Sikuliqiruq: Ice dynamics of the Meade river - Arctic Alaska, from freezeup to breakup from time-series ground imagery
R.A. Beck, A.J. Rettig, C. Ivenso, Wendy R. Eisner, Kenneth M. Hinkel, Benjamin M. Jones, C.D. Arp, G. Grosse, D. Whiteman
2010, Polar Geography (33) 115-137
Ice formation and breakup on Arctic rivers strongly influence river flow, sedimentation, river ecology, winter travel, and subsistence fishing and hunting by Alaskan Natives. We use time-series ground imagery ofthe Meade River to examine the process at high temporal and spatial resolution. Freezeup from complete liquid cover to complete ice...
Sustained increase in food supplies reduces broodmate aggression in black-legged kittiwakes
J. White, S. Leclaire, M. Kriloff, Herve Mulard, Scott A. Hatch, E. Danchin
2010, Animal Behaviour (79) 1095-1100
The amount of food ingested by chicks has often been suggested as being the main proximate factor controlling broodmate aggression in facultatively siblicidal species. Although several experiments have demonstrated that short-term food deprivation causes a temporary increase in aggression, no study has, to our knowledge, experimentally manipulated overall food supplies and considered long-term...
Post-eruption legacy effects and their implications for long-term recovery of the vegetation on Kasatochi Island, Alaska
Stephen S. Talbot, Sandra Looman Talbot, Lawrence R. Walker
2010, Arctic, Antarctic, and Alpine Research (42) 285-296
We studied the vegetation of Kasatochi Island, central Aleutian Islands, to provide a general field assessment regarding the survival of plants, lichens, and fungi following a destructive volcanic eruption that occurred in 2008. Plant community data were analyzed using multivariate methods to explore the relationship between pre- and post-eruption plant...
At-sea observations of marine birds and their habitats before and after the 2008 eruption of Kasatochi volcano, Alaska
G.S. Drew, Donald E. Dragoo, M. Renner, John F. Piatt
2010, Arctic, Antarctic, and Alpine Research (42) 325-334
Kasatochi volcano, an island volcano in the Aleutian chain, erupted on 7-8 August 2008. The resulting ash and pyroclastic flows blanketed the island, covering terrestrial habitats. We surveyed the marine environment surrounding Kasatochi Island in June and July of 2009 to document changes in abundance or distribution of nutrients, fish,...
Seasonal movements, winter range use, and migratory connectivity of the Black Oystercatcher
M. Johnson, P. Clarkson, M.I. Goldstein, S. M. Haig, Richard B. Lanctot, D.F. Tessler, D. Zwiefelhofer
2010, Condor (112) 731-743
The Black Oystercatcher (Haematopus bachmani) is an intertidal obligate along North America's Pacific coast and a species of high conservation concern (population size 8900-11 000 individuals). Understanding birds' movements and space use throughout the annual cycle has become paramount in the face of changing environmental conditions, and intertidal species may...
Evaluation of a portable automated serum chemistry analyzer for field assessment of harlequin ducks, Histrionicus histrionicus
Michael K. Stoskopf, Daniel M. Mulcahy, Daniel Esler
2010, Veterinary Medicine International (2010)
A portable analytical chemistry analyzer was used to make field assessments of wild harlequin ducks (Histrionicus histrionicus) in association with telemetry studies of winter survival in Prince William Sound, Alaska. We compared serum chemistry results obtained on-site with results from a traditional laboratory. Particular attention was paid to serum glucose...
Pre‐moult patterns of habitat use and moult site selection by Brent Geese Branta bernicla nigricans: Individuals prospect for moult sites
Tyler Lewis, Paul L. Flint, Joel A. Schmutz, Dirk V. Derksen
2010, Ibis (152) 556-568
In environments where habitat quality varies, the mechanism by which individuals assess and select habitats has significant consequences on their spatial distribution and ability to respond to environmental change. Each year, thousands of Black Brent Geese Branta bernicla nigricans migrate to the Teshekpuk Lake Special Area (TLSA), Alaska, to undergo...
Morbillivirus and Toxoplasma exposure and association with hematological parameters for southern Beaufort Sea polar bears: potential response to infectious agents in a sentinel species
Cassandra M. Kirk, Steven C. Amstrup, Rhonda Swor, Darce Holcomb, Todd M. O'Hara
2010, EcoHealth (7) 321-331
Arctic temperatures are increasing in response to greenhouse gas forcing and polar bears have already responded to changing conditions. Declines in body stature and vital rates have been linked to warming-induced loss of sea-ice. As food webs change and human activities respond to a milder Arctic, exposure of polar bears...
Mercury in mosses Hylocomium splendens (Hedw.) B.S.G. and Pleurozium schreberi (Brid.) Mitt. from Poland and Alaska: Understanding the origin of pollution sources
Z.M. Migaszewski, A. Galuszka, ogonekgowska S. Dole, J.G. Crock, P. J. Lamothe
2010, Ecotoxicology and Environmental Safety (73) 1345-1351
This report shows baseline concentrations of mercury in the moss species Hylocomium splendens and Pleurozium schreberi from the Kielce area and the remaining Holy Cross Mountains (HCM) region (south-central Poland), and Wrangell-Saint Elias National Park and Preserve (Alaska) and Denali National Park and Preserve (Alaska). Like mosses from many European...
Age-specific survival estimates of King Eiders derived from satellite telemetry
Steffen Oppel, Abby N. Powell
2010, Condor (112) 323-330
Age- and sex-specific survival and dispersal are important components in the dynamics and genetic structure of bird populations. For many avian taxa survival rates at the adult and juvenile life stages differ, but in long-lived species juveniles' survival is logistically challenging to study. We present the first estimates of hatch-year...
Stable isotope analysis and satellite tracking reveal interspecific resource partitioning of nonbreeding albatrosses off Alaska
R.M. Suryan, K.N. Fischer
2010, Canadian Journal of Zoology (88) 299-305
Albatrosses (Diomedeidae) are the most threatened family of birds globally. The three North Pacific species (Phoebastria Reichenbach, 1853) are listed as either endangered or vulnerable, with the population of Short-tailed Albatross (Phoebastria albatrus (Pallas, 1769)) less than 1% of its historical size. All North Pacific albatross species do not currently...
Ensemble habitat mapping of invasive plant species
T.J. Stohlgren, P. Ma, S. Kumar, M. Rocca, J.T. Morisette, C. S. Jarnevich, N. Benson
2010, Risk Analysis (30) 224-235
Ensemble species distribution models combine the strengths of several species environmental matching models, while minimizing the weakness of any one model. Ensemble models may be particularly useful in risk analysis of recently arrived, harmful invasive species because species may not yet have spread to all suitable habitats, leaving species-environment relationships...
Do common eiders nest in kin groups? Microgeographic genetic structure in a philopatric sea duck
Sarah A. Sonsthagen, Sandra L. Talbot, Richard B. Lanctot, Kevin G. McCracken
2010, Molecular Ecology (19) 647-657
We investigated local genetic associations among female Pacific common eiders (Somateria mollissima v-nigrum) nesting in a stochastic Arctic environment within two groups of barrier islands (Simpson Lagoon and Mikkelsen Bay) in the Beaufort Sea, Alaska. Nonrandom genetic associations were observed among nesting females using regional spatial autocorrelation analyses for distance...
Seabird bycatch in Alaska demersal longline fishery trials: a demographic summary
Elizabeth M. Phillips, HannahRose M. Nevins, Scott A. Hatch, Andrew M. Ramey, Melissa A. Miller, James T. Harvey
2010, Marine Ornithology: Journal of Seabird Research and Conservation (38) 111-117
The seasonal and spatial demographics are summarized for seabirds killed incidentally during gear modification trials for a demersal longline fishery in the Bering Sea. We examined 417 carcasses, including Northern Fulmar Fulmarus glacialis (n = 205), Glaucous-winged Gull Larus glaucescens (n = 103), Short-tailed Shearwater Puffinus tenuirostris (n = 48),...
Soil organic carbon stocks in Alaska estimated with spatial and pedon data
Norman B. Bliss, J. Maursetter
2010, Soil Science Society of America Journal (74) 565-579
Temperatures in high-latitude ecosystems are increasing faster than the average rate of global warming, which may lead to a positive feedback for climate change by increasing the respiration rates of soil organic C. If a positive feedback is confirmed, soil C will represent a source of greenhouse gases that is...
Incubation behavior of king eiders on the coastal plain of Northern Alaska
R.L. Bentzen, A.N. Powell, Laura M. Phillips, R.S. Suydam
2010, Polar Biology (33) 1075-1082
Incubating birds balance their energetic demands during incubation with the needs of the developing embryos. Incubation behavior is correlated with body size; larger birds can accumulate more endogenous reserves and maintain higher incubation constancy. King eiders (Somateria spectabilis) contend with variable and cold spring weather, little nesting cover, and low...
Sexually transmitted bacteria affect female cloacal assemblages in a wild bird
Joel White, Pascal Mirleau, Etienne Danchin, Herve Mulard, Scott A. Hatch, Phillipp Heeb, Richard H. Wagner
2010, Ecology Letters (13) 1515-1524
Sexual transmission is an important mode of disease propagation, yet its mechanisms remain largely unknown in wild populations. Birds comprise an important model for studying sexually transmitted microbes because their cloaca provides a potential for both gastrointestinal pathogens and endosymbionts to become incorporated into ejaculates. We experimentally demonstrate in a...
Active remote sensing of snow using NMM3D/DMRT and comparison with CLPX II airborne data
X. Xu, D. Liang, L. Tsang, K.M. Andreadis, E.G. Josberger, D.P. Lettenmaier, D.W. Cline, S.H. Yueh
2010, IEEE Journal of Selected Topics in Applied Earth Observations and Remote Sensing (3) 689-697
We applied the Numerical Maxwell Model of three-dimensional simulations (NMM3D) in the Dense Media Radiative Theory (DMRT) to calculate backscattering coefficients. The particles' positions are computer-generated and the subsequent Foldy-Lax equations solved numerically. The phase matrix in NMM3D has significant cross-polarization, particularly when the particles are densely packed. The NMM3D...
A likelihood framework for joint estimation of salmon abundance and migratory timing using telemetric mark-recapture
Jeffrey F. Bromaghin, Kenneth S. Gates, Douglas E. Palmer
2010, North American Journal of Fisheries Management (30) 1385-1394
Many fisheries for Pacific salmon Oncorhynchus spp. are actively managed to meet escapement goal objectives. In fisheries where the demand for surplus production is high, an extensive assessment program is needed to achieve the opposing objectives of allowing adequate escapement and fully exploiting the available surplus. Knowledge of abundance is a critical...
Lake temperature and ice cover regimes in the Alaskan Subarctic and Arctic: Integrated monitoring, remote sensing, and modeling
C.D. Arp, Benjamin M. Jones, Matthew Whitman, A. Larsen, F.E. Urban
2010, Journal of the American Water Resources Association (46) 777-791
Lake surface regimes are fundamental attributes of lake ecosystems and their interaction with the land and atmosphere. High latitudes may be particularly sensitive to climate change, however, adequate baselines for these lakes are often lacking. In this study, we couple monitoring, remote sensing, and modeling techniques to generate baseline datasets...
Population-level resource selection by sympatric brown and American black bears in Alaska
Jerrold L. Belant, Brad Griffith, Yingte Zhang, Erich H. Follmann, Layne G. Adams
2010, Polar Biology (33) 31-40
Distribution theory predicts that for two species living in sympatry, the subordinate species would be constrained from using the most suitable resources (e.g., habitat), resulting in its use of less suitable habitat and spatial segregation between species. We used negative binomial generalized linear mixed models with fixed effects to estimate...
A late-Middle Pleistocene (Marine Isotope Stage 6) vegetated surface buried by Old Crow tephra at the Palisades, interior Alaska
A.V. Reyes, B.J.L. Jensen, G.D. Zazula, T. A. Ager, S. Kuzmina, Farge C. La, D.G. Froese
2010, Quaternary Science Reviews (29) 801-811
A 40??cm thick primary bed of Old Crow tephra (131??????11??ka), an important stratigraphic marker in eastern Beringia, directly overlies a vegetated surface at Palisades West, on the Yukon River in central Alaska. Analyses of insect, bryophyte, and vascular plant macrofossils from the buried surface and underlying organic-rich silt suggest the...
The role of soil drainage class in carbon dioxide exchange and decomposition in boreal black spruce (Picea mariana) forest stands
K.P. Wickland, J. C. Neff, J.W. Harden
2010, Canadian Journal of Forest Research (40) 2123-2134
Black spruce (Picea mariana (Mill.) B.S.P.) forest stands range from well drained to poorly drained, typically contain large amounts of soil organic carbon (SOC), and are often underlain by permafrost. To better understand the role of soil drainage class in carbon dioxide (CO2) exchange and decomposition, we measured soil respiration...
Intercontinental reassortment and genomic variation of low pathogenic avian influenza viruses isolated from northern pintails (Anas acuta) in Alaska: examining the evidence through space and time
Andrew M. Ramey, John M. Pearce, Paul L. Flint, S. Ip, Dirk V. Derksen, J. Christian Franson, Michael J. Petrula, Bradley D. Scotton, Kristine M. Sowl, Michael L. Wege, Kimberly A. Trust
2010, Virology (401) 179-189
Migration and population genetic data for northern pintails (Anas acuta) and phylogenetic analysis of low pathogenic avian influenza (LPAI) viruses from this host in Alaska suggest that northern pintails are involved in ongoing intercontinental transmission of avian influenza. Here, we further refine this conclusion through phylogenetic analyses which demonstrate that...
Survival and breeding of polar bears in the southern Beaufort Sea in relation to sea ice
E.V. Regehr, C.M. Hunter, H. Caswell, Steven C. Amstrup, I. Stirling
2010, Journal of Animal Ecology (79) 117-127
1. Observed and predicted declines in Arctic sea ice have raised concerns about marine mammals. In May 2008, the US Fish and Wildlife Service listed polar bears (Ursus maritimus) - one of the most ice-dependent marine mammals - as threatened under the US Endangered Species Act. 2. We evaluated the...
