Andrea Nicole Drayer

University of Kentucky | UKY · Department of Forestry

Wetlands created within disturbed landscapes may be an important key to restoring lost ecosystem functions. Reclaimed mines provide an opportunity to create wetlands and restore natural features within a disturbed landscape while benefiting amphibians, a taxa affected by habitat loss. A large-scale restoration effort within the Monongahela National...

Ophidiomycosis represents a conservation threat to wild snake populations. The disease was reported in North America early in the 21st century, but the history of ophidiomycosis has not been investigated. We examined museum specimens and confirmed cases of ophidiomycosis >50 years before the disease's reported emergence.

In Kentucky, at the periphery of the species' range, Siren intermedia (Lesser Siren) is a species of greatest conservation need. We monitored Lesser Sirens in a western Kentucky wetland complex from July 2018 to May 2019. Using funnel traps, we captured 60 Lesser Sirens and recaptured 2 individuals. Activity was greatest in July, and lowest October...

• Causes of worldwide freshwater mussel declines are poorly understood, and the potential role of the invasive Asian Clam, Corbicula fluminea, has received little attention. • We measured survival and growth of captively‐reared juveniles of four native mussel species during 84‐day in situ exposures at 17 sites in the Rockcastle River system, Kentuc...

Loss of wetlands worldwide has necessitated the creation of wetlands to counteract declines of fauna associated with these habitats. Ephemeral wetlands have been disproportionally lost and hydrology of ephemeral wetlands is challenging to restore. Created wetlands with water control structures may be a viable option. In Western Kentucky, we surveye...

Many snake species are elusive and difficult to study in field settings. As such, little is known about their population ecology despite conservation needs for many species. Advances in field techniques and statistical methods can improve our understanding of snake ecology. We used passive integrated transponder (PIT) telemetry to track Nerodia sip...

Snake fungal disease (SFD) is an emerging disease caused by the fungal pathogen, Ophidiomyces ophiodiicola. Clinical signs of SFD include dermal lesions, including regional and local edema, crusts, and ulcers. Snake fungal disease is widespread in the Eastern United States, yet there are limited data on how clinical signs of SFD compare with labora...

Aim Population dynamics are often tightly linked to the condition of the landscape. Focusing on a landscape impacted by mountaintop removal coal mining (MTR), we ask the following questions: (1) How does MTR influence vital rates including occupancy, colonization and persistence probabilities, and conditional abundance of stream salamander species...

Degradation, impoundment, and channelization of streams is a global problem. Although stream restoration projects have increased in recent years, post-restoration, long-term monitoring is rare. In 2003, a channelized section of Wilson Creek (Nelson Co., Kentucky) was restored by creating a meandering channel, reconnecting the channel to its floodpl...

Wetlands provide critical habitat for a diverse group of organisms and provide important ecosystem services. Despite this, most natural wetlands have been lost to anthropogenic activities, and as a result, wetland construction is common mitigation practice. Therefore, examination of constructed wetland viability in replacing the function of lost we...

Human‐induced land‐use changes are among the primary causes of ecosystem degradation and biodiversity loss. Across central Appalachia (USA), mountaintop removal mining and valley filling (MTR/VF) is the prevailing form of land‐use change and represents a stressor to stream ecosystems. Salamanders are the dominant vertebrate in Appalachian headwater...

Wetlands provide critical habitat for a diverse group of amphibians and provide important ecosystem functions and services to humans. Despite this, most natural wetlands have been lost to land use practices. Consequently, constructing wetlands has become a common practice to mitigate for removed wetlands and to manage for wildlife. There were three...