@article{nicholson_cove_2022, title={Stable isotopes point to anthropogenic subsidies in northern raccoons at the urban-wild interface}, volume={31}, ISSN={["2352-2496"]}, DOI={10.1016/j.fooweb.2022.e00233}, abstractNote={Increasing availability of anthropogenic food affects biological communities and can alter food webs at the urban interface. Although northern raccoons (Procyon lotor) are known to associate with anthropogenic environments, little research has been conducted examining the differences in raccoon diets across urban-wild gradients. The Florida Keys present a unique study system because they vary in levels of urbanization interspersed with wildlife refuges and natural habitats. We collected hair samples from the tails of road killed raccoons in undeveloped natural areas in Key Largo, highly developed areas in Big Pine Key, and from individuals caught in a trapping array from natural areas on Big Pine Key for analyses of carbon and nitrogen stable isotope ratios. We observed limited variation in δ15N ratios across the three different raccoon groups, but we did note slightly higher δ15N in raccoons from natural areas on Big Pine Key, suggesting more predatory behavior. However, we observed marked differences in the δ13C ratios of raccoons from natural areas in Key Largo and Big Pine Key as compared to individuals occurring in highly developed parts of Big Pine Key. These enriched carbon signatures correspond with human foods derived from corn (C4 plants) in the urban raccoons. Our results reveal that raccoons in developed areas benefit from the consumption of human-derived subsidies, but it might further put them at risk from conflict and vehicular strikes.}, journal={FOOD WEBS}, author={Nicholson, Molly and Cove, Michael V}, year={2022}, month={Jun} }
 @article{kays_lasky_allen_dowler_hawkins_hope_kohli_mathis_mclean_olson_et al._2022, title={Which mammals can be identified from camera traps and crowdsourced photographs?}, volume={4}, ISSN={["1545-1542"]}, url={https://doi.org/10.1093/jmammal/gyac021}, DOI={10.1093/jmammal/gyac021}, abstractNote={Abstract While museum voucher specimens continue to be the standard for species identifications, biodiversity data are increasingly represented by photographic records from camera traps and amateur naturalists. Some species are easily recognized in these pictures, others are impossible to distinguish. Here we quantify the extent to which 335 terrestrial nonvolant North American mammals can be identified in typical photographs, with and without considering species range maps. We evaluated all pairwise comparisons of species and judged, based on professional opinion, whether they are visually distinguishable in typical pictures from camera traps or the iNaturalist crowdsourced platform on a 4-point scale: (1) always, (2) usually, (3) rarely, or (4) never. Most (96.5%) of the 55,944 pairwise comparisons were ranked as always or usually distinguishable in a photograph, leaving exactly 2,000 pairs of species that can rarely or never be distinguished from typical pictures, primarily within clades such as shrews and small-bodied rodents. Accounting for a species geographic range eliminates many problematic comparisons, such that the average number of difficult or impossible-to-distinguish species pairs from any location was 7.3 when considering all species, or 0.37 when considering only those typically surveyed with camera traps. The greatest diversity of difficult-to-distinguish species was in Arizona and New Mexico, with 57 difficult pairs of species, suggesting the problem scales with overall species diversity. Our results show which species are most readily differentiated by photographic data and which taxa should be identified only to higher taxonomic levels (e.g., genus). Our results are relevant to ecologists, as well as those using artificial intelligence to identify species in photographs, but also serve as a reminder that continued study of mammals through museum vouchers is critical since it is the only way to accurately identify many smaller species, provides a wealth of data unattainable from photographs, and constrains photographic records via accurate range maps. Ongoing specimen voucher collection, in addition to photographs, will become even more important as species ranges change, and photographic evidence alone will not be sufficient to document these dynamics for many species.}, journal={JOURNAL OF MAMMALOGY}, publisher={Oxford University Press (OUP)}, author={Kays, Roland and Lasky, Monica and Allen, Maximilian L. and Dowler, Robert C. and Hawkins, Melissa T. R. and Hope, Andrew G. and Kohli, Brooks A. and Mathis, Verity L. and McLean, Bryan and Olson, Link E. and et al.}, editor={Moratelli, RicardoEditor}, year={2022}, month={Apr} }
 @article{meyer_balkenhol_dutta_hofman_meyer_ritchie_alley_beranek_bugir_callen_et al._2021, title={Beyond species counts for assessing, valuing, and conserving biodiversity: response to Wallach et al. 2019}, volume={35}, ISSN={["1523-1739"]}, DOI={10.1111/cobi.13665}, abstractNote={Article impact statement: Combining native and non-native species to evaluate biodiversity is overly simplistic and may undermine the conservation of ecosystems.}, number={1}, journal={CONSERVATION BIOLOGY}, author={Meyer, Ninon F. V. and Balkenhol, Niko and Dutta, Trishna and Hofman, Maarten and Meyer, Jean-Yves and Ritchie, Euan G. and Alley, Charlotte and Beranek, Chad and Bugir, Cassandra K. and Callen, Alex and et al.}, year={2021}, month={Feb}, pages={369–372} }
 @article{jacobs_lashley_cove_2021, title={Fawn Counts and Adult Female Site Use Are Mismatched Indicators of Habitat Quality in an Endangered Deer}, volume={13}, ISSN={["1424-2818"]}, DOI={10.3390/d13020092}, abstractNote={Many ungulates are spotted as neonates. This trait is unique to individuals, making their identification feasible from remote cameras. Key deer (Odocoileus virginianus clavium) are an endangered subspecies of white-tailed deer endemic to the lower Florida Keys, U.S.A. Habitat loss and hunting were historical drivers of population decline but recent studies report positive associations of key deer with urbanization. Using opposing camera traps at 56 sites throughout the National Key Deer Refuge on Big Pine Key, we used spot patterns to uniquely identify and estimate fawn abundance with N-mixture models. We further compared those inferences to models informed by adult doe counts to see how well tracking adult females alone corresponded with fawn habitat associations. Our results indicated that fawn abundance was negatively associated with increasing elevation and human trails, contrary to models based on adult female observations alone. The lowest elevations where fawns were most abundant were associated with dense wetland plant communities, which were likely selected for thermal cover and warrant further investigation given that those areas are most vulnerable to sea-level rise. Our methods showcase the utility of identifying neonates from camera trap photos and draw attention to possible misaligned inferences when tracking adult females in isolation.}, number={2}, journal={DIVERSITY-BASEL}, author={Jacobs, Julia G. and Lashley, Marcus A. and Cove, Michael V}, year={2021}, month={Feb} }
 @article{kays_arbogast_baker‐whatton_beirne_boone_bowler_burneo_cove_ding_espinosa_et al._2020, title={An empirical evaluation of camera trap study design: How many, how long and when?}, volume={11}, ISSN={2041-210X 2041-210X}, url={http://dx.doi.org/10.1111/2041-210X.13370}, DOI={10.1111/2041-210X.13370}, abstractNote={en}, number={6}, journal={Methods in Ecology and Evolution}, publisher={Wiley}, author={Kays, Roland and Arbogast, Brian S. and Baker‐Whatton, Megan and Beirne, Chris and Boone, Hailey M. and Bowler, Mark and Burneo, Santiago F. and Cove, Michael V. and Ding, Ping and Espinosa, Santiago and et al.}, editor={Fisher, DianaEditor}, year={2020}, month={Apr}, pages={700–713} }
 @article{thoemmes_cove_2020, title={Bacterial communities in the natural and supplemental nests of an endangered ecosystem engineer}, volume={11}, ISBN={2150-8925}, DOI={10.1002/ecs2.3239}, number={9}, journal={ECOSPHERE}, author={Thoemmes, Megan S. and Cove, Michael V.}, year={2020}, month={Sep} }
 @article{schank_cove_arima_brandt_brenes-mora_carver_diaz-pulido_estrada_foster_godinez-gomez_et al._2020, title={Population status, connectivity, and conservation action for the endangered Baird's tapir}, volume={245}, ISSN={["1873-2917"]}, DOI={10.1016/j.biocon.2020.108501}, abstractNote={Abstract Although many large mammals currently face significant threats that could lead to their extinction, resources for conservation are often scarce, resulting in the need to develop efficient plans to prioritize conservation actions. We combined several methods in spatial ecology to identify the distribution of the endangered Baird's tapir across its range from southern Mexico to northern Colombia. Twenty-eight habitat patches covering 23% of the study area were identified, harboring potentially 62% or more of the total population for this flagship species. Roughly half of the total area is under some form of protection, while most of the remaining habitat (~70%) occurs in indigenous/local communities. The network with maximum connectivity created from these patches contains at least one complete break (in Mexico between Selva El Ocote and Selva Lacandona) even when considering the most generous dispersal scenario. The connectivity analysis also highlighted a probable break at the Panama Canal and high habitat fragmentation in Honduras. In light of these findings, we recommend the following actions to facilitate the conservation of Baird's tapir: 1) protect existing habitat by strengthening enforcement in areas already under protection, 2) work with indigenous territories to preserve and enforce their land rights, and help local communities maintain traditional practices; 3) re-establish connections between habitat patches that will allow for connectivity across the species' distribution; 4) conduct additional noninvasive surveys in patches with little or no species data; and 5) collect more telemetry and genetic data on the species to estimate home range size, dispersal capabilities, and meta-population structure.}, journal={BIOLOGICAL CONSERVATION}, author={Schank, Cody J. and Cove, Michael V and Arima, Eugenio Y. and Brandt, Laroy S. E. and Brenes-Mora, Esteban and Carver, Andrew and Diaz-Pulido, Angelica and Estrada, Nereyda and Foster, Rebecca J. and Godinez-Gomez, Oscar and et al.}, year={2020}, month={May} }
 @article{thornton_reyna_perera-romero_radachowsky_hidalgo-mihart_garcia_mcnab_mcloughlin_foster_harmsen_et al._2020, title={Precipitous decline of white-lipped peccary populations in Mesoamerica}, volume={242}, ISSN={0006-3207}, url={http://dx.doi.org/10.1016/j.biocon.2020.108410}, DOI={10.1016/j.biocon.2020.108410}, abstractNote={Abstract Large mammalian herbivores are experiencing population reductions and range declines. However, we lack regional knowledge of population status for many herbivores, particularly in developing countries. Addressing this knowledge gap is key to implementing tailored conservation strategies for species whose population declines are highly variable across their range. White-lipped peccaries (Tayassu pecari) are important ecosystem engineers in Neotropical forests and are highly sensitive to human disturbance. Despite maintaining a wide distributional range, white-lipped peccaries are experiencing substantial population declines in some portions of their range. We examined the regional distribution and population status of the species in Mesoamerica. We used a combination of techniques, including expert-based mapping and assessment of population status, and data-driven distribution modelling techniques to determine the status and range limits of white-lipped peccaries. Our analysis revealed declining and highly isolated populations of peccaries across Mesoamerica, with a range reduction of 87% from historic distribution and 63% from current IUCN range estimates for the region. White-lipped peccary distribution is affected by indices of human influence and forest cover, and more restricted than other sympatric large herbivores, with their largest populations confined to transboundary reserves. To conserve white-lipped peccaries in Mesoamerica, transboundary efforts will be needed that focus on both forest conservation and hunting management, increased cross-border coordination, and reconsideration of country and regional conservation priorities. Our methodology to detail regional white-lipped peccary status could be employed on other poorly-known large mammals.}, journal={Biological Conservation}, publisher={Elsevier BV}, author={Thornton, Daniel and Reyna, Rafael and Perera-Romero, Lucy and Radachowsky, Jeremy and Hidalgo-Mihart, Mircea G. and Garcia, Rony and McNab, Roan and Mcloughlin, Lee and Foster, Rebecca and Harmsen, Bart and et al.}, year={2020}, month={Feb}, pages={108410} }
 @article{schank_cove_kelly_nielsen_o'farrill_meyer_jordan_gonzalez-maya_lizcano_moreno_et al._2019, title={A Sensitivity Analysis of the Application of Integrated Species Distribution Models to Mobile Species: A Case Study with the Endangered Baird's Tapir}, volume={46}, ISSN={["1469-4387"]}, DOI={10.1017/S0376892919000055}, abstractNote={Summary Species distribution models (SDMs) are statistical tools used to develop continuous predictions of species occurrence. ‘Integrated SDMs’ (ISDMs) are an elaboration of this approach with potential advantages that allow for the dual use of opportunistically collected presence-only data and site-occupancy data from planned surveys. These models also account for survey bias and imperfect detection through the use of a hierarchical modelling framework that separately estimates the species–environment response and detection process. This is particularly helpful for conservation applications and predictions for rare species, where data are often limited and prediction errors may have significant management consequences. Despite this potential importance, ISDMs remain largely untested under a variety of scenarios. We performed an exploration of key modelling decisions and assumptions on an ISDM using the endangered Baird’s tapir ( Tapirus bairdii ) as a test species. We found that site area had the strongest effect on the magnitude of population estimates and underlying intensity surface and was driven by estimates of model intercepts. Selecting a site area that accounted for the individual movements of the species within an average home range led to population estimates that coincided with expert estimates. ISDMs that do not account for the individual movements of species will likely lead to less accurate estimates of species intensity (number of individuals per unit area) and thus overall population estimates. This bias could be severe and highly detrimental to conservation actions if uninformed ISDMs are used to estimate global populations of threatened and data-deficient species, particularly those that lack natural history and movement information. However, the ISDM was consistently the most accurate model compared to other approaches, which demonstrates the importance of this new modelling framework and the ability to combine opportunistic data with systematic survey data. Thus, we recommend researchers use ISDMs with conservative movement information when estimating population sizes of rare and data-deficient species. ISDMs could be improved by using a similar parameterization to spatial capture–recapture models that explicitly incorporate animal movement as a model parameter, which would further remove the need for spatial subsampling prior to implementation.}, number={3}, journal={ENVIRONMENTAL CONSERVATION}, author={Schank, Cody J. and Cove, Michael V and Kelly, Marcella J. and Nielsen, Clayton K. and O'Farrill, Georgina and Meyer, Ninon and Jordan, Christopher A. and Gonzalez-Maya, Jose F. and Lizcano, Diego J. and Moreno, Ricardo and et al.}, year={2019}, month={Sep}, pages={184–192} }
 @article{fernandez_alvarez_cove_2019, title={Heightened nest loss in tropical forest fragments despite higher predator load in core forest}, volume={60}, ISSN={["2661-8982"]}, DOI={10.1007/s42965-019-00032-1}, number={2}, journal={TROPICAL ECOLOGY}, author={Fernandez, Christopher M. and Alvarez, Maria D. Vera and Cove, Michael V}, year={2019}, month={Jun}, pages={281–287} }
 @article{cove_maurer_2019, title={Home decorating by an endangered ecosystem engineer}, volume={17}, ISSN={["1540-9309"]}, DOI={10.1002/fee.2040}, number={4}, journal={FRONTIERS IN ECOLOGY AND THE ENVIRONMENT}, author={Cove, Michael V. and Maurer, Andrew S.}, year={2019}, month={May}, pages={231–231} }
 @article{pardo_campbell_cove_edwards_clements_laurance_2019, title={Land management strategies can increase oil palm plantation use by some terrestrial mammals in Colombia}, volume={9}, ISSN={["2045-2322"]}, DOI={10.1038/s41598-019-44288-y}, abstractNote={Abstract While the conservation role of remaining natural habitats in anthropogenic landscapes is clear, the degree to which agricultural matrices impose limitations to animal use is not well understood, but vital to assess species’ resilience to land use change. Using an occupancy framework, we evaluated how oil palm plantations affect the occurrence and habitat use of terrestrial mammals in the Colombian Llanos. Further, we evaluated the effect of undergrowth vegetation and proximity to forest on habitat use within plantations. Most species exhibited restricted distributions across the study area, especially in oil palm plantations. Habitat type strongly influenced habitat use of four of the 12 more widely distributed species with oil palm negatively affecting species such as capybara and naked-tailed armadillo. The remaining species showed no apparent effect of habitat type, but oil palm and forest use probabilities varied among species. Overall, generalist mesocarnivores, white-tailed deer, and giant anteater were more likely to use oil palm while the remaining species, including ocelot and lesser anteater, showed preferences for forest. Distance to nearest forest had mixed effects on species habitat use, while understory vegetation facilitated the presence of species using oil palm. Our findings suggest that allowing undergrowth vegetation inside plantations and maintaining nearby riparian corridors would increase the likelihood of terrestrial mammals’ occurrence within oil palm landscapes.}, journal={SCIENTIFIC REPORTS}, author={Pardo, Lain E. and Campbell, Mason J. and Cove, Michael V and Edwards, Will and Clements, Gopalasamy Reuben and Laurance, William F.}, year={2019}, month={May} }
 @article{cove_simons_gardner_allan f. o'connell_2019, title={Towards recovery of an endangered island endemic: Distributional and behavioral responses of Key Largo woodrats associated with exotic predator removal}, volume={237}, ISSN={["1873-2917"]}, DOI={10.1016/j.biocon.2019.07.032}, abstractNote={Abstract Exotic predators create novel ecological contexts for native species, particularly when prey exhibit predator naive behaviors. Population recovery of island endemic species following predator eradication has been documented broadly, but studies examining mammalian prey behavioral responses to exotic predator removal are less common. The Key Largo woodrat (Neotoma floridana smalli) is an endangered Florida endemic species that exhibited drastic declines, signified by the loss of natural stick-nests, over the past three decades due to habitat loss and effects from exotic predators. We conducted camera trap surveys of woodrats at supplemental nests and used dynamic multistate occupancy models to evaluate changes in woodrat distribution and stick-nest building behavior over a two-year period of exotic predator (domestic cats [Felis catus] and Burmese pythons [Python bivittatus]) removal. The distribution of woodrats using supplemental nests increased from 27% to 39% in the two-year period, while the proportion of occupied supplemental nests with stick-nests increased from 37% in 2013 to 54% in 2015. The probabilities of supplemental nest use and stick-nest building behavior increased over time following a gradient away from the northern extent of Key Largo, an area associated with high cat activity and the only sites of python captures during the surveys. Woodrats that built stick-nests were more detectable than those that did not, which suggests that stick-nest building could make woodrats more susceptible to predation from novel predators when performing the behavior. We documented increasing woodrat occurrence, along with increasing stick-nest building behavior, which supports recovery and management objectives focused on exotic predator removal.}, journal={BIOLOGICAL CONSERVATION}, author={Cove, Michael V and Simons, Theodore R. and Gardner, Beth and Allan F. O'Connell}, year={2019}, month={Sep}, pages={423–429} }
 @misc{cove_2019, title={What if trophy hunters didn't kill their trophies?}, volume={12}, ISSN={["1755-263X"]}, DOI={10.1111/conl.12598}, number={1}, journal={CONSERVATION LETTERS}, author={Cove, Michael V.}, year={2019} }
 @article{cove_gardner_simons_allan f. o'connell_2018, title={Co-occurrence dynamics of endangered Lower Keys marsh rabbits and free-ranging domestic cats: Prey responses to an exotic predator removal program}, volume={8}, ISSN={["2045-7758"]}, DOI={10.1002/ece3.3954}, abstractNote={The Lower Keys marsh rabbit (Sylvilagus palustris hefneri) is one of many endangered endemic species of the Florida Keys. The main threats are habitat loss and fragmentation from sea-level rise, development, and habitat succession. Exotic predators such as free-ranging domestic cats (Felis catus) pose an additional threat to these endangered small mammals. Management strategies have focused on habitat restoration and exotic predator control. However, the effectiveness of predator removal and the effects of anthropogenic habitat modifications and restoration have not been evaluated. Between 2013 and 2015, we used camera traps to survey marsh rabbits and free-ranging cats at 84 sites in the National Key Deer Refuge, Big Pine Key, Florida, USA. We used dynamic occupancy models to determine factors associated with marsh rabbit occurrence, colonization, extinction, and the co-occurrence of marsh rabbits and cats during a period of predator removal. Rabbit occurrence was positively related to freshwater habitat and patch size, but was negatively related to the number of individual cats detected at each site. Furthermore, marsh rabbit colonization was negatively associated with relative increases in the number of individual cats at each site between survey years. Cat occurrence was negatively associated with increasing distance from human developments. The probability of cat site extinction was positively related to a 2-year trapping effort, indicating that predator removal reduced the cat population. Dynamic co-occurrence models suggested that cats and marsh rabbits co-occur less frequently than expected under random conditions, whereas co-detections were site and survey-specific. Rabbit site extinction and colonization were not strongly conditional on cat presence, but corresponded with a negative association. Our results suggest that while rabbits can colonize and persist at sites where cats occur, it is the number of individual cats at a site that more strongly influences rabbit occupancy and colonization. These findings indicate that continued predator management would likely benefit endangered small mammals as they recolonize restored habitats.}, number={8}, journal={ECOLOGY AND EVOLUTION}, author={Cove, Michael V. and Gardner, Beth and Simons, Theodore R. and Allan F. O'Connell}, year={2018}, month={Apr}, pages={4042–4052} }
 @article{cove_gardner_simons_kays_o’connell_2017, title={Free-ranging domestic cats (Felis catus) on public lands: estimating density, activity, and diet in the Florida Keys}, volume={20}, ISSN={1387-3547 1573-1464}, url={http://dx.doi.org/10.1007/s10530-017-1534-x}, DOI={10.1007/s10530-017-1534-x}, number={2}, journal={Biological Invasions}, publisher={Springer Science and Business Media LLC}, author={Cove, Michael V. and Gardner, Beth and Simons, Theodore R. and Kays, Roland and O’Connell, Allan F.}, year={2017}, month={Aug}, pages={333–344} }
 @article{schank_cove_kelly_mendoza_o'farrill_reyna-hurtado_meyer_jordan_gonzalez-maya_lizcano_et al._2017, title={Using a novel model approach to assess the distribution and conservation status of the endangered Baird's tapir}, volume={23}, number={12}, journal={Diversity and Distributions}, author={Schank, C. J. and Cove, M. V. and Kelly, M. J. and Mendoza, E. and O'Farrill, G. and Reyna-Hurtado, R. and Meyer, N. and Jordan, C. A. and Gonzalez-Maya, J. F. and Lizcano, D. J. and et al.}, year={2017}, pages={1459–1471} }
 @article{vargas_cove_manuel spinola_cruz_saenz_2016, title={Assessing species traits and landscape relationships of the mammalian carnivore community in a neotropical biological corridor}, volume={25}, ISSN={["1572-9710"]}, DOI={10.1007/s10531-016-1089-7}, abstractNote={Mammalian carnivores play an important role in regulating food webs and ecosystems. While many carnivore populations are facing various threats such as habitat loss and fragmentation, poaching, and illegal trade, others have adapted to human-dominated landscapes. Information about Neotropical carnivore communities in particular is limited, especially in disturbed landscapes. We conducted a camera trap survey at 38 sites across the San Juan–La Selva Biological Corridor in Costa Rica to assess occupancy and detection probabilities of the carnivore community. We developed hypotheses within a likelihood-based framework in order to determine the landscape features and species traits (diet and size) that influenced their occupancy. We detected nine of the 13 native carnivores predicted to occur in the corridor. When modeled separately, each species responded to land cover changes differently, suggesting no strong community-wide predictors of occupancy. We then modeled three separate guilds within the carnivore community: omnivorous mesopredators, obligate carnivorous mesopredators, and apex predators. These community guild models revealed a negative relationship between omnivorous mesopredators and increasing forest and tree plantation cover, suggesting omnivores utilize forest fragments and edge habitats in agricultural landscapes. Obligate carnivorous mesopredator models did not reveal any strong habitat relationships, but landscape effects tended to contradict our a priori predictions. Apex predators were positively associated with increasing forest and tree plantation cover, protected areas, and increasing distances to villages. Alarmingly, apex predators and obligate carnivorous mesopredators were generally rare within the biological corridor. A lack of top-down control alone might result in heightened occupancy for all mesopredators, but because the community is dominated by omnivorous species, bottom-up release from human-induced land cover changes and resource provision may better explain their high occupancy.}, number={4}, journal={BIODIVERSITY AND CONSERVATION}, author={Vargas, Lain E. Pardo and Cove, Michael V. and Manuel Spinola, R. and Cruz, Juan and Saenz, Joel C.}, year={2016}, month={Apr}, pages={739–752} }
 @article{jones_cove_lashley_jackson_2016, title={Do coyotes Canis latrans influence occupancy of prey in suburban forest fragments?}, volume={62}, ISSN={["1674-5507"]}, DOI={10.1093/cz/zov004}, abstractNote={With the extirpation of apex predators from many North American systems, coyotes Canis latrans have become the de facto top predator and are ubiquitous members of most ecosystems. Keystone predators aid in maintaining ecosystem function by regulating the mammal community through direct predation and instilling the landscape of fear, yet the value of coyotes regulating systems to this capacity is understudied and likely variable across environments. Since coyotes are common in the Midwestern United States, we utilized camera traps and occupancy analyses to assess their role in regulating the distribution of mammalian herbivores in a fragmented suburban ecosystem. Forest cover was a strong positive predictor of white-tailed deer Odocoileus virginianus detection, while coyote occurrence had a negative effect. Coyotes exerted a negative effect on squirrel (Sciurus spp.) and eastern cottontail rabbit Sylvilagus floridanus occurrence, while urban cover was a positive predictor for the prey species' occurrence. These results suggest all 3 species behaviorally avoid coyotes whereby deer seek denser forest cover and squirrels and cottontails mitigate risk by increasing use of urban areas. Although previous studies reveal limited influence of coyote on the rest of the carnivore guild in suburban systems, we suggest coyotes play an important role in regulating the herbivorous mammals and hence may provide similar ecological benefits in urban/suburban forest fragments through trophic cascades. Furthermore, since hunting may not be allowed in urban and suburban habitats, coyotes might also serve as the primary regulator of nuisance species occurring at high abundance such as white-tailed deer and squirrels.}, number={1}, journal={CURRENT ZOOLOGY}, author={Jones, Brandon M. and Cove, Michael V. and Lashley, Marcus A. and Jackson, Victoria L.}, year={2016}, month={Feb}, pages={1–6} }
 @article{cove_simons_gardner_maurer_o'connell_2016, title={Evaluating nest supplementation as a recovery strategy for the endangered rodents of the Florida Keys}, volume={25}, ISSN={1061-2971}, url={http://dx.doi.org/10.1111/rec.12418}, DOI={10.1111/rec.12418}, number={2}, journal={Restoration Ecology}, publisher={Wiley}, author={Cove, Michael V. and Simons, Theodore R. and Gardner, Beth and Maurer, Andrew S. and O'Connell, Allan F.}, year={2016}, month={Aug}, pages={253–260} }
 @article{paudel_pal_cove_jnawali_abel_koprowski_ranabhat_2015, title={The Endangered Ganges River dolphin Platanista gangetica gangetica in Nepal: abundance, habitat and conservation threats}, volume={29}, ISSN={["1613-4796"]}, DOI={10.3354/esr00702}, abstractNote={ESR Endangered Species Research Contact the journal Facebook Twitter RSS Mailing List Subscribe to our mailing list via Mailchimp HomeLatest VolumeAbout the JournalEditorsSpecials ESR 29:59-68 (2015) - DOI: https://doi.org/10.3354/esr00702 The Endangered Ganges River dolphin Platanista gangetica gangetica in Nepal: abundance, habitat and conservation threats Shambhu Paudel1,2,*, Prabhat Pal2, Michael V. Cove3, Shant Raj Jnawali4, Grant Abel5, John L. Koprowski6, Rishi Ranabhat7 1Kathmandu Forestry College, PO Box 8973, Kathmandu, Nepal 2The Himalaya, Kathmandu, Nepal 3Department of Applied Ecology, North Carolina State University, Raleigh, North Carolina 27695, USA 4Hariyo Ban Program, World Wildlife Fund (WWF-Nepal), Kathmandu, Nepal 5Ocean Park Corporation, Hong Kong 6Wildlife and Fisheries Science, School of Natural Resources and the Environment, University of Arizona, Tucson, Arizona 85721, USA 7Department of National Parks and Wildlife Conservation, Kathmandu, Nepal *Corresponding author: oasis.excurrent@gmail.com ABSTRACT: Conservation of the last remaining Ganges River dolphins Platanista gangetica gangetica in Nepal will require robust population estimates and better information on suitable habitat characteristics. To gain a better understanding of these parameters, we conducted boat-based surveys in the 3 major river systems (Karnali, Sapta Koshi, and Narayani) of Nepal. We recorded covariates at high spatial resolution and utilized these data to inform occurrence and abundance models. We allowed for detection bias by applying occupancy and N-mixture models that account for imperfect and heterogeneous detection. Occupancy results indicate that dolphin site use varies among the different river systems, across 2 seasons, and increases with river depth. River effects received nearly 100% of the model support and had the strongest influence on dolphin occurrence and abundance. The seasonal influence on dolphin occurrence in the systems (Σωi = 0.997) revealed that occupancy probabilities were heightened during the pre-monsoon season. Deep pool habitat was also identified as a predictor of dolphin habitat use, which accounted for 41.02% of all dolphin sightings occurring in this habitat. Although estimates vary depending on season, we estimate that there are between 37 and 42 (95% CI: 28 to 52) Ganges River dolphins distributed in the rivers of Nepal. Results suggest that seasonality and each specific river affect dolphins and their habitat in Nepal; we strongly recommend site and season-specific conservation actions. Further research on the integration of additional and alternative abundance techniques, behavioral studies, and pursuit of a conservation genetics approach are all important steps in the management of this endangered species. KEY WORDS: Ganges River dolphin · Endangered species · Abundance · Habitat · Distribution · Nepal Full text in pdf format PreviousNextCite this article as: Paudel S, Pal P, Cove MV, Jnawali SR, Abel G, Koprowski JL, Ranabhat R (2015) The Endangered Ganges River dolphin Platanista gangetica gangetica in Nepal: abundance, habitat and conservation threats. Endang Species Res 29:59-68. https://doi.org/10.3354/esr00702 Export citation RSS - Facebook - Tweet - linkedIn Cited by Published in ESR Vol. 29, No. 1. Online publication date: November 25, 2015 Print ISSN: 1863-5407; Online ISSN: 1613-4796 Copyright © 2015 Inter-Research.}, number={1}, journal={ENDANGERED SPECIES RESEARCH}, author={Paudel, Shambhu and Pal, Prabhat and Cove, Michael V. and Jnawali, Shant Raj and Abel, Grant and Koprowski, John L. and Ranabhat, Rishi}, year={2015}, pages={59–68} }
 @article{cove_spinola_jackson_saenz_2014, title={Camera trapping ocelots: An evaluation of felid attractants}, volume={25}, number={2}, journal={Hystrix-Italian Journal of Mammalogy}, author={Cove, M. and Spinola, R. M. and Jackson, V. L. and Saenz, J.}, year={2014}, pages={113–116} }
 @article{cove_pardo vargas_cruz_manuel spinola_jackson_saenz_chassot_2014, title={Factors influencing the occurrence of the Endangered Baird's tapir Tapirus bairdii: potential flagship species for a Costa Rican biological corridor}, volume={48}, ISSN={["1365-3008"]}, DOI={10.1017/s0030605313000070}, abstractNote={Abstract Baird's tapir Tapirus bairdii is categorized as Endangered on the IUCN Red List and is considered rare and locally extirpated from most of its historic range in Costa Rica. We conducted camera-trap and track surveys at 38 forested sites in and around the San Juan–La Selva Biological Corridor in the Northern Zone of Costa Rica. Cameras were set along established game trails and natural funnels and operated for 14–38 days per site. Additionally, we documented tapir tracks at many sites. We used survey photographs and track presence to create detection histories to estimate the habitat and survey-specific variables that influence the probability of detection and the probability of occurrence of Baird's tapir. The two major protected areas within and adjacent to the corridor were most positively associated with tapir occurrence, and forest cover and native and exotic tree plantations were also positively associated with tapirs’ use of sites. Although the Baird's tapir is rare, our findings suggest that it is more resilient and better able to use available habitat in the fragmented corridor than previously thought. This is most likely a consequence of increased forest cover from reforestation and tree plantations and limited hunting pressure. Given its charismatic nature we recommend that Baird's tapir could be used as a flagship species for the San Juan–La Selva Biological Corridor, to raise local awareness about conservation and increase economic growth from ecotourism.}, number={3}, journal={ORYX}, author={Cove, Michael V. and Pardo Vargas, Lain E. and Cruz, Juan and Manuel Spinola, R. and Jackson, Victoria L. and Saenz, Joel C. and Chassot, Olivier}, year={2014}, month={Jul}, pages={402–409} }
 @article{cove_manuel spinola_jackson_saenz_2014, title={The role of fragmentation and landscape changes in the ecological release of common nest predators in the Neotropics}, volume={2}, ISSN={["2167-8359"]}, DOI={10.7717/peerj.464}, abstractNote={Loss of large mammalian carnivores may allow smaller mesopredators to become abundant and threaten other community members. There is considerable debate about mesopredator release and the role that other potential factors such as landscape variables and human alterations to land cover lead to increased mesopredator abundance. We used camera traps to detect four mesopredators (tayra, Eira barbara; white-nosed coati, Nasua narica; northern raccoon, Procyon lotor; and common opossum, Didelphis opossum) in a biological corridor in Costa Rica to estimate habitat covariates that influenced the species' detection and occurrence. We selected these mesopredators because as semi-arboreal species they might be common nest predators, posing a serious threat to resident and migratory songbirds. Pineapple production had a pronounced positive effect on the detectability of tayras, while forest cover had a negative effect on the detection of coatis. This suggests that abundance might be elevated due to the availability of agricultural food resources and foraging activities are concentrated in forest fragments and pineapple edge habitats. Raccoon and opossum models exhibited little influence on detection from habitat covariates. Occurrence models did not suggest any significant factors influencing site use by nest predators, revealing that all four species are habitat generalists adapted to co-existing in human altered landscapes. Furthermore, fragmentation and land cover changes may predispose nesting birds, herpetofauna, and small mammals to heightened predation risk by mesopredators in the Neotropics.}, journal={PEERJ}, author={Cove, Michael V. and Manuel Spinola, R. and Jackson, Victoria L. and Saenz, Joel C.}, year={2014}, month={Jul} }
 @article{cove_spinola_jackson_saenz_chassot_2013, title={Integrating occupancy modeling and camera-trap data to estimate medium and large mammal detection and richness in a Central American biological corridor}, volume={6}, ISSN={["1940-0829"]}, DOI={10.1177/194008291300600606}, abstractNote={Noninvasive camera-traps are commonly used to survey mammal communities in the Neotropics. This study used camera -traps to survey medium and large mammal diversity in the San JuanLa SelvaBiological Corridor, Costa Rica. The connectivity of the corridor is affected by the spread of large -scale agriculture, cattle ranching, and a growing human presence. An occupancy modeling approach was used to estimate corridor species richness and specie-specific detection probabilities in 16 forested sites within four different matrix -use categories: eco-lodge reserves, tree plantations/general reforestation, cattle ranches, and pineapple/agricultural plantations. Rarity had a highly negative effect (�≤ =-1.96 ± 0.65 SE) on the ability to detect species presence. Corridor richness was estimated at 20.4 ± 0.66 species and was lower than that observed in protected areas in the Neotropics. Forest cover was significantly less at pineapp le plantations than other land-use matrices. Richness estimates for different land -use matrices were highly variable with no significant differences; however, pineapple plantations exhibited the highest observed richness. Given the limited forest cover at those sites, we bel ieve that this reflects the concentrated occurrence of medium and large mammals in small forest patches, particularly because the majority o f pineapple plantation communities were generalist mesopredators. Fragmentation and connectivity will need to be addres sed with reforestation and limitations on pineapple production for the region to function as an effective corridor. Occupancy modeling has only rece ntly been applied to camera-trap data and our results suggest that this approach provides robust richness an d detection probability estimates and should be further explored.}, number={6}, journal={TROPICAL CONSERVATION SCIENCE}, author={Cove, Michael V. and Spinola, R. Manuel and Jackson, Victoria L. and Saenz, Joel C. and Chassot, Olivier}, year={2013}, pages={781–795} }