Proximate causes of sexual size dimorphism in horseshoe crabs (Limulus Polyphemus) of the Delaware Bay
D. R. Smith, M.T. Mandt, P.D.M. Macdonald
2009, Journal of Shellfish Research (28) 405-417
The unresolved status of the proximate cause for sexual size dimorphism in horseshoe crabs has practical consequence, because harvest recommendations rely on assumptions about sex-specific growth and maturity. We propose and evaluate competing hypotheses for the proximate cause of sexual size dimorphism in horseshoe crabs (Limulus polyphemus) by comparing size...
The effect of Hurricane Katrina on nekton communities in the tidal freshwater marshes of Breton Sound, Louisiana, USA
Bryan P. Piazza, M.K. La Peyre
2009, Estuarine, Coastal and Shelf Science (83) 97-104
Hurricanes are climatically-induced resource pulses that affect community structure through the combination of physical and chemical habitat change. Estuaries are susceptible to hurricane pulses and are thought to be resilient to habitat change, because biotic communities often return quickly to pre-hurricane conditions. Although several examples provide evidence of quick recovery...
Plant toxicity, adaptive herbivory, and plant community dynamics
Z. Feng, R. Liu, D.L. DeAngelis, Lee C. Bryant, K. Kielland, Chapin F. Stuart, R.K. Swihart
2009, Ecosystems (12) 534-547
We model effects of interspecific plant competition, herbivory, and a plant's toxic defenses against herbivores on vegetation dynamics. The model predicts that, when a generalist herbivore feeds in the absence of plant toxins, adaptive foraging generally increases the probability of coexistence of plant species populations, because the herbivore switches more...
Sources of uncertainty in flood inundation maps
J. D. Bales, C. R. Wagner
2009, Journal of Flood Risk Management (2) 139-147
Flood inundation maps typically have been used to depict inundated areas for floods having specific exceedance levels. The uncertainty associated with the inundation boundaries is seldom quantified, in part, because all of the sources of uncertainty are not recognized and because data available to quantify uncertainty seldom are available. Sources...
Incorporating uncertainty into the ranking of SPARROW model nutrient yields from Mississippi/Atchafalaya River basin watersheds
Dale M. Robertson, Gregory E. Schwarz, David A. Saad, Richard B. Alexander
2009, Journal of the American Water Resources Association (45) 534-549
Excessive loads of nutrients transported by tributary rivers have been linked to hypoxia in the Gulf of Mexico. Management efforts to reduce the hypoxic zone in the Gulf of Mexico and improve the water quality of rivers and streams could benefit from targeting nutrient reductions toward watersheds with the highest...
Ecological effects of lead mining on Ozark streams: In-situ toxicity to woodland crayfish (Orconectes hylas)
A.L. Allert, J.F. Fairchild, R.J. DiStefano, C. J. Schmitt, W. G. Brumbaugh, J.M. Besser
2009, Ecotoxicology and Environmental Safety (72) 1207-1219
The Viburnum Trend mining district in southeast Missouri, USA is one of the largest producers of lead-zinc ore in the world. Previous stream surveys found evidence of increased metal exposure and reduced population densities of crayfish immediately downstream of mining sites. We conducted an in-situ 28-d exposure to assess toxicity...
Legacy effects of colonial millponds on floodplain sedimentation, bank erosion, and channel morphology, MID-Atlantic, USA
E.R. Schenk, C.R. Hupp
2009, Journal of the American Water Resources Association (45) 597-606
Many rivers and streams of the Mid-Atlantic Region, United States (U.S.) have been altered by postcolonial floodplain sedimentation (legacy sediment) associated with numerous milldams. Little Conestoga Creek, Pennsylvania, a tributary to the Susquehanna River and the Chesapeake Bay, is one of these streams. Floodplain sedimentation rates, bank erosion rates, and...
Ultrahigh resolution topographic mapping of Mars with MRO HiRISE stereo images: Meter-scale slopes of candidate Phoenix landing sites
Randolph L. Kirk, Elpitha Howington-Kraus, Mark R. Rosiek, Jeffery A. Anderson, Brent A. Archinal, Kris J. Becker, D.A. Cook, Donna M. Galuszka, Paul E. Geissler, Trent M. Hare, I.M. Holmberg, Laszlo P. Keszthelyi, Bonnie L. Redding, W.A. Delamere, D. Gallagher, J.D. Chapel, Eric M. Eliason, R. King, Alfred S. McEwen
2009, Journal of Geophysical Research E: Planets (114)
The objectives of this paper are twofold: first, to report our estimates of the meter‐to‐decameter‐scale topography and slopes of candidate landing sites for the Phoenix mission, based on analysis of Mars Global Surveyor (MGS) Mars Orbiter Camera (MOC) images with a typical pixel scale of 3 m and Mars Reconnaissance...
Using oxygen isotopes of phosphate to trace phosphorus sources and cycling in lake Erie
K.E. Elsbury, A. Paytan, N.E. Ostrom, C. Kendall, M.B. Young, K. McLaughlin, M.E. Rollog, S. Watson
2009, Environmental Science & Technology (43) 3108-3114
Water samples collected during three sampling trips to Lake Erie displayed oxygen isotopic values of dissolved phosphate (δ18Op) that were largely out of equilibrium with ambient conditions, indicating that source signatures may be discerned. δ18Op values in the Lake ranged from +10‰ to +17‰, whereas the equilibrium value was expected to...
Nest movement by piping plovers in response to changing habitat conditions
Mark T. Wiltermuth, Michael J. Anteau, Mark H. Sherfy, Terry L. Shaffer
2009, Condor (111) 550-555
Birds that nest along reservoir or river shorelines may face fluctuating water levels that threaten nest survival. On Lake Sakakawea of the upper Missouri River, 37 and 70% of Piping Plover (Charadrius melodus) nests found in 2007 and 2008, respectively, were initiated at elevations inundated prior to projected hatch date....
Land crabs as key drivers in tropical coastal forest recruitment
E.S. Lindquist, K. W. Krauss, P.T. Green, D. J. O’Dowd, P.M. Sherman, T. J. Smith III
2009, Biological Reviews (84) 203-223
Plant populations are regulated by a diverse assortment of abiotic and biotic factors that influence seed dispersal and viability, and seedling establishment and growth at the microsite. Rarely does one animal guild exert as significant an influence on different plant assemblages as land crabs. We review three tropical coastal ecosystems-mangroves,...
Food habits of the hoary bat (LASIURUS CINEREUS) during spring migration through new mexico
E.W. Valdez, P.M. Cryan
2009, Southwestern Naturalist (54) 195-200
Hoary bats (Lasiums cinernis) exhibit continental patterns of migration that are unique to bats, but details about their behaviors during migration are lacking. We captured 177 hoary bats in spring and early summer 2002 as individuals migrated through the Sandia Mountains of north-central New Mexico. Our results support earlier observations...
Investigating different mechanisms for biogenic selenite transformations: Geobacter sulfurreducens, Shewanella oneidensis and Veillonella atypica
C.I. Pearce, R.A.D. Pattrick, N. Law, J.M. Charnock, V.S. Coker, J.W. Fellowes, R.S. Oremland, J.R. Lloyd
2009, Environmental Technology (30) 1313-1326
The metal-reducing bacteria Geobacter sulfurreducens, Shewanella oneidensis and Veillonella atypica, use different mechanisms to transform toxic, bioavailable sodium selenite to less toxic, non-mobile elemental selenium and then to selenide in anaerobic environments, offering the potential for in situ and ex situ bioremediation of contaminated soils, sediments, industrial effluents, and agricultural...
Use of predictive models and rapid methods to nowcast bacteria levels at coastal beaches
Donna S. Francy
2009, Aquatic Ecosystem Health & Management (12) 177-182
The need for rapid assessments of recreational water quality to better protect public health is well accepted throughout the research and regulatory communities. Rapid analytical methods, such as quantitative polymerase chain reaction (qPCR) and immunomagnetic separation/adenosine triphosphate (ATP) analysis, are being tested but are not yet ready for widespread use.Another...
Projected climate-induced faunal change in the Western Hemisphere
J.J. Lawler, S.L. Shafer, D. White, P. Kareiva, E.P. Maurer, A.R. Blaustein, P. J. Bartlein
2009, Ecology (90) 588-597
Climate change is predicted to be one of the greatest drivers of ecological change in the coming century. Increases in temperature over the last century have clearly been linked to shifts in species distributions. Given the magnitude of projected future climatic changes, we can expect even larger range shifts in...
Improving the design of amphibian surveys using soil data: A case study in two wilderness areas
K.D. Bowen, E.A. Beever, U.B. Gafvert
2009, Natural Areas Journal (29) 117-125
Amphibian populations are known, or thought to be, declining worldwide. Although protected natural areas may act as reservoirs of biological integrity and serve as benchmarks for comparison with unprotected areas, they are not immune from population declines and extinctions and should be monitored. Unfortunately, identifying survey sites and performing long-term...
Forecasting urban growth across the United States-Mexico border
L.M. Norman, M. Feller, Guertin D. Phillip
2009, Computers, Environment and Urban Systems (33) 150-159
The sister-city area of Nogales, Arizona, and Nogales, Sonora, Mexico, is known collectively as Ambos (both) Nogales. This area was historically one city and was administratively divided by the Gadsden Purchase in 1853. These arid-lands have limited and sensitive natural resources. Environmental planning can support sustainable development to accommodate the...
Bird-like anatomy, posture, and behavior revealed by an early jurassic theropod dinosaur resting trace
Andrew R.C. Milner, J.D. Harris, M.G. Lockley, J.I. Kirkland, N.A. Matthews
2009, PLoS ONE (4)
Background: Fossil tracks made by non-avian theropod dinosaurs commonly reflect the habitual bipedal stance retained in living birds. Only rarely-captured behaviors, such as crouching, might create impressions made by the hands. Such tracks provide valuable information concerning the often poorly understood functional morphology of the early theropod forelimb. Methodology/Principal Findings:...
The national Fire and Fire Surrogate study: Effects of fuel reduction methods on forest vegetation structure and fuels
D.W. Schwilk, Jon E. Keeley, E. E. Knapp, J. Mciver, J. D. Bailey, C.J. Fettig, C.E. Fiedler, R.J. Harrod, J.J. Moghaddas, K.W. Outcalt, C.N. Skinner, S.L. Stephens, T.A. Waldrop, D.A. Yaussy, A. Youngblood
2009, Ecological Applications (19) 285-304
Changes in vegetation and fuels were evaluated from measurements taken before and after fuel reduction treatments (prescribed fire, mechanical treatments, and the combination of the two) at 12 Fire and Fire Surrogate (FFS) sites located in forests with a surface fire regime across the conterminous United States. To test the...
Anatomy of the dead sea transform from lithospheric to microscopic scale
M. Weber, K. Abu-Ayyash, A. Abueladas, A. Agnon, Z. Alasonati-Tasarova, H. Al-Zubi, A. Babeyko, Y. Bartov, K. Bauer, M. Becken, P. A. Bedrosian, Z. Ben-Avraham, G. Bock, M. Bohnhoff, J. Bribach, P. Dulski, J. Ebbing, R. El-Kelani, A. Forster, H.-J. Forster, U. Frieslander, Z. Garfunkel, H.J. Goetze, V. Haak, C. Haberland, M. Hassouneh, S. Helwig, A. Hofstetter, A. Hoffmann-Rotrie, K.H. Jackel, C. Janssen, D. Jaser, D. Kesten, M. Khatib, R. Kind, O. Koch, I. Koulakov, Gabi Laske, N. Maercklin, R. Masarweh, A. Masri, A. Matar, J. Mechie, N. Meqbel, B. Plessen, P. Moller, A. Mohsen, R. Oberhansli, S. Oreshin, A. Petrunin, I. Qabbani, I. Rabba, O. Ritter, R.L. Romer, G. Rumpker, M. Rybakov, T. Ryberg, J. Saul, F. Scherbaum, S. Schmidt, A. Schulze, S.V. Sobolev, M. Stiller, D. Stromeyer, K. Tarawneh, C. Trela, U. Weckmann, U. Wetzel, K. Wylegalla
2009, Reviews of Geophysics (47)
Fault zones are the locations where motion of tectonic plates, often associated with earthquakes, is accommodated. Despite a rapid increase in the understanding of faults in the last decades, our knowledge of their geometry, petrophysical properties, and controlling processes remains incomplete. The central questions addressed here in our study of...
Environmental contaminants in freshwater fish and their risk to piscivorous wildlife based on a national monitoring program
J.E. Hinck, C. J. Schmitt, K.A. Chojnacki, D. E. Tillitt
2009, Environmental Monitoring and Assessment (152) 469-494
Organochlorine chemical residues and elemental concentrations were measured in piscivorous and benthivorous fish at 111 sites from large U.S. river basins. Potential contaminant sources such as urban and agricultural runoff, industrial discharges, mine drainage, and irrigation varied among the sampling sites. Our objectives were to provide summary statistics for chemical...
Hurricane Katrina sediment slowed elevation loss in subsiding brackish marshes of the Mississippi River delta
K.L. McKee, J. A. Cherry
2009, Wetlands (29) 2-15
Although hurricanes can damage or destroy coastal wetlands, they may play a beneficial role in reinvigorating marshes by delivering sediments that raise soil elevations and stimulate organic matter production. Hurricane Katrina altered elevation dynamics of two subsiding brackish marshes in the Mississippi River deltaic plain by adding 3 to 8...
Environmental influences on speleothem growth in southwestern Oregon during the last 380, 000 years
Vasile Ersek, Steven W. Hostetler, Hai Cheng, Peter U. Clark, Faron S. Anslow, Alan C. Mix, R. Lawrence Edwards
2009, Earth and Planetary Science Letters (279) 316-325
The growth of carbonate formations in caves (speleothems) is sensitive to changes in environmental conditions at the surface (temperature, precipitation and vegetation) and can provide useful paleoclimatic and paleoenvironmental information. We use 73 230Th dates from speleothems collected from a cave in southwestern Oregon (USA) to constrain speleothem growth for...
Utilization by fishes of the Alviso Island ponds and adjacent waters in south san francisco bay following restoration to tidal influence
M. K. Saiki, F.H. Mejia
2009, California Fish and Game (95) 38-52
Earthen levees of three isolated salt ponds known locally as the Alviso Island Ponds were intentionally breached in March 2006 to allow tidal exchange of the ponds with water from Coyote Creek. The water exchange transformed the previously fishless hypersaline ponds into lower salinity habitats suitable for fish life. This...
Localized double-array stacking analysis of PcP: D″ and ULVZ structure beneath the Cocos plate, Mexico, central Pacific, and north Pacific
Alexander R. Hutko, Thorne Lay, Justin Revenaugh
2009, Physics of the Earth and Planetary Interiors (173) 60-74
A large, high quality P-wave data set comprising short-period and broadband signals sampling four separate regions in the lowermost mantle beneath the Cocos plate, Mexico, the central Pacific, and the north Pacific is analyzed using regional one-dimensional double-array stacking and modelling with reflectivity synthetics. A data-screening criterion retains only events...
