High-energy, high-fat lifestyle challenges an Arctic apex predator, the polar bear
Anthony M. Pagano, George M. Durner, Karyn D. Rode, Todd C. Atwood, Stephen N. Atkinson, Elizabeth Peacock, Daniel P. Costa, Megan A. Owen, Terrie M. Williams
2018, Science (359) 568-572
Regional declines in polar bear (Ursus maritimus) populations have been attributed to changing sea ice conditions, but with limited information on the causative mechanisms. By simultaneously measuring field metabolic rates, daily activity patterns, body condition, and foraging success of polar bears moving on the spring sea ice, we found that...
Life‐history tradeoffs revealed by seasonal declines in reproductive traits of Arctic‐breeding shorebirds
Emily L. Weiser, Stephen C. Brown, Richard B. Lanctot, H. River Gates, Kenneth F. Abraham, Rebecca L. Bentzen, Joel Bety, Rodney W. Brook, Megan L. Boldenow, Tyrone F. Donnelly, Willow B. English, Scott A. Flemming, Samantha E. Franks, H. Grant Gilchrist, Marie-Andree Giroux, Andrew C. Johnson, Lisa V. Kennedy, Laura Koloski, Eunbi Kwon, Jean-Francois Lamarre, David B. Lank, Nicolas Lecomte, Joseph R. Liebezeit, Laura McKinnon, Erica Nol, Johanna Perz, Jennie Rausch, Martin D. Robards, Sarah T. Saalfeld, Nathan R. Senner, Paul A. Smith, Mikhail Soloviev, Diana V. Solovyeva, David H. Ward, Paul F. Wood, Brett K. Sandercock
2018, Journal of Avian Biology (49) 1-16
Seasonal declines in breeding performance are widespread in wild animals, resulting from temporal changes in environmental conditions or from individual variation. Seasonal declines might drive selection for early breeding, with implications for other stages of the annual cycle. Alternatively, selection on the phenology of nonbreeding stages could constrain timing of...
Den phenology and reproductive success of polar bears in a changing climate
Karyn D. Rode, Jay Olson, Dennis L. Eggett, David C. Douglas, George M. Durner, Todd C. Atwood, Eric V. Regehr, Ryan H. Wilson, Tom Smith, Michelle St. Martin
2018, Journal of Mammalogy (99) 16-26
Synchrony between reproduction and food availability is important in mammals due to the high energetic costs of gestation and lactation. Female polar bears (Ursus maritimus) must accumulate sufficient energy reserves during spring through autumn to produce and nurse cubs during the winter months in snow dens. Adequate time in a...
A global audit of the status and trends of Arctic and Northern Hemisphere goose populations
Joel A. Schmutz
Anthony D. Fox, James O. Leafloor, editor(s)
2018, Report
This report attempts to review the abundance, status and distribution of natural wild goose populations in the northern hemisphere. The report comprises three parts that 1) summarise key findings from the study and the methodology and analysis applied; 2) contain the individual accounts for each of the 68 populations included...
Long‐term trends in fall age ratios of black brant
David H. Ward, Courtney L. Amundson, Robert A. Stehn, Christian P. Dau
2018, Journal of Wildlife Management (82) 362-373
Accurate estimates of the age composition of populations can inform past reproductive success and future population trajectories. We examined fall age ratios (juveniles:total birds) of black brant (Branta bernicla nigricans; brant) staging at Izembek National Wildlife Refuge near the tip of the Alaska Peninsula, southwest Alaska, USA, 1963 to 2015....
Hydrologic regime changes in a high-latitude glacierized watershed under future climate conditions
Melissa Valentin, Terri S. Hogue, Lauren Hay
2018, Water (10)
A calibrated conceptual glacio-hydrological monthly water balance model (MWBMglacier) was used to evaluate future changes in water partitioning in a high-latitude glacierized watershed in Southcentral Alaska under future climate conditions. The MWBMglacier was previously calibrated and evaluated against streamflow measurements, literature values of glacier mass balance change, and satellite-based observations...
Greenhouse gas emissions from diverse Arctic Alaskan lakes are dominated by young carbon
Clayton D. Elder, Xiaomei Xu, Jennifer Walker, Jordan L. Schnell, Kenneth M. Hinkel, Amy Townsend-Small, Christopher D. Arp, John W. Pohlman, Benjamin V. Gaglioti, Claudia I. Czimzik
2018, Nature Climate Change (8) 166-171
Climate-sensitive Arctic lakes have been identified as conduits for ancient permafrost-carbon (C) emissions and as such accelerate warming. However, the environmental factors that control emission pathways and their sources are unclear; this complicates upscaling, forecasting and climate-impact-assessment efforts. Here we show that current whole-lake CH4 and CO2 emissions from widespread lakes in...
Summary of wildlife-related research on the coastal plain of the Arctic National Wildlife Refuge, Alaska, 2002–17
John M. Pearce, Paul L. Flint, Todd C. Atwood, David C. Douglas, Layne G. Adams, Heather E. Johnson, Stephen M. Arthur, Christopher J. Latty
2018, Open-File Report 2018-1003
We summarize recent (2002–17) publicly available information from studies within the 1002 Area of the Arctic National Wildlife Refuge as well as terrestrial and coastal ecosystems elsewhere on the Arctic Coastal Plain that are relevant to the 1002 Area. This report provides an update on earlier research summaries on caribou...
Determining mineralogical variations of aeolian deposits using thermal infrared emissivity and linear deconvolution methods
Bernard E. Hubbard, Donald M. Hooper, Federico Solano, John C. Mars
2018, Aeolian Research (30) 54-96
We apply linear deconvolution methods to derive mineral and glass proportions for eight field sample training sites at seven dune fields: (1) Algodones, California; (2) Big Dune, Nevada; (3) Bruneau, Idaho; (4) Great Kobuk Sand Dunes, Alaska; (5) Great Sand Dunes National Park and Preserve, Colorado; (6) Sunset Crater, Arizona;...
International migration patterns of Red-throated Loons (Gavia stellata) from four breeding populations in Alaska
Sarah E. McCloskey, Brian D. Uher-Koch, Joel A. Schmutz, Thomas F. Fondell
2018, PLoS ONE (13) 1-15
Identifying post-breeding migration and wintering distributions of migratory birds is important for understanding factors that may drive population dynamics. Red-throated Loons (Gavia stellata) are widely distributed across Alaska and currently have varying population trends, including some populations with recent periods of decline. To investigate population differentiation and the location of...
The Polar WRF downscaled historical and projected twenty-first century climate for the coast and foothills of Arctic Alaska
Lei Cai, Vladimir A Alexeev, Christopher D. Arp, Benjamin M. Jones, Anna K. Liljedahl, Anne Gadeke
2018, Frontiers in Earth Science: Atmospheric Science (5)
Climate change is most pronounced in the northern high latitude region. Yet, climate observations are unable to fully capture regional-scale dynamics due to the sparse weather station coverage, which limits our ability to make reliable climate-based assessments. A set of simulated data products was therefore developed for the North Slope...
Crevice-nesting auklets are early-successional species requiring disturbance to persist
Heather M. Renner, Lawrence R Walker, Christopher F. Waythomas, Jeffrey C. Williams, Yuri Artkhin
2018, Arctic, Antarctic, and Alpine Research (49) 585-599
Auklets (Aethia spp.) are small seabirds, endemic to the North Pacific Ocean, that nest in rock crevices on islands in Alaska and Russia. Nesting habitats for least (A. pusilla) and crested (A. cristatella) auklet colonies in the southern part of their range (Aleutian and Kuril Islands) are becoming overgrown...
Nutrient dynamics in partially drained arctic thaw lakes
Joshua C. Koch, Tom F. Fondell, Joel A. Schmutz, Sarah M. Laske
2018, Journal of Geophysical Research: Biogeosciences (123) 440-452
Thaw lakes are ubiquitous on arctic coastal plains (ACPs). While many thaw lakes have steep banks, stable water levels, and static surface areas, others only partially fill their basins and vary in area over the summer. These partially drained lakes (PDLs) are hydrologically connected to the wetlands immediately surrounding them....
Effects of environmental conditions on reproductive effort and nest success of Arctic‐breeding shorebirds
Emily L. Weiser, Stephen C. Brown, Richard B. Lanctot, H. River Gates, Kenneth F. Abraham, Rebecca L. Bentzen, Joel Bety, Megan L. Boldenow, Rodney W. Brook, Tyrone F. Donnelly, Willow B. English, Scott A. Flemming, Samantha E. Franks, H. Grant Gilchrist, Marie-Andree Giroux, Andrew C. Johnson, Steve Kendall, Lisa V. Kennedy, Laura Koloski, Eunbi Kwon, Jean-Francois Lamarre, David B. Lank, Christopher J. Latty, Nicolas Lecomte, Joseph R. Liebezeit, Laura McKinnon, Erica Nol, Johanna Perz, Jennie Rausch, Martin D. Robards, Sarah T. Saalfeld, Nathan R. Senner, Paul A. Smith, Mikhail Soloviev, Diana V. Solovyeva, David H. Ward, Paul F. Wood, Brett K. Sandercock
2018, Ibis (160) 608-623
The Arctic is experiencing rapidly warming conditions, increasing predator abundance, and diminishing population cycles of keystone species such as lemmings. However, it is still not known how many Arctic animals will respond to a changing climate with altered trophic interactions. We studied clutch size, incubation duration and nest survival of...
Data quality from a community-based, water-quality monitoring project in the Yukon River basin
Nicole M. Herman-Mercer, Ronald C. Antweiler, Nicole J. Wilson, Edda A. Mutter, Ryan C. Toohey, Paul F. Schuster
2018, Citizen Science: Theory and Practice (3) 1-13
This paper examines the quality of data collected by the Indigenous Observation Network, a community-based water-quality project in the Yukon River Basin of Alaska and Canada. The Indigenous Observation Network relies on community technicians to collect surface-water samples from as many as fifty locations to achieve their goals of monitoring...
Will Alaska's fisheries regime prove resilient? Kenai River fishery management as a model for adaptive governance
James E. Powell, Mark S. Wipfli, Keith R. Criddle, Erik R. Schoen
2018, Fisheries Magazine (43) 26-30
No abstract available....
Demography of the Pacific walrus (Odobenus rosmarus divergens) in a changing Arctic
Rebecca L. Taylor, Mark S. Udevitz, Chadwick V. Jay, John J. Citta, Lori T. Quakenbush, Patrick R. Lemons, Jonathan A. Snyder
2018, Marine Mammal Science (34) 54-86
The Pacific walrus (Odobenus rosmarus divergens) is a candidate to be listed as an endangered species under United States law, in part, because of climate change‐related concerns. While the population was known to be declining in the 1980s and 1990s, its recent status has not been determined. We developed Bayesian...
Environmental and ecological conditions at Arctic breeding sites have limited effects on true survival rates of adult shorebirds
Emily L. Weiser, Richard B. Lanctot, Stephen C. Brown, H. River Gates, Rebecca L. Bentzen, Joel Bety, Megan L. Boldenow, Willow B. English, Samantha E. Franks, Laura Koloski, Eunbi Kwon, Jean-Francois Lamarre, David B. Lank, Joseph R. Liebezeit, Laura McKinnon, Erica Nol, Jennie Rausch, Sarah T. Saalfeld, Nathan R. Senner, David H. Ward, Paul F. Wood, Brett K. Sandercock
2018, The Auk (135) 29-43
Many Arctic shorebird populations are declining, and quantifying adult survival and the effects of anthropogenic factors is a crucial step toward a better understanding of population dynamics. We used a recently developed, spatially explicit Cormack–Jolly–Seber model in a Bayesian framework to obtain broad-scale estimates of true annual survival rates for...
Patterns and controls of mercury accumulation in sediments from three thermokarst lakes on the Arctic Coastal Plain of Alaska
Samantha M. Burke, Christian E. Zimmerman, Brian A. Branfireun, Joshua C. Koch, Heidi K. Swanson
2018, Aquatic Sciences (80) 1-15
The biogeochemical cycle of mercury will be influenced by climate change, particularly at higher latitudes. Investigations of historical mercury accumulation in lake sediments inform future predictions as to how climate change might affect mercury biogeochemistry; however, in regions with a paucity of data, such as the thermokarst-rich Arctic Coastal Plain...
The nitrogen window for arctic herbivores: plant phenology and protein gain of migratory caribou (Rangifer tarandus)
Perry S. Barboza, Lindsay L. Van Someren, David D. Gustine, M. Syndonia Bret-Harte
2018, Ecosphere (9)
Terrestrial plants are often limited by nitrogen (N) in arctic systems, but constraints of N supply on herbivores are typically considered secondary to those of energy. We tested the hypothesis that forage N is more limiting than energy for arctic caribou by collecting key forages (three species of graminoids, three...
Strain partitioning in southeastern Alaska: Is the Chatham Strait Fault active?
Daniel S. Brothers, Julie L. Elliott, James E. Conrad, Peter J. Haeussler, Jared W. Kluesner
2018, Earth and Planetary Science Letters (481) 362-371
A 1200 km-long transform plate boundary passes through southeastern Alaska and northwestern British Columbia and represents one of the most seismically active, but poorly understood continental margins of North America. Although most of the plate motion is accommodated by the right-lateral Queen Charlotte–Fairweather Fault (QCFF) System, which has produced at least...
The role of driving factors in historical and projected carbon dynamics of upland ecosystems in Alaska
Hélène Genet, Yujie He, Zhou Lyu, A. David McGuire, Qianlai Zhuang, Joy S. Clein, David D'Amore, Alec Bennett, Amy Breen, Frances Biles, Eugénie S. Euskirchen, Kristofer Johnson, Tom Kurkowski, Svetlana Schroder, Neal J. Pastick, T. Scott Rupp, Bruce K. Wylie, Yujin Zhang, Xiaoping Zhou, Zhiliang Zhu
2018, Ecological Applications (28) 5-27
It is important to understand how upland ecosystems of Alaska, which are estimated to occupy 84% of the state (i.e., 1,237,774 km2), are influencing and will influence state‐wide carbon (C) dynamics in the face of ongoing climate change. We coupled fire disturbance and biogeochemical models to assess the relative effects of...
Size, growth, and density data for shallow-water sea urchins from Mexico to the Aleutian Islands, Alaska, 1956–2016
Thomas A Ebert, Louis Barr, James L. Bodkin, Dirk Burcham, Dominique Bureau, Henry Carson, Nancy Caruso, Jennifer E. Caselle, Jeremy Claisse, Sabrina Clemente, Kathryn Davis, Paul Detwiler, John Dixon, David Duggins, John Engle, James Estes, Scott Groth, Benjamin Grupe, Peter Halmay, Kyle Hebert, Jose Carlos Hernandez, Laura J. Jurgens, Peter Kalvass, Michael C. Kenner, Brenda Konar, David Kushner, Lynn Lee, David Leighton, Gabriela Montano-Moctezuma, Eric Munk, Irma Olguin Espinoza, Ben Weitzman
2018, Ecology (99) 761
Size, growth, and density have been studied for North American Pacific coast sea urchins Strongylocentrotus purpuratus, S. droebachiensis, S. polyacanthus, Mesocentrotus (Strongylocentrotus) franciscanus, Lytechinus pictus, Centrostephanus coronatus, and Arbacia stellata by various workers at diverse sites and for varying lengths of time from 1956 to present. Numerous peer-reviewed publications have used some of these data but some data have...
Using gene transcription to assess ecological and anthropological stressors in brown bears
Lizabeth Bowen, A. Keith Miles, Shannon C. Waters-Dynes, Dave Gustine, Kyle Joly, Grant V. Hilderbrand
2018, EcoHealth 121-131
Increasingly, population- and ecosystem-level health assessments are performed using sophisticated molecular tools. Advances in molecular technology enable the identification of synergistic effects of multiple stressors on the individual physiology of different species. Brown bears (Ursus arctos) are an apex predator; thus, they are ideal candidates for detecting potentially...
Varve formation during the past three centuries in three large proglacial lakes in south-central Alaska
Evelin Boes, Maarten Van Daele, Jasper Moernaut, Sabine Schmidt, Britta J.L. Jensen, Nore Praet, Darrell Kaufman, Peter J. Haeussler, Michael G. Loso, Marc De Batist
2018, Geological Society of America Bulletin (130) 757-774
The sediments stored in the large, deep proglacial lakes of south-central Alaska are largely unstudied. We analyzed sediments in 20 cores, up to 160 cm long, from Eklutna, Kenai, and Skilak Lakes, using a combination of repeated lamination counting, radionuclide dating, event stratigraphy, and tephrochronology. We show that the characteristically...
