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Full-Text Articles in Life Sciences

Assessing The Vulnerability Of Fishery Villages Influenced By Climate Change And Anthropogenic Activity In The Coastal Zone Of The Tamsui River, Sheng-Yuan Teng, Ming-An Lee, Jhen Hsu, Tzu-Ping Lin, Yu-Chen Lin, Yi Chang Dec 2016

Assessing The Vulnerability Of Fishery Villages Influenced By Climate Change And Anthropogenic Activity In The Coastal Zone Of The Tamsui River, Sheng-Yuan Teng, Ming-An Lee, Jhen Hsu, Tzu-Ping Lin, Yu-Chen Lin, Yi Chang

Journal of Marine Science and Technology

Coastal zones located in populated and rapidly developing areas face high risks of natural and anthropogenic disasters. In this study, a framework was developed to determine the indicators of vulnerability to natural and anthropogenic disasters in Chuwei and Tamsui, two northern Taiwanese fishing villages in the coastal zone of the Tamsui River. The analytical hierarchy process (AHP) was used to determine the vulnerability indices of the locations, with experts evaluating the weights assigned to a range of criteria, namely hydrological data (such as sea surface temperature and sea level), stakeholder perceptions, and fishery data. These two villages have a considerably …


Predicting The Catch Potential Of Skipjack Tuna In The Western And Central Pacific Ocean Under Different Climate Change Scenarios, Kuo-Wei Yen, Nan-Jay Su, Tooreka Teemari, Min-An Lee, Hsueh-Jung Lu Dec 2016

Predicting The Catch Potential Of Skipjack Tuna In The Western And Central Pacific Ocean Under Different Climate Change Scenarios, Kuo-Wei Yen, Nan-Jay Su, Tooreka Teemari, Min-An Lee, Hsueh-Jung Lu

Journal of Marine Science and Technology

Skipjack tuna (Katsuwonus pelamis) constitute an important migratory species that contributes significantly to the economy and the global fishery industry. Skipjack tuna play a vital role in the marine ecosystem, particularly in tropical waters of the western and central Pacific Ocean (WCPO). However, climate change may affect the characteristics of fishery resources, leading to substantial reallocation and reduction of the biomass of this species in the WCPO. In this study, catch and effort data for skipjack tuna were collected from a purse seine fishery and subsequently analyzed in combination with remote-sensing environmental variables and simulation data from climate models under …


Impact Of Climate Change On Shihmen Reservoir Water Supply, Tai-Yi Chu, Jyun-Long Lee, Wen-Cheng Huang Dec 2016

Impact Of Climate Change On Shihmen Reservoir Water Supply, Tai-Yi Chu, Jyun-Long Lee, Wen-Cheng Huang

Journal of Marine Science and Technology

This study evaluated the impact of climate change on the water supply of the Shihmen reservoir in northern Taiwan. Five downscaled general circulation models that represent the daily meteorological data of 2046-2065 were adopted. The future inflow of the Shihmen reservoir was estimated using the tank model. Subsequently, the water supply risk under the given demand and operating conditions was simulated and assessed. Compared with 2004-2011, the average annual precipitation of the Shihmen watershed in 2046-2065 is lower, particularly during the wet season (May-October). Therefore, the risk to the water supply will increase in the first cropping season (from March …


Short-Beaked Common Dolphin (Delphinus Delphis) Occurrence In The Moray Firth, North-East Scotland, Kevin P. Robinson, Sonja Eisfeld, Marina Costa, Mark P. Simmonds Jul 2016

Short-Beaked Common Dolphin (Delphinus Delphis) Occurrence In The Moray Firth, North-East Scotland, Kevin P. Robinson, Sonja Eisfeld, Marina Costa, Mark P. Simmonds

Mark P. Simmonds, OBE

The short-beaked common dolphin (Delphinus delphis) is regarded as notably rare or absent from the northern North Sea, but recent evidence suggests a rising frequency of the species in these waters with increasing regional sea temperatures. The following paper documents the presence of D. delphis in the Moray Firth in north-east Scotland and provides the first evidence for the sustained occurrence of these delphinids in this region during the warmer summer months at least. Sightings were collated during systematic surveys of the outer Moray Firth between 2001 and 2009 by independent research teams from the CRRU and WDCS. A total …


Agenda: Coping With Water Scarcity In River Basins Worldwide: Lessons Learned From Shared Experiences, University Of Colorado Boulder. Getches-Wilkinson Center For Natural Resources, Energy, And The Environment Jun 2016

Agenda: Coping With Water Scarcity In River Basins Worldwide: Lessons Learned From Shared Experiences, University Of Colorado Boulder. Getches-Wilkinson Center For Natural Resources, Energy, And The Environment

Coping with Water Scarcity in River Basins Worldwide: Lessons Learned from Shared Experiences (Martz Summer Conference, June 9-10)

Water scarcity is increasingly dominating headlines throughout the world. In the southwestern USA, the looming water shortages on the Colorado River system and the unprecedented drought in California are garnering the greatest attention. Similar stories of scarcity and crisis can be found across the globe, suggesting an opportunity for sharing lessons and innovations. For example, the Colorado River and Australia's Murray-Darling Basin likely can share many lessons, as both systems were over-allocated, feature multiple jurisdictions, face similar climatic risks and drought stresses, and struggle to balance human demands with environmental needs. In this conference we cast our net broadly, exploring …


Temperature Variability And Multiple Environmental Stressors: How Will Tadpole Performance Change With Our Climate?, Diana C. Macklem, Tracy A. G. Rittenhouse, Ashley M. Helton, Jason H. O'Connor, Jaron T. Kolek May 2016

Temperature Variability And Multiple Environmental Stressors: How Will Tadpole Performance Change With Our Climate?, Diana C. Macklem, Tracy A. G. Rittenhouse, Ashley M. Helton, Jason H. O'Connor, Jaron T. Kolek

University Scholar Projects

This project seeks to analyze how predicted changes in climate and its interactions with other environmental factors will influence tadpole growth and development. Our first study examined how the frequency and magnitude of temperature variability affect wood frog and gray tree frog tadpole performance. We found that performance responses to repeatedly fluctuating treatments did not differ significantly from constant temperatures held at the same mean for wood frog tadpoles. However, elevated mean temperatures of 26 degrees Celsius caused tadpoles to metamorphose early, suggesting a potential developmental threshold. We found that gray tree frog performance was affected by fluctuating temperature treatments, …


Estimated Effects Of Climate Change On The Reproductive Fitness Of The Northern Spotted Owl, Strix Occidentalis Caurina, Nadia Swit May 2016

Estimated Effects Of Climate Change On The Reproductive Fitness Of The Northern Spotted Owl, Strix Occidentalis Caurina, Nadia Swit

The Downtown Review

In this paper, the trends for current and future climate change were utilized to evaluate the potential reproductive success of the Spotted Owl, particularly the Northern Spotted Owl (Strix occidentalis caurina) subspecies. As breeding season would exert additional stressors on the animal, a time period of five months, from January to June, was selected for the spring breeding season in which to evaluate temperature change. Previous research performed by Weathers and colleagues (2001) concerning the California Owl (Strix occidentalis occidentalis) formulated a thermodynamic equation that was utilized to compare the metabolic rate of the owl at …


Translating Ecology, Physiology, Biochemistry And Population Genetics Research To Meet The Challenge Of Tick And Tick-Borne Diseases In North America, Maria Dolores Esteve-Gassent, Ivan Castro-Arellano, Teresa Patricia Feria-Arroyo, Ramiro Patino, Andrew Y. Li, Raul F. Medina, Adalberto A. Pérez De León, Roger Iván Rodríguez-Vivas May 2016

Translating Ecology, Physiology, Biochemistry And Population Genetics Research To Meet The Challenge Of Tick And Tick-Borne Diseases In North America, Maria Dolores Esteve-Gassent, Ivan Castro-Arellano, Teresa Patricia Feria-Arroyo, Ramiro Patino, Andrew Y. Li, Raul F. Medina, Adalberto A. Pérez De León, Roger Iván Rodríguez-Vivas

Biology Faculty Publications and Presentations

Emerging and re-emerging tick-borne diseases threaten public health and the wellbeing of domestic animals and wildlife globally. The adoption of an evolutionary ecology framework aimed to diminish the impact of tick-borne diseases needs to be part of strategies to protect human and animal populations. We present a review of current knowledge on the adaptation of ticks to their environment, and the impact that global change could have on their geographic distribution in North America. Environmental pressures will affect tick population genetics by selecting genotypes able to withstand new and changing environments and by altering the connectivity and isolation of several …


Damsels In Distress: A Preliminary Assessment Of Pomacentridae Extinction Risk, Allison Roberts Feb 2016

Damsels In Distress: A Preliminary Assessment Of Pomacentridae Extinction Risk, Allison Roberts

Undergraduate Research Symposium

The family Pomacentridae is among the most diverse of the perciformes, boasting 400 different species of damselfish. These fish are found in coral reefs of varying depths around the world, most of which risk great damage due to climate change. In addition, many species are key components of the ornamental aquarium trade. Considering these threats, the importance of examining the state of Pomacentridae is paramount in examining the health of our oceans. Using IUCN Red List methods, preliminary data suggests some species of damselfish are at elevated risk of extinction.


A Review Of Fall Sandhill Crane Migration Through Indiana, Allisyn-Marie T. Y. Gillet Jan 2016

A Review Of Fall Sandhill Crane Migration Through Indiana, Allisyn-Marie T. Y. Gillet

Proceedings of the North American Crane Workshop

The Indiana Division of Fish and Wildlife conducts surveys from October to December to collect long-term data on greater sandhill cranes (Grus canadensis tabida). Results from these censuses contribute to a fall index of the Eastern Population, which informs wildlife management decisions and research priorities. Recent findings from the annual U. S. Fish and Wildlife Service Fall Sandhill Crane Migration Survey demonstrate a decline in the number of cranes observed at fall staging areas throughout Indiana since 1979. However, nationwide data exhibit a trend of population increase. I provide evidence to show that the apparent decline in the …


Fish Ladders Designed For Drop Culverts And Central Stoneroller Ecology Across A Latitudinal Gradient, John Arthur Lorenzen Jan 2016

Fish Ladders Designed For Drop Culverts And Central Stoneroller Ecology Across A Latitudinal Gradient, John Arthur Lorenzen

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

Stream connectivity is essential for the persistence of fish populations and maintenance of fish assemblage structure. Stream-road crossings can become barriers resulting in a loss of connectivity. Creating innovative tools for fisheries managers to allow fish passage through barrier stream-road crossings is important worldwide as climate change may force range shifts to stay within thermal requirements. Understanding how populations and metapopulations respond to climate is important as fisheries managers can use this information to make informed management decisions in regards to climate change and possible range shifts. Thus, we developed and tested a fish ladder to retrofit barrier stream-road crossings …


Body Size Distributions Signal A Regime Shift In A Lake Ecosystem, Trisha L. Spanbauer, Craig R. Allen, David G. Angeler, Tarsha Eason, Sherilyn C. Fritz, Ahjond S. Garmestani, Kirsty L. Nash, Jeffery R. Stone, Craig A. Stow, Shana M. Sundstrom Jan 2016

Body Size Distributions Signal A Regime Shift In A Lake Ecosystem, Trisha L. Spanbauer, Craig R. Allen, David G. Angeler, Tarsha Eason, Sherilyn C. Fritz, Ahjond S. Garmestani, Kirsty L. Nash, Jeffery R. Stone, Craig A. Stow, Shana M. Sundstrom

Nebraska Cooperative Fish and Wildlife Research Unit: Staff Publications

Communities of organisms, from mammals to microorganisms, have discontinuous distributions of body size. This pattern of size structuring is a conservative trait of community organization and is a product of processes that occur at multiple spatial and temporal scales. In this study, we assessed whether body size patterns serve as an indicator of a threshold between alternative regimes. Over the past 7000 years, the biological communities of Foy Lake (Montana, USA) have undergone a major regime shift owing to climate change. We used a palaeoecological record of diatom communities to estimate diatom sizes, and then analysed the discontinuous distribution of …


A Genetically Distinct Hybrid Zone Occurs For Two Globally Invasive Mosquito Fish Species With Striking Phenotypic Resemblance, Rebecca J. Wilk, Lisa Horth Jan 2016

A Genetically Distinct Hybrid Zone Occurs For Two Globally Invasive Mosquito Fish Species With Striking Phenotypic Resemblance, Rebecca J. Wilk, Lisa Horth

Biological Sciences Faculty Publications

Hybrid zones allow for the investigation of incipient speciation and related evolutionary processes of selection, gene flow, and migration. Interspecific dynamics, like competition, can impact the size, shape, and directional movement of species in hybrid zones. Hybrid zones contribute to a paradox for the biological species concept because interbreeding between species occurs while parental forms remain distinct. A long‐standing zone of intergradation or introgression exists for eastern and western mosquito fish (Gambusia holbrooki and G. affinis) around Mobile Bay, AL. The region has been studied episodically, over decades, making it perfect for addressing temporal dynamics and for providing …


Ecology Of Largemouth Bass In An Aging Reservoir: Implications For Creating A Trophy Largemouth Bass Fishery, Jason Breeggemann Jan 2016

Ecology Of Largemouth Bass In An Aging Reservoir: Implications For Creating A Trophy Largemouth Bass Fishery, Jason Breeggemann

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

There are an estimated 3-9 million small reservoirs and nearly 1,000 large reservoirs in the United States. Most of these reservoirs were built several decades ago and are experiencing symptoms of reservoir aging, including loss of habitat, sedimentation, and decreased fishery production. Furthermore, over the last several decades, there has been an increasing interest among anglers for high quality, trophy fisheries. However, little is known about exactly how the reservoir aging process affects the ecology and especially growth potential of Largemouth Bass, particularly under potential climate change scenarios. Grand Lake in TX is a 45ha ageing reservoir that was built …


Linking Vital Rates Of Landbirds On A Tropical Island To Rainfall And Vegetation Greenness, James F. Saracco, Paul Radley, Peter Pyle, Erin Rowan, Ron Taylor, Lauren Helton Jan 2016

Linking Vital Rates Of Landbirds On A Tropical Island To Rainfall And Vegetation Greenness, James F. Saracco, Paul Radley, Peter Pyle, Erin Rowan, Ron Taylor, Lauren Helton

Research outputs 2014 to 2021

Remote tropical oceanic islands are of high conservation priority, and they are exemplified by range-restricted species with small global populations. Spatial and temporal patterns in rainfall and plant productivity may be important in driving dynamics of these species. Yet, little is known about environmental influences on population dynamics for most islands and species. Here we leveraged avian capture-recapture, rainfall, and remote-sensed habitat data (enhanced vegetation index [EVI]) to assess relationships between rainfall, vegetation greenness, and demographic rates (productivity, adult apparent survival) of three native bird species on Saipan, Northern Mariana Islands: rufous fantail (Rhipidura rufifrons), bridled white-eye (Zosterops conspicillatus), and …