state wildlife grant pre-proposal project title ......state wildlife grant pre-proposal project...

STATEWILDLIFEGRANTPRE-PROPOSALPROJECTTITLE:GladeRestorationandConservationofOzark-HighlandSpeciesofGreatestConservationNeedinNorthernArkansas.PROJECTSUMMARY:Thegoalofthisprojectistoimprovehabitatquality,populationdiversityandSGCNstabilityinmultiplegladeswithinMcIlroyMadisonCo.–WildlifeManagementAreaandLakeLeatherwoodCityPark.Projectobjectivesincludea)habitatrestoration(cedarremovalof200+acresandRxfireof3,000+acres),b)populationmanagementofapivotalgladepredator(Crotaphytuscollaris),c)populationmonitoringofseveralgladeSGCNandgladepollinators,andd)publiceducation(interpretivesignage).Projecteffortswillimprovegladeecosystemstability,increasethenumberofC.collarispopulationsintheregion,andfostergreaterpublicawarenessofgladeconservationandbiodiversity.PROJECTLEADER:CaseyL.Brewster,PhDCandidate,DepartmentofBiology,UniversityofArkansas SCEN601,Fayetteville,AR.Phone:240-377-1752,Emailclbrewst@uark.eduPROJECTPARTNERS:KellyJ.Irwin,Herpetologist,ArkansasGame&FishCommission Phone:877-847-2690Ext.16,Email kjirwin@agfc.state.ar.usMcReeAnderson,InteriorHighlandFireRestoration ProjectManager,TheNatureConservancy,Phone:870- 861-5131,Emailwanderson@tnc.orgStevenJ.Beaupre,AssociateDeanFCASandProfessor, DepartmentofBiology,UniversityofArkansas Phone:479-575-3787,Emailsbeaupre@uark.eduMathewE.Gifford,AssistantProfessor,Departmentof Biology,UniversityofCentralArkansas Phone:501-450-5846,Emailmegifford@uca.eduMarlisDouglas,Professor,DepartmentofBiology,UniversityofArkansas,Phone479-575- 4176,Emailmrd1@uark.eduTheoWitsell,Botanist/Ecologist,ArkansasNaturalHeritageCommission,Phone501-324- 9615,Emailtheo.witsell@arkansas.govPROJECTBUDGET:TotalProjectCost: $162,880 TotalSWGAmount: $94,851(58%)MatchingFunds: $68,029(42%)

NEEDRFPPriorities—OurprojectaddressesmultipleprioritieslistedintheAWAPandtheSWG2018RFP.1)Habitatmanagement(habitatrestorationandfiremanagement)toincreaseorimprovehabitatquality,2)populationmanagementofakeySGCNassociatedwiththosehabitats(EasternCollaredLizard),3)publicrelationsandeducation,and4)populationmonitoringofSGCNandkeygladepollinators.Background—Agrowingnumberofgladespeciesarebecomingimperiledinthestate(AWAP).OneofthemostpivotalgladeendemicsistheEasternCollaredLizard(Crotaphytuscollaris).Akeypredatoringladehabitats1,2,C.collarisplaysanimportantroleinstabilizingspeciesrichnessofinsectcommunitiesinOzarkglades3manyofwhicharegladeendemicsandSGCN(Table1).Additionally,insectsareoneofthegreatestconsumersofplantbiomassinOzarkglades4.Thus,C.collarisappearstohaveimportantimpactsonatleasttwotrophiclevels(primarygladeherbivoresandgladeplants).Furthermore,C.collarisisanimportantpreyspeciestoothergladepredators,includingseveralbirdsofprey,snakesandroadrunners5.Therefore,gladeconservationandmanagementthatincludeseffortsthatspecificallybenefitC.collaris,willinturnbenefitSGCNatmultipletrophiclevels. Inthepastdecade,severalstateandfederalagenciesinArkansashavebeguntoincreaseeffortstorestoregladehabitats.AlthoughgladehabitatmanagementisstilltheMOSTcriticalcomponenttoconservationofgladeSGCN,themajorityofgladesinArkansascurrentlydonotsupportC.collarispopulations.Thus,manyofthegladesitesthathavebeenorareintheprocessofbeingrestoredaremissingoneofmostimportantgladespeciesatthosesites.Additionally,recentgeneticdataanalyzedattheUniversityofArkansassuggestthatmanyremainingpopulationshavelowgeneticdiversity6.AmajorsteptoimprovinggladehabitatsandassociatedplantandanimalcommunitiesrequirespopulationmanagementofC.collaris(restockingextirpatedsitesorsupplementingsitesthathavelowgeneticdiversity).

LOCALITYSPECIFICNEEDS

LakeLeatherwoodCityPark(LLCP)—ThegladesatLLCPconsistofover150acresofgladehabitatwithfrequentlyusedpublichikingtrailsthroughmuchofthehabitat.Firehasbeensuppressedatthesitesincelakeconstructioninthe1930’s,andmostofthegladehabitatisheavilyencroachedbycedar.AlthoughdatacollectedbyC.LB.overthepastfiveyearssuggestthattheC.collarispopulationsaremoderatelystableatLLCP,geneticdatasuggestlowerthanexpectedconnectivityamongpopulations,andhighinbreedingcoefficients.Thus,itisvitalthatthissitereceiveshabitatrestoration(cedarremovalandRxfire)andC.collarispopulationmanagement(supplementation).Furthermore,thissitehasgreatpublicrelations/educationpotentialwithitshighlyusedtrials.Byaddingsignagewithinformationaboutgladeecology,associatedSGCNandcurrenthabitatrestorationefforts,thissitecouldrepresentoneofthemost“publiclyviewable”gladesitesinthestate.McIlroy,MadisonCo.WMA(MM-WMA)—OurprojectalsofocusesonthreegladesiteswithinMM-WMAthatincludeover80acresofgladehabitat.TheAGFCatMM-WMAhasalreadystartedhabitatrestoration(cedarremoval)atoneoftheglades.Theothertwogladesitesarestillencroachedbycedar,andwillneedRxfireandcedarremoval.Crotaphytuscollarishasnotbeendocumentedintheareainover50years,andknownremnantC.collarispopulationsinthisregionareasubstantialdistancefromtheWMA.

Thus,withoutrestocking,theoddsthatC.collariswillrecolonizethesegladesafterrestorationareextremelylow.Furthermore,theWMAisscatteredwithseveralotherglade-habitatpocketsthat,astheWMAcontinueshabitatmanagementinthefuture,couldbeeasilycolonizedfromthethreegladesitesonwhichthisprojectisfocused.FlippinRockQuarry(FRQ)—ProbablythelargestC.collarispopulationinthestate(40-60adults)isataprivatelyowned(andinactive)rockquarryinFlippinAR.Asgladehabitatrestorationcontinuesinthestate,thepopulationatthissitewillbecomevitaltorestockingC.collaristorestoredhabitats.Althoughmostofthehabitatatthissiteconsistofopenareaswithexposedbedrock,bouldersandgravelsubstrates,substantialportionsofthequarryhavebecomeencroachedbycedar.Thus,tomaintainthiscriticalrestockingsite,cedarremovalisnecessary.NewRestockingSourcesites(NRS)—AkeycomponenttoourabilitytorestockorsupplementrestoredgladehabitatsinArkansaswithC.collarisistohaveaccesstositeswithadequatepopulationsizes(>30)toacquirelizardsforrestocking.Translocatingalargenumberoflizardsfromexistingnaturalsitescouldresultinnegativeimpactstothosepopulations.Thus,rockquarriesandroad-sideboulderfieldsmakeexcellentnewrestockingsourcesitesbecause:1)thesesitesare“unnatural”(man-made)habitats,and2)densitiesatthesesitesaretypicallymuchgreaterthaninnaturalgladesites7.Currently,wehaveonlytwoviablerestockingsourcesitesinthestatetotranslocatelizardsfrom(FRQandanotherprivatelyownedrockquarry).ByseedingthreeadditionalNRSpopulations,wegreatlyincreasethenumberoflizardsthatcanberelocatedtorestoredhabitats.AGFCwillbegivenfullaccessrightstolizardsatNRSs.PopulationMonitoring—Successfulglade-restorationandC.collarispopulationmanagementwillresultinimprovementsthatbenefitseveralothergladeSGCN.Thus,thisprojectwillsamplepopulationimpactsofprojecteffortsonseveralglade-SGCN(Table1),includingsixSGCNpollinators.

PURPOSEANDOBJECTIVESThepurposeofthisprojectistomakeabroad-scaleandcomprehensiveimprovementinglade,barrenandsavannahabitatqualityforkeySGCNthroughhabitatrestoration,firemanagement,populationmanagement,populationmonitoringandpublicrelations/education.QuantifiableObjectives:1)Habitatrestorationthroughcedarthinningandtreatmentofinvasiveplantsatsevenglades(over200acres);2)Prescribedfiresatsixglades(over3000acres);3)populationmanagementthroughrestockingofthreeglades(MM-WMA)andsupplementationatthreeglades(LLCP);4)populationsamplingofkeygladeSGCN(Table1)atsixglades;5)publicrelations/educationbyaddinginterpretivesignsatLLCP;6)establishthreeNRSsinthestate.

LOCATIONSAllsites(Map1)arewithintheOzarkHighlandsecoregion.LLCPandMM-WMAsitesarenaturallyoccurring,InteriorHighlandGladeandBarrenhabitats,withina

4

1

3 2 5 6 Map1:PROJECTLOCATIONSMapID Site-Name #ofSites Treatments/Work County

1 LLCP 3 Rx.f;CT;Pmang;Pmont Carroll

2 MM-WMA 3 Rx.f;Pmang;Pmont Madison

3 FRQ 1 CT Marion

4 NRS_Hwy5 1 na Stone

5 NRS_Hwy7 1 na Newton

6 NRS_I49 1 na Washington

Rx.f=Rxfire;CT=cedarthinning;Pmang=populationmanagement;Pmont=

populationmonitoring

savanna/woodlandmatrix.FRQandNRS_Hwy5areinactivequarriesinthecenterofhistoricInteriorHighlandGladeandBarrenhabitats.NRSonHwy7andI49areroad-sideboulderfieldssurroundedbyexposedbedrock,prairiegrassesandcedar/scruboakwoodlands.

APPROACHTheprojectleader(CLB)willcompletepre-treatmenthabitatandSGCNpopulationsampling(includinghabitatphoto-points)byFall2018,andpost-treatmentsamplingbyFall2020.ChainsawcrewsfromTNC,LLCPandAGFC(andCLB)willbeginthinningcedaratLLCPandMM-WMA(SouthBluffandRockHouseCreekonly)Fall2018,andfinishthinningbySpring2019.FirelineswillbecutinbychainsawcrewsfromTNCbeginningFall2018,andfinishbySpring2019.ChainsawcrewsfromLLCPwillcompletethinningofcedaratFRQinFall2019.RxfireswillbescheduledforFall2019.Signagethatdiscusstheimportanceofgladehabitatrestoration,cedarremovalandRxfirewillbepostedatLLCPFall,2018,andsignsdiscussinggladeecology,conservationandoccurringSGCNwillbeposteduponcompletionofrestoration.NRSswillbepopulatedSpring2019bytranslocatinganadmixtureoflizardsfromthetwocurrentrestockingsites(FRQandSchwartzquarry).LizardswillbetranslocatedtoLLCP(forgeneticsupplementation)andMM-WMA(restocking)fromanadmixtureofrestockingsitesuponcompletionofhabitatrestoration. EXPECTEDRESULTSANDBENEFITSTable1liststheprimarySGCNimpactedbytheproject,includingSGCNpopulationsthatwillbemonitored(pop.sampling).Habitatrestorationeffortswilldecreasewoodyvegetationencroachment8andincreasedensityanddiversityofgrassesandgladeplants9.HabitatrestorationandconservationeffortswillresultinincreasednumbersofC.collarispopulations,enhancegladeSGCNdiversityandstabilizegladecommunitiesinthestate.Populationmonitoringwillquantifyimprovementstogladecommunities,andsignageatLLCPwillfostergreaterpublicawarenessoftheimportanceofconservingnaturaldiversitywithinthestate.EstablishingNRSswillallowAGFCtotranslocateagreaternumberofC.collaristorestoredgladehabitats.

Table1:ImpactedSGCNatMM-WMA&LLCP Taxa Popultaion LocalyCommonName ScientificName Group Sampling KnownEasternCollaredLizard Crotaphytuscollaris Reptile Yes YesGroundsnake Sonorasemiannulata Reptile Yes NoGreatPlainsSkink Plestiodonobsoletus Reptile Yes YesSlenderGlassLizard Ophisaurusattenuatus Reptile Yes NoNorthernMetalmark Calephelisboralis Insect Yes YesBaltimoreCheckerspot Euphydryasphaeton Insect Yes NoScrublandTigerBeetle Cicindelaobsoleta Insect Yes NoOutisSkipper Cogiaoutis Insect Yes NoMonarch Danausplexippus Insect Yes NoCobwebSkipper Hesperiametea Insect Yes NoDiana Speyeriadiana Insect Yes NoNorthernBobwhite Colinusvirginianus Bird No YesCommonNighthawk Chordeilesminor Bird No YesPurpleFinch Haemorhouspurpureus Bird No Yes

BudgetTableItem Site Agency Description Cost Item Site Agency Description CostSalary All CLB 21months 58,800.0 Salary All CLB 3months 8,400.0

Travel All CLB Mileage/Conf. 8,000.0 Unrecovered na UofA 39% 33,628.9

Equip/Supp All CLB Chainsaw/PPE 1,500.0 Work WMA AGFC Fire/FireLines 10,000.0

Fringe na 6% 3,528.0 Work/Contract LLCP LLCP Fire/Thinning 16,000.0

Contracts WMA TNC Fire/Thinning 12,000.0 Match 68,028.9Match% 41.8

Contracts LLCP TNC Signage 2,400.0

Direct 86,228.0 SWG 94,850.8Indirect 10% 8,622.8 TotalProject 162,879.7

SWG Match

QUALIFICATIONSCaseyL.Brewster:M.S.2012.UALR.PatTillmanMilitaryScholarandPhDcandidateattheUniversityofArkansas(UA).HeistheprojectleaderonapreviousgladehabitatandC.collarisSWGproject(AR-T-56)andapartnerinasimilargladeprojectwiththeANHC.HeiscurrentlyworkingwiththeUSFSandAGFCtore-establishC.collaristorestoredhabitatlocalitiesinAR.HewillgraduateUAFall2018andwillbedevotedfulltimeastheProjectLeaderofthisproject.KellyJ.Irwin:M.S.1997.Wildlife&FisheriesScience,TexasA&MUniversity.HehasworkedonamphibianandreptileconservationandmanagementprojectsasAGFCherpetologistfor15years.McReeAnderson:14yearsoffiremanagementexperience.Director,FireRestorationProgramARChapterofTheNatureConservancy(TNC).HeiscurrentlyaNationalWildfireCoordinatingGroup(NWCG)certifiedRXB2BurnBoss.McReeco-leadsTNC’sPrescribedFireProgram.StevenJ.Beaupre:AssociateDeanofFulbrightCollegeofArtsandSciencesandProfessorintheDepartmentofBiologicalSciencesattheUA.HejoinedUAfacultyinFallof1995,andfocusesonphysiologicalecologyofreptiles,specializingonenvironmentalinfluencesonbioenergetics,life-histories,andpopulationbiology.MatthewGifford:AssistantProfessor,UniversityofCentralArkansas.Hisresearchfocusesontheinfluenceofenvironmentalvariationonphysiologicalandecologicalprocessesinreptilesandamphibians.Muchofhisresearchfocusesontheinfluenceoftemperatureonphysiologicalfunction,lifehistoryandfitnessinlizards.MarlisDouglas:EndowedProfessorinBiologicalSciencesatUA.Sheco-directstheArkansasConservationandMolecularLaboratory(aCaMEL)atUA.Herresearchfocusesonconservationgenetics/genomicsofsmall,isolatedpopulations,withprimaryfocusonfishesandreptiles.TheoWitsell:SeniorBotanist/Ecologist,ArkansasNaturalHeritageCommission.HeisanexpertonthefloraofArkansasandhas20+yearsofexperienceinmonitoring,restoring,andmanagingnaturalareasthroughoutArkansasandacrosstheregion.

LITERATURECITED

1.McAllister1985.FoodhabitsandfeedingbehaviorofCrotaphytuscollariscollaris(Iguanidae)fromArkansasandMissouri.Sou.Nat.30:597-6192.BergmanandChaplin1992.Correlatesofspeciescompositionofgrasshopper(Orthoptera:Acrididae)communitiesonOzarkcedarglades.Sou.Nat.37:362–371.3.RybergandChase2007.Predator-dependentspecies-arearelationships.Am.Nat.170:636–42.4.VanZandt,Collins,LososandChase.2005.ImplicationsofFoodWebInteractionsforRestorationofMissouriOzarkGladeHabitats.Rest.Ecol.13:312–317.5.Husak,Macedonia.,Fox,andSauceda.2006.PredationcostofconspicuousmalecolorationinCollaredLizards(Crotaphytuscollaris):Anexperimentaltestusingclay-coveredmodellizards.Ethol.112:572–580.6.Levine,Douglas,Anthonysamy,etal.2018.ContemporarypopulationconnectivityoftheEasternCollaredLizard(Crotaphytuscollariscollaris)inArkansas.In-prep7.Brewster,Sikes.andGifford.2014.BodysizeandgrowthoftheEasternCollaredLizard(Crotaphytuscollaris)inCentralArkansas.Herp.Rev.45:580–583.8.Brewster,Beaupre,andWillson.2018.Habitatlossandlocalextinction:LinkingpopulationdeclinesofEasternCollaredLizards(Crotaphytuscollaris)tohabitatdegradationinOzarkglades.J.Herp.In-prep.9.LaddandThomas2015.EcologicalchecklistoftheMissourifloraforfloristicqualityassessment.Phyto.2015-12.