Surveys

Perform baseline surveys of aquatic species (fish/macroinvertebrates/mussels) and reptiles and amphibians (with a an emphasis on vernal pool inventories) in the following
State Parks: o Bendigo o Chapman o Clear Creek o Cook Forest o Laurel Hill o MK Goddard o Nescopeck o Pine Grove Furnace o Promised Land o Swatara
Please note that an applicant does not have to submit a proposal that includes surveys for all of the parks in the above list. They can choose instead to include a subset of the parks listed.

Conduct a status assessment and specialized surveys in selected areas of the Susquehanna
River basin for the Eastern brook floater mussel.

Define the range of the newly discovered digger crayfish ( Fallicambarus fodiens ), which is a potential state endangered species.

Field surveys for population and threat assessments of goldenseal ( Hydrastis canadensis ) in Pennsylvania State Forests. This native plant has medicinal qualities and has a history of being collected for economic purposes. This study will help DCNR better understand the habitat needs, location, distribution, and threats of this species to better manage this
PA Vulnerable species.
Research

Conduct climate vulnerability analyses, using the Climate Change Vulnerability Index
(CCVI), for plant species potentially at risk from a changing climate. The applicant will

work with the Bureau of Forestry to determine the list of appropriate species, which may include species of special concern as well as less rare species that may be in need of conservation in the future as a result of climate change. The analyses will include detailed summaries for each species in a format that can be added to existing CCVI web page
( http://www.naturalheritage.state.pa.us/CCVI.aspx
).

Conduct genetic analyses for edge of range plant species or species that are known to hybridize to understand how best to manage and/or classify them (examples: Trillium,
Juncus torreyi, Andropogon glomeratus, Bouteloua curtipendula )

Evaluate wood thrush population dynamics in anthropogenic landscapes. While this widespread species persists in a range of habitats, the viability of these populations is not well understood. The project should include a systematic look at full life-cycle dynamics, including reproductive success and site-fidelity rates. We are particularly interested in how these relate to human landscapes and deer densities.

Identify and catalog areas of legacy sediment within state parks and forests located in the
Piedmont and Ridge and Valley physiographic provinces. These areas, where historic wetlands and floodplains are buried beneath deposition from now-breached mill dams, have very high restoration potential. Identifying legacy sediment sites will help the
Bureau of State Parks identify and prioritize key locations for wetland and floodplain restoration.

Examine the effects of age and colony characteristics within known hibernacula on the survivorship of bats following exposure to white-nose syndrome.

Identify and characterize the potential impacts of both non-native and invasive plant species in adjacent states and water bodies with the potential to move into Pennsylvania within the next decade.
Conservation and Management
 Climate change will lead to many changes in the Commonwealth’s natural systems and natural areas. We know some of those changes have begun, but most of the supporting information and data is scattered or anecdotal. There is undoubtedly a wealth of valuable information already available, from stream monitoring and forest inventory analyses to phenological records and migration data, but precisely what is available, where it is, and how to access it is not widely known. This project will answer those questions by developing a comprehensive list of relevant data sources, access information, and a strategy for retreiving baseline information and trends in climatic conditions, phenology, species distributions, etc.