Master of Science, The Ohio State University, 1965, Zoology

Committee: Tony Peterle (Advisor) Subjects:

Master of Science, University of Akron, 2005, Biology

Eastern Bluebirds (Sialia sialis) are secondary cavity-nesting species that are overcoming declines in their populations caused by habitat fragmentation and interspecific interactions with other native cavity nesting species, such as Tree Swallows (Tachycineta bicolor) and House Wrens (Troglodytes aedon), and invasive cavity-nesting species, such as the House Sparrow (Passer domesticus). House Sparrows and House Wrens will compete fiercely with the bluebirds for nest-boxes and often harm the adults and/or young in the process. Tree Swallows will usually live harmoniously with bluebirds as long as there are enough available nest-sites to choose from. During the breeding seasons (March through August) of 2003 and 2004, the effects of multiple factors, such as competitors (both native and invasive) and various nest-box characteristics, on nest-site selection and nesting success of Eastern Bluebirds were observed. A total of 191 nest-boxes erected within the boundaries of the Bath Nature Preserve, Bath, OH, and the Metro Parks serving Summit County were used. Selection of a nest-box by all competitors was determined by the nesting activity observed within the box. A bluebird nest with at least one nestling fledged was considered successful. Results and conclusions from this study were used to develop curricula for local Akron City Schools, and will lead to a more concrete understanding of which competitors and/or which nest-box characteristics influence the nest-site selection and nesting success of Eastern Bluebirds.

Committee: Randall Mitchell (Advisor) Subjects:

Doctor of Philosophy (PhD), Ohio University, 2024, Biological Sciences (Arts and Sciences)

Anthropogenic disturbance has resulted in substantial biodiversity loss in both lotic taxa and amphibians across the globe. The Eastern Hellbender (Cryptobranchus a. allegeniensis) is one of North America's most iconic stream amphibians, a sentinel of stream health, and is experiencing rapid range-wide population declines. While novel conservation strategies have been widely employed across the hellbenders geographic range, long-term assessment is needed to evaluate the efficacy of these techniques to mitigate widespread declines. Captive-rearing and reintroduction efforts have been the primary method for hellbender recovery in Ohio. However, the success of this strategy for rebuilding populations and the optimal release scenarios have largely been unassessed. In Chapter 1, we monitored a cohort of sub-adult hellbenders (n = 205) released in several Ohio watersheds to evaluate the success of headstarting and reintroduction efforts over 3 years. Using passive, amplified PIT-tag surveys, we found that 3-year apparent survival post-release was 0.162 ± 0.061, with lower survival in year 1 (0.383 ± 0.058) and greater in years 2 (0.696 ± 0.086) and 3 (0.609 ± 0.154). Using demographic simulations, we found that releasing cohorts of N=100 individuals at suitable sites several times (e.g., 3 releases, 2 or 3 years apart) would be a better strategy compared to single release events across many sites. Additional simulations showed that hellbender headstarting programs using wild eggs can be highly beneficial in producing more animals reaching adulthood (up to 7 times, if survival in captivity is assumed to be 100%) compared to development in the wild. This chapter was published open access in journal Population Ecology: Kaunert, M. D., Brown, R. K., Spear, S., Johantgen, P. B., & Popescu, V. D. (2023). Restoring eastern hellbender (Cryptobranchus a. alleganiensis) populations through translocation of headstarted individuals. Population Ecology. https://doi.org/10.1002/14 (open full item for complete abstract)

Committee: Ronan Carroll (Advisor); Viorel Popescu (Committee Member); Natalie Kruse Daniels (Committee Member); Shawn Kuchta (Committee Member); Stephen Spear (Committee Member); Kelly Johnson (Committee Member) Subjects: Aquatic Sciences; Behavioral Sciences; Ecology; Organismal Biology; Wildlife Conservation; Wildlife Management

Master of Science, University of Toledo, 2021, Biology (Ecology)

Habitat loss and fragmentation are two spatial process that can have negative impacts on several aspects of an organism's ecology via changes in the spatial characteristics of a landscape. Spatial structure at the macrohabitat scale, such as heterogeneity and fragmentation by roadways, can affect the habitat use by and the distribution of a population. At a finer scale, habitat composition can impact the population structure of species with temporally variable habitat requirements, such as turtles, which use different habitats for different life activities. In particular, nesting habitat used by turtles can affect multiple life stages, as female face trade-offs in maternal versus offspring survival when choosing a nest-site, and microhabitat characteristics of a nest-site can influence offspring phenotype. Because many turtle species are threatened or endangered and exist in small, isolated populations, characterizing the habitat use with a focus on reproductive activities is critical to conservation efforts. Specifically, identifying the macro- and microhabitat characteristics associated with female survival and nest-success is critical to the implementation of successful conservation plans for these long-lived animals, as population decline in turtles is difficult to recognize before a critical point. Moreover, understanding the relationship between spatial structure and the habitat use of species at the population level is important for site-specific conservation efforts. In Ohio and Michigan, eastern box and spotted turtles are two species of imperiled freshwater turtles which exist adjacent to each other in habitats with varying levels of anthropogenic modification and disturbance. Here I characterized the macro- and microhabitat characteristics of habitat used by adult females of both species. At the macrohabitat scale, I quantified the heterogeneity and fragmentation of habitat available to females, as well as quantified the distance to the nearest roads and (open full item for complete abstract)

Committee: Jeanine Refsnider (Advisor); Jonathan Bossenbroek (Committee Member); Henry Streby (Committee Member) Subjects: Biology; Ecology; Wildlife Conservation; Wildlife Management; Zoology

Master of Science, The Ohio State University, 2020, Evolution, Ecology and Organismal Biology

Loss of habitat is one of the drivers of bee declines worldwide. However, conservation and habitat recreation often solely focus on the establishment of forbs as a pollen and nectar source while disregarding other resources that bees need to gather from their landscapes. The family Megachilidae is a large and diverse assemblage of bee species, the majority of which require non-floral resources for nest building. Leaf-cutter bees (genus Megachile) are perhaps the most well-known bees within the family, using cut pieces of leaves to build their nests. Like all bees, Megachile are central place foragers, requiring all of their food plants, as well as suitable leaves for nest construction, within a limited foraging range of their nest. Each female builds her nest within a tunnel in wood or a hollow stem where she constructs a linear series of brood cells lined with cut discs of leaves that protect her offspring and pollen provisions from parasites and desiccation. Poor quality leaves incur fitness costs for the female bee, including longer processing time and excessive mandibular wear. These costs drive strong preferences for specific species of leaves. I investigated the leaf traits that influence preference in Megachile to better understand how variation in vegetation surrounding the nest might limit bee success through the availability of high-quality leaves. This study focuses on reclaimed coal surface mines in Eastern Ohio because they exhibit variation in vegetation at a landscape scale relevant to bee foraging. Reclaimed mines also present novel ecological conditions that can be used to establish habitat for bee conservation. First, I described the physical characteristics of leaves found on a reclaimed mine in order to determine traits associated with leaf choice. This study focused on a representative species of leaf-cutter bee, Megachile rotundata, because of its abundance at the study site and the availability of published data on the species of leaves it (open full item for complete abstract)

Committee: Karen Goodell PhD (Advisor); Rachelle Adams PhD (Committee Member); Frances Sivakoff PhD (Committee Member); Rebecca Swab PhD (Committee Member) Subjects: Biology; Conservation; Ecology; Entomology; Environmental Management

Ph.D., Antioch University, 2019, Antioch New England: Environmental Studies

Golden Eagles (Aquila chrysaetos) have a broad range globally and in general are well-studied. However, Arizona's Golden Eagle population remained essentially unstudied until 2011, when Arizona Game and Fish Department (AZGFD) began nest surveys for cliff nesting Golden Eagles throughout the state. As a result of this data collection, the natural history of Arizona's Golden Eagles is finally revealing itself. This dissertation outlined a reliable description of their nesting phenology that provides a framework for timing surveys and a baseline to monitor the effects of climate change on Golden Eagles. The mean date for egg-laying was February 14 and pairs nesting in the high desert initiate nesting about ten days later than their southern counterparts. A brief study collecting prey remains determined that Black-tailed Jack Rabbit (Lepus californicus) was the central prey species for Golden Eagles in northern Arizona. The results of a multiscale habitat suitability model (HSM) determined that slope between 18º-28º was the most important habitat characteristics for Golden Eagles and the sagebrush landcover was the least important. The multiscale productivity prediction model did not predict with high accuracy; however, the results did reveal some data gaps and provided guidance for adjustments in the future. The results of this entire dissertation can guide future research priorities for Golden Eagles in Arizona. For example, more research on Golden Eagle prey dynamics is needed to determine the impact prey have on their nesting success. Additional research should focus on adding human impact factors such as recreational activity or elemental mining as possible factors that negatively influence nesting productivity. Finally, quantifying climate features on a finer temporal scale should be considered and continued nest site data collection will increase the sample size for more informative results.

Committee: Peter Palmiotto DF (Committee Chair); Lisabeth Willey PhD (Committee Member); Todd Katzner PhD (Committee Member); Tyler Coleman PhD (Committee Member) Subjects: Animals; Biology; Conservation; Ecology; Environmental Management; Wildlife Conservation; Wildlife Management

Master of Science (MS), Ohio University, 2019, Biological Sciences (Arts and Sciences)

The use of artificial or restored nesting habitats for diamondback terrapin conservation has received increased interest due to its early success and the continued degradation of natural nesting sites. Terrapins nesting on Poplar Island, a man-made island in the Chesapeake Bay, show a strong avoidance of vegetation which, coupled with vegetational encroachment over time, has resulted in a pattern of nest compression within the island's most active nesting beaches. This pattern, while currently not detrimental, could make the Poplar Island population susceptible to increased predation rates. For the success of the island's terrapin population to continue, measures should be taken to remove and control vegetation within the current nesting beaches. Modeling of terrapin nest site choice further emphasizes the importance of open and elevated areas. Additionally, vegetation was found to directly influence the incubation temperature within the nest. However, the effect of the low-lying vegetation was not dramatic enough to shift the expected sex-ratio of the offspring away from a significant female-bias. The expected 6:1 female-biased sex ratio is not as dramatic as the observed population sex ratio. This could be evidence of the effect of male-biased sources of mortality within the population, however further research is necessary to verify these findings.

Committee: Willem Roosenburg (Advisor); Viorel Popescu (Committee Member); Joseph Johnson (Committee Member) Subjects: Animals; Biology; Conservation; Ecology

Ph.D., Antioch University, 2016, Antioch New England: Environmental Studies

We studied coastal striped skunks (Mephitis mephitis) on the island of Martha's Vineyard, Massachusetts, USA to gather information on the population characteristics of this mesopredator on Atlantic coast beaches with nesting piping plovers (Charadrius melodus). From 2004 – 2008, we captured and marked 138 skunks and fitted 51 adults with VHF radio-collars. Capture rates ranged from 1 – 7 individuals/100 trap nights (TN) in the spring and 4 – 21 individuals/100 TN in the fall. Spring capture rates were highest at Dogfish Bar (DB), a beach with abundant wrack in the intertidal zone in close proximity to low-density housing, where we estimated a spring density of 8-10 skunks/km2. All adult skunks were residents at this site, and most were initially captured in April/May (100% of males and 67% of females). Spring capture rates were too low for a density estimate at Norton Point/Wasque (NPW), a beach with sparse wrack and farther from development. We initially captured 80% of adult males in April/May but only 1 adult female. Most adult females (88%) were captured in June/July, which coincided with the arrival of anthropogenic food on the beach. While all adult females captured at NPW were residents, 50% of males were non-residents. Half (50%) of all radio-collared skunks died from human-related causes while disease killed another 29%. Female site fidelity was high at both sites, with 40% recurring in subsequent years. While male recurrence at DB was high at 36%, no males recurred at NPW. Similarly, no juveniles recurred in subsequent years at the NPW, but 26% of juveniles recurred at DB. The Martha's Vineyard skunk population does not exhibit any distinguishing characteristics from mainland striped skunk populations at this time. Skunks captured exhibited all stripe patterns known for the species, but narrow (45%) and short-striped (37%) patterns were most abundant. Adult skunks weighed a mean of 1.47 ± 0.05 kg between April and July and 2.08 ± 0.09 kg between August and (open full item for complete abstract)

Committee: Jonathan Atwood Ph.D. (Committee Chair); Stephen DeStefano Ph.D. (Committee Co-Chair); Rachel Thiet Ph.D. (Committee Member) Subjects: Wildlife Conservation; Wildlife Management; Zoology

Master of Science, University of Akron, 2015, Biology

Past research suggests that avian nests in exotic shrubs are more susceptible to depredation and represent an ecological trap. In this study, we explore the relationship between exotic plants, nest predation, and nest-site selection to test the hypothesis that nests in exotic plants are more susceptible to depredation then nests in native plants. We used the Hooded warbler (Setophaga citrina), a forest-understory obligate, as a model species for this study. In 2013 and 2014, we monitored nests in forest parks in Summit County, Ohio. In these parks, Hooded warblers primarily selected exotic plants for nesting sites (73% of 133 nests). The preferred species for nesting sites for Hooded Warblers were Rosa multiflora, the genus Lonicera, Lingustrum vulgare, and native saplings (24%, 13%, 27% and 26% respectively). We analyzed the influence of nest-site choice on nest success at the nest and patch scale, and found no relationship between nesting success and exotic species. Similar to previous studies, we found no evidence that typical habitat measurements, except for nest height influenced. However, we found that nests initiated later in the season were more likely to survive to fledging. Including clutch initiation date into our model of nest fate suggested that nests placed in exotic shrubs had worse nesting success than nests placed in native plants. However, this pattern switched mid-way through the season to suggest that nests within exotic shrubs were more successful than nests in native plants. The natural nest experiment suggested a pattern of differential nesting success between nests in privet and rose. Recognizing this pattern we set out to test it with an artificial nest experiment. The results of this experiment showed there is a significantly higher chance of a nest fledging from rose than nests in privet. All together, these results do not support the hypothesis that nests in exotic plants are ecological traps and are more susceptible to depredation. In d (open full item for complete abstract)

Committee: Randall Mitchell Dr. (Advisor); Gregory Smith Dr. (Advisor); Matthem Shawkey Dr. (Advisor) Subjects: Ecology

Doctor of Philosophy, The Ohio State University, 2015, Environment and Natural Resources

The expansion of urbanization globally has prompted scientists to examine the effects of human developments on wildlife communities, often using birds as a focal taxa. My research investigates population and community-level consequences of anthropogenic food and vegetation resources in the suburban matrix, focusing on breeding birds and their nest predators. I combine observational and experimental approaches to test how anthropogenic subsidies and habitat modification affect avian population demography and predator-prey interactions, and compare these patterns between developed (i.e. residential yards) versus undeveloped (i.e. forested parks) areas within suburban landscapes. During April- August 2011-2014, I examined resource availability, and nest predators, and nest survival of two common birds (American robin, Turdus migratorius and northern cardinal, Cardinalis cardinalis) in seven suburban neighborhoods in the Columbus, Ohio metropolitan area. For the first component of my work, I evaluated demographic differences of robins and cardinals breeding in riparian forest parks and adjacent residential neighborhoods and tested if nest predation was higher in yards. Both robins and cardinals experienced similar nest survival rates in residential yards and forest parks, but there were clear differences in which species were responsible for depredation events. Specifically, domestic cats (Felis catus) were over 5x as frequently documented depredating cardinal nests in yards versus forest parks. For the second component of my work, I tested the hypothesis that wildlife-friendly gardening programs that promote planting trees and shrubs (i.e. increasing woody cover) have the unintended consequence of attracting predators of avian nests by examined relationships between woody cover and diurnal activity patterns of nest predators. Predator activity varied widely among individual yards, but contrary to my hypothesis, the availability of woody cover at either yard o (open full item for complete abstract)

Committee: Stephen Matthews (Advisor); Amanda Rodewald (Advisor); Stanley Gehrt (Committee Member); Jeremy Bruskotter (Committee Member) Subjects: Ecology; Environmental Science; Wildlife Conservation; Wildlife Management

Master of Science (MS), Bowling Green State University, 2015, Biological Sciences

Roadside ditches are a common element of the agricultural landscape of the Midwest. While roadside ditches are appreciated for their ability to transport excess water they are often overlooked for other purposes. Many animal and plant species can be found in roadside ditches and ditches are known to increase biodiversity in often homogenous agricultural landscapes (Herzon and Helenius 2008). Some avian species which are known to utilize roadside ditches have experienced population declines over the past several decades (Sauer et al. 2014). The focus of our research was to determine which avian species, particularly passerines and wading birds, utilized roadside ditches in an agricultural area and to identify which environmental factors were significantly correlated to avian presence (P < 0.05). We conducted avian surveys of roadside ditches and collected data related to ditch size, water depth, vegetation cover and prey species presence. Our findings indicated the presence of passerines, such as red-winged blackbirds and song sparrows, was positively significantly related to ditch depth, amount of open water, vegetation height and density and macroinvertebrate presence. Wading bird presence showed a positive significant relationship with ditch depth and minnow presence and a negative significant relationship with herbaceous cover and maximum vegetation cover. By managing vegetation within roadside ditches, it may be possible to create and maintain breeding and foraging habitat for avian species. However, the management approach must be specific to the type of avian species as passerines are shown to prefer tall, dense vegetation while wading birds prefer sparse vegetation.

Committee: Karen Root PhD (Advisor); Shannon Pelini PhD (Committee Member); Andrew Gregory PhD (Committee Member) Subjects: Biology; Conservation; Ecology; Wildlife Conservation; Wildlife Management

Master of Science, The Ohio State University, 2010, Natural Resources

During presettlement times, many Eastern deciduous forests in North America are thought to have been open park-like woodlands rather than the closed-canopy, second-growth forest encountered today. Changes in forest structure are of special concern given that oaks (Quercus spp.) cannot regenerate effectively in closed-canopy stands. Partial-harvesting is one management technique used to simulate historic disturbance regimes and restore a more open forest structure. I studied forest songbirds in shelterwoods recently harvested to 50% stocking and reference upland mixed-oak stands in the same landscape context. My research was conducted at four state forests in southern Ohio from 2007–2009. I focused on canopy songbirds as one late-successional group that could benefit from partial-harvesting. Specifically I examined the extent to which (1) canopy species select particular canopy features and (2) canopy structure affects reproductive success. Distance-based line-transect surveys showed that shelterwood harvesting shifted the bird community from midstory and ground-nesting species to shrub and canopy-nesting species. The declining Cerulean Warbler (Dendroica cerulea) favored northeast facing slopes with abundant grapevine. Nesting success of canopy species was comparable between partially-harvested and reference stands, although generally low (15–36%) even in a predominantly forested landscape. Canopy structure was important and overall species nested in areas with fewer medium trees (23–38 cm dbh). In addition, species selected white oaks and avoided red oaks which were negatively associated with nesting success. Management implications from this study include prioritization of areas for protection, and recommendations on size and species of trees retained in partial-harvests. Results suggest that shelterwood harvesting can provide suitable breeding habitat for canopy songbirds in the short-term, although long-term management options should be considered.

Committee: Amanda Rodewald PhD (Advisor); Roger Williams PhD (Committee Member); Paul Rodewald PhD (Committee Member) Subjects: Ecology; Forestry

Master of Science, The Ohio State University, 1974, Zoology

Committee: Sheldon Lustick (Advisor) Subjects:

Master of Science (MS), Bowling Green State University, 2007, Biological Sciences

Natural and anthropogenic disturbances affect the abundance, availability, and distribution of resources within oak savanna, an early successional ecosystem. Disturbance-dependent species, such as cavity-nesting birds of the oak savanna, are experiencing population declines. The cavity-nesting bird guild depends on snags (standing dead trees), which occur naturally, but are also formed as a result of oak savanna restoration practices. In order to understand the role that snag density plays on the ecology and behavior of cavity-nesting birds, we assessed the relative abundance, evidence of reproductive success, activity budgets and substrate use of the guild in five oak savanna sites. We also analyzed the influence of other site characteristics including canopy cover and area on all bird relative abundance, diversity, and cavity-nesting bird behavior. Cavity-nesting bird and all bird abundance were related to snag density by polynomial functions where the relative abundance of birds was highest at either ends of the snag density range. The site without any confirmed nests and the lowest species diversity had the lowest snag density (5.4 snags/ha) and the most homogenous canopy, however, the weight of juvenile Eastern Bluebirds was highest at that site. No differences in activity budgets were found between sites at the guild scale, however, substrate use at the guild and species scale was different between sites. At the guild scale, as snag density increased, snags were used more often and as canopy cover increased, snags and dead wood were used less and live wood was used more often. At the species scale, patterns of substrate use were similar to those of the guild, however, the site with the lowest snag density and homogenous canopy particularly influenced substrate use as canopy cover increased. These results suggest that not only is snag density important to cavity-nesting bird ecology and behavior, but that the vegetative structural context of snags in oak savann (open full item for complete abstract)

Committee: Karen Root (Advisor) Subjects: Biology, Ecology