CHRISTOPHER R. BOTTOM, for the MASTER OF SCIENCE degree in ZOOLOGY, presented on XXXX at Southern Illinois University Carbondale. TITLE: HABITAT OVERLAP AMONG MESOCARNIVORES AND WILD TURKEYS IN AN AGRICULTURAL LANDSCAPE MAJOR PROFESSOR: Clayton K. Nielsen Wild turkey (Meleagris gallopavo) populations have grown considerably in the agricultural Midwest during the past few decades, as have mesocarnivores such as coyotes (Canis latrans) and bobcats (Lunx rufus) which may impact turkey populations. However, few studies have assessed habitat overlap between mesocarnivores and turkeys with a goal to understand potential impacts of mesocarnivores on turkeys. To address these gaps in the literature, my objectives were to (1) create single-species models of habitat use for bobcats, coyotes, and wild turkeys; (2) model habitat overlap among species; and (3) determine the influence of mesocarnivore habitat use on wild turkey nest success and mortality. I captured and radiomarked 14 adult bobcats (10 M, 4 F), 19 adult coyotes (11 M, 8 F), and 44 wild turkey hens (9 J, 34 A) during 2011-2013 in a complex agricultural landscape in southern Illinois. I developed single-species resource selection function models of habitat use for all 3 focal species and also developed habitat overlap models. In the single species models, wild turkey and bobcat use was concentrated largely in forested areas whereas coyote use was highest in agricultural areas. Overlap among species was common and occurred mostly in forested areas. I then used locations of 107 wild turkeys nests and 28 hen mortalities and modeled the effect of bobcat, coyote, and wild turkey use on turkey nest success and mortalities. Coyote presence was the best predictor of nest success, with increased coyote use associated with higher nest success. Wild turkey use was important in determining location of wild turkey hen mortalities, with increased turkey use associated with higher probability of mortality occurrence. My findings suggest that top predators may be important and beneficial for ground nesting avian species (e.g., wild turkey). Coyotes utilize many habitat types for foraging including forest edges, grasslands, and wetlands. These are abundant in a fragmented landscapes and also represent areas preferred by ground nesting bird species and other mesocarnivores. With coyotes acting as the top predator throughout much of the Midwest, they are likely reducing densities of other important turkey nest predator species, thereby increasing nest success. Although the study is not conclusive on its own, it is consistent with the predictions of the mesopredator release hypothesis.

Harvest data are typically used to evaluate mesocarnivore population dynamics in many states, including Kentucky. While relatively easy to collect, these data are subject to reporting biases, and inferences about population trends can often only be made at coarse spatial scales. Gray fox (Urocyon cinereoargenteus), bobcat (Lynx rufus), and coyote (Canis latrans) populations in Kentucky are managed primarily through harvest data used to establish future harvest quotas. Increasingly, noninvasive survey methods have been used to characterize a number of population parameters for a variety of species; however, successful use of these methods is often site-specific. We assessed the efficacy and cost-effectiveness of two noninvasive survey methods, scat detection dogs and rub-pad hair snares, for surveying mesocarnivore species at two sites in the mixed-mesophytic forest of northeastern Kentucky. We sampled 100 hair snares covering approximately 100km2 and 27 transects covering approximately 27km2 from which 7 hair samples and 261 scat samples were collected respectively. Hair snares cost $397/sample at 6.4 hours/day, while scat detection dogs cost $47/sample at 4.9 hours/day. Genetic methods were used to identify biological samples to species and individual. Our findings should prove useful to state wildlife managers in comparatively evaluating methods for future mesocarnivore monitoring.

The term Traditional Ecological Knowledge (TEK) is generally interpreted as the knowledge held by Indigenous communities about their environment and the cultural frameworks in which such knowledge is transmitted. There is no universally accepted definition of TEK and interpretations can vary between Western and Indigenous lenses. TEK as an academic field has gained a vast literature base; however, there is a dearth of literature in the wildlife field that expresses TEK through an Indigenous lens. There has been growing attention on TEK in the wildlife profession, warranting further exploration of how Indigenous and Western scientific paradigms may be used together in natural resources conservation. Herein, I present my doctoral research, where I focused on a culturally sensitive approach in the pursuit of TEK studies. I conducted interdisciplinary research with the Yurok Tribe of northwestern California in two parts: (1) a human dimensions study where I interviewed Yurok people regarding TEK and their relationship with wildlife and (2) a wildlife survey on Yurok ancestral lands where I used genetic analyses of scats as a noninvasive method for determining species presence and diet. In addition, I developed a synthesis document regarding historical aspects of Indian Country in the United States and philosophical contexts of TEK as science to facilitate dialogue regarding cultural sensitivity in wildlife research with a TEK component. During an internship with the National Park Service (NPS), I developed a guidance document to provide resources regarding TEK in wildlife conservation and a case study detailing how I navigated my doctoral research. My dissertation consists of five manuscripts, each formatted for a specific journal or the NPS.

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