2025 Midwest Fish & Wildlife Conference

Pre-registration and additional fees are required for participation. If you signed up online, you will receive a ticket in your registration materials.

Fee: Student -$30; Professional - $60
(lunch on own)

Contact: Shaley Valentine, Post Doctoral Researcher, Ohio State University, shaleyvalentine@gmail.com

Overview:
This workshop will introduce participants to fundamentals of creating static and interactive maps using R statistical software. We will focus on the process of wrangling spatial data, integrating spatial data into maps, and mapping aesthetics. We will use the dplyr package to learn the process of wrangling spatial data as well as Tmap and Leaflet to create both static and dynamic maps. These packages use formatting that is consistent across the Tidyverse and the functions are relatively user friendly because they read as explanatory text. The benefit of using R or other coding languages for creating maps is that the workflow is reproduceable and easily altered for future project iterations. We will use fisheries and wildlife spatial datasets to maximize applicability of material to participants.
Writing code in any language takes practice, so this workshop is meant to learn the coding process while thinking about the data wrangling needs to produce maps. Using this process, the goal of this workshop is for participants to increase their proficiency in coding and be able to apply the material to their own projects in the future. To achieve this goal, the workshop is set-up as modules that include walkthrough explanations and guided examples followed by independent or team exercises applying the walk-through code to new data. Each module and exercise will build off previous modules to reinforce material. Participants must bring a laptop with R and RStudio (free software) already downloaded. Participants should have some experience with R or another coding language such as Python and understand basic applications of spatial data.

Intended Audience: This workshop is intended for students and professionals who have some experience using R or other coding language such as Python and some familiarity with spatial data applications.

AUTHORS:  Ben Lubinski, Illinois Dept of Natural Resources - Fisheries; Heidi Keuler, U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service; Jodi Whittier, University of Missouri - Columbia

ABSTRACT:  Locally led, neighbor to neighbor soil health and watershed groups are driving landscape scale change across the Upper Mississippi River Basin. Fishers & Farmers Partnership (FFP) funded their first farmer-led committee project in the Bourbeuse/Meramec Watershed in eastern Missouri in 2009-2010 and has awarded over 60 projects throughout the Upper Mississippi River Basin. FFP has learned and grown with landowner groups in Iowa, Illinois, Minnesota, Missouri, and Wisconsin, and has been a catalyst to drive innovative projects such as the Fishers & Farmers workshops for farmer-led groups. Each year FFP awards National Fish Habitat Partnership funds to engage landowners; improve farms and fish habitat; address root causes of watershed problems; and support communications, monitoring, and science that aligns with FFP's strategic plan. FFP works with local farmers and organizations in a bottom-up versus top-down approach to address specific agriculture-related problems more effectively. FFP communication efforts help farmers and organizations share knowledge and experiences, explore resources, and become energized and inspired by their neighbors.

AUTHORS: Jen Wahls, Landscape Connections LLC, Minnesota Forest Resources Council Southeast Landscape Committee and Winona La Crescent Local Forestry Team

ABSTRACT: The landscape of Southeastern Minnesota is a mosaic of steep woodlands, cropland, pasture, and coldwater streams. Ninety-five percent of land is in private ownership. Private landowners are integral to conservation work; however, they are often left out of planning efforts. The Southeast Landscape Plan and the Winona La Crecent Comprehensive Watershed Plan guide conservation work in this geography. The Local Forestry Team (LFT), a pilot for MN launched on in early 2024, is made up of professionals representing MN Department of Natural Resources Division of Forestry, Soil & Water Conservation Districts, consulting foresters, Natural Resource Conservation Service, Board of Water & Soil Resources, industry, private landowners and non-governmental organizations who work locally and collaboratively. The LFT plans, coordinates, and implements forestry conservation work with private landowners, building on previous efforts by many partners. By coordinating programs and resources with many partners and through building relationships at the community level, the Local Forestry Team effectively and efficiently serves private landowners interested in conservation and forestry work. The LFT launched the ReInvest in Minnesota Blufflands program, a pilot that was developed overtime by local professionals with input from private landowners. The conservation easement program reflects landowner interest and fits the geography we work in. This presentation will detail each component of this critical work that benefits a wide range of resources including water quality, important upland and in-stream habitat.

AUTHORS:  Michael Siepker, Iowa Department of Natural Resources

ABSTRACT:  In northeast Iowa, there are numerous opportunities for aquatic conservation, particularly with over 500 miles of streams that provide habitat for coldwater aquatic communities. Many of these streams are located on private property and could greatly benefit from improvements to riparian and instream habitats. The Iowa Department of Natural Resources (DNR) collaborates with landowners, conservation groups, and other government agencies to enhance public fishing access to coldwater streams through voluntary agreements or easement acquisitions. Additionally, efforts are made to protect and enhance water quality and stream habitat by establishing conservation easements along streams, reshaping streambanks to reduce pollutants entering the streams, and installing instream habitat for fishes. Each opportunity necessitates a unique approach to secure funding, develop the work plan, and successfully execute the project. Since 2019, the Iowa DNR has effectively partnered with various stakeholders and invested about $4 million into Iowa coldwater conservation efforts.

AUTHORS: Josh Balk. Iowa Department of Natural Resources

ABSTRACT: For 20 years now, the Dry Run Creek Watershed Improvement Project in Cedar Falls, Iowa has worked to implement beneficial conservation practices throughout its diverse landscape. These efforts are to address local water quality issues, including a stream biological impairment (both diversity and quantity of benthic macroinvertebrates and fish populations). Primarily targeting urban stormwater runoff with connected impervious surfaces as well as stream sedimentation from soil erosion, this has created partnership opportunities with landowners from many different walks of life. Through these efforts, measurable progress is being made in the overall health of the watershed. Scopes have expanded to integrate community volunteers, climate mitigation practices, habitat improvement, and more. This presentation will focus on the accomplishments of the watershed project, the challenges along the way, plans for the future, as well as actionable steps that can be replicated elsewhere to achieve similar goals.

AUTHORS: Jill Kostel, PhD, Water Resources Program Director, The Wetlands Initiative; Jean McGuire, Field Outreach Specialist, The Wetlands Initiative; Jason Bleich, Private Lands Biologist, USFWS – Partners of Fish & Wildlife Program

ABSTRACT: The Wetlands Initiative’s Smart Wetlands program focuses on empowering farmers and agricultural communities to voluntarily reduce their nutrient loss into local drainageways and streams through the implementation of tile-treatment wetlands. To be effective at scale for water quality improvement, tile-treatment wetlands must one day become routine practice across the Midwest. Unfortunately, the adoption of this practice has been slow due to several challenges: lack of familiarity with the practice and its suitability for their farm, high up-front cost of implementation, and absence of a clear/direct incentive for the farmer or landowner in terms of productivity or profitability. To overcome these barriers, the Smart Wetlands team has been developing both targeted individual and advisor outreach approaches and strategic partnerships with both conservation peers and ag-sector organizations to reach a range of audiences. Our collaborative, data-driven outreach strategies provide a model that can be replicated in tile-drained areas across the Midwest to increase adoption of wetland practices and other edge-of-field practices for cleaner water.
Tile-treatment wetlands typically are located at the intersection of subsurface drainage and land at the edge of row-crop fields, where they provide a natural long-term and effective solution to the critical issue of ag nutrient runoff, which impairs waterways and harms fish habitat. Typically, these wetlands are located on less-profitable farmland acres; however, the adjacent unfarmable landscape may provide additional site opportunities. The adjacent landowners can improve downstream water quality, while the wetlands provide enhanced wildlife habitat for recreational activities.
A case study from north-central Illinois, outreach strategies, and management tools will be presented for conservation outreach professionals and technical experts who implement practices that address water quality and natural habitat resource concerns. The case study will focus on a tile-treatment wetland constructed on land next to a row-crop field. The project design focused on improving water quality while creating wildlife habitat for hunting and dog training. To accomplish this project, we created a collaborative community of wetland conservation professionals, including the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, Ducks Unlimited, Pheasants Forever, and the Illinois Land Improvement Contractors Association. The talk will outline how these partnerships came together to successfully build both a tile-treatment wetland and a restored wetland for the landowners and to host three individual outreach and education events at the site in 2022.

AUTHORS: Brandon Iddings, Iowa Soybean Association

ABSTRACT: Showcase Iowa's unique partnership between public-private organizations and private landowners/farmers to recover the endangered Topeka Shiner. The Iowa Soybean Association, The Nature Conservancy, US Fish and Wildlife Service, US Department of Agriculture, Iowa Department of Agriculture and Land Stewardship, and private landowners have been restoring oxbows since 2001 benefiting water quality, and wildlife habitats. With hundreds of restorations completed statewide to create new habitat.
Crop commodity groups are helping push conservation in Iowa and having huge success working with diverse partners. Demonstrate voluntary efforts of landowners and identify how farmer driven outreach can reduce your outreach efforts while growing your projects. Show the benefits to the farmers/landowners as well as the fish and wildlife in these ecosystems.

AUTHORS: Beth Baranski - Jo Daviess County, Illinois

ABSTRACT: Residents in the farthest northwest corner of Illinois are using shared learning combined with cooperative and voluntary problem solving to address local water resource management issues. A long-term, volunteer-based effort has been used to establish working relationships between individuals and entities impacting water resources in the county. The collaborative efforts between scientists, local non-profits and a farmer-led group have resulted in a project design that serves as a scalable model for addressing water resource management issues.

Jo Daviess County is located in the "Driftless Area." Bypassed by ice-age glaciers, the rugged landscape is characterized by erosional valleys that have been cut down through this karst terrain. In the Illinois Nutrient Loss Reduction Strategy, agriculture is cited as the primary source of nutrients lost to the Mississippi River. The complex hydrogeology and steep slopes in this area make attempts to understand and address run-off and nutrient loss issues difficult. However, much work has been done to establish the character and function of the hydrogeology and to quantify the anthropomorphic impact on both surface and ground water quality.

Inspired and supported by the U.S. Fish & Wildlife Services Watershed Leaders Network/Fishers and Farmers Partnership, a farmer-led group was formed in the Galena area to work on water resource management issues. There has been a movement in the agricultural community to pursue the resolution of water quality issues, but it seems clear that the best conversations take place on this topic when "soil health" is the focus. The potential environmental benefits have increased dramatically, and improved dialogue has resulted in many unanticipated social benefits.

AUTHORS: Rob Pulliam, The Nature Conservancy - Missouri

ABSTRACT: The goal of the presentation is to share with participants how our team used concepts from commercial and social marketing to create what we call Conservation Marketing. As a working definition, Conservation Marketing is a planning, communication, and implementation process designed to deliver value for targeted customers through conservation products and services they desire and trust that benefits the biological, habitat, and socio-economic needs of a community in priority landscapes. By using a facilitated Conservation Marketing planning process, Shoal Creek Woodlands for Wildlife (SCWW) representative landowners developed their vision and mission statements; identified and prioritized their natural resource issues; helped determine solutions to their issues; and ultimately approved their marketing action plan. To date, hundreds of Best-Management-Practices have been implemented by private landowners and millions of dollars have flowed into the SCWW geography. In 2022, SCWW was recognized by the National Fish Habitat Initiative as a “10 Waters to Watch”.

AUTHORS: Sarah Molinaro, Illinois Natural History Survey at University of Illinois;
Kristen Ragusa, Illinois Natural History Survey at University of Illinois;
William Nixon, Illinois Natural History Survey at University of Illinois;
Yong Cao, Illinois Natural History Survey at University of Illinois

ABSTRACT: The Illinois Conservation Reserve Enhancement Program (CREP) is a partnership between the US Department of Agriculture Farm Service Agency (FSA), Illinois Department of Natural Resources (IDNR), and the county Soil and Water Conservation Districts (SWCD) that aims to reduce sediment and nutrient runoff, improve water quality, and create and enhance critical habitat for fish and wildlife populations on private lands in the Illinois River and Kaskaskia River basins. In exchange for voluntarily removing frequently flooded and environmentally sensitive cropland from production, landowners receive compensation to implement conservation practices that support the goals of CREP. Since CREP was established in the Illinois River (1998) and Kaskaskia River (2010) basins, 1,324 parcels totaling 90,000 acres have been enrolled into conservation practices. Biennially, the CREP Aquatic Life Monitoring Project conducts wadeable stream surveys at fixed stream sites to monitor progress towards CREP’s aquatic life goal and evaluate how CREP affects stream habitat, fish communities, and benthic macroinvertebrate communities. In this talk, I will present a summary of conservation practices implemented by CREP and initial CREP Aquatic Life Monitoring Project results. I will also discuss next steps for the CREP Aquatic Life Monitoring Project and lessons learned working with private landowners.

AUTHORS: Tharran Hobson, The Nature Conservancy; Shelly Morris, The Nature Conservancy

ABSTRACT: The Nature Conservancy with partners began exploring options for landowners in the 17,000 acre floodplain site known locally as Dog Tooth Bend on the Mississippi River in Illinois. Increased flooding in the area has made agriculture almost impossible and changed the landscape. With partners TNC is implementing restoration measures as natural infrastructure to mitigate flood impacts locally and beyond.

AUTHORS: Melissa B Youngquist, John G. Shedd Aquarium

ABSTRACT: This opening talk will welcome attendees to the Midwest PARC symposium and provide an overview of Partners in Amphibian and Reptile Conservation (PARC) and the midwestern regional group, Midwest PARC.

AUTHORS: Jeffrey T. Briggler, Missouri Department of Conservation

ABSTRACT: Missouri is home for 117 native species of amphibians and reptiles with 33 considered species of conservation concern. Six species of conservation concern (i.e., Hellbenders, Western Chicken Turtles, Blanding’s Turtles, Yellow Mud Turtles, Mississippi Green Watersnakes, and Massasaugas) are listed as state endangered. These species occur in a variety of habitats (e.g., upland and bottomland grasslands, Ozark Highlands rivers and streams, bottomland, forested swamps, etc.). Most of these species have declined due to loss of terrestrial and wetland habitats throughout Missouri. Considerable effort has been devoted to the management and recovery of many of these species for decades. An overview of their status and conservation efforts will be presented with other interesting highlights.

AUTHORS: Justin M. Elden, Saint Louis Zoo

ABSTRACT: The Saint Louis Zoo has a longstanding commitment to both in situ and ex situ conservation efforts for reptiles and amphibians across the globe. From the highlands of Western Asia to the streams of the Ozarks, the Zoo takes pride in being a conservation-focused institution. This presentation provides an overview of the Zoo's Herpetology department conservation initiatives, highlighting both local and international projects, with a focus on their in situ and ex situ contributions to the preservation of vital species.

AUTHORS: J. DAREN RIEDLE1, DAY B. LIGON2, AND TREVOR STARKS1
1Kansas Department of Wildlife and Parks
2Missouri State University


ABSTRACT: The Neosho and Verdigris rivers were once major corridors for movement of Alligator Snapping Turtles between Oklahoma and Kansas. Historic harvest and the proliferation of impoundments in both states resulted in highly fragmented and reduced populations. Alligator Snapping Turtles have long been considered extirpated from Kansas. The last known living Alligator Snapping Turtle in Kansas was outfitted with transmitters and released in 1991 and has not been located since 1992. A series of surveys were conducted in Kansas from 2016-2020, but no individuals were captured. In concert with these survey efforts a Programmatic Agreement, which includes a Safe Harbor Agreement and Candidate Conservation Agreement, that allows our agency to enter into agreements with private landowners. Using habitat information collected during survey work several interested landowners with adequate habitat were identified and agreed to come on as signatories to our programmatic agreement. In Fall of 2024, forty, 6–10-year-old head-started turtles were released on a Segment of the Neosho River in eastern Kansas. An additional 60 turtles will be released in Spring 2025. The initial 40 turtles will be monitored via ultrasonic and radio-telemetry. Depending on the success of the initial releases, future releases will be planned for the Verdigris River drainage.

AUTHORS: Callie Klatt Golba, Peggy Notebaert Nature Museum of the Chicago Academy of Sciences; Gary Glowacki, Lake County Forest Preserve District; Kathryn McCabe, Lake County Forest Preserve District; Richard King, Northern Illinois University

ABSTRACT: Reintroduction is a tool used in conservation biology to establish a new population of previously extirpated species. It is often necessary when habitat fragmentation prevents natural reestablishment. In freshwater turtle species, reintroduction is becoming more common, but due to their longevity, continued monitoring and adaptive management is necessary to properly assess success. From 2020 to 2022, 175 headstarted Blanding’s Turtles were reintroduced at a recently restored site in Lake County, Illinois. The plan was to continue releases to meet or exceed an adult population size indicative of resiliency (Adult N ≥ 50) and maximize genetic diversity. Follow-up monitoring revealed lower than expected survival due to high predation. Releases were halted after detection of a shell rot fungus among captives in 2022. To determine the best strategy going forward, we used population viability analysis to compare release scenarios that differed in the age at release (direct release of hatchlings, 1st year headstarts, 2nd year headstarts), the number released, and the implementation of predator removal. Releases of older headstarts with concurrent predator removal were projected to result in the largest population size. Increasing number of egg donors resulted in relatively small effects on allelic richness, genetic diversity, and inbreeding. Results from the initial years of an experimental reintroduced population demonstrate the utility of continued monitoring to guide adaptive management in wildlife conservation.

AUTHORS: Elizabeth M. Lang* – Department of Natural Resource Ecology and Management, Iowa State University

Dr. Stephen J. Dinsmore – Department of Natural Resource Ecology and Management, Iowa State University

Dr. Anna M. Tucker – U.S. Geological Survey, Iowa Cooperative Fish and Wildlife Research Unit, Iowa State University

Dr. Karen E. Kinkead – Iowa Department of Natural Resources

ABSTRACT: Blanding’s turtles (Emydoidea blandingii) are declining throughout their range due to habitat fragmentation, road mortality, and nest depredation. They have high adult and juvenile survival and varying hatchling survival and fecundity rates. In Iowa, there is little knowledge about current vital rates among Blanding’s populations, so land managers do not know which management actions will be most effective to reverse declines. Determining the outcomes of conservation is vital to land managers to plan efficiently and cost-effectively. To bridge this knowledge gap, we monitored six Blanding’s populations from June 2020 to August 2024. These projects offer preliminary vital rates that we used to model population viability under several management scenarios. We developed an age-based matrix model and conducted a literature review to parameterize the model. When using vital rates from published studies we modeled an Iowa population that is declining slowly (λ = 0.98). In Iowa, there is a concern about small, isolated populations, lower hatchling survival, and lower fecundity rates than those noted in other studies. We developed multiple scenarios representing these hypotheses for the Iowa population as well as potential management actions, including head starting, nest protection, and habitat improvement. We compare projected population sizes and growth rate with cost of implementation to aid managers with identifying the most cost-effective conservation strategy for this imperiled species.

AUTHORS: Allison Sacerdote-Velat, Chicago Academy of Sciences

ABSTRACT: Smooth Greensnakes (Opheodrys vernalis) are small-bodied, oviparous, grassland dependent colubrids, that are declining throughout much of the Midwest due to grassland loss and degradation. We used a before-after-control-impact (BACI) approach to examine effects of prescribed fire, burn interval, and mowing for shrub control, on Smooth Greensnake detection, and nesting activity. This approach parses out temporal effects from management effects. Pre-management data were collected in two grassland sites from multiple long-term monitoring plots. Prescribed fire and mowing were implemented across study plots in both grasslands while maintaining unmanaged plots as controls. Smooth Greensnake detection was greater in post-burn plots than in the control or mowed plots. However, nest abundance decreased following burning, and did not reach pre-management levels until after two to three years of post-burn recovery. In contrast, Smooth Greensnakes continued to nest in post-mow plots with no difference in nest abundance pre- and post-mowing. In Site 1, snake detection and nest abundance did not differ between the control and the mowed plot. In Site 2, willow encroachment in the control plot reduced Smooth Greensnake activity overall. Subsequent burns occurred in Site 2, one year after the initial burn, and in Site 1, three years after the initial burn, allowing further examination of the effects of fire interval. Again, we observed greater snake detection, but reduced nest abundance following the burns. Burning significantly reduced nesting activity for Smooth Greensnakes, which we attribute to the loss of vegetative thatch, which may help retain critical moisture in nesting sites. These results have conservation implications for recruitment based on fire intervals and the extent of burn units. Snake responses to habitat management may be influenced by aspects of reproductive requirements, reiterating the need for a mosaic-approach to management, and including variation in fire intervals in managed grasslands.

AUTHORS: Nicholas F Sekits, Department of Biology, Loyola University Chicago; Sara Ruane, Field Museum of Natural History; Joseph R. Milanovich, Department of Biology, Loyola University Chicago

ABSTRACT: Midwestern snake populations are in decline therefore an understanding of their ecology is paramount. This understanding is often lacking since snakes are cryptic and difficult to capture. Many sampling techniques have arisen to combat this such as drift fence-trap configurations and coverboards with varying levels of investment for researchers. Our study examined whether time of sampling, type of coverboard (rubber mats or carpet squares), and temperature influenced the number of captures or size of individuals at capture for two common species of snakes found in northern Indiana, Common Gartersnake (Thamnophis sirtalis) and Dekay’s Brownsnakes (Storeria dekayi). We deployed 30 coverboards (20 carpet and 10 rubber mats) at 20 sites across a 12-county area in northern Indiana. Coverboards were checked every 14 to 28 days and all snakes captured were identified and measured. We used general linear models to examine what factors predicted captures and size at capture. Our results show that month significantly predicted captures of T. sirtalis, but not S. dekayi, where T. sirtalis were captured at higher rates in July and August compared to April, May and June. Size of snakes at capture was predicted by month for both T. sirtalis and S. dekayi (and temperature for T. sirtalis) with captured snakes being significantly smaller in August compared to other months. We found no significant difference in captures between coverboard types. These results suggest both species show no preference between board types, T. sirtalis use cover at higher rates in July and August, and utilization of cover by larger snakes of both species declines in August.

AUTHORS: Autumn Straessle; Bruce Kingsbury

ABSTRACT: Severed landscapes and habitat fragmentation can result from anthropogenic effects and climate change on habitat. These fragmentations can have lasting negative effects on surrounding species, especially reptiles. Wood Turtle populations are experiencing a decline due to dwindling habitat, making research for management and conservation crucial to their survival. My research aims to observe the movement patterns of these turtles throughout suitable habitats and developed land within Michigan. To accomplish this, I will attach GPS units to individual turtles to gather data on preferred habitats and movement. This data will be used to identify corridors and possible barriers that can aid in conservation. This data will also be used to construct maps using ArcGIS to visualize patterns of movement and connectivity.

AUTHORS: Thanchira Suriyamongkol, Southern Illinois University; Brent Pease, Southern Illinois University; James Zaczek, Southern Illinois University; Jon Schoonover, Southern Illinois University; Clayton Nielsen; Southern Illinois University; John Groninger, Southern Illinois University

ABSTRACT: Destruction of wetlands reduced vegetation cover and habitat structures, which negatively impacted herpetofauna populations. Giant cane (Arundinaria gigantea) forms dense monodominant patches (canebrakes), once a prominent wetland feature throughout the lower Mississippi Valley. Although high herpetofauna richness is associated with landscape where canebrakes remain abundant, specific relationships between herpetofauna and canebrakes remain poorly studied. We conducted herpetofauna inventory and evaluated the influence of giant cane on herpetofauna richness and habitat use from April to June, 2022 and 2023 at 64 sites in southwestern Illinois, USA, using area search method. We detected 225 individual herpetofauna of 24 species, with17 species in canebrakes and 22 species in non-canebrakes. We examined differences in herpetofauna richness and communities between canebrakes and non-canebrakes using an analysis of variance (ANOVA) and a non-metric multidimensional scaling (NMDS) based on Bray-Curtis dissimilarity. We also assessed the occupancy probabilities of herpetofauna using a community occupancy model. Species richness was not significantly different between canebrakes and non-canebrakes (p = 0.42). The NMDS analysis revealed no differences in herpetofauna community between canebrakes and non-canebrakes. However, frogs (e.g., Hyla spp. and Lithobates spp.) were more commonly in areas with dense canebrake and herbaceous cover, while reptiles and salamanders (e.g., Eurycea spp. and Plethodon spp.) were associated with contiguous forest cover. Overall herpetofauna occupancy increased in areas with 1) increased canebrake density, 2) more canopy closure and tree density, 3) less ground vegetation cover, and 4) farther from road, forest edge, agriculture, and open water source. Current canebrakes structure, which are sparse and fragmented, might explain the lack of strong influence of canebrake on herpetofauna communities. However, variations in the relationship patterns between herpetofauna and other habitat components were expected given diverse life histories among species. Therefore, maintaining habitat heterogeneity and managing other microhabitat components in wetlands are important for conservation of herpetofauna.

AUTHORS: Madelynn M. Sinclair, University of Chicago; Michelle E. Thompson, San Diego Natural History Museum; Thomas G. Anton, The Field Museum; Sara Ruane, The Field Museum

ABSTRACT: Will County is the most herpetologically rich county in northeastern Illinois, with 18 amphibian and 25 reptile species known to occur in the region. It is also home to the extensive Forest Preserve District of Will County, which has grown steadily since its founding in 1927 and now covers 23,119 acres of land. However, Will County is becoming increasingly urbanized, and many of the preserves border or are surrounded by residential and industrial development. Beginning in 2022, we have been conducting resurveys of these forest preserves to learn how the herpetofauna of Will County has survived, thrived, or been displaced since the last comprehensive compilation in 2015 (which was primarily based on surveys from 1986-2009). We present here the results of these ongoing surveys, summarizing our observations thus far of the relative abundance and distribution of amphibians and reptiles in comparison to historical datasets. We have, so far, collected tissue and/or vouchers of 15 amphibian and 24 reptile species. These modern records may inform management efforts on how their work is affecting local amphibians and reptiles. We have also added dozens of specimens and hundreds of tissues to the collection of the Field Museum of Natural History in Chicago, helping create a library of modern voucher and genetic materials for work on midwestern amphibian and reptile diversity.

AUTHORS: Jean-Baptiste Johnson, Purdue University Fort Wayne, Bruce Kingsbury. Purdue University Fort Wayne.

ABSTRACT: This study’s goal is to understand the ecology and dynamics of a population of Chelydra serpentina (Common Snapping Turtle) in an urban riverine environment. Wildlife evolving in an urban environment may encounter challenges and disturbances due to anthropogenic activities and infrastructure such as bridges, levees, or boat ramps. It is important to understand the interactions between wildlife and infrastructure in order to limit the impact of development on the local ecosystems.

To collect data for this study, hoop net traps are used to catch turtles. Each turtle is processed which means various types of morphological data is recorded, and the shell is marked for future identification during re-capture.

Select individual Common Snappers are fitted with a VHF transmitter in order to be tracked for a year. Tracking data will provide info on preferred locations for foraging, nesting, and overwintering. Once enough tracking data is obtained, probability of occurrence can be mapped based on the characteristics of the habitat.

Habitat characteristics may include density of vegetation, type of soil on shore, slope of the shore, presence of infrastructure, etc. which may impact turtle movements and behavior.

I expect to find that turtles avoid areas where infrastructure is present due to reduced cover for hiding and foraging, and poor quality substrate. I also expect to find that turtles spend more times in locations offering dense vegetation cover and natural basking sites such as downed trees.

AUTHORS: Thomas L Anderson, Department of Biological Sciences, Southern Illinois University Edwardsville



ABSTRACT: Documenting species occurrences in different habitat patches across spatiotemporal gradients is critical for understanding demographic trends. Species occurrence information also can help inform management actions by determining what patches constitute consistently occupied areas versus more infrequently used areas. Identification of the drivers of consistently occupied patches is also critical to infer high quality habitats. We monitored the occurrence of ringed (Ambystoma annulatum), a Species of Conservation Concern, and marbled (A. opacum) salamanders across an 11-year period (2012-2022) at Fort Leonard Wood, Missouri. We surveyed 55 wetlands for the presence of each species during the larval period using a combination of minnow traps and dipnets. We analyzed occupancy using single-species multi-season occupancy models from the spOccupancy package in R. We compared the fit of spatial models, which account of spatial autocorrelation in state processes, with non-spatial models. We use a combination of habitat variables (e.g., canopy cover and hydroperiod) and climatic variables (e.g., drought or winter severity) to predict occupancy patterns. We found that non-spatial models fit the data better than the spatial models for both species. Using the non-spatial models, both species showed significant declines in occupancy over time. For marbled salamanders, occupancy probabilities were higher in years with reduced drought severity indices (i.e., wetter conditions) and semi-permanent wetlands compared to permanent wetlands. For ringed salamanders, occupancy probabilities tended to be higher in permanent wetlands, but no other habitat features or climate variables strongly affected ringed salamander occupancy. Further research on aspects of potential declines in these species’ occupancy at this study site are needed to identify potential mechanisms.

AUTHORS: Melissa B. Youngquist, John G. Shedd Aquarium

ABSTRACT: Many wetland species are reliant upon predictable patterns of precipitation for breeding and recruitment. However, climate change models show that unpredictable precipitation may become the new normal. And while many studies have investigated the effects of global warming on amphibian phenology, few have investigated effects of changed precipitation patterns. Between 2020-2024, the Chicago area experience a wide range of annual precipitation patterns. Notably, 2021 and 2023 had winter and spring droughts followed by extreme precipitation in mid-summer that refilled some wetlands. Here, I report the phenological breeding response of six amphibian species to various patterns of annual precipitation. Boreal chorus frogs (Pseudacris maculata) and American toads (Anaxyrus americanus) seemed to have a high degree of plasticity in breeding phenology - I documented delayed and repeated breeding by these species in drought years when wetlands refilled in late June – mid July. However, species with explosive breeding strategies did not show delayed or repeated breeding. Overall, this study highlights the potential adaptability of some species to changes in patterns of precipitation.

AUTHORS: Neil R. Balchan1, Owen M. Edwards1,2, Yucheol Shin3,4, Kaleb M. Banks1, Michael S. Reichert1, Bo Zhang1, Damien Esquerré51 Department of Integrative Biology, Oklahoma State University, Stillwater, OK 74078, USA

2 Oklahoma Biological Survey, University of Oklahoma, Norman, OK 73019, USA

3 Richard Gilder Graduate School, American Museum of Natural History, Central Park West at 79th Street, New York, NY 10024, USA

4 Department of Herpetology, Division of Vertebrate Zoology, American Museum of Natural History, Central Park West at 79th Street, New York, NY 10024, USA

5 School of Earth, Atmospheric and Life Sciences, University of Wollongong, Wollongong, NSW 2522, Australia

ABSTRACT: The crawfish frog (R. areolata) is an ecologically enigmatic species that is endemic to the United States and is of conservation concern throughout most of its range. Despite recent research, little is known about population and landscape genetics of this species. Traditional taxonomic schemes have suggested the presence of a northern and southern subspecies, with an area of contact in Oklahoma. While these subspecies designations were based on morphological descriptions of disparate individuals and likely do not represent range-wide morphological or genetic, they have largely been accepted and used by various agencies. Here, we use genomic data to understand these themes in Oklahoma, with the goals of understanding the patterns of spatial genetics for this species. We use a panel of genome wide single nucleotide polymorphism loci to understand population differentiation, relatedness of individuals across the landscape, and connectivity of populations. We also explore the roles of two proposed biogeographic barriers, the Arkansas and Canadian rivers, in structuring subspecies limits. Finally, we use ecological niche modelling to explore how post-glacial expansion of species ranges might contribute to patterns of current population structure seen in the crawfish frog. Our data reveal that crawfish frogs in Oklahoma exhibit minimal genetic structuring, inconsistent with what would be expected for a contact zone between two evolutionarily significant units. Our models suggest a constrained distribution for this species in southern Texas during the last glacial maximum, and subsequent rapid expansion northward over the last 20,000 years as deglaciation occurred. Conservation approaches should consider the current genetic makeup of crawfish frogs when planning management efforts, and our data suggest little genetic differentiation among populations in northern parts of the current geographic distribution.

AUTHORS: Nate Engbrecht, Indiana Department of Natural Resources, Division of Fish & Wildlife

ABSTRACT: The Crawfish Frog (Lithobates areolatus) is a fossorial, prairie-dwelling species of the central United States that has declined across several parts of its geographic range. Populations east of the Mississippi River have been especially impacted and it was recently designated as a Regional Species of Greatest Conservation Need. Crawfish Frogs are "obligate crayfish burrow dwellers" that spend much of their lives in close association with their primary burrow, often returning to the same burrow following annual breeding migrations in excess of 1 km. The loss of grasslands, wetlands, and impacts to burrows through soil disturbance poses a triple threat to the frog's conservation status. Despite these challenges, Crawfish Frogs have shown a remarkable ability to colonize new areas once suitable habitat is made available, including reclaimed coal mines and military munition testing sites. Emerging data indicate that egg mass translocation may be effective tool for starting new populations at remote or isolated localities. This report provides an overview of Crawfish Frog life history, habitat use, and conservation implications across the species’ Midwestern range.

AUTHORS: J. Daren Riedle
Kansas Department of Wildlife and Parks, Ecological Services Section, Pratt, KS, USA.

ABSTRACT: The Crawfish Frog, Lithobates areolatus, has been known from Kansas since the early 1900’s. They are thought to be locally common in remnant tallgrass prairie, although its relatively brief breeding season and secretive habit of remaining in burrows creates the perception of rarity. The distribution of the species in Kansas appears to range along the eastern edge of the Flint Hills eastward to the Missouri border and south in Oklahoma. The Crawfish Frog was originally listed as Threatened under the Kansas Nongame and Endangered Species Conservation Act of 1975 but was down-listed to a Species In Need of Conservation in 1993. While no systematic surveys have been completed for the species, it is thought that the distribution has changed little, although some evidence has suggested some population declines.

AUTHORS: Kaleb M. Banks, Oklahoma State University; Owen M. Edwards, Oklahoma Biological Survey; Bo Zhang, Oklahoma State University; Michael S. Reichert, Oklahoma State University

ABSTRACT: Crawfish frogs (Rana areolata) are in decline across much of their range, primarily due to habitat loss and degradation from agricultural practices that disrupt prairie ecosystems and soil structure. These declines are most pronounced east of the Mississippi River, where R. areolata has been extirpated from 59% of its historical counties. In Oklahoma it has been over 70 years since Arthur Bragg's 1953 crawfish frog study, and the contemporary distribution and status of the species is unclear. Since much of eastern Oklahoma is characterized by low-intensity agriculture, such as cattle ranching, we hypothesize that crawfish frogs in the region may be less vulnerable to population declines compared to other states. To investigate this, we conducted comprehensive frog call surveys, deployed acoustic recorders, and performed visual encounter surveys to identify new populations. Additionally, we used species distribution modeling to identify suitable habitat. During the 2022 and 2023 seasons, we conducted 754 frog call surveys, identifying crawfish frog populations at 276 sites. Additionally, acoustic recorders and visual encounters confirmed frogs at 27 more sites, bringing the total to 303. Our surveys verified populations in all 23 counties originally documented by Bragg, along with four new county records. Our species distribution model identified annual rainfall and the percentage of untilled prairie as the most significant variables influencing crawfish frog range. These findings suggest that low-intensity cattle ranching and lack of tilled soil are likely contributing to this species' success in Oklahoma.

AUTHORS: Amanda R. Bryant, Arkansas Game and Fish Commission (Presenting); Chelsea Kross, US Fish and Wildlife Service; Elliot Lassiter, University of Arkansas; Ethan Royal, University of Arkansas; J.D. Wilson, University of Arkansas;


ABSTRACT: Crawfish Frogs historically occurred within all ecoregions of Arkansas with the majority of populations concentrated in tallgrass prairie habitats within the Ozark Highlands and the Arkansas Valley. This species’ need for large areas of prairie and grassland habitat with adjacent suitable breeding wetlands makes them especially vulnerable to habitat alteration and fragmentation. Widespread land use conversion for agriculture and urban development is considered the primary cause of declines in this species, particularly in the Ozark Highlands. In an effort to conserve this species within Northwest Arkansas, two State Wildlife Grant funded projects were recently completed. The first focused on distribution and occupancy and as a result of these efforts, Crawfish Frogs were detected within ten protected areas along with several other detections on private lands. However, no individuals were detected at several previously known populations within the Ozark Highlands. Due to the rapid urbanization and fragmentation of the Ozarks, the most stable populations of this species occur within the Arkansas Valley and around a protected network of smaller prairies preserves as well as Fort Chaffee. The second SWG project focused on terrestrial habitat use in this prairie network to determine if these currently protected areas are sufficiently large to protect remaining populations. This research found that Crawfish Frogs in this area migrate roughly half as far from their breeding wetlands as those in Illinois and Texas and also identified key breeding wetlands on private lands adjacent to currently protected areas. It also identified currently protected areas that would benefit from artificial breeding wetland creation. This research is being used to guide targeted acquisition of these breeding wetlands and to increase our capacity to protect this species and ensure continued health of these populations.

AUTHORS: Jeffrey T. Briggler, Missouri Department of Conservation

ABSTRACT: Crawfish Frogs are a grassland-dependent species that historically occurred throughout former native prairie habitats in northcentral and southwestern Missouri. This decline of this species of conservation concern has been primarily linked to the destruction of upland grasslands where individuals spend most of the year inhabiting crayfish burrows, and the draining of seasonal and semi-permanent wetlands where they breed during late winter and early spring. Overview of their status, distribution, and threats in Missouri will be discussed. In addition, conservation efforts, such as population surveys, land acquisitions and conversions, wetland constructions, and reintroductions will be highlighted. With increased efforts to establish a collaborative network to focus on the recovery of this at-risk grassland species, the snoring call of the Crawfish Frog will continue to be heard for future generations.

AUTHORS: Paul W. Frese, Iowa Department of Natural Resources

ABSTRACT: The Northern Crawfish Frog, Lithobates areolatus, has not been documented in Iowa since 1942 and is classified as endangered in the state. In the last three decades, concerted efforts by multiple researchers have failed to find any sign of the crawfish frog in Iowa and they are almost certainly extirpated. Crawfish frogs have experienced declines throughout their range due to habitat loss or degradation and there is no evidence that crawfish frogs were extirpated from Iowa due to factors other than habitat destruction. Recent research has provided vital information on the natural history and ecology of crawfish frogs as well as habitat suitability assessments of potential release sites giving us tools and knowledge to improve the success rate of a species restoration project. I will review the known historical record of crawfish frogs in Iowa and give an update of the status of potential repatriation efforts in the state.

AUTHORS: Scott Ballard
Herpetologist
Illinois Department of Natural Resources

ABSTRACT: Crawfish frogs are an Illinois Species of Greatest Conservation Need that historically occurred in roughly the southern one-third of Illinois. Declines can be attributed to the alteration of wetland breeding habitat that affects the water table, hence reducing crayfish occupation and the burrows this species relies on. Overview of the species legal status, distribution, breeding phenology, population status, threats, and conservation efforts will be discussed.

AUTHORS: Nate Engbrecht, Indiana Department of Natural Resources, Division of Fish & Wildlife

ABSTRACT: Crawfish Frogs (Lithobates areolatus) are a state endangered species that have been the subject of considerable research along the eastern edge of their range in Indiana. Contemporary data indicate the species has undergone a range contraction along the northern and eastern periphery of its distribution in the state, and that extant populations tend to be isolated and widely separated by miles of uninhabitable farmland. The species has shown a remarkable ability to colonize restored sites when suitable habitat becomes available and nearby source populations are present; however, a lack of connecting corridors is restricting natural dispersal. To restore Indiana’s Crawfish Frog populations, the Indiana Department of Natural Resources has begun translocating egg masses from a robust population in Greene County to a recovery site along the Ohio River where a historic Crawfish Frog population once existed, before disappearing in the 1980s. This presentation discusses the historic decline of Crawfish Frogs in Indiana, their current conservation status, and the early stages of species recovery through habitat management and human mediated translocation.

AUTHORS: Owen M. Edwards, Oklahoma Biological Survey; Neil R. Balchan, Oklahoma State University; Kaleb M. Banks, Oklahoma State University; Michael S. Reichert, Oklahoma State University; Fabio A. Machado, Oklahoma State University; Bo Zhang, Oklahoma State University; Damien Esquerré, University of Wollongong


ABSTRACT: During the breeding season, male anurans utilize advertisement signals to attract mates. However, in many scenarios, mate signaling and subsequent reproduction can occur in shared bodies of water in which numerous different species congregate and reproduce at the same time. As a result, natural hybridization between closely related species is not uncommon, and can have major consequences on fitness and evolutionary processes. The crawfish frog (Rana areolata) is a secretive anuran that has disjunct distribution in the southern and midwestern United States. Over the last 50 years, there has been a rapid and ongoing population decline of these frogs in many states in their range, largely attributed to habitat loss and landscape changes. We conducted population monitoring using drift fences and pitfall traps in a breeding population of R. areolata in Oklahoma. During the first year of the study, we discovered individual putative R. areolata hybrids at our study pond: one breeding adult resembling R. palustris x R. areolata, and another breeding adult resembling R. sphenocephala x R. areolata. Here, we confirm the status of these hybrid individuals using 1) cranial morphology via microCT scanning and 2) genome-wide single-nucleotide polymorphism (SNP) data. Hybrid skulls represent phenotypic intermediate between parental populations, and preliminary analysis of SNP data indicate that both hybrid individuals are F1 crosses (with R. palustris a R. sphenocephala respectively). Our data confirm the ability of R. areolata to hybridize with congeners in a wild population, and offer the first documentation of hybridization occurring in R. areolata. We demonstrate that contemporary gene flow may be important for divergent ranid frogs, and suggest that associated conservation implications may be present.

AUTHORS: Blake Klocke, Indiana DNR

ABSTRACT: The Indiana DNR is launching a new headstarting program for Crawfish frogs (Lithobates areolatus), a state endangered species since 1988, with the purpose of reestablishing the species in extirpated areas within its historic range. Habitat conversion to agriculture has limited the ability of this species to disperse and recolonize areas of suitable habitat across the landscape. We plan to rear Crawfish frog tadpoles in outdoor mesocosms. These rearing methods are modeled after successful headstarting and reintroduction of Dusky Gopher frogs and Gopher frogs, two closely related species in the Southeastern U.S. We will complete a simple density-dependent tadpole rearing experiment to inform husbandry methods and conduct a chytrid/ranavirus coinfection trial to better understand how these endemic diseases may affect tadpole survival in the wild. Metamorphed froglets will be housed in a soft-release enclosures for two weeks at the reintroduction site before release. We are working closely with land managers to enhance Crawfish frog habitat through the creation and modification of breeding wetlands at recovery sites. After this initial pilot year, we will include a radiotelemetry study to better understand dispersal and survival. The Crawfish frog headstarting program in Indiana will build upon achievable initial goals to restore this species in an adaptive management framework.

AUTHORS: Joseph R. Robb, Big Oaks National Wildlife Refuge, U. S. Fish and Wildlife Service

ABSTRACT: The 50,000-acre Big Oaks National Wildlife Refuge (NWR) contains one of the largest populations of crawfish frogs (Lithobates areolatus) in Indiana. The crawfish frog, a state endangered species in Indiana, is a burrow obligate species that is currently declining throughout much of its range. Sporadic recruitment and woody habitat intrusion were likely responsible for limiting this population at Big Oaks NWR. We initiated several management and research projects to better understand and mitigate this issue during 2004-2024. Occupancy modeling identified focus areas for breeding wetland restoration where quality grassland habitat existed, but populations were absent. This modeling approach also identified aspects of breeding pond use where the most parsimonious model indicated that crawfish frogs selected relatively larger ephemeral wetlands, emergent vegetation present in less than 50% of the wetland, and the absence of woody vegetation. Combining this knowledge with the results from an early pilot project investigating how experimentally drained ponds increased crawfish frog use and reduced their predator and competitor communities, we designed and constructed breeding wetlands to improve the management of this species. We also used several head starting techniques to increase the productivity of this species in quality habitat. Monitoring of these breeding wetlands has shown newly established populations, increased breeding adult use, and increased recruitment. However, the potential for larval disease outbreaks (i.e., Perkinsea sp. and Ranavirus) complicates management. The success of this management regime could be replicated to restore populations in appropriate habitat to stabilize population declines throughout their range especially if management could be used to reduce disease outbreaks.