Spotted Turtle Research

Previously, we have posted on spotted turtles and Jacqueline Litzgus' research.

Dr. Jacqueline Litzgus, Ph.D. returned to the Lowcountry this week for the Turtle Survival Alliance's 2017 Symposium on the Conservation and Biology of Tortoises and Freshwater Turtles. She brought along some current and former Laurentian University students when she visited the old-growth swamp at the Francis Beidler Forest. Not only did Jackie want to revisit the site of her spotted turtle research (and marriage ceremony), she was hoping to locate one of her former subjects...and she did!

In her words:
That female spotted turtle we found is quite a special one!  I have my
PhD data on my laptop, so I looked her up when I got to my hotel room.
She is notch code 1R2L = 6F, and she is the same size and mass as she
was 17 years ago.  She was part of the mark-recapture study for 5 years,
2000-2004, I radio-tracked her for 3 years, 2000-2002, and she is the
first turtle I found nesting during my PhD research - see attached pics
- she is the one that taught me to look on the tops of rotten logs for
nesting turtles.  In 2001, she produced 3 clutches of eggs, which had
never before been reported for wild spotted turtles, so that prompted me
to publish the attached paper about multiple clutching in the species.
Unfortunately, all 3 clutches were eaten by predators that year.  But in
2002, I had the privilege to meet her 3 babies that hatched from her 1st
nest that year (she produced 2 nests, 2 weeks apart). 

(More from Jackie's perspective at Audubon South Carolina website)

6F's measurements - Image by Mark Musselman

6F's nest in 2001 - Image by Jacqueline Litzgus

6F's nest in 2001 - Image by Jacqueline Litzgus

Jackie Litzgus holding 6F on 8/5/2017 - Image by Mark Musselman

6F on 8/5/2017 - Image by Mark Musselman

Great Backyard Bird Count - February 14-17

The Great Backyard Bird Count (GBBC) is an annual four-day event that engages bird watchers of all ages in counting birds to create a real-time snapshot of where birds are across the continent. Anyone can participate, from beginning bird watchers to experts. It’s free, fun, and easy—and it helps the birds!

Participants count birds for a minimum of 15 minutes (or longer) during the four-day period. Participants can count birds for a single day or during all four days of the GBBC. They tally the highest number of birds of each species seen together at any one time. For example, if three robins are spotted in the yard, the count for robins would be three. Later, if a single robin is spotted in the yard, the count for robins would remain at three (most seen at one time) and not increase to four. Once you finish counting, simply visit the GBBC website (http://www.birdsource.org/gbbc/), create your FREE account, and submit your checklist.

As the count progresses, anyone with Internet access can explore what is being reported from their own towns or anywhere in the United States and Canada. They can also see how this year's numbers compare with those from previous years. Participants may also send in photographs of the birds they see. This is a tremendous opportunity for teachers to address science, social studies and math standards while helping scientists learn about birds in our hemisphere!

Pileated Woodpeckers - David Youngblood

By knowing where the birds are, scientists and bird enthusiasts can learn much regarding the current state of birds. Bird populations are dynamic; they are constantly in flux. No single scientist or team of scientists could hope to document the complex distribution and movements of so many species in such a short time.

Barred Owls - David Youngblood

The GBBC is a citizen-science project where everybody’s help, no matter how small, is valuable. Help make sure the birds from our community are well-represented in the count. It does not matter whether a report is for five species on a backyard feeder or for 25 species spotted during a day's outing to the Audubon Center at Francis Beidler Forest.

There are plenty of ways to participate!  You do NOT need to be an expert on birds.

You can find tips here for counting birds, especially large flocks.

There is a poster of some common backyard birds here.

Facebook

Twitter using #GBBC

If you’re looking for a fun way to get involved, consider joining Audubon staff during our FREE public bird-watching walk on the Sawmill Branch Trail in Summerville, SC on Saturday, February 15th. We will meet in the parking lot for the Sawmill Branch Trail at 8 a.m. and count birds for the GBBC for about two hours. This is a free and easy way to learn more about the birds in your area AND contribute important information for the GBBC!

More details about our public bird-watching walks can be found here: http://beidlerforest.audubon.org/saturday-morning-guided-bird-walks.

Longleaf Pine Restoration

On January 14, 2014, staff and volunteers from the the Audubon Center at the Francis Beidler Forest planted longleaf pine seedlings on approximately five acres of land previously growing loblolly pine.  This small planting was a part of a larger project funded by a grant from the Alcoa Foundation and American Forests Global ReLeaf Partnership for Trees, in which approximately 65 acres was converted from loblolly pine to longleaf pine.  Currently, nearly 200 acres of the Francis Beidler Forest is longleaf pine.

In previous blog entries, we have described why we wish to restore the native longleaf pine forest ecosystem and how we manage those longleaf pine stands.

The longleaf pine/wiregrass ecosystem is unique. The longleaf pine is a hardy species resistant to wind, insects, disease and fire, which can subdue its frequently-seen cousins the Loblolly and Slash Pines. The longleaf pine/wiregrass ecosystem developed with fire and it remains healthy as long as it periodically burns. Historically, these fires would have been caused naturally by lightning and allowed to burn slowly through the forest. The result would have been the near elimination of leaf litter and debris and the competition from hardwood tree species. Additionally, longleaf pine seeds fare better on exposed mineral soil, so the next generation of longleaf pines gets its start after a fire clears the forest floor.

The longleaf pine/wiregrass ecosystem is greatly diminished throughout the Southeast and the total acreage continues to decline. Previously, over 90 million acres supported the unique longleaf pine/wiregrass ecosystem, while only two million acres remain today. Some reasons for this decline include the suppression of fires, intense logging, a switch to faster growing pines, and the clearing of land for agriculture and development. Not only is the total longleaf pine/wiregrass acreage declining, over 30 species of plant and animals that are associated with that ecosystem are currently listed as threatened or endangered, including the Red-cockaded Woodpecker!

After the logging of the loblolly pines, the site had some remaining debris and emergent hardwood trees killed with herbicide.

Site before burning - Mark Musselman

The site was burned in December to remove debris and competition prior to planting the longleaf pine seedlings.

Site after burning - Mark Musselman

The longleaf pine seedlings, grown in containers at a nursery, arrived packed in moisture-conserving boxes.

Collis Boyd, longleaf and equipment - Mark Musselman

Buckets were used to carry the longleaf pine seedlings into the site.

Dibbles, orange metal tool, were used to open a wedge-shaped cavity in the soil in which to place the seedling. Once the seedling was in the ground, the dibble was placed in the soil behind the seedling and the soil between the dibble and seedling was compressed to seal the seedling in the soil.

Planting seedling - Mark Musselman

Planting seedling - Mark Musselman

 Occasionally, an extra step on the soil was needed to ensure a complete seal within the soil.

Planting seedling - Mark Musselman

 Only the western portion of the site remained to be planted...

Planting seedlings - Mark Musselman

 ...and the light rain made the day more interesting.

Planting seedlings - Mark Musselman

Planting seedlings - Mark Musselman

Birds of Project PROTHO

The old-growth, bald cypress-tupelo swamp at the Audubon Center at Francis Beidler Forest contains some of the highest densities of breeding Prothonotary Warblers (Protonotaria citrea) in South Carolina.

Project PROTHO was an effort to learn more about the breeding biology of these warblers within our unique ecosystem and to support our conservation efforts, we captured and banded a number of birds.  You can read more in previous blog entries.  Each Prothonotary Warbler has a unique color-band combination that allows the identification of individual birds.

A257 with prey - Mark Musselman

Banding Color Scheme

COLOR	NUMBER
Purple/white	0
Red/white	1
Pink	2
Light Green	3
Yellow	4
Red	5
Light Blue	6
Black	7
Orange	8
Dark Blue	9
Aluminum	A

Bands are read from lower left to upper left to upper right to lower right.

Although we no longer have a permitted bird bander at the center, sightings of color-banded birds continue to provide valuable data on site fidelity, territory size, daily and seasonal movements, and nest success rates. Your recorded data (ask for a data sheet) will add to the scientific knowledge about these birds.

If you have seen or photographed banded Prothonotary Warblers and are interested in the details we have obtained regarding their bandings, territories and nesting attempts, you can use the links on the Project PROTHO page to navigate to each bird's page.

We are in the process of building the pages, so let us know if your bird is not yet shown and we will give that bird priority treatment!.

Spring Break Volunteers

Not every college students thinks beaches and parties when it comes to Spring Break.  Last week, volunteers from The University of Missouri spent their break volunteering at the Audubon Center at Francis Beidler Forest.  The students spent their evenings in our rustic (emphasis on rustic) cabin and spent their days helping us clear tasks off of our to-do list.

Cabin - Mark Musselman

Day 1 included power washing the ramps into the nature center, reattaching deck boards on the education boardwalk where the pressure treatment in the wood had corroded the uncoated deck screws, and repair to the main boardwalk where an oak's rotten base had given out and a section of the boardwalk paid the price.

Fallen Oak - Mark Musselman

Fallen Oak - Mark Musselman

Repaired Boardwalk - Mark Musselman

Day 2 involved clearing oaks from the first longleaf pine plot planted a Beidler Forest.  The plot had not been managed aggressively enough and oaks had crowded or were in the process of crowding out the longleaf pines.  A broken chainsaw and cold weather ended the day early, but not before the remaining forest of oaks snickered at the minimal damage.  We'll be back in the fall with herbicide in backpack sprayers to deal with the remaining oaks, which will give the longleaf pines the access to water and nutrients they will need to grow.  After that, routine prescribed fires will keep the competition at bay.

Day 3 involved more oak removal at a younger longleaf pine site (see previous entries here) where the oaks are young and plentiful, but easier to remove with loppers.  After cutting, the stems were treated with a dyed herbicide to prevent resprouting.

Volunteer Loppers - Mark Musselman

Treated Stems - Mark Musselman

Although a day's work only affected a small percentage of the total tract, the effect is obvious in the before/after images.

Before (area 1) - Mark Musselman

After (area 1) - Mark Musselman

After (area 1) - Mark Musselman

Before (area 2) - Mark Musselman

After (area 2) - Mark Musselman

As opposed to the previous day being able to see the fruits of their labors made for a happy group of volunteers!

Mizzou Volunteers - Mark Musselman

While at the site, students received a basic lesson in longleaf pine ecosystems, including the longleaf pine's adaptations to fire.  Although fire killed many of the younger non-longleaf pine trees, the longleaf pines long needles and tight arrangement around the terminal bud protect the bud from the heat and fire.  The needles that are brown will fall off, new needles will emerge and the tree will continue to grow without nearby competitive vegetation.

Longleaf Pine After Fire - Mark Musselman

Longleaf Pine After Fire - Mark Musselman

Longleaf Pine After Fire - Mark Musselman

Longleaf Pine After Fire - Mark Musselman

Likewise, wiregrass and other herbaceous plants will emerge after the fire and provide food, cover, and nesting sites for wildlife, including wild turkey (Meleagris gallopavo) and the disappearing bobwhite quail (Colinus virginianus).

Wiregrass After Fire - Mark Musselman

Wiregrass After Fire - Mark Musselman

Day 4 included repair of a meeting building on the far side of the swamp that is used for fish fry meetings.  Although nothing like winter in Missouri, the cool weather was not what had been hoped for, so the day's sunny weather pushing into the upper 60Fs was a treat...even without a beach.

Thank you, Mizzou!

Help Find Rusty Blackbirds

You can help scientists prepare for the retooled Rusty Blackbird Winter Blitz in 2014 by identifying habitats containing Rusty Blackbirds from March through April 2013.

More details at eBird here.

We have seen Rusty Blackbirds at the Audubon Center at Francis Beidler Forest and multiple times along the nature trail at Ashley Ridge High School (ARHS).  See the blog entry here.

Male Rusty Blackbird - Mark Musselman

Female Rusty Blackbird - Mark Musselman

The Francis Beidler Forest contains 17,000 acres of cypress-tupelo swamp (1800 acres of old-growth), but the swamp at ARHS is less than 15 acres.  Therefore, do not feel that a stand of flooded forest near you is too small to warrant an investigation!

Wild Turkey

South Carolina's wild turkey season begins today.  As we have posted previously, the wild turkeys in and around the Audubon Center at Francis Beidler Forest were caught in the Francis Marion Forest in 1987 and released here.

Wild Turkey - Mark Musselman

Wild Turkey - Mark Musselman

Wild Turkey - Mark Musselman

Wild Turkey - Mark Musselman

Wild Turkey - Mark Musselman

In the images above taken on 3/11/2013, the males can be seen trying to impress the females and intimidate the other males.  The urge to compete may lead males to right to a hunter posing as a rival.  We have enjoyed our morning and evening sightings of wild turkeys, but suspect that they will be keeping their heads down for the near future.

Dwarf Trillium

Dwarf Trillium (Trillium pusillum) has begun to bloom at the Audubon Center at Francis Beidler Forest.  No flowers can be seen from the boardwalk, but plants have emerged from the leaf litter near the boardwalk and will be blooming soon.  Here are entries from years past.

Dwarf Trillium - Mark Musselman

Dr. Richard Porcher began studying the Dwarf Trillium after Hurricane Hugo opened the forest canopy above the plants, which precipitated a spike in the trillium population.  Currently, Dr. Danny Gustafson of The Citadel is studying the Dwarf Trillium and annually brings his ecology class to Beidler Forest to collect data.

Camouflaged Data Collectors - Mark Musselman

A downward trend in the species' population has been detected as the canopy has begun to fill.  In order to help this rare plant maintain or increase its population, we will be conducting some selective pruning in and around the study plots.  We will trod lightly as not to trample any plants or any ants that serve as seed dispersers.  The trillium seeds have nutrient rich appendages, called elaiosomes, which the ants eat once they have carried the seed back to their nest.  Housecleaning throws the unharmed seed out with the trash and new Dwarf Trillium colonies can begin some distance from their parent plants.

Mutualism, ask your kids or a friend's kids, is at work.  The ants benefit, the trillium benefits, and we benefit by being able to see a rare plant right in our figurative backyard.

Prescribed Burning

After the rain during the previous weeks, last week turned out to be a good week to burn with the season drawing to a close.  At Audubon's Francis Beidler Forest, we were able to burn two tracts, as was the Charleston Audubon and Natural History Society at their McAlhaney Nature Preserve.  Charleston Audubon posted images and descriptions of the procedures and goals for their burning.

As we have noted in previous posts, the main purpose of burning forest land is to reduce the fuel load and prevent disastrous wildfires like the one near Myrtle Beach four years ago.  Whether by lightning or careless human activity, forests will burn at some point.  Not only does less fuel equal a less intense fire, some ecosystems, like the Longleaf Pine savanna, have evolved with periodic fire and require fire to maintain their health.

The first site we burned was the Longleaf Pine restoration tract we planted in January 2007.

Longleaf restoration site preburn - Mark Musselman

Longleaf restoration site preburn - Mark Musselman

Longleaf restoration site (wiregrass) preburn - Mark Musselman

It appears that fire is essential for production of viable seed by these plants. Wire grass may actually be the most important, if not the most obvious, species in a longleaf pine savanna, because it is the plant that produces most of the fuel for the fires that sustain the community. Longleaf pines themselves do not produce enough fuel to keep their “home fires” burning. If it weren’t for wire grass and the fires it sustains, the savannas would cease to exist. That is exactly what happens when fire is suppressed in these communities. -- Carolina Environmental Diversity Explorations

Starting fire with drip torch - Mark Musselman

Drip torches containing a 4:1 mixture of diesel to gasoline were used to set the fire on the downwind side of the stand, which allowed the fire to burn into the wind at a slower, steadier pace than if the fire were started on the upwind side of the stand.

Burning into wind - Mark Musselman

A fire break was plowed around the entire stand to ensure the fire did not migrate beyond the stand's boundaries and interior dirt roads allowed the stand to be burned in seven separate sections.  However, in the event that fire were to find a way across a break, volunteers were ready to extinguish the flames by smothering the fire with flappers or shoveled soil or by spraying the errant fire with water.

Volunteers Howard Bridgman and Paul Cooler - Mark Musselman

Although ascetically unattractive immediately after the burn, wiregrass and forbs will quickly begin to sprout producing an enhanced habitat for wildlife like wild turkeys, bobwhite quail, and fox squirrels.  Longleaf Pine benefit from the elimination of competing hardwood tree species and the reduction of fuel on the ground, which if allowed to accumulate could generate a fire too hot for the Longleaf Pines to withstand.

Longleaf restoration site postburn - Mark Musselman

The next day we burned a Loblolly Pine stand at the northern end of the Francis Beidler Forest.  The 37 acres were divided by fire breaks into three unequal units.  We began with the smallest (3 acres) to see how the fire would travel through the stand.  The fire burned slowly into the gentle west wind.

Loblolly Pine stand preburn - Mark Musselman

Recent rains kept the site moist and east-west running furrows between the rows of planted pine kept the fire from burning south to north.

Loblolly Pine stand preburn - Mark Musselman

Loblolly Pine stand slowly burning - Mark Musselman

Fire burned slowly and steadily where not stymied by standing water.

Loblolly Pine stand slowly burning - Mark Musselman

In the end 75-80% of the fuel was burned across the site.  In drier areas, the burn rate was 100%, while other areas (image below) did not burn in the low, wet areas.

Loblolly Pine stand postburn - Mark Musselman

Both burns successfully accomplished our goal of fuel reduction and exceeded our expectations considering the moist conditions.  However, hazards remain until all the hot spots are extinguished and all of the equipment is properly stored back at the center.  There is little room for error when driving the ATV up the ramp into the bed of the pickup.  Pushing the accelerator lever instead of gripping the brake lever results in spectacular damage to the toolbox and quality entertainment for the bystanders.  To quote Homer Simpson, "Doh!"

ATV vs toolbox - Mark Musselman