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Full-Text Articles in Physical Sciences and Mathematics

Using A Novel Biologging Approach To Assess How Different Handling Practices Influence The Post-Release Behaviour Of Northern Pike Across A Wide Range Of Body Sizes, Luc Larochelle, Declan Burton, Jamie C. Madden, Sascha Clark Danylchuk, Steven J. Cooke, Andy J. Danylchuk Jan 2023

Using A Novel Biologging Approach To Assess How Different Handling Practices Influence The Post-Release Behaviour Of Northern Pike Across A Wide Range Of Body Sizes, Luc Larochelle, Declan Burton, Jamie C. Madden, Sascha Clark Danylchuk, Steven J. Cooke, Andy J. Danylchuk

Environmental Conservation Faculty Publication Series

There is a growing body of research focused on how angled fish respond to catch-and-release (C&R). However, most of those studies do not span a wide range of body sizes for the targeted species. Physical injury and physiological responses to C&R can be size-dependent, and methods used for landing fish of different sizes vary. As such, studying the response to C&R across a range of fish sizes may help inform best practices that improve outcomes for released fish. Northern Pike (Esox lucius) widely ranges in body size. Anglers may land them by hand, cradle, or net, and they …


Pest Control Services On Farms Vary Among Bird Species On Diversified, Low-Intensity Farms, Samuel J. Mayne, David I. King, Jeremy C. Andersen, Joseph S. Elkinton Jan 2023

Pest Control Services On Farms Vary Among Bird Species On Diversified, Low-Intensity Farms, Samuel J. Mayne, David I. King, Jeremy C. Andersen, Joseph S. Elkinton

Environmental Conservation Faculty Publication Series

Avian species provide pest control services in some agricultural systems, which may incentivize farmers to conserve natural habitats for native biodiversity. A critical component of this equation, however, is verifying that avian species are consuming potential pest species in the agricultural ecosystems. We used a DNA metabarcoding approach to determine the frequency of pest presence in songbird fecal samples collected from birds caught on diversified, low-intensity farms in New England, USA, during the bird breeding season. Twelve species of insect pest were identified in fecal samples, and across all songbird species 12.6% of samples included DNA from at least …


Habitat Associations Of Golden-Winged Warblers And Blue-Winged Warblers During The Non-Breeding Season, David I. King, Michael E. Akresh, David A. Murillo, Ruth E. Bennett, Richard B. Chandler Jan 2023

Habitat Associations Of Golden-Winged Warblers And Blue-Winged Warblers During The Non-Breeding Season, David I. King, Michael E. Akresh, David A. Murillo, Ruth E. Bennett, Richard B. Chandler

Environmental Conservation Faculty Publication Series

The Golden-winged Warbler (Vermivora chyrsoptera) and Blue-winged Warbler (Vermivora cyanoptera) are both Neotropical migratory species of elevated conservation concern that overlap in distribution on their Central American wintering grounds, yet the extent to which they overlap in terms of habitat use is unknown, potentially hindering conservation efforts. We surveyed these two species along habitat and elevational gradients within a coffee-growing landscape during 2016 and 2017 in Yoro, Honduras. We used playback with a mobbing track known to enhance detections of female warblers, since examining sexual habitat segregation was another objective of our study. Habitat occupied by …


Dosel Abierto Integrado (Dai) En Cultivos De Café Coffea Arabica Como Herramienta De Conservación De Aves Migratorias Neártico-Neotropicales Y Aves Residentes En Yoro, Honduras, David Alexander Murillo, Dario Arnaldo Alvarado, Fabiola Vásquez, Caz Taylor, David King Jan 2023

Dosel Abierto Integrado (Dai) En Cultivos De Café Coffea Arabica Como Herramienta De Conservación De Aves Migratorias Neártico-Neotropicales Y Aves Residentes En Yoro, Honduras, David Alexander Murillo, Dario Arnaldo Alvarado, Fabiola Vásquez, Caz Taylor, David King

Environmental Conservation Faculty Publication Series

Honduras cuenta con 349,510 hectáreas cultivadas con café Coffea arabica, que son en su mayoría cultivos tradicionales (café sombra y café sol), y en menor escala cultivos con sistema Dosel Abierto Integrado (DAI). El sistema de café DAI consiste en plantaciones de café rodeadas por bosque en una proporción ≥ 1:1, lo que permite la preservación y la restauración de ecosistemas nativos. El objetivo de nuestra investigación fue evaluar el sistema DAI en cultivos de café como una alternativa de conservación para las aves migratorias neártico-neotropicales y aves residentes. Evaluamos características ecológicas, como la riqueza y abundancia de especies, …


Condition And Postrelease Mortality Of Angled Northern Pike Temporarily Retained On Stringers, Jamie C. Madden, Luc Larochelle, Declan Burton, Andy J. Danylchuk, Sean J. Landsman, Steven J. Cooke Jan 2023

Condition And Postrelease Mortality Of Angled Northern Pike Temporarily Retained On Stringers, Jamie C. Madden, Luc Larochelle, Declan Burton, Andy J. Danylchuk, Sean J. Landsman, Steven J. Cooke

Environmental Conservation Faculty Publication Series

Anglers typically use stringers to keep fish intended for harvest from spoiling or for high-grading purposes (i.e., culling). However, relatively few studies have examined the effects of temporary stringer retention on the physical condition and postrelease mortality of fish. In this study, our objective was to investigate the lethal and sublethal effects of temporarily retaining Northern Pike Esox lucius on stringers.


Geographic And Taxonomic Variation In Adaptive Capacity Among Mountain-Dwelling Small Mammals: Implications For Conservation Status And Actions, Kelly Klingler, Et. Al. Jan 2023

Geographic And Taxonomic Variation In Adaptive Capacity Among Mountain-Dwelling Small Mammals: Implications For Conservation Status And Actions, Kelly Klingler, Et. Al.

Environmental Conservation Faculty Publication Series

Contemporary climate change is modifying the distribution, morphology, phenology, physiology, evolution, and interspecific interactions of species. Effects of climate change are mediated not only through the magnitude of change experienced (exposure) and an animal's sensitivity to such changes, but also through the ability of the population or species to adjust to climatic variability and change genetically, behaviorally, or spatially (via its distribution) (i.e., adaptive capacity; AC). Here, we used an attribute-based framework to systematically evaluate and compare the AC of American pikas (Ochotona princeps) against four other mountain-dwelling small mammals of North America to determine whether pikas …


Divergent Sensory And Immune Gene Evolution In Sea Turtles With Contrasting Demographic And Life Histories, Blair P. Bentley, Shreya M. Banerjee, Lisa M. Komoroske, Et. Al. Jan 2023

Divergent Sensory And Immune Gene Evolution In Sea Turtles With Contrasting Demographic And Life Histories, Blair P. Bentley, Shreya M. Banerjee, Lisa M. Komoroske, Et. Al.

Environmental Conservation Faculty Publication Series

Sea turtles represent an ancient lineage of marine vertebrates that evolved from terrestrial ancestors over 100 Mya. The genomic basis of the unique physiological and ecological traits enabling these species to thrive in diverse marine habitats remains largely unknown. Additionally, many populations have drastically declined due to anthropogenic activities over the past two centuries, and their recovery is a high global conservation priority. We generated and analyzed high-quality reference genomes for the leatherback (Dermochelys coriacea) and green (Chelonia mydas) turtles, representing the two extant sea turtle families. These genomes are highly syntenic and homologous, but localized …


Shifting Hotspots: Climate Change Projected To Drive Contractions And Expansions Of Invasive Plant Abundance Habitats, Bethany A. Bradley, Et. Al. Jan 2023

Shifting Hotspots: Climate Change Projected To Drive Contractions And Expansions Of Invasive Plant Abundance Habitats, Bethany A. Bradley, Et. Al.

Environmental Conservation Faculty Publication Series

No abstract provided.


Motivating The Formation Of Partnerships By Small Water Systems, Anita Milman, Olivia Ashjian James, Cameron Macuch Jan 2023

Motivating The Formation Of Partnerships By Small Water Systems, Anita Milman, Olivia Ashjian James, Cameron Macuch

Environmental Conservation Faculty Publication Series

Small community water systems (CWS) often have difficulty maintaining high-quality service provision. Partnerships can help alleviate these problems, yet may not be attainable or pursued. This research examines the perspectives of U.S. state agencies with drinking water primacy regarding the benefits of water systems partnerships and the points of leverage that can induce water systems to partner. It assesses the benefits, drawbacks, and barriers to five common forms of partnerships as well as the approaches states can use to encourage small CWS partnerships. Findings indicate that while partnerships hold significant potential, in many contexts, there are inherent limitations to their …


Identifying New England’S Underutilized Seafood Species And Evaluating Their Market Potential In A Changing Climate, Amanda G. Davis, Michelle D. Staudinger, Katherine E. Mills Jan 2023

Identifying New England’S Underutilized Seafood Species And Evaluating Their Market Potential In A Changing Climate, Amanda G. Davis, Michelle D. Staudinger, Katherine E. Mills

Environmental Conservation Faculty Publication Series

Developing and diversifying market opportunities for lesser known yet abundant seafood species has been a successful strategy for seafood businesses in the Northeast United States. Since climate change and other stressors are currently threatening the economic vitality of New England’s seafood industry, it is important to identify if there are lesser-known species that could simultaneously support additional market opportunities and remain resilient in a warming climate. We developed a quantitative definition for the term “underutilized species’’ based on five criteria derived from science-based sustainable fishing metrics. Using this definition, we evaluated 47 stocks in the Northeast United States during the …


One Health Approach To Globalizing, Accelerating, And Focusing Amphibian And Reptile Disease Research—Reflections And Opinions From The First Global Amphibian And Reptile Disease Conference, Molly C. Bletz, Et. Al. Jan 2023

One Health Approach To Globalizing, Accelerating, And Focusing Amphibian And Reptile Disease Research—Reflections And Opinions From The First Global Amphibian And Reptile Disease Conference, Molly C. Bletz, Et. Al.

Environmental Conservation Faculty Publication Series

The world’s reptiles and amphibians are experiencing dramatic and ongoing losses in biodiversity, changes that can have substantial effects on ecosystems and human health. In 2022, the first Global Amphibian and Reptile Disease Conference was held, using One Health as a guiding principle. The conference showcased knowledge on numerous reptile and amphibian pathogens from several standpoints, including epidemiology, host immune defenses, wild population effects, and mitigation. The conference also provided field experts the opportunity to discuss and identify the most urgent herpetofaunal disease research directions necessary to address current and future threats to reptile and amphibian biodiversity.


Release Of Live Baitfish By Recreational Anglers Drives Fish Pathogen Introduction Risk, Margaret C. Mceachran, Janice Mladonicky, Catalina Picasso-Risso, D. Andrew R. Drake, Nicholas B.D. Phelps Jan 2023

Release Of Live Baitfish By Recreational Anglers Drives Fish Pathogen Introduction Risk, Margaret C. Mceachran, Janice Mladonicky, Catalina Picasso-Risso, D. Andrew R. Drake, Nicholas B.D. Phelps

Environmental Conservation Faculty Publication Series

Emerging diseases of wildlife are an existential threat to biodiversity, and human-mediated movements of live animals are a primary vector of their spread. Wildlife disease risk analyses offer an appealing alternative to precautionary approaches because they allow for explicit quantification of uncertainties and consideration of tradeoffs. Such considerations become particularly important in high-frequency invasion pathways with hundreds of thousands of individual vectors, where even low pathogen prevalence can lead to substantial risk. The purpose of this study was to examine the landscape-level dynamics of human behavior-mediated pathogen introduction risk in the context of a high-frequency invasion pathway. One such pathway …


Assessing The Host Range Of Anastatus Orientalis, An Egg Parasitoid Of Spotted Lanternfly (Lycorma Delicatula) Using Eastern U.S. Non-Target Species, Joseph S. Elkinton, Danielle B. Pitt, Shannon C. Davis, Et. Al. Jan 2023

Assessing The Host Range Of Anastatus Orientalis, An Egg Parasitoid Of Spotted Lanternfly (Lycorma Delicatula) Using Eastern U.S. Non-Target Species, Joseph S. Elkinton, Danielle B. Pitt, Shannon C. Davis, Et. Al.

Environmental Conservation Faculty Publication Series

The spotted lanternfly, Lycorma delicatula (Hemiptera: Fulgoridae), an invasive planthopper discovered in Pennsylvania, U.S. in 2014, has spread to many surrounding states despite quarantines and control efforts, and further spread is anticipated. A classical (importation) biological control program would contribute to the long-term management of L. delicatula in the eastern U.S. In its native range of China, Anastatus orientalis (Hymenoptera: Eupelmidae), an egg parasitoid, causes significant mortality. Anastatus orientalis consists of multiple haplotypes that differ in important biological parameters. To delineate the physiological host range of A. orientalis Haplotype C, we completed no-choice and choice testing. No-choice testing of non-target …


Cryptic Genetic Diversity And Associated Ecological Differences Of Anastatus Orientalis, An Egg Parasitoid Of The Spotted Lanternfly, John J. Mccormack, Corrine A. Losch, Marjorie Z. Palmeri, Et. Al. Jan 2023

Cryptic Genetic Diversity And Associated Ecological Differences Of Anastatus Orientalis, An Egg Parasitoid Of The Spotted Lanternfly, John J. Mccormack, Corrine A. Losch, Marjorie Z. Palmeri, Et. Al.

Environmental Conservation Faculty Publication Series

Anastatus orientalis, native to northern China, is an egg parasitoid wasp of the spotted lanternfly (Lycorma delicatula) and is being tested as a potential biological control agent for invasive L. delicatula in the United States. As a component of these evaluations, live A. orientalis collected from Beijing and Yantai in China were reared in containment in the U.S. These specimens showed different responses in diapause behaviors to rearing conditions used previously by other researchers. To understand the primary mechanism potentially driving discrepancies in important life history traits, we used molecular tools to examine the genetic composition of …


Black Family Forest Owners In The Southeastern United States: A Case Study In Six Counties, Amanda Robillard, Cassandra Johnson Gaither, John Schelhas, Brett J. Butler Jan 2023

Black Family Forest Owners In The Southeastern United States: A Case Study In Six Counties, Amanda Robillard, Cassandra Johnson Gaither, John Schelhas, Brett J. Butler

Environmental Conservation Faculty Publication Series

The USDA Forest Service, National Woodland Owner Survey asks family forest owners (FFOs) about their attitudes and intentions regarding their forestland. Historically, the number of responses from Black or African American FFOs has been very low, but it is uncertain whether this is because of nonresponse bias or that there are relatively few Black FFOs. To get a better understanding of these FFOs and to test a method to increase response rates, an intensified survey effort was conducted in three southern states: Alabama, North Carolina, and South Carolina. Analyses indicate that Black FFOs have slightly different objectives, activities, and ownership …


Key Issues In Assessing Threats To Sea Turtles: Knowledge Gaps And Future Directions, Lisa M. Komoroske, Et. Al. Jan 2023

Key Issues In Assessing Threats To Sea Turtles: Knowledge Gaps And Future Directions, Lisa M. Komoroske, Et. Al.

Environmental Conservation Faculty Publication Series

Sea turtles are an iconic group of marine megafauna that have been exposed to multiple anthropogenic threats across their different life stages, especially in the past decades. This has resulted in population declines, and consequently many sea turtle populations are now classified as threatened or endangered globally. Although some populations of sea turtles worldwide are showing early signs of recovery, many still face fundamental threats. This is problematic since sea turtles have important ecological roles. To encourage informed conservation planning and direct future research, we surveyed experts to identify the key contemporary threats (climate change, direct take, fisheries, pollution, disease, …


Sporti: The Species Originality And Rarity Index Combines Phylogenetic And Functional Originality With Rarity Metrics To Provide A New Perspective On Species Rarity, Michael Cunningham-Minnick, Joan Milam, David I. King Jan 2022

Sporti: The Species Originality And Rarity Index Combines Phylogenetic And Functional Originality With Rarity Metrics To Provide A New Perspective On Species Rarity, Michael Cunningham-Minnick, Joan Milam, David I. King

Environmental Conservation Faculty Publication Series

Methods used to assign rarity among species are fundamental to our ecological understanding and conservation of species that are most vulnerable to extinction or extirpation. Bees (Hymenoptera: Apoidea: Anthophila) are at the forefront of declines in pollinator diversity and a comprehensive understanding of their conservation requirements in any landscape is essential. Rarity is generally defined in terms of numerical abundance and geographical distribution, though aspects of species life history, such as degree of specialization and taxonomic relatedness, are also widely recognized as important. Incomplete information on the life histories of many taxa obliges ecologists to rely on species-level classifications of …


Breaking Down Barriers To Consistent, Climate-Smart Regulation Of Invasive Plants - A Case Study Of Northeast States, Bethany A. Bradley, Evelyn M. Beaury, Emily Fusco, Lara Munro, Carrie Brown-Lima, William Coville, Benjamin Kesler, Nancy Olmstead, Jocelyn Parker Jan 2022

Breaking Down Barriers To Consistent, Climate-Smart Regulation Of Invasive Plants - A Case Study Of Northeast States, Bethany A. Bradley, Evelyn M. Beaury, Emily Fusco, Lara Munro, Carrie Brown-Lima, William Coville, Benjamin Kesler, Nancy Olmstead, Jocelyn Parker

Environmental Conservation Faculty Publication Series

Efforts to prevent the introduction and spread of new invasive plants are most effective when regulated species are consistent across jurisdictional boundaries and proactively prohibit species before they arrive or in the earliest stages of invasion. Consistent and proactive regulation is particularly important in the northeast U.S. which is susceptible to many new invasive plants due to climate change. Unfortunately, recent analyses of state regulated plant lists show that regulated species are neither consistent nor proactive. To understand why, we focus on two steps leading to invasive plant regulation across six northeast states (Connecticut, Maine, Massachusetts, New Hampshire, New York, …


The Contribution Of Canopy Samples To Assessments Of Forestry Effects On Native Bees, Joan Milam, Michael Cunningham-Minnick, Henry Patrick Roberts, Christopher Buelow, David I. King Jan 2022

The Contribution Of Canopy Samples To Assessments Of Forestry Effects On Native Bees, Joan Milam, Michael Cunningham-Minnick, Henry Patrick Roberts, Christopher Buelow, David I. King

Environmental Conservation Faculty Publication Series

Forest management is often practiced to enhance conditions for wildlife, including native bees. Evaluations of the effects of forest management on bees have shown that abundance and diversity are higher in newly created early-successional conditions. To date, studies have restricted sampling to the forest understory; however, recent research finds that bee abundance is as high or higher in forest canopies than in understories, suggesting that previous observations of substantially greater bee abundance and diversity in recently managed areas could be an artifact of incomplete sampling of the vertical gradient within forests. To examine the potential implications of sampling biases associated …


Addressing Data Integration Challenges To Link Ecological Processes Across Scales, Elise F. Zipkin, Erin R. Zylstra, Alexander D. Wright, Sarah P. Saunders, Andrew O. Finley, Michael C. Dietze, Malcom S. Itter, Morgan W. Tingley Jan 2021

Addressing Data Integration Challenges To Link Ecological Processes Across Scales, Elise F. Zipkin, Erin R. Zylstra, Alexander D. Wright, Sarah P. Saunders, Andrew O. Finley, Michael C. Dietze, Malcom S. Itter, Morgan W. Tingley

Environmental Conservation Faculty Publication Series

Data integration is a statistical modeling approach that incorporates multiple data sources within a unified analytical framework. Macrosystems ecology – the study of ecological phenomena at broad scales, including interactions across scales – increasingly employs data integration techniques to expand the spatiotemporal scope of research and inferences, increase the precision of parameter estimates, and account for multiple sources of uncertainty in estimates of multiscale processes. We highlight four common analytical challenges to data integration in macrosystems ecology research: data scale mismatches, unbalanced data, sampling biases, and model development and assessment. We explain each problem, discuss current approaches to address the …


Translational Invasion Ecology: Bridging Research And Practice To Address One Of The Greatest Threats To Biodiversity, Toni Lyn Morelli, Carrie J. Brown-Lima, Jenica M. Allen, Evelyn M. Beaury, Emily J. Fusco, Audrey Barker-Plotkin, Brittany B. Laginhas, Brendan R. Quirion, Bridget Griffin, Blair Mclaughlin, Lara Munro, Nancy Olmstead, Julie Richburg, Bethany A. Bradley Jan 2021

Translational Invasion Ecology: Bridging Research And Practice To Address One Of The Greatest Threats To Biodiversity, Toni Lyn Morelli, Carrie J. Brown-Lima, Jenica M. Allen, Evelyn M. Beaury, Emily J. Fusco, Audrey Barker-Plotkin, Brittany B. Laginhas, Brendan R. Quirion, Bridget Griffin, Blair Mclaughlin, Lara Munro, Nancy Olmstead, Julie Richburg, Bethany A. Bradley

Environmental Conservation Faculty Publication Series

Effective natural resource management and policy is contingent on information generated by research. Conversely, the applicability of research depends on whether it is responsive to the needs and constraints of resource managers and policy makers. However, many scientific fields including invasion ecology suffer from a disconnect between research and practice. Despite strong socio-political imperatives, evidenced by extensive funding dedicated to addressing invasive species, the pairing of invasion ecology with stakeholder needs to support effective management and policy is lacking. As a potential solution, we propose translational invasion ecology (TIE). As an extension of translational ecology, as a framework to increase …


Contrasting Fishing Effort Reduction And Habitat Connectivity As Management Strategies To Promote Alewife (Alosa Pseudoharengus) Recovery Using An Ecosystem Model, Beatriz Dos Santos Dias, Michael G. Frisk, Adrian Jordaan Jan 2021

Contrasting Fishing Effort Reduction And Habitat Connectivity As Management Strategies To Promote Alewife (Alosa Pseudoharengus) Recovery Using An Ecosystem Model, Beatriz Dos Santos Dias, Michael G. Frisk, Adrian Jordaan

Environmental Conservation Faculty Publication Series

Small pelagics, or forage fish, link lower and higher trophic levels in marine food webs. Recently, attention has been given to the management of forage fish, including anadromous river herring (Alewife Alosa pseudoharengus, blueback herring A. aestivalis) and American shad (A. sapidissima) due to their current depleted status and historically important ecological and economic roles. Little is known about the impact of changes in their biomass on marine food webs and what management practices will promote their recovery. Estimated historical riverine productivity was utilized to evaluate potential ecosystem impacts of the increasing river to ocean connectivity …


Invaders For Sale: The Ongoing Spread Of Invasive Species By The Plant Trade Industry, Evelyn M. Beaury, Madeline Patrick, Bethany A. Bradley Jan 2021

Invaders For Sale: The Ongoing Spread Of Invasive Species By The Plant Trade Industry, Evelyn M. Beaury, Madeline Patrick, Bethany A. Bradley

Environmental Conservation Faculty Publication Series

The sale of ornamental nonnative plants is a primary pathway of invasive plant introduction into the US. As a result, many nonnative plants have been identified as noxious weeds by federal and state governments, or as problematic invasive plants by agencies and nonprofit organizations. However, it is unclear whether identifying a species as invasive has curtailed its sale as an ornamental. Using the Google search engine and a database of nursery catalogs, we found that 61% of 1285 plant species identified as invasive in the US remain available through the plant trade, including 50% of state-regulated species and 20% of …


Simulation Of Ecohydrological Processes Influencing Water Supplies In The Tuul River Watershed Of Mongolia, Javzansuren Norvanchig, Timothy O. Randhir Jan 2021

Simulation Of Ecohydrological Processes Influencing Water Supplies In The Tuul River Watershed Of Mongolia, Javzansuren Norvanchig, Timothy O. Randhir

Environmental Conservation Faculty Publication Series

Achieving sufficient water supplies for multiple uses in the watershed is a major public policy issue. Understanding the current ecohydrologic processes is essential to assess potential impacts on hydrologic regimes. The Tuul River (TR) watershed faces a cold, continental climate with water supply variability. This study aims to simulate watershed processes in the TR watershed and subbasins and analyze the influences of those processes on water resources. Watershed hydrologic processes and their impact on the water resources are modeled using the Soil Water Assessment Tool (SWAT). Calibration and validation were conducted using R2, PBIAS, RSR, and NSE to …


Parasite Prevalence May Drive The Biotic Impoverishment Of New England (Usa) Bumble Bee Communities, Anne L. Averill, Andrea V. Couto, Jeremy C. Andersen, Joseph S. Elkinton Jan 2021

Parasite Prevalence May Drive The Biotic Impoverishment Of New England (Usa) Bumble Bee Communities, Anne L. Averill, Andrea V. Couto, Jeremy C. Andersen, Joseph S. Elkinton

Environmental Conservation Faculty Publication Series

Numerous studies have reported a diversity of stressors that may explain continental-scale declines in populations of native pollinators, particularly those in the genus Bombus. However, there has been little focus on the identification of the local-scale dynamics that may structure currently impoverished Bombus communities. For example, the historically diverse coastal-zone communities of New England (USA) now comprise only a few species and are primarily dominated by a single species, B. impatiens. To better understand the local-scale factors that might be influencing this change in community structure, we examined differences in the presence of parasites in different species of …


Diversity-Production Relationships Of Fish Communities In Freshwater Stream Ecosystems, Bonnie J. E. Myers, C. Andrew Dolloff, Jackson R. Webster, Keith H. Nislow, Andrew L. Rypel Jan 2021

Diversity-Production Relationships Of Fish Communities In Freshwater Stream Ecosystems, Bonnie J. E. Myers, C. Andrew Dolloff, Jackson R. Webster, Keith H. Nislow, Andrew L. Rypel

Environmental Conservation Faculty Publication Series

Aim Ecological relationships between species richness and biomass production are increasingly thought to be pervasive across the globe. Yet, diversity-production relationships have not been explored extensively for freshwater fish communities even though fisheries production provides key services to humans. Our aim was to evaluate the diversity-production relationship of fish communities inhabiting freshwater streams across the Appalachian Mountain range and examine how diversity-production relationships varied across streams possessing different thermal signatures. Location Our study area included 25 freshwater stream ecosystems spanning from Vermont to North Carolina in the United States. Twenty sites were located in Maryland south to Tennessee and North …


Small-Area Estimation For The Usda Forest Service, National Woodland Owner Survey: Creating A Fine-Scale Land Cover And Ownership Layer To Support County-Level Population Estimates, Vance Harris, Jesse Caputo, Andrew Finley, Brett J. Butler, Forrest Bowlick, Paul Catanzaro Jan 2021

Small-Area Estimation For The Usda Forest Service, National Woodland Owner Survey: Creating A Fine-Scale Land Cover And Ownership Layer To Support County-Level Population Estimates, Vance Harris, Jesse Caputo, Andrew Finley, Brett J. Butler, Forrest Bowlick, Paul Catanzaro

Environmental Conservation Faculty Publication Series

Small area estimation is a powerful modeling technique in which ancillary data can be utilized to “borrow” additional information, effectively increasing sample sizes in small spatial, temporal, or categorical domains. Though more commonly applied to biophysical variables within the study of forest inventory analyses, small area estimation can also be implemented in the context of understanding social values, behaviors, and trends among types of forest landowners within small domains. Here, we demonstrate a method for deriving a continuous fine-scale land cover and ownership layer for the state of Delaware, United States, and an application of that ancillary layer to facilitate …


Regulators And Utility Managers Agree About Barriers And Opportunities For Innovation In The Municipal Wastewater Sector, Alida Cantor, Luke Sherman, Anita Milman, Michael Kiparsky Jan 2021

Regulators And Utility Managers Agree About Barriers And Opportunities For Innovation In The Municipal Wastewater Sector, Alida Cantor, Luke Sherman, Anita Milman, Michael Kiparsky

Environmental Conservation Faculty Publication Series

Despite pressures to improve performance and reduce costs, innovation in the municipal wastewater sector in the United States has been notoriously slow. Previous research has suggested that wastewater utility managers may see regulation as a barrier to developing and deploying new technologies. To better understand how environmental regulation may fuel or hinder innovation in this sector, we conducted a nationwide survey of wastewater utility managers and wastewater regulators in the United States, asking both populations about their perceptions of specific aspects of regulation and innovation. Survey results revealed broad agreement between the two groups that funding and capacity, regulatory relationships, …


Understanding The Combined Impacts Of Weeds And Climate Change On Crops, Montserrat Vilà, Evelyn M. Beaury, Dana M. Blumenthal, Bethany A. Bradley, Regan Early, Brittany B. Laginhas, Alejandro Trillo, Jeffery S. Dukes, Cascade J. B. Sorte, Inés Ibáñez Jan 2021

Understanding The Combined Impacts Of Weeds And Climate Change On Crops, Montserrat Vilà, Evelyn M. Beaury, Dana M. Blumenthal, Bethany A. Bradley, Regan Early, Brittany B. Laginhas, Alejandro Trillo, Jeffery S. Dukes, Cascade J. B. Sorte, Inés Ibáñez

Environmental Conservation Faculty Publication Series

Crops worldwide are simultaneously affected by weeds, which reduce yield, and by climate change, which can negatively or positively affect both crop and weed species. While the individual effects of environmental change and of weeds on crop yield have been assessed, the combined effects have not been broadly characterized. To explore the simultaneous impacts of weeds with changes in climate-related environmental conditions on future food production, we conducted a meta-analysis of 171 observations measuring the individual and combined effects of weeds and elevated CO2, drought or warming on 23 crop species. The combined effect of weeds and environmental change tended …


Spatial Connectivity And Drivers Of Shark Habitat Use Within A Large Marine Protected Area In The Caribbean, The Bahamas Shark Sanctuary, Austin J. Gallagher, Oliver N. Shipley, Maurits P. M. Van Zinnicq Bergmann, Jacob W. Brownscombe, Craig P. Dahlgren, Michael G. Frisk, Lucas P. Griffin, Neil Hammerschlag, Sami Kattan, Yannis P. Papastamatiou Jan 2021

Spatial Connectivity And Drivers Of Shark Habitat Use Within A Large Marine Protected Area In The Caribbean, The Bahamas Shark Sanctuary, Austin J. Gallagher, Oliver N. Shipley, Maurits P. M. Van Zinnicq Bergmann, Jacob W. Brownscombe, Craig P. Dahlgren, Michael G. Frisk, Lucas P. Griffin, Neil Hammerschlag, Sami Kattan, Yannis P. Papastamatiou

Environmental Conservation Faculty Publication Series

Marine protected areas (MPAs) have emerged as potentially important conservation tools for the conservation of biodiversity and mitigation of climate impacts. Among MPAs, a large percentage has been created with the implicit goal of protecting shark populations, including 17 shark sanctuaries which fully protect sharks throughout their jurisdiction. The Commonwealth of the Bahamas represents a long-term MPA for sharks, following the banning of commercial longlining in 1993 and subsequent designation as a shark sanctuary in 2011. Little is known, however, about the longterm behavior and space use of sharks within this protected area, particularly among reef-associated sharks for which the …