Cooperative Fish and Wildlife Research Units Program:
Education, Research and Technical Assistance for Managing Our Natural Resources

Project

South Carolina Alligator Adaptive Management Strategies: Population Dynamics, Habitat Utilization and Conservation Threats

July 2012 - March 2019

Personnel

Participating Agencies
Transmitters are programmed to acquire an alligator location once every three hours from April to the end of September each year.

The American Alligator (Alligator mississippiensis) is an iconic species in South Carolina, of ecological and economic importance. This study is investigating alligator population ecology using multiple analytical methods to establish an adaptive management framework for harvest decision-making. The primary study objectives are to (1) improve the study design of alligator monitoring programs to best reflect annual variation in alligator specific size-class abundance, (2) identify factors that influence said variation, and (3) evaluate the influence of alligator habitat-use patterns on management decisions.

Research Publications Publication Date
Lawson, A.J., Clinton T. Moore, Thomas R. Rainwater, Frances M. Nilsen, Philip M. Wilkinson, Russell H. Lowers, Louis J. Guillette Jr., K.W. McFadden, and Patrick G.R. Jodice. 2020. Nonlinear patterns in mercury bioaccumulation in American alligators are a function of predicted age. Science of the Total Environment 707:135103. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.scitotenv.2019.135103 | Download March 2020
Lawson, A.J., P.G.R. Jodice, T.R. Rainwater, K.D. Dunham, M. Hart, J.W. Butfiloski, P.M. Wilkinson, K.W. McFadden, C.T. Moore. Hidden in plain sight: integrated population models to resolve partially observable latent population structure. Ecosphere 13(12):e4321 | Abstract | Download | Publisher Website December 2022
Presentations Presentation Date
Lawson, A. J., C. T. Moore, B. E. Ross, and P. G. R. Jodice. 2018. Synthesizing multiple data streams to estimate abundance and detection probability in a highly wary, long-lived apex predator: an integrated modeling approach. The Wildlife Society 25th Annual Conference, 7-11 October 2018, Cleveland, OH. October 2018
Lawson, A. J., C. T. Moore, P. G. R. Jodice, and K. W. McFadden. 2016. Optimizing American alligator population survey design to improve management decision-making. The Wildlife Society 23rd Annual Conference, 15-19 October 2016, Raleigh, NC. October 2016
Lawson, A. J., C. T. Moore, P. G. R. Jodice, and K. W. McFadden. 2016. Optimizing American alligator population survey design to improve management decision-making. The Wildlife Society 23rd Annual Conference, 15-19 October 2016, Raleigh, NC. October 2016
Lawson, A., P. Jodice, T. Rainwater, K.W. McFadden. Evaluating American alligator home range size and site fidelity patterns in artificial wetlands. International Congress for Conservation Biology; Cartagena, Colombia. July 2017
Lawson, A.J, P.G.R. Jodice, C.T. Moore. 2015. Using Seasonal Abundance Patterns to Improve Monitoring Programs and Conservation Decision-Making: An American Alligator Example. Annual Meeting of the Southeastern Association of Fish and Wildlife Agencies, 1-4 November 2015, Asheville, NC. November 2015
Lawson, A.J., C.T. Moore, and P.G.R. Jodice. 2018. Synthesizing multiple data streams to estimate abundance and detection probability in a highly wary, long-lived apex predator: an integrated modeling approach. International Statistical Ecology Conference, 2-6 July 2018, St. Andrews, Scotland. July 2018
Lawson, A.J., C.T. Moore, T.R. Rainwater, F.M. Nilsen, P.M. Wilkinson, R.H. Lowers, L.J. Guillette Jr., K.W. McFadden, and P.G.R. Jodice. 2019. Non-linear mercury bioaccumulation patterns in American alligators are a function of predicted age. The Wildlife Society Annual Conference, Reno, Nevada, USA. October 2019
Lawson, A.J., K.W. McFadden, P.G.R. Jodice. 2015. Does harvest pressure influence body size class composition in American alligator populations? The Wildlife Society Annual Meeting. Winnipeg, Manitoba. October 2015
Lawson, A.J., P.G.R. Jodice, and C.T. Moore. 2019. Synthesizing monitoring data to estimate abundance and detection probability in American alligators in South Carolina. Southeastern Assoc Fish & Wildlife Agencies. October 2019
Lawson, A.J., P.G.R. Jodice. 2015. Do changes in size class composition influence ontogenetic niche shifts in American alligators? Ecological Society of America Annual Meeting. Baltimore, Maryland. September 2015
Theses and Dissertations Publication Date
Lawson, Abigail J. 2019. Reducing uncertainties in conservation decision-making for American alligators. Dissertation. Clemson University, Clemson, SC, USA. 233 pp. May 2019