Factors affecting the reproductive success of American Oystercatchers Haematopus palliatus on the outer banks of North Carolina
Shiloh A. Schulte, Theodore R. Simons
2015, Marine Ornithology: Journal of Seabird Research and Conservation (43) 37-47
We used an information-theoretic approach to assess the factors affecting the reproductive success of American Oystercatchers Haematopus palliatus on the Outer Banks of North Carolina. We evaluated survival with respect to nesting island, year, time of season, brood age, distance to tide (m), presence of off-road vehicles and...
Twenty-five years of monitoring a Townsend's Big-Eared Bat (Corynorhinus townsendii) maternity roost
Gary M. Fellers, Brian J. Halstead
2015, Northwestern Naturalist (96) 22-36
A Corynorhinus townsendii maternity roost located in an abandoned ranch house in central California was monitored for 25 y. Prior to the discovery of the bats in 1987, the house was broken into regularly and disturbance levels were quite high. Upon discovery of the roost, the house was fortified and vandalism was greatly...
Changes in distribution of Canada geese nesting in Arkansas
David G. Krementz, M. Eliese Ronke
2015, Human-Wildlife Interactions (9) 101-109
The reintroduced Canada goose (Branta canadensis) population in Arkansas has grown in range and abundance in recent decades. We determined the geographic range of Arkansas resident Canada geese from 2004 to 2012 using volume contour maps from citizen science observations using eBird, a citizen science website, and hunter recovery locations...
Peregrine falcon predation of endangered Laysan teal and Laysan Finches on remote Hawaiian atolls
Michelle H. Reynolds, Sarah A.B. Nash, Karen Courtot
2015, Report, HCSU Technical Report Series
We report the first records of Peregrine falcon (Falco peregrinus) predation on endangered Laysan teal (or duck; Anas laysanensis) and predation on endangered Laysan finches (Telespiza cantans). At Midway Atoll, vagrant Peregrine falcons killed ≥4% of a newly translocated Laysan teal population in 2006 and ≥2% in 2008. On Laysan...
Stratigraphy and morphology of the barrier platform of Breton Island, Louisiana: deltaic, marine and human influences
James G. Flocks, Jack L. Kindinger, Jennifer L. Miselis, Stanley D. Locker
2015, Coastal Sediments
Breton Island, located at the southern end of the Chandeleur Islands, Louisiana, is part of the Breton National Wildlife Refuge (NWR). Breton NWR is recognized as an important bird habitat and is host to one of Louisiana's largest historical brown pelican nesting colonies. Loss of island area through relative sea-level...
Apparent field safety of a raccoon poxvirus-vectored plague vaccine in free-ranging prairie dogs (Cynomys spp.), Colorado, USA
Daniel W. Tripp, Tonie E. Rocke, Sean P. Streich, Rachel C. Abbott, Jorge E. Osorio, Michael W. Miller
2015, Journal of Wildlife Diseases (51) 401-410
Prairie dogs (Cynomys spp.) suffer high rates of mortality from plague. An oral sylvatic plague vaccine using the raccoon poxvirus vector (designated RCN-F1/V307) has been developed for prairie dogs. This vaccine is incorporated into palatable bait along with rhodamine B as a biomarker. We conducted trials in August and September 2012...
Using larval fish community structure to guide long-term monitoring of fish spawning activity
Jeremy J. Pritt, Edward F. Roseman, Jason E. Ross, Robin L. DeBruyne
2015, North American Journal of Fisheries Management (35) 241-252
Larval fishes provide a direct indication of spawning activity and may therefore be useful for long-term monitoring efforts in relation to spawning habitat restoration. However, larval fish sampling can be time intensive and costly. We sought to understand the spatial and temporal structure of larval fish communities in the St....
Total protein concentration and diagnostic test results for gray wolf (Canis lupus) serum using Nobuto filter paper strips
Rocio F. Jara, Carolina Sepulveda, S. Ip, Michael D. Samuel
2015, Journal of Wildlife Diseases (51) 475-478
Nobuto filter paper strips are widely used for storing blood-serum samples, but the recovery of proteins from these strips following rehydration is unknown. Poor recovery of proteins could reduce the concentration of antibodies and antigens and reduce the sensitivity of diagnostic assays. We compared the protein concentration, and its association...
Characterization of hydraulic fracturing flowback water in Colorado: Implications for water treatment
Yaal Lester, Imma Ferrer, E. Michael Thurman, Kurban A. Sitterley, Julie A. Korak, George R. Aiken, Karl G. Linden
2015, Science of the Total Environment (512-513) 637-644
A suite of analytical tools was applied to thoroughly analyze the chemical composition of an oil/gas well flowback water from the Denver–Julesburg (DJ) basin in Colorado, and the water quality data was translated to propose effective treatment solutions tailored to specific reuse goals. Analysis included bulk quality parameters, trace organic...
Seismic source dynamics of gas-piston activity at Kı̄lauea Volcano, Hawai‘i
Bernard A. Chouet, Phillip B. Dawson
2015, Journal of Geophysical Research B: Solid Earth (120) 2525-2560
Since 2008, eruptive activity at the summit of Kı̄lauea Volcano, Hawai‘i has been confined to the new Overlook pit crater within the Halema‘uma‘u Crater. Among the broad range of magmatic processes observed in the new pit are recurring episodes of gas pistoning. The gas-piston activity is accompanied by seismic signals...
Insufficient sampling to identify species affected by turbine collisions
Julie A. Beston, James E. Diffendorfer, Scott Loss
2015, Journal of Wildlife Management (79) 513-517
We compared the number of avian species detected and the sampling effort during fatality monitoring at 50 North American wind facilities. Facilities with short intervals between sampling events and high effort detected more species, but many facilities appeared undersampled. Species accumulation curves for 2 wind facilities studied for more than...
Testing a small UAS for mapping artisanal diamond mining sites in Africa
Katherine C. Malpeli, Peter G. Chirico
2015, Photogrammetric Engineering and Remote Sensing (81) 258-263
Remote sensing technology is advancing at an unprecedented rate. At the forefront of the new technological developments are unmanned aircraft systems (UAS). The advent of small, lightweight, low-cost, and user-friendly UAS is greatly expanding the potential applications of remote sensing technology and improving the set of tools available to researchers...
Using stable isotopes of carbon to investigate the seasonal variation of carbon transfer in a northwestern Arkansas cave
Katherine J. Knierim, Erik Pollock, Phillip D. Hays, Jam Khojasteh
2015, Journal of Cave and Karst Studies (77) 12-27
Stable-isotope analyses are valuable in karst settings, where characterizing biogeochemical cycling of carbon along groundwater flow paths is critical for understanding and protecting sensitive cave and karst water resources. This study quantified the seasonal changes in concentration and isotopic composition (δ13C) of aqueous and gaseous carbon species—dissolved inorganic carbon (DIC)...
Coastal evidence for Holocene subduction-zone earthquakes and tsunamis in central Chile
Tina Dure, Marco Cisternas, Benjamin Horton, Lisa Ely, Alan R. Nelson, Robert L. Wesson, Jessica Pilarczyk
2015, Quaternary Science Reviews (113) 93-111
The ∼500-year historical record of seismicity along the central Chile coast (30–34°S) is characterized by a series of ∼M 8.0–8.5 earthquakes followed by low tsunamis (<4 m) occurring on the megathrust about every 80 years. One exception is the AD 1730 great earthquake (M 9.0–9.5) and high tsunami (>10 m), but the...
Consequences of habitat change and resource selection specialization for population limitation in cavity-nesting birds
Thomas E. Martin
2015, Journal of Applied Ecology (52) 475-485
Resource selection specialization may increase vulnerability of populations to environmental change. One environmental change that may negatively impact some populations is the broad decline of quaking aspen Populus tremuloides, a preferred nest tree of cavity-nesting organisms who are commonly limited by nest-site availability. However, the long-term consequences of...
Post-White-nose syndrome trends in Virginia’s cave bats, 2008-2013
Karen E. Powers, Richard J. Reynolds, Wil Orndorff, W. Mark Ford, Christopher S. Hobson
2015, Journal of Ecology and the Natural Environment (7) 113-123
Since its 2009 detection in Virginia hibernacula, the fungal pathogen Pseudogymnoascus destructans causing White-nose Syndrome (WNS) has had a marked impact on cave bats locally. From 2008-2013, we documented numeric and physiologic changes in cave bats through fall swarm (FS), early hibernation (EH), and late hibernation (LH) capture and banding...
Simulated high-latitude soil thermal dynamics during the past four decades
S. Peng, P. Ciais, T. Wang, I. Gouttevin, A. D. McGuire, D. Lawrence, E. Burke, X. Chen, C. Delire, C. Koven, A. MacDougall, A. Rinke, K. Saito, W. Zhang, R. Alkama, T. J. Bohn, B. Decharme, T. Hajima, D. Ji, D.P. Lettenmaier, P.A. Miller, J.C. Moore, B. Smith, T. Sueyoshi
2015, Cryosphere Discussions (9) 2301-2337
Soil temperature (Ts ) change is a key indicator of the dynamics of permafrost. On seasonal and inter-annual time scales, the variability of Ts determines the active layer depth, which regulates hydrological soil properties and biogeochemical processes. On the multi-decadal scale, increasing T 5 s not only drives permafrost thaw/retreat,...
Sampling of sea ducks for influenza A viruses in Alaska during winter provides lack of evidence for epidemiological peak of infection.
Andrew M. Ramey, Andrew B. Reeves, Rebecca L. Poulson, Jeff Wasley, Daniel Esler, David E. Stalknecht
2015, Journal of Wildlife Diseases (51) 938-941
Sampling of sea ducks for influenza A viruses in Alaska during winter provided no evidence for an epidemiologic peak of infection. Isolates were recovered, however, that provide information on viral diversity and dispersal that may not be realized through sampling efforts focused on other avian taxa....
Slab melting beneath the Cascades Arc driven by dehydration of altered oceanic peridotite
Kristina J Walowski, Paul J. Wallace, E.H. Hauri, I. Wada, Michael A. Clynne
2015, Nature Geoscience (8) 404-408
Water is returned to Earth’s interior at subduction zones. However, the processes and pathways by which water leaves the subducting plate and causes melting beneath volcanic arcs are complex; the source of the water—subducting sediment, altered oceanic crust, or hydrated mantle in the downgoing plate—is debated; and the role of...
Diverse juvenile life-history behaviours contribute to the spawning stock of an anadromous fish population
Timothy E. Walsworth, Daniel E. Schindler, Jennifer R. Griffiths, Christian E. Zimmerman
2015, Ecology of Freshwater Fish (24) 204-213
Habitat quality often varies substantially across space and time, producing a shifting mosaic of growth and mortality trade-offs across watersheds. Traditional studies of juvenile habitat use have emphasised the evolution of single optimal strategies that maximise recruitment to adulthood and eventual fitness. However, linking the distribution of individual behaviours that...
A tribute to George Plafker
Gary S. Fuis, Peter J. Haeussler, Brian F. Atwater
2015, Quaternary Science Reviews (113) 3-7
In a long and distinguished career, George Plafker made fundamental advances in understanding of megathrust tectonics, tsunami generation, paleoseismology, crustal neotectonics, and Alaskan geology, chiefly by means of geological field observations. George discovered that giant earthquakes result from tens of meters of seismic slip on subduction megathrusts, and he did this...
Evaluating physical habitat and water chemistry data from statewide stream monitoring programs to establish least-impacted conditions in Washington State
Siri K. Wilmoth, Kathryn M. Irvine, Chad Larson
2015, Report
Various GIS-generated land-use predictor variables, physical habitat metrics, and water chemistry variables from 75 reference streams and 351 randomly sampled sites throughout Washington State were evaluated for effectiveness at discriminating reference from random sites within level III ecoregions. A combination of multivariate clustering and ordination techniques were used. We describe average...
Landowner perceptions of three types of boating in the Saranac Lakes area of New York State׳s Adirondack Park
Diane Kuehn, Rudy Schuster, Erik Nordman
2015, Journal of Outdoor Recreation and Tourism (9) 53-63
In order for natural resource managers to better understand conflicting landowner perspectives related to non-motorized, motorized, and personal watercraft use, this study examines the demographic and experiential characteristics, values, attitudes, and beliefs of landowners in the Saranac Lakes area of the Adirondack Park in New York State. A mixed-methods approach,...
Predicting ecological responses of the Florida Everglades to possible future climate scenarios: Introduction
Nicholas G. Aumen, Karl E Havens, G. Ronnie Best, Leonard Berry
2015, Environmental Management (55) 741-748
Florida’s Everglades stretch from the headwaters of the Kissimmee River near Orlando to Florida Bay. Under natural conditions in this flat landscape, water flowed slowly downstream as broad, shallow sheet flow. The ecosystem is markedly different now, altered by nutrient pollution and construction of canals, levees, and water control structures...
Energy development and avian nest survival in Wyoming, USA: A test of a common disturbance index
Matthew G. Hethcoat, Anna D. Chalfoun
2015, Biological Conservation (184) 327-334
Global energy demands continue to result in new and emerging sources of anthropogenic disturbance to populations and systems. Here, we assessed the influence of natural gas development on a critical component of fitness (nest survival) for Brewer’s sparrow (Spizella breweri), sagebrush sparrow (Artemisiospiza nevadensis), and sage thrasher (Oreoscoptes montanus), three...
