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Physical Sciences and Mathematics Commons

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Full-Text Articles in Physical Sciences and Mathematics

The Relationship Between Tropical Cyclone Activity, Nutrient Loading, And Algal Blooms Over The Great Barrier Reef, Chelsea L. Parker, Amanda H. Lynch, Stephanie A. Spera, Keith R. Spangler Feb 2017

The Relationship Between Tropical Cyclone Activity, Nutrient Loading, And Algal Blooms Over The Great Barrier Reef, Chelsea L. Parker, Amanda H. Lynch, Stephanie A. Spera, Keith R. Spangler

Geography and the Environment Faculty Publications

The Great Barrier Reef, the world’s largest coral reef ecosystem, is subject to many environmental stressors. This study utilizes remotely sensed Moderate Resolution Imaging Spectroradiometer (MODIS) chlorophyll a concentration data to explore statistically significant relationships between local-scale tropical cyclone disturbance and relative water quality between 2004–2014. The study reveals that tropical cyclone activity reduces water quality at 8- and 16-day time lags. Relationships suggest that at early stages (during and just after cyclone activity) algal response is induced primarily through wind-driven sediment re-suspension. However, wind speed in isolation only increases minimum levels of chlorophyll a, rather than mean or …


Forest Birds Respond To The Spatial Pattern Of Exurban Development In The Mid-Atlantic Region, Usa, Todd R. Lookingbill, Marcela Suarez-Rubio Jan 2016

Forest Birds Respond To The Spatial Pattern Of Exurban Development In The Mid-Atlantic Region, Usa, Todd R. Lookingbill, Marcela Suarez-Rubio

Geography and the Environment Faculty Publications

Housing development beyond the urban fringe (i.e., exurban development) is one of the fastest growing forms of land-use change in the United States. Exurban development's attraction to natural and recreational amenities has raised concerns for conservation and represents a potential threat to wildlife. Although forest-dependent species have been found particularly sensitive to low housing densities, it is unclear how the spatial distribution of houses affects forest birds. The aim of this study was to assess forest bird responses to changes in the spatial pattern of exurban development and also to examine species responses when forest loss and forest fragmentation were …


Grts And Graphs: Monitoring Natural Resources In Urban Landscapes, Todd R. Lookingbill, John Paul Schmit, Shawn L. Carter Jan 2012

Grts And Graphs: Monitoring Natural Resources In Urban Landscapes, Todd R. Lookingbill, John Paul Schmit, Shawn L. Carter

Geography and the Environment Faculty Publications

Environmental monitoring programs are an important tool for providing land managers with a scientific basis for management decisions. However, many ecological processes operate on spatial scales that transcend management boundaries (Schonewald-Cox 1988). For example, adjacent lands may influence protected-area resources via edge effects, source-sink dynamics, or invasion processes (Jones et al. 2009). Hydrologic alterations outside management units also may have profound effects on the integrity of resources being managed (Pringle 2000). The impacts of climate change are presenting challenges to resource management at local-to-global scales (Karl et al. 2009). This potential disparity between ecological and political boundaries presents an interesting …