Digital Commons Network^™

High Winds And Melting Sea Ice Trigger Landward Movement In A Polar Bear Population Of Concern, Annie Kellner, Todd C. Atwood, David C. Douglas, Stewart W. Breck, Colorado State University - Fort Collins

United States Department of Agriculture Wildlife Services: Staff Publications

Some animal species are responding to climate change by altering the timing of events like mating and migration. Such behavioral plasticity can be adaptive, but it is not always. Polar bears (Ursus maritimus) from the southern Beaufort Sea subpopulation have mostly remained on ice year-round, but as the climate warms and summer sea ice declines, a growing proportion of the subpopulation is summering ashore. The triggers of this novel behavior are not well understood. Our study uses a parametric time-to-event model to test whether biological and/or time-varying environmental variables thought to influence polar bear movement and habitat selection …

Multiple Interacting Stressors Influence Development, Growth, And Morphology Of Pacific Chorus Frog (Pseudacris Regilla) Larvae, Abby Dalke, Allie M. Erickson, Bailey R. Tasker, Skylar Riley, Paul Hurst, Sarah Cooney, Scott A. Griffith, Betsy A. Bancroft

Biology Faculty Scholarship

Freshwater ecosystems are threatened by climate change and invasive species. Amphibians are important members of freshwater communities and are susceptible to negative effects of climate change and invasion. Furthermore, both climate change and invasion can influence density of amphibian larvae at the microhabitat scale because of larval clustering. To understand the effects of climate change and invasion on Pacific Chorus Frog Pseudacris regilla (Baird and Girard, 1852) larvae, a 2 × 2 × 2 factorial experiment was carried out with a climate treatment (future/historical; simulated as changes in both temperature and hydroperiod), indirect exposure to the invasive Brook Stickleback Culaea …

Ten New Insights In Climate Science 2023/2024, Mercedes Bustamante, Joyashree Roy, Daniel Ospina, Ploy Achakulwisut, Anubha Aggarwal, Ana Bastos, Wendy Broadgate, Josep G. Canadell, Edward Carr, Deliang Chen, Helen A. Cleugh, Kristie L. Ebi

Geography

Non-technical summary: We identify a set of essential recent advances in climate change research with high policy relevance, across natural and social sciences: (1) looming inevitability and implications of overshooting the 1.5°C warming limit, (2) urgent need for a rapid and managed fossil fuel phase-out, (3) challenges for scaling carbon dioxide removal, (4) uncertainties regarding the future contribution of natural carbon sinks, (5) intertwinedness of the crises of biodiversity loss and climate change, (6) compound events, (7) mountain glacier loss, (8) human immobility in the face of climate risks, (9) adaptation justice, and (10) just transitions in food systems. Technical …

Natural Gas And Net Zero: Mutually Exclusive Pathways For The Southeast, Adam D. Orford

Scholarly Works

Climate policy increasingly focuses on pathways to achieving net zero greenhouse gas emissions by 2050, providing a clear standard against which to evaluate energy system planning. Examining the current and projected fuel mix of the electric power sector in the southeastern United States shows that an ongoing transition to natural gas for electricity risks locking in decades of greenhouse gas emissions at levels fundamentally incompatible with net zero goals. Furthermore, southeastern regulatory proceedings are not well designed to engage with this reality, although useful regulatory models are emerging. Natural gas will remain an important part of the southeastern fuel mix …

The Role Of Interspecific Competition In The Range Collapse Of A Songbird After Rapid Range Expansion, Zachary H. Vickers

Graduate Theses/Dissertations

There is a wealth of evidence demonstrating interspecific competition in birds, but often this evidence is localized and may or may not entirely explain range dynamics over large geographic extents. Bewick’s Wrens (Thrymanes bewickii) and House Wrens (Troglodytes aedon) are small passerine birds of the family Troglodytidae. Previous experimental evidence has demonstrated that Bewick’s Wrens suffer from asymmetric interference competition from House Wrens in Kansas, and this evidence has been cited as the likely reason for the historically recent range collapse of the Bewick’s Wren. However, I argue that localized experimental evidence is insufficient to explain abundance trends over large …

Effects Of Climate Change And Landscape-Scale Forest Management On Avian Communities, Abundance, And Nest Success In The Appalachian Mountains, Hannah L. Clipp

Graduate Theses, Dissertations, and Problem Reports (ETD)

Birds are integral components of ecosystems and account for billions of dollars in tangible benefits to humans. As such, recent continental declines of bird species have ecological and economic consequences, providing the impetus for my dissertation research. I identified knowledge gaps and proposed novel questions about how birds in the Appalachian Mountains are influenced by changing environmental conditions due to climate change and forest management. The Appalachian Mountains encompass an important biogeographical region with high conservation value due to its myriad habitats and corresponding bird species diversity. Thus, there is a critical need to evaluate the effects of shifting climate …

Physiology And Energetics Of Resilient Coral-Dinoflagellate Communities, Elise F. Keister

All ETDs from UAB

Despite coral reefs declining globally, thermally resilient coral-dinoflagellate communities have been identified, providing insight into how corals can inhabit warmer environments. These corals are able to better resist and recover from thermal stress events compared to adjacent, offshore conspecifics that are found in habitats that have cooler temperatures. To better understand the physiological traits that make corals resilient, I measured the initial tissue biomass and energy reserves of eight coral species. These corals were collected from both warm-water nearshore habitats and offshore reefs with milder temperatures in Palau, Micronesia. Despite contrasting environments, coral tissue similarities between these populations were striking, …

Population Demography Of A Neotropical Migratory Songbird In The Face Of A Changing Climate, Adele Balmer

Theses and Dissertations

This dissertation investigates the population dynamics and demographic trends of the Prothonotary Warbler (Protonotaria citrea), a migratory songbird that breeds in North America during the spring and summer and overwinters in Central and northern South America. The primary objective of this dissertation is to examine the combined implications of variation in weather and individual traits on demographic traits and to project the effects of climate change on population trajectories of the Prothonotary Warbler.

The analyses conducted in this dissertation centered around female Prothonotary Warblers; however, visual identification of a nestling’s sex is impossible in most altricial bird species, …

Freedom And Heteronomy In The Anthropocene, Alexander M. Stoner, Harry F. Dahms

Journal Articles

No abstract provided.

Reflections On A Career Unplanned, Robert A. Glazer

Gulf and Caribbean Research

Sometimes life takes unexpected turns. I never planned to be a marine biologist; yet, after a long and unpredictable journey, that’s exactly where I found myself. After obtaining my B.S. in Fishery Biology from Colorado State University, I found myself meandering from job to job like a golden retriever following some vague scent. At first, I was hired by the Wyoming Game and Fish Department to work seasonally in Grand Teton National Park on the freshwater trout fisheries. Soon thereafter, I found myself cultivating oysters, clams, and other shellfish in California. The skills I developed there as an algologist led …

Impacts Of Climate And Wildfire On Western Larch Regeneration, Spencer T. Vieira

Graduate Student Theses, Dissertations, & Professional Papers

Fire plays a critical role in forests of the western United States (US), but as wildfire and climate deviate from historical patterns, increasing fire activity may significantly alter forest ecosystems. To understand the impacts of changing climate and wildfire activity on conifer forests, we studied the impact of wildfire and annual post-fire climate on western larch (Larix occidentalis) regeneration. We destructively sampled 1651 seedlings from 57 sites within 32 fires that burned at moderate or high severity from 2000-2015 in the northwestern US. Using dendrochronological methods, we estimated germination years of seedlings to calculate annual recruitment rates. We …

How Aquatic Insects Mitigate Temperature-Oxygen Challenges Via Behavioral, Morphological, And Physiological Plasticity, Jackson H. Birrell

Graduate Student Theses, Dissertations, & Professional Papers

How do organisms respond to environmental challenges and to environmental change? These questions occupy a central place in ecology and answering them will help us to understand why species live where they do, how organisms are affected by human activities, and, ultimately, how to choose among alternative conservation strategies. These questions are difficult, however, for two reasons. First, environmental challenges often involve multiple, interacting stressors. Second, individual responses can be modified by behavioral, morphological, and physiological plasticity. My dissertation investigates how interactions between temperature and oxygen influence the performance and survival of aquatic insects and how plasticity allows individuals to …

Evacuation Emergency Management During Hurricane Katrina: A Decision-Making Analysis, Kimberli Roessing-Anderson

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

Emergency management policy is useful when it involves the stakeholders it serves in the decision-making process. The death toll for Hurricane Katrina in 2005 was almost 2,000 people. Many of the dead and injured lived in low-income communities. There were significant challenges with the evacuation of residents of the Ninth Ward of New Orleans during Hurricane Katrina. Like many public policies, emergency management has evolved over time. Periodically, a catalyst event, such as Hurricane Katrina, shapes public opinion and eventually public policy and its administration. Punctuated equilibrium theory was used to examine the decision-making process of Ninth Ward residents to …

To Change Everything, We Need Everyone: Belonging, Equity, And Diversity In The U.S. Climate Movement, Clara Changxin Fang

Antioch University Dissertations & Theses

Climate change affects everyone but lack of racial diversity in the climate movement makes it challenging for it to be truly inclusive, champion solutions that are equitable, and affect transformative change. This dissertation describes a two-part study of diversity in the climate movement using a survey of 1,003 climate activists and interviews with 17 people of color who work or volunteer in the U.S. climate movement. The study analyzes differences between Whites and people of color in terms of their (a) demographics, (b) engagement in climate action, (c) experience of climate impacts, (d) worries, (e) challenges and barriers to participation, …

Decline Of Seagrass (Posidonia Oceanica) Production Over Two Decades In The Face Of Warming Of The Eastern Mediterranean Sea, Victoria Litsi-Mizan, Pavlos T. Efthymiadis, Vasilis Gerakaris, Oscar Serrano, Manolis Tsapakis, Eugenia T. Apostolaki

Research outputs 2022 to 2026

* The response of Posidonia oceanica meadows to global warming of the Eastern Mediterranean Sea, where the increase in sea surface temperature (SST) is particularly severe, is poorly investigated. * Here, we reconstructed the long-term P. oceanica production in 60 meadows along the Greek Seas over two decades (1997–2018), using lepidochronology. We determined the effect of warming on production by reconstructing the annual and maximum (i.e. August) SST, considering the role of other production drivers related to water quality (i.e. Chla, suspended particulate matter, Secchi depth). * Grand mean (±SE) production across all sites and the study period was 48 …

Marine And Human Environmental Factors Influence Vibrio Parahaemolyticus And Vibrio Vulnificus In Vitro Biofilm Processes On Plastics, Ryan Eric Leighton

Theses and Dissertations

Marine bacteria often exist in biofilms as communities attached to surfaces, like plastic. Growing concerns exist regarding marine plastics acting as potential vectors of pathogenic Vibrio, especially in a changing climate. It has been generalized that Vibrio vulnificus and Vibrio parahaemolyticus often attach to plastic surfaces. Different strains of these Vibrios exist having different growth and biofilm forming properties. This work evaluated how temperature and strain variability affect V. parahaemolyticus and V. vulnificus biofilm formation and characteristics on glass (GL), low-density polyethylene (LDPE), polypropylene (PP), and polystyrene (PS). This work also evaluated how human body related factors like temperature, …

Application Of Hierarchical Species Distribution Models To Avian Species Of South Dakota And The Upper Missouri River Basin, Reza Goljani Amirkhiz

Dissertations and Theses

Recognizing the distributional patterns of species can inform management actions and increase scientific knowledge about species. Habitat Suitability Models (HSMs) are valuable tools in modeling species’ niches and effects of climate change and anthropogenic and natural disturbances on species’ distributions and abundances. In this dissertation, I expanded the application of hierarchical HSMs for a rare bird (Virginia’s warbler) and an economically valuable bird (ring-necked pheasant) in South Dakota. Also, we developed multiscale HSMs for grassland birds in the Upper Missouri River Basin (UMRB) to quantify current habitat associations and predict the influences of climate and landcover change associated with the …

Exploring The Metabolic Capabilities And Biotransformation Potential Of Environmental Lactococcus Strains, Desirée Román Naranjo

Theses

The aim of this thesis is to characterize environmental Lactococcus strains to identify different and diverse metabolic capabilities that could be applied to microbial biotransformation, defined as the conversion of a cheap/waste substrate into a value-added product. Due to the increased amounts of food processing waste generated worldwide and the impact of climate change, new sustainable approaches are necessary to contribute to waste valorization and the circular bioeconomy. We ask to what extent and in what ways environment isolated Lactococcus strains could contribute to food biotransformation by metabolizing a different range of substrates. We do so to further understand and …

Modeling Impacts Of Climate Change On The Geographic Distribution And Abundances Of Tamarindus Indica In Tigray Region, Ethiopia, Yirga Gufi, Ashenafi Manaye, Berihu Tesfamariam, Haftu Abrha Mengesha, Musse Tesfaye, Sibhatleab Hintsa

All Rsif Scholars' Publications

Tamarindus indica is a multipurpose dry land species in sub-Saharan that is traditionally used to build resilience into the farming system. The species is highly threatened and listed on the IUCN Red List. However, information on how climatic condition locally influences its ecological distribution is limited. This study investigates the current and future suitable habitat for the species in the Tigray region, in northern Ethiopia. A total of 220 species presence points and the number of T. indica within a 50 m × 50 m plot were collected. In addition, 19 bioclimatic variables, 3 topographic variables and soil data …

Marine Heatwaves Modulate The Genotypic And Physiological Responses Of Reef-Building Corals To Subsequent Heat Stress, Kristen T. Brown, Amatzia Genin, Matheus A. Mello-Athayde, Ellie Bergstrom, Adriana Campili, Aaron Chai, Sophie G. Dove, Maureen Ho, Devin Rowell, Eugenia M. Sampayo, Veronica Z. Radice

Biological Sciences Faculty Publications

Back-to-back marine heatwaves in 2016 and 2017 resulted in severe coral bleaching and mortality across the Great Barrier Reef (GBR). Encouragingly, some corals that survived these events exhibit increased bleaching resistance and may represent thermally tolerant populations that can better cope with ocean warming. Using the GBR as a natural laboratory, we investigated whether a history of minimal (Heron Island) or severe (Lizard Island) coral bleaching in 2016 and 2017 equates to stress tolerance in a successive heatwave (2020). We examined the genetic diversity, physiological performance, and trophic plasticity of juvenile (<10 cm) and adult (>25 cm) corals of two common genera ( …

Climate Changes Through Data Science: Understanding And Mitigating Environmental Crisis, Ahmed Hussein Ali, Rahul Thakkar

Mesopotamian Journal of Big Data

Climate change represents an urgent environmental crisis with far-reaching risks to ecosystems and human communities worldwide. Rapid development of mitigation strategies and solutions is imperative but relies profoundly on advancements in detection, attribution, and prediction derived from climate data analytics. This paper examines the growing role of data science in not only quantifying anthropogenic climate change but also informing impact assessment and targeted intervention across climate-sensitive sectors. First, we survey established and emerging techniques for climate characterization, including machine learning applications on Earth systems data. Next, we discuss how sophisticated climate models alongside statistical analysis of multi-domain datasets—from migration patterns …

A Biophysical Approach To Modeling Elevational Range Shifts In Colorado Mammal Communities, Ryan T. Mahar

Graduate Student Theses, Dissertations, & Professional Papers

Species geographic ranges are shifting in the face of contemporary climate warming, and documenting range shifts is crucial to our understanding of the underlying drivers mediating movement in geographic range limits. Studies on elevational range shifts with climate change are beginning to accrue within the literature, though observed shifts are idiosyncratic and difficult to predict. Some species may respond to warming temperatures by shifting their range limits upslope, where temperatures are cooler owing to the adiabatic lapse rate. However, species may also respond to warming temperatures in an elevation-dependent manner: if changes in snow depth expose overwintering organisms to colder …

Sea-Ice Conditions Predict Polar Bear Land Use Around Military Installations In Alaska, Eric V. Regehr, Kristin L. Laidre, Todd C. Atwood, Harry L. Stern, Benjamin Cohen

Human–Wildlife Interactions

Polar bears (Ursus maritimus) are threatened by sea-ice loss due to climate change, which is concurrently opening the Arctic to natural resource extraction and a broader scope of national security responsibilities. Mitigating the risk of human–bear conflicts is an emerging challenge as many polar bears spend longer ice-free summers on land where they have limited access to food and come into more frequent contact with people. We investigated a suite of physical and ecological variables that influence the timing of polar bear arrival on, and departure from, land using remote-sensing data on sea-ice extent and satellite telemetry data …

The Impact Of Feral Honey Bees On Endangered Seabirds In The Hawaiian Islands, André Francis Raine, Scott Driskill, Stephen Rossiter, Jennifer Rothe, Kyle Pias, Rachel Sprague, Alex Dutcher

Human–Wildlife Interactions

The ʻaʻo (Puffinus newellii; Newell’s shearwater) and ʻuaʻu (Pterodroma sandwichensis; Hawaiian petrel) are both endangered seabirds endemic to the Hawaiian Archipelago. For the last decade, multiple colonies on the islands of Kauaʻi and Lānaʻi have been the focus of intensive management (particularly predator control) and monitoring programs. Management has been effective at reducing the number of introduced mammalian predators recorded within colonies with a resultant increase in reproductive success rates for both seabird species. However, in recent years a new threat has emerged—feral honey bees (Apis mellifera; bees)—which were deliberately introduced to the Hawaiian …

Natural Variation In Temperature-Modulated Immunity To Pseudomonas Syringae Pv. Tomato (Pst Dc3000) In Arabidopsis Thaliana Plants, Christina A. M. Rossi

Theses and Dissertations (Comprehensive)

Studies conducted on the model plant-pathogen system Arabidopsis thaliana-Pseudomonas syringae pv. tomato (Pst) showed that elevated temperature suppresses the pathogen-induced production of salicylic acid (SA), which is a key plant defence hormone. This increased host vulnerability at higher temperatures is due to downregulated expression of CALMODULIN BINDING PROTEIN 60-LIKE G (CBP60g) and SYSTEMIC ACQUIRED RESISTANCE DEFICIENT 1 (SARD1), which encode master regulators of SA production. Collectively, these previous studies only focused on one natural accession of Arabidopsis called Columbia-0 (Col-0). However, the intraspecific variation in Arabidopsis immunity phenotypes under elevated temperature remains unknown. To fill this critical knowledge gap, my …

Otoliths Through Time: A Multidecadal Characterization Of Fish Otoliths In A Changing Climate, Jordan M. Waldron

UNF Graduate Theses and Dissertations

There is a lack of research describing how widespread environmental changes in marine ecosystems affect wild adult teleost otoliths, limiting our ability to understand the impacts that alterations to otoliths can have on fish physiology and ecology. In this study, morphological and microstructural changes in wild adult fish otoliths were traced over 3 decades among species common in Tampa Bay, Florida – red drum Sciaenops ocellatus and common snook Centropomus undecimalis. Optical microscopy and scanning electron microscopy were used to characterize otolith morphology and microstructure, respectively, to then pair with fluctuations in environmental variables – water temperature, pH, dissolved …

Status Report On Principles Of International And Human Rights Law Relevant To Climate Change, Katelyn Horne, Maria Antonia Tigre, Michael B. Gerrard

Faculty Scholarship

The report aims to provide high-level guidance on the legal issues to be analyzed by the ICJ on the advisory opinion request on climate change. The status report addresses (i) advisory proceedings before the ICJ, including the Court’s jurisdiction and procedure (Section II), and (ii) key legal principles relevant to the request for an advisory opinion, including principles of international environmental law and international human rights law (Section III). The report identified, in a non-exhaustive manner, key relevant principles of international environmental law, key relevant principles of international human rights law, and issues of intergenerational equities that apply to the …

Dispersal And Coastal Geomorphology Limit Potential For Mangrove Range Expansion Under Climate Change, Jacqueline L. Raw, Tom Van Der Stocken, Dustin Carroll, Linda R. Harris, Anusha Rajkaran, Lara Van Niekerk, Janine B. Adams

Faculty Research, Scholarly, and Creative Activity

Latitudinal range limits for mangroves on high-energy, wave-dominated coasts are controlled by geomorphological features and estuarine dynamics. Mangroves reach a southern global range limit along the South African coastline, but the distribution is patchy, with stands occurring in only 16% of the estuaries in the region. Yet, the persistence of forests planted >50 years ago beyond the natural distribution limit suggests that additional estuaries could support mangroves. Understanding regional drivers is necessary to inform global-scale estimates for how this important ecosystem is predicted to respond to climate change. Here, we combine species distribution modelling (MaxEnt), Lagrangian particle tracking using an …

Ecohydrology Of Coastal Aquifers In Humid Environments And Implications Of A Drying Climate, Madeleine Dyring, Harald Hofmann, David Stanton, Patrick Moss, Ray Froend

Research outputs 2022 to 2026

Coastal groundwater-dependent ecosystems (GDEs), such as wetlands, estuaries and mangrove forests, are globally important habitats that promote biodiversity, provide climate regulation and serve as refugia for plant and animal communities. However, global warming, coastal development and over-abstraction threaten the availability and quality of groundwater in coastal aquifers and, by extension, the ecohydrological function of dependent ecosystems. Because ecohydrological knowledge of coastal groundwater is disparate across disciplines and habitat types, we begin by summarising the physiochemical, biological and hydrological processes supported by groundwater across coastal watersheds. Groundwater makes a significant but poorly recognised contribution to the function and resilience of coastal …

Impacts Of Climate Change On Small Pelagic Fish Catches In The Coastal Artisanal Fishers Communities Of Tanzania, Lyidia Kapapa, Paul Onyango Onyango, Nibedita Mukherjee, Prosper Mfilinge

Tanzania Journal of Science

Climate-related effects occur across all regions in Tanzania, affecting primary sectors such as agriculture and fishing. This study investigated the impacts of climatic change on small pelagic catches in fishers in Kilindoni, Kipumbwi and Kilwa Kivinje villages along the Tanzanian coast. We studied how changes in rainfall, sea surface temperature, wind speed and chlorophyll a affect small pelagic fisheries using primary and secondary data. Qualitative and quantitative methods were applied. Primary data collection involved questionnaires, focus group discussions and key informant interviews. Secondary data was obtained from Tanzania Meteorological Agency and remote sensing from Modi's sensor. Results showed an increase …