Clemmys guttata (Spotted Turtle) is a widespread species of regional conservation concern throughout the eastern United States and Canada, relying upon mosaics of upland and wetland habitats. Spotted Turtles exhibit late maturity and low annual reproductive potential; as a result, many populations are vulnerable to decline and reduced connectivity due to elevated rates of anthropogenic disturbance and mortality. We assessed 3 Spotted Turtle populations that were initially studied between 1989 and 1995 on patchworks of private and public (watershed and state forest) land using mark–recapture methods and a combination of open- and closed-population models. During the initial studies, the 3 populations were estimated to support 98, 18, and 43 turtles, respectively. Our population models for the same sites during 2018 or 2019 provided estimates of 92.3, 25.8, and 36.6 turtles, respectively, suggesting limited evidence of growth or decline over more than 25 years at all 3 sites, though fluctuations were observed. We attribute the lack of significant change in population size at these sites to their landscape context: all 3 are situated within areas >600 ha with no public road access, allowing turtles to shift habitat in response to vegetation succession, hydrological shifts, or other changes and buffering them against roadkill or other anthropogenic threats. We also documented variation in population parameters across both space and time; for example, annual survival estimates varied from 0.924 to 0.986 at the sites, emphasizing the need for locally specific information and long-term studies to inform conservation decisions at both the site and species level.

Habitat segregation is a common phenomenon among migratory songbirds during the non-breeding periods of their life cycles, and conservation practices that fail to account for sex or age-based segregation can be ineffective. We evaluated whether segregation occurred among wintering Passerculus sandwichensis princeps (Ipswich Sparrow) latitudinally by capturing birds throughout their winter range and at the patch level by radio-tracking a subset of Ipswich Sparrows on Assateague Island, MD. While sex and age ratios remained similar throughout their winter range, habitat use varied among tracked individuals. The majority of tracked Sparrows were found in areas where both grass and forb cover were available, yet males tended to inhabit locations with additional shrub cover and exhibited larger estimated home ranges than females (mean 50% minimum convex polygon = 2.36 for males vs 0.77 ha for females). Males and adults were more likely to be observed in fore dunes than females and juveniles, which were more likely to be observed in secondary dunes than adults. Distance between the active beach and the nearest vegetated dune influenced seed availability and bird use. Juveniles were located furthest inland where the plants Diodia teres (Poor Joe), Oenothera humifusa (Seabeach Evening Primrose), and Cenchrus tribuloides (Dune Sandbur) were most common. Adults were located nearer the vegetated dune edge, as were the plants Ammophila breviligulata (American Beachgrass), Solidago sempervirens (Seaside Goldenrod), and Panicum amarum (Bitter Panicum). Beach plantings conducted as part of dune-restoration efforts have often been restricted to American Beachgrass, but we suggest incorporating a wider variety of plants to improve habitat for all Ipswich Sparrow age and sex classes.

Sitta pusilla (Brown-headed Nuthatch) is a songbird of southeastern US pinelands. Since the first New Jersey sighting of the species in 2005, it has been recorded with increasing frequency in the state but had not been found breeding there. I found 2 nesting pairs in Cape May County in 2024 that both successfully fledged young. Further field work could determine if this is an outlier range spillover into uniquely suitable habitat or if the species is expanding further into New Jersey.

Anticoagulant rodenticides (ARs) are commonly used across the US to control rodent populations but may cause negative effects when secondarily consumed by raptors. Falco sparverius (American Kestrel) is a species of growing conservation concern due to widespread declines. We investigated AR exposure in American Kestrels by testing liver samples from 23 carcasses salvaged in Kentucky during 2014–2018. We confirmed exposure to 1 or more AR compounds in 57% of the birds examined. Rodenticides detected included brodifacoum, bromadiolone, and diphacinone. Brodifacoum was the most commonly detected AR, found in 92% of AR-positive birds. AR exposure was disparate among nestlings from 2 nests. None of the American Kestrels were diagnosed with AR toxicosis, but we found a significant association between poor nutritional condition and AR exposure. Our results indicate that secondary exposure to ARs in American Kestrels warrants more study as a potential contributor to population declines.

The recent invasion of the pheretimoid earthworms in North America, specifically Metaphire hilgendorfi, Amynthas agrestis, and Amynthas tokioensis, commonly referred to as “jumping worms”, has led to an increase in research on their impacts on forest ecosystems, trophic interactions, and soil health. Determining the biomass of earthworms is a fundamental method in studies evaluating the impact of invasion. However, earthworm biomass is highly influenced by moisture content of a particular habitat, thus requiring ash-free dry-mass methods for accurate measurement. This method is time-consuming and results in the destruction of specimens. While an equation exists for Metaphire hilgendorfi, here we present novel allometric equations for converting length to ash-free dry mass for the 2 most common species of the trio, Amynthas agrestis and Amynthas tokioensis. The relationship between length and biomass was significantly different between A. agrestis and A. tokioensis. This relationship was also different for clitellate and non-clitellate A. tokioensis. Sampling site was an important factor in the biomass of A. tokioensis, suggesting that landscape context may be an important driver in the annual growth and development of this species. These allometric equations will support much needed research on the species-specific impacts of these pheretimoid earthworms on native and ornamental plants, soil structure and chemistry, and forest ecosystems.

Hyla chrysoscelis (Cope's Gray Treefrog) and H. versicolor (Gray Treefrog) are common and important species in woodland ecosystems throughout Appalachia, including southeastern Ohio. While the monitoring of treefrogs is comparatively easy in their aquatic breeding habitat, accurately measuring relative abundance in their terrestrial dwelling is more difficult, and biologists must balance search effort with data quality and effectiveness. In this study, we used PVC pipe refugia of differing colors (gray and white) to monitor the treefrog population in a mixed deciduous forest, conducting 30 surveys (5 per year, spanning April–October) over a 6-year period (2018–2023). Treefrog abundances were largest in the first (April) and last (October) yearly surveys, suggesting that early and late-season surveys are sufficient for accurately assessing population trends and dynamics. We also detected a strong preference among treefrogs to utilize west-facing refugia stations, and a slight preference for white PVC refugia. In addition, we observed many non-target species in PVC pipe refugia, which may deter usage by treefrogs as they never co-occurred with other species.

Overabundant Odocoileus virginianus (White-tailed Deer) are a threat to forest regeneration due to browse on seedlings of preferred species. We investigated the deer-management program of Cincinnati Parks (Ohio) to determine if controlled hunting reduced deer density enough to facilitate tree regeneration. We surveyed seedlings, saplings, trees, palatable herbs, and invasive shrubs in 5 sites. In all sites, sapling densities were <1000/ha, thus insufficient for forest regeneration. Four sites had seedling densities >2500/ha, considered sufficient for regeneration. However, when taxa that cannot contribute to future canopies (Fraxinus [ash], Asimina triloba [Pawpaw]) were excluded, all sites were below the density necessary for regeneration. Species preferred by White-tailed Deer were common in the canopy of the forests, but sparse in the seedling and sapling layers, suggesting deer will shift tree species composition. Sites also had low cover of herb species preferred by deer. Among sites, reduction of palatable herb cover was significantly associated with both recent deer density and invasive shrub cover, while tree-seedling density showed a negative trend with deer density. Our findings indicate management has not decreased deer populations sufficiently in the Cincinnati Parks to promote vegetation regeneration. Deer exclusion or underplanting of protected tree seedlings are needed to facilitate tree regeneration.

While conducting research on urban ecology of turtles, I recorded probable nesting by Emydoidea blandingii (Blanding's Turtle) on high rocky outcrops on the Canadian Shield in Greater Sudbury, ON, Canada. While the use of rocky outcrops for nesting by this species has been well-documented, the elevation of nesting sites relative to wetland of origin are under-reported. Here I report on 2 nest sites within an anthropogenically impacted landscape, 44 m (144 ft) and 50 m (164 ft) in elevation above the wetland of origin. I also report on an instance of a depredated nesting female.

Ecological studies of Glyptemys muhlenbergii (Bog Turtle) in the northern part of their range—from New England to Maryland—generally report that individuals exhibit high interannual fidelity to small, isolated, graminoid-dominated fens over periods up to several decades. However, relatively long-distance dispersal (to 4.0 km) events have been documented in southern populations from Virginia to Georgia. Studies of dispersal in Bog Turtles are generally hindered by the small size of the adult turtle, which limits the size, signal strength, and battery capacity of traditional VHF transmitters and other tracking methods. We report the apparent long-distance dispersal of a young male Bog Turtle marked at a long-term study site in Massachusetts in June 2018 and found dead on a residential homeowner's driveway 3.9 km to the north 2 years later.