Comparison of the effects and performance of four types of radiotransmitters for use with scoters
S. A. Iverson, W. S. Boyd, Daniel Esler, D.M. Mulcahy, Timothy D. Bowman
2006, Wildlife Society Bulletin (34) 656-663
Radiotransmitters are widely used in wildlife ecology, often providing data that cannot be collected using other methods. However, negative effects have been associated with the use of transmitters for some species. We evaluated the effects and performance of 4 radiotransmitter types for use with surf and white-winged scoters (Melanitta perspicillata...
Testing the junk-food hypothesis on marine birds: Effects of prey type on growth and development
Marc D. Romano, John F. Piatt, D.D. Roby
2006, Waterbirds (29) 407-414
The junk-food hypothesis attributes declines in productivity of marine birds and mammals to changes in the species of prey they consume and corresponding differences in nutritional quality of those prey. To test this hypothesis nestling Black-legged Kittiwakes (Rissa tridactyla) and Tufted Puffins (Fratercula cirrhata) were raised in captivity under controlled...
Evaluation of aerial survey methods for Dall's sheep
Mark S. Udevitz, Brad S. Shults, Layne G. Adams, Christopher Kleckner
2006, Wildlife Society Bulletin (34) 732-740
Most Dall's sheep (Ovis dalli dalli) population-monitoring efforts use intensive aerial surveys with no attempt to estimate variance or adjust for potential sightability bias. We used radiocollared sheep to assess factors that could affect sightability of Dall's sheep in standard fixed-wing and helicopter surveys and to evaluate feasibility of methods...
Interspecific resource partitioning in sympatric ursids
Jerrold L. Belant, Knut Kielland, Erich H. Follmann, Layne G. Adams
2006, Ecological Applications (16) 2333-2343
The fundamental niche of a species is rarely if ever realized because the presence of other species restricts it to a narrower range of ecological conditions. The effects of this narrower range of conditions define how resources are partitioned. Resource partitioning has been inferred but not demonstrated previously for sympatric...
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...
Comparison of remotely deployed satellite radio transmitters on walruses
C.V. Jay, M. P. Heide-Jorgensen, Anthony S. Fischbach, M.V. Jensen, D.F. Tessler, A.V. Jensen
2006, Marine Mammal Science (22) 226-236
No abstract available....
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...
Scaling uncertainties in estimating canopy foliar maintenance respiration for black spruce ecosystems in Alaska
X. Zhang, A. D. McGuire, Roger W. Ruess
2006, Mitigation and Adaptation Strategies for Global Change (11) 147-174
A major challenge confronting the scientific community is to understand both patterns of and controls over spatial and temporal variability of carbon exchange between boreal forest ecosystems and the atmosphere. An understanding of the sources of variability of carbon processes at fine scales and how these contribute to uncertainties in...
Quiescent deformation of the Aniakchak Caldera, Alaska mapped by InSAR
Oh-Ig Kwoun, Zhong Lu, Christina A. Neal, Charles W. Wicks Jr.
2006, Geology (34) 5-8
The 10-km-wide caldera of the historically active Aniakchak volcano, Alaska, subsides ∼13 mm/yr, based on data from 19 European Remote Sensing Satellite (ERS-1 and ERS-2) interferometric synthetic aperture radar (InSAR) images from 1992 through 2002. The pattern of subsidence does not reflect the distribution of pyroclastic deposits from the last...
Site-specific effects on productivity of an upper trophic-level marine predator: Bottom-up, top-down, and mismatch effects on reproduction in a colonial seabird
R.M. Suryan, D.B. Irons, E.D. Brown, P.G.R. Jodice, D.D. Roby
2006, Progress in Oceanography (68) 303-328
We investigated the relative roles of bottom-up and top-down factors in limiting productivity of an upper trophic level marine predator. Our primary working hypothesis was that the reproductive success of black-legged kittiwakes (Rissa tridactyla) a piscivorous, colonial-nesting seabird, was most limited by the abundance, distribution, and species composition of surface-schooling...
Growth history of Kilauea inferred from volatile concentrations in submarine-collected basalts
Michelle L. Coombs, Thomas W. Sisson, Peter W. Lipman
2006, Journal of Volcanology and Geothermal Research (151) 19-49
Major-element and volatile (H2O, CO2, S) compositions of glasses from the submarine flanks of Kilauea Volcano record its growth from pre-shield into tholeiite shield-stage. Pillow lavas of mildly alkalic basalt at 2600–1900 mbsl on the upper slope of the south flank are an intermediate link...
North Slope, Alaska: Source rock distribution, richness, thermal maturity, and petroleum charge
K. E. Peters, L. B. Magoon, K. J. Bird, Z. C. Valin, M.A. Keller
2006, American Association of Petroleum Geologists Bulletin (90) 261-292
Four key marine petroleum source rock units were identified, characterized, and mapped in the subsurface to better understand the origin and distribution of petroleum on the North Slope of Alaska. These marine source rocks, from oldest to youngest, include four intervals: (1) Middle-Upper Triassic Shublik Formation, (2) basal condensed section...
Increased energy expenditure by a seabird in response to higher food abundance
P.G.R. Jodice, D.D. Roby, R.M. Suryan, D.B. Irons, K.R. Turco, E.D. Brown, J.F. Thedinga, G. Henk Visser
2006, Marine Ecology Progress Series (306) 283-293
Variability in forage fish abundance strongly affects seabird behavior and reproductive success, although details of this relationship are unclear. During 1997 and 1998, we measured (1) daily energy expenditure (DEE) of 80 parent black-legged kittiwakes Rissa tridactyla at 2 colonies in Prince William Sound, Alaska (North Icy Bay and Shoup...
An isotopic assessment of protein from diet and endogenous stores: Effects on egg production and incubation behaviour of geese
Joel A. Schmutz, K.A. Hobson, J.A. Morse
2006, Ardea (94) 385-397
Little empirical information exists to assess to what degree geese use a capital versus income breeding strategy for investing nutrients into eggs. We used stable isotope methods to directly estimate the sources of protein deposited into egg yolks of Brent Branta bernicla and Emperor Geese Anser canagicus on the Yukon-Kuskokwim...
Large-scale movements and habitat characteristics of king eiders throughout the nonbreeding period
Laura M. Phillips, A.N. Powell, E.A. Rexstad
2006, Condor (108) 887-900
King Eiders (Somateria spectabilis) breeding in western Canada and Alaska molt wing feathers and spend the winter in remote areas of the Bering Sea, precluding direct observation. To characterize timing of migration and habitat used by King Eiders during the nonbreeding period, we collected location data for 60 individuals (27...
Murre eggs (Uria aalge and Uria lomvia) as indicators of mercury contamination in the Alaskan marine environment
Russel D. Day, Stacy S. Vander Pol, Steven J. Christopher, W.C. Davis, Rebecca S. Pugh, Kristin S. Simac, David G. Roseneau, P.R. Becker
2006, Environmental Science & Technology (40) 659-665
Sixty common murre (Uria aalge) and 27 thick-billed murre (Uria lomvia) eggs collected by the Seabird Tissue Archival and Monitoring Project (STAMP) in 1999−2001 from two Gulf of Alaska and three Bering Sea nesting colonies were analyzed for total mercury (Hg) using isotope dilution cold vapor inductively coupled mass spectrometry....
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...
Storage and interaction of compositionally heterogeneous magmas from the 1986 eruption of Augustine Volcano, Alaska
Diana C. Roman, Katharine V. Cashman, Cynthia A. Gardner, Paul J. Wallace, John J. Donovan
2006, Bulletin of Volcanology (68) 240-254
Compositional heterogeneity (56–64 wt% SiO2 whole-rock) in samples of tephra and lava from the 1986 eruption of Augustine Volcano, Alaska, raises questions about the physical nature of magma storage and interaction beneath this young and frequently active volcano. To determine conditions of magma storage and evolutionary histories of compositionally distinct magmas, we...
Breeding and moulting locations and migration patterns of the Atlantic population of Steller's eiders Polysticta stelleri as determined from satellite telemetry
Margaret R. Petersen, Jan O. Bustnes, Geir H. Systad
2006, Journal of Avian Biology (37) 58-68
This study was designed to determine the spring, summer, autumn, and early winter distribution, migration routes, and timing of migration of the Atlantic population of Steller's eiders Polysticta stelleri. Satellite transmitters were implanted in 20 eiders captured in April 2001 at Vads??, Norway, and their locations were determined from 5...
Factors affecting distribution of wood, detritus, and sediment in headwater streams draining managed young-growth red alder - Conifer forests in southeast Alaska
T. Gomi, A.C. Johnson, R.L. Deal, P.E. Hennon, E.H. Orlikowska, M.S. Wipfli
2006, Canadian Journal of Forest Research (36) 725-737
Factors (riparian stand condition, management regimes, and channel properties) affecting distributions of wood, detritus (leaves and branches), and sediment were examined in headwater streams draining young-growth red alder (Alnus rubra Bong.) - conifer riparian forests (<40 years old) in southeast Alaska. More riparian red alder were found along streams affected...
On the absence of InSAR-detected volcano deformation spanning the 1995-1996 and 1999 eruptions of Shishaldin Volcano, Alaska
S.C. Moran, O. Kwoun, Timothy Masterlark, Z. Lu
2006, Journal of Volcanology and Geothermal Research (150) 119-131
Shishaldin Volcano, a large, frequently active basaltic-andesite volcano located on Unimak Island in the Aleutian Arc of Alaska, had a minor eruption in 1995–1996 and a VEI 3 sub-Plinian basaltic eruption in 1999. We used 21 synthetic aperture radar images acquired by ERS-1, ERS-2, JERS-1,...
Thickness distribution of a cooling pyroclastic flow deposit on Augustine Volcano, Alaska: Optimization using InSAR, FEMs, and an adaptive mesh algorithm
Timothy Masterlark, Zhong Lu, Russell P. Rykhus
2006, Journal of Volcanology and Geothermal Research (150) 186-201
Interferometric synthetic aperture radar (InSAR) imagery documents the consistent subsidence, during the interval 1992–1999, of a pyroclastic flow deposit (PFD) emplaced during the 1986 eruption of Augustine Volcano, Alaska. We construct finite element models (FEMs) that simulate thermoelastic contraction of the PFD to account for the observed subsidence. Three-dimensional problem...
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)...
Predator functional response and prey survival: Direct and indirect interactions affecting a marked prey population
David A. Miller, J.B. Grand, T.F. Fondell, M. Anthony
2006, Journal of Animal Ecology (75) 101-110
1. Predation plays an integral role in many community interactions, with the number of predators and the rate at which they consume prey (i.e. their functional response) determining interaction strengths. Owing to the difficulty of directly observing predation events, attempts to determine the functional response of predators in natural systems...
Demography, genetics, and the value of mixed messages
John M. Pearce, Sandra L. Talbot
2006, Condor (108) 474-479
Iverson et al. (2004) used estimates of the homing rate for molting adult Harlequin Ducks (Histrionicus histrionicus) in Alaska to draw inferences about population structure. Homing rates, defined as one minus the ratio of birds recaptured elsewhere to those recaptured at the original banding site, were high (0.95–1.00) for males...
