Annual Activity Reports

• 2009 Annual Report
• 2008 Annual Report
• 2007 Annual Report
• 2006 Annual Report
• 2005 Annual Report

Publications

Hanson, L. B., J. B. Grand, et al. (2008). "Change-in-ratio density estimator for feral pigs is less biased than closed mark-recapture estimates." Wildlife Research 35(7): 695-699.

Hanson, L. B., M. S. Mitchell, et al. (2009). "Effect of experimental manipulation on survival and recruitment of feral pigs." Wildlife Research 36(3): 185-191.

Hayer, C. A and E.R. Irwin.  2008.  Influence of Gravel Mining and Other Factors on Detection Probabilities of Coastal Plain Fishes in the Mobile River Basin, Alabama.  Transactions of the American Fisheries Society 137:1606-1620.

Irwin, E. R., K. D. M. Kennedy, M. C. Freeman, J. Peterson and B. J. Freeman.  2009.  Using Aquatic GAP models to prioritize conservation efforts: a framework. GAP Bulletin 16:53-60.

Schamber, J. L., P. L. Flint, et al. (2009). "Population Dynamics of Long-tailed Ducks Breeding on the Yukon-Kuskokwim Delta, Alaska." Arctic 62(2): 190-200.
Publications Pending

Jolley, D. B., S. S. Ditchkoff, B. D. Sparklin, L. B. Hanson, M. S. Mitchell, and J. B. Grand.  In press.  Estimate of herpetofauna depredation by a population of wild pigs.  Journal of Mammalogy 91:519-524.

Mitchell, M.S., Pacifici, L.B., Grand, J.B., Powell, R.A. 2009. Contributions of vital rates to growth of a protected population of black bears.  Ursus 20:2, 77-84

Sakaris, P. C. and E. R. Irwin.  2010.  Tuning stochastic matrix models with hydrologic data to predict the population dynamics of a riverine fish.  Ecological Applications  20:483-496.

Sharp, N. W., M. S. Mitchell, and J. B. Grand. In press.  Sources, sinks, and spatial ecology of cotton mice in longleaf pine stands undergoing restoration. Journal of Mammalogy 90:1440-1448.

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Reports

Hitch, A.T., Grand, J.B., Allen, S.L., and Sharp, N.W. 2008. Habitat use and distributions of birds, small mammals and herpetofauna on the J.D. Martin Skyline Wildlife Management Area, Jackson County, Alabama.  Final Report to Alabama Department of Conservation and Natural Resources.

Kennedy, K.D.M. and E. R. Irwin.  2009.  Patterns of fish and disease occupancy in Wheeler National Wildlife Refuge, Alabama.  Final Report to U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service.

Silvano, A.L, Kleiner, K.J., Grand, J.B. MacKenzie, M.D., Mitchell, M.D., and Irwin, E.R. The Alabama Gap Analysis Project:  Final Report to USGS National Gap Program. Submitted:  September 15, 2009.

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Presentations

Grand, J.B, Kleiner, K.J. A decision support tool for longleaf pine restoration using Southeast Regional GAP data and methodology developed by the East Gulf Coastal Plain Joint Venture. Longleaf Alliance Regional Meeting 29-30 October 2009, Sandestin, FL
Grand, J.B. Integrating ecological principles in conservation design.  USFWS R4 Biologists’s Conference Callaway Gardens, GA 23-25 February 2009 - Invited Speaker

Irwin, E. R. and K. D. M. Kennedy.  January 2009.  Stakeholder involvement: a primary need for successful adaptive management.  Adaptive management and structured decision making:  helping stakeholders make smart decisions about complicated systems symposium.   Spring Meeting of the Southern Division of the American Fisheries Society, New Orleans, Louisiana.  Invited Speaker.

Kennedy, K. D. M. and E. R. Irwin.  January 2009.  The Next Step:  Evaluating and Applying Adaptive Management Monitoring Data for the Tallapoosa River below R.L. Harris Dam.  Adaptive management and structured decision making:  helping stakeholders make smart decisions about complicated systems symposium.  Spring Meeting of the Southern Division of the American Fisheries Society, New Orleans, Louisiana. Invited Speaker.

Irwin, E. R., A. M. Ferrara, K. D. M. Kennedy, P. C. Sakaris, and R. Campbell.  January 2009. Alligator gar conservation in the southeast United States: development of a decision tool for evaluating effects of management on population viability.  Spring Meeting of the Southern Division of the American Fisheries Society, New Orleans, Louisiana. Invited Speaker.

Irwin, E. R.  February 2009.  Using Bayesian Belief Networks as Decision Support Tools for Conservation Planning. USFWS R4 Biologist’s Conference.  Confronting 21st Century Challenges: Strategic Habitat Conservation.  Callaway Gardens, Pine Mountain, Georgia.

Irwin, E. R.  March 2009.  Human Dimensions, Stakeholder Involvement and Objective Setting, Adaptive Management Conference Series, Athens, Georgia.  Invited Speaker.
Martin, B. M. and E. R. Irwin.  January 2009.  Modeling redbreast sunfish nest survival in the regulated Tallapoosa River, Alabama: defining functional responses to discharge and temperature. Spring Meeting of the Southern Division of the American Fisheries Society, New Orleans, Louisiana.

Martin, M. M. and E. R. Irwin.  January 2009.  Population parameters of crayfishes in regulated and unregulated reaches of the Tallapoosa River basin.  Spring Meeting of the Southern Division of the American Fisheries Society, New Orleans, Louisiana.  Poster.

Piper Goar, T. D. and E. R. Irwin.  January 2009.  Effects of fluctuating hydrological regime and water temperature on juvenile channel catfish growth and survival.  Spring Meeting of the Southern Division of the American Fisheries Society, New Orleans, Louisiana. Poster.

Range-wide decision support tool open pine ecosystem conservation. NFWF Power of Flight Meeting Gulfport MS 15-17 April 2009 – Invited Speaker

Decision support tool open pine ecosystem –project update. East Gulf Coastal Plain Management Board Meeting, Holly Springs, MS 25-29 May 2009 - Invited speaker.

Wild Turkey Production Study in Alabama. 35th Annual Southeast Directors’ Wild Turkey Committee Meeting Decatur, AL 9-10 Jun 2009 – Invited speaker

Developing a range-wide decision support tool and tracking database for Open Pine restoration, Lower Mississippi Valley/West Gulf Coastal Plain/Ouachitas Landbird Working Group Meeting, Minden LA 9-10 September, 2009 - Invited Speaker

Moody, A.T., Grand, J.B. Incorporating expert opinion in decision support models for birds in the eastern United States, US regional association of the international association for landscape ecology symposium, Snowbird, UT 12-16 April 2009

Hitch, A.T., Grand, J.B. Sources of variation in detection probability for birds in habitat relationship models in the Cumberland Plateau, AL.  American Ornithologists Union Meeting, Philadelphia, PA 12-15 August 2009

Johnson, C.B., Grand, J.B. The Effects of Wildlife Openings on Bird Communities in the East Gulf Coastal Plain. American Ornithologists Union Meeting, Philadelphia, PA 12-15 August 2009

Moody, A.T., Grand, J.B., Collazo, J.A., Designing landscapes for sustainable bird populations in the southeastern United States American Ornithologists Union Meeting, Philadelphia, PA 12-15 August 2009

Williams, S.G., Grand, J.B., Collazo, J.A, Nichols, J.D., Royle, J.A., Sauer, J.R. Global Climate, Landscape Change and Range Dynamics of Landbirds in Eastern North America. Waterbirds Society Meeting, Texas, Nov 2008

Johnson, C.B., Grand, J.B. The Effects of Wildlife Openings on Bird Communities in the East Gulf Coastal Plain

Damm, P.E., Grand, J.B. Using time-lapse cameras to estimate abundance and structure of Eastern wild turkeys (Meleagris gallopavo sylvesteris) in Alabama. Southeastern Natural Resources Graduate Student Symposium, Starkville, MS

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Recent Graduate Theses and Dissertations

Damm, P.E. 2010. Using automated cameras to estimate wildlife populations. M.S. Thesis, Auburn University.

Johnson, C.B. 2010. The Relationships Between Wildlife Openings and Avian Use and Abundance in the East Gulf Coastal Plain.

Martin, B. M.  2008.  Nest survival, nesting behavior, and bioenergetics of redbreast sunfish on the Tallapoosa River, Alabama.  M.S. Thesis.  Auburn University.

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Awards

Best Poster Award.  Southern Division American Fisheries Society.
Martin, M. M. and E. R. Irwin.  January 2009.  Population parameters of crayfishes in regulated and unregulated reaches of the Tallapoosa River basin.  Spring Meeting of the Southern Division of the American Fisheries Society, New Orleans, Louisiana.  Poster.

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Outreach/Technical Assistance

Dr. Grand

Designing sustainable landscapes – GA 6 Nov 08

Workshop for longleaf remote sensors Auburn, AL November 8, 2009

Structured Decision Making presentation and discussions USFWS, ES office in Panama City, FL 13-14 May 2009

Developing a range-wide decision support tool and tracking database for Longleaf Pine restoration, Auburn, AL 13-14 July 2009

Developing a range-wide decision support tool and tracking database for Longleaf Pine restoration, Auburn, AL 13-14 July 2009

Skyline final report – Montgomery, AL 21 Nov 2009

ICP Project Steering Committee Meeting Auburn, AL 15 January 2009

ICP Project presentation at Auburn Fisheries review Auburn Alabama, 6 February 2009

Selection of focal species and modeling habitat priorities for SAMBI area  - meeting with Atlantic Coast JV Coordinators – 15-16 June, Raleigh NC

Effects of climate change on bird habitat in the Southeastern U.S., Southeastern Association of Fish and Wildlife Agencies Directors’ Meeting, Corpus Christi, TX

USFWS – selection committee for East Gulf Coastal Plain Joint Venture Coordinator October 2008

USFWS Atlanta – Climate Change workshop 30 January 2009

PVA analysis for Steller’s Eider for USFWS R7 ES

Structured Decision Making Workshop – Balancing game and non-game wildlife objectives on the Skyline Wildlife Management Area, Shepherdstown, WV 10-14 August & several pre- and post-workshop teleconferences

Structured Decision making presentation/workshop for Eider Recovery Team 16-20 February 2009

Dr. Irwin

Alligator Gar Management presentation.  January 15, 2009, Alligator Gar Technical Committee, Southern Division, American Fisheries Society.

Adaptive management presentation at Fisheries Review meeting February 6, 2009.

Met with The Nature Conservancy regarding instream flows in the Southeast.   March 23, 2009

Harris Dam project update, ADCNR and APC. March 30, 2009. Prattville, Alabama

Met with The Nature Conservancy and other colleagues regarding a research agenda instream flows in the Southeast.   April 14, 2009

Army Corps of Engineers Water Control Manual Update meeting. April 14, 2009. Discussed Harris Dam project and relevance to Carters Dam.

Harris Dam Stakeholders meeting.  May 26, 2009.  Alexander City, Alabama. 

Structured Decision Making Workshop – Balancing game and non-game wildlife objectives on the Skyline Wildlife Management Area, Shepherdstown, WV 10-14 August & several pre- and post-workshop teleconferences

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International Activities

Dr. Irwin

Submitted NSF proposal in the PIRE program (Partnerships for International Research and Education: 3 selected for submission from AU).  Linking nutrients, natural resources and floodplain ecosystem dynamics: landscape ecology of the Caño Negro National Wildlife Refuge, Costa Rica.  Collaborators were from AU Outreach, Education, School of Forestry and Wildlife Sciences, Civil Engineering and Fisheries.  A private industry (Spectir) and three other Universities were involved:  Internacional Universidad Nacional of Costa Rica, Nichols State (LA), and University of Arkansas, Pine Bluff. 

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Teaching

Dr.  Grand

Courses

•   WILD 7950  Analysis of Wildlife Populations (7 students; 3 hrs)

Directed Studies

•   Intro to GIS (1 student; 3 hrs)
•   Occupancy Analysis (1 student; 2 hrs)
•   Use of focal species for coservation planning (1 student; 2 hrs)

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