A global database of ant species abundances
Heloise Gibb, Rob R. Dunn, Nathan J. Sanders, Blair F. Grossman, Manoli Photakis, Silvia Abril, Donat Agosti, Alan N. Andersen, Elena Angulo, Ingre Armbrecht, Xavier Arnan, Fabricio B. Baccaro, Tom R. Bishop, Raphael Boulay, Carsten Bruhl, Cristina Castracani, Xim Cerda, Israel Del Toro, Thibaut Delsinne, Mireia Diaz, David A. Donoso, Aaron M. Ellison, Martha L. Enriquez, Tom M. Fayle, Donald H. Feener, Brian L. Fisher, Robert N. Fisher, Matthew C. Fitpatrick, Cristanto Gomez, Nicholas J. Gotelli, Aaron Gove, Donato A. Grasso, Sarah Groc, Benoit Guenard, Nihara Gunawardene, Brian Heterick, Benjamin Hoffmann, Milan Janda, Clinton Jenkins, Michael Kaspari, Petr Klimes, Lori Lach, Thomas Laeger, John Lattke, Maurice Leponce, Jean-Philippe Lessard, John Longino, Andrea Lucky, Sarah H. Luke, Jonathan Majer, Terrence P. McGlynn, Sean Menke, Dirk Mezger, Alessandra Mori, Jimmy Moses, Thinandavha Caswell Munyai, Renata Pacheco, Omid Paknia, Jessica Pearce-Duvet, Martin Pfeiffer, Stacy M. Philpott, Julian Resasco, Javier Retana, Rogerio R. Silva, Magdalena D. Sorger, Jorge Souza, Andrew V. Suarez, Melanie Tista, Heraldo L. Vasconcelos, Merav Vonshak, Michael D. Weiser, Michelle Yates, Catherine L. Parr
2017, Ecology (98) 883-884
What forces structure ecological assemblages? A key limitation to general insights about assemblage structure is the availability of data that are collected at a small spatial grain (local assemblages) and a large spatial extent (global coverage). Here, we present published and unpublished data from 51,388 ant abundance and occurrence records...
Observations of seismicity and ground motion in the northeast U.S. Atlantic margin from ocean bottom seismometer data
Claudia Flores, Uri S. ten Brink, Jeffrey J. McGuire, John A. Collins
2017, Seismological Research Letters (88) 23-31
Earthquake data from two short-period ocean-bottom seismometer (OBS) networks deployed for over a year on the continental slope off New York and southern New England were used to evaluate seismicity and ground motions along the continental margin. Our OBS networks located only one earthquake of Mc∼1.5 near the shelf edge...
Origin and evolution of mineralizing fluids and exploration of the Cerro Quema Au-Cu deposit (Azuero Peninsula, Panama) from a fluid inclusion and stable isotope perspective
Isaac Corral, Esteve Cardellach, Merce Corbella, Angels Canals, Albert Griera, David Gomez-Gras, Craig A. Johnson
2017, Ore Geology Reviews (80) 947-960
Cerro Quema is a high sulfidation epithermal Au-Cu deposit with a measured, indicated and inferred resource of 35.98 Mt. @ 0.77 g/t Au containing 893,600 oz. Au (including 183,930 oz. Au equiv. of Cu ore). It is characterized by a large hydrothermal alteration zone which is interpreted to represent the lithocap of...
Estimating linear temporal trends from aggregated environmental monitoring data
Richard A. Erickson, Brian R. Gray, Eric A. Eager
2017, Ecological Indicators (74) 62-72
Trend estimates are often used as part of environmental monitoring programs. These trends inform managers (e.g., are desired species increasing or undesired species decreasing?). Data collected from environmental monitoring programs is often aggregated (i.e., averaged), which confounds sampling and process variation. State-space models allow sampling variation and process variations to...
Observations of pockmark flow structure in Belfast Bay, Maine, Part 1: current-induced mixing
Christina L. Fandel, Thomas C. Lippmann, James D. Irish, Laura L. Brothers
2017, Geo-Marine Letters (37) 1-14
Field observations of current profiles and temperature, salinity, and density structure were used to examine vertical mixing within two pockmarks in Belfast Bay, Maine. The first is located in 21 m water depth (sea level to rim), nearly circular in shape with a 45 m rim diameter and 12 m...
Bed texture mapping in large rivers using recreational-grade sidescan sonar
Daniel Hamill, Joseph M. Wheaton, Daniel D. Buscombe, Paul E. Grams, Theodore S. Melis
2017, Conference Paper, River Flow 2016--Eighth International Conference on Fluvial Hydraulics
The size-distribution and spatial organization of bed sediment, or bed ‘texture’, is a fundamental attribute of natural channels and is one important component of the physical habitat of aquatic ecosystems. ‘Recreational-grade’ sidescan sonar systems now offer the possibility of imaging, and subsequently quantifying bed texture at high resolution with minimal...
Estimating occurrence and detection probabilities for stream-breeding salamanders in the Gulf Coastal Plain
Jennifer Y. Lamb, J. Hardin Waddle, Carl P. Qualls
2017, Journal of Herpetology (51) 102-108
Large gaps exist in our knowledge of the ecology of stream-breeding plethodontid salamanders in the Gulf Coastal Plain. Data describing where these salamanders are likely to occur along environmental gradients, as well as their likelihood of detection, are important for the prevention and management of amphibian declines. We used presence/absence...
Multi-species coral Sr/Ca-based sea-surface temperature reconstruction using Orbicella faveolata and Siderastrea siderea from the Florida Straits
Jennifer A. Flannery, Julie N. Richey, Kaustubh Thirumalai, Richard Z. Poore, Kristine L. DeLong
2017, Palaeogeography, Palaeoclimatology, Palaeoecology (466) 100-109
We present new, monthly-resolved Sr/Ca-based sea-surface temperature (SST) records from two species of massive coral, Orbicella faveolata and Siderastrea siderea, from the Dry Tortugas National Park, FL, USA (DTNP). We combine these new records with published data from three additional S. siderea coral colonies to generate a 278-year long multi-species...
Computing spatial correlation of ground motion intensities for ShakeMap
Sarah Verros, David J. Wald, Charles Worden, Mike Hearne, Mahadevan Ganesh
2017, Computers & Geosciences (99) 145-154
Modeling the spatial correlation of ground motion residuals, caused by coherent contributions from source, path, and site, can provide valuable loss and hazard information, as well as a more realistic depiction of ground motion intensities. The U.S. Geological Survey (USGS) software package, ShakeMap, utilizes a deterministic empirical approach to estimate...
A serosurvey of Greater Sage-grouse (Centrocercus urophasianus) in Nevada, USA
Nancy L Sinai, Peter S. Coates, Katelyn M. Andrle, Chad Jefferis, C. Gabriel Sentíes–Cué, Maurice E. Pitesky
2017, Journal of Wildlife Diseases (53) 136-139
To better understand the potential avian diseases in Greater Sage-grouse (Centrocercus urophasianus) in the Great Basin in Nevada, we collected 31 blood samples March–April 2014 and tested for antibodies to eight viruses and two bacteria. Specifically, sera were tested for antibodies to avian leukosis virus type A, B, and J...
AnimalFinder: A semi-automated system for animal detection in time-lapse camera trap images
Jennifer L. Price Tack, Brian S. West, Conor P. McGowan, Stephen S. Ditchkoff, Stanley J. Reeves, Allison Keever, J. Barry Grand
2017, Ecological Informatics (36) 145-151
Although the use of camera traps in wildlife management is well established, technologies to automate image processing have been much slower in development, despite their potential to drastically reduce personnel time and cost required to review photos. We developed AnimalFinder in MATLAB® to identify animal presence in time-lapse camera trap...
Climate-induced glacier and snow loss imperils alpine stream insects
J. Joseph Giersch, Scott Hotaling, Ryan Kovach, Leslie A. Jones, Clint C. Muhlfeld
2017, Global Change Biology (23) 2577-2589
Climate warming is causing rapid loss of glaciers and snowpack in mountainous regions worldwide. These changes are predicted to negatively impact the habitats of many range-restricted species, particularly endemic, mountaintop species dependent on the unique thermal and hydrologic conditions found only in glacier-fed and snowmelt-driven alpine streams. Though progress has...
Removing sun glint from optical remote sensing images of shallow rivers
Brandon T. Overstreet, Carl J. Legleiter
2017, Earth Surface Processes and Landforms (42) 318-333
Sun glint is the specular reflection of light from the water surface, which often causes unusually bright pixel values that can dominate fluvial remote sensing imagery and obscure the water-leaving radiance signal of interest for mapping bathymetry, bottom type, or water column optical characteristics. Although sun glint is ubiquitous in...
Development of the oriental latrine fly, Chrysomya megacephala (Diptera: Calliphoridae), at five constant temperatures
S. V. Gruner, D. H. Slone, J.L. Capinera, M. P. Turco
2017, Journal of Medical Entomology (54) 290-298
Chrysomya megacephala (Fabricius) is a forensically important fly that is found throughout the tropics and subtropics. We calculated the accumulated development time and transition points for each life stage from eclosion to adult emergence at five constant temperatures: 15, 20, 25, 30, and 35 °C. For each transition, the 10th, 50th,...
Detection limits of quantitative and digital PCR assays and their influence in presence-absence surveys of environmental DNA
Margaret Hunter, Robert M. Dorazio, John S. Butterfield, Gaia Meigs-Friend, Leo Nico, Jason A. Ferrante
2017, Molecular Ecology Resources (17) 221-229
A set of universal guidelines is needed to determine the limit of detection (LOD) in PCR-based analyses of low concentration DNA. In particular, environmental DNA (eDNA) studies require sensitive and reliable methods to detect rare and cryptic species through shed genetic material in environmental samples. Current strategies for assessing detection...
Combining citizen science species distribution models and stable isotopes reveals migratory connectivity in the secretive Virginia rail
Auriel M. V. Fournier, Alexis R. Sullivan, Joseph K. Bump, Marie Perkins, Mark C. Shieldcastle, Sammy L. King
2017, Journal of Applied Ecology (54) 618-627
Stable hydrogen isotope (δD) methods for tracking animal movement are widely used yet often produce low resolution assignments. Incorporating prior knowledge of abundance, distribution or movement patterns can ameliorate this limitation, but data are lacking for most species. We demonstrate how observations reported by citizen scientists can...
Groundwater response to the 2014 pulse flow in the Colorado River Delta
Jeffrey R. Kennedy, Eliana Rodriguez-Burgueno, Jorge Ramirez-Hernandez
2017, Ecological Engineering (106) 715-724
During the March-May 2014 Colorado River Delta pulse flow, approximately 102 × 106 m3 (82,000 acre-feet) of water was released into the channel at Morelos Dam, with additional releases further downstream. The majority of pulse flow water infiltrated and recharged the regional aquifer. Using groundwater-level and microgravity data we mapped the spatial and...
Climate, invasive species and land use drive population dynamics of a cold-water specialist
Ryan P. Kovach, Robert K. Al-Chokhachy, Diane C. Whited, David A. Schmetterling, Andrew M. Dux, Clint C. Muhlfeld
2017, Journal of Applied Ecology (54) 638-647
Climate change is an additional stressor in a complex suite of threats facing freshwater biodiversity, particularly for cold-water fishes. Research addressing the consequences of climate change on cold-water fish has generally focused on temperature limits defining spatial distributions, largely ignoring how climatic variation influences population dynamics in...
Breeding birds in managed forests on public conservation lands in the Mississippi Alluvial Valley
Daniel J. Twedt, R. Randy Wilson
2017, Forest Ecology and Management (384) 180-190
Managers of public conservation lands in the Mississippi Alluvial Valley have implemented forest management strategies to improve bottomland hardwood habitat for target wildlife species. Through implementation of various silvicultural practices, forest managers have sought to attain forest structural conditions (e.g., canopy cover, basal area, etc.) within values postulated to benefit wildlife....
Improving spatio-temporal benefit transfers for pest control by generalist predators in cotton in the southwestern U.S.
Ruscena Wiederholt, Kenneth J. Bagstad, Gary F. McCracken, Jay E. Diffendorfer, John B. Loomis, Darius J. Semmens, Amy L. Russell, Chris Sansone, Kelsie LaSharr, Paul M. Cryan, Claudia Reynoso, Rodrigo A. Medellin, Laura Lopez-Hoffman
2017, International Journal of Biodiversity Science, Ecosystem Services and Management (13) 27-39
Given rapid changes in agricultural practice, it is critical to understand how alterations in ecological, technological, and economic conditions over time and space impact ecosystem services in agroecosystems. Here, we present a benefit transfer approach to quantify cotton pest-control services provided by a generalist predator, the Mexican free-tailed bat (Tadarida...
Larval aquatic insect responses to cadmium and zinc in experimental streams
Christopher A. Mebane, Travis S. Schmidt, Laurie S. Balistrieri
2017, Environmental Toxicology and Chemistry (36) 749-762
To evaluate the risks of metal mixture effects to natural stream communities under ecologically relevant conditions, the authors conducted 30-d tests with benthic macroinvertebrates exposed to cadmium (Cd) and zinc (Zn) in experimental streams. The simultaneous exposures were with Cd and Zn singly and with Cd+Zn mixtures at environmentally relevant...
Camera system considerations for geomorphic applications of SfM photogrammetry
Adam R. Mosbrucker, Jon J. Major, Kurt R. Spicer, John Pitlick
2017, Earth Surface Processes and Landforms (42) 969-986
The availability of high-resolution, multi-temporal, remotely sensed topographic data is revolutionizing geomorphic analysis. Three-dimensional topographic point measurements acquired from structure-from-motion (SfM) photogrammetry have been shown to be highly accurate and cost-effective compared to laser-based alternatives in some environments. Use of consumer-grade digital cameras to generate terrain models and derivatives is...
Mangrove expansion and contraction at a poleward range limit: Climate extremes and land-ocean temperature gradients
Michael J. Osland, Richard H. Day, Courtney T. Hall, Marisa D Brumfield, Jason Dugas, William R. Jones
2017, Ecology (98) 125-137
Within the context of climate change, there is a pressing need to better understand the ecological implications of changes in the frequency and intensity of climate extremes. Along subtropical coasts, less frequent and warmer freeze events are expected to permit freeze-sensitive mangrove forests to expand poleward and displace freeze-tolerant salt...
Incorporating temporal heterogeneity in environmental conditions into a somatic growth model
Maria C. Dzul, Charles B. Yackulic, Josh Korman, Michael D. Yard, Jeffrey D. Muehlbauer
2017, Canadian Journal of Fisheries and Aquatic Sciences (74) 316-326
Evaluating environmental effects on fish growth can be challenging because environmental conditions may vary at relatively fine temporal scales compared to sampling occasions. Here we develop a Bayesian state-space growth model to evaluate effects of monthly environmental data on growth of fish that are observed less frequently (e.g., from mark-recapture...
Selecting focal species as surrogates for imperiled species using relative sensitivities derived from occupancy analysis
Amy Silvano, Craig Guyer, Todd Steury, J. Barry Grand
2017, Ecological Indicators (73) 302-311
Most imperiled species are rare or elusive and difficult to detect, which makes gathering data to estimate their response to habitat restoration a challenge. We used a repeatable, systematic method for selecting focal species using relative sensitivities derived from occupancy analysis. Our objective was to select suites of focal species...
