Florida Cooperative Fish and Wildlife Research Unit Annual Report January – December 2008
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Florida Cooperative Fish and Wildlife Research Unit Annual Report January – December 2008 We dedicate this Annual Report to Dr. Wiley M. Kitchens 2 COOPERATING AGENCIES: FLORIDA FISH AND WILDLIFE CONSERVATION COMMISSION UNIVERSITY OF FLORIDA U.S. FISH & WILDLIFE SERVICE U.S. GEOLOGICAL SURVEY WILDLIFE MANAGEMENT INSTITUTE The Foundation for the Gator Nation 3 Table of Contents Introduction ................................................................................................................................................................... 5 Mission Statement ......................................................................................................................................................... 6 Coordinating Committee Members ............................................................................................................................... 7 Cooperators .................................................................................................................................................................... 8 Students and Personnel ............................................................................................................................................... 10 2008 Project Descriptions.......................................................................................................................................... 15 Snail Kite Population Studies: Demography, Population Trends, and Dispersal Relative to Environment Correlates, and Habitat Studies ....................................................................................... 16 Surveys of Snail Kite Breeding and Habitat Use in the Upper St. Johns River Basin .............................................. 16 Continued Snail Kite Monitoring Studies: Demographic, Population Growth, Extinction, and ............................. 17 Radio Telemetry and Mark-Recapture Studies of Demographic, Movement, and Population ................................ 17 To Document Floral & faunal Succession Following Alternative Habitat ............................................................... 18 Wildlife Usage at Development on Spoil Islands In Lake Tohopekaliga, FL .......................................................... 19 Assessing the Effects of Coastline Alteration on Sea Turtle Nesting & Faunal Assemblages ................................. 20 Assessment of Beach Compaction & Associated Effects on Loggerhead Sea Turtles ............................................. 20 Adaptive Habitat Management for FL Scrub-Jays at Merritt Island Nat’l Wildlife Refuge .................................... 22 Development of Unmanned Aerial Vehicles for Assessment of Wildlife Populations............................................. 34 Southeastern Adaptive Management Group (SEAMG) ............................................................................................ 25 American Alligator Distribution, Size, and Hole Occupancy & American Crocodile YR2 ..................................... 25 Experimental Evaluation of a Habitat Enhancement Project –Gant Lake ................................................................ 26 Effects of Environmental Mercury Exposure on Development & Repro of White Ibises ....................................... 28 Monitoring of Wading Bird Reproduction In WCAS 1,2,3 of the Everglades ......................................................... 29 Wading Bird Colony Location, Size, Timing and Wood Stork Nesting Success .................................................... 30 Historic Pond Restoration in the Florida Panther Nat’l Wildlife Refuge ................................................................. 31 Directing Succession Through Adaptive Mgmt in Nat’l Wildlife Refuges: ............................................................. 32 Rapid Delineation of Provenance for Florida Sea Oats Used for Beach & Dune Stabilization ................................ 34 Status, Ecology, and Conservation of Rare and Endangered Florida Orchidaceae-Bletia purpurea ........................ 35 Determination of Population diversity in the Florida Endangered Orchid Cytopodium punctatum ........................ 36 Techniques for Field Establishment & Reintroduction of Calopogon tuberosus ..................................................... 37 Conservation of S. Florida’s Orchids ....................................................................................................................... 38 Seed Ecology, Habitat Characterization & Reintroduction Methods of Rare .......................................................... 39 Factors Affecting Population Density & Harvest of Northern Bobwhite ................................................................. 41 Evaluating Decomposition dynamics, Community Composition, & Ridge-Top ...................................................... 42 Regional Distribution of Soil Nutrients: Hierarchical Soil Nutrient Mapping ......................................................... 43 Lake Apopka N. Shore Restoration -Alligator ........................................................................................................ 44 Lake Apopka N. Shore restoration -Amphibian ....................................................................................................... 45 Science Fellowship for Assessment of Coastal Habitats .......................................................................................... 46 Ecology & Conservation of Snowy Plovers In The Florida Panhandle .................................................................... 47 Structured Decision Making, Ecological Thresholds & Establishment ................................................................... 48 An Assessment of Gulf Sturgeon Population Status in the Gulf of Mexico ............................................................ 49 Technical Assistance For Continuing Development of Content for Focal Species .................................................. 50 Evaluating Endocrine Disruption in Fish Exposed to Waters at Turkey Creek ........................................................ 51 Spectral and Response Assessment of Turtle-Friendly Lighting Study ................................................................... 52 Monitoring for St. Joseph Peninsula beach Restoration Project .............................................................................. 54 Demographic, Movement, and Habitat of the Endangered Snail Kite in Response to Operational Plans ............... 56 ERDC Participation in 2008 USACE UAS Program ............................................................................................... 57 Supplement to “Directing Succession Through Adaptive Management in Nat’l Wildlife Refuges:Reed Canary ... 58 An Assessment of the Use of Unmanned Aerial systems for Surveys of Wading Birds in the Everglades ............. 59 Monitoring of Wading Bird Reproduction in WCAS 1,2, and 3 of the Everglades – UAV .................................... 60 Effects of Climate change on Barrier Island Habitat and Nesting Sea turtles ......................................................... 60 Completed Projects ...................................................................................................................................................... 61 2008 Theses and Dissertations ..................................................................................................................................... 75 2008 Publications ........................................................................................................................................................ 75 2008 Presentations ...................................................................................................................................................... 76 2008 Technical Reports ............................................................................................................................................... 76 4 FLORIDA COOPERATIVE FISH AND WILDLIFE RESEARCH UNIT INTRODUCTION The Florida Cooperative Fish and Wildlife Research Unit was established in 1979 as one of the first combined units. The purpose of the Florida Unit is to provide for active cooperation in the advancement, organization, and conduct of scholarly research and training in the field of fish and wildlife sciences, principally through graduate education and research at the University of Florida. The Florida Unit has the mission to study wetland ecosystems within the state. Florida is a low relief, sub-tropical peninsula that is ecologically fragile. Though abundant, Florida’s water resources are under increasing pressure from a burgeoning human population. Domestic, recreational, and development needs threaten Florida’s water / wetland resources. In following its program directive, the Florida Unit has developed a research program, that addresses management issues with approaches spanning species to ecosystem perspectives. Specifically, this Unit conducts detailed investigations of aquatic-terrestrial ecosystem interfaces and their component fish and wildlife resources. Between 1979 and 2008, over 297 projects totaling more than $42.8 million were funded through the Unit. These projects covered a wide variety of fish, wildlife, and ecosystem subjects and have involved 49 line, affiliate, and adjunct faculty members as principal and co-principal investigators. Unit staff have their own research projects which accounted for about 1/3 of the total effort. Projects associated