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Easy to use Excel Spreadsheet Management Tool for Reducing Invasive Animal Density Reprint of summary from:

McMahon, CR; BW Brook; N Collier, and CJA Bradshaw. 2010. Spatially explicit spreadsheet modeling for optimizing the efficiency of reducing invasive animal density. Methods in Ecology & Evolution 1 53-68.

I nvasive ungulates with eruptive population

dynamics can degrade sensitive habitats,

harbor disease-causing pathogens and facilitate the

spread of weedy plants. Hence there is a need

globally for cost-effective density reduction and

damage mitigation strategies. User-

friendly software tools that facilitate

effective decision making by

managers (who are not usually

scientists) can help in understanding

uncertainty and maximising benefits

to native biodiversity within a

constrained budget.

We designed an easy-to-use

spreadsheet model – the Spatio-Temporal Animal

Reduction (STAR) model – for strategic management

of large feral ungulates (pigs, swamp buffalo and

horses) within the World Heritage Kakadu National

Park in Australia. The main goals of the model are to

help park managers understand the landscape and

population dynamics that influence the number and

distribution of feral ungulates in time and space.

The model is a practical tool and

methodological advance that provides a forecast of

the effects and financial costs of proposed

management plans. Feral animal management in the

park is complex because populations cover an

extensive area comprised of diverse and difficult-to-

access habitats. There are also large reservoir

populations in the regions surrounding the park, and

these can provide immigrants even after within-park

control operations. To provide the optimal outcomes

for the reduction of feral animals, STAR is spatially

explicit in relation to habitat, elevation and regions of

culling, and applies density-feedback models in a

lattice framework (multi-layer grid) to determine the

optimal cost–benefit ratio of

control choices. A series of

spatial and nonspatial

optimization routines yielding the

best cost–benefit approaches to

culling are provided.

The spreadsheet module is

flexible and adaptable to other

regions and species, and is made

available for testing and modifying. Users can

operate STAR without having prior expert knowledge

of animal management theory and application. The

intuitive spreadsheet format could render it effective

as a teaching or training tool for undergraduate

students and landscape managers who might not

have detailed ecological backgrounds.

Watch a video interview with Corey Bradshaw about

t h e S T A R M o d e l a t h t t p : / /

www.methodsinecologyandevolution.org/view/0/

podcasts.html#iss1v

To read the full article members click here. To

download the VBA code, users manual and support

materials members click here.

www.sfrc.ufl.edu/CFEOR

Feral hog

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Short-term effects of fire on soil and plant nutrients in palmetto flatwoods

Schafer, JM and MC Mack (2010) Plant Soil 334:433-447

Fire may have different effects on the relative availability of nitrogen (N) and phosphorus (P) because N volatilization occurs at

lower temperatures than P volatilization, and fire-mediated changes in soil nutrient availability may affect foliar nutrient

concentrations. We assessed the short-term effects of fire on soil and plant nutrients and 15N isotopic signatures in a palmetto

flatwoods ecosystem in central Florida. Fire caused a short-term increase in extractable ammonium (NH4 +) and phosphate

(PO4 3-). The increase in PO4 3- was greater than the increase in NH4 +, resulting in a decrease in the soil extractable N:P ratio

shortly after fire. Similarly, foliar %P of the palmetto Serenoa repens (W. Bartram) Small increased more than foliar %N,

resulting in a decrease in foliar N:P ratios shortly after fire. Soil δ15N and the difference between foliar and soil δ15N did not vary

with time since fire; however, foliar δ15N of S. repens decreased after fire. Foliar %N of Quercus geminata Small and ericaceous

shrubs was positively correlated with soil extractable inorganic N, while foliar %P of S. repens was positively correlated with soil

extractable PO4 3-. Variation in foliar δ15N after fire and the positive relationship between soil and foliar nutrients suggest that

both increased soil nutrient availability and reallocation of nutrients from below- to aboveground can be important for plant

nutrient status after fire in palmetto flatwoods.

© 2010 Springerlink. To read the full article members click here.

Tour of Florida Scrub Jay Habitat Restoration Sites and Florida Goldenaster Reintroduction Sites– Sponsored by Southwest Florida Water Management District

October 14, 2010 10am - 2pm at the Edward W. Chance Reserve- Gilley Creek Tract at 22310 CR 675 Parrish, FL 34219. Objective: The workshop is a tour of Florida scrub jay habitat restoration sites and the reintroduction sites of the Florida goldenaster. Free and open to the public. Priority registration for members. To Register go to http://www.sfrc.ufl.edu/CFEOR/Upcoming%20events.html#scrubjay

Groundcover Restoration in Forests of the Southeastern US -Sponsored by Northwest Florida Water Management District and University of Florida

November 18, 2010 10am to 3pm at the Sandhill Lake Mitigation Bank Tract, Chain Lake Road, Vernon, FL. Objective: Interest in restoring the composition, structure, and ecological functioning of the understory component of forest ecosystems has grown in recent years. This workshop will distribute and review the CFEOR handbook “Groundcover Restoration in Forests of the Southeastern United States” and a field tour of the Sandhill Lakes Mitigation Bank restoration sites. Registration $30, free for CFEOR members. Priority registration for members. To register go to http://www.sfrc.ufl.edu/CFEOR/Upcoming%20events.html#groundcover

Tour of Green Circle Bio-Energy Pellet Plant -Sponsored by Northwest Florida Water Management District

January 20, 2011 10am -12pm at the Green Circle Plant # 1 2500 Green Circle Pkwy Cottondale, Florida. Objective: Tour of Green Circle’s energy pellet plant. Free and open to the public. Priority registration for members. To Register go to http://www.sfrc.ufl.edu/CFEOR/Upcoming%20Events.html#green

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CFEOR Mission:

To develop and disseminate knowledge needed to conserve and

manage Florida’s forest as a healthy, working ecosystem that

provides social, ecological and economic benefits on a

sustainable basis.

CFEOR Administration

Bill Cleckley, Northwest Florida Water Management District, Steering Committee Chair

Tim Breault, Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission, Steering Committee Vice-Chair

Newsletter Contacts

Melissa Kreye, School of Forest Resources and Conservation, CFEOR Coordinator,

mkreye@ufl.edu Nancy Peterson, School of Forest Resources and

Conservation, CFEOR Executive Director, njp@ufl.edu

Phone 352.846.0848 ∙Fax 352.846.1277∙ PO Box 110410∙ Gainesville, FL

Natural Areas Training Academy Presents

Conservation Site Assessment and Planning -

September 14-16, 2010 at the Ordway-Swisher

Biological Station, Melrose, Fl. The workshop will

introduce the participant to assessment and

planning techniques successfully being used in

Florida. Registration is open at http://

nata.snre.ufl.edu/registration.htm.

Forest Stewardship Workshop: Invasive Exotic

Plants and Their Control -September 17, 2010

ALMOST FULL – REGISTER NOW! 9 am - 3 pm CT, UF

-IFAS Jackson County Ag Center, Marianna, FL. Cost

is $10 per person. Lunch, materials, FDOACS

pesticide applicator CEUs and SAF CFEs will be

provided. Details and registration on-line at: http://

fsp-workshop091710.eventbrite.com/

The Wildlife Society 17th Annual Conference -

October 2-6, 2010 at Snowbird, Utah. The TWS

Annual Conference is the largest gathering of

wildlife professionals and students in North America

and provides a great opportunity to learn about the

latest research and techniques in wildlife

management and studies. CTo register go to http://

s t o r e . w i l d l i f e . o r g / s c r i p t c o n t e n t /

Conference.cfmsection=unknown&product_major=

UT10&functionstartdisplayrow=1

Natural Areas Training Academy Presents

Managing Visitors and Volunteers in Natural Areas

-October 19-21, 2010 at the Gold Head Branch State

Park, Keystone Heights, FL. This workshop provides

comprehensive guidance for managers on the issues

associated with successfully integrating visitors and

volunteers into the work of natural areas

management. This workshop is relevant for natural

areas managers who work in remote wilderness

preserves as well as for those managers who work in

parks and preserves with more intense visitor use.

Registration is open at http://nata.snre.ufl.edu/

registration.htm.

GIS Workshop in Advanced Geospatial Tools and

Techniques in Natural Resources: Scripting and

Model Building, -October 25-27, 2010 at the Tall

Timbers Research Station and Land Conservancy,

Tallahassee, Fl. To learn more and to register go to

http://nbci.ttrs.org/GISWorkshop/index.html.