Using the North American Breeding Bird Survey to assess broad-scale response of the continent's most imperiled avian community, grassland birds, to weather variability
Jessica Gorzo, Anna M. Pidgeon, Wayne E. Thogmartin, Andrew J. Allstadt, Volker C. Radeloff, Patricia J. Heglund, Stephen J. Vavrus
2016, The Condor (118) 502-512
Avian populations can respond dramatically to extreme weather such as droughts and heat waves, yet patterns of response to weather at broad scales remain largely unknown. Our goal was to evaluate annual variation in abundance of 14 grassland bird species breeding in the northern mixed-grass prairie in relation to annual...
Development and assessment of indices to determine stream fish vulnerability to climate change and habitat alteration
Nicholas A. Sievert, Craig P. Paukert, Yin-Phan Tsang, Dana M. Infante
2016, Ecological Indicators (67) 403-416
Understanding the future impacts of climate and land use change are critical for long-term biodiversity conservation. We developed and compared two indices to assess the vulnerability of stream fish in Missouri, USA based on species environmental tolerances, rarity, range size, dispersal ability and on the average connectivity of the streams...
Advancing environmental flow science: Developing frameworks for altered landscapes and integrating efforts across disciplines.
Shannon K. Brewer, Ryan A. McManamay, Andrew D. Miller, Robert Mollenhauer, Thomas A. Worthington, Tom Arsuffi
2016, Environmental Management (58) 175-192
Environmental flows represent a legal mechanism to balance existing and future water uses and sustain non-use values. Here, we identify current challenges, provide examples where they are important, and suggest research advances that would benefit environmental flow science. Specifically, environmental flow science would benefit by (1) developing approaches...
Multispecies cccupancy modeling as a tool for evaluating the status and distribution of Darters in the Elk River, Tennessee
Kathryn M. Potoka, Colin P. Shea, Phillip William Bettoli
2016, Transactions of the American Fisheries Society (145) 1110-1121
Sixteen darter species, including the federally endangered Boulder Darter Etheostoma wapiti, are known to occur in the Elk River, a large, flow-regulated tributary of the Tennessee River, Tennessee–Alabama. Since the construction of Tims Ford Dam (TFD) in 1970, habitat modification caused by cold, hypolimnetic water releases and peak-demand hydropower generation...
Urban base flow with low impact development
Aditi Bhaskar, Dianna M. Hogan, Stacey A. Archfield
2016, Hydrological Processes (30) 3156-3171
A novel form of urbanization, low impact development (LID), aims to engineer systems that replicate natural hydrologic functioning, in part by infiltrating stormwater close to the impervious surfaces that generate it. We sought to statistically evaluate changes in a base flow regime because of urbanization with LID, specifically changes in...
Insights into plant water uptake from xylem-water isotope measurements in two tropical catchments with contrasting moisture conditions
Jaivime Evaristo, Jeffrey J. McDonnell, Martha A. Scholl, L. Adrian Bruijnzeel, Kwok P. Chun
2016, Hydrological Processes (30) 3210-3227
Water transpired by trees has long been assumed to be sourced from the same subsurface water stocks that contribute to groundwater recharge and streamflow. However, recent investigations using dual water stable isotopes have shown an apparent ecohydrological separation between tree-transpired water and stream water. Here we present evidence for such...
Land use in the Northern Great Plains region of the U.S. influences the survival and productivity of honey bee colonies
Matthew Smart, Jeff S. Pettis, Ned H. Jr. Euliss, Marla S. Spivak
2016, Agriculture, Ecosystems and Environment (230) 139-149
The Northern Great Plains region of the US annually hosts a large portion of commercially managed U.S. honey bee colonies each summer. Changing land use patterns over the last several decades have contributed to declines in the availability of bee forage across the region, and the future sustainability of the...
Carbon and energy fluxes in cropland ecosystems: a model-data comparison
E. Lokupitiya, A. Scott Denning, K. Schaefer, D. Ricciuto, R. Anderson, M. A. Arain, I. Baker, A. G. Barr, G. Chen, J.M. Chen, P. Ciais, D.R. Cook, M.C. Dietze, M. El Maayar, M. Fischer, R. Grant, D. Hollinger, C. Izaurralde, A. Jain, C.J. Kucharik, Z. Li, S. Liu, L. Li, R. Matamala, P. Peylin, D. Price, S. W. Running, A. Sahoo, M. Sprintsin, A.E. Suyker, H. Tian, Christina Tonitto, M.S. Torn, Hans Verbeeck, S.B. Verma, Y. Xue
2016, Biogeochemistry (128) 53-76
Croplands are highly productive ecosystems that contribute to land–atmosphere exchange of carbon, energy, and water during their short growing seasons. We evaluated and compared net ecosystem exchange (NEE), latent heat flux (LE), and sensible heat flux (H) simulated by a suite of ecosystem models at five agricultural eddy covariance flux...
Comparisons between vs30 and spectral response for 30 sites in Newcastle, Australia from collocated seismic cone penetrometer, active- and passive-source vs data
Theodora Volti, David Burbidge, Clive Collins, Michael W. Asten, Jackson K. Odum, William J. Stephenson, Chris Pascal, Josef Holzschuh
2016, Bulletin of the Seismological Society of America (106) 1690-1709
Although the time‐averaged shear‐wave velocity down to 30 m depth (VS30) can be a proxy for estimating earthquake ground‐motion amplification, significant controversy exists about its limitations when used as a single parameter for the prediction of amplification. To examine this question in absence of relevant strong‐motion records, we use a range...
Novel cell-based assay for detection of thyroid receptor beta-interacting environmental contaminants
Diana A. Stavreva, Lyuba Varticovski, Ludmila Levkova, Anuja A. George, Luke Davis, Gianluca Pegoraro, Vicki S. Blazer, Luke R. Iwanowicz, Gordon L. Hager
2016, Toxicology (368-369) 69-79
Even though the presence of endocrine disrupting chemicals (EDCs) with thyroid hormone (TH)-like activities in the environment is a major health concern, the methods for their efficient detection and monitoring are still limited. Here we describe a novel cell assay, based on the translocation of a green fluorescent protein (GFP)—tagged...
Amplification of postwildfire peak flow by debris
Jason W. Kean, Luke McGuire, Francis K. Rengers, Joel B. Smith, Dennis M. Staley
2016, Geophysical Research Letters (43) 8545-8553
In burned steeplands, the peak depth and discharge of postwildfire runoff can substantially increase from the addition of debris. Yet methods to estimate the increase over water flow are lacking. We quantified the potential amplification of peak stage and discharge using video observations of postwildfire runoff, compiled data on postwildfire...
Coseismic slip and early afterslip of the 2015 Illapel, Chile, earthquake: Implications for frictional heterogeneity and coastal uplift
William D. Barnhart, Jessica R. Murray, Richard W. Briggs, Francisco Gomez, Charles P. J. Miles, Jerry L. Svarc, Sebástian Riquelme, Bryan J. Stressler
2016, Journal of Geophysical Research B: Solid Earth (121) 6172-6191
Great subduction earthquakes are thought to rupture portions of the megathrust, where interseismic coupling is high and velocity-weakening frictional behavior is dominant, releasing elastic deformation accrued over a seismic cycle. Conversely, postseismic afterslip is assumed to occur primarily in regions of velocity-strengthening frictional characteristics that may correlate with lower interseismic...
Origin of the pulse-like signature of shallow long-period volcano seismicity
Bernard A. Chouet, Phillip B. Dawson
2016, Journal of Geophysical Research B: Solid Earth (121) 5931-5941
Short-duration, pulse-like long-period (LP) events are a characteristic type of seismicity accompanying eruptive activity at Mount Etna in Italy in 2004 and 2008 and at Turrialba Volcano in Costa Rica and Ubinas Volcano in Peru in 2009. We use the discrete wave number method to compute the free surface response...
Observations and modeling of fjord sedimentation during the 30 year retreat of Columbia Glacier, AK
Katherine B Love, Bernard Hallet, Thomas L. Pratt, Shad O’Neel
2016, Journal of Glaciology (62) 778-793
To explore links between glacier dynamics, sediment yields and the accumulation of glacial sediments in a temperate setting, we use extensive glaciological observations for Columbia Glacier, Alaska, and new oceanographic data from the fjord exposed during its retreat. High-resolution seismic data indicate that 3.2 × 108 m3 of...
Electrofishing effort requirements for estimating species richness in the Kootenai River, Idaho
Carson J. Watkins, Michael C. Quist, Bradley B. Shepard, Susan C. Ireland
2016, Northwest Science (90) 315-327
This study was conducted on the Kootenai River, Idaho to provide insight on sampling requirements to optimize future monitoring effort associated with the response of fish assemblages to habitat rehabilitation. Our objective was to define the electrofishing effort (m) needed to have a 95% probability of sampling 50, 75, and...
Damage and recovery assessment of the Philippines' mangroves following Super Typhoon Haiyan
Jordan Long, Chandra Giri, Jurgene H. Primavera, Mandar Trivedi
2016, Marine Pollution Bulletin (109) 734-743
We quantified mangrove disturbance resulting from Super Typhoon Haiyan using a remote sensing approach. Mangrove areas were mapped prior to Haiyan using 30 m Landsat imagery and a supervised decision-tree classification. A time sequence of 250 m eMODIS data was used to monitor mangrove condition prior to, and following, Haiyan. Based on...
Microbial pathogens in source and treated waters from drinking water treatment plants in the United States and implications for human health
Dawn N. King, Maura J. Donohue, Stephen J. Vesper, Eric N. Villegas, Michael W. Ware, Megan E. Vogel, Edward Furlong, Dana W. Kolpin, Susan T. Glassmeyer, Stacy Pfaller
2016, Science of the Total Environment (562) 987-995
An occurrence survey was conducted on selected pathogens in source and treated drinking water collected from 25 drinking water treatment plants (DWTPs) in the United States. Water samples were analyzed for the protozoa Giardia and Cryptosporidium (EPA Method 1623); the fungi Aspergillus fumigatus, Aspergillus niger and Aspergillus terreus (quantitative PCR...
Geochemistry of the Black Sea during the last 15 kyr: A protracted evolution of its hydrography and ecology
David Z. Piper
2016, Paleoceanography (31) 1117-1137
The Black Sea is a 2200 m deep anoxic, marine sea connected to the Mediterranean Sea via the Dardanelles Strait, Marmara Sea, and the 3 km wide, 35 m deep Bosphorus Strait. The biogeochemistry of sediment from the Anatolia slope has recorded changes to the hydrography leading up to and following the input...
Population characteristics and the suppression of nonnative Burbot
Zachary B. Klein, Michael C. Quist, Darren T. Rhea, Anna C. Senecal
2016, North American Journal of Fisheries Management (36) 1006-1017
Burbot Lota lota were illegally introduced into the Green River, Wyoming, drainage and have since proliferated throughout the system. Burbot in the Green River pose a threat to native species and to socially, economically, and ecologically important recreational fisheries. Therefore, managers of the Green River are interested in implementing a...
Fortnightly modulation of San Andreas tremor and low-frequency earthquakes
Nicholas van der Elst, Andrew Delorey, David R. Shelly, Paul Johnson
2016, Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences (113) 8601-8605
Earth tides modulate tremor and low-frequency earthquakes (LFEs) on faults in the vicinity of the brittle−ductile (seismic−aseismic) transition. The response to the tidal stress carries otherwise inaccessible information about fault strength and rheology. Here, we analyze the LFE response to the fortnightly tide, which modulates the amplitude of the daily...
Effects of spray-dried Pseudomonas fluorescens, strain CL145A (Zequanox®) on reproduction and early development of the fathead minnow (Pimephales promelas).
Diane L. Waller, James A. Luoma
2016, Report
The biopesticide, Zequanox®, is registered for dreissenid mussel control in open water systems. Previous toxicity trials with nontarget organisms, including young-of-the year of several fish species and invertebrates, demonstrated selectivity of Zequanox for dreissenids. However, data are lacking on its safety to reproductive and early life stages of fish. The...
Seasonal movements and habitat use of Potamodromous Rainbow Trout across a complex Alaska riverscape
Kevin M. Fraley, Jeffrey A. Falke, Richard Yanusz, Sam S. Ivey
2016, Transactions of the American Fisheries Society (145) 1077-1092
Potamodromous Rainbow Trout Oncorhynchus mykiss are an important ecological and recreational resource in freshwater ecosystems of Alaska, and increased human development, hydroelectric projects, and reduced escapement of Chinook Salmon Oncorhynchus tshawytscha may threaten their populations. We used aerial and on-the-ground telemetry tracking, a digital landscape model, and resource selection functions...
Structured decision making for managing pneumonia epizootics in bighorn sheep
Sarah N. Sells, Michael S. Mitchell, Victoria L. Edwards, Justin A. Gude, Neil J. Anderson
2016, Journal of Wildlife Management (80) 957-969
Good decision-making is essential to conserving wildlife populations. Although there may be multiple ways to address a problem, perfect solutions rarely exist. Managers are therefore tasked with identifying decisions that will best achieve desired outcomes. Structured decision making (SDM) is a method of decision analysis used to identify the most...
Desert bighorn sheep lambing habitat: Parturition, nursery, and predation sites
Rebekah C. Karsch, James W. Cain III, Eric M. Rominger, Elise J. Goldstein
2016, Journal of Wildlife Management (80) 1069-1080
Fitness of female ungulates is determined by neonate survival and lifetime reproductive success. Therefore, adult female ungulates should adopt behaviors and habitat selection patterns that enhance survival of neonates during parturition and lactation. Parturition site location may play an important role in neonatal mortality of desert bighorn sheep (Ovis canadensis...
Considering transient population dynamics in the conservation of slow life-history species: An application to the sandhill crane
Brian D. Gerber, William L. Kendall
2016, Biological Conservation (200) 228-239
The importance of transient dynamics of structured populations is increasingly recognized in ecology, yet these implications are not largely considered in conservation practices. We investigate transient and long-term population dynamics to demonstrate the process and utility of incorporating transient dynamics into conservation research and to better understand the population management...
