Special Symposia
We’re pleased to announce the following organized symposia will be included in the program at the 2023 Northeast Fish & Wildlife Conference.
S-01: Regional Landscape Partnerships that Benefit Wildlife
Monday, May 1, 1:40 PM – 5:00 PM
Contact: Scott L. Bearer, Ph.D., Division Chief of Habitat Planning and Development, Pennsylvania Game Commission, sbearer@pa.gov
Co-Organizers: Jeffrey Larkin, Ph.D., Professor of Wildlife Ecology and Conservation, Indiana University of Pennsylvania and Forest Birds Habitat Coordinator for the American Bird Conservancy (ABC); Katie Ombalski, Principal & Conservation Biologist, Woods and Waters Consulting, LLC.
Overview:
One of the most effective ways to achieve habitat-based wildlife conservation is through landscape-level initiatives supported by multi-organizational partnerships. Collaborations that include a variety of conservation organizations and academic institutions working alongside local, state, or federal government agencies can achieve levels of conservation success that far outweigh what each group could accomplish on its own. However, not all partnerships are as impactful for a variety of reasons, including differing expectations, poorly defined roles/responsibilities, limited funding, and poor communication. These are just a few of the pitfalls that can beset otherwise respectable, functional partnerships. In this symposia, we explore a variety of successful partnerships that involve diverse stakeholders all working towards a shared vision of landscape-level wildlife conservation. We will discuss what makes them highly functional, how they are most effectively funded, how they measure outcomes, and how other groups might explore similar collaborations and opportunities that spur successful conservation outcomes.
Monday, May 1, 1:40 PM – 5:00 PM
Contact: Scott L. Bearer, Ph.D., Division Chief of Habitat Planning and Development, Pennsylvania Game Commission, sbearer@pa.gov
Co-Organizers: Jeffrey Larkin, Ph.D., Professor of Wildlife Ecology and Conservation, Indiana University of Pennsylvania and Forest Birds Habitat Coordinator for the American Bird Conservancy (ABC); Katie Ombalski, Principal & Conservation Biologist, Woods and Waters Consulting, LLC.
Overview:
One of the most effective ways to achieve habitat-based wildlife conservation is through landscape-level initiatives supported by multi-organizational partnerships. Collaborations that include a variety of conservation organizations and academic institutions working alongside local, state, or federal government agencies can achieve levels of conservation success that far outweigh what each group could accomplish on its own. However, not all partnerships are as impactful for a variety of reasons, including differing expectations, poorly defined roles/responsibilities, limited funding, and poor communication. These are just a few of the pitfalls that can beset otherwise respectable, functional partnerships. In this symposia, we explore a variety of successful partnerships that involve diverse stakeholders all working towards a shared vision of landscape-level wildlife conservation. We will discuss what makes them highly functional, how they are most effectively funded, how they measure outcomes, and how other groups might explore similar collaborations and opportunities that spur successful conservation outcomes.
S-02: Northeast Lagomorph Conservation Concerns and Management
Monday, May 1, 1:40 PM – 5:00 PM
Contact: Emily Boyd, Wildlife Biologist, PA Game Commission, eboyd@pa.gov
Overview:
The Northeast is home to four lagomorph species who span from the common eastern cottontail to three other species who each have their own considerable conservation and management concerns. In the face of rabbit hemorrhagic disease detections in domestic rabbits across multiple northeastern states and the considerable threat this disease poses to lagomorphs of conservation concern, better understanding, collaboration, and communication of research related to snowshoe hares, Appalachian cottontails, and New England cottontails across state lines is an increasingly urgent priority. This session will focus on species’ ecology, biology, habitat suitability and management, landscape connectivity, and disease for the lagomorph species of conservation concern. The overall objective of the symposium will be to identify knowledge gaps, conservation and management priorities, and facilitate conversations on consistent monitoring, management, and research programs in the Northeast.
Monday, May 1, 1:40 PM – 5:00 PM
Contact: Emily Boyd, Wildlife Biologist, PA Game Commission, eboyd@pa.gov
Overview:
The Northeast is home to four lagomorph species who span from the common eastern cottontail to three other species who each have their own considerable conservation and management concerns. In the face of rabbit hemorrhagic disease detections in domestic rabbits across multiple northeastern states and the considerable threat this disease poses to lagomorphs of conservation concern, better understanding, collaboration, and communication of research related to snowshoe hares, Appalachian cottontails, and New England cottontails across state lines is an increasingly urgent priority. This session will focus on species’ ecology, biology, habitat suitability and management, landscape connectivity, and disease for the lagomorph species of conservation concern. The overall objective of the symposium will be to identify knowledge gaps, conservation and management priorities, and facilitate conversations on consistent monitoring, management, and research programs in the Northeast.
S-03: One Health
Monday, May 1, 1:40 PM – 5:00 PM
Contact: Brian Niewinski, Chief, Fish Production Services, PA Fish and Boat Commission, bniewinski@pa.gov
Overview:
One Health is the concept that the health of humans, animals, plants, and ecosystems are closely linked. A significant number of emerging infectious diseases in humans are shared with animals and have the potential to significantly harm the region’s economic and social well-being. Preventing infectious diseases and limiting their spread from animals to humans is both environmentally responsible and economically beneficial. The emergence and reemergence of many diseases impacting people and animals and their interactions are a result of increasing contact between animals and humans, environmental changes, international movements, and a global economy. Toxic chemicals cause serious health problems that affect both humans and animals, such as cancer, endocrine disruption, birth defects, reproductive failure, immunologic, respiratory, and neurologic disorders, as well as ecological problems in the region. Achieving the best health for people, animals, plants, and our environment can only result through the collaborative efforts of multiple disciplines working locally, regionally, nationally, and globally. The U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, the U.S.D.A. Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service, the U.S, Department of the Interior, the U.S. E.P.A., and other federal and state partners acknowledge and encourage increased collaborative efforts of disciplines and organizations to achieve the best health for people, animals, plants, and our environment.
Monday, May 1, 1:40 PM – 5:00 PM
Contact: Brian Niewinski, Chief, Fish Production Services, PA Fish and Boat Commission, bniewinski@pa.gov
Overview:
One Health is the concept that the health of humans, animals, plants, and ecosystems are closely linked. A significant number of emerging infectious diseases in humans are shared with animals and have the potential to significantly harm the region’s economic and social well-being. Preventing infectious diseases and limiting their spread from animals to humans is both environmentally responsible and economically beneficial. The emergence and reemergence of many diseases impacting people and animals and their interactions are a result of increasing contact between animals and humans, environmental changes, international movements, and a global economy. Toxic chemicals cause serious health problems that affect both humans and animals, such as cancer, endocrine disruption, birth defects, reproductive failure, immunologic, respiratory, and neurologic disorders, as well as ecological problems in the region. Achieving the best health for people, animals, plants, and our environment can only result through the collaborative efforts of multiple disciplines working locally, regionally, nationally, and globally. The U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, the U.S.D.A. Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service, the U.S, Department of the Interior, the U.S. E.P.A., and other federal and state partners acknowledge and encourage increased collaborative efforts of disciplines and organizations to achieve the best health for people, animals, plants, and our environment.
S-04: Advances in Cool- and Warm-water Fisheries Management in the Northeast
Monday, May 1, 1:40 PM – 5:00 PM
Contact: Geoffrey Smith, Fisheries Biologist, PA Fish & Boat Commission, geofsmith@pa.gov
Overview:
While much of the northeast is regarded for its cold-water fisheries, cool- and warm-water species are major focus of fisheries management in this region. This symposium will focus on various components of fisheries management and applied research related to lake and riverine environments. Topics will include but are not limited to stocking evaluations, habitat restoration and improvement, regulatory changes to improve sportfish population characteristics, and human dimension surveys. The objective of this session is to provide an opportunity to showcase novel and contemporary cool- and warm-water fisheries research and management and provide an opportunity for open dialogue for further development and progression of the science behind managing these systems.
Monday, May 1, 1:40 PM – 5:00 PM
Contact: Geoffrey Smith, Fisheries Biologist, PA Fish & Boat Commission, geofsmith@pa.gov
Overview:
While much of the northeast is regarded for its cold-water fisheries, cool- and warm-water species are major focus of fisheries management in this region. This symposium will focus on various components of fisheries management and applied research related to lake and riverine environments. Topics will include but are not limited to stocking evaluations, habitat restoration and improvement, regulatory changes to improve sportfish population characteristics, and human dimension surveys. The objective of this session is to provide an opportunity to showcase novel and contemporary cool- and warm-water fisheries research and management and provide an opportunity for open dialogue for further development and progression of the science behind managing these systems.
S-05: Use of GPS Data in Waterfowl Research
Monday, May 1, 1:40 PM – 5:00 PM
Contact: Nate Huck, Waterfowl Program Specialist, Pennsylvania Game Comission, nhuck@pa.gov
Overview:
In the last decade, advances in GPS transmitter technology have created smaller longer lasting devices that are able to collect frequent location and movement data for long periods. These transmitters have improved understanding of fine-scale movement patterns and are increasingly being used on waterfowl species. The data collected from these devices have answered questions about waterfowl habitat use, migration timing and stopover locations, and the potential for disease transmission. Within the northeastern US GPS transmitters are being placed on, a diverse array of waterfowl species, including mallard, lesser and greater scaup, common goldeneye, greater snow geese, Canada geese, and Atlantic brant are being studied to better understand their unique ecologies. This session will focus on the use of GPS transmitters in waterfowl research and how this novel insight is being used to inform waterfowl management. The objective of this symposia is to inform attendees of the diversity of analyses that are being used on GPS transmitter data within waterfowl research and facilitate discussions about its use.
Monday, May 1, 1:40 PM – 5:00 PM
Contact: Nate Huck, Waterfowl Program Specialist, Pennsylvania Game Comission, nhuck@pa.gov
Overview:
In the last decade, advances in GPS transmitter technology have created smaller longer lasting devices that are able to collect frequent location and movement data for long periods. These transmitters have improved understanding of fine-scale movement patterns and are increasingly being used on waterfowl species. The data collected from these devices have answered questions about waterfowl habitat use, migration timing and stopover locations, and the potential for disease transmission. Within the northeastern US GPS transmitters are being placed on, a diverse array of waterfowl species, including mallard, lesser and greater scaup, common goldeneye, greater snow geese, Canada geese, and Atlantic brant are being studied to better understand their unique ecologies. This session will focus on the use of GPS transmitters in waterfowl research and how this novel insight is being used to inform waterfowl management. The objective of this symposia is to inform attendees of the diversity of analyses that are being used on GPS transmitter data within waterfowl research and facilitate discussions about its use.
S-06: Implementing Collaborative, Landscape Scale Conservation in the Northeast
Tuesday, May 2, 8:00 AM – 12:00 PM
Contact: Donovan Drummey, USFWS (donovan_drummey@fws.gov)
Co-Organizers: Calvin Ritter, Fish and Wildlife Biologist, U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, calvin_ritter@fws.gov
Overview:
For nearly 40 years, the Northeastern U.S., from Maine to Virginia, has been a leader in cross-boundary conservation. Yet, at the regional scale, U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service (Service) At-Risk Species, NEAFWA Regional Species of Greatest Conservation Need, State Wildlife Action Plan Species of Greatest Conservation Need and tribal conservation priorities face continued declines and increasing challenges. These species span political, organizational, and jurisdictional boundaries of those working to protect them. In the Northeast, prioritization and proactive conservation of these species has resulted in coordinated regional tools and information sources. Through this efficient and effective landscape-scale approach the Service, state agencies, and other conservation groups are able to address threats and reverse declines at local and landscape scales while leveraging collective resources to achieve common goals. Beyond coordinated species-level conservation, importantly, efforts also include regional habitat condition and connectivity considerations and pervasive threats such as climate change. This symposium will highlight products and ongoing projects by northeast conservation agencies and organizations, including innovative state and regional tools, approaches, and research to inform future efforts.
Tuesday, May 2, 8:00 AM – 12:00 PM
Contact: Donovan Drummey, USFWS (donovan_drummey@fws.gov)
Co-Organizers: Calvin Ritter, Fish and Wildlife Biologist, U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, calvin_ritter@fws.gov
Overview:
For nearly 40 years, the Northeastern U.S., from Maine to Virginia, has been a leader in cross-boundary conservation. Yet, at the regional scale, U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service (Service) At-Risk Species, NEAFWA Regional Species of Greatest Conservation Need, State Wildlife Action Plan Species of Greatest Conservation Need and tribal conservation priorities face continued declines and increasing challenges. These species span political, organizational, and jurisdictional boundaries of those working to protect them. In the Northeast, prioritization and proactive conservation of these species has resulted in coordinated regional tools and information sources. Through this efficient and effective landscape-scale approach the Service, state agencies, and other conservation groups are able to address threats and reverse declines at local and landscape scales while leveraging collective resources to achieve common goals. Beyond coordinated species-level conservation, importantly, efforts also include regional habitat condition and connectivity considerations and pervasive threats such as climate change. This symposium will highlight products and ongoing projects by northeast conservation agencies and organizations, including innovative state and regional tools, approaches, and research to inform future efforts.
S-07: Communications Confusion: Using human dimensions and creative strategies to provide clarity and consistency to address chronic wasting disease
Tuesday, May 2, 8:00 AM – 12:00 PM
Contact: Jeannine Fleegle, Wildlife Biologist, PA Game Commission, jefleegle@pa.gov
Co-Organizers: Jeremy Hurst, New York Dept. of Environmental Conservation; Krysten Schuler, Cornell Wildlife Health Lab; Jeannine Fleegle and Coren Jagnow, Pennsylvania Game Commission
Overview:
Chronic wasting disease (CWD) threatens the North American Model of Wildlife Conservation by eroding public trust in wildlife agencies and diminishing the quality of one of our primary wildlife assets, white-tailed deer. CWD has placed a burden on wildlife agencies to manage and control the spread of this disease, requiring them to address CWD from both a biological and social perspective. Simply providing information and educational opportunities about CWD are typically not enough to gain public support for CWD management. Hunters are exposed to a variety of information about CWD transmission and control methods from sources outside government wildlife agencies. These other sources of information often cause confusion and sometimes provide false information.
Agencies are moving beyond mapping disease spread to thinking creatively about solving vexing problems in disease prevention, surveillance, management, and communication. Understanding hunter and public knowledge, beliefs, opinions, and values about CWD and wildlife agencies is foundation of implementing a successful CWD plan. A collaborative approach to many of these issues is necessary if we are to shift hunter behavior, build agency trust, and make headway in the CWD fight.
This symposium will highlight qualitative and quantitative research that has been done to assess stakeholders’ knowledge of CWD, its transmission, and their attitudes about different methods of controlling the disease as well as work that has expanded the scope of thinking around disease communications and if those interventions have been successful. By focusing on existing efforts in the region and nationally, we can start to map out a path toward a cooperative approach for improved CWD communications.
Tuesday, May 2, 8:00 AM – 12:00 PM
Contact: Jeannine Fleegle, Wildlife Biologist, PA Game Commission, jefleegle@pa.gov
Co-Organizers: Jeremy Hurst, New York Dept. of Environmental Conservation; Krysten Schuler, Cornell Wildlife Health Lab; Jeannine Fleegle and Coren Jagnow, Pennsylvania Game Commission
Overview:
Chronic wasting disease (CWD) threatens the North American Model of Wildlife Conservation by eroding public trust in wildlife agencies and diminishing the quality of one of our primary wildlife assets, white-tailed deer. CWD has placed a burden on wildlife agencies to manage and control the spread of this disease, requiring them to address CWD from both a biological and social perspective. Simply providing information and educational opportunities about CWD are typically not enough to gain public support for CWD management. Hunters are exposed to a variety of information about CWD transmission and control methods from sources outside government wildlife agencies. These other sources of information often cause confusion and sometimes provide false information.
Agencies are moving beyond mapping disease spread to thinking creatively about solving vexing problems in disease prevention, surveillance, management, and communication. Understanding hunter and public knowledge, beliefs, opinions, and values about CWD and wildlife agencies is foundation of implementing a successful CWD plan. A collaborative approach to many of these issues is necessary if we are to shift hunter behavior, build agency trust, and make headway in the CWD fight.
This symposium will highlight qualitative and quantitative research that has been done to assess stakeholders’ knowledge of CWD, its transmission, and their attitudes about different methods of controlling the disease as well as work that has expanded the scope of thinking around disease communications and if those interventions have been successful. By focusing on existing efforts in the region and nationally, we can start to map out a path toward a cooperative approach for improved CWD communications.
S-08: Existing and Emerging Threats to Fish and Wildlife Health in the Northeastern United States
Tuesday, May 2, 8:00 AM – 12:00 PM
Contact: Julie Ellis, Co-director, Wildlife Futures Program, School of Veterinary Medicine, University of Pennsylvania, Jellis04@upenn.edu
Co-Organizers: Andrew Di Salvo, Pennsylvania Game Commission
Overview:
As exemplified through the COVID-19 pandemic, human activities can exacerbate current, or create new and unforeseen, health threats that may be shared by people, animals, and the environment. There is multitude of factors that negatively affect wildlife health, reproduction, survival, fitness, and abundance, as well as biodiversity and ecosystem resiliency. In the northeastern U.S., many wildlife diseases, from chronic wasting disease to white-nose syndrome, directly threaten sustainable wildlife populations. Rabies and other zoonotic diseases occur in wildlife regularly, with potentially significant negative impacts on human health. The establishment of new wild animal reservoirs for disease agents, such as SARS CoV-2, may pose long-lasting threats to wildlife and human populations. With free-ranging wildlife populations facing so many pressures, a proactive and multi-disciplinary approach to wildlife health has never been more important. Collaboration across disciplines, from wildlife management and biology, to disease ecology and veterinary medicine, is required to effectively address these complex issues. Promoting wildlife health furthermore safeguards environmental, human, and domestic animal health.
This symposium brings together personnel from academia and state fish and wildlife management agencies to share results from recent wildlife health research. The collective objective is to advance management strategies to foster healthy fish and wildlife populations across the region.
Tuesday, May 2, 8:00 AM – 12:00 PM
Contact: Julie Ellis, Co-director, Wildlife Futures Program, School of Veterinary Medicine, University of Pennsylvania, Jellis04@upenn.edu
Co-Organizers: Andrew Di Salvo, Pennsylvania Game Commission
Overview:
As exemplified through the COVID-19 pandemic, human activities can exacerbate current, or create new and unforeseen, health threats that may be shared by people, animals, and the environment. There is multitude of factors that negatively affect wildlife health, reproduction, survival, fitness, and abundance, as well as biodiversity and ecosystem resiliency. In the northeastern U.S., many wildlife diseases, from chronic wasting disease to white-nose syndrome, directly threaten sustainable wildlife populations. Rabies and other zoonotic diseases occur in wildlife regularly, with potentially significant negative impacts on human health. The establishment of new wild animal reservoirs for disease agents, such as SARS CoV-2, may pose long-lasting threats to wildlife and human populations. With free-ranging wildlife populations facing so many pressures, a proactive and multi-disciplinary approach to wildlife health has never been more important. Collaboration across disciplines, from wildlife management and biology, to disease ecology and veterinary medicine, is required to effectively address these complex issues. Promoting wildlife health furthermore safeguards environmental, human, and domestic animal health.
This symposium brings together personnel from academia and state fish and wildlife management agencies to share results from recent wildlife health research. The collective objective is to advance management strategies to foster healthy fish and wildlife populations across the region.
S-09: Freshwater Mussel Conservation in the Northeast: Challenges and Solutions from Management and Science
Tuesday, May 2, 8:00 AM – 12:00 PM
Contact: Ayla Skorupa, Postdoctoral Researcher, University of Massachusetts, Amherst, askorupa@umass.edu
Co-Organizers: Mary Walsh, Pennsylvania Natural Heritage Program-Western Pennsylvania Conservancy; Sandra Doran, U.S. Fish & Wildlife Service, New York Field Office; Catherine Gatenby, Ph.D., Fish Biologist, U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, Northeast Region
Overview:
Freshwater mussels in the Order Unionida are an imperiled taxonomic group with a complex life cycle involving a parasitic phase on a host fish to complete development. Mussel imperilment in the Northeast results from the many threats common to freshwater environments that include impaired water quality (i.e., road salts), estuary salinity control, an unnatural flow regime, and temperature extremes. While freshwater mussels are exposed to similar stressors as other aquatic species, their imperilment is disproportionately high. Reasons for high imperilment are likely specific to species and geography, but generally the fauna is susceptible to unstable habitat conditions. Recent hydroclimactic induced variability to habitat coupled with mussels limited mobility to escape stressful conditions may exacerbate negative impacts to the fauna. Furthermore, reduced reproduction and dispersal from extant populations potentially limits species ability to adjust to habitat changes. Managers face these many challenges when working to conserve freshwater mussels in the Northeast. Unfortunately, many decisions confronted by managers are replete with uncertainties due to a lack of information on key criteria like population/metapopulation dynamics within and between rivers, and the effectiveness of conservation actions that may aid in protecting remaining mussel populations. Population restoration through propagation offers promise for species recovery but methods to increase success, like identifying habitats that support populations through water scarcity and floods, are still needed. This session is devoted to discussion on the many knowledge gaps in freshwater mussel ecology, distribution, and population dynamics. Ultimately, we hope that by focusing on the Northeast we can exchange methods and frameworks that will further conservation and restoration initiatives.
Tuesday, May 2, 8:00 AM – 12:00 PM
Contact: Ayla Skorupa, Postdoctoral Researcher, University of Massachusetts, Amherst, askorupa@umass.edu
Co-Organizers: Mary Walsh, Pennsylvania Natural Heritage Program-Western Pennsylvania Conservancy; Sandra Doran, U.S. Fish & Wildlife Service, New York Field Office; Catherine Gatenby, Ph.D., Fish Biologist, U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, Northeast Region
Overview:
Freshwater mussels in the Order Unionida are an imperiled taxonomic group with a complex life cycle involving a parasitic phase on a host fish to complete development. Mussel imperilment in the Northeast results from the many threats common to freshwater environments that include impaired water quality (i.e., road salts), estuary salinity control, an unnatural flow regime, and temperature extremes. While freshwater mussels are exposed to similar stressors as other aquatic species, their imperilment is disproportionately high. Reasons for high imperilment are likely specific to species and geography, but generally the fauna is susceptible to unstable habitat conditions. Recent hydroclimactic induced variability to habitat coupled with mussels limited mobility to escape stressful conditions may exacerbate negative impacts to the fauna. Furthermore, reduced reproduction and dispersal from extant populations potentially limits species ability to adjust to habitat changes. Managers face these many challenges when working to conserve freshwater mussels in the Northeast. Unfortunately, many decisions confronted by managers are replete with uncertainties due to a lack of information on key criteria like population/metapopulation dynamics within and between rivers, and the effectiveness of conservation actions that may aid in protecting remaining mussel populations. Population restoration through propagation offers promise for species recovery but methods to increase success, like identifying habitats that support populations through water scarcity and floods, are still needed. This session is devoted to discussion on the many knowledge gaps in freshwater mussel ecology, distribution, and population dynamics. Ultimately, we hope that by focusing on the Northeast we can exchange methods and frameworks that will further conservation and restoration initiatives.
S-10: Motus Wildlife Tracking: A cooperative infrastructure informing conservation in the Northeast U.S. and eastern Canada.
Tuesday, May 2, 8:00 AM – 12:00 PM
Contact: Sean Murphy, State Ornithologist, Pennsylvania Game Commission, semurphy@pa.gov
Overview:
The densest concentration of Motus Wildlife Tracking System receiver stations in the world – more than 470 sites – exists in the NEAFWA region from Virginia to Ontario and the Maritimes. Built in less than a decade, this remarkable array is revolutionizing researchers’ ability to understand movement patterns and demographics of migratory birds, bats, and insects at a hemispheric scale, and with it the ability to translate information into conservation action. This symposium will highlight some of the innovative ways Motus tracking data are being used across taxa and at different scales with species of greatest conservation need, and the importance of state and provincial agency involvement in maintaining the network and expanding its use.
Tuesday, May 2, 8:00 AM – 12:00 PM
Contact: Sean Murphy, State Ornithologist, Pennsylvania Game Commission, semurphy@pa.gov
Overview:
The densest concentration of Motus Wildlife Tracking System receiver stations in the world – more than 470 sites – exists in the NEAFWA region from Virginia to Ontario and the Maritimes. Built in less than a decade, this remarkable array is revolutionizing researchers’ ability to understand movement patterns and demographics of migratory birds, bats, and insects at a hemispheric scale, and with it the ability to translate information into conservation action. This symposium will highlight some of the innovative ways Motus tracking data are being used across taxa and at different scales with species of greatest conservation need, and the importance of state and provincial agency involvement in maintaining the network and expanding its use.
S-11 Rewilding of Native North American Species – who, how, where?
Tuesday, May 2, 1:20 PM – 5:00 PM
Contact: Adam Eyres, Interim Executive Director, Conservation Centers for Species Survival, aeyres@conservationcenters.org
Co-Organizers: Amy Chabot--African Lion Safari, Steve Shurter--C2S2/White Oak Regina Mossotti--Saint Louis Zoo, Tiffany Soechting--Natural Bridge Wildlife Park
Overview:
Governments committed to halting extinctions and reducing extinction risk under the auspices of the Convention on Biological Diversity (CBD) Strategic Plan for 2011-2020. While some extinctions were averted, one-third of all U.S. wildlife species remain as ‘imperiled’ or ‘vulnerable’ to extinction (Diaz et al. 2019), and many more remain absent from large portions of their historic range. Bold new initiatives such as the Recovering America’s Wildlife Act and the post-2020 Global Biodiversity Framework could create mechanisms both for reducing extinction risk and restoring species to parts of their former range, but their details remain uncertain. In the meantime, governments and conservation NGOs are seeking ways to mitigate threats and restore species to significant portions of their former range. While a focus must continue on area-based conservation and threat mitigation.
The restoration of imperiled species increasingly requires partnerships between various actors such as government agencies, conservation interest groups, and zoos and aquariums. In this symposium we describe efforts by two partnerships aimed at both in-and-ex situ conservation efforts at rewilding parts of North America.
Conservation Centers for Species Survival (C2S2) is a science-based global initiative taking collective action to save animals such as the cougar from extinction. The Conservation Centers are world leaders that have recovered some of the rarest species on the planet, from the giant panda to the black-footed ferret to the scimitar-horned oryx. Bringing together the resources and expertise of conservation breeding centers as well as conservation-minded zoos and private landowners, C2S2 is focused on developing similar programs for those species in North America that would benefit from a similar approach, ranging from apex predators (Red Wolf) to smaller less charismatic but equally important organisms (American Burying Beetle). First, we discuss the Conservation Planning Specialist Group’s (CPSG) One Plan Approach (OPA) for developing integrated management strategies and conservation actions for all populations of a species, whether in situ in the wild, or ex situ in human care. Next, we identify a process designed to use the IUCN’s guidelines to determine if ex situ management can help address the needs of Species of Greatest Conservation Concern on State Wildlife Action Plans.
The Cougar Research Collaborative (CRC) is science-based research group aimed at restoring cougars to suitable portions of their former range. Cougars once roamed across the entire contiguous U.S. but were eradicated throughout most of the eastern U.S. by the end of the 19th Century. The only remaining population east of the Mississippi River is in Florida, where recent research shows human intervention will be required to maintain the long-term genetic health of “Florida panthers,” as they’re colloquially known. Western populations are generally thought to be stable, and eastward dispersals appear to be increasing, with recently recolonized reproducing populations established in the Dakotas and in Nebraska. This eastward expansion is expected to continue, raising the possibility of reestablishing cougars in the Northeastern states. As wide-ranging, highly adaptable carnivores who would likely act as apex predators, the return of cougars to their former eastern range could have significant ecological and social impacts. We describe the CRC’s efforts to evaluate both the social and ecological suitability of the eastern U.S. for cougars.
Collectively, this multi-disciplinary symposium will gather scholars and policymakers to consider how, when, and to what degree such conservation efforts might be used to restore species, and rewild parts of North America.
Tuesday, May 2, 1:20 PM – 5:00 PM
Contact: Adam Eyres, Interim Executive Director, Conservation Centers for Species Survival, aeyres@conservationcenters.org
Co-Organizers: Amy Chabot--African Lion Safari, Steve Shurter--C2S2/White Oak Regina Mossotti--Saint Louis Zoo, Tiffany Soechting--Natural Bridge Wildlife Park
Overview:
Governments committed to halting extinctions and reducing extinction risk under the auspices of the Convention on Biological Diversity (CBD) Strategic Plan for 2011-2020. While some extinctions were averted, one-third of all U.S. wildlife species remain as ‘imperiled’ or ‘vulnerable’ to extinction (Diaz et al. 2019), and many more remain absent from large portions of their historic range. Bold new initiatives such as the Recovering America’s Wildlife Act and the post-2020 Global Biodiversity Framework could create mechanisms both for reducing extinction risk and restoring species to parts of their former range, but their details remain uncertain. In the meantime, governments and conservation NGOs are seeking ways to mitigate threats and restore species to significant portions of their former range. While a focus must continue on area-based conservation and threat mitigation.
The restoration of imperiled species increasingly requires partnerships between various actors such as government agencies, conservation interest groups, and zoos and aquariums. In this symposium we describe efforts by two partnerships aimed at both in-and-ex situ conservation efforts at rewilding parts of North America.
Conservation Centers for Species Survival (C2S2) is a science-based global initiative taking collective action to save animals such as the cougar from extinction. The Conservation Centers are world leaders that have recovered some of the rarest species on the planet, from the giant panda to the black-footed ferret to the scimitar-horned oryx. Bringing together the resources and expertise of conservation breeding centers as well as conservation-minded zoos and private landowners, C2S2 is focused on developing similar programs for those species in North America that would benefit from a similar approach, ranging from apex predators (Red Wolf) to smaller less charismatic but equally important organisms (American Burying Beetle). First, we discuss the Conservation Planning Specialist Group’s (CPSG) One Plan Approach (OPA) for developing integrated management strategies and conservation actions for all populations of a species, whether in situ in the wild, or ex situ in human care. Next, we identify a process designed to use the IUCN’s guidelines to determine if ex situ management can help address the needs of Species of Greatest Conservation Concern on State Wildlife Action Plans.
The Cougar Research Collaborative (CRC) is science-based research group aimed at restoring cougars to suitable portions of their former range. Cougars once roamed across the entire contiguous U.S. but were eradicated throughout most of the eastern U.S. by the end of the 19th Century. The only remaining population east of the Mississippi River is in Florida, where recent research shows human intervention will be required to maintain the long-term genetic health of “Florida panthers,” as they’re colloquially known. Western populations are generally thought to be stable, and eastward dispersals appear to be increasing, with recently recolonized reproducing populations established in the Dakotas and in Nebraska. This eastward expansion is expected to continue, raising the possibility of reestablishing cougars in the Northeastern states. As wide-ranging, highly adaptable carnivores who would likely act as apex predators, the return of cougars to their former eastern range could have significant ecological and social impacts. We describe the CRC’s efforts to evaluate both the social and ecological suitability of the eastern U.S. for cougars.
Collectively, this multi-disciplinary symposium will gather scholars and policymakers to consider how, when, and to what degree such conservation efforts might be used to restore species, and rewild parts of North America.
S-12: Allegheny Woodrats in the Northeastern United States: Trends, captive breeding, and other conservation efforts to stem decline of Allegheny Woodrats (Neotoma magister)
Tuesday, May 2, 1:20 PM – 5:00 PM
Contact: Greg Turner, Non-Game Mammal Section Supervisor, Pennsylvania Game Commission, grturner@pa.gov
Co-Organizers: Jacqueline Doyle, Department of Biological Sciences, Towson University, 8000 York Rd, Towson, MD 21252, 410-704-2117, jdoyle@towson.edu; Gretchen Fowles, N.J. Division of Fish and Wildlife, Endangered and Nongame Species Program, 1255 County Rd 629, Lebanon, NJ, 08833, 908-236-0181, Gretchen.Fowles@dep.nj.gov
Overview:
Allegheny woodrats (Neotoma magister) have decreased in abundance and range since the 1930s. Decreases in population numbers can be attributed to reduced availability of food resources, habitat loss and fragmentation, decreased metapopulation connectivity and increased parasitism by the raccoon roundworm (Baylisascaris procyonis). The decline has been particularly dramatic in Connecticut, Indiana, Ohio, New Jersey, New York, eastern Pennsylvania and Virginia; with individuals extirpated at hundreds of historic sites. Recently, conservation partners have initiated a variety of management strategies to facilitate population recovery. These include supplemental feeding, habitat treatments, dispensing anthelmintic baits, translocations to initiate genetic rescue and reintroduction of individuals to historical habitat sites. There is considerable interest in establishing a captive breeding program and protocols to further conserve the species. This symposium will highlight the relative success of these efforts and encourage collaborative efforts amongst agencies. We will additionally consider the current statuses of populations as indicated by presence/absence at historical sites, population size estimates from mark-recapture experiments and genetic monitoring. The symposium will conclude with an open discussion about standardizing protocols, databases, and analyses across the region.
Tuesday, May 2, 1:20 PM – 5:00 PM
Contact: Greg Turner, Non-Game Mammal Section Supervisor, Pennsylvania Game Commission, grturner@pa.gov
Co-Organizers: Jacqueline Doyle, Department of Biological Sciences, Towson University, 8000 York Rd, Towson, MD 21252, 410-704-2117, jdoyle@towson.edu; Gretchen Fowles, N.J. Division of Fish and Wildlife, Endangered and Nongame Species Program, 1255 County Rd 629, Lebanon, NJ, 08833, 908-236-0181, Gretchen.Fowles@dep.nj.gov
Overview:
Allegheny woodrats (Neotoma magister) have decreased in abundance and range since the 1930s. Decreases in population numbers can be attributed to reduced availability of food resources, habitat loss and fragmentation, decreased metapopulation connectivity and increased parasitism by the raccoon roundworm (Baylisascaris procyonis). The decline has been particularly dramatic in Connecticut, Indiana, Ohio, New Jersey, New York, eastern Pennsylvania and Virginia; with individuals extirpated at hundreds of historic sites. Recently, conservation partners have initiated a variety of management strategies to facilitate population recovery. These include supplemental feeding, habitat treatments, dispensing anthelmintic baits, translocations to initiate genetic rescue and reintroduction of individuals to historical habitat sites. There is considerable interest in establishing a captive breeding program and protocols to further conserve the species. This symposium will highlight the relative success of these efforts and encourage collaborative efforts amongst agencies. We will additionally consider the current statuses of populations as indicated by presence/absence at historical sites, population size estimates from mark-recapture experiments and genetic monitoring. The symposium will conclude with an open discussion about standardizing protocols, databases, and analyses across the region.
S-13: From the Genes to Populations: Monitoring Factors Influencing Fish Populations in the Susquehanna River Basin
Tuesday, May 2, 1:20 PM – 5:00 PM
Contact: Megan Schall, Assistant Professor of Biology, Pennsylvania State Hazleton, mvk10@psu.edu
Co-Organizers: Geoffrey Smith, geofsmith@pa.gov, Pennsylvania Fish and Boat Commission; Tyler Wagner, txw19@psu.edu, U.S. Geological Survey, Pennsylvania Cooperative Fish and Wildlife Research Unit, Penn State University
Overview:
Monitoring the factors that affect fish populations, and subsequently management, becomes complex as river basins reach across geographical boundaries, are dynamic, and are influenced by multi-scaled drivers that interact across space and time. For example, fish disease can be influenced by local and regional attributes (e.g., land use), vary both seasonally and annually, and be examined at multiple biological scales ranging from molecular manifestations of disease to population-level outcomes. These complex, multi-scalar interactions can be exemplified in the Susquehanna River Basin which contains more than 49,000 miles of stream and rivers, spans three states in the Northeastern United States, and supports diverse fisheries, from headwater brook trout populations to riverine warmwater fisheries. The Basin is also home to more than 40 million people. Changes in climate, land use, disease agents, emerging contaminants, and human water demands represent the primary challenges for fish populations within the Basin and for conserving ecosystem services they provide. This symposium will provide an overview of research that spans different levels of biological organization and is designed to address these challenges. Featured topics include understanding and predicting the effects of climate change on aquatic communities, aquatic invasive species ecology, emerging contaminants and fish health, and fish community ecology.
Tuesday, May 2, 1:20 PM – 5:00 PM
Contact: Megan Schall, Assistant Professor of Biology, Pennsylvania State Hazleton, mvk10@psu.edu
Co-Organizers: Geoffrey Smith, geofsmith@pa.gov, Pennsylvania Fish and Boat Commission; Tyler Wagner, txw19@psu.edu, U.S. Geological Survey, Pennsylvania Cooperative Fish and Wildlife Research Unit, Penn State University
Overview:
Monitoring the factors that affect fish populations, and subsequently management, becomes complex as river basins reach across geographical boundaries, are dynamic, and are influenced by multi-scaled drivers that interact across space and time. For example, fish disease can be influenced by local and regional attributes (e.g., land use), vary both seasonally and annually, and be examined at multiple biological scales ranging from molecular manifestations of disease to population-level outcomes. These complex, multi-scalar interactions can be exemplified in the Susquehanna River Basin which contains more than 49,000 miles of stream and rivers, spans three states in the Northeastern United States, and supports diverse fisheries, from headwater brook trout populations to riverine warmwater fisheries. The Basin is also home to more than 40 million people. Changes in climate, land use, disease agents, emerging contaminants, and human water demands represent the primary challenges for fish populations within the Basin and for conserving ecosystem services they provide. This symposium will provide an overview of research that spans different levels of biological organization and is designed to address these challenges. Featured topics include understanding and predicting the effects of climate change on aquatic communities, aquatic invasive species ecology, emerging contaminants and fish health, and fish community ecology.
S-14: Coldwater Fisheries Management and Conservation
Tuesday, May 2, 1:20 PM – 5:00 PM
Contact: Nathan Walters, Fisheries Biologist, Pennsylvania Fish and Boat Commission, nawalters@pa.gov
Co-Organizers: Geoff Smith (Pennsylvania Fish and Boat Commission; geofsmith@pa.gov))
Overview:
Cold-water fisheries are an integral part of the culture in the Northeast. Trout are a popular species group that generate a large number of days fished annually. Cold-water resources in this region are diverse ranging from infertile mountain streams to coastal, anadromous populations to limestone spring creeks. As such, management of trout resources are a considerable undertaking among the states, provinces, and tribes in the Northeast. During this symposium we will potentially discuss the current challenges with managing cold-water fisheries, habitat manipulations, fish health and aquatic invasive species concerns, and human dimension surveys throughout the Northeast. The objective of this session is to provide an opportunity to showcase novel and contemporary cold-water fisheries research and management and provide an opportunity for open dialogue for further development and progression of the science behind managing these systems.
Tuesday, May 2, 1:20 PM – 5:00 PM
Contact: Nathan Walters, Fisheries Biologist, Pennsylvania Fish and Boat Commission, nawalters@pa.gov
Co-Organizers: Geoff Smith (Pennsylvania Fish and Boat Commission; geofsmith@pa.gov))
Overview:
Cold-water fisheries are an integral part of the culture in the Northeast. Trout are a popular species group that generate a large number of days fished annually. Cold-water resources in this region are diverse ranging from infertile mountain streams to coastal, anadromous populations to limestone spring creeks. As such, management of trout resources are a considerable undertaking among the states, provinces, and tribes in the Northeast. During this symposium we will potentially discuss the current challenges with managing cold-water fisheries, habitat manipulations, fish health and aquatic invasive species concerns, and human dimension surveys throughout the Northeast. The objective of this session is to provide an opportunity to showcase novel and contemporary cold-water fisheries research and management and provide an opportunity for open dialogue for further development and progression of the science behind managing these systems.