Special Symposium - 20th Annual Conference of The Wildlife Society
(1) Session type: Symposium/Discussion
(2) Session length: Half day
(3) Session title: Ecology of coyotes in eastern North America: Synthesizing information from
contemporary studies
(4) Organizer(s):
Dana J. Morin
Department of Fish and
Wildlife Conservation
Virginia Tech
Blacksburg, VA 24060
USA
Michael J. Cherry
School of Forest Resources
University of Georgia
Athens, GA 30602
USA
L. Mike Conner
Joseph W. Jones Ecological
Research Center at Ichauway
3988 Jones Center Drive
Newton, GA 39870
USA
Marcella J. Kelly
Department of Fish and
Wildlife Conservation
Virginia Tech
Blacksburg, VA 24060
USA
Robert J. Warren
School of Forest Resources
University of Georgia
Athens, GA 30602
USA
(5) Sponsor: Wildlife Damage Management Working Group (The Wildlife Society)
(6) Contact information for person responsible for the session:
Dana Morin
Department of Fish and Wildlife Conservation
Virginia Tech
Blacksburg, VA 24060, USA
danajm3@vt.edu
619-987-1136
(7) Statement of Purpose (100 word limit):
Over the last two centuries, coyote (Canis latrans) range has expanded rapidly from six
states prior to European settlement to all 49 continental states and most of Canada and
Central America. The influx of this adaptive predator in the eastern United States has
resulted in a flood of simultaneous studies throughout the region, ranging from genetic
origin and models of territory expansion to applied studies on potential direct effects to
prey and competitors. Our symposium will present and collate current studies to provide
a baseline understanding of eastern coyote ecology and facilitate future collaborations
between institutions to address research objectives.
(8) Session Abstract (250 word limit):
Coyotes have experienced rapid range expansion in the last 150 years, likely due to
increased deforestation and extirpation of larger predators such as wolves, particularly in
the eastern USA. As coyotes exhibit phenotypic and behavioral plasticity, understanding
eastern coyote ecology must be assessed at local or regional spatial scales to understand
potential conflicts, population responses, and ecological roles. For example, it has been
suggested that coyotes can increase mammalian and avian biodiversity, hinder
endangered species conservation, decrease feral cat (Felis catus) populations, inflict
agricultural damage, elicit cascading effects to lower trophic levels through competitive
exclusion of smaller predators, and influence white-tailed deer abundance. Though
controversially viewed by public opinion, coyotes are now the largest predator native to
North America that continues to thrive in the fragmented landscape of the Eastern USA.
Understanding their ecology and possible effects on ecosystems is a high priority for
guiding informed conservation efforts. The objectives of this proposed symposium are to
(1) present current eastern coyote research from the eastern US and (2) provide a venue
facilitating interdisciplinary and multi-institutional collaborative efforts aimed at better
understanding coyote ecology.