e-obs Stories & Publications

@article{goodman_space_2026,

title = {Space Use and Movements During Egg Laying Associated With Nest Fate and Female Survival in Eastern Wild Turkeys},

author = {Paige E. Goodman and Nicholas W. Bakner and Nickolas A. Gulotta and Erin E. Ulrey and Bret A. Collier and Michael J. Chamberlain},

url = {https://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/abs/10.1002/ece3.73026},

doi = {10.1002/ece3.73026},

issn = {2045-7758},

year  = {2026},

date = {2026-01-01},

urldate = {2026-02-17},

journal = {Ecology and Evolution},

volume = {16},

number = {2},

pages = {e73026},

abstract = {Reproduction is a fundamental aspect of a species' life history that is energetically costly, yet critical for population sustainability and genetic diversity. Wild turkeys exhibit high rates of nest loss and female mortality during reproduction, prompting females to make decisions related to spatial and movement decisions during nesting. Using GPS data from eastern wild turkeys (Meleagris gallopavo silvestris ), we assessed female movements and space use during laying and evaluated potential impacts of those metrics on nest success and female survival during incubation. We used a Bayesian logistic regression to estimate nest success and female survival based on space use, daily movements, and range overlap with conspecifics during the laying period. We found that with each increase of 700 m in average daily distance traveled during laying, there was a 1.73% decrease in the probability of nest success. We also found that having a greater number of conspecific females with overlapping core areas had a positive influence on nest fate. Specifically, an increase of 1 overlapping female (one standard deviation) was associated with a 4.76% increase in the probability of nest success. Conversely, we found weak support that female survival was positively related to increasing average daily distances traveled. Our findings suggest that female wild turkeys perceive reproductive advantages to sharing space with conspecifics during the laying period. Conversely, our findings suggest that movements of female wild turkeys within their reproductive period may only weakly influence metrics of reproductive success during both laying and incubation.},

note = {_eprint: https://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/pdf/10.1002/ece3.73026},

keywords = {accelerometer, egg laying, ground, Meleagris gallopavo, mortality, nesting, reproduction, social, Space use, survival, terrestrial, Wild Turkey},

pubstate = {published},

tppubtype = {article}

}

@article{goodman_influence_2025,

title = {Influence of lymphoproliferative disease virus on behaviors of female eastern wild turkeys during reproductive periods},

author = {Paige E. Goodman and Nicholas W. Bakner and Dylan L. Bakner and Nicole M. Nemeth and Chloe C. Goodwin and Bret A. Collier and Michael J. Chamberlain},

url = {https://wildlife.onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/10.1002/wsb.1632},

doi = {10.1002/wsb.1632},

issn = {2328-5540, 2328-5540},

year  = {2025},

date = {2025-12-01},

urldate = {2025-12-17},

journal = {Wildlife Society Bulletin},

volume = {49},

number = {S1},

pages = {e1632},

abstract = {Abstract 

 The wild turkey ( 

 Meleagris gallopavo 

 ) is a socially and economically important species, but local populations throughout broad areas of the species range have declined, primarily due to low reproductive success. Lymphoproliferative disease virus (LPDV) is a retrovirus that can cause disease in wild turkeys. Contemporary research suggests that LPDV is prevalent in wild turkeys. Whether LPDV is related to observed wild turkey population declines is unclear, but there is potential that the virus could cause direct and indirect effects on species demography. Our objectives were to evaluate whether LPDV infection in female wild turkeys influenced behaviors during reproductive periods, including during egg laying and incubation. We found that females infected with LPDV had greater average daily distances (+324 m) traveled during the egg laying period than non‐infected females. However, we failed to detect any biologically relevant relationships between infection with LPDV and rates of nest initiation or success, or female survival during incubation. Our findings suggest that LPDV may influence female behaviors during the reproductive period, but superficially these influences appear to have no negative influence on demography.},

keywords = {Lymphoproliferative disease virus, Meleagris gallopavo, reproduction, retrovirus, Wild Turkey},

pubstate = {published},

tppubtype = {article}

}