In the southeastern U.S., managing the small fragments of remaining longleaf pine forest requires extensive efforts to simulate natural disturbances that historically occurred through regular wildfires. Managers most frequently manage longleaf pine systems with the application of prescribed fire, but there are a variety of other management techniques that can also be applied in these systems.
Indigo snakes present an interesting case study of shelter site use in a terrestrial snake because of the latitudinal differences apparent in indigo snake ecology.
Eastern Diamond-backed Rattlesnakes are currently the focus of significant conservation concern. The species has been petitioned for federal listing under the U.S. Endangered Species Act, and U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service is currently working on a Species Status Assessment to inform the listing process.
This month, I take a look at a recently published paper that leverages the large dataset built over several field seasons to examine how landscape characteristics influence abundance in freshwater turtle communities.