Paper birch: Sentinels of climate change in the Niobrara River Valley, Nebraska
Esther D. Stroh
2011, Park Science (28) 74-77
The Niobrara River Valley in the northern Great Plains supports scattered stands of paper birch (Betula papyrifera Marsh), a species more typical of boreal forests. These birch stands are considered to be relictual populations that have persisted since the end of the Wisconsin glaciation. Localized summer microclimates have likely facilitated...
Setting limits: Using air pollution thresholds to protect and restore US ecosystems
Mark E. Fenn, Kathleen F. Lambert, Tamara F. Blett, Douglas A. Burns, Linda H. Pardo, Gary M. Lovett, Richard A. Haeuber, David C. Evers, Charles T. Driscoll, Dean S. Jeffries
2011, Issues in Ecology 1-21
More than four decades of research provide unequivocal evidence that sulfur, nitrogen, and mercury pollution have altered, and will continue to alter, our nation's lands and waters. The emission and deposition of air pollutants harm native plants and animals, degrade water quality, affect forest productivity, and are damaging to human...
Global seabird responses to forage fish depletion - One-third for the birds
Philippe M. Cury, Ian L. Boyd, Sylvain Bonhommeau, Tycho Anker-Nilssen, Robert J.M. Crawford, Robert W. Furness, James A. Mills, Eugene J. Murphy, Henrik Osterblom, Michelle Paleczny, John F. Piatt, Jean-Paul Roux, Lynne Shannon, William J. Sydeman
2011, Science (334) 1703-1706
Determining the form of key predator-prey relationships is critical for understanding marine ecosystem dynamics. Using a comprehensive global database, we quantified the effect of fluctuations in food abundance on seabird breeding success. We identified a threshold in prey (fish and krill, termed “forage fish”) abundance below which seabirds experience consistently...
Exchange of Groundwater and Surface-Water Mediated by Permafrost Response to Seasonal and Long Term Air Temperature Variation
Shemin Ge, Jeffrey McKenzie, Clifford Voss, Qingbai Wu
2011, Geophysical Research Letters (38)
Permafrost dynamics impact hydrologic cycle processes by promoting or impeding groundwater and surface water exchange. Under seasonal and decadal air temperature variations, permafrost temperature changes control the exchanges between groundwater and surface water. A coupled heat transport and groundwater flow model, SUTRA, was modified to simulate groundwater flow and heat...
Spring migration of mallards from Arkansas as determined by satellite telemetry
David G. Krementz, Kwasi Asante, L.M. Naylor
2011, Journal of Fish and Wildlife Management (2) 156-168
We used satellite telemetry to document spring migration phenology, routes, stopover regions, and nesting sites of mallards Anas platyrhynchos marked in Arkansas during the winters of 2004-2007. Of the 143 marked mallards that migrated from Arkansas, they did so, on average, by mid-March. Mallards flew over the Missouri Ozarks and...
A comparison of avian communities and habitat characteristics in floodplain forests associated with valley plugs and unchannelized streams
Aaron R. Pierce, Sammy L. King
2011, River Research and Applications (27) 1315-1324
Channelization of streams associated with floodplain forested wetlands has occurred extensively throughout the world and specifically in the southeastern United States. Channelization of fluvial systems alters the hydrologic and sedimentation processes that sustain these systems. In western Tennessee, channelization and past land-use practices have caused drastic geomorphic and hydrologic changes,...
Testing the effect of habitat structure and complexity on nekton assemblages using experimental oyster reefs
Austin T. Humphries, Megan K. LaPeyre, Matthew E. Kimball, Lawrence P. Rozas
2011, Journal of Experimental Marine Biology and Ecology (409) 172-179
Structurally complex habitats are often associated with more diverse and abundant species assemblages in both aquatic and terrestrial ecosystems. Biogenic reefs formed by the eastern oyster (Crassostrea virginica) are complex in nature and are recognized for their potential habitat value in estuarine systems along the US Atlantic and Gulf of...
Genetic applications in avian conservation
Susan M. Haig, Whitcomb M. Bronaugh, Rachel S. Crowhurst, Jesse D'Elia, Collin A. Eagles-Smith, Clinton W. Epps, Brian Knaus, Mark P. Miller, Michael L. Moses, Sara Oyler-McCance, W. Douglas Robinson, Brian Sidlauskas
2011, The Auk (128) 205-229
A fundamental need in conserving species and their habitats is defining distinct entities that range from individuals to species to ecosystems and beyond (Table 1; Ryder 1986, Moritz 1994, Mayden and Wood 1995, Haig and Avise 1996, Hazevoet 1996, Palumbi and Cipriano 1998, Hebert et al. 2004, Mace 2004, Wheeler...
Factors affecting fuel break effectiveness in the control of large fires on the Los Padres National Forest, California
Alexandra D. Syphard, Jon E. Keeley, Teresa J. Brennan
2011, International Journal of Wildland Fire (20) 764-775
As wildfires have increased in frequency and extent, so have the number of homes developed in the wildland-urban interface. In California, the predominant approach to mitigating fire risk is construction of fuel breaks, but there has been little empirical study of their role in controlling large fires.We constructed a spatial...
Defining conservation priorities for freshwater fishes according to taxonomic, functional, and phylogenetic diversity
Angela L. Strecker, Julian D. Olden, Joanna B. Whittier, Craig P. Paukert
2011, Ecological Applications (21) 3002-3013
To date, the predominant use of systematic conservation planning has been to evaluate and conserve areas of high terrestrial biodiversity. Although studies in freshwater ecosystems have received recent attention, research has rarely considered the potential trade-offs between protecting different dimensions of biodiversity and the ecological processes that maintain diversity. We...
Patterns in young-of-year smallmouth bass microhabitat use in multiple stream segments with contrasting land uses
Shannon K. Brewer
2011, Fisheries Management and Ecology (18) 506-512
Young-of-the-year (YOY) smallmouth bass, Micropterus dolomieu Lacepede, were evaluated in streams from eight catchments with two contrasting land uses to determine their use of microhabitats under a variety of stream conditions. Step-wise discriminant function analyses revealed patterns of habitat use by discriminating used from available microhabitat conditions. Velocity was significant...
Assessment of a recombinant F1-V fusion protein vaccine intended to protect Canada lynx (Lynx canadensis) from plague
Lisa L. Wolfe, Tanya M. Shenk, Bradford Powell, Tonie E. Rocke
2011, Journal of Wildlife Diseases (47) 888-892
As part of an ongoing restoration program in Colorado, USA, we evaluated adverse reactions and seroconversion in captive Canada lynx (Lynx canadensis) after vaccination with a recombinant F1-V fusion protein vaccine against Yersinia pestis, the bacterium that causes plague. Ten adult female lynx received the F1-V vaccine; 10 source- and...
Spatial scaling of core and dominant forest cover in the Upper Mississippi and Illinois River floodplains, USA
Nathan R. De Jager, Jason J. Rohweder
2011, Landscape Ecology (26) 697-708
Different organisms respond to spatial structure in different terms and across different spatial scales. As a consequence, efforts to reverse habitat loss and fragmentation through strategic habitat restoration ought to account for the different habitat density and scale requirements of various taxonomic groups. Here, we estimated the local density of...
Utah's geologic and geomorphic analogs to Mars—An overview for planetary exploration
Marjorie A. Chan, Kathleen Nicoll, Jens Ormö, Chris Okubo, Goro Komatsu
2011, Book chapter, Analogs for Planetary Exploration
Utah offers spectacular geologic features and valuable analog environments and processes for Mars studies. Horizontal strata of the Colorado Plateau are analogous to Mars because the overprint of plate tectonics is minimal, yet the effects of strong ground motion from earthquakes or impacts are preserved in the sedimentary record. The...
An ecosystem level approach for developing an environmental monitoring program for the US/Mexico Border Region
Pamela L. Nagler, W. Lackner, M. Sturm, R. Castillo-Gamez, G. Ceballos
C. A, de la Parra, A. Cordova, E. Peters, editor(s)
2011, Book chapter, The border wall: Venues, mechanisms and stakeholders for a constructive dialogue between the United States and Mexico
No abstract available....
Spatial patterns of mercury in macroinvertebrates and fishes from streams of contrasting forested landscapes in the eastern United States
Karen Riva-Murray, Lia C. Chasar, Paul M. Bradley, Douglas A. Burns, Mark E. Brigham, Martyn J. Smith, Thomas A. Abrahamsen
2011, Ecotoxicology (20) 1530-1542
Controls on mercury bioaccumulation in lotic ecosystems are not well understood. During 2007–2009, we studied mercury and stable isotope spatial patterns of macroinvertebrates and fishes from two medium-sized (2) forested basins in contrasting settings. Samples were collected seasonally from multiple sites across the Fishing Brook basin (FBNY), in New...
Quantifying the hydrological responses to climate change in an intact forested small watershed in southern China
Guo-Yi Zhou, Xiaohua Wei, Yiping Wu, Shu-Guang Liu, Yuhui Huang, Junhua Yan, Deqiang Zhang, Qianmei Zhang, Juxiu Liu, Ze Meng, Chunlin Wang, Guowei Chu, Shizhong Liu, Xu-Li Tang, Xiaodong Liu
2011, Global Change Biology (17) 3736-3746
Responses of hydrological processes to climate change are key components in the Intergovernmental Panel for Climate Change (IPCC) assessment. Understanding these responses is critical for developing appropriate mitigation and adaptation strategies for sustainable water resources management and protection of public safety. However, these responses are not well understood and little...
Northern goshawk monitoring in the western Great Lakes bioregion
Jason E. Bruggeman, David E. Andersen, James E. Woodford
2011, Journal of Raptor Research (45) 290-303
Uncertainties about factors affecting Northern Goshawk (Accipiter gentilis) ecology and the status of populations have added to the challenge of managing this species. To address data needs for determining the status of goshawk populations, Hargis and Woodbridge (2006) developed a bioregional monitoring protocol based on estimating occupancy. The...
Short-term response of subadult white sturgeon to hopper dredge disposal operations
Michael J. Parsley, Nicholas D. Popoff, Jason G. Romine
2011, North American Journal of Fisheries Management (31) 1-11
The effect of dredged-material disposal operations on the behavior of seven white sturgeon Acipenser transmontanus (50–101 cm fork length) was examined by analysis of the movements and depth use of these fish before, during, and after a series of hopper dredge disposal operations in the lower Columbia River. Analyses of fish locations...
Spatial patch occupancy patterns of the Lower Keys marsh rabbit
Mitchell J. Eaton, Phillip T. Hughes, James D. Nichols, Anne Morkill, Chad Anderson
2011, Journal of Wildlife Management (75) 1186-1193
Reliable estimates of presence or absence of a species can provide substantial information on management questions related to distribution and habitat use but should incorporate the probability of detection to reduce bias. We surveyed for the endangered Lower Keys marsh rabbit (Sylvilagus palustris hefneri) in habitat patches on 5 Florida...
Seroprevalence of West Nile Virus in feral horses on Sheldon National Wildlife Refuge, Nevada, United States
J. Christian Franson, Erik K. Hofmeister, Gail H. Collins, Robert J. Dusek
2011, American Journal of Tropical Medicine and Hygiene (84) 637-640
We screened 1,397 feral horses (Equus caballus) on Sheldon National Wildlife Refuge, Nevada, United States, for IgM and IgG against flavivirus during 2004–2006, 2008, and 2009. Positive serum samples were tested for neutralizing antibodies to West Nile virus (WNV) and St. Louis encephalitis virus (SLEV). One animal was positive for...
Oil detection in a coastal marsh with polarimetric Synthetic Aperture Radar (SAR)
Elijah W. Ramsey III, Amina Rangoonwala, Yukihiro Suzuoki, Cathleen E. Jones
2011, Remote Sensing (3) 2630-2662
The National Aeronautics and Space Administration's airborne Uninhabited Aerial Vehicle Synthetic Aperture Radar (UAVSAR) was deployed in June 2010 in response to the Deepwater Horizon oil spill in the Gulf of Mexico. UAVSAR is a fully polarimetric L-band Synthetic Aperture Radar (SAR) sensor for obtaining data at high spatial resolutions....
Sea-level rise and landscape change influence mangrove encroachment onto marsh in the Ten Thousand Islands region of Florida, USA
Ken W. Krauss, Andrew S. From, Thomas W. Doyle, Terry J. Doyle, Michael J. Barry
2011, Journal of Coastal Conservation (15) 629-638
The Ten Thousand Islands region of southwestern Florida, USA is a major feeding and resting destination for breeding, migrating, and wintering birds. Many species of waterbirds rely specifically on marshes as foraging habitat, making mangrove encroachment a concern for wildlife managers. With the alteration of freshwater flow and sea-level rise...
An adaptive decision framework for the conservation of a threatened plant
Clinton T. Moore, Christopher J. Fonnesbeck, Katriona Shea, Kristopher J. Lah, Paul M. McKenzie, Lianne C. Ball, Michael C. Runge, Helen M. Alexander
2011, Journal of Fish and Wildlife Management (2) 247-261
Mead's milkweed Asclepias meadii, a long-lived perennial herb of tallgrass prairie and glade communities of the central United States, is a species designated as threatened under the U.S. Endangered Species Act. Challenges to its successful management include the facts that much about its life history is unknown, its age at...
Modelling community dynamics based on species-level abundance models from detection/nondetection data
Yuichi Yamaura, J. Andrew Royle, Kouji Kuboi, Tsuneo Tada, Susumu Ikeno, Shun’ichi Makino
2011, Journal of Applied Ecology (48) 67-75
1. In large‐scale field surveys, a binary recording of each species’ detection or nondetection has been increasingly adopted for its simplicity and low cost. Because of the importance of abundance in many studies, it is desirable to obtain inferences about abundance at species‐, functional group‐, and community‐levels from such binary data.2. We...
