Subscribe to our Got Nature? Newsletter

Got Nature? Blog

Come to the 13th consecutive Hellbender Hustle 5K Run/Walk at the O’Bannon Woods State Park in Corydon, Indiana to learn more about hellbenders and how they are faring in the nearby Blue River. The race is part road, part trail, and fun for the whole family. After crossing the finish line, enjoy the outstanding refreshments that are a hallmark of this event. Awards will be given to top finishers and there will be a drawing for a handcrafted door prize, made exclusively for the Hellbender Hustle. And if running/walking a 5K isn’t your thing, come and take a look at the Nature Center exhibits or just kick back and relax and listen to the sounds of a local traditional band.

Resources:
Help the Hellbender – Purdue Extension

Nick Burgmeier, Research Biologist and Extension Wildlife Specialist
Purdue Department of Forestry and Natural Resources

---

When you hear about endangered species, most of us think about the plights of our furry or feathered friends. This article describes the plight of some of the less cuddly members of the endangered species list. Indiana is home to a number of endangered and threatened tree species. In this multi-part series, we will identify some of the tree species and describe some of their unique characteristics.

Our first species is the American chestnut (Castanea dentata) sometimes called the “Sequoia of the East”. This species was once found thriving throughout eastern forests from central Maine west to southeastern Michigan, and south to northern Mississippi, Alabama, and Georgia.

Early 20^th century estimates indicated that these trees numbered closed to 4 billion with the finest, most productive stands found in the Appalachian Mountains and southern New England. American chestnut is a fast growing species that can reach a pinnacle of 120 feet high and 10 feet or more in diameter. The majority of the mature trees were between 3 and 5 feet in diameter and 60 to 90 feet high. The fruit from this tree has been a valued food source for humans, wildlife, and livestock alike. Timber from this former giant is naturally rot-resistant and nearly as durable as oak yet lighter.

American chestnut populations went into decline after the introduction of chestnut blight.

Chestnut blight is caused by the fungal pathogen (Cryphonectria parasitica), and was accidentally introduced into the American population by imported Asian chestnut trees a century ago. American chestnut is highly susceptible to the fungus which enters the tree through any small wound or crack in the bark. The fungus replicates beneath the bark and produces toxins which lead to plant cell death. The fungus continues to grow until it has circumnavigated the tree and effectively stopped the flow of nutrients. Everything above the girdled circle of fungus will die. The primary symptoms of chestnut blight disease are a sunken canker and orange spores covering the bark.

Loss of American chestnut on the landscape has resulted in reduced species diversity and severely reduced fall mast for woodland animal species. In addition, leaves of American chestnut contain greater nutrient concentrations (nitrogen [N], phosphorus [P], potassium [K]) than most other co-occurring trees therefore its loss affects soil nutrient cycling.

American chestnut has survived thus far because it has the ability to sprout from roots and stumps of diseased trees. However, these trees rarely live to maturity thus are often unable to flower and bear fruit. Numerous efforts to restore the tree to its former glory have been and are currently being attempted. Thus far, two of the most effective methods of breeding for resistance are hybridizing with resistant Asian parents and attempting to intercross surviving pure American chestnuts. The HTIRC within the Forestry and Natural Resources Department at Purdue University is working on hybridization of American chestnuts with Asian chestnuts for future restoration of resistant American-like chestnuts for Indiana.

Resources:
The American Chestnut Foundation
A New Generation of American chestnut Trees May Redefine America’s Forests – Scientific American
Consequences of Shifts in Abundance and Distribution of American Chestnut for Restoration of a Foundation Forest Tree – Forests Open Access Forestry Journal
Transgenic American chestnuts show enhanced blight resistance and transmit the trait to T1 progeny – Science Direct (Plant Science)
Scientists Work to Create a Blight-Resistant Chestnut with Hopes of Restoring Tree to America, Forest Service, U.S. Department of Agriculture
FNR Hardwood – American Chestnut, Purdue Arboretum Explorer
Hardwood Tree Improvement Regeneration Center (HTIRC) Research Publications
American Chestnut Trees return to the Hoosier National Forest, Indiana Woodland Steward
Forest Regeneration and Restoration Laboratory, Purdue Forestry and Natural Resources, Dr. Doug Jacobs

Shaneka Lawson, USDA Forest Service and HTIRC Research Plant Physiologist & Adjunct Assistant Professor
Purdue University Department of Forestry and Natural Resources

---

It’s likely you have had some type of run-in with wildlife—no matter where you live. Regardless of the situation, you have essentially three choices when you deal with a wildlife problem. You can ignore the problem and hope it goes away (not the best choice!), fix the problem yourself, or hire someone to fix the problem for you.

Even if you want to fix things yourself, you may find that the situation warrants professional assistance. Or, you may simply want to hire someone because you don’t have time to deal with the problem, you aren’t sure what is causing the problem, or you are unable or unwilling to do the job yourself. The question then becomes, “Who can help?”

Wildlife Extension Specialist Brian MacGowan‘s new publication “Selecting a Nuisance Wildlife Control Professional” provides information about nuisance wildlife control professionals, things to consider when deciding whether or not you need to hire a professional, and tips on how to find a professional who is right for you.

Resources:
Selecting a Nuisance Wildlife Control Professional – The Education Store, Purdue Extension Resource Center
Preventing Wildlife Damage – Do You Need a Permit? – The Education Store
The Basics of Managing Wildlife on Agricultural Lands – The Education Store
Nuisance Wildlife – Indiana Department of Natural Resources
Dealing with nuisance geese this spring – Got Nature?

Brian MacGowan, Wildlife Extension Specialist
Purdue University Department of Forestry and Natural Resources

 

---

How do a fully sequenced genome, microbiomics, and intensive population genetics help save a critically endangered mammal?

Provided by Professor Janet Foley of UC Davis Veterinary Medicine.

There are only a few hundred Amargosa voles left in the world with an 85% chance of going extinct over the next 10 years if intensive management is not implemented. Voles are rodents related to mice and rats. They are notable for the variety of their breeding systems (some species are monogamous, others promiscuous), their extraordinarily high rate of evolution, their diversity (>60 species), and the fact that many species are indistinguishable to the naked eye. The hoc Amargosa vole team, consisting of federal, state and private organizations, aims to determine the status of and major threats to the Amargosa vole, fundamental aspects of its biology, and how recovery actions can target genetics, disease, habitat factors, demographic problems, and other threats to improve the chances that this species will persist. Here we describe how cutting edge DNA-based techniques can teach us what makes this little mammal so special, what makes it vulnerable, and what we can do to protect it.

Amargosa voles occupy a tiny range in the Mojave Desert where the Amargosa River interrupts its subterranean flows with occasional above-ground stretches and little marshes grow around springs and wells where the ancient carbonate aquifer bubbles to the surface. These marshes are remnants of formerly extensive wetlands that occurred during the Pleistocene 10,000 years ago: as the water receded, the harsh Mojave Desert expanded and now these increasingly isolated marsh oases support endemic species living there and only there, like the Shoshone pupfish and the Amargosa vole. These endemic species have probably evolved to take special advantage of the unique conditions they find in their desert refuges.

In many ecosystems, rodents serve a huge role in harvesting plants for food and serving as a primary diet source for a plethora of predators. In the Mojave, where Amargosa voles live, the only known food source for this subspecies of California vole is three-square bulrush, but remarkably, the nutritional value of this plant is almost negligible. UC Davis specialist in rodent nutrition, Jon Ramsey, remarks that no animal he is aware of can survive with such a meager diet and indeed, nutritional analysis of bulrush tissues reveals that it offers even less nutrition as a sole source diet than bamboo (the famously minimalist diet of the giant panda). In order to survive, the Amargosa vole must utilize a community of microbes it hosts in its gut to access every single nutrient bulrush has to offer, and this is where the story gets a bit more complicated. Although Amargosa voles are reared in a captive breeding facility for safekeeping at UC Davis, changes in their diet could significantly change their gut microbial community, and thus researchers are using next generation sequencing to describe the entire community of gut bacteria, including pathogens, bacteria that can ferment and help make bulrush a useable food, and other miscellaneous bacteria. This approach will help ensure voles can make a transition from colony food to that which they evolved to use in the wild marshes of the Mojave. Study of the vole-bulrush-microbial community can also shed light on how animals in harsh environments with very marginal nutrition can survive, and even how to help protect species during climate change which can alter water availability in the marsh, bulrush health, and vole survival.

Additionally, Conroy, Rosenblum, and Krohn at UC Berkeley are using modern molecular approaches to understand vole population structure, which is necessary to guide captive breeding, protect rapidly diminishing natural genetic diversity, and guide habitat work that could help voles with rare genotypes effectively reproduce and keep those special genes in the larger gene pool. The team at Berkeley is turning to a genome-wide approach called RadSeq to ferret out subtle genetic differences among individual voles. This approach can help the team ensure that new founders are brought to the colony at the right time, from the right place and that translocation of voles among marshes helps support what little genetic variation is left. Genomics tools can even shed light on where the Amargosa vole originated – are its closest relatives voles in southern California and Baja California or are they the voles that flourish in coast range meadows up into northern California?

A common shortcoming many teams working with population genetics have to face is that conventional genetic markers don’t necessarily tell us what the genes of the vole do. In order to find genes for disease resistance, their characteristic large body and distinct skull shape, their atypically docile behavior, their apparent high requirement for free water—or any heritable trait defining Amargosa voles and helping them survive—the group worked to produce a complete genetic map of the entire genome of an Amargosa vole individual at Purdue University. This genetic map, revealing thousands of genes of the vole as well as intergenic, possibly regulatory DNA, will serve as a starting place for genetic studies to better understand and support the recovery of this endangered species.

As endangered species recovery programs holistically integrate modern genetic techniques, captive breeding, habitat management, epidemiology, and ecology, there will be increasing need for tools such as these we are providing for Amargosa vole conservation. We hope these tools can help improve the odds of recovery for this one species and that sharing our findings will contribute to the recovery of other species as well.

To read more, check out the full article at UC Davis Veterinary Medicine’s website.

Janet Foley, Professor and Researcher of Medicine and Epidemiology
University of California, Davis

Purdue University Contact:
Dr. Andrew DeWoody, Professor of Genetics
Department of Forestry and Natural Resources

---

An international team of scientists led by Purdue University has sequenced the genome of the tick that transmits Lyme disease, the most common vector-borne illness in North America.

The decade-long project, involving 93 authors from 46 institutions, decodes the biology of an arachnid with sophisticated spit, barbed mouthparts and millions of years of successful parasitism. The genome of Ixodes scapularis, known as the deer tick or blacklegged tick, also sheds light on how ticks acquire and transmit pathogens and offers tick-specific targets for control.

“The genome provides a foundation for a whole new era in tick research,” said Catherine Hill, lead author of the paper, Purdue professor of medical entomology and Showalter Faculty Scholar. “Now that we’ve cracked the tick’s code, we can begin to design strategies to control ticks, to understand how they transmit disease and to interfere with that process.”

The full article is available at Purdue Agriculture News.

Resources: 
Tick genome reveals inner workings of a versatile blood-guzzler – Purdue Agriculture News
Watch Out For Forest Hitchhikers – Ticks! – Got Nature?
Lyme Disease – The Education Store, Purdue Extension Resource Center
The Biology and Medical Importance of Ticks in Indiana – The Education Store
Ticks – Biology and Their Control – The Education Store
Ticks – Purdue Medical Entomology

Purdue Agriculture News

---

As the weather begins to warm up later this year, the sight of Canada geese returning is pleasant to some as a reminder of spring approaching. It can also be downright irritating to others who experience property damage and other conflicts as the geese concentrate on their property. There are several strategies for dealing with geese listed in further detail at the Indiana Department of Natural Resources (IDNR) website, ranging from mild to severe.

The first thing that is important to know regarding geese is that it is simply not a good idea to feed them. While this act is positive in intention, it is a bad thing for both people and geese. Feeding geese gives them an artificially abundant source of food, which can cause them to delay or skip their migration and instead congregate in areas where they will conflict with people. Furthermore, being fed can cause geese to lose their fear of people, giving them the confidence to stroll across roadways and runways. Finally, large amounts of geese competing over bread and other food of limited nutritional value greatly increases their chances of developing and spreading avian diseases. The U.S. Fish & Wildlife Service‘s free publication “Caution: Feeding Waterfowl May Be Harmful!” further explains the need to stop feeding geese.

INDNR offers a significant amount of other advice on other methods of handling goose problems. Habitat modification such as adding vegetative barriers or suspended grid systems can be a good long term solution by making your land less attractive to geese. If geese have already begun to settle in, nonlethal harassment techniques like air horns and sprayers can be used twice a day to scare geese away from your property. Nests can be legally removed as long as there are no eggs present. If the situation calls for more severe actions, a permit can be acquired to destroy nests with eggs, or another permit can be issued by a District Wildlife Biologist to capture and relocate the animals. In cases of excessive property damage, a District Wildlife Biologist can also issue an agricultural depredation permit to shoot geese outside of the normal hunting season.

There are many methods of handling nuisance Canada geese this spring, and not one solution for every problem. If there is a goose problem in your area, please view INDNR’s Nuisance Canada Goose Management page to learn more about what you can do and how to acquire permits if needed.

Resources:
Nuisance Canada Goose Management – Indiana Department of Natural Resources (IDNR)
Caution: Feeding Waterfowl May Be Harmful! – U.S. Fish & Wildlife Service
Selecting a Nuisance Wildlife Control Professional, Got Nature? blog, Purdue Extension-Forestry & Natural Resources

Aaron Doenges, videographer & assistant web designer
Purdue Forestry and Natural Resources

---

​The National 4-H Wildlife Habitat Education Program (WHEP) is an environmental education program for youth ages 8-19 that teaches all about wildlife habitat and damage management through hands-on activities. This program is the largest of its kind in the nation and has been awarded the Conservation Education Award by The Wildlife Society, the only professional organization that certifies wildlife biologists around the world.

Each year, WHEP has a national contest for its senior level (ages 14-19) youth consisting of three individual events and one team event. The first event, the wildlife challenge, consists of 30 general knowledge questions and 20 animal identifications based on skins and/or skulls. With only 30 minutes allowed for this event, it can be a challenging task.

Competitors can look to the WHEP manual for help studying for the general knowledge questions. The new publication “Wildlife Habitat Evaluation Program: Wildlife Identification Guide” assists further by providing 142 flashcards covering all of the species found on the identification questions, complete with pictures of the animal’s skins and a list of characteristics. Practicing with these flashcards is an extremely effective way to learn the material and perform better in the event.

This year’s contest will be held this summer on July 24th. Study with the “Wildlife Habitat Evaluation Program: Wildlife Identification Guide” publication to get ready!

For more information on WHEP, please check out the Purdue Extension video “WHEP – Wildlife Habitat Education Program” to take a deeper look through the testimonials of students and staff members involved with the program.

Resources:
Wildlife Habitat Evaluation Program Video, What is WHEP?, Purdue Extension-Forestry & Natural Resources (FNR) YouTube Channel playlist
​Wildlife Habitat Evaluation Program: Preparing for the Wildlife Challenge – The Education Store, Purdue Extension resource center
Developing a Wildlife Habitat Management Plan – Purdue Extension
Wildlife Habitat Education Program – Teaching and Learning Wildlife Management Practices – The Education Store

Jarred Brooke, Wildlife Extension Specialist
Department of Forestry and Natural Resources

---

You may have likely heard of the Zika virus at this point – a new infection on the rise that is drawing many parallels to the West Nile virus that caused 286 deaths in the United States in 2012. Like the West Nile, Zika was first discovered over sixty years ago and wasn’t considered to be a large concern until it reemerged unexpectedly years later. Both viruses are carried by mosquitos, and 80% of people infected display no symptoms and are at risk of unwittingly further spreading the infection. And most importantly, both viruses have no current treatment or vaccination and can be deadly.

When discussing the Zika virus, it is important to know that currently there have been no cases of infection in the continental U.S. While this means there is no need to immediately panic, transmission of diseases are often unpredictable as human population and global travel increase. Zika appeared in Brazil last May and has quickly spread to over 20 countries across Central and South America, causing the World Health Organization to declare the virus an international public health emergency, predicting that Zika could infect as many as 4 million people by the end of this year. With that ominous prediction looming over us, a good precaution to take is knowing how the mosquitos potentially carrying the virus can be controlled and avoided.

Simply avoiding mosquitos is an effective first step. Staying indoors during the daytime when mosquitos feed can help lessen exposure to mosquitos, as well as wearing long sleeves, pants, and U.S. Environmental Protection Agency-approved mosquito repellant when going outdoors.

Another preventative measure you can take is eliminating potential mosquito breeding sites from your area. Mosquitos breed in containers of standing water, and getting rid of them can reduce mosquito population in your area. Dog bowls, birdbaths, potted plants, and similar objects are all potential breeding grounds, and removing them means less places for mosquito eggs to hatch.

Again, the Zika virus isn’t currently an immediate concern for people in the United States, but this information is crucial to know as scientists learn more about how this virus is spread. At any rate, they’re also give good tips for avoiding annoying mosquito bites! To learn more, please check out the Purdue University Agriculture News article “Controlling and avoiding mosquitos helps minimize risk of Zika.”

Resources:
Controlling and avoiding mosquitos helps minimize risk of Zika – Purdue University Agriculture News
Zika virus and mosquito-borne disease experts – Purdue University News
Mosquitos – Purdue University Medical Entomology
Zika Virus – World Health Organization
Management of Ponds, Wetlands, and Other Water Reservoirs to Minimize Mosquitos – The Education Store, Purdue Extension Resource Center

Aaron Doenges, videographer & assistant web designer
Purdue Forestry and Natural Resources

---

When the temperatures drop and the snow falls, we often turn our attention to what we can do to help the wildlife which calls our yards home. In most cases, professional wildlife biologists don’t recommend the feeding of wildlife.  We instead focus on providing structural elements that provide food, water and cover to provide the necessary wildlife habitat. However, bird feeding, and particularly winter bird feeding, is an exception. It should not replace providing other elements of wildlife habitat in your backyard.

What can you do? Like most things, it comes down to how much time you have and what you want to spend. There are a couple good tips you can follow to get the best results for your investment.

Food type – bird seed mixes can contain “fillers” that is relatively inexpensive and can attract undesirable species of birds. Different bird species have different needs. If you can, offer a single type of bird food in a single feeder.  Mixes are ok, but birds will sift through what they don’t want to find what they do want.  If you have to pick one to start, offer black-oil sunflower. It is a high-quality food that is attractive to a variety of bird species. Suet is a favorite food of woodpeckers and nuthatches. Commercially available suet cakes also contain seeds and nuts that other birds will consume.

Feeder type – different bird species are adapted to feeding in different ways and locations (e.g., for example). Better designed feeders are sturdy, easy to clean, and easy to fill.  Covered platform feeders keep seeds protected from moisture and is attractive for many species of birds (you can fill with black-oil sunflowers).  Even though they are covered, the tray should have drainage holes. Tube feeders attract different species of birds such as finches.  The small perches and access holes for feeding exclude larger birds such as grackles and blue jays. Open trays close to the ground are good for jays and doves.  However, they offer no protection from moisture or squirrels.

Non-targets – squirrels are a common problem at feeders. Metal or plastic baffles or cones can exclude squirrels from many feeders that are mounted on poles or hung from a wire.  Some feeders are enclosed in wire cages that prevent squirrels from reaching the seed but still allow access to smaller birds. Starlings are a common problem at suet feeders. However, their feet are relatively week. Suet feeders that only allow access from the bottom prevent starlings access but still allow access for woodpeckers and nuthatches.

Placement – feeders should be placed in areas where you can observe them. Placing them within a few feet of cover can provide “rest” areas for birds to wait their turn.  However, low and shrubby ground cover can provide hiding places for domestic cats to ambush birds. Avoid placing feeders in these locations.  In extreme cases, you may have to fence off feeding areas to exclude cats.

These are just a few tips to get you started. There are many good resources for feeding songbirds and attracting wildlife to your backyard.

Publications
– Henderson, C.L. 1995. Wild about birds: the DNR bird feeding guide. Minnesota Department of Natural Resources, St. Paul, MN.
– For the Birds, U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service

Resources
– Cornell Lab or Ornithology, Cornell University
– Audubon Society, Bird Feeding Tips

Brian MacGowan, Wildlife Extension Specialist
Purdue Forestry and Natural Resources

---

As wildlife biologists, we often help people manage habitat for quail on their property. Every property is different, but areas with good quail numbers have one thing in common: quail-friendly habitat structure. The plant community on the property is especially important, but what plants do you need? It’s great if you know plant species beneficial to quail, but if you’re not a botanist, don’t sweat it. Just learn to recognize and manage for structure. If you’ve got the right structure, chances are the right plants will be present.

Quail need several basic elements for good habitat: grass clumps for nesting, weedy areas for brood rearing, shrub cover for protection from the elements and predators, herbaceous vegetation for night-time roosting, and bare ground. In the new publication “Quail Habitat: Putting the Numbers in Perspective,” Extension wildlife specialist Robert Chapman and small game coordinator Scott Sudkamp explain how to add these elements to your property in the proper way to make it an ideal habitat for quail.

Resources:
Quail Habitat: Putting the Numbers in Perspective – The Education Store, Purdue Extension Resource Center
Bobwhite Quail – Indiana Department of Natural Resources
Developing a Wildlife Habitat Management Plan – The Education Store
Breeding Birds and Forest Management: The Hardwood Ecosystem Experiment and the Central Hardwoods Region – The Education Store
Small Woodlots: Important Rest Stops for Migratory Songbirds – The Education Store

Robert Chapman, Extension Wildlife Specialist
Purdue University Department of Forestry and Natural Resources

---