The food habits, movement and activity patterns, and habitat use of sympatric carnivores, and wildlife harvest and utilization, were studied at the Taohong Village, Jiangxi Province, southeastern China during 1992–1996. Food habits of four species of sympatric carnivores were studied by scat analysis. Crab-eating mongooses (Herpestes urva) had the most diversified diet that included many water-edge food items. Masked palm civets (Paguma larvata) consumed a large proportion of fruits. Both small Indian civets (Viverricula indica) and hog badgers (Arctonyx collaris) fed heavily on rodents. Though there was a certain degree of difference in habitat use among these species, the rather high diet overlap suggested that the population densities of these species were reduced to a very low level by constant harvest pressure and secondary poisoning so that the diet ceased to have relevant effect on the sympatry of these species. The food habits (based on scat analysis) of the sympatric dhole (Cuon alpinus) and wolf (Canis lupus ) showed that their depredation on the endangered Sika deer ( Cervus nippon kopschi), domestic animals and small carnivores was negligible. Telemetry studies showed that small Indian civets, masked palm civets, and crab-eating mongooses did not have permanent dens but moved among their numerous daybeds. Small Indian civets used daybeds among the bushes and grass on the ground while other species used underground dens exclusively. Small Indian civets and crabeating mongooses limited their activity to the foothills at low altitude, while masked palm civets included habitat of higher altitude in their home ranges. Both small Indian civets and masked palm civets were nocturnal, but the latter had a low activity level in the daytime. Crab-eating mongooses were active in the daytime. Ferret badgers (Melogale moschata) were strictly nocturnal. Their daybeds included both natural and man-made sites. The lack of direct conflict of interest with humans allowed them to live in close proximity to human settlement. Wildlife harvest during the 1992/96 harvest seasons was studied by the method of participant observation. Wildlife harvesters comprised 1.5% of the local population, and a few professional harvesters accounted for a large proportion of the game yield. Shotguns and two kinds of traps were the most common harvest methods used. Muntjac (Muntiacus reevesi) and hares (Lepus sinensis and L. capensis) were the most important game species. In spite of the steady increase in the price of wildlife parts, the game yields experienced a gradual decline due to reduced harvest efforts. Wildlife harvest was market-oriented and played an insignificant supplemental role in the local economy. Marketing channels for both pelt and game meat have been well established and are spreading. Wildlife harvest remained largely unregulated. The prospect of wildlife harvest at Taohong is discussed and recommendations to control harvest are proposed.

We investigated whether group-selection provides habitat of similar quality for early-successional shrubland-nesting birds as does clearcutting. There was no difference in avian reproductive success between clearcuts and groupcuts, indicating that clearcuts and groupcuts provide habitat of similar quality for early-successional shrubland-nesting birds. We studied Chestnut-sided Warblers (Dendroica pensylvanica) nesting in 29 patches of regenerating northern hardwoods forest 0.15–0.69 ha in area to determine whether the ecology of this species is affected by patch size or shape. Chestnut-sided Warbler density was higher, and pairs initiated nesting later in smaller patches, yet patch size was unrelated to fledging success or nest predation rates and patch area. Territory density, nest initiation dates, fledging success and nest predation rates were unrelated to patch shape. We compared nest predation rates between groupcut and clearcut borders (0–5 m from edges) and forest interior areas (45–50 m from edges) using artificial shrub nests baited with Zebra Finch (Taeniopygia guttata) eggs. The probability of a nest being depredated was higher in edge areas than forest interior areas (P = 0.02) and was independent of nest concealment, nest height, or whether the nest was adjacent to a clearcut or a groupcut (P = 0.18). We compared survival rates of used natural nests baited with House Sparrow (Passer domesticus) eggs with survival rates of active bird nests at the same sites. Survival rates of artificial nests (27.7%) were significantly lower than nest survival rates of natural nests (58.6%). We suggest that lack of parental defense is a contributing factor responsible for higher predation rates on artificial nests, and is likely to be a potential confounding factor in future nest predation experiments using artificial nests. We studied patterns of plumage variation in the Chestnut-sided Warbler to determine if plumage brightness was related to reproductive performance. There were no relationships between plumage brightness and reproductive success of either male or female Chestnut-sided Warblers. Adult males and females were brighter than subadult males and females, however, adult and subadult males and females fledged as many young as adult males and females. Thus, delayed plumage maturation in the Chestnut-sided Warbler is not associated with decreased reproductive output in subadult birds. We suggest that the duller plumage of subadult Chestnut-sided Warblers is more likely a reliable indicator of subordinate status, and that delayed plumage maturation serves in this species to reduce aggression from adult birds.

The federal-listed bog turtle (Clemmys muhlenbergii) is the smallest and rarest freshwater turtle species in North America. I studied bog turtles in New England from 1994–1997, examining habitat use and seasonal movements, breeding ecology, demographic characteristics and population viability. I made 1,553 captures, marked 75 adults and radiotracked 50 bog turtles. Home range sizes (0.06–2.79 ha) were similar to other studies; there were no detectable differences between sexes, although males and females used different habitats among seasons. Size of female at sexual maturity (plastral length = 74 mm) was based on reproduction instead of secondary sex characteristics. Clutch size ranged from 2–6 eggs (x¯ = 3.5), with individual variation among years. Incubation (74–103 days) was longer for Massachusetts sites compared to southern nests, and both hatchlings and adults were smaller in body size compared to southern populations. I modeled a stable population with estimated survival rates of 0.32 for hatchlings, 0.97 for adult females, size and age at sexual maturity of PL = 74 mm and 12 y, respectively, and a derived juvenile survival rate of 0.83 (assuming λ = 1.00). The cooler climate and shorter breeding season may place additional constraints on northern populations of bog turtles. These environmental factors may result in slower growth rates, delayed sexual maturation, smaller adult body sizes, iteroparity, and lower nest temperatures resulting in longer incubations of fewer and smaller hatchlings than those in the south. While biologists cannot manage for climate, we can implement protection of this threatened species by identifying and protecting important habitats for hibernation and nesting, preventing hydrologic changes to the system, maintaining open canopy cover, and reducing direct human and animal impacts on adults through monitoring and active management strategies. I suggest the best strategies for bog turtle conservation involve identification and protection of habitats occupied by reproducing populations rather than captive breeding and translocation.

Increases in numbers of Herring (L. argentatus) and Great Black-backed (L. marinus) gulls, and concurrent decreases in numbers of other beach-nesting birds, led to the proposed use of avicides to control gulls on Monomoy NWR, Chatham, Massachusetts. The purpose of this study was to obtain biological information on Monomoy's gull populations, and to use this information to develop and evaluate gull control strategies. Landfill use differed between species. Herring Gulls used more, and traveled farther to, landfills than did Great Black-backed Gulls. Herring Gulls used fewer landfills during the non-breeding than breeding season. Numbers of Herring Gulls in landfills were significantly related to human populations served by those landfills (r$\sp2$ = 0.63, P = 0.0003), Great Black-backed Gull numbers were not. Although both species consumed refuse and natural foods, more Herring than Great Black-backed gull stomachs contained refuse $(X\sp2$ = 7.88, P $<$ 0.005 in 1988; $X\sp2$ = 13.93, P $<$ 0.0002 in 1989). Refuse was a minor dietary component for both species' chicks. The passage of large gulls over nest sites had little impact on Monomoy's Common Tern (Sterna hirundo) and Laughing Gull (L. atricilla) colonies. Few fly-overs (49, 0.04%) at altitudes of 20 m or less resulted in mobbings or disturbances. Terns mobbed large gulls more often than did Laughing Gulls (G = 16.61, P $<$ 0.005), but numbers of birds per mobbing did not differ between species (t = 0.95, P $>$ 0.05). Both species habituated to fly-overs and ignored most large gulls. We developed a deterministic simulation model to identify the effects of different types and levels of control on gull population dynamics. Effectiveness of gull control varied with technique, but no method completely eliminated Herring or Great Black-backed gulls. Model construction and interpretation of outputs are described.

On Georges Bank, skates (F. Rajidae) appear to be replacing depleted populations of economically-important demersal fishes like Atlantic cod (Gadus morhua) and yellowtail flounder (Pleuronectes ferrugineus). Because skates share some food resources with these teleosts, National Marine Fisheries Service biologists are concerned that food resources historically available to demersal fishes are now being consumed by the abundant skates, which could indirectly and negatively impact the growth of demersal species. The main objectives of this study were to estimate the consumptive impact of little skate (Raja erinacea) and winter skate (Raja ocellata) on their invertebrate prey, and to test whether these skates may indirectly impact the growth of yellowtail flounder on Georges Bank. The diet of little skate was comprised mainly of amphipods and decapods on Georges Bank. Both proportions of the two taxa and selection of prey varied depending on season, site, and body length of skates. Seasonal overlap was highest (0.42-0.92) between little skate $<$39 cm and all lengths of yellowtail flounder, indicating little skate could affect yellowtail flounder indirectly through resource competition. The consumptive impact of little skate and winter skate on their benthic prey was determined by estimating the percentage of benthic production consumed by these skate species. Annual consumption ranged from 0.085 kg fish$\sp{-1}$ yr$\sp{-1}$ for little skate 10-19 cm in length to 0.860 kg fish$\sp{-1}$ yr$\sp{-1}$ for skates 50-59 cm, and from 1.186 kg fish$\sp{-1}$ yr$\sp{-1}$ for winter skate 40-49 cm to 5.528 kg fish$\sp{-1}$ yr$\sp{-1}$ for 90-99 cm skates. The percentage of benthic production consumed by little skate and winter skate from 1969 to 1990 ranged from 5% to 15% and 11% to 43%. This indicated only a small to moderate proportion of benthic biomass is consumed by these species. Linear regression and Spearman correlation analyses indicated growth of age 1+ to age 4+ yellowtail flounder was significantly and inversely correlated to its own density, indicating growth of this species is density-dependent. Growth was either not, or positively, correlated to the abundance of skates, groundfishes, and other flounders, suggesting interspecific competition is not an important regulatory mechanism of growth. Therefore, skates appear not to have a measurable impact on the growth dynamics of yellowtail flounder.