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Microhexura montivaga (Spruce-fir Moss Spider) is a federally endangered arachnid endemic to high-elevation montane conifer forests of the southern Appalachian Mountains. The spider is cryptic and difficult to monitor because this species lives in the interface between the bryophyte mat and the rock surface. Since temporary removal of the bryophyte mat is necessary to monitor the spider, surveyors may negatively impact the spider's habitat during monitoring. To help inform survey protocol for this endangered species, we studied reattachment rates of bryophyte mats to rock surfaces after their removal. In 2017, we surveyed sixty 10 cm × 10 cm plots, assigning a plot to either control or treatment (i.e., application of water post-reattachment). We monitored plots for 1 year post-survey to determine reattachment rates. The majority of plots (70%) reestablished after 1 year, whereas 15% did not reattach or showed substantial prolonged (e.g., ∼1 year) desiccation and 15% completely fell off or had 100% prolonged desiccation and were chlorotic. We found that mat depth and overstory canopy cover had no effect on mat reestablishment, although bryophyte type did. We found no difference between treatment and control plots, suggesting that no treatment is needed for mats to reestablish under the conditions described. Rock slope significantly influenced reestablishment rates, highlighting that surveying bryophyte mats on slopes >80% may diminish or destroy habitat. Further research is needed to determine long-term monitoring effects on the spider and its habitat, especially in relation to disturbance regimes and ecological restoration of Picea rubens (Red Spruce). [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Glaucomys sabrinus fuscus (Virginia Northern Flying Squirrel; VNFS) is a rare Sciurid that occurrs in the Allegheny Mountains of eastern West Virginia and northwest Virginia. Previous work on this subspecies has confirmed close associations with Picea rubens (Red Spruce) at the landscape and stand levels in the region. However, ongoing Red Spruce restoration actions using canopy-gap creation to release single or small groups of trees requires a better understanding of within-stand habitat selection of VNFS to assess potential short- and medium-term impacts. To address these questions, we conducted a microhabitat study using radio-collared squirrels in montane conifer and mixed conifer– hardwood stands. We used points obtained from telemetry surveys and randomly generated points within each squirrel’s home range to compare microhabitat variables for 13 individuals. We found that VNFS preferentially selected plots with conifer-dominant overstories and deep organic-soil horizons. VNFS avoided plots with dense Red Spruce regeneration in the understory in stands with hardwood-dominated overstories—the types of areas targeted for Red Spruce restoration. We also opportunistically searched for hypogeal fungi at telemetry points and found 3 species of Elaphomyces during our surveys. Our results indicate that microhabitat selection is associated with Red Spruce-dominant forests. Efforts to restore Red Spruce where hardwoods dominate in the central Appalachians may improve the connectivity and extent of habitat of VNFS. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

With dramatic declines of bat populations due to mortality caused by Pseudogymnoascus destructans (White-nose Syndrome), assessing habitat preferences of bats in the northeastern US is now critical to guide the development of regional conservation efforts. In the summer of 2012, we conducted fixed-station simultaneous telemetry to determine nocturnal spatial use and fixed-kernel home-range estimates of available habitat of a Myotis lucifugus (Le Conte) (Little Brown Bat) maternity colony in an artificial bat house. In summers of 2011 and 2012, we also deployed a 52-ha grid of 4 x 4 Anabat acoustic detectors over five 6-8-day sampling periods in various riparian and non-riparian environments in close proximity to the same bat house. The mean telemetry home range of 143 ha for bats (n = 7) completely overlapped the acoustic grid. Rankings of habitats from telemetry data for these 7 bats and 5 additional bats not included in home-range calculations but added for habitat-use measures (n = 13) revealed a higher proportional use of forested riparian habitats than other types at the landscape scale. Pair-wise comparisons of habitats indicated that bats were found significantly closer to forested riparian habitats and forests than to open water, developed areas, fields, shrublands, or wetland habitats at the landscape scale. Acoustic sampling showed that naïve occupancy was 0.8 and 0.6 and mean nightly detection probabilities were 0.23 and 0.08 at riparian and non-riparian sites, respectively. Our findings suggest that Little Brown Bats select forested riparian and forested habitats for foraging at the landscape scale but may be most easily detected acoustically at riparian sites when a simple occupancy determination for an area is required. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

During the summer of 2003, we captured and radiotagged ten male Myotis septentrionalis (northern bats) on the Fernow Experimental Forest (FEF) in the Allegheny Mountains of West Virginia to investigate day-roost selection. Of 16 roosts that were located, 13 were in Robinia pseudoacacia (black locusts), five in snags and eight in live trees. The other three roosts occurred in a Sassafras albidum (sassafras) snag and two live Acer saccharum (sugar maples). All live trees used as roosts were medium to large, canopy-dominant trees with considerable amounts of exfoliating bark and numerous broken limbs and cavities. Snags used as roosts were smaller than trees and other snags in surrounding stands, whereas live trees used as roosts were larger than other trees and snags in surrounding stands. Similar to previous research on female northern bats in the Allegheny Mountains, we observed a strong preference for both live and snag black locust as roosts over other available species. The high abundance of black locust as an important component on the FEF has been a relatively recent development dating to the early 1900s. Use of live canopy-dominant black locust with characteristics of mature forest trees lends support that older forests with decadent conditions provide important day-roost habitat, whereas use of both canopy dominant live trees and long-lasting black locust snags may support the ecological concept of roosting "areas" for northern bats. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Nine species of bat are known to occur across the six New England states, but most aspects of their natural history, such as foraging habitat use, are poorly understood. Recent published research has documented the importance of still-water habitats as foci of bat flight activity. To better understand and document habitat use in southern New England, we used the AnaBat II acoustical monitoring system to assess species composition and relative levels of summer flight activity. Active acoustic surveys were conducted in six habitat types on the Quabbin Reservation in central Massachusetts in 2003 and 2004. Bat flight activity, as measured by numbers of echolocation call sequences, was high, with an average of 24 search-phase and 4 feeding-buzz calls per 20-minute survey period. Myotis lucifugus (little brown bat) was the most commonly recorded species. Bat flight activity was high over all still-water habitats, but greatest over large ponds. Large-bodied bats, such as Eptesicus fuscus (big brown bat), were recorded more often in open, structurally uncluttered habitats. Of the small-bodied bats, little brown bats were ubiquitous, whereas Myotis septentrionalis (northern myotis) was most common in structurally cluttered habitats of seasonal forest (vernal) pools and along forest streams. Generalized habitat associations among the bat species we recorded are similar to those reported for other New England forest sites. The Quabbin Reservation is an excellent site to continue examining bat-habitat relationships because of the abundance and diversity of aquatic habitats, in both cluttered closed-canopy and uncluttered open-canopy settings. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Deals with a study which examined the effects of elevation, aspect and cove patch size on Appalachian salamanders. Ecological importance of woodland salamanders; Methods; Results and discussion.

Little is known about hypogeous, sequestrate fungi (i.e., truffles) in the eastern United States. Since the fruiting bodies of these fungi are part of the diet of multiple rodent species, filling data gaps is important to understanding more about truffle species distribution and habitat associations. During a microhabitat study on radio-collared Glaucomys sabrinus fuscus (Virginia Northern Flying Squirrel) in 2013, we opportunistically sampled truffles at small-mammal digs and scratches within our microhabitat plots. All sampling was conducted within known squirrel-foraging home ranges. We found 3 Elaphomyces species: E. macrosporus, E. verruculosus, and E. americanum. Our observations of E. macroporus are the first from West Virginia. Herein, we describe the microhabitat associations for each fungal species. We suggest using small-mammal digs and scratches as potential indicators to opportunistically gather more information on truffle species in coniferous forests of the eastern United States. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Glaucomys sabrinus coloratus (Carolina Northern Flying Squirrel) is a federally endangered subspecies that occurs in high elevation forests of the southern Appalachian Mountains. Denning sites may be a limiting factor for this subspecies in areas where cavity trees are not abundant or where interspecific competition from other tree squirrels occurs. This shortage can result in use of unusual denning sites, such as subterranean dens. Herein, we report atypical denning habits of radio-collared Carolina Northern Flying Squirrels in southwestern Virginia and western North Carolina from 2008 to 2011 and 2014. Increased knowledge of denning habitats may be beneficial for conservation and habitat management of this subspecies, particularly in sub-optimal or degraded habitats. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Observations of Mustela frenata (Long-tailed Weasel) are rare within the southern Appalachians, while observations of Tamias striatus (Eastern Chipmunk) are uncommon in high-elevation spruce-fir forests. We conducted camera-trap surveys at Roan Mountain Highlands, Mitchell County, NC, during summer 2016 in a Picea rubens (Red Spruce)-Abies fraseri (Fraser Fir) forest. During the survey, we observed a Long-tailed Weasel at 1893 m in elevation and an Eastern Chipmunk at 1703 m in elevation. These are the highest-elevation records for both species in the eastern United States outside of Great Smoky Mountains National Park, and the highest elevation record for Longtailed Weasel in North Carolina. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Planimetric comparisons of home range sizes of white-tailed deer (Odocoileus virginianus Zimmermann) from across their range may not be appropriate due to regional differences in topography. We compare seasonal topographic diversity between male and female white-tailed deer home ranges in the central Appalachians using percent increase from planimetric to topographic areas as a measure. Mean percent increase in home range size for all deer-seasons combined was 3.1 (range = 1.3-6.4). No differences in percent increase in home range areas occurred between sexes or among seasons. The relatively low percent increase in home range area and lack of variation between sexes and among seasons validates the common practice of comparing planimetric home range sizes from different geographic areas. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

We investigated the occurrence of raccoon roundworm (Baylisascaris procyonis) in common raccoons (Procyon lotor) in the Allegheny Mountains of West Virginia during spring (n = 9, April-June) and fall (n = 5, August-October) 2001 and spring (n = 7) and fail (n = 4) 2002. We found no evidence of B. procyonis infection in 25 raccoons sampled by fecal floatation and necropsy methodologies. However, we did detect Capillarla sp. eggs in 28% and Strongyloides sp, eggs in 64% of individual raccoons, respectively. Baylisascaris procyonis has been implicated in population declines of the Allegheny woodrat (Neotoma magister) in the northeastern United States. The low prevalence or B. procyonis in an area inhabited by what is believed to be a stable population of Allegheny woodrats supports conservation measures to continue to monitor anthropoganic activities that potentially may increase the prevalence of B. procyonis or raccoon interaction with Allegheny woodrats in the region. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Studies the distribution of bats in South Carolina. Description of the study area; Distribution determination; Species accounts; Implications for conservation.

We report the first confirmed Myotis sodalis (Indiana Bat) maternity colony in Virginia, discovered at Fort A.P. Hill Military Reservation in Caroline County along the Piedmont-Coastal Plain Fall Line. Acoustic surveys conducted in 2014 indicated likely presence of Indiana Bats on the installation. Subsequent focal mist-netting during May–June 2015 resulted in capture of 4 lactating females that we subsequently radio tracked to a maternity colony site containing at least 20 individuals. The core roosting-area was comprised of Pinus taeda (Loblolly Pine) snags with abundant exfoliating bark and high solar exposure. This forest patch was adjacent to a large emergent shrub wetland and within a larger matrix of mature, mid-Atlantic hardwood forests. The site where we found the colony location is 140 km east of the nearest known hibernaculum and is outside of the previously documented extent of this species’ occurrence. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Documenting the impacts of white-nose syndrome (WNS) on demographic patterns, such as annual survivorship and recruitment, is important to understanding the extirpation or possible stabilization and recovery of species over time. To document demographic impacts of WNS on Myotis septentrionalis (Northern Long-eared Bat), we mistnetted at sites in western Virginia where Northern Long-eared Bats were captured in summer before (1990-2009) and after (2011-2013) the onset of WNS. Our mean capture rates per hour, adjusted for area of net and sampling duration, declined significantly from 0.102 bats/ m2/h before WNS to 0.005 bats/m2/h (-95.1%) by 2013. We noted a time lag in the rate of decline between published data based on bats captured during the swarming season and our summer mist-netting captures from the same geographic area. Although proportions of pregnant or lactating females did not vary statistically in samples obtained before and after the onset of WNS, the proportion of juvenile bats declined significantly (-76.7%), indicating that the viability of Northern Long-eared Bats in western Virginia is tenuous. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Myotis grisescens (Gray Bat) is a federally endangered species distributed over the mid-South with a summer range that extends across the upper Tennessee River Basin, including southwest Virginia. Given the onset of White-nose Syndrome (WNS) in the Commonwealth in the winter of 2009, we initiated yearly surveys in late summer 2009 to monitor the status of known summer populations. Our objectives were to examine the relative health of these bats using body mass index (BMI), and determine any changes in juvenile recruitment across sites and years. We did not find any marked changes in BMI across years after WNS for Gray Bats. This finding suggests that surviving bats are either not negatively impacted by WNS or have recovered sufficiently by late summer as to not document obvious differences across years. After limiting our analyses of juvenile recruitment to only the individuals that we had definitively aged via backlit photos (2010–2014), we found a non-significant declining trend in juvenile recruitment; a trend that merits continued monitoring in the years to come. As Gray Bats have only recently shown to be susceptible to WNS infection, it is possible that observable population declines are forthcoming. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Management strategies designed to reduce the negative impacts of overabundant Odocoileus virginianus (White-tailed Deer) populations on forest regeneration may be influenced by changes in both population density and timber harvest. However, there is conflicting evidence as to how such changes in per capita resource availability influence home-range patterns. We compared home-range patterns of 33 female White-tailed Deer from a low-density population at a site with abundant browse to patterns of a sample of >100 females prior to a 75% reduction in population density and a doubling in timber harvest area. Home-range and core-area sizes were approximately 3 times larger than were found prior to population decline and timber harvest increase, consistent with predictions related to intraspecific competition. We also observed greater site fidelity than previously exhibited, although this may be an artifact of increased home-range sizes. Our results support previous research suggesting that White-tailed Deer home-range size is inversely related to population density and is driven, in part, by intraspecific competition for resources. Relationships among population density, resource availability, and home-range patterns among female White-tailed Deer appear to be complex and context specific. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Spilogale putorius (Eastern Spotted Skunk) is considered rare in the southern Appalachian Mountains and throughout much of its range. We report incidental captures of 6 Eastern Spotted Skunks in a high-elevation Picea rubens (Red Spruce) forest in southwestern Virginia during late February and March 2014. At 1520 m, these observations are the highest-elevation records for Eastern Spotted Skunk in the Appalachian Mountains. They are also the first known records of this species using Red Spruce forests in the southern Appalachians. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Intensive forest management may influence the availability of suitable den sites for large den-seeking species, such as Procyon lotor (Raccoon). As part of a Raccoon ecology study on an industrial forest in the Allegheny Mountains of central West Virginia, we radio-tracked 32 Raccoons to 175 diurnal den sites to determine relative use of dens that included cavity trees, rock dens, log piles, slash piles, and exposed limbs. Patterns of den use significantly differed between sexes and among seasons. Overall, we recorded 58 cavity dens in 12 tree species with 7 maternal dens found in 5 tree species. Raccoons selected larger-diameter den trees than available cavity trees and non-cavity trees. Because the abundance of suitable tree cavities is known to influence Raccoon densities and recruitment at fine spatial scales and female Raccoons in this study used tree cavities as maternal den sites, the continued harvest of large-diameter trees (i.e., those capable of developing den cavities) without replacement may impact Raccoon recruitment within intensively managed forests throughout the central Appalachians. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

We examined external parasites of Neotoma magister (Allegheny Woodrat) from the Royal Blue Wildlife Management Area in the Cumberland Mountains and Big South Fork National River and Recreation Area on the Cumberland Plateau of Tennessee from November 2003 to August 2005. Typically associated with rocky habitats such as clifflines and cave entrances, the Allegheny Woodrat is considered a species of concern in Tennessee. We found external parasites on 26 out of 40 Allegheny Woodrats (prevalence = 65%), including 2 Epitedia cavernicola Traub (woodrat fleas--from 2 separate woodrats; prevalence = 5%), 63 Orchopeas pennsylvanicus Baker (woodrat fleas--collected on all 26; prevalence = 65%, intensity 2.4/woodrat), and 5 Ixodes woodi Bishopp (Woodrat Ticks--collected from 1 woodrat; prevalence 2.5%). Our collection represents a state record for Woodrat Ticks in Tennessee. The external parasites collected from Allegheny Woodrats in east Tennessee were considered woodrat-specific parasites and exhibited low species diversity. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Examines the food habits of seven species of bats in the Allegheny Plateau and Ridge and Valley physiographic provinces of West Virginia during summer 1998. Analysis of fecal pellets of each bat; Diets of bats in West Virginia; Volume of insect orders found in fecal samples of captured bats.