Treesearch

To guide monitoring of burrowing owls (Athene cunicularia) in the Coachella Valley, California, USA, we analyzed survey-method-specific seasonal variation in detectability. Point-based call-broadcast surveys yielded high early season detectability that then declined through time, whereas detectability on driving surveys increased through the season. Point surveys without call-broadcasts yielded the lowest detectability rates overall. To maximize detectability, we recommend coupling early season point-based call-broadcast surveys with late-season driving surveys. Occupancy models proved...

Because nest predation strongly limits avian fitness, ornithologists identify nest predators to inform ecological research and conservation. During 2002–2008, we used both video-monitoring of natural nests and direct observations of predation to identify nest predators of open-cup nesting riparian songbirds along tributaries of Mono Lake, California. Video cameras at 50 nests of 3 songbird species and direct observations of additional nests confirmed 10 distinct nest-predator species and suggested one additional species. Video-monitored nests experienced reduced predation rates, and video...

Nest predation limits avian fitness, so ornithologists study nest predation, but they often only document patterns of predation rates without substantively investigating underlying mechanisms. Parental behavior and predator ecology are two fundamental drivers of predation rates and patterns, but the role of parents is less certain, particularly for songbirds. Previous work reproduced microhabitat-predation patterns experienced by Yellow Warblers (Setophaga petechia) in the Mono Lake basin at experimental nests without parents, suggesting that these patterns were driven by predator ecology...

Understanding the physical and temporal factors that structure Martes populations is essential to the conservation and management of the 8 recognized Martes species. Recently, advances in 3 distinct subdisciplines in molecular ecology have provided insights into historical and contemporary environmental factors that have created population substructure and influenced movement patterns of several Martes species. Intraspecific phylogenetics has allowed us to understand the role of large-scale historical events, such as the last glacial maxima and their associated refugia, in the ecology of...

In 1993 the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service (FWS) listed the Mexican spotted owl (Strix occidentalis lucida; "owl") as threatened under the Endangered Species Act (ESA). Critical habitat for the Mexican spotted owl was designated in 2004, comprising approximately 3.5 million hectares (ha) (8.6 million acres [ac]) on Federal lands in Arizona, Colorado, New Mexico, and Utah (69 FR 53182). Within the critical habitat boundaries, critical habitat includes protected and restricted habitats as defined in the original Mexican Spotted Owl Recovery Plan, completed in 1995. The species' recovery...

As some of you might know, I am the new Editor-In-Chief for the Journal of Wildlife Management. Just to get acquainted, here are a few tidbits about me. I am the Program Manager for the Wildlife and Terrestrial Ecosystems Science Program with Rocky Mountain Research Station of the U.S. Forest Service. I consider myself a generalist having worked on reptiles, amphibians, birds, and small mammals and in a variety of vegetation types ranging from brush fields to old-growth forests. I have put in a couple stints as an Associate Editor for the Journal and a short-term stint as co-EIC with Mike...

You may have noticed in the first issue that I arranged manuscripts a bit differently from how they were presented in the past. In previous issues, papers were arranged largely by taxonomic groups. I deviated from that by grouping papers according to their topical focus. For example, those with a focus on habitat are grouped, as are those focusing on population, management effects, and the like. My reasoning is that many members of The Wildlife Society have interests that extend beyond just amphibians, reptiles, birds, or mammals. Interests extend to multiple taxa, thus a paper that...

In this issue, I feature an invited paper by Michael Morrison titled ''The Habitat Sampling and Analysis Paradigm has Limited Value in Animal Conservation: a Prequel.'' As many of you know, Dr. Morrison was a former Editor-in-Chief for Journal of Wildlife Management and established himself as one of the leaders in the field of wildlife-habitat ecology. Here, he takes an introspective look at the many wildlife-habitat relations studies he/we have done in the past and questions how much progress we gained by them. Indeed, science is a process whereby we evolve our approaches and foci. That...

I have been Editor-in-Chief for about 10 months now. Over that period of time, I have processed hundreds of manuscripts and considered hundreds of reviews. In doing so, I have noticed an emphasis on analysis at the expense of a better understanding of the ecological system under study. I mention this not to belittle statistical advances made within various disciplines of wildlife science. In truth, I admire and appreciate our role as leaders in developing new and rigorous approaches for data analysis. But in doing so, have we compromised our roles as biologists and managers? I do not...

In the initial Editor's Message of this volume, I stated my intent to involve more students in the publication process. A number of people commented on it being a good idea, but only a couple have followed up. One was Paul Krausman, President of The Wildlife Society. We matched graduate students from the University of Montana wildlife program with manuscripts where each student served as a reviewer. Students were the third reviewer on manuscripts within their area of interest and expertise. I found the experience to be entirely positive. Student reviews were often the first returned from...