Indiana University-Purdue University Indianapolis (IUPUI) / The distribution of the Common Mudpuppy (Necturus maculosus maculosus) is widespread but greatly understood. It is assumed that mudpuppy populations are declining due to poor habitat quality. However, there is not enough data to support this claim. The distribution of the mudpuppy is throughout the entire state, but only 43 of the 92 counties in Indiana have records. This project utilized habitat suitability modeling, focused on Indiana, to gain a better understanding of their distribution within the state. Data from Ohio and the Salamander Mussel (Simpsonais ambigua) were included to bolster the dataset. Environmental DNA was included to validate the model. Variables used in this analysis were Strahler Stream Order, distance to forest, percent agriculture, and tree canopy cover. Results showed that stream orders 4 to 6, a shorter distance to forest, less agriculture, and 30 to 40% of tree canopy cover was what contributed to suitable habitat. Stream order was the variable that contributed to the model the most. The areas of suitable habitat found were the HUC08 sub-watersheds in the northeastern and southwestern corners of the state. These areas included 19 counties were there were no previous records of mudpuppies. Environmental DNA showed that the negative samples were not found in suitable habitat. Further supporting the predicted area of suitable habitat. It is recommended that conservation efforts focus on the northeastern and southwestern regions. Interpreting this data to align with the regions set by the Indiana State Wildlife Action Plan shows that conservation should focus in the Great Lakes, Interior Plateau, and Valley and Hills area. It is recommended that more environmental data be conducted and that proactive conservation measures are implemented.

Little is known about the distribution of black corals in the northwestern Gulf of Mexico. Of thirty-nine species of black coral documented in the Western Atlantic, thirty have been previously documented by various studies in the Gulf of Mexico. This study proposes potential range extensions for four black coral species, including Stichopathes gracilis, Stichopathes semiglabra, Tanacetipathes paula, and Tanacetipathes spinescens, to include the Gulf of Mexico. The validation of in situ identifications of black coral species is evaluated, and recommendations for species identifications and species groupings are made. Black coral associated fauna are documented, supporting known associations and documenting potentially new associations and species. Habitat suitability models for the distribution of black coral species at selected banks in the northwestern Gulf of Mexico were generated. Presence-only models made using the MaxEnt modeling program were compared to presence-absence models made using Boosted Regression Tree modeling techniques. Presence-absence models were documented to have greater predictive accuracy than the presence-only models, which showed evidence of model overfitting. The model was projected to five similar salt-dome features in the region, highlighting extensive habitat for multiple black coral species in these unexplored habitats. This study presents habitat suitability maps as a testable hypothesis for black coral distribution in the mesophotic zone of this region.

No description available.

Golden eagles (Aquila chrysaetos canadensis Linnaeus 1758) are declining in some areas throughout their Nearctic range (Sauer et al. 2011). This reduction is linked to changes in their habitat caused by human activities. Golden eagles inhabit an extensive range of environments (Watson 1997, Kochert et al. 2002). In the American Continent, the golden eagle's range encompasses Alaska, Canada, the United States and the Northern and Central portions of Mexico. Northern golden eagle populations migrate during winter to southern grounds, crossing international boundaries of Canada, the US and Mexico and therefore, their conservation is of trilateral concern. Golden eagles are protected by domestic laws in the three North American countries where they occur (FWCA 1997, BGEPA 1940, MBTA 1918, Lacey Act 1900, DOF 2002) and although the IUCN list the species as Least Concern, the A. c. canadensis subspecies has been protected by CITES since 1975 (Birdlife International 2012). While intensively studied in the United States, very little is known in Mexico about golden eagle ecology and their populations. As the national bird of Mexico, its conservation has been a priority for the Mexican government since its inclusion in the Endangered Species List in 1994 (SEDESOL 1994). Several threats jeopardize golden eagle populations throughout their range in North America: habitat alteration and fragmentation, electrocution, collisions with vehicles, collision with windmills and wires, poisoning from lead ingestion, drowning, shooting and trapping, and poaching for illegal wildlife trade. Mexican experts believe that a dramatic decline occurred over recent decades and that the remaining pairs have been restricted to remnant suitable habitat patches (SEMARNAP-INE 1999). Long-term survival of golden eagles largely depends on the effectiveness of current conservation efforts of habitat at a landscape level. Successful conservation and management requires accurate information on ecology of the species upon which decisions can be based. This study investigated habitat characteristics of the areas occupied by golden eagles and developed strategies for habitat management and protection to improve golden eagle viability in Chihuahua State. I surveyed a portion of Chihuahuan Desert Ecoregion in Mexico to locate golden eagle territories during 2009 and 2010. I located 30 golden eagle nesting territories and found similar composition of cover type, vegetation structure and prey indices between the territory cores and their buffer zones. Distance to most anthropogenic disturbance sources was similar between golden eagle sites and random areas (n=60). Grassland was the most common cover type, occurring in 100% of the nesting territories, and comprising 58% of the territories' area, suggesting a disproportionate use of this cover type compared to its overall availability (25% of the state area). I used landscape attributes such as topographic characteristics and human disturbances to model the probability of occurrence of golden eagles across the landscape. I used logistic regression to model the occurrence of golden eagles at two different landscape scales and selected the best model at a home range scale based on AIC values to develop a predictive map of golden eagle distribution in Chihuahua, Mexico. I found that at a home range scale, golden eagles' occurrence was positively related to open areas and terrain ruggedness and negatively to human settlements, while at a larger scale it was positively related to open areas and negatively related to forested areas. The results confirm that golden eagles are dependent on grasslands and rugged terrain. I developed predictive maps of golden eagle occurrence using a logistic regression and a Mahalanobis distance approach using the variables from the model chosen to compare the performance and output with logistic regression modeling. I analyzed the Mexican National Plan for Golden Eagle Recovery (PACE - Ã guila Real) and proposed a conservation strategy oriented to protect golden eagle populations and their habitat in Chihuahua, Mexico. This strategy integrates ecologic knowledge developed in the first two chapters and incorporates social participation of all stakeholders. The strategy recognizes the potential limitations of conservation implementation programs in Mexico and explores the potential opportunities to protect golden eagles populations and their habitat. / Ph. D.

Presented within this thesis are three studies on three rare and imperiled Southeastern woody plant species: mountain stewartia (Stewartia ovata), Atlantic white-cedar (Chamaecyparis thyoides), and Miller's witch-alder (Fothergilla milleri). This work contributes to the ecological understanding of these three species allowing for better-informed conservation decision-making. Machine learning habitat suitability models are presented for mountain stewartia and Miller's witch-alder. These models can direct limited conservation dollars and manpower towards areas of the highest habitat suitability. This work also utilizes field-based data to assess the habitat needs, species associations, and regeneration potential of both Atlantic white-cedar and Miller's witch-alder. Understanding the habitat and regeneration potential of these species allows conservationists to make more tailored land management decisions for the species. As plant species continue to be threatened with extinction, more basic and applied research is needed to lessen the impacts of the 6th mass extinction on native flora.

Beekeepers in Appalachia market varietal honeys derived from particular species of deciduous trees; however, finding places in a mountainous landscape to locate new beeyards is difficult. Site selection is hindered by the high up-front costs of negotiating access to remote areas with limited knowledge of the available forage. Remotely sensed data and species distribution modeling (SDM) of trees important to beekeepers could aid in locating apiary sites at the landscape scale. The objectives of this study are i) using publicly available forest inventory data, to model the spatial distribution of three native tree species that are important to honey producers in eastern Kentucky: American Basswood, Sourwood and Tulip Poplar, and to assess the accuracy of the models, ii) to incorporate a method for discounting the value of a nectar resource as a function of distance based on an energetic model of honeybee foraging, and iii) to provide an example by ranking potential apiary locations around the perimeter of a mine site in the study area based on their proximity to probable species habitat using a GIS model. Logistic regression models were trained using presence-absence records from 1,059 USFS Forest Inventory and Analysis (FIA) sub-plots distributed throughout a 9,000 km2 portion of the Kentucky River watershed. The models were evaluated by applying them to a separate dataset, 950 forest inventory sub-plots distributed over a 40.5 km2 research forest maintained by the University of Kentucky. Weights derived from an energic model of honeybee foraging were then applied to the probabilities of tree species occurrence predicted by the SDM. As an example, 24 potential apiary locations around the perimeter of a reclaimed mine site were selected and then ranked according to a site suitability index. Three tributary areas corresponding to different honeybee flight ranges were considered: 500m, 700m, and 1,200m. Results confirm that rankings are dependent on the foraging range considered, suggesting that the number of colonies at an apiary location would be an important factor to consider when choosing a site. However, the methodology makes assumptions that are only anecdotally supported, notably i) that colonies will forage preferentially at the target species when it is in bloom and, ii) that foragers will exhaust resources closest to the hive first, regardless of patch size. Additional study of how bees deplete the nectar resources surrounding an apiary is needed to verify the usefulness of SDM in site selection for varietal honey production.