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AT24-053 Webinar Wildlife Diversity: Research & Conservation efforts in Texas
Event/Webinar Title: Webinar Wildlife Diversity Series: New Topic Monthly
AT-VMS:AT: Texas Parks and Wildlife (Enter AT#, Class Title as posted, Location, and Presenter)
Comments:AT24-053 Webinar Wildlife Diversity: see topic below, Presenter: See below (AT=1h)
Event Date: 03/20/2024
Event Time: 12:00p-1:00p
New live webinars on the 3rd Wednesday of the month from 12:00p to 1:00p with new topic 4/17, 5/15, 6/19, 7/17, 8/21, 9/18
Event Summary:
This monthly webinar series highlights research and conservation efforts in Texas.
Event Description:
1/17 Automated detection of Black-tailed prairie dog colonies in Texas using satellite imagery, Presenter: Rachel Fern, Ph.D.
Statewide Wetland Program Leader Texas Parks & Wildlife Department
This webinar discusses a new deep learning model for fine-scale detection of Black-tailed prairie dog colonies in Texas in an open-source cloud platform.
2/21- Snake entanglement in erosion control materials, Presenter: Dr. Christopher Schalk
In road construction projects across the United States, erosion control methods (e.g., erosion control blankets), are mandated to stimulate seedbed regeneration and prevent soil loss. Previous reports have suggested that snakes are vulnerable to entanglement in erosion control blankets.
3/20 Restoration of spring habitat occupied by federally threatened Salado Salamanders, Presenter: Zachary C. Adcock, Ph.D.
In this presentation we will detail our efforts to restore the riparian areas and Salado Salamander spring habitat at Twin Springs, and we will discuss the pre- and post-restoration comparisons of riparian, spring, and salamander metrics.
4/17 CANCELLED
5/15 Western Hognose Snakes in Texas: How many species? Presenter: Corey E. Roelke, Associate Professor of Instruction, The University of Texas at Arlington
The Western Hognose Snake (Heterodon nasicus) is a grassland species historically found across most of Texas. There has been taxonomic uncertainty as to whether there are one, two, or even three species of western hognose in North America, potentially all occurring within the borders of our state. Corey will discuss his latest taxonomic conclusions as well as the current status of distribution of these secretive and charismatic snakes.
Bio:
Corey has been fascinated with all wildlife, but especially reptiles and amphibians, since early childhood. At age ten he told his parents he was going to move to Texas because there were a lot of snakes there. His professional interests include systematics and conservation biology of native Texas species, African frogs, and the pedagogy of teaching students and the public about wildlife and conservation. In his free time, his life is consumed by falconry, herping, hunting, fishing, and dog training.
6/19 Integrated Disease Management System Approach to Reduce White Nose Syndrome Mortality in Texas. Presenter: Get Name.
7/17 Digitalizing Texas Botanical Legacy: The Texas Oklahoma Regional Consortium of Herbaria. Presenter: Tiana F. Rehman, Herbarium Director, Botanical Research Institute of Texas at Ft. Worth Botanic Garden
Natural history collections, such as herbaria, are well positioned for the analysis of global change and the resulting impacts on regional biota. In this context, the digitized herbarium specimen data from the Texas Oklahoma Regional Consortium of Herbaria provide the capacity for addressing major hypotheses in the region concerning patterns of species richness and phylogenetic diversity, vegetation responses to climate change, and species distribution models based on substrate versus climatic data. This seminar will focus on Texas digitization and discoveries, showcasing the rich legacy of plant data in our state.
8/21 Post Delisting Monitoring of Black Capped Vireo in Texas. Presenter: Get Name
10/16: Populations genetics of Crawfish Frogs. Presenter: Russell Pfau
The Crawfish Frog is associated with prairie habitats, which are rapidly being lost due to human activities. Populations of this species have declined in areas where these habitats have been lost. Habitat fragmentation can result in reduced demographic connectivity and loss of genetic diversity, further imperiling the species. The population genetic structure of the Crawfish Frog has not been investigated in Texas or regionally. We addressed four research objectives: (1) to determine if there is population subdivision within Texas, (2) to determine if Texas populations are unique from those in other states, (3) to determine the levels of genetic diversity within populations, and (4) re-evaluate the conservation status rank for this species in Texas.
Bio:
Russell Pfau’s research has focused on population genetics of many different species of animals and plants. His personal interests include the citizen science platform iNaturalist and spending time outdoors documenting biological diversity. Toby Hibbitt’s research has focused on the natural history, ecology, behavior and taxonomy of amphibians and reptiles. Toby comes from a family of Texas naturalists and enjoys outdoor sporting activities and travel.
12/18: Habitat Suitability Modeling for the Houston Toad. Presenter: Get Name
Cost:
no charge
Presenter:
see above
Contact Information:
Jonah. Evans@tpwd.texas.gov
Organization Website:
https://tpwd.texas.gov/huntwild/wild/wildlife_diversity/webinars/
Sponsoring Organization:
TPWD
