The Amazon Basin’s rivers and lakes support Nearctic-breeding shorebirds during southward migration
Jennifer A. Linscott, Enzo Basso, Rosalyn Bathrick, Juliana Bosi de Almeida, Alexandra Anderson, Fernando Angulo-Pratolongo, Bart M Ballard, Joël Bêty, Stephen Brown, Katherine S. Christie, Sarah J. Clements, Christian Friis, Callie Gesmundo, Marie-Andree Giroux, Autumn-Lynn Harrison, Christopher M. Harwood, Jason M. Hill, James A. Johnson, Bart Kempenaers, Benoit Laliberte, Jean-François Lamarre, Richard B. Lanctot, Christopher Latty, Nicolas Lecomte, Laura Anne McDuffie, Juan G. Navedo, Erica Nol, Zachary M. Pohlen, Jennie Rausch, R.B. Renfrew, Jorge Ruiz, Mike Russell, Daniel R. Ruthrauff, Sarah T. Saalfeld, Brett K. Sandercock, Shiloh A. Schulte, Paul A Smith, Audrey R. Taylor, T. Lee Tibbitts, Mihai Valcu, Mitch D. Weegman, James R. Wright, Nathan R. Senner
2024, Ornithological Applications (126)
Identifying the migration routes and stopover sites used by declining species is critical for developing targeted conservation actions. Long-distance migratory shorebirds are among the groups of birds declining most rapidly, yet we frequently lack detailed knowledge about the routes and stopover sites they use during their hemisphere-spanning migrations. This is...
Multiple records of the introduced parthenogenetic Smooth-scaled Tegulet, Gymnophthalmus underwoodi Grant 1958, in Puerto Rico
Danielle Rivera, Jan P. Zegarra, Alberto R. Puente-Rolon, Nahíra Arocho-Hernandez, Nathan J. Hostetter, Jaime A. Collazo, Rayna C. Bell
2024, Reptiles and Amphibians (31)
The introduction of invasive species to islands can be devastating to local biota. While many invasive species’ successful colonization of new habitats can be attributed to features like high fecundity or low mate selectivity, parthenogenetic species pose a unique threat in their ability to reproduce asexually at high rates. The...
Vertebrate population changes induced by hunting in Amazonian sustainable-use protected areas
Ricardo Sampaio, Ronaldo G. Morato, J. Andrew Royle, Mark I. Abrahams, Carlos A. Peres, Adriano G. Chiarello
2023, Biological Conservation (284)
The purported sustainability of sustainable-use reserves (SURs) has been questioned in recent decades due to anthropogenic disturbance, including widespread game hunting. A fuller understanding of the drivers of harvest-induced game population changes in SURs is needed to inform this debate. We deployed 720 <a class="topic-link" title="Learn more about camera traps from...
Historic population estimates for bottlenose dolphins (Tursiops truncatus) in Aragua, Venezuela indicate monitoring need
Sergio Cobarrubia-Russo, Shannon Barber-Meyer, Guillermo R. Barreto, Alimar Molero-Lizarraga
2021, Aquatic Mammals (1) 10-20
This study reports historic capture-mark-recapture survival and abundance estimates of common bottlenose dolphins (Tursiops truncatus) based on photo-identification surveys of coastal Venezuela (along the Aragua coast between Turiamo Bay and Puerto Colombia). We used the most recent data available: dolphins identified by unique dorsal fin marks during wet and dry...
Genetic connectivity of the West Indian manatee in the southern range and limited evidence of hybridization with Amazonian manatees
Fabia O. Luna, Caitlin Beaver, Coralie Nourisson, Robert Bonde, Fernanda L. N. Attademo, Adriana V. Miranda, Juan P. Torres-Florez, Glaucia P. de Sousa, Jose Z. Passavate, Margaret Hunter
2021, Frontiers in Marine Science (7)
The Antillean subspecies of the West Indian manatee is classified as endangered by the International Union for the Conservation of Nature (IUCN) Red List. In Brazil, the manatee population is listed as endangered with an estimated population size of 500–1,000. Historic hunting, recent habitat degradation, and fisheries bycatch...
Taxonomic evaluation of the Grallaria rufula (Rufous Antpitta) complex (Aves: Passeriformes: Grallariidae) distinguishes sixteen species
Morton L Isler, Terry Chesser, Mark B Robbins, Andres M Cuervo, C Daniel Cadena, Peter A. Hosner
2020, Zootaxa (4817)
Populations in the Rufous Antpitta (Grallaria rufula) complex occupy humid montane forests of the Andes from northern Colombia and adjacent Venezuela to central Bolivia. Their tawny to cinnamon-colored plumages are generally uniform, featuring subtle variation in hue and saturation across this range. In contrast to their conservative plumage, substantial vocal...
Conservative plumage masks extraordinary phylogenetic diversity in the Grallaria rufula (Rufous Antpitta) complex of the humid Andes
Terry Chesser, Morton L Isler, Andres M Cuervo, C Daniel Cadena, Spencer C Galen, Laura M. Bergner, Robert C. Fleischer, Gustavo A Bravo, Daniel F Lane, Peter A. Hosner
2020, Auk (137)
The Grallaria rufula complex is currently considered to consist of 2 species, G. rufula (Rufous Antpitta) and G. blakei (Chestnut Antpitta). However, it has been suggested that the complex, populations of which occur in humid montane forests from Venezuela to Bolivia, comprises a suite of vocally distinct yet morphologically cryptic...
Identification of Acara (Cichlidae: Cichlasoma) established in Florida, USA
Robert H Robins, Mary E. Brown, Ryan A Crutchfield
2020, BioInvasions Records (9) 133-145
The Black Acara, Cichlasoma bimaculatum (Linnaeus, 1758), was first reported as introduced to Florida in 1965. Native to Venezuela, Guyana, Suriname, western French Guiana, and northern Brazil, the species is now distributed throughout Florida’s southern peninsula. Examination of live and preserved acara from Central Florida, heretofore identified as Black Acara, reveal the...
Reproductive biology of Grey-breasted Wood-Wren (Henicorhina leucophrys): A comparative study of tropical and temperate wrens
Necmiye Sahin Arslan, Thomas E. Martin
2019, Wilson Journal of Ornithology (131) 1-11
We provide a detailed breeding biology account for the Grey-breasted Wood-Wren (Henicorhina leucophrys) and a comparison of the reproductive life history of tropical and temperate wrens using literature data. We conducted this study at Yacambú National Park in Venezuela from 2002 to 2008. Clutch size was 1.99 (SE 0.01) and...
Life history, genetics, range expansion and new frontiers of the lionfish (Pterois volitans, Perciformes: Pteroidae) in Latin America
Edgardo Diaz-Ferguson, Margaret Hunter
2019, Regional Studies in Marine Science (31)
Pterois volitans (lionfish) is a midsize predatory fish commonly found in waters of the western Pacific and Indian Ocean. The species was first documented in Dania Beach, Florida (northwestern Caribbean) in 1985. Since that time the species has expanded its range rapidly to the Northwestern Atlantic Ocean, Gulf of Mexico, and...
Rapid inundation of the southern Florida coastline despite low relative sea-level rise rates during the late-Holocene
Miriam Jones, G. Lynn Wingard, Bethany Stackhouse, Katherine Keller, Debra A. Willard, Marci E. Marot, Bryan D. Landacre, Christopher E. Bernhardt
2019, Nature Communications (10)
Sediment cores from Florida Bay, Everglades National Park were examined to determine ecosystem response to relative sea-level rise (RSLR) over the Holocene. High-resolution multiproxy analysis from four sites show freshwater wetlands transitioned to mangrove environments 4–3.6 ka, followed by estuarine environments 3.4–2.8 ka, during a period of enhanced climate variability....
Morphology and molecular data reveal invasion of cryptic golden tegus Tupinambis cryptus Murphy et al., 2016) in Florida
R. Alexander Pyron, Robert Reed, Timothy J. Colston, Michael R. Rochford
2019, BioInvasions Records (8) 465-470
Golden Tegus (Tupinambis teguixin sensu lato) are native to South America and have established a reproducing population in Miami-Dade County, Florida. Recent work divided the Golden Tegu into four separate species, leaving the specific identity of Golden Tegus in Florida unknown. We used morphometric and mitochondrial data to determine the...
Earthquake scenarios in South America: Application to five major cities
Mabe Villar-Vega, Vitor Silva, Kishor S. Jaiswal
2018, Conference Paper, Proceedings of 16th European Conference on Earthquake Engineering
Seismic hazard, risk, and design for South America
Mark D. Petersen, Stephen Harmsen, Kishor S. Jaiswal, Kenneth S. Rukstales, Nico Luco, Kathleen Haller, Charles Mueller, Allison Shumway
2018, Bulletin of the Seismological Society of America (108) 781-800
We calculate seismic hazard, risk, and design criteria across South America using the latest data, models, and methods to support public officials, scientists, and engineers in earthquake risk mitigation efforts. Updated continental scale seismic hazard models are based on a new seismicity catalog, seismicity rate models, evaluation of earthquake sizes,...
Contrasting latitudinal patterns of life-history divergence in two genera of new world thrushes (Turdinae)
Andy J. Boyce, Thomas E. Martin
2017, Journal of Avian Biology (48) 581-590
Several long-standing hypotheses have been proposed to explain latitudinal patterns of life-history strategies. Here, we test predictions of four such hypotheses (seasonality, food limitation, nest predation and adult survival probability) by examining life-history traits and age-specific mortality rates of several species of thrushes (Turdinae) based on field studies at temperate...
Assessment of continuous oil and gas resources of the Maracaibo Basin Province of Venezuela and Colombia, 2016
Christopher J. Schenk, Marilyn E. Tennyson, Tracey J. Mercier, Stephanie B. Gaswirth, Kristen R. Marra, Phoung A. Le, Janet K. Pitman, Michael E. Brownfield, Sarah J. Hawkins, Heidi M. Leathers-Miller, Thomas M. Finn, Timothy R. Klett
2017, Fact Sheet 2017-3011
Using a geology-based assessment methodology, the U.S. Geological Survey estimated undiscovered, technically recoverable mean continuous resources of 656 million barrels of oil and 5.7 trillion cubic feet of gas in the Maracaibo Basin Province, Venezuela and Colombia....
Resident areas and migrations of female green turtles nesting at Buck Island Reef National Monument, St. Croix, U.S. Virgin Islands
Kristen M. Hart, Autumn Iverson, Allison M. Benscoter, Ikuko Fujisaki, Michael S. Cherkiss, Clayton Pollock, Ian Lundgren, Zandy Hillis-Starr
2017, Endangered Species Research (32) 89-101
Satellite tracking in marine turtle studies can reveal much about their spatial use of breeding areas, migration zones, and foraging sites. We assessed spatial habitat-use patterns of 10 adult female green turtles (Chelonia mydas) nesting at Buck Island Reef National Monument, U.S. Virgin Islands (BIRNM) from 2011 – 2014....
Nonbreeding isolation and population-specific migration patterns among three populations of Golden-winged Warblers
Gunnar R. Kramer, Henry M. Streby, Sean M. Peterson, Justin A. Lehman, David A. Buehler, Petra B. Wood, Darin J. McNeil Jr., Jeffrey L. Larkin, David E. Andersen
2017, Condor (119) 108-121
Golden-winged Warblers (Vermivora chrysoptera) are Nearctic–Neotropical migrants experiencing varied regional population trends not fully explained by breeding-grounds factors such as nest success. A lack of detailed information on the nonbreeding distributions, migration routes, or timing of migration among populations hampers our ability to identify population processes outside the breeding period....
Dynamic distributions and population declines of Golden-winged Warblers
Kenneth V. Rosenberg, Tom Will, David A. Buehler, Sara Barker Swarthout, Wayne E. Thogmartin, Ruth E. Bennett, Richard Chandler
2016, Book chapter, Golden-winged Warbler ecology, conservation, and habitat management (Studies in Avian Biology, volume 49)
With an estimated breeding population in 2010 of 383,000 pairs, the Golden-winged Warbler (Vermivora chrysoptera) is among the most vulnerable and steeply declining of North American passerines. This species also has exhibited among the most dynamic breeding distributions, with populations expanding and then contracting over the past 150 years in...
Salinity and temperature tolerance of an emergent alien species, the Amazon fish Astronotus ocellatus
Silvia M M Gutierrel, Pamela J. Schofield, Viviane Prodocimo
2016, Hydrobiologia (777) 21-31
Astronotus ocellatus (oscar), is native to the Amazon basin and, although it has been introduced to many countries, little is known regarding its tolerances for salinity and temperature. In this report, we provide data on the tolerance of A. ocellatus to abrupt and gradual changes in salinity, its high and...
Population trends and survival of nesting green sea turtles Chelonia mydas on Aves Island, Venezuela
Marco A. Garcia-Cruz, Margarita Lampo, Claudia L. Penaloza, William L. Kendall, Genaro Sole, Kathryn M. Rodriguez-Clark
2015, Endangered Species Research (29) 103-116
Long-term demographic data are valuable for assessing the effect of anthropogenic impacts on endangered species and evaluating recovery programs. Using a 2-state open robust design model, we analyzed mark-recapture data from green turtles Chelonia mydas sighted between 1979 and 2009 on Aves Island, Venezuela, a rookery heavily impacted by human activities before...
First satellite tracks of the Endangered black-capped petrel
Patrick G.R. Jodice, Robert A. Ronconi, Ernst Rupp, George E. Wallace, Yvan Satgé
2015, Endangered Species Research (29) 23-33
The black-capped petrel Pterodroma hasitata is an endangered seabird with fewer than 2000 breeding pairs restricted to a few breeding sites in Haiti and the Dominican Republic. To date, use areas at sea have been determined entirely from vessel-based surveys and opportunistic sightings and, as such, spatial and temporal gaps in our...
A new species of Cryptotis (Mammalia, Eulipotyphla, Soricidae) from the Sierra de Perijá, Venezuelan-Colombian Andes
Marcial Quiroga-Carmona, Neal Woodman
2015, Journal of Mammalogy (96) 800-809
The Sierra de Perijá is the northern extension of the Cordillera Oriental of the Andes and includes part of the border between Colombia and Venezuela. The population of small-eared shrews (Mammalia, Eulipotyphla, Soricidae, Cryptotis) inhabiting the Sierra de Perijá previously was known from only a single skull from an individual...
Clutch size declines with elevation in tropical birds
A.J. Boyce, Benjamin G. Freeman, Adam E. Mitchell, Thomas E. Martin
2015, The Auk (132) 424-432
Clutch size commonly decreases with increasing elevation among temperate-zone and subtropical songbird species. Tropical songbirds typically lay small clutches, thus the ability to evolve even smaller clutch sizes at higher elevations is unclear and untested. We conducted a comparative phylogenetic analysis using data gathered from the literature to test whether...
A Bayesian kriging approach for blending satellite and ground precipitation observations
Andrew P. Verdin, Balaji Rajagopalan, William Kleiber, Christopher C. Funk
2015, Water Resources Research (51) 908-921
Drought and flood management practices require accurate estimates of precipitation. Gauge observations, however, are often sparse in regions with complicated terrain, clustered in valleys, and of poor quality. Consequently, the spatial extent of wet events is poorly represented. Satellite-derived precipitation data are an attractive alternative, though they tend to underestimate...
