The morphology of transverse aeolian ridges on Mars
Paul Geissler, Justin T. Wilgus
2017, Aeolian Research (26) 63-71
A preliminary survey of publicly released high resolution digital terrain models (DTMs) produced by the High Resolution Imaging Science Experiment (HiRISE) camera on Mars Reconnaissance Orbiter identified transverse aeolian ridges (TARs) in 154 DTMs in latitudes from 50°S to 40°N. Consistent with previous surveys, the TARs identified in HiRISE DTMs...
Precision and accuracy of age estimates obtained from anal fin spines, dorsal fin spines, and sagittal otoliths for known-age largemouth bass
Zachary B. Klein, Timothy F. Bonvechio, Bryant R. Bowen, Michael C. Quist
2017, Southeastern Naturalist (16) 225-234
Sagittal otoliths are the preferred aging structure for Micropterus spp. (black basses) in North America because of the accurate and precise results produced. Typically, fisheries managers are hesitant to use lethal aging techniques (e.g., otoliths) to age rare species, trophy-size fish, or when sampling in small impoundments where populations are small. Therefore,...
Seasonal movements of the Short-eared Owl (Asio flammeus) in western North America as revealed by satellite telemetry
James A. Johnson, Travis L. Booms, Lucas H. DeCicco, David C. Douglas
2017, Journal of Raptor Research (51) 115-128
The Short-eared Owl (Asio flammeus) is a widespread raptor whose abundance and distribution fluctuates in response to the varying amplitudes of its prey, which are predominately microtines. Previous efforts to describe the seasonal movements of Short-eared Owls have been hindered by few band recoveries and the species' cryptic and irruptive...
Evaluating species-specific changes in hydrologic regimes: an iterative approach for salmonids in the Greater Yellowstone Area (USA)
Robert K. Al-Chokhachy, Adam J. Sepulveda, Andrew M. Ray, David P. Thoma, Michael T. Tercek
2017, Reviews in Fish Biology and Fisheries (27) 425-441
Despite the importance of hydrologic regimes to the phenology, demography, and abundance of fishes such as salmonids, there have been surprisingly few syntheses that holistically assess regional, species-specific trends in hydrologic regimes within a framework of climate change. Here, we consider hydrologic regimes within the Greater Yellowstone Area in the...
Analyzing cloud base at local and regional scales to understand tropical montane cloud forest vulnerability to climate change
Ashley E. Van Beusekom, Grizelle Gonzalez, Martha A. Scholl
2017, Atmospheric Chemistry and Physics (17) 7245-7259
The degree to which cloud immersion provides water in addition to rainfall, suppresses transpiration, and sustains tropical montane cloud forests (TMCFs) during rainless periods is not well understood. Climate and land use changes represent a threat to these forests if cloud base altitude rises as a result of regional warming...
Aerodynamic roughness length estimation with lidar and imaging spectroscopy in a shrub-dominated dryland
Aihua Li, Wenguang Zhao, Jessica J Mitchell, Nancy F. Glenn, Matthew J. Germino, Joel B. Sankey, Richard M. Allen
2017, Photogrammetric Engineering and Remote Sensing (83) 415-427
The aerodynamic roughness length (Z0 m) serves an important role in the flux exchange between the land surface and atmosphere. In this study, airborne lidar (ALS), terrestrial lidar (TLS), and imaging spectroscopy data were integrated to develop and test two approaches to estimate Z0 m over a shrub dominated dryland study area in...
Erosion characteristics and horizontal variability for small erosion depths in the Sacramento-San Joaquin River Delta, California, USA
David H. Schoellhamer, Andrew J. Manning, Paul A. Work
2017, Ocean Dynamics (67) 799-811
Erodibility of cohesive sediment in the Sacramento-San Joaquin River Delta (Delta) was investigated with an erosion microcosm. Erosion depths in the Delta and in the microcosm were estimated to be about one floc diameter over a range of shear stresses and times comparable to half of a typical tidal cycle....
Forecasted range shifts of arid-land fishes in response to climate change
James E. Whitney, Joanna B. Whittier, Craig P. Paukert, Julian D. Olden, Angela L. Strecker
2017, Reviews in Fish Biology and Fisheries (27) 463-479
Climate change is poised to alter the distributional limits, center, and size of many species. Traits may influence different aspects of range shifts, with trophic generality facilitating shifts at the leading edge, and greater thermal tolerance limiting contractions at the trailing edge. The generality of relationships between traits and range...
Quantile regression of microgeographic variation in population characteristics of an invasive vertebrate predator
Shane R. Siers, Julie A. Savidge, Robert Reed
2017, PLoS ONE (12) 1-19
Localized ecological conditions have the potential to induce variation in population characteristics such as size distributions and body conditions. The ability to generalize the influence of ecological characteristics on such population traits may be particularly meaningful when those traits influence prospects for successful management interventions. To characterize variability in invasive...
Assessing changes in the physico-chemical properties and fluoride adsorption capacity of activated alumina under varied conditions
Laura Craig, Lisa L. Stillings, David L. Decker
2017, Applied Geochemistry (76) 112-123
Adsorption using activated alumina is a simple method for removing fluoride from drinking water, but to be cost effective the adsorption capacity must be high and effective long-term. The intent of this study was to assess changes in its adsorption capacity under varied conditions. This...
Microhabitat selection of the Virginia Northern Flying Squirrel (Glaucomys sabrinus fuscus Miller) in the central Appalachians
Corinne A. Diggins, W. Mark Ford
2017, Northeastern Naturalist (24) 173-190
Glaucomys sabrinus fuscus (Virginia Northern Flying Squirrel; VNFS) is a rare Sciurid that occurrs in the Allegheny Mountains of eastern West Virginia and northwest Virginia. Previous work on this subspecies has confirmed close associations with Picea rubens (Red Spruce) at the landscape and stand levels in the region. However, ongoing Red Spruce restoration...
Global synthesis of the documented and projected effects of climate change on inland fishes
Bonnie Myers, Abigail Lynch, David B. Bunnell, Cindy Chu, Jeffrey A. Falke, Ryan Kovach, Trevor J. Krabbenhoft, Thomas J. Kwak, Craig P. Paukert
2017, Reviews in Fish Biology and Fisheries (27) 339-361
Although climate change is an important factor affecting inland fishes globally, a comprehensive review of how climate change has impacted and will continue to impact inland fishes worldwide does not currently exist. We conducted an extensive, systematic primary literature review to identify English-language, peer-reviewed journal publications with projected and documented...
Songbirds are resilient to hurricane disturbed habitats during spring migration
Emily Lain, Theodore J. Zenzal Jr., Frank R. Moore, Wylie C. Barrow Jr., Robert H. Diehl
2017, Journal of Avian Biology (48) 815-826
The Gulf of Mexico is a conspicuous feature of the Neotropical–Nearctic bird migration system. Traveling long distances across ecological barriers comes with considerable risks, and mortality associated with intercontinental migration may be substantial, including that caused by storms or other adverse weather events. However, little, if anything, is known about...
Length limits fail to restructure a Largemouth Bass population: A 28‐year case history
Leandro E. Miranda, M.E. Colvin, A. C. Shamaskin, L. A. Bull, T. Holman, R. Jones
2017, North American Journal of Fisheries Management (37) 624-632
Length limits have been implemented by fisheries management agencies to achieve population density, size structure, and angler satisfaction objectives. By redirecting harvest towards or away from particular length‐ or age‐groups, length limits rely on harvest by anglers to maintain a population at or near a desired state. The fish population...
A new mechanistic approach for the further development of a population with established size bimodality
Lisa Heerman, Donald L. DeAngelis, Jost Borcherding
2017, PLoS ONE (12) 1-18
Usually, the origin of a within-cohort bimodal size distribution is assumed to be caused by initial size differences or by one discrete period of accelerated growth for one part of the population. The aim of this study was to determine if more continuous pathways exist allowing shifts from the small...
Alternative foraging strategies enable a mountain ungulate to persist after migration loss
Alyson B. Courtemanch, Matthew J. Kauffman, Steve Kilpatrick, Sarah Dewey
2017, Ecosphere (8) 1-16
The persistence of many migratory ungulate populations worldwide is threatened due to anthropogenic impacts to seasonal ranges and migration routes. While many studies have linked migratory ungulate declines to migration disruption or loss, very few have explored the underlying factors that determine whether a population perishes or persists. In some...
The greenscape shapes surfing of resource waves in a large migratory herbivore
Ellen O. Aikens, Matthew J. Kauffman, Jerod Merkle, Samantha Dwinnell, Gary L. Fralick, Kevin L. Monteith
2017, Ecology Letters (20) 741-750
The Green Wave Hypothesis posits that herbivore migration manifests in response to waves of spring green-up (i.e. green-wave surfing). Nonetheless, empirical support for the Green Wave Hypothesis is mixed, and a framework for understanding variation in surfing is lacking. In a population of migratory mule deer (Odocoileus hemionus), 31% surfed...
Sources and ages of fine-grained sediment to streams using fallout radionuclides in the Midwestern United States
Allen C. Gellis, Christopher C. Fuller, Peter C. Van Metre
2017, Journal of Environmental Management (194) 73-85
Fallout radionuclides, 7Be and 210Pbex, sampled in bed sediment for 99 watersheds in the Midwestern region of the United States and in 15 samples of suspended sediment from 3 of these watersheds were used to partition upland from channel sources and to estimate the age or the time since the surface-derived portion...
Habitat models to predict wetland bird occupancy influenced by scale, anthropogenic disturbance, and imperfect detection
Wesley J. Glisson, Courtney J. Conway, Christopher P. Nadeau, Kathi L. Borgmann
2017, Ecosphere (8) 1-20
Understanding species–habitat relationships for endangered species is critical for their conservation. However, many studies have limited value for conservation because they fail to account for habitat associations at multiple spatial scales, anthropogenic variables, and imperfect detection. We addressed these three limitations by developing models for an endangered wetland bird, Yuma...
Amphibians, pesticides, and the amphibian chytrid fungus in restored wetlands in agricultural landscapes
Rebecca A. Reeves, Clay Pierce, Mark W. Vandever, Erin L. Muths, Kelly L. Smalling
2017, Herpetological Conservation and Biology (12) 68-77
Information on interactions between pesticide exposure and disease prevalence in amphibian populations is limited, especially from field data. Exposure to certain herbicides and insecticides has the potential to decrease the immune response in frogs, which can potentially lead to increased abundance of Batrachochytrium dendrobatidis (Bd) zoospores on individuals and in...
Western bats as a reservoir of novel Streptomyces species with antifungal activity
Paris S. Hamm, Nicole A. Caimi, Diana E. Northup, Ernest W. Valdez, Debbie C. Buecher, Christopher A. Dunlap, David P. Labeda, Shiloh Lueschow, Andrea Porras-Alfaro
2017, Applied and Environmental Microbiology (83) 1-10
At least two-thirds of commercial antibiotics today are derived from Actinobacteria, more specifically from the genus Streptomyces. Antibiotic resistance and new emerging diseases pose great challenges in the field of microbiology. Cave systems, in which actinobacteria are ubiquitous and abundant, represent new opportunities for...
Temporal genetic population structure and interannual variation in migration behavior of Pacific Lamprey Entosphenus tridentatus
Benjamin J. Clemens, Lance A. Wyss, Rebecca McCoun, Ian Courter, Lawrence Schwabe, Christopher Peery, Carl B. Schreck, Erin K. Spice, Margaret F. Docker
2017, Hydrobiologia (794) 223-240
Studies using neutral loci suggest that Pacific lamprey, Entosphenus tridentatus, lack strong spatial genetic population structure. However, it is unknown whether temporal genetic population structure exists. We tested whether adult Pacific lamprey: (1) show temporal genetic population structure; and (2) migrate different distances between years. We non-lethally sampled lamprey...
Understanding ecosystem services adoption by natural resource managers and research ecologists
Daniel Engel, Mary Anne Evans, Bobbi S. Low, Jeff Schaeffer
2017, Journal of Great Lakes Research (43) 169-179
The ecosystem services (ES) paradigm has gained much traction as a natural resource management approach due to its comprehensive nature and ability to provide quantitative tools to improve decision-making. However, it is still uncertain whether and how practitioners have adopted the ES paradigm into their work and how this aligns...
Influence of genetic background, salinity, and inoculum size on growth of the ichthyotoxic golden alga (Prymnesium parvum)
Rakib H. Rashel, Reynaldo Patino
2017, Harmful Algae (66) 97-104
Salinity (5–30) effects on golden alga growth were determined at a standard laboratory temperature (22 °C) and one associated with natural blooms (13 °C). Inoculum-size effects were determined over a wide size range (100–100,000 cells ml−1). A strain widely distributed in the USA, UTEX-2797 was the primary study subject but another of limited distribution,...
Daily survival rate and habitat characteristics of nests of Wilson's Plover
Elizabeth Zinsser, Felicia J. Sanders, Patrick D. Gerard, Patrick G.R. Jodice
2017, Southeastern Naturalist (16) 149-156
We assessed habitat characteristics and measured daily survival rate of 72 nests of Charadrius wilsonia (Wilson's Plover) during 2012 and 2013 on South Island and Sand Island on the central coast of South Carolina. At both study areas, nest sites were located at slightly higher elevations (i.e., small platforms of...
