The Rusty Blackbird (Euphagus carolinus; RUBL) experienced one of the most significant declines ever documented among a once-common North American bird. Recent research on RUBLs has yielded information about the basic ecology of this understudied coniferous wetland breeder, but the critical factors responsible for their precipitous decline (> -90%) and their failure to recover remain unknown. One factor may be an “ecological trap” where birds nest in regenerating logged areas adjacent to wetlands (Powell et al. 2010) and are exposed to disproportionately high nest predation compared to wetlands in unharvested forest. Timber harvest likely affects abundance and diversity of nest Read more about this research…

Sistrurus c. catenatus (eastern massasauga rattlesnake) is an endangered snake with many disjunct populations, due to natural habitat specificity, persecution, and habitat destruction. One population, located in central New York, is at risk of further habitat loss as its basking habitat in an old field is undergoing secondary succession. In an attempt to improve habitat quality at this site, a prescribed burn was performed by the NY Department of Environmental Conservation. Project Title: Habitat management for the eastern massasauga rattlesnake (Sistrurus c. catenatus) through prescribed burning of an old field Summary: We are examining the impacts of the prescribed burn Read more about this research…

With the climatic and sociopolitical consequences of fossil fuel use becoming increasingly apparent, the nation is rapidly turning to alternative means of electricity generation such as wind “farms”. Wind power facilities produce neither toxic byproducts nor greenhouse gas emissions, yet many conservationists are concerned that wind turbines may pose a severe risk to aerial vertebrates in some cases. Remote sensing techniques (e.g., acoustic detection, radar and thermal imaging) provide information on the relative abundance of aerial vertebrates that are active in the atmosphere at altitudes that put them at risk of encountering wind turbines. Project Title: Assessing Radar and Acoustic Read more about this research…

Nearly forty percent of tropical infectious diseases originate in primates. These novel pathogens often emerge from wildlife reservoirs as a result of anthropogenic disturbances such as human encroachment upon tropical forests, agriculture, deforestation, hunting, and climate change. Despite an extensive body of research, the complex interactions between the environment, hosts and their parasite populations that subsequently lead to disease emergence is still not fully understood. Project Title: A tale of anthropogenic disturbance: how forest degradation and human encroachment on primate populations influences parasite communities Summary: To address the current research gap, this study addresses the following research objectives: Characterize the Read more about this research…

The New York State Department of Environmental Conservation spends approximately $7.7 million annually to support its fish hatcheries, which raises and stock approximately 900,000 pounds of fish per year. Brown trout (Salmo trutta), comprise about 55% by weight of the annual production. Given the financial costs involved with raising and releasing trout for put-and-take fisheries, the recent range expansion of Common Mergansers (Mergus merganser) across New York State is a concern of New York State Department of Environmental Conservation fisheries biologists. While many studies have documented merganser depredation levels of game fishes across North America, none have sufficiently addressed their Read more about this research…

About 90% of the U.S. population of American hart’s-tongue fern occurs in two central NY counties (Onondaga and Madison). A census of all 16 populations of American hart’s-tongue fern in NY has been done about every five years since 1916. These populations have had dramatic increases and decreases over the past nearly 100 years, most likely due to precipitation (including snow), especially extreme dry and wet periods. More recently, the habitat of this fern in NY has been studied. Populations are generally restricted to north-facing slopes at mid-slope position beneath hardwood canopy on steep slopes with significant blocks of limestone. Read more about this research…

Pinta Island in the Galapagos Archipelago has had two major ecosystem disruptions in recent history: the loss of its nativeecosystem engineer, the Pinta giant tortoise (now represented by a single individual, “Lonesome George”), and severe devegetation caused by a large and invasive population of goats.  Ecosystem restoration on Pinta began with the culmination of the 30-year goat eradication program in 2003.  Restoration progressed to the next stage in 2010 when the Galapagos National Park introduced a group of 39 non-reproductive adult “ecological analog” tortoises to reinstate the ecosystem services that Pinta tortoises previously provided. Project Title: Ecosystem restoration on Pinta Island, Read more about this research…

Arapaima are among the largest freshwater fishes in world, exceeding 3 m and 200 kg. Arapaima are a ‘flagship species’ for conservation of Amazonian ecosystems because their protection requires conservation of freshwater and terrestrial systems that have high biodiversity. In spite of their endangered status (IUCN 2006), Arapaima remain among the most sought-after food fishes in tropical South America. Their populations appear to be depleted by over-fishing in many areas, and especially near large cities. Community-based management programs and protected areas offer hope for recovery of over-exploited Arapaima populations. A present-day lack of knowledge on their basic biology, however, may Read more about this research…

The upper St. Lawrence River is widely known for its world-class Great Lakes strain muskellunge (Esox masquinongy) fishery. This population has been proactively managed through the efforts of an International St. Lawrence River Muskellunge Working Group that led to the development of a muskellunge management plan that has evolved over three decades. The goal for management remains: “To perpetuate the muskellunge as a viable, self sustaining component of the fish community in the St. Lawrence River, and to provide a quality trophy fishery”. The process has served as an effective model for regional conservation of an apex top predator that Read more about this research…

Airborne industrial pollution returns to earth in the form of acid deposition, a phenomenon that has lasting effects on remote landscapes. The Appalachian Mountains are particularly susceptible to this pollution, in part because of their thin soils (which are easily acidified) and because of their geography (high elevation and location downwind of pollution sources). Project Title: High elevation forest communities along acid deposition, soil, and climate gradients of the Appalachian Trail Summary: To conserve the natural resources and heritage of this landscape, this project aims to understand the impact acidification has on high elevation Appalachian forest communities. The central hypotheses Read more about this research…

The jaguar (Panthera onca) is a near-threatened species (IUCN 2010) and has suffered a 54% reduction of historic range (Rabinowitz & Zeller 2010). This species was formerly found from the southwestern United States down through Patagonia; today, the range has contracted to northern Mexico through northern Argentina. Proactive conservation efforts spearheaded by the Panthera Corporation now focus on establishing a range-wide corridor network. The main goal of the corridor network is to restore and maintain genetic connectivity between otherwise fragmented populations (Sanderson et al. 2005; Rabinowitz & Zeller 2010). Current research must therefore focus upon the characteristics of jaguar populations, Read more about this research…

In Central New York, hydrogeologic systems associated with limestone and halite have resulted in locally abundant but otherwise rare plant communities: marl fens and inland salt marshes. These geologic features also attracted to upstate New York industrialists who used limestone and halite brine in the production of soda ash—a process that produces vast amounts of Solvay waste, an infertile, alkaline material comprised of calcium, magnesium and sodium salts. During the century of soda ash production in Central New York, approximately 600 hectares of Solvay waste landfills (i.e., waste beds) were created and deposited near Onondaga Lake. The waste beds are Read more about this research…

The Spruce Grouse is a forest dwelling bird that dwells in coniferous forests throughout the northern regions of North America. Recent evidence suggests that the spruce grouse is declining across its range in New York State. A better understanding of the habitat that this species relies on is necessary to prevent future declines as forests in this region change over time. Project: Spruce Grouse Distribution, Movements, and Habitat Selection: A Mid-Successional Species in an Aging Landscape Summary: In this study, I examined the influence of habitat structure and composition on the distribution and movements of spruce grouse. I surveyed previously occupied Read more about this research…

The Snow Leopard (Panthera uncia) is an endangered species that has declined by at least 20% in recent years.  Major contributors to their decline include loss of habitat, loss of prey base, poaching, and persecution.  There are an estimated 4,000 to 7,000 snow leopards remaining in the wild, only half of which are estimated to be mature, breeding adults.  Snow leopard habitat is restricted to the high altitude mountainous regions of Central Asia (IUCN, 2008).  Russia’s snow leopard population is currently decreasing rapidly due primarily to poaching. Project Title: Community-based Snow Leopard conservation and monitoring in the Argut River Basin, Read more about this research…

Three globally endangered, interacting species are restricted to Española Island in the Galapagos Archipelago: the waved albatross (the world’s only tropical albatross), a morphologically and genetically distinct lineage of giant tortoise, and a large-seeded, arboreal prickly pear cactus. Scientists and managers agree that restoring Española is a major priority for conservation in Galapagos but how best to proceed with conservation management is less clear. Many important questions remain unanswered. The prevailing question is whether active management is required to meet the needs of these species or should nature be left to take its course, albeit unnatural due to human-caused changes Read more about this research…

Cycads are among the most vulnerable and threatened plant groups worldwide. They evolved ~280 million years ago and became widespread during the Jurassic, but their abundance dramatically declined during the mass extinction that led to the demise of the dinosaurs at the end of the Cretaceous. Project Title: Mechanisms of persistence and coexistence of a rare ancient cycad Summary: We are specifically interested in the possible mechanisms that explain the persistence and coexistence of the rare cycad Dioon sonorense within an angiosperm-dominated world. In this context, we are studying: a) the effects of the environment and demography on the persistence Read more about this research…

The cyprinid fauna of Palawan are considered depauperate. However, the 2007 discovery of a new species and the collection of potentially undescribed populations warrant further study. Of the ten cyprinids known to Palawan today, eight are endemics. However, their taxonomy, distribution, and conservation status is poorly known while the introduction of exotic Nile tilapia and habitat degradation are emerging threats. Project Title: Biodiversity of Cyprinid Fishes of Northern Palawan, Philippines Summary: Given that Palawan has few resident ichthyologists conducting freshwater fish research, this project will enable us to 1) address knowledge gaps and educate local people about cyprinid biodiversity and Read more about this research…

Vernal pools are a unique type of temporary wetland that typically dry on an annual basis. They tend to be small in size and isolated from other water bodies, thus they are easily destroyed when forest lands are developed. However, their importance in supporting unique and imperiled species is increasingly well-documented. For example, vernal pools provide breeding habitat for amphibians such as wood frogs and mole salamanders, and they are the sole habitat for fairy shrimp. Vernal pools contribute to local and regional biodiversity, provide critical habitat for amphibians and invertebrates, and serve hydrologic functions. In addition, their small size belies Read more about this research…

The coyote (Canis latrans) expanded its geographic range considerably on the heels of wolf (Canis lupus) extirpation from most of the United States. The earliest records of wild coyotes in New York State stem from the 1920s, but the species became widespread and common only in the last several decades. This novel addition to the northeastern ecosystem has generated tremendous public interest, and the two most commonly asked questions have been: “How many coyotes are there?” and “What is their potential impact on deer populations? “ Project Title: Population status and foraging ecology of the coyote Summary: This research addresses Read more about this research…

Dependence on wild seed sources is often impractical for large-scale habitat restoration programs thereby warranting reliance on commercial seed supplies of unknown provenance and fitness. We used microsatellite markers and a common garden experiment to evaluate commercial and locally collected seed sources for use in a New York State-based, landscape-scale program for restoring blue lupine Lupinus perennis, the host plant for the federally-listed (Endangered) Lycaeides melissa samuelis (Karner blue butterfly). Project: Determination of Lupine Variability and Implications for Karner Blue Butterfly Management Summary: We determined that seeds sold as “wild blue lupine” by three commercial sources were hybrids (L. perennis Read more about this research…

Alvar communities develop on extensive, fractured outcrops of limestone with little to no soil. In NYS they are restricted to the area northwest of Watertown to near Lake Ontario. Four distinct types of alvar communities are generally recognized, i.e., alvar pavement barrens, grasslands, shrublands, and woodlands, developing along a gradient of increased soil depth. Alvar communities are of great conservation concern in the Great Lakes region because of their limited extent, extraordinary biodiversity, and their large number of rare and threatened plant and animal species. Project Title: Conservation of alvar communities in New York state Summary: One of the primary Read more about this research…

Onondaga Lake is in a state of recovery following the closure of a chlor-alkali facility in 1986 and repeated improvements to the metropolitan sewage treatment plant. Dr. Neil H. Ringler, Vice Provost for Research at SUNY College of Environmental Science and Forestry began studying the lake in 1986 with the aid of undergraduate and graduate students. During the late 1980’s and early 1990’s they found a littoral zone devoid of macrophytes, a warm water fish community dominated by planktivorous fish, and low abundance and diversity of benthic macroinvertebrates. The fish community continued to be dominated by planktivorous fish (gizzard shad/white Read more about this research…

The mission of the American Chestnut Research and Restoration Center is to conduct basic and applied research that will lead to the development of a blight-resistant American chestnut tree (Castanea dentata). The American chestnut was once a keystone tree species in the eastern deciduous forests. It also produced an important nut crop for agriculture and rot resistant wood for the forest industry. In addition, this tree was important to our history and is often referred to as a heritage tree. Over one hundred years ago, the American chestnut was decimated by an exotic fungal pathogen, Cryphonectria parasitica, which was introduced Read more about this research…

Fens are biologically diverse wetlands fed by cold groundwater that may buffer these ecosystems from climate change. Cold groundwater discharge is the principal driver for the persistence of disjunct boreal and alpine plant species in temperate zone fens. In addition to relict boreal populations, fens in the northeastern U.S. support disproportionate numbers of rare plant and animal species, some of which likely are vulnerable to changes in climate. Considerable financial resources have been utilized to prioritize areas and species of high conservation concern in fens; however, limited resources have been allocated to evaluate the susceptibility of these ecosystems to climate Read more about this research…

The Chittenango Ovate Amber Snail (Novisuccinea chittenangoensis) is federally threatened and endangered.  Its range in the wild is restricted to a single waterfall in New York state, although in the early 1900′s it was more widespread and abundant.  The waterfall that is home to these rare snails is within the Chittenango State Park.  The snails prefer moist and humid conditions, vegetated slopes near the waterfall, and feed primarily on algae.  Since the accidental introduction of an exotic snail in 1984 the snails have been outcompeted for resources and their population size was severely reduced to less than 25 snails in 1990. Read more about this research…

Global climate change represents one of the most important current threats to biodiversity, and understanding its impacts has become especially important for biodiversity hotspots such as high-altitude grasslands in the Andes (páramos). These ecosystems contain high levels of biodiversity and endemism, and are extremely sensitive to changes in climatic conditions. In addition, páramos provide as much as 90-100% of the freshwater used in the lowlands. Project Title: Effects of changing climatic conditions on plant communities of the páramos, tropical high mountain ecosystems of Colombia Summary: This research seeks to give continuity to previous research and long-term monitoring activities developed in Los Read more about this research…

An economically important pathogen of domestic bovids, bovine viral diarrhea virus (BVDV), and a zoonotic pathogen classified as a potential agent of bioterrorism, Coxiella burnetii, have both been reported in wild white-tailed deer (Odocoileus virginianus). Approximately 77% of livestock pathogens are generalist species that infect multiple hosts and approximately 73% of human emerging or re-emerging infectious diseases of the last two decades include at least one wildlife host. Thus, the need for baseline information regarding the status of both livestock and zoonotic pathogens in commonly encountered wildlife, such as white-tailed deer, has been recognized. Project Title: The Prevalence, Distribution, and Read more about this research…

Hellbender populations range-wide are experiencing drastic decline.  Effective conservation strategies require understanding environmental factors underlying population occurrence within the stream networks Hellbenders inhabit. We have contrasted habitat elements between historically occupied and apparently unoccupied sites throughout the Upper Susquehanna sub-basin, which represents the northernmost segment of the species’ range. Project Title: Multi-scale Factors Influencing Distribution of the Hellbender Salamander (Cryptobranchus a. alleganiensis) in the Northern Segment of its Range Summary: Historically occupied sites contained larger rocks and less soft sediment than unoccupied sites.  Predictive models of species’ distribution indicated that specific geologic features — loamy till, clayey to loamy till, and Read more about this research…

River herring is the collective name for two anadromous (land-sea migrating) species of herring: blueback herring Alosa aestivalis and alewife A. pseudoharengus. Once incredibly abundant, they have declined to historically low numbers and are currently listed as Species of Concern under the Endangered Species Act. River herring spawn in rivers, estuaries, and coastal ponds, where the juveniles rear, but then migrate out to the Atlantic Ocean, where they become vulnerable to fisheries that are targeting other species (hence they are called “bycatch”). Project Title: Determining the Origins of River Herring in Marine Bycatch Summary: Using a combination of state of Read more about this research…

A particular uncertainty in the case of the Kihansi spray toad, an amphibian species now extinct in the wild, is relative importance of multiple stressors occurring simultaneously, that is, pesticide exposure, disruptions of food supply and infection with pathogenic chytrid fungus Batrachochytrium dendrobatidis. An understanding of toxicity levels due to direct exposure of Kihansi spray toads to endosulfan as well as interactions among endosulfan exposure, starvation and disease in toad fitnesswould enhance capacity for post-hoc interpretation of the potential role of this compound in previous population declines as well as inform whether limiting exposure to this compound should be a consideration Read more about this research…

As the black bear (Ursus americanus) population in the Adirondack region has expanded, so have negative encounters with humans. While it is believed that periodic increases in black bear-human conflict levels and non-hunting mortalities in the central Adirondack region are due to drought and lack of natural food sources, the degree of impact has not been quantified. Indices of hard and soft mast abundance may serve as indicators of potential bear nuisance activity and reproductive rates. Equipping wildlife managers with knowledge of these indicators will increase their predictive ability for population management and provide empirical evidence to support educational outreach Read more about this research…

Fens are wetlands of conservation concern across temperate regions of the world. Understanding how abiotic factors such as light intensity and hydrology affect typical fen plants will help to direct management of these wetlands. The goal of this research was to investigate how light intensity, hydrology, and forest canopy gaps impact the globally rare and declining fen plant Trollius laxus (Ranunculaceae). Studies in the field and greenhouse suggested that T. laxus may be excluded from drier, more optimal areas of wetlands by plants that are better competitors for light. Project Title: Population Ecology of the Rare Wetland Plant Trollius laxus Read more about this research…

Bog turtle populations are experiencing dramatic declines throughout their range. Many seemingly viable populations remain in New York State, but several have disappeared during the past several decades. Habitat loss is suspected as the primary reason for these declines. The bog turtle (Glyptemys muhlenbergii) is globally threatened, with many populations of only 5 to 50 individuals.  Current research focuses on two aspects of the conservation of this species: Investigating connections between landscape factors and bog turtle persistence and extirpation to better understand bog turtle ecology and make informed conservation decisions, and Investigating inter-population movements to inform regional conservation planning to ensure Read more about this research…

The Adirondack Mountains have experienced decades of acidic deposition, which has left soils deficient in important nutrients, especially calcium. We are investigating bird abundance and diversity patterns along a calcium gradient as part of a larger effort investigating plant, amphibian, invertebrate, and bird populations to determine if locations with high soil calcium levels appear to be more resistant to acidification and support higher biodiversity. The results may guide conservation policy by prioritizing highly buffered sites as refugia within the Adirondacks that retain potential for long-term acidification resistance and recovery. Project: Effects of Acidic Deposition on Songbird Abundance and Diversity Location: Adirondack Read more about this research…

The status and distribution of river otter in large areas of New York State is unknown. They are one of 14 species of furbearers managed by the NYS Department of Environmental Conservation. Otter populations are managed via harvest data in approximately one-third of the state. In the remaining two-thirds, harvest is not allowed and the status of otter populations is unknown. This area includes “zones” where harvest was restricted approximately 10 years ago and a larger area where an otter reintroduction effort was conducted in the late 1990s. Project Title: A non-harvest based assessment of river otter (Lontra canadensis) in Read more about this research…