Aim Over the past four centuries the eastern US has undergone remarkable landscape and land-use transformations involving deforestation, intensive agriculture, farm abandonment, reforestation and human population increase that have induced sweeping changes in wildlife assemblages, abundances, and distributions. This study compiles data on major wildlife species and seeks to identify broad population trends and to address both fundamental and applied questions regarding these long-term patterns.Location The study encompasses the state of Massachusetts, which is broadly representative of the habitat conditions and landscape and cultural history of other New England states.Methods A wide range of historical sources of data were used including town histories, newspaper and other popular accounts, scientific studies, museum collections, compiled trapping, bounty and harvest records, explorer accounts, and agency records. Statewide distribution maps and generalized population trends were assembled for individual species where practical, and major trends in species trajectories were identified. Emphasis was placed on mammals and birds for which data are readily available.Results Although species exhibited highly individualistic long-term dynamics in response to habitat change and human pressure, six major trajectories of species changes are identified: (1) large mammals and birds that declined historically and increased recently, (2) open-land species that went from low to high abundance with the creation of open habitat but are in rapid decline today in the heavily wooded landscape, (3) species regionally extirpated or globally extinct, (4) species expanding their range from the west, north and south, (5) non-native, introduced species, and (6) persistent species not exhibiting major long-term trends. Currently, wildlife populations are changing at a remarkable rate leading to significant ecological impacts on the landscape and many other species, creating major conservation and management challenges, and generating novel and oftentimes significant conflicts with human values. ConclusionsThe rate of historical and current changes in wildlife assemblages pose many scientific and conservation challenges, especially in this heavily forested but highly populated landscape. Historical data are fragmentary and oftentimes uncertain, modern information on wildlife populations is similarly incomplete, and small populations of species that are immigrating, expanding or declining from previously high levels pose major sampling problems; development of conservation and management plans for rapidly expanding populations of large woodland mammals (e.g. moose, coyote, deer, bears, beaver) and for declining populations of cherished species that are dependent on

Gambel oak (Quercus gambelii) is a valuable tree species for wildlife. In Arizona, USA, it occurs at higher elevations in association with ponderosa pine (Pinus ponderosa). Southwestern myotis (Myotis auriculus) is a bat species that has been anecdotally documented as selecting Gambel oak for maternity roost sites. During summers of 1999 and 2000, we conducted a radiotelemetry study to determine whether lactating, female southwestern myotis selected Gambel oak as maternity roosts within the ponderosa pine-Gambel oak forest in northern Arizona. We located 34 maternity roosts for southwestern myotis in Gambel oak trees (14 females) and 5 roosts in ponderosa pine snags (1 female). Maternity roosts were located in live Gambel oak trees >26-cm diameter at root collar (drc) that contained cavities. We used Akaike's Information Criterion (AIC) to evaluate 4 a priori hypotheses about southwestern Myotis maternity roost selection in northern Arizona. Our top model contained parameters for roost tree height and density of potential roost trees. Roost trees were taller than randomly selected Gambel oak trees. Forest patches immediately surrounding roost trees contained a higher density of large oak trees (drc >26 cm) than around randomly selected trees. We recommend the protection of large Gambel oak trees and encourage recruitment of large Gambel oak trees from smaller size classes to ensure that roosts remain available for southwestern myotis. JOURNAL OF WILDLIFE MANAGEMENT 68(3):595-601