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The New Mexico jumping mouse (Zapus luteus) is a federally endangered species that relies on riparian sites of the southwestern United States. Only isolated populations occur throughout its range and detecting potential suitable environments and identifying new populations are important for long‐term conservation of genetic diversity and habitat restoration by management agencies. We used a presence‐only data approach compiled from multiple surveys since 2000 in Arizona, Colorado, and New Mexico with bioclimatic and vegetation variables to generate species distribution models for the species. Our models predicted environmentally suitable areas outside the current species management units that could be prioritized in surveys. Our models also highlighted opportunities for collaboration among federal, state, tribal, and private landowners and managers to secure habitat and connectivity for the species and its long‐term survival. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

We examined the potential for urban water sources, specifically golf course ponds, to act as centers for rabies transmission from bats to mesocarnivores in the arid southwestern United States where surface water is often limited. Because residential housing can act as den and roost sites for both mesocarnivores and bats, we also examined the effect of housing density around water sources on activity. Using ultrasonic acoustic recorders to assess bat activity and camera traps to estimate mesocarnivore activity, we compared 14 pairs of wet and dry locations over two years by surveying twice during the summer, once prior to summer monsoons and once during the monsoon season, when surface waters were more available. Number of calls for all bat species combined were greater at wet sites compared to dry sites and calls of two bat species often associated with rabies, big brown bat (Eptesicus fuscus) and silver-haired bat (Lasionycteris noctivagans), were recorded more at wet sites than dry sites in the monsoon season. In both years, raccoons (Procyon lotor) were photographed more often at wet sites while striped skunks (Mephitis mephitis) and gray foxes (Urocyon cinereoargenteus) were less likely to be detected at wet sites. Bat, fox and raccoon activity was not associated with housing density while striped skunks showed a positive correlation. Finally, we examined potential for contact between mesocarnivores and big brown bats, a species implicated in cross-species rabies transmission in our area, by combining call activity of this bat species and photo detections of mesocarnivores during individual hours of the night into a Potential Contact Index (PCI) and found no significant effect of season (pre-monsoon vs. monsoon), species, or treatment (dry versus wet) but did find a significant species by treatment interaction, with raccoon PCI 3–30 times higher at wet sites and no effect on the other two mesocarnivores' PCI. Overall, we found higher activity of bats at urban waters could increase potential for cross-species transmission of rabies from bats to raccoons but not for gray foxes and striped skunks. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The article presents a study regarding the effect of glyphosate herbicide to vertebrates in Oregon, U.S. It mentions that the researchers observe the responses of five amphibians and four mammals to glyphosate toxicity. According to the authors, direct spraying of glyphosate to nine species has negative effects to the animals. In addition, they mention the substance's effect to the reproductive rate of the species. They likewise infer that application of herbicide may increase the reproduction of grass and forbs species.

Gambel oak (Quercus gambelii) is a valuable tree species for wildlife. In Arizona, USA, it occurs at higher elevations in association with ponderosa pine (Pinus ponderosa). Southwestern myotis (Myotis auriculus) is a bat species that has been anecdotally documented as selecting Gambel oak for maternity roost sites. During summers of 1999 and 2000, we conducted a radiotelemetry study to determine whether lactating, female southwestern myotis selected Gambel oak as maternity roosts within the ponderosa pine-Gambel oak forest in northern Arizona. We located 34 maternity roosts for southwestern myotis in Gambel oak trees (14 females) and 5 roosts in ponderosa pine snags (1 female). Maternity roosts were located in live Gambel oak trees >26-cm diameter at root collar (drc) that contained cavities. We used Akaike's Information Criterion (AIC) to evaluate 4 a priori hypotheses about southwestern Myotis maternity roost selection in northern Arizona. Our top model contained parameters for roost tree height and density of potential roost trees. Roost trees were taller than randomly selected Gambel oak trees. Forest patches immediately surrounding roost trees contained a higher density of large oak trees (drc >26 cm) than around randomly selected trees. We recommend the protection of large Gambel oak trees and encourage recruitment of large Gambel oak trees from smaller size classes to ensure that roosts remain available for southwestern myotis. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Presents a study that determined whether artificial roost structures could supplement natural roost sites, by testing two types of artificial structures for use by bats in Northern Arizona. Forest management treatments that were implemented in response to the increased threat of wildfire in the southwestern U.S.; Effect of management treatments on snags; Comparison of artificial roosts.

In response to public dissatisfaction with forest management methods, we initiated the College of Forestry Integrated Research Project (CFIRP) to test alternative silvicultural systems in Douglas-fir (Pseudotsuga menziesii) stands in western Oregon. We compared costs and biological and human responses among a control and three replicated silvicultural alternatives to clearcutting that retained structural features found in old Douglas-fir forests. Treatments were applied within 8- to 15-ha stands and attempted to mimic crown fires (modified clearcut), windthrow (green tree retention), and small-scale impacts such as root rot diseases (small patch group selection). We also compared costs in three unreplicated treatments (large patch group selection, wedge cut, and strip cut). Each treatment included differences in the pattern of retained dead trees (snags), as either scattered individuals or as clumps. Good communication among researchers and managers, a long-term commitment to the project, and careful documentation of research sites and data are important to the success of longterm silvicultural research projects. To date, over 30 publications have resulted from the project. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]