Open Access. Powered by Scholars. Published by Universities.®
Articles 1 - 4 of 4
Full-Text Articles in Life Sciences
Sea Level Rise May Increase Extinction Risk Of A Saltmarsh Ontogenetic Habitat Specialist, David S. Johnson, Bethany L. Williams
Sea Level Rise May Increase Extinction Risk Of A Saltmarsh Ontogenetic Habitat Specialist, David S. Johnson, Bethany L. Williams
VIMS Articles
Specialist species are more vulnerable to environmental change than generalist species. For species with ontogenetic niche shifts, specialization may occur at a particular life stage making those stages more susceptible to environmental change. In the salt marshes in the northeast U.S., accelerated sea level rise is shifting vegetation patterns from flood-intolerant species such as Spartina patens to the flood-tolerant Spartina alterniflora. We tested the potential impact of this change on the coffee bean snail, Melampus bidentatus, a numerically dominant benthic invertebrate with an ontogenetic niche shift. From a survey of eight marshes throughout the northeast U.S., small snails …
Multifaceted Biodiversity Hotspots Of Marine Mammals For Conservation Priorities, Camille Albouy, Valentine L. Delattre, Bastien Merigot, Christine N. Meynard, Fabien Leprieur
Multifaceted Biodiversity Hotspots Of Marine Mammals For Conservation Priorities, Camille Albouy, Valentine L. Delattre, Bastien Merigot, Christine N. Meynard, Fabien Leprieur
VIMS Articles
Aim: Identifying the multifaceted biodiversity hotspots for marine mammals and their spatial overlap with human threats at the global scale.
Assessing The Impact Of Local And Regional Influences On Nitrogen Loads To Buzzards Bay, Ma, Shanna C. Williamson, Jennie E. Rheuban, Et Al
Assessing The Impact Of Local And Regional Influences On Nitrogen Loads To Buzzards Bay, Ma, Shanna C. Williamson, Jennie E. Rheuban, Et Al
VIMS Articles
Nitrogen and chlorophyll-a concentrations in estuarine systems often correlate positively with increased nitrogen input. To determine the interactions between nitrogen load, physical drivers, and water quality indicators, we estimated nitrogen inputs to 28 estuaries within the Buzzards Bay, Massachusetts (USA) watershed from 1985 to 2013. Estimates were derived by combining parcel specific wastewater disposal, point source wastewater discharge, land use, and atmospheric nitrogen deposition data with a previously verified nitrogen loading model. Linear regression analysis was used to quantify temporal trends in individual data sets and characterize relationships between variables. The land-use data indicated that fractional coverage of impervious surfaces …
A Synergistic Approach For Evaluating Climate Model Output For Ecological Applications, Rochelle Cavanaugh, Ej Murphy, Et Al, Walker O. Smith Jr., Et Al
A Synergistic Approach For Evaluating Climate Model Output For Ecological Applications, Rochelle Cavanaugh, Ej Murphy, Et Al, Walker O. Smith Jr., Et Al
VIMS Articles
Increasing concern about the impacts of climate change on ecosystems is prompting ecologists and ecosystem managers to seek reliable projections of physical drivers of change. The use of global climate models in ecology is growing, although drawing ecologically meaningful conclusions can be problematic. The expertise required to access and interpret output from climate and earth system models is hampering progress in utilizing them most effectively to determine the wider implications of climate change. To address this issue, we present a joint approach between climate scientists and ecologists that explores key challenges and opportunities for progress. As an exemplar, our focus …