River floodplain abandonment and channel deepening coincide with the onset of clear-cut logging in a coastal California redwood forest
William A. L. Chapman, Noah J. Finnegan, Allison M. Pfeiffer, SeanPaul La Selle
2022, Earth Surface Processes and Landforms (47) 994-1012
Changes in both land use and climate can alter the balance of transport capacity and sediment supply in rivers. Hence, the primary driver of recent incision or aggradation in alluvial channels is often unclear. The San Lorenzo River on the central coast of California is one location where both climate...
Tungsten skarn potential of the Yukon-Tanana Upland, eastern Alaska, USA—A mineral resource assessment
George N.D. Case, Garth E. Graham, Erin E. Marsh, Ryan D. Taylor, Carlin J. Green, Philip J. Brown, Keith A. Labay
2022, Journal of Geochemical Exploration (232)
Tungsten (W) is used in a variety of industrial and technological applications and has been identified as a critical mineral for the United States, India, the European Union, and other countries. These countries rely on W imports mostly from China, which leaves them vulnerable to supply disruption. Consequently, the U.S. government has...
Three-dimensional electrical resistivity characterization of Mountain Pass, California and surrounding region
Jared R. Peacock, Kevin Denton, David A. Ponce
2021, Geochemistry, Geophysics, Geosystems (22)
The Sulphide Queen carbonatite deposit at Mountain Pass in southeast California is a world class rare earth element (REE) resource. This study images electrical resistivity structure of the REE deposit and surrounding area to characterize resources under cover. An east-west elongated grid (35 × 15 km) of 65 wideband magnetotelluric stations spanning from...
Bat activity patterns relative to temporal and weather effects in a temperate coastal environment
Katherine M. Gorman, Elaine L. Barr, Lindsay Ries, Tomas Nocera, W. Mark Ford
2021, Global Ecology and Conservation (30)
The northeastern and mid-Atlantic coasts of the United States are important summer maternity habitat and seasonal migratory corridors for many species of bats. Additionally, the effects of weather on bat activity are relatively unknown beyond coarse nightly scales. Using acoustic detectors, we...
Dominant Sonoran Desert plant species have divergent phenological responses to climate change
Luke J Zachmann, John F. Wiens, Kim Franklin, Shelley D. Crausbay, Vincent A. Landau, Seth M. Munson
2021, Madroño - A West American Journal of Botany (68) 473-486
The southwestern U.S. is a global hotspot of climate change. Models project that temperatures will continue to rise through the end of the 21st century, accompanied by significant changes to the hydrological cycle. Within the Sonoran Desert, a limited number of studies have documented climate...
Evaluating common raven take for greater sage-grouse in Oregon’s Baker County Priority Conservation Area and Great Basin Region
Frank F. Rivera-Milan, Peter S. Coates, Jacqueline B. Cupples, Michael Greenfield, Patrick K. Devers
2021, Human–Wildlife Interactions (15) 544-555
The common raven (Corvus corax; raven) is a nest predator of species of conservation concern, such as the greater sage-grouse (Centrocercus urophasianus). Reducing raven abundance by take requires authorization under the Migratory Bird Treaty Act. To support U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service’s take decisions (e.g., those that authorize killing a...
Can we prove that an undetected species is absent? Evaluating whether brown treesnakes are established on the island of Saipan using surveillance and expert opinion
Amy A. Yackel Adams, Patrick D Barnhart, Gordon H. Rodda, Eric T. Hileman, Melia Gail Nafus, Robert Reed
2021, Management of Biological Invasions (12) 901-926
Detection of invasive species and decisions centered around early detection and rapid response (EDRR) are notorious challenges for decision makers. Detection probability is low for cryptic species, resources are limited, and ecological harm (especially for island ecosystems) can result from...
Geographic variation in dispersal of western burrowing owl (Athene cunicularia hypugaea) populations across North America
Alberto Macias-Duarte, Courtney J. Conway
Macias-Duarte, editor(s)
2021, Behavioral Ecology (32) 1339-1351
Dispersal is one of the key elements of species’ metapopulation dynamics and, hence, influences global conservation status. Furthermore, determining the geographic variation in magnitude and direction of dispersal throughout a species’ distribution may expand our understanding of the causes of population declines in species of conservation concern. For instance, western...
Emerging control strategies for integrated pest management of invasive carps
Aaron R. Cupp, Marybeth K. Brey, Robin D. Calfee, Duane Chapman, Richard A. Erickson, Jesse Robert Fischer, Andrea K. Fritts, Amy E. George, P. Ryan Jackson, Brent C. Knights, Gavin N. Saari, Patrick Kocovsky
2021, Journal of Vertebrate Biology (70)
Invasive carps are ecologically and economically problematic fish species in many large river basins in the United States and pose a threat to aquatic ecosystems throughout much of North America. Four species of invasive carps: black carp (Mylopharyngodon piceus), grass carp (Ctenopharyngodon idella), silver carp (Hypophthalmichthys molitrix) and bighead carp...
Effects of diet and provisioning behavior on chick growth in Adélie Penguins (Pygoscelis adeliae)
Scott Jennings, Katie M. Dugger, Grant Ballard, David G. Ainley
2021, Waterbirds (44) 55-67
When provisioning chicks, parents trade-off their time, energy, and other resources to maximize reproductive success. As parents adjust investment to maximize their fitness, impacts on offspring growth can occur. We investigated provisioning and chick growth of Adélie Penguins (Pygoscelis adeliae) at one of the...
Revealing migratory path, important stopovers and non-breeding areas of a boreal songbird in steep decline
Julie C Hagelin, Michael T. Hallworth, Christopher P Barger, James A. Johnson, Kristin A DuBour, Grey W Pendelton, Lucas H. DeCicco, Laura A McDuffie, Steven M. Matsuoka, Marian A Snively, Peter P. Marra
2021, Animal Migration (8) 168-191
The Olive-sided Flycatcher (Contopus cooperi) is a steeply declining aerial insectivore with one of the longest migrations of any North American passerine. We deployed light-level geolocators and archival GPS tags on breeders in boreal Alaska to determine migratory routes, important stopovers and non-breeding locations. Data from 16 individuals revealed a...
Migration strategies supporting salmonids in Arctic Rivers: A case study of Arctic Cisco and Dolly Varden
Michael P. Carey, Vanessa R. von Biela, Randy J Brown, Christian E. Zimmerman
2021, Animal Migrations (8) 132-143
Amphidromous fish such as Dolly Varden (Salvelinus malma) and Arctic Cisco (Coregonus autumnalis) have distinct life histories that facilitate their success in Arctic environments. Both species spawn in freshwater and make annual migrations between marine, brackish, or freshwater environments. Dolly Varden rear for one or more years in freshwater before...
Plant community succession following ungulate exclusion in a temperate rainforest
Andrea Woodward, Kurt Jenkins, Mark E Harmon
2021, Ecosphere (12)
Ecosystem structure and processes of coastal temperate rainforests of the Pacific Northwest are thought to be strongly influenced by herbivory primarily of Roosevelt elk (Cervus elaphus roosevelti) and secondarily of Columbian black-tailed deer (Odocoileus hemionus columbianus). Two large (0.5-ha) exclosures were built in old-growth coniferous rainforest...
Oral sylvatic plague vaccine does not adequately protect prairie dogs (Cynomys spp.) for endangered black-footed ferret (Mustela nigripes) conservation
Marc R. Matchett, Thomas Stanley, Matthew F. McCollister, David A. Eads, Jesse Boulerice, Dean E. Biggins
2021, Vector-Borne and Zoonotic Diseases (21) 921-940
The plague bacterium Yersinia pestis is lethal to endangered black-footed ferrets (Mustela nigripes, BFF) and the prairie dogs (Cynomys spp., PD) on which they depend for habitat and prey. We assessed the effectiveness of an oral sylvatic plague vaccine delivered in baits to black-tailed PD (Cynomys ludovicianus, BTPD) from 2013...
Effects of low pH on the coral reef cryptic invertebrate communities near CO2 vents in Papua New Guinea
Laetitia Plaisance, Kenan O. Matterson, Katharina Fabricius, Sergei V. Drovetski, Christoph F. J. Meyer, Nancy Knowlton
2021, PLoS ONE (16)
Small cryptic invertebrates (the cryptofauna) are extremely abundant, ecologically important, and species rich on coral reefs. Ongoing ocean acidification is likely to have both direct effects on the biology of these organisms, as well as indirect effects through cascading impacts on their habitats and trophic relationships. Naturally acidified habitats have...
How well do we know Europa’s topography? An evaluation of the variability in digital terrain models of Europa.
Michael T. Bland, Randolph L. Kirk, Donna M. Galuszka, David Mayer, R. A. Beyer, Robin L. Fergason
2021, Remote Sensing (13)
Jupiter’s moon Europa harbors one of the most likely environments for extant extraterrestrial life. Determining whether Europa is truly habitable requires understanding the structure and thickness of its ice shell, including the existence of perched water or brines. Stereo-derived topography from images acquired by NASA Galileo’s Solid...
Miniature temperature data loggers increase precision and reduce bias when estimating the daily survival rate for bird nests
Matthew D. Stephenson, Robert W. Klaver, Lisa A. Schulte, Jarad Niemi
2021, Journal of Field Ornithology (92) 492-505
Demographic studies of many bird species are challenging because their nests are cryptic, resulting in few nests being found. To maximize statistical power, methods are needed that minimize disturbance while yielding as much information per nest as possible. One way to meet these objectives is to use miniature thermal data...
Life-history attributes of Arctic-breeding birds drive uneven responses to environmental variability across different phases of the reproductive cycle
Daniel R. Ruthrauff, Vijay P. Patil, Jerry W. Hupp, David H. Ward
2021, Ecology and Evolution (11) 18514-18530
Animals exhibit varied life-history traits that reflect adaptive responses to their environments. For Arctic-breeding birds, traits related to diet, egg nutrient allocation, clutch size, and chick growth are predicted to be under increasing selection pressure due to rapid climate change and increasing environmental variability across high-latitude...
Exploiting the physiology of lampreys to refine methods of control and conservation
Brittney B Borowiec, Margaret F. Docker, Nicholas S. Johnson, Mary L. Moser, Barbara Zielinski, Michael P. Wilkie
2021, Journal of Great Lakes Research (47) S723-S741
Lampreys (order: Petromyzontiformes) represent one of two extant groups of jawless fishes, also called cyclostomes. Lampreys have a variety of unique features that distinguish them from other fishes. Here we review the physiological features of lampreys that have contributed to...
Birds not in flight: Using camera traps to observe ground use of birds at a wind-energy facility
Shellie R. Puffer, Laura A. Tennant, Jeffrey E. Lovich, Mickey Agha, Amanda L. Smith, David Delaney, Terence R. Arundel, Leo J. Fleckenstein, Jessica Briggs, Andrew Walde, Joshua Ennen
2021, Wildlife Research (49) 283-294
Context: Camera trapping is increasingly used to collect information on wildlife occurrence and behaviour remotely. Not only does the technique provide insights into habitat use by species of interest, it also gathers information on non-target species.Aims: We implemented ground-based camera trapping to investigate the behaviours of ground-dwelling birds, a technique that has...
Influence of antecedent geology on the Holocene formation and evolution of Horn Island, Mississippi, USA
Nina S Gal, Davin J Wallace, Michael Miner, Robert S Hollis, Clayton H Dike, James Flocks
2021, Marine Geology (431)
Horn Island, one of the two most stable barriers along the Mississippi-Alabama chain (Cat, East and West Ship, Horn, West Petit Bois, Petit Bois, and Dauphin), provides critical habitat, helps regulate estuarine conditions in the Mississippi Sound, and reduces wave energy...
Evaluating establishment success of non-native fishes introduced to inland aquatic habitats of tropical Pacific islands
Stephen Walsh, Leo Nico, Mark W. Miller
2021, Journal of Vertebrate Biology (70)
An information-theoretic approach was used to evaluate non-native freshwater fish species introduced to insular habitats of Hawaii and Guam comparing successful establishments vs. failures. Since the late 1800s, as many as 81 non-native freshwater fish species have been recorded as introduced to Hawaii and Guam (combined) and...
Current distribution and abundance of Kohala forest birds in Hawai‘i
Keith Burnett, Richard J. Camp, Patrick J. Hart
2021, Journal of Field Ornithology (92) 377-387
The Kohala volcano is home to the most spatially isolated population of Hawaiian forest birds on Hawai‘i Island and contains one of the few native bird populations in the state that has not been monitored since the original Hawai‘i Forest Bird Survey (HFBS) in 1979. We surveyed 143 stations across...
Selected crater and small caldera lakes in Alaska: Characteristics and hazards
Christopher F. Waythomas
2021, Frontiers in Earth Science (9)
This study addresses the characteristics, potential hazards, and both eruptive and non-eruptive role of water at selected volcanic crater lakes in Alaska. Crater lakes are an important feature of some stratovolcanoes in Alaska. Of the volcanoes in the state with known Holocene eruptive activity, about one third have summit crater...
Metal accumulation in Lake Michigan prey fish: Influence of ontogeny, trophic position, and habitat
Whitney M. Conard, Brandon S. Gerig, Lea M. Lovin, David B. Bunnell, Gary A. Lamberti
2021, Journal of Great Lakes Research (47) 1746-1755
Developing an understanding of factors that influence the accumulation and magnification of heavy metals in fish of the Laurentian Great Lakes is central to managing ecosystem and human health. We measured muscle tissue concentrations of heavy metals in Lake Michigan prey fish that vary in habitat use, diet, and trophic...
