52nd Joint Annual Meeting – Call for Papers

First Call for Papers – Deadline December 15th, 2018

52nd Joint Annual Meeting of the Arizona and New Mexico Chapters

of the Wildlife Society and American Fisheries Society

Thursday – Saturday, February 7-9th, 2019

Marriott Pyramid, Albuquerque, NM

Online Registration Now Available

FIRST CALL FOR PAPERS

We are now accepting abstracts, FIRST CALL to be submitted by December 15th, 2018.

The Program Committee for the 2019 JAM invites abstracts for contributed oral presentations and posters. The

program will include a plenary session, contributed papers, and a poster session on a wide range of fisheries and

wildlife-related topics. Presentations may include completed projects and works in progress.

We strongly encourage students to attend and are particularly interested in student presentations. The AZ/NM

Chapter of the American Fisheries Society will present a “Best Student Paper” and “Best Student Poster” award

for graduate and undergraduate students presenting papers/posters in the fisheries field. The AZ and NM

Chapters of The Wildlife Society will present a “Best Student Paper” and “Best Student Poster” award for graduate

and undergraduate students presenting papers/posters in the wildlife field.

Fisheries and wildlife students currently attending a college/university or graduated within 12

months preceding JAM and who are first author on the research given are eligible for the fisheries

“Best Student Paper ” and “Best Student Poster ” awards and the wildlife “Best Student Poster ”

award, respectively. **The format for applications for the student oral presentation competition in

wildlife is different from all other abstract submissions. See the last page of this announcement for

information on applying for the best student oral presentation competition in wildlife. **

INSTRUCTIONS FOR ORAL PRESENTATION AND POSTER ABSTRACTS (NOT FOR STUDENT

ORAL PRESENTATION COMPETITION IN WILDLIFE)

Speakers will be given 20 minutes for their presentation (15-minute presentation and 5 minutes for questions). A

laptop PC and digital projector will be provided for Power Point presentations. Please inquire about other audiovisual

aids if necessary.

Oral presentation and poster abstract format:

List all authors using first and last names, their affiliation, addresses, and e-mail addresses. When choosing the title,

be brief but descriptive and avoid using acronyms or scientific names in the title unless the common name is not

widely known. Please indicate if you are a student (undergraduate or graduate) at the end of the abstract AND

whether your abstract is for a poster or presentation (see example below). Abstracts are restricted to 250 words and

should summarize the importance, methods, and findings of the research being described.

Please follow the format from the example below so that program chairs can focus on processing abstracts rather

than making edits. Abstracts with grammatical errors or incorrect formatting will be returned to the authors

for correction prior to acceptance.

Poster Size and Display:

Please limit your poster size to 32″x 44″. Orientation can be either portrait or landscape; each presenter will have a

4×4 foot space for their poster, which will provide a place to hang the poster and other information such as

handouts or business cards. Presenters are required to assemble and disassemble their own poster and to provide

tacks or push pins to hang their poster.

Poster presenters should attend the Poster Session at the meeting to answer questions. Breaks and socials will be

organized around the Posters to encourage discussion between attendees and poster presenters.

All presenters will receive an e-mail confirmation of their abstract submission and acceptance or placement on a

waiting list within two weeks of abstract submission. Notification of the time and place of presentation or poster

will be sent in late January, after the conference schedule is complete.

Please email your abstracts to the appropriate Program Chair below by December 15th, 2018

Subject Line: “JAM Abstract Submission”:

Oral and poster presentations for fisheries:

Timothy D’Amico, tdamico@azgfd.gov

Oral and poster presentations for wildlife (including the student oral presentation competition- see more

details on proper format at the end of this call ):

Casey Cardinal, casey.cardinal@state.nm.us

ABSTRACT EXAMPLE

Authors:

James W. Pitman, New Mexico State University, Department of Fish Wildlife and Conservation Ecology, 2980

South Espina, Knox Hall 132, Las Cruces, New Mexico 88003; jwpitman@nmsu.edu

James W. Cain III, U.S. Geological Survey New Mexico Cooperative Fish and Wildlife Research Unit, New Mexico

State University, Department of Fish Wildlife and Conservation Ecology, 2980 South Espina, Knox Hall

132, Las Cruces, New Mexico 88033; jwcain@nmsu.edu.

Stewart G. Liley, New Mexico Department of Game and Fish, 1 Wildlife Way, Santa Fe, New Mexico 87507;

Stewart.Liley@state.nm.us

Title:

Post-parturition habitat selection by elk calves and adult female elk in New Mexico

Abstract:

Neonatal survival and juvenile recruitment are crucial to maintaining elk (Cervus elaphus) populations, and neonate

survival is known to be influenced by many factors, including bed site selection. While neonates select the bed site,

they must do so within the larger calf-rearing area selected by the mother. Our objectives were to characterize bedsite

selection by calves and calf-rearing area selection by adult females at two spatial scales in areas with different

predator assemblages. We captured 107 elk calves and fitted them with ear tag transmitters in the Valle Vidal and

Gila National Forest. We found that concealing cover structure and distance to that cover were important in bed

site selection of young calves (i.e., <2 weeks of age). Older calves (i.e., 3-10 weeks of age) still selected areas in

relation to distance to cover but also preferred areas with higher visibility. When we expanded to the larger spatial

scale of calf-rearing habitat selection by the adult female, concealing cover (e.g., rocks, shrubs, logs) and other

variables important to the hiding calves were still in the most supported models, but selection was also influenced

by forage availability and indices of forage quality. Studies that seek to obtain insight into microhabitat selection of

neonates should consider selection by both the neonate and adult female and changes in selection as neonates age.

**Student

**Poster

Important Announcement!

Call for Submissions

Wildlife Student Oral Presentation Competition

Arizona and New Mexico Chapters of The Wildlife Society

Joint Annual Meeting 2019

Student research will be evaluated by a panel of distinguished wildlife biologists representing both chapters. To

enter the competition, students must submit a written summary of their research. To be competitive, these should

be final or near final results of the student’s research. The panel of judges will evaluate the written summary of the

student’s research (i.e., based on the merits of the research) to determine a short-list of the top 3 students from

each state. The 6 finalists then will compete during a special symposium of the meeting on Friday 8 February; each

student’s presentation will be 15 minutes plus 5 minutes for questions. The 6 finalists will be recognized with a

certificate at the awards banquet (selection as a finalist is an important accomplishment in itself). The panel of

judges will determine the winner from each chapter and the overall best paper. The top paper from each chapter

will receive a certificate and cash award and the overall winner will receive a certificate and bonus cash award.

Students not selected to be among the 6 finalists will be given a presentation time during the regular technical

sessions.

Experience presenting research at professional meetings is an important part of a student’s professional

development. Consequently, we strongly encourage all students that are involved with research to present a poster

or presentation, even if they decide to submit to the general student sessions. Poster presentations will be

evaluated and will compete for a separate best poster award.

Benefits:

1) Judging will be consistent.

2) The stature of the best wildlife student presentation award will be elevated.

3) Symposium attendees will be able to see all of the “best papers”.

4) All six finalists will gain better recognition.

How to Apply:

1) Eligibility: Students may be of any rank, including students who have graduated within the preceding 12

months of the JAM (i.e., after February 2018). The student must be first author on the research. The student

must be a member of either the Arizona Chapter or New Mexico Chapter of The Wildlife Society.

2) Prepare your application in a word processor using a standard font no smaller than 11pt, single spacing, and at

least one inch margins. Save the completed application as an unsecured pdf with the file name “TWS Student

Competition Application—[Last Name]”.

3) Application is not to exceed TWO single-spaced pages including tables, figures, and literature citations.

Include the following information:

a. Student name, institutional address, email address

b. Advisor’s name; list of coauthors in order of recognition

c. Summary of research including title, a brief introduction, methods, results, conclusions, and

significance or management implications

4) Attach the pdf of your application to an email addressed to Casey Cardinal (casey.cardinal@state.nm.us)

with a subject line “TWS Student Competition Application_[Last Name]”.

5) The deadline for application is Saturday, December 15th, 2018 5:00 PM MST.