The toxicological geochemistry of Earth materials: An overview of processes and the interdisciplinary methods used to understand them
Geoffrey S. Plumlee, Suzette A. Morman, Thomas L. Ziegler
2006, Reviews in Mineralogy and Geochemistry (64) 5-57
A broad spectrum of earth materials have been linked to, blamed for, and/or debated as sources for disease. In some cases, the links are clear. For example, excessive exposures to mineral dusts have long been recognized for their role in diseases such as: asbestosis, mesothelioma, and lung cancers (asbestos); silicosis...
Proximate and landscape factors influence grassland bird distributions
M.A. Cunningham, Douglas H. Johnson
2006, Ecological Applications (16) 1062-1075
Ecologists increasingly recognize that birds can respond to features well beyond their normal areas of activity, but little is known about the relative importance of landscapes and proximate factors or about the scales of landscapes that influence bird distributions. We examined the influences of tree cover at both proximate and...
Populations and habitat relationships of Piute ground squirrels in southwest Idaho
Karen Steenhof, Eric Yensen, Michael N. Kochert, K. Gage
2006, Western North American Naturalist (66) 482-491
Piute ground squirrels (Spermophilus mollis idahoensis) are normally above ground from late January until late June or early July in the Snake River Birds of Prey National Conservation Area in southwestern Idaho. In 2002 they were rarely seen above ground after early May. Because of the ecological importance of ground...
Recent volcanic history of Irazu volcano, Costa Rica: alternation and mixing of two magma batches, and pervasive mixing
Guillermo E. Alvarado, Michael J. Carr, Brent D. Turrin, Carl C. Swisher III, Hans-Ulrich Schmincke, Kenneth W. Hudnut
2006, Special Paper of the Geological Society of America 259-276
40Ar/39Ar dates, field observations, and geochemical data are reported for Irazú volcano, Costa Rica. Volcanism dates back to at least 854 ka, but has been episodic with lava shield construction peaks at ca. 570 ka and 136–0 ka. The recent volcanic record on Irazú volcano comprises lava flows and a...
Nest survival in dusky Canada geese (Branta canadensis occidentalis): Use of discrete-time models
J.B. Grand, T.F. Fondell, Dick Miller, R. Michael Anthony
2006, The Auk (123) 198-210
The Dusky Canada Goose (Branta canadensis occidentalis) population that breeds in the Copper River Delta, Alaska, has declined substantially since the late 1970s. Persistent low numbers have been attributed to low productivity in recent years. We examined patterns in survival rates of 1,852 nests to better understand ecological processes that...
Effects of El Niño on distribution and reproductive performance of Black Brant
James S. Sedinger, David H. Ward, Jason L. Schamber, William I. Butler, William D. Eldridge, Bruce Conant, James F. Voelzer, Nathan Chelgren, Mark P. Herzog
2006, Ecology (87) 151-159
Climate in low-latitude wintering areas may influence temperate and high-latitude breeding populations of birds, but demonstrations of such relationships have been rare because of difficulties in linking wintering with breeding populations. We used long-term aerial surveys in Mexican wintering areas and breeding areas in Alaska, USA, to assess numbers of...
Predictable hotspots and foraging habitat of the endangered short-tailed albatross (Phoebastria albatrus) in the North Pacific: Implications for conservation
John F. Piatt, J. Wetzel, K. Bell, A.R. DeGange, G.R. Balogh, G.S. Drew, T. Geernaert, C. Ladd, G.V. Byrd
2006, Deep-Sea Research Part II: Topical Studies in Oceanography (53) 387-398
The short-tailed albatross (Phoebastria albatrus) is a rare and endangered seabird that ranges widely over the northern North Pacific. Populations are slowly recovering but birds face several threats at sea, in particular the incidental capture of birds in long-line fisheries. Conservation efforts are hampered by a lack of information about...
Association of polychlorinated biphenyls (PCBs) with live algae and total lipids in rivers - A field-based approach
S.A. Fitzgerald, J. J. Steuer
2006, Science of the Total Environment (354) 60-74
The association of PCBs and live algal cells in rivers was studied at four locations during four seasons in two Wisconsin rivers. Positive relations between particle-associated PCBs and both chlorophyll-a and algal carbon concentrations indicated that live algal cells were a significant sorption phase for dissolved PCBs. Large Pennate diatoms...
Indirect food web interactions: Sea otters and kelp forest fishes in the Aleutian archipelago
S.E. Reisewitz, J. A. Estes, C.A. Simenstad
2006, Oecologia (146) 623-631
Although trophic cascades - the effect of apex predators on progressively lower trophic level species through top-down forcing - have been demonstrated in diverse ecosystems, the broader potential influences of trophic cascades on other species and ecosystem processes are not well studied. We used the overexploitation, recovery and subsequent collapse...
Direct effects of soil amendments on field emergence and growth of the invasive annual grass Bromus tectorum L. and the native perennial grass Hilaria jamesii (Torr.) Benth
B.A. Newingham, J. Belnap
2006, Plant and Soil (280) 29-40
Bromus tectorum L. is a non-native, annual grass that has invaded western North America. In SE Utah, B. tectorum generally occurs in grasslands dominated by the native perennial grass, Hilaria jamesii (Torr.) Benth. and rarely where the natives Stipa hymenoides Roem. and Schult. and S. comata Trin. & Rupr. are...
Minding the gap: Frequency of indels in mtDNA control region sequence data and influence on population genetic analyses
John M. Pearce
2006, Molecular Ecology (15) 333-341
Insertions and deletions (indels) result in sequences of various lengths when homologous gene regions are compared among individuals or species. Although indels are typically phylogenetically informative, occurrence and incorporation of these characters as gaps in intraspecific population genetic data sets are rarely discussed. Moreover, the impact of gaps on estimates...
Genetic structure of eelgrass Zostera marina meadows in an embayment with restricted water flow
Raquel Muniz-Salazar, Sandra L. Talbot, George K. Sage, David H. Ward, Alejandro Cabello-Pasini
2006, Marine Ecology Progress Series (309) 107-116
Genetic structure of the seagrass Zostera marina in a coastal lagoon with restricted water flow, and with heterogeneous water residence times and oceanographic characteristics, was assessed using 8 polymorphic microsatellite loci. Analyses of genetic differentiation (θ) and Bayesian clustering suggested that the Z. marina population in San Quintin Bay (SQB)...
Daily energy expenditure in free-ranging Gopher Tortoises (Gopherus polyphemus)
P.G.R. Jodice, D.M. Epperson, G. Henk Visser
2006, Copeia 129-136
Studies of ecological energetics in chelonians are rare. Here, we report the first measurements of daily energy expenditure (DEE) and water influx rates (WIRs) in free-ranging adult Gopher Tortoises (Gopherus polyphemus). We used the doubly labeled water (DLW) method to measure DEE in six adult tortoises during the non-breeding season...
Invasion in a diversity hotspot: Exotic cover and native richness in the Californian serpentine flora
S. Harrison, J.B. Grace, K.F. Davies, H.D. Safford, J.H. Viers
2006, Ecology (87) 695-703
Exotic species have been observed to be more prevalent in sites where the richness of native species is highest, possibly reflecting variation among sites in resources, propagule supply, heterogeneity, or disturbance. However, such a pattern leaves unclear whether natives at species-rich sites are subject to especially severe impacts from exotics...
High REE and Y concentrations in Co-Cu-Au ores of the Blackbird district, Idaho
J. F. Slack
2006, Economic Geology (101) 275-280
Analysis of 11 samples of strata-bound Co-Cu-Au ore from the Blackbird district in Idaho shows previously unknown high concentrations of rare earth elements (REE) and Y, averaging 0.53 wt percent ???REE + Y oxides. Scanning electron microscopy indicates REE and Y residence in monazite, xenotime, and allanite that form complex...
Patterns of den occupation by the spotted hyaena (Crocuta crocuta)
E. E. Boydston, K.M. Kapheim, K.E. Holekamp
2006, African Journal of Ecology (44) 77-86
Spotted hyaenas utilize isolated natal dens (NDs) and communal dens (CDs) for rearing their cubs. Here we describe patterns of natal and CD occupation by hyaenas belonging to one well-studied clan in the Maasai Mara National Reserve during a 10-year period. Locations of 98 den sites that were used as...
Petrography, palynology, and paleoecology of the Lower Pennsylvanian Bon Air coal, Franklin County, Cumberland Plateau, southeast Tennessee
S.A. Shaver, C.F. Eble, J.C. Hower, F.L. Saussy
2006, International Journal of Coal Geology (67) 17-46
Stratigraphy, palynology, petrography, and geochemistry of the Bon Air coal from the Armfield, Dotson, Rutledge, and Shakerag mine sites of Franklin County, Tennessee suggest that Bon Air seams at all sites were small (??? 1.0 mile, 1.6 km), spatially distinct paleomires that evolved from planar to domed within the fluviodeltaic...
Extreme plasticity in thermoregulatory behaviors of free-ranging black-tailed prairie dogs
E.M. Lehmer, L.T. Savage, M.F. Antolin, E. Biggins
2006, Physiological and Biochemical Zoology (79) 454-467
In the natural environment, hibernating sciurids generally remain dormant during winter and enter numerous deep torpor bouts from the time of first immergence in fall until emergence in spring. In contrast, black-tailed prairie dogs (Cynomys ludovicianus) remain active throughout winter but periodically enter short and shallow bouts of torpor. While...
Population momentum: Implications for wildlife management
D. N. Koons, R.F. Rockwell, J.B. Grand
2006, Journal of Wildlife Management (70) 19-26
Maintenance of sustainable wildlife populations is one of the primary purposes of wildlife management. Thus, it is important to monitor and manage population growth over time. Sensitivity analysis of the long-term (i.e., asymptotic) population growth rate to changes in the vital rates is commonly used in management to identify the...
Sustained long-period seismicity at Shishaldin Volcano, Alaska
Tanja Petersen, Jacqueline Caplan-Auerbach, Stephen R. McNutt
2006, Journal of Volcanology and Geothermal Research (151) 365-381
From September 1999 through April 2004, Shishaldin Volcano, Aleutian Islands, Alaska, exhibited a continuous and extremely high level of background seismicity. This activity consisted of many hundreds to thousands of long-period (LP; 1–2 Hz) earthquakes per day, recorded by a 6-station monitoring network around Shishaldin. The LP events originate beneath...
Rare earths, the lanthanides, yttrium and scandium
J.B. Hedrick
2006, Mining Engineering (58) 51-53
In 2005, rare earths were not mined in the United States. The major supplier, Molycorp, continued to maintain a large stockpile of rare-earth concentrates and compounds. Consumption decreased of refined rare-earth products. The United States remained a major importer and exporter of rare earths in 2005. During the same period,...
Golden-cheeked warbler males participate in nest-site selection
A.E. Graber, C.A. Davis, David M. Leslie Jr.
2006, Wilson Journal of Ornithology (118) 247-251
Nest-site selection behaviors have rarely been described for songbirds. Furthermore, male involvement in nest-site selection is generally assumed to be minimal among most species, especially those predominantly exhibiting female nest building. This assumption has held true for the federally endangered Golden-cheeked Warbler (Dendroica chrysoparia), a breeding resident of central Texas....
Relevance of cryptic fishes in biodiversity assessments: A case study at Buck Island Reef National Monument, St. Croix
W. F. Smith-Vaniz, H.L. Jelks, L.A. Rocha
2006, Bulletin of Marine Science (79) 17-48
Because cryptic fishes are difficult to accurately survey, they are undersampled components of coral reef habitats, and their ecological roles have been generally ignored. Fifty-eight enclosed stations were sampled in shoreline, nearshore reef, lagoon, backreef, forereef, and bank/shelf habitats with an ichthyocide (rotenone) at Buck Island Reef National Monument, St....
Statistical modeling of storm-level Kp occurrences
K.J. Remick, Jeffrey J. Love
2006, Geophysical Research Letters (33)
We consider the statistical modeling of the occurrence in time of large Kp magnetic storms as a Poisson process, testing whether or not relatively rare, large Kp events can be considered to arise from a stochastic, sequential, and memoryless process. For a Poisson process, the wait times between successive events...
Fens and floodplains of the temperate zone: Present status, threats, conservation and restoration
R. Van Diggelen, B. Middleton, J. Bakker, A. Grootjans, M. Wassen
2006, Conference Paper, Applied Vegetation Science
This Special Feature focuses on lowland fens and flood plains. In this introduction we discuss the most important mire-related terms, present status, threats and conservation and restoration attempts. Floodplains and especially lowland fens are rare and vulnerable ecosystems. They are highly threatened all over the world because of direct conversion...
