Hanging out at the airport: Unusual upside-down perching behavior by Eurasian Jackdaws (Corvus monedula) in a human-dominated environment
Todd E. Katzner
2016, Wilson Journal of Ornithology (128) 926-930
Animals occupying human-dominated environments show the capacity for behavioral flexibility. Corvids are among the most intelligent synanthropic bird species. During a layover at Schipol Airport in Amsterdam, Netherlands, I photographically documented Eurasian Jackdaws (Corvus monedula) perching upside down from a building cornice. In contrast to other reports of hanging birds,...
A possible source mechanism of the 1946 Unimak Alaska far-field tsunami, uplift of the mid-slope terrace above a splay fault zone
Roland E. von Huene, John J. Miller, Dirk Klaeschen, Peter Dartnell
2016, Pure and Applied Geophysics (173) 4189-4201
In 1946, megathrust seismicity along the Unimak segment of the Alaska subduction zone generated the largest ever recorded Alaska/Aleutian tsunami. The tsunami severely damaged Pacific islands and coastal areas from Alaska to Antarctica. It is the charter member of “tsunami” earthquakes that produce outsized far-field tsunamis for the recorded magnitude....
Latent spatial models and sampling design for landscape genetics
Ephraim M. Hanks, Mevin Hooten, Steven T. Knick, Sara J. Oyler-McCance, Jennifer A. Fike, Todd B. Cross, Michael K. Schwartz
2016, Annals of Applied Statistics (10) 1041-1062
We propose a spatially-explicit approach for modeling genetic variation across space and illustrate how this approach can be used to optimize spatial prediction and sampling design for landscape genetic data. We propose a multinomial data model for categorical microsatellite allele data commonly used in landscape genetic studies, and introduce a...
Application of activity sensors for estimating behavioral patterns
Caleb P. Roberts, James W. Cain III, Robert D. Cox
2016, Wildlife Society Bulletin (40) 764-771
The increasing use of Global Positioning System (GPS) collars in habitat selection studies provides large numbers of precise location data points with reduced field effort. However, inclusion of activity sensors in many GPS collars also grants the potential to remotely estimate behavioral state. Thus, only using GPS collars to collect...
Statistically extracted fundamental watershed variables for estimating the loads of total nitrogen in small streams
Scott C. Kronholm, Paul D. Capel, Silvia Terziotti
2016, Environmental Modeling & Assessment (21) 681-690
Accurate estimation of total nitrogen loads is essential for evaluating conditions in the aquatic environment. Extrapolation of estimates beyond measured streams will greatly expand our understanding of total nitrogen loading to streams. Recursive partitioning and random forest regression were used to assess 85 geospatial, environmental, and watershed variables across 636...
Individual, group, and environmental influences on helping behavior in a social carnivore
David E. Ausband, Michael S. Mitchell, Sarah B. Bassing, Andrea T. Morehouse, Douglas W. Smith, Daniel R. Stahler, Jennifer Struthers
2016, Ethology (122) 963-972
Variation in group composition and environment can affect helping behavior in cooperative breeders. Understanding of how group size, traits of individuals within groups, food abundance, and predation risk simultaneously influence helping behavior is limited. We evaluated pup-guarding behavior in gray wolves (Canis lupus) to assess how differences in individuals, groups,...
Satellite-derived temperature data for monitoring water status in a floodplain forest of the Upper Sabine River, Texas
Mary Grace T. Lemon, Scott T. Allen, Brandon L. Edwards, Sammy L. King, Richard F. Keim
2016, Southeastern Naturalist (15) 90-102
Decreased water availability due to hydrologic modifications, groundwater withdrawal, and climate change threaten bottomland hardwood (BLH) forest communities. We used satellite-derived (MODIS) land-surface temperature (LST) data to investigate spatial heterogeneity of canopy temperature (an indicator of plant-water status) in a floodplain forest of the upper Sabine River for 2008–2014. High...
Development of a Kemp’s ridley sea turtle stock assessment model
Benny J. Gallaway, William Gazey, Charles W. Caillouet Jr., Pamela T. Plotkin, F. Alberto Abreu Grobois, Anthony F. Amos, Patrick M. Burchfield, Raymond R. Carthy, Marco A. Castro Martinez, John G. Cole, Andrew T. Coleman, Melissa Cook, Steven F. DiMarco, Sheryan P. Epperly, Masami Fujiwara, Daniel Gomez Gamez, Gary L. Graham, Wade L. Griffin, Francisco Illescas Martinez, Margaret M. Lamont, Rebecca L. Lewison, Kenneth J. Lohmann, James M. Nance, Jonathan Pitchford, Nathan Freeman Putman, Scott W. Raborn, Jeffrey K. Rester, Jack J. Rudloe, Laura Sarti Martinez, Mark Schexnayder, Jeffrey R. Schmid, Donna J. Shaver, Christopher Slay, Anton D. Tucker, Mandy Tumlin, Thane Wibbels, Blanca M. Zapata Najera
2016, Gulf of Mexico Science (33) 138-157
We developed a Kemp’s ridley (Lepidochelys kempii) stock assessment model to evaluate the relative contributions of conservation efforts and other factors toward this critically endangered species’ recovery. The Kemp’s ridley demographic model developed by the Turtle Expert Working Group (TEWG) in 1998 and 2000 and updated for the binational recovery...
Movement reveals scale dependence in habitat selection of a large ungulate
Joseph Northrup, Charles R. Anderson Jr., Mevin Hooten, George Wittemyer
2016, Ecological Applications (26) 2746-2757
Ecological processes operate across temporal and spatial scales. Anthropogenic disturbances impact these processes, but examinations of scale dependence in impacts are infrequent. Such examinations can provide important insight to wildlife–human interactions and guide management efforts to reduce impacts. We assessed spatiotemporal scale dependence in habitat selection of mule deer (Odocoileus...
An experimental study of the role of subsurface plumbing on geothermal discharge
Atsuko Namiki, Yoshinori Ueno, Shaul Hurwitz, Michael Manga, Carolina Munoz-Saez, Fred Murphy
2016, Geochemistry, Geophysics, Geosystems (17) 3691-3716
In order to better understand the diverse discharge styles and eruption intervals observed at geothermal features, we performed three series of laboratory experiments with differing plumbing geometries. A single, straight conduit that connects a hot water bath (flask) to a vent (funnel) can originate geyser-like periodic eruptions, continuous discharge like...
Assessing Brook Trout populations in headwater streams of the Adirondack Mountains using environmental DNA -- Summary report
Barry P. Baldigo, Scott D. George, Lee Ann Sporn, Jacob Ball
2016, NYSERDA Report 17-02
This project evaluated standard fish-survey and environmental DNA (eDNA) sampling methods to determine the ability of eDNA to accurately predict the presence and abundance of resident Brook Trout populations in 40 headwater streams mainly in the western Adirondack Mountains during 2014–2015 (Figure 2). Standard 3-pass electrofishing surveys found that Brook...
Assessment of trace element accumulation by earthworms in an orchard soil remediation study using soil amendments
Tiziana Centofantia, Rufus L. Chaney, W. Nelson Beyer, Laura L. McConnell, A. P. Davis, Dana Jackson
2016, Water, Air, & Soil Pollution (227)
This study assessed potential bioaccumulation of various trace elements in grasses and earthworms as a consequence of soil incorporation of organic amendments for in situ remediation of an orchard field soil contaminated with organochlorine and Pb pesticide residues. In this experiment, four organic amendments of differing total organic carbon content...
Use of repeat surveys and flow and sediment transport modeling to support fish spawning reef placement in the Detroit River, MI
Paul J. Kinzel, Jonathan M. Nelson, Gregory W. Kennedy, David Bennion
2016, Conference Paper, Proceedings of River Flow 2016
The introduction of rock-rubble substrate in rivers, to enhance fish spawning habitat, represents a significant investment in planning, permitting and construction. Where river processes deposit sediment and cover the substrate, its value as fish spawning habitat can be diminished. Therefore, it is crucial in the site se-lection process, that substrate...
Observed and simulated hydrologic response for a first-order catchment during extreme rainfall 3 years after wildfire disturbance
Brian A. Ebel, Francis K. Rengers, Gregory E. Tucker
2016, Water Resources Research (52) 9367-9389
Hydrologic response to extreme rainfall in disturbed landscapes is poorly understood because of the paucity of measurements. A unique opportunity presented itself when extreme rainfall in September 2013 fell on a headwater catchment (i.e., <1 ha) in Colorado, USA that had previously been burned by a wildfire in 2010. We...
Using large-scale flow experiments to rehabilitate Colorado River ecosystem function in Grand Canyon: Basis for an adaptive climate-resilient strategy
Theodore S. Melis, William E. Pine III, Josh Korman, Michael D. Yard, Shaleen Jain, Roger S. Pulwarty
Kathleen Miller, Alan F. Hamlet, Douglas S. Kenney, Kelly T. Redmond, editor(s)
2016, Book chapter, Water policy and planning in a variable and changing climate
Adaptive management of Glen Canyon Dam is improving downstream resources of the Colorado River in Glen Canyon National Recreation Area and Grand Canyon National Park. The Glen Canyon Dam Adaptive Management Program (AMP), a federal advisory committee of 25 members with diverse special interests tasked to advise the U.S. Department...
Climate-induced warming of lakes can be either amplified or suppressed by trends in water clarity
Kevin C. Rose, Luke A. Winslow, Jordan S. Read, Gretchen J. A. Hansen
2016, Limnology and Oceanography Letters (1) 44-53
Climate change is rapidly warming aquatic ecosystems including lakes and reservoirs. However, variability in lake characteristics can modulate how lakes respond to climate. Water clarity is especially important both because it influences the depth range over which heat is absorbed, and because it is changing in many lakes. Here, we...
Consequences of gas flux model choice on the interpretation of metabolic balance across 15 lakes
Hilary A. Dugan, R. Iestyn Woolway, Arianto Santoso, Jessica Corman, Aline Jaimes, Emily Nodine, Vijay P. Patil, Jacob A. Zwart, Jennifer A. Brentrup, Amy Hetherington, Samantha K. Oliver, Jordan S. Read, Kirsten Winter, Paul Hanson, Emily Read, Luke Winslow, Kathleen Weathers
2016, Inland Waters (6) 581-592
Ecosystem metabolism and the contribution of carbon dioxide from lakes to the atmosphere can be estimated from free-water gas measurements through the use of mass balance models, which rely on a gas transfer coefficient (k) to model gas exchange with the atmosphere. Theoretical and empirically based models of krange in complexity...
The potential of high-frequency profiling to assess vertical and seasonal patterns of phytoplankton dynamics in lakes: An extension of the Plankton Ecology Group (PEG) model
Jennifer A. Brentrup, Craig E. Williamson, William Colom-Montero, Werner Eckert, Elvira de Eyto, Hans-Peter Grossart, Yannick Huot, Peter D. F. Isles, Lesley B. Knoll, Taylor H. Leach, Christopher G. McBride, Don Pierson, Francesco Pomati, Jordan S. Read, Kevin C. Rose, Nihar R. Samal, Peter A. Staehr, Luke A. Winslow
2016, Inland Waters (6) 565-580
The use of high-frequency sensors on profiling buoys to investigate physical, chemical, and biological processes in lakes is increasing rapidly. Profiling buoys with automated winches and sensors that collect high-frequency chlorophyll fluorescence (ChlF) profiles in 11 lakes in the Global Lake Ecological Observatory Network (GLEON) allowed the study of the...
Generating community-built tools for data sharing and analysis in environmental networks
Jordan S. Read, Corinna Gries, Emily K. Read, Jennifer Klug, Paul C. Hanson, Matthew R. Hipsey, Eleanor Jennings, Catherine O’Reilley, Luke A. Winslow, Don Pierson, Christopher G. McBride, David Hamilton
2016, Inland Waters (6) 637-644
Rapid data growth in many environmental sectors has necessitated tools to manage and analyze these data. The development of tools often lags behind the proliferation of data, however, which may slow exploratory opportunities and scientific progress. The Global Lake Ecological Observatory Network (GLEON) collaborative model supports an efficient and comprehensive...
Federal collaboration in science for invasive mammal management in U.S. National Parks and Wildlife Refuges of the Pacific Islands
Steven C. Hess, Darcy Hu, Rhonda Loh, Paul C. Banko
L.M. Conner, M. D. Smith, editor(s)
2016, Conference Paper, Proceedings of the 16th Wildlife Damage Management Conference
Some of the most isolated islands in the Pacific Ocean are home to US National Parks and Wildlife Refuges. These islands are known for flora and fauna that occur nowhere else, but also for invasive species and other factors which have resulted in the disproportionate extinction of native species. The...
Response of fish assemblages to decreasing acid deposition in Adirondack Mountain lakes
Barry P. Baldigo, Karen Roy, Charles T. Driscoll
2016, NYSERDA Report 17-01
The CAA and other federal regulations have clearly reduced emissions of NOx and SOx, acidic deposition, and the acidity and toxicity of waters in the ALTM lakes, but these changes have not triggered widespread recovery of brook trout populations or fish communities. The lack of detectable biological recovery appears to...
Anti-dog IgG secondary antibody successfully detects IgG in a variety of aquatic mammals
Katherine Roehl, Mark Jankowski, Erik K. Hofmeister
2016, Journal of Zoo and Wildlife Medicine (47) 970-976
Serological tests play an important role in the detection of wildlife diseases. However, while there are many commercial assays and reagents available for domestic species, there is a need to develop efficient serological assays for wildlife. In recent years, marine mammals have represented a wildlife group with emerging infectious diseases,...
Growth, food consumption, and energy status of juvenile pallid sturgeon fed natural or artificial diets
Hilary A. Meyer, Steven R. Chipps, Brian D. S. Graeb, Robert A. Klumb
2016, Journal of Fish and Wildlife Management (7) 388-396
Stocking of hatchery-raised fish is an important part of the pallid sturgeon Scaphirhynchus albus recovery program. In the wild, juvenile pallid sturgeon consume primarily aquatic insects, although little is known about specific dietary needs. In hatchery settings, pallid sturgeon are fed commercial diets that are formulated for salmonids. To compare...
Gray wolf exposure to emerging vector-borne diseases in Wisconsin with comparison to domestic dogs and humans
Rocio F. Jara, Adrian P. Wydeven, Michael D. Samuel
2016, PLoS ONE (11) 1-17
World-wide concern over emerging vector-borne diseases has increased in recent years for both animal and human health. In the United Sates, concern about vector-borne diseases in canines has focused on Lyme disease, anaplasmosis, ehrlichiosis, and heartworm which infect domestic and wild canids. Of these diseases, Lyme and anaplasmosis are also...
Eastern Whip-poor-wills (Antrostomus vociferus) are positively associated with low elevation forest In the central Appalachians
Christina L. Slover, Todd E. Katzner
2016, Wilson Journal of Ornithology (128) 846-856
Populations of the Eastern Whip-poor-will (Antrostomus vociferus) are thought to be declining because of a range of potential factors including habitat loss, pesticide use, and predation. However, this species is nocturnal and, as a consequence, it is poorly studied, and its population status is not well assessed by traditional diurnal...