Life Sciences Commons^™

Lake Mead National Recreation Area Monitoring And Evaluation Of Sensitive Wildlife: Quarterly Progress Report, Period Ending December 31, 2010, Margaret N. Rees

Wildlife Monitoring

Project 1. Relict Leopard Frog Monitoring, Management, and Research

• Final milestones and deliverables for this project were completed this quarter.
• Fall monitoring surveys were completed at all sites.
• Habitat actions to improve breeding pools were conducted at one site.
• Data and associated metadata were compiled and quality assured.
• Final and annual reports were written and submitted in required formats for Clark County

and the Relict Leopard Frog Conservation Team.

Project 2. Bald Eagle Winter Monitoring and Evaluation

• This project was previously completed and all associated deliverables met.
• Efforts were provided this quarter in support of the 2011 winter count.

Project …

Reconstructing Species Responses To Past Climatic Changes Using Niche Modeling And Genetic Data, Tereza Jezkova

UNLV Theses, Dissertations, Professional Papers, and Capstones

Glacial – interglacial cycles have a pronounced impact on species distributions and genetic structure. Many species shift their distributions to lower latitudes and altitudes during the colder glacial periods and expand northwards and up the elevation during warmer interglacial periods. Some species however are capable of adapting to changing environment which allows them to persist in place despite climatic changes. I explored how climatic changes after the last glacial maximum (LGM) effected two species inhabiting the deserts of western North America: one mammal (Chisel-toothed Kangaroo Rat, Dipodomys microps) and one reptile (Desert Horned Lizard, Phrynosoma platyrhinos). I used …

Effect Of Spatial And Temporal Variability Of Antecedent Moisture Content On Model-Generated Runoff From An Arid Watershed, William J. Meyer

UNLV Theses, Dissertations, Professional Papers, and Capstones

Streams in the arid southwest are typically ephemeral, and stream gages are not commonly available. Consequently, runoff data from storm events is not available, and flood control facility design or other water resource related decisions are based on synthetic hydrographs. In the Mojave Desert region of Southern Nevada, the duration of storm used to develop these synthetic hydrographs is the 6 hour storm. The 6 hour storm is used to simulate high intensity summer storms. Additionally, soils information used in the calculations for these synthetic hydrographs is taken from maps that are generally developed for a broad range of issues …

Walking Box Ranch Planning And Design Quarterly Progress Report: Period Ending October 10, 2010, Margaret N. Rees

Walking Box Ranch

• UNLV Public Safety is assisting in identifying security methods needed to guarantee safety and security at the ranch after project completion. This effort will involve the assistance of Metro CPTED program officers as design proceeds.
• UNLV IT is determining the extent to which they can assist with networking and technology issues as project design moves forward. They may assist in identifying consultants to hire to assist with technology.
• We have solicited research/education proposals from UNLV faculty for projects to be initiated in the coming year. The goal is to provide seed funding for projects that will expand as the facilities …

Mojave Applied Ecology Notes Fall 2010, Adria Decorte, Sharon Altman, Alex Suazo

Mojave Applied Ecology Notes

Adria DeCorte defense, Mojave desert inventory and monitoring mapping project, effect of burial depth on Brassica tournefortii seeds

Hrc Enews — 2010 Fall, Megan K. Svarz

Publications (HRC)

This issue contains staff accomplishments and announcements, event listings, and a "new faces" listing for new staff, affiliates, and researchers.

Lake Mead National Recreation Area Monitoring And Evaluation Of Sensitive Wildlife: Quartlerly Progress Report, Period Ending September 30, 2010, Margaret N. Rees

Wildlife Monitoring

Project 1. Relict Leopard Frog Monitoring, Management, and Research

• All milestones and deliverables are on schedule
• Reconnaissance conducted at sites in the Gold Butte during coordinated efforts with USGS
• Annual Project Review Presentation provided to Clark County
• Spring-season mark-recapture at Blue Point Spring completed this quarter
• Fall-season mark-recapture effort initiated

Project 2. Bald Eagle Winter Monitoring and Evaluation

• This project has been completed and all associated deliverables have been met

Project 3. Peregrine Falcon Monitoring and Evaluation

• This project has been completed and all final report deliverables have been met
• Presentations were given at the Raptor Research Foundation Annual Conference …

Limnological Assistance For Lake Mead National Recreation Area: Quarterly Report, Period Ending September 30, 2010, Margaret N. Rees

Limnological Studies

Project 1

• Technical assistance with the implementation of the Interagency Monitoring Action Plan (I-MAP) for Quagga Mussels is ongoing. During this quarter, analysis was completed for 11 adult/juvenile samples from the winter 2009 – spring 2010 sampling. Two manuscripts related to the I-MAP were submitted to the peer-reviewed journal, Aquatic Invasions.

Project 2

• Topics and analyses have been approved for annual report development as prescribed by the Limnological and Aquatic Resource Monitoring and Research Plan for Lakes Mead and Mohave.
• Content, including links and photos for the front page, four limnology category web pages, and one associated page have been …

Similarity Of Climate Change Data For Antarctica And Nevada, Corbin Benally, Shahram Latifi, Karletta Chief

Undergraduate Research Opportunities Program (UROP)

The correlation between temperature and carbon dioxide concentration in the past one hundred years is studied. Separate graphs containing data from Vostok, Antarctica and the Mojave desert/mountain west (Nevada region) are presented. Using data obtained from these graphs, an attempt is made to explain the results and investigate the similarity of these results for Antarctica and Nevada. The importance of this study lies in the fact that if data show the same trend in the two regions, many findings for climate change in Antarctica may readily be validated and employed for Nevada.

The Endosymbiotic Relationship Of Leguminosae (Fabaceae) And Rhizobium, Sabrina Mcgee, Dolores Maceda, Maria Bustos, Maryknoll Palisoc, Rachel Dahl

Undergraduate Research Opportunities Program (UROP)

This project will look at The Endosymbiotic Relationship of Leguminosae (Fabaceae) and Rizobioum. Endoysmbiosis Theory is the concept that mitochondria and chloroplasts are the result of years of evolution initiated by the endocytosis, (the process by which cells absorb material through their cell membrane) of bacteria and algae which, instead of becoming digested, became symbiotic.The mitochondria of eukaryotes evolved from aerobic bacteria, probably rickettsias, living within their host cell and the chloroplasts from cyanobacteria, also known as blue-green algae. Endoysmbiosis is a type of symbiosis in which one organism lives inside the body of another and both function as a …

Temporal And Spatial Assessment Of Evaporation, Transpiration, And Soil Moisture Redistribution, Brian M. Bird

UNLV Theses, Dissertations, Professional Papers, and Capstones

At a native stand of creosote bush (Larrea tridentata) in North Las Vegas, a rainfall simulation study was conducted over a 12 month period from October 2005 to October 2006. Simulated rainfall occurred during the winter, spring, summer, and fall periods. Rainfall simulation systems were positioned on each of 12 plots, each containing a single creosote bush. Simulated rainfall events occurred at night with multiple short pulses designed to maximize infiltration while minimizing ponding. Yearly simulated rainfall amounts were set at 0, 15, 30 and 60 cm (replicated three times) and were approximately 0, 1.5, 3.0 and 6.0 times the …

Mojave Applied Ecology Notes Summer 2010, Scott R. Abella, E. Cayenne Engel

Mojave Applied Ecology Notes

Survey of monitoring and management for conservation of rare plants, Roadside restoration techniques in Joshua Tree NP, and an update on renewable energy developments in the Southwestern deserts

Renewable Energy Projects In Southwestern Deserts – Update On Our Involvement, Scott R. Abella

Public Policy and Leadership Faculty Publications

Like many in the conservation field, we have a good understanding of the urgent need for alternative energy sources, but also of the negative environmental tradeoffs of placing renewable energy developments on vast tracts of public lands in southwestern deserts as currently envisioned. We also understand political and economic reasons, good or bad, for not doing some obvious things that make sense for renewable energy like placing solar arrays on building tops in cities, within multi-use contexts such as crops, and on already impacted land when alternative energy projects (right or wrong) are to be placed on public land.

Evaluating Efficacy Of Restoration Techniques, Keys View Road Reconstruction, Joshua Tree National Park, California, U.S.A, Scott R. Abella, E. Cayenne Engel

Public Policy and Leadership Faculty Publications

Keys View Road in Joshua Tree National Park (JOTR) was recently repaved, resulting in a buffer of vegetation and soil disturbance along the road corridor. In order to mitigate the effects of the repaving, JOTR designed an experimental framework to test various revegetation strategies. They outplanted salvaged and nursery grown native plant species in conjunction with vertical mulch in a fully crossed design (outplanting only, vertical mulch only, outplanting + vertical mulch, bare ground) to examine if any of the treatments most efficiently establish native plant communities.

Survey Of Resource Managers Completed On Monitoring And Management Actions For Rare Plants In Arizona And Nevada, Scott R. Abella

Public Policy and Leadership Faculty Publications

In a collaborative project with Northern Arizona University and more than 35 resource managers in Arizona and Nevada, we completed a survey of monitoring and management activities that are ongoing in these states for conserving populations of rare plants. We sent questionnaires consisting of 16 questions to as many resource managers as possible in these states and had follow-up conversations with several managers willing to share their perspective on ongoing conservation actions. The findings may be interesting for managers to see what issues and management strategies other managers in the same or different regions are grappling with. Results will be …

Lake Mead National Recreation Area Monitoring And Evaluation Of Sensitive Wildlife: Quartlerly Progress Report, Period Ending June 30, 2010, Margaret N. Rees

Wildlife Monitoring

Project 1. Relict Leopard Frog Monitoring, Management, and Research

• All milestones and deliverables are on schedule
• Translocation program completed for this year
• Completed spring-season nocturnal monitoring surveys
• Completed spring-season mark-recapture efforts at Blue Point Spring
• Hosted RLFCT meeting

Project 2. Bald Eagle Winter Monitoring and Evaluation

• This project has been completed and all associated deliverables have been met

Project 3. Peregrine Falcon Monitoring and Evaluation

• This project has been completed and all final report deliverables have been met
• Although not specified in the scope of work for this project, call-broadcast surveys were conducted this quarter to provide a limited assessment …

Limnological Assistance For Lake Mead National Recreation Area: Quarterly Report, Period Ending June 30, 2010, Margaret N. Rees

Limnological Studies

Project 1

• Technical assistance with the implementation of the Interagency Monitoring Action Plan (I-MAP) for Quagga Mussels is ongoing. During this quarter, analysis was completed for 14 adult/juvenile samples from the fall 2009 – spring 2010 sampling.
• Sampling for the first of two small-scale research projects funded by this task agreement (Abundance and settlement at different depths of Lake Mead) was initiated on June 16, 2010.

Project 2

• Topics and proposed analyses have been drafted for annual report development as prescribed by the Plan.
• A plan for developing and organizing NPS limnology-related web pages has been documented and content has …

2010 Adaptive Management Report, Desert Conservation Program

Publications (C)

The Desert Conservation Program administers the incidental take permit issued in 2001 by the United States Fish and Wildlife Service in accordance with the Endangered Species Act. Compliance with the permit requires implementation of the Clark County Multiple Species Habitat Conservation Plan. This plan requires an adaptive management program and a biennial report by an independent science advisor to assess the status of the plan and make recommendations for future funding. This 2010 Adaptive Management Report reviews current data on land use trends, habitat loss, species status and plan implementation, and makes recommendations for the future.

Phylogeography Of Two Closely Related Anurans, The Relict Leopard Frog (Rana Onca) And Lowland Leopard Frog (Rana Yavapaiensis), Viktoria Hemmings

UNLV Theses, Dissertations, Professional Papers, and Capstones

I investigate the phylogeography of the relict and lowland leopard frogs (Rana onca; R. yavapaiensis) inhabiting the Mojave and Sonoran deserts. In Chapter 1, I summarize literature describing taxonomy, phylogenetics, and the possible effects of Quaternary climate change on distribution. Examples of phylogeographic patterns from generally co-distributed organisms are provided to develop background for interpreting the structure. In Chapter 2, I investigate the phylogeography of these frogs using mitochondrial DNA data. The analysis supports a previously determined phylogenetic break between taxa however further dividing R. yavapaiensis into two lineages. I estimate a possible Early Pleistocene divergence of R. onca and …

Filtration And Growth Rate Of Lake Mead Quagga Mussels (Dreissena Bugensis) In Laboratory Studies And Analyses Of Bioaccumulation, Carolyn Louise Link

UNLV Theses, Dissertations, Professional Papers, and Capstones

In January of 2007, Quagga Mussels (Dreissena bugensis) were identified in Lake Mead, Nevada. An aquatic invasive species, these mussels can significantly alter ecosystems. This study sought to quantify three ecological traits of the species through a series of laboratory experiments and analyses, providing information both for comparison with Dreissena in other locations, as well as for limnologic management decisions. Filtration rate of quagga mussels was quantified using algal strains and natural seston. Two strains of green algae, Nannochloris and Scenedesmus were used to determine mussel filtration rates with a spectrophotometer. Quagga filtration rates of collected Lake Mead seston were …

Transforming Space Into Place: Development, Rock Climbing, And Interpretation In Red Rock Canyon National Conservation Area, 1960-2010, Megan Sharp Weatherly

UNLV Theses, Dissertations, Professional Papers, and Capstones

Though Americans tend to view wilderness as separate from nature, environmental historians have argued that wilderness is a cultural construct more than a quantifiable geographic category. Red Rock Canyon National Conservation Area (NCA), a 195,000-acre tract located west of Las Vegas, Nevada, is one such cultural construction. Since 1960, this BLM-managed parcel has served as a local and regional expression of broader, national trends in outdoor recreation, interpretation, and development and thereby forced visitors to engage (often unknowingly) in a cultural dialogue about consumerism, technology, and identity. With information from newspapers, archival collections, oral histories, and government documents, this thesis …

Assessing Invasive Plant Species As Threats In Mojave Desert Parks, Sara L. Mcpherson, Donovan J. Craig, Scott R. Abella

Graduate Research Symposium (GCUA) (2010 - 2017)

The invasion and persistence of exotic plant species threatens the natural features that national parks are designed to protect. For example, park managers have witnessed an increase in the frequency, extent and intensity of fires along with a reduction in native species richness and diversity. Many park managers are familiar with a suite of highly invasive plants, but lack a comprehensive and systematic way of prioritizing invasive plant species based on potential threats to the parks’ resources. We have entered into a collaborative project with the National Park Service’s Inventory and Monitoring program to develop an invasive plant early detection …

29 Years Of Vegetation Community Change Across Environmental Gradients In A Mojave Desert Mountain Range, Christopher L. Roberts, James S. Holland, Scott R. Abella

Graduate Research Symposium (GCUA) (2010 - 2017)

There is a great deal of uncertainty as to how biological communities respond to changes in land use and climate change, a situation particularly relevant in protected areas such as national parks that were designated to conserve specific biological features. Utilizing extant vegetation data sets with repeatable methodology can provide opportunities for insight into previous vegetation change and provide base line data for long-term monitoring projects useful for modeling vegetation community trajectories. We have relocated and resurveyed 106 sites from a vegetation community study initiated in 1979 in the Newberry Mountains, southern Nevada, within Lake Mead National Recreation Area managed …

Mojave Applied Ecology Notes Spring 2010, Anna San, Donovan J. Craig, Lindsay P. Chiquoine, Scott R. Abella, E. Cayenne Engel, Christina L. Lund, Jessica E. Spencer, Edward P. Weber Ph.D, Jill E. Craig

Mojave Applied Ecology Notes

Seed removal rates of Sahara mustard by rodents and ants, Mojave Desert Network exotic invasive inventory, gypsum roadside disturbance restoration update, new paper out on post-fire plant establishment, UNLV establishes school of environmental and public affairs

Phylogeography And Landscape Genetics Of The Flammulated Owl: Evolutionary History Reconstruction And Metapopulation Dynamics, Markus Mika

UNLV Theses, Dissertations, Professional Papers, and Capstones

Taxa occur across ever changing landscapes on different spatial and temporal scales. Choosing the appropriate scale for collecting data and drawing inferences is critical for understanding the history of a species and its populations. Here, I describe research in which I investigated phylogenetic patterns and population genetics for Flammulated Owls (Otus flammeolus) representing 14 localities from throughout the species' distribution, and compared regional landscape features with the distribution of genetic diversity. This small, insectivorous owl migratory (Family Strigidae) breeds in western conifer and deciduous dry forests of the mountains from southern Mexico to British Columbia. Sedentary populations are found in …

Space Use And Mating Activities In The Speckled Rattlesnake, Xavier Glaudas

UNLV Theses, Dissertations, Professional Papers, and Capstones

Our understanding of space use variation in response to the temporally varying importance of specific resources is poorly understood in reptiles, because spatial studies are rarely placed into an explicit ecological and behavioral context. I examined how space use differed between the mating and post-mating seasons, and how this variation related to three important resources, mating partners, food, and refuge, in an adult population of the speckled rattlesnake Crotalus mitchellii in the Mojave Desert of southwestern North America. During the mating season (late April to early June), Crotalus mitchellii increased distance traveled per unit time, because wide-ranging behavior likely enhances …

Lake Mead National Recreation Area Monitoring And Evaluation Of Sensitive Wildlife: Quarterly Progress Report, Period Ending March 31, 2010, Margaret N. Rees

Wildlife Monitoring

Project 1. Relict Leopard Frog Monitoring, Management, and Research

• All milestones and deliverables are on schedule
• Translocation program initiated for this year with egg mass collections in early spring
• Tadpole rearing underway, first releases schedule for the end of March 2010
• Diurnal egg mass surveys were completed at all sites
• Nocturnal surveys initiated and in progress
• Continuing mark-recapture efforts at Blue Point Spring initiated for spring season
• Data transferred to County completed

Project 2. Bald Eagle Winter Monitoring and Evaluation

• Project has essentially been completed
• All final report deliverables were completed
• Although not specified in the scope of work for …

Limnological Assistance For Lake Mead National Recreation Area: Quarterly Report, Period Ending March 30, 2010, Margaret N. Rees

Limnological Studies

Project 1

• Technical assistance with the implementation of the Interagency Monitoring Action Plan (I-MAP) for Quagga Mussels is ongoing. Three sampling events took place this quarter and analysis of all samples (fall 2009 – spring 2010) is underway.

• Two graduate students are undergoing necessary training for the two small-scale research projects funded by this task agreement. Sampling is anticipated to begin in June 2010.

• The quarterly Interagency Quagga Mussel Meeting was held in March 2010.

Project 2

• Protocols relevant to the Long-term Limnological Aquatic Resource Monitoring and Research Plan (Plan) for Lakes Mead and Mohave have …

Limnological Assistance For The Lake Mead National Recreation Area In Meeting The Challenge Of The Water 2025 Initiative: Executive Summary And Concise Statement Of Accomplishments, Limnological Assistance For Lake Mead National Recreation Area

Limnological Studies

Limnological Assistance for the Lake Mead National Recreation Area in Meeting the Challenge of the Water 2025 Initiative was a Southern Nevada Public Land Management Act (SNPLMA)-funded project. It was implemented by the University of Nevada, Las Vegas (UNLV) Public Lands Institute (PLI) cooperatively with the UNLV Department of Environmental and Occupational Health and the UNLV Harry Reid Center for Environmental Studies on behalf of and in cooperation with the National Park Service, Lake Mead National Recreation Area (Lake Mead NRA).

Lake Mead National Recreation Area Vegetation Monitoring And Analysis: Final Project Report, Scott R. Abella, Margaret N. Rees

Vegetation Monitoring

Vegetation Monitoring and Analysis at Lake Mead National Recreation Area (NRA) was funded by the Multi-Species Habitat Conservation Plan, Southern Nevada Public Land Management Act, Lower Colorado River Multi-Species Conservation Program, and Lake Mead NRA base-funds. This Cooperative Task Agreement was awarded to the Public Lands Institute (PLI) at the University of Nevada, Las Vegas (UNLV) on September 30, 2006 with the term ending December 31, 2009, as modified. The primary purpose of this Task Agreement was to work within an interagency framework towards the accomplishment of three main vegetation management objectives. These three goals were to: (1) inventory, research …