingenpeel, J. Alan. 2002. Large-scale effects of timber harvesting on stream systems in the Ouachita Mountains, Arkansas. Environmental Management. 29(1): 76-87.
  • Taylor, Christopher M.; Warren, Melvin L., Jr. 2001. Dynamics in species composition of stream fish assemblages: environmental variability and nested subsets. Ecology. 82(8): 2320-2330.
  • Smith, Carl G. 2001. Breeding cerulean warblers (dendroica cerulea) in Esopus and West Park, Ulster County, New York. State University of New York at New Paltz: M.S. Thesis. 90.
  • Woltmann, Stefan. 2002. Habitat use and movements of sharp-shinned and cooper's hawks during autumn at Fort Morgan, Alabama. North American Bird Bander. 26(4): 150-156.