Looking beyond rare species as umbrella species: Northern Bobwhites (Colinus virginianus) and conservation of grassland and shrubland birds
Andrew D. Crosby, R.D. Elmore, David M. Leslie Jr., Rodney E. Will
2015, Biological Conservation (186) 233-240
Changes in land use and land cover throughout the eastern half of North America have caused substantial declines in populations of birds that rely on grassland and shrubland vegetation types, including socially and economically important game birds such as the Northern Bobwhite (Colinus virginianus; hereafter bobwhites). As much attention is...
Potential effects of climate change on the growth of fishes from different thermal guilds in Lakes Michigan and Huron
Yu-Chun Kao, Charles P. Madenjian, David B. Bunnell, Brent M. Lofgren, Marjorie Perroud
2015, Journal of Great Lakes Research (41) 423-435
We used a bioenergetics modeling approach to investigate potential effects of climate change on the growth of two economically important native fishes: yellow perch (Perca flavescens), a cool-water fish, and lake whitefish (Coregonus clupeaformis), a cold-water fish, in deep and oligotrophic Lakes Michigan and Huron. For assessing potential changes in...
Performance metrics and variance partitioning reveal sources of uncertainty in species distribution models
James I. Watling, Laura A. Brandt, David N. Bucklin, Ikuko Fujisaki, Frank J. Mazzotti, Stephanie S. Romanach, Carolina Speroterra
2015, Ecological Modelling (309-310) 48-59
Species distribution models (SDMs) are widely used in basic and applied ecology, making it important to understand sources and magnitudes of uncertainty in SDM performance and predictions. We analyzed SDM performance and partitioned variance among prediction maps for 15 rare vertebrate species in the southeastern USA using all possible combinations...
Predicting alpine headwater stream intermittency: a case study in the northern Rocky Mountains
Roy Sando, Kyle W. Blasch
2015, Ecohydrology & Hydrobiology (15) 68-80
This investigation used climatic, geological, and environmental data coupled with observational stream intermittency data to predict alpine headwater stream intermittency. Prediction was made using a random forest classification model. Results showed that the most important variables in the prediction model were snowpack persistence, represented by average snow extent from March...
Long-term monitoring of endangered Laysan ducks: Index validation and population estimates 1998–2012
Michelle H. Reynolds, Karen Courtot, Kevin W. Brinck, Cynthia Rehkemper, Jeffrey Hatfield
2015, Journal of Fish and Wildlife Management (6) 92-101
Monitoring endangered wildlife is essential to assessing management or recovery objectives and learning about population status. We tested assumptions of a population index for endangered Laysan duck (or teal; Anas laysanensis) monitored using mark–resight methods on Laysan Island, Hawai’i. We marked 723 Laysan ducks between 1998 and 2009 and identified...
High frequency of extra-pair paternity in an urban population of Cooper's Hawks
Robert N. Rosenfield, Sarah A. Sonsthagen, William C. Stout, Sandra L. Talbot
2015, Journal of Field Ornithology (86) 144-152
Raptors exhibit some of the highest rates of intra-pair copulations among birds, perhaps in an attempt by males to reduce the risk of being cuckolded. Indeed, the frequency of extra-pair fertilizations reported in studies of raptors to date is relatively low (0-11.2%). Socially monogamous Cooper's Hawks (Accipiter cooperii) exhibit one...
Biodynamics of copper oxide nanoparticles and copper ions in an oligochaete: Part I: relative importance of water and sediment as exposure routes
Tina Ramskov, Amalie Thit, Marie Noele Croteau, Henriette Selck
2015, Aquatic Toxicology (164) 81-91
Copper oxide (CuO) nanoparticles (NPs) are widely used, and likely released into the aquatic environment. Both aqueous (i.e., dissolved Cu) and particulate Cu can be taken up by organisms. However, how exposure routes influence the bioavailability and subsequent toxicity of Cu remains largely unknown. Here, we assess the importance of...
Simulating long-term effectiveness and efficiency of management scenarios for an invasive grass
Catherine S. Jarnevich, Tracy R. Holcombe, Catherine Cullinane Thomas, Leonardo Frid, Aaryn D. Olsson
2015, AIMS Environmental Science (2) 427-447
Resource managers are often faced with trade-offs in allocating limited resources to manage plant invasions. These decisions must often be made with uncertainty about the location of infestations, their rate of spread and effectiveness of management actions. Landscape level simulation tools such as state-and-transition simulation models (STSMs) can be used...
Influence of channel morphology and flow regime on larval drift of pallid sturgeon in the Lower Missouri River
Susannah O. Erwin, Robert B. Jacobson
2015, River Research and Applications (31) 538-551
The transition from drifting free embryo to exogenously feeding larvae has been identified as a potential life-stage bottleneck for the endangered Missouri River pallid sturgeon. Previous studies have indicated that river regulation and fragmentation may contribute to the mortality of larval pallid sturgeon by reducing the extent of free-flowing river...
Decadal re-evaluation of contaminant exposure and productivity of ospreys (Pandion haliaetus) nesting in Chesapeake Bay Regions of Concern
Rebecca S. Lazarus, Barnett A. Rattner, Peter C. McGowan, Robert C. Hale, Sandra L. Schultz, Natalie K. Karouna-Renier, Mary Ann Ottinger
2015, Environmental Pollution (205) 278-290
The last large-scale ecotoxicological study of ospreys (Pandion haliaetus) in Chesapeake Bay was conducted in 2000-2001 and focused on U.S. EPA-designated Regions of Concern (ROCs; Baltimore Harbor/Patapsco, Anacostia/middle Potomac, and Elizabeth Rivers). In 2011-2012, ROCs were re-evaluated to determine spatial and temporal trends in productivity and contaminants. Concentrations of p,p'-DDE...
Nearshore dynamics of artificial sand and oil agglomerates
P. Soupy Dalyander, Nathaniel G. Plant, Joseph W. Long, Molly R. McLaughlin
2015, Marine Pollution Bulletin (96) 344-355
Weathered oil can mix with sediment to form heavier-than-water sand and oil agglomerates (SOAs) that can cause beach re-oiling for years after a spill. Few studies have focused on the physical dynamics of SOAs. In this study, artificial SOAs (aSOAs) were created and deployed in the nearshore, and shear stress-based...
High-frequency, long-duration water sampling in acid mine drainage studies: a short review of current methods and recent advances in automated water samplers
Thomas Chapin
2015, Applied Geochemistry (59) 118-124
Hand-collected grab samples are the most common water sampling method but using grab sampling to monitor temporally variable aquatic processes such as diel metal cycling or episodic events is rarely feasible or cost-effective. Currently available automated samplers are a proven, widely used technology and typically collect up to 24 samples...
Enhanced biological processes associated with alopecia in polar bears (Ursus maritimus)
Lizabeth Bowen, A. Keith Miles, Jeffrey L. Stott, Shannon C. Waters-Dynes, Todd C. Atwood
2015, Science of the Total Environment (529) 114-120
Populations of wildlife species worldwide experience incidents of mass morbidity and mortality. Primary or secondary drivers of these events may escape classical detection methods for identifying microbial insults, toxin exposure, or additional stressors. In 2012, 28% of polar bears sampled in a study in the southern Beaufort Sea region of...
Characteristics of storms driving wave-induced seafloor mobility on the U.S. East Coast continental shelf
P. Soupy Dalyander, Bradford Butman
2015, Continental Shelf Research (104) 1-14
This study investigates the relationship between spatial and temporal patterns of wave-driven sediment mobility events on the U.S. East Coast continental shelf and the characteristics of the storms responsible for them. Mobility events, defined as seafloor wave stress exceedance of the critical stress of 0.35 mm diameter sand (0.2160 Pa)...
Individual specialization in the foraging habits of female bottlenose dolphins living in a trophically diverse and habitat rich estuary
Sam Rossman, Peggy H. Ostrom, Megan Stolen, Nélio B. Barros, Hasand Gandhi, Craig A. Stricker, Randall S. Wells
2015, Oecologia (178) 415-425
We examine individual specialization in foraging habits (foraging habitat and trophic level) of female bottlenose dolphins (Tursiops truncatus) resident in Sarasota Bay, Florida, USA, by analyzing time series of stable isotope (δ15N and δ13C) values in sequential growth layer groups within teeth. The isotope data provide a chronology of...
Natural trophic variability in a large, oligotrophic, near-pristine lake
Talia Young, Olaf P. Jensen, Brian Weidel, Sudeep Chandra
2015, Journal of Great Lakes Research (41) 463-472
Conclusions drawn from stable isotope data can be limited by an incomplete understanding of natural isotopic variability over time and space. We quantified spatial and temporal variability in fish carbon and nitrogen stable isotopes in Lake Hövsgöl, Mongolia, a large, remote, oligotrophic lake with an unusually species-poor fish community. The...
Unintended consequences of management actions in salt pond restoration: cascading effects in trophic interactions
John Y. Takekawa, Joshua T. Ackerman, Arriana Brand, Tanya R. Graham, Collin A. Eagles-Smith, Mark P. Herzog, Brent R. Topping, Gregory Shellenbarger, James S. Kuwabara, Eric Mruz, Sara L. Piotter, Nicole D. Athearn
2015, PLoS ONE (10) 1-15
Salt evaporation ponds have played an important role as habitat for migratory waterbirds across the world, however, efforts to restore and manage these habitats to maximize their conservation value has proven to be challenging. For example, salinity reduction has been a goal for restoring and managing former salt evaporation ponds...
Evaluating unsupervised methods to size and classify suspended particles using digital in-line holography
Emlyn J. Davies, Daniel D. Buscombe, George W. Graham, W. Alex M. Nimmo-Smith
2015, Journal of Atmospheric and Oceanic Technology (32) 1241-1256
Substantial information can be gained from digital in-line holography of marine particles, eliminating depth-of-field and focusing errors associated with standard lens-based imaging methods. However, for the technique to reach its full potential in oceanographic research, fully unsupervised (automated) methods are required for focusing, segmentation, sizing and classification of particles. These...
Computational fluid dynamics-habitat suitability index (CFD-HSI) modelling as an exploratory tool for assessing passability of riverine migratory challenge zones for fish
Alexander J. Haro, Michael Chelminski, Robert W. Dudley
2015, River Research and Applications (31) 526-537
We developed two-dimensional computational fluid hydraulics-habitat suitability index (CFD-HSI) models to identify and qualitatively assess potential zones of shallow water depth and high water velocity that may present passage challenges for five major anadromous fish species in a 2.63-km reach of the main stem Penobscot River, Maine, as a result...
Stable isotopes suggest low site fidelity in Bar-Headed Geese (Anser indicus) in Mongolia: Implications for disease transmission
Eli S. Bridge, Jeffrey F. Kelly, Xiangming Xiao, Nyambayar Batbayar, Tseveenmyadag Natsagdorj, Nichola J. Hill, John Y. Takekawa, Lucy A. Hawkes, Charles M. Bishop, Patrick J. Butler, Scott H. Newman
2015, Waterbirds (38) 123-132
Population connectivity is an important consideration in studies of disease transmission and biological conservation, especially with regard to migratory species. Determining how and when different subpopulations intermingle during different phases of the annual cycle can help identify important geographical regions or features as targets for conservation efforts and can help...
Exploration review
David R. Wilburn, Karyn A. Stanley, Nick A Karl
2015, Mining Engineering 16-38
This summary of international mineral exploration activities for the year 2014 draws upon information from industry sources, published literature, and specialists in the U.S. Geological Survey (USGS) National Minerals Information Center. The summary provides data on exploration budgets by region and mineral commodity, identifies significant mineral discoveries and areas of...
Stress- and structure-controlled anisotropy in a region of complex faulting—Yuha Desert, California
Elizabeth S. Cochran, Kayla A. Kroll
2015, Geophysical Journal International (202) 1109-1121
We examine shear velocity anisotropy in the Yuha Desert, California using aftershocks of the 2010 M7.2 El Mayor-Cucapah earthquake. The Yuha Desert is underlain by a complex network of right- and left-lateral conjugate faults, some of which experienced triggered slip during the El Mayor-Cucapah earthquake. An automated method that implements...
Plant-plant interactions in a subtropical mangrove-to-marsh transition zone: effects of environmental drivers
Rebecca J. Howard, Ken W. Krauss, Nicole Cormier, Richard H. Day, Janelda M. Biagas, Larry K. Allain
2015, Journal of Vegetation Science (26) 1198-1211
Questions Does the presence of herbaceous vegetation affect the establishment success of mangrove tree species in the transition zone between subtropical coastal mangrove forests and marshes? How do plant–plant interactions in this transition zone respond to variation in two primary coastal environmental drivers? Location Subtropical coastal region...
Applied Geochemistry Special Issue on Environmental geochemistry of modern mining
Robert R. Seal II, D. Kirk Nordstrom
2015, Applied Geochemistry (57) 1-2
Environmental geochemistry is an integral part of the mine-life cycle, particularly for modern mining. The critical importance of environmental geochemistry begins with pre-mining baseline characterization and the assessment of environmental risks related to mining, continues through active mining especially in water and waste management practices, and culminates in mine...
Efforts to monitor and characterize the recent increasing seismicity in central Oklahoma
Daniel E. McNamara, Justin L. Rubinstein, Emma Myers, Gregory M. Smoczyk, Harley M. Benz, Robert Williams, Gavin P. Hayes, David C. Wilson, Robert B. Herrmann, Nicole D McMahon, R.C. Aster, E. Bergman, Austin Holland, Paul S. Earle
2015, The Leading Edge (34) 628-639
The sharp increase in seismicity over a broad region of central Oklahoma has raised concerns regarding the source of the activity and its potential hazard to local communities and energy-industry infrastructure. Efforts to monitor and characterize the earthquake sequences in central Oklahoma are reviewed. Since early 2010, numerous organizations have...
