Fall has arrived in Southwest Georgia! With winter right around the corner, our staff and students continue to work hard as we prepare for the arrival of 2025.  

As 2024 comes to an end, we’d like to thank our partners, collaborators, students, and staff for an inspiring and productive year! In this year’s final issue, we highlight our wildlife research represented by our Entomology & Microbiology, Herpetology, and Wildlife Ecology Labs as well as our Conservation Program’s wildlife management work. Additionally, we provide updates and highlights from our Education & Outreach program.  

Biodiversity is Trending at Ichauway

The longleaf pine ecosystem holds a great diversity of plants and animals, but much of its insect biodiversity is unknown. In response to observed global declines in insects, the Entomology Lab started the Trends in Arthropod Biodiversity Systems project to document changes in insect abundance and diversity. They used insect guild-specific sampling methods within 60 sampling plots in four different ecological communities across the property. They have placed an emphasis on beetles and bees due to the ecological services they provide—from decomposing dead wood to pollinating wildflowers. Collaborating with taxonomic experts, they hope to continue this project for at least ten years. 

Herpetology Lab Teams Up to Study Tip-Up Mounds

Ecologists have long recognized the importance of natural disturbances, like fire, in shaping forests, but the ecological role of uprooted trees from wind disturbance is much less understood. The Herpetology Lab teamed up with the Landscape Ecology Lab to investigate how vertebrates use newly uprooted longleaf pine trees and how these communities change over time. They used camera traps to document 48 different vertebrate species using tip-up mounds including 17 species of birds alone! 

Entomology Goes to New Heights

This summer, Entomology PhD student Tom Sheehan sampled insects from a part of the longleaf pine ecosystem where few entomologists have gone before: high up in the tree canopy. To explore this new frontier, Tom used an articulating boom lift and sliding extension ladder. Using pyrethrin, a pesticide that degrades quickly in sunlight and is safe to use outdoors, he fogged the canopies to knock insects down onto tarps supported by custom-made PVC frames. With the help of other Entomology Lab members, and under the advisement of Dr. Joe McHugh (UGA) and Center entomologist Dr. Kier Klepzig, Tom sampled the canopies of five longleaf pine and five post oak trees twice. He sampled once to see which insects were initially present in the tree canopies, and a second time two weeks later to see how quickly insects re-colonized the trees. Lab members observed that many centipedes, pseudoscorpions, robber flies, katydids, and beetles were knocked down from the trees. They eagerly await more results from this study. 

Predator Exclusion Study Continues to Produce Valuable Long-Term Data

The Herpetology and Wildlife Ecology Labs continue to utilize our long-standing predator exclusion study plots established in 2003. Herpetology has focused on collecting long-term data to understand gopher tortoise response to mammalian predator exclusion and observed an increase in the proportion of juvenile and subadult tortoises in the exclusion areas. Wildlife Ecology has focused on sampling for abundance of preferred wildlife forage plants such as oak sprouts and saplings. The value of this long-term dataset to our understanding of the community ecology of Ichauway cannot be overstated.  

A New Mammal Monitoring Protocol

Managing mammalian predators has unique challenges. Some species are considered common and may have detrimental impacts on prey, while other species appear to be experiencing dramatic population declines. The Wildlife Ecology Lab is collaborating with UGA faculty and Georgia Department of Natural Resources biologists to develop monitoring methods that will enable agencies to efficiently track mesocarnivore populations. Read more about this work.

A Transitional Year for the Long-Running Ecological Forestry Workshop

In early November, a total of 22 participants from the USDA Forest Service, U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, U.S. Department of Defense, Resource Management Service, LLC., The Nature Conservancy, and Tall Timbers attended this iconic Ichauway offering. Workshop participants learned how to balance multiple values including wildlife, ecological services, timber yield, and aesthetics. Organizations represented by attendees are responsible for managing hundreds of thousands of acres across the Southeast. Special thanks to our valued collaborator Dr. Marcella Windmuller-Campione of the University of Minnesota for serving as an external workshop instructor. 

Flexing Our Freshwater Mussels

In August, participants from the Georgia Department of Natural Resources, U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, The University of Alabama, and other agencies gathered at The Jones Center for the Apalachicola-Chattahoochee-Flint Freshwater Mussel Workshop. The workshop featured lectures and field trips dedicated to the identification, ecology, and conservation of freshwater mussels. Among the participants were our National Science Foundation Research and Mentorship Program mentees. 

Strengthening Connections with USDA Leaders

This year, we hosted two large groups of U.S. Department of Agriculture leaders. In September, nearly 30 USDA Natural Resource Conservation Service staff descended upon Ichauway for a week-long forestland soil health pilot training course that will be disseminated nationally. Our Education Coordinator, along with several scientists, led the group on field tours or contributed special topic lectures to their programming. In November, the USDA Forest Service Southern Region public relations and communications staff from the regional and state offices gathered for a multi-day workshop incorporating Center-led field tours and ample discussion on paradigm shifts for regional conservation communications efforts.  

Other Professional Visits

• The Tri-State Climate Working Group for Row Crop Agriculture which included researchers, extension professionals, and producers from Alabama, Florida, and Georgia 

• The National Advanced Silviculture Program Southern Pines Module – a renowned program for federal employees of the USDA Forest Service, Bureau of Land Management, and others 

• A workshop focused on discussing eastern wild turkey management in a quail environment in Southwest Georgia with the Georgia Department of Natural Resources Wildlife Resources Division 

Enhancing the Ichauway Experience

Beginning in June, we launched an internal Ichauway core curriculum offering field-based and technical skill-focused educational opportunities for Center students and staff. Fall 2024 offerings included Entomology, Wildlife Ecology, Herpetology, and Plant Ecology Field Days as well as a LiDAR for Natural Resources Workshop. This year will conclude with a Silviculture Field Day in December. These immersive educational experiences allow greater insight for students and staff into the broader work of the Center. 

A Field Day to Remember

The Tall Timbers Fall Field Day returned to Ichauway after a 35-year absence! Over 200 participants gathered for a bobwhite quail season outlook and an extended wagon tour of the property. Conservation staff delivered management, restoration, and research messages to an enthusiastic and inquisitive group. 

Fall University Visits

University of Georgia Mammalogy students joined Dr. Mike Conner in the field for two days of instruction on mammal ecology and sampling techniques. 

Arkansas Tech Ecological Forestry students joined Dr. Mike Conner in the field for observation and discussion of our forest management practices. 

College of Coastal Georgia Wetland Plant Taxonomy students spent a day with our Ecohydrology Lab learning about the unique plants, soils, and hydrology of limestone wetlands found on Ichauway. 

Postbaccalaureate Mentee Program Approaches Midpoint

Our original four mentees will start the second phase of the 12-month National Science Foundation (NSF) Research and Mentorship Program experience by joining our project partners, The University of Alabama and the NSF National Ecological Observatory Network, in Tuscaloosa, AL. Read more about their research projects. 

Red-cockaded Woodpecker Management Beyond Our Borders

On October 21, Conservation Biologist Zach Henshaw and Conservation Fellow Layne Richardson traveled to the Apalachicola National Forest to assist with a Red-cockaded Woodpecker (RCW) translocation project. Alongside teams from the Georgia Department of Natural Resources (DNR) and Apalachicola National Forest, they helped capture five pairs of juvenile woodpeckers for relocation to the Tuskegee National Forest. Later in the month, Henshaw consulted with the Georgia DNR Wildlife Resources Division in preparation for an upcoming RCW translocation to Sprewell Bluff Wildlife Management Area. Sprewell Bluff is the latest RCW recipient property owned by the Georgia DNR, after receiving three pairs last year and an additional three pairs arriving this December. Henshaw helped select cluster locations, identify suitable cavity trees, and install three new clusters to support the relocated birds. 

Northern Bobwhite Populations Remain Strong

Assistant Natural Resource Manager David Sisson reports that the Ichauway bobwhite quail population is holding steady (> 2 birds/acre in some areas) after completing this year’s census. Meanwhile, Conservation staff recently completed the finishing touches for quail season preparation. Conservation Biologist Zach Henshaw and crew started quail trapping in early November to collect data for a collaborative project with Mississippi State University and Tall Timbers. 

Center Staff, Alumna, and Advisor Help Restore an Avian Pine Specialist

In August 2024, under the leadership of Jones Center Advisory Committee member Dr. Frank Thompson, current Center Biologist Zach Henshaw joined Center Conservation Fellow alumna Miranda Wilkinson with the Missouri Department of Conservation and other partners to continue a multi-year translocation effort for the Brown-headed Nuthatch. Read more about this amazing effort.  

Leah Andino (Research Associate, Landscape Ecology Lab) received her FAA Remote Pilot Certificate. As the Research Associate for the Landscape Ecology Lab, Leah will continue to collect drone imagery data that will be used for a variety of projects, including the effects of hurricanes over different types of landscapes.  

Crystal Bishop (MS, Entomology & Microbiology Lab) will begin her PhD program at Clemson University with Dr. Dave Coyle. She will study the management of Callery pear using prescribed fire. 

Ben Gochnour (PhD, Entomology & Microbiology Lab) successfully defended his PhD from the University of Georgia. Co-advised by Dr. Kier Klepzig and Dr. Kamal Gandhi, Ben studied the response of bark beetles in longleaf pine to disturbance from hurricanes and lightning. Ben is now a postdoc in ant ecology with Dr. Josh King of the University of Central Florida.  

"Little Dog” Gochnour is recognized for her outstanding achievements in being a good girl. She had a different name pre-adoption but was found to be deaf, so Ben named her the American Sign Language gesture for applause. She was the smaller of Ben's two dogs and when a friend would call them big dog and little dog, it just kind of stuck!  

Ian Goldberg (MS, Ecological Silviculture Lab) successfully defended his thesis with the University of Missouri in November. In 2025, he will join the Virginia Department of Forestry Tidewater as a District Area Forester serving Richmond and Northumberland Counties in the Northern Neck region of the state.  

Jeff Grayum (MS, Wildlife Ecology Lab) successfully defended in February and his first paper entitled Non-brooding northern bobwhite resource selection during breeding season in a managed longleaf pine ecosystem is in revision for publication in the journal Wildlife Biology. This paper provides further evidence of the importance of prescribed fire for managing Northern Bobwhite Quail. Jeff is currently working for the Peregrine Fund in South Texas. 

Michelle Henson (PhD Student, Plant Ecology Lab) started a Pathways Program Internship with the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, focusing on writing 5-year reviews for federally endangered plant species such as Schweinitz’s sunflower (Helianthus schweinitzii) and bunched arrowhead (Sagittaria fasciculata). She also contributed to field monitoring efforts for the federally endangered spruce-fir moss spider (Microhexura montivaga) and spreading avens (Geum radiatum). She will continue this internship until grad-uating from the University of Georgia in Spring 2025. 

Amber Johnson (Technician, Landscape Ecology Lab & Affiliate Mussel Conservation Lab) received her FAA Remote Pilot Certificate, which enables her to obtain high resolution UAV imagery using small drones for research purposes. Her high-resolution imagery is being used to evaluate the quality of instream habitat for freshwater mussel habitat conservation planning in the lower Flint River Basin. 

Luiza Lazzaro (MS, Landscape Ecology Lab) completed her master’s degree at Auburn University and will be starting her PhD in Ecology at Penn State University. Her research will focus on forest management frameworks to support small forest landowners. 

Brandon Rutledge (Conservation Coordinator) was selected for the National Conservation Leadership Initiative. It is one of the most competitive, far-reaching professional development initiatives in the natural resource conservation community, providing an unparalleled experience for developing extraordinary leadership. 

Long-time Ichauway veteran Andy Whelan (Research Associate, Landscape Ecology Lab) accepted a new position with the Colorado State Forest Service developing and leading a new drone and remote sensing program. Andy was a beloved figure at Ichauway and served as the Landscape Ecology Research Associate for 8 years. We’ll miss you, Andy! 

Seth Younger (Postdoc, Landscape Ecology Lab) recently completed his postdoctoral fellowship in the Landscape Ecology Lab and accepted a new position with the United States Geologic Survey (USGS) in October. His research at The Jones Center bridged the Landscape Ecology and Ecohydrology Labs, where he studied the hydrological effects of forest management practices and linkages between evapotranspiration and hydrologic connectivity.  

SHARING OUR SCIENCE

The 2024 fall conference season was full of travel and science dissemination across the United States and the globe! 

The Entomology Lab was well represented at the Southern Forest Health Work Conference in Greenville, South Carolina. Master’s student Gabriel Tigreros presented a talk about insects utilizing deadwood in the student competition. Technicians Thomas Ohmen, Lindsey Grimes, Sydney Pleak, and PhD student Tom Sheehan presented posters. Research Associate Christine Favorito organized symposia on forest pollinators and general forest health topics. These presentations are central to the lab’s strategy to present research from the center and to learn from and network with forest health professionals. 

Director Kier Klepzig and Research Associate Christine Favorito attended the Entomological Society of America’s annual meeting in Phoenix, Arizona this fall. Kier presented a talk titled “Resistant tree or resilient ecosystem? Forest insects and pathogens in longleaf pine” and Christine talked about her work entitled, “Long-term monitoring of wild bees in the longleaf pine ecosystem.” 

Director Kier Klepzig, Josh Puhlick, JaBryan Pegues, and Ian Goldberg attended the Society of American Foresters Conference in Loveland, Colorado. Ian won third place for his research poster entitled “Patching Up the Gap: Sapling Dynamics of Longleaf Pine Patches in a Southwest Georgia Forest."

Outreach and Education Coordinator Rachel McGuire gave the keynote address at the Mississippi Water Resources Conference in Flowood, MS. 

Graduate students Katy Perkins and Suranjana Chatterjee presented their research at the Alabama Water Resources Conference. Katy and Suranjana study different aspects of the hydrology of isolated wetlands in forested and agricultural landscapes. 

PhD student Varsha Shastry presented a talk entitled “Interspecific interactions moderate direct effects of vegetation change resulting from prescribed fires” at the annual meeting of The Wildlife Society in Baltimore, Maryland.  

Members from the Plant Ecology Lab including Lisa Giencke, Emma Marzolf, Madison Ohmen, and RaMP mentee Luke Barnes attended the Southeastern Partners in Plant Conservation Conference in Atlanta, GA. They presented a poster on their work developing germination protocols for rare plants of Southwest Georgia.  

MS student Lexie Dingerson presented a poster at the annual meeting of The Wildlife Society describing her work with the statewide mesocarnivore monitoring project that will serve as her master’s thesis.  

PhD student Jenna Myers gave two oral presentations at the annual meeting of The Wildlife Society, the first detailing her work with combining scent detection dogs and camera trapping to determine presence of rare mesocarnivores, while the second explained the methodology the mesocarnivore monitoring project is using to roll out operational sampling throughout the state.   

Aquatic Sciences Research Associate Jamie Rogers attended the annual meeting of the American Fisheries Society in Honolulu, Hawaii. She presented her recently completed masters research on riverine black bass ecology.  

Jade Samples and Eva Kerr also presented their research at the Gopher Tortoise Council annual meeting at Eckerd College in St. Petersburg, Florida. Additionally, Ichauway staff Dr. Lora Smith (Council Nominating and Awards Committees) and Jen Howze (Council Membership Secretary) attended this meeting and were joined by several Ichauway alumni.

MS students Jade Samples and Eva Kerr attended the World Congress of Herpetology in Borneo in early August. Both Jade and Eva presented their respective ongoing work looking at amphibian and plant community responses to wetland restoration techniques and gopher frog metapopulation ecology.  

Over a dozen Center staff and graduate students attended and presented research at the Biennial Longleaf Conference earlier this fall. Topics ranged from hurricane ecology and understory restoration to the ecohydrology of longleaf pine forests and soil carbon accumulation. Graduate students included Avery Holbrook, Gabe Nyen, and Katy Perkins, while the staff in attendance were Amber Johnson, Jeffery Cannon, Nicole Zampieri, Tanner Warren, Josh Puhlick, Steven Brantley, Seth Younger, Carlie Blackburn, Stribling Stuber, and Brandon Rutledge.  

Save the Date

Open House 2025

Please join us Saturday, March 22, 2025 for our biennial Open House!

Tour our research labs, take a wagon tour, and learn more about what we do at The Jones Center at Ichauway.