-
Historic USDA Investment in Working Lands for Wildlife is Great News for Hellbenders
-
Working Lands for Wildlife will dedicate $500 million over the next five years to strengthen and expand efforts to protect wildlife and restore habitat on private agricultural and forest lands.
Located in
News & Events
-
NRCS Staff Support the Hellbender WLFW Program by Learning About Natural Design Principles
-
NRCS staff from four states met in Western NC to tour stream restoration projects for hellbenders and get a close up look at best practices.
Located in
News & Events
-
To Restore Hellbender Habitat, a Biologist Visits the Farmers' Market
-
When working to restore wildlife habitat on agricultural lands, outreach to producers can be challenging. Private Lands Biologist Mike Knoerr figured out a way to make it much more efficient.
Located in
News & Events
-
Celebrating Bog Turtles During Wild Turtle Week
-
Wild Turtle Week gives us an opportunity to bring extra attention to turtles and our conservation efforts on their behalf.
Located in
News & Webinars
/
Bog Turtle News
-
Are Hellbenders Found Downstream of the Ohio Train Derailment Really a Sign That the Water is Safe?
-
Ohio authorities have called the recent capture and release of two hellbenders downstream from the site of a train derailment and toxic chemical spill a 'positive discovery,' because hellbenders are an indicator of a healthy aquatic ecosystem, but the reality is more complicated.
Located in
News & Events
-
The Literature Gateway
-
A Systematic Map of Bird-Vegetation Relationships in Eastern and Boreal Forests
-
NY NRCS Area Biologist Reflects on Nearly Two Decades of Conservation Success
-
Elizabeth Marks, NRCS Area Biologist, discusses the Bog Turtle Working Lands for Wildlife partnership in New York
Located in
News & Webinars
-
Prevalence of Batrachochytrium dendrobatidis in Eastern Hellbender (Cryptobranchus alleganiensis) Populations in West Virginia, USA
-
The eastern hellbender (Cryptobranchus alleganiensis alleganiensis) is a North American salamander species in decline throughout its range. Efforts to identify the causes of decline have included surveillance for the chytrid fungus Batrachochytrium dendrobatidis (Bd), which has been associated with global amphibian population losses. We evaluated the prevalence of Bd in 42 hellbenders at four sites in West Virginia, US, from June to September 2013, using standard swab protocols and real-time PCR. Overall prevalence of Bd was 52% (22/42; 37.7–66.6%; 95% confidence interval). Prevalence was highest in individuals with body weight ≥695 g (χ2=7.2487, df=1, P=0.007), and was higher in montane sampling sites than lowland sites (t=−2.4599, df=44, P=0.02). While increased prevalence in montane sampling sites was expected, increased prevalence in larger hellbenders was unexpected and hypothesized to be associated with greater surface area for infection or prolonged periods of exposure in older, larger hellbenders. Wild hellbenders have not been reported to display clinical disease associated with Bd; however, prevalence in the population is important information for evaluating reservoir status and risk to other species, and as a baseline for investigation in the face of an outbreak of clinical disease.
Located in
Research
/
Peer-reviewed Science
-
Noninvasive Method for a Statewide Survey of Eastern Hellbenders Cryptobranchus alleganiensis Using Environmental DNA
-
Traditional survey methods of aquatic organisms may be difficult, lengthy, and destructive to the habitat. Some methods are invasive and can be harmful to the target species. The use of environmental DNA (eDNA) has proven to be effective at detecting low population density aquatic macroorganisms. This study refined the technique to support statewide surveys. Hellbender presence was identified by using hellbender specific primers (cytochrome b gene) to detect eDNA in water samples collected at rivers, streams and creeks in Ohio and Kentucky with historical accounts of the imperiled eastern hellbender (Cryptobranchus a. alleganiensis). Two sampling protocols are described; both significantly reduced the amount of water required for collection from the previously described 6 L collection. Two-liter samples were adequate to detect hellbender presence in natural waterways where hellbenders have been previously surveyed in both Ohio and Kentucky—1 L samples were not reliable. DNA extracted from 3 L of water collected onto multiple filters (1 L/filter) could be combined and concentrated through ethanol precipitation, supporting amplification of hellbender DNA and dramatically reducing the filtration time. This method improves the efficiency and welfare implications of sampling methods for reclusive aquatic species of low population density for statewide surveys that involve collecting from multiple watersheds.
Located in
Research
/
Peer-reviewed Science
-
Environmental DNA improves Eastern Hellbender (Cryptobranchus alleganiensis alleganiensis) detection over conventional sampling methods
-
Effective conservation planning relies on accurate species detection. However, conventional sampling methods used for detecting rare and cryptic aquatic species suffer from low probabilities of detection. Environmental DNA (eDNA) has emerged as an innovative and powerful sampling tool for detecting aquatic species, with previous studies suggesting a detection advantage over conventional sampling. However, comparative studies often fail to consider the appropriate sampling frameworks to adequately compare sampling methodologies and account for the influence of environmental variables on eDNA detection probabilities. In this study, we paired two detection methods (eDNA and physical sampling) at 22 sites in West Virginia, USA, to compare the probability of detecting a cryptic, elusive, and imperiled species of giant salamander, the Eastern Hellbender (Cryptobranchus alleganiensis alleganiensis). We used a multimethod occupancy modeling framework to compare method‐specific detection probabilities using a suite of predictor variables based on environmental conditions thought to influence hellbender detection. We detected hellbenders at 19/22 sites using eDNA and at 13/22 sites using physical sampling methods. The best supported model indicated that detection probability for eDNA (0.84 ± 0.06) was three times higher than conventional methods (0.28 ± 0.07). Water turbidity was the best predictor of hellbender detection and negatively impacted our ability to detect eDNA. We failed to detect an association between eDNA concentration and hellbender catch per unit effort. Our study supports previous findings that suggest eDNA sampling methods greatly increase the probability of detecting aquatic species. However, with little known about the influence of environmental variables on eDNA detection, our results highlight the negative influence turbidity and other physiochemical factors have on eDNA detection and suggest that further research on eDNA detection in turbid environments is needed.
Located in
Research
/
Peer-reviewed Science
