Projects

Background

This study aimed to explore whether walking in nature may be beneficial for individuals with major depressive disorder (MDD). Healthy adults demonstrate significant cognitive gains after nature walks, but it was unclear whether those same benefits would be achieved in a depressed sample as walking alone in nature might induce rumination, thereby worsening memory and mood.

Methods

Twenty individuals diagnosed with MDD participated in this study. At baseline, mood and short term memory span were assessed using the PANAS and the backwards digit span (BDS) task, respectively. Participants were then asked to think about an unresolved negative autobiographical event to prime rumination, prior to taking a 50 minute walk in either a natural or urban setting. After the walk, mood and short-term memory span were reassessed. The following week, participants returned to the lab and repeated the entire procedure, but walked in the location not visited in the first session (i.e., a counterbalanced within-subjects design).

Results

Participants exhibited significant increases in memory span after the nature walk relative to the urban walk, p < .001, ηp2= .53 (a large effect-size). Participants also showed increases in mood, but the mood effects did not correlate with the memory effects, suggesting separable mechanisms and replicating previous work.

Limitations

Sample size and participants’ motivation.

Conclusions

These findings extend earlier work demonstrating the cognitive and affective benefits of interacting with nature to individuals with MDD. Therefore, interacting with nature may be useful clinically as a supplement to existing treatments for MDD.

• Participants exhibited significant increases in memory span after the nature walk relative to the urban walk, p < .001, ηp 2= .53 (a large effect-size). Participants also showed increases in mood, but the mood effects did not correlate with the memory effects, suggesting separable mechanisms and replicating previous work.
• Effect sizes nearly 5 times in depressed (MDD) as large as the effect sizes observed in healthy.

Several secretive marsh bird (SMB) species are both migrants and breeders in Missouri. The degree to which individual birds stay to nest in Missouri versus continuing north to breed is unknown and has resulted in uncertainty regarding the role of Missouri’s wetlands for this group of birds. One key uncertainty identified by many Department wetland managers is whether their management actions are emulating wetland processes that enable SMBs to fulfill their life history requirements while in Missouri. For managers to ensure successful outcomes for individuals that use Missouri either as a stopover location or a nesting destination, they must know not only the key wetland conditions required by the birds but also the timing of when these resources are needed. Our objective was to determine the effects of hydrologic management and habitat characteristics on SMB nest site selection and daily nest survival at two spatial scales: the individual wetland and the nest point (area within 50 m of nest).

Several secretive marsh bird (SMB) species are listed as “Critically Imperiled” in Missouri; however, little information exists on SMB distribution and habitat use within the state. As a result, wetland managers are uncertain as to how much SMBs use Missouri wetlands and the wetland processes they need to emulate in order to provide habitat for this guild of species. For this Science Note, we focus on the migratory SMBs.

With nearly every survey Resource Science Division conducts, administration, budgeters, and staff ask “Wouldn’t online surveys save MDC money?” and we respond, “It depends!” Online surveys have become attractive as a presumably economical way to measure constituents’ preferences, opinions, and attitudes. However, issues such as non-response bias, sample validity, and sampling error due to internet access differences in the population can have effects on representativeness, reliability, and accuracy. We examined response rates, responses, demographics, and potential sources of bias in the 2016 post-season firearms deer and deer hunter opinion surveys using 1) a mail-back paper survey and 2) an online survey sent to a sample of those with an email address in the point-of-sale (POS) system.

This annual report is provided by the Missouri Department of Conservation (MDC) to meet the annual reporting requirement as described in HCP Section 6.3.3. The report describes MDC’s Bat Habitat Conservation Plan planning and implementation activities conducted during the second reporting timeframe (July 1, 2023-June 30, 2024), compliance and effectiveness monitoring activities, and the results of the compliance and effectiveness monitoring during the initial reporting timeframe.

The goals of the annual report are to demonstrate to the USFWS and citizens of Missouri that the MDC Bat HCP is being implemented properly, and to demonstrate the effectiveness of the conservation plan. If any implementation problems have occurred, they are disclosed with a description of corrective measures planned or measures that have been taken to address the problems. This report also identifies any responses to changed circumstances and adaptive management during the reporting period.

This report describes progress towards each of the Biological Goals and Objectives outlined in the Bat HCP. Implementation progress updates of particularly note during the FY24 reporting period include:

• Developed management plans for all Priority Bat Management Zones (PBMZ) (see Objective 3.3 in Section 4).
• Integrated bat-friendly BMPs into Professional Timber Harvester Training (see Objective 5.4 in Section 4).
• Continued PBMZ Monitoring: Acoustic surveys were conducted in 5 PBMZs in summer of 2024, including the northern long-eared bat PBMZ at Sunklands Conservation Area. Acoustic surveys have now been completed at all 6 northern long-eared bat PBMZs (Appendix J). Mist-net surveys will be conducted at any sites where northern long-eared bats are detected by acoustic surveys (see Status and Trend Monitoring in Section 5).
• Conducted 2 Regional HCP Implementation Workshops (see Staff Implementation Training in Section 1).

This is the first annual report developed by MDC and submitted to the USFWS to meet the annual reporting requirements. The report describes MDC’s Bat HCP planning and implementation activities conducted during the initial reporting timeframe (February 23 – June 30, 2023), compliance and effectiveness monitoring activities, and the results of the compliance and effectiveness monitoring during the initial reporting timeframe. The goals of the annual report are to demonstrate to the USFWS and the citizens of Missouri that the MDC Bat HCP is being implemented properly, and to demonstrate the effectiveness of the conservation plan

Many kinds of users compete for Missouri’s public trails and managers are challenged to balance human users’ needs with those of wildlife. To improve our knowledge of Missourian’s equestrians, their preferences, and habits, the Missouri Department of Conservation (MDC) conducted a scientific survey of over 5,000 randomly selected horse owners in Missouri between February and June, 2008. The response rate (after removing invalid addresses) was 48.1% (2,286/4,750).

Survey Results

• Missourians took a total of 181,500 riding trips on public land in 2007. These included over 68,000 trips at MDC areas (38% of the total).
• Sixty percent of equestrian trail users indicated they would be willing to help maintain trails.
• Five MDC areas were in the top 10 most heavily used riding areas in 2007, with the US Forest Service (USFS) managing the most used area.
• Total spending on trips is estimated at $27 million (with a total economic impact of $48 million).
• About 38% of riders rode on public lands in 2007.
• The average ride was about a half day.
• The availability of water for horses and parking were the most important factors when survey respondents were deciding where to ride.
• Respondents felt that ATVs (but not hikers) caused problems for horses.
• Respondents wanted more trails, better signage, and consistent policies and rules.

The Missouri Shortleaf Pine Utilization Assessment serves as a comprehensive and strategic resource for the Forest and Woodland Association of Missouri (FWAM), federal and state agencies, loggers, sawmills, and secondary wood product manufacturers by identifying key opportunities to expand markets for Missouri-grown shortleaf pine. This report provides data-driven insights to drive targeted growth in shortleaf pine manufacturing, empowering stakeholders to enhance economic viability, strengthen forest management, and improve industry competitiveness while supporting multi-tiered landscape restoration and ecological objectives.