Bibliography

Brays Island contributed two of the more than 30 sites surveyed during this coastal Bat Blitz. These events generate valuable data for bat conservation by providing a snapshot of the species active in a given region at a specific time.

Landscape and environmental characteristics that shape bat assemblage activity across varying levels of development in North America

Kerrigan Larkin – Kennesaw State University

Abstract: This study investigates how environmental and landscape characteristics influence bat activity across varying levels of development in South Carolina. Acoustic monitoring was used to passively survey at five sites: Brays Island, Nemours Plantation, Palmetto Bluff, Spring Island, and Sun City. For six months, twenty-four Wildlife Acoustics Song Meter Mini monitors recorded bat calls, which were then analyzed using Kaleidoscope Pro 5.6.8 and SPSS Statistics 29. There were four hypotheses that were tested regarding the relationship between bat activity and environmental factors: temperature, canopy cover, midstory, and artificial light at night (ALAN) to determine if they were correlated. It was found that bat activity is positively influenced by temperature, which is consistent with previous research. Differences in bat acoustic assemblage activity among locations was documented. Canopy cover and midstory were significant predictors of activity, but trends were not consistent between frequency groups. Higher levels of ALAN did not have a negative effect on groups and even increased activities for some acoustic groups in some locations. These data suggest that while some environmental factors influence bat activity, this can significantly vary from site to site. This has implications for conservation and development planning, emphasizing the necessity for strategies specific to that region or location.

https://digitalcommons.kennesaw.edu/masterstheses/69/

Landscape characteristics that support bat assemblage diversity along a rural to urban gradient

K. Larkin, T. McElroy, L. Moore Department of Ecology, Evolution and Organismal Biology, Kennesaw State University, GA (KL and TM); Wormsloe Institute for Environmental History, GA (LM)

Abstract: Human population has transformed wildlife habitat into urban areas for human use. These urban areas are predicted to continue expanding, with the potential to negatively or positively alter wildlife communities. Development can lead to damage or total loss of habitats which threatens the survival of wildlife and healthy ecosystem processes. When development occurs wildlife in these areas either adjust to the newly modified landscape or may become excluded from the new habitat. Habitat fragmentation and loss, barriers such as roads, local climate change, unnatural predators such as domestic cats and dogs, and light pollution are all byproducts of urbanization that may alter species composition. Although urbanization is often viewed as a damaging process it can be done in a way that minimizes negative impacts to ecosystems. Some bat species may adapt well to altered landscapes while other species may be excluded. Generally, we expected areas that are more developed to have a higher diversity of bat species that are adapted to hunting in open spaces and areas that are less developed to have a higher diversity of clutter adapted bat species. Bat activity was monitored with Song Meter Mini Bat 2 recorders (Wildlife Acoustics, Inc.). Calls were processed using Kaleidoscope Pro 5. Calls were grouped based on frequency. The initial data analyses suggest that open adapted species have been recorded more at Sun City and Palmetto Bluff (more developed), whereas clutter adapted species have been recorded more at Brays Island and Nemours (less developed). Future analyses will incorporate landscape features such as lighting intensity, canopy height, mid story clutter, housing density, and adjacent land use to delineate factors that may influence bat species diversity.

Evaluating Factors Influencing Capture Rates of Herpetofauna in Aquatic Funnel Traps

Nathan Battaglia, Caleb Shindledecker, Ty Tobias, Dr. Erin Buchholtz – Clemson University.

Abstract: Reptiles and amphibians, also called herpetofauna, are often small, cryptic, and difficult to observe. However, it is important to understand their behavior, life histories, and population and community dynamics because many are important indicator and sentinel species in their ecosystems. As a result, various methods for capturing these species have been developed. Among these is aquatic funnel trapping, a form of trapping that utilizes a box-trap design with funnels on either end to facilitate the entry of aquatic animals. The benefits of this method are that it is passive, relatively low-effort, resource-efficient, and inexpensive. However, while aquatic trapping is a commonly used method to sample wetland herpetofauna, the factors that influence its effectiveness are relatively understudied. To assess variables influencing capture rates of herpetofauna in aquatic funnel traps, we deployed trap arrays in two different isolated wetlands in coastal South Carolina over a period of 12 trap nights from June 16 to June 28. Arrays comprised eight aquatic funnel traps deployed in a 2 by 2 by 2 factorial design, consisting of 3 independent variables, each with two levels: trap material (mesh vs. plastic), bait (bait vs. no bait), and sampling depth (shallow vs. deep).  We use descriptive and inferential statistical methods to compare the catchment of reptiles and amphibians across trap models and to assess the bycatch associations of captured species.

*This information is preliminary and is subject to revision. It is being provided to meet the need for timely best science. The information is provided on the condition that neither the U.S. Geological Survey nor the U.S. Government shall be held liable for any damages resulting from the authorized or unauthorized use of the information.

Assessing Diet Breadth and Parasite Load in  Greater Siren (Siren lacertina) in the South Carolina ACE Basin

Caleb Shindledecker, Nathan Battaglia, Ty Tobias, Dr. Erin Buchholtz – Clemson University

Abstract: An organism’s diet breadth and parasite load can be useful indicators of its vulnerability to change and health. Additionally, parasites extract nutrients to the host’s detriment, and this symbiosis might potentially necessitate a higher dietary intake or a more diverse diet to sustain host health. Due to their cryptic behavioral patterns and unique life history strategies, ascertaining information about diet breadth, parasite load, and the relationship between the two presents a notable challenge to understanding amphibian biology, especially in the case of fully aquatic species. The Greater Siren (Siren lacertina) is one such cryptic, fully aquatic amphibian found in the coastal plain of South Carolina (SC). This study sought  (1) to characterize the parasite load and diet breadth of S. lacertina in the SC ACE basin, (2) to consider the effect of sex, size, and age class on S. lacertina parasitism and diet, and (3) to determine the relationship between S. lacertina parasite load and diet breadth. We dissected 15 S. lacertina individuals of different sexes and sizes, collected from inadvertent mortality during aquatic trapping, and examined each of their body cavities. From these individuals, we recorded morphometrics, as well as parasite presence/absence, parasite load, parasite richness, stomach/gut contents, and diet breadth. Using this data, we use statistical analysis to evaluate diet breadth and parasite load across sexes, age classes, and sizes and to determine the relationship between diet breadth and parasite load. This information can be useful not only for population assessment and management but also conservation planning and guiding further research inquiry.

*This information is preliminary and is subject to revision. It is being provided to meet the need for timely best science. The information is provided on the condition that neither the U.S. Geological Survey nor the U.S. Government shall be held liable for any damages resulting from the authorized or unauthorized use of the information.

A diet note for Lithobates sphenocephalus published in Herp Review from an observation on Brays Island. The full note can be found here: 

https://www.dropbox.com/scl/fi/v2avwm9rrvwvvlenob9u7/HR_Sept_2024_150dpi_NaturalHistoryNotes.pdf?rlkey=e987k8ylmkvj8xmp8grpgeazl&st=fpw6xe1q&dl=1

A diet note for Ophisaurus ventralis published in Herp Review from an observation on Brays Island. The full note can be found here: 

https://www.dropbox.com/scl/fi/0yrzdk6zr8u796b8l77v1/HR_Dec_2023_Press_updated150dpi_NaturalHistoryNotes.pdf?rlkey=3vfjsmqe8pebull2y6k8y6160&st=9yfwxgul&dl=1

Abstract: We use GIS to analyze 31 archaeological sites from the Brays Island tract in Beaufort County, South Carolina, originally excavated in 1988. Our spatial analysis compares site locations and functional variation across multiple temporal phases, from the Late Archaic to the early twentieth century. This spatial study highlights how land use and settlement strategies shifted over time within the same riverine and coastal environment. More broadly, the project demonstrates the value of reexamining legacy CRM survey data with new methods to inform future archaeological testing and preservation efforts.

Charleston Burton – College of Charleston
Hannah Hoover – University of Tennessee
Jake Zadik – Brays Island Stewardship Fund

Abstract: Contamination of local waterways from the fecal bacteria of terrestrial mammals can impact ecosystems but is of particular concern for human health reasons through the recreation in contaminated waters or consumption of contaminated seafood. Traditional methods to quantify contamination (e.g., fecal coliform, E. coli, or Enterococcus) can identify contaminated waters, but cannot identify the source of the contamination. Here, we present data from the optimization of previously developed mammal primers for microbial source tracking using qPCR. Current working markers include human, horse, dog, and deer, in addition to non-mammal bird markers. Local fecal sources from the above animals, and others, were collected and total DNA within the samples was extracted. These known fecal DNA samples were used as both positive and negative controls to examine the sensitivity of each marker to local sources of fecal bacteria pollution. The use of these fully optimized markers will help determine the sources of fecal contamination within the May River and Port Royal Sound watersheds (Town of Bluffton) and the Edisto River watershed (SC Sea Grant). The results of this work will help drive watershed management practices and may have other uses for wildlife biology through the identification of mammal populations surrounding waterways.

University of South Carolina Beaufort
Arkansas State University