Other Environmental Sciences Commons^™

Dental Microwear As A Behavioral Proxy For Distinguishing Between Canids At The Upper Paleolithic (Gravettian) Site Of Predmostí, Czech Republic, Kari A. Prassack, Josephine Dubois, Martina Laznickova-Galetova, Mietje Germonpre, Peter S. Ungar

United States National Park Service: Publications

Morphological and genetic evidence put dog domestication during the Paleolithic, sometime between 40,000 and 15,000 years ago, with identification of the earliest dogs debated. We predict that these earliest dogs (referred to herein as protodogs), while potentially difficult to distinguish morphologically from wolves, experienced behavioral shifts, including changes in diet. Specifically, protodogs may have consumed more bone and other less desirable scraps within human settlement areas. Here we apply Dental Microwear Texture Analysis (DMTA) to canids from the Gravettian site of P�redmostí (approx. 28,500 BP), which were previously assigned to the Paleolithic dog or Pleistocene wolf morphotypes. We test whether …

Agricultural Drought Assessment In East Asia Using Satellite-Based Indices, Dong-Hyun Yoon, Won-Ho Nam, Hee-Jin Lee, Eun-Mi Hong, Song Feng, Brian D. Wardlow, Tsegaye Tadesse, Mark D. Svoboda, Michael Hayes, Dae-Eui Kim

School of Natural Resources: Faculty Publications

Drought is the meteorological phenomenon with the greatest impact on agriculture. Accordingly, drought forecasting is vital in lessening its associated negative impacts. Utilizing remote exploration in the agricultural sector allows for the collection of large amounts of quantitative data across a wide range of areas. In this study, we confirmed the applicability of drought assessment using the evaporative stress index (ESI) in major East Asian countries. The ESI is an indicator of agricultural drought that describes anomalies in actual/reference evapotranspiration (ET) ratios that are retrieved using remotely sensed inputs of land surface temperature (LST) and leaf area index (LAI). The …

Bird Community Monitoring At Tallgrass Prairie National Preserve, Kansas, Status Report 2001–2018, David G. Peitz, Kathleen A. Kull

United States National Park Service: Publications

Executive Summary

In 2001, the Heartland I&M Network initiated breeding bird surveys on Tallgrass Prairie National Preserve, Kansas, to assess the ecological integrity of the preserve’s habitat. Birds are an important component of ecosystems and can serve as good indicators of habitat change in an ecosystem. In the 17 years of bird surveys at the preserve (2001 to 2018, excluding 2003), there were 2,089 plot visits and 119 different bird species recorded, 96 of which have the potential to breed within the preserve. These 96 species represent approximately 81% of the total species one would reasonably expect to have breeding …

Homestead National Monument Of America, Acoustic Monitoring Report, 2017, Emma Brown

United States National Park Service: Publications

Executive Summary

This report presents acoustical data gathered by Student Conservation Association interns and the Natural Resource Specialist at Homestead National Monument of America in 2017. Data were collected at one site to provide park managers with information about the acoustical environment, sources of noise, and the existing ambient sound levels within the monument. This deployment also captured acoustic conditions during the total solar eclipse on 8/21/2017. (Results of the eclipse monitoring effort are provided in Appendix B.)

In this deployment, sound pressure level (SPL) was measured continuously every second by a calibrated sound level meter. Other equipment included an …

Homestead National Monument Of America, Acoustic Monitoring, 2011-2012

United States National Park Service: Publications

Executive Summary

This report presents acoustical data gathered by Student Conservation Association interns and the Natural Resource Specialist at Homestead National Monument of America in 2011 and 2012. Data were collected at four sites to provide park managers with information on the acoustical environment, sources of noise, and the existing ambient sound levels within the monument. The data will also inform the park managers with information regarding the potential impact of traffic on Highway 4.

Monitoring occurred at each site during two different seasons (except HOME002) in order to document seasonal variations. In each deployment, sound pressure level (SPL) was …

Effects Of Deepwater Horizon Oil On Feather Structure And Thermoregulation In Gulls: Does Rehabilitation Work?, Katherine Horak, Nicole L. Barrett, Jeremy W. Ellis, Emma M. Campbell, Nicholas G. Dannemiller, Susan A. Shriner

United States Department of Agriculture Wildlife Services: Staff Publications

Impacts of large-scale oil spills on avian species are far-reaching.While media attention often focuses on lethal impacts, sub-lethal effects and the impacts of rehabilitation receive less attention. The objective of our study was to characterize effects of moderate external oiling and subsequent rehabilitation on feather structure and thermoregulation in gulls. We captured 30 wild ring-billed gulls (Larus delawarensis) and randomly assigned each individual to an experimental group: 1) controls, 2) rehabilitated birds (externally oiled, rehabilitated by washing), or 3) oiled birds (externally oiled, not rehabilitated). We externally oiled birds with weathered MC252 Deepwater Horizon oil (water for controls) …

Natural Resources Condition Assessment, Agate Fossil Beds National Monument (February 2020 Revision), Reilly R. Dibner, Nicole Korfanta, Gary Beauvais

United States National Park Service: Publications

Executive Summary

In collaboration with the National Park Service, the University of Wyoming Ruckelshaus Institute of Environment and Natural Resources and the Wyoming Natural Diversity Database completed the Natural Resource Condition Assessment (NRCA) for Agate Fossil Beds National Monument (NM). The purpose of the NRCA is to provide park leaders and resource managers with information on resource conditions to support near-term planning and management, long-term strategic planning, and effective science communication to decision-makers and the public.

Agate Fossil Beds NM was authorized in 1965 and established in 1997. The purposes of the park include protecting the paleontological resources on the …

Migratory Flyways May Affect Population Structure In Double‐Crested Cormorants, Steven J.A. Kimble, Brian S. Dorr, Katie C. Hanson-Dorr, Olin E. Rhodes Jr., Travis L. Devault

United States Department of Agriculture Wildlife Services: Staff Publications

Double‐crested cormorants (Phalacrocorax auritus) recovered from a demographic bottleneck so well that they are now considered a nuisance species at breeding and wintering grounds across the United States and Canada. Management of this species could be improved by refining genetic population boundaries and assigning individuals to their natal population. Further, recent radio‐telemetry data suggest the existence of Interior and Atlantic migratory flyways, which could reduce gene flow and result in substantial genetic isolation. In this study, we used 1,784 individuals collected across the eastern United States, a large panel of microsatellite markers developed for this species, and individuals banded as …

Measuring Spatial And Temporal Shifts In Forest Structure And Composition In T High Elevation Beech Forests In Response To Beech Bark Disease In Great Smoky Mountains National Park, Lee Rubmle, Glenn Taylor, Joshua B. Grinath, Ashley B. Morris

United States National Park Service: Publications

Exotic forest pests and pathogens are among the most serious environmental threats to millions of hectares of forested land worldwide. Beech Bark Disease (BBD) is a non-native, pathogenic complex consisting of associations between scale insects and fungi. First confirmed in Great Smoky Mountains National Park (GRSM) in 1986, this complex has since threatened local high elevation beech forests, which are G-1 ranked (critically imperiled) forest communities where American beech (Fagus grandifolia Ehrh.) is a foundational tree species. In 1994, GRSM initiated the BBD Monitoring Protocol at 10 high elevation beech forest plots in the Park. The plots were sampled biennially …

Prey Of Reintroduced Fishers And Their Habitat Relationships In The Cascades T Range, Washington, Mitchell A. Parsons, Jeffrey C. Lewis, Jonathan N. Pauli, Tara Chestnut, Jason I. Ransom, David O. Werntz, Laura R. Prugh

United States National Park Service: Publications

Conservation and recovery of forest carnivores requires an understanding of their habitat requirements, as well as requirements of their prey. In much of the western United States, trapping and habitat loss led to extirpations of fishers (Pekania pennanti) by the mid-20th century, and reintroductions are ongoing to restore fishers to portions of their former range. Fisher recovery in Washington State has been limited by isolation from other populations, but other potentially important factors, such as diet of fishers in this region and prey availability, have not been thoroughly investigated. We collected hair samples from potential prey and fishers for stable …

Optimal Bait Density For Delivery Of Acute Toxicants To Vertebrate Pests, Kim M. Pepin, Nathan P. Snow, Kurt C. Vercauteren

United States Department of Agriculture Wildlife Services: Staff Publications

Oral baiting is a fundamental method for delivering toxicants to pest species. Planning baiting strategies is challenging because bait-consumption rates depend on dynamic processes including space use and demographics of the target species. To determine cost-effective strategies for optimizing baiting, we developed a spatially explicit model of population dynamics using field-based measures of wild-pig (Sus scrofa) space use, bait consumption, and mortality probabilities. The most cost-effective baiting strategy depended strongly on the population reduction objective and initial density. A wide range of baiting strategies were cost-effective when the objective was 80% population reduction. In contrast, only a narrow range of …

Brodifacoum Residues In Fish Three Years After An Island-Wide Rat Eradication Attempt In The Tropical Pacific, Shane R. Siers, Aaron B. Shiels, Steven F. Volker, Kristen Rex, William C. Pitt

United States Department of Agriculture Wildlife Services: Staff Publications

Invasive rats are known to threaten natural resources and human health and safety. Island-wide rat eradication attempts have been increasing in number and scale during the past several decades, as has the frequency of eradication success. The most common method to remove all rats from an island is to broadcast anticoagulant rodenticide bait into every rat’s home range on the island. Broadcast of toxicants can put humans and other nontarget species in marine and terrestrial environments at risk of exposure. The persistence of anticoagulant residues is somewhat unknown, particularly in marine environments. Three years after ~ 18,000 kg of 25 …

Statistical Analysis Of Nutrient Loads From The Mississippi-Atchafalaya River Basin (Marb) To The Gulf Of Mexico, Phyllis Okwan, Yi Zhen, Huan Feng, Shinjae Yoo, Murty S. Kambhampati, Abreione Walker, Shayne Boykin, Joe Omojola, Noel Blackburn

Department of Earth and Environmental Studies Faculty Scholarship and Creative Works

This study investigated the annual and seasonal variations in nutrient loads (NO₂⁻ + NO₃⁻ and orthophosphate) delivered to the Gulf of Mexico from the Mississippi-Atchafalaya River Basin (MARB) and examined the water quality variations. The results indicate that (1) annually, the mean NO₂⁻ + NO₃⁻ and orthophosphate loads showed a steady increase during 1996–1999, a persistent level during 2000–2007, and a moderate increase during 2008–2016; (2) seasonally, NO₂⁻ + NO₃⁻ and orthophosphate in MARB in spring and summer were higher than those in autumn and winter. Analysis of …

The American Association Of State Climatologists' Recommendations And Best Practices For Mesonets, Christopher Fiebrich, Kevin R. Benson, Nathan L. Edwards, Stuart A. Foster, Rezaul Mahmood, Christopher A. Redmond, Megan Schargorodski, Jeffrey A. Andresen, Xiaomao Lin

School of Natural Resources: Faculty Publications

Over recent decades, mesoscale networks of automated, in-situ stations for weather monitoring have been developed across diverse regional settings. These networks, commonly referred to as mesonets, have originated independently, are funded at various levels and through various mechanisms, and serve a variety of constituencies and needs. While sharing commonalities, each network has unique strategic, design, and operational elements. As sensor and communications technologies evolve and the demand for environmental data to support decision making grows, mesonets are expected to play an increasing role in support of weather and climate services. Currently, there exists inconsistent functional practices and metadata reporting among …

A Hydrometeorological Assessment Of The Historic 2019 Flood Of Nebraska And Iowa, Paul Flanagan, Rezaul Mahmood, Natalie Umphlett, Erin Hacker, Chittaranjan Hacker, William Sorensen, Crystal J. Stiles, David Pearson, Paul Fajman

School of Natural Resources: Faculty Publications

During early 2019, a series of events set the stage for devastating floods in eastern Nebraska and western Iowa. When the floodwaters hit, dams and levees failed, leaving towns cut off, while destroying roads, bridges, and rail lines, further exacerbating the humanitarian crisis. Lives were lost and cattle were stranded. Preliminary estimates indicate that the cost of the flooding has topped $3 billion, with this number expected to rise. After a warm and wet start to the winter, eastern Nebraska and western Iowa endured an extended pattern characterized by extremely low temperatures and record-breaking snowfall. By early March, rivers were …

Primary Atmospheric Drivers Of Dry And Wet Periods Over The U.S. Great Plains Within Cmip5 Models, Paul Flanagan, Jeffrey B. Basara, Elinor Martin, Rezaul Mahmood, Jason C. Furtado

School of Natural Resources: Faculty Publications

Precipitation variability is critical to the economic and ecosystem health of the United States Great Plains (GP). Whether from wet or dry extremes, changes in annual precipitation can lead to impacts on the health of the ecosystem and overall crop yield in a given year. To this end, wet and dry extremes have been investigated using the ERA-20C and CMIP5 dataset on an annual timescale to determine the ability of climate-scale simulations to resolve atmospheric drivers of precipitation variability. Results from the ERA-20C analysis show that specific atmospheric circulation anomalies can be detected which relate eddy geopotential height (EGH) anomalies …

Observational And Modeling Analysis Of Land–Atmopshere Coupling Over Adjacent Irrigated And Rainfed Cropland During The Grainex Field Campaign, Eric Rappin, Rezaul Mahmood, Udaysankar S. Nair, Roger A. Pielke Sr., William O.J. Brown, S. P. Oncley, Josh Wurman, Karen Kosiba, Aaron Kaulfus, Chris Phillips, Joseph A. Santanello, E. J. Kim, Patricia Lawston-Parker

School of Natural Resources: Faculty Publications

The Great Plains Irrigation Experiment (GRAINEX) was conducted in the spring and summer of 2018 to investigate Land-Atmosphere (L-A) coupling just prior to and through the growing season across adjacent, but distinctly unique, soil moisture regimes (contrasting irrigated and rainfed fields). GRAINEX was uniquely designed for the development and analysis of an extensive observational dataset for comprehensive process studies of L-A coupling, by focusing on irrigated and rainfed croplands in a ~100 x 100 km domain in southeastern Nebraska. Observation platforms included multiple NCAR EOL Integrated Surface Flux Systems and Integrated Sounding Systems, NCAR CSWR Doppler Radar on Wheels, 1200 …

Modeling Irrigation Impacts On Atmospheric Conditions During The 2012 Historic Drought, Kierstin Blomberg, Paul Flanagan, Rezaul Mahmood, Clinton Rowe, Michael Hayes

School of Natural Resources: Faculty Publications

Various human activities have been affecting and modifying our environment and atmosphere for thousands of years in a number of ways. One of the more recent forcings identified to have major impacts is land use land cover change (LULCC). A variety of past studies using both modeled and observed data have agreed that since LULCC has a significant impact on the climate, it is important to understand these effects accurately at appropriate scales. It is found that irrigation is one of the more common types of LULCC in the Great Plains and has impacted weather and climate in this region. …

The Impacts Of Irrigated And Rainfed Agriculture On Near-Surface Atmosphere: Preliminary Results From Grainex, Emilee Lachenmeier, Rezaul Mahmood, Trenton E. Franz, Eric Rappin, Udaysankar S. Nair, Roger A. Pielke Sr., Aaron Kaulfus, Chris Phillips, William O. Brown, Steven P. Oncley

School of Natural Resources: Faculty Publications

Land use/land cover change (LULCC) has long been viewed as a contributing source of climate change. Modification of natural prairie grasslands to irrigated and rainfed agriculture has proven to have significant impacts on regional weather and climate variables including temperature, precipitation and energy fluxes. These impacts can be visible in various parts of the Great Plains. In this presentation, we have analyzed energy flux and soil moisture data collected during the Great Plains Irrigation Experiment (GRAINEX) in the 2018 growing season. The GRAINEX field campaign includes 12 in-situ integrated surface flux systems; three mobile radar units that also conducted radiosonde …

Impacts Of Future Land-Use Land Cover On Boundary Layer Development In The North-Central United States, Paul Flanagan, Rezaul Mahmood, Terry Sohl, Mark Svoboda, Brian Wardlow, Michael Hayes

School of Natural Resources: Faculty Publications

Land-use Land-cover change (LULCC) has become a particularly important topic of study over the central United States, due to the extensive development of the natural prairie into agricultural land, especially in the northern sections of the Great Plains. Owing to this, shifts in the natural climate of the northern Great Plains have been seen, primarily a cooling of daytime temperatures, increases in nighttime minimum temperatures and increases in planetary boundary layer (PBL) moisture, all of which can be attributed to the increases of agricultural practices in the region. Thus, it is necessary to understand how further changes to the surface …

Plains Zebra (Equus Quagga) Behaviour In A Restored Population Reveals Seasonal Resource Limitations, Charli De Vos, Alison J. Leslie, Jason I. Ransom

United States National Park Service: Publications

A once abundant species, plains zebra (Equus quagga), is declining across much of sub-Saharan Africa. Reintroduction efforts at Majete Wildlife Reserve, Malawi, have resulted in rapid population increases, but little is known about how such populations resemble natural populations socially or behaviourally, and what those attributes may reveal about restoration success. Incorporating behavioural knowledge into conservation efforts is an important tool for managing the effects of habitat fragmentation and resource competition. The aim of this study was to quantify the daylight time budget of both family and bachelor bands of reintroduced plains zebra to determine if such behaviours …

Predicting Livestock Depredation Risk By African Lions (Panthera Leo) In A Multi-Use Area Of Northern Tanzania, K. Beattie, E. R. Olson, B. Kissui, A. Kirschbaum, C. Kiffner

United States National Park Service: Publications

Human-wildlife conflicts, especially those involving large carnivores, are of global conservation and livelihood concern and require effective and locally-adapted prevention measures. Risk of lion attack on livestock (i.e. depredation) may vary seasonally and may be associated with variation in wild prey abundance or landscape characteristics. To test these competing hypotheses, we used a resource selection approach, and determined whether prey catchability (indicated by geo-spatial variables), or prey availability (indicated by modeled abundance recorded via camera traps) explained spatial and seasonal variation in livestock depredation risk by African lions on Manyara Ranch Conservancy, a multi-use area in northern Tanzania. Seasonal variation …

Local Adaptation Constrains Drought Tolerance In A Tropical Foundation Tree, Kasey E. Barton, Casey Jones, Kyle F. Edwards, Aaron B. Shiels, Tiffany Knight

United States Department of Agriculture Wildlife Services: Staff Publications

1. Plant species with broad climatic ranges might be more vulnerable to climate change than previously appreciated due to intraspecific variation in climatic stress tolerance. In tropical forests, drought is increasingly frequent and severe, causing widespread declines and altering community dynamics. Yet, little is known about whether foundation tropical trees vary in drought tolerance throughout their distributions, and how intraspecific variation in drought tolerance might contribute to their vulnerability to climate changE.
2. We tested for local adaptation in seedling emergence and establishment with a full-factorial reciprocal transplant experiment including 27 populations and 109,350 seeds along a 3,500 mm precipitation gradient for …

Anthropogenic Hydrometeorological Changes At A Regional Scale: Observed Irrigation-Precipitation Feedback (1979-2015) In Nebraska, Usa, Jozsef Szilagyi, Trenton Franz

School of Natural Resources: Faculty Publications

Long-term tendencies in annual, seasonal, and monthly (March) precipitation, evapotranspiration, and air- and dew-point temperature values were correlated with county-level changes in irrigated area across Nebraska over the 1979–2015 period. A statistically significant linear relationship (slope of − 1.65 ± 0.33 mm/decade per % decadal change in irrigated area, with a correlation coefficient of − 0.47) was found between the trends in annual precipitation and irrigated land area. Precipitation dropped by 1 mm annually if the level in irrigation expansion reached about 8% per decade, while the rest of the state enjoyed about a half-millimeter overall increase in annual precipitation …

Niche Modeling Reveals Life History Shifts In Birds At La Brea Over The Last Twenty Millennia, Robert M. Zink, Sebastian Botero-Canola, Helen Martinez, Katelyn M. Herzberg

School of Natural Resources: Faculty Publications

A species presence at a particular site can change over time, resulting in temporally dynamic species pools. Ecological niche models provide estimates of species presence at different time intervals. The avifauna of La Brea includes approximately 120 species dating to approximately 15,000 years ago. Niche models predicted presence at the Last Glacial Maximum for over 90% of 89 landbird species. This confirms that niche modeling produces sensible range estimates at the Last Glacial Maximum. For 97 currently local species that are as yet undocumented at La Brea over 90% were predicted to occur; absence is due to insufficient study, lack …

Sociohydrologic Systems Thinking: An Analysis Of Undergraduate Students’ Operationalization And Modeling Of Coupled Human-Water Systems, Diane Lally, Cory T. Forbes

School of Natural Resources: Faculty Publications

One of the keys to science and environmental literacy is systems thinking. Learning how to think about the interactions between systems, the far-reaching effects of a system, and the dynamic nature of systems are all critical outcomes of science learning. However, students need support to develop systems thinking skills in undergraduate geoscience classrooms. While systems thinking-focused instruction has the potential to benefit student learning, gaps exist in our understanding of students’ use of systems thinking to operationalize and model SHS, as well as their metacognitive evaluation of systems thinking. To address this need, we have designed, implemented, refined, and studied …

An Unseen Synchrony Or Recurrent Resource Pulse Opportunity? Linking Fisheries With Aeroecology, Henry H. Hansen, Mark Pegg, Matthew Van Den Broeke, Doug Watkinson, Eva C. Enders

School of Natural Resources: Faculty Publications

Understanding insect and fish interactions from a spatial and temporal perspec-tive can have implications on large-scale phenology in freshwater systems, yet current information is limited. We employed a novel approach of combining information from acoustic telemetry for six freshwater fish species and weather radar to assess the phenology of mayfly emergence and foraging patterns of freshwater fish. We hypothesized that freshwater fish conduct synchronous movements with annual mayfly hatches as a pulse resource opportunity. Gener-alized additive models were developed to assess movement distance as a func-tion of species and time; before, during, and after annual mayfly hatch events. A cross-section …

Ready For Drought? A Community Resilience Role-Playing Game, Mary Noel, Michael Hayes, Deborah J. Bathke, Tonya Haigh, Michael J. Hayes

School of Natural Resources: Faculty Publications

Drought is an abstract and complex phenomenon that can be difficult for many people to comprehend. Proactive planning to improve response during drought events is necessary but complicated because it involves stakeholders and decision-makers with competing interests. A category of games, called serious games, have proven to be helpful when learning about abstract concepts, and for improving communication and conflict resolution with respect to water-related issues. In this study, we present a new in-person role-playing game that serves as a drought educational tool in both classroom and professional settings. The message of the game emphasizes the importance of communication and …

The Applicability Of The Cosmic Ray Neutron Sensor To Simultaneously Monitor Soil Water Content And Biomass In An Acacia Mearnsii Forest, Thigesh Vather, Colin S. Everson, Trenton E. Franz

School of Natural Resources: Faculty Publications

Soil water content is an important hydrological parameter, which is difficult to measure at a field scale due to its spatial and temporal heterogeneity. The Cosmic Ray Neutron Sensor (CRNS) is a novel and innovative approach to estimate area-averaged soil water content at an intermediate scale, which has been implemented across the globe. The CRNS is moderated by all hydrogen sources within its measurement footprint. In order to isolate the soil water content signal from the neutron intensity, the other sources of hydrogen need to be accounted for. The CRNS’s applications are not only limited to soil water content estimation, …

Drivers Of Long-Term Invertebrate Community Stability In Changing Swedish Lakes, Hannah B. Fried-Petersen, Yimen G. Araya-Ajoy, Martyn N. Futter, David G. Angeler

School of Natural Resources: Faculty Publications

Research on ecosystem stability has had a strong focus on local systems. However, environmental change often occurs slowly at broad spatial scales, which requires regional-level assessments of long-term stability. In this study, we assess the stability of macroinvertebrate communities across 105 lakes in the Swedish “lakescape.” Using a hierarchical mixed-model approach, we first evaluate the environmental pressures affecting invertebrate communities in two ecoregions (north, south) using a 23 year time series (1995–2017) and then examine how a set of environmental and physical variables affect the stability of these communities. Results show that lake latitude, size, total phosphorus and alkalinity affect …