Projects

Small mammal responses to timber harvest techniques and soft mast availability

Throughout the Midwestern US, many public lands set aside for conservation engage in management activities (e.g., agriculture) that may act as stressors on wild bee populations. Several studies have investigated how wild bees respond to large-scale agriculture production; however, there has been limited assessment of how wild bees may be impacted by agricultural activity on public lands or how local variables may influence bee communities in these same areas. In this study, we assessed the abundance and richness of wild bee floral and nesting guilds at 30 agricultural field margins located on five Conservation Areas in Missouri. Generally, regardless of guild, bee abundance and richness was greater in field margins with more floral diversity and taller vegetation. Bee guilds responded negatively to agricultural production in Conservation Areas with fewer soil- and cavity-nesting bees collected in margins adjacent to annually cropped fields. Although fewer diet specialists were collected, specialist bee abundance and richness was greater in margins near fields that were uncropped (i.e., vegetated, but not row-cropped) during the previous year. Overall, the percentage of trees and shrubs within 800 m of study fields (i.e., “woodland”) was negatively associated with abundance and richness of bees, but specifically, reduced richness of soil-nesters and diet specialists. Our findings indicate agricultural management activities on public lands may lead to decreased abundance and richness of wild bee guilds. If public lands are to be managed for species diversity, including wild bees, maintaining diverse plant communities with taller vegetation (>100 cm) near cultivated fields and/or modifying agricultural production practices on public lands may greatly improve the conservation of local bee communities.

What would life be like if Missouri had no forests? Besides being a lot less pleasant, scenic and enjoyable for us and the plants and animals that rely on Missouri’s forests, Missouri’s wallets would take a big hit! Working with data collected by the Federal government, other branches of state government and the Missouri Department of Conservation’s (MDC) own foresters, MDC undertakes periodic assessments of the economic impact of the forest products industry on the state as a whole.

Economic impact analysis (EIA) examines the effect of a policy, program, project, activity or event on the economy of a given area. The area can range from a neighborhood to the entire globe. Economic impact is usually measured in terms of changes in economic growth (output or value added) and associated changes in jobs (employment) and income (wages). The analysis typically measures or estimates the level of economic activity occurring at a given time with the activity occurring, and calculating the difference from what would otherwise be expected if the activity did not occur (which is referred to as the counterfactual case). This analysis can be done either before or after the fact (ex ante or ex post). The term economic impact can be applied to analysis of the economic contribution of a given activity or industry to the existing local economy.

Science Note Vol 14, No 1 (2019) that describes a study to determine the current status of two caddisfly species of Conservation Concern in the Maramec Spring Branch.

Elevations of a Mississippi River side channel were captured using several methods in 2007 and 2008. Water depths were recorded using boat-mounted GPS depth sounders. Exposed sandbars were mapped with GPS units and laser levels. All measurements were adjusted to daily river elevations from Price Landing gage station. The 2007 and 2008 surfaces were subtracted to identify locations where sediment had been eroded or deposited over time.

A "red-neck LiDAR" method of collecting elevation information proved useful by logging GPS waypoints and water depths across of flooded green-tree reservoir. This data was then used to predict the extent and depth of flooded conditions and aid in wetland management decisions.

Blue catfish and flathead catfish support important recreational and commercial fisheries in Missouri. Although most sport anglers do not fish in tournaments or consider themselves trophy anglers, trophy catfish angling and catfish tournaments are increasingly popular. Studies of blue catfish and flathead catfish in the Mississippi and Missouri rivers (big rivers) were prompted by concerns about overharvest of large catfish and inadequate harvest regulations (

Studies of blue catfish and flathead catfish in the Mississippi and Missouri rivers (big rivers) were prompted by concerns about overharvest of large catfish and inadequate harvest regulations. Opportunities to manage big rivers catfish fisheries to better meet the desires of trophy fishers were identified but regulation changes to prevent overharvest were deemed unnecessary. Therefore, broad public support is needed to justify regulation changes that limit resource use.

This Science Note provides a decision tree to help determine which gear type might work best for a wetland manager's needs to monitor fish and amphibians.

Monitoring cryptic species, like fish and amphibians, helps reduce uncertainty and informs management decisions of a broader range of wetland dependent taxa. However, the time and effort required for monitoring are limited, so knowing the trade-offs of different survey methods, site selection, and timing can help managers determine best surveying practices based on monitoring objectives. The following guidelines are based on extensive sampling of 29 wetlands across three ecoregions in Missouri during 2015-2016. Sampling compared two active methods (dipnets and seines) and two passive methods (minnow traps and mini-fyke nets). Identifying a project's objectives are first and fore-most. Once this has been decided, there are a series of trade-offs to consider when selecting appropriate and efficient methodologies for sampling fish and amphibians. The findings of this study should help inform this process.

This Science Note shows the catching efficiency of four different gear types among fish and amphibians and highlights some of the research's findings.

A common assumption of seasonal wetland management is that visible and abundant species, like waterbirds, are indicators of a broader community of wetland dependent species that benefit from intensive management. However, there is a degree of uncertainty as to what other species are present and how they may be influenced by various management decisions. Periodic monitoring of cryptic species, like fish and amphibians, can help document these species and inform biologists of the broader wetland community as they seasonally manipulate and mimic wetland conditions in Missouri's altered floodplains. We wanted to identify the most efficient and effective method to survey fish and amphibian communities in wetland impoundments so we evaluated and compared four different sampling techniques. In general, 6-7 mini-fyke nets detected a greater percentage of fish and amphibian species than other gears during most of the seasonal sampling periods. To optimize detection of amphibian communities, a combination of mini-fyke nets and dipnet or minnow trap samples is likely necessary.