Invasive rat control is an efficient, yet insufficient, method for recovery of the critically endangered Hawaiian plant hau kuahiwi (Hibiscadelphus giffardianus)
Nathan S. Gill, Stephanie G. Yelenik, Paul C. Banko, Christopher B. Dixon, Kelly Jaenecke, Robert Peck
2018, PLoS ONE (13) 1-11
Biological invasions of rodents and other species have been especially problematic on tropical islands. Invasive Rattus rattus consumption of Hibiscadelphus giffardianus (Malvaceae; common Hawaiian name hau kuahiwi) fruit and seeds has been hypothesized to be the most-limiting factor inhibiting the critically endangered tree, but this has not been experimentally tested,...
Demographic characteristics of an avian predator, Louisiana Waterthrush (Parkesia motacilla), in response to its aquatic prey in a Central Appalachian USA watershed impacted by shale gas development
Mack W. Frantz, Petra B. Wood, George T. Merovich Jr.
David A. Lightfoot, editor(s)
2018, PLoS ONE (13) 1-19
We related Louisiana Waterthrush (Parkesia motacilla) demographic response and nest survival to benthic macroinvertebrate aquatic prey and to shale gas development parameters using models that accounted for both spatial and non-spatial sources of variability in a Central Appalachian USA watershed. In 2013, aquatic prey density and pollution intolerant genera (i.e.,...
Influence of river discharge on grass carp occupancy dynamics in south-eastern Iowa rivers
Christopher J. Sullivan, Michael J. Weber, Clay Pierce, Carlos A. Camacho
Michael J. Weber, editor(s)
2018, River Research and Applications (35) 60-67
Despite the longstanding presence of grass carp Ctenopharyngodon idella in the Upper Mississippi River (UMR) watershed, information regarding their populations remains largely unknown, in part because capture is difficult. Occupancy models are a popular wildlife assessment tool to account for imperfect detections but have been slow to be adopted in fisheries. Herein,...
Sediment transport model including short-lived radioisotopes: Model description and idealized test cases
Justin J. Birchler, Courtney K. Harris, Christopher R. Sherwood, Tara A Kniskern
2018, Journal of Marine Science and Engineering (6) 1-17
Geochronologies derived from sediment cores in coastal locations are often used to infer event bed characteristics such as deposit thicknesses and accumulation rates. Such studies commonly use naturally occurring, short-lived radioisotopes, such as Beryllium-7 (7Be) and Thorium-234 (234Th), to study depositional and post-depositional processes. These radioisotope activities, however, are not...
Genetic assessment of a bighorn sheep population expansion in the Silver Bell Mountains, Arizona
John A. Erwin, Karla Vargasc, Brian R. Blaisc, Kendell Bennettc, Julia Muldoond, Sarah Findysz, Courtney Christiec, James R. Heffelfingere, Melanie Culver
2018, PeerJ (6)
Background: The isolated population of desert bighorn sheep in the Silver Bell Mountains of southern Arizona underwent an unprecedented expansion in merely four years. We hypothesized that immigration from neighboring bighorn sheep populations could have caused the increase in numbers as detected by Arizona Game and Fish...
Chesapeake Bay dissolved oxygen criterion attainment deficit: Three decades of temporal and spatial patterns
Qian Zhang, Peter J. Tango, Rebecca R. Murphy, Melinda K. Forsyth, Richard Tian, Jennifer L. Keisman, Emily M. Trentacoste
2018, Frontiers in Marine Science (5)
Low dissolved oxygen (DO) conditions are a recurring issue in waters of Chesapeake Bay, with detrimental effects on aquatic living resources. The Chesapeake Bay Program partnership has developed criteria guidance supporting the definition of state water quality standards and associated assessment procedures for DO and other parameters, which...
Currents, waves and sediment transport around the headland of Pt. Dume, California
Douglas A. George, John L. Largier, Curt D. Storlazzi, Matthew J. Robart, Brian Gaylord
2018, Continental Shelf Research (171) 63-76
Sediment transport past rocky headlands has received less attention compared to transport along beaches. Here we explore, in a field-based study, possible pathways for sediment movement adjacent to Point Dume, a headland in Santa Monica Bay, California. This prominent shoreline feature is a nearly symmetrical, triangular-shaped promontory interior to the Santa Monica Littoral Cell. We collected...
Subsurface controls on the development of the Cape Fear Slide Complex, central US Atlantic Margin
Jenna C. Hill, Daniel S. Brothers, Matthew J. Hornbach, Derek E. Sawyer, Donna J. Shillington, Anne Becel
2018, Geological Society of London Special Publications (477) 169-182
The Cape Fear Slide is one of the largest (>25 000 km3) submarine slope failure complexes on the US Atlantic margin. Here we use a combination of new high-resolution multichannel seismic data (MCS) from the National Science Foundation Geodynamic Processes at Rifting and Subducting Margins (NSF GeoPRISMS) Community Seismic Experiment...
Filtering of cyclic period infiltration in a layered vadose zone: 1. Approximation of damping and time lags
Jesse E. Dickinson, T. P. A Ferre
2018, Vadose Zone Journal (17) 1-16
Core IdeasWe describe an approximation for filtering of periodic infiltration in layered soil.Transitions in soil‐water properties between soil layers affect the filtering.Errors are smaller in soils where changes in soil‐water properties are small.Infiltration and downward percolation of water in the vadose zone are important processes...
Integrated population modeling provides the first empirical estimates of vital rates and abundance for polar bears in the Chukchi Sea
Eric V. Regehr, Nathan J. Hostetter, Ryan H. Wilson, Karyn D. Rode, Michelle St. Martin, Sarah J. Converse
2018, Scientific Reports (8)
Large carnivores are imperiled globally, and characteristics making them vulnerable to extinction (e.g., low densities and expansive ranges) also make it difficult to estimate demographic parameters needed for management. Here we develop an integrated population model to analyze capture-recapture, radiotelemetry, and count data for the Chukchi Sea subpopulation of polar...
Wanted: Future leaders for ESA
Jill Baron, Catherine O'Riordan
2018, Frontiers in Ecology and the Environment (16) 311-311
A scientific society like ESA is not just an office, nor an annual meeting, nor one or more journals, and it cannot operate without volunteer leadership. ESA is its members. It is the collective efforts of many individuals that create a vibrant organization. Members step forward in service...
Human-associated indicator bacteria and human-specific viruses in surface water: a spatial assessment with implications on fate and transport
Peter L. Lenaker, Steven R. Corsi, Sandra L. McLellan, Mark A. Borchardt, Hayley T. Olds, Deborah K. Dila, Susan K. Spencer, Austin K. Baldwin
2018, Environmental Science & Technology (52) 12162-12171
Hydrologic, seasonal, and spatial variability of sewage contamination was studied at six locations within a watershed upstream from water reclamation facility (WRF) effluent to define relative loadings of sewage from different portions of the watershed. Fecal pollution from human sources was spatially quantified by measuring two human-associated indicator bacteria (HIB)...
Concentrations of pharmaceuticals and other micropollutants in groundwater downgradient from large on-site wastewater discharges
Sarah M. Elliott, Melinda L. Erickson, Aliesha L. Krall, Byron A. Adams
2018, PLoS ONE
Large subsurface treatment systems (LSTS) and rapid infiltration basins (RIB) are preferred onsite wastewater treatments compared to direct discharge of treated wastewater to streams and adjacent facilities. Discharge of these wastewater treatments may result in contaminant loading to aquifers that also serve as drinking water sources downgradient from...
Change in dominance determines herbivore effects on plant biodiversity
Sally E. Koerner, Melinda D. Smith, Deron E. Burkepile, Niall P. Hanan, Meghan L. Avolio, Scott L. Collins, Alan K. Knapp, Nathan P. Lemoine, Elisabeth J. Forrestel, Stephanie Eby, Dave I. Thompson, Gerardo A. Aguado-Santacruz, John P. Anderson, T. Michael Anderson, Ayana Angassa, Sumanta Bagchi, Elisabeth S. Bakker, Gary Bastin, Lauren E. Baur, Karen H. Beard, Erik A. Beever, Patrick J. Bohlen, Elizabeth H. Boughton, Don Canestro, Ariela Cesa, Enrique Chaneton, Jimin Cheng, Carla M. D’Antonio, Claire Deleglise, Fadiala Dembele, Josh Dorrough, David J. Eldridge, Barbara Fernandez-Going, Silvia Fernandez-Lugo, Lauchlan H. Fraser, Bill Freedman, Gonzalo Garcia-Salgado, Jacob R. Goheen, Liang Guo, Sean Husheer, Moussa Karembe, Johannes M. H. Knops, Tineke Kraaij, Andrew Kulmatiski, Minna-Maarit Kytoviita, Felipe Lezama, Gregory Loucougaray, Alejandro Loydi, Daniel G. Milchunas, Suzanne J. Milton, John W. Morgan, Claire Moxham, Kyle C. Nehring, Han Olff, Todd M. Palmer, Salvador Rebollo, Corinna Riginos, Anita C. Risch, Marta Rueda, Mahesh Sankaran, Takehiro Sasaki, Kathryn A. Schoenecker, Nick L. Schultz, Martin Schutz, Angelika Schwabe, Frances Siebert, Christian Smit, Karen A. Stahlheber, Christian Storm, Dustin J. Strong, Jishuai Su, Yadugiri V. Tiruvaimozhi, Claudia Tyler, James Val, Martijn L. Vandegehuchte, Kari E. Veblen, Lance Vermeire, David Ward, Jianshuang Wu, Truman P. Young, Qiang Yu, Tamara J. Zelikova
2018, Nature Ecology & Evolution (2) 1925-1932
Herbivores alter plant biodiversity (species richness) in many of the world’s ecosystems, but the magnitude and the direction of herbivore effects on biodiversity vary widely within and among ecosystems. One current theory predicts that herbivores enhance plant biodiversity at high productivity but have the opposite effect at low productivity. Yet,...
Long-term impacts of exotic grazer removal on native shrub recovery, Santa Cruz Island, California
Stephanie G. Yelenik
2018, Western North American Naturalist (78) 777-786
A combination of overgrazing and exotic species introduction has led to the degradation of habitats worldwide. It is often unclear whether removal of exotic ungulates will lead to the natural reestablishment of native plant communities without further management inputs. I describe here my return to sites on Santa Cruz Island,...
Correlating sea lamprey density with environmental DNA detections in the lab
Nicholas A. Schloesser, Christopher M. Merkes, Christopher B. Rees, Jon Amberg, Todd B. Steeves, Margaret F. Docker
2018, Management of Biological Invasions (9) 483-495
Invasive sea lamprey (Petromyzon marinus Linnaeus, 1758) are currently managed by the Great Lakes Fishery Commission in an effort to reduce pest populations below levels that cause ecological damage. One technique to improve stream population assessments could be molecular surveillance in the form of environmental DNA (eDNA) monitoring. We developed...
Overwintering behavior of juvenile sea turtles at a temperate foraging ground
Margaret M. Lamont, David R. Seay, Kathleen Gault
2018, Ecology (99) 2621-2624
Most freshwater and terrestrial turtle species that inhabit temperate environments hibernate to survive extreme cold periods. However, for sea turtles, the question of whether these species use hibernation as an overwintering strategy has not been resolved (Ultsch 2006). Felger et al. (1976)...
Adapting management to a changing world: Warm temperatures, dry soil, and interannual variability limit restoration success of a dominant woody shrub in temperate drylands
Robert K. Shriver, Caitlin M. Andrews, David S. Pilliod, Robert Arkle, Justin L. Welty, Matthew J. Germino, Michael C. Duniway, David A. Pyke, John B. Bradford
2018, Global Change Biology (24) 4972-4982
Restoration and rehabilitation of native vegetation in dryland ecosystems, which encompass over 40% of terrestrial ecosystems, is a common challenge that continues to grow as wildfire and biological invasions transform dryland plant communities. The difficulty in part stems from low and variable precipitation, combined with limited understanding about how weather...
Evaluating flow management as a strategy to recover an endangered sturgeon species in the Upper Missouri River, USA
Susannah O. Erwin, Edward A. Bulliner, Craig J Fischenich, Robert B. Jacobson, Patrick Braaten, Aaron J. DeLonay
2018, River Research and Applications (34) 1254-1266
In the Upper Missouri River, Fort Peck and Garrison Dams limit the length of free‐flowing river available to the endangered pallid sturgeon. These barriers restrict the upstream migration of adults and downstream larval dispersal. A one‐dimensional (1D) modelling framework is currently in use to evaluate reservoir operation alternatives and to...
Probabilistic substrate classification with multispectral acoustic backscatter: A comparison of discriminative and generative models
Daniel D. Buscombe, Paul E. Grams
2018, Geosciences (8) 1-21
We propose a probabilistic graphical model for discriminative substrate characterization, to support geological and biological habitat mapping in aquatic environments. The model, called a fully-connected conditional random field (CRF), is demonstrated using multispectral and monospectral acoustic backscatter from heterogeneous seafloors in Patricia Bay, British Columbia, and Bedford Basin, Nova Scotia....
Effects of an extreme flood event on federally endangered Diamond Darter abundances
Stuart A. Welsh
2018, The American Midland Naturalist (180) 108-118
Extreme flood events can substantially affect riverine systems, modifying instream habitat and influencing fish assemblages and densities. Rare species are especially vulnerable to these disturbance events because of their small population size and often reduced phenotypic heterogeneity. In June 2016 the lower Elk River in West Virginia experienced severe...
Watershed ‘chemical cocktails’: forming novel elemental combinations in Anthropocene fresh waters
Sujay S. Kaushal, Arthur J. Gold, Susana Bernal, Tammy A. Newcomer Johnson, Kelly Addy, Amy Burgin, Douglas A. Burns, Ashley A. Coble, Eran W. Hood, Yuehan Lu, Paul Mayer, Elizabeth C. Minor, Andrew W. Schroth, Philippe Vidon, Henry F. Wilson, Marguerite A. Xenopolous, Thomas Doody, Joseph G. Galella, Phillip Goodling, Katherine Haviland, Shahan Haq, Barret Wessel, Kelsey L. Wood, Norbert Jaworski, Kenneth T. Belt
2018, Biogeochemistry (141) 281-305
In the Anthropocene, watershed chemical transport is increasingly dominated by novel combinations of elements, which are hydrologically linked together as ‘chemical cocktails.’ Chemical cocktails are novel because human activities greatly enhance elemental concentrations and their probability for biogeochemical interactions and shared transport along hydrologic flowpaths. A new chemical cocktail approach...
A dirty dozen ways to die: Metrics and modifiers of mortality driven by drought and warming for a tree species
David D. Breshears, Charles J. W. Carroll, Miranda D. Redmond, Andreas P. Wion, Craig D. Allen, Neil S. Cobb, Nashelly Meneses, Jason P. Field, Luke A. Wilson, Darin J. Law, Lindsie M. McCabe, Olivia Newell-Bauer
2018, Frontiers in Forests and Global Change (1)
Tree mortality events driven by drought and warmer temperature, often amplified by pests and pathogens, are emerging as one of the predominant climate change impacts on plants. Understanding and predicting widespread tree mortality events in the future is vital as they affect ecosystem goods and services provided by forests and...
Estimating the probability of movement and partitioning seasonal survival in an amphibian metapopulation
Erin L. Muths, Larissa L. Bailey, Brad A. Lambert, Scott C. Schneider
2018, Ecosphere (9)
Movement of individuals has been described as one of the best studied, but least understood concepts in ecology. The magnitude of movements, routes, and probability of movement have significant application to conservation. Information about movement can inform efforts to model species persistence and is particularly applicable...
Integrating encounter theory with decision analysis to evaluate collision risk and determine optimal protection zones for wildlife
B.J. Udell, Julien Martin, R.J. Fletcher, Mathieu Bonneau, Holly H. Edwards, T. Gowan, Stacie K. Hardy, E. Gurarie, C.S. Calleson, C.J. Deutsch
2018, Journal of Applied Ecology (56) 1050-1062
1.Better understanding human‐wildlife interactions and their links with management can help improve the design of wildlife protection zones. One example is the problem of wildlife collisions with vehicles or human‐built structures (e.g. power lines, wind farms). In fact, collisions between marine wildlife and watercraft are among the major threats faced...
