IntroductionThe escalating mental health crisis among college students presents a global challenge that may be exacerbated by isolation from nature. Previous research, largely conducted in laboratory settings, indicates that exposure to nature and birdsong improves mental and physiological health. We built on this work with an outdoor experiment testing for independent and potentially additive effects on physiological stress associated with exposure to natural landscapes (i.e., forests) and soundscapes (i.e., birdsong).MethodsWe engaged 95 participants from North Carolina State University in a randomized, four-treatment, within-subjects design to evaluate the effects of adding different sounds (birdsong vs. traffic) to landscapes (forest vs. gray space) on measures of physiological stress: heart rate (HR) and heart rate variability (HRV) (measured as RMSSD). We started each sample with 5 min of silent control, followed by 10 min of recorded birdsong or recorded traffic noise. Participants listened to each recording in both settings. We modeled HR and HRV using linear mixed models with a random intercept to account for participant effects and fixed effects for soundscape, landscape, their interaction, age, and gender. ResultsForest exposure had reduced HR relative to gray space (b = 0.65, p = 0.007). Birdsong exposure increased HRV relative to traffic noise (b = -1.38, p = 0.049). We did not detect a significant soundscape × landscape interaction for either outcome (all p > 0.16).DiscussionThese findings indicate that visual and auditory nature cues may support physiological recovery through partially independent pathways, with forest landscapes associated with reduced cardiovascular arousal and birdsong soundscapes associated with increased autonomic recovery. Results highlight the different ways that green infrastructure on college campuses can improve students’ mental health outcomes.

Understanding the factors that predict whether hunting occurs on private land is vital for effective wildlife management. In this exploratory study, we surveyed non-industrial landowners (n = 855) along an urban-to-rural gradient in Durham County, North Carolina, to examine how political identity and several socio-demographic and geographic variables predict hunting occurrence on private property. Standardized comparisons (|ln(SOR)|) indicated that road density was the strongest predictor (|ln(SOR)| = 0.994), with hunting less likely in higher road-density areas. Age was the second strongest predictor (|ln(SOR)| = 0.469), with hunting more likely on properties owned by older landowners. Political identity was the third strongest predictor (|ln(SOR)| = 0.393), with hunting less likely on properties owned by landowners with more liberal political identities. These results illustrate that structural landscape features and socio-political factors shape hunting occurrence, and that customizing stakeholder engagement to align with landowner political identity may improve hunting access on private land.

Wild turkeys (Meleagris gallopavo) are hosts to several vector-borne haemosporidian blood parasites that can cause morbidity and mortality in wild and domestic turkeys. This study investigated the prevalence, geographical distribution, and genetic diversity of haemosporidians in 942 wild turkeys from the USA and 12 ocellated turkeys (Meleagris ocellata) from Belize. Haemoproteus was detected in 69% (650/942) of USA turkeys. Sequencing revealed six unique haplotypes in two lineages (1a-1c and 2a-2c). Haplotypes 1a-1c were 99.4-99.8% similar, and Haplotype 1a was identical to a Haemoproteus reported in northern bobwhite (Colinus virginianus). Haplotypes 2a-2c were 98.2-99.2% similar, and Haplotype 2a was most similar (99.1%) to Haemoproteus reported from galliforms in Austria and Thailand. Lineage 1 sequences were only 96.9-98.2% similar to Lineage 2. Lineage 1 (1a-1c) was detected in 84.6% (523/618) of Haemoproteus-positive USA turkeys, with Haplotype 1a being most common (81.9%, 506/618). Lineage 2 (2a-2c) was detected in 43.4% (268/618) of USA turkeys. Leucocytozoon was detected in 9.7% (91/942) of USA wild turkeys, and all were identical to a Leucocytozoon from northern bobwhite. Haemoproteus prevalence was higher in males vs females and adults vs juveniles, and Leucocytozoon prevalence was higher in adults vs juveniles. No Plasmodium infections were detected. Haemoproteus was the only parasite detected in ocellated turkeys; 12 (100%) were infected with Lineage 1a, and four (33.3%) were co-infected with Lineage 2a. These findings provide new insights into the prevalence and genetic diversity of haemosporidians in turkeys.

Female survival often is the vital rate that contributes most to population growth of upland gamebirds such as wild turkey (Meleagris gallopavo). Female wild turkey survival may vary spatially and temporally, for example, in relation to land cover and the individual's behavior state, so investigation of the factors that affect female survival is critical to direct long-term management. We radio-tracked 370 female turkeys from 2020 to 2022 to determine spatial and temporal factors that influenced survival across study areas in each of the 3 major ecoregions in North Carolina, USA. We constructed a Bayesian hierarchical model, parameterized using covariates likely to influence survival-year, age class, mean daily distance traveled, land cover type and edge density in the individual's home range, and ecoregion (Coastal Plain, Piedmont, or Mountain)-for 4 behavior states (non-breeding, pre-nesting, incubation, and brood rearing). We recorded 59 (48% of monitored individuals) mortalities in the Mountain ecoregion, 64 (56%) mortalities in the Piedmont ecoregion, and 41 (31%) mortalities in the Coastal Plain ecoregion. Female survival in the pre-nesting and non-breeding states increased with greater average daily distance traveled. No land cover covariate influenced survival estimates within any behavior state. Overall, daily survival rates were lowest for the incubation state (0.993 [SD = 0.003]) and highest during the pre-nesting and brood-rearing states (0.999 [SD = 0.002] and 0.999 [SD = 0.001], respectively). Because mortality risk was greatest during the incubation state, managers may indirectly increase female survival by increasing the amount of nesting cover on the landscape.

Partial brood loss in Dryobates borealis (Red-cockaded Woodpecker), a federally threatened cooperative breeder in the USA, was not associated with increases in population density. Across three populations-Sandhills, North Carolina; Marine Corps Base Camp Lejeune, North Carolina; and Eglin Air Force Base, Florida-we documented no support for density-dependent effects on either early or late partial brood loss. Using long-term nest monitoring data, we evaluated multiple metrics of group size and group density in relation to brood loss at early (egg-to-nestling up to 6-10 days when banded) and late (banding-to-fledgling up to 38-40 days) stages. Reproductive outcomes did not vary with density within populations, indicating that the recent rise in partial brood loss, particularly late in the nestling period, was not driven by increasing density. While both density and partial brood loss have increased over time, these trends appear to be decoupled, highlighting the need to investigate other potential drivers of partial brood loss. Cooperative breeding can buffer reproductive output from density-related pressures through shared parental care, but as densities increase due to conservation-driven population recovery, cooperative breeders may face new or shifting constraints. Variation in reproductive outcomes may be more closely tied to site-specific factors or density-independent pressures such as weather, predation, or habitat quality. As D. borealis populations continue to grow under ongoing recovery efforts, understanding the mechanisms behind partial brood loss remains critical for refining conservation strategies. Our results add to growing evidence that density-dependent effects on reproduction are not universal; increasing density, though a conservation success, does not necessarily lead to reduced productivity or increased brood loss. We studied whether increasing population density affects partial brood loss (when some, but not all, eggs or chicks fail to survive) in the federally threatened, cooperatively breeding Dryobates borealis (Red-cockaded Woodpecker). This species has been recovering due to conservation efforts, leading to increased population densities in parts of its range. We used long-term data from three sites in the southeastern United States to determine if greater density led to more partial brood loss. We documented no evidence that density was linked to either early or late partial brood loss at any of the three sites, though we did show evidence that late partial brood loss may be increasing. These results indicate that other factors, including weather or habitat quality, may be more important than density in limiting this component of reproduction. La p & eacute;rdida parcial de la nidada en Dryobates borealis, un reproductor cooperativo amenazado a nivel federal en Estados Unidos, no estuvo asociada con aumentos en la densidad poblacional. En tres poblaciones-Sandhills, Carolina del Norte; Base del Cuerpo de Marines Camp Lejeune, Carolina del Norte; y Base de la Fuerza A & eacute;rea de Eglin, Florida-no encontramos evidencia que respalde efectos dependientes de la densidad sobre la p & eacute;rdida parcial temprana o tard & iacute;a de la nidada. Utilizando datos de monitoreo de nidos a largo plazo, evaluamos m & uacute;ltiples m & eacute;tricas del tama & ntilde;o del grupo y de la densidad grupal en relaci & oacute;n con la p & eacute;rdida de la nidada en etapas tempranas (desde huevo a pich & oacute;n hasta 6-10 d & iacute;as al momento del anillado) y tard & iacute;as (desde el anillado hasta el volant & oacute;n, hasta 38-40 d & iacute;as). Los resultados reproductivos no variaron con la densidad dentro de las poblaciones, lo que indica que el aumento reciente de la p & eacute;rdida parcial de la nidada, particularmente hacia el final del per & iacute;odo de pichones, no estuvo impulsado por un incremento en la densidad. Si bien tanto la densidad como la p & eacute;rdida parcial de la nidada han aumentado con el tiempo, estas tendencias parecen estar desacopladas, lo que pone de relieve la necesidad de investigar otros posibles factores causales de la p & eacute;rdida parcial de la nidada. La reproducci & oacute;n cooperativa puede amortiguar el rendimiento reproductivo frente a presiones relacionadas con la densidad mediante el cuidado parental compartido, pero a medida que las densidades aumentan debido a la recuperaci & oacute;n poblacional impulsada por la conservaci & oacute;n, los reproductores cooperativos pueden enfrentar restricciones nuevas o cambiantes. La variaci & oacute;n en los resultados reproductivos puede estar m & aacute;s estrechamente vinculada a factores espec & iacute;ficos del sitio o a presiones independientes de la densidad, como el clima, la depredaci & oacute;n o la calidad del h & aacute;bitat. A medida que las poblaciones de D. borealis contin & uacute;an creciendo bajo los esfuerzos de recuperaci & oacute;n en curso, comprender los mecanismos detr & aacute;s de la p & eacute;rdida parcial de la nidada sigue siendo fundamental para afinar las estrategias de conservaci & oacute;n. Nuestros resultados se suman a la evidencia creciente de que los efectos dependientes de la densidad sobre la reproducci & oacute;n no son universales; el aumento de la densidad, aunque sea un & eacute;xito de conservaci & oacute;n, no conduce necesariamente a una menor productividad ni a una mayor p & eacute;rdida de nidadas.

Due to the relatively long lifespan and resilience of adults to environmental stressors, freshwater turtles are characterized as bioaccumulators of chronic contaminant exposure in urban ecosystems. Urbanization increases pollutants, resulting in subsequent runoff into streams. We evaluated the relationship between percent impervious surface and contaminant concentrations in turtles from 20 wetlands in Wake County, North Carolina, USA, one of the fastest-growing counties in the United States. We evaluated the concentrations of eight environmental contaminants known to cause human and environmental health issues listed under the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency’s Resource Conservation and Recovery Act: arsenic (As), barium (Ba), cadmium (Cd), chromium (Cr), lead (Pb), mercury (Hg), selenium (Se), and silver (Ag), as well as vanadium (V) and copper (Cu) due to their presence in urban environments and bioaccumulation, in the blood and claws from Chelydra serpentina and Trachemys scripta. All contaminants, except for Cd and Ag, were detected in both species and both tissue types. Carnivorous Chelydra serpentina exhibited higher concentrations of Se and Hg than omnivorous Trachemys scripta. Partial redundancy analysis indicated that species accounted for more variance in the data than % impervious surface at a 2200-m scale. Robust mixed-effects models showed that % impervious surface was not correlated with contaminant concentrations in either species. Although we documented no relationship between urbanization and contaminant concentrations, we recommend additional research to investigate the effects of urbanization over time in this rapidly developing region.

Density estimation is central to wildlife management efforts but can be challenging in anthropogenically-dominated landscapes due to small parcel sizes, access restrictions, and limited green space. Reliable density estimates are especially important for managing white-tailed deer (Odocoileus virginianus), whose high abundance in urbanized areas increases the need for accurate population assessments to guide management and reduce negative human-wildlife interactions. Herein, we evaluated (a) the use of a plot-based spatial capture-recapture sampling design to estimate deer density in developed landscapes and (b) if integrating telemetry data improved the precision or biological inferences of density estimates. We conducted fecal sampling at 2 study areas reflecting different characteristics of the urbanization gradient in Durham and eastern Orange counties, North Carolina: (1) rural (i.e., forested, large parcels) and (2) suburban (i.e., small parcels, limited continuous access, diversity of landscape features). We collected 223 fecal samples during a 3-week sampling period in July and September 2022, resulting in 157 individual deer detected (112 F:45 M). Rural densities were estimated at 54 deer/km2 (95% CI = 35-84) and suburban densities at 75 deer/km2 (95% CI = 48-117). Integrating telemetry data allowed estimation of sex-specific space use and densities, which were not possible from fecal data alone; however, precision of total density estimates was similar across integrated and fecal-only analyses. Overall, our results highlighted key trade-offs inherent to plot-based spatial capture-recapture in suburban landscapes, most notably low recapture rates, accessibility challenges to maintain optimal trap spacing, and the importance of considering auxiliary data streams as part of the study design.

Wild Turkeys (Meleagris gallopavo, hereafter turkeys), an important North American game species, have experienced declines throughout their eastern range. Growing concern over turkey population sustainability has renewed interest in investigating potential disease threats. We conducted pathogen surveillance in turkeys in three North Carolina, USA ecoregions-Mountains, Piedmont, and Coastal Plain-in 2020-22 to provide baseline data relevant to the southeastern USA. We collected samples from 586 live free-ranging turkeys plus 22 recaptured individuals (n=608: 194 males, 414 females; 159 juveniles, 449 adults) to test for exposure to or infection with selected pathogens. Molecular testing revealed infections with Haemoproteus spp. (57%), lymphoproliferative disease virus (LPDV; 46.8%), Mycoplasma spp. (39.8%), Leucocytozoon spp. (8.8%), and reticuloendotheliosis virus (REV; 3.4%). We detected antibodies to Toxoplasma gondii (21.3%), West Nile virus (WNV; 15.4%), and avian influenza virus (2.0%). No turkey coronavirus, Plasmodium, Borrelia, or Salmonella infections were detected. There were no prevalence differences between sexes, except for REV (females=5%, males=1%). Prevalence was higher in adults than in juveniles for LPDV (adult=52%, juvenile=33%), WNV (adult=19%, juvenile=6%), Haemoproteus (adult=60%, juvenile=49%), T. gondii (adult=24%, juvenile=14%), and Leucocytozoon (adult=11%, juvenile=3%). Prevalence of LPDV differed significantly across ecoregions, with the highest prevalence in the Piedmont (62%), followed by the Mountains (51%) and the Coastal Plain (27%). Prevalence of WNV antibodies was higher in the Piedmont (24%) than in the Mountains (8%). Haemoproteus and Leucocytozoon prevalence increased over a regional gradient, with detections of 24% and 0% in the Mountains, 65% and 6% in the Piedmont, and 85 and 21% in Coastal Plain, respectively. Mycoplasma spp. prevalence was higher in the Mountains (45%) and the Coastal Plain (47%) than in the Piedmont (27%). Our data highlighted sex-, age-, and region-based differences in prevalence for several pathogens, thereby enabling managers to tailor management strategies and researchers to investigate effects of these pathogens on turkey survival and movement.

Diverse factors, including environmental features and cognitive processes, can drive animals' movements and space use, with far-reaching implications. For example, repeated use of individual-level travel routeways (directionally constrained but imperfectly aligned routes), which results in spatial concentration of activity, can shape encounter-based processes including predation, mate finding, and disease transmission. However, how much variation in routeway usage exists across species remains unknown. By analyzing GPS movement tracks for 1,239 range-resident mammalian carnivores-representing 16 canid and 18 felid species from six continents-we found strong evidence of a clade-level difference in species' reliance on repeatedly used travel routeways. Across the global dataset, tracked canids had a 15% (±7 CI) greater density of routeways within their home ranges than did felids, rising to 33% (±16 CI) greater in landscapes shared with tracked felids. Moreover, comparisons within species across landscapes revealed broadly similar home range routeway densities despite habitat differences. On average, canids also reused their travel routeways more intensively than did felids, with hunting strategies and spatial contexts also contributing to the intensity of routeway usage. Collectively, our results suggest that key aspects of carnivore routeway-usage have an evolutionary component. Striking interspecific and clade-level differences in carnivores' reliance on reused travel routeways within home ranges identify important ways in which the movement patterns of real-world predators depart from classical assumptions of predator-prey theory. Because such departures can drive key aspects of human-wildlife interactions and other encounter-based processes, continued investigations of the relationships between movement mechanisms and space use are critical.

Addressing public preferences can enhance wildlife management effectiveness and reduce backlash. We conducted novel research on public acceptance of wildlife management by accounting for the role of underexplored drivers including emotion and political identity across an urban-to-rural gradient. Using data from a 2022 survey about white-tailed deer (Odocoileus virginianus) in Durham County, North Carolina, we analyzed drivers of acceptance for three management strategies: passive management, lethal management by hunting, and lethal management by professionals. Support for deer management varied across the urban-to-rural gradient, as rural residents favored hunting but were less supportive of passive management compared to urban and suburban residents. Emotions and general attitudes toward deer were the strongest predictors of management acceptance. Support for passive management was higher among residents with more positive emotions toward deer, whereas support for lethal strategies was higher among those with more negative emotions. Additionally, political identity emerged as a complex yet influential factor in shaping support for lethal management. Conservative respondents exhibited a higher acceptance of hunting, whereas liberal respondents exhibited a higher acceptance of professional sharpshooting. Collectively, our results demonstrate the ways in which emotions, politics, and other socio-demographic factors interact to influence public support for deer management across the urban–rural gradient. When direct experience with wildlife is lacking (e.g., in urban areas), emotions may act as heuristic guides that shape preferences. Managers aiming to increase deer management acceptability could integrate insights about emotional, political, and demographic drivers of public management support in communication efforts, potentially rendering urban deer management more effective.

Wild turkey ( Meleagris gallopavo ) gobbling activity is a key aspect of hunter satisfaction and has been used to help determine the timing of spring wild turkey hunting seasons. However, to minimize effects on reproductive success, the literature is clear that hunting seasons should not begin before the median date of nest initiation. Thus, it's important to understand timing of gobbling and nesting to appropriately structure the hunting season such that hunter satisfaction is maximized while not affecting reproduction. We determined if the relative overlap in timing of gobbling and nesting chronology varied temporally and spatially along an elevational gradient. We collected gobbling chronology data using autonomous recording units ( n = 51) and determined nesting chronology of 370 (of which 305 nested) female eastern wild turkeys ( M. g. silvestris ) monitored with GPS transmitters across 3 distinct physiographic ecoregions in North Carolina, USA, during 2020–2022. We recorded 63,456 gobbles, located 420 nests, and determined that gobbling chronology did not vary regionally but varied daily and annually within each ecoregion. Nest incubation initiation dates were similar among years and across ecoregions, supporting photoperiod as the main driver of nesting chronology. We identified 2 relatively consistent time‐lag relationships between gobbling and nesting activity (6.5 and 38.6 days). However, gobbling activity was not bimodal or consistent in relation to nesting activity across years and ecoregions. For example, gobbling activity declined following the onset of incubation in some ecoregions and years but continued at relatively high rates during incubation in other years and ecoregions. The lack of variation in nesting chronology across the elevation gradient indicates that uniform opening dates for hunting within a similar latitudinal zone were appropriate.

Restoration of nonnative grasslands to native early successional plant communities has been a conservation focus throughout the United States for several decades. In the eastern US, where precipitation exceeds 1 0 0 0 mm per year, disturbance is necessary following restoration to prevent early successional communities from progressing into woody-dominated midsuccessional communities. Resulting plant composition may vary among disturbance practices, and knowledge of such effects will help direct maintenance of restored native early seral plant communities. We evaluated the effects of the two most common disturbance practices, prescribed fire and mowing, following restoration of nonnative grasslands to native plant communities via two methods: 1) planting native grasses and 2) forbs and seedbank response without planting, across 11 replicated sites in Tennessee and Alabama, 2018-2020. Specifically, we evaluated how disturbance altered vegetation composition following four treatment combinations (planted mowed, planted burned, seedbank mowed, and seedbank burned) and tall fescue ( Schedonorus arundinaceus) control from predisturbance conditions. Grass coverage increased in all treatment units, but tended to increase more in mowed treatments than burned treatments. Forb coverage declined in all treatments except seedbank burned, where it increased. Similarly, spring-, summer-, and fall-flowering forbs, which are the focus of conservation programs designed to enhance habitat for pollinators, increased most in seedbank burned. Species richness decreased across all treatments and control, except seedbank burned, where it increased. The species evenness did not differ by treatment. Our results provide insight into how disturbance techniques may alter plant community composition soon after restoration. We recommend managers use prescribed fire instead of mowing if increased forb coverage is important to meet objectives. Furthermore, our results highlight how planting native grasses and forbs is not necessary to restore native early successional plant communities on most sites dominated by nonnative grasses in the eastern United States, where precipitation is not limiting succession. (c) 2024 The Society for Range Management. Published by Elsevier Inc. All rights are reserved, including those for text and data mining, AI training, and similar technologies.

Morphometric variation of white-tailed deer (Odocoileus virginianus; hereafter, deer) is caused by multiple environmental factors, including temperature, precipitation, soil quality, and forage availability. The effects of temperature and precipitation on plant growth are well documented, but it is unclear how soil mineral concentration affects deer morphometrics. Although it is recognized that deer have larger morphology and greater productivity in areas of the United States with mineral-rich soils, the question remains as to whether this trend is driven by increased food availability in areas with mineral-rich soils because of land use (i.e., agriculture) or if nutrient concentration of plants is greater in soils with greater mineral concentration. We collected plant tissue from 40 species commonly selected as forage by deer at 36 sites in 16 states across the eastern United States, representing a wide range of soil quality conditions over a broad geographical area. We categorized plant sampling locations into 5 soil quality classes based on a soil productivity index and analyzed plant nutrients to assess if soil productivity index classifications could be used to predict deer forage quality. We then made direct soil-plant comparisons by pairing each plant sample with a soil sample collected around the base of the plant to determine if soil nutrient concentration explained variation in plant nutrient concentration. We tested soil samples for phosphorus, potassium, and calcium. We analyzed plant samples for crude protein, phosphorus, potassium, and calcium for the soil productivity classification comparisons, and we analyzed phosphorus, potassium, and calcium for the direct site-specific analyses, as these macronutrients are critical to deer body mass, productivity, and antler growth. We analyzed forages by plant type (i.e., forb, semi-woody, shrub, or tree) and plant tissue age (i.e., young or older tissue). Nutrient concentration varied by plant type and tissue age. Plant type explained the majority of variation in plant nutrients, with forbs containing greater concentrations of all nutrients than the other plant types. Young plant material contained more crude protein and phosphorus, whereas older plant material contained more calcium. The soil productivity index was a poor predictor of deer forage quality. Calcium was the only mineral that differed by soil productivity class, but calcium was not limiting for deer at any site, as plant calcium levels exceeded maximum requirements for deer across all soil productivity classes. Site-specific soil phosphorus, potassium, and calcium explained little variation in plant mineral concentration (partial R2 = 0.00). Our results provide evidence that naturally occurring plants, especially forbs, can provide nutrition sufficient for maximum deer body weight, reproduction, and antler size, within a given area, across the eastern United States regardless of the dominant soil type. As such, the availability of naturally occurring native forbs may be a primary limiting factor regulating age-specific deer body mass and antler size, not limitations in plant nutrients resulting from soil mineral concentration. Land managers should be encouraged to influence plant composition toward greater forb coverage where increased forage quality for deer is desired, even in areas with soils low in mineral concentration.

Climate change is altering annual recruitment and influencing the trajectory of wildlife populations. The effect of climate change on recruitment varies among wildlife species, making implications difficult to generalize, necessitating species‐specific assessments. Assessment is especially important for investigating implications of future climate change for populations currently in decline, such as the eastern wild turkey ( Meleagris gallopavo silvestris ). We evaluated how variation in weather and plant phenology affected wild turkey brood survival by monitoring 257 broods across the southeastern United States during 2014–2022. Average daily low temperature, average daily precipitation, maximum single‐day precipitation, and proximity to green‐up date did not predict daily brood survival. Although we documented no support for weather effects on wild turkey brood survival, additional work is likely needed to assess how climate change will influence other factors that indirectly influence brood survival and subsequent recruitment, including availability of food and cover resources.

Nocturnal roost sites are a resource requirement for wild turkeys ( Meleagris gallopavo spp.; hereafter, wild turkey). Appropriate roost sites lessen predation risk and provide thermal protection from extreme weather. We assessed roost‐site selection by female eastern wild turkeys ( M. g. silvestris ) in relation to distance to roads, water, and openings on privately owned properties across the 3 ecoregions of North Carolina, USA. We captured and monitored 355 individuals and collected 64,924 roost locations from 2020–2022. We classified locations as occurring during the leaf‐on (15 March to 31 October) or leaf‐off (1 November to 14 March) seasons, which were based roughly on the phenology of deciduous trees. We created individual home ranges using autocorrelated kernel density estimates and generated a number of random locations within forested land cover equal to the number of roost locations within each home range. We used backwards stepwise selection to identify predictors of roost‐site selection relative to what was available at random locations. The most parsimonious generalized linear model according to Akaike's Information Criterion included year, leaf season, region (Mountain, Piedmont, Coastal Plain), distance to water, road, and openings (i.e., combined non‐forested landcover – including Barren Land, Shrub/Scrub, Grassland/Herbaceous, Sedge/Herbaceous, Pasture/Hay, and Cultivated Crops). The top‐ranked model also included an interaction between leaf season and distance to road and an interaction between leaf season and distance to opening. Female wild turkeys selected roost locations closer to roads and open land cover than random during the leaf‐on season but not during the leaf‐off season. Female wild turkeys roosted closer to water ( = −0.199, SE = 0.006) than random across leaf seasons and regions. Selection was consistent across regions, so region‐specific roost conservation efforts are likely unnecessary across landscapes comparable to those in our study. We recommend land managers in the southeastern United States intersperse forest that provides roosting sites with early succession openings that provide seasonally important foraging, nesting, and brooding cover for female wild turkeys.

The relationship between nest‐site selection and nest success remains unclear for many avian species. Discrepancies among results may be driven by the localized conditions of study sites being evaluated at a single scale. We monitored eastern wild turkey ( Meleagris gallopavo silvestris ) nests across 3 study areas in North Carolina, USA, to 1) develop scale‐specific predictive models for vegetation characteristics selected at nest sites and 2) describe effects of female behaviors and vegetation conditions on nest survival. We monitored 370 female eastern wild turkeys to evaluate nest‐site selection and relationship with nest survival at 2 spatial scales across 3 ecoregion‐specific study areas in North Carolina during 2020–2022. We used generalized linear modeling and an information‐theoretic approach to determine if vegetation characteristics around the nest site (15‐m radius) and landscape features in the incubation range (50% nesting period utilization distribution) influenced nest‐site selection at 407 nests across the 3 ecoregions. We used a Cox proportional hazard model to calculate baseline hazards and associated effects of covariates from the nest‐selection model. Wild turkeys selected nest sites that had greater forb and woody understory cover and greater visual obstruction than paired random locations. Within the incubation range, wild turkeys selected for patches with greater shrubland and herbaceous land cover than at random locations. Nest survival decreased by 2.3% for every 1% increase of bare ground cover at the nest site, increased by <1.0% for every 100 m/ha increase in the amount of edge in the incubation range, and increased by 5.8% for every 10% increase in shrubland cover in the incubation range. An increase of one additional daily recess movement by the incubating female increased the risk of nest failure by 12.9%. Female turkeys selected nest sites with concealing vegetation cover and nearby vegetation types that likely provided additional high‐quality nesting cover. Thus, management practices (e.g., forest thinning and prescribed burning) that foster understory vegetation within forest and woodlands intermixed with shrubland and herbaceous vegetation types are essential to manage high‐quality nesting cover for female wild turkeys.

Estimating survival and cause-specific mortality of male eastern wild turkeys (Meleagris gallopavo silvestris) is important for understanding population dynamics and implementing appropriate harvest management. To better understand age-specific estimates of annual survival and harvest rates, we captured and marked male wild turkeys with leg bands (n = 311) or bands and transmitters (n = 549) in Georgia, Louisiana, North Carolina, and South Carolina, USA, during 2014-2022. We fitted time to event models to data from radio-marked birds to estimate cause-specific mortality and annual survival. We used band recovery models incorporating both band recovery and telemetry data to further investigate harvest rates and survival. Annual survival from known-fate models in hunted populations was 0.54 (95% CI = 0.49-0.59) for adults and 0.86 (95% CI = 0.81-0.92) for juveniles. Cause-specific mortality analysis produced an annual harvest estimate of 0.29 (95% CI = 0.24-0.33) for adults and 0.02 (95% CI = 0.01-0.03) for juveniles, whereas predation was 0.15 (95% CI = 0.10-0.20) and 0.12 (95% CI = 0.08-0.17), respectively. Annual survival for adult males in a non-hunted population was 0.83 (95% CI = 0.72-0.97). Survival rate was negatively correlated with harvest rate, indicating harvest was an additive mortality source. Annual survival from band recovery models was 0.40 (95% CI = 0.37-0.44) for adults and 0.88 (95% CI = 0.81- 0.93) for juveniles, whereas annual harvest estimates were 0.24 (95% CI = 0.23-0.25) for adults and 0.04 (95% CI = 0.03-0.05) for juveniles. Both models suggested no differences in annual survival across years or among study areas, which included privately owned and public properties. Harvest was an additive mortality source for male wild turkeys, suggesting that managers interested in increasing annual survival of adult males could consider ways of reducing harvest rates.

Temperature and precipitation have been identified as factors that potentially influence eastern wild turkey ( Meleagris gallopavo silvestris ) reproduction, but robust analyses testing the relationship between weather parameters and turkey nest success are lacking. Therefore, we assessed how weather influenced turkey daily nest survival using 8 years of data collected from 715 nests across the southeastern United States. We also conducted exploratory analyses investigating if weather conditions during or prior to nesting best predicted nest success. We then assessed the possible implications of climate change through 2041–2060 for future eastern wild turkey daily nest survival and nest success for variables determined significant in analyses. During incubation, positive anomalies of minimum daily temperature were associated with greater daily nest survival. Precipitation during nesting was not a good predictor of daily nest survival. Exploratory analyses unexpectedly indicated that weather conditions in January prior to incubation were more important to nest success than weather conditions during incubation. In January, negative anomalies of minimum temperature and greater average daily precipitation were associated with greater nest success. Projections of future nest success or daily nest survival based on these relationships with the predictive covariates, and informed by climate models, suggest that nest success may increase as January precipitation increases and that daily nest survival may increase as temperature during incubation increases. These positive associations could be offset by a negative association between nest success and the expected increases in January minimum average temperature. Additional research is needed to investigate causes of these relationships and assess the implications of climate change for eastern wild turkey poult survival.

Conservation agencies routinely evaluate the costs and benefits of land management and land acquisition options for wildlife management areas (WMAs). Non-market values, for example visitors’ consumer surplus, are often absent from these comparisons. Better estimates of willingness to pay (WTP) for WMAs will allow managers to quantify consumer surpluses for different user groups, identify opportunities to generate additional conservation funding, and improve communication with users. We used the contingent valuation method to estimate the WTP for conservation of WMAs by different user groups. We used interval censored regression to estimate WTP for each user group and modeled how WTP varied with visitation frequency, demographics, and type of use. Dual users, those who participated in both licensed (hunting, angling, or trapping) and non-licensed (all other) activities, had greater WTP ($200.07, 95% CI [$161.18, $238.95]) than users who exclusively participated in either a single non-licensed ($74.74, 95% CI [$50.45, $99.02]) or a single licensed activity ($68.21, 95% CI [$48.41, $88.00]). Willingness-to-pay increased with the number of visits to WMAs per year, college education, and income. The most popular donation motivations were that respondents cared about WMA conservation (72%), wanted WMAs to be around for future generations (70%) and personally benefited from the conservation of WMAs (64%). Similar to a scope test, this study demonstrated greater WTP by users who participate in more diverse recreation types on WMAs. Additionally, our findings show that WMA users, particularly users who engage in multiple activities including at least one that does not require a license, enjoy large consumer surpluses and thus could be drawn on for additional financial support for WMA conservation.

Longleaf pine (Pinus palustris), a historically abundant tree species in the southeastern United States, is often planted to restore the ecologically and culturally important longleaf pine ecosystem that once covered vast acreages in the southeastern United States. Government cost-share programs that support establishment of these plantations place restrictions on planting rates to promote wildlife habitat, as greater tree planting density may reduce canopy openness and herbaceous plant cover that are critical components of habitat for priority species, including gopher tortoise (Gopherus polyphemus) and Bachman's sparrow (Peucaea aestivalis). However, there is expressed concern among some forest managers that more open grown trees in the plantations will be of inferior timber quality with more and larger horizontal branches and associated knots. We examined how density affects dynamics and tradeoffs among understory vegetation structure and composition, longleaf pine stem form (branch density and straightness), and longleaf pine survival by sampling 73 plantations of various ages (5-25 years) and planting rates (653-2445 trees per hectare (TPH)/264-990 trees per acre (TPA)) throughout the southeastern United States. We documented a relationship between planting rate and longleaf pine stand density at time of sampling (r = 0.69, p = 0.0001) and relationships between stand density and habitat and timber quality metrics. Greater stand density resulted in lower tree diameters but greater stand basal area than lower stand density. Higher planting rates led to lower branch density and lower straightness grades than lower planting rates. Canopy openness decreased with greater stand density, and bare ground cover and herbaceous cover decreased as density and stand age at time of sampling increased. Based on our results, we suggest that lower maximum planting rates are appropriate when wildlife habitat is a program objective because lower rates result in fewer tradeoffs, as reducing planting rates slows degradation of wildlife habitat when compared with higher maximum planting rates that have only mixed benefits on timber quality.