Life Sciences Commons^™

Characterization Of Site-Specific Vegetation Activity In Alaskan Wet And Dry Tundra As Related To Climate And Soil State, Michael Gregory Brown, Kyle C. Mcdonald, Reiner Zimmermann, Nicholas Steiner, Stephanie Devries, Laura Bourgeau-Chavez

Michigan Tech Publications

We present discrete (2-h resolution) multi-year (2008–2017) in situ measurements of seasonal vegetation growth and soil biophysical properties from two sites on Alaska's North Slope, USA, representing dry and wet sedge tundra. We examine measurements of vertical active soil layer temperature and soil moisture profiles (freeze/thaw status), woody shrub vegetation physiological activity, and meteorological site data to assess interrelationships within (and between) these two study sites. Vegetation phenophases (cold de-hardening start, physiological function start, stem growth start, stem growth end, physiological function end, cold hardening completion) were found to have greater interannual day of year (DOY) occurrence variability at the …

Species-Specific Responses To Landscape Features Shaped Genomic Structure Within Alaska Galliformes, Sarah A. Sonsthagen, Robert E. Wilson, Sandra L. Talbot

Nebraska Cooperative Fish and Wildlife Research Unit: Staff Publications

Aim: Connectivity is vital to the resiliency of populations to environmental change and stochastic events, especially for cold-adapted species as Arctic and alpine tundra habitats retract as the climate warms. We examined the influence of past and current landscapes on genomic connectivity in cold-adapted galliformes as a critical first step to assess the vulnerability of Alaska ptarmigan and grouse to environmental change. We hypothesize that the mosaic of physical features and habitat within Alaska promoted the formation of genetic structure across species.

Location: Alaska, United States of America.

Taxa: Ptarmigan and Grouse (Galliformes: Tetraoninae).

Methods: We collected double digest restriction-site- …

Effects Of Glacial Stressors On Sperm Maturation In Colonies Of The Red Tree Coral, Primnoa Pacifica, Joshua Lynn

Honors College

The red tree coral, Primnoa pacifica, is a large, colony forming species of cold- water coral which is often an important habitat for many commercially important species of fish and crab. This keystone species is long lived and found at much shallower depths in the fjords of Glacier Bay National Park (GBNP) than elsewhere in the northern Pacific Ocean because of the phenomenon known as deep-water emergence. Due to their proximity to tidewater glaciers in GBNP, corals likely have to endure glacial stressors such as freshwater runoff and sedimentation that is not typical of populations in deeper water, which …

Primnoa Pacifica Reproduction In Shallow Versus Deep Habitats Of Glacier Bay National Park And Preserve, Alaska, Ciara N. Larence

Honors College

Primnoa pacifica is a species of deep-sea cold-water coral that can be found in Glacier Bay National Park and Preserve in Alaska. These colonies are important to their ecosystem as they provide habitat for other species living in this area. One thing that makes P. pacifica important to study is that the species displays deep-water emergence. This is a phenomenon where species normally found in deep waters can exist in shallower waters, allowing easier access for research. The purpose of this thesis was to determine if depth effects the reproduction of male P. pacifica colonies. Two colonies from deep depths …

Human Vs. Bear: Who Needs Salmon More?, Brittany N. Savercool

Scientific Communication News

No abstract provided.

Dietary Plasticity In A Specialist Predator, The Gyrfalcon (Falco Rusticolus): New Insights Into Diet During Brood Rearing, Bryce W. Robinson, Travis L. Booms, Marc J. Bechard, David L. Anderson

Biology Faculty Publications and Presentations

Climate and landscape change are expected to affect species’ distributions and interactions, with potentially harmful consequences for specialist predators. Availability of optimal prey can affect reproductive success in raptors, especially in the Arctic, where dramatic differences in prey availability occur both within and between years. However, behavioral responses of dietary specialist, resident predators such as Gyrfalcons (Falco rusticolus) to changes in prey availability remain poorly understood. To improve understanding of how climate-driven changes in prey availability may affect diet of avian predators in the Arctic, we characterized Gyrfalcon diet on the Seward Peninsula, Alaska, in 2014 and 2015 …

Short Communications: First Tracking Of Individual American Robins (Turdus Migratorius) Across Seasons, Alex E. Jahn, Susannah B. Lerman, Laura M. Phillips, Thomas B. Ryder, Emily J. Williams

USDA Forest Service / UNL Faculty Publications

The American Robin (Turdus migratorius) is one of the most widespread, common bird species in North America; yet, very little is known about its migratory connectivity, migration timing, and migratory routes. Using archival GPS tags, we tracked the movements of 7 individual robins from 3 breeding populations in the United States. Four robins captured in Denali National Park and Preserve, Alaska, overwintered in Texas, Nebraska, Oklahoma, and Montana, up to 4,500 km from the capture location. One robin captured in Amherst, Massachusetts, overwintered in South Carolina 1,210 km from the capture location, whereas 2 robins captured in Washington, D.C., spent …

First Record Of Nestling Relocation By Adult Gyrfalcons (Falco Rusticolus) Following Nest Collapse, Bryce W. Robinson, Neil Paprocki, David L. Anderson, Marc J. Bechard

Raptor Research Center Publications and Presentations

Nest collapse has been documented in many bird species, with little discussion of adult behavior following collapse. We present evidence of a partial collapse of a Gyrfalcon (Falco rusticolus) nest during the nestling period and the subsequent adult response. A nest camera captured the nest collapse and showed one adult Gyrfalcon holding a live nestling in its beak before leaving the nest. Later, we found the surviving nestling alive in an alternate nest 5 m from the original nest, presumably transported there by the adult. We believe this is the first report of an adult Gyrfalcon moving a …

Slides: Flpma In Its Historical Context, John D. Leshy

FLPMA Turns 40 (October 21)

Presenter: John D. Leshy, Sunderland Distinguished Professor of Law Emeritus, U.C. Hastings College of the Law

36 slides

This session traces the history of FLPMA including, among other things, its legislative, administrative, and historical antecedents, including for example, the Public Land Law Review Commission’s 1970 report, One Third of Our Nation’s Lands. It then considers FLPMA’s unique public lands policies and requirements and how they are reflected in the BLM’s management of public lands today.

See: https://www.nps.gov/parkhistory/online_books/blm/history/contents.htm

Development And Characterization Of Microsatellite Loci For Common Raven (Corvus Corax) And Cross Species Amplification In Other Corvidae, Christin L. Pruett, Leping Wan, Tianyu Li, Cory Spern, Stacey Lyn Lance, Travis C. Glenn, Brant C. Faircloth, Kevin S. Winker

Biomedical Engineering and Sciences Faculty Publications

Background: A priority for conservation is the identification of endemic populations. We developed microsatellite markers for common raven (Corvus corax), a bird species with a Holarctic distribution, to identify and assess endemic populations in Alaska. Results: From a total of 50 microsatellite loci, we isolated and characterized 15 loci. Eight of these loci were polymorphic and readily scoreable. Eighteen to 20 common ravens from Fairbanks, Alaska were genotyped showing the following variability: 3-8 alleles per locus, 0.25-0.80 observed heterozygosity (Ho), and 0.30-0.80 expected heterozygosity (He). All loci were in Hardy-Weinberg equilibrium and linkage equilibrium and many loci amplified and were …

Saffron Cod (Eleginus Gracilis) In North Pacific Archaeology, Megan A. Partlow, Eric Munk

All Faculty Scholarship for the College of the Sciences

Saffron cod (Eleginus gracilis) is a marine species often found in shallow, brackish water in the Bering Sea, although it can occur as far southeast as Sitka, Alaska. Recently, we identified saffron cod remains in two ca. 500-year-old Afognak Island midden assemblages from the Kodiak Archipelago. We developed regression formulae to relate bone measurements to total length using thirty-five modern saffron cod specimens. The archaeological saffron cod remains appear to be from mature adults, measuring 22–45 cm in total length, and likely caught from shore during spawning. Saffron cod may have been an important winter resource for Alutiiq people living …

Culturally Responsive 4-H Youth Development In Southeast Alaska, Deb Jones, Linda Skogrand

All Current Publications

No abstract provided.

Despotism And Risk Of Infanticide Influence Grizzly Bear Den-Site Selection, Nathan S. Libal, Jerrold L. Belant, Bruce D. Leopold, Guiming Wang, Patricia A. Owen

College of Forest Resources Publications and Scholarship

Given documented social dominance and intraspecific predation in bear populations, the ideal despotic distribution model and sex hypothesis of sexual segregation predict adult female grizzly bears (Ursus arctos) will avoid areas occupied by adult males to reduce risk of infanticide. Under ideal despotic distribution, juveniles should similarly avoid adult males to reduce predation risk. Den-site selection and use is an important component of grizzly bear ecology and may be influenced by multiple factors, including risk from conspecifics. To test the role of predation risk and the sex hypothesis of sexual segregation, we compared adult female (n = 142), adult male …

Arctic Ecosystem Responses To Changes In Water Availability And Warming: Short And Long-Term Responses, Paulo C. Olivas

FIU Electronic Theses and Dissertations

Arctic soils store close to 14% of the global soil carbon. Most of arctic carbon is stored below ground in the permafrost. With climate warming the decomposition of the soil carbon could represent a significant positive feedback to global greenhouse warming. Recent evidence has shown that the temperature of the Arctic is already increasing, and this change is associated mostly with anthropogenic activities. Warmer soils will contribute to permafrost degradation and accelerate organic matter decay and thus increase the flux of carbon dioxide and methane into the atmosphere. Temperature and water availability are also important drivers of ecosystem performance, but …

Slides: Rethinking Western Water Law: Restoring The Public Interest In Western Water Law, Mark Squillace

Western Water Law, Policy and Management: Ripples, Currents, and New Channels for Inquiry (Martz Summer Conference, June 3-5)

Presenter: Mark Squillace, Director, Natural Resources Law Center, University of Colorado Law School

20 slides

Slides: Water Needs And Strategies For A Sustainable Future, Shaun Mcgrath

Shifting Baselines and New Meridians: Water, Resources, Landscapes, and the Transformation of the American West (Summer Conference, June 4-6)

Presenter: Shaun McGrath, Program Director, Western Governors’ Association

25 slides

The Future Of Mineral Development On Federal Lands In The United States, John D. Leshy

The Future of Natural Resources Law and Policy (Summer Conference, June 6-8)

11 pages.

Includes bibliographical references

"Outline of presentation of John D. Leshy, Harry D. Sunderland Distinguished Professor, U.C. Hastings College of the Law, Natural Resources Law center, June 7, 2007" (pp. 3-5)

"Leshy draft 4.27.07 For Natural Resources Law Center" (pp. 6-13)

Slides: Summary: Sources Of Stress And The Changing Context Of Natural Resources Law And Policy In The New West, William R. Travis

The Future of Natural Resources Law and Policy (Summer Conference, June 6-8)

Presenter: Dr. William R. Travis, Department of Geography, University of Colorado at Boulder

43 slides

Bottom-Up Forcing And The Decline Of Steller Sea Lions (Eumetopias Jubatus) In Alaska: Assessing The Ocean Climate Hypothesis, Andrew W. Trites, Arthur J. Miller, Michael A. Alexander, Steven J. Bograd, John A. Calder, Antonietta Capotondi, Kenneth O. Coyle, Emanuele Di Lorenzo, Bruce P. Finney, Edward J. Gregr, Chester E. Grosch, Thomas C. Royer

CCPO Publications

Declines of Steller sea lion ( Eumetopias jubatus) populations in the Aleutian Islands and Gulf of Alaska could be a consequence of physical oceanographic changes associated with the 1976–77 climate regime shift. Changes in ocean climate are hypothesized to have affected the quantity, quality, and accessibility of prey, which in turn may have affected the rates of birth and death of sea lions. Recent studies of the spatial and temporal variations in the ocean climate system of the North Pacific support this hypothesis. Ocean climate changes appear to have created adaptive opportunities for various species that are preyed upon …

Stratomesospheric Co Measured By A Ground-Based Fourier Transform Spectrometer Over Poker Flat, Alaska: Comparisons With Odin/Smr And A 2-D Model, Nicholas B. Jones, Y Kasai, E Dupuy, Y. Murayama, J Urban, B Barret, M Sinnhuber, A. Kagawa, T. Koshiro, P Ricaud, D Murtagh

Faculty of Science - Papers (Archive)

The interseasonal variability of stratomesospheric CO is reported from Poker Flat, Alaska, using spectra from a ground-based Fourier Transform Spectrometer (gb-FTS) for the time period from 2000 to 2004. The CO spectra were analyzed using an optimal estimation technique that separates the tropospheric and stratospheric/mesospheric components into partial columns. The distribution of CO in the polar winter is such that the gb-FTS retrieved partial column is weighted to the mesosphere. The gb-FTS data are compared with measurements of partial column CO from the Sub-Millimeter Radiometer on board the Odin satellite and shown to be in very good agreement despite the …

Coccidia (Apicomplexa: Eimeriidae) Infecting Cricetid Rodents From Alaska, U.S.A., And Northeastern Siberia, Russia, And Description Of A New Eimeria Species From Myodes Rutilus, The Northern Red-Backed Vole, Donald W. Duszynski, Andrew J. Lynch, Joseph A. Cook

Harold W. Manter Laboratory of Parasitology: Faculty and Staff Publications

During the summers of 2000, 2001, and 2002, 1,950 fecal samples from 4 families, 10 genera, and 16 species of rodents in Alaska, U.S.A. (N = 1,711), and Siberia, Russia (N = 239) were examined for coccidia (Apicomplexa: Eimeriidae). The 4 families sampled were Dipodidae (jumping mice), Erethizontidae (New World porcupines), Muridae (mice, rats), and Cricetidae (voles, lemmings). Nineteen oocyst morphotypes were observed, of which 10 were consistent with descriptions of known coccidia species from murid hosts, 8 were similar to oocysts described previously from other genera than those in which they are found here (and are called …

Nearctic Shrews, Sorex Spp., As Paratenic Hosts Of Soboliphyme Baturini (Nematoda: Soboliphymidae), S. V. Karpenko, N. E. Dokuchaev, Eric P. Hoberg

Harold W. Manter Laboratory of Parasitology: Faculty and Staff Publications

Third-stage larvae (L3) of Soboliphyme baturini were discovered for the first time in shrews, Sorex cinereus and Sorex tundrensis from Alaska and the Nearctic. Shrews were found to be infected with L3 at Suloia Lake, southeastern Alaska, Togiak National Wildlife Refuge, southwestern Alaska, and at the Yukon-Charley Rivers National Preserve near the Yukon-Alaska border. Larvae in shrews from Alaska were morphologically indistinguishable from those known in both insectivores and arvicoline rodents from Russia. The occurrence of S. baturini in Alaskan insectivores further establishes shrews as important hosts in the transmission of S. baturini among mustelids and other carnivores and indicates …

Migration Chronology, Routes, And Distribution Of Pacific Flyway Population Lesser Sandhill Cranes, Michael J. Petrula, Thomas C. Rothe

Proceedings of the North American Crane Workshop

Managers of migratory game birds require accurate information about bird movements to delineate populations, protect important habitats, and regulate harvest. Data describing movements of sandhill cranes (Grus canadensis) belonging to the Pacific Flyway Population (PFP) are lacking. We used satellite telemetry to monitor movements of PFP lesser sandhill cranes (Grus c. canadensis) captured in the upper Cook Inlet and Bristol Bay regions of Alaska. Satellite transmitters were deployed on 19 flightless young (colts) and 3 adults over 3-years (2000-2002). Chronology, routes, and stopover or staging areas were identified for fall and spring migration periods. On average, …

Beringia: Intercontinental Exchange And Diversification Of High Latitude Mammals And Their Parasites During The Pliocene And Quarternary, Joseph A. Cook, Eric P. Hoberg, Anson Koehler, Heikki Henttonen, Lotta Wickström, Voitto Haukisalmi, Kurt Galbreath, Felix Chernyavski, Nikolai Dokuchaev, Anatoli Lahzuhtkin, Stephen O. Macdonald, Andrew Hope, Eric Waltari, Amy Runck, Alasdair Veitch, Richard Popko, Emily Jenkins, Susan Kutz, Ralph Eckerlin

Harold W. Manter Laboratory of Parasitology: Faculty and Staff Publications

Beringia is the region spanning eastern Asia and northwestern North America that remained ice-free during the full glacial events of the Pleistocene. Numerous questions persist regarding the importance of this region in the evolution of northern faunas. Beringia has been implicated as both a high latitude refugium and as the crossroads (Bering Land Bridge) of the northern continents for boreal mammals. The Beringian Coevolution Project (BCP) is an international collaboration that has provided material to assess the pattern and timing of faunal exchange across the crossroads of the northern continents and the potential impact of past climatic events on differentiation. …

Annual Movements Of Pacific Coast Sandhill Cranes, Gary L. Ivey, Caroline P. Herziger, Thomas J. Hoffmann

Proceedings of the North American Crane Workshop

The subspecies composition of migratory sandhill cranes (Grus canadensis) which stage and winter along the Lower Columbia River in northwest Oregon and southwest Washington is uncertain, but may include all 3 using the Pacific Flyway: lesser (G. c. canadensis), Canadian (G. c. rowani), and greater (G. c. tabida). However, the status of rowani has been debated. During 2001-02, we captured and marked 8 cranes using a noose line trapping technique, and attached Platform Transmitter Terminals (PTTs) to 6 to ascertain locations of their breeding areas, migration corridors and winter sites. Morphometric data …

Seasonal Variations Of Co And Hcn In The Troposphere Measured By Solar Absorption Spectroscopy Over Poker Flat, Alaska, Y Kasai, A. Kagawa, Nicholas B. Jones, A. Fujiwara, K. Seki, Y. Murayama, F Murcray

Faculty of Science - Papers (Archive)

Tropospheric partial column abundances of CO and HCN have been retrieved from infrared solar spectra observed with a ground-based spectrometer at Poker Flat Alaska (65°N, 147°W) over the time period from 2000 to 2004. From these data we report the transpacific transport induced inter-annual variability of tropospheric CO over Poker Flat. This is the first report of solar infrared data from the Poker Flat station, where the geographical location of the site means that remote sensing measurements are sampling the transport of transpacific air parcels going to Northern America from Eastern Siberia and Asia. The five year time-span of the …

Description Of Paranoplocephala Etholeni N. Sp. (Cestoda: Anoplocephalidae) In The Meadow Vole Microtus Pennsylvanicus, With A Synopsis Of Paranoplocehala S. L. In Holarctic Rodents, Voitto Haukisalmi, H. Henttonen, J. Niemimaa, Robert L. Rausch

Harold W. Manter Laboratory of Parasitology: Faculty and Staff Publications

Paranoplocephala etholeni n. sp, parasitizing the meadow vole Microtus pennsylvanicus in Alaska and Wisconsin, USA. is described Paranaplocephala etholeni is morphologically most closely related to the Nearctic Paranoplocephala ondatrae (Rausch, 1948). Available data suggest that P. etholeni is a host-specific, locally rare species that may have a wide but sporadic geographical distribution in North America. The finding of P. ondatrae-like cestodes in Microtus spp. suggests that this poorly known species may actually be a parasite of voles rather than muskrat (type host). A tabular synopsis of all the known species of Paranoplocephala s. I. in the Holarctic region with …

Use Of Satellite Telemetry To Identify Temporal And Spatial Distribution Of The Midcontinent Sandhill Crane Population Throughout The Annual Cycle, Gary L. Krapu, David A. Brandt

Proceedings of the North American Crane Workshop

Effective management of the midcontinent sandhill crane (Grus canadensis) population requires having detailed information available on the distribution of subspecies and subpopulations throughout the annual cycle. The current study is being undertaken in partnership with several federal and state agencies and private organizations to obtain key information not currently available. We are monitoring crane movements throughout the year by attaching Platform Transmitting Terminals (PTTs) to plastic leg bands and with the aid of equipment on board orbiting NOAA weather satellites relocating the radiomarked individuals at 4-10 day intervals throughout the year. Twenty-one cranes were captured and radio-marked in …

Specimen Catalog, Part 2, Brian D. Frank

Division of Mammals - Field Notes and Catalogs

No abstract provided.

Specimen Catalog, Forrest W. Davis

Division of Mammals - Field Notes and Catalogs

No abstract provided.