We investigated diet of Rafinesque’s big-eared bats, Corynorhinus rafinesquii, in west-central Louisiana by examining fecal pellets collected from beneath three bridges that were used as day roosts. Fresh fecal material was found under the bridges during every month of the year. Five insect orders, including five families, were detected in fecal pellets collected from 25 August 2005 to 5 January 2007. Lepidoptera represented 93.8% of the total volume and was the only order observed in 100% of our samples. Coleopterans, mostly Scarabaeidae, were the next most abundant food item and represented 5.8% of the total volume. Hemiptera, Diptera, and Hymenoptera together represented 0.4 % of the total volume. Diptera, Hemiptera, Hymenoptera, and scarabaeid Coleoptera were observed in fecal pellets collected under some, but not all three of the bridges. No insect orders were observed that previously had not been reported as prey of Rafinesque’s big-eared bats. Our results were similar to those reported in studies conducted in Kentucky, North Carolina, and Florida, and we concluded that Rafinesque’s big-eared bats primarily prey upon lepidopterans, and do so throughout the year in west-central Louisiana.
1 Louisiana Natural Heritage Program, Louisiana Dept of Wildlife and Fisheries, Lake Charles, LA; 2 Dept of Biology, Indiana State University, Terre Haute, IN; 3 Dept of Biology, Gordon State College, Barnesville, GA
Bioacoustic Monitoring of American Crow (Corvus brachyrhynchos) Activity Patterns on the Campus of Francis Marion University
The American Crow (Corvus brachyrhynchos) is a medium-sized, stocky, black, perching bird of the Crovidae family. American crows mainly reside in woodland, farmland, and suburban areas. They require open spaces for ground feeding, but scattered trees, woodlots, and forest edges must be present in order for the birds to have a safe place to nest and roost. The campus of Francis Marion University provides sufficient habitit in which American Crows can thrive. In this study, bioacoustic monitoring equipment was used to collect data on the population of American Crows living in the campus area during the months of August through March. A double-microphone recording unit was placed in several wooded regions across FMU’s campus for the span of three to five days at a time. the device recorded any sound ans tored it as a file to a memory card. These files were then analyzed by using SongScope Bioacoustic Software where audial activity coudl be easily identified and used to determine teh exact hours throughout the day when the birds are most active. Preliminary data suggests that the population of American Crows residing the area is most active and produce the highest number of vocalizations during the hours of 7:00 a.m. to 10:00 a.m. and 12:00 p.m. to 3:00 p.m. Future analysis will examine weather related and seasonal changes in activity and calling frequency.
P11 • Joseph M. Morrissey, Samantha L. Poarch, Jonathan J. Storm
Abundance of Carnivorous Mammals in Urban Greenways and Rural Forests
Small mammals often face a high risk of predation from two sources in urban environments, native predators and feral or domestic cats (Felis silvestris). Native predators in these urban forests include gray foxes (Urocyon cinereoargenteus), red foxes (Vulpes vulpes), and coyotes (Canis latrans). Our previous work has suggested that white-footed mice face a greater risk of predation within urban greenways than in rural forests of Spartanburg County. We used wildlife cameras to determine whether carnivorous mammals are more abundant within urban greenways than in rural forests. The cameras were placed within riparian forest habitat at 3 urban greenways within the city of Spartanburg, South Carolina, as well as 3 riparian forests in rural Spartanburg County. During June - August of 2013, the cameras were baited with a 1:1 mixture of catnip oil and canola oil. The cameras were then left unbaited for September - December of 2013. Our results suggest that gray foxes, red foxes, and raccoons (Procyon lotor) are more prevalent within urban forests, while white-tailed deer (Odocoileus virginianus) are more prevalent within rural forests. At all study sites, feral and domestic cats were rare. Our results suggest that small mammals within both urban greenways and rural forests face a low risk of predation from cats.
Division of Natural Sciences and Engineering; 2 University of South Carolina Upstate; 3 Spartanburg, SC
P12 • Lauren K. Childress, Lisa M. Krueger
Storage Effects on Pine Rockland Grass Seed Viability and Germination
Pine rocklands are an endangered ecosystem in south Florida, and are rapidly declining largely due to fire suppression, development, and invasive species. A recent study suggested that mechanical scraping combined with native seed sowing had the greatest potential to be successful in restoring native grasses to a disturbed pine rockland. However, little is known concerning the effects of storage on native seeds that may be used in such restoration plantings. Our goal was to see what effects storage had on the germination of several pine rockland grass species, and determine which species would be ideal for future restoration efforts. We collected seeds of eight species from four pine rockland preserves in Miami, Florida in October 2013. Seeds were grown in a growth chamber in 24 hours of light per day at 30°C on petri dishes filled with saturated sand to determine the total percentage of seeds that germinated for each species. We examined germination for seeds subjected to two treatments, freshly collected (fresh) and three months of storage at 4.9°C (cold-stored). Species significantly differed in the total number of fresh seeds that germinated. Andropogon ternarius and Schizachyrium gracile had the highest percentage of germinated seeds (66% and 39% respectively), suggesting these species would be optimal for use in restoration projects. Preliminary results show two species (Eustacys petraea and Aristida purpurascens) had a significantly higher number of germinated cold-stored seeds than fresh seeds after the first eleven days of the trial. Further observation will determine if this difference will be maintained.
Biological Sciences, University of Tennessee at Martin, Martin, TN
