Modelling sound attenuation in heterogeneous environments for improved bioacoustic sampling of wildlife populations
J. Andrew Royle
2018, Methods in Ecology and Evolution (9) 1939-1947
Acoustic sampling methods are becoming increasingly important in biological monitoring. Sound attenuation is one of the most important dynamics affecting the utility of acoustic data as it directly affects the probability of detection of individuals by acoustic sensor arrays and especially the localization of acoustic signals necessary in telemetry...
Prioritizing conserved areas threatened by wildfire and fragmentation for monitoring and management
Jeff A. Tracey, Carlton J. Rochester, Stacie A. Hathaway, Kristine L. Preston, Alexandra D. Syphard, Amy G. Vandergast, James E. Diffendorfer, Janet Franklin, Jason B. MacKenzie, Tomas A. Oberbauer, Scott Tremor, Clark S. Winchell, Robert N. Fisher
2018, PLoS ONE (13) 1-23
In many parts of the world, the combined effects of habitat fragmentation and altered disturbance regimes pose a significant threat to biodiversity. This is particularly true in Mediterranean-type ecosystems (MTEs), which tend to be fire-prone, species rich, and heavily impacted by human land use. Given the spatial complexity of overlapping...
Multiphase flow and underpressured shale at the Bruce nuclear site, Ontario, Canada
Michelle R. Plampin, Christopher E. Neuzil
2018, Geological Society, London, Special Publications (482) 101-114
Hydraulic testing has revealed dramatic underpressures in Paleozoic shales and carbonates at the Bruce nuclear site in Ontario. Although evidence from both laboratory and field studies suggests that a small amount of gas-phase methane could be present in the shale, previous studies examining causal linkages between the gas phase and...
U.S. Geological Survey sage-grouse and sagebrush ecosystem research annual report for 2018
Steven E. Hanser, editor(s)
2018, Circular 1446
The sagebrush (Artemisia spp.) ecosystem extends across a large portion of the Western United States, and the greater sage-grouse (Centrocercus urophasianus) is one of the iconic species of this ecosystem. Greater sage-grouse populations occur in 11 States and are dependent on relatively large expanses of sagebrush-dominated habitat. Sage-grouse populations have...
Habitat overlap between Asiatic black bear Ursus thibetanus and red panda Ailurus fulgens in Himalaya
Manjit Bista, Saroj Panthi, Sarah R. Weiskopf
2018, PLoS ONE (13)
Studying habitat overlap between sympatric species is one of the best ways to identify interspecies relationships and to direct conservation efforts so that multiple species can benefit. However, studies exploring interspecies relationships are very limited in Nepal, making it difficult for the government of Nepal and conservation partners to manage...
Experimental infection of Tadarida brasiliensis with Pseudogymnoascus destructans, the fungus that causes white-nose syndrome
Michelle Verant, Carol U. Meteyer, Benjamin Stading, David S. Blehert
2018, mSphere (3)
White-nose syndrome (WNS) is causing significant declines in populations of North American hibernating bats, and recent western and southern expansions of the disease have placed additional species at risk. Understanding differences in species susceptibility and identifying management actions to reduce mortality of bats from WNS are top research priorities. However,...
The 2015 landslide and tsunami in Taan Fiord, Alaska
Brentwood Higman, Dan H. Shugar, Colin P. Stark, Goran Ekstrom, Michele N Koppes, Patrick Lynett, Anja Dufresne, Peter J. Haeussler, Marten Geertsema, Sean P.S. Gulick, Andrew Mattox, Jeremy G. Venditti, Maureen A. L. Walton, Naoma McCall, Erin Mckittrick, Breanyn MacInnes, Eric L. Bilderback, Hui Tang, Micheal Willis, Bruce Richmond, Bobby Reece, Christopher F. Larsen, Bjorn Olson, James Capra, Aykut Ayca, Colin K Bloom, Haley Williams, Doug Bonno, Robert Weiss, Adam Keen, Vassilios Skanavis, Micheal Loso
2018, Scientific Reports (8)
Glacial retreat in recent decades has exposed unstable slopes and allowed deep water to extend beneath some of those slopes. Slope failure at the terminus of Tyndall Glacier on 17 October 2015 sent 180 million tons of rock into Taan Fiord, Alaska. The resulting tsunami reached elevations as high as...
Ice-sheet modulation of deglacial North American monsoon intensification
Tripti Bhattacharya, Jessica E. Tierney, Jason A. Addison, James W. Murray
2018, Nature Geoscience (11) 848-852
The North American monsoon, the dominant source of rainfall for much of the arid US Southwest, remains one of the least understood monsoon systems. The late Pleistocene evolution of this monsoon is poorly constrained, largely because glacial changes in winter rainfall obscure summer monsoon signatures in...
Evidence that climate sets the lower elevation range limit in a high‐elevation endemic salamander
Evan H. Campbell Grant, Adrianne B. Brand, Stephan F. J. De Wekker, Temple R. Lee, John E. B. Wofford
2018, Ecology and Evolution (8) 7553-7562
A frequent assumption in ecology is that biotic interactions are more important than abiotic factors in determining lower elevational range limits (i.e., the “warm edge” of a species distribution). However, for species with narrow environmental tolerances, theory suggests the presence of a strong environmental gradient can lead to persistence, even...
Assessing historical and projected carbon balance of Alaska: A synthesis of results and policy/management implications
A. David McGuire, Hélène Genet, Zhou Lyu, Neal J. Pastick, Sarah M. Stackpoole, Richard Birdsey, David D'Amore, Yujie He, T. Scott Rupp, Robert G. Striegl, Bruce K. Wylie, Xiaoping Zhou, Qianlai Zhuang, Zhiliang Zhu
2018, Ecological Applications (28) 1396-1412
We summarize the results of a recent interagency assessment of land carbon dynamics in Alaska, in which carbon dynamics were estimated for all major terrestrial and aquatic ecosystems for the historical period (1950–2009) and a projection period (2010–2099). Between 1950 and 2009, upland and wetland (i.e., terrestrial) ecosystems of the...
Linking otolith microchemistry and surface water contamination from natural gas mining
David H. Keller, Paula M. Zelanko, Joel E. Gagnon, Richard J. Horwitz, Heather S. Galbraith, David J. Velinsky
2018, Environmental Pollution (240) 457-465
Unconventional natural gas drilling and the use of hydraulic fracturing technology have expanded rapidly in North America. This expansion has raised concerns of surface water contamination by way of spills and leaks, which may be sporadic, small, and therefore difficult to detect. Here we explore the use of otolith microchemistry as a...
Hybridization and genetic structure of Neosho Smallmouth Bass in the Ozark Highlands
A. T. Taylor, James M. Long, M. R. Schwemm, Shannon K. Brewer
2018, North American Journal of Fisheries Management (38) 1226-1240
The Neosho Smallmouth Bass Micropterus dolomieu velox is endemic to Arkansas River tributaries originating in the Ozark Highlands and Boston Mountains. Although morphologically and genetically distinct from other populations of Smallmouth Bass M. dolomieu, the conservation‐genetic status of Neosho Smallmouth Bass is largely unknown. To assist in filling this data gap, we quantified...
The risk of rodent introductions from shipwrecks to seabirds on Aleutian and Bering Sea islands
Martin Renner, Eric Nelson, Jordan Watson, Alan Haynie, Aaron Poe, Martin D. Robards, Steve C. Hess
2018, Biological Invasions (20) 2679-2690
Accidental introductions of rodents present one of the greatest threats to indigenous island biota, especially seabirds. On uninhabited remote islands, such introductions are likely to come from shipwrecks. Here we use a comprehensive database of shipwrecks in Western Alaska to model the frequency of shipwrecks per Aleutian and Bering Sea...
Ancient convergent losses of Paraoxonase 1 yield potential risks for modern marine mammals
Wynn K. Meyer, Jerrica Jamison, Rebecca Richter, Stacy E. Woods, Raghavendran Partha, Amanda Kowalczyk, Charles Kronk, Maria Chikina, Robert K. Bonde, Daniel E. Crocker, Joseph C. Gaspard, Janet M. Lanyon, Judit Marsillach, Clement E. Furlong, Nathan L. Clark
2018, Science (361) 591-594
Mammals diversified by colonizing drastically different environments, with each transition yielding numerous molecular changes, including losses of protein function. Though not initially deleterious, these losses could subsequently carry deleterious pleiotropic consequences. We have used phylogenetic methods to identify convergent functional losses across independent marine mammal lineages....
Contaminants of emerging concern in urban stormwater: Spatiotemporal patterns and removal by iron-enhanced sand filters (IESFs)
David J. Fairbairn, Sarah M. Elliott, Richard L. Kiesling, Heiko L. Schoenfuss, Mark L. Ferrey, Benjamin J. Westerhoff
2018, Water Research (145) 332-345
Numerous contaminants of emerging concern (CECs) typically occur in urban rivers. Wastewater effluents are a major source of many CECs. Urban runoff (stormwater) is a major urban water budget component and may constitute another major CEC pathway. Yet, stormwater-based CEC field studies are rare. This research investigated 384 CECs in 36 stormwater samples in Minneapolis-St. Paul, Minnesota, USA....
Using United States Geological Survey stream gages to predict flow and temperature conditions to maintain freshwater mussel habitat
Jeffrey C. Cole, Phillip A. Townsend, Keith N. Eshleman, Barbara St. John White, Heather S. Galbraith, William A. Lellis
2018, River Research and Applications (34) 977-992
Habitat conditions necessary to support freshwater mussels can be difficult to characterize and predict, particularly for rare or endangered species such as the federally endangered dwarf wedgemussel, Alasmidonta heterodon. In this study, we evaluate flow and temperature conditions in three areas of the mainstem Delaware River known to consistently support A. heterodon, and...
Influences of the invasive tamarisk leaf beetle (Diorhabda carinulata) on avian diets along the Dolores River in Southwestern Colorado USA
Charles van Riper III, Sarah L. Puckett, Abigail J. Darrah
2018, Biological Invasions (20) 3145-3159
The tamarisk leaf beetle (Diorhabda carinulata), introduced from Eurasia in 2001 as a biological control agent for the invasive plant Tamarix ramosissima, has spread widely throughout the western USA. With D. carinulata now very abundant, scientists and restoration managers have questioned what influence this introduced arthropod might...
Beyond traditional ecological restoration on the Colorado Plateau
Daniel E. Winkler, Dana M. Backer, Jayne Belnap, John B. Bradford, Bradley J. Butterfield, Stella M. Copeland, Michael C. Duniway, Akasha M. Faist, Stephen E. Fick, Scott L. Jensen, Andrea T. Kramer, Rebecca Mann, Robert Massatti, Molly L. McCormick, Seth M. Munson, Peggy Olwell, Steve D. Parr, Alix Pfennigwerth, Adrienne M. Pilmanis, Bryce A. Richardson, Ella Samuel, Kathy See, Kristina E. Young, Sasha C. Reed
2018, Restoration Ecology (26) 1055-1060
The Colorado Plateau is one of North America's five major deserts, encompassing 340,000 km2 of the western U.S., and offering many opportunities for restoration relevant to researchers and land managers in drylands around the globe. The Colorado Plateau is comprised of vast tracts of public land managed by local, state, and...
Tools and methods in participatory modeling: Selecting the right tool for the job
Alexey Voinov, Karen Jenni, Steven Gray, Nagesh Kolagani, Pierre D. Glynn, Pierre Bommel, Christina Prell, Moira Zellner, Michael Paolisso, Rebecca Jordan, Eleanor J. Sterling, Laura Schmitt Olabasi, Philippe J. Giabbanelli, Zhanli Sun, Christophe Le Page, Sondoss Elsawah, Todd K. BenDor, Klaus Hubacek, Bethany K. Laursen, Antonie J. Jetter, Laura Basco Carrera, Alison Singer, Laura G. Young, Jessica Brunacini, Alex Smajgl
2018, Environmental Modeling and Software (109) 232-255
Various tools and methods are used in participatory modelling, at different stages of the process and for different purposes. The diversity of tools and methods can create challenges for stakeholders and modelers when selecting the ones most appropriate for their projects....
Forecasting effects of angler harvest and climate change on smallmouth bass abundance at the southern edge of their range
Christopher R. Middaugh, Daniel D. Magoulick
2018, PLoS ONE (13) 1-18
Climate change will affect stream systems in numerous ways over the coming century. Globally, streams are expected to experience changes in temperature and flow regime. Previous work has indicated that these changes will likely affect fish distributions, but little work has been conducted examining population level effects of climate change...
Habitat type and structure affect trap capture success of an invasive snake across variable densities
Melia G. Nafus, Amy A. Yackel Adams, Page E. Klug, Gordon H. Rodda
2018, Ecosphere (9) 1-14
Detection represents an important limitation of accurately estimating population size, abundance, and habitat suitability for wildlife, which can be especially true for cryptic animals. Moreover, for reptiles, juveniles are often less likely to be detected than later life stages. In the case of invasive species, preventing false negatives early in...
Multiple metrics provide context for the distribution of a highly mobile fish predator, the blue catfish
Kayla M. Gerber, Martha E. Mather, Joseph M. Smith, Zachary J. Peterson
2018, Ecology of Freshwater Fish (28) 141-155
Data sets with increased spatial and temporal resolution can help researchers and resource managers quantify representative distributional patterns of mobile sportfish. In this research, first, we illustrate patterns of sportfish distribution using individual (percent of population, residence time, number of movements) and combined distributional metrics. Second, we apply these metrics...
Spatial and temporal variability of myxozoan parasite, Myxobolus inornatus, prevalence in young of the year smallmouth bass in the Susquehanna River Basin, Pennsylvania
Megan K. Schall, Vicki S. Blazer, Heather L. Walsh, Geoffrey D. Smith, Timothy Wertz, Tyler Wagner
2018, Journal of Fish Diseases (41) 1689-1700
A myxozoan parasite, Myxobolus inornatus, is one disease agent identified in young of the year (YOY) smallmouth bass in the Susquehanna River Basin, Pennsylvania. We investigated spatial and temporal variability in M. Inornatus prevalence across the Susquehanna River Basin and at several out-of-basin sites. We examined potential land use drivers of M. Inornatus prevalence including agricultural and developed...
Insight into infectious hematopoietic necrosis virus (IHNV) in Chinese rainbow trout aquaculture from virus isolated from 7 provinces in 2010–2014
Peng Jia, Rachel B. Breyta, Qing Li, Xu Qian, Bing Wu, Wei Zheng, Zhiqing Wen, Ying Liu, Gael Kurath, Qunyi Hua, Ningyi Jin, Hong Liu
2018, Aquaculture (496) 239-246
The aquatic rhabdovirus infectious hematopoietic necrosis virus (IHNV) currently causes substantial fish losses in Chinese coldwater aquaculture. While IHNV was first reported in China in 1985 and has since undergone considerable spread, little is known about the underlying epidemiological patterns like introduction sources and transmission routes. In this study, we examined epidemiological and phylogenetic...
Responses of hatchery‐ and natural‐origin adult spring Chinook Salmon to a trap‐and‐haul reintroduction program
Tobias J. Kock, Russell W. Perry, Adam C. Pope, John D. Serl, Mike Kohn, Theresa L. Liedtke
2018, North American Journal of Fisheries Management (38) 1004-1016
The construction of impassable dams severely affected many Pacific salmon Oncorhynchus spp. populations, resulting in reintroduction efforts that are now focused on returning anadromous fish to areas located upstream of these dams. A primary strategy for moving adult salmon and steelhead O. mykiss around a dam or multiple dams involves trapping fish downstream and...
