Estimating occupancy and abundance using aerial images with imperfect detection
Perry J. Williams, Mevin Hooten, Jamie N. Womble, Michael R. Bower
2017, Methods in Ecology and Evolution (8) 1679-1689
Species distribution and abundance are critical population characteristics for efficient management, conservation, and ecological insight. Point process models are a powerful tool for modelling distribution and abundance, and can incorporate many data types, including count data, presence-absence data, and presence-only data. Aerial photographic images are a natural tool...
Patterns of distribution, abundance, and change over time in a subarctic marine bird community
Daniel Cushing, Daniel D. Roby, David B. Irons
2017, Deep Sea Research Part II: Topical Studies in Oceanography (147) 148-163
Over recent decades, marine ecosystems of Prince William Sound (PWS), Alaska, have experienced concurrent effects of natural and anthropogenic perturbations, including variability in the climate system of the northeastern Pacific Ocean. We documented spatial and temporal patterns of variability in the summer marine bird community in relation to habitat and...
Using multiple data types and integrated population models to improve our knowledge of apex predator population dynamics
Florent Bled, Jerrold L. Belant, Lawrence J. Van Daele, Nathan Svoboda, David D. Gustine, Grant V. Hilderbrand, Victor G. Barnes Jr.
2017, Ecology and Evolution (7) 9531-9543
Current management of large carnivores is informed using a variety of parameters, methods, and metrics; however, these data are typically considered independently. Sharing information among data types based on the underlying ecological, and recognizing observation biases, can improve estimation of individual and global parameters. We present...
Transgressive-regressive cycles in the metalliferous, oil-shale-bearing Heath Formation (Upper Mississippian), central Montana
Julie A. Dumoulin, Craig A. Johnson, Karen D. Kelley, Palma J. Botterell, Paul C. Hackley, Clint Scott, John F. Slack
2017, Stratigraphy (14) 97-122
The Upper Mississippian Heath Formation, which accumulated in the Big Snowy Trough of central Montana, has been known for three decades to contain mudrocks highly enriched in Zn, V, Mo, Ni and other metals, and source rocks for oil. The unit has more recently been recognized as a prospective tight...
Observationally constrained surface mass balance of Larsen C ice shelf, Antarctica
Peter Kuipers Munneke, Daniel Mcgrath, Brooke Medley, Adrian Luckman, Suzanne Bevan, Bernd Kulessa, Daniela Jansen, Adam Booth, Paul Smeets, B. Hubbard, David Ashmore, Michiel Van den Broeke, Heidi Sevestre, K. Steffen, Andrew Shepard, Noel Gourmelen
2017, The Cryosphere (11) 2411-2426
The surface mass balance (SMB) of the Larsen C ice shelf (LCIS), Antarctica, is poorly constrained due to a dearth of in situ observations. Combining several geophysical techniques, we reconstruct spatial and temporal patterns of SMB over the LCIS. Continuous time series of snow height (2.5–6 years) at five locations allow...
Assessing the risk of non-native marine species in the Bering Sea
Jesika Reimer, Amanda Droghini, Anthony S. Fischbach, Jordan Watson, Bonnie Bernard, Aaron Poe
2017, Report
Invasive species are one of the leading global conservation concerns, which can have strong, negative impacts on ecosystems, vulnerable species, and valuable natural resources. Arctic regions have experienced a relatively low number of biological introductions to date. Their geographical remoteness, cold waters, and presence of sea ice present challenging conditions...
Geologic road guides for the Southern Canadian Cordillera--Viewing geology and tectonics along major highways
Warren J. Nokleberg, Raymond A. Price
Thomas K. Bundtzen, Warren J. Nokleberg, Raymond A. Price, David W. Scholl, David B. Stone, editor(s)
2017, Book chapter, Dynamic geology of the Northern Cordillera (Alaska and western Canada) and adjacent marine areas: Tectonics, hazards, and resources
The Geologic Road Guides for the Southern Canadian Cordillera provide a layperson’s understanding of the major geologic units and their tectonic origins along portions of two sets of major highways corridors, herein termed the Southern Road Guide and the Northern Road Guide. The two routes are shown on the Southern...
Variation in abundance of Pacific Blue Mussel (Mytilus trossulus) in the Northern Gulf of Alaska, 2006–2015
James L. Bodkin, Heather A. Coletti, Brenda E. Ballachey, Daniel Monson, Daniel Esler, Thomas A. Dean
2017, Deep Sea Research Part II: Topical Studies in Oceanography (147) 87-97
Mussels are conspicuous and ecologically important components of nearshore marine communities around the globe. Pacific blue mussels (Mytilus trossulus) are common residents of intertidal habitats in protected waters of the North Pacific, serving as a conduit of primary production to a wide range of nearshore consumers including predatory invertebrates, sea...
Potential for spatial displacement of Cook Inlet beluga whales by anthropogenic noise in critical habitat
Robert J. Small, Brian M. Brost, Mevin Hooten, Manuel Castellote, Jeffrey Mondragon
2017, Endangered Species Research (32) 43-57
The population of beluga whales in Cook Inlet, Alaska, USA, declined by nearly half in the mid-1990s, primarily from an unsustainable harvest, and was listed as endangered in 2008. In 2014, abundance was ~340 whales, and the population trend during 1999-2014 was -1.3% yr-1. Cook Inlet beluga whales are...
A model-based approach to wildland fire reconstruction using sediment charcoal records
Malcolm S. Itter, Andrew O. Finley, Mevin Hooten, Philip E. Higuera, Jennifer R. Marlon, Ryan Kelly, Jason S. McLachlan
2017, Environmetrics (28) 1-15
Lake sediment charcoal records are used in paleoecological analyses to reconstruct fire history, including the identification of past wildland fires. One challenge of applying sediment charcoal records to infer fire history is the separation of charcoal associated with local fire occurrence and charcoal originating from regional fire activity. Despite a...
Use of swabs for sampling epithelial cells for molecular genetics analyses in Enteroctopus
Nathan Hollenback, David Scheel, Megan C. Gravley, George K. Sage, Rebecca K. Toussaint, Sandra L. Talbot
2017, American Malacological Bulletin (35) 145-157
We evaluated the efficacy of using swabs to collect cells from the epidermis of octopus as a non-invasive DNA source for classical genetic studies, and demonstrated value of the technique by incorporating it into an effort to determine, within a day, the lineage of captured, live Enteroctopus (E. dofleini or a cryptic lineage)....
Differences in human versus lightning fires between urban and rural areas of the boreal forest in interior Alaska
Monika Calef, Anna Varvak, A. David McGuire
2017, Forests (8)
In western North America, the carbon-rich boreal forest is experiencing warmer temperatures, drier conditions and larger and more frequent wildfires. However, the fire regime is also affected by direct human activities through suppression, ignition, and land use changes. Models are important predictive tools for understanding future conditions but they are...
Regional geology and tectonics
Warren J. Nokleberg
Thomas K. Bundtzen, Warren J. Nokleberg, Raymond A. Price, David W. Scholl, David B. Stone, editor(s)
2017, Book chapter, Dynamic geology of the Northern Cordillera (Alaska and western Canada) and adjacent marine areas: Tectonics, hazards, and resources
This chapter describes the regional geology and tectonic origins of the major geologic units for the Northern Cordillera. The goals of the chapter are to: (1) provide a summary and regional overview of this vast region that contains a complicated geologic history; and (2) describe the major geologic units and...
Marine geology and tectonics--What is under all that water?
David W. Scholl, Warren J. Nokleberg
Thomas K. Bundtzen, Warren J. Nokleberg, Raymond A. Price, David W. Scholl, David B. Stone, editor(s)
2017, Book chapter, Dynamic geology of the Northern Cordillera (Alaska and western Canada) and adjacent marine areas: Tectonics, hazards, and resources
This chapter is divided into two main sections. The first section is on Marine Geology Seascapes (what earth scientists call bathymetry). The second section is on Tectonics of Marine Areas....
High altitude flights by ruddy shelduck Tadorna ferruginea during trans-Himalayan migrations
N. Parr, S. Bearhop, David C. Douglas, J.Y. Takekawa, Diann J. Prosser, S.H. Newman, W.M. Perry, S. Balachandran, M.J. Witt, Y. Hou, Z. Lu, L.A. Hawkes
2017, Journal of Avian Biology (48) 1310-1315
Birds that migrate across high altitude mountain ranges are faced with the challenge of maintaining vigorous exercise in environments with limited oxygen. Ruddy shelducks are known to use wintering grounds south of the Tibetan Plateau at sea level and breeding grounds north of Himalayan mountain range. Therefore, it is likely...
Introduction
Warren J. Nokleberg
Thomas K. Bundtzen, Warren J. Nokleberg, Raymond A. Price, David W. Scholl, David B. Stone, editor(s)
2017, Book chapter, Dynamic geology of the Northern Cordillera (Alaska and western Canada) and adjacent marine areas: Tectonics, hazards, and resources
No abstract available....
Alaska geologic road guides
Warren J. Nokleberg, Thomas K. Bundtzen, David B. Stone, Charles G. Mull
Thomas K. Bundtzen, Warren J. Nokleberg, Raymond A. Price, David W. Scholl, David B. Stone, editor(s)
2017, Book chapter, Dynamic geology of the Northern Cordillera (Alaska and western Canada) and adjacent marine areas: Tectonics, hazards, and resources
No abstract available....
Effects of industrial and investigator disturbance on Arctic-nesting geese
Brandt W. Meixell, Paul L. Flint
2017, Journal of Wildlife Management (81) 1372-1385
Oil and gas development on the Arctic Coastal Plain (ACP) of Alaska, USA may have effects on Arctic-nesting birds. To estimate effects of industrial activity and investigator disturbance on avian productivity, we monitored nests of greater white-fronted geese (Anser albifrons) with digital cameras and periodic nest visits during 2013–2014 at...
Drivers and environmental responses to the changing annual snow cycle of northern Alaska
Christopher J. Cox, Robert S. Stone, David C. Douglas, Diane Stanitski, George J. Divoky, Geoff S. Dutton, Colm Sweeney, J. Craig George, David U. Longenecker
2017, Bulletin of the American Meteorological Society (98) 2559-2577
On the North Slope of Alaska, earlier spring snowmelt and later onset of autumn snow accumulation are tied to atmospheric dynamics and sea ice conditions, and result in environmental responses.Linkages between atmospheric, ecological and biogeochemical variables in the changing Arctic are analyzed using long-term measurements near...
Landscapes and seascapes and tectonics
Warren J. Nokleberg, David Scholl, Thomas K. Bundtzen, David B. Stone
Thomas K. Bundtzen, Warren J. Nokleberg, Raymond A. Price, David W. Scholl, David B. Stone, editor(s)
2017, Book chapter, Dynamic geology of the Northern Cordillera (Alaska and western Canada) and adjacent marine areas: Tectonics, hazards, and resources
No abstract available....
Environment and science
John M. Pearce, Sandra L. Talbot
2017, Book chapter, North: Finding place in Alaska
Alaska is part of an international circumpolar North, which makes the United States an Arctic nation. Alaska is a place of Indigenous ingenuity and adaptation, a place where environmental extremes challenge the ways of living. In its more recent history, Alaska has been a place of resources and influx-a land...
Significance of northeast-trending features in Canada Basin, Arctic Ocean
Deborah Hutchinson, H.R. Jackson, David W. Houseknecht, Q. Li, J.W. Shimeld, D.C. Mosher, D. Chian, Richard Saltus, G.N. Oakey
2017, Geochemistry, Geophysics, Geosystems (18) 4156-4178
Synthesis of seismic velocity, potential field, and geological data from Canada Basin and its surrounding continental margins suggests that a northeast-trending structural fabric has influenced the origin, evolution, and current tectonics of the basin. This structural fabric has a crustal origin, based on the persistence of these trends in upward...
Polar bear attacks on humans: Implications of a changing climate
James Wilder, Dag Vongraven, Todd C. Atwood, Bob Hansen, Amalie Jessen, Anatoly A. Kochnev, Geoff York, Rachel Vallender, Daryll Hedman, Melissa Gibbons
2017, Wildlife Society Bulletin (41) 537-547
Understanding causes of polar bear (Ursus maritimus) attacks on humans is critical to ensuring both human safety and polar bear conservation. Although considerable attention has been focused on understanding black (U. americanus) and grizzly (U. arctos) bear conflicts with humans, there have been few attempts to systematically collect, analyze, and...
Relative influences of climate change and human activity on the onshore distribution of polar bears
Ryan H. Wilson, Eric V. Regehr, Michelle St. Martin, Todd C. Atwood, Elizabeth L. Peacock, Susanne Miller, George J. Divoky
2017, Biological Conservation (214) 288-294
Climate change is altering habitat for many species, leading to shifts in distributions that can increase levels of human-wildlife conflict. To develop effective strategies for minimizing human-wildlife conflict, we must understand the relative influences that climate change and other factors have on wildlife distributions. Polar bears (Ursus maritimus) are increasingly...
Temporal complexity of southern Beaufort Sea polar bear diets during a period of increasing land use
Melissa A. McKinney, Todd C. Atwood, Sara J. Iverson, Elizabeth L. Peacock
2017, Ecosphere (8)
From 2000 to 2013, use of land as a seasonal habitat by polar bears (Ursus maritimus) of the southern Beaufort Sea (SB) subpopulation substantially increased. This onshore use has been linked to reduced spatial and temporal availability of sea ice, as well as to the availability of subsistence‐harvested bowhead whale...
