Welcome to the interactive web schedule for the 2017 SEAFWA Conference! For tips on how to navigate this site, visit the "Helpful Info" section. To return to the SEAFWA website, go to: www.seafwa.org/conference/overview
Note: Session titles beginning with an asterisk (*) have student presenters.
AUTHORS: Cathy M. Bodinof Jachowski, Department of Fish and Wildlife Conservation, Virginia Tech; Current affiliation: Department of Forestry and Environmental Conservation, Clemson University; William A. Hopkins, Department of Fish and Wildlife Conservation, Virginia Tech
ABSTRACT: Demographic responses of one species to environmental alteration can be indicative of processes affecting a broader suite of species with similar life histories. We examined hellbender, Cryptobranchus alleganiensis, demography in six stream reaches stratified across a land use gradient in Virginia, USA, to understand how land use might influence hellbenders and other long-lived stream biota. We used 668 records of 274 individuals encountered between 2007-2015 to estimate abundance, demographic structure and demographic rates in each reach. Catchment-wide riparian (CWR) forest cover predicted demography better than catchment or local-riparian forest cover, emphasizing the importance of upstream riparian areas as critical determinants of downstream ecology. In-stream habitat quality and sub-adult/adult hellbender abundance declined while demographic structure became increasingly skewed toward older adults as CWR forest cover declined. Patterns indicated that hellbender populations exposed to low CWR forest cover suffered from insufficient recruitment (via reduced births, juvenile survival and/or immigration) possibly due to degraded water quality or substrate. Apparent adult survival did not vary with land use and lambda values indicated that high adult survival paired with hellbender longevity facilitated species persistence in degraded habitats at low but stable densities for multiple years. Our findings suggest hellbenders exposed to low CWR forest cover face a high risk of local extirpation unless low recruitment is mitigated, though considerable lag time may separate functional and realized extirpation. To best guide development of conservation strategies, we recommend that monitoring plans for long-lived species be designed to detect shifts in both demographic structure and abundance.
Tuesday October 31, 2017 1:40pm - 2:00pm EDT
Carroll Ford