Illinois Natural History Survey News

Dr. Larkin contributes to paper on aeroecology

To view the full abstract, visit the URL: http://icb.oxfordjournals.org/cgi/content/abstract/48/1/1.

Author: Karyla K. Trester, Illinois Natural History Survey

Published Date: July 17, 2008

Dr. Larkin's research indicates birds migrate in groups at night

Research conducted by Dr. Ronald Larkin, Illinois Natural History Survey, and INHS Affiliate Bob Szafoni suggest that birds migrating at night fly in groups. Analysis performed by Larkin and Szafoni suggest that vertebrates, probably birds, flying within 200-300 meters of each other fly in the same direction at the same speed more often than vertebrates flying farther apart.

The full abstract of the article, which appears in Integrative and Comparative Biology, Volume 48, Number 1, can be found at the following URL: http://icb.oxfordjournals.org/cgi/content/abstract/48/1/40?maxtoshow=&HITS=10&hits=10&RESULTFORMAT=&fulltext=larkin&searchid=1&FIRSTINDEX=0&resourcetype=HWCIT

Author: Karyla K. Trester, Illinois Natural History Suvey

Published Date: July 10, 2008

INHS employees transferred from IDNR to University of Illinois

As of July 1, 2008, employees of the Illinois Natural History Survey, Illinois Geological Survey, Waste Management and Research Center, and Illinois State Water Survey are no longer under the oversight of the Illinois Department of Natural Resources, but rather the University of Illinois.

More information about the legislation can be found in the NewsBank article from the July 2, 2008 Quad-City Times.

Author: Karyla K. Trester, Illinois Natural History Survey

Published Date: July 3, 2008

IL endangered birds found with DDT byproducts in Chicago marshes

Dr. Jeff Levengood, a scientist with the Illinois Natural History Survey, has found that black-crowned night herons living in marshes near Lake Calumet, IL, have the byproduct of DDT in their tissue. The byproduct of DDT, DDE, is found in these birds at a rate of one part per million. Dr. Levengood is the primary author of a paper documenting this contamination, which was published in the December 2007 issue of the Journal of Great Lakes Research.

In the paper, Dr. Levengood suggests that the birds can serve as an "environmental sentinel" for the pollution clean-up efforts in the Lake Calumet area.

For additional information, see the following links: "Bird haven hides traces of poison DDT byproducts found in Lake Calumet marshes" in the May 25, 2008 Chicago Tribune

-or-

"Contaminant Exposure and Biomarker Response in Embryos of Black-crowned Night-herons (Nycticorax nycticorax) Nesting near Lake Calumet, Illinois" in volume 33, issue 4 of the Journal of Great Lakes Research.

Author: Karyla K. Trester, Illinois Natural History Survey

Published Date: May 29, 2008

IL armadillo sightings becoming more frequent

Dr. Joyce Hofmann discusses the possible reasons for more frequent armadillo sightings in Illinois in the May 16, 2008 On-line edition of the Journal Gazette Times-Courier. Dr. Hofmann has been keeping track of the sightings since 1999 for a manuscript she is compiling. She says that the animal, which is abundant southern Missouri, began to be sighted Southern Illinois during the late 1970s.

To read the Journal Gazette article in its entirety, follow the URL posted below:
http://www.jg-tc.com/articles/2008/05/16/features/outdoors/doc482e0efce21e4284693473.txt

Author: Karyla K. Trester, Illinois Natural History Survey

Published Date: May 20, 2008

Small-mouthed salamander observed in Hancock Co.

A Hancock County, Illinois resident, Kane Sherman, sighted a small-mouthed salamander near Carthage Lake in early May. After looking at the Illinois Natural History Survey's Amphibian & Reptile page Sherman believed he found the silvery salamander, a State endangered species. Mr. Sherman then used the contact information on the website to send a photo to Chris Phillips, Herpetologist, at the Illinois Natural History Survey (INHS). Phillips verified that the specimen was a small-mouthed salamander, and after consulting the INHS Herpetology database, told Mr. Sherman that this was the first verifiable sighting in Hancock County since 1830. Dr. Phillips will enter Mr. Sherman's sighting into the INHS database and this data will be reflected on maps created for county distribution.

To read more about this sighting, see the May 14, 2008 On-line version of the Hancock County Journal-Pilot at the following URL: http://www.journalpilot.com/articles/2008/05/14/news/news1.txt.

Author: Karyla K. Trester, Illinois Natural History Survey

Published Date: May 20, 2008

Josh Stafford receives New Staff Member Award

Dr. Joshua Stafford was presented the 2007 Outstanding New Staff Member award by Chief Brian Anderson at an INHS Staff meeting on May 1, 2008. The Outstanding New Staff Member Award recognizes exceptional achievement and service by a new staff member employed at the Survey for five years or less.

Josh is the Director of the Forbes Biological Station (FBS) in Havana and was hired by the Survey in August 2004. Josh has had an outstanding record of scientific and outreach activities since his arrival at the Illinois Natural History Survey (INHS). Over the past three years, he has been a PI on grants totaling more than $ 1 million and has published at a rate exceeding two publications per year, with several more in press or in review. He serves as an associate editor for the journal Wetlands. Josh has also participated in many outreach activities and has published 12 popular articles on wildlife management and ecology. Josh has deservedly earned the respect of his colleagues and peers at both the FBS and the INHS and has become one of the Survey's strongest assets.

Published Date: May 13, 2008

Volunteers Needed to Establish Aquatic Plants in Local Lakes

Two projects, one at Lake Paradise in Matoon, and one at Lake Shelbyville, are seeking volunteers to help with aquatic plantings. Those wanting to help should be dressed for the weather, and if possible, bring a pair of chest waders. These projects are a joint effort of the Illinois Natural History Survey, the Army Corps of Engineers, the City of Mattoon, the Illinois Department of Natural Resources, and other volunteers.

Volunteers should meet at Lake Paradise at the boat ramp lot on May 10, 2008 at 9 a.m.

Volunteers should meet at Lake Shelbyville at the Dam West Recreation Area (9th Street) boat ramp on May 17, 2008 at 9 a.m. Volunteers should be dressed for the weather, and if possible, bring a pair of chest waders.

More information about these projects can be found on the Prairie State Outdoors website article at the following URL: http://www.prairiestateoutdoors.com/index.php?/pso/article/volunteers_sought_for_habitat_project/

Author: Karyla K. Trester, Illinois Natural History Survey

Published Date: April 28, 2008

Green Building for River Research

The National Great Rivers Research and Education Center Field Station, which is a joint effort of the Illinois Natural History Survey and other institutions, will provide a research center for studying the "mesocosm" of the Mississippi River.

Phase I of the project is projected to be finished by September 2009 and will use solar panels, as well as wind and water turbines, to produce its energy.

Read more about this project by visiting the April 18, 2008 article in the Belleville News-Democrat at this URL: http://www.bnd.com/news/local/story/314176.html

--or--

in the April 20, 2008 article in the Edwardsville Intelligencer at: http://www.goedwardsville.com/articles/2008/04/20/local_news/4200825823.txt

--or--

the article posted at STLtoday.com, available at the following URL: http://www.stltoday.com/stltoday/news/stories.nsf/stlouiscitycounty/story/EBAA844BE4D19A838625742F0010B20B?OpenDocument

Author: Karyla K. Trester, Illinois Natural History Survey

Published Date: April 23, 2008

First comprehensive treatise on leafhopper genus Zyginama published

INHS entomologists Chris Dietrich and Dmitry Dmitriev have published the first comprehensive treatise on the diverse leafhopper genus Zyginama, species of which are distributed from the central USA to northern South America. The authors provide a key for identification of the 74 species of the genus, descriptions of 43 new species (including one from Illinois), an estimate of the phylogenetic relationships among species, and summaries of their distributions and host plants. Illustrations, including color photos of adults, are provided for each species.

The full title of the work is Review of the Species of New World Erythroneurini (Hemiptera: Cicadellidae: Typhlocybinae) II. Genus Zyginama

Information about ordering INHS Bulletin Volume 38, Article 3 can be found at the following URL: http://www.inhs.uiuc.edu/resources/howtoorder.html

Author: Karyla K. Trester, Illinois Natural History Survey

Published Date: April 17, 2008

Most abundant small mammal in IL: short-tailed shrew

Illinois Natural History Survey Senior Mammalogist, Joseph Merritt, provides information about the short-tailed shrew for Chicago Wilderness magazine. The article can be found at the following URL: http://www.chicagowildernessmag.org/issues/spring2008/myn_shrews.html

Author: Karyla K. Trester, Illinois Natural History Survey

Published Date: April 17, 2008

Traveling Science Center to be at Earth Day Event

The Illinois Natural History Survey's Traveling Science Center will be at the St. Charles Park District's Earth Day Festival on April 26, 2008. The free event is being held at Campton Hills Park and begins at 7:30 a.m.

More information about the event can be found at the following URLs:
http://www.dailyherald.com/story/?id=171572&src=5
http://www.st-charlesparks.org
http://www.dailyherald.com/story/?id=180565&src=2

Information about the Traveling Science Center can be found at:
http://www.inhs.uiuc.edu/outreach/TSC.htm

Author: Karyla K. Trester, Illinois Natural History Survey

Published Date: April 15, 2008

Passing of Dr. Glen C. Sanderson

Dr. Glen C. Sanderson of Champaign, Illinois, a renowned scientist with the Illinois Natural History Survey, passed away on March 22, 2008 at the age of 85. More information about Dr. Sanderson's life can be found at the following URL: http://www.inhs.uiuc.edu/releases/Sanderson.pdf.

Author: Karyla K. Trester, Illinois Natural History Survey

Published Date: March 27, 2008

Diesase or Climate Change Causing Amphibian Decline?

Scientists provide differing viewpoints on the cause of amphibian decline: is it climate change or disease? Viewpoints discussed by multiple scientists in the View the complete PLoS article

Author: Marsha Hatchel, Illinois Natural History Survey

Published Date: March 25, 2008

Entomologists stifled by Indian bureaucracy

An international collaboration to study insects in the Western Ghats mountains in southern India is stalled due to a hold up by the National Biodiversity Authority (NBA). INHS' Paul Tinerella and Michael Irwin are involved in trying to keep the project moving along. View the complete Nature article

Author: Marsha Hatchel, Illinois Natural History Survey

Published Date: March 20, 2008

New director starts May 1, 2008

Brian Anderson, new Chief for the Illinos Natural History Survey, will begin his new position on May 1, 2008. Previously, he was the assistant to the president at Lincoln Land Community College in Springfield.

More information on the new Survey Chief can be found at the following news sources:

State-Journal Register, URL: http://www.sj-r.com/Outdoors/stories/26068.asp
Prairie State Outdoors. URL: http://www.prairiestateoutdoors.com/index.php?/pso/article/illinois_natural_history_survey_gets_new_director/

Author: Mickalei Lindquist, Illinois Natural History Survey

Published Date: March 4, 2008

Signs of spring abound

In a February 28, 2008 article discussing the emerging signs of spring's approach, Illinois Natural History Survey ornithologist Steven Bailey is quoted discussing early nesting bird species. The Pioneer Local article discusses the early spring arrival of flowering plants, butterflies, birds, and other harbingers of the season.

View the complete article, including photos at the following URL: http://www.pioneerlocal.com/811937,on-springsigns-022808-s1.article

Author: Mickalei Lindquist, Illinois Natural History Survey

Published Date: March 4, 2008

Survey volunteers at local PBS station

A group of Survey volunteers recently helped take pledges for the Festival Pledge Drive at WILL, the PBS station of the University of Illinois. Several staff members volunteered for multiple shifts, with the main Natural History Survey group handling pledge lines on Sunday, March 2, 2008. Sunday's volunteers are pictured below.

If you are interested in volunteering or making a pledge please visit WILL at the following URL: http://will.illinois.edu/default.htm

Back row: Beth Wohlgemuth, Samantha Carpenter, Jacquelyn Potter, Brenda Molano-Flores, Mickalei Lindquist, Jean Mengelkoch; Front row: Susan Braxton, Joseph Merritt, Gail Kampmeier, and Walter Hill.

Author: Mickalei Lindquist, Illinois Natural History Survey

Published Date: March 4, 2008

Winter bald eagle count a new record

In an article published February 23, 2008 in The Daily Journal, Survey scientist Randy Nyboer discusses the this year's record bald eagle count. Though the count is unfinished, it has already surpassed previous records.

View the complete article at the following URL: http://www.daily-journal.com/archives/dj/display.php?id=414815

Author: Mickalei Lindquist, Illinois Natural History Survey

Published Date: February 25, 2008

Winter tips for bird feeders

Christopher Whelan, an avian biologist with the Illinois Natural History Survey, recently offered some tips for keeping overwintering birds in your yard. The tips were featured in the Like an Eagle-Soar blog and were offered through the National Wildlife Association.

View the February 24, 2008 blog entry at the following URL: http://successblognet.com/likeaneagle/index.php/archives/7

Author: Mickalei Lindquist, Illinois Natural History Survey

Published Date: February 25, 2008

Bumblebee populations declining

The bumblebee crisis was discussed in a February 21, 2008 post to the North Carolina State University Insect Museum blog. The article discusses what factors are contributing to the bumblebee's decline and mentions research done by Solter labs. Lee Solter is an Associate Scientist and Insect Pathology Research Leader with the Illinois Natural History Survey.

View the complete blog entry at the following URL: http://blogs.lib.ncsu.edu/page/insects?entry=declining_bumble_bees

Author: Mickalei Lindquist, Illinois Natural History Survey

Published Date: February 22, 2008

Natural History Survey part of proposed University of Illinois unit

During his February 20, 2008 State of the State and Budget Address, Illinois Governor Rod Blagojevich proposed a plan to merge the Illinois Natural History Survey, Geologic Survey, Water Survey and Waste Management and Resource Center into a new University of Illinois unit, the Institute for Natural Sciences and Sustainability. The proposed plan would remove the Surveys from the Department of Natural Resources effective July 1, 2008.

More information about this proposal is available through the following web news sources:

University of Illinois News Bureau, URL: http://www.news.uiuc.edu/news/08/0220surveys.html
State Journal-Register, URL: http://www.sj-r.com/News/stories/25620.asp
Prairie State Outdoor, URL: http://www.prairiestateoutdoors.com/index.php?/pso/article/dnr_faces_40_percent_budget_cut/
News-Gazette, URL: http://www.news-gazette.com/news/local/2008/02/22/ui_officials_applauding_survey_proposal
The Pantagraph, URL: http://www.pantagraph.com/blogs/main/?p=2581

Author: Mickalei Lindquist, Illinois Natural History Survey

Published Date: February 21, 2008

Contaminated sediments affecting wetland mice

Jeff Levengood and Ed Heske recently published an article entitled "Heavy metal exposure, reproductive activity, and demographic patterns in white-footed mice (Peromyscus leucopus) inhabiting a contaminated floodplain wetland" in Volume 389, Issues 2-3 of Science of the Total Environment.The article discusses the effects of using contaminated sediments from Lake DePue, Illinois to create a wetland that is home to white-footed mice.

View the Science of the Total Environment article at ScienceDirect. Accessible through subscription only.

Author: Mickalei Lindquist, Illinois Natural History Survey

Published Date: February 21, 2008

Illinois Natural History Survey Chief to retire

David Thomas, Natural History Survey Chief since 1997, will retire on February 29, 2008.

View the complete press release at the following URL: http://www.inhs.uiuc.edu/releases/INHS_Chief_retires.pdf

Author: Mickalei Lindquist, Illinois Natural History Survey

Published Date: February 21, 2008

Survey scientists researching moist-soil resources for waterfowl

Natural History Survey scientists, Joshua Stafford, Aaron Yetter, Chris Hine, Randy Smith, and Michelle Horath have been continuing the moist-soil research of Frank Bellrose from the Forbes Biological Station and F. C. Bellrose Waterfowl Research Center in Havana since 2005. In an article featured in the March 2008 issue of Outdoor Illinois, the scientists discuss their research, the work of Frank Bellrose, and management issues for moist-soil habitats.

View the article, including photos, at the following URL: http://www.inhs.uiuc.edu/releases/Stafford_IO_0308.pdf

Author: Mickalei Lindquist, Illinois Natural History Survey

Published Date: February 21, 2008