Ecological drought: Accounting for the non-human impacts of water shortage in the Upper Missouri Headwaters Basin, Montana, USA
Jamie McEvoy, Deborah J. Bathke, Nina Burkardt, Amanda E. Cravens, Tonya Haigh, Kimberly R. Hall, Michael J. Hayes, Theresa Jedd, Marketa Podebradska, Elliot Wickham
2018, Resources (7) 1-16
Water laws and drought plans are used to prioritize and allocate scarce water resources. Both have historically been human-centric, failing to account for non-human water needs. In this paper, we examine the development of instream flow legislation and the evolution of drought planning to highlight the growing concern for the...
Environmental risks and challenges associated with neonicotinoid insecticides
Michelle L. Hladik, Anson Main, Dave Goulson
2018, Environmental Science & Technology (52) 3329-3335
Neonicotinoid use has increased rapidly in recent years, with a global shift towards insecticide applications as seed coatings rather than aerial spraying. While the use of seed coatings can lessen the amount of overspray and drift, the near universal and prophylactic use of neonicotinoid seed coatings on major agricultural crops...
Stability and change in kelp forest habitats at San Nicolas Island
Michael C. Kenner, M. Tim Tinker
2018, Western North American Naturalist (78) 633-643
Kelp forest communities are highly variable over space and time. Despite this complexity it has been suggested that kelp forest communities can be classified into one of 2 states: kelp dominated or sea urchin dominated. It has been further hypothesized that these represent “alternate stable states” because a site can...
High‐prevalence and low‐intensity Ichthyophonus infections in Pacific Halibut
Paul Hershberger, Jacob L. Gregg, Claude L. Dykstra
2018, Journal of Aquatic Animal Health (30) 13-19
Ichthyophonus occurred at high prevalence but low intensity in Pacific Halibut Hippoglossus stenolepis throughout the West Coast of North America, ranging from coastal Oregon to the Bering Sea. Infection prevalence in adults was variable on spatial and temporal scales, with the lowest prevalence typically occurring on the edges of the geographic range and...
Potential effects of elevated base flow and midsummer spike flow experiments on riparian vegetation along the Green River
Jonathan M. Friedman
2018, Natural Resource Report NPS/NRSS/WRD/NRR—2018/1603
The Upper Colorado River Endangered Fish Recovery Program has requested experimental flow releases from Flaming Gorge Dam for (1) elevated summer base flows to promote larval endangered Colorado pikeminnow, and (2) midsummer spike flows to disadvantage spawning invasive smallmouth bass. This white paper explores the effects of these proposed flow...
Ground ruptures attributed to groundwater overexploitation damaging Jocotepec city in Jalisco, Mexico: 2016 field excursion of IGCP-641
Pietro Teatini, Dora Carreon-Freyre, Gil Ochoa-Gonzalez, Shujun Ye, Devin L. Galloway, Martin Hernandez-Marin
2018, Episodes, Journal of International Geoscience (41) 69-73
IGCP Project 641 (Mechanisms, Monitoring and Modeling Earth Fissure generation and Fault activation due to subsurface Fluid exploitation – M3EF3) held its second international workshop from November 2 to 6, 2016, in Puerto Vallarta and included a two-day field trip to Guadalajara and Jocotepec in the Mexican state of Jalisco (Fig. 1a). M3EF3 is aimed...
U.S. Pacific coastal wetland resilience and vulnerability to sea-level rise
Karen M. Thorne, Glen M. MacDonald, Glenn R. Guntenspergen, Richard F. Ambrose, Kevin Buffington, Bruce D. Dugger, Chase M. Freeman, Christopher Janousek, Lauren N. Brown, Jordan A. Rosencranz, James Homquist, John P. Smol, Kathryn Hargan, John Y. Takekawa
2018, Science Advances (4)
We used a first-of-its-kind comprehensive scenario approach to evaluate both the vertical and horizontal response of tidal wetlands to projected changes in the rate of sea-level rise (SLR) across 14 estuaries along the Pacific coast of the continental United States. Throughout the U.S. Pacific region, we found that tidal wetlands...
Associations between cyanobacteria and indices of secondary production in the western basin of Lake Erie
James H. Larson, Mary Anne Evans, Robert J. Kennedy, Sean Bailey, Keith A. Loftin, Zachary R. Laughrey, Robin Femmer, Jeff Schaeffer, William B. Richardson, Timothy Wynne, J. C. Nelson, Joseph W. Duris
2018, Limnology and Oceanography (63) S232-S243
Large lakes provide a variety of ecological services to surrounding cities and communities. Many of these services are supported by ecological processes that are threatened by the increasing prevalence of cyanobacterial blooms which occur as aquatic ecosystems experience cultural eutrophication. Over the past 10 yr, Lake Erie experienced cyanobacterial blooms...
Adaptive influence of extrinsic and intrinsic factors on variation of incubation periods among tropical and temperate passerines
Thomas E. Martin, Riccardo Ton, Juan C. Oteyza
2018, The Auk (135) 101-113
Understanding intrinsic (physiological) and extrinsic (e.g., temperature) causes of variation in embryonic development time (incubation period) is important because they can have different impacts on individual quality. Robert Ricklefs and colleagues have argued that longer incubation periods result primarily from intrinsic physiological programs that increase individual quality and adult survival....
Bottom trawl assessment of Lake Ontario prey fishes
Brian Weidel, Michael J. Connerton, Jeremy Holden
2018, Report, NYSDEC Lake Ontario Annual Report 2017
Managing Lake Ontario fisheries in an ecosystem-context requires prey fish community and population data. Since 1978, multiple annual bottom trawl surveys have quantified prey fish dynamics to inform management relative to published Fish Community Objectives. In 2017, two whole-lake surveys collected 341 bottom trawls (spring: 204, fall: 137), at depths...
Species distribution modeling in regions of high need and limited data: waterfowl of China
Diann J. Prosser, Changqing Ding, R. Michael Erwin, Taej Mundkur, Jeffery D. Sullivan, Erle C. Ellis
2018, Avian Research (9) 1-14
BackgroundA number of conservation and societal issues require understanding how species are distributed on the landscape, yet ecologists are often faced with a lack of data to develop models at the resolution and extent desired, resulting in inefficient use of conservation resources. Such a situation...
Geoelectric hazard assessment: the differences of geoelectric responses during magnetic storms within common physiographic zones
Stephen W. Cuttler, Jeffrey J. Love, Andrei Swidinsky
2018, Earth, Planets and Space (70)
Geomagnetic field data obtained through the INTERMAGNET program are convolved with with magnetotelluric surface impedance from four EarthScope USArray sites to estimate the geoelectric variations throughout the duration of a magnetic storm. A duration of time from June 22, 2016, to June 25, 2016, is considered which encompasses a magnetic storm of...
History of state wildlife management in the United States
John F. Organ
2018, Book chapter, State wildlife management and conservation
No abstract available....
Developing a framework for evaluating tallgrass prairie reconstruction methods and management
Diane L. Larson, Marissa Ahlering, Pauline Drobney, Rebecca Esser, Jennifer L. Larson, Karen Viste-Sparkman
2018, Ecological Restoration (36) 6-18
The thousands of hectares of prairie reconstructed each year in the tallgrass prairie biome can provide a valuable resource for evaluation of seed mixes, planting methods, and post-planting management if methods used and resulting characteristics of the prairies are recorded and compiled in a publicly accessible database. The objective of...
Rearing environment influences boldness and prey acquisition behavior, and brain and lens development of bull trout
William R. Brignon, Martin M. Pike, Lars O.E. Ebbesson, Howard A. Schaller, James Peterson, Carl B. Schreck
2018, Environmental Biology of Fishes (101) 383-401
Animals reared in barren captive environments exhibit different developmental trajectories and behaviors than wild counterparts. Hence, the captive phenotypes may influence the success of reintroduction and recovery programs for threatened and endangered species. We collected wild bull trout embryos from the Metolius River Basin, Oregon and reared them in differing...
Golden Eagle Monitoring Plan for the Desert Renewable Energy Conservation Plan
David Wiens, Patrick Kolar, Todd E. Katzner
2018, Report
This report describes options for monitoring the status and population trends of the golden eagle (Aquila chrysaetos) within the Desert Renewable Energy Conservation Plan (DRECP) area of Southern California in maintaining stable or increasing population in the planning area. The report profiles the ecology of golden eagles in the region...
Timber harvest as the predominant disturbance regime in northeastern U.S. forests: Effects of harvest intensification
Michelle L. Brown, Charles D. Canham, Lora Murphy, Therese M. Donovan
2018, Ecosphere (9) 1-19
Harvesting is the leading cause of adult tree mortality in forests of the northeastern United States. While current rates of timber harvest are generally sustainable, there is considerable pressure to increase the contribution of forest biomass to meet renewable energy goals. We estimated current harvest regimes for different forest types...
Response of beach-nesting American Oystercatchers to off-road vehicles: An experimental approach reveals physiological nuances and decreased nest attendance
Shilo K. Felton, Kenneth H. Pollock, Theodore R. Simons
2018, The Condor (120) 47-62
Shorebird populations face increasing challenges as rising sea levels and growing human populations constrain their breeding habitats. On recreational beaches, the nesting season often coincides with a season of high visitor use, increasing the potential for conflict, which may negatively influence beach-nesting shorebird species. We designed a field experiment to...
Does behavioural thermoregulation underlie seasonal movements in Lake Erie walleye?
Graham D. Raby, Christopher Vandergoot, Todd A. Hayden, Matthew D. Faust, Richard T. Kraus, John M. Dettmers, Steven J. Cooke, Yingming Zhao, Aaron T. Fisk, Charles C. Krueger
2018, Canadian Journal of Fisheries and Aquatic Sciences (75) 488-496
Thermoregulation is presumed to be a widespread determinant of behaviour in fishes, but has not often been investigated as a mechanism shaping long-distance migrations. We used acoustic telemetry and animal-borne thermal loggers to test the hypothesis that seasonal migration in adult walleye (Sander vitreus) in Lake Erie is size- and...
Environmental contaminants of health-care origin: Exposure and potential effects in wildlife
Thomas Bean, Barnett A. Rattner
2018, Book chapter, Health care and environmental contamination
A diverse range of fauna could be exposed to active pharmaceutical ingredients (APIs) via diet, dermal absorption or bioconcentration. Low level exposures of free-ranging wildlife to APIs has only been demonstrated for a few pathways (e.g., ingestion of fish in estuaries by piscivorous birds), and many remain hypothetical (e.g., ingestion...
Fire and grazing influence site resistance to Bromus tectorum through their effects on shrub, bunchgrass and biocrust communities in the Great Basin (USA)
Lea A. Condon, David A. Pyke
2018, Ecosystems (21) 1416-1431
Shrubs, bunchgrasses and biological soil crusts (biocrusts) are believed to contribute to site resistance to plant invasions in the presence of cattle grazing. Although fire is a concomitant disturbance with grazing, little is known regarding their combined impacts on invasion resistance. We are the first to date to test the...
Distinguishing values from science in decision making: Setting harvest quotas for mountain lions in Montana
Michael S. Mitchell, Hilary Cooley, Justin A. Gude, Jay Kolbe, J. Joshua Nowak, Kelly M. Proffitt, Sarah N. Sells, Mike Thompson
2018, Wildlife Society Bulletin (42) 13-21
The relative roles of science and human values can be difficult to distinguish when informal processes are used to make complex and contentious decisions in wildlife management. Structured Decision Making (SDM) offers a formal process for making such decisions, where scientific results and concepts can be disentangled from the values...
Oil and gas development footprint in the Piceance Basin, western Colorado
Cericia D. Martinez, Todd M. Preston
2018, Science of the Total Environment (616-617) 355-362
Understanding long-term implications of energy development on ecosystem functionrequires establishing regional datasets to quantify past development and determine relationships to predict future development. The Piceance Basin in western Colorado has a history of energy production and development is expected to continue into the foreseeable future due to abundant natural gas...
Demographic drivers of a refugee species: Large‐scale experiments guide strategies for reintroductions of hirola
Abdullahi H. Ali, Matthew J. Kauffman, Rajan Amin, Amos Kibara, Juliet King, David P. Mallon, Charles Musyoki, Jacob R. Goheen
2018, Ecological Applications (28) 275-283
Effective reintroduction strategies require accurate estimates of vital rates and the factors that influence them. The hirola (Beatragus hunteri) is the rarest antelope on Earth, with a global population size of <500 individuals restricted to the Kenya–Somali border. We estimated vital rates of hirola populations exposed to varying levels of...
Fire and climate suitability for woody vegetation communities in the south central United States
Esther Stroh, Matthew Struckhoff, Michael C. Stambaugh, Richard P. Guyette
2018, Fire Ecology (14) 106-124
Climate and fire are primary drivers of plant species distributions. Long-term management of south central United States woody vegetation communities can benefit from information on potential changes in climate and fire frequencies, and how these changes might affect plant communities. We used historical (1900 to 1929) and future (2040 to...
