Over the last century, logging, land conversion, and fire suppression have reduced longleaf pine (Pinus palustris Mill.) ecosystems to a small fraction of their original range. Fire suppression, in particular, has facilitated encroachment by non-fire-tolerant trees and heavy litter buildup, leading to shifts in the native plant and animal community. In 2001, efforts were initiated to re-establish parts of Berry College's (Floyd County, GA) fire-suppressed mountain longleaf pine forest using combinations of prescribed fire, clear-cutting, planting, and herbicide application. We designed this study to determine the effects of management practices thus far on vegetation structure and the bird community. In 2009, vegetation structure data were collected in longleaf pine stands comprising three management classes ranging from low- to high-intensity management. Bird surveys were conducted from summer 2009 to spring 2010, and avifaunal community structure was related to vegetative characteristics within each stand. Unmanaged stands were strongly associated with common omnivorous, ground-foraging, and canopy-nesting birds of mixed woodlands. Intermediately managed stands contained mostly birds of mixed diet and aerial- and bark-feeding cavity nesters. Heavily managed stands were strongly associated with insect-, vertebrate-, seed-, and fruit-eating ground and shrub nesters, with several sightings of the near-threatened Bachman's sparrow (Peucaea aestivalis Lichtenstein). Intensity of management was positively correlated with canopy openness, understory development, and low litter levels. These vegetative differences helped explain the bird community makeup. We provide baseline data for assessing the impacts of management of mountain longleaf pine and similarly fire-suppressed forests on avian abundance and species richness.

Townsend's big-eared bat (Corynorhinus townsendii) is a widespread species of special concern that hibernates in large numbers in the lava-tube caves of southeastern Idaho. We measured 24 habitat variables describing landscape-level, physical, and microclimate characteristics of 13 caves and identified at least three that were useful for predicting winter occupancy by C. townsendii. In univariate analyses, distance to ephemeral water was the only variable that significantly predicted occupancy. Temperature and dewpoint were non-significantly higher in occupied than unoccupied caves. Our index of human disturbance was not associated with winter occupancy as observed in other studies. A multivariate (discriminant) analysis identified three characteristics that significantly and best predicted occupancy by big-eared bats in our sample of caves: (1) greater distance to ephemeral water, (2) the presence of a collapse or constriction, and (3) lower mean height. Although not included in our most-predictive multivariate model, high minimum relative humidity was significantly associated with caves that had a collapse or constriction. Our study suggests that both the landscape surrounding the cave and its physical and microclimate characteristics play a role in the suitability of caves as overwintering sites for Townsend's big-eared bats.

Land-use change, climate change, and sea-level rise (SLR) pose substantial threats to biodiversity. Conservation resources are limited and must be directed toward the species and ecosystems that are most vulnerable, biologically distinct, likely to respond favorably to conservation interventions, and valuable ecologically, socially, or economically. Many prioritization and vulnerability assessment schemes exist, each emphasizing different types of vulnerabilities and values and often yielding disparate evaluations of the same species. We developed an integrative and flexible framework that incorporates existing assessments and is useful for illuminating the differences between systems such as the IUCN Red List, the US Endangered Species Act, and NatureServe's Conservation Status Assessment and Climate Change Vulnerability Index. The Standardized Index of Vulnerability and Value Assessment (SIVVA) includes five advancements over existing tools: (1) the ability to import criteria and data from previous assessments, (2) explicit attention to SLR, (3) a flexible system of scoring, (4) metrics for both vulnerability and conservation value, and (5) quantitative and transparent accounting of multiple sources of uncertainty. We apply this system to 40 species in Florida previously identified as being vulnerable to SLR by the year 2100, describe the influence of different types of uncertainty on the resulting prioritizations, and explore the power of SIVVA to evaluate alternative prioritization schemes. This type of assessment is particularly relevant in low-lying coastal regions where vulnerability to SLR is predictable, severe, and likely to interact synergistically with other threats such as coastal development.

Overabundant white-tailed deer (Odocoileus virginianus) can have significant effects on forest understory vegetation, especially in parks where hunting is not permitted. The DePauw Nature Park is a large (210 ha) private park located in west-central Indiana; hunting was prohibited in the park when the park was established in 2003. The park is mostly forest habitat but is surrounded by a rural landscape consisting of a mix of agricultural fields and forest fragments. We assessed the effects of deer on forest understory vegetation in the park using exclosures and control plots and estimated the size of the deer population in the park using infrared digital game cameras. There were almost no changes in forest understory vegetation during the first four years after the exclosures were established. The estimated population size of deer in the park ranged from 46 to 66 deer per km². Although no observations were made outside park boundaries, we believe that the deer often move in and out of the park, feeding in surrounding fields and returning to the park for shelter. Effects of a large population of deer on forest understory vegetation are mediated by movement of deer in and out of the park as well as hunting pressure outside the park. We conclude that deer are having minimal effects on forest understory vegetation in the park at this time, but we will remain vigilant by continuing to monitor vegetation in the exclosures and control plots during future years.

Recently, it has been found that several species of oaks (e.g. Q. douglasii) are phreatophytes, or predominately use groundwater. The objectives of our study were to determine if riparian bur oak (Quercus macrocarpa) also used groundwater. This study took place in Homestead National Monument (Homestead, NM), Nebraska, where bur oak grow within the historical floodplain of Cub Creek with groundwater six to seven meters below the surface. Plant and soil samples for isotopic analysis were collected from three sites during 2008 and 2009. Water table depth was measured continuously, and river stage and precipitation were monitored daily by Homestead NM staff. We analyzed river water, groundwater, twig xylem water, and soil water for natural abundance of oxygen isotopes (which can be used as a natural tracer to identify different sources of water). A three-pool mixing model indicated that bur oak were using from 70% to 88% groundwater, 10% to 12% deep soil water, and a maximum of only 8% from shallow soil water. This, in conjunction with diel groundwater fluctuations, indicates that these riparian bur oak are likely phreatophytic and are using groundwater as their predominant source of water.

The density and volume of riparian and in-stream large woody debris (LWD) is hypothesized to be a function of forest disturbance and developmental processes. However, these relationships are poorly understood for many forest types, including hardwood forests of the southern Appalachian Highlands. We analyzed patterns of riparian and in-stream LWD in hardwood stands across three establishment classes (pre-1900s, 1930s, and 1950s) on the Cumberland Plateau to elucidate the relationships between forest development and LWD patterns. The stands were dominated by Fagus grandifolia, Quercus alba, and Lirodendron tulipifera. Density and volume of riparian LWD did not differ across the chronosequence. Density of riparian LWD ranged from 367 (1950s) to 407 (1930s) pieces ha^-1 and volume ranged from 142.0 (pre-1900s) to 187.1 (1930s) m³ ha^-1. Likewise, mean density and volume of in-stream LWD did not differ across the chronosequence. Density of in-stream LWD ranged from 20 pieces 100 m^-1 (pre-1900s and 1950s) to 28 pieces 100 m^-1 (1930s) and volume ranged from 4.8 m³ (1950s) to 8.3 m³ 100 m^-1 (1930s). We documented significantly greater volume of in-stream LWD in the stabilizing or armoring banks function class in the 1950s establishment class, but no other systematic differences. Based on species composition and size, we speculate that riparian LWD largely originated from trees that grew outside the riparian zone and were transported down slope. In contrast, in-stream LWD inputs were linked directly to the adjacent riparian zones.

Springs in arid lands provide critical habitat for a variety of species and functions to humans, yet the ecology and management needs of springs to maintain these values are poorly understood. To examine plant communities along spring watercourse-upland gradients, we sampled 12 springs at low (desert) and high (forest) elevations on the Desert National Wildlife Refuge in the Mojave and Great Basin Deserts in southern Nevada. In contrast to the commonly reported positive relationship between native and exotic species richness in sampling studies, we did not find strong correlations (r² < 0.05) between native and exotic richness at any distance from watercourses. Additionally, exotic species cover was lower nearest (0 and 2 m) watercourses than at uplands 20 m from watercourses, which also differs from the hypothesis that watercourses are more heavily invaded than uplands. Exotic species were more pervasive at low-elevation compared to high-elevation springs, but the proportion of total plant cover comprised by exotics was still small (0.03 – 0.06) at low-elevation springs. Species distributions and ordinations suggested that compositional watercourse-upland gradients were often readily detectable, but the composition of springs was individualistic. Some springs contained wetland species such as Juncus saximontanus, while other springs contained species of dry-site affinity. This study also illustrated challenges associated with estimating reference conditions for arid-land springs, as there are no known data prior to the development (i.e., modifying surface flow) of the springs and no known unmodified springs on this landscape.

The invasive-exotic Rhamnus cathartica has been growing in parks and natural areas of North America for over 100 years where it has replaced native vegetation. Chemical herbicides have limited success on R. cathartica and often require follow-up applications. This multiyear study is the first to investigate the efficacy of Chondrostereum purpureum, the active agent in Chontrol Peat Paste (CPP), as a biological herbicide for R. cathartica. The objective of this study was to determine the efficacy of CPP and Roundup on R. cathartica trees by comparing re-growth/mortality rates of mechanically wounded trees treated with either herbicide. Rhamnus cathartica trees were girdled or cut and received either CPP or Roundup applications in late-fall (LF), early-summer (ES), and late-summer (LS) at Assiniboine Park in Winnipeg, Canada. All trees were evaluated for mean re-growth, number, and condition of basal sprouts during spring following each application. It was expected that trees treated with CPP would show less re-growth than those that were solely mechanically wounded (controls). In LF, the most effective mechanical/herbicide combination for reducing overall stem re-growth was found to be the cut treatment followed by Roundup. In ES, however, the most effective treatment combination for suppressing re-growth was the CPP application to girdled trees as conditions were optimal for inoculation of trees. These results will allow herbicides to be effectively applied over a longer duration of the season and have implications for the development of future management protocol for R. cathartica in urban parks and natural areas.

Understanding the shifting spatial distribution of trees is central to our knowledge of forest dynamics. We studied the spatial distribution of Tsuga canadensis L. Carr (Eastern Hemlock) as a function of age and size of canopy trees (greater than 75 cm dbh) and proximity to a stream in a remnant old growth forest fragment that has no record of human clearing or logging (Cathedral State Park, West Virginia). There appeared to be relatively continuous regeneration; however, cohort peaks indicated some disturbance history. We found spatially distinct age structures, with trees up to 315 years old. Trees greater than 102 cm dbh, or greater than 241 years old, were, on average, significantly closer to the stream. We suspect that the oldest individuals are concentrated near the stream because they are sheltered from wind disturbance. This knowledge can help us prioritize sites that are most important to protect from the woolly adelgid (Adelges tsugae Annand) when treating individual trees.

Western prairie fringed orchid (WPFO, Platanthera praeclara Sheviak & Bowles) is a federally threatened Great Plains forb incapable of regeneration if above-ground parts are damaged within a given growing season. The invasion of smooth brome (Bromus inermis Leyss) reduces diversity and alters resources in northern tall grass prairies, including those occupied by WFPO. Prescribed fire is most effective for brome reduction when it is timed to its phenology. This timing could also interfere with the growth of non-target species, including WPFO. Our objective was to document the emergence and growth of WPFO and to determine the degree of phenological overlap between WFPO and smooth brome. We monitored orchid phenology to detect emergence dates and tracked growth of flowering and non-flowering WFPO. We found that WFPO individuals likely to flower emerge earlier and their growth is more rapid than plants not destined to flower. We augmented orchid monitoring with observations of smooth brome for two years and found that the majority of reproductive orchids emerged before the dates when brome reached its reported stage of greatest susceptibility to fire. We conclude that late spring prescribed fires are likely to damage WPFO individuals most likely to reproduce. Fall burns may provide an alternative strategy for prairie management at WPFO sites.

A total of 819 species of the vascular plants belonging to 84 families and 370 genera were recorded in the Tahtali Mountains (provinces Adana and Kayseri), Turkey. Now, Kavşak and Köprü dams are being built in this area. The phytogeographic elements were represented in the study as follows; Mediterranean 178 (21.7%), Irano-Turanian 128 (15.6%), and Euro-Siberian 46 (5.6%). The phytogeographic region of taxa 467 (57.0%) was unknown or multiregional. The number of endemic species was 152 (18.5%). The spectrum of the basic life forms were as follows; Hemicryptophytes 40.2%, Therophytes 25.1 %, Chamaephytes 13.3%, Phanerophytes 10.5%, Geophytes 9.3%, Hydrophytes 1.0%, and vascular parasites 0.6%. According to the IUCN Red List Categories, 157 threatened plant species were found in the study area.